Full & Final Settlement – Last Visit to the company

The feeling is strange. The organisation you've been a part of, worked for sometime, contributed in the expansion/sales/operations/finance/HR/IT and there comes a day you visit the company for the very last time i.e. for FULL & FINAL SETTLEMENT.

It certainly is strange, out of the blue and awkward – you are asked to sit in the reception and wait for the HR to come. You have a look at the floor – same place where you walked day-in & day-out in formals and there you are – waiting for the Full & Final.

At the reception, you realize that nothing has actually changed. The reception is the same place you came some time back for an interview – waiting for your chance, scared about the questions to be faced, result to be announced and there you are – Last day at the company.

The organisation never feels your absence. People are working & the organisation continues growth. You see similar faces saying ‘Goodbyes’ & ‘Wishing luck’ who at some point in time sat on the same floor. At this point in time, you think about the contributions you did, nights you worked, and friends you made. You may as well think – Did I take the right decision of leaving the job?

Hey – you’ve taken the right decision. Never regret about the decisions you've taken. Your decision to leave a particular organisation is based on some aspects/incidents & there’s no reason for you to regret. There is no point to work for people/company you don’t feel good about. It’s time that you explore & grow with some other organisation or build yours own.

HR arrives and hands over an envelope which contains the cheque & letter of experience. And that completes the circle – Signing of the appointment letter to receiving the experience letter. You’re asked to sign on the papers that your account has been settled & you’re relieved from the company. One signature makes the difference.

There are certain key learnings you should keep in mind:

- Never get emotionally attached with the company. The company doesn't feel the same for you.

- Believe in yourself & your decision. You are the best – the very best.

- Never regret. No point thinking on What? Where? Why? When? It was your decision – respect it.

- The future is brighter and radiant than you think.

And finally, HR greets & says ‘Good Bye’. This is when your journey with this organisation comes to an end. I’m sure you had great times to learn. There’d be times you’d be angry/happy about. Your boss appreciating/criticizing your performance. Attending parties, making fun of/criticizing colleagues/boss, competing to prove yourself and what not. Overall, you eventually say – Hey, that was a great experience.

And there you are – pull the glass door, and wish all the best to the company. And you don’t look back. Walking through the corridor, for the very last time – you smile & say, “I’m now ON to something really big. A great decision. Time to build the future”.

Am I Alive?

Guest post by Rutvij Bhutaiya

I think in myriad ways about why we are here? Why we are doing particular tasks or things, what’s the purpose behind it? In search of this teaser I lost battle, every time.  Because may be such thinking should not exist. There are no questions and no answers. But there is ‘something’, which is impossible to explain. And I believe it is already in existence, inside us.

In my life I've seen a lot of people simply appeared and then vanished like smoke. Why some of those strangers became my best friends in this life, what if I would have chosen different path?  

Today I don’t have a job and I am penny less. And I am the happiest person in this world because nobody in this world can measure the value of happiness or love or beauty. It is inside, only I can feel it. Felling sad or hate doesn't mean we are unhappy; we are, but we just don’t look at that happiness or love which exists inside us. It is and always will be.

The true thing is that we all are machines, and we work according to outside events. We express sad feelings at sometimes and sometimes we become happy, and we forget that our inner state is always being happy and feeling good.

‘Life is an experiment and world is your laboratory’. It’s never going to repeat, never. But we can utilize every moment. Utilizing every second, working round the clock and making billion dollars does not mean utilizing your life. Do what you love, and love what you do. If you like photography, go out there and click. I like to walk, I walk 3-5 km not for health but I love to walk, there is no logic, I love I do. It you want to become an entrepreneur – you know what you want to do, and fortunately only you know what you love, do it.

We all chase some destination, but my experience and definition about destination is different. Our journey as a life is the only destination. If you think you will be happy having a big car – your goal – or having a nice home with swimming pool. Actually it is not a destination or a goal, because at the same time your preferences do change your goals. And finally it becomes an endless journey without any destination or goals.

End of this, I found that ‘something’ which I used in top paragraph. That something has a different definition for each individual. For me that ‘something’ is right now, this present moment. And I can say, Yes, I am alive.

What is your definition about ‘something’? Place a comment because this moment will never repeat.

