Rejoice With Raj

Joy In Little Things

2012-01-28T06:31:00.000-08:00

Recently we received a note from our resident association informing us that garbage segregation has been made mandatory by the Government and that we had to adhere to the new process. As soon as I saw the elaborate note and the list of items to be segregated I became sceptical. I said to myself, “This is lot of work; no one is going to adhere to such stringent segregation process.” I justified my resistance to the segregation process with the thought that even in the most advanced countries; such stringent and elaborate segregation is not practiced. Fortunately I checked myself and decided to look at the end objective of the whole exercise . . . I realised it was to protect our environment and create a better world for all of us. Being a nature lover helped and with no housekeeper (that is another story) I decided to attempt the segregation process myself. It was complex; the traditional agency that collected all our garbage said that henceforth they would only collect food waste, leaves and twigs from the garden. That too the conventional black bag in which we packed it would not be taken! Paper, Plastic and glass items were to be picked up by another agency once a week. They wanted paper, plastic/ glass and electronic waste to be segregated.

As I got down to the task, the first activity was to ensure that we had four different garbage bins in the kitchen. The traditional one for the food waste, a green bag for plastic & glass, a white bag for paper and a red bag for Electronic waste like printer cartridges, batteries, floppy discs etc. Next came the education of our maids on what they can throw where. Even with the elaborate list of what goes where, often we had to pause and think which bin was the right one for a certain item. For instance a tooth brush cover we realised could not go straight into any bin as the top was plastic and the bottom was made of cardboard paper. So we had to rip it apart to put the plastic in the green bag and cardboard in the white bag. The luxury of throwing out take away food cans also got axed with the new process. Often when we ordered food home on the maid’s day off, the best thing about it was that we did not have to wash any dishes other than the plates we ate in. The plastic cans were thrown away with the remnants of the dish. The new process required us to clean it and put it in the green bag. Cleaning was required since that garbage was taken once a week and even a little bit of food would raise a stink. Ditto for yoghurt, Jam, butter, cheese and all other disposable food containers. We also had to rethink about the usefulness of the garbage bins in our 3 bedrooms and study. After some thinking we decided to retain them for paper waste and walk up to the kitchen for banana peels, other food waste or plastic wrappers etc.

The first two weeks were alot of work but soon discipline took over and the segregation process kicked in beautifully. Few days later when I saw the self appointed garbage inspectors checking our garbage hold area, I felt rewarded for compliance and getting it right. I experienced the Joy of a job well done. That was not the end of it; soon I saw the real benefits of the process . . .

Our garbage came down to a fraction of what we use to pack every day in the black bags. Soon the truth hit home, if we and others practiced the stringent segregation norm, there would be very little garbage that need to be disposed off on a daily basis. The rest were all stuff that can be recycled. In a city that is reeling under the weight of garbage the new process is bound to do good all around. I rejoice that I did not give in to the initial scepticism and gave it my all to put the process in place and experience the Joy even in this mundane activity!

The Culture Of Greed

2011-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

The current ‘Occupy Wall Street’ agitation has put a focus on Greed. As we look around we see the trend in many products and services that we use. . Take the case of the dwindling newspaper circulation in many developed countries . . . You may argue that technology and 24 hours News channels are killing the Newspaper Industry. I personally feel that Greed had a key role to play in the fall in circulation. During my stay overseas, being a hardened Newspaper fan that needs the morning papers with his cup of Tea, I find ways to get hold of a Newspaper every morning. Most of the time I am left disappointed with the quantum of News in those papers, advertisements seem to be pushing News out. Weekend is another story altogether, the newspaper is so bulky that it won’t fit into the mail box and is thrown on the lawn. I love reading and the very first time I saw that sight, I was excited thinking there was plenty of reading material in that bulky volume.. How disappointed I was for most of the pages were devoted to advertisements! My overseas friends tell me that they buy the Newspapers only in the weekend and that too for discount coupons printed in it!

Unfortunately the trend is catching on in my country too. For example the 16 page local news edition pull out of our newspaper last weekend had only 2500 or so words of local news; rest was devoted to a plethora of advertisements! Week days too, news coverage has sunk and it is almost like they have changed their Mission statement. from “ Reporting news, worthy of your attention, on time, in full” To “ Keeping you informed of the shopping choices that you have in terms of clothes, houses, Cars, food, drinks, holidays etc.”

We have stopped viewing many of the popular T V Channels because the frequent commercial breaks. We found out to our horror that a movie of two hours actually took three hours to view on a particular channel. No wonder that many people run away from their Television sets or switch channels as soon as the ‘short commercial break’ is announced.

There are similar examples in fast moving consumer goods segment, luxury goods segment etc of of how Greed pushes the supplier to forget their primary customer’s interest and push for bigger profits. The customers are no fools, as the value comes down they shift to another brand or alternative arrangements to meet their requirements. This wipes out a particular market or a service provider.

Before we put all the blame on the corporate for Greed, let us recognise that the issue of Greed is one of culture and it originates from us as individuals. Our ego need, to outdo others, often makes us go beyond where we should have stopped. In the name of performance, achievement and, living well, we as individuals and organisations sacrifice sleep, family life, health and happiness to be the No.1 in the team, organisation or in the market. Some make it, some fall by the way side. Those who make it are hailed as heroes and they go on to set even bigger goals and pursue it even though they have enough wealth to last their life time... No one thinks of them as Greedy! So with social approval the game continues . . .

Picketing Wall Street creates awareness on Greed but to make a dent in the Greed Culture, we as individuals have to make life style changes. Don’t get carried away with the promise of Blissful life that almost all products and services convey through their advertisements. Use your purchasing power wisely. Make your personal happiness and family happiness priority no. one. Find Joy in little things. Stop chasing dreams which only brings emptiness. Above all live your life. Doesn’t matter what the Jones are up to.

There is Life After Christmas & New Year !

