Mes Secrets Inconnus

Times when i see my mind wander and unable to focus, i use the below questions to help me re focus and come back to reality. I have used this so many times now ( gives you an indication that how easy it is to loose focus) and hoping that you folks also start benefitting from this

1. What can you do today, that you were not capable of doing a year back?

2. What’s been on your mind lately ?

3. Right now at this moment - what do you want most?

4. In order of importance, how would you rank - happiness, money, love, heath , fame?

5. What word best describes how you spent your last month?

6. What is the #1 motivator in your life now?

7. In one sentence - who are you?

8. What do you want to be known for?

9. if you were to travel 3000 KMS now, what is the 1 thing that you would miss most?

10.In one year from now , how do you think your life will be different?

11. Who makes you feel good about yourself?

12. What are the top 3 qualities you look for in your friend?

13. What has fear of failure stopped you from doing?

14. What is something you always wanted as a kid?

15. What stands between you and what you want?

16. What do you do when nothing else makes you happy?

17. When did you first realize - that life is short?

18. What do you need to spend more time doing?

19.WHat issues do you continually resist?

20.What is something that many people do that you do not agree?

29.  When we think about ourselves, many of us tend to try to work on our weaknesses.  In doing so, we limit the time we spend leveraging our strengths.  I’m not suggesting to ignore areas in which you need improvement, but every time I focus the bulk of my energy on my strengths (without totally ignoring other areas), I achieve much better results even within my weaknesses.  It’s a matter or positive perspective and sustaining motivation.  It really works.

30.  Never register anything  but your real name as your primary email address. You’ll regret it when you grow older

31. Trust your Mom.. because when all the world around you crashes your mom will always be there with you." Life is a challenge, accept it....Life is a problem, solve it.....Life is a maze, walk through it... Life is a mystery, solve it...THEN Life will be heaven, so enjoy it..."
Accept every problems that comes in your way as the test from God, and pass with flying colors

25.  The more I act like my daughter.  The happier I am. The more I play, mimic, tease, and chase my daughter in any given day… the happier I am when I go to bed at night.  The simple act of being silly is one I lost over the last 6-7 years.  It’s taken a toddler to slowly infuse this back into me.  I want to embrace it even more.

26. Empowering other people is what really matters in life. I want to empower.  I want to empower my lil one  to be the most amazing and fulfilled person she can be.  I want to empower complete strangers to see opportunities in their own lives that they’ve buried under mounds of stuff, debt, and excuses.  :-)

27.  Instead of teaching kids to study concepts, we should be teaching them to solve problems. I won’t dive too much into what I know is an insanely deep and polarizing concept.

28.  You don’t need nearly as much money as you think you do. Another revelation that has come into my life in the past year or so.  You really *need* far, far less that what you think. 

21. Intensely research any decision that limits a large amount of your freedom. :-)   As a rule, the more freedom that is at stake in a decision, the more I’ll research it.  The real reason is that I’m o.k. if research leads to indecision in cases where freedom is at risk.  Take buying a car, deciding to have kids, or taking a new flat, for example.  It’s not really a bad thing to second guess yourself there.  Things to stop analyzing?  The perfect weekend to go camping, a new product/service you want to launch, or whether or not to let your lil one paint their room neon pink.  Do it.

22. Being a parent is harder than you think. Before I had kid, I used to get annoyed by kids whining on airplanes. How hard can it be? And now… I know.  Even with only one (who, by the way, is an angel 95% of the time) I get it.  I can’t believe how easily I become frustrated sometimes.  I can’t imagine those of you with 3, 4, or 5 naughty ones.

23. Being a husband is harder than you think. Everyone told me marriage takes dedicated and consistent effort.  I acknowledged the words, but detached myself because I assumed we were an exception.  What an idea sirjee.

24.  The best feedback you’ll ever get is when you try to sell something to someone.

17. Choosing the correct mentors is the #1 most important factor in success of any kind. Modeling a mentor is the fastest way to success.  It doesn’t matter if you are climbing the corporate ladder, starting a web-based business, playing professional cricket, or studying religion.  You’ve gotta find your Gates, your Jobs, your Tendulkar, or your Krsna.

18. The answer will always be no if you don’t ask. Seriously, if you want something you have to ask.  Don’t be a blunt idiot.  Ask genuinely and ask politely.  If you just ask…  you’ll be surprised more often than not.

