Confidence : The Paris Hilton Way !

Think of confidence as a crude instinct for guessing when you're going to succeed or fail. It’s exceedingly stupid and makes decisions based entirely on whatever comes to mind first. I call mine Paris Hilton:

One of the smartest maneuvers in business !

Just saw this on "quora.com" and found it interesting enough to share with you readers :

Herbert Dow founded Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan when he invented a way to produce bromine cheaply. He sold the chemical for industrial purposes all over the US for 36 cents per pound at the turn of the 20th century. He couldn't go overseas, however, because the international market was controlled by a giant German chemical cartel that sold it at a fixed price of 49 cents per pound. It was understood that the Germans would stay out of the US market so long as Dow and the other American suppliers stayed within its borders.

The Atlantic Road

Sharp turns and wild nature have put the Atlantic Road at the top of the British newspaper The Guardian's list of the world's best road trips.

The Atlantic Ocean Road is a 8.274-kilometer (5.141 mi) long section of County Road 64 which connects the island and municipality of Averøy with the mainland at Eide. The road runs across an archipelago of partially inhabited islands and skerries. To the north lies Hustadvika, an unsheltered section of the Norwegian Sea, while to the south lies Lauvøyfjorden. The road has a width of 6.5 meters (21 ft) and a maximum gradient of eight percent.

Man on a mission !

Sharing this with you guys to promote this man who is doing his bit towards education 

Disclaimer : Article not written by me 

Boarding a 10.29 pm Borivali train from Dadar, I was overjoyed to get a seat so that I could take a nap to abate my headache. Putting some relaxation music on, I closed my eyes which popped open when I heard a man begging in English. I already knew the man, for he has a CNN-IBN real hero award conferred on him: Sandeep Desai. His mission, to collect funds from the local trains to start free schools in remote locations devoid of education across India. One more thing I knew about the Hero, he was a professor at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, a premier B-School of the country and 2nd best in Mumbai.

A humble 50-something man, who has already lost the graceful sound of his voice because of 3 years of begging: all he had was a rucksack, a donation-box and a few prints of newspaper cut-outs about him by all the news corporations of the country. He begs in 4 different languages - Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and English.

When he was done with the coach, he took a moment’s rest, waiting for the Bandra station, to get off the train. I offered him some water which earned me a humble smile from the Hero. I couldn't contain myself from questioning him about his reason for all his efforts. He took a deep breath and answered patiently. He told me that he used to file public litigations against the schools that charge hefty fees and ask the parents for donations. He had filed a total of 32 litigations. During one of the hearings, the Judge asked him if he had ever tried running a school on his own. Obviously he hadn’t. The Judge said, “Try running a school and see how difficult it is to manage them.” To which Professor promptly replied, “Is that a challenge or a suggestion? If I were to start some schools, I would run them for free.” And thus started his journey. By the time he finished his story, came the announcement: 'Next station Bandra'. Professor had to get down there, and I followed him. To experience the joy of talking to a superhero.

When we got down, a man bid him goodbye. I asked the professor about the man out of curiosity. He told me that the man works at Mahalaxmi Race Course (Horse Racing Course in Mumbai) and that he had offered to talk to the Head of the Race Course for Donation to Shloka Foundation. Well, not surprising. Every soul that has had a chance to meet Professor has been touched and inspired.

At the station waiting for the next train, I asked him how difficult his first time was. He smiled at me and answered, "The first day, I started out from my nearest station, Goregaon, with the box in my bag. I couldn't muster the courage to take it out. I reached Santacruz (4 stations from Goregaon) and decided, if I don't do it now, I won't be able to do it ever and thus came out the box and started my journey."

We now boarded a Virar fast train in which he would get down at Andheri and, of course, I would follow. He started with his routine 'begging' and I couldn't get my eyes off him. And just as I was watching him, I felt my cheeks getting wet and my vision blurring. ‘This man here has single- handed started a revolution. This man, despite of being extraordinarily capable, spends his time collecting alms, to improve the system of education. This man is a synonym for HOPE. This man is what I would call my SUPERHERO.’ I contained my emotions and looked back in the coach. I was awe-struck. People were chipping in all different denominations into the already-full donation-box. We were about to reach Andheri when I asked him how much he collects in a day. He told me that on an average day the collection is around 7000-8000 rupees depending on the denominations donated.

