16 things that took me over 50 years to learn

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. If you had to identify, in a single word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve its full potential, that word would be "meeting".
3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
5. You should not confuse your career with your life.
6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
7. Never lick a steak knife.
8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.
12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
13. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.
14. Your friends love you anyway.
15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
16. Final thought for the day, Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the snot out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

Quoted from Jimmy John's.

Story of one Ms.Kulkarni of Hubli and J.R.D. Tata

by Y-Axis Overseas Careers on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 4:16pm

It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science. I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US... I had not thought of taking up a job in India.

One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors)... It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc.

At the bottom was a small line: 'Lady Candidates need not apply.' I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.

Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers... Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful?

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then) I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote. 'The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives they have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender.'

I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs30 each from everyone who wanted a sari when I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip. It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways.

As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office (suburb of Pune) for the interview. There were six people on the panel and I realized then that this was serious business. 'This is the girl who wrote to JRD,' I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.

Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, 'I hope this is only a technical interview.' They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude.The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them. Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, 'Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories.

I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, 'But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories.' Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune.

I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married. It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay.

One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw 'appro JRD'. Appro means 'our' in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him. I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, 'Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate. She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor.' JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it). Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. 'It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?' 'When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir,' I replied. 'Now I am Sudha Murthy.' He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room. After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him.

One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realize JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me. 'Young lady, why are you here?' he asked. 'Office time is over.' I said, 'Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.' JRD said, 'It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till your husband comes.' I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable. I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, 'Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee.' Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, 'Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again.'

In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused. Gently, he said, 'So what are you doing, Mrs. Kulkarni?' (That was the way he always addressed me.) 'Sir, I am leaving Telco.' 'Where are you going?' he asked. 'Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune.' 'Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.' 'Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful.' 'Never start with diffidence,' he advised me, 'Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. Wish you all the best.'

Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive.

Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, 'It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today.' I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.

Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly. My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.

(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)

Article Sourced From: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by The House of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004.

Deeply profound thoughts by men.

Two men are out just fishing quietly and drinking beer.

Almost silently, so as not to scare the fish, Bob says, 'I think I will divorce my wife.
She hasn't spoken to me in over 2 months.'

Charles continues slowly sipping his beer then thoughtfully says,

'You better think it over, Bob. Women like that are hard to find.'

Commonwealth why is BBC criticizing India see for yourself

CWG Stadiums, Delhi, India

GUIDE TO A BETTER LIFE - GOOD ONE by Randy Pausch

This is amazing, he died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book ‘The last lecture” before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind…
In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" for his wife and children to follow.
May you be blessed by his in sight.



POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with,
people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.
Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

