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Namaskaar
‘If I am not for myself, who will for me’
— Anon
We as accountants always deal with ‘accounting for business’.
In other words, we act as book-keepers of economic activity and at the end of a
given period draw up a ‘profit and loss’ account which exhibits the operational
results for a given period and a balance sheet on a given date — which exhibits
the assets and liabilities of the entity.
The questions which I have for all of us and
myself are :
– Do we apply the same principles to our own life ?
– Do we prepare a profit and loss account and a balance sheet of our life ?
In other words, do we do ‘accounting for life’ ? It
means do we pause to introspect. I believe that for the purposes of preparing a
profit and loss account and the balance sheet of our life, we need a generous
use of ‘introspection’. To go through our memory lane with ‘truthfulness’ to
give a ‘true and fair’ view of ourselves to ourselves.
What is required to do this ? I think and believe we need to
:
1. take stock of our relationships. How have we handled our
relationship with our parents, spouse, children, friends, acquaintances and
clients. We have to ask ourselves :
– have we discharged our duties simply or with care.
– have we ignored our obligations.
– have we treated every relationship as a transaction.
– do we feel obligated.
2. take stock of our response to the needs of society. How
have we responded to our social obligations. It is a debt we owe.
Let us remember that :
– Our relationships, whether at home, at our work place or otherwise, are
both our capital and assets and need constant care.
– What we take and receive is a debt we incur which has to be repaid : for
example,
– the love we receive from our parents, children and friends.
– the support we receive from our clients, and
– the resources of society we use.
Friends, let us take out time to prepare our own profit and
loss account and balance sheet. Let us do this ‘accounting for life’. This
accounting like all accounting will enlighten us. It will help us to forget and
forgive and at the same time remind us to be grateful and enable us to live our
life in a sense of ‘gratitude’. It is an exercise to improve ‘myself’.
The question is : have I done this ‘accounting for
life’ ? Yes, I have attempted it and the result is that I am in ‘deficit’.
Despite being in ‘deficit’ the one account that I have settled is seek
forgiveness of those who have felt hurt by my words or actions, by forgiving
those by whose words or actions I have felt hurt. I accept I have received more
than I have given. I have been singularly fortunate in most of my relationships
— my god, guru, relatives, friends and clients. I am grateful to my
‘preceptor’. In short, I owe a huge debt of gratitude. I conclude by quoting
‘Mereez’
