The King Of Hope

After the landslide victory in recent polls, CM Nitish Kumar has certainly become a global icon. The modest man, who reinforced the idea of ‘Action speaks louder than words’ has attracted attention from Forbes, WSJ and many other International Media houses recently while he has already been a darling to domestic media . He has transformed Bihar from a land of destitution to a state of glory, without any doubt. The person, who was a second class politician till a few years back, has become an example in Indian political circle. I was not surprised when a leading news anchor gave him higher rating than President Obama. He has set new standards, scrapped many political myths and has come out with unique solution to perennial problems. All this brings me to the question—“Do we need to relook at the definition of leadership?”


Some of the external qualities expected in global leaders are: Charisma, eloquence, positive body language, designer clothing, sense of humor etc. which make them pleasing to our eyes and music to our ears while the internal qualities expected are: Integrity, Commitment, Magnanimity, Humility, Openness, Fairness, Objectivity etc. While Nitish scores badly on the first set of qualities, he gets distinction on the second set. This bring me to the conclusion that:

a. If you are committed and hardworking, results will show.
b. Charisma and glorification may sway people for some time, but finally result matters.
c. If you can deliver, who cares about the look and accent.
d. Humility draws respect and trust.
e. You don’t really need a designer suit and fine language to inspire hope.
f. Astute planning pays off.
g. What’s done on the ground, cannot be erased with words.
h. You can shut others up by justifying, but they know very well what you are up to and
i. Even if you are not loud, the world will listen and clap if they believe in you.

Self Respect vs Ego

I have been trying hard to distinguish Self Respect from Ego. Here are some of the findings which I feel differentiates the two:

Assertiveness=Self Respect
Aggression=Ego

Competing against Yourself: Self Respect
Competing against Others: Ego

Listening and speaking: Self Respect
Speaking and Speaking: Ego

Taking the responsibility: Self Respect
Blaming: Ego

Saying- I’m sorry: Self Respect
‘Silence’ when you commit mistakes: Ego

Use of polite language: Self Respect
Abusing others: Ego

Giving the deserved credit: Self Respect
Taking everyone’s credit: Ego

Appreciation and constructive feedback: Self respect
Fault finding: Ego

Sharing required information: Self Respect
Holding information to prove self importance: Ego

Focus on Objective: Self Respect
Focus on Person: Ego

I wish you to look at these differentiators from wider perspective. And you very well know, which one to adopt.

The Cracked Pot

We have a monthly funletter for the employees in the company called 'Bubbles.' Last month this story was contributed by one of the staff and I have receive many compliments for this. Therefore, thought of sharing with you.

We tend to have inferiority complex because of our weakness, that's where we go wrong. Not just strength, our weaknesses too make us special. This story is all about this.

Take time to read and post your comments.

Cheers and love!
Vivek


The Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. 'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.' The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?

'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.' Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You should take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

Don't React. Respond!

I read this article a few days back at one of my friends' Facebook post. It does deserve a few minutes of yours.

Love
Vivek

Don't React. Respond!


I happened to go to a coffee shop on a road side very recently while traveling..Suddenly, a cockroach flew from somewhere and sat on on a lady. I wondered if this was the cockroach’s response to all the glory that was spoken about it! She started screaming out of fear. With panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group got cranky to what was happening.

The lady finally managed to push the cockroach to another lady in the group. Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed and threw it out with his fingers.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior? If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos. It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies.

I realized even in my case then, it is not the shouting of my people or my boss at work place that disturbs me, but it’s my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs me. Its not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me. More than the problem, it’s my reaction to the problem that hurts me.

Lessons learnt from the story:
I understood, I should not react in life. I should always respond. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded. Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always intellectual.

The Negative Inspiration

The Negative Inspiration
All of us admire qualities in others and sometimes we like them so much that we try to incorporate them into our lives. That’s what we do very much consciously.

However, a few times we know what the deed of the other person is not right. We know that’s not a great thing to do. But, while landing into such a situation, we perform the same act, despite knowing it’s not right. Why? Because I saw someone else doing it. I call it ‘Negative Inspiration.’ Somehow our mind tries to justify a wrong deeds just because someone else was doing it. We become less rational at that time and somewhat escapist.

I was about to do the same thing yesterday, but I got it right. On many other occasions in past, I did not correct myself.

This is what happened. I was in hurry to reach office. Right after I parked the car, I knew that I needed to put the sun shade on. But I didn’t want to do it. Was feeling lazy, while my mind said it should do it. Then I looked at the car parked next to mine. My colleague had not done it. Now I got a reason, not to do it because my colleague had not done.

Another example, a more serious one. You are stuck in traffic and desperate to reach office, but you feel helpless. The emergency lane is empty and you find it very tempting to use it in order to cut the traffic. You maintain restraint. Then you see the guy behind you snaking to the emergency lane and wheeling away. While you are tempted, you see a few more vehicles doing the same. The negative action of the first guy prompted many others.

I guess, human beings get this quality by default. Very few are able to restrain. The best way to prevent yourself from falling into the trap of negative inspiration is to Stop and Think. Most often we do not analyze our action consciously, that’s exactly what we need to do.

Merry Christmas and have a blessed new year 2011
Vivek

A Special Morning Walk

For last few weeks, I have been able to continue morning walk on the gulf road. Thanks to the reduced working hours during Ramadan which triggered this initiative.

The freshness of air in the morning and to see the changing colors of sun is delightful. Besides this, a walk in nature is a fertile ground for new ideas and fills you with lasting energy.

Today I removed my shoes and walked barefoot on the grass. The tickle of green grass to my sole was something I can’t express in words. Tried this out with closed eyes. Every time my step fell on the grass, the spikes of cold grass made me feel blissful.

Secondly, I tried mixing walk with jog. I would run for some time, when tired, I would start walking, after some time I took rest sitting on the bench and again continued jogging. I envied those who were religiously running, dropping sweat beads from the forehead, but I just wanted to be comfortable not ready to tire myself with this exercise.

After reaching the viewpoint triangle, I spread my hands, closed the eyes and tried to hear the sound of flutter which my clothes were creating against the wind coming from the sea. The waves were more active than usual and created varied noise while splintering some parts on me. When I opened the eyes after a few minutes, it felt so different.

While returning, I tried counting the number of skyscrapers in Kuwait from the gulf road jogging tracks. Despite several trials, I couldn’t get it right. Still it was fun. Sometimes just trying something new feels great. I will try it again next time.

