Sanjay K. Jain - Pinch Of Salt: In The Recipe Called Life

A PINCH OF SALT

A PINCH OF SALT

In the Recipe Called Life

Sanjay K. Jain

BLOOMSBURY INDIA

Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd

Second Floor, LSC Building No. 4, DDA Complex, Pocket C 6 & 7,

Vasant Kunj New Delhi 110070

BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY INDIA and the Diana logo are
trademarks of

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

First published in India 2020

This edition published in 2020

Copyright Sanjay K Jain 2020

Sanjay K Jain has asserted his right under the Indian Copyright Act to be identified as the Author of this work

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior permission in writing from the publishers

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes

ISBN:TPB: 978-9-3894-4992-1; eBook: 978-9-3894-4994-5

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Created by Manipal Digital Systems

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc makes every effort to ensure that the papers used in the manufacture of our books are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in well-managed forests. Our manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin

To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters

To each and every person who has been
part of my golden life journey

CONTENTS

I t all started one day while I was waiting at the airport; I came upon the subject for my book (an important item on my bucket list). It was at that moment that the idea to web together my experiences, thoughts, ideas and perspectives of different things in life dawned upon me. So, here I am, presenting it before my fellow human beings with a hope that I shall be able to provide some insights and values to them.

I am not going to discuss the topics of each chapter. Instead, I prefer all my readers to go to the contents page and scan the different chapter headings. Every chapter is based on a different theme, principle or perspective. However, they are all still knitted, woven and linked together.

For me, life is like a rainbow where all colours are equally important to live a happy and balanced life and be complete. A life rainbow can never be created unless we fill it up with all the seven colours and balance them. Variety is indeed the spice of life as it keeps us excited and motivated.

I have always believed that life is never black or white. It has various shades of grey which can look different from different angles. It is for certain that whatever I say can be debated and disputedthe first chapter dwells on this subject. This book has not been written to prescribe a solution or remedy. The objective is to provoke thoughts so that one can find their own equilibrium.

This book is concise and compact. I am just trying to share my thoughts with you, and in that effort, I want to be honest with our environment by ensuring that paper and ink are used sensibly and to the minimum. It reminds me of my school days when I always kept my answers concise, going against the normal tide of filling sheets and making the answer paper-bulky. I was lucky to still get the examiners thumbs up. Here I will be awaiting your verdict, as you are the examiner of this book.

The ingredients have been picked from the universe of knowledge and are cooked just a bit differently in my style to serve something which will hopefully stir your mind buds positively and pleasingly. This book is a small talk with my fellow human beings. We know so much, but unfortunately, we do little to transform knowledge into action. Many a times, its not the big things but the many small things which can make a big difference.

Simplicity and focus are very important in life and this book has been written with this mindset. My deliberations and thoughts are not fancy or high-level but very simple and common, like salt.

This book tries to add that little common salt (sense) that can change the taste of (y)our lifes recipe. It will just add 1 per cent to your 99 per cent to make your life a 100 per cent. A pinch of salt can change the taste of anything, including our lives.

The chapter headings will sound very business-like and the first impression may be that its only for working people. However, if we delve deeper, the significance of all the chapters will be as much for other sections of the society and segments of our life. The book is meant for the common masses, irrespective of their field of work or interest or gender. I hope you all read this book with equal interest and find your own relevance.

Please read this book slowly and thoughtfully and hope that this pinch of salt will change the taste of your life.

Some may decide to take my thoughts with a pinch of salt, which is also perfectly fine, as there is never any perfect truth or principle in life. Hence, in whatever context you read the title of the book, it will still be representative of the contents.

Lets move on to the first chapter to discuss the principle of life which has changed my thought process dramatically and made me a more considerate human being. However, before you start reading the book, words of wisdom from people I value and respect for their life journey have been shared on the next page, from which valuable lessons can be drawn.

I have drawn upon my life experiences and not just my business and working life. Interestingly, this book contains nothing that I learnt at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM); its all about what I learnt from life after graduating from there.

I would like to thank my parents, wife, children, sister, in-laws, family, teachers, friends and fellow travellers for their constant support, motivation, guidance and inspiration over my fifty years of life. They all have contributed in their own way to make me what I am today and in realising my dream of writing a book into reality.

I would also like to specifically thank my friends Chandrasekhar Shrimali, Mamta Madhavan and my children, Muskaan and Hardik, who have contributed enormously to the proofreading of the book. My heartfelt gratitude to my wife Jyoti who pushed me to start writing.

Also, a very special thanks to Ruchita Kazaria for motivating and introducing me to our publishersBloomsbury.

Finally, I would like to especially thank Mr A.M. Naik, Mr S.P. Oswal, Mr Ashok Mallik, Mrs Shikha Sharma, Mr Motilal Oswal and Mr Gautam Kumra for sharing their words of wisdom to enrich this book. They are role models for all of us and I am sure their words will add a lot of value to the readers.

I requested a few people from different walks of life, whom I admire, to pen down a few success and motivational mantras of their lives, to add that extra salt to ours. Its brief but very intense and worth a pause and thought before you move on to read the book.

Mr A.M. Naik, Group Chairman, Larsen and Toubro, Padma Vibhushan Awardee