SNIPPETS FROM LIFE

Leadership

2021-04-28T09:21:00.002-07:00

What is leadership?
The dictionary version of leadership is “to lead a group of people or an organization.” Leaders throughout every rung of the organization ladder are integral to the overall success of the business. Effective leadership is about executing the company’s vision, redefining and improving it and setting the tone and the culture for that particular organization. Leadership means creating and planning, securing resources, and looking out for and improving errors. Leadership is about motivating people to work together and cooperate with themselves and in some cases, other teams, to achieve a certain goal.
Effective leadership shines not only when the going is good, but also(even more so, sometimes) when things are rough. They’re respected (not feared) by the people around them, who in turn, become motivated to work harder and make more significant contributions to the betterment of the organization as well.
Leadership is not about working towards a goal single-handedly. In
fact, leadership is about inspiring and motivating people to work together towards a goal.
What make good leaders?
Being a good leader isn’t something everyone can do. It’s not easy. Every effective leader needs to possess and/or work towards their goals and vision. Good leaders are keys to improved productivity and morale among members of an organization. So what makes an effective leader? Many good leaders share several traits and attitudes. Here are some of them.
1. Good leaders are decisive
Effective leadership is about not wasting time. That includes the time needed to make decisions. More often than not, so much time can be wasted in the decision-making process that many opportunities are missed. Production sometimes even comes to a halt. Good leaders are all about making informed decisions, but are always mindful of the timeframes involved. And once a decision is made, they commit to it and see things through. They realize that putting-off important decisions can have significant effects on an organizations productivity and growth.
2. They practice what they preach
Effective Leadership, in essence, also involves leading by example. It’s hard to respect someone who asks everyone to come on time, or work towards a certain goal if that person isn’t willing to come on time or put in their share of the work themselves. Many times, good leaders set the bar — and meet it — instead of just talking down to everyone. As an article in Forbes says, “A leader who rolls up their sleevesand gets dirty from time to time will create a loyalty in his or her people that will result in achieving goals beyond what we usually expect.”
3. They don’t lose sight of goals
Effective leaders are problem-solvers. Or at the very least, they don’t dwell on problems and instead focus on working towards asolution. They don’t have the answers all the time, but they sure will always be working to get answers. They don’t complain and instead look forward and move forward, always keeping in mind the goals they set at the beginning, and always looking at the bigger picture. To this end, they prioritize and set the tasks that need to be done first.
4. They are passionate about what they do
Effective leadership is about believing in what one is doing. Good leaders don’t and will never say, “it’s just a job,” or “I just work here.” They care about what they do, they care about the organization, and they care about the people they lead and work with.
5. Good leaders are humble and accountable
This plays into the aspect of effective leadership that relies on generating respect that is earned, instead of relying on one’s position or title in the organization. It is humility that makes great leaders open-minded and willing to listen to others and even take constructive criticism. They don’t let pride get in the way of accomplishing goals and executing the vision for the business. They are also willing to take responsibility for their actions and don’t point fingers at the people they work with when things go south.
6. They give credit where credit is due
Often you’ll hear the story about the boss that stole an idea, or took credit for someone else’s accomplishment. Good leaders share the glory, and are quick to credit a team member or colleague for a good idea. They know that success is through teamwork, and they respect the contribution and work other people make.
7. Communicate effectively
An integral part of effective leadership is strong communication. And communication isn’t just saying “I want this to happen.” It’s all about listening and truly considering the input that comes from other people in the team. Proper communication allows for better dissemination of information, as well as a stronger ability to work well with others when the situation calls for it.
8. They are trustworthy
Imagine working for someone who cannot be trusted. Difficult, right? Good leaders never violate trust that is given to them — either by people higher up in the organizational ladder, or by people who work for and with them. This trustworthiness makes them more approachable, and makes others feel more comfortable opening up to them and providing honest feedback or input that in the end, contributes to the growth of the organization.

HOW to lead Effectively
No matter where you are in your career, it's never too early or too late to start or continue to develop your leadership skills.
1. Learn to lead by example.
At some point in their careers, everyone has had a boss who has asked them to do something they don't usually do, such as come in early for a meeting, and then the boss was late for it. Having the "do as I say" attitude doesn't make you likable and doesn't earn you the respect of your team. A good leader is one who leads by example and does what they expect everyone else to do. If you expect your team to be hard workers, then you should be a hard worker too. By practicing what you preach, you earn the respect and loyalty of your team, and before long, you'll see that they're following your example.

