BEGINNING IS THE TOUGHEST

One of the must-dos of my life is to write a book and publish it.

One day, probably a year back while discussing with EM, decided to start writing about a topic. It took me one year just to get the skeleton of the theme ready. About 70 pages of rambling thoughts in one doc file.

I know the real effort commences from here on. But, the feeling of playing with this word file is so satisfying...

A SUNSET TO REMEMBER

One of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen....over the Atlantic Ocean.

(Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro)

SUGAR LOAF TO CORCOVADO

The hill chain of Rio starting from Sugar loaf on the left to Corcovado on the right...

(On a evening from Niteroi)

THE COUNTRY OF PAULO COELHO

Work and profession pulled me to Brazil. Since the last few days, I have been through Sao Paulo, walked through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, visited potential business partners in these hubs of Brazil, travelled through Niteroi appreciated the beauty of the Sugar Loaf and Corcovado mountains and have seen Ipanema and Copacabana amongst other places.

These are incidentally the names of some of the places which my favorite author Paulo Coelho frequently mentions in his books while describing Brazil, his home country. Feel like reopening those classics again and start reading especially after this experience.

SUN IN THE CLOUDS

Sun and the clouds playing with each other on the top of Corcovado in Rio. Loved the way sun acts as an halo to the hazily visible Cristo.

RIVER OF JANUARY

Currently, tens of thousands of miles away from near and dear ones, in a city whose English translation is River of January, I rediscover the magic India has...

BUDDHA

Difficult to believe a rock taking such an articulate pose of the meditating Buddha. That too on the top of Swiss Alps.

(Top of Mt. Titlis, Swiss Alps)

ALEPH

“…..letting himself be guided by signs, he travelled to various continents – Europe, Africa and Asia – on a journey through time and space, through past and present, in search of himself.”

I have developed a new fascination about this topic of time and space converging and surprisingly the books I am picking up randomly to read these days are also based on this theme. First the “Power of Now” and now “Aleph”.

In the beginning, Paulo Coelho reveals his frustration due to a crisis of faith he finds himself in. Typical Paulo Coelho, he once again uses extensive travel for the purpose of self discovery and in the process of reconnection with the universe. The medium of transport, this time, is the Trans Siberian rail across Europe and Asia from Moscow to Vladivostok. The book is about the author’s experiences during Trans Siberian train journey he took with his publishers and a girl whom he meets in the journey. This girl had shared a mysterical and mystical relationship with the author in one of their previous lives and the whole theme of the book revolved around Paulo Coelho and this girl.

This book uses the concept of reincarnation as the guiding philosophy. Like every other Paulo Coelho book, this is also about signs, omens, love and forgiveness with a sense of beauty of expression.

THE POWER OF NOW

A few months ago, I completed reading “The Power of Now” by Echarte Tolle. I spent almost a couple of months with this book trying my best to grasp the essence of the book. I am not the best person to comment on books of such genre.

Even though I am not successful in practicing what is presented in this book, yet it is intriguing to think about these concepts and practices. Extensive words like self, ego, deeper presence, separation, resistance, inner body, acceptance, surrender, infinity, eternity etc. might give the book an esoteric look. But as far as I understood, it’s a book on meditation techniques and meditation by its very nature stresses on the concept of “now”. The techniques are way beyond my levels of understanding. But one thing I can safely claim is that I am better off reading this book.

A line from the book:
"am I one or two? If I cannot live with myself, there must be two of me: the 'I' and the 'self' that 'I' cannot live with”
One more:
"Feel (your body) from within. Is it alive? Is there life in your hands, arms, legs, and feet? … Keep focusing on the feeling … Do not start to think about it. Feel it … Perhaps there is just a slight tingling in your hands or feet … the more attention you give it, the clearer and stronger it will become”.

If you think such lines and concepts appeal to you, then you will love this book. Even if it doesnot, no harm in trying to learn something new for good.

WORKPLACE

Was wondering how the employees of the office (in the photograph) must be feeling to walk into the office through the clouds.

(Swarovski Office under the Austrian, Alps)

AGE

There were times in the past when I had neglected my blog. But never before had I reached a situation wherein I have to search the links for a while to post a mail. With just one post this year, I realise that the most important reason in plain, simple laziness.

After a long time, I was reading my blog, especially the early posts penned down in 2006. Was wondering if it was I who wrote the posts. Age is a tricky stuff. An individual can always be defined as a function of his age. I remember in mathematics we define functions as f(x) where f(x) is a function of x and is dependent on x for its nature.

