Friday 30 December 2016

The Year That Went By - As shared



Looking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
 And we think of our loved ones and our friends.
Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.
And when we ponder those who do,
we immediately think of you.
Thanks for being one of the reasons We'll have a Happy New Year!

Poem by Kushwant Singh



*A poem by Khuswant Singh at 92!*

*The horse and the mule live for 30 years, And know nothing of wines and beers;*

*The goat and sheep at 20 die, And never get a taste of Scotch and rye.*

*The cow drinks water by the tonne, And at 18 is mostly done, Without the aid of gin and rum.*

*The cat in milk and water soaks, And then in 12 short years it croaks.*

*The modest, sober, bone-dry hen, Lays eggs for others, then dies at 10.*

*All animals are strictly dry, They sinless live and swiftly die.*

*But sinful, ginful, rum-soaked men, Survive for three score years and ten,*

*And some of them, though very few, Stay pickled till they’re 92!*

*So shed a tear, drink a beer, Celebrate the past, toast the future and have a Happy New Year !*

Corruption- As shared



Tale of 2 corruption cases; Bureaucrat defiant, veteran soldier submissive.

We are being tele bombarded with corruption being the biggest menace in the country, even our Radio gets highjacked for some monthly sermons, it is just one way traffic.

One senior most decorated veteran Air Chief is picked up by the CBI for allegedly being conduit to some corruption in buying choppers for the VVIP (I would like to call them very very irritating people).

He has presented himself anytime he was asked during last 3 years, has not done the Vijay Malyia trick of running away, he is 71 years old, he meekly submits himself for questioning, is locked up for 18 days, gets bail as CBI could not produce any tangible proof directly linking him.

Another case, a serving bureaucrat who is chief of the IAS Cadre in Tamil Nadu, he is raided and income tax department finds huge cash and some 5 Kg of gold plus other documents.

He is sacked, feigns chest pain, goes to hospital and when discharged, he calls the raid unconstitutional as his state Government was not informed or permission sought from state Government. He further dares the centre that if his late boss Jayalalithaa was alive, income tax department would not have dared to raid him.

I am flabbergasted, why he is not in jail? Why no custodial interrogation?

Answer to this vexed question is, He is an IAS officer and just can’t afford to buy gold biscuits from his salary, most are conduits of the politicians in their corruption, harming him will make the complete cadre against the Government; Veteran decorated soldier is an expandable commodity.

What sort of corruption fight it is of the Government? One being put in jail with pickpockets and thieves, another being handled carefully, decently. Will it happen in any honest democracy?

How long will forces accept such trash? This is the moot question.

Major Gurdeep Samra

Thoughts of Rumi- As shared



Some beautiful answers and way of thinking of Turkish poet Rumi, that I cannot resist sharing...

What Is Poison ? ? ?
He Replied With A Beautiful Answer - AnyThing Which Is More Than Our Necessity Is Poison. It May Be Power, Wealth, Hunger, Ego, Greed, Laziness, Love, Ambition, Hate Or AnyThing.

What Is Fear ? ? ?
Non Acceptance Of Uncertainty.
If We Accept That Uncertainty, It Becomes Adventure.

What Is Envy ?
Non Acceptance Of Good In Others, If We Accept That Good, It Becomes Inspiration.

What Is Anger ? ? ?
Non Acceptance Of Things Which Are Beyond Our Control.
If We Accept, It Becomes Tolerance.

What Is Hatred ? ? ?
Non Acceptance Of Person As He Is. If We Accept Person Unconditionally, It Becomes Love. 😊

Congressed - As shared




Urban Dictionary has added a new word: 'Congressed' (verb, adj).
It means getting fully, totally, irredeemably screwed.
Eg - I got "Congressed" at Work Yesterday.

Urban Dictionary has added another new word:
Rahulgandhied (verb).
To talk irrelevant nonsense to questions asked by someone and thereby make a complete fool of oneself.
Usage : How was your viva?
 "I rahulgandhied it"

After reading this msg I was manmohanned for a while....😳😜😂

Wednesday 28 December 2016

What Robin Sharma learnt in 2016- His news letter



One of my rituals to run as we near a new year is to deconstruct the past 12 months to raise awareness so I can repeat [and refine] what worked and remove what didn't. 

I also do a "100 Lessons This Year Taught Me" list within my journal. 

I thought it might serve you well if I shared‎ 26 of them with you. So here you go: 

#1. A superb mindset without an elevated heartset [a word I've been introducing in my work along with "healthset" and "soulset"] is a fake win. You need all four of these interior arenas operating at world-class to bring your brightest fire into the world. 

