A cup of coffee

Most of us enjoy a cup of coffee.

Coffee levels up and bridges bonds.

A cup of coffee can be brewed in different ways.

In a cup, it is a cup of coffee, brewed by someone.

When the cup is held by the one who made it, and

When the same cup is held by the one who is tasting it,

It makes a taste so different from the person who brewed it.

The taste of coffee is what the taster perceives as s/he sips.

The chemistry of coffee is nothing different, than

The alchemy of the thoughts; of one and the other.

Author of a book brews, unknowing the tastes of the receiver

The reader finds new tastes than the insights of the author.

The mid-way brings in synergy of ideas and thoughts that

Melts and merges to quench the reasons of the reader, thus

A book is born many times as many readers read, like coffee.

Here I, as an author, present my coffee in a cup, to you

Tell me how the blend tasted for you, as you sniffed the pages of my books.

Here are my cups of coffee presented on the table as my books.

Author to Readers

A Chase

I tend to look beyond
And forget, now – this moment
That I waited from yesterday
Anxiety growing, to look further.

Yesterday I was immersed
In creating glory today
Alas, today I found my chase
All the while was useless.

I remember the long chase
Across the desert lands
A chase I made to find further
Beyond limits – end of a mirage.

A chase for tomorrow; today
Is as much the chase for that mirage, but
It goes away, futher when I chose
To chase with speed, galore. 

Wasted, times and moments in chase
For all I lost are precious moments
Colourful, soothing that could have been
A gift for me to realise, this is the moment.

“Unravel RELATIONSHIP algorithms”

A book co-authored by a PROFESSIONAL FAMILY of Daughter, her Husband and Father;

A book that spreads a time span of 50 years of Management wisdom;

A book that is backed up by a working experience from 12 Multinational Companies;

A book that sums up 80 combined professional years;

A book based on research;

A book of stories that unravels concepts;

A book that says – ABC of Relationship Management;

A book being sold internationally both as paper back and Kindle version;

A book where testimonials are as below:

“Underneath every reality lies a set of relations. The authors articulate different shades of relations rooted on live experiences. The ideas, concepts and events are craftily woven to stimulate, reflect and critically engage with people within institutional systems in any society. The family of authors charters an unexplored path to explore the reality. The text enriches the reader’s knowledge base.”                                                                                                                                                           

M A Kader – Professor at NCERT, New Delhi Chairman Steering Committee for School and Teacher Education Curricula Reform, Government of Rajasthan and Government of Kerala.

“This is such a vibrant book!It is skillfully woven with enchanting stories, timeless wisdom as well as sound research and practical tools for our relationship journeys. It really shines when it distills its message into memorable algorithms which guide and inspire us to thrive professionally in a way that many have forgotten- by expanding our capacity to awaken and express unconditional love.” 

Nithya Shanti -Director, Nithya Shanti Foundation Internationally Acclaimed Facilitator of Joyful and Conscious Living 

“I would like to congratulate Amarnath, Divya and Vikas for writing this book. The topic of “Relationships”is a complex one, and the authors have done a great job of simplifying this for professionals like me, and truly creating a MINDBOOK that we can learn from.Their collective experience and the research undertaken have brought life to this topic. I wish them the very best.”

Shalini Warrier – COO, Federal Bank

“I read this MINDBOOK and feel that like everything what Amarnath achieved this also is a good work written for international readers. It is an honor to have worked with Amarnath in Saudi Arabia who with his daughter and son in law have compiled this book with their vast professional expertise. I enjoyed each page”.

Thamer Radwan – CEO, Linde – SIGAS, Saudi Arabia – settled in Bahrain

“This book articulates well the different elements of relationship management and howto practically apply them into your organization’s DNA. The concepts and applications of relationship are very relevant to any individual of all walks of life”

Vigil Bose – Chief Technology Officer, Sarfez Technologies Inc, USA; Executive Director, Simplaso Inc, USA and Filmmaker and Director at Three Eye Visuals, USA.

“Human interaction and relationships are complex in nature. Unravel RELATIONSHIP algorithms –A MINDBOOK for professionals is a brave and beautiful foray in to untangling these complexities towards shaping a successful corporate professional. The dedication of a ‘Corporate family’ with a total of 80 years of their professional experience has brought out the nuances of social learning and will be a driving force behind shaping not just a successful corporate professional but also a conscious human being. The book goes through all the aspects of human interactions and relationships in its 12 chapters which is backed by the professional and personal experiences of the authors. It is no doubt that the book is going to be a marvel in relationship management”.

