Applying common-sense to solve complex problems!

~ PA ~ 1 Comment

Well, I did try to be a bit serious in the last two articles and try genuinely to drive a point on few things around us (especially the ones’ that do not make any sense at all), but then I thought this natural style and approach of speaking my mind and sharing my thoughts is more helpful and sensible and how did I realise that – well that’s what the title of this article and this article is all about- It is a short visit to the our very overlooked and critical competence of being able to apply and use “common sense”

A closer look at finding solutions to ever evolving complex problems is to take a pause and try to see what really is happening and what is allowing things to go the way they are! What is a problem really?- well one way of answering that question is that –“It is an unwelcome manifestation of events around oneself -wherein the experience is not what is anticipated” If you have got this bit then trust me you have solved and done away with almost every challenge that life would have thrown towards you!

The next question in this sequence has to be- Why do problems tend to live along and at times seem to have a mind of their own? Well the fact is – they do piggy back on the fears that we manifest within and secondly they never have a mind of their own (thankfully!), it is rather our fears and inability to comprehend them (the way we should be) what makes them seem like a bigger demon then they really are! A classic case of shadow being bigger and darker then the actual object! So, now you know- kind of- what a problem is and what makes it seem to be what it is- how do we really deal with it? what is the possibly right way ahead- well here is your answer…

Use the simple technique that common-sense provides you with , first have a closer look- decide whether what you are evaluating will kill you (now or later) if left unattended. If you have answered “no” then just move on and don’t waster another precious second of your life whining about whatever caught your attention! But in case you did answer “yes” well then the time has arrived to take a pause and check what’s happening around!

To resolve issues that do need your attention- there will be few, which need immediate action and attention (which will certainly harm you in a good and predictable measure) and then there are those which will harm you enough but will allow you to be there with an altered existence (altered in the sense of how you go about doing whatever you do!- seems good to ignore, does it? don’t be fooled,a majority of problems are situated here and these arise from different corners of society and are camouflaged into a different narrative always to meet their objectives and by the time you realize what has struck you – it is often too late to do anything about it!

For instance, consider this you are driving on a lonely stretch of the highway and you encounter a vehicle problem, what do you do? Most probably depending on the type of vehicle you own, depending on who you are and what your net worth is (perceived net worth) you will act and get a respond which will save you anywhere between few minutes to a couple of hours! Now zoom into another scenario- the current ongoing environmental disaster in Australia- the bush-fires. We can have books written and films made on what led to them and how they could have been prevented and all of that- but for now the problem is that at least a billion animals have been killed, people have been devastated, killed and an entire nation is staring at the orange glow in the skies above and wondering what the next day has to offer! So how do you solve this?- well the fact is- when we have environmental disasters at the scale that this has been unfolding – there is hardly anything that you can do- literally it is about making those difficult choices between saving oneself or the stranger 50 miles down the road in the thicket! This immediately drives society into that dangerous zone of “each one unto themselves” because as a collective effort there is nothing that is being achieved! (For the simple reason what could have been achieved in terms of prevention and caution through public policy and practice was never done!)

It is in spaces like these that common-sense (the presence or absence of it) and its use/abuse will resolve or further complicate the situations!

Well the example of driving the vehicle and solving the issue would be an easier one to comprehend with use of common sense and minimal intelligence at hand, it is in moments when societies struggle with grave and far deeper challenges that use of common sense and wisdom becomes all that more important and decisive to shape the future of the society in question! The Australian bush-fires area great example- with all the technology available and at disposal- there were enough indicators that weer saying something was amiss- a hotter then usual summer, scantier rain then the last time and so much of dried up vegetation – it was nothing less then a disaster in the waiting- and importantly this can happen everywhere in the world- this is nothing specific to Australia- when governments and agencies who have the power and responsibility to manage and mitigate risks and ensure safety of societies turn away and tend to ficus on something else at the cost of one issue- things will eventually go wrong!

Answer this- given the power that you get access – if you lead a government- with so much past data and records at your disposal- do you really want me to believe that such an emergency was not anticipated? I mean really?

A lot of answers to problems big or small- lies hidden in plain sight even as allow the problems to grow big by either intentional or unintentional ignorance! the secret to answering a lot of big problems lies in not allowing them to be bigger then you can manage and ensuring you have a dynamic focus ongoing at matters and situations which demand and command the same- like an hawk eye!

Take your cup of coffee and think about it- loud and clear- slow and within- if every chat and scientific discussion leads to inferences and conclusion which seem sensible and sane- then what betrays people with access to power and resources from turning away form what must be attended to!

I will sign off here, leaving you with your cup and thoughts- until we catch up next time with some more interesting aspects about the times that we live in!

Do not burn the lighthouse down!

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Every sailor and every captain who has sailed oceans- especially when the ocean have seemed to have a mind of their own; knows the value of a Lighthouse! This article takes a cue from these real life lighthouses that we are aware about and tries to connect with the lighthouses that are around us and within us! So here we go!

The lighthouse is the custodian of coasts/land which may or may not be welcome the way an ocean vessel needs it, but it certainly is the promise of land and a welcome change for the ocean warriors who seek refuge to gather strength- regroup and venture out again into the ocean to tame it the way the desire to do so!

Each of us, literally each one of us has a lighthouse within us. We normally refer to our lighthouse in many different ways- for some it is their soul, for few others it is their “my feeling” and for some others is is “my heart says” whichever manner you get that connect, believe me that is a true sign that you are connected and hardwired with your internal lighthouse!

Increasingly our world has become more complicated and decisions are rarely simple as they appear to be! A simple incoming call received by you for a product sale could end up a sales career for that tele-caller , you would have had the right and reason for your “no” but the same has it’s unwritten and invisible ramifications all over, this is how our times are intertwined with everyone else. Our lighthouse within, then needs to be more just and more fair in being able to guide us to ensure that we have a shoreline which is always pristine and does not end up a shore dotted with shipwrecks of myopic decisions!

Irrespective how severe the storm is or how inclement the weather is to the sailor, the lighthouse continues to beam a ray of hope and a promise of safety through the storm. Likewise no matter how sever and hopeless the societal strife may seem to be- do not doubt ever the spirit of human ingenuity and the hard wired survival instinct that is so deep within each one of us. Every time societies have been tried to be distorted by unwelcome narratives- something within- Our lighthouse within and our guiding values have ensured that we prevail over the circumstances and emerge as more aware and grounded individuals and societies. The world over- people residing in sever climatic conditions or areas seem to be always more humble and down to earth with a warm smile that radiates and welcomes one and all from their soul. This is what nature teaches us and this is what we can all learn- stay humble and stay grounded.As earth turns and zips across the Sun each day- we are moving ahead with no clock to turn back and correct our wrongs in the context of the bygone time!

My engagements with clients and friends who have discussed their challenges with me as they march ahead to achieve success has always highlighted one aspect- That they all believe in this source within themselves! It is the level of belief that borders on superstition and some unknown force that always keeps an invisible cloak over and around them to ensure they keep walking ahead- sometimes slowed down- sometime paced up- but what is important is that the journey continues! All this becomes possible because they turn inwards and are constantly listening to the voice within and are course correcting in the direction of the beam of their ever strong Lighthouse!

In these turbulent times, buckle up, take a break, hold that cup of coffee and tune into the frequency of the lighthouse within you and course correct the journey of your life! This is the only one that each one of us has, it’s never too late to re-boot and surge ahead!

I will leave you with these thoughts for now and will catch up soon with another thought, do keep those mails coming in with your views and ideas on what you would want me to discuss next here with you! Write in to me at parimal.aluri@simplifylives.com.

Until next time, take care and stay safe! Don’t get killed and don’t kill anyone!

To change the system,be the system!

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It always is a challenge as a writer, when you want to weigh carefully and share your thoughts/experiences for a new year- but viewing it from another angle- it is perhaps just another routine flip of a calendar and a change of date! So here we go again with some usual wit and humor – even as we go about destroying and rebuilding our only planet! 7 days into the new year, the first blog of 2020, well here we go!

No matter where you want to land on our planet right now, there is strife and chaos all around- much of this has been the result of the ever present web of greed- greed for power, greed for money, greed for opulence and finally the never ending greed for controlling societies! It is in times like these that it becomes all the more necessary to stand up individually and collectively in what you believe in and stand up for all that will serve the very essence of human foundation- love-empathy- compassion and care-unselfish care for fellow humans- never forget it is the only planet we have and if we decide to abuse it and get reckless with it- we do so at our own peril!

Taking cue from recent global developments- around the world- whether that be the political assassination carried out by the US of an Iranian General, the ongoing protests in India(with support flowing in across the universities and colleges from the world) or the seemingly unimaginable and unmanageable wildfires in Australia (still burning as I write this article) or the ongoing global plight of refugees and climate change (which the UN has been speaking about across multiple forums and with a strong coercive tone to ensure that as group of nations we act with greater care and empathy); All of these have a common thread- a thread that reads- that- All of these are issues are a result of a fast failing system which has faltered it’s way for long and lead astray a society and the global community from the real issues and real challenges which need to be addressed. So the next question- fine we have issues and we have problems so what can we do about them? Can we really do something in the first place? Well there is good news and bad news for these questions- The good news first- we can certainly manage a few things well and ensure they are dusted away for good and the bad news is- that no matter what you do- Mother Earth has a plan for herself and if you are sadly in her way- well you are toast!

A simple and effective manner to manage and deal with man-made and greed related issues and challenges is to practice and imbibe the maxim- “Be the system to change the system” easier said then done- but friends that’s the only way around- especially when you are up against a machinery that has gone wrong like a runaway train and seems to smash into everything that was ever created and existed! But seriously how do you go about this- one may say- to get into a system and then effect a change may take long and by then the problems would have mutated to something new altogether– well yes- that can be partly true- but there is a way around this too-“Extraordinary situations call for Extraordinary solutions”– yes and these steps are the very essence that ensure changes that occur are swift and impacting in equal measure or more then the perceived and experienced chaos that is being played around the society in the context of the time and place!

To change a system, you need to first- infiltrate the system at what I call as key points, next in a timed orchestra turn the levers so that system stops, reverses and works twice as fast in the opposite direction to correct what must be and to service the larger cause of human well being! There would be different ways how this could be achieved- a few of them could be with friends along from within and few could be a total takeover from the outside- but whatever route one chooses, unless there is a compelling and larger visible cause that demonstrates clear differences and benefits to the society – no story of change will ever be complete or effective!

When it comes to the different set of challenges as posed by our planet- read climate change- there are two sets of clear distinction- the question to ask is, “Whether an event that is unfolding would have occurred irrespective of human presence?”, now depending on what the answer to this question is- you really know whether this is an induced challenge or it’s just one of those aspects of being in the wrong place at a wrong time- read earthquakes and Tsunamis. As long as this distinction is clear solutions to address the challenges will be coming and they will arrive well in time to manage and mitigate most of the threats whether they are from human activities impacting nature or whether that the planet running away with a mind of it’s own!