#2. Being productive at your craft is important. Being productive in your devotion to grow as a human is essential. [Inner empires precede outer ones]. 

#3. Be a warrior when it comes to delivering on your ambitions. And a saint when it comes to treating people with respect, modeling generosity and showing up with outright love. 

#4. The most important things in life have nothing to do with things. 

#5. Creative masters get that time in solitude is the A-Player's peak protocol. [There's a difference between being busy and being productive. And there's a reason why the legends spend a lot of time alone]. 

#6. Being out on the jagged edges of your abilities is a scary place to be. So few have the guts to play here. Your weaker self thinks you're being foolish. People think you're strange. Peers will copy you when you get good. But this is ‎where the great ones live. 

#7. Your income reflects your self-identity. Your impact reveals your personal story. 

#8. What society calls impossible, the visionary sees as the untried. 

#9. Everyone alive today is doing the bes‎t they can do based on the way they see the world. Their level of perception is driving the quality of their behavior. Don't judge them. Understand them. 

#10. People who cause others pain are people in a lot of pain. 

#11. Your elite performance routines will not work if you don't do the work to make them work. 

#12. Own your morning and you'll win your day [yes--I'm still writing The 5 AM Club. It's been two years. I just want to get every word right for you. Thank you for your patience. And the tremendous encouragement]. 

#13. Your past was perfect preparation for your gorgeous future. Honor it versus regret it. 

#14. Long meals with loved ones, sunsets and full moons, walks in the woods on crisp Autumn days and deep talks with new friends [in the South of Italy] are massive forms of wealth. Money doesn't buy true riches like these. 

#15. Humility shows your greatness. [When I hung out with Woz--the co-founder of Apple--at The Titan Summit in Zurich a few weeks ago, I met one of the most modest + kindest people I've ever met‎. Powerful experience for me]. True Titans don't brag.‎ 

#16. To lead is to serve. [This past July, standing in Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island, I got that insight deeper into my core than ever before]. 

#17. Most people have really good hearts. They're just really scared to take down the armor that has allowed them to survive. Your job is to inspire them to do so. 

#18. My life works a lot better when I'm reading every day. And a house full of books [analog] is a magical home. 

#19. Make the time to mentor, coach and develop your team. You'll grow your business swiftly by helping your people unleash their gifts beautifully. And it's the right thing to do. [Leaders grow more leaders]. 

#20. Less ego. More authenticity. Less me, more we. Less talk, more do.

#21. The toxic people you've allowed into your life are costing you your dreams. 

#22. The more I invest in personal growth + professional game, the more my ability to influence positively rises exponentially. 

#23. Talk to yourself like you love yourself. You wouldn't speak to your loved ones the way you sometimes speak to you. 

#24. The more powerful you become the less you'll need to advertise how powerful you are. 

#25. You really can Lead Without a Title. I met the JoBurg janitor again this past year. The Michelangelo of The Washroom. Still sees himself as an Ambassador for South Africa [someone please give this man a medal]. Still works like it's the most important job on the planet. Still smiles like a little kid. Still teaches me what being a good person is all about. 

#26. Stop waiting for the‎ world to provide more heroes. And--today--start becoming one of them. 

I hope I've served you well over 2016. I'll work even harder for you in 2017. 

I have your back. I'm in this with you. And I'm counting on you to bring on the fullness of your talents in the new year for the benefit of your potential, your family, your community and all of us who are longing to see you fly. 

Weekends in 2017



The next year is packed with 14 long weekends, including two nine-day bonanzas—one in Aug and the other in Oct. Get prepping, folks!

Thu, 26 Jan: Republic Day
Fri, 27 Jan: Take leave
Sat, 28 Jan
Sun, 29 Jan
Consider: Gulmarg or Auli for skiing;  Jawai to spot leopards

Fri, 24 Feb: Mahashivratri
Sat, 25 Feb
Sun, 26 Feb
Consider: Agra for Taj Mahotsav (18–27 Feb); Andaman Islands for diving; Goa for Carnival (25–28 Feb)

Sat, 11 Mar
Sun, 12 Mar
Mon, 13 Mar: Holi
Consider: Mathura for Holi; Coorg to catch the white coffee flowers in bloom; Jaipur before summer kicks in

Sat, 25 Mar
Sun, 26 Mar
Mon, 27 Mar: Take leave
Tue, 28 Mar: Gudi Padva
Consider: Rishikesh for white-water rafting

Sat, 1 Apr
Sun, 2 Apr
Mon, 3 Apr: Take leave
Tue, 4 Apr: Ram Navami
Consider:  Srinagar for tulips

