Good to Great..Edition 25

If a drop of water falls on lake, it loses its identity. If it falls on a rose, it shines.
If it falls on a shell, it becomes a pearl. The drop is the same but the company matters!!!

Hi Friends, Here comes a "Quarter century" Special Edition 25 of Good to Great…A quarter century is a good milestone to celebrate, but would not have been possible without the support and contributions from all of you!!!

So Thanks !!! Thanks!!! To Each of YOU for your constant encouragement and feedback!!!

Read in Leisure and please continue to share your articles, jokes, puzzles, feedback to balajineela@gmail.com

Contents

1. Its all about YOU.. B/f Ram
2. Thought for this week…B/f Bala
3. India Glorious
4. Health.. Flab-belly to fab-belly # 2..b/f Murthy
5. Management quick tips.. Things are to be used N people are to be loved....B/f Rajesh
6. Jokes corner....B/f Arvind
7. Management thoughts…The Window..B/f Venkat
8. November Babies.. B/f Rajesh
9. Tip for this week..Kathipura Junction decoded.. B/f Gavaskar, Murthy
10. Closing thoughts
11. Financial Scenario…Kala, Srikanth, Various

1. Its all about YOU

More people fail not because they lack talent or knowledge, but only because they quit.

The secret of success is persistence.

A man is a hero not because he is brave than anyone else, because he is braver for ten minutes longer. When we chase our dreams there can be only two outcomes. Either we make it or we give up.

Remember
Winners never quit.
Quitters never win

2. Thought for this week

" It is not your intelligence,
but it is the direction of your intelligence that defines your life"

3. India Glorious

There are many reasons to feel Proud of the great country that we live in..here are 2 more reasons

1. Vishwanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand retained his world title after drawing the eleventh game of the world chess championship against the Russian challenger Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn.

Viswanathan Anand is the world chess champion again. Anand first won the title in 2000. Anand, who turns 39 in December, now holds the unique record of winning the game’s biggest crown in three different formats.
In 2000, India’s first Grandmaster was the last man standing in the 128-player knockout format. Last year, Anand won an eight-player double round-robin field that included Kramnik to regain the crown.
Here, the champion proved that even in match-play, where two players face-off over a pre-determined number of games, he was second to none.Significantly, Anand scored over a player who holds the rare distinction of dethroning Garry Kasparov eight years ago in a title match. Kasparov, who defeated Anand in 1995, is arguably the strongest player ever to have played the game. This historic triumph saw Anand become the first player from outside the erstwhile Soviet Union nations — after Bobby Fischer in 1972 — to win a world title match. Fischer and Anand are the only two players who have scored over Soviets/Russians to claim the title in match-play in the post World War II era.

2. Saina becomes India's first world junior champion

World number 11 badminton player, Saina Nahiwal, created history by winning the World Junior Badminton Championship defeating Japanese player Sayaka Sato in straight sets. She is the first Indian to be world junior champion

A delighted Saina said after the match, “It is a great feeling to win it this time. The last time in 2006, I had lost in the finals but I am happy that I clinched the title this time. I never thought that I would play so well.

Nehwal shot to fame when she reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Nehwal was the first Indian woman badminton player to reach the quarter-finals of the Olympics. The 18-year-old, beat the world number five and the fourth to enter the quarter-finals. Few weeks after the commemoration of Beijing Olympics, she again hit the headlines by winning the Yonex Chinese Taipei Open 2008 in September 2008.

Saina is raring to go far ahead. Nehwal, whose name sounds similar to India’s woman tennis sensation Sania Mirza, is doing very well in the early stage of her career. But, most importantly, she has to hold her nerves and maintain her fitness to stay long in the game.

Well done Nehwal, always play exceptional game and make the country proud for a long time. With your recent wins, you have certainly provided a new life to the game of badminton in the country. Surely, more and more youths will now follow in your footsteps.

4. Health..Yoga for health

Sit down with your legs stretched out together and the arms extended in the air upwards. Now try and stretch yourself by getting your back and palms down to touch the toes.

While doing this contract your stomach muscles. Try holding your toes now with your hands. Stay for as long as possible and then come up. Relax and then repeat once more.

You would need a good level of flexibility to do this, so don’t exert yourself on the first day. First warm up and then do it gradually. You might not attain these poses perfectly in the first few days, but don’t bother, gradually it would come around.

5. Management quick tips.. Things are to be used N people are to be loved..
One of the best articles….thanks Rajesh for sharing!!!

While a man was polishing his new car, his 5 yr old son picked stone & scratched lines on the side of the car.In anger, the man took the child's hand & hit it many times, not realizing he was using a wrench.At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.

