Wisdom Tree

You too can be an entrepreneur

2020-03-01T00:42:00.001-08:00

29th February, 2020

This morning as we were walking towards the government hospital we observed an old lady in her 60’s with her two grandchildren aged about 5-6 years, picking up seeds on pavement and filling in plastic bags.

PAGE like always in his usual style. Ajji, yen madthidira ? What you do with these ?

Ajji : These are honge seeds, I am collecting for oil.

PAGE : Do you extract oil on your own ? And what do you use it for ?

Ajji : No, I take them to Yelahanka and get them extracted. For a Kilogram, I get 250ml oil.

I use them to light lamps.

PAGE : Do you only extract oil or sell seeds too ?

Ajji : When I need cash, I sell them to same oil mill and they pay me Rs 20/- per KG.

PAGE : Oh OK, do you know what by lighting lamps with this oil you are actually keeping the insects at bay because of its insecticidal and antiseptic properties.

They also use this oil to treat eczema, psoriasis, skin ulcers, dandruff and to promote wound healing.

So think what else you can do with it’s oil.

Ajji : Oh OK. Sure Son.

PAGE : So next time when I go to farm will carry seeds for you. No need to pay me. You can use for oil or sell them.

We shall take your leave for now and meet again soon...

After asking her whereabouts, we left...

Then, our Meenamma is like don’t you spare even Ajji also. What do you want to make her an entrepreneur?

PAGE : Yes, Why not. When Colonel Sanders think of KFC in his 60s, why not our own Ajji.

And do you know what not just that Ajji, those two kids also will be entrepreneurs.

Without knowing she was building two future businessmen (until and unless our society fill their minds with the monthly salary demon)

Now the kids know what to do when they need pocket money. They won’t go to their parents or do something illegal. They will instead collect the seeds and sell them.

When we also spoke of additional properties of it... this will ponder their minds for sometime. It’s left to them if they want to think of starting something on their own or not.

They were anyways extracting oil. Additional step is to get empty bottles, fill them and sell... Ajji can be a very good marketing champ due to her age. People will believe it’s her experience which will work magic through the oil.

After that conversation dropped her at office, then way back home had to meet few with some entrepreneurial ideas... and sure something will be on our plates which will keep us busy...

A fruitful day with fruitful meetings... Very soon we will reap the fruits :)

Love Life

2014-01-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

I removed this post because I think maybe it shouldn't be up here forever.

Still, I'm disappointed by the whole thing. ;)

Five K’s you should know to sustain and grow in an organization…

2013-10-11T10:52:00.002-07:00

Five K’s you should know to sustain and grow in an organization…

Know People – Build Network
Know about the company – Keep yourself abreast of the latest changes
Know thyself – Work on your Strength and weakness
Know your domain/process – Knowledge expertise
Know strategic domains - where you want to move to…

The word is “Only”.

2012-07-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

Professor Ernest Brennecke of Columbia is credited with inventing  a sentence that can be made to have eight different meaning by placing ONE WORD in all possible positions in the sentence:

“I hit him in the eye yesterday”.

The word is “Only”.

The Message:

1.     Only I hit him in the eye yesterday. (No one else did)

2.     I only hit him in the eye yesterday. (Did not slap him)

3.     I hit only him in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit others)

4.     I hit him only in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit outside the eye)

5.     I hit him in only the eye yesterday. (Not other organs)

6.     I hit him in the only eye yesterday. (He doesn’t have another eye)

7.     I hit him in the eye only yesterday. (Not today)

8.     I hit him in the eye yesterday only. (Did not wait for today)
This is the beauty and complexity of the English language.

Languages in my trail...

2012-05-22T07:54:00.002-07:00

Languages in my trail...

Interesting fact of my ancestral trail, which is little complex.

Father’s ancestral trail - My Dad’s Mom was Kannadiga from Mysore, who settled in Bangalore around 60 Years back. She got married to a Tamilian from Bangalore (Shivajinagar - Mudaliar street), (Mudaliar – who had converted to Christianity after praying to Mother Mary for curing some illness). Is my Dad’s mother tongue, Tamil/Kannada? But he used to speak Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Urdu, and of course English. (His dialect was awesome as of that origin, I have admired it. He had certifications in these languages from School)

Mother’s ancestral trail - My Mom’s Mom was Kannadiga from Bangalore, She got married to a Tamilian from Chennai (then Madras) and got settled in Salem. Is my Mom’s mother tongue, Tamil/Kannada? She knows Tamil and English.

We end up speaking in Tamil at home, and also sometimes in Kannada & English.

Coming to me, I know English, Tamil (only to speak), Kannada (Studied for 14 years*), Hindi (Studied for 7 years*), Telugu (learnt watching movies can converse with little difficulty) and finally Malayalam can understand but can’t speak as the Mallu’s for that I have to stay in Kerala for 5 years (Haven’t got a chance).

