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There are no right or wrong decisions. You take a decision, and then prove it right or wrong.

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All decisions are taken on the basis of ‘analysis of the past’, ‘observation of the present’ and ‘forecasting of the future’; all done in the light of the ‘possible effects on various stakeholders’. The best part is that no matter how well one tries to forecast future, it will always remain a variable in the equation.

When the implementation of decision starts, this ‘variable’ has to be tracked continuously, as ‘future’ gradually becomes the ‘present’, one moment at a time. This tracking, consequent appraisal of the manner of implementation, and tactical adjustments made as a result, are what help prove a decision right.

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You can’t take a decision and forget it. You got to live in tandem with it.

A true friend is the one who can be happy in your success without getting jealous.

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“A friend in need is a friend indeed” – For an eon, this line has been the litmus-test for friendship. Well, it shall always hold true now and beyond. However, there is another equally important litmus-test – how do you feel when your friend does better than you? Yup, that’s the “moment of truth”!

Well, it is natural to compare (and even compete) with even a dear one. But friendship is to counter that first animal instinct with even stronger ‘vicarious pleasure’ born out of affinity. So, ask yourself – do I have some such friends? And more importantly, ask yourself – am I one such friend to someone?

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Happy friendship day! 🙂

For sensitive people, life can be quite an arduous journey.

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Sensitivity always comes with vulnerability – vulnerability to get affected, hurt, and disillusioned. It’s a strange duo. While sensitivity can make life a beautiful experience experienced at the subtlest of levels, vulnerability can make it an ugly ordeal to go through both outside as well as inside.

People who ‘feel’ profoundly know how tough it can be. What to do then? Well, there are two ways – first, to insulate yourself from potential disturbers and live in ‘your space’; and second, to raise your self-esteem to a level where you can deal with disturbers with just a smile and a shake of head.

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Yes, sensitivity is a gift – a gift you have to preserve through sensibility.

Not everyone who deserves gets. Not everyone who gets deserves. Get used to it.

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There will always be certain randomness about success. You will find ‘best of breed’ waiting in the wings and just about adequate ones making it to the rings. It is as if life keeps updating the success-rules and we only get to guess the new rules by looking at who is succeeding currently.

And the fun part is that by the time we begin to play by the guessed new-rules, the rules change again. Then, what’s the way out? Well, try this! Do your own thing and let success come to you on your own terms. As in any case, if your success comes to you on someone else’s terms then it is…

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…someone else’s success. 

Data can’t give you empathy. You got to listen to your customers’ stories.

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I am a strong believer in utility of data and all that can be done with it. I also know ‘what can’t be measured can’t be managed’. Thus, an attempt to quantify is an important endeavor. But it shouldn’t become a crusade…an obsession. And it should also not be seen as a panacea for all business & management problems.

Well, business doesn’t take place in our cabins, it takes place in the customer’s mind. That’s why, to see how our work is perceived and the impact it makes, we have to listen to customer’s stories. And I am not talking about seeing it as a case to be later used as a testimonial. I am talking about listening to really…‘listen’.

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Stories are also data. It’s just that while listening, you have to forget that they are.

Never lose yourself in a relation, and never lose a relation for your ‘SELF’.
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It’s a walk on a tight rope. You can’t tilt on either side. If you become too self-centered then relationship suffers, and if you become too sacrificial then you suffer. And most of us err in judgment regarding when to adjust and when to assert. Yes, there is no ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ here.

You have to continuously keep track of what the situation demands – when to let go and when to pull back…when to stay silent and when to confront…when to introspect and when to make someone introspect…when to swallow pride and when to stand for what you stand for.
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It’s always a balancing act. You just have to decide how much it is worth it!

Do not be so desperate for something that by the time you get it, you are too emotionally drained to avail it.      

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There is a difference between aspiring for something and craving for it. Unfortunately, in an era where we seem to have an insatiable desire for ‘motivational’ quotes, stories, anecdotes and clips, messages of ‘Go for it’, ‘Now or Never’, ‘Want it badly enough’ are being subtly pushed into adolescent psyche.

While this dose gives a short-term high, it eats into the inner reservoir of the person in the pursuit. The spikes of synthetically risen morale make people see it less as ‘journey’ and more as ‘chase’. And often, by the time you get spotlight, your attention has been away for long enough to be able to make it all count.

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Well, ‘drive’ is good, until it doesn’t begin to drive you crazy.

Most disagreements in life aren’t ideological but interpretational.       

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When you say something, your words convey a thought that is born in your mind. That thought is a co-creation of some personal variables – your observations, experiences, beliefs and emotions. Now, when your words go out there, people’s connection to them is subject to their own unique sets of these personal variables.

So, people’s interpretation of your words is always bound to be slightly different from what your words originally meant. Often disagreements arise due to this variation. That’s why it’s crucial to differentiate whether someone’s disagreement is due to ‘difference in opinion’ or ‘difference in interpretation’.

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Bring this maturity, and you will not disagree with every disagreement. 🙂

A creator should understand that every creation has its own destiny.       

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Whether you conceive a project, start a venture, begin an assignment, or give birth to a child, it is important to ‘let go’ at some point of time. You have to respect that now the creation has an existence beyond you. It will have its own struggles…its own glory…its own journey. You are at best a part of it.

I am not talking about disowning it or not giving your best. You got to do it, that’s your duty, after all, it’s a part of you! All I am talking about is to let it breathe, to not possess it so much that the creation never owns itself and always remains tied by the umbilical. You have to let it relate to the soil directly.

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Remember! What was once in your womb now belongs to the world. Accept it.

It’s important to see life as an ‘assembly line’ which is working on a product – YOU.       

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Often I am asked why I am so observant and introspective towards life. Well, the reason lies in the basic premise I have for life. I believe that all experiences I go through, people I come across, incidents that take place, and events that transpire are there for a reason. I see a sense of subliminal plot at work, as if a script is unfolding.

I call it ‘destiny’ – not in sense of ‘luck’ or ‘kismet’ but in sense of ‘navigation to a destination’ (notice the similarity in two words ‘destiny’ and ‘destination’). So to me, what is happening to me is shaping me, and all of it is taking me towards what I am meant to be. They will all add up. Yes, I see each experience not in terms of what it does for me, but…

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…what it does to me. 🙂