Gone are the days...

Hey Friends,

I am back... :) It was a long gap indeed, but I could not help it.. The financial crisis did affect me as well :).. However, at this moment I write this topic praying that the days which are gone should come back soon.. :) For the last 4-5 years i have been working and right now I am with an MNC. I am here for the last 2 and half years.. When I read the papers and news all I could hear is nothing but recession.. Like many other companies we did not have any Layoffs till now however, we started to feel the heat slowly as the cost cutting started recently. At this moment its not the worse scenario...

Today, I happened to go through some of the old snaps of the parties we had in the past and in today time if I look at them, Its like winning the lotto.. We had times where we partied spending lacks in Pubs.. Resorts etc.. Just for one day our company spent more than 10Laks.. But today, we cant even think about 10% of it, in fact not 10% but nothing at all. We Participated in cricket tournaments paying 30000 Rupees and gained nothing. We get paid even if there was no work.. Everyone was enjoying life to the peak I must say..

But today, I don't see any company arranged parties anywhere and the company is not to be blamed. They just cannot afford it. I could never digest spending this much money just for the entertainment purpose. however, When they were making profit, they did spend for their employees and nobody had any problem. Now, When they stop all these, People started cribbing. I really do not understand how people can forget their past so easily. The company (I meant majority) pays for their employees when they make profit and when they do not, they do not have any other go than cost cutting. People just don't accept this truth. They always want to live in the golden days. Life is all about ups and downs and the current situation is just a part of it. Instead of blaming the company for canceling their free food coupons, please think about the other allowances and parties which your company offered when they were making profit. I would say that we should be with the company than looking for a new job in this situation. We should stand together as a unit to overcome the current patch our company is going through. I am sure that your loyalty will get paid.

We all know Newton's Law of equal and opposite reaction but If we had ever thought about that law in the past when we were blind with the profit that we made and spend money accordingly, who knows we might not have entered in a financial crisis like this. Now I could see one thing - People are trying hard to be productive. If its not for company's profit but for their own survival. Our cricket team is still playing tournaments. But those are not company sponsored but players pool in money and play. And I could see more better performance than that of the company sponsored as each one knows the value of the each penny they spend.

Enjoying life should not be like spending money like there is no tomorrow. As you and me, tomorrow is also real and we have to live then as well. So I belive, the current financial crisis will help people to know the value of money and to spend it sensibly. Gone are the days of blindness and coming are the days of more sensible and responsible peopel... The gone days will never be back IF we do not learn our lessons :)

I do not know who all will agree to this, but I surely feel this way..

Good day to you all..

Jithu.

Back to blogging...

Feb 21st early morning (around 2.30AM):

It was a must needed break for me to settle myself in the new project that i just joined in. In this time so many things happened in my life. some to cherish but sadly many to feel sad for. My mental state went on and off pretty often in this time but i could not just hold on to something known as a stable state till now.. Trying hard to come out of many of such barricades by trying to forgive and forget things in life...

I have no idea where am i heading to, but one thing for sure, I am in need of some help here... I realize that it should first come within me and am trying hard to tune my body to an auto mode which will at least free up my mind and soul for sometime...
As of now, It is all blank... I am disturbed due to lot many personal issues... nothing serious, but at times such SO called issues do hurt me! Hopefully i can write them down here to get some temporary relief to my hunted mind..

Jithu

Life is FUN

Hi all,

Good day to you all... I was wondering all these while about how different is life to each and everyone... If you just look at the each individual, you will realize that, everyone has everything in life - hope, love, affection, hatred, happiness, break ups, sorrows, loneliness, selfishness, attractions, frustrations, infatuations, crush, accidents, surprises and lot more other emotions and feelings those may not be able to define... Everyone experiences or go through these stages.. But not in a defined manner.. No one is sure about what, where and when things are going to happen... And I guess this uncertainty of life makes it more enjoyable at times.. Else there would be no fun...

So let me come to the matter here.. Last month I had been to my hometown to meet my parents and friends.. And my mom told me that we have some guests at home from US those were my Dad's best friend's (Peter Uncle) kids - Joji, Regi, Lizzy and her kid Akshay... Peter Uncle - We call him as "Chachan" and his family is very close to us... He and his wife are in US now. He could not come to India as he is very old and also suffering from amnesia... But his children say, Chachan still remembers my dad very well..


