In God I trust ...

Once man was shown the path of his life by God. On the sandy path there were two pairs of foot prints everywhere on the path. When asked God said - "I was always with you in life". Then Man noticed that at some points there was only one set of foot prints. Man questions God again. God said that those were difficult times in the Man's life. Then Man got angry at why God left him during the most tumultuous times of his life. God answered - There are only one set of foot prints because I carried you on my shoulders during those times! True, God is always there. In God I trust. In testing times if we never give up hope there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Now I look up to the skies and feel some one up there is watching over me.

Are fat pay checks to CEOs justified?

We often hear newspapers, both online and conventional, report on the vast sums of money that are paid to top executives of many companies. Does that mean these people are at a low level in the Maslow hierarchy of motivation? Do they really need all this money to be motivated? What is the significance of these salaries in reality?

The motivation factors for each individual varies. Money might be a strong motivator but once the need for cash is satisfied man starts looking satisfaction of higher needs. For example when a payrise is given to a trainee he might be elated but a senior employee who is already drawing a healthy salary might not find the premise enthusing enough. Abraham Maslow, an American Psychologist suggested a hierarchy of needs. Man first looks for the satisfaction of basic needs - food shelter and safety. The highest level need that must be satified according to Maslow is the need for self-actualization or the feeling that he is completely fulfilling his potential.

First let us look into how a person could become the CEO of an organization. Often a person becomes CEO if he has founded the company or is one among the group that founded the organization. Sometimes a person becomes a CEO because the share holders in a company lay their confidence in him to take the company forward. What are the duties of a CEO? What does a CEO do? Stever Robbins at Leadership decision works.com gives a job description of a CEO. He goes on to say "A CEO’s responsibilities: everything, especially in a startup. The CEO is responsible for the success or failure of the company. Operations, marketing, strategy, financing, creation of company culture, human resources, hiring, firing, compliance with safety regulations, sales, PR, etc.—it all falls on the CEO’s shoulders. The CEO’s duties are what she actually does, the responsibilies she doesn’t delegate. Some things can’t be delegated. Creating culture, building the senior management team, financing road shows, and, indeed, the delegation itself can be done only by the CEO. Many start-up CEOs think fund-raising is their most important duty. I disagree. Fund-raising is necessary, but the CEOs contribution is in building a superb business with the money raised." Stever goes onto say that setting strategy and vision for the company, building a culture, team-building and capital allocation are the prime duties of a CEO. They look thin and understandable on paper. To quote Stever again, "The job is simple—very simple. But it’s not easy at all."

The value or health of a company is often estimated by the price of its shares in institutions like NASDAQ or DowJones. The price of an organization's shares is in direct relation to the actions of its CEO, the decisions he takes, the image of the company he promotes during his public outings, the confidence he instills in the share holders of the company. The CEO often turns out to be synonymous with the company he works for (e.g. Bill Gates of the Microsoft). The CEO is instrumental in decding the company's fortunes. If he pulls it off well the company is bound to prosper. Being the torch-bearers in an organization and being the ones who show direction, they command very fat pay checks at the end of every fiscal because a large portion of the company's success is attributed to them. Even the failure is thrust on their shoulders with the same force. By the time they start commanding those paychecks, it is already clear that their need for cash (their basic needs) is satisfied. So they would have already been past Maslow's first level of needs. Then it is a question of the hen or the egg. Why do they need those paychecks anyway?
What drives a CEO? Obviously a CEO would be one of the most well paid employees in an organization. We all feel a bit of awe when someone has the title of CEO behind his name. Apart from the salary, power, the chance to be the 'Boss', the level of autonomy that he has in taking crucial decisions are all a driving force behind him.

A CEO is the public face of the company. He is synonymous with the organization at events and social gatherings. A CEO of a successful company hogs the limelight at social events and his success stories - How he brought the company up from scratch, How he turned the company around to make profits etc; start making rounds in the media, both print and television. Thus His social needs (love and belonging needs) are met.

