FM@102

Makar Sankranthi!

2012-01-15T14:31:00.001+05:30

Happy Sankranthi for all!

A phrase to remember

'Ellu-Bella tindu ollelle mathadi' or

TilGul Ghya God God Bola!

Women and Kids distribute Til with Gud,Sugar cake,Sugarcane and banana to neighbours,relatives and friends spreading the message of brotherhood and peace.Start the year with no ill wills or ill feelings to any one by talking sweet at the back.

Wishes from unknown

A WELL WISHER,

VIJAYAKUMAR M

SMILEE GREEN INR PROJECTS PVT LTD.,

Peacock on Hands!

2012-01-13T08:58:00.000+05:30

A picture speaks thousand words! My Hands in Creative best!!!!

Happy New YEAR!

2012-01-01T15:00:00.000+05:30

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:00:00.001+05:30

The last post of this year . Adieu 2011! Cheers 2012!!

The 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree is seen after it was lid by U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Seven-year-old Johnny Crawford of Sonora, California, at the West Front of the Capitol December 6, 2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. This years tree was a 65-foot tall Sierra white fir from the Stanislaus National Forest in California.

Night view of the ferris wheel set up for the Christmas period on the Place de la Concorde, in Paris,Wednesday Dec. 7, 2011. Visible at left is the Eiffel Tower.

At Central,Jayanagar 9th Block,Bengaluru.

10 Golden Rules for Writing the Perfect Email

2011-12-22T17:10:00.000+05:30

Courtesy: Yahoo!

Emails are key to communication in the office. Yet, as a rule, they are badly written. So by consistently sending sharp, well-composed electronic messages, you will make yourself stand out from the crowd. Take careful note of the following:

1. Hone your subject line
Try to be more specific. Instead of giving your email the name 'Byrne project', call it 'Byrne project: new deadline for phase 2'. Your email is already more interesting than most.

2. Don't bury the lead
If you want to annoy people, make them read three paragraphs before you get to the point. If you want to rise in the company, state your purpose in the first sentence or two and then get to the why and how of the matter.

3. Request further action
End emails with a suggestion or a request for action. An example would be: 'I will call you on Monday at 10am to discuss this' or 'When can we get this done?'. Otherwise, nothing is likely to happen.

4. Be human
People who would never dream of being cold and abrupt in person, often come across that way in their emails. Being businesslike doesn't mean being impersonal. Try to remember that the recipient, like you, is a human being.

5. Proof your email
Just one misspelling, grammatical error or typo can make a sender look careless and disrespectful. Sending 'clean' emails lifts you above the sloppy crowd.

6. Check the address
Always make sure that you are sending your emails to the right person. It's so easy to press the 'send' button, only to discover that your message is heading straight to the desk of the very person you don't want to see it. Be especially careful about the content. You never know who may unwittingly forward your email on.

7. Behave yourself
Avoid sensitive subject areas, such as sex, race, religion and disabilities. Apart from being inappropriate email topics, especially in the workplace, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble over them. You may not think you are causing any harm, but others may think differently. You could end with a discrimination claim being made against you.
8. Stop copying in everybody
All you're doing is irritating people who are not directly involved in the project.

9. Pick up the phone
If you have to spend more than 5 minutes on an email, call instead. It's easier to explain things on the phone, and you can always follow up with a shorter email to confirm the details of your conversation. In some cases, it might be even better to make face-to-face contact.

10. Skip the redundant
If all you have to say in your e-mail reply is "Thanks!" refrain from sending it. You're just clogging an inbox.

Do You Fear Your Workplace?

2011-12-14T11:16:00.000+05:30

Do You Fear Your Workplace?
Courtesy: Siliconindia Dailydose.

Bangalore: Many of the employees in a company experience a fear factor because of various reasons and the most common reason is the fear of boss or any senior in the work place.

This fear based working environment will not produce fruitful work from the employee. A work environment in which an employee experiences both restrained and aggressive nuisance, fears or hates to work at that place. This is a clear sign of a hostile work environment.

Jim Blasingame, the Small Business Advocate, said that, if the employee controls himself to propose his ideas to his senior, gradually he lose his creativity and if he loses creativity there can be no optimism and without optimism the courage is wounded and finally the trust weakens and relationship breaks.

Here are few fears that you might have experienced at your workplace:

Do appearance really matters at work place? Actually it shouldn't, but the reality is that most certainly it does matter. Professionals need to be solely judged on their character, skill competencies and performance. But now a days looks matter. The fact is that if your smart looking you can actually bag a job and a heavy package of salary easily says a study. The fear can be over thrown with your self confidence but at the end of the day looks and beauty do matter at your workplace. Some people are so conscious about this that they fear about looking bad or ugly at a workplace which slowly contemplates them feel insecure. A target oriented job is a fear factor for many employees. Achieving a particular target would be the soul goal of an employee, by which he might forget to keep a check on the quality of his work. The fear of being an under performer or loser grips his mind and makes him stay away from office at times. Some employees take targets as a challenge, but most of them fear it and achieve it through the targets through their fears. At that time they feel stressed and sometimes their work can get even more complicated, as they try to fasten up their work and end up doing mistakes.

In a work place the feeling of distrust is like a knife at your back. Distrust in discussing ideas, about workplace or their seniors would mean a place full of fears. Getting caught red hand in such an environment for voicing your opinion would be the biggest fear factor for any employee. The freedom to not speak out your mind makes employees uncomfortable and builds suspicion among themselves. Also if colleagues have a habit of stealing ideas would make them very cautious and will always maintain distance to guard themselves.

This can turn out to be a work place stress to the employees as they get the feeling that how much ever they struggle, their ideas are not seeing the light. When employees get busier by backstabbing rather than implementing their ideas they give up and just fear to express.

Some of the managers at the workplace create a sibling rivalry between their employees. They start cuddling one employee as a golden one and the other becomes the problem. Nothing, but office politics. Fear of not being daddy's favorite makes them unwanted and neglected. Fear cripples. Employees start aping each other. A competition to become the bosses' pet. One who is too honest fears of not gaining the bosses confidence and losses his originality of being what he is actually.

Many a times, when your senior gives you lots of work to handle in a single day, it can be because of your good job performance or it can be just your boss wants you to work all through the day as he may be having some rivalry with you, which you may not be knowing. When you don?t know the reason for that, you may be dragged into a dilemma. It can also lead you to fearful situation.

In office, there is always space for competitiveness between the employees.

This creates a kind of scary atmosphere that everyone is on their toes to rush to higher positions. At this time, if an employee gets higher position it creates a sought of pressurized and fearful situation in the employee who was working in the same position as similar to the promoted employee.This feeling is higher in those employees who would have worked in the same company for many years at the same level but the higher position is been occupied by the new employee who is younger to him in experience, less knowledgeable than him and also younger in age as well.

The employee also gets doubtful to sustain his job when he commits mistakes repetitively. This fear in these employees is natural because in this competitive world there are many professionals who are waiting to grab the positions and many unemployed with high skills are waiting for good opportunities to get employed.

People can even get scared of them getting un-employed when they come to know about the shutting down of their company due to economic problems through newspapers and news channels and also in this recession driven period the companies are no doubt struggling and the employees are hesitating to ask any queries, issues or give opinion to their senior leaders at the office as they are scared of getting unemployed if their opinions and suggestions take a u-turn.

This sudden collapse of the global economy has created more workplace fear and the way many of the politicians and corporate managers have reacted to this condition is like they have poured fuel onto the fear fire, says Jim Blasingame, The Small Business Advocate. The only reason for this entire fear factor is the Great Depression which is affecting all over the world.?

Fear, is nothing but another emotion of human beings. The more you let it rule you, the more it creeps into you. Fear has to be dealt with utmost confidence and a strong mind. There is nothing wrong in fearing. In fact a little fear will always keep you bogged down and will not make you heads fly. But encouraging the fear feeling is not healthy.

Remembering Dad!

2011-12-10T21:48:00.003+05:30

It has been 9 years exactly when we lost our dearest father in an hospital today due to cardiac arrest and we were suddenly lost altogether with a disbelief. He was advised by the family doctor the previous day to be shifted to the ward from ICU since he was improving and here i was with the saddest news in my life.I was worried how to break this news to my mom and my two young brothers who had still not seen the harsh realities of life.
Its still fresh in memory,when I stood in silence at 5.30 a.m in the ICU in front of my dad's bed,when the doctor took me inside from outside where i was sleeping early in the morning to bid one last adieu to my dad.His face was calm like he was sleeping and a fine beetroot color of the skin,due to infusion of fresh blood he was donated by our family friends.

It was very painful as I was very close to my dad and he was the best friend and he is still the one.I talk to his photo hung in our dining hall everyday and take his blessings.

Life has been an upheavel since those days with its trials and tribulations and we have to move on.All of us have grown from those sorrowful days to mature adults ,taking life as it comes. We have to learn the tides and flow along with it.

We have our pooja ceremony in memory of dad on 16th of this December and we seek his blessings in whatever endeavour we do.

Amen!

Three Types of Bosses That Should Be Fired?

2011-11-23T18:19:00.000+05:30

Three Types of Bosses That Should Be Fired

By Steve Tobak | CBS MoneyWatch

I've had the opportunity to work with hundreds, maybe thousands of brilliant people over a 30-year career in high-tech. Unfortunately, that's not really saying much, since just about any CEO, executive, or entrepreneur you're likely to come across has the smarts to do the job.

When it comes to management ability and leadership qualities, however, bosses tend to follow a pretty standard bell shaped curve: consistently successful managers at one narrow end, remarkably ineffective ones at the other end, and everyone else in between.

After all the years, experiences, and observations, I've got a pretty good handle on what it takes to be a great manager and what kind of behavior will tend to land an executive at one end of the bell curve or the other.

And while one size manager does not fit all situations, I have been able to identify, with relative certainty, three types of managers who shouldn't be running anything, let alone an organization or a company. Not only will they fail, they'll take the whole organization and everyone in it down with them.

If you don't believe me, check it out. I bet you can fit just about any executive who has failed big-time into one of these three categories. Here are three types of bosses that should be fired, and sooner rather than later:

The Smartest Guy in the Room

This is the guy who has all the answers and can never, ever be wrong. He doesn't just breathe his own fumes or drink his own Kool-Aid, he makes and mass-markets it, as well. He wants everyone to agree with his grandiose vision of how things should be and makes sure of that by surrounding himself with yes-men and women and ruthlessly beating down dissenting views.

The reason these people fail is they're blinded by the power of their own vision and therefore lack objectivity. They tend to be rigid and inflexible in their thinking and unwilling to see what's really happening until it's too late. Unfortunately, markets don't behave according to anyone's plan. They're populated by competitors and customers with free will and have a funny way of determining their own outcome.

It's All About Me

Some people never grow up but get stuck in one phase or another of human development. They look just like normal adults, but inside, they're petulant, narcissistic children with oversized egos. Since their overriding goal is to get attention, to be adulated and worshipped by all, they're often charismatic and charming, almost chameleon-like in the way they appeal to all sorts of constituents. And their positions and strategies can flip and flop from one day to the next based on one data point, meeting, or conversation.

While a healthy ego is necessary and good for leaders, business isn't really about any particular individual. It's about meeting customer needs, achieving long-term growth and success for shareholders and employees, and being passionate about your products and services. People who think free market capitalism is about selfish greed couldn't be more wrong. Every company, board, CEO, executive team, serves its stakeholders and constituents. If it doesn't, it'll fail.

The Has-Been

We may as well call him by his name, Peter, because this person is more or less defined by the Peter Principle. Peter was once effective and successful; at least it appeared that way. But the situation had a narrow set of boundaries and variables and now, things have changed and Peter is out of his depth, beyond his level of competency.

Perhaps he was promoted, the company grew, the market changed, or he's now in a new position in a new company. Regardless of the circumstances, Peter is no longer effective and his inability to see or believe it renders him toxic to the organization. For whatever reason, Peter lacks the ability to grow, scale, or adapt. And since he's still in a position of power and authority, he's not just an old relic, but a heavy anchor around the company's neck.

