My Corporate Diary #6

In the initial years of my first job, there was a phase, where I worked day-in-day-out just to be treated among the mainstays or good performers of the team. Took double shifts to show my commitment. Started my day at 6 am and ended at 11 pm to show I am willing to give everything I have got.

Been more than a month, where apart from sleeping for 4-5 hours all I did was work & only work.

One fine day, like any other day, I got up at 5 am, got ready & reached the office at 6 am to start my shift. I worked for a couple of hours like usual, and slowly other colleagues started coming in. All my teammates were in & started their work as usual.

There came a lady, who worked on a different project, but on the same floor, to wish me "Happy Birthday". I stood silent, couldn't reply back to her anything, I somehow recollected myself & said thanks to her. I was still & in a numb state, looking at my screen & people around, all the world seem muted & becoming a blur to me, only thought I had in my mind was, how come I forgot my birthday, I am the one who used to celebrate my whole birthday month, always been excited to enter the month of June & here I was, completed sucked into the corporate world, where I had no time for myself & forgotten about my special day.

I saw some other people started coming to wish me, all my batchmates, everyone wished.

My manager told me that, "it's officially a holiday on birthdays, given by the company, so why don't I take off today".

I was very happy to hear something like that, but I wanted to prove a point, that I care nothing but my work, and replied back to her, "it's okay, I would better be here & finish my work."

When she insisted, I told her about the pending task, she said that can wait or other people can take care of it, if required, you can leave.

I was overjoyed, packed up my stuff & left my cubicle. As I had nobody outside the office to celebrate my day with, I decided to hang around in the cafeteria & other floors with my batchmates & roommates.

In the evening I got the call from my super boss, who seemed very angry & asked me to come & meet him immediately. I couldn't understand what happened and quickly ran towards my floor.

He has called up an urgent meeting with my team to know the status of the tasks, I was sitting comfortably, knowing I had been working so hard & so well for a month, and ofcourse being the birthday boy. He asked me about the task I was working on that day, I looked at my manager hoping she would be replying what she told me when she insisted me to leave, but she was silent, looking down at her laptop. I understood the situation I got into then, and couldn't reply to him anything. He was furious, kept on yelling at high pitch & said all the words which meant only that "I'm good for nothing".

After the meeting, I got back to my cubicle & started working quietly. I was in deep pain, I felt betrayed. My manager came to my desk & said she couldn't do anything as he was very angry, she wanted to apologize maybe, but maybe it wasn't there in her Manager's manual.

I worked till midnight, finished all the work, I couldn't respond to my birthday wishes, couldn't even talk to my family. That made me feel so broken & disheartened, I went to a meeting room & cried, and cried a lot. Not just for my birthday got spoiled, but because my life got spoiled being around such heartless people, who were like machines, even worst, a machine which falters so often.

I collected my emotions & then called my dad and told him what all happened, and said, I did what all I could in the past month, I can't work here anymore, I hate this place, hate the people, their rules & policies, it's a prison, let me get out of this place.

Then my dad said something that day, which defined me to become what I am today.

He said, "Do what you want to do, I'm with you, son. But, from my experience, I would like to tell you something - take any decision, and make sure you never regret it. Quitting is not in our blood, if you had enough, walk out, never regret, but if you are gonna regret, this feeling won't let you die peacefully, you would suffer thinking you couldn't do something & had to quit. If you really want to come out without regret, first work your way out, make it to the TOP, and then kick it by saying, that work doesn't deserve me, so I'm leaving it"

That boosted me to my best level, a level which I had never seen in myself. I did exactly what he said, I worked & proved my worth, became the top performer of the team, and the day the same boss came up to me & said, You are doing great & I see you becoming the manager in the future". I came back to my desk and sent the resignation email to him.

Never felt this much peace & pride in doing something. Living life on our terms, holding our head high with pride & confidence in our self, is beyond what words can express. I lived & loved that moment, again & again in my life, and it gives me so much inspiration & a positive boost every time I think of that phase.

More such stories from my 12 years of corporate are on the way............................stay tuned!