what's mu story - creating my personal legend

Are we afraid of our personal legend? Do we fear the disappointments, the heartaches, the pitfalls and ever more, are we afraid we will be successful. We will not be able to bear the weight - the crown of success, so we give up and pay the price to follow someone else's legend.

Don't believe me? Look around. We starve for heroes. Warren Buffet, Steve jobs, Elon musk....the list is endless. We envy their success and hope we could be a little or a lot like them. We want to work with big titles in big firms, because we crave that recognition, in other words, we are paying the price, we traded our dreams for a false sense of security, from fear, until the next crash or global event comes that yanks us brutally out of our stupor. Some of us learn, most of us don't. 

Am I making sense? Am I writing this because I feel a false sense of bravado or because I feel at this time of my life, with more than half spent and still no sign of creating my personal legend, time will run out.

Yeah, we really do have limited time which could end abruptly tomorrow or even today, this instant.

It's time to create my own personal legend, but I need to balance my obligations (the price I paid for someone else to write my story) with creating my own legend.

It's time to let go..let go of fear and embrace opportunity because it exists in every corner and every turn.

Here is to year 1 of my own personal legend.

ownership at the workplace

Ever wondered why some people in your office are experts at dodging ownership?

They don't on the responsibility of the task assigned to them and try to pass it on at the first sign they get.

Or, they complain about how the work doesn't follow an established process, no matter the process hasn't been reviewed by them in the past 12 months.

If like me, you own ownership, then there is a lesson here to learn.

Own less, after all, what will you take to your grave?

reflections I

Sunday reflections - I

Is I an alphabet or is it more than an alphabet?

does it reflect the true self or a facet of the self?

How easily we use the word I in every sentence. by using a verb immediately following, we either create or limit our possibilities.

so is I the source of creation or the reason for existence?

We can easily describe our emotive and physical self with I. So is I a state of being or a state of physical self?

We can establish our patterns, our habits. So is I a description or a definition?

Find I is as simple as we want it to be or it can take a lifetime to decipher.

So is I the simplest of truths or the most complex of riddles?

work work work....how many hours?

A leading business tycoon recently said that young Indians should work 70 hours a week to ensure India's progress.

There was a mix of support and criticism and the debate continues.

So what is ideal hours to work in a week? How do you achieve the elusive work - life balance? 

I don't believe there is a 'one size fits all' solution. It comes down to ethics, personal preferences and perceptions.

What do I mean by ethics? Ethics works both ways. If your work constantly demands you to put in more than 48 hours a week or the legal norm is, then it is only fair that compensation should be structured accordingly. Employees have an obligation to discuss their pay structure if they are consistently putting in more hours than required.

Most people do work 60 hours or more. They do this either through their side business or part time job to earn extra income or because they want their passion to become the mainstream in their life.

Work life balance is not a set rule like the 80:20 rule. Work life balance is about perception. If I want a promotion at work, I will work hard to show that I am the ideal candidate for the role. It is better than sitting, doing nothing and hoping for it. 

What are your dreams, aspirations, goals? Do you think Michael Jordan became who he was because he restricted how many hours he put in? We love success stories and idolize movie stars, industrialists, sportsmen because they shine in their brilliance and illuminate the way for us to achieve our dreams. If only we were not afraid of our own light and it's brilliance.

What is the required hours of work per week, what is your compensation and your own ambition should determine if 70 hours of work is required or not.

Persist and Resist

Persistence pays off, always...Well, not always.

There is a counter weight, a counter balance.

Persist to achieve your goals and resist the temptation to complain about the process. 

Most people want something out of life but lack a concentrated effort to achieve their aims. That is perhaps why people love and adore industrialists, sports persons and film stars. 

Nothing is impossible. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. Ask and it is yours...but you still need to put in the effort to get to your goal.

Complaining will not solve anything. The more you complain, the more likely you will continue to face the same problems. Quit complaining, have faith and you will reach your goals.

Persist and resist