PERFECT SHOW WITH Radhakrishnan Pillai - Rediscover INDIA !!

“India cannot perish, our race cannot become extinct, because among all the divisions of mankind it is to India that is reserved the highest and the most splendid destiny the most essential to the future of the human race”.

- Swami Vivekananda

This time we have amidst us a noble person who is India centric in every way. He has took upon himself the responsibility of spreading the mammoth culture of India around the world. It is Mr.RadhaKrishnan Pillai, the director of Atmadarshan, whose mission is "To spread India's Spiritual and Cultural glory by providing various services & products - Professionally & Ethically".

Radhakrishnan has a B.A. in Sociology and has done Management in Industrial development. He has done an extensive management research course on ‘Katutilya’s Arthashastra’. Radhakrishnan Pillai has over 13 years experience in the fields of marketing and logistics. Radhakrishnan's vision of bringing India's spiritual and cultural heritage in a format that is easily understood, well researched and professionally managed resulted in the conceptualization of Atma Darshan.

Without much ado, over to the show.

THE PERFECT SHOW

Host: Prashant Sree - PS
Guest: Radhakrishnan Pillai - RP

PS: Hello Radhakrishnan, Its a pleasure to have you in the PERFECT Show.
RP: Thank You.

PS: What are you passionate about in Life ?
RP: INDIA.. INDIA...INDIA

PS: Great to hear that. What have you learnt in your life other than academics, which you would like to share with others ?
RP: I HAVE LEARNT MORE IN MY LIFE THAN WHAT I DID IN ACADEMICS..I LEARNT KAUTILYA'S ARTHASHATRA, BHAGWAT GITA, UPANISHADS, AND A LIST OF INDIAN SCRIPTURES AND BOOKS..

I LOVE TO AND CONTINUE SHARING MY LESSONS I LEARNT WITH OTHERS IN VARIOUS FORMS...LIKE WRITING, TEACHING, CONDUCTING SEMINARS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS ETC..

PS: I agree that Learning is a life long process. And Iam sure that Knowledge sharing is a wonderful phenomenon by itself. Now, If you are given a wish to change one thing in world, what would you change ?
RP: INDIA'S LOW THINKING ABOUT ITSELF AND LOSS OF SELF ESTEEM BY BLINDLY FOLLOWING THE MATERIALIST CULTURE.. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO 'WHIP' PUBLICALLY ALL OUR CURRENT FILM PERSONALITIES. THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT CULTURAL DAMAGE THEY ARE DOING BY PROMOTING LOW VALUES IN OUR MOVIES AND TV SHOWS..

OUR GEN NEXT IS LOOKING UP TO THEM AS ROLE MODELS BUT THESE HAVE DEGRADED OUR RICH SPIRITUAL COUNTRY TO JUST A COUNTRY WHICH GIVES PHYSICAL OUTLOOK AS TOP PRIORITIES OF OUR LIVES..

EXAMPLE - SHAHRUKH KHAN HAD NO CLUE HOW HE DEGRADED THE GREAT HERO 'ASHOKA' IN HIS MOVIE.. IS ASHOKA TO BE SHOWCASED LIKE THIS (DOING VULGAR SCENES WITH KAREENA) TO OUR YOUNGER GENERATION AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE?

SANJAY DUTT (GREAT ROLE ON SCREEN - MUNNABHAI AND GANDHI'S IDEAS). PERSONAL LIFE MESSED UP. AN INSPIRATION OR A WRONG ROLE MODEL?
WHEN WILL WE AS A GENERATION STOP DIFFERENTIATING SCREEN ROLES AND REAL LIFE ROLES?

PS: What you say is definitely true. I do value your opinions. Who is your Favorite Mythological Hero and why ?
RP: THERE ARE MANY (PLEASE AVOID CALLING THEM MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS - THESE ARE NOT MYTHS BUT LEGENDS WHO LIVED IN FLESH AND BLOOD)

CHANAKYA - I LIVE AND BREATH CHANAKYA EVERY SECOND.. HE IS NOT SEPARATE FROM ME..



KRISHNA - A MAN OF PERFECTION.. HIS GITA GUIDED PEOPLE ACROSS GENERATIONS AND STILL CONTINUES TO DO SO

KARNA - A SAD SAGA OF A HERO WHO WOULD HAVE DONE MUCH BETTER HAD DESTINY NOT PLAYED A CRUEL ROLE FOR HIM. LESSON TO BE LEARNT - EVEN IF WE ARE THE BEST OF WARRIORS, CERTAIN SITUATIONS ARE NOT UNDER OUR CONTROL FOR SUCCESS. OUR OWN PEOPLE CAN DITCH US (HIS MOTHER KUNTI ABANDONED HIM) WHILE AN ENEMY (DURYODHAN)STOOD BY HIM IN THE WORST OF TIME..... DESTINY AND TIME TEACHES US A LOT...

