TP Talks

THE OCEAN

2020-03-26T11:08:00.003+04:00

Waves of salt

Crash beneath my feet

Silencing the tsunami in my mind.

I stand transfixed

Oblivious to time and space.

I am left reminiscing the days

Where it felt as if it were

Just the ocean and me.

The fiery orange sun brightens my view as it rises

Like a Phoenix

And the aquamarine water glistens in the light

The crystal sea cleanses me

Swallowing the great waves of despair that once destroyed everything

I am whole once again.

Rationale:

The theme of my poem is redemption. To me, the ocean marks a fresh start. Waves can be a metaphor for new beginnings. One wave can wash everything away, but there is always a fresh wave immediately after that starts again. This is like hope and despair. One wave of despair can be destructive, but there is always a wave of hope that follows.

My poem is formed as a wave. I formed it by indenting certain lines. I chose this form because it fits in perfectly with the topic and adds to the overall aesthetic.

I used personification to describe the waves. “Swallowing the great waves of despair that once destroyed me” (12). This shows the sea as a protective monster. It will destroy negativity for the purpose of restoring peace.

I used imagery to paint a picture of the scene that I was trying to describe. “And the aquamarine water glistens in the light” (10). This use of imagery helps readers visualise the scene the way I intended. Without imagery, the poem would be extremely vague and hard to understand.

I used a simile to better describe the scene. “The fiery orange sun brightens my view as it rises/like a Phoenix” (8-9). A Phoenix is a mythological bird that rises from its ashes reborn. It is a metaphor for new beginnings. I compared the rising sun to a Phoenix because the sun sets at night, leaving the world dark, but then it rises again. This comparison is apt for my topic of new beginnings.

I used enjambment in my poem. The sentences are randomly broken up and sometimes bleed into the next line. I chose this format because like a wave, it’s random and unpredictable.

I used diction to strengthen meanings. “I stand transfixed” (4) I could have said “I stand still” but the word “transfixed” has a stronger and more suitable meaning. This helps readers understand better with fewer words.

By Rhea Ravi Kumar

06.03.2020

Eindhoven, Netherlands

P.S: Rhea is my eldest brother T.P.Ravikumar’s daughter and is only 13 years old.

MY EXPERIENCE @ TOASTMASTERS CLUB MEETING

2019-04-24T20:47:00.000+04:00

My Experience @ Toastmasters

Yesterday I had visited a Toastmasters club meeting (Business Excellence Toastmasters Club Meeting in Dubai). To be honest, I really thought it was going to be boring, I was reluctant to even go to the meeting, but to my surprise it was actually very interesting. The people there were not like other elders (no offence) they were super humorous and cool.

The meeting started when the club president Mr. Ali formally declared the meeting open, then the president introduced the TMOD (Toast Master of The Day) who anchors the meeting, the TMOD was Mrs. Fozia who gave the welcoming address . The ‘word master’ was TM Ankita who introduced a new word “fillip” and she asked the crowd to use the word in sentences. then the TMOD introduced the roles players , there was a timer, a general evaluator , a Trivia master. Then the TMOD introduced the speaker and their evaluators. The TMOD spoke about the speakers and about their favorite quote and their role model. The speeches were amazing - the language , the fluency and the boldness, I was not able to see any stage fear in their eyes.

The first speaker was Mr.Chirag who spoke about blockchain technology. Basically, blockchain technology is about how we can transfer money in a safe and reliable way (through encrypted technology) I actually did not know about this until that time , he was given a time of 5-7 minutes . The next speaker was Mr.Sauud his topic was “the ideal mentor” he spoke about how he has many mentors in many aspects of life , he also informed that there are 2 types of mentors i) forced mentor , ii) chosen mentor. His speech was very humorous and very interactive with the crowd the words of choice was excellent, he was given a time of 5-7 minutes to complete his speech. The last speaker was Mr.TP anand (my uncle) his topic was about how he honored his boss in a social speech. His speech was also very humorous I liked his speech the most, he was given a time of 3-4 minutes.

Then came the coffee break, then the TMOD introduced everyone to “table topics” where a person was given a topic on the spot and a speaker was to speak with no preparation. All the speeches were evaluated by the evaluators. Everyone was also given time to write about the pros and cons of the speech that was delivered. Then came the trivia master’s session where she asks questions from the day’s session and those who gave the right answer were rewarded with a chocolate.

After that it was the time where general evaluators were given a chance to speak about how the day’s session was. Then came the awards session where awards were given to the best speaker who was Mr.Sauud, the best evaluator who was Mr.Sandeep and the best table topic speaker Ms.Sara.

The TMOD gave the closing address and handed the control back to the president and the president gives his remarks and formally closes the meeting then a group picture was taken.

I was actually happy that I got a chance to attend the meeting and I would actually like to join a Toastmasters club in Chennai I am again looking forward to have a chance to go to another toastmasters meeting.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO JOIN TOASTMASTERS CLUB. It would help to improve the communication skills and leadership qualities.

Akhil Krishnan

23^rd April 2019

Dubai, U.A.E.

GOOD IMPRESSION

2019-02-04T16:03:00.001+04:00

The first impression we make is always the best impression.

We create a good or a bad impression through our communication. Communication need not always be oral or written it can also be through gestures, body language and above all through your silence.

There are several styles of communication. Some of the popular styles are passive, aggressive and assertive.

Do you know your communication style? Are you following the same style in all places and in all situations? Is your communication style creating the right impression in the minds of the people about you and is that what you aspire for or desire?

I am an assertive communicator. I actively listen to others and make my point very clear and loud in an assertive manner. If there is a situation where the other person is not seeing my point of view, I will not push too hard and agree to disagree by appreciating the other view point. I have seen that this helps in not building unnecessary arguments and personal conflicts. This assertive communication style has exhibited my real intentions which is to have a win-win situation all the time.

Communication builds relationship and the focal point of every relationship is that neither of them will Lose at any given situation. It is always Win-Win and hence the relationship continues for several years. In order to have the win-win situation it is important not to adopt the passive or aggressive style of communication.

I went with my family to a cloth store when my twin sons were about 12 years old. I started selecting clothes for them one by one and each of my selection got rejected by them. At some point I felt that I am adopting an aggressive style of communication by choosing clothes on their behalf. I quickly realised my mistake and took a back step and told them please go ahead and select what you like. Try it out and if it fits you we will buy. I stayed with them in the shopping hall, waited for them to try the clothes and when asked for opinion gave my honest opinion and finally they ended up buying something of their choice. Surprising they also bought fewer clothes that what I had selected. At the end, it was a happy shopping experience for all. They got what they wanted, they were happy that it was their choice, I ended up paying less for the shopping and in turn learnt a lesson that my colour choice was completely out of sync with their choice.

I went to a restaurant with few friends and was not in a great mood. I told them anything they order is fine for me and I will also have a coffee at the end with “less sugar”. They ordered food of their choice and it was certainly nowhere near my taste and liking. After eating the horrible food I also ended up having coffee which had too much sugar in my opinion. The rest of the folks in the table found the food to be delicious and the coffee was found to be good with right amount of sugar. Right amount of sugar for them was too much sugar for me. After that experience I decided that I will clearly tell the food of my choice and when I order coffee I always say “without sugar” but bring the sugar separately so that I can add.

When our communication is aggressive we create a bad impression in the minds of the other people. We come across as an autocratic person with high-handed approach. When our communication is passive we irritate others as being dis-interested in the conversation or relationship because we avoid eye contact. We end up building anger or resentment in the minds of other persons and thus the impression created is not good.

When our communication is assertive our communication is clear, body language is positive, eye contact is maintained, clarity of thoughts is exhibited and finally we will create a good impression.

Leaving others with a good impression and carrying a good impression about the others is actually a key to having healthy relationship. Our life is all about relationships and how we maintain and nurture them.

Be assertive in your communication, maintain a healthy relationship with everyone and leave a good impression about yourself at all times.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E

4th February 2019

LEAD OR DEAL

2018-12-20T07:58:00.000+04:00

Leaders are not born but they are made! Are you a Leader! Are you a good Leader! Good Evening!

