Please don't say 'just' a housewife....

This is the first thought that struck me when I read the creative prompt for Wishlist Wednesday No. 3.

So, the one thing I wish everyone would learn is to recognise and value the abilities and contribution of women whom they brand as 'just a housewife'. Yes, I agree that having a career and yet being able to manage the house efficiently amounts to something. But at the same time, that does not mean that managing a household only, without having a paid job or business / profession amounts to nothing.

I believe that most women would want to have an income of their own, to be able to dispose it off as they please, but some of them might have had to give up this want for a variety of reasons, which, in their minds had a higher priority. And trust me, some of these women who are 'just housewives', have skills which would draw excellent rewards, if they were to use these as paid consultants.

The way some of them manage the relationships between family members - tackling ego clashes, generation gaps, inferiority and superiority complexes, could provide some invaluable lessons for HR heads. This is more relevant for housewives (Can I call them 'homemakers'? - It suits their profile better.), because they are personally available for the family to share (or sometimes 'dump'?) their feelings all the time.

The way they negotiate terms and payments with various service providers can give incredible ideas about what you missed in that all important contract negotiation for business.

I just have to point out an example here. Some years back, in Mumbai, selling stuff in plastic bags was prohibited and there was a fine of Rs.500 for shopkeepers who were found handing out plastic bags. When asked for a bag of her own by a grocery shop owner, this homemaker replied "Can't you be selling cloth bags too? I'm sure a good amount would sell......" Wasn't this a business idea for all practical purposes? Something for which we set up strategic divisions and hire Big 4s or 5s?

Why is how much money you're able to earn the major (or for some people, the only) marker for how relevant you are?

This thought was nicely portrayed in the film 'English Vinglish'. Though the film was mainly about people lacking the knowledge of English being belittled, somewhere, it also highlighted that your ordinary 'housewife' was not 'born to make laddoos'. She could be an 'entrepreneur'. I loved that film.

So people, the next time you're tempted to think of someone as 'just a housewife', think again. She could be the cause why you or your family member or your friend are what you are.

This post is in response to 'Wishlist Wednesday No. 3' posted by Preeti Shenoy on her blog http://justamotheroftwo.blogspot.ie/. More so, it is dedicated to a woman who impressed my thoughts enough to write it.

Thought Attack!

It's not often that this happens to me at night time. Mind you, I love my sleep. But last night, I again had what I would call a "thought attack" - when atleast five different thoughts, somewhere losely connected, or maybe not, attack at the same time. It started off with seeing the beginning of the movie 'The Social Network' and brought me to these thoughts:

- So many of these business ventures i.e. Facebook, Linkedin, Microsoft (and my friend added Infosys, as I spoke this thought) started in places like a backyard or a garage or something similarly un-business like;

- It must be correct that all great things start with an 'idea';

- So how to get this, this "idea" - would a logical consideration of options help?

- Probably not. Lateral thinking is the answer.

- Now what was that lateral thinking puzzle about the farmer's daughter having to select a black or white stone from the bag to avoid marrying the landlord?

So you see where I started off and where I ended? This is what happens in a thought attack. I shut off my mind with a Sherlock Holmes short story last night, but the 'lateral thinking' came back to haunt me again today. I checked out a few puzzles for lateral thinking (including the farmer's daughter one) and these seem quite interesting. Anyone having any real life experiences where they applied lateral thinking?

Direct Dil se.......

How often had I heard that the heart had a direct connection with creativity. In the past, when I wrote from my heart, it always touched some soul.

And yet, I don't know how I went on to become a calculative, practical, choose-brain-over-heart person. I stayed this way for a while.....until, of course, until he came along.

As I ended an intense argument with him on a technical matter, I realised I wanted to be defeated. Somebody had seemingly poured a drop of "amrut" on my heart and it broke out of my shell of realism like a tender sapling breaks the cover of earth to a realm of infinite possibility.

My brain went into an overdrive to stop me, exactly as some parents would want to stop their children from entering into risky ventures. It started screaming the 'you'll burn your fingers' warning over and over. But unfortunately for it, my heart was now alive. And despite all efforts from my brain, a wish escaped from my heart......the wish to have him, for life.

As I kept meeting him, I became aware that I also had a 'gut' feeling. This 'gut' was continuously telling me that this person is not who he seems - he is something extraordinary, someone who has capabilities far beyond those apparent.

And then I told him. I told him that my heart was screaming for him, with enough noise to blank out my brain's shouting. And he accepted.......

What more can I say! Seven years of life with him have proved I had a golden 'gut', atleast then. :)


This post is in response to the creative prompt for 'Wish List Wednesdays', posted by Preeti Shenoy on her blog 'justamotheroftwo.blogspot.com'. All the best for your forthcoming book, Preeti!

Worldly wishes from a materialist soul.....

Yes, I do call myself a materialist and yes, still, I do have a "working" soul. A soul which shouted today morning, to give a little schoolgirl my bus seat - to which her dictator-of-a-mother refused.

But lets not digress, we need to talk here about my worldly wishes. As Preeti has mentioned, these need to be "things", and these need to be capable of being possessed (i.e. it can't be Harry Potter's magic wand, you know!)

So, here goes......or as my two and half year old would say "Here GO...."

The three things I badly wish I could have are........

1) A nice gleaming published copy of my miracle fiction book, the title and concept of which are very clear in my mind, but which does not have a single page written yet, for want of imagination and introspection time...actually, that is what the book will be about. (Preeti, your publishers are reading this, right?)

