What You Can Learn From Cheetah

Be a Cheetah who spots its target and then uses all of its energy, aggression, sincerity in catching its prey. Don't be a Tortoise who slowly moves inch by inch towards its goal. It has the sincerity and energy too. But not aggression. By its nature, it is not aggressive.

Be a Cheetah, career-wise. Your prey is your career. Prepare well. Adapt. Spot the opportunity. Feel the fierceness within. Be aware of your capability. Draw all your energy. Focus on your goal. Then go for it. Full steam.

Don't just cherish the process. Savor the achievement. Be after achieving it. Stop only after you've achieved it. Feel the adrenaline rush through your veins when you go after it.

Do you think a Cheetah will bloat over how well it prepares, how well it camouflages itself, how well it spots it prey, how well it runs? Of course not. They are the basic necessities. Without them it cannot succeed. But it stops only after it has nabbed its prey.

Set ambitious targets. Keep your prey in sight. Adapt to it. Don't lose your focus even for a millisecond. Don't try half-heartedly. If you do, you'll starve.

What are you gonna do? Sit still or go after it?

The Easier Way Out?

The easier way is to take up a short cut to success, than work your way through.

The easier way out is to quit, than to do something about it.

Easier way out is to stagnate, than to grow.

Easier way out is to demean your subordinates, than to empower them.

Easier way out is to demotivate, than to inspire.

Easier way is to just preach, than to practice it.

Easier way is to run away from a challenge, than to tackle it.

We are created to take challenges head on.

Right from our cave-dwelling days. Right when we discovered fire. When we created the wheel. When Buddha found about miseries of life and took up the challenge of finding a solution. When Schindler saved Jews. When Martin Luther King Jr fought for civil rights. When we created first space ship. When we sent Laika into space. When we sent Neil on the moon. When Hillary and Norgay climbed Mt. Everest. When Gandhi opposed the British through non-violence. When Steve Jobs resurrected Apple. When APJ Abdul Kalam created Agni missle and empowered India.

History is replete with people who chose the challenging way. And left their mark. We now call them legends. They faced the challenges in all advertisities and succeeded. They had a drive, an inner desire to grow, contribute and persist.

We are meant to take things up the challenging way. We are meant to leave our mark. To make a dent in the universe. To believe in yourself. To do what is right. To grow. To become Better.

Which one do you choose - the Easier Way or the Challenging Way?

Doing Good Work

Stop cribbing about how your boss neglects that awesome work you are doing for him. Stop feeling anxious about what others think about you. Stop feeling bad about that jerk who doesn't pay attention to you.

It doesn't matter. They don't matter.

Remember, you are here for a purpose. If you don't know what it is, relax. Just remember that you're here to do good work you'll be proud of. Keep at it. Rest doesn't matter.

Spend quality time at work. Ignore the jerks. Ignore the put-downers. Ignore the behind-the-back comments. Take what is good. Move on.

Make a difference every day you come to work. Be better than yesterday. That's a simple plan, ain't it? Just keep doing it.

Make a dent in the universe. Only that matters. Every single day. Every single moment.

Remember, sometimes you'll find yourself digressing from your purpose. Soon as you realise it, re-focus your efforts. Once you've taken its cognizance, don't waste a single iota of energy doing banal work. Re-align your actions.

Do good work. Focus. Make a dent in the universe. :)

The Real Test: How Do You Deal With Risks?

How do you handle a situation you've not dealt with before? How do you respond to a situation you're uncomfortable with? Do you panic when you're in a sudden and seemingly unnerving situation?

I'm essentially talking about risk and our ability to take risks. 

I feel the real test of a person is how he/she deals with such random, sudden and unexpected situations.

We often encounter such situations in our lives. And many times the first reaction is panic - which is quite understandable. It is a fight or flight response, which our cave-dwelling ancestors were compelled to take. And this is thousands of years of programming hardwired in our system which is difficult to get rid of.

So what is risk taking? It's about getting involved in something with an undefined/ unexpected outcome. And the risk taking ability is how well one deals with such an event/ activity with an undefined/ unexpected outcome.