Finally, I came to the car and played Hare Krishna bhajans while driving back home. It was a special ride because there were hardly any cars on the road and I preferred a longer route. The fast ride gives you thrill, but the slow one is even better. On a free six lane road, I was driving at 50-60 km per hour, Imagine! While driving I was able to appreciate nature, streets and myself for the ability to resist from driving fast.

Can there be a better start for Friday?

Don't Do It Too Hard

Every time I have worked too hard towards something, I have lost interest faster. And once I gave that up, hardly did I go back to it.

Every now and then I keep getting groundbreaking (that’s what I feel) ideas and then I try to refine it. As long as I’m obsessed with it, everything else takes a backseat. It continues for some days or some weeks (if the idea is really great) and suddenly I feel it’s too boring and quit.

After a great amount of introspection, I have concluded that I didn’t quit because the idea was bad, I did it because my obsession faded and it became too boring due to repeated thinking about the same thing.

Like our body, our brain too needs new experiences. If we overdo one thing for some time, we are likely to lose interest and go back to square one. So the question is- how to balance it and keep our interest alive?

I have tried and it works greatly for me. Now, whenever I’m working on a new idea, I keep myself guarded. I look for the opportunity to identify the indication of fatigue. Once I feel getting close to it, I give myself a well deserved rest for some days and start again with revived interest.

And the biggest advantage is: Nothing takes the backseat anymore.

True Love

My other commitments are keeping me too occupied. Therefore, I'm unable to blog regularly.

Just a few days back, while looking for a story to be published in our company Fun letter, I came across this one. Not to say, this is one of the most touching stories I have ever read.

Have some time to go through it and comment.

Love
Vivek


True Love

It was a busy morning, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said to the doctor that he was in a hurry, as he had an appointment at 9:00am.

The doctor took his vital signs and started evaluating his wound.

On examining, he saw it was well healed, so he talked to a nurse and got the needed supplies to remove the sutures and redress the wound. While dressing the wound, the doctor asked him if he had another doctor's appointment that morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told no, as he needed to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife.

The doctor inquired about his wife’s health. The elderly man told that she had been there for a while because she is a victim of Alzheimer's disease. As they talked, the doctor asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him for five years now.

The doctor was surprised and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?' He smiled as he patted doctor’s hand and said, “She doesn't know me but I still know who she is.”

True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

Damn the Competition

Did you ever think about competition and it scared the shit out of you? This happened to many many times.

I was then preparing for Combined Defense Services (CDS). Whenever I though about those competing with me, I tried to be optimistic, thought-- Let's look at it as a challenge and work harder. But, truth was-- the optimistic approach hardly helped in subsiding the fear. I could not stop myself from thinking how difficult it would be to contest with hundreds of thousands of applicants.

The more I thought about it, the scarier it looked and it wasn't helping at all in any way.

So, I decided to just do, what I was supposed to-- Stop thinking and start working.

Although the fear was not eliminated, yet the intensity of work was so high that everything else took a backseat. I continued for a few months, appeared for the exam and wasn't sure what would happen.

After the few months, the result was announced and I didn't care to check. One fine afternoon, I got a promotional letter from a coaching institute for Interview Preparation, which congratulated me for getting through the written examination. I was surprised. I went online, browsed through the list of successful candidates, yes, I was one of them.

Do you know even the toppers are as scared as you and me. Only after the result is announced, they come to know what a genius they are.

So, the crux is:
Damn the competition, and don't care how many are in the queue.

You job is just to do the best.

You Can Do It Better Than Me

You would agree when I say-- The higher you go on corporate ladder, the word 'ME' gets stronger. The result: Suppressed creativity, lack of motivation, low morale and inability to take decision among the team members.

On many occasions, I have seen the Senior Executive cutting down the discussion midway and announcing her decree. The silence follows, and the questions are invited just for the sake of it.
By this I don't challenge the Boss's ability to take the best decision. Mostly the senior executives have more experience, better education and wider vision than the team members.

My point is: Do we aim at just getting the work done (machine and animals do that better) or inspire the team to set new milestones, converge creativity, and create a fountain of path-breaking initiatives.

If you feel the team should deliver more than asked for, you must have belief in the phrase

"You can do it better than me." and see what follows.

True Test Of Character

Yesterday, I was stuck in car inside the parking lot of a leading mall for over forty minutes. It was the first time I experienced Friday evening traffic at the Avenues. I could see otherwise well-behaved citizens honking impatiently and pushing ahead out of turn. That made me think- Just a few extra minutes in traffic makes people lose nerves and break rules, what about those who lack shelter and can’t feed their family?

It’s far easy to stay morally upright when your tummy is full, a nice suit to wear and a beautiful car to drive.

Let’s suppose you are standing next to a bakery unfed for two days and don’t have a single penny in your wallet. The Baker trusts you with the store till the time he comes back from the prayer. Can you restrain yourself from stealing? Your answer could be yes.. what you will actually do at that time.. even you don’t know. Few of us have experienced such predicament.

It’s very difficult to hold on to your principles when the time is tough and loss of hope. Trust me! That’s the time to test your true character.

Adequately Resourced

I generally get brilliant ideas at unusual places.. in the washroom, at the airport lounge, while driving or on a morning walk.

In none of these situations I carry a notepad or pen. As a consequence, when I reach office or home and try to recollect, half the ideas are already vanished.

I must admit I’m old fashioned when it comes to gadgets. I hate typing at my Samsung mobile, looking at which the sales guy gave me a sarcastic look when I asked him to show iPhone 4.

I shared the above concern (inability to recollect thoughts) with a friend of mine and his quick advice was- “Buy a phone with a voice-recorder.”

My Samsung already has a voice-recorder which I’ve never used. The problem was not with the phone, but my ability to recognize this feature.

I see many cribbing for lack of resources. When you stop over and ponder, mostly you will notice, you already have all that you to need to carry on the path to realizing your dreams.

Don’t use lack of resource as an excuse to stop you from reaching your turest potential . Keep your mind and eyes open. You’ll find yourself resourced enough.

The (un)Objective Comment

“I loved Kites. Bollywood has come a long way.” I excitedly shared this with my friends.

“It’s bullshit. I can’t imagine Hrithik Roshan acting. Better you go and watch The Notebook. It’s true copy.” My friend Steven snapped.

I could imagine the conversation leading to argument and decided to change the topic. We started discussing how fantastic the pickup of BMW was which we were driving in.

