God has given little visual distraction. He can concentrate on his work alone :)
18 December 2010
15 October 2010
From Dhaka to Citi's IBD
My friend Fahim who has always inspired me, got an offer from Citi's Investment Banking Division which has been his dream from years, said:
No challenge is too big, no vision is too ambitious.
There is no other name that carries as much respect, which carries as much clouts, than simply saying that "I am withCitigroup"
I will remember these words for a lifetime.
15 June 2010
17 March 2010
25 October 2009
Where do you get answers to questions you ask?
I always did what I thought will excite me, I always dreamt and did. Barring few silly disappointments God has been very kind on me and never let me regret what I did. But these days I regret something!
I get a feeling, which asks me: ‘why did I not pursue my mechanical engineering further? Why did I not attempt the campus interview for a role in Military Engineering? Why did I stop my keen interest in defence with just a small project on rocket launch? Why did I kill my ‘beast bike-savvy’ mindset? No...I regret something bigger.....
If I got the talent and passion, why did I not join the defence forces? What was I afraid of? Why had I left India? How can I now actively contribute to my country?
Well I would say these are my version of thoughts, but you will have your own when you complete reading ‘WINGS OF FIRE’. It is the book every Indian must read. Many of us de-glamorise government jobs as not-so-rewarding, not-as-challenging, boring etc. but you dare not say that if you read this book rather......get a chance to know about this ohenomenon called APJ ABDUL KALAM.
Not getting a picture !....are you?
Ok...lets imagine this: An innocent boy was from an island that has its small world and is to an extent little independent of the bigger land mass. This boy wouldn’t be sure if there was a bachelor’s degree in engineering, one who had to completely dependent on scholarship for studies, who failed make it into Indian Airforce, who lead an unsuccessful team whose years of hard work was wasted into a failed rocket, a person who lead a team to fail our first ever missile Agni twice .... A person so ordinary like you and me...Would go on to become India’s greatest scientist, the father of rocketry and missile science? Who lead gia-normous projects spanning over years to make it a success? Who gave India its first rocket? First missile above all tremendous inspiration to the youth thrust forward with unyielding determination!
IT WAS NOT EASY..... Dr. Kalam sir worked nothing less than 18 hrs a day, admired every person equally be his mentors Dr. Sarabhai, Brahma Prakash or be it fresh engineers in his team..he loves everyone and everyone loves him. Above all, he had no personal family but he has the whole India as his heir and kin, we all inherit his vision from him.
These were my thoughts when marathon finished ‘Wings of Fire’ in 2 days I too was working hard 15 hrs I guess...barring my breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have never so engrossed with such intensity. I began this book when I was personally doing a bit of soul searching wondering where was it going wrong? What did great people do when they perceived challenges?
With quite a mundane set of questions I began reading it and...to my amazement I discovered a ‘Karan-janm’. Karan= purpose, Janm= birth. I am also caught with the idea is he some kind of avatar to simply lead independent India to a powerful and technologically competitive country? Was there any other purpose...he was born to lead...he was born to bring glory to our country which otherwise was one of most advanced nations since ages.
After coming to London, and being out of touch with my spiritual side, I was so ecstatic to see Kalam displaying his spiritual connection to ordinary life. Friends here is what I tell you, in many movies they show when everything goes wrong, the heroine or hero’s mom goes to mandir is not a joke...it is symbolically says when everything seems upside down, where to go? Ask the almighty! Yes and our Avatar purush Kalam did it too!
All strength, happiness and eternal is spirituality!
Well, I managed to make some personal notes on the book, thought it might be some answers you have been searching for...
1. These lines signify how life can take turns and you have to abide by the purpose of the creator.
“I have always received the power I needed and in fact felt it flowing through me.Kingdom of God is within you in the form of this power, to help achieve your goals and realise your dream.There are different types and experiences that turn this internal power reaction critical. Sometimes, when we are ready, the gentlest contacts with him fills us with insight and wisdom. This could be in the form of a book. Meeting another person, from a word, a question or even a look, book, a conversation, phrase or mere sight of picture
Without slightest warning, something new breaks into your life and secret decision taken which you might have been unconscious of to start with. “
2. I think he quoted this in relation with people who sometimes get rejected for being different
“All reasonable men adapt themselves to the world. Only a few unreasonable people, persist in trying the world to adapt to themselves. All progress in the world depends on these unreasonable men and their innovative and non-conformist actions” – By..I don’t remember
This one is the context when... optimisation comes in the way of creativity. A regular scene in our projects!
“Optimisation wins only on paper and looses later on in the real world”
Explaining the above: Imagine you want to build something new, well it is uncertain if it would work or not but it might cost a lot.....there will be circumstances where people are more worried what would be wasted than if successful what could be gained.
3. When everything seems to be going opposite, and nothing seems to work out..then Dr. Kalam used these words to go on...
For all your days prepare
And meet them ever alike
When you are the anvil bear,
When you are the hammer strike
4. This is the best so far: “Desire to be more than what I was at the moment. I desired to grow, improve, purify and expand. Key to motivation is to look how far I need to than I had come”
5. When in face of a failure, “We often analyse life without dealing with it.We dissect problems for cause and failures but seldom deal with them master them and avoid recurrence” and
“SO when your hopes, dreams are shattered search among the ruins you may find a golden for an opportunity hidden”
6. When trying to achieve something new with a team...”Decrease the resisting forces for a change than increasing the supporting forces”
There might be many such quotes and thoughts which helped the great. Well, the idea is simple my friends. In life we face situations, which are very new......very challenging beyond our grasp or our previous understanding. It can be as simple as how can I get a job? How can I be happy? How can I feel confident? What should I do now? Etc...Etc.....I learnt very simple thing: When some challenge challenges you it is very unlikely that you were alone to have ever faced that....there might be answer to your question..somewhere hidden...ask it......and find it...and a shortcut is searching the lives of great men. I would welcome your thoughts on it.
Finally, I consider Dr. AP Abdul Kalam Sir is most inspiring man on earth, alive. It is such a fortune to have taken birth in India. Had he been a American he would have been president for 2 terms, with atleast a dzen noble prizes for science, peace....and his biography the best-seller, having knighted, his face cared along with lincoln and washington on mount rushmore, and what not?
But to beat it all, he has one thing "Bharat Ratna" the most respectable of the most advanced civilization in the world!!!He is such a great Leader and thinker. Pounce on a chance to read about him and wish him all the best for his endeavours.
You can help!!: If you click on the ads below, it will generate revenue for me, which I plan to utilise for my charity projects! Exciting? So enjoy clicking on the ads....
10 June 2009
Watching Cricket in the Mecca of Cricket!
Watching Cricket in Lords is such great an experience. I wish I could watch India play. But I couldnt manage to get tickets. If I look back, my family has always loved cricket, we all speak about cricket. And God gives me this opportunity to watch cricket in place where cricket was born. That was the place where Kapil Dev lifted the WORLD CUP 1983.
I went with my mates Fahim and Refayat from Bangladesh, William from Malowi, Taruna 4m New Delhi. I thank Fahim for booking tickets really early and we ended up in the first row, just after the boundary. I was in the long-off/ third man area where the ball doesn't go so frequently though! But the good thing was we were very close the cheer leaders :P
I cannot forget the proud in my dad's voice when i talked to him from Lords. As I said, we were a cricket family and my dad has always been a die hard fan of Kapil Dev and his 1983 stint. So, he said "Beta you are really lucky! Long way to go...". Small joys like these help us grow.
Finally it was one of my childhood dreams come true.
03 May 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
