The Broker - John Grisham

"In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.

Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive—there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?"

So says the cover page of the book. 47th of 2020, The Broker by John Grisham was an interesting and a relaxing read, though fiction, can see many of it could be true - especially given the current scenario. 

Six years ago, the Backman scandal had engulfed much of Washington and eventually tainted the White House. A cloud appeared over a popular president, paving the way for Arthur Morgan to stumble his way into the White House.

Now that he was stumbling out, he relished the idea of one last arbitrary slap in the face to the Washington establishment that had shunned him for four years. A reprieve for Joel Backman would rattle the walls of every office building in D.C. and shock the press into a blathering frenzy. Morgan liked the idea. While he sunned away on Barbados, the city would gridlock once again as congressmen demanded hearings and prosecutors performed for the cameras and the insufferable talking heads prattled nonstop on cable news.

The President smiled into the darkness.

"The President had shifted to the "we" mode now, something he invariably did when a potentially unpopular decision was at hand. For the easy ones, it was always "I." When he needed a crutch, and especially when he would need someone to blame, he opened up the decision-making process and included." - Is this common?

Discover Your Clifton Strengths - Strengthsfinder 2.0 From Gallup and Tom Rath

An interesting insight into the self; from Don Clifton, the Father of Strengths Psychology and Inventor of CliftonStrengths.  Thanks to Gopal Sir our CFO for sending us the book, as a surprise in the last call at the time of his leaving. No wonder - his skills are Maximiser, arranger, empathy, communication and self assurance. 

The aim is to help people focus on their strengths, and not bother or go about their weakness. What the CliftonStrengths assessment actually measures is talent, not strength. But the ultimate goal is to build a true strength, and talent is just one of the ingredients in this formulas. Its easier to add knowledge and skill to your repository, and the assessment don't ask questions about it. The belief is, most successful people start with dominant talent - and then add skills, knowledge and practice to the mix. When they do this, the raw talent actually serves as a multiplier. 

Talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling, or behaving) X Investment (time spent practicing, developing your skills and building your knowledge base) = Strength ( the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance)

These strengths insights describe what makes you stand out when compared with the millions of other people.

The maxim is "You cannot be anything you want to be - but you can be a lot more of who you already are"

At the end of the Part 1 of the book Finding your strengths - An introduction, it asks us to go to the site 

press.gallup.com/code/sf2

and redeem the unique access code, to take the assessment, which is valid for one use only. It was an interesting exercise, after which we are to read Part 2 of the book containing Applying your strengths.

We often take our most powerful talents for granted, and many of us may not be fully aware of them.

The ways in which you most naturally think, feel and behave as a unique individual are such a dominant part of you that they are always there - everywhere you go and in everything you do. But because your greatest talents are such a natural part of you, they might be harder for you to identify than for others.

We all need a little help in discovering our greatest talents. That's where the CliftonStrengths assessment comes in. Grounded in decades of the study of talents, strengths and success, your CliftonStrengths report is an invaluable tool to help you find the source of your natural talent.

I enjoyed doing mine:

DOMAIN KEY

Executing themes help you make things happen. (Black)

      Influencing themes help you take charge, speak up and make sure others are heard. (Brown)

      Relationship Building themes help you build strong relationships that hold a team together. (Blue)

      Strategic Thinking themes help you absorb and analyze information that informs better decisions. (Green)

Responsibility | Input | Learner | Relator | Individualization

1. Responsibility (Executing): People exceptionally talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Driven by your talents, you try to finish the tasks you agreed to do. Perhaps you even overcome some unexpected problems. Occasionally you work longer hours when it is necessary. Maybe you do whatever you can to avoid breaking the promises you made to people. Chances are good that you have a strong sense of commitment. It motivates you to make sure that things are carried through to completion even when difficulties arise. Because of your strengths, you may reject the idea that telling a falsehood about something unimportant is acceptable. Perhaps you refuse to make an innocent social excuse to protect someone’s feelings. By nature, you occasionally take on additional tasks. Why? Maybe you want to keep busy. You may be compelled to assume full ownership of your work. Perhaps you continually discover more things you can do, should do, or must do. Perhaps you willingly accept the consequences of your words, deeds, action, or lack of action. It’s very likely that you sometimes volunteer to do things rather than wait to be asked to assume more duties. 

