Today is Basant Panchami – a festival celebrated to the worship of Goddess of knowledge and learning, Mother Saraswati. In today’s write-up let’s get acquainted with the significance of this festival through the props as we see in the pictures of Goddess. Mythological portraying of Goddess Saraswati depicts her as a woman wearing white colour dress ornamented with white pearls while she is sitting on a white lotus. She holds white colour flowers in her hands and she holds a string-instrument called Veena.

The White Colour :

The most prominent feature in the Goddess’s portrait is the white colour. White embodies faith and signifies success. A white flag represents peace and truce. White means safety and usually has a positive connotation. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility.   A colour indicating transcendence, a new-born child is usually wrapped in a white colour dress and when the soul departs it is also covered in a white coffin.

In profession and business, white is associated with transparence, fair play, cleanliness and simplicity. It’s the color of snow and demonstrates cool temperament. White is an open canvass for unlimited imaginations; angels ( paris) in stories for children are usually imagined wearing white clothes.  In management parlance we differentiate jobs basis colours. The nomenclature goes like this white collar jobs, blue collar jobs etc.  White collar work means a high level of education and a flashy job profile. A job that might need formal attire and would fetch high salaries.

White is associated with goodness, purity and is considered to be the color of perfection. White is the colour of truth and wisdom. It is the wise who wins and the successful  is one who has power. With so much of a significance to this colour, the Goddess of wisdom inspires us to acquire eternal knowledge and divine wisdom.

The Lotus : 

Lotus is a spiritual symbol in various cultures across the world . In Hindu, Buddhist and Egyptian religions, the lotus is considered a sacred flower.  It is a symbol of growth, continuity. It also represents life  and its buds symbolizes unyielding potential.

We all know the proverb that a lotus blooms in marsh.  A symbol of purity and resurrection the lotus blossoms pure from within untidy waters. Spiritually speaking the human journey transacts from a contaminated world of thoughts to the enlightened state of oneness. In the same way as the lotus flower goes through its growth phases : emerges from dirty water to become a beautiful flower.

To the common man this flower suggests success under difficult situations. Your current circumstances do not decide your success or failure. In fact it is your current state of mindset which defines the future course of your life. Think wise and become beautiful. The lotus makes its way through water and rises above its surface with glory. It remains in water but is not incapacitated by it.  You might have been born to poor parents or you might find yourself in the state of a mess but as the lotus suggests, you surely have the chance to bring out and see the beauty of victory.

Hamsa (The Swan) & the Peacock :-  

Goddess Saraswati is portrayed sitting along with a white swan on one side and a peacock on the other.  A white swan represents purity and an uncompromising attitude for virtues.  It is known to have a tremendous amount of discriminating power. The swan’s beak is very sensitive – it can even separate the milk from water. A lesson to be learned is to learn to  discriminate the right from the wrong and always be on the correct path. On the contrary the bird Peacock is profusely influenced by weather conditions & shows versatile swings in its moods. It dances in ecstasy when the spring beacons and it cries in agony when it is separated from its mate.

The Swan represents the head and the peacock indicates the heart. Goddess Saraswati teaches the human beings to keep a perfect balance between the head and heart. It educates us to lead an emotionally intelligent lifestyle.

The Veena –

This sitar like instrument symbolizes harmony in life. The music of life will sound melodious only when it is in rhythm. It is basically the music inside our mind which soothes us and not what we listen through our ears. It is the cumulative sound created by our thoughts and actions which create the music in our universe.

Whatever we feel delivers sorrow or happiness. We become what we think. The veena with Goddess prescribes us to be in sync with positive and powerful thoughts. Let the music of success play inside your soul, only then you will be able to attain it practically.

The Book :-

A  book in the hands of Goddess does not just underline the importance of acquiring knowledge it also admonishes us to learn to assimilate as much information as we can. This is the internet world and information is power. In order to be successful it is imperative to always be online with the latest in technology and wisdom.

On this day of Basant Panchami I pray to the goddess to bless the complete humanity with the divine wisdom, success and greatest happiness.

By : Ajit Varwandkar

Feedback : md@fsindia.in

परीक्षा मतलब पर +  इच्छा

–परीक्षा में हमेशा दूसरे व्यक्ति  की ही इच्छा का महत्व रहता है ,बच्चे साल भर पढते है ,लेकिन पेपर कोई दूसरा बनाता है ओर जांचता भी है   कोई और |परीक्षा का भय तो ऐसा है कि बड़े बड़े व्यक्ति भी परीक्षा के नाम से भागते है |अगर हम परीक्षा के मनोविज्ञान को समझने की कोशिश करे तो हम पाते है कि एक नियत समय में ,साल भर की पढाई की जाँच सिर्फ तीन घंटे में की जाएगी |तो इस     समय में जरुरी है कि बच्चे अपना आत्म विश्वास बनाये रखे और एकदम शांत और संतुलित रह कर परीक्षा की तैयारी करे| परीक्षा का तनाव क्या होता है ?यह सवाल आप किसी भी छात्र से करे ,तो उसके हिसाब से दुनिया का सबसे बड़ा तनाव यही है पूरे साल मेहनत की है .पर अब हताश हो रहे है |पता नहीं क्या होगा ?  अब जबकि परीक्षाएं करीब आ चुकी हैं और कुछ ही दिन शेष रह गएँ हैं,स्वाभाविक है  कि बच्चों  और पालकों में  उत्सुकता ,घबराहट  एवं तनाव की स्तिथियाँ निर्मित हो जाती हैं | वैसे तो कम वक़्त बचा हो और लम्बा रास्ता तय करना हो तो वाहन चालक को गति बढ़ानी  पढ़ती है , मगर यह सावधानी भी रखनी पढ़ती है कि कहीं एक्सीडेंट न हो जाए | यह भी पक्का कर लेना होता है कि उतनी क्षमता है जितनी से आप उसे चलाना चाहते हैं | समय कम बचा है और कोर्स ज्यादा, ऐसेमें क्या करें और क्या न करें यह एक अहम विषय होता    है|

