The Gift
Today was the last of the Eid holidays. I was trying to catch up with the sleep that I have been deprived off. But my sleep was cut off around 7:30 in the morning when my phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number. Though bit irritated, I decided to answer the call.
I had a surprise. It was a call from Fedex.
“Hi, There is a package for you. Please give your address”.
To say that I was delighted will be an understatement.
I am not sure what is in the package. It should be the order that I placed two weeks back using the Credit Card reward program.
The child in me got excited and started looking for the package. Suddenly my behavior changed like a child waiting to receive the birthday gift.
The question is what is that gift you want to give yourself today. This was the question that was posed to me in the early part of my career by one of the senior most person in that organisation. His name is P. Venkateswaran. We fondly called him PV.
PV was like a hungry lion always looking for prey, in this case prey being gaining more knowledge. Though he was heading the Materials Management, his knowledge has no boundaries. He had more than 1000 books in his collection which ranges from Finance, Economics to Science and Management. PV has made it a practice to read at least 30 minutes every day before he retires to bed. This was a practice instilled in him in his childhood. This means that he has read a minimum of 5 million pages assuming he started reading around 10 and he covers 10 pages in 30 minutes. This is the gift he has given to himself. I had the opportunity of spending few days with him. When the day was about to be called off, I have seen that glow in his face that one finds in a child that was expecting a gift. He opens the book that he has planned to read like how a child opens the gift.
Mr. PV gave me two best gifts and that too gifts that I can give myself.
First one is about reading books. He asked me to read at least 30 minutes every day. I could not read every day, but managed to incorporate the practice of reading at least 3 days in a week. But for him, I could not have read so many books that I have managed to read till date. This habit is definitely the best gift that one can give oneself.
Second being, give 100% in whatever one is doing. I still remember having an official conversation with him. I was in internal audit. I have completed the audit and was having conversation with him to finalise the audit observations. He thrashed down the points that I have raised. I was feeling bad that I failed to collect enough data to prove these points. He understood my predicament. He allowed extension of time to get the data to support my points. When I came back with the required amount of data he said “I know you were right. However, you have not given 100%. You cannot expect everyone to be like me to support you. When you take up something, give 100%, don’t leave any matter open for chance. This will be the next best gift you can give yourself and the organisation you work for”.
I am not sure whether I have given 100% every time, but I can definitely say that I have given my best every time which was definitely more than 100% at least in few occasions.
What is the best give you have given to yourself.
What is that activity that brings the child-like glow in your face?
and How often you do that?
I get that child-like glow in my face
- Every time I get an idea that can be converted into a blog
- Every book that expands my knowledge base
- Every idea that changes the way I work
- Every opportunity to spend quality time with my family
Look for that idea or activity that brings that glow in your face. Do it often.
If that idea or activity can bring glow in the face of few people around us or connected with us, we should strive to do it more often.
