Sixty plus and Going Strong.......

There are 1000-year old trees in the mountain, but not many 100 year-old people......

At the most, you live until 100 years old (only 1 in 100,000).

Because you don't have many years to live, and you can’t take along
things when you go, you don't have to be too thrifty...

 

Spend the money that should be spent, enjoy what should be enjoyed,

donate what you are able to donate, but don't leave all to your children

or grandchildren, for you don't want them to become parasites.

Don't worry about what will happen after you are gone, because when
you return to dust, you will feel nothing about praises or criticisms.

Don't worry too much about your children for children will have their
own destiny and find their own way. Don't be your children's slave

Don't expect too much from your children. Caring children, though caring,
would be too busy with their jobs and commitments to render any help.

Uncaring children may fight over your assets even when you are still alive,

and wish for your early demise so they can inherit your properties.

Your children take for granted that they are rightful heirs to your wealth;

but you have no claims to their money.

60-year old like you, don't trade in your health for wealth anymore;

Because your money may not be able to buy your health...

When to stop making money, and how much is enough

(hundred thousands, million, ten million)?

Out of thousand hectares of good farm land, you can only consume
three quarts (of rice) daily; out of a thousand of mansions,

you only need eight square meters of space to rest at night.

So as long as you have enough food and enough money to spend,
that is good enough.

So you should live happily. Every family has its own problems.

Just do not compare with others for fame and social status and see
whose children are doing better, etc.

but challenge others for happiness, health and longevity.....

Don't worry about things that you can’t change because it doesn't help and it may spoil your health.

You have to create your own well-being and find your own happiness;
As long as you are in good mood, think about happy things, do happy
things daily and have fun in doing, then you will pass your time
happily every day.

One day passes, you will lose one day .

One day passes with happiness, and then you gain one day.

In good spirit, sickness will cure; in happy spirit, sickness will
cure fast; in good and happy spirit; sickness will never come.

With good mood, suitable amount of exercise, always in the sun,
variety of foods, reasonable amount of vitamin and mineral intake,
hopefully you will live another 20 or 30 years of healthy life.

Above all learn to cherish the goodness around ..and FRIENDS. ...

They all make you feel young and "wanted"...

without them you are surely to feel lost!!

Remember to Put the Glass Down.....

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question.
Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: ”How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm.

If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed.

In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water.

Think about them for a while and nothing happens.

Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt.

And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”

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It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.

Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

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Don't Judge People Before You Truly Know Them.

A 24year Old boy seeing out from the Train's window shouted :
"Dad, look the trees are going behind!"    

Dad smiled and a young Couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24year Old's Childish behaviour with Pity.

Suddenly he again Exclaimed. .
"Dad look the clouds are running with Us!"
The couple couldn't resist & said to the old Man : 
"why don't you take your Son to a good Doctor?"
The Old man smiled & Said : 
"I did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today."

MORAL : Every Single Person On The Planet Has a Story,
Don't Judge People Before You Truly Know Them.
 

"Why We Shout In Anger"

A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled'n asked.

'Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?'          

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said,'Because we lose our calm, we shout.'

'But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.'asked the saint

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples.
Finally the saint explained, .

'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.

What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either non-existent or very small...'

The saint continued,'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper'n they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other'n that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

He looked at his disciples and said.

'So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.'

Office Mahabharata

Dronacharya: The Mentor. The employee who doesn't like working himself but is always ready to guide and train new joiners.Bhishma: The Loyal. The employee in a relatively senior position who happily assists the boss in spite of knowing his incompetence (because of some strange oath maybe.)

Dhritarashtra: The blind boss. He knows that everything is wrong with his project but will still let it function, without making any changes to the current processes.

Gandhari: The Yes-Men/Women. Boss's immediate juniors who know that they are a part of an evil plan but will stay blindfolded and pretend as if nothing is happening.

Yuddhisthira: The ethical guy. Poor chap would never fudge timesheets and call in sick only when he is dying.

Bheema: The angry resource. Always ready to pick up a fight with his peers, subordinates or even the bosses.

Arjuna: The cool dude. The star performer who also knows how to sell his skills. A natural charmer, very famous among the ladies.

Nakul & Sahdev: The good average resource. No one notices them. They keep doing their work and get average appraisals.

Duryodhana: The Bully. Knows how to get work done, by hook or by crook. Doesn't mind threatening the likes of Nakul and Sahdev to get his work done.

Karna: The unsung hero. The best performer in the office but never claims credit for his work. Stays an unsung hero for all his life. Girls take him for a snobbish nerd.

Shakuni: The evil plotter. Copies management in every mail. Escalates every trivial issue, sometimes to take credits and sometimes purely for fun.

Dhristadyumna: The one inning wonder. The one who performs an extraordinary feat, and then basks in the glory of it for the rest of his life.

Draupadi: The shared resource. Keeps hopping projects on boss's advice.

Krishna: The Ultimate Boss (MD/CEO) who knows that it is his game while he makes everyone believe that they are playing important roles too.

Being a woman is priceless

A lot of men think they are doing women a favour by asking for her hand in marriage, but let’s think about this :

She changes her name,  
Changes her home,
Leaves her family,                                            
Moves in with you,
Builds a home with you,
Gets pregnant for you,
Pregnancy changes her body,
She gets fat,

almost gives up in the labor room due to the unbearable pains of child birth,
even the kids she delivers bear your name.

