My learnings after spending 33 years at work. At the end of the spectrum the first thing that hits you is that life is not all that complicated as you perceive it to be, when in your 20s or even in your 30s. If I wouldn’t be so uptight about things life would have been easier and enjoyable. Alas, lessons learnt are too late to make any difference in the earlier days.
So what exactly are the learnings…
Listen to your parents: 100 out of 100 times whatever my Mom told me, and I did not listen to, has come true. Till date if she told me something and I have not listened to, I have regretted later.
It pays to keep things simple: I have complicated stuff unnecessarily. Just by overthinking. Take things at face value and do not speculate what is not.
It pays to keep records: Even if it is as simple as keeping a record of the no. of clothes given for ironing or ensuring the bank entries are up to date. Bills are paid and servicing of gadgets are on time. Saves a lot of confusion and hassles later on. Again, learnt it from my Parents.
Minding a house is an all together different level of management: Don’t form your own new rules without understanding the dynamics that go with personality management of all the support staff. And don’t you ever undermine the role of the support staff. It is much more complicated than minding your team at work. Respect the rules set by your predecessors.
Have a schedule for the day: or else you will drift without managing to achieve anything substantial. Whether you are working or retired, it pays to think about and plan for the next day. It always helps to get things done.
Read at least one pink and one white newspaper in a day: That is the best way of not missing out on critical matters. Social media does not give the kind of important information that is precisely required. I will vote for a newspaper any day.
All news is not required real time: One does not need to be on social media all the time, in order not to feel missing out on things. Not all things are required to be known real time. Actually have learnt that social media has large no. of unnecessary news, which crowds the necessary news.
Find time to garden: That is the best thing you will ever gift yourself and even nature. That time spent with your own house garden is super meditative.
Follow older generations’ food hacks: Have learnt it late but its never too late. The quantity as well as the quality of food is best when you refer to the ready reckoner of your grandparents way of eating. Simple, nutritious and healthy.
Health is wealth: Too much is taken for granted of which health is first in the list. However it is never to late to start afresh, though the realisation is late. The abuse, by eating outside food, cold food, packaged food, fast food, not eating on time, shows its colour in the later years. Sadly most of your later years goes in dealing with the after effects of food abuse. If you do not take care of your health in the early years, in the later years your health will demand your undivided attention.
Be honest in whatever you do: Many a times it so happens that circumstances puts you in spot from which you wriggle out by undue means. At that time it may be needed but later it catches up at wrong times.
Always pay taxes and on time: Though the total tax paying population in India is appallingly less, one still needs to pay taxes. A good night sleep is too precious.
Karma has a way: Live life to the fullest and karma will take care of all those who harmed you, caused you distress and also those who do not want you to succeed, be popular. It is none of your business to give back, karma serves, at the right time.
Put your head down and work: That is the only business that one should be engaged with. Leave the rest. Let result speak for itself. Nobody can then let you down.
You will get more lessons than happiness: All our life we are unhappy because we were dealt with wrongly. We do not realise, at that time, that it is all for our best. Learn lessons and move on.
Everything happens for the best: The things which distressed me the most, on hindsight were the best that could have ever happened to me. It saved me from future disaster.
Today I am a calm, thoughtful, happy person…applying my life lessons and striving to lead a simple life.
A Write Path 