PS: Thats a long list and Iam sure that each of us have something to learn, as long as we are ready to learn. What would you like to stand for in your life ?
RP: A PERSON WHO BROUGHT BACK TO INDIA (OUR GENERATION) ITS PAST SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL GLORY...

PS: Hats off to you. My best wishes to you. What do you consider as your charm ?
RP: THE NEVER GIVE UP SPIRIT AND EVEN IN WORST SITUATIONS I LOOK FOR WHAT 'WORKED WELL' INSTEAD OF WHAT WENT WRONG.

PS: What is your Thumb Rule for Life ?
RP: YOUR REAL TREASURE OF LIFE IS FRIENDS NOT THE MONEY YOU MAKE.. FRIENDS MAKE US RICH NOT MONEY

PS: Nice Thought. Who have been your Role Models in your life till now and why ?
RP: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA - HE BROUGHT BACK INDIAN KNOWLEDGE BACK TO ITS GLORY IN THE PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS (INTERNATIONALLY) WHEN WE WERE UNDER THE BRITISH RULE. WHAT HE DID IN ONE LIFETIME INSPIRED MANY GENERATIONS AFTER HIM. NO WONDER HE IS CALLED A YUG-PURUSHA (A MAN OF THE ERA).. READING HIS BOOKS I HAVE FOUND A VISION FOR MY LIFE.

SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA - I HAVE SPENT SOME OF MY MOST MEMORABLE DAYS OF MY LIFE WITH HIM. WITH HIM I NEVER FELT I REQUIRED TO SEE SWAMI VIVEKANADNA PHYSICALLY. HE WAS ALL THAT SWAMI VIVEKANANDA WAS AND BEYOND. I HAVE BEEN CONNNECTED WITH CHINMAYA MISSION SINCE CHILDHOOD - ALMOST 21 YEARS NOW.

MY BEST YOUTH DAYS WERE SPEND IN THE YOUTH WING OF CHINMAYA MISSION (CHINMAYA YUVA KENDRA - CHYK).. NOT A DAY GOES FOR ME WITHOUT READING HIS BOOKS.. MY LIFE LONG INSPIRATION... OTHERS INCLUDE - LOKMANYA TILAK, SHIVAJI MAHARAJ, SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE etc

PS: You have indeed been lucky to have been guided by wise people. Which books have had an influence on you ?
RP: WELL, BOOKS ARE MY INSPIRATION AND I HAVE LEARNT FROM ALL THE BOOKS I READ. I HAVE A PERSONAL COLLECTION OF OVER 1500 BOOKS EACH GREAT IN ITS OWN MATTER. HOWEVER, THESE 2 STAND OUT..

KAUTILYA'S ARTHASHATRA & BHAGWAT GITA

PS: Can you tell the purpose behind starting Atmadarshan ...?
RP: TO BRING BACK TO THE COMMON MAN'S INDIA'S RICH, GLORIOUS CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL HERITAGE..

PS: Well Radhakrishnan, we come to the end of this edition of PERFECT SHOW. There were many interesting insights and wise things to know. Iam sure that the readers will be benefited from this edition as well. On behalf of the readers I wish you success in all your future endeavors.
RP: Thank You Prashant.

Folks, thats it for now. Iam sure that you have been learning many wonderful things which in turn makes a small difference in your life for good. Thank You All for your support and encouragement. Hope to have it forever.

Secret of Magical Life - Part II

Hi All,

Iam happy to say that my previous two post "Power of Positive Talk" and the "Secret of Magical Life - Part I" was very well received. I had many people thanking me for sharing such wonderful information with them. Iam sincerely happy and thank you all for your encouragement. I also thank my friend who had forwarded the information to me. In my second part of "Secret of The Magical Life", i was to share the second empowering word which will make an immense difference in your life.,.


After reading the "Secret of The Magical Life - Part I", Iam sure you are better placed to face the Challenges in your life. And more Challenges you face,the more you grow. Now to empower yourself, we have the second empowering word.,. Any guesses ...? Well, i had given you a clue in my previous post.,.The EMPOWERING WORD IS "TAKE CONTROL".

