Ahh! That was an year of turbulence. Especially the second half of the year was the toughest. Many times I remembered pilot announcement "Ladies and gentleman, we are experiencing some turbulence. Please return to your seats and fasten your belts." So I tried to stay calm.
I think, it was battle between philosophy and actions. To me, actions are planned with "linear" thinking and they are pretty much defined by philosophy I believe in. She is a go-getter. Daughter's education and choices of "what next in life?" were at the heart of the turbulence.
Further part of pilot announcement says "This is normal during this season of the year. There is nothing much we can do about it." So I thought its part of married life and I continued to remain calm with self help lingo "acceptance".
It occurred to me that we were going in two different directions and I hardly saw any way of merging. I went blank. It looked like dead end. In flight lingo, it turned to "severe" turbulence and I was shaken up and of course, in turn, she too was.
Then followed couple of cold wars (read silence periods) and failing peace making dialogues. Let me accept, it was stressful. We talked, talked, went into silence, then talked loudly, followed by silence, then talked again :-)
What we discovered in the process was I share a lot on what I like/don't like, my philosophy etc. and she understands, tries to align with me. Many times she makes strategies (my belief) and gets my buy in. I feel she should have her own freedom and so I should I allow her to do what she likes to. She is go-getter, jumps on to new ideas spontaneously where as I sit, analyse and go in dilemma to say yes/no and hence I get jittery. In turn she is pissed off.
I realised, it was about our individual "freedom". If I say "yes" to some thing I didn't really want her to do, then I am infringing on my freedom. If I say "no" to something she wants to do, then I am infringing on her freedom. If I look from her angle, if she says yes to something she does not like to do she is being "good" wife but it comes with certain expectations which again means freedom of both of us is infringed. So it was dead lock.
What helped was talking all this loudly both outside and within. I think I can now say we understand each other "better" :-)
Each conflict has helped us understand each other better. Some times I take it forward and some times she. Fortunately so far, when one of us has given up, the other has taken it forward.
And here we are celebrating 13 years of journey.
I would like to thank following, without which our journey would have been much difficult.
Firstly "Landmark Education" programs, leaders and all the volunteers (people who assist). With participation in the initial years of our marriage, our journey started with good foundation - to be authentic, to express freely, to embrace life, what it means to have intimate relationship and so on.
Geniekids (www.geniekids.com) family. People and philosophy here helped us to continue our journey with our children.
Our cars: They have given us space to talk, fight, make decisions of our life :-) I can't imagine doing these at home.
Our car stereos: They played numerous audio books, discourses, songs. They have helped us stay on course, build dreams, stay peaceful.
My colleagues: I have quite open minded, big hearted colleagues. We joke on relationships. We share our ups and downs (some times openly and some times abstract way). We laugh at each other loudly. This has helped me to take our journey easy.
All my relatives, friends: You have contributed to our journey, directly or indirectly.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Monday, February 7, 2011
Why should anyone be against corruption?
When we say corruption, mostly, what comes to our mind is - bribe associated with politicians, bureaucrats.
Dictionary meaning of corruption is:
- Lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain
- Moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
- Destroying someone's (or some group's) honesty or loyalty; undermining moral integrity
- Inducement (as of a public official) by improper means (as bribery) to violate duty (as by committing a felony)
So according to dictionary meaning, bribery is just "one" kind of corruption.
What about individuals other than politicians, bureaucrats? Aren't we corrupt? Most individuals are indulged in some or the other malpractice, or violation of laws/rules.
In corporate, employees claim
- House Rent Allowance with "doctored" rental receipts
- Medical expense exemption with bills created in co-operation with medical shop owner
- Exemption on vehicle operating expenses with bills created in co-operation with petrol bunk owner
- Leave Travel Allowance with "doctored" travel tickets/bills/receipts.
Self employed professionals (doctors, lawyers, businessmen etc) evade taxes. Chartered accountants help adjusting books to evade taxes.
In software industry, business development managers/teams of (service) companies project non-existent expertise, non-existent staffing, tailor made resumes to get projects from other companies. Similarly, professionals show inaccurate information in their resume while applying for a new job (of course, they try their best in interviews to prove they have that expertise/knowledge).