19. It’s o.k. to be a fan. I used to reject the concept of being a fan.  I didn’t want someone to call me a “fanboy”.  I wanted to think for myself.  Now, I’ve come to terms that being a fan is fun.  I like cheering for the RCB. 

20. Focus the bulk of your energy on leveraging your strengths, not on improving weaknesses

13. There are very few unique personal problems. Chances are millions of people have gone through whatever issue you may have.  Chances are at least one of those people is much closer than you think.  Problem is we think any issues we may have are unique and we assume those close to us wouldn’t understand.  Wrong.

14. Find your motivation (I’m talking to myself here).

15. Be the change you want to see in the world. Yeah, I know…  it’s a little :-).  But this one is a good one.  If you are trying to convert people by knocking on doors and handing out pamphlets, you are doing it wrong.  It’ll always be an uphill battle.  Try modeling for people.  Try impressing… try inspiring.  Use your actions to show me not only the how, by the why.

16. The worse I eat, the less productive I am.  The less productive I am, the worse I eat. Also, I’ve realized that feeling like crap on a regular basis is not enough motivation to eat healthier.  Sad, but true.  And I don’t think I’m alone on that one.  Most of us know that it’s the cause of so many problems, yet we don’t change.  You don’t eat healthy and exercise because “it’s good for you”

9. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Mentors are essential, however you’ve got to also find a relate to inspiring people on a daily/tangible level.  My wife, parents and daughter inspire me.  I want them to be involved in everything I do.

10. Be willing to give away the glory. One of the best ways I’ve found to have someone accept an idea/concept is to make them feel like they came up with it themselves. Many of the people I respect most are amazing at sharing and giving away the limelight when it comes.  They are constantly taking a back seat to build up others.

11. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it buys everything else! :-)   This is my fun way of saying that I like money.  I want a lot of money.   I want my family to live a remarkable, yet secure life.  I rarely worry about money now, but I want to all but eliminate it as a concern altogether.  I want to be able to focus my life on giving in the coming years, while still being able to have an income.  But even with money, I want to ensure we embrace…

12. Experiences almost always trump possessions. I don’t mind spending money (you shouldn’t either), but the key is to do so consciously.  For me, conscious spending is concentrated on 90-95% experience and 5-10% actual “stuff”. 

5. The largest thing between you and what you want is whatever glob of excuses you can pile up. Try this, you can actually get away by doing nothing and talking shit

6. Very few decisions in life require intense research. 90% of research/data-gathering is a waste of time.  I’ve found this true in my personal life and I’ve certainly found it true at work.  Nearly without exception, I over analyze every decision I make.  Stop talking… stop thinking… stop planning… start doing.

7. The majority of people think they are above average. I constantly remind myself of this fact.  By nature, we tend to over estimate our own skills and/or contributions.  Not only that, but we are much less aware of what other people contribute. I do it and you do it, too.  So recognize it.  Go out of your way to thank people for the things you do notice.

8. People automatically devalue anything they get for free. While we are on the topic, be careful about what you give away for free.  This can be applied beyond work, too.  Family, friends, clients, colleagues…  We automatically place more value on things we have to pay (money, time, effort, energy) for.  Give someone something for free consistently and they quickly begin to expect it.

Last month I celebrated my birthday, exactly on the same day as today . Co- incidence had it that , there was another party ( for a different reason) and my occasion got coupled with that. Needless to say that this was my grandest birthday. Never in my life had i had such a reception. So I sat down to ruminate the first 31 “life lessons” that came to my mind :-)

1. As a child, I never once worried about food, water, shelter, or love.  I was never once abused or neglected.  I got everything I needed and most of what I wanted.  Both my parents were (and still are) hard-working, supportive, and have great values.  The older I get, the more I realize how insanely fortunate this makes me

2. Saying “no” politely is far better than saying a half-assed “yes”. Learning to respectfully and politely say “no” is one of the skills I desire most. Especially in the online world, I tend to want to say yes to everything.  There are so many amazing people, opportunities, projects, and feedback.  It’s all right here, right now.  But, I’ve been saying “yes” and then completely letting people down way too much recently.  It’s not a matter of being “busy” or “important”.  Everyone is busy and important.  It’s a matter of really being to knock  the projects I can do.  I want to either give 110% or 0%.  I want to learn to say “no” in a way people enjoy.

