WORDSChamber

The Contrast

2011-12-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

I attended a funeral the other day – funeral of a man, like many others whose hands are briskly held and pulled behind the curtain of life by the extended reach of death, who had a few more unfinished patches of half sewn hopes. Sitting down in a corner, observing the expressions in the face of people who visited the house on that day, I had many things to write and share; my thoughts seem to

Alternate Seasons!

2011-12-03T00:54:00.000-08:00

Back home!! In a few months of being away, how children change – growing up! Their conversation has changed; the choice of words they learned to use, or not to use amuses me, and amazes too. When Naisha has become more logic and speaks of the little science she learned in school and relate it to the daily motion of life, Mariam has learned to express in words her emotions of heart more than

Where Did You Leave Her?

2011-11-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

You may not want to read it, perhaps, it's also the story of your life!! Should the excitement last forever? Does it? Or, should it? Of anything, for that matter! Isn’t life a transformation, and should it always be what it was? How much of what it was should remain while it shed its old skin and new skins are formed? I am talking about relationship, trying to plot the graph of growth in a

The End !

2011-11-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

There are moments you come across in life where the closets of memories are sorted and clearedto take a few of the best ones with you to the future; a conscious transition marking an end and the beginning. The moment of cutting that umblical chord that connects to a series of special moments in the past have to be carefully held and truncated to move on to the future. It’s an aching moment.

Did You Write This Letter?

2011-10-17T00:11:00.000-07:00

O! Dear, I have been wanting to connect with you for ages now, and didn't want to rush you a mail or flash on you a phone call but sit down and talk leisurely; it never happened all this while, for such is the pace of life! I sometimes wonder in whose hands the reign of my life is! Who is accelerating it? Or, what is, rather?I dont' know about you, but there are moments when I fall into silence

Additions That Don't Add Up

2011-10-07T04:03:00.002-07:00

4 + 5 = 9. Period.Whether it is written in bold, or in gold, whether it is styled in Italic, it can only be 9. If what you want to make is 10, it's no point shifting around the 5 and 4 as you well know; what is required is to pause, reflect and add that '1' that will make up the 10. Sometimes it is an application of science. Some other times, it's abandoning science and embracing common sense

Whoever You Are!

2011-10-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

They all had something similar to say, that, they tried many avenues, faced several rejections, went through periods of dejection, faced faces of indifference and at times mockery, and it was a long long road before they reached the stage where a throne and a crown awaited to celebrate their success.They all had several stories of failures etched into their lives that remains as a stain on their

September that was!

2011-09-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

No. It's not about 9/11.This month offered a kaleidoscope of experiences; from the first week till todate, there were miles to travel and milestones to achieve. Though set out with a clear charter, the experience and observations of people around offered an unchartered experience influencing life and contributing career of which the highlights I do not want to let go without capturing

'Asante Sana' Nairobi

2011-09-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

First part of the month started with a trip to Nairobi, Kenya. Though arriving at Nairobi brought back pleasant memories of my last trip many years ago, the taste didn’t last for long as I discovered that I had lost my luggage! First few moments were of hope to get the luggage and move out fast; the moments that followed added a bit anxiety, thinking why is it so late to come! All those who

Mission Recruitment: Namaste Mumbai

2011-09-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Last time I visited Mumbai was when the Bombay riots were just breaking out; I narrowly escaped without getting caught in between; it was on the second day of the riot when I was booked to fly, and somehow the taxi driver took pocket roads and alleys to take us to airport in the very early morning hours of that night! A decade later when I landed there, she had changed her clothes from a

Colombo Calling !

2011-09-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

It’s only less than two hours to Colombo from Chennai! But for that, I am on the road from 10:00pm till 05:00pm – one whole night! When I reached the hotel, all I needed was to just sleep for a few extended hours at a stretch.That was not to happen though as we had to meet and finalize the logistics of interviews scheduled for the next day. As we knew that the days will be occupied through out,

I Wouldn't Trade It For An Empire !

2011-08-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Being nice, kind and compassionate always presents itself with a reward of its own; do not be disappointed by its disguised nature of offering a delayed gratification, for its value is in the karat of joy it offers as the time matures, when all on the stage has left after the curtain is down, and the only sound you hear is of the crickets in the darkness of the woods. If in the place of heart you

Twenty Four Hours

2011-07-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to write about the last fortnight but am still not in a grip of the days so that I am composed to write. First, it started with a sudden decision to travel to India that was not in my plan, and it kind of disturbed the whole work-plans for the week; travel was hectic and then the schedules at home wasn't any different as I had to make the best of it since I am already here.

