Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai

Growing up in the 1990s had more to do with the TV than with the laptop. If you're a '90s kid, you'd easily relate to B4U Music more than MTV, with Hip Hip Hurray! more than Dil Dost Dance; and most important of all: with talk shows more than talent shows. 

I am a '90s kid and I grew up watching more TV than YouTube. Amongst a hundred favourites, there was a particular talk show called 'Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai'. If you haven't had a chance to see this ever, you should know that it tentatively fell into the same category as Rendezvous with Simi Grewal and Koffee with Karan. This one was hosted by Farooq Sheikh and I can't pin-point what exactly drew me to this chat-show but something about it was truly magnetic. So much so, that I remember it starkly even today. Probably my memory, of these talk shows, goes beyond pure reminiscence.

When I face turning points in life, stand at a cross-road of a lifetime or experience any incident, event, miracle or mishappening; sub-consciously I weigh its importance in the grand scheme of things. I ask myself this: If I were to become famous and if I made my way through a chat show, a modern day version of Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, would I talk about this particular moment positively or negatively?

And then, I wander off in my own chain of thoughts judging myself, phrasing lines, expressing joys of acceptance and sorrows from commission of mistakes. 

It is only rarely that I realize that if you are a guest at a chat-show, the episode dedicated to you could land up being utferly boring if you have no mistakes to own up. 

Having no sorrows and lows to share with the world, would make you a boring person because it is about how you balance it all out in one lifetime. 

After all, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai.

Dimness

Sometimes, life throws a situation on your face and you have no choice but, to suck it up and deal with it! In the beginning, you curse everything and everyone including Chance, Fate, Destiny  and Luck. Then, comes a point when you tell yourself good things about your own  existence. You find yourself in a dialogue with your own heart. 

People around may point fingers at you, call you names, accuse you of things and see all your deeds in a strange, black  light. 

However, what matters is how you rise up to it. You call yourself good names, think back on all your goodness and literally count the number of times you've been lucky in this lifetime, alone. That's where your healing process begins. With and within You.

In the last few years, I've faced some troubles of my own but I chose to maintain a lull period in such times, and not blog about it. Whether it was for want of secrecy or otherwise, I know not. But what I do know now, (and do believe) is that everyone's life moves in a wavy pattern. If you're currently on one of those lows, I recommend you follow Rhonda Byrne's advice from her book 'Magic' and count your blessings even during times of distress. Here's my list of happiness:

1. Because times are bad and I am doing the opposite of what I'd like, I am becoming a much stronger person.

2. Because my thought process loves to go hay-wire, I work much better after slight conscious effort put in for the love of my work. Work is practically the only thing I can focus on. 

3. Because I cannot go out with my friends and make merry, I am saving money for better times to come.

4. This one is cliched, but true: Because I have people by my side, I can tell friends from foes. 

5. Because I am going through shit now, I know that in the times to come, I will stand high and tall, if luck fails me again.

You may read a thousand quotes, hear a hundred pieces of advice to cheer you up  when you feel low. But no amount of reading and none of the advice will matter, until, you talk to yourself. Talk yourself out of distress. Talk yourself out of being in a spot. 

Because you live for Yourself.

EOD

In the three and a half months which have spanned my life at Zomato, these three letters have taught me a great deal.

My day ends with this and the early morning sun rises on my world, shining on the significance of these same letters.  

EOD, in Zomaland stands for End Of Day. The crux of importance in my grand scheme of functioning is my EOD report. As a fresher, and semi-new to this world of jobs, tasks, duties and departments; I was fascinated with the EOD Report concept from the very start of my career graph with Zomato.

The EOD Report is a mail which each of us send out at the end of the day. This report essentially enlists the work we have done for the day. The subject differs across departments, but mine read 'How I Contributed Today'. Now if that can't enliven your sub-conscience, nothing can! This mail is marked CC not just to the head of department, but also to the founder himself AND to the whole department across all Zomato offices.

What's so cool about this practice on my Zomaland? 

It accounts for total accountability.

One cannot take away credit for work done by others, cannot exaggerate the work you've done because your entire team is receiving the mail. One tends to take the work a tad bit more seriously only because of this teeny-weeny mail. It connects you to the founder directly, regularly. 

It is because of this EOD that all day, I find myself writing down things I've done. My to-do list merges with these pages in my daily diary and I feel I am touching the epitome of being organized. 

Such an impact this has had on my grey cells that when I meet people engaged with other forms of employment, I think to myself, how boring/ exciting/ funny/ mundane/ mature/ childish their EODs would be! Here's how my thought process works: 

1. In a bank, early on a Saturday morning, I rest my chin on the cash counter as I wait to withdraw cash for my father: I think to myself, that the man behind the counter would have only 1 line to write, 'Processed X number of transactions today'. 

Verdict: Boring

2. At the neighborhood grocery store,to  buy stuff for home, as I run errands for my mother: I see this man chat at length with more than half his customers. He could write at length about his awesome communications! After all, it will help him keep track of each customer's life. Anyway, his son will take on after him and at that time, these reports will help the little lad as he is enlightened by life around him.

Verdict: Indian, print edition of Gossip Girl

3. In a bus: This one's semi-short for the bus conductor. Just a line of "so-many" tickets sold in the day. If he picks fights, gets engaged in brawls or gets caught breaking traffic rules then, he'd be adding spice to his life! 

Verdict: Moody.

4. I step into the mandir and the pandit is caught up with the morning rush of people: His EOD would be full of his experiences of seeing hypocrites in fellow "devotees" who visit God periodically. Would the persons concerned ask him to keep track of the number of people who stepped in, (footfall in the temple) number of garlands offered to the deity? Would he be writing about the commission he negotiated with the flower vendor outside the temple?

Verdict: Off the beaten track.

My thoughts run wild and my brain cells run a rat race when I think along these lines and try to picture the whole world in the Zomaland way of doing things!