Once you answer this, you have ways and paths to choose the next steps to bring about the change that you cherish as a society- To move ahead -towards something that is more amicable and more calming- because it is only in the organised and settled societies/groups that creativity flourishes.The entire essence of human existence through the ages has been the expression of human intelligence through creative pursuits- choose any subject you wish to – but this is the underlying foundation- the very essence of human existence!

Well, I will leave you with these thoughts for now- “Change is always evolving and always around”- It’s time to sit back and reflect upon the change that you want to bring around within yourself and the society around.Possibly delve into how you are going to go about it!

See you soon with another freshly baked idea!

Empathy is the Soul of Humanity!

~ PA ~ 1 Comment

Since time immemorial, displaying empathy towards other fellow humans and towards animals have been regarded as one of the finest and noblest abilities- which were of immense value when it came to judging personality attributes among the noble and kinsmen!

Well, I don’t want to use up more words to further elaborate on the above premise; multitude of  books and volumes have been written by scholars and historians to suggest this- at times directly in poetic expressions of art or paintings and at time subtly through dossiers of history as they witnessed things unfold in front of them!

Empathy- the ability to empathize with another- being able to underline, appreciate the other person’s/ animal’s feeling (this has a challenge of Himalayan proportions), like any virtue, empathy when practiced right, liberates and ignites the soul!

Join me further to appreciate what this empathy stuff is all about!

Have you seen kids- yes, the one’s in a day care- speaking/blabbering to fellow babies- in a language that has no science- rules- rights and wrongs- yet these fun bags connect with ease – so what’s happening here- well ask any child psychologist and they will come up with theories and research stuff about how human mind is being wired as it grows and all that stuff- well all of that certainly is valid, but alongside what also happens is that- these angels are feeling and thinking beings – yes in that order, feeling first and then thinking. Therefore, even in their little mischievous pranks no one gets killed, neither hearts are broken, nor are friendships lost!

This is fundamental to being human- being able to relate to the other’s feelings and appreciating the rainbow hues of all emotions and then responding (not reacting) to the shades with a shower of emotions that reciprocates and completes the emotional canvas!

As humans we are Feeling Machines, which with time have been turned into Thinking Menaces! There is nothing wrong with being a thinker- the challenge with thinking is that thinking is acquired and acquired through influences and at this stage that thinking branches off into good thinking and not-so-good thinking! Emotions and feelings are raw- hardwired and more often then not carry a genetic fingerprint of values and emotional hues that one would have acquired through ancestral heritage- of course these too experience and alter changes with changing environments, but empathy- like a few other virtues is intrinsic and is beyond the realm to be impacted by outside factors and be influenced to a substantial degree to be turned into something else!

As you grew up, did you experience the hues of emotions- friendship, love, anger, pride, sadness, all of them seemed so obvious and have touched each one of us at some or the other time in one way or the other- so where was empathy in all this- well it was there- as it always will be- around your soul- the last defence that shields you from onslaught of manufactured emotions and thoughts that keep on barging into you ceaselessly! (Thanks to growing up!)

When was the last time as a grown up, you took time to empathise and understand what the screaming boss is going through, when was the last time you looked into the eyes of your child and laughed at the funny joke crafted by the kid, when was the last time when you said- it’s ok to lose and ok to buy some peace rather then go on with a maddening race with no finish line and no sense of achievement that can fill  your soul- well the chances are- if you are still high on your hormones- this all would seem bullshit and nonsense- but if you have been scarred by time and healed by it- you would know immediately what I mean here!

End of the day, your intelligence will fade away in front of any powerful emotional surge that reaches out to you- as long as you have a beating heart and a soul that is able to relate- feel and share the emotion being received- this, my friend is what Empathy is all about.

This is indeed a fundamental intrinsic attribute to a beautiful soul!

Choose any religion on the face of the earth, next to the concept of The Supreme Power as called by respective religions, stands without doubt the value of being “Empathetic” to fellow humans. There must have been and there is a good reason why the wise people had it this way.

Empathy is a virtue which provides nourishment to the soul, to the very existence of our being and gives a purpose to the soul’s journey in a  specific manner- the degree of empathy displayed makes one a seer or a warrior- everyone right in their own space, even the warrior is driven not by hate towards the enemy but ironically the love and empathy towards his immediate clan!

As long as humans have a beating heart which is complete with values of empathy with or without intelligence (certainly helps with intelligence), there will be hope, hope against all the odds that come our way- individually or collectively. As long as societies/ nations have a few good leaders leading with an emphatic vision for the larger good- a collective future that is realistic and all-inclusive (rather than an utopian promise which feeds on greed-driven by agenda of a few that shreds p[principles and emotions on the way!)- there will always be hope and Humanity will prevail!

For someone like me- who has spent time reading people- appreciating them (no judgement, no prejudice) just taking in all the hues of the rainbow, it is an amazing canvas that is painted all around- an empathy filled soul can always see beyond the obvious and work together for a future that rewards all!

Empathy is indeed an elixir of a beautiful soul! Here’s celebrating your soul as I sign off now!

The mystical “frame of context”

~ PA ~ 1 Comment

Well, as my title suggests, if you were wondering why my new blogs have not been coming in for the last few days, it’s time to start wondering and seeking the answers using this much abused technique of “frame of context”!

Well, friends no matter which nation you belong to and which town or mega city that you come from and how comfortable or uncomfortable you are in the moment, we all have been entrapped at some or other point in time either failing to use or using it with great perfection- “the concept of framing the context” It looks like a trivial aspect of our lives but don’t be fooled it is as important as anything else for your ability to build meaningful contexts around what you obeserve and see goes a long way to alter your psyche and the resulting behavior that comes around either pleasing or screwing up everyone and everything around you!

In an era where we have a chronic ailment of diminishing attention spans and focus, it is just obvious that in many cases, people end up simply missing “the context” altogether – in some cases with dire consequences.

How does this manifest- well if you have ever been part of those dreaded weekly update meetings (whether they are on a Monday, Tuesday or a Friday, really doesn’t matter!) which often end up with more issues and agony discussed rather coming up with solutions and answers- people end up leaving those social gatherings with more confusion and more new questions instead of finding answers to the already existing challenges- this often happens when context goes incognito! I am certainly not suggesting all meetings end up this way- but if you were to compute the number of meetings that happen around the world across offices and across levels and if you wanted to assume that all these are meeting their objectives of the meetings- well then our world would be a different place by the time I finish writing this article! So now you may want to ask me to stop whining and suggest a meaningful way around this- well that what we do from here!- since the context is set!

Like I mentioned in my previous blogs- in a way the context of our times is hyper-dynamic– for everyone that we deal with and everything that we do! You walk into the office- all geared up in the morning and the junior colleague (who was your best pal until last evening) has suddenly become your worst nightmare- courtesy a major goof up at work which has got your client and two levels above you fired up and going for your jugular- So now what just happened- in a matter of minutes- contexts are fleeting – one aberration (possibly beyond control) has got everyone into a vicious circle and zone of calibrating their engagements with each other for an act which has already occurred and importantly which may or may not happen in the future with similar severity! It is in times like these- the need arises to rush in and “frame the context” and let everyone know what it was and because of which – whatever shit happened – did happen! You may call this as retrospective problem fixing or morgue analysis (as the incident has already occurred with no way to salvage the incident- the impact may or may not be alterable!) but the necessity is very much real and much required to mitigate further damage (which would be completely unwarranted!)

This singular act of being able to decipher about what led to what has happened and what must be done to ensure that a similar environment is not created or offered (because of which the probability of this event getting triggered again may increase) is the essence of framing the context to events and people at workplace to have a truly sensible and meaningful scenario of team dynamics- certainly other variable factors will kick-in depending on what the organisation does, type of skill sets and personalities working at a given place- but as I said the whole approach is through offering solutions by framing the context well!

On the other levels of engaging with people out of work engagements- the personal sphere- often people miss out the “context of the statements or acts said and done” which – if you are an alive and kicking human- would have experienced aplenty- both to your advantage and disadvantage with equal measure! The only way to correct this is to give time and when it comes to building strong engagements with people- it is all about staying with them in the context that they wish you to remain and ensuring that the contextual frame is around that engagement- a slip through a word or deed which nudges you towards the edges of the contextual frame is just enough to have you ejected completely from the consideration set of the other person (don’t forget we live in times where choices are many and no one really cares or has time to do an evaluation based on meritocracy and none of your laurels will come in handy!) So the way forward…

Well keep a few simple tricks up your sleeve as you navigate the minefield of life and you go on with people and work engagements! Firstly engage only as much as you need to- limit this and you will save yourself from all the unnecessary melodrama and headache- the fewer the people and things that you manage -lesser are the frames that you need to juggle around with for managing and monitoring the dynamic contexts all the time with your fragile frame!

Next, be honest- about yourself to begin with and what you do and be a giver and stay away from the taker mindset! Ensure your frames do not end up becoming windows of your greed and slyness to meet and reach personal objectives and gratifications- this will just burn you out eventually sooner or later and leave you completely messed up- intellectually and otherwise with s sense of stagnation which will not be a very happy place to be in!

Finally always ensure that you have a grip through a strong and refined moment to moment awareness about what you deal with– whether people or work- ensure requisite ownership is displayed and is visible– remember- the trick is to ensure that your frame is also acceptable to the people involved with the context or to the activities and the people who all are going to be affected by the event!

A right frame to the context of your life- people and events around you- in a dynamic manner which is managed and monitored well- with reasonable acceptance from all those involved will help keep away a lot of meaningless conversations, conflicts and spooky thoughts that originate from failing frames and fallen contexts!

Spend some quality time with yourself and as you do so; think about your frames of context that you hold for everything that you and everyone around you! What is that you are staring at? What is coming back tom you- ease and happiness or discomfort and anxiety?

I leave you with these thoughts for now and promise you will be back soon with another interesting piece as we race ahead towards the festive season! Stay blessed and stay wise and hold your frames high and right!

Is your rear-view mirror larger than your windscreen?

~ PA ~ 1 Comment

I was keen to provide some decent weekend motivation, so as you ramp up your weekday, if you do get time to read through this, I am sure you will plan to have an engaging and introspective weekend- some quality time with yourself! This is something that will give you some much needed hope and make your life that bit less miserable!

Observation is a powerful tool, if you take a moment off – from whatever you are doing right now (unless you are driving or operating someone!) just hear the people around you- what are these enlightened beings talking about?, what is the content that they are referring to? In all probability they are collectively looking into history- as recent as five minutes back or as old as ancient roman history and fleeting references to times in between- this my friend is the aspect of the “rear-view mirror” each one us have them on our cars and vehicles- conversations of these types are the intellectual personification of the state of mind that an individual is in (as that person speaks to you!)

Certainly rear-view mirrors have a certain value and purpose. More often then not, it is to be sure that we are not caught off guard from something that’s heading our way (as it is not intended to)! Well likewise these reflecting conversations help discuss examples and happenings from the past to help us avoid what must be and repeat what should be and can be. Problems start happening as soon as we focus more on the rear-view mirrors and loose focus of the big windscreen bang in front of us which is vying for our attention, that windscreen my friend is our present moment- our now- which ensures us that we reach our tomorrow!

