H is for How happy you are!

Happiness is relative. Happiness is what you need to measure according to yourself. Happiness is not determined by what we have what we don't or what we can do and what we cannot. Happiness should never depend on an external factor. While it is very easy to give gyan, this is a realistic statement. Happiness is a state of the mind and is what matters most to you. 

We all experience moments of happiness all through like a win in a match, scoring good marks in an exam, going on a vacation, eating what we like but these are just fleeting moments that we encounter everyday. What determines how happy you are is a combination of all these things and few more important characteristics. 

Have you ever tried being thankful for what you have? Try being kind. Giveaway something you love to someone who needs it more thank you. Connect to someone who had wronged you and forgive them for no reason. Be normal and get the friend back. Help someone in need without expecting anything in return. You know where I am going with this.

Whenever I go to have breakfast outside I see lot of people waiting for people to give alms as they walk out. Some of them might be actors who don't need money at all but most of them are people who are genuinely hungry. I always used to buy them food but not I see lot of people doing that too! I am very happy that this trend is catching on. You won't mind leaving a 10%+ tip in your hotel bill but hesitate to give some 20 rupees to this guy to have breakfast. When you share your meal, isn't it sharing happiness? I came across this wonderful post about being grateful and thankful. 

While you should never let an external event change how you feel, always have control on creating happiness for yourself and people around you and then no one would question how happy you are! Because if there is one thing money cannot buy, that is happiness. 

#AtoZChallenge
#ConsumerPsyche
#PositivePsychologist

G for Grab those opportunities

Everyone knows that they have to grab those opportunities. What is different in this post? Well how do you recognize the opportunities. Some of them are quite visible and are easily caught while some of them disguise themselves in the form of pain, rejection, challenges, failures and hesitation. Whoever said opportunity is going to be easy was just kidding. It is going to be a monumental task to seek, make them work out in your favor and to conquer them. 

Most of the times we are held back by doubt, fear and thoughts about failure. May be we will fail or lose but the important fact is that we keep on trying. Make an effort, take a step and make it count. Put your full willpower, brain and strategy behind it. Seek help and advise, listen to everyone but follow your heart. 

Do you know what is different between leaders and followers? Leaders take a new step into an un-ventured territory without hesitation and make a way out. Leaders and winners are not exceptional people but normal please who grabbed that opportunity to excel and grow, to surge ahead of the bunch and take life in a more exciting way. Whenever you have a chance do that. Always remember that every failure is just another opportunity to take a detour. Your destination has not changed, the route might have changed. At every detour, take a deep breath and move on, forward. Grab that chance to accelerate your career, relationship and life. Cheers!

#AtoZChallenge
#ConsumerPsyche
#PositivePsychologist

F for Friends

My five year old nephew speaks to me about his huge friends circle and how they are bonding over football, jokes, technology and stuff. Every time I meet him he tells me about a new friend and how big his network is. Anyone he talks to for a few minutes becomes he friend. As children we tend to be more receptive and more willing to accept as things are. But as we grow up, we change the rules and apply these filters which ruin everything for us in relationships. 

Today I want to encourage you to explore, expand and increase your circle of friends. Don't expect but explore. As you tend to be more neutral and more receptive, you would find more peace and joy in your relationships. 

Having a circle of friends who can be your support system is excellent and helps a lot in your life. While positive friends bring you more hope, passion and encouragement, slightly harsher friends bring you more realistic view of life and so both are needed. 

Build a support system so strong that it can hold you up when you need it. Also be a part of the support system for your friends so they can trust you, believe in your capabilities and seek help. Build on your strengths that others can rely. Work on your weaknesses so you can rely on yourself too. The biggest help you can get is self help. 

Family is usually the first circle of friends we have and stay that way till the end. So don't ignore the family and be there. Make friends with people, situations and things you would have never imagined. Stop being finicky and bother about their personal preferences like food, color, taste and things like that as it wouldn't matter anyways. Focus on what is positive and improve on that. Ignore the negative. Life is too short to live in a shell and worry about all that is negative. Move forward, move ahead and be at peace.

