Satisfy & Add ~ This week

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SALT ~ This week ~ Satisfy

Last weekend I had some guests over my place. Now before I proceed I must mention that everyone from my family works in government jobs while I am the only sore thumb who has chosen to slog it out in the private sector. So needless to say this discussion veered towards my career as for them I am the scapegoat who is being tried and tested. I have my own reasons for being here which I always debate very heartily. 

Just as the argument was getting heated up, I said ‘ At the end of it all, it is the job satisfaction which matters more than anything else. You could be working anywhere for that matter!’ 

So my Dad’s friend asked me, ‘ Okay…that was interesting. So now define job satisfaction.’

I smiled and began my speech which consisted of words like work culture, healthy environment, transparent policy, approachable hierarchy and all those gigantic words you otherwise read in MBA text books. As I was almost about to swell with pride having displayed my smartness and wait for some compliments, the bubble burst.

Uncle smirked and said, ‘That was the text book definition; now give me the practical definition.’

I was baffled, ‘I didn’t get you… that is what it means right?’

He: Ya…you are right. But logically it means something else. Break the word-  job & satisfaction and now tell me what it means.

Me: It means a job which satisfies you.

He: Perfect! So does your job satisfy you?

Me: Yes...it does. I am happy working there except for the petty politics which are part of the corporate culture.

He: That is where the problem is. Job satisfaction means a job which keeps you satisfied and that is what your job does. The problem is that you associate job satisfaction to all these fancy things and there the problem begins. Everywhere you go you will face some problem or other. The point to be remembered is why you were there in the first place. You tell me you were looking for job satisfaction and from what I understand you already have it. Then what is the problem? 

I started smiling as I understood where he was coming from.

He: You understand one simple fact of life; this is what we do most of the times. We ask for joy and that joy comes to us maybe in the form of a joke which made us laugh. And then we crib thinking we did not get what we asked for. You asked for job satisfaction and you got it. Now you should have been more specific and asked for a good boss, decent colleagues and all those other things on your list to have landed up in your dream job. Be satisfied with what you have as this is something you would have wished for at some point of time in life. It is this dissatisfaction which causes all the problems. The moment we remove this buts and ifs from our life it become simple and beautiful. We tend to complicate things and then wonder at all the confusion!

Lesson Learnt : We interpret things in our own unique manner sometimes forgetting their real meanings which leads to confusion. We attach reasons to almost everything in life. Be it people, happiness, party, fun... and that is why we are never able to enjoy everything completely. For the accomplishment of one reason leads to the beginning of another. We are so busy hopping from one to the next that we forget to enjoy and celebrate the win. As it is said, Enjoy life for the most beautiful gift of life is life itself!

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PEPPER ~ This week ~ Add

Tia's elder sister Mahi was getting married next month. But Tia was anything but happy. The thought of having to let go of her sister was horrifying for her. She even hated her would-be-brother-in-law as she felt he was taking away her best friend and companion from her. She refused to be a part of any shopping trips and did not take any active part in planning any of the functions. It was not long before Mahi noticed this . Finally one night she decided to speak to Tia as she thought she is undergoing some serious problem.

Mahi : What is wrong with you Tia..why are you behaving like this with me? You know I will be gone in a few days. Don't you want to spend that time happily with me rather than like this?

Tia: (angrily) Ha..go away. As if I care... !

Mahi : What happened...chalo now tell me what is it. I can sense something is wrong.

Tia (unable to control herself finally burst out) : You are so selfish. How can you leave me and go away? I cannot share you with anyone. And now after you are gone I will be all alone...how can you do this to me?

Mahi: Tia.. you will not be alone. And I am not going anywhere. Rather I am bringing one more person who will love you as much as I do. Till now you had only me, but now you will have two people. I am not decreasing your love or attention, I am adding onto the love and attention!

How I wish each of us looked at our new relations with this beauty !

Life is all about relationships………..Beautiful, entertaining and invigorating relationships. Relationships give us a sense of emotional bonding with one another. They are the threads that bind us together. And we give a name to these threads: Friends, Lovers, Parents, Spouse, Grandparents, Brother, Sister……… And the list is endless. It seems surprising that we play so many roles in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes we are so entangled within ourselves that with the passage of time these threads fade. They do exist, but only for the sake of existence. We are too busy to acknowledge their existence. 

And over a period of time, these threads fade away, loose their sheen, colour, shine and most importantly its strength. Just like any other old and useless commodity they will be thrown away or tucked in some dark unknown corner of our hearts!! One day when those threads are tugged, there is a downpour of vivid memories and emotions. Have you ever thought why a worn out of saree belonging to our Mom or grandmother has a special importance for us compared to all the costly, latest clothes that we keep on buying for ourselves? 

It’s the love and affection in that which takes the form of beautiful memories for us. That worn out piece of clothing reminds us of them and makes us nostalgic. Sometimes just drawing them close to us brings a sense of security. This is how relationships are. The older they are the stronger they are and carry more beautiful memories of the times spent together. It is human tendency. We value anything that is old more. A new friend will not have the same place a childhood friend will have. We tend to introduce them by saying “We are very old friends.” the emphasis being on “OLD”. In a way old symbolizes tried and tested. The relationship has stood the testing times and emerged more strongly from the same. We need to add to the already present love, care and attention rather than replace them with new love, care and attention. Because we all need people around us who had been with us through thick and thin and know the real "US" - this brings a sense of comfort specially during testing times.

Lesson Learnt: Getting new people in life does not mean old ones don't matter. They still continue to matter for they have been with you in this journey for a long time. And there are some beautiful memories which they have been a part of. With time these bonds only get stronger and not vanish. At the end of the day, we all could do with a little bit more love and attention!

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