We had our mid terms last week. It was a weird feeling getting back to exams after such a long time. It had the perfect recipe for disaster: huge syllabus (profs told us that they cover about a 15 day course in 5 days here), little time (3 weeks), back to back exams (4 in 2 days) and huge competition (need I elaborate on the last point?). Strange as it was, the exams didn't feel so bad. Sure the eco paper felt like a PHD dissertation and I committed some gaffes here and there, but the entire concept of an exam has been turned upside down @ ISB. Some exams are open book, open notes. In most exams, we are allowed to prepare a cheat sheet! Kinda takes away the fun. Down the line, I heard that there would be some exams that are take home! The idea is to test application skills and not mugging skills. All questions pertain to application of concepts and depth of understanding and do not hinge on the ability to remember a formula. The grading is also a continuous process and we have quizzes, presentations, group and individual assignments, class participation and other such grading scheme wherein we are being graded nearly every day and not just during the mid and end terms. It's a shame, such schemes weren't employed in our schools and colleges. It would have surely aided our understanding a lot more.
P.S. Speaking on presentation, today we had to present a Marketing case analysis to our section wherein the grading comprised entirely of peer evaluation! Now that was fun.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
MBA FAD(M)s
Many people say that MBA is a fad. I say come and attend our FADM classes. FADM stands for Financial Accounting by Decision Making.
The first half of the course was taken by Professor Mohan Venkatachalam from Duke University. Who knew Accounting could be so much fun. Only a maverick like he can make a mundane subject like accounts come alive in class. In a class composed of mostly engineers, he literally brought Taare Zameen Par. Today was his last class and he actually showed a clip from the above mentioned movie wherein the kid draws the winning picture in the competition. He explained the reasoning behind showing the clip that today being the last day, everything he taught will fall into the big picture and it will all make sense.
It all started on our very first day of classes. The first class contained such gems as "Many students say Accounting seems like Greek and Latin to them - one day Greek, next day Latin"! In our class, the Chartered Accountants (CA) were given an option to continue normally or chuck the class to work on a project which would be more challenging to their intellect/knowledge. To elaborate on the choice, he brought up Matrix, the movie. When Morpheus and Neo meet, Morpheus offers Neo two pills. The red pill will answer the question "what is the Matrix?" (by removing him from it) and the blue pill simply for life to carry on as before. As Neo reaches for the red pill Morpheus warns Neo "Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more." So he enacted the scene to the CAs that he'd offer this just once and if they accepted the red pill, that would be it and there's no turning back. To accentuate the point, he in fact brought 2 actual red and blue pills!
All ISB students were really emotional on seeing him leave and each section is planning to give him some gift as a token of our appreciation. He's such a sport that he agreed to be at the receiving end of ISB's most personal gesture - Dunking (where we throw the person to the swimming pool - generally reserved for Birthdays)!
Now that should be fun.
Over and out. For now.
The first half of the course was taken by Professor Mohan Venkatachalam from Duke University. Who knew Accounting could be so much fun. Only a maverick like he can make a mundane subject like accounts come alive in class. In a class composed of mostly engineers, he literally brought Taare Zameen Par. Today was his last class and he actually showed a clip from the above mentioned movie wherein the kid draws the winning picture in the competition. He explained the reasoning behind showing the clip that today being the last day, everything he taught will fall into the big picture and it will all make sense.
It all started on our very first day of classes. The first class contained such gems as "Many students say Accounting seems like Greek and Latin to them - one day Greek, next day Latin"! In our class, the Chartered Accountants (CA) were given an option to continue normally or chuck the class to work on a project which would be more challenging to their intellect/knowledge. To elaborate on the choice, he brought up Matrix, the movie. When Morpheus and Neo meet, Morpheus offers Neo two pills. The red pill will answer the question "what is the Matrix?" (by removing him from it) and the blue pill simply for life to carry on as before. As Neo reaches for the red pill Morpheus warns Neo "Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more." So he enacted the scene to the CAs that he'd offer this just once and if they accepted the red pill, that would be it and there's no turning back. To accentuate the point, he in fact brought 2 actual red and blue pills!
All ISB students were really emotional on seeing him leave and each section is planning to give him some gift as a token of our appreciation. He's such a sport that he agreed to be at the receiving end of ISB's most personal gesture - Dunking (where we throw the person to the swimming pool - generally reserved for Birthdays)!
