Top 5 books I enjoyed reading in 2013

Here are some of the books I enjoyed reading in 2013. These books have been my best friends and have made me go through a holistic transition to become a better person

1. The ONE thing - What’s the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? In the number one Wall Street Journal bestseller, Gary Keller has identified that behind every successful person is their ONE Thing. No matter how success is measured, personal or professional, only the ability to dismiss distractions and concentrate on your ONE Thing stands between you and your goals. The ONE Thing is about getting extraordinary results in every situation.

2. The Go Giver - Most people just laugh when they hear that the secret to success is giving...Then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as they wish they were."

The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. And so one day, desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees simply as the Chairman.

Over the next week, Pindar introduces Joe to a series of "go-givers:" a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial adviser, a real estate broker, and the "Connector," who brought them all together. Pindar's friends share with Joe the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and teach him how to open himself up to the power of giving.

Joe learns that changing his focus from getting to giving-putting others' interests first and continually adding value to their lives-ultimately leads to unexpected returns.

Imparted with wit and grace, The Go-Giver is a heartwarming and inspiring tale that brings new relevance to the old proverb "Give and you shall receive."

3. Dan Brown's Inferno - You probably already know about this... so I will not say more of this novel

4. Life After Life (ebook) - On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. Sadly, she dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in any number of ways. Clearly history (and Kate Atkinson) have plans for her: In Ursula rests nothing less than the fate of civilization.

Wildly inventive, darkly comic, startlingly poignant — this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best, playing with time and history, telling a story that is breathtaking for both its audacity and its endless satisfaction.

5. The difficulty of being good by Gurcharan Das. Why be good? What exactly is Dharma? How does one practice it, and to what effect? Gurcharan Das's superb exposition of the dilemmas and ambiguities inherent in the Mahabharata shows us how we can come to terms with the uncertain ethics of the world today, a world that is uncannily similar to that of the great epic.

If you got time, try these. Reading them will make living better and different.

Thanks for readin

rgds
Maddy

Always being told that you have the potential

A couple of days ago I had a chat with a old best friend, Shaiju Matthew - the genius modest author of a best selling novel, filmmaker, screenplay writer and direver, a perfect aquarian who is extremely creative and talented and luckily happened to be my friend (heeeheee).

I can now proudly say I know a friend who is on Wikipedia. (I m such a selfish bugger). But this has been his own fight, his own battle with his own life, and he won one, and has made a permanent historical entry in the big world. Of course everyone around is proud of him, if you ask him how he did it, knowing Shaiju he'll make a modest line masking all the hardwork and sacrifice he had to make to get here. He'll simply shrug away or say something that would make you wonder how he got here in such a simple way. Trust me there is nothing that's simple. Shaiju (dont beat me for this, I am quoting your name without checking with you), always believed, he had potential to do something. He had that faith and it has only gotten stronger over the years.

Another friend of mine is now in Pixar, as a graphic animator who once used to tell me real stories about unicorn and dragons that existed and he used to draw them. He passionately believed that another world existed which is not visible to us, according to him there is an entirely new universe. And he (requested not to share his name), took this belief into his art, and today he is out there creating what he loved the most.

Then there is Rakesh Madupu, a data network wiz, he can do magic (coincidentally another Aquarian). If you spend 10 minutes talking to him, you would have learnt something new and exciting. If you sat for 5 minutes of his class in training, you can crack CCIE even if you knew nothing about data networking. He is a genius. He learnt all his skills on his own, just by books. 

A colleague Rajat Saxena, he makes everyone around him at work feel like they're at a pool party and not at work. When he is in office, productivity would skyrocket to its maximum horizon. He is that good. He had the potential to turn work into fun.


Similarly I have been lucky enough to come across a few genius people in my life. There are geniuses, Edison once said “A genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework.” and everyone is Talented, everyone has a potential. Every single human being is special. Its only the weight-age of passion makes all the difference.

Edison also said "“Unfortunately, there seems to be far more opportunity out there than ability…. We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.”

 As far as my story goes I am happy where I am with the clarity of where I am going.