Keys to Stay Organized

Hey You! Do you plan before taking action? Do you manage your calendar? Do you prioritize your priorities? If not, better start doing it now. The battle begins as the alarm rings. Time to prove and get ready for the day. Difficult, isn't it? It actually isn't; however, we believe it so. These are some secret keys to stay organized:

1. Prioritize your priorities: Most successful people prioritize tasks to be done that day. A to-do list is the best way to manage your day’s activities. Believe you have priorities; however, it is important to prioritize your priorities. Tasks with greater degree of relevance should be completed first.

2. Manage your desk: Hey, never leave your desk dirty. Don’t flourish it with useless papers, files, and other things. Understand it is difficult to organize the desk on top of important meetings, work, priorities, etc. Take an hour every week to organize your desk. The investment to stay organized is one great way to deal with emergency situations – makes it easier to get data, papers and files resulting in saving time.

3. Set aside 20 minutes to evaluate the entire day: Make sure you keep 20 minutes to evaluate & analyse how the day passed. These 20 minutes will help you prepare for the coming days. Prepare a list of do’s and don’ts – learn and try improving yourself. Also go through the remaining work – assignments to juniors, respond to voice-mails & emails, file things you need, and clean up the rest.

4. Maintain a Calendar always: Prepare a calendar – organize your activities. Maintaining a calendar either on your smartphone or sticky notes makes sense. This will keep you updated for the meetings, tasks to be done.

5. Set goals & stay focused on them: Your target should always be to hit the ‘Bulls Eye’. Remind yourself of the goal day-in and day-out. This will help achieve the success you dream of. Your goals should be realistic & encouraging.

And yes, never forget to add the ingredient of ‘optimism’ whilst preparing the dish. Optimism, hard work coupled with being organised will surely help you achieve success. A little investment of time, develop a system to keep a track of key things will assist in creating a personalized road to productivity.

Stay focused, Stay optimistic and STAY ORGANIZED.

How to Kill Stress When Unemployed?

Unemployment – it is certainly stressful. It has the power to capture most of your senses, thought processes, happy moments, to build pillars of tensions, worries, darkness and a lot more. I have seen this period of being unemployed for a long time. This article won’t quote any other individual, but my understanding on facing stress when unemployed.

I've seen a time when most of my batch-mates were joining some or the other company & entering the much talked-about Corporate World. 90% of my batch-mates became part of the profile they were not happy about. They said – Its need of the Hour. The economy is going down & you need a job. Many of them currently working, are not happy with their jobs.

I have seen months being unemployed. My academics have been sound, my understanding of the markets is fair, my general knowledge is fair –  to sit for interview processes. I never sat in more than three interviews at my college for one reason. I adore & respect a few people in this world who have followed their hearts – Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet. The only answer they gave to what was the key to success, they always highlighted on “Following one’s heart”. They did what they loved.

I have followed my heart & always will. To stay unemployed was tough. Those were the days when I spent time improving vocabulary, building this blog – The Optimistic You, watching videos of people who changed the world by following their hearts. My friends believed in my thoughts, my dreams that someday I’d grow successful & this struggle was worth it.

The following are certain keys I’d share to unlock stress & the fear of being unemployed:

- Do not feel jealous to what others are doing or how far they have gone. Follow your heart.

- Not to leave hope & believe things would settle down for good.

- Believe that you can & you will.

- Engage time in reading fruitful articles in sync to the kind of profile you want to be a part of.

- Engage with your friends – share thoughts & ideas.

- Improve yourself – personal development till the moment you land up the career you wish to proceed with.

Friends, the core is to believe in yourself. You cannot lose. Life will hit you hard with a brick – do not lose faith. Follow your heart – for this will keep you happy & focused to what you want to achieve in your life.

My last words on Unemployment – Enjoy this phase in life. It’s worth exploring. ;)

Virtual Life: Is Social Media killing personal relations?

Over 3 billion people share online space with over 2.5 billion active on social media. A revolution which began half-a-decade back has changed the way we communicate today. Various platforms as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn amongst others have leveraged most of our personal space. Its a great way to stay in touch with your loved ones; however, it has remained limited to photographs, messages, videos & updates.

We spend more than five hours on these platforms – thinking of building networks; however, end up reading what’s happening in other’s life, how many likes did your rival get on a pic, what is the hottest controversy in town, etc. 