"Take Control" of Whom ? Why control. Isnt it kinda dominating ? If it makes no sense to you, let me explain and Iam sure you will be more comfortable in Taking control.,. ;). Before i elucidate further, i would like to say the instances when the above word if used can empower us to a great extent. Generally when people say bye to each other, we bid adieu by saying "TAKE CARE". Thats how it has been said and how we have been saying it.

Well , let me ask you a simple question. What does the word "TAKE CARE" imply ? "Take Care" suggest that you are telling to other person to take care of his life. The Oxford dictionary gives the meaning of care as "a feeling of or occasion for anxiety" or "feel concern or interest".

Many a times, we use the word "Take Care" mostly with small kids or patients, who need someone to take care of them. Hence when we use the word, "Take Care", we repeatedly program the receiver's mind (the person to whom the word is addressed) to take care of his life, which indirectly hints that he is not yet capable of taking control of his life.This may not be obvious, but the reality is we indirectly influence our closest people . Some of you may agree on this and some not, yet if one can fathom the immense power of his mind, then one can understand how programming our mind can affect our life to a major extent. Simply putting it, if "Take Care" makes a person get less confident mentally, "Take Control" programs our mind to take control of our life.

Imagine a situation. Your friend or hubby is in a dull mood. He calls you up and shoots down his sorrows to you. Just before you hung up, if you finish with "Take Care" , it will be programmed in his mind as "Be cautious in your approach and your situation is something of concern". No matter he will be in the same situation again. In contrast if you finish your conversation by saying "Take Control", you will leave him with a wise thought, that he can Take Charge of your life..,. He will definitely be better off and he will be definitely in much better spirits.


As someone rightly said,

" We cannot always control what is happening around us,but we can decide how we react to it ".

Wishing you aN empowered life.

Its your Life, Live it...

TAKE CONTROL

POWER OF POSITIVE TALK !!

This continues my previous post about making your life magical. The "Language" which we use has a major impact in our daily life. I got a forward from my friend which elucidated the power of positive language. Surely, reading this is going to change your thinking.,. So, here you have

"THE POWER OF POSITIVE TALK"

I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming factor in lifelong success.

One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so high.My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle and the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad's voice over the wind yell, "Bart, Hold on tightly." So I did. The next thing I know, I heard Tammy screaming at the top of her lungs, laying flat on the ground. She had fallen out of the tree. I scampered down the tree to safety. My dad later told me why she fell and I did not. Apparently, when Tammy's mother felt the gust of wind, she yelled out, "Tammy, don't fall!" And Tammy did… fall.

My dad then explained to me that the mind has a very difficult time processing a negative image. In fact, people who rely on internal pictures cannot see a negative at all. In order for Tammy to process the command of not falling, her nine-year-old brain had to first imagine falling, then try to tell the brain not to do what it just imagined. Whereas, my eight-year-old brain instantly had an internal image of me hanging on tightly.

This concept is especially useful when you are attempting to break a habit or set a goal. You can't visualize not doing something. The only way to properly visualize not doing something is to actually find a word for what you want to do and visualize that. For example, when I was thirteen years old, I played for my junior high school football team. I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't get it together at that age. I remember hearing the words run through my head as I was running out for a pass, "Don't drop it!" Naturally, I dropped the ball.My coaches were not skilled enough to teach us proper "self-talk." They just thought some kids could catch and others couldn't. I'll never make it pro, but I'm now a pretty good Sunday afternoon football player, because all my internal dialogue is positive and encourages me to win. I wish my dad had coached me playing football instead of just climbing trees. I might have had a longer football career.

Here is a very easy demonstration to teach your kids and your friends the power of a toxic vocabulary. Ask them to hold a pen or pencil. Hand it to them. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Say to them, "Okay, try to drop the pencil." Observe what they do.Most people release their hands and watch the pencil hit the floor. You respond, "You weren't paying attention. I said TRY to drop the pencil. Now please do it again." Most people then pick up the pencil and pretend to be in excruciating pain while their hand tries but fails to drop the pencil.

The point is made.

If you tell your brain you will "give it a try," you are actually telling your brain to fail. I have a "no try" rule in my house and with everyone I interact with. Either people will do it or they won't. Either they will be at the party or they won't. I'm brutal when people attempt to lie to me by using the word try. Do they think I don't know they are really telegraphing to the world they have no intention of doing it but they want me to give them brownie points for pretended effort? You will never hear the words "I'll try" come out of my mouth unless I'm teaching this concept in a seminar.

