The Rats Race

Its one of those times when you can see the shreds of ur dream all around you making you realise that you have failed…..added another stepping stone on ur path to successfully attain ur dream.The dream which had started off with the promise to give up all that comes across ur path and causes a hindrance to achieve it.But it all shattered with a two and a half hours of exam on one fateful day.Although I do realise that it has been a miserable failure but I haven’t failed to realise that all along I have gained a lot also.It has not been just another failure over which I just have to brood over and curse my fate.Its been a learning process and although I haven’t achieved anything in quantitative terms I have achieved a lot in qualitative terms.
I really can’t help admiring the lot of people tht I had met.It just overwhelms you when u see the determination and perseverance in a few people.It makes you feel determined.It makes you pursue ur dreams all the more harder.Many people say it’s a rat race and we are rats at the end of it.But its not just a rat race.The very fact that you are a part of the race …the very process brings out so many things.The momentary success in a mock CAT followed by a disastrous failure in the one following it.The moments of triumph of having scored well in a particular section and the moments of distress when your score is negative in a section.Raking ur brains searching the so called engineer in u who is supposed to master quant and is not able to solve a simple profit and loss problem.Getting absorbed in a very interesting passage while doing the RC section in a Mock CAT and loosing track of time.Matching the red hats with toms ,dicks and harries so much so that u see only colourful houses and hats in dreams while sleeping.The serious brain storming sessions that are held as to how to bell the CAT which end up in discussions on movies.The rage over the OBC quota put forward…the endless protests, display of anger and peace marches held.Dreaming that u had been just through one section and time was up…and getting up with a start.Dreaming of success.Dreaming of failure.The fun in group discussions.The fear in mock interviews.Brooding with fellow mates over ur mundane jobs.Consoling each other and inspiring one another to keep going.The wait for when it wud be time for ur evening class and when u wud get a break from ur office work.Marvelling at the intricacies of English language in the VA classes.Feeling lost like a drop of water in an ocean in general awareness classes.And never to forget the endless wait for the results…..speculations…calls….hopes….dispair…triumph!!!!
The whole process has been a great learning experience.It changes ur perception on viewing things from a broader platform.Teaches u to welcome success and failure with the same spirit and to keep a balance over urself.It brings out the manager in u in the truest sense.I guess for that matter preparing for any exam is a huge learning process which teaches you much more than u realise.And above all the People whom you meet who bring out the strengths and weaknesses in you.People whose self confidence makes you also believe only in the best.To learn to believe just in achieving the moon and not compromise on ur dreams.To keep going with the same determination and strength even after failure after failure.And at the end of the day to realise that u had the courage to be a part of the so called rat race and have picked up a lot from the race rather than not taking part in the race at all and missing out on the learning. The mantra wud be atleast I tried and its been a enjoyable and memorable experience.