A post card a Day !

Was in a rush to go to Kirtinager a packet dropped down to my feet from the rack. It’s a bundle of post cards - very close to my heart indeed.

One must agree – It is always good to read and write the past.

I remember those days, when I used to go to the college post office everyday for ‘a post card’. Three years of MCA I hardly missed out any of the days going to our postman. The post card, couple of days back was in my parent’s hand, brother’s hand… I used to smell the cards… used to read number of times as if I’ve missed out something. It was indeed the case – I used to read both the sides of the card without taking a breath even.

One of the lines always catches my eyes “I can do DNA test - even if it doesn’t match, I still love you!!” – she had written.

Quite obvious, all of these cards brings back memories and we become nostalgic – right?

[ Good to grow ! But why SMS/emails does not have the impact a post card used to be? – THINK about it ! ]

There's always a good thing in every bad situation. Even if at the moment we go through something we don't understand - in the end, one morning we will see and find the good thing in a bad situation. There is always a reason for why things happen.

1.       Is it the case that when we talk of ‘the past’ it is usually referred to the good old days/moments ONLY ? Are we JUST romanticizing the history and leaving out the bad bits?

2.       If we talk of ‘the future’ – it’s the human nature to ‘hope for the good’.

So is the past and the future always better than the present OR God is always good J !

I relate to your frustration - Mom !

May be the reason why I don't want to confront you about those "little" things is - I am afraid I’ll say something that will hurt you or challenge you in a way I’m not used to. Yes, I've found out a way to deal with the matter; write these things down and discuss them at a time when you are NOT angry :-). I can discuss them in a more rational way and may be even get you to hear me. Best not to try to talk when we are pissed off :=)

"Stop it now !"
"I'm going..."
"Leave me alone.."

Hey, It's natural - for the people who live together and spend most of their time with each other to sometimes disagree. Just think of the last time you and dad got into a fight. You didn't really mean all those things you said, did you? In the end, you probably made up. The same goes for everybody.

Hey, believe me, I relate to your frustration – Mom!

An Elegant Emotion - My Love Story !

X% written .. shall keep on evolving …

Note : Purely a fantasy ..

Cring !! Cring !! telephone rang up early in the morning. Pretending to wake up in a daze. I know you also feel the same as I. We used to enjoy disturbing each other – sometimes in the night and sometimes in snooze.

You remember? first mobile in your life gifted by your father. *Mobile* used to be a style statement those days. “U must be tired – as u r running in my mind !!” was the 1st SMS you received. Hey, that was me ;-) and the best mistake ever done by me. “Hum Aap ke Dil Mein Rehte Hein… [before the movie released the title coined by me]” was the 2nd SMS that turned out to be a success (?). Stimulation made your fingers come out unconsciously and invented me at the receiver end. << Connection (kismat?) Launched in your very 1st call >> !!  Story begins …

I never wanted someone to write a letter to me – BUT today I’m writing about ‘US’ / ‘OUR story’!!

You used to walk miles with smiles and I used to plunk outside office for hours connected to you. Night used to be completely ours !! “Hey ..look at the moon ! This is the same moon I’m watching now!!” – you said… then I realized we are in the same world.

Black T-shirt made the evening colorful when train reached my home town. Was difficult to close my eyes despite midst of my family crowd. You were looking gorgeous. Thought for a moment – how is the idea of keeping you in a show case. Walked together late in the dark night resulting qualm. My B’Day night further strengthen the creeps – BUT we were in the full swing. Chori Mein Bhi Hai Mazza!

Never seen you dressed up to impress me / to men. Being a boy I used to be very possessive very often. I’m not talking to myself, convincing myself that U r innocent – U r actually !

Sometimes you were 'overreacting' and I was ‘over-reading’ you. Used to have ‘fights’ [highest level of DEMAND in Love J] but always ‘compromised’. There was a sense of vacuum when 'one' doesn't turn up any day. Was neither checking mailbox too often nor a poke .. a scrap. Was just waiting for an SMS…a ring !

You used to keep my phone bills lying around and I used to tear them up as soon as I receive them. You know – my wishes used to … anything or everything I buy should be liked by you.. every bite you have should be spooned by me… your company for all my overseas trips I go … show you the planet to capture all beautiful moments …

…

…

Story continues…

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…

Generally speaking, such affairs (where there is a great deal of intimacy) don’t last very long (don’t know why?). e.g. Rekha & Amitabh, Victoria & Rabindranath Tagore, U & Me etc. despite high intellect level and sensitivity. Sometimes they can be good as long as they last. Same thing happened with us. Not backed off; our story just ended up one day – not a temptation that has been nurtured, not just waiting for an opportunity. Shall not allow someone lights-up-our-life/day a bit.

