Especially For You ...On Your 24th Birthday BY Abhi

Dt 16.09.2008 ("Especially For You ...On Your 24th Birthday")

Read this with a Smile.. as big as river Nile..It is your birthday card..

Hi..well it was long pending..

i don't know whether i would b able to do justice to wt i feel able 'us'..

finally managed to muster up and gt over the apprehension i have been having which stopped me frm saying i hv felt like saying then.. well without ending up sounding cliched..

let me tel you.. u r one f kind.. u r actualy hw people are to u..fr each one f thm u r different..yet they see themselves in u.. u stoop dwn to their level or u raise ur own bar to reach theirs as the case be.. this cud lead to a misinterpretation.. tht u r nt u.. u r fake and living a dual life.. bt thn tht is d way to live life...

i love ur simplicity.. and ur down to earth nature.. unlike otrs.. u seem more real thn reality.. wd tht everlasting smile.. which cud be so comforting no matter how things are in & around u.. and the unsaid unconditional invisible thread of protection, that you are always there is such a comforting feeling it is only now i hv realised..

it was probably this late revelation that made me sub consicously think what i thought that day.. it was this sense of being there forever.. and getting closer as friends...in the near future.. it was a involuntary and that is what makes it special..

it was like a lightning.. strike once..and left a thoughtful impact forever.. i am realy happy that something like that did happen..

It may be weird that a mere acquaintance in the college room could crystallise into something so beautiful.. that little conversation would snow ball into so many philosophical and other serious talks.. those puchka sessions..those walk to the temple..it is very reassuring somehow..

but let me confess..i realy wonder why do you do what you do.. as in come on i stand nowhere near you.. you gona make it big.. you have already make it big.. and i am yet to come out to the world.. why such concern for me.. i fear loosing you.. bt also snap the thought the very next minute...and this is the weirdest part.. cz tho i knw things wd be jst the same.. i dnt see why they would be from your side.. please don't read me wrong here.. it is what i have been feeling..

is it weird to be so emotional, esp wn i am a guy. well i really dnt knw..

i jst wnt to convey you what i have been feeling.. you have made me realise loads f thngs.. wd every conversation. thr is smthng tht leaves me pondering .. it feels good tht sm1 like is u around.. it gvs u sm strength..

i am sure we gona come wd a book .. our book.. our passion,... our dream.. it is something really big.. we have been craving for it.. and it gona materialise i am sure..

jst kp in touch.. and remember.. we might be far away in distance.. bt nt in heart.. and we are all under the same roof... the sky!! right? just kp smiling..

get ur way to the top.. gt us all proud.. kick sm asses.. hit sm basses.. fuck up.. cm up smiling.. like tht cmng out f dumpster still pretty for a pose..

kp ur marwari outlook alive.. it is ur lifeline..

above all kp tht simplicity right there.. it is very difficult to be simple fr it is so tempting.. buddy! u wd go places.. they r jst waiting fr u.. jst go grab it.. prove thm..wt mettle u r made up f.. i wnt to see u at the top.. ur simple living high thinking gna tk u places..

a request jst kp in touch ne hw.. it wd b really difficult.. u knw it is nt abt hw frequently we tlk .. it is nt abt hw frequently we meet.. it is abt wnvr v tlk and wnvr v meet the emotions, feelings, understanding remains the same, as f it ws nly d otr day wn we met last.. m sure it wd b so in our case..

Now i want to share something with you.. it is very special indeed!.. Now that you would actualy start living a very different life.. these should be your lightposts.. your pillar of supports.. these would change your perspective some way or other..

it has made my conscience strong at many places.. made me realise how wrong i was at others.. while some of them still need to be understood but for their literal interpretation.. these are insightful and would leave a lasting impact bro..If you will take the time to read these. I promise you'll come awaywith an enlightened perspective. ..

The subjects covered affect us all ona daily basis!

I've learned....That the best classroom in the world is at the feet ofan elderly person. I've learned....

That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned....That just one person saying to me, 'You've made myday!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one ofthe most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....That I can always pray for someone when I don't havethe strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned....That no matter how serious your life requires you tobe, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold andaheart to understand.

I've learned....That simple walks with my father around the block onsummer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned....That we should be glad God doesn't give us everythingwe ask for.

