Preparing the HR function for Industry 4.0 & the digital disruption

Today, we are standing at the beginning of a new decade that will be driven by the penetration of technology in human lives, reforming inter-personal relationships, changing business models and disrupting industries with the advent of Industry 4.0. Therefore, it is important to understand Industry 4.0 at a fundamental level and its associated dynamics which we will refer to as ‘The 3-Ws of Industry 4.0’. This will enable us to analyse the role of H in ‘HR’, transform the end-to-end talent and workforce spectrum and deploy resources such that organizations can disrupt rather than get disrupted.

What is Industry 4.0?	Implication on HR as a function
It is a network of cyber-physical systems with intelligent factories and workplaces driven by smart machines that communicate with each other, diagnose risks and initiate corrective actions. 4.0 aims at optimization of supply chains and value chains across organizations by gathering and analysing patterns of large volumes of data, otherwise impossible for humans. The penetration of use cases led by AI/ML/IoT/Big Data and Analytics to name a few.	This places a huge responsibility on the HR function to enable a smooth and successful transition from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0 at an organization-wide level. Need of restructuring the employee acquisition, employee engagement and talent management processes to meet the changing psychological, financial, learning and development needs of employees – both humans and machines. Prepare the business and the workforce to embrace the culture of ‘Co-bot’, co-sharing workplace between humans and robots. Sensitize workforce to understand and co-opt with their machine counterparts for better collaboration.
Why move to Industry 4.0?	Implication on HR as a function
The shift from a services economy to a profit power economy post the global financial crisis, resulting to an ecosystem of contested boundaries can be tackled majorly by harnessing the power of data – its aggregation as well as analysis.	Urgent need of HR professionals to upskill themselves to leverage ‘Talent Sciences’ – the acumen of intuition by gathering employees’ and candidates’ data to hire and retain the best talent from the market.
Where is Industry 4.0 applicable?	Implication on HR as a function
The adoption of Industry 4.0 is changing the business models across the various segments of manufacturing and service sectors alike. From Shop floors to boutique manufacturing, from standardized service centres to personalized customer/ client value creation, industry 4.0 is changing the way producers and consumers meet, exchange ideas and transact.	Industry 4.0 is an opportunity for HR as a function to be the focal point for business critical decisions, revenue generation, business and corporate strategy formulation. With access to employee data, HR can gain a competitive edge and move from Operational reporting(descriptive analytics) to business strategy formulation(prescriptive analytics) alongside the Analytics Maturity model by Gartner. Thereby, getting representation in the executive board and function not just as a reactive member but also a proactive member to close the feedback loop of the talent available in the market, enabling the board in planning the future 4.0 strategy of the firm .

Few of the many potential use cases could be summed up as follows:
•Pre-Hire – use algorithms for optimized CV processing, candidate conversion rate, predict on-job success to variable factors, debunking the myth of correlation between high GPA scores and intelligence/smartness on – job. 
•Development – harness employee behaviour data, employ sentiment analysis to better equip managers in understanding their direct reports at a granular level.
•Succession Planning – employ the right mix of human + machine workforce, allowing humans to perform strategic tasks.
•Employee engagement – employ algorithms to understand patterns in predicting productivity spikes and redesign policies. 
•Performance management - AI/ML algorithms can help HR to set objective goals and measurements further adding to the transparency of the process. Additionally, real-time feedback can be provided to employees, resulting in course-correction at every stage rather than waiting for mid- or end-term performance cycles.
•Attrition management – analyse successful vs unsuccessful hires, use data to limit dysfunctional behaviour and enable collaboration by eliminating silo culture.

Thus, in my viewpoint if HR and organizations as a whole want to benefit and ride on the wave of digital disruption, they must adopt Industry 4.0, preparing the organization to focus on being the leader in the current ‘Attention economy’. 

We the Women!

Over the horizon, under the sea,
From far flung war rooms to the complex corporate tree.

Armed with wisdom and mind shackle-free,
Thou hath come a long way, Our Women in reverie.

Spread out your wings, weave a new desire,
Learn, Lead and Last, you have in your belly the needed fire.

Break Free from the cage that throws your ambitions on the burning pyre,
DO not be the damsel in distress, you were born only to inspire.

Let them not douse the strength of your power,
From your submissiveness , they stimulate their valor.

Accept not the hogwash of their sympathy,
Battle the challenges of womanhood gracefully.

As an entrepreneur or an employee,
rests on you the hopes of  a legacy.

So, Arise, Awake and march forward,
The millennial woman, you are here to be heard!!


Love,
Megha S.

Women Leadership: New Age Imperatives

We are in the era of Radical Shifts. The corporate dynamics is flipping at a fast rate and fostering gender equality remains a high visibility agenda across companies. While we may have seen a surge in the number of women entrepreneurs, the number of women CEOs and executive team members is stagnating. It stands at a meagre 4.6% of Fortune 500 CEO positions. Where is it emanating from?

According to the Women in Workplace study 2016 - Promotion rates for women lag behind those of men, for every 100 women promoted, 130 men are promoted. Secondly, at senior levels, women shift from line to staff roles. 90% of CEOs were promoted from line roles and 100% of those were men.

So why are women leaders important and how will we benefit from women leadership?

• Women have circular vision, one moment they could be talking about the latest pub in town and next moment giving you perspectives on the stock exchange. They can switch gears real quick, making them exceptional motivators and problem solvers.
• Women are multi-taskers and highly collaborative and process oriented.
• Women are skeptic by nature and look for legitimacy in the prospective solution to a problem. Thereby, building an authentic yet practical model for work.
• Improved staff retention, innovation and access to talent.
• Lead to higher employee engagement since the diverse strength of all employees can be leveraged.
• Role Model effect will lead to a better socio-economic quo,

Companies can enforce gender equality in the following ways:

• Stop relegating women contributions as supporting and not central/leading role.
• Develop women’s skills and capabilities by trainings.
•  Do not brush off critical feedback from women as non-competent.
• Commitment to gender diversity should be percolated from CEO to every employee.
• Put better systems in place to ensure the policies are working towards fair hiring, promotions and role alignments.
• Encourage and ensure direct interaction of women employees with senior management.

