So, that is how it is!

Pre-Script: Read the previous post before starting this.

Thanks to my friend who happens to remember my password, I am a 9 pointer this time. Funny thing! I don't remember writing any paper for more than an hour and a half. So, only my profs know what went wrong with my grades this time.

I cannot attend the only interview I wanted to because the viral fever turned out to be something more serious and I am bed arrested :(

So, that is how it is!
Sometimes, unexpected grades surprise you.
Sometimes, you lose your chance of making something big.
Never mind.
Brick walls are there for a reason. If I don't have what it takes to break them, then may be I don't have the right to dream big!

Wassup??

Haven't written (here) since.... like forever. Reasons immaterial!

I feel like there is a lot going on. But quantitatively, nothing is happening.

Exams were like always boring. I don't know my grades yet because I  FORGOT my password.
Logged on to my institute's crappy system. Guess what?  I am still in Mechanical (I got a dept transfer from Mech to Elec in 2010.)and there are no records of my grades for the past three years. I doubt what would be on my degree.

Did not get placed "yet". Partly because I don't want to do what I don't like and partly because I was missing home (read as home food).
Who would waste their time waiting for nothing that really matters ? So, did not care for a job and just ran back home :D. I am still not sure if I am really sad about being unemployed "yet". Well. I know I am adamant. But, who cares?

Some one just reminded me "Ache logon ke saath sab kuch acha hi hotha hai".
Wait stop guessing who it is. It was one of the many eye opening dialogues in Star Plus's serials. :D

Have an interview in four days and I really really reallllllyyyy like this job. But, I am now down with a viral fever :(. I have no idea if I will recover by then.

That is all that is on my virus infected brain right now.

Tata. Bye.

The Seven Habits

I have come across these lines somewhere and wanted to share them..


1. Enjoy your work.
"Find a job you love and you will not have to work a single day in your life." - Confucius

2. Develop an Internal pressure mechanism and a self starting mechanism.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost

3. Have a dream and a vision. Believe in your ability to achieve it.
" Life's battles are not always won by the strongest or the fastest man - but they are won by the man who thinks HE CAN".

4. Practice and Persevere.
When ridiculed after his unsuccessful 999th attempt at inventing the electric bulb Edison replied "I have not failed 999 times, I have just invented 999 ways of not making the electric bulb."

5. Use and view time as your only resource. Practice, plan and spend it judiciously.
" Time can be used either as a couch or as a tool. Make sure that you use time as a tool, to build your future - not as a couch to while away your present." - John F. Kennedy

6. Money, fame and success should never be the goals of one's life
Remember these come as a natural by - product of excellence in everything you do.

7. Raise your benchmarks - Expect more out of yourself.
" Lives of great men, all remind us that we should make our lives sublime and departing, leave behind us - footprints in the sands of time."

Define who you are.

You ought to define who you are. And for that you need to understand yourself. You need to stick to your principles, to your values and to your beliefs. You need to stand up for yourself. Your conscience should approve your conduct at every single moment you live. Otherwise you might not love yourself!

Make yourself clear. Let the world know who you are or rather what you are. 

Make sure that you are not identified as the one in your group. Be THAT ONE in that group.

One thing at a time!

Most of the times, we pretend to be jugglers. We think we are "Multitasking".
But the truth is we are wasting our most valuable resource, time, on too many things at one time and the result is we end up performing at a mediocre level at everything. And that everything includes jobs we could have excelled at if we had concentrated only on that thing.

If someone asks me, "What do you prefer? Excelling at few things or being an average performer at many  tasks?", I would definitely chose to be The Best.

Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Jobs, Dhirubhai ambani. Every one did the same. They concentrated on one single task at a time and they did it well. And they did it again and again.

There is nothing called multitasking at a place where Excellence is expected.

Keep things simple.One thing at a time and all things in succession.This is the only way to excellence.

Start now. Take a pen and a paper, list out all your priorities and rank them. You will definitely have trouble in deciding what should top the list and this is where winners stand apart!

What is that thing??

