This New Year's Eve

Just back in room after attending Director's Dinner for Class of 1970. Xmas was spent at 25th Reunion of 81 batch and new year's eve with 1970 batch. Most of them have retired from corporate and are independant consultants or professors barring a few who are leading some of the biggest firms in the country and abroad. Learnings from today's interactions :
1. Take risks. Do something unconventional atleast once in life and where the stakes are high. Going to Goldman Sachs or Merill Lynch or McKinsey doesn't really takes much (!!). Stand up and make a difference to your country !!
2. Stoop to conquer. Arrogance takes one no where however good your intellect is and however highly your alma mater is ranked.
3. Keep your rooms clean. (They visited some of our dorm rooms and was shell shocked is what I heard especially since Gujarat is a dry state and all !!)
4. Care for your life partner. "You would be working close to 12 hours everyday on an average for the rest of your working life. Always remember that there is someone at home putting up with your eccentric working hours and still standing by you. Care for her (or him as the case be). Love your family. Nothing is worth it otherwise.
5. Always remember that at the end of it all, all you need is a pile of wood (if you are a Hindu) or 6" x 3" ground to keep your coffin. Dont sweat life !

Some of it were very interstingly put by the stalwarts with real life examples from their life. All of them clearly underplays the importance of IIM A or it's elitist position. That was very coherent with some of my own thoughts about our generation of Indians. It is so blessed with opportunities that I personally do not think IIMs or for that matter an MBA should enjoy the status it probably enjoys today. You can do almost anything in life in today's India and if you are smart there is no stopping one's progression to amazing heights. There are millions of niche areas waiting to be conquered - I hear of people who have made millions selling corks for bottles, transportation for call centre workers, syringes,flower shops, pan shops, gear chains. We are probably witnessing the best that India has offered post Independance. Even speaking to my Alums the sense is that this is our time. The number of NRI returnees at high positions and the numbers waiting to get back clearly points to something which we have never witnessed before.
Let the new year take India to greater glories - Economically as well as socially ! (I know I sound like one of those morning speeches in School Assemblies but can't help feel optimistic about India when so many great thinkers and economists and professors share the same. All of them cannot together be wrong!!)
Me off to our new year's bash. Hope you all have a great year ahead and share in with this new dawn of our country.