Hopes Raised, Hopes Dashed.

Hopes Raised, Hopes Dashed.

Having our Hopes Raised is never a rocket science.  Truth is, many things, hopes are raised either with little effort or even effortlessly.  Look back to those gloomy days when suddenly a streak of faint ray will surface in between the dark gloomy clouds.  In life, it happens that way as well.  Sometimes, we are at a standstill and suddenly, like manna from heaven, HOPE surfaces similar to that faint streak of rays from the gloomy clouds.  But when does this happen when Hopes are raised then Hopes get dashed❓

You could be a student in the academe and it happens you were performing poorly not until classes for the school year get suspended because of the pandemic.  That will lead to Hopes Raised. At work, your relationship with your boss is strained until one day you heard that he is retiring?  That ceertainly leads you to , Hopes Dashed.  In brief, Hope comes in various forms, shapes and colors💹💹💹

So, you might ask:  when are Hopes Dashed?  Simple answer.  Anytime, anyhow.  But HOW? #1  by simply doing NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH. But you might wonder, can your Hopes get dashed that easy, that fast?  Simple.  By simply DOING NOTHING, you LOST BY DEFAULT.  By not lifting your fingers at all, it becomes a 'double wammy' because firstly, you lost a chance for an opportunity and secondly, you lost that chance by not even trying at all📌

It's true we all love rainbows but remember that it comes far and few in between.  So, this is another classic example of Hopes Raised, Hopes Dashed.  Why?  Because that is a case of having misplaced HOPES.  Putting your hopes in an empty basket, so to speak.  If you're an entrepreneur, just because today is a sunny day, you started to anticipate that your coffers will keep ringing with a spike in revenues.  What will DASH your HOPES?  It is simply HOPING BASELESSLY, HOPING purely from a magical standpoint and no more than that.

So, how can we avoid hopes being dashed?  First off, distinguish the VALID HOPES versus the BASELESS HOPES [because the latter does not fit to be a HOPE in the first place].  Secondly, if indeed what you have at hand are , Hopes Dashed, do take time to GAUGE your CHANCES.  Is that a realistic goal? OR is that a very loooooong shot?  OR is that really viable when you weigh the COSTs [that includes your efforts] versus the benefits you may reap from that endeavor.   And why do we want to avert DASHED HOPES?  Because we want to avert and avoid FRUSTRATION, period📗📙📘 

Dominoes Are Like Life

Dominoes Are Like Life

Dominoes are not today's popular board games anymore but that's not our thread for today.  I'd like to compare Dominoes to our own life because Dominoes are like LIFE.  Much akin to life itself, it takes quite a while to BUILD the stepping stones in life, from where we will use it as a 'BRIDGE' to jump from one small milestone to another.

In life, no one can claim to have taken a quantum leap from the ground up high to the sky.  Not even the Elon Musks or Bill Gates we know of.  Instead, looking at the vastness of the wide open seas, we would put in place smal stones and build a 'BRIDGE' for us to progress forward our journey..  Very much akin to dominoes.

Contrary to this GIF, life and even dominoes are much alike.  Make one 'SMALL' mistake and one domino gets tipped down and then it causes the next and tnext ones to fall down as well.  Swinging back to our lives, make one 'SMALL' mistake and it can lead to one minor mishap before it turns out into a major fall

As this poster goes, in life, one mistake can lead to a series of consequential things to happen that would spin out of control before you can recover and hold the bull back by its horns.  Look back through your past.  Surely we [including myself] did cause various exponential impacts, all because of a SMALL mistake.

Contemplating to take a LEAP?  Hmmm, that sounds exciting but frankly, that could end up to be an 'INSANE & CRAZY' proposition [pardon my adjectives]. WHY?  It's because that's NOT reality at all.  Yes, you may hit the LOTTO jackpot but that is a one in a million probability.  At the end of the day, it behooves for us to be guarded and cautious enough with every decision we make, regardless as to how minor and petty it may be because we DON'T want our life to crumble down in a 'DOMINO EFFECT'❗❗❗

Why DREAM When You Can LIVE YOUR DREAMs?

Why DREAM When You Can LIVE YOUR DREAMs?

