A life chasing dollar dreams

I now am studying in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. My brother is doing his MBA in Chennai, and my parents are in Coimbatore. Post engineering, I was in Bangalore, away from the family. You probably got where I’m heading: We are all separated, each one in different directions. The reason for the separation is obvious: chasing employment, dreams and greenbacks. Ofcourse, as most other things in life, all this has a cost – and a terrible one at that - degradation of the traditional family system.

Come to think of it, all this chasing greenbacks and stuff is ironical from the viewpoint of the concept of being in a family. Without making it drab, the point is whether we are doing justice to the very meaning of life. Ofcourse, self-proclaimed neo-Xers would argue that with the advent of technology and the like, miles have become meters. But then, speaking from the heart, there doesn’t seem to be any end for this chasing greenback. As children almost all of us would’ve thought that we want to get somewhere and get satisfied with that. But there is this thing called peer pressure that sets standards far more than what we thought existed. The end seems to be nowhere. There is no such thing as getting satisfied.

I remember the story of the one of the ex-presidents of Oracle India. He got his education from Harvard. That’s something. But then, delve into the circumstances he was in, his life was anything but rosy. Since he had a poor monetary backing, as every other guy from India studying in US is, he had to take up the part time employment, and he used to clean restrooms. You read that right! I suspect most of his life now is on an airplane hopping across destinations in some corner of the world in search of a prospective customer, or to streamline a strange-sounding business process. Needless to mention - his family life is in shambles.

This blog follows the article from the editor of JAM magazine, an IIMA passout: http://www.businessworldindia.com/mar2204/invogue02.asp

The following lines are noteworthy:

Status is like an onion comprising endless layers. No sooner do you crack one ring than you become obsessed with getting to the even-more-exclusive ring inside that one.

In a tiny crevice in their hearts, I think most MBAs know something is missing from their lives. The ugly question might rear its head - is making more money for X hedge fund or relaunching lemony detergent Y the reason I was put on Earth?

Although I qualify neither as a complete MBA or a manager, all this is some food for thought.The point that’s driven home – hard and fast – is whether we are all driven by the zest to make the 6-8 lac salaries, or are we really destined for somewhere – not anywhere? And, are making a meaningful life en route to glory?