Maturity

Are you a matured soul?
When do you call someone a matured soul?
Does maturity come with age or with experience?

People say that our decision making ability reflects our maturity.

What factors do you take into consideration while making a decision?

· What makes me happy?

· Who are the actors affected by my decision?

· How do I face the society after taking the call?

In my opinion, if you have to take a call in your life or if you have to take a decision of your life time, you should think alone considering the factors mentioned above. 99% of the time, the first question takes a back seat and the second and third questions take priority in your decision making.

What will my parents think?

What will my siblings think?

What will my friends think?

How do I face the society?

You get confused thinking much about this and get tempted to involve your friends, brothers, sisters, parents, etc while making such a decision. You should definitely take the suggestion but you should define a clear line between suggesting and intruding. Here, you fail utterly because the moment you involve another person, most of the time, he/she trespasses the fence (brain) and interrupts your decision making. Thus, the outcome is not your decision.

You might rationalize saying that this person knows much about me, what I like and what I want in my life. That is foolishness. Such kind of reasoning implies that you have not given a serious thought about yourself. You are the best person in this world who knows what you like and who knows what you want. Who is someone else to dictate how you should live? After all, it is your life… If the decision you have taken is not yours, then how can you live your life to the fullest?

Think independently and take a decision. If you think that taking decisions makes you a matured soul, you are wrong. It is the effects of your decisions on you that make you, a matured individual. If your decision does not affect you, it is just any other irrelevant incident in your life. In our day to day life, you have to make many decisions. But a few decisions affect you a lot. Experiencing these effects makes you a matured soul. As years pass by, you make many decisions and experience the effects of these decisions. In this process you get matured with your age through your experience.

PS:

Dear Friends,

Give a serious thought before you take any decision. Try your best not to let your parents and loved ones down because of the decision you take.

Butterflies in the belly...:)

In last week's Toastmasters session, I played the role of Table Topics Master. In Table Topics session, I read a topic. I select a person at random and ask him/her to speak for atleast a minute and atmost two minutes. At the end of the session, all the members are asked to vote for the "Best Table Topics Speaker". I thought some of the topics are really funny and wanted to post those on my blog.

The topics are as below:

I love my neighbour, because she looks more beautiful than my wife...
Till now I proposed 49... Looking forward to cross half-century on this valentine's day...
Investing in chicken biryani is better than investing in Stock market
Attending Salsa classes is one way of catching a female/male...
I am desperate to get married... but recession stops me...
Failures in love affairs are the stepping stones to handle wives succesfully...
I know guys always lie, but I still believe them...
Everytime I think she is gorgeous, she has a boy friend... or Everytime I think he is handsome, he has a girl friend...
I attend receptions only to have snacks

The members who attended the session and the speakers who spoke on these topics enjoyed a lot... Hope even you would enjoy imagining how the session would have gone...:)

Welcoming 2009 with an Unforgettable Trip

2009 was fast approaching... There wasn’t even two weeks left for the count down. Once again, Chillaxguys were planning to celebrate the New Year in style. But then, how to make it memorable? Yes, a trip to DANDELI. This trip stands apart as an undisputed champion among all the trips I have been to, till date.

    The trip started with a train journey from Bangalore to Alnavar Jn. A cruiser, waiting outside the station, took us swiftly through the deciduous forests to the farm house, which was 10kms from Dandeli. The Stanley’s farm house, surrounded by a sunflower garden and a dense forest, is a real treat to watch. Rappelling atop the list was the first activity to exhaust our energy, which we gained from our breakfast. It was really exciting to stand parallel to the earth and trek down the cliff with the help of ropes. Coracle ride took us to the rocks in between the river where we had the Jacuzzi Bath. Nothing can buy us the fun we had during the Jacuzzi bath. Energy bars and lunch invigorated us to move ahead for rafting. Rafting was definitely, once in a life time experience. It taught us the art of teamwork and gave us an unlimited fun and indelible memories to store. In order to relax ourselves, we played cards while having snacks. Night Trekking, rather say walking, in the eerie jungle with a torch in our hand in quest of an animal was indeed adventurous. Even though we ended up finding only a wild cat, a wild frog and a wild ant, it was altogether a novel experience for many of us. We had our dinner and put latcha at Campfire with a wide variety of topics. The discussion did not last long as the sleep made us crawl into the tents nearby.

We gave the river crossing activity a skip in Dandeli and made our way to Karvar. We visited Karvar beach but were asked to wait for five hours to visit Devbagh island. We changed our plans and visited Gokarna, which boasts of a famous temple and a beautiful beach. After visiting OM beach, we took a boat ride to reach Paradise beach. We went into the sea to around 100 meters and played with the waves. We trekked through a densely vegetated hill around an hour and reached Half-moon beach. A motorboat fetched us back to OM beach. The picturesque beaches and visitors around still weave my eyesight. We had our lunch at 3pm at a beach resort and returned to Alnavar Jn. Again the drowsiness that aroused out of latcha made me sneak into a berth in the train. The train raced to Bangalore keeping the pace with time but our memories of the trip are still afresh.

