Life Notes

Rajesh Sanghi was a friend. Not that we used to be regularly in touch, but thanks to social media, I was aware of what Rajesh was onto. My last memories of meeting him was some where in 2005, where he was the key member for the project that we were working. He was the Project Sponsor, then. Always came across a learned guy, well informed on varied topics, used to articulate his say, immaculately. A cricket enthusiast. Few knew that he was the first captain under whom Sachin Tendulkar used to play in his earlier days. Rajesh was a fitness freak. Used to take his work outs and jogs very seriously. On a week day morning, while jogging in the islands of Maldives during his family holiday, he collapsed. A life at 43 came to an end abruptly.

Shoaib Ahmed, 23, son of my mentor, friend philosopher guide and my reporting manager was instrumental in introducing me to Bengaulru back when we started setting up the Indian operations at Levtech. The charmer that he was, the eye candy of the ladies, he was full of life. Over a few initial ghettos and evening sessions at various parts of the city, we became really close to each other. An avid biker, he used to participate in the Mumbai after dark races which was a yearly draw. On a day when his close buddy was moving to the USA, he jammed up with a few friends at his place. He was lured into trying a new RX100 speed bike, which a friend of his had bought recently. Needless to say, he went for a spin to try out the mean machine. While taking off from a signal, he saw a woman trying to cross the road, inspite of the fact that the crossing signalled red to her. In order to save her from colliding, our speeding biker applied instant brakes only to skid and hitting the edge of the divider. He slid into a coma. Ten days into the coma, he breathed his last.

Piyush Anshuman, into his late 30s, had been speaking to me for a position with us. All was progressing well. Last sunday, I was slated to have a final call with him on a few formalities. An ex-colleague of mine, who had connected me to Piyush calls me up couple of days ahead of this call and gives me a devastating news that Piyush breathed his last, the evening before due to some lung related ailment.

Do you know what is common in the above three life-stories?

Death.

Death came calling out of nowhere. We are what we are till we exist. We are what we are till we understand being materialistic has no value beyond life. These three events and a few others have taught me few interesting lessons in life. I try to follow this. I succeed in some and strive to work towards the others.

• Live Today. We all need to go eventually. The essence is to make every moment count. You never know whatever that we planned for ourselves, we may not even exist for its execution. A very close friend used to say 'Am working towards retiring by 45'. However, no one is sure if he going to survive till 45.
• Maintain a work-life balance. In our era, deadlines, deliveries, projects, milestones, etc. all come with a high performance, high pressure oriented expectations. It is important to know how to manage the professional and personal lives. In the given context, I find the 'work from home' concept a tad difficult to digest. Not sure how does one maintain the work-life balance then. If people still manage to do so, hats off!!
• Try not to carry work at home. I know many of my colleagues and contemporaries would find this difficult to digest as this is easier said than done. However. we need to take this with some seriousness. Exceptions can arise, though.
• Enhance Productivity. When you work, Work. Get the better of work by being super productive. Study states, on an average 9 hour working day, an average person's productivity is not more than 3-4 hours. Should this productivity quotient go up, imagine the work-life theory would be so easy to manage.
• Stay Fit. Stay active. I don't imply being a gymoholic here. Being fit is one and being a couch potato is another. I have seen some over weight people still having great level of fitness. So its just about changing one's perspective about fitness here. Rajesh was a fitness freak with no iota of fat in his body. However, he still succumbed to a cardiac arrest!!
• Find your mojo. Do what you like. Like what you do. If this doesn't work, then dont do it, you are clearly not cut out for this one. Finding one's mojo is important. If you do something just for the sake of it without really liking or being passionate about it, it will have its own shortcomings in various forms. Why, you shall not be happy yourself doing something which is so not you!!!
• Take weekends seriously. Weekends are for unwinding. Do what brings peace to you during weekends. Stay peaceful for the upcoming work week. This shall surely help you rejuvenate.
• Follow your hobbies. Every one has a hobby. Its just about taking it with utmost professionalism and following them with all the needed focus. Following one's hobbies has had immense results in the overall personality of many professionals.
• Spread happiness. Have your humour quotient help you with that. Every one has a sense of humour. The more one smiles or laughs, he or she is bound to spread happiness around. This will keep negativity away and exude positivity all around.

In today's world its all easier said than done. But when we come to think of it, we all live just once. Let us stay alive and not just breathe!!!!