और अगर यह बोर्ड परीक्षा है ,तो तनाव होना असामान्य बात नहीं है |लेकिन कुछ बातो का ध्यान रख कर बच्चे तनाव से बच सकते है और अपनी परीक्षा में अच्छा प्रदर्शन कर सकते है

<क्या करें छात्र

1*परीक्षा के लिए लक्ष्य तय करना जरूरी है। अपनी क्षमता देखकर ही अपना लक्ष्य तय करें। वरना बाद में निराशा होगी। अगर आप 9वीं कक्षा तक 65 प्रश अंक लेकर पास होते रहे हैं तो अपना लक्ष्य भी 65 से 75 प्रश अंकों का ही रखें। 85 या 90 प्रश अंकों का लक्ष्य रखने से आप भटक जाएँगे।

2* ध्यान रहे, लगातार कई घंटों तक पढ़कर कोई बच्चा अच्छे अंक प्राप्त नहीं कर सकता। किताबी कीड़ा बनने की जरूरत नहीं। पढ़ाई के साथ थोड़ा समय बाकी कामों के लिए भी निकालें। परीक्षा के वक़्त तनाव होना जरूरी भी है, लेकिन इतना नहीं की पढ़ा हुआ याद ही न हो पाए| हर स्टुडेंट्स का अपना बॉडी क्लोक होता है | किसी को रात में पढना  अच्छा लगता है, तो किसी को सुबह | आप भी अपना बॉडी क्लोक समझे और उसके अनुसार काम करें | यह सोचकर कभी नहीं पढ़े कि आपका दोस्त ज्यादा देर तक पढ़ता है, आप तो बस यह सोचे की आप कब तक पढ़ सकतें हैं ? 45  से 50  मिनट लगातार पढ़ने के बाद 5  से 10 मिनट का ब्रेक जरूर लें |

3* सुबह की सैर के साथ-साथ थोड़ा-बहुत व्यायाम व खेलकूद भी जरूरी है। इससे शरीर को नई चुस्ती-फुर्ती मिलती है, जो कि शारीरिक व मानसिक विकास के लिए बहुत जरूरी है।

4* मनोरंजन हमारे जीवन का जरूरी हिस्सा है। परीक्षा के दिनों में मनोरंजन का समय घटा दें, लेकिन खुद को मनोरंजन की दुनिया से पूरी तरह अलग न करें। थोड़ा समय निकालकर हल्का-फुल्का संगीत, हल्की-फुल्की कॉमेडी फिल्म या धारावाहिक अवश्य देखें। याद रखें की मनोरंजन का समय खाने में नमक की तरह होनी चाहिए, न तो बहुत ज्यादा न बहुत कम | शरीर के लिए 6 घंटे की नींद बहुत जरूरी है | इसलिए शरीर को प्रोपर रेस्ट भी दें

5* अगर माता-पिता ने आपके सामने बहुत कठिन लक्ष्य रख दिया है, आपको लगता है कि आप उसे हासिल नहीं कर पाएँगे, तो उनसे स्पष्ट शब्दों में कहें कि आप कोशिश करेंगे लेकिन आपकी क्षमता से यह लक्ष्य बड़ा है। अगर वे फिर भी उसे बार-बार आप पर थोपते हैं तो इसे इज्जत का   प्रश्न न बनाएँ। धैर्यपूर्वक उतना करें, जितना आप कर सकते हैं। अनावश्यक तनाव न पालें।

 6  *     स्टुडेंट्स परीक्षा के तनाव को कम करें और सकारात्मक सोच  अपनाएं | परीक्षा को अब कम ही समय रह गया है | ऐसे में किसी नए चैप्टर कि शुरुआत करने कि बजाय, जो पढ़ा है, उसे ही अच्छे से पढ़ें | पढ़ाई के साथ ही खान – पान का भी बराबर ध्यान दें |    लाख समझाने पर भी स्टुडेंट्स के मन में परीक्षा को लेकर तनाव तो रहता ही हैं | इस स्थिति में दिमाग को ज्यादा ऑक्सिजन कि जरुरत होती है, जो उचित खानपान से ही संभव है |

  खाना  सिर्फ दो  बार न  खाकर कुछ अंतराल में कई बार में खाएं | हर एक घंटे में पानी जरूर पियें और अंगूर, सेब, मुनक्का, मूंगफली, संतरा, सोयाबीन, पालक, खजूर, शहद और गुढ़ भी खाएं | मसालेदार खाने से बचें |

चिंता करें, लेकिन इतनी नहीं कि सब कुछ भूल जाएँ | पढ़ाई को यदि बोझ समझेंगे, तो कभी सार्थक फल नहीं मिलेगा

