"Positive Thinking"

This is something I hear a lot in the software management circles, training sessions, etc., nowadays. All your problems can be solved by "positive thinking"! No one seems to be interested in practical thinking anymore!

The "real" managers who try to solve "real" problems, sometimes seemingly impossible, go much further with a positive approach to the problem at hand. On the other hand we have people who have a "positive" approach without any idea about the ground realities. This finally boils down to just wishful thinking or foolish optimism.

One of the sad facts about the software industry in India is that a lot of people just "manage" to get along especially in the services companies since none of the decisions taken have long term effect. It is usually the client who suffers much later. The payment and project would be over by then. A lot of people who neither have technical nor management skills or thinking tools "successfully" manage project teams. For them "positive" thinking is really valuable!

Positive thinking definitely is a great tool for those who do some practical thinking but it is not a substitute. I have a strange feeling that Scott Adams gets his inspiration for Dilbert from some of these circles.

Familiarity breeds contempt?

I have noticed that many people can admire only those who are inaccessible to them. They cannot admit or admire the genius of a person within their local community or circles. This phenomenon is even more amusing when you find that a guru or a specialist ceases to be one in their minds as soon as he/ she is accessible to them.

It does not seem to be logical to me but I was speculating that it might be rooted in some kind of an inferiority complex about oneself and the community. As soon as a "gem" becomes part of their immediate circle it loses it "sparkle" in their eyes.

Another strange phenomenon I have noticed in some is that a person who excels in some field is given a godly image. This means that the person is expected to be great in all the aspects. For eg. a great mathematician is attributed with good conduct as well and the moment one comes to know of his drug addiction he ceases to be the great mathematician!

On the other hand I have seen people who have already achieved some things in life by their own sustained effort, greatly admire achievers in any field that requires great effort and dedication, even if they do not understand the complexity of the field itself. For eg., a great musician who put in life long effort to become a master looks at a olympic sprinter with great respect.

Nothing much.. still hopeful

The daily chores remain the same this year too :P. Somebody told me that if you are confused as to what you want to achieve or aspire for, do a thinking exercise. The exercise was to visualize what your ideal day would be like.. what you would be doing hour after hour and so on. Now think about how to work towards such a position/ situation in life.

A similar exercise about life was to visualize your funeral. Imagine that you became a ghost who can overhear all that people are talking about to you in private and public. Now think what you would _actually_ like them to feel/ say about you. Is your relation with any/ all of those people assembled there close to what you want it to be?

Now you know which of your present relations to improve. It also gives a flash of the reality that your life is after all very short and it is most important to live it fully and be useful/ valuable to people around you... living a fuller and not a longer life!

Even though these exercises are very simple and some consider them so childish, I like the simplicity itself and I do it often. I did it today. So I feel like being nice to all whom I meet for the next few days :-)

Few years back my dad bought me a new shirt and I wanted to try it on. The packing had a lot of pins and I was taking them out one after the other. Unknowingly I kept one between my teeth instead of putting it in the plastic bag itself.. I don't know why! I was busy looking into the mirror checking how well the shirt suited me.. That’s when my mother me called from the drawing room.. I answered with a "Yeahhh" and the pin went inside (or at least I thought it did)!!


I tried to cough and spit it out because I felt that it was stuck somewhere in my throat. My mother came running hearing the strange noises. I mimed to her that the pin went inside.


I was immediately taken to the hospital. On the way I thought how funny the whole incident was and how a trivial thing like this could change your life.


Obviously the X-rays did not find any pin in my body or it just went through my system the next day (the doctor asked me to eat a lot of fiber). That’s why I am here to write this blog today. So be good to the people around you and feel good about it. All this hatred and sophistication is just not worth it. Just a thought :-)

Its a New year and I am hopeful

A very Happy New Year to you all

This year, I only replied to the greetings I received. I hate to send an E-greeting. It is better to receive a personal message even if it is just a couple of lines.

I think 2003 was relatively a good year and I was able to slowly come out of my laziness and get some things done. It would be nice just to continue the good work and put in more focused effort. Hence that is one of my resolutions as well. I also want to start blogging (I already have!) and concentrate more on my health and fine arts.

I went to a New Year bash (Hollywood 2004). It was a big party with just loud music. But it was nice. A lot of young couples and all have made some effort to dress according to the theme ? Hollywood. I was happy to see that the skirts we back in :- ). Bosco and myself, took off from there at around 11.15 pm and went to a nearby church for the midnight mass. We spent a peaceful hour there and then headed back to the party and stayed there till 3 or 4 in the morning. Since we were in the church at the turn of the year, we were still energetic while the others slowly started leaving the dance floor and lying down on the lawns nearby.