Leadership...

Its dormant powers have potential to shake the foundation of years of persecution, it can toss empires to earth, it can raise masses in defiance of tyranny and against countless oppression, it can re-kindle hope and motivate fellowmen to stand for a common cause and its struggle stories keep inspiring generations for endless times.

Such is the might of ‘Leadership’.

Leadership is a two-way transformative and intrinsically ethical relationship between the leader and the followers. It provides a path for people to tread collectively and do greater good by changing the course of action of the society.

Leaders are visionaries. They have a vivid imagination and a foresight and they trust in what they seek to achieve. Their faith in success is far greater than the fear of failure. They do not wait for the chance rather they take up the cudgels to create the chance. They rise above the crowd of commons on account of their unwavering spirit in their beliefs and their ability to influence masses by articulating the cause and then relentlessly pursuing it to completion.

A lot of time, leaders are counter-intuitive to most conventional concepts of both ambition and the means of achieving success. For this reason, they are occasionally faced with failures but then they choose not to lose and rather face their demon and triumph over it.

Leaders challenge the status-quo. Some lead mass struggle for racial equality while some pioneer the concept of ‘satyagraha’, some stand against fascism and restore the superiority of democracy while some set up dictatorship and pose the greatest threat to democracy. 

Leaders like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Churchill and Hitler have left indelible mark on the fate of many. Such influential leadership is not too hard to spot. It is quite evident on the field when Mahendra singh dhoni shows the right mix of aggression, innovation and ability to take calculated risks or in boardroom, when Mr. Ratan Tata stands by his conviction of revolutionizing the concept of cars for middle class.

Leaders are born is an obsolete concept. The growth in the number of successful entrepreneurs, sportspersons, media icons, stands testimony to the fact that leadership can certainly be evolved-if not inherited.

Now, when the world has woken up to India’s potential, it is time for more Indians to come forward and carve that niche in which the phrase ‘third world country’ doesn’t seem to fit. It’s time now for Indian leaders to stand up to the adjectives that the world has been showering upon us and lead the masses to new heights of achievements.


PS:
Agar Dekhna hai Hamari Udaan Ko
Toh Jara Aur Ooncha kar do Aasmaan Ko...!!!

The Unceasing Quest…

The movie ‘15^th Park Avenue’ concludes with a quote that lingers long after the film ends.

“She is looking for something she can never find…aren’t we all …??”

Minor schizophrenic, as human beings are, we are plagued with the delusions of our fancied designs...So perfect and real, yet unattainable.

And even if they are, were they what we embarked upon for ?

The envisioned goal and the existent attainment of it seldom coalesce.And in short-run when it does…The next moment, the dartboard appears to flee faster than the approaching dart…thereby gravitating the dart downwards…missing, thus, the Bull’s Eye.

In fact, it’s a point of view which is never still.
The target shifts itself as if it’s a stochastic function of the level of its attainment.
Well, the quest never ends... and it never will..but the search does lead us somewhere...and that... is decided by the effort you put in and how good you make of the ubiquitous opportunities.

Life is, after all, a game of some smart sophisticated moves.

Spine Shuddering Scare...

It was an unusual Friday night.

Time: 2:30 am

I was watching the movie -- ‘The Exorcist’.

As the movie concluded creepily, I realized that a deathly silence permeated the room. I knew it would dawn in sometime but it was not this time… Two more hours of haunting remained.

With fear flowing through my veins accompanied by a subtle paranoia, I thought I spotted the silhouettes that floated round the corners of the room.

The curtains caused some strange cacophony of noises. The creaks created by the flaps of that dampened fan which tried to grasp the air that barely passed through, signaled the spookiness that intensified the underlying terror in my heart. The sensation of specter was further strengthened as this air moved through the corner of my ears as if whispering or so of a panic that planned to linger for a longer period. Eerie sounds and ghostly voices had a bearing to the stony calmness of the night, indicating that something sinister lurked in the shadows waiting to make a move.

The shadowy presence harped in the dark corner and it felt as if I could effortlessly peep into those drained eyes that had seen time changing faces.

Evil sometimes lies dormant at the cross-roads between life and death... where the mortal and the eternal collide. Sometimes death is temporal but not terminal. Many a time, restless spirits roam in an attempt to fulfill their strange designs.

Apparently, you can’t fight what you can’t see. But then, the bigger question is:

Can death be seen amidst the livings?

Remembrances of Today as they would be in Tomorrow...

Nostalgia has gripped me again, embracing me to those days when springs were not just the haphazard interferences of noises made by the splattering deluge... Rather it was the warmth of the sunshine that lightened up the day.

