I participated in the daily writing challenge of Blogchatter wherein I used the opportunity to write for a future book. However, on a couple of days, I wrote on the prompts suggested . This is one of them.
Here are the two quotes which I find very energizing and useful for effective living.
(1) Youth is not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the ease of life- Robert Kennedy, Former US Senator.
As a senior citizen retired from formal working, the above quote serves as a motivator keeping me active and young at heart and mind. Today, I keep myself engaged with a number of activities like blogging, recording songs for my you tube channel, participating in the on line Zoom sessions of Seniors Today that have programs on almost all days of the week on varied activities like discussions, singing, health, book review, drama etc.
The primary point in the quote is the assertion that youthfulness is not merely determined by chronological age but rather by one's mindset, attitude, and approach to life. Here's an elaboration on each aspect of the quote:
1. Youth as a State of Mind: The quote implies that regardless of age, individuals can maintain a youthful outlook by staying curious, open-minded, and optimistic.
2. Temper of the Will: This phrase refers to the determination, resilience, and strength of character that often characterize youth. It highlights the importance of having a strong will and the ability to persevere in the face of challenges, which are qualities commonly associated with youthfulness.
3. Quality of Imagination: Youth is often associated with creativity, innovation, and the ability to think outside the box. The quote suggests that maintaining a youthful mindset involves nurturing and harnessing one's imagination to explore new ideas, possibilities, and solutions to problems.
4. Predominance of Courage over Timidity: Youth is often characterized by a willingness to take risks, step out of one's comfort zone, and embrace new experiences. This part of the quote emphasizes the importance of couragein youthfulness, suggesting that being young at heart means being bold, adventurous, and unafraid of failure or uncertainty. 5. Appetite for Adventure over the Ease of Life: This phrase contrasts the desire for excitement, growth, and exploration with the temptation to choose comfort, security, and predictability. It suggests that maintaining a youthful outlook involves seeking out new adventures, challenges, and opportunities for personal growth, rather than settling for a stagnant or complacent existence.
In essence, the quote celebrates the spirit of youthfulness as a mindset characterized by curiosity, resilience, creativity, courage, and a thirst for adventure. It reminds us that regardless of age, we can choose to approach life with the same enthusiasm, energy, and optimism that define the essence of youth. Going forward, I would like to explore implementing various aspects of the quote to lead a fulfilling life. No wonder, this is one of my favourite quotes
(2) It is not people that are a company's principal asset, it is the enthusiasm of its people- Jack Welch, former CEO General Electric
As a person who has worked in Human Resources department in companies for many years, I can vouch that clique statements are often made such as “People are our greatest asset and we constantly take care and nurture them.” Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, on the other hand is not being politically correct here, mouthing the usual line.
He says that it is not about having human assets but an asset that is charged up and enthusiastic to ‘go for it’. Looked at this way, it also draws attention to the big role HR, senior management and influencers in the company need to play to keep the people enthusiastic. Enthusiasm and motivation of employees are the true driving forces behind a company's success.
Let us discuss the quote in more detail:
1. Emphasis on Enthusiasm: The word "enthusiasm" is more than just a positive attitude; it represents a deep sense of passion, commitment, and energy toward the company's mission and goals. When employees are genuinely enthusiastic about their work and the organization they serve, they become more innovative, productive, and dedicated to achieving excellence.
2. Cultivating a Positive Work Culture: Facilitating enthusiasm would mean providing and cultivating a positive and supportive work culture within the organization. A culture that fosters enthusiasm also encourages collaboration, creativity, and a sense of belonging among employees. It motivates individuals to go far beyond their basic job responsibilities and actively contribute to the company's success.
3. Empowering Employees: In order to sustain enthusiasm, it is important to empower employees by providing them with the necessary resources, autonomy, and opportunities for growth and development. Enthusiastic employees are more likely to take ownership of their work, demonstrate initiative, and strive for continuous improvement.
