Live a life you love

New beginning @ itsdamslife

2011-07-19T21:18:00.002+05:30

Hi All,

I have ceased updating this blog.

All the previous content and future updates will

be done at Its dam's life

Simple things to keep yourself Happy

2010-04-14T11:08:00.014+05:30

Hi Frenzz…

I was going thru tweets, and found a link to some site explaining these points. After reading and thinking over it for yesterday whole night before sleeping I found them very true and started to give them a try. So thot of sharing them with you all. They are very simple to understand and apply, but very powerful.

Go on and read them in your free time so that you can understand each point clearly and try to follow them for a week, I bet you will find the difference. All the Best…

Experiment to find out what makes you happy.

Different things make different people happy. If you aren't sure what your hot spots are, experiment. Try different things out. Find out what you enjoy most. The answers just might surprise you. Try a few of the following for starters.

Surround yourself with others who are happy.

If you are around angry, depressed or sad people, it will transfer to you. You can't help it. But if you're around people who are happy, that will also transfer to you. You'll also learn their habits, and learn to react the way they do when something bad happens. Slowly weed out the negative influences on your life and replace them with positive ones.

Count your blessings.

When something bad happens to you, try not to focus on it. Instead, take a minute to count your blessings. Everyone has good things in their lives, whether it is health or loved ones or whatever.

Gratitude sessions.

Along those lines, it is a good practice to have a daily gratitude session. Think about what you have to be thankful for, and silently thank those who have done something good for you in some way. If you have time, take the time to call them or email them to thank them.

Think solutions.

Instead of thinking about problems, move to the next step: how to solve it. When someone says to me, "Oh, this is so hard," or "Oh, I can't seem to do this," or "Man, we don't have any more of that," I just ask them, "Well, what's the solution?" If you develop solution-oriented thinking, you'll be much happier.

Connect with others.

As much as possible, spend time with those you love, and with others who you enjoy. It could be a simple phone call, or a short visit. Or take a day with the person or people you'd like to spend time with. Have a conversation, do things together, be intimate.

Accept things.

We are often unaware of it, but we usually want things or people or ourselves to change. And that's a sure way to lead to unhappiness, because we cannot control the world. We have to accept things as they are, try to understand them, even love them. Including and most especially ourselves: accept who you are, allow yourself to be yourself, try to understand and love yourself. Then do the same with the others in your life.

Take time to savor life.

Instead of rushing from one thing to another, resolve to have less to do each day, less appointments and fewer tasks. Then do each thing slowly, with mindfulness and ease, and try to be present in the moment. And truly enjoy whatever it is you do, from talking to eating to walking to just sitting.

Notice small things.

Along the same lines, try to notice when you feel good, or you're not suffering, or you are tasting something really delicious, or you feel something cold or hot, anything. Noticing the little things will help keep you focused on the present.

Treat yourself.

Take a few minutes each day to give yourself a little treat, whether that's something like chocolate or berries, or a bubble bath, or walking barefoot in the grass, or taking a nap. Whatever it is, treat yourself. You deserve it.

This shall pass.

When bad things happen, and you're having trouble accepting it, think to yourself the same thing the ancients did: "This, too, shall pass." And it will. And you'll survive.

Volunteer.

When you give to others, whether that's money or the stuff you no longer need or your time and love, you become happier. It's true. Take 5 minutes today to call a charity and volunteer to donate some time sometime this month. It will make a big difference in your life.

Follow your passions.

If you do what you love to do, especially for a living, you wil be extremely happy. This is one of the best things you can do. If it seems impossible, don't give up. Others have done it and you can too.

Look at your achievements.

Instead of looking at what you haven't done, or what you've failed at, think about what you have done. Many times that's much more than we realize.

Laugh.

Just the simple act of laughing can make you happier. Watch a funny movie, tell jokes, read a book by Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, go to humor sites on the Internet. And laugh your head off.

Realize that you deserve it.

You deserve happiness. That simple statement is actually profound for many people, as they don't believe they really deserve to be happy. It's often unconscious. If you feel that within yourself, you need to first realize that you deserve happiness. Repeat it if necessary.

Get into the flow.

