It's not just you

It's 3:00 am on a Sunday and I'm working. I used to feel frustrated when I've to stay up late during college days, but not any longer. One obvious reason is that I've realized it is me who has voluntarily chosen this life, so there's absolutely no point feeling frustrated about it.

But there's a second subtle reason behind my lack of frustration. While I was traveling in a taxi once, I learnt from the driver that most of the cab services in India operate drivers in a full-day shift. They got to stay awake for 24 hours and then they can take off for the next 24 hours, but the latter is not guaranteed. I was talking to a couple of doctors, now students at ISB, and was totally surprised to know that they have regular 36-hour shifts and worse, they can get woken up anytime.

I was chatting with a few working couples and their plights seem to be even worse. Most of them sleep post midnight and wake up by six, almost everyday. Forget about those with children. I was talking to a senior executive in a company and he was telling me how he has a tough time keeping his people at home and his over-demanding boss happy at the same time. So, people at the top are not any better off either.

These are just simple examples of the manifold inclemencies of life. Life is a roller coaster and you can survive only if you enjoy every moment - every up and every down, every struggle and every success, every boon and every bane - unless you want to admit you lack the will and get out of it. No pain, no gain. If you're wondering "Why me?", be assured that it's not just you!