A CEO puts his skills to good use to solve problems. He plays the role of a problem solver or trouble shooter for his company. The degree of autonomy he has in his work and the responsibility he can shoulder can only be limited by his imagination. He grows with the company he heads. He is respected by others. Thus his being needs are met.

A CEO plays to his full potential to make the company prosper. Some of the younger bunch of CEOs even feel they can do better. They want more. They aspire to be better. They have reached the top of the Maslow's pyramid but it is upto them whether they think they have achieved self-actualization or not. If they are on the top of the pyramid then why do they need all those huge salaries and perks?

An ordinary employee in an organisation has his job cut out. His work influences his career, his colleagues and atmost his department. Hundreds of jobs exist in other organizations with the same job profile. If he is fired from the current organization he can get the same job elsewhere. On the otherhand a CEOs work, actions and decisions influence an entire organization and its course. He has no hard and fast job profile. He has to take reponsibility for his actions. Once a CEO is shown the door, he cannot become a CEO in another organization, for in the corporate world the stories of success travel fast but the failure stories travel even faster. The only option that he has is to start from scratch again. He has to rally for funds and establish a new start-up. The huge pay checks that he commands when he is at the top guarantee a secure financial future for him and his family for he faces the highest risk in the organization - He might not land up in a similar job ever again if he is shown the door.

Ever heard of the old adage that it is always lonely at the top? In the oranization too CEO is at the top and he does not have the same social life as that of the ordinary employee. Even if he wants to he might always be looked upon as a "boss". People like Akio Morita of SONY are exceptions as they have built a company culture round the concept of equality at work. It might not always be the case. Also some CEOs work 18 hour days and their lives are stressful. They need those limos, parties and expensive lunches for recreation. These social events are also a part of their job. They are promoting their company and building a brand value. The pay package of a CEO is dependent on how well the company does, what the board of directors offer him. If the stake holders think that he does not deserve such a huge package, why will they award it to him in the first place? In what forms do the CEOs take their salary? In cash? Of course not! Most of what comprises of their salary or earning is nothing but the value of their stock holdings in the company on that particular day. It is only under the discretion of the board of directors that they can get a 'credit card that know no limits' (a number of perks) like Conway and Walker have told in their report to the Gold Coast bulletin.

As already stated in the previous paragraphs, the job of a CEO is very insecure. He might never be able to work again once he is shown the door. They need those pay checks to secure their future financially so that they don't fall back to the bottom level of the pyramid where physiological needs take precedence over others. Hence in a CEOs life money becomes as necessary as food, water, shelter etc; Money is not a mere motivation factor for them. How much ever hue and cry we may rise over the salaries being drawn by CEOs around the world we have to admit a feeling of awe when someone has the title of CEO behind his name. The power, the salary and the perks, the success stories are all the reasons for the feeling of awe. We also have to admit candidly that even we might want to command such huge salaries if we ever were to step into the shoes of a CEO. It is always easy to throw in comments standing in the audience that we could have done better but it takes a lot of guts and efforts to step into the ring and throw those punches in reality.

Rain, rain go away ...

Rain, Rain go away, come again another day! :))

This little nursery rhyme seems to be in the minds of everyone around. Rain is playing spoilsport. Torrential rains over the weekend seem to spoil everybody's plans for Diwali. For some years now we had been having too less of rainfall. This year the season seems to be almost unending. We were totally unprepared for a downpour of this quantity and since rain-water harvesting mechanisms were not activated the level of the water table in Hyderabad stays the same as it was four years ago. What a pity, all this rain water has gone waste! I still cannot figure out why such a heavy rainfall is occuring this year. For all the right reasons, I pray that rains should stop bashing us like this and let us enjoy a peaceful winter in these parts of the country.

Rocky - One last time ...

15 years later, Sly reprises his iconic role of ‘Rocky Balboa’ in Rocky VI where Rock dons the gloves one more time to raise funds for a local community center and also propel his family out of debts. Balboa family’s big pay day is here. The only catch – He was advised not to by the Doctors and family. Adrian had already passed away. So goes the movie’s story line. Rock is 60 in the movie. In real life too Sly will celebrate his 60th birthday while filming the movie! He is right now getting back into shape. He also wields the megaphone for this movie. It is also heard that Rambo will have another outing in Afghanistan later next year. On behalf of all Sly’s fans I sincerely hope that Sly does not let us down by dishing out a cold turkey (As happened with Arnie in his reprise of a career defining role in T3).

