So how do you handle stress?

Different people have different ways of coping with stressful situation.Some people take everything in their stride and manage tough times in very dignified manner. Most of us buckle down under pressure and resort to a blame game which leads nowhere, some prefer absolute tranquillity while others lament and curse their fate.

There's no simple solution.Have you ever been through a stressful condition that has lasted all lifetime ? Most often than not, time tends to wipe way all unpleasant thoughts and life goes on...confront the issue head on or take it easy, just remember that nothing lasts forever and one fine moment the stress will transform itself into something so trivial that you wont lose sleep over it!

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोस्त्वकर्मणि॥
— भगवद्गीता २-४७
karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana|
mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgostvakarmaṇi||
— bhagavadgītā 2-47

"Your right is to work only, but never to the fruit thereof.
Be not instrumental in making your actions bear fruit, nor let your attachment be to inaction."

What really matters

It was an unusually busy Saturday morning and by no means matched our routine schedule of lazy weekends. For one, the day started with a lovely message from my father (I chuckled at his skillfully typed abbreviated SMS ). Thereafter, the day just vanished somewhere amidst all the dancing, jumping, walking and chatting!

What really struck me is that you begin to look at life in a new perspective when you are amidst modest souls with awe-inspiring attitude.

असतो मा सद्गमय


तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय


मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय


ॐ शांति शांति शांति

What really earns a customer's respect

1. Put the customer’s interests first: If you’re not doing this, customers will know that you’re just out for yourself. They may still buy from you, but they’ll never really respect you as a peer.
2. Honour the customer’s time limits: Customer, just like everyone else, are busy people. If you don’t respect their time, they’re not going to see you as worthy of respect in return.
3. Always fulfill your commitments: No customer is going to trust a sales rep who can’t transform words into action. You must deliver what you say you’ll deliver. No exceptions!
4. Understand the customer’s business: If you can’t be bothered to know what the customer is doing, then you’re not respecting the customer. That lack will be returned, in spades.
5. Add value from the first meeting: Customers expect MORE from sales reps than from other business colleagues. You have to provide value, up front, or they’ll write you off as useless.
6. Dress appropriately for the customer: It’s a little like dating. Wearing appropriate dress communicates that you value the relationship enough to take extra pains.

Making presentations

It could happen to you at any point in your career. You are thrilled that your boss has appreciated your report, but the happiness is short lived when you are asked to present the same report to the executive team. Sounds all familiar doesn't it!

You can spend hours getting ready, making sure you know exactly what to say,spent sleepless nights writing out the precious presentation and prepared every point thoroughly.

When the D-day arrives, you make a quick dash to hell and back, and sometimes just end up staying there!Nervousness drains you completely and you wish those last few minutes before the presentation never existed in your life.Stumbling through endless slides, lines, graphs and bullet points, you get to a point of no return, traversing a complete downhill .The executive team keeps wondering when an idea emerged and submerged without any notice, things are going from bad to worse and you know this is precisely the substance nightmares are made of!!!

Well, well...the world hasn't come to an end. Its absolutely human to feel that way, however you can work on the outcome of your actions and rule the roost again.As you climb up the corporate ladder, presentations become a way of life and the better your communication, faster you climb.

Survival tips on how you can overcome those anxious moments:

1. Rehearse: Wonder how the ballet dancers dance in perfect harmony, its taken them several hours of practice; every rehearsal getting helping them gain confidence.Trust me, it does get easier after the first few days, just don't give up. Keep your spirits high and keep practising.

2. Keep it simple: Do complex ideas bog you down? Break them to the simplest units till it makes absolute sense to you. Your audience will thank you for enlightening them with concise ideas. The fewer words you use the better.

3. Positive aspects: If you want describe the benefits of your recommendation for a particular piece of work, do so by highlighting the benefits. Describe that it is indeed attainable in a positive manner.

4. Audience: Look everyone in the eye when you talk. You will be more persuasive and believable. You certainly can't do this if you are reading your slides.

It's okay to be nervous, but nobody sees how you feel, just how you look and act.

When things go wrong

"When things go wrong"

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Lights, Camera...Action

That best describes our Deepavali celebration this year at Vinay's b-school.A day's notice and we turned our whole lives topsy curvy (ulta-pulta) to celebrate one of the biggest parties of the year...The humble cafeteria turned into a ravishing dance floor followed by happy faces, lip-smacking food and filled tummies...well what more could one ask for!Not to mention some amazing pelvic thrusts a.k.a Bollywood style dancing.All in all an experience to be treasured for lifetime.

Ubiquitous coconut

The humble, yet mighty coconut is a necessity in every household in South, West and certain places in North India ...why just households it ventures on to the streets, beaches and surprisingly popular hangouts-pubs/ lounge bars et all, surprised? Think divine 'Pinacolada', the virgin one for me please;)

Coconus nucifera is highly nutritious, high on fibre, vitamins and minerals and is the best respite on a bright hot sunny day.Every part of this tree made use of and hence the title, 'Tree of Life' or KALPAVRUKSHA .

For me, it's a gentle reminder of our traditions and culture; every holy offering made to the dieties invariably comprises the coconut, an indication of prosperity and goodwill.