Put It All On The Line !

Our greatest strength is courage and our greatest weakness is fear. Both emanate from the mind ! However when a tough situation arises the courage part in us takes a back seat and it's the fear that "rises to the occassion",atleast that's how i like to put it, but no matter how I or anyone else puts it,it's true that fear shows it's prominence. The fear of losing bogs the best of people down. Questions like "what if this doesn't work" strike terror in our mind(s) and all we do is waste our time trying to find ways to tackle our pessimistic side. It's basic human tendency to think about the "worst case scenario" ,and all the talk about being optimistic goes out of the window . Also what draws us to focus more on our fears is the fact that we as humans give too much attention to the end result and in doing so we forget about the process.Harsha Bhogle in his speech/lecture at IIM-A talks wonderfully about the importance of focusing on the process than the end result. Still many a times our minds get clogged with questions like "what if i don't get through to my dream institute " , "what if i don't get my dream job or what if i don't get paid as much as i want ". Obviously these "what if " questions differ from person to person and each has his/her own set of stumbling blocks,if i may call them so. Now I am no Robin Sharma to talk about inspiration and all but I feel that the last few months have given me enough reasons to believe that I have found a way to tackle these stumbling blocks .

Take Risks! Yes though It may sound simple but it is very tricky. Imagine leaving your job six to eight months prior to you joining a post grad institute of your choice and that too when you know the odds are against you . Putting it all on the line just to give it a shot with no guarantee of success. Sitting idle at home can be tough, real tough,specially when others around you make a living. It is verry easy to feel the pressure and succumb to it. Thoughts of failing and the burden of expectations can take a toll on your mind and heart. However, when you know that you don't have a way out,going back isn't an option,the doors are shut,all you do is look forward and that it what sets the ball rolling. And there are hundreds of examples of people who have enjoyed success the moment they have put it all on the line. 

Surprisingly as i write this another set of "what if" questions cross my mind. "What if I hadn't left my job ?" , "What if I hadn't thought of a post grad?" Probably i would still be working in a night shift at the moment instead of writing this blog. But I dreamed and I risked and I gave courage more imporatance than fear and even if things would not have gone the way they have I would have still been proud of my decision and I am sure I would have been happy about the fact that I backed myself and was ready to face the consequences. 

To all those people who,I know,are thinking about doing a post grad or thinking about a new job but are not putting their foot down and are holding themselves back,I would like to say "let it go and take a risk". Let life surprise you and as they say "luck favours the brave",so be brave,be courageous,let courage take over the fear in you. Time to take the plunge ! 

Who Am I ??

Finally back to writing after a break , feels good. The sound of the keys on the keyboard as I manage to gather some speed while thinking about what's in store brings a smile on my face. Have an idea in mind but everything from here on is going to be impromptu. Let's start. 

People go through various stages in life.The good , The Bad and Of course The Ugly !!! This blog is for the bad and the ugly phase of life, but "The Good" is a silent mistress , its always there yet its presence is unknown...... There comes a stage in everyone's life when the world around seems to be crumbling . Nothing goes the way you wanted it to. No matter how hard you try all you get is sorrow and grief . People go into a shell and in order to get through this phase they try all sorts of things . The first thing that comes to mind is going to the astrologer asking them what's wrong , only to be told by him/her that some planet out there in universe is causing a problem. Most people believe in this and try different tactics as advised by the astrologer. They feel a sense of calmness as they think that things will be fine now. But life doesn't work on a planet which is some light years away from us. It works on our mindset and on how we look at things. It all depends on how we adapt to a tough situation ,tame it down and finally conquer it. All the great battles in this world have been fought on land,air,sea but have been won in the mind. Alright I realize that till now I haven't written anything which goes with my blog's title. But all this is like the pre-match analysis that is so common these days before a big game. Who Am I ?? This question should be on the priority list when you are feeling down and out,and you feel that the world around you is superior to you!!! The best part about this question is the fact that we don't have to phone a friend to get the answer or take an audience poll. The answer lies with us. All we need to do is go into flashback mode and recall all our achievements till date. People excel in various fields. Some are great sportsmen/sportswomen , some great students, some might have helped the underprivileged etc...The list is endless. Unfortunately though in times of despair people become pessimistic and start doubting their own abilities and then look for others to solve their problems. It has never worked that way and never will. All we need is a gentle reminder , a pep talk ,a voice from within ,with a clear message that reads : " Hey you are good enough ,get up and get going . " . So whenever in despair just ask yourself " Who Am I " , let the answers flow and face the world with a great sense of self belief. 