Finally, the women must follow the 3L Strategy to achieve leadership roles – Learn, Lead and Legacy:

•  It is not only what you know, but also who you know that defines success. So connect with people, transformational leaders and exchange knowledge and learn.
• Be fearless and be a good negotiator. Be aggressive wherever needed.
• Overcome traditional gender expectations with élan and grace to leave behind a positive legacy.

Women in the Changing dynamics of the Corporate world

International Women's day is fast approaching.March 8th, every year is marked as the IWD. Being an employee of an equal rights employer, the stress on IWD, gender equality at work, fair policies for woman and enforcement of a work culture free from gender-bias is a very important KRA for the policymakers of the organization.

We have certainly come a long way. From the confines of the four walls of the house, where women were being denied basic education to becoming literate, educated, skilled and highly skilled workforce of the Nation;women have surely come a long way.

Something that remains intact is the mindset of the average Indian Man or may be Men across the world. Therefore, we see fewer women at the top management positions than we see the men. There are a handful of such fiercely forceful ladies as Rekha Menon or Vanitha Narayanan in the IT industry and Arundhati Bhattacharya or Shanti Ekambaram in the Banking industry.

A Woman has always been epitomized as a caregiver, a fulfiller and a nurturer. Whereas, man has been exemplified as the bread earner, the hard worker and financially responsible.A female employee is still considered as a temporary asset to the team at least in the heads if not on papers.She will join, get married in due course, go on maternity leaves and that shall mark the end or slowdown of her career.Yes, it may mark a temporary slowdown, but she is not temporary. She is here to stay. The sooner we understand and realize this, the sooner we acknowledge that getting Ahead is a womanly trait too and that she should not be suppressed is when we will take the first step towards a balanced economical growth.

Disparities in financial remunerations due to gender bias is a commonly faced and discussed about topic. So many women face this challenge often. For an equal rights employer, it becomes obligatory to eradicate such unhealthy practises.

Let us give our women their due, unclog our mindsets and support them in their journey. Yes support - for they were, they are and will always remain to be the life givers on this planet and need a little handholding at stages, which in o way should impact their aspiration or desires.

There is an excellent video on Gender Equality at work(an advertisement by Tanishq). Go catch a glimpse of it here.

With Love,
Megha S.

Soul Mates Vs Twin Flame

We are all nothing more than a flame of light, for we are the soul and not the body. Each flame or soul as we most commonly call it, has transcended over hundreds of years and reached here - to this moment - 'The Now' that we are all into. Each one has its own journey, individual lessons to learn and then be absorbed back into the larger flame.

Have you ever met someone whom you felt an instant connect with? Like, you know this person for a long time, like you have felt this touch before whereas in reality you would have never even crossed paths in this life, in this physical plane.Well, I have. To be honest, I have met many such people. Some, that I am still in touch with. Others that came, taught valuable lessons, are still around me but we don't interact as often as we once did. May be their role in my life was limited to the phase where I met them. When they were needed the most, they were sent and now they are busy learning their own life lessons. These people are your soulmates. A soul mate may be anyone - not necessarily your life partner. You can actually have many soulmates. They are basically souls that are on the same wavelength as yours and come to the physical plane to help you in this journey. You may feel strongly for them. Having said that, let us understand it well, that it need not be romantic love for that soul. You may be able to comprehend words they don't speak, actions that they do not explain about. Yet, we believe in them. Why? Because, we have met before. We have known each other and our souls can look within us. The souls can connect.

There are other set of people, whom we do not connect with at all. Yet, life takes such turns and twists that we end up getting intertwined with them, into relationships that both the head and the heart isn't convinced about.We pause at multitude Red signals, know that the road ahead is bumpy, are most often not even willing to take risk, Yet, we plunge into it. Why? Because, there is this soul, you owe some debts. There is a karmic account that needs to be settled. It is best to settle it now and free yourself of it. So that you can crossover to the next life with lesser burden. I have had such encounters in my life too. Trust me, these are your energy drainers. They will suck out the positivity from your life and leave you devastated. But may be that is the reason they were sent to us. To help us learn patience, perseverance, feeling of loss and deceit. God help you if you have learnt it all. If not be prepared for some real fun, when you crossover too. (pun intended).

The third kind of souls are the most precious. They are your Twin Flames . Just when it was decided that a soul had to go on a physical plane to learn life's lessons (because it is believed that it is only when the soul takes the form of a body that it can experience hurt, anxiety, fear, jealousy and all that we keep close to the bosom with pride), the flame gets divided into two. It is more like a monozygotic twin where a fertilized egg splits into two separate embryos. The only difference lies in the fact that a monozygotic twin is born at the same time, but the Twin Flames may be sent over at different times.When the time is right, they meet. If the former or latter are doing a good job at learning their lessons is when they may not even meet in this life. That is the power of Free-Will. Destiny may have had some plan for you, but the outcome of the plan would have been left just in the Draft state with a note that Free will shall decide the course of events. It is then that you may or may not meet your Twin Flame.  But what a loss! If we don't. I am sure that feeling of being able to see, touch and feel your twin flame can transport you to another world. It can fill your life with a light so bright and divine that you would feel satiated and eternally blissful.

