What will you do ?

How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?

Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?

Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?

Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?

Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?

Will you bluff it out when you’re wrong, or will you apologize?

Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?

Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?

When it’s tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?

Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?

Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

- Jeff Bezos
”

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, sharing her heartfelt message for young women at the Barnard graduation ceremony. As she says, Don’t leave until you leave; lean in, not lean back; put your foot on the gas pedal, and own your career. A passionate speech which leaves you questioning …

So what would you do if you weren’t afraid?

I cannot imagine the future, but I care about it. I know I am a part of a story that starts long before I can remember and continues long beyond when anyone will remember me. I sense that I am alive at a time of important change, and I feel a responsibility to make sure that the change comes out well. I plant my acorns knowing that I will never live to harvest the oaks.

Daniel Hillis

Awesome it is !!! we all experience it…

In our day-to-day lives, there are few simple things that goes largely unnoticed or uncared for but does make us feel awesome and brings a smile on our face.

- Spotting a green signal on the road and successfully racing towards the cross section.
- Admiring yourself in the mirror.
- Picking a cute dress and holding it tightly when all the prying eyes look at the selection enviously (A sense of triumph )
- When your mobile phone flashes the name of the person you like/love to talk to
- when you spot a friend happily dosing off in the class and you take a pic !
- Tasting bits and pieces of food while cooking it, esp while you do the cooking yourself .
- Trying to secretly grab and eat some food while everyone’s waiting for the puja to get over
- When all the eyes in the room follow you and you try to look away.
- The fresh smell of the morning coffee.
- 4 am conversations with your best friend.
- Listening to the national anthem or singing it with a large crowd
- A Self pep talk – Talking to yourself/sending self emails
- Finally spotting the thing that you were searching for.
- Quietly spanking your little sis/bro and seeing them burst into a whine.
- Waking up in the early hours just to know that you have couple of more minutes/hours to sleep through
- Spotting the right bus from a long distance
- Counting down for the exams to get over/ for the holidays to begin
- The gloomy sky and the first smell of the rain drops as they hit the dry earth.
- When someone buys your petty fabricated excuses.
- Actually making a well cooked maggi with a proper consistency !!!

Whats your addition to this list !!!

Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Dont fit in, stand out !

We walk into a shopping mall or a retail chain hoping that the one point access will cater to all our needs and more importantly we believe it reduces our efforts and time in hunting for goods.
But what do we encounter?, racks that run the entire breadth full of different kind of shampoos; Same plain cheese slices under different names occupying the refrigerator; brands after brands competing against one another for shelf space.

So how does an average consumer who is soaked in monotony and bored by the banality of the objects around him react to his choices . Should your idea fit in with the rhythm or should it stand out !
Seth Godin’s speech on Purple cow and the art of idea diffusion does capture one’s interest.

Listen to how you listen

Communication is an art, expression of thoughts and ideas but not necessarily always verbal, though it does cover a huge part of one’s day to day activities.
But we all tend to look at it in terms of fluent articulation, quick and spontaneous responses, improved vocabulary etc… But we fail to notice that a good communicator has to be a good listener and not mere voluble speaker.

How many times have we approached a conversation with a preconceived notion about the other ?; our day to day conversations with people we know and we see often, from our house maids, to Auto wala’s and to co-workers and even sometimes our friends and family. We have some assumptions, prejudices and notions ingrained in our mind based on status, education, culture etc.. and it does influence a conversation.

One of my powerful lessons from the past few months is the importance of acknowledging these assumptions.

“Often the greatest barriers to conversation are the assumptions, judgements and barriers of the participants themselves.”

Recognizing and spotting my assumptions and making a note before i start a conversation does help me. This understanding not only makes me more conscious to ‘listen’, but listen to how I am listening.
I am in the process of learning to suspend my judgements to understand the other better and my role effectively.

“God ! Give her strength and show me the way”

As the sun ready to set, the darkness crept.
A fresh cold breeze swept me off the feet.
Tiny drops of water smacked my face. .
My heart pounded faster than its usual pace.

“God ! Give her strength and show me the way”
Pacing up and down I looked out for her
Lost… ! I stood alone, staring at the crowded space.
In despair, tears trickled down my pale face,

As the darkness spread across the skies
My heart and mind broke all their ties

“God! Give her strength and show me the way”
I could see her everywhere though she was no where.
My hands and legs trembled with a shiver
As time passed, every second seemed an hour
My thoughts clouded me, my emotions did sour

“God! Give her strength and show me the way”
Hundreds of people passed by, unknown faces all
search in vain even after a long haul,
The pregnant clouds darkened the skies
As my heavy heart cried out in pain,
The carrying sky poured out the rain….

