A New Journey

The memories of a time long past
How they flew by so fast
The time together we have had
Those wonderful days
Times good and bad
Now wishing they never end

How can we ever forget?
A lifetime together
A New Journey begins

The transient winds of time
of each passing day
Wishing we could do more
With time slipping away
This serendipitous meeting
Things left to say

How can we ever forget?
A lifetime together
A New Journey begins

The journey we’ve shared so far
The journey of many miles
The eternal bonds of friendship
The innumerable smiles

How can we forget these days?
And to those special Few
Thank you for being there
Thank You

How can we ever forget?
A lifetime together
A New Journey begins......

Yes or No?

The decisions we take in life often have enduring consequences on the path that we take. From what seems like a distant and forgotten life they come back to haunt us. Some of them just remain etched in our memory for ever. It’s tough to make these decisions and impossible to take them back; no matter how much we may want to.

It’s not about mistakes made but lessons learned. But sometimes it’s these very lessons that are impossible to comprehend and some of which take a life time to justify. It’s less of a cognitive process and requires heart rather than intellect.

The only greater mistake than taking a bad decision is indecisiveness. This inertia of overthinking may cost you the opportunity of a lifetime.

Like missing out on that single chance at happiness.

Lack of comprehension, pretexts, culpabilities, they are impossible to justify.

The result? Lifelong compunction.

Impulse equals vacillation; Decisiveness creates confidence.

Anon

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.

We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

Self seeking will slip away.

Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Is it better to regret what we think that we haven’t done? Do we sometimes have to learn the hard way? We need to be strong even when we feel the passage of time provides no solace.

Where are we now? At the beginning or at the end? It’s difficult to understand.

Each of us need to introspect and learn from ourselves. No one else can show us the path.

Its ours and ours alone.

Our joys. Our Sorrows. Our victories. Our failures. Our LIFE.

Its sad that many of us realise only too late what we know innately.

The source is arrogance. Of what we are taught. Of what we have seen. The self serving yearning for things that we think are right.

Be Responsible, its said. But we all know that is the most difficult part.

“Responsible thinkers
Throw caution to the wind
But I find myself
Speaking from within
I can't live my life
Walking on eggshells
To stay on your good side”

Imitation

Imitation is an advanced behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's. The word can be applied in many contexts, ranging from animal training to international politics.

Why do we imitate?

To feel like we belong? To relate to another person? To learn?

Its the easiest thing to do. It does not involve thinking. It creates a connection. It is profound.

It has been associated with the development of language.

We all do it and despise when its done to us.

Its the sincerest form of flattery.

Gratitude

Everyone once in a while it feels good to remember those in our lives who really matter.

Those who have helped us along the way.

Those who are there for us when we don't even realize we need someone.

Those who are there guiding us, always.

Those who share our meaningless joys and lighten our darkest days.

Those to whom we are bound in blood and those to whom we are bound in spirit.

Those who show us what it means to be us.

Those who pull us back when we stray away.

Those for whom we do what we do.

Thank You.

social networking....what it should be....

Content is the key to successful networking

- Content sharing is the basis for the popularity of P2P and Social Networking (sharing photos, videos, contacts, blogs, news, etc.)

- It helps to build meaningful networks based on mutual sharing of content

- Personalization of networking enables filtering of what is important to the user

- It simplifies the experience by reducing the redundant linkages

- It enables an “open network system” wherein the number of linkages are infinite yet manageable and relevant

- Developing links through content enables the user’s universe to become infinite

- It is no longer about linking to friends or friends of friends but rather linking to people through common interests and sharing mutually beneficial content

- Strength of the link is now a sum of the combination of the “amount of time, the emotional intensity, the intimacy (mutual confiding), and the reciprocal services which characterize the link”

- Weak contextual linking with people based on content also allows for reaching a wider audience for your ideas

So it’s no longer about the people who want to hear about what you ate for breakfast yesterday or how sick your pet is. It is networking based on “real” relationships.

The fact is that the vast majority of the relationships we believe that we have are just about people who didn’t want to “ignore” you invitation. They don’t want to offend you.

The reality is that they don’t want to hear about you.

They want to hear about themselves.

Not e-mail but rather “me-mail” as Seth Godin would say.

Focus

Milton Friedman wrote in the NYT Magazine of how businessmen who spoke of social responsibilities in a free market system reminded him of a Frenchman who discovered at the age of 70 that he could speak prose. He says that the social responsibility of business is to increase profits.

Fortunately, ambiguity is not reasonable when it comes to conducting business. There can only be a single purpose driving the increasingly capitalist-friendly world and being “in the black” is it. This not only increases the benefit for the owner but also increases the trickledown effect to the common man.

It is this very process of profit-seeking that has made the world more wealthy now than ever and accusing companies of being perfidious for being economically viable is simply not acceptable.

The fall of the great socialist regimes is just another reminder of Darwin’s adage “survival of the fittest”. These were regimes founded on the nineteenth century concepts of exploitation. So we should spare a thought for the economically backward. But the startling fact remains that the majority of the world is not. It’s a fanciful construct that leftists cling to seeing as how the reality is more optimistic.

Keeping the business of business as business does enough for society by generating growth and employment. So should this be enough or should the capitalists contribute more? If so, then where does the government fit in? Where do taxes go? Who implements social policy?

Governments need to do what they do best – represent the people. This includes all the strata from the princes to the paupers. Governments enforce laws, decide what good for society and ensure that businesses do not hide behind the facade of social consciousness while irreversibly harming society. They have to implement the policies through regulation and taxation, not the businesses. Friedman put it best when he said, “The business of the government is governance and the business of business will remain business”.

Corporate philanthropy also raises the issue of accountability – shareholders wealth being distributed by management. Do they follow their fiduciary duty or do they yield to the societal expectations? The short answer is an emphatic “Yes, follow your duty”. The long answer is much more complicated due to the nature of the question itself. Yes the company has a responsibility to society; just don’t do it with my money. The current financial scenario has made the question even more pertinent. Even traditionally philanthropic companies will have to review their policies and examine their fundamental strategies.

This snake and mongoose game between the businesses and the ethics brigade will continue till the fundamental difference between the business and individual is not understood. An individual can and should be socially responsible. Businesses however, should not. Their primary goal should and will always remain the pursuit of wealth creation. Businesses hold no duty towards society other than the welfare of its members, who are stakeholders in the business itself.

Governments should govern well. Businesses should run profitably.