Everybody is a Genius

Most of  you  must be wondering, what happen to  Suchi, why all  of  a sudden  she started blogging…

I  am member of the local Toastmaster club for more than 2 years.  As I work remotely from  home, do  not have the opportunity  to  step  out of my home much. Hence in order to  improve by  public speaking and presentation  skills joined the club, to  deliver prepared speeches twice or thrice a month. It also  gives me an opportunity  to  dress up 😎 and interact with  other  toastmasters. 

Most of  my  topics are based on organizational  behavior. The other toastmasters liked my subject and the speeches that I delivered. They ask  for the soft copy  of  my  speeches. Although  the title  says everybody is a genius, need to brag myself a little -  I  do  take lot of  time and effort to  prepare my  speech…. Hence wanted to create a repository and came up with blogging….

Apart from prepared speech, we do  have  ‘Thought of  the  day’  in  our agenda…. Shared an interesting thought - Everybody is a Genius! – by  one of the Tamil greatest poetess Avvaiyar.

Everyone in the world is great in something or other.  Even a small Stick is useful -  it is used to  prick our teeth, when needed.

Avvaiyar  -  3^rd century  poetess elaborate this further… she talks about the small living creature’s miraculous work, which  cannot be  replicated by us, humans too…

Who  taught  the tailor /weaver bird  to  make its nest? It makes its nest with only with his beaks…. Careful  enough  to  pick  the green grass , which are more  pliable than the dried ones. Also the female picks her male bird only after inspecting the nests he builds. 💡

Next, who  taught the  termites to  build  their mounds…. They build with  their antennae ONLY. They construct their mounds with separate quarters for the royal King & Queen , nursery and workers. They are the pioneers for the nowadays realtors -  selling apartments / flats. 

 

Honey bee is next -  who taught this insects to  store a liquid nectar up in the beehive…

Spider spins its web and comfortably catches its prey in it too…. smart but sticky strategy.

Just for  the benefit of  my followers,  who  know  Tamil 

வான்குருவி யின்கூடு வல்லரக்கு தொல்கரையான்

தேன்சிலம்பி யாவருக்கும் செய்யரிதால் -யான்பெரிதும்வல்லோமே என்று வலிமைசொல வேண்டாங்காண்எல்லார்க்கும் ஒவ்வொன் றெளிது!

Everybody  is a Genius.  Tap into  yourself , and find the genius in  you….🔨

Work Life Balance

Have you  ever thought , I should wind up work  today 30 mins earlier and take care of couple of errands  or go home and prepare kid’s favorite  dinner….

Yes , for  every  working person  their work ALWAYS  takes  precedence.  Some say  they give priority  to  their  health  and go  to  gym or  do  exercise for  1  hour  a day…  Is physical  health  the only one in  priority after work? What  about  personal  / emotional  and spiritual   needs?

Work  Life balance  is just NOT just dividing the hours  by 2.  It is neatly dividing your active hours by  having the flexibility  to  get things done in  your profession  life , while  you  still  have  the time and same  energy  to  enjoy your  personal  life.  Flexibility here means some days -  like  you  have an audit  /  delivery  to  be completed -  so  we stretch a little  at office and we compensate that over the week ends.

My few pointers  to create a better work –life balance

1)  Accept that there is ‘NO PERFECT’ work  life balance.

Everyone knows that there is NO perfect schedule -  some days we  focus more  on our work. Some days we focus on  personal priorities.  Balance is achieved over the time and NOT each  day.

That is the reason we have  vacation  days /  paternal leave  where we focus more on personal fun activities  than NOT  to  think  about  our work. 

One tip  here  -  be your 100%  wherever you  are…. If you  are in the office /at work -  focus on work  ONLY.  No  social media / personal calls/emails….  If you  are with  your  family -  do  not  look  at the work  emails  on  your  phone.

2)  Do the job that you  love or  try  to  love the job  that you  do.

Most of us  need to work  -  it is a societal  norm.   Work is NOT just for getting money  ,  need to  have the soul  satisfaction  factor too.

Passion  is THE energy. For a surgeon,   who is very  passionate about  his  work -  can conduct a surgery for  hours together and never feels  tired and  never complains of lack  of stamina.  But  once when he returns back  home  and if his  wife  ask  him  to  accompany  her for  shopping  -  then  he needs REAL  stamina. 🙂

3)  Prioritize your health.

This  does NOT say only  about your  daily  routine exercise that is needed. Also  when  you  are sick  -  take enough rest / medical  help  and recover early than  to worsen  the situation  and take  number  of sick  leaves. 

A day  or 2 away, helps  in faster recovery  and  also  NOT to  spread the germs with  other  co-workers. 

Also  when  you  are sick  you  are less productive.  Remember you  are NOT your 100%.

4)  Don’t be afraid to  unplug.