“God! Give her strength and show me the way”
Seeking shelter, people scurried away
Emptiness enshrouded and silence pervaded
Angry at the rains that invaded,
Hopes shattered,
“God! Are you so deaf ??”
What do I do now?
……

A faint voice from a distance shook me up
“Mommy, Mommy”
Finally … I saw my little princess!
Speechless! my heart missed a beat
Her tiny legs splattering water all over
She came running with a smile so sweet!

My open arms clasped her so tight
As she planted a huge kiss on my cheek
Apologizing to have let her out of my sight
I spoke in silence, fearing my voice would choke

“God helped me find you”, said she
Curious, I asked “What did you pray?”
“God ! give her strength and show me the way” said she
Silence spread as I looked into my angel’s eyes
“God gave the rain, people ran away
He showed me where you were “

Wordless, i stared into the heavens !

Wo(Men)’s Brains !

Men and women differ in many ways; one of the most perplexing and complicated, not fully understood is the way their ‘brains’ or ‘minds’ work.

Here are a few tidbits from a research publication I came across (courtesy Baron-Cohen, Cambridge Univ.)

Cell numbers: men have 4% more brain cells than women, and about 100 grams more of brain tissue. (Why do men need more brain tissue in order to get the same things done??)

Cellular connections: even though a man seems to have more brain cells, it is reported that women have more dendritic connections between brain cells. ( Dendrons play a role in neuro transmission – so you can deduce what it means )

Corpus collosum size: it is reported that a woman’s brain has a larger corpus collusum, which means women can transfer data between the right and left hemisphere faster than men. Men tend to be more left brained, while women have greater access to both sides.

When i was reading through, I got so reminded of Mark Gungor’s video. One of the most hilarious videos I have seen. Mark Gungor at his best!
Watch it !!!

When a friend of mine played it for me the first time, I literally fell off the chair having such a good laugh.

For those who are seeing it the first time, have a hearty laugh
For those who have already seen it, no harm, have a hearty laugh again!

PS: After you watch the video: Now you know why women are better at multitasking! They can load themselves with so much of information, process it and still retain their sanity !

Success through your senses

Brimming with pride at conquering the skies,
Flying victoriously, flitting to paradise;
At the zenith of triumph, echoes the name,
And at the pinnacles of glory, soaking in fame.

Hopes honored, Efforts recognized
Vision accomplished, dreams realized.
Prayers rewarded, desires fulfilled
To cut it short, SUCCESS is the word that has to be quilled.

Success tastes

like a freshly brewed morning coffee,
a shot of vodka that makes u go a bit buffy!
Like the first bite of the pizza,with melting cheese
and an ice cream eaten covertly, when the temp is deep freeze!!

Success feels

like breaking open a sealed Pandora’s box,
falling in love with each other, but mind no wed locks!
Like caressing and feeling the rosy skin of a baby, newly born
And definitely sneaking out of the heavily guarded girls’ bawn.

Success smells

Like the rich fragrance of the ground when first few rain drops fall
And the burning incense which spreads in whorls;
Like the tantalizing whiff of a passing unknown hot chick(ling)
And tempting aroma of cooked food when your tummy is tumbling

Success sounds

Like the sudden thunderstorm causing the clouds to pour out
And the enchanting tunes of the mynahs, without any doubt
Like the little baby’s reverberating laughter
And the rattling gush of waters falling off a bolster

Success looks

Like the newly born calf licking the cow’s udders,
And the first sight of the vivid rainbow spanning the sky’s borders;
Like an infant’s first few tremulous and precarious steps,
And adventitiously looking at a girl’s stunning eyes and
intently pore.

Game theory at Coffee Day

Being a Coffee buff, I love the coffee day lounge, amidst the rich nature and the sprawling campus of IIT M; the backdrop always inviting.

After missing my lunch, I found myself at the coffee lounge enjoying my latte. When paying for the drink, I noticed an offer stuck across the wall that read:

“If you do not receive your coffee within 5 minutes of ordering, you will get the item free”

The reason behind this ad; The logic is quite understandable
The management wants its waiters to offer good service and since the higher officials are not available to constantly monitor the service, they use the consumer to judge. It falls under principal-agent problem between the Coffee Day Management and its staff members.

This system usually would work.
But a dishonest or crooked minded waiter may in fact use these rules to play around, say, by offering free drinks or food in order to get a higher tip.
Coffee Day would lose out excessively on the free food and it becomes difficult to monitor this kind of an illegal activity.

So does the above notice solve the problem?

What to do?

The solution lies in changing the game. The administration could change the game by transferring the responsibility to the consumers to act as arbitrators and giving them an incentive for the same.

” If your receipt does not include the food or drink you ordered, call *** *** ***, you will get the item free and a free coupon worth Rs.** ”

This would give the consumer a reason to report the fraud and it would keep a check on the waiter and would actually make him more cautious while he gives away free drinks and more ever the waiter might have to pay for the free coupon as well !

