STOP CRIBBING! START LIVING

Dear Readers,

The roads are bad! The govt doesn’t function efficiently!  All politicians are corrupt! All bureaucrats are crooks! All businessmen are cheats! There is no justice available in this country! Is it not common to hear this sort of comments every day?  Are in that case, how many of us are really free from this sickness called “Cribbing”. Not many of us. Isn’t it?

So, what is the end result of all this cribbing? Does it make our life better or create a better world. No!  It just drains our energy and creates a negative environment not only for us, but also for the people around us. But, for some reason or other this habit of cribbing has been deeply engrained in our life. While we very well know that it does no good, we still continue doing it as a habit.

My question is if we are going to continue cribbing about all these things and feel unhappy, when are we going to start living our life and find happiness?  Cribbing is just a gross waste of time. It doesn’t get us anywhere.

I know people, who are always cribbing. They can never find the good in anything. All they can see is the negative things, that they magnify a 100 times and make a mountain of a mole hill.  For example, if it is raining, they exclaim “Oh my God, this rain spoiling my day?” and if it is a sunny day, they again exclaim, “Oh my God, it is so hot today, that I don’t feel like going out”. It is These people can be called “perpetual cribbers”. This type of people can never be changed, unless they decide to change themselves. Even if something nice is there to appreciate, they mind focuses on what is not good. Cribbing is a defensive mechanism, people have to justify the world, why they are unhappy and I am sure they cannot find happiness.

My concern is not about those people, who fail to see the brighter things of life, but those of us, who are unconsciously falling prey to this habit of cribbing, as a part of the social acceptance.

So next time, somebody cribs, ask them so what? What are you going to do about it? By doing so, you will be slowly cutting down negative thoughts that are draining your energy.

When we encounter with an issue that is not in accordance to our liking there are just 3 things we should ideally do:  1. Accept it, 2. Find a solution or 3. Ignore it. Let us not make cribbing the 4^th option, which we normally do.

When we learn to appreciate the good things in our life, our life seems to become instantly better. So instead of searching for a fault, start searching for the good. Just a small change in this attitude can change your life.

Stephen Covey, in his book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” talks about, “Circle of Concern” Vs “Circle of Influence”.  There are many things in our daily life that disturbs us, such as news of a disease outbreak, a murder, a suicide, a terrorist act, a road accident, a earthquake so on and so forth. These are just example of things, over which we are concerned about, but have no control. So, literally there is nothing much we could do about it. Whereas, there are also things like our town is not clean, there is noise pollution in our street, children are lacking moral values and so on. These are things which are within the circle of our influence, which means we can do something about it. So, instead of cribbing over things, which are not within our control ( circle of concern)  let us focus our time and effort over the things on which we have control ( circle of influence). By doing so, we can make this world a little better place and do our part to reduce hearing this unpleasant  noise of cribbing.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article date October 2016

50:50

Dear Readers,

Marriage is a perfect example of a 50:50 relationship, because each of the spouses is dependent on their better half to make it a complete home. So, coming to the way, how responsibilities are shared, there are 2 approaches:

Traditional approach: Husband is the bread earner of the family and the wife is the care taker of the family. In this case the husband and wife share 50% of the work, of two different functions.

Modern approach: Husband and Wife both work and earn for the family and both the husband and wife take care of the family. In this case too, the husband and wife share 50% work, but 50% of each function.

So, literally speaking there is no actual difference, in the share of responsibility.

However, I find that there is an increasing trend amidst women to feel it a shame to be called a housewife or homemaker and a pride to be called a career women. In fact, the Government is encouraging more women to take up careers and improve the GDP of the country. Women taking up careers are a great way to build a nation, but does it make it possible for them to create perfect homes?

A career woman might argue that she is able to balance both the roles effectively.  It is quite true with the level of domestic mechanisation available today, a lot more can be handled in less time, giving women the freedom to pursue careers. But I personally feel it is like chasing two rabbits at the same time; you try too hard, but end up missing both.

