The Old Cherokee's Lesson

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said: "My son, the battle is between 'two wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, contentment and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied: "The one you feed."

(Courtesy: Ravi Bhatia)

'Bits of Crushed Crayon' by Maria A Munaff

Surely, I had seen this picture before.....two hills with the sun rising between them, birds flying in the bright blue sky, a river curving down the hill, and at the top of the hill, a house. Was I asleep and dreaming or awake and gone back in time, through the pages of the drawing book I had when I was seven?

The house was yellow with a blue door, and the walls were slightly crooked. The roof was covered with red tiles and green creepers. Flowers of every hue studded the grass - red, crimson, magenta, yellow, golden, blue, purple, and white. A lazy dog lay at the bamboo gate and watched as schoolgirls passed, chattering and licking sour fruit out of leaf cones.

Three of them push open the gate, and it creaks. The dog wags its tail and follows them into the house. At a rickety table, they sit down to have their tea. It smells of wood-smoke and is served in enamel mugs as they munch on crusty bread and margarine. The table has the marks of the wood grain on it, like ripples and waves. Two red shoe flowers in a green bottle rest on its centre. An old ceiling fan whirrs overhead. Wooden shelves and cabinets are full of glass dishes and silver cutlery. Kettles and ladles, pots and pans line the kitchen. Onions and spices are frying for the evening meal. Women are laughing at the well as they rub and scrub with frothy yellow soap. The well is cool and deep and has green ferns growing in the cracks inside, and the bucket goes down with a loud splash. In between the banana trees around the well, ducks waddle in the mud.

As darkness falls, golden lights begin to shine here and there in the darkness, and fireflies flit about. The smell of the jasmine bush blows through the verandah. Burly uncles stop by on the way back from work, demanding tea and telling jokes. The men sit down to talk as the women scurry about. Little children gaze adoringly as the adults talk, waiting to be noticed or chasing the beetles on the floor. Their eyes light up as the conversation shifts in their direction. Aunts and uncles ask how they are doing at school and sometimes hand out coins.

From the house next door, the sound of hymns being sung; from the verandah, the buzz of the transistor as grandfather listens to the news - things happening far away; and a drunken man pedals by on his bicycle, singing sad songs to his long-lost love. The smell of steaming rice from the kitchen and of wax candles being lit for family prayers; the feeling of the scratchy jute carpet where you can rub your feet when red ants bite and the maroon velvet cushion under your cheek as you fall asleep; the touch of your mother's fingers as she runs them through your hair.

Was the world ever really like this? Were people ever this contented? Did single mothers always have to struggle alone and young children give up on life because they felt that nobody cared? Wasn't your brother supposed to live next door so you could pass hot bowls of chicken curry over the fence? And your sister sleep next to you at night so you could always see that she was warm enough? Didn't grandfathers sit in easy chairs wearing blue drill shorts, sipping Horlicks and telling you stories?

What happened to that picture? When did bonds become about investment and support what we provide at call centers? When did caring become about customer service and attachments about our e-mails? Where are the days when messages were sent by two children and a dog, with a slice of yesterday's birthday cake and bits of news to share?

Wish I could pick up my box of twelve crayons again to change the picture of this world we have made by our indifference and greed!

Temporary Loss of Momentum

Not having got any response from my publishers for over a month, I called them up recently. The Chief Editor’s feedback was encouraging and discouraging at the same time. While our story itself has potential, she said, we needed to infuse more excitement into it. She indicated that the book reads too much like a report and that we needed to make it as gripping as an adventure story. “Fictionalize it”, she said.

I think we have ignored peripheral aspects (like descriptions of surroundings/ what people were wearing/ how the protagonist felt) while focusing excessively on getting the facts right... I do not think my publishers are interested in the book in its present form. The situation called for a decision:

Should we invest more time, do a major re-write - and continue to pursue them? Or should we approach a second-rung publisher and get the book out this year? The main things to be considered were time and timing.

So, I asked the protagonist what he thought. Here are his views:
“The Chief Editor indicated her interest in the story but the Head of Sales may have made her think again… In any case, it’s up to us to make it as gripping a story as possible. I feel it’s always better to go with a recognized publisher than a second-rung one… So, let’s invest some more time and then convince them to publish the book.

“As far as the timing is concerned - going by the prevailing situation here, it’s okay even if we delay the release till next year. It all depends on your availability to do it all over again. I am in favour of a re-write if we are to hit the top shelf. But get a second opinion if you feel the need to.”

