My childhood dream was to catch the sky in my grasp. As a child, I once tried leaping and trying to grab as much sky as I could in my outstretched palm. However, neither did I get the sky in my grasp, nor did I stay close to it for long… next moment I was down on the ground. As the dust cleared, I saw the trees around… The majestic trees got closer and closer to the sky by taking their roots deeper and deeper into the earth. The lesson was obvious. The deeper the roots, the taller one can be. If we look around, we find that the one who “knows” is the one who “grows”! However, our ability, nay, our attitude, to learn reduces as we grow. Many of us do not bother about even “looking at” information about our own careers leave alone other concerns. General knowledge is fast becoming a superfluous term. Education stops for many with the completion of their academic pursuits.
The roots of a tree are of two types: those that go deep in search of nutrition and those that spread across the breadth to hold the soil better. Both are necessary. We need depth of knowledge in our main areas of activity and breadth of knowledge in everything else. Interestingly, as you grow taller and get closer to the sky, you stumble on that ultimate truth… that there is no sky! There is no limit to how tall you can grow; there is no limit for how deep your roots can go!
Let us learn from the roots that dive deep and help transform a tiny seed into a tall tree. Our roots are in our environment, in our culture, in our people, in our world… in everything that concerns us. Our roots represent the multiple dimensions that create our personality. Each of these dimensions needs to be developed. For that we must step outside our comfort zones and discover the real world and unearth our true potential…
May our roots go deeper to connect to our earth
“develop new dimensions” to seize the sky’s hearth!
Regards
Pravin
Monday, April 30, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
YOURS OR MINE?
"No Presents Please"… The line was prominently displayed on the invitation card for my marriage ceremony. A couple of days prior to my marriage, a close friend came visiting with a huge gift. When I refused to accept the gift, he pushed it in to the hands of my two-year old niece. She was thrilled to receive the gift and immediately started tearing off the gift paper. When unpacked, her excitement disappeared for the package contained a big storage tin, which was obviously of no use to her. So she gave the gift to me.
I nearly fell off my chair with laughter when I read the inscribed writing on the gift. It was gifted by somebody else to my friend on his marriage! He had chosen to "forward" the gift to me without realising that the earlier person had inscribed their names along with the date, for posterity. To the embarrassment of my friend, I handed the gift back, saying, "Sorry buddy, this gift is yours, not mine!"It happens many a time that we receive opportunities as packed gifts. And, we pass these gifts to somebody else, without knowing that they are actually meant for us.
We speak about our wait for opportunities, yet we do not recognise them when we see them standing right before our noses. Sometimes, they are pushed to where we might not see them, sometimes they are thrown away and worse they are just passed on.
It is not enough to receive opportunities; it is far more pertinent to note what we do with them. Too often, opportunities come disguised as difficulties. We must recognise the value and the scope of every gift of opportunity that comes our way. There is nothing wrong in sharing opportunity or offering it to someone else, but first see the dimensions hidden within. Only then it will be possible to develop the dimensions offered by that opportunity…
Recognise the gift that lies hidden in every opportunity,
“Develop new dimensions” to make the most of even adversity!
Regards
Pravin
I nearly fell off my chair with laughter when I read the inscribed writing on the gift. It was gifted by somebody else to my friend on his marriage! He had chosen to "forward" the gift to me without realising that the earlier person had inscribed their names along with the date, for posterity. To the embarrassment of my friend, I handed the gift back, saying, "Sorry buddy, this gift is yours, not mine!"It happens many a time that we receive opportunities as packed gifts. And, we pass these gifts to somebody else, without knowing that they are actually meant for us.
We speak about our wait for opportunities, yet we do not recognise them when we see them standing right before our noses. Sometimes, they are pushed to where we might not see them, sometimes they are thrown away and worse they are just passed on.
It is not enough to receive opportunities; it is far more pertinent to note what we do with them. Too often, opportunities come disguised as difficulties. We must recognise the value and the scope of every gift of opportunity that comes our way. There is nothing wrong in sharing opportunity or offering it to someone else, but first see the dimensions hidden within. Only then it will be possible to develop the dimensions offered by that opportunity…
Recognise the gift that lies hidden in every opportunity,
“Develop new dimensions” to make the most of even adversity!
Regards
Pravin
Monday, April 16, 2007
DEVELOP POTENTIAL
My favourite muse has been the poet-saint Kabir who wrote profound philosophy using very simple idioms and an even simpler vocabulary. My personal preferred verse of his (in Hindi) goes like this…
“Jo til mein hai tel, jo jagmag mein hai aag,
tera Sai hai tere andar, jag sake to jaag”
(Sesame seeds contain oil within, Flint stones hold potential sparks,
Your potential lies within you, wake up to this fact.)
