Just Hang in there ...

It was my worst drive back home from Chicago! Freezing rain, ice pellets and strong winds made the driving conditions hazardous. My car (Mazda 2014 CX-5) was dancing on it own tunes. I had to stop just to shove ice off from my car wipers. Driving at 60 kmph for hours and hours was exhausting. Gruelling. The ordeal lasted 16 hours.

Seeing a plethora of cars in the ditch, flipped and taking 180, 270 and 360 degree 'turns' ,I feel very fortunate to have gotten home safely with my wife and kids. My kids cooperated to their fullest which really surprised and impressed me. 

By just hanging in there, you get immune to the torture and get to the finishing line before you even realise it. This concept was a piece I read in Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational where he said the effect of undertaking a mundane task or undergoing a horrendous ordeal can be smoothed out if endured for a longer time interval. Taking shorter breaks throws your system off and the brain has to re-calibrate again. On the contrary, taking a short break from an enjoyable experience (for e.g. furnishing your room or enjoying an aged cheese from Amsterdam) makes you relish that experience for a longer period of time. The joy lingers. Savour the moment instead of binging and purging.

  

So the next time, in order to hang in there with class before embarking on a long drive, here are a few things that might be handy:

- Valid Insurance Card/ Car registration form

- Printed Map (GPS backup)

- Check weather

- Cellphone charger

- DVD Player
- Follow the speed limit

Afternoon Meh-ness

I hate this time of the day when my sugar level is all time low and period of weakness and lethargy ensues. No amount of caffeine can elevate this feeling of worthlessness (sounds harsh ! )

Instead of relying on external factors for some uplifting, this uplifting should come within. You should rely on WMD - not Weapon of Mass Destruction.

- Walk out in an open air for 20 mins. Change your shoes and pace yourself. Don't forget to swing your arms freely and raise your leg.
- Meditate (prayers can help) or power nap for 15 mins can do the trick. Point is to shut your eyes and relax.
- Drink lots of water. Hydrate yourself. I fill my 900 ml water bottle and finish it in the first 45 mins to have some oxygen gushing in my body. (Chemistry 101: Chemical formula of Water is H20 where O is for Oxygen #duh)

Practicing this ritual on consistent basis will sure bring laurels and provide a boost in your productivity.

When it rains...

The scene from 'Social Network' flashes in front of my eyes. The scene from a court hearing against the Mark Zuckerberg character.
The conviction he delivers those lines is superb. The frustration and agony is woven in the texture of his voice. The arrogance that he bulldozes the client's lawyer is applause worthy. A scene reminding of David and Golaith,  where a 19-year old Mark Zukerberg is stacked against the odds to face a wrathing and a ruthless lawyer.

The Scene!

It is raining while I am going back from work in a GO Bus. And when it rains it also pours :)

Desire over Passion

The word 'passion' sounds cliche when you hear it in a job interview or read it on a Resume. I personally dislike that word. It gives mixed signal to your audience. Firstly, I associate word passion with 'hyperness' , 'youthfulness' , 'zest'. Secondly it gives you this 'born for this' conundrum. Lastly, it is an emotional word - emotions are ephemeral.

Being an IT professional, I have been working with Technology for last 8 years. I have studied Computer Science and then later studied Management Analytic. Can I call myself with someone with passion in technology? Absolutely not.

I simply have the 'desire' to be good in technology. Desire to improve professionally, desire to connect with people, desire to implement new functionality for business, desire to streamline process, desire to make a successful project launch. Desirability encompasses a wider spectrum than passion for programming/coding for example. Desirability is more human. It shows the constant need to grow where you will make mistakes (hence learn) along the way.

Silly: Being Sarcastic, Witty, Funny

My wife calls me "King of Sarcasm". In my defense I say "I am just being silly"

If you peel the layer, sarcasm arises when you don't want to be blunt and direct. You fear the repercussion and also you have this pressing urge to get your message across; the resultant product - sarcasm.
When my wife prepares a bland dish where I am put under the radar to pass my judgement; you know you will be in deep trouble if you say an honest opinion. That question is always asking for trouble. My reply was "Its nice, kid-friendly dish". Note I didn't rock the boat and passed my message across in sarcasm. Emoticon: ;)

To be funny is difficult. Timings is really important . You have to flush out all the negative energy and be genuinely void of any biases against anyone in that situation. My late grandfather was a genuinely funny person. People also vouch for my Dad as one the funniest people they have met. A trait that I did not inherit as a legacy. Late Majid Uncle in recent times was a very funny person too.
My friend Jaffar Saleem is the most hilarious of the bunch. Even his name elicits laughter lol.
They genuinely see goodness in people and care about them. Being funny you brighten up other people and uplift their spirit without being offensive.
In the wake of Ashley Madison data leak I had my Facebook status as "Baal baal bach gya #AshleyMadisonLeak" (Meaning: Saved by an inch). I think that was funny. Managed to put smile on few faces. Emoticon: :D