4. Driving Organizational Performance: The quote underscores the point that sustainable competitive advantage comes not only from technological advancements or strategic decisions but also from the collective enthusiasm, dedication, and talent of the workforce. Enthusiastic employees drive innovation, customer satisfaction, and overall organizational performance.
To a person such as me who worked and retired in an industrial scenario in the functional area of HR, the quote throws up many interesting insights, on why and how we could generate and retain the enthusiasm of people for driving success in the organization.
Preamble: For the Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.
"Hey Majeed, do you know me? " asked an aged stranger at a wedding at his native place. Although his ancestral village was Valanchery in Malappuram district, Kerala, 15 year old Majid grew up in Ernakulam where his father had migrated in 2002 to start a shop in the Broadway area of kochi. Majid visited the hometown now and then with parents but was not familiar with the local residents.
The stranger continued " I am Abdul, a childhood friend of your grandfather, Zaheer. Go ask him what was special about his wedding" he guffawed. Majid's uncle who was accompanying him, merely smiled, patted him on the shoulder and led him away to the dining area for food.
Majid's grandfather had lived in the UAE for many years but returned in his old age to home town to spend remaining days with his people . Grandmother Razia was very happy that he returned for good. During the major part of their marriage, it was just periodic visits to hometown for a few weeks. However, the visits had the feel of celebrating a festival! Everyone looked forward to the presents that Zaheer would bring, particularly in the olden days when many foreign items were not locally available.
As soon as they reached home Majid ran to his grandmother and said "We met Abdul Muthappan (Grandpa) at the wedding. He said he was grandpa's friend. Why did he say your wedding was unique grandma? Razia smiled shyly and asked "He told you that?"
Zaheer who overheard the conversation called out to Majeed. When he came in he said "That fellow Abdul hasn't changed . He is always up to some mischief. There was nothing unique about the way our wedding happened. It was quite common in the 70s, amongst us Gulf guys."
"What happened grandpa" asked Majid, curious.
" Oh nothing extraordinary. It was just that we got very few days of leave while visiting hometown. A prolonged process of seeing girls and finalizing the match was a luxury we could not afford. So what we did was see 6 to 7 girls during the visit, approve of one of them and get married, before returning to Dubai. Abdul used to make fun of us saying that we were selecting a bride like selecting a saree or shirt. Perhaps he was right in a way. But we were all victims of our circumstances".
After Zaheer had told his grandson the background story of his wedding, it suddenly struck him that he had left out something. "And the next time you meet that Abdul, you tell him that grandpa liked and approved of the first girl he saw and that was your grandma. It was only because of pressure from relatives that I saw four more girls. But my mind was already made up!"
Razia listening to his words from the adjacent room smiled.
Preamble: For the Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.
Yazhini's biggest concern has been her son Murugan. After the death of her husband, Palani, she struggled to make two ends meet. This was until she got introduced to a small scale garment manufacturer. After that, she was able to do stitching and tailoring from her home in Chindadripet, Chennai . The payment received from the company was sufficient to live comfortably in her modest neighbourhood. While the initial worries of Yazhani were centered around making a living, it shifted to the future of Murugan, once she was assured of a steady monthly income.
One of the concerns of Yazhani was that Murugan was not interested in studies. She thought that it was a passing phase and that he would pick up interest in some area in later years to make a living. The hope was belied as Murugan began to become even less focused as he entered his teens. Now, he was not even listening to her; spent a lot of time roaming around with his friends.
"What will happen of this boy after my time?" was her constant thought. She would have been happy had he shown some interest in the stitching & tailoring and helped her with it. It would at least be a source of living in later years. Some of Murugan's friends dropped out of school but were engaged in odd jobs like assisting as a mechanic in the local workshop. At least, these boys were learning and enhancing their skills. Murugan on the other hand wasted time, often cut his classes and was the reason for complaints from the teachers.