A picture of Sly getting back in shape in his gym from www.sylvesterstallone.com

Dhampur's 'Mohan Bhargava' ....

Remember Mohan Bhargava, the unwilling protagonist from NASA who brings the light back into the lives of villages in a small village in India's hinterland in the movie "Swades"?

Dhampur is a village in UP as similar to anyother in rural India. Power cut of more than 14 hours a day forced people out of their petty businesses (like Xerox copiers). That deeply upset Pradeep Kumar Saini, 24, a "Halwaai" (a sweet maker). Early in the morning on August 15th this year he climbed the radio station tower near the town's bus stand with a back pack consisting of a water bottle, some biscuits, a couple of litres of Kerosene, a base ball bat (in case some one tried to bring him down forcibly) and phamplets. Once at the top he started throwing the phamplets around attracting the attention of the others. It being Independence day and the entire district administration all being there, word of his would-be suicide attempt soon spread around and the electricity board officials came into the picture. He first asked for 20 hours of power supply daily to his village. The negotiations went on until sun down and finally he succeeded in getting them agree to 14 hours of power supply. The town folk were a happy lot. After he came down victorious nearly 5000 people waiting for him carried him on their shoulders. He enacted a Dharam Paaji's "Su - side" from "Sholay" to get power in his "Swades" ... Want to know what he wrote in the phamplet? - "Hum gareebon ke paas izzat aur light hona bahut zaroori hain!" (It is important that we, the poor, have respect and light in our lives). People in the town say "Desperate times need desparate measures". Ironically the electricity board has plunged a neighboring town Qasbah in the darkness to give power to Dhampur! Perhaps one more 'Mo(a)han Bhargava' is in the making there too ... We need people who take initiative. On a lighter note let me quote Shekhar Suman on "Pol-khol" - "Su-side woh hotha hain Jo Dharam Paaji kehten hain lekin kabhi karthe nahi" :))

Twisted Tower

This image is not morphed. Its real. The award winning Spainish architect Santiago Calatrava designed this twister aptly called "Turning Torso tower" which towers over the Swedish city of Malmo. It has a spectacular 90 degree twist

Dumb & Dumber

The President of the United States ... The most powerful man on the planet. He is supposed to be towering statesman, good speaker and motivator and above all wield charisma. Whether we acknowledge it or not fact remains that the US Presidents through the ages, with their decisions, have influenced the way we live today either directly or indirectly. I always thought Bush Jr was not so charismatic and thought would never make it to the White House. But he did. Probably the American Citizens wanted to give him a chance then. But it still beats me, Why a second time? This makes Americans akin to or even worse than "Biharis" who keep re-electing Laloo! Bush Jr is far from the inspirational speakers his predecessors were. Worse still, his grammar and speech is no more sophisticated than an average high school kid! He speaks with this funny Texan slang calling "Iraq" as "Eye-Rack" ... God save the world! First time he got elected I thought he was dumb. second time he was dumber ...

Top 10 Dumb Things Bush Said in 2004 in Politics
#10: "I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me." -Nashville, Tenn., May 27, 2004

#9: "Then you wake up at the high school level and find out that the illiteracy level of our children are appalling." -Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

#8: "Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat." -Washington, D.C., Sept. 17, 2004

#7: "I want to thank the astronauts who are with us, the courageous spacial entrepreneurs who set such a wonderful example for the young of our country." -Washington, D.C. Jan. 14, 2004

#6: "We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September and proposed fundamental - supplemental funding, which is money for armor and body parts and ammunition and fuel." -Erie, Pa., Sept. 4, 2004

#5: "After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain, we will not have an all-volunteer army. And yet, this week - we will have an all-volunteer army!" -Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 16, 2004

#4: "Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a - you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." -Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004

#3: "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." -second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004

#2: "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." -Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

#1: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

Memoirs of Pontius Pilate

Who was Pontius Pilate?

