Swami Vivekananda on God and Religion

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Welcome to Anbusivam’s blog page.

I wanted to write my thoughts on God and Religion. I've been into this spiritual quest of understanding what is God? who is the creator? is he really sitting up above the clouds in a place called heavens? what is the need of prayer?........these questions goes on and on......!!!

Yes, sometime I get some answers but more often nothing but confusion remains. Being an engineering student, I always tend to look for logical answers than a conclusion that is merely based on faiths. Okie, I'll spend some good time to put down my own thoughts and understandings in one of my next posts.

For now, I've some thoughts from the Great Hindu Monk of all times Swami Vivekananda here:

"Many years ago, I visited a great sage of our own country, a very holy man. we talked of our revealed books, the Vedas, of Bible, of Koran and of revealed books in general. At the close of the talk, this good man asked me to go to the table and take up a book; it was a book which among other things, contained a forecast of the rainfall during the year. The sage said "Read That". And I read out the quantity of rain that was to fall. He said, "Now take the book and squeeze it". I did so and he said "Why, my boy, not a drop of water comes out. Until the water comes out, its all book, So until your religion makes you realise God, it is useless".

"A man may believe in all the churches in the world, he may carry in his head all the sacred books ever written, he may baptise himself in all the rivers og the earth, still if he hasno perception of God, I would class him with the rankest atheist. And a man may have never entered a church or a mosque, nor he performed any ceremony, but if he feels God within himself and is thereby lifted above the vanities of the world, that man is holy man, a saint".

You are most welcome to share your thoughts on the above passage.

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With Love
Anbusivam

Great Leaders Wallpapers.

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Welcome to Anbusivam’s blog page.

Came across some nice wall papers from www.leadershipnow.com.

"What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we have gone." - Winston Churchill

"No man is good enough to govern another man, without that others consent." - Abraham Lincoln

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Find here the Great Leaders Series

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With Love
Anbusivam

A Meditation on Winning Habits

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Welcome to Anbusivam’s blog page.

A very interesting and though provoking article I came across in SiliconIndia Magazine by Dr. Santanu Paul Vice President, Global Delivery Operations.

The last decade has seen engineers of all dispositions gravitating towards IT - like bees towards fresh blossom. Everyone knows that the profession pays remarkably well, and people are buzzing about the chances to catch a piece of the action. Interactions with aspiring IT professionals indicate that many do not have a clear view of what capabilities are expected of them, and which character traits are likely to accelerate careers and unlock growth opportunities. This article is an attempt to shed some light on the ‘winning traits’ that separate good IT professionals from ordinary ones.

First and foremost, a genuine passion and aptitude for software as a technology is an absolute must. A burning desire to become a master craftsperson is the hallmark of great software professionals. Couple that with high ability to learn and you have a winning combination. Regrettably, as the profession has become more lucrative, it has attracted mediocre dabblers and mercenaries who care little about the profession itself, except for the financial opportunity it represents. This must stop, or else over time we will have to witness the dilution our position as an IT-savvy nation.

If aptitude is a must, attitude is paramount. A ‘can-do’ mindset works wonders. The knowledge economy needs people who are self-directed and self-motivated. Most IT companies are moving too fast to have the time to baby-sit those that need excessive supervision and maintenance, are overly defensive or cautious, or for whom the glass is always half-empty. Because time to result is key, the industry disproportionately rewards the positive-minded; people who see opportunities in problems, not problems in opportunities.

Effective communication is just as critical. People who listen, speak, write, and present clearly and meaningfully in English have an unfair advantage over those that do not. Effective communication is not about imbibing Western accents – it is about clarity of thought, articulation, and purpose. It is also about the ability to listen to others with respect and learn from their viewpoints and opinions.

In his classic book ‘Emotional Intelligence’, Daniel Goleman writes about the importance of EQ, or emotional quotient. In no industry is EQ more valuable than in IT; after all, the lifeblood of the industry is effective collaboration between bright, capable, and sensitive people across service providers, customers, and customers’ customers. If you are blessed with a high degree of empathy and self-awareness, the IT industry is for you. For this reason alone, one can conjecture that women have an edge over men in the IT profession.

The next winning trait is teamwork. Every great achievement in the IT profession is a direct result of exquisite teamwork. In fact, nothing is more detrimental to an IT project than a self-absorbed IT professional bent on being a hero and engaging in one-upmanship. If you have ever watched a pit crew in action during a Formula One race, or admired the harmonious muscularity of a professional rowing team, you have a very good idea of what high performance IT teams look like.

Natural leadership skills are always at a premium. The ability to inspire and motivate fellow team members propels young IT professionals very quickly towards higher levels of responsibility. The ability to ascribe success to teammates and the willingness to take responsibility for failures is the hallmark of a natural leader. An IT professional with strong technical competency, natural leadership skills, and a desire to serve team members selflessly is guaranteed a glorious career in the profession.

Last but not the least, a commitment to global citizenship and pluralism is a must. The IT industry is truly global, and professionals that are comfortable with cross-cultural dialog have a major advantage. This usually means an appreciation for diversity, a willingness to welcome and even celebrate differences between cultures and individuals, and a ready acceptance of the fact that both the East and the West must learn from each other. There is no such thing as a Bangalore-class or India-class professional. Either you are a world-class professional, or you are irrelevant.

Here is the original link.
http://www.siliconindia.com/guestcontributor/guestdesc.php?69

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With Love
Anbusivam

Leading Life in a Simple Way

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Welcome to Anbusivam’s blog page.

These days, almost all my interactions and general talks ends up in the topics on increasing oil prices, rising commodity prices and rising inflation (This week's Indian inflation number is @ 11.36% hitting its 13year high). I am sure you too are hearing these talks everywhere in a bus, train, airport, mall, market and in all over the places.

Phew…!!! Companies are in to cost cutting mode. Finance managers are looking for reducing the operating costs in each and every corner, even to the extent of buying low cost toilet tissues.

Only way we individuals can cope with these kinds of situations is with “Voluntary Simplicity”. Voluntary simplicity comes from within. It is the only way of more sustainable human existence in this world. Voluntary simplicity is a matter of personal responsibility and conscious awareness of how we live on the planet. It means identifying the difference between our needs and our wants. Needs are those things that are necessary for our survival - food, clothing, and shelter. Wants are all the other things we desire and to a large extent are driven by media advertising. Simplicity as a life-style is the identifiable difference between needs and wants, and the awareness.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~Hans Hofmann.

Practical Steps to Simplifying Our Life:

1. Get yourself with what you really need and not what you want.

2. Limit your buying habits. If we can escape materialism, we can easily get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less frustration.

3. Limit your media consumption, media advertisements dominates most of our buying decisions. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it.

4. Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. It’s directly related to simplicity.

5. Before you buy something, write the item down on a note and if you still want it after a month, purchase it then.

6. Have a Buy Nothing Day.

7. Walk down or take out your bicycle to round the corner shopping.

8. Decide what is really working in your life and let go of that which no longer serves you.

9. Brew your own coffee at home instead of spending time and money in that posh café corner.

10. Find friends who know the glass is half-full or in other words, find friends who share the same value system as you do.

After all the above,

Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

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With Love
Anbusivam