Party is not yet over

All those who didn’t have acute sense of humour must have been depressed after reading Bikram Vohra’s piece (“End of the party”, Wknd. 7 January, 2011), especially the last bit. He has given a number of yardsticks to measure when your party is over or when you are no longer in demand. These situations are real and can happen to anyone. Let’s face it. We do become happy when someone appreciates our look, when boss does not ignore, when friends are always calling, when we are centre of attraction in a gathering, when we have many invitations to choose from, when colleagues seek advice, when family members adore, when people are queuing-up to meet, when exquisite gifts are received, and when we get what we desire even without asking. But there is a problem. None of these things is under our control. They may not happen and would definitely not last forever. Is it then worth pursuing such happiness which is fleeting and filled with the fear of losing? Should we live on others’ opinions and approvals? If yes, then the party was over a long time ago. Worse still, it never started.

Effective yardsticks for real progress are always inward, never external. An organisation scales greater heights with time when it keeps raising its own bar of performance and customer satisfaction. It doesn’t wait for a push from its competitors or recognition from some external bodies. Similarly, an individual’s personal and professional growth can be measured by his own internal benchmarks. Did I start the day by thanking Almighty for gifting another day full of opportunities and possibilities? Did I give my 100% to my work whatever it is? Did I extend a helping hand to my colleagues at work? Did I share something with someone today? Did I do something, however small, for my chosen goal in life? Did I express my gratitude to the nature for using its bounty without causing any damage? Did I go out of my way to bring smiles on someone’s lips? Am I living within my means and not on borrowed resources? Have I learnt something new today in my professional field? Did I learn any lesson from today’s mistakes? Did I say sorry to the one whom I hurt by my behaviour? Did I carry a clear conscience to the bed and sleep within minutes of hitting the pillows? They are all within our control and doable. Happiness arising from these small acts only grows with time. Recognition and rewards become incidental. Life becomes a celebration and this party never ends.