Pilate was the Roman Procurate General who passed the order for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Where did I pick it up?

I picked it up during the fag-end of my trip to Koti's Sunday book market.

Why did I pick it up?

The unusual title prompted me to look at it. A glance at the preview on the book's cover and I was compelled to buy it.

Who wrote it?

The work was written by James. R. Mills, once-upon-a-time US Congressman.

What is the premise of the book?

Pontius Pilate, the Roman Procurate General of Judea, Samaria and Idumea, who passed the orders for the crucifixion of Jesus was later impeached from his governership and sent on exile. After 30 years he decides to sit and pen down his memoirs.

What attracted me to it?

The very fact that the person who condemned Jesus to the cross wrote that book attracted me to it. This is the story of Jesus written from a Roman point of view. This is one-of-a-kind literary work that I have encountered so far.

What is it all about?

Pontius Pilate reflects on the life, politics, history, religion and the life and work of Jesus, how his followers have multiplied across the Roman empire.

How is the book arranged?

The first chapter of the book tells us why Pilate was compelled to pen down his memoirs. The next few chapters give a brief account of Jewish history, their religious sects and practices. The following chapters deal with the life of Jesus and how the political, religious and social conditions of the day helped shape up his life. The last three chapters are about the trial, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus. The most significant aspect of the book is that Jesus is strictly seen from a political stand point by Pilate devoid of any religious fervor.

Why is the stand point so important?

We find so many books around that mix fact and fiction because of the religious affiliations. Now here is a Roman, who mocked at Jews, didn't believe in their religious practices and strictly saw Jesus as just another person. He was not at all influenced by the miracles that were attributed to Jesus

How did it help me understand Christianity better?

I understood the significance of the names of the churches around my house like "Beersheba", "Gesthamane" etc; I understood that the course of events in Jesus' life was nothing but the fulfillment of the prophesies by King David that preceded his birth. I understood for the first time that Jesus was not against the Romans, rather he was trying to cleanse the ills that afflicted the Jewish society there by liberating their minds and not physically liberating them from the Romans as many mistook him for. "Render unto me what are mine and Render unto Caesar what are Ceasar's"From Pilate's point of view Christianity was a poor-man's religion. They were all promised a better after-life. Their place in paradise was guaranteed by their God. Most of those who became Christians were either slaves or fishermen or in general belonged to the lower strata of the society. We have to consider the fact that Pilate wrote these memoirs in around AD 63 and that would be roughly around 2000 years ago.

What are some of my favorite observations in the book?

Pilate thought that the Roman empire was going to outlive everything else and also he thought that Christianity as a religion was not going to survive. Ironically Roman empire soon afterwards and Christianity has become the world's largest religion. Pilate seems to have been forced into crucifying Christ and during the course of the book seems to take an uncanny liking towards Jesus. Finally he thinks there is a chance that Jesus was indeed the son of "their" god. Pilate makes references to homosexuality being prevalent in the Roman society and also to princes who used it to their advantage.

What are some of the interesting lines from the book?

"It now seems unlikely that Christianity is going to survive given Emperor Nero's determination to wipe it out. If the Emperor succeeds then Jesus will be seen as a mad man who led himself and others to this tragic error."
"The current popularity of the cult among the lower classes is not surprising. Christianity offers them hope of bliss in the next world. They have never been given any encouragement to expect happiness anywhere"
Comparing Socrates and Jesus, Pilate says "The two of them said about the same things of what their God expects of mankind. It if often hard to tell the sayings of the young Jew from those of the old Greek."
"Political and religious leaders are tolerant to a man of principal so long as he does not become a nuisance to them."
"Julius Caesar, Caligula, Socrates, Jesus, all of them died for proposing to alter an existing order of things."
"Leaders of men often qualify for assassination by posing a threat to the previleged classes of the society."
"If a public figure is willing to accept things as they are, he will avoid being loved or hated very much, He will die in his bed - of old age- If he hasn't had the decency to put an earlier end to his life by committing suicide."

