Wisdom from Warren Buffet, The Oracle of Omaha

Wise Investing

Tags: Warren Buffet Famous Oracle Sage Wizard Omaha Berkshire Hathaway Conglomerates Purchased Taxes Rich Wealth Successful investing Investors Investment Gurus Business Holdings Media Insurance Energy Food Beverage Industries Net Worth Forbes Donating Pledging Charitable Foundations Celebrated Philanthropist Inspiring Insightful Quotes Quotations Wise Widsom Saving Earning Income Spending Buy Sell Opportunities Ideas Risk Expectation Expensive Cheap Fear Greed Euphoric Problem Solution Hyperactive Stock Market Enterprise Prediction Thought Long Term Mistakes Extraordinary Events Projections Research Price Action Momentum Volume Companies Profitability Loss Dominant Franchise Index Fund Outperform Professionals Cash Happy Money Diversification Concentration Reading Value Work Appraised Debt Interest Rates Flows Assumption Commodity Competitor Overheated Results Reputation Associates Behavior Fair Corporation Fluctuations Attractive Equities Sinking Reports Equations Intelligence Economy Elections Schools Effective Intrinsic Bargain Growth Transfer Turnarounds Wall Street Rolls-Royce Forecasters Bubble Leverage Balance Sheet History Learn Management Poor Fundamental Economics Quality Assets Liabilities Insider Information Right Wrong Distress Reasoning Facts

Warren Buffet needs no introduction. He is one of the wealthiest men in the world today - that is despite donating and pledging a large part of his wealth to charitable foundations. He is popularly known as Oracle of Omaha / Sage of Omaha / Wizard of Omaha and is one of the most successful investment gurus and respected business persons of the world. He was born in Nebraska on 30 August 1930. He first purchased stock at the age of 11 and filed taxes at age 13. He is synonymous with Berkshire Hathaway which he assumed control in 1965 and was pivotal in its expansion into one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Today, the organisation has holdings in media, insurance, energy, food and beverage industries. His current net worth is estimated by Forbes to be approximately US$ 89 Billion.

Apart from his meteoric rise to one of the richest and most celebrated philanthropist men in the world, Warren Buffet is also famous for his inspiring and insightful quotes in the world of investing. Each of his quotes is a pearl of wisdom for potential and existing investors on wise investing. Here are some of those wonderful quotes.

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• Saving: “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.”
• Earning: “Never depend on single income. Make investment to create a second source.”
• Spending: “If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.”
• Investment: “Do not put all your eggs in one basket.”
• Success: “You do things when the opportunities come along. I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve had a bundle of ideas come along, and I’ve had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week, I’ll do something. If not, I won’t do a damn thing.”
• Risk: “Never test the depth of river with both the feet.”
• Expectation: “Honesty is very expensive gift. Do not expect it from cheap people.”
• Humanity: “If you’re in the luckiest 1 per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 percent.”

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1. “A climate of fear is your friend when investing; a euphoric world is your enemy.”
2. “A great investment opportunity occurs when a marvelous business encounters a one-time huge, but solvable problem.“
3. “A hyperactive stock market is the pickpocket of enterprise.“
4. “A prediction about the direction of the stock market tells you nothing about where stocks are headed, but a whole lot about the person doing the predicting.”
5. “A public-opinion poll is no substitute for thought.”
6. “Always invest for the long term.”
7. “An investor needs to do very few things right as long as he or she avoids big mistakes.“
8. “An investor should ordinarily hold a small piece of an outstanding business with the same tenacity that an owner would exhibit if he owned all of that business.”
9. “Anything can happen in stock markets and you ought to conduct your affairs so that if the most extraordinary events happen, that you’re still around to play the next day.“
10. “As Buffet said in the speech, “He’s not looking at quarterly earnings projections, he’s not looking at next year’s earnings, he’s not thinking about what day of the week it is, he doesn’t care what investment research from any place says, he’s not interested in price momentum, volume or anything. He’s simply asking: What is the business worth?”
11. “Buy a business, don’t rent stocks.”
12. “Buy companies with strong histories of profitability and with a dominant business franchise.”
13. “By periodically investing in an index fund, the know-nothing investors can actually outperform most investment professionals.”
14. “Cash never makes us happy, but it’s better to have the money burning a hole in Berkshire’s pocket than resting comfortably in someone else’s.”
15. “Chains of habits are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
16. “Diversification is a protection against ignorance. It makes very little sense for those who know what they’re doing.”
17. “Diversification may preserve wealth, but concentration builds wealth.”
18. “Do a lot of reading.” – on how to determine the value of a business
19. “Enjoy your work and work for whom you admire.“
20. “For some reason, people take their cues from price action rather than from values. What doesn’t work is when you start doing things that you don’t understand or because they worked last week for somebody else. The dumbest reason in the world to buy a stock is because it’s going up.”
21. “Great investment opportunities come around when excellent companies are surrounded by unusual circumstances that cause the stock to be misappraised.”
22. “I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.“
23. “I am a better investor because I am a businessman and a better businessman because I am an investor.”
24. “I do not like debt and do not like to invest in companies that have too much debt, particularly long-term debt. With long-term debt, increases in interest rates can drastically affect company profits and make future cash flows less predictable.“
25. “I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.”
26. “I don’t measure my life by the money I’ve made. Other people might, but certainly don’t.“
27. “I have pledged… to always run Berkshire with more than ample cash… I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profits.”
28. “I knew a lot about what I did when I was 20. I had read a lot, and I aspired to learn everything I could about the subject.”
29. “I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for ten years.”
30. “I never buy anything unless I can fill out on a piece of paper my reasons. I may be wrong, but I would know the answer to that …I’m paying $32 billion today for the Coca Cola Company because… If you can’t answer that question, you shouldn’t buy it. If you can answer that question, and you do it a few times, you’ll make a lot of money.“
31. “I really like my life. I’ve arranged my life so that I can do what I want.”
32. “I try to buy stock in businesses that are so wonderful that an idiot can run them. Because sooner or later, one will.”
33. “I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.”
34. “If a business does well, the stock eventually follows.”
35. “If at first you do succeed, quit trying on investing.“
36. “If you don’t feel comfortable owning something for 10 years, then don’t own it for 10 minutes.”
37. “In a commodity business, it’s very hard to be smarter than your dumbest competitor.“
38. “In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”
39. “Investing is laying out money now to get more money back in the future.”
40. “Investors making purchases in an overheated market need to recognize that it may often take an extended period for the value of even an outstanding company to catch up with the price they paid.”
41. “It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.”
42. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
43. “It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.”
44. “It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.“
45. “It’s not debt per say that overwhelms an individual corporation or country. Rather it is a continuous increase in debt in relation to income that causes trouble.“
46. “It’s us fun being a gorse when the tractor comes along, or the blacksmith when the car comes along.“
47. “Look at market fluctuations as your friend rather than your enemy; profit from folly rather than participate in it.“
48. “Money is not everything. Make sure you earn a lot before speaking such nonsense.”
49. “Money to some extent sometimes let you be in more interesting environments. But it can’t change how many people love you or how healthy you are.“
50. “Most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get interested is when no one else is. You can’t buy what is popular and do well.”