Those are the top three types of bosses I think should be fired. Got one to add to the list?

'Rocket Woman' Propels India's Missile Mission

2011-11-22T11:49:00.000+05:30

ByIANS, Monday, 21 November 2011

New Delhi: Forget breaking the glass ceiling, Tessy Thomas has virtually blasted her way through it. The 48-year-old is the first-ever woman director of an Indian missile project and is set to place India in an elite club of nations like the U.S., Russia and China with the capability to produce their own long-range Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).

She will achieve that when India tests its 5,000-km range nuclear capable Agni-V missile by February 2012.

Thomas also wants to see Indian women taking on combat roles in the armed forces.

"Why not? If they are performing other roles in the armed forces so efficiently, they can also perform combat roles," Thomas told IANS during a chat here.

"If women are willing to get into combat roles, I think, yes, they should be allowed to join. This, I am sure, will happen over time," said the 'Agni Putri' (Daughter of Fire), a sobriquet she had earned for her association with the Agni missiles since 1988.

The scientist from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was in Delhi after her team had successfully tested the new-generation Agni-IV missile Nov 15 that broke new records for India by hitting a target 3,000 km away from the Balasore test range in the Orissa coast.

This is the first time ever the country has tested a missile to hit target at that distance, thereby becoming the first Indian missile to cross the equator and hit a target in the southern hemisphere.

For her achievement in missile technology, she is also fondly called 'the missile woman' by the Indian media.

When asked how she landed in the male-dominated defence research and development world, she promptly replies: "Science has no gender. Defence R&D is a knowledge-based field."

Armed with an engineering degree, Thomas joined the DRDO and was assigned to work on the Agni missile project by none other than former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who is also known as the 'Father of Indian Missile Programme'.

Moral Success!

2011-11-17T18:18:00.000+05:30

Your 10-Step Guide to Moral Success

Ten Steps to Making Good Moral Decisions

Use these steps as your guide for examining all the possible options in a situation.

Go through each step in order, and make sure you do this process on paper. Writing your answers can be very helpful when you’re in an emotional state about a particular decision.

The writing process directs your emotions through the pen onto the paper, not at another human being!

Step 1

Identify exactly what the problem is

Where’s the dilemma?

Where does it stem from?

Who is involved in it?

Write down everything that’s part of the problem.

Step 2

Identify the goal

What’s your aim in solving this problem?

What do you want to happen?

Is your goal total customer satisfaction?

Peace in the workplace?

Your kids’ happiness and success?

Whatever it is, write the goal.

According to Dr. Charles Garfield, a goal, i.e. objective, is a dream with a deadline. Without a deadline you have a wish and who’s got time for wishes???

Step 3

Brainstorm as many alternative solutions as you can

“Don’t think logically, and don’t let practicality get in your way.

List as many solutions for this situation as you possibly can.

You can always get rid of impractical ideas later. But unless you have a wide variety of alternative solutions to examine, you can’t really get clear on exactly where you want to go.

Step 4

List the facts—what you know, and what you don’t know

“What do you know about this situation?”

Equally important, write down anything you don’t know and need to find out before you can make a decision.

This may entail asking other people, other companies, other entities for their input, so you can have all the information you need to make the best possible choice.

It’s been my experience that 9 times out of 10, what you didn’t know was crucial to making a better decision! Take the time to find out as much as you can about what you don’t know and you’ll be better off.

Step 5

Identify the people who will be affected by this decision and the principles involved

Who in your company will be affected by this decision?

Which of your customers?

Who in your family and/or your community?

List every person and entity affected. Then make a second list of the principles involved in the decision.

On what basis is this decision being made?

Is it the company’s mission statement?

The values statement?

Your personal code of ethics?

Customer satisfaction?

The bottom-line?

What are the key values and principles involved in making this decision?

Step 6

Lists the pros and cons of each solution option

For each solution, write down the risks inherent in using this particular option.

“What are the possible costs to you, your co-workers, your company?

Next to the risks, list the benefits for each solution as well. Be thorough; make sure you list as many risks and benefits as you can for each possible solution.

Step 7

List the importance of each solution and the likelihood it will happen

How important to you, your company, or your community, is the choice that will be made?

And looking at each alternative solution, what are the chances that it will come to pass?

What is the chance you will lose the customer?

What is the chance this solution will cause your company to downsize and people will lose their jobs as a result?

What is the chance the market will shift?

“Weigh each solution carefully.

What’s the importance of the choice, and what are the chances it will happen?

Step 8

List your reasons for choosing each solution

From your perspective as CEO, sales manager, head of sales, parent, friend—whatever the case might be—what would be your reasons for choosing this particular option?

List your motives for each solution you’ve created.

Step 9

List your priorities and preferences

If you had your way, how would you like this whole thing to work out?

What’s your priority when it comes to this decision?

Step 10

Now, looking at your answers to #1–9, make the decision

Keeping everything you’ve written in mind, make the decision that seems to suit the needs of the situation.

Give it your very best shot—after all, our best is the best we can do.

Following these ten steps helps us to use reason more than emotion when it comes to the tough moments in our lives. The chances of making a better decision after some clear discernment are much, much higher and always more effective.

Niagara Falls-in India?

2011-11-02T13:23:00.000+05:30

This breath taking natural picturesque splendor located at a road distance of 65 Kms from Trichur (Kerala) & 60 Kms from Cochin International airport. Try to chalk out a holiday in September just after the monsoons. The waterfalls will bein full force then. A tranquil & much needed escape from the troubles & stress of life!

Desi Niagara @ ATHIRAPALLY & VAZHACHAAL

Contributed by: Seema Prabhu,Bengaluru.

Happy Diwali-Balipadyami

2011-10-27T16:40:00.001+05:30

Wishing everyone a prosperous,noiseless diwali. We celebrate Laxmi pooja at home today and burn the sprinklers in the evening. No patakas and baby bombs...from this year. A new resolution from all grown-ups to celebrate a safe diwali.

Happy Diwali-Naraka Chaturdashi

2011-10-25T14:32:00.000+05:30

Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of the month of Kartik is known as Narak Chaturdashi. Narak Chaturdashi is also known as Narak Chaudas, Roop Chaudas, Roop Chaturdashi, Narak Chaturdashi or Naraka Pooja. It is believed that the god of death, Yamraj is worshipped on this day. In 2011, Narak Chaturdashi will be celebrated on 25th October, Tuesday.

Narak Chaturdashi is also known as Chotti Deepawali. It is celebrated a day before Deepawali by lightning a candle in the evening. Lord Yamraj is worshipped on this day to get freedom from death and attain good health. There are many mythological stories and scriptures explaining the importance of lightning the candle and worshipping Lord Yamraj on this day.

Naraka Chaturdashi Story

According to an ancient tale, a king named Ranti Deva was a religious and wise man. He was highly involved in religious works and service of mankind. At the time of his death messengers of Yamraj came to take his soul. The moment messengers stepped towards the king, he asked them that, “despite of not doing any evil deed throughout my life, why you all have come to take me to hell. Please tell me my sin due to which i am being taken to hell.” Hearing the compassionate voice of the King, the messengers told him, “once you let one priest go back hungry from your door, due to which you got hell.

On listening their reason, King asked them to grant him a year time. The messengers gave it a thought and increased his life for another 1 year. On the departure of the messengers the king visits the saints and tells them the entire story.

The saints tell the king to observe the fast on the Kartik Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi, feed the priests and apologise them for your mistake. This will give you relief from your sins. As per the rituals told by the priests he observed the fast and got relief from his sin. Since then this fast is observed on Kartik Chaturdashi to get freedom from going to hell.

According to another tale, Lord Krishna killed the demon, Narkasura on the Kartik Chaturdashi of Krishna Paksha and protected the gods and the saints from his wrath. He also freed 16000 girls from his captive home. People lighted the kingdom with lamps to celebrate the victory. Since that day Narak Chaturthi is celebrated in India.

Big Daddy's Scenario!

2011-10-18T15:24:00.000+05:30

Inspirational Quotes!

2011-10-13T17:48:00.001+05:30

“If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too." – Dr. Seuss

Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” – Steve Jobs

You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down...” – Steve Jobs

Everyday, God gives us the sun - and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything…” - Paulo Coelho

Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.” - Jack Kerouac

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” - Nelson Mandela

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” – Wayne Gretzky

Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful... that’s what matters to me.” – Steve Jobs

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tribute to the Apple Master!

2011-10-07T19:35:00.000+05:30

A Hongkong based Graphic designer student has created a logo of Apple with its founder. What an amazing creativity and it is a instant hit in the www. He has been offered innumberable jobs becoz of this and fame has certain causes. Believe yourself!

Steve Jobs-Apple Genius now in 'iMemory'

2011-10-07T13:06:00.001+05:30

You have to trust your karma: Steve's famous speech

This is the ''Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish'' address delivered by Steve Jobs in 2005 at Stanford University:

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky - I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because 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.

Your 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. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Happy Vijayadashami!

2011-10-06T09:59:00.001+05:30

Wishing one and all a very happy vijayadashami and prosperous day ahead.

Vijayadashami also known as Dasara, is one of the most important festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Dasara/ Dussehra is derived from Sanskrit Dasha-hara meaning "remover of bad fate".

Southern IndiaDasara is celebrated in various ways in different parts of South India. Celebrations can take many forms, ranging from worshipping the goddess Chamundeshwari (Durga) to exhibiting colorful toys-, celebrated as Golu in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu from Navratri onwards.

Golu display during NavratriThere is a legend related to the exhibition of toys that is known as "Bombe habba" in Karnataka, "Bommala Koluvu" in Andhra Pradesh and Golu or Kolu in Tamil Nadu. Since the goddess Durga needed tremendous power, all other gods and goddesses transferred their power to her and they all stood still as statues. To respect the self-sacrifice of these deities during the festival days, Hindus revere morities, which are small statues in the shape of particular gods and goddesses. Golu ends on Dasara.

Vijayadashami is also the auspicious day for starting their formal education. Students keep their books and workers their tools for puja on the ninth day of Navratri (Ayudha-Pooja, Saraswathi-Pooja); these are taken back and used after puja on the tenth day (Vijayadasami).

Mysore Dasara

Jamboo savari in Mysore, KarnatakaThe legend associated with the Shami tree finds commemoration during the renowned Navaratri celebrations at Mysore. The Mysore celebrations also strongly emphasize the Durga legend described above, as may be expected in the city built at the very site of the events of the Durga legend. On Vijaydashami day, at the culmination of a colourful 10-day celebration, the goddess Chamundeshwari is worshipped and then borne in a grand procession on a Golden Ambari or elephant-mounted throne through the city of Mysore, from the historical Mysore Palace to the Banni Mantapa. Banni is the Kannada word for the Sanskrit Shami, and Mantapa means "Pavilion".

Thus on Vijayadashami day people exchange the Banni/Shami leaves and greet and wish each other. This custom is followed in North Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Happy Ayudha Puja

2011-10-05T09:40:00.001+05:30

Wishing everybody a happy Ayudah puja celebrations!

Today its a holiday for all the 'ayudha's' for PC's, Vehicles and other tools since we use them in our life for protection and work.

Celebrate and Enjoy!

Puja of Tools in our home:

Bombe habba in our neighbourhood(Dasara Dolls)

10 Things Great Managers Do !

2011-09-28T18:18:00.000+05:30

1. Maintain your cool and sense of humor, especially during a crisis. When our biggest customer - and I mean big - thought I leaked a front-page story to the press, I offered to resign to save the relationship. My boss, a great CEO, gave me this serious look, like he was thinking about it, and said, “You’re not getting off that easy.” Then he broke out into a big smile.

2. Tell subordinates when they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Sometimes I can be pretty intimidating and I’ve had CEOs who shied away from giving it to me straight when my emotions got the better of me. Not this one guy. We’d be in a heated meeting and he’d quietly take me aside and read me the riot act. He was so genuine about it that it always opened my eyes and helped me to achieve perspective.

