Lost and found

Chance, accident, mishap, luck – are these for real or merely a sign of our ignorance? Does the cosmic power have everything planned out to the minutest of detail? It appears that starting from place of our birth, the path we choose and the entire course of our life is a maze of events and we move in a pre determined path. The obstacles, opportunities and one’s experiences – sweet and bitter alike are pre-planned to turn one into an individual who s/he is destined to be.

The school we go to, the jobs that we bag, the cities we move and people we meet and connect at various levels are merely events that had to be. Also life is not a program of “if…. then…else”; there is just one path for each of us and what appears as options is merely a mirage. Could this argument be extended to say that, we do nothing about our lives? The answer is yes and no. Individual drive, passion, commitment, attitude and the likes are packed within a person in an appropriate proportion to achieve the goal that one is destined to. To put things in perspective, the configuration of a young CEO material is consciously created differently from that of a person who is happily serving as a clerical staff in the same corporation for decades together and they are programmed to work at different levels of efficiency.

Also, I have read somewhere and could relate to it, that relationships come to us as assignments. They last us for varying length of time but necessarily teach us lessons and impact us to varying degrees. I would like to believe that people we meet are agents who help us keep to our (pre-determined) path and get us close to our destiny at each stage of life. Destiny is a moving target.

Do I completely buy this theory? Honestly, I am not sure. But there is a reason for the philosophical bent of this post. I met a friend, who was long lost to me – 17 years. Once a while you come across people who influence you adequately and help you make critical decision. They encourage you to dare to dream and chase them. As we move from one phase to another, we sadly lose touch; especially in an era when connectivity was an expensive commodity.

I have had a simpler than simple childhood and humble beginnings. Hailing from a conservative family and not-so encouraging neighborhood, the credit goes completely to this friend that I dared to dream big and ended up in a b-school. Though we were surveying schools together as destiny would have it, we went to different b-schools. In those days (as ancient as it may sound) phone was for a different class and internet was unheard of. To add to it, I moved house closer to my school, completely immersed myself in studies and job (to fend for my school fee), graduated, found my life partner, moved cities, settled comfortably and accepted the fact that losing friends is a (sad) part of growing up.

After so many years and a few change of jobs, the recent one being a month old, I discovered that, we - the contemporaries are colleagues now. I am so excited that I tend to believe that good things do happen with zero effort from you. The super power hasn’t left anything to chance or human effort? Serendipity? Don’t know and it doesn’t matter. Life is beautiful!!

Welcome back!!