We got down at Andheri and I asked him how many schools have opened up till now and how much money he had collected. He has collected Rs. 80 lakh (INR 8mn), most of which came from collecting alms, and that they had already opened 5 schools, which are currently teaching 480 kids. Among the languages, they teach English and the respective local language.

We boarded our final train, a Borivali slow, so that he would get down at Goregaon and I'll continue alone till the last station. When done with the 'begging' he shared one of his experiences with me before getting down. One day, a friend and of his, who is a fellow trustee at the Shloka Foundation and also a communications expert said that he'll join him and see what the commuters said behind his back. So while professor was 'begging', his friend maintained distance and observed the people's reaction. There was this one person hanging by the gate of the train who said, "Such a prominent person is begging for money to start free schools and we are chewing Gutkha here. Sir I'll eat one Gutkha less today and donate the money for a good cause." He even asked his friends to do the same to which one replied, "He might use your money to fulfill his own needs". To which he replied, "To give is my responsibility, what he does with the money is his look out.” He then forced his friends to give money, went to the other side of the compartment and put in the money in the donation box. Professor's friend observed this conversation. When they got down, Professor’s friend told him, "People are with you. You will be successful."

This experience touched me and the many people who have witnessed the same. If you're moved too, you can help the Shloka foundation. Professor Desai is now a visiting faculty at top institutes and also does guest lectures.

Website: http://shlokamissionaries.org/

Encouragement : A Short Story

It will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking. Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in amid st flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days, weeks and months passed. 

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man masked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Epilogue: 

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.'

This post was not written by me but just came across me during the course of my reading.

Irony of giving Preparation Holidays !

In the degree course, before the final written exams start we are offered a holiday lasting 3 to 4 weeks long to study and revise for the exams.Yes,even i start preparing during those holidays but its not exam preparation but its more like dress rehearsal of the vacations which follow the exams.

An out of the box interview with Fredrik Haren

‘Successful companies are the ones taking on a truly global character’

Fredrik Haren, founder of creativity company interesting.org and author of the best sellers like The Idea Book and The Developing World, has delivered more than 1,500 speeches in over 40 countries across five continents. On the sidelines of the recently concluded ‘Zee Leadership Series’ last week in Mumbai, he spoke to Ashish K Tiwari on topics involving confidence levels, complacency, advantages of being a developing economy, successful companies and so on. Edited excerpts:

Lessons of Life by a 90 year old !

Some words of experience shared by a 90 year old.After traversing thsi much long in life,i feel we can learn a thing or two from them :D

A story or a glass of water !

A beautiful post suggested by my dear friend Akshay Harvande :

A Psychologist walked around a room while teaching Stress Management to an audience.As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked "Half empty or Half full" question. Instead, with a smile, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?".Answers ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.She replied,"The absolute wt doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it.If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem.If I hold it for an hour,I'll have an ache in my arm.If I hold it for a day,my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change,But,The longer I hold it,the heavier it becomes. She continued,"The Stresses and Worries in Life , are like that Glass of Water...Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt and If you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed –incapable of doing anything."

20 football facts you don't know !

1) Arsene Wenger has an asteroid named after him called 33179 Arsénewenger.

2) AC Milan was actually founded as a cricket team.

3) The first black and white jersey that Juventus wore was a Notts County kit that was brought in by an importer. It has become a tradition since then.

4) Gary and Phil Neville’s father is called Neville Neville.

5) Between 2001 and 2003, Bundesliga club Fortuna Düsseldorf were sponsored by Toten Hosen, one the biggest rock bands in Germany.

6) There are only two football teams in the Isles of Scilly – The Gunners and the Wanderers. They play each other every week in the league, the only break being when they meet in the Cup. Talk about boring!

7) Didier Drogba is not just a footballer in his home country, and helped stop a civil war in Ivory Coast after qualifying for the World Cup.

8) Fernando d’Ercoli, while playing for Pianta in 1989, got so mad after getting a red card that he snatched the card from the referee’s hand and ate it. Similarly, Mike Bagley took the referee’s notebook and ripped out the page with his name on after he had been booked, and ate it.