As time turns pages, the voices of people I met, walked and then parted with, still echoes distinctly when I am all by myself.

God, I miss those days when it felt great to be in love, all the time, and she was not gone.

Her hands and her hair, her face and her eyes…

I am still living in the past, seeking her trace in my life…!!!

PS: The post is in no way whatsoever related to me.

Only the narration is mine.

Macrocosmic Mystification…

It’s only sometimes... but for those rare moments… when I set out to seek rational interpretation for the existence of irrational things, that I ask myself questions on the line of --

Why is fire fated to destroy the cause of its creation Or perhaps it’s the thermal affinity for an eternal affiliation between the creator and the creation.
Why are the shores of a river, not meant to meet, lest the river runs dry, in which case they aren’t shore any more. Probably because they are meant to bear the pain of separation. To look at each other from far and then sigh. To have mutuality but not association.

Some things, even if they aren’t seemingly illogical, have been designed to be visceral.

After all, ambiguity allures.
Why otherwise could you catch the mist but not the cloud?

Quote:
"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived."
- M. Scott Peck

Ashes of the phoenix---AMR Group VI

Finally posting it...

Today is March 26, 2009 and this day brings us to the conclusion of the flight of affairs by the name of ‘AMR- Group 6’.
Among all the uncertainties of the situational twists, we gathered at the confluence of the Girls hostel and the cafeteria, SIIB, to rejoice once again through the happenings of our varied experiences. Now it becomes equally important for me to mention names of those people who have given me some of the most beautiful memories of my SIIB life. Not following any order, they are Neha, Sananda, Punam, Samiksha, Rakesh, Prashant, Sanjay, Ashraf and Arindam. The meet concluded when everyone expressed their thoughts.

Posting them here for posterity.

Sananda: It was a heavy (...??) subject. She was confused, she said, but had a nice time and intends to do more masti in days to come.
Neha: She spoke about the Tamanna party when thumps-up inebriated us to the extent of losing our sense of consciousness. This party was, undoubtedly, one of our best. And also talked about some ill-omen which took our parties away from us.
Punam: She spoke about our first AMR convene when we were deciding partners for our ‘3-day-AMR-Ends’ dare.
Samiksha: She spoke about the presentations - when only the presenter was caught amidst the showering furies of Mr. Godbole. It was fun to bear that brunt. Also, she re-assured us that she is mentally fit after that “ride of the lifetime”.
Rakesh: He also talked about the parties and “increased fairness of happy people” (which, you know was referred to whom…and we made sure that the message was conveyed.) Was about to speak about his crush but was saved from doing so.
Prashant: He talked about the last minute presentations and the fun at parties. His impending marriage and the talks of it. Shook hands and wished luck to every one of us.
Sanjay: He was as always was the fizz element. Added some expert comments and made the party more humorous.
Ashraf: He said, “It was good”.
Arindam: He spoke about the camaraderie all of shared. He said he enjoyed everything other than studies and also promised to take us to his house sometime.
Punam also promised the same.
Abhishek (that`s me) : I talked about the parties we had at the start and then the confidence with which we faced Mr. Godbole and then the places which we looked for hiding when he fired us after looking at our presentation. And then I spoke indistinctly, “Bohat si yaadein judi hain AMR ke saath”.

It all started from the day in June when we first met after 'The Singhad triumph'.

And here we stand today, after completing successfully, the trail of events which was made all the more fascinating by Mr. S.V.Godbole and his comments on our efforts and the challenging situations in which he kept putting us, untiringly.

For some it was so good that AMR is over, but for me...I just wish AMR would have never ended.

Just Another Compliment...

Trying to freeze the moment ...

Well,
This took me a while to think but i wasn`t able to think of a better compliment for you because you yourself is a "compliment" ... and black... suits you best :-)

Leading the way :

Their lingua depicted a finicky touch of enhanced struggle story, tuned to success.
Breaking into the nutshell of the top league of their relevant domains isn’t anymore an unrealized venture.
Seamless journey of an overtly jubilant Ganges to a somber branching – starts from possibly an urge to flow rather than taking a stern stand as a rock-solid Glacier somewhere atop the Himalayan Range.
Gradual realization of the devastation capacity of a dormant volcano, after eruption isn’t smart. It’s common. Uncommon is understanding the potential of performance prior to the volcanic-eruption process.
People who rise above the fog of “Crowd of Commons” are those who pre-empt the chance-event and force a favorable, unforeseen but not intangible proceedings.
Do not Crib at the ‘wrongs’ of the present, but Contribute to the conceivable ‘rights’.
Follow the rules, wait for your turn, and persuade people to follow the pre-formed codes.