The fallacy of our times, is that people spend so much time and energy discussing, debating what worked and what did not work,they often end up loosing all the needed time and focus to know where they are heading and what is that their gossip and bitching is manifesting– well needless to say, like an automatic vehicle gone wrong, they tend to just keep driving around in a big never ending circle- bitching away to glory same things over and over (only references or names change but the underlying nonsense tends to remain the same) case in point- each one of us would have had that odd colleague who speaks about all the bad bosses that this person experienced (well there can be genuine exceptions)- but more often then not, it also reflects something cranked up and broken about this person as well- either emotionally or intellectually! Move over to a societal problems- no matter which country you come from- everyone will agree politicians are f**king a**holes and do nothing, but yet- every four or five years- its is these same set of morons that keep on coming back and with every term seem to get better and better by offering more varied subjects and topics to gossip and bitch about! So what does this basically say about each one of us- what is that needs to be corrected? what are we missing in here?

The plain fact and the only fact that we have taken our eyes off the windscreen- that windscreen, my friend is our now- and the only thing that provides you a sneak peek into the destination where you are driving to arrive to a future of your choice- the constant bickering and needless glancing into a rear-view mirror can generally give you neck sprain bad enough- with you actually wanting to throw away the mirror altogether! Loosing site of the windscreen as you cruise ahead on the engine power(of your actual and perceived competencies) can be fatal and consequences often put you back by a few years if not months and you need to start for your journey all over again- this is something like the age old- snake and ladders game! So what’s the right way to go about this?

Well, as a a coach, we always ask our clients on what they feel and what they think and through an exhaustive process, enable them to de-clutter and simplify their present in context with their past and align them to the future of their choice! It’s a strikingly similar process, while your past and things may be important, what is required is to assign each incident from your past a weighted value- one simple way could be- what you do not need to remember can be directly flushed away and what was most rewarding and most threatening should be remembered and recorded so that next time you face a similar or a worse situation you have a plan to overcome the same! Societies world over rest on past and this is one of the biggest fallacies of human behavior- we tend to look more into the past to justify our present and create and develop hope for our future (which ironically we seldom believed into it with the exuberance that we must or should). Societies based on memories and past laurels never prosper- look at the difference between the developed nations and developing nations- the biggest difference is that developed nations have been as a society looking more through their windscreens – into their now and future while the developing one’s spend more time looking into past references and past standards and believe that this will help them move ahead- which never really works and these nations tend to keep going in the same cycle- much to the benefit of the developed nations- as their competition is automatically taken care of!

As for nations, likewise for us- individuals- learn to take control of the Now and trust me your next moment will be automatically calibrated to the efforts and merit you have given now! The past is a bygone cannot be changed nor altered, each one of us is a fascinating story- all of us have ups and downs- what matters is remembering what works and what does not work given in the totalitarian context of who you are where you are and what is that you are seeking! People often try finding examples- that’s the most stupid thing to do- as Is aid in my earlier blog, each one of us – each one of us is unique and one of a kind!take pride about that fact and do justice to yourself for your own sake!

So until next time, adjust the size of your windscreen in context to your rear-view mirror and ensure you don’t end up loosing focus or start driving in circles by engaging in those Friday afternoon corporate bitching sessions (often disguised as corporate strategy sessions!)

Ciao for now and have a great weekend! Keep writing in your suggestions and we will keep sharing and discussing intriguing facets about the time that we live in and about we all are! Unique masterpieces! Each one – One of a kind!

So many experts and a screwed up world!

~ PA ~ 1 Comment

We are all, I presume safely living in the fag end of 2019…a few more days and the world media will drive home a rhetoric of how 2019 was bad and how 2020 holds the promise and elixir for a better and safer place- each year the same shit!– what changes is just the year number! As we complete the second decade of the 21st century- we all have moved a little closer to embrace our own end- climate crisis, plastic menace, man-made disasters, natural events- you name it and instances across the world are quite unsettling! No I don’t want to freak you out and proclaim doomsday is here or promise all will be fine- the pint here is a comical- paradoxical and interesting one-It is about the people who manage the affairs of the world- in some cases these jokers have been at the helm of the affairs for years and decades all the way- then the next question, Why the f**k they could not see any of the challenges of today developing while they were still manageable and preventable- what made us to realize all shit has broken loose only after it hit the roof and drenched us all into a colossal shit shower! Well my friends, one of the contributing reasons behind all this hellish nonsense are the so-called experts- yes- those yesteryear- silver and pepper styled fragile bags of bones and brains (with or without intelligence) and more recently these young so-called flashes of ingenuity (which appear so from levels of diminishing IQ’s)- who are a major reason for getting the world into the mess that we have all straight walked into even as the planet maintains a circular path along the Sun without ever returning to exactly the same spot (just to remind you, we are all traveling in space- the Sun, the Moon, the solar system in it’s entirety moves- so actually for all practical purposes you are never in your life exactly at the same spot ever!- for more details- pick up any Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics)

Who are these experts- well long before the advent of modern developed nations and the modern slavery that we are all a part of, societies all over the world had a concept of “wise men” these were trusted aides to kings and emperors and often had innate know how about certain aspects (if not all) which would go to develop strategies and consolidate the future of the kingdoms- the future as in – as seen in their context of being in that time! Subsequently as societies evolved, documented histories and wise words began to emerge all around the world pertaining to different subjects and aspects- then there began the race to be a knowledge leader- “the wisest among the wise” This too helped to a certain level with rapid technological progress being made possible- as modes of transport began to develop- societal connect began and with started the times of knowledge hybridization- wherein the purity of form and context was lost forever and rapid templates began to emerge in the maddening rush to develop processes to optimize utility of resources and materials! This is where the modern day experts (who are nothing but manipulators- who have been given the role either by virtue of the business systems or the political institutions! It is the emergence of these new types of modern day experts that has led to major screw ups that the world has to sit and clean today!

These dangerous experts (driven by agenda’s of business houses and government’s) have only one goal to carry out a propaganda machine and keep yelling and shouting in one direction for a decade, then make a 180 degree turn and start shouting the other way around! Case in point- Plastic- well it was hailed as the modern day equivalent of a path breaking invention- when polymer industry made rapid progress- with nylon and other polymers entering into virtually every bit of our life- not once did any of these gifted experts pause to think what do we do to do away with the lot after use- the reason for this is simple- it was more of an economic and political necessity to keep offering society some new toy , some new nonsense to deal with as the really wise (read sly) people ended up making and raking in their dollars across the world even as it cost lives of people and animals through exposure to the new materials in a hazardous way- not to forget the irreparable damage done to the environment!

These modern day so-called experts are outright dangerous and idiots (exceptions to this rule are there- and it is these few exceptions- miles away from the limelight of awards and business gangs and political influences-the real ones’!) The modern day experts have only one agenda- either self driven or an organisation driven or a political establishment driven- to sell a concept to the society in context to believe what is been told is in their larger interests and these people are doing a f**king favor to the whole universe by slogging to get it to them- and are always ready with the gracious award speech even before these idiots get one- the ones’ awarding them are equally idiotic and melodramatic in their own charming ways!

So, by now, you may want to ask me so what is this whining and agitation all about and can we even do anything about it- if yes what? Well my friend, the good news is we can do something about it, each one us little and smart things, the bad news- well it is too late- even if we start to change to lead and develop mindful societies- for us to see the change translating into real life- we will have to take re-birth and be back in another 100 odd years- provided these idiots don’t nuke the planet out!

The reason why we live in an era of chaos and uncertainty with so many so-called intelligent whiz kids and experts around is precisely because they are first rate idiots who are nothing but communication machines educated to believe that they are experts!

The only way to beat this nonsense and save some sanity for yourself and for anyone that you think you care enough is- use Common Sense. Yes, common sense – not so common- the only ingredient when used and tested against the experts- rips them naked and exposes their idiotic belief systems and hypocrisy loud and clear! This again has to be an initiative at a society level- remember- you may be wise- a lion too- but against a pack of jackals and manipulating wild dogs – individually you will not stand a chance! That’s the law of nature- Loud voices are often heard and truthful whispers are melted away into the oblivion….

So till you become someone, or are part of an ecosystem that is led by “common sense” keep life simple- and have a realistic approach and cut down on the insane desire to consume everything around you- be a product or a service- every time you negate a consumption- you would have done your bit to screw up a so-called expert in some remote corner of the world and that will help the world become a better place with one expert less – each day- each act! Needs are few and can be managed, greed knows no bound- greed for ruling the people, their behaviour, their lifestyles, their thinking, this insane greed to develop a new technology lead slavery- will be the ultimate fallacy of the modern society that we live in and at some point in time in the future all these crazy consumption lead life style will come crashing down like a pack of cards! No prophecy here- plain common-sense, apply and see for yourself!

I will cut it out here…allowing you to think and play with your neurons a bit and see what you can do to have that one so called expert out!

Ciao…bye for now…will catch up soon, in the meantime do drop in suggestions on what you want to read next at parimal.aluri@simplifylives.com!

Attitude defines Altitude!

~ PA ~ 1 Comment

Yes, I am back and with this piece on one of the simplest and among the most fundamental aspects of our lives- our Attitude- towards- well almost everything and everyone around and what it ends up doing to us- well the altitude that you trim at eventually!

As a kid, growing up near a premier air force base, it was fun watching the fighter planes, bombers and freighters take off and land and with those scheduled commercial planes taking off regularly and with each of these instances- a purpose served! What was intriguing for me then (as a kid- not anymore-education and the wise world has done enough damage! This constant battle to retain sanity among certified idiots- both individuals and society -occasionally!- continues..) was the simple fact that each of those machines was different and valued for what it could do- All of them were similar until the lift-off- and that is where similarities ended and uniqueness came into play once they were airborne! You may not believe it, but this one simple observation is fundamental to what we do to our lives and where we end up being and doing what we do…Its all a matter of the attitude that you choose as you ramp up to your lift-off!

Continuing with my love for aviation and my observation; military jets can perform amazing maneuvers in the air and needless to say are one of the most potent weapons of choice in any modern day warfare- commercial flights seem to be more placid, graceful and serene in terms of the flight profile, the scenery along the way- sans the commotion and nuisance caused by those naive and annoying passengers in your next seat… Yes, you may argue that these are technically two completely different machines and are built that way- and this my friend, is my point! Each one of us- though similar in terms of physiological and neural hard wiring- we have that streak of difference within each one of us.

That slender streakish difference is based on the ingredients that have gone into us, through our formative years- family, friends, religious beliefs, orientations, etc. and all of this in totality culminates into creating a custom built model- one of a kind- tailor made- to overcome and deal with your immediate and future challenges and allow you to perform what you can achieve to the best possible extent given the context that you have been created in!

Of-course no commercial airliner is designed to perform a barrel-role or a n inverted Charlie, likewise no fighter plane was designed to use the entire 4000 meters of a runway and cruise at subsonic speeds at altitudes below 40,000 feet- the point here is their Intrinsic Attitude (their make- their formative genesis, their purpose and role) determines their performance, utility, deployment, fame, grandeur and their Altitude in their “machine life” whether these machines have served as envisaged by their designers and developers!