._

Kalaivani at Giri Trading Stores, Chennai

Jewels in the mud A Really Moving incident!! After a simple Temple Darshan we entered "Giri Trading" and started searching for this Book on Thatva Bodha.. We found many people buying various Books and CDs and from their smart walks and accumulation of CDs from Bhajans to Bombay Jaishree,sent a nice feeling in us,that,we have come to the right place indeed... I was looking for this Book while my wife started collecting Bharathiar's songs and Ms's Music..I searched everywhere for this Book.. There was this Girl Kalaivani,standing next to the Cashier,sincerely watching all our movements..a Black Girl,should be from a nearby Village,might be 17 or 18,should not have crossed 8th Std.,Might be out of POverty she is here..all my Journalist's brain unnecessarily calculated about this Gullible Girl..and tho' she was repeatedly watching me,I ignored her and started searching for"Thathva Bodha" I saw many books from"Sandhya Vandanam" to Swami VIvekananda's Chicago Speech" but having spent a good 40 minutes..I looked at her..she also looked at me curiously.. I asked her,knowing fully well that such a girl cannot have any idea of anything,leave alone Thathva Bodah.. "Sir,Shall I help you?"(in Tamil) "Yes I am looking for Thatva Bodha?" "Sanskrit Text or English /Sanskrit?" God..she knows.. "Sanskrit& English" "Do you like to have the PUblication from Chinmaya Mission or Indu Publications or by Ramakrishna Mutt?" "I dont know..I just want to only Learn you see..I dont really know indeed" "Do you read Tamil Sir?" "Yes I am a Tamilian " (thinking to myself how most of mylife time I like to act in most otherplaces that I am not) "Then Sir,you can take this"..she ran to the Shelf where I had searched for 30 minutes,removed the books in the front side and came out with a Book in Tamil "This one in Tamil by N.Sivaraman by Indu Publications infact is simple and wonderfullYou have the Sanskrit Text too inside.." My God..Why did I under estimate such a Genius..Just because of my Arrogance that I am an NRI.. Or Just because I presumed such a Black,gullible girl, who wd have come for this JOb out of absolute poverty, wdn't have any idea of"Thatva Bodha" I decided to change my attitude and realise that I am absolutely an 'Idiot' at this moment in front of this wonderful girl and submitted myself in all humilty.. "Madam,Ireally don't have any idea of even who wrote Thatva BOdha till Yesterday..I just attended a lecture on this subject and was fascinated by the lecture and hence" "Did you attend Goda Venkateswara Sastri's lecture in BHarathiya Vidya Bhavan?" "Oh God..How did you know?" "He regularly takes classes on such subjects..infact he is one of the best Sir,in the city on such subjects" "You are interested in such subjects?" "Yes Sir,I read a lot about Swami VIvekananda and Ramakrishna and Thathva Bodha incidentally is my favourite Subject" "You mean to say you have read Thatva Bodha.?" "I have read this one by Sivaraman and once you read it you won't feel like keeping that book on the table at all.." "Why what is so great about this Book?" "Sir,you must be Joking that you don't know about Thatva Bodha.." "Really I accept my ignorance.." my wife was watching from the corner,admiring all her Cd collections.. "Sir,according to me if you read this it gives the entire Vedanthic Saramsam and one wd become a bit more humble in life.. leaving Ahamkaram once for all.." "Is it a fact that reading this simple book one wd get so humble.. "Ofcourse one shd be involved totally into the text.. Needs lot of conviction and devotion.." My wife joined the conversation and she felt this girl is indeed a very very talented intelligent girl..so she told me "Why don't you interview her for Washington Post..why at all you shd think of Paris Hilton?" I also felt that I owe something to her..so I asked her whether she can spare sometime for an interview.. She politely refused saying "My boss is to give me permission..Besides many people are looking for guidance like you and hence I have to go.." "What is your name anyway?" "Kalaivani".. My wife's admiration for her devotion to duty and her total involvement in her work..made her go direct to the Boss.."Sir,that girl Kalaivani.." "Yes very hard working Girl.." "This is my husband Viswanath .." "Nice meeting you Sir" "He is the Senior Journalist in Washington Post.." Boss stood up.."Washington Post?" "Yes Sir..I wd like to interview this girl..I am highly impressed..with her ethics.." Boss called her..Time was 5:45 Pm... "Kalaivani,they have come all the way from USA..they wd like to spend sometime with you..can you?" "Sir,there are so many customers waiting for some guidance.. it is a rush time..if they can come again tomorrow.." "OK OK I can come again tomorrow.." I again came next day morning leaving all my appointments with Times of India just to see this girl..It was no rush hour.. My wife and myself found out.... Kalaivani is from a nearby village near Arcot..She has 5 sisters..She is the eldest one..Her father was a drunkard and he died a few years ago caring for none of them..Her mother used to work as a helper in Masonry and passed away two years back..leaving all the 6 on the streets.. This girl who had completed her 9th std decided to search for a job and Giri Trading came forward to help her out..She brought all her 5 sisters with her and with her meagre salary she is taking care of them..all the 5 sisters are going to a nearby corporation school.. "Kalaivani..but when did you get this enthusiasm to learn about Thatva Bodha?" "Sir after joining here,I decided that the best way to be of help to the customers is to know the subject first..I took small Books on Swami VIvekananda and started reading..I found the subject so fascinating..I decided to read other books in Tamil like Bagavad Gita and Viveka Choodamani..Thats how.." "What is your salary?" "Rs 2500..Sir" "Are you able to manage all your expenses with the 5 sisters..?" "Not at all Sir but the Boss helps me a lot..?" "What is your aim in LIfe?" "I want all my sisters to get education.. then they wd get easily employments is it not?" "If I give monthly Rs 10000 for meeting all your expenses..wd that suffice..?" "It is indeed too much but that also I wd accept only thro' my Boss.." We took her to the Boss and told him that we wd like to send Rs 10000 every month so that all her sisters' education wd be completed..Boss said "She deserves it Sir..You can trust me I will hand over the amount to her every month or alternately you can open an acct in her name and start transferring.." My friend John Paul, who is the Regional Manager of Times of India had also come with me..He said"You have done a good thing.." My wife said"I pray that Karpagambal helps Kalaivani to become an expert in Vedantha and start giving lectures in USA.. We can arrange for her lectures.." We left wonderstruck....If we go into the interiors of BIhar and Barrackpur..how many moreJewels can be found.. I really became humbled -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have a Nice Day and Week ahead, Sir…

Albert Einstein facts

Some interesting and revealing incidents from the life of Albert Einstein, who was recently honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.

One day during a speaking tour, Albert Einstein's driver, who often sat at the back of the hall during his lectures, remarked that he could probably give the lecture himself, having heard it so many times. Sure enough, at the next stop on the tour, Einstein and the driver switched places, with Einstein sitting at the back in his driver's uniform.

Having delivered a flawless lecture, the driver was asked a difficult question by a member of the audience. "Well, the answer to that question is quite simple," he casually replied. "I bet my driver, sitting up at the back there, could answer it!"

============ ========= ========= ========= =========

Albert Einstein's wife often suggested that he dress more professionally when he headed off to work. "Why should I?" he would invariably argue. "Everyone knows me there." When the time came for Einstein to attend his first major conference, she begged him to dress up a bit. "Why should I?" said Einstein. "No one knows me there!"

============ ========= ========= ========= =========

Albert Einstein was often asked to explain the general theory of relativity. "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour," he once declared. "Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity!"

============ ========= ========= ========= =========

When Albert Einstein was working in Princeton university, one day he was going back home he forgot his home address. The driver of the cab did not recognise him. Einstein asked the driver if he knows Einstein's home. The driver said "Who does not know Einstein's address? Everyone in Princeton knows.Do you want to meet him?. Einstein replied "I am Einstein. I forgot my home address, can you take me there? "The driver reached him to his home and did not even collect his fare from him.

============ ========= ========= ========= =========

Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.

The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.'

Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.

The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'

Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.'

============ ========= ========= ========= =========