Two bits about myself
“Could you tell me something about yourself?” “Umm.. err…I have been an HR Professional for X years…I am a team player? Sorry, I mean I am a team player…uh…”
Trust me on this. This is the most groan-inducing question I had to ask when I would interview candidates in my HR career. I became so sick of it, I stopped asking that question and switched to “ Tell me things about yourself that very few people know? “
So I will cover this question first. Very few people know that I love words, and how they can create magic if strung together in the right way. It goes by the common name of ‘writing’ but that simple word does not do sufficient justice to it.
I have started writing on the internet only a few days back, though I have been writing in my journal for many years.
As for my profession, in the day I am a learning and development professional, in the night I pull on a cape over my shoulders and become a writer. Check out my Medium blog posts here.
People know me as a thoughtful person full of ideas about many things, but few know that there is a lot of mischief lurking behind those super sincere eyes. Among my friends, therefore I am somebody who can make you laugh your guts out. Words become weapons to mercilessly skewer all around me.
When I am in that phase, people have been known to pass out laughing. Somehow, though it rarely works on my wife. Nothing much works on wives, if you ask me.
When most people meet me first though they think I am some stuck-up nerd, full of weird ideas and knowledge, loner. I think it has got something to do with my face. Or the fact that I am not into those shiny precious things like social media, Netflix, TV or current affairs.
That is fine but I mean what kind of guy is not on WhatsApp? (India is the biggest market for WhatsApp….and fake news).
I also don’t read daily news by the way, though I don’t tell people for fear they might run in the opposite direction.
Wait what ? I mean, who does not read the daily news ?
When people talk about ‘flattening the curve’, I nod and murmur a few words about how tough weight loss is for most folks.
“So er…um…what do you do actually?” (Actually is a word that Indians love for the extra emphasis and weight it adds to the sentence- For example, I like running actually. Or I had a whole chicken burger with extra cheese, fries and Diet Coke actually ….but I am digressing)
Well, I do many things..actually. For example to kill time, I ran my first full marathon last year in Dec. The photo above is of me running that marathon.
Did I already told you I ran a full marathon ? Not a half marathon, full like 42, sorry 42.2 km. After I found running I also discovered that runners like to do only two things- running and talking about running. I am no different.
I have also been learning the French language these past two years and have reached the CEFR B2 level. Frankly it is no different, or easier than a marathon. When it comes to learning it, French language is a genuine torture device, kind of like the Guillotine. No wonder both are French inventions.
It is also one of the most beautiful languages in the world- once you learn to speak it properly. If you also know French, apple-moi. Don’t call me if you are a Parisian snob because you are likely going to die listening to a heavily Indian-accented French.
I am also a big-time loser. I lost 21 Kg (46ish pounds) last year, from 101 to just shy of 80. I would love to tell you how it was easy but it was not. Also, I must have lost half of that weight trying to conjugate tenses in French.
“What is the secret to your weight loss ?” People often ask me this question.
I look around here and there and then whisper softly in their ears “ The secret is to eat less and exercise more”. On hearing this, they look at me, excuse themselves and never come around me again- ever. Voila !
I have journeyed so far in life only because of my love for learning..about learning and building new habits. Over the past several years I have tried to be a little better every day and frankly, it does not take much since the base was quite low.
Three years back I was in the worst shape of my life, literally and figuratively. I had diabetes, high cholesterol. I would pant when I would tie my laces.
I was also having a mindset that shunned happiness and sought diversions- like dredging through the infinity cesspool that is today’s social media, television and daily news.
More importantly, I did not believe I could change myself. I changed all of that by focussing on building great habits and that is what I love to write and talk about. I run, learn languages, meditate, journal, write, exercise and play Crossy Road Castle with my daughter.
Each day I try to maximise my abilities and minimise my excuses. It is not always easy to do that, though.
“ Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go”
-T.S Elliot
As I said I have journeyed far, but the journey continues.
This year, I am going to read 100 books, speak in Spanish, write in Medium, code in Python.
If you ask me I would love to one day have this written on my epitaph
“ An ordinary person who did extraordinary things. Sometimes. ”
Which brings me back to the first question.
Tell me something about yourself?
Here is what I imagine would be my response, gladiator-style (with due apologies to Ridley Scott and Russel Crowe) :
“My name is Maximum Decision Manmeet, Commander of my destiny, General pursuer of difficult tasks and loyal servant to the art of its true emperor, Ernest Hemingway. Father to a naughty girl. Husband to a sober wife. And I will have fun, in this life, or next.”
That is it folks. Love to hear from all who were brave enough to read this far. I now pronounce ready to get married, or die. You have suffered in silence and endured enough pain by ploughing through my long, rambling introduction. Thanks.
#Writing, #Reading, #Running, #Humour, #Honesty, #zerotohero
Originally published at https://manmeetislearning.wordpress.com on July 27, 2020.
