This is the end, beautiful friend

This is the end 
Beautiful friend
This is the end 
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end

Jim Morrison echoes in my ears as another year comes to an end. 2012 as the end of the world is a much discussed topic, so much so that there is a movie, a million websites and some zillion discourses on it. As 2011 winds down, one can't but, for once, think about the unknown awaiting us next year. Is the world really going to end? Well, I think it is. This is the end of the world as we know it. This is the end, beautiful friend....

If you look at the signs that have been strewn down our path in 2011, it is but obvious. The world is already changing, it is already a different place. It is as conflicted as ever, but new voices are being heard, new order is being established. If the nineties saw the fall of the communist regime, this millennium has seen the dismantling of many a dictatorship, many a monarchy.  Tunisia's Jasmine revolution, America's Occupy Wall street, India's Anna Hazare and many others have taken on the establishment. Corporate greed has been questioned, political  hegemony is under threat, bureaucratic indifference is being shaken up. The new voices through social media, the echoes of these voices in an extremely connected world, the tremors of the actions spurred by these voices are seen in civil society today. The last bastion of established order, capitalism is under threat now. The fall of capitalism will change the world order, the economic might of nations and corporations will not matter, the playing field will change. Is that what 2012 is going to be about?

What will be the new social order? Will it be one where individual freedom, enterprise and creativity is celebrated? Will it be one where corporate greed, network and scale are not adulated? Will it be a more equal world which is less insular and more inclusive? Will there be self sustaining smaller local economies that focus on the immediate needs of the community? Yes, 2012 has everything going for it to be a decisive year. A year that changes the way the world behaves. A year that awakens millions, a year that is the beginning of a new social order, a year that is the end of the world as we know it. This is the year that can set us free, go grab it...

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end

Remembering all things Grandma, all things love

I remember one of the very first job interviews I attended. In the midst of all the esoteric questions that determined if you got the job or not was a seemingly innocuous one. The question was about my favorite cuisine. What was it and why....and the answer was on my lips straight away, I did not need to think too hard. I did not have to choose between Thai or Italian. I did not need to elaborate on why Pad Thai or Thai Green Curry suited my palate. Neither did Risotto cross my mind nor did Chicken Tikka Masala. Because the answer was straight forward, what I really enjoyed was my Grandma's cooking. Her homemade curries and pickles were unmatched and that was because of the special ingredient you only found there. Nothing could beat her lovingly made spicy hot curries and pickles. And yes, it is not the salt and pepper that matters, what matters is that special ingredient called love.

I am told that as a child, I was a difficult one to manage when getting to go to sleep. You can't fault me for my consistency. My sleep cycle has generally been consistent since those days.....I sleep late and wake up late. In a household where generally folks sleep early and rise early, this was a disruption. I am told my Grandma would stay up late telling me stories, singing her lullabies and trying every trick in the book to get me to sleep. And I know she did that, because the stories she told me are still whispering themselves to me after so many years. Stories from Indian mythology, stories of the Lords , stories of brave men, stories of righteous men, stories that teach you to live your life with dignity. I know she stayed up for me, because the lullabies she sang are still soothing my frayed nerves on those not so wonderful days and nights. And her stories and her lullabies have what no best seller book or Billboard Top 20 song has. It has a soul, a soothing note. And yes, it has what matters most, it has love.

I don't know why I am so nostalgic about Grandma, but, I remember today, the simple joy that permeates everything that she touches. I remember today, most of all the love she showered on us unconditionally. I am grateful for her love and the simple lessons that shaped us grandchildren into what we are today. My first tryst with unconditional love came not from reading about it in a book or in hearing about it in songs. It came from the grand old lady who was there for me unconditionally always. Finally, I remember this story,  I am not sure if fully fact or partly fiction. My grandmother was at a spiritual gathering at an aunt's place. A revered spiritual guru was visiting and many folks visited her for her blessings. The spiritual leader took one look at my Grandma and said " Here is a lady who needs attend no lectures or read no scriptures, for on her lap plays the little Krishna". I have often wondered what that meant. Today, I know what that means. It means that there is no higher ideal than love. The little Krishna plays on her lap because of the uncomplicated and unconditional love that she showers on him. Remembering all things Grandma is remembering all things love....

Hand'la glass-u, Glass'la scotch-u, eyes full'a tear-u...

The Kolaveri Di song has gone viral across, breaking million hit records on You Tube and garnering prime-time conversation on television. Big celebrity daddies are either tongue-lashing the song or endorsing it. I saw report that a much respected lyricist called the lyrics an insult to sensibilities. I don't want to get into that debate. I enjoyed the song, period. I had a good chuckle at the lyrics. The music made me tap my feet. My mind was set free. But, recently, what has truly amazed me is the universal appeal of the song. I was dropping my girls off at the school bus and I see a bus load of school children singing the song. I see videos of Barack Obama enjoying the song. So, what makes this song click with a diverse set of folks. Maybe lyrics like "Hand'la glass-u, Glass'la scotch-u, eyes full'a tear-u" ring a bell with most folks!!

Mostly, I think it works because this is a song with no airs about it. It is spontaneous. It is honest. It is from the heart. Creativity comes from an external force that runs through you, it is said. The composers were possessed by a spontaneity that is probably lacking in the world these days. Most of the world today is calculating or calculated. Most of what we see and hear is packaged. Honest and original expressions are few and far in between. Kolaveri D is simply put an original, honest and spontaneous composition. It has the kind of spontaneity and disdain that a heartbroken drunkard can have for this world. Isn't it Hafiz of Persia, the famous Sufi who likened wine and love to losing your self, your ego. Wine lets you forget yourself with no regard for the world, though you wake up with a bad hangover and some shame. Love makes you forget yourself with no regard for what the world thinks of you. And you wake up with a smile. Kolaveri D captures that essence. It makes you forget the world and brings a smile on your face. It shares a simple message about the duality of this life. Love-u and Boov-u. Joy and heartbreak. All of this in a few spontaneous lines. Hand'la glass-u, Glass'la scotch-u, eyes full's tear-u.....Machha...enjoy it....

Two lives, two deaths in contrast

Last month, October, started with the sad demise of Steve Jobs and later in the month, one saw the grim and gory pictures of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi's death. October saw the passing away of these two world figures, each resulting in contrasting emotions. The quiet and graceful going away of Steve Jobs evoked heartfelt emotions and eulogy from all corners of the world. Messages poured in from people who had probably never ever met him, but had been touched by his genius and had found life through his creations. A fortnight later, one saw the bloody images of Colonel Qaddafi's death when he was hunted down by rebels. The violent death of the Colonel evoked equally strong but dark emotions from people who had again probably never ever met him, but had been touched by his tyranny and had lived in fear of destruction. Two deaths in contrast. Two reactions in contrast.

Two lives lived in contrast, two stories to remember. One story is about the biological son of an Arab immigrant brought up in an American home. A person who went in search of meaning to the Himalayas, only to come back to his home country to find meaning in his work. A genius who found his life's purpose in shaping an infinitely different and superior world to the one we inherited. The famous $ 1 salaried CEO, that was Steve Jobs. He gave back more than he took. He shaped a new world. The other story is about a young freedom fighter who took over the reins in Libya and initially propelled it to prosperity. A person who went in search of power, probably started with all good intentions but was finally undone by the dark and evil shadow of his own excesses. Enamored by power, the power he refused to give up, the power he used in ways that benefited him first, the power that forced him to ignore the greater good. The famous self-styled "King of Kings", that was Colonel Muammar Qaddafi. He took away more than he gave. He obsessively possessed his world, ruled through fear and domination resisting change. Two lives in contrast. Two stories in contrast.

