Those were the best days of my Life :)

back in the summer of '06 :-)

Keep watching this space for more updates...

The Argumentative Indian

With due respect to Amartya Sen, I am borrowing the title of his book (even without reading it, but know its contents through reviews). I was most impressed by its title, may because of my experence backhome with the people. Because I always believed that Indians are generally more argumentative.

==> We tend to discuss things, which has no relevance and importance to us.

==> We give long speeches on topics, which at best we have only heard of, and have no personal experience to corelate.

==> We get argumentative for no reason and end up advising without any substance.

==> Facts are overridden by talks and truth are overridden by speeches.

==> Tend to believe that whoever argues the most, is correct. But in Psychology, it is the liar who tends to argue and speak out more because of the inherent fear of the fact.

==> "last word freaks" are not a rarity. These characters always would want to end any discussion. They feel that the by ending the discussion, their view has been accepted (again, as I have mentioned in the above point).

I am not against any arguments, but just against arguments for the sake of arguing.

Ganapathi Bappa Moryaa...

The Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated on August 27th.



Everything in Hinduism begins with the worship of Lord Ganesh. With an elephant head and human form, he represents universality of creation. All creation is said to begin with Sound, and He is that first Sound OM or pranava in which mantras are born. When Shakti (Energy) meets Shiva (Matter) both Ganesh (Sound) and Lord Skanda (Light) are born. This is the scientific basis of this part of Hinduism. In Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesh is the first son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati (a form of Universal Mother). By worshipping Ganesha, a Hindu seeks Divine support for achieving success in one's endeavors in the physical world and for attaining progress thereafter. Since success in all religious acts as well as worldly affairs is the goal of humans, Hindus worship Ganesha to seek God's blessings before undertaking such activities. For this reason, Ganesha is worshipped at the commencements of all religious functions and ceremonies There is some reasoning behind all the parts of the Lord which is explained in the below Ganesh-Symbolism.

History of Public Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi

In 1894, Lokmanya Tilak himself placed an idol of Lord Ganesh in Vinchurkar Wada, Maharashtra, India and began this practice.
Lokmanya Tilak's aims behind starting the public celebration of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi
Prior to starting this public celebration, the social scenario of the Hindus was not stable. The Hindus were not very keen on practicing their religion. They were disunited. The Indians were cowed down by the supremacy of the Westerners. The natural prowess of the Indians was suppressed by this state of affairs
Observing all of this, Lokmanya Tilak took the initiative of starting a public celebration of the festival keeping in mind the below aims.

• To create awareness about religion through the programs organised during the public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi among the Hindus
• To make Hindus aware of their latent prowess
• To nullify the feelings of animosity in society
• To make people aware about their rights and duties
• To rejuvenate the good religious customs
• To commence crusades essential in those times
• To activate the energies present naturally in the society and those generated traditionally.
  Ganapathi Bapa Moriya Pudchya Varshi Laukar Yaa. ( ganapathi, the lord, come again soon next year.)

What is the significance of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi?

In the 120 days from the full moon (pournima) in Ashadh till that in Kartik of the Hindu lunar calendar, yama frequencies, which have the ability to destroy and are tama predominant reach the earth in greater quantities. During this period they are of a greater intensity. However since during the same period, that is from the fourth day (chaturthi) in the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad till Anant chaturdashi, Ganesh frequencies too reach the earth in greater quantities it helps in reducing the intensity of the yama frequencies. Thus celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi derives the benefits from Ganesh frequencies and helps in reducing the effects of yama frequencies.

What should be the duration of the celebration according to scriptures?

According to the scriptures, it should be worshipped ritualistically and immersed immediately thereafter. Since divinity in the sculpt made from mud remains only for one day one can immediately immerse them on second day. It is because man enjoys celebrating festivals and was not satisfied with celebrating for only one day, man began festivities by keeping the idol for one and a half, five, seven or ten days. According to the custom, Ganesh should be immersed on the first, second, third, sixth, seventh or tenth day.

Can we change the duration of the celebration to one and a half day or do we need to ask someone before doing so?

Even if according to the family tradition of spiritual practice (kulachar) the Ganapati was to be kept for five days, one can worship the idol for one and a half or seven days. One need not ask an authority in Spirituality before doing so.

What is the need for a new idol?

