LIFE as I know it...

How much can you prepare?

2011-03-13T01:01:00.000-08:00

Recent events have stumped me- Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. these were due to unified human voice. What about the Japan earthquake? who do we hold responsible?

the thing that is bothering me is that we have no control on how our life is going to be. can you prepare for every single moment? can we prepare for something like an earthquake. Japan no doubt is far better in its response often being a victim to such a natural disaster... but how much is good enough? even after massive preparations it is going to take months for everything to get back to normal. what could we have possibly done for avoiding/ managing this situation. time and again events like this make me realize how insignificant we are in the larger scheme of life.

why do we run behind things that don't even matter? sometime we over prepare for irrelevant things leaving the things that can make a difference. like we waste countless amount of time is using stuff that we don't really need. why not everyone focus into making this planet a better place? surely it is everyone's responsibility as this planet belongs to all. i feel all of us have a collective social responsibility. We owe the planet something in return for everything we are enjoying here. i think it is high time we take action before we turn earth to mars - where nothing can grow.

But can you prepare for to deal with climate change? i dont think so! i dont think we should try to brace the fact that eventually climate is going to change and civilization will evolve with it, as it has done for billions of years. we should prepare in our capacity whatever we can do. it would be too late if we wake up after Maldives is submerged.

small contributions however insignificant can make a difference. going green is a lifestyle choice. and each and everyone can make this choice. should you drive alone or use the bus? - things like this can make a difference if the whole community adopts sustainable practices in the culture. prepare for the future you want to see.

burn and then you know the fire !

2010-12-31T00:46:00.000-08:00

how do you test a theory? or know that something wrong is wrong?

how do you know sugar is sweet and chili is spicy. i'd say tried and tested. same goes for everything in life. we learn more from the bad experiences than the good experiences. we should ideally be learning from other people's bad experiences but thats another story all together.

every experience has taught me so much. i don't sit with pen and paper and look for things to learn of course. this learning is implicit. but when i look back now, i know so much more. when i was a kid i used to play pranks on my friends. it used to be fun when everyone took it in a positive stride. it has given me the patience to be a sport when people play pranks on me. it applies to everyone. everyone is the person today from yesterday's experience.

i had read long back a quote from Benjamin Franklin. "Experience is the best teacher, but a fool will learn from no other." i never quite got the meaning. but its only recently that i have learnt its significance. the lessons i learnt from my bitter experiences are lessons for life. the question is why am i writing this now. recently i have met some of the greatest people in life. greatest because they have changed my life forever and i am a newer person now than three months ago.

i have had the most incredible teachers in my grad school. they seemed really strict in the beginning. and as usual i had heard rumors and had an opinion from before. i used to be really scared because i was the youngest and relatively studying things i had no idea of. but over the semester i realize that i have grown. i have learnt from the experience. it was frustrating at times. there were so many days i wanted to quit. but a good support from friends and taking something from each bad grade helped me cope. i was scared to ask doubts.but this 3 months has made me a new person. i have never been out of home. so the first time out of home experience has taught me lot. Every once in a while, people come into your lives and change it all together. i have once such teacher who has made an invaluable contribution to me. i will never forget it. and i thank him for it every single day in my prayers.

i have made mistakes. some silly some on purpose in impulse. but i think each and everything has made me what i am today. do i regret? yes i regret doing somethings and i wish i could undo some things. but there is nothing i can do about it. all i can do is to look ahead and hold these experiences as a beacon to guide me in future.

5 star someone

2010-08-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

To all those in India, I'd be surprised if the title doesn't ring a bell....

yes yes the thought that passed through your mind must be '5 point some one' , Chetan Bhagat , two states etc in that order or not. Thats the impact of Chetan Bhagat. Everyone has read his books.

now i wont count in the many bibliophiles. for them there are many many literary works out there- Charles dickens, Salman Rushdie, etc. etc. The people who read a lot will most often think Chetan Bhagat's works as trash or something with a lack of substance. It might be true. I agree that his works might not have a great literary value, but they have done a lot for the average Indian youth - the ones who are not really into books...

He has made the average teen move away from TV and Computer and into the feel of reading. He books are fast and pacy. Its entertaining and easy to understand ; not too much hifi vocabulary. Once a person starts he wont keep the book down till he finishes. but at the same time, all his books have a message- something relevant and something each and everyone can identify with. It has made the normal college going kid to really think.