2. Be goal-oriented.
Instead of focusing on the problem at hand, an effective leader instead directs attention toward the solution. Instead of worrying and complaining about the issues, they focus on the objectives and then turn their energies toward creating a plan and strategy to achieve those objectives. An effective leader prioritizes so they can get the most important and urgent things done first.
3. Take responsibility.
Instead of pointing fingers and playing the blame game when things go wrong, a good leader takes responsibility for the team's actions and their consequences. By being willing to take responsibility, you prove that you're worthy of trust and respect.
4. Share the glory.
We've probably all had a boss who took all the credit for the team's hard work and success, right? This is not an effective leader. An effective leader is one who is team-oriented and more than happy to share the glory and credit for a job well done with the team. They admit that the success and achievements are due to the team's joint efforts. A leader is only as good as the team behind them. By sharing the glory, an effective leader can earn the admiration and respect of the team. After all, no one wants to follow a selfish leader.
5. Know how to develop a team.
One of the primary traits of an effective leader is the ability to develop team members through training, teaching or coaching. The team will not be able to achieve the goals of the organization without this training.
An effective leader can build people up and create a stronger team, which benefits everyone involved. They can do this because they pay attention to the strengths and weaknesses of the team as a whole, as well as those of each team member. They have excellent communication skills, which they can use to build relationships with and among team members. By building good interteam relationships, they create a greater level of productivity.
6. Become a master of communication.
Excellent communication skills are necessary to become an effective leader. However, communication is not just about expressing what you want to happen -- it's also about being able to truly listen to others. An effective leader not only expresses their ideas and strategies persuasively and clearly but also truly listens to feedback with an open mind.
7. Be courageous and assertive.
In many cases, the leader of a team has to venture into new territory, which means they have to face the unknown and take risks or break rules. In order to do this, a leader must be able to speak up about the things that truly matter and be assertive about what they need and want from their team and for their team. An effective leader is willing and ready to face any challenges and obstacles so they can achieve their own goals and the goals of the organization.
8. Be confident.
Projecting confidence is probably the most difficult characteristic to develop. Some people are naturals when it comes to this, but you can develop a greater sense of self-assurance. Part of this confidence is having faith and feeling secure in yourself and not needing to be accepted and loved by others, as well as being able to prove that you have the competencies and the skills to be an effective leader and to lead the team to its common goal.
No matter where you are in your career, it's never too late to learn how to be an effective leader. These eight tips will help you develop your leadership skills and make you more desirable in the workplace….
Great Leadership Behaviors
Great leaders may not be born that way, but the behaviors that mark the best and lead to success can be developed and refined over time. Seven of the most important:
1.     Being grounded in ethics and integrity. Both are hallmarks of the most successful leaders – those who are deeply committed to doing the right things for the right reasons, even when it is difficult or unpopular to stay the course. This underscores the importance of adhering to high principles and professional standards, and doing so with consistency.
2.     Building trust. This isn’t something that just comes automatically to a leader. It’s something the most successful know they must earn. To that end, they take actions that gain them respect. They involve others in decisions that affect them rather than making unilateral calls. They are transparent and consistent, so subordinates know what to expect (and can count on it). Successful leaders act in a way that makes others proud to be associated with them.
3.     Bringing others along. It’s important to help others grow and achieve, and the best leaders serve as both coaches and teachers in pursuit of that goal. It takes looking at individuals and treating them as such in understanding their distinct needs, abilities and goals. At the same time, it takes working with people to help them uncover what they do best and ways to strengthen their assets.
4.     Inspiring those around you. The most successful leaders have a vision that motivates people to follow. But it’s not just the vision – for whatever future or goal or purpose – that inspires. It’s expressing it with passion and energy, and backing it with strong beliefs and values that count. It’s a matter of exciting people to be equally engaged and uplifted at being a part of something bigger and better.
5.     Making decisions. Anybody can make a decision. But it takes a great leader to take on the hard decisions with authority and confidence. Success here comes from balancing emotion with reason, enlisting input from others to ensure the move forward is well-informed, yet acting with authority. Even when decisions may be unpopular, a leader who honestly communicates the rationale behind them is in a better position for long-term success.
6.     Encouraging innovation. Innovative organizations give their people the space to stretch their creative wings. The culture to make this happen is set by leaders who encourage the art of “possibility” thinking and looking at issues from different perspectives – and who share how such practices have worked for them. The most successful leaders also understand the importance of training people in being more innovative through questioning, observing, experimenting and networking, and to that end ensure that employees get work time each week to do outside-the-job creative endeavours.
7.     Reward achievement. No one likes to see their hard work and accomplishments go unrecognized. The best leaders make a habit of calling out people who make contributions to the organization, and they do it in in both a timely and appropriate manner. This may be expressed through a tangible reward or a public acknowledgement. Either way, it is a function of a leader who not only sets and shares specific expectations, but shows what happens when individuals meet them. Most importantly, the best leaders deliver what they promise when that happens.
Interpersonal Effective Leadership Skills

Effective leadership skills often focus on teams and team building for a reason: Business owners rely on their team and stakeholders to help them achieve success. Without buy in from your team, meeting your goals can be significantly harder.
1. Respect your employees.
Effective leadership often requires respect. You often have to give respect to your team in order to earn it back from them.
And if you don't have the respect of your team, then you may not be able to get the best possible work from them when it comes to supporting your business.
2. Be generous with your resources.
Generosity can also be a great trait for a leader. There are many different ways to express this trait to your team and other stakeholders. This can mean supporting causes or charity organizations. It can mean being generous in terms of team compensation. Or it can even mean being generous with your time or expertise.
Though many businesses may not have the means to provide tons of money to team members and causes, if you can show a willingness to help and support people in any way you can, people are likely to take notice.
3. Establish trust as an important value for your team and your customers.
Trust can be important when it comes to managing a team, as well as communicating with your customers, clients or prospects.
Aside from just being honest with your team and anyone else you communicate with throughout the course of running your business, this also means holding up your end of the deals you make. If you commit to an event or a new product launch, for example, sticking with those commitments can go a long way toward building trust with a variety of different stakeholders. As far as effective leadership skills go, it is one that you may not want to overlook.
Even the best leaders make mistakes from time to time. But those who pass the blame to others or ignore their own shortcomings aren't likely to gain much respect and hard work from team members.
4. Have some fun!
You might not think that fun is an essential leadership trait. But your team members are likely to spend a great deal of time working for your business. And if that doesn't include any fun, then they probably won't stick around or work as hard as they might otherwise.
However, if you're able to create an environment that includes just the right amount of fun for your team, you can potentially keep everyone happy and productive as they work toward achieving your business's goals.
5. Practice empathy with your team members.
Your team members are also likely to make mistakes or have other issues from time to time. Practicing empathy can help you create a more understanding environment where you treat each of your team members as individuals. If you expect them to be perfect and leave them no room for learning or growth, you may hurt your team's morale and productivity.

Personality shaping by parents destructive to children

2021-03-31T02:02:00.004-07:00

Not everyone is successful but all parents expect their children to be successful and in the process make grave mistakes in shaping up the personality of the child. More than often, parental psychology is driven by societal acceptance and they end up choosing options for their children which is extremely destructive for the child in the future.

The manner in which one set of parents bring up their children is guided by what society will think. Very few parents understand child psychology and manage to groom their children nicely. The majority of parents follow the patterns of society and drive their children to do something which definitely is not the child's aptitude.

1. Child A is a brilliant student from childhood, gets higher education in the top engineering college or the topmost business school in the country, is placed abroad with a six-figure salary. However, in the process, he or she drifts away from the family fold. There is no place for emotions in their lives and that is the reason they become more and more successful in their overall lives. On the other hand, Child B is always compared with Child A, made to do all the same things that Child A did which are so disastrous.

As the saying goes, All fingers are not the same. Likewise, No child is similar to another. But the painful aspect is very few parents realize and accept this. Immaterial of whether the child has an inherent talent in something, he is invariably pushed into the stereotype path which was followed by many other children.

1. Some parents make the mistake of always pointing the negative aspects alone and creates a vision in the child's mind that they should not venture in that direction. Such children end up becoming a misfit in personal life, career, and all other areas of recognition. Those children become introverts as well and screw their happiness in the pursuit of the most suitable and comfortable lifestyle.

2. Some parents make a major mistake of taking the decision in all spheres for their child. Such children grow up to be spineless, incapable, and incompetent in life. These children should never ever try to set their own families as that would be a disastrous outcome of their own failures. When this child grows up, he will realize that he has no real understanding of the world. Whatever he or she knows is only what is taught by parents. Such a child should either be a rebel and break away from the shackles of over-parenting or perish.

