Willy-nilly

Chronicle!

2011-10-29T06:29:00.000+05:30

Same day, 4 years ago, vacated M9C!

I entered the house when I was 27 days old. And had lived there for 25 Years, 9 Months and 15 Days! A long, long time in a single place!

Some day, I hope we can go back there!! Don’t know when, where, how….but there is a Will (of the mind)

2011-10-19T16:47:00.001+05:30

why does my world collapse? - each time? all the time?

Happiness In This World!

2011-10-03T16:37:00.003+05:30

Excerpts from Happiness in this world!

If we have a truly high state of life, then, even when unpleasant things happen, we can view them as making life all the more interesting, just as a pinch of salt can actually improve the flavour of a sweet dish. We can feel true delight in life, whatever happens.
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A small heart gets used to misery and becomes docile, while a great heart towers above misfortune.” True happiness is not the absence of suffering; you cannot have day after day of clear skies. Rather, true happiness lies in building a self that stands dignified and indomitable like a great palace on all days, even when it is raining,snowing or stormy.
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Attaining a state of “peace and security in this life” doesn’t mean having a life that
is free of all difficulties, but that whatever difficulties arise, without being shaken in the
least, one can summon up the unflinching courage and conviction to fight against and
overcome them. This is the state of life of “peace and security in this life”.
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Thank those who bring out the worst in you! For they help you see what you wouldn't otherwise see on your own!

Who am I?

2011-09-29T18:15:00.000+05:30

Know that you are not your body; you are not your relationships; you are not your job title; you are not your dreams. Who you truly are is a great and vast energy, shining brightly with many facets. Like a diamond in the sunshine. Allow this essence to come forth now on earth as you walk your unique journey." - Kay Andrews

Barbara Cahill on Gratitude through Buddhism

2011-09-29T17:43:00.000+05:30

Gratitude (Question & Answer from: UKE July 1995) here

Barbara and Eddie Cahill and Ben Frow discuss gratitude from a Buddhist perspective with Howard Hill
Howard: Some years ago Dr. Yamazaki (deceased Honourary Chairman of SGI Europe) gave what I thought at the time to be rather mystical guidance. He said, ‘If we experience gratitude it will open a door to a realm of our life that we previously didn’t know existed’. I wonder if you could explain something about this guidance and what you see as the importance of gratitude in our lives.

Barbara: Gratitude does open up our lives. The more we experience Buddhahood through our practice the more grateful we are, so it must follow that if we experience gratitude as we practise it will open the door to Buddhahood in our lives.

Eddie: Even if we find it difficult to experience gratitude about some situation, if we try to express it in our chanting our minds will eventually follow and it opens up this door in our lives. In the West we tend to think that it is hypocritical to take action unless we feel sincere about it, whereas in the East they say that right thought will follow right action. So even if we don’t initially feel sincere, expressing gratitude creates the cause for it to appear in our lives.

Ben: Another element of gratitude is recognition: recognizing, maybe, that someone who has given us problems is a tool whereby we can change our karma. Therefore, sometimes we might initially find ourselves expressing gratitude through gritted teeth. Maybe we sometimes think of gratitude as being something flowery, whereas it often involves an element of struggle.

Eddie: This is the Buddhist principle of zenchishiki or ‘good friends’. It means that sometimes our worst enemies are our best friends because they force us to change something in our lives. Therefore, we should express gratitude for them. Gratitude isn’t ‘being thankful for small mercies’. There’s no depth in that. What we promote is gratitude at a deeper level where we struggle to discover the significance of various problems for our life’s development.

Ben: Trying to approach things in this way – seeing obstacles as an opportunity to change our lives – is a new learning curve.

Howard: But how can we develop an attitude of gratitude?

Barbara: Just by allowing ourselves to express it. Often when we are chanting we are thinking, ‘I can’t stand this situation’ or ‘Why did he do that?’ But if we just allow ourselves to introduce the idea of gratitude it has an immediate effect. That is what we chanting for – to change our minds away from one of judgement and slander. So gratitude is one of the things that we can try to feel. Just express it: ‘I am grateful that I’ve got you, Gohonzon’: or ‘I’m grateful that I’m alive’: or it may be just to say ‘I’m grateful’, without having to attach it to anything.

Eddie: Gratitude gives power to our lives. What’s the opposite of gratitude – complaint? Resentment? Imagine your life full of resentment and complaint. Then imagine a life of gratitude.

Ben: It’s very difficult to experience gratitude when, for example, you are surrounded by people who seem to be doing much better in life than you are – you know, they might be rich and successful. It’s so easy to get caught up in the trap of jealousy and then it’s very hard to feel any gratitude.

Barbara: That’s exactly the time to express it because it is a trap just to see life in those material terms. What we are not acknowledging is that the material aspect alone doesn’t make us happy. What makes us happy is our approach to life. A person could have nothing but be grateful for the fact that he’s had a floor to sleep on, or just that the sun is shining. He could just spontaneously feel that and that’s happiness. What we’re trying to get to is how we create happiness in our lives. If we see ourselves as having nothing – well, gratitude is one thing we could have. Everyone is open to that possibility.

Howard: I remember an experience that bears that out. Some years ago I travelled with former General Director of SGI-UK, Dick Causton to visit some regional members. At lunch time our hosts provided us with some food; nothing elaborate – sliced bread, processed cheese and some supermarket pickle. I was hungry though and busied myself filling my face with this rather ordinary fare. I was surprised then to notice Dick thoroughly enjoying his repast. ‘I’ve not had any cheese and pickle for ages’, he enthused. ‘Can I have a little more?’ Dick and I were both eating the same food but our responses were a complete contrast. The difference was that Dick ate with gratitude, and was gaining a lot more than I was from it.

I realized then that in one sense gratitude is our ability to taste life and all its treasures. Even if we have all the wealth in the world it is of little value if we are not grateful for it. In the same way, even a simple meal can become a banquet if we are full of appreciation and gratitude.

I resolved then that I would try to open my life to gratitude so that I would be able to taste the full potential, not just of food, but of life itself.

Eddie: Gratitude is a completely alien concept to some people, though. To plant that concept in someone’s life so he or she can start feeling gratitude, rather than dwelling on complaints and problems, is a totally new thing. If someone suggests that you try to develop gratitude I think you should consider it deeply because maybe they’ve seen that your life is full of complaint and slander.

Barbara: I think many religions tell people to feel gratitude. And often people know they should feel it but they don’t have a way of making it happen. That’s where our practice is so vital. It helps us to change – if we will just introduce the idea of gratitude into our thoughts.

Ben: Making a conscious effort to express gratitude eventually changes our attitude to life; we approach it in a different, more positive way.

Howard: Do you think it is a struggle to feel gratitude?

Barbara: Initially, yes, but then I think it starts to come more naturally. I do think we have to make a struggle in our practice. That’s what the practice is for – to change our minds, to change our approach to life.

Ben: You have to be able to look at the wider vision rather than just concentrating on the tiny minutiae of day-to-day problems. If you can understand that Buddhism is about changing your karma then you can start to feel grateful, because you are starting to look at your life on a much broader scale.

Barbara: I agree. Rather than concentrating on the narrow focus of benefits and problems, we should try to see the very wide focus of kosen rufu – which is about transforming the world – and also the inner focus of our lives, our ‘human revolution’. If we do this we are much more likely to experience gratitude because we will be able to see the significance of various events in our lives.

Howard: Thank you.

Merge

2011-09-29T17:29:00.000+05:30

The Buddha, perfectly enlightened in the Three Bodies,
Takes the entire universe as his True Body,
Takes the entire universe as his spiritual nature,
Takes the entire universe as his physical existence
(Nichiren Daishonin Gosho Zenshu p563)

The purpose of these gosho verses is to say that there is no fundamental distinction between the physical body and the rest of the universe. The Buddha’s physical body is merged with the universe and one need not construe the physical body precincts to define the contours of one’s existence. In fact the merging of the soul with the universe shows that the body is nothing but a vehicle of the soul. And the soul is merged with the universe. Therefore one’s existence is not distinct from that of the universe.

Buddhahood is inherent in each and every one of us. However, some of us awaken the Buddha in us through practice and study. The others slander or disregard the existence of their Buddhahood.

Thanks to the God for all the Small things!

2011-09-29T14:58:00.000+05:30

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie

I read, and we all read at a lot of places, that the more gratitude you express and the more we are grateful for all the abundance that exists in our lives, the more we attract positive things, people and occurrences into our lives...

In consonance with this thought, I have started a Gratitude journal...Honestly, there are times when I go through a really tough phase, and it's at those times that one never thinks of anything to be grateful for. Life sucks and everything hurts and people are mean...and then there are other times at which life seems like a breeze...If we want to avoid this yo-yo-ing in our moods, we need to be develop equanimity...and that is possible through having a balanced view of life...Showing our gratitude helps us focus on the positive and think less abt the problems...By this I do not mean that we shouldn't focus on finding solutions, we ought to, but worrying brings no good...

And so, i started a simple excel file that would serve as my gratitude journal...I am happy to list all the small good things, like getting food when you need it, or getting a parking lot, being able to leave on time, mom making breakfast for me, folks doing different things for me...and trust me, although I have nothing much going on, I had quite a few things to be grateful for, albeit quite small and something I'd normally never find mentionworthy...

Life is beautiful and unless we show our gratitude for all the little things that make our world go around smoothly, and for the kindness of people who we love and who love us, we'll never attract the Simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy that can transform each day and make every living day special...Decide today and commit to giving thanks each day, for the more we are grateful for what we have, more shall be given unto us! Bcos if it's true that what we focus on expands, we might as well focus on that which we want and appreciate!

Thank you V

2011-09-29T12:24:00.000+05:30

Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

~ Vince Lombardi

Unsung Heroes

2011-09-29T12:23:00.000+05:30

How many times do we stand and recognise the amount of effort and energy construction workers and laborers put in in creating and building the flyovers we drive on, or the metro lines we go in...

Someone is at the helm, no doubt, but

how many millions of people toe the line and do the work...that creates the modern day monument?
How many times do we stand and stare or even stand up and acknowledge? We only see them as nuisance value, especially when they sleep on roads...
Have you ever wondered how many of these people are exploited? and
how many could be on the other side, being one of us spectators if only they were treated fairly? Have you ever wondered how many days they sleep without cover from biting cold? and
have you ever even given one a pat?

If these are our modern day monuments, then they're our modern day heroes...esp the unsung ones, ones that never recieve their due, neither from the mason nor from life...
ones whose fingers could be chopped off, if the monument were unique enough, and
ones we never care to stop, stand and stare at!

How many of these could be one of us? and
How many of us could be one of them?
Cliched this, but I dont know if even I will do something abt this...

Why be Cynical?

2011-09-15T16:27:00.000+05:30

I am in the midst of a busy work day. I have a deliverable for tomorrow... But i realised that time is slipping through my fingers esp so far as my life is concerned...Our days make our lives and hours make days; without your knowing it, your life is getting spent and sometimes, someone else spends your time!
I no longer feel in control of my life, a lot is changing, there's a lot of flux and life is dynamic... You lag behind at something and it comes chasing you...

I have been doing some self-introspection and realised that I have over time become hghly cynical... and so I started reading stuff on the psychology of cynicism...Later I realised that the best way to get out of being cynical is to get into positive thinking, deeper into it... I tell myself I want to become a SHOUTING OPTIMIST! I want to become an unstoppable force, an irresistable spring of energy and inspiration, and have a boundless horizon of positive thinking

So I decided that I will include a few things in my faily life -

1. use verbal affirmations EVERY day - Tell myself that I will create and achieve what I want to create and achieve

2. Use positive language - ALWAYS, for instance starting a sentence with NO is use of negative language... and I have decided to catch myself every time I start a sentence with a No or a BUT

3. Create a vision board - and this is something I really want to do, I genuinely want to get a special journal where I will post pictures of the kind of life I want to create...the things I want to bring into my life, the kind of environments I want to be in, the stuff I want to do, the experiences I want to create and so on...

4. Surround yourself with positive images, quotes, pictures, affirmations

5. Express Gratitude for all the small good things...Often what we take for granted in life is what is likely to

6. Listen to inspirational talks and music in the car

7. Use +ve thinking while exercising

8. I have added an eighth element which is to Chant Gongyo and Daimoku everyday... In between, I had stopped my practice for a while, bcos of the shifting and all the related flux in life...and so now I plan to resume my practice...

9. Exercise every single day, I haven't exercised the last 3 days and feel miserable about it...but I promise to myself to stay super fit and have perfect health for the rest of my life!! It's a commitment to myself!

Persistence Lessons

2011-06-23T14:55:00.002+05:30

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence
Talent will not; nothing is more common
Than unsuccessful people with talent

Genius will not; unawarded genius
is almost a proverb

Education will not; the world is full
Of educated derelicts

Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent

The slogan “press on” has solved,
And always will solve,
The problems of the human race
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For some time, all I have been doing is copy and paste from sayings and published material as one friend pointed out...
But all I have to say in retort is that what I post is reflective of what I'm thinking, most often...

Just Do It!

2011-06-07T13:37:00.001+05:30

Be bold and courageous
At times be reckless
Abandon yourself to your dreams
Live them wholeheartedly
Pursue them unashamedly
Enter the unknown boldly
Tread upon new terrain fearlessly
Starve and silence your fears
Feed and activate your faith
Put your feet to the floor
Prepare to victoriously score
Don't listen to doubters any more
Move beyond unsettled unbelievers
Associate with confident doers
Disassociate from excuse makers
Murmurers, complainers, and whiners
Courageously conquer every challenge
Arise and go over into the promised land
Be bold, aggressive, and take a stand
Don't bother to persuade and grandstand
Your actions will speak louder than words
Your accomplishments will silence skeptics
Your success will cripple fickle critics
Be like a postage stamp, take your licks
But keep on sticking, adhering, and traveling
To your intended destination and occupation
Be creative, resourceful, and forever hopeful
Disregard those who give you a mouth full
Of discouragement, despair, and don't care
About your personhood, identity, and dreams
Life and people are not always as they seem
Never judge or size up anything prematurely
Press on persistently, passionately, and consistently
Be fiery, focused, forceful, and have childlike fun
While you live your dreams and get the job done
Never embrace the stinking thinking of anyone
Give yourself a check up from the neck up
Before you are paralyzed by fear's mental hiccup
Paralysis comes from excessive analysis
Just feel it, go after it, and fearlessly do it
Put your heart, mind, and back into it
Breathe, believe, receive, and achieve it.
Boldness and courage are they key ingredients.
- Paul Davis

Toss It!

2011-05-26T17:33:00.001+05:30

I can't really boast of my decision skills... My folks would attest for sure on my strength in this area...But I did read somewhere, don't know where, but worth quoting...

"When faced with a decision toss a coin, for when you're tossing the coinyou heart would be praying for what you want,and that really is the answer to your dilemma"

meaning toss the coin, not to find the answer based on the toss of the coin, but to get closer to your heart!

Anything Can Happen!

2011-05-06T16:28:00.000+05:30

Anything Can Happen
Shel Silverstein

Listen to the Mustn'ts,child,
Listen to the Don'ts
Listen to the Shouldn'ts
The Impossibles, the Won'ts
Listen to the Never Haves,
Then listen close to me --
Anything can happen, child,
Anything can be

The Only Wealth is Life!

2011-03-15T11:34:00.000+05:30

A Short speech by Bryan Dyson, cEO of Coke -

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. They're Work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back...But the other four balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand and strive for it.

The following blog post (not speech) is by Saad Abdul Latif, the AMEA CEO of PepsiCo -

Chase Your Dreams
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The mind achieves what the mind conceives.

Many of you have heard me say those words in town halls, meetings or personal conversations. They are important to me. They are words that I live by. They are about having dreams and going after them. This is how you build a brighter future for you, your family and your business … by chasing your dreams.

To illustrate this point, I would like to share something about myself that I rarely discuss. Few people know that when I was younger I acted in school theater, and I truly enjoyed it. But I never for a moment considered pursuing it as a career. My dreams lay elsewhere, in becoming a successful businessman and someday leading a big company.

Flashing forward, my youngest son will complete high school this year and he also loves acting just as I once did. I saw him recently in a school play and felt really proud. While I didn’t consider the arts as a career option, he sees things differently. After he graduates, he wants to purse an education in filmmaking, production and direction. He is passionate about it – it’s his dream.