I have known a lot of people who read a lot... and i know far more people who dont read at all. His books have really clicked with the second group of people. Once they started with his book, then all his works and slowly got the reading bug... I think its safe to say he has revived the reading habit in the aaam junta to some extent. to those people who read a lott , his works might be just another breezy novel, light and like a TV soap. . But one cant ignore the change..

I am not a fan of Chetan Bhagat, nor am I trying to advertise his work. This is something I have noticed and so I am penning it down... After his books have come out, at least I am noticing a lot of new young Indian authors plunging into being novelists. This is another change... its true isn't it. He is fresh and like a breath of fresh air and he is every where. his blog is interesting as well. ... so i give 5 stars to the person who brought about some kind of a revolution in the over exposed, under read little couch potatoes in our country !

my rainy day !

2010-08-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

wow its monday
its raining
as heavily
as it did yesterday

I hoped it'd last
but alas ......
It stopped ,and the dream
of a rainy day at home
is lost!

murphy's law i think
i always liked the rain
i wondered what happened to me...
those long walks ..
pakodas and chai..
ohh wat fun!!
i wanted to relive that moment !
i wanted to be a kid !
innocent as can be .
am i the same person
as i used to be..

i decide ...
i wanna be in the same spirit !
living life to the fullest ..
i dnt want to carry
the weight of worries...
i want to live each day
with insecurities at bay

dont want to brood
on why and when
leaving the excess thinking...
I head out
forgetting when and why
i know what i want

rain or sun
i know it'll be fun

Targetted Marketing

2010-08-08T02:58:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, I noticed something. Once it caught my eye, I could do nothing to un notice it. Whichever internet page I visit, whatever site i stumble upon; the advertisements on the page always match my interest. The ads are always on my favorite things, things I often google upon like music, food , travel , self help, movies etc.

At first, I thought it might be a coincidence. Then I thought that there was a very efficient algorithm running. But as we all know all roads to knowledge is mainly via curiosity. hmm... you wanna find out something, but how ?? I always ask my brother. he seems to know a lot on many things. I wonder how any person who sees movies all the time manages to gain so much knowledge ! [this is going to lead to another discovery ... but more on that later ]...

so my bother starts to explain. After a few minutes, i sort of lost the flow. He then put the same in layman's language. We can think of the internet as a heap. now the ad makers have tons of websites to market and tons of audiences to reach out to. Its a two way thing. People are looking out or rather want to see what they are interested in. and at the same time, the marketing team has to reach Ads of 'people's interest' to the people. definitely a random policy of distribution aint going to work.

so there is this idea, I am not sure how accurate but for understanding purpose we can think that there is some kind of a sieve or filter between the customer and sales team. As the client/ person starts to enter/ search/ visit sites of his interest more and more parameters in the filter become clear and likely products can be filtered. so if a person likes fashion, he might often search for the latest trends, top fashion icons etc. This enables our filter to identify that the potential client is really into bling, fashion, beauty, models, perfumes, trends etc; correspondingly the filter will place websites with related ads. This is a very crude way to put it.

another way of seeing it can also be put like this. remember how clothes shopping were done earlier; where clothes were put up on racks and the sales guy would remove one after the another depending on our preferences. now of course we go to malls there a different market strategy is used all together [its a very smart one only though]. the salesman first asks our budget, what we are looking for, preferred color schemes, material etc. Based on all these inputs he starts to display clothes. In other words, he has filtered to suit our needs. This is another layer in targeted marketing i feel.

so in short, what Ads we see is a filtered version of the many things on the internet. but is it what we, the customers really want to see ? or are we open to see new things. The risk is something the makers need to evaluate.

negotiation !

2010-08-05T02:15:00.000-07:00

if you want to know how to learn to negotiate or u are a marketing student or anyone in general with free time then a walk on linking road is a must !
I went shopping there once with a friend of mine [ who is very skilled in bargaining by the way !]. we liked a T- shirt. on asking the price the vendor said its 450 bucks. she asked him to give it for 50 bucks. He said not even a hankie will come at that price..
he quoted 300 the she said give it for 75 ... this went on for quite sometime. 300 and 100 ... after a lot of deliberation [frustrated] ... i was ready to pay 300 get the shirt and leave. but she grabbed my hand and started to leave! I wondered why we spent so much time negotiating in the first place........