This is something that could be easily followed at Indian shops, pharmacies and super markets and other businesses where they would pay the consumers if the cashier fails to issue a receipt. The logic would be the same.

Ok there is another obvious question. What if the waiter and the customer work in collusion ?, well i might have to think on that one !

Reference :
Denny’s

When my dad gave me a blue ribbon!

I had a pretty hectic week keeping pace with a lot of things, but this was a week of realization, when I really learnt and experienced, what simple gestures can mean.

It was late in the evening; I was deeply engrossed in a couple of things that I failed to notice my dad standing in the doorway. Surprised to see him staring at me, I gave a pause and asked him if everything was okay. I saw a blue ribbon sash pinned up on his shirt pocket and a visible smile and cheer on his face. He looked at me intently and narrated how happy he felt to be recognized for his work at office. He was given a blue ribbon sash and that said “Who I am Makes A Difference” in bold golden letters. I was admiring my dad’s narration and it felt so good to see him happy. My dad waved two additional ribbons and told me he was asked to honor the one whom he wanted to, to spread this wave of recognition and acknowledgment.

There are moments in your life that you cherish and want to rewind and replay over and over again. My dad came up to me, sat me down and pinned the blue sash onto my shirt. And told me how much I meant to him and what a ’wonderful daughter’ and a ‘creative person’ I was and that he truly admires me for what I am and ‘Who I am makes a difference’.

My dad is a non expressive person, never once has he voiced out his feelings so openly. So hearing those sweet words, did moist my eyes. There are very few moments in your life when you don’t want to talk simply for the reason you would choke. Not only did it make me feel happy, I felt like a child wanting to flaunt the blue ribbon to everyone around. And that’s why I am writing this post. !!

He narrated the entire Blue ribbon story and gave me an additional ribbon to honor some one.
You can read the origin of Blue ribbon here: http://www.all-creatures.org/stories/thebluerib.html

How simple words and gestures of recognition and acknowledgment can make a huge difference in life. Our mind constantly searches for approval and security in everything we do and in the name of hectic life we tend to pass on with things without giving much thought on how our actions and words affect people around us.

And the stark fact: it does not require us to do great things like buying a diamond or a costly gift or going out of the way to please someone. All that the heart and mind wants is a simple recognition of any sort, and that is a huge gift we can give to anyone. A pat on a shoulder, a warm hug or just a blue ribbon can make a difference. There is nothing more meaningful and powerful than honoring the people around us. The smile that spans on a face is more than a million dollars.

Who I Am Makes a Difference,
Who you are makes a difference
Who we are makes a difference
What we do makes a difference
What we say makes a difference
Each and every day.

A parody

Career Guidance: A weekly column that answers all your career queries

Question:
Hello, I am interested in pursuing my career in politics in India? What qualifications do I need?

Answer:
Well, firstly, learn to speak in broken English, and more than that you need to have a Masters degree in Corruption Sciences;

Question:
I have a bachelor’s degree, and I am on my way to my Masters, can I apply now?

Answer:
You can apply now you will be given a provisional admission and confirmation based on your final thesis.

Question:
Is there any written test that i have to take?

Answers:
Yes a 30 min written test of 60 questions (Multiple choice) followed by a personal interview. For the interview and test, you might want to brush up on chapters: Loopholes in Indian law 101, Safe Account Transferring 301, Commission management 103, International Fraud 202.
You would also be asked to produce your Masters’ thesis; it should be an original research paper.

Question:
Is there any reference book for the interview?

Answer:
You might want to refer the following books
1. ‘How to loot a company in thirty days’ by Somlinga Raju, Edition 3, Satyam Publications.
2. ‘ Top ten ways of Money laundering’ by Palit Modi,
3. “How to Dodge the CBI and keep partymen under loop”, well this book is coauthored by several Chief Ministers of the states and it has 5 editions. If you can grab the latest edition it would be good.
4. “Learn to say yes to madam” by Manu Singh and Pratan Mukherjee, Gandhi publishers.

Question:
Is that all there, you have suggested a pretty long list

Answers:
You want to enter the ‘Indian politics’; you require a vast amount of knowledge.
I missed naming a book
5. “How to loot and act innocent if caught – 10 tested ways and techniques” by the King of Telecom Ministry. This book has been just published, so grab your copy soon.

Question:
Thank you for the insight, i will purchase the books right away. How much should i score to be called for the interview?

Answer:
The question paper is very tough, slated to be tougher than the CAT and IIT JEE, so you need to score more than 99.9 percentile to be eligible for the interview.

Question:
Seems like a tough nut to crack. Is there any reservation in the exam and selection?

Answer:
Well, If you fall under the below mentioned category, you have reservation.
son, daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in law, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, grand daughter, grand son, wife, wife’s sister, wife’s brothers, First cousin, Second cousin, Third cousin, fourth cousin, or if you can establish any distant relationship to any of the politicians.