A life of positive change through creation inspiring a generation. And the other, a life of tyranny through fear undermining a generation. In contrast, one was an inspirational life graceful in death. And the other, a self-obsessed life disgraced in the end. In contrast, one is a story of hope for the new age to embrace, the other is a painful remainder of the past to discard. Two lives, two deaths in contrast.  

Die a little and live a lot more

Last weekend, I received a call from someone close to me. It concerned a Japanese colleague of his who was visiting my town on work. This person had failed to show up for a client meeting, the client had called his hotel, the hotel had looked him up in his room only to find out that the gentleman had collapsed. Upon rushing him to the hospital, it was known that he had a brain hemorrhage. This lone traveler, all alone in an alien land was in deep coma. The helplessness of the situation, the uncertainty of this life, the illusions of this reality we have created....this incident provokes and makes you contemplate life. We live a life obsessed about our own selves, accumulating and planning for tomorrow, worrying about the future. Obsessed about a self form that can be taken away from us at any minute. Worried about a future which we have little control over. We live this image that we create for ourselves, so much so that we sometimes forget to live. This self image has to die a little for one to live a lot more.

I recollect this story I heard growing up, the story of King Harishchandra from Indian Mythology. He was  known as a person steadfast in his principles and at one point, to honor his word, he had to relinquish his kingdom and sell himself to work as a guard at a cremation ground. This changed his life, transformed his reality and stripped him bare of his image of self. It killed his ego. The absence of self helped him tide through difficult times. Think about it, the image of self stops you from living fully? Are your present actions clouded by unnecessary constraints imposed by this image of self? Do you hurt when the results of your actions are not as expected? This "ROI" (return on investment)  based life is not the way to lasting happiness. One has to let go of the image that we have created for ourselves. The self has to die a little for one to live a lot more.

Steve Jobs said "Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. Our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice." Don't let the image of your self, shaped by you and conditioned by others come in the way of you leading a full life. Let that image of self die just a little every day, let the constraints imposed be removed just a little every day, let life be unshackled to achieve its true purpose. Listen to your inner voice, live the moment, be in the present moment. Die a little and live a lot more. Viva la Vida!!

Reclaim a nation, rescue a dream

Anna is fashionable, but what I write today is not about new found "Annanomics". I am writing here about a quiet evening with my daughter and the contemplation that followed. I spent time with my school going daughter last evening, helping her prepare for her Social Sciences exam. Her Civics course has a chapter on the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. Under the guise of teaching my daughter, I re-learnt a whole new beautiful ideology upon which our Nation is founded. When I read the text, I could not but marvel at the simplicity of the message, the simplicity of the ideals upon which a nation was being built. The basic principle of equality and how everything else tied into this simple yet lofty ideal.

Our democracy is founded on the principle of equality. Some folks may call this impractical. Some folks may dismiss it as lost ideals of a different generation.. We then start blaming our corrupt politicians, greedy businessmen and slothful bureaucrats for the state of our nation. We start wearing our indifference on our sleeves. But then, you read the Preamble one day and you unknowingly contemplate what it means to you. You look deeper and you realize that you are part of the problem too. Do you really see others as equal? Are you not part of the new social divide that replace the older caste systems? Are you truly socialist? Are you as selfless as the past generations that you can share the collective growth of the society? Are you too individualistic that you think of just yourself and your nuclear family? Are you prone to the same greed, corruption and sloth of the machinery you blame, albeit in different ways?  A lesser sin does not make you a saint. Look within to be sure you are fighting greed with selflessness. Look within to ensure you are secular in your mind and actions. Look within to ensure your mind is self governed and free of prejudices. Look within and check your tolerance meter. Look around and ensure you treat everyone with dignity, be it at the traffic light , in the long queues or in the daily drill and humdrum of life.

Start with yourself to reclaim a nation and in the process, reclaim your own self. Reclaim a nation , rescue a dream today. Here is the lovely Preamble to our Constitution. Hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

Oh, damn fools like me !

Guess what is in common between the Indian Cricket team, Arsenal FC, Roger Federer and Fernando Alonso. What apart from the fact that they are modern day sport teams or icons? Well, you guessed right, they are my favorites. But you look closely at how they have been faring recently, and you notice one more thing in common. They have had some really bad results lately. The Indian cricket team has been whitewashed by a resurgent English team. 4-0, humbled, humiliated. Arsenal FC suffered their worst defeat in a hundred years a couple of weekends back to Manchester United. 8-2, humbled, humiliated. Roger Federer has not had a grand slam win since the 2010 Australian Open and Fernando Alonso has switched two teams since his last world championship in 2006, but has been buttoned out of his Formula One world champion form. All my sporting icons going through a "lean patch"!! Humbled and humiliated, here is another thing in common for you. And I cry out, "Who in their right senses would support these folks? Who? Oh, damn fools like me !" But then, from these shambles of defeat and stories of disappointment, I learn some important lessons of life.

Lesson number one! This world can take you over the moon when you are winning and drop you like a hot potato when you don't. One year back, the Indian cricket team were feted as heroes winning the World Cup, today, some folks call them "donkeys" ? This is a fickle world with short term memory and you can't let the noise of this world drown your belief in your abilities. Victory and defeat play an equal part in life. You hear Kipling " If you can meet with triumph and disaster, And treat those two imposters just the same "You recognize the ephemeral nature of this material world. You recognize the delusions of victory and defeat. You recognize Maya. You learn to take victory with a pinch of salt and defeat with a scoop of humor. And you cry out "Oh, damn fools like me !"

Lesson number two! You can't just believe this is happening to your favorite team. "In Arsene, we trust" is the chant of every Gooner, but doubts were creeping in. And then you realize that what is happening is because of some past actions. Arsenal went to Manchester United before the fateful 8-2 match having just lost two of their best players through transfers to other clubs. A couple of other players were serving suspension. A few others were injured. The team had not yet signed on enough new players of the caliber. You were effectively playing a second string side. What else other than humiliation could you expect. It is a cause and effect world. I have been told long back, "You reap what you sow". Your reality of today is a function of your past actions. A friend introduced me to the Lotus Sutra recently.  "Nam Myoko Renge Kyo" that signifies that life is a cycle governed by a process of cause and effect. You recognize the cause and effect. You learn to introspect your actions and you cry out "Oh, damn fools like me!"

Lesson number three! And finally, I remember thinking there is no better time to blog this thought. Because tomorrow will be different. Because India would be bouncing back against England winning the one day international series. Because Arsenal will be making its way back to the top of the Premier League next weekend with a well earned victory. Because Federer will be lifting the US Open this Sunday. Because Alonso's Red Ferrari will be back on the podium. Because Man lives in eternal hope. Oh, damn fools like me!!

Believe in one more GOD

Jai Ganesh!! Today is the the festival of  Lord Ganesh, the remover of obstacles. And I wonder about the fascination that other cultures have with the many Gods in this land. India is not just a land of a billion people, it is a land of plenty in many more respects. It is a land of many festivals, it is a land of many faiths, it is a land of many Gods. Growing up in such an environment, you are exposed to many influences, debates and views on faith. I have been intrigued by the allegorical myths of Hinduism. I have been fascinated by the simple message of love from the Sufi saints. I have heard about the divine miracles of the Good Shepherd. I have been enthralled by the peace of the Buddhist monasteries. Experiencing the multitude of faiths tickles the curious mind. The merit of being born in this blessed multicultural land of many faiths and many Gods is immense. So, when someone says to me, " India is a land of many Gods. Do you believe in a billion Gods?". I answer, "Yes and one more". 