Witty is one-liners. Tongue-n-Cheek comments. It falls between funny and sarcasm. It can have elements of both. Wittiness is situation based and timing is really important.
Me and my wife were talking about how Chris (from Steven and Chris Show) died and what media is making up the reason to be is sleep walking. I was refusing to believe in the face value and thought there is some foul play involved. My wife being his big fan she was simply refusing to see the other way. And during this, I glanced at my daughter and while shes asleep; she had literally covered every zone of the bed rolling, I blurted that she is "sleep walking" which diffused the situation and brought smile on my wife's face.  Emoticon: :P

Just be your silly self and let people classify your silliness as witty, sarcasm or funny. After all they all put smile on people's face. Emoticon: :)

Being in the moment

Multi-tasking is an overrated and considered a virtue in our every increasing chaotic life. Essentially multi-tasking is more of time-slicing. Doing things in parallel instead of in series. But lets be honest it is doing more than one task in a given time (more throughput) with less concentration and thought!
I drive-n-grab while driving to work. I lunch-n-work at my work. I tweet-n-play with my son. I  listen-n-work while attending an evening class. The list goes on...
I do regret doing it all. I came to this realization when I was analyzing on how to maximize my energy level.
By doing things one at a time, your brain gets a breather and your body is under less stress. This also creates avenues to innovate and be more efficient since you are involving all your faculties in only task at a time.

I am now consciously reminding myself to undertake one task at a time. Getting up few minutes before to have breakfast before I leave for work in the morning. Put my cell phone away while playing with my son. Forcing myself to eat in the cafeteria during lunch time. One thing I really need to force myself is to put my cellphone away while my wife is talking to me ;-)

Beyond 14 August

Today is 68th 'Independence' Day of Pakistan. It was 14th August 1947 when the Britishers emaciated governance decided to leave and divide the land into two and hand over to its assigned leaders. We can debate life-long whether the decision was correct or not. It is futile to harp on it. For thinkers, the amount of sacrifices, steadfastness, unyielding commitment, diplomacy made by the people to carve out a nation that was dormant for centuries is a huge undertaking nevertheless!

For 68 years , we have been celebrating this day in a huge way: home and streets adorned with star and crescent, patriotic songs being played all over the country, breaking/creating record for largest Pakistani flag!

The spirit is very patriotic, but this feeling should sustain in every one's heart for life.

The spirit of acknowledging, tolerating and welcoming each others differences should be the fabric that this nation of 185 million people should be holding to stay united.
Not everyone living in Pakistan can be a Muslim.Not every Muslim living in Pakistan can be a Sunni. And not every Sunni living in Pakistan can be a Deobandi.

Similarly, not every Pakistani can speak Punjabi and not every Pakistani can speak Sindhi (I can speak none). Independence spirit should be embraced with tolerance, compassion and open mindedness.

Only after we overcome this barrier we can look beyond what it takes to be on the path of development and progress. We are a third world developing country lagging behind in every walk of life - from education and research to infrastructure and governance. Instead of ostracizing oneself from it or selling yourself to other entities to malign your country does more harm to your identity. Crisis should be taken as an opportunity for us to build as that seems the only direction to go after hitting rock bottom.

Boding bald

Not happy with your fat nose? Want to loose weight? Want to make your lips luscious? Want to modify your jaw bone? No problem. Cosmetic Surgery to the rescue! This increasing thriving industry is making more and more people (read women) go under the knife without giving a second thought.

By no means I am against the practice of cosmetic surgery but there has to be a line drawn for strictly cosmetic reason or functional reasons.

My wife is bugging me to undertake hair transplant for months now. With my faster-than-I-thought receding hairline I am giving it a second thought. Shouldn't I just accept with dignity and humility about this century old disease and join the burgeoning LoBM ( League of Bald Men)? Or should I undergo hair transplant and have my 'self-esteem' restored and become photogenic again? 

We should learn to be content in your skin. Look beyond oneself and aim for higher goals, have lofty vision, etc. I need a quick solution not a preachy lecture: Instant Fix leading to Instant gratification.
The peer pressure to have a certain conformed image is prevalent in our society. From models need to have certain dimensions to CEO can not be fat. Next norm - husbands can not be bald :)    

Are you a Genius?

Be a linchpin (Seth Godin)

- Make Art
- Give Gifts
- Do work that matters
- Connect
- Lead
- Make a Difference

Stats is Math

In my past academic life I always boasted my Math aptitude. I excelled in Math tests and exams in school and university:
From solving quadratic algebraic equations to proving trigonometric equations; from finding tangent in Geometry to calculating derivative of differential equations in Calculus. I used to be proud of my Mathematical prowess.
I was also humble of my natural talent;  helped peers to grasp the obvious concepts which they found elusive. Alright I was not that humble lol.

