Inflation and relation

I had been thinking of writing about this since long. But I always got an excuse to of not writing it. But today I have promised myself to post it. So I need to atleast keep the promise to myself.

Almost 2 months ago I visited Mumbai. Papa works there in Mumbai. So I keep on visiting quite often, but this happened to be a special trip. Dad and me gel well together. We are more like buddies! But then there always this generation gap. We try hard to accept each other's views and mostly suceed too. But some times I need to succumb to his points. On a lighter side, he calls it his veto power in the family. But I am happy to have a father like him. And deep inside it feels glad to have some one to use his veto power because he is the one who knows the world better and he would not harm his family under what ever circumstances.

Coming back to the trip almost two months ago. It was a bright sunday and we were free to do nothing. There was a mall nearby in Goregaon, Mumbai. Its called Oberoi mall. I hadn't seen it then. So we planned to go there and have lunch in the food court. We took our bullet and reached the mall. It was enormous and huge from inside. We reached the food court on the top floor and saw the series of shops offerring from dosas to pastas and cholapuri to pani puri. Not to forget the kailaas parbat and the naturals for the desserts. It seemed similar to the typical 'khau-gully' (eat-street) of a town but a sophosticated khau-gully with sophosticated menu cards and pretending-to-be-hygenic staff with overpriced food. We ordered nothing but the ice-creams from naturals. Well, though we went for lunch but didn't feel to order anything. We took our cups of ice creams and sat on a table nearby. We had a full length look of the food court. And the ice cream was awesome. On the table, while having the small morsol of his ice-cream, pa said 'I some how do not feel comfortable in such malls, I don't know why. I feel a bit awkward here.' That triggered a once-in-a-decade conversation between us. I believed, I knew the reason of him being not comfortable.

Papa lived in Gonda before coming to Ahmedabad. He was born in the town of Devalia in Saurashtra Region of Gujarat. And then his dad took him there to Gonda, in UP. He had done his schooling from there and his graduation from Lucknow. My grand father had a very brutal accident when my father was just in his teens. That accident lead to the bed-rest for 9-10 months and that bed-rest devastated the economical condition of the family. My grand mother had enormous courage and she did not keep any stone unturned to meet the two ends. The family had a very tough time. Then my father came here and started working. My chacha too came here and gradually whole family came to Ahmedabad and things got better. So I thought that might be the reson. I, believing that I knew the reason, explained it to him . And I turned to be totally worng. He said that he is not comfortable because he sees a lot of wastage of resources happening there. Electricity, food and space are being wasted. In India, for that matter there is a derth of resources and these people are wasting it here. Six panipuris costing 20 rupees! What do I pay for - the original cost of panipuri plus the cost of AC + lightings + decorations + rent of the mall + the label of being hygenic! Why should we pay for it! And that too when it is available at quite a cheaper rate in near vicinity.

Probably, after understanding the backgound of my dad, you too might think in the similar lines of my thoughts. But then giving a second thought and understanding what my economics' professor teaches, this sounds very true. A person like me, would have easily given out that money for the panipuri or that cholepuri. I would have not thought about the availablilty in the near vicinity at a very cheaper rate. Its not that he cannot afford, but he has seen the value of money going down. In good old days, salaries were in hundreds and cars were in thousands. Milk was available in single digit per litre and ghee in less than 20 Rs per KG. And I have not.

The point here is that the buying should be objective. Buy only if required. Pay premium only for the utiility - may be place utility or time utility. Higher price doesnot mean higher quality. And quality is just a perception of mind. - Gandhijee said it - There are enough resources here to satusfy man's need, but not his greed. My dad explained the same thing and my economics prof preached the same thing. He went a step forward. He says, a country with large chunk of population below poverty line and still Common wealth games is being hosted, where cricket is a religion and buying is non objective, cannot become a developed nation easily.

Well, I understood what they said. Did you?

Chay garam...

