What learneth thou?

Recently I was having a discussion with my friend via email. He is in India, still in his first job and I am here in US doing my Masters. The transition from the carefree engineering student to ‘whatever we are now’ was sudden and we were caught off guard. Now we are expected to behave maturely, expected to perform, expected to succeed, expected to be professional, expected to be career oriented…wow…expectations and more expectations…Anyway just thought I would put a few things that we had learnt from the past and particularly the last one year:
(some of them I have taken from my friend’s email directly and may not totally agree with him though)

While we are still at the expectations thing…Know what to expect from someone and promise only what you can deliver. This way you won’t disappoint or be disappointed.

Don’t tell people how important/intelligent you are. If you really are, it is better you leave it to them to discover. Showing your importance would be just showing your insecurity!

Do what u like and feel is the best for you, not what others will like/ want u to do.

Be nice to everyone in your capacity, but if someone crosses his/her limits, just go ahead and tell him/her to fuck off...not your problem...

Be practical and perhaps career oriented. Sometimes it is more important to be practical than being technically correct!

Don’t say yes when you want to say no!

The lessons best learnt in life are learnt the hard way. They are the ones that stay on with you guiding you whenever needed. Any lesson that has come the nice and mushy way hasn’t come and will fail u when you need it the most.

Vent out your feelings. Express anger, disapproval and gratitude if needed but never overdo anything or cross limits.

Learn to ignore: people, events, discomforts at times. You stick with them and they stick to you. It is generally you who makes the choice.

Don’t depend on luck. Sometimes it is just something others attribute to your success when they possibly couldn’t achieve it!

Some thoughts need not be expressed. Other thoughts when expressed need not be told.

No one cares for you. Stop assuming anyone does. In the first place why should anyone care for you? Probably they have enough to worry about themselves.

Don’t even try getting close to anyone. Familiarity breeds contempt. Be equidistant from all and you will be fine.

Stop cribbing. It gets you nowhere. If it is a failure it is YOUR failure alone. Don’t try to share it with others or blame it entirely on others.

Highlight your flaws to yourself before someone else does it for you.

Everyone is not you. There are bound to be differences in opinion. Expect them and learn to manage with them.

Remember that you cannot be correct always.

Take opinions from experienced people but the decision should always be yours.

All this may sound like philosophy and crap but believe me at least some of us come across similar situations in our daily life!