This Diwali we decided to create various items out of Concrete for gifting. It was the first time we decided to do something like this. We had no idea on – what kind of raw material is suitable, how much material will be needed, what kind of resources are expected, who will buy, how will we sell these products, will we even break even, and many such questions. Yet, we decided to take the plunge!

To our joy, people showed interest. The orders started flowing in and soon we were short of material. I called the factory and told them to speed up the production and send us the raw material. They obliged and shipped same day. The next big task was the transporter. The factory owner and me, con-called him and requested for fastest possible delivery. He too agreed! We were excited for the next day!

Come next day, and horror struck. The material had not even left the transporter godown. He simply said, “Yes, I did promise. But there was too much load. Couldn’t send your material. Will send next day.” We were devastated – how will we ensure the timely delivery of orders?

I immediately rang up the factory owner. I started complaining about the transporter and how unprofessional he was. He heard me out and shared his experience of the transporters in the last forty years. He summed it up beautifully, “This transporter is like the Vibhishan in Lanka!”

There are many things around us, which don’t seem to be going well and the way we want it to be. We have complains about our loved ones; issues with our fellow people at work; irritating behaviours of our maids/ employees; lacunas of our vendors; nagging nature of our in-laws (can be – son, mother, father or daughter), limitations of our leaders; and so on.

Our focus is invariably on things that are not okay. But at the same time, we cannot do without them. We definitely need them for us to grow, progress and make our life smoother. Yes, they have their limitations, and it is easy to get angry on them. But think about this – Don’t we too have our limitations? How come we forgive ourselves so easily and punish others? Isn’t this hypocrisy at its best?

I learnt a big lesson that day – There are some people who are like tyres on whom our life runs smoothly. Yes, sometimes there are punctures, and the roads can be filled with potholes causing us discomfort. But without the tyres, it is impossible to move ahead.

It is never the case that our life will stop because of someone’s absence. But without these people, our lives will get tougher on a daily basis. Some contributions are obvious and recognised, but most are silent and hidden, which often goes unnoticed. It is time we recognize who are such people in our lives, without whom there will be tremendous discomfort.

Once we recognize these people, a bigger challenge awaits us. We need to ignore the Ravana qualities in them and focus on the Vibhishan qualities. Once we are able to make this shift on our thought level, we will see a big dip in our stress levels. Afterall the maximum stress comes through people whom we love the most. If we can look at the good in them and ignore/ tame the limitations in them, we would have done ourselves a great favour!

Diwali symbolizes Lord Ram’s victory over evil and his return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. At the onset of Diwali, I wish that we all make this shift – Focus on FINDING THE VIBHISHANA qualities in people who are important to us! Lord Rama found Vibhishana and won over Lanka! It is time for us to find Vibhishana and win over Lanka in our lives!