Parents need to understand the innate talents of the child and support that talent so that the child grows up to be competitive, capable, and become achievers in their area of interest.

Nepotism/Favoritism in office- A detriment to success

2021-03-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

There is a rampant stream of nepotism in most of the mediocre and small-sized business setups. This destroys many organizations in the long run. However, that is not a major concern. The major area of concern is that the deserving candidate is always sidelined and the so-called favorite is always kept on the helm of affairs.

In an organization where a qualified professional is superseded by a less qualified person, there are so many issues. The major issues are:

1. There is always a lack of knowledge building and innovation in such organizations. There is no place for value addition or professionalism in such organizations.

2. The lower qualified personnel always enjoys the favoritism of the superiors due to their years of experience and their expertise is never judged or evaluated.

3. The highly qualified personnel invariably experiences a defeatist attitude and ends up questioning his or her own abilities.

4. In most organizations the highly qualified personnel is pushed to the extreme to behave like the lower qualified person and in the process destroys his or her focus, determination, skills, and knowledge.

5. Such organizations where Nepotism and Favoritism are rampant do not survive in the long run. Eventually, the organization dies a slow death.

One of the major reasons why most highly qualified professionals move out to foreign countries is that they want to be free from this world of Nepotism and/or favoritism. An engineering graduate from IIT or a PGDBM from IIM does not want to work in India due to the scarcity of recognition of skills, knowledge, and experience.

It is highly imperative that there is a system in place in every organization wherein the rightfully deserving get their right place, position, and respect. Otherwise, it will always destroy the grey cells of all capable individuals and there will be only shitheads in the organization.

7 essential skills for employees

2013-03-18T09:36:00.002-07:00

In today’s competitive world, we come across many situations where one person stands out among a group of same field professionals. At this juncture, one need to assess why and what is the advantage that this single person has as against the rest of the group. The most important outcome from the assessment is that there is a specific skill set of that individual which varies from person to person. The one possessing the best skill sets is the one who ultimately gets the job and keeps the job. According to me, the seven most essential skills for employees are

1. Clear Communication:

One of the most essential skill is clear communication which every employer aspires to see in his potential employee. The art of clearly conveying ideas and point of view either verbally or in writing is a very valuable trait and need to be harnessed by each and every employee, immaterial of his or her level in the organization. Any individual possessing this skill is easily spotted in the crowd and elevated to the top in the eyes of the potential recruiter.

2. Personal Branding:

Off late recruiters have been using various social media sites as a source to screen proficient talent. Subsequently these sites have become a platform for all job aspirants to highlight their education, abilities and job-critical skills as a branding tool to attract the recruiters. The better one can project his education, abilities and job-critical skills, the more are the chances of being considered by potential recruiters. The methodology of branding has become one of the most sought skills set for any employee as well as aspirants and helps build the marketability of the person.

3. Flexibility:

In today’s competitive environment, employers are eagerly in search of professionals who are ready to adapt to any kind of situation, able to visualize new ideas and innovate, highly constructive and be very open minded to take up any and every responsibility. Flexibility combined with the ability to thrive under pressure, effectively prioritize and multitasking, will create a cutting edge for an individual and aid them to adapt to changing conditions.

4. Productivity Improvement:

Every organization seeks performers in their midst. The more capable a person is in continual improvement in performance and productivity, the better is the scope for growth in the organization. Do bear in mind that employees who have a great ability to understand what is required, rather than needing to be told, is poised for growth.

5. Technical Skills:

Employers generally are in the lookout for people who possess certain technical skills which can aid them to efficiently and effectively utilize workplace technologies and other equipment, without causing any harm to the assets of the company. Willingness to put in the hard efforts to master the existing skills and learn new skills is bound to be rewarded by employers.

6. Problem Solving:

Individuals who possess the ability to solve problems on their own tend to be invaluable to every employer. The attempt to get acquainted with all angles of a complex problem is generally appreciated by any employer. Thorough analysis of the complexities of the problem enables the individual to envisage different approaches in order to come up with a creative, productive and efficient solution to the problem at hand.

7. Time Management:

In today’s emergent job scenario where time is money, it is most mandatory for individuals to manage their time efficiently and effectively. Time management is one intrinsic skill that every employers seeks in his employee. The more efficient you are in managing time, the more productive, profitable and competent your work will be.

If one possesses these skills, the sky is the limit for achievements and success in their lives. If practiced well, these skills can pave the way to a very bright and prosperous future.

10 Secrets You Must Know About Job Interview

2012-08-21T04:41:00.002-07:00

Whenever we go to attend an interview for a job placement, we need to understand these few secrets which can help us in dealing with interviews in a better fashion.

10. Don’t accept if they offer you something to drink:

A general practice of many interviewers is to offer you something to drink either in the commencement of the interview or even midway through the interview. The best way to deal with such offer is to say no in a very polite and polished manner.

9. Don’t sit until you are asked to sit:

When you enter the interview chamber, make it a point to greet everyone inside and wait for them for asking you to take a seat. When you take your seat, ensure that you are positioned straight as your posture will define your confidence level.

8. Guess the age of your recruiter and answer according to that:

The manner in which we respond to the questions raised by the recruiter depends a lot on the age of the recruiter. Taking into consideration the age of the recruiter, our answers should be posed to0 impress their age and experience. Usually while interacting with the recruiter before the actual interview gives one a vivid picture of the mental psyche of the recruiter and this helps us in realizing what is expected from us during the course of the interview.

7. Maintain a good eye contact:

During the interview, it is very much important that we maintain good eye contact with the recruiter. Whenever you attend an interview conducted by a panel of recruiters, you need to ensure that you respond to the person who asks you questions in order of sequence. While you respond to one of the recruiters, make sure that you maintain eye contact with the remaining recruiters as well. The way you look at the recruiter while responding to their questions will also describe your confidence level and charisma as well.

6. Don’t let them know that you understood their mind games:

Invariably recruiters try to play games with your mind and confuse you or divert your attention. You should understand their mind games but still pretend to be unaware of it and handle the interview and impress the recruiters.

5. Always wear light colored attires:

How you dress up for the interview also matter in the selection process. The most preferred attire is light shades and preferably plain or mild stripes. Wearing a dark shade may give an impression of a funky attitude. That may play negative to our interview. Thus prefer light colored attires for the interview.