*Though studied for so many years, I still struggle in these languages, and not at all good at any of the above languages mentioned. Not even computer languages. J

Mrs. Bixby & the Colonel's Coat - by Roald Dahl

2011-12-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

Mr. and Mrs. Bixby lived in a small apartment in New York City. Mr. Bixby was a dentist, who earned an average amount of money. Mrs. Bixby was awoman who was full of life. Once a month she would get on a train and travel to Baltimore to visit her old Aunt Maude. At least that was what she told her husband. What she really did was see a gentleman known as the Colonel and spend all her time in Baltimore in his company.

The Colonel was wealthy and lived in a charming house just outside of town. He had no wife and no family, only a few loyal servants, and in Mrs. Bixby's absence he amused himself by riding horses and hunting. Year after year the pleasant friendship between Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel continued without a problem, and never once did Mrs. Bixby's dentist husband suspect the truth.

Then, after one visit just before Christmas, Mrs. Bixby was standing at the station in Baltimore, waiting for the train to take her back to New York. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable visit and Mrs. Bixby was thinking how different it all was from her dull husband at home, when suddenly one of the Colonel's servants appeared through the crowd and presented her with a large cardboard box.

Mrs. Bixby: "Good heavens! What´s he brought? What a big box! Was there a message?"

There had been no message, and as soon as she was on the train, Mrs. Bixby found a place where she could open the box in private.

Mrs. Bixby: "How exciting! A Christmas present from the Colonel...I think it's a dress. It might even be two dresses. Or it might be a lot of beautiful underclothes. I won't look. I'll just feel around and try to guess what it is. I'll try to guess the color as well, and exactly what it looks like. Also how much it cost -- Good heavens! It can't be true."

What the Colonel had given her was the most magnificient mink coat she had ever seen. The fur was almost pure black, with a touch of blue in it, as well, as deep rich blue. But what had it cost? She hardly dared to think. Then she saw there was a letter in the box, as well -- a farewell note from the Colonel! He had heard her say once how fond she was of mink and asked her to accept it as a farewell gift. For his own personal reasons he would not be able to see her anymore.

Mrs. Bixby: "Well! Imagine that! Well, I've lost one thing, but gained another. Wait--there's something written on the other side: 'Just tell them a nice generous aunt of yours gave it for Christmas'." "The man must be mad! Aunt Maude doesn't have that sort of money--she couldn't possibly give me this...but if Aunt Maude didn't, then who did?"

In the excitement of finding the coat and trying it on, she had completely forgotten the most important detail. In a couple of hours she would be in New York, and even a man like her husband Cyril would start asking questions if his wife suddenly walked in from a weekend wearing a fabulous new mink coat.

Mrs. Bixby thought to herself: "I think he's done this on purpose just to annoy me. He knew perfectly well I wouldn't be able to keep it. But I must have this coat! I must! Very well, my dear. You shall have the coat, my dear. But don't be afraid. Sit still and keep calm and start thinking. You've fooled him before. The man has never been able to understand very much apart from his business. So sit absolutely still and think."

Some time later Mrs. Bixby stepped off the train in New York and walked quickly to the exit. She was wearing her old red coat again, and was carrying the box in her arms. She signaled for a taxi.

Mrs. Bixby: "Driver, do you know of a pawnbroker that is still open around here? Stop at the first one you see, will you please?"

At the pawnbroker's Mrs. Bixby told the driver to wait for her. Inside she made up a story about losing her purse and all her money, and left the fur coat with the pawnbroker in exchange for fifty dollars in cash and a pawn-ticket which she insisted have no name or address on it, but simply the word 'ARTICLE.'" The important thing was not to lose that ticket--anyone finding it could go there and claim the coat. But Mrs. Bixby was not about to let that happen. She would tell her husband that she'd found the ticket in the back seat of the taxi and could hardly wait to claim whatever it was on the following Monday morning. A most ingenious plan--if it hadn't been for her husband.

Mrs. Bixby: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were a real treasure?"

Mr. Bixby: "We can't know what it is yet, my dear. We shall just have to wait and see."

Mrs. Bixby: "I think it's absolutely wonderful! Give me the ticket and I'll go over immediately on Monday morning and find out!"

Mr. Bixby: "I think I'd better do that. I'll pick it up on my way to work."

Mrs. Bixby: "But it's my ticket! Please let me do it. Why should you have all that fun?"

Mr. Bixby: "I'd rather you didn't handle it if you don't mind."

Mrs. Bixby: " But I found it. It's mine. Whatever it is, it's mine, isn't that right?"

Mr. Bixby: "I suppose you haven't thought that it might be something for a man, a pocket watch, for example."