Nidhish PV –  Joint Managing Editor- Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co.Ltd; President – Malabar Chamber of Commerce; Managing Partner – KTC Group of concerns.

“As University Professor, I suspected that this book may not mean much from my perspective. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the topics were quite universal and would fit anyone who has lived and breathed inside an organization with more than two people. Each chapter covers an important aspect of relationship inside an organization, presented with nice anecdotes and stories that are at the same time interesting and engaging. I congratulate this daughter, husband, father team for exploring the nature of relationships in the form of a book which can be enjoyed by the professionals everywhere.”

Professor Kesh Kesavadas – Director of Healthcare Engineering System Center, University of Illinois; Professor of department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Buffalo (NY); Founder University of Buffalo Virtual Reality Laboratory. He developed world’s first standalone Robotic Surgical Simulator (RoSS).

50th Engineers Day

to Sir MV, with love,

This year we remember 157th birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya. This year also marks India celebrating 50^th Anniversary of the Engineers day in India on 15^th September. This year also collaborates with my passing out as an engineer making this year half a century as a professional engineer.

I recollect my trip to Thiruvanathapuram for the final interview of selection after which I joined Palakkad Engineering College. Those days there were six colleges including Regional Engineering College at Calicut. Each college had strength of 120 students divided into three to study mechanical, electrical and civil engineering. Today the number of institutions, courses offered and those entry level numbers have multiplied.

Things have changed since. I travelled in a steam engine driven train and learnt mechanical engineering from veterans like Sri Dr. Balakrishna Panicker. The style of education had semblance of “guru-shishya parampara” and we had fear of Gurus. We were with limited dreams as the world unlike today is not as “flat” as written by Friedman. Technology was limited to machine design and not about the man-machine combine in the digitally transformed curriculum like AI. I used to cycle from a lodge to the college and back. Games we played were more than the studies we got involved. Play grounds were full of youngsters. But today institutions appear not to produce sports winners as visible in recent Asian Games, where some gold medalists are from villages. We enjoyed that ambience where we had a wonderful period.

Having been able to interact and link through social media with college alumni a lot are doing work as wonderful role models for the world at large including the current IT Secretary to Government of Kerala Shri. M. Sivasankar IAS.

I submit to all of them as well as to the profession and engineering associations at large to create a theme for 2019, bringing bridges between institutions, industry along with organizations that serve the industry and management and government to synthesize thoughts in an incubator where we can drastically reduce wastages and losses of lives and property as was visible in recent times including Kerala.

Recycle is yet another theme where we all can contribute to save environment and reduce waste, converting waste to products. Used flowers are good for agarbathy and paper waste can reduce imports..

When we form a theme for the year ahead, probably action will come forward and some impact in society happens with the core mind power of the engineers.

New innovative ideas are to be formed by the commune of engineers for 2019 so that a young engineer will decorate BHARATH RATHNA award like that of Sir MV.

 

a link; i still admire, adore

It happens. It happens to you, me and all. But the trail of the story becomes different when love is the link. At times it makes you motionless.

Stunt. Feelings are frozen.

She was bubbly, ever wearing a smile. Never ever shed a tear. Was an epitome of potential energy? She was a butterfly that ignited feelings, to those around – within family or in friend’s circle. Bold and beautiful!

When she was getting ready to fly out to be with her husband, she asked me if I could take her to Meenambakkam airport to see an aircraft. On the road I stopped my scooter and “there” I told her. Her wings with which she enjoyed that day was not for honey. Her nature actually was to pollinate. Fruits of pollination were not what she desired. It was just dancing with her colorful wings in thin air.

I used to correspond with her in Malayalam. She made a choice to learn Malayalam for her degree course, cajoled her parents and studied Malayalam. She expressed her emotions so well and plans of future written in poems and stories. When we make our own plans someone else is making His own plans. We follow. She with her desire to be with the flow of her loved language had to change course and follow His plans, she flew with her colorful wings. Her star “Chothy” took her to a place destined and not desired.

This story is embedded in history of late 70’s and early 80’s. Like a butterfly dipping in its dancing flight, like air-crafts dip in air. Vacuum sucks.