So the question is what are they trading off for what? Can money buy happiness? Can parenting be outsourced? It is unfortunate that children of today spend more time in the crèche, day care centres, under the care of elderly grandparents or servant maids. And at the end of the day, a beautiful phase of life called ‘Parenting’ gets diluted, which can have unfavourable consequences, in the long run. So, it is time to rethink on one’s priorities before setting out on a career.

Couples, who are highly independent of each other, lose out on a beautiful component of a marriage called interdependence. Wouldn’t it be better if marriage operates in the true spirit of interdependence?  Interdependence is a beautiful thing and when a couple learn to understand, appreciate and respect the concept, family life would be happier. For a marriage to be successful there should be some good extent of interdependence, without which the marriage doesn’t serve the purpose. If both men and women can be fully independent in their own ways, what is the purpose of marriage? Is it not the give and take in a relationship that makes it more satisfying? Where there is good understanding between couples, there is no question of who earns the money. The money earned is there to serve the common purpose of keeping the family happy.

I recently saw a Hindi movie called, “Ki & Ka”, in which there is a role reversal between husband and wife, where the women is the bread earner and the husband is the homemaker. It is a bit controversial movie to the current times, but could be the inevitable future, for those wanting to balance work and family, perfectly. If only couples can learn to look at work and family as 50:50 responsibility and don’t really bother who does which 50%, families would be happier.

When it is a dilemma between family Vs career, wouldn’t it be wise to choose family. It is because, while someone can replace you in your career, no one can replace you in your family.

Happy Reading

D. Senthil Kannan

Article date September 2016

Realist – The third alternative

Dear Readers,

We generally tend to classify people into two types: “Optimist” and “Pessimist”. Some of the traits we associate with Optimists are:- Positive thinkers, possibility thinkers, focussing on favourable outcomes, filled with hope and confidence, etc. Whereas the traits we associate with Pessimists are:- Negative thinkers, Skeptics, Doubters, Fault finders, Idea dampeners, Mood spoilers etc.

One of the most common quote we hear is “An pessimist sees a problem in every opportunity, whereas an optimist sees an opportunity in every problem”.

It is often believed, that being an Optimist, is the best way to be, because they always tend to look at the positive side of life and events expecting the most favorable outcome. On the other side, a pessimist is often viewed as a negative person, who is not willing to take any risks or chances and someone who is constantly finding fault and dampens our spirits.

Optimism sometimes sounds overrated. It gives a feel that being Pessimist is wrong. But we need to understand that in order to take a good decision, we should weigh the pros and cons, before making a decision.

For instance, while it comes to decision making Optimists, because of their upbeat mindset and their trust in gut instincts, are more gullible and naive. Therefore some of their decisions, have landed them in deep trouble.  Whereas, a pessimistic person is someone who needs proof before he jumps on board. Whenever they hear something new, they are the first to scrutinize it before they will accept it. So, they are highly cautious people and therefore greatly delay in making decisions. This in turn, many times make them lose out on a quick opportunity. 

I heard this somewhere, “While it was an optimist who invented the plane, it was a  pessimist who invented the parachute”. Is it not true, that  both are important? It is difficult to imagine a high speed car without brakes. While accelerator is necessary for speed, brakes are needed for safety.

So, let us get out of the idea that pessimist people are negative people. It is just that, the way the optimist sees the world and the way a pessimist sees the world is lot different. But the fact is thay they are not against each other, but complement each other.

While an optimist can take quick decisions that could fail and a pessimist can be stuck up not taking any decision, as he doesn’t want to fail, we find both of them limiting in their own way. So, is there a third alternative? Is there a possibility of having the best of both?  I guess, YES. A person who can find a balance between these seeming opposite poles, is called a “Realist.”

A Realist is someone who tends to view or present things as they really are at this moment. A realist tries to see things as they are not as he would like them to be.  Realists have a firm grip on reality and can see things for what they are, not what they are told they are and therefore do not fall victim to propaganda, misconception, or titles. Realists, are the ones who can see, the bigger, clearer picture without any preconceptions and therefore make more sensible decisions.

So, to make, it simpler:

“ An optimist see a glass half full.

A pessimist sees a glass as half empty.

A realist sees it as just a half glass”

What the word needs today is this new breed of people called, “The Realists” who could make a positive and sustainable contribution to mankind. Don’t you think so?