7** अगर आप तनाव में हैं या फिर आपको किसी तरह की घबराहट या बेचैनी हो रही है तो जल्दी ही घर के किसी सदस्य को या फिर करीबी मित्र को बताएँ। अगर आपको लगता है कि आपकी बात कोई नहीं सुनेगा तो किसी हेल्पलाइन पर फोन करें। वे आपका मार्गदर्शन करेंगे। परीक्षा के दिनों में बच्चों के लिए विशेष हेल्पलाइन शुरू की जाती हैं। इनकी जानकारी सभी अखबारों में मिल जाती है।

 8*पढाई करते वक्त अपने टेबल में   – स्माईल के साथ पढाई करें, ऐसा करने से मस्तिष्क में ब्लड सरकुलेशन तेज हो जाता हैं | दिमाग और मन दोनों ही आपके नियंत्रण में रहते हैं और वह दोगुनी तेजी से काम करेंगे | जब हम खुश होतें हैं तो सब कुछ अच्छा लगता है | इसी तरह परीक्षा को  भी ख़ुशी - ख़ुशी लें | यह समझे कि सालभर जो कुछ सिखा है उसे दिखाने का समय आ गया है अगर फिर भी मन न माने तो तो दिल पर हाथ रखे और बोले आल इज वेल |

वर्षा अजित वरवंडकर,

मनोवैज्ञानिक करियर सलाहकार ,

अगलाकदम .काम,रायपुर  ,98261-32982

Efforts never die

Your commitment is more important than your speed

I retell the story of a few frogs which lived their life happily near a dairy farm. Once while they were in search of food, a few of them inadvertently jumped into a milk bucket. Milk bath was an entirely new experience for these frogs. Eventually they realized that the side walls were too slippery and it was not possible for them to jump out of the vat. They could do nothing but to swim around hoping for some help. They were unaware of the fact that help comes to those who try a way out on their own first.

God helps those who help themselves. Almost all the frogs that accidentally got into this milk pond lost hope and surrendered to fate. However there was one fat frog who did not want to give up. He kept paddling and jumping in the milk. Many colleagues admonished him not to waste his endurance because if he consumes all his energy he will be the frog who would drown first. The fat frog had a never give up attitude and as such he could not be dissuaded. On the contrary he suggested his friends to keep trying. He said a miracle would happen and they would be saved only if they kept their efforts on.  Inspired by the confidence and determination demonstrated by the fat frog, some of his friends started paddling again.

Nothing happened even after a few hours of paddling and one by one most of these frogs lost the last thread of hope. One frog even recited the valedictory speech, “Brothers and sisters of my frog world, the time has come when we would be breathing our last very soon. We tried our best to get out of this pail, but unfortunately today there is no sight of any help around.  I am fully tired now and have decided to give-up. It’s our dooms day, good-bye to all.”

The fat frog decided not to get perturbed. He thought, ‘all that I can do is keep trying and I will not back out’. He continued paddling incessantly. A few minutes later he realized there was something solid beneath his body. With the continuous paddling he had actually churned the milk into butter! The fat frog pressed his feet against the hard coat of butter and hopped out of the milk pond!

The moral of the story is keep trying till you succeed. Failure happens only when you stop trying. Your ‘continuous effort’ is the only gap between success and failure. Say for example Saurav Ganguly, past captain of Indian Cricket. Once upon a time he was crowned as the most successful captain. Time changed and he met a row of failures. Situation turned against and he not only lost his captaincy but also found himself struggling to secure a place in the international cricket team representing India. Out of the national team, he decided not to abdicate; in fact he played in the Ranji Trophy tournament. What I learn from this great cricketer is his indefatigable spirit. This energy and willingness to succeed is the key to his success.  Today Gangully might not be on the field but still he is in the game. You can listen to him making commentary on international cricket matches!

To get what you want you should have unlimited enthusiasm and passion built into your character. Yet another inspiring example is of Rahul Dravid. Right from his debut match, he got recognized as Indian wall. Eventually a stroke of non-performance hit the player and this sturdy wall become insignificant. Under such trying situations his never surrender approach kept him focused on his performance. As a result after a few matches the wall got rebuilt! Failure happens only when you lose your focus on the target. You stumble upon a barrier only when your conscience does not register its presence on the path. It requires Dravidian perseverance and practice to beat any challenge.

Like to share one more story here, that of Plato who the disciple of Socrates. Plato asked   his master to reveal the secret of success. The guru ordered Plato to meet him on the bank of a nearby river the next morning. When both met there, Socrates asked Plato to walk into the river along with him and keep walking till he was asked to stop. The journey into the river was shivering and horrifying but Plato had no option but to go on. When the water level reached near his nose and he could not take breath any further, he stopped walking ahead into the water. This is when the teacher hard pushed his student’s head into the water and pressed it inside for a few seconds. Plato could not understand the situation and responded back by applying all his strength to jump out and gasped for air. He skeptically looked at his master and asked him the reason of this action. This is when the guru said, “When you were not able to breathe inside the water, you pulled all your resources and mustered courage to leap into air! When you shall be so much desperate for success as you were for one breath, you will surely be successful!”.

LESSONS FOR EXCELLENCE:

• You fail only when you decide to fail.
• You will win only when you decide to be a winner.
• “Determination to Win” is the key resource for being successful.
•  Success will happen only if you are desperate.
• In the journey to success, your commitment is more important than your speed.

