The Power of Positive Thinking!

The Power of Positive Thinking!

Tags: Life Lesson Moral Management Story Interesting Power Positive Thinking Life Lives Money Trouble Motivator Destruction Self-worth Attitude Self-confidence Dreams Businessman Debt Creditors Suppliers Demand Payments Park Thought Company Bankruptcy Serious Patience Cheque Pay Warren Buffet Rich Worries Cash Safe Strength Work Hard Emergency Deals Enthusiasm Success Nurse Mental Hospital Surprise Stunned Million Dollars

Quite a few of us spend our lives feeling that if we have wealth, our troubles could be erased or mitigated. Of course, wealth is a great motivator and a wonderful way to turn our lives around. That said, if not used properly, it could lead us on a path of self-destruction. More important than wealth, is the self worth we have... our attitude and self-confidence decide how we run our lives! If we are positive in our thinking, then sooner than later, we can achieve our dreams!

Here is a wonderful story that makes an interesting point!

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A businessman was deep in debt and could not see any way out. Creditors and suppliers were demanding payments. He sat in the park, deep in thought, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

While lost in thought, an old man suddenly appeared before him and asked, "I can see that something is troubling you seriously". After listening patiently, the old man said, "I believe I can help you". 

He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque and put it into his hands saying, "Take this money, meet me here exactly one year from today... and you can pay me back at that time". Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The businessman saw in his hands a cheque for $500,000, signed by Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world. "I can erase my worries instantly" he realized.

Instead, the businessman decided to take a different path. He put the uncashed cheque in his safe, knowing that it might give him the strength to work harder to save his business and to use this only in case of dire emergency. With a changed way of thinking and a positive outlook on his life, he negotiated better deals, restructured his business and worked rigorously with full zeal and enthusiasm and got several big deals. Within a few months, he was out of debt and started making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque. As agreed, the old man appeared. However, as the businessman was about to hand him back the cheque and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. "I'm so glad I caught him" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you much. He always escapes from the mental hospital and tells people that he is Warren Buffet". Saying this, she took the old man away.

The surprised man just stood there, stunned! All year long, he had been dealing thinking that he had half a million dollars behind him to back him up in an emergency - in reality, he did not...

➤     Life Lesson: It is not the money, real or imagined that turns our life around. It is our self-worth, attitude and self-confidence that gives us the power to achieve anything and everything that we want.

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Truth can set you Free!

Truth can set you Free!

Tags: Life Lesson Moral Story Tale Fable Truth Truthful Free Lives Simple Easy Light Challenging Deceit Deception Lies Falsehood George Orwell Quote Quotation Saying Revolution Powerful Past Future Empress Children Competition Succeed Palace Seed Care Grow Beautiful Colorful Vibrant Flowers Smile Just Wise

Often truth is under-rated. One does not perhaps realise how being truthful can make our lives simpler, easier and lighter. However, given the world we are living in today, it may not be always easy to speak the truth. It can definitely be challenging! As George Orwell said aptly, “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. Yet we must remember that truth is powerful and it prevails. If you tell the truth, it becomes a part of your past. If you lie, it becomes a part of your future!

Here is an interesting short story on truth.

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An empress with no children decided to hold a competition to determine who would succeed her when she died. She summoned all the children in the city to her palace and gave each one a seed. "Plant this seed, care for it, and in one year bring back the flower that grows from it. Whoever brings me the most beautiful flower will be the next empress."

One young girl planted her seed in a pot and watered it every day, but nothing grew. At the end of the year she was devastated, but on the day set for inspection of the flowers she picked up her pot and carried it to the palace.

All the other children brought colorful, vibrant flowers, but the empress only glanced at them. She walked straight to the young girl and smiled. "All the seeds I gave you had been boiled and were dead. Only you were honest enough to bring back the original seed I gave you. You will be a just and wise empress."