After spending the fantastic evening in the Dubai bar, when we reached back the hotel, I was curious to know why Steven did not like Kites. I tried to probe and he endlessly reiterated that the idea was not original. I too am, not very appreciative of stolen concepts and agreed with him. However, I personally like Hrithik Roshan’s flawless performance and can bet it was one of his best. So, I added with caution, “ Where do you think Hrithik could have done better.”

“I just don’t like that nut.”

“But, you said his acting was bad.”

“I just hate the look of that six-fingered.” He snapped.
“How’s that related to his acting.” I questioned.

No answer. I assumed he did not know whether Hrithik’s performance was flawed.

This reminds that, over time our perception is built and it’s not easy to challenge them. This may sometimes stop from appreciating a great deed or celebrating a big achievement. If you still hate someone, ask yourself—WHY? If you don’t have an answer, look for something to appreciate.

Now, I’m trying to figure out why I hate Shah Rukh Khan so much.

The Guy In The Glass

I just read this poem and have realised how truthful it is. Thanks Dale Wimbrow for bringing such a beautiful poetry to us.

Not to be missed!

Vivek

The Guy In The Glass


When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life,
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous,
difficult test If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum,
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears,
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

Don't Tweet Trouble

In the last few months we have heard at least a dozen controversies related to social networking sites and blogs. Laymen have lost jobs and ministers have lost their cabinet berths. Reporters have been fired and diplomats have been snubbed.

While facebook, twitter and blogger have made every man a super man and every lady a wonderwoman, they have created a himalayan imbalance in our lives. The conflict between personal opinion and official stand had never been rare. What is creating chaos these days is, the opinions which were limited to a close group of friends are reaching out to millions. While emotions run high among humans, it is not easy to stop yourself from tapping a tweet on your smartphone. By the time emotion settles and you realize what a misfire it was, news channels are already discussing it. Then starts protests, effigy burning, war of words and so on. This whole new set up gives no scope to damage-control. I have even seen some people closing down their accounts and many more are confused.

While the concept of social networking has empowered us to a new level, it expects us to display a great amount of restraint and responsibility.

To play safe what I do is- Access Facebook and Twitter once a day and before I post anything I’m very clear, it’s not going to cause any trouble. If in dilemma, I don’t post at all.

Happy Tweeting!

Don't Express An Opinion, Don't HAVE An Opinion

Whether it be a Board room or a Drawing room, silence prevails on most critical issues. Someone out there knows very well to leverage it and decision is made, although unilateral, but is assumed democratic.

Just after the meeting, I notice tete a tete taking place among the dummies (as I call them), about how autocratic the decision was. They complain that an opportunity to think was not given to them, it was too hurried, they were not prepared etc. Hardly ever they admit that their silence has prompted one-sided verdict. My comment to them in a simple phrase is:

“If you don’t express and opinion, you don’t HAVE an opinion.”

I do not advocate the vedic verse- Maunam Sarvarth Saadhanam (Silence solves all the problems). I rather believe, Silence sprouts most of the crises. More often than not, Silence is assumed as consent than otherwise.

When I search the reasons for Silence, I get the following answers:

A. Dilemma
B. Reluctance to hurt someone’s feelings and
C. Inability to take responsibility.

Don’t misinterpret my expectation, I don’t hope one to be George Bush. I just wish, s/he must express what s/he feels. In each of these situations, I have tried and tested a few ways out, and they work. This is what I advise:

A. Dilemma: State that you are not sure, you need more time to have a stand. A delayed verdict is better than a wrong verdict.

B. Reluctance to hurt someone’s feelings: Think of the consequence if you are silent. If it is justified, then keep mum. However, others must note that your silence is not assumed ‘Yes’. If not, the truth must prevail and you get an opportunity to try out diplomacy.

C. Inability to take responsibility: Remember! The pivot of the world are those who can take a call. You may have to find reasons to justify but it’s well worth it. Don’t hush the leader to emerge from you.

Do the Words Speak Your Mind?

Recently, a friend regretted that she wanted to tell her boss how terrible she felt working with him, but on facing, ended up saying how handsome he looked that day. The worst happened when the Boss responded with smile considering this a compliment oblivious of the fact, she had running in mind.

This is a classic example of imbalance between the words and mind.
I myself have faltered on various occasions when it came to express what I thought. If the person was superior in hierarchy or someone who I’m not very comfortable with, made things all the more difficult. Sometimes it also happened that I didn’t know how to respond to a comment and ended up saying something what did not make sense.

After deep thinking, I have reached a conclusion that the factors which created the imbalance between my speech and mind could be one or the combination of these: courage, rapport with the person, state of mind, clarity of thought, sensitivity of the topic and the ability to articulate.

The irony is- this angle is never discussed in any communication training. If you too are down with this sickness, I have got a tip. Whenever the tongue slips, ask yourself WHY? And commit yourself not to repeat the same mistake ever.

Else, your may find a friend writing a blog on you.

Trust or E-mail

I hope you will agree if I say our communication have become too complex. SMS, web chat, Skype, emails, mobile and everything else associated with technology have rather added to the agony than making it easier.

It’s difficult to articulate the pain I undergo almost every day. Yesterday I needed to tell something sensitive to my colleague (her cabin is located 2 meters away) in a diplomatic manner, as they say. I nearly spent half an hour confused among three choices- Intercom, Face to face and email and as business goes, I ended up emailing, just to make sure I have a documentary evidence if things turn wrong. Without any delay, I got a reply with carbon copy to my Boss. I can’t challenge her aptitude, she proved smarter. She trusts others far less than I.

The erosion of trust has reached such a limit that more than expressing, we have started documenting. The more we try to use fancy corporate jargon to reach closer to manuscript our real intention, the higher others tend to misunderstand.

This reminds me how nice were days when people didn’t have choice to document. They would just meet face to face and sort out everything. I guess, they didn’t have an option, but to trust. I wish some technology brings that back. Life would be much simpler.

Fail Quickly Fail Small

This statement by Rekitt Benckiser (RB) CEO Bert Becht caught my attention when I was browsing through the recent edition of Harvard Business review.

Although the context there was different, but I’m putting this into our life in general. When I retrospect, I realize, all the winning moments made me proud and I moved ahead in life with laughter on my face and cheer in my heart. I hardly remember anytime I sat and tried to figure out, despite the win, were there any flaws.

