Each of these options fall in the ‘tremendously important’ category for us. And unfortunately for a whole lot of Indian candidates, all 3 seem to collide at the most inappropriate time. The average age for the top MBA programs is around 26-27. And that’s when most Indians start thinking about marriage and (ahem) settling down. But there’s also that keeda gnawing in the background about getting a massst international degree before (sorry again) settling down. And to add to the confusion, this is also the time when their careers are just on the verge of taking off. Management roles start beckoning after having put in several years of grunge work. So what do you do?
A good friend forwarded an email. I usually junk forwarded mails, but the timing for this one was just right. I was addressing an MBA applicant’s query about timing. The mail had the famous 30-second speech by Coca-Cola’s former CEO Brian Dyson. Lump ‘marriage’ into ‘family’ as you read it.
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.”
Whenever you face a dilemma again, think about this and see if it helps put things in perspective.
If there are other ways you’ve sorted out your dilemma, share your stories with us. Anonymous comments are more than welcome, if you don’t want your Gajodhar chacha to find out about your dharam-sankat.
Superlike!!! The typical Indian/Male dilemma
So true..! I am 28 and I have been facing this situation since past 1 year.. Alas!
Sir the post is absolutely right , career can be resurrected but the rest cannot.