If you dream of flying with the eagles then don't waste time swimming with the ducks. Would it not be seriously funny, if you are indeed a duck? Maybe, you can only dream of flying with eagles, as you may go hungry if you decide not to waste your time swimming with other ducks. If you are an eagle, why would you swim with ducks and just dream of flying with others like your own self? So, the assumption here is that you are neither a duck nor an eagle but a bird of a different feather. Maybe a sea gull. Yes, Jonathan Livingston.
So the lesson here is that first know who you really are and then go ahead and try to be different. Many people spend most of their lives trying to find out who they really are. Are you one?
I was on a personal trip to India. It got extended to business.
I wonder what has happened to me. A slave to time and money? Am I forgetting my roots? This thought hit me quite hard when one of my very close friend said that I sounded like a successful "CORPORATE" guy who has lost touch with the realities of life in India. I did not react to his statement as I have learnt that if someone as close as my friend is speaking his heart out, I should respect his opinion. After all, opinion is an opinion. It's his point of view. There could be truth in what he is saying, I thought. Also, it was a great opportunity for me to introspect and make some mid course correction to my career, if required. I did introspect and found some truth in his words.
Some numbers that I am yet to verify but has triggered some real thinking about the situation in India are as listed below.
Over 53% of Indian live below 20Rs a day. Worst than animals in some countries.
70% of India's population depends on agriculture. Only 17% contribute to it directly.
Less than 4% Indians are abroad but when they travel to India they generally pass comments on how bad the political system is and how things SHOULD be.
India's problems cannot be solved by technology. These are socioeconomic problems and technology can act as a catalyst. India needs strong leadership. It needs leaders who can understand these problems and bring about this positive change. These are real problems which are not going to vanish with a wave of the wand. There is a need for all of us to work towards this cause. There is an invisible divide between people based on religion, caste, region and income. These fault lines need to evaporate soon. The focus should now turn to
Infrastructure
Health care
Education
Job Creation (Extreme automation is detrimental to India's growth)
On my way back to the airport I asked my driver how he would want to serve the nation. He replied, " Sir, I earn 5,000 Rs. per month. I can contribute 200 Rs. every month from my income." That's 4% of his income. So, why can't I?
My friend was right. I am indeed a "CORPORATE", left brain guy.
First things first. Let me wish all the readers of my blog a very bright, prosperous and a peaceful new year. Let me also thank you for all the good wishes that you have sent my way and wish that I am able to keep motivating and helping others through these blogs.
2008 was a good year for me, personally. As another Julian year has gone by and as we slide into the future in a vehicle that we call as present, many thoughts are passing through my mind. The one that is very conspicuously peeping out of the window of my thoughts and is waiting to be expressed is about the small blue planet that we live on.
As we celebrate the new year it is important to ensure that we continue to do so for years to come and present this lovely planet to our next generation in a much better condition than what we have got from our parents. It's a collective responsibility and therefore each one of us should do what we can to fulfil our duty towards this wonderful vibrant planet.
Today, my friends and their families had come over to celebrate the new year's eve together. It is always great to have friends around. We sang and danced our way through into the new year but there are many people around the world who were not as lucky as we were.
There are many challenges that the world faces today. There are many invisible boundaries that are dividing people. Today, we may not have solutions to all the problems nor can we solve all the problems in one go but with a collective will, I am confident that we will be able to forge ahead. Every passing moment should see us a step further then where we were before that moment and then every year we would have walked a mile or more.
So, as we welcome the new year, I see hope. I wish that we fly higher with each passing year but while we do so do not loose the sight of the 'earth' where we belong. Therefore, I wish to contribute more to the society and make this new year 2009 a memorable one. I wish that 2009 is much better than 2008.
Making choice is process of thinking, judging the merits and demerits of multiple options and selecting one of them. The number and complexity of choices available to one might lead to the following three things:
1. Feeling of being overwhelmed (Confusion) 2. Increases the odds of making a wrong choice 3. Feeling of regret of having made a wrong choice in retrospect.