Success doesn’t equate perfection. On countless occasions we succeed and it’s very common to get blinded to the flaws.

Failure is painful, troubling, sometimes embarrassing and many times disheartening but it gives a scope to remove the flaws, reconsider the plan, rethink the idea and rewrite the history. After the failure, we are challenged, excited and thrilled and ready to outdo to reclaim the victory.

Bert further adds, “Failure is actually a huge incentive, because people get so personally competitive that they work even faster for the next success.”

How true? However, failing small is better than a titanic failure and failing quickly is better than a after the war failure. When the stakes are low, the failure leads to challenge. But, on a high stake, it results in frustration.

This reminds me of recent Toyota fiasco, which has shattered its image and shaken its profitability. What if its Prius had failed at quality testing?

No One Agrees, Still You Can Be Right

All of us like to be acknowledged and appreciated. Everyone loves if her viewpoint is seconded by others. When we encounter differing point of view, sometimes we question our own capabilities. Is it wrong? No! We are just acting human.

Validation of our idea reinforces our belief in it at the same time the contradiction creates a new set of opportunities. It gives us an opportunity to look from a different angle which might result in reaching a more ambitious outcome. The problem is- Most people prefer to give up when criticized, than looking for an answer.

The world has few visionaries who believe in the beauty of their dreams and are tirelessly pushing to make them come true. They are made of altogether different DNA, which is incomprehensible by the common populace. But, when it comes to sharing those ideas, they don’t find many likeminded around. And, they end up discussing them with the ordinary citizens, who were never able to look beyond their daily needs, and end up disheartened.

That should not be the reason to quit. You’d agree, there are not many who change the shape of the world and if you are one of them, then most around you should not agree.

If others believe in what you do, you have reason to feel good. If not, they have surrendered to ordinaryhood. You have to overcome and set a new landmark.

The Privilege of Ordinary Living

Hardly anyone is not attracted towards the glamour of celebrity lifestyle… millions of followers, a couple of islands, tinted limousines, designer clothes, plush watches and to top it all—picture on the front page of a leading daily, if not Time.

A lot of hard work, a bit of luck and consistent pursuit for excellence have given them so much visibility and many of them do deserve our appreciation. However, I feel most of them pay a huge price for celebrityhood. This reminds me of a statement by Michelle Obama how their kids felt after seeing Obama’s photo in the newspaper- “First day, when you see your father on the front page, it makes you proud. When you see him every day, you feel like you’ve lost him.”

Statements like this hardly surface, but commonsense does suggest, it‘s commonplace.

Let’s have a look what we can do and they can’t:

1. We can visit neighborhood temple any time we wish. Sachin Tendulkar does it at 1:00 am. To make a temple visit he has to sacrifice his night’s sleep.

2. We don’t need security right outside the bedroom and bathroom. They literally have no privacy.

3. Aishwarya Rai cannot plan a child because of her professional commitments. Producers will decide when she is going to be a Mom. Thank God! Most of the ordinary employment offer one to three month of maternity leave.

4. If we give into the temptation of having an affair, no one gives a damn. Tiger Woods lost his billions and now his career is on the tenterhooks.

5. Paparazzi don’t chase us to death, as they did to Princess Diana. Do we really care who’s following us?

6. Our tweets don’t take away the chairmanship. Lalit Modi will spend remaining of his life in disgrace and visiting courts.

7. We can freely express our viewpoint without caring what will my sponsor/party chief thinks. That’s what Amar Singh is doing after being fired from SP. Read his blogs.

8. Mostly, our friendship is defined by love, care and support and we cherish it all through our life. Icons are so obsessed with their own self that the only thing defining their friendship is opportunism. You all know, recent disaster is Farah Khan-SRK break up.

9. If you have a potbelly, so what? Still you can try some Pani Poori or Aloo chat without any thought that someone is going to replace you in the next movie.

10. Now, the most important thing. You can cry, laugh or cheer as you wish. A public figure can’t even express true emotion in public. It’s all about image, my dear! Imagine Tom Cruise, if he is caught crying on camera.

So what if we have a small car and no islands? Three cheers to the ordinary life. Let’s enjoy our commonhood!

All Are Equal. I Don't Think So..

Frequently we get to hear that we should treat everyone equally and I too advocate it to a great extent. But, is it practical?

Generally, you tend to behave more respectfully with your superiors , what if you give same treatment to the bottom of the ladder. I have met many guys who are mature enough to interpret your intention. But, there is no dearth of shallow characters, who become frank to the point that you feel the authority being challenged. Many of them take your politeness for granted and you do not attract the deserving respect.

I have encountered this on many occasions and was unsure for years, how to react. Now, I very well know how to handle it. Here are some tips:

1. Define your relationship both at work and in social arena. Find out what level of openness is needed to sail through comfortably.

2. Know yourself better. Identify your ego strength and be clear how you want to be treated.

3. Take your time to open. If the person is mature and you do not see the possibility of being challenged, you can be more open. If the guy scores low on maturity scale, better keeping it formal.

4. Don’t ever reveal your dark secrets. You never know what equation you will have after two months with the listener. Relationship dynamics change more frequently than we ever imagine.

5. Respect everyone irrespective of the position. Just the level of formality is to be customized.

Break Your Stereotypes

I went to Europe with the following stereotypes:

1. Europeans are racist
2. English is hardly used in France and Switzerland.
3. There are hardly any Indian Restaurant
4. Very few Indians travel to Europe
5. Petty crimes are widely prevalent in Paris
6. The Sun sets at 6-7 pm

Trust me, most of these were ruthlessly bombed. After the visit this is what I have to say:

1. Hardly anyone is racist. People are generally very helpful, far better than how we treat them on visit to the Taj Mahal.
2. No need to master French. You can comfortably manage with English at most places.
3. We found plenty of Indian Restaurant and Vegetarian Food at all places except Murren.
4. We saw buses after buses full of Indians, particularly in Switzerland. Yashraj magic.
5. Did not encounter and saw chain-snatching, pick pocketing, roadside scams (it doesn’t mean they don’t exist)
6. It’s visible till 10 pm.

