Learning from a coach

Hi,

I ran into some stuff written on John Wooden; considered one of the finest basketball coaches in the game's history. His approaches towards life were simple, yet deserve special mention due to their relevance. I picked some nuggets from his way of living (listed below).

"Discipline yourself, and others won't need to"
"Never lie, never cheat, never steal"
"Earn the right to be proud and confident."

His dad gave him a seven point creed, which he followed diligently. The seven points go as under:

Be true to yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Help others.
Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
Make friendship a fine art.
Build a shelter against a rainy day.
Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

I view Basketball as only a subset in Wooden's toolkit. His life is a great story, stretching far beyond his Basketball laurels. It is an outcome of his value-sytem and his truthfulness to it.

Thanks

Vijay

In a buying frenzy

Hi,

I had to accompany a few friends who did Christmas-cum-New-Year shopping in a local shopping district. The place was brimming with masses, each trying hard to complete their holiday shopping. There were about 15 huge retail superstores, 25 not-so-huge big stores and some 500 shops in tents on the pavements.

My calculation went like this:

The local population: 60 - 70 lakhs
The segment that wants to shop in the shopping district: 15% - approx. 10 lakhs
The above may be narrowed down to 2.5 lakhs shoppers every weekend.
Floating population (entering into the city) for purchase sake during the weekends: 1.5 lakh

Hence, the shopping district needs to serve around 4 lakh shoppers, every weekend. It makes the average no. of visitors per shop as 750 shoppers / shop during the weekends. Give and take some shoppers, to adjust the skewed visits made to few stores.

It is now up to each enterprise-owner to make the skew "happen" to his / her benefit. Shops rope-in expensive models to endorse their brand. The catch is, these shops have these models communicate that the prices are the lowest. In the frenzy to shop, buyers do not question the costs of roping-in expensive models for endorsement. How could prices be cheap if the enterprises were to pay these models their exorbitant fees?

As I walk through the busy streets of this district, I see hoardings that feature these models crying out "their" stores' lowest prices. In the frenzy to buy, who has the time to question?

Vijay

Met a friend after 3 years

Hi,

Took some time to come out of the last week's experience. Hence the delay (Friends know that this a typical lame-excuse that bears "my stamp(?!)")!!!

Met a young friend over the last weekend. The guy had gone out of scene for almost 3 years - with none knowing his whereabouts. Out of the blue, he landed at my home to tell me that he had just acquired an MBA from an European University. Being a guy from very humble roots, he had managed to fetch himself an MBA by sheer hardwork and focus. He listed the kind of jobs he did during the last 3 years in Europe. I have listed them below.

1. Welder
2. Gardener
3. Plucker of Olives
4. Dish washer
5. Assistant to a Chef
6. Chef
7. Office boy in an office
8. Painter of an office of a start-up
9. Trainer of sales reps in a small co.
10. Sack-bag unloader in a market

I was awe-struck by the hardwork of this young man. And was equally surprised when heard about the chances young minds have to earn a decent living on their own. I could not help but gape when he narrated the freedom students enjoy while handling the semesters; unlike our straight-jacketed education system.

I was pained to know that the young friend's attempt to fetch an education loan pledging his agri-land to a local bank in India had turned futile. This is because agri-lands in villages do not have a market value to offer the required security to the lenders.

I could not crib about the way banks are run. Instead, I could sense the need to have a less-pressure-some system of education in India. By this I mean a system that does not penalize students when they have to take a break for a semester or two. Also, the approach towards education should take education outside the classroom. A combination of classroom-driven + worldly-expereince driven education can bring about sustained learning experiences within a young mind. It would also indirectly alleviate the pressures on young minds and help them focus on other skills as well.

Our president Kalam's "Wings of Fire" also underlines the importance of such education (The fieldtrip to the seashore with his fellow-students, organized by his tutor, to have the kids watch the birds fly).

Such a system is a dire need of the hour, as India is stepping into a different league of nations. This would help our less-fortunate brothers and sisters in rural India to earn a living for themselves and help them manage their higher education on their own.

Thanks

Vijay

Some memorable lyrics

Hi,

Over this weekend, I could listen to some numbers that were my favorite while in college. I realized that their lyrics continue to have the same impact on me even today. Here are some of them:

Dolly Parton's "Coat of many colors":

"....one is only poor, only if they choose to be"
"...we had no money, but I was rich as I could be"

Sly and Family stone's "Stand":

"there's a cross for you to bear
things to go through if you're going anywhere"

Jimmy Cliff's "Harder they come":

"I keep on fighting for the things I want
though I know that when you're dead you can't
I'd rather be a free man in my grave
than living as a puppet or a slave"

Bob Marley's "No woman no cry"

"good friends we have, oh, good friends we lost along the way
In this great future, you cant forget your past
so dry your tears I say"

Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over troubled water":

"your time has come to shine
all your dreams are on their way
see how they shine
if you need a friend I'am sailing right behind
like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind"

What a weekend the one that passed by was! (No, I am trying to be poetic. Just an after-effect of listening to these numbers. Frankly, could not help it!)

Vijay