I've learned....That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned...That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I ve learned....That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... dat the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... dat everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with asmile.I've learned.... dat no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... dat life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned..... dat opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.I've learned.... dat when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dockelsewhere.

I've learned.... dat I wish I cud have told my Mom dat I love herone more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... dat one should keep his words both soft and tender,because tomorrow he may hv to eat them.

I've learned.... dat a smile is an inexpensive way to improve urlooks.

I've learned.... dat when ur newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Wish you all the best in all your future endeavour.. for you really deserve it.. you have got something..some mascot that would drive people towards you.. and yeah girls too..

:) Warm Regards,Abhishek Sureka

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Anurag 12:43  No comment

KC Collection

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Anurag 16:39  No comment

Anurag Singal's Life Insurance day Special

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Anurag 06:16  2 comments

A long winding day finally comes to a pause. Student life rocks

For the past 6 months, on umpteen occasions, I have made my mind to chronicle a day in this PGPX journey at IIMA. But so frenzied gets the pace of events during the day that by the time it ends, you are almost dead :) . Happiness zooms to infinity the moment you get into bed

Even today, I have not yet touched my favorite part of the house i.e. the bed. The reason is that I am baby sitting with Ms. Dhwani Singal as Sonia applies Mehendi for tomorrow (feeling special). It should be turn out to be special.

So the  day (10th Oct'14) started at 6 AM. Slave of the electronics life, you check the whatsapp status and the emails . Even Moodle as the placement season has kicked in and Placecom is working 24*7 to get new jobs.

Visualising the  face of Prof and his RA waiting for your written assignments on Siebel case unsettle you. They are already due past 5 days.

Then take a a bit of calculation and realise that if you start reading the pre-class material stipulated by each professor for the day ahead, you might collapse in MSH 901 itself

So you decide to take yet another round of skim reads and prepare for the worst. (Kind of play on probability of being caught on the wrong foot in the class)

Classes start at 845. Its time for Bank of Bihar vs. State of Bihar, Supreme Court of India, 1971 (Bailment Case) and  Vimal Chand Grover v. Bank of India, Supreme Court of India, 2000 (Pledge Case). Legalities of any issue are always interesting. The open book format shifts focus from memory to understanding. There's animated discussion, something that I really used to miss during my PE-2 days ten yrs ago ( P.S. Oct'04 was when I was trying to mug up provisions of Indian Contracts Act 1872,and Sale of Goods Act 1930 sitting all alone. The classroom experience was a complete different ball game)

Next we had a guest lecture by Mr Smaeer Walia; CEO, Smart Cube. To your utter happiness, you find that he is CA a who cleared in the early 90s and spent a decade or so with Accenture before deciding to plunge into the proverbial entrepreneurial waters and today runs a successful KPO by the name SmartCube. (Deal). We also dream to be like that at some point of our lives. But he told unequivocally that its not an esay journey, best with anxiety, frustation and loneliness. But by contuining to focus on domain knowledge and the quality dimensions of business, the sustainability would start trickling in slowly.

"No Battle Plan survives the first contact with the Enemy" - Russian

"Perfection is the ENEMY of Good" 

"There has to be BALANCE between Listening, Knowing and Doing"

"Failure is a FEEDBACK mechanism" 

"Be wary of CLIENT concentration RISK" 

"its NEVER 2 companies working together, its ALWAYS is 2 INDIVIDUALS working together"

"Horizontal Growth is very important than Vertical growth"

Scroll Google Search for large 500 companies and look for word "Xformational" 

"You Cannot Learn to Command if You Cannot Learn to Obey"

"Agree to Disagree" 

"Company is a LIVING organism with 10,100,10000, or few 100,000 hearts beating together" towards a mission or vision

" Luck CAN be Turned to your side"

"Success and Adversity are friends that walk together - learn from both"

"No matter how great the talent or effort, some things just take time"

"We don't need to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.  100 small things, 100 small improvements - collectively creates a Huge Impact"

Invaluable snippets

You get an opprtunity to discuss your journey of cajobportal.com. he gives some really insightful tips on market commodization, angel investing, client acquistion, long term perspectives.