Information about the book:"Memoirs of Pontius Pilate" by James. R. Mills. Published in 2000 by Fleming .H. Revell, a division of Baker book house, Michigan, US. Library of Congress, Publication catalog-in data - ISBN 0-8007-1773-2

The day after tomorrow

"Where will you be 'The day after tomorrow'?" was the big question in Hollywood an year ago. A multi-million dollar CGI extravaganza unfolded on screen. The film showcases a grim future for man-kind as an ice-age sets in. Simultaneous catastrophes hit nations. Cyclones and huge snow fall hit India while Typhoons, Tornadoes, Hail storms, Tidal waves and snow storms strike elsewhere. The earliest warning that scientists receive is about 6 - 7 weeks earlier to the D-Day. Asusual nobody pays heed to the protagonist's claims and go about their work until it is too late. The weather rages. The symbols of modern civilization, Our great cities, are either submerged or frozen. Communication links are broken down. No transport either. After a few days the weather clears. People think of the whole episode as a warning to an even more disastrous events of the future and vow to preserve the balance of this fragile planet, Our home.

An year ago the claims made by the movie seemed preposterous. As far as I was concerned calamities like global warming and melting of polar ice-caps would take atleast a hundred years once they start. After all the figure '100 years' though large compared to human existence is pretty small when it comes to the matters of astronomy and geology. Ecological changes are not destined to occur overnight. What are the chances that environmental disturbances occur simultaneously all over the world? I would have said "nil", this time around, last year.

Quakes rocked northen parts of India and Pakistan, Tornadoes hit US coasts, Cyclones devastated the Indian east coast, All in a span of weeks! Call me a 'dooms-day sayer' and yet I will not flinch from my opinion that these incidents are not mere coincidences! I remember that the summers of my childhood were a lot more cooler than this year. The temperature seems to be rising a degree each year. Will not a time come when humans shy away from walking in the afternoon sun? I remember the winters when I just felt cozy and still a thin blanket would suffice. Not anymore. A thick rug has become a part of my bed. I remember a time when rains used to be seasonal. Not any longer. Rains lash in as they please. I remember a time when digging in about 10 feet made us see water gurgling in the well. Now sinking bore-wells to a depth of a hundred feet around my home town (coastal Andhra) does not guarantee water. I remember a clean beach. Now it is strewn with dirt and muddy froth. Just thinking about the future gives me creeps. I find solace in the hope that science will find an answer to these challenges before it is too late. On the otherhand I also think that whatever solution that science finds is only temporary and does not aim at eliminating the root-cause of the problem. Reason: We ourselves are the root of the problem and our life-style, the root-cause. Man is into an uncontrolled negative spiral and strong warning signs from Mother Nature might be the only way to call for his attention.

WMD

Weapons of "Monumental" Destruction

Why do "we" (Indians) feel compelled to spoil our cultural heritage? By this I mean the endless scribblings that adorn the walls of our monuments whether it is Charminar or Golconda. While some people try to etch their names into eternity some imbeciles proclaim their love on those aging walls. Even great heights and dangerous corners do not seem to deter them. They seem to take fancy in performing a "cliff hanger" leaving caution to the winds - only to see to it that the highest point on the monument bears their name! While pens remain the popular weapons of "monumental" destruction, some Buccaneers come armed with precision instruments like dividers from their geometry kits! A few years ago when we went for an excursion (in B.E) to Golconda fort I was surprised when one of my classmates took out a divider and started etching her name on the wall. Before I could stop her luckily she was apprehended by a security officer. The organizers of the tour finally succeeded in getting her out of the mess.