#AtoZChallenge
#ConsumerPsyche
#TalktoTiger
#positivePsychologist

E for Everybody

Let me state it at the outset. You cannot please everybody... period. Now having out that out, let me explain. 

We all have influencers, idols, bosses, friends, partners and colleagues we continue to live with, look up to and plan to help them, work with them or have a partnership with them. But you never know when you are going to be dissed at. While trying to please everyone you might actually lose being yourself. Am I not right in saying so? If you are lucky enough to find a partner who would be willing to go that extra step to make you comfortable and you are really comfortable then the matter is different. But if you are not, then it is time to stop struggling and killing yourself over how to please that particular person. 

I am coming to you from a painful standpoint. I have just read about a suicide of a celebrity in India and have also read a couple of news items on my timeline about someone in my friend's circle who attempted suicide. Most of the these cases I have heard are based on what happened in that person's life. All they needed to do is get help!

Now suicide can be a tougher and stronger step of extreme measure but there are many among us who kill ourselves a tiny bit everyday trying to live up to someone else's expectations and it is really annoying that we continue to do so even after the other person giving two bits about it. So today's self help tip is that we accept this fact and move on. You were not brought to this beautiful world to live for somebody or their dream. Make a life of your own and live it to the fullest potential.

This is also the time for exams and if you are a student appearing in one, chill. These marks don't define who you are and you needn't be bothered about those three hours you spend in tension writing down some nonsense on your paper and feel as if they are your Mensa scores. Relax. If you are a parent, you need to relax too. We need to take this message out there and spread it.

So now that you have accepted that you can't please everyone, let us see what is important for us to excel in and move forward in that direction. Have a great day!

#AtoZChallenge

#ConsumerPsyche
#positivePsychologist

D for Dressing up @ Bangalore Fashion Week

Models getting prepped up before walking the ramp for Bangalore Fashion Week. Backdoor access is not for everyone and I got to see some exclusive candid shots.

It is a tough world when you have to get dressed up and walk out in under 180 secs and a thousand cameras, eyes, lights, high resolution super zoom cameras are aimed at you and even a small smirk, blemish is blown up and seen in a magnifying glass. There was noise, there was chaos, shouting, calling, dusting, foundation, changing, smiling, chattering, texting, eating, drinking, napping and snapping yet there was some sense of peace when professionals went about doing their jobs in calm fluid like motion where they were delivering with excellence and perfection and while the model walked out to the ramp in full glowing bulb lit six feet wide ramp and enjoyed the glory of 30 seconds the team just moved on to another model, washing, wiping, removing, adding, prepping and continued the rhythm. It shouldn't stop, it shouldn't pause; you cannot rest, you cannot fail as the show... must go on. There is so much pressure, so much tension but there is professionalism, so much positive psyche in the room as well.

Life is actually so fast and things happen so fast. If you are not ready to keep up, it will crush you, demolish you and discard you like a banana peel under a truck tire. So there should be enough practice, enough momentum and learn to adapt as quickly as possible. 

Let me connect you from the world of fashion to the workplace, train yourself in your field and keep learning even after you have been at work for a few years. Learn to be ahead of your game. Whenever there is a recession, downsizing guess who will stay and who will go! There is no excuse for being lazy or recluse. Learn the skills of the game. In today's momentary blink and miss it world, every second counts.

Also be a great team player. You need to learn to work with others, be helpful and be nice and charming in your work. Dress up to the occasion and you never know how things can turn out to be. A prepared, dressed up, planned model is more classy and relaxed. Time to get ready. So dress up!

#AtoZChallenge
#ConsumerPsyche
#DressingUp
#PositivePsychologist

Monday Blues: Champion like attitude

I am hooked to this song from last night and after watching an emotional team celebrations and the speech by the captain, I am stunned and excited. The team didn't have the money, resources to even get their jerseys in time for the tournament and yet have come to be victorious. The adversities have brought the team together and made them champions. The song by DJ Bravo has also helped and the team embraced the challenges and conquered them.