"I'd imagine the whole world as one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured if the entire world was one big machine... I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason." -- 
                                       ( Ahh!! My favourite words from HUGO.)
That Reason! That purpose!
Its not always becoming an engineer, a doctor or a lawyer. It might be something else and to know that, you have to come out of the box and explore.
Everyone who has achieved something, everyone who inspires us, and everyone we laud realized it; sooner or later. Mother Teresa knew that she was here to serve people. Jobs knew he would be happy doing nothing but creation. Chris Gardner made it big because he knew what he wanted. There is definitely a reason why only a few people make it big. 
Realize that one thing  you are here for and put your soul and body into it. Because that is the only thing that will fill your heart with pure joy. 
At the end of the day, you should answer two  questions to no one but self.
Did you realize The purpose of life? 
and
Did you live A life of purpose?

What's your choice?

To Dream or Act,
To Succumb or Stand up,
To Give up or Yield,
To Settle or Strive,
To Run or Fight,
To Mimic or Create,
To Be mute or Speak out,

What is your pick??

Y so serious??

People think I get serious too often. They ask me why do I take everything seriously and why can't I let things go. I tell them that's Me.
Yes, I get serious when things are not the way they should be. Why should I and most importantly, how can I let things go when I know I can do something about it? Why should I not take things that matter to me seriously?
Yes, I get serious.  About the situations. Not with the people.
I have seen many who feel they are adventurous because they don't care about tomorrow. They think they are ready for anything. But in reality, they don't have what it takes to make tomorrow theirs. Instead they face whatever comes and deal with it.
But the real courage lies in standing out . Being determined. Sticking to your ideologies. Being serious about today and tomorrow.
There are things that need to be taken care of and there are things that don't deserve your time and the choice is left to your discretion

So, its O.K to be serious.
Because you have only one life and you can't let it go.

What is the most precious thing?

Its YOUR IDEA.

And it gets better when you share it.

An idea behind a wheel, an idea to fly like a bird, an idea to talk to a person far away, an idea to step on the moon..

All these were once just random ideas which struck some crazy brain.

But these ideas became more than mere thoughts when people believed in them, struggled hard not to let them get buried. But most importantly because they shared them.

Any idea that can make a dent is priceless. So, share your ideas. And if you find a friend who believes in them as much as you do, the joy is invaluable and every effort is worth it.

Whats more joyous is imbibing an ideology in someone.

After all, Inception is all about planting an idea :)

P.S: This idea is also shared by a friend and I am glad he did.

Get up and run!

I was frustrated for not doing what I should have done. For not understanding what's next. For wasting time over trivial issues. But more importantly, for knowing that I was the reason for everything.

I wasted a whole day fretting about it.

It was yesterday.

Today, I woke up with traces of anger. But then, I decided not to let yesterday bother me. I started the day "eating the ugly frog". And everything fell in place. I knew what's next. I did not have time for thinking about yesterday.

Sometimes , it so happens that you know you can erase everything and start afresh. But you still waste time lamenting over petty issues. The sooner you realize how idiotic you are acting, the better. 

Yesterday was the best time to start acting. But that is gone and you have today. Don't let it be tomorrow's yesterday.

Enough of digging past. Get up and just run.

P.S. This post is a reminder for me more than it is for anyone else.

It's only words..

It's only words 
And words are all I have 
To take your heart away .....

                                               -Words, Boyzone

Words spoken from heart.
Words written with fervor.
Words speaking my passion.
Words that let me be myself.
Words that are speaking to me.
In love with those Words....

Special..

Few things are always special...

First encounter with your sibling and
you just can't take your eyes off.

First day at school every year and 
you go early anxious to see if there is any new student in the class.

First pen your parents give and
you carefully put it in your pencil box

First cycle your dad gets
when you no longer allow him to drop you at school.

First crush in teens when you don't even know what it means.

Its Your Choice.

Everyone plans. For today,tomorrow and for the next 10 years. Planning is good. Its like a safety net.  But it shouldn't stop you from exploring what is out there. 