At times a feeling of isolation takes over. Her flight to isolation was evidenced as times passed by. Her family with her two sons and husband loved her. What she missed was something else – near and dear ones. Year after year she asked for Malayalam calendar to count days that pass by that tilt and turns. In real life inclination of movement unlike earth gets bent. It recedes. View point shifts. Mind evaporates and occupy vacuum. That becomes the zone of comfort.

If we ask anyone to tell his / her story none will reveal the reason. They think but do not divulge. They feel and succumb. They think their story is not worth letting others know. Like stories of earlier submarine sinks it vanishes into depths. Not even a bubble surface up.

The butterfly I refer to is no more. She sunk with a heart attack. Heart probably was in splinters with pressure of sighs and weeps.  What she desired and what she lost was one. Her end came in Canada.

We walk past on the shores of sand, leave footprints and next wave washes it off. Our stories become a victim. As she recedes into my memory, I wish I could do more. Meet her before her heart sunk. Alas that was not to be. We may meet in an alien land. I lay a colorful thought in the altar of her memoirs – “be happy” and I whispered.

Meera is her name, my youngest sister.

She heard even when I did not speak to her, in silence. Now I can hear her echo.

“The cure for pain is in the pain” – Rumi.

Probably she merged with the constant dissolution of creation.

Fear – It’s about stories we invent

“If it scares you, it’s a good thing to try” – Seth Godin

We fear; most of us.

Some of us fear heights, crowd, fire, darkness, speed, snakes, silence and things like love. It is not uncommon that individuals fear death. About 58 million die in the world per year and over 8.5 million per year in India. It’s ok to be one?

Suspense for some is a thrill, like speeding vehicles. Have you watched the movie “The Birds” a 1963 American horror-thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock? I had, and the movie neatly tucked in fear for a crow, frankly!

We are not scared of work, but what is in it? We are not afraid of heights, but afraid of falling. We fear people around us, because we fear of rejection by some of them. We are not afraid of love, but fear of not being loved back. We are afraid – to let go, as we are afraid to accept reality that he/she has gone. We are afraid to try again, for fear of getting hurt for same reason again and again. We are afraid of fire, thinking fire will consume us. We are afraid of snakes, feeing the bite and venom will kill us.

Conquering fear is not a right approach.

The picture on right is my daughter walking on fire and on left are me and my wife holding a python on our shoulders. My daughter in a training program did that exercise. She and her colleagues were invited by the trainer in a workshop, to have blind faith. He walked on fire. And then they walked on fire. I saw a man with a python on his shoulders looking for his living by putting it around probable customers. My response was – “If he can, why not I?” I invited my wife who obliged.

It looks that fears are stories we invent ourselves. Seeds of fear probably are embedded in our sub-conscious state. Over-thinking leads to stories that may not exist. Action breads courage. Successful people handle fear better, taking risks. A cat can never catch a mice if she wears a pair of gloves. Like a winner is afraid of losing, others are fearful of winning. Test of courage is to bear defeat without losing heart. The problem is that most people cling to their fears, because it’s part of who we are. If we aren’t ready to face our fears, probably we won’t transcend them. Fears we face, remember to listen to yourself, and  use inner GPS.

In understanding fear, we need to accept anxiety. Not try to fight it. Instead watch anxiety. Just watch it and when you notice it, scale your level of fear and start to breathe longer on the out-breath. And expect the best outcomes.

“Fear is simply because you are not living with life, you are living in your mind. Your fear is always about what’s going to happen next. That means your fear is always about that which does not exist. If your fear is about the non-existent, your fear is hundred percent imaginary. You’re not rooted in reality. You are rooted in your mind. Rooted in reality, there would be no fear” “Fear is not a product of life. Fear is a product of mind. When we live in tomorrow we fear. If we live our life, it will be worth dying. Otherwise life will be regret.” Sadhguru.

‌”EVERYTHING YOU WANTED IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FEAR”.

 

Thumbs up

Not often we look back.

The other day, I was flipping through an old photo album looking at my second daughter whose thumb she was sucking as a young kid. There are ancient stories on thumb sucking as early as 19th century by Heinrich Hoffmann

Yet another story is about Ekalavya. Drona was with his students in a forest and Arjuna saw a dog with lots of arrows in its mouth and was unable to bark. They finally arrived at Ekalavya. This distressed Drona who had willed he will make Arjuna the best archer. Seeing Drona, Ekalavya bows and Drona asked him who his Guru was. He said Drona. Drona asked him to offer Guru Dakshnina and Ekalavya was asked to give his thumb. Ekalavya with respect cuts and surrenders his thumb – sacrificing to retain values.