They used to come here once in 2 years or so. But this time I came to know that they have come here for an important function. i.e. Lizzy chechi's marriage. I was clueless as she had come with her kid Akshay - a 10 year old cute boy.. She is into her mid 30s but she looks not more than 25.. She looks so pretty with her very thick long hair (almost touching her back knees) she is a very humble and loving woman i have ever seen.. And I could not believe that she got divorced. And I knew that she has got a very decent job and earns huge there.. It was she who brought her husband to US after their marriage. I really felt bad for what happened to her life..

Then My mother explained me the real story..
Her husband actually used her to reach US and then he got addicted to drugs and also he had an affair with another woman. They got separated (She had to give half of her properties to him as per US rules) and he got married to that other girl. After that she was living with her kid alone for the last 5-6 years.. And now her kid little Akshay, wanted her to get married as he found that she might find it difficult to take care of things all alone.. (Hats-off to little Akashay). And I was amazed to hear that its because of his decision she decided to think of a second marriage... She is lucky to have a son like him...
Their engagement was on the day I reached my hometown. It’s just 9kms away from my house. Only 10-15 close family members and my family were present for that small function... There I saw different faces of life:
Happy but curious Lil' Alshay.. Very much tensed Lizzy chechi, as she is very much worried about her future husband.. May be she is still having the bitter past in her mind... Also I could see Joji uncle and Reji uncle with tensed faces as they are also worried about their little sister's second marriage [of course they are].. There are kids who are playing around.. Having fun... There was the priest who is doing the prayers for the new couple.. The new bridegroom and his family came all the way from 200KMS for this engagement function.. The photographer who is looking out to capture the less but important moments for them… Catering people are waiting to serve the food.... A lot of mixed emotions and feelings.. And Me who is watching all these silently in that hall.. Though I could see her smiling, knew that what was going through her mind.... Hmm.. All she can do is to pray to the God and be positive...

They were staying in our house for another 4-5 days before they left to US. And while we were just talking to each other one late night, they had told me how uncertain the life can be... They said they struggled a lot before they all got settled in US... and once they all settled in US they had lots of fun.. all of their siblings got married and settled in US.. They earn more than enough for a luxyary life... There wasn’t any chance for a sadness in their life.. But still it happened.. So they advised me, not to just be happy or worried about the situation what we are in right now... We should move on.. When we have a good time or a bad time, remember that there is a future awaiting us.. So be truthful to you and your family.. Believe in God... and have a wonderful life.. :)

Life has got all the ingredients to make a rare blend of happiness, love, sadness, loneliness, madness, hatred, fun, surprises etc... It’s you who decides how to mix it all together and whether to cry or laugh.. to feel sad or be happy... to be with friends or be alone...


It’s your life... blend it - the way you wanted! Have fun...

::Jithu::

LIFE - is full of seasons

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Why Do People Struggle in Life??

I always wonder, why do we people struggle in their life?? I believe that our destiny is decided byour attitude in life and not by anything else... I would like to define struggle as "An emotional and mental state where we find our life deviating from the way we wish to have to a stage where we never wish to get into..." But ee cannot classify this at any point of time... Because it’s totally up that individual to decide whether he or she is struggling or not...

If an individual cannot enjoy or did not satisfy about the place in life where he stands, which makes him feel that he is struggling... If there is happiness in everything we do, then there is no struggling, because no one would complain or frustrated of their happiness... And if even after being happy they feel they are struggling.. there are some other terms like arrogance... greedy... etc...

But the most interesting thing that I have found out in life is that, though we have 99 things favouring us and if one thing doesn’t come out as much as we expected, then we feel very sad about it and get into such a state where we are struggling.. just because of that 1 thing we are not happy.. So what about the other 99 things which came in your way? Lets take the case of a millionaire, though he has money, Car, big house, servants, etc, he would not be happy if he fails in his love life, because that is something what he cannot buy... And because of that single failure his life might get screwd up... In the other end, The ordinary person might be happy in his love life, his kids.. his family.. but still, would be worried about other things in life like - House, Car, etc.
So, as I conclude, I strongly believe that the main reason for us to struggle is nothing but "Too much of EXPECTATION" in life... Because we often forget many good things and struggle in life because of expecting for something that never gonna happen...

