Lessons from management books

These days, I am interested in management books, which provides more insight into living life more beautifully. I came across many books, some of them which I read, some which I skipped, and some which are halfway. Of all, I liked the most till now, “The Present” by Dr.Spencer Johnson. The current one I have started with is the “Power of Subconscious mind” (will post the review soon once I finish it). There was also another book I recently bought from a book fair, called “FISH for life”.

In almost all books, I feel the first and foremost point advised is to enjoy the present.Make it fun or serious or with full concentration. But whatever it is, enjoy the time each and every moment. You can enjoy it by choosing what to do each moment, whether to help out or be helpful, or do something productive with utmost concentration etc. This somewhat relates to ‘follow your heart’ policy, or rather the subconscious mind (you can also call it intuition I guess). But how does the intuition thoughts get developed? “The Present” book says it all deals with the past.

Decision-making or having certain views rather called as attitude is developed from prior experience or the learned knowledge. Its this attitude or these decisions which makes your present more beautiful. You can find this saying everywhere : ‘learn from the past’. Indeed, every moment, we live comprises of the moments we lived on in the past, and it hits you like anything, creating an emotional turmoil. But its up to us, to choose how to live the current moment. You can brood over thinking over the past and get moody or dull, or you can remind yourself to move forward and work towards the future.

Attitudes can be for the moment you live or for the entire life. Just enjoying the present life will soon make you bored if there are no goals. Now, this goals can be either achieving your dreams, or some tasks you feel you should be completed in near future. This planning for future is not mentioned much in FISH book. Even in any interview, you can find yourself answering the questions of short-term goals and long-term goals. But how do we achieve them? They say you can make a realistic flexible plan to attain your goals. Does that mean some kind of compromise, by the word realistic? I guess it does. But if we were such a master minds to create a plan and follow them shouldn’t we be Gods? I guess that’s where the past experience and knowledge comes into matter.

“The Present” is very simple and does not drag at all. Its a just 100+ pages book which can be finished of within a hour or two by avid readers. For me, it was a simple inspirational book to read in my train journey en route home..

The ticking clock…

It has always amazed me with its characteristics. Being one of the unsolved strangest mysteries, time does not travel back. It just goes on. There have been innumerous moments when we felt for just one sec, to stop the ticking time. Not because we are afraid of the future, but because we don’t want to lose the beautiful moments of the past.

There were times we didn’t mind being at home, cuddling around our mother whole day and hugging her at frequent intervals.. In the race for getting money and power and what not, we now rarely get leave and holidays to spend one day with her.

There were times we played with our relatives and cousins and siblings in holidays. And now they all are grown up. They now meet at the occasional functions and say hi and bye together with a smile.

There were times we sat in the back bench in our old school and played with the pencils, pens and boxes of your school friends and longed for one day to wear the color dress. Now, you are busy buying sarees to attend the same school friend’s marriage function. You discuss and make fun of them and then end up thinking, one more off the chain…

There were times when we bunked the college classes to hang around here and there writing assignments, and records and laughing for every word we said even amidst the tensions of lab and semester exams. Now, even when we are just few miles apart, we rarely call each other…

There were times we enjoyed the beauty of life with our room mates and friends, by hanging out and being in the room. The discussions and jokes, the frustrated rants about the office work, the fever and illness downtimes, watching of movies, the beach outing, the photo sessions, the lunch and dinner treats and the group shopping, the Uno and donkey card games, the making fun of each other with the relationships and all. Now, all are scattered in different parts of the world, with barely few phone calls and mails to each other…

PS: The alarm clock next to me, shrieked heavily. It was already 7 in the morning. Its another day already.
But.. ain’t I slept just a few mins ago…! Hmmm… Mayb not..

Lyrics – When you say nothing at all

Its amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain,
What I hear when you dont say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
theres a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
Whats being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me….

The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall……

You say it best when you say nothing at all

Nothing…

The rains had just stopped. The sky was getting clearer. The waves was slowly splashing across the shore, as if some storm had passed by. He was looking onto the horizon and the serenity of the sea. He loved beaches. The sea and the infinity tinkled his mind and soothened his brain, or does it make him think? Whatever. She continued changing her gaze on him to sea and after a while onto him again. She loved being with him on his favourite place to enjoy the silent calmness. Maybe cos he is at his best when at beach? Whatever.

Slowly, smiling at one of her alternative gaze, they looked at each other as if asking “kya dekh rahe ho” to her. As if to answer him, she smiled back bleakly.

“Why smiling”
“Nothing…”
The smile portrayed the hidden flirting playing on her face.

“Hey do you remember the first time we came here?” She continued.
“Ya.. And that time you were sitting 5 feet far from me!” He said making a sad expression.
“Hehe.. Ya. But you were blurting out all those philosophical crap, and was not at all making me feel that you want me near!” She smiled playfully again.
“Yeah. Thats was the beach effect.. but later on your effect was the one prominent na. ”
He gave her such a smart look, that she blushed and replied, ” Hmm… ”

Both sat in the silence followed. Memories were gushing up as like the blood through the veins. The fate always liked to play the game by rewinding and playing it all again. The times had changed, but the music prevailed in the air.
Finally she couldn’t bear the silence more. It was tearing at her heart. Her face became serious slowly and dark owing to the sadness.

“I am getting afraid ya..” She said it very slowly, looking at his face, as if waiting for him to respond and caress her.
” For what??? ” He was stupid from the beginning in understanding these small girlish hints..
” That guy is coming to see me next Sunday na.. ”
” So…? ”
She glared and stared at him blankly on hearing such a passive response.
” We already decided na, then why thinking of it again n again..” He couldn’t understand why she thinks too much always.
” Hmmmm.. yeah.. but.. ”
She couldn’t look at the beach nor the sky nor at him. She held her heads down at the sands. She found herself in them. Soft and scattered.

” Now what???” He never could see her sulky for long.
After what it seemed to be a long silence, she replied slowly thoughtfully..
” Nothing…”
They sat in that silence with the sea winds blowing onto their face.

.::Epilogue – When you say nothing at all… ::.

Scribble – November rain…

Its the end of October
And the start of November
Splashing across are waves; tender,
yet along with the rains n thunder.

The season is now full of blues,
In its best is the November rain,
Brings along a writhing pain,
With the unhappy events and news.

The shades are mostly blue n black
Seems the blue sun is too behind clouds,
The dispiriting mood swings are back,
The mind too reached the level of grounds

The prevailing atmosphere,
The wailing sky,
The dampening moisture,
The cold winds blowing high,

The sprinkling rain drops,
The immersed tears,
The thickened fog,
The growing fears,

The distant horizon,
The dormant expectations,
The glaring vision,
The never-ending confusions…

Birthday emotions…

You smile and you end up laughing, when some people wish you on your birthday,
But then again, you start smiling when some do not wish you at the end of the day,

You cry and you end up burning inside, when someone does not wish you on your birthday,
But then again, you start crying when someone do wish you at the end of the day.