 Ajit Varwandkar

Feedback : md@fsindia.in

Kites fly high against the wind

Makar Sakrant  is celebrated on the day the sun enters the zodiac sign (rashi) of Capricorn (Makar). This year the festival is being celebrated on 15^th January. There are idiosyncrasies typical to the celebration of this festival. People use the sesame seeds for various utility modes in life : for bathing, eating, drinking water etc. Festivals, in India, carry so much of a logical significance. According to ayurveda, in winter, the consumption of sesame seeds is overall beneficial for human beings since the oil in these sesame seeds generate body heat, preventing the ill effects of the cold.

There is much more that happens on this festival. Come 14^th January and in most of the states, in India, kite flying becomes an instant fad. The kite fever has crossed borders and today we have international kite flying events organized in UK and US. Myriad kites can be seen in the air these days, to name a few : kites like golden kite, dragon kites, fibre glass kites, stunt kites, eagle kite, train kites, kathakali kites fly high in the sky. One can even see candle light enabled night-flying kites, teasing the stars in the night sky!

When we see thousands of kites flying in the air demonstrating a kaleidoscope of patterns, shapes & colors, it surely spreads pure happiness and rejuvenation in the air. The galaxy of kites put you in an awe and you think if life could get any better? A deeper look into the sight of kites soaring high into the sky can instigate spirituality and give you lessons in life. It’s really amazing to know what a kite can teach us. If we are open to get lessons, anything around us can teach us – even a kite!  I summarize few lessons that can be driven out of this festival of kites.

LESSONS FOR EXCELLENCE :

Sky is the limit : Always look up and rise high like a kite in life. If you have the will and determination to achieve heights, even sky might be an easy target for you. Lesson to be learned is that a kite flies highest against the wind, not with the wind. More the challenges you face in your path, better are your chances of success. The winds always try to resist and change the direction of a kite and only the aerodynamically steered kite can beat those wind currents. Likewise you need to adjust and accommodate according to the circumstances and move ahead.

String of basics : How so ever you fly high in your professional career, your career should be tied with the string of discipline. the basics in life should govern our character and attitude towards circumstances and our reactions. This string could as well be looked upon as a spiritual connect. Whatever might be your achievement in life, you will survive it only till the string of faith is intact. The moment it gets cut, the flight can go haywire and take you nowhere.

Kite Reel and Winder : This is your family and values. Go out in the professional world, achieve your targets and when the event is finished, one needs to come back home. Your home sweet home is the winder which stacks all your  faiths and beliefs intact.  The unwind at home  provides the reel of energy when you are at work.

The tail :   The tail gives you a lesson to always leave tracks of your learning’s trail behind. Remember there are people who might be following your success and it becomes your moral obligation to help them grow. This would be required by those who might be following you. In other words sharing your knowledge is important. You will only grow further when you share your wisdom.

Balance in Life : What do you do when the kite does not take off? First try to adjust the balances? Isn’t it? A kite is as good as the balance & symmetry it maintains. No matter how beautiful the kite is if you fail to balance the fitting spars or the string, it won’t fly well. The stronger the wind, the more sail area imbalance will show up, making the kite go left or right or even loop continuously. If we ignore the needs and demands of people around us and our society it is sure we would bang harsh on ground in no time. We live in a mutually interdependent lifestyle and life is all about balance. When things do not turn out the way you wish it to, try setting the balances right.

Teamwork & acknowledgement : It takes two to fly a kite. Teamwork is essential. You can never perform in isolation. When you achieve your set goals in life never forget there would have been many supports you received in the journey of your achievement. Learn to shower due credit to each one who supported you on your path.

Importance of Choice : Our experiences in life are a direct outcome of the choices we have made. We choose to make a kite or to buy it. When we buy a kite we decide the type and colour of the kite. In fact we choose when and where to fly the kite.  When you make the kite on your own, you are responsible to choose the right material and technique to make it. Life is all about decision making. It’s important to take right decisions and respect those.

There is tough competition in life : When you fly a kite, you are always threatened about an attack from a nearby kite. All that looks beautiful is not very easy and simple.  Beauty and success is accompanied by threat always and one needs to be prepared to deal with those. Sometimes your kite might get prey in the sky in spite of your best efforts. What do you do in such situations? Get lessons and try flying a new kite the next day! Likewise  in life some days are just not yours. Never surrender and stop if things do not happen to move ahead smoothly, be patient and keep your efforts on. You will see the sight of success very soon, again. Why not create a kite festival every day in your life? Be effervescent & colourful always. May be the next day is yours!

Ajit varwandkar                                            

Feedback : md@fsindia.in

PS. An appeal : It has been found that some birds get killed by the string of the kite. Request all not to apply sharp edge materials to the kite string. This might harm a bird. Also fly a kite in such open areas where the birds are less likely to fly low.

Nick Cijicic Lessons

We all come across problems in our work and life. In most of the cases it is not convenient for us to bypass these disruptions and ride further on a smoother track. You can only avoid difficulties by facing it. In the journey of life there would surely be potholes and roadblocks on the way. It is best to treat roadblocks as perseverance enhancers and not as demoralizer. Smooth roads never make efficient drivers, rough roads do. The path to success has to be crafted on one such terrain ahead. An impasse on road should never be considered as a failure or a dead-end.  

