One rainy afternoon, I was sitting on a park bench with a cup of coffee in my hands, feeling the pleasantness of the surrounding atmosphere. Those sips of coffee took me back to my days of struggles and when I looked back and reflected on my journey, I realized how far I have come. The success I enjoy now cost me a lot of things and more importantly, people. I used to think that life is a race and all I need to do was run faster, leaving others behind. I seemed to fail to understand that I do need to run faster but together with all others and try not to leave anyone behind. Today, I seem to have everything, but I still feel a void within myself. And I wonder how beautiful life could have been, had I walked together with all others. I am now afraid I might have reached miles afar from those who mattered.
Dearest reader, let me ask you something: Are you the only one who is struggling for success and working day in and day out? Are you the only one who wants to move ahead in life? Are you the only one taking higher education or looking for a higher paying job? Are you the only one who would love to experience a luxurious and happy life? Are you the only one who is good at something that makes you happy? The answer would most probably be a NO. So many people out there are just like you are. A huge crowd of aspirants is working real hard to turn their dreams into reality and you too, my friend are one of them.
From what I have realized during my years of experience and an unapologetic hustle for “success” is that the first and foremost thing you need to know is that you are not the only one; you are not the only one who is suffering, not the only one who is growing, not the only one who is seeking attention or validation and most importantly, you are not the only one who want to succeed in life. Look around; there are a lot of people alike to you.
Well, you may be thinking why I am telling you all of this vaguely specific stuff about success, because it’s a good thing to have many people wishing, dreaming and working for success. It is a reassurance that you are not alone.
Yes, it’s a good thing in my opinion. But the problem with us is that in the hustle of accomplishing our dreams, we often tend to overlook the dreams of a million others. We try to move faster towards ours; by hook or by crook. We don’t care who we are leaving behind. Moreover, we feel envious; we get jealous of people who are doing very well in their fields, and we hate a few of them just because in our eyes, they appear to be more successful than us or more ahead of us.
Today’s world is growing in the speed of light; there is no doubt in this. The millennial youth is amazing at dreaming and turning their dreams into a brand-new reality. In a way, young minds are in an incessant competition; to move faster and reach ahead of other people. But nobody thinks that rather than competing with one another, if we compete with ourselves, the world shall be a better place. Instead of trying to outrun everyone and leave others behind, if we leave behind our jealousy, envy and ego and learn from each other, maybe we can move farther, together.
Let us not forget that life is a journey, where little bits and pieces of happiness for tomorrow, joy, challenges, success and sometimes failure, are waiting at every step to share them with all among us, and now it’s time to march our steps together. Because we, as a generation have miles to go and accomplish: and together we can. LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND. Let us all make it to the end; for it’s not about ‘I’ or ‘You’, it’s about ‘Us’; all of us.
-Suraj Raj Keshari