Here is what the Windies captain said at the awards ceremony.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy: "Firstly I want to thank the almighty. We have a pastor in the team in Andre Fletcher, we keep on praying. Really happy for this win, it's something we'll cherish for a long time. We have a few matchwinners, nobody give us a chance, every game somebody stepped up - good to see Carlos play like that in his debut World Cup. Shows the T20 depth we have in the Caribbean, hopefully we will continue to improve. People were wondering if we would play this tournament, we had issues with the board, Mark Nicholas called us players with no brain. But all of us came together, these 15 men put adversity aside, play this type of cricket in front of such passionate fans. It was tremendous. I want to thank the coaching team, Phil Simmons. We had a new manager in this tournament. Got to give credit to the entire team here. This is for all the fans in the Caribbean... I don't know when I'm going to be playing for West Indies again, I want to thank my team, thank my coaching staff. This is for the CHAMPIONS!"

Check out the song.

C is for Coffee, chocolate and caring for yourself

What is so special about coffee that I choose to write about it? Almost all my regular readers know that I love coffee and that it forms a way I indulge myself in. Coffee, chocolate and ice cream in that order. If I get a coffee with chocolate ice cream on the top, nothing like it. Now you might be thinking. Well wait a minute. Didn't you say you are writing about positive psychology and what is coffee doing here? Read on how to beat Monday Blues everyday!

Today we are going to talk about indulging yourself. When I mean indulge it doesn't just mean eating something but it is about taking good care of yourself. It may be your favorite food, drink, dressing up well, grooming yourself, going for a walk, run, swim, shopping, participating in a charity, helping someone, reading a book, writing a blog post, going on a trek, diving, cooking, practically anything. Anything that you do for yourself.

In the hum drum off life, we tend to ignore the most important person in our life - YOU!. If you don't take care of yourself, who will? So taking good care of oneself is as important as taking care of your children, parents and everyone else. How would you do that? Here are some tips for you to do that. Hope you follow them and be happy by doing so.

1. Watch your health - take good care of your health, sugar levels, signs of cholesterol, what you eat, drink. Go for a run, have some exercise routine fit in to your daily schedule.
2. Get your health checkup done once you cross significant milestones like 35, 40, 45 and so on. You might want to start early if you have someone in your family with heart problems, cancer and stuff like that.
3. Read a lot: I love reading and I am sure you should be liking it too. Whatever genre you might like, do make a point to have a book on your table or bedside and read it. Books are windows to a different world that runs on your own imagination.
4. Drink enough water: One of the simplest things we forget is hydrating ourselves. Usually we are already thirsty when we seek water which means we are late. Water forms over 70% of our body and needs to be hydrated all the time.
5. Write awesome stuff: Well you need to be kidding me when you think you will
   l be remembered when you don't even write? Leave enough paper trail and notes for people to find out more about you. A thousand years later somewhere someone would be reading this on his eyeball and thinking, wow!
6. Take up a cause: It can be anything. Don't seek anything in return from that but take up a cause. It can be recycling, helping out an ngo, volunteering or donating. Spend your time and yourself.
7. De-clutter: Take time to sort your sh*t out! Well you need to do that and do that regularly. We spend too much time on unnecessary things like searching for stuff all around the house. Same thing with your laptop, work desk and life!
8. Family time: Spend time with your family but you be the one who is served. Once in a while change the game and demand to be taken care of.
9. Gift yourself something! Isn't it too long since you bought something for yourself? Do it today. Buy that dress, bag or whatever you wanted to buy but kept it pending. Go indulge.

Now where is my coffee.

#AtoZChallenge

#ConsumerPsyche
#IloveCoffee

B for Build It Up

There is no reason necessary for you should not build it up! No reason why you shouldn't stop breaking things down. By things I mean relationships, projects, people, confidence, trust, faith and everything else. Let me explain.

As children we all try and make things. We are very creative and constructive. As we grow up we start to realize the joy in destroying as a part of play, stories and things around us and as negativity creeps in us, it starts making us destructive in life too. With too many negative things around we are subconsciously made to believe it is normal to destroy and it creeps into our daily life. While this is usually a phase and many of us grow out of this brat phase, some still stick around there and refuse to grow up. 

We all encounter negative people in life. People who are selfish, downright destructive and so self obsessed that they refuse to see merit in anything other than what suits them. Even if there is a small win in their life they project it as the biggest achievement possible but at the same time don't think twice to strike down others. I really don't know what they get out of it. I am sure you would have encountered these kinds of people in your family, at workplace and society. 