9) Brazilian striker Ronaldo got this ridiculous haircut at the 2002 World Cup so that his son would be able to distinguish him from the other bald Brazilian players on TV.

10) Zlatan Ibrahimovic used to be a bike thief when he was younger.

11) The Borussia in Borussia Dortmund comes from a brand of beer in Dortmund.

12) According to Mexico City police, crime rates in Mexico reduce when Javier Hernandez plays football. Additionally, and almost unbelievably, they suggest that more women go into labor than usual when the Manchester United striker plays.

13) Zinedine Zidane almost joined Blackburn Rovers. However, the club chose Tim Sherwood instead, with chairman Jack Walker saying: “Who needs Zinedine Zidane? We’ve got Tim Sherwood.”

14) Osama bin Laden was said to be a massive Arsenal fan.

15) Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes series, played keeper for Portsmouth under the name AC Smith.

16) Dennis Bergkamp would miss away matches because he had a fear of flying, which is why he was called the Non-Flying Dutchman.

17) When Harry Redknapp was assistant manager at West Ham, he heard a fan abusing striker Lee Chapman during a pre-season friendly against Oxford City. At half time, he asked the fan to get dressed in the kit and play for the team if he thought he could do better. The fan took up his challenge, played through the second half, and even scored a goal.

18) Robert Lewandowski almost signed for Blackburn Rovers, but a giant ash cloud from Iceland grounded his plane and delayed his transfer. It didn’t happen thereafter.

19) Simon Mignolet started his career as a forward, and tried his hand at being a goalkeeper after he was dropped. On the other hand, Fernando Torres started his career as a goalkeeper, and later switched to become a striker.

20) Diego Maradona once played for Tottenham Hotspur.

Love football ? Read this too :
1.When God gives you Lemons
2.An amazing football match

A tale of initiatives and toothpaste :P

Sometimes simple actions can cause great differences.All we need is a smart mind and courage to do something different,take a bold step and well thought initiatives do bring fruit.Here is a perfect example of this :

How steve jobs made ipods a trend !

 Apple’s iPod needs no introduction. If anyone wants a device to listen to music on the move this is usually where they go. But it wasn't always this way. Does anybody remember the Archos? The Zune? Or Sony’s MP3 Walkmans? The pre-iPod market had a lot of devices, and none came out top, it looked like the market would be commoditised, until apple swooped in and monopolized it.

The Last Question by Isaac Asimov © 1956

The last question was asked for the first time, half in jest, on May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped into the light. The question came about as a result of a five dollar bet over highballs, and it happened this way:

KAROLY TAKACS-The man with the Unshakable spirit.

Karoly Takacs. You’ve probably never heard of him. However, in Hungary, he’s a national hero – everybody there knows his name and his incredible story.After reading his story, you’ll never forget him…

In 1938, Karoly Takacs of the Hungarian Army, was the top pistol shooter in the world. He was expected to win the gold in the 1940 Olympic Games scheduled for Tokyo.
Those expectations vanished one terrible day just months before the Olympics. While training with his army squad, a hand grenade exploded in Takacs’ right hand, and Takacs’ shooting hand was blown off.
Takacs spent a month in the hospital depressed at both the loss of his hand, and the end to his Olympic dream. At that point most people would have quit. And they would have probably spent the rest of their life feeling sorry for themselves. Most people would have quit but not Takacs. Takacs was a winner. Winners know that they can’t let circumstances keep them down. They understand that life is hard and that they can’t let life beat them down. Winners know in their heart that quitting is not an option.
Takacs did the unthinkable; he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and decided to learn how to shoot with his left hand! His reasoning was simple. He simply asked himself, “Why not?”
Instead of focusing on what he didn’t have – a world class right shooting hand, he decided to focus on what he did have – incredible mental toughness, and a healthy left hand that with time, could be developed to shoot like a champion.
For months Takacs practiced by himself. No one knew what he was doing. Maybe he didn’t want to subject himself to people who most certainly would have discouraged him from his rekindled dream.
In the spring of 1939 he showed up at the Hungarian National Pistol Shooting Championship. Other shooters approached Takacs to give him their condolences and to congratulate him on having the strength to come watch them shoot. They were surprised when he said, “I didn’t come to watch, I came to compete.” They were even more surprised when Takacs won!