Anyone there who has not DREAMED?  Surely, every living soul has had his DREAMS but alas, some of us [and that includes me sometime in the past]. I got stuck with DREAMING to any extent wherein I ended up in a state of stupor, a NEITHER HERE NOR THERE situation, that purgatory kind of thing. But hey, if we are in that predicament, we got to extricate ourselves out of it, else nothing will significantly progress out of our situation except you would end up in that vicious cycle of DREAMING and no more than that.  But  Why DREAM When You Can LIVE YOUR DREAMs❓❓❓

Exactly AS IN exactly.  We got to LIVE and BREATH our dreams even before our DREAMS will eventually materialize, if at all.  How?  By turning anything vague and ambiguous into CONCRETE terms. By crystallizing superfluous words into ACTION words.  By translating WORDS into ACTION.  Just one too many ways for us to LIVE OUR DREAMs📙📗📘

So how do we LIVE OUR DREAMs?  I'll give a straightforward answer but for us to execute it will take quite a circuitous roundabout.  Think of S-M-A-R-T.  Akin to goal setting, to LIVE OUR DREAMs mean that your DREAMS got to be S-M-A-R-T namely SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC and TIME-BOUND.  Try removing any of those variables from that equation, I'll guarantee you that your journey towards your goals may be ill-fated📌📌📌 

As a 'first person testimonial, I have to admit that if my goals were not aligned with being "S-M-A-R-T", very likely I would have fallen short in any of the past successes I can humbly cite as examples.  If you ask as to which of the criteria in   S-M-A-R-T is most critical, I would say all those variables are 'primus inter pares' but never undervalue being TIME-BOUND.

The very last thing we want to happen in our life is for our dreams to flounder because that would be akin to being haplessly gobbled up by predators who won't give you a pass.  Why DREAM When You Can LIVE YOUR DREAMs❓❓❓

Why Be A LAGGARD Instead Of A LEADER?

 Why Be A LAGGARD Instead Of A LEADER?

Please DON'T get me wrong.  Nothing wrong to be a LAGGARD because that's the result of all things that happened, all rolled into one.  But the bigger question is, is it fine to be a LAGGARD instead of a LEADER?  Let's put things in the right perspective, though.  No one wants to be a LAGGARD, that's for sure.  But as this poster goes, LAGGARDS are the result of either someone WHO DON'T LIKE CHANGE, or are 'SAFE PLAYERS' or those CONTENTED enough💎

That theory may not be true 100% of the time but looking back through my journey, I'd like to believe that at the very least, 70% of the time, indeed being a LAGGARD is a result of either someone who's comfortable with the STATUS QUO, or someone CONSERVATIVE enough in terms if mindset or someone who believes there's no other goal to aim more because what he/she has is ENOUGH📗📙📘

If someone has NO aspirations to be a LEADER, that is fine but there's a catch there.  When someone from the pack zooms to be a LEADER, in due time, the next fellow will zoom up to become a LEADER as well, then the next one follows.  Before you know it,  by then, you have become the next LAGGARD you didn't expect to become.  Surely, you did not consciously choose to be a LAGGARD but nevertheless, you ended up as one.  WHY?  What drove you to the very precipice and edges of a disastrous run📌

Got to remember that we belong to that monstrous crowd elbowing each other ti find his way not just up front but at the center, the very core of things.  But if initially you're standing at the back, it will take more than just a token effort for you to muscle your way up front✅✅✅

So, seriously, how is it easy to be a LEADER instead of a LAGGARD?  No mean feat here.  You got to work your 'ass' dumb hard like there is no tomorrow.  Only then you are able to achieve that breakthrough.  Playing devil's advocate, why are we running away to be a LAGGARD?  Fair and simple.  We DON'T want to fail.  Unfortunately, to be a LAGGARD is akin to courting FAILURE which we DON'T want to avert and avoid, right❓❓❓

What Can We Learn From Japanese Culture

 What Can We Learn From Japanese Culture

Not to downplay the richness of the many cultures we have in our global village but I thought it's worth it to deep-dive a bit and ask ourselve as to What Can We Learn From Japanese Culture.  Years back, I was a part of a 20-man party taking the chance to visit our office locations in Pune and Bangalore.  And out of the 20-man party, eighteen of them were Japanese executives.  So, our group was like 90% Japanese and that makes myself and my colleague as the 'odd men out' from a cultural perspective [although it was a non-issue].

But that gave me a first-hand and ringside view of what can we learn from the Japanese Culture.  And a big chunk of their cultural values revolve around RESPECT.  And if you work with them in the corporate environment, you would bear witness as to what RESPECT is going on.  When I stayed for a week in our Tokyo headquarters, I did bear witness how everyone would only pack off only when the 'big boss' has left the office premises.

This picture alone would show as to who'se the Japanese and who's not.  During my India trip together with our Japanese executives, I bear witness how RESPECT is happening every step of the way and it could be as petty as those times when we were to go down at the hotel lobby before boarding the shuttle bus that will take us to our office.  No one ever attempted to leave the hotel lobby NOT until the revered 'boss' arrived and said "LET'S GO".

When I was dining at Hiroshima City, I asked my Nihongo interpreter because I thought the MENU itself was 'content-heavy' and she showed me that a big portion of that MENU was showing the ingredients for the ordered dish including the quantity [in grams] per ingredient.  Call this TRANSPARENCY no less but this happens to be an intrinsic element once we learn to pick up insights from the Japanese Culture.  As you tend to spend weeks, months and even years interacting with Japanese, we would end up with more things to learn from the Japanese Culture.

