Random Musings

For a few years now, I have zeroed in on a simple white-shirt-and-blue-jeans as a regular form of dressing for myself. Most days, if not all.

It started as a whim of sorts. Our planning team was debating a pitch and had come up with an interesting central theme for a brand. I am able to share it now, as it did not take off, for whatever reason.

The central theme thought of then, was “Simple Hai, Great Hai”. And while I won’t get into the relevance of this, for that brand, as an example of what’s simple and great, came up the white-shirt-blue-jeans concept. That it symbolised the “Simple-Hai-Great-Hai” story.

It stayed in my mind. And refused to go out.

Till one fine day, I thought of embracing it. And decided to make that my dress. My way. My uniform. My style.

Whatever you may call it.

And while the whites have not been a specific type of white, nor have the blue jeans been only a particular kind of blue, broadly speaking, the combination has stayed. And I have been extremely comfortable about it.

And which is when I came across this really interesting article recently:

While  I had not thought so deeply when I chose to shift to a defined pair of clothing, I feel flattered to even think that eminent luminaries have / had followed a certain practise of this kind too! In fact, the first person I had seen in my life, personally, who had chosen a standard pattern of clothing, also happens to be someone I have idolised, for the longest period of time, viz. my paternal grandfather.

From the time that I can remember, he only wore a white shirt and a white pant, both cotton. Simple living, high thinking, is what he symbolised.

But obviously, about the only thing I share with these great people, including my grandfather, is that I have also been dressing in a certain, standard manner, for a while now.

But reading the above mentioned article, and thinking a little more about this, I do realise that this dressing sense, has been a part of a certain larger shift that has happened in my life, over the last few years.

And which fundamentally is about LIVING the life that “doesn’t fret the small stuff”!

Yes, in many ways, the message from the article resonates. That there are far too many decisions that DEMAND our time, and if there are others that are not critical, why worry much about them.

I am fine with what food is cooked at home. I don’t want to play a role in planning the menu.

I am okay to be driven by my driver as long as he can take me to where I want to go. I don’t want to tell him much about bearing to the left, going little slow, or taking a particular route.

I am okay to let my colleagues or my team take decisions in areas, where my involvement is not a necessity. I’d rather stay focused on areas where it is important for me to participate as I am probably best suited in those, and they are critical enough for me to be involved.

One always has choices in life. The option could be to stay extremely tense, be stressed about the smallest thing that happens around you (which you must necessarily be in control) or let some things be. And find peace within yourself. And focus to do best, what you anyway, need to do.

Believe me, this is easier said than done, for an entrepreneur. I work on it, but I wouldn’t say I have mastered it. But increasingly, in a busy-busy, dynamic world, this is only becoming more critical, the way I see it.

That is my choice anyway.. don’t know what you feel about it? Would be great to see your views too, on this. Do share your comments.

Finally, as this refers to my white-shirt-blue-jeans routine, I cannot help but mention the wonderful gift that my team gave me on my last birthday. To my pleasant surprise, as I walked into the office that day, I saw the sea of white and blue, as the team came dressed in white shirts and blue jeans! Pretty amazing, it was..

We live in the era of war and tragedy and accidents and some mayhem.

So usually, when we hear of the gallantry of a fire fighter who fought and saved people from burning to death, or the man on the border, who fought an attack from the enemy, or a bus driver who rescues passengers from the bus, even while risking his life, we do find ourselves applauding these brilliant acts and the people responsible for them.

And rightly so.

And yet, there are possibly many many more who need to be acknowledged, but who don’t get the same (or any) credit.

Let me give a few examples:

1. Recently there was a fire in a commercial building in Mumbai, causing a lot of damage, injuries to many firefighters, and even the death of one of them. This is the incident I refer to:

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-building-fire-one-fireman-dies-in-multi-storey-building-fire-in-andheri-2003106

Most certainly the fire fighters did a commendable job. Perhaps against a lot of odds. And they ensured that damage was restricted to the minimum, even at the cost of their own lives.

Think however, if there could have been another bigger hero.

The building inspector maybe, who spotted inadequate fire fighting facilities, or some changes made in the building which made it a fire hazard, etc. and who orders those to be fixed, much before the fire happened.

The building secretary maybe, who against all odds of the clout of the owners, who insist on having their way, manages to get changes done, so as to make the building a safer building for fires.

And ensures that the fire does not even happen!

Will such people even be acknowledged?? They will, in fact, be hated because they cause inconvenience, and force changes, and cause discomfort and expenses!!

2. War heroes or security forces who fight terrorists, are always celebrated. Those who combatted the insurgents in Kargil and won the war for India. Or those who fought off the terrorists at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai.

Absolutely deserved heroes of our times!

How about the ones on the border who day in and day out, look for the gaping holes from where enemy could sneak in. And keep covering those gaps. Keep ensuring that an enemy attack does not even happen. Perhaps risking their own lives, as they expose themselves to risk out there.

Or in case of the terror attack in Mumbai, what if a Coast Guard had identified a weakness in the system, ordered for fixes, ensured that some new equipment was ordered and installed, and fundamentally prevented an attack of this sort. We’d probably be thinking of the large capital expenditure, and whether there are kickbacks involved!

Leave alone giving him any due, for potentially preventing a Mumbai terror attack of that quantum, from happening!

3. This post was inspired in fact, by this story about an Air India plane that averted disaster,on account of some quick and smart thinking from the pilots on board.

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/how-air-india-crew-averted-a-major-air-disaster/20140718.htm

With 315 passengers on board, we could have been staring at a major disaster. Which thankfully, did not happen, due to the adept handling by the captains on board.

But as the article says, there was little or no mention of this heroic deed. As against that, if there had been a crash, God forbid, it would have been all over the papers!

That is the sad situation where a lot of heroes who ensure that disasters don’t happen, remain unsung heroes in society.

There is a certain apathy around those who are process oriented, who are finicky to the detail, who seem to have an eye to spot mistakes and alert.. they are not celebrated, but in fact, made fun of. Little realising that, these in fact, are the bigger heroes in our lives.

Let’s learn to respect processes, respect these individuals who work at it, relentlessly..