2011-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Ken my son pointed out to me that the Season of Joy is over and that I should change my status message in Google chat “Looking forward to the Season of Joy!" I had put that message in the beginning of December in anticipation of all the good times to come in the month. Yes the Season of Joy is over and it is back to work and the routine.

We took out the Christmas decorations and dismantled the tree over the weekend and boxed it away. The house does look a little dull having been stripped of all the Red and Green Christmas deco along with the tinsel.

After a month of great food, fun, bonding activities with family and friends at home and in church, suddenly life too may look a little dull. Most people who celebrate Christmas and New Year go through this feeling of emptiness or even sense of depression after the first day or two of the New Year. Some bounce back quickly others struggle through till they reach the starting of another exciting event like a Holiday plan or a weekend do etc. Having gone through the emptiness spell post Christmas and New Year in the past, I thought I would share with you some thoughts to keep the excitement alive in life regardless of which month it is . . .

To start with focus on the Gift of the New Year that you have been given. Plan on what you will do with it, both on the Professional and Personal front. Next break down your plan into activities and events spread over the 12 months of the New Year. Remember that you have been given a new canvass and it is an appropriate time to kick off a lot of change, find new ways of doing things, Look for smart solutions, take risks and achieve lofty Goals! Once you have a robust plan in place, throw yourself into it and get busy to make it happen.

Ideally the plans should be made before the New Year just after Christmas, so that you have something to look forward to post the New Year day but it is never too late to get on the planning mode even now. Mundane plans and activities will not excite you and so make sure to attempt something really big in the New Year. It could be in the area of finding an exciting new job, skilling up for it, or using your talents to make significant difference to those who are not that privileged or it could even be kicking off a personal transformation journey to be a light to all those around you!

In addition to your exciting New Year plan, work on events or activities that will bring back the excitement through good times, the fun times, the family times and personal times on a weekly basis. For me personally, even though I have been married to Bina for 28 years, Fridays are very special as I have a date with Bina every Friday evening and I look forward to it. Saturday morning is personal time and I indulge in some of the things I love to do (see my earlier post on things I love to do) Sunday is family time at church and home and we enjoy the fellowship over lunch at home with the extended family.

When the weekend is over I never feel sad for I have an exciting plan to pursue come Monday morning at work! So a combination of weekend plans and your exciting New Year plan can take the empty feeling away and keep the excitement alive for you. Try it!

Cooked with Love!

2010-11-23T07:18:00.000-08:00

I love food and enjoy a delicious meal eaten in leisure with family and friends around the table. We do this every Sunday afternoon when our family and the extended family get-together at our home after church. Most of us look forward to this time of the week when we can relax and enjoy the food and fellowship. What makes the Sunday Lunch a success is the amazing ability the lover of my life has, to rustle out mouth watering dishes in a jiffy! Being a busy professional, she normally has no time to cook but in the weekends and when we have guests, Bina takes over the kitchen from the housekeeper and waves her magic wand!

During the week the house keeper uses Bina's recipes to feed us but it never comes out like Bina's signature dishes. Often when Bina is home, our children request her to do a makeover of what the housekeeper has produced. Being a very kind hearted soul, she never says 'No'. Even after a hard day’s work when such requests come she breezes into the kitchen chops some onions, cuts a couple of green chillies and gets to work with whatever other magic ingredients she uses to create those 'Wow' dishes.

Recently our housekeeper took off for a week and Bina took over the kitchen as she had a break from her tight schedule. I just loved it, for every meal that she cooked and served us was a delight! After a week of this Tasty, appetising, Scrumptious, Yummy, luscious, delectable, mouth-watering offerings I asked my love, what her secret was and she responded with a smile, "It is Cooked with Love!" Suddenly it dawned on me that yes, it is indeed cooked with love and that is what gave her the edge. Beside the talent, when she gets into the kitchen she puts her whole heart and mind to create something extraordinary for her loved ones. For her there is nothing called 'just another dish' in her vocabulary . . . she strives to make everyone of her creation, finger licking good for her Raj and our three precious children.

The lesson for me from that conversation was the fact that if we put our heart and mind into everything that we do, we are bound to delight our Customers. Total dedication and commitment is what produces excellence!

I praise and Thank God for Bina and for her many talents. We are fortunate to have her and We Rejoice!

My Treasure Chests

2010-10-14T04:03:00.000-07:00

It all depends how you define treasure, if it is to do with Gold, Silver, Precious Stones or Money, you will be disappointed with this post. For me treasure is what money can't buy . . . I treasure many memories that are priceless from the time I was a little child. I hold on to those memories or special moments because it touched me and shaped me. In addition it also brings back the Joy I experienced at that point of time.

These memories cover my growing years with my family, extended family, friends, Schools, Colleges, vacations, festivals and even at work. At times some of these memories get triggered by an incident or when I get together with people who co-created those memories. I also revisit these memories by design and come away refreshed and rejoicing. The process is simple . . . from a very early age I collected and preserved some physical item related to a particular memory. These are stored in boxes and all that I needed to do is to open a box to visit the memory! Of late the boxes are overflowing and I am in the process of finding bigger quarters for the memory objects also called ‘Raj's treasures’!

There are photographs, badges, letters, books, cards, plates, souvenirs, paper fans, Menus, Match Box etc. There is also a very special shirt which one of my teams gave me in recognition of the value I added to them. Another one is a Prefect's badge belonging to a school prefect- The girl I fell in love with and eventually made her my life partner. The badge takes me down the rich memory lane of our getting to know each other and falling in love forever.

Visiting the memories also reminds me of what determination and prayer can achieve. There were enumerable times when I set out on some really impossible Goals wondering if I was taking on more than I can bite but in the end Success was mine even if it was through failures!

