Friday, January 25, 2019

Chasing someone??


It’s okay to not win every race; who are you racing anyways?
To let go responsibilities is fine more than once or twice;
Who are you liable for and who do you have to answer but thyself?
So why chase your pace?
You mistook your target to be too flashy
And believed it to be the end all be all
But wait a minute, as you approach closer, it starts to clear up, it wasn’t as shiny afterall!
What were you running after then?
What is it all for? The journey?
But you were so busy in the journey you forgot to pause and applaud!
If I rewind and give you a second chance, will you chase the shiny target?
What else if not that?
Just walk and walk and maybe run if you want but lose the fear
Of losing the race, lose the chase and just walk along

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Shagun/Abshagun


We need a Tradition 2.0 for India.  There are just too many traditions that do not make sense in today’s day and age but we just do it because it was passed on to us by the blessings of “Shruti” – meaning “what is heard”.

I am glad that this generation rebels against a lot of things and we are seeing radical changes. But we are still far away from a logical way of operating.

Bharat was one of the most forward countries in some era. In all these last hundreds of years, we have stuck to the belief that we are superior and our traditions make us superior. We are wrong, our ancestors were superior. And their traditions made ton of sense. They relied on logic to make those traditions. Pandits (meaning – the learned. And mind me, they make sure to learn a lot before calling oneself a vidvaan) used to define a certain way of doing things. This is because not everyone could understand reasoning so they just defined a standard operating procedure for the society. The procedure was applicable hundreds of years ago. I have read numerous articles explaining the scientific reason behind so many traditions any I am in awe of how advanced their thinking was.

However in the modern day even after years and years of formal education, we remain illiterate to just copy the beliefs of what was made as a standard operating procedure ages ago. Things have changed, way of working has changed, then why not bring an element of change in traditions? Instead of doing a cut copy paste of what was good and what we were told by our great grandmother who was told by her great grandmother we can just use our brain to define a new tradition – standard operating procedure that will benefit us way more?

I am not in favor of rebels who just don’t want to follow traditions on an outright basis. I also do not like the youth who disbelieves in traditions. I will also allude a 100 miles away from copying western world’s way of life to the east. All I am saying is that tweak what was told by our ancestors to a new way that suits us more. There is a pleasure in doing things the traditional way, the feeling of belonging to a community that follows a particular way of life is joyous. I am not asking to move away from that feeling. Move with it. Follow traditions, update them and increase the joy you can get from them.
-A traditional Indian Girl battling right vs. wrong (only in her head and thoughts, not courageous enough to implement)  

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Night Hues



https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh13X59OWN45l5b9ctF_ctnUIfvU1nBvLzczjm_gY6TTg_2JKJH86yxs1I7rK6unBcq2rUumzTzzJamEyTVGM_-t_wFNm2_j2iXtASNiDlg5lB-dvt5G0QzMgJTb_LN16mVsXjtri6fXE/s320/womanDreamingofrunning2.jpg
The mist of clandestine dawn breaks,

Eyes closed, unconscious, can sense you

In bed, I lay in tranquil

Touch, needn't be touched, for its felt

Ecstatic, with mind's eye, beside me, I see you lie

Quilt up, twist, twirl, emptiness filled by memories,

Soft damp breathes, soothes senses and tickles my soul

If this is being far, this is the farthest we can be
 
Miles wont matter, when heart beats within another

Monday, April 17, 2017

Slowly Steadily




New beginnings highlighting brighter horizons
Butterflies, violins, and lustrous dreams
 
Doubts and questions galore
One look is all it takes to put them quietly ashore
 
Some say it’s a gamble, a lucky draw
Lucky I am, u caught me unwary and at the spur    
 
There is so much unknown, everything new
But all pieces just fall in place so simply as its you
 
With every small detail, I get to know you a little more
Slowly and steadily I am falling in love everyday, just a little more 

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Our Complement



Bind me to You such that you set me Free
Wrap your arms around Me
No, Not to shield – Expose and Unleash.

Don’t add your Responsibilities,
Share your fears; give me the load you bear.

Be the Vitalizing Energy
Fuel our Dreams with Synergy.

Bars that limit vanquish
Love takes care and Desire guides our way.

