An ode

There are times when the mind goes on a path of its own and comes back with ideas we feel scared to ponder upon. Something like this happened to me yesterday.
My mind returned to me thoughts about life, the meaning of life and why and what do we live for. We all live for a purpose, someone or somthing. Usually its our family, our parents and our loved ones. But what of those who aren't blessed with having someone to live for? How do they plog on through this journey called life? And what of those who seem to have lost their purpose? Yet, they continue to go on...
There are occasions when most things around you seem meaningless. What is the point in slogging over books, burning the midnight oil, or winning at everything? The future is so unpredictable, one minute you're here, the next ....who knows? And yet, at the same time its the small things that make you go on...a smile, a pat, a word of praise, a joke with friends...its the small gestures that make up life, not the accolades and trophies and certificates bunched up in a box. After all, without the small droplets, you wouldn't have the great ocean.
How do we want to be remembered we are gone? As an over-achiever, who strove so hard to be the best at everything and forgot to live, or just as a plain human who had the time for everything...
No denying the big things are important, you won't be able to live unless you can feed yourself, you can't share a laugh when you don't have a roof over your head. But the drive to achieve those "bigger things in life" shouldn't be at the cost of living. There will be no achievement if there's no one to share the joy with you. There may be only place at the top, but it won't be a happy place if you're all alone up there.
Don't forget to live..there's always time for everything else. An important lesson I learnt from a very dear friend who knew how to live life to the fullest....while we pine for you on earth, we know that you are at peace finally with the Creator. May He give your family the courage to see themselves through this dark hour.

Life is so normal

Its been over a month since Iblogged.....didn't realise the passage of time!!
I've got less than 3 weeks to go for the end of term 3 and my first year of MBA!!!! How time flies!! It seems like it was barely yesterday that I was worrying about CAT scores and calls and rejections. Now I'm almost half an MBA.
Looking back on this year, I must admit its been quite a journey. Ups and downs notwithstanding, I've learnt and unlearnt quite a bit. Things that I took for granted seem a lot more important now. Friends, family, relationships in the whole have taken on a whole new meaning. Another thing is to realise how much a person can grow within such a short span of time. Amazing how all this happens and you don't even realise it.
As for now, looks like they're out to squeeze the last bit out of us before they can confiently declare us even half an MBA. This week has been packed with so much that it seems there will not be any work left for the weeks ahead. Just when we start to think they can't give us anymore work (read assigments, ppts and tests, not to mention the pre-class readings) every hour brings on something new. Sir, what's the deadline on this one? Oh..well today is Monday, you can hand the case analysis in by Wednesday 10a.m. That should be enough time. Yup, sure no probs you'll have it, so can all the other 3 assignments due at that same hour.
But the best part is how we actually manage to hand it all in. It never ceases to amaze me how no matter how much work there is, and how the hours whizz by like seconds, we still manage to finish everything!!! Multi-tasking is one of the out of books learnings a good MBA course will leave you with. Can't help loving it all.
Got to finish reading 3 cases for tomorrow, and study that elusive QM chapter (elusive as in I need lots of help to crack this one) for a test also.