Sweet Memories

he he

sweet memories

Sweet memories :)

3 traits theory

My first theory

Exams are going on. Final exams for the first semester. And all of us here are working hard(well almost near to hard) to increase our CGPA. 6 papers happened till now. And I am not satisfied with even one paper. Marketing, Organizational Behaviour, Principles of management, Financial accounting or what ever you take, I have done them horrible. Though I wont fail- thanks to CGPA system - but I am not satisfied with my performace. During the course of studies, I learnt many theories - maslow, herzberg, theory X, Y, theory of firm, Ansoff, BCG and a hell lot. I then thought of creating my own theory.

Its been almost four years that I have received any success. Yes this is a long time. The last success I received was when I cleared Satyam and TCS. way back in 2006. And then have been facing a series of failures. The SF ratio (Success to failure ratio, thanks to finance) is too low. Way low than the industry standards. 2 in 8 years is 0.25 per year. Time for a revolution now. I thought a lot. What is going wrong? AM I dumd? Am I a retard? well, no. am none of it. Do I lack in confidence? No. Or else I would have done this study quite ahead in time. In fact I suffer from COC symdrome (Continuously Over Confident). So whats happening dude! Something is worng. And I don't know what.

I lack in certain traits. And probably every person who is a failure or on path to failure surely lacks in these traits, if not all then atleast 60% of it.

Thses traits are:

1.Timeliness

2.Sense of urgency

3.Consistency

Timeliness: Not to be on time, or taking it positively, following IST is in our bloods. So please do not expect any Indian to arrive right at the stroke of the hour. Its the degree of time lapse that matters. How much late you are - is the correct question. I am trying hard to over come this problem. plus-minus(rather only plus) 5 minutes is my target. Time is definitely not money. Other wise I would have been the poorest human. But still time is important. So that doesn't mean you keep on buying watches around! Well, I would phrase it the other way.

There are 2 aspects of timeliness. one - being at right place at the right time and other being investing the time in a fruitful manner. I know it all boils down to 'Time is Money', but it feels good to deny some theory and discover a new one though it finally is all the same. Let us see the first point - Being at a place at the right time. Now 'right' time is defined by how late or early can you afford to be. This varies widely with the place you are going to go. You just cannot expect me to be right on time for a party. Right at 6 pm on the dance floor - sounds weired. But if I would have been the host, I would be there at 6:30 atleast - though alone waiting for my friends. Now if it was an interview with the dream company, I would be 30 minutes before the schedule. Now where does this timliness habbit come into me when it was the interview! It's the level of importance we give to the person or place. So if 'being on time' is proportional to 'importance' stands true then it implies that keeping your girl wait lessens her importance to you. The more you make her wait, the less important she is. (Girls, it is the same for you too. ) Now step yourself into the waiting position and your dear one is making you wait - implying that you are less important to her. Hurts? So be on time. Be it a movie, interview, friends, date, parents, relatives, boss, conference, lecture, train, flight or your words - make it a habbit of being on time. It really helps. This actually is very important to me. And I write this to read it iteratively to have a 'Be On Time' habbit.

The Other point is investing the time in fruitful manner. This fruitfulness is subjective in nature. Its meaning may vary from person to person. For some, it may be money, for others it may be knowledge and for some others it may be family. We ourselves need to think what is important to me. Is the activity I am doing in anyway relate to my set target? Is it a step forward in achieving that goal? Or Is it making some one happy, Is it making some money? Such questions may help you in understanding if the time you are investing is going to be fruitful. Take care of the time and time would take your care.

Sense of urgency: Laziness is a desease. And I am a victim of it. I have a habbit of keeping things under the carpet unless it becomes too critical or my father scolds me to do that. waiting for some one else to do it for you would not help. It is your task and you have to do it. No way out! So better do it fast so that one item lessens from the to do list and you can think of other things. Have a sense of urgency in doing things. The world is full of competetitors. If you dont complete the job at hand, some one else would do it and take the next opportunity. So you need to have a sense of urgency in grabbiing the opportunities and completinng the tasks. This is very much required in the times where the world is getting flatter and individuals are competing from across the globe. Complete the job at hand at the earliest, you will feel the satisfaction.

