Some learnings..

simply cannot be spelt out :)

Its all in the head..

.. even your health.. You think you are well, you get better. You think you are sick, you are sick.

Laughter for the day..

LOL HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA ROTFL :P :D :D :D :)

Keep smiling! :)

1) Help unconditionally.

2) Observe the game, make your own rules and have fun playing it! When you feel you are taking it too seriously, remember its just a game! :)

Laziness..

.. is a sin.

Its all in the head..

Success.. is in the mind..
Pleasure.. is in the mind..
Confidence.. is in the mind..
Satisfaction.. is also in the mind..

All your ultimate desires are of the mind.. and the mind is in your control. Realise this.. and discipline your mind....

You are right..

not because others agree with you, but because your facts are right. - Warren Buffet

But this might not always be true.. Fact can mislead and infact what is "right" from one angle may not be "right" from every angle. It is very relative.. as elucidated by this inspiring story:

   The date is 1 September 1983 and the Cold War between the Soviet Union and USA is in full gear, when from the New York skies Korean Air Lines Flight 007 flies from JFK, destination Seoul, South Korea.

In the middle of the flight, while accidentally passing through Soviet air space, Soviet fighter jets appear getting close the aircraft. The Soviets, who didn't know the plane contained civilians, warned the pilot that they will shoot down the aircraft if it doesn't identify itself, and the pilot, for some unknown reason, doesn't respond.

Reports say the pilot never actually received the information, although theories about this are still unclear. An hour passes as the fighter jets still accompany the aircraft, and the orders from Soviet military is to shoot down the aircraft just as the plane was leaving Soviet airspace.

The Soviet fighter jets shot down the plane, with the aircraft plunging 35,000 feet in less than 90 seconds, killing 269 civilians, including a US congressman.

Hell broke loose. As the Soviets tried to defend their 'mistake', US President Ronald Reagan described the Soviets actions as "barbaric" and "a crime against humanity that must never be forgotten".

The tension between the two mega-powers hit an all-time high, and on 15 September 1983 the US administration banned Soviet aircrafts from operating in US airspace. With the political climate in dangerous territory, both US and Soviet government were on high-alert believing an attack was imminent.

It was a cold night at the Serpukhov-15 bunker in Moscow on 26 September 1983 as Strategic Rocket Forces lieutenant colonel Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov resumed his duty, monitoring the skies of the Soviet Union, after taking a shift of someone else who couldn't go to work.

Just past midnight, Petrov received a computer report he'd dreaded all his military career to see, the computer captured a nuclear military missile being launched from the US, destination Moscow.

In the event of such an attack, the Soviet Union's strategy protocol was to launch an immediate all-out nuclear weapons counterattack against the United States with nuclear power, and immediately afterwards inform top political and military figures. From there, it would be taken a decision to further the military offensive on America.

The bunker was in full-alarm, with red lights all over the place as the missile was captured by the Soviet satellites via computers. Petrov wasn't convinced though. He believed that if the US attacked, they would have attacked all-out, not just sending one missile and giving a chance for them (the Soviets) to attack back.

Petrov figured something didn't make sense, as strategically, just one missile from the US would be a strategic disaster. He took some time to think and decided not to give the order of a nuclear attack against America, since in his opinion, one missile didn't make sense strategically and it could easily have been a computer error.

But then, seconds later, the situation turned extremely serious. A second missile was spotted by the satellite. The pressure by the officers in the bunker to commence responsive actions against America started growing. A third missile was spotted, followed by a fourth. A couple of seconds later, a fifth one was spotted... everyone in the bunker was agitated as the USSR was under missile attack.

He had two options. Go with his instinct and dismiss the missiles as computer errors, breaking military protocol in the process or take responsive action and commence full-blown nuclear actions against America, potentially killing millions.

He decided it was a computer error, knowing deep down that if he was wrong, missiles would be raining down in Moscow in minutes.