My heart goes out to those who gave me these memory treasures or co created it with me and I have begun to ask, "Am I creating great memories for others so that they too may enjoy visiting them in times to come?” If we can create memorable occasions for others, it will be a great tribute to those who gave us such priceless treasure of memories.

Objects Of Beauty!

2010-09-21T01:21:00.000-07:00

As I travel around the world, I get excited to see how mundane day to day utility items from the past and even present has been preserved and exhibited so creatively. The wagon in this visual displayed in Haandorf village, near Adelaide, South Australia is one example. I also found a small old car in one of the traffic islands in Sydney used as a plant stand. The car minus the engine and bonnet has been preserved well and colourful flowering plants grow out of where the engine once resided. Across the world there are many more examples of such creative and beautiful display of things that touch your heart and are a feast to the eye. Every time I see such a display I rejoice that in our busy world there are people who still think outside the box and delight fellow citizens or the tourists. My heart fills with gratitude to the people behind the initiative . . . The idea person who thought of it first, the team of people who actually installed it and finally the caretaker who lovingly looks after it and takes special care day after day to preserve it. Unfortunately these are unsung heroes who do not get any recognition and yet they toil on with their mission.

One might be tempted to dismiss them with the thought that it is their job or they are paid for it etc. Even if they are employees in the rolls of the city council I strongly feel that just doing their job would not result in an object of beauty. I have also seen in some cities various displays that just stand there with an apology either because it is poorly executed piece of work or has been forgotten by its caretakers and is grounded in dirt. Such exhibits clearly tell you that it is the handiwork of those with 'I just work here' attitude.

That brings me to the thought that every output of ours is a show piece, be it a financial statement, a project report, a dish, a product, service offering etc. It is meant for the delight of someone and that person who uses our output will only be delighted if we create it passionately with all our heart. I believe that our purpose in life is to use our talents to create show pieces or offerings that add value to our customers and delight them.

I have started taking a call on what I do, to make sure that I am not just meeting deadlines and creating outputs that meet the minimum requirement of utility. I want to make sure, what I create are Objects Of Beauty!

The Joy Of A New Day !

2010-04-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Are you excited when you wake up in the morning? I for one love waking up and realising that I have been given the gift of another day. . . A full day to touch lives, add value and fulfil the purpose of my life. Not only that with every new day, we get another opportunity to be different, to mend our ways and make this world a better place to live in!

The rut sets in when we take each day for granted and believe that there is an unlimited supply of days in our life. Having something in abundance is always a problem as we either get bored with it or look for other attractions that we think can bring us more excitement. It is true that given the life expectancy of at least 70 years for a healthy person, you should have 25, 550 new days in your life! Now that is a lot but the tragedy is that the supply runs out fast and many only becomes conscious of the gift of a new day in their golden years waiting to meet their maker. Others start appreciating this gift when they come to know that all of the 25550 days was not meant for them because of some deadly decease that they have been diagnosed with.

Fortunately for me I have been conscious of the 'Present' that I get every morning as I wake up. I tell myself “Wow it is a new day" and get all excited about the immense possibilities that the new day brings. Each day is precious and waking up is a Joy! On week days I have trained myself to jump out of the bed as soon as I wake up. Having got a gift I want to unravel it and not stay in bed merely looking at it. After the morning cup of tea, quiet time and the other rituals I am ready for work by 8 AM and all excited to use my gift. Having started well, my day goes well. I do face challenges and pressures that can derail my day but I don't allow my negative thoughts to turn into feelings of hurt and act in a manner that I regret later or wreck my gift.

Over the years my audience in the various forums, where I speak have challenged me to tell them how anyone can appreciate a new day, if they have nothing to look forward to or if they are stuck in a coercive relationship, boring job etc. My response has always been about changing our mindset. Surely we need to find things to do that we love and are passionate about and have relationships that rock, but the key is to focus on our purpose in this world. Self centred activity will bloat the ego but selfless pursuit to add value to others or make this world a better place to live will fill you with Joy and make you look forward to every day.

Who knows, with the change of mindset the Joy that fills your heart from selfless activities may soon transform your relationships and your uninteresting jobs! So rejoice that the sun rises every day and we get the gift of a new day!

It is Broken but I will take it!

2010-03-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

The other day I was at the grocery checkout patiently waiting for my turn when I overheard the cashier at the next checkout counter pointing out to the customer that one of the 12 eggs that the Customer had picked up and packed was broken. The Customer to my surprise said it did not matter and requested for billing the same. The cashier offered to get one of his colleagues to pack a fresh set of 12 eggs and even called out to his colleague but the customer was adamant and paid for the 12 eggs he had packed with the broken egg. Why would anyone want to carry home a broken egg? Besides being a wasted effort it would also add work in terms of cleaning up the other 11 eggs!

I couldn't get an answer immediately but a few seconds later I realised that I had just witnessed an act of integrity and selflessness. The Customer held himself responsible for the breakage and wanted to pay for the egg. When he packed it, it was good but the heavy potato bag which went over it in the trolley may be the culprit. You might say "well he could have paid for an extra egg and taken the offer of a fresh set. That is where his selflessness came through. He did not want to put additional burden on the staff or fellow shoppers by slowing down the line while they get him a fresh dozen.

Contrary to this the same evening a movie that I was watching showed the heroine drop and break a glass doll accidentally in the supermarket. She looked around, seeing that no one had seen her, picked up the broken pieces, balanced it together and left it on the display counter and walked away!

As I mulled over the two incidents the focus turned to me and the question that got my attention was, "what would I do?”. In the first instance I think I would take the offer of the cashier to have the egg replaced justifying myself that I did not wilfully break the egg. In the second instance, I would bring the broken doll to the attention of the staff and offer to pay for it.

I was not very proud of myself . . . I wished that I could be like the Customer with the broken egg. An egg does not cost much but then integrity is not based on the value involved but rather it is a practice, every day practice that makes it a way of Life! This incident opened my eyes and challenged me to take my integrity quotient to the next level . . . Integrity in all dealings even if the value involved is negligible!