It feels like 180-degrees from the choices I made, but I have very much encouraged him from the beginning to pursue this passion, and I will continue to support him all the way. After all, with a lot of hard work I was able to achieve my dreams of running a successful business, and I want nothing less for my family, including each of you.

Do you know your loved ones’ dreams? Do you know yours? What do you dream for your company? And what are you doing to support those dreams?

The King's Speech! - 5 Star

2011-03-07T13:40:00.003+05:30

Last night I watched King’s speech, and I thought it was a very fine movie. Well, the world thinks that! And Colin Firth as King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue have played their parts to perfection, par excellence! Seriously, Colin Firth both looks and acts the part, exceptionally (for a lack of adjectives) well.

And I couldn’t really find any loose ends in the movie, none really!! I did find B-B-B-Bertie by David (Albert’s Brother), exceedingly offensive… and I loved the scene where after the accension (albeit perforce), Kign Georger VI cries to his wife, I am not a king, I am just a Naval Officer, that’s all I know…

I also loved the many spat that Lionel and Bertie engage in, and particularly how by sitting on the chair of the throne, Lionel enrages Bertie and Makes him scream, “I have a voice”.

What I particularly loved was the fact that there are innumerable subtle overtones in the life of King George Vi (as depicted in the movie) to be learnt from it,

(a) Be it Common or King, everyone is capable of greatness - passive or aggressive or both,
(B) Again, Common or King, everyone has performance anxiety, in varying degrees, arising out of self-doubt and lack of confidence in self,
(c) how doing something contrary to nature – like forcefully inducing a left dexterous child to be ambidextrous or worse still use the opposite hand because that is the accepted norm in society… - can cause long term damage
(d) How much childhood, and negative experiences at childhood shape our lives – Loss of a sibling, ill-treatment by a nanny, favoritism, nepotism
(e) Messaging of our abilities is largely self-induced – I think and believe I can and I can; I think and believe I cannot and I cannot – beautifully depicted several times through the movie – Classic first time when Lionel makes the King read “To be or Not to Be” from the Hamlet and deafens him to his own voice by making him listen to Mozart at a raucous Volume,
(f) How personal Vs Impersonal, Formal Vs Informal breaks down the huge invisible wall separating any two people…
(g) Sometimes, rather most times, we need people who will listen to us, make us feel important, make us realize we have a voice (metaphorical)
(h) Wait and you can wait for ever, but action is the only and everlasting antidote to pain…

(i) People can keep giving you encouragement, meaningfully or emptily, but until you make up your mind, seldom does life change...

Godsend

2011-03-07T12:45:00.003+05:30

I woke up to this image in my dream - A fairy godmother sitting atop a low stool, She was wearing a long flowing white gown (I don’t remember seeing a crown). And upon her lap I have laid my head, my hair open. Her left hand on my forehead and with her right she’s brushing my hair and consoling me “Everything will be alright” as I narrate tales of a turbulent life…

As I saw this image I sprung up from my bed and my thoughts drifted towards thinking how many guardian angels God has sent to me in life…The best part about it is that half the time these are people who already exist in your life, but have assumed a less significant part until that time that He brings them into action, and as they go about their duties, they gently unburden you of the many troubles that have saddled your tender shoulders…God gives in droves, be it sorrow or joy!! And what he gives, he also takes back – Be it pain or gain, life or death!

Almost always, in balanced families, where there is no apparent discord between spouses, the heads of the household – most likely your dad and mom, will be your Guardian Angels. But God also has a way of sending more people, aside from your parents who are in a better way to share your troubles as suited to the circumstance – spouse, friend, relative, whoever….These people are in a unique position to help you, not so much as to bail you out, but to “relate” to your suffering…They’re in a position to put themselves in your shoes or have themselves undergone similar problems, that puts them in a fiduciary position to guide you through the wilderness…You once again become a child, and your angel guides you through the thorny bushes, holding you gently by your hand, pushing them aside, protecting you from them as if you’re in her care – she shares your journey through the phase until your mission has been accomplished, the goods delivered, and you have been safely brought ashore…

I regard this akin to Adam Smith’s “Invisible Hand”…Akin to the proposition that economies have a natural tendency to restore equilibrium after disequilibrium and what goes down has to come up, I believe through the play of the Invisible hand, He has a manner of restoring equilibrium in our lives by sending these angels. They’re really messengers of God. God acts through people, events, circumstances and opportunities…And this is His way of showing you ‘He Cares’…

To those who are my Guardian Angels, Thank you so much for being there for me, Thank you for protecting me, you mean my world to me and you’ve made life easier and my troubles now seem a breeze - Thanks to you!

To be, Or Not To Be

2011-03-07T11:51:00.000+05:30

Timeless -

To be, or not to be, that is the Question:
Whether 'tis Nobler in the minde to suffer
The Slings and Arrowes of outragious Fortune,
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to dye, to sleepe
No more; and by a sleepe, to say we end
The Heart-ake, and the thousand Naturall shockes
That Flesh is heyre too? 'Tis a consummation
Deuoutly to be wish'd. To dye to sleepe,
To sleepe, perchance to Dreame; I, there's the rub,
For in that sleepe of death, what dreames may come,
When we haue shuffel'd off this mortall coile,
Must giue vs pawse. There's the respect
That makes Calamity of so long life:
For who would beare the Whips and Scornes of time,
The Oppressors wrong, the poore mans Contumely,
The pangs of dispriz'd Loue, the Lawes delay,
The insolence of Office, and the Spurnes
That patient merit of the vnworthy takes,
When he himselfe might his Quietus make
With a bare Bodkin? Who would these Fardles beare
To grunt and sweat vnder a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The vndiscouered Countrey, from whose Borne
No Traueller returnes, Puzels the will,
And makes vs rather beare those illes we haue,
Then flye to others that we know not of.
Thus Conscience does make Cowards of vs all,
And thus the Natiue hew of Resolution
Is sicklied o're, with the pale cast of Thought,
And enterprizes of great pith and moment,
With this regard their Currants turne away,
And loose the name of Action.

Meaning –

To live or not to live, that is the question.

Is it better to stay, and suffer all of the ridiculous highs and lows of life?
Or to leave, and avoid the trials and tribulations altogether?

We cannot answer this.

Even after you die you still might dream. And who knows what you'll dream?

If it wasn't for that fear who would bear all the evils and humiliations of life?
The injustices and oppression? The gloating of the powerful?
The pain of loving someone who could care less?
The lack of integrity? The abuses of the government?
The rejections we all face?

Why would we put up with all of this when we could just end our lives so easily? Why burden ourselves by continuing to live?

It's the fear of what awaits after death.
Death is an undiscovered country, a place from which no one ever returns.
The existence of death puzzles us and makes us put up with all the miseries of life.

So instead of exploring something we can't we perceive in advance, we continue to put up with our lives here.
Our imaginations make us cowards.
And our resolutions only turn us into self-compromised human beings.

Therefore, we choose to take no action.

As a Man Thinketh

2011-03-01T17:00:00.001+05:30

Mind is the master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills -
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.
- James Allen

Man's Search for Meaning

2011-02-28T15:21:00.002+05:30

Over the last couple of days, I have been reading this book – “Man’s search for Meaning” by Victor.E.Frankl. It’s enlisted on the ‘10 books to read before you die’ list. I thought it was a really solid book, albeit a small and concise one, all of 150 pages, but extremely insightful.

To give one a background, Victor Frankl advocated the Logotherapy, the third school of significant thinking on Human Psychology after Freud and Adler. The Freudian Psychology is based on the “Will of Pleasure” as the Driving force in Man’s life, and Adler’s on the “Will of Money”. However, Logotherapy is based on “The will of Meaning” as the single largest driver for man to overcome all suffering and continue living.

The book is broken int two major parts – the first 100 Pages is the autobiography of Victor Frankl, specifically of the phase of his experiences and his life during his three years in a concentration camp in Auschwitz during world war – II. He talks about the many atrocities that man inflicts upon his own ilk, some voluntarily and some per force. He also brings out the co-existence of compassion and cold-blooded murder and massacre and en masse gassing of people in gas chambers. His account is moving, first-hand, short and descriptive. It definitely makes you wonder how one can go through such horror and still live thereafter.

The next 50 pages he talks about Logotherapy and Tragic Optimism in Life. And this honestly was my favorite part of the book. It was more theory for sure, a lot of jargons, and a tremendous amount of insight too. In this section he talks about man’s search for meaning which can be attained through (1) an accomplishment/ an achievement, (2) experience of being with someone or something, (3) Suffering. Here in the section on suffering, he draws analogies and episodes from his life in the Concentration Camp. He propounds that suffering is not essential for man’s search for meaning, but through suffering too one can understand his meaning and purpose in life.

He also says that for a bulk of the people who survived the gas chambers and eventually all the suffering in the Concentration camp, the one factor that kept them going was “Unfinished Business” or a Goal of either being there for your loved one or family and so on. In a lot of ways, I resonate with this thought. Reason being, in the very recent past, about two weeks ago, I lost a distant relative – my mom’s aunt. She was a single woman, and with no children. She was all by herself. There was really no activity in her life so to speak, but for breathing and survival. And in course of time, survival was becoming a challenge as she neither had a source of income, nor children or caretakers. She was neither terminally ill nor did she have a debilitating health condition. All of 72 when she died (given that Longevity and life expectancy is increasing today), one realizes that she possibly died because she had no reason to live. She had not found the reason for her existence or the meaning of her survival. And every passing day only meant more loneliness, no purposeful activity and increasing negative cash flow, if not debt. So I realized after reading this book, that people who have a meaning in life, a goal to chase, a reason to live will live notwithstanding circumstances. That existential vacuum is what really led to her demise… He says a man who knows the "why" to live can withstand any "how" to live!

That brought me to another startling realization, what is really my meaning and purpose in life? What do I live for, stand for? I don’t have anything significant to do on weekends (called "Sunday Neurosis"), save for getting ready for the week ahead…So what do I really intend to do with my life? So here is where I fit in the seven habits and The Secret, as my next read…I hope I find answers to these fundamental existential questions.

A book I would recommend even to a foe!

Friday Evening Rituals

2011-02-11T16:02:00.001+05:30

I want to start a Friday evening ritual, something like lighting lamps in a church every Friday, or attending a prayer meeting, or maybe visiting a special temple…I am still looking for ideas on what I could do…

11-02-2011 a Palindrome Day

2011-02-11T16:00:00.000+05:30

Incidentally, today happens to be a palindrome day – 11-02-2011. I don’t know if today is special in any particular way, but last evening I tried to jot down a few things to be grateful for. Yep – I have started maintaining a gratitude journal, not really a separate book, but for now I am writing in my regular diary. But I’d love to get a book exclusively for jotting down things I’d like to be grateful for..

Don't ya be there for me!

2011-02-11T12:18:00.007+05:30

Has this ever happenned to you?

You think you’re doing fine,

catching and managing

the many curved balls

life throws at you…

You’re tough,

you’re dealing with times,

you’ve reconciled to many a thing,

you’re alone and

yet that does not hurt...

And then suddenly someone comes along

who’s nice, really nice to you,

when you least expect it…

And the iceberg that is you melts,

they in fact end up making you weaker..

not the weak in the knees kind,

but just what you thought of yourself,

to be someone tough and able –

able to juggle the many curve balls and

make lemonade from many a lemon

on a cloudy day,

just changes,

in exactly one instant.

All it took was that one instant

for you to realize

how much you need people that are nice,

how much you’ve lost the joy of life,

how bad life is, and

how you’ve built your defense mechanism

into believing 'All Izz Well',

when nothing really is!

To whomsoever it may concern,
I feel like saying,
Don’t ya be there for me,

coz you only end up making we weaker…
Don’t ya be nice to me,

coz it makes me see both sides of the coin…
Much as I’d like to show gratitude,

it shows me all that I’m missing.
Don't ya be there for me!

This was absent in my life,
and by showing me good things,
you make me feel at a loss…
It’s strange how having what you need

can make you feel at a loss!

To you, who is concerned,
concerned abt my welfare,
I like to tell you,

don’t ya be there for me…
You don’t make me stronger,

you bring tears to my eyes…
you make me realize all that is missing in my life –

compassion, kindness and affection.

Don’t ya be good to me,

coz you make me feel down,
although you mean well for me,

don’t ya be there for me,

coz I wont be…

I feel like shunning you,

Coz you bring back to memory

all I'm missing…

I’d like to believe

I'm strong,
doing great and

dealing with all the thorns

as I walk on the bed of roses

that is life…

I’d like to believe

I'm throwing them on the wayside,
away they go,

one after another,
I manage to throw them

to the wayside

and not get hurt…

And If they do hurt me,
they only make me stronger,
or so I’d like to believe.
Don’t yabe there for me.
Thanks, but no thanks

you only make me weaker..

Don't ya be kind to me!

Expansion (Of the Mind)

2011-02-07T17:54:00.000+05:30

I have this urge now to read a lot of biographies and autobiographies as also a lot of case studies on companies...I want to expand my knowledge...I want to know a lot mroe than I do right now...I want to know that I am growing not just older but also wiser and smarter with every passing day...

Fat to Fit

2011-02-07T17:52:00.001+05:30

Have you ever realized that the only thing that changes from fatness to fitness is the first vowel? The ‘a’ becomes ‘I’…Perhaps it signifies the change from Ah! Signifying ecstasy from love of food and drink, (an excess of it that I used to suffer from), to a focus on the I, a respect for the self that manifests in a desire to look your best? And so, After a lifetime of fatness, I have now decided to lead a lifetime of fitness...I just need the discipline and perseverance I have now for a whole lifetime! Will I make it?!

Turning Thirty!

2011-02-07T17:51:00.002+05:30

I am starting to think, that my 30th year (i.e. 18 Dec 2010 - 18 Dec 2011) is going to be the year I am going to learn the most...Don't know what makes me think such thoughts...But I am thinking 2010-11 is going to be transformational in a big way...

BHAG

2011-02-07T17:51:00.001+05:30

I want to create a BHAG - a Big Hairy audacious goal for my life...and that will guide what I want to do over the next 20-30 years of my life - personally, professionally, academically and so on...
I am also writing my bucket list... the 101 things I want to do before i die...

A true BHAG is clear and compelling, serves as unifying focal point of effort, and acts as a clear catalyst for team spirit. It has a clear finish line, so the organization can know when it has achieved the goal; people like to shoot for finish lines.
—Collins and Porras, 1996

If you're a brand, and you need to manage your life and time and need a (managing) partner, then why not have a BHAG?

Friendship is Blind!

2011-02-07T17:50:00.004+05:30

I found a new friend, a friend in whom I confide, one with who is my sounding board (means my agony aunt, actually?), mentor, philosopher and guide! - and that friend is more than 2X my age! yet he can relate to all my professional issues in much the same way as I narrate them to him! Thank you mama, for being such an incredible friend!

Starting Life Over Again!

2011-02-07T17:50:00.003+05:30

I have this urge to start life over again! And I think I am doing that in some part...For starters, I have become more conscious of my health, finances, career, family - Ofcourse these are in alignment with my 2011 goals..

To Each, His Own!

2011-02-07T17:49:00.003+05:30

My mom always says - we can never understand other people's troubles... And always, almost always, our problems seem bigger than everyone else's! And quite right, inspite of watching 127 hours, reading and watching abt Steve Jobs, working with someone who's daughter is sufferring, I still assume my problems are larger than everyone else's!

2011-02-07T17:49:00.001+05:30

I went through some inspirational videos o'er the weekend...One was on Steve Jobs' Life! Most of you know how he sufferred and survived Pancreatic Cancer - a rare form that could be treated through surgery! ANd how he created Apple, left Apple, Built Pixar! truly inspirational!

Aww-wuch

2011-02-07T17:48:00.004+05:30

A Colleague of mine is going through a painful time at home. His 2 year old is sufferring from Leukaemia! I cannot quite picture a baby sufferring from cancer at such an age. Add to that the thoughts abt treatment, chemotherapy, skin peeling off, hair falling... and your only baby sufferring in front of your eyes and you're helpless...

New Faith?

2011-02-07T17:48:00.001+05:30

A colleague gave me access to some budhist philosophies and a budhist prayer group... I am quite excited about being a part of the budhist prayer group just to explore what it's all about... For starters, it says and acknowledges that life is difficult!

The Secret

2011-02-07T17:47:00.001+05:30

A friend of mine showed/ passed on the "The Secret' videos...Although I've always had the book I've never gotten down to imbibing the thoughts fully enough. And add to it the fact that visual stimulation is far more impactful than passive reading!