Many of us would like to accept and acknowledge that we may have met our Soulmates but not the Twin Flames or may be met your Twin Flame but they couldn't become your Life Mates. Possible, Isn't it?


With Love,
Megha S

Emotional Baggage - Can you Tame the Brain?

"Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got." - Robert Breault.

Life will not always be the way we plan it to be. Or perhaps, in few cases it is seldom the way it is planned to be. The only difference lies in the way our brains are programmed towards the acceptance of reality vs imagination. Few of us have a higher threshold limit whereas others may have very low threshold levels. The human brain can be absolutely tamed.

There was a research carried out by researchers of the University of Queensland in Australia and University of California at Berkeley in the year 2005 on the power of the human mind and how it could be reprogrammed. The study was conducted on 76 Tibetan Buddhist Monks in India who had mediated for thousands of hours and had been successful in altering the structure and function of their brains. This results to increased neuroplasticity. The advantages of the increased neuroplasticity is tremendous. It leads to unusually large propensity for happiness and reduced tendency towards negativity.

My husband has this extreme fascination for the himalayas and the Tibetan monks and their lifestyle. That keeps taking him every year on a ride to the himalayas and why not! The peace, tranquility and simplicity that the lives of the monks exemplify is truly captivating.

I am sure a lot of us would want that degree of peace in our lives. But it comes at the cost of self-discipline. Disciplining our mind to stay in the present. Let go off the past, let go off hurt, relationships, people, their actions or their words that caused us pain and be in a state of bliss.

How many of us really do that? We hold on to grudges over years together.We may never ever meet that person again, but their words still keep dancing in our heads. The more we think of them, the more fuel we add to the fire of hurt that was caused long back. It is sometimes best to forgive - forget and move on, not for anyone else, but our own sake.

If the memories of the past still have the power to stir fear in your heart,
Or
If the happenings of yester years still manage to encapsulate your heart with love and nostalgia,
Or
If you compare your present with the past, even if to epitomize your happiness today.

You are still stuck there, You still carry an emotional baggage that needs to be unpacked. Your yardstick for the measurement of your contentment should not be experiences from the past. Yes, experiences shape us into more informed and better prepared individuals. But, it is unjustified to compare two different phases or situations in life that can never meet.

If the past brings neither sorrow, nor happiness, neither trepidation nor yearning, it is then that you are truly living in the present. It is only through acceptance of one's life and its many events - good or bad does a human being become truly satisfied. When life's occurrences lose the power to alter the state of your mind, is when you have actually gotten over it.

And it is best to get rid off the past, so that the present can be written on a fresh slate waiting to be explored and enjoyed. We live only once. It is best to go with the flow and enjoy each day, as it comes.

Meditate, Exercise, Join a hobby class, do things that will help you understand yourself better. After all, the duty we owe ourselves is greater than that we owe to anyone else.

If you are looking for someone who can change your life, look no further, you had that person since birth - That person is 'You'.


With Love,
Megha S

It’s certainly time to analyze the OROP with our head: heads that have Wisdom, Wit and a pinch of Sensitivity

I have seldom written about any ongoing National issues on my personal blog. It has always centred on the finer aspects of life and relationships, morals and spirituality. But since I read the high-drama article of Mr. Chetan Bhagat in Times of India last Sunday, my mind has been wondering and conscience questioning that if we have ever hailed him as the Voice of the Indian youth.

·   Where do we - the young Indians stand in terms of morality and basic conduct?

·   Have we completely lost our gray matter to the gimmicks of grabbing public attention wherever we can?

·   Is our education system armed appropriately to provide us wisdom and not just printed papers under the cover of degrees?

My conscience, awareness and education tell me that there is a deep rooted evil in the system that is denying our veterans their right to OROP. So when an article like “It's time to analyze OROP with our head, not our heart” publishes under the pen of an army officer’s highly qualified Son, I can only look at it with pity and compassion.

I am not good at numbers, nor equipped to fetch the factual data at this point in order to judge whether there is any truth behind the calculation of Rs. 12,000 crore annual liability in the article. However, I cannot stoop low to put a price on the sect who ensure my Nation’s sovereignty.  Additionally, my understanding of the subject says that the delays caused by one government after the other and interplaying role of babus has brought us to the figure of Rs. 12,000 crore. The burden should not be put on OROP alone. The Army has been committed towards National well-being. At the time of Independence, on the appeal of the then Prime Minister, they accepted lesser salaries. This was a measure taken so that the government, that was already stressed under revenue collection would not be burdened anymore. We have come a long way since then. I think the time is long overdue when that one time measure needs to be revamped.

It has been very conveniently put in the article that in a country with limited resources, pensions amounting to Rs.60,000 crore per year is being spent on services (of the Army) already rendered. With no offence to the oh-so-revered Members of Parliament, I would like to ask, what makes writers like Chetan Bhagat keep their pen capped on the pension scheme for ex-MPs irrespective of their tenure.  As if it was not enough, the govt. is furthering the cause and is set to increase the rate of additional pension for each completed year in excess of five years, and an additional pension of Rs 2,000 per month instead of the current rate of Rs 1,500. Where is the money for this extravaganza coming from?

The Nation’s Army is meant to be taken pride in, respected and rewarded for their services today and forever. If they risk their lives, go to war during hostilities, let us at least have the audacity to support them when they are asking for their due.

Comparing the Army to several other government jobs that don’t have pension schemes shows a high degree of ignorance on the part of the writer. The Army doesn’t retire at 60. They don’t work for 8 hours flat. They don’t get paid for overtime. They don’t sleep in the cozy environs of their home. They work at field areas in not so friendly conditions, stay away from families and do not enjoy the best of all. I am sure there is much more to add to this list and other innumerable stories of their courage and valour.