If you "try" and do something, your unconscious mind has permission not to succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I will tell the truth. "Sorry John. I'm not sure if I will be at your party or not. I've got an outstanding commitment. If that falls through, I will be here. Otherwise, I will not. Thanks for the invite."People respect honesty. So remove the word "try" from your vocabulary. My dad also told me that psychologists claim it takes seventeen positive statements to offset one negative statement. I have no idea if it is true, but the logic holds true. It might take up to seventeen compliments to offset the emotional damage of one harsh criticism. These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.

Ask yourself how many compliments you give yourself daily versus how many criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to yourself all day long. We all have internal voices that give us direction.So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio or are you shortchanging yourself with toxic self-talk like, " I'm fat. Nobody will like me. I'll try this diet. I'm not good enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke, etc. etc.". If our parents can set a lifetime of programming with one wrong statement, imagine the kind of programming you are doing on a daily basis with your own internal dialogue. Here is a list of Toxic Vocabulary words. Notice when you or other people use them.

• But: Negates any words that are stated before it.

• Try: Presupposes failure.

• If: Presupposes that you may not.

• Might: It does nothing definite. It leaves options for your listener.

• Would Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen.

• Should Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen (and implies guilt.)

• Could Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen but the person tries to take credit as if it did happen.

• Can't/Don't: These words force the listener to focus on exactly the opposite of what you want. This is a classic mistake that parents and coaches make without knowing the damage of this linguistic error.

Examples:

Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"
Likely result: Drops the ball
Better language: "Catch the ball!"

Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch so much television."
Likely result: Watches more television.
Better language: "I read too much television makes people stupid. You might find yourself turning that TV off and picking up one of those books more often!"

Exercise: Take a moment to write down all the phrases you use on a daily basis or any Toxic self-talk that you have noticed yourself using. Write these phrases down so you will begin to catch yourself as they occur and change them.

You are the most important asset you have; treat yourself accordingly.

--- Lucy MacDonald

PERFECT SHOW with Sundar - Passion Personified !!

Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.

--- Georg Wilhelm

Well Folks, this time, we have a person who is passionate about passion very passionately. Didnt get it ?? Quite right, well, that was for the introduction. The guest of this edition of PERFECT Show is none other than my senior from NITT college, Sundar Rajan, A Googler Blogger.,. To elucidate, he worked in Google and he is a ardent blogger as well. He hosts a site called Coffee with Sundar, which has been providing a lot of gyaan to students about higher education and a lot of other activities.,. And yes, you got it right !! He worked(not works) in Google, and having successfully belled CAT'07, he is joining IIM-B this year. Without much ado, over to the Show.



THE PERFECT SHOW:

Host: Prashant Sree : PS
Guest :Sundar Rajan: SR

PS: Hi Sundar,Welcome to the PERFECT Show.
SR Thanks a lot Prashant :-)

PS: Coool :) Lets Start !! So what are you passionate about in life ?
SR: I am passionate about learning/sharing knowledge.. I believe there is lot to learn.. There is even more to teach.. :-)

PS: Rightly said. I would like to ask a question here. What does one get by sharing if he doesnt get anything in return. ie. in monetary sense. what are your thoughts on this ?
SR: I think one must not always measure returns by monetary value.. There is so much value added when you teach.. Infact, from the givers perspective, it can increase confidence, give satisfaction.. you are looked at as experts from the receivers side.. And ofcourse there is so much value addition. you are giving information with a human touch.There is nothing like learning from people.. Its awesome.

PS: I admire your view...!
SR: Thanks

PS: Ok now, what things you have learnt in your life, which you would like to share with us ?
SR: I have a learnt quite a few things during my working years, which I have documented here..
http://coffeewithsundar.com/learnings-from-my-experience-at-google/
Let me tell you the main thing. Passion and attitude is what determines success... and not the abilities. If you are passionate, there is nothing stopping you..

Coffee With Sundar

PS: Good answer. ;) Moving onto the next question, If you are a rebel, what one thing would you like to change in today's world ?
SR: Hmm..I think if there is one thing which I would like to change in the world would be myself.. If not some of my core principles..There is sufficient scope for improvement.. And as we keep adapting/improving with the changing world.. we would see that the world is a better place .If we dont change ourself.. we will be left in a chaotic place.. and it will appear that the universe is conspiring against us :-)

PS: Wonderful Thought !! Who is your favorite mythological hero ?
SR: I dont have any particular mythological hero.. :-) I dont know in what sense.. Do you mean role models?