➤     Life Lesson: Always tell the truth, even when it seems easier not to. That way, you don't have to remember what you said. Telling a lie requires weaving a fiction and leads you into a maze of multiplying falsehoods and forgetting the details of your original lie. You essentially trap yourself!

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The Genie, A Magical Lamp, 3 Employees & Wishes

A Genie, A Magical Lamp, 3 Employees & Wishes

Tags: Life Lessons Moral Story Comedy Humour Funny Laughter Boss Managers Management Role Office Workplace Finance Budgeting Supplies Culture Policy Feedback Sales Representative Administration Clerk Activities Home Parent Children Mother Father Family Code Ethics Lunch Genie Magical Lamp Wish Bahamas Hawaii Speedboat Beach Masseuse Pina Coladas Love Enjoy

Quite a few of us would have or are currently working in some managerial role whether at office or at home. Many of us may feel that management activities are specifically for the workplace. Interestingly, that is not necessarily true. For example, parents play the role of managers at home with their children as they grow up. This is the glue that gives a code of ethics for children to live by when they are grown up. Typically and unarguably, the key pivot in that is the mother with the father coming in next. There are of course cases and situations wherein the pivots alternate but the usual trend is that the mother takes care of domestic managerial responsibilities in various areas like finance, budgeting, supplies, culture, policy, feedback et al.

That said, the more obvious place for managerial roles is the office. While looking up some interesting stories, we came across the below interesting tale. Some of you may be familiar with the story - if not, read on and enjoy! While reading, do remember the popular quote by Milton Berle, "Laughter is an instant vacation".

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A group of 3 individuals namely a sales representative, an administration clerk and a manager were walking to lunch. On their way, they came across an exciting find - an antique oil lamp. Initially, it appeared to them, as it apparently looked - an antique oil lamp. Out of curiosity, they rubbed it and were stunned to see a Genie present itself to them. They quickly understood that it was a magical lamp and their find was fantastic.

As is the custom, the Genie which came of the lamp spoke, "You released me! To convey my gratitude, I will give each of you exactly one  wish."

The group was going through an out-of-the-world experience and took a few moments to recover to their current situation. Amongst them, the administration clerk was the first to come to his senses or so it seemed.

He said loudly,"Me first! Me first!. I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Immediately, she disappeared in a puff of smoke probably gone to the Bahamas to have a wonderful time!

The Sales representative though outdone by the administration clerk quickly recovered his marbles and spoke out, "Me next! Me next! "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life." As with his colleague, the sales representative disappeared to Hawaii to enjoy his wish.

It was finally the turn of the only remaining person in the group - the manager. The Genie called out to the manager in a high voice, "Alright, now you are up next!"

At this point of time, there was an unexpected twist to the story. The manager asked out for his wish, "I want those two people back in the office after lunch."

➤     Life Lesson: Do not forget your boss! Always let your manager have the first say or you may never get to truly enjoy your wishes...

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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.

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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.

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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!

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

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.

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

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.

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

How to Make Your Life Happier & Successful!

How to Make Your Life Happier & Successful!

Tags: Life Happier Successful Depressed Light Spirits Temptations Urges Impulses Flourishing Comparing Unrealistic Expectations Social Media Obsession Bad Spending Habits Fear Living Vacation Schedule Unhealthy Relationships Perfect Control Relying Fulfilled Avoiding Best Hesitation Indulge Feeling Sorry Failure Grudges Worrying Think Dis-organised Lifestyle Controlling Jealousy Blaming Mistakes Yearning Analysing Friends Resisting Change Afraid Avoiding Problems

Many a time, when we are depressed, we feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel or as if it is the end of the world. We wonder how we can lift our spirits to make ourselves happier and successful. The interesting part is that if you want to genuinely become a happier person, you don't need to add things to your life - instead, you just need to get rid of them!

While we do not know if you can be more successful or not, yet there are a couple of simple and realistic pointers that we can follow to definitely make ourselves feel happier. These pointers are practical and can definitely be achieved provided that you, as an individual, are fully committed and willing to do so. Of course, there will be temptations but then nothing comes free or easy.