When problems visit us, the first casualty is our comfort circuit which trips abruptly. Anxiety triggers and we start thinking more of the dreadful consequences and less about the workable solutions. More often than not one gets bogged down by the horrendous and misappropriate visualization of tough situations in life.  Think of your biggest challenge in life as on date?  Think about it once again and answer this question: will it be possible for you to meet your target and reach out to your dreams in spite of this biggest challenge on your way?

Let me give you yet another situation here, God forbade but what if you where short of one hand? Or may be both the hands? In such a scenario would you have been able to win over obstacles in life? What would have been the fate of your goals in such a scenario? Still worse, what if there were no hands no legs? Can you imagine being successful in such a condition? I am sure you cannot imagine this. But there is one human being (a super human being) in this universe who has not just defeated disability but made it his strength.

I would like to share the story of Nicholas James Vujicic from California. He is a motivational speaker. He was born in Australia on 4th Dec’1982 with a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. It is important to make the right end to whatever beginning you had in life.  As a child, he struggled mentally and emotionally, as well as physically, but eventually came to terms with his disability and, at the age of seventeen, started his own non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs.

Here is what Wikipedia writes about Nick. A key turning point came in his life when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a severe disability. Vujicic realized he wasn’t unique in his struggles and began to embrace his disability. He began to master the daily tasks of life. He learned to write using the two toes on his left foot with a special grip that slid onto his big toe. He learned to use a computer and type using the “heel and toe” method. He learned to throw tennis balls, play drum pedals, get himself a glass of water, comb his hair, brush his teeth, answer the phone and shave.  In grade seven he was elected captain of his school and when he was seventeen, he started to give inspirational talks. Today he has travelled the length and breadth of the globe and has become an international celebrity. 

According to Nick, what matters is “how you finish?” He says, “If I fell down and If I fail to stand up a hundred times what option do I have without any limbs? I can only try to stand up once again. Without hands and legs, I do not have the option to surrender.” Cry loud will only play the sound of gloom.  Gnashing of teeth and chuckling never can offer a solution. Nick says “If I fail, I try again, and again, and again. If YOU fail, are you going to try again? The human spirit can handle much worse than we realize. It matters HOW you are going to FINISH. Are you going to finish strong?”

Friends let us all learn lessons from Nick Vujicic. Presence and absence of success are seasons in life. Sometimes in winters the umbrella of fog wraps up the earth. It’s the sun rays which pierce through the mist and enables vision. There is a stark similarity with life situations. When surrounded by the fog of sorrows, pain and problems please allow your confidence to prick the fog of disbelief.  Once you do this, you will fly into the universe of unlimited possibilities. Life has to be lived beyond limitations.

Lessons for Excellence :

• When you are on the verge of giving it up completely, that’s when it is worth making one more attempt.

• Best way to live life is without regrets.

• The fog of regret will lead one nowhere.

• Love living life always and embrace any impediment whatsoever may be with belief.

• “The challenges in our lives are there to STRENGTHEN our CONVICTIONS. They are NOT there to run us over.”

Ajit Varwandkar

Email : md@fsindia.in

While the nation is effervescently rhyming with the beats of Tamil song “Why this Kolaveri di?” there is this monster called recession silently trying to make inroads into our happiness. The United Nations has set the scarecrow in action by projecting that the world economy is likely to further slowdown in 2012. UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects 2012 report has cut the global growth forecast for next year to 2.6% from 4% in 2010.

Think of the word recession and the “dirty picture” of “job cuts” & “layoffs” gets displayed on our memory screen. Unemployment has become almost synonymous with recession. The country has managed to wriggle out of the 2008 subprime fiasco and I am sure we are not prepared to face yet another era of slowdown blues. The fact is that at an individual level one cannot do much to stop the impending slump as it is a global issue. What do you do, when you cannot change the circumstances? Change yourself, Isn’t it? Getting scared is not enough, one should switch on the career saver strategies at work. The million dollar question is “what changes in work behavior would help an individual to safeguard career?”.
Here I present some lessons drawn from the song Kolaveri di which suggests how to make our career recession proof.

Be Innovative & Creative :

Tough times never last but innovative people do. The innovative exposition of the song Kolaveri makes it recognisable. People of all ages might not like the song but none can stop it from getting registered in the brain cells. Likewise an innovative employee has multiple strengths. Such a person is often looked upon to by the management whenever there is a challenging situation. Be creative and keep delivering results. A crisis saver in the organization never gets a pink slip.

Be Different

You will agree that the song Kolaveri is absolutely different. Right from lyrics to video the song is incommensurable. When the business does not see a growth with and routine strategies go bust, companies are forced to be different. In the cluttered market place it is imperative to stand apart from the crowd. When recession strikes and job cuts are on card, the first to be sacked are the commoners, the one’s who are not distinguished. It is strongly advised to be identified as a person with exceptional skill sets. Being different in approach could be a career saver skill for you.

Be in rhythm :

“Why this Kolaveri di? is a song full of meaningless sentences ( if any) but still sounds interesting. Even the absurdity of words rhyme with the flow of the song and that’s the key reason behind its success. Come to the corporate world and there are times when logistics do not work out the way one desires. You might want to execute some strategy but the management might be planning something else. When times are not smooth never break the rhythm, try to ride the wave till you hit the shore. Your being in sync with the organizational tune will help you propitiate the management. Essence is to shed all inhibitions, learn to be different and still be in the organizational rhythm.