Now that should be fun.
Over and out. For now.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
CEOs, Power dressing and meaning of Time
Finally it has started to dawn that Im in the Indian school of Business. Last week was damn hectic and getting back to books was a whole new experience.
The whole concept of class is turned upside down in that here, u r supposed to come prepared with the readings and the prof will just help clarify doubts and facilitate discussion among classmates. There are 4 papers this term:
1. Financial Accounting in Decision Making
2. Managerial Economics
3. Marketing Management
4. Statistical Methods for Management Decisions
Each papers require about 4 chapters of pre reads before each class (unless there's a case study). We have classes from Monday to Thursday - 2 a day. There are group assignments and individual quizzes over the weekends and a host of other activities including club meetings workshops, talks by eminent personalities, etc.
The CEO of Goldman Sachs delivered a speech on the importance of Entrepreneurilism last week. COO of CA also spoke on restructuring and growth of CA over the last few years. Watching these mighty personalities from a hand's distance feels great. Last week I took a session on IT strategy and spoke about my experience as a consultant. The clubs are yet to be formalized but there are lots of initiatives by enthusiasts. So we have 2/3 meetings planned for each club every day. There are a whole lot of new clubs coming up as well to the tune of politics Club, Beverage club, Running Club and so on.Hats of to the energy level of the batch. The meaning of Time has changed a lot. Some people including yours truly have even forgotten its definition. I sometimes wonder how I manage to pack in so many activities in just 24 hours
Some people asked me about Toastmasters so I emailed the student body asking how many would be interested. I got over 100 responses! So I held a Tm session at our auditorium which was attended by well over 100 participants!
We also had an informal BCG alum session in which 2 alums working in BCG flew down from Mumbai just to have a chat with us. The session was very informative in that they clearly outlined the requirements for wannabe consultants. The room was jam packed as expected but it was fun as well. Sometimes the inquisitiveness of the batch overflows and there were questions such as what do partners at BCG have to look forward to?..Are the careers stagnated after one becomes a partner? Some people feel getting in is a mighty task while others are thinking way ahead.
We had a Photoshoot today for a marketing handbook to be distributed to the potential recruiters. So we finally got to power dress. God it feels good to be back in school.
With each passing day, my decision to earn my MBA and at ISB seems more justified. More on the subjects and profs on a later post.
Till then, over and out.
The whole concept of class is turned upside down in that here, u r supposed to come prepared with the readings and the prof will just help clarify doubts and facilitate discussion among classmates. There are 4 papers this term:
1. Financial Accounting in Decision Making
2. Managerial Economics
3. Marketing Management
4. Statistical Methods for Management Decisions
Each papers require about 4 chapters of pre reads before each class (unless there's a case study). We have classes from Monday to Thursday - 2 a day. There are group assignments and individual quizzes over the weekends and a host of other activities including club meetings workshops, talks by eminent personalities, etc.
The CEO of Goldman Sachs delivered a speech on the importance of Entrepreneurilism last week. COO of CA also spoke on restructuring and growth of CA over the last few years. Watching these mighty personalities from a hand's distance feels great. Last week I took a session on IT strategy and spoke about my experience as a consultant. The clubs are yet to be formalized but there are lots of initiatives by enthusiasts. So we have 2/3 meetings planned for each club every day. There are a whole lot of new clubs coming up as well to the tune of politics Club, Beverage club, Running Club and so on.Hats of to the energy level of the batch. The meaning of Time has changed a lot. Some people including yours truly have even forgotten its definition. I sometimes wonder how I manage to pack in so many activities in just 24 hours
Some people asked me about Toastmasters so I emailed the student body asking how many would be interested. I got over 100 responses! So I held a Tm session at our auditorium which was attended by well over 100 participants!
We also had an informal BCG alum session in which 2 alums working in BCG flew down from Mumbai just to have a chat with us. The session was very informative in that they clearly outlined the requirements for wannabe consultants. The room was jam packed as expected but it was fun as well. Sometimes the inquisitiveness of the batch overflows and there were questions such as what do partners at BCG have to look forward to?..Are the careers stagnated after one becomes a partner? Some people feel getting in is a mighty task while others are thinking way ahead.