How many owners pay income tax for rental income? How many people declare capital gains (stocks, mutual funds, immovable properties etc)? How many professionals who go abroad on business trips pay tax for the savings they make? Very few!!!
So, fundamentally, most individuals are corrupt. It is just that the scope is varying. A common man has a limited scope for corruption. A clerk in government office has limited scope. A government officer may have a little higher scope. And politician has much higher scopes depending on level of representation (Taluka Panchayat member, MLA, MP, Minister etc). Given an equal scope for corruption, most individuals would behave in same way. Right?
Do we have moral right to voice against corruption by politicians, bureaucrats?
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Is it cheating/exploitation?
This is what I heard during conversation between RJs in RadioCity Bangalore recently.
RJ Pradeepa: Sir, Isn't it that wizards, astrolgers, swamijis, witches etc are cheating/exploiting people? (Kannada: Saar, e baba galu, maatavadi galu, swamigalu ella duddu kitkondu mosa madtaralva? )
RJ Upendra (Yes! our Sandlewood actor. He was RJ for a month or so) : How is it cheating/exploitation? (Mosa hege?) Suppose I sell Idli. If cost is Rs.4 and I sell at Rs.6, is it good/bad or cheating? Similarly, people go to these people and give Rs.10 or Rs.100 (in their capacity) and in turn get “peace of mind”. So what’s wrong in it?
I don’t go to such people. Hence I don’t worry.
-----
But, I felt, I was exploited when I went to Horanadu (a holy place near Sringeri) recently.
The hotel guy was quoting prices exorbitantly. I got room for Rs.300 per day. Next day, he charged (remaining rooms) some rooms at Rs.500 and others at Rs.600. In a way, I was lucky about my timing there.
Also, since there was mobile service except BSNL. I had to depend on STD booth. He charged me “STD service charge (Rs.3.40) + STD call charges” for making call.
Isn’t an exploitation?
-----
On the other hand, I charge “x” amount as rent to my tenants. The “x” is decided by me. I say rent is reasonable and fair. Truth is
- I can’t give prompt service (plumbing, electrical or other maintenance works)
- My rents are lower only “relative” to the rents in my locality.
So am I also exploiting people?
----
Some more examples: Exorbitant ticket prices at multiplexes, parking rent for 4 wheelers at IT Park Bangalore (Rs.15 per hour!), fees charged by many schools in Bangalore.
----
However if look into bigger picture, I see more. Let me explain.
Consider I invest in a property and rent it out. To buy the property, I take loan and I pay interest. To cover my interest expenses and other expenses, unless I am doing charity, I am bound to keep rent at certain levels.
Tenant earns money and pays me rent. I cover my expenses, pay interest to bank and retain profits. The bank covers its costs of managing money transactions and makes some profits.
Hence I see a chain of different entities(persons/organizations) involved. The "amount" of profit each entity retains is what decides whether it is cheating/exploitation. However it is difficult to make out if a product/service is reasonably priced or exploitation is at play.
The greed (to make money) easily takes over and it can lead to exploitation.
---
Exploitation is kept under control due to competition among entities providing similar products/services. Also as a consumer of a product/service I have the "choice" of going for a product or service and hence controlling the exploitation.
However if I am addicted to certain brands, certain level of quality, certain level of comfort etc then I give an opportunity for product/service providers. And unless I make an effort to be Buddha, I continue to be dictated by my desires, giving an opportunity for exploitation.
What are your views?
RJ Pradeepa: Sir, Isn't it that wizards, astrolgers, swamijis, witches etc are cheating/exploiting people? (Kannada: Saar, e baba galu, maatavadi galu, swamigalu ella duddu kitkondu mosa madtaralva? )
RJ Upendra (Yes! our Sandlewood actor. He was RJ for a month or so) : How is it cheating/exploitation? (Mosa hege?) Suppose I sell Idli. If cost is Rs.4 and I sell at Rs.6, is it good/bad or cheating? Similarly, people go to these people and give Rs.10 or Rs.100 (in their capacity) and in turn get “peace of mind”. So what’s wrong in it?
I don’t go to such people. Hence I don’t worry.
-----
But, I felt, I was exploited when I went to Horanadu (a holy place near Sringeri) recently.