Mr Holland's Opus !

2011-07-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Academicians are - the most of them - an inspiring lot. They may not be seen as wearing Chanel perfumes or Gucci Shirts and might as well be seen as wearing a dress that you saw them wear in the Christmas eve two years ago. These are at least a story of the past and I am sure with the various reforms and progress in time etc., they have advanced in that front too. Though I know each

What you said is not what I heard !

2011-07-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

Do you want to join me in this exercise? When you read these words, answer yourself what it means to you, i.e, does it sound 'positive' or 'negative?' 1. Lotus 2. Go back to 1, if you didn't think of whether Lotus is sounding positive or negative, and do it, if you mean to do the exercise 3. Now, what about 'Crayons'? 4. Is 'Water' sounding 'positive' or 'negative'? 5. 'Cow-dung' 6.

Carol's Theme and a Love Card

2011-07-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

I feel disappointed when I see people forming alliances to corrupt, than to correct; when the collective synergy of minds and hearts could have been efficiently channelled to produce remarkably better results for a society at large or an organization or an institution, a few minds - who still possess qualities good enough to be amazingly loved by their families and friends - could behave in a way

Are You Smelling Coffee?

2011-06-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

That's what she gave me to smell in a little bowl that resembled Moroccan antique and before I write about it there are a few other reflections that I do not want to miss writing about, influenced by the powerful lesson I took from her as I walked back home. This week was emotionally enriching , and at the same time tremendously draining too; it was the head and tail of the same coin; all for

Employee Handbook - Is It Serving Purpose?

2011-06-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

At least in some part of the Middle East and in most cases in Asia, the Employee Handbook is one that is seen, felt on the first days of induction, followed by it finding a nice place on the side of the study table of the associate in their accommodation (or in their suitcase - which makes it completely out of sight - if they don't have a study table!).In true reflection, did that serve the

Reflection

2011-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a very fast paced month, last month, juggling different priorities and progressing forward, travelling back in memory lane through music and thoughts, and many more! What will I remember this month for? What will I forget from how I lived this month? At Work: finding out the right talent and convincing them on why should they work with us is what I was mostly engaged in. One by

A Kaleidoscope, or a Potpourri?

2011-04-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

A conversation of two ordinary passengers I overheard in a public transport I took today in Chennai was typical of the daily concerns of an average family in India. There was one who had to share his concern on spending over a 1000 rupees (USD 22) on his son who was running high fever for last three days. As if it would comfort him, the other topped it up with his concern of spending around 20000

What Naisha Told Me That I Didn't Hear?

2011-03-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

It’s not about what she didn’t tell us; it’s about what we didn’t hear her saying. It’s about how we discounted her concerns because it didn’t scale up to our measurement of a ‘real problem’ and therefore it wasn’t given the attention it deserved while we measured it on a yardstick of our experience than with a scale of her size of life! Naisha is in 2nd grade; she is our darling girl at home

A Dying Art

2011-03-04T01:05:00.000-08:00

At least once, everyone would have experienced the anxiety of that wait for the postman to appear with that precious little thing in his hand, or for the sight of that little envelop in your post-box that has travelled a long distance, or perhaps a few lanes of the town, carrying your name, written with so much of passion at an hour when the world around must have been asleep and the shadow of

Trouble-Makers or Patriots?

2011-01-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

I am delighted to read this note in "The Hindu" Editorial today that came as a balm to a hurt soul from watching the events unfolding in Kashmir, driven by politically coloured patriotism by a party who's desperately seeking means and methods to regain their lost position, lost primarily owing to the same methodologies they exercised earlier.What was it, other than a provocative and insensitive

"Stillness of Silence" - First Recognition

2010-12-07T03:59:00.001-08:00

I am extremely delighted to have received this letter of appreciation from Sri O.N.V Kurup - the receipient of India's highest literary honour Jnanpith Award 2007/08 - upon reading my book "Stillness of Silence".Sri ONV who is busy in his writing world could have easily read the book and put that aside, that too if he chose to read! He chose to honor my work by responding with a personal letter,

Finding Lasting Happiness and Emotional Well-being

2010-10-27T07:38:00.001-07:00

Please visit http://www.lettinggo.tv/moviedvd/ to read more about "Letting Go".