Thu, 13 Apr: Vaisakhi
Fri, 14 Apr: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti, Good Friday
Sat, 15 Apr
Sun, 16 Apr: Easter
Consider: Amritsar for Baisakhi (14 Apr) Mahabaleshwarfor the Mapro Strawberry Festival (Easter weekend)

Sat, 29 Apr
Sun, 30 Apr
Mon, 1 May: May Day
Consider: Shillong, Mashobra or Landour to beat the heat; Tadoba or Ranthambore to spot the big cat; Tawang for adventure

Sat, 24 Jun
Sun, 25 Jun
Mon, 26 Jun: Ramzan Eid
Consider: Hyderabad or Lucknow for Ramzan Eid; Munnar for the monsoon; Dharamshala for camping/trekking

Sat, 12 Aug
Sun, 13 Aug
Mon, 14 Aug: Janmashtami or take leave
Tue, 15 Aug: Independence Day
Wed, 16 Aug: Take leave
Thu, 17 Aug: Parsi New Year
Fri, 18 Aug: Take leave
Sat, 19 Aug
Sun, 20 Aug
Consider: Ladakh for adventure; Uttarakhand for trekking and Valley of Flowers

Fri, 25 Aug: Ganesh Chaturthi
Sat, 26 Aug
Sun, 27 Aug
Consider: Pune for Ganesh Chaturthi; Coonoor for cheese-making at Acres Wild; Agumbe, Karnataka for a monsoon drive; Bali for a beach break

Sat, 30 Sep
Sun, 1 Oct
Mon, 2 Oct: Gandhi Jayanti
Consider:  Bhutan for the Thimphu Tshechu festival (30 Sep–2 Oct); Bandhavgarh for wildlife season; Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh for the pleasant weather

Sat, 14 Oct
Sun, 15 Oct
Mon, 16 Oct: Dhanteras or take leave
Tue, 17 Oct: Naraka Chaturdashi or take leave
Wed, 18 Oct: Diwali
Thu, 19 Oct: Balipratipada
Fri, 20 Oct: Bhaiduj
Sat, 21 Oct
Sun, 22 Oct
Consider: Gangtok for clear views of the Kanchenjunga; Rajasthan for Diwali; Birand Billing for paragliding

Fri, 1 Dec: Eid-e-Milad
Sat, 2 Dec
Sun, 3 Dec
Consider: Nagaland for Hornbill Festival; Periyar for wildlife; Bharatpur or Odisha for spotting migratory birds

Sat, 23 Dec
Sun, 24 Dec
Mon, 25 Dec: Christmas @ Manali for the snow; Puducherry or Alappuzha for a winter break

No of VIP's in India



Great Britain has an official number of 84 VIPs. France has 109, Japan has 125 and Germany has 142. The total number of VIPs in the USA are 252, Russia 312 and the total number of VIPs in China is 435.

India has a total no of 5,79,092 VIPs. It is sickening. Cutting down this no to below 300 is as urgent a reform as any. Remember this huge Army of largely political VIPs are squandering valuable national resources meant for the common people of this country. Share to build public opinion against this nonsense.

HOW THE CURRENCY VALUE CHANGES?- As shared



HOW THE CURRENCY VALUE CHANGES?

Please go through the below simple Economics,  which will give a good idea on why Taxes are more important not only for Government but also how beneficial to its  citizens, indirectly!

A Government should invariably need GOLD to run the country for their day to day business!   Since the Gold cannot be pumped into market, it chose to use the Notes/Currency  instead!

And printing  the notes/currency  is done under the watchful eye of the IMF ( International Monitory Fund).  A Govt. cannot print notes left & right! It has to be approved by IMF, however it can print any denomination of notes but it should be equivalent to the total weight of the  Gold,  the Government owns.

Let us compare two countries! I have taken America and India because we always compare our country with America!

For calculation purpose let us assume that , Government of America holds  1 Ton of Gold and Government India   holds  same 1 Ton of Gold

And now:

America printed $ 1 dollar notes of  1000 nos which is  worth $1000.  So,  1 gram of gold is equivalent to 1 Dollar  (1000 grams=1000 notes)

India  Printed  ₹ 1  notes of 1000 nos  which is worth ₹ 1000. So here 1 gram of gold is equivalent to 1 Rupee ( 1000 grams=1000 notes)
Now the value of  Dollar and Rupee are same, i.e. $1 equivalent to Rs.1

Now,  American government releases $1000 notes into the market and sets 20% as tax for each transaction.  And   it  receives back $ 200  in the form of taxes.   Now,  the American Government, with that $200,  buy more 200 grams of Gold with that money and release another $200 worth of notes in the market. So now the American Government  hold 1 Ton and 200 Gms of Gold and American Market has  $1200 worth of notes.  And still 1 Gram of Gold is $1.   And this will keep on going  and the 1 Gram of Gold is $1 always as long as Government receives 100 % tax amount in return as it buys gold for the worth of tax received and printing more notes equivalent to the gold and releasing in the market!!