Tender to needs, Cater to others. Remain patient, Don’t retaliate. Create humor and most of all -- Be Nice.

After all,
Kal Ho Na Ho…!!!

Destiny Calling...

This is the time - i can see the first few rays of a new dawn in my dreary and inactive routine.After a long 2 years and 9 months of hibernation, there is a rattle of activities happening in my life.
The MBA(Management) entrance results are out and my dream seems to be materializing in the form of SIIB(Symbiosis Institute of international Business).Though i had a couple of other options but the Symbiosis of a rigourous education with the evolution of a socially responsive manager is an enticing idea.
As a part of curriculum there,I would be learning a new foreign language(one among german,spanish,french or mandarin).The rest of the schedule is similar to that of a decent Management college.The intricacies would be realized as and when the admission procedure happens.
As of now,a good and healthy break of 2 months, which i consider as the silence before the storm creates quite a few furore in some lives.Symbi..i am coming...

Blast from the Past...

The other day, i was walking my way towards Office.It was a bright sunny morning.
Not so pleasant as it sounds, rather it was scorching hot - All thanks to the global warming.Drops of sweat poured off my brows, my patch of beard and mustache, which had appeared as i procrastinated shaving for weekends, by which i meant coming Saturday..No..Sunday..No..No..Monday morning.My Thin, gauzy T-shirt and heavy jeans were offering little help.The wretched laptop too seemed to demand backbreaking efforts. And amidst all the warmth and discomfort i strode on steadily.
Half-way through, i saw a middle-age man riding his daughter,i suppose she would have been in 9th or 10th grade, on a scooter.From the appearance, they looked to be from a typical middle-class Indian family.The man was busy driving on the overcrowded road, cluttered with pavement vendors, small kirana shops and kiosks which had apparently shifted closer to the road.The girl had a book in her hand which she was reading on the moving vehicle.It seemed like a last minute preparations for any class-test or examination.
And the flash...I went back 8 years, My Mummy, preparing the breakfast and making sure we eat them before leaving for the examination and then My Papa driving me and my brother to our school, myself holding my notes and reading them vigorously,if not vociferously, all the way upto the school.I always had this gut feeling that last minute studies always help.Though, i would prepare the entire subject thoroughly but still, i would be evidently holding my notes and reading them, just incase i would have skipped something, till the last minute-when the bell rang indicating commencement of the examination procedures and the invigilator would start to distribute the answer sheets.
Those were the days...a pleasant breeze of air composed my face and an uncanny smile appeared.
And lo..the office gates were infront.
The way passed by as the days..I miss those days...I hope everyone else does it too !!

Comprehending The Nuances.

What entices more to a contemplating mind - an idyllic Past, a hazy Present or an unclear & indistinct Future.

Lets Probe...

Past is so perfect because someone (and i don`t know who) says,'the mind retains only good memories' and the regrets are transmuted to retain only the residual contentment of the incidence.
Thereby making the Past so perfect, atleast in the mind.

Present is diaphanous because you can percieve only the most contiguous events and proceed to pursue them.You circumspect one and all potential scenarios and try to optimise your judgement for a possible elimination of hurt or neglect from those concerned, albeit, treading towards the objective.
An adventurous excursion in itself.

Future is the farther side of life.Its decides what we seek and yearn for, all through the Past and even the Present.The actions we take now are the testimonials to the story of our lives.For me, future holds the key to the triumphs of this day and age which inturn gets reflected in the chronicles of the departed.
A rationale to die for.


In the end, the journey is long and normally we need to trust, the instincts

Five Classic Affairs

This is an assorted assemblage of five extremely humorous incidents which i thought would tickle the funny bone in us.
(where`s that bone by the way ?)
Read the disclaimer before reading the affairs.

Disclaimer : Who Cares ... go on reading

Uno : The 1st Affair

A married man was having an affair with his secretary.

One day they went to her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they
fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM.

The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and
rub them in the grass and dirt.He put on his shoes and drove home.

"Where have you been?" his wife demanded.

"I can't lie to you," he replied, "I'm having an affair with my secretary. We had sex all afternoon."

"You lying bastard!

You've been playing golf!"
__________

Dos : The 2nd Affair

A mortician was working late one night.

He examined the body of Mr. Schwartz, about to be cremated, and made a startling discovery. Schwartz had the largest private part he had ever seen!!

"I'm sorry Mr. Schwartz," the mortician commented, "I can't allow you to be cremated with such an impressive private part. It must be saved for posterity."

So, he removed it, stuffed it into his briefcase, and took it home.

