SUCCESSFUL GUIDE

A youngster, referred by an acquaintance called, he needed guidance to establish an online store and funding.

He is not the first one , there have been many and it is stressful to deny them the help especially when you have a reputation of being rich and benevolent and you do not have such kind of money.

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I work as a free lancer and they conveniently think that I work for free, nobody pays me and my ego do not permit me to ask.

One potential source of revenue is the bumper draw of lottery tickets during festival season in Kerala (I think the only state), I buy them when I am there. My intention is to create funds for the unfortunate ones, their bad luck, I never win, secretly hoping I don’t get, what if there is a change of mind.

He tells me about his plan, a middleman’s job between the bakers and the bakery shops in the city. A win win, where he earns his living and the bakery shops gets it cheaper, since currently there are distributors and other in betweens.
He wants a website, app, employees, truck, office and money to have all of them.

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We got into a conversation, where he asked me
“I would like to discuss your experiences, learning and seek your advise”, he said.

“Well, I would not know where to start and what relevant areas you want to touch, better you ask me and I will try to answer” I said.

“Do you think, after doing engineering, is it right to do this type of business ?” he asked

“Nothing wrong, how many engineers are doing engineering work ? The question you should ask, why am I doing this, what are the benefits, who all will benefit ? if you are convinced, go ahead”.

“ Note down, what I am going to say, it may sound out of sequence, you will encounter situations, may not be in this order, whenever it happens check these statements, one of them will be the answer or a lead to the answer”.

I continued, “don’t have doubts, be confident, once you are on the field, you will find ways to overcome the obstacles, mind you obstacles are a must, your satisfaction will be in negotiating the blocks and challenges”.

“As you go along you will get visions that grass is green on the other side, don’t fall for it, focus and work to make your side greener”

“Do not miss the joy of the journey for the joy of the destination “.

“ At times you my have to take few steps back, do it without whining. “

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“There is no time wasted, it is time enjoyed”.

“ You may miss some and hit the rest”.

“ Customer may be king, you may have to move out bad customer.”

“Take practical decision, not emotional ones”.

“When I was advised to never argue with fools, I said, I am a gambler and assumed everybody to be wise. I would stay for discussions and run away from arguments. A discussion concludes what is right, whereas an argument leads to who is right.”

“It is one life whether we spend it laughing or crying, your choice. Look at the brighter side of life.

“You have to make positive change in surrounding and your personality. Focus on your goals and take care of your team. In boiling water, an egg hardens, a carrot softens and a coffee powder changes the colour of the water. Ask yourself what you want to be and don’t take boiling water literally and test yourself, it’s only a life situation metaphor.”

“You should respond rather than react in a situation like when someone knocks coffee on your shirt, go change it rather blaming someone for it or light a candle when the electric power goes off in your house, later fire the agency.”

I told him this favorite story of mine :
A writer was in his study room. He picked up his pen and started writing:
*Last year, I had a surgery and my gall bladder was removed. I had to stay stuck to the bed due to this surgery for a long time.
*The same year I reached the age of 60 years and had to give up my favorite job. I had spent 30 years of my life in this publishing company.
*The same year I experienced the sorrow of the death of my father.
*And in the same year my son failed in his medical exam because he had a car accident. *He had to stay in bed at hospital with the cast on for several days. The destruction of car was another loss.
*At the end he wrote: Alas! It was such bad year!!
When the writer’s wife entered the room, she found her husband looking sad lost in his thoughts. From behind his back she read what was written on the paper. She left the room silently and came back with another paper and placed it on side of her husband’s writing.
When the writer saw this paper, he found this written on it:
*Last year I finally got rid of my gall bladder due to which I had spent years in pain.
*I turned 60 with sound health and got retired from my job. Now I can utilize my time to write something better with more focus and peace.
*The same year my father, at the age of 95, without depending on anyone or without any critical condition met his Creator.
*The same year, God blessed my son with a new life. My car was destroyed but my son stayed alive without getting any disability.
At the end she wrote:
This year was an immense blessing of God and it passed well!!
The same incidents but different viewpoints.
Moral: In daily lives we must see that it’s not happiness that makes us grateful but gratefulness that makes us happy.

”Look inwards, check for jealousy, comparison, hatred, anger and other negatives, work around them to erase it, with your focus and love energy for your work.”

“One important point is integrity, no compromise”.

I wanted him to take over and asked, “tell me, how are you doing now ?”
He said, “ I have started buying from producers and supplying to different bakery shops”.
And he gave me details of how it is functioning, with the help of two supports.

I told him, “son, you
are a solution who is asking me to find a problem. Go ahead this way for the next 6 months and you will have enough funds to do the business the way you want to, the online way”.

He thanked me for the lecture and said “ No wonder, you are a success with your wisdom”.

I corrected him, “I was not successful because I was doing exactly the opposite of what I told you, hence, I am presuming these will work”.

If you succeed you can be a good leader and if you fail, you can be a good guide.

He has moved his business to his home town, looking after his parents and happy, all his effort with undue credit to me.