This happened to me quite recently. At my old Job - which I have described in some detail earlier there was basically a chance to win an award that was the biggest award for anyone to win in the organisation.
A little history first: at our organisation we had not won this award for 6 years. Basically we had the curse of being too big - once you become bigger than its more difficult to grow as an organisation. And this meant that we could have never won because this award we were aiming for was only for growth.
I don't remember when I personally became so obsessed with this. I think in that job its more than enough that I had a happy team and a good, sustainable organisation. But one day I think I was sitting at my desk from where if you turn you can see a trophy case and I realized that this award had not come home to India in a long long time. And this thought made me annoyed at first, then angry, then obsessed. Literally from then on all I could think of was how to get it back. A lot of times I stopped to think - is what I'm doing right? Can one person or should one person be driven by the thought of one trophy? It becomes meaningless after sometime right? But it doesn't is what I discovered. I think its great to be driven by a trophy. Because it stands for so much more. Fro me it stood for pride in India, for bringing back something that would make everyone at home feel like they were doing something worthwhile that was appreciated. And in a lot of ways - I think it was a point to prove.
The moment they announced the award I knew my job was over. There is no greater feeling in the world than getting something you have worked for. To tell you the truth, I didn't do anything for it. I had a pretty awesome team. It was unfair that I had to collect it I think. But that night I remember thinking - probably many years later no one will remember this night or what it felt like. But all my life I will carry this feeling with me.
Till today I realize that the thing that makes me most happy is that the trophy will sit there for generations to come in the office and it will be off the back of many others to come. It represents that India can do whatever she wants. It carries with it no mean sense of pride but no arrogance. It represents the fights, jealousies, good times, celebrations and hard work of many many young people, especially 10 who worked in the office of the trophy case.
And to me it will always serve as a reminder of that fact that in life I will always want to bring anything - awards, acclamations and attention - back to India. Its a winning feeling.
I hope that no matter what job I have - one thing I don't have to compromise on is this feeling of being able to win. Constantly; Big and small battles. It makes everything worthwile.