As humans, we too have a formative code, deeply carved and etched into our psyche by our education, family, surroundings, immediate society and the world as we perceive it- from the window seat that we get as we develop from different levels with the society elevator. Our composite attitude (approach towards life- on the basis of who we think we are and what we think we are capable of (as determined by our immediate influences and our own belief systems) goes on to decide what kind of runway we will seek in life to get airborne and pursue our aspirations and purposes that we think they are, based on our interpretation of who we are! Once airborne, the purpose we serve, the objectives that we meet and how much of appreciation we get, who watches us and who manages us to ensure our flight is completed is all a factor of the Altitude we strike! This is where your Altitude trim sets in- a trim level- which basically is a pint – you cannot push any further beyond it- for you are simply not designed to perform at the levels beyond!

There have been instances in the airline industry wherein air crashes have occurred going past the trim level (of course there were other contributory factors too), but the point here is; whether you are a machine or a person- you will falter and be ripped into your elements if you try to push yourself beyond the guidelines of your operating manual- read- your attitude- your personality make- the totality of who and what you are!

A lot of lives get wasted simply because often the realization and clarity of who we are is often delusional- end result you may be a personality type of the likes of a commercial airliner and end up trying a barrel role with a huge burden (read responsibilities and accountability) and you end up either in a crash landing or are simply obliterated! It is also about knowing your range- how long can you sustain doing what you plan to do (based on what you think who you are!) Flying over the Pacific with no fuel, will not be a very good idea- irrespective whether you are using the right aircraft type or not! Having a through check and know how about all that is needed to keep you afloat is around and available and is accounted for should be always at the very core of everything that you venture to do! Every flight dispatcher knows this, a well documented and detailed flight plan is a back up like nothing else- the more details you have about yourself and clarity about who and what you are- the greater are your chances to have a safe flight and end up at the destinations that you choose to visit- without suffering any collateral damage en-route!

Of course yes, there are more finer aspects to this whole attitude aspect, but the fundamental point on which I wanted to get you guys thinking was- Know yourself and have clarity (no delusional thinking, no day dreaming) the more clear you are about who and what you are- the more clear you will be about the journey you want to undertake and how you want to get there! The choice of being a fighter plane or a commercial airliner is all about the choice that you make about – who you are and what you want to be known as , how you want to achieve what you have set out for and what is the final cruising altitude that you have aspired and planned for! Certainly there’s a lot more that goes into all this fine application of flight science, but to get started, getting clarity on the fundamental is the first and biggest basic step- as they say, Know your Attitude and you will find your Altitude!

Leaving you with these thoughts- to reflect and think- who you are- what you are, where you wanna go and how you want to plan around it! Whatever you choose, whoever you are- remember- you are unique- each one of us is and even we are the same model- we will still have our won unique signature- what they call in the aviation parlance- Our “Call Sign“ well, that’s a topic for some other day! Until then keep planning and keep soaring.. this festive season plan a runway for your success in the times to come!

Ciao until next time…. always remember…your f**king attitude alone will give you “YOUR ALTITUDE”!

The mystery of the missing success template!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

As I begin to punch in words and share my thoughts; we are 7.7 billion on this planet and by the time I finish writing this and you complete reading and begin to think, we would have added a few more numbers to our clan even as a few are weeded out for different reasons- albeit we will certainly register net growth!

With so many of us, irrespective whether we are that vulnerable infant or the feeble old person or that youthful streak- we all are stories breaking out in real time- all the time-within the ecosystem that we come to exist! No matter how hard it is to believe, but the fact is that each one of us (yes even your twin is a separate individual) is a personality and a unique genetic print with a hardwired network of neurons which is programmed to excel and do the very best with whatever resources that are at your disposal and reach the self actualization goals that you crave for! At this stage there is nothing right or wrong (remember- be mindful and not judgmental or moralistic- one person’s nectar- another’s poison) and that is how things have always been and that is how they will always remain- whether we agree or not- it doesn’t make a f**king difference to the developing circumstances and the human story of individuals- a whooping 7.7 billion of us! Just imagine 7.7 billion individuals and unique stories and acts are being played out each second each time- no retakes- no re-shoots- just one shot and that’s about it- with every act- your screenplay for the next act gets written! just like that- in a snap- in that fleeting moment! This is an amazing aspect of life and for all the right and wrong reasons just ignored and forgotten!

Different cultures, belief systems have long advocated the above fact and tried to explain (earlier explaining was difficult owing to ignorance- today it is equally challenging owing to arrogance (associated with thinking that you know it all!) but seldom these things have percolated as they should have and ended up getting mired into controversies and meaningless agenda driven conversations and witch hunt leading to nothingness!

The whole business (which is booming now then ever before) of being able to provide a “short-cut”, “the route”, “the established way” to success has been the reason for innumerable misery, confusion and chaos (something I wrote about in my article called “Fatal Optimism“). It is a pity that few wise men and women decided to hijack and alter the course of this sublime fact of our existence that each one of us in unique and not a machine produced bag of popcorn which serves a mundane purpose and ends up in a dust bin! The hidden agenda drivers of the opulent class have since time in memorial created staged hallucinations at a societal level– making the masses believe that what is being said must be true – because I see what I do and since I see what I do- I believe what is being said about what I see! This fallacy is the underlying reasons for the fall and decay of valuable and precious human lives and individual streaks of greatness and bolts of excellence! Societies have long but conspired together or in isolation to set and define standards and decide what constitutes to be called great, good or average- who the hell gave them this authority? well yes- it is our own undoing and hence it comes back to bite! You do remember right- karma is a b**ch!

Just imagine what would happen to the agreed world order- if we just start to question a few fundamentals (these have nothing- absolutely nothing to do with anyone’s belief system) this has everything to do with our value systems- something that we have devised and decided to give it unto ourselves(pretty much like the Constitutions that run or ruin the nations!) So the million dollar question- if Constitutions can be amended/altered why can’t these fundamentals be revisited! Well the answer is a yes and no- Yes it happens subtly with those revolutions in societies one small congregation at a time to those individual eccentrics who make a fierce dash and are gone in a flash! and No because it would simply alter the ecosystem of balance that societies have created over the last three centuries wherein our value systems are more driven towards wealth creation- consumption and death! (yes, yes, grow- earn- pay your bills and die!)

There indeed doesn’t exist any real template to success- for the simple reason that each one of us are unique and hard wired beyond the comprehension of human intellect (individual or collective) hence a lot of talent each year goes waste– you would have heard cases in your close circles- “x wanted to be a “abc” but ended up being “pqr” because of “1234”. Yes this is the testimony to what I am trying to drive home a point! The framework of the society created over the last few centuries has become counter productive to further and advance human intelligence and development(unlike what it has been through the ages earlier!) Ask any psychologist and you will get the answers – the average IQ levels (because you will not trust any other metric!) has been going down, human dependence of gadgets is on the rise, trust has dwindled from old school pure research by travel and experimentation to putting a search query on the “browser search bar” and the list can go on and on- select any age group of your choice- babies, toddlers, high school kids, college students, working professionals- it’s all over the place that hallmark of dumbness and stupidity which has crept in (rather has been allowed to creep in) just to manage and maintain the balance of ignorance and wisdom is not altered in a way where the elite few end up loosing control on the direction in which they want this huge swarm of 7.7 billion to keep moving! This is precisely why we see the gung-ho world leaders meet and greet, flex muscles, put embargoes, come up with sudden emerging world issues like plastic, climate change …you name it and you can sense it!

Life is never what it seems to us- with our limitations we get entrapped into believing our narrow window of vision and the brains does the rest by playing on our insecurities and strengths to extrapolate and create a fictional understanding of our real world! This my friend is perhaps the greatest fallacy of the times that we live in and our great undoing for the sheer grace and intellect that each one of us as Humans have been endowed with – by nature through the process of evolution to make us a superior species!

Before I leave you with your wise space to introspect and think over a cup of coffee or a drink, just remember this fact- each one of us is as unique as we are and we can be, physiology unites us and our intelligence and cognition makes us different and one of a kind- one in over 7.7 billion! always remember that- never get sold into templates and continue on the path to move and walk along- to create your niche and enrich your journey as you traverse the universe endowed with the senses that the body you hold allows you- for your soul is yet another matter and may be another topic for another write up!

Ciao for now- stay wise and stay U!

All about the “Mindful Traveler Mindset”.

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

What better then starting a month, creating this piece from the waiting area of India’s third largest airport! Well, not that I traveled to the airport to pen this article, but as they say…destiny!

This piece, my friends is about being a “Mindful Traveler” and how being one goes a long way in helping you discover yourself and empowers you to stay away from classical nonsense that the world keeps on throwing at you!

Irrespective of your age, location or the choice of your transport, travelers can always be fundamentally classified into two types: Type I who are the Reluctant Travelers and Type II- who are the ones’ who live off the vibrant energy that travel brings along with it!- well I call them Travel Babies!

The Reluctant Travelers have it written all over their face and their despise towards traveling oozes out through their unmistakable rude body language! Interestingly, this phenomenon is not one off and is an ongoing adventure and can offer experiences ranging from humor at one end to rage and violence i(in cases of extreme discomfort and mental delusion!)

These travelers are often seen arguing with the the counter staff, haggling over that odd dollar to be paid for excess baggage, the ones’ who will cut across and look at you- as if you had just committed one of cardinal sins- by being ahead; if this does not ring a bell, then yes, bringing it a little closer to you, the traveler who kept nudging that elbow into your abdomen and kept struggling and arguing with the cabin crew over the freebies and about the aircraft seat, the air conditioning, trying to push in that odd sized bag into the overhead bin!… well…I almost summed up all the hints that I could have provided for now!- hope it did bring something to your active self!

On the other hand, the Travel Babies- they seem to be floating like butterflies, no worry about their luggage (which is either completely absent or limited-organised and managed with minimal or no effort!) with a smile almost stuck on their face (even if the flight is delayed!). You can find them busy checking the stores, indulging into some new experiences, even on the flight, reading that odd monthly in-flight magazine like a newly found scientific break through!– well they are so much engrossed into their own world and into themselves- they hardly ever (unless they have company which belongs to Type I) get time to notice defects, shortcomings and irregularities and absolutely have no space to crib and whine over that odd cup of coffee that went wrong or the burger which did not taste as great as you thought it would! They are mostly busy consuming the totality of the experience- the experience of travel and everything that it brings along with it!

This fundamental difference between the two broad categories goes on to determine their approach and take on everything else as well! Yes- travel is but a real life metaphor that plays out in front of us for a short duration- but it also provides a definite crisp window into the way these people on a broader canvas manage themselves and their lives!

To put things in context, life is nothing but travel- few of us have it done in a directed-purpose driven way and then we have a few of us who like to float and surf through what comes our way. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with either of thee approaches, the challenge lies in the mindset that one carries irrespective of the approach taken to travel!

A journey, undertaken with a conscious effort to remain in the moment- is the essence of being a traveler whom we can call as “The Mindful Traveler”. Do not mistaken, these are not vagabonds, or happy-go-lucky hippies on the move, on the contrary these are seasoned travelers who know exactly what to carry- where,when,why and how of everything that goes with their itenary! If you have been lucky to see the movie “Up in the Air” there is a similar anecdote in the script (which refers to “What’s in your bag”….something around those lines!)