Be Fast :
It is said that the lyrics of Kolaveri Di got scribbled just in about 20 minutes. Even the song was released before the scheduled release date. The message drawn is “be fast, be first”. To insulate ones career from the shock of recession it is mandatory to be smart, swift and efficient. You are less likely to face the heat of slump if you are ahead of others in the organization. Being quick in your response will help you insinuate yourself into the managements perception. Admonition here is be quick but never be hasty in your actions.

Be involved :
It’s important to be involved in your work. Love your work. Be persistent even when things do not go your way. Generally employees preempt doom and prematurely start behaving desperate. Do not give in to peer grape wine. An organization is always keen to survive out of the tide. Job cut is one of the tools used to save cost but generally it is not the first to be used. There are many other interventions related to inventory and financial austerity which an organization deploys first.

Ajit Varwandkar
Feedback : md@fsindia.in

Happy New Year 2012 to all the readers.

Life keeps moving, irrespective of the days and the dates. We keep accommodating our wishes and actions as per the current realities. You surely have dreams to achieve. What looked achievable and easy at the start, sometimes becomes elusive way ahead.. What was a desire some months back gets thrown out of the priority list. A friend of mine quipped yesterday, “This year no resolutions for me. Enough is enough, I am now scared of the avalanche of false promises accumulated year after year. I won’t have this monkey on my back anymore.”

What’s the significance of 1^st January after all? Isn’t it just one another date? God did not offer these dates to mankind; it is we human beings who have evolved the nomenclature of dates. Why then this dance, drama and overnight parties on 31^st December? Celebrations just for the heck of it or are we captives of this commercial world of marketing and packaging? Many people ask me what’s that special way you celebrate the New Year? 1^st January is not just the first day of the new year for me. I have learned from my twitter friend J.Sewell Perkins to consider each day as the first day of the rest of my life. I try to take my life one day at a time. Just like a batsman would do in the game of cricket, focus on the next incoming ball. That’s the vital art of living.

Here I summarise a few important do’s for striking success and happiness in the days to come.

Explore yourself:

God has blessed each one of us with some area of expertise, which might not have been explored yet. Many people keep walking through the days in life without knowing their strengths (and weaknesses). Sachin Tendulkar won’t have been a great cricketer if the inherent passion and prowess of this game was not explored by him. Sometimes it’s better to be late than never. Bommen Irani for example, a professional businessman, explored that he had a skill and passion into acting / theater and at the age of 42 decided to get into bollywood! We all know how successful he is today in the Indian cine world! Think about yourself, are pursuing a career selected by choice or by chance? It might be high time for you that you did an “explore yourself” exercise to know yourself better. I suggest, do it now.

Major Milestones:

Now that you have explored yourself and identified the core areas of expertise; it’s now time to define your ambitions and categorize it. Do some research work and check out the success strategies of a few people relevant to your field. Assimilate the lessons and apropos set at least three or four mega milestones for the next 365 days and go for it. The target you set for your self should be realistic and time bound but not something which is achievable without reasonable efforts. Think big and stretch your desires. Let not the shadow of past failures darken the path to your future. If success has not met you till now, it only means it is time for the appointment to be scheduled any moment now.

Be Professional

The typical metaphor which defines the current market place is ‘dog eat dog’!  Though I detest this phrase, still find it to be true. It’s time for you to be professional and sketch the picture of your success. My understanding of being professional is being disciplined and target oriented. Be it your work life or family life, it is must for one to be honest to the needs of self and family. Every action should be oriented towards the achievement of your set milestones. For example you should not buy something because there is an exciting offer available for that product, buy it only if you really have a valid need. Do not go for a movie because you have to give company to your friend, go for the movie when you feel to do so. Learn to know when to say No and Yes. Be professional and be successful.

Take a break

The lust of being a super achiever renders many people incoherent. Get out of this mad rush and meditate. Man is a social animal and we all need love and care to survive. Make it a habit to invest some moments each day in spiritual pursuit.

Wait, relax a bit and think, have you been doing justice to your relations off late? Have you taken due care of your parent’s? Have you expressed love to your kids? Have you spent quality time with your family? Most important, have you had time to think for yourself with a peaceful mind off late? Have you finished reading that book at hand? If yes, great going for you. If no, please take a break because if you don’t, chances are your life wagon wheel might breakdown very soon!

Enjoy & Contribute

Enjoy every aspect of life, realize that death is also a part of life. Do not wait for tomorrow to enjoy what you could do today. Wear the best dress today itself, you never know tomorrow might not be there for you! Enjoy is nothing but joy en route.  

In the amphitheater of life you should jostle to evolve beyond yourself. Learn to live for others. Share tears and spread smiles. Your day is worthwhile if you made someone smile somewhere, think of it, did you make someone smile today?

Walk the Talk

As a good human being we all have noble intentions. However intentions do not create your personality. It’s time to move on from intentions to action. Mind you, your activities are being watched. Your children will follow your footsteps and learn life skills from your actions. Your colleagues will keep a watch on your deeds always. Your boss, your friends, your neighbor, Your God, .. all are watching you and evaluating you. Be watchful of whatever you do. Walk your talk, keep walking through out the coming year. It’s time to take your life to the next level. Next Week.

Happy Next Level to all of you…

Best Wishes. God Bless You all.