4. Get to know the messages your hands say:

One of the most important aspects is the body language of our hands. What we speak and what our hands describe or explain should be in tandem with each other at all times. The manner in which we keep our hands also explain us to the recruiter. For example showing your palm while talking signifies that you are honest in what you are talking, holding your palms down while talking, states that you are dominating kind of a person; pressing your fingertips of your hands together again and again symbolizes that you are confident; folding your arms across your chest shows are very much self-protective and last but not the least putting your hands inside your pocket while talking signifies that you are hiding something. Take into consideration these aspects while you attend the interviews.

3. Figure out the recruiter is an introvert or an extrovert:

During the course of the interview, try to understand whether the recruiter is an introvert or extrovert. This will give you a chance to impress upon the recruiter and involve them into an interactive session instead of keeping it as a monologue.

2. You’ll get to know whether the interview went well:

The expressions of the recruiter during the course of the interview will give you the information that your interview went well or otherwise. The moment the recruiter puts his phone calls on hold just because you are being interviewed, the occasional smile from the recruiter during the course of the interview are indications that you are going to clear the interview.

1. You can also get to know if you are not hired for the job:

The moment the recruiter starts fidgeting with his or her cell phone or cuts short the interview by stating that they will get back to you soon are indications that you have not been able to impress the recruiter and you have no chance to get hired.

This is a simple analysis made by me during my experiences as a job seeker as well as a job recruiter and I feel it will help everyone in understanding what they need to do for cracking interviews. Just an humble attempt!!!

How to de-stress in today's mechanical world

2011-12-26T14:16:00.000-08:00

First of all We need to understand what stress means and what it can do to us. Stress is very easily defined as any physical or mental demand exceeding the capacity of the person and causing the equilibrium of the person to fall below the normal state of control. One can identify stress by these major altercations in behaviour: Increase in heart beat, heavy breathing, feeling of having butterflies in the stomach, stammering while speaking, sweating during the course of interviews or discussions with superiors.
Though we realise that stress is a part and parcel of today's materialistic lifestyle, we don't address it in the best manner. Stress is of two types Eustress & Distress. Eustress is when you get all exciting and happy news and you feel completely on top of the world. Distress is just the opposite when you face all negative news such as termination, failure in examinations,annulment of marriage, divorces and a close person's death.

In order to seek a remedy for stress, one needs to firstly understand and accept that he or she is under distress. The major symptoms to be identified are having excessive fatigue, increased palpitations, facing sleep problems, inability to relax and so on. Once the symptoms are identified, We need to research means to alleviate the stress symptoms.

A few suggestions which can act as de-stress techniques are:

1. You may prefer confiding with someone, avail their support, sometimes take suggestions and advice, implement the same.

2. A very good method of relieving stress is to pick up some workout regime such as physical exercises, going to gym, running, swimming, jogging, sports like badminton, Golf, Snooker etc.

3. One can also listen to their favourite music, take out time for themselves and most importantly listen to their body.

4. Start doing activities which you enjoy doing such as trekking, photography, travelling, going for movies, to name a few.

5. Spend time with your family. That is another way of reducing stress.

6. Once you leave your workplace for your residence, avoid carrying the burden of your work to home. Do not convert your home into office.

7. Be calm and maintain your cool. If your heart starts beating faster than usual, take your time and relax. Practice any relaxation techniques twice a day.

8. Keep motivating yourself by uttering positive statements such as I can do this, All is well, You are bound to succeed and so on.

9. Try to get as much as sleep as possible and practice methods of sleep hygiene.

10. Try to identify the most unhealthy aspect of your stress and jettison it from your life.

11. Crack jokes, spend some time leisurely and learn to enjoy your life as much as possible.

These steps above are just basic suggestions to reduce the stress levels in any competitive environment. There are many other methods of reducing stress but they could be a long term process to implement. So it would be good for us to try practising these remedial measures to decrease the level of stress in our lives and make it more enjoyable for us as well as our near and dear.

The 5 A's to success

2011-11-07T05:43:00.000-08:00

Every success story has a road map, which need to be followed to achieve the expected result. Needless to say, the road travelled is a long one encompassing various stages of management, to achieve success and excellence. I would like to categorise the stages as “The 5 A’s to Success” viz. Analyze, Accept, Assist, Approach and Adopt.

I take this opportunity in explaining each stage to the best of my knowledge. It may help in creating some insight in the minds of aspiring individuals, who want to make a mark for themselves in today’s much competitive professional arena.

Analyze

Analyzing primarily is to specifically identify trends in the market place and deduce why one tend is workable and another failed. Over a period of time, Analyzing will help us identify methods to measure our performance, where to scale up our resources, build a model prototype to utilize for the best quality end result at low cost. It also helps us define alternate methods to reach the same level of success. The more we Analyze, the more is the perfection of preparation to attain the desired result. Over time, it helps us look at situations from different perspectives and broadens our area of reasoning as to why the situation is dealt in various scenarios.

Accept

The second aspect is to accept what we are and what our drawbacks are. Every person aspires to be the ruler of his domain. However, we need to always check for what difference we can bring to the world by being what we are because we tend to adopt few characteristics of successful people but cannot transform ourselves completely. Alternately we need to accept others as they are. It is always important to stop focusing on negatives, then alone can we start noticing anything and everything positive.

Assist

It is always nice being a boss of a firm with people always there to assist you. However to ensure that the firm grows, it is necessary for the boss to assist his employees from time to time. Being the boss, it is your duty to help your employees whenever and wherever they need it. This will help brush out all the impurities that might be there in your relationship with your employees.

Approach

Most of the times we come across situations where we do not achieve the goals as we expected. In such circumstances, we may need to revise our approach to ensure that we achieve the required goal. In the process of revising our approach, we may decide to sideline some preset goals for later and focus on the most important goal amongst the vast number of goals.

Adopt

The most important reason behind any successful person is their habits that they have created and maintained over a period of time. When we aspire to succeed, we need to inculcate some habits of successful people in our psyche. Adoption of habits of successful people into our DNA is the first step in becoming one like the successful. These habits adopted and practiced over time helps us become better individuals both in professional and personal life.

For a aspiring individual wanting to carve a niche for himself or herself, these five "A's" may act as a booster for their dreams.

Talent Vs Favoritism

2011-09-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Is talent important or being the favorite of the management important??? In most cases, Talent coupled with being favorite of the management becomes the most beneficial. However playing favorite to the management is not everyone’s baby. Not all people can keep everyone happy.

There are instances where a very efficient and effective professional who is the master of the trade in his area of operation fails to get recognition because he is not a favorite. Recognition in more than often comes by after the particular individual falls prey to the office politics and nepotism. How does one survive against this so called Office politics.

We have often heard the quote “Hard Work Pays”. However in more than one instance, we get to see that hard work is always repaid by more work and less recognition. In such situations, how can anyone put in his best when he or she knows that the benefits of hard work will be recognized after the individual phases out from the system.

