The MBA- under process!

About two months have passed since my last post (Beware! An MBA under construction). Life has been a roller coaster ride for these months. Studies, exams, events and friendships, all have made this time the most happening time I have had since I graduated. Before joining the MBA class, I had certain goals in mind. A professional bucket list, the to-do items, most of which I am slowly but timely striking off.

• Getting out of my comfort zone
• Performing well in exams
• Joining a college society
• Getting an awesome placement
• Getting fit

Yeah yeah, I know the last one is not suitable for a professional list but you know a healthy mind resides in a healthy body and business suits look better on a fit physique ;) (Not that I’m not pretty already, I am the next Ms. Universe, dare you refute my claim).

Not deviating from the main point (though difficult for a person who absolutely loves to talk about anything and everything in the world), I am fortunately in a happy space today (touch-wood!). 

Being very frank, it was not too long ago that I was aspiring to gain a place for myself in the top management schools in the country (An FMS would have sufficed ;) ). Accepting the fact that I could not get into my Red Building of Dreams was heart shattering. But two months into my present college, I have realized that certain things are just meant or not meant to be. 

Everything that happens, happens for good, they say. I could not agree more. There are certain things that I wish my present college had but then nobody and nothing is perfect! 

The campus is huge, faculty experienced and students enthusiastic about doing something good in life. We even have events and competitions organised specifically for the MBA students (Out of these is an event that deserves a separate post dedicated all to itself). Presentations happen everyday and any time (read minutes) left is assigned to assignments. In fact, what I realize today is, that this 9 to 4 timetable (though we rarely leave before 5 :P), has slowly adjusted my body clock to the office timings I am going to face in the near future. Working life will be an easy transition now (Phew!) .

Apart from these Academic points, this college has now given me a bunch of good friends. The kind of friends I used to miss in my Graduation years. Most of them, although very different from the kind of person I am, are genuinely fun to be around. After all, genuine happiness and smiles are all I expect from a real friend. 

All in all, I know I could have been somewhere else today, had certain events and exam results happened a little differently. But, this is the place, I now know I belong to. And I promise this girl named Aashima today that I am going to make these two years the best years of her life till now. I will put in all my heart and soul and she will leave as a better person when she finishes her degree.

On an ending note, though I could not land up in FMS, fondly called the Red Building of Dreams as it was just not meant to be. But funnily enough, my present college is a Red Building nevertheless! And mine is undoubtedly better than the former ;) 

A small proof supporting my claim! :D 

     

Beware! An MBA under-construction

"Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." 

Delhi Times has been replaced by The Economic Times and comfy tracks have been thrown away for formal business suits. 

It has been some two weeks since my Masters started and I did not even realize how I slowly transformed from being a confused-graduate to being a responsible MBA student. 

Life has been hectic for the last few days but has been happening nevertheless (if nearly-being debarred for a day counts!) . Interestingly (and mistakenly) my B-school has taken the idea of being a school way too seriously. We have a professional uniform, mobile phones are banned inside the campus and we some twenty-year-olds sit in the class like some five-year-olds sincerely taking notes. But its fun! (No, I have not cracked, yet ) 

For the past one year, while preparing for the entrance exams, this is what I missed the most. A routine and a day to look forward to. Having a goal set for myself is what gives me a kick! ( the filmy effect, sigh!). 

The new environment is going to take a little more time getting adjusted to but the people have been welcoming and warm and that is maybe what matters the most. Lecturers have been strict but that is a given them being so experienced (My Economics teacher is a respected author and has more than 3 decades of teaching experience, wooohooo! Modesty flies out of the window! ). 

In some two years, I am ( like other MBA's) going to turn into a jargon-throwing professional (and yes, I am excited about it! ;) ) Crisp shirts, formal trousers and high heels are going to be my second skin. And I will also have a fat pay-cheque with a holiday in an exotic location as a perquisite (asking for too much? Am I? naaah). 

But then, (gets hit by a realization that the first semester has just begun) life has changed. The faces are new and life has started anew and being ambitious is what counts the most. In the end, I would quote something I wrote in my diary the day I graduated, "Dear life, I look forward to you once again!"  

'To Kill A Mockingbird' - Book Review

It has been a long time since I last read a book. Unable to decide which one to pick up, I searched the internet for the top ten books to read before you die. This book was listed No. 1 in one of them. Having read lots of positive reviews about it, I decided to take this one up. So here I am, writing how I found the much acclaimed- Pulitzer Winning book.