I do not simply lead but I deal with people in a manner in which I make them feel empowered and gain the confidence to become good leaders. I create leaders and in that sense I lead as I am MAD. MAD is not a word that you associate with someone who is mentally disturbed or insane or extremely angry. MAD is an acronym for Making a Difference.

There are different types of leaders and they have different leadership styles. Some leaders follow the autocratic style or the Hitler style and some leaders follow the democratic style. There are some who follow strategic leadership style.

At the beginning of my career nearly 40 years ago I was exposed to Autocratic Style of leadership where everything worked as per the leader’s wish. The people who did the work for the leader did it out of fear of losing their job or losing their position. When the cat is away the mice are at play and so does the employees. We used to have lot of fun when the Boss is not in the office and the moment we hear the noise of his car we used to take positions become extremely quiet. We used to pretend as if we were working though we will be watching his steps – all eyes and ears on the BOSS.

When I came to Dubai I met a Leader, Mr.S.S.Rajkumar, He had a style which is a combination of a Strategic Leadership combined with Transformational Leadership. He had a long term vision and clear objectives for himself. At the same time he set long term vision and clear objectives for everyone around him starting with the General Managers and right down until the Office Boy. He is one of the best Leaders that I have met so far in my life and I keep talking about him on a daily basis.

who was neither Autocratic nor Democratic.

My Leadership Style when I became a Manager was Autocratic as that was the style to which I got exposed for the first 20 years of my career. However, my style changed to Transformational Leadership in the last 12 years. The transformation happened when I had a long chat with my BOSS here in Dubai which was my performance appraisal. He highlighted how good I was in so many areas and then pointed out how bad I was when it came to dealing with people. He asked me to decide whether I want to Lead and feel that I am leading or Deal with people nicely so that they are led my way eventually.

The Transformational Leadership has enabled me to play a catalyst role with so many youngsters over the last 12 years and I have created more than 100 leaders in this journey. It is a wonderful feeling when people are empowered and encouraged to take decisions and become leaders. It is also a very satisfying feeling when the very same people come back to you and say “Thank You – You inspired me and helped me to reach this level”.

When you Lead it is self centered but when you deal with people it is with empathy. Deal with people to help them realise their true potential. They would automatically follow you and accept you as a leader.

I always feel a Good Teacher is one who is always willing to learn. I am a permanent student though I teach regularly in various institutions a variety of subjects. A good Leader is one who is willing to follow and let others take the lead. I love to deal with people and enjoy seeing them take leadership positions. I am a leader who likes to lead from behind.

Setting the Vision for others, enabling others to realise their dreams and helping others become good leaders is exactly what a transformational leader is supposed to do. I have been doing that for 12 years and will continue to do it in the future as well.

Deal with people nicely and they will let you lead them. Get ready to become MAD – Make A Difference.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, UAE

20th December 2018

DESIRE TO DREAM

2018-08-02T00:06:00.002+04:00

Desire is wishful thinking wanting to have something or for something to happen. Dream is unconscious desire and wishes. I am sure all you in this room have lot of desires and the list grows on a daily basis. Good evening my dear TMOD, fellow toastmasters, visitors and guests.

You will also be nurturing some dreams in life and you would like to realise those dreams and make them a reality. Should we have desires or dreams? Should we nurture more desires or more dreams? Is the desire leading into a dream? Is the dream getting converted into a desire? These are some of the questions that come up in our mind.

Sigmond Freud has said that “Dreams are not mere nonsense they are fulfillment of desires”.

I had a desire to become a Chartered Accountant and when I pursued that course I faced lot of challenges as it was extremely tough and demanding. The stress level was very high as I had to work for a practicing Chartered Accountant firm as an apprentice to learn the ropes of auditing. Simultaneously I had to also prepare for the exams. The pass percentage was typically very low as it is a very tough exam. The fear of failure was always looming large. I used to dream of missing the train very often. I will go near the train and will not be able to get in or I will reach the platform when the train has just left. After all the struggle of preparing for exams and failing a couple of times eventually when I became a Chartered Accountant I did not feel happy but only felt relieved. I stopped getting the dreams of missing trains. Dreams are not mere nonsense they are fulfillment of desires.

I have a desire for engaging in different things at the same time. I like to also start a new assignment with all the enthusiasm and freshness. The attention that I used to give for the starting of new assignments was not there for completing the same. It was a constant desire to get engaged into different activities. I used to get a dream very often of being called back to the Audit Firm where I did my apprenticeship to complete an audit. I will be in a fix on how to go about doing the audit as I am quite busy at work in the company where I was working as CFO. When it dawned, I would realise that it was just a dream and feel relieved. I changed my approach to work in 2006 and decided that I will focus on “start to finish” to ensure that my enthusiasm and interest remains the same from the beginning to the end of the assignment. I also decided that I will think twice before embarking on any new assignment. I stopped getting the dreams of being called back by the Audit Firm for completion of audits.

I remember the story of a Village Teacher who was always right and people always looked up to him for advise. Two youngsters decided to trick the teacher into a wrong decision and expose him to the villagers. They came up with a small butterfly in their hand and asked the teacher “Is the butterfly dead or alive”. The trick was if the teacher says it is alive press the hand and show a dead butterfly. If the teacher says the butterfly is dead then open the hand and let the butterfly fly. When the teacher was asked this question in front of all villagers, he replied “the fate of the butterfly is in your hands”.

Having positive desires and turning those positive desires into dreams is in our hands. Let us focus on positive desires and convert them into dreams. When these positive dreams are pursued we will realise them one day and make them reality. Happy living and helpful nature with empathy for others can be ensured with positive desires which are eventually converted into dreams. Have positive desires, Dream Big and Achieve Success in life.

T.P.Anand
28th July 2018

INTELLIGENCE - NATURAL VS. ARTIFICIAL

2018-07-20T17:32:00.001+04:00

The buzz word today in the whole world is Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is nothing but the intelligence that is induced into machines. The capability that is infused into a machine to think and act rather than only follow given instructions. If the machine is programmed and instructed to do exactly what is being told then it is Robotic. However, if the machine is able to think on its own and do things beyond what has been told then it is Artificial Intelligence.

Our evolutionary path has been very interesting and the recent experiences of rapid growth in technology is quite amazing and at times a bit scary. The early human beings were born with emotions and Zero Intelligence. We had to struggle hard to get the intelligence. The process of acquiring intelligence was long, strenuous and tedious. It has taken several years and several decades for the human race to gather the intelligence.

When the human race developed the intelligence we started thinking that the intelligence should be used smartly so that we do less work and get the machines to do most of our work. Instead of all work being done by human beings we felt the need for many of the efforts being transferred to machines. The evolution of machines for every day life has been quite astounding over the last few decades. Whether it is transportation or consumer goods or industrial applications, our ability to engineer and build capacity through machines has been incredible.

The machines and equipments have gone through a huge evolutionary process and with the advent of higher technology the machines, equipments and gadgets are becoming more and more capable. With the increased capability and wide applications into which machinery has grown we started enabling them with little bit of intelligence. The intelligence that is being infused into the machines have now reached a stage where the machines are capable of thinking on their own.

We have reached a stage where we are able to communicate with machines and the machines are using their own intelligence to respond to us and are communicating back to us. We are going to see Customer Service Assistants; Self Driven Cars; Automated Delivery Drones; wearable gadgets; watches which can pre-warn about our medical condition and so on and so forth.

The integration of technology in the manufacturing process has been remarkable and it is now continuing its journey every where including medical field, hospitality and others. See the remarkable changes that can be brought in a hotel room:

We are heading towards a very exciting and interesting phase of human life where the natural intelligence and talents gained by Human Beings are being transferred to machines and gadgets as they are acquiring the Artificial Intelligence.

When the Artificial Intelligence spreads into different walks of life the Human Race will depend entirely on these gadgets and there will be a huge population of Human Race who would prefer to remain stupid and get the machines use its intelligence.