So while talking tech, creativity, and so forth with a few of these awesome guys, it was a completely unexpected turn when with one of them we started talking about the question of, “How did we become the old guys? we're only 28! did we start too early that we're mid way already?” Oh! we are close to 30! we crossed 20 just a few months ago and now 30 is coming towards us fast and is accelerating! The background music from a few movies showing flashback scenes in black n white I had seen before … started to play in my mind as we talked. In the end we concluded that we have to keep on learning new things, and learn what we can from everything that comes our way
This morning I woke up and remembered a story that helped me get out of my “old man” thing from yesterday. It was told by a wise young man that another friend had met at a conference a few years back. It went like this,

    When you’re young and up-and-coming, everyone tells you … “You  … have such potential. Such great potential!”

    When you’re older, everyone tells you … “You did such great things. You … really made an impact!”

The trick I’ve figured out, having had the chance to meet and talk with incredible people from all generations, is … to always be told … no matter how old you are … that, “you have potential.” The key to life is always being told that you have potential. And yes you all might have already figured out "positive attracts positive" :)

Life hack - Truly transformational

As my 100th Blog, I wanted to share a key secret to what anyone wants to become! these days I am very interested in Design thinking, data science and quantum physics.

Somehow, I have found an inclination towards these and develop a life hack thread that could perhaps answer some questions I transcendentally try to explore. Speaking about transcendence and exploration, Ever wondered why us humans took to travel to space and explore?? why there was a need to even explore? watch this awesome video for an answer..

while you do so keep this in mind "When we dream of space, we dream of transcendence. ... We dream of what we might become." - marina Benjamin

And then think of all that you want to become.  Then watch the video below. No matter who you are, or where you are, you wont be the same after watching this!

Thanks
rgds
Maddy

Movie Excerpts I found Inspirational

Of the many movies I have watched, I never realized there were so much of learning that the script writer had put for the audience. After watching them many times I learnt some important life and business lessons out of which a few I am sharing below.

From the movie Catch me if you can I like this line:  "Two little mice fell into a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned, but the second mouse, he struggled so hard that he eventually churned that cream into butter and he walked out. Amen." --- Frank Abagnale Jr. after he was asked to say grace 

 Movie:Boiler Room (2000)

Although I have not watched this movie, I came across a very interesting line -Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), lured by the promise of “a million dollars in three years,” takes a job at brokerage firm, J.T. Marlin, but soon finds out the true nature of their business.Quote: "A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can't. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close?" --- Jim Young (Ben Affleck) in a tyrannical sales-training session. 

Movie: Steel Magnolias

Ever heard about this line "Smile it enhances your face value"? It was from this movie

Set in the fictional, Louisiana suburb of Chinquapin Parish, the movie follows the journey of six women and how they cope with what life throws at them.Quote: “Smile. It enhances your face value.” --- Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) 

This one is from one of my favorite movies "American Gangster"

True story of the 1970’s heroin kingpin Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), the cop seeking to arrest him.Quote: "The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room." --- Frank Lucas to his cousin Huey (Chiwetel Ejiofor). 

The next movie is a delight comedy from comedy king Eddie Murphy! it talks about how many of us think. That we work hard and then we grow in the ladder and become something in the company and then we become rich! the dumb and the most illogical picture of richness that we tell ourselves is highlighted here

Movie: Coming to America 

Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) of the fictional African Country, Zamunda, seeks real life experience (and an escape from his arranged marriage) by moving to Queens.Quote: "I started out mopping the floor just like you guys. But now...now I'm washing lettuce. Soon I'll be on fries; then the grill. And pretty soon, I'll make assistant manager, and that's when the big bucks start rolling in." --- Maurice (Louie Anderson) to Prince Akeem and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) while they clean the kitchen at McDowells fast food restaurant. 

Another true eye opener is from the movie Citizen Kane. I havent watched it, its an old movie. But I love the theme and the line

Traces the life and times of Charles Foster Kane (Orson Wells), a fictional newspaper tycoon based loosely on William Randolf Hearst. The movie is about the relentless pursuit of wealth and power -- and what, in the end, it's all worth.Quote: “It’s no trick to make a lot of money, if what you want to do is make a lot of money.” --- Berstein (Everett Sloane), Kane's business manager 

The below excerpt is about competition and opportunity from another person's want! From the movie Scarface

Hardscrabble Cuban refugee Tony Montana, played by Al Pacino, strikes it rich as a cocaine king in Miami.Quote: "Don’t underestimate the other guy’s greed." --- Frank Lopez (Tony’s Mentor) to Tony 

You wont believe me if I say, even Star Wars had a lesson to learn for all of us

The second installment of the sci-fi epoch, including Luke Skywalker's Jedi training under master Yoda.Quote: "Do or do not, there is no try." --- Yoda  

What is the most important thing we need in this life to be loved, to be succesfull, to be rich, to be happy?? Talented? Skilled? Knowledgeable? NO!! Not in the Long run. It is the Attitude that helps and nothing else! check out the movie a true story called "Miracle" released in the year 2004. I loved this one

"Miracle" is the true story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s quest for a gold medal. Quote: "You think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don't have enough talent to win on talent alone." --- Coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) to team USA before their game against the Russians.  