At a Crossroad

2011-02-07T17:46:00.001+05:30

I find that I am at crossroads! I need to really make a decision on wht I want to do next with my career. What I really want to do is consulting...though I'm never able to answer the why consulting question sufficiently eloquently!

There's Never Enough Time!

2011-02-07T17:45:00.001+05:30

I realise these days that my weekends are busier than my weekdays! There's so much work to do o'er the weekends that there's never enough time!

Hmmmph!

2011-02-07T17:43:00.000+05:30

I'm slowing getting enamored by Designer clothes. There's this mega sale everywhere to clear end of season stocks. And Debenhams is really getting the better of me...I love some new collections they have for spring? And whoa, one shiffon top for 3K bucks! I refrained from buying it, but well, regret it nevertheless!

There's a reason

2011-02-07T17:42:00.001+05:30

Increasingly, I am starting to believe in the adage there's a reason for every single occurrence in our lives. No matter how trivial the occurrence, it's for sure something to take a lesson from!

FIrst Off, I am starting to think, the reason 127 Hours happenned at this phase of my life was to show me how enduring and persevering someone has been in times of severe distress. Although he was near death and about to lose his life, he did not ever give up on the thought of rescuing his arm. He kept pushing to rescue his arm. Eventually, he chopped it off with the help of a swiss knife, a rather ineffective one, however, it was more the tenacity of his purpose, his motivation to save his life that really mattered most

While with my crummy problems, I have these feelings of deep pain, deep loss and deep deep deep abyss. But the irony here is that Aron was the one who was really in deep abyss...and yet he kept pushing to rescue his hand, that was stuck in a real tight place. Our problems are so small in front of someone who's lost his arm, but reclaimed his life!

I don't know what to say and he went onto write an autobiography and became a well known and inpiring figure! Suffice it to say, this is too small a trouble that I have facing me! Well, it's big, for the moment, but yet not big enough to engulf me in it! It's big, but there's a silver lining to it that I am supposed to see!

2011-02-07T17:40:00.001+05:30

Easier Said? But powerful!

2011-02-01T14:41:00.001+05:30

When you get into a tight place and
everything goes against you, till it seems
as though you could not hang on a
minute longer, never give up then, for
that is just the place and time that the
tide will turn
- Harriet Beecher Stowe

Awesome - Haven't read something like this in a while!

2011-01-24T12:14:00.000+05:30

These are from a book called 'Disorder in the American Courts' and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.

___________________________

ATTORNEY: This neurasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
_________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: getting laid
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
_____________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
_____________________________

And the best for last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law..

Lou them! - Writeups on Himalayan Water Bottles

2010-12-07T18:29:00.003+05:30

There are 5 different versions of verses written on the Himalayan PET bottles, and each of them make me go weak on my knees - awww my love for words!

Ver 1
I am so pure, I make a
worldly worn-out cliche like
"pure" seem new again.
So pristine, I could have only
survived twelve hundred metres above the rest of the
world. SO removed, the only
things I've been in contact
with before you are sun,
wind, earth and snow. I am
one of the purest things
you've laid your hands on.
I hope you're thirsty.
Live Natural

Ver 2

I look back on life - it's
funny how things turn out.
You, the creator of beeping
sirens and honking cars, yearn
for the solitude of the
mountains. You, a connoiseur
of fast food, now gaze at water
that took years to gather
natural minerals as it trickled
down from the Himnalayas to
within your reach. And I, some
of the purest water in the
world, stand here, trapped in a
bottle. Come, enjoy the irony.
Live Natural

Ver 3

I was born in the Sivalik
range of the Himalayas.
In a place most of you visit
only in an Atlas. In a time that
wasn't measured by cuckoos
that sprang out of clocks. In a
silence that was sometimes
punctuated by howling winds
and gushing streams.
In a world that had nothing
to do with yours. Seems like
reason enough to be here.
Live Natural

Ver 4

I grew up in a world where
music played when birds were
in the mood to chirp.
When fashion statements
weren't mass manufactured,
when grays and laugh lines
were elaborated and not
mourned. Where water was
filled with natural minerals -
sodium, calcium, potassium
served warm and chilled,
depending on the time of day.
In keeping with the times,
we've just put a label on it.
Live Natural

Ver 5

I spent my youth
never questioning a destiny
that led me from the top of
the Shivalik range to the foothills
of the Himalayas. Nor the
decades I spent gathering the
natural goodness of minerals
like sodium, calcium and
potassium. Where I come from,
destiny is a good thing. And
now that yours has led you to
me, don't hesitate to drink up.
Live Natural

and it also says on the side panel -

Untouched and Unprocessed
Taste of Pristine Himalayan water
Wellness of Organic Minerals

There's something pristine, feminine and beautiful about the Himalayan Brand - I am an insider now - can't divulge more!

Lou them...

2010-11-29T06:45:00.002+05:30

The 35 Day Journey!

2010-11-28T20:12:00.006+05:30

I had set three key goals for myself -

Nov 30 - To find something I would love to do for a living, a.k.a. a career improvement

Dec 31 - Get a fix on the person I will live with for the REST of my life

Jan 31 - Get to 56 Kilos - my ideal weight.

Sadly enough, while I was evaluating my performance against these goals over the last month or so, I realised that I have failed miserably...

My Nov goal is somet.hing I will not talk abt too much in a public forum, the Dec one is falling through the cracks, and so we will talk extensively abt the Jan one as it is less controversial as also a S.M.A.R.T. goal...The Dec one is too lucid and requires some divine intervention!! Therefore, I shall postpone it indefinitely!

I decided therefore to focus on the Nov and Jan goals!

So here I go - I found this Blog where a woman talks abt her goal to lose 5 Kilos in 5 weeks and writes a day by day update on this... I have taken inspiration from her and I will write daily on what small things I am doing to gain traction towards my 35 Day Goal... I was hoping the 35 days will close with End 2010... But there are only 33 days to the end of the year! Nevertheless, here goes Patty on her 35 Day Program that Closes on Jan 2, 2011! 02-01-2011! Wish me luck!

There are certainly going to be some breaks and gaps, some obstacles and disturbances as I go along my 35 Day program... There will be temptations, a birthday, an Alum Meet, Christmas, New Year, a visit home and to Chennai - Enough and More occasions that will stand squarely in front of my 35 Day goal!

But we hope Patty makes progress despite this, and Jan 2, 2011 is a day of reckoning!!!! :-) So will Patty become Super fit?!

2010-11-09T14:06:00.005+05:30

Chuck -
I plan to write a Research paper in the name of "Cult Mafia in formal organizations"! and the source is largely primary research and first hand information!
Doesn't it seem exciting?! Obviously, I'm joking! I have interest in reseacrh but NOT in research from my own life!!

Tata,
Patty
P.S. - Obviously, it's not exciting when you undergo it!
-------
Chuck is an imaginary character!!! and exists purely in the imagination of the author of this blog!!!

From Scrabbles to Dow Jones

2010-11-05T23:19:00.004+05:30

Alive * My * Liver * Brim * Fear * Mega * Data * Tad * Drag * Gods * Weds * Son * Vet * Veto * Face * Me * Crow * Pawns * Sink * Zouk * Hob * Pry * If * Jig * Liquidates * Euro * On * Nestle * Spa * Dirt * Row * Ox * Lint * Cue * Dour *

My mom and I played scrabble today after a long, long time... Just the two of us... We don’t have a TV remember? So no Diwali programs for us…

Initially, we were getting staid three letter and four letter words. The game really picked up after my mom placed "Liquid". Then she milked the word - thrice Over - Liquid to Liquidate then Liquidates + Shine by adding Shine below the Liquidate....and whoa, so many points from there...
At one point, I gave up on the game... I was ready to quit - I had only Consonants and no vowels - and all of them toughies - My tiles were J-S-P-M-Y-V-Z!!! Then, I placed the S and P to make Spa. I picked up tiles and got a series J-G-G-M-Y-V-Z! At this time, I was ready to call it quits! My mom on the other side had been milking "Liquid"! We were at 73/ 134 (Myself/ Mom)... and I being impatient was prepared to call it quits and accept that she was a winner....

The game continued...Moms always have the upper hand you see! ;) The game went on lacklustre (for me - Coz we were) 177/241!! The real turning point in the game came after this, with "Zouk"! That was Double Letter on Z and a Triple Word!!!! I made 81 there to lead from thereon! We closed with a 9 point difference! My mom won, obviously!!

This simple game taught me a few lessons - Life is a friggin game -
1. Face failure...even if it’s incremental – Do not let the last straw break the camel’s back!
2. Do not run away at the slightest signs of distress
3. Situations can take a turn anytime for the better or for the worse, so staying power is critical…
4. When something goes down, it does come up, that's the Niyam of Nature!
5. Be generous
6. Sometimes Luck is not on your side,
7. Individually, you may have the best – Z, V, Y, J, W, X – I had all of these Tiles…. But collectively, they may not make the best sense!
8. Be a Player to be counted

The point is that life is one coherent good experience and not a collection of Good Experiences! So it cannot be ALL good. There will be downtimes and there will be good times! It’s unwise, rather unreasonable to expect the climb to be uphill and pleasant! I’m reminded of Dow Jones actually :) at this point… The Dow Jones Theory propounds - The market going up or down is to be gauged not basis daily trends but basis longer term trends - If the peaks and the troughs indicate an overall trend of going down, over a period, then the market is tending downward and vice-versa!

Moral of the Story - Focus on the Longer Term to tide over the Shortcomings in the Immediate term..

Defining Moments?! (Pun)

2010-11-05T19:31:00.002+05:30

"To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty,

to find the best in others;

to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dirt, Donkeys, Lemons, Frogs et al

2010-11-02T15:56:00.016+05:30

Chuck,

It must come to you as a surprise - I am writing to you again within 3 days of my previous letter… !!! Just that the last coupla weeks has been a bit stressful emotionally (Some personal and professional issues, inadequate perf on Wt mgmt Goals, so on and so forth...)… So I think of you now and then…

You know Chuck, I want to develop the “Muscle” (One of my friends pronounces it ‘Mus-Kle’!) to deal with anything - have a breakdown, then pick up the ball and run - all within a matter of a (max of a) day.. In short, I want to become someone “Unstoppable”… I want to be able to deal with all the Lemons and make a lemonade bar of it, so to say! I mean, I want to be someone Inspiring, and not someone despairing...

But unfortunately Chuck, I’m still lacking in that ability…I get bogged down, feel bad about my circumstances and then get derailed from my goals…So I don’t realize those goals, (leave alone my potential) then go down the spiral of an unachieved goal and the resulting breakdown..and then one more breakdown and another - It's REALLY a Vicious circle…I don’t know if it’s to do with a Lack of Perseverance or Tenacity of Purpose? I wanted to share with you a story that sooooo resonates with this very thought…
-----
“One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided that the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway - it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he became quiet.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that fell on his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off !
------
Moral of the Story - Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is to not get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping. And by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!”

You know Chuck, this is such a friggin’ inspiring short story, we’ve heard tons of these - different versions with donkeys, dogs, cats, frogs, monkeys, lemons and so on….But the point remains, Chuck, that no matter what, emotion takes over and derails action a number of times….Is it Choice? Or Result? It takes SOME discipline to stand up after you've just fallen, dust it off and resume the climb...

Chuck – In keeping with this newfound resolve, I have set three very specific goals that I keep measuring my performance against -

End Nov ’10 – Professional Goal (Undisclosed)
End Dec ’10 – Personal Goal (Undisclosed)
End Jan ’11 - Wt Management Goal

And Chuck, I’m proud to tell you that setting goals and working agst them really helps me gain traction. Now and then I get derailed, but it def helps me get back on track…I have also joined a gym and taken a personal trainer for my Jan ’11 goal!!! I’m making progress for sure… So in the backdrop of those issues I referred to in the beginning, these goals help me regain my confidence…

Letter to a long lost friend

2010-10-31T19:59:00.007+05:30

Chuck,
You're now a long lost friend. Grrr! I haven't written to you in ages...! How're you doin? (In Joey Shtyle)..Chuck instead of writing to you about what's going on in my life, I thought I'd send you some fun stuff I found on the net... It reminded me of

- the times we sat together and laughed all night...
- of Halloween...and how we dressed up like the characters in a pack of cards!
- of all those times that I'd sleep in class and you'd sit next to me trying to wake me up (in vain!)
- the times you'd try teaching me math,
- the times I'd get a D in class (which was pretty much all the time!!),
- the times we played together - snoopy, you and me...
- the times we'd climb up a branch of a tree and scream and shout out to passersby below..
- the times we were home alone and turned the house topsy-turvy,
- the times we played poker (when I'd always cheat!),
- those are really the times...
Miss ya Chuck! Life has changed!, should I say for the better? Here you go! Lemme know if you like 'em!

Need I say more?
Hehe! Maybe we will do this next time we meet at the Airport? What say Chuck? That'd be something to remember our friendship by! :)

That's a Photo Trick! Man Looking into the mirror pic!

Hehe! Don't make animals sick Chuck :)

Funny STOP sign!!! Where and How do you make your next move? :P
Love ya,

Peppermint Patty

P.S. Peppermint Patty is in a Forever, unconditional sort of love with Chuck!

A Letter from the CEO of my Company to all Employees

2010-10-29T07:48:00.004+05:30

Dear Fellow Associates,

October 22nd was a difficult day for me. This was the infamous Friday when my beloved baseball team – the New York Yankees – were eliminated from the playoffs by the Texas Rangers. You see, all of us NY Yankees fans just take it for granted that our team will be in the World Series, and maybe even win it again.

But alas, it was not meant to be. The Texas Rangers outscored, outfielded, out maneuvered and simply out-played the Yankees throughout the entire American League Championship Series this October. They won the best of seven games 4 to 2.

I was fortunate enough to attend the fourth game of the playoffs at Yankee Stadium here in New York. The weather was beautiful. The view from my seat fantastic. The outcome – not as good. The Yankees lost that game 10-3.

For the three and a half hours I was at the game, I watched the teams and plays very closely. The Rangers had a spring in their step. They looked hungry. They were on the attack. They hustled. They made the impossible plays.

The Yankees on the other hand played their normal “winning game.” Quiet, confident, no fireworks, no surprises. In fact, their play was so predictable it looked boring.

On reflection, there are many lessons I took away from the Championship Series:

Just because you are the leader in your field, you cannot afford to become complacent.
The “attacker” – coming up from second position – has a natural advantage. They have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
If your opposition is comprised of players from a different “generation” (age-wise), anticipating how they think and what they will do is much more of a challenge.
Experience alone is not enough. To win, you need agility, flexibility, adaptability.
Be prepared to upgrade your talent and playbook constantly if you want to play in the big leagues and win. Upgrade talent and your playbook when the going is good.
Just because you have a winning season does not mean you can win during the championships. Competition can come from unexpected sources.
Don’t take any competitor for granted. Don’t assume you can beat someone in a championship game just because you beat them in the regular series. Always study competition with a fresh pair of eyes.
Throwing money at an issue (players in this case) does not win you a trophy. Intelligence, shrewdness and a new strategy will trump cold hard cash.

I could go on and on. But I hope you get the point: just as I took lessons from this baseball series for the running of PepsiCo, I hope you too draw lessons from your daily experiences, hobbies and family life. Sarah Caldwell, the American opera director, once said, “Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can - there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.”
And while I am in despair over the Yankees' loss, I am grateful for the lesson it taught me. Every interaction, every event, every piece of information we come across can hold a valuable lesson for each one of us. We just have to keep our eyes, ears and minds open to it.
My congratulations to the Texas Rangers!
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I post this here - as there is nothing even remotely confidential abt this email...but she wrote this to all the employees worldwide!

My Experiments with Kenstar

2010-10-25T23:10:00.004+05:30

Just like Gandhiji’s “My experiments with Truth”, this is a true story! I had gone to live with my daughter in the outskirts of Delhi as she was employed there. She had just then moved into an unfurnished house. Until then, she had stayed in a furnished apartment with all facilities including gas connection provided. This new house had practically nothing except for a wooden cupboard.

On the day next to my landing there, she said that gas connections were not available as the authentic gas dealers had as many as thousand customers waiting in line. Private Gas dealers demanded Rs 5,000 as non-refundable deposit. She said that I would have to manage somehow or the other. What could I do?

…..

