Creating Value
Recently, I was having this conversation with a friend wherein she said that she feels as if she’s not creating anything of value through her work. As I was unfamiliar with the nature of her work, I asked, “what exactly is it that you do?” “Oh I work for a corporate”, she replied. Bemused, I asked her what exactly does this corporate do? (Because unless you are Arvind Kejriwal, you should not automatically assume that every corporate company is into crony capitalism!) She then told me that her firm deals with security services for banks across the world or something of that sort. I was amazed! Amazed at the work and also for the fact that she attached little value to what she was doing! I had to explain that even her work adds a lot of value to people’s lives. I mean Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi aside, banking is still one of our safest ways to transact in the world and we feel safe thanks to the banks handling our money for us. Moreover, the banks give loans(and some actually return them) which can lead to a person realizing their dream of buying a vehicle, a house or even fund someone’s education!
What I mean to say here is that it’s not the work exactly that we do creates value but the value we attach to the work we are doing. Life, unfortunately(or fortunately) ain’t anything like Bollywood that you can ditch your work at the drop of the hat and start “following” your passion. As a friend wisely pointed out, “maybe my passion is to pursue a 9–5 job and I am happy doing that, man!”. Not to say, one shouldn’t follow their passion. The Dhonis, the Shahrukhs, the Jobs…all created a niche because they were doing something they liked but it wasn’t because they saw some movie or some person waxing eloquent about “following your passion” but because it came naturally to them.
When I was growing up, there was a Hindi phrase that I heard often,
“अगर घास भी काटो तोह ऐसी काटो की लोग पूछें , घास किसने काटी ”
which means that even if you’re asked to mow grass, do it in such a way that people wonder who’s done such an efficient job. That’s the essence, I believe of Karma yoga- yoga of action. A little switch of perception and you find that even your “corporate” job adds value to the world. It’s not in the action itself that lies the value but your intent and your integrity in performing that action. Because not everyone would be a Tony Robbins, a Steve Jobs, a Gates or even say a Gandhi or a Mandela. Even if your work “indirectly” impacts one person, you’re creating value in the world. In the great Indian epic, Ramayana, there is series of instances wherein Shri Ram, the central character visits different sages on his traverses through forests and tries to learn something from each. I still remember one particular advice one sage gives him and that’s
“Ram, you need not give someone anything material. Even a smile, a kind word can be a big donation.”
Perhaps you’re lucky to be doing something that you love, that’s fantastic. Or maybe you are comfortable with your job or your business or even shouting Rafale 100 times a day or spend your life abusing your country, religion or your government or perhaps you have a passion you wish to pursue and aren’t able to go for that- I wish you get the required resources but no matter what you’re doing, remember to ask yourself how does it create value if you’re a conscious person and wants to add to the society and world that we are living in. Because even if you “feel” that you aren’t creating anything of value through your work, you can still add to the world by spreading your light, your love. By being kind to your own near and dear ones. By observing traffic rules, saving water, maybe planting a tree or throwing the garbage in the dustbin! Dear reader, your perception and attitude creates your reality, always remember that.
Thank you for reading this and if the post creates value for you, be sure to let me know.
Adding value,
Kushagra K Singh