 Ajit Varwandkar

Feedback : md@fsindia.in

Computing in the new age is evolving every new day. A new invention today renders yesterday’s technology obsolete and a modish tool becomes tacky in no time. All those who use these devices surely have experienced the insidious nuances of virus infection. A media report tells that there are more than 75 lac computer viruses in the cyber world. Almost a ton of new furtive viruses take birth on the net every day. Still more heartening is to know that there are certain miscreant techies who not only misuse their grey cells to create new formats of viruses but also simultaneously develop virus protection tools for commercial use. Sounds over smart, and also short term, isn’t it?

I am reminded of an anecdote where in there was a car windshield seller who used to break the screen glasses of cars parked in the nearby locality by throwing stones in the night. The vehicle owner usually landed up in this person’s shop to get the replacement. Eventually when many cars in the vicinity had the glass break, people realized that there was some trick at work which got exposed no later. One day the irate people broke into his shop and vandalized the property.

Likewise there was a flat tyre repair shop businessman on the highway who adopted a similar strategy. As a daily chore every morning he used to spread a dozen upright nails few yards ahead of his repair shop. The trucks plying on the highway would run over those nails and get a flat tyre. The nearest repair shop obviously gets the business! When the trucks plying frequently on the same route met with the similar accident repeatedly they explored and came to know about the mischief played by the repair shop. In due course this fellow got beaten-up ruthlessly by a few truck drivers.

The first principle of marketing in any book of management would state that there has to be an inherent genuine need which should be then fulfilled by the supply of relevant product or services. The examples stated above sound so unethical. However this practice is vividly rampant and happens at various levels in the commercial world. Some people succumb to this process of generating business for oneself by way of causing harm and/or loss to the prospective customers. A few big nations have been known to create dispute between to neighboring countries and in turn sell huge volumes of arms and ammunition to both of them.

There can never be a successful shortcut methodology to generate ‘need’ in the market place. The seed of product need lies in the consumer’s mindset. Need germinates organically. All those who used one or the other methods to inject business numbers got subverted by the consumers. Shortcuts will always rule you out in the long run. Those who adopt such deceitful measures to sell their products end up loosing their credibility in the marketplace.

While I was speaking to few sales executives from a big company, their champions shared their success mantra with me. They said, “we have been taught three C’s to success – Convince, Confuse or Corrupt”. They said, “we first try to convince the customer to buy our products, if the customer is not convinced about our brand ( and is more inclined about the competitor’s offer) the next step is to confuse the customer by sharing complex information’s. When the second stage does not fetch the surrender of the disquiet customer, then finally they corrupt the deal by way of extending discounts and bargains. This is in metaphorically stated as beg, borrow or steal! After this experience I am always prompted not to believe in the words of salesmen, at least never take those on face value. Now I think many times and do a thorough research before buying a product!

Look into the map of any city, you will find that the short roads will only serve the purpose of connecting two nearby points. Its only the highway which will take you to the destination. It might be costly and time consuming to construct bigger roads initially, but once done, the ride gets smooth and swift. Lessons for Excellence : • Shortcuts will only Cut short your life. • Shortcuts may at best work on desktops, not in real life. • Apparently a shortcut saves time, but upon reflection in the long run the perils takeaway too much of happiness out of your time. • The secret to success in life is not to gain the most, but to enjoy the most out of the gains accrued. • There is no short cut to achievement, it requires good planning and thorough preparation.

Ajit Varwandkar

Feedback : md@fsindia.in

A lot has been talked about and discussed regarding the introduction of FDI ( Foreign Direct Investment ) in the Indian retail segment. A media research report states that out of 125 crore plus people living in India not more than 0.75% of this population is likely to be in the business of small size trading / grocery or retail store business. Almost 50% of the nation directly survives on agricultural revenue in our country. What farmers sell at rupee 1 gets sold to the end customer at about Rs.4/- on account of the long drawn delivery chain. If the multinational retail stores are allowed to operate in India (under strict monitoring & guidelines), they would help farmers get a better return for their produce and also the common man is likely to save a lot in terms of monthly grocery budget. However this is not happening now. There has been myriad reaction to the proposal and the government has suspended this decision for the time being. Please note that through this article I do not intend to either support or criticize the decision on multi brand retail FDI related policy. Sometimes resistance to change ultimately converts into compulsion to react. Idea is to read between the lines and understand the vital importance of change and innovation in today’s business lifestyle.

I am sure most of you would recall the good old days when telephone used to be one of the luxury consumer good. Those were the days when a refrigerator was supposed to be white colour only, a car was supposed to be mostly Fiat or Ambassador and telephone sets used to be black boxes. To get a telephone connection was an arduous  task. There used to be a long waiting queue in the telecom department to get that phone connection installed at your place. Times changed and things started looking different. Mid 90’s decade had seen a flood of STD booths mushrooming around every nook and corner of almost all cities in the country. Yellow boards showing STD PCO FAX was a very familiar sight. Those were the days when STD PCO shop was a decently profitable business venture. Slowly with the change in policies, availability of phone connection got easier for the common man. Pagers were born and eventually mobile telephony came to age. The PCO business owner had to innovate and he added internet kiosks in his business offerings. Photocopiers, fax and laminators became an elementary accessories in his shop. Today the old PCO wala still sells the phone call however has now added various products for his survival, You can see them selling  mobile recharge, dth vouchers,  toiletries etc and a few even sell insurance policies!

