Happiness lies in honesty, hard work, and health

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Dr Dhananjay (Jay) Datar is the chairman and managing director of Al Adil Trading
Dr Dhananjay (Jay) Datar is the chairman and managing director of Al Adil Trading

The great land of Dubai tested my honesty and rewarded me with fame and fortune. I honestly served my customers and they transformed me from a small shopkeeper into a Masala King.

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Published: Sat 27 Nov 2021, 6:25 PM

Last updated: Sat 27 Nov 2021, 6:43 PM

In my journey so far I have realised some golden truths of life simply by observations and personal experiences. One of them is the art of living happily. I know there might be other formulae, but to me happiness is in the ‘three H’s- honesty, hard work and health. The good thing is that even if you don’t have these virtues, you can imbibe them at any time in life.

Honesty is extremely important for me as it always benefited me. I remained honest to everyone — my mind, my parents, my profession, my customers and the almighty. Honesty rewarded me like nothing else. My father tested my honesty for a long time and rewarded me with successful entrepreneurship. The great land of Dubai tested my honesty and rewarded me with fame and fortune. I honestly served my customers and they transformed me from a small shopkeeper into a Masala King.

A decade ago when I was at the doorstep of death due to prolonged illness, the almighty also tested the honesty in my prayer and gifted me a second life. Every night I get a sound sleep with a tranquil mind. I believe that honesty keeps us on the right path.

I understood the value of hard work from my Keralite friends. 36 years ago, when our newly started business in Dubai suffered a huge loss in the very first year, my father and I adopted a frugal lifestyle to save every penny. To earn some extra income through rent, my father shared our flat with some Keralite workers. Soon they became my friends. These labourers would leave for their work early in the morning and return late evening.

Then they would prepare their dinner and go to sleep by midnight. I wondered how they consistently maintained such a workaholic lifestyle. Later I understood that a hardworking nature is an attribute of the entire Keralite society. Keralite workers are known for their devotion to work and hence preferred and respected in every industry. Following them I also started working more than 12 hours a day in our shop.

After three and half years of hard work, we successfully brought our shop to profit and continued prospering. This is the miracle of hard work.

I realised the importance of good health when I suffered a prolonged illness. It continued for five years and I had to undergo various treatments and medications. Doctors kept me on a diet with a menu consisting of non-spicy and non-oily food. I was praying to God to relieve me from the pains.

One day when I visited the Krishna temple in Dubai, I saw a poor worker enjoying a simple meal with his family members. They were all slim and healthy. I understood then that health is more precious than wealth and determined to reacquire it. I did it. I like a quote by the great philosopher Confucius —Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.


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