10 steps down the road .. the vendor calls us back and gives the damn shirt for 100 bucks ! mission impossible is successfully accomplished ! I was totally amazed at the power of forceful and effective talking. ..........

so the tip for the day is .....
anytime while shopping on the streets ; quote the lowest possible price you can think of .. then slowly try to negotiate and convince. 9 out of 10 times u will purchase the thing at that price.......

the road ahead of me

2010-07-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

my current state of mind......... i wanted to write for a looong time... tried.... my first poem !

Sitting by the window

Watching the rainbow

I start to think

The purpose of me

Where am I?

Where am I headed?

As much as I try

I don’t know why

Here I am now

Don’t know where to go from here

I am in a mess

Clueless as can be

Not knowing the road ahead of me

So many things to do

So many places to be

I believe I can fly

I know I can touch the sky

Only I don’t know where

I want to be the best I can

I want to know how I can

The road ahead is hazy

Fully fuzzy

If only I knew

What I should do

Take option A or

Go to B

Or should I

Just wait for C

I want to believe

That its only me

To make my life

the one for me

still I don’t know where to go

but I have learned so much more

during this process of yes or no

I know now

I can believe now

I know no matter where I be

To be the best I can possibly be

Is upto me!

Educated or literate????

2010-04-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

why do we study? why are we going to college? why are we in this pursuit of education? every second of our life we are learning.

when we go to our college or work place, we learn the nuances of our job or what we are studying as students. we learn the technical stuff and as we gain experience, we hone our skills to grow in our work. moreover as we interact with people, we learn what is appropriate to be spoken. we pick up hints from body language, voice tone etc and try to gauge the persons value system and cultural background. by this subtle learning we weave are conversations so that as far as possible there are no awkward pauses and abrupt end to conversations.

but why cant we apply all this learning in our interpersonal relationships. i know so many people who do great professionally but suck at their basic and most fundamental personal relations. where does all the modern outlook and all go? either you expect too much from the people you care about, or you expect yourself to be the center of their universe which clearly will not happen..when it comes to personal equation with the other person all all our prejudices come bouncing back. sometimes it goes to the point where each and every action is take in the wrong sense. it is suffocating I'd say at least. and when we are caught in this whirlpool, we don't know what is happening, and if our near and dear ones advice us, we get offended. this viscous circle ruins are personality and mostly keeps us unhappy all the time. i have regularly interacted with such people so i know what its like.

but what can be the course of action. most people who are like this, heart of heart know it but refrain from admitting it. acceptance i'd say is the first step. after that consciously trying to be different would be the best and probable only way to deal with it. many may feel that by this they are changing their personality. but that is not true. its only a much needed refinement. Man is a social animal by nature. so the more we are open and less scrutinizing other persons behavior the more happy and freely we will develop our relationships. if the person doesn't change sooner or later the other person's tolerance will snap and at that time it will be too late.

experience is the best teacher they say. so i hope sooner than never, such characters learn. the purpose of education, both academic and empirical is to liberate ourselves from our biases and not to revel in it. i am not a saint telling the philosophy of life. but it pains me that all because the window of our point of view is clouded, we are not able to see beauty in any which form and appreciate it in whatever way it comes. our aim in life should be to learn and grow in every way possible.

p.s. this article is not in reference with anyone. its just one of the many thoughts buzzing in my head

Ask And You shall be given

2010-03-09T05:58:00.001-08:00

i am sure there are times when the day is so busy. so many things happening at the same time and there are times when absolutely nothing happening; no wind, nothing great at work and it seems like the probability of anything eventful happening is negative. it happens to everyone i guess. so it was once such day when nothing was happening- hot afternoon. i picked up the paper to read the new supplement which had come with the times of India. it was called the speaking tree. my first impression was that it was a compilation of of inspiring and spiritual things. i love reading such stuff.
one particular anecdote caught my attention and i will share it here.

a usually restless man was walking down the street. god appeared before him. this man of all the things he could think of, he asks god;" God what is a million years to you?"
god replied, "well my son. a second to me is like a million years to you."
so the man continued to walk and to ponder....walk and ponder....
then again asked, "god what is a million dollars to you?"

and god replied, "My son,my son , a cent to me is like a million dollars to you.
it means almost nothing to me. it does not have any value. it so little."