Note : You may stick a huge paper with Who Am I written in bold letters and all your achievements below it. The more you'll see those achievements the better you'll feel about yourself. 

BACKLOG !!!

Backlog is a word that I am quite used to hearing now because of the kind of work I do.We are 30-40-50 cases in backlog is what I hear at work everyday.Once I am back home I don't really dwelve upon what went by through the day but guess today is different.Don't know how till now I have missed this co-relation but I am glad that my mind just brought this up.

Now you would be wondering what is it that I am talking about.I am talking about Life!!!All these years growing up we go through various kinds of days,hours,moments,and strangely enough we all store them up somewhere in our brains.And we call them Memories.Memories play a vital role in how we progress as a person.They can be used to recall an awesome moment or a dreadful one.It all depends upon which situation we are in and what our thought process is.

Strangely enough we,with the help of these memories live most of our lives in BACKLOGS...We can't get over a set of memories that keep haunting us day by day month by month year by year.And not surprisingly there isn't a single person on this planet that doesn't have bad memories to haunt them along the way.These memories could be anything but the most common one's are : a lost job , a broken relationship , a disease ,a nightmare and so on and so forth.But it's not only the bad memories that hold us back,even the good ones keep us in a backlog.People don't move on with time,they get stuck to what they think was their prime.They would come upto you and say you know what at your age I had one helluva personality and they might be true but then with time they don't move on.It happens with every one,even I have been caught up in such a situation.It's not easy to get rid of these memories or backlogs but then in order to progress one needs to shed the load,get rid of the extra baggage and sail through.

Shedding those backlogs is more important than shedding those extra kilos that you might have put on by having a cheeze burst pizza.And just like every night, when we at work manage to get rid of the backlogs and have a laugh about the funny incidents of the day , you too can shed those backlogs from your life and have a laugh about it for the rest of your lives. :)

RESPECT..!!!

Probably the most valued word of all time which can't be bought even today..This seven letter word has defined and re-defined the way we live our lives.And when it comes to India the weightage of this word grows on increasing inch by inch minute by minute and second by second.

Even before we learn to understand the true meaning of Respect,we are taught to respect our elders.Then in school we are taught to respect our teachers,fellow classmates,the peon etc etc..The list is endless to say the least.So growing up we get into the habit of respecting our elders,teachers,colleagues and so on.But then hell we have not yet fully understood the meaning of respect,because the way things are taught to us are partially correct and according to that partial education received we do not understand the real meaning of this immensely important word.

Unfortunately over the years there have been numerous instances which highlight the fact that due to way in which this word is portrayed people have succumbed to injustice and have kept themselves under the shackles.Instances of elder people taking advantage of just their age and exploiting small innocent children is something that comes first to the mind.The child doesn't say a word,why?because he/she has been taught that we need to respect our elders.The weight of pointing a finger at an elder person in the family is more than the suffering one has to go through because of that same person.

But its not just the small ones who suffer.In the corporate world a lot of young budding people have to shut up just so that they can act in a way that pleases their bosses.That is not respect,that's fear,fear of getting kicked out of the organization,fear of losing a job and with that a lot of other things.

And we as people play a major role in other men/women misusing this word because we are still trying to conquer our fears,we still respect people because of their age and position and not because of what they are in person.No one has the right to be respected just because of the fact that their parents could not control their desires which resulted into they being born early.Time for us to understand the true meaning of respect and giving it to those who truly deserve it.

Respect cannot be bought,it can only be Earned!!!

H.O.S.T.E.L

This one is on a special request...But it probably captures one of the most interesting and important part of my life..Its about the life spent in a Hostel.

Its a strange feeling walking up the hostel stairs for the first time,your heart is in mixed state,it is looking forward to a new life but its also being held back by the burden of leaving the secured walls of your own home.Its emotionally challenging as well because you are moving away from the ones whom you probably love the most.But then after some initial days of struggle you actually manage to get to know people around you,people who are in a similar position as you are,sometimes worse but still there's a strange kind of bonding that emanates from the fact that you are not the only one who is going through the same dilemma.