The hotel guy was quoting prices exorbitantly. I got room for Rs.300 per day. Next day, he charged (remaining rooms) some rooms at Rs.500 and others at Rs.600. In a way, I was lucky about my timing there.
Also, since there was mobile service except BSNL. I had to depend on STD booth. He charged me “STD service charge (Rs.3.40) + STD call charges” for making call.
Isn’t an exploitation?
-----
On the other hand, I charge “x” amount as rent to my tenants. The “x” is decided by me. I say rent is reasonable and fair. Truth is
- I can’t give prompt service (plumbing, electrical or other maintenance works)
- My rents are lower only “relative” to the rents in my locality.
So am I also exploiting people?
----
Some more examples: Exorbitant ticket prices at multiplexes, parking rent for 4 wheelers at IT Park Bangalore (Rs.15 per hour!), fees charged by many schools in Bangalore.
----
However if look into bigger picture, I see more. Let me explain.
Consider I invest in a property and rent it out. To buy the property, I take loan and I pay interest. To cover my interest expenses and other expenses, unless I am doing charity, I am bound to keep rent at certain levels.
Tenant earns money and pays me rent. I cover my expenses, pay interest to bank and retain profits. The bank covers its costs of managing money transactions and makes some profits.
Hence I see a chain of different entities(persons/organizations) involved. The "amount" of profit each entity retains is what decides whether it is cheating/exploitation. However it is difficult to make out if a product/service is reasonably priced or exploitation is at play.
The greed (to make money) easily takes over and it can lead to exploitation.
---
Exploitation is kept under control due to competition among entities providing similar products/services. Also as a consumer of a product/service I have the "choice" of going for a product or service and hence controlling the exploitation.
However if I am addicted to certain brands, certain level of quality, certain level of comfort etc then I give an opportunity for product/service providers. And unless I make an effort to be Buddha, I continue to be dictated by my desires, giving an opportunity for exploitation.
What are your views?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Mind map of Swami Ramdev Pranayam
Over last few weekends, I converted notes on Ramdev Pranayam into a mind map.
My recommendation:
1. Beginners: Watch (only, don't do) Pranayam video for 1-2 times
2. Do Pranayam along with video play, for 10 times (days).
3. Then you are on your own. Now you can use following as your guides
a. Audio extracted from video as mentioned in a previous post. I highly recommend this option because the audio can be put in mobile phone and it can be very handly.
b. Take a printout of above mind map and use it as reference.
I highly recommend you to try out Ramdev Pranayam for good health.
Note:
I tried XMind software (free, open source) to create this mind map. I found it more powerful than FreeMind. Portable version of this software is available here.
My recommendation:
1. Beginners: Watch (only, don't do) Pranayam video for 1-2 times
2. Do Pranayam along with video play, for 10 times (days).
3. Then you are on your own. Now you can use following as your guides
a. Audio extracted from video as mentioned in a previous post. I highly recommend this option because the audio can be put in mobile phone and it can be very handly.
b. Take a printout of above mind map and use it as reference.
I highly recommend you to try out Ramdev Pranayam for good health.
Note:
I tried XMind software (free, open source) to create this mind map. I found it more powerful than FreeMind. Portable version of this software is available here.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Excavator on two platforms
We talk of software compatibile for different operating system platforms. I got to see an excavator, in Germany, built to work on two platforms: road and rail.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Swami Ramdev Pranayama: My customization
Please read related post before reading this.
After practicing Ramdev Pranayama for some time, I realized that I don't need to watch the video every time but I can practice just by listening to the audio. Also I wanted to customize the pranayama package for 30minutes. So I came up with an idea of extracting the audio from the DVD. I extracted the audio and cut it into pieces as below.
Legend:
Track name: Pranayama_x_<type>.mp3
Here x means track number indicates the order of pranayama to be practiced.
<type> means the type of pranayama.
Track name: Pranayama_x1_<type>.mp3
Here x1 means first section split from track number x.
I created 3 play lists: Pranayama25 (Approx. 25 minutes), Pranayama35 (Approx. 35 minutes) and Pranayama45 (Approx. 45 minutes). The play list lengths are odd but it is kept that way keeping in mind the continuity of audio and to avoid abrupt transitions from one type of pranayama to another.
I have copied these audio files into my mobile and created playlists.
