Will I Cry, When I Die?

Will I cry when i die? – This is the question, that looms large in my mind after reading Robin Dharma’s ‘Who will cry when you die?’. It is all about knowing one’s own calling and pursuing it. I myself have wasted lot of my time and energy on pursuits, which I hated, but I wanted the money. I have come across, and is coming across in large numbers, who are burning themselves out, in careers which they dont like, but some how fell into it. It is very difficult to get up from one chair to sit in a better one. There is risk involved.  A person who has really gone after his calling, will never cry when he dies, and I am sure that there will be many people around his deathbed crying for him. Thanks to Robin, to make me think.

Who will cry, when you die is a very good read. The contents page look line this;

1. Discover your calling
2. Every day be kind to a stranger
3. Maintain your perspective
4. Practice tough love
5. Keep a journal
6. Develop an honesty philosophy
7. Honor your past
8. Start your day well
9. Learn to say ‘NO’ gracefully
10. Learn to be silent
11. Get up early
12. Laugh more
13. Spend a day without your watch
14. Take more risks
15. Bless your money
16. Practice the action habit
17. See your children as gifts
18. Enjoy the path, not just the reward
19. Keep your cool
20. Cure your monkey mind
21. Master your time
22. Get good at asking
23. Look for the higher meaning of your work
24. Build a library of heroic books
25. Connect with nature
26. Remember the rule of 21
27. Practice forgiveness
28. Drink fresh fruit juice….

The list goes on and on. It has 101 chapters in 205 pages. It is an easy read. It is not that he is talking about lot of stuff, which we dont know. He is talking about many things which I have forgotten to practise. Ever since I read this book, atleast I am practising getting up early, writing a journal and I am getting back to my daily plans. And one more thing…. I keep asking myself this question….Is this what I really want to do?

It is 8.11 a.m, let me start my day in a positive note

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Master PMBOK in 30 days, online – May 1st – May 31st –

We are starting ‘Mastering the PMBOK in 30 days’ program at the PMPdistilled yahoo group. If you follow all the postings from May 1st till 31st, you will master the entire project management body of knowledge. You are welcome to join the PMPdistilled group.

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ScrumTree an experiment

To develop software, who all we need? The answer is product owner, developers and testers. Scrumtree is an experiment to bring together developers, testers,scrummasters, product owners, sponsors and small and medium scrum practising organizations to develop software in free and open environment, not confined by the organizational rules and regulations. We call it, environment friendly software development:-). I humbly request you to be part of this initiative, which has the potential to transform software development. Liberating it from the large corporations to the individuals who really deliver. It will be great, if you can also recommend this group to some of your friend's circle, who will be interested. As of now, we are 12 and are executing one paid project.

This is a private group, and the admission is strictly on the basis of  recommendation by the existing members. If you are developer, you can also request for admission to this group by contacting directly.

scrumtree.org

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Lifting heavy weights with ease…..

” I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who who are in me, bears good fruit. Without me nothing is possible for you. With me, everything is possible. If I am with you, who can stand against you” . These are some random sentences from the Holy Bible, that came to me randomly.

As a manager/leader ‘optimism’ is non negotiable. Unless you are optimistic, how can you lead others. A pessimist can never lead. Then we are all human beings. How can we maintain the optimistic attitude, most of the time. My answer to this need is ‘Faith’ in the Lord. Me and my Lord together can do wonders. That is a great feeling, from which stems the calmness of the mind, which in turn can focus better.  I am at my best, when I have a clean heart, which is purified by divine thoughts. Inorder to lead / guide others, continuous renewal of the self is required and this is possible by just being in the positive, as long as possible, and this struggle becomes easier with faith in the Lord.

Have a great day !

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that crush it – Mark Twain

Lessons from the little visitors

Today I had three surprise visitors at home, my nephew’s kids. They are enjoying the village settings. The first thing they did after getting out of the car was ‘attending nature’s call, open air’ amidst the abundant greenery, which no one can experience in a city. Then they were confined in the building by their grand mother as she was scared to let them free into the open orchards as there is a well, a pond and canals within it. So once again I switched on the e-games on the desktop and they started playing the car racing game.

I started the game, and played it myself infront of them for some time. Then the elsdest took control, and he played a couple of games, while the other two were observing him very closely. Then came others chance. They mastered the game within no time. A kind of natural peer mentoring.

Then wanted to play FM radio through the mobile. A small tussle for possession of the phone broke out among them. I was tempted to intefere but played the waiting game. Thanks to my scrum master training.  Once again, to my surprise they sorted it out by sharing the head phones among two of them and the phone with the third one. An amazing demonstration of self organizing teams. No body instructed them, what to do, but they found out a way of their own, which really worked for them. Lessons from my little visitors.

Enterprise environmental factors and their impact

Here is a list of projects under fire, due to their negative impact on the environment. These projects are facing rough weather due to the protests by those impacted due to these project’s environmental impact.

1) Project by POSCO in Orissa. Estimated value of the project = Rs.52,000 Crores

2) Project by TATA Motors in Singur district of West Bengal. Value = Rs.15,000 Crores

3) Project by SALIM group in Nandigram, West Bengal. Value = Rs. 20,000 Crores

4) Project by Hero Honda in Uttarakhand. Value = Rs. 1,900 Crores

5) Project by Esina Steel, Orissa. Value = Rs. 10,700 Crores

6) Project by TATA Steel.  Value =  Rs. 35,000 Crores

7) Project by Arcelor Mittal, Orissa.  Value = Rs. 40,000 Crores

8) Project by Reliance Energy, Dadri, UP.  Value = Rs. 20,000 Crores

9) Project by Arcelor Mittal, Jharkand. Value =  US$ 9 billion

10) Project by Bhushan Steel, Orissa. Value = Rs. 20,000 Crores

What could have been the root causes?

1) Insufficient stakeholder analysis

2) Improper risk management

3) Skewed cost benefit analysis

4) Professional irresponsibility

5) Insensitivity to the stakeholder sensitivity

Can be any one of the above or all of the above. Worth watching closely on how they will manage the situation.

From the monk who sold his ferrari….

When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your cosciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be.

feel good factor

I have passed PMP exam today ( 9th April ) > > Regret missing your offer by a day ! ( ‘cos beshara passed yesterday ) > > Thank you and ABY for the training and the encouragement. > > Hope to meet in some other training. > > Regards > > Farhan > Etisalat, Ajman

Project conversations

Here is a link to a very good article on Harvard Business Review

http://www.synaptus.com/project-conversations.php