Thanks to equal opportunity employers like TATAs and ITC, that rift between talent and favoritism is breached to a great extent and hard work is immediately recognised at the moment it should be and also appreciated. However it ought to be the case in all organisations. Just because an individual does not showcase himself as the management favorite or use flattery, the individual should not be sidelined or treated as a punching bag or victim of office politics. Corporates should understad the latent talents of individuals and hone the skills for the organisation to become a trend setter for all organisations.

Some Management Lessons from the great epic Mahabharata

2011-07-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

The second longest epic of the world, Mahabharata is not just an epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War or a book of philosophy; rather it's a comprehensive manual on management strategy. Mahabharata encompasses many lessons on management which can potentially be applied to modern business practices. Vyasa's epic poem is considered to be a pertinent handbook on management and these management insights are being practiced by many today. Let us take a look at some of the best practices from India's great epic of knowledge and inspiration.

1. Transform your weakness into strength

Like how Pandavas transformed their weaknesses to strengths during the years of exile, you need to have the urge to improve on your weakness. Mahabarata gives many an examples to highlight the importance of utilizing time to overcoming your skills like how Arjuna went on a mission to attain the Divyastras or Yudhisthira mastered the Game of Dice. You need to have the passion to dedicate adequate time to learn those skills that can help you overcome your weakness only by which you can be a great manager.

2. Share your responsibilities

Efficiently sharing responsibilities is the mark of a good manager and the great Indian epic gives the best example for this. Pandavas fought the war as one team with one goal in mind while Kauravas lacked the team spirit and they all fought individual wars. It advises the managers not to make the decision-making process a dictatorial one, rather involve everyone so that the best of ideas will pop up.

3. Learn the art of teamwork

It was not a common war for Kauravas as they never showed the unity. But the way Pandavas fought is a lesson for managers as it highlights the significance of sticking on to the common goal while meeting the individual targets. The great story teaches the golden lesson that only a combined effort can bring in success.

4. Know the ground realities

Pandavas spent one year in exile with the poor people and the years of exile helped them to reach out to people from various strata of the society while Kaurava's had no experience of the ground reality as they lived a royal life. Managers need to understand the realities to lead their team in the right direction. They need to break the barriers to get in touch with their subordinates to understand their problems and identify ways to make their work easier.

5. Take calculated risks

Krishna has acted as a greatest crisis manager showing how to take calculated risks at the time of crisis. Management is all about taking calculated risks. Shying away from challenges is not a sign of management, rather well-assessed decisions to on facing the challenges is the trademark of good management.

Why am I a Hindu?

2011-05-30T06:42:00.001-07:00

I was flying from New York to San Francisco - a long journey, nearly 7 hours. An American girl was next to me. I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible, unusual for a young American. After a while, she smiled and we started talking. I told her that I am from India.

She asked: What's your faith? I did not understand the question.

- I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian or a Muslim?

- I am a Hindu.

She looked at me as if she was seeing a caged animal. A common man in Europe or US knows about Christianity and Islam, the leading religions of the world today, but a Hindu?

I explained: I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother. I am a Hindu by birth.

- Who is your Prophet?

- We don't have a Prophet.

- What's your Holy Book?

- There’s no single Holy Book. We have thousands of philosophical and sacred Scriptures.

- Oh, come on! Tell me who your God is. Like Jesus and Allah, don't you have a God?

I thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male) who created the world. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief -- a religion must have one Prophet, one Holy Book and one God.

I tried to explain: You may believe in one God and be a Hindu. You may believe in multiple deities and still be a Hindu. You may not believe in God and still be a Hindu. An agnostic may also be a Hindu.

It sounded crazy to her. She could not imagine a religion so unorganised, surviving for thousands of years, even after onslaught by foreign forces.

- I don't understand but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?

What can I tell this American girl? I said: I do not go to temple regularly. I do not perform regular rituals. I learned some rituals in my youth, and enjoy performing them sometimes.

- Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?

- God is a friend. No, I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly.

She asked: Have you ever thought of converting to any other religion?

- Why should I? Even if I challenge some rituals and tenets, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Being a Hindu allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning. I remain a Hindu not by force, but by choice. Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It was not founded by any one person. It has no organised controlling body like the Church. There is no institution or authority.

- So, you don't believe in God? She wanted everything in black and white.

- I didn't say that. I do not discard the Divine Reality. Our Scriptures -- Shrutis, Smritis, The Vedas, Upanishads, The Gita -- say that God may be there or may not be there. We pray to that supreme abstract authority -- Parama Brahma -- the creator of the Universe. We do not have a God who hides behind clouds of secrecy, tells us irrational stories through a few men who claim to be His messengers, and demands worship or else! I don't think that God is an autocratic emperor who wants others to respect him or fear him. Such notions are just fancies of less enlightened human imagination. At some level, Hinduism has superstitions, but the philosophical side of Hinduism transcends them.

- Good that you agree God might exist. You said that you pray. What is your prayer?

- Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

- What does it mean?

- May all the beings in all the worlds be happy. Let there be peace everywhere.

- Hmm...interesting. I want to learn about Hindu. It is so democratic, broad-minded and free.

- Hinduism is a religion of the individual, with its roots in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching God according to his inner evolution.

- How does anybody convert to Hinduism?

- Nobody can convert to Hinduism. It is not a religion, but a culture, a way of life, a set of beliefs and practices. Everything is acceptable in Hinduism because there is no single authority or organisation either to accept you or to reject you. If you look for meaning in life, don't look for it in religions; don't go from one cult to another or from one guru to the next. For a real seeker, the Bible gives guidelines when it says 'the Kingdom of God is within you'. Remember Christ's teaching about the love that we have for each other.

Loving every creation of the God is a tenet of Hinduism. 'Isavasyam idam sarvam' Isam (the God) is present everywhere. God (Brahma) is manifest in everything.

Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma, The Eternal Faith. Dharma is the code of life. An important part of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God expressed in different forms. God is a timeless and formless entity.

Ancient Hindus believed in eternal truths and cosmic laws. These truths are open to any seeker. But there is a section of Hindus who are superstitious and fanatic to make this an organised religion. The British coin the word 'Hindu' and considered it as a religion.

Religions have become an MLM (multi-level-marketing) industry, trying to expand market share by conversion. Spirituality is big business.

I am a Hindu primarily because it professes non-violence - 'Ahimsa Paramo Dharma' – non- violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because it doesn't condition my mind with any faith system. A man/woman who changes his/her birth religion is a fake and does not value his/her morals, culture and values. Hinduism was the first religion. Be proud of your religion and be proud of who you are. Om Namah Shivaya!

