I had mentioned about this syndrome in one of my earlier posts about my trip to Kanpur. Small town need not mean a very remote place from the city and all. Basically, it’s a fairly relaxed and laid back place relative to our own Mumbai. Actually, any city would look ‘small’ in that sense relative to Mumbai. Any way, I am sure you got what I meant to say.
My role at my previous organization was to give gyaan to whosoever needed it! Not quite everyone… Well, my job was to analyze few markets/countries and educate clients, team and counterparts regarding the same. I also used to go out with my sales team to meet clients and share our views to them. More of support role to the sales function, yet very crucial when it comes to reflecting on our domain expertise.
But in many cases, the real objective was to present a new face to the client who might have got bored meeting the same sales person! Unless, of course, that specie is a hottie… At times, my role could also be to iron out a slightly strained relationship with the client due to some not-so-profitable trades that he did through us. Some other time, it could be to try and push him to buy a trade after the initial efforts of the sales person.
Many of such clients were really, really interesting. There was this guy who thought he was the king of this world and a big tiger, whereas the fact is that he was a stupid fool! And worse... (Sales madame, are you reading this??? :)). Clients I met also belonged to the small towns that I am referring to in this piece. They treat you well, will welcome you as if we are their personal guests with that ever-lasting smile on their faces. A large part of the discussion would be unrelated to business. It would surround weather, my background, his visits to Mumbai, his recent vacation to some exotic place, the shopping his wife did there (madame, remember?) and everything under the sun not even remotely related to the purpose of the meeting.
Finally, we would get down to business, and I play my ‘role’ of being a guru who understand everything and suggest him to buy a deal that my sales person would have already discussed. The background to this is the fact that the sales person would have threatened me to sell that trade/view to the client before-hand! And dare I not oblige!! Yet, the client will assign a lot of weightage to what I say because he might think I ‘care’ for his interests! How naive... how can he forget I work for the same bank my colleague works for and our interests have to be similar. Nevertheless, they would not let this get reflected in their face/talks.
Client: So Menonji, you think this deal would work for my portfolio? Me: Yes Sir, definitely. (Did he expect me to say… No Sir, my colleague is trying to strip you off some money?) Client: Hmmmmm (scratching some part of his body, generally a part of his face). It works well on the risk-return profile Menonji? Me: Yes Sir, it does. Client: Hmmmmmmmmm. Chalo, let’s do it. Menonji itni door se humse milne aaye hai, to kuch karna hi padega. (This is a dialogue I heard often in the North). Never thought traveling a certain number of miles was good enough to get a trade done. But who’s complaining any way.
Eventually, me happy. Colleague, happier. Client, hmmmmmm.
Talking of client meetings, I remember an incident very, very distinctly. If the person in reference would not have been a dumb, we would have definitely lost the account. Me and my sales colleague are in their office to discuss markets and views. This guy is sitting with his boss, trying to act smart. He looked a bigger idiot that way than what he was. He could have been much better off remaining silent... or even better, if he was sitting about 50kms away from us!
Before any of us could even think of talking, this guy was already half-way in explaining what he thinks of the market. As if that mattered to the rest of us! His tone and throw of what seemed like English sentences were annoying. And with a face and voice that he somehow manages to possess, even Mahatma Gandhi would have attempted to kill him. But end of the day, he is the client. Me and my colleague nod our heads and smile. Our hearts feel for his family members, especially wife for obvious reasons. Poor souls...
Enough of the description of this creature...let’s go to the incident. At one point in the meeting, my colleague is busy explaining a deal to this guy’s boss. She is writing something to explain him and every one’s silent waiting for her to complete. One, two, three... and the guy starts again. You know what Mr. Menon, I got promoted last month. We all look at him... no, not with any admiration but his stupidity to bring that irrelevant topic up. Oh, many congratulations Sir, we had to say. I have been promoted to Senior Manager after 5 years in this organization. We are amazed about how the organization still existed to see this day. Miracles do occur.
Now, check this out. His boss looks at this guy with a doubtful face and asks, you got promoted as senior manager? I was about to laugh, but the thought of my colleague’s reaction after that stopped me. This guy is clearly taken aback. Kya Sir, aap hi ne to promote kiya aur ab aap hi yeh pooch rahe ho! All this with a very dirty smile... eeeeks. His boss nods his head. My colleague still working on something. Silence all around for few seconds.
