Let me ask you a question; If money didn’t exist, and basic human needs like food, clothing & shelter were taken care of, would you still get up every morning & do what you do for a living? WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?
To conduct an experiment, yesterday I posted this question on Facebook and on various groups on my WhatsApp. Number of people replied to this question in their own way. Here are some interesting answers:
My friend Ms. Ilze from South Africa replied; “If money didn’t exist … we wouldn’t know about it and the world would be a better place! Yes I would still do the same things.”
My Friend & client from Germany, CEO of a BioScience Pharmaceutical Company, Mr. Frank Scheid said; “Money is only a payment tool. Even without money we need to get up every morning to maintain our lifestyle.”
My friend, an Executive Director of a leading Investment Banking Company in India, said; “If your question was – if we didn’t need food, clothing and shelter, or the same was guaranteed available for self and family from some source would I do what I do for a living? – No. Would probably spend time on creative pursuits. However, the fact that one is unable to do that because one is born with embedded hunger, does not mean one cannot be happy. If we wipe out useless emotions like jealousy, ego, anger etc, it will cease to matter what we do.” Incidentally, this was the outcome of our exchange on WHATSAPP which led to a suggestion of discussing this further over a drink & dinner on coming Friday!
My neighbour, CA Anil Bhansali, a senior professional with a foreign exchange trading firm gave a very interesting answer; “I would do it for barter probably”.
A Doctor friend Ms. Divyal Gala, who is a Skin Specialist, also replied; “Sir, if not Money then Barter system! Yes…will do the same thing as then will not think logically but may be more humanly!”
One of our MasterClass™ client company’s founder, who runs a Construction Company said; “I will surely get up every morning. But I will not do what I am doing right now for a living.”
My friend & a business associate Ms. Preeti Gandhi, co-founder of a Branding Agency said; “Difficult to imagine that. I think I would. I get a high when I have helped someone reach their potential (brand or a person). The gratification is my barter.”
My friend Mr. Jayesh Rambhia, who runs a Plastics products manufacturing company said; We work for passion. Money is a by-product”. Incidently, this is what we teach our clients & their employees at MasterClass™.
MasterClass™ client Mr. Manish Visaria, partner at a Candy manufacturing company, replied; “Get up every morning for sure, but mornings would be different. Also what I do for living would have been different as per the situation “.
My neighbour & friend Mr. Vivek Gupte, a senior manager from Pharma industry managing P&L responsibility for portfolio of brands for MNC Pharma company & who has recently quit his job & founded a Branding Agency with special focus on PHARMA sector said; “I am passionate about singing to keep myself and my soul happy, not to entertain people. Similarly if I’m passionate about my work I’ll keep doing it even if the Roti, Kapda and Makaan are taken are of.”
A MasterClass™ client & founder of an IT Services company, Mr. Haresh Gada replied; “Something or other drives a person. Money is not the only driving force. It can be name, health, power, generosity, love, making a difference, creation, spiritual….. If money would not have existed than probably I would get up in the morning & would have done the same thing as my aim in life is passion to create & make a positive difference in the lives of people around us. As smallest good deed is better than grandest good intention.”
Mr. Ameesh Masurekar, a MasterClass™ client & founder of a Pharma Market Research company & Pharma Data Exchange Platform said; “Deadly question. Yes I would.”
Mr. Hetal Vichhivora, Founder-Director of an Electronics & Telecom products Distribution firm said; “No , I would have become more lazy or relaxed.”
A MasterClass™ client & Founder of an IT Software Company, Mr. Nilesh Shah replied; “Yes. That’s the reason all the successful persons like to follow their passion.”
My friend Ms. Karishma Barchha said; “Yes of course, in barter era people used to do their routine, so the basics can’t be changed & I would say work satisfaction is also necessary, in addition to that you need to do something constructive in order to keep your mind & body healthy.”
These are just a few sample answers from many responses I got. Many of them said a simple “YES”, and many of them said a simple “NO”.
Isn’t it a very interesting question to think about? It was gratifying to see that a few people said an emphatic “YES”. However, majority of them said an emphatic “No”. For those who said NO, it implies that given a choice they wouldn’t do what they are doing today.
WHAT ARE THE KEY INSIGHTS & LEARNINGS FROM THIS LITTLE EXPERIMENT?
Many people said “NO”. They won’t be doing what they’re doing right now.
Let’s think over this: Don’t we have choices in life? If no, or if you think that you don’t, isn’t it your duty to create choices for yourself, in the medium or a longer term, if not immediately? Is anyone forcing you to do what you’re doing today for a living? Aren’t there ample opportunities to choose from in this world?
Many people think that they don’t have a choice. However this is only a limitation existing in their mind. Not in reality. They can upgrade their skills, partner with someone, take risks, get out of their comfort zone, search, read, learn and do things that can ultimately help them come out of the situation where every day they are getting up to do something that they may not be liking. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year. And many of them, unfortunately, for lifetime.
Can you even imagine the state of their mind towards the end of their life? Wouldn’t they feel that it was a life wasted? That they could have done something else, something more meaningful?
Of course you or I cannot be the judge of their situation or a judge of why they must have said ‘No’, although they’re already doing what they are doing for a living, even if they may not be liking it much. Life may be a drudgery for some of them, and still they have resigned to it, and in many cases that could lead to a burn out.
