Life is just a state of Mind

Have you ever felt emotional break-down in your life? If yes, you know the pain of it, if not, then be prepared for it, because it is just like aging, you can't avoid it. I spent my entire life in lucknow and knew every nook and corner of the town. I was so well versed with the city that I could walk the town by keeping my eyes closed and could still avoid all the potholes that were scattered all over in the city (sounds like hyperbola? Ignore then...:-)). It was all hunky dowry until I had to fly down to Bangalore to pursue my higher education (yup you guessed it right, to do my so called MBA, that gives me a certificate that i can sell anything irrespective of the fact how bad or good it is). That was the first time, when I was on the verge of my emotional breakdown, leaving my comfort zone and travelling to a city that is alien to me wasn't easy. Like a good MBA aspirant, I quickly did a swot analysis in order to challenge the decision of moving to Bangalore but had to shed my stubbornness in front of my parents' wish.  

It wasn't easy to leave your childhood buddies behind thinking that you will come back as soon as course is over, wasn't easy to bid adieu to the play ground, which had seen your worst defeats and the best victories, wasn't easy to board the train alone and seeing your home town going out of sight while you are moving to a place where at times it is going to be a struggle to read what is written on the board due to language barrier. I won't mention the home food and luxury because that goes without saying. Take it as a confession but even a hardened heart would melt for a while and eyes would get misty howsoever hard one tries to be strong and I was no exception. There was something that was wrecking my heart and choking my throat but my pseudo male ego didn't allow me to cry. 

I landed in Bangalore with a kind of mixed feeling of dilemma and excitement, but in no time fell in love with this city. Bangalore is rich in terms of weather, lovely people, an infrastructure that can't be qualified as the best but of course better than many cities in India. I was in a spree of making friends. I have spent more than 5 years today in the same city, I never wanted to come at the first place or wanted to run away from in my initial days. I have friends in every street of Bangalore who are always there to bail me out, if I get stuck anywhere. Life was so good and I was happy in my comfort zone that has built around over the span of 5 odd years but life doesn't give smooth ride to anyone. History repeats itself, one fine day my company got acquired and the new management wants me to relocate to Mumbai, a city, I am familiar with but still an alien on a larger perspective. Life has again shaken me from my slumber and have put me back on the same train that I boarded many years ago. 

I was in a indecisive mode because of this sudden arrival of a high tide that has destabilized my stand and was not able to figure out how to react over this. There is an old dictum that says, if you don't find answers to your questions in today, try to find it out in past and I flipped through the pages of my life just to realize that it is just a state of mind. Mind is the fastest carrier of nostalgia and quickly plays the entire script of unforgettable moments that are associated with the place or person going to be left behind. It was the same state of mind years back, when I was leaving my home town and it is the same state of mind today. Human emotions are something that makes us to stand out of all the creatures living on the planet earth and it is an uphill task to fight against emotions but then happiness lie right underneath it. My parents have spent their life in the same town. They know India is great but they are less aware of the fact, what makes it great. Almighty wants me learn that to explain this to my parents someday. I was born in northern part of this country, have spent some beautiful years in down south and now relocating to western part of it. May be someday, I will get a chance to travel to eastern part of it and serve a small tenure there too and then one day, I would proudly say that I have been to every highway of my country and can explain you what it means to be born in this country.  

Trying to collect and putting myself together for a long journey ahead from 20 odd days down the line. This time, it is much more different though. I am not facing the callous uproar of my heart this time, on the contrary, I am feeling a soothing calmness around, more focused, more prepared, and of course in much better state of mind.

Because Ashes doesn't rule

It started with Saddam Hussain, Osama Bin Laden couldn't escape from it and then came the turn of Gaddafi. The biggest dictators of modern era met with their end and became the part of history forever.

Many would take the sigh of relief with the end of people who were carrying the batton of tyranny but somwhere humanity has been crushed under the toe. Somewhere on the net sombody has rightly written that Be it hero or villain, no one deserves the end like Gaddafi and Hussain. Trues isn't it? The sheer desire of ruling the world on their own terms and dealing any voice that is being raised against them in the most brutal way has lead the debacle of these big names. 

