At the age of 40, I have realised that I am a Lifelong Intern. So are you! While I get into a combat with the second half of life where accomplishments will mean a settlement, it becomes all the more important to define the path of self-enhancement. It is not about happiness or being loved now, it is about whether you are content with yourself or not.
There has been a constant struggle between what we need to do for a living and what we should do to make ourselves feel satisfied. Most of us lose control of this self-care requisite most of the time because sacrifice is the key to opening a day here. We do it for decades and then we realise that there was a way to keep both the tracks together. Never too late then! Let's see how we can start a bit early and gather some bricks and blocks in advance to start making the 'I feel proud of myself' edifice in the later half of your physical life on the planet.
People will remember us not by what we earned but by what we are leaving to them. They will neither be happy to see us rise to the highest designation nor will they praise us for the bank balance we have stocked.
How We Make Them Feel While We Were There!
That is what they will take as a citation from us and will further carry it to others. If we cannot do this, we shall surely be achievers but cannot claim fulfilment for the self. The ultimate humane dilemma of escaping from the worldly pursuits of submissions to grow shall always trouble us. But, amid this accepted humiliation we have to put up a brave face now and then. Learning is possible when we allow a good amount of autonomy to ourselves. At workplaces, the constant struggle between your ideas and beliefs will make it tough for you. But I shall not suggest. anything on it until I can conquer this!
I would recommend one formula and that comes from the book 'Ego is the Enemy'.
Find the book and see the chapter:
To Be or To Do!
This post or this expression is a personal sharing because I have been in a constant struggle against myself in terms of learning and work now. There is an urge to do well but there is also an unprecedented craving for acceptance towards efforts. Now here comes the need to feel like an intern who needs to work without expectation. I hope I am able to return to the 'Intern' status. To do this, the first thing to shun, to curb, to check is the desire to 'win'. All these 16-17 years of employment have been the same where the 'students' have made me stay a learner in teaching. The impact made through teaching is far more comprehensive than what any designation will bring.
This post remains a journey in itself...
To carve a niche, to break the status quo and to deny the stereotype any role in my ways; to bring a breath of fresh air to tell them 'Be an original in a wonderful world of copies! - all this is what keeps the journey on.
The opportunity, the chance to do some more good towards teaching-learning is itself a reward.
A Life Long Intern should also see that one year's experience is not repeated five times to claim that one has 06 years of experience. It has to be new, it has to be incremental and it has to be safeguarded from temporary indifferences.