I contemplate about the big stream of cosmic consciousness, and about the consciousness that pervades our being. I begin to perceive the battlefield of our daily existence, much like the Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata. I notice the blind mind led by the hundred temptations of the senses, much like the blind King Dhritarashtra and his hundred Kaurava sons. I am grateful for the discriminating intelligence and self control that fight the worldly temptations much like the Pandavas did, to reclaim peace of mind. The fight to reclaim peace of mind, to find the divine. I now realize the Mahabharata is more than a myth, it is a story at many levels. I have much to unravel about the story, but I begin to believe this story is also about finding the divine within you. I begin to believe in one more GOD.

I read about Prince Siddhartha relinquishing the material world, about his search for meaning. I begin to understand his journey to enlightenment from Bodhisattva to Buddha. I realize the Sakyamuni found Buddha within him. I look at the calm and peaceful figurine of Buddha and it tells this story about finding the divine within you. It reinforces my belief in one more GOD. When I discover that Luke 17:21 says " the Kingdom of God is within you", I wonder again. And then I hear Kabir "मोको कहां ढूढे रे बन्दे मैं तो तेरे पास में". Where do you seek me, I am beside you. At that point, yes!! I believe in one more GOD!! The GOD within us...and the billion around us.

May you find peace within. दुआ है !! God Bless!! Jai Ganesh!! 

Witness Account : The Revolution of a Common Man

I am not an armchair fascist, neither an overground maoist nor a closet anarchist. I am a common man. Seeking what he has not got in sixty years of search for freedom. The search for freedom from corruption. A fight to release from the clutches of a corrupt system. A fight where he has had to hang up his gloves so many times. So many times that he has been booted out of the plans for a nation led by governments that only appease its vote banks. Living in the nation of slum-dog millionaires, the nation where you make the news if you are at the extremes. Anywhere in between, you are a nowhere man. A nowhere man, a common man. So common that no government thinks you are special. So common that every government takes you for granted. So common that you start believing it yourself. So common that finally, someone wants to stand up and change all that. Change a corrupt system that is so rotten that the stench is unbearable. The time of a social awakening, the rise of a social consciousness, the revolution of a common man.

The last couple of weeks, I have witnessed history being made. I have seen the unfolding of a movement of the common man. A movement by the people, of the people and for the people. It is a revolution of people that you and me know. I have never before seen a revolution unfold in my social space. One of my professional mentors posted on Facebook that he had courted arrest with the movement. Another friend posted back that he was on the way to court arrest. I hear conversation in every street corner about the fight against corruption. On my way to office, I see scenes of peaceful protest in support of the movement. Protests by people like you and me so close to the sterilized office complexes of the modern nation. As I return home, I see my neighbors hold a peaceful candlelight march around our locality. I have never before seen the angst of the common man spill over in such a show of solidarity. I have never before seen a movement of an awakened people up close as I see it now. I have never seen it this real, the revolution of the common man.

I have not seen the failed revolutions of the past to stop believing. I have heard enough about the success of the big people movements to start hoping. Public opinion is building on the social network sites. Public angst is overflowing on the streets. It is a click and mortar revolution in a new age. I live in a new age, in new times when things they are a changin'. Old world protest marches and new age social networking, hand in hand to change a corrupt system, bit by bit. I hear strains of Dylan singing.....

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

I am not an armchair fascist, or maybe I am...who cares. But, I am a witness to the revolution of a common man. And this is my witness account.

A tourist in your own land

Despite being told never to judge a book by its cover, I was drawn to the book by what the cover said, " In Search of the Sacred in Modern India". I was not disappointed. William Dalrymple offers an interesting book about nine lives of faith. But, before I turn this into a book review, let me get to the point. One of the stories in the book is about a Theyyam artiste from North Malabar. Theyyam is a dance form where the artiste enters a trance and in a sense, the Gods inhabit his body. Reading that piece, I was transported back to a land and time of magic. Reading that piece, fond memories of a forgotten yesterday flitted past my eyes. You are so disconnected now with the yesterday that you feel like a tourist in your own land.

The world has changed drastically in the last few years. Our aspirations and accomplishments have taken us on a journey in time and space. We have moved quite a distance away from the stories of our childhood. We have been busy building our own new realities. We have been busy painting that picture perfect life. We have a list of places to visit and another of things to do. We have embraced progress, we have progressed beyond the limiting beliefs of yesterday, beyond the superstitions of yesterday. And then you read a story like the one about the Theyyam dancer and you realize that your have left behind more than just your superstitions. You have left behind your imagination, you have left behind your wide eyed wonder, you have left behind your belief in magic. And as you journey back to that magically superstitious, yet real world of yesterday, you feel like a tourist in your own land.

I am reminded of the time when we trembled in front of the Velichappadu, the oracle and soothsayer possessed by the spirits. I am reminded of the Puram, the big temple festivals where the elephants are dressed  in their gold head-plates and the Gods are swaying on top of them. I am reminded of the pomp and grandeur  as colorful umbrellas are choreographed in synchronous motion atop the elephants. I am reminded of the big tree where Yakshis, the evil spirits are nailed to after they are exorcised in the temple. I am reminded of the family deity being called upon to name a child, about mysterious letters forming a name and appearing on a simple bowl of rice. I am reminded of the magic. Call it pagan, call it superstition, I am reminded of the unreal in a very real world that intrigued me, that charmed me, that scared me, that fascinated me. And then again, I realize that I have become a tourist in my own land. I have progressed so much that I stop believing in the magic. I see what my eyes show, I hear what my ears receive, I feel what my touch perceives. I am a prisoner of my senses. It might seem senseless to many, but beyond yonder, there is magic. And shaken out of the senseless, you notice you are a tourist in your own land.

Learning to be alone

It was a typical monsoon morning. The sky was grey and grumpy. It had rained that morning and the roads were wet. It wasn't the fascinating first rain of the season where you smell the earth and fill your heart with joy. It wasn't the rain that made you want to go out and dance. It was that steady spitting of heavens that made you feel that someone was mocking you. It was the kind of rain, it was the kind of sky when you want to kidnap yourself from society and snuggle under the bed covers. It was the kind of pajama morning when you wished your wardrobe had only pajamas and you had no other clothes to wear outside. That was a good enough excuse not to step out under that grey excuse of a sky. You want to pull the covers over your face, shut your eyes tight and not go out into the world. And this feeling got all the more worse when you had school that morning.

I could imagine what my younger daughter was going through this grey morning as I walked her to the school bus. I had been there before and I knew exactly how it felt. It was that morning when your mind was as grey as the sky. It was that morning when the heart was as damp as the earth. The slightest emotion could bring a tear in your eyes. Her elder sister was already getting into the bus, as she turned back and waved at me. Her eyes said the story, she felt alone. Her sister had settled in with her friends, there was chatter in the air, but she was not part of it. She looked around, alone in that small bus, alone in that big world. She walked looking for that empty seat next to her own dear friend. The seat was already taken, her friend was next to another girl and my baby didn't know where to sit. She looked around, she felt alone in that big bus. I felt a bit more helpless than she did. She felt a bit more alone that I did. She looked around and found an uncomfortable seat. Her eyes searched for company, but the world seemed busy. She looked out at me through a gloomy foggy window, through the chatter of the other kids, through the wailing of the new kids, through the laughter of the older kids. Her eyes said to me that she felt so alone. My eyes said to her that I was with her. I was helpless, she was alone, but our hearts were together on this grey grumpy morning. And until I get back from work, until she gets back from school, we will learn to be alone as the sky spits out its gloom. We learn to be alone as the clouds clear from our minds. We will learn to be alone as the chatter pours in from the world. We learn to be alone as the light begins to shine through, as the joy starts to seep in. We learn to be alone as we learn to live. It is just a grey morning, but the sun will soon be out.