The good news is that we can nurture this risk taking ability - with lot of practice, patience and good presence of mind. Expect that there will always be uncertainties, and be prepared for it. Be confident. Have a presence of mind to deal with them. Keep practicing. Gradually, we will get better at it.

Start taking intelligent risks. Not like jumping out of your building or like moonwalking near a cobra, or standing in front of an approaching truck. Not life threatening risks. That would be dumb. I'm not talking about them.

More like, starting to experiment with things/ situations. Say you feel uncomfortable dealing with an unknown group of people. As a first step, you can just start mixing with some newer faces, one at a time. And then gradually mixing with a group of unknown people.

Maybe you think that investing in stock market is risky. So to build up your confidence, read more about investing, start investing small amounts and gradually increase the sum. You'll notice that the more you're exposed to it, the better you can deal with it.

It could be as simple as taking a detour from your regular route to explore newer routes. Things like these. You can start by taking risks in areas you're familiar with.

There are people we know of having this remarkable ability to aptly deal with such situations. We admire them for having a good presence of mind. I'm sure you can instantly recall many in your personal and professional network. You should also speak to them about how they have developed this ability.

Taking risks exposes us to environments/ situations we have not come across before. We learn. We grow. We become better. Challenge yourself to take newer risks to become better.

Go ahead and take a new risk, today! You'll be thrilled! Promise. 

How do you respond when you face an unexpected situation presents itself? What are some ways you've used that helped you master it? Do share your experiences and techniques in the comments below.

Celebrate Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

I could see several people standing on the traffic signal, holding placards of some kind. About 10-15 in number, in 2-3 groups across different junctions of the signal. But they seemed peaceful enough. No cops around. No crowd around. What was going on?

I thought this group was a part of just another protest of some kind. I ran through a list of embarrassing public events which were recently unfolded - large scams, protests, fast-unto-death rallies, etc, and then I also tried arriving at the cause that this group might be affiliated to. I got curious.

When I was idling at the signal, I read what the placards had displayed and carefully observed the attire of the people.

And then I became ecstatic.

What stood apart was their bright yellow jackets on white T-shirts and a prominent cap, with Cummins neatly embroidered. Which probably meant that Cummins was the sponsor.

The placards they held were not to support a cause of protest.

They were in fact spreading awareness to celebrate the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi in an eco-friendly manner. One of the placards asked people to refrain from submerging Ganesh Idols in rivers, ponds, etc. They implored people to submerge the idols in a tank specially created near such water bodies. Another placard requested people to stop throwing garlands and flowers (Nirmalya) in natural water reservoirs. This ensured that these water reservoirs did not get (further) polluted.

[Photo credit: http://www.bigpicture.in/festival-photos-from-india/]

I was thrilled. This brief encounter made me think deeper about the very need of such awareness campaigns. Upon googling the issue further, I came across some interesting articles here and here. And this one was particularly insightful.

Here are few things we can start doing from this Ganesh Festival (starting 19th Sept) to keep the environment clean:
1. Let's immerse Ganesh Idols in separate tanks and not in rivers, lakes, ponds, etc.
2. Let's pledge that we will keep Ganesh Festival free of noise pollution.
3. Let's use only the natural clay idols, and not Plaster of Paris ones.
4. Let's avoid use of non biodegradable material such as thermocole altogether.
5. Lets recycle flowers and garlands to make hand made paper or dried flower products.

Keep it up Cummins! I'm certain it will have a lasting impact. Gradually we will start seeing clearer water reservoirs through many such initiatives and campaigns.

Wishing you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi in advance! :) May Lord Ganesh bless you with lifelong happiness!

What are some other initiatives/ activities you can do to conserve the nature better? Do share in your comments below. Thanks.

You don't need Approval

Think you're being humble when you crave for approval?

Don't complicate it. Things are really that simple. All that is required is the willingness to do it.

Be free from restrictions. Freedom from emotional desire to seek approval.

"By seeking his/ her permission, he'll know what I am upto, he/she'll correct me". Really? Stop bullshitting yourself. Just go ahead and do it. Take risks.