Similarly Sabya(x) is a variable function where x is the possible age. May be its not that easy to define Sabya as a function of x. It can be a function of many other things. But as in mathematics, simplicity is used to ellucidate facts.

Sabya(31) is so different now (while writing this post currently)....from Sabya (26)(when the blog commenced). I am myself surprised.

ONCE AGAIN

Last Saturday, I spent a day on a ship introducing her to one of her potential clients.

There was a time when I used to spend more time shuttling from one ship to another trying to understand her technicalities…. Trying to understand the giant machines, the beautiful hull forms, the frothy wake, enjoying the gentle roll of a beautiful day and tolerating the harshness during rough weather…

These days I visit ships occasionally and even when I do it’s for different reasons. Now, my first priority is my job is to ensure if the ship is employed….if the client is happy with the vessel…and if the revenues are good enough to beat the budgets.I moved out of the ship in a few hours…the client was happy…

As I watched the vessel distancing her on my way back from the anchorage to the jetty, I once again realised how life has changed after MBA. Once again, I realized the very purpose of business.

ABOUT MARKETING ???

I thought (and still think) that “Dabaang” has all the necessary ingredients that goes to the making of a B grade Indian movie. Yet it is one of the biggest all time hits of the country. Keeps me thinking….is it all about marketing???

…Or am I not able to appreciate stuff which others perceive “interesting”.

HOPE

With due respect to the sentiments of the people who were busy celebrating the Ganesh immersion celebrations on the already choked roads of Mumbai, I keep thinking about the patient who was inside the screeching ambulance. The ambulance searched for avenues to beat the choked roads already blocked by the celebrating devotees and the mighty Ganesh idols, but met with little success. The blowing siren and the flickering light on the top of the ambulance turned out to be absolutely helpless.

I keep thinking about the unknown patient who was inside that ambulance on the day of Ganesh immersion. Did the Lord ensure that he survived? I hope so…

EVIL MONEY

Why do we earn money? Is it to make our life more comfortable? If that were the case, then people won’t be striving hard in their offices working late into the night neglecting their own lives, their own health, their own families….

Whats the point in earning excess money if this doesnot translate to personal happiness and professional satifaction?

(With reference to life of an investment banker)

GRATITUDE

I have rarely seen gratitude to the extent I saw that night when I handed over a 100 rupees note to a taxi driver who dropped me home. The meter showed around 30 rupees less and the driver searched his pocket to pay me back the change. I said him to keep the change and moved out.

The driver looked as if he had never been happy in his life. He had a face which probably never experienced the happiness to smile.

But as he was steering his taxi back, he waved at me and thanked me. I could feel it in his voice…the sense of thankfulness. Difficult to believe the worth of thirty rupees sometimes.

EARNINGS AND HAPPINESS

Read something interesting today:

There is an optimal salary level where people are the happiest. Earning lower than the optimal earnings make people unhappy. Earnings if more than the optimal range can also wipe out the happiness that is experienced by the people who are in the optimal salary level.

Just wondering how far this is true…

RISK RETURN

In a busy morning during office hours cool down and relax on our seat…and…listen to the myriad of voices humming around. Hear the finance people talking about the investments, hear the legal people talking about the liabilities….hear the HR team discussing employee motivation programs and hear the business development people discussing how to win over the hearts of the clients….
It’s amazing to catch all the voices together from a distance….some underlining how to increase returns and others emphasizing on how to reduce risks.

The risk – return balance game is probably the most important enabler of corporate feel.

BULLOCK CART

Mumbai has this unique ability to provide you views which if captured can win the best of competitions. In one of those busy lower parel streets, a bullock cart halted the flow of the traffic during the peak hours…

Treated myself with a hearty laugh with what followed.

Imagine….a bullock cart leading the way…a Mercedes following it….a Honda trying to overtake the Mercedes….a BEST bus trying to take a slanted route to overtake all the three but landing up in a situation where movement is not possible. In the single lane streets of Lower Parel, the heroics of the bus driver managed to block the flow of the opposite traffic. Complete commotion everywhere…and the traffic cops jumping around like mad men...and the show is taking place with the Mumbai rains in the background.

And the bullock cart moved ahead…as if nothing has happened.

ADULTHOOD

When I was a little kid, I used to watch other kids fight for chocolates and toys.

Now, almost two and a half decades later, I see grown-ups fight….this time, not for chocolates or any goodies….but for power, position, ego and money.

How does the desire for chocolates transform into hunger for power? Why does the satisfaction of egos of adulthood taste sweeter than the chocolates of childhood? Does money act as toys for the adults?

May be every adult is a child sans the innocence…