The man pondered a bit and then looked up to god and said, "God, can i have a million dollars?"
And God replied,
"In a second"

soo the point is....
whenever we try to outsmart anyone....someone is smarter is there around us.

dallops and dallops of love !

2010-03-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

based on a true story..

being a South Indian, i never go out and eat idli and dosas. ask any one from the south, they can understand why this happens. most households have a constant supply of idli mavu and dosa mavu ! so one will rarely sample southern cuisines while one is enjoying a eating day out ! 

having said that, just because we dont prefer eating dosas outside, doesnt mean the feeling is mutual. dosa stalls are a big hit in mumbai. variations like Chinese dosas, chilli dosa, cheese dosa etc are a big hit. i was in bandra the other day, and i was closely observing on such dosa stall doing business. the aroma and ambiance was very tempting. i couldn't but try!

we were three of us, so we ordered three types of dosas. and stood watching to see if we could take some ideas home. .my mom, talkative that she is, started talking to the cook in tamil. jaber jaber. he in turn, parched of meeting his own people was instantly excited and was doing a lot of tricks with his spatula to impress us. usually they are forced to learn few words of hindi/ marathi. the heavily accented lingo is actually funny now to think of it. in our order we had specifically told no butter no cheese!. but in his excitement, he kept on pouring butter to make crisp dosas. he added so much cheese.. i would have never ever even thought of having together at once. 

it was definitely a stretch. and any where you find south indians, the invariable question will be 'enda oor ?' ... the love of finding your own kind was the reason probably. we enjoyed the feast. and after appreciating the cook , we got a heavy discount also ... cherry on the cake !

later as we were leaving i overheard other arguing with him in a plee to get more butter and more cheese ! i thought to myself  some of the quirks of being a south indian !

the plight of papad

2010-01-27T04:03:00.000-08:00

ever wondered why our grandmothers used to dry papads on the terrace? i can vaguely remember, my granny used to leave the papads to dry under the sun for hours.the reason for leaving food under scorching heat i couldn't fathom.

now i can totally empathize with the poor papads. i know how it feels to actually get baked!

global warming is here big time! am i the only one to feel the heat??? the days are getting hotter and more dry. the nights a bit chilly. its so hot and dry during the day. my skin literally peeled of. it did not even feel like mumbai in which the weather is so humid. on the whole we are in for big trouble. its high time that more conscious steps are taken towards global warming. we should act before its too late. i dont want to be hunting for pandoras and relocate to mars. i like earth.

one thing we can do is to tap the heat. install solar panels and be more eco friendly. the drive started by idea for recycling old phones. we must adopt the three R'S REDUCE REUSE and RECYCLE. the awareness need to spread. everyone of us need to realize how close we are to losing our home. power cuts initially came as a shock to people; it drew some attention towards the daunting problems of excessive abuse to resources. but that too has faded with the installation of inverters in every household.

i dont want to waake up afer its too late! we need to make some conscious decisions towards environmental policies. i have planted a tree near my house to mark the beginning of my commitment to my planet Earth [ my home]. i urge you to do something be it small or big. remember alone ur contribution may be small and insignificant but the sum of 6,800,700,000 insignificant contributions put together will make the change we need.

one two three GO!

ps: 6,800,700,000 is the population of earth source: Wikipedia

currently current affairs is....

2010-01-12T08:49:00.000-08:00

this post is purely fictional k . i am just clearing the air before itslef.
recently i have come to know how well informed i am about the current affairs. they surely say ignorance is bliss. somehow i can relate to why that can be true. i gave a competitive exam recently; the dreadful GK section was present. without doubt every question i came across in there seemed alien. i was wondering if the examiner was asking us to predict the 'future' current affairs.

copenhagen. such an hyped event, though the results were ghastly disappointing.i followed the events closely. but there was nothing much to catch on. i attended a model UN conference last year. there i became aware of the predicament of the diplomats representing their respective countries. there is huge pressure on them. its not easy as it seems to reach an agreement suiting and involving everyone's interest. trying for the greater good while safeguarding and abiding their countries policy on the issue is a herculean task indeed. my point is that there are problems of huge importance which require attention with cooperation of all the countries. so its not only necessary that our decision makers are well informed, we the masses also must be up to date so that every one has a point of view.this will give each one of us a better idea of the scheme of things. we will then be aware of what is our country's course of action and what is our country's stand in any issue. [we can also criticize about the state of affairs with confidence like we usually do in any case, only if our gk is good :-)]. one's opinion which comes along lack of knowledge is like a man shooting an arrow in the dark.