Please note that sesame seeds need to be crushed by the crusher to be converted into oil. The oil is already within. Two stones when brought together and struck against each other will combine to create the spark of fire. Here too, the potential to create the spark lies inherent in the striking of the two stones. Similarly, Kabir says that every man’s potential lies within and we must first believe and accept that potential lies in us.
However, unlike the sesame seeds, humans do not need to be crushed to extract their inner potential nor do they need to be struck against another person. The first instance is of negative motivation while the second is of undue and unfair comparison. Too often, we do things only because we are forced to by the pressure of other people. Too often we assess ourselves wrongly by trying to measure up to somebody else’s standards.
We are owners to an inherent potential to do great things. We need to awaken and look inwards. We need to see what we are and what we can be. Talent needs to be first discovered by the one who possess it. Too often, we put ourselves down, because we fail to remove our blinkers of self-doubt while looking inwards and within. We must see the facets to our personality that lie unexplored and develop new dimensions.
It is the simple truth that our true potential is a promise that lies sleeping,
“Develop new dimensions” by first recognising and then performing!
Regards
Pravin
“Jo til mein hai tel, jo jagmag mein hai aag,
tera Sai hai tere andar, jag sake to jaag”
(Sesame seeds contain oil within, Flint stones hold potential sparks,
Your potential lies within you, wake up to this fact.)
Please note that sesame seeds need to be crushed by the crusher to be converted into oil. The oil is already within. Two stones when brought together and struck against each other will combine to create the spark of fire. Here too, the potential to create the spark lies inherent in the striking of the two stones. Similarly, Kabir says that every man’s potential lies within and we must first believe and accept that potential lies in us.
However, unlike the sesame seeds, humans do not need to be crushed to extract their inner potential nor do they need to be struck against another person. The first instance is of negative motivation while the second is of undue and unfair comparison. Too often, we do things only because we are forced to by the pressure of other people. Too often we assess ourselves wrongly by trying to measure up to somebody else’s standards.
We are owners to an inherent potential to do great things. We need to awaken and look inwards. We need to see what we are and what we can be. Talent needs to be first discovered by the one who possess it. Too often, we put ourselves down, because we fail to remove our blinkers of self-doubt while looking inwards and within. We must see the facets to our personality that lie unexplored and develop new dimensions.
It is the simple truth that our true potential is a promise that lies sleeping,
“Develop new dimensions” by first recognising and then performing!
Regards
Pravin
Monday, April 9, 2007
FOUNTAINHEAD!
While Lawrence was studying architecture, he went on a cycling expedition to Europe with his friends. The painful period that followed Hitler's occupation of Germany had unleashed a certain terror. Innumerable beautiful as well as painful memories of the tour enriched young Lawrence, who resolved that earning money would not be the motto of his life. He joined as a member of the surgical team of a religious group Quakers and went to China to serve the patients during the World War II.
Laurie came to India en route to England from China where he met Mahatma Gandhi who asked him to stay back to take care of leprosy patients. He travelled all over India helping repair leprosy homes and build new ones. He got exposed to indigenous architecture and was amazed at the way in which simple materials could be exploited to produce buildings with refined aesthetics and lasting qualities.
In 1970, Laurie Baker finally moved to Kerala and ever since became the fountainhead of alternative building technologies that would provide housing for the poor in a cost effective manner. Baker followed the principle that a house should seem to be owned by its owner and not be merely a statement made by the architect. Rejecting designs alien to the place he used local tiles and bricks in construction. A peaceful co-existence involving nature, man and home came across in his work.
Baker's architecture was always a reflection of his thoughts. He did not have any property other than the house he lived in. He did not like to have more than four sets of shirts and trousers, all made from khadi. He was continuously engaged in the quest for new ways to use any kind of waste, from paper to vegetables. And he inspired and motivated many to harness their creativity in creating appropriate architecture. Laurie built no big monuments, but yet he is regarded as one of the greatest architects because of his high values and simple style.
“Padmashree” Laurie Baker passed away on 1 April 2007. But his legacy continues to be a guiding light for a world staggering along the blind path of environmental destruction and misplaced development. The real alternative lies in the basics. For that we have look beyond our limited perspectives. We must recognise our responsibilities to our people, our land and more importantly to our profession. We must see the real dimensions to development and then develop new dimensions that use contemporary technology with traditional resources and help build a sustainable future.
The fountainhead of alternative architecture has shown us the solution,
Laurie Baker continues to inspire us to “develop new dimensions”!
