I would like to start by asking a simple question from you. How do you wake up in the morning? One will give various answers such as using an alarm clock, bird chirps, prayer call from religious places, mom’s or wife’s sound in the kitchen etc.
In my native country Sri Lanka, I used to listen bird calls and observe the natural environment for few minutes. But, I used to wake up in a different form here in Dubai. Near to my apartment is a construction site where labourers report to duty by 5.30 am. The noise they made was really annoying to me at the beginning. Well according to the lullaby of Johannes Brahms, I am kind of person who likes to “Start your day with a smile- Life is really worthwhile”. Then I thought to adapt to the unavoidable situation by starting my daily work also by the same time as the sounds worked as an artificial alarm clock to me.​
First, I used get up and observe what the labourers do. With no trade unions and strikes, they used to do their job quite satisfactorily under different weather conditions. I even found out that these people get around 1000-1500 AED as their monthly salary for nearly 12 hours of work with occasional breaks and four  free Fridays per month. As the time passes, I honestly felt sorry for these labourers. Most of them are from South Asian countries. They are far from their loved ones to eke out a better living. Sometimes I truly wonder and question from myself whether is this the correct country to seek greener pastures.  Later on I observed a special type of crane that had been used on the site. If you can look closer in the photo, it is called ‘POTENTIAL’.

It became a kind of habit to look at the crane as the first thing in the morning to me for the past few months. It may sound weird but I tend to see the whole construction as a guide to our life.Actually it reminds me that we should unearth our hidden potential at the very beginning of the life. Once you start to work with your full potential, then a specific time period will be taken to build up your true individuality with self discipline.  It may vary from person to person as life is not a race. As Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has said “Difficulties in your life do not come to destroy you, but to help you realize your hidden potential and power.  Let difficulties know that you too are difficult”. Indeed, life is a journey that needs hard working under different circumstances. Also, it is a fight that you cannot win alone. With the help of our loved ones we need to cope the troubles courageously with a long term vision in our mind. Eventually, life allows you to become the person you have always wanted to be. Hence it is like the completed building with many floors. That is how I see it folks!