with great power comes great responsibility. man has been given the power of the intellect. hence he is far superior than other species. lack of awareness is like going back in time more like evolution. what is the use of the brain if its capicity is not exploited, if its not made to think.

in perspective, just drawing the curtain a window's real status can be hidden but the reality cant be evaded. its time to draw the curtain from ones eyes. i have decided, at least resolved to start reading some actual newspaper from tomorrow. generally i just look for the mumbai mirror which gives news u'd like to read, and keeps u abreast with the glamor world. but its time i switch to more meaningful news.

hence i am starting a campaign. as observed over time, resolutions made on jan 1 hardly last long. keeping these important empirical findings in mind, i resolve, two weeks after new year, to take more time out into reading the news [ which is exclusive of bombay times and mumbai mirror]. lets see how long this new partnership with the newspaper will last!

a great MUST read

2010-01-06T02:27:00.000-08:00

a very interesting article i came across online, which i thought everyone should read. this is by Pranav Mistry. I am just putting it here because i want everyone to read it. its a fabulous one.

about pranav mistry: just google it if u havn't already heard about him. :-)
http://www.pranavmistry.com/

Leonardo of the 21st century
By Pranav Mistry, 28th Feb, 2005
A few centuries ago, a few people began questioning the assumption that people knew how to think about the physical world. Neither philosophy nor religion seemed to be able to stave off famine and epidemic. The enlightenment was about a new method for thinking. Part of that new method was the way of asking and testing questions known as science, which provided the knowledge needed to create new medicines, new tools, new weapons, and new economic systems.
Today, we are blessed with technology that would be indescribable to our forefathers. We have the wherewithal, the know-it-all to feed everybody, clothe everybody, and give every human on the Earth a chance. We know now what we could never have known before-that we now have the option for all humanity to "make it" successfully on this planet in this lifetime. But, still there is something that lacks, perhaps, a new method of thinking.

A tool is not the task, and that is why often the invisible, social or some non-physical aspects make all the difference. Years ago Peter Drucker answered it as "Technology is not about tools, it deals with how Man works."

New paradigms always throw new questions, and so new technologies did. Interestingly, technologies answered them also. There's some truth to each of these answers, yet they all fall short because we assume that we know how to think about technology. I think, just because we know how to make things doesn't guarantee that we know what those things will do to us or what kind of things we ought to make.

Knowing how to think about technology is a skill one needs to teach oneself the way we taught ourselves previous new ways of thinking such as mathematics, logic, science and design. One needs to think like Leonardo did. Yes, at the time we need to broaden our perspective to see technologies from design, humanities, art, psychology and social aspects and vise versa.
I think for me also, ‘I know how to do something now I need to learn what to do’.
- Pranav Mistry

3 idiots - paisa vasool.

2010-01-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

i saw the movie over the weekend. its phenomenal. it made me think. am i doing what i am doing because i really like it and want to do it? am i a part of the race to move ahead in life. what is it that i really want to do? and surprisingly i did not have answers. i was clueless. thats what the movie does to you. it makes u think.

the story is told in such a easy manner. u infer the message rather than hear it in lecture form like in most of the 'carrier guidance' places.

i strongly recommend the movie to all people who dont know where they r headed and also to those who are caught in the RACE [that counts everybody - almost]

About 3 idiots
The film is rumoured to be loosely based on a famous novel, Five Point Someone by Indian writer Chetan Bhagat,[3] though it is denied by Hirani.[4]
Two friends (Madhavan and Sharman Joshi) embark on a quest for a lost buddy. On this journey, they encounter a long forgotten bet, a wedding they must crash, and a funeral that goes impossibly out of control. As they make their way through the perilous landscape, another journey begins: their inner journey through memory lane and the story of their friend- the irrepressible free-thinker Rancho (Aamir Khan), who in his unique way, touched and changed their lives. It’s a story of their hostel days that swings between Rancho’s romance with the spirited Pia (Kareena Kapoor), and his clash with and oppressive mentor, Viru Sahastrabudhhe (Boman Irani). And then one day, suddenly, Rancho vanishes…
Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he leave?

