Precious Pearls

Nothing less than water can quench your thirst when your throat is parched. You request the nearest man, with a water bottle in hand, and he gives you a long lecture on the region facing severe water scarcity. All you need this moment is a sip of water and not a dose of wisdom! I don’t turn to people for solutions often. Not that everyone around me is incompetent. However, they tend to offer philosophy while we seek solutions. I have experienced it a couple of times. The other day, a sudden development on a professional front shook me a little. A few of my plans went topsy-turvy. Time had come for me to make a concrete decision and as the things stood, any move I would have made could have backfired.  Naturally, I asked some people what should be the right choice and interesting answers came my way. Some opined that one must surrender before circumstances; others told me believe that everything that happens is for the best. A so-called learned chap gave this mantra: ‘Hope for ...

God helps those who help themselves, they say. There are some people who not only help themselves but help others more. Yes, these souls are as entertaining as characters in a fiction, if not more.  They arrest attention by selflessly working for others expecting a mere thank-you in return. These are not people but a tendency that greets us in every walk of life. Initially, I would think of them as people who love to help. I used to wonder why they always walked that extra mile to lend a helping hand when they were not getting benefitted. As I observed them closely, interesting facets of this ilk started surfacing. This lot simply loves to help never saying a no! What’s more intriguing is you needn’t approach them always; on their own they will ask if you want anything.  They will always be forthcoming to help just for that thank-you. This peculiar character trait is dominant, inherent and obvious at every stage. No wonder they cut across age groups. In schools, these...

The other day, I suddenly thought of doing away with tea. It was just a matter of decision as I have never had the real craving for it although I am not averse to it. Apart from the morning ritual, there is, at times, no ceiling to the number tea/coffee cups I have in a day. Again, there are days when I don’t even have a sip. Drinking too much of tea or not having it at all, none of them makes much difference to me. On health grounds, I thought it would be better to call it quits. But it hasn’t still happened. Until I casually referred to what I was thinking about, I had no idea my decision would displease others to an extent of hurting them! Soon I realised it wasn’t just tea but a lot that came in its trail. When I spoke about not having tea or coffee, eyebrows were raised. At home, I was told that I should have at least morning tea and the rest of the day, I was free to do whatever I wanted. On the professional front, it was tougher. At workplace, tea break is as important as t...

You can’t judge a book by its cover. Nevertheless, it’s tough to find individuals who judge others strictly on merit. First impression could be the last impression but it may not always be true. Do we become too judgmental about something or someone a little too fast? Indian weddings are the best occasions to observe this trait. A bride would be naturally a touch anxious on the big day. However, people tend to draw hasty conclusions; ‘She seems reserved’, ‘She doesn’t look a person who will mix-up’ and the like are in the air! And the facts could be otherwise. Why weddings alone, many tend to form an opinion about a person in the very first meeting. What’s more intriguing is they often see negative sides. Barely have I observed people noticing positives. One who comes to mind is one of my distant relatives. He is a director of an MNC. One of my friends recently joined his organisation. On asking about her, he told me that it was too early to pass any judgment. Not only did he not ...