Get up, Dress up, Show up !!

Real life stories of grit and determination that you see unfold in close quarters teach you more than the annals of history. We often seek inspiration from the heroes, but there are stories of inspiration in the ordinary lives. Remember these stories of grit, salute the folks and learn from them.

It was the winter of 2008 when the world economy was in difficult times. Many jobs were lost and folks had to move out of  their homes. In this bleak environment, a young gentleman with a very young family was told that his job had been made redundant. No, he was doing a terrific job, but due to the economic pressures, the division was shutting down. The person had a few days to find another job. The next day, this gentleman showed up to work as if nothing had happened, with the same enthusiasm. It was unbelievable. He went through the days with so much professionalism. Folks who knew him were speaking about it. Many said it was important to help him find another job in the company. No, not just because they felt any sympathy for him, more so because folks realized that they should not lose such a professional. And yes, the first opportunity that came up, the person was re-hired by the company. This is a true story of dedication, of grit, of professionalism. It is how you react when possibly the worst has happened to you, that determines your character. It shows what you are made of. Don't let the environment dictate your response to the situation. Don't back off, try harder, take charge. Get up, Dress up, Show Up!!

Yes, get up, dress up and show up not just those difficult days at work, but at other times in life too. Get up, dress up and show up when life tries to pull you down. Our very own family friends went through such a difficult phase. She was diagnosed with cancer, but she stood up to it. Not just her, but they stood up to it as a couple. They were enthusiastic and showed belief. They found joy in everyday situations and lived it to the fullest. They fought back and came out stronger. It is such people who inspire with their grit and determination, with their response to what life throws at them. Don't back off, show belief, take charge. With a silent prayer in your heart......Get up, Dress up, Show up!!

Tripping

The longest day of the year just went by and you could fill that extra time with a bit of music. I just discovered that June 21 is World Music Day. Folks are associated with music in many ways. For some, it is their life. For some others, it is their profession. For many others, it is a hobby. But for me and a whole lot of my friends, it is a trip. It is a wild trip and we have some wonderful memories, shared together on that trip sometime or the other. Tripping !!

My earliest memories of music was with the family listening to BoneyM and ABBA. Mary's Boy Child and Dancing Queen would waft through the house some evenings and transport you magically to a different place. My first bunch of cassettes that I can call my own was gifted to me by my Dad. Eagles, Smokie and Nazarath walked into my life. I was tripping on Hotel California much before it turned into this big craze with its acoustic version in the nineties. I was tripping on Living Next Door to Alice much before they introduced the "Who the beep is Alice" version. It was fun and I almost believed that I could become a musician. So, I made that slight deviation in my path from tripping on music to learning some music. The guitar was a disaster. Victor was my guitar instructor and I had classes most evenings. I learnt the chords, but it took me longer to realize that playing the guitar was more than C Major and F Seven. I made it to the school choir for the inter-school music festival. That felt like progress until I was dropped one day before the actual competition. It brought me back to doing what I did best. Playing the air guitar!! Tripping !!

My friends from my growing up years introduced me to a whole bunch of artistes and music. Our conversations were around Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, Blowing in the wind or Diamonds and Rust. Have you ever seen the rain asked CCR, while Floyd made you comfortably numb and the Dead were truckin'. Our trivia quizzes were about Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Patti Boyd. Our life philosophy was influenced by the poetry of Morrison and the attitude of Lennon. With or without a little outside help, we were tripping. Not a dull moment, the world never looked brighter!! Tripping !!

And then, as you grow up stuck in the seventies, the music takes you back in time. It is not just music anymore, it's more than that, it's a memory. It is a memory of friends and the bright old days. Until, someone shakes you up again. In my case, an old friend asked me to move on and experience the new sounds. Creed and Coldplay made their entry, and I was open again to new music. The Indian sounds made an oceanic impression with Ma Rewa and Kandisa. Kandisa is an Armenian prayer, and one explores spiritual connections in music. Having always heard Shakti and Maha Vishnu Band in the early days, one begins to realize now that there is something more to it. Shujaat Khan singing Kabir, Niladri Kumar with his Zitar, Rahul Sharma with his musical version on Buddha and you begin to discover more. Music takes you to a higher plane. Music awakens you. The world never looked brighter!! Tripping !!

My Little Big Prayerbook

I have often heard of folks reading the signs, the signs strewn down your path as you go on with your daily lives. I have heard of folks being blessed as they go about their lives. I have heard of chants and talisman to protect you. I have heard of the power of these chants and prayers. I have heard of the magical and have always wondered if they are with me too. To some people, there is magic in the everyday, there are signs in the everyday, there is the sensation of a guardian angel travelling beside you. To many of us though, I guess it will take a lifetime to unravel the truth.

So, we go about life looking for the magic and counting our blessings. And sometimes, it dawns on you that you might have missed a moment that was actually quite extraordinary, because you did not look for it. You are just not fully sure of it anymore. I want to recount one such moment of blessing that I vaguely recollect. I have been rummaging through music for meditation over the last few days. I chanced upon a chanting of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, an invocation for Lord Shiva. I was curious and I went through the mantra only to realize that here was a chant that I was actually quite familiar with. I knew the words and I had been chanting this often enough, the last twenty five odd years!! I had been chanting this without knowing what it was called or what the background to the mantra was. I remember I learnt this from a little prayerbook that I happened to have with me sometime in the past. 

I then remembered the story of this little prayerbook. It was around the time that some folks still could not call Chennai by its name, they still called it Madras. So, one hot morning in Madras, a young school going boy boarded a bus to go for an elocution competition. I don't recollect the venue, I don't recollect the topic. Maybe the topic was something spiritual, I am not sure. The audience did have some erudite scholarly old men and I am not entirely sure if I made any sense to them that day. I do recollect having got a certificate and some gift before boarding a bus back home. The person seated next to me was a scholarly old man, maybe one of those in the audience that day. We struck a conversation and I vaguely recollect it being about life and the magic in life. And as we came to the end of the old man's journey, I still had a long way to go, he gave me a little book. He said, and I can't be sure of the words, he probably said "Keep this with you. There is a mantra in here, recite it often enough and it will take care of you.". I remember this little prayerbook. I remember the wise old man who passed it on to me. I remember and wonder if that was an extraordinary moment. I wonder if that was a blessing, if that was magic, if that was a sign. I followed his instructions alright without thinking too much about it and I am sure I have been taken care off. Maybe, just maybe, my little prayerbook was actually a blessing. Maybe it was more than a little prayerbook, maybe it was a little BIG prayerbook !!