Step 1: Nature has always been beautiful and extremely intelligent
Step 2: Nature created Humans and Animals
Step 3: Humans evolved and gained sixth sense
Step 4: Human beings worked hard to gain intelligence - Natural Intelligence
Step 5: Intelligent Humans created Machines.
Step 6: Machines became part and parcel of Human Life
Step 7: Human beings transferred the intelligence to Machines
Step 8: Machines have become intelligent - Artificial Intelligence
Step 9: Human beings are placing more and more reliance on machines and its Artificial Intelligence
Step 10: We are in the process of creating a huge population of stupid humans who will entirely depend on Artificial Intelligence.

Nature is divine and has always been kind to the Human Race and let us hope that we will preserve Nature and Nature will protect us for a long time to come. My personal formula is going to be "Use Artificial Intelligence combined with Natural Intelligence and stay healthy and happy by being always connected with Nature".

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
20th July 2018

GIFTS

2018-06-04T14:15:00.001+04:00

Everyone of us is fond of receiving Gifts as it is always coming our way with a surprise and from either known or unknown source. When it is really big gift then it is entirely due to the blessings of the God. If the Gift is too small we tend to ignore it or palm it off to some one else. If the Gift is not useful or interesting also it meets with the same fate of being palmed off to some one else as a Gift.

While receiving Gifts is a nice feeling and gives us the excitement and happiness, how about giving gifts. Are we equally happy, excited and keen to give gifts which are surprising and useful to the recipient?

I am not a great fan of Gifts and do not even give importance to what people give as I am not keen to receive Gifts in the first place.

I got a T Shirt from my friend K.Devanathan during our CA Final Coaching classes days in 1986 with the caption "When I knew the answers, they changed the questions". I preserved it for almost 20 years and finally lost sight of it. Hoping that it is in some corner in my house in Chennai.

The first expensive Gift I received was a tie in Singapore which was gifted to me on my birthday by my friend R.Aravind in 1993. I have preserved this Tie for 25 years and it is one of my favorite tie that I wear for important occasions.

I once saw a silk tie in my wardrobe and thought it was gifted by one of my clients. I called my son Akshay and told him "give this tie to somebody in your friends circle". He asked me "why?". I said "I think I got this as a gift from somebody, I have not used this tie so far. It is better to give it away to someone who will use it". My son looked at his wife and both of them had a sheepish smile at each other. My son then told me "Appa I bought this hand woven silk tie for you in Vietnam and I presented this to you just a few months ago". It was now my turn to look at them with a sheepish look and I said "I am so sorry" and took the tie back.

If the gift is not important or given its due importance it will not stay with you. If the gift is not liked or is acceptable then it will be put in circulation and surely will be gifted away.

My daughter in law gifted a picture of me and my wife with the autograph of Maestro Ilayaraja on the picture. This is being preserved and kept right at the bedside by me as this is a very important Gift that I would like to preserve for my life time.

I have just realised that I have more than three dozen pens on my desk which have all been gifted by someone or the other at different stages in life. None of these pens are of any value to me and none of these pens have ever been used by me. Some of them have my name inscribed on the surface. So what? It matters if the name is inscribed because this becomes non-transferable. Probably one of the reasons why some of the Pens have remained at my desk.

More than the recipient I think it is the giver of the Gift who has to be choosy, selective and careful in giving the Gift so that it stays with the recipient. If the Giver is giving some gift which is not relevant for the occasion or fitting the circumstances, then there is every likelihood that the Gift will be passed on to some one else and it could even reach the landfill ultimately. Plan the Gift well in advance and allocate time for planning and procuring the right gift. Unfortunately most people decide to buy the gift on the way to the occasion. It is last minute rush and last minute decision hence the Gift invariably ends up in circulation and is not retained by the recipient.

I believe in "Givers Gain" philosophy and it is important to give without any expectation in return. Gifts should be given in a responsible manner so that the recipient will use it, value it and cherish it. It is not about value of the gift but all about the occasion, the use and the thought that goes into selection of the Gift.

Life is a Gift of God; the body we carry is the Gift of our Parents; the knowledge that we have is the Gift of our Teachers, Mentors and Guides; the Experience that we have gained in our life is the Gift of our Decisions. We have thus received enough gifts in life let us focus on giving Gifts. Give Gifts in a responsible and sensible manner so that the recipient will value your Gift.

T.P.Anand

4th June 2018

Dubai, U.A.E.

My Writing Journey

2017-10-29T18:42:00.002+04:00

My writing journey started more than 30 years ago as I have always been fond of writing short articles on varied subjects. The writing journey on blogs started in 2009 when I started writing in my friend Sathyamurthy's website. Some of my early articles in that site were quite popular and to name a few Typewriter; Housewife the best Manager; Ocean Receding Day have each seen more than 5000 visits by readers of the blog.

In October 2010 I started my own blog TP Talks and it has been a wonderful journey of more than 7 years with lots of ups and downs. There have been times when I have written frequently and there are also times like the last couple of years when I frequency has reduced drastically. In 2012 I wrote 120 articles in the blog while I have written only 9 articles so far in this year.

My focus is now shifting into writing books and I am happy to see my first venture as a co-author get published. The Background Material on UAE VAT has been published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India on 25th September 2017. I am one of the co-author of this publication and it was a real proud moment.

The First Book in which I am the author was published in October 2017 from Singapore by Partridge Publishing House. This is called Thought Provoking and it is a collection of 54 articles written by me over the last seven years in my blog. This is the idea of my younger son Akshay and his wife Aishwarya. They released this book on my behalf with a collection of 54 articles as I was born in 1963 and since the book is being published in 2017 they thought of this idea.

This book is available in Partridge Publishing, Singapore and is also available in Amazon Online store.

The book is available as e-book as well as hard copy in the Publisher's site as well as through Amazon.

I am now working on the next book which will be published very soon on Indirect Tax Laws in UAE.

Your continued support and encouragement will help me make substantial progress in this journey as "writing is a life-long journey".

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
29th October 2017

SEDONA

2017-10-27T20:07:00.001+04:00

I visited Sedona with my wife and our relatives in the USA in early July 2017. Yes this article is overdue for 3 months and finally I found time today to pen this.

Sedona is a place surrounded by red rock mountains and is a very small town. There are some unique aspects that really fascinated me about this small town in the US which is in Arizona State.

Wherever you go in the town you are surrounded by Red Rock Mountains which creates a unique and wonderful backdrop.

The major attraction lies 7 miles away from the town which is the Slide Rock State Park in which the oak creek flows nicely and creates slippery bed. Walking along the slippery creek was real fun and a challenging experience.

The Sedona Trolley service which takes you around the downtown as well as the country side on the outskirts of the town is a great ride not to be missed.

McDonalds in Sedona is the biggest surprise of all. The logo is Yellow Arches on a Red background all over the world. Only in Sedona because of the Red Rock backdrop, McDonald was forced to use Teal Green colour for the famour arches making the M. The local authorities did not permit McDonald its usual colour scheme.

It was at first sight shocking when I was riding the Trolley and saw the McDonald outlet on the main road in Sedona. It took me a while to understand that the colour scheme is completely different and unique.

The Red Rock backdrop and the beautiful background has attracted more than 70 productions to Sedona for shooting the films. Many famous hollywood films have been shot in Sedona and it is still considered one of the great picturesque locations in the world for film shooting.

I would rate Sedona among the top 10 tourist attractions in the United States of America.

T.P.Anand
27th October 2017
Dubai, U.A.E.

MAD - MAKE A DIFFERENCE

2017-06-05T06:51:00.002+04:00

MAD is not enraged and angry but MAD is Make a Difference. First "Make a Difference" to yourself and slowly "make a difference" to others around you. It is a long process but very fruitful and satisfying.

In our society we find very few people who are there to make a difference while the majority leads a routine, monotonous and lazy lives. According to Robin Sharma 98% of the people in the society lead a routine, monotonous life. It is only 2% of the people who constantly strive to "make a difference" and hence are MAD.

