Learnings from sabzi shopping!

As some of you may be aware, I indulge in heavy shopping of vegetables every week. This has been a habit for the past 10 years. Now, I average 15-19 kgs a week. The weight is inversely proportional to the availability; in operations terms, the inventory decides the quantity of newer purchases. It's wrong on my part to use the word "I" as I am usually accompanied by at least one of the other 3 Swains in Mumbai.

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Yesterday, while doing this weekly chore, I chanced upon learning and shared it with my better half. Then I wondered and observed that there were a few more learnings. Some of the learnings that I could fathom.

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1. Relationships take time

I choose and pick every single piece of vegetable including chilies. When I started shopping this style in Mumbai 6 years back, none of the shopkeepers would allow me to pick vegetables in odd weights and chili-picking was strictly a no-no. Over some time, however, I am entertained and welcomed by at least 15-20 shopkeepers. I am allowed to pick only the freshest and in whatever quantities. This has happened with interactions; formal and informal, dialogues and puns, warm smiles and snubs!

Give time to relationships and it will mould the way you want; personal or professional.

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2. Better options may come later

Its been common for me to observe that a certain vegetable was fresher in a shop after I had purchased even a large lot. That also applies to persons and choices in our professional lives. We might come across a better candidate after we have selected one. We may as well be enlightened with a better idea after implementing it. The trick lies in being patient, checking a few more options, and then settling for the best from within the available options.?

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3.Timing is important

Having the idea and timing of the delivery vans to the shops from which I buy comes in handy. This allows me to have the freshest of the lot. In practical life too, one gains most after doing a priori homework whether it is a meeting, assignment, business deal or project. One should do some research about the person, the project or the task. This will help in better negotiation and arriving at a better choice.

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4. Never sever roots

I purchase only the choicest and fresh-most items across all shops. All the shopkeepers know this. Every time I go out shopping, I have no clue which shop would offer the best chilies or which?would offer me the best bitter gourd. They now offer me their best and attend to me in the same manner even if it means the total purchase is only Rs 20. This has happened because I have been visiting each one of them every week irrespective of the worth of the purchase. There goes one important learning lesson i.e. never sever roots. One should always try to be connected with as many old acquaintances. We never know who might help us in which?form and which part of life.?

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