My small friendly neighborhood store

Wow, we have made much progress. As a nation, we are transforming. Private enterprise is at the forefront of this transformation. Technology has been the enabler. It is a story full of glory, its a shining story. Well, is it? Scratch and beneath the surface, the regular suspects emerge. The enterprise is here to make money, not necessarily serve the customer. The customer is treated as secondary, so much so, sometimes the customer begins to feel that he is the problem. The reasons for apathy might be different, but the problem remains. While private enterprise and technology have changed the way we transact, it has not necessarily done enough to build a culture of empathy for the customer. The large 24/7 call centers and big corporate promises are no substitute for real heartfelt and empathetic service, especially when the customer has a problem. Some recent experiences made me reflect on this.

I have a one month old air-conditioner that has a mind of its own. It is so paranormal that it suddenly decides to switch itself on, during the middle of the night. Worse still, in the sweltering afternoon heat, it refuses to work. Almost, looks mockingly at us, saying "It's too hot out there, man.....Can't work today". So, I do what all sensible folks who own sensible cooling air-conditioners do. I call the service center, which turns out to be a large call center full of folks who are bothered about their incentives which are based on Average handle time (AHT), call wait times, abandon rates , etc. So, they attend to my call and do what they are trained to do. Complete the call quickly, get your AHT down, pick up your incentive. And that is exactly what they do in a scripted "Thank you for calling" kind of tone. All that is fine, the issue will be resolved in 24 hours. I am happy and I wait. 24 hours go by, I call back, I restate the problem, I provide my earlier complaint number, state that the no one has looked into the issue and that I was promised resolution in 24 hours. The smart agent on the phone does what he is trained to do. Avoid an escalation, and so he spins a response. He says " Sir, it is 24 working hours, not 24 hours...that means 3 days". Damn it, you could have said that yesterday in the first place!! Now, that is hilarious, but not if you are the customer at the butt's end of this problem.

Call it karma, call it whatever, but my week has been full of such incidents. The reason I have been off broadband internet lately is that I have had a problem with that service provider too. I know many of you are happy that this has kept me off this crazy  blog for a while, but I am not. I have been with the call center boys every other day registering a complaint. One response blew me off. " Sir, we fixed the problem and got a confirmation that your broadband is working from Mahesh". I ask "Who is Mahesh?". The agent responds, "He is your cousin, sir". Well, I don't remember having any cousin called Mahesh, unless, my family forgot to tell me something that important in the last forty years!! The agent says "I called him on number 6597 blah blah blah. Isn't that your number?". "Yes, it is" and the agent begins to gloat on his victory. I puncture his eagerly claimed victory, "Yes it is my number, but that number does not work.  The instrument is faulty, and by the way, the instrument was provided by a sister company of yours. And for the record, their service is as good as yours". You don't want to hear about that telephone company. This telephone company refuses to replace the faulty phone instrument at my premises. I need to drive miles away to their regional office to get that done. We can repair a phone at your residence, we can provide you a new phone connection at your residence, everything can be done at your residence, everything but get a new phone instrument for an existing connection. There must be something technical about it. My electronics engineering fails me on this one, or maybe things have changed in the last 20 years. Most things have changed other than the plight of the customer at the butt's end of a problem.

Before this turns into a more graphic irate customer rant, I must tell you that I see a silver lining. This happened yesterday when I went to the mega mall to buy a tube-light. I was hyper ventilating from all my extreme service experiences that this didn't so much as scar me. At the big store, I went looking for a tube-light and all I saw was combo offers of the tube-light with a frame. I didn't want the frame and asked the store salesman if they had a "only tube-light" selection . He got me one and as I waited at the checkout counter, the bill desk says " There is no bar-code on this one, sir". I said, "But your salesman gave this to me, what do I know about your bar-codes?". They ask me for two minutes to get the bar-code fixed, and those two minutes turn to twenty, by the end of which, he says " Sorry sir, we only have combo offers on sale, no tube-light". I have had enough, I smile, I breathe, I walk away. As I drive back home, I drive past my small neighborhood market. I see this small 4 feet by 4 feet store that I have never noticed before. This small neighborhood electrical store. I stop, I get the tube-light I wanted. I get friendly electrical advice from the shopkeeper, things I have never heard since I passed out of engineering college, I am also offered the services of an electrician to check things out. All the things which your big store never gives you. All the things you wanted but never knew where to get. It is right there in your small friendly neighborhood store. Small is beautiful. Small is friendly. Because they care for the customer. In return, do care for your local community businesses. They keep your community alive and empathetic. It works for me, and I am sure it will for you.

A Prayer for Peace

At the airport last week, I chanced upon the television screen. The news channel was on and the headlines were playing out. In two quick minutes, the news anchor reeled out headline news of five disasters across the globe. Depressing news of war, killings, corruption and airplane crashes. These days, the news is full of this. Good is either not news anymore or there is so very little good going around, I remember thinking. I remember praying for positive energy. I remember praying for peace. I remember, suddenly waking up to the good and being reminded of the beautiful things that happen everyday. The morning rays of the sun, the watercolors in the sky, the chirping crickets of the twilight hour....the magic is there to see and be thankful for. These pictures say it more than a thousand words.  

I pray again...join me in this beautiful prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Learning to Smile

The family had an opportunity to spend a week this summer in Sikkim. Experiencing a new place and a new people, we came back richer from that experience. As we traveled through the interiors of that beautiful land, what struck me was the joy that permeated all things, man or nature. Don't get me wrong, it is not an easy life. Life in the mountains, without the robotic luxuries of our sprawling cities, is hard. But finding a purpose, finding the joy seemed to come easy. Finding joy prodded by the little things.....the flutter of the breeze, the swirl of the mist, the gush of meandering rivers, the shades of changing green, the smile of the Lepcha people.  You could hear Thich Nhat Hanh whisper "Smile, breathe and go slowly". 

Like any other vacation, we came back with memories and photographs of a beautiful place this time too. But this time, I came back with one more thing. I came back with a resolve. Inspired by the Lepcha.....A resolve to smile. A resolve to smile more often. A resolve to smile, breathe and go slowly. I know the big city will distract me enough to stray off the path sometimes. But, I 'll take all the help I can...from my daughters, my friends, my family....let's spread the joy through a smile. A simple smile to ease the stress in your life or in someone else's. A simple smile for limitless joy. A simple smile for a peaceful world. There is no other way to do it....count the laugh-lines on each other's face and light up your life with a simple smile.

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy". Experience this Thich Nhat Hanh whisper everyday. I experience it in my daughter's smile. Your troubles melt away. Your world feels lighter. You are ready to face a new day. A simple smile is all it takes to brighten up the day. Relearn....Smile now.

Tell us a good story, please....

It has been a while since I wrote. This has been a cloudy uncertain time in some ways for me. I have been faced with a situation that demands a definite choice to be made. The road has hit a fork, and you have to take one. It is not the easiest time in one's life when you have to choose. In more ways than one, you are lucky to have the choices to make. However, the choice being right or wrong, it is something you know only when it plays out. So, what will you choose and how will you choose? There is a very interesting video available on the internet of an address by Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon.com. He tells the young Princeton graduates starting out in their careers that life is not about the talent one has. He says life is about the choices you make. And he is right on the money when he says that. What you become is what you choose to become. You are the author of your own life story and you have the opportunity to tell a good story. So, tell us a good story, please....

This is a simple theory that I think helps you evaluate the choices you make. Think of your life as a story and then decide how you would like that story to read. Is it a story of adventure or one of cowardice? Is it a story of faith or is it one of betrayal? Is it a story of love or is it one of hatred? First of all, be honest to yourself and choose your story, not someone else's. It is your life, not someone else's. It is your dream, not someone else's. Follow your dream, don't fear the uncertainty, ask more of yourself and your life. It is your story and you better make it a good story. Paulo Coelho says this beautifully in his book "The Pilgrimage". He says " Because we don't want to see life as a grand adventure, we begin to think of ourselves as wise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. We look beyond the walls of our day to day existence, and we hear the sound of the lances breaking, we smell the dust and the sweat, and we see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the warriors. But we never see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those engaged in the battle. For them, neither victory nor defeat is important, what's important is only that they are fighting the Good Fight."