Great Leaders do not set out to "lead" but they set out to "make a difference". They end up inspiring people and make a difference to their lives and thus create more leaders. This applies to Corporate World and to our normal society where we live.

We have to first believe in ourselves and lift the spirit and self esteem. This would help us to believe that we are made to make a difference. There are very few people who are capable of reaching this pinnacle of thought process to "make a difference". Are you there yet? If not, get there quickly as we are a fast changing, technologically advancing, heavily populated planet with over 7 billion people.

Is it easy to become one MAD person? No, it is not so easy. It is difficult and it requires perseverance and within that perseverance lies the reverence that you will build. The thought process and the mindset to take Action today is important to make a difference.

Books can make a difference, kids can make a difference, films can make a difference, blogs can make a difference, friends can make a difference, family can make a difference, society in which we live can make a difference, you can make a difference and I can make a difference.

In order to "make a difference" and be MAD we need to follow only three steps:

Manage your time and thoughts with a proper plan
Act on your plan and do not procrastinate or waste time
Discipline yourself and people around you to respect and follow the plan

It all begins with the shift in approach to life from ME to WE. We need to change things upside down literally like how when M is turned upside down Me is becoming We. The selfless thinking will bring the requisite change and the MAD journey begins.

My journey on MAD started way back in 2006 and it has been a wonderful joy ride for the last 11 years. It is completely filled with immense joy, pleasure, happiness, deep satisfaction and above all mental peace.

The greatest advantage of MAD is it automatically puts you on the "path of excellence", which is a MAD Race, where there is no finish line.

Get on to the MAD Race and enjoy the life by making a difference to yourself and to others around you.

To make a difference to someone's life you need not be in power or in position of strength or rich. You just have to care to be there. It is a philosophy of life where you strongly feel, believe and live to GIVE.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
5th June 2017

THREE FOLD DIVISION OF FAITH

2017-05-21T17:17:00.000+04:00

I was really fortunate and blessed to attend the four day lecture by Sunandaji on the Three fold division of faith which was based on the Chapter XVII of Bhagavat Gita. She explained the verses of Chapter XVII very clearly with very good examples. I am summarising the four day lecture for the benefit of those who could not attend the lectures. The lecture was delivered on 12th to 15th April 2017 in Dubai. I feel this is extremely important for every human being irrespective of the religious beliefs and faith.

The three "Gunas" or mental temperament or qualities that are found in every human being are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is the highest quality where total calm and composure is maintained. Rajas is a quality where decisions are made with desires in mind. Tamas is the lowest quality where there is reckless behaviour.

Out of all the living beings only humans have the ability to analyse the cause and effect and choose actions. The law of causation (cause and effect) is applied in every instance by humans and the individual nature and behaviour will determine whether we are Sattvik, Rajasik or Tamasik. The greatest quality in human beings is the consistency and whether the person is having Sattvik or Rajasik or Tamasik qualities one will notice consistency. It is believed that the Sattvik worship God; Rajasik worships Demi-Gods (Yaksas) whilst the Tamasik worship Demons (Rakshashaas). The underlying principle is Shraddha which is consistency of purpose.

Every human is made up of the three Gunas/Qualities. It is important to develop "Satvik" consistency. Every aspect of life is subject to change. Thoughts, looks, feelings all change. Some people believe that food intake is important and if we eat Satvik food consistently then we can develop Satvik consistency in our behaviour. Unfortunately food cannot affect the thoughts and food cannot control the subtle feelings and thinking. Seed is important for producing the fruit but only if the soil is conducive. Food will help in Satvik behaviour only if the person is willing to consistently follow the "Satvik" qualities.

Sativika will sacrifice without desiring the fruits or results. Practice austerity as it is an intelligent use of energy. We lose energy due to worries and anxieties. It is important to conserve the energy and direct it properly. We need to move out of self-centered approach and pursue goals in life in an unselfish manner.

Follow austerity in speech - speech without excitement, which is truthful, pleasant and beneficial and also the practice of sacred study. Satvik quality will help to think clearly so that we do not act impulsively. Don't be impulsively good, you need to be intellectually good. Always act in the interests of others. Be factual, truthful and use intellect with pleasant manner and let go ego.

Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint and very pure disposition are called austerity of mind. Perfect mind will not oscillate or get disturbed. The threefold austerity practiced by devout men with utmost Sraddha and desiring no fruit is declared Satvik.

Rajasik austerity is misplaced effort and needs to be corrected. Austerity practiced with the object of gaining reverence, honour and worship is unstable and transitory. Austerity practiced with foolish notion, torturing oneself or aiming to destroy another is declared Tamasika.

Gift given as obligatory to a recipient who does no service and in place and in time is Sattvika Gift. A sattvika gift is a well thought out gift to the right person at the right time without any impulsive thinking.

We are all normal human beings and hence will keep getting thoughts and feelings which could lead to Tamasik behaviour and it is important to leave it. Whenever we find Rajasik behaviour it is important to immediately correct it. As long as we are able to identify and detect the Rajas and Tamas in our behaviour Sattva will take care of itself.

If you leave Tamas and correct the Rajas you would stay a Satvik. Let our intake be of a high quality - Satvik. The attitude will help to process the intake - sacrifice and austerity. You gain a lot as you are productive and sensible in choosing the right inputs and processed it with proper attitude.

Your chase will end only when you find the truth. You will not feel completeness in life unless you find the truth. Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and gift is called Sat/Truth. Without aiming at the fruit, various acts of sacrifice, austerity and gift are performed by seekers of liberation. These are Sattvik.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
21st May 2017

THREE LAWS OF PERFORMANCE

2017-03-29T21:26:00.000+04:00

I heard the motivational talk by my friend Shridhar Sampath recently when he mentioned about the Three Laws of Performance. Great results are achieved in this world by individuals and group of individuals operating as a team. When such great results are achieved we wonder how that was possible. It is just that the individual or group has performed well. How to then get the best performance at all times?

The Three Laws of Performance that was propounded by Steve Zaffron & Dave Logan through their book “The Three Laws of Performance — Rewriting the Future of Your Organisation and your Life”.

The three laws of performance are explained in the below video by Steve Zaffron:

I had the dream of becoming a Chartered Accountant when I was only 17 years old and a stranger that I met asked me to repeated say “I want to become and Chartered Accountant and I will become a Chartered Accountant”. He made me stand up and repeat this sentence several times by raising my hand and punching the fist in the air. When I read the three laws of performance this incident flashed across very strongly in my mind.

How true it is that “How people perform correlates to how situations occur to them” (1st Law). My dear sister got married to a Chartered Accountant, Mr.S.K.Raman, in 1980 and thus the desire and dream in me to become a Chartered Accountant grew firm. My brother-in-law encouraged me to pursue my dream. My teacher at School Mr.P.Anand who taught Commerce in my 11th Standard had planted the seed in my mind to become a Chartered Accountant. He took me aside at School after his class and told me “You have all the qualities to become a Chartered Accountant”. How a situation occurs arises in language (2nd Law). Finally the Stranger that I met in a Railway Station made me stand up and say “I want to become a Chartered Accountant and I will become a Chartered Accountant. Future based language transforms how situation occur to people (3rd Law). From intentionality default futures can shift to designed future.

I feel every business owner, business manager and leader can follow the three laws of performance and encourage other to give their best performance.

Great innovative ideas come from best performances and the world will progress and give prosperity to people only with best performances.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

Written on 23rd June 2016 and published in Medium.Com

WISE VOICE

2017-03-25T13:26:00.000+04:00

Do you hear your inner voice? How often do you listen to your inner voice? Is it wise to listen to others? Is there a Wise Voice in us or around us anywhere?

Some of the questions that cropped up in the morning in my mind while I was listening to my own voice as usual when I drove the car.

WISE is an abbreviation which means Willingness to Imbibe and Share Experiences according to me. To be Wise you need to be first MAD. MAD according to me is Making A Difference. Unless you get MAD you will not become WISE.