Wise Investing

1. “Never count on making a good sale. Have the purchase price be so attractive that even a mediocre sale gives good results.”
2. “Never give up searching for the job that you’re passionate about. Try to find the job you’d have if you were independently rich. Forget about the pay. When you’re associating with the people that you love, doing what you love, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
3. “Never invest in a business you cannot understand.”
4. “No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.”
5. “Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.”
6. “Only those who will be sellers of equities in the near future should be happy at seeing stocks rise.  Prospective purchasers should much prefer sinking prices.”
7. “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.“
8. “Our approach is very much profiting from lack of change rather than from change. With Wrigley chewing gum, it’s the lack of change that appeals to me. I don’t think it is going to be hurt by the Internet. That’s the kind of business I like.”
9. “Our favorite holding period is forever.”
10. “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
11. “Read Ben Graham and Phil Fisher read annual reports, but don’t do equations with Greek letters in them.“
12. “Risk can be greatly reduced by concentrating on only a few holdings.”
13. “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”
14. “Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; it’s true. If you hire somebody without [integrity], you really want them to be dumb and lazy.”
15. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
16. “Stop trying to predict the direction of the stock market, the economy, interest rates, or elections.”
17. “The best business returns are usually achieved by companies that are doing something quite similar today to what they were doing five or ten years ago.”
18. “The business schools reward complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective.“
19. “The critical investment factor is determining the intrinsic value of a business and paying a fair or bargain price.”
20. “The fact that people will be full of greed, fear, or folly is predictable. The sequence is not predictable.“
21. “The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule.”
22. “The investor of today does not profit from yesterday’s growth.“
23. “The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.”
24. “The stock market is a no-called-strike game. You don’t have to swing at everything – you can wait for your pitch.”
25. “The Stock Market is designed to transfer money from the Active to the Patient.”
26. “Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.“
27. “Turnarounds seldom turn.“
28. “Unless you can watch your stock holding decline by 50% without becoming panic-stricken, you should not be in the stock market.”
29. “Valuing a business is part art and part science.“
30. “Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls-Royce to get advice from those who take the subway.”
31. “We don’t get paid for activity, just for being right. As to how long we will wait, we’ll wait indefinitely.”
32. “We have long felt that the only value of stock forecasters is to make fortune-tellers look good.”
33. “We like to buy businesses, but we don’t like to sell them.“
34. “We will have another bubble, but usually you don’t get it the same way you got it before.”
35. “We will only do with your money what we would do with our own.”
36. “We will reject interesting opportunities rather than over-leverage our balance sheet.“
37. “What we learn from history is that people don’t learn from history.”
38. “When a management team with a reputation for brilliance joins a business with poor fundamental economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.”
39. “When asked how he became so successful in investing, Buffett answered: ‘we read hundreds and hundreds of annual reports every year.”
40. “Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.”
41. “Why not invest your assets in the companies you really like? As Mae West said, ‘Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
42. “Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.”
43. “With enough insider information and a million dollars, you can go broke in a year.“
44. “With few exceptions when a manager with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for poor economics, it is the reputation of the business which remains intact.“
45. “You do not adequately protect yourself by being half awake when other are sleeping.“
46. “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist. Investing is not a game where the guy with the 160 IQ beats the guy with 130 IQ.”
47. “You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.“
48. “You ought to be able to explain why you’re taking the job you’re taking, why you’re making the investment you’re making, or whatever it may be. And if it can’t stand applying pencil to paper, you’d better think it through some more. And if you can’t write an intelligent answer to those questions, don’t do it.“
49. “You shouldn’t own common stocks if a 50 per cent decrease in their value in a short period of time would cause you acute distress.“
50. “You won’t keep control of your time, unless you can say ‘no.’ You can’t let other people set your agenda in life.”
51. “You’re neither right nor wrong because other people agree with you. You’re right because your facts are right and your reasoning is right – that’s the only thing that makes you right. And if your facts and reasoning are right, you don’t have to worry about anybody else.”

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Quick Thinking & Excellent Presence of Mind

Quick Thinking & Excellent Presence of Mind

Tags: Life Lessons Moral Inspiration Management Stories Quote Quotation Anecdote Value Excellent Interesting Presence Mind Quick Thinking Wise Wisdom Idea Innovation Famous Personalities Albert Einstein Science Scientific Work Theory Relativity Equations Frontiers Comic Illustration New York Times Hot Stove Nice Pretty Girl History Concept Secretary Interviewers Factual Fiction Validate Presentations Car Driver Annoyed Compliment Skills Ability Happy Knowledge Media Industry Venue Clothes Questions Answers Dilemma Poor Impression Stunned Amazed

Albert Einstein is one of the most famous men in history for his many path-breaking scientific theories. One of his most publicised scientific works is the Theory of Relativity that is world famous and will be probably remembered for a long time to come. In fact, stripped of its equations, the concept can be understood even by laypersons. Einstein was asked to explain his abstruse theory many times. In that context, there is a famous quotation and anecdote attributed to him which was comically illustrated in the New York Times in March 1929 involving a hot stove and a pretty girl.

It is believed that the anecdote originated when his secretary who was a girl, wanted to know what Relativity really meant as she was frequently bothered by inquisitive interviewers. He explained it thus - "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”

Anyway, here is another anecdote relating to Einstein which is not factually validated but without doubt interesting.

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When Einstein's Theory of Relativity broke many scientific frontiers, he was invited frequently to give presentations of his theory. For all his presentations and work, he always went by a car accompanied by a driver. During his scientific presentations, Einstein's driver used to be seated in the last row listening to him.

One day, while Einstein was on his way to a presentation, his driver remarked, "Sir, I have heard your Theory of Relativity so often presented by you in simple terms that I feel even I can give a presentation on it. In fact, I remember every word that you say to present your theory." Hearing this, Einstein was not annoyed - instead, he took it as a compliment on his presentation skills and his ability to make even laypersons understand it so well. He was quite happy that even his driver understood his theory though he did not have any practical knowledge of Science.

Apparently, during those days, media was not a booming industry and people were not very familiar with Einstein's looks. Keeping this in mind, Einstein told his driver, "For next presentation, I would like you to present the theory." His driver was excited and agreed. When both of them reached the venue of the presentation, they changed their clothes with the driver as a scientist and Einstein himself dressed in the garb of a driver. Then they went inside the hall.

As agreed, the driver went on the stage and began the presentation. His presentation went so well that no one even doubted him. Then came the questions and answers round before the presentation closed. The driver sailed through most of the questions in the round as he had heard Einstein answering those questions in the earlier presentations.

However, there was one question towards the end of the session that the driver was unable to answer. He was stuck and in a dilemma. However, he realised that if he did not do something, then it would leave a poor impression on people if they got to know that it was Einstein's driver who had given the presentation.

So he thought a while and responded quickly on his feet. He said, "Your question is quite easy - even my driver can answer it. He is sitting in the last row. You can clarify it with him." Einstein was both stunned and amazed at his quick thinking but took the question and answered it without any problem.

➤     Life Lesson: The anecdote may be fiction. However, it proves the value of quick thinking and an excellent presence of mind that can get you out of difficult circumstances.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Growing Wealth Wisely with Hard Work & Passion!

Growing Wealth Wisely with Hard Work & Passion!