But most people regard having choices as a good thing. This primarily arises from the feeling of wanting to be in control of one own self and finally the option or the object of choice.
Personal success depends heavily on the choices one makes. The options, that life presents to each one is us at every stage of our being, take us closer to the goal(s) of our choice. However, many things are beyond our control and therefore getting the right chance is equally important.
Being at the crossroads where the choice meets a chance is the most important parameter to attain the feeling of personal success. Therefore, making one’s self available to be in the “right place” at the “right time” may not be entirely in our hands but choosing what to do in the 24 hours that we have is certainly our choice.
There are many people whom we recognize as heroes. The reasons for someone to be a hero could be many but it is important to be able to recognize the 'hero' in a person. This happens when the personal biases, that each one has, are laid to rest for a while. Yes, longer the better as it gives us an opportunity to see people and their situations clearly for an extended period of time.
Some people are what they really are and there is consistency in their "being". Its not that they are blind to the facts of life nor is it that they are insensitive to the feeling of being cheated but its just that their goodness overpowers any reason for them to think negatively about anything or anyone.
There have been many such good people who have been with me through the thick and the thin. Constantly motivated me and have been my real heroes. I am able to recognize them and would like to thank all of them.
Kedar, my elder brother has been a constant source of motivation for me. I would like to thank him for being there me whenever I needed him. I dedicate this poem to him. Actually, its a reflection of his thoughts that has found words in my mind. It motivated me when I needed it the most and still continues to do so. Here it is for all of you.
The Ant and i
Lost, dejected and all alone, I went to the beach and sat on a stone, There I saw an ant, tiny and sleek, Trying to pull a heavy stick.
It tried and tried for an inch an hour, But never could pull it beyond that far, I waited to see but it never appeared Helpless, fragile or fully tired.
It pulled & pulled and as it reached an edge, I wondered how the ant would trudge, The big deep chasm in between its road, With that long stick, an arduous load.
As I longed to see with a questioned mind, I saw the ant go just behind. It pushed the stick to cover the ridge, And humbly crossed that Pseudo Bridge.
From the ant, a lesson I learnt, In reaching my goals I may be burnt. Success is what I should keep in sight, And step-by-step should trudge the height.
In every step seek betterment, Turn all my troubles into my strength. With this secret of success I got geared, And back to my work I soon disappeared.
---
Looking at the title of the poem you might wonder why the 'A' in the ant is a capital letter and 'I' is not so. Well, it is quite so because small things sometimes teach us real big lessons. In this case it is the Ant. Its quite a humbling thing. Isn't it?
It was a long weekend and there was no way I was going to spend my time anywhere close to my home. I was planning to visit Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Girish Morkhandikar, one of my close acquaintances also had been toying with similar ideas for the weekend. Finally, there was a plan.
Our first destination was Birmingham, a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the largest of England's core cities, and is the second city of the United Kingdom. It forms part of the larger West Midlands conurbation and includes several neighbouring towns and cities, such as Solihull, Wolverhampton and the towns of the Black Country.
Girish wanted to see the Venkateshwara Temple and so it was. After having done that we headed to the Birmingham Mint, via the high street, just to reach there to find that it was closed and sold off to a property developer.
We then headed to our next spot to see the Chamberlain Clock at the junction of Warstone Lane and Vyse Street, not very far from where we were. This clock is a tribute to Joseph Chamberlain and was erected in 1903. The clock was intended as a memorial to his services to South Africa in 1902-3. The money for its building was raised by the local people. The clock was unveiled in January 1904. Originally powered by clockwork and hand- wound it was modernised for electricity but did not chime for years. Over time it fell into disrepair, until 1989, when private and public funds were made available it was restored.