Another species of people are those who look at every possible chance to be negative. If there is a chance to ruin anything, trust them they will definitely ruin it. For some reason these people carry a lot of negative energy in them. I know quite a few people of this kind. One of the top executives in a CMM Level V company screams at his team mates in front of all the staff for the smallest of mistakes and slip ups. Another well educated guy shouted at his wife for not taking care of the child in a party full of friends and family. A guy I know passes such sarcastic sexist remarks for everything in front of his colleagues and family but because of his age people don't say anything to him. Why are some of us so negative? We speak from what our hearts are filled with.

We need to be positive. Be constructive. Be helpful. Be kind. Be the one who spreads the joy and comfort. Be the builder. Be the one who helps others grow not hurtful, sadistic, irritating, arrogant and downright bad. When you encounter such a person, remember to stand up. Make it a point that you discuss this either in person or as a group. But speak up and clarify that you don't appreciate this kind of behaviour. If they persist, chose to ignore and move on if not complain to the respective authorities. Many of the organizations have strict policies against harassment. Use them. If it still persists, seek help.

If you are one of those people who find negativity in everything, it is time to change. Time to grow up. Time to turn your life around. There is still hope. Seek help or just stop behaving the bully you can be and see how much more people will love you and bring positivism to your life. Let us be people who build it up!

#AtoZChallenge
#ConsumerPsyche

A for Ask

This is a series of articles about positive psychology and human psyche and how we can improve our performances and deal with depression, anxiety and negativity. These might just be the tips you are looking at to succeed at the workplace and life!

Today we are talking about the alphabet A and A for me is about Asking!

While it may sound very simple to say, it can be really difficult to ask something. Most of us usually pass on without asking. Ask for help, ask for a explanation, question, learn and try to see what the other person, situation wants from you. If you are unclear about what is to be done, then how would you come up with the solution to it? Some of the most complex situations can be helped with a simple question and that begins with you asking more information about it. 

Never think you would be losing out on your stature or be kindled by asking. It is never so. As kids we all have this curiosity bug that makes us continuously ask questions but as we grow up we stop doing that and lose our focus. Most leaders ask relevant questions, questions that make you change the chaos to order, that make sense out of nonsense. 

Have an attitude of learning. You need not always ask questions to others, you have Google! Ask Google anything and everything that you don't know. Seek answers to questions that bug you, that irritate you and make you feel less knowledgeable. Make sure you have a positive attitude for learning and that you learn one thing new every day. It can be anything, can be simple and yet learn. 

The beauty of positive psychology is that it begins from you and grow out of you so much that it starts effecting the environment around you in a positive way. You opinions change, your relationships would be better and when you set the expectations right about what you ought to be doing, you tend to do them better and all of that begins from a simple action of asking! So let us learn to ask the right questions, seek solutions, answers and make life most energetic and meaningful. Keep that curiosity bug in you alive. What will you ask today?

#AtoZchallenge
#positivepsychology
#TalktoTiger

Richard Turere: My invention that made peace with lions

30 must have qualities for marketers

Tips every social media professional should have from Social Samosa! Or things you should have to be a good professional.

Where most interesting things happen

Where most interesting things happen. Where it is okay to spice up, where it is okay to shut up, where it is okay to slurp, where it is okay to lick, dunk and use the knife. Where it is okay to listen to the same story again, where it is okay to munch, to skip answering a question. Where it is okay to show your report card when mom serves dad's favorite dish. Where it is okay to ask for more and be served. Where it is okay to look forward to another round just after you are done. 

Where a family shares food, love, pleasure, memories, recipes, cuisines, things beyond human expression. Where care is shown through the smiles and extra dollops of ghee on your dal roti, where appreciation is a clean plate asking for more, where satisfaction is a loud burp and an 'excuse me' among giggles. Where manners are taught, values are learnt, caring and sharing is a way of life. Where you learn to love, live, learn, unlearn, decisions are taken, discussions are heard, where coffee and tea are things that keep you awake till the ones you care for share their thoughts. 