There is a state of doing known as Flow, which is when you completely lose yourself in a task and forget about the world around you. It leads to happiness, and productivity. Set yourself up for it by clearing distractions, giving yourself a challenging (but accomplishable) task, and making it something that you like doing. Then try to lose yourself in that task.

Have a goal.

Too many goals will lead to ineffectiveness. Try to choose one goal and really focus on it. And work to accomplish it. Goals lead to happiness, if you make progress on them.

Get inspired.

Take time to read blogs or books or magazine articles about success stories related to what you want to do. It will get you energized.

Celebrate.

When you do something right, when you accomplish something, when you feel like it, reward yourself. Celebrate. Have fun, and pat yourself on the back.

Autonomy.

Try to have at least one area in your life where you have autonomy. It's best if this is at work, but if not, find another place, such as a hobby or civic activity. You need to be in control of what you do to be happy.

Spend time doing something you love.

Make room in your life by eliminating some of the commitments you don't really like doing, and replacing them with something you truly love.

Show little acts of kindness.

Each day, try to be kind to others in little ways, opening doors, smiling, giving up your place in line.

Exercise.

Just a short walk or run could lift your spirits and reduce stress. Nothing difficult. Just get outside and move.

Catch negative thoughts.

Monitor your thoughts. When you catch negative ones, try to think of something good instead. Corny, but it helps.

Jealousy doesn't help.

Many people obsess about others who are successful or happy. That gets you nowhere, fast. Instead, be happy for them. Then focus on yourself, and what you do right.

Stop watching and reading news.

Sure, this sounds like a head-in-the-sand suggestion. But really, if you give this a try, you won't miss a thing. And instead, you can focus on reading books and listening to music that lifts you up.

Learn something new.

It's strange how many of us are afraid to try new things, or admit we don't know something. But learning new skills or new information is one of the most fun things there is to do. Give it a try.

Check out nature.

Go and watch a sunrise or sunset. Watch the water, whether that's a river or ocean or lake. Watch the stars, or the clouds. Watch animals. Watch people. Watch children. And be inspired by it all.

Laugh some more.

When you are in the middle of a bad situation, look around you, realize the absurdity of the situation, and just laugh. In a year, no one will care. In two years, you'll be laughing at this anyway. So laugh now, and be happy now.

Enjoy Your life…

courtesy:http://www.dumblittleman.com/

Story of 5 Monkeys and a Banana

2010-04-05T19:47:00.004+05:30

I happened to come across this story when i was reading a tech blog. Thot of re-blogging it. This story helps you understand "how your company policies work?", in a humorous way. Enjoy the read…

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with very cold, high-pressure water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result — all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted. Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm!

Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. None of the monkeys that are beating him have any idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that’s the way it’s always been done around here.

And that is how company policy begins.

Enjoy your company policies :P

What is confidence??

2010-04-05T19:14:00.000+05:30

What is confidence??

A hypothetical situation where 20 CEOs board an airplane and are told that

the flight that they are about to take is the first-ever to feature

pilotless technology: It is an uncrewed aircraft. Each one of the CEOs is

then told, privately, that their company's software is running the

aircraft's automatic pilot system. Nineteen of the CEOs promptly leave the

aircraft, each offering a different type of excuse.

One CEO alone remains on board the jet, seeming very calm indeed. Asked why

he is so confident in this first uncrewed flight,

he replies :

"If it is the same software that is developed by my company's IT systems department, this plane won't even take off." !!!!

That is called Confidence !!!

Corporate Lessons - Very important!!

2010-03-19T16:58:00.001+05:30

CORPORATE LESSON # 1

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. After a few seconds of arguing over which one should go and answer the doorbell, the wife gives up, quickly wraps herself up in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next door neighbor.

Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you $800 just to drop that towel that you have on". After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands in front of Bob. Bob has a close look at her for a few seconds, hands over $800 and quietly leaves.

Confused, but excited about her good fortune, the woman wraps back up in the towel and goes upstairs. When she gets back to the bathroom, her husband asks from the shower "Who was that?"

"It was Bob the next door neighbor," she replies.

"Great," the husband says, "did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?"

LESSON:

We must share critical credit information of our customer/debtors with our colleagues to prevent avoidable exposure & probable opened eye exploitation!