The city's reputation was forged as a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in England, a fact which led to Birmingham being known as "the workshop of the world" or the "city of a thousand trades". Although Birmingham's industrial importance has declined and the factories have closed down there are some charity organizations which are trying to protect the heritage of the city, it once was. One such place we wanted to see was the Pen Room.
Birmingham was the centre of the world pen trade for more than a century, employing thousands of people, and pioneering craftsmanship, manufacturing processes and employment opportunities for women. When inside room, which once was a factory, one cannot stop but wonder how the availability of cheap fountain pens enabled the development of education and literacy throughout the world.
At the Pen Room, we met Colin and Malcolm who demonstrated how nibs were made to their exclusive audience. Interestingly, there we found a reference to Bombay's Abdul Rahiman street. As I come from that part of the world, I suggested Malcolm that I will help them in whatever way I can to get as much information as possible about the listed manufacturers of the old fountain pens. I plan to do that with utmost sincerity as making that journey would be fun.
I have been given an interesting picture and a list of rules that applied to the factory workers then. I plan to scan both these and post it on the blog along with the other pictures that I have taken.
Then we headed to Stratford-upon-Avon and I shall write about this wonderful trip in my next post.
Please read this interesting news article. This was published on. I am bloggin it for readers in the other parts of the world who might not get the same news.
IMHO, things will be ok but please continue reading.
Recession within year, say experts The Press Association Press Assoc. - 1 hour 50 minutes ago
Britain's economy will enter a recession within the coming year, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has predicted.
In its latest quarterly economic forecast, the BCC said Britain was heading into a "technical" recession of two or more quarters of declining output over the next six or nine months. But a major recession similar to the downturn seen in the early 1990s was unlikely, the organisation said.However, the BCC forecast that unemployment will climb by up to 300,000 over the next two to three years to nearly two million. It could even top the two million mark if conditions deteriorate.
David Kern, the BCC's economic adviser, said: "Our quarterly economic forecast highlights a significant worsening in UK economic prospects. There is now a distinct possibility of technical recession. The level of UK unemployment is likely to increase to nearly 300,000 over the next few years, reaching almost two million. An increase above two million cannot be ruled out."
The main drivers of the UK slowdown will be a "very sharp" deceleration in consumer spending growth as households tighten their belts amid soaring bills and falling house prices, the BCC said. Another contributory factor will be much lower growth in UK investment spending thanks to rock-bottom business confidence.
Last week Bank of England Governor Mervyn King also warned that the UK economy could suffer two quarters of negative growth as it went through a "difficult and painful adjustment". Inflation hit a record 4.4% in July, and Mr King warned it could spend the rest of this year around the 5% mark before it falls away through 2009.
Mr Kern said the UK urgently needed an interest rate cut to stimulate the economy. The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held rates at 5% in July, the third month in a row they were left unchanged.
"Our view is that the threats to growth are more serious and more immediate than the risks of higher inflation," Mr Kern said. "The UK economy urgently needs an interest rate cut to counter threats of recession."
BCC director general, David Frost added: "Whilst a marked slowdown in activity is likely over the next 18 months, even if interest rates are cut when inflation peaks, the correct policy decisions are still needed to ward off the threats of a serious and prolonged recession. The longer the MPC waits before cutting rates, the bigger the danger that the economic situation would deteriorate."
The BCC, which represents Britain's small and medium-sized businesses, said it was predicting GDP growth to fall to 1.3% this year and
Inflation could touch 13 per cent in the near future, but is expected to cool down to 8-9 per cent by March 2009. The rate of inflation accelerated to 12.44 per cent in the week ended August 2, up from 12.01 per cent in the previous week. This is the provisional rate. There has been significant variance between the provisional and the actual rates in the recent past. Just to sight an example, the annual rate of inflation for the week ended June 7 was revised upwards to 11.66 per cent from the earlier provisional figure of 11.05 per cent.