Inspite of having an idol of Ganapati, which is routinely worshipped, a new idol is brought for Ganesh Chaturthi. During the period of Ganesh Chatuthi, the Ganesh frequencies reach the earth in larger quantities. If these frequencies are invoked in the usual idol of worship, then that idol will acquire a tremendous amount of energy. To worship such an idol meticulously observing all the norms of ritualistic worship throughout the year would be a difficult task as one would have to follow the restrictions of ritualistic worship (karmakanda).Hence, a new idol is installed to invoke the Ganesh frequencies and is then immersed. The proportion of sattva, raja and tama components in Ganapati frequencies is 5:5:5 while that in an average person is 1:3:5. This makes it difficult for an average person to receive Ganesh frequencies for a long time.

Which family member should celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi?

The vowed religious observance followed for Ganesh chaturthi is referred to as 'Siddhivinayak vrat'. Actually it is beneficial if all family members observe it. If all the brothers live in a joint family, that is have a common treasury and kitchen, then jointly a common idol can be worshipped. However, if due to some reason the treasury and kitchen are separate then each one should observe the vowed religious observance of Ganesh (Ganeshvrat) in one's own home.

So wishing everybody a "Happy Ganesh Chaturthi".

Happy Worship...

HOW TO BE A GOOD MANAGER ?????

Daniel Vasella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG, delivered the Graduation Day Speech for the Class of 2005 at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad on April 2. He gives wise tips to the graduates to help them become great managers and better human beings.















I reproduce his speech here:

Dean Mendu Rammohan Rao, Dear Faculty and dear Graduates, Family Members and Guests,
I feel deeply honoured to be here today with you celebrating first and foremost you the students and your terrific accomplishments.

You are the living proof of the success of this school, which a few years ago still was just a vision and today is not only a reality, but a tremendous success. When Rajat Gupta, the chairman of ISB's Governing Board, asked me if Novartis would provide some financial support to build this school there was no way I could be sure that it would be a successful undertaking, but I trusted Rajat, his competence, his determination and his luck.

My instincts were right.

Many people have made this school what it is today and you all should be proud of what the India School of Business has accomplished and is accomplishing. It is nothing short of amazing that ISB, through the diligent vision and tireless efforts of faculty, students, and others involved, has achieved so much in so little time. When I considered what thoughts I would share with you today, I decided to start with a metaphor.

As the fourth graduating class of ISB you are in many ways pioneers. First, I wanted to comment on the new territory that you will enter and add some of my own learnings.
The drawbridge has been lowered today and you, the students, as you leave your educational activities, are about to cross over a large river to discover new lands. You will to undertake a journey -- which is the continuing journey of your work life. Some of you have already experienced a great deal -- and returned to school, feeling that you needed and wanted to master additional skills.

These learnings that you take with you will help you to take full advantage of all the opportunities waiting for you. You are entering a wonderful land, full of pastures, creeks, fields of crops and fruit trees, and in some places one may -- with some luck -- even find some minerals and gold.

What you discover and learn and how you master the terrain will depend on you. It is a hilly region and the horizon often limits the view, so when you cross the bridge today, you will not be able to see it all, and the best may be neither visible nor close.

Some of you may find your personal field close by and you will spend a life time on it. Others among you may have to walk and search for a long time, working on the way, improving your skills and gaining experience.

And if you ask me if this journey will be easy, I would have to tell you that for most of you there will be many crossroads, some with dead ends. You may even be tricked, finding that distant marshlands which looked like fields of the richest crops are barren after all. Or your path may suddenly end at a precipice, invisible until you reach it and are forced to turn back.
In your quest you may be faced with disappointments, but don't have doubts about whether you should ever have passed the bridge onto these unknown lands.

Despite feelings of disappointment or fatigue, you will always have the individual choice to move on. Have confidence in yourself.

As you continue on your path, start to work and you will discover and learn how to best cut the grain, your arms will become stronger and your movements more agile and faster.

Never be a passive observer, actively engage. Others will help you to harvest. Some of these strangers will become increasingly familiar, you will rely on them and they will rely on you. When you work with the sickle don't get too close to each other, if you hurt each other both of your work will suffer.

On some fields you may work alone because you discover them first, for some trees you may not need a ladder to get to the fruits, but in most cases you will depend on others as others will depend on you. You will have to make the choice regarding what crop to harvest and which fruits to collect.

