Those petty sounds that are mood-breakers

• The slurp of taking a 'sip' of coffee/tea and the "aahhh" after the sip
• The 'glug', glug', glug' of drinking water from the bottle
• The smacking, chewing and biting on those evening snacks, with mouth wide open
• The sound of people non-rhythmically tapping their work stations, arousing the thinking cells!
• ...

Common as they may seem, but some can be highly irritating for some people. 

But the positive side of all this? It teaches patience and temper control!

... and I'm learning, BIG TIME!

-Sharanya

The power of words...

This is one poem that has always pepped up my low moods. Words, written in the right manner can be really POWERFUL!

..and to the author of this poem, Thanks a ton for this. 

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won if he'd stuck it out.

Don't give up, though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are -

It may be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

-Author Unknown

Days that do not begin well...

Ever experienced one of these days?

• When you haven't slept well the previous night, yet you have to attend to all that the day calls for?
• When you feel numb and you realize that those thinking stems are just not doing what they are supposed to do?
• When, there's so much to do, but you do not know where to begin!
• When the rest of the world seems to be doing everything else important and you are sitting there almost close to blankness!

Today's mine! 

But, then I feel this way too - I realized it at least and so I can take those efforts to do something about it, can't I?

I'm trying..I'm trying... Let me get the thinking wheels turning so that they do some normal work.

Any of you felt this way? How do you handle these off-days?

What has life done to us?

The wait for the train at the local train station is not necessarily boring. In fact, if we look around, it's highly interesting! This morning's wait made me realize this!

There was this man -  he looked around 30ish,  and he carried an attitude with himself. The attitude said: "I'm the Boss!". He walked back and forth for a while and then all of a sudden he started to dig deep inside his bag. He was looking for his mobile phone. He pulled the phone out, fidgeted with it for a while and then, all of a sudden, he started dancing - Hands up in the air, the hip twirls and the not-so-rhythmic leg movements! It was a sight to see, indeed! (I did try to film it in my mobile, but couldn't get the right angle.)

Now, what would we call these people? Enjoying life to the fullest or has the challenges of life itself affected them?

It takes guts to dance around in the public station. 

Hey Stranger, whoever you are, wherever you are, I salute you!

Even the best had to start somewhere, didn't they?

It's widely said - "You are the company you keep."

While it may be true with the friends circle, how does it extend to the very professional colleague circle? You're part of a team that speaks of the best experience, people who never seem to go wrong (at least, they make it seem so!) and people who know exactly what should be done at all the right and the wrong times! A beginner feeling inferior, well..that's understandable, isn't it?

And then I read this quote, yet again... "Even the best had to start somewhere!"

I don't need to say more, do I?

Goosebumps! The Phenomenon called 'CHANGE'

...and I mean it in the literal sense. What scared me? Well, CHANGE!

We shifted office premises. That was the change. It's simple to put it in one word but the learning that came with it was magnanimous.

When I joined this company, I was a wee-bit surprised, to be honest. The office wasn't located in a posh area, or in an IT Park where one's dress determines if you belong there or not, or in a very tall building with a very big sign-board.  The place was secluded, confined and wasn't anywhere on the main roads. This was very much one of the IT companies but with a very unique culture and where the employee is the boss!

And then came the change. So what changed? Everything.. I'm now part of the 'IT park' culture, I have a new laptop, more space around my work station, it's well lit, the place is huge and the smell of everything "new" still lingers around.

The first day was different. I was so used to the other place, that this was as if I was left out in the open.  Wandering, Exploring and without direction, I was getting acquainted! (Oh! and I still get lost while looking for my seat location!) So, how differently am I doing things now?

• I depend on the public transport for my commuting. Earlier, it was my two-wheeler and myself.
• I have a new laptop. I'm still playing with it!
• I'm learning to deal with sitting right under the AC vent and trying to make myself comfortable. (I get goosebumbs :( )
• I get to meet loads of people. Not just my company, but outsiders too. After all, this is an IT Park!

I can go on...

But then, the real question is: How has this changed me as an individual? Does this change have a positive effect on me?

Well, for one, my outlook is probably broader? It's no longer the frog-in-the-well attitude. More people, more opinions, more ideas... so all leading to better quality of work, and of course better learning!

Change is scary, but as I understand, it's important and it's required. And as for me, I'm all set to learn.

Should change have an impact on the individual? That's debatable. What do you think?

For a friend...

Wrote this for a friend. His request was strange... A b'day message that's not available in any of the greeting cards..


A special day and a special request,
You asked and I obliged
But where do I begin, I wonder big,
From emotions to words,
I ponder more!

And then it strikes from deep inside,
A voice so distant,
but clear to the heart
What's unique, comes the question
Simple, I say, and it begins to roll!

For someone smart, yet so naive
For someone who equates the universe to friendship
For whom emotions are beyond control
and care and affection...
defines life as a whole!

This day and of course the night
Signifies the start of yet another year
The righteous path, and the beliefs that speak
Will take you along,
for as long as they're true!

A special day, a special request,
You asked and I obliged
Here's a wish, that yearns to come true
May your faith be your strength
And may happiness touch your every step!

Happy B'day!