The friend who influenced and inspired them to think creatively and independently, even as the conformist world called them three idiots. Where is the original idiot now?
Finally, in misty mountains of unparalleled beauty, the find the key to the secret.
Three Idiots is comedy of ideas that is a provocative as it is funny, as wildly entertaining as it is insightful. A laugh-riot that talks about the most important of human pursuits: self-actualization.

The film is rumoured to be loosely based on a famous novel, Five Point Someone by Indian writer Chetan Bhagat, though it is denied by Hirani.
The friend who influenced and inspired them to think creatively and independently, even as the conformist world called them three idiots. Where is the original idiot now?

Three Idiots is comedy of ideas that is a provocative as it is funny, as wildly entertaining as it is insightful. A laugh-riot that talks about the most important of human pursuits: self-actualization.

the fact i found amazing is that the length to which farhan and raju go to find their missing friend. it shows the how some ppl touch our lives. i want to be another rancho in my life and make a difference.

why worry abt the future, repercussions of the past, present planning for the future.....
relax all izzz welll

at least I'd like to believe so.

a great great song

2009-11-16T05:46:00.000-08:00

Tum Mile To Love Reprise Lyrics

Tu hi mere hai saaree zameen
Chahe kahin se chalun
Tujh mein hi aake ruku
Tere siva Main jaun kahan
Koi bhi raah chunu
Tujh mein hi aake ruku

Tum Mile To Lamhein Tham gaye
Tum mile to Saare gum gaye
Tum mile to muskhurana aa gaya

Tum mile to jadoo chaa gaya
Tum mile to jeena aa gaya
Tum mile to mene paya hai khuda

Tujh mein kinara dikhe
Dil ko sahara dikhe
Aa meri dhadkan tham le

Teri taraf hi mude
Yeh saas tujhse jude
Har pal yeh tera naam le
Tum mile to abb kya hai kami
Tum mile to duniya mil gai
Tum mile to mil gaya asra

Tum mile to jadoo chaa gaya
Tum mile to jeena aa gaya
Tum mile to mene paya hai khuda

Din mere tujhse chale
Raatein bhi tujhse dhale
Hai waqt tere haath mein

hooo Tu hi shehar hai mera
Tujh mein hi ghar hai mera

Rehta hai tere saath mein

Tum mile to mil gaya humsafar
Tum mile to khud ki hai khabar
Tum mile to ristha sa ban gaya

Tum mile to jadoo chaa gaya
Tum mile to jeena aa gaya
Tum mile to mene paya hai khuda

chetan bhagat's speech at symbiosis

2009-11-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

be sincere not serious

Following is the speech by Chetan Bhagat given at the orientation programme for the new batch of MBA students at Symbiosis, Pune.

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates – there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing – to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure – a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes – Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said – don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I’ve told you three things – reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember – if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.

Disappointment’ s cousin is Frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life – friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness – this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is Isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms – disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying – I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Thank You.

Chetan Bhagat

looking forward to reading two states - chetan bhagat

2009-11-14T03:50:00.000-08:00

a book i'm waiting to lay my hands on!! i think it will be an interesting read.

Synopsis
2 States

Love marriages around the world are simple:

Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.
They get married.

In India, there are a few more steps:

Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Boy.
Girl's family has to love boy. Boy's family has to love girl.
Girl's Family has to love Boy's Family. Boy's family has to love girl's family.
Girl and Boy still love each other. They get married.

Welcome to 2 States, a story about Krish and Ananya. They are from two different states of India, deeply in love and want to get married. Of course, their parents don’t agree. To convert their love story into a love marriage, the couple have a tough battle in front of them. For it is easy to fight and rebel, but it is much harder to convince. Will they make it? From the author of blockbusters Five Point Someone, One Night @ the Call Center and The 3 Mistakes of My Life, comes another witty tale about inter-community marriages in modern india.

Rocky Balboa's Inspirational Speech to His Son

2009-09-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

a great pep up!

"When Things got hard, you started looking for something to blame. Like a Big Shadow.
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it...

