Image by ~FreeBirD®~ via FlickrI just gave an introduction of my life. Today I am writing this post to participate in a competition called "Jiyo Life Moments" Sponsored by Club Mahindra and Indiblogger. Details here. But to be honest I have been telling my story to the world for the past two months through my blog Lifestory and Me, yeah the blog you are reading right now. I always liked listening to stories as a kid and even now but at the same time I also love to tell stories. But this time its not any fiction or grandma tale...its my life story!
The contest asks an important question "Are you having a jiyo life?...to be more precise this what they asked me
"It's about having one life. Just one life. It's about making the most of it. Every minute, every second. It's about living it with the people, the only ones who really matter - family and friends. Are you having a Jiyo life? Have you ever had a memorable Jiyo Life moment?"
And my answer to this question is that today every moment in my life is a Jiyo Life Moment and it will be in the future also. Now you may be tempted think that whether this guy (me) is a bit over-confident or something, or he is just showing off, or was he born with a silver spoon etc., etc. No I am not, I have simple philosophy towards life ..."I have one small life, very unpredictable..it didnt come with any guarantee....so? I will try to make it beautiful. It doesnt matter if I was born with silver spoon or not, what really maters is I shouldn't forget to eat with any spoon available...laugh, possibly make others laugh and most importantly Live every moment of it.
I would like to share with you some of the wonderful moments among the millions in my life that express the fact that I am having a "Jiyo Life". It was a Sunday morning and I was relaxing in the heaven - my home..my perception :) Sipping the tea and glancing through the newspaper ..Simply divine, I was sitting like a king cross legged and leaning over a push back chair and drowning myself into the newspaper. My dad and mom were also sitting next to me and discussing about the family gossips happening in my native Kerala. "That uncle's son is in Dubai, this aunt's daughter is in Canada"....all the countries were getting listed in random and every time they utter a country's name they give a stress to it and give a nasty look at me and I cover myself with the newspaper. Most of my friends and cousins are in foreign countries, earning 6 and 7 figure salary. Almost all the parents from India crave for the pride to say to that my son/daughter works in a foreign country. My parents are no exception. A few minutes later a girl entered our house, she is my neighbour and was my schoolmate. She came with an appointment order. She got a new job it seems and she wanted to tell it to my parents and of-course me. She presented that appointment letter to my dad with all the possible pride in the world as if she got Nobel prize for disturbing my peace. She had got an appointment as an assistant lecturer in a college in Kodaikanal - a beautiful hill station in Tamilnadu. Now came the killer, she pointed out to the numbers printed in bold in the appointment letter to my dad, it was her compensation amount. A five figure salary, it was three times of what I earned! My dad gave a humble smile to her and congratulated her for her fortune at the same time my mom and dad both collectively gave me a nasty look, my cross legged posture changed into a humble one and as usual I covered my face with the newspaper. The fortune queen left, my parents also left the spot and rushed into the house out of some kind of dissatisfaction, you know what I mean.
I was also frustrated for sometime, I covered my face with my hand and was sitting in disappointment. The white mosquito coil started to go round and round in my mind (flashback). I started my career as a chef, I chose Hotel Management as my career. I had great fun during my college days, new things, new learning's, different varieties of yummy food, hot girls, alcohol nights in-disguise of combined study.....it was one hundred percent solid fun. Then came work days, I started as chef in a fine dine pastry restaurant under a Michellin star chef, an import from France. Those were fun days, baking 1000 puff pastries a day, icing 200 chocolate gateaux's, piping meringues and what not. I had great interest in cooking and baking, I loved it but slowly I discovered that it was not my passion. My call was different, the next step was a stunt as a food market research consultant in an MNC. My first plunge into corporate world, life was totally different here compared to grueling sessions spent in the kitchen. People here wore a fake smile most of the time, I found out the carnivorous attitude among people to grow."Either I kill you or you kill me...only one can exist, I have to eat you to survive in this competition" I wanted to change many things there, but it was a huge pool of active participants, no one will even listen to me. This prompted me to learn Management. I left the job, enrolled myself for an MBA on a part time format, I was still searching for my call, my passion. The next stunt was as a part time lecturer in the very same college where I had all the fun pursuing my under-graduation. A different role, a different stage in the story called life. I totally enjoyed it, somewhere deep in my heart I felt the satisfaction of changing, impacting peoples life. I performed this role well, my accomplishment ? my students who call me up and say hello to me even two years after I left them. A wonderful feeling, this is when I discovered that my call is to teach, to impact and to be part of others life. Finally the goal was set. To teach I need to learn, learn a lot, the hunger and thirst doubled up. I left the teaching role for sometime temporarily now and joined another corporate. A move to work towards the ultimate goal. Many people questioned my move, some said I am indecisive, I am goalless, unpredictable..etc etc. But I knew where I am heading towards. Its almost four years now since I started working, and I am proud to say that I have performed many roles in this short period, some see it as negative but I see them as achievements. My final exams for my masters have started, hopefully I will complete the degree in few days successfully. Then a new journey, and a hunt for a new role as a teacher, trainer will begin. My next stop will be to play a role of a corporate trainer, I am new but I have the commitment to learn and I will make it one day.
I am working towards a goal now, I am not bothered about the success or money that are attached to the strings of life. As some wise man said "strive for excellence and success will chase you" and I think that is what I am trying to do now. Now comes the moment to list out the "Jiyo life" moments...I may not earn a 6 or 7 figure salary but I know I am working towards excellence and loving what I do, I may not be living in a foreign country but I live with my parents who themselves create a world for me, I may not own a Ferrari now but I own wonderful set of friends who drive me through my sorrows and pain. That sums it all.
Everybody has a story to tell, full of adventure and fun, its all about the way we see it through the eyes of contentedness and a never ending ray of hope....
Back to present life now from the flashback of thoughts, got up from the chair and here I am typing this blog on my computer, sharing my story. I hope I kept you interested. Thanks for your time :)
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