I break the silence and say – 'Hope your boss did not realize that promoting you was a mistake'!!! Yes, I said it. Yiippiieee... My colleague looked up, stunned and surely wanted to kill me. But the boss was the first to laugh, followed by me and then my colleague. Now, it did not mater how the guy felt. I felt on top of the world to have been able to slap this guy... literally.
I still cannot forget the stare of my colleague after we came out of the meeting. To be frank, she looked cute that way. Hehe... Deep down, she was elated! :) Right Madame?
June 11, 2008
June 10, 2008
Whatchoo talkin' 'bout?
The topic of discussion in We the People in NDTV this Sunday was blogging. The why's and what's of blogging were being discussed in an attempt to find out why people blog and whether their views should be censored/regulated. That made me thinking as to why I blog. In fact, I was asked this question by few of my friends when I started blogging.
There are few reasons why I blog. Firstly, I love writing. As I had mentioned in my first piece in this blog, I had started to miss writing, something that I stopped after leaving school. Secondly, I see this page as my journal, a place where I want to write key events/incidents/thoughts/views so that after many many many years, I can read what I used to think many many many years back. Our views and perspectives change over a period of time and I want to leave a trail of mine.
Then why not just write it in a personal space? Simple, I want people to know what I think! Why? Just like that. No? Perhaps I could create a fan base and utilize them in the future when I enter politics or write a book. Uh? Okay, I want to be popular, or rather more popular! :)
So my blog talks about what I want to convey to the world, the way I want to convey it. I love to write about events that touch me; movies, books that inspire me; people & personalities whom I consider special; thoughts that I want to spread among the readers.
On an unrelated note, loved this line which I read in the signature line of a friend's mail:
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
-Arthur Schopenhauer
The title of this piece is the famous one-liner of Arnold Jackson, in the popular US sitcom Diff'rent Strokes during the late 70's/early 80's.
There are few reasons why I blog. Firstly, I love writing. As I had mentioned in my first piece in this blog, I had started to miss writing, something that I stopped after leaving school. Secondly, I see this page as my journal, a place where I want to write key events/incidents/thoughts/views so that after many many many years, I can read what I used to think many many many years back. Our views and perspectives change over a period of time and I want to leave a trail of mine.
Then why not just write it in a personal space? Simple, I want people to know what I think! Why? Just like that. No? Perhaps I could create a fan base and utilize them in the future when I enter politics or write a book. Uh? Okay, I want to be popular, or rather more popular! :)
So my blog talks about what I want to convey to the world, the way I want to convey it. I love to write about events that touch me; movies, books that inspire me; people & personalities whom I consider special; thoughts that I want to spread among the readers.
On an unrelated note, loved this line which I read in the signature line of a friend's mail:
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
-Arthur Schopenhauer
The title of this piece is the famous one-liner of Arnold Jackson, in the popular US sitcom Diff'rent Strokes during the late 70's/early 80's.
June 9, 2008
A first in my life! Rather, a couple
Disclaimer: This piece has shades of arrogance and boasting! And it’s deliberate :)
For the uninitiated, I freelance for few days in a month as a corporate trainer. The trainings are in various areas of finance for different set of learners, right from inductees to market professionals. For one such training, I happened to go to Kanpur last week. The training was on derivatives and structured products, a concept I love. The audience was members of the Kanpur Chartered Accountants’ Society (KCAS).
Now, Kanpur is not well connected by flights. So I had to take a flight to Lucknow, and then travel to Kanpur by road – a journey of about two hours. Again, Lucknow is not well connected by flights too, just relatively better than Kanpur. The person I am, caution and preparedness is in my genes, thanks to my ever-hyper tensed dad! So I left about 3 hours before the scheduled flight time from home to reach airport on time. Still, the first of the two firsts in my life happened – I missed the flight!
My first miss – and what a flight to miss... one which is the only one to Lucknow for the day! A journey from home to airport that should have taken about an hour and half, took more than 3 hours. The Eastern-express highway was all messed up due to some road repair works. The silver lining in the entire episode was that I was extremely relaxed even when I was sure that I am not going to reach the airport on time. I was joking with the driver about few things. That’s quite uncharacteristic of me actually... I surprised myself!