The Ken star microwave oven lay in a corner. I picked it up and restored it to a usable condition. She had got it as a gift from her previous employer. I remembered my relative’s remark that Basmati rice could be easily cooked in the oven. I decided to try.

According to the instructions given on the rice packet, I added twice the amount of water as the rice. Then I made some rasam. But the rice would not blend with the rasam. Grains and the liquid stood separate. The next time I added more water and cooked the rice covered. The rice was soft. In the same way, I learnt to cook the vegetables. Slowly, we got used to it.

One fine day, I made noodles exactly in the same way as it was given in the recipe. After the specified time, I took it out of the oven. Noodles was cooked but there was still much water left! For the water to be absorbed, I kept it again in the oven and baked it. My son had come to visit us. I started serving the breakfast. After my son had finished eating it, he said, “ Amma, the Besan Pitla tasted fine! By the way, why did you make Besan Pitla for Breakfast? Isn’t it made as a sidedish for chapattis?” I replied, “My dear son, it was not Besan pitla, it was noodles!”

What a joke! I was reminded of my mother-in-law’s remark when I was newly married, she used to define a bad cook as “Appam sutten, koozha pochu! Donnai thai Brahmana!” I also recalled my husband’s comment that I should stick a label showing the name of the dish prepared by me!!! …

…..

And so, my experiments continue!!!

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This is a post by my Mom. Incidentally, her Birthday is on Oct 2nd, and she has Gandhian tendencies! ;)

Time for Change

2010-06-20T17:05:00.001+05:30

Me thinks it's time again for a makeover. Getting bored with the current looks. the desire now is to chuck the "Simple" looks and maybe look Hawt! ;-)

Dose of Inspiration

2010-06-09T17:38:00.002+05:30

Inspiring Story of how K V Kamath Built ICICI into a Global Giant – For all those Fresh MBA Grads, here’s a HUGE dose of external stimulus. Make a difference, Have a Story to Tell!

Some More Inspiration. Read Here

The Hotel is a Funny Place

2010-06-08T15:32:00.002+05:30

This text is from the books "A Hotel Is A Place" and "A Hotel Is A Funny Place" by Shelley Berman. It was published by Price/Sloan/Stern, copyright 1972 and 1985.
SUBJ: WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE "FREE" SOAPS WHEN TRAVELLING ...
-----
Dear Maid,

Please do not leave any more of those little bars of soap in my bathroom since I have brought my own bath-sized Dial. Please remove the six unopened little bars from the shelf under the medicine chest and another three in the shower soap dish. They are in my way.

Thank you,

S. Berman

-----

Dear Room 635,

I am not your regular maid. She will be back tomorrow, Thursday, from her day off. I took the 3 hotel soaps out of the shower soap dish as you requested. The 6 bars on your shelf I took out of your way and put on top of your Kleenex dispenser in case you should change your mind. This leaves only the 3 bars I left today which my instructions from the management is to leave 3 soaps daily.

I hope this is satisfactory.

Kathy, Relief Maid

-----

Dear Maid (I hope you are my regular maid),

Apparently Kathy did not tell you about my note to her concerning the little bars of soap. When I got back to my room this evening I found you had added 3 little Camays to the shelf under my medicine cabinet. I am going to be here in the hotel for two weeks and have brought my own bath-size Dial so I won't need those 6 little Camays which are on the shelf. They are in my way when shaving, brushing teeth, etc.

Please remove them.

S. Berman

-----

Dear Mr. Berman,

My day off was last Wed. so the relief maid left 3 hotel soaps which we are instructed by the management. I took the 6 soaps which were in your way on the shelf and put them in the soap dish where your Dial was. I put the Dial in the medicine cabinet for your convenience. I didn't remove the 3 complimentary soaps which are always placed inside the medicine cabinet for all new check-ins and which you did not object to when you checked in last Monday. Please let me know if I can of further assistance.

Your regular maid,

Dotty

-----

Dear Mr. Berman,

The assistant manager, Mr. Kensedder, informed me this A.M. that you called him last evening and said you were unhappy with your maid service. I have assigned a new girl to your room. I hope you will accept my apologies for any past inconvenience. If you have any future complaints please contact me so I can give it my personal attention. Call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM.

Thank you.

Elaine Carmen, Housekeeper

-----

Dear Miss Carmen,

It is impossible to contact you by phone since I leave the hotel for business at 745 AM and don't get back before 530 or 6PM. That's the reason I called Mr. Kensedder last night. You were already off duty. I only asked Mr. Kensedder if he could do anything about those little bars of soap. The new maid you assigned me must have thought I was a new check-in today, since she left another 3 bars of hotel soap in my medicine cabinet along with her regular delivery of 3 bars on the bath-room shelf. In just 5 days here I have accumulated 24 little bars of soap. Why are you doing this to me?

S. Berman

-----

Your maid, Kathy, has been instructed to stop delivering soap to your room and remove the extra soaps. If I can be of further assistance, please call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM.

Thank you,

Elaine Carmen,

Housekeeper

-----

Dear Mr. Kensedder,

My bath-size Dial is missing. Every bar of soap was taken from my room including my own bath-size Dial. I came in late last night and had to call the bellhop to bring me 4 little Cashmere Bouquets.

S. Berman

-----

Dear Mr. Berman,

I have informed our housekeeper, Elaine Carmen, of your soap problem. I cannot understand why there was no soap in your room since our maids are instructed to leave 3 bars of soap each time they service a room. The situation will be rectified immediately. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.

Martin L. Kensedder Assistant Manager

-----

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Who the hell left 54 little bars of Camay in my room? I came in last night and found 54 little bars of soap. I don't want 54 little bars of Camay. I want my one damn bar of bath-size Dial. Do you realize I have 54 bars of soap in here. All I want is my bath size Dial. Please give me back my bath-size Dial. S. Berman

-----

Dear Mr. Berman,

You complained of too much soap in your room so I had them removed. Then you complained to Mr. Kensedder that all your soap was missing so I personally returned them. The 24 Camays which had been taken and the 3 Camays you are supposed to receive daily (sic). I don't know anything about the 4 Cashmere Bouquets. Obviously your maid, Kathy, did not know I had returned your soaps so she also brought 24 Camays plus the 3 daily Camays. I don't know where you got the idea this hotel issues bath-size Dial. I was able to locate some bath-size Ivory which I left in your room.

Elaine Carmen

Housekeeper

-----

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Just a short note to bring you up to date on my latest soap inventory. As of today I possess:

- On shelf under medicine cabinet - 18 Camay in 4 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.

- On Kleenex dispenser - 11 Camay in 2 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 3.

- On bedroom dresser - 1 stack of 3 Cashmere Bouquet, 1 stack of 4 hotel-size Ivory, and 8 Camay in 2 stacks of 4.

- Inside medicine cabinet - 14 Camay in 3 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.

- In shower soap dish - 6 Camay, very moist.

- On northeast corner of tub - 1 Cashmere Bouquet, slightly used.

- On northwest corner of tub - 6 Camays in 2 stacks of 3.

Please ask Kathy when she services my room to make sure the stacks are neatly piled and dusted. Also, please advise her that stacks of more than 4 have a tendency to tip. May I suggest that my bedroom window sill is not in use and will make an excellent spot for future soap deliveries. One more item, I have purchased another bar of bath-sized Dial which I am keeping in the hotel vault in order to avoid further misunderstandings.

S. Berman

Learn a New Lesson Each Day - Summarising 1 to 10

2010-06-08T13:28:00.003+05:30

I have been writing a series - Learn a New lesson Each day. And Having completed ten of those, I thought I should include a Brief recap.

1. Focus on the Journey not on the destination alone to be able to cherish the success Treat it as a process, not a target! Here

2. Know what is for Keeps! Share only that which will not be used against you. Context, content and receiver - all are king! Here

3. Include Deception in your toolkit, an indispensable tool! But use it carefully lest it bring you a distinction of being "Dubious". People understand behaviors! Here

4. FOCUS on yourself, it's tempting to get detracted by what others say or do! Focusing pays large dividends! Here

5. Chase your dream and make your passion your work! Here

6. Endure, persist, Hang on in times of distress. Here

7. You can have what you want, just anything. Think it and you can attract it into your life! Here

8. Exercise every cell in your system (incl Brain Cells) to get most results - Health, well-being, brain functioning, Happiness, endorphins. Exercising does you a world of good! Here

9. Life is all about choices, what we are is what we have chosen to be! Here

10.Talent is overrated It takes Hard work, Persistence, Dedication and Practice, mental acuity and Emotional Intelligence to succeed! Here

I know all of this is easier said than done!!! Often we cannot afford to learn by making mistakes alone, we have to learn from those of others, and from things we read - treat this as one of those and I'm confident it'd do you some good!

Learn a New lesson Each Day - 10

2010-06-08T13:04:00.001+05:30

It’s a myth, and it’s proved. Talent is a myth. What really contributes to success is proven – Hard/ smart work, mental acuity, dedication and practice! More than anything else, it’s willingness. It’s a combination of ability, motivation, optimism and Happiness. That Talent leads to success is therefore a myth. So while there are “could-have-beens”, by virtue of the “Talent”, high potential people, they are not really the “Have beens”. We are a result-oriented world right? We never look at the journey/ the learning that has been! Turns out that the “Have beens” are those who are prepared and willing to do the grind. It’s an insight I have gained through this short summary. You can read here.

How many times have you seen people walking around believing they’re “Talented”, but don’t really have anything great in terms of credentials, purely because they have not done anything significant with that talent?? They have not exercised those “Talent” muscles or practiced them enough to generate results?

And do you think all those people who have succeeded in life – the Biggest achievers in this world, have done so purely out of talent? Peak Performance is a better answer. Peak Performance is a combination of talent, mental acuity, emotional intelligence, dedicated practice and hard work. Well, so reflect today, if you are wondering how talented you are and what you could have been! Or reflect today if you are wondering if you are not at your peak performance. It’s another thing if you don’t derive results at your peak performance, that seldom happens unless you have a screwed up fortune (is there something like that), misaligned stars (is there something like that again?), someone who is thwarting your progress, you are not doing enough? – Maybe!

Moral of the Story - Talent is Overrated; It takes Hard work, Persistence, Dedication and Practice, mental acuity and Emotional Intelligence to succeed! Duh, too much work!!! :)

Learn a New Lesson Each Day - 9

2010-06-07T14:40:00.001+05:30

A lot of times we understand, but the truth is that after the age of adolescence, we are what we want to be! So you can blame circumstances, people, co-workers, bosses, parents, friends, well-wishers and mean-doers, and the whole world around us! We can shift blame for our lives onto the shoulders of others consequential and inconsequential, but the truth remains that in life, we are what we have chosen to be.

I have no instances or anecdotes here, but suffice it to say, that life throws at you a fork, several of them at times, a bunch of choices, and what you make of it is entirely up to you! What you make of your life, and again what you perceive of it – as being Hero or Zero is also entirely up to you. And what others perceive of you, as success or failure also is extremely subjective! You seize the opportunity and the light of day and fill every minute with sixty seconds of distant run, or even thirty, your life will be way different from what it is today. I know this is a lot of proselytism, attempting to convert people’s thinking and faith over faithlessness in the self!!

Moral of the Story - Life is all about choices. And what you are is what you opt to be.

Learn a New lesson each Day – 8

2010-06-07T14:36:00.004+05:30

You will be endowed a body. God will give it to you. It will work for you or work against you depending on how you train it! Peruse the Statistic below, of the Indian POpulation based on the 2001 census. 2.1% of the population has a disability of some or the other form.

Of the 97.9% of the population that is normally abled, how many people do you think perform some form of regular exercise or are in a “Near Fit State”? So you see the opportunity there? And do you realize how much this can contribute to the improvement in the Overall GDP, wealth creation, and quality of living of the entire population if everyone were to be healthy and fit? Big Thought, But too hard for a 100 Billion Population base.

This is a realization. You exercise it, the more it works for you! You train it, the better it serves you. This is true of everything in our lives (including pets). And true of every muscle in our system, including the brain cells. The more you exercise that muscle, the better results it produces for you! Isn’t that interesting? I’m not saying you got to have 6 pack abs or an hour-glass figure! Well, if you can manage that, then you’ll have attracted quite a few people from the opposite sex (unless you are homo, in which case u will have people of same sex as well!), but you get the drift.

The focus is on increasing one’s own potential. And it doesn’t have to be through pulling weights in the gym! Any form of exercise, practically, any form of exercise that works on all your muscles in a coordinated manner – swimming, gymming, cycling, walking, running, playing tennis/ Badminton, cleaning the house, jogging, any sport whatsoever – which can keep you in your top form (not like Lance Armstrong), but at least like a well-oiled machine, then your potential increases tremendously. Well for starters –

Health - Cardio, heart, cholesterol, obesity and other issues are kept at bay!
Increases Stamina and staying power (I don’t mean the mental bit) by lowering exhaustion
Brain Development – Did you know that it also contributes to mental acuity? Maybe by making you brisker?!
Happiness - You’ve heard of the science of endorphins and the chemical reaction it causes by its interaction with the brain cells. Exercise releases endorphins into your body.
Overall well-being

I used to exercise extensively in 2006-08 period, and then after that I had a hiatus from 2008-2010 and paid the price for it – weight gain, irregular cycles, health complications, on the verge of blood sugar and cholesterol and obesity and what not?, I wont say hormonal imbalance, but influence for sure, and so on.

It is like the story of Nala and Damayanti and their separation. Now they’re together and will live happily everafter! Hehe :) (Well I mean exercise and me – Let’s see, discipline still stands right in the way!!)

Learn a new Lesson Each Day – 7

2010-06-07T14:33:00.003+05:30

Life is full of infinite possibilities and opportunities. And I mean it – “Infinite”! You think it, you can have it! I sound like a shouting optimist? Yes, at times I can be! And at other times I can be a shocking pessimist. Such is my Mood swing, like a Cos theta curve shown below! No hormonal imbalance though – it’s been medically ruled out, clinically we don't know!!!

Yeah well. Anyway, coming back to the lesson for the day. Our life is honestly full of infinite possibilities, never visible to us, but if you can think it up, you can have it. Especially in a Democratic and growing country like ours, you ask for it, you can have it. All conditions are self-imposed, all problems are self-inflicted, all problems are a product of the self. You’ve heard this – if you are a part of the problem, you can be of the solution too! Damn, (I should’ve been a motivational speaker – that’s the bigger lesson for today ;)). But seriously speaking, you can have what you want, of course there are some conditions of age, practice, giving it the time it takes, planning actions and so on. But truth be told, it’s a great breakthrough if you realize that life is full of imminent possibilities, waiting to happen, if only you call it upon yourself!

You can be a democrat, a bureaucrat, a motivational speaker, a sermonizer, a priest, a preacher, a businessman, a venture capitalist, a sportsman, a runner, a cyclist, a musician, a doctor, an accountant (see that really ranks last ;), a writer, a literateur, a speaker, a danseuse, a performer, a stand-up comedian, a jockey, a skater, practically any of these or a combination of these! You just have to think it, and I mean think it, and take the necessary actions to attract it into your life! It’s a truth I’m realizing so late – 28 years into this world, but none the less, that I realized it is great news in itself!

Moral of the story – You can have what you want, just anything!

Today's lessons? ;) Graffiti Board

2010-06-05T11:54:00.003+05:30

Warning Signal -
Tresspassers Prosecuted -

Golf Course Board -

Funny Business Cards -

Don't ask me where I got this from! I just collect such random graffiti from eandom websites!

Movie Reviews

2010-06-05T10:59:00.010+05:30

Prince of Persia and the Sands of Time - **** Out of 5
(3 for the movie, 1 for jake! The pic vouches for the rating!)

The Movie Prince of Persia and Sands of Time is based on the video game by the same name. If you've played it, then good for you, you'll have an idea of the movie. I've never played it. And I loved the Movie. Jake looks stunning!! (1/ Cos C as one of my frnds would say). Whoa whoa whoa! The Heroine is stunning too! must watch. There are no loose ends! Tightly knit and well-told and supported by outstanding graphics, it's possibly the best of the movies on the stands today. There are people who think otherwise. I particularly liked it each time the tale reverses and the coming back to Sq 1, sometimes Sq -1 also. I liked the sand dunes and the deserts, the reversing of events, the twisting of the tale by Ben Kingsley, by the breach of trust, the killing of the king, the king's funeral, the ostrich race...

