Devotion - Just Like That

I am sure each one of us have atleast one friend who religiously go to Sabarimala.  The mental toughness shown by these devotes always amazed me - the winter, food restrictions, and other do's and donts.  Its a religious practice but certainly brings in discipline.  The devotees are committed to this practice year on year.  But what irks me is sometimes when I see people treat this practice as a fashion and lost its relevance.  I really feel sad when I see people who go for 'just like that' and observe no restrictions - especially when they smoke. Here is a young "devotee" smoking to counter the winter.

Read Between Words

Here is a challenge for you. You may able to read between lines.  Can you read between words? Located at Westside, Gopalan Mall, Bannerghatta Road.

Read between words

What do you actually beg for?

What Do You Actually Beg For?
(c) August Minds

What do you actually beg for?

Money that rest of us Make, or
Food that rest of us Waste, or
Cloth that rest of us Cover with, or
Life that rest of us Lead, or

Peace that rest of us Seek, or

Direction that rest of us Lost, or

Knowledge that rest of us Pay for, or

Family that rest of us Build, or

Fun that rest of us Fake, or 

Identity that invoke atl east some Respect.

What do you actually beg for?
And tell us - 
How Different Are You From Rest Of Us?

Coffee good for digestion (of bills)

 A coffee after breakfast at the hotel helps in two ways -  Digest the food,  Digest the bill :-).   மாமா, காபி சாப்பிடேளா ?   Coffee at Adyar Anand Bhavan on Sunday Morning. 

Coffee - To Digest the food

Coffee - To Digest the bill

JP Nagar Central Mall Fire Exit Locked

The JP Nagar Central Mall has its fire exits always locked.  Last year (2011), I pointed this to a supervisor and within a week he took action.  Recently, I have been there and noticed that fire exits have been locked and cannot be opened easily in case of emergencies. Generally, the customers are to use either escalator or the lifts. They do not have access to steps. I could not reach the authorities.

Somehow, we react after incidents and do not learn from other mishaps and take action proactively. 

TOI's paper size outside edge ads - annoying

Sometimes, its very annoying when Times of India (TOI) prints its ads outside the edge.  Its very difficult to hold the paper and it crumbles in the hand.  The advertiser would have thought its an innovation and the extended paper size acts a book mark ('paper mark'?).  But hold the paper in your hands and you feel the incovenience. Are you with me?

Anything can be accomplished if you have TIME

August Minds presents T.I.M.E model

Did it sound very obvious when you read "Anything can be accomplished if you have TIME"?

I did not mean TIME in conventional sense.  During my college days, roughly 20 years back, I was a "solution man" among friends and came up with this acronym T.I.M.E.  Its my essential factors for success.

T - Time
I - Ideas
M - Money
E - Energy

Time - Time is nothing but an emotion.  Time appears too long or short and its true so only because of our perception. We give excuse of not doing thing because of lack of time.  But we personally know that we had enough time.  Unless we leverage the time available, nothing can be accomplished.

Ideas - The best way to get a best idea is to have lot of ideas.  Think of more than one way of doing things.  Doing things differently.  Take positions and have Plan B and Plan C too.  Write it down.  Writing translates brain views into clarity.

Money - You need money big or small.  Money is not evil.  If you dont have your money, use OPM (not opium).  OPM is other people's money.  Play with money as its an enabler.

Energy - An invigorating physical, mental, and spiritual energy makes you complete.

I am proud that that I could recall my old philosophy and its still valid.

Are you into the trap of festival offers?

Like this soap, all offers are special only for that moment
and becomes void after a while!

I look around only to notice many getting tempted to buy more and more mobile and tablet gadgets.   The festival offers lure the customers to buy more and more.  For any one from middle class, a serious thinking is needed - because there is no end to what one would buy!

We are into crazy times that mobile wars, tablet wars, big screen televisions, give a "false material life"

Let me put some thinking process for you in 3 modes - INVENTORY, INTENTION & INVESTMENT

INVENTORY - First let us take some inventory,

1. Do you have a landline connection at home, office that any one can reach you?
2. Do you already have a personal mobile or office provided that any one can reach you?
3. Do you have a desktop, laptop that is available to you as and when you need?
4. Do your family members already have a mobile connection?
5. Do you already have a tablet (like iPad) at home?
6. Do you have gaming devices at home?
7. Do you have a decent television set?

INTENTION - Analyze your intention,

1. Are you thinking of something new - because you have a NEED?
2. Are you buying something new - because you found something BETTER in terms of cost, energy saving, low maintenance cost?
3. Are you INFLUENCED by your peers, neighbours, relatives?
4. Are you being PSYCHOLOGICALLY influenced by the advertisements that keep hitting you everyday?
5. Are you buying something new, because you want to stay MODERN, PRODUCTIVE, and ADVANCED?
6. Are you double sure, you are not in to COMPULSIVE buying?
7. Are you buying a new item, because you CANNOT SHARE THE EXISTING one among the family members?

 
INVESTMENT - If you have are inching towards making the purchase,

1. Do you have enough money to buy this item?
2. Are you aware that EMI / Credit Card options could be a trap to influence your buying decision
3. Do you have any big commitments?
4. Are you using the current items effectively?
5. Are you aware that your new purchase could get obsolete (atleast you will so), when the next edition of the item gets released in another couple of months?
6. Is it possible that your new purchase take away the time meant for your family?
7. Can a small tweak to the existing item meet your needs?

I cannot provide answers on your behalf and there are no correct answers.  You are the judge.