Keep the Spark!

While I am almost set to graduate from B-school and more likely than not this is the last time I can call myself a student, I have a few promises to make. All to myself. Maybe they can be called resolutions.

My recent illness gave me an opportunity, lots and lots of time with me, just me. Normally, in the excitement of things happening around me, the work, the deadlines, the people, I probably ignore myself. And while I spent a couple of days doing absolutely nothing (like I had any choice!!) I thought, and thought hard at that. I have often felt that I am different than most people. In fact I believe that each person born on earth is as different from the other as her fingerprints. What followed this thought was a question. What precisely makes me different?

I could describe a few unique characteristics of mine to myself, to some I could not give words but I know they exist within me, and I am sure there are some things characteristic of me, of which I am absolutely unaware. After this great brainwave, I also thought that I generally like myself as a person, except times when I get down to doing some stuff, that even shocks me, but that’s rare. So, given that I like myself as I am, and am also willing to work on the present “needs improvement” list, the bigger question is how can I retain myself, as I am today. I fear that once I get down to doing what everybody does in life, “work for a living”, I might just forget being myself. So like a good student of knowledge management, I decided to put down in words, as far as I could, what makes me.

My enthusiasm: I am generally very excited about most things in life. Be it a simple joke being shared with friends, work, activities, books, movies, parties, plans, anything. I think this is one thing which certainly makes me different. In fact, at times people have even asked me, how can I be so upbeat about things..but that’s how it is. My funda, “most things in life are such that you have to do them, have to as in, HAVE TO. So, given that you have to do them, you have two choices, either you can do them willingly or cribbing. It’s just that I choose the former. And once that’s done, the enthusiasm and the excitement just follow.

My smile: this one’s my personal favourite. It is the best strategy at times, the best tool at some other times and a savior at some more. I think a smile can ease out tense situations, save you from embarrassments, it has the power to divert the attention of people. It is certainly the handiest tool when you know you have landed yourself in a soup. And like they say a smile does brighten up the day.

My “experimenting” nature: I have a weakness for trying out new things, participating in new activities. This also translates into me putting myself into too many things I have no idea about. This is probably to do with the risk loving side of me. I would categorize myself as an innovator in terms of kinds of buyers as we study in marketing. I am the one waiting to see what’s new. I think not too many things should remain the same for too long, so I like change at the speed I can manage. Infact I keep challenging myself on this one. So while the world resists change, I embrace it. This is a significant part of my being different.

These three put together, I call it my spark. The spark that makes me, defines me, differentiates me. I feel that if it were to go missing, the spirit in me would die out, and I will not remain myself. It’s all in the spark. So here I make a promise to myself that I will forever strive to keep the spark!!