I think the real world is comparatively more healthier than the virtual one. To call up an old friend & have a hearty discussion either chatting about old memories or settling a feud is better than the virtual space which lasts within the text boxes. Human touch & feelings can never be expressed through smileys. The idea of social media is to leverage the arena of friendship to the next level. It should not be limited to the virtual life. 

Social Media was, initially, limited to laptops. Now, it has broadened to mobiles, net-books & tablets. People have turned to zombies with tilt heads spotting inside their mobile phones. More than any, I see group of friends who hang-out at some place with the majority indulged in the screen than enjoying with friends.

To chat, connect, and cherish moments with friends/family/enemies on social media is great. However, one should never forget the existence of humans outside the 5 inch screens.

- 65% employed Chinese feel pressured to be in constant touch with social media.

- 53% Americans have a feeling of guilt if they don’t reply to social media messages instantly.

- Out of total respondents from China, US & Singapore – 57% feel jealous of others, 62% bear the pressure to be witty & 58% feel social media obligations are stressful.

The motive of this article is not to say that social media is bad. It is important to share moments on these sites & share happiness. If you hang-out with friends, make sure the screen remains in your pocket or you make minimal use of it. People in this world die to be loved. The best way to display affection is to call, hug, hold a hand & share some time together than a message on social media.

‘The Optimistic You’ supports the ongoing trends in social media & appreciates the same. However, it also highlights the importance of relations – with friends, family, loved ones in person & not on digital screens.

Every Girl’s Final Placement (Marriage) - Optimistic Observation

The idea behind this observation is to reveal the connection between Corporate & Societal Culture. I & Nikita (friend of mine) were discussing on this unbelievable topic. Thought of sharing with you. An optimistic observation described in a humorous way.

Every child works hard during his/her tenure at school & college to attain good scores leading to healthy earnings - linked to a great life. We (men & women) dream to get placed and begin our professional careers at the coolest business houses in the world. To get paid well, respected, appreciated are the basic expectations from work place. We, as well, wish to build a long term relationship with the organisation. I define this as the marriage between an individual with the business house - ‘The Corporate Marriage’.

Lets think from a different perspective altogether - The Societal perspective - Parents start thinking of searching a groom for their girl child as she turns 25. In India, at present, parents do have control in the selection procedure. This gives initiation to her Placement Process (Final Placement). The search is signaled Green.

100s of families are scanned to decide the best fit for their girl. What kind of a family is it, how much do they earn, will she stay happy… Similar kind of questions come to an employees mind while selecting the right kind of a job. Is the company in Fortune 500, what is the turnover, what CTC is being offered, is the company employee friendly… This is the first step. Once the selection is done, the girl finally gets married & is welcomed to the family. In case of the corporate, the employee is welcomed post joining details & signatures take place.

The new joinee is introduced to the team, reporting manager & is given training programmes. For the bride, mother-in-law is her reporting manager who trains & describes processes followed in the house. Father-in-law acts as the CEO. Orders never flow to her directly. They are passed through the reporting manager (mother-in-law). The most important person in her life - to whom she is wedded to - her husband, is merely a colleague.

Every new joinee tries to give maximum (100%) at workplace. He/she tries to achieve targets at the earliest to build value in the organisation. Similarly, the bride tries to please the family by cooking delicious dishes and gel up with every member. Employees seek permission from his/her reporting manager for leaves. Once approved, they visit their hometown. We have a similar process at the other end. The bride seeks permission from her mother-in-law to visit her parents. If approved, she visits hometown for a week or so.

Employees go through ups & downs at workplace, so does the bride. If the employee attains targets, he/she earns rewards in the form of incentives. For the bride, children are her incentives. The employee is paid fixed salary at the end of every month. In the bride’s case, she gets benefits - branded bags, mobile phones, laptops, cosmetics, honeymoons,... Employees are taken for an outbound trip once a year by the organisation - that they gel up with others. Similarly, families go for a tour - that the bond gets strengthened.

There are so many similarities. However, I’d like to pin a positive difference. The current organisation might not be the employees final placement; however, the family she (bride) ties up with is her final placement (in most cases).

There are similarities and differences in views, ideas, opinions, thoughts of people. The motive is to identify it through the positive eye. The motive behind this article was to share a moment of happiness & a couple smiles. If you did smile for once - share this article with your loved ones (especially your family) & share a smile.