Seconds turned to minutes, and as time passed it was clear Petrov was right, it was a computer error after all. Stanislav Petrov had prevented a worldwide nuclear war, a doomsday scenario that would have annihilated entire cities. He was a hero. Those around him congratulated him for his superb judgment.

Upon further investigation it resulted that the error came from a very rare sunlight alignment, which the computer read as missile.

Of course, top brass in the Kremlin didn't find it so heroic, as he broke military protocol and if he would have been wrong, risked millions of Russian lives. He was sent into early retirement, with a measly $200 a month pension, suffering a nervous breakdown in the process.

Due to military secrecy, nobody knew Petrov's heroic judgment until 1998, when a book written by a Russian officer present at the bunker revealed that World War 3 was closer than people thought, and a nuclear holocaust was avoided by a close shave.

Petrov reminisces what could have been if he didn't get that extra shift that night.

Even though the Russians have little sympathy to the man who saved millions of American lives, the United Nations and a number of US agencies honoured the man who could have started a nuclear war, but didn't.

A documentary film entitled 'The Man who saved the World' is set to be released, perhaps giving Petrov some financial help, thanking him for the incredible part he had in keeping the US and the USSR out of a full-blown war.

Without knowing on the cold Moscow night back in 1983, a badly paid 44 year old military officer saved the world, and made himself one of the most influential persons of the century in the process, saving more lives than anyone ever did.

Most of today's people don't know it, but today's world as we know it, is like it is because of Stanislav Petrov.

WIKIPEDIA entry about Stanilav Petrov : Here Petrov has said he does not regard himself as a hero for what he did that day. In an interview for the documentary film 'The Red Button and the Man Who Saved the World,' Petrov says, "All that happened didn't matter to me — it was my job. I was simply doing my job, and I was the right person at the right time, that's all. My late wife for 10 years knew nothing about it. 'So what did you do?' she asked me. And I said I did nothing."

So, here I would agree with Jack Welch.

You are right... when your gut says so. :)

You are right..

not because others agree with you, but because your facts are right. - Warren Buffet

:)

Peter Principle..

In a hierarchically structured administration, people tend to be promoted up to their "level of incompetence"

Everything..

.. can be interesting.. If you look at it in the right direction. 

Nothing sucks. Everything rocks.  It is all in the mind..

There is so much to see.. so much to experience.. and so little time.. 

Leave worries aside.. open your eyes.. experience the world and help anyone you can as u walk along... :)

Get out of yourself! And observe!

Then there is absolutely nothing to worry about... it can get bad yes.. really really REALLY bad.. but even then, it all depends on how you perceive it. Do not fear. Do not worry. Do not be jealous. Simply enjoy! :)

Nothing is impossible..

 Some things are really really really really improbable, and some things just require you to look at them very differently!

 Underlying all "impossibilities".. are rigid assumptions. Your mind imposes this rigidity on the assumption.. makes you think they are absolute.. Think again! :)

What you feel, see, hear, smell, taste are what the mind perceives. Nerve impulses, in fact.

Who controls them? 

External forces? Cannot be.. Who are you if you cannot condition your own body?

OK suppose you cannot condition your body. Then it is not yours. Why do you give so much importance to it? Look inward :)

If you can condition your body, then you do not depend on external forces. Look inward! :)

Aham Brahmam Asmi :)

Live simple..

:) Then you can simplify complexity! 

Life..

..is like a very well built extremely wide road.. with lots of people walking on it... you can only go forward or stay where you are.. you can never go back.. everyone is walking forward.. some fast.. some slow..  and the road goes on and on with no end in sight. On both sides of the road extends a plain.. full of rocks and thorns and brambles.. not unlike a rocky desert. And it extends on both sides as far as you can see.. with nothing interesting in sight..

So it is best to stay on the road.. with everyone else.. why would you want to go on the thorns when there is a nice road built for you? Those who stray either get lost or return injured.