Tell us a good story, please.... There are examples that one can find without looking too far. I recently read a book called "Fresh Brew" which has stories of many classmates and friends who chose to do something different and follow their big dream. I know of many friends who still don't have a book written on them as yet, but certainly have shown the courage to lead the full life. If they can make a good story, so can you.....script it now. Follow your big dream. Lead your full life. Fight the good fight. And, tell us a good story, please.....

You complete me !!!

She stays with me, but, was gone away for a couple of days. I was to take care of the kids. I was to take care of the home. After so many years with her, I was most irritable when I should actually have been supportive. She needed to be away, but, I did not feel wholesome. She was a part of me and I was troubled to part with her. When she came back home, I told her in a very Jerry Maguire way, "You complete me !!!"  

My parents stay a few cities away from us. I meet them once in a while, we talk much more often. I keep up with the goings on in their lives, both the good and the not so good parts. I sometimes feel helpless that I am not around to help. I need to stay away, but, I don't feel wholesome. They are a part of me and I wish I could play my part better. To my parents, "You complete me !!!"

My friends stay all around the globe. I try and catch up as much as I can, mostly virtually. We talk about the old days, we talk about the new days, we laugh together, we cry together. I feel alive in their company and I wish I could do that more often. They are a part of me even though we stay apart. To my friends, "You complete me !!!"

My memories of the people from Tokyo to San Diego, from the faraway places that I visited, stay with me. I follow the happenings in these faraway lands, as time permits and internet allows. When I hear about the natural disasters that rocked a little island, when I hear about the devastation by the Tsunami in Japan, my heart bleeds for them. When I hear of pilgrims dying in a stampede in Southern India, my heart skips a beat. For the unknown in these faraway places, I feel the pain. They are a part of me though I know not what part I play. I say to these unknown warriors of life, "You complete me !!!"

I have been to the mountains and I have been to the sea. I have felt like a grain of sand in the vast beaches of Kovalam. I have felt like a pebble in a little stream at the foothills of the Himalayas. I have felt the insignificance, only to be reminded of the significance. I am part of the greater whole, I am more than just me. I say to myself, "You complete others !!!". Believe in the oneness of the universe and recognize the connectedness. You are a part of me, as much as I am a part of you. "You complete me !!!"

Question Mark ?

It was back in business school, I think, that I picked up this nickname. Some friends called me "Question Mark". It was probably due to the quizzical look on my face. Or was it because of the number of questions that I asked? I am not sure, but, this was something I picked up along the way, and I am talking of not just the nickname. At times, I have wondered if this questioning mind is a good thing or a bad thing. Someone said curiosity killed the cat, but is that true?

Last month at an industry event, I had the privilege of listening to John Sculley, the Apple ex-CEO. Yes, the same John Sculley who fired Steve Jobs, or should I say, misfired Steve Jobs, the first time around at Apple. Mr. Sculley is an energetic seventy plus globe-trotter who now invests in transformational companies and in transformational ideas. He was talking at the forum about building game-changing companies. He had the enthusiasm of a young child. He had a sparkle in his eyes. He had a bounce in his footstep. It made me wonder what kept him going? He said that he has a curious mind, he has questions and he wants to find answers to those questions. He could not stop. He could not retire. And this curious mind, this questioning mind kept him young. Young at heart and with a younger mind, he talked about his peers who have retired to a game of golf and lost touch with the world. He talked about his peers who have stopped asking the questions. He says they have aged and their mind has become dull. This makes me introspect and I try to rationalize that it is a good thing to ask questions. It keeps you engaged, it keeps you going,  it keeps you young.

I see my children and their curiosity. Their open mind is always seeking answers. There is joy in finding those answers. There is an innocence and excitement in the process. I want to get back to that childlike state. I want to get back to the basics. I don't want to think of what impression others will have of me and my questions. I am not going to worry if the question is stupid. I am going to ask it anyway. I have to live up to my nickname, I have earned it and I need to keep it. And if nothing else, it keeps me young beneath the graying hair. Question Mark? The name is worth it and I intend to keep it.

Kiss the badge and make them cry!!

"Romance is dead in football". Fernando Torres, ace footballer said this last month when he made a 50 MM pound transfer from Liverpool football club to Chelsea. And he said " I was not a Liverpool fan. I never kissed the shirt badge. Forget club loyalty, it's all about trophies". Many skeptics will say that Chelsea just bought talent at a ridiculous price. Some will say they made him an offer he could not refuse. Some will say he is chasing his dream. But is that really his dream or is it just what the world forces him to believe is his dream?This is a microcosm of the predicament faced by many folks in the world today. Do you really recognize your dream and stay loyal to it? How do you stay loyal in a materialistic world that eulogizes individual achievement, that celebrates quick wins over gritty long term steadfast loyalty to true goals. How do you ensure you can believe that something is worth fighting for? How do you work to keep that romance alive? And how do you keep it alive not just for yourself, but for others on the team too. Do you kiss the badge and make them cry?

Loyalty to an organization, to a family, to a country or to a cause is fast becoming a scarce commodity. Community living and joint families are forgotten relics of a different generation. Families are fractured by inheritance issues, organizations are held hostage to the whims of a money-minded workforce, and the world is wrecked by power hungry despots. How do you counter these forces of friction to energize a generation to be committed to a cause? How do you counter the tailwinds that are drag on harmony to revolutionize and romanticize commitment? Flirting with temptations of this ephemeral world, one gets sucked into running after fame and fortune, one forgets the true calling. Someone once said, "Even if you win the rat race, you are but a rat". So, find your true calling and build loyalty towards the cause. Look at yourself and ask the question if you are passionate about the cause you are espousing? Is it something you will stick with in the long term or is it just a passing fancy? The one way to be sure of your commitment is to free your mind of all the clutter, be relaxed. Your most natural inclination during this calm uncluttered state of mind is what you want, that is the dream you should chase. Be a romantic!! Make the romance come alive as you chase your dream. Show unflinching commitment and loyalty, this fractured world needs that more than anything else. And once you are sure of your commitment, then wear that badge on your sleeve. Kiss the badge and make them cry!!

Forever in Blue Jeans

This week has been amazing. My small town saw two big concerts with the Foreigner and Bryan Adams playing here. I made the little concession of stepping out of work early both evenings to make it to the show. The effects are just amazing. There is a song on my lips and a zing in my step unlike any other recent week in my life. I heard the notes of the good old days when my world was filled with music, when my television was on MTV 24/ 7, when our friendships were formed by listening to the same bands, when our life was rock and roll. Not a care in the world, just free falling, just comfortably numb....And memories of that feeling flitting through my mind, I looked back at my life. I looked back at the journey so far.....

Those early days filled with music were the uncomplicated carefree days. Those were the days before a career beckoned. But soon enough, my career started and well, so did the conditioning. I remember my first performance appraisal. My one over manager told me that I had a problem. The problem was that I was a nice guy.  Why should that be a problem? The problem is that nice guys finish last and if I had to be on my super achiever boss's team, I could NOT be nice. I was making a career and I could not disregard that advice. Career aspirations whispered into my heart........you don't have to be nice, go for it and make something out of it. And so the conditioning progressed .....the conditioning to become a shark in a suit. The decisive, hard nosed executive who is so focussed on the results that the niceties start dropping away. I stop calling friends, I am always busy, I hardly listen to my favorite bands, I start thinking the world revolves around me and my success....

