Redefining Horizons

I had heard a lot about the Boston fall and the dramatic change in colours from green to hues of yellow and red. I timed my visit to Boston to see the faint footsteps of fall, experience it getting louder and more colourful as it sweeps the entire area awash in colours. I am enjoying every bit of it.  'Autumn' and 'Fall’ are used interchangeably to capture the same essence of time bridging summer and winter. Autumn wears an attire of formality whereas fall brings along a poetic and philosophical feel appropriate to the annual event. In the northern hemisphere fall commences with the autumnal equinox, the day, sun crosses the celestial equator, the imaginary extension of Earth’s equator in space. It normally happens between 21st to 24th September. Fall ends with winter solstice. Also called ‘hibernal solstice’, winter solstice occurs when the poles reach its maximum tilt away from the Sun. Winter solstice, therefore has the shortest day and longest night of the year. Then...

  Go Along   Comical acts online or on TV, invariably comes along with an abundant dose of ‘canned laughter [1] ’. We might miss the joke but not the laughter. Sooner than later, we too tend to laugh along; even when we don't quite get the joke. Our compulsion to go along is more pronounced when there are people around!     WhatsApp group discussions play it out best. Anyone could have initiated it but inevitably, it gravitates to align with the opinion of an individual or a group of individuals. Initially there could be many widely differing views; strong, loud and clear. As discussions progress, differing voices either fall in line, or just fade into silence. Views that differ from the majoritarian are gradually given up, willfully or under pressure. It is not always necessary for the majoritarian opinion to be correct legal or valid, yet everyone goes along!  Don't   believe  it ? Revisit previous discussions on your mobile; it could prov...

  Exhortations The most repeated exhortation in motivational and corporate training circuits is about remaining positive’ irrespective of circumstances. Having been on the circuit, I have done it, many times over.   But talks about positivity is meaningless unless we understand negativity, its contours and content and context. Negativity is everywhere. Overt or covert in application, crass or sophisticated in execution, words or deeds its manifestation, its existence recognised within or experienced from outside, negativity comes in countless shades and has little in common to call as character. Inseparable companion for some, identity for few, fuel for aggression or weapon of defense for many, we encounter negativity in some form every day. Interestingly, people reeking of negativity complain most about others’ negativity.   Power of Negativity I realised the power of ‘negativity’, first time in the mathematics class. We were attempting to solve a linear equa...

History The Teacher History talks of many an empire. What could be common to all the empires of the past? The Mauryas, Guptas, Mughals, Romans, Persians, Ottoman, Hans, Spanish and the British, each one a powerful regime, held sway over vast swathes of land and had subjects across geographical boundaries we now recognise. Geographically and chronologically spaced well apart, each one tremendously influenced populace it ruled upon and made lasting contributions to virtually every aspect of contemporary culture. Each came into existence and grew but couldn’t succeed in sustaining themselves to grow into perpetuity. Despite unquestionable powers, and repressive enforcement systems, perpetuity eluded each one of them. Having failed to sustain and grow beyond a time, they now remain confined to pages of history; their significance waxing and waning, at the mercy of contemporary political regimes in their attempt to attain perpetuity. History is a great teacher. Those who do not ...

  Truth Not always Obvious   Prima facie, M [1] is ‘just another’ employee of the firm. He was one amongst the 20, I was hired to train. Outwardly shy, to the point of being withdrawn, he spoke only when asked to. But, as the session progressed and activities rolled out, I saw him, a different person. He was the natural ‘centre of gravity’ and literally made group activities come through. Though everyone in the group was individually brilliant and did their very best, both individually and collectively, his sense of commitment to the group and accomplishing the task was palpable. He was commitment personified . As I stood watching the group [2] strive and accomplish various tasks assigned, I realised I was witnessing a group’s success mantra unfold at work.   Profitability and Productivity   Profitability is an inevitable survival-ingredient for organisations involved in commercial activities. Business strategists consider productivity and profitability as insepa...

  INDIVIDUAL - CURRENCY AND PARITY VALUE The Currency Independent currency is a powerful symbol of sovereignty. It comes in different denominations, each different in looks, dimensions and security features. Differences aside, each one carries a statement of promise lending it credibility and making it legal tender, an instrument for value transfer and a medium of exchange. But there is a catch about the value “assured” to be transferred. Face Value Each note carries a promise that assures value at par with the printed face value. The value, said to be guaranteed with commensurate gold reserves, keeps fluctuating based on supply and demand, interest rates, inflation, public debt, and other macro and micro factors. Socio - political environment, itself speculative and make believe nowadays, influences currency value. Experienced as, purchasing power parity and expressed as exchange rates, a strong currency may equal many of a weaker currency. Transaction an Imperative Infla...