Vaibhav's World

There are two kinds of mindsets:- one is worker's mindset and the other is leader's mindset. It is generally believed that people can be trained as leaders. Even I used to think the same until recently. Leaders are innate, and can never be trained. Circumstances make leaders, otherwise every other person that comes out of a management institute should be a leader, which is certainly not the case. And, the interesting thing is that management is all about teaching leadership to non-leaders!   What makes one a leader? There is no characteristic that is common to all the leaders, except that they have followers and that, from the bottom of their heart, want the welfare of their followers. All leaders, like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King were original thinkers, and didn't seek approval from anyone. So, if an MBA grad or a recently trained manager, having ambitions to reach the top himself, gives sermons on leadership, I highly doubt that it can...

What is soft skill ? When banbhatta was lying on his death bed, ready to embrace death, he got concerned about how to get his kadambari(book) completed. He summoned his two sons to assess whether there was any hope of getting it completed through his sons. He asked the elder son to describe a parched tree in the courtyard, and the elder son obliged in a harsh tone, " shushko vrikshastishthtyagre "( a dry tree stands ahead). Banbhatta immediately lost any hope that his work could ever be completed posthumously. Just when he was about to heave his last sigh, the younger son replied sweetly and promptly, " neeras taru niwasati puratah " ( a parched tree, thirsting for water, resides in front !). Banbhatta immediately got elated, as if he got a new lease of life, and asked his younger son to complete his work, happily resigning himself to the "hug of death".   Though both sentences mean the same thing, the latter one is softer as it leaves a sav...

We earn money so that we can enjoy life better by consuming the things money can buy. But, what is ironical is the fact that we don't need money for most of the "happinesses" in the world. Friendship, familial bliss, and peace of mind through meditation do not need the filthy lucre. In stead, obsession with money can be a source of distress and depression, forcing people to sacrifice many of the natural gifts they already have.   One of the most important gifts is the inherent quality of being able to enjoy every day to the fullest by being happy . Happiness is and has never been related in any way with the amount of money one has. In fact, money can only buy things, whether we are happy with buying or not buying such things is up to us.   It is nothing but a mirage that true riches comes from availability of a large sum of money at one's disposal , in stead true riches comes from satisfaction with what one has . " santosham param sukham " ( satisfa...

I used to think that businesses are there only to make money, to keep the balancesheet healthy and the profit margin and revenue intact. But, if that were to be the case then there remains no discernible difference between a shop and a business. And, if one runs a business keeping only the trinity of balancesheet, income statement and cash flow statement in mind, it is bound to degenerate into a shop sooner than later. Let us dig further.   A shopkeeper remains a shopkeeper all his life because of his narrow-mindedness. He does not think beyond his immediate or near-future transactions; he thrives on instant gratification, and thinks everything in terms of costs and profits, not in terms of investments and growth. Such a quantitative thinking never allows him to ever grow his shop into a big business, say a retail chain.   A rich businessman, on the other hand, is wiser and smarter. He knows that true riches comes from the richness of thought, and that what is so...

Poverty and inequality has been bugging India for a long time. Still, the poor remains poor and the rich are getting richer by the day. In my opinion, there is a basic flaw in our thinking.   It is a flawed concept to base our thinking of poverty and inequality in materialistic terms. A person living in the village with good air to breathe in the lap of nature with a sound relationship with other villagers is much happier with his life than a person working in an MNC who has to face the daily traffic jams, the polluted air and the monotonous life at the office. Maybe that is why many people want to retire and go to live in a natural place. Even though the latter is earning much more he may not be as happy and content as the former.   Indian government is focused on doubling the incomes, rather it should focus on providing quality life and a life of happiness to all the people. Money can't buy happiness. However hard it may try, monetarily, there will always be 3 ...

  The existence of GOD is a question which has bothered me since birth. I am sure it must have bothered many of you as well. But, why is it that we can't find or grasp him ? He eludes us. Actually, to find or grasp anything " one has to first become a seeker ". Just like knowledge comes to those who seek it, help comes to those who want it, success comes to those who crave for it, similarly, GOD and his conception comes to those who simply seek it. It is immaterial to think about his gender, his shape or form as if one is truly concerned about seeking a goal, the properties of the goal should not be a concern, as, if that becomes the concern one takes a step away from the goal. It is as simple as that. One must look within and discover oneself, as it is we who seek GOD.     In other words, if we are the ones who are seeking GOD with all our limitations and "unlimitations", then it is within us that GOD should reside. It is nothing but the good qualities within u...