It was after he barely managed to scape through the SSLC (tenth class) public exam that Murugan was bitten by the crazy bug. He became obsessed with the movies of Tamil film star Vijay. He watched all his films and started dressing like Vijay and aping the haircut in his latest movie. Yazhini as a single parent was concerned with the way things were panning out. Murugan was neither interested in higher studies nor was he prepared to go to the village and engage in agricultural activities with his uncle.
Soon after, Murugan joined a "Vijay Fan Club" and engaged in its activities from morning till night. He was the first to volunteer for arrangements for a new film release. This involved putting up huge banners, pouring milk (Abhishekam) and doing pooja to the film posters etc. The fans watched the movie first day, first show and spread a good word both physically and online for the success of the movie. Five years passed this way with Murugan engaged fully with the club and with nothing else in life; increasing the blood pressure of Yazhini.
Yazhini got some key relatives to counsel Murugan but their advice fell on deaf ears. Heated verbal exchanges and cold silent battles punctuated the mother-son relationship. In the meanwhile, Murugan had been taking up more responsibilities in many other enterprises of the fan club. This included welfare activities like blood donation camps, celebrating the star's birthday, organizing promotional events & contests, selling fan merchandize like T shirts, mugs, posters & stickers etc.
Then, one day, even as Yazhani was engaged in tailoring a dress with the usual sad expression, Murugan came home earlier than usual. He sat his mother down on the sofa, prepared tea for her, opened a box of sweets and announced "Amma, I have some good news! In our fan club meeting today, it was discussed that the activities of the club had increased manifold. The club was earning good money from the sale of merchandize and have a comfortable bank balance.
Therefore, the members took the decision to appoint a full time manager for our club with a starting salary of Rs 50,000 per month to be reviewed from time to time. As one who has worked with full dedication for so many years and well versed with all aspects of its operation, they have requested me to take charge as the first manager of the club."
Yazhini did not know what to say. Finally, a big smile broke out on her face - Her first smile in many months. It was as if a big weight was lifted off her shoulders and a big concern from her mind.
Preamble: For the Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.
Xavier Fernandez was an ex service man. He claimed to have worked in the infantry battalion of the Indian army. After premature retirement from the army, he joined public sector companies one after the other. He stayed in a company for about three years and then moved on. The first role was that of a sports officer. However, he changed roles to security and then sports again depending on the requirement of the organization. One thing he ensured was a higher designation and higher pay each time he moved.
Wherever Xavier worked, he was known to be very popular with colleagues and employees. Any free time (freely available in PSUs in the 80s) and Xavier would regale them with his heroic and adventurous operations while in the army. Many youngsters admired him and looked up to him as a role model. They wanted to have a similar healthy physique and also have the ability to tell entertaining stories like Xavier.
The stories related by Xavier were breathtaking. Some of them involved daring attacks behind enemy lines, navigating through hostile territory and evading enemy patrols. Others were about daring rescue operations to rescue our officers or soldiers trapped in enemy territory. Challenges of defending a strategic position under siege by the enemy that involved surviving with limited food, ammunition, medical and other resources were all stories that were a hit with his listeners. By the time people got used to his tales or they were no longer evoking the same enthusiasm , Xavier would have quit for another company.
If a visitor to the company was a serving officer in the army or an ex-serviceman, they sometimes asked Xavier questions about his colleagues or details of his battalion. Xavier appeared to be uncomfortable on such occasions and seemingly evaded answering on the pretext of attending to an important work.
Then, the mystery of Xavier's disappearance or leaving within three years of joining a company appeared to have got solved . This was after Xavier had recently quit as the head of security of an electronics company in Bangalore. The new incumbent, an ex service man on seeing Xavier's photograph remarked that it was a familiar face. Surely, he had interacted with him in one of the units that he had worked. However, he was not able to say exactly where and when.
It happened on the third day, after they had finished lunch in the canteen. The new Head of Security exclaimed " Ah , I can place him now. He was in charge of the mess operations in our unit at Jabalpur!"