As i’ve always told my friends in the West:

- Hinduism is a philosophy (a way of thought) more than a religion (a way of life).

- It has been “organically” grown – no Prophet, no Holy Book, and no Church. It grew out of the worship of Nature and the Elements (Rigveda).

- It is a very open religion, and allows space for debate, even dissent.

- Some of the pillars of Hindu philosophy are:

- God is manifest in everything and in every being.

- Unlike in some other religions, we are not born sinners and sufferers, and we do not have to constantly redeem ourselves, nor do we have to constantly pray to the Saviour. The concept of Anandam (Bliss) is unique to Hindu philosophy and religion. You should strive for Anandam while living your life.

- The soul is immortal (na jayate mriyate va kadachin

nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah

ajo nityah shashvato 'yam purano

na hanyate hanyamane shareere)

- Your ultimate quest is to know yourself (atmanam biddhi).

- God only loves, never punishes.

- The labels Hindu, Hinduism or even India, are alien imports. The indigenous philosophy (or religion if you may) never had a name. Europeans, not able to understand such a confused, loose religion, had to give it a name. They borrowed the word from the Arabs, who, in turn, had learnt it from the Persians. The name actually denotes a place (the River Indus, called Sindhu in Sanskrit).

- Sikhism, Jainism, even Buddhism borrow heavily from Hinduism, and may even be considered sects.

- The modern phenomenon of the holy man or the guru as a wealthy marketeer (the double ‘e’ is intentional, just like in ‘buccaneer’ or ‘profiteer’) is an aberration. it has no connect with Hindu philosophy.

Euthanasia - A Pandora's Box We Shouldn't Have Opened

2011-03-18T16:00:00.001-07:00

Can you kill someone in India if you feel like? Hell no. Ok – Can you kill yourself if you are that frustrated? Well certainly you can but it is termed illegal. So that’s pretty much rests the case on how and to what extent life is considered pious and valuable on the eyes of our constitution. So in nutshell – our constitution doesn’t allow you to kill anyone, including yourself. If the guidelines which at least from the looks of it sounds so concrete then from where the debate on Aruna Shanbaug’s mercy killing came into picture? If we go by the books then we are not allowed to kill anyone – be it merciful or revengeful. So why we are so eager to kill a certain Aruna and if that was not enough we even dragged our request at the door steps of the Apex court for their intervention. We must have gone crazy one might wonder. Even if to some extent we have, but it is not entirely that.

Now look at Aruna Shanbaug – A lady who is in a vegetative state for the better part of the last four decades, barely able to lift her eyelids on her own, I am told she still loves Konkani Machhi curry (which sounds like a nonsense to me) and last but not the least she at times responds by some short of gesture when her name is called. To make her life more miserable (if it hasn’t already crossed all miserable milestones) there are no immediate relatives to stand by her. The nurses of the KEM hospital are what many consider as the family that Aruna ever had. So now sit and ponder – does anyone deserves such life? Aren’t we be doing a great favor to her if we let her free from this miserable life and have a peaceful and dignified exit? Now one can say; it is easier to talk like an intellectual when none of your close relatives are the point of discussion. True – many of those who are in support of ending the misery of Aruna would run away from the answering dais if they are asked what would have been their opinion if it is their close ones instead of Aruna. Certainly a situation we don’t even want to imagine, let alone being brave enough to be judgmental. Then why such hypocrisy in case of Aruna? Only because she doesn’t have anyone as a relative to stand by her that we got the liberty to decide the best for her? Are we as a nation turned so immoral and unsympathetic towards someone’s misery? Or are we in fact doing a great service towards Aruna by our collective decision? Even if the answers to earlier questions are farfetched and circumstantial, there is one person who can answer the last question with some authority – that is Aruna herself. But looking at Aruna, I doubt if we would get the answer ever.

I am not trying to be unsympathetic, immoral or sentimental but plain practical. Forget about Aruna and just take yourself to her position and answer – would you have wished to live another day with your monumental misery or wanted to die peacefully the next second? If the person is not too greedy, then majority would choose the later as the first option. Hope I am not misinterpreted, but look at the economics attached behind such miserable life. Take the case of Priyaranjan Dashmunsi – a person who is in a complete vegetative state since 2008. Chartered flights are booked every now-and-then and the gentleman is airlifted to different corners of the globe for his treatment. I pray to God that Mr.Dashmunsi does recover from this situation which looks hopelessly impossible. I would like to take a pause and want to ask – who is paying for his treatment (hope I’m not misinterpreted)? Being an ex-politician, the tax payers are paying for this. When 60% of our country is deprived from basic healthcare facilities this investment of money on Mr.Dashmunsi is anything but wastage. I know in the matter of life and death, economics and money shouldn’t be brought in. But before I can explain further I want you guys to remember the public help notices that comes in newspapers every now and then to save the little child who is dying to some disease due to lack of fund. Now answer – given a chance, whom you would prefer the money to go? Towards a vegetative person or the small child who is yet to see the world? I think the answer of yours’ would settle the argument. So in the larger canvas, by forcing an individual to suffer in such precarious conditions we might not be doing a great service to the person himself/herself.

One thing that I hate most in keeping someone alive by external support system is the affinity of us to play God. In natural circumstances the person would have been dead long back hadn’t he/she been put on ventilators or any other gadgets that only doctors can pronounce. But we with our over inflated ego make sure we defy God and make our own rules. More than that we feel the importance of social fabrics attached in keeping alive your closed ones (come what may). No one would agree to take the life support of his father, how precarious his condition may be. The dual feeling of hunting self-conscience and the social stigma of – ‘Kyesa beta hai. Apne baap ko marne keliye chor diya ’ forces the son to stand helplessly and watch his father’s misery. I was having a talk with a gentleman the other day. He still has a heavy heart on thinking about that day when he was left with no option but to allow his father a dignified exit. As per him, it was going beyond his tolerating limit to see his father’s misery on daily basis. He just couldn’t stand the pain his father was going through, whom he loves so much. He assured me that the decision of his was not because he didn’t want to take the responsibility further but he just couldn’t see his father’s misery anymore. I’m not sure if he did the right thing or not but for sure opened a new window for debate.