Thanks to Devi and Swetha for visiting Dandeli earlier and providing us the info needed. Three cheers to Puppy for proposing, getting information and organizing the trip successfully. Not to forget the efforts of each and everyone in the group, for taking the reigns, wherever necessary, in organizing the trip.

Vinod, Chow, Sisa, Rana, Gora, Chinna, Jet and Puppy…

Hip Hip… HURRAH!!!

Please check the following link to see the pics:

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jet706/DandeliGokarnaTrip#

What kind of LOVE do you beLIeVE?

Love at first sight

People say that they love a person at first sight. Some people say it is the smile / physique / sharp features / style / height / color / voice / expressions in the face, etc that make their hearts flutter for a person. Some even say, “For an unknown reason my heart beats for that person from the very first sight. I feel, that person is born for me”
What makes a person love someone at the very first sight?
Is it the outer beauty, which will not last long?
Is it the sixth sense, which turns on only when you look at handsome guys and beautiful girls?

Love goes with friendship

I heard junta saying “Good friendship is a strong foundation for love” Some say that it is the trust and mutual respect that unites friends to love each other. I believe that if you engage yourself in frequent conversation with someone from your opposite sex, there is a high probability that you might fall in love with that person. I really wonder how long this trust and mutual respect takes the friends forward in the life once they tie a knot. I believe that all the problems begin after marriage, once they start living together.

What makes a person love a friend?
Is it the momentary caring and support that a friend shows?
Is it the temporary “feel comfortable” link that pulls a person into love?

Love after marriage

People, in this section, are strongly tied up with family customs, traditions and paternal love. Some people who are involved in break-ups or one-sided affairs and some, who are losing hectares on the scalp at a good pace or building assets in the form of huge tummies also fall in this category. In fact, that’s why some people call it a “Losers Heaven”. People have high expectations on their spouse before getting married. Post marriage, many of them get bogged down after witnessing the ground realities. Later they adjust themselves with the Hobson’s choice.

What makes a person love his/her spouse after marriage?
Is it because that he/she is left with no option?
Is it because that one has to be hypocritical to face the society?

What is your take on this?

:)
I am trying to be at my critical best.

Ice Breaker... All about me

Jet...

Jam...

JB....

Bujji...

Mentu..

Guruji...

SJB... All these names refer to me.

Do you want to know more about me?

Can you repeat all the names that I have just mentioned?

Mr. Toastmaster, members and guests, a very Good Evening!

When I was asked to give this ice breaker, I started penning my thoughts on the paper. I was clueless, not knowing where to start from. On thinking for a while, my thoughts reminded me of my birth in a small town called Tuni in Andhra Pradesh.

I was born in the family of Zamindars of Pithapuram. I did my schooling from Tabitha English Medium School along with my only younger sibling Sirisha. When it comes to studies, till 4th standard, I was always 1st in my class. (Come on clap.. applaud me..) I was always first in the class, not by the rank but by the attendance rolls. I attribute this record to my cute and sweet little girl friend dolly. In my fifth class, dolly’s father got transferred to some other location. Dolly left not only the school but also a big void in my little heart. Till that point of time, I don’t have a hobby. So, I cultivated an inclination towards watching movies, sleeping and forgetting.

For a change, I appeared for an examination conducted by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. After going to the examination center, I realized that I forgot to bring my hall ticket. I know that if I tell this to my Dad, he will definitely kick me out. I thought for a while and said “Dad! You have 20 minutes to get my hall ticket from our home. Lets see how quickly you can get it. Come on! Start! Quick” He stared at me angrily and said “You Idiotic fellow!” and rushed to my home and got my hall ticket. Somehow, I secured an admission to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya.

In spite of being a home maker, my mother encouraged me a lot to work hard in studies. My hard earned efforts in +2 fetched me a berth in BITS Pilani. During that time, I had to make a decision of my life. Whether to catch a train to Pilani or to watch my favorite hero’s movie “Thammudu”, which was released on the same day. I went with the latter. After watching the movie, I went directly to the railway station. At the same time, the train also came on to the platform. I saw my father furiously staring at me on the platform. He said “What the f**k is this?” I said “Cool Dad! Let’s get in” After reaching Pilani, I realized that I forgot my admission letter to BITS. You can imagine how my Dad had reacted. He ran after me to kick me. I said “See Dad! All the girls from my batch are looking at us. Please don’t insult me. I’ll come out with something” Somehow, I could convince “my identity” to the authorities of BITS. I had a great time in my college and many funny things happened to me.

