The changed face of India

Hi,

I am a die-hard optimist. I had always thought that India had a great future. All it had to do was to tweak its people to do their best.

I saw it happening a couple of days ago. I had "unconsciously" (one of theose tickmarks that had actually sought permission if the bank can make e-payments) sought my credit card company to debit my account for paying my telephone bills. As I had not informed my folks at home about this, my bills were paid at both ends - one from my credit card and the other from my home.

I appraoched the local telephone office to sort this out. I was in for surprises-after-surprises.

The reasons being:

1. Extremely courteous staff

2. Willingness to listen, with a problem-solving orientation

3. Ability to solve the issue on hand, by coordinating with their billing office and operations team

These came from the Government-owned telecom company.

I only hope that this attitude spreads as wildfire across all Government departments.

Join me in welcoming the new face of India!


Vijay

The mind of an silent performer

Hi,

I had a chance meeting with a friend over the weekend. This friend is a pass-out of IIT and has done extremely well in life. The last time I met him, he was heading operations of a company in Chennai. This meeting did not start with a pleasant note as he explained to me that his company has not done well and has resigned from it owing to its unethical practices. His thoughts were on what to do next.

His idea was to start a venture of his own; such a venture would cost him a fortune. My idea to him as to "takeover" a company's operations and prove a point to the industry. He had been a very silent performer in his trade and not many people know of his talents. He has all along proven himself as a good employee. I told him that it is time to change the approach. His next stint should help him communicate to the world that he has arrived - as a turn-around guy, who has seen it and done it.

My friend quote Buckminster Fuller and the way Fuller helped a photo studio to turn around due to his ingenuity. A sudden gush of energy flowed in him and he could not wait any longer.

He said instead of drafting his CV, he would start writing a plan for companies that are not doing well and meet their management with a business proposition.

All the very best in your endeavor, my dear friend!

Vijay

Choosing the right role model

Hi,

I was reading about Naguib Mahfouz - one of the greats in Eygpt's literature history. He is one literary figure Eygpt could always be proud about.

This man had wanted enthusiasm and wisdom to flow in the streets of Cairo and he did trigger several intiatives to make it happen. I was interested in knowing what could be the driving force behind his drive. I found the following, which held me in awe.

Mahfouz felt that curiosity can be best understood through the decision of one early Muslim ruler to ransom Christian prisoners in exchange for works of Greek philosophy, medicine and mathematics.

The great author had wanted to live a life filled with the same level of curiosity. And he did lead one. What a life and what a role model!

This set me thinking. Who could be my role model? A deep introspection helped me find a few. I found that my role model could be a mix of the below:

Gandhi / MLK / Lincoln / Bharati / Arthur Schopenhauer / Scorates / Darwin Smith / Steve Mockler

With best regards,

Vijay

Power of Music

Hi,

I am an avid learner of music for the last 7 years. I started learning an instrument on which I had no clue about. Though as a child, I had had some exposure to music - not in a very organized mode, I should say I started quite late.

The first days I had very little clue about what struck me. The daily classes were arcane, with little meaning being made out of them. However, the last few months have been magical months. I had been consistently overwhelmed by the power of music. I could create music on my own (though only segments) . Each time I create new notes, the feeling is truly unique. A wave of fresh energy engulfs me and leaves me refreshed almost for the whole day.

I did not write this note to compare between the experiences derived from various habits. But, among the experiences I had gone through, I would rate making music as one of the best.

Each parent should think about providing a chance to their kids to get a taste of music. I am convinced that music is one way to revitalize life's energy.

Thanks

Vijay