As time rolls on you get to know a bit more about your companions,you get to know some good parts ,some bad parts and some ugly ones as well.And when those initial few days of missing home and bonding gets over ,you come to know the actual people around you.You realize that the ones who seemed good are not so good and the ones whom you thought were bad are not so bad.Life teaches you a lesson,a lesson about people,best described by the quote "Never judge a book by its cover".It teaches you not to judge people by how they look or dress but by what they think.

By the end of a year you almost know whom you wanna be for the rest of your time,you form a group,small or large,but you know the people who at some point or the other share the same interests as you do.It's like finding a home away from home.You have a new family,a bunch of guys who go bonkers over a nice girl passing by,who love their cricket,who are passionate about bikes and who hate exams !! Its with these people that you spend the best and the worst stages of your life.And with time you grow along with them,not just in age but in thoughts as well.

I have always believed that anyone who is about to enter college should spend those years in a hostel,with a bunch of crazy , ugly boys who one day or the other are going to mature into fine human beings.It teaches you a lot ,but the most important one is that it teaches you to evolve as a human being.

Living Unbound: FrIeNdShIp !!!

Living Unbound: FrIeNdShIp !!!: Friendship!!! One word that has more hidden meanings than any other word in the English dictionary.Its a relation that a human being chos...

FrIeNdShIp !!!

Friendship!!! One word that has more hidden meanings than any other word in the English dictionary.Its a relation that a human being choses for his/her ownself,one that is not bound by blood,caste,religion or race.Sometimes it doesn't even require two human beings,pets play the part of the other half.Its a bond which also goes through a lot of stages,specially if the friendship starts from an early stage in life.

I have always been one of the few lucky one's who has got some of the best friends one could ever get.School and college would not have been as much fun as they were if not for those crazy and unique characters that I became friends with.From those crazy cricket matches to bike rides to birthday parties to just chatting on the phone,these people have given life a new meaning.But over the years some friendships have gone the wrong way as well.Misunderstandings,mistakes,hasty decisions have all added up to probably see the end of many a friendships .Its also about thinking and thoughts and circumstances.Times change,thoughts change and in most cases people think that the other person has changed.Yes people do change but then it is unfair to compare them to what they were earlier because things around them are not the same anymore.Years of friendship can end in days.But then that is where life is unpredictable.Losing a friend is painfull.Its not a good feeling to digest either and when you are probably the reason why people moved away from you then its even more painfull.

Having said that its important to realize the fact that some people come to your life only for a specific period of time,they give you memories for a lifetime,but they may not always be there till the end.Its important to remember the good things they tought you rather than thinking about how it ended.Everyone in life teaches us something,its all about what and how we take it.Not everyone is going to walk by you till the end,people do come and go ,one day or the other,one way or the other,its always about those days when you had a laugh with them,the days when you hugged them,spoke your heart out to them and thanked them for being the best.Each and everyone is special at one point of time in life,its important to recognize that and respect them for what they were and what they are even if they are no longer a part of your life.

Money Matters....

MONEY!!!!!....Probably one of the biggest inventions of man.Actually the biggest!! Everything in this world revolves around this 5 letter word.Its all about making money.We as human beings have made money such an important entity that our entire life revolves around it.Its all about how much bank balance one has as opposed to how much knowledge one possesses.If we look at the life cycle of an average human being we would  realize that from childhood itself money starts playing a major role.Even before birth ,our future is decided by money.The hospital that we are about to get delivered in is decided on the basis of how much income our family has.Once born ,the clothes that we wear ,the school that we go to ,the sports that we play..all are dependent by and large on that dreaded five letter word ,MONEY!!

As we grow older the only mission we have is to get a got enough Job,the one which may be of the least interest to us but it should be the highest paying one.Its important to earn money or else we would not be able to buy things which we have dreamt of. We spend hours at our work place just to earn that piece of paper at the end of the month. It also is the biggest status symbol. The more money you have the more your stature grows.And add to the fact that if you are an Indian then it completely becomes the bone of contention.The feeling of "what will other's think of us " never leaves us in peace.We want to keep on earning not for ourselves but to show others how much we possess.