2. Input (Strategic Thinking): People exceptionally talented in the Input theme have a need to collect and archive. They may accumulate information, ideas, artifacts or even relationships.

Driven by your talents, you may pay close attention to specific categories of current events. Some people merely recount what they heard, saw, or read. Perhaps you dive deeper into the topic. You might generate a few theories, concepts, or philosophies to explain some of the reasoning behind certain newsmakers’ decisions. Sometimes you can gather information about events, policy statements, people, or crises. Your fresh insights might draw equally engaged thinkers into the conversation. By nature, you sometimes enjoy instructing others. Because you like to read, you probably have more information to share with your students than some educators do. The individuals you tutor benefit from the facts or insights you gather from the printed page or the computer screen. Instinctively, you absorb the written word like a sponge sops up water. You revel in an opportunity to lose yourself in a book. Time seems to float by when you are the grateful guest of an entertaining or informative author. Your only choice is to finish the book as quickly as possible. Chances are good that you are the team member who usually acquires lots of information by reading all kinds of written material, including newspapers, books, websites or blogs. It’s very likely that you periodically engage in conversations that might allow you to showcase some of your knowledge on a wide range of topics or in a particular area of specialization. 

3. Learner (Strategic Thinking): People exceptionally talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. The process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

Chances are good that you might search for the factors that produced a certain outcome or started a

particular chain of events. Sometimes you are frustrated until you figure out why things happened the way they did. Driven by your talents, you may feel upbeat about life when your desire to acquire knowledge or skills is regularly satisfied. You might grow increasingly unhappy with a job or assignment that fails to challenge your mind. Being forced to do the same thing day after day is sometimes depressing. Even when individuals in positions of authority reward you or tell you how much they value your performance, you may eventually have difficulty disguising your dissatisfaction. It’s very likely that you might yearn to be inspired by your work. You might want experience to be your teacher. You might need to feel enthusiastic about your job or studies. Perhaps the acquisition of knowledge and skills is a lifelong activity for you. You might feel most alive when you study facts, ponder concepts, test theories, or sharpen your skills. You attempt to avoid people and situations that prevent you from expanding your mind. By nature, you might have extra energy to work hard when you are acquiring information to broaden your knowledge base. Perhaps you want to deepen your understanding of certain topics, opportunities, problems, solutions, situations, events, or people. Because of your strengths, you may adopt a more favorable outlook on life when you can identify the conditions that produced certain outcomes. Perhaps you need to know why something did or did not happen. You might be impelled to examine some of the details of specific events, processes, programs, or mechanisms. 

4. Relator (Relationship Building): People exceptionally talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal. 

By nature, you may embrace life more fully when you are surrounded by people whose personal aims or professional ambitions are clearly defined. Driven by your talents, you sometimes embody the adage: “If you want to get something done, ask a busy person.” You may deliver peak performances when you can tackle a task. Perhaps you experience a bit of satisfaction each time you accomplish something. You may like being held accountable for your actions or words. Chances are good that you may welcome the questions or concerns voiced by people. You might listen compassionately to some and offer counsel to others. People sometimes seek you out because your insights are helpful. Maybe they appreciate the way you occasionally cause them to think in new ways. Because of your strengths, you might feel upbeat and cheerful when you keep busy. Perhaps you derive satisfaction from producing certain kinds of tangible outcomes. It’s very likely that you may enjoy sharing your point of view with certain individuals who ask, “What do you think?” When you are familiar with the topic, problem, or people involved, you might be comfortable expressing yourself. From time to time, you set out to discover specific facts and weigh them with care before speaking your mind — that is, giving advice or openly stating your ideas. 

5. Individualization  (Relationship Building): People exceptionally talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how different people can work together productively.