CORPORATE LESSON # 2

A priest was driving along and saw a nun on the side of the road; he stopped and offered her a lift which she gladly accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to open and reveal

a lovely leg. The priest had a look and nearly had an accident. After controlling the car,

he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun looked at him and immediately said, "Father, remember psalm 129(Chapter/section 129 of Bible)?"

The priest was flustered and apologized profusely.

He forced himself to remove his hand. However, he was unable to remove his eyes from her leg.

Further on, while changing gear, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, "Father, remember psalm 129?"

Once again the priest apologized. "Sorry sister, but the mind is weak."

Arriving at the convent, the nun got out, gave him a meaningful glance and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to retrieve a bible and looked up psalm 129. It Said," Go forth and seek; further up, you will find glory."

LESSON:

Always be well informed in your job; or, you might miss great Opportunities!

CORPORATE LESSON # 3

A young executive was leaving the office at 6 PM when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand. "Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly, Sir" said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine." I just need one copy."

LESSON:

Respect boss' knowledge but Never, Never assume that your BOSS knows everything.

CORPORATE LESSON # 4

There were these 4 guys, a Russian, a German, an American and a French, who found this small genie bottle. When they rubbed the bottle, a genie appears. Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out of the bottle, he said, "Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will give each of you a wish. When you run towards the pool and jump, you shout what you want the pool of water to become, then your wish will come true."

The French wanted to start. He ran towards the pool, jumped and shouted WINE". The pool immediately changed into a pool of wine. The Frenchman was so happy swimming and drinking from the pool.

Next is the Russian's turn, he did the same and shouted, "VODKA" and immersed himself into a pool of vodka.

The German was next and he jumped and shouted, "BEER". He was so contented with his beer pool.

The last is the American. He was running towards the pool when suddenly he steps on a banana peel. He slipped towards the pool and shouted, "SH! ?**!!!!!!!........."

LESSON:

Mind your language; you never Know what it will land you in !!

Mr. What and Mr. Not

2010-03-19T10:22:00.001+05:30

A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION...

Knott : Who's calling?

Watt : -Watt.

Knott : -What is your name, please?

Watt : -Watt's my name.

Knott : -That's what I asked you.

-What's your name?

Watt : -That's what I told you.

Watt's my name.

A long pause, and then from Watt,

Watt : -Is this James Brown?

Knott : -No, this is Knott.

Watt : -Please tell me your name.

Knott : -Will Knott.

Watt : -Why not?

Knott : -Huh? What do you mean why not?

Watt : -Yeah! Why won't you tell me your name?

Knott : -But I told you my name!

Watt : -Didn't you say you will not?

Knott : -Not not, knott, Will Knott!

Watt : -That's what I mean.

Knott : -So you know my name.

Watt : -Of course not!

Knott : -Good. So now, what is yours?

Watt : -Watt. Yours?

Knott : -Your name!

Watt : -Watt's my name.

Knott : -How the hell do I know? I am asking you!

Watt : -Look I have been very patient and I have told you my

name and you have not even told me yours yet.

Knott : -You have been patient, what about me? I have told you

my name so many times and it is you who have not told me yours yet.

Watt : -Of course not!

Knott : -See, you even know my name!

Watt : -Of course not!

Knott : -Then why do you keep saying of course Knott?

Watt : -Because I don't...

[Pause]

Knott : -What is your name?

Watt : -See, you know my name!

Knott : -Of course not!

Watt : -Then why do you keep asking Watt is your name?

Knott : -To find out your name!

Watt : -But you already know it!

Knott : -What?

Watt : -See, and you know mine!

Knott : -Of course not!

Knott : -Listen, listen, wait; if I asked you what your name

is, what will be your answer?

Watt : -Watt's my name.

Knott : -No, no, give me only one word.

Watt : -Watt

Knott : -Your name!

Watt : -Right!

(pause before it hits him]

Knott : -Oh, Wright!

Watt : -Yeah!

Knott : -So why didn't you say it before?

Watt : -I told you so many times!

Knott : -You never said Wright before

Watt : -Of course I did.

Knott : -Ok I won't argue any more.

-Do you know my name?

