Whatever you do, enjoy it !

Whatever you do, enjoy it

A few years back when I was a bachelor, it was a chore to keep the kitchen clean. I got into the habit of ensuring that the kitchen utensils and cutlery got cleaned as I cooked. And, from that, washing the dishes was only one step.
When I mention that I actually enjoy cooking and cleaning the dishes, especially to women, they roll their eyes and scowl, “What’s wrong with this guy?” During my trips to the US whenever I have stayed with families, they have always been reluctant to let me go ! Imagine getting a guest to not only cook for you but do the dishes too !
Sometime back, a TV channel ran a contest to find out the most boring job in the world and the winner was the lady who has been doing the same job day in and day 365 days a year for sixteen years. Her job in a potato chip factory was to stand at the conveyor belt just before packing and pick out the chips that did not match the minimum size ! Oh God ! And her photograph actually showed her smiling.
I love going to a mall and shopping for small things. I enjoy the retail therapy. But I hate it when my wife asks me to pick up a few thing for her at the same mall !!
The same place, same trip, almost the same counters !
That’s right, a job is a job. Whether we like or not is in our mind.
When you don’t enjoy doing what you do, you are unhappy. This means you are not working to peak capacity. The job takes longer and the result is unsatisfactory. You add on stress and then you escalate to hypertension. And then you are enabling your cardiac surgeon to buy his next BMW !
But, by now, you know that a human being is amazingly adaptable and when he makes his mind, his body delivers. So, if you were to turn that switch from “not enjoyable” to “enjoyable” in your mind, the job becomes easier, the productivity is amazing and you have no stress.
There are extreme cases where it is simply impossible for you to enjoy what you are doing. Get out. And do what you want to do. Before you do that, ensure that you are not jumping from the frying pan into the fire !
When you enjoy what you do, it is not work, said the world famous painter, Pablo Picasso.
We have but one life. It is upto to us to enjoy it or live in misery ! Make your choice. Fast.

With every good wish
Ramesh Batavia

The New Goddess

The Salahakar Says… is a series of articles which comprise my take on life, management, relationships and businesses. These articles are uploaded on every first and third Monday. They are my way of keeping in touch with all of you who have done so much to make my life meaningful. It would be give me immense pleasure if you would respond by email or on Face Book or the blog site. The entire series is available on www.rameshbatavia.blogspot.com

The New Goddess

Those of us in business or a profession of our own have been confronted with a new goddess in recent times.
She is extremely volatile, short tempered, choosy and almost impossible to please. She does not know the meaning of loyalty. She is well informed and is fully equipped to win any argument with us. She knows exactly what she wants from us and will not compromise on her wants.
She fully expects to be treated like a goddess. It does not matter whether you are religious or not because she transcends all the religions.
Many of us have made the grave error of underestimating her powers and have paid a very high price for doing so. She punishes people who are indifferent or patronizing to her, heavily.
In our ignorance, we have been argumentative, patronizing and have insulted her often. We have tried to flatter her. We have tried to bribe her and she has punished us for our ignorance.
It is difficult to understand her and almost impossible to cope with her ever changing moods.
Rituals and lip service bore her and she is astute enough to see through them in seconds.
And her anger is so strong and she is so influential, she drives away all the other Gods and Goddesses from our life in case she we displease her.
The few whom she favors have had to earn her love and once they have earned it, she bestows on them limitless prosperity and wealth. She influences the entire universe to also fall in line with her thinking.
Yes, my friends, I talk of the Customer. Now read back from the beginning and tell me if I am wrong !
I only know one way of appeasing her. Give her the same treatment I would expect if I were in her place. Respect her and her influence on me. Give her the best I can give sincerely and rest assured that she will not only give her best to me but will influence her friends to also come to me.
Customer Devo Bhava !!