Question:
Well, i do fall under the category, thank you for all your insights, hope to clear the exam soon.

Answer:
Oh! you should have asked me this question at the first, if you fall under the above mentioned category, you do not have to worry about any of the answers to the previous questions !

(the above piece does not intend to hurt anyone , it is just a parody)

Clean the Augean Stables !

What a turn of events? Even a multi star cast thriller cannot conjure up such twists and turns that keep the audience guessing in surprise. The political drama that is unfolding in the country seems to be a never-ending mega serial. The skyrocketing TRP ratings for News hour debates, the garrulous Arnab Goshwami tearing into the debaters has garnered much attention than even the much hyped entry of Pamela Anderson into the Big Boss house. Even her assets couldn’t help her this time.

1,79,000 Crore Rupees Scam.! Wait let me take a breath and decide on the number of zeroes. Corruption scams are not new to India but this time the number is so huge that my mind refuses to accept it. With the PM having turned a blind eye to this massive loot happening since 2007, and the ramifications exposed recently, it pains me to see the state of affairs. No corruption is a single man’s loot, It is a Stag Hunt (In Game theory – When two hunters cooperate, they get to hunt a stag, if they wish to go their own ways, they could hunt only a rabbit which is much less worthy than a stag) where without the collusion between key members, such a huge scam cannot be carried out. The defiant Raja and his reluctance in stepping down expose how weak the government is. When such a scam of enormous value is carried out by someone at the helm of affairs, as I broaden the pyramid the spread of corruption in the grass root level appalls me.

There has been a wave of corruption, well rather a Tsunami of scams
1. Common Wealth Games scam worth 70,000 crores
2. Adarsh Scam Maharashtra (Kargil war relief land scam)
3. IPL Cricket board Scam
4. 2G spectrum Scam
5. Karnataka Govt Land scam
6. NREGA scam in Punjab

Well, the list continues, from one to another the muck is fleeing everywhere.
Now the moral ground is established based on the amount swindled. “As I swindled lesser than you, I am on a morally higher ground”. The very fact pains me and angers me.
There is a crisis of faith and leadership that seems to have engulfed this country.

There are 30% of Indians who live below the Poverty line fighting for their everyday needs and living pathetic life. At the same time we have the corrupt politicians and corporate living on 27 storey houses, owning almost the entire of the city and ruling the government. Who cares about the number of Indians who make it to the Forbe’s Billionaires list? That figure will impress me the day there is inclusive growth among all sections of the society.

The concept of ‘corruption’ is so intertwined with the day to day life that people consider it as the part of living and it is well acceptable. The society has developed an immunity towards corruption. A corrupt person is no more rated despicable. The honest are squeezed and pushed against a wall and considered as ones who do not know to adapt to the system.
It makes me hang my head in shame that I am part of this social set up where I have to survive among the fire spewing dragons and merely look at the atrocities committed upon my helplessness and repeat the words of the politicians “The law will take its own course”.

The obvious question arises.
Where corruption does begin?
Well the answer is in your Mind !

Hail the Co-founder

Ask any person who starts up his/her own venture- what’s the most difficult and the most important thing is?
90% would say ‘Building the team’ or rather ‘finding the team’.

In any venture, Ideation and Execution are two crucial yet different things. In my opinion, ‘Execution’ is prime. An idea can materialize or can fail, be it simple or revolutionary, it all boils down to execution. A single person can ideate but it requires a well-defined team which shares the same passion, vision and with members who complement each other to translate the idea from paper into a reality.

A person has an idea, and he feels it has the potential to succeed; and so he sets off to find partners who can match his passion, his madness, his skills etc. The most important part in his journey is finding that ‘first partner’ – This person does need the credit for being courageous to take the lead, for being bold enough to follow the pursuit based on the ideator’s dreams (initially). And his addition, gives courage and hope to the rest of the members who follow.

This is a classic video, one of my favourites

So salute the founder and hail the co-founder !

The 60 hours, a tribute

26/11, a tragic day in the history of India, evokes a lot of emotions that many of us do not want to revisit. Emotions persist even when memories have faded. I was away from the country and this day two years back, I remember receiving a call from my mom in the evening, while I was pretty much enjoying a walk in the snow-clad streets of Germany. All I could hear her say was ‘Mumbai is burning, terrorist attack’. I can recall, rushing towards my laptop and browsing through for more news.

10 attackers paralyzed the country, held Mumbai at gun point for 60 whole hours. Fear, gloom and despair spread through every nook and corner. Screams and cries, emotions at a crescendo; people watched with gaping eyes, helpless. Prayers were heard everywhere, invoking god, hoping for a miracle. Life was at its cruel best. It was miserable to see my country being torn down, structures burning, people mercilessly killed and the smile of hell on the traitors face. Thousands of miles away, stranded in an alien land, with every passing moment, emptiness enshrouded as I was gripped in shock. And mercilessly helpless to do anything other than sit and pray. My memories aren’t very vivid but I can recall images, I can recall phoning people in India, I can recall my visit to a nearby church, hoping for peace;

Life has changed in these two years. 26/11 evokes a lot of memories. But the 60 hours still remains etched, not just as a memory of gruesome attack or the pain and shock.