Consistency: Any habbit or rules are of no use if not practiced consistently. Going to gym on one day and working out for 5 hours does not help. Walking 20 mins for weeks along would help in reducing the weight. Being on time only for the interview does not help. Every one would be on time for an interview. But being on time at a social gathering every time, values you. Understand the importance of consistency.

These three things are very important for you. Try to get them in place and that would definitely help you in achieving results. But how do you mesure the results? Have you defined your success parameters? You say that you have been successful very few times in last 8 years. How did you measure that? Clearing satyam or TCS is a success parameter for you. for some other, it may not be a parameter. For him, planting 2 trees may be one of the parameters. These parameters change. You need to understand you own priorities and decide you own parameters. For defining them, you need to understand your own goals, your mission and your values. Our life is similar to an organization. An organization would not be successful if it does not have a clear vision, mission and values. same is the case for an individual. So understand your priorities, define your goals, set the targets and go for it with the 3 traits discussed above.

Home Sweet Home

This is the Sunset as seen from my room. I miss this a lot.

Night View fromo my window.

Mom n Gags making food for me. Cooking Mathiya(A gujrati Dish)

And me Hopping from one place to other :)


This is my home and people I love the most on earth. Dad isnt home yet. Would post later with his pics.

Till then, Adios.

Saurabh

The source of light matters!

I had a presentation today. It was about pfizer pharma and its annual report analysis. Ours was the last presentation as we were not ready with the presentation. Our prof allowed us to give it at last. There came our chance. There were not more than 4 members in audience and our faculty member. We were at the podium waiting for the prof to finish his call. The projector was displaying our names on the screen with its sharp light rays. I put my hand in front of my name and the name disappeared from the screen and started appearing on my hand. I tried to hold those letters. I know that was the foolishest thing a 25 year old can do. But I did that and it was fun.

Some times the foolishest things in world teach you lessons for the life time. The names and images were flaunting their sharpness on the screen. But as sson as I kept my hand in between, the screen lost its beauty. It was as dull as before in its milky white color turned grey in shadow. The beauty disappeared as it was depended on some other source of light. Had it been a TV or LCD, no hand on earth could have taken its live colors. This is because the source of light is within the object. This is what happens with all those who shine. Gold doesn't glitter untill it is given external source. Its the radium that glows in the dark. We need to understand these properties. We tend to get impressed by the external sources. We get impressed on things which flaunt the light taken on credit from some other source. We don't understand that the shine is not their own. And thats why we are attracted towards gold. On the other hand, radium, that has its own energy within, glows from inside. Though the glow is not as attractive as gold's glitter, but it definitely proves that radium can stand on itself. It is not dependent on external light. It is powerful from inside - immensely powerful. Such is the internal strenght, that even if we hold that small piece of radium in our hands tightly, it would glow and try to spread light in the small vicinity of your hands.

The power actually lies within. We need to cultivate that power to come out and shine. And just as radium is not oberved untill its dark, the internal power is not discovered untill we are in the state of darkness- where we don't see anything. We are helpless, confused and dull. And then we see that small spot glowing as a ray of hope. Once that internal power is nurtured and cultivated to a full fledged power house, no hand can stop you from spreading the beauty and happiness around. Try to find your powers inside you. Trust yourself. Somewhere when you are in dark, you would find source. Nurture and cultivate it. And the world is yours. Good luck!

Types of power

1. ‘Charismatic‘ power. Some individuals have tremendous charisma and are able to build up personality cults.

2. Legitimate power is based on people having positions within a structured framework.

3. Expert power is based on the specialized knowledge possessed by certain individuals.

4. Political power stems from being supported by a group.

Leadership involves striking the right balance between these four sources of power, and using them when appropriate.

Leadership

Jason Jennings, in 'Hit the Ground Running' talks about the secrets of winning CEOs. The book has 10 'rules' for successful leaders, a few of which are listed:

•Practice the golden rule in everything you do - you will reap exactly what you sow

•Gain the belief of everyone around you instead of demanding of expecting respect.

•Ask everyone around for help; don’t pretend to have all the answers or the plan.

•Cultivate a fierce sense of urgency in everyone because either things aren’t going well and you need to fix them fast or things are going well but the world (and your circumstances) are going to change and you need to be ready.