Voice is not heard when there is noise and hence you need to first keep calm in order to hear your own wise voice. This is something I realised over time and ofcourse it took several years to realise this great insight that Voice is not Noise. In fact I feel no noise is Wise.

In order to make my point I have also in my young days raised my voice. I thought the higher your pitch and tone the better chances you have in winning the argument or feeling stronger. Over the years I have realised that this is a myth.

On a rainy day when everyone prefers to stay indoors, I ventured out in the morning. The first challenge was to get into the car as my car was in a small pool of water and I had to wade through the water by spoiling my shoes and trousers. I did not hesitate even for a moment to go through that agony because it was short lived.

I am thankfully not in the Circle of Concern and happy to be in the Circle of Control. I do not waste time sitting in front of the Television Set or chatting on whatsapp groups but spend my time usefully in the development of "Wise Voice".

After listening to my friend Shridhar Sampath for couple of hours on Leadership Skills I have chosen to be back at my desk to read and write as I like to stay within the 'circle of control'.

By following others and not listening to the inner voice "Wise Voice" we only end up as monkeys thrown in the cage for experiment. Without knowing the reasons they do not eat the Bananas despite being their favourite and healthy food. Watch the below short video on this experiment if you have not heard about this before:

On a rainy day like today in Dubai, your inner voice is bringing out the child in you and asking you to go out and play. Bring the child in your out and enjoy life. Listen to your inner voice and be wise. There is so much fun being yourself and exploring your own hidden talents than watching others at play on Television or Movie Screens.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
25th March 2017

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

2017-03-03T22:34:00.005+04:00

Everyone of us want to and aspire to achieve something big in life. Many of us keep thinking about that big achievement but a few take the necessary steps and actions.

Nischal Narayanam is the youngest Chartered Accountant of India and is just 19 years old. He has already completed his articleship in Deloitte and has qualified the Final Exams of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. However, since he is not yet 21 he has to wait for couple of years to be enrolled as an Associate Member of the Institute.

It is amazing how a 19 year old is able to clear the CA Final with ease. He is a young achiever who has written books on Mathematics at the age of 10. See the below video:

Shravan and Sanjay are the youngest to become CEOs in India. They founded "Go Dimensions" in 2012 as a 10 year and 12 year old boys. Look at the youngest CEOs of India who study for 2 hours, play for 1 hour and do something creative.

These two brothers have developed an Application and became youngest CEOs in the technology world. See the way they explain the various Apps that they have developed and it is really amazing how these two brothers have shaped themselves into Business Owners by enjoying what they do and doing what they enjoy.

A 9 year old boy from Spain has become the youngest wild life photographer and at 16 there is a youngster who can speak 23 languages and he has learnt all the 23 languages by himself.

These young achievers has been identified at the right age, they have been encouraged, mentored and guided in the right way by their teachers, parents and well wishers.

These youngsters are trend setters and are the real heros and leaders of tomorrow.

I am lost for words to describe these young achievers. These are amazing achievements and at the same time very inspiring and thought provoking. Every one is capable of doing amazing things to produce extraordinary results. Every one is capable of being an achiever and everyone needs to have a dream. It is very few who end up as being real achievers in life as the key to success is "taking action". We get more than 50,000 thoughts per day and sometimes they say upto 70,000 thoughts in a day. Many of them are repetitive and most of them are negative thoughts. If we can filter and nurture those positive thoughts and translate them into action then every one of us can be an achiever.

These young achievers are self made entrepreneurs who are capable of giving a few lessons on entrepreneurship to the rest of the world.

Taking Action at the right time and not belated. Procrastination is a disease and the only way to become an achiever is to feel the sense of urgency in everything that we do. In the present day context when each day is passing so fast it is extremely important to take action with a sense of urgency on every aspect of life. This is what I strongly feel and this is what I do in my day to day life. What about you?

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
3rd March 2017

THINK LEAN

2017-02-22T07:25:00.000+04:00

Our actions are driven by what we think. We are what we think. Think Lean does mean really and literally to think of a lean system which will eliminate and cut out all the unwanted waste or fat. Be it an individual or Organisation or Government it is important to think lean. Physical fitness is all about staying fit and lean by burning the excess fat. If you think lean you will stay lean and your will really mean lean in your thinking on everything.

Lean Thinking is a process of thinking which is based on continuous improvement. If you are thinking lean it means that you are on a path of excellence and on the way to becoming a competent individual. The objective is to continuously add value to yourself, the people you serve and the society in which you are living.

How does one measure the "Value Add" is very simple - is the person who is receiving your product or service happy to pay the price. If the customer is able to see the value in the product then he will willingly pay the price.

The buying decision is always made in a split second and the clinching moment when the customer decides is buy is when he mentally compares the "perceived value" with the price at which the product or service is being offered. If the perceived value is more than the price then the buying decision is made. If the perceived value is less than the price at which the product or service is offered then the decision is not to buy.

The pressures faced by business organisations are immense and contradicting. A customer is always looking for something new, improved, better but at the same time not willing to pay more. How can we deliver better results at reduced costs and still stay profitable. How can the continuous improvement in products and services with reducing margins be still sustainable? This is where "Lean" plays a role.

"Lean" according to the Lean Enterprise Institute means "creating more value with fewer resources". A lean organisation understands customer value and focuses its key processes to continuously increase it. The ultimate goal is to provide perfect value to the customer through a perfect value creation process that has zero wastage.

I was introduced to Lean Thinking and Lean Management by my friend Dr.Kievan Zokaei who was introduced by a common friend in 2013. He was the Director at the Lean Enterprise Research Center in Cardiff University. He is a visiting Professor at the University of Buckingham. He is a world renowned trainer, author and Consultant of "Lean and Green".

Dr.Kievan is a specialist in Lean Thinking and has written several articles, books and technical papers. Among his works the notable one, in my opinion, is the book on "Lean and Green".

Dr.Kievan has been advocating "Lean Thinking" by combining it with "Green Thinking". According to him an organisation should combine the efforts of Lean with Green so that you not only add value to the customers but you also continuously add value to the Environment and Society simultaneously.

Think "Lean and Green", stay fit, add value, stay on the path of excellence, continuously improve and be happy.

T.P.Anand
Chennai, India
22nd February 2017

WAITING GAME

2017-01-27T16:12:00.002+04:00

The waiting game is interesting and fruitful only when deployed under the right and the most appropriate circumstances. I see people adopting the waiting game for everything and anything. Is it smart to play the waiting game on every situation? May be the bad habit of procrastination is being hidden under the waiting game.

As a business strategist I do advise my clients to play the waiting game but I am very selective in giving this piece of advise. If you are not the market leader and you do not have deep pockets to make some bold and pathbreaking decisions, then the waiting game is the best option. You can wait and watch how the market behaves and what the competition is doing before making your own moves.

The key is to swing into action at the right time and not continue to wait for too long.

There was a butterfly in the cocoon who was struggling to come out. A small boy was watching this and thought he should not wait any longer for the butterfly to emerge from the cocoon and hence he broke it. The butterfly came out of the cocoon but remained crippled for the rest of its life. The struggle within the cocoon is designed by nature for the butterfly to gain strength on his wings so that he would break the cocoon with his own wings by repeatedly trying and finally when he breaks the cocoon with his own efforts and emerges out he is fit and ready to fly the next minute. The butterfly is meant to live by flying across different plants and not sit at one place.

I am reminded of the story of the Chinese Bamboo which i read some time back. The Chinese Bamboo grows 80 feet in just six weeks, but do you when? In the fifth year of planting the seed. In the first two years there is nothing visible but still you need to water the plant and keep caring for it. In the third and fourth year is shows little signs of growth and this is exactly where the patience is tested.

Interestingly it is not the growth of 80 feet in six weeks. It is the watering and nurturing of four years which finally yields the results in fifth year with 80 feet bamboo tree. What is visible is the 80 feet growth in six weeks in the fifth year.