3. Be the boss, but behave like a peer. I’ve worked with loads of CEOs who let their egos get the better of them. They act like they’re better than everyone else, are distant and emotionally detached, or flaunt their knowledge and power. That kind of behavior diminishes leaders, makes them seem small, and keeps them from really connecting with people. They’re not always the most successful, but the most admired CEOs I know are genuinely humble.

4. Let your guard down and really be yourself outside of work. You know, teambuilding is so overrated. All you really need to do outside of work to build a cohesive team is break some bread, have some drinks, relax, let your guard down, and be a regular human being. When you get to be really confident, you can be that way all the time. That’s the mark of a great leader.

5. Stand behind and make big bets on people you believe in. One CEO would constantly challenge you and your thinking to the point of being abusive. But once he trusted and believed in you, he put his full weight behind you 100 percent to help you succeed. He’d stand up for you even when he wasn’t sure what the heck you were up to. And he’d give you new functional responsibilities - something up-and-coming execs need to grow. Okay, he wasn’t perfect, but who is?

6. Complement your subordinate’s weaknesses. I often say it’s every employee’s job to complement her boss’s weaknesses. The only reason that’s even doable is because we’ve all only got one boss. But I actually had a CEO who did that with each and every one of his staff. For example, I’m more of a big picture strategy guy and he would really hold my feet to the fire by tracking my commitments. It felt like micromanaging at first, but I eventually realized it helped me to be a more effective and strengthened the entire management team.

7. Compliment your employee’s strengths. It takes a strong, confident leader to go out on a limb and tell an employee what they’re great at. Why? I don’t know, but I suspect it’s hard for alpha males that primarily inhabit executive offices. Anyway, it’s important because we can’t always see ourselves objectively. Twenty years ago a CEO identified how effectively I cut through a boatload of BS to reach unique solutions to tough problems. Today, that’s what I do for a living.

8. Teach the toughest, most painful lessons you’ve ever learned. As a young manager at Texas Instruments, I once asked my boss’s boss for advice about a promotion I didn’t get. He told me a candid story about the hardest lesson he’d ever learned, the reason he was stuck in his job. He made himself indispensible and didn’t groom his replacement. It was painful for him to share, but it opened my eyes and made a huge difference in my career.

9. Do the right thing. Just about everyone says it, but I’ve only known one CEO who both preached and practiced it to the point where it became a big part of the company culture. You’d walk the halls and hear people say it all the time. He meant two things by it. When he said it to you, it meant he trusted you to do just that. He also meant it regardless of status quo or consequences. He had extraordinary faith in that phrase. Now I do too.

10. Do what has to be done, no matter what. It’s a rare executive who jumps on a plane at a moment’s notice to close a deal or gives an impromptu presentation when a potential investor shows up unexpectedly. It’s even more rare when he does it without asking questions or hemming and hawing about it. He just does what has to be done. That kind of drive and focus on the business is relatively common with entrepreneurs in high-tech startups - but it shouldn’t be. It’s the mark of a great manager who will find success, that’s for sure.

Birthday Boy!

2011-09-27T21:32:00.000+05:30

It was my younger brother's birthday today and it was a quiet birthday compared to previous ones.

As it is a Holiday due to 'Mahalaya Amavasya' he was in no mood to give away his precious sleeping time.

He was of the opinion that as you grow older, you tend to remember the good memories of how you spent your birthday when you are in school.Quite right! Since he was away in US during his student days and working, most of his days has been spent eating out.He preferred home cooked food and so my mom had prepared a special sweet 'Damrot', a sweet dish cooked out of white gourd and I cooked a special vegetable pulav and fruit dessert. Evening we had a cake cutting family event and lo! his birthday is over.

We hundekar family, wish him many more years of success in his career and life!

God bless him a long healthy life!

Marina Beach at Chennai!

2011-09-23T21:55:00.000+05:30

I & my brother had a vacation at Chennai just to get a break from mundane activities of jobs. We had a hot afternoon walk at Marina Beach! What a contrast of weather at Bangalore and Chennai. Bengaluru has a cooler climate and its pouring where as Chennai is scorching heat! Donno how citizens manage in Summer.

We went to MGR's Samadhi and its indeed a good architectural work.

Young Leopards!

2011-09-16T15:31:00.000+05:30

Our kittens have grown up and looking like young leopards ferocious and cute. They want to roam around the home and sit in their favourite place on top of the corner of the drawing hall.

New Flyover at HSR Layout!

2011-09-14T21:41:00.000+05:30

I was so happy when I saw HSR Layout BDA signal flyover is completed and the heavy traffic is diluted now. The congestion of the traffic and the construction problems had nauseated the common public and pedestrians who walk along the driveway.

The metro line is on the other end of the flyover and if it gets completed , HSR Layout will be the premier area in Bengaluru. Also there are talks that Monorail is also on the pipeline which crosses this area. The realestate prices are skyrocketing in HSR,who knows we may see the progress along the Singapore way!

Happy Teacher's Day!

2011-09-05T18:33:00.000+05:30

Wishing every teacher on this earth a very happy Teacher's Day. If not for Dr.Radhakrishnan, this day would not have been noticed by the students.

I remember my school teachers, graduation and post graduation teachers who moulded our personality and thus we in return are also responsible for passing this legacy to future generations.

I have immense gratitude for my school teachers and graduation teachers who were very warm and affectionate in those days. The teaching was itself a passion for them and it was almost a home everyday for me when I recall those days with my Kannada and Maths teachers respectively.

But when I started teaching, I felt the society has changed according to the taste of the present generations where teachers are not all valued if they are genuine. Most of the schools,colleges have been commercialised and we sell the education now-a-days.It's a pity though!

Inspite of these gloomy days, one of my student from MBA remembers and wishes me constantly on Teacher's Day.

His words..'Thank you special Teacher, for teaching me things I want to learn,for making to grow my life not only as a teacher but as a mentor.Happy Teacher's Day.'

Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna!

2011-09-02T20:25:00.000+05:30

Our young tenant has exhibited her Mehndi drawing skills on my hand due to Teej Festival which they celebrate traditionally in North & Eastern India. All married young women apply Henna on their hands to pray 'Long Life' for their husbands.I had tried my skills on her hands and she insisted that I also put mehendi and 'Dekhna hai kaise rang dikhayegi'!!!

Happy Gowri -Ganesh Festival!

2011-09-01T22:53:00.000+05:30

Dear All,

Wish you and your family a prosperous and joyful festival.

We had lot of visitors today from office colleagues,friends to neighbours with kids dressed up in colorful clothes. We perform puja for Lord Ganesh every morning and evening for 3 days and later we do the Visarjan ceremony. My brothers who escape from puja everyday do the Lord Ganesh puja sincerely for 3 days under the instructions of our mother.

Let SiddiVinayak bless everybody for a happy life!

Three ways to spot a liar!

2011-08-29T12:14:00.000+05:30

Management Tip of the Day:

Reuters – Thu, Aug 25, 2011 - In business there are no shortage of lies and manipulation at all levels, but there are some behavioural clues that can be used to detect the liars, says Harvard Business Review.

The Harvard Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Reivew and HBR.org (click http://www.hbr.org). Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters.

"In today's business world, there is no shortage of lies. People tell them all the time -- sometimes to seek a payoff or avoid responsibility. But these untruths can be hard to detect, especially in complex situations.

Look out for these three signs that you're being lied to:

1. Discomfort. People who lie often demonstrate visible anxiety. This may be because they're afraid of getting caught or they feel guilty. Be on the look-out for a fake smile, frozen body language, or lack of eye contact.

2. Evasiveness. Someone who withholds information or keeps the conversation vague may not be telling the truth.

3. Manipulation. When you ask a question, people lying may answer with more detail than necessary. They may also use overly explicit language for emphasis. Watch out for this kind of manipulation."

-- Today's management tip was adapted from "To Catch a Liar" by Bill Rosenthal and Carolyn M. Anderson.

(For the full post and to join the discussion, click) http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/06/to_catch_a_liar.html)

What does it take to be a success?

2011-08-23T17:12:00.000+05:30

We speak to 50 women who have made it to the top, and ask them to share their most important tip.

Sulajja Motwani Firodia, Joint MD, Kinetic

Engineering "There's really just one secret to success: you need to stand out and rise above the average employee by taking initiative and being willing to go the extra mile.

Farzana Contractor, Publisher

"Work hard and give it all you've got, without thinking about the returns. Don't compromise on honesty and integrity. Don't be ruthlessly money-mindedsuccess and money will follow. Enjoy every aspect of your work.

Yagna Balaji, Vice President and Head of Communications, Polaris Software

"Leaving decisions to luck and chance may have worked a decade ago, but these days, it's far smarter to have a plan. Success is about managing personal aspirations and learning constantly to stay relevant.

Bubbles Sabharwal, Director, Kidsworld

"Balance is key. You must know your priorities, what is more important, home or work. You must also handle disappointments with courage, and success with humility.

Neena Gulati, CEO, Mediagraphix

"Often, we make a mistake that somebody else will recognise our brilliance and intelligence. Never wait for encouragement, appreciate yourself. And don't get caught in the rat race; learn to stand up for your principals.

Stuti Jalan, MD, Crosshairs Communication

"To pursue a profession in PR, one needs to have good communication skills and an excellent command over language.We are image managers, so we need to look the part. In-depth knowledge about current local news and awareness about international news, is also very important.

Anna Bredmeyer, International Brands Consultant for India

"For me, it has always been about business, minding my own yet striving consistently to strike the perfect balance of being a team player. Maintain an open mind to learning as you journey through life.

Aruna R Krishan, Executive Director, IBEX Products

"I have a three-step formula that I swear by: ideate, obsess, and execute, and the key is to do all of them without any hesitation. Doubts abound in our minds, especially when we try something new: will this work? Can I do so much? I shatter these hesitations by telling myself everyday that I want to excel.

Meenakshi Madhvani, Managing Partner, Spatial Access Solutions

"Accept the fact that you are not a superwoman. There will be times, no matter how you try, that you will not be able to make everyone happy. The solution lies in recognising and accepting this challenge.

Dr Seema Javed, Media Officer, Greenpeace

"Time management and planning is the key to success. Plan your schedule for the work you have to do, even personal work, and stick to it. In an organised way, you will find time for everything.

Anju Munjal, VP, Advertising and Communication, Usha International

"Figure out your strengths, and spend time looking for ways to highlight them. Learn continuously: keep teaching yourself by attending conferences and taking professional courses. You'll face troubles, but it's important to project confidence even at those times.

Malavika Tiwari, Garden Designer

"Three words for anyone starting up or in the early stages of their career: honesty, perseverance and conviction. These I have learnt from my experience since I was not qualified in the areas I now enjoy working in.

Radhika Gupta, Creative Director, Vanilla Moon

"If you're starting out, do your research extensively before you begin, talk to the smartest people in the field, hire people smarter than you, and keep costs low. Don't compromise on your product, under-promise and over-deliver, and take advantage of new technology.

Shilpi Dhir, MD, Giovani

"All things are difficult before they are easy. Pride in work, happiness in family, and confidence in yourself always works.

Sagrika Goyal, Designer, Coochhie Coo

"While climbing the ladder of success, don't forget that health and family time are as important for your mental wellbeing as success at the workplace. Good time management skills will take you a long way, combined with a strong spiritual balance.

Alpana Gujral, Founder Alpana Jewels

"I think there is no shortcut for hard work and if one thinks there is any easy or quick route to the top, they are mistaken. Diligence and being goal-oriented are absolutely critical. Never be in a hurry, always take measured steps.

Suchna Hegde Shah, Founder, Away and Beyond

"Ask yourself where your interests lie, then go about fine tuning your skills and pursuing a future in that field. Working at a mundane job when your heart is not there will only lead to work frustration.

Lina Ashar, Founder, Kangaroo Kids preschools

"Paulo Coelho's book The Alchemist, has a powerful phrase that I live by: 'It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realise your destiny. It prepares your spirit and will...' Problems will come your way, but they'll only make you stronger.

Rajita Choudhari, Dean, Center for Higher Education, IIPM

"It's all about the three S's:, Sundays, Smart Phones, and Support Systems. Use Sundays for family only. Use technology wiselyuse the 'Calendar' option to plan each day in advance. And don't hesitate to ask for help from family and friends, be it for a car pool or baby sitting.

