Last week, a colleague and I were chatting about professional certifications. She asked me if I want to complete a specific one in near future; and I said I would certainly attempt it before I grow too old and grappling with Alzheimer’s. Clearly, it was just a casual banter at work, but later got me thinking – what is the value of a certification? Where would it take me? What is the significance of this milestone, or if it is indeed one?

In today’s corporate world, these certifications do carry a lot of weight. Personally, they enhance your skill-set and professionally, they set you apart from those who do not have it. In a rapidly changing world, staying aloft and ahead is the name of the game and a key to growth; and eventually success. And hence there is no deriding the importance of these certifications.

And yet, I wonder if they are so necessary. Career recognition may lead to advancements and promotions, positions and authority, fame and money (a little exaggeration maybe, but let us give these certifications more credit for the sake of argument). But does that make one happy? Does the recognition make one content? Satisfied? Or does it develop a hunger, a desire to acquire more? And if it is the latter, how is this any different from a rat race that one anyway is in? Does it just make one a recognizable rat, but nothing but a rat? Since our first check-in at work till we drop exhausted into our beds, our day is a chaotic rush through meetings, timelines, milestones and targets.

The thing is, we seek purpose only in our professional lives. We believe that is all we need to be happy, content and satisfied. We overlook that there is a part of life beyond the professional one, and that is equally, probably more relevant, beautiful and worthy. We need to slow down in our professions occasionally, relax a bit, reaffirm our priorities and reset our aspirations. I am sure human goals are very simple and practical. A better rhythm to life is more important and is easy to achieve. After all, isn’t there a rhythm to the entire universe already? The sun, the planets, their respective satellites, meteors & comets, quarks and quasars, have all got a rhythm, an equilibrium. So why would it be so difficult for humans?

As Eckhart Tolle says it, “In today’s rush, we think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just being”. Get your rhythm now.