The last point is for me. I need to develop this. Change is the only constant thing in world. And lack of sense of urgency in changing or completing things leaves you behind the rest of world. Think!

Example is not main thing in influencing others – it is the only thing

Exams

Internal evaluations of the mba course are going on... n in no mood to study...

why do exams have to be in this form? why can't exams be interesting? how can they be made loving and funfilled? Kapils sibbal may like to answer this!

Learnings from The Last Lecture

In last three days, I have come across 2 books in last 3 days and let me confess, I am in a buzzing state. Buzzing as in the thoughts are buzzing in my mind. Like the electric current in any circuit. First book was 'I too had a love story' by Ravinder Singh. It is a tragic love story. and a true love story. A love story where they never met. Amazzing! I am not talking about the language, its about the emotions. Its about love. Its about death - a sudden death. In hindi I would say it as - Hila k rakh diya! Second book I read is 'The Last Lecture' by Dr. Randy Pausch. Dr Pausch was a professor in Carnigie Mellon University and worked on Virtual Reality. He was diagonized by pancreatic cancer(This cancer has mortality rate of 96 %). He knew that he had few months of healthy life. In the CM univ, there is a tradition of giving Last dlecture before retirement and he planned to give his last lecture before he is no more. Here I am attempting to pen down some of the learnings from this book.

This is what Randy's parents said and I believe that it should be followed by every family to cultivate curiosity among oneself and more to that drenching that thirst. It says - If you have a question then find the answer. Don't sit like slobs and wonder arround. Open the encyclopedia, open the dictionary, open your minds. This I think would be the best way to cultivate your mind, rather open it.

Here are some more points which Randy's father believed.

Stories should be told for a reason.

Never take the decision untill you have to.

Play fair. Even if it is at your own cost.

Randy had some dreams since childhood. One of them was to experience zero gravity. He had that chance with Nasa. But unfortunately, as he was a faculty member, he was not allowed to participate. Then he some how managed to get in by pretending himself as a journalist. But he promised that their experiment would get enough coverage. It was here where he learnt that - Have something to bring to table; that would make you more welcome.

This incident is about his football dream. He wanted to play for NFL(National football league). On the first day of his coaching, his coach came without getting any football. Students asked for the reason. He said that there are 22 players on the field and just one of them is touching the football. We would first learn what the rest 21 do on the field. Lesson - Get the fundamentals right. Or else the fancy stuff on its top would not work.

There are a lot such learnings he has learnt. I would list them out here.

When you are screwing up something and no body says you anything, means they have given up on you.

Develop a feedback loop for your life.

There is no 'no-win' scenario. There has to be a way out. There has to be a solution.

The brick walls (hurdles/setbacks/hicups) are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. They are there to give us a chance to show the world that how badly we want something. This is an inspiring lesson. It says that you need to prove that you are worth of getting that before you get it.

Once he goes to disney land and as a child asks the gate keeper 'will this park get closed at 8 pm?' Gate keeper says - The park is open till 8 pm! - think on the difference.

A dutch uncle is aphrase for the one who gives honest feedback. For him it was his professor Andy van dam. This is related to the required feedback system for life.

People are more important than cars.

Not everything needs to be fixed.

This one is the most impressive - We cannot change the cards we are dealt. It is just how we play the hand.

Time is all you have. And one day you find that you have less than what you thought you had.. Who would know it better than a dieing man.

Some lessons on time:

Time must be explicitly managed. Like money.

You can always change your plan. For that you atleast need to have plans. So plan it.

Ask yourself - Am I spending it(time) on the right thing?

Develop a good filing system. That saves a lot of time.

Re think the telephone. Don't waste time on that.

Delegate things and trust people.

More things other than time:

Luck ois where preparation meets opportunity

Head Fake! - Read the book to know more.

Give yourself permission to dream- dream big.

Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite energy and time. Stop whinning and spend 1/10th of that time on improving things arround. You would see the difference.

