Me in my head

Let's beat the equation.

2010-02-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

As I spend time at home on a nice Saturday evening, catching up on all things inspirational, I come across a talk by Bill Gates, titled "Innovating to Zero". It's all about the need to reduce our carbon emissions down to an amazing ZERO. Pretty ambitious, in my opinion, but its Bill Gates. I'm 100% sure he'll make things happen.

A visionary who's trying to solve the real problems of the world, Bill Gates is sure to go down in the books for what he does today more than that software behemoth he gave birth to in his garage.

In his talk, he presents to the audience an extremely interesting equation :-

Total CO2 Emissions = [#people in this world] x [services per person] x [energy per service] x [emissions per unit energy]

All this really means is that the amount of carbon dioxide we emit as a human race is related to all the services we use and the amount of carbon emissions each one of them has. To get emissions down to ZERO, obviously one of the variables in the equation needs to go to ZERO. Bill Gates proposes the emissions per unit energy to be that lucky variable (watch the talk for more details and insight. It rocks)

I say, here's a faster, yet more dreamy approach. But to consider the possibility, let's dream. Dream that the equation exists as

Total CO2 Emissions = [(energy you spend because you THINK you need it per unit time) + (energy you spend because you're lazy per unit time) + (energy you spend because you're wasteful per unit time) + (energy you spend because you REALLY need it per unit time) ] x [emissions per unit energy] x [number of people in this world]

The above, in my opinion, is really how we spend each living moment. Our every day is filled with our basic necessities/activities and the rest is excessive, wasteful and products of laziness. There's definitely a way we can work on reducing the contribution to carbon emissions from the variables in red above....

I looked around my apartment while watching Bill Gates' talk, only to find that I have the lights in my kitchen left on, the ones in my hallway left on, my heater is left on in my room when I'm in my living room - it saddens me to realize how wasteful I am sometimes. It also saddens me to realize the carbon footprints I'm leaving behind as a result of being ME today. But, how about I change ME a little bit?

A little change in me would result in lesser consumption and a better world for the future. Just a little less today, and a lot more to offer for tomorrow. Lets extend that statement to say that I'd like to consume less overall - energy, clothing, technology, everything. Living a simpler, lesser complicated life would result in a cleaner environment, better usage of my possessions (by donating, selling, etc) and a free mind. But, how can I do this?

Here are some ways:

Fight against the machines : use what is necessary. Switch the rest off. Don't leave any of them running, from the lights in your room to the monitor in power-saving mode.
Clean up your mess: We all have things we don't want or need. It's all clutter. Unnecessarily piling up to fill our closets. Give them away. Sell them. Get them out of your life!
Recycle: Intelligent minds have worked on ways to make use of our by-products. Let's not direct useful resources to landfills; let's re-use them. All we have to do is separate useful from non-useful :).
Be a minimalist: This is hard today, but something worth working towards. There's beauty and tranquility in being simple and having less. There are too many marketers meddling with our minds to make us think there are many things we need. Guess what, most of them don't positively impact our lives at all. Read Buyology, you'll see what I mean.

A simple change in our lifestyle today can ripple its effects to the future. Together, you and I, can beat that equation Bill Gates put forth.

So, let's be dreamy, change that equation and beat it to the ground.

Live your religion.

2009-11-14T01:16:00.000-08:00

I recently watched a very interesting talk by Barry Schwartz on the Paradox of Choices - how having more choices actually leads to higher expectations and lesser satisfaction. The slide you see above is one from his talk and one that really appealed to me.

I've been brought up in a culture that teaches you to respect your elders, love your parents and follow your religion. As a naive kid with not much to care about, I followed every Hindu ritual that was imparted to me. And so I grew, in age and mind, which lead me to question my beliefs. Poojas and religious festivals are an integral part of my fond childhood memories. They always will be. Yet, by no means are they reflective of the belief-system I currently hold (well, maybe indirectly, through the years that have moulded me).

It has taken me a while to accept the fact that I'm not religious - at least not in Society's eyes. An initial feeling of self-denial transitioned its way to one of acceptance as the years went by; and I realized that it wasn't wrong to hold your own opinion or question the very canons of the societal belief-system. I'm still working on it, but I do have a strong opinion on this :-

As humans, we seek control of our existence. For this control, we rely on a set of facts that complete our view of the world - call it religion or your fundamentals. These facts define us and make our every breath possible. Since they define me, I want to know what exactly they mean. Since they make me possible, I want to be passionate about them - as dear to me as my life. Since they are my fundamentals, I want them to be simple.

I don't know if I can ever conform to a universal set of such principals that fulfill my above listed criteria. But, what I do know is I can make a list of my own to live my life by and call my religion.

I know what is right and what is wrong. I seek to learn and correct. To do and reflect. And with this simplistic approach, I use the "Ten Commandments Do It Yourself Kit".

This post is for my parents, who didn't hold me back from questioning faith. Not once did they impose their beliefs on me. I cannot thank them enough for giving me the freedom to tinker.

Be in touch with your roots.