Shrek Forever After - *** Out of 5

Fine for family viewing, kids et al, it's actually a jumble of spells! We know Fiona just got out of a Spell, now Shrek gets into one that separates him from everyone, things go back in time, no one recognises him, he has never existed/ saved Fiona from the Spell! - all of this played by Rumpelstiltskin as price for one day of bliss without family. The day that he takes in return is the day Shrek was born! The story unwinds again in the same manner as the previous parts with Shrek dissolving his spell with "True Love's Kiss". The complication arises because Shrek never existed - so it's about how Shrek manages to remind Fiona of how he is really her true love, reminding her of her spell and other matters private!

The reason I wrote the review of both of these movies together - Both of these movies appear to have a similar theme, that of reversing time, reversing fortune, reversing events through an external force, of witches, negative forces, spells, swords, super power, powers of black magic, power of the unknown, power of the positive force, powers of the proctor and then love ofcourse and so on!!

Learn a New lesson Each Day - 6

2010-06-05T10:22:00.003+05:30

I’m reading a Book Called “The Flipside” by Adam.J.jackson. It’s all about identifying hidden opportunities in our lives. It’s about viewing things different form the Obvious.

The core of Taoist belief is the notion – “Life is like the continuous flow of water in a river”. At times, the river’s current may take us to places we’d prefer not to visit and to experiences we’d choose to avoid.

Taoism, however, offers a message of hope; hope in the knowledge that although we are not always able to influence the flow of events, we are always able to maintain control over our thoughts and beliefs, and control over our mindset is infinitely more powerful than anything that can happen to us. Taoism also teaches us to look at things in life without interpretation or judgment. According to Taoism, nothing is of itself good or bad.

Today’s lesson is from a parable in the book that goes like this – (Produced verbatim)

The Taoist farmer lived in a remote village in the furthermost corner of China. He was not a wealthy man, but he was content with his life, and farmed a small plot of land with his son and wife. One day a wild horse galloped onto his field. According to the provincial law, the horse now rightfully belonged to the farmer and his family. The farmer’s son could hardly contain his excitement, but the farmer put his hand on his son’s shoulder and said, “don’t be quick to judge! Who knows what’s good or bad?”

The following day the horse broke out of the field and galloped away. The farmer’s son was heartbroken. “Don’t be quick to judge”, said his father, “who knows what’s good or bad?”

On the third day, the horse returned with four mares. The farmer’s son could hardly believe their good fortune. “We’re rich” he shouted, but again his father said to him, “don’t be quick to judge! Who knows what’s good or bad?”

The following week, while riding one of the horses, the boy fell and broke his leg. The farmer ran to get the doctor; within a short while the farmer and the doctor were attending to the boy, who was moaning and complaining about his miserable fate. The farmer wiped his son’s forehead with a cool, damp cloth, looked deeply into his eyes, and reassured him once again, “My son, don’t be too quick to judge. Who knows what is good or bad?”

The following week war broke out in the province, and army recruiters came through the village and conscripted all of the eligible young men – all except for one young man who was unable to fight due to a broken leg!

The story of the Taoist farmer was more than an affable. Ancient fable; it offers a simple, yet vital lesson on our journey to the flipside: on the day that something happens, or for that matter weeks, months, or even years afterwards, it is impossible to know what significance that event may have on the rest of our life.

Sometimes the flipside comes quickly and is obvious. At other times, it may take months or even years or even a lifetime to find the flipside that lies hidden in a major setback!

How many times has this happened in our lives? – when we lost a loved one, when we had a breakup with a beloved, when we lost our jobs in the recession, when we got into the wrong companies, when we were fired, when our companies closed shop, when circumstances pressured us to go a different direction, when we married the wrong people…

Moral of the Story -

1. Endure, Persist and Have Tenacity of Purpose even in times of distress.

2. Hang On!

Learn a New Lesson Each Day - 5

2010-06-05T09:19:00.003+05:30

"I believe that the ultimate in self-actualization is when a person is confused about the difference between employment and recreation."

--Ken Blanchard

This is such a freaking truth. If I knew what would help me achieve this state of bliss, I’d give up all work and just focus on what is really my true North. Then Work and Play would go through a happy Merging, it’s like the twilight zone when day and night merge and you don’t feel any pain from the extra hours and the stretching, because it’s all pleasure! It’s all self-enrichment, your best ever state, where you produce optimal results.

If you wanna know more about ken Blanchard, here you go

Moral of the Story - Chase your dream, Realise your potential, Live Happily everafter!

Learn a New Lesson Each Day - 4

2010-06-05T08:26:00.004+05:30

Today's Lesson 've learnt from Driving, and It's a life Lesson! 'Focus on your path'. F.O.C.U.S., F.O.C.U.S., F.O.C.U.S.. Cardinal rule! Focus on your path - career, road, Life, Personal Life, relationships, friendships, financial condition, development needs and so on. I say this because I find a lot of people who focus on other people's lives. At least I used to! I used to worry about what other people said, did, how they reacted and so on.

Akin to driving, if you didn't look at the relative positioning of the other people on the road, the possible potholes (learnt through experience - either from going down the same path repeatedly or from a co-passenger's guidance), possible threats (crossroads, speeding Heavy vehicles), detractors (signal, stops, policemen holding placards), barriers (barricades), then likely you'll get crushed, delayed, detracted, derailed!

Think about it, if a rail engine operator were to not look at his track, but focused on what his "Perceived" competition did, fellow train manners, then quite likely he will derail his train, and topple it with the people in it.

I use the word "Perceived" to represent that it is different from what is Real - because, often, destinations and goals differ! What we perceive is what drives us to act in certain ways. So I could perceive PQR to be a potential threat at work. However, If I fail to focus on myself and shift my focus to deterring PQR, then, PQR is still the winner. And again I choose Perceived because, we perceive certain things out of "fear", thereby failing to focus on our abilities and failing to Project where we stand out. It’s another thing if you manage to focus on yourself and the goat, but no one’s known to have succeeded in chasing two mice!

The point I'm driving home is that since we attract into our lives what we think about most of the time, if your thoughts are clouded with PQR, then quite likely you'll temporally satisfy yourself by acting to PQRs detriment, but remember, you act to your own detriment as well! Because, time is limited and that time is now spent thinking abt PQR and not yourself!!! If you focused on yourself, you'll get there way ahead of PQR!!!! And if you focused on yourself, you'll get way ahead of yourself, as at most times, destinations and goals differ!!!

There’s enough time only to look at our own developmental needs. If you happen to save time beyond that, go do something for the world. Change the world!

Learn a New Lesson Each Day - 3

2010-06-01T09:50:00.003+05:30

When it comes to “shortage”/ “High Demand”, feign disinterest, but be aggressive in getting it. If there is a coveted project, tell people that it’s the last thing you care for, or that it’s a waste of your time, or you don’t value it!

I’m living and working in Gurgaon, the most aggressive place known to be, rather known to me both personally and professionally!! If there was a Decept-o-meter, then the mercury would run HIGH. I find it a “Low-Trust” enviro. Feigning interest where you want to give away something, displaying disinterest when it means a lot to you, verbal aggression when you don't have answers, twisting of tales to make a trap for fools (This is from Rudyard Kipling’s “IF” ), hoarding info to get an edge, Hijacking other people’s projects, Hijacking in the final stages only to take credit, ruining others’ reputation, poking holes in someone ekse’s work to get ahead, deluding others to believe that you’ve made a sacrifice of your time, “falling sick” for convenience, seducing people who matter!… and several other tips and tricks. People adapt when they get here. So it’s not Delhi-ites, It’s Delhi Culture or maybe it’s universal corporate culture, I’ don’t know. Maybe I haven’t worked in enough number of places to gauge that?

The single largest learning has been that ‘Deception’ really, really works wonders for people!! For each type of Deception, you got to be clear on your TG. The Strategy cannot be same universally!!! Somehow, I’m still way, way behind, but I will make concerted effort to move notches up on the Decept-O-Meter. It seems to be a key differentiator in Competitive Strategy!!!!

Moral of the Story - Just like how a Good GMAT Score alone will get you nowhere in the MBA admission process, Good work alone will get you nowhere! Couple it with Deception to develop a Strong Arsenal!! Know where, how, who to use it lest you be known an Expert at Deception.

Crux - Use Deception Deceptively, Deceivingly so that it does not earn you a "Dubious" distinction!

Deception at tis best! -

Learn a New Lesson Each Day - 2

2010-06-01T09:41:00.004+05:30

Everything you say/ share can and WILL be used against you!! And I repeat, "EVERYTHING" you say/ share, can and will be used against you! Beware of who you're discussing it with. Context is King! So is Timing! And so is the Receiver!!! It could be you father/ Boss/ Co-worker/ Boy friend/ Husband/ best friend or the feminine gende rof any of these/ your Blog! !!!! Since I said that, I'm realizing that maybe I should'nt share what I said that backfired!

Crux - Never discuss career with someone inside your company, esp someone you may directly work with Now/ in Future!

Moral Of the Story - Know what is for Keeps.

Huh?

2010-06-01T03:09:00.000+05:30

I would if I could, stand on a busy corner, hat in hand and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours." --Bernard Berenson

Kafkaesque approach to fiction?

2010-06-01T02:27:00.006+05:30

People who know me well, know that I have an aversion to Fiction! Perhaps I have never read the best Fiction Books there could be. So, I have an aversion to anything unreal, impractical and infeasible! And therefore, I surmise, I don't particularly possess enough patience to read a fiction novel. Most books I read are therefore Non-Fiction.

But I decided that I have to overcome this handicap. Believe it or not, there are more fiction books available than non-fiction. And in my opinion, not reading fiction, impedes my ability to write and think creatively and write artfully.

I have never read Kafka before. But I came across the terms Kafkaesque meaning surreal, beyond realism, senseless, distorted, complex concepts, situations and ideas. And then I picked up his best boook - The Metamorphosis. It's a short story (So I endured fiction, and surreal fiction at that!) actually more of High School/ Adult Standard. It's about a Travelling Salesman who works hard to serve his family. He wakes up one day to realise that he's metamorphosed into a Huge Insect. Although he's optimistic of resuming his original form and hence not worried about the current state, it's about how his own family starts to detest him! It's about Isolation, fear, rejection, societal pressure to conform - Complex emotions/ Situations (hence Kafkaesque). In fact I read The Da Vinci Code and "It's not about the Bike" before this. But that's not strictly fiction. I started "Namesake" but never got around to finishing it... :(

I dont't know wht to say!

2010-06-01T01:43:00.004+05:30

I'm really shocked to see this particular incident/ occurrence. Incidentally, I have been thinking to take to smoking!!! I've not taken inspiration from here!

I'm just particularly enticed by the act of smoking, imagine how relieving it could be. Think about it - I think it facilitates the process of "Empty" thinking, looking into the oblivion and just keep making circles in the air!

When I was much smaller, I used to suck on my fingers, and while doing so, I would keep writing in air! You get the drift?!

That aside, I'm also enthused by the thought of Cigarettes without Nicotine/ Tobacco. Ithink that'd be the most exciting stuff, esp for people who just like the "act" of blowing into air with a piece of something - paper+.. and accept it or not, it's a state of bliss - a state of letting go, relaxing, giving vent,...

Talking of Non-Nicotine cigarettes, RJR Nabisco is known to have come up with Smokeless Cigarettes which was a Super Flop! They Launched Smokeless Cigarettes to counter the threat of Passive Smoking! But it turned out to be a diaster. People could not perceive the ill-effects of a smokeless cigarette! I was reminded of RJR today bcos there was some discussion on Unlevered Beta in the context of Business Valuation! and In Term 3 - the Lord (Bhagwan C), introduced us to Betas (Baedas - in the US... - the accent I mean), through RJR!!! So much for Cigarettes!

I also find Cigars sexy! I watched a movie called "The Crush" [Psycho girl having crazy crush on protagonist] in which the protagonist smokes Cigars! Sexy, huh!

P.S. But the Act in the Pic is absolutely detestable. Pardon me for being judgemental. The behavior of the father in giving the toddler a fag is absolutely argh! I don't know what to say...

Learn a New lesson each day!

2010-06-01T01:37:00.001+05:30

Each day we learn a new lesson. I decided that I will start making a log of all those lessons - small and big that we learn day after day.

I was driving back from Delhi to Gurgaon, Vasant Kunj to be more precise, and I didnt have much of an idea on the routee. I checked with another car while still driving, and he said to "Follow Him". I followed him and he aslo led me dutifully, so that at times that I failed to keep pace, he'd stop/ slow pace to check on me. Thanks to him, I reached Gurgaon without any hassle. AT the time that he was leaving me to watch my own way, I thanked him from the car itself instead of stopping by to show him what a help he'd been; and instead I just raced past him. I focussed on getting back home, and fast. It mattered to me that I could get back within half hour from Delhi! I dont know why! I reached back early, really quick and fast. And that was possible thanks to the person who showed me the path. But I had not stopped to thank him properly or to show him my gratitude. And I felt terrible and awful after I got home.

I had focused more on the detsination than on the journey. I'd focused more on myself than on the other person. And extending this reflection to the workplace, I almost realise why some people are never willing to help. Perhaps because they have had the bitter experience of being on the giving side, like the guy who led me all the way from Delhi, and did not receive any gratitude in return. Even forgetting for a minute the gratitude, perhaps they just used the person to get ahead, and such occurrences although unintended can leave a bitter taste!

Moral of the Story : Focus on the Journey (?) not ont the destination alone! Better still Focus on the journey to be able to cherish the success of reaching the destination!

The POLO is here!

2010-05-22T10:08:00.007+05:30

After a good 1.5 Mths of wait, the POLO is finally here. I'm loving it, t's got a lot of new features! Though I'm wondering if something's wrong with the battery to start with.

I've been considering gettin a car for over 6 months, but as soon as the POLO was launched, I just lapped it up. The announcement was made on the 4th and I booked it on the 6th even without seeing the car! Instructions from HQ (Blr)! - It's a VW + European Best Car of the Year, so I had no doubts.

Finally after days and weeks of follow-up, I got the car around the 26th of April. I was off to Bangalore and Chennai from the 27th for a week or so :-( Finally, now I'm getting to use the car - it's been just 2 weeks and 333 kms logged so far. I love the looks the car gets everytime! Adn I'm more than convinced about White Vs Red and White Vs Silver! (Now you klnow what color I've got).

I'm considerably stressed about driving in Gurgaon. It's rash, and there are all kinds of animals, motor, non-motor vehicles, men and women, pot holes and drains on the roads. In addition, the roads are reaaaaaaallllllllllyyy wide, and there's room for everyone. No traffic manning, and several chowks and crossroads just add to the complexity. Plus everyone drives at 80+. I hate it everytime there's a signal. Your car goes up to 80-90 and then comes down to 0.

Afterthought - One wonders if all POLO Brands are hits - Polo Ralph Lauren, POLO mint, POLO Piaget, Polo as a sport, VW POLO? Wonder how many more I've missed from this list.

P.S. The POLO has been around for > 35 Years. It's just new to India. Pics will follow suit.

Kites

2010-05-22T09:17:00.005+05:30

What I associate with Kites -

Passion * Romantic Love * Attraction * Salsa * Glamour * Sex * Hit and Run * Infidelity * Craziness * Absurdity * Dreamy * Violence * Killing * Guns * Self-Centric * Rain * Cars, Cars, Cars * Stunts * Parachute * Water * Body Beautiful * Kisses * Music * Family * Suicides * Chase * Black and White Lights * Marriage * Spanish * Mexican * Sexy Legs * Indian * Magic * Hand Shadows * Dust * Empty Roads * Friendship * Sacrifice * Treachery * Loot * Money * need * Poverty * Ransom * Robbery * Power * Plaza * Swim suit * Casino * flashback * Darkness * Hunger * Drudgery * Trust * Language Connect * Injury * Money * Dance * Water * Under-water Expedition * Union in Heaven * BS *

Movie Review - *** out of 5

There's a bit of everything, but somehow it's neither Indian nor Foreign. It lacks a genuine touch of it's own. Except for one line in the song that mentions 'Kites', I find that it's not really an appropriate metaphor. Barbara is very attractive - no doubts.

Truth be told

2010-03-07T09:34:00.000+05:30

It’s amazing – Your name signifies something about you, perhaps your key characteristic. And you were named that even before that characteristic could be known! Do you grow to live that name’s meaning? Or do you become a name as you grow? – It’s a chicken and egg story. But it’s true none-the-less and it’s a pity we don’t realize what we are capable of being!

