What's your trip?

A couple of years ago, I read that an American, Po Bronson, had written a book titled “What should I do with my life?” What a fundamental question, I thought, and wondered why someone had not written something similar before. The book, which I have not read, follows the life journey of many individuals, and examines the underlying reasons for varied career choices that they make.

I have never particularly cared to understand the reasons for choices that people make, beyond assuming that their choices are a reflection of what they believe is good for them. One class of people always intrigues me, though. These are the perennial cribbers. They seldom speak without whining. Conversations centre around their many troubles. It is as though the gift of life is actually a terrible curse that has befallen them. They find a lot to complain about, and little to be thankful for. These are not poverty or disease stricken individuals. They are otherwise normal, well to do people. They just seem to have a very negative outlook of life in general.

When I come across such people, I wonder if they are for real, and I am forced to conclude that they are not. Their misery is a sham, an act to garner attention, some sort of play-acting. If life is truly so terrible, surely there is an easy way out available to all. So why don’t they go down that path? Because, despite all their woes, they really do think that life is still good enough to keep living and not give up on. So can they shut up or at least punctuate their pessimistic utterances with the occasional outpouring of sunny cheer that is more reflective of their genuine beliefs please?

Among all that “needs improvement” with humankind, one thing is certainly the absolute minority of people with some kind of life plan. Many of us in the corporate sector, spend much time debating and perfecting strategies, mission and vision statements for our organizations. How many have given even a few minutes in developing one such statement for ourselves? Would it not help us in our lives to define for ourselves the values dearest to us that we wish to remain anchored to? Identify what we really want to achieve, and the things we will not compromise on? Even step back and look at our existence as a detached outsider, to see if we are headed in the right direction?

Seems a better way to go about things than generally meandering through one’s days with a vague sense of “Just want to be a good citizen, give my family a comfortable life, etc”.