Watt : -I do not.

Knott : -Well, there you go, now we know each other's name.

Watt : -I do not!

Knott : -Good!

[pause before it hits him]

Watt : -Oh, Guud!

Knott : -Good.

Watt : -No wonder, it took me so long, is that Dutch?

Knott : -No, it's Knott!

Watt : -Oh, okay. At least the names are clear now Guud.

Knott : -Yes Wright..

Resurrection - Download To Donate

2010-03-11T12:37:00.004+05:30

This song is worth having a watch.

Download to donate

Lupe Fiasco - New Music - More Music Videos

courtesy: lupefiasco.com

Lupe Fiasco: Resurrection (feat. Kenna)

[Kenna]
Like a phoenix, from its ashes, we will rise
Follow angels, into heavens, we will rise
Nothing's gonna take you down, we are everlasting now
We are everlasting now (now)

[Chorus: Lupe Fiasco]
Now I've been shaking, but I'm not broken, I won't be breaking, anytime
I have fallen but I'm not ruined, I keep on movin' into my, resurrection (my resurrection)

[Verse #1: Lupe Fiasco]
Urgency emergencies among us
Life is in a crisis, tragedies upon us
And we won't leave you stranded, rapidly we cometh
To take you out the darkness, show you where the sun is
Cries from the rubble are the voices this is sung with
And those that have stopped singing, we can still hear you under it
Right up out your worrying, right into the wondrous,
Right up off the ground, right to where the thunder is
And it's where your sisters and your mothers and your brothers is,
Aunties and your friends and your fathers and your husbands is,
Watchin' with the rest of the world in astonishment
Live from up above, us via news coverages
Seeing even more than the misery that happens is the love,
the strength, the history, the passion,
The courage of an impoverished, people that the world once abandoned,
shining, infinite, everlastin'...

[Chorus: Lupe Fiasco]

Now I've been shaken, but I'm not broken I won't be breaking, anytime
I have fallen but I'm not ruined, I keep on movin' into my, resurrection (my resurrection)

[Lupe Fiasco]
And we pray, we pray every prayer we know...

[Kenna]
We will rise up, we will rise up, we will rise up...

Enjoy the song :) \m/

Never ever Give-Up

2010-01-17T00:11:00.005+05:30

After watching this whole video, I am sure everyone of you will be motivated to run behind the dream of their life, no matter how tough n impossible it wud be.

Watch the full video please

Thanks to RaghuNayak

Beautiful

2010-01-15T01:11:00.002+05:30

This is a beautiful play on piano..

I am inspired by seeing this video
and planning to start my guitar practice all over again..

Song: Beautiful
Artist: Akon

Piano played by Ray Mak

Enjoy!!
I dedicate this song to the beautiful gal i have recently been seeing - my latest crush… (sorry can't disclose the identity)

Crushes - Keeps you human n alive

2010-01-14T17:24:00.003+05:30

Hi,

We have all had crushes at some point or the other in our lives. Remember gazing lovingly at your kindergarten teacher or wondering how to woo your older sister’s best friend?

There is nothing wrong in having a crush and experts insist that a little crush when you are in a relationship isn’t a bad thing either. As we grow older, we get a better understanding of crushes and may feel a little embarrassed to have a liking for someone else. But, as long as you don’t act on it and cheat on your spouse, there is nothing to fear.

HAPPINESS FACTOR : An inconsequential crush can add a little something to your life and make you happy. Having a liking for someone in your college or even at the workplace, can actually be a bonus. It can make the long, tiring hours at work, go in a flash and leaves you all excited. In fact the slight arousal, can enhance the fun you have with your partner.

PLAY IT SAFE : Crushes are safe when there is no desire to act on them. When you have a crush on someone, you are suddenly reminded of your own sensuality. You know you don't really want to date the person but just getting a glance of them in the doorway or chatting with them occasionally is enough. It's great to know you can have a crush and feel young again.

NO AGE BARRIER : As you creep into your 30’s and 40’s, you can feel a reduced sexual desire. You may begin to feel not-so -sexy and tend to run yourself down. Having a crush can boost your confidence, make you feel alive again and even encourage you to take better care of your looks.

