This week, three parallel universes showed themselves to me. My work universe, my worry universe, and my son’s wedding universe. All three coexist and spin to their own tune. Till now, I had felt pulled apart and fragmented, but this week I seemed to be able to dance in and out of each universe as if there were three of me.
Sitting in a conference room in Gurgaon —the world of work, with all its wonderful intensity and possibilities to do new and glorious things — shone through. The role of a leader, the importance of clarity, and the value of an aligned team were underlined in a meeting I attended. The leader’s energy is a powerful ingredient in the recipe for a team’s success. “We can do this, we will do this, and we will shine”. That was the message I carried out of that meeting room, to meet my moments of truth in the world of work.
Worry played on like background music in the story of my life. Always there, sometimes a muted instrumental score that underlined the reality of the story, at others bursting forth in a crescendo of vocals and drumbeats that set the heart racing. I have learnt to listen to the music, not shut it off.
Sometimes I turn down the volume, and others, I allow it to wash over me. My worry is actually a good thing; it reminds me that I care. It reminds me of what’s important, and it helps me feel and explore my world with a heightened sense of gratitude.
And then there is a wedding that bursts forth with all the joy and excitement that new beginnings bring. My son put his computer skills to good use and, with a little help from a website (www.withjoy.com), created a space on the web that invites well-wishers to celebrate in their joy. My wife is busy with wedding shopping and making plans for the India edition, which will follow soon. Colour themes and outfits are being discussed.
The highlight for me personally is being invited by the couple to perform the ceremony. To fulfil my role as a legal officiant, the Universal Life Church opened its doors to me, and through them I have received my certificate of ordination as a minister. Next month, an experience I never imagined possible in my life awaits me.
I am not sure what shifted, but something has. Like threads of rope that intertwine to make it stronger, my three worlds are twirling together. Each universe is separate, moving at its own pace and in its own space, coming together to create my world. Like strands of a campaign plan that has been architected in a way that when it all comes together, the impact is felt.
Aligning a good reputation-building plan requires clarity of purpose. The objectives and goals help bring the pieces together into a coherent and impactful plan. There will be many course corrections and adjustments as the plan gets executed, but with the big picture clear, changes and tweaks get made to stay on course. Maybe this is what shifted for me. I was able to zoom out this week and see the different elements. I now sense how they are all a part of the tapestry of life. Maybe that is why, even when they clashed, it was an intersection, not an entanglement.
Finding a way to stay present and available as the waves of life ebb and flow, this seems to be my learning for the week that went by. From clarity of purpose, the gift of being present and available to so many different emotion, people and places emerge. If life is but a stage, I know my part in different scenes and look forward to the curtain rising again next week. A new audience awaits. The show must go on.
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