"I have to show you something you won't believe," he said to his wife, opening his briefcase.

"My God!" the wife exclaimed, "Schwartz is dead?!?!"
____________

Tres : The 3rd Affair

A woman was in bed with her lover when she heard her husband opening the front door.

"Smith, Hurry" she said, "stand in the corner." She rubbed baby oil all over him, then dusted him with talcum powder.

"Don't move until I tell you," she said. "Pretend you're a statue."

"What's this?" the husband inquired as he entered the room.

"Oh it's a statue." she replied. "The Smith's bought one and I liked it so much I got one for us, too."

No more was said, not even when they went to bed.

Around 2 AM the husband got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a sandwich and a beer.

"Here," he said to the statue, "have this. I stood like that for two days at the Smith's and nobody offered me a damned thing."
___________

Cuatro : The 4th Affair

A man walked into a cafe, went to the bar and ordered a beer.

"Certainly, Sir, that'll be Rs 100."

"Rs 100 ?" the man thought.

He glanced at the menu and asked, "How much for a nice juicy steak and a bottle of wine?"

"Rs 20," the barman replied.

"Rs 20 ?" exclaimed the man. "Where's the guy who owns this place?"

The bartender replied, "Upstairs, with my wife."

The man asked, "What's he doing upstairs with your wife?"

The bartender replied,

"The same thing I'm doing to his business down here."
______________

Cinco : The 5th Affair

Jake was dying. His wife sat at the bedside.

He looked up and said weakly, "I have something I must confess."

"There's no need to," his wife replied.

"No," he insisted, "I want to die in peace. I slept with your sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your mother!"

"I know, I know," she replied. "Now just rest and let the poison work."

l'extrémité

Eternal drops of dew...

Watching a nice movie at home on a sunday evening, all alone, far from the daily commotion is a layman desire which i always nurtured but never realised, only till last weekend.
With the silence inside the house, the thunderstorm outdoors blended perfectly to produce the ambiance which made "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" - a nice experience for me.
The Movie is based on a visionary concept of memory mapping and subsequently erasing the memory core.

A memory map is build based on the experience of the patient and thence starts the procedure to erase the emotional core that each memory builds on and on.Reverse timeline is followed meaning most recent to the oldest memory, thus finally effacing the entire block. The person forgets even subtle interactions.

The movie traces the tumultuous relationship of a couple both opting for the surgery. They meet again and inevitably fall in love, only to discover the vituperations of their long dissolved marriage. Its the Impulsive girl Vs Shy boy.
But the real twist shreds your senses.
The affair of the doctor and the receptionist.
Too good.

Both Jim carrey and kate winslet have delivered knockout performances.


The movie is based on the quote from Alexander Pope:
"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd"

Stub :
You can erase someone from your mind.
Getting them out of your heart is another story.

And somewhere there, the drizzle, soothed my nerves again...

In the Era of the Great Roger Federer, lived a man called Rafael Nadal…

And the ever-looming Nadal nemesis fell again on the indomitable Federer. It was a King Vs King match, one of Grass with no defeat in past four years and a 48 match run including 4 Wimbledon titles and the other with 72 straight clay court wins.

Federer has 10 grand slam titles but he still needs the coveted French Open to complete a career Grand Slam of all four championships, which basically includes (Wimbledon, US open, Australian open and French open).And if it weren’t for Rafa, FedEx would have been savoring the pride of being the undefeated defender of the crowns.

Statistically, FedEx is 4-7 against Rafa and 199-7 against anybody else.

So beyond doubt, world number 2 is boisterously holding the title and I am thinking, without taking the credit any minuscule away from the great Fed, that if it weren’t for a King Federer, Rafa definitely would be the Prince of the Court. But the latter is 4-6 years younger than almost all his opponents and is on a quick road of experience which never dumps the seeker.

Way to Go Rafa…

Link : Federer Vs Nadal

Anything but This...

Comprehending the stride, at which my life is Propelling the Kid in me to a clumsy grown up, is getting tricky for me.

Weekdays are as hectic an agenda as the (2x24) hours which my company thinks each employee should get out of (7x24 hours) per week to prepare himself for next Week.

Sundays are passing by as the roadside trees…Numerous for me to count but fixing me more firmly and deeply into the ground stifling me even for a breath… A calm, serene and stress-free breath.

I mean when you think about the lingering questions like--
When was the last time you felt that your life fits you?
Would you recognize the fit when it repeats?

Most of us live such intense and harried lives that we feel wants like to schedule even brushing of our teeth by electronic organizers (...if possible). Despite the frenzied pace of the world, personal needs ain`t supposed to be buried on basis of others' expectations.
What is required, however, is a change of perspective.

