Dear students,
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
Taking right decisions at the right time is the key for success. Sometimes we suffer because of our bad decisions.   Life is unpredictable, and it can take us through a rollercoaster of events. In this tale of two students from IIT Kanpur in the early 2000s, we see how different decisions can lead to vastly different outcomes.

The first student was a topper in his class and got selected by Google. However, he chose to go to Purdue University for his MS instead of accepting the job offer. The second student, on the other hand, was a 5-pointer, one of the last rankers, and got into Google because it was his only overseas option. In 2004, Google had a blockbuster IPO, and the second student rose to a much more senior position in the company while the first one got hugely disappointed.

After completing his MS, the first student decided to do an MBA, but the second student kept rising up the ranks in Google. In 2008, the first student got a placement from Morgan Stanley, but due to the recession, his job was shelved before he could even start working. Meanwhile, the second student kept climbing the ladder in Google.

This tale is a reminder that life is full of possibilities, both good and bad. Success does not always depend on one factor, but rather a culmination of several factors. Sometimes, taking the right decision at the right time can make all the difference. The first student's decision to go to Purdue University instead of accepting the job offer from Google may have seemed like the right decision at the time. However, when Google went public and became one of the most successful companies in the world, he may have regretted his decision.

On the other hand, the second student's decision to join Google, despite being a last-ranker in his class, turned out to be a wise decision. He rose through the ranks and became a senior executive in the company, which would have been impossible if he had not taken that chance. Life is full of twists and turns, and it's not always possible to predict the outcome of our decisions. However, it's essential to take decisions with humility and keep an open mind. We never know where life will take us, but we can always make the most of what we have and make the best of the opportunities that come our way.

In conclusion, this tale of two students from IIT Kanpur is a reminder that success is not always about being the best or making the most significant decision. Instead, it's a culmination of several factors, including taking the right decision at the right time and keeping an open mind. Life is full of possibilities, and we should always be prepared to embrace them with humility.
As Charles R. Swindoll rightly says “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it."
 
Remember “Our decisions shape our destiny”.

Wishing you all abundant success and  unlimited happiness.

Venkatesh Panyam

Note:Opinions expressed by authors are their own.

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