Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
Today, in the bus, I saw a girl with golden hair
I looked at her and sighed and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and used a crutch.
But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine
I have 2 legs, the world is mine.
I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him a while, he seemed so very glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.
Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue
He stood and watched the others play
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word.
And then I knew, he couldn't hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I would know.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed,
The world is mine.
"Be thankful when you don't know something,
For it gives you the opportunity to learn."
"Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons".
"Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
Because it means you've made a difference."
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Our fear of losing in low tids
Does the fear of losing keep you from pursuing your dreams? Remember that everything starts in the mind. If you think you will lose and if you anticipate losing, you have started losing it right then & there. A person who thinks that gambling is his way out of a wretched life loses just the same. A person who always relies on luck and uses gambling as a source of income can loses big time. These type of persons views gambling as a risk worth taking regardless of the effect it has on him. Gambling makes a person lazy and reinforces belief on easy money. Deep within that person, he is losing part of his self-respect every time he engages in gambling. Now, put yourself in the shoes of a neophyte salesperson. First time salespersons usually have this kind of dilemma: to be or not to be; to approach or not to approach the customer. Your fear of not being able to sell or get an order makes you back out even before you try. If you do not make the act of approaching the customer for an order, you already lost it. But, if you do, you still have a good chance (or atleast 50% according to probability) of getting an order or learning a lesson. Of course, it depends on your convincing power of salesmanship. You have to be honest regarding your products or services. Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Deliver more than what you promise. These are just some of the steps towards establishing a lasting relationship with your customer. Let us examine in detail the basis for your inaction, which is essentially the basis of your fear. What is your excuse for not approaching the customer or for not getting that order?
Fear can make you lose an order. It can stop you in your tracks as you approach the customer. Fear can stop you from performing an action because it can overwhelm you and make you afraid of taking a “no” for an answer. Actually, there is probably an underlying reason for your anxiety, one that links to the fear of losing your job. If your performance is below par, expect to be fired. Your performance has to be above par. To be able to do this, get rid of the fear of losing. Adopt a mindset that echoes, “I can and will get that order.” Let us take the perspective of an aspiring businessperson. A first time entry into any business venture normally results in nervousness due to fear of losing his capital. This fear escalates especially when the capital comes from hard-earned savings. Seeing hard earned savings go to waste as a result of a bankrupt business can drive anyone crazy. If this happens, he will have to start saving again; that is, if he is still young and has the physical stamina to do so. The fear of losing is just one side of reality. Let us check out the other side, which emphasizes the courage to win. Again, everything begins in the mind. Maintain the desire to win. Encourage your mind to nurture the courage to win. Take some calculated risks. Be optimistic while keeping your feet on the ground. Be creative and think out of the box.
If you continue delaying your plans to achieve success because of your fears, you lose valuable time that could otherwise have been used for fruitful ventures. If you eventually decide to scrap or abandon your plans, you lose the chance of a lifetime.
Fear can make you lose an order. It can stop you in your tracks as you approach the customer. Fear can stop you from performing an action because it can overwhelm you and make you afraid of taking a “no” for an answer. Actually, there is probably an underlying reason for your anxiety, one that links to the fear of losing your job. If your performance is below par, expect to be fired. Your performance has to be above par. To be able to do this, get rid of the fear of losing. Adopt a mindset that echoes, “I can and will get that order.” Let us take the perspective of an aspiring businessperson. A first time entry into any business venture normally results in nervousness due to fear of losing his capital. This fear escalates especially when the capital comes from hard-earned savings. Seeing hard earned savings go to waste as a result of a bankrupt business can drive anyone crazy. If this happens, he will have to start saving again; that is, if he is still young and has the physical stamina to do so. The fear of losing is just one side of reality. Let us check out the other side, which emphasizes the courage to win. Again, everything begins in the mind. Maintain the desire to win. Encourage your mind to nurture the courage to win. Take some calculated risks. Be optimistic while keeping your feet on the ground. Be creative and think out of the box.
