One

the pitcher

burdened with the last drop

of life

who will have it

~ o ~

one boy

one girl

in search of love

one yes

is all it takes

one no

and it just breaks

~ o ~

the lone shoe

waits for company

at the temple step

~ o ~

one promise

one smile

and at times

one tear

~ o ~

one star

shines over my rooftop

with the kite I fly

~ o ~

one rain

is all it takes

to bring back prosperity

and faith

This Small Stone is shared with Theme Thursday - One.

Evening Sky

no more can I plot

lines on the evening sky

dots lost in city

This Haiku is shared with Carpe Diem's Special - Alexey Andreyev's "Evening sky".

Words and Winter

This Post is shared with Postcards from Paradise.

And Smiles

gifts and cakes

little boy dreams of Santa

and smiles

and smiles

the pavement where he sleeps

now a mansion

This Haiku is shared with Haiku Heights - Expectations.

This Vote Is For You, For Your People, For India

All those present at the Ramlila Maidan on 28^th December 2013 witnessed the making of history in a brighter hue, when a common man, elevated to the post of Chief Minister, addressed the people of Delhi, and the nation, saying that “not just Arvind Kejriwal or six ministers have taken oath, but all of Delhi has been sworn in as CM and minister”. The tricolors fluttered gently with the wind, as people traveled from all across the country to draw inspiration from this change of politics, that till not so long ago, had turned out into a potboiler of corruption and scams, but now, promised to be refined and cleansed of all its impurities.

What really stands out in Mr. Kejriwal’s address is the power that he bestows on the common man, urging them to come forward, and play their roles as citizens of this democracy. True, we have been subdued for long by ugly political games. True, we have been made prey to the muck that has surrounded us all. But not anymore. We dream to progress, with truth, and integrity.

And that’s where the youth of this nation comes to the forefront. Politics can no longer be isolated from the Gen-X and Gen-Y, as their contribution as voters in recent times have really made a significant change in the governance of this country. They have stood by idealism, supporting the anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare, and voting for the political party that they could relate themselves with.

Today, youth does hold a lot of power. However, how can you get them to exercise that power in a positive manner? In this modern era, time is a commodity that not many can relish. People are busy with their professional and personal lives. What can you do to draw their attention towards their role in choosing the right government for the nation?

This is exactly where Social Mobile Apps come into play. However busy today’s youth might be, most of them are connected to social networks via mobile apps, which have flooded the market, a few also gaining popularity and fame due to their features that are trendy and makes communication easier, and all the more fun.

Well then, how can social mobile apps inspire and mobile India’s youth to vote in the Indian General Elections 2014? Read on.

Chat Upfront with the Election Candidates

The youth, as the voters, have the right to know their candidates better. Keeping this in mind, social mobile apps can come with a feature where a voter can directly interact with the electoral candidates, ask themm questions upfront, and listen to their answers. The Video Call feature can be used in this regard and an interactive and healthy discussion can take place. This will further lead to a better understanding of the election process, and will help the youth in making up their mind as to which candidates to vote for during elections.

Debate With Candidates and Voters

A group chat, with several voters, and members of political parties, can serve as a platform for an insightful debate. The voters can question the party representatives regarding their agenda, and the latter can in turn put forward their proposals regarding actions that would prove beneficial to the country. The key areas that needs to be addressed can be identified in this process, which will help the parties in re-framing their agendas if the need arises. It would also give the youth voters a chance to recognize the merits and demerits of each party.

Have A Look At Others’ Opinions

WeChat, a popular Social Media App, has some interesting features like Look Around and Shake which can be used specifically for this purpose. These two functions can help to build connection between people who are not there in friend list. They are absolute strangers. Yet, when you use these features, you can readily get in touch with them, and start discussing about the political scenario of this country. Ideas exchanged will surely lead to a clearer opinion regarding the candidate or the party you are going to vote.

Survey Election Trends

As a youth voter, one needs to be aware of the direction where the wind is blowing. If there is a feature where the voter can cast a ‘dummy’ vote, and then check what others have voted for, it would lead to a higher excitement building up before the actual election process. Thankfully, WeChat comes fully loaded with this feature, named Drift Bottle. It’s anonymous and fun, and it surely would lure the youth towards the General Elections.

Emoting is Fun

Finally, why not have some Emoticons that would make the process all the more attractive. Emoticons representing symbol of political parties can be added, along with icons of eminent political leaders of today. The youth loves to use new emoticons, and in this process, they will invariably be discussing a lot about politics more than they realize.

Social Mobile Apps like WeChat can prove to be a trendsetter in this regard as they have most of the features discussed above. The only thing needed is to implement them in the right direction and context, and we will have the enthusiasm of the youth channeled towards the Indian General Elections 2014.