How can I not include Pursuit of Happyness? You all know about this movie, but one dialogue in the context of my blog here today stands out!

Based on a true story of Chris Gardner (Will Smith), a struggling salesman trying to make it as a stockbroker and support his son.Quote: "You got a dream you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you can't do it." --- Gardner, to his son Christopher (Jaden Smith)  

Many find it silly and stupid to be a grown up and yet watch cartoon movies! I despise that and opt to differ. I have a different perspective to animation movies, its afterall made by grownups. I loved this line from Finding Nemo

Pixar's instant classic about a clown fish’s quest to find his son, Nemo, who was swept away by a fisherman.Quote: "Just keep swimming." --- Dory, a blue tang fish, trying to cheer up Marlin (Nemo’s Dad)  

How can I not put my favorite persona in the world of Hollywood the great Tom Hanks. My wife would not be surprised if I write a book on Tom Hanks. I am a huge follower of his wit, character and overall charisma, the grounded to earth attitude and lots of them. i can go on, but here is an excerpt from the movie You've got Mail... yes the one with the beautiful Meg Ryan

Romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks as Joe Fox, and Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly, about two business competitors' anonymous online romance. Quote: "The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino." --- Fox to Kelly, in an ironic email exchange.   

The Last one has to be The GodFather! Many lessons from the learned DON - this is perhaps how the HR things at the job interview and many of us dont negotiate :D (Just kidding) no offense if any... This is just a post for fun..

The definitive mobster movie.Quote: “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” --- Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) to Johnny Fontane, hinting at the grisly way in which he will convince a film producer to give Johnny some time off. 

One more quote to end this blog from the movie "The Secret of My success"

Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) is a young man from Kansas trying--operative word--to make it in the world of New York City big business.   Quote: "Everywhere I've been today there's always been something wrong--too young, too old, too short, too tall. Whatever the exception is, I can fix it. I can be older, I can be taller, I can be anything." – Foster, after being told he may not be right for the job. 

Any Given Sunday - Wow what an inspiring movie! Have you guys checked out the video I had shared about Al Pacino's inspirational speech from this movie? The below excerpt is a short one in addition to that video.

About a crumbling NFL team plagued by injury and infighting. Mostly known for Tony D’Amato's (Al Pacino) famous "peace by inches" speech.Quote: “No intensity, no victory.” --- Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz), owner of the Sharks, to D’Amato.

Thank you for reading the article. Hope you enjoyed it. Please dont forget to subscribe and/or click on +1 below. Feel free to share

thank you.. 

- Maddy

Quote Credit: Forbes
Image Credit: Forbes

Chinmuladri, Chitradurga, Childhood - This Diwali Special!

Oh Boy! the three Cs! Chimnuladri National High School, Chitradurga where I spent my most exciting years of Childhood! I am sharing a brief story of how I spent the last 2 days of Diwali vacation!

I decided to visit Chitradurga after 13 years, to visit my best friend from childhood, spend some time with him, talking, go back to school days' memories and drive back to Hyderabad.

It was a drive I never imagined can get so exciting. The 200 km from Bangalore to Chitradurga was a breeze, one of the best roads ever. Then meeting Dr. Sree Harsha, my bestest pal, one of my oldest friend, and his family was a blessing from God!

We roamed the roads of Chitradurga after meeting Harsha's family. Talking to Harsha has been so soothing, so calming, so pleasant, I have no doubt he makes an amazing Doctor. I enjoyed being with him, he took me to CNHS, a small government school where I have a huge book of memories, memories of fun, friendship and freedom!

Meeting all my teachers, who still recognized, loved and embraced our visit.  Treated us with a lot of grace and respect. The whole Aura of the school, to have studied there made me feel ecstatic. Its a small school at the end of the village, and our school uniform was a white shirt, a blue pant and hawai chappal!