3. There will always be haters. No matter what you do or how much you give, there will always be haters.  I’m making a pledge to rid my life (and my online world) of any consistently negative, non-constructive forces.  If you want to hate… go get your reaction someplace else.

4. You can do anything you want.  No seriously… you can literally do anything. As kids, we are always told this, but most of us dismiss it as crap.  It’s not.  In the last year, I’ve really come to terms with this.  I can literally do whatever I want.  Some of that is confidence and some of it comes from just having my eyes opened recently :-)

My beloved [‘Cara Mia’ – in Italian]. I just had another TD and here is what i feel

What’s HOT:

* catchy and fresh Italian styling which turns heads
* Good mid-range in MJD. Torquey engine.
* rock solid stability
* door-closing in 2 stages-imparts a sense of solid build quality
* equipment in emotion plus-INCLUDES "BLUE and ME" and "my car" from Linea. USB PORT is standard, only in emotion pack.
* excellent front seat under-thigh support
* superb driving position
* user friendly interior with soft clutch and superb ergonomics
* refined and quiet cabin at high speeds
* ride and handling with solid suspension and great grip levels with 195/60 R 15 tyres

whats not:

    * cheap interior plastics, especially the black shiny plastic trims
    * base versions are under tyred
    * initial response is only a bit lethargic
    * cramped rear seat with front seats fully pulled back
    * spongy brakes
    * crap speakers of stock stereo
    * interior trims give a feeling of claustrophobia as compared to Linea.
    * Emotion pack is expensive, diesel models should have been priced at least Rs. 10-15,000 less

Then was the time to test the ABS, I pulled her till 80 kmph and then floored the brake pedal, what came next was shock, the car's stability was mind-boggling, it felt like when I was once watching a show on discovery channel on one of the american army's tank, they were showcasing its stability under emergency braking on high speed. And it was not necessary for me to be in that tank, but it was visual how stable it was... I felt the same when I suddenly braked the Punto.

Exterior - The more solidly build doors I ever saw in any car was when my dad owned the Indigo and used to frequently tell me to watch my hand before closing the door, just because of the sheer weight of the door, after the test drive I even tried to press the sheet metal with my hands but to no use, and my M800's sheet is like thick foil. even kids in my lane have known to create dents with sheer push. Rest all is italian and only one word comes to my mind...Hot, if the japanese is an asian kick boxer, the Punto is a beauty pageant winner who's hobby is kick boxing

Interior - Exterior was too good, interior was too bad. Let me put it this way, how would you feel if you are visiting a house with beautiful drive way and garden, italian tiled portico, but inside done up by "Kumar Furniture Shop" sofas and tables, plastic is not at all upto the mark, but thankfully the things that matter are too good to be ignored, its like diamond studs on wrought iron necklace, the leather "coated" steering and gear knob, AC controls, Music System Controls, the fuel and boot lid levers (even they are crafted in a design) are too good. The seats are very well designed.

Performance - The turbo punch was not as evident as in the Jap but was quite impressive in this Italian beauty considering that its 115 kgs heavier and more solidly built than the Swift.

Noise Isolation - Both have a different type of in-cabin noise, so I would rate them on the same page (when you are a Suzuki rider with open mufflers,the ears are used to this "noise")

Suspension - This is where the Punto is light years ahead of Swift. The japanese is like a suspension-less rickshaw as compared to Punto. I deliberately took the Punto to some of the damaged roads around my office which I frequent on my Swift. I suddenly stopped cursing the roads for a change in Punto, so this car is also for the people who want to relieve themselves from the "road-is-broken-what-my administration-is-doing" stress. Very Very good suspension

Gear Shift - Swift's gear shift is like a second world war enfield rifle bolt, Punto on the other hand is like a AK-47 cock-bolt mechanism that can be operating with just one finger, the only other car with such super smooth gear shift I ever drove was Hyundai Accent CRDI. ( Please note , i have not used any othe above ammunition, but have experienced this on PS2)

Verdict - I love this car and will buy it as soon as I sort the other things....

I went upto her and gathered all my courage to ask her name, she with a smile, as if she knows that the entire world around her admires her, said Punto....Grande Punto....