Kanika Mathur, President, Digitas India

"There are five triggers that have helped make my passion a reality. Aligning teams to key organisation goals. Being decisive. Constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to strategic thinking. Driving innovation by adopting new practices, and enabling implementation.

Priya Kishore Founder, Creative Director of Bombay Electric

"Don't compromise on the things that matter, but be flexible and easy to work with. Make things happen'almost done' means it's not done. You can't do it all by yourself: build a trusted team. And be generous, it comes back to you.

Azmina Hyder, Partner to Atosa

"Play at work and work becomes play, so pick a career you'll enjoy. Then add hard work, the right attitude, zeal, and passion.

Ritu Kumar, Designer

"If you pick a field that really gets your adrenaline pumping, chances are the impetus will come from within to make a success of it. A big key to success is commitment to hard work and a focus on quality.

Tina Tahiliani, Executive Director, Ensemble

"Get the best education you can. It will help you make the right choices, set the right priorities, and, perhaps most importantly, teach you to manage your time effectively in this highly competitive work environment.

Kanika Chawla, Creative Head, Beau Monde

"In order for you to achieve anything in life, you have to believe that you can achieve it. Once your mind is convinced, action will make everything possible.

Anuradha CH, Director, Anoo's

"Know your industry well and be organised. Constantly thrive to learn from others around you. There's no harm in having friends in 'competitors'.

Nalini Gupta, Country Manager, Burberry India

"Do what you love: work is not what one does merely for a living. The equations have changed. Ensuring that you love every bit of your job, every single day, is the only way to excel. Always think positive.

Urvashi Kaur, Designer

"Only women with multi-tasking abilities can manage a successful career. It's important to listen to your inner voice and follow your instinctit usually has the answer before you do.

Asha Gupta, MD, Tupperware India

"Clearly define your career goal: one needs to chalk out a clear road map for a successful career path and review it at regular intervals. Then align your career goals with personal ones for a smooth sailing.

Nimisha Sharma, Creative Director, Brio Creationz

"Life is all about expecting the unexpected, and it is essential to adapt fast. The secret to success lies in that. Cash in on your strengths and be a self-motivator. Your individuality will give you an edge over others.

Hansa Sachdeva Chief Marketing Officer, Head Honchos.com

"I believe in focussing my efforts on making today, right now, this moment, productive. When I reach the goal of the moment, I usually set up the next one.

Gauri Jayaram, Regional Director, South Asia & Middle East, Globus

"Always know that there will be ups and downs focus on what lies ahead. Use common sense and trust your intuition, even if it goes against what you learnt at a fancy B-school. Finally, understand that it's not just the brilliant, but the hard working, dedicated ones who succeed.

Deepa Mehra, Jewellery Designer

"Focus is the core factor behind every person's success. Being focused gives one clarity about goals, and the vision to fulfil our dream. Perseverance gives you the strength to overcome all obstacles. Never quit.

Sudha Jagadish, CEO, Dax Networks

"Eliminating a problem, rather than pondering over it, is the crux of all successful decision making. Every field has its own challenges, and one has to face them with courage.

Nitya Bajaj, Designer

"I follow what my grandfather taught me: keep doing what you know best, move in the right direction, and things will work out fine. I believe in practical application; I learn new things everyday.

Geeta Bector, VP Research and Development, Bector's Cremica

"Keep learning. The world is constantly changing and it is imperative to keep pace with it. Regularly update your skill set and knowledge to discover innovative new ways of doing things.

Mallika Dutt, Executive Director, Breakthrough

"10 years ago, I left law to create a music album about women's rights. Why? I was convinced that popular culture could express the importance of women's rights in new ways. Follow your dreams, and don't let anyone tell you it's not possible.

Roshini Vadehra, Director, Vadhera Art Gallery

"People are any organisation's biggest assets. Work and motivation are key factors in any venture. Think hard before you even begin to start contemplating your life as an entrepreneur. And always, always keep your eye on the goal.

Ritu Chaudhri, VP Marketing, Nirula's

"Know when to take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself. If you do that successfully, it will differentiate you from the others in the line.

Sonica Malhotra, Director, MBD Group

"As an entrepreneur, one should have the conviction to venture into unexplored areas. To maintain the numero-uno position, one has to work with diligence and be futuristic. Encourage openmindedness, exchange of ideas, and brainstorming sessions. The process of learning has to go on forever.

Preetha Sukhtankar, Partner, KWAN Entertainment and Marketing Solutions

"Trust your instinct. Remember, that's what sets us apart from the men in the so-called corporate jungle. This is a marathon, not a race. Burning out fast is the downside most young women face, so take it easy and savour success.

Devita Saraf CEO, Vu Technologies

"My favourite way of planning my goals is to imagine what I would like my life to be in five years from now. Then I break that vision down into bits and work towards it.

Althea Shah, Head of Marketing and PR, Gold's Gym

"Success is when you feel at ease with yourself, when you earn enough to sleep well at night, when your close relationships are good, and when you are a positive influence on those around you. Keep learning and improving.

Manisha Amol, VP Marketing, Modicare Limited

"Prepare a well-defined goal with timelines, then break it down into achievable milestones. Divide them into longterm, medium-term and short-term goals. Tackling goals like this makes it easier to achieve them.

Latika Khaneja, Director, Collage Management

"Decide on a goal, and give it a realistic time horizon. Break this goal into daily or weekly tasks and follow the list, all the while seeing that your longterm goalpost is in sight.

Nisha Berlia, Director, Apeejay Stya Education Research Foundation

"Give credit where credit is due. I have worked with plenty of managers who take credit for work done by their juniors. As you move up, your growth is dependent on the growth of your subordinates.

Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar, Founder, Tea Culture of the World

"In today's era, it is difficult to come up with something new, but if you have a dream and the perseverance to realise it, everything is possible.

Sangeeta Kuriakos, MD, The Specialists

"Don't be negative. A lot of people waste time criticising and finding faults, when they could it to be more productive or achieve things. A positive, driven employee is appreciated by every organisation.

Ashna Singh, President, Entrepreneur Organisation, New Delhi Chapter

"Have the drive, vision and passionif you believe in something, others will too. Be action, not problem-oriented .plan well and relentlessly move forward. Lastly, take good care of your investments.

Ameera Shah, MD & CEO, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd

"If you're young, it is imperative that you are more knowledgeable than others at your age.

Birthday Girl and wishes!

2011-08-17T18:04:00.001+05:30

It was my birthday today and what a wonderful day it was!

At first, let me thank all my friends who wished on my birthday and it is a moment of cherish for me who have come all the way from different parts of the country and wished me.

I have received a loads of gifts from my mom,brothers,friends,colleagues,neighbours and lot of wishes from facebook friends,phone calls and smses.

The gifts are in the form of dresses,gift coupons,chocolates,cakes, etc..But more than that your wishes and blessings.

Thank you once again everybody, my day is made.

WISHES GALORE:

Hello Keerthi Hundekar,

All of us at UNYK would like to wish you a happy birthday!

We hope that this UNYK day will be an excellent one!

Thank you for the trust that you have placed in us.

UNYK, the first smart address book that updates itself!

Hi Keerthi,

Wishing you many happy returns of the day. Have a fabulous year ahead.

Cheers

Team YouMint

Fullonsms

Dear Keerthi Hundekar,

Wish you a very Happy Birthday!

And we hope you have a great day today!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-08-14T20:46:00.000+05:30

It's our dear mother's birthday today and as a senior citizen celebrating her birthday prior to nation's Independence Day celebrations ahead, we pray for God to bless her many more years of health and happiness.

Since she does not eat cakes , we celebrated hers with delicious boondi ladoos ,pizzas and she loves Garlic breads..

We remembered our school day wishes song...May the Good God Bless you..and my younger brother has the voice to cover all our voices.

India's first Mono-Rail!

2011-08-12T18:44:00.000+05:30

India's first monorail in Mumbai is getting ready for its operations. My brother was a part of this work force when he was in Mumbai. A great feeling of progressive India for arrival of the Independence Day Celebrations.

Bullish Gold and Loss!

2011-08-09T21:16:00.000+05:30

Ha, i had a turmoil this weekend as I lost my hardearned,favourite precious gold bracelet which was embedded with American Diamond and Amethyst crystals in it. I donno how i lost it during my usual weekend visit to temple with Mom.

When the gold is hitting record high price in the market, the loss i have incurred with materialistic value attached to it is, quite alarming. But more than that, it was a cute one admired my colleagues and friends for its intricate design. As Indians,we attach too much of value to it interms of emotional and religious benefits.

When Varamahalakshmi Puja is arriving, it is auspicious to buy gold where as here i am at loss. But that's it. What's my loss is somebody's gain! You remember it for a day .week and then you try to forget and go for a positive mode philosophically, when it was never yours, you lose it or your waywardness,carelessness in keeping it safe.

But I was relieved when my mother said words precious than gold." You are more precious than that yellow metal. You can always buy another one but I have only one golden daughter". Mom's the word!

Management Lessons from Mahabharata!

2011-07-21T14:01:00.001+05:30

The second longest epic of the world, Mahabharata is not just an epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War or a book of philosophy; rather it's a comprehensive manual on management strategy. Mahabharata encompasses many lessons on management which can potentially be applied to modern business practices. Vyasa's epic poem is considered to be a pertinent handbook on management and these management insights are being practiced by many today. Take a look at some of the best practices from India's great epic of knowledge and inspiration.

1. Transform your weakness into strength:

Like how Pandavas transformed their weaknesses to strengths during the years of exile, you need to have the urge to improve on your weakness. Mahabarata gives many an examples to highlight the importance of utilizing time to overcoming your skills like how Arjuna went on a mission to attain the Divyastras or Yudhisthira mastered the Game of Dice. You need to have the passion to dedicate adequate time to learn those skills that can help you overcome your weakness only by which you can be a great manager.

2. Share your responsibilities:

Efficiently sharing responsibilities is the mark of a good manager and the great Indian epic gives the best example for this. Pandavas fought the war as one team with one goal in mind while Kauravas lacked the team spirit and they all fought individual wars. It advises the managers not to make the decision-making process a dictatorial one, rather involve everyone so that the best of ideas will pop up.

3. Learn the art of teamwork:

It was not a common war for Kauravas as they never showed the unity. But the way Pandavas fought is a lesson for managers as it highlights the significance of sticking on to the common goal while meeting the individual targets. The great story teaches the golden lesson that only a combined effort can bring in success.

4. Know the ground realities:

Pandavas spent one year in exile with the poor people and the years of exile helped them to reach out to people from various strata of the society while Kaurava's had no experience of the ground reality as they lived a royal life. Managers need to understand the realities to lead their team in the right direction. They need to break the barriers to get in touch with their subordinates to understand their problems and identify ways to make their work easier.

5. Take calculated risks:

Krishna has acted as a greatest crisis manager showing how to take calculated risks at the time of crisis. Management is all about taking calculated risks. Shying away from challenges is not a sign of management, rather well-assessed decisions to on facing the challenges is the trademark of good management

Source:

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Management_Lessons_from_Mahabharata-nid-86738.html?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Subscriber

Management Lessons from Indian Epics Ramayana & Mahabharatha!

2011-07-15T13:58:00.002+05:30

What are the primary qualities of leadership? What are the effective management skills? How many of us can answer these questions? Although we have theoretical definitions for these concepts, where did the concept of leadership and management evolve is a billion dollar question?

The field of business and leadership has been enriched by learnings from various disciplines of knowledge. It is said that the corporate learnings are driven from our great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.

So here are a few lessons that we can comprehend from Ramayana and how it can be applied in the corporate world.

Lessons of Hindu epics Ramayana have formed part of teaching on leadership, management and governance at prestigious institutions like the Wharton Business School of the USA, the Indian Business School of Hyderabad and many Indian Institutes of Management.

Vivek Man Singh, President VTG at Cisco Systems mentions in his book. 'Leading the Ramayana way' that Leadership begins where logic ends, it surely gets lonely out there, but you show the valor, walk the talk, and your teammates are sure to follow you.