Treat the core diesase instead of the symptoms. This one needs more explanation. There was his co-worker. She was into some debt. And she used to be tensed about it. She started going to yoga classes on tuesdays for stress bursting. He suggested that if you skip yoga for a couple of months and do some part time job, you can repay your debt. why dont you try this. She agreed and in some 4 months, she was out of debt. So hence he says - treat the disease instead of symptoms.

He empasizes on team culture. Some learnings on it:

Meet people properly.

Find things you have in common.

Try for optimal meeting condutions. Every one should be comfortable.

Let every one talk.

Check egos at the door.

Praise each other.

What is experience. Experience is what you get when you dont get what you wanted. Deep sentence - give a thought.

Write hand written notes to express gratitude.

Send thin mints to get work done.

Apologize properly from deep inside the heart. Say the following to them:

What I did was wrong.

I feeel badly that I hurt you.

How do I make this better.

There are more than one ways to measure profit and loss.

The last but not the least - The head fakes work!

These are all heavy thoughts. To get into it deeply, read the book!

Thats all for now.

Thanks,

SD

MBA

Finally, am into it. I had been trying to get to an MBA course since long. and now m in it. I like it. I like the college. I like the campus. and the gym too. its again been a long since I have written anything here. I left writing. well, did I start writing? anyways. Now onwards, I would be using this blog for writing my learnings for the lifetime from the class.

Let me first write down what I have learned in last 3 months of my course.

1. Never think on how it is said. Think on what is said. Try to improve. It would definitely help.
2. Control your words, they are mirror of your character. Use them precisely.
3. Hit hard if you wanna hit. That too at the core. There is no point in regretting later.
4. Ability comes to rescue at the initial levels. Its your attitude that counts later. See Sachin and Kambli.
5. Keep an eye on watch. Speak less but effective.
6. Time is the most important resource in universe. Even money can be gained back, Time cannot be.
7. Be on Time.
8. Keep your words.

By the way, I've come to know what I want to do ahead. Thanks to SIIB's CCM. I want to become a good communicator/speaker/marketeer/ watever you call it.

Later.

SD

The irony of my life!

is that when ever I start doing somthing, the circumstances don't let me do that. Since last post, I didnt have a single such thought to write on. Huh!

Thoughts

It happens to me many a times... I, all of a sudden, think of something n dat leads to a wonderful thought process and the conclusions made through that process is worth writing some where. And then I think of where to write it. A piece of paper? or a diary? or in my mails.. or may be FB status or orkut.. but then these mediums are too outspoken. Paper pieces get washed away with the cloths. Diary is hard to maintain. mails get lost in the mail box and Social sites are too crowded. the status is displayed to even those people who are not interested in what I think. Then this thought process of where to ink my thought lead me to conclusion of this blog and here I am. giving words to my thoughts. I have this blog since long - some 3-4 years. But I used it only to put the good forwarded mails. I hardly get any readers and comments. And thats the best part. I dont want my thoughts to be too much published. These are not that wonderful and imaginative and creative, outlasting, extra-ordinary, life changing thoughts! They are simple thoughts of a not so serious boy(!) in his almost middle 20s thinking himself to be still a teenager. Just can't help it. I dont want to grow. I consider age as just a number. its the heart which ages out. anyways.... whocares. Coming back to what I was writing. The thoughts. This blog I think would be a great medium to pen my words down. Thanks to blogspot :-) rather google, for maintaining my unproductive blog for these long years. by the way am starting this process, so let me introduce my self. Saurabh Acharya - thats my name. At offic they call me SD(my initials. I like this name) and sometimes(rather most of the times, but I don't like this name) call me BABA (Saint in Hindi. No way m not of that kind. Its a long history abt the name.) Professionally, am a software Engg. (But not by heart) . Working in one of the mst reputed companies in India and abroad, as a DBA. I had a wonderful weekend this time. Enjoyed the weekend after almost 5 weeks of continuous work. On sat, took hands on the matrix dvds and completed the 3 parts in one go. Had planned for Harry Potter 6 but couldn't get time. Rest of the time I enjoyed with my family and GF. And endd the weekend with a wonderful dinner at Havmor (Its a eatary brand in India.) Rightnow going through the monday blues. Have to goto office at 1 PM. Yes, I work in shifts. And normally I work in noon shift. Right now watching some wierd program on TV. Shekhar suman suks in this Tedhi Baat.