But the 60 hours to me is a symbol of unity and strength, the power of humanity. As hundreds of people come out to the streets to mark the anniversary, whoever we are, a Hindu, a Muslim or a Christian; it reinstates that we are all Indians.
The 60 hours to me is a symbol of resilience, personification of courage and bravery. The power of the spirit of the Indians that defeated the terrorist forces that threatened to disrupt our social fabric. The thought fills my heart with a gush of energy and reminds me that wherever I am in my life, I can spring back any time and the choice is mine.
The 60 hours is an embodiment of hope and reminds me of the power of it. ‘Hope’ that tells me, nothing can bring you down, nothing can plague your life, and nothing can suck your emotions out and ‘Hope’ that clearly tells me, Sun will never fail to rise and will never fail to shine bright.
It reinforces that hope, spirit and indomitable faith can help tackle any and every challenge in life.

There is nothing more meaningful than in honoring the people around us. On this day, the anniversary of the gruesome 26/11, I salute and bow to all the brave hearts that put up a gallant fight against the traitors and restored the hope and faith in many. And to all those lives which were lost in this attack, I pray with all my heart that justice is delivered soon.

I am proud to be an Indian and I love my country with all her flaws, as I carry a torch of hope and belief that sooner India will emerge brighter, cleaner without a speck on her back.!

2 line muses

“Startups: Something about what you’re doing should be insane. Completely sane companies usually fail.”
Dharmesh Shah, Founder/CTO at HubSpot

Make a difference

Inspiring talk by serial entrepreneur Desh Deshpande.

Lessons learnt

Being relatively young, with no major geographical/personal commitments, i tend to look at life with a wider perspective and this is an attempt to review few things.

Every interaction is an experience, through whatever medium it may be. And every experience is a learning in itself. They offer us a great insight.

So i have just compiled a few lessons that i have learnt out of my most powerful experiences

Be vibrant and alive:

1. Try new and varied things, and be comfortable being different (and in fact proud)
2. Go white space: Challenge what you or others would love to see happen, but might consider impossible.
3. Take cold and wild-shots: people just might say Yes!
4. Explore and experiment – when you feel you have no clue about something, just plunge, it’s easier to learn and execute without any preconceived notions.

Be valuable and worthy

1. Try and sketch all patterns in which you can fit the pieces together, esp those which other ppl fail to notice.
2. Stay abstract, stay sane: It’s is absolutely fine if you do not know all the details. Sometimes it is better to let go of wanting to know ‘why’
3. Search for harmony and happiness in every action of yours but it’s enough if you are just aware of your weaknesses.
4. Master the art of leverage: every experience builds on the other
5. Let go of wanting to to be right always and wanting to be approved.
6. Observe more: Remember when you try hard to control a situation, in turn you are allowing yourself to be controlled by the situation. (this is something i am working on )

Be floating

1. Sell yourself: not wanting to be arrogant does not mean you shouldn’t speak about yourself. Practice Humble arrogance.
2. No regrets: Begin/stay with something only if you know what you want, and if you can take responsibility for it.
3. Lead with your heart more than your mind. ( your heart knows what you want.)
4. Emotions are just reflections, You are not the emotions!.Try to not bring emotions into decisions.

Be insane

1. Explore your fun side and keep in touch with the child in you ( do not feel embarrassed or less professional or less matured just ‘cos you shed your professional demeanor sometimes)

Be mysterious

1. Do not reveal everything, an element of surprise is attractive be it in human relationships, or business or work.

( I will keep editing this post as i derive more lessons out of my life. After all writing helps us understand ourselves better)

So do you have something more to the list???

“The Wonder Years”

When you’re a little kid, you’re a little bit of everything: Artist, Scientist, Athlete, Scholar. Sometimes it seems like growing up is a process of giving those things up, one by one. I guess we all have one thing we regret giving up; one thing we really miss – that we gave up because we were too lazy, or because we couldn’t stick it out, or because we were afraid.

The Wonder Years (1989)

“When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you, but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air,

you suddenly know what you are hoping for.”

Game theory in day to day life (strictly dominated strategies)

India is a crowded country and esp the metros, it takes a while for you to navigate through the crowd, whether it is Bangalore or Chennai, I have always found it difficult.

A few weeks back, i was trying to catch an auto on a Saturday late evening and it is quite a trick to place yourself at the right spot. The most popular spots will have a large crowd competing for the auto. I decided to go to a popular spot but stay away from the crowd so as to minimize my wait time. Soon an auto came by and as I began to talk to the driver, a middle aged woman came towards me yelling that she was first and I stole her auto. I politely told her that I had not seen her, and another auto was following and she need not yell but take that auto.