Tags: Moral Inspiration Motivation Management Stories Wise Wisdom Investment Business Sense Wealth Riches Money Amount Expenses Strategic Risk Hard Work Perseverance Passion Greed Family Farmer Father Daughters Bag Wheat Grains Chance Lottery Win Testing Assessing Village Acreage Land Success Marriage Happy Property Capabilities Responsibility Farmland Idea Meeting Possible Home House Celebration Rejoicing Progress Discussion Flock Birds Sacred Food Service Question Reply Safe Confident Positively Surprise Bullocks Men Laughter Listen Wondered Confused Smiled Sowed Good Crop Carts Life Lesson Vision Progressive Assets Intelligent Decision Making Results

We have heard often how men with no money worked hard with passion and made their wealth. When we look at their current status in society, it is common to look at their wealth and perhaps overlook how they got there. Simply put, people love a rags to riches story and forget the hard work and time such people put in to get where they are. While we may love rags to riches stories, yet such things are not possible overnight when we rule out games of chance.

Even with games of chance like lottery wins, the money thus received gets spent faster than you can replenish it if you are not wise and re-invest carefully. Therefore, the key is to invest wisely however small the amount and make it grow with time and through perseverance. While in that process, it is necessary to keep expenses low and relevant. Equally important is to take a fair bit of strategic risk that improves the returns on your investments. It may take time but hard work and passion can grow your investment though greed can take it down faster.

Here is one short story of a farmer assessing his daughters for their business sense.

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There once lived a rich farmer in a village with his four daughters. He owned and tilled a large acreage of land successfully with good returns from it. He had married off all his daughters and they were living their lives happily too. As time passed, the farmer got older. As all his daughters were married, he had no one else to look after his property. So he came up with the idea of testing and assessing the capabilities of his daughters basis which he could entrust the responsibility of taking care of his farmland to the chosen daughter. Once he firmed up with his idea, he called a meeting with his daughters and gave each one of them a bag of wheat grains. He asked them to use the bag of grains in the best way possible and then meet him after one full year.

One year passed. As agreed, all the daughters returned to the farmer's home. The farmer was happy and welcomed them all back with a grand celebration. After the rejoicing was completed, he began meeting with each of his daughters to understand the progress they had made with the bag of wheat grains given to them.

The eldest daughter was the first one to join the farmer in the discussion. He then asked her what she had done with the bag of grains that was given to her. The eldest daughter then replied, "Father, I saw a flock of birds on my way back home. I fed the grains to the birds." The farmer listened to this but made no comment.

He then called his second daughter and asked her the same question. She in turn replied, "I believed those grains that you had entrusted me were sacred. So, I mixed those with other grains kept for community food service. That way, everyone can could have it.”

It was the turn of the third daughter and the farmer repeated the same question. Pat came the reply from her, “I have safely kept the grains that you gave. As you asked me to meet you after 1 year, I bought them back as they were.”

The farmer was not enthused by the responses he had received from his first 3 daughters. He finally put the question to his youngest daughter, unsure what response he would get and not very confident that it would be positively different from the answers given by his elder daughters. To his surprise, the youngest daughter replied, "Father... I do not have those grains with me now but I need 2 bullocks and men to help me get the grains back here."

Her sisters were also present when she gave this answer. They broke out with laughter after listening to her. They wondered why she would need bullocks and men to get the bag of grains back home. The farmer was equally confused and asked her, "Why do you need men and bullocks to bring wheat here?” The youngest daughter smiled pristinely and said, "I sowed the bag of grains you gave me. Now, after a year, I have grown a good crop with them. That is the reason, I need men and bullocks to harvest them in the fields and bring the wheat back to the house in carts."

Listening to her answer, the farmer was ecstatic. He immediately understood that she was the wisest of all his daughters. He handed over his responsibilities for her to take care of the farm and grow it further.

➤     Life Lesson: It is vital to have a vision and back it up with hard work. Always be progressive and build on the assets you already have with intelligent decision making. This is bound to produce positive results.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Pepperfry, Niche Furniture eTailer - First Mover Advantage!

Pepperfry, Niche Furniture eTailer - First Mover Advantage!

Tags: Internet Website Portals Platform Amazon FlipKart Pepperfry Online Offline Etailers Advertise Market Shopping Curated Products Brands Purchases Orders Free Fast Shipping Transport Tracking Rental Consultations Modular Solutions Kitchens Wardrobes Customised Studios Installation Services Home Needs Decor Furniture Electrical Goods Hardware Art Clocks Vases Planters Collectibles Candles Lights Fragrances Lamps Lighting Bed Sheets Blankets Quilts Table Linen Cushions Pillows Towels Curtains Carpets Mattresses Cookware Cookers Chimneys Blenders Beverage Sandwich Snack Makers Juicers Choppers Slicers Dish Washers Refrigerators Mixer Grinders Ovens Gas Stoves Water Purifiers Geysers Rates Prices Cost Amounts Coupons Discounts Offers Budgets Payments Debit Credit Gift Cards Net Banking Wallet Paypal EMI COD Secured Information Customers Experience Quality Positive Negative Feedback Responses Defective Problem Complaints Return Replacement Refund Policy Escalation Selling Merchants Program

The online segment is heating up these days with a variety of products aimed at customers. You name it and and you find it offered online on one of the many shopping websites. In this area, the furniture market is gaining prominence. It is now peppered with many furniture etailers. While there are many online portals dealing with furniture like Amazon and FlipKart, yet they are not niche players. That is where niche players are carving out a place for themselves. Pepperfry is one of the topmost brands now that has established itself as a niche furniture etailer! If you are looking for anything in furniture and home decor, then you will definitely find it on www.pepperfry.com. The etailer was one of the earliest startups in the furniture ecosystem that went into online portals.

Here is a look at what makes Pepperfry special in the niche online furniture segment.

1. Well defined website with user friendly interface. Images optimised and loads fast on a range of devices and varying internet speeds without any drag.
2. The portal has categorised its products systematically making it easy for customers to choose from a range of products.
3. It has clear presence in social media viz., Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Google+. The advantages of social media presence is that customers can bookmark their selections easily for later reference. Further, if you wish to provide positive or negative feedback, that becomes easier and faster as responses are also quicker.
4. For those who are comfortable using mobile devices, Pepperfry app is available for Android and Apple Operating Systems.
5. Quite a few of us are used to do window shopping and deferring our actual purchases to a later point of time. In such cases, the website has a user friendly feature to bookmark your choices or Wish List them in your online Pepperfry account. 
6. The website offers well known domestic and international brands on its platform at competitive rates that are not so easily available elsewhere.
7. While Pepperfry's core product line is furniture, yet it also deals with many other products other than furniture from a home needs perspective such as wall art, wall hangings, clocks, vases, pots, planters, collectibles, candles, tea lights, fragrances, lamps, lighting, bed sheets, blankets, quilts, table linen, cushions, pillows, towels, curtains, carpets, mattresses, cookware, cookers, chimneys, blenders, beverage makers, sandwich makers, snack makers, juicers, choppers, slicers, dish washers, refrigerators, mixer grinders, ovens, gas stoves, water purifiers, geysers, hardware and other electrical goods. The list is rather long but suffice it to say that you will find almost all of your home needs requirements here on Pepperfry.
8. In large number of cases, Pepperfry also takes care of your installation needs for any of your orders purchased through it though this feature is limited to only few cities and is not universally available. In locations where installation services are unavailable, customers will need to make their own arrangements.
9. Additionally, the portal also offers consultations for modular solutions for your home such as modular kitchens and modular wardrobes. Through this feature, you can get customised modular furniture for your home. Again, the only flipside is that it is available only in few cities.
10. Understandably, many of us still hesitate to purchase directly through online portals especially if the order value is high. While penetration of online shopping is on the increase, yet it still has a long way to go. For such kind of people, Pepperfry has the options of brick and mortar Pepperfry Studios that are located in key cities wherein customers can check their needs in person through touch and feel and make their purchases. Unfortunately, this is a feature limited to few select cities. For the rest of us, we still have to purchase online directly through Pepperfry or its peers or go to a brick and mortars store if we are not prepared to do so.

