Aarya!

Yesterday I finished series 'Aarya' in Disney Hotstar. I heard about it that is one of good series to watch. After watching I was thinking about it how crime world is at different level.

Aarya, the main character in the series tries to come out from crime world to save herself and her family. She gave life's better perspective on how to handle the situation which I am summarising from it

1.  Family is strength and the most important in the life

2.  Always be calm and composed in all situation that reflect your personality

3. Dont take the situation as a surprise, accept as it is and move on

4. As we sail through the life, a strong relationship based on trust and care with friends play important role in the life

~K.K

Which Is More Important "Journey or Destination"

On even of year our Chief of Marketing, Mr Amit Agrawal wished us to entire team of South as new year 2022 unfolds. He also shared one picture that reflects and speaks more words. 

The picture was of a big Panda and little Dragon were going together. Panda asked him, what is more important "Journey or Destination". The little Dragon replied " The Company"

Yes I agree that in the journey of life, many would come and go to meet your destination but it is always important for us that we should enjoy the company of the people.

Even if journey and destination are tomultous and hurculean, the good company can cross the limits and make the journey and destination rewarding.

So we should always enjoy and enrich the company that we come across in the journey of destination

~K.K

Raswanti Juice!

When we were on the way to 'Shani Shignapur' famous temple of lord Shani Dev last vacation, we observed that a lot sugarcane juice kiosk named 'Raswanti'. We were surprised to know and intrigued as how come all of them tagged with name 'Raswanti'. On the way there were no. of such kiosks. But the most beautiful & common thing that we observed that juice is extracted not with any machine rather it was from bullocks. The kiosks are beautifully decorated and bullocks are turning round to get juice out of wooden gears. This is really unique in itself. 

Why is uniqueness in Raswanti Juice centre?

1. Juice is made with zero carbon footprint by using traditional Indian agragarian style.

2. Kiosks are designed not just made for refreshing sweet juice but also to provide experiences of refreshing mood like swings, colourful lightings and 

3. Kiosk also helps to connect with real world of Indian agragarian society with touch and feel experience with our farmers and their never ending partners, bullocks.

I think India is unique in many ways and we can experience its uniqueness every round the corner.

~ K.K

Importance of Writing!

I started my blog almost 3 years back in view of expressing my thoughts and feelings. But over a period of time I realised the writing also helps to think beyond your current level of your being. Even it collabortes to become a prudent in observations and refections.

I always seek inspiration of my writing from India's one of the best writers, Preeti Shenoy. She started writing with same intention but over period of time she developed profiency in writing books. When she was asked how she used to get an idea of writing she is used to say that she started writing almost everyday. She wrote whatever she observed or came across the experiences. Most importantly she mentioned to get an idea of writing through voracious reading is crux of getting ideas.

I promised myself to write on atleast three days a week in 2022

~K.K

My Tour To Mumbai!

Last winter vacation just passed by we had planned to visit Mumbai at my brother's in law place. My wife and sons were too excited to visit there. Why would not excitement be there with them although all of us were meeting after almost two years.

Our journey started on 24th Dec evening, we all have to rush to the airport. I was caught up in important meeting with Sr Management's review. Thanks to my colleague, Asit who advanced my slot for review to leave little early. Finally we left for airport at 6 PM as my flight was scheduled at 7:50 PM. All my family members were much worried whether we would board the flight or not. All of us were well versed with Bangalore's traffic. Thanks to holiday time began. No wonder traffic would not less than usual. Every bit on the car was accelerating our heart beat when when car was decelerating because of unpleasant traffic. Finally we reached at 7 PM, but the surprise that I got while reaching to checking counter that we were informed that counter was closed for Mumbai. So we humbly requested them and finally we were relieved when one person from other end agreed to checjing the baggage.

We reached to Mumbai on time. But there was a bit of change that we experienced in weather. Since we didnt check prior the weather condition, I personally got spat of sweating coming out from the airport. I wished there may be a bit of cold but it was against my wish. Reached home comfortably asking driver to switch on AC on the way.

