“It is better to be an object of jealousy than to be an object of sympathy”
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I discretely remember that the last time I indulged in serious ‘competition or comparison’ with someone was when I was in 11th standard in school. After that, something happened (‘what happened’ is a tale for some other day), and since then, it has been an ‘inward journey’ for me. For all these years, my only concern has been ‘manifestation of what I have inside me’.
In that sense, I have been completely ‘self-centric’ for all these years…my frustrations have not been where I stand in the race but the gaps between my ‘potential’ and my ‘performance’. And my pain has not been what others are achieving but when I lack purposefulness or direction. In fact, I have never strived to be ‘the best’, as my focus has been on ‘being at my best’. And I have never tried to be like someone else, as I have only thought about being more of who I already am.
Thus, barring a few bouts of ‘complaints of getting a rough deal’, I can’t recall any extended episodes of comparison or competition. And honestly, although I still have a long way to go, by far, it has been a terrific journey – so consuming that I haven’t had an ounce of energy left to dissipate elsewhere, and so solitary, that there have been days when I’ve come back home looking like a success to world but feeling like a failure…and vice versa.
With this backdrop, I have always found it amusing when I come across people who consider me as a ‘competition’ or who compare themselves with me. But to be honest, I have retained enough of the rascal inside me to then say to myself the opening-line of this blog-post…
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Well! You might be wondering why I am brazenly blowing my own trumpet in this post. Well! Friedrich Nietzsche had once famously said that “To not speak about oneself at all is the most refined form of hypocrisy”. So, I thought let me make a valiant effort to prove that I am not one. 🙂
About Sandeep Atre
Dr. Sandeep Atre:
• Counseling Psychologist and an internationally recognized ‘Emotional & Social Intelligence’ Expert, with experience of more than two decades in helping people ‘sort out’ and ‘excel in’ intrapersonal and interpersonal matters. He holds a PhD in Management and a Master’s degree in Psychology (www.dratrecounsels.com).
• Founder of Socialigence – a venture specializing in development of ‘Social & Emotional Intelligence’ and its offshoot interpersonal skills through workshops and an award-winning online course rooted in neuroscience and psychology (www.socialigence.net).
• Author of two books related to his domain, namely - “Understanding Emotions Logically” and “Observing Nonverbal Behavior”; and third book on various aspects of life, named “Two Paras of Everyday Wisdom”. Moreover, the collection of his Nazms and Ghazals is published as a book titled “Baat Jazbaat Ki”.
• Corporate Trainer, with experience of close to two decades. Has conducted 150+ workshops/sessions for 50+ organizations & institutions like CSC, Cummins, Piramal, Ranbaxy, Lupin, Bridgestone, Michelin, Eicher, Maruti, Force, Idea, Airtel, NBHC, SBI, HDFC, L&T, Zydus, Thapar University, Banasthali, Narsee Monjee, Symbiosis, IIFM Bhopal, Azim Premji University, Nirma, Welingkar & IBS Hyderabad.
• Co-Founder and Director of CH EdgeMakers – a leading ‘Coaching and Training’ organization of central India for more than 24 years. He has trained close to 100 thousand students for ‘Soft Skills’ & ‘Entrance & Recruitment Preparation’ (www.ch-india.com).
• ‘Management Speaker and Orator’. Has featured at platforms like TEDx, IIM, IIT, NIT, CII, YI, CII-IWN, TCS, IMA, ICAI, ECA, ISHRAE, NEN, Sahodaya, Aditya Birla Education Academy, Round Table, LinkedIn Local, Rotary International, MP State’s Teachers’ Training, Academic Staff College DAVV, Police University Rajasthan, Police Training Academy Indore & more than 100 institutions.
• Member of noted associations and boards. Has been an ‘Executive Committee’ member of Indore Management Association. Associate Editor of IMA publications. Governing Council Member of Banasthali University’s SBBJ Centre for Research in MSME & Promotion of Entrepreneurship in Women. Executive Member of IMS, DAVV Alumni Association. Member of Rotary International’s ‘Group Study Exchange’ team to Minnesota, USA. ESI Coach with FWSA Australia.
Note: For glimpses of work, watch YouTube Channel ‘Dr. Sandeep Atre at Socialigence’.
