And there are many long-distance commuters in India. In fact, the number of people who commute for more than 100+ kms is increasing every year. The reasons for this could be varied and may include personal reasons, job requirements, etc.

But what is the best way to manage the long distance commuting? There are a few ways that one can do this but none of them are perfect. They all have their own pros and cons which make it difficult to decide on one that would work best for you.

Some people choose to take public transport while others prefer driving themselves or taking a cab. But there is also an option of renting a house near your workplace or office which is much more convenient than living close to your work place and then travelling every day. Out of many alternatives, I settled myself with Driving from Indirapuram to Gurgaon. 

The day I joined my new office in Gurgaon, I started using this opportunity to explore new songs, podcast, trend reports, radio stations which are beyond local frequencies. 

This commute has surely helped me in comprehending my understanding about surroundings.  

It made me remain calm X patient while driving, avoid unnecessary tussle with fellow travellers; meditate while my eyes are wide open at the time of driving. 

Now through this blog space, I would like to share how this daily commute from Noida to Gurgaon has helped me transformed by thoughts and how midway iconic landscapes have impacted me as a person. 

History is a cultural spine of a nation. It works in miraculous ways when one studies the works, learnings, and teachings available in this genre and how it impacted and shaped the country. 

My first touch point in the morning is to witness the glory of a patriotic landscape of the country I.e. India Gate. A true iconic and marvel architecture which is standing tall in the heart of the city. Someday it becomes the hotspot of Republic Day parades and to others its central point of joy in the city.  Whenever I pass by this monument in the morning it propels my heart and mind with the  sense of values and how can I contribute with the expression of creative freedom to my current role and society. 

On my way to office , I prefer to take Akbar, Ashoka, and Kautilya Marg. Somehow, I feel these names have become synonyms of my day-to-day activities and have entered into my subconscious memory which is helping at both personal and professional domains. 

Around India gate there are many intersecting lanes decorated with green metal frames with white text in the font/ name to direct commuters. There are 11 crossroads available at this junction, out of which for my relevance three road names Akbar Road, Ashoka Road and Kautilya Marg are the most used to commute in my journey. 

I feel these road names are not just the pathways but the milestone which has helped turned our history become what it is known for today. I would like to share some of the insights that I have gathered from these iconic personalities and hope it will help others.

Ashoka’s Road:

1. Transform the life via Introspection: Ashoka the great emperor is a guidebook in himself. He has seen lot of ups and down in life. Those who have studied him have realised that how he has transformed himself from being cruel to to the most benevolent and compassionate emperor. I believe, this power of >Thinking < distinguishes us from other living beings and hence a tool of introspection is the most pivotal from all of these. Art of Meditation is something which opened the gateway to his fortune in lateral part of his life. 
2. Effective Communication via use of technology: During the covid era we have witnessed humongous change in the technology. Various productivity tools were introduced to take the level of communication to another level. However in ancient times, Ashoka introduced his edicts in various languages to communication the rules and policies of his kingdom so that everyone gets the message clearly. 
3. Tolerance :This is the most underrated and less understood phenomena. This should not be treated as patience as both have different meanings and substances altogether. Tolerance is the ability to accept and live with people who are different from us, treating them with respect and dignity. 

Lesson 

All above mentioned establishments of the great emperor are few of the many benchmarks , I decided to take the works/ learnings into my routine.

In Ashoka’s lifespan he influenced and transformed a many lives. I could only write the three establishment out of many which influenced me. 

High vibe frequency music for meditation, Marketing podcast like 50 mins of Marketing Strategy & StoryBrand Marketing keeps me going and works as recharge unit in the morning. This sets the tone of the day and helps as a fuel for the mind. I feel revisiting the pivotal subjects and introspection helps stay healthy and I adopted it from him without hesitation.  

While returning back from office, I play Indian classical music in my car; my all time favourite music diva is Anushka Shankar.  Due to the low tempo of the music and textured vocal ragas in between keeps me awake and works like meditation on the road. 

With such a long commute, I have also learnt to tolerate other travellers actions, avoid unnecessary honking, coping up with my speed while following the road safety guidelines.