Delete these 6 Things from EveryDay routine

To prepare a To-Do List is a great way to be productive & enhance relationships, but make sure you delete the following six from your daily routine:

1. Phone in hand when talking to someone: If you wish to be a remarkably likable person, make sure you don’t make use of your cell phone when chatting with the other person. It leaves a wrong impression on the counterpart – for he might think that his words have no VALUE.

2. Multitasking during meetings: Focus on the discussions & stay in alignment with the meeting agenda in the conference room. This will help you learn more about the subject matter, spot opportunities and give valuable suggestions than most others.

3. Importance to people who don't matter: Your friends and family would support you all the time. It is useless to stress yourself by thinking about people who don’t matter. Devote time to people who can bring smiles to your face, revive and make you feel special all the time.

4. Allow the past dominate future: We should understand the fact that – WE ARE HUMANS & NOT ALMIGHTY. We will commit mistakes, billions of them. Make sure the errors help you learn & you turn them into opportunities to build a better future. The past is just a tutorial. Never let the past define you. The future is yours. You are armored with lessons from the past – and its time to attack the future.

5. Crib about others: To crib about others is an important deletion from our daily routine. If you have a problem with ‘A’, discuss it with him/her than sharing it hundred others. To become a gossip king won’t make you successful. There are a lot more important things to talk & learn about.

6. Say ‘Yes’ when you really meant ‘No’: The moment you be untrue to yourself, you feel bad for a long time. Why to say ‘Yes’ to something that you’re not interested to be a part of? The moment you say ‘No’ to the other person, you’ll feel bad for sometime. The other person would respect your decision for being true. If he/she doesn't respect you & your decision, believe me, there is no point for you to stay sad.

These six deletions should be added in your daily routine & affixed in the To-Do list’s ‘Not to do items’.

Identify the WRONG you want to RIGHT - Steve Jobs

A tyrant, hippy - billion names to the guy who revolutionized the globe through his dream company ‘Apple’. The one who believed in himself, passionate about the job and dedicated to change the world - yes, I’m referring to the Big Daddy of the Technology Age, ‘Steve Jobs’.

Steve never believed in competing. His idea was always to build a product creatively - differently. A healthy coupling of hardware with the software. The man who gave birth to revolutionary products like Apple II, iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. His fundamentals were clear. He loved what he did. The dots did connect for Steve Jobs - Founder of Apple -> Removed from Apple -> Built Next & Animation company Pixar -> Joined Apple as CEO.

The creation of iPod, as Steve says, was because of the failure of Japanese companies building battery-sized Walkman players. It was the wrong that he identified and built a handy device that could sync with the PC and store more than 100 songs. A wrong that defined building blocks for the success story of Apple. I’d like to share certain leadership lessons of Steve Jobs:

- On his return to Apple & making sweeping changes, he began taking his ‘top 100’ employees on retreats year on year. Posing a simple question - ‘What are the 10 best things Apple should focus on’, he’d get a bundle of suggestions from the team. He used to list the best 10. He would slash the bottom seven and say - we can do only three.

- Leapfrog strategy comes at place when you feel you are far behind competition. Steve Jobs identified the wrongs in the iMac. Instead of making changes in the product, he created an integrated system that transformed the music industry - iTunes, iTunes Store & the iPod. Once the iPod became a hit, Steve designed the same into the iPhone, keeping the track sales with Apple.

- Steve Jobs focus was to make products that were ‘insanely great’. John Sculley, who drove Apple from 1983 to 1993, focused on maximizing profits than product design. And Apple gradually declined. When Steve returned - he shifted the focus back to making innovative products. Wrong -> RIGHT

There is so much that can be learnt from Steve who was thrown from the company he created. It was his insane passion to create great products that made him successful. A company which was about to reach bankruptcy in early 90’s became the most valuable company in the world in 2012.

Steve Jobs, while giving a speech at Stanford in 2005, emphasized on being optimist in life. He stressed upon identifying what you love - for both work & personal life. He also enlightened the fact that you’d face tough times in life - don’t lose faith.

You need to follow your heart. Follow your dreams. Continue doing what you believe is great work. And that is the pathway to success.