My consistent following of the OROP on the news channels, newspapers, social media and basic understanding alone convince me on its genuineness. It’s a dismay that a celebrated national bestseller writer connects it to a prevarication that the army “guards the borders and so it should get what it wants”. They have earned it, they deserve it. They are peacefully seeking justice for somethings that has been long overdue.

And as far as the article published last Sunday in the National Newspaper is concerned, let us not forget; fiction writing places a person in a cocoon where there is ample space to give wings to one’s imagination. Seems like our writer fell a prey to it. Let imaginations fly but keep them restricted to fictitious characters and be sensible and sensitive enough to not target real people and events.

With Love,

Megha S. 

ITS A BOY - The "madness" that has consumed India.

                                     A must watch Video

Surfing the internet, glancing from one blog post to another I somehow landed up at the website of "The Independent UK" with a write up on the male child madness of India. 

Yes, we all know about it. A lot has been said and discussed about it - Print media, social networking sites, television, coffee table discussions probably every where we can think of. We all see it somewhere or the other around us. But it is only when your eye catches a lot of facts and figures about the condition that prevails even in the affluent, so - called educated sect of the country, that you are left shocked and in dismay. 

I am blessed to be born in a family that values son and daughters equally, with no special preference given either to the son or the daughter. But considering the vast population of our country and the socio-cultural gap, how many girl children have been blessed with this privilege? What is it that makes the mentally crippled male-dominated society of ours believe; that a male child would rear all benefits to them by the mere virtue of his gender?

The economically weaker section of the society has innumerable reasons under which it conceals its helplessness of bearing the financial burden that a female child brings. It argues that the arrival of a female child means expenses right from the moment of her birth until the parents last breath. The unending list of expenses incurred in her marriage, the dowry, the pre-birth costs of first grandchild, the arrival ceremony of the first grandchild, the life-long expenses on the whims and fancies of the son-in-law, the mental agony inflicted due to domestic violence on their daughters; take a toll on them. They neither have the capacity nor the courage to face or renounce the cultural malices deep-engrained in our society. They do not want to lead their lives under the burden of heavy loans. So they resort to measures for which God shall never forgive them. 

This argument of poverty and lack of means to sustain a girl child seems absolutely baseless to me. This is more of a cultural phenomenon where a woman who gives birth to a male child is considered superior than her other counterpart. It is nothing but mental sickness, a rotten patriarchal social model where men are considered the bread winners who would supposedly carry the family name and look after their parents in old age.

But what justification does the affluent and urban middle class have towards their crazy fondness for a male child? They are the ones who are aware of prenatal screenings, have access to clinics and can afford abortions that commit foeticide.They are the ones who are willing to spend a large portion of their booty running pillar to post in search of priests who would be able to convey their insane craze to the Almighty. They will spend hours wishing and praying for a male child. God too would be contemplating, what if I bless these nerds with twin-girls. How would that make or break them?

I call such fools 'literates' not 'educated'. Educations brings with it the grey matter to distinguish between right and wrong, the awareness that the birth of a child - male or female is beyond the control of any human intervention. A child is God's gift. 

Wake Up India, at least the ones who can, atleast the ones who claim to be educated, who claim to be broad minded before its too late. Only if each one rises and changes their mindset and attitude that a difference can be brought at large. As far as possible, hold those little hands in yours that may have been abandoned by people sick and ruthless. Adopt them, give them life and reasons to be happy.

It is time to reach every nook and the corner of the country to counsel Women, to tell them -  stand up for yourself, fight against injustice, book the greedy and the culprit because there is no one else who is willing to do it for you. This is not rebellion, like many around you would want you to believe. This is your struggle for establishing your identity. Your identity as a woman, this life that is God's gift to you. Be fearless, for what shall happen tomorrow, is not known. At least make your present fruitful and happy. Rest shall all fall in place. 

Wake up countrymen, before we come to a point where Mother India is left only with herds of these nymphomaniac, shameless creatures who give a damn to the world and are their own rulers. 

With Love,

Megha S.

Cobweb of Emotions!

Life is ever-changing. One moment there are people and possessions, emotions and feelings, power and money that may make you feel in full control of your life and the next moment all or some of it may be gone.
What makes us feel happy? What is it that gives us a feeling of satisfaction and contentment. I have truly struggled hard, ventured into spiritualism, took shelter into religion, flipped through the pages of established authors to find these answers, but I am still wandering. 

All spiritual Gurus advise to find the answer within yourself. They say, seek for all the answers within. You have the solution to all your problems and all your desires. Perhaps, we all do. We all know there are things that are going wrong. There are people who are drifting away each day because of our ego or of theirs. We see our possessions flying away before our eyes, but we keep quiet. We let it go. Only when it goes so far that it is at a point of no return, we realize what we have lost. How wonderful it would have been, if God created all of us with "Action-Reminders" that would beep each time that any of our actions went wrong. Life would have been so much simpler. To heed to the beep or not would be governed by the choice of our free-will, that would lead us to our Karma. But may be God does, he gives us subtle hints and lets us know that there is something wrong somewhere and you need to rectify it. We disregard the hints and land ourselves into troubles, only to weep and moan over what happened. 