A bundle of joy sprinkled to meet all the family members. My kids were excited in hurry to open the suitcase to give the gifts to them. It was really a beautiful moment to see the smiles on kids' faces. We shared the good times with each other. After a long chit chat we went to bed late night.

Next morning, we made a tour plan for our visit for next 7 days. 

My wife and my kids were so engrossed with all of them that time was short for them. I also wished that I could met with few of my school and college friends. 

I was knowing Ravi,my school friend was in Mumbai shifted recently from Dubai. I pinged me and asked to me meet him same day. It was good time with him.

I also wished to meet my college friends. I was little disappointed for myself that I could not met with my college friends. Since it was vacation time most of them were on tour like me. 

But all of sudden, on the last day of our tour plan one of my friends, Ajay called me in the morning and took conference call to another two friends. With his authortative voice as if we were in college time asked everyone to come and meet at one point. I was delighted. My joy was touching the sky and finally myself, Anuj, Ajay & Shyam assembled along with the family members, meeting almost after 20 years. We spend time as if it was in college days. Everyone was grounded as they were and never felt of any differences in their lifestyle. This was remarkable gift I would say that all of us were deep rooted with our culture and valued the importance of family. 

Finally we parted on high note and with sweet memories.

Our tour was complete with family, friends and fun!

~ K.K

My Experiements With Communication!

On the eve of 152nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, I conducted an experiment by coming on stage first time as an Emcee at Bangalore Toastmasters Club.

I had never thought of in my life that I could achieve this feat. I always thought that the role of an Emcee was performed by a talented person who speak eloquently on the stage.

But one thing I learnt from reading the book  'My Experiement with Truth', an autobiography by Mahatma Gandhi that consistent experiement with life can transform anyone. That is why he was transformed from a common Karamchandra Gandhi to Mahatma Gandhi.

Toastmasters is the best place to experiment not just on developing communication skills but on onquering fear, coming out of comfort zone, overcoming the limitations, refueling with new learnings, developing new connection, firing neurons, developing influencing ability, achieving task through collaboration, improving listening & thinking and developing leadership.

I learnt that your experiement may fail but you must never fail to experiment.

I pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi ji who was a great transformer and exemplary leader. His experiments are always inspiring for me.

Power of Positive Attitude!

We all know that this is a very tough challenges that human being have seen in the recent times. Every where we are experiencing and hearing the news of  hopelessness, helplessness & resourelessness

This has really shaken the entire country. Now the question is as how to come out from this horrendous situation

Yesterday I was talking to my school friend, Gaurav Gyan who is w dentist in Delhi. He is  also suffering from Covid and subsequently entire family is also infected. I was eager to know as to how he was managing this challenge. He narrated the story of his mother that really escalated my confidence

He said that his mother was an asthamatic patient and she was surviving on taking oxygen at home. Because of multiple complications she was told by doctor that she would survive only 6 months. But she proved the doctor wrong and survived for 6 years

It was because of her mental toughness that she was able to accomplish this feat even though she was dependent on oxygen 24/7

This encouraged him to face the present crisis with his resilience and courage. He kept on constantly giving positive affirmation on the body helped him to conquer the covid virus

I think this is a power of the attitude. It is an attitude of a patient that derermines the recovery any deadly virus

Learnings from above incidence are:

1. No one can defeat you, not even deadly virus unless you defeat yourself

2. Always surround yourself by positive thoughts and poeple who can give constant dose of miraculaous medicine of healing

This reminds me of 'Survival of the fittest' theory by Charles Darwin which suggest that species which adjusted to environment are the most successful in surviving. 

But I think that the species who are mentally tough & positive are the most successful in surviving at any point in time

~ K.K

Anything Is Possible If We Have Will!

Our heart is filled with sorrow when we hear that our country is facing with an acute shortage of beds in hospitals. The entire medical system is in big trouble. The place where life get restored is encountering with unforseen situations.