Till the day she dies...everything she does, (cooking, cleaning your house, taking care of your parents, bringing up your children, earning, advising you, ensuring you can be relaxed, maintaining all family relations, everything that benefit you.....sometimes at the cost of her own health , hobbies and beauty.)

So who is really doing whom a favor?

Appreciate the women in your lives always, coz it is not easy to be a woman…….  *Being a woman is priceless*

Random acts of kindness...

Last Valentine’s Day, when Jimmy Fallon noticed that not a single member of his staff had received flowers, he ran out, emptied out a florist shop, and personally delivered a bouquet to each of the people who worked for him.   

Fallon didn’t have to go to the effort, but he did. Why? Because that’s the kind of culture he wants to create on his team: one of kindness, gratitude, respect, and a little fun.

After almost two decades of researching what makes a workplace great, we’ve found that the quality and quantity of random acts of kindness says a lot about a leader, the values of their team, and how their people feel about coming in to work.

Harvard Business School has tracked the financial impact of such positivity in a study . Over a 11-year period, they found positive workplaces that were affirming to employees saw revenue growth almost six times greater than non-affirming cultures, and stock appreciation ten times greater. Building a great culture isn’t just a nice thing to do, it can be a great business practice.

Here are just a few ideas I’ve seen that can help build a more positive environment where you work.

1. Find the time. At rental-car giant Avis, leaders have a wonderful practice of sending out a great customer service message at the start of every day about how their people “Try Harder.” Not only is that a great corporate practice but one manager at Avis takes it further by taking the time to send encouraging texts at the start of every day to his people. These little notes let his team know he is cheering for them and thinking about them. A simple random act of kindness that means a lot to his people.
2. Watch for assists. A leader I met at a fast-driving investment firm decided to add “assisting team members” as a goal in employee performance reviews. He told me, “Universally, everyone expressed surprise at the notion that helping each other was worthy of inclusion on an appraisal. They actually fought it, and that told me a lot about the culture I had created. Our culture was about looking out for yourself and not your teammates. That had to change.” Assisting others can create a culture of teamwork.
3. Random recognition. Invite everyone to come to your next weekly meeting thinking of someone they appreciate—someone preferably working behind the scenes who normally doesn’t get a lot of thanks. Then randomly at ask an employee whom they appreciate, and then present the appreciated person with an award. It can be a simple as a certificate or a gift card to a local restaurant. Give your people the chance to highlight some else on the team. You will find that all week people will be looking for the chance to make someone else’s day.
4. Use your own products. When employees truly love the products or services they provide, it shows. At the Atlantis Resort at Paradise Island in the Bahamas, I found employees regularly receive hotel stays and perks like getting to swim with the dolphins. Besides making them feel valued, it allows employees to experience resort benefits from the customer’s perspective, helping them to better serve their clients. What employee perks could you offer that would allow your people to use your products?
5. Serve your community. A bank we visited in Utah has a paint-a-thon, where employees clean, repair, and paint the exterior of low-income homes in disrepair. The manager’s investment is minimal (paint, brushes, and food for the volunteers) but the impact on employee energy-levels, bank image, and the community is significant. When we serve together we create better relationships at work. A more service oriented culture.

These are just a few samples of random acts of kindness I’ve seen. I hope they work for you; or at least help you come up with some great ideas of your own. When done right, random acts of kindness not only make people feel appreciated, they will make them feel great about where they work and who they work for.

No one ever regrets being kind. By the way, works at home too.

I’d love to read the random acts of kindness you’ve seen.

In the Line of Fire

A conversation between a passenger and Software Engineer in Shatabdi Train. If you read it till the end, you will not only thank me and the person who shared this with me, but you will see life in a whole different way!

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man.. Even the plush comfort of the Air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and was still not entitled to Air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do!!

He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

'Are you from the software industry sir,' the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.

'You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir.Today everything is getting computerized. '

'Thanks,' smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily built like a sportsman... .. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

'You people always amaze me,' the man continued, 'You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside.'

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naiveness demanded reasoning not anger. 'It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it.'

For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Life cycle but restrained himself to a single statement. 'It is complex, very complex.'

'It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid,' came the reply.

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone.

'Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing.'

He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point. 'Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized.

You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you Understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?'

The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination. 'You design and code such things.'

'I used to,' Vivek paused for effect, 'but now I am the Project Manager.'

'Oh!' sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, 'so your life is easy now.'

This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, 'Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality'.

He continued, 'To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other wanting something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday.'

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with Self-realization. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.

My friend,' he concluded triumphantly, 'you don't know what it is to be in the Line of Fire'.

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization.

When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

'I know sir,..... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......'

He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

'There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tri-colour at the top only 4 of us were alive.'

'You are a...?'

'I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment. But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier.On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself.

He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded...

....his own personal safety came last, always and every time.'

'He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir....I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire.'

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epic heroes.

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight. 'It was nice meeting you sir.'

Vivek fumbled with the handshake.

This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tri-colour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute....

It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS : The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awardeld the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award.    

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!