We had a Photoshoot today for a marketing handbook to be distributed to the potential recruiters. So we finally got to power dress. God it feels good to be back in school.
With each passing day, my decision to earn my MBA and at ISB seems more justified. More on the subjects and profs on a later post.
Till then, over and out.
Monday, April 20, 2009
1st week @ ISB
I have nothing to do today and for the rest of the week. Not that ISB schedule isnt hectic but just that I havan't opted for any pre term courses for this week. That leaves me with time enough to write this blog post. The previous week went by even before I could finish saying "phew". 570 odd students, 60 odd seniors (c/o 2009), a ton of activities, a zillion presentations, a few "informal" chat sessions, club activities and not to mention a few sprains and scratches were just a few of the highlights of the first week at ISB.
The registration process took a while on 11th mainly because of the callousness of Andhra Bank officials who put up a single stall with just 1 person to process the formalities with each person taking upto 1 hour. Then followed numerous team building activities. I felt that the activities really helped to break the ice amongst our batch. They were also chosen thoughtfully with each activity being followed by a feedback session in which the seniors (who conducted the sessions) explaining how the activities would help us during the next year. On the academic front, each ISB dept held its presentations and we also had a Intro to Case Study" session which I enjoyed thoroughly. The level of participation as well as the maturity of discussion truly enriched the experience and makes me look forward to the actual classes. Sports competitions were also held during the week. The orientation week culminated in the Talent Night where each section put in a consorted performance including dance, songs, shayari, PJs, theater and what not.
In addition to all of the above, we had 3 parties in the 1st week itself with people dancing away till 7AM in the morning! So overall, a very fulfilling first week and i hope the good times continue.
P.S. A few tidbits: There are 8 sections in our batch and each section has a chant. ISB itself also has a chant - ISB rocks. All the activities and sports competitions are on a section basis and each student is very proud of its section. The last word: I am in section B ("B de patthe, chak de phatte"!) which is on top after the 1st week!
The registration process took a while on 11th mainly because of the callousness of Andhra Bank officials who put up a single stall with just 1 person to process the formalities with each person taking upto 1 hour. Then followed numerous team building activities. I felt that the activities really helped to break the ice amongst our batch. They were also chosen thoughtfully with each activity being followed by a feedback session in which the seniors (who conducted the sessions) explaining how the activities would help us during the next year. On the academic front, each ISB dept held its presentations and we also had a Intro to Case Study" session which I enjoyed thoroughly. The level of participation as well as the maturity of discussion truly enriched the experience and makes me look forward to the actual classes. Sports competitions were also held during the week. The orientation week culminated in the Talent Night where each section put in a consorted performance including dance, songs, shayari, PJs, theater and what not.
In addition to all of the above, we had 3 parties in the 1st week itself with people dancing away till 7AM in the morning! So overall, a very fulfilling first week and i hope the good times continue.
P.S. A few tidbits: There are 8 sections in our batch and each section has a chant. ISB itself also has a chant - ISB rocks. All the activities and sports competitions are on a section basis and each student is very proud of its section. The last word: I am in section B ("B de patthe, chak de phatte"!) which is on top after the 1st week!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Prelude to ISB
Over the last few months, I have consciously avoided ISB/MBA related posts since I wanted to properly capture my feelings and experiences pre-ISB.
In a few hours, my life will be consumed entirely by ISB and the MBA course. If time permits, I'd like to document my experience throughout. To make up for lost time, here's a rundown of the MBA related standstills over the recent past.
I completed the Loan formalities while I was in US. Better put, my parents did so, all I did was sign and scan the papers to them. The general consensus of this batch is that Andhra Bank has the most convenient procedure and the best service. The other banks with which ISB had a tie up were SBI, HDFC Bank and UBI with UBI generally thought to cause the most hassles. The only queer requirement of Andhra was that the guarantor should come to Hyderabad to sign the papers. But otherwise, they didnt even require any collateral, any original papers, etc for a loan of over 15 lakhs!
Next, ISB's online pre-term assessment tests, which recommend whether to take the pre-terms or not (available to admits), indicated that I may concentrate on Hyderabadi Biryani and Haleem during the inital two weeks and I grudgingly acquiesced.