Mrs. Bixby: "In that case, I'll give it to you for Christmas. But if it's a woman's thing, I want it myself. Is that agreed?"

Mr. Bixby: "That sounds fair. Why don't you come with me when I pick it up?"

Mrs. Bixby: " Uhh-- no, I don't think I will. You see, it'll be more exciting if I stay here and wait"

Monday morning came at last, and as Mr. Bixby was about to leave for the pawnbroker's on his way to work, his wife made him promise to telephone her if it turned out to be something really nice. About an hour later, when the phone rang, Mrs. Bixby rushed to answer it before the first ring had finished.

Mr. Bixby (on the telephone): "I've got it!"

Mrs. Bixby: "You have? Oh, Cyril, what is it? Was it something good?"

Mr. Bixby: "Good? It's wonderful You wait till you see this. You'll faint.

Mrs. Bixby: "Darling, what is it? Tell me quickly."

Mr. Bixby: "You're a lucky girl, that's what you are."

Mrs. Bixby: "It's for me then?"

Mr. Bixby: "Of course it's for you, though I can't understand how it was pawned for fifty dollars. You'll go crazy when you see it."

Mrs. Bixby: " What is it?"

Mr. Bixby: "Try to guess."

But Mrs. Bixby couldn't guess. Instead she insisted on going down to her husband's office herself to get it, even though it might disorganize his day. Later when she rang his bell, her husband in his white dentist's coat opened the door himself.

Mrs. Bixby: "Oh, I'm so excited."

Mr. Bixby: " So you should be. You're a lucky girl, did you know that? We´re through for now. Go and have your lunch, Miss Pulteney. You can finish that when you get back."

This last was directed to his assistant, who was busy putting his instruments away. He waited until the girl had gone, then walked over to the cupboardwhere the coats were hung.

Mr. Bixby: "It's in there. Now shut your eyes for a moment...all right now. You can look!"

Mrs. Bixby: "I don't dare to."

Mr. Bixby: "Go on, have a look--mink! Real mink!"

At the sound of the word she opened her eyes quickly, and at the same time started forward to grab the coat in her arms. But there was no coat. There was only a stupid little neckpiece in her husband's hand. Mrs. Bixby put a hand up to her mouth and started to back away. She was sure she was going to scream.

Mr. Bixby: "What's the matter, my dear" Don't you like it?"

Mrs. Bixby: Why, yes...I...I think it's very nice...beautiful..."

Mr. Bixby: "It quite took your breath away for a moment, didn't it?"

Mrs. Bixby: "Yes, it did."

Mr. Bixby: Very good quality. Fine color, too. Here. Try it on...it's perfect. It really suits you. It isn't everyone who has a mink, my dear."

Mrs. Bixby: "No, it isn't."

Mr. Bixby: "I'm afraid you mustn't expect anything else for Christmas. Fifty dollars was rather more than I was going to spend, anyway. Go and buy yourself a nice lunch, my dear."

Mrs. Bixby moved towards the door. She was going to go over to that pawnbroker's and throw that miserable neckpiece right into his face and if he refused to give her back her coat, she would kill him.

Mr. Bixby: "Did I tell you that I was going to be late tonight? It'll probably be at least 8:30, it may even be 9:00"

Mrs. Bixby: "Yes, all right. Good-bye."

Mrs. Bixby went out closing the door loudly behind her. At that exact moment, Miss Pulteney, her husband's assistant, came past her on her way to lunchand greeted Mrs. Bixby, smiling brightly. She walked in a very confident way, and she looked like a queen, exactly like a queen in the beautiful black mink coat that the Colonel had given to Mrs. Bixby.

“It’s all in the mind”

2011-11-27T05:44:00.001-08:00

“It’s all in the mind” - Our attitude makes the difference; same things are seen and felt differently by each of us depending on our attitude.

Thanksgiving !!

2011-11-27T05:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who have always encouraged me with your love & support. Your motivating words and thumbs ups, helped me to continue the good works.

Thank u all, who always looked down on me. It was always a challenge for me prove that I am on a much higher rock than you placed me on, and I know I have proved it, at least to myself. You always forced me to become better. Sure, I need you all, to mould a better man out of me.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Life

2011-10-25T11:42:00.001-07:00

Everyday in the play called 'Life', we meet different characters. But, there are some typical characters whom we meet daily and think why the 'Hell' are we meeting them... Life is Hell, when I meet such characters or else its always 'Heaven' for me...
- Praveen A George Edwin

On Internet usage

2010-11-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

My thought for people, who use internet at least once in a day, There used to be a time, if we want to know something we used to run to a library or to a friend to borrow a book (either we were not able to afford or buying it was a waste; one time use). But, now we can use Internet to search for information and get umpteen results… Are we using the best from Internet?