Good

Time to move on as the Google Calendar takes you to SR-8 where you started the intellectual discussion on auction mechanisms

You learn about amazing platforms of auctions , of how the Vickrey Groove model failed in New Zealand but works fantastic in Google Adwords. (Public Policy Vs Pvt Sector).(Read more)

Break for 60 minutes where you inadvertently compose your first ever JD for a freelance position of VP-Content and Creativity. (Link). One good thing about working on your own is that you can have a fancy designation for yourself.  CEO, COO, CFO, VPs :)

Strategy and Innovation start at 230 PM

(Reliance Industries). 

The agility he brought with a Complexity Index of 11.3 (as defined by the Nelson Complexity Index) RIL's refinery at Jamnagar is able to process 80 types of heavy and sour crude oils to produce high value products. Thats flexibility. Thats scale. 

AirAsia - Southeast Asia's Most Successful Low-cost Airline

I got partcularly intrigued by the ethical issues surrounding their campaign. further research on the Internet led me to this (Article)

"The new girl has finally arrived. She's twice the fun and half the price"

The price war with Singapore Airlines

The Reliance and Air Asia related help you brainstorm the strategy layers which have been dormant since years. Fascinating insights. 

Interesting Cases

  

Narayan Bhaiya, an inspiration, was on campus for an MDP and we had the privilege of having dinner with him

So how would the goverment go for course correction after the telecom sector fiasco was discussed from 915 to 1045 PM

All tiredness goes away as your little one says this

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Anurag 11:33  No comment

Rudyard Kipling's If (with shades of Kalyug) with Anurag Singal

If you can spontaneously find out a scapegoat and wriggle yourself out of the blame game
when men around have lost their cool and started propagating that it was you

If you can factor in constructive feedback. But keep trusting yourself when you can clearly see that the guy across is insecure/jealous and is indulging in negative criticism

If you can wait but also smarly decipher when its NOT working and exit without wasting any more time
On being lied around, either pay back upfront (bluntly/diplomatically) or just forget it (ensure that you don't take it to heart as you also aren't saint)

On being hated, understand the various vested interests at play and just forget it (else BP/Sugar may rise)
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: but also know how to market your efforts and create an aura of knowledge; basically don't tom tom about it ( why inspire jealously and antagonise the others on a daily basis)

If you can dream and not make dreams your master but dupe a PE/VC investor about future prospects like Flipkart does

If you can strategise well within the abundant strategic models around or hire Mckinseys/BCGs if its getting too hectic on your grey cells

If you can treat treat success/failure with equanimity but at least be able to fake sadness in front of shareholders when its been a lacklustre quarter (else hire a smart Chartered Accountant and do some legal/illegal accounting jugglery)

If you can see each word spoken by you twisted by insecure men; either get immune or start acting tough and  making the morons around fall into the trap of their own words. Its simple dude: when you get on the defensive, they would get offensive and vice versa; choose what you like better

If you bear losses in the material world or even a hard disk crashing and yet chill as you realise that in the long run we are all dead and those GBs of photos/music was anways junk. For the ego satisfaction, try to retrieve but don't be too fussy

If you have a strong heart, play the leveraged games of speculation and risk it all. Buy Nifty Calls and Puts but avoid Nifty Futures as the risk is unlimited. Better apply Markowitz's Portfolio Theory and diversify ; Else check on opportunities to arbitage. If you can't , bundle the risks into exotic derivatives (CDOs and CDSs) and pass the tremors of your loss onto a third party; their prayers would work for you.Why should the rest of world alone have all the fun? :)

Its a zero sum game. If one wins, you have to lose. Don't get so emotional. Its shareholder's money which he has already written off or PSU bank's money you obtained by bribing those CXOs. They would give you a CDR once you default

If you can push beyond your perceived physical limitations, its good, you lazy bum (Bingo) but be careful also,you haven't exericsed a bit in the last umpteen years, you couch potato. take the treadmill test first

Persevere if the inner voice says that the idea is good but don't get over emotional please

If you can be humble ( or at least fake humility) while dealing with external people but also throw attitude ocassionally to show your class else they may take you for granted. If you've got an I-Phone, flaunt it. if you've been on a vacation to Europe, upload hundreds of pics on FB and keep writing " feeling awesome; its so amazing". Else why the heck did you shell out that much of money!!

Insulate yourself from the emotional melodrama when it comes to dealing with non-family members. It is a trade in emotions. Don't waste your tears on strangers.

