Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Faith



This picture was taken outside Mahalaxmi Temple, Mumbai.  There was this elderly muslim gentleman going around with incense ( unfortunately I was not quick enough and I just managed to capture the scene as he left the place ) collecting alms from the shopkeepers  Not a common sight .  He would have in most places stayed close to his own place of worship.  But the shopkeepers here did not seem to find it unusual.    

Right now in my city, there are communal riots.  And most believe it is politically motivated.  Which makes me wonder, why religion is given so much importance?  I recite the Hanuman Chalisa each day, but to be frank I did not know it was the Hanuman Jayanti today!!  And that I realised when I saw some noisy ruffians on two wheelers carrying saffron flags.  I do not ever remember the festival being celebrated in this fashion.
  
I have always claimed that I am not overly religious. Yet, I do as I said recite the Chalisa, listen to devotional music in the morning, light the lamp in the evening. And there is no real compulsion for me to visit the temple. As a dutch comedian is reported to have said - I do believe in God, but I do not trust his ground personnel. 
I would rather observe my faith in my own manner, within the walls of my home.

I must  also confess that I recite the Hanuman Chalisa on nights when sleep does not come easy..... a far better thing to do than counting sheep....

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Game...Set... Match

They say the job market has opened up.  People are moving. Some for money.  Some for a more satisfying job.


But it does seem that one can be successful even when you are not enjoying the job.  Take for instance Andre Agassi.  I read the review ( actually read it over and over again to make sure I read right!) of his autobiography OPEN.  The winner of 8 grand slams actually admits that he hated and still hates the game! And yet he was so good at it!  There are many, I'm sure, who would envy his wealth and lavish lifestyle. 

There are other reasons that might prompt a job change. And those who wish a change should give it a good thought.  Is it worth it?  This article asks you to question yourself -

Do you have the skills, interests and personality to do well in your “dream job”?  Do you know the entry-level requirements  and training available to get them? Are you willing and financially able to go back to school or get that training?  Are you comfortable with starting at the bottom of a different profession?  Does the marketplace need what you want to do? Have you talked to people about the job, and do you understand it?  And do family members support changes in their lives and the family budget that might come with a job change?

Andre Agassi was sent for his training to the famous Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy in Florida at the age of 13.  The training was so intense that he had to drop out of school.  It is said that with the possible exception of boxers, tennis players have less formal schooling than any other pro athletes and this leaves them with very few options.  This probably also left Agassi with no choice than to do his best.

There will be Monday morning blues!  But I guess if you are those who sometimes feels that you should have a better 'more satisfying job' -do be on the lookout .....and meanwhile think of Andre Agassi - you could be a winner too, no matter what you do. 

Agassi picture - davidicke.com

Sunday, March 7, 2010

May I Have Your Attention Please?

I read a tongue-in-cheek article in The Mint, by Harish Bhat COO, Titan Industries. He writes that organisations are worried about the employees losing battle to Continuous Partial Attention ( more about this later). Things like constantly checking mails, texting on mobiles are not the main threat. According to him, the most potent factor disrupting corporate discussions is the cookie platter. Especially if it constitutes delicious blackberries, cashew nuts, almonds, hazelnuts and flavoured creams. Attention he writes, shifts from the discussion to the plate. Each eyeing the coveted cookie. And he has this amusing cookie classification of managers. I could not resist posting it here.


1. The Grabber- who identifies his favourite cookie and grabs it – no concern about the others. This man has absolute clarity on what he wants in life and will waste no time getting there

2. The Vacillator who cannot choose between the cashew and the chocolate cookie. Will forever be dissatisfied with his choices in life;

3. Health Fanatic who may push the plate away – a man for whom life is a constant struggle with a fat-obsessed society. Or if he succumbs, may do away with dinner.

4. The Picky Eater, who will pick out the chocolate chip or the cashew from the cookie. This one is likely to pick and choose his way through life

5. A Civilized Sacrificer, who will wait for the last cookie, a nice guy to have around, particularly if you want to borrow money;

6. A Carrybag, who pockets the cookies left on the platter. After all the company would have paid for it all and it makes no sense to leave them behind. He has a maximizing approach to life and will claim every penny which he perceives is due to him.

I found it amusing. For me the biggest dilemma is being faced with an assorted ‘mitai' box. The sweet tooth of mine wants all, but cannot decide. I could be the Vacillator, the Picky Eater or the Health Fanatic! But never the grabber ( honest)

I am glad that I do not have Mr Bhat to analyse my actions.

And now to the CPA. There is never a dearth of jargon these days . I guess it grew with the christening of the Personnel Department to Human Resources. The CPA or the Continuous Partial Attention is supposedly different from multi-tasking.

We all do an enormous amount of multi-tasking. We did not have the term for it in our yesteryears. We just got up each morning as if endowed with a new pair of hands. Cooking, serving breakfast, packing lunch boxes, school bags …..and having to get ready for work. We did not even have an interesting term like multi-tasking. The work was plain, dull, boring and mundane. If work had to be done, we had no choice but to do it. No two ways about it. How else would we have sent the kids to school, leave for work on time, and keep the elders happy?

Linda Stone, who coined the word CPA, says when one multi-tasks, there is a motivation by a desire to be more productive and more efficient. But here each activity has the same priority . Like eating lunch and filing papers. Where one or more activities is somewhat automatic. That activity can be paired with another activity that’s also automatic or with an activity that requires more cognition, like writing an email or talking on the phone. We multi-task to create more opportunity for ourselves – more time to do more and time to relax more.

That makes sense. And CPA? In the case of continuous partial attention, one is motivated by a desire not to miss anything. A person is engaged in two activities that both demand cognition. Like talking on the phone and driving. Mailing and participating in a conference call. Carrying on a conversation while texting at the same time. Both need attention. And however much the youngsters think they are smart doing two or more such tasks, there are bound to be slip-ups.

If you pause to think, there is some truth in all this. And if you do more than pause and ponder, there is more likelihood that one will come up with newer jargon, only serving to complicate life further.

The only concurrence is that whether it is CPA or multi-tasking, while doing more than just one job, attention shifts focus all the time. One can never be engaged in deep thought. And attention is our most powerful tool.

Well right now, my thoughts are with that small helping of frozen dessert in my freezer. We have been informed that we are in for power cuts. And I would hate to think of it melting and refreezing. Not good for frozen food. And the Health Fanatic that I am, I would rather have it right now. When it is in good condition . And no other activity to accompany it either. This requires total attention!
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