Passion Sparks fire
Support takes us Higher.

Idealize, patronize and Dream we will,

Explore with and without thee – Wild and Free


Thursday, November 3, 2016

A Brave Heart


Life has been harsh and unsteady,

But he chooses his battles prudent and slowly ready


He feeds on thoughts, powerful and intense

Hungry for knowledge, wants to know immense


Every sunrise he gears up for the fight,

In a crowd - A tough torso, iron spirit – morphed with age

Alone - A gush of emotions, tears accompany this sage


Why? When? - Has exhausted his questions

Learnt to stand alone, so courageous but has a humbled soul


Acceptance – he believes, conquers the pain and repairs the damage.

Amazed me - So much so at such a young age?


I know it’s the worst of all fears,

To give up, give in, hold firm and bear.


I Respect, I salute to the spirit of this man,

He swims through the unknown, towards stability he ran


There is so much more to know about this Brave Heart,

It withholds, bears and prepares for a fresh start


-S

Saturday, October 29, 2016

WORDS

I believed in the power of words,
Lately to realize they are more powerful when unspoken.
They weight heavy on the lips and ears,
But silence levies heavier on the heart and mind.


The thought, the feels, both lose gravity when converted into words
For the unspoken ones, when understood, build a beautiful meaning


Eyes reveal the intensity of feelings,
But words - words once spoken weaken the thrust


Words are not for the creative, not for the lover or the artist
They are but for orators to mend their purpose, to create the artificial emotions.
But words, words will never be enough for true emotion
yet, I am a poet!

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Dusk




I feel the day ending as the sun sets,

The light getting dark, the birds chirping recklessly

The sorrow of something coming to an end

The anxiety of not knowing what’s coming next

The interim unrest between the pretty bright ball of orange light and the silvery shining beauty

I want the time to halt, to freeze to come to an end

To not change, I like no change; I like to make it stop

My heart churns inside and I feel heavy, eyes are burdened with the change that’s anticipated

I rather like the limbo

I want to procrastinate, to not believe

I want it to be the same like it was before

I want it to be bright and clear and full of life

What do I do, I am anxious, I am troubled but there is nothing I can do

I feel the sun setting  everyday with a part of me yearning for no change everyday

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

INVOKE

Unleash the locked heart,
One that's hiding in veils its true self;
Rip the burden of forced newness apart,
Once again, let emotions be thy chisel.

There is but one true soul inside,
You can chose to chide, hide and force it to sleep;
But when a mirror invokes your true side,
Empower it to shrug away the burden's heap.

Cease those moments when you truly live,
Reunite self with your lost senses;
Some exterior elements that embellish your inner life,
Feel them, not with your skin, but your soul without pretenses.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Dwelling

Does a peaceful dwelling exist?
Is there eternal happiness?

Should we even travel in pursuit or go on living like we always do?

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Apologies


Life is not a bed of roses, I am sorry Lord, for forgetting

We do not have the power to write our destiny, I am sorry dear Lord for misbelieving

 

I apologize for I believed in Karma and stood tall

I am penitent for in my speed I thought I will get it all

 

I retrace, repent and ask for mercy

Not fighting against your will, plead for your blessings

 

Looking at this time as a reminder of your powers

Vesting my trust in you, waiting for light beyond the towers

 

Destiny has taught me I can’t maneuver my life

But Faith still stays strong even as I step out of the strife

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Today

"TODAY is a gift, that's why they call it the PRESENT"

Experience taught me to not lose my most important day - today - to the memoirs of past, neither vain away time in idyllic dreams of the future. A perfect future is still a dream, but a remarkable present can be a reality!

I took a short break from work, and spent the best days I had had in a long long time. It was perfect and I was happy not having a care about anything in the world. I ate what I wanted to, slept when I felt like, loved and laughed often and did what my heart asked me to.

And then I was back. For the next teo weeks (or more) I lived in the recollection of the awesome time, I practically refused to come out of the past time. Relived the moments in my head, smiled at the past and cried that the blissful days ended Then for the next two weeks I obsessed about making my future perfect by dreaming and planning and groping in the dark and I cried for the future did not seem under my control.