There are some strict lessons that you must follow in life:

• Do not depend on anyone for your happiness: Each and every person is sent to the earth to lead his own journey. People may seem to understand you, but you are your only friend, philosopher and guide in this life. No one, and mind it NO ONE will ever come to your rescue when you have been thrown off emotionally in life. It hurts a lot when you depended on someone for your new found happiness but they make you realise that they were by your side for their own happiness and now that they have had the experience, their priorities have changed or may be you were never their priority. It was only a passing phase. 
• Me first:  Think about your self-worth. People may believe that you are a selfish human being. But then each one of us are. Some people accept it and show it in their behaviour and actions. Others, conceal it under the covers of being helpless and needy and yet manage to use every resource possible to make their lives easy and comfortable. Therefore, I believe people like us who openly declare and claim to be selfish and live for themselves are the better lots!
• Patience:  Very east to say, extremely difficult to follow. But learn the virtue of patience, ingrain it as deep in you as possible. No matter what you do, how much you try things come when the time is right. Things that happen before it are only leading you to believe that things are going to happen that everything shall happen as per your plan, but there is nothing that will go against The Divine Plan.
• Love Yourself: People may dislike you. They may talk behind you. But they were born to do that. Do Not pay heed to them. Consider them menials and live like a lion. Keep Loving yourself and show such people the way out of your life who intend to mean you harm in any way. Just throw them out of your life and be happy. If you don't love yourself you will never be able to love anyone else.

So until I post again, I will live only for myself, act selfish, be self dependant and laugh when I want to, sleep when I feel like. Eat what I want to and just be happy. Let's see if it makes any difference.

With Love,

Megha S.

Happy New Year 2014

So another year passed by! And this was a wonderful year. I remember having spent the new year's eve last year welcoming 2013 with my friend lighting Diyas and praying to God to give me the courage to withstand what destiny had in store for me. I thanked the Almighty for all the Good possessions, good people, caring family and relatives that are part of my life. And secretly, I had also wished that God may Bestow me with the companionship of someone special who would be by my side all my life. 

As 2013 ended and I welcomed 2014, I did the ritual again. I thanked the Almighty for having blessed me with that companion I sought. I couldn't have been more happy than I was in 2013. It was a year that gave a meaningful definition to the phrase "Dream Come True". 

So as the new year begins, like all the previous I have no resolutions! Yes, None at all. I plan to take each day as it comes. But there are affirmations that I make and believe all of us should to live a happy life.

• Accept People the way they are: There have always been and shall always be people around you who would try to put you down. Accept them for what they are BUT DO NOT  BELIEVE them. You are your master. You know your true potentials. Believe in them and march forward in life. Let others live with their belief system.
• Take Ownership:  STOP CRIBBING about your life. If there is something you do not like, change it. But, do not blame or cause discomfort to others because of the decisions you have taken in your life. You will only add to the negativity of the universe and thus your own.
• Reach Out to Your Loved Ones: All of us lead busy lives. But take out time to reach out to all those people and friends and family you really care for. A short loving call from you is what someone may be in dire need of. Express your love and yes, do it loud and clear. There is no shame in expressing your love for your near and dear ones. There is no reason to be secretive and shy and hide your feelings.
• Live and Let Live: Give your suggestions to people and interfere only when asked to. Every person is capable enough of making their decisions in life. Save yourself the horror of being insulted and neglected by allowing people to live the life they want to. 
• Positive Affirmation: Start each day with a positive affirmation. Say to Yourself, "This is a wonderful Morning", "Today is going to be a perfect day", "I am happy and shall spread happiness around". These are not only to be spoken but to be believed firmly and thoroughly. Do this and act on it for 21 consecutive days. Make it a habit and experience the wonders of positivity.
• Ignore: Learn the art of ignorance. Management Gurus say Ignorance is a skill that must be developed for success. Bask in the glory of your Self Bliss. Be happy with yourself, avoid competition, be content. Ignore those people and their thoughts who drain out your energy. They shall always do so. Keep yourself out of their aura.

I wish each of us, a very happy and wonderful year 2014. May the Almighty Bless us, give us the courage to adapt to the changing times, keep us all safe and sound.

May the Almighty fulfil that ONE SECRET Desire we are all dying to come true this Year ;) ;)

With Love,

Megha S.

One Last Kiss

He sat very close to her, holding her hands in his own and admiring her beauty. They had held hand in hand for more than 30 years now and battled the storms of life, raised three daughters, nurtured, educated, loved and made them independent. They had seen the worst of times and the happiest of moments together. She had willingly saved every penny for their first house and to repay their car loan. She had gracefully raised three daughters and made them dauntless, fearless women ready to take up any challenges in their lives. He had worked sincerely and honestly all these years to give her a good standard of life and make her comfortable in all aspects. He ensured the best of education to his daughters, settled them well in their lives and felt a sense of satisfaction. He could now, spend the rest of his life with her and begin to enjoy everything that they had planned for. They now had a plush home that they call their own, array of servants running up and down, comfortable cars to move around and a fat bank balance to go on world tours.

He looked at her eyes, which were gleaming all the time. They were expressive as if speaking to his soul. She had long shiny hairs like that of a 20 something old and a flawless complexion that could light up a moonless night. Her soft tender hug was enough to comfort anyone ailing in the family. She was the binding force of them all. Each evening the family would get together on the dinner table and relish the lip smacking, mouth-watering food she served them all with innate care and concern. Not once, did it ever happen that anyone in the family would have gone to bed with a dis satisfied meal. She ensured everyone got their share and had a peaceful sleep. Oh she was the best referee of the WWF matches that the siblings would time and again get into. She was just and took care of everyone’s feeling and emotions. She stood for what is right and made her daughters learn the same.

As he caressed her, kissed her on the forehead as he always did but she did not move a bit. He held her hands and she did not hold it back tighter like she always did. She did not smile back at him and thank him for being a part of her life like she always did. He spoke to her of the daily mundane jobs at his workplace, of how he entered into a quarrel with his superiors but today she had nothing to say that could comfort him. He inquired her of proceedings of her day, but she spoke nothing. He begged her to answer but she won’t. He wailed and screamed, he said he needed her and he was not ready yet to take on life all by himself. After all 30 years were not enough. He wants some more years to be with her. He wanted to see the beauty of life with her. He charged her; she had promised she would never leave him. He wanted to know what his mistake was for which he was being punished. He could not believe Gods whom he had prayed diligently all his life would take away his most prized possession.