MAKE YOUR TASKS EASIER : That little crush can easily brighten your day, Whether it’s your son’s doctor, a senior at work or even the guy at the coffee shop. If you have a crush on someone who is part of your daily routine, it will make your duties easier, make you look forward to appointments and get you a little giddy in the head. Instead of cursing and going about your tasks, you will have something to smile about and feel good too.

BOOST YOUR EGO : Feeling run down at work lately? If there’s a cute new guy in your office or even someone who works in the same building, it can do wonders for you. Suddenly the loathsome job, seems great. It will also motivate you and get you excited about what to wear to work, how to do your hair and maybe even to lose some extra weight. A quick makeover later and you will feel more powerful and confident and at ease with yourself.

HELP YOU SHINE : A crush is sure to put you in a positive mindset almost everyday. It can make you put in extra effort at work, more thought to your appearance and may even make you rethink your life. The crush on a bartender can make you get out more and improve your social life. Crushes are just reminders that we are human and can make you appreciate your partner more.

courtesy: Times Of India (TOI)

Mr. Perfectionist

2009-12-30T16:40:00.013+05:30

Hey Yo!!!

You might have heard of perfectionists in B-Town. When the word 'Perfectionist' comes the first person (out of the 2 in bollywood) comes to my mind is Aamir Khan (only because media/critics say that to him).

And the other one is my fav Hrithik Roshan, for his style, physique, dance, character portrayal, so on…… you name it and he has in him. More over he is the only person who has the looks of hollywood hero, a stud. Give him any character of any genre he will perform it to the perfection and more to it.

Why am I writing this?
Because of my latest encounter with a wallpaper of movie 'Kites'. I was analysing this wallpaper ans thot of sharing this…

Observe the posture, his expression and body language in the pic - eyes closed, a mild smile, neck extended craving for the cuddle from his partner, lifting his luv up high with his built-up arms.

I think just the face expression is enough to portray the intense feeling to the audience.
And that is what i call the job done to perfection, which I think is an impossible task for any of the established actors in the b-town to do.

So eagerly waiting for the romantic thriller of 2010 - 'Kites'

The important thing in life I get inspired and learn from him is 'To overcome all obstacles in the path and doing your job with dedication and determination to attain the perfection'.

Hats-off Mr. Perfectionist

My Hip Hop Solo Dance Performance for Christmas

2009-12-16T15:16:00.002+05:30

I have recorded a Solo for Christmas eve..

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy Christmas Folks!!

The ultimate mix: Hrithik-Shakira Dance

2009-12-02T19:51:00.002+05:30

Long time since i have seen video mixings...

This one blowed my mind.. Nice Syncing

courtesy: youtube

IT version of 'A Wednesday' movie

2009-12-02T16:56:00.002+05:30

All of you who have seen the movie ‘A Wednesday’... will love it...

Project Manager Rathore : kaun ho tum..??? kya pehcan hai tumhari ?

Unkonwn Caller : Kaun hoon mein...mein vo hu jo aaj committment karne se darta hai, Mein vo hoon jo aaj ghar jaane se darta ha, ye soch ke kahin ghar wale pehchanne se inkar na kar de...

mein vo hoon jo, aaj job change karta hai to sochta hai ki kahin recession mein mujhe company se na nikal de..

mein vo hoon jiski girlfriend usse friday ko dus bar phone karti hai, "kya kar rahe ho..?? kaam jyada hai..?? thak gaye ho..?? "

mera haal poochne ke liye ya kaam poochne ke liye nahi, rathore saab... balki vo ye jaanaa chahti hai ki... kahin hamesha ki tarah end moment pe

boss ke bulane pe mein saturdary ki date cancel to nahi kar raha...

mein vo hoon jo breakfast ke time pe dinner karta hai, lunch time pe breakfast karta hai, dinner ke time pe lunch karta hai.. vo bhi time mil jae to...

mein vo hoon jo aksar phasta hain

kabhi Interviews ke sawaal mey phasta hai , kabhi Badi companiyon ke jaal mey phasta hai, kabhi boss aur client ke bawaal mey fasta hai.

Project office ki bheed to dekhi hogi aapne rathore saab... us bheed mein se ko bhi chehra chun lijie.. mein vo hoon..