- Praveen A G E

From Rambo III

2010-11-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

In the north, there are many caves, we'll travel through them.

It'll be safer. We go!

This cave leads to the "Valley of the Five Lions".

The Afghan King was asked to send 500 of his warriors into battle.

He sent only five. His greatest five, and they won.

He said, it's better to send five lions than 500 sheep.

- What do you think of this?

Rambo : I think the King was lucky.

Not sure if you guys have observed this conversation in the movie, it’s a kind of Out of the Box thinking…

Unforgettable Story from ‘Simple Truths’

2010-11-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a short story from a book ‘Simple Truths’ :

The nest of young eagles hung on every word as the Master Eagle described his exploits. This was an important day for the eaglets.

They were preparing for their first solo flight from the nest. It was the confidence builder many of them needed to fulfill their destiny.

"How far can I travel?" asked one of the eaglets.
"How far can you see?" responded the Master Eagle.
"How high can I fly?" quizzed the young eaglet.
"How far can you stretch your wings?" asked the old eagle.
"How long can I fly?" the eaglet persisted.
"How far is the horizon?" the mentor rebounded.
"How much should I dream?" asked the eaglet.
"How much can you dream?" smiled the older, wiser eagle.
"How much can I achieve?" the young eagle continued.
"How much can you believe?" the old eagle challenged.

Frustrated by the banter, the young eagle demanded, "Why don't you answer my questions?"
"I did."

"Yes. But you answered them with questions."

"I answered them the best I could."
"But you're the Master Eagle. You're supposed to know everything. If you can't answer these questions, who can?"
"You." The old wise eagle reassured.
"Me? How?" the young eagle was confused.
"No one can tell you how high to fly or how much to dream. It's different for each eagle.

Only God and you know how far you'll go. No one on this earth knows your potential or what's in your heart. You alone will answer that.

The only thing that limits you is the edge of your imagination."

The young eagle puzzled by this asked, "What should I do?"

"Look to the horizon, spread your wings, and fly."

- Copyright 2001, Tom Reilly

Tom Reilly wrote this beautiful short story that I share in the Power of Attitude. I thought that it was an unforgettable way to communicate that our potential in life is only limited by our heart and our dreams.

Have a great and successful year ahead & FLY HIGH !!

Pearls of Wisdom - to progress towards your career goals…

2010-08-24T07:28:00.001-07:00

'Pearls of Wisdom' - to progress towards your career goals…

Be politely persistent
Don't be afraid to ask questions
Be self-motivated
Find time to do the things that energize you
Make better; don't make do
Find your uniqueness
Be scared, but do it anyway
Choose your boss - someone who cares about development
Sacrifice perfection in favour of empowering your team
Find a role model – a mentor to groom you and shape for your career.
The only way isn't up (sideways can be a great option)
If you do more than people expect of you, you have something in the bank when you ask for something in return.
Don't underestimate the importance of being able to work with other people.
Listen, listen, and listen - Before you ask
Always ask questions and always listen carefully.

And, last but not the least... remember Henry ford's quote - Chop your own wood and you warm yourself twice...

On my way to be a....

2010-05-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Praveen A George Edwin asks everyone; does anyone know that there are so many people who are still being retrenched... So, many… Every day I see people around me leaving the company, because the company doesn't have work... When will this recession end?

Is it a call to become a job maker rather than a job seeker? There are lots of qualified and talented fellows out there. Never leave an option to start a new venture even if it is small. It is bit challenging to become an employer. Never invest too much and see great heights of profits till it is achieved. Keep in mind the harassment received so far from employers so far and create a new culture of mutual respect.

Let us join hands now to make a beginning…

Managing Up things by Understanding...

2010-05-05T11:51:00.001-07:00

A very long time ago, there lived the King of Kings in Persia. Every night for three years, he would take a virgin from the town, make her his wife, and then have her beheaded in the morning. He did this because of the betrayal he felt as a result of his first wife’s infidelity. After 3,000 such executions, he met and married Scheherazade.

On the night before she was due to be killed, Scheherazade began to tell the King a captivating story. Just before she reached the end, and just as she had gotten to the cliff-hanger, Scheherazade abruptly stopped. The mesmerised King, who eagerly wanted to hear the rest, asked her to continue. But Scheherazade said there wasn’t enough time since dawn was about to break, but vowed to finish the story the next day when it would become even more exciting.

And so the King kept Scheherazade alive as he eagerly anticipated what would happen next. But every night, Scheherazade would stop just before the end of the story, which made the King keep her alive for one more day. This continued for 1001 nights, by which time Scheherazade had become the Queen and had given birth to three of the King’s sons.

In this supposedly true story, famously called Arabian Nights, Scheherazade influenced the King in the same way you can influence your boss. That one way is summarised using one word: understanding. The more you understand your boss’s objectives, problems, and style, the easier it’ll be for you to get approval for any big ideas you’d like implemented.