Don't hesitate. Your heart doesn't, when it pumps blood. You know what is right and what needs to be done. Your mind makes it weak. Your mind complicates matter.

Worried about what others think of you? Shut up. You are again begging to conform to the bromide.

Think Gandhi would have worried about what others would feel about the Dandi March? Think it would have mattered to Newton what his neighbor felt about Gravity? Grow up. They didn't worry about it. Nor should you. They believed in something they knew was right.

Get rid of that fear within you. Take risks. Conquer it. You know you can. Deep within. Your heart does. Don't secondguess your ability to excel.

You don't need Approval. Be fearless. Be You.

Break Free

Why do you have to confirm
to stale ideologies and dogmas?
Break Free

Why do you have to walk
in the footsteps of others?
Break Free

Why do you have to be wary
of what others think of you as?
Break Free

Why do you have to pretend
to what others expect you to be?
Break Free

Why do you have to become
the person you never wanted to be?
Break Free

The Good Samaritan I Almost Met During Rains

The first raindrops of the season had hit the ground early evening on the 5th of June as I was about to wrap up my work. By the time I got on the bike, it had officially started raining cats and dogs.

On my way home, I cross a very prominent junction, called "University Circle" which witnesses a high traffic density during its peak hours (9-10am and 6-8pm).

What followed was totally unexpected and very inspiring. 

I left office at about 6.30pm that day, when the rains were at its peak. On the way to the University Circle, I was annoyed to see a lot of people driving recklessly especially in this weather. Could I do something to warn them against rash driving? I was worried that they might hurt others too.

As I was approaching the traffic signal, I noticed a thin old guy holding an umbrella, telling something to the passersby. I got curious. He couldn't possibly be a begger or a hawker? Then what was this old guy doing in this difficult weather?

When I passed him closely, I was left awestruck by he was doing: He was waving his hand very animatedly and asking people to drive slowly! It was one of the most inspiring moments for me! I later recollected that I had also seen him sorting out traffic jam a couple of times at University Circle earlier.

And he wasn't even a traffic cop fulfilling his duties. He was just some guy, who was all out there helping others. And without asking anything in return. And I don't even know his name. A guy low in profile but high in deeds! God bless him!

You want to see/ meet him? Just stop by at the University Circle during peak hours, and look out for an old guy who is trying to help sort out some mess

Here are four takeaways from this experience:
1. Avoid driving recklessly - even when its raining. Drive safely. Think about others too.
2. Be good to others. You don't need to promote good work. Just keep doing it. Others will be thankful to you, even if they don't know you.
3. When you notice an area of improvement, take it up yourself - in whatever small way you can.
4. Follow traffic rules. They are meant to safeguard us all.

Ciao! Happy Driving!

Why You Might Get Late To Work On A Rainy Day

It's been a month since the rains have arrived.

I got a little anxious and later curious as to why I was clocking 40 mins to work, than my usual 30 mins. In any non-rainy day, I observed I was reaching within 30 mins, sometimes even 20 mins during peak traffic.

What started as a passing enquiry grew into nagging curiosity. I decided to explore the various causes as to why I was clocking extra 10-15 mins on a typical rainy day. Upon some observation and analysis, I came up with these 4 logical reasons:

Reason 1: In a rainy season, roads are slippery and people are more careful while driving their vehicles. Thus, as more people drive cautiously and therefore slowly, every body gets late to work.

Reason 2: People who earlier took 2-wheelers to work, were now resorting to a 4-wheeler to avoid rains. This increased the vehicle density during the peak traffic hours. More vehicles combined with cautious driving, delayed more people to work.

Reason 3: People with a 2-wheeler but who did not own a car, were resorting to using public transports or taxis during rains. This increased the traffic density and congestion further, delaying people to work.

Reason 4: The start of the rainy reason (July) is also roughly the time when the Schools reopen, and the starting time of a lot of schools is 9-9.30am. This increased number of School buses/ taxis/ vans and also parents who were dropping their children to school, added to the traffic woes and delayed others to work.

These are just some observations. How about finding some real data? Can we conclusively prove that on any rainy day, the time taken to reach your destination is more as compared to any other day?

