Tuesday, August 27, 2013

ARE YOU LETTING OTHERS PLAN YOUR LIFE

ARE YOU LETTING OTHERS PLAN YOUR LIFE ?

Are You Travelling on the Wrong Road on the Journey of Life?

HOW TO PLAN YOUR LIFE
By
VIKRAM KARVE

If you travel on a road which others have built – then you will reach the destination where the road goes and you will reach the the destination they want you to reach.

It is true, isn’t it?

Since others have built the road on which you travel, you will reach the destination which the road-builders want you to reach.

In a metaphorical sense, it is the same with the journey of life too.

If you let others plan your life – then you will reach the “destination” which they want you to reach.

That is why you must plan your own life according to the “destination” or goal that you want to reach.

Unfortunately, it is easier said than done.

It all starts when you are small, too young to understand things, too immature to formulate your life goal.

The moment you enter school, your parents decide what they want you to achieve – the “destination” they want you to reach – and start planning your life accordingly.

Your teachers play a role in this too.

And you are quite clueless to understand anything.

It happened with me too.

In Class 9, I was put in the “Science” Stream.

No one asked me my choice, because probably I was considered too young to make a choice.

In our school, there was a simple rule – only those “weak” in mathematics were sent to the “Arts” Stream.

And, unfortunately, I was good at Maths.

Sometimes, it is a great misfortune to be good at something you don’t like.

Later, my parents, teachers and “well-wishers” decided that I must appear for the IIT JEE.

I cleared the JEE, studied Engineering, got a B. Tech. degree, and reached the destination they wanted me to reach. 

The same thing happened during most of my working life too.

It was others who did my career planning and I kept “travelling” on the “path” they planned for me and I duly reached the “destinations” they wanted to me to reach.

It was only after retirement that I had the luxury of planning my own life according to the goals I wanted to reach.

No longer do I have to “travel” on roads that others have built for me.

No longer am I reaching “destinations” that others want me to reach.

Now, I am my own master.

I decide my goal, I plan my life, and I “build” my own road towards the “destination” that I want to reach.

I trust things have changed now and young children are being given greater independence to decide their own destiny.

I really don’t know, so you tell me.

Are young children being given the freedom to plan their own lives?

Or are parents still planning the lives of their children and making them “travel” on roads towards “destinations” that the parents want their children to reach?

Or are some parents trying to achieve their own unrealized goals vicariously through their children?

If you are a young student, remember that you have to plan your own life according to the goal you want to reach.

If you let others plan your life – then you will reach the “destination” they want you to reach.

And once you have travelled too far down the wrong road, it becomes difficult to turn back and you are left with no choice but to continue travelling till you reach the wrong “destination”.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
NB:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013 all rights reserved

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
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Email: vikramkarve@hotmail.com
Twitter: @vikramkarve
      
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

2 comments:

Sakshi said...

Interesting post. I quite agree with you, actually. This - "Sometimes, it is a great misfortune to be good at something you don’t like." is simply superb. Fortunately for me, this was not true for the relationship I shared with that dreadful thing called Maths. :D

PRATIK KIRVE said...

Still parents are forcing their children to do what they want from them. They only think about how much money my son/daughter will earn. They still saying if you have good money, society will value you, respect you. They are not in state of realizing what their children's dreams are, Whether they really want to do what they are doing. They recommend us to go with flow. They are not concerned whether we are really happy. Also they are not making us comfortable to share everything what we want. Not only parents but also young students think in same way.