The secret to our lives, my friend, lies somewhere within the paragraphs above and as I always say; I will not try and put things and suggest what is right to not so right- I leave that for you and your experiences to decide! We seriously live in an era where one person’s nectar often turns out to be yet another’s poison!

As in travel- so in life- as long as you agree to carry with you a baggage that is coherent and in agreement with your journey and pursuits– the experience is bound to be rewarding and self propelling, the moment you add to your baggage – values, things, people, experiences that are incoherent and divergent- you tend to experience the burden of your baggage and your travel tales soon start to change into travel woes! Instead of experiencing life, your life ends up coming an experience of a kind for yourself! This is the moment where you then no longer cease to be a mindful traveler- who can be in the moment and experience rather you switch to become the Reluctant Traveler- who ends up soaking in every aspect of travel (and life) as an effort and this begins the downward spiral and gradual denudation of growth or enrichment of your life experiences!

The secret to a meaningful travel (and life) is enshrined in the premise that your are ready to accept what you are being served – each moment unto the next and as you move ahead- you ensure you are giving your best each time- it is not about winning or loosing- it is rather of being there in the moment to experience and enrich yourself and subsequently share with everyone around you with the learnings and secrets that your experience has got you- either being a winner or loosing at that odd time or at times just being an engrossed spectator! Whatever you do, what matters and the only thing that matters is being there in the moment completely and having a crisp moment to moment awareness!

Another simple fact remains, how we travel or rather how we prepare to travel also speaks a lot about how we plan our lives around and what we seek from our lives- but this in itself is a very broad topic as it banks of multiple cultural sensibilities and will vary society to society- but irrespective of what is argued in favor or against of this facet, the truth will always remain- If you know how to travel smartly )less baggage, less selfies, less social media posts, and less grumpiness – you are more likely to experience wholesome travel and extrapolate these aspects to your life and you will be surprised to see how much more you can seek and offer as you begin to enjoy the journey of your life holding the Mindset of a Mindful Traveler”

I will leave you with these thoughts for now, until next time…ciao…happy journey!

What aviation teaches us and why all of us must learn!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Think about your next flight, you are going to possibly think about what you are going to shop at the airport store, or binge eat at what place and in case it’s going to be a long flight, you will probably devise a strategy to kill your time on-board; however leaving this low IQ obsession with aviation and flying if we have a closer look on what goes behind the scenes on every single flight- trust me, the next time you speak to anyone associated with this industry- no matter where they work- on the ground or in the sky- your respect is bound to increase manifold- and you will know how much you simply owe to these fabulous men and women- who guard your precious life (irrespective whether it is valuable or not) with all they have both in the skies above and on the earth below- literally minute to minute!

Since I have been personally passionate about aviation, I can actually end up writing a long book on this, but let me make easier for all those of you, who are fence sitters and do not differentiate between a ship, bus, train and an airplane, beyond a point that they are different forms of transport! Sharing with you my key learnings as a student of aviation; in case I miss out something, do feel free to add and let everyone (including me ) know about that aspect as well!

Discipline is the key:Like many other vocations that one chooses; aviation is a place where discipline is etched not as a virtue but as part of one’s personality and it is a given! You don’t necessarily have to be only part of the flight crew for this; if you have observed ATC transcripts, on ground staff, air- side service personnel, airport operations team- you choose your pick and this one trait will be absolutely evident.The aspect of discipline is critical in aviation, this is among the fundamental of all other values needed and a lapse on this could literally kill you or others!- yes there have been instances around these!- you can click on the link and refer to some material readily available!

Trust and Teamwork: There is no parallel example in any job that you choose (apart from space exploration and military action) wherein you will be able to witness such a colossal team work of men and women across functions, across timelines and across borders! It takes easily around 75 to 125 people to manage one trip (directly/ indirectly) depending on whether it’s a short haul flight or a long haul one! Each of these team members are specialists, with a great eye for detail and an unflinching trust on each other- they know lives depend on what they say, write and sign off! They trust each other like they trust God- there is no other way- laws of physics and human trust carry these marvelous pieces of engineering and fragile humans along! Of course yes, there have been those odd and sad aberrations in crew resource management / factors pertaining to trust- either trusting fellow crew member or the instruments which have resulted in horrific tragedies!

Politeness and Service orientation: Another hallmark of the people associated in aviation- politeness and service orientation- the extra care that staff undertakes- at times right from your booking- to the pick up for the airport- to the assistance with infant food- last minute changes to seating (based on your requests- sometimes genuine- many times a needless show off!), if you are a frequent flyer; knowing the right food reaches you, if you are one of those people burning away corporate money for travel in business class or first class- then providing you with the benefits without succumbing to your idiocracy and foolishness where you keep hitting the call button with no real reason– well all this takes a lot of effort, practice and an intrinsic ability to stay calm and yet provide service. I had the privilege once to have a chat with a cabin crew (the flight was delayed) and people were howling and screaming at one of the departure gates of the domestic terminal of the Mumbai International airport (the way passengers were howling away and screaming for food and water at 1 am that morning- I began to actually wonder, am i really flying with these idiots!– thankfully I was not- they were headed to another city) After the commotion got over, i walked to the staff member, congratulated him and his team for imagination their dignity in face of this mob like behaviour, then I asked him, “how do you guys manage this”- day in day out?, his reply was crisp and to the point- “We are trained to deal with this”– this is what is so wonderful about aviation- training that really kicks in like your skin and helps to overcome seemingly chaotic situations in no time!

Patience and a cool head (cool cool working head!): Yes this is the essence of everyone on the job in aviation- whether it is the ATC juggling with a number of flights criss-crossing the area control or a patch of clear air turbulence or flying through a patch of dense clouds offering moderate turbulence, landing in gushing rain or with cross winds- all is part of a day’s work for these fantastic people- and yes all this; they owe to their continuing training, hard-work and one simple fact that they all know- there is no back up to them! You may have the smartest of automation and technology at your disposal- but when it comes to making choices between life and certain death- it is the earned stripes on shoulder of the flight captain,that come to the rescue and the Lead Cabin crew’s presence of mind and her effective direction to her team mates which controls a crowd of around 200 people in every emergency to ensure that you are safe!

It is such a pity that an average flyer thinks of the airport staff and flight crew as a taken-for -granted- service , just to serve food, pick the trays or have you flown in and out- rarely do they ever come to know what all has gone behind the scenes just to ensure that you stay alive! rarely people know, they are trained first aides, fire fighters, CPR providers, in that rarest of rare case- help deliver a baby on board, have anti-allergens handy (if you let them know before).

It is these fascinating men and women-who turn a reinforced metal tube into flowing poetry over the clouds- the next best thing that one can enjoy apart from being in space! I could have gone on and one explaining what other fascinating facets this sector brings forth, but would like to leave that to your thinking and reflection, the next time you take your seat on an aircraft, show some respect and gratitude and when you deplane- say a Thank you! from the bottom of your heart! Trust me they have earned every bit of it- be polite and be nice- each one comes from a context and has a battle within even as we work- these wonderful people not only do a job- but excel at it, each time and every time- for in their job- they seldom get a chance to correct a mistake!

The next time you fly, listen, pay attention and co-operate and make them feel a little good, that all their effort to keep you safe has been rewarded by your well mannered behavior and cultured conduct!

Ciao for now, have to board my flight! will be back soon with another piece…but yes- stay humble and stay wise- remember the times when your life was literally in someone else’s hand- 35,000 feet above the earth!

Happy flying and Happy reading- stay safe and fly safe! May Godspeed be with you!

Break the pattern to achieve greatness!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

How often you have heard conversations in the world of communication, when the client says, “give me something fresh, new, clutter breaking”, well at times you may start wondering what does a humble packet of cookies got to do with any of these superlative terms or what does a product or service have to offer,other than what it promises to deliver- as a matter of fact each one of us knows this – no matter how much glorified a service or a product is- it will still do what it is just supposed to- none of the paraphernalia associated with the hot models, influencers or the jazzy music comes along with the service or product to you, does it? Then why the bother- well the answer is hidden within each one of us- and it is of great significance- an aspect that goes on to make us to who we are at the very core of the things- creative and social!

Turn over the pages of history with me, well right now you are standing in front of the iconic pyramids– so what do you feel right away, mostly that feeling will be “wow”, “unbelievable”, “amazing”, “beautiful”, “unlike anything else”- well you got the point with the last one- unlike anything else! On a closer look, every archaeologist and historian who has worked and recorded the findings of the great pyramids will tell you, “each stone and each pyramid is unique and one of a kind”, each one has a story to tell and a mystery to share! This is what greatness would have been, in the time frame then and undoubtedly placed the rulers almost parallel to their Gods if not as equals- simply because this superlative and incomparable feat was achieved!

Travel with me to our recent times, the joy of creating, you name it- The Statue of Liberty, The Eiffel Tower just gets us excited even as we visit the museums and see the old drawings and photos which display the case of human resilience and ability to craft and create something done unlike ever before! These are all examples of greatness without a doubt, similar expressions can be also found in the fields of art- gifted musicians, writers, novelists, painters, sculptor’s, you pick an choice and you will find them staring happily back at you- examples of greatness!

Patterns are quick to see and do not excite- the first Boeing 747 would have drawn so much of praise and bewilderment, however as many more got to build the Queen of the Skies became just the new normal of opulence and luxury in the skies! It eventually ended up in becoming one of those standard,templated patterns! A lot of things that happen around us end up qualifying for this category. Another example; well do you remember the most recent time when you began to wonder why your job sucks! ( because this too is part of pattern- if not you, someone can do what you do!; hence if what you do is not uniquely matched to who you are, and as long as it does not allow you to create and do what only you can do- your ability to reach the zenith of professional greatness will get compromised and reduce you to just another glorified template)!

The world of communication- be it films, advertising or visual craft- always thrives and strives for that one element of lasting greatness and this does the trick to etch in our minds- that awesome movies, song, play, ad or the next architectural marvel to stare at!

One closer look and evaluation of all great masterpieces- you will find one common thread, all greatness,praise, awards-all of that came to those who took the risk and decided to break the pattern and portray a wonderful story through the medium of their choice which always ensured that – whatever they were communicating, “was never done before in the way it was being done”! This, my friend is the simple secret to achieving greatness!

It does not matter, what you do, as long as you have the desire and intent to break the pattern and communicate in a way which has never been done before- your ticket to greatness is certain– the extent and depth of the level of greatness achieved again depends on multiple factors like the medium of your story, the story and the method of narration around it! So if you build the next mile high skyscraper, your legacy will stay for the time the building stays, if you write the next best novel, you will be remembered for the time- society has reverence for the written word, if you create a movie- it will stay until society relates and enjoys it and if you script the next great ad- my friend that will stay etched as long as the product and category exist and this too can be a long time considering the story is wrapped in under 60 seconds (most of the times!)

Before I conclude, a point to make, greatness was never achieved by choosing to do what has already been done, it has always come to those who have dared to venture further and beyond and achieve what was deemed to be non-existent or achievable- this is fundamental to achieving greatness- the medium of your story is what you choose and learning the patterns to ensure you break them is your first step!