You've gotta hit as hard as life. It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much can you take and keep moving forward? That's how winning is done.

If you know what you're worth, Go out and Get What Your Worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that."

----Rocky Balboa
The Last "Rocky" Film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY

The Obstacle in Our Path

2009-09-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

THE TROUBLE TREE

2009-09-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

a great story I found on quotexite.com!
and great stress buster!!!

inch by inch

2009-08-22T04:46:00.000-07:00

an amazing amazing speech........

i dont know what to say,really...
3 minutes...to the biggest battle of our professional lives...all comes down to today...
Either, we heal, as a team, or we're gonna crumble...inch by inch, play by play...to we're finished, we're in hell right now, gentlemen...believe me...
and...we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us...or... we can fight our way back...into the light...we can climb outta hell...one inch at a time...now, i cant do it for you...im too old...i look around, i see this young faces,and i think...i mean,i've made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make...I...eh...I pissed away all my money, believe it or not...i chased off anyone's who's ever loved me...and lately,I cant even stand the face I see in the mirror...you know, when you get old in life,things get taken from you...well thats....thats part of life...but, you only learn that,when you start losing stuff...you find out, life's a game of inches...so is football...because, in either game,life or fottball,the margin for error is so small, i mean, one half a step too late, or too early, and you dont quite make it, one half second too slow, too fast, you dont quite catch it, the inches we need are everywhere around us... they're in every break of the game, every minute, every second....on this team, we fight for that inch... on this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us, to pieces for that inch...we claw with our fingernails for that inch...because we know,when we head up all those inches,thats gonna make the fucking difference, between winning and losing!
Between living and dying!! I'll tell you this: in any fight, its the guy who's willing to die,who's gonna win that inch...and I know, if im gonna have any life anymore...Its because I'm still willing to fight and die for that inch...because, thats what living is! The six inches in front of your face...!! now, i cant make you do it, you gotta look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes!now, i think you're gonna see a guy, who will go that inch with you...You're gonna see a guy, who will sacrifice himself, for this team, because he knows, when it comes down to it, you're gonna do the same for him... Thats a team, gentlemen...and, either we heal,NOW, as a team, or we will die...as individuals...thats football, guys...thats all it is...now, what are you gonna do?

even 1 can make a difference

2009-06-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

once a man, taking a walk on the beach, saw a boy at a distance repeatedly throwing something into the sea. curious he wanted to have a closer look. as he approached the boy, he realized that thousands of star fish were washed on shore by the tide and the boy was simply putting the fish back into the sea. amused by this he went up to the boy and said " why are you doing this? your effort will hardly make any difference. there are thousands of starfish on shore. the tide will come and take them back. "
the boy stood thoughtful for a moment, and saw a fish fighting to live. he simply picked it up and put it back in the water. he looked up to the man and said, "i sure did make a difference to that one"

everyone can make a difference; cause a positive change ; it depends upon the perspective!
be the change you want to see

Leaving On A Jet Plane

2009-06-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Chantal Kreviazuk
Armageddon.

All my bags are packed, i'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn'
The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn
Already i'm so lonesome i could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'cause i'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when i'll be back again
[ Chantal Kreviazuk Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
Oh babe, i hate to go

There's so many times i've let you down
So many times i've played around
But tell him that they don't mean a thing

Every place i go i think of you
Every song i sing i'll sing for you
When i come back, i'll wear your wedding ring

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, oh let me kiss you
And close your eyes and i'll be on my way

Dream about the days to come
When i won't have to leave alone
By the times that i won't have to say

mumble jumble

2009-06-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

must read!!!

a very interesting article i stumbled upon.

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
IM A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND hers the best ....

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

i'm sure ur moods up !

gift

2009-06-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

this is a lovely story which i read every once in a while. it has a great message beautifully put forth.
a must read.

A young man was getting ready to graduate college
. For
many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's
showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told
him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation
Day approached, the young man awaited
signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the
morning of his graduation his father called him into his private
study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine
son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son
a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man
opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily,
he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you
give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy
book.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in
business.
He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his
father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He
had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make
arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had
passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He
needed to come home immediately and take care things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and
regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father's important papers and
saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With
tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he
read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope
taped behind the Bible.
It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the
sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation,
and the words..."PAID IN FULL."

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not
packaged as we expected?