Disclaimer: I have nothing against high earners in this group who are doing exceptionally well and earning big bucks at young age. You have my admiration.
Target audience of this post: Everyone else who is doing okay in their job, earning an average salary for their age.
Why have I posted it?: To not feel I am the only one who is a normal regular person doing just average in his life in this hyper competitive rat race.
My thoughts: I clearly remember the moment, it was April 2007, I had barely completed the board exams of class 10th and joined class 11th. It was my first week into class 11th when a fine looking gentleman walked into our class to make us think of our future career path. He was from a coaching institute for IIT JEE and AIEEE. He told us about all the high salary packages at these premier institutes. I excitedly told my parents about it.
Like any middle class parents, they dreamt of their son cracking the exam and securing good placements from IITs/NITs. They enrolled me in coaching. I worked hard for those 2 years, 11th and 12th. But what was harder was the constant stress and pressure I was put in, both intentionally and unintentionally. These ideas that 'I must crack JEE to have a good future', 'if you don't get through JEE then you are a waste' etc, were hammered into my mind day in and day out.
I didn't crack JEE but got into a well reputed private engineering college of India.. Fast forward 4 years, did my MBA from tier 2 college only to join a service company at salary that would be considered too low for most of the folks here who compare salary like a plague. Recently joined a product company with good jump. Realised all that pressure I was put under in high school wasn't necessary. I am doing ok in life.
I think it's okay to be earning an average salary, everyone of us is on his own journey of growth and comparing ourselves on basis of packages seems myopic
Too much gyaan? Getting a perspective on late Saturday night!!!
I think it depends on you realising what you want from life. I always knew I was ordinary. What I had 10 years back, was my will to work hard and I mean super hard.
I have had failures throughout my life - my struggles with stammering and trauma, JEE, UPSC Mains.
Today, when my CTC is over 60L (I know it's not a big number for techies. But this is indeed a decent TC for non techies under 10YoE) I still don't feel accomplished. I still don't feel content.
Through the years, I have realised that my happiness doesn't come from accomplishments or salary at work. It depends on what I do, where I travel to, with my loved ones.
So, for you too: you will need to figure what matters to you. Telling salary doesn't matter or does matter is too binary. Let's understand what matters to you and why.
We are all students in this exam called life. Cheers.
Over 60 lakhs and still not content, probably that’s what the OP referred to as “rat race”😊 Just like in School times, there is rat race of Marks/percentage and class topper, similarly, in Corporate life, rat race of package😊
Every one out of other person has given upsc in india.
"ek chhota sa mandir main banaun, Usmein apna bhagwan bithaun." - Mira Bai
Meaning -: Small temple in my small home as against building grand public temples on large land
Well, depends. If you can live by saying fo to society for the rest of your life then yes. This is ok according to society if you are either a girl. Or allready married. Average salary gets you by your life anyway. So yeah, of you have the stamina to say fck off to society for more than 5-10 yrs then teach me too.
Switch with my society, they insist on making me a failure.
I'll tell you something. Everyone in their life is chasing a Metric. Some chase money, some chase relationships, some chase friendship, some Experiences.
That's all. I chase fun! As long as I am happy and life is fun for me, I believe I am good!
I think its important to find out when was the last time I had fun? When was the last time I laughed hard with my friends? These are the metrics I chase after
Well said mate
Separating high earning folks and others and calling “normal and ordinary”…. Not healthy
Everyone is normal and ordinary. Some are high earners, some earn average, some earn low. Everyone is normal and ordinary. Thinking otherwise is harmful and unhealthy to everyone.
At the end of the day, sab chu tea ye hai.
Saw my first job offer letter today after 5 years of working at IBM because I wanted to show my nephew who is starting college how it looked(he had asked for it). The blue logo, weirdly reminded me of a time when everyone around me was j...
Thanks for posting this. Otherwise I only see posts like- "I have 2 YOE with 30LPA salary, is it less?".
I have always been amazed by looking at people super successful and early achievers with all the materialistic things in life within their 20s/early 30s.
From people earning 3 lakhs/mo at the age of 25 to people getting selected in IPL ...
Tough guy, I wouldnt have survive half of this