So yaa, I missed the flight and was clueless for few minutes after I reached the airport. There was no flight to Lucknow/Kanpur for the day. Then after some discussion with the company on whose behalf I was doing the training, I went to Delhi, stayed there overnight and then took an early morning flight to Lucknow the next morning. For the session that was to begin at 9.30am, I reached the venue at 8.45am. And as they say, all’s well that ends well.
The registrations and formalities were to begin at 9am, followed by breakfast. And the session to start at 9.30am. But the quorum arrived at 9.20am, and the majority of the 60 enrolled participants by 9.40am! My students would tell you about my obsession about punctuality. Still, I had to wait till 10am to start off the session.
Though the crowd was all CAs, most of them were FCAs and had cleared years and decades back. Most were, hence, clueless about derivatives. And that is my breeding ground, literally. The session went off well. The crowd was cool... interactive and inquisitive. A super combination for any batch. With a lunch break of an hour in between, the session went off till 4.30pm. Quite a grueling session indeed and many were sloshed by the end of it.
Then, the second of the two firsts of my life happened. I got a standing ovation for the session! Yipppiiieee…. It was quite an amazing moment. Senior CAs acknowledging the efforts, and how! It was not really overwhelming nor did I have any goose-bumps, but yet the feeling was great.
To be fair, I had done the same program for a MNC bank a week back and was more satisfied with my efforts. Still, I am not the one to complain, hehe... Actually, it’s the small-town syndrome where things are a tad less ‘professional’ and they get a little too friendly with these things. The way they treat you, their hospitality is quite different from the Mumbai circuit. I have experienced it many times as a part of my role in my ex-organisation.
The two firsts obviously are quite different in terms of magnitude and importance, still they are the firsts and hence notable.
For the uninitiated, I freelance for few days in a month as a corporate trainer. The trainings are in various areas of finance for different set of learners, right from inductees to market professionals. For one such training, I happened to go to Kanpur last week. The training was on derivatives and structured products, a concept I love. The audience was members of the Kanpur Chartered Accountants’ Society (KCAS).
Now, Kanpur is not well connected by flights. So I had to take a flight to Lucknow, and then travel to Kanpur by road – a journey of about two hours. Again, Lucknow is not well connected by flights too, just relatively better than Kanpur. The person I am, caution and preparedness is in my genes, thanks to my ever-hyper tensed dad! So I left about 3 hours before the scheduled flight time from home to reach airport on time. Still, the first of the two firsts in my life happened – I missed the flight!
My first miss – and what a flight to miss... one which is the only one to Lucknow for the day! A journey from home to airport that should have taken about an hour and half, took more than 3 hours. The Eastern-express highway was all messed up due to some road repair works. The silver lining in the entire episode was that I was extremely relaxed even when I was sure that I am not going to reach the airport on time. I was joking with the driver about few things. That’s quite uncharacteristic of me actually... I surprised myself!
So yaa, I missed the flight and was clueless for few minutes after I reached the airport. There was no flight to Lucknow/Kanpur for the day. Then after some discussion with the company on whose behalf I was doing the training, I went to Delhi, stayed there overnight and then took an early morning flight to Lucknow the next morning. For the session that was to begin at 9.30am, I reached the venue at 8.45am. And as they say, all’s well that ends well.
The registrations and formalities were to begin at 9am, followed by breakfast. And the session to start at 9.30am. But the quorum arrived at 9.20am, and the majority of the 60 enrolled participants by 9.40am! My students would tell you about my obsession about punctuality. Still, I had to wait till 10am to start off the session.
Though the crowd was all CAs, most of them were FCAs and had cleared years and decades back. Most were, hence, clueless about derivatives. And that is my breeding ground, literally. The session went off well. The crowd was cool... interactive and inquisitive. A super combination for any batch. With a lunch break of an hour in between, the session went off till 4.30pm. Quite a grueling session indeed and many were sloshed by the end of it.
Then, the second of the two firsts of my life happened. I got a standing ovation for the session! Yipppiiieee…. It was quite an amazing moment. Senior CAs acknowledging the efforts, and how! It was not really overwhelming nor did I have any goose-bumps, but yet the feeling was great.