It is occasionally better to walk for a longer distance until you find the right place, avoiding fields which are worked in an undisciplined way -- with too many people or too much disorganisation, fraught with people who fight against each other. The fruits of these fields will never provide an abundant harvest.

When you choose a place look to the sky and check the elements, as this will influence your performance. Work will be easier when the conditions are right -- more productive during mild days, more limited when it is hot and humid.

There are days and weeks with glaring sun at which time vulgar stones may shine like diamonds. Hours and money may be spent to get a claim -- just to find out in the evening, after a hectic day that you have filled your pockets with gravel. Which path you take and if you are successful in navigating will depend on you.

Take your steps calmly, with enjoyment and with a sober mind. The compass and the map are in yourself, they will guide you, although the map may not yet be complete.

Occasionally someone will provide you with a point of orientation, an initial segment of a new road, but nobody can complete the map for you, nor can you immediately get a fully detailed one.

Over time you will fill in the roads that are not marked, charting the paths that cross your terrain as you consult your map and complete it. There can be no doubt that you will master your course, if you watch your inner compass and analyse your environment and the effect of your actions.

Irrespective of your starting point and irrespective of the choices you have already made, you must go forward with open eyes and an open mind. Train and observe, evaluate, learn, choose and continue to build your experience.

As (India's first prime minister) Pandit Nehru said, 'Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you is determinism, the way you play it is free will. . . There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.'

As I wrote this down, I began to also think about the lessons that I have learned that I might share with you. I wanted to understand your aspirations. I double-checked the statistics of your class. I discovered that on average your class has already spent five years in a job that your average age is 27 and that 25 per cent of you have even had international experience. Nevertheless you went back to school. Why? Just to learn more? To have a better chance at becoming a successful businessperson or to enter general management?

Have you ever asked yourself what your deep motivations to go into business really are? Irrespective of what you have told others and what you may have told yourself, you should probe to truly understand your motivations.

Why did you choose to go into business -- for money, for influence and power, or for reputation and fame? Or did you know someone you admired who was in business and who you aspired to become or even to surpass?

It really does not matter. These are all legitimate reasons as long as you acknowledge them, understand them and master them instead of their mastering you. You now have gained the skills necessary to be successful in business. I have no doubt that ISB taught you everything on economically sound behaviour: how to create wealth, how to use resources productively, about revenues, profits, assets and liabilities, gains and losses, free cash-flow, markets and NPV, ROI, RONA, ROE and EVA.

I have no doubt that you assimilated skills to properly analyse and diagnose a problem -- forging plans and options for solving it, resulting in effective decision making and formulating actions with appropriate communications and control systems.

I have no doubt that you have the intellectual strength, the capacity to work hard, the interest, the motivation and the imagination needed to graduate from a top business school.

And I have no doubt that you learned to work in teams, to listen and to speak up, to teach and to learn from your peers.

But what are your views on ethics and values? With all the corporate scandals ranging from Enron to WorldCom to Tyco and so many others, every business school today must also talk about laws, regulations, ethics and integrity, personal values, right and wrong.

I am sure that you have developed a perspective of your own about these matters.

To be successful in a firm this is still not enough. You will have to demonstrate ambition, competence, great work ethics, speed, flexibility and discipline with the willingness to contribute to others and be dependable.

And you have to be competitive as in the end you must show results. You will have to build trust.

And I have to push you even more. We in the corporate world will want you to demonstrate judgment and empathy, to be open and transparent, especially about mistakes and omissions, we want you to be a realistic optimist, have a sense of humour and on top of all of this, be lucky as well.

By now you are -- no doubt -- either thinking that I am too demanding or you are beginning to wonder about your ability to fulfill all these criteria to the utmost degree. But I bet that some people would even add more to this list of skills and character attributes they expect from others, especially from their leaders.

However, let me reassure you that I have not yet met anyone who has all of these qualities. We all have strengths and weaknesses. But over the course of our business life you and I can continue to learn, correct, change and assimilate new insights.

In my life, I had great teachers, some taught me lessons intentionally, some by chance -- and the learnings may not always have been the intended ones.

Let me share with you one personal experience. In the last year of my medical training I was working in the emergency room, when an old man with an unexplained abdominal pain came in.
I did the initial work up, taking the medical history and doing the physical exam when the chief of medicine arrived and started asking questions about the case. He briefly talked with the patient, examined him silently while I stood beside him, hoping for his advice and instructions. The professor then looked at me and began to enumerate all possible diagnoses, why the pain could be this or that.

