“There is no duty so much underrated as the duty of being happy.”
— Robert Louis Stevenson
Learning and teaching have no age and being happy has no age either. I am privileged in life that I do what I love the most. Even at the age of 79, I don't feel tired or bored of my work- which is to educate, energise and empower my readers, my friends and family. And often what you love the most may not bring you money, but it definitely offers you the luxury of making a difference.
Lucy Kellaway, a financial journalist, is a name known to many- definitely to all those subscribing to Financial Times. After many years of an impressive and powerful journalistic career, at 57, she has now decided to leave her high-flying job, in order to teach Mathematics- influenced by her daughter, and impressed with the humility of the teaching profession. She accepts it's a huge risk, especially at her age, to take up a career that a graduate may, but in her own words, “there is a luxury of doing nothing, and there is a luxury of being useful.”
Kellaway had toyed with the idea of teaching for years. Her mother was a teacher at Camden School for Girls. Kellaway thrived in Maths and she believes she struggles with anything that is very complicated. She does not aim for the privately educated children, but contribute to those who really need that helping hand.
Of course she is jittery about her age, what transferable skills she will take from her career of journalism to teaching, but again she thinks, “Life is finite, I must act quickly to fulfil my dream.
“No, more that life is very long. Dad died at 90. I may live to 100. It is worth investing now in training again in something completely different.”
Doing what you like and when you like- defines happiness. It may be represented as elusive or fantasy metaphorically symbolised by unicorns and rainbows. It may seem completely out of reach for the even-keeled and more so for the depressed among us. In this day and age, when we have constant access to information, with so much of it being negative, it’s possible to doubt the idea of ever lasting happiness.
But then in Kellaway's words, if you are not happy working around the clock at McKinsey, then you don't carry on working around the clock. It is possible. More so when you are in touch with your humanitarian side- very much like Lucy Kellaway- creating a trend of 'Sewa' among today's leaders.
(Written with help of Rupanjana Dutta)
After Brexit, here comes Tsunami through US President elect Donald Trump
- Earlier on Tuesday he tweeted that Nigel Farage of the UKIP could be a more appropriate ambassador for UK. British government responded that there is no vacancy in 10 Downing Street.
- Tuesday afternoon Trump proclaimed that the Trans-Pacific negotiations or agreements will have to be drastically changed to suit US interest. Not only UK but EU will face some challenges.
- PM Modi campaign on black money is bringing some dividends. There are some individuals trying to cash in the fears or problems with old 500 and 1000 rupee notes. Beware.
- CB