You need not stop dreaming because you "have a plan".
Give time for dreams, for thoughts, for ideas.
Who knows? 
An idea can change your life :)

And if you find yourself at crossroads, its OK .
It makes you think and thinking is good. 


Your plan shouldn't make choice for you.  It is just an option and the choice of road should be your decision.

Your plan is just a default option. Be open to getting customized. 

Listen.

They say great conversations start with good listening. True!
 Speaking is important. But so is listening.When you listen, you understand the what and why of speaker's expression. When you hear, you might only get the what. Understanding the why is what matters because you will then know how to put your point. 

Sometimes, you may get lost. You look back and you feel, this is not how it should be. Then, just listen. To self. Listen fearlessly and the "what next" is inherently answered. 

So don't just hear. Listen.To others and more importantly, to self.  Because when you invest some time and  listen to the problem, you get the solution for free!

What is that one thing?

When Chris Gardner was asked what had him keep going, he replied,
 "Find something you love to do so much, you can't wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again."

This statement caught me like nothing else did!
If I love doing something with all my heart! Huh!

The only question is "What is it?"
What would drive me crazy and leave me restless if I wont pursue it? What would fill in me, the energy, the enthusiasm and give me the real happiness?

What is that one thing?

Today, I promise!

Today, I make a promise.. 

A promise to excel at everything I do and never settle for something that is just good,

A promise to push everything that holds me back into the dark,

and embrace the present with confidence.

Today,  is my day.

It is the best thing that can happen to me.

Because its here , right now and waiting for me to make it worth what it is.

Today, I make a promise to no one but myself!

Because, the only person who gives a damn about me is ME.

And there is no way I am going to let myself down.

Mediocrity is INVISIBLE

The world needs excellence!  Because being just good is not good enough. You need to be excellent. You need to be an expert.


It doesn't matter if you are selling an ice cream or a Macintosh. You should sell them like no one else does. If you are a street dancer, you should be the only visible one. If you start a restaurant, start something with difference.You should set the bar so high that your competitor can only dream of crossing that.


If you know that you are not going to make it to the top, then why waste time, money and resources starting it? 
Just quit! Quitting ain't bad if it releases resources for something you can excel at. 


Start something which can be yours. And if you start anything, work hard. Work so hard till you get  to the top.  Don't ever settle with "I am doing good". Strive till you get to say "Huh.. Beat this! ".  
Because only The Best are seen.Only The Best are wanted. Only The Best are rewarded for their efforts. And only The Best deserve.

Leave it blank......

There are certain stages in life when you have a lot of things boggling your mind.

You have a discussion with a friend about something and you recall some memory which you just can't get rid of.

You try to get distracted from that thoughts. You end up reading some book or watching a movie. But you still can't get out of it.That black hole is somehow successful in dragging all your thoughts into it. The heap of confusion just keeps piling up. And if you can't figure out what exactly is bothering you after a certain time, that is even worse.

And now, when you realize you are completely messed up and there is no more place in the brain for any more confusing strings, there is only one thing you can do and have to do.. Just leave it and move on..

Just cut the strings which are adamant to get untwined. Because you neither have the time to wait till they get smooth nor do you know how to untwirl them. So just get rid of them all at once. It might hurt. But it hurts more when you have them in your head. Leave the mind blank because you have to make place for tomorrow..

YOUnique!

SAM's Sushi. A tiny storefront which hardly seats 18 persons Once you are in expect nothing more than good food and most importantly follow Sam's rules. Else, be prepared to be thrown out.  He shouts at his customers!. Yes , why not? He is there to give them their food , not respect! It doesn't mean he is rude. He is just doing his business. If you want to be treated with an extra crack and a warm smile, don't offer tip. Be regular and be good :).

Sam works 365 days behind that counter and does "his" business..Yes, His business. He only earns how much he needs and earns it His way. And yes, people do things his way when they are in his place. Its not the mountain of cheap and good food, not the ambience of the place that caught my attention. Its Sam's Uniqueness..

Its not very often that you encounter such crazy people. And when you do, you will never forget. 

