‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years ? ‘
‘What are your long term and short goals ? ‘
Sounds familiar doesn’t . It’s question that almost a mandate in almost every interview. And one which would find its way in any dinner conversation with a successful uncle or aunt. It’s what we may term rather loosely as the ultimate question. Believe it or not , this question has been asked through every phase of one’s life cycle .
‘What would you want to be when you grow?’
‘So whats your plan after high school ?’
‘Now that you are done , what next ?’
‘What are you career goals(key point areas) for the next year ?’
And while for many , this question brings a swarm of ideas and plans, it remains for me to be a state of delusion . The reason is pretty straight and simple. For me , this question draws a parallel to the question
‘What is my legacy going to be ?’
or simply put , ‘In five years , what’s my life going to mean?’
How many of us wanted to be an astronaut when we were young , or how about a pilot. I personally wanted to be a scientist. There was a sense of passion , and a feel of adventure. A thrill , similar to the way we feel , when we as adults, watch an adrenaline filled movie scene , and secretly desire a chance to partake in that glory for a moment .
And then one day we woke up , with hair on our chest. Puberty hit and we were no longer ignorant. We then wanted to be doctor , engineer’s , lawyers and what not. When we were once gorilla’s we now progressed into the Neanderthal age. Choices and Desires found a binding with materialistic wealth , and social stigma. The drops of rationality slowly began poisoning the vial containing passion.
All of us have struggled , most of us , have become engineers and doctors. Some say I’m an IITian , some say I’m an MBA and everyone has a designation. Everyone has an identity approved by the stamp of a designation or degree. When in an age respect was given to a name , today , respect is followed by the designation that follow the name . Funny how , a persons degree , find a place on the same line of a recognition he /she has carried from the moment they existed.
A few years ago, when the doctors had sentenced me to 3 hours (wasted) in an MRI machine, to figure out what they possibly couldnt figure out at that time without an expensive test, that I was just fine, they sure did manage to scare the crap out of me which culminated in only one question that repeated itself in my mind like a non stop radio commercial.
‘What am I leaving behind?’
I was 20 years at that time . What could a 20 year old leave behind ? A bunch of school friends , who would in shock say ‘ he was a nerdy brilliant chap, didn’t know him much though’ , and with a flip of channel , life would go on . Perhaps a few teachers who feel disappointed that the world had lost a bright soul. And then there would be those close and dear, who would clench their hearts tightly , lest it be broken as what was once a present tense becomes a past tense.
Do tombstones carry that your degrees ? If not , would people respect me , after I was no longer among their presence. Would people even remember who I was 3 months down the line ?
‘Where would I like to see myself in 5 years ?’
Now that’s a tough question , when you have felt that 6 months into the future was asking too much . But it’s a question we have to answer.
I’d like to see myself a step ahead from where I was five years ago. I’d like to see myself making an impact to at least one more person . I’d like to be part of twice as many memories as I was back then . I’d like to love as I have never loved before , cry without shame , and live every opportunity that passes by , feeling the sting of failure , and the tears of joy. I’d like to remember my fears , not as a barrier but as strength that pushes me on, that makes me different , that quenches rationality and fuels passion. I’d like to have lived the past five years being part of someone life. I’d like to know that what was then a future , is now a present.
Every single day to me , is a measure of those 5 years. My legacy is solely the name I carry . The name I was born with , the name I will imprint on a tombstone.
My legacy is my name , my fathers name , my grandfathers name, my ancestors. My legacy is theirs.
What is yours ?