Pepperfry, Niche Furniture eTailer - First Mover Advantage!

11. Customers can avail of free shipping where their order value is a minimum of Rs.999/-.
12. One key differentiator between Pepperfry and its competitors is that it offers faster shipping.
13. There are also tracking features available for your shipped orders so that you are apprised of its movement.
14. The latest trend is to opt for rental furniture. This is gaining traction these days as it is targeted at people with high mobility who move frequently between cities on account of their work schedules and therefore, do not wish to purchase furniture as it will be a hassle to keep spending on their transport. For such groups, Pepperfry offers furniture rentals on selected goods. However, this feature unfortunately is limited to some cities only.
15. Offers range of discounts through the year and on special events suiting the budgets of different groups of people. In fact, there are deeper discounts if you are new customer registering for your account first time. You are issued coupons with limited time frame that you can apply on your selected products and avail discounted prices.
16. Multiple payments options are available for customers such as Debit Cards, Credit Cards, Net Banking, Pepperfry Gift Cards, Wallet, Paypal and EMI. A variety of Credit & Debit Cards are supported including International Cards. COD is available on orders basis certain parameters. The portal offers No Cost EMI as well. All the payments are secured so that there is no leakage of confidential information.
17. From a customer service perspective, customers can reach out to agents through eMail, Chat, Phone or social media. Sadly, call-in number is not toll-free and customers will be charged on their calls by their respective telecom provider. There is also no direct email address that you can address your complaints - instead, you would need to fill-in a web form. Apart from this, it has a comprehensive FAQs section on its website that customers will find very helpful.
18. The portal has a clear escalation matrix defined for customer complaints. In case there are any issues, customers can opt either for replacement or refund of the product to their original source of payment. 
19. If you interested in selling your products on the platform, then there is a merchants program on Pepperfry that facilitates and promotes merchants on its portal.

We have not yet made purchases of substantial amounts on the portal. However, we did have a smooth experience with the few purchases we made till date. The feedback we have received from family, friends and acquaintances has also been essentially positive. However, do remember that their return and refund policy on large value orders may sometimes get tricky. So please be cautious that your choices are well made. Further, a good number of features like Furniture Installation, Pepperfry Studios, Furniture Rentals and Modular Consults are limited to few cities only. So if you are not in those cities, then it is going to be a flipside for you.

Sometimes, we have heard that they are not very open to negative feedback. For example, it has been noted on internet that their products are not thoroughly curated in which cases what you receive may not be as it was advertised or may be defective or not qualitative. This becomes a serious issue when the orders are of large value. When some customers reverted to them, they were surprised that their feedback was not well received and their accounts were blocked. Also, be it noted that the price that is displayed on their website including coupon discounts does not include shipping cost (if any) and taxes. You get to know the final price only when you are completing the payment.

That said, every portal has its pros and cons. The trick is to be fully aware and make cautious choices that suit your requirements. From our perspective, Pepperfry has worked out for us as it has one of the most comprehensive product ranges in the online or offline market. Moreover, sometimes, if the order value is less and you have a problem, they are generous and they just refund the amount without even bothering to pick up the product. This is a rarity and we have not seen this with any other online shopping portal.

https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews

Paralysis by Analysis & Paradox of Choices!

Paralysis by Analysis & Paradox of Choices!

Tags: Modern World Research Information Internet Apps Google Pros Cons Complex Complicate Problem Paradox Dilemma Paralysis Analysis Over-analysis Logic Overdo Lateral Over-thinking Creativity Ability Choices Satisfaction Meaningful Decision Aggressive Advertising Flamboyant Marketing Sales Pitch Product Supermarket Opinions Perspectives Stressful Experiences Subject Philosophy Professor Classmates Students Whiteboard Chair Table Simple Situations Test Task Paper Writing Explanations Answer Grades Inspiration Moral Management Story Life Lesson Benefits Happy Trick Balance Level Surprise Confusion Attract Glances Promotes Maxim Leads

Ever heard of the maxim "analysis leads to paralysis" or "paralysis by analysis"? Or perhaps, you may have come across the phrase "paradox of choices"? Even if you have not, you would remember those times when you over-thought quite a bit and could not make a satisfactory and meaningful decision (if at all) either on account of over-thinking or faced by the in-numerous choices you had. This is the dilemma of the modern world. We are given too many choices or there is too much information out there courtesy aggressive advertising, flamboyant marketing plus sales pitch, the internet and apps like Google.

For checking even on a simple product that you need, it is not easy - consider the number of similar products out there on the supermarket shelves that are waiting for you to choose. As if that is not enough, if you research on the internet, there is no perfect or suitable product or close to it - each one has its own pros and cons - mix that with the fluidity of opinions that come from various people giving their own perspectives on each one of those products!

The world will tell you that it is good to have so many choices compared to the past when we either did not have any or too few choices but believe us when we say, it is not easy to choose! Sometimes or may be many times, "less is actually more" and "too much choice is stressful"! If you recall your past experiences with over-thinking, over-analysis and deep logic, you will note that they all end up complicating situations without any visible or tangible benefits. That is not all, they can lead to stifling your creativity, inability to make decisions or making poor ones and overall making you unhappy! That is not to say, they should be done away with but the trick is to balance them at the right level and not to overdo them!

Anyway, here is a short story of an unusual test that is focussed on simplistic and creative thinking!

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On one fine sunny day, a Philosophy Professor was in class with his students. While discussing many aspects of the subject, he spontaneously gave an unusual test to his students.

He lifted his chair up and placed it on the table. He then turned towards the whiteboard and wrote, "Prove that this chair does not exist..."

Naturally, the class was taken by surprise by this unusual turn of events and the test issued to them by the Professor. For a few moments, they were in a state of confusion. However, they immediately pulled themselves up and got to the task at hand. They were Philosophy students after all and this was not the first time that the Professor had surprised them. So they began tackling the problem given to them writing long complex explanations.

One would expect that this process would be time consuming but surprise, surprise - one student completed the test in just a minute and handed the paper to the Professor. This attracted many surprised glances from only his classmates but his Professor too.

Several days later, the students were awarded their grades for the test. Interestingly, the best answer was selected as the one from the student who had completed the test in just one minute.

His answer was just 2 words, "What chair??"

➤     Life Lesson: Too often, we fall in the habit of over-thinking a lot when attacking a problem. We may forget that sometimes, the answers are just simple... Further, all we need to do for finding a simple solution could be move ourselves out of our established way of thinking and adopt a lateral thinking approach. Lateral thimking usually promotes creative thinking too.

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One Act of Random Kindness Goes A Long Way!

One Act of Random Kindness Goes A Long Way!

Tags: Inspiration Life Compassion Kindness Moral Stories Lesson Creative Thinking Heart Touching Ability Skill Mind Thoughts Senses Blind Music Cooking Gift Fortunate Blessings Perspective Opinions Views Community Support Assistance Money Bowl Cardboard Sign Old Man Sad Pen Message Happy Beautiful Wonderful Spectacular Language Neighbours Positive Negative Donate Charity

Have you ever thought how fortunate we are to feel the world through our senses? We can see wonderful sights, listen to spectacular music, feel each other through the nuances of touch, smell / taste great cooking and of course, convey our thoughts through the gift of speech! When all our senses are in order, there are many times that we take them for granted and forget just how blessed we are! Imagine not being able to see this wonderful world - until you think that thought, you can not even contemplate how horrific it can be and yet, we take our senses and our abilities for granted!

