Chapter Four: The fault in our Goals

                On my way back home, I glanced at a book store and thought to myself “it’s been a long time since I finished a book, I should finish one this weekend.” There was nothing ominous in that, until I let my mind loose. When has finishing a book become a goal? Can you really finish a book in 2 days? Wording every word, leaving every letter trailing behind in search of new ones. Stringing every one of them together and waiting for those corners to reveal a new page, a new journey. Why should it be reduced to a weekend?

It is dangerous to let your mind loose. One moment you are strolling carefree and before you know, you are drowning as the mind ever so carefully removes the island of understanding beneath your feet. You either stay afloat and let your mind find firm footing or you drown to discover a new world. That’s it! One moment! A moment of Suffocation! A new world!

I happened to drown today in one of these moments. The new world I discovered is the old one we seem to have deserted. I want to do my Masters! Great, what is it that you want to Master? And can you really master in 2 years? You want to do Ph.D because you want to get in to research? Why? Is there something that troubles you deeply? That doesn’t let you sleep? A problem you would like to solve? An answer you would like to find? You are an Engineer? No you’re not! You are 15% engineer 10% foodie 10% entertainer 15% self-therapist 10% detective and 40% Dead. What have you engineered? I’m not saying pursuing any of those is tomfoolery, rather the pursuit when considered a destination rather than a pit stop for knowledge is.

We used to set the right goals! Exploring space, climbing the tallest peak, curing all ailments. Getting into a space craft isn’t a goal! Nor does joining the Gym, graduating medicine qualify. They are all not ends in themselves; they don’t need to be either. There doesn’t need to be an end. They are all undoubtedly essential to help you move swiftly towards whatever you are after. Somewhere along the way, our break-it-down-to-simple-steps system of spoon feeding has crippled our ability to set the right goals. Most of us never go beyond the most comfortable step. And why should we? Every step comes with its own perks and group of worshipers from the step below. Every step lets you survive and that is the biggest failing of this system of goal setting. It helps you survive! And survival is only another pit stop; the goal is to be Alive. Being alive each and every moment might be a goal worth setting, isn’t it?