Wherever in the world you are reading this, have a great day ahead and keep aspiring and moving towards your calibrated greatness – one day at a time….will catch up soon with another facet of our lives! Stay wise and stay alive!

Keep your opinions to yourself!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

One major challenge of simply trying to survive in this information age- is this screwed up part- Everyone thinking and believing that they know it all; have done it all and harboring little or absolute non-existent acceptance towards considering even a feeble possibility of the fact that, “there is and there will be something that is yet to be unraveled and understood”!

To this challenge, add the complexity of growing up in a society where you have pesky neighbors- extended families, dumb witted friends (remember the old adage- Your known by the company you keep!) and office colleagues who are working from their own positions of diminishing intelligence and insecurities- and yes, each one of these characters have an opinion- an opinion about everything and everyone else- but themselves!

Highly opinionated societies are the hallmark of societal dissonance and degradation- the more opinionated a society is, the more screwed up it eventually turns out to be, the closer and familiar synonyms with these kind of messed up places- hypocritical, autocratic, myopic and deep rooted “yes sir” culture!

As an NLP and CBT Practitioner,studying human behaviour- one key learning always has been to ensure all the time and always that we are not carrying this nonsensical burden of being opinionated, judgmental and prejudiced!

You would have come across these typical characters, who have an opinion on things and aspects like- when you should get married, to whom, when to have kids, what dog you should get, when and where you should travel, what new food you should try and why, when you should change your job, what the President of US should do, which politician is better, which political movement is right, how the world must change, why your boss is always screwed up, why you are the only shiny little angel in the whole universe and wear a comic character “save the world” tag on your dumb mind with a blinded vision! At this point your funny brain is tricking you into believing, if this is not what we should be speaking about to others, what the f**k do we speak, well, this is where the trick is, you can and must speak about all this, albeit in a mindful way sans the opinion, judgmental and prejudice laced rhetoric! and trust me that’s a big task and an ongoing learning curve for each one of us (me included).

So, how do you go about it, well here’s what works for me, if it works for you great, else seek your own heaven and until then keep your mouth shut!

One mindful and powerful way to avoid getting into the trap of sharing unwarranted opinions and shutting off being- judgmental and prejudiced, is to be an active and patient listener! This sounds simple but is very very difficult to achieve; listening to the other person without allowing your brain to race away- into creating scenarios and running ahead to conclude before you completely hear what is being said- let me tell you, this is tough and comes with practice- a lot of it- how much- well I have been practicing this for last two decades and still am a student! (you can opine-right away that I am dumb- but well that is exactly what we need to stop!)

Active and focused listening is the first step and the next one is – which is again an important one- remember it is ok and perfectly ok to say, “I don’t know- I need to check the facts and come back if you ask my opinion on or about xyz”. Do these two things and trust me you will start immediately feeling better and realise you have so much time left for yourself to learn and unlearn new things about everything and everyone around you!

Conversations always should be uplifting and enlightening, no I am not suggesting you top be some “guru” or “god sent teacher” of sorts, conversations need to be intellectually stimulating and help yourself and everyone involved, arrive at a moment and say unto themselves, “Ah ha” this is something new or fascinating, well something new to seek, understand…” this my friend is the right space to be in when striking those innocent looking, time killing conversations with people around you!

Normally people tend to mistaken these conversations for serious debates and intellectual verbal dissertation, well some of them would be, but all of them are never that way! The fact is, to be able to speak with intelligence (without being opinionated)needs more effort, energy, wisdom and technique which needs to be nurtured with every conversation!

The dangers of blabbering are more serious, they may start from initiating quarrels/ misunderstandings within workers and in worst case scenario can lead societies to mayhem believing their rulers are doing something gravely wrong and unjust (which may or may not be the case) just based on some loose opinionated blabbering- by someone whom you hold in high regard/ value (without any verifiable metrics) for reasons and opinions best known to you!- because you have been the initiator of the problem as well ( by carrying a brain which feeds on opinions rather then wisdom)!

Before I sign off, for my coffee, simple final words- listen, speak about what you know- what has been evaluated on scientific metrics- logic and when you have nothing to say- keep your mouth shut!

Hope you liked this one, keep writing in and let me know what you would like to read about next…. at Simplifylives, we are on a journey to create value – one day at a time- one challenge at a time…until next time.. ciao!

The business of politics-how it screws up your life!(and how to avoid it!)

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Yes, too much for a Monday morning blog, I guess, could have been written over the weekend, but what better way to start a working week, by helping you look into the mirror! (me included!)

Well, as you go around doing all the chores of your life diligently; like, “always saying yes to your boss and spouse”, feeding your pet, ensuring your kids don’t kill or get killed, knowing you can travel safely and come back home alive after working (whatever work you do and wherever you do!)” ; have you ever taken a moment to realise that no matter what your age is no matter what you do and irrespective how rich or poor you are things seem to be going around in an insane vicious circle always! Basically being rich or poor is vert relative- even in the materialistic context- let alone the philosophical one; one of the most unfortunate way of getting that pathetic miserable feeling is not by being poor, but being super rich and being totally f***ed -like in India from where I am writing (ok before you call me a traitor or some shit like that, let me tell you, I love my country and and would like to see it get better- like anyone of you is the same for your Motherland and Fatherland- depending on which part of terra ferma you are reading this piece!) because you will not be able to simply drive your super luxury car above the 20 Mph mark or roll down the window- because the the air is so laced with pollutants- and yes no matter how rich you may be personally – you simply can’t do a f**k about it!

Have you wondered, when you started working- you were all this gung- ho about slogging and deciding you will work at the most till you are 40 or in your mid 40’s and then retire to a peaceful place (as defined by you!) and watch the world go crazy and keep laughing at the fools around, well the only twist in the story is that majority of us continue to get stuck in this rut- and that eternally evasive, “Retire in 40’s” never comes and we are always at the other side and part of the crazy world- which seems to just live- to pay bills and die – and many of us- whether we like it or not end up paying bills till the very last minute before we have the God sent heart-attack to liberate us from the misery of life irrespective whether you died rich or poor! So in all this – where does politics fit it- well- remember your dream about seeing the crazy world go by – getting screwed up and laughing at it- well that’s what politics is all about and that’s where the best party in the world is being hosted- 24×7 across all the world capitals and all the time!

Just think for a minute- do you really really think- that problems of the world- are unsolvable- with so many intelligent (at times outright idiot’s) people occupying chairs (for which they would use all the good and dirty tricks to arrive at in the first place!). So what is really happening?

Well, my friend, I could have gone ahead and written in more details, but this really calls for a long form of writing- possibly a book; but with no one to really corroborate it would end up landing in the fiction section (which I am a little averse- unless it is something like a Sherlock Holmes or a harry Potter!) So to cut the long story short…here we go…

Politics world over is intertwined directly with businesses. Businesses again happen in an interesting way- you have those poor businessmen who are the face of any nation’s economy who sail up and down with every wave of political uncertainty- these are the poster boys of grins during the height time in the markets and the ones’ who go bankrupt or show their teeth when shit hits the roof and they have to either file for insolvency or begin to ration their next binge eating session and lifestyle of in-despicable indulgence! Well these are the one’s who make the news all the time and constitute to about 80% of the noise but just around 25-30% of the business value globally! yes…remember our friend- Pareto– he was indeed right with his famous Pareto Principle – even on this (although he may not envisaged this)!

It is the invisible force of this minuscule 25-30% of business people and politicians- who decide what you and I do and what nation’s do and when , why and how- yes sounds like a sinister Hollywood sci-fi, but well trust me – it actually is good this way! When you have a small group of decisive people making decisions- they may go wrong sometime- but they will not go wrong all the time. The important aspect here, is to ensure that these gifted idiots- when they do go wrong- don’t end up screwing up beyond a point of no return- which they have unfortunately done in a few areas already- yes- read Climate change and Plastic abuse (well these are the same people and the same world which celebrated plastic and innovation in plastic lead- polymer industry- even giving Nobel prizes- not more then 50 years ago! and now we stand completely f***ed up- because the group then- made of choice for their today- rather than their future and our today!

I know, by now you are thinking what the f**k are you doing , if things are really this way- well I took think the same way- then it gives a solace to know we can effect change no mater how small or large- and the trick to this is by participating- go out and make your voice count (peacefully and legally- legally as defined in the society that you live in!)

Politicians and this elite club of business tycoons have all the strings unto themselves. Unless there is a considerable majority which can participate in the political arena with better ideas and better vision for the today and the tomorrow, change- any real change coming will be all but a wishful dream- all of us cannot simply build that enormous business ecosystem to effect the change we need to and we must- hence the only other way around is have some sensible gifted idiots sneak into the elite club of the political club to slow down what must, and then suggest and accelerate what must be to ensure that the world becomes a little bit more world-like and everyone gets a chance to live- and not exist- pay bills and die- irrespective of the level of opulence!

As mankind, we seldom learn from history and this one major factor, keeps screwing us up into the hell hole where none of us want to be in the first place! The only way out is to be proactive- assert positive action and make a change no matter what that may be- just take a step and decide that the coming weekend you will be alive and experience the world as you should- no binge eating, no shopping and no bitching- just you, your sane family and friends (the word sane is important here) and the good earth around you! Try this and let me know how it went!

As someone said, we are not born to slog, pay checks and die- either with surplus or deficit in the bank- we are soul-filled entities and unless the soul is nourished with nature as its should be- our existence is all but purely wasted!

So, get back to your miserable slogging now, and take time off to reflect and now that you are wiser, don’t be hard on yourself and people around- know each one is fighting a war that does not exist and trying to win over and reach a place that is nothing but a staged hallucination!

Stay safe, stay happy(as in content) and stay wise- until next time….ciao!

So what do you do!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

A seemingly innocent question, that all of us have been asked and we have asked so many times, to people we know, want to know or even perfect strangers- who would have been either polite to let us know what we do or would have asked us to simply f**k off!

The irony of our times is that even as we know it ( if you don’t you must know now!) that we have 86,400 seconds each day to spend and create lasting value (something that we should be cherishing as humans),we often end up wasting majority of these seconds doing stupid, outrageous and absolutely worthless deeds!

This is what a typical day at the office now a days looks like- office sponsored bitching sessions which are agenda driven, self-started and individually driven bitching sessions to meet and arrive at individual objectives, then department wise bitching sessions to screw that performing or no-performing department with tact and tenacity, sharing opinions on social media posts, images, videos and giving a point of view on every f***ing thing (irrespective whether or not you have requisite qualifications/ experience), have those smoke breaks and lunch breaks with precision and in all this mayhem if you get the time and attention- do some work!

Well there is also a method to this madness, according to me, organisations can be broadly classified into two types- “Future Fit” and “Available Now”. It does not matter which industry or what service you provide, whether you bake cakes or build a rocket engine- doesn’t really matter!