Nothing much had changed but the school had started mid-day meals. Then the fees was about 600 rupees for a whole year, now its 700. That's it.
 I can relate to some posh school in a metro city, where the teachers would not be so down to earth, so humble and welcoming. They got us coffee and remembered our school days. We spoke in length about a lot of things before I bid adieu to them.
I also ate the Tomato masala made by Maulana near the school gate. He is a small shop vendor, sells some amazing snacks. Years have passed, but the taste was still the same. 

Then we had to drive via Hospet, Gangawati, Sindhnur, Manvi, Raichur, Mehboobnagar to finally reach Hyderabad. Pachu, my little brother was driving very carefully on the bumpy road while I took a nap in the car. We exchanged the wheel frequently to avoid fatigue and tiredness.

While driving from Hospet, on the way, near a place called Gangawati (I think), I came across something which I am not able to forget.

 Which is probably why I am returning back to the spectacle of a nice vacation, and every now and then frequenting that one incident that happened on the way back. That incident is the reason why I am perhaps compelled to write this blog.

 On the highway, I saw two men. I felt very bad looking at one of the men, young and strong, looked a son, holding the neck of his drunk father, the other man, on a cold night, pushing him on the street, dragging him home, in a violent way. The father was all wet and muddy, porbably he had fallen in a water hole or something, my heart just melted, thinking what could have been going through the old man's mind. Its his own son, whom he had raised, through all the hard ships, who was a kid not so very long ago, playing in his laps, whom he loves so much is dragging him today on the middle of the road! i couldn't do anything! but I have no clue why, but I still keep thinking about that incident. I feel very sorry for him, i pray it all gets better! addiction could have been his mistake but he or nobody deserves a violent inhuman treatment for any reason. I wish I could gather enough strength to help such troubled people, I know I will soon.

I am back to work now with a whole new perspective! But found out that my best office buddy, Rajat, has gone to Lucknow due to a family emergency, a demise of someone very close to him, dented a hole in my chest. Everyday, as I see his empty seat, I feel terrible for him, I feel very sorry.

Every year, Diwali has been very special to me. Ounces of learning, bounces of life, a trillion rockets of thoughts in my head, flower pots of learning, and yes, the dhamaka of bombs has kept me longing... Happy Diwali to everyone.

Below are some of the pics from my school

Harsha Bhogle on Excellency

Excerpts from Harsha Bhogle's speech at IIMA - this speech was part of a series of seminars at IIMA called 'Face to Face with Achievers of Excellence'.

You can check out the entire speech here:
http://vimeo.com/1746368 - Part 1 of the speech
http://vimeo.com/2104109 - Part 2 of the speech 

Excerpts:

* I had this feeling of inadequacy - of how everybody else was better than me. But IIMA accepted me for who I am. That is a huge feeling.

* I will talk based on what all I have allowed to come into my system over the years.

* Ambition needs a driver - sometimes the 'ends' provide the driver.

* There are 2 approaches -
1. the end as a driver of ambition
2. the journey as a source of joy

* The end as a driver of ambition often is a source of anxiety - adds to the degree of turbulence / entropy.
Sometimes, the focus on the end removes the focus from the means - are we treading the right path?

* They gave Yuvraj Singh a different set of goals which helped him succeed.

* People come to IIMA to build careers - not to earn a starting salary.

* One of the easiest ways to excellence is to work as hard as you can and to do your best whenever you can.

* Harsha Bhogle on the tour of Australia - worked for free, wrote ghost columns for Border. Take care of the runs - the dollars will take care of themselves.

* Chase your performance goals - chase your professional goals - let the result take care of itself.

Perfect the process of performance - dont allow the pressure of the result to choke your performance.
Eg. of the above concept: The swimmer in lane 4 has no control over what the swimmer in lane 5 is doing. If he starts worrying about it (something he has no control over) then he's spoiling his performance.

* Everything I have done is because I have loved it.

* Adherence to ethics helps you to have peace of mind.

* Focus on execllence in preparation and performance. Set yourself perfromance goals, not result goals.

* Give everything your 100% - give every moment 100%.
You never know who's reading what - you never know who's watching what - you never know where's the next big opportunity is coming from - that's the beauty of giving your 100% every single time.

* Quran: Lord helps those who give their best.

* When we lose - we seek excuses. People who are excellent never say - I was great BUT..
That just means you are putting the blame on somebody else. This means, you are not great already.

* If 'being wrong' is in your possibility map, then you do go wrong..

* Never grudge anyone their success - cos when you are successful, they will grudge your success.