An Evening at Marina Beach

2010-10-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

I was at the Marina Beach this evening with Naisha - my eldest daughter, watching the reflections of life through the prism of time! How do I illustrate the visual?I saw families, some of them new, gauged from the distance they stood, and others, families since long, from the indifference I felt! The new, standing with their fingers intertwined, hands that later stretched to be held around each

Lalit Modi : A Simple Lesson

2010-10-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

Lalit Modi is a phenomenal example of negative application of hardwork, persistence and perseverance devoid of values and ethics, enabling one to achieve quick but unsustainable results in life. The actions that one believed as opaque and impenetrable , transforming miserably over time as transparent and thin as a bubble that burst right on the face, of which the power of explosion strips one

The India I Want

2010-10-10T02:37:00.000-07:00

What I am sharing here might defy the logics of the historians and the wisdom of the intellectuals. Nonetheless, many ordinary men and women like me across the country would resonate with the feeling I share, and the ambition I hold dearly for this country. The other day, we were travelling in train back to Chennai. There was a young girl travelling alone, and was negotiating with the ticket

The Game We Play

2010-10-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Someone will have to sit staring at the floor when the other will run round and round looking at the sky with delight. A winner's joy is the graceful sorrow of the one on whose shoulder she climbed to lift the flag of her victory; delight for one, despair for the other; that's the rule of game; that's equally the inevitable truth of the other game we play: Life.Shahir9th October 2010Context:

Success

2010-10-05T00:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone who has become successful in their life has endured a long stretch of struggle; stressful days and sleepless nights, the tough rides against the forces of unseen gravity. The irony of the story is in the fact that the struggle is never in the distant past, and more often illustrated in present continuous; a fiction in the making, and what appears in front as the climax is but just a

Andrew Zuckerman Wisdom

2010-08-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Stillness of Silence - My First Book

2010-08-03T10:45:00.001-07:00

"Stillness of Silence" is a collection of 'reflections' on life, people, relationship, and more, or less! These are thoughts that often to your and my mind, but exits our consciousness without getting captured. These are also thoughts that are questioning dogmas that we live with, more often inherited, rather, educated ourselves to believe. These are normal thoughts of an ordinary person - me,

Relationship

2010-08-02T12:19:00.001-07:00

Old Age Grief

2010-07-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is an imaginary conversation with her husband - her beloved one. The pain of loneliness, and yet the determination to put up a strong face against the adversity of having to live a lonely life...and much more your mind too must be imagining with me!ShahirJuly 26, 2010

The Definition!

2010-07-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

"I am an oscillation between openness and concealment; between fear and confidence; between joy and sorrow; between fantasy and reality! I am at times a palette full of colours and at times I am the canvas; I am real; I am virtual!"from the book "Stillness of Silence" by Shahir

Energy

2010-07-13T10:54:00.001-07:00

The Questions!

2010-07-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

Listen to me...

2010-07-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

I am unique

2010-07-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

My unique personal composition of substance, matter & character makes me differently capable of achievement that others have, or have not.Others achievement are a pathway for me to try and test their methods of applications. However, their failures (rather, delay in success) shouldn't be a deterrant for me in trying to pursue that, if that is also my goal.My applications are unique if applied

What Can I Do With You?

2010-06-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

It disappoints me to think that you are a part of me! A part which if you were a garment I would have spread you on a sewing table, pull out the scissors from the kit, and cut you into pieces and made ribbons out of you for the children in the street to tie on the fences and hang on the branches of the trees they play joyously with their minds less heavier than mine!You keep telling me things

With Love, Papa.

2010-06-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 16 June, 2010My dearest girl,I do not want to let this day go without leaving its footprint in our memories, for us to one day revisit them with joy, together; I know how much you cried, my dear one, and I know how painful those moments must have been for you, not knowing how little is its size when we look at it through our ‘experienced’ eyes!!Dear girl, I miss being there with you; I

She's so special.