Similarly, before I came to Kuwait I used to think:

1. Every local is a Sheikh
2. Arabs are brutal and unfriendly
3. Things are expensive
4. Living in Saudi and Kuwait are same
5. Buildings have Islamic appearance
6. I can’t stay there for more than two years (just because I want to make some money)
7. You will see only sand everywhere
8. The citizens own oil wells and everyone is ultra-rich

Now, after spending over two and half years this is what I feel:
1. Only the king and his family are Sheikh, others are just citizens
2. Not all of them. Many are western educated and more cosmopolitan than an average Indian.
3. Very few things are more expensive than India. Except housing and food materials, other stuff are nearly at par. Cars are nearly 30 percent cheaper.
4. There is sea difference in Saudi and Kuwait. It’s more tolerant. People wear modern outfits. Most women work and are overly made up. Business attire is Western suit. And English is widely spoken and understood.
5. Most new constructions are highly modern. Tall glass rectangular towers.
6. I’m about to complete three years. Probably as comfortable, if not, more than India. You get Jalebi, Samosa, Pani Poori and everything else you can imagine in Delhi, better than what’s offered in many parts of India and you can use Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and Malayalam at most of the places you visit.
7. Most streets are landscaped and kept as clean as Parliament Street. Beaches are very well maintained and offer quite a few things to do.
8. The government own oil and most of the citizen have office job and not everyone is ultra rich.

Most of us live through stereotypes, which we consider truth. The world is far different. Open your mind and see the world from a new angle.

Ferrari. Does It Really Matter?

I had a very humble upbringing and have continued to live a modest life. My home to work run has improved over time. You can see the transition below:

1. Walk to School (free in 1991)
2. Second hand Bike (Avon for 300 rupees in 1993)
3. New Bike (Hero Royal for 1050 rupees in 1994)
4. Public Bus (Mostly without tickets being student 1997-2000) & Autorickshaw (2000-2005)
5. Motor Bike (TVS Apache for 56,000 rupees, 2005-2007)
7. Car (Toyota Corolla for 1,100,000 rupees, 2008-till date)

I’m very satisfied with the way I commute to office now. The car has excellent pick up, AC is fantastic, and it meets my every need very well and hasn’t ditched even once.

What if I make a lot more money. Will Ferrari make much difference? Probably not. A car like Toyota Corolla is decent enough to meet my on-road requirements.

Then why the rich brats drive Ferrari? It’s more to do with how they are perceived than the pleasure derived from driving.

Same thing applies to watches.. Timex or Rolex.. they are equally efficient.

Let me tell you.. I’m not against Ferrari or Rolex. I’m just analyzing their utility. After it reaches a stage on quality scale, the scope to improve is miniscule.

If you are a white-made millionaire, go for Ferrari. Dirting your hands for it is not worthwhile. And taking a loan to drive the red monster is sheer insanity. To experience the best of mankind, it’s always available on hire for a day or two.

Money better be put to other use. Sorry GUCCI, Prada and Armani. No wonder, you’d call I don’t have taste.

Let Go!

During my trip planning to Europe I wanted to make everything perfect and did have a perfect start. The attractive airline fare advanced the trip by three months and my boss was kind enough to permit another vacation in first half of the year. WOW! May God bless you too, with such a boss.

Preparation started. I started browsing Tripadvisor more religiously than I do Bhagwat Geeta and very soon the hotels were booked. Of course I managed to get best deals everywhere.

Visas arrived, that too well in time. My dinar power felt another punch with fall of Euro at the peak of Greek Crisis.

Just before the day I flew, I got some Dinars exchanged to Swiss Francs. The money exchange I’m loyal to, offered me best rate and I blindly bought Francs. Only after returning home, I had realized that I lost close to 40 dollars. That was a good enough to upset me. I made a call to them, the manager profusely apologized, but that was not enough to repair the money lost. I was haunted for days for that loss and the reflection could be seen on my mood. I kept cursing myself.

Then I asked myself- Why am I upset?

I realized that the reason of unhappiness was my super high expectation. I researched everything well, and did get worthy benefit. But, I was expecting even better. And that was adamant to spoil my dream trip.

I stopped and said to myself, “Let go, you can’t get the best deal at all times.” This single sentence made me feel a lot better.

We have so many things to cheer about and mostly we kept counting what we have not. Let Go! is the way to a better living.

Perfectionists are Unhappy Lot!

How many times you have seen people puffing their chest in pride before calling themselves perfectionist?

It is considered positive weakness in HR terminology and advised by career experts to be used as weakness when asked for one in an interview. Like many of you, I too have used this trick a few times and am unsure of what impact it made. Maybe they thought, I have been trained to say so.

Over years this term has puzzled me more than anything else and I have been trying to untangle its covert meaning. Of late, I started asking myself, should one be perfectionist or not?

All the people around me, who the world presumes to be perfectionist, are broadly described through these adjectives (hope you too will agree)
-finicky
-irritated
-stubborn
-faultfinder
-my way or highway
-cranky
-ruthless

Which of these adjectives you would like to label yourself with? I know you will hate be associated with any of these words.

Does it mean you should stop doing your best? No. You must look for improvement. Get better at whatever you do. Just not, to the extent that makes you and others unhappy.

The Ash-cloud Dilemma

Ash Cloud has spooked all the travelers to Europe since last month and it continues to do so. I, with my wife is travelling tomorrow to London. For a middle-class Indian it’s once in a life time event and of course we were thrilled. Now, we are anxious.

My wife was adamant, come what may, we will carry on with the trip. One reason, she loves exploring new places. Second, the news has spread all across and it’s an embarrassment when the trip is cancelled. Every time she saw the news report on BBC, a kaleidoscopic expression was taking turns on her face.
I too, was not in mood to cancel the trip, but for a different reason- with cancellation, money used for non-refundable Eurostar and TGV tickets with get death sentence.

Despite my wife’s insistence and possible loss of Euros, I could not forget the tribulations experienced by travelers last month which I saw on TV. So, I kept my fingers crossed. Deep inside I was making up my mind, not to start the trip, if things are not in order. Trust me, what I was trying to prepare myself for, was not easy, assuming the imminent World War at home.

Many times in life, we have to take tough decisions, we have to dishearten people. Not because we don’t love them, but because we love them more.

All the flights to London were on time yesterday, hope it continues till tomorrow.
Cheers! My next hi to you will be from the Eiffel Tower.
Vivek

Are You Like a Flower?

Guys! Yesterday I came across this beautiful poem. Tried hard but could not track the author. Does it teach some lessons to a better life?

Vivek

I am like a flower
Not sure of when I will die.
Not sure of when I will grow back again
When I am crushed with pain and cry.

What do I do when I'm not given enough water,
to make it through the day?
What do I do when I look up in the sky?
And the sun doesn't show a ray?

