She...

A stray of light and a slender glare peeps into my mystic eyes,
She cuddles her pillow, stretches, and moves and gives a sigh.
I could feel the leaves shuddering and hear the birds twittering,
The radiance of the Sun is enchanting and she murmurs ‘Good Morning’.

She is charming, adorable, endearing, palatable and delectable,
She brings compassion of the sun, resilience of the moon & is enjoyable.
Her morning chores commence with tea, breakfast and the current affairs,
We get into an argument and Alas! She leaves for work with a stare.

I have seen the happiness, bliss and glee she has brought,
To our Son and now a man, my little boy.
I am so very thankful and gratified,
And my heart is filled with elation and joy.

As the love you have for one another,
Blossoms, blooms and grows.
I see a beautiful flower garden,
And you... the perfect rose.

Managing Our Time

Since the last 4 weeks, I have been involved in a lot of reading, gaining knowledge thru various books/magazines/journals etc., and tried to compile some of the tips and tricks on Time Management…thought of sharing with everyone...

SPEND TIME PLANNING AND ORGANIZING. Using time to think and plan is time well spent. In fact, if you fail to take time for planning, you are, in effect, planning to fail. Organize in a way that makes sense to you. If you need color and pictures, use a lot on your calendar or planning book. Some people need to have papers filed away; others get their creative energy from their piles. So forget the "shoulds" and organize your way.
SET GOALS. Goals give your life, and the way you spend your time, direction. When asked the secret to amassing such a fortune, one of the famous Hunt brothers from Texas replied: "First you've got to decide what you want." Set goals, which are specific, measurable, realistic and achievable. Your optimum goals are those, which cause you to "stretch" but not "break" as you strive for achievement. Goals can give creative people a much-needed sense of direction.
PRIORITIZE. Use the 80-20 Rule originally stated by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who noted that 80 percent of the reward comes from 20 percent of the effort. The trick to prioritizing is to isolate and identify that valuable 20 percent. Once identified, prioritize time to concentrate your work on those items with the greatest reward. Prioritize by color, number or letter — whichever method makes the most sense to you. Flagging items with a deadline is another idea for helping you stick to your priorities.
USE A TO DO LIST. Some people thrive using a daily To Do list which they construct either the last thing the previous day or first thing in the morning. Such people may combine a To Do list with a calendar or schedule. Others prefer a "running" To Do list, which is continuously being updated. Or, you may prefer a combination of the two previously described To Do lists. Whatever method works is best for you. Don't be afraid to try a new system — you just might find one that works even better than your present one!
BE FLEXIBLE. Allow time for interruptions and distractions. Time management experts often suggest planning for just 50 percent or less of one's time. With only 50 percent of your time planned, you will have the flexibility to handle interruptions and the unplanned "emergency." When you expect to be interrupted, schedule routine tasks. Save (or make) larger blocks of time for your priorities. When interrupted, ask Alan Lakein's crucial question, "What is the most important thing I can be doing with my time right now?" to help you get back on track fast.
CONSIDER YOUR BIOLOGICAL PRIME TIME. That's the time of day when you are at your best. Are you a "morning person," a "night owl," or a late afternoon "whiz?" Knowing when your best time is and planning to use that time of day for your priorities (if possible) is effective time management.
DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT. Noted management expert, Peter Drucker, says "doing the right thing is more important than doing things right." Doing the right thing is effectiveness; doing things right is efficiency. Focus first on effectiveness (identifying what is the right thing to do), then concentrate on efficiency (doing it right).
ELIMINATE THE URGENT. Urgent tasks have short-term consequences while important tasks are those with long-term, goal-related implications. Work towards reducing the urgent things you must do so you'll have time for your important priorities. Flagging or highlighting items on your To Do list or attaching a deadline to each item may help keep important items from becoming urgent emergencies.
PRACTICE THE ART OF INTELLIGENT NEGLECT. Eliminate from your life trivial tasks or those tasks, which do not have long-term consequences for you. Can you delegate or eliminate any of your To Do list? Work on those tasks, which you alone can do.
AVOID BEING A PERFECTIONIST. In the Malaysian culture, only the gods are considered capable of producing anything perfect. Whenever something is made, a flaw is left on purpose so the gods will not be offended. Yes, some things need to be closer to perfect than others, but perfectionism, paying unnecessary attention to detail, can be a form of procrastination.
CONQUER PROCRASTINATION. One technique to try is the "Swiss cheese" method described by Alan Lakein. When you are avoiding something, break it into smaller tasks and do just one of the smaller tasks or set a timer and work on the big task for just 15 minutes. By doing a little at a time, eventually you'll reach a point where you'll want to finish.
LEARN TO SAY "NO." Such a small word — and so hard to say. Focusing on your goals may help. Blocking time for important, but often not scheduled, priorities such as family and friends can also help. But first you must be convinced that you and your priorities are important — that seems to be the hardest part in learning to say "no." Once convinced of their importance, saying "no" to the unimportant in life gets easier.
REWARD YOURSELF. Even for small successes, celebrate achievement of goals. Promise yourself a reward for completing each task, or finishing the total job. Then keep your promise to yourself and indulge in your reward. Doing so will help you maintain the necessary balance in life between work and play. As Ann McGee-Cooper says, "If we learn to balance excellence in work with excellence in play, fun, and relaxation, our lives become happier, healthier, and a great deal more creative."
Resources:
Drucker, Peter. The Effective Executive. New York: Harper & Row, 1966.
Lakein, Alan. How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. New York: Signet, 1974.
McGee-Cooper, Ann. Time Management for Unmanageable People. Dallas, TX: Ann McGee-Cooper & Associates, 1983.

