Life thrives on trust. You wish to believe in the people you interact with. They make your world; they give meaning to your life. Belief in people instills a confidence that you’re heading the right way, till one fine day, the bridge of trust collapses in the midst of a political hurricane. Your anguished, devastated, betrayed, only to realize that the bridge never existed in realty.

“It’s a Corporate World, people play their cards”, is so often heard. The fact however is, if you believe in your ability, you need not “play cards”.

Politics is often attributed as a mind game of placing your pawn at the right place. It is today considered a norm and largely accepted to be politically oriented at any organization. The very creation of ‘groups’ is attributed to the affiliation needs of an individual. Being associated with a group provides you with certain ‘fringe benefits’, aiding in developing a likeability factor. Groups are formed in order to drive ‘common goals’, however in reality it’s about exploiting vested interests-the weakling gets mauled. Irrespective of the outcome, people still love to remain associated with a group, because of the fear of being estranged. Loneliness is a grave disease.

We all seek attention. We need someone to listen to our grievances and feel hurt the most when the person we confided in ‘spills the beans’. There are times in each of our lives, when we are overwhelmed with the reality of life. Every time I have felt betrayed, I have learnt a lot. Life is a learning curve, you learn from your mistakes!

In a corporate world, anything sly is probably possible, but look at the positive side of life. Relationships in any organization are built on trust. Trust is created by our very actions. Our virtues define our character. It is our “brand” that sells. There are always certain ‘popular names’ in an organization that command respect. Such people are known for their value system and not their political affiliations. It is time tested that the best of organizations, that have survived the “winds of change” have had a resounding value system. Goodness still thrives in this complex world.

To survive the political storm, you need to stick to the basics. Firstly be true to yourself, do good and believe in your abilities. It is integrity that stands good in the long run. The swirling winds of politics may cause a stumble, but will never lead to your downfall. As I often say “No person can snatch away your god gifted ability”. Swaying to the political winds is only digging your own grave.

There are times in each of our lives when we need to feel confident enough to stand alone and decide what we want to make of our lives.

Trust thy self; the world shall be at thy feet!

How often have our “dear friends/colleagues” turned foes overnight? How often have “our own “ people betrayed us? How often have the people whom we trusted most cheated on us?

Yet, life must go on.

Life is a journey of both the pleasant and not so pleasant encounters. Each experience is a lesson in itself. We live in a society and the people around us constitute and define our lives. The relationships we build create our image. It is the “outside world” that makes and breaks our image.

If the world likes you – you grow to greater heights, if they don’t –“you’re undone by politics!” This is the greatest irony of being a social animal. It is a necessary evil to remain a “People’s Person”, because perceptions matter .The key is to be effective as a people’s person and yet steer away from politics. Does it sound dicey?

Politicisation of an issue is more often a case of inflated ego and lack of objectivity. When emotions speak, the senses don’t!

Little issues become bigger problems when people begin to feel that they are not being included or considered. In an effort to create space and forced visibility they demonstrate their vested powers to destroy their opponents.

The key to success is to – “Entrust responsibility, create faith and space for your friends/colleagues, but yet remain detached. “

People love being trusted and bestowed with responsibility. At workplace, successful managers effectively demonstrate the faith reposed on their sub-ordinates. The very belief that “My Boss has huge expectations from me “, helps deliver results. This is the magic of belief.

However belief does not mean blind faith. I learnt my first lesson in politics during high school, when my best friend of 5 years cheated on me. One fine day I saw the world turn against me, only to later realise that it was a build-up of insecurity over the years that went unnoticed. I was hurt, deeply shocked and disturbed, but today in retrospect, I thank him for having thought me an important lesson in life – ‘ Never Expect! ‘.

Blind faith creates expectations. You expect your friend or colleague to behave in a certain manner and they fail you. What follows, is a cycle of disbelief, shock and emotional pain. When you are mentally detached, you don’t expect and the world would be a package of “pleasant surprises”.

Life is not about falling down, but rising every time you fall. The magic is to repose faith in you.

I leave you behind with this thought to ponder over

“Always be generous in life , but only to people who are sincere to you!”

Politics is defined in the dictionary as “ Social relations involving authority or power “. Come to think of it, the elite classes of individuals who govern any nation are called “ Politicians “. Some of us hope to be one among them, but the very use of the word “ POLITICS” infuses a whole world of negativity and is deciphered as a game of greed, treachery and bias. Politics in reality is the implementation of powers bestowed by virtue of position and is worthy of respect. The world however does not survive on definitions but on perceptions, which are a way of life. Therefore to consider politics as misuse of power many a time may sound appropriate.

“ I was undone by Politics”, is an oft-heard statement. What does it in reality imply?

A small group, a little community gathering or even a social service organization where people interact often leads to a difference of views, which more often turns personal. Humans are seldom objective and do not always weigh issues by their merit . In the pretence of a difference of views over a “ Strictly Professional “ issue, people shed their personal apprehensions and fears in public. To me, this is nothing but Insecurity and exposure of Insecurity alone.

The science of politics inevitably begins when two people meet for the very first time. I say this because perceptions or notions of the other individual are formed within us. These perceptions influence our decision and behavior in the long run.

Authority has always been a double-edged sword, which many a times can lead to the downfall of its very creators. No slave has ever loved or respected his master. Imposition of a rule or proposition for one’s benefit has never created synergy.

Each time you feel let down or falsely implicated by the action of others, remind yourself of the inevitable truth in life “ No human can ever snatch away your ability .

Lets turn the stones thrown at us into Milestones !