Driven by your talents, you occasionally choose to be a spectator. As you watch people engaging in

various activities, you might enjoy discovering the unique backgrounds, interests, or talents of each person. Perhaps you find human beings utterly amazing. Maybe you appreciate who they are, what they can contribute, or what they have accomplished. Sometimes these insights fill you with optimism about life and hope for the future. Instinctively, you easily identify with what others are thinking and feeling. You intuitively understand their hopes, fears, joys, and sorrows. This helps you consider things from each individual’s perspective. Chances are good that you can stand in a teammate’s emotional space to gain insights into what that person feels and/or thinks. You probably have a gift for looking at the world through someone else’s experiences. You frequently set aside your opinions, ideas, and/or past history to attune yourself to another human being’s condition. Because of your strengths, you now and then pause to recognize how people are alike and how they are different. Maybe you know a lot about each person’s talents, interests, background, dreams, or limitations. By nature, you might feel more upbeat about life when you unravel the mysteries of a person’s talents, motivations, ambitions, fears, shortcomings, work style, thinking processes, or academic preferences.

Your Signature Themes are very important in maximizing the talents that lead to your successes. By

focusing on your Signature Themes, separately and in combination, you can identify your talents, build

them into strengths, and enjoy personal and career success through consistent, near-perfect performance.

Responsibility:

Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and

whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name

depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help—and they soon will—you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should.

Input:

You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and

quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or

sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

Learner:

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”

Relator

Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you

toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people—in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends—but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk—you might be taken advantage of—but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.

Individualization:

Your Individualization theme leads you to be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. You are

impatient with generalizations or “types” because you don’t want to obscure what is special and distinct

about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe

each person’s style, each person’s motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You

hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person’s life. This theme explains why you pick your friends just the right birthday gift, why you know that one person prefers praise in public and another detests it, and why you tailor your teaching style to accommodate one person’s need to be shown and another’s desire to “figure it out as I go.” Because you are such a keen observer of other people’s strengths, you can draw out the best in each person. This Individualization theme also helps you build productive teams. While some search around for the perfect team “structure” or “process,” you know instinctively that the secret to great teams is casting by individual strengths so that everyone can do a lot of what they do well. 

Remember the story - Mark Twain once described a man who died and met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates - and asked him who was the greatest general of all times - as he was interested in Military history. Saint Peter pointed out to a common laborer, who the man knew. Saint Peter said, only if he had been. 

Our natural talents and passions - the things we truly love to do - last for a lifetime, but mostly goes untapped. 

Ageism in the work place

“Irrespective of our age or the generation we were born in, we look forward to live, love, lead, learn, and we all need to leave a legacy – hide not your talents, they for use were made.“

Globally the working generations are broadly classified into:

• Baby Boomers: Born between 1946 and 1964. They are currently between 56 and 74 years old. They have seen hard times and scarce resources, and therefore focus on savings and stability with no conspicuous consumption. 
• Gen X: Born between 1965 and 1980 ; they are currently between 40-55 years old. They have seen more stability and better times. Rise of private sector jobs and mobility and movement to other countries with changes in lifestyles. 
• Gen Y: Millennial's were born between 1980 and 1994; they are currently between 24-34 years old. All basic need met, no scarcity. Instant gratification, more conscious of environment, much more comfortable and dependent on technology. 
• Gen z: The newest generation and were born between 1996 and 2015. They are currently between 5-24 years old. Born with abundance of everything including technology. Extremely high dependency on technology. Focus on higher order things. 
• Gen Alpha are the kids today born after 2015 . 

Ageism, also spelled agism, is stereotyping and/or discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age. This may be casual or systematic. The term was coined in 1969 by Robert Neil Butler to describe discrimination against seniors, and patterned on sexism and racism.

Diversity is the variety or differences we see around us, and inclusion is when every member feels that they belong to the team and the organisation. It refers to an organisational effort and the practice in which different groups or individuals having different background are culturally and socially accepted and treated equally. What makes us do different things are social conditioning, value and belief system, past experiences, need to align with majority, creating biases and Prejudices. 