Behold! There was another branch of Math which brought me to my knees: Statistics! In my undergrad, I shrugged off this weakness by dismissing Stats not really being pure Maths. When I encountered this subject again in my Masters program I had a different level of appreciation for this important pillar of Mathematics.

Statistics is the backbone of Economics and Maths. Stats interlinks Geeks and Business people. Stats can tell stories about data which would otherwise be nothing but heap of coal i.e. useless. Statistical Analysis harness the data to turn into diamond! 
From predicting forecasting models to finding correlations between customer behavior and store temperature - you need deep Statistics understanding to validate or discover any trends.

With data being the digital gold for corporates, many companies are mining data to run statistical analysis on the data. Companies are making key strategic decisions that are more analytic driven rather than relying on gut feeling.

From 'Minority Report' to 'Money Ball' Stats is the Hero

Ending from a quote by Bernard Shaw:

"It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics"

Chaiyya Chaiyya

A meaningless song name but let that not fool you. The song came in 90s and it still instills the same euphoria, magic, madness and grip. The song ceases to decline in popularity.

The song has the heaviest Urdu poetry with sublime rhythm. Unsurprisingly, majority of the listeners did not understand the meaning of the song. The intricate nuances of poetry by Gulzar is adroitly weaved with AR Rahman's mystical music. Every stanza takes the description of love and lover to the next celestial level.

No other choreography would had done justice to the song. Troops dance on the top of a moving train! The train is moving through the dense forest. Must have been an uphill task to shoot the song !

The cast for the song was none other SRK, his cherubic innocence and infectious energy of SRK gripped the nation with his carefree dance moves and not to forget Malika Arora :)

Enjoy the Lyrics of the song below and till then Chaiyya Chaiyya!

Jinke sar ho ishq ki chaaon
Paaon ke neeche jaanat hogi
Chal chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya

Those who walk in the shade of love
Must have Paradise under their feet
Keep walking in the shade of love

Sar ishq ki chhaaon chal chaiyya chaiyya
Pau janat chale chal chaiyya chaiyya
(Chal chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya) 

In the shade of love, keep walking
Paradise under their feet, keep walking
Keep walking in the shade of love

Voh yaar hai jo khushboo ki tarah
Voh jiski zubaan urdu ki tarah
Meri shaam raat, meri kaayanat
Voh yaar mera sainya sainya

The companion who walks along like fragrance
Who whispers in a melodious tongue(Urdu)
Is my evening, night, my universe
My beloved, my love

Gulposh kabhi itraaye kahin
Mehke to nazar aa jaaye kahin
Taaveez banaake pehnoon usay
Aayat ki tarah mil jaaye kahin

(who) conceals herself in the flowers
And is revealed in the fragrance
Made into a charm, I would wear hear
If I ever find her like a miracle

Voh yaar hai jo imaam ki tarah
Mera nagma vohi mera qalma vohi
Mera nagma nagma mera qalma qalma

My companion, who is like a priest to me
She is my song, my declaration of faith
My song, my declaration of faith

Woh yaar misaale ous chale
Paaon ke tale firdous chale
Kabhi daal daal, kabhi paat paat
Main hawa pe dhoondhoon uske nishaan

My companion, who moves like the dew drops
With paradise under the feet
Sometimes on the branches, sometimes on the leaves
I search for her trail in the breeze

Main uske roop ka shehdaai
Vo dhoop chhanv se harjaai
Vo shokh hai rang badalta hai
Main rangroop ka saudaai

I am a lover of all her forms
Who flirts with light and shadow
She is mischievous, and changes colour
And I am a seeker of the colours and forms

Chal chaiyya chaiyya chaiyya chaiyyaKeep walking in the shade of love

First ...

On my 30 something birthday on 4th April, I got a pleasant surprise from my son.

It was Saturday morning, I woke up early to renew my Health Card and Driver License and to get my zoom-zoom to the dealer for annual maintenance. 

My son grabbed me and took me to the basement where he had a note written for me. The gesture was extremely over whelming and I expected the least. I had a lump in my throat to swallow after reading it.