So my dear friends... Deliver more Expect less... Live your life happily....

Keep smiling and wish you all a very happy Easter!

::Jithu::

The real value of Relationship!

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open.
He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband.
When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.

QUESTIONS:

1. What were the five words?
2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWER:

The husband just said "I am with you Darling"

The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband.
That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


" Take off all your envies, jealousies,unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.


MORAL OF THE STORY
This story is really worth reading. ..... Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out some warmth In human relationship.

The Art of Self Appraisal!

A little boy went into a drug store, reached for asoda carton and pulled it over to the telephone. Heclimbed onto the carton so that he could reach thebuttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in sevendigits (phone numbers).The store-owner observed and listened to theconversation:Boy: "Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting yourlawn?Woman: (at the other end of the phone line): "Ialready have someone to cut my lawn."Boy: "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price ofthe person who cuts your lawn now."Woman: I'm very satisfied with the person who ispresently cutting my lawn.Boy: (with more perseverance): "Lady, I'll even sweepyour curb and your sidewalk, so on Sunday you willhave the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida."Woman: No, thank you.With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced thereceiver. The store-owner, who was listening to allthis, walked over to the boy.Store Owner: "Son... I like your attitude; I like thatpositive spirit and would like to offer you a job."Boy: "No thanks,Store Owner: But you were really pleading for one.Boy: No Sir, I was just checking my performance at thejob I already have. I am the one who is working forthat lady, I was talking to!"This is what I call "Self Appraisal"

Love - Who got it defined.

Hey,
Just a small debate here.. How do you define love??

Is it just something which people do it for their personal gain??
Is it something for the sake of just living with someone??
Is it just another term for lust?? or infactuation...???
Do you really think Love makes a person dependant on the other for his/her happiness??
Or is it pure feelings comes out directly from heart for unconditionally??

Friends shoot your thoughts on this.. and lets have a discussion on this.... :)

Living or Rushing?

Hey Friends, I had a quick thought when I read one big mail among many of the forwarded mails, which I received today... I usually ignore such BIG mails, once i find it boring or useless after reading the first 3-4 lines of it... But this mail though being a big mail, made me sit and read completely today - during my 4th day break time of my ITIL training session. I feel really happy about reading this mail during the break time itself. It gave me a chance to rethink on my life style and I hope may be some of you, like me would also find it helpful.

Author talks about the need of quality living over fast living... He uses some simple examples which might make us stop reading for a while and put us in a thinking mode... For example, He says about the FAST FOOD era here, which in real life shows how fast we people are trying to live… The real enjoyment in eating comes when we enjoy our food... i.e. when we take our time to taste the food that we eat… So what are we expecting from something called fast food??? Instead in this era people are rushing and rushing... And while rushing, I feel that we people usually forget to live our CURRENT LIFE... Why are we rushing?? Why we always want to finish everything in a hurry?? There is no answer… Why do we expect an immediate result in everything we do? Confused?? To help us to get an answer, the author talks about the point of slow living...

He talks about the life style of people in Sweden. Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to possess a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

According to the author, this no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living. According to him, this stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

I totally agree with the author on this point. What is the use of working 8 hours a day with a frustrated or tensed mind?? Neither the work will be done nor the person going to have a peace of mind. I would rather go with working 2-3 hours, with a happy and a dedicated mind. In fact the productivity will be better in this case than the former scenario. It is the same case in everything that we do in life. I strongly feel that we should first live our life than getting anxious about the future living. Because the anxiety never ends as long as there is future and once the future is o more, there ends our so called life. He has quoted a film dialogue which goes like this “The life is lived in an instant”, which in fact is true, because no one is guaranteed on his future.

We all have time to live in this world, but what really matters in the end is how long we LIVED than preparing for the future living. So friends, one question to you people… Are you LIVING your life or still rushing? Give it a thought… Time for me to rejoin the ITIL class, Thanks to that anonymous author for giving such a beautiful thought for me… I would be happier, if this small piece of thought could make some of you to do a rethinking on making their life a LIVING than RUSHING.
Cya…