Billionaire of Moments
When a phone call from a senior leader, left me a deposit of millions in my account.
“I have not shared this with anyone yet — beyond immediate family of course. I waited the entire weekend, to share with you first, before anyone else”, she said, as I paced the length of my terrace, soaking in the Delhi winter sun.
I was overwhelmed by her words pouring through the phone. She is a senior leader with a Global company, with 25+ years of work experience, and many papers and books to her credit.
She fell on hard times during Covid-19. Without sharing details, lets say it was traumatic.
I was fortunate to be called upon to support her as an Executive Coach. I mustered all my coaching experience. Read up a lot about “Complicated Job Loss Grief” and “Post Betrayal Syndrome”, even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I of course stayed away from therapy, because I am not a qualified therapist. I used & improvised tools from Positive Psychology and created a whole approach & toolkit called “Emergency to Emergence”.
We did 8 sessions and a bunch of tools, exercises and debriefs over 3 months. It was emotionally exhausting sometimes. But her pain was real.
Somehow, it gave me strength too. Her scripts began to change. The vision she evolved for her future was exciting!
After a couple of months, she sent me a message on a Friday — “Can you speak? I have some news to share. Pleasant news.” I could only get to it the following Monday or Tuesday.
She had cracked it! A role that was even more senior and befitting for her experience. We raised a toast on phone, and chatted. At the end, she told me she hadn’t told anyone. In her place, I’d have wanted to shout from the rooftop! But she held on, till she could share with me. What a beautiful gesture that was. I shall always remain grateful for allowing me access to that space, and according me that place.
Thank you, Ms. X.
You may not be the million dollar account to me. Many years ago, I had once met Lakshmi Pratury, the inimitable Founder of INK Talks. Walking on the gentle curves of Dempsey Hill in Singapore on the way back from a dinner, Lakshmi told us about a refreshing concept — “Billionnaire of Moments”. It simply means, that rather than measure success and self-worth by the balance in your bank account, could you be measuring it by the experiences and moments that you have lived?
A few months later, Swami Abhedananda of the Chinmaya Mission stumped me with a simple question — “Define Happiness”. For all my IIM MBA training and readings in philosophy and religion, I was dumbfounded.
With a smile he helped me with a definition that has Vedantic roots — “Anything that expands your sense of Self, your pure unadulterated human spirit — that’s happiness”. Conversely, whatever causes it to shrink, is unhappiness.
You, Ms. X certainly caused my sense of Self, my human spirit, to expand. Through our journey together, you allowed me a glimpse of what it is to be operating from compassion; not sympathy. You moved me. That’s precious. In Hinduism they say, “करुणा ही धर्म है” or “Compassion itself is Dharma or the Highest Duty”.
And with that phone call the other day, you made a HUGE deposit into my account of moments. I wish you the very best. And for the world I pray. Even as we work hard to get our bank accounts, and world GDP to grow, may we all also become mindful of this other account.
May there be ever more Billionaires of Moments.