 The story is narrated from the eyes of Jean Louise, a six year old girl who lives with her brother Jem and father Atticus Finch. The author has intricately sketched the characters of the three children and built around them stories to reflect the dilemmas that most of us experience while growing up. Jem, who is 4 years elder to Jean is her partner-in-crime in the adventures they undertake with their friend Dill. The three of them play together, eat together and enact plays among themselves. Through out the story, they remain afraid of Mr. Arthur Radley, nicknamed ‘Boo Radley’ by the kids, a mysterious man who is seldom seen out of his home and a story that he is lunatic and is kept in chains is doing the rounds. For some days, the kids find some amusing gifts in an oak tree near Boo’s house. Even after repeated attempts, they are not able to find out who the well wisher really is. The story is set in the mid-1930s in a fictional town named Maycomb in Alabama. Maycomb County is a place with whites as the majority and where blacks are looked down upon as people who commit crimes and live in extremely poor conditions. Jean’s father Atticus is one of the few in the town who don’t abhor the blacks, rather treat them as equals. The kids take their father as a peaceful man, someone who would not even touch a weapon but are startled sometime later to find out that he could shoot with great aplomb when he once saved the neighborhood from a rabies-infected dog by killing him in a single shot. A lawyer by profession, he is a perfect father who has raised his kids well instilling in them the correct ethics while simultaneously keeping them aware of the social prejudices that remain in our society even after honest attempts by good-natured people to eradicate them. One of the blacks, Tom Robbinson who is otherwise known as a responsible citizen is wrongly implicated in a false rape case of the daughter of a white man- Mr Ewell. Atticus puts all his efforts in defending him even after he and his family are ridiculed for such an act by the whites. Mr. Ewell wins and Tom is declared guilty. He tries to run from the prison and is killed during such an attempt. But Ewell does not stop at this. He harasses Tom’s wife, harms the Judge of the case and finally tries to kill Atticus’s children Jem and Jean while they are returning from a Halloween play. A man unknown to Jem and Jean saves them and brings them home. Ewell gets killed in the scuffle and Atticus doubts that Jem might have killed him in his defense. But on further investigation, it is figured out that he might have fallen on the knife himself. Simultaneously, Jean is surprised to find out that the man who saved them is no one but Boo Radley himself. The fact that he was a normal man and not the monster that the kids expected him to be confuses Jean even further. The story ends with Atticus explaining her how people are actually not what we assume them to be.

The author Harper Lee has beautifully described in detail the assumptions we make about people even without knowing them completely and consequently the prejudices we hold against them which they don’t really deserve. We frequently build thick walls around ourselves, not allowing fairness to seep in and break our rigidity of thoughts. The book won a Pulitzer Prize, which I feel is well deserved because of the brilliance with which a sensitive topic has been discussed that holds relevance in our society even after more than half a century has passed after it has been published.

The book even after being published in 1960 and set in 1930s is still a perfect reflection of today’s society. Prejudices on the basis of color, ethnicity, geography and gender very much exist even today. The recent Nido Tania case in Delhi reflects the intolerance we have towards our own countrymen. Communal riots still occur frequently for the walls we have created against people from other religions. Little girls are brutally killed and women harassed openly in daylight thanks to the lack of gender equality in our society.

I liked the flow of the book and  words that perfectly describe the story scene-by-scene in a way that is simple to understand. The story has not been stretched unnecessarily. The plot is crisp and certain characters stay alive even after the book is finished.

Summing up, the book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the society and is interested in reading a good piece of literature. Mocking bird is a beautiful bird which does no harm to anyone and sings melodious songs for everyone. ‘To kill a Mockingbird’ signifies the killing of innocence in the form of unfair killing of Tom Robbinson, a man who actually did no harm to anyone. Every time an innocent living being is treated unfairly, a mockingbird is killed, thus the title.

Give this book a try and you too will realize why it tops the list of the top ten books to read before you die!  

Bharat Ratna Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

The God (a.k.a. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar) has finally hung up his boots. To me that 5 foot 6 inches man stands as an epitome of success who with his hard-work, dedication and passion lived his dream for 24 long years. In his test debut against Pakistan, with his nose bleeding, he refused to leave the field even for medical assistance by telling Navjot Singh Siddhu at the non-striking end, "Main Khelega". I was not even born then. Thus, unfortunately, did not get the chance to see the God play. I got that chance today.

Children's Day this year was special only because of my idol playing his last match. Remaining glued to the T.V. screen for two and a half days like all other Indians, expecting, yet refusing to accept that moment when my Master will finally bid adieu to all his fans.