Now I can't use following reasons to avoid doing something about my health:
- I don’t feel like practicing pranayama because place is noisy(I can simply use mobile along with headphones)
- My kid takes wants to watch Pogo when I start doing pranayama (I don’t need watch the pranayama video anymore)
- I don’t have enough time! (I can choose the play list as per my convenience!)
Swami Ramdev Pranayama: Excellent productization
I have practised yoga (specifically asanas and pranayama) under the guidance of two teachers since my childhood. I have explored many training CDs on yoga, one of them being Shilpa's yoga (actively marketed CD). I have also watched yoga training classes on TV. But I have not come across any product like Pranayama CD designed and packaged by Swami Ramdev.
I like it for following reasons:
1. Self learning: With Ramdev Swami CD, self learning is possile. You can simply play the CD and follow Swami Ramdev. Even if you have no idea of what Pranayama is, no problem! You may need to atmost watch the CD once or twice to get feel of Pranayama and understand the basics. Then you can start doing pranayam along with Swami Ramdev.
Other CDs are informative and demonstrative but mostly are not designed for "play and follow". Shilpa's yoga CD is best designed for demonstration, you will fall flat :-) when you see Shilpa doing but you may hardly find it easy do it along playing the video.
You can learn through books. Books are informative but hardly motivative enough to get you started with or sustain the momentum of your practice. Swami Ramdev CD simply gets you started and keeps you going! It is that simple.
2. Instructions: Pranayama is generally advised to be practised under physical guidance of a Guru. There are some rules to be followed. Since it involves regulating the breathing process, it should be done carefully. But instructions mentioned in books/other CDs more or less seem to be threatening to the extent that you don't dare to learn and practise.
In Swami Ramdev CD, instructions are explained clearly, on the go. You don't have to remember anything. Instructions include pre-conditions for doing Pranayama, who should avoid what type of pranayama, how long should one do pranayama etc.
3. Excellent packaging: 45 minutes of pranayama (7 varieties), 15 minutes for sukshma vyayam (7 types) and asanas (7 postures). Swami Ramdev recommends 1 hour practice daily but he explains how you can do pranayama in 30 minutes or 45 minutes as per your convinience.
Normally books, other CDs instruct you to do repeat a pranayama for certain "number of times" and in my experience, I am mostly lost in counting rather than doing it. Swami Ramdev takes away your focus on counting and stresses on "how long" you should be doing certain type of pranayama. You may ask, there I count "number of times", here I have to count "minutes", how does it help? Here the advantage is, you are simply following him while you play the video. Watching vido is not mandatory. After you practise by watching the video for about 10 times, you can close your eyes and practise by listening to the audio.
4. Price: Lowest price among all the CDs available on Yoga. VCD: Rs.60/- (VCD), Rs.110 (DVD: Includes Asan and Pranayama, English and Hindi). Shilpa's yoga CD was initially sold for Rs.500 but now sold at Rs.150. Other CDs cost you any where between 200/- to 500/-.
Clearly Swami Ramdev beats other CDs with economy of scale! What's better? Selling few hundred CDs at higher price and limit yourself to limited audience OR sell few lakhs of CDs at lower prices and yet make the difference you want to make?
Note: The title of the Pranayama CD referred to, in this post, is "Yog Vignan: Pranayam and Asan OR Divya Yoga Sadhana: Pranayam and Aasan". It includes basic pranayama routine meant for general health. It is flagship product by Swami Ramdev. See below pictures of this CD/VCD/DVD. Note that it doesn't refer to other CDs he has released with variations of basic pranayama package, addressing specific diseases.
Note:
I like it for following reasons:
1. Self learning: With Ramdev Swami CD, self learning is possile. You can simply play the CD and follow Swami Ramdev. Even if you have no idea of what Pranayama is, no problem! You may need to atmost watch the CD once or twice to get feel of Pranayama and understand the basics. Then you can start doing pranayam along with Swami Ramdev.
Other CDs are informative and demonstrative but mostly are not designed for "play and follow". Shilpa's yoga CD is best designed for demonstration, you will fall flat :-) when you see Shilpa doing but you may hardly find it easy do it along playing the video.
You can learn through books. Books are informative but hardly motivative enough to get you started with or sustain the momentum of your practice. Swami Ramdev CD simply gets you started and keeps you going! It is that simple.