It is the faith and hardwork of the farmer which brings the results. Our life is full of such waiting games and watch this motivational speech by Les Brown:

My friend Shridhar Sampath has been dreaming of launching a programme to Inspire, Challenge and Empower young minds. His dream has been to inspire 1,000,000 people. Yes that is one million people. He has been nurturing this idea for the last six years and finally he has now launched the first of his Master Class which is scheduled for 28th January 2017. The waiting game is now going to yield results and I wish him all the very best.

Shridhar, the waiting game is over and now it is time for your to rock. All the very best for the first Masterclass and I am sure you will follow it up with many more at regular intervals all over the world.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
27th January 2017

SMARTNESS

2017-01-20T22:26:00.001+04:00

Working smart, thinking smart, acting smart, talking smart, living smart is the only way forward in today's world. Smartness is required in everyone, everything and in every action. We live with smart devices, smart applications, smart administration, smart management, smart families, smart colleagues, smart society and smart government. I am glad that the word is very clearly defined and used in the right sense when we refer to Smart Government. Smart Government is the use of innovative policies, business models, and technology to address the financial, environmental, and service challenges facing public sector organizations. The concept of Smart Government relies on consolidated information systems and communication networks.

Smartness was always linked to clever thinking and clever thinking was always thought to be the result of intelligence. With the intelligence and clever thinking being handed over to technology where is the value addition from the individual and how can the actions still qualify to be termed "smart"?

According to Mr.Narayana Murthy, Co-Founder of Infosys, honesty is better than smartness. A famous quote that I like the most is "Be Smart, but never show it".

Intelligent people are sometimes not very smart and smart people need not necessarily be intelligent. Smartness is linked to presence of mind and quick reflex. Smartness is also sometimes related to the ability to seize an opportunity by being quick on the draw. The mnemonic dictionary defines smartness as "intelligence as manifested in being quick and witty".

I distinctly remember a Partner of the firm where I worked telling the other Partner who happened to be my mentor "this guy has been well trained by you and has become a good chartered accountant but he is not street smart and I do not know how he will prosper in life". This was a comment on me by a Senior Chartered Accountant about 25 years ago and I do not know if I have ever improved over the last 25 years. Everything around me is Smart and every day I dealing with smartness wondering if I am Smart.

According to John Billings "Common sense is an instinct given to man and enough of it is genius. Smartness is measured by the level of common sense one has, not by how much educated or knowledgeable he is."

One good thing that has happened to me is that I have always used common sense and acted based on common sense approach in every tricky situation. I do not know why it is so uncommon for people to use common sense. I am fortunate that I am able to use common sense and find solutions repeatedly over the last several years.

Even when objectives are set, one is expected to set SMART objectives and here the word is not used in its literal sense but as a mnemonic " Stretching, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, Time-bound".

Smartness is omnipresent and so overpowering that the basic traits have been clearly sidelined in favour of Smartness. The basic traits, which were considered extremely essential couple of decades back, viz., Honesty, Commitment, Sincerity and Hardwork, is slowly getting pushed in the background in favour of being Smart.

In the quest for being smart I have seen people trying to outsmart others which actually breaches the line of honesty and sincerity. On many occasions the tricky solution (named as Smartness) actually ends up being unfair to the other person.

With all the ambiguity and confusion around this concept of Smartness, I am not sure if one should really make efforts to develop the skill and ability to be smart.

It is extremely important that the smartness is restricted to only intelligence. In my opinion the SMART people are "Self Motivated Affable Rational and Transparent". No wonder the great genius Steve Jobs wanted to hire Smart people.

Be Smart, Stay Smart and Live Smart.

Regards,
T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
20th January 2017

REFLECTION AND ACTION

2016-12-31T23:23:00.002+04:00

When we reflect on the path we have come through it only leads to proper action for the future. I am now reflecting on a few things, my blog, my professional experience and 2016 in particular.

My blog is now 75 months old and I am now writing 275th piece of scribbling. On an average I have scribbled atleast once every week and quite happy about it. Along the way I have learnt lessons on what people like and what people reject. I have had resounding success on Music and Entertainment though the expectation was that my motivational articles would be well received. On Reflection into this record I have now thought that the action going forward should be to sustain one article per week in this blog to inspire and encourage the younger generation.

My professional practice as a Strategy Advisor is now 63 months old I have handled 71 different assignments. On an average I have landed on one new assignment each month and it has been a very challenging and very exciting period so far. Some of the clients have paid well and some have paid moderately but overall it has been highly remunerative. There are some assignments where I have not been financially remunerated but it has added great value to my experience.

I strongly believe in the three types of Reflection, viz., For Action; On Action and In Action. I have personally practiced the three types of reflection in a very systematic way. Probably this is what is helping me to improve in every facet of my life.

These reflections also helps in how we would like to shape our future and career. Our aspirations and vision is driven by these reflections. "What matters most is how you see yourself".

While it is important to reflect on how we see ourselves it is equally important not to forget the past at the origins. I always vividly remember my early days in life when I used to go to far off places including my college in bicycle. Those cycle rides are still green in memory after more than 30 years.

Perceptions keep changing and everything in this world is driven by perception. Even a buying decision is made not on the basis of what is needed but rather on the perceived value being higher than the price at which the product or service is offered. One can clearly see the shoreline in the below picture but at the same time you can also admire the picture as the outline shape is a formation of a perfect Guitar. It is also possible to see the beautiful Sun Rise or Sun Set thus the perception is a view only focused on the Sun.

Reflection and Action helps in reaching the desired vision or desired goals in life. We do use the idiom "fish out of water" in certain circumstances. It has applied to me on several occasions but I have always achieved the desired results or reached my goals simply due to my perseverance and determination. Look at the fish out of water and how he manages to reach the water ultimately by sheer determination to live.

2016 has been very eventful and challenging. Professionally it was very exciting year with lot of new and good assignments. I have also undergone a course on Business Valuation to upgrade my knowledge. I have done 10 different workshops on IFRS during 2016 which is a very satisfying aspect of 2016.

As an active participant in the Excellence Programmes of the Government I am engaged in Dubai Quality Award; Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award; Taqdeer Award and Sharjah Economic Excellence Network. These engagements provide a lot of learnings and insights into the best practices in different industries. Engaging in four different excellence award programmes during 2016 has been a real highlight of the year.

On the personal front I lost my father on 18th August 2016. He is the greatest inspiration for me in life and my character is influenced by my father to a large extent. He continues to be my greatest hero though he has left this world.

On 21st August 2016 my mother-in-law passed away. A very simple and kind hearted lady whom I admired a lot. She was truly a role model and extraordinary lady. I have never seen her angry or upset or shouting at anyone in life. Her patience and self-less service is unforgettable.

These two set backs in personal life was followed by a good news on 19th October 2016 when I was blessed with a Grand Daughter. She is the new addition in the family and has brought lot of joy in the family.

Overall it has been a quite exciting, challenging, eventful 2016. I look forward to the New Year.

I wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

T.P.Anand
31st December 2016
Dubai, U.A.E.

CHO RAMASWAMY

2016-12-29T22:53:00.001+04:00

Cho Ramaswamy left this world on 7th December 2016 after spending 82 glorious and fearless years. He was a great personality with abundant wealth of knowledge, wisdom, wit and humour. As a child I enjoyed his portrayal of comedy scenes in Movies and enjoyed his Drama though many dialogues which were penned to attack the politicians could not be understood by me at that age.

I have seen many of his Stage Plays like Unmaye Unn Vilai Enna; Mohammed Bin Thuglak; Judgement Reserved; Nermai Urangum Neram; Yaarukkum Vetkam Illai and Endru Thaniyum Enda Sudandira Dhaagam.

In his Drama - Yaarukkum Vetkamillai there is a dialogue " Confusion can come only to persons who are capable of thinking. One who does not think will never get confused". What a statement and how true it is in real life. I get confused quite often and once the confusion is cleared I feel doubly happy - one for getting clarity and other for having been thinking.