However, whoever you vote for, remember always – this vote is for you, for your people, for India.

Vote for India, always.

This is my official entry to Vote For India contest organized by Indiblogger in association with WeChat.

Check out the official Page of WeChat below:
http://www.wechat.com/en/

Warming My Winter

she smiled

and the roses bloomed

warming my winter

This Haiku is shared with Haiku My Heart Completely.

Circle Of Life

a seed

nourished by nature

bears fruit

~ o ~

a thought

planted by need

an idea

~ o ~

evolution

completes the circle

we call it life

This Haiku is shared with Carpe Diem - Circle Of Life.

The Yogic Manager - Review

The Yogic Manager is a business novel that was written to bridge Yoga-Vedanta and Management. The story is the medium by which several new frameworks, business models and management principles are explained. The author, Avinash Sharma, has incorporated the philosophies and teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Upanishads and Yoga Sutras.

The book is a modern retelling of the ancient mythological epic, the Mahabharata, set in today’s world of business. The epic’s war of Kurukshetra has been recreated in the world of business at a consulting firm called Characterra Consulting. The protagonist is Arjun Atmanand who faces a crisis when his conscience clashes with the instructions of his boss and Characterra’s founder, Raja Sahamkar. To help him with his crisis, Arjun receives advice from Yogi, a being with supernatural powers. Arjun learns Yoga and Vedanta from Yogi, which he uses to build a bridge between Yoga-Vedanta and Management. 

Arjun develops a set of Yogic Management frameworks and principles that are the foundations of this bridge:

1. Reality-Consciousness-Bliss Framework

2. Knowledge Work Equation

3. Motive-Mind-Means Framework

4. Purposeful Life Framework

5. Principles of Yogic Management

6. Yogic Management Mantra

By reading and studying this book, you will:

—Start to challenge conventional ways of thinking about business and gain a new, holistic perspective of Management;

—Learn the principles and frameworks of Yogic Management, which you can then apply immediately to your work;

—Become a more productive knowledge worker by learning how to control and channel the power of the instrument of knowledge work, your mind;

—Gain fulfillment through your work and, in the process, contribute toward the betterment of society and all life on Earth;

—Gain practical advice on how to build physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual strength;

—Live a balanced and purposeful life by going through the four phases prescribed in Yoga-Vedanta; and

—Join, should you wish to, the evolution of Management, a movement that will elevate the human condition and restore harmony to an imbalanced planet

The frameworks (as high resolution charts in full color) and other resources have been made available for free on the website.

www.yogicmanagement.com

About the Author

Avinash Sharma is a senior consultant for strategic programs at a large Canadian bank in Toronto. He earned his MBA from the Queen's School of Business (Ontario). From 2008 to 2012, he researched Sanskrit texts, including the Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and Yoga Sutras, to determine how Yoga-Vedanta can be applied to Management. The Yogic Manager is the product of this research.

The principles of management can’t be defined under a single head – they vary from people to people, organization to organization, each following a certain set of rules and procedures that highlight their management policies. Some organizations focus on serving their clients, while many aim to get the maximum financial gain out of a transaction. A number of firms target profit-enhancement in the short run, and a few also look at the benefits that are provided to the employees. However, in most cases, the fundamentals of practical management aren't absolutely flawless, and thus often lack purpose and direction that can be beneficial to the society.

‘The Yogic Manager’ by Avinash B. Sharma talks about applying the philosophy of Yoga-Vedanta into the system of modern management. It differentiates between a normal manager and Yogic Manager, highlighting the shortcomings of the former and how they can be attended to by the latter, using the tools of proper judgement and integrity. The power of human conscience, combined with proper understanding of the environmental factors that affect, and are in turn affected by business decisions, play a big role in shaping the future of the society.

There are four major characters in the book. Arjun Atmanand works as a manager and consultant in Characterra, a consulting firm. He is hardworking and intelligent, but lacks the guidance that’s needed to perform a task keeping in mind the benefit of all. He is lured by materialistic riches offered by Raja Sahamkar, his boss, and thus readily agrees to whatever he has to say. Raja practically rules Characterra and often takes decisions that serve his hunger. He is not concerned about goodness, morals or high values, and believes that these are mere words and can never help you achieve your goals in the real world scenario. Arjun, in a confused state of mind, comes across Yogi Dharmaraja, an advanced spiritual being with supernatural abilities. The Yogi guides Arjun on his path to righteousness and good deeds. Karan Atmanand is Arjun’s brother, a genius with numbers and a financial guru. However, he ignores the betterment of the society and uses his skill to enhance his own richness and fulfill his greed.

An interesting thing to note here is that the characters are derived straight out of the Mahabharata. While Arjun Atmanand resembles Prince Arjuna, his brother Karan Atmanand is a modern day personification of King Karna. Raja Sahamkar has qualities similar to the unrighteous King Duryodhana, and Yogi Dharamraja’s character can be said to be inspired by that of King Yudhisthira.