2010-06-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

More than my greetings for her on this special day, I am thoughtful of the intensity of my prayers to have her for me, for many many more years to come; more than my greeting for her, I am thoughtful of whether my greeting will remind her of the years gone by, the many losses in return for few riches, the many falls and the few rises, the many pains and the little gains, and the perceived

The Battle of Mind

2010-05-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Naisha has started to ask about me. Poor little girl, so far it was all game and fun for her, no school, travelling and new places, new sights, new dresses and new toys...and now the reality has begun to set in for her little mind that Papa is missing. Usually I am away from home on training trip for a few days or a week, but now she’s beginning to feel my absence. This is longer than usual, and

Word That Powered

2010-05-15T21:38:00.001-07:00

It isn’t unusual for the staff to cut corners when their managers are not around, especially when it is in the night shift or those in the early morning shifts where the top management is yet to come.I decided this morning to do a random inspection by undertaking a house-tour during early morning hours when in normal case no one will expect me around. Among the few areas and standards I was

Liberation and Control

2010-04-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

A liberated mind is lighter than the mind seeking control.The other day, I travelled by bus and got down at LIC , Mount Road, walked a few meters ahead to cross the road and reach the Spencers Shopping Centre, and by that time I was profusely sweating. It naturally frustrates. It becomes a cause of irritation. Then I realized, “Hei, what is there to be frustrating and irritating!?” It’s summer.

In A Glass Box!

2010-04-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

Many are standing in different corners, most of them with their heads bowed and eyes fixed on a point on the floor or gazing at nowhere; those who came earlier, are slowly giving space to those who are coming still; many continue to come, everyone finding a corner or a person or a group who are familiar to them, and begins a discussion in whispers about how all that happened, and with their heads

Joy of Hope

2010-04-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

In between her lines of what keeps her excited these days, Victoria Rose asked me the other day what is keeping me joyous these days.What’s keeping me joyous these days!There are times when we hardly realize that there are reasons to be joyous still, in spite of the speed breakers that must be slowing us down from our pursuit of happiness! The question from distance that Victoria threw at me was

Beauty - A Situational Perception!

2010-03-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

Is beauty a concept of contrasting colours distributed in a certain pattern?The sky is beautiful when the clouds form in a mix of shades; a rainbow adds colour to that very sky and projects yet a distinct beauty. The saffron sunset is a beauty that captivates the heart of even the heart-less, the golden yellow of dawn has its own palette of colours that exudes beauty. The nudity is a colour that

A Love Letter

2010-03-15T00:37:00.000-07:00

It is a nicer feeling to prepare, sit and write to you; in olden days, this would have been done in a nice – perhaps scented – paper, written with a beautiful black fountain-pen, seated against an open window, with a table lamp on the side, as the whole word is asleep after a day’s toil; with the curtains flapping its wings as the cool breeze from the paddy field or the woods outside would

In search of that thing called...

2010-03-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

More often, the best of joy in my life has derived from the many little moments that are so warm and worthy; they didn’t unfold under the crystal chandeliers and breathtaking designs of lazer beams in the grandeur of a ball-room or with a guard-of-honour, but were the simple moments carved out of the simple events of normal days and nights.They are the moments when I kneel down to hug my little

Ocean in a tumbler!

2010-02-21T22:26:00.000-08:00

When Mariam, my three years old little girl is playing her childish games, with her pretty talks to her teddy bear and kitchen sets and imaginary peers on the phone, I often fail to resist the temptation to go straight up to her, lift her up and hug and cuddle her in my arms, and do everything that I think as ways of expressing my love for her. And then, everything comes to an end. Her game, her

Who am I?

2010-02-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

Please do not define me; I may be smaller than your definition, or bigger than its shape! It may be a definition of just a visible portion of me, and a mass in me will remain undefined; I may not be still and might form patterns of a kaleidoscope through the evolution of time. I may not have depth, or I am fathomless.I am in my workshop – without chisels and hammer, a silent chamber of thoughts

The Near and the Distant

2010-02-13T23:25:00.001-08:00

Every time they look out through the window to see the plants and flowers in my garden, their eyes search through the other end of the fence, on the lavender and the orchid that are yet to bloom; what wrong did the daffodils and daisy do for it to not have your attention, a caressing touch on their petals or a loving admiration for its beauty? That it is already blossomed, or that it is in front