2. Instructions: Pranayama is generally advised to be practised under physical guidance of a Guru. There are some rules to be followed. Since it involves regulating the breathing process, it should be done carefully. But instructions mentioned in books/other CDs more or less seem to be threatening to the extent that you don't dare to learn and practise.
In Swami Ramdev CD, instructions are explained clearly, on the go. You don't have to remember anything. Instructions include pre-conditions for doing Pranayama, who should avoid what type of pranayama, how long should one do pranayama etc.
3. Excellent packaging: 45 minutes of pranayama (7 varieties), 15 minutes for sukshma vyayam (7 types) and asanas (7 postures). Swami Ramdev recommends 1 hour practice daily but he explains how you can do pranayama in 30 minutes or 45 minutes as per your convinience.
Normally books, other CDs instruct you to do repeat a pranayama for certain "number of times" and in my experience, I am mostly lost in counting rather than doing it. Swami Ramdev takes away your focus on counting and stresses on "how long" you should be doing certain type of pranayama. You may ask, there I count "number of times", here I have to count "minutes", how does it help? Here the advantage is, you are simply following him while you play the video. Watching vido is not mandatory. After you practise by watching the video for about 10 times, you can close your eyes and practise by listening to the audio.
4. Price: Lowest price among all the CDs available on Yoga. VCD: Rs.60/- (VCD), Rs.110 (DVD: Includes Asan and Pranayama, English and Hindi). Shilpa's yoga CD was initially sold for Rs.500 but now sold at Rs.150. Other CDs cost you any where between 200/- to 500/-.
Clearly Swami Ramdev beats other CDs with economy of scale! What's better? Selling few hundred CDs at higher price and limit yourself to limited audience OR sell few lakhs of CDs at lower prices and yet make the difference you want to make?
Note: The title of the Pranayama CD referred to, in this post, is "Yog Vignan: Pranayam and Asan OR Divya Yoga Sadhana: Pranayam and Aasan". It includes basic pranayama routine meant for general health. It is flagship product by Swami Ramdev. See below pictures of this CD/VCD/DVD. Note that it doesn't refer to other CDs he has released with variations of basic pranayama package, addressing specific diseases.
Note:
- For general health and weight reduction: Just following Pranayama part of the VCD/DVD is enough. You can do aasans only if you have more time.
- If you are suffering from some ailments or aged above 50years, it is highly advised to attend Swami Ramdev Yog Vijnan Camp once and then use above CD for further practice.
- I have practiced Pranayama routine mentioned in this CD (about 45minutes per day, 5 days a week). In addition to this, with controlled food intake and swimming once in a week (45 minutes), I could reduce about 8kg in 4-5 months.
- Through Pranayama practise, I am able to float on water!
Innovation: Low cost lamp
This is a variation of torch explained in previous post. Electronic circuitry is the same! Packaging is different and LED heads are filed to spread the light.
As compared to the torch, it uses plastic body specifically manufactured for this purpose. It makes you nostalgic, if you used similar shaped lamp powered by kerosine, in your childhood!
I got a sample for Rs.40 in Belgaum, Karnataka, during my recent visit to my native place.
Do you really need Eveready HomeLite (Sorry! Nu LITE) which is mainly created to boost sales of their batteries? Of course, you can't compare the illuminations of both but I feel, it is definitely not worth paying Rs.350/- for Eveready Nu LITE.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Innovation: Low cost torch
This is the most popular torch used by farmers in villages these days.
It involves elementary electronic circuit with one battery, one resistor, two LED lights and one switch, all put together in multi-purpose plastic box. It is assembled at shops/homes (home industries???).
It is light weight, small in size (slightly bigger than a match box) and hence carried in pockets.
Cost: Rs.20
Battery life: 50 hrs with very good constant brightness, followed by another 24 hrs with low brightness. I have verifed this myself by experimenting with one torch by keeping it on continuously until it dims down fully. I don't know the battery life for torch with incandescent bulb, but I guess it should be around 10hrs.
Myth: There is rumour that the battery can be recharged through solar energy. And hence, I have heard, people keep it in sun light to recharge! This myth is used as marketing strategy. The fact is the battery life is very high as compared to conventional torches with incandescent bulbs.