Future Fit organisations are far and few- stand out for all the right and wrong reasons, they succeed and fail and and rise again and keep going- experimenting, staying lean, mean and normally will stifle laid norms and compel to bring about changes in mass public behavior to ensure their success and will ensure that the change effort remains constant- because if that stalls- they will begin to write their tombstone! These organisations are feverishly paced as they need to be on the Tango on an ongoing basis to ensure they do not end up being redundant and this one major attribute that cuts out all the non-productive crap that organisations normally enjoy and end up paying employee for bitching about their low lives rather then working to move the firm ahead!

Available Now- organisations often have a God father- an investor who is high on ancestral fortune, governments which are good at managing the balance sheets and good at begging and borrowing at international levels! The type of people you can feel within the confines of these units are the majority of those people who are always busy and always in a meeting!

Whiling away precious seconds, minutes and hours just to keep blabbering in an one act show of never ending one upmanship and “I know more than you” and all that non-productive rhetoric, discussions on the font size of a power point slide which may also call for opinion polls and have votes- planning for the team outing (which is three months away) in advance for an overnight affair at a location less than 100 miles away! These “Available Now” places are actually great places to learn human behavior, insecurities and know exactly what not to do so that you don’t end up wasted with your life like these morons are- and all the time they have this hippy like grin which is not even warranted! At least hippies learn and soak in the experiences that the world has to offer to the unstoppable vagabonds!

A larger part of these “Available Now” organisations also stems from the fact that, they have been intentionally built to have mediocre jobs which actually can be done by anyone (yes I mean anyone). Take this simple test- Just reflect on what you are doing- and ask your self one simple question- “Does this need me to be doing this”? and if the answer is “yes” well treat yourself, you just got lucky because you are among the top 1% of the global workforce who like to slog with purpose and are driven by their slavery and slogging and if you have answered in the “no” don’t loose heart you are part of a bigger community of loosers how are born to get the pay check- pay the bills and die, after that the next one on the line takes your seat en route to the graveyard!

It really does not matter or depend on what vocation you have chosen to earn that extra can of beer or three square meals a day. What is important here,is how congruent is your conduct and approach to your choices in what you choose to do- given the context that you may be a soulful person- religious or not- matters not- the idea here is being able to appreciate your involvement from a level wherein it resonates as part of your extended self in what you choose to do and what you express within and outward!

Irrespective of which type of organisation you are part of, or want to create one- as long as you have simple checks and balances with regards to spending the designated and fixed seconds that each one of us gets encased every day (if we wake up- that is), things will seem soulful and meaningful not only to you, but everyone and everything that you create around yourself- the value of your invested seconds will amplify and beget more value and purpose driven seconds to create even more wonderful and meaningful things!

So, as I leave to grab my cup of coffee, leave you with these thought, stay invested wisely in your daily account of 86,40 seconds and make each of them count and help you create and add value to yourself, people around you and everything that you aspire to do! keep up the speed!

Until next time….ciao for now….and do let me know what you want to read next about! Add meaning- one second unto the next…keep going!

Your worthless business card!- Throw it!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

How often, have you come across people who are dying to empty their sneaky plastic cases holding around 200 business cards with every opportunity that they get! Well even in today’s digital era which provides social handles and place holders to help people know what you do (at least communicate what you claim you do!), if you visit the next big exhibition/conclave/ networking/ or a general social booze network you will know what I am speaking about here! You will eventually come back home with the pamphlets, catalogs and business cards which will end up in your cute dustbin- for the simple reason- the people you know- you, already have their details and so do they- the others who are floating around like butterflies and moths- well, neither they care a damn for you nor do you!

Business cards have been one of the by-products of the MBA led times! Sales, Financial firms, marketing juggernauts, you name it all of them would always end up flashing the jazzy piece of plastic coated paper with their name lost somewhere among the name of the firm, it’s logo and another half a dozen of obligatory mentions and logos of partners/ vendors/ approves all stacked on it (if one side was used up- the other was always there at hand!)- so much melodrama for what? Just to ensure the next order of PCs, purchase of stock, that real estate piece – that’s about it?

If you have been into sales/ marketing or know of anyone- do a simple experiment- invite them for a lazy afternoon chat and ask them to share their big hits- and then see the story flow- more often then not this business card will have a role to play- now once the melodrama is over- do ask- how many customers/ clients / acquaintances called up when your dog died or you were under the weather- well the chances are- if there has no human connect- no one would have even noticed if you are yet counted as a live member of the society to taken away by undertakers! so what the f**k was achieved flashing your card, sweating it all- got your incentive, salary check well- yes- sure you did- got that incentive based vacation, promotion- great- but my friend- what about you?- what is that you achieved – yes “U”

Do this simple test- Reflect upon your greatest achievement and ask yourself – could this have been done by anyone else- with similar training, qualifications etc. if you answered Yes to this question, congratulations- you have just screwed up your life in a big way- because what you consider your achievement is a “template achievement” which can be reached by any other Tom or Harry! You just wasted your life doing and achieving which just did not need you to be there! More often then not, it is situations like these that are the source of the compelling belief to leave that tiny winy business card- just in case you had a stupid enough name that would stick out of all the other similar stereo types around doing the same thing that you do!

So what’s the point- well- let me not drag it further, the point is simple effectiveness and engagement is driven not by the card- but by the person. By saying the person- i mean here- competencies, abilities, experience, soft skills and the whole range of attributes that get crisply bundled into to form a personality that is engaging enough yet- intelligent, proactive, warm and humble with an openness and eagerness to learn! Once you have mastered this aspect of becoming a personality unto yourself and being able to communicate and sell your persona- you would also like to do away with the unnecessary weight dangling in your wallet and eliminate the burden to carry a case with the cards all times!

Of course yes, certain occasions do need them- but you need to calibrate and measure them well- there’s a good reason we do not roam on the streets wearing our wedding gown or birthday suit just because we like it!

The purpose has to be strong enough to validate the necessity of the card in today’s world- and as the old adage says- Your name arrives before you at every meeting- this depends purely on the human connect that you have been able to create, sustain and develop on an ongoing basis without the crutches of your business card!

Finally, make it a mission to be a brand unto yourself and let your aura arrive before you reach for that engagement- rest will be taken care of as long as you have sown the right seeds in your fertile past for a rewarding future! Throw that piece of paper now!

Live mindful and stay sensible! Until next time- ciao and take care- heading to rip a few a cards

Declutter your life!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Hi there, if you are done with the morning session of updating your fragile and self serving status on all the online handles and done with posting those meaningless updates, welcome to my new write up- albeit a short one!

Everyone on the planet seems to be suddenly bothered about everything around- right from the neighbor’s cat to global warming- everyone has a solution to fixing the situation- easily and fast- well then what’s screwing up and stopping the world from being a better place?

People tend to forget a fundamental principle- every act done to serve outwardly holding back hidden and sinister self-serving agendas will always f**ck up in a big way and hit hard like a wooden boomerang should!

Everyone seems to get lost around themselves- either they are drowning in the electronic shit of online networks and uploading loads and loads of photos and videos (often senseless and outright stupid bordering on the sidelines of being disgusting and often repulsive!). If this is not what tends to screw up people, then it is the brick and mortar form of senseless buying of things to the extent that modern homes- which by themselves are glorified pigeon holes by any measure- unless you are lucky enough to inherit some awesome mansion from your dead great uncle- or have really been at the apex within the summit to be the 10% of the 1% who are hanging to dear life in the social pyramid!

It’s high time to revisit our child-hood friend- “common-sense”- when you are well aware that each one of us are nothing more than ticking biological time bombs with an expiry date already pre-fed the day we were born; knowing well none of the shit and crap that we buy, get as gifts or loot from others will be teleported to the other dimension with us (at least as yet!)- why don’t we stop this senseless buying- hoarding and collection of things, memories and so on and so forth?- Well part of the problem lies in the way our brains have been wired- being social by nature humans earlier found security and comfort by staying connected, that’s how social structure, language, communication and art forms, hobbies and vocations etc evolved with time – evolutionary mechanisms were always aimed to ensure the success of the species.

With the advent of modern times- the abuse of technological advancement has lead to create more problems and challenges then the solutions that it has offered! How many cases of obesity, cancer, rheumatism, alzheimer, blood pressure, stress, anxiety- do you think you will find in the recent history – just go back to the period between 1700-1800 AD, if you travel for histrocial references in time period before that chances are you will come across death by fighting, routine illnesses and old age as the major factors providing tickets to the next world!

Many of our illnesses ( both physical and increasingly mental) are a direct result of technological abuse and going into overdrive with senseless consumerism and a race and competition with ourselves. No once speaks to you differently if you carry a brand A or a brand B- and if they do so- then you seriously need help and need to apply for immigration to a better country where humans still live!

Like on the material side, even on the emotional plane people hold on to unnecessary melodrama and keep flirting with ghosts from the past in forms ranging from the innocent social media post to letters, to artifacts to fabric- you name it and you will know what I am speaking about here! No matter what religion you follow- whether you are a believer of some faith or an atheist- living in the NOW with a purpose is the crux of all fulfillment and sense that will alone give you that warm smile on your face and keep that make up laden plastic smile away for good! I am not suggesting here a hippy type lifestyle- rather a mature, purpose centric and value driven existence wherein there is a minute to minute awareness about oneself and everyone around that matters!

Senseless hoarding and collection of things and memories which you know very well, cannot be teleported to the next dimension (as yet at least!)De-cluttering is the first step towards leading a purpose driven and value centric life; however it is a very different and apparent in-your -face reality that people are happy to look away from all this, as they continue to add chaos to their lives and also tend to pull in others along with them to cause further turmoil centric existence for oneself and those around who matter!

It helps to remember always that each one of us is a traveler and the essence of good and purposeful travel is having a light luggage and a soul which is free from unnecessary entrapment so that it can soak in the experiences that the journey has to offer!

Make a commitment to yourself and do a favor to your beaten down soul– Start to de-clutter your life today!

Travel light, travel safe and stay connected….signing off for now; I have a flight to catch!

Welcome to your level of incompetence!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Yes, i can feel the grin on your face, right away, after the last blog that seemed a bit heavy and serious; what else could have been on my mind, but to make the misery of your life a little less, by ensuring all of us (me included) to look into the mirror and welcome ourselves and those around us to our respective level of incompetence!

Well, at the very face of it, this seems to be a cute problem , but trust me this is a baby faced killer! and this has harmed organisations not only at local levels but also has resulted into global meltdowns– well case in point- does anyone remember the downfall of the wall street- sub prime crisis- take some time off to dig into those not so helpful discouraging episodes, the fact remains- there were all smart men and women who were screwing up things at the grandest scale while the world was still looking at their coveted degrees in Law and those ever elusive MBAs- you know from where!

People often forget that we are a bio-chemical machine and can fail and fall like any mechanical machine- if you nourish it well- results are amazing- path breaking and scintillating, abuse it and throw garbage into mind and body and well, yes that’s what exactly will come back to oneself and also gift everyone around- the same age old principle of “garbage in and garbage out”!

People have always asked me, why I have been so passionate about aviation ( to such an extent that I choose my window based on the equipment and start doing the pre-flight checks on the android app, to give the crew company from the comfort of my seat)! Well the answer is very simple, it is possibly the only commercially viable profession where you simply can’t screw up and if you still managed to- you will certainly be global headlines- right after the breaking story from The White House- in case you don’t make it with your material body (which is quite likely) your soul will be drenched in outpouring grief from world over- even by people who have nothing to do with you, the passengers or the aircraft manufacturer- this singular overwhelming nuisance has played on the back of the mind of aerospace companies and I believe has managed to keep checks and balances with the odd screw ups every few years!