I watched his farewell speech today. After listening to a lot of farewell goodbyes in Middle School, in High School and in Graduation, trust me, his was the most emotional one. I can confidently say that my own good-bye's have not been so hard to say as compared to listening to his. Dear God, with tears flowing uncontrollably during your speech I learned something today. This man with 24 years and 1 day of experience in International Cricket to be exact, with all possible records in his game on his name, with the whole Wankhede Stadium shouting his name, with 1.2 billion Indians and innumerable people all around the world bowing to his greatness, he did not forget to thank even a single person in his life no matter how small contribution that person made. From his late Manager to his Late Father, from the media photographers to the Physiotherapists, his humble thank you's needless to say inspired all of us. Leaving the stadium, emotional yet his eyes shining because of what he had achieved, Sir SRT, you have inspired this country. We promise we won't ever give up on our dreams even if we face any hurdles the way you never did with your injuries. We, the youth of this nation are inspired. You are and never will be limited to just sports.

In the end,

Yes, Legends don't retire.

Yes, We will keep you safe in our hearts.

P.S.: Looking forward to your Second Innings in the Rajya Sabha now. We know amidst all the madness there, you will be a hit there too. Waiting for the MP's there to shout SachinSachin too! ;)

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams And Reaching Your Destiny

The first dilemma I am sure most of the first-time bloggers face while writing their first blog post is probably what exactly to write about. After pondering a lot over this question, I finally made a wise decision. Books being my first love, I decided to read a new book and then write about it. 

The book I decided to take up was " The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin S. Sharma.

The book jacket declares itself as "A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams And Reaching Your Destiny". 

Honestly speaking, after reading the likes of Paulo Coelho and Rhonda Bryan, I did not expect this book to inspire me much. After all which book in the world could emulate the kind of feelings that the books of these authors stir? The book proved me wrong.

It indeed is a fable that inspired me to dream and fulfill my dreams to reach my destiny too. 

The story is about the odyssey of Julian, a high profile lawyer who after suffering a heart attack realizes the level of harm he is causing to himself by not living his life in the true sense of the word. In search of peace, he leaves his profession and every thing behind and heads to the East. In India, his miraculous encounters with the sages of Sivana change him forever. He is taught all the valuable lessons of life by the sages but with a promise that he would share the same knowledge with other mortals who need the same enlightenment to break the vicious cycle of sadness and sufferings in their lives.

And so, he fulfills his promise.

Julian returns to his homeland and shares his experiences with John- his former intern and the only friend left. Julian shared with him the fable that exemplified how life is supposed to be lived to the most.

In the fable, the listener is asked to imagine himself sitting in a beautiful garden blooming with roses and other beautiful flowers. There is a lighthouse in the middle of the garden out of which a Sumo wrestler is running towards you with nothing but a pink cable wire on his body. Suddenly, he notices a golden watch left behind many years ago. He slips it on and falls to the ground. Just when you take him to be dead, he jumps with energy from the fragrance of a rose and out of nowhere notices a path covered with sparkling diamonds. He chooses to walk that path and that path leads him to eternal bliss. 

All the components of this fable signify something crucial.

The garden signifies our brain which is our best slave but the worst master. We must instruct it to stay clear of negative thoughts and always think positive. Even a single negative thought can prove toxic to it.

The lighthouse signifies the goals that we must set in our life all the time. True sense of living comes from true sense of achievement and therefore, we must always dream and set goals that ultimately help us in achieving those dreams.

The Sumo wrestler signifies 'kaizen' i.e. continuous self improvement. In life, never compare yourself to someone else. Only strive to improve from your former self.

The pink cable shows how discipline is built with small virtuous habits. Practice any virtue for 21 days  and it will be converted into a habit.

The golden watch signifies the importance of time. A person who does not value time will have to bear the wrath of time later.

The fragrant rose shows that when you give a rose to someone with your hand, the scent still stays in your hand. Similarly, in life, when you help others to improve their lives, you somewhat improve your life too. 

Finally the path of diamonds teaches you to embrace the present. Learn from your past, hope good for the future but always live in and savor the present.

And thus, you will live happily ever after...

The story somewhat did not have a clear ending that you expect a nearly two-hundred page book to have. But the fact that it is not a novel neither a typical self-help book justifies this kind of ending. 

I would rather call it a self-improvement book. Something like the " Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"  by Stephen Covey..a book that you will cherish forever. The kind of book that you will keep referring to whenever you face some turmoil in your life.

I feel this is the kind of book I really had to read at this point of my life. The crucial point of my career when I have to decide whether I am going to continue with my studies or look for a job. Although this book does not really help you to realize the true purpose of your life but it aptly inspires you to look for one. 

The title does complete justice to the book. Although, as such there is no Ferrari involved. But the car actually is the symbol of the materialistic pleasures we all are so reluctant to give up.

Summing up, I loved the book. Was not too stretched, was to the point and did not bore me for even a second. I feel that all the applaud Robin Sharma got for this book was well deserved. 

I will myself like to congratulate the author for such an enlightening book.

Every one must give it a try. It is truly worth your time!