The Smile We Bring to Work: Finding Aptitude Beyond the SMART Goal
It was a privilege to be with the students and teachers at Saraswathy Vidyaniketan during the auspicious Navaratri season—a time dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. The entire atmosphere was a celebration of learning, perfectly setting the stage for the deep questions we explored.
The preceding speaker gave an excellent, practical talk on using the SMART framework for students to build measurable goals, like a Google Map guiding you precisely to a destination.
I jumped in with a few thoughts from my own journey. Yes, the right place matters—the Vastu, the environment, is vital. And in that silence, I always think about the need for a healthy body, pure mind, and brilliant intellect. These are the foundations, the true infrastructure.
But we light the lamp of knowledge for a purpose. What is that ultimate goal?
In my decades managing teams at top companies, I have seen a very difficult truth. Many people are in jobs they handle reasonably well, earning a good living and supporting their families. Yet, the tragedy is that the immense, infinite potential they possess is often dedicated to mere functional survival, leaving their truest gifts untapped. They are present in their roles, but I often noticed the energy was missing, the true smile absent. I realized many were taking on professions that didn't align with their deepest purpose, preventing them from operating at their full, magnificent effectiveness.
The core problem is this: Do everyone of you know what you really like?
My silence, my quest, has led me to a simple answer: Finding your aptitude is one of the core purposes of your life. When you find it, hold on to it like a weasel. You will be so happy, a smile will be there in everything you do. You will inflict that positivity everywhere around you.
But how do you discover this?
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Think about what time really is: it is the interval between two events. When you are super happy doing something, you forget time. I have seen coders at Google. Many times they forget lunchtime; someone reminds them and they say, "Oh! I was so engrossed in code I forgot time." Think of the music singers, the javelin throwers, the chess players, the badminton stars. They are not engineers or doctors, but they lose themselves in the moment.
Somewhere, post 10-11 years of age, through college, we forget our areas of aptitude, things we loved so much to do. We feel peer pressure and do what everyone else does.
Every light has its purpose, its unique glow.
If you are a red light trying to be a green light, you will not be effective. You need to find your unique light—your wattage and your color. That specific glow is your most effective you; it is your hidden smile That specific glow is your most effective you; it is your hidden smile.
And here is the most important part of this wisdom: We possess an infinite intelligence—one no AI engine can even come close to. When you find someone next to you glowing, be aware of the electricity flowing through that light. That gift of intelligence coming out of them is their natural glow. Be respectful of that amazing presence at workplace, and salute it.
Then I called on a few students. One said she likes to sing, another said football. When asked why he liked football, the boy said when he plays, he forgets time. There was even a state boxing champion girl. The children got it, I think. All had a amazing smile as the session ended.
This is the source of the smile we bring to our work each day.
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