And then, the balance tilts unbearably and life whispers back ..... There is more than just your career and your success. Life cries out for balance. Life cries out in loneliness. It makes you question the relevance of all that you have been doing in these past years. You search for meaning and you discover what you have heard often enough but disregarded too many times. You realize that life is a journey where you stop enough times to enjoy the sights, smell the flowers and listen to the music. It is not what you have turned it into, it is not the mad rush to some ever changing destination. That is when you think about the parts of the journey that you missed. The parts of the journey you forgot to enjoy because you were so busy turning into that shark in a suit. You think about the songs you didn't hear because there was the next meeting to attend, the next goal to achieve....

And I wonder what have I become? And I wonder why? And then I tread back carefully. I start the journey back to fun and friends. I start hearing the notes more clearly, I start enjoying the music loudly, I begin enjoying the moment. The pressure is off. I can hear Neil Diamond clearly now. He is singing "Forever in Blue Jeans". I nod in appreciation. I know that is all I want. I know that is what matters.

Money talks
But it don't sing and dance and it don't walk
And long as I can have you here with me
I'd much rather be
Forever in blue jeans.

Show her some respect !!

The best part about flying through Heathrow airport is the opportunity it presents you to read the British newspapers. I absolutely love it. On my last trip a week ago, I used the time to devour the newspapers, page by page. The one big news debate in all the papers was about the "Sian Massey" incident. For the uninitiated, and that you will be if you don't follow English soccer, Sian Massey is an assistant referee in the English premier league. She is another one of those women to break the gender barrier and to gain a foothold in what has traditionally been a "men only" profession. But, the debate concerned how two Sky Sports commentators said something inappropriate about her, about women referees. The two commentators in question were fired from their jobs for this indiscretion. They learnt quite late that it was time to show her some respect.

That brings me to a topic that I have been thinking about for a while. Do we show enough respect to women in the workplace, in society? I don't think so. While much progress has been made, there is still the fear that single women have in a big city. Sometime back, I heard a woman friend remark that it was not safe to travel alone in the overnight train. I have sometimes, heard women colleagues murmur about harassment by some uncouth men in office or otherwise. And harassment is not always physical, it is the equally damaging emotional one. Why do some men think they can get away with it? Is it social conditioning? Maybe, but most times, it is the feeling of power, absolute power that one can get away with anything. Now, it is high time that changed in society. Being the father of growing daughters, I pray this world changes its attitude to women.

You don't have to look far back in history to see, that the society that respects women is always the one that prospers. You don't have to search too much in religion, to understand the importance of women, to understand the sacred feminine. In the Hindu tradition, it is not coincidence that intellectual, material and emotional well-being is governed by Goddesses, by the sacred feminine. Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga are symbolic, the message is much deeper. I personally grew up in a matriarchal society, my surname comes from my mother. I grew up in a world that sees balance in society through these norms, and I do hope this world sees that balance too.

It is time to throw out those testosterone induced views of the world to usher in the balance. Don't we realize that true balance in society can only be achieved by gender equality?  When I came back from my trip this weekend, it was maybe again just coincidence that I found my elder daughter was preparing for her public speaking competition on gender equality. She finishes off her speech on equality in opportunity saying "So, boys, it is time to show us some respect. And girls, it is time to capture the world, in true equal spirit of competition". Well, I couldn't agree more. Show her some respect!!

Background: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8277518/Sky-Sports-presenters-Andy-Gray-and-Richard-Keys-say-sorry-after-mocking-lineswoman-during-Liverpool-victory.html

A Glowing Candle

I have wondered long, all the recent news about uprisings and protests across the world against established political figures who have been in power for a very long time. The recent events in Tunisia, Egypt and now in Yemen show a disenchantment of the people with these traditional leaders. In today's turbulent times, the moral bankruptcy of the political figures across the world is becoming more and more evident. Their right to lead is being questioned, the tolerance for such political figures and their antics is disappearing. This brings us to a very pertinent question in today's times. What is true leadership?

What is the leadership that will deliver in these turbulent times? What is the leadership for all seasons? As I seek answers, I am drawn to an oft repeated Sufi allegory. I am drawn to the candle that burns itself to provide light to others. One always associates a candle with its flickering light, with its soft glow, with its gentle warmth. The gentle warmth that fills your heart. The glowing light that brightens up your darkness. The flickering light that shows you the way. And leadership is all of these, too. Leadership is gentle inspiration that fills your heart. Leadership is glowing hope that brightens your darkness. Leadership is steady guidance that shows you the way. Leadership is about caring for others first before you think about yourself, like the glowing candle that dissipates itself into nothingness. Such leaders are the need of the hour. Such leaders will deliver us in these turbulent times.

Quoting Vince Lombardi, " Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow". This inspirational, almost spiritual quality, is what is missing today. Jim Collins talks about Level 5 leadership. Robert Greenleaf and Ken Blanchard talk about Servant leadership. As one delves deep into what is being said, it is truly about putting others ahead of you. It is about caring for others, about serving others. It is not easy. It takes a lot of strength because ultimately, leadership is about opening your heart to others, hearing their problems, carrying their problems with you. It is about lightening the burden that others have to carry. The candle burns to nothingness, lighting up other lives. The leader carries the burden of a disenchanted world, inspiring a revolution. The world needs leaders like these today. You might be one such leader? Stand up for it. Be a glowing candle that lights up this dark world!!!

Creating Pandora, Being Na'vi

I am not sure what was paramount in James Cameroon's mind when he made Avatar, the movie. It was probably fulfilling his dream to make a grand epic movie on a scale unheard off. It was probably his version of unlimited human progress and a rendering of a simple story about that. It was probably his fear of the unlimited human greed and a means, a campaign to raise awareness. Or possibly, it was his desire to create an ideal world and an uncomplicated ideal race. The world called Pandora and the race called Na'vi.

The movie works at different levels, but it is this last bit that keeps coming back to me. Considering it has been well over a year since I last saw the movie, it is incredible that it still makes me think about it. Not many movies do that to me. This one does and in a very unconventional way. I think of Pandora, I think of Na'vi, I think about the interconnected world that is created, that is depicted in the movie. I think about "the tree of souls" that shows a sort of neural network of consciousness in Pandora. I think about how the Na'vi leverage this tree of souls and its network to transfer consciousness, transfer life energy from one body to another. I think about how beautifully the concept of "life energy" is depicted in the movie. It makes you wonder if this energy network is real. Does that apply to us as human beings? Is it just that it is easier to accept this living energy network and energy transfer in an alien race like the Na'vi? Is it just that it is easier to accept this concept in an alien land like Pandora?