This led me to think as how we could solve this hurculean task with an effective solution in the shortest possible time.

We have always been recognised as a  country of huge population but at the same time, we are the country with larger resources as well.

Here are some of ideas which could be implemented:

1. The current pandemic is a concern across India. Hence, all the adminstration of the districts within the country should be instructed to set up beds in short time with Public & Private Partnership

2. Beds can be made available from un-utilised facilities at govt & private schools & colleges. These beds can be made out of benches joining them together. Mattresses can be made in quickest time out of dry grass which is available from post harvesting

Ample parking area for faster execution of medical urgency could be available at these facilities unlinkely in hospitals

4. Volunteers including medical students all part of the country should be trained online as how to give basic medical SOS to patients like using oxygen cylinders and adminster the basic covid medicine.  

More importantly they should be trained as on how to give constant dose of positivity to patients to help them arrive as quickly as possible from covid negative conditions

5. We are pioneer in ayurvedic treatment but we are still to embrace its proven benefits. So above facilities should be equipped with ayurvedic treatment facility which is also found to be effective in this time. All ayurvedic doctors are allowed to give holistic treatment as well

Other essentials like oxygen, pharmacy, power, sanitisation should be made available at these premises.

With these efforts, we can control the shortages of beds and save life to many people 

So there is a will there a way!

~ K.K

Values Are Important In Life!

Today my son came crying to me and narrated an incident. He mentioned that he along with his friends were plucking the flowers. When the guard caught them, his friends told lies and my son spoke the truth. He got scolded while his friends scaped.

He questioned us as to why he should practice honesty

That is when I narrated him an incidence to him of my childhood days. I was 10-year-old boy, one day when I got up in the morning, I noticed a few cops who had come to my neighbourhood to apprehend the owner of the house

This experienced shocked us. I enquired with my father and he informed me that a person was visiting my father’s shop and tried to persuade him to buy adulterated oils

Without any thought my father refused to buy it but my neighbour who had a shop just near to our shop had bought the inferior quality of oils and had made money abundantly. 

He was caught by the police on that day. With that incident,my father taught a valuable lessons to his all children that honesty always pays back to us with pride and respect

We should always be honest and respect our jobs

We were relieved and our son got convinced about the importance of values in our life

~K.K

Lessons of The Year

We have just come to the end of last financial year. The year was abundant with challenges and has impacted us with some valuable lessons.

It was my the first year of handling the  automotive accounts of the companies like  TVS Motors & Honda Motor Scooters. 

When the automotove industry significantly accelerated the production, we faced the challenge of capacity constraint of intermediate processing of steel at our plant.

That propelled to think as to how the customer could be better served in those difficult times. 

That challenged me to identify a local service centre which happened to be our customer in another business vertical. He was able to offer some free capacity 

With collaboration of the technical team, we assessed the facility and found that it met the standard of our customers. 

Now we celebrate our accomplishment that we were able to build the local processing centre thereby not just meeting customers' requirement but also delighting them

My learnings from this initiative:

1.  Investment in relationship is cardinal importance in business. 

On earlier occassion, when I had handled that customer satisfactorily, he was ready to extend support when we needed it of him.

2.  Tough times can be stepping stone for innovation and solution

3.  Always be optimistic for every problem that we encounter

Life Lessons Learnt

Life is full of challenges and every challenge give us an opportunity to perceive life differently

Being a member of  Toastmasters International, I got the opportunity to volunteer a program 'Speechcraft'. This is a programme to enhance Public Speaking skills

Many participants have joined the programme. An interaction with one of them that changed my perspective towards life

After few sessions, he approached me early morning on Sunday and requested me to bring his 5 years old daughter to the session,since she didn't have any caretaker. I was little worried as to how she would be occupied for 3 hours. But he was appeared to be quite confident to manage her

Without much thought I allowed him to come along with his daughter. Later I came to know of the sad truth that he lost his wife few years ago

I was impressed by his dedication to his self growth. I could see his willingness to learn despite having unforseen challenge in his life. He managed to balance his career, personal growth and his daughter as well

Meeting him reinforce me some unforgettable life lessons:

1. Life throws unpredictable challenges at us, we must strengthen our character to handle them

2. We can always find blessing in everything rather cursing ourselves on what we don't have

3.  Positivity is the key to happiness

The Pandemic!