So, what do you think?

Learn To Love by Ralph Marston

Learn to love challenge, and you'll fill your life with accomplishment.

Learn to love effort, and your skills will grow more valuable with each passing day.

Learn to love making a difference, and doors will quickly open for you wherever you go.

Learn to love giving freely of yourself, and you'll receive more fulfillment than you ever could imagine.

Learn to love being the authentic person you are, and everything you do will be infused with integrity.

Learn to love whatever work you're doing, and that work will bring abundant rewards.

Learn to love beauty for beauty's sake, and you'll discover a wealth of it in places no one else would even think to look.

Learn to love unconditionally, and there will be no limit to what your love can accomplish.

Learn to love life just because it is, and each day will be a grand new adventure.

Learn to love the moment you're in, and you'll find richness in every direction.

Learn to love the possibilities, and you'll make your way to whatever you seek.

Learn to love no matter what, and you'll discover what a miracle you truly are.

Courtesy: Mario Motha

On Horns of Bullish Dilemma

I visited Bahrain earlier this week for a round of interviews with a small (US$ 16 million) company called Al Zain Trading Co WLL. I have been short-listed and am expecting them to make me an offer over the next couple of days. I am very excited about this assignment because I see potential in the company that I can help unleash.

The designation would be Group Financial Controller and I didn’t hear a gulp when I quoted my price over the phone. In fact, they went ahead and booked my tickets after that (Emirates via Dubai while going, SriLankan direct while returning).

If I accept their offer, my predecessor will be asked to resign. Yes, the company follows a hire-and-fire kind of policy and I am aware that it could happen to me sometime. But I think I can live up to the expectations of the Managing Director.

Bahrain seems to be a better place to live in than Dubai, with greater savings potential thrown in for good measure… The only negative factors would be:
1. That I would have to say ‘Bye-bye’ to the TATAs and give up that employment-till-you retire safety net.
2. That it would be unfair to Titan after they have been so kind to me… even though they will take their pound of flesh from my final settlement.

Therefore, I am grappling with my conscience and my sense of security on this decision. What do you think?

Nuggets of Simple Wisdom

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

Marry a man/ woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

When you say, “I love you”, mean it.

When you say, “I'm sorry”, look the person in the eye.

Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

Believe in love at first sight.

Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

Talk slowly but think quickly.

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, “Why do you want to know?”

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Say “God bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

Spend some time alone.

(Courtesy: Marina Motha)

Report Done, It’s Time to Fly

I am implementing plans to visit Dubai next month - long overdue - to check out jobs there as a safety net (if MHA decides that India would be better-off without me). Even if the India visa does come through, this is an opportunity to check out that city… One never knows when I will be footloose and fancy-free again.

I’ve decided to grab the first attractive opportunity that comes my way – and evaluate other options as they emerge...

I got roped in to write a report for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)... Sri Lanka is hosting a UNDP Workshop next month and they needed someone to write a report on their tsunami recovery effort. I have just finished writing the report and handed over the 32-page booklet to the printers yesterday. The style is very un-UN-like and I hope they appreciate it. Five hundred copies will be ready in about a week’s time.

You might be able to read portions of it on my blog after the report is released. I have adopted a relaxed, readable style – unlike typical UN publications that read like they've been written by a constipated parrot. So, watch this space!

Choices: Dubai, Bangalore or Colombo?

FREE-lancing: A Darn Good Deal

Business Editor: "The value of an article is not measured on word count but by whether it’s an assignment or rewritten press release or active story or investigation. Business reporters are paid over and above what news/ features freelancers are.

"The totality of a freelancer’s work is taken into account. That is, if a freelancer is a regular contributor and if it is felt that he/ she should make a reasonable amount for an otherwise lean month, then the payment is upped at the discretion of the editor.

"There is an upper limit for copy. An average of Rs 1,750 per piece is a darn good rate at any newspaper in Sri Lanka."

Comment: It is reassuring to know that what appeared to be inconsistency in payment is actually a deliberate attempt at protecting writers' earnings each month.

Mixing Business with Pleasure

I’m enjoying my writing. It’s something that I had planned to do after retiring to Goa in 2021 AD. But, since retirement has come earlier than anticipated, I thought I might as well fill up this blank phase of my life…

As a profession, writing is so much more creative than accounting… I might even have considered this as an alternate profession, except that ‘entry level pay scales’ are not that hot… On Saturday night, I also had a recording session - over Scotch whisky and cashew nuts - with the protagonist of my book. Mixing business with pleasure, you could say... The book should be on shelves next winter (2008).

