A Thought Well Provoked!

Have you ever thought why it is important for us to continuously improve ourselves? Here’s a Thought Well Provoked and my take on what it takes to be someone’s role model.

Last week I facilitated a training program for the employees of IDBI Bank at their New Delhi regional office. It was a three days training program and everything went as per the plan and all my trainees were happy. Post session a couple of trainees wanted to talk to me regarding their future plans and seek some help on how can they do better in their lives. I spoke to them one by one and helped them with my suggestions. I was happy to see enthusiasm and the way they wanted to learn new things and explore new opportunities.

By the time I finished it was quite late, I left the premises in a hurry as I was to go out with my wife. On the way to metro station I called my wife to inform that I am on the way and I shall be home in about 30 minutes. It was when I noticed some of my trainees, who were having coffee at Cafe Coffee Day, waving and inviting me to join them. As I was busy over the phone call and also was in hurry hence I just waved back and kept walking towards the metro station. While I took escalators for the metro station I realized I have committed a mistake as I should have finished my phone call, gone inside the CCD, thanked them for the invitation, shared my plan for the evening and then should have excused myself.

Realizing my mistake I went back, apologized for my behavior and shared the reason for my odd behavior. They seemed happy as we spoke for some time, laughed remembering some light moments of the training program. Before departing they asked me for a group photograph and we requested a CCD team member to click`. After we got the picture clicked, I thanked the CCD member and I requested one of my trainees to share the picture with me on Whatsapp and I departed for the metro station. I was in metro when I received a friend request on my Facebook account from one of them which I accepted. In next couple of minutes I saw a picture which was tagged to me with a caption, ‘with Rohit Sir..What a Gem!!!!!!’ It was a proud moment for me as one of my trainees had written such high for me.

It’s been 5 days today that I got such high regards from someone and I am really happy and overwhelmed with honor, love and respect my trainees showered upon me. But there is something which is bothering me for last 5 days and I could not sleep properly. There are some questions which are continuously haunting my mind. 

‘Am I really a Gem?
Am I really worth this honor, love and respect?’

I don’t have an answer to the questions and I am not sure whether there is any answer to my questions. The only thing I know is, I am not perfect and I have many limitations and I need to a long way to be able to accept such honor. A quote from great Sufi Saint Baba Sheikh Farid perfectly explains state of my mind, “Kaale Mainde Kapde Kaala Mainda Ves, Gunhee Bhareya Main Fira Lok Kahe Darvesh” (My Clothes are Black My persona is Black, I Roam Around Full of Sins Yet People Call Me a Holy Man).

I want to thank all my trainees for provoking these thoughts in my mind. I promise I’ll try and transform myself into a better human being and a better professional and live as a role model and up to your expectations.

God Bless!