Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Like the wind

Keep moving. If I stay here attachment will form.

Keep moving like a river ... impurities and sediments and filth can never settle there.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Task Zones

Have you found yourself in a situation where your "TO-DO" list goes beyond what you can handle? Have you found yourself swamped with things to worry about that go beyond your cerebral limits? You are normal :-)

We get entrenched into our list of things to do and start worrying about them. The "TO-DO" lists are exactly what their names indicate. These are things-to-do and not things-to-worry-about.

It is not efficient to worry about all your worries all the time. Worrying does not help at all. While you are worrying about one job, you are actually taking away resources from what you could have used to perform other task.

Some points of the day are good for some tasks and some others are good for some other jobs.

You should divide your day into Task Zones. Work through the constraints of when can you perform certain tasks and then remain in that Task Zone. Try to divide and conquer. It will be much more efficient if you are consciously aware of the constraints of time and task.

More to come ...

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Ambidextrous Organization

This is a classic example of the contradiction in the corporate world.

Michael Tushman and Charles O'Reilly describe this strategy in their recent book, "Winning Through Innovation". They define technology life cycles and innovation in terms of "streams" and explain how a selected few large companies have managed to create two different organizations under one roof to manage these streams. One is dedicated to maximizing the value of the traditional technology, the other to commercializing radical innovation. There are difficulties with such dual strategies: "The contradictions inherent in the multiple types of innovation create conflict and dissent between the organizational units - between those historically profitable, large, efficient, older, cash-generating units and the young, entrepreneurial, risky, cash-absorbing units."

Monday, November 15, 2004

Don't you have a mind of your own

We're giving you this exquisite position in this company and we want you to know you'll have a great deal of independent decision-making-power :-)

SURRENDER - What are you giving up? A hollow little trip that is good for another 40 years (at best). You're giving it up for ETERNAL UNION, PURE ENERGY and PURE LIGHT. Because, surrender means you no longer die. It's as simple as that. That's what it means. Because: You that lives and dies is you - Ego - and fear of death only comes through the brittleness of the ego.

Private Corners of the Brain

Once you realize God knows everything, you're free. I had been through many years of psychoanalysis and still I had managed to keep private places in my head - I wouldn't say they were big, labeled categories, but they were certain attitudes or feelings that were still very private. And suddenly I realized that he knew everything that was going on in my head, all the time, and he still loved me. Because who we are is behind all that.

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Managing the Bad Boss

Are you in control of a "bad manager"? You need to read http://www.badbossology.com/.


Thursday, November 11, 2004

Maharajji's Contradictions about Truth

Maharajji said -

Christ died for truth.

Total truth is necessary. You must live by what you say.

Truth is the most difficult tapasya. Men will hate you for telling the truth. They will call you names. They may even kill you, but must tell the truth. If you live in truth, God will always stand with you.

When asked how the heart could be purified, he said, "always speak the truth."

In contradiction to all of these teachings, however, maharajji frequently lied.

Maharajji would usually agree to any request from a devotee. People frequently invited him to come and bless their homes and to partake of the food prepared by the family. He would inevitably agree to all those requests, yet more often than not he wouldn't go.

When questioned by one of his devotees about his habit of making and breaking promises, Maharajji replied, "I'm just a big liar!"

Maharajji would say something and later, if he contradicted himself and the contradiction was pointed out, he would say, "I didn't say that."

(Excerpts from "Miracle of Love")

Monday, November 08, 2004

Best Buy's Unwanted Customers

Today's Wall Street Journal has this article about Best Buy trying to separate the "angels" among his 1.5 million daily customers from the "devils."

What a contradiction? Do you know that businesses have unwanted customers? Best Buy is trying to shy away the bargain hunters. They will analyze customers and decide who are "not welcome".

Best Buy estimates that as many as 100 million of its 500 million customer visits each year are undesirable. And they want to be rid of these customers. This

campaign against devil customers pits Best Buy against an underground of bargain-hungry shoppers intent on wringing every nickel of savings out of big retailers. At dozens of Web sites like FatWallet.com, SlickDeals.net and TechBargains.com, they trade electronic coupons and tips from former clerks and insiders, hoping to gain extra advantages against the stores.

Thinking outside the box ...

BUT, how do we define the box? It is a cliche to say we should think outside the box. Nobody knows how to limit the box. Remember Einstein's theory of relativity (http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/theory/relativity.html). I am trying to redefine my box my new frame of reference.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Contra-Dictions

You are happy : You are sad. You are rich : You are poor. You are entertaining : You are boring. Everywhere on earth we see contradictions. Actually, outside earth too. My life is full of many such contradictions too. This is an effort to capture some of them.

Contradictions are a major part of my life. But, that is not everything in my life. This blog records the journey of my life.

I started couple of blogs earlier too. None of them went on for more than few days. I really wish that this will be an exception, a contradiction and will go on forever.