I'm the same old .. STUPID SOFTWARE ENGINEER....

courtesy: Mail Fwds

Keep The Spark Alive

2009-11-23T11:01:00.005+05:30

Inaugural Speech at the Symbiosis,

By Chetan Bhagat

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.

I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There isno point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.

Frustration - Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.

Isolation - Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is Isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise.

Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Thank You!

Keep the Spark Alive!!

A nice Inspirational speech. You will really feel inspired/motivated once you read it. Perfect points.

I read it often when I m very sad or depressed. It gives me lil hopes.

courtesy: Mail forwards.

Psychotic Bar ( to laugh in liesure time )

2009-11-11T15:33:00.007+05:30

I received this in mail from one of my friend and found it confusing, amazing and Truly Psychotic!!!

Enjoy reading..

1975 Jan 1

It is about five in the morning. Father (I am not bothering with names) woke up with a start. Many years had passed since he had founded the orphanage. He had named it "X-Orphanage", a rather funny name. But looking back , everything

about his life seemed funny now. Hearing some noise outside, Father decided to have a look.

A child lay there in front of the orphanage. It was a girl. Seeing her abandoned like this in the cold morning ,Father felt a sense of anger for the the merciless being who had thrown her away like this. He took her in his arms. He would raise her like his own child.

17 Years Later

The girl has grown up now. She is now staying in a hostel. She meets a man and falls in love with him. She gets pregnant. The man disappears. She is thrown out of the Hostel. Father comes and takes her back to the orphanage. She gives birth to a girl but the baby is mysteriously stolen. Unable to bear all this, the Father commits suicide.

Due to some problems concerning the delivery, the girl went to see a Doctor. The doctor having examined her ,said with a sad expression on his face, "Adrenalo Sytosis, a serious case of hormone imbalance". An operation was performed in which the doctor had to change the sex of the patient. The girl was now transformed to a man. The man was very depressed because he had lost his child, the father had committed suicide, his lover had betrayed him , he had to change sex and so on. He eventually took to drinking.

One day he saw that a new bar had opened in his locality. The name of the bar was 'Psychotic Bar'. He went inside. There he saw a bearded man. The bearded man told him that he had a Time Machine and that he could take it. He accepted the gift from the bearded man. He decided to go to the past (to the year 1992)and started the Time Machine.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1992

The man arrives with the Time Machine in the year 1992.There he meets a girl (the same girl who has now become the man) and falls in love with her. The girl gets pregnant. The man, unwilling to marry her ,leaves the town. He goes to another city, earns some money and come backs to the city where the girl lives. He wants to conceal his identity ,so he has grown a

beard. He starts a bar named 'Psychotic Bar'. When he was sitting in the bar, a man comes (the same man who was earlier the girl). He gives the Time machine to the man. The man starts the Time Machine and goes to the past.

Suddenly a man wearing a mask comes to the bar. He points a gun at the bearded man .He says that he has a Time Machine and he will take the bearded man to the past. Taking the bearded man with him, the masked man starts the Time Machine.

When they reach the past, the masked man gives the Time Machine to the bearded man and runs away. The bearded man finds himself in front of X-Orphanage. He goes inside and finds a woman (the same woman who later becomes the man) lying there with her new born baby. It is a girl. He takes the girl and starts the Time Machine to go to the past (to the year 1975).

1975 Jan 1

The bearded man arrives with the girl. He leaves her in front of X-Orphanage. He joins a college, studies hard and becomes a doctor. One day a woman was brought to the hospital. He examines her and finds that it is a serious case of 'Adrenalo Sytosis'. He performs an operation in which he changes her sex. He then starts the Time Machine and goes to the past.

He arrives at a time of great famine and suffering .Seeing all this, he decides to become a priest and to serve the people. He starts an orphanage and names it 'X-Orphanage'.

One day(1975 Jan 1), he finds a girl lying in front of the orphanage. He takes her and brings her up like his own child. One day he hears that the girl is pregnant and is thrown out of the

hostel. He brings her back to X-Orphanage. She gives birth to a girl. The Father wants to go to the future. He wears a mask, takes a gun and starts the Time Machine. He reaches in front of 'Psychotic Bar'. He goes inside and forces the bearded man to travel along with him to the past.