This week I started going to office almost one year later. I felt excited about bgoing back to office even then we had to so many precautons  like maintaining social distancing, working with minimum workforce, using sanitiser and most importantly using the mask all the time. 

While facing the pandemic I thought deeply about  as how it affected nearly everything on planet Earth

We confronted with several crisis like issues like increasing unemployment, slowing down economy, restrictive travelling, losing lives & unprecedented trade wars

While facing the pandemic, it has deeply connected with Hope, Togetherness, Resilience, Trust, Love, Innovation, Patience, Courage, Speed, Agility, Atmanirbhar, Health, Family, Environment that were distant dream before the pandemic.

So after the pandemic passes away, which will, we must never lose sight with these positive traits

We must keep them scripted in our mind and live them all the time. They should be ingrained in our habits within ourselves.

Celebrating Woman's Day!

Today the world is celebrating Woman's day! 

All are engaging in a numerous activities around & taking pause to recognise the value of a woman! I really appreciate & admire the gesture. The aim of this gesture can be bringing the change in terms of equality, respect, honour & love

But the bigger question is, "are we celebrating & recognising every single day?"

I think we need to fundamentally work upon the basics to change the mindset of society. 

I hold the views that in a  country like India the mindset can be transformed through Zero Tolerance Policy, and these could be implemented in the following ways:

1.  If no proper education is given to girls, no jobs & any social security to be provided to the parents at any level

2. There should be a mandatory curriculum on importance of Woman in all classes

3. There should be stricter implementation of POSH(Prevention of Sexual Harassment) act not just at workplace but in society at large

I think the importance of celebrating Woman's day would be more pronouced once we act on these policy going forward

~ K.K

Entrepreneurship!

One day I was listening to wife who is Hindi teacher, instead of taking Hindi lesson, she was talking to students on how to create product differentiation, how to market and sell the products to right set of customers etc

I was just thinking whether I am in my dreams that she exchanged with my profile

Then suddenly amazed to hear that as a class teacher she was giving some project work on Enterpreneurship to students

For my curiosity I got into the detail of frame work of the project

She was giving project assignement to make products made of recyclable, brainchild within team, funding through parents, estimate the costing and finally it should be sold through making sales pitch to parents

Profit amount shall be donated to charity and principal amount shall be returned back to parents

With this amazing initiative, students are learning multiple & practical skills which are normally experienced at corporate level

Basic key skills learnt among tgem are creativity, team building, accounting, selling, branding, caring to environment, philanthrophy, leadership & the most important is learning with fun

I have some thoughts on this experience: 

1. This is new beginning to create minds of job creators rather job seekers in India

2. We should encourage such education to imbibe practical knowldge in each of schools 

3. Such initiative doesn't cost or effort to schools or students. Its matter of taking initiative to change the mindset

I think this is an effort to 'Make In India in Minds of Young India for Better India'

Reflection 2020!

The year 2020 has ended . But the year was unique and unusual for each one of us. The year can be remembered for many reasons and hence it is important for me to reflect and introspect as to how I had gone through the time and which lessons I had learnt:

1.  The year started with positive note when my mentor Mr Robinson D'souza held my hand and agreed to help me in improving my pronouciation. He asked me to practice in Cubbon park in the morning. He was correcting the incorrect words over the phone everyday for 10min. I was reading 'My Experiment with Truth' by Mahatama Gandhi. This experiment was done for a month and it helped me to improve my pronunciation 

2.  The year started on very a positive note because I begin my journey in Auto Division of my company. Culture and class of the division assisted me to explore the auto world that makes the world move 

3. Toastmasters is the platform for improving  not just communication skills but life skills as well. Hence, I got the opportunity to be part of committee as a Treasurer. The learning and experience was immense. Other than accounting, one important aspect that i needed to learn to improve my empathy level. Convincing members for renewal and understanding the difficult time that they were facing during pandemic made me realise that it is important to get in touch with the feeling and thoughts of others to form any opinion.