The narration, comprising of quotes from the Bhagwad Gita, and also sayings of several eminent personalities, like Swami Vivekananda, is insightful and helps us delve deeper into the maze of human emotions, where we always fight a battle between what is lucrative and what is right. Mind is a complex entity, and in business and management, it is the key to ensure success. However, Avinash defines success in a totally different manner, highlighting the actions more than the rewards, and as we read on, we realize how true he, and every word spoken in the book, is.

The cover of the book states – “A Business Novel inspired by the Mahabharata.” However, as a lover of the epic, I was a bit disappointed as I had expected more substantial references to the Mahabharata other than the quotes from Bhagwad Gita. True, the Bhagwat Gita is also a part of the Great Epic, and the teachings imparted through it are really beneficial in every sphere of life. Also, there are some other episodes as well that are referenced straight from the Mahabharata. Yet, presence of more characters, and incidents, similar to the Mahabharata, would have found favor from me on a higher scale. Perhaps, on a second thought, those episodes might not have fitted the basic premise of the book.

All in all, this is a book that provides a relatively new concept of Yogic Management in a simplified form, and serves to be a good learning experience. If you love reading business novels, then 'The Yogic Manager' should surely be your pick.

Title: The Yogic Manager

Author: Avinash B. Sharma

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Publication Year: 2013

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

Genre: Fiction, Business

No. of Pages: 220

Price: Rs 225

My Rating: 3/5

Yuvraj Singh : Powerful Elegance - Review

At the Under 19 level, Yuvraj Singh was touted as the most gifted Indian cricketer since Sachin Tendulkar. Yuvraj had flair, power and a dazzling range of strokes that had critics and fans heaping encomiums on him. While he may not have quite lived up to early expectations, especially in Test cricket, Yuvraj has been brilliantly devastating in limited overs cricket, winning countless matches on his own. There is more to the Yuvraj story than just his exploits on the pitch. There has been no more stirring saga in modern Indian sport than his comeback to international cricket after a year-long fight with cancer that had threatened to finish his career prematurely. His six sixes in one over, off Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Championship, is testimony to Yuvraj's innate batting prowess, though this comes with a vexing poser just why could he not replicate such form in Tests too? Perhaps, considering his new vigour, that time is now.

About the Author

Ayaz Memon, one of India's most prolific journalists, brings with him 33 years of experience in sports writing. He started his career covering sports and went on to edit newspapers like Mid Day, Bombay Times and DNA as well as magazines like Sportsweek. Ayaz was also sports editor for the Times of India and the Independent at various stages.

‘Powerful Elegance’ is certainly an apt description for the man who has seen it all, and has faced the hurdles with style. Whether you talk about his career or look deep into his personal side, there has always been elements of doubts and misfits that have proved to be unwanted obstacles, hindering his stride to glory in occasions more than once. However, it is this uncertainty and the unpredictability that makes for a rather interesting characterization of one of the most talented and powerful batsmen in modern day Cricket. Yuvraj Singh, the middle order batsman for India in limited overs Cricket, certainly needs no introduction.

Ayaz Memon and C. Rajshekar Rao pens down the story of this left handed stroke player. He is the son of Yograj Singh who was considered to be one of the most talented players to have played during that era. Unfortunately, he couldn't represent India for a longer run. He did show a lot of promise in domestic cricket, but his skills couldn't result in a berth in Indian team on a regular basis. The frustration and this lack of opportunity lead to hurt and pain, and Yograj dreamt of his son living up to his aims and aspirations of playing for the country and becoming an integral part of the team.

Yuvraj, who was initially interested in other sports, was almost forced to abandon them. His father wanted him to devote single-mindedly to the game of Cricket, and Yuvraj didn't disappoint him. His success in domestic matches earned him repute, and soon he moved onto the national side, proving his mettle against one of the best bowling attacks in those times.

However, success has never been a consistent factor in Yuvraj’s life, and his form dipped regularly. He did show sparks of brilliance, but his inconsistency proved to be a vital chink in his armor. He promised a lot, but most of the time, his fans only got disappointment in return.

And then came the 2011 World Cup. Yuvraj played the best Cricket of his life, helping India win the trophy and fulfilling the dreams of a million cricket lover. All were happy and the time seemed to be finally running in favor of Yuvraj. However, his poor luck gripped hold of him again when, soon after the World Cup, he was diagnosed with Cancer.

The book traces the journey of success and failure, promises fulfilled and unfulfilled, and dreams savored and lost. That lazy swagger on the pitch, the sixes hit with aplomb, the one handed diving catches that looks so easy when he is on them, and those slow left arm spin that troubles and surprises the opening batsmen – these define Yuvraj. Like an ardent Cricket fan, I have always loved watching him bat, bowl and field, and have always wished for him to be successful, to taste the fruits of glory, ‘cause that’s what he deserves.