Be that as it may, it is precisely for this reason that we also need the ability to look from the perspective of others! For example - if we truly want to understand the wonderful gift of sight, then look at a person without sight! That said, understanding perspective of people around us is not just about senses - it is also about opinions, views and thoughts. When we are able to do this, there are no limits to our mind and what we can achieve.

Here is a touching and inspiring story of simple compassion and creative thinking that goes a long way in helping our community!

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One day, a young man was passing by a street when he saw an old man sitting on the road side begging for money. The old man had an an empty bowl kept in front of him with a cardboard sign beside him that read "Blind - Please Help!" The young man observed that it was rush hour. There were many people passing by the old man going along their busy schedules. Yet, no one was offering any support or assistance. Seeing this, the young man felt very sad that no one was even taking out some time to help the elderly man.

He felt that he should do something to help the old man. So he went to him and picked up his cardboard sign. He turned the cardboard towards the blank side and took out a thick marker pen out of his pocket. He re-wrote the original message and returned the cardboard sign to its place. He then waited next to the old man to observe. The elderly man though blind was not bereft of his other senses which if anything were even keener than those who are blessed with all their senses. He could make out that the young man had written something on the cardboard but did not say anything to him.

Interestingly, the people passing by, read the re-written cardboard sign and started putting money in the bowl in front of the old man. In just a few minutes, the earlier empty bowl started filling up with money. The old man was happy. The young man was about to go his way. Before he could do that, the elderly man stopped him and asked the stranger what he had written on the cardboard. The stranger replied, "It now says - It is a beautiful day. You can see it. I can not!"

➤     Life Lesson: There are several lessons here. Creative thinking at its best. Compassion for our less fortunate neighbours on this planet. Simply put, an act of random kindness. A story of inspiration. Seeing the perspective of others. Truly connecting with people and changing their views. Understanding how fortunate we are compared to others. Further, choice of words and language, howsoever small, can create either a positive or negative effect. And yes, you do not always need to donate money - there are many other ways that you can do charity!

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Positive Thinking - Where there is a Will, There is a Way!

Positive Thinking - Where there is a Will, There is a Way!

Tags: Will Way Blind Alley Light Difficult Times Depressing Hope Alive Positive Thinking Attitude Optimism Calming Tranquil Mind Body Story Moral Fable Interesting Marketing Sales Pitch Impossible China Business Combs Retire Relax Life Persuits Wise Capable Assignment Buddhist Monastery Monks Confused Shaved Heads Bald Hair Respect Father Sons Good Reasons Rejection Skills Methodology Advice Valuable Tool Scrathing Itch Human Better Ingenuinity Explained Help Visitors Pilgrims Wind Journey Plausible Success Stunning News Unbelievable Happiness Wonderful Extraordinary Feat Creative Idea Appreciated Teachings Buddha Embossed Printed Gift Wisdom Family Friends Surprisingly Result Converted Expectations

There are times when we feel that we are in a blind alley and there is no way out! We do not feel that there is even the slightest sliver of light at the end of the tunnel! These are difficult times and probably quite depressing times too! It is easy during such a period to lose hope and simply give up! However, as long as we keep hope alive and keep thinking positive, there is always the possibility that things will look up... perhaps, our sad times might be bottoming out! Even if not, the power of positive thinking and optimism is such that it has a calming and tranquil effect on both mind and body!

Here is one short story that makes an interesting point that Where there is a Will, There is a Way!

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Long ago in China, there lived a big businessman whose business was to sell combs. He had been in the business for a very long time and was getting old. He felt the need to retire, relax and take interest in his own life and pursuits, other than business. However, before he did that, he wanted to be sure that he was passing on his business into wise and capable hands. This businessman had 3 sons who were grown up and had been assisting their father in the business. So he called forth his three sons and instructed them on an assignment to prove their capabilities. This assignment at first glance appeared to be a non-starter and close to impossible. He asked them to sell combs in the Buddhist monastery.

His sons were thunderstruck and utterly confused. They wondered how anyone can sell combs in a monastery where the monks shaved their heads and were bald. They never grew hair. Yet, they were always respectful of their father and thought he must have good reasons for giving them this assignment howsoever it may look weird or awkward. So, they accepted the assignment rather than gently rejecting it at the beginning itself. They ventured forth on the assignment to sell combs in the Buddhist monastery.

Two days passed - the first son returned and reported to his father. With great difficulty and applying his skills, he had managed to sell 2 combs. The father wanted to understand his methodology. So he asked how he did that. The son replied that he had advised the monks that it would be a valuable tool for scratching their backs in case of itching. After all, we are all human and even monks have to scratch the itch. So, the sales skill of the first son worked though he could sell only 2 combs.

Another few days passed. The second son came back. He had done better than his brother. He told his father that he had sold 10 combs with great ingenuity the Buddhist monks in the monastery. As usual, the father wanted to know how he had done that. So, the second son explained that he had advised the monks that the combs would be of great help to their visitors and pilgrims to comb their hair before entering their monastery, as their hair might have been ruffled during the windy journey to the monastery. It was a plausible and well done sales pitch and the second son has succeeded too like the first son when the assignment originally looked impossible.

Finally, the third son returned after a few more days passing by. He gave a stunning piece of news to his father. It was almost unbelievable even to the old man. The third son had sold a 1000 combs to the Buddhist monks in the monastery! The father was brimming with happiness - yet, he was anxious to know how he had managed such a wonderful extraordinary feat. The third son replied that he had given an idea to the monks - one that was fully appreciated by them. He had told them if some key teachings of Buddha were to be either embossed or printed on the combs, they could be given away to the pilgrims as a take-away gift. The visitors would use the combs on a daily basis - in the process, they would recollect Buddha's teachings regularly time and again. Not only that, they would share the wisdom with their family, friends and acquaintances too. The monks would also achieve their purpose of spreading the teachings of Buddha in a surprisingly innocuous way without needing to drill them into the minds of pilgrims. This creative idea struck the deal for the third son with the monks and resulted in selling 1000 combs.

While all 3 sons had converted an assignment that did not look possible initially, yet it was the third son who had exceeded all expectations with the power of positive thinking and attitude! In a nutshell, the story metaphorically conveys to us that "Where there is a Will, there is a Way!"

➤     Life Lesson: It may look like there is no light at the end of the tunnel but it always pays to practice positive thinking and attitude - Where there is a Will, there is a Way! If you give up hope, then you are shutting the doors to possible opportunities that could help and elevate you!

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Corporate Morals and ethics - Dark Reality!

Corporate Morals and ethics - Dark Reality!

Tags: Corporate Companies Multi-national MNC Management Managers Discussions Values Morals Ethics Virtue Kindness Caring Truth Trust Loyalty Work Job Quality Senior President Successful Appreciation Reward Check Box Materialism Corruption Wise Species Evolution Progression Regression Breed Instincts Human Homosaphiens Intellect Planet Fiction Funny Sarcastic Caustic Humour Satire Marriage Relationship Wife Children Family Members Friends Generations Think Reflect Introspect Poor Money Grass Food Feed Home House Car Driver Dark Reality Happy Travel Negative Strong Foolishness Rare Time Frustration Whatsapp Message Kernel Investigate Tree Extreme Blog Encourage

Many a time, we would have participated in deep discussions wherein our earlier generations of family members and friends would have told us that those were different times when a strong work ethic was sincerely appreciated and rewarded. Similarly, the values espoused and practiced by managements of those times were also on the higher side. Unfortunately, as the world progresses, it seems that corporate morals and ethics are regressing to the darker side. All that is expected today, is to get the work done by hook or crook, never mind the means and the method. Similarly, no one seems to be bothered about the quality of work - as long as no one notices, managers seem to be happy to tick a check box that it is done. And if someone does, then it is time to pass the buck!