Afterwards it’s for you to discover.
And lastly a very beautiful piece of couplets I came across some day’s back that fits in here perfectly...

"""
We passed their graves:
The dead men there,
Winners or losers,
Did not care.

In the dark
They could not see
Who had gained
The victory.

"""

Did we ever dreamt of the such a status-Quo...

“I’m just a dreamer. I dream my life away. I’m just a dreamer who dreams of better days.”

Courtesy: Ozzy “Dreamer”

A Taste Of My Own Blood

At a tender age of 24, I got first taste of my own blood. No, it has nothing related to acquiring any sort of vampiric aura but it was rather related to realm of my benign but not so harmless dental built up. Human anatomy has this strange way of finding or rather discovering the patch ups which individuals often neglect owing to life on fast track.

And with our tooth, hectic morning schedule and rushing to bed in evening with ever burgeoning bacteria because of improper brush leads to “Remove that Molar ASAP”, as it happened to me.

People say its wisdom tooth and the whole world is now bent on taking it away from me..???
and obviously they triumphed or else do you think I would be sitting here writing this piece of crap on a Saturday, which I think only I read and that too occasionally.

So it all starts with the syringe that took the sensations from my right periodontal gears.
and a hammer which when aimed at my molar lead to blood whirls in my mouth in no time.

That was what I was thinking when I wrote the headings…crappy brains.

You are an Actor -- My Friend.

The fakeness of the real world is apparently nothing compared to the mortal innoculation of 'The fake' dose.Matter over mind is a thing of the past but now what matters is the abrupt commercialization of the credibility to the extent of abhorence,Once you get to the abyss of the amount of planning which people put in to achieve these ends.

What they don`t realize is that there ain`t no King-Kong.

Time takes care of it all.
You try being fair but what counts in the play is winning, for most, rather than the ethics that realise an otherwise innocuous situations.
Friend has got a deeper meaning.Under umpteen covers is the bare spirit which everyone seeks but usually discover disappointment when they get baffled at the hyper-labyrinth of the manipulated cover itself.The mirage, as they say, is nothing but the comfort zone which loosens the grip once you take a closer 'exquisite' look which means shrinking confidence,thereby making ways for egoes and doubting-thomases.

They say, you are a good actor, don`t they realise ... ever..

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts."

--From Shakespeare`s As You Like It (II, vii, 139-143)

New Year Fu..nnn

Wow.
Its a New Year.
A time for new promises, new resolutions, new identifications and new ablutions...
Why not, afterall its a New Year.
Its time again for us to celebrate...Heavy metal, Smoke laden views,brain knocking music and spruced up in small skirt some cute chicks who barely know why skirts were invented for...but thats fine ... its a new year...
Lets Go Loud..
29th December -- What am i doing here ..its 8:30 in the evening and the computer screen at my office still ridicules me the way it did the entire day and i wish i had punched it way back but barring the cost factor i don`t think if there is anything that prevents me from doing so.
Maybe 2 years down the line i would shatter such a screen and live my dream...
but thats a callow fantasy which would definitely fade.
People leaving for places, friends for pub and i..i just want to pee..
But atleast i have an urge to blog..you clumsy spectator, move your ar*se and go back to code..

So indians have a great time ahead...lets try to get a reason to celebrate another year of our dreams....
Happy New Year.

lifes just a wishing well...

One coin left inside my pocket,
I came upon a wishing well.
Hesitantly I tossed it in,
Now only time will tell.


Whether my wish will be granted,
Or, I shall be denied.
Peace of mind or empty Pockets,
Atleast I know I tried.


Once I had so many coins,
All were wasted in the past.
Broken dreams and empty promises,
Now i`m down to my last.


Life is but a coin toss,
Whether or not your dreams come true.
With my eyes closed I heard the splash,
Then wished that I had you...

Strange...isn`t it

mood : lessalgos

Life isn`t always take it in your face type...its strange..sometimes stranger.
Its full of paradoxes and in the words of Deborah Mckinlay the excerpts below symbolises what we implicitly decipher through occurences.Its worth giving a thought...

At some point of time,when people are quite small and much more interested in other things,somebody big takes it into their head to say something like this to them :
" Boys are different from Girls."

If the small person is a Boy, the big person says a lot of other bumpfs and then they say something like :
" You mustn`t hurt Girls."

If the small person is a Girl, the big person says lots and lots of other bumpfs and then they say something like :
" You mustn`t Trust Boys."

And then one day when the Boy and Girl are all grown up, the Big girl says to the Big boy :
"How could you hurt me like this? I trusted you."