So, let me end this with the thought of the day I heard yesterday at 'Satsang' -
'What is, is.
(What ever is the present situation, is the present situation. live in it. Dont bother of the past or future, you can not change the past, nor do you know the future! )
If you are in IS, you will be at EASE and if you are not in IS, you are in DISEASE' '
(Here IS is PRESENT.)

I hope you got that!
Let me know if any concerns or questions.
(Damn! this is how we end the official mails.)

Signing off,
SD

P.S. Btw, CNN has a story about Big B. chk it out.
And yesterday found a great source of oracle DB related scripts. Click on the link

Ambitions

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"
The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world." Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me. "With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said. The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!" The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me. "He muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..." Many many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." her husband whispered, The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful." she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world. One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose.
The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth. One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beam were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth tremble with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
Moral of The Story
So next time you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you ........... It is not today's burdens that get to us. Rather it is the regret of yesterdays and fear of tomorrows. REGRET and FEAR, two thieves that steal away our today.
Wide-Angle:
Sender's Note:
Such articles seems to be written specially for smaRT associates - who may just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give next appraisal :)

Ambitions

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"
The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world." Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me. "With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said. The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!" The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me. "He muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..." Many many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." her husband whispered, The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful." she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world. One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose.
The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth. One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beam were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth tremble with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
Moral of The Story
So next time you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you ........... It is not today's burdens that get to us. Rather it is the regret of yesterdays and fear of tomorrows. REGRET and FEAR, two thieves that steal away our today.
Wide-Angle:
Sender's Note:
Such articles seems to be written specially for smaRT associates - who may just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give next appraisal :)

Have a great week ahead

"Each day is a new canvas to paint upon. Make sure your picture is full of life and happiness, and at the end of the day you don't look at it and wish you had painted something different. "

