Sharing leads to SUCCESS..!!

Well, this is a story I received through email as a fwd and somehow liked it a lot. It is funny how we all define Success and forget the most important fact of liaising with our competitors for achieving the newer heights. This story definitely makes one thing clear that just as “Smile and the whole world Smiles with you” is true, similarly to be successful you need to be in alliance with the surroundings. Read on..:

SUCCESS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN ISOLATION

There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won honor and prizes. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors'. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why sir, "said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor’s corn also improves. So it is in the other dimensions!

Those who choose to be at harmony must help their neighbors and colleagues to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well. The value of a life is measured by the lives it touches.

SUCCESS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN ISOLATION. IT IS VERY OFTEN A PARTICIPATIVE AND COLLECTIVE PROCESS.

So share the good practices, ideas, new learning's with your family, team members, neighbors.

Did You Know..!!

Some of the facts which i was reading through on a website. Some of them are really good. Enjoy reading them:-

- The highest bridge in the world can be found in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. The valley lies at an altitude of about 5 602 m (18,379 ft) above sea level on the India side of Kashmir. Called the Baily Bridge, it is only 30 metres (98 ft) long, and was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.

- The largest flower in the world, the rafflesia arnoldi, weighs 7 kg (15 pounds) and grows only on the Sumatra island of Indonesia. Its petals grow to ½ metre (1,6 feet) long and 2,5 cm (1 inch) thick.

- The tomato is the world's most popular fruit. And yes, just like the brinjal and the pumpkin, botanically speaking it is a fruit, not a vegetable.

- A diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth, but if it is placed in an oven and the temperature is raised to about 763 degrees Celsius (1405 degrees Fahrenheit), it will simply vanish, without even ash remaining. Only a little carbon dioxide will have been released.

- During the 6th Century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because it was thought that they were expelling evil from their bodies. During the great plague of Europe, the Pope passed a law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed.

- The Antpitta avis canis Ridgley is a bird that looks like a stuffed duck on stilts and barks like a dog. The bird was discovered by ornithologist Robert S. Ridgley in the Andes in Ecuador in June 1998. Thirty of these long-legged, black-and-white barking birds were found. It apparently had gone undetected because it lives in remote parts and, of course, doesn't sing. The size of a duck, it is one of the largest birds discovered in the last 50 years.

- The only place in the universe where a flag flies all day, never goes up or comes down, never flies half-mast and does not get saluted, is the moon.

- He is handsome, tall, drives a fast car, has an unlimited expense account, and always gets the girl. That's just the actor. The character he portrays also has a licence to kill.James Bond debuted in Ian Fleming's novel "Casino Royale" in 1953. The first Bond movie, Dr No, starring Sean Connery, was released in 1962. Since then, the equivalent of half the world's population have seen at least one Bond movie.

- The amount of time that people spend on travel has been consistent at 1,1 hours per person per day in all societies. The average distance traveled is 12 000 km (7,400 miles) per year. In total, the world population travels more than 23 trillion km (16.6 trillion miles) per year, 53% of which is by car, 26% by bus, 9% by rail, 9% by high-speed transport such as airplanes, and 3% by bicycle, boat and other means. It is estimated that, due to developments in high-speed public transport, travel time will drop to only 12 minutes per person per day by 2050. Of the world traffic volume, 35% will be by car, 20% by bus, 41% by high-speed transport, and 4% by rail.- In 1897, Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek, traveled from his home in Nice, France to purchase a car from the Daimler factory in Cannstatt, Germany. On his return to the French Riviera, his sporting Daimler Phoenix caused such a sensation that he decided to enter it into a local touring competition, under the name of "Mercedes" after his favourite 9 year old daughter. Realising the business potential for the new car, he not only placed an order for 36 more, but also secured the franchise for selling them in several countries. Gottlieb Daimler also agreed to having them sold under the name of "Mercedes."

- Soon after building started in 1173, the foundation of the Pisa tower settled unevenly. Construction was stopped, and was continued only a 100 year later. It then became visibly clear that the Tower of Pisa is leaning, tilting to the south. Since regular measuring of the tower began in 1911, the top of the tower has moved 1,2 millimetres (0,05 inch) per year. Today the top of the Tower of Pisa is some 5,3m (17,4 ft) off-centre.

Belief in Thyself..!!

It is the belief that makes you strong,

It is the belief that makes you realize between the right & wrong;

Some people live by their dreams,

While others have no plans or schemes.