If you can work hard yourself, its good in the initial stages till you create a reputation for yourself in the company. Once you get promoted, be a smart boss and exploit the haemoglobin of juniors. Being on stress hormones for too-long can be counter-productive. Just learn to let them do the work and take the credit.

Can't guarantee the global GDP for you but you will live a happy man. At least won't have to live on those multiple pills till you anyways would die.

A far cry from the original one by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you  

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,  

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;  

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;  

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;  

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;  

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,  

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,  

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,  

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,  

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

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Anurag 19:40  1 comment

Jettisoning the Dysfunctional Baggage with Dr Thimappe Hegde (IIMA - 4th & 5th Oct'14)

When a Director and Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at Narayana Hrudayalaya Bengaluru  flies down to Ahmedabad to help a bunch of 45 students untangle their past, its reason enough for celebration. His stated objective - to give you an 'escape velocity' that allows you to trespass the chaos around you and catapult yourself into the higher orbit of the cosmos. Clearly he made it clear that the mantras weren't new. By the time you cross the age of 30, you advertently do end up reading a couple of self-help books which are perfect from a prescriptive point of view but never implemented properly.

Events kickstarted at 7.15 PM on Saturday evening. Dr Hegde shared some instances of the complex neuro surgery cases he manages on a routine basis, operations that run into a timespan of 10 hours and where every moment is a battle between life and death. And look at the calm and radiance on his face. There is no element of EGO-Edging God Out. He considered himself as a mere cinduit through which the larger providence gets the destined act together for the individual. 

According to Swami Sukhaananda: "Rukmani loves Krishna so much that she is very possessive about him. But she hardly gets time to spent with her beloved one. But she always has marked one thing, that the flute which Krishna plays is most of the times with him, except when he takes bath or when he goes out for some specific reason. Once Rukmani thought of asking the flute as to what is so special about it a mere bamboo stick. One day, when Krishna went to take bath, Rukmani took his flute, breathed life to it and asked it "Why are you so close to Krishna! Despite being his wife, I am not able to spend that much time with him?". The flute gave a surprise look to Rukmani and told her " Even I don’t know why it’s like that. Look at me, I am empty. I am just a stick with some holes and I am of no use to anyone. But once Kirshna puts air into me, nice music comes out of it. I don’t have any mental blocks so I am close to him. So you too take out all blocks (remove your ego), be empty, then only you will be close to Krishna". Rukmani realised that Krishna’s flute represents a devotee, who has transcended his ego self and has become an unobstructed medium for the music of the soul.

This conduit approach instantly wins hearts. 

TheAnger/upset/hate, whether justified or not, are always self-destructing. Could we keep making an FIR (Frequency, Intensity and Recovery) report of our getting upset?

Are happy people grateful or is it vice-versa.?

Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. 

Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. 

Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. 

Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. 

Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.

-- Chinese proverb, author unknown

मातृ देवो भव्  पितृ देवो भव् आचार्य देवो भव् " 

Matru devo bhava Pitru devo bhava Acharya devo bhava

What a wonderful way to start the way each morning with a spirit of abundance. Much better than our usual method of getting bogged down by the workload for the day ahead or rushing to check the emails and FB statuses.

The concept of detaching the body from the embodied, the physical from the spritual was depicted.

The connect with mountaineering and the Sherpas !!!

Gratitude and misery can never co-exist. Why can't we live a life of 'Thank You, Thank you an Thank You' for having a vision, power to talk, family - innumerable things for which we can feel blessed 

The effective first session ensured that we didnt think even twice before agreeing to report at KLDMC at 6.30 AM the next morning. Even a 1.0 credit core technical course often fails to muster that kind of enthusiasm.

“Breathing in, I know that my in breath has become deep and I enjoy it. Breathing out, I see that my out-breath has become slow and I enjoy it.” - Buddha. A comprehensive session on Stress Mgt ensured that we moved out of our usual slumber and get the  tendons/ligaments [unused by modern laptop users :] moving. We realise how we were expediting the ageing process by living 24*7 on adrenaline. Why can't we pause for a while? Why can't we consciously waste time? Why can't we prolong the REM (rapid eye movement)  sleep?

The importance of paradigm shift would not have been explained better than this story by Stephen Covey.

"I remember a mini-Paradigm Shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway in New York. People were sitting quietly -- some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm, peaceful scene. Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car. The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed.