Matters of Heart

2010-03-07T08:50:00.003+05:30

Sometimes, something happens that reminds you of someone you passionately crushed on. Passion is really the word. But like all crushes they go untold or get crushed upon or both. So when thoughts about it resurface, esp. during night time, you end up together in a dream! To me, every once in a while a man I deeply, passionately crushed on appears in a dream, I interpret the dream as signifying our entry into the never, never world of ever meeting again. To me it signifies the death of a story untold, a stage never hoisted, a play never enacted, a life never led.

……..

What’s strange or not so strange after all is that we all picture people. We think in images. And form impressions of people. So much so, that the image you have of the person, now a clone of the real is only about 40% in agreement with the real. The remaining 60% of the image is what’s made up by your mind. You perceive, imagine, create, build a person. And by virtue of the limited amount and nature of communication, the image bloats, magnifies, gains in size. Every thought you feed adds to the size and the more you obsess, the larger it grows. The nature of the thoughts, determine whether the image is positive or negative. In the case of a crush, the picture is positive 200% of the time.

Your crush grows in magnitude in front of your eyes. He is lion-like, charming, charismatic, down-to-earth, intelligent, kind and so on. He may not be really. But that’s how you’ve pictured him to be! As time passes and you learn more about the “Real”, and the disagreement between the “real” and the “Clone” that is now so large, it baffles you. Your love grows, now for the image in your heart and continues notwithstanding the information at hand. The image is vivid, and housed in the most tender, fragile and vulnerable part of your chest, mounted on a pedestal, he is your trophy boy!

Every once in a while you see something or hear something about your lion, and it’s so un- the image you have, it starts chipping away from the man on the pedestal. It starts chipping away, like pieces off a wax doll, as if someone struck it with a hammer, albeit small, albeit imaginary, and since the image is so deeply entrenched in your heart, and in the most tender, breakable part, every beating causes you deep pain. Every chip off the block now causes deep agony. But since you created it so passionately, your love for the image lives on! We are so fragile
(It’s another thing that I’ve had a long list of crushes).

P.s. People who’re reading, please do leave a comment as to what you think abt this post.

Whatever

2010-03-05T12:39:00.001+05:30

Disappointments are good. I sound like a sadist? Or do I sound like a defeatist? Whichever way I sound, I'm starting to think disappointments are good. They help you understand what you really want in life. Because sometimes, we just don't have clarity on what we want out of our lives. So we go around bungling and then suddenly, something happens and without your knowledge, you get really passionate about something. But it's not yours, and it's beyond your reach. So, while it's sad that you can't have it, it's good you dream, desire and get disappointed! So that very dream helps you get clarity in life! And chase what you can't have! It's another thing that I always chase what I can't have!! - the forbidden fruit syndrome!
But at times, it's quite likely you get disappointed because you're a pernnial seeker of instant gratification. You cannot wait!So if the Marshmallows experiment were to have been performed on you, you'd have been part of the group that did not wait to have the marshmallows! Atleast I would've been I realise!

Movie review

2010-02-25T23:58:00.005+05:30

Review : *****
In the movie 'Up in the Air', George Clooney is oh, so sexy - yes he is always! But man oh man, I was thinking that if I want to be with a guy, it'd be someone like him - Shallow me, huh?!!! But it was quite an inspiration to go gymming starting tomorrow!

Ryan is a loner, who believes in isolation and lives on the road 322/365 days! He does not believe in commitment. But he does meet someone, and falls in love with her, only to realise she was casual about him! But the dialogue almost stuck in my mind ~

Alex : What were you thinking showing up at my door?
Ryan : I felt like seeing you. How am I to know you have kids. Why wouldn't you tell me?Alex : I thought we had an agreement, that's what I signed up for
Ryan : What do you think you signed up for?
Alex : You would've almost ruined everything showing up last evening. you're just a break from normal life, you're a parenthesis
Ryan : I'm a parenthesis?
Alex : WHat do you want?Pause
Alex : See you don't even know what you want, I'm a grown up. Next time you want to see me, give me a call.,,Call ends after a pause.
Duh, I don't know why, but this dialogue almost stuck in my head. No I haven't encountered such situations in the past, nor do I have kids!

One thinks it's a misnomer for a woman to not ask for commitment? Is that the underlying message? And if she doesn't ask you where the relationship is going, then maybe it's a sign that there's something lurking deep beneath that could be potentially explosive!!!!

But definitely an inspiration in a lot of respects - maintaining your body, taking life easy, travelling light!, dressing well, celebrating life, 'Not' wanting a co-pilot!, being there for your family, blah and blah!

It's up in the air

2010-02-25T23:54:00.004+05:30

when you're alone, away from home, in a city without friends, you come back home to empty walls! The earlier you return, the emptier it seems. To kill that loneliness plus some burn out from the last couple of days, I made a quickie decision to watch a movie - "Up in the Air"!

While I've been to movies alone earlier too, tonight was the first late evening show all by myself! On three occasions, actually four I almost felt like a Hooker today! First, when on road, a car stopped several times as I was walking on the road to find a rick! Honestly, in a place like GGN, you seldom find people walking, and women! and that tooo at 8PM!!! and ricks are few and far between. Secondly, at the ticket counter, a guy in white kurta and a kudumi, gave me such looks, I got scared. Thirdly, think abt seeing a girl, alone in a theater, that too in an empty theater, doesn't it seem almost like a hooker looking for her prey? Add to that Bright Purple and Green Tshirt and jacket! Finally, I asked someone for a lift and he rejected, so that makes it even worse. Pretty bad feeling. Though I did make up my mind to do the movies once again on my own. If GGN, then lone watching a (no)choice!

It's been a recent phenomenon. Lately, I see myself in a lot of the protagonists in Movies/ TV Shows. I could see some of myself in Phoebe(Friends), some of myself in Amelie(Amelie) and some of myself in Ryan Bingham(Up in the air)...Does it happen to everyone? or is it only me? or is there a common trait thread between all of them?

In more recent days, my mom is overwhelmed by the fact that her last daughter is not getting into wedlock. So I get frantic calls asking me to set up a puja room, buy pictures, pray. And she gives me specific slokas that I'm to repeat thrice! While I don't mean to make fun of her, I meant to tell her that I'm perfectly ok to be on my own for the rest of my life too! Though I also keep scaring her that I may bring home a christian/ Muslim someday! :-)

This is where it all starts!

2010-02-24T10:46:00.002+05:30

This is where it all starts!
Study, Study, Study!
It’s not enough to study, learn!
And it’s not enough to learn, learn it well,
Now since you learnt it, put it to use,
Huh, I mean look for work,
Now that you work, sell yourself,
Sell, but sell hard,
Hard sell, but also dress the part,
Look the part, and walk the talk too,
Walk the talk but lead by example.
Lead by example, and also follow,
Follow but focus and strike hard,
Strike and aim for the stars,
Aim at the stars, also see the ground below,
See the ground, and help those below you,
Do all this and have humility!

And your life is not yours anymore…

I'm in the well

2010-02-23T23:02:00.003+05:30

I have this uncanny ability
to realize things,
But after it’s too late.
And then spend days ruing over it,
trying to put together the broken pieces,
To recreate the experience,
But ho, in vain,
To realize they go missing with time!
Notwithstanding your efforts,
to reclaim, to repossess,
What now is beyond repair,
To no avail
Like glue it dries out?
Period!
And period it is, because the gap is long,
Between occurrence and realization,
Between feeling and acting, and
Sometimes way too long!
Beyond imagination!
Beyond memory!
Beyond Imagery!
Beyond recall!
Beyond reasonable expectation!
Hope is not enough!
The remnants don’t bond,
The pull is lacking! ,
It ends in a draw,
A stalemate, my mate!

Today's saying - "We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it to the full." ??? Duh - a misnomer.

Well

2010-02-23T19:49:00.001+05:30

They say what goes around comes around. And I’m starting to realize that there’s a world of truth to it. Today, one of the cabbies invited me to his gaon for Holi! Something to rejoice about for today. The joy is not from the fact that I might go to some village for Holi, but from the fact that he ‘thought’ to invite me. That in itself means a lot to me.

Someone told me that I don’t live in the present. I have my sights on the future. True! But thanks for the comment – atleast I realized what people think of me!

Something about workplace behavior cues! ‘Fear’ is definitely a key driver! So are you Linchpin? Doormat? Jerk or Lizard Brain? I realized however that nothing works as well as building 'SOLID' relationships, one at a time! And better to get started NOW, lest you don't have any to turn to when you really need them!

Feel Good Factor

2010-02-22T23:30:00.004+05:30

It feels good! Some days ago, I'd invited a few of my friends to write on my blog! and 4 of them did honor my invitation! Now it feels great to know that 2 of the 4 have started their own blogs, because I've in a way rekindled their interest to write!! And one more is on his way to creating his own blog, but may just stop short of doing it. Good for the day!!!

Check this out

6Ws

2010-02-16T23:08:00.004+05:30

Ha! This is no marketing jargon am using here! I don't know where it started, but it has! Unknowingly, unintentionally, I have pledged my time for the whole of Nov in the novel writing marathon! Trust me, I don't know where this will lead me...I hardly read fiction, and I barely finish the non-fiction I pick up!

I first got into a site that offerred me a free e-book, and the rest as they say, is history! Inadvertently, I found myself downloading two other e-books, one of which was about writing and publishing your own book! So, while I've gone through barely 5 pages of this pdf e-book, I'm led into a website that says NaNoWriMo. (stands for National Novel Writing Month)

As curiosity gets the better of me, I visit this site and lo, end up signing up my time to write 50,000 Words in A SINGLE Month!

So I measured what 50,000 e-words looks like. It's 100 SOLID Pages of A-4,1" Margins, TNR 11, 1.5 line spacing!!!! :) Yeah, but I know it's going to be fun! I dont know how good the output will be. WIll I have a structure by Oct? Some research material, and my typing fingers - how will they perform? This translates to nearly 1,650 words a day! Can you even picture writing that much? ANd what with a day job and God knows the commitments at that time of my life!!! ~ Nov 2010, is sure gonna be one rocking month!

It's interesting how NaNoWriMo encourages amateurs to write too!! And what's better, the rules provide, that it has to be typed between November 1 and November 30. You can have some reasearch material and scribbles, but no typed text, or script allowed! And it has to be a novel, and original, quotations and citations allowed but limited to a few! Argh! :)

P.S. - After I wrote this post, and published it too, I went back and checked the number of words I've written. It's just 305 words! But suffice it to say, that the frenzy's begun already ;-)
Afterthought - Am I being crazy/ dumb/ vain/ idiotic/ stupid? or Am I just a Gambler? Duh! Any supporters?

What success means to anyone!

2010-02-16T21:44:00.005+05:30

I read a book titled "What Matters Now", and if there's one thing from that book that's stuck in my head it's this : I think it's simple, yet an extremely powerful and profound principle! Think about it for a moment.
F(i) stands for Focused Intensity
T for Time
G for God/ Prayers

Implication : Focused Intensity over time gives you definite success. Multiplied by the force of God, the power of prayer, you multiply success infinitely! Powerful, ain't it?!

Does it not go back to - Karmanye vadhikarasthe ma phaleshu kadachana?! Think about it!

Post V-Day update to Chuck!

2010-02-16T01:38:00.002+05:30

Hey Chuck,

I really miss you after spending a lovely Sunday (ahem, ahem! – Valentine’s Day) with you. Surprise, Surprise! ~ I can still feel the wetness of your lips on mine and the warmth of your hands on my shoulders ;-) Even though none of that is true, Awwww, I really soooooo miss you, why don’t you come back for another weekend? Promise, I’ll show you around! And guess what, I loved the book you gifted me. Curious – Did you try on the Superman T?

You know Chuck, since we hardly talked work, I should tell you, that I have made a whole mess out of my work life. At times I think it’s because all my focus is just on work, and the people I work with. I don’t have any avenues to give vent to any emotion. Friends are few in GGN and transport is tough. I know what you’’ say – “Inefficient man blames his tools”. Actually, it’s more than that! I wish I had bought a car. And I wish I had more friends who I could hang out with, and did something outside of work and maybe dated someone actively! ;-)

That aside, I must say, I have been doing a whole lot of reading. I came by this free e-book by some really awesome people and it’s absolutely free! Their mission is to reach at least 5 Million people! I think it’s phenomenal. The best part about the book is that it’s got one word themes. Each page contains a one-word theme and is written on by a different author every page!

On the family front, I’ve been keeping low key, like I most often do.

And sometimes I wonder Chuck, that although we try to separate our personal and professional lives, they’re just so inextricably linked! I mean, perhaps the fact that I can never settle down in my personal life, (you know the works, find a guy, date him, give him the cues, pick up some and so on), notwithstanding the opportunities is also reflected in my professional life? I have switched jobs, taken off to study, joined another sector, and then now facing some issues and may move internally? Food for thought.

You know Chuck, lately, I have been writing quite a bit, especially after we had the ‘Chit Chaat’ session with our ceo and he suggested that I consider writing a book someday! It’s been quite an inspiration you know. But one thing’s for sure, I will continue blogging! And I invited some of my really very close friends to also write on my blog. And ho, four of them did too! Isn’t that cool?!

Chuck, today we had a session as part of our Strat Plan exercise. And I came to know of a good number of companies that have done some incredible disruptive thinking! Impressive stuff!

Alrighty, I got to go, got a preso tomo, but unable to sleep, so thought to drop a line, it became a letter! Love you always!

Peppermint Patty

Commercializing Love??

2010-02-15T18:56:00.013+05:30

“When love is not madness, it is not love”. Well!! Looks like the marketing folks understand this better than anyone else in the world. Be it gifting a costly diamond to your loved ones, V-day gifts or even a cup of coffee. I’m neither against love (definitely not) nor against our marketing gurus, but rather like to understand how we had commercialised a heavenly emotion called Love.

Valentine’s Day is believed by many to be a day that commemorates the work of a priest named Valentine, who rebelled against all the rules of an Emperor who was against permitting marriage to young single men. Valentine is seen as the masked avenger of love and it seems that some time throughout the decades this idea of true love that Valentine fought for changed. In fact, the way in which Valentine’s Day is celebrated today has been replaced with the idea of money—companies want to gain more and couples feel like they need to spend more. Will we ever grasp that love once again, instead of this commercialized, money centric, idealistic form of love?

When I speak to my friends both who are single or committed, about their thoughts on commercializing love, many of their responses were similar. They believed that Valentine’s Day is just another means to make money for companies such as H****** or A******. It is a holiday that focuses only on pleasing women, because all ads and commercials focus on the perfect gift for women. This is true. If you were to turn on the television during the months prior to Valentine’s Day, the commercials being advertised show men giving women diamonds, teddy bears, chocolate, roses and other expensive gifts

What marketers say?

For many, Valentine’s Day is something of a Hallmark Holiday but whether you take it seriously or not, one thing’s for certain. The money earned from all those flower, perfume, and candy sales can have powerful repercussions for the economy. Cupid will be busy this year. The ubiquitous, pudgy winged icon is expected to elicit over $14 billion in much-needed consumer spending this Valentine’s Day according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2010 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey.
That works out to approximately $103.00 on average per person for traditional Valentine’s Day purchases.. According to NRF research, spending for Valentine’s Day peaked around 17 billion in 2008, when the average expression of love cost a whopping $123 per person. Since 2009, consumers have been seeking more economical ways to show their loved ones they care. (Total Valentine’s Day spending for 2009 was estimated at $14.7 billion, or $102.50 per person.)

Nonetheless, our battered economy could surely use the above financial stimulation.

Wondering where people are putting all those heartfelt dollars and how all this consumerism is affecting the economy? Here is a brief rundown:

Candy:

According to the NRF survey, candy will remain a popular item among consumers with 47.2% planning on purchasing candy for their valentines this year. Industry sales estimates for the week of Valentine’s Day in 2009 topped $448 million.

Flowers:

Valentine’s Day is considered the busiest holiday for fresh flower sales, accounting for 40% of annual revenue.

According to the industry research firm IBIS World, total flower sales should hover around $1.35 billion.

Cards:

According to Hallmark Research, Valentine’s Day is the second most popular

time for sending greeting cards (Christmas takes the top spot), and according

to IBISWorld, total greeting card sales for 2010 are estimated at $784.30 million

Other Gifts

The weeks preceding Valentines Day generally bring a spike in jewellery sales. 15.5% of consumers will be purchasing jewellery (down from 16%), while clothing and other accessories will be sought by approximately14.4%. IBIS World projects about $1,308 billion and $1.31 billion in sales respectively.