Now the curious case of Aruna Shanbaug opened new avenues for discussion. While out rightly rejecting the option of Active-Euthanasia, the court did allowed the practice of Passive-Euthanasia; only if the close relatives of the sufferer ask for it. Now this brings me to ask – is it the fault of Aruna that she doesn’t have any close relatives around; hence she has to continue with her misery? If that so then this judgment of our Apex court is as useless (with all respect) as Piyush Chawla for team India. Can’t the court come up with some short of framework? A living will kind of thing where including his properties a person can decide what should be meted to him/her if such situation arises? I know how tough it is to work with a living will, but we can certainly try this till we come up with a better way of handling such situations. Our doctors can be handy in this. For critical diseases the treating doctor can very well have an open talk with the patient and get his consent on the next course of action, if things go utterly hopeless.

Having said that, I want to admit – we are no one to decide if the person should live another day or not. Let at times the nature take the driver’s seat and we being the simple commuters (not even backseat drivers). Aruna Shanbaug is for sure a disturbing case. I am confident she is not the only one who is suffering as there would be many unreported Aruna Shanbaugs dumped as vegetables on their beds and continue to live with their misery. We might not be able to do justice to each and every one of them. So why show our heroics by just picking one case out of the stack? This message is solely for Pinky Anand – lets flow with the tides of the nature and refrain ourselves from opening a Pandora’s Box.

Donkey's attitude need to be endorsed by every struggling Man/Woman

2011-03-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

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

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but more from God.

You have two choices... smile and close this page,
or pass this along to someone else to share the lesson .
God bless us all!

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.

This is a powerful message in our modern society. We seemed to have lost our bearing & our sense of direction.

2010-11-18T23:05:00.001-08:00

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager.I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

Need leaders, not rulers for governance

2010-10-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

Today in the wake of the Commonwealth Games 2010, Everyone has commenced questioning whether we need a leader or a ruler for better governance. I believe that we require a very able leader to lead the nation towards progress. For the past sixty odd years all we have managed to get as leaders are the bunch of the most corrupt and nepotist people one can think of.

Who is to blame? Not only the people who are corrupt and have become our leaders....We the common people are to blame for this equally.

Even today during elections, In Amethi people go and vote for the congress in the blind faith that they are still electing Jawahar Lal Nehru and family who are the flag bearers of the Indian honour. Why don't the common people think beyond and see what other able people can do for the nation?

Even today we get to hear comments that Rahul Gandhi is the best bet for the Prime Minister's post. What other credentials does he have other than being the scion of the so called Nehru Family? The Congress has been managing to stay put at the helm of affairs without any contribution to development. In sixty years Japan has surpassed us and is one of the powerful economies with a very strong currency in comparison.

What is the reason?? The reason is that we have never used our intuition and instinct to elect the right person. A leader is one who sets examples to others to follow. In the pre Independence era, we had the most able leader of the masses as they say in the make of the Mahatma. But why do people forget that he alone could not have brought us independence.....It takes a whole country to win.

Gandhi was considered the greatest leader of all times because of his mass appeal. Today we are unable to find a person as able as Gandhi who can unify the country and lead it to a common goal: Development.

The vision of Sardar Patel still remains a dream. Sardar Patel had dreamt of a unified INDIA where there is no bias. But today There is a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian but no Indian. What we require is a person with the farsightedness of Sardar and the able leadership skills of Gandhi to mould our country into the Golden Bird it once used to be reckoned as.

Think beyond the legacy and search for able people to lead the country. We do not need spineless wastrels tied to the Pallu of a woman to lead the country.

I request the youths of India to open their Indriyas and decide the best for our beautiful nation and help make it into Mera Bharat Sunahra Bharat!!!!

Efficacy of Prayers

2010-10-05T00:51:00.000-07:00

Nowadays Prayers have taken a back seat. The world has become so materialistic in nature that no one has time for the almighty.In the olden days, even powerful kings used to perform prayers and then alone proceed for war. Such was the power of prayers. It was mentioned in the scriptures that Indrajit had to conduct a special kind of prayer which would make him invincible in war. However luck was not in his favour that day when Lakshmana with the help of hanuman messed up indrajit's prayers and led to the latter's death.

Ravana for all his power and fame is considered the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva. For all his prayers, Lord Shiva had bestowed Ravana with all supreme boons.

But today nobody even bothers to spend some time in front of the deity. The concept of Man making his own destiny has superseded the view that destiny is decided by the almighty. So no one remembers his or her prayers. However in the wake of tragedy, these same people end up cursing God. Why is that we don't remember God when everything is going good for us??

I still remember those days when I used to practise the vow of bramhacharya and do my prayers very dutifully. All my friends used to comment that there was a very different glow on my face which in Sanksrit we coin as TEJAS. TEJAS is generated only by the efficacy of the prayers. Especially the Gayatri Mantra which is a must for all bramhacharyas to recite three times in a day is the most powerful prayer adding to our persona.

The Gayatri Mantra recited 108 times every phase of the day i.e. Morning, Noon & Evening which takes only 5 minutes to complete has enough power that is visible in every practising brahmachari. By reciting the powerful prayer, one enhances his power of memory.

Prayers need to be a practice followed in every walk of life to help us in leading a better life.

India Vision 2020- A Mirage or Reality

2010-10-01T03:38:00.000-07:00

The vision for 2020 as envisaged by Mr. A P J Kalam to see India as a developed nation by the year 2020 is a lofty idea. The main areas of focus being namely Agriculture& Food Processing, Infrastructure, Education & Health Care, Information & Communication technology, Nuclear and Space and Defence Technology.

Agriculture & Food Processing : India has a large potential to increase its agricultural exports in a liberalized world provided it can diversify a significant part of its agriculture in to high value crops and in agro-processing. Despite the fact that India is a primarily an agricultural country, somewhere down the lane in these past 60 odd years, we have not been engaged in improving agriculture & food processing. Luckily in the 60's we ran the Green Revolution in India focusing on attaining self sufficiency came as a boon which helped us sustain against famine and drought. However at a later stage, we have realised that the fertilizers used due to the wake of the green revolution has affected the environment and we are still grappling with the issue of self sustenance in this area.In this attempt, India has moved into the area of organic farming with a focus on reducing lower productivity and yield losses. However we are still a long way to go in this area.

Infrastructure: India is a big country which requires a lot of infrastructure to maintain itself. However we have not been able to provide the required infrastructure for development per se. Still there are villages which are not properly connected by road. Many bridges built during this period are in a dismal state. Take a look at other countries which became independent almost at the same time of our freedom. They boast of a very excellent infrastructure and attract people to visit their countries. We hardly hear people talking of holidaying in India. Whoever is asked, he ends up mentioning Bangkok, Malaysia, Seychelles to name a few.

