PM And The Speech-Writer... - Chetan Bhagat's Article in the TOI (15-Aug-2010)

On August 14, 2010, inside a quiet, leafy, guarded bungalow on Race Course Road, a stressed old man shifted uncomfortably on his sofa. A young man next to him offered solace.

"You'll be fine. You've done it before. It's only the Independence Day," the young man said as he stacked sheets of paper.

"Do i have to give a speech?" the old man said, "I hate to talk."

"But you are the prime minister," the young man said, "And i am here, your speech-writer. Why worry?"

The PM remained uncomfortable. He looked at his phone. No calls or messages from high command. Without direction, life was extra hard.

The writer continued, "It's mostly school kids who attend. There is no Q&A at the end. Unfurl the flag, stand for the national anthem, take the gun salute, read the speech it is standard stuff."

"Everyone gets a holiday on Independence Day," the PM said, "why can't i?"

The speech-writer was speechless. He changed the topic.

"Should we talk about the content?" the writer said, "what do you want to focus on?"

"I don't know. What do you suggest?" the PM said. "Is there anything worth talking about?"

The speech-writer paused to look at the PM in disbelief before he spoke again: "So much has happened. Just in the past months."

"Like what?" the PM said.

"Like the Bhopal verdict no real punishment."

"Yes, but i don't have to talk about that," the PM said, "that story has died."

"Along with the thousands," the writer mumbled.

"What?" the PM said.

"Nothing. How about the crazy inflation? People are truly sick of it," the writer said.

"Really?" the PM said.

"Really what? That there is inflation or people are sick of it?" the writer said.

"Both i guess. I never buy anything. People do it for me. And i can't talk about inflation. It's too sensitive an issue."

"But it affects your people," the writer said.

"Next," the PM said.

"Corruption? Look at the Commonwealth Games full of murkiness. Why don't you resolve to put the criminals to book."

"Criminals who?" the PM said.

"The politicians and officials who did it," the writer said.

"But they are important people," the PM said.

"They've broken the law. Isn't the law the same for everyone?" the writer said.

"It is?" the PM said.

The writer could only raise his eyebrows in response.

"It can't be the same law. Have you ever seen any high-profile official in jail for corruption?" the PM said. "Any?"

The writer shook his head.

"I don't like to make false promises," the PM said.

"Of course," the writer said and cleared his throat, "how about Kashmir? Violence has flared up there. Or maybe we can combine it with the Naxalite disturbance and talk about internal strife?"

"Talk what?" the PM said, "why do people like to talk? Why?"

"Talk to show you care," the writer said, "and talk about solving the issues, of course."

"Is that my job?" the PM said.

"You are the prime minister. The most powerful person in the country. You can make things happen," the writer said.

"Stop making fun of me," the PM said, "other topics?"

"India-Pakistan relations," the writer said.

"I am not allowed to talk about that," the PM said.

"Not allowed?" the writer said, confused on who could disallow the PM. The PM raised one eyebrow to the framed pictures on the wall above. The writer saw the person the PM was referring to. Both exchanged half smiles.

"It's OK. I am used to it now," the PM said.

The writer stretched his arms out. "I'm out of ideas. You guide me, sir. We don't have that much time."

" General topics," the PM said, "just make it broad enough that there is no controversy. But not so boring that the guards and kids go to sleep," the PM said.

The writer bit his upper lip to mull over the PM's suggestion.

"Like i'll tell you," the PM explained, "talk about poverty reducing it, of course. And education. And stuff like we won't tolerate injustice and inequality. Oh, and use the word superpower a couple of times just don't mention a specific issue or put a real opinion."

The writer nodded slowly as he absorbed the instructions.

"OK, sir, in that case, all i have to do is look at last few years' speeches and cut-and-paste to make a new one."

The PM's eyes opened wide as he shook his head. "Don't!" he said, using his rare loud voice, "don't do that. The TV channels catch on to the cut-and-paste. Who's that feisty TV anchor?"

"Barkha Dutt?" the writer said.

"Yeah, her. She'll rip it apart. Not to mention that Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswami and Deepak Chaurasia. They track all the copy-paste stuff, they'll talk non-stop about it," the PM said.

"OK, OK, won't refer to the past speeches," the writer said.

"No you can. Just make sure it is from speeches at least 20 years ago, before these anchors started work."

"Oh, OK," the writer said, "the content is the same anyway. Fine sir, you'll have it in two hours."

The writer stood up to leave. The PM escorted him to the door.

"You are a quick learner, i wish you all the success in life," the PM said.

"Thank you sir. I wish you...well, what can i wish you? You have everything."

