Saturday, April 19, 2008

Déjà vu

A couple of months back, I wrote about sabbaticals in explaining my disappearance from penning any thoughts. Little did I expect that a few months on, I would again be trying to figure out a reason for my absence. History does repeat itself and this time; in more ways than one!

It was about the same time a year ago when I took a break from writing.
It was about the same time a year ago when I got to know that my immediate manager was leaving the company.
It was about the same time a year ago when I was negotiating hard to close a somewhat similar deal.
It was about the same time a year ago when I was reflecting on the path that lies ahead.
And when such similar things happen at such similar timings, it all seemed like a déjà vu.

I pretty much realized that the phrase “Lightning does not strike the same spot twice” is a fallacy but looking on the bright side, I also realized that one would know how to navigate better when the same issue resurfaces. Perseverance and a positive mindset does help make the same “shit” a whole lot more bearable and I stumbled upon a that in a book I read.

In his book Laughter, Joy & Healing, Donald E Demaray wrote about a young journalist who was receiving tough criticism from his father because he didn’t seem to be making much progress in his career. Undaunted, the young man wrote back to his father explaining that he had a plan for success upon which he focused. His intentions were as follows:

At 30, he would be a great newspaper reporter.
At 40, he would be a great editor.
At 50, he would be a great story writer.
At 60, he would be a great fiction writer.
At 70, he would be a great grand father.
At 80, he would be a great admirer of beautiful women.
At 90, he would be a great loss to the community.


The father had a good laugh from the letter and was gratified when he realized when he began to see that his son’s career was progressing along those lines.

In my case, the brutal Déjà vu has struck and the thought of having to go through the same vicious cycle again makes throwing in the towel seem like the best option. Afterall, the grass could really be greener on the other end. Nonetheless, I’m choosing to hang on with the belief that navigating vicious déjà vu’s is a lot easier when you go through the same maze for the second time. What makes this more ironic is the fact that my choice and belief by itself seem to be a déjà vu. Freaky!

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