After returning to the City of Joy (about 2 weeks ago), I felt so joyously lazy that I completed the medical reports and some other formalities today itself, after nearly being thrown out of the house to do so by my parents.
Finally, ISB (rather a c/o 2009 student) launched a fantastic initiative called GoCar which matches 2 incoming students reaching Hyderabad at the same time and/or in the same mode and allowed them to share a pre-booked cab. In addition to the convenience and reduced transportation cost, it allows us to network with our batchmates as well. Thumbs up to the initiative. Bottomline, I'd be reaching Hyd in a Toyota Innova chatting with a fellow classmate at half the normal cost.
On Saturday we have a host of registration formalities to complete, after which we'd be allotted our homes or quads for the next one year.
I know I will have an amazing experience and look forward to it with bated breath.
Till then, over and out.
In a few hours, my life will be consumed entirely by ISB and the MBA course. If time permits, I'd like to document my experience throughout. To make up for lost time, here's a rundown of the MBA related standstills over the recent past.
I completed the Loan formalities while I was in US. Better put, my parents did so, all I did was sign and scan the papers to them. The general consensus of this batch is that Andhra Bank has the most convenient procedure and the best service. The other banks with which ISB had a tie up were SBI, HDFC Bank and UBI with UBI generally thought to cause the most hassles. The only queer requirement of Andhra was that the guarantor should come to Hyderabad to sign the papers. But otherwise, they didnt even require any collateral, any original papers, etc for a loan of over 15 lakhs!
Next, ISB's online pre-term assessment tests, which recommend whether to take the pre-terms or not (available to admits), indicated that I may concentrate on Hyderabadi Biryani and Haleem during the inital two weeks and I grudgingly acquiesced.
After returning to the City of Joy (about 2 weeks ago), I felt so joyously lazy that I completed the medical reports and some other formalities today itself, after nearly being thrown out of the house to do so by my parents.
Finally, ISB (rather a c/o 2009 student) launched a fantastic initiative called GoCar which matches 2 incoming students reaching Hyderabad at the same time and/or in the same mode and allowed them to share a pre-booked cab. In addition to the convenience and reduced transportation cost, it allows us to network with our batchmates as well. Thumbs up to the initiative. Bottomline, I'd be reaching Hyd in a Toyota Innova chatting with a fellow classmate at half the normal cost.
On Saturday we have a host of registration formalities to complete, after which we'd be allotted our homes or quads for the next one year.
I know I will have an amazing experience and look forward to it with bated breath.
Till then, over and out.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The call
Yes…hello…who’s this? Hello hello…
Katrina Kaif! U what? U wanna go out on a date with me?
Only if I SMS at this number…at Rs 10 a minute! Hmm but u see I’m in the middle of a meeting! Well hello hello…
Could you believe it! It was a call from Katrina Kaif! Wonder how she got my number!
It's been just a week since I returned from US yet I have been getting calls from Rahul Dravid, Kareena Kapur, Aishwariya and now Katrina. I wonder why?? Maybe I have suddenly become rich and famous! Well not rich…but famous ? No not even that…then?
Though I am not rich, many Indians are. Recession or no recession, India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Suddenly the great Indian middle class: you and me are in great demand. Because we, as consumers have great power in our hands: and pockets and purses. The octopus of advertising industry has spread it’s tentacles across various channels: television, mobile, internet or radio. Some ads are truly fascinating and compelling
Picture this: A young boy is having lunch in a small hut, with the door open. Suddenly a football bounces off the floor and strikes him. He looks around, and finds another boy of his age standing afar. He comes out of his house. The area is desolate, deserted. The other boy is standing at the other side of a ubiquitous double fence with a no-man’s land in between. The other boy coaxes him to kick the ball. This boy looks around shyly. There’s noone anywhere. With all his strength he kicks the ball to the other side of the fence. The 2 boys smile at each other. They want to play together…and they both join each other in the no man’s land. And start playing. Then the tagline follows: There would be no boundaries in this world, if we could only talk to each other! Wao! What an ad for a Cellular Service Provider.
With such creative ads these companies compel us to buy their products. You know, sometimes I feel like a young princess! Yeah you heard it right: a young naïve princess being courted by the Prince Charmings of this world. Or like Miss Little Red Riding Hood. Riding out into the world without any apprehensions?