Now in India,  the   Indian Government too releases  ₹ 1000 in the market and sets  20% as tax.  But it  only receive back  ₹ 50 in the form of taxes!!  Which means only ₹ 250 of the released amount  were transacted officially!    Because balance   of tax  for ₹ 750 is till rotating in the hands of unwanted elements in the market, who does not want to pay tax!  This amount is “unaccounted money” which is called ‘black money’.  Though this ₹ 750 still in the market,  it is not accounted in the books  of government officially.   So,  the money in the market is only Rs. 250 as per government records!  Whereas ₹ 750 is also being used in the market! This is called parallel economy!!   At the same time  the government now can only buy 50 Gms of gold from the tax amount it received.  So the Govt buys that 50 Gms gold and release ₹ 50 worth of notes into the market. Now the money in market is ₹ 300 (₹ 250 + ₹ 50) only officially,  whereas it is supposed to be ₹ 1050.  At the same time the Govt. has to meet  the demand for more notes, because those ₹ 750 has gone into unaccounted!   So the government then decided to print more ₹ 750 notes  and to release them in the market. Here comes the IMF which does NOT allow this !!   It asks the government to reduce the value of the rupee because the government is ‘pumping’ more notes against the same weight of Gold it holds, that is 1 ton 50 Gms!  Government has no choice (because it did not receive 100% tax return  for the amount it released and it could not buy more gold)  and hence reduces the value of Rupee and pumps ₹ 750 more notes into the market. So the market has now ₹ 1800 whereas Govt still only hold 1 ton 50 grams!!

So now the value of ₹ 1 has gone down to ₹ 1.71!!

So when compare to US Dollar  as above, which was $1 to Rs.1, it is now $1 to ₹ 1.71 !!!

The notes are pumped into the market  regularly to meet the demand of the market  and the value of the Rupee is depreciated every time when Gold reserves are same.  That the reason why the Rupee is 67.80 to a Dollar today!!

Had the Indian Government receives 100% tax in return, the value of Rupee would have NOT gone down drastically!!

Now, can you all understand why the Governments need taxes?! And how, we citizens are benefited?   If Rupee is strong and stable then the value of our properties/assets  will be strong too!

That is the reason why the America is the richest country as  95% of citizens ( at various brackets) are paying their taxes!!     Whereas in India?? Can anybody guess?! No marks for right guessing!  Just type in google “percentage of taxpayers in India” and you would know!! I am sure your head will go down with shame!!

Come on…did you all check that figure in google?!?!   Don’t we feel shame on this figure!!? We talk of so many things, demands benefits and badly compare us with those Western Countries for all that infrastructure,  system, cleanliness, ever lighting cities with no power cuts etc..etc!!  We praise them! We appreciate them!    Whereas nobody, I repeat nobody, compare and raise voices on how much  are we contributing to our own country as part of tax!!!

This article is not supporting  Modi OR whosever talk against demonetization! This Article is to bring about  and to educate on how the Black Money damages and ruins the Country!!

I know you will send this  article to your friends and families but I request you to circulate to ALL of your enemies too!!

Charlie Chaplin - As shared



Charlie Chaplin told the audience a wonderful joke and all the people started laughing... Charlie repeated the same joke and only few people laughed..????He again repeated the same joke but this time no one laughed...??????Then he said these beautiful lines...;
"when you cannot laugh on the same joke again and again...then why do you cry  again and again on the same worry." So enjoy your every moment of life..!!Life is beautiful!Today is Charlie Chaplin's 125th birthday - a good day to recollect his 3 heart-touching statements:-
(1) Nothing is permanent in this world, not even our troubles.
(2) I like walking in the rain, because nobody can see my tears.
(3) The most wasted day in life is the day in which we have not laughed.
😊Keep smiling and pass this message to everyone whom you would like to see smiling...😊😊
I just did..😊

Monday 26 December 2016

Amazing Peace: A Christmas poem








Amazing Peace: A Christmas poem
Let me share with you one of my favorite poems written by Maya Angelou. I wish I can reprint the whole poem. But I have reproduced the last few lines.
In our joy, we think we hear a whisper. At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength. We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace. It is loud now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.
We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.
It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time. On this platform of peace, we can create a language
To translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.
At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ
Into the great religions of the world.
We jubilate the precious advent of trust.
We shout with glorious tongues at the coming of hope.
All the earth’s tribes loosen their voices.
To celebrate the promise of Peace.
We, Angels and Mortal’s, Believers and Non-Believers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves.
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.
Peace, My Brother. Peace, My Sister. Peace, My Soul.