Yes, MAKOTO got everything rolled into one as it means HONESTY and COMPLETE SINCERITY.  In a single word, what I learned for almost twelve years now is that INTEGRITY is at the very core of the Japanese Culture.  Regardless of your calling and in any facet and aspect in life, INTEGRITY is at the very core of the Japanese Culture.  At hindsight, we may be outside looking in but nevertheless, it won't cost an arm and a leg if we endeavor to embody these very core foundations of the Japan Culture because at the end of the day, it will redound to our benefit as a person📌📌📌

Count Your Blessings

 Count Your Blessings

This was my MEA CULPA many times in the past.  I kept hungering for what I didn't have.  I would regret not having this or that.  Ooooops, what happened to all the blessings I had?  This is my personal confession.  I seemed Xtremely far-sighted such that I was unable to see those things within me, within my reach. And I refused to keep my ears and eyes close enough to the ground to Count Your Blessings.  Alas, this is one of the most common lapses we are guilty of.  And since its recurring day-in day-out, we DON'T even see it happening💊

And what caught my eye to this duo of the printer and the paper?  This reminds me of partners/couples/spouses who are so enamored with a thousand things EXCEPT his/her partner/spouse, whew. How can things end up so convoluted like this?.   Again, we all seem to be far-sighted and missing out our partner/spouse right next to us.  Can we count our blessings❓

Now, what happens if ever we DO NOT count our blessings?  Well, firstly, the consequences may not be that apparent overnight but it will more than just sting you as the ripple effects would unravel over time, in the long term in fact.  Before you realize it, you have ended up with a persona so different from what you were.  And could you be by then❓

BTW, does it surprise you as to why children are many light years different from us adults?  Simple.  It's because they count their blessings every step of the way.  When they step out of the house and it starts to drizzle, they will cheer up and get excited no end by the raindrops.  Whereas us adults, we would blame the rains for messing up the tidied up body after a car wash.  Or we would even blame the rain for dampening our spirit, for us to suddenly feel like a LAZY DOG when the dire truth is that that laziness has been creeping up within you, inside out.  POOR YOU⌛ 

Oh, if there are popular objects thathave become personifications in counting our blessings, it's those BALLOONS.  Not surprising to know some people whose home is littered with balloons.  It's because balloons mean CELEBRATIONS and these highly positive people celebrate life by count their blessings📗📙📘

The HIGH GROUND

The HIGH GROUND

No sirrrs, this is neither the Star Wars Song nor the movie.  Instead, we'd like to tackle that HIGH GROUND where ideally we should be perched especially when we are arguing vociferously for a position we strongly believe to be legitimately and even morally on the HIGH GROUND.  You might ask, can we just stand afoot on any ground as long both our feet are on the ground?  No sirrrrs, you will be standing on shaky grounds if you do not gain a 'beachhead' for that HIGH GROUND💦

So, you might be itching to ask, how do we know that we are perched at that HIGH GROUND?  That's when you are having the material edge or advantage.  Those are times when you got the upper hand.  Those are episodes in our life when nothing can just go wrong, those moments where all are in your favor⌛

Let's look at the technologies lording it all over us.  What precipitated those quantum leaps of most of the technology players?  It all boils down to the most known secret in the industry that they have all the momentum going for them.  That is the HIGH GROUND we all cherish and do everything NOT to lose that.

And how about the preachers and evangelists we come across?  Why is it very extremely rare to find them NOT perched on HIGH GROUND?  As this poster goes, they position their spiel as a "CAUSE"  and without being self-righteous, once they start off their engine like that of a locomotive, stopping them is doable but as the brakes of a train can't be pulled within a hundred meters, they can go on unchallenged as they deliver their piece📌📌📌

Without sounding political, let's pause and think as to why the presence of the United States of America seems 'everywhere'?  When Ukraine was under siege, America was there.  Two weeks back, when the Chinese hegemonists were 'saber rattling in the Straits of Taiwan, America sent its forces [including its threatening helicopters] over to be a part of the 'saber rattling, all because America has the HIGH GROUND📗📙📘

Never Be A Sitting Duck

 Never Be A Sitting Duck

For all the reasons in the world and even for no reason at all, Never Be A Sitting Duck.  Regardless of your circumstance in life, NEVER be a hapless prey, a poor target of the predator because that may mean you are onboard a 'train wreck' that is doomed in its journey.  Whereas, in life, it pays to have the 'UPPER HAND' because as much as there is nothing wrong being the 'UNDERDOG', in real life, as it is in NBA games, you want to have your guns blazing right when the buzzer sounds at jump ball❗❗❗

As there may be more episodes in life wherein we are going down south than up north, there will be likely threatening situations that may derail you further down.  You could be struggling in your academics in school.  UNLESS you fix that, you could be a SITTING DUCK for alarmingly low grades. Or you and your partner have been struggling to smoothen your relationship.  UNLESS you fix that issue, your relationship can get murkier if an ill-intentioned person can plot sinister plans to just push your relationship beyond the brink📗📙📘

Or at the workplace, your performance has been more 'below par' and becoming that chronic of a concern.  UNLESS you fix it, you are another SITTING DUCK who could eventually end up on the exit door.  And if you're an entrepreneur where competition is gobbling you up, UNLESS you plot a realistic recovery plan, you could end up as a SITTING DUCK for anyone's picking.

