Another Cinderella Story, a true story..

I had to write about the organization I work for. I had to! It would have been unfair to miss that out!

Let me begin with saying that this organization has been my fairy Godmother, with a magic wand!

When I joined this company in 2011, I was Cinderella, only sadder, fatter, weaker, useless, and directionless and drowned in my illness. I was far from being of any real worth. As it is evident from my previous posts, I was unwell. I got this job through a reference of an ex-employee who is a dear friend of mine. I would like to think he was more like the ‘announcement’ of the Ball for our little sad version of Cinderella!

I was hired as a sales co-ordinator. The first words of my boss during my interview still echo in my ear.

He said, “Don’t worry, sales co-ordinators do not have much work, most of the time, you will be just helping around, doing some data consolidation, may be even idle sometimes, nothing to worry about, it is a very cool job”. I was fine with it. I did not quite want a job with too much work at that time. My friend even assured me later that if I do get hired, the person who took my interview is a rather ‘cool boss’, and I certainly agree with him on that! This gave me a tiny ray of hope as I had just been fired unreasonably from my previous job and I was quite tormented about working all together!

I got a hired a week after the interview, and mind you, I wasn’t even a graduate then. I had dropped out of college a long time ago. The first day was smooth. I got introduced to a couple of colleagues who worked at the office. I was asked to come up with a few theme ideas for the coming New Year Party, as it is a Hotel I work for. I did a google search and came up with some extravagant ideas, my boss very kindly told me ‘You are thinking global, it won’t work, think local’. That was my cue, my learning cue. Next I was asked to work on some emailer design. I used the online ‘picnik’ software back then to create some ‘so called’ creative designs. I did conjure up something, and when I look at it now, I can almost burst out laughing at how juvenile a design it was. But my Boss never said so, all he said was, ‘That looks nice, see if you can do it this way, change it a bit, may be change this colour’. He was so encouraging. I, at that time, wasn’t quite aware that my design skills were horrendous, but he was humble and kind enough not to point that out to my face. He is a Gem of a person!

Encouragement and kindness are the beginning of learning. I took up Corel Draw. I decided to experiment with it. In a short period of 20 days, I had learnt how to use the software. I started making emailers, flyers, and other graphics for the Hotel, with tremendous encouragement. At that time, I got introduced to my Super Boss. I might add he is a man of such positive aura, that just one meeting with him boosts us all up and charges us with immense energy. He has multi-dimensional persona. Words would flood my post if I begin to describe him. He asked me to work out some designs for his sister concern companies. I was so thrilled to be a part of it!

I knew then that Cinderella had found her Fairy Godmother! This organization was most certainly my Fairy Godmother, with a magic wand comprised of kindness and encouragement.

Just shortly afterwards, both my seniors mentioned above, decided to make me a part of the pre-opening team of a new property in Goa. I cannot word now the bounds of my happiness. I could feel that I was on a pathway to recovery. We went to Goa to see the property, and the places around so as to market it. That was my first trip away from home. My parents were a little worried for I was still under medication, but one of my colleagues assured my mother that he will take the responsibility of my medication. All went smooth and the trip is still very vivid in my memory! That colleague is one of the few people I trust; despite several differences we have learned to be good friends!

When I got back, my Boss asked me if I would just work out a website for the property. I had experimented a little bit on Google sites, but, I couldn’t do a good job of it. This created verve to learn website development! I started experimenting with Dreamweaver and HTML coding. I learned how to make a decent website in about a month, and I designed the official website for the property in Goa. Everybody gave me their words of appreciation and the Magic wand had begun working its magic sufficiently well. Cinderella had her pumpkin turned into a beautiful carriage!

As time marched ahead, I marched with it. My Super Boss realised that I had a knack for economic studies and market research, and thus made me a part of the Hotel Feasibility Report team. Cinderella’s beautiful gown was in place and it fit her so very well! She even went to the grand Ball, and met with her Prince. The Prince was a Charming man. They danced together not realizing the clock was about to strike twelve.

I wasn’t completely fit yet. And there was a major setback. I had a relapse of psychosis. I became too ill to even communicate properly. For a few days I wasn’t in a condition to even report to work. Generally, organizations would term such a person as ‘mentally unfit’ to work, and would have terminated the services immediately. But this was not the case! The management gave me another chance. My Boss spoke to my parents and insisted that I work from home for a few days until I felt better.

I knew the Prince had Cinderella’s glass shoes, and he would come looking for her. She had already won his heart!

I think second chances or may be more than second chances are very important for longevity! And I had mine and could thus sustain it. Cinderella’s second chance was her Prince coming back to her with her slipper. I transformed. I had strength and abundant confidence all juxtaposed with humility and faith.

One fine day, we had a woman join us at the organization at a senior level. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t very comfortable with a lady Boss. This was also because at my previous job, a lady was my boss, and she had unreasonably and mercilessly fired me. I was prejudiced ever since. But I must admit, I was in for a surprise. She is nothing like my previous experience. She is warm, kind, loving & genuinely caring. She gave me a few words of wisdom, the best I like is: “If I want to borrow money from you, and if you don’t have it then how can you lend it to me? The same goes for happiness, how can you give happiness, when you yourself do not have it?” I have etched it into my soul. I decided I want to create as much happiness in my heart, so that I never run out of it.

Today I would like to believe that I add value to this organization. To come from absolutely nothing to an object of value certainly needed a fairy to use her Magic Wand!

The Prince sought Cinderella again and the glass slipper fit her so well. They had been carefully made for her. This organization is certainly my fairy Godmother. People I have mentioned in this post have certainly left a mark in my life; they all have their magic wands, still creating magic. And last but not the least, my Prince is my long lost self esteem, confidence and a passion for living and he has been sought & conquered!