I relent

Inspired by an interview in SMH

Do you feel comfortable in your body?

Sort of. I wish I were taller, slimmer, and more athletic. I am 5’9” and weigh 61kgs. I wish I did not lose my hair when I hit my fifties. But the beautiful part of my body is my mind.

What’s your regimen for keeping fit in your sixties?

Well, I get up early — and always have. As a young telecom operator, I’d get up at 6 am. I always used multi-mode transport and walked in between. In my early days in Dubai, I took shared taxis and passenger boats between walking. In Sydney, I caught public transport to Central Business District for work but walked in the city during breaks, clocking on an average of 10,000 steps. I sleep early, by 9 pm. Early to bed and early to rise are in my genes.

I eat a light breakfast at 6 am, lunch before noon and dinner by 5 pm.

For the last three years, from the onset of Covid-19 lockdowns, I have been working from home, which has helped me get fitter. I also work out in my home gym every second or third day. Now I do at least 12,000 steps — a mix and match, with a lot of walking.

How do you remain mentally alert?

I think it’s genetic. My father was very sharp right to the end. He worked until his last days. I learnt to be mentally alert from both my parents. My children keep me sharp with the latest trends, current thinking and consumer technologies. I learn a lot from my children and my free-thinking team at work. I read a lot and watch a lot of off-beat Indi movies. More important than intelligence, I have been fortunate in the people business and emotional intelligence departments. Perhaps my genes have helped me to hit the jackpot.

How do you reflect on your body of work?

It has been very fulfilling. It hasn’t been the usual life of a techie in financial services. My life has been divided into decades: school education, technology education in my late teens, and working in financial services in Dubai and Sydney. While working in fast-paced Fortune 500 companies doing some fascinating work, I was into a bit of moonlighting. I helped four young Sri Lankan kids with tertiary education and became their mentor. Two of them were orphans, which allowed me to think like a benevolent guide. I sponsor the pro-bono work of a model teacher from my middle school, now a retired Christian brother. I also help in the charity foundation of one of my kids, centred on women’s education and climate change, the latter being the biggest challenge to humankind today.

I continue to work, now working for the NSW government in Transport, in uplifting citizen customer services using my creative skills. Incidentally, my current role is based on mobility as a service using intelligent technologies. I still recall my early days in Dubai when I took many modes of transport but without technology as an aid.

Growing up, what was your motivation for money?

I never thought much about wealth, and I still don’t. I earned to live and for my family. Money followed me. It never dictated my life. I was fortunate to be born to an educated set of parents and into some ancestral property. But I never valued wealth, particularly property, taking the inherent wealth in my stride. My parents were pretty stoic and did not chase material things. I think I inherited their influence. I’ve never been motivated by money alone. A bit of money is nice, but that would not dictate my choices. I could live with little money if pushed to a corner. Happiness and good health are wealth to me.

What are you proud of?

Three things:

1st, as a young lad, helping my parents and charting my kid brother’s life for the better. My kid brother had tertiary education and got himself a PhD. I am proud of what he has become. I uplifted the living standards of my parents to a level where there was nothing they needed. When the Sri Lankan government politically victimised my father, my family did not feel the pinch because I stepped in. I think early on, those game-changing episodes dictated my adult life. Many adversities worked in my favour.

2nd, raising my four kids to be great Australian citizens who now thrive on their dreams, charting their lives and living them to the fullest. The apples have not fallen far from the tree.

3rd, being the patriarch of a large, connected, loving family, four kids, their partners, and four grandkids. It is a great joy.

What was your keynote learning?

Value independence more than wealth and fame. That is not taught in schools or corporate life.

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Images and artwork belong to Denzil Jayasinghe.