PS: More like a mythology character.,.
SR: I really would like to be Sri Rama in life.. :-)

PS: Great !! Your reasons ?
SR: I think Rama is one person who is loved by all people.. He has this eka patni vrata. My Mom wanted me to be like Rama !

PS: Good !! Only the lighting behind the head and the bow is missing. Dont worry ! we will arrange for it soon ;)
SR: ha ha..

PS: Just kidding... I held him in high regard.
SR: :-)

PS: Gr8 !! Ok, now what would you like to evangelize in ur life ?
SR: Ah.. I would like to be remembered as a great teacher.. with a lot of knowledge.. who shared all his knowledge.. with *PASSION*.. I want to be a symbol of PASSION :-) in whatever i do..

PS:Hats off again Sundar. I like this passion thing about you. What do u consider as your charm ?
SR: Its my passion and high energy.. with which I do things..I also believe a lot in my ability to persist (in difficult) situations..

PS: Good.,. and to what do you contribute ur healthy charm ?
SR: Just to give an example.. I am using my charm to run Coffee With Sundar :-). Its one example.. of my passion, high energy and persistence.. I would like to use my charm in everything I do.. :-)

PS: haha ;) I think its well evident. and has been very useful for many.
SR:Well.. hopefully.. :-)

PS: :) Cool. then what is your thumb rule for life ?
SR: Learn a lot, Teach others.. Be a role model.. Be inspiring & Passionate.. Although.. this looks like hand rule.. not a thumb rule... :-)

PS: Shall i call it a self rule of Sundar.,. ;)
SR: Whatever u call .. :-) As long as I follow..

PS: Who are your role models in life till now ?
SR: I am very happy that you have asked about role models .. Because i have many.. I dont have one person who embodies everything.. I like some characteristics in some people.. for example..
I love the humility of Sachin Tendulkar,
Confidence of Shah Rukh Khan, Sorry to say ..

Only these two ppl u might know.. others are..
Learning & Teaching skills of Sreeram, Google Engineer, I like Vidhya Rangasayee for her ability to take initiatives,Hemalatha Thiagarajan Maam for teaching..
no single person.. as such.. thats it for the time being.. :-)

PS: Good.,. you have a canny ability to spot the good things in others.,.I am sure will be useful to u in the long run..! Which books have been your fav influences ?
SR: I am not a voracious reader.. I am have read (non academic) once in a while..
If at all there is any book.. I would say .. Algorithms by C L R S :-) .If it was not for that book.. I wouldnt have reached Google..

PS: haha ;) No wonder about that ;)
SR: The place where I learnt a lot of things.. where i found my passion

PS: Iam impressed..! good to see a techie with a human side in all sense.,.!
SR: ha ha :-)

PS: Well Sundar.,. I must say that this edition was indeed quite fun as well as enlightening.,. Thanks for sharing your gyaan with us ;). I wish you on behalf of the readers a Happy and Successful journey ahead !!
SR: I really enjoyed being a part of this show..

To sign off,

"Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be. Become one yourself!"

- Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

SECRET OF MAGICAL LIFE !!

If someone is thinking that Iam going to explain about magic and suggest a few tricks , Hey MaN, you are in the wrong place...! Well Iam going to share some immense powerful secrets ( Ok, i wont exaggerate, They are simple words which we use in day today life, but have immense potential to change our life.,. Here we go ...


There is a basic tenet for Happy Life. Representing it diagrammatically, it will be like this:

THOUGHTS ----> BELIEF-----> ACTIONS

We all know that "Its what we do that defines us". It translates to the fact the according to the thoughts you have in mind, you will perform actions, which will inturn determine your conditions. Now, the purpose of this post is something similar which will help us empower ourself.

We will start with the first of the three mentioned i.e Thoughts. So how does one get thoughts. A lot of factors determine that !! Very true,like Our environment,the kind of activity we do etc... Also, there is something called "Language" or "Words" which we use which in turn will determine our thoughts to some extent. To give an idea, take a situation wherein you are waiting for a train or a bus. Assuming supposedly, that you are in a hurry, the normal mentality will be to be in a anxious state, cursing everyone , the bus, the government,the bus driver, the people at home who got us late,... and predicting the end of all things.

