2013- Experience through Wisdom and Wisdom from Experience.

Yes, I am sorry. I have not done justice to the few followers of this blog. I have not written in a while, and I am not too proud of it. This will change (hopefully). I have realized writing is more like “Chicken Soup for the Soul”.

2013 has come to a close and I must say it has been one of my best years in the United States. A lot has happened this past year. Few memorable, few spectacular and plenty to cheer for. The year started with me making the best career move in my professional life so far. FireEye (www.fireeye.com) has given me a great work experience, and more importantly amazing colleagues who I now call friends. 2013 was also a banner year for few of my closest friends who tied the knot (either marriage or noose only time will tell :D) .

There have been few key learnings in the past year from my observations that I would like to share in this brief post. My few cents :

1) Be Aggressive

No one gives you what you want in a platter. You need to go out there, grind it out and grab your opportunities. Be it in your personal life or professional, being aggressive about your passions and desires will work wonders in your life. Key thing is to make sure you do not step on anyone. Your victory does not taste sweet if you have stomped over people to get there. Karma my friend has a way to catch up to you.

2) Be Patient

I know it is tough when you are aggressive and you do not see results. Patience is the key. There have been a few instances in 2013 where I felt nothing was going right. What I realized after-the-fact was it was not the right time. Longer the wait , sweeter the fruit is what I keep telling myself if I am not getting something in the timelines I want it. All that is in our control is our own efforts. If we are diligent, committed and honest about how we work, both in our professional and personal life, success & happiness is bound to come.

3) Be Wary Aware

You need to be aware of the situation. At work or in your life, always be aware of where you are, why you are there and who to look out for. There is a saying “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me TWICE ..Shame on ME!!”. Never let anyone stomp over you. There may be cases where you are betrayed, walked over, taken advantage of or passed on for. They are all life experiences that will shape the very fabric of your being, and will allow you to better gauge situations in the future. This will help you identify your true purpose and make you a better human being one step at a time.

It is often said you get wisdom from your experiences. What is not said is if you follow certain “established wisdoms” you can better shape your experiences in the future.

Until later my friends. It is a sunny day in San Jose after all.

Sharat