As i recounted the incident, i decided that the lady yelling at me was the stupidest thing she could do, if she had really wanted to catch an auto.

Lets look at it from Game theory point of view, as the auto was approaching and i was closer, i had full control of taking the auto. The lady who was witnessing this had a range of choices to increase her own chances of getting an auto – she could ask me politely to give up the auto, she could ignore me and keep looking for autos. she could go to another corner.

The above choices would have improved her chances of getting an auto. Even if she was there first, she could have conveyed that to me politely and if i had believed her, i would her given her the auto.
Instead, by screaming, she gave me a very bad impression and was not helping her cause.

In game theory’s view, when one of the player’s action (yelling) is worse than the other action(s) (asking politely), irrespective of how other players decide to act (I give her the auto or not), that action is said to be dominated.

Game theory’s advice: never play a dominated strategy/action. You wont win !

Dominated strategies are not mere bad decisions which has low payoff; but they are the stupidest possible decisions.
An excerpt: “Buying lottery tickets is a losing bet and dumb, but even then you have a chance to win—hence it is not as bad as being dominated. So you can think of dominated decisions as being worse than buying lottery tickets.”

[example: In a multiple player scenario, your payoff depends on others' actions. Say, Action :you want to run a red light - Bad idea but not a 'dominated idea' if you do not spot other cars around or no cops around. So in this case it is quicker if you don't stop but run the red. Basically your actions depend on what others are doing ]

But in many areas in life, people still choose dominated decisions!
one thing that strikes me at the moment is…

> not asking for fees to be waived on your accounts
When you ask for a waiver the worst scenario can be they say a ‘no’. But Companies spend thousands of rupees to attract customers.

Simple example is Bargaining, this is esp true when you are in India. A lot of my friends/family end up paying huge money without questioning while shopping at Bangalore or paying for an auto. All you need to do is initiate negotiation by speaking out.

A few years back when i was holding a postpaid Sim, i missed a due date in paying my phone bill and i ended up with a huge fine. I called my cell company and told them “I have been imposed a fine, is there anything that could be done”. the representative saw i was a good customer and gave me a gross 80% deduction. This was before even i explained the details of my situation.

And as the auto example goes, it helps if you ask politely !!!

Can you think of other examples??

To my rescue

What do you do
when everything around you seems to crumble down like a pack of dominoes.
when every single insecurity of yours seems to take shape and knock on your doors.
What do you do
when you are angry at yourself
when you struggle between expressing your emotions and suppressing them.
what do you do
when voidness spreads within you
when you want to be embraced but you don’t want to ask for it
What do you do
when you feel like crying but don’t want to expose your weakness
when you know that you are faking outside but battling within..

Well what do i do when all the above said things hit me at the same time? been there – the lesson i have learnt – “This very moment is inevitable, do not resist, it will have to pass”

Though i keep telling this to myself , my lachrymal glands once in a while cheat me, and my music takes hold of me and transports me to the wonderland where everything is ethereal and beautiful. It inevitably taps the still, mysterious deep well of emotions, bringing them on the surface, to my awareness.

What’s more soothing than playing your own instrument. As i immerse myself in my own music, there is a psychedelic breakout of feelings that entrap me, haunt me and the gush of energy touches my soul where every part of my body transforms and wakes up to dance to my tunes. The feeling is magical, as music pervades to unknown lands, it cuts through my carefully constructed defenses, touches every scar, embraces it and heals it with a magic touch of a wand; thus liberating a deeper appreciation and acceptance of mystery. Music is a universal language, a form of meditation that touches the human spirit.

Newtonian physics said that at the base we are particulate; quantum physics said that we are vibratory. It seems in the reality, we are not either/or, but both/and. In its vibratory nature, perhaps, music opens doors to a greater appreciation of our essential connectedness to the cosmos, to eternal silence, our oneness with all that is.

Two of my favourites that occupy my nights ( btw this is what we do when my bro and I meet up during holidays – Jam session!!)

A fearless mind which dreams with immense faith cannot understand the meaning of the word impossible

Purpose of life

There are moments when we ask ourselves “What is the purpose of life”? Before going into the dictionary meaning of ‘purpose’ there is a greater need to understand “What we mean by Life”? Of course, Life would encompass all our day to day activities, everyday action, everyday feeling. It implies the pain, the struggles, the anxieties, deceptions, hopes, aspirations, pleasures, desires ,fears, beliefs, dogmas etc that is born out of our conditioning, our culture, our knowledge, our experiences, our ideologies, religious associations which is all limited and yet we say i wanna live a ‘complete’ life. Unless we understand the significance of ‘Life’ we cannot understand what we mean by purpose?
Life is not a mere one layer of consciousness but the total existence which is determined by our relationship not just to people around, but to things, to our ideas. It is the understanding of our responses to ideas, to people; an awareness that does not condemn nor justify our relationship but acts a psychological mirror that just reflects the way we are inwardly without any distortion any change.