* How do you motivate yourself to do No. 40 after you have done 39 eisodes? You tell yourself that No. 40 is all I have wanted to do!
There is a certain pride is giving everything a 100% every moment and to everything.

* Always seek people who are better than you. The moment you surround yourself with people who are NOT better than you - you stop growing. For a very selfish reason, always surround yourself with people who are better than you.

* When I started out, I had no one to look up to. I had no heroes. So I hung around with the crew. My hero was the was cameraman who said 'I have never missed a stumping in my life'. My heroes were all technicians.

* When we reach a certain level, we start surrounding ourselves with smaller people. Or - we start hating criticism. on the path to excellence, it is always very crucial to have people around you who can tell you whether you are doing right or wrong.
DONT EVER MARRY A FAN. Marry a girl who will tell you whn you are wrong. Only then will your marriage survive.

* Arrogance often comes in the way of excellence.

* Playing non-striker:  I was willing to be a non-striker. I wanted to be extremely good at something - I knew I couldn't be the best batsman. I genuinely wanted to be a great fielder. I wanted to be a very good fielder.

* Initially I tried to compete with the other commentators. They all asked 'How much cricket have you played?'
But I dropped my ego and said that what I want to prove is that I understand the game very well - and for that I dont need to have played a lot of cricket.
Besides, if I make my guests on the show more comfortable, they perform better.
So, part of my job is to make Sunil Gavaskar look better..

* If you have ego and anger on your side, you dont need an opponent. I try not to have an ego.
Subjugate the self - lose the EGO.

* I love what I am doing. I have the greatest job in the world.

* Beyond a certain level, ability or talent is the most useless virtue to have. What matters is attitude. Beyond a point, talent is not useful as it doesn't solve problems - it breeds an ego. Its important what you do with that talent.

* Some people have always used their talent to succeed. So they dont know how to succeed in case you failed.

* Everybody in the top 10% will have the same talent. So what's your USP?
You work ethic and attitude counts for far far more than your talent.

* Sachin played 55 days in a row - that's attitude! Tendulkar's work ethic, attitude and passion produced the 55 hundreds. Talent might open the firt door, second door - but surely not the last door.

* When you make a mistake, what's the first reaction? The more mistakes you make, the more you know what not to do. Excellence is as much about knowing what to do - as about knowing what not to do.If you can be excellent at not knowing what NOT to do, you will know what to do.

* Everybody in life is allowed to make mistakes - it is the second or third mistake that you are not allowed to make.

* Excellence is about desire: 'I'll not let a single ball go past me.' ; 'Hit one more to me'

* To excel in a profession, you need to know everything about the profession -
When I entered television, I told myself - I will learn everything that is needed to be learnt.

* What is luck?
      You make things happnen for yourself.
      It is a combination of preparation and recognition.

* Are you willing to work your backside off when no one is watching? It not only means you are ready for the opportunity when it comes - but it also means that you are earlier to spot the opportunity.

* 'During the football worldcup in 1986, Gary Linekar happened to be in the right position because he knew what the right position was.'

* Lance Armstrong: I dont win the Tour De France on the last day. I win it when I am riding in thee mountains in the winters when nobody wants to ride.

* Are we willing to work even when the opportunity is not obvious?

* Excellence raises its game when the moment comes. Excellence is about humility. If you are not humble, you will not be willing to hang around, to do the things it takes to seize the opportunity when it comes.

* Did I make my luck by calling?

* Being excellent is also about having the confidence to share knowledge - if you are not comfortable sharing knowledge, you are insecure. Excellence is not insecure.

* Some of us never know how good we can be. People who have achieved excellence have always been ready to stretch their own limits. (When will you be ready to take chances? When you are ready to face the results - when you are sure of yourself.)
'Let me try and see what happens. What is the worst thing that will happen? You'll fail. Are you scared of failure? You will also know what you cannot do. All of us learn by trying.

* Excellence is always in the present. Sometimes, we are too anxious about the future - sometimes we are too caught up in the past. You must make the most of what you have now. People for whom the past is more glorious than the present will never succeed! Excellence lives in the present.

* 'Khudi ko kar buland itna,
   Ki har taqdeer se pehle khuda tujhse pooche,
   Ki bataa teri raza kya hai?'

10 ways to stay creative - Infographic

10 hacks to Glory - Keep walking!

10 hacks to glory!