Scheherazade understood the King’s objectives (to be entertained), his problems (feelings of betrayal), and style (storytelling). She combined an understanding of all three to get what she wanted. You can do the same thing.

Objectives: Find out your boss’s key performance indicators, and then link any proposed change to the achievement of those goals.

Problems: Discover what’s keeping you boss up at night and show how your solutions will help to solve those problems, rather than your own.

Style: If your boss is analytical, use numbers. If your boss is direct, don’t waffle. If your boss is expressive, tell stories.

Eventually, Scheherazade ruled the kingdom. So can you.

Change

2010-02-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

A positive thought for your day, Change by Catherine Pulsifer
If you could change one thing in your life what would it be? A tough question for some people. For others they don't even have to think about it they know exactly what the change is. So lets look at why it is tough for some and why for others it is easier. A Tough question for some people. WHY? Change is sometimes threatening to us. It takes away the "known". We may be the type of person who likes routine, it is our security, and "change" may upset our routine, our security. The saddest thing for me is watching those who don't want to change, they resist the change, they put up barriers to try and stop change.

Our world is constantly changing, has been for years and will continue in the years to come. Heraclitus was a Greek Philosopher and lived during 500 B.C.. He is quoted as saying, "There is nothing permanent except change." That was written many years ago and now here we are entering the millennium and change seems to be much faster today. One of the major contributors to our faster pace change is technology. Take the Internet for example, look at the information available to us. Look at how fast we can access the information we need. I remember when I was doing research for university, (before I had access to the Internet). I would go to the library, look up reference books, locate the books and easily spend the day combing through the books looking for the specific information I needed. Today, I sign on to the Internet, do a search for the specific information I need and in seconds have tons of information. I can then go the sites and print the info I need. It has cut my time in half (if not more!), plus it has given me a much wider range of information. Many times when I used the library, I had to order a specific book I wanted and then wait a week or longer for the book to arrive. Using the Internet I have access to world wide information.

Technology is changing our lives in many different ways! Everything from faster more efficient ways of doing business to lowering the cost of goods by eliminating the middle man. It is eliminating some jobs, however, creating new opportunities.

Resisting change in your life wastes valuable energy. When people focus on stopping the change rather than being open and trying to understand the change they are missing opportunities. In every change there is a positive effect. At the time when the change occurs we sometimes cannot see the positive, but if we focus and really look for it is there. Resisting change can lead to job joss, to marriage break ups, to friendships lost, to financial challenges. Just imagine what our world would be like if change did not occur.

For others they don't even have to think about it, they know exactly the change they would make.

For those who know the change you would make, my question to you is "what are you doing to make it happen." Wishing for something will never make it happen. But setting goals and taking action will make your change happen. We have all heard the saying, "Some people go their grave with their music still in them." They have had a dream but never did anything to make that dream come true. If you answered the question, "what would the one thing you would like to change", but have done nothing to change it, start to do something. Break down the change into steps, set time frames for yourself and start taking steps to make that change a reality.

Don't let others change your life, be your own change agent and implement the changes you want! And if an unexpected change occurs in your life, find the positive in it. Rather than wasting your energy and wasting your time, focus on the positive, in some cases search for the positive - there is opportunity in every change.

Let change be your friend!

Attitude at work

2010-01-25T06:34:00.001-08:00

As they say, it’s all in your mind. So, having the right attitude can help you scale the success ladder. Shubha Subbaraman explores

Broadly speaking, there are four kinds of employees: (1) The over enthusiastic ones, who think they can bring about a revolution overnight (2) Those who look at corporates as a doomed entity with no redemption whatsoever (3) the I-don’t-care kind and finally (4) those who perceive every situation objectively and are constructive in their actions.

Unfortunately, no matter how efficient you are, if you don’t have the right approach towards the job, the results will be evident. Each employee has his/her stance about several aspects of their career and job in particular. Thus, the key to success begins with the realisation that everything is a matter of attitude, and thus, having the right attitude can really work wonders for your career.

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

Adopting an extreme approach all the time is unacceptable, states Praveena Parikh, who works as an inhouse counsellor with a leading KPO, “Irrespective of whether your bent is positive or negative, its important to strike the balance.” For example, some people make tall claims of what they can do, but their achievement is null. On the other hand, there are others who accept every situation the way it is. If you look at it objectively, neither of the two is actually productive.

Employees with the right kind of attitude can help take the company to the next level. However, by right attitude we do not imply positivity alone. It’s fair on the part of the employee to feel let down or unhappy about a particular instance or situation. But venting that anger or disappointment in the most appropriate manner, or more importantly, in a productive manner is what matters, adds Parikh.

