21st Century - Essential Gyan

After a busy day at work, I swiftly packed my bags not to miss the evening Office Cab. I always believe to make the best use of my travel time in peak traffic hours and whats better than to get some evening nap. Unfortunately I couldn't take a nap that day due to the Cab driver's novel fantasy for NOISE transmitted across the spectrum of Frequency Modulation Channels. The loud noise played with equalised bass and treble via a decade old squeaking speakers resonated with the traffic only to result in a conducive environment to welcome pressure onto my blood stream.

As I frowned, my eyes struck farewell procession of a departed soul.I could see the bereaved family members distressingly breaking out uncontrollably to which rest of the world stood relentless. My heart mourned for the family's loss. However I couldn't appreciate the loud behaviour and public expression of pain with a background score of street band, which caused a traffic jam and extensive noise pollution.Friends and family were jumping, roaring, pleading for one last glimpse of their dear one's body and all this sure triggered a thread of thought but I had to put it to standby for the time being as my brain cells were busy processing all the noise.

The Cab moved on to another quick traffic signal that was right opposite to a Marriage hall.Here I experienced a cliched scene where the bride's parents were seeing off their beloved daughter. The bride's eyes surely expressed ambivalence where on one side she would miss her home sweet home she was conditioned from her childhood and on other side a million bubbles bursting out in her stomach in anticipation of a abode where she lives "happily ever after...". Once again I noted two extreme emotions that spawned a sub-thread to the parent thread that was triggered in the previous traffic jam. I had put this also into stand by since my brain was hit by a non-maskable interrupt called NOISE, which totally shuts down my ability to think profound subjects.

As the Cab moved more into residential areas, my ears felt a sigh of relief. Co-incidentally the Cab driver also showed some mercy by switching off the radio. For a moment I couldn't believe if it was silence or my ears just got deaf. But it was not long lasted as I was reaffirmed my ears were hale and healthy as I overheard a love-affair-break-up conversation between a young would-have-been couple. Each protagonist went on with their endless list of complaints as to how the other partner had hurt the feelings, emotions, sentiments and it seemed quite devastating for either of them. I couldn't stop comparing their expectations with the couples of yester years' generations and wondered the evolution of relationships with awe. I was left confused with their theory of right-wrong. I noted the expectations of GenX from each other and the need for instant results.Impatience is the new normal our youth have defined. However I had to thank them indirectly for the Job I have in hand. If not for them,we wouldn't have had Multinationals, nationals, governments world-wide shelling out trillions of dollars year after year just to provide solutions catering to their unreasonable needs.I shamelessly added the take-aways from their conversation to the 12 billion rich data mine my organization owns, which later is processed by the Research specialists for next GEN family of connecting solutions. I also did quietly note the extreme emotion. This was thankfully the last one to trigger another sub-thread to the previous two threads.

Finally some solace to my tired soul as the cab approached the stop near my home. I got home and was treated with a heritage mouth-watering dinner composed of Ragi balls and Spinach sambar. The dinner served a rich source of iron for me to spend the rest of the evening pondering over the stand-by thread.

I retrospected on the various events during my travel back home from work and wondered if a man really needs to experience these extreme emotions. Are we going to swing between extreme happiness and pain all our lives? Can these emotions, feelings, attachments be controlled? Should we let ourselves go through the trauma of pain and loss? Should we be really so excited and attached about various milestones we reach in life as a function of time? Be it love or hate, gain or loss, prosperity or frustration, success or failure, cant we maintain a equilibrium in life that results in long term harmony?

I kept bombarding myself with such questions and I had to seek some answers. I picked up to my white-board to derive a solution.

My life is a Golden triangle comprising of vertices's viz my family, my work and my personal space. I am equally passionate about various dimensions of my life. I zoomed into my family life and I could see a mirror of all the extreme emotions which was no different than the ones I witnessed on my way back home that day. I left it at that and zoomed into my work. I didn't encounter any such extreme emotions in all my career. I found it presumptuous.