But is the sweet old lady at the doorstep really the Grandmother or the evil wolf who is just waiting for a chance to eat you up?
We have to be very careful what to believe.
All that glitters is not gold.
The tomb gilded in gold may just be worm infested inside.
In fact some critics say that Advertising is the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
Fact: Research has shown that some of the worst quality products spend most money on advertising.
Fact: The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) in USA reports that in 2008, more than the number complaints about environmental claims grew more than four times compared to last year.
Fact: Suzuki, Shell, Toyota and many other renowned companies have been fined for misleading consumers on their environmental practices.
So how do we find our way in this big bad world of advertising and separate the wheat from the chaff? Let me tell you some ways in which you can counter the terror of the advertisers. Step 1, research the product before you buy something. Your best sources are your friends and colleagues. Find out whether any of them have used the product before and what they recommend.
2. Read blogs in the internet.
3. Find out the relative prices offered by different shops stocking the same product.
So research, talk to others and be “informed” before making a decision.
Don’t go by appearance alone.
And the next time you receive a phone call from Katrina Kaif, take a deep breath.
Relax. Enjoy your day in the sun. Look around. If your boss looks at you with questioning eyes, just say casually, Oh that? That was Katrina Kaif. She was calling about our date. An SMS for a date with Katrina: Rs 10. The look on your boss’s face: priceless!
Katrina Kaif! U what? U wanna go out on a date with me?
Only if I SMS at this number…at Rs 10 a minute! Hmm but u see I’m in the middle of a meeting! Well hello hello…
Could you believe it! It was a call from Katrina Kaif! Wonder how she got my number!
It's been just a week since I returned from US yet I have been getting calls from Rahul Dravid, Kareena Kapur, Aishwariya and now Katrina. I wonder why?? Maybe I have suddenly become rich and famous! Well not rich…but famous ? No not even that…then?
Though I am not rich, many Indians are. Recession or no recession, India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Suddenly the great Indian middle class: you and me are in great demand. Because we, as consumers have great power in our hands: and pockets and purses. The octopus of advertising industry has spread it’s tentacles across various channels: television, mobile, internet or radio. Some ads are truly fascinating and compelling
Picture this: A young boy is having lunch in a small hut, with the door open. Suddenly a football bounces off the floor and strikes him. He looks around, and finds another boy of his age standing afar. He comes out of his house. The area is desolate, deserted. The other boy is standing at the other side of a ubiquitous double fence with a no-man’s land in between. The other boy coaxes him to kick the ball. This boy looks around shyly. There’s noone anywhere. With all his strength he kicks the ball to the other side of the fence. The 2 boys smile at each other. They want to play together…and they both join each other in the no man’s land. And start playing. Then the tagline follows: There would be no boundaries in this world, if we could only talk to each other! Wao! What an ad for a Cellular Service Provider.
With such creative ads these companies compel us to buy their products. You know, sometimes I feel like a young princess! Yeah you heard it right: a young naïve princess being courted by the Prince Charmings of this world. Or like Miss Little Red Riding Hood. Riding out into the world without any apprehensions?
But is the sweet old lady at the doorstep really the Grandmother or the evil wolf who is just waiting for a chance to eat you up?
We have to be very careful what to believe.
All that glitters is not gold.
The tomb gilded in gold may just be worm infested inside.
In fact some critics say that Advertising is the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
Fact: Research has shown that some of the worst quality products spend most money on advertising.
Fact: The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) in USA reports that in 2008, more than the number complaints about environmental claims grew more than four times compared to last year.
Fact: Suzuki, Shell, Toyota and many other renowned companies have been fined for misleading consumers on their environmental practices.
So how do we find our way in this big bad world of advertising and separate the wheat from the chaff? Let me tell you some ways in which you can counter the terror of the advertisers. Step 1, research the product before you buy something. Your best sources are your friends and colleagues. Find out whether any of them have used the product before and what they recommend.
2. Read blogs in the internet.
3. Find out the relative prices offered by different shops stocking the same product.
So research, talk to others and be “informed” before making a decision.
Don’t go by appearance alone.
And the next time you receive a phone call from Katrina Kaif, take a deep breath.
