What has changed??

They say time is a healer and can change a lot of things. With time, politicians change parties and ideologies, companies change strategies and policies & individuals change opinions and perceptions about people and surroundings.

I have observed one such change in myself over the years. A few yrs back, as I had graduated from the engineering college, I was strictly against going abroad for working. I used to feel that those who do that, are not paying back for their country, which has done so much for them, their education by subsidizing it and to the society which has seen them become what they currently are. I have taken potshots at them, in this very blog of mine a few yrs back. Back then, I was totally shut to the idea of going abroad. Then I had an opportunity to visit Malaysia for a conference, which changed my perceptions about foreign nations and I started becoming open to the idea of going abroad for studies alone. I strongly used to believe that there existed equal number of opportunities within India and that Indians alone can come to uplift their fellows.

Today, if not totally opposite to what I believed a few yrs back, I am atleast not averse to the idea of people going abroad to work. I am not averse to myself going abroad for a few yrs either. Earlier, I always used to feel that becoming an entrepreneur was never my cup of tea. Today, I am not averse to that idea, if not pursuing that dream in a fully fledged manner.

So what has changed?

The Govt. and its policies? – Not really

The economy? – Not too sure [Honestly, I did not have much knowledge about the economy back then]

The conditions at home? – Not much either

The prospects abroad vis-à-vis what they are here? – Not that either

What has perhaps changed, is my awareness of a lot of things over the past few yrs. I had an opportunity to work for a great company for a few yrs, interact with some real interesting people, understand their outlook about things. I went for an MBA and as a part of that, met some great people – in peers and in professors – and those interactions made me much more mature. I started reading much more and that has opened up a lot more perspectives in front of me. I started involving myself in debates and discussions, just to get fresher perspectives on things. My own reasoning and analytical abilities have perhaps improved over the years and that takes me towards making opinions such as these. So, more than any major changes happening in the external environment, it is the conditioning within which has changed over time and this has brought about a change in the opinions and perceptions that I have today. I am also aware that they may change again, a few yrs down the line. To conclude, it is a process of continuous evolution. What is right today, need not necessarily be right tomorrow.