4. I had always thought and limiting believe of fear of failure and fear of rejection. So I challenged myself to participate in 5 contests like Monologue contest and story telling contest etc,  took different roles, joined other clubs to explore other roles and played a role of contest chair. My participation have overcome my limiting believe and substituted with strong believe of many possibilities 

5. Due to covid, we are highly protected and connected to our family for their health and emotional state of affairs. During this time, I could able to connect with all children of our family and started 'Communication Session' everyday. This was started in April and ran for almost two months. Session was started aiming at building confidence and developing content within children. Everyday session was full of learnings and fun with prepared speeches, extempore, evaluation, quiz, dumb charades, jokes etc. I am happy that within one month time our children improved their thinking, confidence and delivery immensely

6. In professional career, I feel that I contributed to company needs and meet the expectation and differentiated myself. Areas that I brought the change in the company e.g. improving reliasation by getting better price extras, engagement with Sr Management, building capability of downstreams facilities, sustainable business with new accounts 

7. The year was time that I could complete my long pending chore of house registration. This activity helped me to develop the habbit of getting away from procrastinate

8. The year also taught me how to live a life of abundance with gratitude. Many people around us are some or the other helped and assisted in our life to make complete. We must show gratitude for everything that get from others. I am very thankful to my family, my colleagues, Robinson Sir, Surekha Ma'am, Aiyappa, Sreejith, Deepika and many more.

9. I felt happy in voluntarily initiated the process of collating donation for office staff in Diwali. That made me realise that happy is contagious when we do selflessly for others.

10. One thing learnt from BTMC President Aiyappa that be always unreasonable and always try to do what you felt not possible and this can be done in Toastmasters and subsequently in professional and personal life 

So 2020 had been a great year of resilience and always been a year to reflect on our actions. 

Happy Year Ending 2020 and Happy New Year Beginning 2021!

~K.K

Employee Engagement!

We had a special occasion to celebrate this Christmas among our Auto Team online. This was splendid and remarkable effort made by team members. This initiative was a part of employee engagement beyond our day to day work

This initiative taught two valuable lessons:

1. This reminded me dialogue of movie Taare Zameen Per. "Every child has own speciality, potential & liking"

We discovered many young child among our team with different speciality and liking. Many of us have capability of rediscovering new likings, habits & hobbies keeping our childhood alive. This is what I like most that keep us realise that anything is possible in your personal or professional life since each of us is special and precious

2. Normally, employee engagement means meeting physically, have chat, fun & enjoy the time. Even just one year back no one thought of meeting seamlessly on virtual platform and having some sort of fun even at this platform. But nowadays, it is made possible and made us shrink closer to each other and knowing each other better as an individual. Knowing each and being friendly not necessarily we need to meet together physically, virtual meeting can also be substitute

Learnings shall remain with me forever and inspire me to keep rediscovering myself with limitless potential 

~K.K

Overcoming My Fear!

Have ever you experienced that you know something but when it was asked from you in gathering, you could not answer it because of fear of what others may think of me if I am incorrect. 

Yes this happened to me again today.

Today we had an exciting Quality Quiz session in our company. Different teams across the Marketing & Sales function participated in the quiz. The questions were so messimerising to keep the audience and participants spell bounded and excited. Interestingly, the questions were such that difficult to search on google.

There were 5 rounds of questions and after each round or in case participants could not answered the questions, the audience can answer them. In one such round, I was 100% knowing the answer but because of fear that if it is wrong what would other may think. So I could not answered it. Surprising I noticed that persons from Sr Management also tried but answered them wrongly.