I Salute the customer for his high level of integrity and rejoice that we have people like him a light to others!

Where is the Beach ?

2009-10-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

On a recent holiday at a Beach resort we were surprised to find that the Sea had come in and claimed the vast stretch of the golden beach. To arrest further erosion the authorities had piled up huge black boulders on what was left of the sandy stretch. Not a pretty sight, worse still there was no way we could wet our legs in the incoming waves or sit back in the sand and admire the sea. Disappointment and anger were the first reactions followed by a feeling of being cheated and a host of questions followed . . . "Why didn't the hotel tell us?" "Had we known we would have cancelled and gone elsewhere" etc.

Fortunately the Hotel did not give us a chance to pose those questions or turn our anger on them! Even before we got to the Beach we had experienced their hospitality as we checked in and the personal attention they showered on us. We did not have a heart to 'fight' with them! Later as sane moments returned, we realised that the hotel had informed us as we checked in that the sea had come in and the beach was not accessible and had told us how to get to another beach little far away. We had not paid attention to that conversation as we were overwhelmed by the hotel nestled in the heart of nature. It was exotic! It looked as though the nature had moved out of the way for the construction of the hotel and then returned to cover up the brick and mortar. The staff were very friendly and did not seem to have the word 'No' in their vocabulary! The view from our cottage perched on the hill top was breathtaking. We could see the sea in all its splendour and the thick blanket of green vegetation running down to the sea was a real feast to our eyes. The room itself was so tastefully done and had every imaginable feature a hotel room can provide.

As we thought more about the missing beach we realised it did not matter, there was so much going for us. With that call taken and the disappointments pushed back, we set out to enjoy a great holiday.

Looking back I was reminded again of the fact that In life there will be disappointments . . . but we should not let those shut out other opportunities for Fun, Laughter, Friendship, Giving and Joy . What a waste it would have been if we sulked about the beach and were blind to the beauty around us and blocked out the people who were dedicated to giving us a memorable holiday. The other lesson was, when you are genuine and go out of your way to delight your customer, even the most demanding customer won't have a heart to take you to task if you are not able meet all their expectations. That applies to our relationship with others too. Be it a colleague, friend or a family member. If you treat them well and add value to them they are bound to overlook whole lot of your shortcomings!

So rejoice with what you have!

My Joy List

2009-08-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

Couple of weeks ago I started working on my 'Joy' List. The idea was to list out everything that I enjoy doing and see the possibilities of filling my day with those activities, so that I do things that I enjoy and have a great day. The very first surprise of the exercise was the length of the list. I did not have to wrack my brains to come up with the list, in the very first sitting I had listed 10 plus! Over the next two sittings the list grew and touched 30!! I suspect the list may grow with time as I experience new activities and begin to like it. The second surprise was that only 10 of the things in my joy list found space consistently in my Life. The third surprise was that many of the things that I enjoy doing bundled together would earn me a living. So if I planned well the word 'Work' would disappear to a great extent and would be replaced by 'Joy' as I enjoy doing it!

Let me introduce you to my Joy list, I have processed and categorised it into three parts, although they are not stand alone silos.

Category number one is about Relationship - First on the list is Bina the love of my life for 26 years. I enjoy her company and cherish what we have together as a couple. Then comes my two sons and my daughter, we have great time together as a family. Extended family, Friends and entertaining make up the rest of category No. 1.

Category two is centred around me. The list consists of activities that you may consider mundane or boring but I love doing them. Walking, Reading, Writing, Eating, Giving, Sleeping, listening to music, Interior decoration, Experiencing Nature, Having Tea, Weekend movie are some of the things that make up this category.

Category Number three is about those items that I enjoy doing and get paid for. I would not want to think of it as work because I enjoy doing them! Problem Solving, Facilitating learning sessions, Creating Learning Programs, Mentoring, Brainstorming, Public speaking, Planning make up the last Category.

Now that the Joy list is compiled and handy, I turn to it every time I feel life is becoming mechanical to pick up something that I enjoy doing and do it. Our day to day routine is made of many activities which may be mundane or unexciting but if you know your ‘Joy list’ you can make a better day with things that you enjoy doing.

Turning Your Disappointments into Appointments of Joy !

2009-05-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I found time to leaf through my 2008 personal Journal and revisit few days of the past year. As I read my account of those days, memories came flooding back and the reflection that followed taught me few lessons.

One such lesson was about turning our disappointments into appointments of Joy!

Bina and I had started the practice of a date many years ago. The idea was to have quality time in each other’s company, once a week, away from parental responsibilities and professional pressures. It had worked out well for us and both of us look forward to Friday evenings, when we could be out on our date. The evening is spent window shopping, sitting around in a café sipping tea or coffee and finally dinner at our favourite restaurant.

The page that caught my attention was a Friday when I was down with a back problem. The problem had started a couple of days ago and I was on medication. I was hoping that I would be well enough to take Bina out on our date but by Friday afternoon, it was evident that my back was yet to heal. An extra dose of medicine too did not help. I was disappointed and felt sad thinking of how disappointed Bina would be, when she learned that the date has been cancelled.

The disappointment and sadness were all set to paralyse my brain and help me wallow in self pity. I however managed to break free and think of alternative activities which we could do together at home. A number of ideas came through but the one that I liked the best was about having our date at home! Soon pieces of the plan came together and I set to execute it. . .

As soon as Bina came home I told her that I had planned a very special date at home. She was very understanding and said that my health came first and that there were many more Fridays in the pipeline and that she was OK with staying at home. When she went to another part of the house I managed to get off the bed, have a bath and dress up. Next I limbed around and immersed our sitting area in candle light with a dozen or so candles and called out to Bina. She was surprised to see me dressed, and the room flooded with candles, but lost no time to catch the mood and kick off our date.

