Sunday, October 5, 2025

If You’re a Rolling Stone, Keep Rolling: Lessons from a 40 -Year Journey


Philipose Vaidyar

Maybe being a rolling stone isn’t about 

restlessness — it’s about growth


Someone once looked at me and said,
“You’re a rolling stone.”

The reason?
I didn’t stay long in the same organization he did.
Ironically, he too moved on—twice—into leadership roles elsewhere.

I left because I couldn’t see my vision taking shape.
It seemed I had to wait years before earning the leaders’ confidence—before being trusted to do what I believed I was called to do.

After a year, I started asking for my job description.
None came.
No one had a clear understanding of what that department was meant to do.

So, I began doing what I could. I didn’t waste time waiting.
Still, by the end of my second year, I told the leadership I’d take my annual leave—and hoped my JD would arrive while I was away.

Two months passed. It never came.

I booked my ticket, packed my things, handed over my responsibilities, and got an acknowledgment from the executive assistant.
A few friends came to see me off at the station.

After thirty hours of travel, I reached home.
That same day, I submitted my resignation—the one I had already written and photocopied for the CCs.

That step of faith marked a new beginning.
A journey of faith I would walk alone.

Thirty-three years have passed since then.
No great trophies and treasures. No collection of artifacts.

But sometimes, I meet people who remind me of my contributions.
I’m humbled to know I could bring value, meaning, and impact to the lives of individuals and organizations I worked with.

My work, my vision, and my family’s needs always intersected—sometimes at the cost of a lower title or profile.
Yet that balance helped.
Each move, often made for the sake of my children, met a genuine need.

It was never about climbing the social ladder.
I have a family, and we wanted to see our children climb their school ladder.

I didn’t care if I moved from Associate Director
→ to Temporary employee
→ to Senior Manager
→ to Program Manager.

The original vision—to enhance communities and build people—never stopped.

It might have been unseen by my critics,
but I caught glimpses of the bigger picture along the way.
The full picture, I believe, will only be revealed in eternity.

Of course, I didn’t take root anywhere and gather moss.
But as I rolled on, every move became enriching—both for me and for those I worked with.

Each turn made me smoother.
And with time, people began to invite me to help, to mentor, to share.

I still do.

So maybe being a rolling stone isn’t about instability.
It’s about trusting the journey, shaping lives, and becoming smoother with every turn.



See the New Release, Trekking the Tribal Trail Click Here 

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