To conclude - There are not many people left in the world like Steve Jobs. But, the globe needs individuals who are insanely passionate about creating something beneficial for humanity. It needs people who work beyond the processes set and build companies like APPLE, leaders like Steve Jobs. Last but not the least - ‘STAY HUNGRY, STAY FOOLISH’.

Living a Happy Life in the Complex World

The very idea to stay happy is to be satisfied. There are no rules for a happy living – it depends on how you take things in life & deal with situations - either positively or negatively. Our thought process defines the state of happiness/sadness. The following are certain dip-stick notes that will help you realize that LIFE IS TRULY BEAUTIFUL – a ride that never ends:

Love yourself: The foremost aspect is to love yourself. If you do not respect yourself, least can be expected from others. People who love & respect themselves are least concerned about opinions of others. If you are happy with what you do/who you are/what you want to be,... there is no one who can stop you from achieving your goals. It is time to understand that ‘U’ are UNIQUE. It is ‘U’ who can create a difference in others life.

Follow your heart: To be successful, both personally & professionally, one needs to follow his/her heart. Do not lie to yourself. Your heart is the mirror that reflects your inner thoughts. It would be stupid to not follow one's heart, because it somehow really knows what you want to achieve in life. Do what you love and follow it religiously till you achieve your desired goal.

Stop comparing: If you want to be happy in life, it is important to understand that every individual is unique & has been brought to the world with different specification sets. To compare is to insult your own self.

Attack the day smartly: Prioritize – prepare a list of 5 most important tasks you want to achieve each day. Greet – Share a smile every morning at work place. Every individual is stressed/sad/tensed due to innumerable reasons. If you can be the reason for their smiles, nothing worth it. Stay calm & gentle – The art of listening needs to be imbibed in us. People love to speak. They like to engage with those who have the patience to hear their viewpoints.

Never get angry: Waters in the ocean – it keeps on flowing. There is no point in burning your own blood & playing with your health. Educate others, share your viewpoint – and things will change. To get annoyed will worsen the situation.

Engage with people you feel good with: Try to spend time with people who cherish the best in you. Ask them to describe the +s & -s in you. Share thoughts, day-to-day instances with them and learn how you can improve your life.

Respect your parents: Your parents are the sculptors & the reason behind your very presence on earth. Respect them. Obey them. Share a smile with them everyday. Call them up, share how important they are to you and how incomplete you would be without them. They are the most important pillars of your life.

Engage in charity: Learn to give – Help the poor. How about sharing a Big Mac with a beggar? Not at all a bad idea.

To be happy is in our hands. The above notes are some key factors which drive positive energies in us. In the 21st century, where people are running crazily behind printing dollars, its time to ask this question to oneself – ARE WE REALLY HAPPY? – and you know the answer.

5 tips to amplify CREDIBILITY

Dependable, Trust and Reliability amongst others are synonyms of Credibility. Credibility, which comes from credence i.e. trust is a key component in our lives. The factor of trust is pioneer both for personal & professional living (building relations with customers, suppliers & colleagues). It is an individuals attitude towards others, his/her helpful behavior, his/her practical approach towards things coupled with an honest nature attribute him/her as credible. I’d like to list 5 tips to amplify credibility in living. Please note the following:

1. Be original & transparent: We should not pretend/act who we aren't. This principle remains same for businesses as well. The moment you pretend to your customer, credibility flushes out. People will love & respect you for who you are. A fake face idea might work for some weeks; however, to make it a long term strategy will turn to failure.

2. Be conscious to the value you deliver: It is vital to understand that we market ourselves daily. We are INDIVIDUAL BRANDS – it depends on us how we market on daily basis. To build a positive/negative atmosphere around is in our hands. Individuals gain/lose credibility on the basis of their interactions & actions with others.

3. Be an attentive listener & mindful speaker: I read an article which focused on being a good listener. During any conversation, one should hear the other person/customer's perspective with complete concentration, take few seconds to evaluate what was spoken, and only then make a comment to take the conversation forward.

4. Impress others but don’t be a Sales-guy: Do not push yourself to others. Don’t force an idea you believe is great on others. People who are calm & candid in their talks, who work with honesty, and lift others up are considered credible.

