My Identity - After one year at a B school

I cant believe that I am done with 10 months in this wonderful campus and as my senior batch packs their bags and bounties I wonder... What does all this add up to?

One of the very few things that I was asked to keep in mind before coming to this school was to make sure that I don't lose my identity (virginity deserves a separate blog :) ) during the course of these 2 years. I think that, that is the best piece of advice you could ever give to anybody entering such a professionally competitive setup. I was lucky to have that advice and I should say that I am lucky enough to still maintain my identity.

So what is Identity? In German you could call it Eigenschaft. (The word Eigen Vectors has its origin from this word). We go through this constant process of change and adjustment and hence most of you might wonder what exactly identity is all about? Well I have long pondered about the same.. what do you mean by preserving one's identity. Its one of those questions which leaves me grappling in the dark. I was finally able to get to terms with this question with this analogy and only time will tell if this is the right kinda one.

Every organization has its own Mission statement and then has a lot of organizational objectives. These organizational objectives can keep changing but the basic purpose of the Firm.. its Mission should not. And every firm tries to stick to its mission. The successful firms are those which change with time but align their actions in line with their mission statement. Similarly, all of us have a basic identity.. which just cant be changed or rather should not be changed. and if we are able to move along with Time keeping in tune with our identity I am sure that there is only one way that we will be able to take and that would be the path of success.

Sadly, I find that a lot of people have lost focus and are lost in the myriad of options and give into circumstantial pressures. They are confused between Means and Ends and end up looking at the ends irrespective of the fact that they are treading a path which seems rosy but is just a trial version of things to come.

Hopefully they will awaken to the situation and take corrective action. But the problem is that the End is so damn attractive that the means no longer matter.