And the next question, why do we need a purpose? We want a purpose to guide our everyday lives towards an end. But isn’t it according to my prejudice, to my wants, to my predilections that purpose keeps changing and my desire creates the purpose. So is desire my greater purpose in life?? To inquire and to see the truth my mind has to be free from its conditioning, free from its prejudices and observe things the way they are, without any distortion and obtain freedom. and only in that freedom can i find the Truth.

Ready for a roller coaster ride??

‘New ideas pass through three periods: 1) It can’t be done. 2) It probably can be done, but it’s not worth doing. 3) I knew it was a good idea all along!’ -Arthur C. Clarke

8 yr old Entrepreneur

What differentiates a kid from an adult???
Kids have no inhibitions, they are so upbeat about everything they do, and they dream beyond any boundaries that an adult mind perceives.
well, look at this… a 8 yr old entrepreneur talking about what he wants to do… ( i must say, his enthusiasm and spirit just bowled me over)

Fun game!

check the video below, it is a fun prediction game, roughly based on decision trees. Have fun!!

Did you observe the trick? Wondering how it is done. ???

check out this video, kinda explains it
(note: the music is annoying, please mute)

INVICTUS

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

—- My fav poem !

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

What’s with the spies?

Stilleto heels, bare legs, plunging neckline, bright red lipstick, smokey black eyes, tantalizing floral perfume …. Now that you have got the picture in your head, i am not talking about Angelina or Katrina, but my first thoughts while i was reading an article on Russian spies, and interesting observation: ‘Russian ladies have beautiful eyes that can captivate any man’ said the article.

Now comes the obvious question? Why is the bait always a woman and not an equally charming, smartly dressed handsome man?
well, surprisingly enough i couldn’t conjure up an equally attractive image in my head ( all i can see is a combo of Brad Pitt’s charming jawline and Surya’s powerful eyes and well yes, my long last obsession Dhoni’s demeanour ).

A fun exploration led to wise conclusions

Women are reliable distractors of attention. Magicians have beautiful girls as their assistant. People will look at a girl for a long time before they look where they should be looking if they want to see how the trick really works.

Now the above conclusion is not sexist.
What about the women in the audience?
Is a beautiful girl a distractant to only men? and its a big NO.
A woman tends to stare at another woman more than the men do but through the woman’s eye which scans the dress, the heels, the hair do, the make up and etc etc. It does not stop with mere observation but a constant comparative analysis to rate each.

so in principle, a beautiful girl is a distractant to men and women but a handsome man, even if he is Simon Baker, wont tend to cause cognitive distraction in another man.

What love is not ?

What is love?
To answer the above question lets explore what love is not. The process of negation might lead to a wiser conclusion

Love is not sensory perception where hormones play
Love is not a sexual desire
Love is not mutual exploitation
Love is not arrogance or domination
Love is not jealousy
Love is not a sense to possess
Love is not pleasure or pain
Love is not dreams or fears
Love is not about just two people
Love is not ephemeral
Love is not a emotion
Love is not a captivating escape of the mind

Then what is love?

Love is beauty. Love is freedom.
When a person loses the ‘self’ and is absorbed in the presence of another (a friend, a wife, sunset, nature, landscape, an idea etc) and in this presence when the ‘me’ is lost, the judgments, the opinions, the prejudices, the thoughts are absent and in this moment there is nothing but the experience, there is no observer and the observed but just the experience, the beauty and that state is love.

Have you ever observed yourself while viewing a beautiful night sky with stars twinkling and the bright moon spread across the dark canopy and the clouds moving. In that moment when you are absorbed, there are no thoughts, no interpretations, but just the experience, the beauty, the love.

“If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough”
Mario Andretti

Your eyes says it all

Dining under the bright moon light,
The soft breeze and the twinkling stars of a quiet night
Away from the crowd, away from the noises
In our silent world, with peace and poise.

In your eyes I see the unspoken words of your heart
All the unsaid endearments you wish to impart
Your eyes caress me, deeply and intensely
Piercing through the layers of my soul, fiercely.

Nothing do I hear, not the sounds of the waves
Not the chatters; my serene soul is your slave
There are no words to utter, no words to please
Still and unmoved, the silence in the air stirs my knees

I look into your eyes, eyes that look back into mine
Eyes that fill me with passionate desire, making me pine
Eyes that feel me with a longing want
As they speak of a thousand things that haunts.
All your hopes, dreams and your wishes too
They tell of your heart`s desire and your love so true.

The soft sparkles, the warmth and the glow,
I am caged in your gaze, lost in the ocean’s flow. .