REMAIN POSITIVE



REMAIN POSITIVE
‘If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it,’ is an adage.
In our everyday dealings, invariably we come across muddled and gloom-ridden individuals possessing an antipathetic attitude. It could be our immediate family members, a colleague in the office or say a romantic partner…… The list is endless. 
We indeed care for them and love them, but the result is that their negativity diminishes our aura and being associated with them makes us weak and enervated. Our energy/prana levels or Chi reduces through an unproductive association. Therefore, we need to upend the pyramid. We cannot sacrifice our precious moments of jollity, radiance and happiness. As caring souls, we seem to be clueless as to how to ameliorate their problems much as we wish to help them come out of the thicket of negative thought process.
Positively inclined people should never become prisoners of guilt or victim- consciousness. Nature has provided abundance to all of us. If some people or individuals focus only on lack and ignore the teeming wealth and manifold surrounding them, they do it at their peril.
As social animals, it is well-nigh impossible for us to sever our relationships. This is a challenge to the human mind. The most effective way is to declutter our minds and feel authentically good about ourselves. Or else the shadow of negativity could depreciate the currency of our aura.
Another rewarding step would be to take up responsibility to help those afflicted and suffering. Taking up responsibility empowers us. Empowerment assists in decluttering the mind and we can tide over the cobwebs and demons residing in the sacred space.
‘Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated,’ wrote the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
Embarking on the path of simplicity helps in disambiguating the most arduous and complex of equations.
A few days back I received a call from Guwahati, from a fellow traveller in the Art of Living. The gentleman is a professor in the Law College. After exchanging pleasantries, he handed over the phone to his banker friend, who was suffering from a multitude of problems.
My friend from Guwahati had asked him to attend the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living and learn the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya to combat mental and physical stress he was undergoing. But the mind had found various reasons to avoid taking the plunge. While in principle he was in agreement that attending the course would have a salutary impact, yet the human mind conjured up all tricks in the book which prevented him from participating in the course.
I had a simple brief for the hapless soul-
a)     Enrol for the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living.
b)    Forget that he was the owner of a prized motorbike and instead walk to and fro from his place of work.
c)     Begin his day with warm lime water laced with honey.
d)    Practice a few Yogic postures to soothe his stomach, under the guidance of an expert teacher.
e)     Eliminate non-vegetarian food, alcohol and other addictions totally.
f)      Eat plenty of fruits and consume buttermilk.
However, he was also counselled to consult a doctor prior to embarking upon the new regimen as by nature (chitta), the human mind is opposed to any alien ingress of ideas.
In order to maintain a positive frame of mind, humans should not complain. A mind which is fretful wastes precious time and energy and ends up staring at darkness rather than embracing light or positive thoughts.
Samuel Johnson was to say, ‘Whoever has limited knowledge of human nature and seeks happiness by changing everything but his own attitude, will waste his life in futile efforts,’
Efficiency of humans increases if we attempt to focus on solutions rather than compounding the quantum of problems. It is indeed prescient not to live the problems of our loved ones. We neither provide succour or an alternative, instead hurtle down the precipice of negativity.
It is imperative to assume ownership rather being judgemental or criticising the affected individual. We should take hundred percent responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, deeds and actions.
The simple law of attraction is that good begets good and negativity spirals into woeful situations. Therefore, it is intelligent and sagacious to analyse our mind and associated emotions and feelings such as happiness or anxiety. We can radiate enormous energy and joy around us by remaining happy. However, the reverse is also true. By remaining heavy-hearted and crestfallen, humans end up spreading toxicity. Therefore, humans have the wherewithal to become catalysts of change.
Fundamental to remaining positive is to become aware and mindful of what is transpiring in our mind. A continuous metamorphosis takes place in our thinking pattern. Thoughts move in patterns and waves. We need to be perspicacious to appreciate the flow of the thought process and not permit the mind to hang on to the coattails of negative thinking patterns.
On the other hand, we should make auto-suggestions and positive affirmations like ‘people love and respect us’, ‘we are worthwhile’, ‘feel the blessings and abundance’. At the same time, remain open minded and become true friends to ourselves. The present moment is the true moment and that is the sanctuary and reservoir of positive energy. We should remember, this energy is contagious.
So, leaving behind the past we ought to move forward dispelling the cesspool of negative emotions with utmost faith and strength.

The banker from Guwahati assured me that he would attend the Art of Living workshop and that brought a smile to my face.