If it was the case of just walls it would have still been under control. The Archeological Survey of India conducts rejuvenation drives every few years and helps restore the limestone coating thereby erasing the scars. The other day I visited the Sir Arthur Cotton Memorial at Dowleiswaram. The memorial was the residence of Sir Arthur Cotton while he was working as the chief engineer here in coastal Andhra Pradesh. There were many working models that no longer work - all thanks to the neglect of the authorities. There were some exhibits that were made to retire because of the constant stress and strain the visitors impose upon them. There were a lot of rare photographs and paintings that depicted the history of the Dowleiswaram barrage. There were some portraits of Sir Cotton and his parents. The remarkable thing here was that the photos and paintings were just hung up. No glass casing to protect hem from the effects of wind,lights and people! What I saw on these portraits was shocking to say the least. I found scribblings all over the face of Sir Cotton! Does the lack of protective casing empower us to defile the cultural heritage? The memorial serves as a reminder to the rich heritage of coastal Andhra Pradesh. Will it last till the time I take my kids on an outing to the banks of river Godavari?

Is it not our duty to see to it that heritage sites are preserved for the future generations? The authorities seem to be content by merely pasting notices on the walls that scribblings would entertain a fine of Rs. 300. Nobody seems to care. Would 300 bucks be sufficient to restore a 100 year old painting once scribbled upon? I doubt it. When the Taliban were destroying the Bamiyan Buddhas near Kabul, the whole world including us condemned it. The same fate seems to lurk around the corner for the historical monuments spread across the length and breadth of the country. While the Taliban were fast enough to use "stingers" we use slow poisoning! While their noise attracted attention we dispose of our heritage sites in stealth! While a few hundreds of them fired their guns at those statues, each of us directly or indirectly contribute to the slow decomposition of the monuments. Add a complacent authority, lousy security, increasing pollution and an indifferent citizen to the mix. Time is now ripe to take action. Otherwise our future generations might put us on the same class as the Talibans when it comes to destroying cultural heritage!

The next time you feel an inkling to etch your name on the wall of that monument, think again, Your name is not going to stay there till eternity. The monuments are going to end up in ruins some day. The only way that you guarantee yourself that your name will go down in history is to do something worthwhile with your life. Something that the future generations will be proud of ...

"Tatkaal" - Bribing the government

These days the hottest reform introduced in India seems to be "Tatkaal". Go to the railway reservation counter on the day of the journey and then ask for a reservation to an already packed train. Pay an extra 175 bucks and you would get a berth. The power of "Tatkaal". Go to the passport office shell out some extra bucks and the passport is ready for issue in less than 15 days when it usually takes up to 60 if it follows normal course! The magic of "Tatkaal" works again. Go to the Regional Tranport Officers office and apply for a drivers licence. Usually it takes up about 500 bucks and 45 days to get one. Shell out something extra and get it done with in a matter of days. No, I am not talking about bribing the karmchaaris (The pot-bellied, pan-chewing, zombie-eyed, hair-dyed, sleepy low-lives who request the "common man" for pouring in oil to run the machinery of the Government) who infest these offices. One of the most innovative ideas implemented by the Govenrment of India in recent times is "Tatkaal". These days every other government office seems to host one form or the other of this scheme that cuts across the red-tape and delivers on time. The government seems to have decided to exploit the less patient, less prepared and lazy to plan Indian citizen. Picture this: You want a reservation on a packed long-distance train, what do you do? Just like one of my friends from Orissa said - "Bribe the Travelling Ticket Examiner!". But that is not always a win-win situation because who knows, the TTE might end up to be a really "straight" guy! Why bribe the TTE when you can bribe the Railway Ministry? After all the money you are giving ends up in the treasury which is a good thing both for you and for everyone else. Why make certain corrupt low-lives richer by a few hundred bucks when you can redirect the money for the good of all? Think about it. Iam not a guy with socialist leanings neither do I have a soft corner for the commies. Yet, I sometimes feel sorry for the guys who end up in the waiting list (10% of seats on the train are reserved for "Tatkaal" use) because they could not pay the extra amount. I think schemes like "Tatkaal" are a step in the right direction for routing out corruption. After all when people can disclose crores of rupees under VDIS (Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme) and get away with it then why not the common man shell out a few hundred bucks and receive a red-carpet treatment from the departments?

Note:

"Tatkaal" came in handy when I had to get on the only train service (Godavari Express) that was resumed after "Pyaar" cyclone hit coastal Andhra.

