NUTs about Work!

I run up the stairs and ring the doorbell. As I wait impatiently for the door to open, my thoughts fly back to the first time I was here…

5 years ago, a disgruntled me walked through these doors, tired of finding myself ‘a perfect job’. I had heard enough of “There’s no such thing…” comments from friends and family until then, but I persisted in my search. And thus had landed up here….

…outside a wooden door that literally opened up so many opportunities for me. This place, as I look around fondly today, has been a venue of many firsts for me. It is my first job and I was the first employee. It gave me my first real salary and the first experience of what a promotion feels like!

 

I remember walking through these doors as a rather nervous individual. I remember walking out just an hour later, with a job in hand and a silent confidence growing inside me. What I also remember is being reprimanded at home for accepting a job without a second thought. And I remember knowing that deep inside, the decision felt just right!

But what I have been actually trying to remember all day long, is when it stopped feeling like a job, and I fell in love with the work that I do….

I don’t know if a perfect job exists anywhere, but I do know now that you can have near – perfect moments frequently at your work place! I realise today that along with so many opportunities to grow and explore my knowledge, this job also helped me grow as an individual.

I learnt to sit in one place for hours and get lost in a subject matter. I learnt to put my point across effectively and in limited time. I learnt to get along with all sorts of people and realise that not everyone is always going to love me. I learnt how to lead a team and also how to work on my own. I learnt to be perfect in my work and to feel guilty when even a full stop went missing. I learnt to accept the ups and downs that come with a job and how to fall in love with my work. Above all, I learnt to separate my personal from professional commitments and give both of them the loyalty and dedication they deserve.

Mine has always been a profile that cannot be summed up in a single word, and one that brings up daily challenges. And so I have also learnt to think on my feet and deal with anything thrown at me, with a smile.

I have made friends here. I have also made enemies. I have built tons of happy memories and equally swallowed many unhappy, restless moments. There were days when I felt like it just wasn’t worth it…and there are so many more days when I have heaved a sigh of relief that I stuck through!

Today, as I look back, I realise I have literally grown up with this company. My bosses have constantly pushed me to test my limits and been a happy audience as they watched me surpass my fears. They have also made sure I pursue my passion each working day.

My boss recently wrote to me, “….year after year, you prove that you have no ceiling!” In that single moment, I realised what these last five years have been worth.

Today, I know this five – year mark is but a milestone in this wonderful journey that is more than just ‘my job’…