Its a common sight we see, when words like "F$^&#" and other "Star rated words" take prominence in our language. Now let us sit back and see the situation from a different perspective. The arrival of the bus , whether we want it or not, is outside our control. No matter how much we jump and bring the skies to the ground, the bus timing is least going to be affected due to it. Alternatively, if we could have saved the "cursed out" energy for some useful purposes, it wouldn't might make much difference, (except bringing down our Blood Pressure, and also the Blood Pressure of people around us.)

All of us have problems in our life. And most of us need someone to whom we can cry our worry out, someone who can boost us up. When we have a difficult situation to face, we immediately label it as "PROBLEM". And thanks to our society mind set, anything called PROBLEM is no less than devils incarnate. No matter how simple, the issue might be, we blow it out of proportion by labeling it as PROBLEM. Iam sure that many of us can relate to that fact, when someone would have come to us and said I have a problem, we look for the easiest way out from that place.Reason being, nobody wants themselves to be in a PROBLEM as Problem always brings us bad times...

Hmm.,., Instead while facing a difficult situation, if one calls it a Challenge , or a issue, it might lessen the intensity of the situation. Another good thing about the word "CHALLENGE" is that, we have a intrinsic mindset about the word "CHALLENGE" ie. we will face the Challenge. We get the attitude "I Vs Challenge". So obviously, you will be much more empowered to handle the task at hand, by mere using the word "CHALLENGE" instead of the word "PROBLEM".

This empowering mindset will go a long a way in ensuring that you face the issue at hand with more confidence and with more clarity. What more, people will love to throng around you as you will be the one who can challenge any of the PROBLEMS. Ultimately your charm and influence increases... So one of the way we empower ourself is by deciding whether we face a PROBLEM or CHALLENGE a PROBLEM.

The other empowering word i will share in my next post !! Ok, here i give a clue. Find it if you can. ;)

Have a Empowering Life !!

Take Control :)

A Day with a ISB Alumnus !!

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

— Harold Thurman Whitman

This time ,We have a guest, very passionate about his work. Inspite of his hectic schedule, he had agreed to be a part of PERFECT Show. I thank him on behalf of the readers for sharing his knowledge and his learnings with us.

He is Mr.Sujayath, product manager for Amazon Payments. He was a computer graduate working as a software engineer,then went for his MBA at ISB and then joined Amazon as a product manager. He oversee's products that revolutionize the way payments are made and is very passionate about his work. He is happily married to Summiah and considers her, his lucky charm. :)

THE PERFECT SHOW:

Host: Prashant
Guest: Sujayath

Prashant: Hi Sujayath,Welcome to the PERFECT Show.
Sujayath: Hi Prashant. Thank You.

Prashant: Logging in, What are you passionate about in Life ?
Sujayath: I am passionate about changes. I love the revolutionary changes such as internet, email, ecommerce, electronic payments, mobile, communication channel changes that made it possible for India to compete on the same platform as developed countries and change in thought processes such as quantum theory, relativity theory and E=MC2.

Prashant: What have you learnt in your life( other than academics), which you would like to share with others ?
Sujayath: Hmmm. Learning has been a part of everyday life. Some of my learnings are as follows:
1. Question the basic assumptions

2. Think in a structured way

3. Know your assumptions

4. People deliver their best when they get presented with the right level of incentives. Incentives could be carrot or stick

5. If you behave like a CEO, You are a CEO. Never worry about your background, designation or experience

6. Be proactive

Prashant: Great to hear that. If you are given a wish to change one thing in world, what would you change ?
Sujayath: In India I will change the reservations. Its sad that people fight to be branded as backward. People have lost confidence in their own ability that they are asking for quotas. Its self-confidence that they need and not really reservations.

In world I will change religion. I believe religion is the root cause for more than 50% of the worlds problems.Another thing that I want to change is the idea of Patriotism. The concept is outdated for the globalization era and needs drastic definition change.

Prashant: Very useful insights !! Thank You. Then who is your Favourite Mythological Hero and why ?
Sujayath: I like superman. The difference between superman and a spider-man is that superman is born as a super-hero while spider-man became one. I like to think that we are born great and just that we dont realize it.


I like Hanuman for the same reason. I like the idea of someone with enormous power but doesnt realize that he is that powerful. I believe we ALL are like that.

Prashant: Good reasoning !! What would you like to evangelize for in your life ?
Sujayath:I like to stand for objectivism. Objectivism, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute

Prashant: What is your charm ?
Sujayath: My wife.

Prashant: Lucky man...! What is your Thumb Rule for Life ?
Sujayath: Live for yourself and your family.

