A Walk

I must confess, I have not enjoyed the fact that I have not written for the last 30 days or so. My mind has been busy preoccupied with thoughts about a change in my professional circumstances. I am moving companies and will have joined the new org mid May. Now it might sound fairly normal to quite a few who are able to jump ship every 3 years or so (maybe lesser) for me its the 5th org that I will join (in a career spanning 28 Years); my involvement in the current org would be the shortest at less than one full year.  This obviously has had me question myself a lot and I have reached the conclusion that the choice I have made is the right one. 

So how did I chose or better yet what have I done in the past that helped me reach this particular decision and would I make a change to something in the past if given the chance. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to identify key things that I have picked up and learnt and make me who I am.  

Reading - Learnt this at a very young age. Have kept at it. If. Had to make a change it would be just one. Tell a very young teenage me that start reading the difficult, challenging stuff now. I got to reading these works in my 20’s. But howI wish I had read some works as a teen. So much time saved. 

Music - Started to listen to music around the same time as reading. Have kept at it. Like almost all types of music save Hip Hop. Most of all I like Operatic Music (Indian and Western) and Metal. (Strange Combination no ?). Would love to tell a younger self - don’t let a bias decide the type of music. It is all good and there is something that you will enjoy in all of it.  

Listening - Started very late. To be paying a 100 percent attention and listen is something that I have started doing; but don’t do enough if it. My mind will attempt to preempt and predict and find a counter; I still do this at times. Would love to change this. There are so many points of view that would be different from mine and appreciation of the views is only possible if I listen. The more points of view I appreciate; the wiser I get. 

Risk appetite - I had huge appetite for risk (or at least  believe so) in certain circumstances. Not so any more; the same circumstances will find me being circumspect. I guess it boils down to having not known the difference between a Risk and an Issue. I finally learnt the definition as a Project manager and have gone to utilise that core concept all across in areas that are not remotely project management.  How I wish this simple concept is taught in school to every high school kid. a lot of wasted years of experimenting and learning through experience would be saved. 

Gratitude - Expression of gratitude was something that was done on a daily basis in the school during prayers. The expression of thank you was something taught to me at home at a very young age. Both mechanically done for a very long time. One given up along with praying. Being a theist or an atheist has nothing to do with this. The feeling of thanks has to come from within. Would love to change the experience of the expression of gratitude to something I could have experienced much earlier in life had I understood the psychological and physical impacts of expressing gratitude. That said I am grateful that I finally understand. 

There are other things learnt and maybe at some point of time I need to also explain who and where I learned these from. 

C