Madness started. Honda City … 1x10000 r/min, 40-45km/hr speedometer … “Keep Distance … Horn Please” SHARMA TRAVELS, 100 meters away, forced me to apply the break. How come I crossed the “Capital Court”? Need to take a U-turn to go back and park the car. Can you imagine a LIFE with U-turn possible? Can I ‘rewind’ our story? Would love to do so – would love to repeat the past. 

Somebody said “Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it”. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are there cannot be one without the other yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel, I remember wondering, to be always together yet forever apart?

Hey, can you ever forget famous words between us… “I Love You The Most” [we actually mean it !]. Can you whisper now ? For my sake … please.

Can office politics ever be positive?

Just say the word “Office Politics” – you sense the disdain. Quite obvious if we see the downside (pursuing own agenda regardless of what's good for colleagues or the company) of it.

But this is also true “Nobody exists in an atmosphere where everybody agrees”.

Politics is the art of trying to accomplish things within organizations – but:-
1. The intent should be to bring in competitiveness (Each person is interesting if you are interested enough to ask the right question)
2. Ensure Nobody wins unless everybody wins
3. Success always creates Opposition. Try to find out who opposes them, how deep the opposition is - Don't just ask for opinions; change them
4. Focus on the ‘goal’ (organisational not personal) not on the ‘relationship’
5. Maybe you’re still thinking of being the person at the office who abstains from office politics. Realize that you won’t last long - in the office, that is. Putting your head down and doing your work is a good way to ensure that you don’t connect with anyone. This situation is deadly in a world where people are hired for what they know and fired for who they are. People need to get to know you in order to like you.

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Responsibility vs. Accountability

1. Responsibility sometimes becomes a burden: A duty, obligation or liability to carry forward an assigned task to a successful conclusion. With responsibility goes authority to direct and take the necessary action to ensure success. (How did you overlook this defect? That was your responsibility!)

2. To become ‘accountable’ is something driven internally – where your mind / heart is.

You can make a person responsible but can't make them accountable.

Accountability requires ‘commitment’ / ‘sense of ownership’.
Commitment comes from ‘self interest and confidence’.
‘Interest and confidence’ comes from ‘motivation and empowerment’.

So the bottom-line is "Empowerment and Motivation" makes a responsible person ‘accountable’.

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Thought on *Independence* !

Inspiration:-
A line from Sashi Tharoor’s post (http://www.hindustantimes.com/The-ideas-of-India/Article1-586837.aspx) – “In the six-plus decades since Independence, democracy has failed to create a single political community….”.

My thoughts ….
This is an “Independent thought” on “Thought on Independence”. [don’t link with Independence DAY.]

At Mass Level [Independence means *Inter-dependence*] :-
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We need to differentiate between “Individual Rights … Freedom” and “Responsibility … sense of duty.. obligations”. We have all the *rights* to walk anywhere on the road – BUT at the same time we need to follow the traffic rules. Right? With the *rights* we lose the firmness, whereas *obligations* brings in humility.. modesty and creates atmosphere for others to live.

Individual freedom has to be limited i.e. “Nobody exists in an atmosphere where everybody exists”.
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At an Individual Level :-
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Thought; originated from mind has never been under anybody’s control… a torch to move on.

Think for a while ! what happens if thoughts are curtailed, no freedom for expression, when Individuality is suppressed ? – Simply a setback to humanity by impeding development.

Do we carry any advocacy, biography..chronicle.. which has been “built to LAST” ?

So, independence is a luxury that one cannot afford to pay and individuality is the sole reason behind creativity, the root of innovation and hence development.
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Gandhiji's thought...
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Normally, political systems are largely hierarchical, with increasing levels of authority over the layer below. BUT, Gandhi believed that society should be the exact opposite, where nothing is done without the consent of anyone, down to the individual. His idea was that true self-rule in a country means that every person rules his or herself and that there is no state which enforces laws upon the people.

Rather than a system where rights are enforced by a higher authority, people are self-governed by mutual responsibilities.

On returning from South Africa, when Gandhi received a letter asking for his participation in writing a world charter for human rights, he responded saying, "in my experience, it is far more important to have a charter for human duties.” A free India for him meant the existence of thousands of self sufficient small communities who rule themselves without hindering others.
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Conclusion :-
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Yeah , independent, though we may be mentally, we are all dependent on others around us to survive. And hence there are rules and regulations, dictated for the *collective good*.
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An independent thought makes us different (may create impact on other !!). So comments are always WELCOME : - )