Friday is the day off for our house keeper, our children too have their own plans and so we had the house to ourselves. Bina made some tea and we sat sipping tea and chatting. Later as it started raining, we watched the rain and felt the magic it created for us. At some point of time my date excused herself and called our favourite restaurant and asked them to deliver our dinner home. Even though it was outside their delivery area and it was raining heavily, they obliged!

Soon we were having a candle-lit dinner with some great music in the background. Overall it turned out to be a very memorable date for us! We enjoyed every bit of it and wished that the night would never end!

Yes we can turn our disappointments into appointments of Joy if only we try!

I AM Back !

2009-04-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time really flies . . . It has been more than a year since I keyed in my last post. I did not plan on such a long absence from my blog . . . The truth is I have procrastinated a year plus in getting back here. Why did that happen? I suppose my main reason for procrastination was the excuse that I needed to have some quality time to get my post created. I realise now that such a time never happens, I need to go the extra mile to create it. Now that I am back, I am tempted to do a quick re-run in my mind of the 14 months that I was away with the question, ‘Did I really rejoice in those months?"

Looking back couple of events stand out, first was the passing away of my dad in April 08. I took time to recover from that, but looking back I rejoice in the fact that he had lived a full life and has been a role model in many ways for all of us in his immediate family, among his friends, relatives and in his neighbourhood. His concern about my welfare in terms of whether I was being taken care of by his domestic staff as I camped in his house, and he lay in the hospital bed in pain, is something that I will always cherish as heights of selflessness.

The next one was more of a process than an event, the long road to achieve my dream of launching my own learning organisation. The preparation was more to do with moving out of IBM, where I worked for 12 years in various Senior positions. At times it looked like I would never get around to doing all that was needed to hand over my role to my colleagues who were to take over from me. Then in the middle of it, with 90 days to go for my last day, recession made its ugly presence felt and a period of uncertainty followed. Everyone was asking me the same question, “Is it the right time for you to throw up your well paying job and go on your own?". Even my boss asked me to rethink.

I thanked everyone for their concern and going out of their way to help me and with faith in my God, I went ahead and launched my dream in Feb 08. I rejoice at the many lessons that I learned through that transition and I can say that 'a peace that passeth all understanding', envelops me as I work on marketing and getting business for my dream venture.

The other ‘Rejoice’ items were my Friday date with Bina, family night on Saturday and Church times on Sundays. I continue to look forward to the weekends; it is great time with family and friends. In-between all this there was a great holiday which Bina and I pampered ourselves to, in the heart of nature in Kumarokkom Lake Resort. I loved every minute of it.

Yes I have been rejoicing . . . tough times and hard times will come and go. We have no control over it but we can find reasons, create events and process to rejoice!

Are You Having Fun @ Work Place?

2008-02-28T00:31:00.000-08:00

On my way to a meeting this morning, I heard over the FM radio a special program on work place culture. The Radio Jockey (RJ) was reporting live from the office of a particular organisation, sharing all the fun the employees were having. She interviewed a number of employees and you could catch the excitement as the employees narrated the various fun activities at work that the management promoted..The list seemed endless . . . The RJ too was impressed and she wished she was working there.

This made me think about my own workplace and I found myself asking the question , 'AM I having fun @ work ? I work in the virtual world with a team that is on the other side of the globe.Very rarely do I have meetings with people sitting in front of me. What fun can you have when your life is a series of conference calls, chats and endless emails ? All of this happens in a small corner in my house that I call 'Home Office'. Time zone is the other challenge, I need to work late at night to be connected with my US colleagues .

By now you may be feeling sorry for me . . . but Wait a minute, I am not complaining or mourning my existence in the virtual world. Yes I would love to work in a regular office and be involved in the fun activities there . However I feel that more than fun at work, the question is "Do you enjoy your work?" I like what I do and that coupled with the fact that I don't have to commute two plus hours every day to get to a physical office makes me a envy of many. One of the other 'plus' in my job is the creative freedom that I enjoy to turn out outputs that is needed by the business. The list does not end there, there are lot of other privileges that I enjoy at work (I am not talking about Pay& Comp or other perks) All of that keeps me at work and makes me jump out of my bed every week day morning with the thought, 'Wow a new day, another opportunity to be at work!"

I am aware of the specially appointed 'fun Officers' in many BPOs, whose main job is to make sure the workforce in these organisations are having fun at work. The fun officers are constantly on their feet coming up with more and more new activities that will induce fun in the work environment. Over a period of time what was fun at one time looses its fun quotient and it becomes business as usual activity.

I am for fun in the workplace but then if you don't have fun activities at your work place or cannot take part in it, don't worry, find a job that you enjoy doing. Job satisfaction which gives you the joy of work is more lasting than fun !

Progress @ what Cost ?

2008-01-15T05:43:00.001-08:00

The other day I watched the fiery debate on TV between the auto lobby and the environmentalist following the launch of TATA Nano, the smallest car in the world. Both sides had some very good arguments for and against the motion of whether the car was a boon or burden. Having priced at 2500 US $, the manufacturer was trying to offer a small car to the lower rung of society who could not afford a car.

The environmentalist felt that the car would clog the roads and create lot more pollution as almost everyone could afford the Nano. It was difficult not to take sides during the debate, Bina was for those who were fighting to keep the pollution out and the earth green. Although I love the earth to be green and clean, I was with the car maker . . . I was of the view that owning a car was everyone's right and thus if someone could make an affordable car, that is goodness. It was only next morning as I went out for a walk that the effect of auto caused pollution hit me . . .