We, As Human Beings

We as human beings are very naïve and honest and life treats us to exemplify our traits and character to the best of our abilities and objectives. All of us have diligently looked into our past, learned from our mistakes and at least tried to glorify our future or work towards the betterment of the rest of our lives.

We as human beings make mistakes and ought to make it. Reason?
‘Coz we work with our brains & hearts
‘Coz we are sensitive, social & skillful
‘Coz we are credulous, natural, innocent, sharp, dexterous and…
‘Coz we are “Human Beings” and not GODS
"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves." (Mahatma Gandhi)

We as human beings have desire, passion & are pernicious,
We as human beings have attributes, reputation and moral excellence,
We as human beings have a Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde within ourselves,
But, we as human beings must appreciate that…
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed”

We as human beings…We as people…We as mankind & We as the refined form of the nomadics must and I repeat MUST believe in what Robert Frost mentioned many many years back…
The woods are lovely dark and deep
But, I have promises to keep.
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep.

MOM, I Miss You...

Mom, your love was a magic,
Brought harmony and peace.
It covered like a blanket,
And cured boo-boos with a kiss.

Mom, your love offered grand protection
From evil that lurks 'round,
It tamed the fears of little ones
And turned frowns upside down.

Mom, you held a wealth of wisdom
With gentleness and care,
You held my hand when needed
With a pinch of tears n glare.

And thought those precious childhood years
Are an instant pass,
The love and magic you rendered
Will last...and last...and last.

Supply Chain Excellence

According to a recent report from Boston-based AMR Research Inc., companies that excel in supply-chain operations perform better in almost every financial measure of success. Where supply chain excellence improves demand-forecast accuracy, companies have a 5% higher profit margin, 15% less inventory, up to 17% stronger "perfect order" ratings, and 35% shorter cash-to-cash cycle times than their peers. Companies with higher perfect-order performance have higher earnings per share, a better return on assets, and higher profit margins --- roughly 1% higher for every three percentage-point improvement in perfect orders.

AMR further states that...supply-chain leadership means more than just low costs and efficiency - it requires superior ability to shape and respond to shifts in demand with innovative products and services.

Dell, Nokia, Proctor & Gamble are some of the companies who have embraced the demand-driven supply chain practices and technologies and are winning as a result.

Key success factors for supply-chain and for this matter any IT/BPO integrated solutions might be an effective marriage of - Cash in Hand, Fast Reflexes, Go with the flow, Just-In-Time workforce, Pinpoint Accuracy and above all THINK BIG, START SMALL.
source: Business Week, Forbes, Anshul's thoughts

I Have Learned...

That you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

That it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

That it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

That no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.

That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

USA Syndrome

A post-graduate arrives on the opportunity land of U.S. of A
With heaps of desire, ambitions, zeal & enthusiasm.
He had his alma mater with him!
He had the family support with him!!
He had work-passion with him!!!

First driving experience (from the airport) was overwhelming
the ecstacy of 4-way lanes, fast paced cars and the snowbelts
left an indelible mark on this person's mind.

There was an aroma of excitement and the fear of facing the challenges!
There was exposure to new culture, surroundings and extended education.
Nothing would deter this person from India and finally...
he entered into the world of Oracles, SAP's and Databases!

Like a true Saggitarian, he persisted and made friends, continued being a social animal and,
landed up with an assignment with one of the BPO enterprize.

Tons of water has flown across the river Thames since then...
he persisted with the pleasant/rough times professionally and personally,
he achieved what was achievable and within his boundaries,
he went ahead in his career path...and, ALAS!

Changes occur, the weather changes, snowbelts are gone and so is the job!
What prevails is...uncertainity, trickling eyes and a mist around the halo!!
But, the LIFE must go on and everyone needs to move forward.

He visualizes an opportunity and an aura of hope...
myriads of thanks to the Gargs, Podars, Raos & Malhotras and many more!
Shantanu & Pratibha stood besides him in moments of anxiety,
And, the lesson he learns -
"The only thing which is constant in this world is Change"