In VDIS, If you disclose 1 crore of black money you get to pay the government 30 lakhs and get to keep the rest as white money!

Pumping Iron

"The back is worse than the front!"

- Danny De Vito to Arnie in the movie Twins when Arni removes his shirt in the supermarket

What is the connection between balley dancing and body building? Both of them have an elaborate posing routine. I didnot know that until I saw "Pumping Iron". One of the very first movie-documentaries starring a young Arnie (Arnold Schwarzenegger). The movie traces the journey of body-building's all time greats contesting for Mr. Olympia title. Arnie competes with body builders from around the world including his buddy Franco and a young body-builder on the circuit called Lou. The Mr. Universe title winners all compete for Mr. Olympia - The title that stands for "Best of the best". The movie documents their preparation for the contest, their travel to the location, the contest itself and finally the victory lap. The movie also includes a brief biogrpahy on each of the body-building greats. It is hard to belive that a frail kid grew into Arnie! So is the case with the rest of the guys. It has lots of interviews with the contestants and there is one especially with Arnie where he admits that he would do anything to win the title including sabotaging the others with tactics like talking them out or offering them bad advice. Arnie demonstrates that the sport is as much about mental shape as is about physical shape. He psyches others contestants out. Young Arnie was so ambitious about winning Mr. Universe that he eliminated all distractions. He didn't attend his father's funeral when the latter passed away just 2 months prior to the contest. The movie ends with the retirement of Arnie from professional body building circuit. When somebody asks him if he drinks milk to remain healthy he naughtily replies "Milk is for boys! Men should drink beer!" Body building is compared to the art of sculpting. They say that in sculpting you can always chip of the disproportionate part using a chisel but in body building you need to do it the hard way - by pumping up. The definition of "pumping up" given by Arnie in the movie was much the same as what I posted on the blog when I started working out. "The experience is awesome! The feeling is as though every muscle in my arms and torso is trying to rip itself free from the shackles of the skinny exterior that holds it. Never felt better in recent times!"

Early to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy and wise!

I have heard many of my friends say that they wanted to get up early but can't do it. They say that it is so difficult. There are people who say umpteen number of times that they tried but failed. There are others who wonder how Iam able to do it. I was brought up that way. So it was not anything that I had strive hard for. After I made the ppt and sent it across to people I started getting feedback. Most of them said it was good but they also said "Waking up early" was not possible. Some said they would start the following Monday! So for all those people who want some tips on how to wake up early and make use of the "Holy hour" each morning, here it is straight from Robin Sharma - The author of the "monk" book himself:

"Getting up early to do your inner work, to sculpt your character, to sharpen your life's philosophy or to review your goals is not a waste of time. That Holy Hour infuses every remaining minute of your day with a perspective that elevates each area of your life. It'll transform you. Make you better as a leader. As a parent. As a human being.

Here are 5 practical tactics to help you get up early (5am is nice):
#1. Don't eat after 7pm. You will sleep more deeply as well as more sweetly. It's the quality not the quantity of sleep that's most important.

#2. Don't lounge in bed after your alarm clock goes off. Jump out of bed and start your day. The more time you lie in bed after the alarm clock goes off, the greater the likelihood that the chatter of your mind will say something like "stay in bed". "Sleep a bit more. You deserve it."

#3. Get into world-class physical condition. When I am in excellent physical shape working out 5 to 6 times a week and eating ultra-well, I jump out of bed at 5am or even 4am with ease. Being superbly fit is a brilliant move.

#4. Set BHAGs. Jim Collins coined the term BHAGs, meaning Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Goals breathe life and energy into your days. Goals inspire you and give you something to get out of bed for each morning. Taking out your journal and articulating 10, 5, 3 and 1 year goals for the core dimensions of your life will focus your mind and drive tremendous results. It will light a fire in your belly and flood you with passion.

#5. Set your alarm clock 30 minutes early. I shared this point at a recent The Awakening Best Self Weekend where people had come from all around the world to learn how to break through their fears and live their greatest lives. I just got an email from one participant from Spain. This little trick has changed her life. She thinks she's getting up at 6am. By the time she's up and out of bed, she realizes it's only 5:30am. She uses the newfound time to meditate or read or exercise. Her business is more successful than ever. Her family life is at its best. And she's happier than she's been in years.