That morning I decided to explore a wooded area close to our home. The huge property is owned by a church and is deserted most part of the day. On entering the property I found a winding path and took it . As I started walking I noticed the dew on the grass and heard the birds chirping. I slowed down enjoying every minute of it, it's been a while since I had heard so many birds in one place and that too so close to our home! I continued walking enjoying the nature, the peace and the security that the birds of the air were enjoying in this abode.Soon the magic was broken as the path finally wound up on the other side, the main entrance of the church. The tree-cover disappeared and a stately Church and the concrete parking lot came into view. The chirping of the birds gave way to the distant sound of traffic and as I continued walking the main road appeared swollen with all kinds of vehicles with its monstrous noise and pollution. I shook my head in disbelief, what a difference . . . Yes truly I can agree with John Milton, 'Paradise' has been lost !

You may argue that progress comes at a cost and depleting tree cover, global warming and all of the other ill effects that come with it are the cost we pay to have a better, faster and a more comfortable world. I may have agreed with you earlier but I am not so sure about it any more. Though I don't want to be a prophet of doom, all the run away 'progress' has put us on a roller coaster ride to a bottomless pit. Maybe we won't get effected by it in our life time or our children's life time but what about the generations after that? Imagine them having to buy and cart around a personal oxygen pack or going to see the trees and stuffed birds in a museum !

I strongly feel that we can make a difference to conserve this beautiful earth and give it atleast the way we found it to the future generations. Every bit counts, and so I am going to do my small bit rather than crying about 'Paradise Lost'

The New Year Prayer

2008-01-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

I am sure you have come across the saying that time and tide waits for none, what that really translates to is that days,weeks, and months wait for none. Before you know it, the year has come to a close. Eight days of the New Year has already flown by and soon we will move into February and the pattern will set in and the true automatic process will take us to December. The question that comes to my mind is what have I done with the 8 days of the New Year? Have I lived it well? Have I utilised every waking hour to its full potential? Have I touched lives ? Have I added value to others? Have I done things that I really love to do ? . . .

An excuse that I can always come up with is, hey it is only eight days and it is too early to be asking all those questions but I won't hide behind the excuse. Looking back on the eight days, although I have had full days and have been able to honour many of the things I decided to do differently this year, I still have not been living up to my full potential . Other than work ( which puts the bread and butter on the table) I did do couple of activities to touch lives, build lives and release the potential in others. These can be counted as just three times in the last 8 days. I must confess that I had more opportunities in this area but I could not find time to accommodate those requests . . . Sorry that is another excuse . . . 'No Time'

Any one who has been to a Time Management session and listened, will know that, if you want to do some thing, you can find time for it . Looking back, last year I did not do too well on Time Management. The good news is that I have done better on that front in the last 8 days. In my last post I had talked about wanting to be walking in the park more often and I was looking at how to make time for that. I worked on that and made time by cutting off weekday TV and doing away with the second Newspaper with a lot of local news. (which I had got accustomed reading, to keep in touch with what was happening in my city.)

Going back to my earlier questions on how I have spent my days thus far this year, I realise that unless we plan in on a daily basis all that you want to do over and above your regular work and find time for it, it is not going to happen. So it is back to the drawing board and the thinking cap to work out a plan to live for others, at least 5 days of the week! The weekend is for recouping, family, friends and church.

My prayer for this year is that I live for others and make the best use of time and in all that make sure that I live and enjoy life to its fullness.

2007-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

The festivities have kept me from being active in this space. Now I am determined to get back and key in my thoughts at least once a week. Another activity I had fallen behind in, is my walk in the park. This morning I was determined to restart both the activities, for a starter I got to the park after breakfast and hit the walking track. I love walking and as I started on the park's walking track, I felt the usual excitement I experience on a walk. It starts with a peace that touches every part of my body and ends with an awesome personal delight. Most of the time I end the walk reluctantly due to time pressure. Personally for me the walk is not so much about burning the excess calories but it is an activity that I enjoy and reap instant benefits. I start slow and then pick up speed but I never loose sight of my surroundings. My walk, I suspect is most of the time an opportunity to admire nature and praise the Creator. At other times my walk is about switching on my 'Thinking Times' and I come away solving a problem that I have been wrestling with or end up with a bunch of new ideas. As I walk, my eyes feast on the birds, flowers and the greenery around the park, I like what I see and soon I end up rendering silent praises to the hand behind these beautiful creation. The walk is always very relaxing as the mind is completely occupied in admiration and adoration, and shuts out the regular pressures, worries, and fears that is generally fighting for residence. This morning towards the end of my walk as I started experiencing the awesome personal delight, a thought stuck me, if I enjoy the walk so much, what keeps me from doing this more often ? I did not get an immediate answer to satisfy me but the thinking cap was on and I continued to wrestle with the question and later as I relaxed after the walk, some answers came to me and I was ashamed! The walk involves some amount of effort. . . the first part is saying 'No' or delaying some other activities that is now and here. For instance reading the newspaper from the front page to the last word on the last page or jumping into your mail for an early start or even chatting with a friend on phone etc. All of these activities I can do without leaving my bedroom but walk means I need to get dressed, go down to the garage and drive out into the traffic for 4 to 6 minutes before I can get to the park. Often there are other 'easy' activities that will keep you busy the whole day and stop you from doing something that you enjoy so much and benefit from ! At the end of the day there is only regrets or guilt and you promise a better tomorrow, which may never come.So what is the way out ? I thought on this question too and I came away convinced that, prioritisation, discipline and consistency were needed to make some thing a way of life. I am now listing down what I want out of my days and then I will put a time plan to make all that happen. Yes, I want to walk everyday and it is on my list. Something has to go from my daily schedule to find walking time. The choices are to shave the time off the TV minutes or the net surfing. . . I will let you know where the time came from and how I am doing. How about you, do you want to do something that you enjoy but don't find time to do? Let us work on it together...