Prashant: Which books have been your Favorite Influences till now ?
Sujayath: Atlas Shrugged, Freakonomics, Fountainhead, World is flat, A short history of nearly everything,

Prashant: Who have been your Role Models till now and why ?
Sujayath: Einstein - Think about someone bringing a revolution just by thinking. He shows us what mere thought process can achieve.
Bill Gates I think he is the mascot for objectivism. Just by thinking about him, I get energized.

Prashant: Great to hear that Sujayath. Iam sure this edition of PERFECT Show would have been equally interesting and useful for the readers. It was a pleasure to have you in the Show. I on behalf of the readers wish you the very best in all your future endeavors...!
Sujayath: Thank You.

Will sign off, with a cogent thought:

"What is greatness? I will answer: it is the capacity to live by the three fundamental values of John Galt: reason, purpose, self-esteem."

5 Similarities between a Girl Friend and a Book

I just got this idea while conversing with my friends. One of my friend was lamenting on the absence of a Girl Friend in his life and he felt as if he was wasting his precious bachelors life for nothing. And he wondered when he will meet his first love. One of my other friend , a kinda book-oholic, always said that Books was his first love.



This contrast between the two , stirred the devil inside me to come up with a new post: Comparing the pros and cons of having a Book/GF for a company. And this been quite a delicate issue, I have tried to my best not to hurt anyone feelings, and if any one still takes it personal, you should know who to point your finger at ;)

Here we go ahead with the comparisons...

1) One Overt similarity will be that both of them give company(companion) to the individual concerned.

2) Over a period of time, you get bored with the 'same' her(the girl) /it(book) and switch over to something else. This is true in both the cases !!
Corollary: (As always, exception exist !!)

3) A good book/girl friend teaches you something, which will change you for the better in your life...

4) A book quality can be directly or inversely proportional to the number of pages. For eg. a small book of 150 pages can contain invaluable information.,. Also, there are books such as Encyclopedias which not only voluminous pages but also the same amount of information.Same goes with the Girls. In case of a girl, the beauty can be directly or inversely proportional to the intellect. Though the 'inverse part' is true in most of the cases.

5) Echoing the above point, Appearances can be deceptive both in the case of Books as well as Girls. An attractive cover neednt necessarily mean a good book. Similarly, an attractive outward appearance might/might not be an indicator of an attractive character.

To sign off, i would like to leave with this thought. Many of us have heard the saying - "Behind a successful man, there is always a Woman". Iam yet to hear a saying:

"Behind a successful Man, there is always a priceless book".

Well,well what i hear. Did someone say that Books are being discriminated ... Welcome to the real World ;)

P.S: I would like to see how many more similarities one can come up with. If any of you can add to the above ones, (in lighter sense of course ), it will be fabulous. Lemme see how many flex their creative muscles...!!!

A Day with a MS Grad !!

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can”

--- John Wesley

This week guest is a young grad, Balaji Ramamurthy pursuing his Masters degree in Computer Science at University of Arizona.Here goes his introduction:

He has finished B.Tech in Information Technology and currently working for his Masters degree in Computer Science at the University of Arizona. His hobbies include quizzing and is an avid sports fan. He has played cricket, football and chess for other professional teams. He loves gaming on the PC.

THE "PERFECT" SHOW:

Host - PS - Prashant Sree

Guest - BR - Balaji Ramamurthy

PS: Hi Balaji, Welcome to the Show.
BR: Thank You

PS: Well lets get on with the show. What are you passionate about in Life ?
BR: I am passionate about being a good person. I am passionate about leading a good life. I do not want to be remembered by anyone for some wrong reason. I like helping out the less fortunate people with whatever I can. I am passionate about doing things my way and living life my way without having to listen to anyone. To be short and simple, I am passionate about being good to all and living life my way, so that I do not have any regrets when I am there in my deathbed.

PS: Thats what you call being good and doing good... Indeed nice to hear that. So What have you learnt in your life till now which you would like to share with others ?
BR: What goes around comes back around. I have learned to believe in Karma. So essentially what I'd like to share with others is that you need to be frank, honest and good to others. And life will be good to you. I have also learned to be practical and not ideal in life. In most real life situations, you need to be practical and not ideal.

PS: Speaking of ideal, lets assume If you are given a wish to change one thing in world, what would you change ?
BR: The political system in India. Needless to say, once it changes everything bad in India changes.

PS: Far-Fetched idea ;) !! Anyhow i sincerely hope a useful change should happen soon. Who is your Favorite Mythological Hero and why ?
BR: Robin Hood. Bold and fearless. Someone who was practical and envisioned the greater good.



