A multi-faceted journey – The Hindu

Life is a multifaceted journey encompassing a myriad of human interactions and relationships.
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Professional careers are important, be it for livelihood, status or fulfilment of ambitions. However, bogged down by the pace and competition, many of us start believing that career accomplishments are the ultimate marker of rise in life. Higher compensations, promotions, awards, and new roles are recognised as pivotal, and celebrated.

Yet, there are wonderful moments of human interactions, many beyond professional realm, that are so glorious and enriching. They present themselves as a powerful, uplifting and often game-changing experience. The value of the moments lies in building new perspectives and world-view, imparting valuable lessons and helping find a meaning and purpose in life.

These human interactions may be brief initially, but we are left with the feeling that we want to stay and know more about the person we met. Such people exude an indescribable and unique charm and influence, to the extent that we do not want to part from them. These moments turn out to be defining and transformative ones.

Imbued with a spirit of enquiry in his mind, Narendranath Datta thought of having a brief meeting with Ramakrishna Paramhansa. But the interaction between them was something that not only changed young Narendra’s life forever, but also gave the world an extraordinary messenger on the harmony of religions, divinity of the soul, self-perfection, and serving humanity as God. Today, all his spiritual thoughts and reformative actions get realisation and resonance, in India and across the world, through the Ramakrishna Mission that he founded.

Many a time, the wonderful human equation and bond get developed as mentor-mentee relationships. APJ Abdul Kalam had such a beautiful bond with his boss Satish Dhawan that went beyond the professional realm. In 1979, when Kalam’s mission to launch a satellite failed, to the great surprise of Kalam, Dhawan took full responsibility for the failure and faced the media onslaught. On the other hand, when ISRO successfully launched SLV-3 with the Rohini satellite, Dhawan chose to remain in the background and let Kalam address the media. The relationship deeply influenced Kalam’s leadership philosophy which emphasized humility, accountability, commitment, and the importance of empowering others. Characterised by mutual respect, learning and growth, such relationships depict a powerful story of trust, humanity, and leadership, for future generations to emulate.

Life is a multifaceted journey encompassing a myriad of human interactions and relationships. Keeping an open mind, and a sense of wonder and gratitude, we can embrace, value and enjoy the full spectrum of human experiences.

rkrishnasinha@hotmail.com

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