Nothing wrong in being an underdog if that is a given.  On the other hand, you don't want to remain a SITTING DUCK simply because you are that diminutive underdog.  Craft countermeasures.  Find workarounds to counter the huge cathedral-high tsunamic waves that seem to engulf you.  UNLESS you find a fix for your being an underdog, that will be pitiful of you.

While heft and size do matter, the storied tales do NOT end there.  IF you need to counter a huge physical handicap by being smart enough, you can outgun anyone.  IF you need to get back to the drawing board for you to re-draw your strategies, go for it even if you need to take two or three steps backward before you can move forward even by half an inch.  Bottomline, be STRATEGIC and NEVER BE A SITTIND DUCK in life📌📌📌

Need A CHEERLEADER In Your Life?

Need A CHEERLEADER In Your Life?

Need A CHEERLEADER In Your Life?  Hold on your fort.  Before you post to advertise your need for your CHEERLEADER In Your Life, let me pull the brakes and this is NOT to be scrimping the budget.  Let me swing you and take a one eighty degree turn by cajoling you to please DESIST from looking for your CHEERLEADER In Your Life because although you need one, you can't find the best one out there❗

But to be fair to you, let me hear you out.  I know where you're coming from and I am fully aware for your need for a  CHEERLEADER In Your Life because everyone of us would need that. Regardless of what we are in pursuit, we need to be buoyed, boosted, inspired, spurred and honestly, to be emboldened [especially when our own drive or spirit seems to be sagging]💧

I totally agree, we cling to social media because that is the easiest and most effective way [to date] to reach out to our closes confidantes, our spouse/partner and people closest to us primarily because we TRUST them more than anyone else.  But did we realize that they can only do so much for you?  Guess who can be the best-ever CHEERLEADER In Your Life?  Voila, no one and just no one beats you to be the CHEERLEADER In Your Life, promise📌

True, we should constantly reach out to our networked support groups because at the end of the day, 'MORE HEADS are BETTER than ONE' but any external help is scratching the surface at best.  To scrape to the bottom, drill down deep and initiate an RCA [root cause analysis], this is where you need to summon you yourself being the very self-anointed CHEERLEADER In Your Life because no else can extricate yourself out best other than you💜

You can cull and gather all the inputs [and cheers] from everyone close to you but when it all reaches you, the BUCK STOPS there with you.  That's when you validate everything before you take that 'LAST HURRAH' kind of thing, summoning everything from within you, all because YOU are your very CHEERLEADER In Life🎾🎽🏆

Those Narrow Alleys

Those Narrow Alleys

We used to [wrongly] think and believe that we can LIVE LIFE on the FAST LANE.  That we could go full throttle.  That we could max things out.  That there will be no slow-downs.  That you can get things in a snap of a finger versus waiting for it in eternity.  But alas, that is more of a fairy tale than anything else.  In life, there are Those Narrow Alleys where we can't live without, where we need to wiggle out🔋

It's true, a big chunk of our time we would find ourselves traversing highways and freeways, enough for us to go for a full throttle.  Those are the times when we can drive FAST and FUROUS but even across inter-state highways, at some point, you got to slow down as you take exit points.  And farther down, you could be traversing a 2-way 2-lane road and much farther down, you could end in decrepit roads📌

Two months back when I took a break from work, initially I was driving at full throttle for roughly eight to ten hours only to screech to a halt when I had to wiggle my car out of congested towns in the countryside.  Swinging back to our life. that's exactly how it goes.  You CANNOT go a free-wheeling life year-round.  Quite a few times, you got to pull the brakes and slow down your drive💤

So, how do we handle life once you're constrained to slow down because you got to cut across those narrow alleys?  Those are the times when you CAN'T be too impulsive or just too random to come up to decisions.  On the other hand, those are the times when you have to be very calculating, very near-precise, very circumspect, cautious, guarded and contriving if you have to.  WHY?  It's because those narrow alleys in life will offer you very little, if at all, those elbow room or wiggle room when you can eke yourself out.  In worst cases, you could even end up locked-out in those narrow alleys and before you know it, you are just so stuck-up, there's no way for you find a safe exit from such predicament.  So, let us be wary and forward-looking for THOSE NARROW ALLEYS❗❗❗