As he covered his face and wept uncontrollably, he felt a caress that he had always known and a voice that said, “No matter where I am, near or far. We are meant to be always together. Our togetherness in this life was limited until here. But do remember, we will meet again on the other side. No rush, no hurry, no pain. I don’t want to see you ailing again. I am leaving behind my daughters with you. Your purpose here is not over yet. They are for you and you for them. They have promised they will always be around to look for you when I am gone. Our love shall cross the boundaries of time and years after years we will be united again. Until then, remember of all the good old days, don’t let a tear roll. For those who have come have to go one day but the bonds they never wane.”

He held her hands and kissed again for the one last time on her forehead and sobbed and accepted the divine Plan.

P.S: It is heart wrenching to lose one of your parents. The pain is insurmountable. At various stages in life, you feel the void that losing your mother at a young age has created in your life. I lost my mother 6 years back. But it is certainly not comparable to a man's agony who has lost his companion of 30 years and taken life back in his control.

Hats off to You Papa for braving it gracefully.

With Love,

Megha S.

What Women Want

The question looms large, what women want out of men, their relationships and vice-versa. It is a tough decision to take. I read of the writing prompt for Touch Thursday on Preeti's blog and the recap of all that happened in my life in the last 3 years flashed to me. A wrong decision, lost hopes, the rebuild of my Mojo and then a beautiful beginning to a fresh new life that brought me whole lot of confidence.

Marriage is complicated and yet very beautiful. But, it is beautiful only if you settle down with someone who makes it look worthwhile and together, you find happiness that can last a lifetime. It is a widespread belief that marriage is an institution in which everyone has to make compromises and bear tantrums. To me words like compromise and tantrums are utterly negative and I would have never anyway, wanted to be an institution all my life.

Marriage is companionship, finding that one person with whom you can spend the rest of your life without any inhibitions. At the very onset, it is the connection of two hearts and rest everything falls in place. Whether, it means making compromises or what follows is sheer love, depends on an individual's perspective. It depends on the level of understanding and the maturity of the relationship. It is the selfless effort that two people put, to be in the blissful state of love ever after. It is a love that gives you a high without the hallucinogens.

Finding the perfect companion for me was never easy and my father can vouch for that. At one point of time, he lost all hopes that I would settle down in life for he believed that there existed no man whom I could fall for. But deep down, in my heart, I knew that there existed One, just One and when I meet him, the bells would start ringing just as they do in the romantic Bollywood movies.

As a woman, the primary things I wanted were:

1. Love, Love and a Lot of Love: I am a dreamer, tender and I love and care for people with all my heart. My Soul mate had to be someone who could handle a lot of love and most importantly RECIPROCATE the same. I am expressive and I am not afraid of letting the world know, how much I love someone. I wanted someone who was exactly the same.
2. Thorough Understanding:  In a relationship to battle the winds of today's materialistic and manipulative world, the most important virtue required is understanding. I wanted someone who could understand every move I make and be with me in the toughest of situations. I never would want my relationships to run the course others decide for it. It is my life and I like to take charge of myself and my actions. Likewise, I take charge of my relationships. When it comes to my life partner, I always wanted someone who was in full control of himself and who would not let the world manipulate him and his relationship with me.
3. Allow me to be myself:  No two human beings can ever be the same. There are fair chances of dissimilarities, difference in opinions and choices. Yet, true love is that which surmounts all of this. True Love allows you to be yourself. It means accepting the differences and cherishing the similarities. I wanted someone who could understand this and who had the maturity to let me pursue my dreams and desires. Marriage in no way means superimposing oneself on the other. It means complete acceptance of each other and loving the beauty of it.
4. Open Book:  The relationship between life partners is believed to be the closest of all relationships. I wanted someone who was extremely loyal and trustworthy. A person who would love me and only me. Yes, I am selfish and I am highly possessive. But I cannot and will never ever share the love of my husband with anyone else even in the remotest of possibility. So, if someone was willing to assure me that our lives would be like an open book where we had nothing to hide from each other, I would move ahead with the relationship. There should be nothing that is hidden in the relationship. I can't stand deceit, lies and treachery.

By the Grace of God, I found One and Only One Man in this world who so effortlessly fit into my frame of the perfect companion that I did not have to think twice. It was even better when he told me the same and that he found in me all that he had always wished for in a true life partner. We met and yes the bells rung out loud and clear and since then we never looked back. Each day since our first meeting, we got addicted to each other and May the Almighty let our addiction grow day on day.

And here is a glimpse of the hallucinogen and bliss of my life.

With Love,
Megha S.

 

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

Six years and counting,
The grief of your loss never surmounting.


You never said "I'm leaving" 
You never said goodbye 
You were gone and only God knew why


Today as the world Celebrates Mother's day,
I sit here and ponder how very much,
I yearn to be loved and feel thy blissful touch.

Through all these years,
fighting against the tears,
I lived up to your values that helped me shed all fears.

You are an Angel,
I'm blessed to call my own.
You've been with me as I've grown.

Just like the others, 
I want to call you Maa and only hear your voice,
But my mind charges and I have no choice.
For you are not around and now my heart cries,
To see you just once and say GoodBye.

I've looked for you in every face I could see,
To feel the selfless love that I was bestowed by thee.

It has been tough,
The days extremely rough.
But Now, I have, finally found my way,
I am never letting it go away.

I shall keep your memories near,
And pass them to those who are dear.
Someday I know We'll meet again,
Till then, I love you Maa and I always Will.


With Love,
Megha S.