In our world words have no meanings
Never have we said ‘love’, to reinstate the feeling.
I read your eyes and so you do
Never do we trust the words and the sounds too

Silence is powerful, it is the language that we seek
For we can neither hear nor speak,
I only need your eyes on me
As your intense eyes says it all!

- Sowmya

Disclaimer: just a creative piece, Haven’t found a a person who cannot talk nor hear to explore the silence with.

Differentiation and Convergence

‘Differentiation’ is a very important and integral part of any business. Be it a product driven or service driven start up, it becomes necessary to focus on convergence of features, at the same time, differentiation that is marked and market driven.

Convergence

With technology advancements and rapid developments, every consumer wants a one point access or one point solution to all his needs.
It is human psychology to expect quick and wide array of results with minimum effort and energy spent. Offering a service/product that can cut down a consumers’ efforts and time by converging the needed features or needed services in a particular sector can lead to quick visibility and easy acceptability. This requires a very good understanding of the market and the needs of different sect of consumers.

Differentiation

Why is it important to differentiate? – Differentiation becomes the backbone or the salient feature of a product/company in the market which has several players competing.

So what factors can act as Differentiation
- Economics – Finances- Pricing model

- Technology and features in the product : Technology and features that caters to the major target market segment.

- Disruptive solutions – Offering simple innovative solutions to the already existing problem by improving upon the existing product or existing service. With several players in the market competing in terms of technology and brainstorming to offer the best solution, it is those innovative yet simple solutions that disrupts an existing market that can lead to inclusive growth. eg: LED disrupted Light bulbs; Podcasting disrupted TV and Radio Broadcasts.

- Innovation in business model and marketing model

- Value additions and customer experience

In order to focus on Convergence and Differentiation it is essential to understand the current competitors, their strategies and focuses and align and realign ourselves innovatively to capture the market share and stay ahead in the growth curve to offer the best quality and maximize profits.

When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.

William Wrigley Jr

In those moments …

“Realize that a startup puts you on an emotional rollercoaster unlike anything you have ever experienced. You will flip rapidly from a day in which you are euphorically convinced you are going to own the world, to a day in which doom seems only weeks away and you feel completely ruined, and back again. Over and over and over.”

– Marc Andreessen

Pass on your Passion

Passion is a true ingredient of a fearless heart that allows one to achieve anything and everything. It is only Passion that can break the impasse (im+passe) to help you find your Pass.
watch Isabel Allende tell the tales of passion as she discusses women, creativity, and the definition of feminism.

Feminine values in Finance

What do you bring to the table ? You are yet another decision maker trying to resolve yet another managerial issue

Well, save you words !

“It’s not about women being better than men, it’s about women being different than men. ” -Halla Tomasdottir

Woooman’s day… yes she does woo you !

Beauty.. Brains and Boldness… It’s for the Ladies out there, Happy Woman’s Day.

With an idea to explore the varied perceptions of different sections of the society about ‘woman’, i did a fun experiment asking people to describe in one word what they thought about woman.

I had loads of fun, few came with weird descriptors yet other few were poetic in their replies..
It was interesting to observe woman/girls give their own observation and a lot more interesting to interpret a man’s view.

I have complied the best words and few commonly said ones.

“Woman to you is …..”

Beauty
beau·ty (byt)
n.
The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality.

Divine
di·vine (d-vn)
adj.
Heavenly; perfect, Extremely pleasant; delightful

Resilience
re·sil·ience (r-zlyns)
n.
Buoyancy
The property of a material that enables it to resume its original shape or position after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity.

Passion
passion [ˈpæʃən]
n
Boundless enthusiasm
any strongly felt emotion, ardent love and affection
a strong affection or enthusiasm for an object, concept, etc.

Classy
class·y [klas-ee, klah-see]
adj
of high class, rank, or grade; stylish; admirably smart; elegant.

Compassion
com·pas·sion (km-pshn)
n.
Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it

Power
pow·er (pour)
n.
1. The ability or capacity to perform or act effectively.
2. A specific capacity, faculty, or aptitude

Well, i leave it to your imagination to figure out the words said by the guys and the girls and of course its interpretation.

The list above just signifies the multidimensional nature of a woman.

To me ‘she’ is a force, a gushing ball of energy filled with passion and compassion and beauty in all its forms, complementing the human kind.

So what is your one word descriptor for ‘woman’ ????

Happy Woman’s day !

Start with ‘WHY’

“Wanna sell me your idea,
don’t tell me what you do, tell me why you do !” says Simon Sinek.

A crisp talk that emphasizes the need to connect with the listener emotionally by inspiring them and attracting them to your world of beliefs and opinions before you sell them your ideas.
And how do you do that, simple- Start with ‘Why’.

Business is not mere numbers, excel sheets… we do Business with people, real people. Inspire them…