At the Crossroad: Majoring the Minor

Lily Tomlin quoted; the trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. Question then, what is it that marks the difference between a ‘rat-race’and our ‘never-ending-quest-for-career’? Contemplating the whole issue of career orientation of the enlightened Naga youths, my mind drove me back to my teenage years. Time, I was identified as being in ‘Crossroad’ (name of a club in the church; distinguished on the basis of age & qualification). Back then, with all the uncertainties, the name of that reference group seemed quite apt and obvious to my mind. But, very less did I realized that time and again I would have to stamp on that shifting sand and that I would face even more stiffer ‘crossroads’ down the years.

Recognize the Plan

Yes, I’m enchanting dilemmas each of us would possibly have had; regarding ones own career /the plan - if you like. I choose to write and ponder together on a very fundamental issue behind choosing a career and recognizing the plan rather than giving out an unending list of opportunities one could avail for a particular branch of study. Let me enumerate four central questions and further built complimentary prepositions based on that. Well, at any given crossroad, which roadmap would you take for planning ahead in life? Well, apparently the Best one. So now the question is how good is the Best one? Consider these four inquiries as you discern for any answer:
• Would the plan be a great thing for people?
• Would it hurt any people?
• Would it bring the best in you?
• Is it something you are purposed to do?
Put to test your plans and examine them on these grounds and you’ll find a good measure of your ambitions fall short of these yardsticks. Now, let me ask you how sincere and sensitive have you been to identify signs you could have, pertaining to your career? Are there things you know you are good at? Look for signs outside and within. Seek guidance from experts and elders; have an open mind to grasp things beyond your reach, that’s what its being said. Well, What about looking within yourself for a thing that breaks your heart? It could be corruption in the church–government-underground, hatred in the family–community, poverty at home-state, sickness, imprisonment, addictions, orphanage, prostitution, terrorism, war etc.

What is it to be Majoring the Minor?

Could we pause for a second and introspect whether our pursuit for a rewarding career, would contribute at least an ounce to the solution towards any of the issues we see around us? And that would lead us to the whole contention that I have it here. If we are to look for a career or the plan in our life apart from the things that make our hearts go weak, then, we are definitely ‘majoring the minor’.

An ideal condition might not be always the best thing at all time. And I say this pertaining to our mistaken concept of education which we might need to rectify at one point. An ideal condition for the Nagas as I see might have been to have as many degrees (say a bachelor’s degree or better still a master’s degree) but that might not be the best scenario at all time. Today we have brilliant youths who are educated but unemployable. After all the labor, they appear rather misfits. Why? Does it not speak out loud enough that education just for the sake of degree doesn’t serve any purpose and so do career just for the sake of survival doesn’t give meaning to life?

To put things in perspective, lets see a person qualifying matriculation/+2 who then start encountering crossroads in life. For me, here’s where the whole load of Naga youths unfortunately doesn’t really find the things in which they need to be majoring. For instance, best part of the people in the West do not go for a Bachelor’s degree unless there is a specific career necessity or wants to become an academician with further masters and PhD in prospective. On the contrary, we find most of our Naga youths compelled (in one sense from within or family) to do a bachelor’s course at any cost. This, for me goes on to prove how we might be wasting both time and resources given the employment scenario and the kind of qualification.

The Eventual Career

Point is, you and I cannot possibly bring about panacea, but definitely stand for a cause. And that cause could be the career and the plan we pursue today. Your career could and probably should be able to bring healing to the troubled world if not than you are still ‘majoring the minor’. You would find perfect peace in one and only one pursuit. And for me, that’s when your ‘Will’ gets aligned to the things of the wailing heart. That is where any career counseling would perhaps fall short, because you failed to recognize the things that made you weep. Nowhere apart from doing the things where your heart is, could possibly bring peace in your life. And I believe that’s exactly where Naga youths ought to be- a place where peace prevails.

Finally, even in our mundane affairs today, examine how much time do you spent in what you should be really doing? How much money do you spent in the things you should be really spending? Trying to keep up with those who seem to have it all, may easily cause you to lose focus on what is really important! Well, but greater still, if we could walk the talk, we’d be inadvertently keeping away from the ‘rat-race’, where our goal-the plan is beyond winning or losing, but rather fulfilling one’s dream, following one’s own heart with conviction.

Yours,
Samuel Wati (Mumbai)