PS: Nice choice. A hero of the common folks... Ok, tell me What would you like to evangelize in your life ?
BR: Goodness. I have and will continue to utilize any opportunity that I get to help people that are less fortunate.

PS: Good !! What do you consider as your charm ?
BR: My persuasiveness and my ability to convince people (in a positive sense and for a good cause that is :) ).

PS: What is your Thumb Rule for Life ?
BR: Be good to everyone and be good to life. You will feel the reciprocation. Everyone will be good to you.

PS: I agree . What you do goes around and comes back. Who have been ur role models and why ?
BR: I have no role models. Which is because I live life my way. I do not believe in following anyone else's footsteps. Though I respect others for they have done, I am my own role model and I try to improve myself every day after self-introspection.

PS: A different attitude. But definitely one of the unique one. Which books which have influenced ur thinking ?
BR: I do not read too much. To be frank, books have not played any part in influencing my thoughts. It is life that has influenced my thinking. Life around me. Lives of people who live around me. Lives of people who I know.

And of course my life and experiences. All these influence my thinking and actions. Life is your best teacher. No book or role model can teach you anything. There is a lesson to be learnt everyday in life. So learn those lessons and let them influence your thoughts and actions in a positive way.

PS: Well said.,. Life is a strict teacher in reality ;). Well Balaji, we come to the conclusion of this version of PERFECT Show. It is refreshing to know your learnings which Iam sure will benefit someone reading this post.
I thank you once again on behalf of the readers for being a guest in the show and wish you the very best in all your future endeavors.
BR: Thanks Prashant for your wishes and wish you the same...

Thats it folks. I hope you enjoyed this version of PERFECT SHOW. Like Balaji said Life teaches us a lot of lessons everyday. It depends on each of us how open are we to the learnings and how we decide to implement that in our life, that will determine how we are in Life. Its your Life...!

I will wrap up by sharing a profound thought:

Be Kind to People, for everyone is fighting a hard battle !!

PRECIOUS GEMS !!

I was browsing through the blogo-sphere when i came upon this post.

A retired Army person has shared his experiences in army which are not only worth hearing but also worth implementing . One of my fav lines is as follows:

"If it was bad when you went to sleep and its still bad when you wake up, well then I guess you weren't missing anything. If by chance its better when you wake up, then apparently the world doesn't rest upon your shoulders."


Check here for the full excerpt.

AND WE TALK OF CHANGING THE WORLD !!

This thought came as when i was browsing through an article in Times of India . Its one of the hottest topic currently talked about (much spicier than the Kissan's Spicy tomato sauces..!) Yes it is the US Democratic presidential nominee campaign, with two prominent campaigners leaving no stones unturned in wooing the people to vote for them.

A lot has been talked about and a lot predicted. How the dice will turn ,only time will tell us. Yet what caught my mind has been penned down here.


The impending interest around the Democratic Presidential Nominee Campaigns is self explanatory. The person who will be getting elected as a nominee will be getting a shot to occupying the White House and who will have the power to change the fortunes of the multitudes. So naturally, this event is looked with same interest as that of a suspense thriller movie.

One of the other reasons why this Democratic nominee campaign generates interest is because it will be the first time that a woman or a black man are getting a chance to have a shot at the Presidential seat. What amazed me is the fact that almost all the newspapers, media stresses on the point "black" man. It is appalling to see that the country which claims that they have created milestones in eliminating barriers between people and which stands for the rights of the people, are still sticking to the "black" syndrome.


I do understand that discriminations like this will exist. One can argue the fact that in case Obama gets nominated and becomes the President, it will mean that people are not discriminatory. Yet my point is the fact that the word "black" man while addressing him explicitly shows the fact that the inherent mental block we have amidst us is still there. Yet i do understand that we have come a long way, from a time when the people labeled blacks were despised and poorly treated. Sure,a lot has changed. Yet not so much as what is expected of us.

As we go ahead with the our life's, one thing will decide the fate of all of us. Its not what a person is due to his/her birth, but what a person is by his virtues, actions and talents. That will decide what footing a person will have in the world. Iam sure the inherent attitude in the people will change as we enter the next phase of human renaissance. Only when people began to respect other people and when they treat others as they are meant to, the world will flourish and the one dreamt land of Atlantis will materialize... When that moment comes , lies in our hands... Like Gandhi said, "We must be the change we want to see in the world"

“To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.”

- Charles de Montesquieu