It's about chance and change
Today things just kept changing by the hour. Its such a great feeling to not know how the unfolding events are going to shape the future. Especially, when I am aware that the status is bound to change the next hour. Nevertheless, I am quite certain that the end results are going to be good. The foundations are strong hence the confidence is high. I shall write more about the changing events when the time is appropriate.
As I am going through this amazing experience, I am learning to walk with the speed of true success. Success that brings with it true happiness and aligns itself to a purpose in life. A 'cause' worth living for or rather a cause worth dying for.
The friends re-unite
It all started with just one thought of wanting to talk to my school friends. Sachin Rao and I were in touch but we knew nothing about anyone else. So, I made some searches on the net and found Padmanabhan, Anand, Ronald, Jatin, Sudarshan, Sanjiv and Murtuza. Thanks to linkedin.com and facebook.com. I started connecting with them, as and when I found some time.
Anand suggested that I create a mailing list of all the people I was in touch with and send out an email. That was a terribly clever idea, I thought but with each passing day the priority of doing it shifted southwards. Early morning on the 23rd, as I was planning my visit to Plymouth, Ajay connected with me on the facebook chat. The intensity of the feeling of wanting to connect with the rest of the class of '87was mutual. So, while being on the call with Ajay, I dropped everything that I was doing and searched my address book for all the contacts that I had.
The email with the subject line "
Re-uniting the class of '87" was sent out. Anand immediately responded by creating a yahoo group, Murtuza created the facebook group. Paddu created the mailing list and Makarand enhanced its format.
The last few days have been very memorable for me and I hope they have been for the re-united class of '87, as well. I will try and keep these connection alive as I don’t want to lose these friends. These are friends for life.
The first email that was sent out to 10 people was as follows
To the class of '87 (My fellow batch mates):
We walked together for some time and then the ways were different. We took different routes in our lives but there is an umbilical cord that binds us all to our Alma mater.
This is a very humble attempt to reunite the class of '87. I am cognizant that each of us are busy writing a success story but request you to please find some time to connect and share our views on different things.
We could start this by doing the following and let this forum grow organically.
1. Add emails address to the mailing list. Also suggest your preferred email address.
2. Introduce yourself to rest of the members on the mailing list.
More as we go along. I would be waiting to hear from each one of you.
Regards,
Mahendra Jape
A short trip to Plymouth
I was on an official visit to Plymouth yesterday. Plymouth is about 190 miles (310 km) south west of London. I had a choice to fly down but for some reason I felt that I should ride on the rail. It was a wonderful decision.
I took the day's first train to London Victoria and then a train to Bristol via London Paddington. By the time I was in Bristol the phones started taking their turns to sing. I hopped on a wrong train to Weymouth and as the train started to move in the opposite direction I realized the mistake I had made. I quickly made a mid course correction to my plans. I pushed my meeting forward and hoped that folks would accept the new invite and they did. What a relief! I, then promptly spoke to the guard on the train and decided to get the fastest connecting train from Westbury to Plymouth via Exeter St Davids.
The train journey from Exeter to Plymouth has left a very positive impression on my mind. While passing through County of Devon ( Newton Abbot and Taunton) there were lush green hills on one side and the sea on the other. The sea hosted numerous small boats. The tide was high and the waves would hit the concrete banks and splash on the slow moving train. The kids on the train would shout in excitement with each wave that rose.
The beautiful small houses independently lined up on the far away hills and the grazing cattle made those hills look more picturesque.
As I reached plymouth I boarded a cab and dived into series of meetings. After my meetings in the evening, I had an hour before I could embark on the journey back home. The English summers have been very pleasant this year. So, I decided to take the opportunity to see whatever I could.
There are many historical spots in Plymouth but I could only see the Charles church and the beautiful coastline. This small sojourn in Plymouth has given me a glimpse of what life is outside London. Next time around, I plan to see The Royal Citadel, Plymouth Sound & Breakwater, Smeaton's Tower (light house) and Saltram House.
I am glad that I took a train ride.
Love,
Mahendra
The sweet sound of the truth
It is so easy for a person, so drenched in falsehood to spread rumors about his own colleagues just to win puny little brownie points amongst his peers and his managers.
A good and a trusted friend of mine called up today and he had a wonderful thought to share.
Post my parting ways with Infosys a colleague of mine tried to spread rumors that I was asked to leave Infosys. I am almost certain that many of his peers and managers who knew me would have laughed at what he had to say. Also, how can anyone believe him anyways?