Where cleaning the last session is the beginning of a new meal, a new adventure, a new conversation and a fresh recipe for a family to bond. That is the most common discussion table, conference table, sports arena, laboratory of your mom's and brother's culinary adventures. That is your dining room. 

Every dining room has a story. A story that is unique, real, lively, scary, welcoming and warm. Just because we don't get angry over food and talk a lot, we can disclose most annoying things and get away. Like a progress card, like an affair, a break up, a transfer, a confession, a fight and many more. We all have been there and yet not been there recently. When was the last time you did something outstanding at your dining table? What is your dining room story? 

When you build your home, make your dining a pleasant experience, without the boring TV with a lot of light, air, ventilation and space for your loved ones. For food is an amazing bond between families and you will never forget your home food and your place at dining table where the seat still exists, for you, waiting....

Top 5 things to consider while planning to study in Ireland - Guest post by Rebecca Heins

View of Liffey River on O’Connell Street

It is good to be back home in Namma Ooru Bengaluru, but the last 2 years in Ireland, especially Dublin will always be special in my life.

“A place is only as good as the people you know in it. It's the people that make the place.” ― Pittacus Lore

The above saying holds true to Ireland. This was perhaps the top most deciding factor for me when I decided to leave a thriving career with HP and move to a place where I did not know a soul.   Studying in an international environment is something that I will recommend to everyone; not just for the experience and exposure it offers, but also for the development of your overall personality. 

Though I was initially looking at Europe and was offered admission in couple of Universities in UK, I finally chose Ireland after talking to a friend who had been working in UK for really long time.  While discussing with her about studying in EU, it was the friendlier nature of Irish is what caught my attention and that was the deciding factor for me finally ending up in Dublin.  Though I have traveled before, but I’ve never lived in another place other than Bangalore.  It was quite challenging for me to transition from a sheltered Indian family setting to an unknown place I had to stumble and figure my way out.    That is when I decided that I will try and put all those information together more from an international student perspective, so other students might be better prepared and have an easier time than me.  So here are all the information I have put together a page for potential students interested to Study in Ireland and facebook group to answer queries.  My time in Dublin of course was not a cake walk like any other part of life, but I believe those experiences is what makes it special.

Based on my experience here are the Top 5 things you need to keep in mind while planning to study in Ireland:

My University UCD Michael Smurfit College

Research Research!

Think long term before you decide on any Masters or specialization after their undergrad.  I get asked the same kind of questions from students on Quora all the time about studying & career.  It is important to think through your long term goals before you invest in any area of specialization.  Speak to career counselors, analyse your personality, Volunteer/intern to gain additional skills,  work in the area that interests you, gain couple of years' experience before you embark on any Masters course.  One of the top most reasons for many students to study abroad is to gain working experience in that region. If that is your top most reason, research on the job market - do you find enough opportunities for internationals in that area? Connect with University alumni or student groups.  This is an investment that you are making that will set you up in a specific career path, therefore it is important to spend time talking to former students and also professionals in that area. 

Being part of HR, one thing that I would like to stress on is that, if you can afford it study in highly ranked and accredited Universities, Do it! It is worth the investment personally and professionally as it will be well recognized by global companies wherever you go.

Prepare to weather the Irish weather:

Ireland has the awesome summers! Winters are the hardest when it is grey and it becomes dark by 3PM. Someone coming from India where you take the sun for granted, you will end up craving for some Vitamin D in that season. Until Ireland, I had never heard about 'cold beaches', the view of the sea is wonderful, but just don't dare step in it other than summers! Your legs  will freeze! It can also get quite windy there! You will find out the true meaning of resistance walking or resistance biking in the windy season.  The heavens may also open up and pour on you anytime of the year! You need to be constantly prepared with a jacket that can protect you from wind, cold and rain (Oh if you are lucky light snow too)! I gave up on buying new umbrellas as any of the strong one does not seem to hold against the strong winds.  With all that, I can say one thing! Ireland is beautiful!  Over a period, rain will not stop you from looking forward to taking those walks around town to explore and start clicking photos of the lovely landscape.