2009-11-02T00:09:00.000-08:00

We all need a release; in the good times and the bad. Some find it in the melody of music, in the written word or whatever it is that gives them the peace of mind. Point being, there's a story behind it. In the case of writing and music, in particular, the story behind this product is, more often than not, as fascinating as the product itself. To a listener or a reader, there's some context then, with a dive into the mind of the artist. Such a dive did Joshua Radin provide tonight.

I went to the concert with no expectations. There are songs I really like by him, but he was no where on my list of concerts to go to before I die. By the end of it, though, I left impressed. I've always wondered why big bands never do small gigs once they get popular. If i were an artist, I'd always want to mix a few small ones in as a reality check of my roots . Joshua Radin really hit that note today when he said the following (paraphrased):

"I'm not backed by any big records that shove music down your throats on the radio. Where my song is a squeeze between a Britney Spears song. You're here because you heard about it from someone or you like the music. This is a community."

I love it. It's all about the people for him. That's how things should be.

The intimate setting provides for a connection where you really feel like the band's playing for you and that they're there just for the few in the crowd. To take that one step further, Joshua turned the night into a story-telling affair. He shared with us the story behind his inspiration for every song he sang - some were personal, some philosophical, yet all so normal. Definitely made me feel like I could be an artist tomorrow. That feeling sealed the deal for me and gave me my money's worth.

It's fascinating to try and understand what inspires people. It's also amazing to realize how a simple mundane act can spur the hidden song in a person. To share that with the world is brave. The transparency razes to the ground many assumptions that stand tall between people.

To sum it up, this definitely goes down as one of my favorite concerts. The setting was great. The music soothing. The vibes so positive. And the message learned was this:

Know where you started.
Be in touch with your roots, down to earth.
Let your creation do the talking.
"And everything'll be alright"

'Hit the ball out of the park'

2009-10-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

There's so much going on around us. So many things we all want to be part of. I won't say there's not enough time to make it all happen, but just too much going on to give 100% to it all at once.

One of my seniors at work shared this very simple, yet important fact of life:- "No matter what you do, what you're working on, hit that ball out of the park."

Let's be objective and rational in our decisions. Yet, for a change, let's put our hearts before our minds, and give whatever it is that we want to do our very very best shot.

There are things I want to see through and I'm sure you've got your list too. Make it happen; throw yourself at it. Let's work hard to see it all through.

I think the video below by Gary Vaynerchuk sums this message up really well.

Empower fourteen children in Uganda.

2009-10-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

For the past 15 minutes, I've made several failed attempts at delivering this message in a very inspirational way. I'm at a loss for words and the rhythm of poetry. So, I'll deliver it point-blank. I want this message to hit you hard. I want it to be effective. I want us to make something happen. Starting today, starting now.

$38 can buy you a t-shirt, a nice meal at a fancy restaurant, a few drinks at a bar or a month's worth of education for a little child in Uganda, with all living expenses included. The same $38 that will give you fleeting pleasure will empower a child to be educated. Your education has brought you to this very point. So, stop right here. Think back, be grateful, and pay it forward. Here:- http://www.jolkona.org/campaigns/FourteenEducatedChildren.

It's our responsibility to destroy this imbalance. The very fact that we're educated makes it our moral obligation. I could go on about how important it is for us to realize this but I'll leave the rest to you.

This is in no way a solution or a fundamental fix. Just a hurl in the right direction.

Let's do this together, really.

Let the creativity flow

2009-10-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to catch "Where the wild things are" this past weekend. When my brother introduced me to the trailer, I was intrigued. A 10-sentence children's book was being turned into a movie. That's a bold project, I thought, not because there wasn't much to go by for Spike Jonze, but because he had the audacity to challenge the imagination of hundreds of thousands of individuals that had their own little story for this 10-sentence book. I was ready to embark on the director's journey.

While the movie has met mixed reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The movie took on unexpected turns and was truly unconventional in its story-telling methods. While the characters were somewhat complicated, Spike Jonze very craftily exhibited the inherent characteristics of Max through the *monsters* in Max's dream.

What really appealed to me was the randomness in the movie. It lead me to question why, as children, we're so radical in our thinking; so naive, yet so colorful and imaginative. There're so many stories that we have to share as kids; most of them conjured in the blink of an eye, just like that. All it takes is someone to level with kids and engage in their creative journey - it's truly fascinating.

Here's the real question though, where does that random train of creativity go as we grow older? Why're we so rigidly attached to this system that we cannot appreciate an anomaly? Why do we refer to it as an anomaly in the first place? Why does something come across as random or even unexpected? I don't get it.

Here's a video worth watching. Sir Ken Robinson probes the question if school kills creativity in this TED talk.

Here's my take on it :- in this system that trains you thoroughly for a one-dimensional existence, do you have what it takes to break loose?

I want those colors to flow again. I want to paint with my mind and heart, not with my conditioned existence. I want to add my own color.

We are here.

2009-10-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been interesting. I've been walking to work and back home everyday, only to realize how exhilarating it is to have the time to look around and absorb. A half hour walk is sufficient to lift my spirit and energize me for the day ahead.

To be surrounded by people and the familiar sounds of an early morning makes me feel like the world is mine and I'm here to conquer every moment of it. No confined space of a car would give me that feeling. I know I can take any turn, change my path at any minute and bring in the unexpected into every walk. There's a feeling of power in that; and I love it.