In the longer run in most cases it is not the world that is stopping them from improving their lives, but the limitations in their own minds, the fears, and the mind blocks which are stopping them.
Each one, therefore, has to answer this question for himself or herself.
If money didn’t exist and basic needs like food, clothing and shelter were taken care of, a passionate singer would continue to sing to entertain people! A passionate doctor would continue to save lives!! WHAT ABOUT YOU!?
Everyone is born for a PURPOSE. And everyone is born with certain gifts. It is our duty to discover what our gifts are and what is our purpose of life?
Answer to the question in this experiment can therefore be a WAKE UP CALL for many people. Because it can lead them to their “PURPOSE” which is usually found around PASSION.
GRAND FAILURE OF OUR MODERN CIVILISATION:
The ironic failure of our modern civilisation is that we can send a man on the moon, we humans have sent a spacecraft beyond planet Pluto more than 3 billion miles away from Earth, but we haven’t been able to teach a common man HOW TO DISCOVER THE ‘PURPOSE’ OF LIFE? Here, I’m not talking in the spiritual sense; that is ‘Moksha’ or ‘Nirvana’. Most of us are KARMA YOGIS and therefore I’m speaking in the sense of the Karma Yoga. The famous painter Pablo Picasso said; “The meaning of life is to find your unique gift; and the purpose of life is to give it away.”
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if our so-called modern and evolved civilisation had succeeded in teaching an average man or a woman how to discover the purpose of life?
That exactly is the reason why each man or a woman is made unique! There cannot be or there will be less stress, tiredness, strife, frustration or agitation while pursuing the purpose God or the supreme power made you for. Each person who has discovered the purpose of life and is living the purpose, has experienced how beautiful life is. Thereafter you will naturally and automatically love what you do. Eventually this will certainly lead to happiness from within. And in any case happiness can never come from outside. Happiness is the by-product or a result. It cannot be the ’cause’, it is an effect. It is a reaction, not an action. A month old child who doesn’t know anything about how to condition his mind, is suddenly happy to see the mother who had gone away and later comeback. The child smiles out of happiness. It was the effect of or the result of seeing the mother. The same is true of your pet that exudes happiness when you come back home.
Human nature is such, and human mind he is coded in such a manner, that you cannot program it to remain in a longer state of happiness without doing something worthwhile from the gifts that you have got or have developed, and are using them for your own benefit and more importantly for the benefit of many others. That is what Pablo Picasso meant when he said that the meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away. This is how most of the things created by nature function. A tree does not eat it’s own fruits. It gives it away! Sure it takes somethings from the nature for its survival & growth. But gives its gifts away! Including oxygen! And if we see, everything created by nature is for a PURPOSE. There is harmony & order in everything created by nature. If so, then do you think YOU were created without a purpose? We were not put here on earth to suffer. If we align ourselves with the natural laws, then our lives will prosper.
To address this failure of our modern civilisation, we, at MasterClass™, have created a program called “Transform Life: Success Despite Whatever Circumstances” that helps participants develop a clear PURPOSE of life, using a very SIMPLE TECHNIQUE! But that is not the subject of this blog!
The Purpose gives a clear direction to life. It also gives meaning to life. It saves you from years and years of wasted efforts in wrong directions. It makes life worth living, more beautiful and enjoyable. It removes or reduces stress, frustrations and agitations from mind. It results in longer states of happiness. Once more and more people live their life for a purpose, the world will become a better place.
In the end, I would say that you must LOVE what you are doing, so much, that money or no money – you will keep doing it because you LOVE it. And more importantly, because it helps/CREATES SUBSTANTIAL VALUE for so many people. You do it for the PURPOSE you were made for. Like a tree!
LOVING WHAT YOU DO or DOING WHAT YOU LOVE with PASSION, and living a life for a PURPOSE, is the ultimate key to success as well as happiness. You will figure out the rest during your journey!!
After all it is one life in your avataar, it is absolutely precious, and it is beautiful. Make it worthwhile and make it beautiful. So that in the end, you can go back with complete satisfaction of a life well lived, leaving the world a better place than before.
Think about it! ANSWER THE QUESTION YOURSELF. Honestly! And then let me know your answer, views and criticism on this article. Share it with your friends and family and all the people you care about.
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(Mr. Ambrish Chheda, the author of this article, is the Chairman & Managing Director of MasterClass Training & Consulting LLP, a Strategic Execution Consulting firm. He had decided early on that after the age of 50 years, he wants to dedicate his life to our country. For this purpose, he left his lucrative corporate career and founded MasterClass Training & Consulting LLP, a STRATEGIC EXECUTION CONSULTING FIRM. The MISSION of MasterClass is ‘Nation Building’, by helping tens of thousands of companies to Scale Up to the Next Level by developing ‘Strategic Execution Focus’, and thereby contributing to the Indian Economy.
Today, over 1,000 companies from various sectors are using the revolutionary MasterClass™ Methodology, for developing their Strategy, Planning, Implementation & Performance Management Processes to Scale Up these companies to the Next Level of Success through ‘Strategic Execution Focus’ in a Simplified manner. This results in ‘transformational growth’ rather than just ‘incremental growth’.
MasterClass™ was the proud recipient of “NATIONAL AWARD for Excellence in Training and Development 2016: Best Mentoring Program”, presented by the WORLD HRD CONGRESS, WORLD EDUCATION CONGRESS & ASIAN CONFEDERATION OF BUSINESSES.
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