Generation is a group of people who are born and live at the same time, regarded collectively. There are commonalities in the way a generation thinks, act and behaves because of the time period they live in, events - historical, social, economic, political, value and belief systems, aspirations, approach to life and career. 

This is important because we have four generations working together - so generational diversity is already there. Each generation brings unique strength which can help the organisation. It generates different perspective, ideas, thinking, skills. Multi generational teams perform far better in the long run. Not understanding and working with this aspect of diversity could be counterproductive, leading to conflicts, delays and dissatisfaction. 

How and where the generations differ are:

1) Communication: Traditional/ Baby boomers prefer formal and proper channel of communication, acknowledgement is not always expected as it was low; Gen X has a mix of formal and informal communication, expect acknowledgment in terms of fair compensation and other benefits. Gen Y prefer direct/informal communication. Expect acknowledgement, praise, growth, regular feedback and support. Gen Z is comfortable with multiple mode of communication including phase to phase. A lot more imaginary and like videos with shot attention spans and preference for digital communicaiton.

2) Work Life Balance: Traditionalists/BB have no such expectation, Gen X has less rigid boundaries, personal life is acknowledged as important, For Gen Y fluidity between work and life and productivity  is more important than time spend at work, Gen Z is more likely to pursue their passion, they get work done, anytime, anywhere, split tasking. 

3) Aspirations and Growth: For Traditionalists/BB growth  is based on years of work and experience. For Gen X years of work along with results determine growth. For Gen Y performance determines growth, Gen z will want to work with organisations that support the right cause, will expect flexibility and growth, may switch jobs more frequently more focused on domain than on designation. 

4) Relationship with leadership and authority: Traditionalists/BB respect and rarely question leadership and authority, they are formal and distant. Gen X has a more casual and respectful relationship, for them collaboration and merit become important, Gen Y has casual relationship with authority, Performance is more important than authority, respect has to be earned and is not automatically given to a position. Gen Z respect authority, but also expect an equal relationship. They expect closer and friendly relationship with people in hierarchy. 

5) Use of and dependency on technology: Traditionalists/BB use only on need basis, Gen X added a lot more technology into their life and work, this became a tool for their growth and productivity. Gen Y cannot imagine a life without technology. For Gen Z technology is like breath, they are born with it, and is well versed in it. 

Irrespective of which generation you belong to, what is common is that all generations look for effective leadership, appreciation and recognition, making an impact, growth, respect, work life balance, safety and security. We are not responsible for our generational background. Understand and be sensitive to the challenges and needs of each group. Value their values. Communicate with all generations without judging or assuming. 

Some Do's and Don't to remember when managing different gen's are : do your homework, treat others the way they want to be treated, educate self;  listen, respect others values, built an open culture, seek everyone's ideas, share were the organisation is going, how they fit in and how they prepare, giving feedback will often mean guiding not evaluating. Understand personal lives are important. Rethink policies, Pay and benefits must satisfy the needs of each generation's unique perspective, attitude and values about work. Don't judge people based on any one aspect of diversity, don't  always follow status quo, don't equate performance solely with seniority and position, don't discriminate and differentiate people. 

It is interesting to note that we hear a lot about the 'digital natives'; well baby boomers are digital founders. When baby boomers go out of the way and do things like variety coloring of their hair, fancy dressing etc. we call them bold, but when the Gen z does the same, some call them crazy why? Some understand and accept people as they are

Born in 1933 and died in 1920 at the age of 87, Ruth Bander Ginsburg or Notorious RBG as she was affectionately called, she spend her life working for gender equality and women's right. So this is not a new concept. What we enjoy today, is the gift from our elder generation, and it's our right and our duty to protect it and make it better for the generations to come. 

Ruth Bader Ginsburg/Quotes

My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.

I said on the equality side of it, that it is essential to a woman's equality with man that she be the decision-maker, that her choice be controlling.

Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.

