A TABLESPOON OF MINDFULNESS | B-A-L-A-N-C-E

Say it with me. Loud and proud. 

As overachieving, hyper-competitive Cornellians, cultivating balance in our lives usually doesn’t make it to the top of our priority lists. Acing an organic chemistry prelim, for example, is usually associated with pulling a string of all-nighters rather than sleeping restfully or grabbing a great bite to eat with friends the night before. I’d like to dedicate this article to challenging the notion that balance gets in the way of professional success. On the contrary, I believe that a vibrant social life, self-care routine, and emphasis on both mental and physical health can lend itself to even better performance, and more importantly, to happiness.

SERENDIPITY | Insecurity as a Tool for Growth

This past summer, swaths of bright college students armed with alacrity sauntered into corporate headquarters and satellite offices, hoping to assert themselves in prestigious and difficult internships. For many of us, this time period was nerve wracking and intense. Investment banking summer analysts fought tooth and nail to secure the coveted return offer. Software engineering interns struggled to keep up with the rapid innovations that Silicon Valley dumps onto the market. In other industries, others were similarly bringing what they perceived to be their A-game to the table… only to see their performances barely, if at all, meet the bar.