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.