Some of the best moments in life…don’t pretend to be BIG.
In fact, some of the happiest moments in life look very ordinary.
A calm morning, a familiar voice, a day without urgency or a mind that’s not racing ahead.
We are conditioned to associate happiness with highs…like celebrations, achievements, or some big moments.
But over time, we realise that the most sustaining happiness looks ordinary.
And these ordinary happy moments come from… peaceful routines, conversations without an agenda, work that feels meaningful and not frantic, or some weekend evenings in the comfort of our home.
Nothing to prove nor to portray anything!
From the outside, it may not look very impressive.
But from within, it feels deeply right.
There is a quiet happiness in days that don’t ask much of you.
We live in a fast-paced world, one that is obsessed with metrics, checklists, and milestones. Every day, we are bombarded with stories of success—tales of those who have scaled summits, shattered records, and surpassed their peers. But in the race to be the best, we often forget the importance of the journey itself and the challenges that come with it. Life, after all, is not just about achievements; it is about surviving the odds.
Success is not a linear progression!
Set a goal, work hard, achieve, and repeat!
No!!
Ask anyone who has faced the real life world and they will tell you it is rarely the case. Life throws unexpected challenges…all the time! It is not the achievements but the resilience to continue despite the challenges that define your character.
And by the way, surviving the odds does not mean merely living through tough times; it means emerging stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.
The ‘last mile’ in any journey is often the hardest. When you’re close to your goal, but the energy is running out, and the finish line seems just out of reach, that’s when the survival attitude kicks in!
And you can do that by embracing uncertainty, celebrating small wins, seeking support, and practicing self-compassion (be kind to yourself!).
Behind every success, there is a story of struggle! The best example that comes to mind is J.K. Rowling! After numerous rejections, Harry Potter happened!
It’s time to redefine success. Don’t measure it by the trophies on your shelf but measure it by the number of times you have picked up yourself and moved on!
Remember, it’s your survival attitude that will take you through the last mile!
“When you go home today, ask your father and let me know tomorrow.”
This was the conversation I had with my Hindi teacher, Mr. Cyril Sunny when I was in seventh standard at St. Paul’s, Udaipur.
I asked my father the meaning of my name when he returned home in the evening after work. He told me the meaning in short and enquired why am I asking this question. I told him about what happened in the school that day. He smiled and then said ‘Wait, let me explain you in a better way then.’
He reached out to the bookshelf and pulled out a huge thick hard-cover book with brown coloured pages. He told me it was a ‘Sanskrit-to-English’ dictionary. And then, reading from it, he explained the meaning in detail. He told me the word is ‘Nirvana’ which in Noun means ‘enlightenment’. And in the adjective, it means ‘not glowing’. So, Anirvan means in noun ‘one who doesn’t need enlightenment, say someone like ‘Gautam Buddha’. And in the adjective, Anirvan would mean ‘Glowing’.
I went to school the next day and Sunny sir asked me the meaning again during the Hindi period. I explained to him what my father taught me. He smiled and wrote the word ‘Nirvana’ on the blackboard. He then addressed the whole class for the next fifteen minutes explaining the meaning on similar lines as what my father explained to me.
To this day, I remember this incident!
I was fortunate to have teachers like Sunny sir who had such passion for their subject and students alike.
On this teacher’s day, I bow to all my teachers and convey my gratitude for not only teaching us what was required as per the textbooks but for also teaching us about life and how to lead it meaningfully.
We get so busy in the rat race that it becomes a ‘habitual living’ rather than a ‘meaningful living’!
Pause and reflect!
You can definitely make your life more beautiful when you focus on the following:
Purpose: Having a sense of purpose in life can provide direction and motivation. It can be anything from pursuing a career that aligns with your passions, making a difference in your community, or raising a family.
Relationships: Building and nurturing relationships with others can bring joy, love, and support. It’s important to cultivate meaningful connections with family, friends, colleagues, and others in your community.
Personal Growth: Learning and growing as an individual can help you develop new skills, gain knowledge, and expand your perspectives. It can be achieved through reading, attending courses, trying new things, or traveling.
Health and Wellness: Taking care of your physical and mental health can improve your overall well-being, giving you the energy and vitality to pursue your goals and enjoy life.
Contribution: Contributing to the greater good and making a positive impact in the world can give you a sense of fulfillment and purpose. This can be achieved by volunteering, donating to charity, or supporting causes you care about.
“Please leave your ‘home issues’ at home. Don’t bring them to the office”.
I told bluntly my young manager who recently became a father and was struggling to support his wife, who herself was struggling with the newborn baby as the couple was staying all alone far away from their family. This was many years before.
Years later, I realized how wrong I was in managing that young manager.
The ‘Empathy’ factor was missing in my interaction with him…more so, as a Boss who should have wholeheartedly supported him in his struggle.
Empathy is a critical factor especially, when you are leading a team. As a leader, you need to understand and share the feelings of your team members.
It is important to acknowledge the emotions of others, though many times you might not agree with them. But you need to recognize and respect their emotions.
Listen to others with all your attention and try to understand their perspective. Most of the time, we are prejudiced and prejudge others.
Your team members need to realize that you are bothered about their well-being. You need to show genuine concern towards them and support them when required.
Empathy is not a ‘soft skill’, it is an important leadership trait! And it is critical for effective leadership.
So, the next time when you are faced with a difficult situation as a leader, remember the power of empathy and compassion, and let it guide your actions and decisions!
Remember, empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.
I believe the phrase has been coined by Marshall Goldsmith, the world-renowned executive coach, and leadership thinker. And the thought process behind this phrase is that the habits, behaviours, and attitudes that have helped us succeed in the past may not necessarily be the ones that will help us achieve our future goals.
As we journey through life, we often find ourselves reflecting on the things that have brought us to where we are today. We take pride in our accomplishments, and rightly so. However, as much as we should celebrate our successes, it is important to remember that what got us to this point may not be enough to take us further.
You might have got an excellent break based on your academic qualifications but still might be struggling in the corporate environment!
You might have performed brilliantly in your previous roles but find it going tough in your new role!
The same might be true in your personal life as well. You might have excellent relationships with your friends and colleagues but your family(marital) life might be a disaster! It happens!!
So, the habits, behaviours, and attitudes that have helped us succeed in the past may not necessarily be the ones that will help us achieve our future goals.
The bottom line is that we need to continuously evolve with time.
How can we do that?
Some tips to ponder:
Embrace a growth mindset: Keep learning, evolving, and improving.
Be open to feedback: It might help you to identify your blind spots.
Identify areas for improvement: Reflect on the skills, habits, and attitudes that have helped you succeed so far, and then identify the ones that you need to develop to achieve your future goals.
And lastly, stop blaming others and external factors. It’s about you and only you can make that change!
Remember, you have to be willing to take risks, try new things, and push yourself beyond your limits to achieve greater success!