Get your living arrangements sorted early:

Getting accommodation during the University starting season can be really challenging. Campus accommodation is limited and expensive, so only a few can manage to get them.  Arrive early or make connections who can help you with the finding an accommodation.  Connect with your other students who are perhaps in the same batch or from the same University to tentatively get a place together as housemates or roommates; It is easier to decide on a 2 or 3 BHK's sharing when you know how many are going to be sharing with you.  Never book long term accommodation without arriving and actually looking at the house as there number of scam that happens at that time. It is recommended to arrive in Ireland before the semester starts to find a place off campus.  The places get filled pretty quickly during the viewings set up by the landlords. So it is best to decide and book as soon as you find an appropriate place.  The intensity of the race to find rented places perhaps is a little lesser in smaller towns than in Dublin.

Gain skills outside your academic life:

Unlike in India preference is not just given to topping academics alone, but an overall personality development in Universities abroad.  So while you are thinking of studying in Ireland, acquire some skills through volunteering, sports, arts, leading programs alongside your academics or through some internships.  Not only will these things add value when you apply for the courses and for scholarships/bursaries, but continuing to participate in the various societies arts or sports during your Education in Ireland will help you stand apart; with your job applications to employers in Ireland.  Being an active participant in-class and outside leading programs during your course here will help you teach many dynamics of working in a team, leading an initiative and giving you confidence while you begin your career.

The Irish Pub

Get out of your comfort zone:

Here is an opportunity for you to live in a different country & experience their culture, so don’t waste it. Ireland is part of the EU, so you will find a number of mainland Europeans visiting or studying in Ireland. Get out from your comfort group mingle with other international students. It is easier to get tied to familiar nationalities due to the comfort of knowing them. While you tend to be fonder of your own nationalities particularly away from home, don’t lose the opportunity to learn about other nationalities.  You can learn a lot about each other’s cultures, values and enjoy diverse opinions. I have made some really close friends from France to New Zealand during my time in Ireland. Irish are friendly people; you will find them returning your smiles or chatting up randomly on the bus. There are a number of times I have got lost and have had someone walk with me half way as I did not know which direction I was heading.  Good and evil acts exists everywhere, one warning to students visiting Dublin city centre – Mobile/bicycle thefts are rampant; do not wave around your phone to click your picture while you are in the city.

Wicklow, Ireland – The county famous for movie PS, I love you.

When you have an opportunity of living and studying in a beautiful scenic country, make the most of it.  Walk or Bike and explore places around Ireland whenever you can, you will learn a lot of its ancient history.  Share the enthusiasm of the locals and it will be returned.  Irish are friendlier :) when they are especially high on life, beer and Gaelic football.  You might still never get used to some of the accents from other counties, but before long I am sure you will not mind the ‘Shite’ or  perhaps join in on their ‘Craic’ slangs!

  

The famous Temple Bar Area

If you have any questions about Studying in Ireland, connect with me on this fb group and me or the former students will try and answer them.

About the author: Rebecca is a good friend and she just got back from Ireland where she graduated in International business. I caught her to get this post. Hope it helps you if you are looking do study in one of the most beautiful landscapes of the world. Born among the hills of Coorg, a true Bangalorean by heart, Rebecca loves all things Arts and likes to keep up with the pulse of Business & Brands. After spending more than a decade of working in corporates in the field of Marcom and Branding, she decided to take a sabbatical to pursue a Masters in Dublin, Ireland. Her love for writing finally took shape during this break through  www.bizlifebytes.com. 

Being alone in a different country and trying to figure things out can be quite difficult as she found out. So to help students, she has put together information to help students who are looking forward to study in Ireland.  

Monday Blues: What is your character?

How do you handle adversity? In terms of handling pressure how do you rate yourself? What is your first reaction? How would you behave when faced with problems? Do you explode with emotions and cause pain and hurt to yourself and everyone else? Or do you handle it with patience, courage, grit and the charm to show encouragement to people around you. 

What makes a great leader is the ability to stay calm when everything fails knowing that you will survive, you should make it out and you must not let fear, difficulties and situations bog you down. 

The true strength of character is how we respond when everything seems to go against us. 

"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.