The grip of the thumb is very important for us. Thumb can touch all other four finger tips. Thumb contrasts with each of the other four by being the only one that is opposable to the other four fingers. Thumb has two phalanges rather than three.

We use thumbs up as an expression of approval. The story of Roman gladiators on thumbs up appears to be not right. The film Gladiators showed this as sign of approval. It also was used for the flight readiness of an aero plane during world war. In the digital space thumbs up is a victory sign.

The thumb gives us control in the use of hand and even insurance coverage for the thumb in damages caused during an accident is pretty high. Even the SpO2 measure on a thumb is higher. SpO2 measurement from the fingers of the both hands with the pulse oximetry, the right thumb has statistically significant higher value. The right thumb has the most accurate value that reflects the arterial oxygen saturation and shows the significance amongst other fingers.

Like thumb, some of our thoughts are dominant. Understanding and prioritizing our thoughts is important to filter our feelings and come up with attitudes that carry us forward to win-win situations.

If not, we crucify our moments and that may lead us to biased failure oriented feelings of anger, mistrust and judgment. In keeping relationships stronger with those whom you want to connect thumbs up or win-win is an attitude. Like the thumb we should be able to touch the tips of all finger tips of our relationships. Imagination has a lot to do with winning. We need to know the strength of thumb and our core strengths.

 I am fascinated about Usain Bolt and his record breaking story of winning. Between 1965 and 2005, the 100-meter dash world record improved from 10.06 seconds to 9.77 seconds, gaining an average of 0.007 seconds per year. Extrapolating the continuation of this improvement rate, would have predicted that the world record would break the 9.60 seconds mark around 2030. Instead, four years later, Bolt established a new world record with a time of 9.58 seconds, a 0.19 second gain over the 2005 record. How was this possible? The answer lies in his answer: “Somebody said I can become immortal”; Bolt said. “Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal.” This is the way to handle future with confidence.

A win needs a lot of ingredients. Two on top of the list are will power and self confidence. A thumbs-up to these two is a good start for a perfect winning day. As we use our thumb to advantage we need to have positive feelings dominate our thoughts. The strength of our faculties is to be applied ignoring the weaknesses.

Not that we win always. Sometimes we win. Sometimes we learn how to win. For this we need to know our core strengths that lie in us like the SpO2 levels in our thumbs.

Bruce Lee, another winner stated: If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you will never get it done. Its focus, it’s the way we use our thumb to grip on matters of choice.

Not so long ago, I read a message – Opportunities are like a biscuit dipped in tea. If you wait for long, biscuit falls off.

 

Create your own happiness

Day before I saw in the kitchen sprouted green gram, my wife planned to add to tomorrow’s salad. Thought of the effort the seeds put in to sprout against the comfort of being within the shell. Freedom is what the seeds sought with natural environments. 

Let me at this context ask – when was the last time you dipped your head in water either in sea or a river, not in a swimming pool?

The meager excitement I had recently as I dipped into rivers in UP and in Kerala, made me rejuvenate and freed me to think: I missed it for long.

Freedom is a response to chose from varied alternatives that at times shackles us in our own minds. We tend to be in our own built cages.

If we miss to embark upon freedom, like the sprout naturally blossom into flowering plants or breeding fruits, we miss it all.

Most of us unknowingly sit in our own compartment, like a bird sits in a cage with an open door, unable to enjoy and feel freedom. Our minds close eyes from seeing beauty of sun rises. Our minds close our ears not to listen to the chirps of the birds. Our minds close our feelings to understand the aftermath of the recent cyclone. Our minds consciously stop us even to dip our heads in the depth of waters. Fear may be one element like fear of unknown, fear of losing comfort. 

As we enjoyed the boat ride to Thriveni Sangam I chose to get wet, in that amalgamation of rivers. Lost myself and dipped, my head inside the depths of water. As I embarked on to the row boat, I asked myself – when was the last time I dipped myself head down? I rejoiced freedom in a multitude of ways as I dipped in Pampa River and tiredness due to sleeplessness overnight vanished. I felt I was like the seed that sprouted. At ease. Enjoying chillness as the atmosphere was heavy with mist around mountains.