But this has been going on for ages and willingly or unwillingly we have accepted that money is supreme and existence without it is next to impossible.Then you would wonder why I am being so cynical of the fact that we have made money as our priority.The reason being, we in our quest for wealth have actually forgotten basic human values.Let me cite an example..

Yuvraj Singh hits 6 sixes in an over and the government showers him with crores of rupees.That's fine,he did what not a lot of people can do.But a girl in Delhi gets raped and eventually after a hard fought battle dies.It somewhat wakes up a sleeping nation.But a day after the cremation of the brave girl ,two state governments announce that they will pay the parents of the girl 10 or 15 odd Lakh rupees.Now that to me is shameful and it epitomizes how sick and tired we are and how badly we are tangled up with money.We don't know how when or where to use this powerful tool.Whatever be the occasion we just throw in money.

There's no point in covering our backs when our souls have been ripped apart.Lets stop following the age old tactics,lets stop falling for a piece of paper whose value is increasing so much that we are on the brink of forgetting our own values.Time for us to show respect to other things in life.Time to set our morals straight.

Finally a salute to the spirit of the girl who passed away fighting.Respect!!!!

A letter to MOM

Sometimes in life we become so busy that we dont express ourselves to the fullest.And when we do its either grief or anger that comes out because that is really easy to lash out.But in this busy world we forget to express the love and affection we have for our loved ones.The ones with whom we may not talk everyday but then their love care and good wishes always accompany us.This letter is to the one who has had the biggest hand in shaping me into the 23 year old that I am today.This one is for you MOM.

When I look back at the life I have lived so far I feel a sense of pride in the human being I am and the freedom of thought that I enjoy and share.But this would not have been possible if I would have been suppressed into the narrow minded attitude that a lot of kids are forced into.Through the years gone by I have had the luxury of expressing myself and my feelings without the fear of getting beaten up or scolded. Of course there have been times when I and you have not shared the same opinion and many a times I have disagreed to your general outlook towards life and the world.But having said that never have you stopped me from following my heart and have always kept faith in me in whatever decisions I have taken so far.I have been one of those lucky kids who have got respect from people around me just because they know that I am your son.Your aura speaks more than a thousand words,the way you have grown in life has garnered respect from everyone who knows you.Hence I without doing anything got the respect that may be I would not have got if it would not have been for you.

Today when I sit back and go into flashback mode I remember how I used to cuddle next to you as a kid in the night because I felt so secure by your presence that I could close my eyes,forget all the worries and fears and sleep tight.I knew I was near my biggest guardian.Obviously with time I grew older and things changed.And the best part was that you as a mother changed with time.I never felt bound.I was allowed to do stuff that a lot of people growing up in my era were not allowed to.I completed my schooling and then went on to live away from you,I always looked at my side of things till the time Vivaan was born.For the first time there was someone who was younger than me in our family.And then through the last year or so I have seen what it takes to handle a kid.It has been the biggest gift life has given me so far because the way you handle him gives me a clear picture of how you would have handled me.

I know you love me a lot because every now and then you end up calling Vivaan by my name and that shows how much you are still attached to the little me who has now grown up so tall that you need to raise your neck and speak.

Its not mother's day,but I don't need a special day to remind myself how important you are in my life.I could go on and on but then I guess I have epitomised what I feel about you.Thank You MOM :)

The blurred life!!!

Life in the 20's is nothing short of a blur.You are full of energy yet you are not sure where to channelize that energy,goals are not clear.There's so much to choose from.All things come together.Love ,money,studies ,future and what not.You are out there fighting with the experienced guys who have been in this game since ages.You want to shed your wings and fly high but then there's a sense of insecurity wherein you do not know whether your wings are strong enough to stand the storm that might be on its way.Its not like school or college where your goals were defined.All you needed to do was to go to the next class and if you were a bit intelligent all you needed to do was to get good grades.People did not expect anything else from you.You were not expected to stand up for yourselves and you always had the backing of your family.You still have .But things are not so similar.All eyes are now on you.You are the center of attraction.People are looking up to you.The elders are expecting you to follow their footsteps and achieve things that they somehow could not achieve.People younger than you look up to you for inspiration.They want to be like you one day.And the funny part is here you are going through the motions,trying to figure out the right picture that life wants to present to you.But your vision isn't so clear.There's a blur.