The state controlling a woman would mean denying her full autonomy and full equality.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent a lifetime flourishing in the face of adversity before being appointed a Supreme Court justice, where she successfully fought against gender discrimination and unified the liberal block of the court. She was born Joan Ruth Bader on March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother heavily influenced her early life and watched Ginsburg excel at James Madison High School, but was diagnosed with cancer and died the day before Ginsburg’s high school graduation. Ginsburg’s success in academia continued throughout her years at Cornell University, where she graduated at the top of her class in 1954. That same year, Ruth Bader became Ruth Bader Ginsburg after marrying her husband Martin, who was a first-year law student at Cornell when they met. After graduation, she put her education on hold to start a family. She had her first child in 1955, shortly after her husband was drafted for two years of military service. Upon her husband’s return from his service, Ginsburg enrolled at Harvard Law. Instead of creating sweeping limitations on gender discrimination, she attacked specific areas of discrimination and violations of women’s rights one at a time, so as to send a message to the legislatures on what they can and cannot do. She was playfully and notably dubbed "The Notorious R.B.G." by a law student, a reference to the late Brooklyn-born rapper The Notorious B.I.G., and she later embraced the moniker. Her attitude is that major social change should not come from the courts, but from Congress and other legislatures. This method allows for social change to remain in Congress’ power while also receiving guidance from the court. Ginsburg does not shy away from giving pointed guidance when she feels the need. 

In the absence of time, our maturity alone can count our age, all that is needed is empathy.

“It’s not loving a man that makes life harder for gay guys, it’s homophobia. It’s not the color of their skin that makes life harder for people of color; it’s racism. It’s not having vaginas that makes life harder for women, it’s sexism. And it’s ageism, far more than the passage of time, that makes growing older harder for all of us.”
― Ashton Applewhite, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism

Mindfulness

The essence of mindfulness lies in being in the here-and-now, and being radically aware of it. To navigate a new path and still be able to arrive at your destination in a reasonable time needs you to have your wits about you. Mindfulness helps us navigate this new path. Research has shown that it helps alleviate stress, reduces emotional reactivity, improves our immunity, builds resilience to distress and even enhances memory, not to mention improving overall general health and well-being as well alleviates heart disease.

Understand stress, identify the source, symptom’s and sign’s (3s’s) of stress and learn various strategies to cope up with stress.

Strategies using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and  mindfulness to cope with stress.

Stress is not always  negative – there are positive stress as well, which keep us going. Negative stress is called distress

Most common forms of stress :

Two sides of same common are – Anxiety and depression.

Anxiety – about future, about unknown and how will we cope – what if?

Depression –  about past. some thing unpleasant happen in life – you are not able to come into terms with it.

Panic – last for 10 to 15 minutes but has lot of  physical symptoms.

Social anxiety .

Sources and symptoms of stress:

Physiological stress – Illness, lack of sleep, poor nutrition etc.

Cognitive/Psychological stressors – Attitude, belief, our own thoughts,

Socio-Cultural Stressors  - Financial problems, relationship issues,

Environmental stress - pandemic

 How can managers become more aware of workplace stress?

Talk about it ; talk about non work related stuff. Know the symptoms of stress.

Be more resilient

Learn mindfulness practice to deal with day to day stress challenges in life.

Provide open and non judgmental space to team.  That is how we are wired – to be judgmental.

Have open ended question – when you listen to others problem 

Group sessions are powerful – They help people to come together, and give them assurance.  Exposure – cohesiveness. ; councelling; 1-1 session

Being mindful entails the following principles:  ·     

Intentional awareness of experiences occurring in the present.

Surveying the moment without judgment.

Letting go of the past and not living through the future.  

Not over-identifying with one’s own feelings, accepting them as they are.

Not striving towards anything other than the complete presence.

Be present in the present.  

• Mindfulness-image-by-Doug-Neill /Courtesy Google.

Being fearless when building a business

 A wonderful session by Kartic Srinivasan

We are usually challenged with:

• Inspiration
• Failure
• Decision 
• Purpose

Inspiration:

Inspirations can come from anywhere:

• Place
• Person
• Animal 
• Thing

You are never too young to dream big.