Relax. Enjoy your day in the sun. Look around. If your boss looks at you with questioning eyes, just say casually, Oh that? That was Katrina Kaif. She was calling about our date. An SMS for a date with Katrina: Rs 10. The look on your boss’s face: priceless!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
I dream of Genie
Here goes my 10th and final speech in Toastmasters Competent Communicator manual.
More details in my next post.
==================================================================================
The other day, I was watching a re-run of "I dream of Jeannie". It's a fantasy sitcom from the 1960s about an astronaut finding a beautiful genie in a bottle in Florida's own Cocoa beach. In one scene, Jeannie complained to her friend that people are so unpleasant nowadays. The friend replied that others don't have a Genie working for them! Well surely we'd all be more pleasant if we had a Genie
Ah to have a genie! The pleasures of the world at your fingertips. I was reading somewhere that it's no coincidence that kids are a big fan of fantasies and as we grow old, we become more rooted to reality. We stop wishing for powers as we gain independence ourselves. Our real powers of intellect and authority slowly replace our craving for extraordinary power. But ever so often in our daily lives, we face roadblocks and we face opposition. And in those times we wish to have genie or a Deus-ex-Machina solve all our problems
In old times in Greek plays, when there used to be an impasse, the protagonists just couldn't find a way out - a Greek god used to be lowered down from above the stage by a machine from above the stage - and solve all the problems for the characters. This was called Deus-exmachina. Well, life ain't a Greek play. And I haven't heard too many genies being found nowadays. But I will tell you today that we do have a Deus ex Machina - a Genie- and that genie is our own dream. Someone once said that to achieve an impossible dream, try going to sleep. I'm not talking about a sleep induced dream. Im talking about the dreams we dream while awake.
Before coming to US, I heard a lot of the American dream. After coming to US, I heard a lot about the American dream. God Americans dream a lot! Jokes apart, what is an American dream anyway? Isn't it just the belief that with hard work and dedication, our dreams can come true? I'm sure, the American dream is no so different from the dream say an Indian has. The Indian speaking before you today had a little dream when he was a kid. To take my parents on a foreign trip. Finally that dream came true last week when my parents joined me here in Tampa. Fulfilling the dream does taste sweet. Especially sweetened by the taste of mom's home-made cookies.
Now having a dream is one thing and fulfilling it is another. I think a very good way of turning our dreams to reality is to believe, to believe in ourselves and in our success.
That belief can come in two ways.
1. Watching others succeed and
2. Visualizing success.
First, watching others succeed: To give an example. As we know, Mount Everest is the tallest peak in the world. However, climbing 29000 feet of the dangerous mountain is no mean feat. Climbing it without any supplemental oxygen is nigh impossible. But on May 8, 1978, two mountaineers, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler, achieved the impossible. From 1953, when Everest was captured the first time, to 1978 no man climbed Everest without carrying a bottle of oxygen. Yet withing next 18 years, more than 60 men and women had reached the top relying on their own gasping lungs. So what changed? The belief that it could be done.
So we come to the second point: Visualization. I always dreamt of being able to speak confidently in front of the public. But when I was a kid, whenever my teacher asked me a question in class, I used to hear a background music - dab-dab, dab-dab, .... That was the sound of my heart beat! So I joined up for toastmasters. Before my ice breaker, I started hearing the background music again. But then something amazing happened. I visualized myself walking to the podium with a confident gait, not forgetting any lines and getting a warm round of applause when I walk back to my seat. And voila - it went exactly as I had visualized. Thereafter, I have always tried to visualize any difficult situations I face - say a negotiation with a broker, an interview, a sports match, etc. I visualized it going well and that always soothes my nerves and things fall into place after that.
To give another example, AP Gianini wss a fruit seller when he founded the Bank of Italy in 1908. But he visualized that he would one day turn it into the biggest bank in America. The fruit seller's dream was eventually fulfilled when is bank became not just the biggest bank in USA but the bigggest bank in the world. You would identify it with its newer name -Bank of America.
Watching others succeed make us believe that it can be done. Similarly visualization makes us believe that it can be done. So either we, if we believe, our dreams can come true. I believe that if we have confidence in our abilities, we have that genie that can make our dreams come true.