If you continue delaying your plans to achieve success because of your fears, you lose valuable time that could otherwise have been used for fruitful ventures. If you eventually decide to scrap or abandon your plans, you lose the chance of a lifetime.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Ego ? good for Entrepreneurs or Org owners?
To run own business or Entrepreneurs need a very healthy ego to succeed. Many might be self-effacing and humble, but there still has to be a deep-seeded, positive sense of self and ego. My friend call it drive for getting things done. That’s part of it. Courage and belief in one’s own abilities are also very important. Natural leadership qualities and a desire to lead are driven by ego that's why I feel ego is a necessity for sustaining business. So ego is important. Without a healthy ego entrepreneurs don’t have the necessary internal reserves to survive the daily rigors of startup org.
But I’m generally not attracted to huge egos without the parallel humbleness that should come with it and the recognition that any real success involves multiple factors. It’s very rare that one person can take all the credit (or all the blame!) When a successful person openly recognizes that other factors impacted their success, luck, for example. I know that person has a healthy ego, the kind of ego that helped drive that person to succeed without putting them over the edge. Those are the types of people I know can succeed well. People who believe they’ll be successful no matter what, but don’t have to flaunt that on a regular basis. And when they are successful, they recognize it wasn’t exclusively of their own doing. And when they’re not successful, they accept that and move on. This is also a must factor for keeping business / startup going.
Now look at other side, often, egos get in the way of success. It gets ugly. It gets personal. That’s when ego is at its worse; “he said, she said” or “Manager” & “me” that can’t work together, egos at that level need to be put aside for the greater good. So this is a humbleness differs from an egoist person to make him a businessman / businesswoman. What do you say ? Am I going right ?
But I’m generally not attracted to huge egos without the parallel humbleness that should come with it and the recognition that any real success involves multiple factors. It’s very rare that one person can take all the credit (or all the blame!) When a successful person openly recognizes that other factors impacted their success, luck, for example. I know that person has a healthy ego, the kind of ego that helped drive that person to succeed without putting them over the edge. Those are the types of people I know can succeed well. People who believe they’ll be successful no matter what, but don’t have to flaunt that on a regular basis. And when they are successful, they recognize it wasn’t exclusively of their own doing. And when they’re not successful, they accept that and move on. This is also a must factor for keeping business / startup going.
Now look at other side, often, egos get in the way of success. It gets ugly. It gets personal. That’s when ego is at its worse; “he said, she said” or “Manager” & “me” that can’t work together, egos at that level need to be put aside for the greater good. So this is a humbleness differs from an egoist person to make him a businessman / businesswoman. What do you say ? Am I going right ?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
How can we help them
There are many in our great country who live under tunnels and trestles and have no other alternatives. They may have had a great job, but in this economy, the business went under, and so did they. They had to sell whatever they had to survive, and now, a shopping cart, the clothes on their back, and maybe a bicycle are all they have in this world.
They are shunned by society who hasn't gotten their pink slip yet. People tend to move to the other side of the street when they see them. They go to gurudwars, Mandir and churches to eat, and might be lucky enough to find an empty bed at any shelters.
Everything stinks of body odor, but at one time, they never missed a day of bathing. They know they look pathetic, they are going through hard times, but they're not stupid. You can find them fishing through the garbage pails outside any restaurant, across nukkds and they try to look out for one another. Some may have college degrees, some teachers, some students, but they all share one thing in common. For one reason or another, they are homeless. Because they are homeless, they are dirty, and they smell, and no one will give them a job, so they remain in their current condition, and no one bothers to ask them why?