Alas, only if the world could have been perfect, and ideal, and hardships had never been his companion. But then again, could we have known and respected him as a fighter, as we do now.

Whether you score or not Yuvraj, you have definitely won the hearts of millions of fans across the globe. A true fighter. A real inspiration.

Title: Yuvraj Singh : Powerful Elegance

Author: Ayaz Memon and C. Rajshekar Rao

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Publication Year: 2013

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

Genre: Series Book

Series Name: Jaico Cricketwallah by Ayaz Memon

No. of Pages: 96

Price: Rs 125

My Rating: 3/5

The Almond Tree - Review

Against a background torn from the pages of todays headlines, The Almond Tree, by Michelle Cohen Corasanti, recasts the Palestinians in Israel and Gaza, a people frequently in the news, but often misrepresented and deeply misunderstood. This stunning debut conveys a universal story of human courage and perseverance. Comparable to Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, this novel delivers an inspirational story of unfathomable pain and an incredible perseverance. Gifted with a mind that continues to impress the elders in his village, Ahmed Hamid struggles with knowing that he can do nothing to save his friends and family. Living on occupied land, his entire village operates in fear of losing their homes, jobs and belongings. But more importantly, they fear losing each other. On Ahmed's twelfth birthday, that fear becomes reality. With his father imprisoned, his family's home and possessions confiscated and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ahmed begins an inspiring journey using his intellect to save his poor and dying family. In doing so he reclaims a love for others that was lost through a childhood rife with violence and loss and discovers a new hope for the future. The Almond Tree humanizes a culture and brings characters from a distant land to life. 

About the Author

Michelle Cohen Corasanti has a BA from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an MA from Harvard University, both in Middle Eastern Studies. She also holds a law degree. A Jewish American, she has lived in France, Spain, Egypt and England and spent seven years living in Jerusalem. The Almond Tree is her first novel.

You read of loss, pathos, and pain, and then, you realize that it’s real, and not just the streaming pages of a fictional narrative. In fact, nothing in 'The Almond Tree' can be termed as a fiction in the inherent sense of the word. Though the characters might have been sketched by the author’s imagination, they portray the condition and the hardships of the Palestinians in Israel and Gaza. It’s the hurt, and the open wounds that speak aloud in the novel, the narrative bringing forth the realism of modern day conflicts.

'The Almond Tree' marks a remarkable debut by Michelle Cohen Corasanti. It is the story of Ahmed Hamid, who, infested with a feeling of guilt and shame every time he meets his father in the prison, decides to get rid of this life of poverty and make a mark, which would make his father happy. His early years are spent amidst trying to earn whatever little he could for his family by means of labour, in slaughterhouse and other sites. With the help of his siblings, Ahmed does all sorts of menial jobs that ensures his family at least gets something to eat, even though it doesn't quench their hunger totally.

However, Ahmed, always a bright student, decides to continue his education and seeks advice from his father, who, always a man of courage and determination, urges him to go ahead and live his dreams. Times are tough and Ahmed doesn't find favor with the teachers, professors and students owing to his background. The book displays how Ahmed fights against all odds, giving his total effort and concentration to his goals, to which he is so single mindedly devoted. He faces resistance from his family members, specially his mother, as he decides to leave them and go to university for higher studies. However, his father has full faith on his abilities, and urges his son to carry on the path of his aspirations. What happens hereafter, and how Ahmed moves on with his life, along with his family, and love, forms the crux of the story.

The narration provides impetus to the story, and helps it flow smoothly. Though the ambiance is laden with misery and helplessness, there is always that tiny bit of hope that keeps the positivism alive in the book. You derive strength from the characters, learning from their struggles, and determined you become, standing bold and firm amidst the face of adversities. In fact, the backdrop makes you believe in the authenticity of the characters, ‘cause reading about them, you really that there are similar people, struggling out there in Israel in Gaza, misinterpreted and misunderstood.

'The Almond Tree' has one of the most powerful opening chapters that I have ever come across in a book, and instantly draws you towards its vortex. Sentiments and emotions play their parts well, and the author does a great job in painting the images right before our eyes. The scenes seem real with the words drawing the colors in the horizon.

A book that is adorned with smiles and tears, living with hope, and with failure, ‘The Almond Tree’ makes you see life in an all new perspective, and more.

Title: The Almond Tree

Author: Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Publisher: Prakash Books

Imprint: Fingerprint Publishing

Publication Year: 2013

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

Genre: Fiction

No. of Pages: 352

Price: Rs 295

My Rating: 4/5

This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books visit thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.