P.S. (Pre-Script): I would have liked to title this post as "Random Philosophy - Part 2". However, given the fact that "Random Philosophy - Part 1" came some two and a half years back I decided to drop the idea and simply title the post with what it wishes to speak about. Of course, it would have been cooler to pretend that I always had a "Random Philosophy - Part 2" in mind to come out two and a half years later.. but.. well.. whatever.. nevermind (Blogging Strategy 1: include cool lines from cool songs).
Now, I generally like to Start a blog post with a cool quote (Blogging Strategy 2) so here it goes:
“We want to follow a dream, yes it's true, but it's one thing to follow a dream and another to follow an obsession...A dream is more pure than obsession. A dream is about pride.”
This is Jose Mourinho (among the persons I idolize) speaking as manager of Inter Milan. Of course, Inter Milan went on to achieve their dream of winning the Champions League that year beating giants who were obsessed with the trophy (like F.C. Barcelona) along the way. And then this quote became a sensation and for me something I would love to live my life by.
At that period of time there was a someone completing his under graduation.. disappointed at the smallest of things.. delighted at even smaller things.. an emotional pendulum switching unpredictably between a wide range of emotions.. dreaming small, dreaming big, often naive and sometimes obsessed.
Over time the pendulum slowed down and gradually stopped. The kiddo went on to become what many people would call as a success.. focus gradually shifted to efficiency, brute logical reasoning and getting things done. If you succeed at "A" label it as your dream. If you fail at "B" it never was one.
Being an MBA pass out it often becomes a duty to apply frameworks when analyzing things. So one day, he decides to make a list of all his successes and failures and analyze them using the Dream-Obsession framework. The discovery is startling. The successes happened to be an even mix of Dreams and things which started of as a dream but transformed into obsessions. The failures however consisted of all dreams and no obsessions.
Now from all his failures "X" happens to be the most desired. As a dream the pursuit of "X" never attained fruit. How about for a moment forget the dream? Perhaps if it doesn't work as a dream it might work out as an obsession. Of course, following an obsession is never the same as following a dream. Dreams have a certain romanticism associated with them. Dreams are cool.
Perhaps there will be no satisfaction, no happiness, once "X" is finally attained as an obsession. But then, its probably better to miss out on the ecstasy of success if the other choice is of the disappointment of failure. Plus, there will always be time later on to remind the self that "X" was always a dream. Worth a try maybe.
P.S. Forgetting the media savvy quotes for a moment it will serve well to remember that The Special One has always been driven more by obsessions than dreams.
P.P.S. "Imagine" John Lennon singing "You may say that I am obsessed.. But I am not the only one"
At that period of time there was a someone completing his under graduation.. disappointed at the smallest of things.. delighted at even smaller things.. an emotional pendulum switching unpredictably between a wide range of emotions.. dreaming small, dreaming big, often naive and sometimes obsessed.
Over time the pendulum slowed down and gradually stopped. The kiddo went on to become what many people would call as a success.. focus gradually shifted to efficiency, brute logical reasoning and getting things done. If you succeed at "A" label it as your dream. If you fail at "B" it never was one.
Being an MBA pass out it often becomes a duty to apply frameworks when analyzing things. So one day, he decides to make a list of all his successes and failures and analyze them using the Dream-Obsession framework. The discovery is startling. The successes happened to be an even mix of Dreams and things which started of as a dream but transformed into obsessions. The failures however consisted of all dreams and no obsessions.
Now from all his failures "X" happens to be the most desired. As a dream the pursuit of "X" never attained fruit. How about for a moment forget the dream? Perhaps if it doesn't work as a dream it might work out as an obsession. Of course, following an obsession is never the same as following a dream. Dreams have a certain romanticism associated with them. Dreams are cool.
Perhaps there will be no satisfaction, no happiness, once "X" is finally attained as an obsession. But then, its probably better to miss out on the ecstasy of success if the other choice is of the disappointment of failure. Plus, there will always be time later on to remind the self that "X" was always a dream. Worth a try maybe.
P.S. Forgetting the media savvy quotes for a moment it will serve well to remember that The Special One has always been driven more by obsessions than dreams.
P.P.S. "Imagine" John Lennon singing "You may say that I am obsessed.. But I am not the only one"