Remove or minimise these urges or impulses from your mind and you will be better off for it. Take these pointers to your heart and look forward to a flourishing life. We believe that removing these 31 things from your life will make you happier and more successful !!!

1.      Comparing yourself to others.
2.      Creating unrealistic expectations for yourself.
3.      Your social media obsession.
4.      Bad spending habits.
5.      Fear of the unknown.
6.      Living in the past.
7.      Putting off a vacation.
8.      Packed schedule.
9.      Unhealthy relationships.
10.      Waiting for the perfect moment.
11.      The need to be in control of everything.
12.      Relying on others to make you feel happy and fulfilled.
13.      Avoiding getting out of the house.
14.      Need to have the best things.
15.      Hesitation to indulge.
16.      Feeling sorry for yourself.
17.      Fear of failure.
18.      Grudges.
19.      Worrying what others think of you.
20.      Dis-organised lifestyle.
21.      Controlling others.
22.      Jealousy.
23.      Blaming others for your mistakes.
24.      A yearning to fit in.
25.      Over-analysing situations.
26.      Friends who aren't there for you.
27.      Resisting change.
28.      Being afraid to be yourself.
29.      Holding on to items you don't need.
30.      Avoiding your problems.
31.      Worrying about missing out.

If you can not follow all of these pointers simultaneously, then start off with some of them that you are comfortable. Then slowly add the rest of the pointers in stages and attempt to envelope all of them in your life. You should be working your way towards a happier and peaceful life.

To be honest, we started off with a few of them and are slowly working our way towards a larger number in the list. It has helped us. We hope it will help you too. The best part is that these pointers are for everyone and not restricted to only people who might be low on spirits. If you are feeling happy, you can still be happier by following this list.

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

Zane Cycles - A Story of Customer Delight!

Zane Cycles - A Story of Customer Delight!

Tags: Mistake Error Blunder Disaster Bad Complaints Unhappy Service Positive Experience Expression Happy Excited Delight Excellent Exceptional Loyal Expectations Culture Relationship Feedback Business Companies Competitors Price Offers Advertising Marketing Chris Zane Cycles Bicycle Reinventing the Wheel Creating Lifetime Customers Valentine's Day Romantic Evening Restaurant Lunch Dinner Gourmet Coffee Shop

Most of the times, we hear about bad customer service and customer complaints. It would appear that there aren't too many instances of genuine customer delight. Probably, the reason is that to provide customer delight or excellent customer service, there should first be a strong intent from the company to do so. Secondly, that intent has to be translated and transformed as the essential culture within the company wherein every employee lives and breathes in providing exceptional service. Thirdly, demonstrating such positive service is not easy and is often expensive. It is not just about making an unhappy customer - a happy one or matching the pricing offers by competitors. It is about ensuring that customer service provided is more than what a customer considers reasonable! That is when good customer service becomes exceptional and leads to customer delight. That is how potential or casual customers become lifetime or loyal customers. As is often said, you toil for ages to build loyal customers but it hardly takes a few moments to destroy that relationship.

In the words of Chris Zane, CEO of Zane’s Cycles, a $15 million dollar bicycle business in Connecticut and author of Reinventing the Wheel: Creating Lifetime Customers, “These types of relationships are not easily formed nor are they formed overnight. They require exceptional care, attention, and a focus on continuously exceeding expectations. At Zane’s, where we have chosen to compete on service rather than on price alone, it means providing unparalleled customer service. We can never accept an unhappy customer, nor look at unsatisfied customer as an inevitable part of doing business. This method goes beyond the mindset of making an unhappy customer happy or simply matching the offers of our competitors. Creating lifetime customers requires that you offer every customer or potential customer more service than they consider reasonable. Further, it means that you actively solicit customer feedback about what you could be doing better and use that information to expand and tweak your offerings to best service the customer.”

Noted here-under is one of the many real-time incidents from Zane Cycles.