"The world steps aside to a person who knows where he or she is going," says the great Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. A foreseen vision will always be a motivating factor to focus on the goal and to not get deviated. Every leader needs to have a clear vision of what he is aiming for and what will it bear him in future. Also he needs to think in parallel to his followers who will support him to achieve his goals. Emotional intelligence is very important for a leader. In the case of Ramayana, Rama's clear vision was to rescue his wife Sita and defeat the evil forces. This clarity about the goals as well as the process enabled the army to put its heart and soul in the battle to rescue Sita.

For being a successful leader 3 primary skills required are Technical skills Cognitive and Analytical skills Emotional intelligence(EI) EI twice as important as the other two attributes. It is an embodiment of motivation, empathy and social skills.EI is an experience driven. In the battle field of Ramyana, Rama narrates to Vibhishan that the leader was a charioteer and the wheels was made of character, courage, ethics, and valor and the horses drawing the chariot signifies strength, energy, passion. Rama went on to describe that the reins of the horses resembled forgiveness, compassion, consistency and equanimity.

Knowledge, strategy, intelligence, skills, commitment, and a restraint of ego are very important factors for a leader to fight a mammoth battle. In the climax of the Ramayana battle, Rama proclaimed to his army 'Arm yourself with these and no war will be lost,' and that is what got him a jubilant win over Ravana forces.

A Balakrishnan, Management guru, feels that the lessons from Ramayana can also be applied in modern management of organization, especially the leadership qualities of Lord Ram in administration of Ayodhya.

There are many modern management concepts such as EQ, MBO, Kaizen, strategic planning, organizing principles and etc where its origin can be traced from Valmiki Ramayana.

Courtesy: Silicon Dailydose

Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.-Rabindranath Tagore

2011-07-13T10:37:00.000+05:30

What the great managers do differently in management?

How do the managers, who rise above the average, add value to an organisation?

I believe there are three things all great managers do differently:

Firstly, they invariably achieve a perfect balance between delegating and being hands-on in every situation. Achieving this fine balance reflects several underlying cognitive and execution capabilities on the part of a good manager.

First, it shows that the manager is capable of being hands-on and that she knows what her team is doing. Second, it shows that the manager can prioritise well and understands that her real role is to add value by doing things that she is supposed to be doing and not by doing things that her team is supposed to be doing.

She will step in to help the team (or a team member) if there is a crisis or a particularly challenging portion of work, deep diving only to help the team come out of the crisis or get over the hump and begin cruising again. She will then step up quickly to do what she is supposed to be doing. Average managers, on the other hand, take pride in being too hands-on and/or often have an incorrect understanding of what and how to delegate.

When they delegate, they frequently (a) do not clearly communicate what is expected, (b) do not have the rigor to periodically review whether things are on track, or (c) are unable to customise the extent of delegation based on who they are delegating to.

Great leaders also nurture insightful conversations. Insightful conversations are those that often result in “aha” moments. Great managers always have stories to tell or teachable points to share, they encourage their team to develop (and share/express) points of view on a wide range of issues.

They are aware of the power of insightful conversations and create an environment that nurtures such conversations. Through these conversations, they help create clarity and cut through the clutter that obfuscates and consumes time and attention. Writers on the art of management, however, underplay and underestimate the power of “simplicity.”

The ability to simplify is a tremendous strength and can provide an edge, but the tendency, more often than not, is to come up with complex programs and complex strategies, because that is much easier than compiling simple programmes and strategies. Simplifying calls for identifying the core issues and making the right approximations and assumptions.

There is a famous saying (attributed to Albert Einstein) that goes, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” The simplifiers are those who understand what counts in most situations, and design their solutions around these. Simplicity can be in process design, in thinking about cause and effect, and in establishing the key drivers in any given situation. Simplicity comes about only through clarity, and the clarity quotient of a team can be enhanced multifold by a manager who can nurture insightful conversations and, in the process, encourage everyone to develop teachable points of view.

The other good quality of a great leader is that they don’t hesitate to express themselves either by showing or telling. Great managers invariably express themselves.

They do this in several ways: (a) when they like something, they say so, and when they don’t like something, they say so too, and (b) they demonstrate it by walking the talk. Behaviours in a team are driven less by a discourse from the manager on what her beliefs are than by expressions of satisfaction and dissatisfaction when behaviours and actions are either in or out of line with those beliefs.

For instance, if a manager believes that good execution is critical, she could enhance the quality of execution in the team significantly (a) by pointing out instances of good and bad execution with inputs on what should have been done differently in cases of bad execution, and (b) by demonstrating good execution herself in every situation. Great managers can provide some hard feedback in the morning one day and follow it up that evening with a friendly chat over a cup of coffee.

Average managers, in contrast, do not feel confident expressing dissatisfaction when they do not like something; this is either because they do not have the skill to express dissatisfaction with a behaviour or outcome without this rubbing off on the overall relationship with the individual, or because they simply feel uncomfortable doing so.

Whatever the underlying reason, it does not engender high performance.

Behind these three broad behavioural patterns of great managers lie several underlying beliefs and capabilities; therefore, these behaviours cannot be seen or imitated in isolation.

(The writer is Managing Director and Global Head of Human Resources at Amba Research)

Happiness Quotient!

2011-06-24T15:15:00.000+05:30

Can you achieve excellence in the corporate world and still be happy? Find out from a new book called ‘Happiness Quotient’ by Dr Rekha Shetty. “The Indian tradition shows us that positive, radiant happiness is our birthright, and the programme outlined in this book illustrates how to achieve it for ourselves. This book is an investment in life's greatest prize – Happiness,” says Dr Shetty.

The author shares with us 10 secrets of eternal happiness: The top 10 happiness mantras for you:

1. Each new day holds out a chance to create a whole new beginning, a sparkling new field of possibilities.

2. The ecology, the geography of your inner mindspace, is in your hands.

3. 'Swayambhu' is a word that describes happiness welling out of you, like an underground stream in the mountains.

4. Focus on Stress and unhappiness should be turned upside down Instead of attacking unhappiness, we should plant a garden of happiness, by welcoming the positive emotions into our lives - love, compassion, wonder, courage, laughter and peace.

5. Focusing on our unhappiness by attacking it only helps to magnetize more power and attention to the negative person, event or object that causes it. Hence focus on cultivating happy people and avoid toxic people.

6. When the garden is clean and blooming and full of life, the snakes of anger have no place to hide; the thorns of greed get cleared away. When the clutter of old hatreds is replaced by order, the flowers of friendship bloom. The scorpions of revenge and jealousy slither away and the butterflies of laughter return to celebrate the flowers.

7. Too much television is ‘Tele-visham’ (Tele poison). Too much stimulation, a mindspace crowded by fantasy people and events, distracts you from focusing on your own mindspace, your home, your backyard. "

Courtesy with Dr Rekha Reddy

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T17:47:00.000+05:30

Wishing all Father's a happy day!

I don't really believe this concept in Indian Culture, but in recent times this is relevant. Fathers being more busy and kids also busy with their gadgets. India has seen a tremendous change in recent years. Double income parents with less time spent with their kids.

I remember when I was a kid, the most cherishable moment was when my father took care of me 6 months when my younger brother was born and my mom had gone to my nani's place for delivery . My dad use to cook food for me and take to school with all the daily chores that my mom used to do. Such a patience he had and what a gentle father he was.Never once he shouted or yelled for doing some innocent wrongs or mischiefs. He used to polish our shoes,tie them and bind books when the school used to start after holidays.

Its only we started missing him in the high school when he got promoted and transferred to various places on his government duties. But he never shifted the base from Bengaluru for he believed that education is the most important decision in his kids lives.

We lost him quite early in our lives, till today we only have sweet memories with our DAD!

Oh DAD! what a wonderful father you have been and a great human being! For without you, we would not have achieved what we are today!

For all Fathers, a SALUTE!

To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.-Rabindranath Tagore

2011-06-17T20:16:00.000+05:30

Contributed by : Seema Prabhu, Financial Consultant, Bengaluru.

Difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED

People say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED.

But there is. When you marry the right one, you are COMPLETE.

And when you marry the wrong one, you are FINISHED.

And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are... COMPLETELY FINISHED

Western Ghats-Family Weekend Travel!

2011-06-13T14:56:00.000+05:30

The western ghats nature travel was being planned by months and at last we made it this weekend. Our family reached Moodbidri by Volvo Bus and from there we hired a Swift Car to travel in the local places.

Our first visit was to 'Kateel' , offering our religious prayers to Sri Durga Parameshwari Devi. What a sight it was to see the River Nandini flowing gentle and on the banks of River Nandini ,the temple of Devi is built.It is a very famous and popular temple in Mangalore region and people from all walks of life offer their prayers.

Photography is not allowed inside and I had to be happy taking the photo of River Nandini.

We had 'Prasadam' after Maha pooja at 1 p.m and we left to Bappanadu, one more popular place for Durga shrine near to Kateel.

As it was raining heavily we had to be satisfied on Day 1 with visiting two places and return safely to our hotel.

Next day we left early morning to 1000 pillar temple, a jain temple in Moodbidri, popular for its jain architecture. As soon as you enter you will find solace and peace with Lord Mahaveer Jain statue in the main shrine.

From there ,we left to 'Horanadu' and 'Sringeri' with lush green western ghats ,tea and coffee estates in the background, as we feasted our eyes on them. The clouds were almost touching the mountains and mist was visible even in the daylight. Some parts of the westernghats were drenched with heavy rains and as we moved to the interiors, i could not take away my eyes from jackfruit trees everywhere with full of fruits hanging from the trees at armslength.

We received blessings from Annapoorneshwari Devi temple and had prasadam at 12.30 p.m and left for Sringeri. The architecture at Sringere is one of the oldest and there were signs of renovation of the temple.

SIRIMANE FALLS:

On the way to Sringeri, there was a gathering of cars and people on the road and I was wondering why there is a traffic jam. When we stopped the car, wow I saw a small terrain of water flowing downwards like a fall and it was beautiful to watch the clear water flowing from top. Later we came to know it is called as 'Sirimane Falls' on the way to Sringeri and amidst Kudremukh wild life sanctuary.

Finally after a relaxing trip to Western ghats, we returned back to Bangalore safely and fresh from the green land to work as usual and normalcy in life.

KITTEN PLAY!

2011-06-09T17:19:00.002+05:30

These are the live natural photos taken when they were playing in our drawing room.

So cute isn't it?

On the Compound,

Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance.-Rabindranath Tagore

2011-06-08T14:15:00.000+05:30

The ABC of cheating in a relationship:

Text by:Deepika Sahu.

Why do people cheat in a relationship? Research shows that women cheat mostly when sexual needs are or emotional needs are not fulfilled but with men they can be absolutely in love with their spouse and still cheat. So you want to cheat but why?

What are you looking for in a relationship? So any one (mentioned below) or more could be the reason for one to have an extramarital affair:

1 Sex, the three letter word is the most popular reason for being in a no string attached relationship. No gender biases, but this works more for men. History is full of such examples.

2. You know this is not morally right yet you feel as if you are in a constant blissful state when you are with the 'other' person. Emotions know no logic.

3. Variety is the spice of life. Boredom creeps into the best of relationships also.

4. The element of thrill is always there in case of cheating and that adds spark to your life. What's forbidden always looks alluring.

5. You have been happily married for years but now you are utterly bored. You know your spouse in and out. The element of mystery is now a matter of the past. Getting into a new relationship makes you feel like a traveler all set to explore a new destination.

6. Well, you could be married and unhappy. You are desperate for a sense of understanding and companionship. That's the time you look outside your 'socially defined' relationship for comfort and happiness.

7. Its difficult not to fall for that sizzling chemistry. Even before you realize, you are swayed by that surge of emotions, that massive wave called 'chemistry.' You just don't bother about the 'why' and 'how.'

8. Sometimes you just get into it even without any deeper emotional involvement.

9. Some people cheat to score a point with somebody. Some people do it for a sense of power, financial gains and sometimes short-time gain too

10. Some people cheat because they are habitual cheaters.

Birthday Boy!