Rarely does a good social worker / NGO walk up to them and say, "Come, I'll take you home and get you cleaned up, fed, a good night's sleep, a haircut and shave, and you can try if you can find a job tomorrow. Some are alcoholics, induced by the never ending wheel of poverty and hunger. Some should be in institutions, but no one has taken the time to get them the care they need. They are outcasts, and at the hands of anyone who wants to hurt them. As if they haven't been hurt enough. I myself have never done anything to help them, but I also live in a urban town with a blue color job and although I know there are people who sleep wherever they can. The children would be my first concern. I can't imagine a child born into this type of lifestyle. No home, no family, no school, no shelter, and no protection. No books, no toys, no sanitary items, and yet, they survive. But I ha given money / some eatables / lunch to such kids I found roaming helplessly, but still I feel this is limited help, I would like to understand from you how could we help such people do write to me.
They are shunned by society who hasn't gotten their pink slip yet. People tend to move to the other side of the street when they see them. They go to gurudwars, Mandir and churches to eat, and might be lucky enough to find an empty bed at any shelters.
Everything stinks of body odor, but at one time, they never missed a day of bathing. They know they look pathetic, they are going through hard times, but they're not stupid. You can find them fishing through the garbage pails outside any restaurant, across nukkds and they try to look out for one another. Some may have college degrees, some teachers, some students, but they all share one thing in common. For one reason or another, they are homeless. Because they are homeless, they are dirty, and they smell, and no one will give them a job, so they remain in their current condition, and no one bothers to ask them why?
Rarely does a good social worker / NGO walk up to them and say, "Come, I'll take you home and get you cleaned up, fed, a good night's sleep, a haircut and shave, and you can try if you can find a job tomorrow. Some are alcoholics, induced by the never ending wheel of poverty and hunger. Some should be in institutions, but no one has taken the time to get them the care they need. They are outcasts, and at the hands of anyone who wants to hurt them. As if they haven't been hurt enough. I myself have never done anything to help them, but I also live in a urban town with a blue color job and although I know there are people who sleep wherever they can. The children would be my first concern. I can't imagine a child born into this type of lifestyle. No home, no family, no school, no shelter, and no protection. No books, no toys, no sanitary items, and yet, they survive. But I ha given money / some eatables / lunch to such kids I found roaming helplessly, but still I feel this is limited help, I would like to understand from you how could we help such people do write to me.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Pro or Anti Technology think :-)
A knife can kill, and the surgeon’s knife can save a life. Ultimately, it is not the technology or the weapon that takes lives, but the finger that pulls the trigger, the mind that conceives the crime; as someone stated earlier , ‘wars begin in the minds of men’. One area where this has long been manifest is technology. Whether the technology is good or bad, evil or a godsend, depends on context, perspective and use.
It may be well to remember this as the country — and the world — faces new challenges. For the first time in the history of the modern nation-state, it is seriously threatened not by another nation-state but by small organized groups. Thanks to technology, a band of highly motivated individuals can hold a powerful nation to ransom or cause mayhem on an unprecedented scale. The world saw this — literally, thanks to real-time TV coverage — on September 11, 2001, in the US and, in a different way, on November 26, 2008, in Mumbai. In the latter case, destruction entailed the use of standard weapons: guns and explosives. In the former instance, the weapon was a civilian aircraft.
Explosives have long been used to clear obstacles while building roads or for other construction-related purposes. As such, the technology itself can hardly be faulted for how it is used. The argument in the case of civil aircraft is even more obvious. Around the world, means of transport — trucks, cars, motorcycles and, in India, even bicycles — have been used as carriers of explosives, to create chaos and cause destruction.
No one has yet suggested a ban on airplanes, motorcycles, cars or bicycles, but, in a shoot-the-messenger reaction, mobile phones were long banned in parts of the country. There is also a general ban on the use of satellite phones across the country. Of course, it is well known that mobile phones are sometimes used to trigger an explosion, and that people — including terrorists — talk to each other by satellite phones.
Do we, then, consider mobile telephony a dangerous dual-use technology and impose curbs on its use? The Commonwealth Games in Delhi are likely to face security threats — should all mobile phone connections be cut off in the city during those two weeks?