An ages old phenomenon of "CHANGE" has again proved its supremacy and has turned people into ashes who failed to adept to the changes. The biggest lesson that keep coming back from different aspects of life. Chnage is not always welcome but it is imperative. I experienced the same somedays back, when my current company became the part of another organization and the entire team had to move to new employer. Suddenly the entire feeling of coming to office was diffenret, i felt a weird change, a forced change and somwhere I was not able to cope and adept with it. May be because when things are forced, it is hardly welcomed but then I realized, isn't it something, I already knew when I thought of leaving a secured job with a big company and decided to join a start-up? If yes, then what am I complaining for? why is so much of resistance in accepting the change and moulding myself accordingly. Isn't it something I learnt during my 2 years of MBA that the companies that couldn't change themselves with the time eventually perished? Isn't it something, we so called MBAs are well prepared for?

Thanks Gaddafi & Saddam, you tought me a lesson that I have always read about but could never imbibe. I learnt to welcome change and try to make inroads into the success. Being rigid means turning into ashes eventually and ashes can't rule. 

Planning commision: you are hilarious to the core

Oh, it was damn hilarious and is good enough to get anyone burst with laughter but the best part of it, is  the people who cracked this joke were damn serious about it. The so called (or self proclaimed) best planning brain of our country that came together and termed as planning commission voted for a statement that says "a daily expenditure of Rs 31 enough to sustain a family of five in a city like Delhi and Mumbai". Hey, nothing wrong with your eyes or specs, and you don't need to read it over and again, you have read it write, it is Rs 31 only.  In its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the panel quoting the Tendulkar Committee's recommendations said the urban poverty line is fixed at an expenditure of Rs 4,284 per month while it is Rs 3,905 a month in rural areas (check the article Plan panel's joke on poor).

Let me quote the definition of poverty line, that I know, poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living. The key word here is adequate standard of living, It means that the money is enough to bear the expenses on health, food and education. A family spending more would fall in the above poverty line (APL) category. 31 Rs for food, education and health? I have no idea on what basis the gurus of economics and politics have arrived at this figure but if I walk on road and pick any random guy irrespective of his education level and ask him to survive in Delhi or Mumbai with a paltry sum of 31 and support a family of 5 too, he will immediately help me with the address of nearby mental asylum and having asked this question, I rightfully deserve a place there.

My dear planning commission members, the people of India need to buy everything, and unlike you, we don't get it at subsidized rates. We have to pay taxes on every small thing necessary for living. Kudos goes to the honest workers of your party that the food inflation rates on 22nd Sept was standing tall at 8.84% and your party was celebrating because they somehow brought it down below 9. Indeed an achievement. But I don't understand the nitty-gritty of this inflation rate or who monitors it. What I understand is that when I would be buying my food tomorrow, it won't be cheaper than yesterday. 

What else do we need to prove that we have absolute jokers running the country, who don't even know the ground realities or if know have turned blind eyes towards it because they are busy in realizing their own ulterior motives. Mr prime minister, if you have read about it somewhere, please try to take some corrective measures against it. Rs 31 is surely not enough to get one good meal for a single person, leave aside supporting a family of 5. Please ask your co-worker to stop ridiculing the poor by making these kind of law or statements because it will not go down with the people of this democratic country who may be unaware but not insensible or emotionless. Choice is yours, choose wisely.   

10 long years of denying justice

If you are reading this page, please leave everything for next couple of minutes because I want to take you to a journey where justice is so much delayed that it is as good as being denied. Can you look back in past and share the changes that have come in your life in past one decade? There are many na? It could be your journey from being an average student to becoming a successful professional today. It could be meeting with your girl friend, who may be your wife today, first time, falling in love and then a long struggle to get united as a couple. Each one of us must be having so many stories to share. 10 years indeed a long time and a lot would change in 10 years, wouldn't it be? Well, for Irom Sharmila Chanu (born March 14, 1972), also known as the "Iron Lady of Manipur" or "Menghoubi" ("the fair one"), nothing has changed in past 10 years. She is still waiting for truth and justice to prevail, which looks like a distant dream though.