5. Don’t try to be a Hero: This life is not a comic book story with you as its HERO. So, better don’t be one. Your heroic ventures won’t make you credible, but your potential to crystalline difficulties & solutions will.

The Oracle of Omaha – Warren Buffet – is the prime example for this article. In 1990's, Warren Buffet was one of the biggest shareholders of Solomon Brothers which entered into troubles with financial authorities. Warren was persuaded to step in as a temporary Chairman. The chapter of Solomon was the darkest to Warren wherein he was likely to lose part of reputation & money. On a dramatic Sunday morning, Warren put his reputation at stake & begged the top treasury official. It was because of his credibility & honesty, he saved Solomon Brothers.

There are a few credible people left in this world.

Let’s be ONE.

In search of ‘LIFE’ beyond life?

When I meet people & ask if they were happy with their life, majority of the answers turn to be ‘Negative’. When I ask if they were happy with the work – the answer remains ‘Negative’. When I ask if they were happy with themselves – the answer remains ‘Negative’. The answers lie in the ‘Negatives’. Give a thought once. You’ll land up identifying bundle of Positives in the Negatives – eventually transitioning the entire ball to optimism.

What is the difference between LIFE and life? Four alphabets with similar pronunciation. No difference at all. There is one – and a big one. 

- LIFE is bold & uppercase. It denotes confidence, strength, and the ability to win.

- life is bold too. To me it looks closed, dull, compact, & unhealthy.

Who do you want to be - Bold, Italic or Regular? More than 6.8 billion in this world live a Regular life. A life which begins at 9 in the morning & ends in bed at 11. Similar routine – followed for weeks, months, years & lifetime. We don’t want to be a part of this herd. I’m sure we come in the rest (0.2 – 0.3 billion). It’s not how successful you be in ‘life’; but in living LIFE.

The search of LIFE ends the day you start interpreting your heart & following it. Alike Facebook, the best way to live LIFE is to read the News Feeds that update within and follow them with sincerty. Alike Google+, add +1 to every new post you read and implement the same. Try adding more and more +1’s to your wall. The day you complete the entire list, believe, you’ve lived LIFE.

I’d like to quote an example of the man I respect the most – BILL GATES. He realised at the age of 13 that he loved software & eventually built a mammoth, “Microsoft”. In the early 2000s, he transitioned to a greater role in LIFE with a decision to return all wealth he had earned back to the society through his foundation. Bill Gates is the best illustration on living LIFE.

Friends, I understand that we are neither Bill Gates nor in the list of riichest people in the world. The fundamentals remain the same. Spend sometime with yourself. Identify and list ten things you’d love to involve in before you die. Try to accomplish – start from the first one. Be patient & work with determination. As and when you accomplish them one by one, your inner-self would say – Hey, I LOVE YOU. Bet, this would be the happiest day of your LIFE.

I agree that every individual is unique & has a set of capabilities unlike any other. However, most of us get so much involved in life that we forget living LIFE. Always keep in mind the list of ten that needs to be completed, for this will take you through the roadways of LIFE.

Thanks for your time. LIVE LIFE ;)

The Magic of Love

Love – A gift from God to Humans. Love – a feeling that takes you to Cloud 9. Love – which helps you live longer. Love – living for the counterpart. Love has over a billion definitions giving rise to attachment, bonding & trust between two souls that can’t imagine a life without each other.

If you've ever fallen in Love, it’d be easy to understand my words. A feeling that has no interpretations or meanings. The best part of Love is that it keeps you happy, excited, energetic – that there is someone who’s going to be with you always. It helps you express the best in you.

The magic of Love is unending. This ship takes you through a bundle of emotions & you still prefer to be on-board. 80% of working people say that a moment spent with their partner kills the day’s stress & surrounds them with happiness.

Tune to Love

You can be a millionaire – billionaire – trillionaire in your lifetime. But there are certain things money can’t buy. If you want to be happy, cherish moments, keep your inner-self smiling – its time to fall in love. Love is what can heal many of your problems. If you haven't fallen in Love yet, its time to experiment and you’ll feel the change. It changes your world – you start floating on Cloud 9.

Love – the unending treasure

If you ask me – Have you experienced Love? I’d say yes. A feeling undefined. A feeling that can’t be expressed. Honestly, after spending 9 hours at work place, when I return – its that one smile that completes my day. I wait for the clock to complete two circles for that smile every evening. If I indulge in a hundred questions/worries/problems; I know, I have a number to call which would help in fighting with those troubles.