Monday Blues: Lessons from Leonardo DiCaprio & Oscar

He charmed us with his cute chocolate boy looks and stole the sweetheart from the rich abusive bad guy and iconized the kiss on the deck of Titanic and from then on kept on giving us performances that just stood shy of the Oscar but we fans gave it to him anyways. Here today, finally is his moment and this is awesomest time to be in when Leo won the oscar and I watched it live!

Celebrating the Oscar night where finally Leonardo DiCaprio wins the Oscar for best actor in The Revenant. Here is a quick takeaway from Leo and his work.

No matter if accolades come your way or not, keep doing what you love and success is just round the corner. When faced with rejection or failure, move on and put more effort and work harder, smarter and make your way to the top. For as long as you are not on the top, you can keep pushing.

Do just continue to the top but try and be better every single day for it is a new day and come back with more passion, more character, put in more hours, more practice and soon enough you will see the light coming your way. Celebrate hard work and struggle so your success doesn't matter. 

Want to see a real party?

Pic is from here.

Tata and Tiger on the Joy of Building!

"Ready to spend a weekend with TATA and look at their plant?", Harish said and I was game. After working on excel sheets, targets, reports and what not, all through the last few weeks and writing exams, this was the break I needed. Long time I had spent some time with fellow bloggers and it is always fun to hangout with Blogadda and this time the deal was better as we were #BuildingBlogsOfJoy in the city of Joy with one of the top brands in the world and the best in India. So there we set off to Kolkata by Indigo and there was this special chauffeur from Tata to take us to the TATA Centre. Ushered into the guest rooms to freshen up and after the ceremonial breakfast of sandwiches and tea, we headed out to meet the marketing team at 9th floor.

Built in 1957, designed by the renowned architect Indranil Sen The TATA Centre is one of the highest buildings in Kolkata with 18 floors and 259 ft. Not everyone has access to the top floor which has the special guest house that hosts the Chairman Emeritus and the top board members. You can see for miles from there and the view is pretty amazing. I was one of the lucky three who were granted permission to go up and go crazy with the camera. The architecture was colonial and everything associated with the building from staff, security, dressing, cutlery and service was amazing and iconic! And I got clicked by Sammy on the terrace. What a view.

This was a two day activity with TATA Tiscon and we were brought up to date with the amazing branding journey of TATA Tiscon. Steel for centuries was just a commodity and was always bought on the recommendation of the maestri or friends or the shop owner and not much thought was given to the branding and the quality wasn't considered so important, So how do you brand such a commodity and maintain standards to convey that your brand steel is better than others and convince customer to stand out and pick you over the competition? 

That is the amazing journey of the marketing team at TATA Tiscon we went through for the rest of the afternoon when not sipping coffee and munching on Sandesh and gobbling up the unlimited supply of Mistidoi. To brand the unbranded and to retain the quality and ensure the consumer had the last mile access was a victory of sorts for Tata Tiscon and you can read more about it here.

Okay where was I? Yes at Sandesh. We were allowed to handle the brand page on social media. To see a 100+ year old brand, let that sink in, let bloggers handle their page albeit for a few moments is amazing. It was especially interesting to see how open the TATA Tiscon team was to our ideas. While we made stories up for #BuildingBlogsofJoy and shot pictures, the team was gearing up to show us the customer-friendly interaction at the storefront. This was unraveling as the consumer was welcomed and serviced as though he was buying a latest mobile phone. The front end shop floors has all the gadgets you need including the 3D gear to visualize what the building would look like and the material needed once the plans were shared. The people were not taken to shady dingy to buy steel but were shown in a bright lit showroom what they would need, how and when. Taking customer into confidence while educating him/her with the latest technology was the main purpose rather than the sale. 



Tata Tiscon also has its retail presence in 6500 districts, i.e., almost 95% of the districts in India which means that you can have a TATA Tiscon outlet within 10 miles from your place, wherever you are in India. That kind of reach is scary. Apart from the final consumer, TATAT Tiscon works with maestris, contractors, labour, masons and many more stakeholders to ensure the product info is shared and their workload is reduced. Transferring the technology, usage methods, time-saving techniques and better construction methods and many more such trade secrets are shared with them to make them more skillful and equipped. The shop floor is designed by Tata design team to allow spacial comfort while selecting their ware. Pretty impressive as it could permeate to a grass-root level and involves a lot of educating and empowering all the stakeholders to ensure the brand message of trust, comfort and safety from TATA Tiscon seeps to the final mile.