MENTOR MATTER

The attitude of an employee is one of the key attributes that is evaluated during the recruitment process. When it comes to recruitment, the attitude of an employee and his/her belief in oneself has as much to do as his/her core abilities and skill sets, explains HR executive Narayani Shastri, “For example, very often we have candidates who think they are in control of technically every situation. Their confidence levels appear to be at its peak. Self confidence is important, but over confidence can be a disaster as such candidates are difficult to mould. They come with a mindset and stick to it.”

Elaborating on this, Parikh, feels, “The learning curve is limited in such cases, and ego clashes are quite common, thus stimulating negativity among team members.”

SO HOW DO YOU STRIKE THE BALANCE?

Start positive: To begin with, start with a positive attitude towards your job and your colleagues/ supervisor. Be open to ideas, and ready to expect change as well as accept change in its varied forms.

Opinion matters: It’s best to form your own opinion/s about people/situations rather than following the herd mentality; but before you do so, remember to assess the situation objectively.

Be constructive: As Ravi Patel, who works as a Manager, HR (Initiatives for employee welfare) with a BPO, explains, “Constructive feedback is always a boon. Therefore for any problems you may be facing, it’s best to approach the concerned people and get it sorted rather than crib over it. Unlike popular belief, the job of the HR team is not just to support the requirements of the management. Happy employees are an asset to the company, and therefore, one of their key roles of HR is to ensure that employees are satisfied and their grievances are addressed appropriately.’’

Resist negativity: No matter how much you want to shun it, you cannot escape negativity. It’s all around you. Therefore, it’s important to resist it for your own benefit. For example, when you hear something negative from a colleague or friend, understand that you may be getting only one aspect of the whole situation. The other side of the bread could also be buttered. Therefore, be your own judge.

Break free: Humour and enthusiasm are two key elements that can always keep energy levels high. Try to find humour even in hostile situations. It’s not all that difficult; there is humour in every situation. However, whether you identify it or not defines the kind of person you are. Sometimes you may have to dig deeper, but it’s worth the effort for it keeps you going.

- Education times (TOI) 25^th Jan, 2010.

Sometimes

2009-12-30T07:21:00.001-08:00

Sometimes we forget that there are people watching us (meaning: our actions, what we do).

Sometimes we forget we are E-mails read on a daily basis.

In these E-mails we are sometimes the subject, the lines, the contents, the verses, the comas, the full stops which are all important.

Sometimes we forget that there are those who take these things seriously, what we do slightly and think there hasn't been any impact made.

Sometimes we forget that the power to do good to others Lies within us and when we release it we are bound to be affected by the same.

Sometimes we ignore the fact that whatever we sow is what We reap in life…

Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes…

A Love story

2009-12-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

A Love story

Someone got me upset and I was talking to my friend about it, and she said that I should sit down and write a love story; maybe it would make me feel better, so I did...

I miss my baby so but she's not here anymore. And it's true, she's the one, who if I was getting worked up, she'd probably say something so that my anger would be directed towards her instead.

My heartthrob and soul; I miss the new meaning she puts in my life when she is around. The passage of time has made our bond stronger; our understanding of each other more deeper; our arguments longer because time has increased our knowledge of each other; our laughter more rich; our happiness more profound; our tears more poignant; our memories more nostalgic; our lives more rich because of the joy that a friendship as vibrant and fulfilling as ours brings; a friendship devoid of the illusions that lust gives, but yet filled with the mystery of love and undeniable attraction.

And yet, this is more of a dream than reality, because distance has become my worst enemy; the arm that twists the hands of fate and destiny. The realization that separation is not always a choice, but can be determined by miles and oceans, and countries and continents. The painful reality that life is not always fair and dreams are not always realized, but then the acknowledgement that all things will work out as they ought to, everything happens for a reason and maybe or maybe not, fate will unravel its cords in my favor. After all, it's not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.

A love story; worthy of films and romance novels. As close to the clichéd "love at first sight' as it can possibly be. Five years ago, since I first set eyes on her and to this day, some things never change. Some things do change however; from a little boy’s crush to a growing adolescent's troubled and confused emotions, and now to a young adult's confidence in the fact that above all else; all the other side attractions, flings, involvements, even girlfriends, in my heart she remains supreme.

There can only be one key to fit a door and she hold the key that unlocks the door to my heart. Not the heart that is free to love friends and family, to look twice, maybe three times at every cute girl, to find deep attractions and bonds with special people, but the heart that in this life that we live, only one person can have. For in life, you find only one true love, only one you can love in spite of who they are, only one you can love without setting any conditions nor asking any questions about whether this really is love, or lust or infatuation, because you have the answer; it lies in the very depths of your heart.