Failure:

Anyone who has never made a mistake has not tried anything new. - Albert Einstein

Failing fast:

• Short-term vs. Long-term
• Evolution vs. Transformation
• Risk vs. Reward

Decision Making:

What drives decision making?

• Data
• Emotion
• Intution

Purpose:

Having purpose makes it clear: I want:

• Fame
• Financial Freedom
• Do cool things with cool people
• Happiness

Find inspiration, turn it into positive and kick off. Expect to fail 90% of the time, but do it quickly, recover, and make sure your purpose is still intact!

Kailash-Mansarovar

 And a poem here: 

Kailash…13/8/2020 (12:50PM)

A buzzing sound kept wailing in my ear

I couldn’t block it, I couldn’t ignore it

I went towards that direction 

A direction that leads me to an unknown.

A madly desire kept flaming in my heart

I couldn’t put it off, I couldn’t suppress it

I went towards that direction

A direction that shows me who I’m not.

As I walked towards You,

With merciless, You stroke me with a lightning bolt

My ear was trumpeted, my heart was cramped with pain 

Pain with my ignorance

Pain with my ego

I cried out Who am I, Who Am I?

With merciless, You went back in silence 

But the pain was so intensified that make my seeking exploded!

The scream of Not Knowing piercing in thin air

My question is never been answered by You.

I continue to walk…

I continue to seek within…

To the direction that no longer the same as before

To the direction that leads me to realize Who am I!

Two years after; the same day i.e 31st August get to read:

https://news.rediff.com/commentary/2020/aug/31/china-builds-missile-site-at-kailashmansarovar/c48550bd94053f4edd119844aaa7b689?fbclid=IwAR0JBD8ZDwGpm9ZC36SSEy4mBBl14svHk7mUcdIqasx5-nO_ikrBXuTAOrA

Wondering what has the world come to? This pic brings back great memories of a beautiful journey towards bliss and peace and this place to be used as missile site. What a contrast! An aggressive provocation by the Chinese or whatsoever. 

The article say:

Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, commonly known as the Kailash-Mansarovar site is revered by four religions and is linked to culture and spiritual scriptures in India. While the Hindus consider the site as the abode of Shiva and his consort Parvati, the Tibetan Buddhists call the mountain Kang Rimpoche, the "Precious One of Glacial Snow," and revere it as the abode of Demchog and his consort, Dorje Phagmo.

The Jains call the mountain Astapada and consider it to be the place where the first of their 24 spiritual masters achieved liberation. The Bons, adherents of the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet, term the mountain Tise and revere it the dwelling place of the sky goddess, Sipaimen.

The placing of the missile at the sacred site, which is also the origin of four transnational rivers -- Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali, a major tributary of the Ganges, menaces India, which has refused to back down against Chinese aggression on the Line of Actual Control (LAC)

Despite being a relatively modest peak at 6,638 meters (21,778 feet), Mount Kailash remains unclimbed. Both out of respect for its sacredness and due to numerous reported difficulties and inexplicable events experienced by climbers, no successful summit attempts have been recorded. 

It is widely believed that any attempt to climb the mountain would be met with supernatural resistance. 💯

15th August and Atmanirbhar Bharat

 15th of August marks the 73rd anniversary of the day India got freedom from the British rule. She was full of ideals and liberalism. Our constitution was not perfect, but it was crafted by learned men and women who had come through the horrors of a fratricidal partition and sought to create a more united future. They understood that India was capable of much good, but could also unleash terrible self-destructive forces, something some of our current leaders would do well to understand. So they drafted a document that attempts to draw out the best in us in a spirit of common purpose and pride. What better resolution for the new decade than to re-dedicate ourselves to ensuring that this spirit burns strongly in each one of us? In these troublesome times, let us work together to make India that shining example of tolerance and respect that our founders envisioned, a beacon once more for a weary world. Let that be our task for the new decade. To be Self reliant and truly independent by being self sufficient.