He was like a perfect textbook. Then he turned to the patient and without a further word took the blanket, pulled it further up and. . .. left. I was speechless. I had no clue what to do.
This professor, who knew everything, had left without doing anything. He simply rearranged the blanket. Luckily for me, and the patient, a resident who had observed the interaction came over, gave me instructions on the blood work to order and on necessary X-rays. He placed the patient on an infusion, and later when the patient felt better, sat down with me to discuss the case, quizzing me on details.

That day I learned that knowledge without action is useless. I realised that a good young trainer is sometimes more helpful than a well-known authority. I am sure that the professor did not realise what real lesson I learned from him. During your career look out for good immediate supervisors, who are willing to give you responsibilities and train you. Seek out the opportunity to work with demanding people, you will learn more from them.

Lessons, which stress you, and even hurt, are in the end more memorable. It is good if your immediate supervisor is a fine tutor and you need many of those, but it is excellent when you also have a mentor.

This individual may be someone more removed from your daily work, either inside or outside the company, willing to advise you, someone to whom you can turn when you have a problem or a joy to share. While tutors change and should change, mentors remain more stable.
If you are lucky enough to find real mentors you must work to keep him or her motivated. Mentors give you their time, you have to give them something in return. It may be your fresh ideas, your energy, your idealism, your loyalty and your trust.

As you know there is often a lack of clarity in life, and there is a tension which pulls into opposing directions.

• Ambiguity is something we have to learn to live with, without it creating discomfort for us.

• We must be able to make decisions and act -- even with incomplete information, accepting this imperfection with quiet self-confidence.
  

• We have to lay-off people while having empathy with the individual.
  

• It is important to remain confident and optimistic when taking risks hasn't paid off and conversely be cautious when everything goes well.
  

• We have to strive to create wealth, while we see great poverty around us.
  

• We have to press for short-term results while focussing on the long-term, and we have to invest for the future even while we cut costs today.
  

• Be comfortable with seemingly contradictory situations, feelings and actions. You will of course encounter many people who can not deal with ambiguity, people who always want simplicity and clarity.

So, you as leaders will have to create the clear direction for them. This is an act of will and part of leadership. Your instinct and judgment will indicate the right actions and timing for you, as Alexander the Great knew when he cut the Gordian Knot, finding a stunningly simple solution for a complex problem.

As leaders you will have to make a real difference showing the direction, guided by an implicit or explicit vision.This will allow people and organisations to achieve more than they ever dreamed they could. Ordinary people will become extraordinary people, realising together extraordinary things. This is leadership.

Let me leave you with some additional points.

I hope that you join a firm that inspires you by the purpose it fulfills for society. Work should not just be about money or power, but about an aspiration to contribute.

As leaders, people will expect more from you than from others and they should. Accept this responsibility and act accordingly.

Remember that money and power can corrupt. There will be temptations to misuse your knowledge and influence. You will need strength and character to resist. In any case you will know if you fail, although it may be invisible to others. This will undermine your self-assurance.

Finally, I'd like to share with you some thoughts that are very important, but which you probably won't hear a lot about in your career.

There will be days when you feel the pleasure of accomplishment. But the truth is, there will be times when you are disappointed, angry or sad. This is normal.

• Have the confidence to accept these feelings, trust your self, be genuine, and also transparent with others.

• Be yourself and don't try to play a role. Tough days never last forever and after follow the good days. Your family and friends will support you in difficult times, therefore understand and respect also their needs and strike the right balance for yourself and for them.

Dear students, today I shared some of my beliefs and insights with you. I would have liked to pass on all my knowledge and experience, which of course I cannot.

I wish you success, financial rewards and a great job, but above all I wish you wisdom, the ability to respect others, the fortitude to resist temptations, the generosity to help those in need, and the awareness that we are all humans, with all our human strengths and weaknesses.

The new land is yours -- at least for some time -- make the best out of it, it's up to you. As Mahatma Gandhi said, 'You must be the change you want to see in the world. Infinite striving to be the best is man's duty, it is its own reward. Everything else is in God's hands.'

God bless you.

Top 13 Funniest Newspaper Classifieds !!

(Actual excerpts from classified sections of city newspapers)

1. Illiterate? Write today for free help.

2. Our experienced Mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included.

3. Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once; you'll never go anywhere again.

