Time for Introspection

Living, as we do, quite close to one of the best National Parks in the country, my wife and I went for a 43km bike ride today. It was a good opportunity to go out and refresh myself after the last few hectic weeks of preparing my admission essays, taking the GMAT, and life's ups and downs. It was good not just for the breathtakingly scenic route that we took but also for the fact that, occassionally, it gave me time to reflect on recent events, events from weeks and months bygone. It gave me time to think about what is it that one values in life, what motivates me and cheers me up, and what is it that is driving me towards an MBA. And speaking to a friend, a London-based consultant (medical, not the MBA type), I realised that, may be, there is another, hidden, motive - she thinks it is addiction to education! Of course, I want to grow career-wise, work with people and help the world, play a bigger role in the growing markets of Asia Pacific, achieve something significant and worthwhile, and make lots of money (if I can! ;-)) but I am beginning to realise that what really drives me is challenge. The challenge of doing something different, the challenge of being able to say 'great, it's done!', the adrenaline rush that one gets by accomplishing a task, and the rush that one gets from education and the challenge of learning. Didn't someone say that “the purpose of learning is growth, and our minds can continue growing as long as we live”? Perhaps, the very act of learning something new, whether it be a first degree, a doctorate, or an MBA is what is really driving me subconsciously. Question is, is learning the same as education?

Below is a picture from the bike ride earlier today.