A promise.... by a daughter...!!!!

My heart resides with you;

your tears have stained my mind,

yet you never try to let sadness have a toll with time.

The emotions you have endured

with the pain bottled inside.

I will help you find a cure,

for you these tears I've cried.

Acting as if nothing is wrong,

putting on a fake smile each day,

being tormented so long,

your emotions inside have decayed.

Telling me that your fine,

and "Don't worry about me".

Even so in my heart and mind,

you won't erase what I see.

Sorrow, hate, and ill strife,

polluting your beautiful smile,

and so I'll make you life

worthwhile with every mile.

And all of your pain

will ease it's suffering.

As I hold you up in this rain,

keeping you warm and shuddering.

"PUT THE GLASS DOWN...!!!"

LIFE LESSONS FROM A GLASS OF WATER...!!!!

A Chemistry Professor decided to teach his students a different lesson one day. Holding a glass of water in his hand, he asked the students,

"How much do you think this glass of water weighs?" "500 grams!" came a voice from the back. "600", said another student. "I don't really know!" said the Professor, holding the glass up to make sure everyone could see it. "And unless we weigh it, we won't know." With the glass still in his outstretched hand, the Professor continued "What will happen if I hold it like this for a few minutes?"

"Nothing!" came the reply. "Right, and if I hold it for an hour like this, what might happen?" "Your hand will begin to hurt", said a student. "Indeed. And what would happen if I held the glass in my hand like this for 24 hours?"

"You would be in  tremendous pain", said one student.

"Your hand will probably go numb", said another.

"Your arm will be paralyzed and we'll need to rush you to the hospital!", said a student on the last bench.

"True", said the Professor. "But notice that through all this, the weight of the glass did not change. What then causes the pain?"

The class went quiet. The students seemed puzzled.

"What should I do to avoid the pain?" asked the Professor.

"Put the glass down!" said a student.

"Well said!" exclaimed the Professor. "And that's a lesson I want you to remember. The problems and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. But think about it a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed - incapable of doing anything. It's important to remember to let go of your problems. Remember to put the glass down!"

We may not have been in that classroom that day, but it's a lesson  we would all do well to remember. Put the glass down! Always.

 It's not just problems and worries. Sometimes, we feel hurt and betrayed by a friend. And we carry that grudge through our lives. It grows and causes us anguish and pain. Learning to forgive - and forget - is not just good for the other people, it's great for you. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in jail and when he was finally freed, you can  understand how angry and vengeful he must have felt. But guess what? When he became President, he invited his jailers to be present at the inauguration - in the VIP seats! If he could forgive after 27 years of suffering, surely we can too.

It is the same with our fears too. A failure or an accident in early childhood becomes a deeply entrenched fear over time. Fear of public speaking, fear of maths, fear of rejection. We name it, and chances are, we have it. Someone gave us that glass to hold when we were little kids - 'you are clumsy, you are no good, you can't do it' - and we have faithfully held on to it all our lives. 'I can't' - becomes a thought that stays in our mind and grows - leading us to complete paralysis. Time to put the glass down!

RESPONSIBLE MANAGERS BEHAVE LIKE RAM INSTEAD OF PANDAVAS IN MAHABHARATA...!!!!

It is curious that the forest-exile is central to both RAMAYANA and MAHABHARATA, the twin epics of India. In the RAMAYANA, Ram goes into exile so that his father can keep his word to his step-mother, Kaikeyi. In the MAHABHARATA, the Pandavas go into exile following an agreement with their cousins, the Kauravas, when they lose their kingdom in a gambling match.

The reaction to the exile in both epics is startlingly different. In the RAMAYANA, Ram keeps saying that neither Kaikeyi nor his father should be blamed and the moment should be accepted as an act of destiny. In the MAHABHARATA, Pandavas keep blaming Kauravas and their uncle, Shakuni for fraud and trickery. 

Ram looks calm and peaceful, even though he is clearly the victim of palace politics. The Pandavas, on the other hand, are angry and furious, never once taking responsibility for the fact that they gambled away their kingdom.

The loss of kingdom and exile into the forest is a metaphor for misfortune. But the approach to it distinguishes Ram from the Pandavas and makes the former a king worthy of worship. 

"Managers can be classified into RAMAYANA managers and MAHABHARATA managers. The former take responsibility for a situation, even if they are not to blame. The latter do not take responsibility for a situation, even if they are to blame. RAMAYANA managers typically internalize the problem. Focus on what they can do to manage and resolve the crisis. MAHABHARATA managers typically externalize the problem  and spend a lot of time and energy finding people and processes to blame.... "