We live in  a connected world  that never sleeps.   So  be prepared  to  give some space for  other  thoughts and ideas….  I  like  to  use an analogy  here.

When  we fill say  a small  packet of  quinoa into  a container….  When it is  about to  come to  the brim , we all  stop the filling and try to  give a  tap and  some quick shakes to  release any  air and make  the grains settle more closer  so  the container can accommodate more grains.  The tap  and shake  is  compared  to  the unplugging.  

If you  work  from  home -  just  go  to  the mail box, to  collect the mails /  pick  the kids from  the bus stop.  If at office, go  to  the break  room -  get a cup  of coffee /  cool  water. Or  check  on  a colleague, who  was sick last week. 

Once you  return  back  to  work  -  you  will  have  definitely  a better solution  to  the problem -  you  were looking into.

5)  Take a vacation.

There is a saying -  All  work NO play makes  Jack a dull  Boy.

The vacation  can be 1 day  or 2 weeks -  this  helps  you to  recharge / revitalize.

But plan your vacation  with  proper  notice so  you  need NOT be concerned about   taxing  your colleague when  you  are away  or worry  about  the work  load after you return. 

6)  Set goal  and priorities.

We are all passionate people  and hence all  our aspirations are very  HIGH. But we need to  set SMART goals -  for our  career , health  and relationship.

·       Specific

·       Measurable

·       Achievable

·       Realistic

·       Timely

Start small and build from  there…  If  you  are trying something new in  your  life -  say  walking daily  -  you  cannot  aim  for 5 miles from  day 1.  You start with  2 miles and gradually  increase  it.

To  conclude -  Work  life balance will  mean different  for  different set of  people -  but we all  have commitments.  Neither   the government nor  the corporate  that you are working  for  can regulate this -  it is an individual’s responsibility.

 It is important -  you  remain  flexible and constantly assess,  what cap  to  wear -  when, where , and for  how LONG.

                                                            Good Luck!

P A S S I O N

Passion -  what do you mean by  this word….. ardent affection , deep interest , strong liking /desire.

Eg of Passion -   

1. For some of us , cars  are  passion…. 

2. For some of us , keeping our body fit is a passion....

3. For some of us , our day  to  day  work  is a passion -  LUCKY !

- Want to apply all of their skills and all of their energy into their passion.

For  my  daily  walk - Stop , kindly do  not put me in above category #2... 🙂

People who  have seen / worked with me or know me very well,  might graciously put me in category #3👍

Due to the  health  reasons, I force myself a rigorous walking in our neighborhood  for  45 to  50 mins, at least  3 or 4  times a week, even when the temperature outside  is 30°F . I  prefer walking outside than the elliptical at  home. 

I  do invite various Tamil motivational  speakers  virtually  for  my daily  hike...  Suki Sivam, Parveen Sultana, Illangai Jeyaraj....  I  heard an interesting  short story  on passion from  Parveen Sultana. 

                                                         

Happy  to  share the fictitious fable ...

A group  of ants and a grass hopper were  neighbors…. As we all  know the characteristics of the ant – ‘Save for the Rainy days’ … they  worked every day without rest. But our friend grass hopper was a fun loving person, playing his  guitar passionately all day.

The ants warned him - start working and save grains. But the grass hopper thought that it was not  his  cup  of tea…. But continued to  play  his  instrument….

As he was doing this,  he noticed  the ant's  characteristic. So he called the queen of ants for a discussion.

Grass hopper said  "As  I  play  my  guitar , I see  your ants are gathering more grains than when I  am NOT  playing the guitar. So  in some way I  am helping your  team to  produce more, so  you  have to  pay me , when I  am playing and your team is working…." 

Grass hopper managed to negotiate  a deal  with the queen -  so  he continues with his passion of playing the guitar and also  get paid by  the ants.

The best feeling in the world is getting paid to do , for what you love….  

Manage to  make your  Job as  a passion….. or find one...

Skills are cheap , but Passion is PRICELESS. 

Home - away from Home.

Home -  away from  Home.

Is  anyone of you  the first generation immigrants  here in US…

I  am  one of the first  generation  immigrants here in  US… I  am NOT  going to  talk  our latest immigration policy here…. Just want to  let you  know neither of my  parent nor in laws are from US.   This was not an overnight  decision  or  forced situation on me  or my  family. 

It was a dream come true of a teenager in  India Chennai /Madras.  Coming from a very conservative / old school / old fashioned family, not allowed to go to  school/college with boys/men , had a dream during my  college days to  go  abroad and work.  In my  family  tree ,  to  my knowledge I know  only  2 women who  stepped out of  their  home  to  take  up  job.  Traditionally  all  women from  our  family  were home makers. Not sure of the ways and means to  achieve my goal  /dream   , completed my  master’s degree in computer application. I  studied in  all  Women’s college both my  grad  an post grad 6 years …. Yes I  know  it is NO Fun….. We go  to  college daily from  home…  no Dorm or Hostel  Life style….  Well it was good  in  one way  -  food and laundry  was taken  care, we had to  study  and have fun only….Also  With  this degree I  know can make it but  did NOT know where to  start.