"The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people's papers. It was very disturbing. And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing.

"It was difficult not to feel irritated. I could not believe that he could be so insensitive to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all. It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated, too. So finally, with what I felt was unusual patience and restraint, I turned to him and said, "Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn't control them a little more?"

"The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly, 'Oh, you're right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don't know what to think, and I guess they don't know how to handle it either.'

"Can you imagine what I felt at that moment? My paradigm shifted. Suddenly I saw things differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently. My irritation vanished. I didn't have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior; my heart was filled with the man's pain. Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed freely. "Your wife just died? Oh, I'm so sorry. Can you tell me about it? What can I do to help?" Everything changed in an instant.

"Many people experience a similar fundamental shift in thinking when they face a life-threatening crisis and suddenly see their priorities in a different light, or when they suddenly step into a new role, such as that of husband or wife, parent or grandparent, manager or leader.

"It becomes obvious that if we want to make relatively minor changes in our lives, we can perhaps appropriately focus on our attitudes and behaviors. But if we want to make significant, quantum change, we need to work on our basic paradigms.

"In the words of Thoreau, 'For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root.' We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms from which our attitudes and behaviors flow."

Could the mandate of neing humble when wrong and all the more humble when right be followed so easily? 

Could we surrender to the इंशाल्लाह  - inshallah philosophy of life?

Why can't we forgive yourselves just like the tingue forgives the teeth and Charlie forgives his younger brother.

According to legend, an awestruck admirer looked at Michelangelo’s finished statue of David and asked him how he had done it. To which Michelangelo replied: “David was always there in the marble. I just took away everything that was not David.”

We then heard the Golden Buddha story , of how we forget the greatness that was beneath us

We are stardust. We are golden. ― Joni Mitchell

A long time ago in a distant land there stood a majestic golden Buddha statue at a monastery just outside a city. When the monks learned that an army was about to invade the city, they realized they needed to somehow protect the Buddha. Wisely they covered the Buddha with mortar and stones, so when the army came they would see but a stone Buddha and not give it a second thought. Their plan worked.

 The army remained in occupation for many years ― so many, in fact, that there came a day when no one in at the monastery or in the city remembered that the Buddha was golden. Everyone who looked upon it thought it was simply made of stone.

 One day after a young monk had been meditating on the knee of the Buddha, he rose and accidentally chipped off a piece of stone. To his amazement, he saw something shiny beneath the dust. Looking further, he realized the Buddha was not made of stone, but gold. “Come quickly!” he shouted to the other monks. “The Buddha is golden!”

 His fellow monks ran to the Buddha with tools and chipped the stone away until they had revealed the original golden Buddha in all his glory. To this day you can see the golden Buddha in Thailand.

  

The story of the golden Buddha is your story, and mine. We are all golden by nature, but the illusions and density of earth have caused us to believe we are the facades and protections we have developed. When a challenge chips away our armor, we gain a glimpse of the gold that lives within us. Then we become excited about releasing our imprisoned splendor, and we will not settle for less than our true golden nature. 

Group Games to check the agility of our minds were fun.

We had exercises where we shared the negative childhood experiences that cast a deep influence on us and where one could trace traits of our current personality. Some even had tears in their eyes, narrating an incident 20 years after its occurence, which was hitherto always a closely guarded within the family and the pain.

The humorous way of looking at things was also discussed.

We discussed ways and means of handling complex interpersonal relationships in marriage, parenting etc.

And in conclusion, cathartic exercises to eject the pent up negativity of our life

Drinking From My Saucer

I've never made a fortune

and it's probably too late now.

But I don't worry about that much,

I'm happy anyhow.

  And as I go along life's way,

I'm reaping better than I sowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

'Cause my cup has overflowed.

 I don't have a lot of riches,

and sometimes the going's tough.

But I've got loved ones around me,

and that makes me rich enough.

  I thank God for his blessings,

and the mercies He's bestowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

'cause my cup has overflowed.

   

I remember times when things went wrong,

My faith wore somewhat thin.

But all at once the dark clouds broke,

  and the sun peeped through again.

  So God, help me not to gripe about

the tough rows that I've hoed.

I'm drinking from my saucer,

'Cause my cup has overflowed.

  If God gives me strength and courage,

when the way grows steep and rough.