To be fair, I had done the same program for a MNC bank a week back and was more satisfied with my efforts. Still, I am not the one to complain, hehe... Actually, it’s the small-town syndrome where things are a tad less ‘professional’ and they get a little too friendly with these things. The way they treat you, their hospitality is quite different from the Mumbai circuit. I have experienced it many times as a part of my role in my ex-organisation.
The two firsts obviously are quite different in terms of magnitude and importance, still they are the firsts and hence notable.
June 3, 2008
The woman in your life
This piece is from the web, forwarded to me. I know many, many guys who must read this.. who have different yardsticks of expectations from themselves and their wives.
Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry with these facts as well.
Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
Who is earning almost as much as you do;
One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as human as you are;
One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your
Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system;
That gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements
One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;
One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name,
One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen
One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to;
and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;
One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;
Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise
One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;
One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her;
One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.
But not many guys understand this......
Please appreciate her!
One simple piece of advice to every guy. If you expect your wife to do all what the above piece talks about, then find someone who would be happy doing it. DO NOT change the way she lives just because you want to. DO NOT marry a girl who you know wants to work and build a career and expect her to leave her job after marriage.
Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry with these facts as well.
Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
Who is earning almost as much as you do;
One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as human as you are;
One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your
Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system;
That gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements
One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;
One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name,
One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen
One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to;
and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;
One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;
Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise
One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;
One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her;
One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.
But not many guys understand this......
Please appreciate her!
One simple piece of advice to every guy. If you expect your wife to do all what the above piece talks about, then find someone who would be happy doing it. DO NOT change the way she lives just because you want to. DO NOT marry a girl who you know wants to work and build a career and expect her to leave her job after marriage.
June 2, 2008
There are times...
There are times when you’re happy,
There are times when you’re at peace...
There are times when you’re gloomy,
There are times when you’re subdued...
There are times when you’re lonely,
There are times when you’re excited...
There are times when you want to do so many things,
There are times when you want to stay put doing nothing...
There are times when you’re in the past,
There are times when you’re in the future...
There are times when you want everything,
There are times when you want nothing...
There are times when you miss others,
There are times when you miss yourself...
There are times when you dream,
There are times when you hope...
During all these times if there is just one person you always need besides you,
Then those are the times when you are deeply in love.
There are times when you’re at peace...
There are times when you’re gloomy,
There are times when you’re subdued...
There are times when you’re lonely,
There are times when you’re excited...
There are times when you want to do so many things,
There are times when you want to stay put doing nothing...
There are times when you’re in the past,
There are times when you’re in the future...
There are times when you want everything,
There are times when you want nothing...
There are times when you miss others,
There are times when you miss yourself...
There are times when you dream,
There are times when you hope...
During all these times if there is just one person you always need besides you,
Then those are the times when you are deeply in love.
May 21, 2008
Rest in peace
About a week back, I never thought such a thing could occur in my life.
She had been with me for 15 long years. She was more than a companion. Through thick and thin, success and failures, joy and sadness, she helped me see things differently from her perspective, her eyes. People and events made a lot more sense when she was with me. She has helped me through everything. Every moment I was awake, I could not have avoided her presence in my life. Rock-steady that she was, I have been unfair to her many times. Not giving her the respect she deserved, not treating her the way I should have. I have hurt her, left her broken many times. As is the case with most such actions in life, I immediately regretted doing it. For, I was left gasping without activity or movement in life, literally. Could I be dependant on someone so much in life, I kept wondering! Or was I over-exaggerating her presence? I wished I could not be so helpless without her. I could only wish, sadly.
I now remember those joyous moments she had presented me. How she helped me face the world… made me more confident and feel stronger. She was scared of few things… few little things in life. Never let me swim, for instance. But it was too little a sacrifice to make for what she had given me all her life.
And now, she is gone from my life. After 15 long years, gone.. kaput! I could not rehearse, I could not prepare. I could only stare blankly at the doctor when he said I had to let her go. Like a prophet, he added, it’s only for the better. So I must embrace the reality.
What if I need her again? I hope I don’t. Ever... I will learn to live without her. Still, somewhere in my heart, at some point in time, I will keep missing her.