Prisoner Number 466-64

2010-02-12T02:46:00.000-08:00

Ten years after I bought this at the St George’s Mall in Cape Town, I read it again during the last week - Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela.Every time I read an article or a book, or watch a documentary about this living legend, it dwarfs the struggles and challenges that I and the many who I know are facing in our lives within our four walls of being! The life Madiba – as Nelson Mandela

The Stillness Of Silence

2010-02-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

I am empty today; there is a stillness in me – a peaceful stillness; the kind of serene, calm and fulfilling stillness that one can visualize as being in a boat in the middle of a lake in the early morning hours of a moonlit night...that’s the kind of emptiness I feel as I write this...an enriching emptiness, a peaceful inward reflection...How can we capture these vacuum of thoughts; or is the

The Bouquet

2010-02-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

She kept on looking through the corner of her eyes, and just when she knew that he is not seeing, she would have a good full look, and enjoy.This is the story of an old man and a little girl, both of them travelling in a bus, seated in the same row with the aisle in the middle dividing them. The old man noticed for long that the little girl’s eyes are on the beautiful bouquet he is carrying on

The Difference!

2010-02-06T02:12:00.000-08:00

When too many people ask you the same question, address them; that may well be the change that would make the difference!When one person ask you too many questions, ignore them; that may well be the difference between an ordinary and an extra-ordinary!Shahir.

The Long Wait!

2010-02-04T23:36:00.000-08:00

Ayn Rand once said: “Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth.”For many, life is a series of waiting; the end of one waiting often marks the beginning of another wait, thus forming a chain of waiting; waiting forms an experience, and that experience become life.In that house is a

Co-exist to Exist

2010-02-03T04:09:00.000-08:00

They are cherished, nourished and relished by me – as my own! Yet their existence on their own is unthinkable, and its survival is through the nourishment it receives through the many invisible chords connected to you…; yes, YOU.My hopes are driven by my dreams; my dreams are propelled by my vision; my vision is an indicator of my character; my character is better than my reputation;

Horizon! What is it?

2010-02-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

Andrea asked me: "Shahir, What is horizon? Is it the limit between the reality and imagination?In fact, I don't really know!!Is it the imagination itself, drawn and redrawn to the like of our illusions; is it an illusion itself, designed and redesigned with an enlightening hope; horizon is there, and we walk towards it...hoping to reach there, hoping to be in it, immersed, attached, dissolved.

A Violin & A Relationship

2010-01-31T09:26:00.001-08:00

It is like a harp; a violin; a cello; a beautiful music instrument to produce music designed by the mind reflecting the desires of the heart.It requires a design, pre-determination and yet flexibility; it requires careful maneuvering; a string is tightened and the other loosened, all with the careful turning and tuning of the tuning-pegs and with a turn or two on the fine-tuners…… the strings are

Knowledge & Wisdom

2010-01-30T02:55:00.000-08:00

Knowledge has taken away from us the wisdom to express; when as a child I hugged and pulled and pushed and rolled over with my friends, now I must wait for her to fall sick or die so that I can stand beside her bed or coffin to hold her hands and cry.Knowledge has taken away from us the wisdom to express; when it was easier as a child with fewer words in my vocabulary to pronounce how much I

Family That Prays Together...Stays Together

2010-01-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

The family that prays together, stays together.Empty chairs around dining tables ain’t a strange sight in many of the houses I know. During lunch time, while everyone is busy with their engagements outside, dinner time is something that doesn’t bring the family together anymore; dining has become an independent event and the only thing that stays together during dinner are the utensils and

Managing Performance in Organizations

2010-01-24T23:37:00.000-08:00

A workshop on Performance Management was delivered at Deccan Plaza on 22nd January 2010 on behalf of Madras Management Association. This experiential learning event was attended by senior managers from different industries. If at all Performance Management is something that need to be fixed ‘still’ in many of the organizations, it is only because of the angle in which we look at them. In

My Virtual Letters: Roller Coaster

2010-01-19T22:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Sheryl,Isn’t life a rollercoaster for almost everyone around us? Perhaps the only differences I see in that roller coaster ride is in the speed of it, Renee, or at times the length of the track, at times the complexity of the ride – the acute degree of turns and the number of high rises and the steep falls.Even in that ride, I am glad that you are in relative control, because only then will

Lessons from bicycle race in childhood

2010-01-05T07:03:00.000-08:00