I can probably find such a data at toll plazas. They keep log of all vehicles transiting. We can find out the number of 2-wheelers, 4-wheelers, taxis and public transport vehicles entering and exiting during peak/ non-peak hours and rainy/ non-rainy season.I'm going to try finding this data on some online sources.

Do you know any sources where such data could be found? What other reasons can you suggest?

For now, I'm just going to start to work a little early so I can reach on time! :)

Listen To That Wee Warrior Inside You

What is your purpose? What are you here for?

Anytime you feel lost, feel that you're losing the traction, feel you're not heading anywhere, feel that you're not doing something right - the wee little voice inside you will ask these questions. Every time. Without fail. Time and again. To help you get back on track.

Hear that wee little voice inside you. Hear it when it squirms. Believe in it.

It keeps making you uncomfortable. Uncomfortable with stagnancy. Uncomfortable when you do what you don't like doing. Uncomfortable when you're not trying hard enough. Uncomfortable when you're dishonest. Uncomfortable when you lie.

Try however hard to avoid it - it will keep pestering you. That's what it is there for. That is your true voice. It keeps channeling you in the right direction. It is your inner compass. It keeps telling your true purpose.

Train yourself to listen to it and follow it. Nurture it. Don't ignore it. It won't ignore you. It will keep coming back. The brain will tell you ignore it. Ignore the brain.

That's the warrior fighting on your side. Constantly. Relentlessly. To help you succeed. To help you become better. To help you get over your evils. Listen to it. Be on its side.

Listen to that wee warrior. Listen to your voice. Listen to yourself.

What 2 Volunteers from HelpAge India Taught Me

I was relaxing at home yesterday morning, watching some episodes of The Big Bang Theory. It was about 11am or so when the door bell rang. Two youngsters of about 25 years age were standing there with a broad grin on their faces.

It wasn't a typical grin you expect from a door-to-door Salesman. It was something more pleasant, more serene, more genuine. I was curious. I welcomed them in anyway.

Image credit: Wikipedia.org

They told me that they were from Help Age India, and if I had heard of it. I told them, “Of course, it is a popular NGO.” They were pleased.

They began explaining how they too were working professionals during the weekdays and transformed into HelpAge volunteers full-time on weekends. It was something they wanted to do to contribute to our society. They explained the plight of so many old people who are left on the streets unattended and were in poor health. They explained how we offer fresh food to even our pets at home, but how these grannies and grandpas are unable to even feed themselves and have to eat left-over and unhygienic food on the street.

They went on to explain how these grannies and grandpas, turn blind due to their inability to get timely cataract treatment. They said, the word was “Timely”. If such needy people can get timely help, they can maintain descent health.

This is where HelpAge India comes into the picture. They had schemes for providing free and timely treatment. Not only this, they also gave them employments subsequently so their self-esteem grows and they don't have to resort to the streets again. HelpAge was interested in solving their problems once and for all. They were collecting funds for full the treatment of these old people.

While sharing their experiences about such fund-collection drives, they shared some very heartless responses  of people. I can’t even imagine people responding, “How many more days do they have to live? Why to invest money there” How outright unemotional and inhuman. I felt anger surge within me against those who were so cruel.

Like many others, I too happily handed over a cheque they could encash later. It was the least I could do. They studied a list of more people they had to visit for HelpAge India and bid me adieu.

I was convinced about the noble cause these two youngsters were contributing to. 2-3 things stood out for me:

1.  There is no dearth of people who question, discuss, argue at great length about how much they want to help, but when the time comes, they simply turn away from an opportunity.
2. It was the first time I met Help Age India volunteers. Although I had read quite a bit about how HelpAge India functioned, it was my first time that someone personally explained me its impact so comprehensively. I was happy that such volunteers were actually doing their bit. That was what stood out. They were doing it, not just speaking about it.
3.  They taught me that you don’t need to be a Bill Gates or Narayana Murthy or Anna Hazare to bring about a change. You can contribute to change yourself, in your own capacity, in your own way.

