42. To the Job Hopper

Does job-hopping, with an eye towards making more money, really help? Of course, it might be remunerative initially, but does it really put you at a better position? Or do you constantly keep track of what you might have achieved had you stayed back, by verifying with your ex-colleagues? And then, do you either feel happy or depressed based on what your ex-colleague tells you?

Here's a conversation I had with an ex-colleague, who left my company for better opportunities some place else. I wish him all the best with all my sincerity. The reason for posting this conversation is not to ridicule him or anything like that. It's just to highlight the vagaries of the mind! (Note: Other than not revealing the company names and salary amount, I haven't modified anything.)

Ex-colleague: How are the allowances now?
me: never heard of them
Ex-colleague: Same old allowances or revised ?
me: will let u know as soon as i get the communique. how are things at your end, allowance wise?
Ex-colleague: its better than [my company]. I get ##K (in $)!
me: Good... keep going... i want to see u at the top of the food chain, and then report to me ...
Ex-colleague: :-)
me: takin time off now... need to get ready to go to office
Ex-colleague: see ya ... keep in touch
me: sure... wud like to know how advanced is ur mobile phone next time :P
Ex-colleague: :-) Till now I dont have it

This ex-colleague was quite open with his income and wasn't insisting on knowing my paycheck contents. But there are others in this Big-Small World, who really, I mean really, want to compare apples and tomatoes! They want to know everything. The size, the color, the texture, the number of seeds inside, you name it, they want to know about it! And when I am put up with such ex-colleagues, I just keep having fun. First I come to know what they have, and independent of this information, act as if I have more than what they can bargain for, without revealing the actual! That surely irks them, and makes them all the more interested in knowing what I am getting because of which I am still with the same damn old company! (A clarification in case my employer is reading this page: the 'damn' medallion is given by them, and not me.)

Such a conversation helps me in performing the witnessing meditation or vipaasana. I keep witnessing my mind, my ego during such occasions. Does it hurt when I come to know that I am not getting a higher pay package than some other fellow, who I know wasn't the smartest workhorse when he was around? As soon as such a thought arises, I get another one: What if I had that pay package? What next? How long will I be happier with that? Is that the ultimate, or enough? Will there be no more subsequent desires?

Where does this all end? This greed for more green papers! Where will it end? And now it's digital cash! Unless you are a daily-wage laborer, you don't even see the damn money for real! You invest your hard earned dollars in stocks and it plummets to the rock bottom! Then what? You too follow it by jumping from your office window located some 50 floors above the jhopad-patti level, huh?! Hope you caught the drift...

As for me, lets say I invest in a $5.00(+ tax) lottery ticket because of a pleasant dream I had the night before, and all you know, I win the million-dollar prize! Do you then call me successful and be jealous of me?

You see, I have this mindset -- go for the permanent. It's in my psyche. Anything temporary doesn't keep me interested for long. If you tell me about a new certification program which will fetch me a few dollars more but with a re-certification every five years, chances are, I won't even read the prospectus.

The point I am trying to make, if you haven't yet caught the drift while going down the 50-storey office building, is that your sense of happiness, or contentment currently lies in your mindspace. A small waft of wind, a small rumor, some new information can take it away from you in no time. Instead, try to expand your inner space, and enjoy the bliss within, which can never be found without. The rest will be taken care of, by itself!

An anecdote as recollected by Deepak Chopra about his decision to go to India and stay there for a few years under his spiritual Guru, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi's tutelage. (Taken from a youtube video.) His wife, Rita, being concerned about their mortgage payments and their two small kids, asked the Guru, "Where is the money going to come from?" The Guru retorted, "Money will come from wherever it is at the moment!" That statement hit it's mark, and with his family's approval he finally made to India. Rest is history, and a bountiful future.

On that note, I end this post.

PS: If this happens to be my current employer reading this page, I would like to remind you that, whatever it is that I write in this blog, don't ever think that you are giving me the best deal possible! I haven't revealed all my cards yet! Stay tuned, and keep trying to meet my expectations!