The best example to endorse the above para is – depth of love between couples aging 65+. At crossroads, you’d find them holding hands – taking care of the counterpart. A feeling that completes two souls. I reiterate – a feeling undefined.

The Treasure of Life is not to discover gems, print notes or be the richest person in the world. It is about Living the Present with your loved one.

Experience Love, Fall in Love

A tip to strengthen bond – for those already dating. Gift him/her daily. Price doesn't matter. Gift her a rose, chocolate, etc – they love surprises. Surprise them daily. His/her smile will complete your day. And if you ever indulge in a feud, believe, a gift shall resolve it in seconds. Guys/girls – Experience says so ;)

This article might theoretically explain how it feels when you fall in love. Believe it’s time to go out – call him/her or meet him/her at college/work with a bouquet of red roses and say – I LOVE YOU. Trust me, your world will complete as he/she smiles.

My article ends here.

Who are you waiting for? Go – Fall in love <3

Personal Vs. Professional Life. Who wins?

85% people in the world believe in creating a balance between both personal & professional living. Sounds simple and easy to read; however it’s as difficult as identifying a hair in a bucket filled with flour. Personal life includes - you, family, friends & surroundings you are accountable to. Professional life includes - you & your work. There is one similarity in both - ‘You’.

The Monday morning alarm suggests a transition to your professional life. Get formally/informally dressed up, reach office on time, attend meetings, run after achieving targets and delivering satisfactory results. We follow the same routine for five days. Starting from Monday to Friday, the level of energy at work keeps on dipping. The energy levels rise as Friday evenings commence.

A gradual shift every week - a transition to personal life. A life you love. Get dressed, attend parties, spend time with family & friends is the basic routine that one follows on weekends. However, there is an attachment. At an average, more than 60% employees spend 40% of their time checking emails, working from home, attending Skype calls - in short working. The imbalance starts here. This spoils your weekend & the following week. WHO WINS?

In order to be successful in life, it is important to draw a Line Of Control (LOC) that helps in creating sync between your personal & professional life. Creating a sync means sharing merry time-lengths, both at workplace and your space. The following are certain scripts that can help in creating a sync:

- The tasks assigned to you should be completed in the given time-frame. You need to kill ‘PROCRASTINATION’. Delay in submissions creates an imbalance.

- Follow a schedule at work place. Create a to-do list and follow it religiously.

- Your boss has the right to catch you through emails/calls. Always answer his calls & reply to his emails. Try not to spoil your weekend if the work can be completed in the following week.

- Try spending 80% of the weekend with family & friends.

- Work stress mustn't burden once you are home. Spend time with children, parents and plan for the next day.

- Never compete with others. Try to improve yourself every day. Give your 100% at workplace. Not 110%. Don’t push yourself to work. This will build stress, resulting a heavy imbalance in personal-professional life.

- Share a smile. Share happiness. This will always keep you thrilled at workplace and your space.

I do not understand the meaning of creating a 50-50 balance between personal & professional life. Its about the level of happiness you share with people around you. When at home - with friends and family, you devote requisite amount of time - receiving no complaints from the other end. Same goes to office - with the boss & colleagues.

You have to synchronize & create a WIN-WIN situation. This will keep you happy and the environment merrier. This should kill any level of stress at work-home, if any. Your boss might ring you up for some urgent work any Saturday evening. If you are able to sync it, you’d CHECKMATE any moment to win the battle.

Don’t create a war between the two worlds - PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL - instead, try synchronizing.

The Colors of Life

4 basic colors – Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and a combination of these basics give birth to innumerable shades. Similarly, every life on earth shares an impression. The total of these impressions is innumerable. These impressions share specific qualities of love, happiness, belief & faith to our lives. A tree providing shade to a commuter is an impression – an assistance. Water satisfying thirst of billions of species on earth is an impression. Sun – providing light for our survival is an impression. Plants – providing oxygen to our lives is an impression. Chirping of birds – soothing our souls is an impression. To solidify, every other specie on earth is an impression to mankind – a source of happiness, a source to cherish. The colors of life are vibrant – much beyond our thoughts and beliefs. There are learnings that evolve including:

Cherish every moment: The life we live is limited. A human logs out anywhere between 60-70 years. It is important to add life to days. Every moment – every second spent shall not return. There is no second life available. No lifelines. There is no option available to us (humans), but to cherish.