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About ten years ago, two weeks before Valentine's Day, a female customer, whom we will call Sue, stopped into the store to buy a bike for her husband. Because she had gone all out to get the very best bike she could for her husband, she needed to pay us in increments. So, she put a deposit on the bike until she could save up the remaining $200 to pay it off. Wanting to surprise her husband on Valentine's Day, Sue asked Greg, a Zane's employee, if he could put the bike in the display window that evening after she had decorated the bike with some ribbon, balloons, and a sign she made that read, "Happy Valentine's Day, Bob." Greg, of course, said he was happy to help her pull off the surprise and that he would put the bike in the front window.

Sue planned to bring Bob by the store, along with a few co-workers who were in on the surprise, prior to their romantic dinner. She had been dropping hints along the way and couldn't wait to see the expression on Bob's face. Everything was in place, except that Greg had forgotten to put the bike in the display before heading out that day.

Zane Cycles - A Story of Customer Delight!

We arrived the next morning to an irate message from Sue. Realizing how serious a mistake we had made, we knew we needed to go above and beyond the call to duty to turn this disaster into a positive experience for the local couple. We waved the remaining balance owed on the bike, tried to re-create a romantic evening at the best Italian restaurant in the area with no spending limit and we called up a gourmet coffee shop down the road to have an elaborate lunch delivered to Sue and her co-workers who had come out to see Bob's excited expression the night before.

Obviously more concerned with rectifying our mistake than the budget to do so, we spent about $400 to correct our error and maintaining the integrity of our lifetime customer culture. Plus, considering that Sue and Bob could be worth $25,000 to Zane's Cycles, it was well worth the investment, particularly because I don't think Sue expected as much as we gave her. We provided more than she thought was reasonable, and as a result, we turned a terrible mistake into a positive experience for Sue, Bob and all of Sue's co-workers.

The best part of the story, though, is that Greg the employee who forgot to put the bike in the display sent me an envelope in the mail with a $400 check enclosed to reimburse us for the cost of rebuilding the customer relationship and a letter apologizing for jeopardizing a prospective lifetime customer. Of course, I never cashed Greg's check. I have it framed with the letter above my desk as a reminder that although we lost a few hundred dollars that day, it was worth every cent in two culture-reinforcing ways. We managed to save our relationship with the customer, and we had the great thrill of witnessing our employees take our principles to heart. To me, that was priceless.

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This is just one instance of a great customer service experience. There are more of such experiences out there in the world. It is said that a customer who has tasted exceptional service increases the prospects of the company manifold through word-of-mouth advertising - a powerful advertising tool. The same goes for bad customer service. That said, when we experience poor service, it is important to not just let it go or just tell our friends but also to give an opportunity to the company to rectify its mistake. For all we know, it might be a genuine mistake and the company may actually jump at the opportunity to rectify the error. We have seen in few cases when poor service made way for exceptional service when we provided feedback to respective companies like Reliance and TP Link. Of course, not every company bothers such as Samsung and HTC. You can read those blogs here and here. Perhaps, they feel they are so big that customer loyalty is not important.

Note: Zane’s cutting-edge marketing techniques have been used as case studies in more than a dozen college textbooks worldwide and have been the subject of several articles in publications such as The Harvard Business Review, Inc. magazine, Fortune, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, as well as being profiled in Alpha Dogs, a HarperCollins bestseller by Donna Fenn.

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

Walking the Talk!

Walking the Talk!

Tags: Money Salary Funds Fringe Freebies Subsidies Incomes Expenses Debts Bank Taxes Budget Finance Political Bureaucratic Parliamentarians Government Minister Arun Jaitley Leaders Public Servants India Welfare Poor Farmer Healthcare Vote Life Humility Philosophy Wisdom Society Skills Story Harvest Children

One of the key events in India during last few days was the national budget for 2018. It was presented by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 1 February 2018. The budget apparently was farmer focussed. Further, there were huge welfare schemes proposed for the poor. One of them was the healthcare plan meant only for the poor. Prior to this, there were several other schemes as well for the poor. While we do not begrudge the poor and facilities provided for them, one genuinely wonders whether they truly get the final benefits meant for them. If there is one thing that India's political and bureaucratic system has taught all of us, it is that things never work the way they are laid out on paper. Most often, the poor are only a vote bank meant for politicking and they usually don't get the benefits. The money taken out for the poor from taxes primarily on the middle class typically disappears. Neither do the poor see it working wonders for them nor do the middle class see it translating in to a better India.

