Fire In The Belly
In every person's life there comes a time when he stands at the cross-roads. One has to make a possibly difficult decision to follow the further path. No matter how much you wish to run away from the juncture there is no escape for that. Its inevitable. It doesn't matter whether you take the right or wrong path, for that matter no path can be fingered down to be a right or wrong path. In life, nothing is Black and White. So in that case, what matters is the Conviction with which you make the decision.....the Confidence you have in doing what you think is right...and the clear Conscience with which you need to move ahead to make the journey. These are the three essential C's for leading a satisfactory life.
Paraphrasing an interesting conversation between Lex Luthor and Clark Kent in Smallville...
"Lex: Hey Clark...Did you read 'To Kill A Mocking Bird' ?
Clark: What about it?
Lex: Its a great book. You should read it once.
Clark: Is it? What happens in the end?
Lex: Its not about the end. Its about the journey!"
The goal in life shouldn't be about trying to reach a dead end and be happy with it. Suppose you reach one such end then what next? You will find that there's another end which you need to reach and you set up on reaching that. Again reaching that end, you find still another. Sooner or later you will realize that you are not able to enjoy the ends (technically, its not an end) that you worked so hard to reach. So what's the purpose of life if you are not happy? One has to realize that its the journey that one need to enjoy...the whole process of reaching the destination. Life will then become much more meaningful and pleasant.
Everyone stands at one or more cross-roads in their lives and currently I am facing one. Having decided to pursue Ph.D in computer science I have to decide the way I have to go about it. Essentially there are two ways, one is to get it done with by adapting to the system and get out. The other, more difficult one, is to be true to one self. I am not completely satisfied with the way I have completed my under graduation. Sure I have got some offers from universities, got placed in a company and earned a decent grade point but that's that. It might be merely because I have adapted to the damn system and just trudged along. I really didn't do any path breaking stuff or made a mark of my own. I don't want this to be repeated during my doctoral studies. I really want to learn something very interesting and implement it successfully. I don't want to fall into the norm of being a publishing press and churning out papers during my study. Rather than publishing numerous papers which are no good except for publishing I would rather prefer to publish one paper which I am really proud of. My idea should be able to be patented...should be implemented successfully in real world not just test-beds....and most importantly should be Commercially Viable. What's the use of publishing tons of papers if the idea cannot come out of the conference rooms into the public. Academic research with tight collaboration with industry will provide the right platform for doing innovative (pardon the cliche) stuff. No Co will be satisfied with just high-five ideas unless they can be made commercially viable because at the end of the day they are in the business for profits not charity.
Money is something which everyone likes no matter what phony things they say. Sure I too want money but I don't want to work for the sole purpose of getting it. There are other ways to earn dough more quickly than research. What would happen if you are earning envious amount of money but you are not satisfied with yourself. Would you be really happy if you sit idle and your bank balance will make your life more than comfortable? I won't be able to live like that and I guess no one can and should. Rather I want to work in the field I am passionate about (again pardon the cliche). If I really enjoy the work I do then I will definitely do it with sincerity and commitment and money will automatically come. The satisfaction that comes from living this way is unparalleled. But I am afraid I will be pulled back into the system and do what most others do. I can't and will not blame the system or the atmosphere if I end up that way..because I will be solely responsible for all my actions. I just hope this fire in the belly continues in my doctoral studies n my life ahead....
As a matter of fact, I don't know if research is my cup of tea...may be I won't like it after some time...or may be I will like it. But am now willing to take a chance...to the test the waters..to see if I can enjoy it. My current aim or rather the aim of my life is to find where my heart lies...I mean what exactly do I love doing....to find my destiny!
Paraphrasing an interesting conversation between Lex Luthor and Clark Kent in Smallville...
"Lex: Hey Clark...Did you read 'To Kill A Mocking Bird' ?
Clark: What about it?
Lex: Its a great book. You should read it once.
Clark: Is it? What happens in the end?
Lex: Its not about the end. Its about the journey!"
The goal in life shouldn't be about trying to reach a dead end and be happy with it. Suppose you reach one such end then what next? You will find that there's another end which you need to reach and you set up on reaching that. Again reaching that end, you find still another. Sooner or later you will realize that you are not able to enjoy the ends (technically, its not an end) that you worked so hard to reach. So what's the purpose of life if you are not happy? One has to realize that its the journey that one need to enjoy...the whole process of reaching the destination. Life will then become much more meaningful and pleasant.
Everyone stands at one or more cross-roads in their lives and currently I am facing one. Having decided to pursue Ph.D in computer science I have to decide the way I have to go about it. Essentially there are two ways, one is to get it done with by adapting to the system and get out. The other, more difficult one, is to be true to one self. I am not completely satisfied with the way I have completed my under graduation. Sure I have got some offers from universities, got placed in a company and earned a decent grade point but that's that. It might be merely because I have adapted to the damn system and just trudged along. I really didn't do any path breaking stuff or made a mark of my own. I don't want this to be repeated during my doctoral studies. I really want to learn something very interesting and implement it successfully. I don't want to fall into the norm of being a publishing press and churning out papers during my study. Rather than publishing numerous papers which are no good except for publishing I would rather prefer to publish one paper which I am really proud of. My idea should be able to be patented...should be implemented successfully in real world not just test-beds....and most importantly should be Commercially Viable. What's the use of publishing tons of papers if the idea cannot come out of the conference rooms into the public. Academic research with tight collaboration with industry will provide the right platform for doing innovative (pardon the cliche) stuff. No Co will be satisfied with just high-five ideas unless they can be made commercially viable because at the end of the day they are in the business for profits not charity.
Money is something which everyone likes no matter what phony things they say. Sure I too want money but I don't want to work for the sole purpose of getting it. There are other ways to earn dough more quickly than research. What would happen if you are earning envious amount of money but you are not satisfied with yourself. Would you be really happy if you sit idle and your bank balance will make your life more than comfortable? I won't be able to live like that and I guess no one can and should. Rather I want to work in the field I am passionate about (again pardon the cliche). If I really enjoy the work I do then I will definitely do it with sincerity and commitment and money will automatically come. The satisfaction that comes from living this way is unparalleled. But I am afraid I will be pulled back into the system and do what most others do. I can't and will not blame the system or the atmosphere if I end up that way..because I will be solely responsible for all my actions. I just hope this fire in the belly continues in my doctoral studies n my life ahead....
As a matter of fact, I don't know if research is my cup of tea...may be I won't like it after some time...or may be I will like it. But am now willing to take a chance...to the test the waters..to see if I can enjoy it. My current aim or rather the aim of my life is to find where my heart lies...I mean what exactly do I love doing....to find my destiny!