It struck me later that what really distinguishes a leader from the rest is that they actually do it. They don’t just preach. They do it. That is why people look upto them. They have the experience of actually implementing something they believe in. Laggards are only concerned, they don’t influence. They stay within their circle of concern without ever growing their circle of influence.

Let me explain this in a little greater detail. These are 2 very important concepts explained in the best seller ‘The 7Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Steven Covey. Simply stating, a Circle of Concern is something that you’re only concerned about, you're worried about. A Circle of Influence is about things you can influence, you can act on. This is one of most profound concepts I've learnt.

Let’s take a closer look. We come across many people who crib, complain and whine about the state of society (or India or business) is and how it is going from bad to worse. They are really ‘concerned’ about the state of affairs. They scream from their guts about how bad the roads are, how corrupt the politicians are, how bad administration is, how bad their bosses are, how flawed the HR policy is, etc. The list can be endless. And by now, you must have also guessed the names of people in your acquaintance who do this. These are the people who stay in their Circle of Concern and don’t do anything to influence it/ change it.

There is the other breed of people who probably don’t say much, but just get things done. These also exist in your work place, in your locality, in your institution, in your group. These are the people others go to for a solution, or when they have to get things done. They believe in doing things, rather than just sitting on it and endlessly arguing. They like to act on it. Period. These are the people who expand their Circle of Influence and shorten their Circle of Concern.

Whenever they see a problem, they ask “How can I change this myself?” “What role can I play, however tiny, that will change things for the better?” Then they go ahead and just do it.

A person always has a choice between these two. He can either sit on it, or act on it. He can either choose to grow his circle of influence and in effect, reduce the circle of concern. This choice defines a person in his social, personal and professional sphere of life. These are the choices that even make or break a person.

Become a better person. Make the right choice. Don't sit on it. Act Now.

What steps are you taking today to expand your circle of influence? How can you reduce the circle of concern? What is that one thing you always wanted to do, but did not do it yet? Well, go ahead and do it now. Do share your experiences below. Thanks.

Has Nature Really Evolved?

There are three types of canines. First, who live on my side of the road. Second, who live on the other side of the road. Third, who die crossing the road.

Canines have inspired me over the years about the sense of purpose, sense of existence, the elemental drive, evolution etc. Strange, but true. Will try to elaborate these one by one below.

En route my office on my bike, I always observe lot of dogs 'just' hanging around.

ABOUT PURPOSE/ SENSE OF EXISTENCE: They seem to roam around with no sense of purpose/ the 'higher' goal in life. They are either making a futile effort of trying to catch their own tail or just chasing each other out of their territory. Is that all they exist for? Are they self-aware? Do they know why they exist?

Life for them seems pretty easy, from OUR POINT OF VIEW. But we would never know their thoughts. Unless we can find some telepathic veterinary doctor or someone like Dr. Doolittle.

ABOUT EVOLUTION: Many dogs get killed in road accidents each year, and those who live on either side of the road, also become familiar with these accidents. My thought is, through evolutionary measures, why don't dogs - who have seen accidents or seen their near ones die - pass on this info through their genes to their successors?

In doing so, the new breed of dogs would get accustomed to urban lifestyles and the reckless driving habits. Thus, they could save a whole bunch of dogs while crossing. They could evolve into someone with an elastic, resilient, strong body - capable of withstanding high-speed impacts. What say? [Food for thought: How did homo erectus become homo sapiens?]

But this led me to thinking about evolution of human beings as well. Every child has to spend the same amount of time in learning things that his/her parents already know, right? We teach him to speak, to sing, to talk, to walk, to drink, to write, etc. Why do we have to do that, if our parents already know it? Why aren't these basic actitivites passed on through their genes to their child?

Won't it save time in training him in those things again? What happened to evolution? Why are we redoing and relearning things? Won't this help every new generation to start learning at a new level? Every generation would 'have' earlier gen's knowledge from their birth. They could start at an altogether new level of research, thinking, learning etc.