Of course, not all managements are like this... but the sad truth is that most seem to be travelling in that negative direction. Further, managements actively reward individuals who jump companies rather than those who have a strong qualitative work ethic. Loyalty is interpreted as foolishness. In a similar vein, managers and management appear to have forgotten the virtue of kindness. Caring and kind managers and managements are a dying breed or are fast becoming a rare species! In fact, if you are one of them, then chances are that you would have been interpreted as not strong enough or ambitious or wasting time...

Given these factors, there are many who taste frustration time and again...

From this perspective, we are sharing here a Whatsapp message that we received sometime back. It is fiction but it serves a purpose and can be interpreted many ways - funny, sarcastic, caustic et al but when you read it, you will see that underlying all that, there perhaps is a kernel of truth!

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A highly successful Senior Vice-President of a multi-national company was going home in his car when he saw two men along the roadside eating grass. Disturbed by the sight, he ordered his driver to stop and got out to investigate.

He asked one man...
➠     “Why are you eating grass?”
➽     “We don’t have any money for food,” the poor man replied. “We have to eat grass.”
➠     “Well, then, you can come with me to my house and I’ll feed you” the Sr. VP said.
➽     “But sir, I have a wife and two children with me. They are over there, under that tree”.
➠     “Bring them along,” the Sr. VP replied. Turning to the other poor man he stated, “You come with us also.”
➽     The second man, in a pitiful voice then said, “But sir, I also have a wife and three children with me!”
➠     “Bring them all, as well,” the Sr. VP answered.

They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as it was.
➽     One of the poor fellows turned to the Sr. VP and said, “Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you.”
➠     The Sr. VP replied, “Glad to do it. You’ll really love my place; the grass is almost 1 meter high!”

➤     Life Lesson: Think twice before trusting Higher Management… They may go to any extreme to finish their job.. And there aren't any like a KIND Management!!

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While the above humour is clearly fiction, yet there is another aspect away from management that should also be reflected upon. When we do not have the means to sustain ourselves, must we follow evolutionary instincts blindly and get into marriage or relationship? If that is not enough, should we also go and have multiple children?

This entire blog piece is intended only to encourage us to think and reflect deeply before doing something... The humour is just satire to illustrate metaphorically how too many times, events, moralities and ethics are going downhill! It is not intended to hurt any feelings arbitrarily or indiscriminately!! We are not just animals though we do have a link there - we are homosaphiens and probably the only species with advanced intellect on this planet with the capacity to introspect and reflect and not just do by instincts. It is time we adopted a wise approach rather than just being less than human while calling ourselves homosaphiens! A little less of a materialistic approach to our lives would be of great help in today's world where corruption of all forms is the norm rather than the rarity!

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A Funny Story of Testing Windshields of Aircraft & High Speed Trains to Bird Hits!

Tags: Funny Management Story Moral Life Lesson Tests Testing Windshields Airborne Aircraft Aeroplanes Airplanes Jets Airliners Aerospace High Speed Trains Bird Hits Strikes Engineers Scientists Internet Broadband Connection Reviews Consumer Feedback Positive Charges Installation Costs Router Security Deposit Subscription Payment Data Limits Companies Corporates Organisations Science Products Safety Problems Solutions Challenges Disaster Destroy Project Simulation Travel Gun Dead Chicken Freezer Success Results Published Research Papers Articles Feedback Pioneering Work Specifications Methodology Resistance Smashed Technology Inputs Advice Suggestions Reports Defrost Home Office Pressure Tasks Relax Reflect Activities Check Outcomes

When we take a new internet connection, what is it that we try to do first? Check its reviews of course. If the reviews and consumer feedback pan out to be reasonably positive, then we may want to opt for the internet broadband connection. But then again, we do not want to jump into it for a stretch of several months in the beginning itself unless we test it for at least a period of 1 month. Even then, we do not want to pay any unnecessary charges like installation costs, router costs and security deposit. So we start off with a bare-bones connection without any charges except the upfront subscription payment for 1 month. Only if we are satisfied that the broadband suits our requirement do we go further... like renewing it for minimum of 3 months to take advantage of lower subscription payment and higher data limits.

It works much the same way in companies and organisations too. Testing is a very important component in every field of science to ensure that the end product meets all safety requirements and does not create more problems than it solves. So here is one such story involving the challenge of bird hits on airborne aircraft and high speed trains.

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As we are all aware, one of the major challenges faced by aerospace companies and airborne aircrafts are the effect of bird strikes on the wind shields of numerous jets and airliners. When an aircraft is in motion, an innocuous bird hit can actually turn out to be a disaster and destroy the safety of the aircraft. Therefore, a group of engineers in one of the major aerospace companies got together on a project to simulate the effects of birds striking an airborne aeroplane travelling at high speeds. To do this, they developed the concept of manufacturing a powerful gun which would fire dead chicken (from freezer) at the wind shields. After a battery of tests and several phases, the engineers declared that the tests were finally successful in that the simulation with the gun firing the dead chicken had worked effectively. The results were published through appropriate research papers and articles talking about the suitability of wind shields vide the tests done approving redesigned wind shields for aircraft.

At the same point of time, in another part of the world, another group of scientists were conducting a similar study to assess the impact of bird strikes on wind shields but on high speed trains (instead of aircraft). These scientists had heard great feedback on the pioneering work and tests developed by the aerospace engineers group. Hence, they approached them and requested the necessary specifications for conducting tests with a powerful gun with dead birds on wind shields of high speed trains. The aerospace engineers were only too happy to cooperate and supported the scientists with all requisite details on their pioneering studies and the methodology followed to test suitability of wind shields. Armed with the specifications, the scientists group developed their own simulation of birds striking the wind shields of high speed trains. However, when the tests results were examined, the results that came out were shocking!

The wind shields of the high speed trains that were expected to provide high resistance to bird strikes were literally smashed into pieces! In fact, not a single wind shield that was part of the tests survived and all of them shattered along with the test booth itself. The scientists were naturally horrified with the results. They were highly concerned on the safety and technology for high speed trains. Therefore, they approached the aerospace engineers with their failed test results and asked for their inputs, advice and suggestions. The engineers went through the test reports and came out with a conclusion. They sent a brief reply to the scientists, "You need to defrost the chickens first..."

➤     Life Lesson: There are many times that we put in a lot of hard work into completing a project or test either at home or office. In that endeavour, sometimes, the small things are taken for granted and we overlook the small details (probably on account of time crunch or pressure) that are crucial to making the task successful. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to relax and reflect on all the activities that need to go or have gone into the task and double check if anything has been missed. If we do that, the outcomes are bound to be positive and successful.

Obsolete Company Policy - A Story of Change!

Obsolete Company Policy - A Story of Change!