Be stubborn. Have fear.

Being stubborn does more good than harm. It does! Atleast for me.

Whenever I am lethargic or in "should I or should I not" zone, I recall this incident of my childhood.
I was about five years, the age when ice creams meant everything . An ice-cream vendor was passing across our street. My mom was in my neighbour's house and I wanted money to get an ice-cream and I wanted it so badly that I ran to my neighbor's house and persuaded my mom to give money. Then I rushed out and saw the ice cream waala at the end of the street. I did not give up. I ran madly on the street and fell down :D. Result. No ice cream. A scar on forehead forever. 

As I now recall that incident, I somehow feel both silly and proud. Silly for being adamant and getting a scar on the face forever for an ice cream and proud because I know I will never give up. Though I did not get that ice cream, I know I did not hesitate to run after things I want even as a child.

Adamancy and fear are wonderful things. Adamancy for getting what I want and the fear of losing things if I wont give my best always push me towards my goal driving my lethargy away. 

Be that Special One!

Be a star!
Ablaze with an indomitable passion.
With a vision of  nothing but  reaching the zeniths.

Be a child!
With an indissoluble inquisitiveness and unadulterated innocence.
Deeds from your heart and speech that cheers up the man.

Be a river!
Serene and tranquil.
With an undeterred focus towards your goal, serving everyone throughout the odyssey.

Be a magnet!
Attract people, who hate you, with your love.
Stay away from people who act like you when they are with you.

Be that special one!

Random..

Running into an old friend after a tiresome day and

cherishing your sweet memories over a cup of coffee.

Starting a journey alone and 

saying good byes, at your destination, to the new friends in your next seat.

Walking on a road and 

watching a dad,  with his cute little daughter holding his fingers, walk before you.

Waking up in the middle of night and

preserving the dream you just had in your diary.

Your sibling sending you a card,

telling how much you mean to him and how special you are!

A friend calling you in the middle of night and 

sharing both his happiness and troubles because he trusts you more than himself.

Random yet beautiful things! 

Something new!

I randomly came across a book with hundred best English poems and I couldn't get my head out of the ocean of literature for a long time.

I always used to like poetry since my school days. The way my English teacher sang the poems with emotions, the way she explained the essence of the writings always made me wonder how the poets could describe their feelings so beautifully. 

I now want to give it a try and let my creative juices flow :P.

So, here I start with a starter about my favorite time of the day. TheTwilight...

After a long day, She arrives;

Hiding the mighty hot ball behind the mountains;

Embracing the tired soul with a soothing breeze.

She is a guest who is always welcome,

For She brings with her a gift.

A gift of pleasant memories

and a sea of thoughts to ponder upon.

Promising the cluttered mind a peaceful journey,

She makes way for the enigmatic night.
Opening the doors to a different world.

A world where anything and everything is possible.

P.S. Pardon me if you were expecting it to rhyme :P

Awesome!

Heylo folks!!

A lot has been happening since a month and fortunately, everything is working out pretty well.

For starters, I am here, in Nashville, for my intern and I am loving it!

My disastrous performance in the semester exams didn't reflect in the results :P.. I seriously dunno how and why. Professors might have either been in a good mood or drowsy while giving me grades :P....
and Yay! Only one more year to go!

My instructor at intern is both handsome (:P)and a geek.
I have an awesome roomie who is teaching me how to cook and I can actually cook edible dishes now :D.

The bottom line is I feel ........
Awesome is the word!

Adieu

Today, we gave our seniors, the first batch of IIT Bhubaneswar, a warm farewell. Nah!! Not seniors.. Friends! The relation that we, and especially me, had with them never had a tint of senior-junior feeling. The three years that I spent here are the most amazing days of my life and they were there in every frame of it.

Be it working for fests, masti during Diwali, Holi, or Litsoc meetings (read it as parties) at CCD, I can hardly recollect any incident of which they weren't a part of.