Home Sweet Home

2007-12-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

It is been more than a week since I posted the details of my weekend in
New York. On Monday evening I got on a flight out of JFK and arrived home in the wee hours of Wednesday. It is great to be home, sleep on my own bed and have my loved ones around me and never having to worry about where my next spicy meal is coming from ! The weather too is great after the freezing wet weekend I experienced in New York. It is good to be home and I rejoice at the privilege of having a home where I am loved and cared for, a home where everyone in the family is happy to to get back after a trip or at the end of a hard day's work. A home where every one loves each other and bond well. I believe a happy home is the outcome of our attitudes, beliefs and practices. We will only succeed in our goal of creating a happy home if we are ready to sacrifice our egos and selfish behaviours that is wrapped around 'I' 'Me' and 'Mine' rather than 'You', We, 'Us' etc.

A happy home may not be a must to succeed in life but a happy home sure accelerates your success and what good is success if we have no one (Folks who genuinely care for you and love you) to celebrate it with?

Happy homes are a Blessing and results from our unselfish motives and unconditional love. Tough to do but a great investment for your future and your children's future. I am very happy to have a happy home.

Weekend In New York

2007-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

I packed and checked out of Hilton as soon as I finished my work on Friday morning. I had some deadlines to be met and so I spent the morning closing out all that. The logistics for my meetings scheduled for the day was daunting. I had to get to Somers office for a meeting at 12 Noon and then the next meeting was at White Plains 2 PM. After that I had to travel to New York to Issac and Susan's home for the weekend. With no one one to drive me around and no taxi to hail I asked the hotel to organise transport for me. Initially they were only successful to arrange for a drop to Somers but later we got the whole thing worked out. Just after my meeting in Somers at 1 PM, I got a message that the meetings in White plains was called off. The meeting was to be held in Crown Plaza Hotel. As the Limo had already come and I was to be picked up from Crown plaza by Issac after my meetings, I decided to go there. A 60 minute drive took me to Crown Plaza, White Plains. I walked in with my luggage very confidently and made myself comfortable in one corner of the lobby. I spent the next 3 hours there working on my laptop and when the battery ran out I sat back and caught up with my reading. For about 20 minutes I had company, some of my colleagues who were camping in Crown Plaza came back from work to get ready for a evening in Manhattan.

About 7 PM I breathed a sigh relief as we drove into Issac and Susan's drive way. Susan was at home and she busied herself to get us Tea and snacks. Later we went out for dinner to a Indian restaurant. Saturday was at the Mall, my contribution to the US economy. The highlight of the day was our Lunch at a Thai restaurant. I was bent on having some spicy food and I was confident that Thai eating houses won't let me down. We found it in Issac's GPS and set directions to get there . It was a cute little restaurant tucked away in one of the New York suburbs. The decor was authentic and the food even more authentic. It was not only spicy but delicious as well . I loved it! Issac and Susan went to the international mart brought fish and tapioca (Yuca) and cooked me another delicious meal for dinner. I did not want Susan to spend her weekend in the kitchen and so I had told them that we will eat out . She did not listen and she ended up cooking many meals at home for me. God Bless her!

Sunday I woke up to see the first snow fall of the season! I stood by the window looking at the snow flakes coming down. Soon a blanket of white covered every thing and I rejoiced at the whole experience . Although the snow kept falling and the roads were slippery we went to Church. Issac and Susan attends a AG church. There are two services in the morning as they cannot accommodate all their members in one service. We choose the second service at 11 AM and got there just before the the first service got over. I didn't think that there would be any one at the service as it was too early and the weather was not commuter friendly but to my surprise it was full house. The 11 AM service was no different,it was packed, every seat in the 300 plus auditorium was taken! As we had arrived early I decided to attend the Adult Sunday School class. I learned a lot during the the 45 minute interactive session, the church service too was a blessed experience.

Lunch was at Charlie Brown, a stake house, I had fish and Chips. The salad bar helped me get some chillies to spice up my food. Lunch was followed by more shopping. The snow ploughs were out on the streets to clear the snow and driving became a little more easy. The snow was followed by a light drizzle sending the mercury down. Fortunately I was well clad to meet the biting cold. How much better it is when we are prepared !

New York Post IV

2007-11-30T05:45:00.000-08:00

I woke up a little late this morning, after making myself some coffee, got down to work. Curtains came down on the business meeting yesterday late afternoon. I was sorry to see my colleagues leave one by one in their rented cars to catch their flights. Fortunately there was one lady from the extended team at the meeting, who stays in Danbury and was able to drop me back to the hotel which is in the opposite direction of the airport. Before leaving, Bob a colleague of mine was ready to drop me to the hotel about 25 miles away ! I thanked him for the offer but did not want to take advantage of his big heart.

I did feel a little lonely when I got back to the hotel, it looked empty ! Although the weather was not at its best (Wet and very cold . . . ) I decided to venture out to the mall 5 minutes away from the hotel. I had planned to have my dinner there but by the time I finished shopping, I was worn out and decided to head back and have dinner at the hotel. I enjoyed walking around browsing through the Christmas wares and listening to Carols at each of the outlets. The mall was lit up and ready for Christmas. That lifted my spirits . I love good old Christmas and the real message of this festival. Unfortunately to be politically correct, all reference to Christmas is now limited to the word 'holidays' here. Soon every one will be wishing each other 'Happy Holidays'. Recently we received a note from the Headquarters to remind us that any events or parties held during this season should not be referred to as Christmas parties etc. but the word 'Holidays' could be used. I am amused ! Well there is another perspective to this and I respect that view, whether I agree with it or not . . . Looking from the organisation's view point the note was sent out so that we do not offend others who may not be celebrating this festival.

I am involved in lot of Christmas events at home and in my church. More about it another day . . . I was happy to hear Bina's voice this morning. It is already Friday evening in Bangalore and she was feeling a little lost as her date is 7000 miles away . For years we have been having a date every Friday. just the two of us, we window shop, hang around in Malls, have dinner at our favourite restaurant and come back home late at night. I too miss her, I wish I was in Bangalore for our Friday date.

