Happy New Year!
I know, it’s a tad late. But at least I’m back. There is a saying in Hindi that goes, 'Jab jago tabhee savera' which literally translates into 'It's morning, whenever you wake up' meaning that don't waste time lamenting how much time you have wasted but just consider it a new start whenever you realize you need to. So, here I am, writing again, for the first time in twenty ten.
Anyhow, so what is the industry definition of Inventory Control?
At its simplest, Wikipedia says - Inventory Control is the supervision of the supply, storage and accessibility of items in order to insure an adequate supply without excessive oversupply.
To run a successful business containing inventory of any kind, it is a very important concept you need to master. How about your own life? If you try to bring this concept in your life, what would inventory control sound like?
Exactly like it does in the industrial world.
We recently saw Revolutionary Road. A thought provoking movie that we saw pretty late, but as I said Jab jago tabhee savera :o)) Here is a couplet that stuck a cord.
Knowing what you've got, knowing what you need,
knowing what you can do without, that's inventory control.
And how true is that. Let’s work on them one at a time.
Knowing what you've GOT
If we are clear in life about what our assets, weakness and strengths are, our journey is halfway successful. Many of us fail to face the facts about ourselves and live in a dream world of the way we see ourselves, or worst how our family and friends want to picture us. In this charade, we forget our real strengths and assets, and see ourselves as the false image that is forced on us by our own unconscious or the external factors.
Knowing what you NEED
This is another point very close to my heart and about what I had written in my last article too. Most of us are totally lost when it comes to knowing what we really need. I’m not talking about the bare essentials that you need to survive. That would list down to just food, water, house, clothing (probably a dose of sex, but who is counting :o) ). What I mean is what one needs: to experience the life one wants to lead.
Personally, I need family and friends. No question about that. I can’t be alive (am not saying survive) without them. I need music and I need books. I need my movies and I need my laptop. But do I need a BMW, no. Do I need a bungalow at the beach? No. Do I need to pursue a career in IT till I reach the pinnacle? Probably not! And that is the beauty of it. It took so much pressure of me once I realized that. It gave me so much time to do what I really love rather than what I was doing to climb up the corporate ladder. That is not what makes me happy. I only realized this in this last year and a half.
I’m not saying that this goes for everyone. NO! These are my needs. If you feel and YOU KNOW that being at the top of your chosen career or owning a Ferrari is what is going to make you happy, then pursue it by all means. That is what YOU NEED. It has to be YOUR need and not a need forced onto you by the society. Most of us are under the pressure to excel in your professions because otherwise you are a mediocre and there is no place for mediocre in this world, right? Wrong! I feel that it is perfectly fine to be a mediocre in one thing if you know and realize that this is only paying your bills. It is not your life. I love this fact about Europeans. They understand this concept to a large extent. Work doesn’t need to be your life. You can excel at something else, something that brings you pleasure and contentment. You need to find the right things that make you aware and happy and alive.
Knowing what you can DO WITHOUT
In a lot of situation in life, we let trivial things get into our way and stop us from moving ahead (It might be any sphere of life). We need to understand and evaluate what would be the consequence of not getting this or moving ahead from here. Would it really matter if you have daisies in your wedding ceremony instead of orchids? Can you do without one uncooked meal or eating a ready-made meal if it brings peace in your house? Is forcing your daughter to pursue being a doctor really necessary?
The bottom line is that if you are clear about what your needs are, and you can differentiate between what you need, what you desire and what is good to have, it can make your life much simpler.
As I always say, Life is simple and life is beautiful. It is we who complicate it with our own fears, desires and egos. We need to work on it to make it as we want it; we don’t need to make it a ring, that we keep boxing in.
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