Bundle of opportunities: Life always gives you multiple opportunities. It depends on us - how we grab and make the most of it. If you lose an opportunity, be patient. You never know which door gets you through. Never lose hope – as they say.

Live in the present: Don’t think on what happened. Don't worry on what the future holds for you. Just live the present and dedicate all energies to make the present meaningful. Your journey on earth should be an example for generations to come.

2+2 = 5: Life does not follow the rules of Mathematics. Life is like water in the ocean. It keeps on flowing & we have to adapt with the flow.

The basis of living a colorful life is to adapt to the very shades of it. The secret key to enter this arena of living is to generate positive thoughts and act upon them. This world gave birth to writers, poets, businessmen/businesswomen, leaders,... all focusing on optimism. The colors of life will lose flavour if positivity is erased from the list of ingredients. The colors of life share a range of shades with every individual – at times cheerful, at times dark. The sun conquers every morning over darkness of the night.

Life is a gift from God – meant to be cherished and loved. A gift of nature. A gift which has several packages. A gift which shares multiple emotions. A gift which reveals secrets to success & powers to overcome failure.

Life has multiple definitions – innumerable meanings. Every human decides which color of life he/she wants to choose. Does he/she select the shade of happiness or sadness. The RAM to live Happily is in our hands. Whether to increase/decrease depends on us.

To conclude – We (human) are ships in the vast ocean (life) facing strong winds, stormy weather conditions, fuel issues, maintenance problems, surviving through whales & sharks,... It is important to keep on moving, i.e. keep on sailing. It is important to enjoy and live every moment – LIVE THE COLORS OF LIFE.

Welcome 2014

The minute, second and hours’ arrow struck at twelve and the year changed to 2014. Days, months and years go by. We welcome the new year with pump and excitement with the hope that things would settle for good & the new year will bring happiness to friends and family. 31^st December 2013 ends – a good bye to everything and anything that made you sad.

2014 has begun. New hopes, wishes and dreams are waiting to get accomplished. You did overhaul mistakes and errors committed in 2013. You leave baggages of failure behind and affix the list of achievements along with in this 2014 era to boost confidence & thrill that will take you near your goal.

If you’re a businessmen, its time to think on untapped markets, generating new leads, servicing current clients, going online & chatting with customers via social media and boosting confidence in employees amongst others.

If you’re an employee, you should focus on identifying new ways to complete tasks, achieving targets, surround with positive energy, build networks, and stay happy with who you are.

If you’re a child, your energies should concentrate on learning new things, master in subjects you love, maintain a proper schedule, think about future, and keep on working.

If you’re a home maker, you should experiment preparing new dishes, keep the environment sound - take care of, both, you & the family and keep on smiling.

If you’re unemployed, you have an interesting work to do. You are the dreamer. Time to analyse & think what you like and pursue a career you feel passionate about. And yes, don’t be sad. Don’t be jealous about others. Believe that you are the best and you’d succeed in your endeavors.

2014 brings with a number of applications (emotions) – sad, happy, excitement and much more. ‘Open’ the applications you feel good about, ‘Uninstall’ applications that are of no use, ‘Never download’ applications which you’re unsure of. Don’t let viruses (feelings like jealousy, hatred...) get on your nerves. Download applications which will make you happy. Spend time with friends and family. Overhaul decisions that went wrong in the past. Don’t let them affect you. Learn from them and move towards achieving your goal.

2014 – what matters is your perspective to things. How you can create a difference. For a businessmen, it’s Value Addition; Employee, its dedication & success of the organisation; Child, its hard work to pursue short term goals; Home maker, it’s raising the family and for the unemployed, its the level of patience and Hope that things would settle.

Your thoughts on 2014 might differ but the essence, I’m sure, remains the same. Each year passing by gets you closer to your dream. Believe in it – and dream with open eyes to make it a reality. 2014 is the pathway you've entered – make sure, you keep on moving forward.

An oath to 2014 – I will work harder than I did in the previous years. I will fight every obstacle that comes my way. And last but not the least, I will always follow my heart.