The Saga of all female Saboteurs

BOOK REVIEW: Jackdaws by Ken Follett

My Recommendation:

1. Do you have the feminist nerve in you?
2. Does your inner instinct voice the strength of women?
3. Do you believe that Women can strike back dirt?

If you've answered yes, to any of these, this novel is a must read for you. The past few novels that I have read have been genuine recommendations and reading them has quenched the thirst of an enjoyable, gripping, sensible story reading.

This is an enjoyable book with colorful characters and a lot of intimate moments defined with subtle details. The two explicitly defined characters are:

Flick Clairet - A strong woman, determined to battle for her land, yet emotional and soft who loves her husband madly only to see her trust breaking away at the whims of his pervert attitude. She falls in love with another man, yet had a lot of respect for him to be able to leave him. A small twist to the story and this would have been even more grappling. Follett could have carved Flick as an even stronger woman who had the guts to leave her husband and NOT fall into any other love affair, only fight for her land, for her cause of lead the French Resistance, win against the Nazis and be an epitome of strength and courage. The twists and turns with Flick involving herself in an extra marital affair made her lose the dignity that I carved for the protagonist of the story.

Dieter - The Nazi interrogator. He is a ruthless torturer although we also see his cultured side and his love for a Jewish mistress. He even gets terrible migraines when he has to torture people so Follett manages to create a villain who is still believable and not a caricature of the evil Nazi.

Book Review:

"Try and Try until you succeed".

"Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is achieved."

This novel exemplifies these statements. It contains enough background information to understand the historical connection to the story. Set on a well developed plot, this fictional work by Ken Follett, serves as an interesting insight into the French Resistance during the World war II. Flick Clairet, the female protagonist of the story is a level headed, strong and determined Woman who is bent on capturing and disrupting a crucial telephone exchange. She fails miserably due to lack of information and careful planning, landing into a whole bunch of resistance members being captured, tortured and spitting fine details of the underground team. Dieter, the Nazi interrogator unravels a lot of critical information of Flick's plans.

But does that deter Flick? Doesn't she strike back? Where does she build her team from? Her strategy, planning, love affairs, weakness and strengths are precisely captured by Follett.

Flick regroups in England, with an all female team, who are all from different walks of life,  including a convicted murderer, a Cockney explosives expert thief, a lesbian aristocrat and a transvestite whose lover had been killed by the Germans. The journey the women take, the danger they get into is the crux of the story. They are all in-disciplined, unprofessionals who give Flick a tough time in organizing the army and planning the sabotage.

The novel is carefully paced over a week. There are a number of rendezvous and escapes for the women brigade that is consistently entertaining. Delving back into history, we know that the Allies would win the battle, but you wouldn't know who will survive and who gets captured until the end. What makes the story interesting is both Flick's efforts and the Wehrmacht officer who is attempting to thwart her plans and capture her. Both of them struggle with various issues, and the faceoff continues up until the very end of the book. Well thought out story, complex, and very entertaining.

My Rating: 4/5. The love affairs, the intimate moments could have been fewer and the other characters apart from Flick and Dieter better described to build a connect with them.

All in all, a good read hooks you to it as the story unfolds. Pick your copy today :) :)

With Love,

Megha S.

Seven Years in Tibet

BOOK REVIEW: Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer

My Recommendation

This is recommended for anyone and everyone who has a burning desire to achieve their goal in life, a desire that doesn't allow you peace until you are at it. The high experienced when the wait for that one spark turning to lightning is over. It is a narrative of what every adventurer can endure to realize that dream which he nurtures in his heart. A tale of strong will power and determination, the beauty of belonging and friendships is well described in the association of Heinrich and Dalai Lama. This is a literary preservation of a theocratic culture that has been eroded. As you read along, you can draw visual interpretations of every aspect of the story owing to its simple and clear style of writing.

I lay my eye on this book, years ago, purchased and stacked on the shelf. I wouldn't have picked it up anytime soon, had it not been a genuine recommendation. Soon after reading this I realized, what I had been missing for a long time in the world of non-fiction. 

The Review

Seven Years in Tibet is an engrossing and gripping tale of Austrian Mountaineer  Heinrich Harrer’s trysts with the escape from an Indian POW camp and the realization of his boyhood dream. Unlike other boys of his age, as a child he found the achievements of the heroes far more inspiring than book reading. The goal of his life was to be one of those who conquered great peaks and took the road less traveled  An amazing narration that keeps you hooked, yearning for more.  

Life takes a turn, when he receives an invitation to realize his long cherished dream of the Himalayan Expedition. The past failure of many heroes, who lost lives, did not deter the young dream to be achieved. He had his determination focused on climbing the 25000 foot mountain. The exquisite beauty of the mountains, the immense height that he climbed took him by a spell.

It was while his return, that the World War II broke out and Britain declared war with Germany. He along with his comrades were held as POW and taken to an Indian POW camp. This was in the year 1939 when India was under the British Rule. But Hein had other dreams to pursue. He refused to be taken as a captive and lead a life that may have been pleasant, because the prisoners were not ill treated, but that certainly could not devour his appetite of measuring his strength against the mountains.

He chalks out a plan to escape the POW camp and fails at his first attempt. The second attempt was more carefully etched, moves minutely planned, resources well arranged and determination at its peak. He succeeded in his endeavor, which was only the beginning of a herculean task that he had set upon. He managed to survive against all odds; the suspicion of the natives, lack of food and shelter, ill-health, rough terrains and the fear of being caught and taken back to the POW camp hovering every moment.

After nearly two years of walking when he and his associate finally entered Lhasa, the forbidden land, they had frostbite and blisters, were starved and ill. At a time, when it was impossible to inhabit a land without a pass, they were taken into shelter and a hospitable environment. The association of the then Dalai Lama and the author is a bond that makes emotions stride. He holds it very dearly and close to his heart.