When the child saw his father....With painful eyes he asked

'Dad when will my fingers grow back?

'Man was so hurt and speechless. He went back to car and kicked it a lot of times.Devastated by his own actions...... sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches, child had written

'LOVE YOU DAD'.

The next day that man committed suicide. . .

Anger and Love have no limits;

choose the later to have a beautiful & lovely life....

Things are to be used and people are to be loved,

But the problem in today's world is that,

People are used and things are loved

6. Jokes corner..

Mother: What did you learn in school today

Son: How to write

Mother: What did you write?

Son: I don't know, they haven't taught us how to read yet!

கரப்பான்
மூன்று கரப்பான் பூச்சிகள், ரோட்டில் போய் கொண்டிருந்தன.

அப்பொழுது, திடீரென்று ஒரு கரப்பான்,"வால மீனுக்கும், விலாங்கு மீனுக்கும்.." என்று பாட துவங்கியது.

உடனே கூட வந்து கொண்டிருந்த இரண்டு பூச்சிகளும் செத்து போய்விட்டன. ஏன் தெரியுமா? ..........

ஏன்னா, அது "HIT" ஸாங்!!!

7. Management thoughts..The Window

A young couple moves into a new neighbourhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash outside.

That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.

The husband said: I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!

And so it is with life:
What we see when watching others, depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge.

And oh yes! I almost forgot….
I see you today much clearer than I did yesterday…
And you?

8. November Babies..

Trustworthy and loyal. Very passionate and dangerous.

Wild at times. Knows how to have fun. Sexy and mysterious.

Everyone is drawn towards your inner and outer beauty and independent personality. Playful, but secretive. Very emotional and temperamental sometimes.

Meets new people easily and very social in a group. Fearless and independent. Can hold their own. Stands out in a crowd. Essentially very smart.

Usually, the greatest men are born in this month.

If you ever begin a relationship with someone from this month, hold on to them because their one of a kind.

9. Tip for this week…. Kathipura Junction decoded

The new flyover is a New First in Tamil Nadu - Most European Flyovers are built in this model to ensure faster movement of vehicles and avoid traffic signals.

An interesting effort by the Government, but would take some time to understand (there was already a casualty on the second day after inauguration – since the sign boards were not up, a two wheeler entered a one way and was fatally knocked down)

So here is a small effort to de-code

New lanes at kathipara flyover

Airport –> Guindy è 1 – 11 – 4 – 9 – 13

Airport –> Vadapalani è 1 – 11 – 14

Airport –> Porur è 1 – 2 – 12

Porur –> Guindy è 12 – 9 – 13

Porur –> Vadapalani è 8 – 14 (side road)

Porur –> Airport è 12 – 5 – 11 – 1

Vadapalani –> Airport è 14 – 11 – 1

Vadapalani –> Porur è 14 -11 – 7 – 12

Vadapalani –> Guindy è side road – 6 – 13
Guindy –> Vadapalani è 13 – 9 – 3 – 11 – 14 Guindy –> Porur è 13 – 9 – 12

Guindy –> Airport è 13 – 10 – 1

Best part yet to come .. if you want to go round and round and round and ……

One full cycle è 11 – 4 – 5 – 11 – 7 – 3 – 11

U - Turns: 11 – 4 – 5 – 11

(airport side U Turn) 11 – 7 – 3 – 11

( vadapalani side U turn) 8 – 5 – 11 – 7 – 12

(porur side u turn) 13 – 9 – 3 – 11 – 4 – 9 – 13

(guindy side U turn)

10. Closing thoughts…

Live in the present

Recently at a small office related function, the chief guest made an important statement….

"Live in the present"

Hmm..what could this mean….Apparntly this gentlemen was a Homeopathy Dr & trained in Reikki.

Covering one aspect of Happiness or well being – of the Mind,

His simple solution / recommendation was "Live in the present"

Often we are at one place physically, but mentally tuned to something else….thinking of home, some target to meet in office, or of an upcoming event, a metrics meeting, or an upcoming function or a deadline….

If we are able to control these swings in thoughts and LIVE IN THE PRESENT….our concentration would be higher, less tensions, more productivity….Right, though this is easier said than done.

Reminds me so much of the old proverb –

Yesterday is History,

Tomorrow is a mystery,

That is why Today is called "The Present"

Try this simple life's solution and I am sure each of us would lead a much happier life!!!