I had the privilege of meeting him in Shri.T.T.Vasu's house and feel I was honoured to meet the man in close quarters and be part of a brief conversation. Despite his age, position, stature he was so humble and simple in front of Shri.T.T.Vasu who was his ex-boss. Cho has worked for 18 years in TTK Group as Legal Adviser and I am privileged to have worked for the same Group much later than him.

He says "everything has been happening to me" and narrates how he became a playwright; actor; publisher; etc. Watch this interview which clearly shows the genius in this man:

He says everything that he has done is part of the profession and not any kind of a service to the nation. He says his strength is he will not tell a lie. "Whatever I feel as justified I will express those ideas or views" he says.

I have always admired him for his wit, satire, comedy, spontaneity, sarcasm, courage, wisdom, quick reflex and common sense approach.

Long Live Cho Ramaswamy through his great words and works.

T.P.Anand
29th December 2016
Dubai, U.A.E.

7 HABITS FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE

2016-12-25T15:54:00.000+04:00

7 is a very powerful number.

7 Colours in Rainbow; 7 hills in Rome; 7 hills in Istanbul; 7 hills in my hometown Tirupathi; 7 Heavens; 7 Seas; 7 days in the week; 7 Wonders in the Ancient World; 7 Classical Planets; 7 heavens; 7 Chakras; 7 Notes in Music and yes ofcourse 7 Habits.

Habits determine our lifestyle and Habits actually also decide our attitude to others. I read recently in a quote which said “Bad Attitude is like a flat tyre in your Car. Unless you change it you cannot move”. Success in life is all about how you feel. What you do. Whom it impacts. How it benefits you and the people around you. The right positive Attitude and Discipline will lead to Success in life. Do you know that the sum total of the numbers assigned in the alphabets to the words Attitude and Discipline adds to 100? Don’t you think getting 100% in return in Success.

In order to achieve Success in life I just said Attitude and Discipline is important. Success in life comes from developing good habits and research has proved that the 7 Habits make people highly effective in what they do. High effectiveness would certainly lead to Success. The 7 Habits as propounded by Stephen Covey are as follows:

First and foremost the basic habit to be cultivated is “being Proactive”. In order to be pro-active you need to see the alternatives and not just the roadblocks. Focus should be on what you can influence.

Second Habit - Begin with the end in mind – mental creation should precede the physical creation. Define the practical outcomes and visualize the end result before setting out on action.

Third Habit – Put first things first – Focus on the most important things first and not necessarily on the urgent tasks. You should have a weekly plan but you must have daily action.

These three Habits will help to manage yourself well.

Fourth Habit – Think Win Win – Win Lose is only in games and in real life when we deal with ourselves, our lives and that of others we cannot afford to play any games. Hence our actions should always be thought in a Win-Win situation which in turn with foster better relationships.

Fifth Habit – Seek first to understand then to be understood – I got married in 1989 and for the first 20 years of my marriage I have had innumerable fights and disagreements with my wife. It is after the 20 years of struggle that I realized that I should first understand her before allowing myself to be understood. Last seven years have been less turbulent. I have finally learnt the art of empathetic listening. I have also learnt to give honest and accurate feedback.

Sixth Habit – Synergise – the whole is always greater than the sum of the parts. Try to synergise to arrive at new and better alternatives. Cultivate the habit of creative co-operation. Look for synergies and collaborate with other professionals and businesses.

The three habits above helps us to lead others and stay in harmony.

Seventh Habit – Sharpen the Saw – it is important to renew ourselves in body, heart, mind and soul. It is important to update and upgrade to stay in the race for excellence. This is the 7^th habit which actually helps us to unleash the true potential that is hidden within.

So my friends Success is achieved by unleashing our true potential and I am sure you will agree with me that developing these good habits will help in the achievement of success in life. The key to success is after all in our own hands.

I wish you all Season's Greetings, Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.

with warm regards,

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

25th December 2016

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM SIACHEN GLACIER

2016-11-27T16:30:00.002+04:00

26th November is an unfrogettable day for Indians as eight years ago the terrorists attacked simultaneously several points in Mumbai and in the process around 166 people died within a space of two days.

26th November 2016 after eight years I was sitting in the air-conditioned comfort of the Auditorium of the Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Services. From 6.15 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. for about two hours Capt.RaghuRaman spoke on the Leadership lessons to be learnt from Saichen Glaciers.

I have been to several seminars, workshops and events over the last so many years and this would rank among the top 3 in my life time so far. It was a very inspiring and very gripping speech with real life instances from the Indian Armed Forces on how they handle the extreme conditions in Siachen Galciers to protect the nation.

The soldiers and officers of the Indian Army are stationed in Siachen Glaciers which is considered highly risky both from the weather point of view as well as the frequent fighting with the neighbouring country armed forces. This is 26,000 ft above sea level where the weather is around -35 degrees most part of the year. If it is summer then the temperature is down by about 5 to 10 degrees. Summer or Winter the weather is around - 35 degrees - extremely chill, windy and dangerous. The soldiers walk in the snow which is sometimes as deep as their full leg (see picture below) and they still have to walk with about 20 to 30kgs on their back to do the patrolling of the area and protect the nation from enemies.

The pre-read (The Rope) for the speech sent by Capt.RaghuRaman actually made my blood freeze for some moments. His presentation was truly amazing and gripping particularly after the pre-read and the initial insights that he gave into the background of getting posted in Siachen Galciers.

"The Rope" explains in detail about how the patrolling in the Glaciers is so difficult with all the crevasse and the dangers of soldiers falling into the crevasse and not being able to come out. The sacrifices that the soldiers go through is really unthinkable as we are all in the comfort of city life with all the comforts and least challenges.

Capt.RaghuRaman has worked in the Armed forces for 11 years and then spent another 11 years in the Corporate world before joining back the Government of India five years ago. He said in the army you know which side the enemy is but in the Corporate world and Government Departments you really do not know which side is your enemy.

The speech started with three simple questions:

What is the most difficult challenge you have faced?
Have your efforts been rewarded and has life been fair to you?
Do you have adequate resources to face challenges thrown at you?

He gave a few minutes for the audience to think of an answer to all the three questions from their own individual life experience. The same questions were posed at the end of the speech and for me the answers to these three questions were completely different.

He asked Why do soldiers fight? They fight for their comrades and immediate troops and to save the people who live in the country.

The Leadership lessons that one could learn from the Armed forces was summarised very nicely in the form of five lessons.

Lesson No.1 - Good teams are joined at hips

Lesson No.2 - Walk the Talk. It is important for the Leader to show to his team members and make them know that he knows the pain they go through. Under the pain the team members go through. The members who are on the ground are expecting a human leader and not the Ideal Leader.

Lesson 3 - There are no good or bad units/teams. There are only good and bad leaders/officers. Leaders make the difference. Blaming the whole team is of no use when the leader himself needs to look inward and change.

Lesson No.4 - Safety, honour and welfare of your country comes first. The honour welfare and comfort of men you command comes next. Your own ease, comfort and safety comes last. The moral of the story is "if you genuinely look after your people, they would do well". Leader should always ensure that his team is happy and safe. Jim Collins in his book Good to Great has said that great companies deliver 7 times better results. These companies are Great because the Leader moves to the back putting their people in the front. This is called Level 5 Leadership which can be taught and inculcated in Leaders of the Corporate World and Governments. The leader should focus on team results and not on their personal individual achievements.

Lesson No.5 - Get a perspective. Leaders have to change within before they can change the outside environment. A good leader needs to have excellent practical knowledge and extraordinary ability to communicate. The ability to communicate, story telling and empathy for ground realities are true qualities required for a good leader.

I salute Capt.RaghuRaman and every Soldier and Officer in the Indian Army for all the sacrifices and endurance they are demonstrating in their singular mission of saving the nation. Capt.RaghuRaman request to the audience was the most touching - he said please send a "thank you" message to the Indian Soldiers in Siachen Glaciers.