This piece is in fond memory of my spectacles. I started using contact lens yesterday. Hehe.. :)
She had been with me for 15 long years. She was more than a companion. Through thick and thin, success and failures, joy and sadness, she helped me see things differently from her perspective, her eyes. People and events made a lot more sense when she was with me. She has helped me through everything. Every moment I was awake, I could not have avoided her presence in my life. Rock-steady that she was, I have been unfair to her many times. Not giving her the respect she deserved, not treating her the way I should have. I have hurt her, left her broken many times. As is the case with most such actions in life, I immediately regretted doing it. For, I was left gasping without activity or movement in life, literally. Could I be dependant on someone so much in life, I kept wondering! Or was I over-exaggerating her presence? I wished I could not be so helpless without her. I could only wish, sadly.
I now remember those joyous moments she had presented me. How she helped me face the world… made me more confident and feel stronger. She was scared of few things… few little things in life. Never let me swim, for instance. But it was too little a sacrifice to make for what she had given me all her life.
And now, she is gone from my life. After 15 long years, gone.. kaput! I could not rehearse, I could not prepare. I could only stare blankly at the doctor when he said I had to let her go. Like a prophet, he added, it’s only for the better. So I must embrace the reality.
What if I need her again? I hope I don’t. Ever... I will learn to live without her. Still, somewhere in my heart, at some point in time, I will keep missing her.
This piece is in fond memory of my spectacles. I started using contact lens yesterday. Hehe.. :)
May 16, 2008
Not a bad prediction na...
IPL is entering the last phase with about 5/6 matches to go for almost all teams. I had predicted Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to go through to semis. But my fav Deccan Chargers are acting like Dhakkan Chargers. :(
Mumbai could still go through, hitting a purple patch with 5 wins in a row (including 3 over the league toppers and a very comprehensive win over Kolkata today). Chennai look to be safe along with Rajasthan and Mohali.
No point in predicting who would go on to win it. It's all about hitting the form at the right time and as they, peaking at the most appropriate moment. Once into semi-finals, it's all about that day. Remember what happened to Lahore Badshahs in the ICL tournament earlier this year? The only 2 matches they lost in the whole tournament were the 2 of the 3 finals!
Still, if I am forced to choose a team, I would say Yuvraj's Mohali might win the tournament. The team is looking extremely good. That reminds me, have you noticed their opener Shaun Marsh batting? That guy doesn't move at all when the bowler is taking a run-up. Quite a stance it is.. really still.
You thinking, why am I saying all this? To prove my last piece's point - I am still the same guys :)
Mumbai could still go through, hitting a purple patch with 5 wins in a row (including 3 over the league toppers and a very comprehensive win over Kolkata today). Chennai look to be safe along with Rajasthan and Mohali.
No point in predicting who would go on to win it. It's all about hitting the form at the right time and as they, peaking at the most appropriate moment. Once into semi-finals, it's all about that day. Remember what happened to Lahore Badshahs in the ICL tournament earlier this year? The only 2 matches they lost in the whole tournament were the 2 of the 3 finals!
Still, if I am forced to choose a team, I would say Yuvraj's Mohali might win the tournament. The team is looking extremely good. That reminds me, have you noticed their opener Shaun Marsh batting? That guy doesn't move at all when the bowler is taking a run-up. Quite a stance it is.. really still.
You thinking, why am I saying all this? To prove my last piece's point - I am still the same guys :)
Guys, I'm the same old me...
The reaction that few people are throwing out on my blog pieces these days is "Oh no, not again! :) One of my friends think I am preaching too much these days like a good-for-nothing gyaani. I tend to agree with her. Not with the good-for-nothing part, but with the preaching part! Indeed, increasingly the perception is that I am on my way to become a spiritual guru who has done nothing worthwhile in life. Mind you, I said perception. The reality, like often, is far from it.
It's easy to see how this perception got built up. People who know me for years now also know the eccentric part of my personality. I am at best, avoidable! :) I have radical (bordering on the irrational) thoughts and views. All that was fine till I was a working professional and all this side was just a parallel. Things apparently turned from bad to worse when I quit my job earlier this year. Easier to be deceived then, since it means I was one step closer to doing nothing! Parents and friends feared that I had lost my ambitious side, a part that has helped me reach wherever I am today. About 5 years back, I wanted to be extremely rich. My conversations and discussion revolved around this theme of making money. I guess the fact that I am talking less about these things is creating the perception that I have lost the competitive drive and zeal.