Tags: Management Story Morals Life Lesson Truth Origins Purpose Traditions Customs Superstitions Rituals Practices Obsolete Outdated Outmoded Times Families Faiths Corporates Policy Procedures Customer Service Government Companies Breweries Marketing Products Supermarket Organisation Dignitaries Staff Change Transport Distribution Employees Managers Department Process Stress Deliveries Trucks World War Fuel Ration Horses

Remember, how several times, we follow tradition without really understanding its origins or purpose? Traditions, customs, superstitions, rituals and practices have a way of becoming obsolete and outdated if we forget their original purpose and do not make appropriate changes as times passes by. We see many examples in our families and faiths. With this backdrop, it is tempting to think that it can not happen to corporates. However, that is far from the truth. That is why it is important to constantly challenge current policies and procedures in line with changing times especially with reference to customer service. Otherwise, we may very well end up serving customers only through obsolete methods and systems when there are faster and delightful ways of delivering customer service. Here is one story that illustrates how outmoded practices can be counter-productive to established companies.

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One of the oldest breweries in the country decided to install a new line for canning to enable the effective marketing of its products to the supermarket sector. It was a significant change for the company given that it was a medium size organisation. Hence, it invited the local dignitaries and staff to witness this major change. The attendance was quite strong on the day of inauguration of new canning line. All the formalities were completed including the successful switching on of the new canning line. After the inauguration, the relaxed guests got together in small groups and had drinks while enjoying the buffet. In one corner 3 men stood together and were discussing transport and distribution. These were the current distribution manager and 2 past employees who had served as managers earlier in the distribution department of the company who were quite senior and retired. Incidentally, the three men represented 3 generations of staff who had worked in distribution over a span of 50 years.

During the discussion on the distribution process, the serving manager shared the stress caused due to company distribution policy. The policy required that Long deliveries were to be made on Monday and Tuesday while Short deliveries were to be done on Fridays. The rest of the deliveries could be done on the remaining days of the week. He explained, “It’s so difficult to schedule things efficiently with such policy and new cans and high demands of super market.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement. One of the retired managers empathised, "It was the same in my days too. It always seemed strange to me that even if trucks returned early on Mondays, still those can’t be used on Tuesday for little runs because all local deliveries had to be done on Fridays..!!”

The senior most retired manager thought hard on that trying to recall the reason for the said policy. After a while, he smiled and said, "I think I remember now...” He said, “During World War II, fuel rationing was introduced. So, we stopped using trucks and went on to using horses. On Mondays, horses were well rested. Hence, they were taken for long deliveries. By Fridays, horses were so tired that they could only handle the short local drops.” After the origins of the company policy was recalled and revealed, it was understood by the company that the policy was thoroughly obsolete and not in synchrony with the times. Therefore, the company soon after amended its delivery policy once the new canning line opened.

➤     Life Lesson: Do not follow everything blindly. It is important to understand the origins and purpose of any practice to check if they are still valid with the present times or if they require changes to ensure they are in harmony with our times. What may have been relevant and useful in earlier times, may be counter-productive now.

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Fascinating Facts About The Human Body

Fascinating Facts About The Human Body

Tags: Facts Biology Chemistry Chemical Compound Body Heat Head Human Skull Bones Chemical Reactions Brain Nerve Impulses Electrical Life Cells Neurons Recall Information Cornea Eye Blood Oxygen Air Colours Infra Red Light Ultra Violet Radiation Retinas Sensitive Vision Nose Ears Child Breathe Swallow Viruses Cold Teeth Heal Calcium Hand Chew Food Mouth Masticatory Muscles Jaw Twins Sneeze Cough Bacteria Lips Sensitive Finger Prints Nails Toes Tongue Taste Buds Smile Hiccup Hearts Pressure Inhalations Exhalations Embryo Conception Skin Enzymes Minerals Apatite Aragonite Calcite Crystobalite Living Animals Leukocytes Erythrocytes Ecstasy Phenylethylamine Sperm Calories Carbon Dioxide Poisoning Sleep Hunger Death Thirsty Water Weight Fainting Dehydration

The human body is an amazing and marvelous machine. It is clearly the most complex organism on our planet. It is a mechanism with billions of microscopic parts, all moving in tandem and making the body function as one single organism. However, the truth is far more interesting. Each microscopic part of the human body has its own identity and it works in synchrony with others in an organised manner to benefit the overall structure. While the body is a single structure, it is actually made up of billions of smaller structures covering cells, tissues, organs and systems (like nervous and muscular systems). Many exciting discoveries in various fields of science are being played out in the human body. We do not realise the marvel and mystery of our own bodies but when we stop to think about it, there are so many astounding, astonishing and stunning facts about it.

1. Typically, we lose 80% of our body heat from the head.
2. The human skull is made up of 29 different bones.
3. 100,000 chemical reactions occur in the human brain every second.
4. The nerve impulses from the brain move at a speed of 274 KMpH.
5. Nerve impulses in the human body move at about 90 m/s.
6. A single human brain generates more electrical impulses in a day than all the telephones of the world combined.
7. At birth, there are 14 billion cells in the human brain. This number does not increase throughout a person’s lifetime. After 25 years, the number of cells falls by 100,000 every day. About 70 cells die in the minute it takes you to read a page in a book. After 40 years, the decline of the brain accelerates sharply, and after 50 years neurons (that is, nerve cells) shrink and the brain gets smaller.
8. By the end of a person’s life, they can recall, on average, around 150 trillion pieces of information.
9. The cornea of the eye is the only part of the body that has no blood supply. It receives oxygen directly from the air.
10. The human eye can distinguish 10 million different colours.
11. One percent of people can see infra-red light and 1% can see ultra violet radiation.
12. The retinas inside the eye cover about 650 square mm and contain 137 million light-sensitive cells: 130 million are for black and white vision and 7 million are for helping you see in colour.
13. Our eyes remain the same size as they were at birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
14. A newborn child can breathe and swallow at the same time for up to 7 months.
15. At birth, a child’s body is made up of around 300 bones. But an adult has just 206.
16. Bones are about 5 times stronger than steel.
17. There are more than 100 different viruses which cause a cold.
18. Teeth are the only part of the human body which cannot heal themselves.
19. 99% of the calcium contained in the human body is in one’s teeth.
20. Right-handed people chew most of their food on the right side of their mouth, whereas left-handed people do so on the left.
21. The total strength of masticatory muscles on one side of your jaw is equal to 195 kilograms.
22. If one identical twins lacks a certain tooth, the other twin will not have that tooth either.
23. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
24. A cough amounts to an explosive charge of air which moves at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.
25. There are about 40,000 bacteria in the human mouth.