As Olivia Newton John sang, I will ask you:
Dare to dream
Dare to fly
Dare to be the ever chosen one to touch the sky
So no matter what people say, dream on - and don't forget to make my dream of hearing a great applause come true when I return to my seat now.
More details in my next post.
==================================================================================
The other day, I was watching a re-run of "I dream of Jeannie". It's a fantasy sitcom from the 1960s about an astronaut finding a beautiful genie in a bottle in Florida's own Cocoa beach. In one scene, Jeannie complained to her friend that people are so unpleasant nowadays. The friend replied that others don't have a Genie working for them! Well surely we'd all be more pleasant if we had a Genie
Ah to have a genie! The pleasures of the world at your fingertips. I was reading somewhere that it's no coincidence that kids are a big fan of fantasies and as we grow old, we become more rooted to reality. We stop wishing for powers as we gain independence ourselves. Our real powers of intellect and authority slowly replace our craving for extraordinary power. But ever so often in our daily lives, we face roadblocks and we face opposition. And in those times we wish to have genie or a Deus-ex-Machina solve all our problems
In old times in Greek plays, when there used to be an impasse, the protagonists just couldn't find a way out - a Greek god used to be lowered down from above the stage by a machine from above the stage - and solve all the problems for the characters. This was called Deus-exmachina. Well, life ain't a Greek play. And I haven't heard too many genies being found nowadays. But I will tell you today that we do have a Deus ex Machina - a Genie- and that genie is our own dream. Someone once said that to achieve an impossible dream, try going to sleep. I'm not talking about a sleep induced dream. Im talking about the dreams we dream while awake.
Before coming to US, I heard a lot of the American dream. After coming to US, I heard a lot about the American dream. God Americans dream a lot! Jokes apart, what is an American dream anyway? Isn't it just the belief that with hard work and dedication, our dreams can come true? I'm sure, the American dream is no so different from the dream say an Indian has. The Indian speaking before you today had a little dream when he was a kid. To take my parents on a foreign trip. Finally that dream came true last week when my parents joined me here in Tampa. Fulfilling the dream does taste sweet. Especially sweetened by the taste of mom's home-made cookies.
Now having a dream is one thing and fulfilling it is another. I think a very good way of turning our dreams to reality is to believe, to believe in ourselves and in our success.
That belief can come in two ways.
1. Watching others succeed and
2. Visualizing success.
First, watching others succeed: To give an example. As we know, Mount Everest is the tallest peak in the world. However, climbing 29000 feet of the dangerous mountain is no mean feat. Climbing it without any supplemental oxygen is nigh impossible. But on May 8, 1978, two mountaineers, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler, achieved the impossible. From 1953, when Everest was captured the first time, to 1978 no man climbed Everest without carrying a bottle of oxygen. Yet withing next 18 years, more than 60 men and women had reached the top relying on their own gasping lungs. So what changed? The belief that it could be done.
So we come to the second point: Visualization. I always dreamt of being able to speak confidently in front of the public. But when I was a kid, whenever my teacher asked me a question in class, I used to hear a background music - dab-dab, dab-dab, .... That was the sound of my heart beat! So I joined up for toastmasters. Before my ice breaker, I started hearing the background music again. But then something amazing happened. I visualized myself walking to the podium with a confident gait, not forgetting any lines and getting a warm round of applause when I walk back to my seat. And voila - it went exactly as I had visualized. Thereafter, I have always tried to visualize any difficult situations I face - say a negotiation with a broker, an interview, a sports match, etc. I visualized it going well and that always soothes my nerves and things fall into place after that.
To give another example, AP Gianini wss a fruit seller when he founded the Bank of Italy in 1908. But he visualized that he would one day turn it into the biggest bank in America. The fruit seller's dream was eventually fulfilled when is bank became not just the biggest bank in USA but the bigggest bank in the world. You would identify it with its newer name -Bank of America.
Watching others succeed make us believe that it can be done. Similarly visualization makes us believe that it can be done. So either we, if we believe, our dreams can come true. I believe that if we have confidence in our abilities, we have that genie that can make our dreams come true.
As Olivia Newton John sang, I will ask you:
Dare to dream
Dare to fly
Dare to be the ever chosen one to touch the sky
So no matter what people say, dream on - and don't forget to make my dream of hearing a great applause come true when I return to my seat now.
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