Quantity and Quality - another distinction between youth and maturity

I think the more one talks, the more immature one is. And I sometimes become like that, when I'm with old pals! Back to the younger days, when we yakked away to glory and passed comments on everything under the sun, and the sun, included! So, yesterday, with old pals, I literally ran my mouth dry in yakking - most of it was childish stuff.

And the less I talk at work, etc - with the pausing before the words - the more mature I think and sound. So, the quality of words here defines maturity, rather than the quantity.

Which is why, when old sages/kings spoke in old mythologies, their words carried great weight! Like the curses and boons which lasted a thousand years! Quality of speech far outweighs quantity. And sometimes, silence is better than no words said - in fact, silence speaks more than a thousand words, at times!

Strength of the "Pause"

A few days ago, I suddenly came across the power of the "Pause". Pausing for just a few seconds before I said something immediately made my response a whole lot stronger in content and delivery.
Usually, the blood rose straight to my head (either in agony or ecstasy) and I used to say something which was either hot-headed or flamboyant - both of which were not strong responses. In fact, the matter was usually made worse by a volley of loose words.
But recently, on a morning jog, my mind seemed to "pause" just a little bit. And a realization came about, that growing-up or maturing may not always be a bad thing! :) Maybe, strength and maturity come through that extra little pause. And the following words and actions will always be stronger and more effective.

Hard work and Luck: I think i'm getting the gist

Those factors that I can control, I can work hard on those.
Those that I cannot control, I need luck with those.

So, invest and work hard in matters I can control. And pray for luck with those I cannot control.
If I mix up the two, its a recipe for disaster - work hard on factors I cannot control, and rely on luck or pray for those that I can control.

While investing in business, I should work hard with assets/resources like people, machinery, marketing, finances, etc. And pray for favorable weather and favorable laws! :)

Dont want to be middle-class? Stop thinking middle-class

its clear really. if i keep thinking i'm an average middle-class guy, i wont be anything but that!
the key is to start thinking big, rich, first, excellence, etc, etc. then, i will start doing those things too, and become at least one of those.

so, take on debt, invest, work hard, think big, GET OUT OF MIDDLE-CLASS THINKING! need to take those risks.

Movie: Life in a Metro

Worth a watch. Nice set of stories intertwined without much confusion. Good songs too.
And, Irrfan Khan is probably one of the better actors in today's film industry.

A motley crew of talented performers, a simple set of stories and nice songs - a good recipe!

Losing some respect for Wharton

First, they admit a high-profile brat from Delhi, who has been 'accused' of killing six people in a drunken driving frenzy. So, what exactly was so stellar in this brat's application (apart from the fact that he's RICH and POLITICALLY CONNECTED), that he got admission to Wharton??

Secondly, they had admitted another high-profile businessman's son long ago. And recently decided to name an entire hall after the businessman, following a multi-million dollar 'gift' by the Whartonite son. Again, this dude was RICH and POLITICALLY CONNECTED. And again, I would love to see the application of this son, and maybe the 'supplements' to the application as well.

Now, that's two that I know of. How many more??

Action or Thought?

I think too much. And act less. Is thought more important than action? Does this have something to do with the short-term (action-oriented) and long-term (thought-oriented) approaches? Or am I confusing the two.

I think I need to act more. Thought is paralyzing at times. Especially, when there's too much of it.

Method or Result?

I am not meeting my sales target. I am also not indulging in usual sales tactics like "poaching", "re-allocation of buckets", "silent acceptance of erroneous orders", etc. So, what is more important - the METHOD of reaching the target or the end RESULT?

My company will ask for RESULT. But I am concentrating on the METHOD.

Chanakyaneeti

"Have a purpose in life. Be it Faith, Love, Wealth or Salvation. If you don't have either of the first three, your life was in vain. And if you don't even have the fourth, your death too, is in vain."


"You come alone. Win alone. Lose alone. Leave alone. Life is a one-man show."

Finding my "Groove"

If I find my "groove" in life, then I will accelerate and perform to the fullest of my potential. It's like the cog of the wheel rotating over and over until it "clicks" into position and sets into motion the giant ferris wheel.
Now, what is my "groove" and where do I find it?

I have tried Tech, project-management, pre-sales and now sales. Clearly, the "groove" was not there. At least, I did not pursue them long enough to know if I "clicked" after a while. So, is the groove a matter of time doing the same thing over and over, until you can do it blindfolded, or is it sampling different professions until one finally clicks - that really is the question.

The question of whether to give a job enough time to work out, or whether to keep moving until the "click" happens.
For now, I think I'll keep moving. I will also try to find my "groove" outside of the workplace.

Global warming

The effects are clearly here to watch and feel. Soaring temperatures in summer, practically impossible to stay out in the sun.

The USA says "If efforts to control global warming, brings down the economic output, then we wont do it. It's not an option" - Dude, WHAT IS THE OPTION??? BURN AND DIE ??
Jeez. Some idiot named Connaughton. Remove him and the rest of his brethren. If economic output keeps increasing, more and more, who the hell is going to consume it, when everyone is dead??

This is an inflection point. It is time to either go back in time (to a greener/cleaner world) or continue the path towards sure death. I am 28 years now. I'm sure the next 20 years will determine if climate will kill me or let me stay alive a while longer. So, I need to plan to retire by 40 and enjoy the last 10 years of my life - before the world ends.

Binary thinking and Geometry in Motion

The good thing about life is that the lessons are re-taught to me, every time I forget them. Recently, I learnt just how Binary my thoughts have become. Yes/No, Win/Loss, In/Out, etc. Maybe it has to do with my sales role, where it's all about chasing numbers. And I also started realizing (yet again) that I am not good at Binary. I prefer 0.5 instead of 0 or 1. Need to get out of sales, or at least into non-linear sales - spurts and dips, instead of Linearity. Strange part is that after exactly 3 quarters of the sales cycle, I'm at exactly 75% of my sales quota!
Need to get more non-linear! :)

Watched an episode on National Geographic about martial arts. And how attacking/defending moves in martial arts follow precise geometric shapes. But most revealing of all was the realization that it is geometry "in motion" !! Not static, but dynamic equations. Equations of "Flow". Same thought hit me while reading "It happened in India" by Kishore Biyani. He emphasizes "fluid" thinking rather than Binary/Static thinking. And if you can develop "Geometry in Motion", it gives rise to the most spectacular moves! Watch any Martial Arts champ and you'll know what I'm saying!