Reaching the past, he feels guilty about forcing the bearded man to come with him. He gives the Time Machine to the bearded man and runs away.

When he returns, he hears the sad news that the baby is stolen. Unable to

bear the sorrow ,he commits suicide..

Now you please dont commit suicide. I controlled myself. Please control..

Some nice moments..

2009-09-21T19:30:00.003+05:30

Courtesy: Squandrous , ImgFave

Switching to Linux: A Windows developer's view

2009-09-16T10:00:00.000+05:30

Switching to Linux: A Windows developer's view: "..."

This fellow shares his thoughts and a brief flow of how to shift or how he shifted to linux from windows development platform.

A good read for linux newbies.

Dead By Sunrise

2009-09-01T20:06:00.005+05:30

Hey YO!!

Chester Bennington is working on a side project "Dead By Sunrise".

With a new group they are set to release their debut "Out of Ashes" on OCT 13 this fall.

Chester is the vocal lead. Can't wait to hear him out..

All the Best Chezzy..

Links: CBennington

Sweetness..

2009-09-01T14:02:00.008+05:30

Yea, after long time..

With a lil pressure off the shoulders today, I was juszch browsing thru some sweet wallpapers of some actresses. I happened to come across one, which i felt a sweet one and liked it very much.

Those beautiful deep shining eyes, the glittery smile, the lil cheeks just chubby enough to pull them (like in the Ponds ad.. googly woogly wooosh.. :).. ) Wow.. Nice to imagine na...

Its actually the sweetness of a character i like. Not only me but most of us like the sweetness in a person than his/her looks. For me sweetness is one of the things which attracts me towards a person. Frankly speaking I cannot differentiate between a person with natural sweetness and a person who acts like a sweet one.

In our college days, we used to make a wishlist of how our life partner shud look like or how her character shud be, etc etc... Eventually, the time between the last day of our college life and the marraige day, makes us change some things in our list and add that one sweetness factor to the list. However long that wishlist might be in college days be, finally when the time to taken the major decision arrives, "Sweetness" will be one of the top ten factors in our list.

Just wanted to share the sweetness and the childishness of the character in the pic.

Hope to receive some comments on this. All welcome, Good comments, bad comments, critics everyone are most welcome.

Raaz : The Mystery Continues...

2009-01-24T18:57:00.011+05:30

Hey frenz,

Yesterday some one in my office told me that Raaz2 has been released and has come to the theater in the neighbhourhood of our campus. I asked my frenz to give me company to watch and five of us (Vishnu, Yule, Shukla, Shaanib and myself) went to see Razz : The mystery continues... aka Raaz 2. Thanks to Umesha for helping us getting us the tickets...:)

My initial thots abt the movie was that it would be a normal *Bhatt flick* with Emraan hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, and a fresher (don't know his name), accompanied with some love making scenes. But it was totally a different experience inside the theater. The first 15 minutes itself forced me to believe its not going to be *The Bhatt flick* as i would say. The movie, as it progressed, built up the suspense in me and it kept the curiosity in me and eventually made me watch the whole movie. I really don't know how the first 1hr 15minutes passed by. At interval i was just hoping that, after all the build-up in the first half, bhatts wont make a blunder with the second half ( as other hindi flicks like Bachchna ae hasseno, CC2C or those kinda things). I would say they kept their ongoing progress of the suspense till the climax. The story kept me thinking - what could be the relation between the earlier 2 suicides (murders), Nandita(Kangana) and Prithvi (Emraan). And thats the climax guys. You need to go n watch it and unfold the mystery by yourself. I don't want to spoil it.

The story was nice. The picturisation is good. The sound effects were ultimate. The songs were nice, as you might have definitely listened to. Toshi makes his mark in bollywood with Maahi.
There were very lil flaws, or can say none except the end one were injured Prithvi gets cured.

All the mystery was resolved and my questions were answered except one.
Even after coming out of the theater, one mystery prevailed with me was - who was the guy in the beginning (The very fisrt scene) who was torturing himself and killed David Cooper( a character in the movie)..? I dint think much abt it, explained my mind saying "The Mystery continues...", as it indicates in the movie name.