In the telecom sphere itself, there is now much controversy regarding email services like Blackberry and about telecom equipment itself. There are proposals to impose conditions regarding imported equipment and software that are so onerous that few manufacturers will agree to them — unless they intend to flout them through some clever subterfuge.
The aim, apparently, was to keep out Chinese equipment — without an explicit ban — for reasons of security (possibly instigated by rival equipment suppliers from other countries who are now, doubtless, ruing being hoist with their own petard!). Ironically, the only ones who may willingly agree to all the conditions are the Chinese vendors.
Meanwhile, there are technologies that track eye movement and other body parameters; with these inputs and appropriate software, psychologists are able to detect nervousness. It is proposed to use this to identify potential terrorists by putting cameras and sensors at the back of every aircraft seat to monitor each passenger. Even the body heat & hart rate sensors tell many thing about emotional state of a human being. But then privacy have another level for restrictions thought to go on & on , Do share your feelings suggestions on this to me.
It may be well to remember this as the country — and the world — faces new challenges. For the first time in the history of the modern nation-state, it is seriously threatened not by another nation-state but by small organized groups. Thanks to technology, a band of highly motivated individuals can hold a powerful nation to ransom or cause mayhem on an unprecedented scale. The world saw this — literally, thanks to real-time TV coverage — on September 11, 2001, in the US and, in a different way, on November 26, 2008, in Mumbai. In the latter case, destruction entailed the use of standard weapons: guns and explosives. In the former instance, the weapon was a civilian aircraft.
Explosives have long been used to clear obstacles while building roads or for other construction-related purposes. As such, the technology itself can hardly be faulted for how it is used. The argument in the case of civil aircraft is even more obvious. Around the world, means of transport — trucks, cars, motorcycles and, in India, even bicycles — have been used as carriers of explosives, to create chaos and cause destruction.
No one has yet suggested a ban on airplanes, motorcycles, cars or bicycles, but, in a shoot-the-messenger reaction, mobile phones were long banned in parts of the country. There is also a general ban on the use of satellite phones across the country. Of course, it is well known that mobile phones are sometimes used to trigger an explosion, and that people — including terrorists — talk to each other by satellite phones.
Do we, then, consider mobile telephony a dangerous dual-use technology and impose curbs on its use? The Commonwealth Games in Delhi are likely to face security threats — should all mobile phone connections be cut off in the city during those two weeks?
In the telecom sphere itself, there is now much controversy regarding email services like Blackberry and about telecom equipment itself. There are proposals to impose conditions regarding imported equipment and software that are so onerous that few manufacturers will agree to them — unless they intend to flout them through some clever subterfuge.
The aim, apparently, was to keep out Chinese equipment — without an explicit ban — for reasons of security (possibly instigated by rival equipment suppliers from other countries who are now, doubtless, ruing being hoist with their own petard!). Ironically, the only ones who may willingly agree to all the conditions are the Chinese vendors.
Meanwhile, there are technologies that track eye movement and other body parameters; with these inputs and appropriate software, psychologists are able to detect nervousness. It is proposed to use this to identify potential terrorists by putting cameras and sensors at the back of every aircraft seat to monitor each passenger. Even the body heat & hart rate sensors tell many thing about emotional state of a human being. But then privacy have another level for restrictions thought to go on & on , Do share your feelings suggestions on this to me.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Creating Boy out of grown man - in Indian context
This is a real thinking line, at what age do kids in India are allowed to take decisions on their own? Not even the serious big items like career and marriage decisions. Even the minor day to day decisions like what to dress, what to eat?
I am aware of parents accompanying their sons and daughters to get them admitted into professional colleges. They get them admitted into post graduate courses. Show them the hostel, talk to his/her classmates/seniors to ensure the hot water is available in the hostel, the timings of breakfast, where to go for hair cut etc.. Sometimes, parents do these things to the utter embarrassment of their kids. What happens once the parents leave is a total different story.
