Humans are social animals. This is not a proverb, it is a reality. Most of our modern day problems are caused by our wrong attitude, an attitude developed as a result of keeping the wrong company. We are normally associated either with our adversaries or our beneficiaries, and both these categories are very effective energy-sucking devices. They take reality and clear vision away from our life, and as soon as the wind changes they are completely blown away as if they were never there. These are neither company nor friends; they are leeches and should be dealt with as such.
At every stage in life we need people around us who like, respect, and love us, not for our status but for who we are. People who have a couple of people around them who will be with them irrespective of their mutual circumstances are very fortunate.
Family is one such blessing. If you are lucky, they can fill this need, but in modern life even family members are not available all the time. Children grow up and go their own way, and your parents are already gone by the time you begin feeling lonely. A wife or husband is the only living being around who will hopefully remain with you until the end, but this is not enough. In ideal situations, a male needs male company for friendship and females need the company of their gender. This is natural and it is why couples need more support from the outside than from each other.
The presence of an extended family that always lived nearby used to fulfill this need. This luxury has now been destroyed due to economic pressures and the modern lifestyle.
My concept of a lucky person is not one who has a self-serving crowd around him or her, but one with a few selfless people who share his or her thoughts, accept his or her weaknesses, and respect him or her for who he or she is. Such people make you feel so comfortable in their company that you can drop your guard completely and be your true self.
MY CONCEPT OF LUXURY IS THE COMPANY OF SUCH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE, AT LEAST FOR A FEW HOURS A WEEK IN A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE WITH A HOT CUP OF TEA. WE WOULD DISCUSS ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THE MISERIES OF OUR PERSONAL LIVES.
If by some lucky stroke you have a few people who like you for who you are, then you should treasure their company. This is your biggest asset and you should try to hold on to them and consider them your safety net. Accept them with their weaknesses, and respect them only for their sincerity.
Don’t select your company based on status, net worth, influence, or popularity. Select them for their character, sincerity, honesty, and reliability, regardless of whether he or she is a subordinate, colleague, or boss.
Rais Khan is a Chartered Accountant and an author. He has worked in corporate sector for 40 years in a variety of corporations ranging from IBM to Etisalat in UAE. He has worked and lived in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, USA, Africa and the UAE. Currently he is a freelance business consultant and part-time writer. He is the Editor of Pehchaan and can be contacted at
[email protected]