Sharmila has been on hunger strike since 2 November 2000 for a demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of India's northeast. Having denied food and water for more than 500 weeks, she is still continuing the the world's longest hunger striker. The government made the travesty of her struggle and three days after she began her strike, she was arrested by the police and charged with an "attempt to commit suicide". Do we still need anything to have a bigger laugh than this? Why wasn't Anna charged for committing suicide or why isn't Modi being charged for committing suicide. Oh, I missed the point, we have laws that can be tweaked as per the will of powerful and against the weak.  

3 days Sadbhavna fast of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi is everywhere in media but the long struggle of a gritty soul seems to have lost in time itself. Hats off to unwavering faith of Irom sharmila that keeps her hope alive even after 10 long years. She still feels that justice can be delayed but can't be denied.

I have no idea how many of us are interested in Sharmila's story but if you think, she is fighting for a cause which is just then be a part of her struggle and stand by her as we stood for Anna. I hope, the voice of her determined soul reaches to so called law makers and justice prevails. Amen!!   

If you want to know more about the cause, she is fighting for, watch this video. 

Social Media and B2B, myth is broken

You have got a business and have got an online presence too? Congrats, time to celebrate. Couple of months down the line, you expanded your online presence to social media, the most talked about medium. You have developed a very good looking and interactive Facebook page and with efforts you've got some active followers and fans. Time for three cheers again.

Everything was so good until you realized that the efforts you are putting in managing the FB page are not reflecting in terms of sales or ROI, and then you started making up your mind that social media is just a hype, it doesn't work. At this juncture, somebody who is so called an "EXPERT" of social media whispers into your ears that you are into B2B business and having a FB page is a good strategy for B2C but may not always work for B2B. This expert doesn't tell you the tools you need to resort to in order to get benefited from the social media, consequently, a more prominent thought that Social media works for B2C businesses but not a good medium to consider for B2B, makes inroads into your head permanently. Now you adorn the status of "EXPERT" and are ready to spill the beans everywhere.

I read an interesting article on social media Vs search on forbes website with the title Social is Intriguing, But Search is Proven, where the author has compared the two form of online advertising and proved the efficacy of search over the social media, when it comes to B2B marketing. Though, it is a very good article to go through but compares two completely different mode of online marketing. Where search is completely "intent" driven i.e. a user was looking for something with an intent and luckily (pat the back of your SEO guy) came across with your page, got his/her intent fulfilled and went away. He/she may or may not come back to your page ever, they may not even remember the name of your website. They don't need to. On the other hand social media, just like videos are driven by "interest" i.e. you want to connect with a brand or company because you are interested in them. You may not always be a buyer but could be a strong admirer or influencer in buying cycle. Remember, no marketing is as good as word of mouth. A user, advocating your brand is the best brand ambassador, you can ever have.

The biggest question is if ROI is the correct parameter for Social media. Which is the better sales pitch, a cold call or pitch where you already have some relationship in place. Most of you would vouch for the later, won't you? If yes, then why are we judging Social media only on the matrix of ROI? Isn't this medium is good in building a network of your prospective, who may not be shelling out money on your products as on today, but may get convinced enough in future to become loyal customers with you? It is all about having relationship in place before you can pitch them for your products.

In a recent study done by KnowledgeStorm of B2B technology decision makers the following statistics were revealed:

• 90% Participate in Video
• 80% Participate in Blogs
• 80% Participate in Wikis
• 69% Participate in Social Networks
• 53% Participate in Podcasts

The above stats are convincing enough to prove that how important it is that B2B companies explore social media marketing channels.

One picture is worth of thousand words. Hence uploading a picture below to that I found on web. I hope it should help you out to formulate your social media strategies.

One thing you will do without worrying about the failure??