I stand as tall as a flower would,
As long as I possible can.
I will stand and show my colors,
That is what I plan.

I may droop and my petals may fall,
But that won't stop me from growing.
My love, honesty and beauty,
I will keep showing.

I am like a flower,
Strong and supreme.
I may be trampled on,
But I will never lose faith in my dreams.

Keep Swimming

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl.
One was an optimistic soul.
But the other took the gloomy view.
"We'll drown," he lamented without much ado,
and with a last despairing cry,
he flung up his legs and said "Goodbye."

Quote the other frog with a steadfast grin,
"I can't get out but I won't give in,
I'll just swim around till my strength is spent,
then I'll die the more content."
Bravely he swam to work his scheme,
and his struggles began to churn the cream.

The more he swam, his legs a flutter,
the more the cream turned into butter.
On top of the butter at last he stopped,
and out of the bowl he gaily hopped.

If you can't hop out, keep swimming around!

When the Elephant Walks, A Thousand Dogs Bark!

This centuries old adage from Indian countryside was never before more relevant.

The flood of ideas, the courage to start new ventures, the confidence to jump all the barriers and the passion to create a new world never happened in the history of mankind like it is today. Thank God! I’m privileged to have taken birth in this era and so are you. The most noticeable point is- it’s not limited to Europe or America, it’s happening everywhere from San Francisco to San Diego and from Beijing to Botswana.

You will come across hundreds of soothsayers (as they proclaim to be) to stop you from trying a groundbreaking invention. Not to forget the universe is full of cynics who aspire to outdo you. Many of them would not be far away but in your own home or just nearby. But, are they wrong in their own way? No! Not at all. It reminds me what Paulo says:

“People see the world, not as it is, but as they are.”

Most around us live ordinary life. They have long back forgotten to dream and accepted Life by default. They can’t tolerate anyone designing his destiny. They want you to be one of them, not to stand out.

Should it stop you? Are you ready to relinquish your dream? Have you decided to play the victim of others ineptitude?

I know, it’s not easy to stay immune. Many a times they appear to be correct, particularly when the wounds of failure are apparent. It pains when you hear— I told you. Stop! Ponder! Refuel yourself and go unstopped, because I know you are going to do it.

The Fighter

A beatifully written and truly inspiring poem. It does deserve five minutes of yours.

Love

Vivek

The Fighter

I fight a battle every day
Against discouragement and fear;
Some foe stands always in my way,
The path ahead is never clear!
I must forever be on guard
Against the doubts that skulk along;
I get ahead by fighting hard,
But fighting keeps my spirit strong.

I hear the croakings of Despair,
The dark predictions of the weak;
I find myself pursued by Care,
No matter what the end I seek;
My victories are small and few,
It matters not how hard I strive;
Each day the fight begins anew,
But fighting keeps my hopes alive.

My dreams are spoiled by circumstance,
My plans are wrecked by Fate or Luck;
Some hour, perhaps, will bring my chance,
But that great hour has never struck;
My progress has been slow and hard,
I've had to climb and crawl and swim,
Fighting for every stubborn yard,
But I have kept in fighting trim.

I have to fight my doubts away,
And be on guard against my fears;
The feeble croaking of Dismay
Has been familiar through the years;
My dearest plans keep going wrong,
Events combine to thwart my will,
But fighting keeps my spirit strong,
And I am undefeated still!

By S. E. Kiser

The Thrill of Insecurity

Do you see a connection among these questions?

1. Why a man gambles?
2. Why People love travelling?
3. Why suspense stories sell more than self help books?
4. Why don’t you enjoy a movie second time as much you do first time?
5. Why are the guys crazy about sports?

The common point all these questions indicate to is- Unknown excites everyone.

Life is boring if you know everything that’s going to take place. It’s no different than watching the movie second time. We are crazy about sports because of the twists and turns it brings every moment. Because we don’t know what will happen next!

A part of each one of us loves adventure. We want to explore the unexplored. We want to see the places we have never been to. But, when it comes to life everyone wants security. WHY?

Assume that you are not going to lose job.. come what may.. will you still be excited about work? Will you still be passionate about bringing new ideas? Will you still exceed your targets?

Imagine right before the interview you know that you have been selected, will you still take time to prepare and find out more about yourself?

Unknown excites us! Unknown keeps us moving forward. Unknown stretches us to a new level. Unknown makes us more efficient.

The fear of unknown always compels us to come out of comfort zone and do something we have never done before.

If You Need Me..You're not Weak...You're Just Human

I was going through Paulo's blogs and this post caught my attention.

We as species do depend on others and ther's no wrong if you show it. Living like an island serves no one. It might create a illusion that you are stronger, that's it.

You must not miss this. Kudos Paulo! for sharing such a profound insight.

Vivek

Emotional Independance

“At the beginning of our life and again when we get old, we need the help and affection of others. Unfortunately, between these two periods of our life, when we are strong and able to look after ourselves, we don’t appreciate the value of affection and compassion. As our own life begins and ends with the need for affection, wouldn’t it be better if we gave compassion and love to others while we are strong and capable?”

The above words were said by the present Dalai Lama. Really, it is very curious to see that we are proud of our emotional independence. Evidently, it is not quite like that: we continue needing others our entire life, but it is a “shame” to show that, so we prefer to cry in hiding. And when someone asks us for help, that person is considered weak and incapable of controlling his feelings.

There is an unwritten rule saying that “the world is for the strong”, that “only the fittest survive.” If it were like that, human beings would never have existed, because they are part of a species that needs to be protected for a long period of time (specialists say that we are only capable of surviving on our own after nine years of age, whereas a giraffe takes only six to eight months, and a bee is already independent in less than five minutes).

We are in this world, I, for my part, continue – and will always continue – depending on others. I depend on my wife, my friends and my publishers. I depend even on my enemies, who help me to be always trained in the use of the sword.

Clearly, there are moments when this fire blows in another direction, but I always ask myself: where are the others? Have I isolated myself too much? Like any healthy person, I also need solitude and moments of reflection.

But I cannot get addicted to that.

Emotional independence leads to absolutely nowhere – except to a would-be fortress, whose only and useless objective is to impress others.

Emotional dependence, in its turn, is like a bonfire that we light.