I was listening this morning to Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, a Sufi practitioner. I discovered him on the internet and heard him on YouTube. He spoke about the same life energy, about how we are blessed to be human beings, about how we have the ability to transmit energy, about how this energy travels and talks in silence. He spoke about energy being negative or positive, about energy being polluting or sacred, but essentially he spoke of us humans as carriers and transmitters of energy. Do you feel this energy in you? Are you doing enough to channel this energy consciously? A few months back, I was forwarded a link on Ted.com where Liz Gilbert, the author of "Eat, Love, Pray" spoke about her creative writing process. She says, "every morning I just show up and after sometime, an energy passes through me, and the writing happens". She speaks of the creative process as a spiritual experience. When I think about it, there are times when you see the joy and unstoppable energy that is channeled through in very real circumstances. Be it a simple game of football or a well-versed paragraph of prose. There are times when it feels surreal. There are times when it feels supernatural. There are times when you feel the energy. Can we tap into this network of energy? Can we bring the positivity this world so needs by transmitting the non-polluting positive energy in our daily interactions? Can we start one small step at at a time? Start with us.....create an energy network. Creating our own Pandora !! Being Na'vi !!

Ref : Listen to Elizabeth Gilbert on http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

The Success Conundrum

Everyone is striving for success. In their own way, each person wants to be successful. You see that at work, in the public arena, everywhere. But, what is success? "Success may mean, but is not limited to a level of social status, achievement of a goal, opposite of failure" says Wikipedia. The key words are "may mean" and "not limited to". It is quite clear that there is no one answer, no clear means of defining success.

Success means different things to different people. Like my dear friend once said, I will feel successful when each day I can decide what I want to do, free of any compulsions. I will feel successful when I can decide to do nothing at all, when I can afford to do just that. I debated if reaching this level of inertia is success. Contrary to this, Simon Sinek in his blog-post refers to success as a feeling of momentum., of progress, of taking a step forward. He puts forward a case for momentum being a measure of success. Read him at http://sinekpartners.typepad.com/refocus/2010/11/how-to-measure-success.html .

Inertia versus Momentum? Where does your vote go? Look at it in a corporate setting. Is it the big conglomerates like a General Electric which continue to do well with minimum effort or the new age companies like the Google which need to show technological progress everyday that catch your attention? Is it the relative inertia of the big corporations or the progressive momentum of the new age companies that qualify for success? Apply that same logic to your personal lives on what success means to you. When I look at it personally, success means reaching a state of happiness, where there is progress and momentum, but at the same time you don't feel the strain because it is not an effort. So, it is momentum and inertia together. It is enjoying what you do. It is being positive about what you do. It is being purposeful about what you do. And then, making progress and gaining constant momentum. Relative Inertia and Progressive Momentum, hand in hand, does this solve the success conundrum?

Two of us : Me, Myself !!

Today, my family is away and I am alone at home. Wait! Am I really alone? Who is this I keep talking to? Me? Myself? Hmm...do you talk to yourself? How many times in a day do you talk to yourself? How long do you talk to yourself? And how many times does "yourself" talk back to you? Well, doesn't that make two of you. One identity but two of you? If you are feeling that way, that makes two of us now!! Confusing as it sounds, when I look at this experience, it really intrigues me.

Alright, now if we agree that I am not completely nuts, and that we do talk to our "selves", let's look a little deeper. I did that with the help of a coach. I have a coach outside work who gives me a "non-work" and "third party" perspective to my actions at work. He is the one who introduced me to this concept of "self-talk". Here is a nice bit of statistic that I picked up in my discussions. We have an average speed of speech close to 200 words per minute. That is the speed when we are talking to others. When you talk to yourself, it is about ten times faster. So, what you tell yourself is important, it is very important!! If it is a negative, and you repeat that to yourself at the speed of self-talk, you will be digging yourself into a hole. Now, if that was positive self-talk, you might end up with a bloated self image of yourself unless you are careful. But, a realistic yet positive self-talk helps. That is what can get you in the zone. If you need an example, that is what helps the really big sport stars get in the zone. Self-talk, positive self-talk...give it a try. And then, observe and detect the negative self-talk and don't let that grow.

Now, let me push this a little further, if you subscribe to "self-talk", you are also subscribing to the "self". There is the self that talks and there is the self that listens, that observes. Can you do both at the same time? Can you train yourself to do both at the same time? Can you detach and observe your own self? I hear that the world's best negotiators do just that - participate and observe at the same time. And observe not just others, observe your own self. It is hard, but it is surprising to experience "Me" and "Myself".  Two of us : Me, Myself. At times.....Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions, the individual self and the immortal self are perched on the branches of the same tree. One bird tastes the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree and the other calmly observes. These words from the Mukunda Upanishad say a lot....Think about it!!!

What are the blackbirds dying to tell us?

Media hype? Paranoia? Portends of Apocalypse? Thousands of blackbirds are falling from the sky in America and now Sweden. I wonder what this is all about. It looks like it is right out of a Neil Gaiman story. What are the blackbirds dying to tell us?

Looking for answers, I hit a multitude of possibilities, all through my limited research on the internet. National Geographic like publications saying that birds or wildlife dying in groups is common occurrence. The only thing unusual being that these blackbirds happened to fall close to habitation. There was nothing more to read into it. Conspiracy theorists stating that this was the beginning of bad things to come. No debate, I told you this would happen. Nostradamus fortunately did not seem to have anything on this in his prophecies. And that was a relief. But, of course, there is the pole shift hypothesis and these were the first signs of that according to some. Finally, the fun loving cynics asked us to bake the blackbirds into a pie and eat them without thinking too much. But, think, I did. What are the blackbirds dying to tell us?

Animal Totem literature indicates that the blackbird refers to consciousness and awakening of the mind, it indicates being more self-aware. And this is what struck me the most, the blackbird teaches the use of intuition to understand nature and the connectedness of all things. In this context, I wonder if the dying blackbirds were passing on a message? There are signs around us. And I debated if this was one. Is the dying blackbird metaphorical to the slow death of consciousness? Is it the unidimensional materialistic mind overriding the balanced self aware mind? Is it telling us that we are killing the interconnectedness of this universe? Does it show us the current state of nature and that we have broken away from the wholeness? These will remain questions unanswered for a while. But, it at least gets us to introspect. Are we too self-centered, are we forgetting the interconnectedness of this universe, are we killing our own conscious state for superficial impermanent pleasures? Are the blackbirds dying to tell us just that?

I chanced upon this poem by Steven Wallace..."Thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird".
The river is moving.
The blackbird must be flying.
Water symbolizes life and the blackbird symbolizes consciousness. If water moves, nature lives and the blackbird flies.....by the same logic, if the blackbird dies? What are the blackbirds dying to tell us?

Half a Heart

This New Year, I resolve to....The resolutions are many, each of us has our own. As the year wears on, some of those resolutions fall by the way side. There are very few folks I know who stick to their resolutions and make a habit out of it. You might be one of them, I am certainly not. And I realize that making resolutions really don't make sense, especially if they are half-hearted attempts at getting something done. So, this New Year I have only one resolution. The resolution is that I don't live the daily routine with half a heart, I don't walk the path with half a heart, I don't follow that resolution with half a heart.

I read this interesting newspaper column about the Theosophical Society and it was called out there that the biggest impediment to spiritual progress is halfheartedness. And when you think about it, it applies to all aspects of life, not just the spiritual. And, of course that includes one's New Year resolutions too. Leading life halfheartedly is certainly not leading the full life. And so, think about it....what is heart? Is it purpose? Is it passion? Is it intensity? It is certainly all of that. Look at your resolutions and ask the  questions - Do you buy in to the purpose? Are you intense and passionate about it? Else, don't go down that path with half a heart to eventually quit. I am putting myself to the test and I am backing myself to survive. Yes, it is about faith too.

Build purpose and passion in everything you do, that is the recipe to wholeheartedness. Half a heart is not the life to lead. Stay the course, make your resolutions come true !!