The rise occurred largely as a result of a spike in prices of primary articles and oil products. The index for food articles rose by 0.6 per cent while that for non-food articles rose by 0.2 per cent. This rise was primarily because of a surge in the prices of maize, certain lentils, fruits and vegetables, marine fish, rubber, tobacco, linseed and cottonseed. The index for the fuel and power group of commodities went up by 0.9 per cent owing largely to higher prices of light diesel oil, bitumen and furnace oil and aviation turbine fuel.
Interestingly, the index for manufacturing products has gone down by 0.05. So, let us see how things shape up in India.
The information is taken from various sources but by and large the numbers seem to match and hence I thought I should share it you all the readers.
I was reading about the goals that AjayJ, one of my school pal, has set for himself. I was very happy to read his blog. I too believe in setting targets and achieving them and hence appreciate people who do it.
One interesting thing that his blog did was to provoke my thoughts about setting "Social goals". When the target setting moves from "for self" to "for society" then it takes a very different form. It's very subtle. Though, prima facie it may seem to be very similar, it indeed has dramatically different consequences. At the end of the day the process of goal setting is the same. Though it is for the society, it's again for one's own self and in the truest sense for fulfilling one's own desire and the feeding the self concept with the reasons to be reckoned with. Nevertheless, while actually trying to action it, it takes a deeper meaning which transforms a vision for oneself into a cause for the masses. I see this happening for most of us in some form or the other. Without we realizing it, we are forming opinions about the social environment, defining what we collectively want and slowly making it a reality. Yes, we are transforming our environment, our society without our knowledge. Each one of us is doing it as we want to be a part of the society. It is quite natural and there is nothing wrong in it.
What if we could collectively control the social environment to make it better? What an idea. Then the question is, what is meant by "better"? For the answer, we need to understand or even (re)define "What a good society looks like".
Interesting thoughts. These will need time and focus but I will surely try and find the answers.
There are some relations that are forever very special. One can't live without them yet when they are around one tends to value those a little less than what they actually deserve. Especially, our parents and the near and the dear ones. I am happy that I am doing whatever I can for my special relations and will continue to do so.
Lesson: Treat each relation in a special way.
This mantra applies to friends, acquaintances and strangers as well. I understand that world is not as good as I am assuming here but I think its not as bad either. In fact, people around me are filled with lots of goodness and I can feel that in the way I am made to feel. "Special" :)
Today things just kept changing by the hour. Its such a great feeling to not know how the unfolding events are going to shape the future. Especially, when I am aware that the status is bound to change the next hour. Nevertheless, I am quite certain that the end results are going to be good. The foundations are strong hence the confidence is high. I shall write more about the changing events when the time is appropriate.
As I am going through this amazing experience, I am learning to walk with the speed of true success. Success that brings with it true happiness and aligns itself to a purpose in life. A 'cause' worth living for or rather a cause worth dying for.
It all started with just one thought of wanting to talk to my school friends. Sachin Rao and I were in touch but we knew nothing about anyone else. So, I made some searches on the net and found Padmanabhan, Anand, Ronald, Jatin, Sudarshan, Sanjiv and Murtuza. Thanks to linkedin.com and facebook.com. I started connecting with them, as and when I found some time.
Anand suggested that I create a mailing list of all the people I was in touch with and send out an email. That was a terribly clever idea, I thought but with each passing day the priority of doing it shifted southwards. Early morning on the 23rd, as I was planning my visit to Plymouth, Ajay connected with me on the facebook chat. The intensity of the feeling of wanting to connect with the rest of the class of '87was mutual. So, while being on the call with Ajay, I dropped everything that I was doing and searched my address book for all the contacts that I had.
The email with the subject line "Re-uniting the class of '87" was sent out. Anand immediately responded by creating a yahoo group, Murtuza created the facebook group. Paddu created the mailing list and Makarand enhanced its format.
The last few days have been very memorable for me and I hope they have been for the re-united class of '87, as well. I will try and keep these connection alive as I don’t want to lose these friends. These are friends for life.