At the conclusion of his book, Making of India's Constitution, retired Supreme Court of India justice Hans Raj Khanna wrote:

"If the Indian constitution is our heritage bequeathed to us by our founding fathers, no less are we, the people of India, the trustees and custodians of the values which pulsate within its provisions! A constitution is not a parchment of paper, it is a way of life and has to be lived up to. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty and in the final analysis, its only keepers are the people."

Outsourcing, is ever on its rise. Because people look for better service, rather than doing it all by self, they are willing to hand over non core activities of theirs to the specialist in that specific area, whether it is accounting, HR, transportation, marketing or whatever. We have Indian brains leading Global companies, and Indians consuming or using global goods and services. We can make in India and use Made in India goods. 

With waste management proving profitable, the world over, Indian entrepreneurs look at rubbish as a resource to build new business. People are making liquid fuel using plastic and organic waste. All the developments would be of waste, if the waste is not properly managed, and clean atmosphere provided for the residence, travelers and workers. 

Infrastructure in India is improving whether it is roads, ports, retail outlets, communication, banking or insurance. But still there is dearth of electricity or agricultural products.

 In a world where you can be anything, let us be ourselves!!! Let us ask what positive we can give to our country too!!

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15 अगस्त के दिन भारत की 73 वीं वर्षगांठ पर ब्रिटिश शासन से आजादी मिली। वह आदर्शों और उदारवाद से भरी थी। हमारा संविधान सही नहीं था, लेकिन इसे उन विद्वान पुरुषों और महिलाओं द्वारा तैयार किया गया था जो एक भ्रामक विभाजन की भयावहता के माध्यम से आए थे और एक अधिक एकजुट भविष्य बनाने की मांग की थी। वे समझते थे कि भारत बहुत अच्छा करने में सक्षम है, लेकिन भयानक आत्म-विनाशकारी शक्तियों को भी हटा सकता है, हमारे कुछ मौजूदा नेताओं को समझने के लिए कुछ करना होगा। इसलिए उन्होंने एक दस्तावेज का मसौदा तैयार किया, जो सामान्य उद्देश्य और गर्व की भावना से हमारे भीतर सर्वश्रेष्ठ को बाहर निकालने का प्रयास करता है। नए दशक के लिए खुद को फिर से समर्पित करने से बेहतर यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कि यह भावना हममें से हर एक में दृढ़ता से जलती है? इन परेशानियों के समय में, भारत को सहिष्णुता और सम्मान की मिसाल बनाने के लिए एक साथ काम करते हैं, जो हमारे संस्थापकों ने कल्पना की थी, एक थके हुए दुनिया के लिए एक बार फिर से। नए दशक के लिए हमारा काम होने दीजिए। आत्मनिर्भर होने के लिए आत्मनिर्भर होना और वास्तव में स्वतंत्र होना।

अपनी पुस्तक मेकिंग ऑफ इंडिया के संविधान के समापन पर, भारत के सेवानिवृत्त सुप्रीम कोर्ट के न्यायाधीश हंस राज खन्ना ने लिखा:

"यदि भारतीय संविधान हमारे संस्थापक पिता द्वारा हमारे लिए वसीयत की गई है, तो हम कम नहीं हैं, भारत के लोग, उन मूल्यों के ट्रस्टी और संरक्षक, जो इसके प्रावधानों के भीतर स्पंदित होते हैं! एक संविधान कागज़ का एक चर्मपत्र नहीं है, यह है! जीवन का एक तरीका है और इसे जीना है। शाश्वत सतर्कता स्वतंत्रता की कीमत है और अंतिम विश्लेषण में, इसके एकमात्र रखवाले लोग हैं। "