After convincing my parents to  great extent , they  agreed for  me to  go  to work…. My  Mom was everything for me.  As going to  work was a new experience to  me -  Just like kindergartner , I  narrate everyday  office experiences to  my  Mom.  If god ever gave me an opportunity  to  go  back, I  wish to go back to  those days…. After  few yrs ,  one day  I  told my Mom about  my dream to  go  abroad , I  want to  go  to  US…. 

Another Pandora box was opened…. You  can get married and then  do  as per  your  husband’s  wish.  In conservative families -  we always have arranged marriages. That is  one of  the reason they  do  NOT send girls to coeducation colleges.  Now  my  Mom started to  search a groom which will match  me and my  horoscope and my  aspirations… Since I was in IT , to  narrow down  the search, she started looking for IT grooms -  But to my  luck the horoscopes did NOT match….  none worked out…. 

So  I  said OK to  anyone ,  whose horoscope  matches with  me….  Burying   my  aspirations , sending my  dreams to  drain….

I  got married to  Guna ,  who was the 6^th  son in  the family…  Remember we were in a joint family – It is not that husband and wife living together -   We need to  live with MIL, FIL , 6  brothers , co-sisters their kids… visiting SIL. Cooking in  my  in laws place was always cooking for  a party everyday…. Around 20+ with  14 adults + kids

I was in IT , I  keep  seeing   many  of my colleagues going to US /UK and returning back ….  Our most revered  former president , late   Dr Abdul Kalam says that dream  is NOT that you see in  sleep, Dream is something that does NOT let you  sleep. As an aspiring young lady, the onsite trip  was always haunting me….Now it is the time.

Remember Guna is from a big  family and he is  the most active person  in the family  too…. Yes I need to  bell my cat Guna now… Ladies here and everywhere  know , how to  play  this strategy  with  their husbands…. And many  men know  or realize how  they  fell  a prey  to  some  of  the strategies played by  their wives…. NO offense here…. Knowing that all  5 co-sister were NOT  working… Allowing me to  go  to  work was a BIG thing…   One fine day , after praying  to  all  my  beloved God  and Goddess ,I  spoke to  my  Hubby,   that just like my  other friends,  my  aspiration was to  go  to  US and work, …   He immediately said, if that is your  desire , let  us try  it for  3 months  and come back…  and he had a reasons to  say that , because he was taking care of several  business and  also had his commitment to  his  family.

Even for those 3 months of visit ,  we have to  get my  MIL and FIL permission to  go  abroad….  My  MIL  is a shrewd lady –  she is a woman too…  having raised a huge family categorically said that , she does NOT have any  road blocks  us travelling  to  US… until  we have a baby.     So  we  quickly took care of  that project….within a year ,Voila  my  baby boy Hari was born….

Told my  boss at office , that I am  prepared to go  to  US, and all  paper works were taken  care including   Processing of my  son’s passport and visa , when he was not  even ready  to  sit….

I  was thrilled getting ready  to  go  to  US -  onsite assignment, buying  western outfits, warm  clothing …. 

It was the day for our  take off from Chennai  to  US…. The  entire family  was at the Airport to  send us off..  You   know  my  family and his family  occupying  most of the  area in  the airport….

 Need to  let you  know  2 Points

My husband was in a dependent visa ,  hence he was NOT authorized  to  work  here. Being the most active professional  in  his  family , he took a  role of stay  at home  Dad initially,  to  make  my  dream  come true… Appreciate all his  sincere love and affection…  Yes Lucky ME!

Good Luck  came to  him  too…,  he was the first person to  get his Work authorization  on L2 Visa and started to  work  within  couple of years.  We started our journey for a 3 months period and  being here for  18+ years and going strong  along with  our daughter Sree too... 

    Another important point  is my Mom - At the airport , I was smiling away  with joy,  thinking of my  dream  becoming true. I still  remember my  Mom in  her purple Sari stone faced.  looking into  my eyes without  absolutely  no  words from  her mouth…  I  can see both the extreme of  expressing her sadness of  missing me and stoked of seeing  my  dreams come true…It was a mixed emotions for her….But Mom was so  brave ,  that  with  such  a heavy  heart -  I  did NOT  see a drop  of  tear.

I continue to  pray  god,  to  give me the same courage like my  Mom to smile  always ,  whatever difficulties , I may  come across.

Finally have my  home  here in US…. Yes Home is not a place…it’s a feeling but there’s no place like HOME.