USA election
Resisted for a long time to write on this topic, given the overload of info that we have had..A Historic win by Obama to become the 44th President of USA is a first of sorts…first Afro American, First Man of Muslim parentage, etc. Interesting…what does this mean for the World/ India - Obama has stepped at a time…when there is a global financial crisis, an oil / fuel crisis ./ Middle east war / a deadlock in Afghanistan, struggling automobile, Insurance sectors….to name a few
Not the ideal time to take the role as the Worlds most powerful man….but in true Obama style, he said " No better opportunity to Prove myself" Let us wait and watch what policies, actions that Obama takes that would Make or Break not only the USA economy, but that of the entire World.

11. Financial Scenario

Interesting that the current global finance Scenario is ensuring that Maximum contributions are coming for this section. While the bubble might burst at any time, it is very important to remain positive and yet take those precautions that would ensure, we are better prepared to face a crisis if it comes….

Here are some jokes to start with…. Laugh with the credit crunch

1. I let my brother borrow $10 a couple of weeks back. It turns out that I'm now America's third biggest lender
2. An investment banker's wife wants to give him a pleasant surprise and pops by his office. She finds him in an unorthodox position, with his secretary sitting in his lap. Without hesitation, he starts dictating, "…and in conclusion, gentlemen, credit crunch or no credit crunch, I cannot continue to operate this office with just one chair!"
3. The difference between investment bankers and London pigeons is that the pigeons are still capable of making deposits on new BMW's.
4. Quote of the day "This is worse than a divorce. I've lost half my net worth and I still have a wife."
5. There's a 'buy one, get one free' offer -- on banks.
6. America's Internal Revenue Service is offering a 25 per cent discount for cash-payers.

Here is some serious stuff…

Steps to be taken during crisis.

Are we are headed for doom and nothing can be done about it? Certainly not, in fact, the great news is that there are steps that we could possibly take now to better prepare ourselves for some tough times ahead. Though there is no silver bullet or short-cut that can save you from a financial crisis of such nature, because no asset can protect itself or generate real returns in a panic situation, there are some key things that a family can do to ensure that they are ready to weather these uncertain times.

Step one: Stay Calm. Don't panic and make rash decisions. Even though you know that selling shares of good companies or mutual funds is the worst thing to do, it is often the first thing that comes to your mind. Of course, this is not to say that if there is money in high-risk, high-return mid-or small-cap funds or stocks, you should not move them. But take a call after you have properly analysed losses that would have incurred in the process.Yes, these are times when you have to be more alert, but translating your alertness into immediate action need not be necessary. You should opt for rational decisions in such times.

Step two: Just a while ago, you would have got calls from head hunters and felt ultra-confident about yourself.But with changing times, it is more likely that these calls will slow down, and so will hikes being offered by companies that are recruiting. Even your own company may not give much of a hike in the next year. But it's time that you do not look at hikes and increments. Instead, be defensive about your existing job. There are several ways of doing this -- right from taking in more responsibilities to improving your skill sets. This could mean putting in more hours, if possible, and working harder and smarter. Be prepared for situations, where your company is pruning its existing workforce and more workload may be coming your way.

Step three: Create a contingency fund aggressively, if you have not already done so. It is far more important now to have that additional cushion. Have at least 4-12 months of expenses in the liquid form, that is, in savings account and fixed deposits, at all points of time. If only a single member of the family is working then it is imperative to have more funds in the emergency kitty. Can you borrow against fixed deposits, take a loan against your LIC policy and withdraw from PPF or EPF? Do you have gold that you could possibly sell? Evaluate all possibilities and be ready for all contingencies.

Step four: Perhaps, not taken too seriously, but the most important point -- reduce your expenses.

There are two types of expenses:

mandatory (groceries, child's education, home loan) and

voluntary (entertainment, vacation, eating out and others).

While there might be no way of scaling down mandatory expenses, voluntary ones can certainly be scaled down. However, even dealing with your mandatory expenses smartly can help matters. For instance, if you have high-interest home loans (most would have gone up to 12.25 per cent), you can look at refinancing it as there are banks that will offer you a loan for around 10.00-10.5 per cent. This can result in a reduction of the equated monthly instalment (EMI) and improve your cash flows. But it comes at a cost. So you will need to do a cost-benefit analysis of the loan transfer before going for it. If you are paying very high interest rates on credit cards and personal loans, you could do a 0 per cent balance transfer for three months (or slightly more), but refrain from using them till you clear the debt.

Step five: Have a proper savings budget and continue with your investments in PPF, EPF, SIPs and gold. Most importantly, this is not the time to be adventurous for investing in short-term equity. Doing all the above means you are much better prepared to tackle the bad times. It's important to pre-empt rather than take drastic measures in the future.