आउटसोर्सिंग, कभी अपने उदय पर है। क्योंकि लोग बेहतर सेवा की तलाश करते हैं, यह सब स्वयं करने के बजाय, वे अपने विशिष्ट गतिविधियों को उस विशिष्ट क्षेत्र में विशेषज्ञ को सौंपने के लिए तैयार हैं, चाहे वह लेखांकन, मानव संसाधन, परिवहन, विपणन या जो भी हो। हमारे पास वैश्विक कंपनियों, और वैश्विक वस्तुओं और सेवाओं का उपभोग या उपयोग करने वाले भारतीय दिमाग हैं। हम भारत में बना सकते हैं और मेड इन इंडिया माल का उपयोग कर सकते हैं।

कचरा प्रबंधन लाभदायक साबित होने के साथ, दुनिया भर में, भारतीय उद्यमी नए व्यवसाय बनाने के लिए एक संसाधन के रूप में बकवास दिखते हैं। लोग प्लास्टिक और जैविक कचरे का उपयोग करके तरल ईंधन बना रहे हैं। सारा विकास बेकार होगा, अगर कचरे का प्रबंधन ठीक से नहीं किया जाता है, और निवास, यात्रियों और श्रमिकों के लिए स्वच्छ वातावरण प्रदान किया जाता है।

भारत में इन्फ्रास्ट्रक्चर में सुधार हो रहा है चाहे वह सड़कें, बंदरगाह, रिटेल आउटलेट, संचार, बैंकिंग या बीमा हो। लेकिन फिर भी बिजली या कृषि उत्पादों की कमी है।

एक ऐसी दुनिया में जहाँ आप कुछ भी हो सकते हैं, हमें खुद बनने दें !!! आइए हम पूछें कि हम अपने देश को भी क्या सकारात्मक दे सकते हैं !!

From Silk To Silcon - Jeffrey E. Garten

 "A tale of globalization and leadership that is both sweeping and personal. It’s a guide to the future as well as to the past.” --Walter Isaacson

So said the back cover of the book. 

From Good reads: So well explained there; did not think I could rewrite better:

This book was 45th of 2020. Waiting for sometime to be read. Guess I had to do few research before I read this to get a clear understanding so the delay, and the earlier reads of this year was a foundation for this. 

"The story of globalization, the most powerful force in history, as told through the life and times of ten people who changed the world by their singular, spectacular accomplishments.

This is the first book to look at the history of globalization through the lens of individuals who did something transformative, as opposed to describing globalization through trends, policies, or particular industries. From Silk to Silicon tells the story of who these men and women were, what they did, how they did it and how their achievements continue to shape our world today. They include:

• Genghis Khan, who united east and west by conquest and by opening new trade routes built on groundbreaking transportation, communications, and management innovations.

• Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who arose from an oppressive Jewish ghetto to establish the most powerful bank the world has seen, and ushered in an era of global finance.

• Cyrus Field, who became the father of global communications by leading the effort to build the transatlantic telegraph, the forerunner to global radio, TV, and the worldwide Internet.

• Margaret Thatcher, whose controversial policies opened the gusher of substantially free markets that linked economies across borders.

• Andy Grove, a Hungarian refugee from the Nazis who built the company—Intel—that figured out how to manufacture complex computer chips on a mass, commercial scale and laid the foundation for Silicon Valley’s computer revolution.

Through these stories Jeffrey E. Garten finds the common links between these figure and probes critical questions including: How much influence can any one person have in fundamentally changing the world? And how have past trends in globalization affected the present and how will they shape the future? From Silk to Silicon is an essential book to understanding the past—and the future—of the most powerful force of our times."

The others featuring in this book are:

Prince Henry: The explorer who made a science of discovery.

Robert Clive: The Rogue who captured India for The British Empire

John D. Rockefeller: The Titan who built The Energy Industry and also launched Global Philantrhropy

Jean Monnet: The Diplomat Who reinvented Europe

Deng Xiaoping: The Pragmatist who relaunched China

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The past Empires with long history are:

Macedonian Empire, 323 BC,

Roman Empire - 125 CE

Mongol Empire, 1297

Spanish Empire, 1790

British Empire, 1920

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The best could be yet to come, as the current hedgehogs have much more powerful tools to shape globalization. We have had people like Gates and Job's, in recent years and more yet to come.