I sheepishly asked her whether she was available for a (test) drive, but in my mind I was ready for a straight away rejection. She too seemed interested in me and allowed me for the drive.

Everything seems to be sculpted with perfection, the door, the driver's seat, the majestically sportive steering, and everything around it.

I inserted the key and after a gentle purr she roared, she wanted me to do her fast but I was very cautious since there was traffic around, I grabbed the soft gear knob (leather hugged), pressed the clutch, put her in first, gently pressed the accelerator, and she pounced ahead, I thought of giving her some F1 dose, over-revved her in every gear and soon was touching the ton mark and past, then the fifth gear was just bliss, the MJD motor was audible as a deep throated humm…..

Last night I dreamt all night about her and was full of guilt when I woke up, my wife & lil one were still fast asleep, and I thought to myself, how can I cheat my love, my wife and my lil one but again like the last time the dark desires were too powerful to resist and the feeling of guilt turned into a desire for passion,

Then today i went out during office lunch hours for some work, while returning to work I saw her again on the road side, waiting for someone, I slowed down and stopped a few meters before her, she in complete red drape was looking like a princess, big eyes, best smile ever I saw in my entire life, and as inviting as a hot pool of water in the fridged cold of alaska when you are lost and want some warmth,

I went upto her and gathered all my courage to ask her name, she with a smile, as if she knows that the entire world around her admires her, said Punto....Grande Punto....

I was floored, and as I did this I was not only betraying two women in life but I was also betraying two other, my M800 and my long time girlfriend my Suzuki

Well,  Its a whole new world when you fall in love, that too AGAIN. But the situation gets tough and interesting when you are married and in love and then after 2-3 years of marriage you realize you are in love again. It makes you feel disgusted that you are cheating on your wife but finally you give in to your deep dark desires and decide to move on.

This happened for the first time when I was with my wife coming out of UB City , she was there at the signal, toned body, lovely eyes and real hot. But then she moved on and I was left with my wife, and then like it happens in the teens, you see a girl on a signal, she rocks your mind for a few days and then you forget her, the same happened to me and i also forgot.

Again I happened to see her when I was going to a wedding with wifey and the lil one , I immediately recognized her and wanted to go and feel her, but like the last time lost her in traffic.

I just got into the business of identifying the “CAR” of my requirements. The era of the new generation multijets has begun. This specific engine has been termed as our national engine ;-) just because of the number of cares in which it’s being used – Swifts, Dezire, Ritz, indica vista, punto etc.

And well i must also consider the BS4 norms that would be kicking in soon. A lot of things are being considered while i look at the cars( car for a lifetime). Some of the most obvious being – looks, torque, fuel efficiency, space, comfort, safety, build quality,accessories and the cost:-)

For starters, this is how the top cars match up

Damn… everytime i plan for vacations ahead, i will also have to plan for a doctor’s visit. In the end, i always fall sick when ever the family decides for an outing. This time it was my lil one that was vulnerable. She got this bout of cough & cold and conveniently passed it to me( as i am the delicate darling). And now she is all healthy and playing around while i am whining on bed :-( All i can do is watch TV and comment on how merry the ppl are around the world

I am having a look at these places

Bangalore and near by places
Bannerghatta National Park
Nandi Hills
Hesaraghatta
Savanadurga
Mysore
Bandipur National Park
Talakad
Shravanabelagola
Shivanasamudra
Coorg

I don;t know why i have listed Mysore :-) off late, i have become a city guide for Mysore ;-) Will try and skip that place.

Because of the attacked by Taliban/ Al-Qaeda /home grown terrorists/external terrorist and the Government is unable to control this. Is it time to disarm Pakistan from Nuclear for the safety of the world?

Easy to say, hard to do. Infact, it might actually be counter productive. Disarming might be seen by Pakistanis as an attack on their sovereignty. If foreign forces go in then they will have to face another Afghanistan.

Anyways, The worst thing anyone who hates Pakistan can do at the moment is to give Pakistan a foreign enemy. Let them fight it out amongst themselves. Just my 2 cents....

Look at this – . I saw this in the flight map…. Can you believe ? Is this the India map we were made to learn??? I am not sure if it’s some error while depicting or this is the current map of India. A very sorry tale….