The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled because of World War II. It looked like Takacs’ Olympic Dream would never have a chance to realize itself. But Takacs kept training and in 1948 he qualified for the London Olympics. At the age of 38, Takacs won the Gold Medal and set a new world record in pistol shooting. Four years later, Takacs won the Gold Medal again at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Takacs – a man with the mental toughness to bounce back from anything.
Winners in every field have a special trait that helps them become unstoppable. A special characteristic that allows them to survive major setbacks on the road to success. Winners recover QUICKLY. Bouncing back is not enough. Winners bounce back QUICKLY. They take their hit, they experience their setback, they have the wind taken out of their sails, but they immediately recover. Right away they FORCE themselves to look at the bright side of things – ANY bright side, and they say to themselves, “That’s OK. There is always a way. I will find a way.” They dust themselves off, and pick up where they left off.
The reason quick recovery is important is that if you recover quickly, you don’t lose your momentum and your drive. Takacs recovered in only one month. If he had wallowed in his misery, if he had stayed “under the circumstances,” if he had played the martyr, and felt sorry for himself much longer, he would have lost his mental edge – his “eye of the tiger” and he never would have been able to come back.
When a boxer gets knocked down, he has ten seconds to get back up. If he gets up in eleven seconds, he loses the fight. Remember that next time you get knocked down.

Takacs definitely had a right to feel sorry for himself. He had a right to stay depressed and to ask himself “Why me?” for the rest of his life. He had the right to act like a mediocre man.
Takacs could have let his terrible accident cause him to become permanently discouraged, to take up heavy drinking, to quit on life alltogether, and maybeeven to end his own life. He could have acted like a loser.
But Takacs made the DECISION to dig deep inside and to find a solution. To pick himself up and to learn to shoot all over again. Winners always search for a solution. Losers always search for an escape.

This is THE most inspirational story of persistence that I have ever come across.

Source: Olympic Motivation

  

Sun

The Beginning after the end : What happened To Harry Potter and Co.

My friend Mayuri Kingre is an ardent harry potter fan.This post is hence dedicated to her on her Birthday

1. Harry married Ginny Weasley. They had three children: James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna.

2. Kingsley Shacklebolt became Minister for Magic.

JK Rowling:

“Kingsley became permanent Minister for Magic, and naturally he wanted Harry to head up his new Auror department… The Ministry of Magic was de-corrupted, and with Kingsley at the helm the discrimination that was always latent there was eradicated. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny et al would of course play a significant part in the re-building of wizarding society through their future careers.”

3. Hermione and Ron married and had two children, Hugo and Rose.

4. Draco Malfoy married Astoria Greengrass, the younger sister of Daphne. They had one son, Scorpius Hyperion.

5. After the death of his parents, Teddy Lupin was raised by his grandmother Andromeda.

JK Rowling:

“Unlike Neville Longbottom, who was also raised by his grandmother, Teddy had his godfather, Harry, and all his father’s friends in the Order, to visit and stay with.”

6. George Weasley married his Quidditch teammate Angelina Johnson. They had two children, Fred and Roxanne.

7. Harry, and eventually Ron, joined the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. Hermione became a high-ranking official in the Department Magical Law Enforcement.

JK Rowling:

” Harry and Ron utterly revolutionized the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic… Hermione began her post-Hogwarts career at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures where she was instrumental in greatly improving life for house-elves and their ilk. She then moved (despite her jibe to Scrimgeour) to the Deptartment of Magical Law Enforcement where she was a progressive voice who ensured the eradication of oppressive, pro-pureblood laws.”

8. Bill and Fleur Weasley’s first child, a daughter, was They named her “Victoire,” which means “victory” in French.

9. Dementors were no longer used by the Ministry of Magic.

JK Rowling:

“The use of Dementors was always a mark of the underlying corruption of the Ministry, as Dumbledore constantly maintained.”

10. Ginny Weasley became a professional Quidditch player for a few years, then retired to become a Quidditch correspondent for the Daily Prophet.

JK Rowling:

“After a few years as a celebrated player for the Holyhead Harpies, Ginny retired to have her family and to become the Senior Quidditch correspondent at the Daily Prophet.”

11. Harry and Dudley made a point to see each other and get their families together as adults.

JK Rowling:

“Harry and Dudley would still see each other enough to be on Christmas-card terms, but they would visit more out of a sense of duty and sit in silence so that their children could see their cousins.”