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan
Article date August 2016

The South Korean Growth Story

Dear Readers,

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit South Korea, as a part of the CII Business Delegation. We were a team of 10 members, representing different companies in India. We visited the Capital City, Seoul and one of the important port cities of the world, Busan. A trade meeting was organised by the Busan Foundation of International Activities, to enhance the scope of trade relation between the 2 countries. This visit served as an opportunity for me to learn more about Korea. We had a series of meetings with many Govt bodies and trade bodies and this gave me some insights into the growth story of Korea, which I would like to share.

The economy of South Korea is the fourth largest economy in Asia and the 11th largest in the world. South Korea is famous for its spectacular rise from one of the poorest countries in the world to an advanced, high-income country in just one generation. This country has witnessed its biggest growth between 1960 and 1980, and still remains one of the fastest growing developed countries. It has been a head turner for many countries, as to how Korea has been able to achive this. These are the few pointers, I found that could be the possible reason for their quick growth.

One of the notable point is to know that Korea gained from its adversity. Korea was ruled by the Japanese till 1945. It is only after the 2^nd world war, when Japan lost to America, South Korea became a separate country with the support of America. As Korea was located in close proximity to Japan, it gained the American foot hold strength, which was the starting point of their growth story.

It is a well known fact that, Koreans are skilled in Ship Building & Ship Repairs. And this is a very big business, by itself. This has to a great extent helped them to be globally recognised, as a technologically advanced country. Some of their other strong areas include automobile manufacturing (Hyundai), Electronics (Samsung & LG), Armaments and Cosmetics. Today all the brands have become global and found in every household.

Another strength of South Korea, is that  they are constantly innovating. They are always looking for better way of doing things. They are not happy with  status quo. The principle of Kaizen (consistent performace, continuous improvement), seems to be in action everywhere in Korea. It is not surprising to note that  South Korea ranks No.1 in the world in 2015 Bloomberg Innovation Index.

South Korea is also considered a  safe place, to do business, as there has not been many incidents of frauds and cheating. This gives Korea a good image and makes it a safe country to do business with.

Every country has a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to make itself marketable to the other countries in the world. The Korean USP, is quiet interesting. The USP of Korea is “Quality of  Japan @ Prices of China”. We all know that Japanese quality is highly commendable, but bit expensive, whereas the Chinese products are very cheap, whereas not highly reliable on quality. The Koreans seem to have understood this and the result have come out with an unique promise which appeals to all the other countries, who are looking at a better alternative.

On the whole, the Korean growth story is characterised by their resilience, reliability,  innovation, competitive focus on their core areas and strategical positioning of their product in the global market.

Korea’s growth story is undoubtedly an inspirational one, especially for the fast developing countries of this millennium.

Happy Reading

D. Senthil Kannan

Article date July 2016

No God? Are you Sure?

Dear Readers,

Off late, it is had become more common for people to self-declare themselves, as Atheists.  I tend to hear it more often among youngsters. I was curious to understand why this shift in pattern of thought. Is it just a trend? Or is it the excessive reliance in Science and technology? Or is it just the over confidence of in one’s own self? I was clueless.

I made a quick search on google to check some statistics.  I was surprised to find, that about 16% of the world population are Atheists, making them the 3^rd largest population, after Christianity and Islam. What was more alarming to see, was that the number of Atheists are proportionately increasing year after year. It was a bit of puzzle to me, because on one side I am able to witness the religious shrines of all the religions, getting over crowded with devotees, day after day and here on the other side is a contrasting figure of the number of people choosing to be  non- believers.

So what does, Atheism mean. The word “Atheism” itself is differently understood by different people and as such even an Atheist finds it difficult to explain, as to which classification of Atheism, he/she belongs too. For example, there are the agnostics, the antagonist, the secular, the non-religious and also a combination of one or more. The term, “Atheism” originates from the Greek word, “Atheos” which means “without God”. So, to put it simply, Atheist are people who don’t feel the need for God. On the contrary, “Theist” are those who believe that that there is something supreme beyond them to guide them, which they call God.

