One summer evening a long while ago, I saw a woman with her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was skipping along ecstatically. She was holding on to a string that was attached to a huge, red helium balloon. All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind pulled the balloon from the little girl’s hand. […]
Spirit
Great Expectations
I live on the banks of the river Narbada. The river is lavish and generous to all her children. She lets you take as much water from her as you need. She’d never refuse you, on the contrary, she would love to give all you want. She cannot be called sparing or miserly if you […]
Ten Minute People
Do you know people whose negative outlook can begin to poison your own sunny disposition in ten minutes? It takes them ten minutes to get off to a good canter, trotting their grievances out. Such people are ten minute people. There are important things to do when you trip over such people. Listen carefully, for […]
Dear Parent
I read something today that made me want to write to you. I’d like you to imagine a crowded public square, filled with people. They are busy, happy, engrossed in their own concerns. You stand among them, unnoticed. You’ve just realized that you have poured your future, every minute of everyday of the rest of […]
Stepping Back
You take out your best formals to wear at a party and find them too tight. Dismayed, you decide to re-start a regular workout regime. You retrieve (read excavate) your walking shoes from never- never- land and dust the entire Harappan civilization off them. The steely glint in your eyes could slice Mt Everest into […]
Brand Equity
No, this is not a white paper on corporate finance. Finance is a strange (read fanged) beast I run miles from. Something tells me that the feeling is mutual. This is me asking you to take a walk with me, up a mountain. I have taken this walk before but I need to refresh the […]
Imperfectly Perfect
Many years ago I read a heart-opening account written by a father, of how they learned to embrace and celebrate the the Imperfectly Perfect completeness of their teenage daughter. The girl was overly emotional apparently. The slightest things would hurt her and she would either dissolve in floods of tears or blow every one away […]
Borrowed Feathers
The world will always be full of dreamers. There will always be mavericks whose only purpose in life is to jump into as many frying pans (and fires) as possible. Forever restless, always on the move. They infect you with their madness. They are charming and magnetic in their passion. Your shell of diligent preoccupation […]
Ordinary Courage
Many years ago I read a story about a boy called David. David was a spastic suffering from cerebral palsy. When he was two years old his parents noticed something wrong. They were told he would never walk, talk or count to ten. They were told that the case is hopeless and David will live […]
Young Eyes
You know how bright the eyes of youth shine, don’t you..? Do you remember how you were when you were 18-20 years old..? Remember how you simply KNEW that the world was waiting for you to come and win it… to win it, put it in your pocket and walk casually away, whistling your song […]