“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