In the beginning, relationships are difficult. In the same way that fire is necessary to put up with the disagreeable smoke – which makes breathing hard, and causes tears to pour down one’s face. However, once the fire is alight, the smoke disappears and the flames light up everything around us – spreading warmth, calm, and possibly making an ember pop out to burn us, but that is what makes a relationship interesting, isn’t that true?

I began this column quoting a Nobel Peace Prize winner about the importance of human relationships. I am ending with Professor Albert Schweitzer, physician and missionary, who received the same Nobel prize in 1952.

“All of us know a disease in Central Africa called sleeping sickness. What we need to know is that there is a similar disease that attacks the soul – and which is very dangerous, because it catches us without being noticed. When you notice the slightest sign of indifference and lack of enthusiasm for your similar, be on the alert!”

“The only way to take precautions against this disease is to understand that the soul suffers, and suffers a lot, when we make it live superficially. The soul likes things that are beautiful and profound”

Source: www.paulocoelhoblog.com

Don’t have an idol? You don’t need one!

Nobody is perfect! Period.

We are human beings bound to commit blunders and learn from them. None in the world is error-free.

During childhood I always looked up to the elders and wanted to be like them. I assume it’s customary around the world to compare kids with elders in the family and expect them to behave like the older generation. It helps both ways. It’s the best ego massage to the elders at the same time it recognizes the kid’s effort.

When I attained teens, I upgraded my idol to film and sports stars, which did improve my dressing and hairstyle and a few catchy phrases which they often used on screen.

After studying in best universities and armed with a couple of professional degrees, I got opportunities to brush through some the celebrities in the field of art, business and cinema. During my close encounters with them, I experienced they were no different than me. They had their own complex, fear, and insecurities along with the outstanding qualities which pushed them to top. Time has proven that the biggest sports star can be just as bad at relationship.

While idolizing someone, we are swept with the person’s success, wealth and charisma and of course some extra-ordinary traits which we love or aspire to acquire. Gradually our obsession gets stronger that we start following everything the person does- good or bad and stamp a lifetime visa to commonwood.

After experiencing thirty one summers and winters, I have realized it is a brilliant idea to acquire qualities from celebrities, not the persona. There are uncountable people and objects which inspire me right from a sweeper to Socrates, and from a toddler to Times Square.

I don’t have any idol although I love the James Bond movies, Paulo Coelho books and some qualities of my mom and dad. Don’t be shocked if I share some day that YOU inspired me.

One Man With Courage Is A Majority

This quote by Thomas Jefferson struck me hard when I saw it on my friend’s status board on facebook.

Everyone aspires to maintain high level of moral standards in the beginning. The person experiments, struggles and finally embraces words like pragmatism, worldliness as an escape. Not all, some of them stick to the principles or truly what they believe in and they make many sacrifices, still they carry on relentlessly. They are the men with courage.

We pass through injustice every now and then and undeniably, the time-proven way to follow is SILENCE, which we do, until we are the victim. Every so often, even we are the victim still we feel silence will cure things in course of time. It does, but we spend a life full of guilt and frustration.

Now the question is what prevents us from standing up and voicing what we believe in? Fear. Fear of losing job, fear of annoying someone, fear of revenge, fear of adding trouble in life, fear of being ostracized or fear of just losing our comfort zone.

The men with courage are not without fear but ones who feel their silence is like trading the soul.

Caution: I advocate voicing at any given time what you stand for. But Remember, the harshest of the things can be put in nicest way and vice-versa. So, gauge your language and tone, not to forget the context, that’s what I consider pragmatism. There is always a way you can retain your job or lessen the intensity of annoyance despite expressing courage. This art is not easy to acquire, but unquestionably you’ll stand out without trading your soul.

Dive Deep Down-D3

I read newspapers, magazines, newsletters, blogs, stories, novels, poetries, emails, letters, brochures, numbers on excel sheets etc. I watch news, music, reality-shows, youtube, keynotes, interviews etc. I listen to podcasts, songs, opinions, advice and hear whispers, growling, laughter etc. You must be thinking.. So What?

I just wanted to start my blog differently.

What I wanted to infer is- in this age of cutting edge technology we still rely on watching, listening and reading different sources of information, which shape our thoughts. Most people trust a limited number of sources and show allegiance to the information gained. Hardly few of us try to question the source and authenticity of information.

Jessica- a friend of mine felt Panasonic is the best phone. You must have questioned her technological awareness by now. But she had a reason- She liked Panasonic because she had one. Now she feels Sony Ericsson is the best.

We are no different than Jessica. Each one of us has our favorite film star, newspapers, magazines, and web sites. More often than not information is presented with facts, and sound so convincing that we end up believing and spreading them. Lest we ever question the authenticity of information despite many website and columns clearly mention that the article is a personal opinion of the author.

The only way to untangle the ravines of information is to question them. Question everything that matters to you. Question every piece of information you watch, hear or read. Try acquiring different point of view about the same topic. Doubt every piece you come across. Else, unknowingly you will end up carrying or spreading misinformation. And not to forget,question every email before you forward them to benefit your friends.

Who's Calling YOU

Wow! What a stimulating blog by Dan T Cathy. What I have understood is- To create trust, start with small actions.

By Dan T Cathy

We all feel stranded sometimes, stuck if you will by the circumstances of the day. We have to make a difficult decision or step out and do something risky, and we feel a bit lost at sea in those moments. But what if that wasn’t just a feeling? What if one afternoon, you found yourself afloat in an ocean without end and a boat without rescue? What then?

That’s what one group of people found one afternoon in Europe. They were off course. They had floated further and faster than they had anticipated. They were lost, stranded in an endless sea with land and hope long forgotten. So they did what everyone would have done, they contacted the Coast Guard.

As fate would have it, they couldn’t get through. The call wasn’t answered, the line never connected and the waves kept coming. What now? What would you have done in that moment? Who would you have called?

It’s an interesting exercise, but one group of people, it was more than an exercise, it was a life or death situation. So who did they call? Their travel agent.
Go ahead and read that last sentence again, because it’s unbelievable. Trapped on a boat, lost without imminent rescue, they called their travel agent. Why? Because they didn’t have an ordinary travel agent, they had a Travel Counsellor. Renowned the world, and ocean, over for their service, the Travel Counsellor sprung into action. They alerted the authorities and helped rescues the stranded boat. Crisis averted.

If you’re a leader, you can’t hear that story without thinking, “Would they have called me? In that situation, would the boat have trusted me or my company to help? What does it take to have a relationship like that?”