"Wish me freedom, real freedom," the PM said, looking at the writer in his eyes as the door shut between them.

Unleash The Power Within - Anupam Kher's Weekly Article in Deccan Chronicle (15-Aug-2010)

Many people I come across are under the impression that merely by attending self-coaching classes, or sitting at the feet of a guruji, will make them self-realised individuals. Such a feeling is far removed from the truth, just as if mere recitation of prayers will make us better human beings.

The main aspect is to realise, as I have explained before, that we have to be internally awake and conscious of every action and thought of ours. And the key word is ‘internal’, as without that internal will, no amount of external force can make us realise the power within us. No one who has achieved any bit of success can deny that before the external obstacles were tackled, the journey to success had to begin by fighting the internal obstacles. These could be in the form of sloth, fears, low-self esteem, distractions, temptations, worries, past failures etc.

As I write these words, I am reminded of my own internal conflicts which I had to overcome on the road to achieving success. I was already balding at 23, I had studied in a Hindi medium school and was not proficient in English. Coming from a family of very modest means in Shimla, I was not acquainted with the use of cutlery nor had been exposed to fine dining experiences. My one leg was marginally shorter than the other. I would think that such handicaps were quite a plateful for me to surmount. But I did it.

In life, I have discovered through analysing my experiences, that it is always the inner that shapes the outer. As someone told me the other day — have you ever wondered over the preponderance of ins in the language of self-realisation? Why it is w-in and not w-out, in-trospect and not out-rospect, in-tuition and not out-tuition, in-sight and not out-sight, in-spiration and not out-spiration, in-stinct and not out-stinct. And the list goes on…

All great breakthroughs have always been from our thoughts, which are internal. Whether it was Archimedes discovering the Principle of Floatation or Newton discovering gravity or Einstein enunciating his Theory of Relativity. The internals have been the subject of our sages who understood its importance thousands of years ago.

A lot of current research in advanced fields such as neurosciences has only proved the power within us; that even the best of us use barely 10 per cent of our mental capacity; that the brain rewires itself continuously and is capable of learning new things at any age.

So the road to self-actualisation is to address the internals and ACT. Focus your attention on the task at hand, do not give in to stray thoughts and easy options.

As I always say, you cannot learn swimming by reading a book; you have to dive into the pool. So take a dive into the pool of life. You will not merely experience the change within. You will unleash the power within.

Meter Jam - I am in...

Aren't we tired of meter that always reads more than it should, drivers who refuse to ply and demand return or excess fixed fare whenever they want.

And if all that wasn't enough, now we have to deal with strikes too, any time the 'unions' decide!
Everyone is holding the janta to ransom. It's time to turn the tables...
So on 12th August, shake your head and say NO if an auto/taxi driver offers a ride..!

http://www.meterjam.com/
Follow on Twitter: @MeterJam

Robin Sharma - 73 Best Business & Life Lessons

Hi There,

I'm skiing in South America but have also been doing a lot of thinking. I wanted to thank you for all your kind support of my work. So I have summarized the 73 best ideas/insights/lessons I've learned for winning in business and life below. I hope they help you. And I hope you'll share them with others who will benefit from them. Again, thanks for supporting my mission to help people in organizations around the world Lead Without a Title. I'm grateful.