Regards
Pravin
Laurie came to India en route to England from China where he met Mahatma Gandhi who asked him to stay back to take care of leprosy patients. He travelled all over India helping repair leprosy homes and build new ones. He got exposed to indigenous architecture and was amazed at the way in which simple materials could be exploited to produce buildings with refined aesthetics and lasting qualities.
In 1970, Laurie Baker finally moved to Kerala and ever since became the fountainhead of alternative building technologies that would provide housing for the poor in a cost effective manner. Baker followed the principle that a house should seem to be owned by its owner and not be merely a statement made by the architect. Rejecting designs alien to the place he used local tiles and bricks in construction. A peaceful co-existence involving nature, man and home came across in his work.
Baker's architecture was always a reflection of his thoughts. He did not have any property other than the house he lived in. He did not like to have more than four sets of shirts and trousers, all made from khadi. He was continuously engaged in the quest for new ways to use any kind of waste, from paper to vegetables. And he inspired and motivated many to harness their creativity in creating appropriate architecture. Laurie built no big monuments, but yet he is regarded as one of the greatest architects because of his high values and simple style.
“Padmashree” Laurie Baker passed away on 1 April 2007. But his legacy continues to be a guiding light for a world staggering along the blind path of environmental destruction and misplaced development. The real alternative lies in the basics. For that we have look beyond our limited perspectives. We must recognise our responsibilities to our people, our land and more importantly to our profession. We must see the real dimensions to development and then develop new dimensions that use contemporary technology with traditional resources and help build a sustainable future.
The fountainhead of alternative architecture has shown us the solution,
Laurie Baker continues to inspire us to “develop new dimensions”!
Regards
Pravin
Monday, April 2, 2007
TAKE OFF…
Jerry Pinto lives up to his name. Jerry means a “spear warrior”… “somebody carrying a pointed weapon”. In my friend’s case, he has displayed very pointed persuasive skills. Like the time when a summer beach party got undone as unexpected rain send the guests scurrying for cover… Jerry grabbed the microphone and motivated the guests to come back to enjoy the “rain party”! A focussed sense of purpose has always been the hallmark of everything that Jerry does.
Well after over six eventful years of a successful association with the Taj group in Aguada, Goa, Jerry has chosen to move on. Last Saturday, his proteges, Prasad Joshi and others organised a send-off party for him at (very interestingly) the helipad… literally wishing Jerry the best of take-offs in his career ahead. Colleagues, vendors, associates … everyone that Jerry’s touch had transformed were there to wish him well. It was a touching moment for Jerry to see the immense goodwill that he had managed to acquire.
Jerry deserves all the adulation he gets. It is not his gift of the gab or talent for creativity or managing skills that make him popular. It is his ability to help people connect to their potential that make Jerry much admired. A good manager is one who gets things done, but the best manager is one helps his team members develop newer facets that lie dormant in their personality. Jerry has made a habit of nurturing the attitude and aptitude of the people he works with.
All this is easier said than done. In today’s competitive world, we choose to focus on our own selves, rather than others. We are swayed by the logic that we could be creating our own competitors by helping develop others in our team. Hence we may be selective and restrictive in our “aid and support” to others in our team. And therefore, we will never surround ourselves with the adulation, admiration and sheer benevolence that Jerry was able to witness on that evening at the helipad…
On life’s helipad, the fuel of goodwill helps you soar higher…
Help “develop new dimensions” in very person you encounter!
Regards
Pravin
Well after over six eventful years of a successful association with the Taj group in Aguada, Goa, Jerry has chosen to move on. Last Saturday, his proteges, Prasad Joshi and others organised a send-off party for him at (very interestingly) the helipad… literally wishing Jerry the best of take-offs in his career ahead. Colleagues, vendors, associates … everyone that Jerry’s touch had transformed were there to wish him well. It was a touching moment for Jerry to see the immense goodwill that he had managed to acquire.
Jerry deserves all the adulation he gets. It is not his gift of the gab or talent for creativity or managing skills that make him popular. It is his ability to help people connect to their potential that make Jerry much admired. A good manager is one who gets things done, but the best manager is one helps his team members develop newer facets that lie dormant in their personality. Jerry has made a habit of nurturing the attitude and aptitude of the people he works with.
All this is easier said than done. In today’s competitive world, we choose to focus on our own selves, rather than others. We are swayed by the logic that we could be creating our own competitors by helping develop others in our team. Hence we may be selective and restrictive in our “aid and support” to others in our team. And therefore, we will never surround ourselves with the adulation, admiration and sheer benevolence that Jerry was able to witness on that evening at the helipad…
On life’s helipad, the fuel of goodwill helps you soar higher…
Help “develop new dimensions” in very person you encounter!
Regards
Pravin
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