In my college, one day the Chemistry Professor entered the class and said “Dear Students, today we are going to have an interesting and interactive session”. But within five minutes, to his consternation, he found me sleeping in the very first bench. Professor got angry with me and asked me to get up and get lost from the class. The next class is scheduled on 14th of February i,e. the Valentine’s Day. As soon as the professor entered the class, everyone stood up and wished him “Good Morning”. But I stood up and wished him “Happy Valentine’s day Sir!”. Listening to this, the Professor jumped a feet backward and said “Hey man! Go and tell this to your girl friend. Why are you telling this to me? What would others think about us?”

No prizes for guessing what others would think

Later I was placed in Tata Consultancy Services, Hyderabad, where I worked for more than three years. Afterwards I joined Siemens IT Solutions and Services in Bangalore. Initially it pained me a lot for not getting married yet. But after looking at the troubles of my friends who got married, I deem myself to be lucky enough for not getting married yet. I am really fortunate enough to become a member of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club in Hyderabad. In the last few years, life has taught me many lessons. In Toastmasters session, whenever I come on to this podium, I am bold enough to face audience. My association with Toastmasters for the last two years helped me to be bold enough to face life. I want to take this association forward by becoming a member of LA 1924 Toastmasters Club and this is the reason why I am here before you today.

I won "The Best Speaker" award for this speech.

My Photo on the front Page of The Times of India

Recently I represented Siemens in Banglore IT.Biz.... I chalked those details about IT.Biz and CEO Conclave in my previous blog. The CEO Conclave was a private affair in which the press was not allowed.. Somehow, my photo appeared on The Times of India (Bangalore) front page on 7th November. To check the same... go through the following steps..:)

Please follow these steps :

a) Copy and paste the link in your browser (The browser should be IE): 
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Archive/skins/pastissues2/navigator.asp?login=default&AW=1226473486921

b) Select the following :

Publication : The Times of India Bangalore

Year : 2008

Month : November

Day : 7th

Go to front Page…

You can see one article on Front Page of The Times of India Bangalore about the IT.Biz. And you can even check the snap embedded in the article. Check the Snap below Sachin Tendulkar's snap:))

Yeah! It’s me!!!

Rebooting a Memorable Thread ------

My Boss called me and said “Jayanth! The presentation to Siemens Vertical Heads is postponed for a week. Meanwhile, you need to attend an open marketing event “Bangalore IT.Biz” and represent Siemens IT Solutions and Services. You have to explain the IT solutions we provide in the manufacturing sector. In this event, there is a good scope to get business. Can you take up this job?” Without sparing even a second to think I said “Yes. I can. I will attend IT.Biz”

I prepared slides about Product Lifecycle Manufacturing, Manufacturing Execution Systems, Supply Chain Management, etc. The next day morning, I reached the venue, Palace Grounds. I was surprised to look at the number of the security personnel present at the IT.Biz. I was shocked to see the names of the guests who are coming to inaugurate the event. The names were that of Chief Minister (Gujarat), Chief Minister (Karnataka), many ministers and MLAs. Later I came to know that this event is open to only a few delegates especially CEOs and MDs from small and big companies.

I met my colleagues at the Siemens stall. My colleagues are Sales Managers who represented Healthcare, Automotive, Aerospace and Communications. All the guests visited a few stalls before inauguration. Fortunately, I got a chance to shake my hands with Mr. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat. Afterwards many CEOs and MDs of small and big companies visited our stall. Some executives even expressed their interest in initiating business with Siemens in different areas. I collected the business cards of the executives and handed those to Siemens. After visiting the stalls of other software companies, I got a good picture of the different directions in which the current software products and services are going. Mr. Sanjeev Sinha, MD, Siemens, India had visited our stall and spent some time with us.

We had an extra invitation to CEO Conclave. I accompanied Mr. Sanjeev to the conclave when he invited me. CEO Conclave was a private meeting in which press reporters were not allowed. I met many CEOs and MDs from topnotch IT companies such as Oracle, Microsoft, AMD, Wipro, etc. We had a social get together. I was lucky enough to initiate a brief talk with many of them. Later Economic Times editor invited a panel of ten CEOs and moderated a discussion. The topic was “What is the impact of recession on India and how to tackle the melt down?” The discussion was very interesting with the facts and figures. Finally, they concluded “The impact of the melt down is severe and we have to seek opportunities and invest cautiously” After the discussion, all of us had a sumptuous dinner. Even during the dinner, I got a chance to interact with few more executives and directors.

I deem this to be an unforgettable experience and a very good professional exposure.

Check out the snaps in the following link.

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jet706/BangaloreITBiz2008#

To Nandi Hills - In search of Sunrise

I thank my friend Ramana for relieving me from the pain of posting a blog on Nandi Hills trip. Please go through the blog to find how the trip went.

http://kvramanas.blogspot.com/2008/11/date-with-hills.html

Check the snaps of Nandi Hills trip

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jet706/NandiHillsTrip#