A great man once said, "Your life hangs by a rope. You never want the rope to break. What happens if it does break? You don't know. You can try it or you'd never know what lies ahead." This is what my first year at work taught me.
If fresh graduates were dogs, I was one of those dogs who put their tongues out with the expectation of an awesome kick-start to their job career. I landed in Mumbai, enthused with the prospect of working for a company which is, arguably, a respectable one. At the same time, I was apprehensive of what I had left behind: a part of my life which I so desperately wanted to re-live. Of course, there are some desires that never get fulfilled.
I suddenly found myself up against a fast-paced environment which, in its entirety, was strikingly difficult to cope up with. People seemed content dealing with travel snarls and jam-packed local trains after spending some of their most harrowing days at work. Even the word 'analyst' never lived up to its euphemistic etymology: a person who 'analyzes'. In my opinion, the word had originated from a four-lettered slang visible within it. In short, everything seemed wrong.
A year passed by. The city looks the same. The people look the same. But, perspective changes. When I look back at what I had experienced in the past year, I ask myself, "Was it really that bad?" Even after embarrassments, heart-breaks and epic failures that unfolded, I'm happy to have experienced everything (not in a sadistic point of view). In corporate culture, even schadenfreude is as ethical as abstinence from "insider trading". Every random thing seems perfect now.
In the end, it all comes down to how you judge your life. Would you have been happy yesterday to see yourself in this position today? If yes is your answer, you are incredibly lucky. Otherwise, you might need to realize that you don't live in Utopia.