Note: Battery cost is Rs.10. It can be replaced once it is drained out.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Mindmap of Talk by Chetan Bhaghat
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Innovation: Agriculture: Placement of floor model water pump
- A submersible sump pump can be placed below the water line.
- A floor model sump pump, on the other hand, sits at floor level.
Both water pumps work in the same manner, but submersible sump pumps handle larger quantities of water and can be fully submerged without any danger of electrical shortages.
In villages farmers use floor model for pumping water from open wells. I have noticed farmers facing an issue with this (Probably, its not issue at all for them because they have accepted and live with it). The pump should be closer to water level so that it can pump better. As water level decreases (towards summer season) and increases (in rainy season), the water pump needs to be shifted. It is done every year 3-4 times (or more depending on depth of well). It is quite laborious.
I found a solution for this problem, in a farm near Attur in Tamilnadu.
The solution is shown in the snaps above. The solution consists of mechanical structure. The pump is placed on a steel base hanged with steel rope. The pump level is adjusted by changing the length of rope using jack.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Theology, Philosophy, Osho's way
Entry from LiveJournal blog - 22 Sep 2008
Theology starts with belief, Philosophy starts with doubt
Theology involves believing something without questioning, Philosophy involves thinking.
All religions are based on theology. Example: Christianity believes Jesus resurrecting after death. Is it possible?. There is no person contempory to Jesus noted in history.
Osho's way is neither based on theology nor philosophy. It involves "search"/ "enquiry". Its a methodology for way of life.
Investing in stocks: My fundamental question got addressed!!!
Entry from LiveJournal blog - 25 Aug 2008
Click here for my question in an earlier post.
Click here for my question in an earlier post.
After chat with my friends Pramod and Reddy(mrpr, M Ravi Prakash Reddy), I got some clarifications.
- Reddy: In short term it is gambling!!! Its your choice to gamble or not, to make money or lose money.
- P/E of 10 means of 10 years of operation of business gives back returns in terms of EPS. If some other company wants to buy it, it would be expected to pay so much per share to acquire the company.
- Reddy: Our aim of seminars is clear [Note: We three did one seminar on fundamentals of investing in stocks on 31st May 2008, in Konark hotel, Bangalore]: We want to educate people taking them from "unknown to known". We can't change the mindset of people (say day trading) through our seminars. For changing mindset, workshops like Landmark Forum, courses from Bharat Chandra are required.
- If people are doing trading frequently just for capital gains without knowing how stock investing works, its their mistake. Its their responsibility to be aware of what they are doing, know the risks involved etc.
- Short term investors (day traders/speculators) do not really bother about company performance. They simply want to ride on the news (spilt, getting big contract,dividend announcements) that can give them short term profits.
- Long term investors: Think like business men. Share value of 100 with P/E of 10 means EPS of Rs.10 for ten years gives back my money. After that whatever I earn is profit. I would not bother like "EPS is not what I get as share holder, only part of it is what I get, may be its just 1-5% of share price" "Share value is simply jacked up by making P/E as significant among crowd of investor community etc - People are made to believe something is right value to buy, hold or sell"
Infosys bought Axon (UK) in all in cash deal for $750million = 2 times revenues in 2007 (operating margin = 15%) ==> This means expecting a 7.5% returns on the investment. By their value addition they would increase operating margin to required levels. Infosys operating margin is 30%.
Idea Cellular bought Spice at Rs.77 per Spice share.
Did you sell this stock after it tripled?
Sintex is a household name in India today. From selling water tanks to becoming the biggest plastics manufacturer in India, the company has taken off in a big way. Its sales have multiplied almost 14 times over the past ten years. Profits have done even better in multiplying around 28 times. And someone who had invested in the stock in December 1999 has already multiplied his money 36 times!
Now whether Sintex is a worthy investment now is not a matter of discussion here. What we are trying to point is that the right kind of small companies can help you generate tremendous wealth.
But only if you have patience! And stick with good quality stocks across market cycles.
You can learn this from an investor in Sintex in December 1999, who sold the stock after it tripled in December 2003. Since then, the stock has multiplied another 12 times!
So you may ask - should I never sell a stock, always expecting it to multiply several times?
Well, if the company continues to do well, the idea of selling it should not even enter you mind. As the legendary Warren Buffett says - "If the homework is done right while purchasing a stock, the time to sell it is never."