Off we went to see the Princep in the night for a small huddle and off we went to rest our heels after another sumptuous dose of Sandesh and Mistidoi apart from the home cooked meal. I dozed off reading one of the books in their massive library and woke up startled when we were ready to catch the train. So off we went in the snaking paths of dreamy Kolkata, over the bridges and under the passes to the buzzing railway station. People were running everywhere and trying to get on with their trains and luggage. We lazily adjusted in the AC Chair car and resumed dozing off. I kept thinking about the day ahead when we will be exclusively shown the New Bar Mill at TATA Tiscon plant in Jamshedpur to see how the rebars are made!

The test of fire!

Once in Jamshedpur, I felt I was in the sanctuary of the greatest dreamers and successful people in the world and the expectation was at its peak.The visit to the plant happened in clinical precision with the security briefings, precautions to be taken and we were given a privilege of having exclusive access to cameras. The HR team and the factory management took us through the processes and ensured we understood what happens in the daily life of a Tata employee and we could see the extremely personal bonding people had with Tata as a brand more than an employer. The pride was worn on the sleeve and the satisfaction, gratitude was visible in their eyes. While we couldn't pull most of them aside to talk to them, we were given the presentation of the team that worked on a research project from one of the quality circles and their award winning contributions. I will be doing some of the posts for Talk To Tiger and you would see the stories are really amazing.

The dance of fire

The trip to the fiery furnace was more humbling than expected as you feel the heat some 25 mts away and it is not just the size that dominates but the spirit of Tata and how they could start this much more many others in India. The simple concept of getting such a big plant set up is a monumental task in itself and is not for the lighthearted. Having it up and running while the Britishers are breathing down your neck and trying to put restriction shows the power and stature of character from the founding father. 

Can you see the music and hear the symphony?

Tata Tiscon rebar mill is one of the latest in the whole scheme of things and we saw how the billets were remolded to form the rebars and the walk of the transition was educative. It is really easy to look at a steel bar and not see the fiery journey it takes to be what it needs to be - the nerves in your building. Unless careful quality controls are in place, the standards that Tata has set in place are followed the bar is discarded and used as scrap. Only the best of the best survive the test and move on to the clients. Did I tell you Tata Tiscon is the first to brand the steel bar?

Once we finished the experience and walked out of the factory we crossed the gates under the careful gaze of the man himself - Jamsetji Tata whose statue sits regally overseeing the gate and in a fitting tribute I got down to capture him in my camera and spend a moment in his presence, albeit being a statue, to think upon the legacy, the charm, the class and the culture his personality exudes and the simplicity of principles he lived by. While the rebar might be just a bar of steel for all of us for the staff at Tata Tiscon it is their art, their creation and their life.

Check out here about the branding lessons from Tata Tiscon soon.

This post is a part of the #BuildingBlogsOfJoy activity of TATA TISCON in association with BlogAdda.com.

Monday Blues: Make a list

Every second, every hour, every day we are running. Running from responsibilities, running from work, running from deadlines, running from people, running from goals, running from ourselves. And we keep running because we do not have reason to stay committed. Like I was running from this blog. I can give you enough reasons bu there is frankly none. So here it is back on track.

Do you run away from your responsibilities and your goals and work? What about relationships? It is essential that you look up once in a while form your busy schedule and actually see if you are busy and if yes, are they for the right reasons. If you are busy for the right reasons, nothing like it. If not, time to take a break and re-evaluate and make a priority list. Yes make a list.

When you wake up from the rush and make a list of your priorities make sure you have your family, your loved ones and caring ones with you in that list. Because you can earn as much as you want but you can't eat two biryanis. 

Life is what you make it, but the choice should make that happen. When you wake up in the morning to head to work, it should be with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. If not you are not doing it right. So go brew a great cup of coffee, make that list and then press play!

This is a series of Monday Blues posts.