I'll not ask for other blessings,

  I'm already blessed enough.

  And may I never be too busy,

to help others bear their loads.

Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,

'Cause my cup has overflowed.

~ John Paul Moore ~

Thanks Dr Hegde and DVR Sir for Inspiring Leadership Through Personal Mastery.

I wish we cna implement the " I am what I am' mantra for life

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Anurag 10:35  No comment

Akshardham with Mr Cherla :)

Sometimes you are destined for converting a dull and drab day into a memorable one. A random conversation converted into a tour plan.

 A 31 km comfortable cruise aboard a cool cab booked by Mr Cherla worked wonders and we landed in Swaminarayan Akshardham reflects the essence and magnitude of India's ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spirituality.

The best thing that happens to you when you reach Akshardham is that they take away your mobile phones and cameras. So you spend the next 4 hours ENJOYING life.

Usually we fritter away these wonderful moments , trying to capture a perfect selfie for Facebook with potential of generating100 likes and 50 comments. With a sense of urgeny, we put on the mantle of a Dhirubhai Ambani and keep checking our emails as if the refineries would stop if we didnt. We keep checking those Whatsapp status as if all our groups would collapse if we didnt

So we spent the 4 hours ENJOYING life as humans and not photgraphers, avid chatters and faking CEOs :) :) :) . Trust me it was a huge takeway from the evening.

Dhwani and Shravan (Srini's son) were the show stoppers for the evening, capturing the entire attention.

We did spend a 100 bucks for the picture above ( Height of FB addiction)

Swamiji awaited in his peaceful pose to welcome us. We kind of got mesmerised by the radiance on the face and the tranquility in the air. We then visited a museum where Swaimji's relics are so carefully preserved- from his nails to his hair, from his jap mala to the reins of his horse. 

Joyous rides on a few jhulas, some shopping of memoirs,ayurvedic stuff and and food items kept the momentum alive till 730 when the most awaited part started

On offer was a spectacular show on water screen using effects of fire, sound laser, water and video. It’s the first of its kind immersive show — a fusion of high-end technology and India’s cultural heritage —on a water screen primarily consisting of water droplets

We were kept engrossed in the insightful conversation between nine-year-old Nachiketa and lord of death Yama.

In the latter’s abode, they talk about eternity, life after death and the three worlds.

What else could a mind desire in a span of 60 minutes? Use of colourful lights and high-powered projectors (use of 4,000 nozzles, 2,000 lights, over 100 pumps and twelve fireball throwers ) helped in depicting a ghostly atmosphere with anacondas squirming at the gate of death, spikes coming from nowhere to kill the child, dancing demons, fire, volcanic eruptions and lightning — all on the water screen as the location shifted from hell to heaven and cosmos. Apart from the apsaras, the bantering between the kid and ghosts, rainbows, flora and fauna, cartoon characters, demons, colourful fish and butterflies seemed like flying straight out of crayon paintings. They made circular movements on the water droplets around the boy as Yama enticed him with the lure of heaven, wealth and all worldly pleasures.

Akshardhaam Temple and Swamiji, you have captivated our hearts

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Anurag 20:09  No comment

Garba@ NID..Pure Delight !!

Had heard of this place called National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad since years. Knew that some of the most outstanding minds of the country unleash their creative forces here and what comes out is pure magic. And fell in love with them by observing them perform their Garba dance on the last day this Navratri. Towards the end, the Diya Dance was a visual treat for the unitiated. With tiny diyas on their hands, their creative whizkids kept moving in circles, never missing out on perfection for even a second.

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Anurag 12:06  No comment

Happy Teachers Day

The earliest memories of this awesome day are when a bottle of Pepsi, 4 toffees and an exciting fancy dress competition awaited us at KG-C at DBL -  Mam Starry !!!! The DBL journey brought icons such as Ms Ann (singing classes), Mrs Kaur, Samita Guha, Mam Rupasree, Joe Pathickal, Fr Dominic and Sir Thomas Dias profoundly impacting our lives.

