Saturday 3 August 2013

Friends Forever – Success Everlasting


“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.” 


I am sure we couldn’t agree more to this quote by Madame Helen Keller for it is friends who make life worthwhile. It not only enriches the virtues in an individual but also helps in being successful in all aspects of life as a whole.

I remember having a friend named Trisha at college while preparing for my MBA entrances and we invented a ritual of sorts of what we called as “Thrusting Thursdays”. Every week, every Thursday, we headed to the college gym for a quick workout right before our lectures for the day followed by a good negotiations with each other on a latest reform policy. This was again followed by the tedious kathak sessions and by the time we would stride back to our apartment, we had a huge feeling of accomplishment within us. but it wasn’t that uplifting cocktail of virtuousness, productivity or sore muscles – no matter how rewarding they were – that kept us motivated enough to follow the rigorous but well awaited “Thrusting Thursdays” regimen. Friends can help you reinforce individual willpower and our real motivation was each other’s company. it wasn’t like we did it to just excel in our studies or career that we made up this regimen, it was more about the fact that we were like minded and being with each other striving to perform gave us the feeling of togetherness.
 
The desire to be with, be like, and be liked by friends is primal. We’re all built to seek out strong bonds with friends on whom our very survival might have once been dependent. While we don’t necessarily need friends to help hunt or fight off predators these days, most of us probably still feel like we can’t live without them. Tap into that deep-down social motivation and you’ll not only be primed for success, you’ll take pleasure in the proverbial journey.

In all these years of my observation, among the many things that I have learnt, one idea stands out: If you If you truly want to change some aspect of your life, developing friendships with people who aspire to the same goals as you do — like I did with Trisha some years ago — can lead to more successful endeavors than embarking on solitary efforts. It was due to our Thrusting Thursdays practice that we both got away with the best B-Schools in the country and landed up with exciting and successful careers. Though there is one regret I have after all the excitements stated above, the hectic work life has lead to a gap in communication between both of us. I regret spending time with her, sharing gossips, sweating on treadmills, dreaming with one best friend I had.

My advice to all the fellow readers of this blog is to drop everything, and at once, prior to picking up your favorite Mehta Publishing House Book, let your best friend know how much they mean to you. believe me, you don’t have to write paragraphs or practice speeches to do that. a mere wish for friendship day can do the trick. Hence, on behalf of Mehta Publishing House, I would like to thank all our readers across the planet earth for their everlasting love and constant support in all seasons. YOU ARE OUR STRENGTH.

For those who believe in the power of gifts, a book on friendship like Dost, The Kite Runner, Ugavatichya Dishela, Keval Maitrisathi, Mitra Joda Ani Lokanvar Prabhav Pada would serve the purpose.

Happy Friendship Day !!

 --- Parul Bhadoria