It is the belief that bails you out of tough situations,

It is the belief that helps you in identifying your passions;

Some people have the will to succeed,

While others let someone else lead.

It is the belief that takes you to your goal,

It is the belief that helps you realize the connection between heart & soul;

Some people respect everyone’s thoughts,

While others choose to forget the lessons taught.

It is the belief that helps you create a niche,

It is the belief that ultimately makes you rich;

Some people strive for the best,

While others in life have no zest.

It is the belief that drives you towards excellence,

It is belief that gives you the true life essence;

Some people are always craving for more,

While others find ways to outscore.

It is the belief that defines your attitude,

It is the belief that under crisis gives you the fortitude;

Some people can withstand any big or small issues,

While others need someone for rescue.

It is the belief that defines the inner will,

It is the belief that makes you more kind than cruel;

Some people love to experiment the unknown for the thrills,

While others get the chills.

It is my belief that anything is possible,

It is my belief that any situation could be fruitful;

I define my goal as my search for the ultimate,

Thus, making it easier for others to believe in thy spirit.

It's all about the choices we make..!!

Life is a funny concoction of good laughs and sorrows. But it is the tough times that make us realize the importance of hilarity in our life. I often sit and wonder what would happen to the world if the age old proverb “if wishes were horses then beggars would ride” becomes true. How the world would be like if nobody has any tensions or sorrows in life. It is strange to imagine those times and as my father always says “when the going gets tough, the tough get going. If it didn’t happen to you then it never was meant to be for you”. I do believe in the fact that everything that happens, always has a reason. It could be God’s way of teaching us some lessons or could be the harsh truths of life which would make us strong. I know this never sounds appropriate when you are going through a rough phase but then once that period has passed and you sit and analyze you always end up saying “in a way it's good that it happened this way”. Atleast I do. I don’t know whether this is a different way of reconciling with your thoughts or accepting reality but then it always does make one feel better. In life, there would always be good and fun times but unfortunately it somehow would always feel that they are short lived. But if you have the strength to face the tough times then it simply means that you would succeed in any challenges life would throw at you.

I might not be the most experienced person to even talk about the harsh facts that many others would have faced but I guess on a daily basis, all of us do face certain obstacles and it is only how we deal with them defines out true character. There is always a dilemma that continues in the mind which keeps us hanging and wondering whether this phase would pass or not. Whether it would be all good or bad. Life is all about choices and what we choose defines our outlook towards life. Not every time we would make the right choice but then as it is said “ always learn from your mistakes” and ofcourse there is no fun in repeating those mistakes again. We can choose to be happy or sad, we can choose to be at the top or bottom, we can choose to be ourselves or a replica, we can choose to love the things we have or live in despair for what we don’t have. There would always be choices and there would always be tough decisions to make but then the outcome is what is always fruitful and as they all say “every cloud has a silver lining”. Whatever happens, happens for the best and it happens because it is meant to be. If only we would be strong during crisis, then we would emerge a true winner with our own self. After all it is just one life to live and it isn’t worth living with regrets but to make the most of it in whatever and however way possible. It is not everyday that life gives you a second chance so feel fortunate if you get one. After all the battle is always with one self and not with others, no matter how much ever we try to convince ourselves it to be the other way round.

My fav. punchlines..!!

I am not too sure how many people live by phrases in life and to how many do they really make sense. To me it makes a huge lot of difference, something that always inspires me and gives me the kick to do the best.. :-)

I do have my 3 very favorite punchlines which are also my Signature in different email ids. Simple lines and simple words as they may say but definitely hold a deeper meaning.

He who laughs last, laughs the loudest.

There will always be dreams grander or humbler than your own, but there will never be a dream exactly like your own...for you are unique and more wondrous than you know.

Anything Less Than Extraordinary is a Waste of TimeWe are what we repeatedly do; Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit.

It is funny how certain words/phrases impact your life in so many different ways and you don't even realise it most of the times. I am sure there are whole lot of phrases which i am unaware about but then who said that "I know it all".. :-)

Woman of Substance..!!

Well, there is another addition to the list of women who have been doing so well professionally. It is amazing how the whole outlook towards women has changed in the last 10 – 15 years and they have been taking up some postions of power & control. The latest addition to this is Mrs. Pratibha Patil, the very first woman to be elected to the highest office of the country. For all those who don’t know, she is the newest President of India. That indeed is something. Wow I feel so proud to be a woman. I think there is nothing a woman can’t do if she puts her heart and soul into it. As a person I don’t know her but have read certain articles on her and ofcourse only time would tell how she fairs. But here is wishing her the very best and may she puts her best foot forward.