All together a nice one, enjoyed 2 hours of a mixture of horror, suspense and mystery.

Disclaimer: This is not a review of the film, its just my thots. This is my first time - writing my experience abt any movie i saw. So u can pass ur comments for improving my blogging, or u can say my language skills.

Thanks
Damu.:)

Apple HQ - Cupertino Campus

2008-02-05T23:41:00.000+05:30

My dream work-estate:

[courtesy : officesnapshots.com]

Microsoft's flop PR strategy

2008-02-05T22:50:00.000+05:30

Hey frenz,

You ppl might have heard about the patent cases filed by MS against some of the Linux based companies. Those are just their PR strategies. Even our Linux Guru Linus Torvalds said as

“They have been sued for patents by other people, but I don’t think they’ve — not that I’ve gone through any huge amount of law cases — but I don’t think they’ve generally used patents as a weapon,” Torvalds said. “But they’re perfectly happy to use anything at all as fear, uncertainty and doubt in the marketplace, and patents is just one thing where they say, ‘Hey, isn’t this convenient? We can use this as a PR force.’”

He also said that – “Another reason why I don’t think Microsoft really seriously would go after patents is when you’re a convicted monopolist in the marketplace you really should not be suing your competitors over patents,” Torvalds continued. “I think that most Microsoft lawyers would say, ‘You know, let’s not do that; that sounds insane’.”

Not only Linus but the whole Linux community is there to back this opinion. In my opinion i would say, its the beginning of the era which can be named as END OF MICROSOFT. Sounds like the end of a dynasty’s era, Yes microsoft was a dynasty who monopolized PCs, but then it was/is-being slowly conquered by Linux communities and Mac-OS-X.

Enjoy these stunts by Microsoft till it ends…

[Excerpts/Courtesy: Torvalds : Microsoft is bluffing on patents]

Linkin Park - One Step closer

2008-02-03T22:24:00.000+05:30

"Forfeit the game Before somebody else Takes you out of the frame Puts your name to shame Cover up your face You can't run the race The pace is too fast You just won't last"

Linkin Park - My most favrite rock band.

Some say they are the intro to ROCK music. Their three albums Hybrid Theory, Meteora and Minute to Midnight are main releases apart from Reanimation, Collision Course(with Jay-Z) and others which are a remix or u can say a modified version of the originals...

The band consists of drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, and MC/vocalist Mike Shinoda with DJ Joseph Hahn, bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and singer Chester Bennington.

Out of the group, I love Chester Bennington who rocks the songs with his rocking voice and his ability to vary it sharply between the pitches.

Hybrid Theory and Meteora are pure Rock albums, whereas Minutes to Midnight has some slow n soft rocks which is completely taken away from the other two previous albums. Reanimation and Collision Course are equally justified.

I would recommend all of you to just take a try at the songs listed below:
-Numb
-Some Where I Belong
-Crawling
-In the End
-Breaking the Habit
-One Step Closer
-Papercut
-Points of Authority
-Faint
-From the Inside
-X-ecutioner Style(Reanimation)
-Numb/Encore(Collision-Course)
-Points_of_Authority/99Problems/OneStepCloser(Collision-Course)

and from their latest album Minutes to Midnight I would recommend
-What I've done
-Bleed it out
-Valentine's Day

Enjoy n ROCK with Linkin Park....

The Crap is Here...

2008-01-23T19:41:00.000+05:30

Never seen a crap like this... have you?

Check out the link n have a funny time :

Why Linux will not displace Windows

For sure I bet the guy who ever has written it is a Microsoftie and I bet he doesnt know anything other than windows, I include even the softwares that are developed outside M$. This guy knows only about products developed in M$ and knows the name of rivals of OS that's Apple and Linux, thats all.

What a crap he has written.

Initializing

2008-01-17T23:31:00.000+05:30

Hi folks,

Welcome to Trancity

Trancity here refers to a feel of trance(hopefully) in the posts; may be technical - computer related stuffs, spiritual, about life, or anything and ... , etc, etc,.

Its my first post in the blog. Bear with me till I post some nice articles.

thnx
-dammS

Hari Bol