Communist Enclosure

KVK: Typically, we would need a minimum of six months from manuscript to publication… would depend on the kind of editing called for. So, if we were looking to publish in December 2010, it would be great if the manuscript reached us by January 2010. If that isn't possible, then latest by May.

Whatever you may have read about me, I can be ruthless with my red pen, so be warned!

AM: I hope you will be ruthless with your red pen; I wouldn't have it any other way. But, yes - forewarned is forearmed…

Let me first try to put together a product worthy of HarperCollins' consideration. I will revert to you after I have come to that stage…

Assignment Colombo: RV

Lately, my life has been revolving around the book – recording, transcribing and typing. The creative work will come later. (I hope to finish by December 2007.) In fact, even this evening, I have a recording session with Boyagoda, about whom the book is.

I write for the Financial Times whenever there is an assignment. I have not been chasing them for assignments because of paucity of time. I write creative pieces when the mood moves me.

Malaika's wedding is scheduled for October 25th. The maaplai's name is Nirmal Pieris, with the Sri Lankan pronunciation, i.e. Nirmaaal... Apparently, the last Colombo wedding in the family was yours..! So, everyone is maha-excited here.

On Fear and Greed: KVK

Boyagoda would like to release only after peace returns… I would like to release when I'm ready... More time would permit me to fine-tune the product – up to a point, beyond which diminishing marginal utility would probably set in.

I also do realise that there are books and there are un-putdown-able literary masterpieces. Sometimes, the difference is only that the writer was in too much of a hurry and did not give it 'the creative treatment'. But I guess I am preaching to a missionary…

In the ultimate analysis, I think we have plenty of time and the decision is likely to be an emotional struggle: between fear and greed.

Measure of Success: KVK

I see this book attracting some attention in pockets of the UK, Canada, India, Australia and the USA - besides in Sri Lanka, of course. Therefore, it would require international distribution. Realistically speaking, I would expect the distribution pattern to be similar to what Penguin, your earlier company, experienced with Anita Pratap's Island of Blood. (Heck, no - I am a realist and would consider my book succesful if we were to sell even one-fifth as many copies as she has sold!)

If we intend to launch by end-September 2007, to coincide with the 5th anniversary of Commodore Boyagoda's release by the LTTE, when would you require the manuscript and synopsis?

The 'Business' of Writing

KVK: Based on the synopsis and sample writing, you could be offered a contract which, apart from the usual warranties etc required of you, would commit to an advance based on first print run and price.

Suppose the book was priced at Rs 295 in hardcover, you would get 10% of the cover price as royalty on every copy sold. On paperback sales, it would be 7.5% of cover price. About half the money expected to be earned as royalty on first print run (which would be about 3,000) would be given upfront on signature of contract.

RV: Isn't HarperCollins miserly?!!! Or is that a reasonable rate?

KVK: HarperCollins Synopsis

What you need to do is write about 500 words about the theme of the book and provide a summary of each chapter. You could go into as much detail as you like.

The best kind of synopsis would run into 10-15 pages including stuff like other books on similar subjects, possible readership, etc. And one chapter written up, even if in rough draft. The idea is to put together as complete a profile as possible.

Paganini's Violin

“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48)

Modern-day equivalent: “With great power comes great responsibility." (Uncle Ben to Peter Parker - Spiderman, 2002)

Paganini, who was one of this planet’s greatest violinists, died in 1840. Before his death, he bequeathed his violin to his birthplace, Genoa. His only caveat was that nobody should play his violin after his death. The city of Genoa agreed and displayed Paganini’s violin in a beautiful case.

Other violins of the same vintage were handed from generation to generation – and survived the passage of time. Paganini’s violin, however, decayed and crumbled from misuse.

Bean Counter Becomes Author

JK: Maybe God is pointing you towards that - to stop counting beans and to start writing - which you always did very well. Can connect you with Ram Guha – who is much published, if you want to know how that system works.

AM: At this end, we have been pondering over what needs to be done (besides writing the book). We vaguely know that we should be contacting a publisher – and that we could probably raise some funds if we could pre-sell the rights on the basis of a few completed chapters. But we are quite clued-out otherwise.

JK (To Ram Guha): I'm taking the liberty of introducing Antony, a former colleague and friend from Titan - who has ambitions of writing a book, has an interesting true life story idea but would need some advice about the "business" of getting published.