Got to go now, I have couple of one to one meetings today and will have to get to the office for that. Looking forward to the evening and the weekend with Issac and Susan, my friends who stay in New York. I met Issac in Kolkata, the city I grew up in. When he got married, I was his best man and later when I said, 'I do' with Bina, Issac was my best man !

It is a beautiful day outside. The sun is at its best . The tall trees minus their leaves look a little forlorn but they still stand majestically refusing to cry over some thing which they know is temporary. I feel they are more wise than Men and Women, who complain,worry and cry over temporary setback!

New York Post III

2007-11-29T01:26:00.000-08:00

Day three was another great day, weather wise and other wise ! The bug that had closed down my official mail box got fixed and all my mail came through. Every time I travel, I pray for my daily bread and daily byte :) With out connectivity I feel marooned in a unpopulated Island. The good thing was that my personal mail worked and so I was in touch with the rest of the world . Another great thing that happened yesterday was hearing Bina's voice ( The women I fell in love and married 25 year's ago ! - we are still in Love!)

On this trip I am having difficulty with the international phone lines and was not able to call home every day. Now we have found a simple work around and I am able to connect home again through Mr. Bell's invention !

The team dinner at the Indian restaurant was the highlight of the day. Forty of us crammed into one of the private dining rooms and ordered every thing on the menu.Often I was consulted on what should be ordered . . . For many of my colleagues this was a first time experience with Indian food. Unfortunately some of the food that we ordered did not have the authentic Indian touch to it but no one seemed to care , the togetherness was more important . I had taken along my Cannon IXUS to get some good pictures of the event but the lighting was very dim and I ended up with some poor images. The spicy shrimp curry that I ordered was disappointing but on the whole it was a good evening. Well that was all about yesterday and now the new day is here, 5 minutes past 6 AM,US Eastern Time . . . Wow, the precious gift of another day! It is up to me how I use this day, the choice is mine, I can put in my best into the day to find solutions for my Customers, touch lives, be a Blessing to people around me or stay put in my corner complaining and whining about endless list of things going wrong. I don't know about you but as for me, I am excited about the new day and rejoice at the immense possibilities the day offers and the many Blessings that I enjoy!

New York Post II

2007-11-28T02:55:00.000-08:00

I am loving it here in New York. . . Technically I am not in New York, I am in this beautiful city of Danbury , an hour and thirty minutes drive from JFK. After arriving here, I found that it is actually in another state altogether - Connecticut . Well it doesn't matter, I will continue with the heading 'New York Post'. The weather, ( the sun came through yesterday, it was a bright and cheerful day. I loved the chill too) the scenic beauty, the cleanliness and orderliness all around has kindled in me a happy feeling. My US colleagues are amazing,they go out of their way to make sure that I am comfortable . They are always there to help . . . rides to the meeting venue, drop back to the hotel, ready to include me in their dinner plans and even willing to drive me to the super market to pick up a bunch of bananas!

One of the things I dread about my US trips, is the bland food. I love spicy food and miss it when I am travelling in US. However this time, I have actualy enjoyed the food . I am looking forward to the team dinner tonight at a fabulous Indian restaraunt. Last night we were at a stake house with my American friends and I actually enjoyed the experience . The rustic decor, the buzz of people talking ,laughing and enjoying their meal transported me to a happy state of mind. I normally avoid stakes, in fact all red meat, for pro-active health reasons. Last night was different, even though I had a choice, I ordered a stake!
While waiting for our meal, we were allowed to raid the salad bar and heap our plates with a interesting selection of salads. I was thrilled when I came across some seasoned chillies . . . my evening was made ! It didn't end there, at the end of the meal,when I was getting ready to pay my share, we were surprised to hear that the tab was being picked by our project sponsor . May be there are no free lunches but I had a free dinner ! Later at the Hiltonflected on the day, I realized that I could not have asked for a better day ! I did have my share of woes, but I decided to focus on the brighter side and that helped . . . Yes yesterday was a great day and I am sure today will be as good or even better !

New York Post I

2007-11-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

The Delta 17 touched down at JFK as promised at 7 AM eastern time. I lipped a quick 'Thank you Lord"and looked out of the aircraft at the gloomy scene outside. The sun was clouded out and a light rain was falling but the weather didn't stop me from rejoicing . The thrill of being on land after a 15 hours and forty five minutes flight, 7000 miles covered safely and arriving on time were all things one has to be grateful for.

It took us almost 30 minutes to Taxi and get to the gate and another hour for immigration and customs! The wait was unusual but I checked myself from complaining. In all of my many visits to New York I have been out of the airport in 15 to 20 minutes. Don't know what happened today, may be it was too early or may be it is the Monday morning blues (the Monday after thanksgiving)that slowed down the proceedings ... Seeing my Samsonite waiting for me was another occasion to rejoice for on many visits to the US, my luggage played shy and stayed put in some transit airport and only showed up a day later. The sight of the Limousine driver with my name on a hold up card, was another reason to cheer. He was to pick me at 7AM, I did not expect him to wait an hour and thirty minutes for me.

Soon we were in the bumper to bumper traffic trying to get out of New York, headed to Hilton Garden Inn in the the small town of Danbury . Half way into the journey the traffic cleared and we were able to accelerate on the empty road. The drive was beautiful ... The well laid out roads, the green landscaped borders,the tall trees with their glorious multi coloured leaves and the occasional attractive subdivisions that we passed by with beautiful homes,were all a feast to my eyes. I love nature and always cherish ocassions such as this when I can enjoy it. Later as I checked into Hilton for a week of Business meetings, a thought stuck me, even though I had travelled around the world with very little sleep and acute jet lag, I had a great morning and was excited about what we can achieve this week with my US colleagues. I wondered if it would have been same if I had given in to the natural urge to see every thing from a negative context and ask the question 'Why Me?', complain and wallow in self pity.