I will always treat such gestures as my first as building up expectations serves you no good. Having higher expectations leads to anxiety  and depression. Lower your expectations and just enjoy the ride while it lasts :)

Switch On/Off

So I've just finished reading Steve Job's 1500 pages autobiography; a roller coaster of a life, I was spell-bounded to say the least.  Living vicariously through his book my eyes got misty at the closing chapters when his cancer was taking a toll on his health.
There were many take away Management and Product Design lessons from the book. One that moved me was his realisation and acknowledement of presence of a Supreme Force. Being an Atheist all his life, he started questioning the hereafter during the end. He dismissed the idea of body being 'turned off' after one dies. Soul can't just simply shut off. All the experiences one goes through and the wisdom one accrue must have some relevance and weight in the next life. The soul never shuts off. That was also one of the reasons why Steve Jobs vehemently opposed having a switch on/off button on his Mac products.
Soul is fluid .. Soul is eternal..Soul never switches Off.

Spring forward

It was that time of the year again where we dial our clocks one hour ahead for DayLight Savings time.

We loose an hour from the moment we wake up; ending our day quickly. Carrying this loss along with an end of the weekend make you realize the importance of time. You only realize it when you loose it.

I had a similar feeling few days ago when I was attending the last lecture for my Master's program. One year sprung in front of my eyes without a blink! 

My MMA program was an intense one-year program. It felt like a fire hose in your mouth. Back-to-back courses with heavy course load where you are always trying to catch up especially if you have a full time job and a family. After the final class, I felt like a heavy load lifted off my shoulders.  Roller coaster of emotions such as anxiety, excitement, stress, sad, proud, guilt, relieve were going over my head.

Anxiety - of what to do next. How to retain/apply the new skill set in your career.

Excitement - of what lies ahead. Couple of interviews lined up. Lets see whats in the store for me.

Stress - during the program and now how to recover the dent in my Balance Sheet.

Sad - not able to work with some of the folks again (it is also a good thing lol)

Proud - I did it! I did it!

Guilt - wished I had things done differently while in the program and undo some of the stuff - by definition it is called gaining 'experience'

Relieve - needless to say.

The puck doesn't stop here. I shall never go back to school again (never say 'never') but the pursuit of knowledge and hunger for learning, meeting and connecting with people shall always remain perpetual.

P.S - I have to resume my gym membership as I have put on 15 pounds during the course of the program! (thanks to the free supply of pop/coffee at the school facility). I was given a subtle reminder by wife "no excuses for not doing the dishes now" signalling I have to get back to business.

Transforming Experience

I attended my first ever Alumni event - a QSB Alumni event. Funny I have not graduated yet (March 2015 is the graduation date) but feel like a (proud) Alumni already !

The name of the event was "Leadership in the Non-Profit Sector". It was after work. Since the event title resonates well with my company (CAASCO), I was able to convince my bosses to expense the fees. It was only 35 bucks but the point was to make them aware of my aspirations and not my thriftiness (or may be both lol)

The event was held at MedCan facility at downtown. I had the pleasure to meet it's Executive Chair Mr. Shaun Francis who was also the guest speaker. It was a motivational and a thought provoking talk. 

He grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth literally and yet he came across such humble, driven, focused and motivated individual. He had a life transforming experience in his 20s when he was the only Canadian to serve in an American army. He has followed the veterans life closely and experienced what it takes to serve your country inside and outside its borders. Post-military, he has worked in many Leadership roles in various companies. He has also done his MBA from Wharton while having a family with 2 kids with a job that required lot of travelling. Time-management - an important quality in a good leader. 

Shaun talked about lessons learned from different experiences that transformed his life. In Military settings, Leadership is not a privilege but a huge responsibility and a slight negligence can cause someone's or even your own life. How Leadership varies from companies to companies. But the essence of leadership is showing care, humility and courage - only then you can get respect from your team.

Shaun shared another tidbit - Predecessor of leadership is keeping oneself healthy ! Eating healthy, doing exercise and 'being happy'. Most importantly, have a social purpose in life - a giveback to society, devoting one's time and energy to something you are passionate about. These strong feelings only arises when you go through a life transforming experience which Shaun did. We have all experienced life transforming 'moments' but it is the 'experience' that shapes your personality and builds the framework for you to execute your leadership.

After his talk I was not able to make my way to him as he was surrounded by other alumnis. Nevertheless, I cherished his talk and decided to pen it down lest I forget. 

Channels for Wisdom

With age comes wisdom - an old adage. True but not necessarily always true.

My 6 year old son was narrating me a conversation he had with one of my friends at a party. My son said my friend was telling him that he has big ears - like Aamir Khan had in his latest movie PK. I was furious and was offended, but before I expressed my feelings , I inquired my son how did he feel. My son said it is good as he can hear more clearly! I was moved by his positive outlook. Kids can teach you about wisdom.

On the other hand - some people when they get old become loose cannons. Best to avoid for fear of getting rubbed off by their negativity (and jealousy).

Surround yourself with positive energy. Create an environment where positive energy flows in. 

People who put you down, depress you, intimidate you, who are filled with ego - in short people who impart negative energy- simply avoid them.

It will be your gain not loss.