2011-06-07T10:57:00.000+05:30

We 'Hundekar Family' i.e my mom,me and younger brother wish our 'Birthday Boy' first brother a very happy and prosperous Birthday.

Years come and go and the birthday boy is no longer a boy but still we would like to go back to our innocent days in school where we used to distribute chocolates to our friends and classmates. My father was always fond of buying us 'FIVE STAR' bar chocolates which is no longer available in the market today.

We have literally grown up eating those chocolates and my younger brother has many sweet tooths becoz of munching them often.

'Birthdays are always remembered' and

'May God bless him with abundant love, health and many more years to celebrate'.

Kitten Walk!

2011-06-06T18:32:00.000+05:30

10 Things to learn while getting MBA!

2011-06-01T21:53:00.001+05:30

Text Courtesy: Akshay, Student of MBA.
Get the Context Right

•This is an important point and almost all of the remaining points can be linked to it.

•Context can be emphasised with regards to any discipline and everyone’s approach is based on their own perceptions. Nonetheless the key principle for any academic or business scenario is to get the necessary exposure, understand all micro and macro factors applicable and visualise the other party’s viewpoint.

•Context in essence, also revolves around getting rid of mental models (preconceived notions and assumptions). This is easier said than done and takes a lot of time to perfect.

Look Towards The Future

•Good companies look both backwards and forward. But you cannot blindly extrapolate trends and figures from the past into the future and hold the same assumptions true.

•Information from the past may be important because it helps you to test your assumptions, and to understand how you got to where you are. But assumptions that hold true today might not hold true in the future and you will not be in a position to point out when certain patterns will occur again. You need to analyse the underlying driving forces and many organisations struggle with this.

Get Rid of Binary Viewpoints

•The biggest mistake people make in the corporate world is that they take a binary point of view. As per them the situation is either simple enough to use standard modelling tools or it is too complex to do anything.

•But the reality is that in most cases there is more to the picture and without establishing the strategic uncertainty and multiple possibilities you cannot apply standard B-School tools like Porter’s Value Chain, RBV (Resource Based View) and NPV (Net Present Value). These tools are static not dynamic. People even try to use sensitivity analysis or make some criteria stiff but that alone might not be enough, and you may need multiple levels of analysis.

•Nonetheless, despite limitations, models are still partially useful because:

•They are a good starting point and can help you identify what is missing.

•Even if they cannot tell you everything they can tell you what is definitely wrong.

•At the end of the day businessmen take factors beyond data into account while making decisions and heavily rely on their gut instinct but the rule is to use your instinct after you have digested plenty of data.

Don’t Get Prescriptive

•Business schools want to prepare you for the career ahead. In this context, while you do have a lot of assignments and case studies, the objective is not to make you mug up what a successful company did. There is no formula for success and there is no right or wrong answer as strategy cycles become shorter and change becomes more dynamic.

Decision Making

•Ten years after your MBA, you are not going to remember how to calculate beta or do linear programming. But what a good MBA should do for you is help you make sure you take the right decisions, ask the right questions, handle situations as well as possible and go through processes that help you keep track of a broader range of issues and possibilities compared to what you could have earlier identified.

•B-Schools want you to have a rigorous and unbiased decision making process. They also expose you to decision making under uncertainty. We were shocked to see the limited amount of background information that actually facilitated big international deals!

Cute Kittens!

2011-05-31T16:29:00.001+05:30

Our catty has lost 1 kitten out of 5. So out of fear,she brought down the remaining 4 babies inside our home at basement. It was heartening to see her bring each kitten catching at its neck and standing in front of the door as if seeking permission to enter the home from terrace to basement. We were happy to see the kittens opening their eyes after 25 days of its birth. We have made a special place in the basement for them to play and live safe. See them for yourself playing in one basket.

A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it. Rabindranath Tagore

2011-05-27T21:35:00.000+05:30

Things Every Man (and Woman) Should Know

-By Eric J. Leech

Each man has his own vault of valuable secrets he collects throughout his life. It could be said that most men have at least one priceless piece of information to offer other men through his unique viewpoint and experiences. If we could somehow collect all this information and share it with the men all over the world, just imagine the advantage it would provide them. Several months back, I posted a request asking people from all walks of life to send me their most valuable advice they have collected over their lifetime, and these are my favorites.

– Learn how to tie a bow tie. Everybody has to wear a tux at some point. Clip-on bow ties are all identical. Why not express confidence, individuality and don’t-you-wonder-what-else-I-know-how-to-do?

Phil Hotsenpiller, teaching pastor for Yorba Linda Friends Church, and co-author of the Passionate Lives and Leaders series.

– We have become a society of acquaintances and connections. How many of your friends qualify at a level where they would be there no matter what? If you’re married, one of those friends better be your wife. Expand this caliber of friend until you’ve achieved at least five.

– The problem with heroes and superstars is they have a time span and can disappoint you. Everybody needs somebody permanent (faith, spirituality) who will be there for them when nobody else is around.

Michael Ray Smith, Professor of Communication Studies, Campbell U,, near Raleigh, N.C.

Author of Free Press, Freehand

– Every time we don’t answer an e-mail or let a phone call go unreturned and, in general, ignore others, we are telling them something. Often what we are saying is that the person doesn’t matter enough for us to be vigilant about their message.

Garret M. Kramer, Inner Sports, LLC

– Your view on life has nothing to do with your circumstances and everything to do with your state of mind at that particular moment.

– The more still your mind is, the more powerful you are.

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, author of Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

– Be true to yourself.

– Approach every situation (or person) with an open mind.

– It’s easier to seek forgiveness than permission.

Elliott Katz, author of Being the Strong Man a Woman Wants

– One of women’s biggest complaints is that men don’t show their share of leadership in the relationship. When a man sees a situation that needs to be dealt with, he should step forward and handle it.

– Take responsibility for improving the situation. Don’t blame others. There is little sympathy for a man who blames a woman, even when he thinks she pushed him into it.

David Couper, career coach and consultant, author of Outsiders on the Inside: How to Create a Winning Career… Even When You Don’t Fit In!

– A perfect resume is not going to get you a perfect job.

– Most interviewers are not good at interviewing.

– The best person doesn’t always get the job.

Rosalea Hostetler, founder and president of The Balmer Fund

– Because women’s voices have a higher pitch, they simply cannot hear everything a woman says. Men hear about every third or fourth word in a conversation, and invent the rest they don’t catch.

Robert A. Hall, author of The Good Bits, Chaos for Breakfast, and CYA: Protecting Yourself in the Modern Jungle

– Everyone spends far too much time worrying about things that won’t happen.

– A woman’s looks are like dessert—nice at the moment, but you can’t live on a dessert diet.

Jim Duzak, “The Attorney at Love,” former divorce lawyer turned mediator, author of Mid-Life Divorce and the Rebirth of Commitment

– If you can work a lot of little “positives” into your everyday dealings with your wife or girlfriend, there probably won’t be many negatives to deal with down the road.

Milan Heger, author of The Art of Freedom

– Go extra miles to find your passion (sometimes by finding out what you hate). Make it your life.

– Plan your life, not work. Do your work, but plan your free time, vacations, places to see.

– Find out where your place is on the planet. Travel, and move around until you know something feels right.

– Learn to say NO. Practice saying no to whatever makes you sick to your stomach.

It’s a Man's World?

2011-05-25T18:12:00.001+05:30

Contributed by Mr.Prakash Hundekar, Structural Engineer,Bengaluru.

India now ruled by………………

Amma in South (Jayalalitha)
Didi in East;(Mamata Banerjee)
Behenji in North; (Mayawati)
Aunty in the Capital;(Sheila Dikshit)
Madam in Center; (Sonia)
Nani on top (the president)
& "Wife At Home"

And yet people say.. It’s a Man's World?

Avoid Burglary-Do's and Don'ts!

2011-05-25T12:50:00.000+05:30

Food for Thought!

2011-05-24T17:35:00.000+05:30

Last Sunday, Our family had been to cousin's house warming ceremony in Sarjapur Road.

Since it was the ceremony of four owner's gruhapravesh just like mass marriage, naturally the crowd was large and it was not outsiders or friends or colleagues but members from our maternal and paternal family. In a country like India, where there was no family planning earlier, my grandmother gave birth to 11 children and mom is 7th daughter in the family. Each of her children has at least two children. Some of them five. So that makes half century ,grandchildren . The grandchildren have got married and has at least one kid each. That makes another half century, great grandkids. So the population marathon continues.

The point i wanted to make here, by the time you greet everybody,exchange pleasantries and gifts, the stomach made its presence felt and we had to go to basement for the food arrangements. Lo! The organisers had missed sufficient staff and there were only two rows to sit. It was a hungry man's den and the queque was large. One of my Uncle commented that this should have been a Buffet system,so that everybody could get their meals quick.

The catering staff got exhausted serving for the crowd and it was a merry go round row. The lesser in height got the seats quickly and the taller ones from our family had to wait to catch their seats. For me it was like catching a seat in the bus or in a movie to avoid last minute delays. To add to all this frustration, the catering staff forgot to serve the right food and it was more like get away from this quickly.

Finally, what i could express from the entire chaos was, shorter people get to move among the crowd convincingly like great leaders viz Shastri,Napolean, Cricketer Little masters etc., The taller ones have to leave the room for smaller one due to their visibility.

Full moon on Buddha Poornima's Day!

2011-05-19T11:11:00.000+05:30

A bright full moon picture taken on Buddha Poornima's Day from my balcony. It was almost like a Sun setting with golden color in the sky. It is generally believed that food should be eaten with relatives or friends on this day called as 'Belandingala Oota'. But this concept has vanished now,since it is rare in maintaining the relationships in metro cities.

Chocolate Classes & Making at Home!

2011-05-18T17:22:00.000+05:30

I had been to chocolate classes last week, a childhood hobby for loving chocolates. I had time now to relive children fantasies once again to enjoy the cocoa smell and baking.

I have tried making Chocolate fudge and something went a miss, either the measurement or the ingredients that I have redo it again to publish.

However , I have my classes pic to show the learning of varieties of chocos.

Nature's Bounty & Confusion!

2011-05-17T13:21:00.003+05:30

What I thought 'Apricot' flowers has been bloomed into 'PANNEER FRUIT' which is yellow aromatic fruit with juicy taste as you bite it. You get in Bengaluru near Janatha Bazar in K.G.Road. When I was a kid,I used to ask my Dad to buy me panneer fruits and icecream whenever we used to go to Janatha Bazar for buying monthly ration.

I miss my Dad so much, if he was alive, he would be so happy in seeing his daughter growing panneer fruit in his home garden.He was a agriculturist by heart but due to his high paying job and busy schedule he ended up serving government office.

Roses have bloomed everywhere and its such a joy to watch them when they bloom and I hate to pluck them using them for religious purposes or ladies who want to adorn or stalkers/pluckers in the early morning from the neighbourhood for I believe that flowers stay for longer duration when they are unplucked.

My Lucky Day with a Friend!

2011-05-11T14:04:00.000+05:30

I got a call from my old pal whom we had not met for couple of years. Busy Professions and different zones of working area distanced us and I was indeed surprised when i recieved the call.

I was asked to meet at a certain place in Bengaluru for a coffee and since I was free for an hour, I thought I should meet a friend whom I have not seen in ages. When we met, nothing changed much in recognizing but age has its own merits and demerits. We discussed our good olden days of how we met and how life has its own twists and turns.

At the end I was surprised by my friend's gift for me for having been one kind of a soul who without any expectations keeps in touch with all . I never gave a thought that I will be observed so much in this materialistic world of my behavior. Well, strange world indeed!

Mama's Day Out!

2011-05-08T17:09:00.004+05:30

Good Morning and Happy Mother's Day! My first brother who returned from official trip to UK /USA wished in a gentleman manner when i was still in my bed in the early hours of the summer morning.

I quickly got up and greeted my brother who returned home from a safe trip. My younger brother also got up with the sliding noise of the large luggages and morning talks. He also wished my mother a Happy Mama's day. Still I didn't wish my mother. I just dont understand the concept of Mother's Day in Indian culture.