I'm unable to comprehend this immediately. But then, a possible solution surfaces: All that is there is in the world is 'material'. It may not exist tomorrow. And so what is the point of knowing something that may not exist tomorrow? And so, may be this info is not passed on to the next gen. Is this THE answer? Seriously, I have no idea.
-------

I'm trying to find answers to these questions. I ask these to every wise being I meet and I get varied answers. What do you think?

Mental Peace

There are times at random, when your mental harmony is disturbed for no reason whatsoever. Or that is what it apparently looks like.

Upon closer observation of yourself, you begin to understand the nature of the problem. Once you have identified, you can solve it easily.

The mental harmony cannot be restored by external factors, nor can it be disturbed by external factors. It is something that you need to restore through soul-searching, resolving internal conflicts, introspection etc. All this can happen when you spend some time with your self.

My mental equilibrium was suddenly disturbed yesterday for no apparent reason. Something had happened at the office front, and I was about to go into the same old trap. But after spending some quality time alone, with my self today I could control it.

I will act on things asap - without critically over-analyzing and over-assessing things. I will limit my thinking to things of the present, rather than the past. Future is what I make of present, so I am not worried much about it.

Flying is for lazy people

After many days today, I went for a morning walk with my cousin. On our way back, I shared my thought about how spectacular it must be to fly around.

To which he promptly replied, "Flying is for lazy people who do not like to run/ jog!". He continued, "What's there - you just have to think about it and you start flying. While running, you actually exercise. That's better."

I had no answer to this. I think I was too shocked to hear it. Perhaps, I had expected him to empathize with me and say, "Yeah, how interesting it must to be like Superman!".

But anyway, I guess, there is nothing right or wrong - only opinions. I just kept the possibilities of flying to myself and felt happier later.

Random Thoughts: Ideas, Awareness and God

6.684 billion minds on earth.

Potential of generating 6.684 billion ideas every second.

India has the potential of generating 1.129 billion ideas every second. WOW!!

How can we harness that? Shouldn't there be an 'idea meter' which just ticks every second, counts the ideas generated and also registers them somewhere so that we can refer to them sometime?

Forgetfulness is a sin. We tend to forget easily than we remember. It just struck me that we have to 'work hard' in remembering something than in forgetting something. That's why we generally 'choose' to forget. Cuz, that's easier. Anyways.

Maharashtra, the state I belong to, has a population of 96 million. Nasik has the population of over 1.4 million. See the potential?

We are in the knowledge economy. Knowledge comes from Awareness. Awareness is the fuel to generate ideas. Or is it? Is is 'chicken first-egg first' thing? Think. What controls what? Do ideas control awareness? or the other way round? or it is a vicious cycle? Ideas generate more awareness which generate more ideas.

Why is memorizing a mental function while forgetting is not? Deleting / Erasing is a special command in computers. Then why not in us?

We don't have an effective Idea Log mechanism. Why doesn't anything that comes to our mind gets registered somewhere, 'naturally'? May be in an inter-dimensional void? This is considering that the storage space will run out on earth!! Even the most high capacity storage devices would run out of space. [Just a parallel thought: There could be a mutant, Ideator, whose superpower is to store other people's ideas without letting his brain run out of memory. He is able to tap and utilize ideas from any part of the universe or even multiverses. Someone like Forge, a genius who can create anything he can imagine. But much more powerful.]

May be that's why we don't have a 'natural' Idea storage house. We save on space. God must have figured that humans would breed and populate the world."It's best left to their own discretion to decide which 'ideas' have a future and which don't". Naturally, if ideas are stored, they would occupy more space than the total humans on the planets. Ideas can cross-pollinate and breed and grow.

But would there be an uneven spread of ideas across humans? That brings to the next question. Is God partial to humans? Why should one human generate more ideas than the other? Why did God not give equal brain 'potential' to humans?

Endless questions. Endless debate. Incessant Ideas.

PS: Since 1850, when the world population has exceeded a billion, we could have potential generated 4.983 x E18 ideas! And this is considering that a single mind generates ideas on its own. We have not even considered cross-pollination. I wonder if the world even had these many problems to solve!

We had to make more problems just to solve them! [Well, that's very humane, so it's possible.]

Thank you for your patient listening to all the gibberish! :)