Planning a Bestseller: AB

In my opinion, the book should have 10 - 15 chapters of about twenty pages each. I plan to keep the style of writing light, so that we can make it attractive to a large mass of people. This is imperative if we intend to make a best-seller out of your story. In my opinion, our audience would include – but not be restricted to - Sri Lankans at home and abroad.

The Second Coming

Professional and personal aspirations for the New Year 2007

Strands of sticky red tape criss-cross my body and pin me down. Immobile, I can only sigh as little bureaucratic babus walk all over me. I feel like Gulliver, tied to the ground in Lilliput. I have been in this position for over nine months now!

Things have not been that bad, though. Not many people get to enjoy a spell of retirement in the middle of their careers. I daresay that I’ve gained on the swings what I’ve lost on the roundabouts. In the opening sentence of A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens aptly sums up what 2006 was like for me, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Yes, it has also given me the opportunity to look back at life and re-assess my priorities and aspirations. So, here goes…

1. A Passage Back to India
My first aspiration would be to return home to India. To gain perspective, you need to look at our country from the outside. On doing so, you cannot help but echo the poet Iqbal’s words, immortalized by Rakesh Sharma, “Saare Jahan Se Achcha”. It’s not just a cliché, it’s true…

I’ve explored opportunities in other lands. None can match the combination that India offers: culture, education, living standards, growth potential, security and racial harmony. All these have made India a destination of choice. The economic boom has resulted in a new-found respect for India and Indians. Tata Steel’s successful bid for Corus and Mittal Steel’s offer for Arcelor are symptomatic of our growing footprint.

The inadequate infrastructure and frustrating gubernatorial delays are mere road humps that decelerate the pace of progress.

2. A View to another Skill
I’ve never been fiercely ambitious. Career-wise, the pinnacle of my ambition was to be CFO of Titan or a company like it. With the company having identified my potential to move across functions, I can now aspire to be COO of a division like Tanishq. For this, I need to develop skills beyond my functional domain. I aspire to become a ‘Jack of all trades, master of one more’ this year.

Which skill? Maybe Marketing, in which I specialised at XLRI..? Or perhaps I could use the written word to churn out some great press releases, as a Public Relations person. Or use my people skills to transform the face of Human Resource management in Titan. Or my business sense, to get into a broader role where I can influence the results of the company. (The choice of an appropriate function would also depend on what Titan expects from me.)

In addition to using this new skill to further the company’s interests, I intend to prioritise my tasks better and to spend more time on the important few that could make a greater impact.

3. Sharpening the Saw
There’s a colleague who, whenever Titan’s financial results are declared, forwards the mail to me with a cryptic message, “Now look what you’ve done!” That is a flattering comment, no doubt, but unfair to the thousands of others who have contributed.

In some way, it shows that my perceived core competencies are Finance and – perhaps - common sense. The latter is like a muscle that develops on being exercised, which I have been doing. But I have miles to go before I can be world class in the evolving field of Finance. I need to keep ‘sharpening the saw’ (as Covey put it) to ensure that my competitive advantage is maintained. I intend to do this by enrolling for an appropriate course and interacting with peers in other organisations.

4. Let’s Get Physical
Having quit smoking recently, I believe that I have given myself a new lease of life. I aspire to stay off cigarettes and train for the Bangalore Ultra that is scheduled for December 16th, 2007. I intend to complete the 50 Kilometre distance in 5 hours, which would place me among the top finishers in the Veterans category.

I believe that my targeted timing is eminently achievable because I have completed a half-marathon in a shade over 2 hours. Starting a training regimen and sticking to it (while staying off nicotine) would be the keys to success.

5. One Life, Just Live It
I am firmly convinced that, as Titanians, we work for one of the best employers in India. But we may not always appreciate that fact – and the work that keeps us busy.

Beyond work, I aspire to spend more time with my family. To appreciate and encourage my children. To give more of myself to others. To appreciate life itself. To use my senses. (Have you felt the texture of leaves lately? Watched squirrels chasing each other round a tree? Watched butterflies fluttering by? Listened to birdsong in the morning? Smelt earth after the rain? Hugged a tree? Communed with nature? Try it, it soothes the soul.)

I aspire to acknowledge the presence of God and to sensitise others to His presence - by whatever name they choose to call Him. To seek His intervention to ensure that our mortal efforts yield divine results... I aspire to reach out to the underprivileged. I aspire, as Emerson put it, “to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition”.

Colombo.