Monday, January 16, 2012

Yes...But

He sat at his work desk. He was typing away furiously. Of course, he should be. He had a clear logic in his head, and wanted to finish coding before it all fades away. That is what programmers do. They think and ponder over things for long, and then in an eureka moment, it all strikes them. It could be in the middle of the night. He had experienced those days in graduate school when he struggled with his assignments all day long. Finally, he used to retreat to his bed, tired and frustrated. And then in the middle of the night, it used to strike him. He used to get up and start coding, and the assignment would be done within an hour.


The thought of the graduate school days put a smile on his face. Those were some of the best days of the life. Some great friends were made. Life taught him the survival methods. He learnt it the hard way. He had graduated, and got a job in a leading global software development giant.
He stopped for a second, and pondered over something. Is this what he wants to do in life? Maybe. But that "maybe" might be his answer because of the decisions he had made. Coming to the US, getting his masters degree, living a good standard of living et all. But was it what he REALLY wanted to do in life? Was his head and mind in this at this moment?Would he like a vacation right now, and visit family and friends back home in India? "Yes. But I cannot because of visa issues." YES BUT. Never were more fatal words uttered. "Yeah, but what about my education loan?" "Yes, but what about the job" "Yeah but ......." "Yeah. But........"


“Yeah, but…” is pernicious. Because it makes it sound like we have the best of intentions when really we are just too scared to do what we should.It allows us to be cowards, while sounding noble. The yea-but kills your dreams. It makes you live in constant fear and doubt. Of yourself. People say that childhood is the best time of the life. Why? Because you do not have the yeah-buts and what-ifs in your mind before you do anything. The older you grow, the more they crop up. These will always exist. You are after all a mature,responsible adult and cannot live in denial of the truth. But there are times when you need to become a child again and not think of the yeah-buts.


His thoughts were interrupted when his manager stopped by at his desk.Manager: "So, what's up?" He smiled, shook his head and got back to typing away.