Eating Out

The number of consumer dollars spent on dining out is expected to increase from last year to roughly $7.86 billion

Romantic getaways

IBISWorld projects Valentine’s Day travel to generate some $2.05 billion.

As a diligent B-school grad I tried getting all the numbers and had presented above. But pretty much I’m assured Y-o-Y growth of the above number would be positive even in years to come, who knows it might even hit double digits..

Love should not only be fully expressed on this one day.

“We shouldn’t have one day that celebrates love, but instead celebrate love every day. We don’t need one specific day that commemorates love.”

I know I will sound like a hopeless romantic when I say this, but we should want to show our love every second, of every minute, of every hour of every day, but instead we turn to the media to guide us and lend a helping hand in deciding the perfect gift for our significant other. We let the media pick the teddy bears that express what they believe love is and we write the words, “I love you” into little cards with the hearts and hope that it conveys our message of love.

Can we have a better way to express our love to our beloved ones!!! Oops I just got a sms from a online shopping portal stating one of the gift that I ordered 10 days back for Valentines day was cancelled due to “Out of Stock” J

Currently pursuing an MBA in.......

2010-02-15T15:05:00.005+05:30

..........homemaking. (this post is By Shivaranjani)

Some things we learn the easy way, and some we learn the hard way.

Back when I was a "career woman" before getting married, I have always assumed that women who get to stay home in order to look after their spouse/kids/house are extremely lucky. They seem to have all the time in the world to relax, with someone bringing money home every month. They get to watch all the TV they want, go shopping, chat with neighbours and friends, and basically have a ball everyday.

And this is perhaps what I was expecting too, when we decided that I would stay home.

Oh, the rude shocks that life presents you.

Someone once told me this joke:

A man gets to choose between heaven and hell after death. God asks him "Do you wish for heaven or hell?" He says "How can I decide without taking a sneak preview?". So God allows him a sneak preview of 10 minutes each of heaven and hell.

He visits heaven first. It is unnaturally calm, and a gentle breeze is blowing. He sees people clad in white everywhere, and everyone has a serene smile on their face. Someone offers him a mat to sit on. Another brings him herbal tea to drink.

Soon the 10 minutes are over and he proceeds to hell.

Hell is totally unlike what he has been imagining. A disco ball is hanging in the entrance, and the place is brimming with people dancing, drinking and enjoying themselves. Skimpily clad girls welcome him and escort him to a plush sofa. He is then served wine to drink, one girl on either side.

The 10 minutes are over and he proceeds to meet God.

"So what have you decided?" God asks. "I am so glad I asked for the preview. Hell it is!" he declares jubilantly.

"As you wish," says God.

Humming to himself, he makes his second trip to hell. And is shocked by what he sees. The disco ball at the entrance has been replaced by a skull. Demonesses are waiting at the entrance for his arrival. The people who had earlier been dancing now appear menacing to him, with long claws, and bare their teeth on seeing him.

He flees the place.

"God, what have you done? What happened to the wonderful place that I saw during my first visit?"

"That, my child, is hell's marketing department."

Now I am definitely not going to say that staying at home is hell; it is not what I had been imagining it to be.

For one, you do not ever get to relax, especially after you have a kid. I am able to write this now because my one year old is asleep; but I must tell you that I have been interrupted four times already. When I was working, I got weekends and holidays off. And now? Ha! I am busier on those days as the husband is home. All the pressure that I faced when I was hurrying to submit a report or important document now seems infinitely better than the pressure that is involved in hurriedly preparing dinner for a husband who is going to come home ravenous, with a baby screaming for attention and putting everything into his mouth.

It does not matter when I go to sleep at night; I have to get up the same time every morning.

And to think that at times I thought that the company could not do as well without me! Now everything that I do is mission-critical. If I were to fall sick, well...that's another story.

Sometimes I think that women from the previous generations who have stayed at home are heroes in their own right. How physically and emotionally strong one is required to be, to be able to cook for and take care of a family of 20 people. And they did not even have the luxury of electronic appliances in those days.

Now let me come to the good part.

It is an entirely different challenge altogether. Being a homemaker comes by practice, and no one can be good at it right from the start. I swear I could not even cook rice properly in the beginning, but now I can boast of a decent lunch/dinner, complete with starters and dessert. I know how to handle tasks involving the utilities. Oh, and I can tell you which shop sells cheaper cauliflower, which place has more varieties of bread, and offer you a comparitive price chart. I am better informed about investment options (and this has nothing at all to do with the fact that I studied Financial Management; this is practical knowledge!), can give you some tips on how to save and budget for the family.

Not to forget maintaining a harmonious atmosphere at home.

It is truly fulfilling, and I think I have arrived.

Well, as they say, if you do not climb the mountain, you cannot see the view...

The Most Beautiful Word in the English Language By Bruna Martinuzzi

2010-02-14T19:37:00.005+05:30

I really liked this essay where Bruna talks about Humility as the most beautiful word in the english language. True, and you can tell that humility rises with the altitude of the person! or maybe it's a chicken and egg thing...
----------------------------- Read On ---------------------------------------
Many years ago, one of my university professors mentioned that "windowsill" was voted the most beautiful word in the English language. Being an armchair linguist, this factoid naturally stayed with me. Words have enormous power. They can make us erupt into laughter or bring tears to our eyes. They can influence, inspire, manipulate and shock. They can build and destroy. Some words have different effects on different people. One such word is humility. It is one of those words that are seldom in neutral gear. Some, like me, love the word and all it stands for. Some almost fear it and interpret it synonymously with lack of self-confidence or timidity.

The dictionary defines humility as modesty, lacking pretence, not believing that you are superior to others. An ancillary definition includes: "Having a lowly opinion of oneself, meekness". The word "humility" first struck me in the context of leadership when Jim Collins mentioned it in his seminal work Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't. In this book, Collins examined companies that went from good to great by sustaining 15-year cumulative stock returns at or below the general stock market, and after a transition point, cumulative returns at least three times the market over the next 15 years.

Among the many characteristics that distinguished these companies from others is that they all had a Level 5 leader. Level 5 leaders direct their ego away from themselves to the larger goal of leading their company to greatness. These leaders are a complex, paradoxical mix of intense professional will and extreme personal humility. They will create superb results but shun public adulation, and are never boastful. They are described as modest. An example of such a leader who epitomized humility is David Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, who, in Jim Collins' words, defined himself as a HP man first and a CEO second. He was a man of the people, practicing management by walking around. Shunning all manner of publicity, Packard is quoted as saying: "You shouldn't gloat about anything you've done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do."

Another great leader is Patrick Daniel, CEO of North American energy and pipeline company Enbridge, who espouses two leadership attributes: determination to create results and humility, shifting the focus away from himself and continually recognizing the contributions of others. "I have learned through the lives of great leaders," he said, "that greatness comes from humility and being at times, self-effacing."

Clearly these leaders, and many others like them, don't espouse the meaning of humility as "meek". On the contrary, it is a source of their strength. But the notion of being self-effacing is one that we struggle with in our competitive culture, prescribing that we take every opportunity to toot our own horn, and that we don't dare leave the house without our dynamic elevator speech all rehearsed.

We often confuse humility with timidity. Humility is not clothing ourselves in an attitude of self-abasement or self-denigration. Humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth - but without arrogance - it is the antithesis of hubris, that excessive, arrogant pride which often leads to the derailment of some corporate heroes, as it does with the downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama. It's about a quiet confidence without the need for a meretricious selling of our wares. It's about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents without having to boast about them. It's a lack of arrogance, not a lack of aggressiveness in the pursuit of achievement.

An interesting dichotomy is that, often, the higher people rise, the more they have accomplished, the higher the humility index. Those who achieve the most brag the least, and the more secure they are in themselves, the more humble they are. "True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes". (Edward Frederick Halifax). We have all come across people like that and feel admiration for them.
There is also an understated humility of every day people we work with who have the ability to get the job done without drawing attention to themselves. Witness the employee who is working at his computer into the late hours, purely motivated by a keen sense of duty, the executive assistant who stays after 5:30pm on a Friday night in an empty office to await a courier, or the manager who quietly cancels an important personal event to fly out of town to attend to the company's business. This is akin to the philanthropist who gives an anonymous donation.
Humility is also a meta-virtue. It crosses into an array of principles. For example, we can safely declare that there cannot be authenticity without humility. Why? Because, there is always a time in a leader's journey when one will be in a situation of not having all the answers. Admitting this and seeking others' input requires some humility.

Another mark of a leader who practices humility is his or her treatment of others. Such leaders treat everyone with respect regardless of position. Years ago, I came across this reference: the sign of a gentleman is how he treats those who can be of absolutely no use to him.

Something interesting happens, too, when we approach situations from a perspective of humility: it opens us up to possibilities, as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of view. We spend more time in that wonderful space of the beginner's mind, willing to learn from what others have to offer. We move away from pushing into allowing, from insecure to secure, from seeking approval to seeking enlightenment. We forget about being perfect and we enjoy being in the moment.

Here are a few suggestions on practicing humility:

There are times when swallowing one's pride is particularly difficult and any intentions of humility fly out the window, as we get engaged in a contest of perfection, each side seeking to look good. If you find yourself in such no-win situations, consider developing some strategies to ensure that the circumstances don't lead you to lose your grace. Try this sometimes: just stop talking and allow the other person to be in the limelight. There is something very liberating in this strategy.
Here are three magical words that will produce more peace of mind than a week at an expensive retreat: "You are right."

Catch yourself if you benignly slip into over preaching or coaching without permission - is zeal to impose your point of view overtaking discretion? Is your correction of others reflective of your own needs?

Seek others' input on how you are showing up in your leadership path. Ask: "How am I doing?" It takes humility to ask such a question. And even more humility to consider the answer.

Encourage the practice of humility in your company through your own example: every time you share credit for successes with others, you reinforce the ethos for your constituents. Consider mentoring or coaching emerging leaders on this key attribute of leadership.
There are many benefits to practicing humility, to being in a state of non-pretence: it improves relationships across all levels, it reduces anxiety, it encourages more openness and paradoxically, it enhances one's self-confidence. It opens a window to a higher self. For me, it replaces "windowsill" as the most beautiful word in the English language.

Afterthought - Sometimes I think that my Humility Index is in the negative, esp after I read this post. L

Love Shrines

2010-02-14T12:46:00.008+05:30

What better day, than today, to talk about Love and the expression of it. The most commonly used form of expressing love is saying it through flowers, gifts, chocolates but esp. Red Roses. Not that showing you love through Red Roses is easy, esp for your florist it's a nightmare!

But there have been legends of people who have demonstrated their love, lost love, divine, eternal love through architecture.

We know and are proud of the Taj. It is MASSIVE and awe-inspiring, to say the least. While we still don't know if it's only a show of love or of vanity, it still is to this date one of the biggest living signs of love created by an emperor for his dead wife! So are you taking your loved one to any of these shrines of love today?!

If any of these were put up for sale or auctioned, the proceeds will fund whole economies and has the potential to wipe-out large scale poverty and economic imbalance. The question is who will buy, and at what price? Will we have to destroy them instead? Then what happens to such marvels?? and tourism? And those who thrive on it for livelihood. For as many people who are served by destroying/ otherwise selling the property in such marvels, an equivalent number will also cease to make a livelihood directly or indirectly from their existence! Interesting Dilemma! The strateford castle in Durban, South Africa, one of the ten love well-known shrines is known to be valued at 365M$ today!! Care to buy?

Brand Failures

2010-02-14T01:10:00.003+05:30

Rating – ****
In this book. Matt Haig talks about the 100 Biggest brand failures of all times to come. He classifies them into classic, Idea, extension, PR, Culture, People, Tech failures. What I liked most about this is the fact that unlike other verbose books, this one talks for about 1-1.5 pages on each brand’s attempt and how it bombed. What’s better, it also gives what not to do!! That sort of serves as a checklist when you want to stay cautious and not make those mistakes again!

Of the failures, some are absolutely bizarre, especially the ones on Extension failures – e.g. BIC Underwear!!!, Pond’s Toothpaste! You know from the start that this is a No-GO. When you read about some failures, you feel sad, such as for ‘Ford Edsel’ – it’s the classic case of building huge expectations and not delivering to it!

Overall a very good book and makes for a quick read.

5 Years!

2010-02-13T21:40:00.002+05:30

It's been five years (Calendar) since I started this blog. It's been quite a bit of blogging in fact. About 340 published posts ~ at the rate of roughly 70 a year!! I created this blog towards the end of 2006. So technically, it's only three Years old, but stretches into five calendar Years!

It’s undergone several template changes, and now I think I have come back to square one. Sometimes, I like reading my own blog posts. And I’m sure it must be happening to a number of those who blog. Crazy, I know! A lot of my friends have ventured into writing short stories. I don’t know if I’ll ever get there, because I almost never seem to have a plot. Nor do I have the inclination and flow/ stream of thoughts.

I like the pseudonym "Peppermint Patty" and I find it amuses a lot of my friends/ readers. And I like my love letters to "Chuck"! ;-) A lot of times, I find that I write about myself, and after that I feel ‘exposed’ and ‘vulnerable’, esp. on such things as views or matters of personal interest. It’s almost like you’re letting others in on a private plane. But that thought ceases after a while.

Quite often, there’s so much to say, but you just can't find words to express. Sometimes, it becomes a necessary vent and at others, a pleasure to express your thoughts in words that you pick. After all, no one can bring out the inner-workings of your brain except yourself!
I would urge all my friends to blog, and believe me you could about anything...don't worry who's reading, don't care to please the reader, please yourself and that'll do YOU a huge favor. So write, and if you can write well, then that’ll give you and others a lot of joy!!

HELP! The Tiger is in Danger

2010-02-13T18:41:00.006+05:30

To save the tiger, will we untimately kill it? Are we losing the Woods for the Trees?

It’s unfortunate how much we scrutinize the private lives of celebrities; screen them through the moral lens, ridicule and shame them for their acts. Some say that’s the price one pays for becoming a celeb. However much, as human beings, we owe it to each other to give a person some respect for their privacy and personal value systems.

For instance, Why do we watch so much into what he’d be doing inside there at Pine Grove, the sex rehab clinic in Mississippi. Why is media covering so much into the number of women who have had sex with Woods or the life he’s having in a rehab or the domestic violence in his life?

He is an entertainer, par excellence, but only in the field of sports – Golf, in particular, and not all aspects of his life are on show. And people need to respect that. How much agony have people caused MJ for his personal idiosyncrasies, and quirkiness? I would posit here in fact that we/ the media have been responsible for the kind of life and death, pain and agony that he went through, and perhaps by scrutinizing his life so much and ruining his public image, we threw him into a lifetime of drug addiction and painkillers that eventually took his life?

So are we doing that to all celebrities? A lot of atheletes are known to grow through the kind of problems that Woods is undergoing, but unfortunately for Woods, and fortunately for them, they suffer in private and do not undergo as much a meltdown as Woods went through.

And what is sex addiction really? Have we not read that Sex on a daily basis boosts health? Then why ridicule Woods? I’m not one to justifty Infidelity on his part, but looking through his eyes, ‘I married a top model, she added to my public image. But darn you, I could hardly connect with her. So I never felt the ecstasy of consummating love, the kind you derive with a loved one. So I went from woman to woman. But ho, I didn’t mean to cheat on my wife. And so I never had a long-ish relationship with any one woman. And who cares, I had access and the intent. Women wanted me, and I could have them easy. And whoever believes in what a pornstar would say, topless on a TV show? I had my way until… one after another it came out into the news and ruined all the sponsorships and my whole game”.
Well, does it not seem like a perfectly acceptable story? And does that make him a sex addict? And even if it did, does that give us the right to pry into someone’s life and make it unlivable?

And if you thought Woods was having fun with all the women, perhaps not. You know how it is with Drugs, and alcohol. After the initial highs, it becomes a ‘necessity’.
So why not let him recover in peace, and come back to his game? Instead of silently killing him the way we do?

Can singles mean doubles?