Education & Health Care: Now this is one area where we can enjoy some respite. We have a very strong education base. One of the fore runners in IPR, we command the respect of all nations in this area. However we still haven't reached out to all strata of society. A country can be well defined as Developed when each and every individual in the nation has a basic education so that he or she understands the right and wrong of all. Even today we can see many children working as labour instead of being in school.

Health care is one other aspect which is very deeply related to education. The more educated the person, the more is his attention towards healthcare. This is also an area where we haven't seen any foray per se.

Information & Communication Technology: An area where we are one of the countries of reckoning. We have managed to stay communicated by some mean or the other. But yet again there are places which still do not enjoy the benefits of communication. Another area of concern!!!!

Nuclear, Defence Technology: Thanks to our scientists who had created a base in atomic energy in India, we are considered a powerful nation. The nuclear technology IPR is very strong in India and so we are able to manage our defences.

Given all these aspects, Do you think that We will become a Developed Nation in 2020???? It is high time that we realised what is to be done and act accordingly. And this is not just Government duty........Every indian should think about development. The concept of oneness should be instilled in every individual. Today's youth need to stand up and join hands to create a better and beautiful India......

We should be proud to say "Mera Bharat Mahaan" all 365 days in a year and not on 15th August or 26th January alone.

Hinduism:A religion or Practice

2010-10-01T01:06:00.000-07:00

There is a false notion that Hinduism is a religion. In reality Hinduism is not a religion. It is a practice which has been followed for Eons now. The fundamentalists however have coined it a religion. There is a subtle difference between religion and practice. Religion is the belief or worship of God/Gods, or a set of beliefs concerning the origin and purpose of the universe. Practice is a theoretical term for human action in society.

In our scriptures, Hinduism never was considered a religion. In Sanskrit, it was mentioned as Sanathana Dharma. The coinage itself means An Eternal Law.Hinduism also includes many yogic traditions and a wide spectrum of daily morality based on the concepts of Karma. Karma dwells in the idea of "Work is Worship" & "Worship is God".

Hinduism with all its diverse traditions has been a way of leading lives.The term Hinduism was introduced into the English language in the 19th century to denote the religious, philosophical, and cultural traditions native to India.Hinduism also recognizes numerous divine beings subordinate to the Supreme Being or regards them as lower manifestations of it.Other notable characteristics include a belief in reincarnation and karma, as well as in personal duty, or dharma

Hinduism is a faith. It also dwells in the union of reason and intuition. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan has aptly mentioned that Hinduism cannot be defined, it has to be experienced to understand the complexities of it. Hinduism conceives the whole world as a single family that deifies the one truth, and therefore it accepts all forms of beliefs and dismisses labels of distinct religions which would imply a division of identity.

Hinduism believes that the world was one place for every living being to survive in. The word used as a definition of the world was "Vasudeiva Kutumbakam" which means The Earth as a family.

Hinduism has laid down certain rules for every individual. It is a directive as to how a person needs to lead his or her life. It also mentions the impact of our deeds on our lives and our Karma.

Hinduism is regarded as a tradition mainly because it has no creator as such. It came into existence basis practices defined in our holy scriptures mainly the Vedas.

Therefore Hinduism needs to be accepted not as a religion but as a practice for leading a meaningful life.

All Religions Lead To One Goal- One God

2010-09-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

What is the common aspect under all the religions in the world? They preach that the path of all religions is to attain the ultimate salvation unto HIM. Every religion is governed by this thought alone. Be it Christ, Allah, the Sachche Badshaah and all the Gods of the Hindu religion.

However the so called fundamentalists in every religion have belittled this belief and have brought in the concept of Our God is superior to the other. This has brought in a great divide amongst the communities. For ex: The missionaries working for "The House Of God" propagate the concept of conversion by providing people the basic amenities like Food, Clothing & Shelter and inducing the common people to convert himself/herself to christianity. They drill in the concept that Jesus is the supreme God. A God who laid his life for the benefit of Mankind.

Speak of Hinduism, we are still grappling with Vishnu & Shiva. One section of society says that Vishnu is superior and the other segment retaliates stating that Shiva is. Even today in South India, an Iyer Brahmin will be treated with injustice if he steps into a Vishnu Temple and Vice Versa.

The concept of Jehad also has been given a wrong meaning. Jihad in Urdu actually stands for "Holy War". Jehad was initially coined as a war to protect the downtrodden strata of society. However today, Jihad has taken the face of terror.

What happens to peace???? Peace has become a figurine in nature due to this. You can only talk about peace but not experience it. What is the use of such a feeling??

No religion is superior than the other. The day every one realises it and stand as united, the world will be a better place to live.

Forgotten Heroes

2010-09-27T00:42:00.000-07:00

I wish to bring the attention of all Indians to the great but forgotten heroes of the great Indian Subcontinent. Many a great Indian has given their everything for the nation that we live in. But for them, we would still have been enslaved and exploited by other countries.

We remember only the so called great leaders of the likes of Gandhi, Nehru & to an extent L B Shastri. Whither is the mention of greats like Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Subramanya Bharathi, Sardar Patel, Lala Lajpat Rai, Netaji Subhash Bose. The list of these heroes is endless. However the irony is that these heroes have disappeared into oblivion and will remain so unless the Indian youths awaken and recognise the sacrifices made by these patriots.

Everyone remembers Jan 31 and Oct 2. How many remember 23rd March 1931? Thankfully the film makers attempted to remind people of the date 23rd March. The day of martyrdom of three of the greatest freedom fighters is today forgotten. Even our history text books make scant mention of these three greats.

Today however all these days i.e. August 15th, Jan 26th, Oct 2nd are most expected holidays where we get to spend sometime in leisure. No one even tend to watch the proceedings of the nationwide function. They are happy celebrating their holiday.

Who remembers the martyrdom of Khudiram Bose, Veer Savarkar, Dhingra, Batukeshwar Dutt, Jatin Das? Most of the people do not even know that these greats had given their lives for providing us with the nation that we live in today.

We have given the greatest honour to Gandhi by naming him "Father Of The Nation". The terminology itself is a fallacy. The actual meaning of Father of the Nation is that he was instrumental in the creation of something. But here Gandhi had not created anything. India was a nation even before Gandhi's birth.

Bhagat Singh dreamt of a Socialistic Republic where no one is superior and no one is inferior. But the Nehru Family has diluted his philosophy and still we live in the concept of the "Rich becoming Richer & Poor becoming Poorer". It would have been better that we were a slaved country. Atleast we would have had some disciplined lives.

Wake Up Indians. It is not late for us to understand and rectify the situation. Help Clean up the mess created all these 60 odd years and build a super power in all forums of reckoning.