This overwhelming public shaming and nuisance ensures that commercial aviation works with precision, accuracy and with absolute zero tolerance to manageable and predictable challenges and issues with equipment and people alike! Go a little deep into this fantastic industry and you will uncover the ceaseless, selfless attention to detail, pro-activeness and ownership that each and every person associated with every single take off and landing each time (irrespective whether they are at ground control, the ATC or in the air) its a beautiful ballet that’s rehearsed, improved on an ongoing basis- day in and day out- with only one purpose- Not to screw up!

This unfailing, thrust has made aviation an industry to envy and continues to provide case studies in human mental conditioning and studying aspects of human brain- from simple aspects like body fatigue to complicated behavioral studies- all to ensure- all is well and nothing ends up in the well!

So if, competence is so priced, why is there so much dearth of it all around- well, the fact remains as long as no one gets killed, no one will really bother!

A garment manufacturer will not bother with that odd thread swinging in the air, nor will the call center angel that you spoke last evening will care a damn about what you said, as long as your conversation fits into some customized narration box for her to update and get moving with you sick, overdue card account!

Another fascinating reason why incompetence thrives is- people get promoted to their level of incompetence! and then magic- they have no where to go -within the organisation or outside- because they just manage to make themselves unhireable!– for reasons varying from sheer technical incompetence, to updation of knowledge to sheer laziness and the evil joy of screwing up others even as they mess up the organisation- one department at a time- one level at a time- till all of them become indistinguishable and then there is this great clean up act carried out by some poor investor how finally wakes up to smell the coffee and have the pests weeded out! But by then most of the damage has been done and more often then not at this juncture organisations get into the chameleon mode (new name, new logo, new business vertical, mergers and acquisitions and if nothing works well shut shop)!

So what next, are we all doomed to suffer at the hands of few incompetent souls, well actually the way societies and way of living gets constructed, we still do have a choice- to limit our exposure to external incompetence and dumbness- but for that we need to up our level of competence to be able to distinguish between the innocent point of ignorance and devilish incompetence hiding in plain sight under our nose!

An easy way around this menace, is to be self reflecting- sans carrying the baggage of being judgmental, prejudiced,patronizing and living with a head full of planet saving ideas and believing that you are the modern age Noah with answers to all the miseries! The moment you do this- life will in a wink- become a little more sensible and you should start to see beyond the fog of camouflaged incompetencies around you and genuinely start begetting real leaders who create, add and sustain value for themselves and everyone around- for that is the real hallmark of competence!

I will sign off at this point, time to take a break and try smelling competence among the conflicting odors of incompetence and stupidity around the coffee shop from where I am punching this article!

Until next time, happy reading and raise yourself to your next level of competence and do yourself and the world around you a big f**king favor! God Bless!

Lost smiles,conversations and diminishing common-sense!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

As the world races ahead, proclaiming technological excellence, with an automation driven solution for everything (except common sense!), one would have expected this to be a great time to be alive! Dig deeper and you would realize how messed up and screwed up all of us are in a grand way!

When was the last time, on a casual stroll you smiled at a stranger and greeted that person, and in process you too were greeted (no staring, stalking or senseless grinning counts in this space- just to be absolutely clear and sure about the choice of words being used).

Our present times reflect a considerable amount of lost faith and trust in fellow human beings- this is again directly proportional to the extent of automation and exposure to senseless capitalism, consumerism and urgining people to participate in the stupid rat-race which has no finish line!

Choose any country on the planet and take an urban mega city of your choice and obeserve the demonstrated behaviour of people towards strangers, forget about smiling, people would be lucky if they were to make an eye contact – most of them would be buried into their smart screens with an omnipresent dumb look on their face all the time! You would see behaviors ranging from mildly unwelcoming to absolutely rude and rarely but sometimes getting on the border of confrontation!

Now, move your location around a 100 mile perimeter to a town or a countryside village or cluster and just see the difference! Well it will be a striking contrast- people have time, courtesy and want to be absolutely sure that they have made your day and you are not lost! (rarely do they know how lost individuals are within themselves!). The fact also remains that great cities are often built and and are a result of the unrelenting toil of people who would have migrated from such small places and have eventually made it their new abode! So the next thought- why do people then change- is this change real or is it something else?

Well the answer has many contours, psychologists would tell you- people acquire behaviors over their intrinsic value systems. The intrinsic value systems are the core of the persona of any person. These intrinsic value systems more often then not set the tone to the patterns displayed by individuals- whether to help or not, whether to strike a conversation or not, to smile or not, to ignore or team up..so on and so forth!

I know this article is kind of being a little slow paced unlike my other salvos, but this one needed a pause in between (the tonality bit) so that sinking-in of thought seeds happens to begin progressive reflection!

Well automation is doing good and screwing up as well-with equal measure and precision. It all depends on which end of the spectrum you are and at what time and for how long!

I had this instance when, once a colleague opened up a weather app on the smartphone and said it will rain as the app predicted. I looked up towards the sky and there was not a shred of grey anywhere, forget the clouds being there or not- well this is how bad our common-sense has got messed up!

We live our life in a way, where a majority believes -all that an apps tell us, what goes viral must be real, what a social site is screaming out is good and true, what the newspaper carried on the front page was the final gospel form the angels; I am not saying these technological advancements are all useless and must be junked or done away with- the point here is that societies have lost the fine sense of judgement and balance when it comes to limit the use of technology in the right way for the right purpose.

I am yet to understand those stupid posts on social handles where couples are telling the world how much they love each other, or if some idiot has got promoted to a President of some cardboard manufacturing or cargo hauling logistics firm or an IT firm or whatever – I mean, really who cares and what the fucking difference does all this crap make to any other random person’s life on the planet- even to the lives of the people you know- you love someone great- let that person know and leave it at that, you got a job or a promotion, let those who matter know and leave it at that (unless you have been elected to lead a country or some shit like that!)

Well psychologists, call this behaviour as an extended form of attention seeking disorder arriving from inability to strike sensible and meaningful conversations- which lead to meaningful relations in real time with real people!

Well people, I will cut this article here, could have gone on and on citing one dumb example after the other, but the whole point is to provide a direction to a sensible and purposeful thinking.

Start by setting “me” times; -a time with yourself to begin with, followed by “authentic” time- to strike conversations with friends and families and make a genuine effort to possibly make that commute a little warm and vibrant for yourself and fellow humans around you (of course yes, in these times of challenges, you must respect privacy of strangers) and be able to connect to new friends and make life a worthwhile experience using appropriate and balanced judgement.

End of the day, when your tombstone is written, no one is going to mention the number of friends you had on a social networking site or how many likes you got for a social post or how many of your videos went viral, what will matter is- How much value you carried with you to your grave and in doing so how many lives you touched and made a positive difference so that it made their journey’s fun and purpose driven!

Logic is good, but common-sense is the holy mother of all hence so hard to seek and even difficult to retain!

At Simplifylives– we touch lives of people and make a directed effort to make that change which will be purpose driven and value driven for times ahead! Until next time……ciao and take care- stay sharp and start smiling!

Leave climate change unto itself!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

A lot has been said, discussed, written, awards given, money distributed (by nations and banks) and a lot of eye wash and nonsense and “yes” “yes”, do you want a change? “yes” that kind of rhetorical nonsense with people within it not really knowing what they want or what is that these idiots are agreeing to! Welcome to the biggest social party ongoing on planet Earth- The Climate Change party! Now before you think of not reading further, I have my sanity and qualifications intact to be writing on this topic and of course since no one funds my writing, I can be brutally honest and in-the-face with no agenda but to share what it is and then let the reader decide what they want to do with their gifted intellect!

Climate change- It’s hotter, colder, rains a lot, more storms, more powerful, more intense, more impacting and causing more losses! Well in all this narrative apparently what I want you to focus on is the last one- “more losses”. Now the question is why would there be more losses- well guess, since you follow my blog, I assume your level of intelligence and by now you too would have figured out- well as humans- our natural curiosity and ability to keep on flirting with danger and taking senseless risks have pushed us directly in the path of nature’s horror alley! This is the plain and simple philosophical truth about climate change!

Improvements in living conditions have been amazing in the last three decades, we live longer, don’t normally die when we must, keep hanging on with advance medicines, we keep reproducing ( not really caring a bit for anyone or anything) – of course some regions across the globe show a decrease in this aspect- but that’s more a demographic distortion than any real sensible intent to serve a greater cause of humanity! All these advancements and developments at the cost of nature and gross disregard towards it has qualified us to be at the receiving end of nature!

Data that is thrown in our face- citing temperature increase, sea water increase, increase in pollution levels- partly this is also because the ability to measure attributes has become more better and sophisticated with toys developed by scientists coming out of the labs and agenda drivers get to play with them as they like to sell the agenda which makes them happy and rich!

The fact remains, planet – Earth- the third rock from the Sun, cares a damn about who won a Nobel for Climate Change, Physics, Chemistry or how much donation which charity paid to which nation- we are all on this massive rock, travelling along space and time and like everything governed by rules of science- Whether we do something about it or not – things will always continue to progress in the direction that they must as per laws that govern the universe. All this nonsense and spending towards so-called arresting climate change is like wearing your old clothes and chopping yourself to fit in and look younger and nicer!

So you must be thinking, alright to what’s cooking here, well a lot – if you know to choose your menu correctly. This trump card of “climate change” is used by nations to influence how trade is done, what can be done, what cannot be done and importantly all this is dictated by a select few to service their own agendas and how much that lot cares about the climate is for anyone to guess! Just give it a thought- the amount of conferences, movements, protests that happen under this umbrella, just imagine how many people travel, money spent on communication strategies and use of paint, wood, colors, fabric and so called eco-friendly materials to propagate the thought that the climate is getting messed up and we should use resources wisely and sparingly and be just etc. etc…. the irony is that even the process of communicating this bit is filled with hypocrisy and does more harm to the cause than what these groups supposedly claim!

Things are very simple- the planet is changing and will always continue to even as it obeys the laws of physics and eventually gets consumed by the Sun in the next 4.5 billion years- at that time, no matter how many placards you hold nothing will change the fate of the planet! The learning and honest take here is simple- be honest the way you go about your living, have sensibilities to what you consume and how much you consume and open up to a culture of collective sharing and caring for the larger good of the society and respect natural boundaries and stop living where you must not- other things will be automatically managed and for all you know- you will start to enjoy live telecasts of storms and floods from the comfort of your home once you begin to live where you should be living- without trespassing into the natural zones that you mustn’t.

Always remember it is not the earthquake that kills- it is the structure that falls when the earth quakes that kills you! Think about it and stay wise and don’t get sold into this new propaganda! Be kind and do your small stuff for your wellness, take care of your home and the earth will be a wonderful place and nothing to worry about….the only thing that is certain is change ..so what if it is about the climate! Stay wise and stay grounded!