We need to think less about seriousness in our lives. As we hardly have a choice to stop what happens around or in us. Having acquainted with cryogenic industry producing oxygen for long, I have often been asked: when you produce oxygen from thin air, will the content reduce and make an imbalance? That is a good doubt, but the balancing mechanism of nature does the trick. In one way we breathe out CO2 and is consumed by plants community. They breathe out O2 and we inhale. Life is about balance. Some call it work-life balance. We need to balance between reaction & response – handling our lives to make it more interesting, enjoyable….. to be happy.

We need to tilt and adjust our priorities of the moment we pass through. None of us can align and correct ourselves to suit situations always for others recognition. We need to please ourselves first and in that process if others are pleased that is double win.

Raju and Meera will remain in my memories for long. They are connected with the rivers we were near Allahabad. Raju was about 18 years of age and was rowing the boat we were tugged in to reach Sangam. Poorly paid, his smile and stories enticed that small journey with him. Meera sold floating buckets all made of natural elements flowers leaves and a little wick that can be lit before one float this on river Ganga. At Rs.10/- a piece she made her living with tremendous amount of happiness visible on her face and spreading that infectious happiness to others around. We do not seek happiness, rather we tend to seek pleasures and in that bargain pain. We swiftly make our life out of balance.

Enjoy the lit things … sum it up and that makes a huge bundle of joy.

 

 

A sigh

Not far ago, we took a view around the Bridge of Sigh in Italy. In a movie inspired by the bridge, Diane Lane kissed her lover near the bridge at sun set, to fulfill a dream. This bridge is a tourist’s attraction. It began construction in 1600 to span the Rio di Palazzo (Palace River) while connecting Doge’s Palace to a prison.

According to folklore when prisoners crossed the canal on the bridge they sighed in despair as they approached their end of freedom. The bridge’s name gained popularity in the 19th century in Lord Byron’s poem – “I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace and prison on each hand.” Life not even for a prisoner is in balance. In one hand hope persists and in other pain.

I recently breathed a sigh in watching a scenario as I walked past a lane close to my home in Kozhikode, Kerala.

Bridges bridge gaps between hopes, aspirations and despair. Bridges bring about a balance. Feelings arouse the inner hidden episodes with a sigh, a sigh that probably releases stress.

“Presence of mind” is an often used term, but difficult to practice. As most of us are out of balance with our past memories, moods and ego states. When our mind is not in the present, it is difficult to handle. Engaging with the present probably is presence of mind.

An example of sinking in sadness and moving through such conditions is depicted in a PIXAR film “Inside out”. Lesson learnt from the film is about “emotional literacy” not taught is institutions. This is our ability to notice, recognize, interpret and respond to our emotional links. When we practice this we are able to embrace the way we feel with own and other’s emotions and manage our thoughts. Emotions tell us stories – some sad and a few happy. At times we indulge in self pity. We need to stand up for ourselves. My mother once told me – “your legs are for you to stand upon”. “The moment we doubt whether we can fly; we cease for ever to be able to do it” – J M Barrie.

We all tend to live in our “In-BoX”. Filled and overfilled with matter that enter, that restricts us to an enormous burden of tensed feelings and stressful situations. Delete button is rarely used, to detox. If our in-box rules us, how that can help us for an easy walkthrough the path? A need exists to detour, de-clutter and sit for a while and have a sigh of relief. The bridge we pass through recognizes the attempt of finding out who’s that “me!
Like our bodies are servants of our mind, our mind should be our servant. A strong body and a bright, happy, cheerful countenance result in a bounty of thoughts of joy and good will. We bridge the extremes with a sigh of comfort, contentment.

The walk through the lane that afternoon made me watch and sure, you will appreciate. An elderly person was sitting in front of the huge scattered debris with a tool in his hand. The place was fouling. He a rag picker was separating plastics from the bio-degradable matter and inserting the torn plastics as an asset into his bag. When I looked at him he stared at me, and soon released a sigh of relief and smiled.

He did not know about the environmental impact or the non-bio-degradable composition of his asset he was picking. He simply attempted with a smile in his face, to separate the two. Bridging a gap between, so that he deposits the assets he collected at a renewable material store and makes up for his dinner.

A sigh was an instant outcome from me.

I then went back to the story of the prisoners in Venice in those years in 1600, when hope prevailed as they entered the Bridge of Sigh from palace surroundings to the prison rooms.

Hope that leads us – The bridge between sighs.