So “Atheists” and “Theists” are two contrasting sects of people, who have contrasting beliefs. For example:

·        To an atheist, an idol is just a piece of rock, but to a theist it is an identity of God.

·        To an atheist, it is absurd to think of God in a human form and give it a name, but a theist finds it as the best way to personify God.

·        To an atheist, the universe was formed as a result of the big bang, but to a theist it was a creation of God.

·        To an atheist, everything that happens in the world has a Science behind it, but to a theist, there is a divine force operating beyond it.

There are so many such contrasting beliefs. In a way, “Atheism” and “Theism” are just two different forms of spiritual enquiry. While the Theist, starts from the presupposition that there is God and finds evidence to substantiate his belief, the Atheist starts from the presupposition that there is no God and finds evidence to prove there is no God.  As it the nature of the human mind, to see only what it believes, both are right from their own experiences.

I have been an atheist myself, at one point of time. I have argued against the existence of God, but when I came to read and hear about some of the greatest thinkers, scientists, mathematicians, social workers such as Einstein, Ramanujan Mahatma Gandhi and many more, I became aware that they were ardent believers of God. All these people were far more intelligent than the common man and they belief in something beyond their intellectual comprehension, made me to think, that I could be wrong. This thought furthermore strengthened, when I became a member of an organisation called JCI, which had it’s  first tenant as follows: “Faith in God, gives meaning and purpose to human life.” I pondered on this and could relate it as well.

One of the senior trainer of JCI, Mr. K.V. Ratnam, once quoted, “Science has an answer for all the questions. But man has not learned enough Science to know all the answers. Till then let us believe in God”. This was a new and interesting perspective.

In this context, it is pertinent to Everyone thinks differently and therefore everyone has the right to choose what they want to be, and just because I am an Theist , I am not against the Atheist ideology. It is just my appeal to Atheist, to periodically revisit our beliefs, from time to time.

Because, while there is no hard and fast rule to believe in God, there is nothing we lose by believing in God.

While I am not against the Atheist, I

It is purely our choice to be a Theist or an Atheist. What is more important is not to mock anyone’s belief. We should learn to respect this difference and give each other the space and freedom to be themselves, rather than argue and prove that we are right.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated June 2016

SECURITY CHECK

Dear Readers,

I was at the Delhi Airport a few days back, when I had to stand in a long queue for the routine security check. As I was standing, I looked around to see how much of congestion this security checking procedure was causing.

It was an early morning flight for which I had to wake up quiet early, get ready and find a cab to reach the airport atleast 2 hour ahead of schedule.

While, I was getting a little restless, with this snail speed security procedure, my mind started to ponders to as “Why is it we have to come to the airport so early, while we can rush to the railway station or the bus stop, even at the last moment?” It is because of this time taking security check, where we need to go through an entire gamut of process, which includes showing our id card and ticket before we enter the airport, then getting the check-in baggage scanned and sealed, proceeding to pick the boarding card and moving towards the security check gate, where our hand baggage gets scanned, and we are asked to remove our laptops and mobiles to be send separately through the scanner. (In some countries, the passenger is also asked to remove his belt and shoes, which also passes through the scanning machine). After which we walk through the scanning metal frame and being frisked by the security officer, before he could stamp a security seal in our boarding card and make us, “Flight worthy”.

So, I was just thinking, “Why is that we need to go through SECURITY CHECK  procedure at the first place.” Well, the answer is obvious. It is in common interest of all and primarily to ensure the safety of the passengers. As the safety of everyone is important, everyone wilfully goes through this systematic process, to ensure they travel safely. When I am being checked, I am also sure that all the other passengers are equally being checked which gives me the peace of mind, that no untoward event would happen in the course of my travel. Probably, it is the prayer and wish of everyone to travel safe.

I was just guessing, how many flight hijacks or terrorist attacks would have happened on an aeroplane, over the years. Probably a few, inspite of all these security checks.

Looking at it from the other way, how many hijacks or attacks have been possibly avoided owing to the security checks. The answer is unknown. It could be a lot more or a few more, but not something which we can take a chance of guessing.

If we were to think about this as a percentage it would be hardly negligible, but even one negative incident, can cause the lives of many innocent people. And the life of everyone is important.