Those are great questions to wrestle with, and as we discuss them this year, I want to remind you of one thing – start small. In our quest to be greater leaders or raise stronger families or lead better companies, we sometimes get lost thinking about the rescue phone calls. Instead, I think we need to focus on the day to day, seemingly small decisions.

Was I kind today to people who were not kind to me? Did I operate from my strengths? Did I make it easy for a customer to tell me they were unhappy with something? Did I go the second mile when the first mile was all that was expected?

These are always the kind of questions we need to ask and answer long before we’ll get a call from the middle of the ocean. And as we do, each day, we’ll get better at both the little things and the big rescues we’ll all face as leaders.

I Believe!

I believe, though shadows may fall,
I believe the sun comes out, after all
I believe there's something to look forward to…
I believe there's someone beside me
I believe there's someone to guide me
I believe I'm not alone, on my own…

I believe I've got the music in my soul,
I believe my life's in my control
I believe I have the strength to carry on
towards my goal…
I believe that I've got it in me
To do my best, the very best that's within me
I believe I have a long, long way to go…
Yes, I believe, I believe in me.

In A Different Way

Live each single moment,
As if it were you last.
Look forward to the future,
Forget about the past.

Take in time to value,
Exactly what you've got.
Appreciate the now,
Use what you've been taught.

To further your enjoyment,
Of each new passing day.
Try learn something new,
In a different way.

Expand your horizons,
By trying something new.
Makes life seem much larger,
You'll know just what to do.

When you have a problem,
You can not seem to mend.
Somehow try it different,
Mind and thoughts must bend.

Learning to live life better,
In a different way.
Be open to ideas,
Every single day.

Sucess Shuns You Once... Twice.. Thrice

I have noticed brilliant ideas biting the dust around me on many occasions. Many among us conceive terrific ideas, some of us even muster courage to give a shape to them, a few of us go even further and try to make it a reality. Sad! Hardly a few of them make up to success stories.

I had read many books and articles advocating persistence. You should not give up, keep trying until success embraces you. Nice! Mostly before success embraces us, we run out of patience. No one tells us what should be the limit of patience. When we reflect, what our mind concludes is: If I keep trying a thousand times, still I don’t succeed, where will I reach? No wonder this thought scares us. And we give up.

A very close friend of mine, Prashant, a man of average caliber got enrolled for Chartered Accountancy. His first challenge was adapting to the language, as he belonged to a remote village in India and he started English only from class six. Secondly, he was throughout an Art student and had seen credit and debit only on bank statement. But, his determination was worth a gold medal. He failed once.. twice and upon being asked, what he planned next, he always said, “Come what may! I will pass the next one.” And he did.

Now, not only he is a full-fledged Chartered Accountant, he speaks fine English good enough to give a complex to a DPS pass out and currently holds CFO position in a leading domestic company.

When I last met him in New Delhi after nearly a decade, I could still see the same determination in his eyes and couldn’t hold myself saying, “Come what may! I will pass the next one.”

What I learned was every time he failed, he did brutally unbiased reflection and worked on his flaws. Over and above his persistence, he didn’t forget to avoid his past mistakes.

Do try again, but if it’s not working, change your approach, finetune your resources, check the timing and context, seek others feedback with open mind and do everything possible. I know you have already worked hard, but still it’s not the time to give up!

Success may shun you once..twice..or may be thrice. But finally, it doesn’t have a choice, it will be compelled to knock your door.

Life is More Fun when You Have a Company

Few days back I went to watch Up In the Air-the latest movie starring George Clooney. His spellbinding performance did invoke many rounds of clap and laughter. But, the dialogue which I can’t still forget is-Life is more fun when you have a company.

I don’t want to elaborate the context, but very few among us would have thought about these splendid words.

Without any doubt, it is our life and we are sole owner to make a decision about it. But imagine yourself on an island where you have everything in abundance but any other person. Imagine! your Birthday and you have no one around to clap while you cut the cake. Imagine! you become the wealthiest man in the world, and no one to savor the beautiful luxuries with you. Imagine! you are in deep pain, and no one around to ask how you feel. Imagine! you bought a Ferrari and no one’s along to go for a long drive. Just the thought of it puts us off, doesn’t it?

It’s true that you have come in this world alone and will go back alone. But, as long as you live, make it a celebration. And celebration is never alone.

Justify Your Existence

I’m back from vacation. Trust me! No place like home.

We started with Dubai then went to different parts of north India and where we got severely tortured by chilled weather. Flight cancellations and train rescheduling pushed my change management skills to a new level. Hope you are aware- Delhi is known for extreme weather.

Now I’m proud to have first-hand experience at Burj-al-Arab (the only 7 star hotel in the world) and Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) and Palm Jumeira. Of course got a few photos clicked to brag about.

The most commendable thing about Dubai is- it’s built out of nothing but just a VISION. Few know that Dubai doesn’t have oil.

The place which once was a dusty Arab town is now a glitzy megapolis known of the best of luxuries in the world. I suspect if the concept like Desert Safari ever existed before Dubai marketed it. They must have got inspiration from Jungle Safari. Whatever be the case it deserves a must visit, where you explore sand dunes with twists and turns in a Toyota Landcruiser sometimes as steep as almost 90 degrees.

I forgot to mention legendary Palm Jumeira. We went there by road and had a coffee at newly opened the Atlantis. Hats off to the man who thought of creating artificial island like this. It’s truly magnificent. But missed the aerial view, which left the experience incomplete.

Places like these do inspire us to justify our existence by creating things which never existed.

King Maktoum, May God help you recover from the recent setbacks so that you keep adding new icons on earth.

Your Smile is Priceless

The New Year has just begun. So with it a set of hope, aspirations and resolutions. Wish you all a wonderful 2010. Hope we have more peace and prosperity all around this year.

Yesterday we went out to watch Avatar and it’s breathtaking visuals are still vivid in my mind. First time in life we were out for over nine hours with only purpose in mind-FUN! And without any doubt, it was incredible!

After the show, my wife wanted to buy a pair of Puma shoes and she finally got one of her choice. It was black leather sports shoes with yellow Ferrari logo which looked superbly appealing. The dilemma on her face was starkly visible for quite a while, she scrutinized them from every angle, tried them out and finally whispered, “It’s expensive!” I could comprehend her expression, smiled at her and said, “Your smile is priceless!”

Although it was expensive, yet I felt investment paid off when I saw the big smile on her face. Nothing makes us feel happier than giving joy to others.