Live your passion and do what you feel like doing. Don't drag your feet on something which doesn't excite you. We have heard these lines many a times in our life but when ever we try to follow these lines and start the process of mustering our courage to chase our dreams, the evil thought of failure starts haunting us. Haven't we all gone through this phase, when we got so fed up with the status qua that deep inside our heart we developed this urge to challenge it but then mere a thought of failure made us so vulnerable that we gave up our urge.

Why the thought of failure is so powerful that it knocks us down each time we try to fight against it? Book of history has innumerable stories about the people who believed their heart and reached the destination, why didn't the fear of failure trouble them? Why do we get so inspired each time we read this book but tend to brush aside all learning with the first encounter of trouble? Why do we have only one Bhagat Singh, Gandhi, Anna Hazare, when many people think on the same line? Don't we know that in order to live happily we got to be doing something we really want to do? 

The above questions were humming so raucously in my head that I strained every bit of my grey cell to find out an answer but for no use. I had almost smoked off these thoughts when someone asked me a simple question "what could be that one thing you will do without worrying about failure?" I am still trying to find out an answer for this question but I got the lesson that came out of this question. Many a times, we are dazzled by the success stories of others and try to follow their path. We expect ourselves to succeed like they did and in the process we start chasing success instead of our heart or passion and when you are running a race to success you are bound to think about failure. 

I am trying to find out that one thing I will do without worrying about failure. Do you have one in mind? If not try to find out that. Who knows in the process of finding the answer, you will find out yours true self. 

Love: Stop abusing it please

Sitting with my friends cum colleagues at office, enjoying some rare leisure moments during working hours, when suddenly the topic of my never existed love story became the talking point and everyone started questioning about my lackluster efforts towards having a love story. They were curious to know what really held me back from allowing my heart to go for someone and to my surprise, I didn't seem to have an answer. What has really caused me to dream about someone but let her go at the end of the story? Is it that I always had a doubt about the existence of love or it is such a sublime feeling that I found it hard to ever believe on its existence. It is so confusing for me and was enough a reason to find me brooding over it and allowing my finger to play with the keyboard of my laptop in order to help me pouring my heart out on this space. Does love really exist and if it does, why do we behave so erratically, when it comes to accepting it?

What can be addressed as love? A group of fanatics beats the innocent people to death and justifies it by calling it their love and devotion towards culture or country, is it love? We love the martyrs but either have no respect for their martyrdom or we think that writing some pages and remembering them on national festivals is enough to salute their martyrdom, without even caring about the cause they were fighting for, certainly can't be qualified as love. We worship Goddesses, but abuses the women, is it irony or love?. We love our country and ready to sacrifice our life for it, but if someone is dying on the road, it is none of our business, so what, if a country is made of people living there and loving a country essentially means to love its people. We love pet and love eating them too. Two guys are after the same girl, one is beaten by other and other gets dumped by the girl, where is love? Please don't give a counter argument about mother's love and all, that is so pious and I don't want to touch it by bringing it into conversation or in an argument.

I may be sounding like a frustrated soul who has been defeated in love in some point of time in his life, hence questioning or criticizing everything but be honest to yourself and tell me, if I am not close to the reality? We have questions but don't want to make an effort to find out the answers for them until someone like Anna Hazare leads the way. In reality, we love being a follower and that is the only logic that defines the all saga of everyone falling in love at the tender age itself. I am supposed to be in love because my friend is in love or everyone else is in love for that matter, isn't it like following a fashion statement?

Isn't love the most abused word? Don't we use it where ever we feel like as per our convenience? Lend me some money or you are not a good friend of mine, doesn't matter why do I need it. I don't care even if I hurt your sentiments, you need to behave normally because we are room mates as if just because you are agree to stay with me, it gives me right to treat you the way I want. 

Are you finding me harsh here? But I have avoided using harsh words then how come you figured it out? Actually, you sensed the feeling associated with each words that may appear mild but are pinching somewhere. Words are hollow until unless backed by emotions and that is the point which I want to make here. Love is just a word until backed with genuine feeling and deep concern. Don't go and tell anyone that you love him/her until you mean it and likewise, don't hide it from him/ her when you know you really mean it. Else you will be on a beautiful voyage but neither will reach to the destination nor will enjoy the journey.