Light The Lamp; Brighten The Universe.
“They’re summoning me for moving files of another department, why should I agree to that?”
“These are proposals of the Marketing team, not my assignments, is it?”
Perhaps the above and similar statements are what we often hear around the vicinity. These are also my dear colleagues. I am not here to judge, comment or criticize. I give others the benefit of the doubt. Taking a cue from what I’ve just heard, I look within, check and change if my mind allows the creation of such limited thoughts.
Super Trading Services is an ocean. One of the vast oceans on a continent called Trade Asia, which again is a massive continent on this magnificent globe. I work for humanity. I look at the larger picture. From up here, from this bird’s eye view, it all looks to me as a beautiful world I’m blessed to be a part of. If I’m spending time on an Marketing proposal prepared by the Marketing Team, , I check within my mind……
Yes, it is certainly not my assignment as indicated by immediate job roles and I certainly respect the structure and pillars of the organization and the protocol. But, do I let my mind limit thoughts. It’s a time when modifications in the proposal are required because of genuine reasons and I happen to have time at hand…. it’s not about departments, it’s about optimizing my time and putting it to good use. I check with dear mind.
“Dear mind, do we have time for this one? What else do we have lined up anyway?”
He informs me that other things lined up can wait. He vanishes into thin air and returns with a short list of tasks, “urgent but not important”.
I thank him because he supports me prioritize and leverage upon valuable resources such as time and thought power.
Given a choice between forwarding waste/unverified messages on social media and listening/reading what is happening in the trading sector, I choose the latter. Given a choice between sharing an evening cup of coffee with my 14-year-old verses time pass or hanging out with colleagues after office, I choose the former. There’s much we bring to one another’s life. My child shares about challenges during online class and solutions they came up with. Sometimes, he looks at solutions for my work-place challenges that may not have hit me. I open my heart and mind to all. You never know what invaluable gift might come our way whilst the door of arrogance or ego blocks unimaginable enriching moments. Life is all about choices. My present is also a consequence of what choices I’ve made in the past.
With this awareness, I see Every new task as an opportunity for me to learn something I wouldn’t otherwise. Tejal Mam (names changed to maintain privacy) nudges me, a radient smile across her face, “Once, I’ll take you along with me for inspection of stocks and valuation of one of our clients property. It hardly matters whether you’re sighted or visually challenged. What matters is the approach and I admire your openness, zest and willingness to learn and grow.”
It’s perfectly alright not to bite off more than one can chew. But generalizing the situation and placing colleagues into limited labelled mould limits my, not their thinking and stunts my emotional and personality growth. As the saying goes…….
Whatever I resist……. persist.
Besides, if I’m a fairly reasonable and balanced type of person, even refusing or pushing an assignment down the priority list can be taken well by my seniors. Once, my approach is fair and my intentions…..genuine……I feel within myself the confidence to draw the line when required and it will certainly be taken in the right spirit. But first, it is important for me to check within myself, how true am I to myself. Am I abundant and full from within so much as to be able to radiate this abundance around and beyond myself?
Let’s take the example of the dancing flame of the Diya outside our houses this Diwali, the multi-colored lamp that radiates its impartial light to the surroundings. Does the lamp, the Diya decide that it’s going to share its light only with a limited person who comes in front of it and shy away when another does?
Lighting up the place is its innate nature. How about I choose to refine my limited mind-machinery and programmed it to create limitless and light thoughts. Let’s remember that the first to benefit from the Light I create within my house or the corner of my heart is me! I cannot expect to share with another, that which I myself don’t have. The Lamp in the center of my heart glows so continually and bright that radiating lightness, positive energy, peace and happiness to those around and beyond me is an inevitable part of the process.
Lightness and happiness comes to me with ease and grace not with effort. The illustration of finding a misplaced file of another department or analyzing a proposal which technically belongs to another team, is simply an opportunity that has come my way. Work ain’t going to come to a stand still if I procrastinate or cut corners……my personal growth and mind certainly will.
“All Birds find shelter during a rain.
But Eagle avoids rain by flying above
the Clouds.
Problems are common, but attitude
makes the difference!!!”
APJ Abdul Kalam
I’m already soaring above the clouds……what about you?