Have you ever noticed any Indian matrimonial? Something like “A 25 year old boy looking for a bride”. I always wonder why we call someone 25 year old a “boy” and why a “boy” needs a bride. At what age do we recognize our boys becoming men and our girls becoming women?
In my opinion, our middle class is guilty of being over protective of their kids. Most men (especially men) do not even know how to wash their cloths, cook their food … even the simplest basic survival skills are a big ask.
This very crowd at work, can we hope them to throw their hat voluntarily into a risky situation and take ownership? Can we expect them to accept responsibility of something that goes wrong?
Similarly we have tempered with too much politeness, our Indian parenthood, while celebrated for its middle-class-conservative-strong-family-values, it made it difficult for individuals to become decisive and take a stand. Our brought-up makes it very difficult to take a stand and have an opinion. Lest being able to open up and say “I disagree”. Especially if it involves people older than me with whom I have to disagree. At home I can’t disagree with my zero-IQ-uncle just because he happens to have born couple of decades ahead of me. I bring in the same personality to work and find it difficult to disagree with my colleague who seemingly is much smarter than me, who possesses a degree from a more reputed college than me and has couple of more years of experience than me. DO o think this should happen.......
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Leadership thoughts continued.....
As leaders:
■We set the tone, cast the shadow.
■We control the flow of information.
■We create dialogue (or not).
■We are the central hub of change, quality, efficiency and innovation.
The most effective leaders know that their ability to get people focused and moving forward, to get people engaged and motivated, to get people working with a sense of urgency and moving a little more quickly all hinges on their ability to communicate.
Where are we – as leaders – uniquely qualified to help and what should our teams and bosses expect from us?
Here are the four “musts” for any leader:
1.Seek out and provide context for organizational information. Ensure that your team clearly understands how their priorities and goals fit into the company’s overall priorities and goals. When a mistake happens or a project gets off track, ask yourself, “What context didn’t I provide for my team?”
2.Make information relevant by translating information so employees understand how they fit in and what’s in it for them. Help them see how what they do contributes and is meaningful for your team and organization.
3.Provide job-related information so your team receives essential information to help them do their job effectively. Research shows that you’re the preferred source – bar none – for job-related information.
4.Provide information and feedback on individual performance and other employee-related matters such as recognition of achievements and contributions, or ways to be better.
In almost all cases, only you can provide the information employees crave in a way that makes it meaningful for them, and gets them connected to your team and organization.
Whether you do it – or should I say, Weather you do it – is up to you. As I always think, change and improvement begins and ends with us. With this power and influence comes great responsibility.
■We set the tone, cast the shadow.
■We control the flow of information.
■We create dialogue (or not).
■We are the central hub of change, quality, efficiency and innovation.
The most effective leaders know that their ability to get people focused and moving forward, to get people engaged and motivated, to get people working with a sense of urgency and moving a little more quickly all hinges on their ability to communicate.
Where are we – as leaders – uniquely qualified to help and what should our teams and bosses expect from us?
Here are the four “musts” for any leader:
1.Seek out and provide context for organizational information. Ensure that your team clearly understands how their priorities and goals fit into the company’s overall priorities and goals. When a mistake happens or a project gets off track, ask yourself, “What context didn’t I provide for my team?”
2.Make information relevant by translating information so employees understand how they fit in and what’s in it for them. Help them see how what they do contributes and is meaningful for your team and organization.
3.Provide job-related information so your team receives essential information to help them do their job effectively. Research shows that you’re the preferred source – bar none – for job-related information.
4.Provide information and feedback on individual performance and other employee-related matters such as recognition of achievements and contributions, or ways to be better.
In almost all cases, only you can provide the information employees crave in a way that makes it meaningful for them, and gets them connected to your team and organization.
Whether you do it – or should I say, Weather you do it – is up to you. As I always think, change and improvement begins and ends with us. With this power and influence comes great responsibility.
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