PERSONALITY SPECIAL................. Three cheers for mediocrity?

Three cheers for mediocrity?





Remember `3 Idiots', the Bollywood flick that went on to become a mega blockbuster? Well, the message in the movie was loud and clear: Listen to your heart, follow your passion and step away from the mundane chores of life. While we all want to make the essence of the movie our `mantra', in reality, the situation is pretty different! Believe it or not, we often love to indulge in this sin called `mediocrity' as that allows us to slip into this cosy, comfort zone, which we find difficult to abandon.Wondering how? Well, take a sneak peek at stereotypes of mediocrity and decide for yourself which category you identify with!

The `hardworking' mediocre:

`No news is good news'. You have often heard this proverb, right? Well, a typical hardworking person who is very diligent describes a perfect life with this punch-line.Sure, in hard work, you can't beat him. Give him a t task and he meets the deadline five minutes before the stipulated time. A hardworking mediocre shirks taking risks and is therefore often hesitant in taking up new challenges. He is just happy at being adept at mediocrity.

The `bored and fatigued' mediocre:

Well, now this one's problematic. These are people who are thoroughly bored and fatigued with life be it their mundane jobs or with their equally monotonous lives and in my view, this combination couldn't be deadlier. They often ask this question to themselves:`why does life suck so much'? My advice: stay away from them.

The `chamcha' mediocre:

Now, this is a rather common category as I am sure you have a plenty on your list! They mould their ways to fit into everyone else's shoes but their own. So more often than not, they land up becoming chamchas of other `larger' mortals around. The problem with them is they have devoted too much of attention to the people around them be it in their professional, social or personal life. If the chamchas want to foray into a brighter zone, it's high time that they live life on their own terms and conditions! Once they Once they rise up, they can do much better!

The `lucky' mediocre:

Ah, this is an offshoot of the previous category ­ the `chamcha' mediocre. In this classification, people don't know much, they are not too adept at work (there are others who are actually far better than them), yet they are achievers in their own right, thanks to their Godfathers.

The `shortcut' mediocre:

Lots of ambitions but no patience ­ this is an apt description for the people who `qualify' for this category. They are always busy ­ busy scouting for the shortcuts around! They are happy to meet people's expectations and have no qualms about not exceeding them.

The `misfit' mediocre:

A lot of times, people stuck in this situation may dread to spell it aloud as it may require them to change or restructure a big part of their lives, yet they must do it.They should chase the muse within, mull over the things that they enjoy doing the most and carve out something that suits them.After all, no one in this world should spend time doing things they are not good at or live in situations that are not meant for them.

Anisha Motwani

The author is director and CMO, Max Life Insurance

TAS 28JAN15