The message is very clear here. Market situations are bound to change. If a person does not innovate, his career can get into atrophy. Early eighties, Premier Padmini (Fiat) was not available off the shelf. With the incoming of Maruti 800 the market dynamics changed. Fiat lost takers and Maruti went out of stock. Today car has become a nano product. There are various multinational brands offering products across various price points to woo those buyers.

When the car business boomed in India there came a flood of car loan sellers. Almost all banks and all NBFC’s had their Direct Sales Agencies which mushroomed across the nation. Market configuration change brings in a shift in the consumer’s mindset.  Once upon a time having availed a loan was once an indicator of self pity and deprivation for the middle class Indian citizen. This perception eventually changed and today only the suave are supposed to buy high value products by way of a loan.

Nothing can ever be constant in this commercial world. One has to consistently innovate to survive. One has to run to stay at the same place. Even if the retail companies get their foreign partners the real competition for the next door retailers would ultimately be from the online marketers. In the west, biggies like Walmart & Tesco do faces a tough competition from the online  seller like Amazone , e-bay etc.  If you do not pre-empt change you will be forcibly changed by the market forces. Going a step ahead it is must to take a lead and drive change. When it comes to change the niche gets its advantage and laughs all the way home. Do not just renovate your business, do innovate. For a prosperous future you deserve to Innovate.

Lessons for Excellence :

• Change is apparently tough but the consequences are tougher when it is avoided.
• “Change voluntarily, before you have to.” said Jack Welch  .
• Need for change might create anxiety, but remember your actions can convert it into prosperity.
• Stagnation is impossible when you consistently innovate.
• Lets learn to view change & innovation as a natural phenomenon – not just to anticipate it but also to plan for it.

Ajit Varwandkar

Email : md@fsindia.in

My last week’s blog post “If your child is at the career cross road” evoked a sweet and sour response. I got many calls from readers telling why they intended to debate on some of the parenting views referred by me. Most of the responses came from the rich and the able. One gentleman said it’s about giving the best academic amenities to the child. One doctor opined that in today’s era parent’s cannot track the likes and personality of their child.  One PSU employee could not digest my statement that “excess concern about child’s career borders paranoia”. A school teacher called me to thank for the write-up, she suggested me to elaborate on the subject and hence this sequel.

For those who might have missed the last week’s write-up I recapitulate the essence.

“When at career crossroads, a child is in an very sensitive stage of evolution because career decisions bear a significant impact on one’s life. Children ought to select the career which they are desperate for and not the one which gratifies parents unfulfilled ambitious. However in the process of guiding the child parents should ensure that they guard her individuality & self esteem. Irrelevant tinkering into their space will only display a lack of trust and surely backfire. Too much involvement as well as too less involvement in child’s career building process is harmful. Parents must play the role of a light house & a guide post. The light which they show should enable the child to take a career leap and also warn when there is danger.  The student should be encouraged to take informed career decisions for a prosperous future.”

Parents are child’s first career coach and there are certain basic fundamental rules which a parent must adhere while career mentoring the child. The messages which a parent delivers can impact the educational and career choices of the student significantly. As per one survey, almost 80% of  high school students stated that they look upon to their parents when it comes to career selection guidance. Children are very smart at observation and they learn a lot from the work behavior of their parents and other adult role models.

Children who are particularly gifted & super talented present unique set of challenges. We come across parent’s who boast of their child being much advanced in terms of technology. The frequently orated sentence by parents is: “My son is so smart, give him the latest model of mobile handset and he will not take more than a few minutes to explore all the features and apps tucked into it.” This brings a pseudo sense of overconfidence into the parents. Career selection is different to dissection of a technical device. It is important for parent’s to understand that their children might sound hi-tech & advanced but when it comes to career decisions, they might fail to take mature steps.

Parental involvement should neither be too high nor too low.  Appropriate and inappropriate levels of involvement can either help or hinder the childs career takeoff. A balanced intervention can deliver positive attitude in the student which in turn will ensure better grades and effective decision-making skills.  Decisions related to career swing around the fulcrum of family idiosyncrasies and students personality. In situations of dilemma, some parents offer unconditional support to whatever career choice the ward might opt for.  This happens to be a well intentioned but a mal functioning strategy most of the time.  A child  might be capable of doing many type of jobs but in case she enters into a world irrelevant to her personality, there could be sinister consequences.   Ideally at every such stage parent should offer two or three well researched choices and then leave it up to the ward to identify the most suitable out of those.

The key to a successful career is being happy and fulfilled at the end of the day. This can be achieved when there is a proper match between child’s interests, values, skills and abilities with the professional demands of chosen career. Being potentially influential in the career development process of their children, parents should know to explore and use career information properly. They should take interest to identify the potentials and abilities in their children and bridge it appropriately.

Lessons for Excellence :

• Always share closed ended solutions with your child, never leave them wondering in the wild when it comes to career decisions.
• Parents should encourage their children to day-dream more and more about their fancied job and develop an inventory of career dreams.
• Never forget to ask your child to have fun, in the zest to get a perfect student out of their child most of the parents forget the sports needs of their children.
• A successful parents is open to learn new things and accept the everchanging career scope around.
• Be open to discussions with your child, even if he has an eccentric career choice!

Ajit Varwandkar

Feedback : md@fsindia.in