But then, one must also never be greedy. With a stock whose valuations move way above its true business value, it is always good to book profits.
Source: http://www.equitymaster.com/5MinWrapup/detail.asp?date=12/17/2009&story=2
Now whether Sintex is a worthy investment now is not a matter of discussion here. What we are trying to point is that the right kind of small companies can help you generate tremendous wealth.
But only if you have patience! And stick with good quality stocks across market cycles.
You can learn this from an investor in Sintex in December 1999, who sold the stock after it tripled in December 2003. Since then, the stock has multiplied another 12 times!
So you may ask - should I never sell a stock, always expecting it to multiply several times?
Well, if the company continues to do well, the idea of selling it should not even enter you mind. As the legendary Warren Buffett says - "If the homework is done right while purchasing a stock, the time to sell it is never."
But then, one must also never be greedy. With a stock whose valuations move way above its true business value, it is always good to book profits.
Source: http://www.equitymaster.com/5MinWrapup/detail.asp?date=12/17/2009&story=2
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Investing in stocks: Fundamental question
Entry from LiveJournal blog - 25 Aug 2008
In stock market, when someone makes profit only when some else loses.
X buys a share at Rs. 100
Y buys it at 105 - Say he gets share what X sells. X makes profit of Rs.5
Z buys it at 110 - Say he gets share what Y sells. Y makes profit of Rs.5
Now Z tries to sell but since there are now buyers for price >= Rs.110, he decides to sell at lower price to lower the loss.
So he decides to sell at say Rs.105. Lets say, Y thinks stock price went to Rs.110 and it can go up again to that extent. So he buys it at 105 and waits for it increase.
When it doesn't increase, he decides to sell at say Rs.100. Now X sees it opportunity and buys it.
In the above process,
X made profit of Rs.10
Y made no profit no loss
Z made a loss of Rs.10
Broker got his commission by recommding stock...
==> Rumours, News, Broker recommendations all drive up or down the value of stocks. Right?
==> Valuation is process of creating perception that a certain stock is attractive at certain value. Right?
==> P/E of 10 is good for one company, P/E of 25 is good assumption. Who knows what is right one? P/E of 10 means getting back investment in 10 years. But as investor, do I get EPS as dividend? No. Dividend could be 0 also. In that case, valuation of stock goes up. Am I running behind something which I will never get?
Isn't this cheating? Isn't it gambling? Isn't exploiting people who are ignorant, who do not have access to information that to at right time?
In stock market, when someone makes profit only when some else loses.
X buys a share at Rs. 100
Y buys it at 105 - Say he gets share what X sells. X makes profit of Rs.5
Z buys it at 110 - Say he gets share what Y sells. Y makes profit of Rs.5
Now Z tries to sell but since there are now buyers for price >= Rs.110, he decides to sell at lower price to lower the loss.
So he decides to sell at say Rs.105. Lets say, Y thinks stock price went to Rs.110 and it can go up again to that extent. So he buys it at 105 and waits for it increase.
When it doesn't increase, he decides to sell at say Rs.100. Now X sees it opportunity and buys it.
In the above process,
X made profit of Rs.10
Y made no profit no loss
Z made a loss of Rs.10
Broker got his commission by recommding stock...
==> Rumours, News, Broker recommendations all drive up or down the value of stocks. Right?
==> Valuation is process of creating perception that a certain stock is attractive at certain value. Right?
==> P/E of 10 is good for one company, P/E of 25 is good assumption. Who knows what is right one? P/E of 10 means getting back investment in 10 years. But as investor, do I get EPS as dividend? No. Dividend could be 0 also. In that case, valuation of stock goes up. Am I running behind something which I will never get?
Isn't this cheating? Isn't it gambling? Isn't exploiting people who are ignorant, who do not have access to information that to at right time?
Naati/Jawari v/s Hybrid: Myth?
Entry from LiveJournal blog - 08 Jun 2008
Often I have heard from people of our parents generation that their previous generation used to have Naati/Jawaari food. So they lived longer and were healthy and independent till end of their life. I too believed it so far but now I think it may not be the case.
I feel they lived longer because of their life style.
They ate good food. We eat lot of junk food.
