My Third Job-Break

Hello, everyone. Happy 2023. I take to sharing my thoughts through blogs, after a gap. In this gap, I spent time, along with my team to create a scalable and profitable GNC business in India. I had joined as CEO for GNC franchise business in September 2017 and I quit in January 2022. Amazing four and a half years. No exaggeration, if I say, I learnt and enjoyed as much as I did in my combined ~ 20 years of career before. There were lots of first times…working with Indian family business…doing a CEO JOB…getting into local manufacturing…enrolling a celebrity and creating advertisement campaign…learning and scaling up e-com business and so on…

My last working day was 31st?January 2022 and to queries of my team and others, words that Universe put in mouth then… “I am taking my third break and I plan to get back after a year.” And Universe knows it all…I am joining the corporate world back on 1st?February 2023.

This blog I want to write more in the Q&A form. Why Q&A form?... this is my third break. And every time, I have thoroughly…thoroughly enjoyed my breaks, equally I have got back with jobs and roles that from the material world yardsticks have jump-shifted everything for me and my family. And this I say not out of arrogance, but out of my discovery of ‘Quantum Creation’ and ‘Manifestation’ through ‘Visualization’.?

I have always been curious and inquisitive, and for a long time, also shy and nervous. I used to have several Qs on so many things. There is a possibility, some of you may have Qs related to this aspect of my life and hence attempt to share my perspective, through this format.

So, here we start…

Q – You mention, this is your 3rd?break from job…Do you recommend others should also follow this and leave their jobs to enjoy such breaks and time away from work?

A – No. I do not recommend or prescribe that everyone who is reading this blog, should get inspired by me, and start taking breaks from job. This is what works for me…not necessarily, this will work for others also…so please do not replicate me…we are all different…no two grass blades are same…no two snow-flakes fall in the same spot.

Q – All right, then are you saying, taking breaks is a scary and scarring experience. It has worked for you, but may not work for others?

A – No. I am not saying that also. To reiterate…all these breaks have been amazing for me and my family. If there is any one thing I may suggest… “Listen to your heart”. If your heart is truly telling you to do something…Do It… Your heart is the mouth piece of your body…if you listen to your heart, you are listening to your body.

Q – OK. And then do what…After taking a job break, what does one do? Does it not make you anxious, worried??

A – Sure. Let me give you some context to answer this. I grew up as very shy, introvert and a nervous person. But then as my ‘dynamic-destiny’ would have it, something started changing since I stepped out of my home, went to college and experienced being independent and on my own for the first time. Books chose me, Universe sent people, instances, happenings my way and I started thinking…deliberating…contemplating. And, somewhere during this journey, as a part of the ‘evolutionary impulse of the universe’, my aims and intentions started becoming ‘One with the Aims & Intentions of the Universe’. This is a journey and I am still learning and experiencing.

To answer your Q, from the person that I used to be, I started feeling lot more secure, sure, feeling the ground below me and equally OK with groundlessness. I started becoming lot more accepting of “what is”. I started gradually shifting from mostly a ‘human-doing’ to ‘human-being’ also.?

But the ‘human-doing’ still exist. I will be lying if I say, I never experienced worry or anxiety during these job-breaks. I did. But the interesting part is my self-awareness has grown. I become aware of these thoughts and feelings. And awareness is like the torch-light. When you shine it on darkness, you start seeing through it…And that is when I become present…I look around me and ask, ‘What Do I not have NOW’ to the thoughts and feeling of worries and anxieties that my mind creates. And as soon as I commit to NOW, my avatar of ‘human-being’ starts over-powering ‘human-doing’ and I start feeling peace, joy, love and calm. In my own way, I meditate. There has been and this needs lots of application and practice.

So finally, in a year there are not more than 2-3 such times (once in 3-4 months) when worry or anxiety surrounds me. But those are very short-lived. And one big reason is also amazing family I have in Shilpi and Kabir. They are like a rock-solid eco-system that exists around me and help me reflect, receive and respond.?

Q – Do you not feel directionless…so much time and nothing to do. No 9am to 5pm office and the eco-system that kept you busy?

A – Rarely. And the big reason is, these breaks are an answer to ‘my heart’s ask’. By ‘my heart’ I mean including Shilpi’s and Kabir’s hearts. We always have a long list of things to do. As a family, we never get bored of talking to each other and having conversations on any and everything.?

My wife is a Bong…so there is always a travel itinerary ready. My passion is driving…so I just need a reason and she gives me 31 and more for every day of the month and every month.?

I love reading, mostly non-fiction books. And many of these books I read and re-read and read again. These are deep and interesting topics such as Quantum Physics, Mindfulness, Science & Spirituality,??and so on.

Since Covid, I have also started consuming content on OTT. I love watching documentaries on nature, environment, biographies. There is amazing stuff to give equally amazing perspective on what is happening and what to do and not do during your career in the corporate world…shows such as “The Dirty Money”, “Broken”, “Explained” and so on.

Also with no intention of bragging or arrogance, but purely from the power of visualization and quantum creation, prosperity always finds me. I love…love…love binging on CNBC TV-18, almost every day from 7:30 and 8am onwards, definitely till 9am and sometimes till later also. And then I use this information to make money through share market…But I don’t ‘day-trade’. I do positional trades. In addition I also take up consulting, advisory, mentoring assignments, some of them paying very well, some not for money.

To Be Continued…