Now to the fact. I still want to be rich. And I will surely have few crores with me in about 10 years from now (good friends and well-wishers will be happy to read this and retort - that's the over-confident and rude Harish we know ;)). Yes, I liked the book The monk who sold his Ferrari (Robin Sharma). But I also liked I bought the monk's Ferrari (Ravi Subramanian). You need to earn your Ferrari before you decide to give it away. But earning the Ferrari need not be at the cost of not being able to do things that you will after you sell the Ferrari. That is, strike the balance. This is precisely what I intend to do for the next few years till I earn my Ferrari. Earn, I will.
Give you must, but after you earn. Share you must, but after you have. In today's world, money speaks. If you wish to have the power to change things, money is a very important tool. But do not chase it recklessly. Have a purpose in life and live towards it. Earn for the cause and earn big time. Earn using your skills and utilise it for a noble cause. But again, earn you must.
I like and believe in what Infosys' Narayana Murthy says: For Heaven's sake, there is nothing wrong in creating wealth by legal and ethical means. Do not ever get confused about choice between creating wealth and charity. First, you create wealth efficiently and only then can you donate your share a part to any charity. If you don't earn, what will you give?
The only variation I would have from what he says is to create a balance and not just do one of the two parts (earning and charity) at a time. Work for causes whole-heartedly, garner resources, help create opportunities and balance things in this uneven world.
As Robin Sharma writes, the purpose of life is to live with a purpose.
It's easy to see how this perception got built up. People who know me for years now also know the eccentric part of my personality. I am at best, avoidable! :) I have radical (bordering on the irrational) thoughts and views. All that was fine till I was a working professional and all this side was just a parallel. Things apparently turned from bad to worse when I quit my job earlier this year. Easier to be deceived then, since it means I was one step closer to doing nothing! Parents and friends feared that I had lost my ambitious side, a part that has helped me reach wherever I am today. About 5 years back, I wanted to be extremely rich. My conversations and discussion revolved around this theme of making money. I guess the fact that I am talking less about these things is creating the perception that I have lost the competitive drive and zeal.
Now to the fact. I still want to be rich. And I will surely have few crores with me in about 10 years from now (good friends and well-wishers will be happy to read this and retort - that's the over-confident and rude Harish we know ;)). Yes, I liked the book The monk who sold his Ferrari (Robin Sharma). But I also liked I bought the monk's Ferrari (Ravi Subramanian). You need to earn your Ferrari before you decide to give it away. But earning the Ferrari need not be at the cost of not being able to do things that you will after you sell the Ferrari. That is, strike the balance. This is precisely what I intend to do for the next few years till I earn my Ferrari. Earn, I will.
Give you must, but after you earn. Share you must, but after you have. In today's world, money speaks. If you wish to have the power to change things, money is a very important tool. But do not chase it recklessly. Have a purpose in life and live towards it. Earn for the cause and earn big time. Earn using your skills and utilise it for a noble cause. But again, earn you must.
I like and believe in what Infosys' Narayana Murthy says: For Heaven's sake, there is nothing wrong in creating wealth by legal and ethical means. Do not ever get confused about choice between creating wealth and charity. First, you create wealth efficiently and only then can you donate your share a part to any charity. If you don't earn, what will you give?
The only variation I would have from what he says is to create a balance and not just do one of the two parts (earning and charity) at a time. Work for causes whole-heartedly, garner resources, help create opportunities and balance things in this uneven world.
As Robin Sharma writes, the purpose of life is to live with a purpose.
May 13, 2008
Each one, teach one... can't we?
As a part of my profession, I write research reports on Indian economy. One of the key USPs of Indian economy that we (economists/analysts) sell is the country's demography. India has and will continue to have one of the largest pools of working population, the way our demographic structure is. However, I always end this point in my reports by specifying that the policy makers and think-tank will have to exploit this talent pool by ensuring that the youth is skilled and educated. That’s obviously a big challenge in a country as vast as ours. However, this post is exactly on this point – as to how each one of us could make things happen in a small but sure way.