2) A letter from The Prize Bond Company Ltd. confirming that one of my bonds has won their EUR1 million prize.

3) Retainership agreements with five companies (I am not greedy) who wish to avail of my services. I can't disclose my field of work here, sorry.

And, maybe not badly, but I do wish to get Preeti's latest book - to be able to see how people can put their souls into imaginary bodies and make them do things.




This post is in response to the 'Wish List Wednesdays' creative prompt posted by Preeti Shenoy on  http://justamotheroftwo.blogspot.ie/

CATCH IT!

Out there, running in front, is your dream,

Go, come on, run, CATCH IT!

Its attractiveness has lured many fools around -

Like bees to a honeycomb,

Everyone’s  looking to find a higher ground

With a fake tan of aplomb.

If they grab it you know they’ll make a mess,

From what you originally thought it should be,

And then you can do nothing but confess:

You had it there, but you let it flee....

So, get up.....

Out there, running in front, is your dream,

Go, come on, run, CATCH IT!

Pankhon ko hawa zara si lagne do.....take risks!

Was listening to this inspiring song from Rocket Singh on the way to work yesterday. And what followed was a spotlight in the newspaper on the Irish runner who scored a gold in the 1500 mts at the paralympics. Seeing all the pics of the runners with the blades (and without legs!) with this song playing in my mind brought me back to another oft repeated statement "Whatever the human mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." So what if you don't have legs? You can still choose (yes, choose, not wish!) to participate in a running race for your country.

And yet, how often people like us, with all physical capabilities, by the grace of God, still want to land and remain in a "secure spot"?

The "blade-runners" did move a few strings of my soul. They will have made many people consider getting out of their nests and attempting to fly, I think....

Kahaani : Appearances are deceptive

Got to see this interesting movie only yesterday. (Ah! the joys of being a working mother!) Right from the helpless (?!!) pregnant lady looking for her husband, to the lame looking insurance agent who is in fact, a contract killer to the seemingly subdued junior police inspector, who actually turns out to be smarter than his boss, the movie screams this line : Appearances are deceptive. People might not always be what they seem.

And then, how often do we judge people based on the way they look? And how often do we change our appearance trying to make people think we are something, that we might not really be?

Years ago, I had got this worldly advise from a cousin of mine, who was obviously, mature beyond his years : Never underestimate anyone and never be over-impressed by anyone. Nice one that was. But despite having been given such wisdom, I do end up forming some impressions (better word than 'judgement', isn't it?) about people. I believe everybody does. We may or may not react to those impressions, but sort of can't help forming them. And these are of course, based on how we have lived and what we have seen and experienced until now.

So lets go some insight sharing here : If you were to meet a stranger today, what is something that would impress you - positively or negatively? What is something that will make you remember that person?

Our "world" - people sense, people awareness

My two year old was asking to see the usual Disney stuff on Youtube when we landed on 'A whole new world' from Aladdin. I was reminded of the beautiful song I heard in my teens and played it for her. She immediately pointed her index finger to the screen and said "Mommy - Daddy". Wow! So she thought Mommy and Daddy look like Jasmine and Aladdin?!!! Or maybe there was a bigger compliment involved here - maybe she meant to say "Mommy and Daddy mean the world to me".

This brought a whole swarm of thoughts :

1. When did I last tell my parents they meant the world to me?

2. What, or rather Who, indeed means the "world" to me? and lastly,

3. How aware am I of the "world" around me?

This has nothing to do with philosophy and everything to do with a useful trait called people sense or people awareness - how much we recognise the presence of other people in our life, people around us.

Some people have this naturally. These are the people who will immediately rise to bring a glass of water when someone in the gathering coughs for long. Others, like me, need to be conditioned to acquire this trait. The Irish are born with it. They will need to say atleast a "Hi" to anyone who comes within a couple of arms length distance - how can you just ignore the presence of another person, whoever they are? If the technical sense of the Indians and the people sense of the Irish are combined into one person, he / she will most definitely be a genius.

So, maybe the next time we'll pop our busy heads out of our i-phones / i-pads / laptops or whatever, and try to be a little more aware of the "world" around us?

Choose action in thought vs. action

This is of course, my first blog post. And like many bloggers, I put a title which immediately came to my mind - choose action in thought vs. action.

Yeah I know what you're going to tell me - what's the use of mindless action? It will only make you regret later after the act is done. But its here that I am reminded of a scene from the movie "Karma" where Anil Kapoor is grinning over Dilip Kumar's advise that you need to think before you shoot. He just proceeds to say "Budhaoo keh riya hai, pehle socho, samjho, phir goli chalaao - arrey tab tak to dushman goli maar ke chalaa jaayega - marvaaega budhaoo". Ha ha, but yes, there are "reflex action" circumstances in life where the act is required before the thought even flows through the brain.

I am also reminded of a short course I attended in human relations where it was discussed that actions follow feelings. So if you regulate the actions which are more directly under your control than the feelings, the feelings fall in line. So there you are - one more argument in favour of action.

Action was also backed in one of the 'linkedin' articles I read, which sort of advised that in uncertain business atmosphere, the best strategy is to "Act" on what seems the best course and then try to increase the gains or minimise the losses, rather than to sit and wait for the atmosphere to become favourable for action. Now I don't know how sound a business advice that is, but it seems logical.

And last but not the least, this blog post is a result of action - I acted, and the thoughts started flowing........

Love,

A woman of action