I have my answer and I have found my love, but I must accept the fact that as much as you will find only one true love in your life, it is only if you are lucky that you will spend the rest of your life with her. But I truly believe that it is better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all, because in life you win some and you lose some. Life is a battleground and it is the courageous and strong that emerge victorious. And I find the strength from within to survive from day to day, to overcome my trials and temptations, to conquer my difficulties and to transcend the greatest of all things; LOVE.

Modified a few (Copyright © 2003 Dinah Hanson --- Ghana)

Who do you need to forgive?

2009-12-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Today I ask the question, "Who do you need to forgive and why? I had a conversation with a friend over the weekend about anger and the benefits of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a funny thing, where by doing it, you not only release the other person from your anger but you also free yourself. Do you realize how much energy you put into keeping an old score unsettled? How it is a constant reminder of how someone did us wrong? How that moment or series of moments keeps playing the scene over and over again in our head, like a movie that never changes? Is this a good use of our time and energy? Who is our anger really affecting? Us or them?

When you don't forgive someone, you take it upon yourself to keep that anger near the surface. You give that anger active power, power that could be directed towards what you do want, not what you don't want. It has been said that whatever you focus on comes back to you into your life, whether the focus be positive or negative.

If you insist on not forgiving, for whatever reason that works for you, are you really telling the universe that you want more anger to manifest itself? Perhaps you never looked at it this way. Perhaps you think your anger is justified because we don't know all of the facts. Perhaps you think that you will look weak and the other person will win, if you forgive them.

I remember a story I saw on TV years ago. A woman had been torched, wrapped in bandages and in pain, when the interviewer asked her if she hated the person who had done this to her? She thought for a split second and responded with a, "No". When asked why not, she said she didn't want that person to have power over her. She didn't want that person constantly in her thoughts. She said she forgave him, not because it helped him, but because to forgive helped her. She need every ounce of energy possible to make a recovery and she wouldn't waste once ounce more on her attacker.

Try it, forgive someone today for what they did to you yesterday, last year, ten years ago, etc. Who feels better? Them or you? Release yourself from the burden of carrying around anger and move forward and focus on what you really want, what we all want: love, understanding and forgiveness for being human.

Copyright © 2004 Marlene Blaszczyk

Patience is a virtue

2009-11-13T04:13:00.000-08:00

Couple of months ago when I moved to the new place, I hung outside my window a bird feeder. Not knowing much about this little birds, I assumed that as soon as I hung this bird feeder outside, a multitude of beautiful birds would be swooping to have some food. But, days, weeks and months went by; NO BIRDS, to my surprise.

I asked so many people what to do? What was I doing wrong? "Nothing" most of them replied. "Just wait." So I waited, waited and waited trying everything possible, to attract these birds.

I cleaned off the deck, I changed the feed, I washed the feeders, I even made the cat go out the other door! But nothing seemed to work. So, I waited, "with patience and hope."

Two months later, last Saturday afternoon, I FROZE! Seeing birds near the bird feeder. All of a sudden few birds were appearing from everywhere!

What a beautiful lesson I learned from this little creature. "Patience and hope" and "things" will attract the beautiful things in life. I never realized how much patience I really do have and how much I do rely upon "hope" to sort out the questions in my heart.

So I keep hoping and waiting, waiting and hoping. I will try to use this "little lesson" with so many other things in my life. I guess "patience is a virtue" after all.

Never Work Hard, Work cleverly...

2009-07-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

In today’s corporate world where we have more competition within our colleagues let’s have a look at a story which happened few years back.

There lived a washer man who was bringing up two donkeys. Let us say Donkey-A and Donkey-B.

Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other. It always tried to pull the washer man's attention over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.

Innocent Donkey-B was normal, so it used to walk normal, irrespective of the washer man's presence. After a period of time, Washer man started pressurizing Donkey-B to be like A. But Donkey-B was unable to walk fast & got continuous punishment from washer man. It used cry and once personally told to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why should we compete among us... we can carry equal load at normal speed ".

This made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washer man that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also. Obviously happier washer man looked at Donkey-B with rage and started kicking it.
Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way... But the washer man was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly and was killed by the washer man.

Donkey-A considered itself to be supreme and happily started carrying more load with great speed. But now the Load of the Donkey-B was also being carried by Donkey-A, and still it has to run fast. For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain. But washer man expected more from Donkey-A.

Donkey-A also tried best, but couldn't cope up with his owners demand. The Washer man got angry with Donkey-A and also started harassing it to take more load.
Donkey-A tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction.

Finally the day came when due to frustration the washer man killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.

This story doesn't have an end.

Moral of the story in todays Corporate World and social life, "Think all colleagues are same and that everyone are capable doing things in their own way. Always share the Load equally..... Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit… Don't feel happy when your colleague is under pressure..."

For your Boss; It doesn't matter whether you are A or B, you are always a DONKEY.