Aprat from this situation, many times in my life it happened to me, it is because of fear that is pulling me down or I could not able to speak or I could not able to answer the question or I could not strike a small conversation with others.

So from today's session I learnt a lesson that forget what others may think or judge. Always keep in mind that no person in this world is perfect. Let's flow with rhythm of the situation without caught up in fear of situation.

This way I can overcome my fear. I am sure a small improvement in myself that may have profound impact in my life sooner.

~K.K

Toastmasters' Journey!

I joined BTMC in June 2018 with the intention  of improving my communication  skills. Initially I had the impression that this was an apt platform for just improving my communication skills. But later while spending some meaningful  time in Toastmasters I realised that it offered ample opportunities to cultivate and enhance one's leadership skills as well. The roles of the seven  cardinal positions of  President, VP-Ed, VP-PR, VP- Mem, Secretary, Treasurer and SAA are similar to the seven luminous  stars of our brilliant galaxy. These positions enable us to embark on the worthwhile journey of not just  developing and grooming our  leadership skills but also strengthening  our competence for giving back to the worthy Toadtmaster's Movement from which we have had priceless gain.

I personally experienced that, while holding the position as Treasurer .lt helped me to connect with members and convince them for renewal by empathising with them. Keeping a track of all financial transactions with integrity improved my 'Daily Management Skills'...those proficiencies that we require to upgrade our effectiveness  in personal and professional life.

I also derived the priceless wisdom and insights into   how an international institution operates and functions across the globe.l felt priveleged  to be associated with  an institution of such  high repute  which stood for the exemplary  values, of Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence( RISE)

This institution is defintely the  laboratory, which enables us not only to progress along the Pathways of more resplendent  Communication and Leadership but also to give our life skills a substantial boost !!!

~K.K

World Toilet Day!

Today morning I went to pick the newspaper and wondered to get fragrance in the coridoor. I thought it would be the fragrance of incense lightened up by my neighbour. After picking the newspaper, frangrance continued and my mind started wondering again. Same observation was also made by my wife.

When I turned the pages of newspaper to get attention on headlines, suddenly my smell sense catch attention of fragrance coming out from front page. My mind didnt allow further to seek headlines rather stick to fragrance. 

It was amazing experience to notice and making our sense pleasant. 

It was cover page advertisement from Domex's toilet cleaner. It says that cleaning itself doesn't ensure germ free toilet. Odour can also reflects presence of germs. 

It says "Next time you step into toilet,stop. Sniff the air. If it smells bad, even slightly, you know that the toilet isn't safe.

Because an  unpleasant odur is the surest sign of germs.

Now, smell this paper, its the Domex Freshgurad fragrance. If your toilet smells like this, it's proof that it is safe from germs."

This is the first time I could get new experience of smell from the newspaper which was so lively and prevalent without having any stain of sample. What a innovation to grab the attention. Such experience created space in the mind of potential consumers. Normally, on basis of visual senses in print media, we take buying decision but stimulating to  smell senses reinforce our mind to complement our buying decision. 

Other important thing to notice that timing of advertisement was so appropriate to notice on day of World Toilet Day.

Such innovation opens the door of new opportunities for marketers. Need of hour is just challenge our status quo and come out with new ideas and innovation.

~K.K

MahaAsthami!

Mahaasthmi is a very speacial day in Navratri. We offer prayer to Maa Durga and seek blessings. 

On this day, our domestic helper, Gayatri brought her daughter to our home. She asked my wife, Sweta if she can teach her daughter Hindi. She knows that my wife is a Hindi teacher and teaches at NPS School. Without much of a thought she happily agreed to teach her without any tuition fee. She loved to teach and bring smile to her life. 

She taught her for an hour and asked her to come on weekend. Now she is coming on weekend and my wife could teach her with delight.

In this Navratri we could not visited to temple to offer Pujas but I think what my wife did as selfless act of teaching is just as offering Pujas to God. 

Let's celebrate the Pujas by bringing smile to someone's life by lightning hope and wisdom.