4. 3-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.

5. Wanted. Widower with school age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.

6. Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated. Come here first.

7. Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.

8. Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.

9. For sale: antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.

10. Tired of cleaning yourself. Let me do it.

11. Wanted. Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.

12. We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.

13. Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops!

Steve Jobs's Graduation speeech

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

What's better than..??

This is one of the most inspiring speech I have ever read in my life. Th amount of detail which has went into it and the impact which it has is truly amazng !!

Manila, Philippines


This speech was delivered during the commencement exercises of the UP graduating class of 2003 by Mr. Butch Jimenez, the youngest commencement speaker in the university's history. He once dreamed of doing so, and it came true!!! :-) Students wished they had a pencil or paper to jot down notes during the speech; some even wished they had a tape recorder. Some members of the faculty found his speech practical, refreshing, and funny!

Butch Jimenez, head of PLDT's media and strategic communications
department, delivered this speech at the UP Diliman Class 2003
commencement exercises.

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What's better than...?

By Butch Jimenez



As college students, you're just about to set sail into the real world. As you prepare for the battleground of life, you'll hear many speeches, read tons of books and get miles of advice telling you to work hard, dream big, go out and do something for yourself, and have a vision.

Not bad advice, really. In fact, following these nuggets of truth may just bring you to the top. But as I've lived my life over the years , I have come to realize that it is great to dream big, have a vision, make a name, and work hard. But guess what: There's something better than that.

So my message today simply asks the question, What's better than...?


Better than being negative

Let's start off with something really simple. What's better than a long speech? No doubt, a short one. So, you guys are in luck because I do intend to keep this short.

Now, let me take you through a very simple math exam. I'll rattle off a couple of equations, and you tell me what you observe about them. Be mindful of the instructions. You are to tell me what you observe about the equations.

Here goes: 3+4=7, 9+2=11, 8+4=13, and 6+6=12. Tell me, what do you observe?

Every time I conduct this test, more than 90 percent of the participants
immediately say, 8+4 is NOT 13, it's 12!

That's true and they are correct. But they could have also observed that the three other equations were right. That 3+4 is 7, that 9+2 is 11, and that 6+6 is 12.

What's my point? Many people immediately focus on the negative instead of the positive. Most of us focus on what's wrong with other people more than what's right about them. Examine those four equations. Three were right and only one was wrong. But what is the knee-jerk observation? The wrong equation.

If 10 people you didn't know were to walk through that door, most of you would describe those people by what's negative about them. He's fat. He's balding. Oh, the short one. Oh, the skinny girl. Ahhh, 'yung pango. Etc.

Get the point? It's always the negative we focus on and not the positive. You'll definitely experience this in the corporate world. You do a hundred good things and one mistake-guess what? Chances are, your attention will be called on that one mistake.

So what's better than focusing on the negative? Believe me, its focusing on the POSITIVE. And if this world could learn to focus on the positive more than the negative, it would be a much nicer place to live in.


Better than working hard

We have always been told to work hard. Our parents say that, our teachers say that, and our principal says that. But there's something better than merely working hard. It's working SMART.

It's taking time to understand the situation, and coming out with an effective and efficient solution to get more done with less time and effort. As the Japanese say, "There's always a better way."

One of the most memorable case studies I came across with as I studied Japanese management at Sophia University in Tokyo was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a box of soap that was empty. It immediately isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management tasked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast.

But a rank-and-file employee that was posed the same problem came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.

Clearly, the engineers worked hard, but the rank-and-file employee worked smart. So what's better than merely working hard? It's working smart. Having said that, it is still important to work hard. If you could combine both working hard and working smart, you would possess a
major factor toward success.

Better than dreaming big

I will bet my next month's salary that many have encouraged you to dream big. Maybe even to reach for the stars and aim high. I sure heard that about a million times right before I graduated from this university. So I did. I did dream big. I did aim high. I did reach for the stars. No
doubt, it works. In fact, the saying is true: "If you aim for nothing, that's exactly what you'll hit: nothing."

But there's something better than dreaming big. Believe me, I got shocked myself. And I learned it from the biggest dreamer of all t ime, Walt Disney.

When it comes to dreaming big, Walt is the man. No bigger dreams were fulfilled than his. Every leadership book describes him as the ultimate dreamer. In fact, the principle of dreaming and achieving is the core message of the Disney hit song, "When You Wish Upon a Star".