Nobody really knows where the road leads.. its anybody's guess. you will only know if you keep walking.. :)

And the only company you have are the people walking with you.. enjoy their company... and help those in need.. you can chose to run but those with you may not be able to keep up. You can always make new friends on the road ahead... perhaps if you run long enough.. you might see the end.. You can alternatively choose to slow down and help those with you.. :)

And it doesnt matter where on the road you walk.. they all lead forward.. just dont go off it! :)

Be yourself..

.. because thats what you are best at!

Strange is our situation here on Earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that man is here for the sake of other men -- above all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness depends.

- Albert Einstein.

True to the word. :)

Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler. :)

God..

.. is a belief to enforce humility among other things.. It is good to feel that there is someone you are powerless against. And the presence of that force is very evident in life... whatever it may be called.

The point then, is not to win favour or appease this Force. But to accept and revere the Force's presence. And be aware of your powerlessness. And certain "rituals" which at face value may seem pointless, help reinforce this reverence. And such an acceptance that you cannot control everything provides tremendous mental strength.

Disclaimer: This is purely an expression of my own belief and I do not in any way disagree or impose upon the beliefs of others.

During a crisis..

.. all the shit comes out.

Fannie Mae, Freedie Mac, Lehmann, Meryll Lynch, Madoff, the autocompanies, and now Satyam.

Only the ones with substance survive. The ones without shit. Believe in substance. Probe the inside..

Thoughts on life..

The things you do in a day can be divided into the following categories... Whenever you do something, be conscious of the category they fall into. Do them consciously with the purpose in mind.  And make sure they keep up the spirit of that activity type.

1) There are some things you need to do to inculcate discipline. These are essential. Considering the current state of discipline, the more of these tasks the better :) Their power lies in the regularity. Do them regularly. Even if quality suffers, they HAVE to be regular. Otherwise, the purpose is lost.

2) Then there are things you do to gain knowledge. Keep doing them..  It is important to keep the thirst alive... To learn.. and to evaluate.. Answers dont come easy. Keep learning.. and keep getting perspectives.. and be true to your values And finally, have a goal.

3) Then there is the oiling. There is the mental oiling. They can be mindless activities.. Yes, you keep them to a minimum, but you must also realise that they are necessary in small doses (like oil in an engine) to keep you running. And you cannot do an overdose :) Keep them small.. but keep them.

4) And there is the physical oiling. You need to take more notice of this. Or you ll have great software but the hardware wont be able to support it. Do it with obsession :)

5) And then there is the "spiritual" oiling. They have a wide range of benefits some of it you cannot comprehend. When you do these things, go into them fully. Get out of everything else. Leave the so-called "material world" behind. You need these true breaks. To just get out. They can range from praying to giving a big hug! :)

While 1 and 2 are core activities, 3,4,5 are support systems. All of them are indispensable.

Some activities however might fall in multiple categories. And therein lies the biggest learning here. GIVE THESE OVERLAPPING ACTIVITIES A PRIMARY CATEGORY. AND MAKE SURE YOU KEEP UP THE SPIRIT OF THAT CATEGORY. :)

And if there is an activity which doesnt seem to fall into any of these, ask yourself what the purpose is. If there is a new purpose, add it in this post. Otherwise, get rid of it :)

Rhythm

Being regular is one.. being rhythmically regular is another. And your body loves the latter.. And ofcourse it is much harder to practice..

It is essentiall the difference between sleeping 7 hours a day and sleeping from 11pm to 6am everyday. IT is hard.. but worth it... :)

Do not underestimate..

.. the power of the ":-)". Or more importantly, the lack of it. :-)

Displine..

is trading short term comfort for long term comfort.

You wont get the returns unless you invest :)

Compete with noone..

but yourself! And compete with yourself constantly. :)

Every now and then..

.. think whether tomorrow, when you look back,  you will be proud of what you are doing right now.. If not, well. time to do something else :)
You are your own judge!

Leave the bed as soon as you get out of sleep.