The first email that was sent out to 10 people was as follows
To the class of '87 (My fellow batch mates):
We walked together for some time and then the ways were different. We took different routes in our lives but there is an umbilical cord that binds us all to our Alma mater.
This is a very humble attempt to reunite the class of '87. I am cognizant that each of us are busy writing a success story but request you to please find some time to connect and share our views on different things.
We could start this by doing the following and let this forum grow organically.
1. Add emails address to the mailing list. Also suggest your preferred email address.
2. Introduce yourself to rest of the members on the mailing list.
More as we go along. I would be waiting to hear from each one of you.
I was on an official visit to Plymouth yesterday. Plymouth is about 190 miles (310 km) south west of London. I had a choice to fly down but for some reason I felt that I should ride on the rail. It was a wonderful decision.
I took the day's first train to London Victoria and then a train to Bristol via London Paddington. By the time I was in Bristol the phones started taking their turns to sing. I hopped on a wrong train to Weymouth and as the train started to move in the opposite direction I realized the mistake I had made. I quickly made a mid course correction to my plans. I pushed my meeting forward and hoped that folks would accept the new invite and they did. What a relief! I, then promptly spoke to the guard on the train and decided to get the fastest connecting train from Westbury to Plymouth via Exeter St Davids.
The train journey from Exeter to Plymouth has left a very positive impression on my mind. While passing through County of Devon ( Newton Abbot and Taunton) there were lush green hills on one side and the sea on the other. The sea hosted numerous small boats. The tide was high and the waves would hit the concrete banks and splash on the slow moving train. The kids on the train would shout in excitement with each wave that rose.
The beautiful small houses independently lined up on the far away hills and the grazing cattle made those hills look more picturesque.
As I reached plymouth I boarded a cab and dived into series of meetings. After my meetings in the evening, I had an hour before I could embark on the journey back home. The English summers have been very pleasant this year. So, I decided to take the opportunity to see whatever I could.
There are many historical spots in Plymouth but I could only see the Charles church and the beautiful coastline. This small sojourn in Plymouth has given me a glimpse of what life is outside London. Next time around, I plan to see The Royal Citadel, Plymouth Sound & Breakwater, Smeaton's Tower (light house) and Saltram House.
It is so easy for a person, so drenched in falsehood to spread rumors about his own colleagues just to win puny little brownie points amongst his peers and his managers.
A good and a trusted friend of mine called up today and he had a wonderful thought to share.
Post my parting ways with Infosys a colleague of mine tried to spread rumors that I was asked to leave Infosys. I am almost certain that many of his peers and managers who knew me would have laughed at what he had to say. Also, how can anyone believe him anyways?
Infosys does not have a policy to fire anyone, especially if one is highly productive, is in CRR1/CRR2 and is respected within the organization and outside for his/her expertise. The only thing that can get someone fired from Infosys would be bad character and this exception does not apply to me, even remotely. Also, it is a fact is that there were multiple attempts made by the the management to try retain me. Any good company would want to retain its productive employees and I respect Infosys management for all that they did for me.
Well, then what intrigues me the most is the reason that would have made him dive into undesired torrents of falsehood? I guess he is the victim of his own upbringing to which there is nothing anyone else can do except himself.
As far as the wrong that is done to me goes, I have been blessed with the strength to face such situations and forgive him, if he would desire so.
I keep getting fillers from my network on what is going around and I choose to only address issues when I feel that the time is right. I ignored these things in the past but today, I am publishing this on my blog. This is not intended to put my dear ex-colleague on a lower pedestal but to help the readers understand that these are the things that might happen to them as well, when they are doing the right thing and are succeeding. It is the integrity and the strength of character that will help them handle such situations with ease.
One of my very close friend, Krishna Aleti usually says, “Let the falsehood make ten rounds of the world but be assured that it can’t face the truth in its own eyes”.
