Lessons in Life !!!

I waited for things to go my way. Needles to say I am still waiting for some of them to happen, but I haven’t given up hope. It pains me when I think about them but then what’s life when you don’t have an impossible dream?

Coming to the point, I have cleared the first quarter of my life and as things are as of today (never mind the cholesterol, broken ribs and knee and high stress level that a routine check up indicated), I guess I would be around for another 2 quarters at least. Hardly a time to talk about, lessons in life but nevertheless that’s the intention of this post. To talk about my lessons in life, so here goes …..

• Be loyal to yourself, your career and to people around you.

When you do the rewards will be double, it may not come when you expect it, but come it will. The reward for the patience and the “do good” attitude will surprise you soon.

As I go through some real tough times, I have enough people who tend to prop me up rather than let me just rot……

I knew my loyalty is being rewarded……

• Understand the skills and ability that set you apart. Never forget to use them when ever you get a chance.

Of course that doesn’t mean that if flattery is your forte you just keep doing that and nothing else. Everything works best in moderation, when, how and where to take a call on how much is enough is a self learning exercise. Don’t expect anyone to teach you that.

I try to contribute towards many causes and with passage of time I intend to cement my contributions to transmute them into achievements.

• Assume no one can/will keep a secret

“As they say lend everyone thy ear but few thy voice”.

• Give when it counts

Sometimes being unselfish is the best. Be bold enough to face adversities but prude enough to know when “giving” is required.

• Remember people

I once gave a lift to a stranger in the dead of the night while returning from office. I dropped him off at the military hospital on airport road and speed off without waiting. 2 years down the line, I was taking the stairs to my flat when a booming voice called out “Excuse me gentleman!!” I turned to face a middle aged guy in uniform and he muttered

Do you remember me? I didn’t and he went on to explain how I had given him a lift when the rest of them wouldn’t even pay heed. He was a very senior level air force officer and an ENT specialist to begin with……

And finally

• The world is a small place, what goes around comes around

What you get in return is what you gave back. Of course that’s not always true but it’s safe to assume that it happens in at least 90% cases, and that by any measurement is a considerable margin…..

A friend of mine met her engineering class mate some 5 years after passing out. As she browsed through some photographs, she saw a familiar face and pointing it out mumbled some niceties about the person.

Imagine her surprise when I rang the bell and came in for a visit. Her best friend and I were class mates for MS and we still hang out together……

I guess that’s all I have to say. This should not be read as a gospel but rather understood as the experience so far of someone who’s undergoing a “quarter life crisis”…………