Infosys does not have a policy to fire anyone, especially if one is highly productive, is in CRR1/CRR2 and is respected within the organization and outside for his/her expertise. The only thing that can get someone fired from Infosys would be bad character and this exception does not apply to me, even remotely. Also, it is a fact is that there were multiple attempts made by the the management to try retain me. Any good company would want to retain its productive employees and I respect Infosys management for all that they did for me.
Well, then what intrigues me the most is the reason that would have made him dive into undesired torrents of falsehood? I guess he is the victim of his own upbringing to which there is nothing anyone else can do except himself.
As far as the wrong that is done to me goes, I have been blessed with the strength to face such situations and forgive him, if he would desire so.
I keep getting fillers from my network on what is going around and I choose to only address issues when I feel that the time is right. I ignored these things in the past but today, I am publishing this on my blog. This is not intended to put my dear ex-colleague on a lower pedestal but to help the readers understand that these are the things that might happen to them as well, when they are doing the right thing and are succeeding. It is the integrity and the strength of character that will help them handle such situations with ease.
One of my very close friend, Krishna Aleti usually says, “Let the falsehood make ten rounds of the world but be assured that it can’t face the truth in its own eyes”.
There is a beautiful painting where
Time is saving the Truth from Falsehood and Envy. Sharing the same with you all.
Painting source: Wallace Collection, London (Public Domain)
Few more good people
The day was quite packed, with my cell phone stuck to my ear and my finger tips glued to the keyboard, for almost all day. I forced myself out of the office as we were invited for dinner at Dr. Raj's home. There was no specific reason for the dinner party but friends do not always need reasons to celebrate friendship.
Raj had also invited some of his other friends and their families as well. It was nice to meet up with Himanshu.V and Anuj.A. I was quite impressed with Himanshu's general awareness about his surroundings. Seems like he likes to read a lot about current events. Anuj has a great sense of humour. He spoke less but his quips would never fail to make the gathering laugh. What was nice about both the families is that they were open minded and forward looking. Eveyone had a practical and a positive outlook to life.
I have realised that there are many good and great people around and with each passing day the list of such friends and acquaintances simply keeps growing. I am very happy that I get to meet such lovely people wherever I go.
It's these wonderful people and beautiful moments in the day that makes the stress just go away.
Good night.
A day slips by into the past
The day today just drifted into the past. It seemed like things were being done in time and with the right spirit but the results just seem to appear on the horizon. Its just work work and work. Maybe, I need more patience. It is a great virtue.
I think, I need to continue to trudge the path of my duty without really having to worry too much about the results or the rewards. As Amit Bhamare, one of my close friend would say, "This is what exactly what is said in 'Bhagwad Geeta'". I would choose not to differ with him on this one but would like to supplement it by saying that it is even more enriching to actually experience it. These are the small things that makes life beautiful.
As long as the process is right and the intentions good.
The efforts are in line as they should.
Then let the day slip into the night, be rest assured that the results will be right.
This is an outcome of a memorable discussion that I had with Atul Gawand, one of our family friends. I think this is one of the most important learning of my life and I would like to thank Amit and Atul for sharing some of these wonderful thoughts with me.
Love,
Mahendra
Dealing with uncertainty: An important lesson
Most of the events in life seem chaotic and its only in retrospect that I try to make sense of those events. All the moments are offered to each one of us without a notice of what is going to happen, no matter how well one plans. Sometimes, I try to find out the reasons for the events where none exit. My belief is that life prepares each one of us for the future as our present is a summation of our past. So, I am grateful to life for offering me an experience filled with uncertainties that gears me up for the future.
Dealing with uncertainly is an important thing which I have come to realise and I am trying to understand how quickly I learn to handle the outcomes of uncertain equations of life.
One great thought that I read today is to turn my thoughts away from all the events and responsibilities at the day's end and take the mind into a state of peace and benevolence that would enable me to carry greater and greater loads without feeling the burden.
When my mind's landscape is full of beautiful thoughts, everything I do is a pleasure. Gently, I am able to calm down chaotic situations and offer solace to my troubled mind dealing with life's uncertainty.
Doing things the right way
This is applicable to almost anything and everything that one does. It's just that many people choose not to do it that way.
It so happens that in what ever one does, the first try in all probabilities is not the best but over a period of time an efficient method does emerge. This method is then defined as the guideline for doing "that something" the "right way". Thus processes are born.
One often falls into the trap of following the processes blindly without questioning their effectiveness for a given situation. The processes then become bureaucratic.
There is a cardinal rule to always seek improvements in the processes. It too is often forgotten. The processes should have tailoring guidelines to tailor the process framework to best suit the work flow.
Life is full of such processes and guidelines.
Therefore, it is very important to do the right thing, the right way and use the processes to one's advantage.
This comes out of an experience I had yesterday with one of the suppliers.