1. Design strategy thinking - efficient problem solving. A problem is a problem only when seen as a problem.
2. Know what we do why we do - a BIG WHY - clarity breeds mastery
3. The ONE thing that we passionately follow - chasing 2 rabbits will fetch you none! know what you want.
4. I could do - versus - I should do - prioritize small things and then you can fit most of your work in a single day - Organize better.
5. Small things done consistently will lead to significant large results - Make progress Everyday. Big things dont happen to anyone overnight. It is the decade long passion and effort that will get you there.
6. Walk - walk physically, walk in your mind, walk through differences, walk the phases - walking makes you observe things from up close, examine life very closely.
7. Wake up early, CRAZY EARLY...
8. Be kind to others,
9. Be helpful
10. Be Yourself


Collected these after reading a bunch of stuff. Hope it helps...

I hate the degree but I love education!

So you found out the value of x, you mastered trigonometry, you learnt Cayley Hamilton Theorem, you understood inertia, you did differential equations in calculus and covalent bonds, so there you worked hard and got those marks your dad would be proud of, you got the degree! Congratulations.

I used to wonder, why I had to learn all this crap which I am never going to use in real life! They said, you study well, you get good marks and thats the only thing that can fetch you a good job.
And that was Bullshit.
Its the first true theory about controlling a society. Right at the level of granular psychology. A society that is made to think that only a good degree from a branded school/college/university can earn a better livelihood. A society is thus controlled by a lie which everyone almost magically believes to be true!

I partially agree. But, I still ask, where are you using your algebra now? what happened to matrices? where did trigonometry go? Worst of it all, we let some so called 'learned' guy set up a question paper, about someone else's findings, inventions and discovery, and we spent a whole goddamn year's effort in 3 hours, and someone else corrected those answers and decided our life in terms of Marks! Are you worth only numbers? Is your future only worth some numbers at the hands guy who does not know you, who rated your answer paper you wrote at the final exam?

This is the part I always wondered, from childhood days! and I still don't see a point why and how sheep like we are! I know, many reading this blog will still find the system right, and they'll have their own validations. It shows how closed we are and how pathetic and ignorant our society is. We are made to believe that this is how it works, this is what we should study! Because someone had to make money, someone needed to create a reputation, someone had to become a brand, someone had to call it a market! If Education was meant for a job, like what our elders say, then is our education system effectively producing enough job ready candidates?
Survey says 85% of Indian engineers and graduates are un-hirable! unemployable! This is as per the 2012 CAGR report on Indian Employment market.

Still every year school and college fees are increasing, education is getting costlier by the day, competition is growing worse, a race that has become a burden, the sharpest kid in the class is not the one who is going to become a socially impacting person who will help the lives of many! no, no way! why? because he is too ruthless, he is too selfish, he is too brutal, he is too competitive and he is too stupid!

Wake up to truth you all! I am not blaming education, I want education, I love education and we have to embrace it. I just hate the system. Cant you see, we are made to choicelessly go through subjects which we dont use or we are not interested in! Isnt that changing the real capability of a person that's inherent in him. Note that every individual has something very special about him, we are all equally special and talented but have different interests and skills. Thats how we are all not the same. Yet, the number system, the grading, the ranking is measuring everyone in the same way! in one exam, in one test! in one sitting!
Its like you have put a monkey and a fish in a tree climbing competition and the fish has no choice but to score less marks compared to a monkey!

And to top it all there is Reservation system! oh man this society sucks!

A school could never teach me, neither did anything important or useful did my graduation offered to me! What I know of, what I have learnt is what situations have taught me! My resume is filled with skillsets, and not even a single one came out of a textbook!

Wake up to truth, dont enroll your kids just because your neighbour said its an international techno school that charges 2 lakh rupees a year and has a swimming pool or take your kids to a foreign trip! what your kid needs is real education, that comes from real life! Let them learn music, arts, programming, about plants, animals, about being human, about humanity, about what they really are passionate and interested in.

Exams dont teach survival! A Final exam is not final, a Test is not testing how good a student is, its not creating an innovator or encouraging the creative side. Its measuring everyone in the same line and thats wrong! who got us these tests and exams, who set us up with this system? See below

If you got time, please check out the below video, an Eye opener! Dont let those marks decide the fate of our next generation!

Let them choose! Dont let the system choose them! We should know to make our own fate, not let some unknown guy scoring the answer sheet! or a bunch of papers!

Remember, Society is wrong! You have the chance to be right!

Required watching for any TED speaker: The science of stage fright