Thank You Indian Army for protecting the Nation. "Thank You" to every soldier and officer in Siachen Galcier. Jai Hind.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
27th November 2016

HYPERLOOP

2016-11-25T21:29:00.002+04:00

The latest addition to the world of Transportation is Hyperloop transportation technologies. I had visited the Innovation Live Programme in Dubai on 21st November 2016 and had the virtual ride on the Hyperloop. This is surely going to revolutionalise the land transportation. I am quite excited to know that this is going to be a reality in UAE in the coming years. It is unbelievable that the journey from Dubai to Abu Dhabi will take just 12 minutes.

This is a Transportation System which will connect people at goods at the speed of sound. The best feature is we would travel at the speed of sound with safety and efficiency. The system will operate in fully enclosed environment protected from weather and crossing. The electric propulsion will enable emission free transport. The levitated pod reduces fiction and operational cost will be minimal due to the use of alternative energy and full automation.

On a single line 40 Pods can depart every 40 seconds and transport 164,000 passengers per day at a maximum speed of 760 mph. While speed is important, safety is paramount and that is the basis on which the hyperloop is designed.

The Co-Founder and CEO Dirk Ahlborn used JumpstartFund's crowdfunding and crowd collaboration platform to greatest effect in co-founding Hyperloop Transportation Technologies.

We are just on the threshold of some breakthrough innovative ideas which are going to drastically change the way we live. Some of the illusions and fantasies that we are used to as children about 20 or 30 years ago are now turning into realities.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
25th November 2016

DR.BALAMURALIKRISHNA - LEGEND WHO WILL LIVE FOR EVER

2016-11-23T21:21:00.003+04:00

Dr.Balamuralikrishna is a legendary Singer and Composer who attained the lotus feet of the Lord on 22nd November 2016. The first time I met him was in Bangalore when I was working for TT Travels and he had come to perform in a concert. I had the golden opportunity of interacting with him and also had dinner with him in 1995. After that chance meeting and listening to his concert I naturally got attracted towards his singing.

I have heard him in Dubai in a concert in Crowne Plaza Hotel several years ago and every time I had the chance to listen to him I would listen to his Carnatic Songs, his Thillana and ofcourse the unforgettable three classic songs that he has sung in movies.

Oru Naal Poduma in Thiruvilayadal can be heard at any time during the day and you can listen to this any number of times without being bored.

I heard his song in Kalai Kovil which he sung in 1964 when i was only one year old. This song is so fresh that it has stood the test of time and will continue to be fresh even after another 50 years. This song is "Thanga Ratham vandadhu veethiyile".

The crowning glory is "Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran" which is a great composition by the Great Living Legend of Musci Ilayaraja.

Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran - Ilayaraja concert من طرف moncoco92

In every concert (he has performed more than 20,000 concerts in his life) the audience will request for atleast couple of thillana and he sings Thillana with such ease and enjoyment that it is a real treat to listen to him. He has performed on stage for more than 75 years and dedicated his entire life to Music.

This one is very special as I have heard this several hundred times:

He has composed several hundred songs. This varnam that he composed is one of my all time favourites of Dr.Balamuralikrishna:

We are lucky to have his songs available in digital form. Long Live Dr.Balamuralikrishna. Thanks Sir for leaving behind some wonderful music for the world. We shall continue to listen to your songs and through your songs you will live forever.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
23rd November 2016

SELF MOTIVATION

2016-11-19T14:58:00.001+04:00

People who are enthusiastic and ambitious are generally self motivated. They do not need any pressure from outside to motivate themselves as they are self motivated. They get ignited to initiate action on new challenges. They show an uncanny willingness to take up new challenges and are not afraid of making mistakes as they are confident that these mistakes will teach them a few lessons and help them improve. The self-motivated people are driven by Optimism, Goal Orientation and clarity in communication. On most occasions these people would be communicating within themselves.

Organisations are struggling to motivate people and get the best out of their employees. I feel it is a waste of time trying to motivate people. Instead of motivating people it is important to hire the right people for the right jobs. The right people are self-motivated and hence always give their best.

People who need to be motivated and need the external pressure from outside always will have reasons to explain their inaction as there are several actions which seem impossible for them. The Self-motivated will always see the "possible" within the "impossible" and start acting on every goal with specific plan.

I have wondered sometimes at the remarkable results achieved by me at certain times. When I look back to see how I got motivated on my own and how I managed to derive such results, I have invariably seen the root cause being "Self Belief". "Believe in yourself" and find ways and means of staying focused on every task.

At the beginning or at the conceptual stage every task is looming large and looking like an elephant. This is overwhelming and some times intimidating. If the task can be properly defined, understood and if a plan of action is put in place with the necessary baby steps required to achieve and attain the Goal, then the elephant does look comprehensible.

I have faced situations in the past wherein the task is undertaken by me on a voluntary basis and then the whole task had to be defined by me. The goal setting had to be done by me with specific timelines and milestones to be achieved. At regular intervals I have myself made the evaluation of the progress and criticized my own progress or lack of it. However, the entire exercise has always ended up as a great learning experience.

For people who lack self-motivation this may look like a self inflicted pain. But the self-motivated persons this is another opportunity to learn or improve. The sense of satisfaction and fulfillment at the end of the task is unmeasurable. Every step taken by Self-motivated is a step towards success. The moral of the story and my personal experience is "Self-motivated seldom fails".

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
19th November 2016

RUNNING ON FAILURE

2016-07-29T13:55:00.001+04:00

This article is written by Pradip who has just completed his Grade 12 Exam and is joining soon in Purdue University for his under graduate programme in Mechanical Engineering. He is the son of my Family Doctor Dr.Gandhi Murugan, who has been directing me on all my health issues over the last 15 years.

The world isn’t short on quotes about failure; from Thomas Edison’s “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” to Bill Gates’ “Its fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed to the lessons of failure”. Despite the negative connotations associated with “failure”, it never fails to motivate humans to get back on the path they were on, provided that they are strong enough to accept their mistakes and be able to brave the unknown that’s yet to come. It’s been said that failure often works wonders but I stand by the opinion that failure is that rap on the head which serves as a reality check and what you do next defines the kind of person you are.

The failures that I was beset by growing up has moulded me into the person that I am now.

The most pertinent one occurred when I was in the 5th Grade. I was up against a good friend named Joshua for the Gold Medal in Academic Excellence. My school handed these out to only 3 students from a population of about 4500 every year. I knew I had worked hard, and I thought I deserved it in every sense and, therefore, had to get it no matter what happened. I felt like even God couldn’t stop me from getting that medal if He wanted to. But come the moment of calling the winner onstage, I was the one who was left behind, broken down and defeated, in the half-lit spotlight when Joshua received the honor along with his parents. It was then that I realized that bleeding hearts have an ironic fear of their own blood. I did get a consolation prize, but no one ever understood why I let this loss get to me.

After all, I was just a kid in secondary school with his whole life ahead of him. But the world doesn’t reward the person who tried the hardest or longest or the person who came second, and this was the dilemma that the deterred 10-year-old me faced because I worked too hard to come within an arm’s reach of the prize only to have my hand cut off just before I seized it. It wasn’t the loss of the medal that threw me off-balance, it was my failure to prove myself to my father. Coming from humble beginnings, my father is a testament that hard work and dedication is the key to achieving one’s dreams. I was often reminded of this when my father recounted his stories of failure to me and how he overcame them to become the man he is now. I fell short on my goal to make my dad proud that night and I’ll always remember it as the day I almost won. I realized that failures are a necessity rather than a necessary evil on the path of realizing one’s dreams. Even though it wasn’t much of a deal to those around me, it was a defining experience as my self-confidence was shattered that night which in turn fueled me to rebuild it stronger than before to make up for the moment that my father and I missed out on.

Going back, I later found out that I lost out on the medal by a paltry margin of two marks. Every experience I’ve had from that night henceforth was both an attempt to make up for those two marks and a result of what I learned when my building blocks came crashing down.

Staying true to the beginning, “It’s best to have failure happen early in life. It wakes up the Phoenix in you so you rise from the ashes”.

Pradip Krishna Murugan
Dubai, U.A.E.
29th July 2016