But point to note is that being a woman I do agree to one thing for sure. There is one industry where undoubtedly the men do extremely well and way far better from women. Though this is just my personal opinion but I think ‘men make better chefs than women’. I won’t deny the fact that there are surely some women who cook the most delicious food in the world and I can name a few without the blink of my eye but then as a whole the majority of chefs are men and let’s face it they do an amazing job and to prove I really don’t need to go too far to look for one. I think I could vouch for this any day that my husband makes better tasting dishes than I do. He does it from his heart while I do it to finish the work so that explains my prejudice.. :-)

Money in my pocket..!!

“There are some things money can’t buy, for everything else there is a master card.” I love the string of ads based on this one liner by master card. I like the simplicity of the phrase and yet so meaningful and deep. It is so true that any human being at any given point in time is always running after more and more money. It is amazing how we keep wanting for more and never feel the contentment from what we have. I hear stories all around me about people who have loads of money and yet are not very happy. People who are very successful and yet don’t know what to do with the money. People who work so hard to build an empire and then give it all away. Is it worthwhile to say that those who have money, don’t value it as much as those who don’t have and aspire all their lives to have more. Does money give them the security that they are looking for in life or does it just give us the status that we need for ourselves? It would be foolish on my part to say that I don’t need more money but definitely there is a limit to define contentment. After all at the end of the day what matters the most is about being happy from the inside. It is scary to hear stories about the insecurities that rise because of more money and the sleepless nights one spends to make things believable the next day for the business to keep running.

Recently I attended a seminar where the speaker talked about how having more money has made his life so easier. He spoke about how he had a dream of seeing his parents retired by the age of 60 and not by 65 because he felt the need to do something for them. He worked hard and is very successful today and the major content he has in life is that his dream of his parents retiring did come true. He randomly chose people from the audience to talk about their dreams. There was this lady in early 30s who also had a dream and on her dream everyone had a hearty laugh. When asked what her dream in life is, she said “My dream is to walk into a store and shop for whatever I feel like without looking at the price tags”. It is a paradox that at one point where we see billionaires being unhappy in their lives as they feel money hasn’t bought them happiness yet; there is still a horde of people who strongly feel the need for more. And ofcourse the more is always the beginning but not an end. In the recent past, I also did get a chance to meet a person whose mansion is an inspiration in itself to own a home like that one day. He throws a lot of parties every other day and out of curiosity I did ask him the reason for the same. He says “I don’t know what to do with so much money and these parties take away the loneliness in life”. It might be as a joke he mentioned that but then it is the harsh reality for most of the rich and famous. I guess you pay the price for being rich. One heck of a price to pay but after all they have the money to pay. So do I want a peaceful sleep after a long day of work or would I rather have the money to buy whatever I can? I don’t know but one thing is for sure I choose happiness, fun, excitement over the green paper. And as long as I can do my own thing in my very own small and special ways I am happy but that would definitely not mean that I don’t want to have some more. Isn’t life all about craving for more? After all, like that woman even I love to shop till I drop. Thus, the question still remains whether it is “good to live your whole life with pocket money or have 'that some more' money in your pocket?”

Life after school..!!

Well, as they say the fun begins when you get to college. Simply it is an extension of your school life but definitely has a feel of independence. You don’t have those morning assemblies anymore, the teachers don’t bother if you are present in their class everyday and ofcourse you don’t have a uniform to wear anymore. Those are the liberties that you get when you join college. My school life was definitely the best but then there is no denying the fact that college did add color to it. Infact it was college where I learnt the facts of life right from the importance of being independent, voicing your opinion, managing your money, making the set of friends which think alike to making decisions about your career. I had a roller coaster ride in college where the life revolved more around friends and things to do. Luckily for me both my graduation & post graduation wasn’t the hardest place for adjustments as I made friends quickly and then went on to enjoy and take life as it comes.