Akbar’s Road

1. Planning : During his timelines in the landscape of history. Akbar envisaged the key road, sewerage planning and other developments in the urban lifestyle of that time. He was ahead of his times w.r.t. Administration & Military policies. This has made him ace king of the era where he fought battles against various opponents who were vying for the seat of Mughal empire. 
2. Ability to connect to people : There are so many miraculous stories of Akbar – Birbal era. Like how they used to connect with their countrymen by changing their attires. I believe it is essential requirement which is relevant in today’s time too. He had a huge inclination towards Arts as his court was adorned by artistic patrons who were treated with the highest respect under his reign. 
3. Universal Peace : Akbar celebrated the diversity. He was aware that his subjects comprises of people of different faiths and cultures. He made it known that his subjects need not conform to his set of beliefs in order to be favoured by his administration. This adoption of diversity & inclusiveness earned him the admiration & adulation of his subjects that no other emperor can boast of. 

Lesson 

Living an organised and discipline life is the outcome of robust planning and how one lays the foundation of this principle in the life. Professional & Personal arena would keep on throwing the tantrums and challenges. However if one could plan well the things would turn in favour and act like good luck. 

I took some additional projects in my current role which required robust planning and strategy. Whenever I felt during the project that I needed some direction,  I revisited the edicts and mastery task of this exemplary king. 

Connecting with colleagues and solving the business challenges is something that I love the most. I have read a many stories of Akbar – Birbal era, watched series associated, attended theatre representation and learnt how they have transformed the lives in their reign with public connections. I often practice meeting new people, share stories with existing network and develop relationship with ex-colleagues. 

Lastly, patience is a very under-rated term and tough to measure. However plays a vital role while one is on road, where the productivity of the day gets slashed and smashed badly. 

Kautilya’s Marg 

1. Learn to lead without authority/ position: Kautilya; The Great teacher & mentor never had any position as far as administrative designations are concerned. However he was the king maker. He was a kind of alchemist who created whirls with his tactics, cyclone by his strategies and typhoons by his execution methods. History claims the worlds bestest ever emperor of his times, the great grandfather of Ashoka, Chandargupt Maurya is one of the great examples of his visionary stator. He has no fancy office, no leadership overheads, no demands for credit and recognition, no business card. He reminds of an old Sanskrit proverb: 

       नाभिशेको न संस्कारः सिंहस्य क्रियते वने।

( No one officially coronates the lion as the king of jungle. No ceremony or ritual take place. Through his sheer might, the lion becomes the leader) 

1. Learn from mistakes: Kautilya remained centred in the most challenging war of the opposites. He knows when to use the head and when to use the heart. He knows when to invoke yin and yang; the Purusha and Prakriti or shiva or Shakti. He does this effortlessly and hence creates sustainable growth. He loves order but is comfortable with chaos. He never gets carried away. 
2. Be Unstoppable : Kautilya knows what he wants and he keeps creating it from the scratch whatever he needs to get him to his goal/. And that is how he becomes, a lone teacher from a university, becomes the creator of the largest empire of India. He does not have an army, he creates the one. He does not have money; he creates the source of funding, these are some of the examples of his unconditional willingness to create which makes him unstoppable. 

Lesson 

During my current role, I took some additional projects which were over and above the on-going tasks. I realised to run the projects successfully one needs the inner zeal, trust and extraordinary edge towards learning. An entrepreneurial mindset is restless and sometimes to do more it requires additional energy, time and efforts and this gentleman Kautilya expresses the spirit of true human being in totality. I am yet to unleash my true self but whatever I am today is because I study and learn from his teachings and try to execute a bit in my day to day life. 

Collaboration with fellow colleagues and ensure on-time representation of project is essential for the successful project delivery. A narrative that I adopted from this larger than life character “ The Chanakya” 

Once  the course material is at place, right mentor on boarded and ammunitions are at place. 

All it needs is to be consistent and ensure on time execution.

These are purely my learnings from these great personalities. I would be glad if you would like to share your learning below in the comments section. 

Thanks for reading the post though! 

Rohit