First Love

FIRST LOVE
I, Karthik am a successful software engineer today. The long planned vacation to go to my hometown Madurai had become a reality at last. I hoped Kavitha and Vignesh would enjoy their weekend too. My Grandma, who has been my best friend till date was really happy to see all of us. She spent most of her time with Vignesh. That night happened to be a retrospective one to me. Grandma started narrating to Viggy one of my childhood incidents. She said… “Karthi as a child was very notorious yet so sweet. He was one of those children who seldom cry and would heed to all of our words. Then, it was his first day in a new school after his KG in another one. This was one of the very highly reputed schools in our town. His Dad and Mom wanted him to join this one as its standards were well known. When he returned from school that day he was a dull boy. His usual self was missing. None of us knew the reason. In the next 2 days he had become duller. That day we saw him crying for more than an hour for the first time, rather the first and last time”. I actually managed a dry smile here. They say the easiest thing in life is to smile from the heart. I felt that the toughest thing in life would be to smile from the face. Granny continued “There was something he didn’t like about that school. The next thing he knew was we put him in his previous school and got our joys back. Then on he has been our darling till today. So lively and never a dull moment when he is around. So try to emulate him in whatever you do kanna…”. Viggy had dozed off. It was Monday morning after a weekend that I would never forget. We were driving to Kavitha’s office. A bike rider gave us a skid. She saw the bike and yelled “That’s why I hate YAMAHA”. YAMAHA – My only crush in my teens. There was a time when my friend Venkat and I used to go to the canteen everyday at 12 noon to get a glimpse of a black beauty parked with its bars turned to the right unlike other bikes. Its gloss and shine gave us a dream and a heave. It was my 19th birthday and dad wanted to get me a bike. My choice was not theirs. They knew me as a rider and never would get me that one. I was an obstinate at this. Dad, Mom n granny had an hour’s discussion which saw me win the deal. But when my Mom gave me the keys of my own black Yamaha, she saw me in the eyes and said “We didn’t want to restrain your happiness but do remember that you are the base on which we are building our lives”. I was so happy that day and I wanted to repay their kindness in all that I did thereafter. “Kavitha, Can u get me a tea?” It was a full moon night. Hardly any stars were seen. I slipped into my memories again… “My college life was nothing better than school. Studies, fun at times and a huge aspiration ahead. I had few friends but none too close. There was that girl called Divya who was quietest in class. One of the simplest and ordinary looking but I don’t know how rather cant say why I was attracted towards her. She was always in the company of two of her friends Gayatri and Deepa. Theirs was a lonely group which many hated thinking that they had an attitude. I managed a smile whenever our eyes met. But I was waiting for a chance to talk to Divya. Came my birthday, I grabbed all my courage to give her a DairyMilk. She wished me and also asked for a treat to which I readily agreed. But the next few days saw us really busy as exams were round the corner and she helped me in all the materials gathering episode before the exams. We even started debugging and testing Graham Bell’s invention. Talks about lessons and at times about our families and then common interests saw us taking the relationship to a higher level. One day during our vacation I finally invited her to my home for the promised treat and also introduced all my dear ones to her. That was a day to remember for years to come I thought. She gelled well with all of us and this gave a sense of encouragement at the back of my mind. When she left my Dad said “She was very simple. Did she belong to a middle class family?” Ours being an upper class, this question sent the first shiver down my spine. But I felt that Dad wouldn’t have meant the other way. Whenever she was with me, I forgot myself. Our evening chats turned out to be a virtual video conference with me glancing at the moon and talking over the phone. The moon gradually started looking like her face to me. My parents thought that I shifted my bed to the terrace because of the scorching summer. One day Gayatri and Deepa met me alone in the lunchtime and said they doubted that Divya was getting crazier about me day by day and I should set it right if I didn’t feel the same way. This was the sweetest news I had heard in years and was so happy that I decided to talk with my granny regarding this. She would definitely talk on my behalf to dad and mom. “For the first time in life I felt like I had achieved something”. As I reached home, the situation was somber. My uncle had come to our home and was at his decibel best for which I learnt the reason was that my cousin had fallen in love with a guy from her class. Uncle was a very rigid person and wouldn’t budge. Grandma was trying to pacify him but in vain. That’s when Grandma told him “It has happened now. Don’t create an issue. After all parents should have kept an eye on their kids regularly”. I knew she meant only the good here but this provoked uncle who said “I will talk when Karthik faces a similar case. Till then its my family matter and not yours”. My parents took it only calmly and our house turned normal the very next day. But this incident sent across a very strong message to me. I realised that now my entire family’s reputation was in my hands. I thought that my parents would never object but what about the other relations, the society and the resulting mockery, ill fame etc. I spent sleepless nights. I avoided talking to my heart. I shifted my bed to my room. Hadn’t talked with Divya for a week or so. She called me for a movie “Kuch Kuch hota Hai” the following weekend. I couldn’t avoid it and obliged. But now I had taken my decision already. At the end of the movie, I put up my first act “What an absurd movie…How can such close friends become lovers rather life partners. The theme in itself is disgusting…”. She was silent for the entire ride back to her home. I bid her goodnight and hoped I had conveyed the message. Next day, her swollen eyes spoke for itself. Over the coming days I saw our relation going thru a trauma. I saw to that I was occupied in other things and never came face to face with Divya. She was on leave for days but never did she call me. Even after she came back, we occasionally met but amongst other friends. Silence prevailed in calls too. One somber chat ended with Divvu saying “Karth, your parents must be really lucky to have you as their son”. That day I felt she meant more in those words. Two months after college…she came home one day. Her face had lost its shine. I adored even the remains. She had come to invite us for her wedding. My dears were happy for her as they never really guessed otherwise. After she left, my grandma told me “Karthi, I would be really happy if you get such a girl as your life partner”. That night was the second time in my life when I.... Kavitha it was… “Viggy, tell dad its dinnertime and his half an hour terrace session is over. Now let him leave the moon for the sky”. She didn’t know that I had left her long ago. The moon hid herself behind a cloud for me to go down.

India is still a developing country.... Why so??

Ant & Grasshopper
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter ,the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.


Modern Version


The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).
Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath '.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.
Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.
CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden '
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley .
100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India ...
As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the Grasshoppers, India is still a developing country!!!