Living Unbound....

An Indian celebrates Independence Day on the 15th of August every year.It's a day we celebrate because we became free from the Britishers.The world saw how a truely 

great freedom struggle brought down the British empire in India.It's actually like a bollywood flick,the good guys winning in the end.But this post is neither about 

bollywood or about our great freeedom struggle.It's about Independence!!!

When we say we are Independent do we actually mean it?Is independence only bound to the freedom our nation enjoys?I dont think so and I guess a lot of my friends would 

agree to it.Unfortunately in India still there are crores of people who dont enjoy their Independence.In rural India kids are taught from school to follow what the 

teacher says.Don't question what is being said.The mind is fed things which are full of weeds.A girl talking to a boy is thought of as a crime and because all the kids 

are taught so no one dares to break that rule and even if someone does manage to do so the next thing you know is the girl and the boy getting a scolding from either 

the school teacher or the parents at home.They say the base of a building should be strong but if the base itself is baseless then what can a 10 year old kid do about 

it.As we grow older we develop a thinking of our own.Some start finding that the teachings in school were utter rubbish as far as thoughts are concerned,some 

unfortunately stay with that same thinking.But a lot of it also has to do with the surroundings one has.In rural India people don't care about making a career.All they 

think of is getting into a business run by their forefathers.They get bound by the same little thoughts that were sown into them when they were young.Also people who 

do think of getting some sort of formal education choose careers based on what their fathers or relatives think will bring money to their pockets and not on the basis 

of their interests.People in India actually hardly ever rebel.They are happy with what they get.We settle for things with small benefits and let that dream of ours die 

below the burden of traditions and culture.

We say that our history and culture is great.Indeed it is!But it isnt that great either and the reason being that simply because of the same history and culture we 

dont do things which we might have done in other places of the world.The same history and the same culture is actually making us less independent than ever before.And 

the sad part is that this is not just bound to rural India.Almost all the major cities of India have people who have a defensive attitude.We hate change and we hate 

being alone.If we personally think that a product is good but 10 others say that it isnt we may end up not buying that just because 10 others were against it.We so 

hate being alone.There are atleast 5-10 moments in a day where we go against our ownselves just because we fear being alone.This fear is caused by the age old cliched 

question "what will others think about it?".I personally face this question on numerous occassions but then its how we all have grown up,worrying about what others 

will think.And because we are so worried about others we end up not doing what we actually should,we stop following our heart,we stop being independent.

You would be wondering then why have I given this post the name "Living Unbound" because till now all I have written is about how bound and dependent we are.Well the 

reason is that over the past year I have experienced a little bit of independence and its an awesome feeling I must say.Living in a big city is always helpful and if 

you are living alone then that is the cherry on the cake.It's not easy but the satisfaction is divine.The real sense of freedom emerges when you are alone and no one 

in the neighbourhood knows who you are what you do and where are you from.Well when you don't have one of your biggest obstacles in between then life is a lot more 

simpler.You don't have to worry about what will others think of you because who gives a damn about you,you are no one to them and to you they are neither of any 

relevance.Also there are no school teachers or parents to question your moves.You are free to shape your career the way you have wanted ever since you came to know the 

meaning of the word career.And the best part about living alone is that you can take chances.Risk chances unbound...all the three may be used in a different context on 

different occassions but when you actually look at them with an optimistic approach you will find that these are words that make an awesome trio.Every one has to take 

a risk somewhere or the other atleast once in their life.Obviously if you are optimistic there are ought to be chances out there for you and if you latch onto them you 

will gain what you would have dreamt of and would have come out of your own mental barricades.Life would then be unbound.

Life would also be unbound when we break a lot of old traditions which we know are not right but we still follow them,why?Didn't I mention that we are scared to be 

alone,its a tradition we are going against and in India that is a bigger SIN than honour killing!!Now to the illiterate that might be of no relevance but for someone 

holding a bachelors degree that is bullshit!!This is just an example,I am sure there would be thousands of such instances where we might feel the same but then we live 

such a bound life that we lower down our voice when its time to raise it.

This post might be like an amalgmation of different thoughts and by all means they are personal but I am sure that if i get some likes on facebook for this post then I 

would have some people who would follow the same thoughts as I do.

Time to wake up,time to live unbound!!!!