Let us put it this way:

I graduated as a Computer Engineer and applied to organizations that would need engineers from my discipline. After being shortlisted from a set of organizations and going through a fair interview process I was pleased to receive offers from couple of Employers. I rationally decided on an employer where I saw a good career growth path for myself. I signed on the dotted line and entered into a legal contract with the Employer. I pledged my loyalty to the organization. In the organization I was governed by a set of rules and regulations, code of conduct and rich values which I followed religiously. I worked hard to learn and put in my best efforts to demonstrate my skills. My core goal was to align with the organization's business goals and achieve the targets with my team. From day-1 I was professional with my colleagues and agreed to disagree. At work I rationally put forward my points without raising personal comments on any individual and always arrived at an amicable solution that's best suited for the business after evaluating the pros and cons. For the success of self, team and organization I maintained my honesty and integrity at all stages and did no compromises for any sort of vested interests. I did not fall for temptations of any sort and stood for the principles the organization believed in. All through as an individual, team and organization we channelized our energy into a positive progression. During successes and downturn we maintained our calm and composure and continued to strive for excellence at all times.

At a personnel level, we cared for each other's growth. We supported and encouraged our colleagues towards success. The team work was celebrated. We rationally shared positive as well as constructive feedback so as to achieve continuous improvement that further translates into better performance of self, team and thereby organization. We did not hold any personal grudge or neither did we offer to do special favours since it was not part of our code of conduct. Year after year I emerged skillful, stronger and smarter in this set up.

At some point due to complacency, I decided to move onto a another suitable organization and into a whole new employment contract. I or my associates did not hold any heart feelings on my leaving the organization and neither I fell in mutual love with the new organization. I did see the best interests of self and the organizations I was part of and going to be part of. I surely did carry the lessons, skills and all my brownie points forward to the new organizations.

In the new organizations at an abstract level its still the same set up but with a positive progression of my roles and responsibilities that I truly deserved due to the efforts I put in all this long in my previous organization. For my growth in the new organization I continued by duties with honestly and integrity.

This system framework amazes me. We are still in a set up that has humans and we have relationships. But at all times we are focused towards our duties. We are rational when it comes to dealing with people and are always governed by the Organization's Code of Conduct, Rules and Regulations, Values all defined clearly by the employer. Roles and responsibilities are executed in a well defined and fair system.

This is the life we lead 9-5. The moment we step out of work we let our heart reel around our head and there begins the ambush from the emotions, sentiments, attachments etc.

The world we live between 9-5 has people who feel, emote and attach and the world before or after it also has people too.

The work life has roles and responsibilities we own and its the same in personal life too.

The difference is when it comes to execution of duties defined by a regulatory body like in an organization set up which is clearly missed by the people when they step out of work.

How I wish we lesser mortals could be pragmatic and apply rationale to our personal life so that we do our duties with honesty, integrity and conviction thereby not letting personal emotions interfere and take control over our sense and sensibility. Now it became important for me to look for a philosophy that defines my duties and also provides a rationale that answers the "Why"s and "How"s I am constantly challenged with in life. I also had to seek for a knowledge that's not based on a theory of relativity of wrong but a one that permanent, accurate and reliable.

Days and years passed but I didn't stop seeking for Absolute Truth. The spiritual journey that has enlightened me with a source of knowledge that exists from eternity and shall exist to eternity. The Absolute Truth that clearly defines are Code of Conduct, Rules and regulations plus a set of Core values. All this is controlled by the eternal controller himself who is fair, just, practical and rational.

When I discovered to such a philosophy, I immediately surrendered to it with all my loyalties. From what I discovered, I realized that my work life professionalism can be mirrored into my personal life since now there is system of Absolute Truth, that governs it and I am a firm believer of such a system.I realized that on this blue-planet I have a social contract with the people I am associated with, be it my parents, spouse, child, friends and other family members. I am playing a role and I execute my duties honestly. At all times I am committed to my growth as a soul. I also dutifully participate in mutual success of the people I am associated with. I do not compromise on my code of conduct and always adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the Omnipresent himself. When I am enlightened with a knowledge that what I share with my folks is a social contract for the period of time I am on this blue planet, I have no reasons to lament. There will come a time when this contract is terminated like in case of an employee having to leave an organization for further growth and prosperity in future endeavors. Similarly the social contract with my family is terminated on the death of my body but I move onto my next birth and a whole new social contract for my future endeavors. I do not let success hit my head or neither let failures pull me down. I continue to learn since whatever had happened is for good and as per what I deserve. I move on...I existed, I exist and I shall exist forever and I do not lament for the social contracts I have to terminate during my course of journey towards absolute truth and hence elevation of my soul true to its nature.

I have learned to stay grounded since this system has taught me a valuable lesson to be empathetic to the world around us. Each living entity has a purpose and a destination and we are left to share this planet for a living. Realization of such a profound truth has motivated me to execute my duties with due respect to the system's guidelines and not let temporary spurious impulses or emotions affect my growth towards knowledge and wisdom.