I came across this video which went viral.
It’s a speech by an Admiral who was a Navy Seal at one
point. He draws parallels from his training program and the lessons needed in
life. It quite a nice speech and it comes from the heart and real experience. I
am not a big fan of the parallels he draws but he does make interesting points.
I think the point that came across the strongest was simple – make your own bed
every morning. I like the way he says, that this simple task, done well sets
the tone for the day. A well-made bed is the first accomplishment of the day.
Then you can solve bigger things for the day. I am sure if life can simply
extend the logic but, yes, a well-made bed sets the tone for having pride in
what you do, no matter how mundane the tasks.
I was in the NCC and everyday this was a part of the
routine. You have to make your bed in a certain manner after you wake up. You
have to neatly fold your bedding and keep it next to your bag and shoes so that
they all look neat and clean. This sets the tone for the camp and the simple
discipline it brings about. I like making my bed and whenever I make the bed, I
try and ensure that it’s neatly done. Take pride in your work. When I mop the
room when the servant has taken an off, I mop it in a certain fashion and leave
the room squeaky clean.
When we were growing up, the three kids used to have turns
doing all the routine house work. We definitely had to make our own beds, and
we had turns to clean the table after food and wipe the vessels after the
servant washed them in the evening. I am sure Jasmine also did her fair share
of house work. Though I am not sure how much the boys did versus how much the
girl child had to do. But the point is that without really deciding on it, both
Jasmine and me tried to shield Jispa from house work as much as possible. We do
the dishes and we do the mopping and we do the morning chores and keep the bed
neat. We have tried to let her be. Over the last one year, we have started to
give her more work around the house. This has been a conscious decision on our
side. We want her to realize and understand and even at a basic level learn
about the work. I had started asking her for simple things like, can you get
something from the car, can you get me a glass of water, can you lay the table
etc. Amongst others, one thing I had insisted (before seeing the video) was to
make her bed. As soon as you get up, the first thing you should do is make your
bed. I have infinite patience right now, and I don’t cross on this, but I keep
reminding her and keep telling her –make your bed. I have also taught her the
value of making it right and neat. She does it, without complain. My reasoning
on this is simple – how much do you want your parents to do more for you. She
understands this and she is happy to comply. She forgets at times, but largely
she does the work. The reason she forgets is simply the fact that it is not the
first thing that she does in the morning. So I have been getting her to do this
work.
So when I saw this video I immediately showed it to Jispa.
She quickly figured it out and smiled. I don’t know for me whether it was an
NCC hangover or whether it was a father or husband talking. But doing one small
thing well, at the start of the day is an important thing. It does set the tone
of your immediate morning and definitely at the end of the day when you hit the
bed, you of course realize you are going to hit a well-made bed, a bed that you
made well! It’s a good end to what in all likely hood is not going to be as
great a day. We still don’t make the bed military style. We simply fold the
blanket and put the pillow in order and then keep a bed spread on top of it.
The ideal way is to pull the bed sheet tight and dust it as well. We will keep
that for the military for now.
In any case, the speech is interesting and definitely worthy
of being viral. The stories are interesting and worth recounting. It is up to
you to draw your own lessons. I know from my own experience that a few years of
disciplined life at the NCC taught me a lot of lessons. These have held me on
good stead over the years. Simple ones like – polishing shoes or when I am
wearing formals I like to have shirt without the creases thanks to folding, the
ability to fundamentally follow orders given by seniors (you may disagree but
then finally commit), reaching on time, fight forward to carry out orders etc.
A few years of this crazy organizational discipline exposes you to a different
way of life. Admittedly, this structured way of life is not the most
fashionable thing going around right now. The military is seen as a relic that
is too rigid and not nimble enough. Organisations that follow the essentially
top down structure are said to be doomed to failure. All new startups look to
tear this down and create a structure where the command and decision making is
decentralized and freedom is given across the system. I too am of the view that
the rigidity of the structure must go. But it does help for the young kids to
experience this discipline before they choose to tear it apart. It will help
them understand both sides of the coin. Before
you destroy your enemy it makes sense to understand it first.
In my office, I think people would be very surprised to know
of my views or that I ever wanted to join the armed forces. I think my bosses
would believe that I am a maverick and that structure or order would not be the
thing for me. But things change. In my head I have happily reconciled the army
command structure and the freedom to change and break conventions. Cross the
command and get work done. It’s a reconciliation of opposites for me. I am
happy in my head about the same and can manage both together.
I think that as you grow as an individual, you would need to
reconcile these opposites in your head. You have to allow the pros and cons of
opposites to work together and manage them. Things are always more complicated
than what they seem and the answers are often grey. Lessons can be learnt from
your experiences and can be applied anywhere, as the Admiral in the video
shows. The trick is to not believe anything as the gospel truth and only
believe in the power of experiences, varied and multiple. Then you realize the
futility of ‘truth’ and the power of grey areas. They allow you to learn, be
open, accept change and manage life. This is a simple thing when you understand
it and so complex when you try and box it.