I think the reason for missing school when you are in college is that unlike school college has fewer restrictions. Though it sounds great to have fewer restrictions but at the same time it is about the thrills you get out of breaking certain rules and regulations which were limited to school life. Of my college what I remember the most is the number of house parties that we had and the pocket money always ran out watching the movies in theatres. Something I even laugh about till date is how we had the dedication to watch a movie the very day it released without even feeling the pain of waiting for 2 – 3 hours in the line. I think life continues in different phases and if you happen to enjoy each of these phases then you truly do live your life the best way possible. You learn different lessons of life in each phase and as they say “life is all about learning and experiencing new things”. I am glad that I can reminisce those times even today and have a strong urge to turn back the clock to relive those moments all over again but then why would I want to miss out on the excitement and the adrenalin rush that I have in my life today, my present. Yes, it is complicated and yes it might sound contradictory but given the choice who wouldn’t love to have the best of all. I definitely would, wouldn't you..??

Those were the best days of my life..!!

I still remember when I was about to complete my 12th grade I was super excited as I knew the day wasn’t far when I would be in college and have my own rules and no more uniforms. Even today i can’t forget what my teacher told me then “you should be happy you are in school as once you leave, these are the days you would love to have again back in your life”. I always wondered why would anyone want to remember the school days where there were so many rules and regulations and exams, mid term tests all the time. And to my belief those are the days I actually miss the most today. Not that my graduation wasn’t good enough and not that I didn’t do well in my post graduation and not at all that I am not as happy today as I thought I would be. No, none of these are the reasons for me remembering those good ol’ days. But the way I see it I think it was the golden era with no responsibilities and no tensions whatsoever even though you always were so pressured to present your best foot forward. The only tensions I believe I had then was to get good grades in exams and luckily this tension used to build up only when the exams were nearing else it was all about movies, games, playing with friends, hanging out and having fun.

I wonder how life was so relaxed and cool and still used to feel the rush to have more excitement, more adventure and more thrills. Just can’t forget the pranks we played on each other and then try to cover up ourselves. It is funny how even after a decade those memories seem so fresh as if it all happened just yesterday. It feels so nostalgic and then the old idiom comes to my mind “Time flies”. I have heard my parents and grand parents saying this so often as they have seen me through different phases of life. Even when I went to college I remember how my parents were astonished that the time went by so quickly and before they realized I was in college. Something I thought i never understood and wondered how can time go by so quickly as for me I felt that time never moved. But now when I look back in retrospect I do understand the meaning of this phrase and the sentiments attached to it. Life does come at you fast and I truly believe in it. It is then we realize that there are so many things to accomplish and so much to do that time just seems so less. It is this vision of ourselves in the future that keeps us going and the support from family and friends that make us stronger towards the harsh truths of life. I have been fortunate enough to have the best days in the school and when I look back now I feel how important it is for all of us to live in the moment and enjoy the present as we can’t be certain about what would happen tomorrow. It is indeed the best time of your life when you learn so many different things but still never take up anything seriously as there is still so much to see and learn from in life. Having said all this about my school life I think it would be absolutely cruel if I don’t mention about my college days which were absolutely wonderful on a different level altogether.. :-)

Friday - the 13th..!!

It is ironic and funny how my first day of blogging had to coincide with nothing else but "Friday the 13th". Does this mean that this is the first and last time i am going to blog or does this mean that this is the start of a new beginning. I have no idea and neither do i wish to investigate any further but yes having said all this i didn't want to let the most infamous day / date to just go by without me even mentioning about the same. So here i do have some info about the dreaded Friday - the 13th. Read On..:

A Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck in English, German, Polish and Portuguese-speaking cultures around the globe. Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions. In Greece or Spain, for example, Tuesday the 13th takes the same role. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia (a word that is derived from the concatenation of the Greek words Παρασκευή, δεκατρείς, and φοβία, meaning Friday, thirteen, and phobia respectively; alternative spellings include paskevodekatriaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia, and is a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a phobia (fear) of the number thirteen.

"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do."

Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they are simply unable to get out of bed when Friday the 13th rolls around. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute estimates that more than 17 million people are affected by a fear of this day. Despite that, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don't suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays. A British Medical Journal study has shown that there is a significant increase in traffic-related accidents on Friday the 13ths.

My first blog..!!

This is tough. I thought i do have an art of expressing through words but seems like i am short of words here and have no idea what to write.

Well after 10 minutes of thinking, i finally did figure out that leaving comments on friends blogs is much easier than to write oneself. But i think should credit myself for my journey which has just begun and hopefully wouldn't end soon.. :-)

With all the luck to myself i present my blogs from now on. Hopefully they would make sense to the world as i want them to.. :-)