Sunday, 9 April 2017
EU Referendum – Leave or Remain – Get out there and vote
Tuesday, 4 April 2017
Sunday, 22 September 2013
It's been a while....
I finally decided to pen something down when my wife shared a very interesting blog from Harvard Business Review called "Manage your energy not your time" (http://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time). I found it incredibly useful as I have always wondered about how to manage my stress levels when the work day gets incredibly busy. I am sure it happens to all of us when we have long days at work and we come back home completely shattered with no energy to connect with our loved ones.
The insights provided in the article refer to taking timeouts every 2 hours when working. Some people find taking 20 minute walks in the morning and afternoons during the work day as an opportunity to clear their heads and allowing them to come back to their desks relaxed and refreshed. In some cases people smoke cigarettes under stressful situations but found a way to cut down by using deep breathing techniques. I am an early morning person and find that by 3:00pm in the afternoon my energy levels are dropping and I feel sleepy. I usually rely on a cup of coffee to reinvigorate me but an hour later I am really hungry.
I have found that by introducing a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack in my routine coupled with taking breaks from my desk I am now able to sustain my energy levels throughout the day and also engage positively with people and with tasks. I am not starving when I get home and that means I eat properly rather than like a glutton. I am able to interact with my kids and wife positively and have a proper discussion around the dinner table about our respective days.
But all this wouldn't be possible if I didn't have a good night's rest which for me is between 7-8 hours. To quote Tim Sanders, "Don't load up on info-carbs like your email Inbox, social media and TV news. Instead, spend a 1/2 hour or so reading out of a book that expands your mind, makes you better at your job or gives you a glimpse into the future."
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Decision Making Under Duress
A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.
The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?
Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make................
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, everyone thinks the same way initially because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?
Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority , no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are , and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.
While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one .
"Remember that what's right isn't always popular ... and what's popular isn't always right ."
Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils
Monday, 27 April 2009
Issues to ponder - chasing money or enrichment?
Shouldn't business objectives be directed towards more sustainable growth. Sustainable in the sense where people continue to have jobs and growth in other parameters counts as well? Personal development, better relations with family, friends, participation in the community, etc.
If we stop and think about where we are in our lives today, maybe we have achieved quite a few of our goals. Its a case of recognizing it and redirecting our energies to something more meaningful than the simple pursuit of money! India is also going down the route of disaster by trying to ape the West. Of course we need economic growth, but it should also be tempered by our values and traditions - we have ancient history to back it up too - simplicity in life! While the world looks at Hinduism and Buddhist teachings to help them make sense of their ordinary lives, young Indian professionals are turning their backs on these teachings and chasing the glitz and glamour of the West. If this current recession is not a wake up call then what is?
These days I am struggling to come up with answers. Talking philosophy and metaphysics is fine (which I have done above) but what are the small or big steps/actions that we should be taking to actually improve ourselves and actually make a difference in the way we work, interact with friends and family and most importantly, with the community?
All feedback and discussion welcome...