So before I knew I had lost a month, a whole month of my wonderful life. I practically have no memories of the last month, it seemed to go by in a jiffy because I did not allow myself to live, to love or laugh. I was lost in the melancholy of what was missing or the anxiety of what might come.

Never underestimate the passing moment, for you can chose to do whatever you want to with it, its yours to make it eternal by making the most out of it or to let it fade away in the sand of time that was or would be.

Carpe Diem!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

The Loveliness Ladder

A lot has been debated about glass ceilings. I am sure that the ceiling still affects a lot of women climbing the corporate ladder. By the law of nature, politeness and caring are the two attributes related to a woman. Aggressive and powerful is the exact opposite of what we learnt about the female characteristics. With self-struggle along with the help of some supportive leaders/counterparts women are making it to the top. Weather the ceiling is thick or reducing or totally gone I am not sure of. But one thing is certain, now in the changed times, some women have definitely learnt to find a window of opportunity through the same ceiling.
Personality and charm works well in the Corporate. Studies confirm that in a sales deal, the sales person is more important than the product being sold. People tend to instantly trust an innocent face. Perception often blinds our reason. Likewise, managers also like pretty faces around them. Beauty has now started to compensate for the brains. I coin a new term for explaining this phenomenon – “The Loveliness Ladder”. And this not just affects the female population. It affects the other half of the world as well. Why would the not so good to look at guy/girl be last picked at the placements of a college? Why will the ladies with a better smile or a charming personality be picked up first in an interview?
Some quotes from studies and researches conducted in different parts of the world at different points in time:
1. Attractive people earn an average of 3 or 4 percent more than people with below-average looks, according to Daniel Hamermesh, professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the book "Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful." Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/attractive-people-are-more-successful-2012-9#ixzz356d1yUi1
2. The average callback rate was 30% across all of the CVs sent out. For attractive women, it was 54%, and for attractive men, 47%. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.in/Check-Out-How-Much-More-Often-Beautiful-Women-Get-Callbacks-For-Job-Interviews/articleshow/22441569.cms
3. Researchers found that more-attractive agents sell properties at higher prices than less-attractive agents. This can be attributed to a "halo effect," in which more-attractive individuals are perceived as possessing greater intelligence or capability. Read more: http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/08/30/why-it-pays-to-be-attractive
One might argue that one should leverage whatever one has. Weather its beauty or its brains. But isn’t Corporate not a beauty pageant? Can an athlete win a beauty contest? Or can an actor be a painter? So why can’t we keep this rationale when it comes to the Corporate? Why is a pretty face more likable at work? Shouldn’t workplace be a place where brains and skills are objectively judged keeping the perception of the heart out of the box? A more skilled and hard-working resource often is considered equal or even left behind in the Corporate race.

For those who are eligible to climb the Loveliness Ladder – thumbs up. Those who are struggling to fight the glass ceiling and cannot even use the loveliness ladder- find a new way to shake the system. Although they have been ‘lucky’ enough to have the brains to reach where they are, breaking the chains of stereotypical and orthodox thinking- only to be bound by perception and beauty. For them, it is more suffocating than before for now they are caught in the glass ceiling and can’t take the loveliness ladder. Time to find another window or door or ladder, for the Corporate believes in the survival of the smartest!!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Eternally Perplexed

How would it be
To know what one wants?
If only I could foresee,
I would ask God appropriate grants.

It has been eternal,
The search is never over.
I want to excel,
But I know not the endeavor

Each journey starts with a lot of fascination,
It seems to be the ultimate goal.
But deep into the mission,
Fades the luster; No pull to the soul.

There is never a definite route, neither a destination
How do people have a constant goal without confusion?
Is it the age that I am in or a passing transition?
Or is it only me who doesn’t has an explanation?

Maybe I will find my ultimate goal..

Or maybe wisdom to explain this is not unusual!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Newest Customer Touch-point : going digitally social

The digital revolution and the advent of social networks are providing unprecedented opportunities to engage with customers. But, every business that wants to realize this potential faces a daunting task; it must first intercept and interpret vast quantities of data through social media monitoring and convert that to actionable insights that can feed into business processes to deliver measureable business results. Sheer presence on Social Media is not enough. A feedback mechanism is necessary for evaluating whether what we are doing is right or wrong; for analyzing and measuring the social media impact. To extract true value, user generated content can be harnessed to promote businesses. By evaluating what the mass is speaking about a particular company/product and gauging the net sentiment – positive or negative, future strategies can be planned. But the question that arises is how to measure all of this.
  • Can I quantify my social marketing spends in numbers?
  • What are the returns on social media investment?
  • What improvements can I make to my next campaign?
  • What topics should I cover in my content marketing?

