THE SUBSTANCE AND THE STYLE

There is no need for any of us here, on this earth, to pretend! There is no need to be anxious. No need to desperately impress some one… Yes, no need to over do, over sell… show off.

Rest assured!

How to sell yourself? How to leave the best impression? Well, the subject sounds quite fascinating.  Many believe that to sell yourself well, you have to walk into someone’s cabin - like a Tycoon… Once in, all that you have to do is: place on his table your BMW keys along with your sleek Blackberry. The rest will follow!

There is some truth in what is being believed here. “Jo diktha hai, who  bikta hai.”  Yes, to sell, you have to show… 

Therefore, they show in style!

Hoping that it will help them sell…

Believing that, selling is very, very important!

Selling is, in deed, very important. But, I believe, we should sell ‘substance’ more than the ‘style’.

And, to sell ‘substance’, we should possess it, in the first place. Ironically, when we possess substance, we find it less important to flash it… The full pot is profound, and quiet, you see. It is the half-pot that makes a lot of noise!

Two days ago, at around five in the evening, I was walking towards a hospital… A car zoomed past, and stopped some distance ahead of me. A young, slim-girl got off the car and came in my direction, while the car went its way. “Hi Gerry sir, recognized me?”

“Aditi!” I exclaimed.

“Can’t believe!” the girl jumped in joy, “You still remember?”

Yes, I still remembered Aditi after twenty years! She looked still a fresh college kid! 

“You haven’t changed a bit, madam,” I complimented, “How could you maintain this slim and trim thing?”

“Don’t you see I am sweating, sir?” Aditi showed herself. Yes, she was drenched! “I walk the distance to and from the station (two km) every day… I travel by the crowded locals and the BEST, avoid travelling by auto, taxi and cars.”

“What about the car you just got off from?” I asked assuming that it was her car. 

“That uncle is my neighbor,” Aditi laughed, “He spotted me while walking my way home and insisted that I got in. But then, we had barely moved some distance, I saw you and told him to drop me right away!”

Aditi was a very dedicated and enthusiastic student. Along with her B’Com, she was doing ICWA. After completing it, she completed her CS. Worked for best firms… got married to her a brilliant Chartered Accountant… Kept globe-trotting. Made fairly well for themselves as far as financial security was concerned. And, now, she works as Consultant in one of the fine firms in Mumbai. But, on her own terms!

Most of the days, Aditi is home before 4 or five in the evening. “I am pretty grounded, sir,” she told me, “We still don’t have a TV in our house… But have two dogs… None of us miss any TV programs… We read a lot. Travel a lot, all over the world… We trek, we walk...”

When Aditi gave me her business card, she surprised me, “Sir, I do not use a cell-phone!”

Her husband keeps traveling, and often abroad. “He calls us on land-line and we are not desperate. There are office land-line numbers and e-mail, any way,” Aditi had no hang-ups about what she was telling. “I still manage with minimum… with least fuss,” she said, “I consider that to have remained grounded is a great source of our inner security.”

Last evening, I had invited Aditi to share her beliefs with our young PD students. She was there much before time. When she spoke, she shared with the young ones about her idol: Sudha Murthy… How she was introduced to her books, Workshops and ideas. “She is the quintessential woman of substance… the epitome of remained grounded in life…”

I was watching Aditi with great delight. She was talking to young college-kids… and, she was a highly qualified woman. Still, this young lady never felt any need to ‘impress’ the young ones with any sort of ‘pretense’, ‘style’ or whatever it is. “What is not… is not!”

Paradoxically, Aditi succeeded in leaving a great impression on our young minds!

If a Sudha Murthy can carry herself with all her down-to-earth simplicity… Aditi, too, can… 

I, too, can…

Our young ones, too. 

There is no need to walk into 

some one’s cabin like a Tycoon… 

and yes, there is no need to place on his table 

your BMW keys or sleek Blackberry. 

 

Your substance will suffice!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Sony Ullal