They ate only what they could digest. We don't have control over food. If there is party and if we like food, we eat more...
They used to fast regularly.
They did enough physical work most of their life. We hardly do any physical work. We don't have (or pretend) time to do excercise. In some cases, we are couch potatos watching idiot box.
They indulged in prayers, visiting temples, socializing through festivals, "jaatras"/"mela"s. They lived in joint families. There was hardly any stress that needed to be managed. We are nuclear families. We need balanced work and personal life. We need to take care of everything ourselves. Lot of stress that needs to be managed.
They were social. They used think beyond their family. They helped others. There was hardly any competition. We are selfish. We want to secure our future. We want to earn more and more. We are in race to be ahead of others. We are restless.
So, is it just food what they/we ate/eat mattered/matters or is it lifestyle that defines our longevity and happiness?
Often I have heard from people of our parents generation that their previous generation used to have Naati/Jawaari food. So they lived longer and were healthy and independent till end of their life. I too believed it so far but now I think it may not be the case.
I feel they lived longer because of their life style.
They ate good food. We eat lot of junk food.
They ate only what they could digest. We don't have control over food. If there is party and if we like food, we eat more...
They used to fast regularly.
They did enough physical work most of their life. We hardly do any physical work. We don't have (or pretend) time to do excercise. In some cases, we are couch potatos watching idiot box.
They indulged in prayers, visiting temples, socializing through festivals, "jaatras"/"mela"s. They lived in joint families. There was hardly any stress that needed to be managed. We are nuclear families. We need balanced work and personal life. We need to take care of everything ourselves. Lot of stress that needs to be managed.
They were social. They used think beyond their family. They helped others. There was hardly any competition. We are selfish. We want to secure our future. We want to earn more and more. We are in race to be ahead of others. We are restless.
So, is it just food what they/we ate/eat mattered/matters or is it lifestyle that defines our longevity and happiness?
Talk by Chetan Bhaghat at Symbiosis-Pune
From a mail forward in 2008
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party several months in advance - just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of 'Jab We Met' vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions. You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.
I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and
loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will
feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades - how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.
Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India . From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved - movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result - at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan - I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it - not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India , so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want ice-cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique.
What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party several months in advance - just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of 'Jab We Met' vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions. You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.
I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and
loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will
feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades - how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.
Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India . From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved - movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result - at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan - I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it - not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India , so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want ice-cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique.
What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks
Gudnavar family - Current Generation!!!
Asscending order according to age, from left to right.
1. Mahantesh
2. Shivanand
3. Umesh
4. Dayanand
5. Vinay
6. Anand
7. Chandru
8. Prakash
9. Ashok
Eureka! I can float on water!
Entry from LiveJournal blog - 18 Mar 2007
For the first time in life, I could float (body horizontal) on water without flapping my legs or hands. I could do it for about 30 seconds, 3 times. I would attribute this to doing Pranayam recently... I have tried floating many times earlier but body could float only vertically.
How is it possible? I think, it is due increased usage full lung capacity as compared to earlier.
Place: Country Club, Sarjapur, Bangalore
For the first time in life, I could float (body horizontal) on water without flapping my legs or hands. I could do it for about 30 seconds, 3 times. I would attribute this to doing Pranayam recently... I have tried floating many times earlier but body could float only vertically.
How is it possible? I think, it is due increased usage full lung capacity as compared to earlier.
Place: Country Club, Sarjapur, Bangalore
Gandhism: Power of non-violence
Entry from LiveJournal blog - 26 Feb 2007
Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gand hi Institute for Non-violence, in his June 9 lecture at the University of Puerto Rico, shared the following story:
I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbours, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.
One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town My father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced.
When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together."
After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30 before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00.
He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?"
I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage. When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it."
So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads. I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again.
I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing.
But this single non - violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday. That is the power of non-violence.
"It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not."
-- Denis Waitley
Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gand hi Institute for Non-violence, in his June 9 lecture at the University of Puerto Rico, shared the following story:
I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbours, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.
One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town My father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced.
When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together."
After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30 before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00.
He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?"
I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage. When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it."
So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads. I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again.
I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing.
But this single non - violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday. That is the power of non-violence.
"It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not."
-- Denis Waitley
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