Heinrich is amused by the simplicity that the Buddhist culture had to offer. He defines in great details the simple reclusive country, its friendly inhabitants that believed in the power of prayer and superstition. Tibet was a land that shunned technology and was totally cut off from the rest of the World. 

But it grieves me to think that this beautiful “Roof of the world” has been crushed and changed beyond recognition. The death of a culture that was pious and sacred to preserve the lives on earth, for they believed that more the number of lives you preserve, better the chances of re-incarnating to a higher soul. The land was secluded to an extent that its wish to live in peace and freedom won no sympathy from any nook-corner of this world, extending no help at all. All this finally forcing the culture and its people succumb to power.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Go grab it, read it and experience a new high.

With Love,

Megha S.

One $ a half wife - Meghna Pant

Book Review : One $ a half wife by Meghna Pant

Introduction

• ISBN : 9789381626481
• Price : Rs. 191
• Pages : 296
• Publisher : Westland

Unlike most Indian immigrants, Amara malhotra is not destined to achieve the American Dream. Much to the anxiety of her parents - the spirited Biji and the doting baba - Amara leads an unremarkable life. That is, until she marries a harvard - educated millionaire, Prashant Roy. However, this fairytale isn't meant to last.

About the author

A financial journalist by day and a writer by night, Meghna Pant is the editor of a business magazine. She has formerly worked as a TV anchor for NDTV Profit and Bloomberg-UTV. her short stories have been published in over a dozen literary magazines, across four countries.

My recommendation 

Meghna Pant has chosen a delicate and sensitive subject for her debut novel. Nevertheless, she has done complete justice to the subject and the narration that follows.

The story revolves around the life of a girl next door, Amara Malhotra. Born in a conservative family, the sequence of Amara's life is decided by the whims of her mother. The two big dreams that Biji places in her life are a Green Card and Amara's marriage to an 'Amreekan' guy. 

The plot begins on the mall road of Shimla in the year 1991. Biji takes Amara across SoothSayers to know what is the Almighty's wish for the man of her life. It is then that the ringneck Parrot steps out of its cage and declares that Amara shall be "A one and a half Wife". Not knowing what this shall mean and where it will lead her to, soon they get their Green card and the Malhotra family begins their journey to be Indian immigrants carving a niche for themselves in America. In the transit from India to America, they could neither ever become fully 'Amreekan' nor could they continue to be completely Indian.

Amara faces lot of hardships in adjusting to the American ways and is always overshadowed by her cousins who are immigrants in the truest sense, for they were born and brought up the American style. Light shines upon the Malhotra family when an affluent Indian immigrant's family choses Amara to be their daughter-in-law. Amara is soon wed to Prashant, the young eligible bachelor, who neither rejects nor accepts the decision of his mother for his marriage.

Amara's dreams get shattered when after a span of 6 years, Prashant declares that he is unwilling to carry the burden of a loveless marriage. Meghna Pant has beautifully captured every emotion that lie in the heart of a girl who is coping with a broken marriage, the society's humiliations and the contempt of her parents. We still live in a society that has modernized in its dressing, yet orthodox and conventional in their thoughts. A divorcee girl/woman is a curse to the family and the society she lives in. Amara is an outcast, with even her parents not willing to understand her. The pain that she undergoes and the ray of light and hope that comes in the form of Shikha Didi, another divorcee who got re-married at the age of 37, much to the scorn of the society is well described. Shikha's successful life breaks the morose silence of Amara's life and she feels she can give herself a second chance.

In the quest to create an identity for herself, Amara does everything that the MODERN INDIAN SOCIETY considers forbidden. Later, she meets a man who understands her the way she is, lets her be and values her priorities and her decisions, someone who gives her the space she deserves yet is close to her. She couldn't have asked GOD for more. 

The story's end brings in a sense of fulfillment and contentment. There is light at the end of the Tunnel. Keep Walking and yes it's true. Settle down in life for what you think is right, not because what others have to say. people have their own priorities and ways. Hold the remote control to your happiness in your hands. In the journey of life you'll meet someone who accepts you the way you are, no changes/ no updates. That is when you should settle down. They say bells start ringing when you meet the right person. Indeed it does. 

Overall Rating

4.5/5

Recommended reading for everyone who value literature and are sensitive to the needs of life.

With Love,

Megha S.

My Life Path # 3

The MOST correct prediction about me Ever!!!  I needed to preserve it..

You possess a great talent for creativity and self expression. Many writers, poets, actors and musicians are born under the 3 Life Path. Megha, you are witty, possess a gift for gab, and savor the limelight.

Your talent for the expressive arts is so abundant that you may well have felt drawn to becoming an artist while still very young. Your artistic abilities can only be developed, however, through discipline and commitment to the true development of your talent. Commitment, concentration and hard work are the only means of bringing forth your talent.

Thanks to your gift for self expression, you can be the life of the party, and the center of attention. However, you could easily squander your talent by becoming a social butterfly.

Your creativity is the gift that can give you the comfort and luxury you desire, but not without continual focus and discipline.

You are optimistic and possess the resilience to overcome many setbacks. You are socially active, popular, and inspire people with your sunny 'happy go lucky' attitude.

Megha, you can be generous to a fault. Many people born under the 3 Life Path have difficulty handling money because they can be disorganized and not particularly serious about their responsibilities.

You are emotional and vulnerable. When hurt, you withdraw into a cloud of silence, eventually emerging from your reticence with jokes and laughter that cover up your true feelings. You can become moody and cynical when depressed. You can succumb to sarcastic remarks, which can be painful to those around you.

When used positively, your talent for self expression can be a great inspiration force in the world, uplifting others, and bringing much success and happiness to you.