Most important, never Work Hard, Work smart...

Nice to know

2009-07-17T11:42:00.001-07:00

Resource utilization

2009-07-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Resource utilization
Buddha, one day, was in deep thought about the worldly activities and the ways of instilling goodness in human beings. One of his disciples approached him and said humbly " Oh my teacher ! While you are so much concerned about the world and others, why don't you look in to the welfare and needs of your own disciples also."

Buddha: "OK... Tell me how I can help you"

Disciple: "Master! My attire is worn out and is beyond the decency to wear the same. Can I get a new one, please?"

Buddha found the robe indeed was in a bad condition and needed replacement. He asked the storekeeper to give the disciple a new robe to wear on. The disciple thanked Buddha and retired to his room.
A while later, he went to his disciple's place and asked him "Is your new attire comfortable? Do you need anything more?"

Disciple: "Thank you my Master. The attire is indeed very comfortable. I need nothing more"

Buddha: "Having got the new one, what did you do with your old attire?"

Disciple: "I am using it as my bed spread"

Buddha: "Then…hope you have disposed off your old bed spread"

Disciple: " No.…no… master. I am using my old bedspread as my window curtain"

Buddha: " What about your old Curtain?"

Disciple: "Being used to handle hot utensils in the kitchen"

Buddha: "Oh… I see… Can you tell me as to what has been done with the old cloth they used in kitchen?"

Disciple: "They are being used to wash the floor."

Buddha: " Then, the old rug being used to wash the floor...?"

Disciple: " Master, since they were torn off so much, we could not find any better use, but to use as a twig in the oil lamp, which is right now lit in your study room...."
Buddha smiled in contentment and left for his room.

If not to this degree of utilization, can we at least attempt to find the best use of all our resources at home / office?

We need to handle wisely, all the resources earth has bestowed us with.... both natural and material… So that they can be saved for the generations to come…

Let recession not be the only reason that urges us to save! Let us be proactive …

1) I have decided not to take print-outs if its not required. Back to back printing.
2) Not to scribble with pen, instead will use pencil and eraser.. if required use a slate with a chalk.
3) Use recylcled paper.
4) Walk short distance, instead of burning petrol in my bike.
5) Turn off appliances when they are not in use.. especially my Computer.

Many more to go, wil update wen time permits....

2009-06-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

Girls!! Girls!!!

My friend and occasional date was supposed to come back from a vaccation around 2 weeks back. And she has promised to call me when she is back. We are not friends for eons, just met during a trek and then went out together 3-4 times, had some good time together and thats it. But, I did expect her to call me after she was back, unless her marriage is fixed or something that drastic happens :)

Last friday evening, I had nothing else to do. No dates ... no trips ... none of my friends were around ... no other programs. So, I gave her a call and here is the conversation for you:

Me: Hey ... whats up ? You didnt even call me for ur marriage?
She: Hmmm ... Let the date come ... I will call
[Oops ... I was shooting in the dark ... and this was indeed a surprise for me]
... some more details about the guy ...
Me: So ... when is the treat ?
She: Treat ? for what ? Why do u always ask for treat?
Me: C'mon honey ... u think this is not big enuf to give a treat to ur boy friend ?
[We do talk like this ... ofcourse it doesnt mean anything]
She: Let him come down to Bangalore ... The reason involve him too ... right ?
Me: Ohhh ... c'mon ... just b'coz ur marriage is fixed doesnt mean u cant go out with me. Dont be scared
She: Oh thanx ... I was so scared of u ;)
Me: I knew ... I knew ...
... Some more bantering ...
Me: So ... when is the treat ? I am sitting all bored here. Take me out tomorrow ;)
She: But I am booked for the weekend honey
Me: U r booked for the whole life, but not before u give me a treat
She: I will ... give ... any case u paid last time. I owe u that much
Me: When ?
She: I will call u ...
[Silence .... by now I know she doesnt want to meet me again]
Me: So ... u'll call me within 3 months and treat me within 5 months. right ?
She: :)
Me: Okie ... bye then ... catch u later
She: Bye ....
[Phone down and I called again ... immediately]
Me: Hey ... I didnt wish u .... Congrats and All the best
She: Thank you
Me: I know u wudnt call me again ... Thats y ;)
... some laugh ... banter ...
She: U r sure I wont call
Me: Yup .... 100%
She: :))) thats so sweet ...
Me: Bye ... take care
She: Bye
[Thats it and i felt really bad]

I cant blame her. She had taken enough precautions. Told me many times that she will get married as told by her parents and that there is pressure from her place for marriage. But she wants to work and have fun. Actually, we became good friends so quickly b'coz she knew I wudnt go mushy mushy about this. Anyways ... good luck to her .... Hope she has a good married life!!!

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