No one would disagree if I say that the first batch of IIT Bbsr is the most awesome batch this IIT has seen till now. Wonderful, weird, cheerful, dramatic, enigmatic, adorable, admirable. Name a personality and you can find a person that best suits it.The three years here was a roller coaster ride and they took onus in guiding IIT Bbsr throughout the journey. In the maiden editions of  both cultural and techno-management fests, they managed to put up a grand show and honestly, we couldn't reach that level. Let me not blow their trumpets anymore. Not that I don't like to. But because of the long list of commendable initiatives by them. 

I never knew bidding someone adieu would be this hard! We will miss being together but definitely cherish these memories forever.And a sudden realization dawned upon me now. They are getting out of this place a year before us! I now envy them :P. 

A random day with a bit of quaking and quacking.

A sleep of 8 hours isn't quite sufficient.  I wake up at 7.00 A.M  and  Rosa (my junior) comes crying "Akka! Please help!", with a pitiable face and a fat ugly book of electronics. Poor girl! She is from civil engineering and is struggling with an interdepartmental course on Basic Electronics and has a lab test and Viva today. Our professors, as usual, taught the entire electronics course from diodes to Integrated circuits in 3 months. Did they forget the definition of "Basic" or just ignored it?? She asks (or rather shouts at) me "Why the hell should I know what is inside a chip?". Huh..Its okay Sweetie, I understand your agony. Three years of mundane life in Electrical Engineering has squeezed out the last ounce of interest on engineering from me. She asks me a few doubts and I tried to clear some so that she can at least confront the professor with confidence. After a few minutes of repenting my choice of electrical engineering, I unwillingly got out of my bed and made up my mind to go to college.

Somehow, I didn't feel like attending classes. But the lack of campus, an important part of college life (or can you say life?), left me with no other choice but sitting in the class room. After three hours of lectures,I got a nice treat in Dominos for no reason and these are a few times when I get reassured there is still life here. There was a little part of me dying  to bunk and it did not let my soul rest in peace in the class room. So, I got back to hostel and dozed off for a while.

Suddenly, the cot starts vibrating! Wait, am I just dreaming or is it a quake?.. Ohhk, Let me sleep for some time and sort it out later. Yeah, I know!  Heights of Laziness!! My flat mate comes and tries to pull me out of my bed but in vain. I mumble, "Dear Earth, its not everyday that I bunk lectures and peacefully doze. So, please stop your quacking and quaking .. Peace maar!". But the tremors wouldn't stop.. This is when I open my lappy and start venting out my frustaapa in words. 

As I write this, there is a discussion going on in the flat about Tsunami alerts and earth quakes in several places. Thank God, I am not in Indonesia..What with my love for peaceful sleep and regular earthquakes shaking my cot every now and then??? I remember my professor telling sometime back about earthquake prediction techniques and also my sarcastic comment, "And now he wants to prophesy too!". But that is actually a good idea! With accurate prediction methods, not only will the lives of millions be saved, my invaluable sleep too would be unperturbed... 

Sigh!!
And now the topic of discussion shifts from tremors to tests. God! Why do they need to test our ability of last minute mugging every two months??? Two weeks for the disastrous semester to end and I am still waiting for the night before exams. I now need a question paper prediction device too! :P

WHAT IF???

Hello fellas!

So, here I am! Finally started another blog ,after deleting a couple of blogs left unattended for a long long time. But it is not going to happen again.  I promise! :P .. Anyways let me get on with this post. Ohh! Before that l sincerely (:P) thank Mr.Kaypee for giving me the impetus to write again.

There is a huge list of things boggling in my mind right now. I sit and comprehend on what I am up to and start pondering if I am doing the right thing. I guess this part of my life is called confusion.

I know that doing what I believe will never let me down. But what if it does? What if it doesn’t always work out the way I think it would? Will I repent for starting out as an amateur and not following the so-called standard norms?

But again there is always a negation. What if my passion guides me through my journey?? What if all the odds turn in favour??  What if I can prove that there is nothing called a systematic procedure?? What if ?!!!

Whoa …the two words “What” and “if”, put together make so much sense to me now.... :)