The budget's principle apparently seems to be leave no one and nothing out of the tax net. Tax everyone and everything. Never mind that the middle class may not be well off and quite a few of them may be just managing to stay afloat. Despite that, we are not averse to taxes as long as they serve the true purposes of the welfare state but that is a mirage that disappears when you think you are close to it. Further, if the Finance Minister and his team feel that everyone and everything should be appropriately taxed and it would be unfair otherwise, then that poses a troubling question. Why are our Parliamentarians left out? From what we understand, their salary is completely tax free. Their expenses are all paid from Government Funds. They are given all kinds of fringe benefits, freebies and subsidies. Google benefits that our Parliamentarians get and you will understand where we are coming from!

Should not our leaders not walk the talk and forego all these benefits plus allow their incomes to be taxed? How can you preach about everyone needing to pay tax when you do not? Unfortunately, that is the sad story of our political system. In recent times, we are also seeing arrogance creeping in the Government Ministers, their colleagues in the party and bureaucrats. Their pretensions are extremely disturbing. Never mind which political party is ruling the roost, it is still the same attitude. We are exempt since we are the political class. We are the high and mighty. We are immune. The worst part is that they call themselves public servants but there is not even an iota of humility, responsibility and accountability in their behaviour. Things are progressing to such a point that it is appearing that their greed and arrogance is taking over. This is what transpired earlier during their previous stint in the Government and now seems to be recurring again.

Mind you, we are not biased towards any particular political party - all of them are the same but the current outfit got elected on making several things better and humility and understanding of the common man's plight. However, they seem to be walking the opposite path. Even worse, we have to remember that the common man does not translate to only poor man. It includes everyone who is part of society and trying hard to support their families and give them an appropriate living. Strangely, that does not seem to be sinking in the Government's mind. Look at how they seem to have antagonised every section of society. They are now espousing the cause of farmers and poor but we know that is mostly politicking for upcoming elections. As tax payers, we have a right to ask these questions.

Practical Wisdom!

One more point - and this is a general question to all of us. It might polarise some of us but we ask this genuinely and not with any malafide intent. When we see life is difficult since income is insufficient or there is not much of a future or we are poor or our farms are not reaping good harvest consistently or we are in huge debts and many other such valid reasons, then why do we see the need to have children? When we know that our lives are difficult, must we need to propagate and give the offspring an equally bad or worse lives? Is this correct? Is this a rational thing to do? If not, then why do we do this? Just because of evolutionary need to procreate or because we did not take precautions or we are unable to go against societal norms? If we must, then can't we limit the number of offspring per family to just 1 and put all our resources to good use for that single child to make its life far better than having multiple offspring and not giving a good life to any? If we can not do that, then how are we better than animals with just evolutionary instincts alone and no practical intellect that we pride ourselves with? If we can not accumulate enough wisdom, then how do we expect our leaders to be wise for us?

Whatever it is, these are random thoughts for everyone to mull over! Lives are short and they should be full of meaning - not just routine or automatic! No one gets hurt if we practice some philosophy and wisdom? Society definitely could do with some advanced social skills and wisdom. We seem to be regressing more and more in that area while advancing by leaps and bounds in science. Perhaps, that is why there are so many conflicts and hardships in this world!

And oh yes! The Government needs to practice some humility, wisdom and importantly, practice instead of just preaching... walk the talk, if you will, rather than just expect to fleece people like Shylock for their pound of flesh without the political class contributing anyway to nation building!

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