Get up early. I dare you to do it for a few weeks. Your life is too precious a thing to waste. You know you were meant for your own unique form of greatness. You know you can do more, have more and be more. You know that you can be bigger than you currently are. So join The 5 O'Clock Club. Win The Battle of The Bed. Put mind over mattress. Get up early. And as Benjamin Franklin once noted: "There will be plenty of time to sleep when you are dead." Smart guy."

Note: this content was taken from Robin Sharma's blog. The original post can be viewed at: Robin's Blog: Be Wise, Early Rise

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

The title of the new novel by Sidney Sheldon. The plot is simple: Two widows try to take on the head of the world's foremost thinktank to avenge the murder of their husbands. The twists are predictable. The villain is the type you would find in a typical James Bond flick - "Weather Master" - He has a device to control the weather. He holds countries at ransom by modifying their weather patterns. He kills four of his employees who are working on different parts of the device, in different countries, when they figure out what they are trying to build. He also eliminates the scientists who are heading similar projects for the rival companies. When the families of the deceased start to put the pieces together he starts eliminating them too. Finally this diabolical villain meets his end through a tornado generated by his own weather machine. A poetic justice of sorts. The work is mediocre when compared with earlier works by Sheldon. The twists are predictable. If you haven't read the earlier works of Sheldon like "If tomorrow comes" "Bloodline" or "Rage of the Angels", then you might find it good. For hard core fans of Sheldon it is a let down. I can't even figure out why he named it "Are you afraid of the dark?" (There are 4 central characters in the story and why did Sheldon zero in on just one to name the book?). If you are free for the weekend and have nothing better to read then this book would keep you company ...

Would Gandhi want to come back?

Gandhi - "The father of the nation". I grew up idolizing Gandhi and Nehru in school. I even lost count the number of times I spoke about Gandhi on various occassions in school. My parents presented me with "My experiments with truth" and "The Discovery of India" when I was in class 7. Discovery of India was "cool". My experiments with truth was still beyond my comprehension though I read it from end to end. Perhaps I needed to be a little more mature to handle the philosophy behind the work rather than just possessing the vocabulary to go through it. Devoid of cable and a video player in childhood I used to religiously sit through the screenings of the movie "Gandhi" by Richard Attenborough telecast on Doordarshan every October 2nd. I was shocked when some of my seniors in Engineering abused Gandhi. I was disgusted by the way they made Gandhi the butt of all ridicule. During the course of the time I realized that it was the situation with most of the students. For some reasons unknown to both me and them - They hated Gandhi. They shunned Nehru. Yes, Gandhi and Nehru both made strategic mistakes while shaping up the country. If China was Nehru's nemesis, partition and communal riots were Gandhi's. But does that take away the credit they deserve? I don't think so. Mistakes happen. History cannot be changed or rewritten to suit the tastes of the present. One of the most frequently heard arguments was "We would have got freedom a long time before we actually got it if it had not been for Gandhi". Sure we would have got it but it would have been a bloody path to freedom. India would have joined the long list of countries which gained their freedom through violence. For Gandhi it was the means that justified the end. That the same method was successful in the Black Civil Rights movement and in South Africa bears testimony that it is effective and powerful. The method requires a mentally strong individual rather than the physically stong one. They may break your bones but not your will. When the west reveres Gandhi, Why can't we - the children of this land - accord him the same respect? Some people say we need another Gandhi to liberate us from the current state. The question here is "Will Gandhi like to take a rebirth in the first place?" People have become corrupt. Politics has become a money-making machine. The moral fabric of the society has been reduced to rags. Bribery rules. Gandhi was able to drive away the "White man" because that guy had a home land. Where will Gandhi banish the corrupt "brown man"? He can't do that because this is our home land! We need not even wonder if just the opposite happens and people drive Gandhi away! May be he would not want to live here anyway ...