Later our world expanded and the word "teacher" encompassed those from St Xavier's, Prof Hanif, Madam Saswati and an entire galaxy of super professors....they made the transition from Science to Commerce so easy

Then came professional coaching centres who were, truly speaking, professionals but they were amazing (Jayesh Sir, Sanjay Saraf Sir, Sudarshan Sir, Beri Sir, Alok Sir) . They made the CA exam journey much easier

Bosses in corporate life also taught a lot, some in a mild manner and some in maybe the harsh way, because probably they were paying us now..but the learning was the most effective

Teachers at AOL

Even a stranger whom you suddenly meet on the road or a flight or in a conference ( Dilip Apte Sir) and leaves you with a lesson for a lifetime

Students with whom I had the wonderful opportunity to interact with during my short stints across those ICFAIs and SMUs of the world, Edzonex (Harsh and Parul) and finally the most precious, the super talented ones whom I met during those 6 hour GMCS sessions, maybe a 1000+ who have added me on FB but few have really touched me and stayed in touch all this long...and left such remarkable memories that I miss those GMCS classes so much

and now some wonderful Profs at IIMA: they are like walking encyclopedias, just sit in their class and let yourself swim in the ocean of knwoledge, Prof Arvind Sahay, Prof Shailesh Gandhi, Prof Sunil Sharma, Prof Satish Deodhar

We are whatever we are today because of our teachers

Happy Teachers Day !!!

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Anurag 03:51  1 comment

A 'once in a lifetime' boss

Today I put a a semi-colon (or probably a full stop) to this beautiful chapter of my life called Essel Mining. Its been a monumental journey, a peek into the exciting world of excavators and dumpers, explosives and haul roads. It has been an equally insightful encounter with a sublime level of corporate politics, where I know I at least score 5/10. (my Haryanvi tone snatches me the other 5 points) From being a back-office financial analyst in my erstwhile role, I could grow into someone who even had a voice before CEOs and CFOs of the world. Quite a transformation !!

If I could point out one individual who has made all of this possible, I had been Sanjay Bhaiya. Officially Mr Sanjay Baid is my boss but I have never ever managed to draft a mail starting with 'Dear Sir'. It always been a  'Hello' or simply nothing. I have consciously refrained from using the word boss because he is so unlike one.

Normally, bosses are tyrannical. They derive a sadistic pleasure from making the lives of their subordinates miserable. Sanjay Bhaiya, on the contrary, facilitates such a wonderful experience in office that my haemoglobin must have gone up by 200 basis points.

Normally, bosses are selfish to the core. They believe in getting work done from subordinates and then snatching away all the credit. They out of their sheer insecurity, do not share knowledge with their subordinates. Sanjay Bhaiya , on the contrary, tells that the world that it has been a team effort (even if he has completely managed the project himself) and ensures that his subordinates get a 360 degree view of events. Ask the wierdest of questions to this 'encyclopaedia on mining'  (trust me he actually is' and he will answer that patiently. If he starts narrating the phenomenal work he has done in the past, you will feel mesmerised and start wondering how much one could do with his sheer dedication.

Normally, bosses tend to pass the buck to their juniors for all the mistakes. Sanjay Bhaiya , takes it completely to himself. And then you feel so secure. You experiment with ideas and then working becomes such fun. When other tend to criticize you and your boss defends you, the feel is magical

Normally you tend to hide all your new ventures from your boss because they would ant to 'nip it in the bid' . I distinctly remember not having allowed my erstwhile boss to even have an inkling that I was taking the GMAT (though I had prepared right under his nose for 3 months and then taken a 15 day 'sick leave' before the exam). And here was I discussing every aspect of my application with him. Rightly from scrutinizing the initial application to mentoring me for the interview to helping me 'take the bloody shot' post the admission offer , he has stood by me like a rock. And I have never dared to lie even once for a leave.

They say you must endeavor to command respect and not demand it. He is a living testimony to this fact. My mom and dad are his fans, in spite of not having met him even once. This is because in the last 33 months, there has not been a single day when I have come home unhappy. "tum unke jaisa kyun nahi ban sakta' is what they keep nudging me.

I want him to be an entrepreneur, the 'bidi' king of India. He is too good for 'just a job' and I am sure , one day, he will turn one.

Now as I step into the hallowed portals of IIM-A, I know he has some sky high expectations from me. He probably wants me to conquer the world or least live upto my full potential for sure. I am not sure whether I can do full justice to the faith reposed. But I will surely try my best

They say people join companies and leave bosses. And here am I shivering with the thought of how I will face the world without my boss. Quite an ironical situation.

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Anurag 19:36  1 comment