Yes, definitely mothers are god's gift but for me everyday is a mother's day. If I dont tell the stories of my professional and personal experiences, I am uncomfortable since for me my mother is the best friend,guide,philosopher, sister, dad everything that a relationship can be after the early demise of my father.

My brothers started teasing me that I didn't wish my mother and for that I had to compensate a day's kitchen work and leave my mother free. I agreed if that it was to celebrate which makes everybody happy and warned my brothers of my culinary skills. Yet they were optimistic of my cooking and lo! what a lunch we had. Dont' ask me what I had prepared and it is Vegetarian Since I am VEGGIE!

New members in our Catty Family!

2011-05-06T16:17:00.001+05:30

My brother was absolutely right. Today, on the most auspicious day 'Akshaya Trithiya', the Golden Harvest day and Basava Jayanthi celebrations, our catty has delivered 5 kittens and they look so cute!

I had a privilege to enter to their privacy in our terrace and click some pics. Luckily the mom was quiet when I took her photos. May be she is exhausted and was looking for rest after such a labour.

Chetan Bhagat is hiring!

2011-05-05T12:12:00.000+05:30

Team CBCB is hiring!

Hey guys,

TeamCBCB is looking for young, dynamic people to come join in its goal to make change happen through entertainment and education. Here’s the lowdown:

What will you be called?

Assistant Manager (or call yourself whatever, or we can give you a nickname too)

What kind of person do we need?

Comfortable with MS Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel. Web skills is a plus

Fluent in English

Willingness to learn a bit of finance and accounts and spreadsheets.

Mumbai based, within a reasonable commute distance from Bandra.

Prior work experience: 0-2 years

A team player, no big egos, no drama, just somebody who wants to work hard, be nice and have fun too.

What will you have to do?

Assist the content head with various projects

Support general office and business administration

Idea generation for enhancing the Chetan Bhagat brand value and experience

Help manage media / web presence

What do you get?

A unique opportunity to work and learn from a team of quirky, innovative people and Chetan himself.

Competitive remuneration.

Coolness, lots of it.

How to apply?

Drop in:

a) your current resume

b) on a separate note, an answer to the question “Why on earth do I want to work for Chetan?” (100 words limit)

Send it all to anubha@chetanbhagat.com

We will revert to the short-listed candidates by May 20, 2o11. Do not hound us.

Apply by: May 15, 2011.

Cheers,

TeamCBCB

Flowers & Fruits!

2011-05-05T10:57:00.004+05:30

Spring brings a happy cheer to nature and nature's bountyness can only be appreciated.

We have Dutch roses,red tumbe, dark pink kanagale ,ekkada hoovu,Anthuriums and fruits like Apricot and guava.Also the famous Byadgi chillies for home consumption.

Courtesy : Hundekar Home Garden,Bengaluru,India.

AMUL's Most Wanted!

2011-05-04T18:07:00.000+05:30

Catty News!

2011-05-04T17:25:00.001+05:30

There has been a new addition in our family. No, not a human being but a 'CAT'.I donno how she has occupied our entire balcony and garden in our home, but my brother is of the opinion that cats usually enter the homes when they want to deliver kittens. For the season is also right time for breeding! Whatever,

I have a cute cat for destressing myself with all her antiques and tactics! See for yourself!! Meow!!!

AMUL DA JAWAB NAHIN!

2011-04-26T15:27:00.000+05:30

AMUL HO TO AISI!

2011-04-18T15:28:00.000+05:30

AMUL COOL ADS-JAI HO!

2011-04-15T14:39:00.000+05:30

Congratulations to PEOPLE POWER!

2011-04-09T14:58:00.000+05:30

The anti-corruption movement has begun and all thanks to Sri Anna Hazare who has been victorious in this crusade. The present generation wants a corruption free India!

In my opinion the aam-janata movement has just begun and it is a long road ahead to visualise the results of this campaign. The government has issued a gazette notification of the draft of Lok Pal Panel constituting of 10 member committee of ministers and civil society activists including Gandhian Anna Hazare.

Let's see what does our neta promises in the legislation during the monsoon sessions of the parliament.!Wait and Watch!!!

CORRUPTION HATAO CAMPAIGN!

2011-04-07T14:29:00.000+05:30

UGADI Greetings!

2011-04-04T23:16:00.000+05:30

Happy Ugadi to everyone in the family.

Keep Celebrating festivals after a fantastic win in the WORLD CUP CRICKET.

We are the CHAMPIONS!

SAVE GSE CAMPAIGN!

2011-04-02T12:57:00.000+05:30

Dear readers,

I received a sad news from the Rotary Foundation Alumni that GSE programs by RI the flagship of the foundation is soon going to be erased into a new plan VTT or Vocational Training Teams in future vision plan of the foundation.

There has been a considerable noise from the GSE team members who have been benefited from this wonderful exchange program who are against the closure. I being one of the privileged to visit UK becoz of this program has voiced in support of this. Fellow members who wish to support may contribute their opinion in this website www.savegse.org.

A new day- A new Beginning!

2011-03-23T21:25:00.000+05:30

Dear readers,

I am happy to inform the followers of this blog that 'Hundekar Consultants' has branched into niche markets and henceforth a new proprietrix company is formed for 'flowers and fruits' trading named as 'Aam-Sutra'. The traders,buyers can visit

www.aam-sutra.blogspot.com

for the regular updates, requirements and business enquiries on these products.

Henceforth 'Hundekar Consultants' will remain only as the Management training division,since we have projects coming up on rural workshops. The Blog 'Family Matters / FM@102 will remain only for personal live experiences of both professional and personal friends. The readers can also send their office / home,daily experiences for learning and unlearning in their regular activities.The writing is not restricted to words, but the quality will remain as the publishing criteria. Stories published elsewhere or copied,cut and paste will not be allowed.

So, put your thinking caps on and the blog may have lesser posting till we get the write-up from the readers or myself on my experiences.

Best wishes,

Keerthi

Apricot Flowers in full Bloom!

2011-03-22T12:00:00.001+05:30

Apricot flowers,white in colour in our garden in full bloom.

Courtesy: Hundekar Home garden,Bengaluru.

Apricot flowers of Europe region when in full bloom.

Spring Blossoms and Lush green trees!

2011-03-21T19:03:00.002+05:30

Dear readers,

What a lovely season is Spring!!! It brings life to dead plants and unites hearts of living creatures. The mating season for honey bees,birds and in general 'love thy nature'.

Our garden is full of scents of 'Apricot flower blooms' a fruit belonging to Apple family. How this is grown in our garden is an interesting story.I am fond of Apricot icecream and after eating tihe icecream , i threw the seeds of apricot fruit randomly in my garden. Lo! after few months, the seeds started germinating and a tiny green-brown leafed plant started emerging from it resembling apple fruit leaves. I loved it and now i have Apricot mini orchard in my garden full of apricot plants.Here is the first white flower of the fruit. The trees are three year old,medium in height and resembles a shrub.My hobby has grown into a venture and I think Bengaluru has tlhe climate to grow apple ,apricots.

Apricot Flowers: Scientific Name:

Prunus armeniaca l.
Apricots were first introduced in Europe by the Romans in 70-60 BC through Italy and Greece and now Italy is one of the main European producers for apricots. An apricot tree plantation which has been grafted onto pure apricot rootstocks could reap fruit for as many as 40 years.
The apricot tree grows to be about 4 to 6 meters tall with white or pink flowers that start to blossom in March or April before the leaves and fruit start to appear. The flowers on an apricot tree are very similar to the peach, plum and cherry trees with each blossom displaying 5 sepals and petals.
Unterinnerhof, Italy is a picture of beauty in the spring months when fields of apricot trees are exploding with flowers in full blossom.

Apricot blossoms at Unterinnerhof, Italy, South Tirol, Europe, Europe 2006.

The pictures exhibited are from our garden to show the difference in colors of green, from spring green Ashoka Tree to lush green Honge Tree. See for yourself!

Happy Holi!

2011-03-19T18:49:00.000+05:30

Dear readers, Tanishq has wished me Happy Holi and here are its moments!

Our Cricket Mantra!

2011-03-16T18:29:00.002+05:30

SAB CHALTA HAI ?

2011-03-15T11:21:00.001+05:30

Is “Chalta Hai” your defining motto?

Most young people have similar goals. They want to be loved, healthy, happy, and successful. And rich! And here’s the problem

An article @ CAREERS360 by Prakash Iyer MD, Kimberly-Clark and Executive Coach.

WANT to go somewhere but don’t know the way? Simple. Just punch in your destination on one of those websites that offer maps and – bingo – you will get directions on how to get there. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with your goals in life. Those websites don’t offer roadmaps to get to your goals!

Most young people have similar goals. They want to be loved, healthy, happy, and successful. And rich! And here’s the problem. As we set off on the journey towards our goals, two paths emerge ahead of us. One looks like a fast and easy road – full of short cuts. It’s the path of least resistance. And the other is a long hard road, often strewn with obstacles. And - no prizes for guessing – most of us take the easy way out!

And that becomes a habit. We look for short cuts all the time. We compromise. We don’t push ourselves to succeed; we merely set ourselves the objective of not failing. We don’t play to win. We just want to avoid losing.

And so we love tips like “If you study these three sections, you can get 35 marks”. Or ‘if you attend classes twice a week, you won’t be in the black list.” Unfortunately, this attitude pervades our life and becomes a habit. We stop striving for the greatness that we are all capable of. “Chalta Hai” becomes our defining motto. And as someone rightly said, ‘Good is the enemy of Great’.

There once lived a sculptor in a small town. He was working on a huge idol of a Goddess that he was making for the local temple, when a young man walked into his workshop. As the young man marveled at the idol, he suddenly noticed another idol, almost identical, lying on the ground. “Do you need two of these?” he asked. “No,” came the reply. “We only need one. But the first one got damaged in the finishing stages. Hence I am doing it again.”

The young man looked closely at the idol on the ground. It looked perfect. He could not see any signs of damage. “Where is the flaw?” he asked. “Look carefully,” said the sculptor, “and you will notice a scratch under the left eye.” “Wait a minute!” said the young man. “Where will this idol be installed?”

The sculptor explained that it would be on a platform fifteen feet high inside the temple. And the young man quickly retorted, “At that distance, who will know there is a scratch beneath the eye?” The sculptor smiled and said, “I will.”

Now that’s a good reminder of what excellence is all about. It comes from inside, not from outside. And it’s an attitude. One we would all do well to inculcate.

Commit to doing your best at all times. Don’t compromise, ever. Whatever you do, give off hundred percent. Aim to be the best at whatever you do. And do that not because someone else tells you to do it – but because YOU want to.

And make sure you always, always do the right thing. Don’t tell yourself it’s okay, no one will notice. Remember, someone is watching all the time. And that someone is you. Your character is defined not by how you behave when you know others are watching – but by what you do when no one is looking.

If you create an idol with a scratch and think no one will notice, you will soon find another scratch appearing in your work and then another. And you will spend a lot of time and effort hiding those scratches, covering up, hoping no one notices. And instead of becoming a master sculptor, you become a patch-up artist. And your life – instead of becoming a masterpiece – becomes just another flawed piece of work. And in either case, what makes the difference is not the skill. It’s always your attitude.

Get the sculptor’s attitude. Commit to excellence. And make your life a masterpiece.

We gain freedom when we have paid the full price. -Rabindranath Tagore

2011-03-14T21:18:00.000+05:30

Secret of Sucess!

A young reporter was given the opportunity to interview a very successful, very wealthy banker. The reporter asked him, "Sir, What is the secret of your success?"

He said "Two words, young man."

"And, Sir, what are they?"

"Right decisions."

"But how do you make right decisions?"

"One word." he responded.

"And, sir, What is that?"

"Experience."

"And how do you get Experience?"

"Two words"

"And, Sir, what are they?"

The banker replied with a wry smile, "Wrong decisions."

SPRING SEASON & MANGO-MELA!