Fascinating Facts About The Human Body

1. Human lips are hundreds of times more sensitive than the tips of a person’s fingers.
2. The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue.
3. Each of us has around 2,000 taste buds. By the age of 60 most people lose half of their taste buds.
4. A person uses 17 muscles when they smile, and 43 when they frown.
5. A man named Charles Osborne hiccupped for a total of 68 years.
6. The hearts of women beat faster than the hearts of men.
7. The human heart pumps 182 million litres of blood during an average lifetime.
8. The human heart pumps blood at such pressure that it would be able to raise blood up to the fourth floor of a building.
9. An adult performs around 23,000 inhalations and exhalations a day.
10. The total length of all the blood vessels in the human body is about 100,000 KMs.
11. A human embryo acquires fingerprints within 3 months of conception.
12. Not only human beings, but also koalas have unique finger prints.
13. Fingernails grow about four times faster than your toenails.
14. Every year more than 2 million left-handed people die because of mistakes they make when using machines designed for right-handed people.
15. Human skin is completely replaced about 1,000 times during a person’s lifetime.
16. At least 700 enzymes are active in the human body.
17. The structure of the human body contains only four minerals: apatite, aragonite, calcite, and crystobalite.
18. Human beings are the only living things which sleep on their backs.
19. Only 7% of people are left-handed.
20. Only 1% of the bacteria can result in the human body becoming ill.
21. The total weight of the bacteria in the human body is 2 kg.
22. Human beings are the only animals which can draw straight lines.
23. A person who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day is doing the equivalent of drinking half a cup of tar a year.
24. Leukocytes in the human body live for two to four days, and erythrocytes for three to four months.
25. The chemical compound in the body which causes feelings of ecstasy (phenylethylamine) is also contained in chocolate.
26. The smallest cells in a man’s body are sperm cells.
27. A person burns more calories when they are asleep than when they watch TV.
28. If you were locked in a completely sealed room, you would not die due to a lack of air, but from carbon dioxide poisoning.
29. A person would die quicker from a total lack of sleep than from hunger. Death would occur after ten days without sleep, whereas from hunger it would take several weeks.
30. You feel thirsty when water loss is equal to 1% of your body weight. When water loss is more than 5%, it can cause fainting and if it drops to more than 10%, then death from dehydration follows.

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How to Lead a Simple & Minimalist Life...

How to Lead a Simple & Minimalist Life...

Tags: Simple Minimalist Life Rich Poor Satisfying Contented Reasonable Comfortable Spendthrift Occupation Office Work Home Family Idle Good Idea Brain Devil Income Expenses Online Tasks Self Movie TV Show Eat-outs Vacation Activity Walking Exercising Chores Clothes Impossible Wastage Time Effort Cost Metro Traffic Jams Groceries Commute Discounts Offers Restaurant Dinner Quality Ambiance Tickets Clean Water Metabolism Weight Soft Drinks Coke Pepsi Beverages Black Coffee Green Tea Healthy Diet Cooked Junk Food Vegetables Ice Cream Depression Spirits Sugar Sweets Budget Binge Mind Psychology Self Reflection Meditation Prayers Hobbies Writing Music Playing Sport

How to lead a simple and minimalist life... That is a question everyone (who is interested) will have a different view. More often than not, the views are bound to be radically different. Imagine the answers to that question when asked to a billionaire, the middle class and the poor - clearly, they are not going to be similar or anywhere near to that. Here is our take on what it is to lead a simple and minimalist life that is within your means, satisfying, contented, happy, reasonably comfortable and not spend thrifty.

1. Make sure that you have an occupation whether at home or office. Staying idle is never a good idea. As the saying goes, an idle man's mind is a devil's workshop.
2. Have clear boundaries on your working hours and make sure your colleagues know it, however unpleasant they may or may not find it.
3. You can not have more than 24 hours in a day. It is simply not possible though those die-hard enthusiasts at work and motivation shops will tell you "I want it yesterday" or "Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I M Possible". When you try to rush completion of tasks in an unreasonable manner, they are bound to suffer on quality. Therefore, plan according to your day.
4. Manage your income and expenses. Never spend what you do not earn! Your expenses should always be far lower than your income. Find ways to boost your income and cut down expenses. For example, these days going online for tasks actually serves to cut down expenses and save time + effort. Similarly, you can consider doing some online occupation on the side that can fetch you additional income.
5. Use your sources of funds wisely like your debit and credit cards. Use them only when you can pay them back or you have sufficient funds to collect reward points, special offers, etc. Be careful with loans. If you are not careful, it can spiral down badly. If you must take loans, make sure it is for very good reasons, on favourable terms and that you can pay back.
6. Allocate time for your self and family like watching a good movie or TV show, going on drives, eat-outs or vacation. 
7. Make sure that you spend a part of your day on activity like walking and exercising. It can be 1 hour or at least 30 minutes.
8. Try to do tasks or chores by yourself or share them with your partner in an equitable manner like laundry, dusting your home, making your room, chauffeuring, etc. It is part of your daily activities. And you do not need to hire a helper for everything.
9. Cut down wastage of time by eliminating or reducing redundant tasks that can be entrusted without any extra cost and give you tangible returns. In metros, traffic congestion are common - it makes sense to order your groceries online rather than wasting your time and effort on commute and traffic jams. You can also cut down expenses through online discounts and offers. Similarly, instead of always going to a restaurant for dinner, you can choose a good quality upcoming restaurant that is presently inexpensive and order home delivery. You can actually recreate the ambiance of a restaurant in your own home. Another example - you do not need to stand in ticketing queues for movies - book them online.
10. It is important to maintain a sound number of sleeping hours. It is required for the body to recharge itself. Your health depends on it.
11. Maintain a healthy diet. This means avoiding junk food. Minimise outside food as best as possible. Focus on home cooked food with melange of vegetables. Balance non-vegetarian food and do not go overboard. Whatever you need to have, even good food, eat proportionately - do not binge eat! Learn to eat in small portions. The only ones who need to eat considerably are those who have involved in hard labour - not you.
12. All of us have a sweet tooth and enjoy sweets. However, it is good to reduce intake of sugar and sweets. When you need sugar in your food or beverages, keep it low. Similarly with sweets, it is good to have them but not indiscriminately. Fix number of times in a month (be reasonable) and then keep a low budget so that you do not over-eat sweets or binge them.
13. Everyone will tell you that ice cream is not good for you. Take that view with a pinch of salt (not literally). Ice creams can actually be good if you schedule them over a period in reasonable quantity and do not go binging on them. Ice creams can counter depression and low spirits.
14. Drink lot of clean water. This is good for the body. It manages your metabolism and weight.
15. And oh yes! Stay away from soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi. They are definitely not good for your body!
16. If you must have beverages like coffee or tea, keep it balanced like scheduled number of times - say twice or thrice, not more than that. Mix your choice of beverages preferably with green tea, black coffee and the like.
17. One of the worst habits is consumerism. In this world of aggressive media, advertising and marketing, everything seems to be an absolute requirement - in reality, it is never so! Always think multiple times before jumping to buy something on an urge or impulse or peer pressure. Carefully examine whether you really need it. If required, delay the decision and conclude later. Never spend when you do not have the means and try to pay through loans or EMIs.
18. Always keep your home and work spaces in order and free of clutter. If you have not used something for the last 6 months, then it is probably good time to get rid of it. Follow the principle of "One In, One Out".
19. Stay away from bad habits like smoking, excessive drinking and drugs. If you are already into them, then get out of them as soon as is possible. Take professional help when required.
20. Simple and minimalist life does not mean being un-presentable. Be well groomed. How you look physically has an effect on your mind and psychology. Make sure you have a neat hair cut and are clean shaven or trimmed (as appropriate), take baths regularly and wear clean pressed clothes.
21. Allocate a reasonable time for self-reflection, meditation or prayers, howsoever you may call it. Dedicate some time for your hobbies. In our case, it is writing. For you, it may be music or playing a sport.
22. Contribute to charity - share your happiness and blessings with others based on your means. Donations can be through money or kind like volunteering your time for a cause or providing food and clothing to others. If you are contributing money, you can also get to save tax. However, always make sure that your contributions are being well used by monitoring them. Remember that while you are blessed, yet there are many who do not even get a square meal a day or clothing or shelter! That thought can be humbling!

These are just a few tips from our perspective. Based on your lives, you can add, delete or modify the list to make it more appropriate for you.

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