"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are; anything your heart desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star, as dreamers do," as Jiminy Cricket sang.

But is that what he preached in the Disney company? Dream? Imagineering

Well, not exactly. Kinda, but not quite. The problem with dreaming is if that's all you do, you'll really get nowhere. In fact, you may just fall asleep and never wake up.

The secret to Disney's success is not just dreaming, it's IMAGINEERING. You won't find this word in a dictionary. It's purely a Disney word. Those who engage in imagineering are called imagineers. The word combines the words "imagination" and "engineering."

In the book "Imagineers," Disney's CEO, Michael Eisner, claims that "imagineers turn impossible dreams into real magic."

Walt Disney explained there is really no secret to their approach. They just keep moving forward-opening new doors and doing new things, because they are curious. And it is this curiosity thatleads them down new paths. They always dream, explore and experiment.
In short, imagineering is the blending of creative imagination and technical know-how.

Eisner expounds on this thought by saying that "Not only are imagineers
curious, they are courageous, outrageous, and their creativity is
contagious."

The big difference with imagineers is that they dream and then they DO! So don't just be a dreamer, be an imagineer.


Better than working hard

You must have all been given a lecture at one time or another about the importance of having a vision. Even leadership expert John Maxwell says that an indispensable quality of a leader is to have a vision. The Bible also makes it very clear that "Without vision, people perish." So no
doubt about it, having a vision is important to success.

But surprise! There's something more potent than a vision. It's a CAUSE. If all you're doing is trying to reach your vision and you're pitted against someone fighting for a cause, chances are you'll lose.

The Vietnam War is a classic example. Literally with sticks and stones, the Viet Cong beat the heavily armed US Army to surrender, primarily because the US had a vision to win the war, but the Vietnamese were fighting for a cause.


Better than doing something for yourself

In the realm of business, many leaders have visions of making their company No.1, or grabbing market share, or forever increasing profits.

Nothing really wrong with that vision, but take the example of Sony founder Akio Morita. He did not just have a vision to build the biggest electronics company in the world. In his biography, "Made in Japan," he reveals that the real reason he set up Sony was to help rebuild his
country, which had just been battered by war. He had a cause he was fighting for. His vision to be an electronics giant was secondary.


Better than a vision

What's the difference bet ween a vision and a cause? Here's what sets them apart... No one is willing to die for a vision. People will die for a cause. You possess a vision. A cause possesses you. A vision lies in your hands. A cause lies in your heart. A vision involves sacrifice. A cause involves the ultimate sacrifice.

Just a word of caution. You must have the right vision, and you must be fighting for the right cause. In the end, right will always win out.

It may take time, and it may take long. But if you have the right vision and are fighting for the right cause, you will prevail. If not, no matter how sincere you are, if you are not fighting for what is right, you will ultimately fail.

Two final quotes

Allow me to end with two quotes that I have lived by ever since I stepped out of UP.

The first comes from the Bible, which says, "To whom much is given, much is required."

Having been given the opportunity to study in UP, no doubt, much has been given to you in terms of an excellent education. Don't forget that in return, much is now required of you to use that education not just for yourself, but for others.

And as you move up and start reaching the pinnacle of success, even more will be required of you to look at the welfare of others, of society and of the country.

Though I have often dreamed of addressing any graduating class of UP Diliman, I never really thought it would happen. This brings me to the second quote I have held close to my heart as I traverse the destiny God has laid out for me.

"There is no destination beyond reach of one who walks with God." My standing in front of you today, as the youngest commencement speaker of this esteemed university in 92 years, is proof of how true that quote is.

A final review:

* What's better than focusing on the negative? Focus on the positive.
* What's better than working hard? It's working smart.
* What's better than dreaming? Imagineering.
* What's better than doing something for yourself? Doing something for
your country.
* What's better than a vision? A cause.
* What's better than a long speech? Definitely, a short one.

Thank you and congratulations, UP Diliman graduating class of 2003

"Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends."

Pen Paper and Thoughts

After a long thought, I have decided to pen down my thoughts, my likes, my dislikes, my inspiration, my frustrations, some articles and breaking news and what not.

They say "the pen is mightier than sword". So let me see how much time I can kill with this tool.

This is going to be journey for me never taken before. I welcome you all to my world....