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He got up in the morning looking as though he had been running all night to escape a fox in hot pursuit.
“Rabbito told the newspaper that he prepared for the Exam with the devotion of a saint, who has given up everything in search of God, and would not give up until he found the ultimate truth. He put in five years of persistent effort to get into the Service.”
One of the biggest hurdles may be over in getting a great job. But life’s struggles don’t end even if you have the best job in the world.”
A hard beginning maketh a good ending. – John Heywood
“Your first mistake is that you have too many expectations for someone who is just starting here. My advice is that you should accept whatever is available in the beginning and slowly build upon that. If you work hard, resources will start pouring your way on their own.”
“And, no matter how intelligent or sophisticated you are, and no matter what rank you got at your university, you should always remember that you are a servant – a civil servant, not a civil master.”
A beginner cannot get work done by shouting at his subordinates. Less so by threatening them. What Rabbito did after lunch, he should have done after the first telephone call. He should have believed that Por Key was indeed busy, gone to his office and got the file himself. Remember next time, Rabbito, anger means incompetence.
Leson 1
‘Words are arrows. They hurt. But they hurt only when you receive them on your bare body. I will always wear a shield at work.’
“Imagine that you were given the words on a piece of paper. Throw the paper in the trash can. Every time the thought starts to appear, you tell yourself that you have already thrown away the words. You will forget them in a few days.”
“You only do yourself harm if you keep grudges. And there is no way you can harm your boss. Even if you could, it is better to spend energy on constructive things. Such sensitivity at work is useless. Detachment means sanity.”
“Why does it matter?” Bull replied as he straightened his expensive tie. “Beasts make a country great, not the buildings or roads. The beasts of your country are intelligent and good. I am sure Dirtyland cannot be bad.”
Buck looked at Rabbito and smiled. Rabbito understood the point. He had not considered all factors before reaching a conclusion. Brighter did not necessarily mean better. Bigger did not necessarily mean more important. And more salary did not necessarily mean more comfort.
“Thank you for reminding me about what the scriptures say - everything in the world is relative,”
“Take things as they come. The less you compare, the happier you will be. And this is not only true at work.”
“Without knowing the task, you had said that you would complete it in ten days. If you had not given yourself a self-imposed deadline, I would have given you three weeks. If you had completed everything before the deadline, everyone would have said that you easily meet your deadlines.”
“Everyone says that you are a great worker. I also do not doubt that you are a great worker, but you have missed your deadline. And by doing so, you have brought your reputation down a notch.”
I may lack in wisdom, but no one can say that I am not bright.
At the traffic light, the taxi screeched to a halt. Rabbito looked out of the window. He saw workers at a construction site. There were dozens of them. A few of them were engaged in bringing mortar, a few were bringing bricks and others were piling the bricks one on top of another. All of them were chatting. Some were humming. Others were singing as they were working. The construction had perhaps begun in the morning or maybe a day ago. The construction would go on for several months or even several years. But none of the workers seemed to think about it. They did not seem to be worried about
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will never make promises to others in a state of elation or in a hurry. If I do, I will keep those promises. And yes, I will not complain when I am in a frustrated state.
Lesson 2
I will never make a decision at work while I am angry. And I will try to implement this in my bestial life, too. And, if I end up changing my Department, it will be for a good reason and at a good time.
It would take him a few years before he could handle any Department confidently all by himself. Intelligence is one thing. Confidence is another. But experience is a different ball game altogether.
Rabbito had learned one more lesson. Mingle with your age group at work. Relationships with seniors are better kept official.
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. – William Arthur Ward
If you have a good boss, learn from him what to do. If you have a bad boss, learn from him what not to do.
And oftentimes excusing of a fault doth make the fault the worse by the excuse. – William Shakespeare
Sometimes, a simple sorry does more than a book of explanations.
“I have learned one more lesson. I revealed my official secrets to everyone, and Rabbita took advantage it. Not everyone is as simple as you and me. I have to be more careful next time. Sometimes, it is advisable to keep one’s mouth shut for one’s own good.”