12. Percy Weasley became an official in the new Ministry of Magic under Kingsley Shacklebolt and married a woman named Audrey. They had two daughters, Molly and Lucy.

13. Bill and Fleur Weasley had three children: Victoire, Louis, and Dominique.

14. Hermione went back to Hogwarts to complete her seventh year of study and her N.E.W.T.S. Harry and Ron did not.

JK Rowling:

“She would definitely, definitely go back. And she would want to graduate, and I think that she was- I mean,I love Hermione. She went with Ron and Harry because she has a really good heart. That’s not about brain. Ultimately, she had a bigger heart than she had a brain and that’s saying something for Hermione. But did she- Was she naturally drawn to battle? No, she wasn’t. She’s not a Bellatrix. She’s not a woman who actually wants to be hurting, fighting, killing. Not at all. She would be glad to go back to school, be glad to get back to study, and then would join [Harry and Ron] at the Ministry.”

15. Mr. Weasley eventually fixed Sirius Black’s motorcycle and gave it to Harry.

16. Luna Lovegood married Rolf Scamander, the grandson of naturalist Newt Scamander. They hadtwo children, twin boys named Lorcan and Lysander.

17. Minerva McGonagall became headmistress of Hogwarts.

JK Rowling:

“Nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the school for witchcraft and wizardry is led by an entirely new headmaster. McGonagall was really getting on a bit.”

18. Harry ensured that Severus Snape’s portrait was restored to its proper place in the Hogwarts headmaster’s office.

JK Rowling:

“[The absence of Snape’s portrait in the final scene of Deathly Hallows] was deliberate. Snape had effectively abandoned his post before dying, so he had not merited inclusion in these august circles. However, I like to think that Harry would be instrumental in ensuring that Snape’s portrait would appear there in due course… Harry would ensure that Snape’s heroism was known.”

19. Alice and Frank Longbottom never recovered — they lived out their lives in St. Mungo’s.

JK Rowling:

“I know people really wanted some hope for that, and I can quite see why because, in a way, what happens to Neville’s parents is even worse than what happened to Harry’s parents. The damage that is done, in some cases with very dark magic, is done permanently.”

20. Harry lost the ability to speak to snakes when the Horcrux inside him was destroyed.

J.K. Rowling:

“He loses the ability, and is very glad to do so.”

21. Firenze was eventually welcomed back into the centaur herd.

JK Rowling:

“The rest of the herd was forced to acknowledge that Firenze’s pro-human leanings were not shameful, but honourable.”

22. Cho Chang married a Muggle.

23. Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley became boyfriend and girlfriend.

24. Gilderoy Lockhart never recovered from the injuries he sustained in the Chamber of Secrets.

JK Rowling:

“Nor would I want him to. He’s happy where he is, and I’m happier without him!”

25. Neville Longbottom became the Hogwarts Herbology professor. He married Hannah Abbott, who became the new landlady at The Leaky Cauldron.

JK Rowling:

“To make him extra cool he marries the woman who becomes, eventually, the new landlady at The Leaky Cauldron, which I think would make him very cool among the students, that he lives above the pub. He marries Hannah Abbott.”

26. Dolores Umbridge was arrested, interrogated, and imprisoned for crimes against Muggle-borns.

27. Harry and Ginny’s children stole the Marauder’s Map and snuck it into Hogwarts.

JK Rowling:

“I’ve got a feeling [Harry] didn’t give [the Marauder’s Map] to any of [his children], but that James sneaked it out of his father’s desk one day.”

28. Harry, Ron, and Hermione became memorialized in Chocolate Frog cards.

JK Rowling:

“Ron will describe this as his finest hour.”

BONUS: JK Rowling’s hand-drawn family tree.

Harry Potter: The Second Generation

Top Row: James Sirius Potter, Victoire Weasley, Teddy Lupin, Dominique Weasley, Molly Weasley, Fred Weasley, Roxanne Weasley.
Bottom Row: Scorpius Malfoy, Albus Potter, Rose Weasley, Lorcan Scamander, Lysander Scamander, Louis Weasley, Lucy Weasley, Lily Luna Potter, Hugo Weasley.