Robin Sharma

1. You can really lead without a Title.
2. Knowing what to do and not doing it is the same as not knowing what to do.
3. Give away what you most wish to receive.
4. The antidote to stagnation is innovation.
5. The conversations you are most resisting are the conversations you most need to be having.
6. Leadership is no longer about position - but passion. It's no longer about image but impact. This is Leadership 2.0.
7. The bigger the dream, the more important to the team.
8. Visionaries see the "impossible" as the inevitable.
9. All great thinkers are initially ridiculed - and eventually revered.
10. The more you worry about being applauded by others and making money, the less you'll focus on doing the great work that will generate applause. And make you money.
11. To double your net worth, double your self-worth. Because you will never exceed the height of your self-image.
12. The more messes you allow into your life, the more messes will become a normal (and acceptable) part of your life.
13. The secret to genius is not genetics but daily practice married with relentless perseverance.
14. The best leaders lift people up versus tear people down.
15. The most precious resource for businesspeople is not their time. It's their energy. Manage it well.
16. The fears you run from run to you.
17. The most dangerous place is in your safety zone.
18. The more you go to your limits, the more your limits will expand.
19. Every moment in front of a customer is a gorgeous opportunity to live your values.
20. Be so good at what you do that no one else in the world can do what you do.
21. You'll never go wrong in doing what is right.
22. It generally takes about 10 years to become an overnight sensation.
23. Never leave the site of a strong idea without doing something to execute around it.
24. A strong foundation at home sets you up for a strong foundation at work.
25. Never miss a moment to encourage someone you work with.
26. Saying "I'll try" really means "I'm not really committed."
27. The secret of passion is purpose.
28. Do a few things at mastery versus many things at mediocrity.
29. To have the rewards that very few have, do the things that very few people are willing to do.
30. Go where no one's gone and leave a trail of excellence behind you.
31. Who you are becoming is more important than what you are accumulating.
32. Accept your teammates for what they are and inspire them to become all they can be.
33. To triple the growth of your organization, triple the growth of your people.
34. The best leaders are the most dedicated learners. Read great books daily. Investing in your self-development is the best investment you will ever make.
35. Other people's opinions of you are none of your business.
36. Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle and best at the end.
37. Measure your success by your inner scorecard versus an outer one.
38. Understand the acute difference between the cost of something and the value of something.
39. Nothing fails like success. Because when you are at the top, it's so easy to stop doing the very things that brought you to the top.
40. The best leaders blend courage with compassion.
41. The less you are like others, the less others will like you.
42. You'll never go wrong in doing what's right.
43. Excellence in one area is the beginning of excellence in every area.
44. The real reward for doing your best work is not the money you make but the leader you become.
45. Passion + production = performance.
46. The value of getting to your goals lives not in reaching the goal but what the talents/strengths/capabilities the journey reveals to you.
47. Stand for something. Or else you'll fall for anything.
48. Say "thank you" when you're grateful and "sorry" when you're wrong.
49. Make the work you are doing today better than the work you did yesterday.
50. Small daily - seemingly insignificant - improvements and innovations lead to staggering achievements over time.
51. Peak performers replace depletion with inspiration on a daily basis.
52. Take care of your relationships and the sales/money will take care of itself.
53. You can't be great if you don't feel great. Make exceptional health your #1 priority.
54. Doing the difficult things that you've never done awakens the talents you never knew you had.
55. As we each express our natural genius, we all elevate our world.
56. Your daily schedule reflects your deepest values.
57. People do business with people who make them feel special.
58. All things being equal, the primary competitive advantage of your business will be your ability to grow Leaders without Titles faster than your industry peers.
59. Treat people well on your way up and they'll treat you well on your way down.
60. Success lies in a masterful consistency around a few fundamentals. It really is simple. Not easy. But simple.
61. The business (and person) who tries to be everything to everyone ends up being nothing to anyone.
62. One of the primary tactics for enduring winning is daily learning.
63. To have everything you want, help as many people as you can possibly find get everything they want.
64. Understand that a problem is only a problem if you choose to view it as a problem (vs. an opportunity).
65. Clarity precedes mastery. Craft clear and precise plans/goals/deliverables. And then block out all else.
66. The best in business spend far more time on learning than in leisure.
67. Lucky is where skill meets persistence.
68. The best Leaders without a Title use their heads and listen to their hearts.
69. The things that are hardest to do are often the things that are the best to do.
70. Every single person in the world could be a genius at something, if they practiced it daily for at least ten years (as confirmed by the research of Anders Ericsson and others).
71. Daily exercise is an insurance policy against future illness. The best Leaders without Titles are the fittest.
72. Education is the beginning of transformation. Dedicate yourself to daily learning via books/audios/seminars and coaching.
73. The quickest way to grow the sales of your business is to grow your people.

Public Service Post - Not Required At This Moment

Hello Folks, I don't need to post the public service post at this moment... It was about a month old girl child born with a congenital heart defect - Ostium Secundum ASD and Subaortic VSD... I was given to understand that the baby required an immediate surgery and hence I was planning to seek financial help on the behalf of the parents...

I spoke to the concerned doctor yesterday evening - Dr. Ashish Gadve, who updated me that surgery was not required now since there was a 90% chance that the shunt would close on its own as time passes... There is a need for a 2D echo to be conducted after every 3 months to monitor the development... Even if a surgery is required, it would be done only after the baby attains 10 Kgs...

Will keep the blog updated...

Me Back...

Hello.. How have you all been..? Been away from blogging for more than 4 years now... I think the real reason for staying away from blogging was that there are newer ways of updating people nowadays.. LInkedIn Wussup, Twitter, Orkut Update, etc...

But, this week I realized that blogging is still important to me - it brings out the writer in me and it doesnt impose a character limit :)

So, here I am... back to being a blogger... You'll see a public service blog from me in a couple of hours... Once that is done, I go back to blogging whatever I feel like putting on the web :) See Ya...