I happened to witness a small incident today. Something that I have seen many times in the past and I am sure most might have witnessed in this city. A group of some 10-year old slum children were playing on the road. Soon after, some petty argument broke out and the children grouped up to fight. All of it was quite normal. What happened after that is also quite normal, unfortunately. A couple of them started abusing each other using the F-words in Hindi. Those words sound so yucky, more so when coming out from children. Clearly, the children were uneducated and came from backgrounds that are not conducive to their ideal development.
I remember another incident that happened few months back. I was at a teaching centre of one of the NGOs at Byculla. There was this little kid of about 11-12 years. I asked him his name to which his reply was Ridhiman. I did not get that clearly the first time, so I asked him to repeat it. He did so. Again, not very clear. The third time I asked him, he patiently repeated his name and then added “Teacher-didi kehti hai ki hamari pehchaan hamare naam se nahi, kaam se honi chahiye”. I could not say anything sensible after that. At that moment, I felt I really could not have added value to that kid.
The difference between the two kids mentioned above is education and values. Of course, many educated people are also filthy and stupid, but that does not take away the fact that every child deserves quality education. If their families are not able to provide it for whatever reasons – that of ability or willingness, it does not render the children undeserving.
In my last post, I had mentioned that I can feel a sense of renaissance that’s sinking upon the people that surround me on a daily basis. I teach a young crowd of anywhere between 18 and 22 years doing Chartered Accountancy and an inspiring proportion of them do have a facet in their personality that is already (at this age) willing to think and act for the under-privileged. The skeptics might say that it is their young age that makes them feel so and with age, the ‘soda-water-spirit’ would fizz out. I do not think so, but that is quite another aspect.
I believe it’s a wonderful trend that should emerge and sustain. It will go a long way in re-balancing opportunities among the privileged and under-privileged. Slowly but surely, as I said in my earlier posts, things will change. Let us all be the change agents and make a difference to the world around us. And not just to our personal lives and those of our loved ones. Let’s expand our universe of people we care for and want to do something for. Let’s be a little less selfish and see around for opportunities that we can handle.
Let’s create a better world.
I happened to witness a small incident today. Something that I have seen many times in the past and I am sure most might have witnessed in this city. A group of some 10-year old slum children were playing on the road. Soon after, some petty argument broke out and the children grouped up to fight. All of it was quite normal. What happened after that is also quite normal, unfortunately. A couple of them started abusing each other using the F-words in Hindi. Those words sound so yucky, more so when coming out from children. Clearly, the children were uneducated and came from backgrounds that are not conducive to their ideal development.
I remember another incident that happened few months back. I was at a teaching centre of one of the NGOs at Byculla. There was this little kid of about 11-12 years. I asked him his name to which his reply was Ridhiman. I did not get that clearly the first time, so I asked him to repeat it. He did so. Again, not very clear. The third time I asked him, he patiently repeated his name and then added “Teacher-didi kehti hai ki hamari pehchaan hamare naam se nahi, kaam se honi chahiye”. I could not say anything sensible after that. At that moment, I felt I really could not have added value to that kid.
The difference between the two kids mentioned above is education and values. Of course, many educated people are also filthy and stupid, but that does not take away the fact that every child deserves quality education. If their families are not able to provide it for whatever reasons – that of ability or willingness, it does not render the children undeserving.
In my last post, I had mentioned that I can feel a sense of renaissance that’s sinking upon the people that surround me on a daily basis. I teach a young crowd of anywhere between 18 and 22 years doing Chartered Accountancy and an inspiring proportion of them do have a facet in their personality that is already (at this age) willing to think and act for the under-privileged. The skeptics might say that it is their young age that makes them feel so and with age, the ‘soda-water-spirit’ would fizz out. I do not think so, but that is quite another aspect.
I believe it’s a wonderful trend that should emerge and sustain. It will go a long way in re-balancing opportunities among the privileged and under-privileged. Slowly but surely, as I said in my earlier posts, things will change. Let us all be the change agents and make a difference to the world around us. And not just to our personal lives and those of our loved ones. Let’s expand our universe of people we care for and want to do something for. Let’s be a little less selfish and see around for opportunities that we can handle.
Let’s create a better world.
May 7, 2008
Renaissance!
A new era of renaissance is dawning upon us... slowly but surely. India is moving towards the better, bigger, deeper... Extremely pleased to see the developments. Will share them in due course...
Jai Hind
Jai Hind
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