2010-02-13T11:24:00.002+05:30

I really liked this one I found on http://www.mapping.com/headline.html on Bad Headlines : Double meanings from around the world -

Governor Swears in Legislature
March Planned For Next August
Blind Bishop Appointed To See
Lingerie Shipment Hijacked--Thief Gives Police The Slip
L.A. Voters Approve Urban Renewal By Landslide
Patient At Death's Door--Doctors Pull Him Through
Latin Course To Be Canceled--No Interest Among Students, Et Al.
Diaper Market Bottoms Out
Croupiers On Strike--Management: "No Big Deal"
Stadium Air Conditioning Fails--Fans Protest
Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped
Henshaw Offers Rare Opportunity to Goose Hunters
Connie Tied, Nude Policeman Testifies
Women's Movement Called More Broad-Based
Antique Stripper to Display Wares at Store
Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
Split Rears in Farmers Movement
Child's Stool Great for Use in Garden
Idaho Group Organizes to Help Service Widows
Columnist Gets Urologist in Trouble With His Peers
Soviet Virgin Lands Short of Goal Again
Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
Lawyers Give Poor Free Legal Advice
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
Fund Set Up for Beating Victim's Kin
Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years
Never Withhold Herpes Infection From Loved One
Cancer Society Honors Marlboro Man
Nicaragua Sets Goal to Wipe Out Literacy
Autos Killing 110 a Day--Let's Resolve to Do Better
20-Year Friendship Ends at Altar
War Dims Hope For Peace
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Half of U.S. High Schools Require Some Study for Graduation
Blind Woman Gets New Kidney from Dad She Hasn't Seen in Years
Man is Fatally Slain
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say
Death Causes Loneliness, Feelings of Isolation
Flaming Toilet Seat Causes Evacuation at High School
Defendants Speech Ends in Long Sentence
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
House Passes Gas Tax Onto Senate
Police Discover Crack in Australia
Stiff Opposition Expected to Casketless Funeral Plan
Many Antiques Seen at D.A.R. Meeting
William Kelly, 87, was Fed Secretary
Collegians are Turning to Vegetables
Scientists to Have Ford's Ear
Quarter of a Million Chinese Live on Water
Hershey Bars Protest
County Officials to Talk Rubbish
Carter Plans Swell Deficit
Caribbean Islands Drift to Left
Farmer Bill Dies in House
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted
Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case
Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents
Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
Stud Tires Out
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms
Eye Drops off Shelf
Reagan Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead
Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim
Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps Nicklaus to 66
Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax
Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
Stolen Painting Found by Tree
Two Soviet Ships Collide, One Dies
Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter
Never Withhold Herpes Infection from Loved One
Drunken Drivers Paid $1000 in `84
Enfields Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
Deer Kill 17,000
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy
Arson Suspect is Held in Massachusetts Fire
British Union Finds Dwarfs in Short Supply
Ban On Soliciting Dead in Trotwood
Lansing Residents Can Drop Off Trees
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
New Vaccine May Contain Rabies
Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing
Deaf College Opens Doors to Hearing
Air Head Fired
Steals Clock, Faces Time
Prosecutor Releases Probe into Undersheriff
Old School Pillars are Replaced by Alumni
Bank Drive-in Window Blocked by Board
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Some Pieces of Rock Hudson Sold at Auction
Sex Education Delayed, Teachers Request Training
Include your Children when Baking Cookies
Police suspect body in bin may have been dumped (thanks to O. Graham, Gosford, NSW)

Notable Quotable

2010-02-13T10:46:00.001+05:30

"The company is fundamentally sound. The balance sheet is strong. Our financial liquidity has never been stronger... My personal belief is that Enron stock is an incredible bargain at current prices and we will look back a couple of years from now and see the great opportunity that we currently have." - Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay on September 26, 2001 in an online chat with employees, as reported by Reuters.

Less than three months later the company filed for bankruptcy.

Ooh La La!

2010-02-13T10:11:00.003+05:30

The Nissan 370Z is so amazingly sexy, catches you by surprise. The finish, the colors, a sports car with an Oompff! Pirced at 53-55 Lacs, the Fairlady Z, is a 2-door coupe and ooh la la! I wish I could get one ! :-(

Financial Myths :The Power of Compounding & Equity Returns in the Long Term

2010-02-12T17:37:00.004+05:30

In recent times, all of us would have seen advertisements for retirement plans like” save Rs2000 a month and to get a pension of Rs10,000 pomp after 40 years. If you wonder how, the experts will enlighten you on the two most important premises on which the whole financial services industry functions:

- The power of compounding
- Equity delivers phenomenal returns in the long term.

Let’s ignore the inflation factor for a moment. Can we accept the power of compounding as a universal truth?

Consider this, Raja Raja Chola during whose reign the Brigadheeswarar temple ( “Big temple”) in Tanjavur was constructed, wanted the structure to last forever. However, the royal architect was of the view that the structure may last only for 1000 years. The great Chola was distraught. He did not trust posterity to renovate and refurbish the temple after 1000 years. Therefore, he donated 50 gold coins (call it 50 Rupees) towards a temple renovation fund. This fund was expected to earn interest at the modest rate 5% p.a (of course compounded) to be used after 1000 years for renovating and rebuilding the temple.

So how is the fund worth now? About $1546 Trillion (10^12)! The annual income from this corpus @5% would be $77 Tn. To get a perspective of the enormity of this number, The total GDP of all the countries in the world is $61Tn, total wealth of the United States was $43.6tn in 2004[1].

The last Chola King Hiding somewhere in Vietnam (in Selvaraghavan’s fantasy film) would be delighted to know that he can buy the whole Universe instead of mourning “ nel adiya nilam enge” !

People who sell these products are “status quo” ist who believe that Indian economy and therefore their investments would grow forever at 9%. I wonder on what basis they predict growth rates and inflation for 40 years. They conveniently ignore wars, political, technological and social upheavals which can destroy wealth and change the rules of the game.

Equity returns in the long term -

Experts say that in the long term equity returns are consistently more than Debt returns. This is certainly backed by empirical evidence. But take a closer look. The Dow Jones is probably the world oldest stock index. Lets look at how the dow has moved over the last 40 years.

From 800 to 10000 in 35 years, a CAGR of 7% which sounds phenomenal. Look closer, between 65 and 85 the index was flat. No growth at all for twenty years and then suddenly between 89 and 99 it has grown by about 9 times to 10000. Where is it today? 10144. That’s another lost decade. See chart below -

It’s true that markets give you superior returns in the long term but how long is long term? Think of a person who was 35 yrs old in 1965 and starts investing in the index. In 1985 when he is 55 yrs old, the index would have given him returns close to 0 (ignoring dividends). While in 2000 at the age of 70 his investments would have grown by 10 times. That’s a lot of money but probably would be spent on finer things in life like dentures and adult diapers.

~ By Sudharshan

Plight of Emotional Advertising

2010-02-06T18:15:00.008+05:30

Children, Humor and Sex are major tools used in emotional advertising - Some idiot should have told the Indian business heads. Lets go in reverse Order over usage of these factors recently

Sex - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6iWdGNRyhg&feature=related - firangi

Sex - Latest JK Cement Ads - Couldn't get a video link - Must watch though!!

Humor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jmjFtHdwds - Pls shorten it, friend

Children - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASfr0jFFWJU - Time for ad makers to grow up!!

What's India doing? - Scrapping, Pinging or Tweeting?

2010-02-06T11:48:00.005+05:30

Thought I should break the hiatus writing on what used to be one of my oft-repeated past times. In fact the favorite of 15 M others in Mother India! Yeah, you got it right, it’s the second most frequented website after Google! – Facebook!
Check out this statistic! ~

In the last 6 months, the Facebook user base has grown at a staggering 39% and a 6 mth CAGR of 6% vs. Orkut’s growth of just 9% over the same period.

By any measure this is a staggering statistic. A couple of observations that are interesting – FB has a greater lettered member base, especially those on upper echelons. Also, FB’s features are far more exciting and hooking on than Orkut. This I say as someone who has used both social networking sites. Add to this the fact – the fact that most people transitioning from Orkut to Facebook! So as more of your friends move to a new website, you decide to make the transition, almost like a Groupthink and cascade effect. In addition, most users find it increasingly difficult to maintain two accounts, keep track of developments on both. So generally, one account – either orkut or FB will be a dormant account.

Twitter is known to see a 1382% growth! While it’s true that at early stages, a small base produces such obscene growth percentages, it’s also true that Twitter is growing. But my gut is that it will never see as large a customer base as FB. Face it – FB has certain stickiness, So I personally do not see much of an exodus from FB to Twitter or Mindster or Myspace or any other social networking website.

Be Thankful

2009-12-05T10:36:00.002+05:30

I found thison the reverse side of my niece's notebook - no big, fancy, poetic stuff! ~ but hard core truth, bottomline reality in life..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn,
Be thankful for the difficult times, during those times you grow,
Be thankful for your limitations, they give you opportunities for improvement,
Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes, they will teach you valuable lessons.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things,
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
And they can become your blessings.

The Biggest realisations for all times to come...

2009-11-09T22:21:00.004+05:30

Every once in a while, when I catch myself thinking oh why me? Why this? Why now? I worked my ass off, I wanted it so bad...and the like, I realize that or I tell myself - God has a certain scheme(a certain plan) for you and for all of us! ...and that my dear is larger than life, larger than the current life you're seeking, larger than what you've just lost...and the reason he keeps it from you, it - that which you seek, is becuase he wants you to push, and push harder and harder and strive for higher things ! ~ lest you think you've arrived in life!!!

This my dear, is my learning for all times to come!! And so true it is that everytime adversity hits me, and I go deep down that alley of self-pity, misery and self-deprecation, for all the lemons life has handed out to me, I realise that f***, life's not bad at all! Your deep-seated grievances, unhappiness and disapppointments take form as achievments in different aspects of life! If you got everything you wanted since the time you were a child, and also got to keep it- the maybe you wouldn't be here ~ you'd have been floating in thin air, just to be brought down with a thud, and realise 10 years hence that you could've achieved far more in life...

The other thing when you get close to getting something and can't have it - the proverbial slip to the lip - is either God's way of telling you that it's not the right thing for you! Or of showing you what you're capable of and deserving of! and yet showing you an alternate course, tht which is the RIGHT one! - a harsh way, that of getting you close to it, giving just a whiff of it and then grabbing it back - but how else could HE show you the path and yet show you are deserving enough of what you want, but make you chase the path he's charted out for you ?! Think abt it! So stick it out, and you'll be on a high again!

Learn a new lesson each day!

2009-11-09T21:11:00.006+05:30

If it's true that you learn a new lesson everyday, then I must say, I'm learnign three if not four a day. SO I decided starting today that I will recount everything I learn, so it helps me for any future reference...

For starters, every event in life, I mean, every single action, event happens for a reason. Hackeneyed, but true. Atleast so in my life, a realisation of the last few days...

When B(a distant friend) and A (geographically distant) sent me their research papers and attempts at story writing, I was reminded of what a friend once told me - Start writing G, and consider writing seriously, professionally. I don't know if I will ever get there.,, But it served a reminder nonetheless...
When you give a prototype, give the best one. Don't give it because it is defective and does not have an alternative use. It has a cascading effect on (1) confidence on the work you've done (2) People's perception of the strength/ goodness/ perfection of the rest of the population. Pick the Best as a sample, not the worst - notwithstanding the rules of sAmpling!
I don't get wildly upset and depressed when I make mistakes anymore. But I also realise the truth of the statement, "Patta than theriyum pappanukku" Atleast of myself. But I'm startiNG TO take lessons from my mistakes - like pt 2 above. Thinking before Acting and thinking of the consequences of your actions - hardly something I do... But I also don't rue over spilt milk. So it's a strange no care attitude? that's doing me no good.!
God gives it to you. You will be endowed with a certain body and mind to start with. Whilst how you treat it and what you make out of it is entirely upto your fancy, I have realised that there's a certian duty you owe yourself and your body. Maintain it, trim it, exercise it, clean it, pedicure and manicure it, feed it, so it serves you like a polished diamond - smooth and no hiccups...And like all things under the sun, it will have some cravings too - your hormones will crave compansionship, pleasures of the flesh, and indulgence...your skin, hair, nails crave some shining, polishing, lubrication...your tongue some pure indulgence and so on. Bottomline, what you make of it and how you make all the component parts work in sync requires some basic effort but well worth for the results. Forget not - unless there's constant input to the brain, all the effort on the body becomes worthless!
Stroke other people's ego - to the extent possible (I know it's really difficult, esp for the likes of myself), however hard it might be, stroke their ego, praise them, thank them - them who work for you, with you, above you. And what works best, I read somewhere - is seek people's opinions(even if you don't take it) - say "I would like your opinion" and believe me nothing serves better than this as icing on the cake!
There's a thin line of distinction between good presentation and a great show. And Good is the enemy of the great. This I read from the Book - "Good to Great". However, the point behind this is to say two things., one, that yes, good is indeed the enemy of the great and two, that when it comes to bodily matters, Presentation and not show is desired! Keep it under covers, keep it private, and show not to the whole world!
Love thy family - Your family, esp parents are those you owe a duty to. Cliched again, late realisation again, but better lte than never? So start today, before you know, they will be gone. Esp so for women, marriage is a huge milestone that turns the tides. You can't live with them even if you want to!
Your Attitude is everything - f*** it's true. End of chapter, no explanation required
Read, Read, REad - Nothing does you more good than reading, ANd read ANYTHING. I now remember Rita Miss from 6th Standard. She was not my english teacher. She was a substitution teacher as my english teacher was absent that day. And when I think of what I just wrote, I'm reminded of what she told us - infact the same thing, abt reading.
When you make a mistake, analyse it. Benjamin Franklin is known to have analysed his actions of the day at the end of every day, and trust me, while I don't do it myself(it's another thing that preaching is easy!), it sure will help! When you are still young, the whole world will guide you, but beyond a certain age, it's all upto you!
About mistakes, I remember certain mistakes of my life, small though, however, I will never forget them for a lifetime! Such is the power of good upbringing. "Adi odavaramari annan thambi odava mattannu summava sonnanga?" Even today I can't forget how I called my so-called 'enemies' in Anugraha colony 'pigs'(back when I was in 6th Std) and then bore the brunt of it! If you really have to do it, atleast keep it discreet!!
However, notwithstanding what I said abt siblings, strangely enough, not barring how much my bro and I fight, I regard him my best bud these days.
On Sat, I was catching up with all the people in the(my) world from ISB. One particular conversation with a certain not very close friend left me bitter. Now however I realise that there was a certain truth that I had to realise from tht discussion. We talked work, life, GGn, friends. On the topic of work, we discussed how if I were passionate, I wouldn't mind working 24 X 7. But he said - "On weekdays, I work my ASS oFF and I need the weekends for myself". And that my dear, I know, was no radical thought, but was a revelation abt my false impressions. Let work consume you, your all, but weekends are to live! Profound it seemed when I analysed it later. Work till 3 am on weekdays if need be, but weekends, no no. Thanks A, although you left me with a bitter taste, I learnt a lesson!
Generally, your 'first car habits' stick. So if you had manual steering and manual locks, then you will generally have the tendency to steer hard and check the door handles after you alight!
Never Never Never ask for your colleague's car, unless he is also your best bud. People have difficulty saying no. He will give it, but he will still be uncomfortable with the whole idea! Plus your being a girl only makes it easier for him to doubt your prowess at driving!
Power and control give highs nothing else does (maybe substance abuse, but you get the drift...). But, you got t be able to do what it takes to be powerful, be GREAT and learn to play Games and Manipulate, manoeuver, steer, take the bull by its horns ~ call it whatever!
There's no such thing as a 'guy likes you' - the thought, the gut feel is all BS. Until a guy tells you in as many words, you can never be sure...Don't spend a lot of time on him and then shock yourself when you hear 'I always considered us friends'! This didn't happen to me, but suffice it to say that sometimes you learn well from other people's lives!
You will be handed decisions, choices, paths, and forks on those paths in life. And you have to make the choices! Tough they will be, but you got to make them nonetheless and not crib at the end of it. My CEO is known to have said, I feel guilty I can't spend time with my kids, but will that stop me from heading PepsiCo? No. I have made a choice and I cannot crib now! True but what I'm all the more impressed with is the fact that she sleeps for only 5 Hrs a night and reads about everything under the sun.
History repeats itself, until you learn from it or make a course correction!
we all suck-up or standup to authority. ANd we are all suckers for praise and attention.
GOOD work gets recognised, even if in the immediate short run you work with an asshole. And building a reputation that when entrusted with something, it will be done in the best possible manner and the assignor can just chill mar - takes a world of effort, but is well worth it!
There's something incredibly sexy about making the most of what life hands to you!

I learnt way too much? :-) Am I a Quick learner or do I just make way too many mistakes? ~ but trust me I didn't take 22 days to learn!