Addressing the problem: AMA Framework


The problem is three fold: Right AMA - audience, message and analysis
1.      Right Audience: What is better - broadcasting a message which may or may not be registered by the viewers or to have a select target audience who will be affected by the message?  The principle of targeting and positioning holds true here; select the target and customize the communication such that it will be impactful on the selected audience.

2.      Right Message on the right channels: There might have interested listeners but there might not be addressed with the right messages or the right channel.

3.      Right Analysis: Measuring the impact is not enough. Analyzing the results and learning how to move react based on the results is what makes the difference. Pointers for increasing the efficiency of communication over these social channels are required to be in place.

The fans and followers are only numbers that don’t translate to business objectives. The rules of sales apply here as well, qualify your leads! Social Media is a unique environment where it’s about a conversation and not broadcast. This element is usually forgotten. If a sustainable engagement with a 1,000 fans is achieved, it’s better than having ad-hoc chatter among 10,000.For getting the message, channel and audience right, monitoring of marketing communications is required. For effective analysis, such monitored results need to be stored and then trends can be analyzed. This analysis then acts as a feedback which can then be looped for further marketing activities. In the past there have been models to measure the return on marketing investments and to evaluate the most effective channel for marketing efforts. But with the new age of data we need new techniques. This is where Analytics comes in with answers to the solicited business questions.

Going deep: What is SMA?


SMA = Measuring + Analyzing + Interpreting interactions and associations between people, topics and ideas.
Social Media Analytics today has evolved from traditional listening to be used for online reputation management to more sophisticated influencer mapping, crisis management, lead generation, campaign measurement, competitive mapping and brand health checks. It helps in identifying aspects such as community presence, influencers, detractors, communication themes and interests etc. It helps in competitor tracking. Tracking analytics of competitors is a great way to devise a more robust social media strategy for your brand.
Predictive Analytics is a very interesting field of research and is poised to be the game changer especially for the consumer targeted businesses. Traditionally predictive analytics have been widely applicable in the field of marketing. Some of the key areas included, forecasting sales, predicting churn probabilities, finding brand affinity drivers, optimal pricing and discounts, merchandising mix, predicting the best channels for marketing communications, tracking product launch effectiveness are some among a plethora of other ways.
In today’s digital arena, some interesting predictive analysis can be done by focusing on daily volume, share of voice, demographic analysis, sentiment etc. Providing intelligence reports that include trends in online conversation, brand awareness, impact prior to and post campaigns etc.
One of the requirements enabling predictive analysis is the cluster of historic data. It’s interesting to see how companies will look at the total number of tweets, as well as positive and negative comments to predict whether a stock price will go up or down.

Comprehensive SMA Framework

Organizations can harness the true power of this big data coming from social media only if they truly understand this data and channelize it properly. They need to access the data that is coming in, evaluate this along with the enterprise data available (like sales data, transactions data etc.) and also manage the responses on social forums.



Saturday, July 20, 2013

Strength

An attempt to stand up straight
When there is neither muscle nor sinew
The last of your power drained with the sore throbbing ache
Feed then, on the mind’s capacity - Go on challenge it!
No valor no nerve can mar the spirit
Spirit, that stimulates and feeds the valiant

When the blind can use the mind’s eye
When the cavemen can invent fire
Why then should your mind not give you the strength?
Why then you need to pause?
Stop not, for the vital force within you is getting wasted

No, don’t be a log, not a stone
Emancipate the being and feel the emotions
Let your spirit rejuvenate – not your senses die
It’s a viscous circle of strengthening the self and draining the same

There is no want that is not created by perception
A mind and spirit is all that takes to make a human life
No limb, no senses are a mandate
Don’t give in to despair for the lack of anything

Feel thy self: fend, tend and mend