While we cannot leave the aspect of security to chance, undoubtedly it is one of the annoying experiences, every passenger faces every time, he/she makes a flight travel. Moreover, the collective amount of time lost, by all passengers is so huge. The amount of money, spent on such security measures are too high. In an age, where we work on a time – productivity matrix, this is a huge chunk of time that goes waste on an unproductive task.

It is such an irony of life, that the negative intentions of a few people, results in so much of disturbance to the common man. While I don’t foresee a solution to this problem, I only pray and wish a simpler and quicker system evolves, to take care of this security check aspect. Even more ideal would be a day, when everyone is in peace with each other, that there is not a need for a security check, at all.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated May 2016

Finesse makes a difference

Dear Readers,

I would like to share a small shopping experience, to emphasise on how finesse in hanling  a customers, can make a difference.  I was looking at buying a pair of footwear. So, I went to Express Avenue Mall in Chennai, to check out some options.

There were two footwear shops, next to each other.  I first entered one shop. The salesman greeted me, but made me wait for some time as he was handling another customer. Fair enough! I told myself, as I started to look through the collections on display. After few minutes, the salesman stepped in and asked. “May, I help you?” I said, “Yes”, and pointed out to two models on the shelf and told him, I would like to try it out. He asked for my size and started to search for it. After some time he brought the same, and I started trying it out. I felt that the size was a bit loose and so asked him if he can show me the same model, but of 2 lower sizes. He showed some frustration in his face, however he went and brought it. I tried out the new sizes, but that was, too tight and I felt that it was not the right fit, for me. I said it is not fitting. He became a little annoyed with me and said, “I gave you all the sizes you asked for and you say nothing is fitting.” I asked him, “What am I to do?”. He started to feel disturbed as the closure of the sale did not seem to happen. He then asked me, if he can show me some other models. However, as I started feeling that he is not comfortable dealing with me and also could sense that he is pushing me to take a quick decision, I said, “No, I don’t want” and moved out of the shop.

Just next to the shop, was another footwear shop and I entered the shop. The moment, I entered a sales executive rushed to my service and asked what I was looking for and I answered. He then said, “Sir, I am attending to one customer. Meanwhile, please have a look at the collections in our display and I shall get back to you in a few minutes.” As promised, after a few minutes, he came back and said, “Sorry Sir for keeping you waiting. Please tell me which model, you would like to try?”.  I showed him a particular model. He took it and as he was helping me try it out, he said it is one of the fast moving models. I asked him, any other colour and he said a firm, “No” with a great confidence of seeming to know all the goods available in the shop. I tried it and felt comfortable and as I was about to finalise it. He said, “Can I show you one of our latest product.” He then added, “Sir, this is quite highly priced, but we show it to our premium customers.” I don’t know from where he got an idea, that I was a premium customer. Anyway the word he used, made me feel good. He then said, “Sir, there is no obligation to buy. I just want you to see it.” His approach was so convincing and also tempting, that with some hesitation I said OK and he showed me the product. It was a truly a great product, with equally a great price tag, which I was not ready for. So, I told him, “It is very good, but I don’t need it now.” With a big smile, he said, “No issues, Sir”. Saying this he asked me whether he can pack the product I had first selected. I gave a green signal. He then asked whether I have their membership card. I said, “I have the card, but I am not carrying it with me”. He told me, “No problem Sir, just tell me your mobile number” and in a jiffy, he found my name in the billing computer system and applied the bonus points applicable for the product. That was an Rs.200/- discount on the billing and I happily walked out of the shop.

As I got back to my cab, I started to contemplate on my shopping experience, with both the shops. Both the shops were almost of the same size, had almost similar collections, and the price range were also similar but what is that one thing that made me to buy from the second shop? Looking at the selling process, there is not much of a difference in both these shops, but the experience made a big difference, as to from where to buy. While the first guy also did his job, he was not polite enough. Whereas the second guy was not just polite, but also made me feel elite.

So, in a world of tough competition, where we are in the same business, where there is nothing much to differentiate ourselves for our competitors, it is our attitude in dealing with the customers, that could be the winning edge.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

                                                                                          Article Dated April 2016