There is a beautiful painting where Time is saving the Truth from Falsehood and Envy. Sharing the same with you all.
Painting source: Wallace Collection, London (Public Domain)
The day was quite packed, with my cell phone stuck to my ear and my finger tips glued to the keyboard, for almost all day. I forced myself out of the office as we were invited for dinner at Dr. Raj's home. There was no specific reason for the dinner party but friends do not always need reasons to celebrate friendship.
Raj had also invited some of his other friends and their families as well. It was nice to meet up with Himanshu.V and Anuj.A. I was quite impressed with Himanshu's general awareness about his surroundings. Seems like he likes to read a lot about current events. Anuj has a great sense of humour. He spoke less but his quips would never fail to make the gathering laugh. What was nice about both the families is that they were open minded and forward looking. Eveyone had a practical and a positive outlook to life.
I have realised that there are many good and great people around and with each passing day the list of such friends and acquaintances simply keeps growing. I am very happy that I get to meet such lovely people wherever I go.
It's these wonderful people and beautiful moments in the day that makes the stress just go away.
The day today just drifted into the past. It seemed like things were being done in time and with the right spirit but the results just seem to appear on the horizon. Its just work work and work. Maybe, I need more patience. It is a great virtue.
I think, I need to continue to trudge the path of my duty without really having to worry too much about the results or the rewards. As Amit Bhamare, one of my close friend would say, "This is what exactly what is said in 'Bhagwad Geeta'". I would choose not to differ with him on this one but would like to supplement it by saying that it is even more enriching to actually experience it. These are the small things that makes life beautiful.
As long as the process is right and the intentions good. The efforts are in line as they should. Then let the day slip into the night, be rest assured that the results will be right.
This is an outcome of a memorable discussion that I had with Atul Gawand, one of our family friends. I think this is one of the most important learning of my life and I would like to thank Amit and Atul for sharing some of these wonderful thoughts with me.
Most of the events in life seem chaotic and its only in retrospect that I try to make sense of those events. All the moments are offered to each one of us without a notice of what is going to happen, no matter how well one plans. Sometimes, I try to find out the reasons for the events where none exit. My belief is that life prepares each one of us for the future as our present is a summation of our past. So, I am grateful to life for offering me an experience filled with uncertainties that gears me up for the future.
Dealing with uncertainly is an important thing which I have come to realise and I am trying to understand how quickly I learn to handle the outcomes of uncertain equations of life.
One great thought that I read today is to turn my thoughts away from all the events and responsibilities at the day's end and take the mind into a state of peace and benevolence that would enable me to carry greater and greater loads without feeling the burden.
When my mind's landscape is full of beautiful thoughts, everything I do is a pleasure. Gently, I am able to calm down chaotic situations and offer solace to my troubled mind dealing with life's uncertainty.
This is applicable to almost anything and everything that one does. It's just that many people choose not to do it that way.
It so happens that in what ever one does, the first try in all probabilities is not the best but over a period of time an efficient method does emerge. This method is then defined as the guideline for doing "that something" the "right way". Thus processes are born.
One often falls into the trap of following the processes blindly without questioning their effectiveness for a given situation. The processes then become bureaucratic.
There is a cardinal rule to always seek improvements in the processes. It too is often forgotten. The processes should have tailoring guidelines to tailor the process framework to best suit the work flow.
Life is full of such processes and guidelines.
Therefore, it is very important to do the right thing, the right way and use the processes to one's advantage.
This comes out of an experience I had yesterday with one of the suppliers.
This is a great Ghazal that my sister would sing for us. Those were wonderful days in Mumbai, a few years back. The lights would go dim and then me and my brothers would request my little sister to sing this song and she would oblige us. She had magic in her voice. Actually, she still does. It's still hidden from the world. She has not performed for a large audience yet. Maybe, after her MSc in Music she would but till then even the original song is sweet. Please enjoy the audio.