2011-03-14T18:30:00.000+05:30

As the spring spreads its color tender green everywhere with aromatic jasmines blossoming in its full bloom, we cannot but thank 'MOTHER NATURE' for her seasonal greetings.

Ha Readers!

We can only expect the king of fruits 'Mango' to hit the market in the coming days and months for a feast.

Hundekar Consultants is organising 'MANGO MELA@ 102 in the month of May,June,July for the benefit of farmers and consumers at fair price.

Business Enquiries for Alphonso, Totapuri, Sendura, Mallika can be contacted at hundekarcon@gmail.com

Forensic Science : A Boon for Crime Detection!!!!

2011-03-09T12:13:00.000+05:30

Forensic Science: Use Science to solve crime

From homicide to high profile fraud, this interdisciplinary field holds the key to a challenging career.

Text Excerpt in Careers360

WHO was the world’s first known forensic scientist? History says it is Archimedes. A new crown had been made for King Hiero II. Had the goldsmith added some silver or was it solid gold? Who could solve this mystery without dissolving the crown?

It was Archimedes who solved it. He had noticed that water rising whenever he stepped into a bathtub. He solved the problem based on volume of the crown and the amount of displaced water.

But it was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation of Sherlock Holmes in the late nineteenth century that popularised the usage of science in solving crimes. It is the scene of the crime that often leads to the culprit. Enter the forensic scientist; it’s his job to collect evidences at the crime scene.

Though the field has existed for years yet, it is still not a career option for many despite being exposed to a TV series like CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) and plethora of detective stories.

The field is divided into three categories:

Forensic medicine includes forensic pathology, psychiatry, psychology, forensic medicine and odontology (dentistry). Laboratory sciences comprise chemistry, biology, toxicology, ballistics, fingerprints, questioned documents and impressions. Field sciences include crime scene investigation including fire and explosion scenes and drug laboratories. There’s nothing casual about this field and one must be very attentive during studies and during the investigations. Here’s why. “At a crime scene you have only one chance to collect evidence and lead the investigation. Even a single mistake on your part may be responsible for justice being denied,” warns Dr. Kewel Krishan, Senior Assistant professor, Dept of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

You need a strong science background, and being good in Maths is an unsaid prerequisite. You need a BSc in any discipline to pursue a two-year MSc in Forensic Science.

A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction. ~Oscar Wilde

2011-03-08T17:49:00.000+05:30

Wishing every woman a happy ,peaceful ,virtuous International Women's Day.

India, in the threshold of changing its age old practices,attitude toward its 'Bharatiya Nari' concept, we should also salute all Mothers, Housewives, Career Woman, Feminists, Widows, Singles...etc..for the pain and struggles in their Life who have achieved considerable acceptance in the changing perception of the world towards them.

On the positive side...Also, one boon we have received from God we should never forget being a woman is being virtuous and patient. Being tolerant towards the hurdles in our life and career has its own merits and demerits.

On the negative side, today's assertive women have forgot our Indian family values and are aping towards western culture which is shocking and disastorous. When the western family system is appreciating our family heritage,culture our present generation is leading towards divorces,marital discords, female foeticide etc..which is alarming ...

Hope, our today's woman learns to balance work-life atmosphere and keep a peaceful environment both at work and home.

Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time. -Rabindranath Tagore

2011-03-08T17:32:00.000+05:30

Remembering School Days..........
Contributed by Seema Prabhu, Bengaluru.
Teacher: 'What is your name?'

Student: 'Mera naam Suraj Prakash hai.'

Teacher: 'When I ask a question in English, answer it in English.'

Student: 'My name is Sunlight.

Teacher: 'What is your name?'.

Teacher: What happened in 1869?

Student: Gandhiji was born.

Teacher: What happened in 1873?

Student: Gandhiji was four years old.

Teacher: What is the full form of maths?

Student: Mentally affected teachers harassing students

Teacher: Now children, if I saw a man beating a donkey and stopped him then what virtue would I be showing?

Student: BROTHERLY LOVE

Teacher: Because of Gandhiji's hard work what do we get on 15th August?

Student: A holiday

Teacher: 'Can anyone give me an example of Coincidence?

Johnny: 'Sir, my mother and father got married on the same day same time.'

Teacher: How old is ur father.

Sunny: As old as I am...

Teacher: How is it possible?

Sunny: He became father only after I was born. (1st Rank)

Teacher: There is a frog, Ship is sinking, potatoes cost Rs3/kg...Then, what is my age?

Student: 32 yrs.

Teacher: How do you know?

Student: Well, my sister is 16 yrs old and she is half mad.

.

Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance. -Rabindranath Tagore

2011-03-07T13:17:00.000+05:30

Your Confidence makes you or Breaks you!

Contributed by Dr.N.T.V,Kolhapur.

One night President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxurious.

When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked the president's secret service if he could please speak to the First Lady in private. They obliged and Michelle had a conversation with the owner.

Following this conversation President Obama asked Michelle why he was so interested in talking to her. She mentioned that in her teenage years, he had been madly in love with her.

President Obama then said, " Oh, so if you had married him, you would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant" , to which Michelle responded, "No, if I had married him, he would now be the President"

Beauty is truth's smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror. -Rabindranath Tagore

2011-03-04T13:25:00.000+05:30

London's National History Museum has just added a rare object to its treasure trove. The museum now has on display the world's largest yellow diamond. This stone weighs 110 carats and is called the Cora Sun Drop and was mined in Africa. It is easily as big as a human eye! The diamond, lent to the museum by Cora International, the diamond company, will be on display at the museum for six months.

Grey hairs are signs of wisdom if you hold your tongue, speak and they are, but hairs as in the young.-Rabindranath Tagore

2011-02-23T13:20:00.000+05:30

Body gestures say a lot about a person - whether they look up or scratch their nose, or even tilt their head.

Now, body language expert Peter Collett, author of the 'Book Of Tells' talks about the different gestures people make and what they mean.

SCRATCHING NOSE: When you're not telling the truth, you instinctively want to cover up the source of the lie - your mouth - so no one can see you're fibbing. But because that's too obvious, people disguise it by scratching their nose.

LOOKING UP: if you look up you're seeking help from above. People with a sense of self-importance also do it, suggesting they're in contact with the Almighty, reports the Daily Mail.

BLINKING: It's a sign someone's worried, excited or even lying as they're under stress and thinking very rapidly.

LIP NIBBLING: Lip nibbling, whether biting the lower lip or a corner of the mouth with the upper teeth, prevents someone from speaking, so it's used by people who want to stop themselves from saying something.

TILTING HEAD: Often used by a woman to flirt and appear more attractive.

It appeals to a man because it lowers her height; -mimics a baby putting its head on its mother's shoulder; and exposes the neck. As the neck is one of the most vulnerable parts of your body, showing it to someone is a way of saying, "I trust you implicitly."

FURROWED BROWS: Lowering the brows is a dominance gesture used mainly by men, which tells people, "I may be looking at you, but I'm in charge."

SHIFTING WEIGHT: When you want to escape from a conversation, you shift your weight from side to side or back to front.

Men also sometimes do this when chatting to a pretty girl to make themselves appear energetic.

OPEN HANDS: Showing the palms of your hands is a friendly -gesture showing that you have peaceful intentions. It indicates acceptance, good intentions and that you're open to new ideas.

Hiding them, on the other hand, shows that you don't want to give anything away.

FOOT POINT

The way your foot is facing indicates what you're thinking. Follow the line of someone's foot and it will show you what they're most interested in - if it's the door, they want to leave.

When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.-Albert Einstein

2011-02-22T11:36:00.003+05:30

We only met a half hour ago

At a country-club party a young man was introduced to an attractive girl. Immediately he began paying her court and flattering her outrageously. The girl liked the young man, but she was taken a bit aback by his fast and ardent pitch. She was amazed when after 30 minutes he seriously proposed marriage.

"Look," she said. "We only met a half hour ago. How can you be so sure? We know nothing about each other."

"You`re wrong," the young man declared. "For the past 5 years I`ve been working in the bank where your father has his account.

I think my wife's going deaf.

A man is talking to the family doctor. "Doc, I think my wife's going deaf."
The doctor answers, "Well, here's something you can try on her to test her hearing. Stand some distance away from her and ask her a question. If she doesn't answer, move a little closer and ask again. Keep repeating this until she answers. Then you'll be able to tell just how hard of hearing she really is."
The man goes home and tries it out. He walks in the door and says, "Honey, what's for dinner?" He doesn't hear an answer, so he moves closer to her. "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still no answer. He repeats this several times, until he's standing just a few feet away from her.
Finally, she answers, "For the eleventh time, I said we're having MEATLOAF!"

Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important. ~Carl Reiner

2011-02-21T17:13:00.000+05:30

We all deserve a loving relationship. Here, noted psychotherapist and author Dr. David Richo outlines ten steps that will help you forge a loving and lasting partnership.

By Dr. David Richo

Step #1: Uphold the Five A's A healthy, intimate relationship begins with someone we can trust. This is someone who consistently offers the five A's that show love: We can rely on the one who loves us to pay attention to our words and feelings, to accept us as we are, to appreciate and value us, to show us affection in appropriate ways, and to allow us to live freely without attempting to control us. Both partners must feel free to show feelings without being interrupted, punished, or ridiculed for them.

Step #2: Cultivate Staying Power A trustworthy partner, the one we can go to, is one who will stay with us through a conflict: "I know you love me and will stay with me through this crisis we are having. Your focus will be on working through our conflict, not on making sure you win." Mutual trust means: "I can be in conflict with you but with no sense of a threat of abandonment. I will still be here when the smoke clears and so will you." Staying power is a crucial clue to someone's trustworthiness. Demonstrate staying power to your partner to promote a healthy, intimate relationship.

Step #3: Work Things Out A healthy relationship is one in which problems do not turn into blame but lead to addressing, processing, and resolving things with no leftover resentment. When that program is not in place for both parties, we have no basis for trusting that a relationship can work. There is no commitment when denial and avoidance take the place of addressing. We have no bond when refusal to show feeling or explore issues cancels our chances at processing our concerns. There is no contentment when a conflict in a relationship is not resolved but smolders instead. Be committed to working out conflicts.

Step #4: Be Strong But Not Retaliatory We can take both trustworthiness and untrustworthiness as information about whether a relationship can go on but never as an incentive to hurt back if we are betrayed or to stay put if we are hurt. Agree never to retaliate, use the silent treatment, resort to violence, be unfaithful, or hold a grudge against your partner.

Step #5: Honor Boundaries Healthy partners respect one another's limits and boundaries — for instance, "When I say 'no', he will back off." As another example, if one partner is an introvert and needs alone time, the other will not interpret that as rejection or try to force him to be otherwise. True intimacy is closeness with space in between. In healthy, intimate relationships, both partners honor boundaries without restorting to scrutinizing or controlling behavior.

Step #6: Listen Without Judgment A trustworthy partner can listen without judgment (without a fixed or moralistic belief). Listen attentively to words, feelings, and body language. The ability to hear someone is really about trust, not simply about communication. (In fact, a trust issue always lurks beneath a communication difficulty, which I discuss more in Daring to Trust.)

Step #7: Let Go of Ego A loving partner is more committed to being honest about his or her mistakes and apologizing when necessary than in defending his or her ego. A partner who can't admit he was wrong but instead loudly insists he was justified in his unkind behavior is not a good candidate for intimacy. Be mindful of this in your relationship.

Step #8: Speak Up A trustworthy person is committed to being assertive but not aggressive. Assertiveness is motivated by self-esteem and respect for others. Aggression is motivated by the need for ego satisfaction. Most of us are afraid of being assertive at all and remain passive. Speak up in your relationship.

Step #9: Prioritize Good Sex In healthy intimacy, a partner is genuinely and passionately interested in being sexual with you and has full capacity for it, or is working on it. Your sexual union contributes to your friendship, joy, and love. And you can be, and daily are, intimate without having to be sexual every time.

Step #10: Prioritize Friendship In a healthy, intimate relationship, you are best friends, honest with one another, genuinely caring about one another's needs and crises, and you plan to be there for one another when you get very old. Be mindful and appreciative of this friendship.