Little did I notice before the messages hidden all around. Be it in a poster, a tile on the floor or the wall, or right above you, in the most mundane of elements. Here's one that particularly struck me:

"Now we see the ties,
Each steel crossbeam a line that reads,
From here to there, from then to now
You don't have to leap tracks to make the connection
History is the same as sunlight and snow
Where we are bound,
This network of tracks behind us -
Hard evidence of lives spent to reach us -
And leads us to the same point:
We are here."

Our past experiences bring us to this very moment.
This is our thread, woven by our DNA.
Seize it. Make it work.
Make it count now.
Let's write our own history.
Be masters of our very existence.
No journey should tie us down.

Interesting quote.

2009-10-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

This will be quick. I've got 5 minutes but I'm in the mood to put something out here. Came across this interesting quote :-

"Don't ever let your mind stop you from having a good time." - Jason Mraz, At the Greek Theatre in Berkley.

That's an interesting thing to say. I think I have the best time in my mind. Sometimes, I can't give words to the piece of thought cause it's so unrealistic . Sometimes, dreamy. Sometimes, realistic. They're filled with things I want to do.

And I think those thoughts keep me going every single day. Yet, I'll keep some of them safe inside right where they belong.

Cosmic Entropy

2009-10-04T19:00:00.001-07:00

This article is fricking amazing - filled with paradoxes, assumptions, falsifications and theories to explain our universe.

"No known physical principle can explain why the cosmic entropy is so low. But it’s a good thing because the low value “is responsible for everything we experience about the [unidirectional] flow of time — breaking eggs, growing older and dying, remembering the past but not the future,” notes Carroll. “The universe is incredibly more orderly than it has any right to be. Egan and Lineweaver have shown that it’s just a bit more disorderly than we thought."

It's amazing how this system of life is just about right to make things work. Yet, no amount of science or knowledge can even make us fathom how complex it really is. We live in pursuit of its understanding. Our collective curiosity destroys and constructs our facts every day. I love it.

Nothing's absolute; or completely solved. So, with that in mind, let's keep pursuing whatever we do.

Walking.

2009-09-07T19:14:00.001-07:00

I love walking. I want to walk everywhere I can. Every journey is different then. There's always something new to discover, or maybe just some color to marvel at.

The randomness is exciting - unforeseen and moving . The exchange of unknown glances; and then, a smile. Embrace it - it's all part of the exercise.

Here's an age and time when I can. So, why not. Why any other way. Time beckons I guess. Well, the same path for another time - I'll walk you again to paint my mood.

Here are pictures from things my mom and I discovered when we chose to walk instead of take the car for a change. A welcoming twist to the day.

Add your own color.

2009-09-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to blog about. But I kinda feel like it. So, here I am. Just watched 500 days of summer and it kinda made me want to write.

There's so much to the city that you live in that's left undiscovered - different colors that one never notices. Could be anything, really. I'm of the opinion that a city is best explored on foot. It's kinda what gives you a story of your own to share. Maybe even your own little spot - a park by the lake, a hill overlooking the city, a cafe down the road... your discovery.

Extend that argument a bit, and it holds for things in general. There's power and inspiration in simple things. You're probably the only one who sees it in whatever you discover. So, keep it safe.

You and I live different lives, maybe in different cities, maybe the same. Who cares, though? There's no meaning in a shallow or mirrored existence. Personalize your life, your things, your surroundings. Add your own color. It's what makes you interesting. I certainly believe so.

Dubai -> Frankfurt -> Prague -> Seattle

2009-08-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

So this is interesting. For the last two weeks that I've been in Dubai, the sense of stagnancy in life has left in me a frustrated feeling. I've wanted to get started with life again- finalizing on an apartment in Seattle and planning for work. But here I am at the airport, wishing I had another day in Dubai. It's weird how sometimes, you want more and when you get that 'more', you're left with a feeling that stuff wasn't so bad on the other side after all.

Dubai this summer was great. Needless to say I'm going to miss my family. 4 years ago, I left for a new start as a freshman in college. Today, I leave for another as a full-time employee at Amazon. A lot has changed in the four years, but the good things and awesome people have remained.

Here I am at the airport, waiting to board my flight to Frankfurt. Prague will be an interesting detour on my way to Seattle.

I'm all for new adventures and challenges. I've always wanted to travel to an unknown place, alone and just figure things out. 5 days in Europe should fulfill that wish. It's an exciting and scary feeling at the same time. Hope this whole 'backpack' thing lives up to my expectation.

Room to Read and the idea of "Co-investment"

2009-08-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

I recently read a book titled "Leaving Microsoft to Change the World" by John Wood. Tim Ferriss recommended this book and so, I picked it up as a summer read. It's not an everyday affair to read a story like this one - a highly paid executive at Microsoft that leaves the company to alleviate the world of child-illiteracy. Now, that's awesome - a cause worth living for.

Through various videos that I've seen on TED and even through this book, the same fact has surfaced - dignity > charity. What individuals under the poverty line need is not another donation, but a system or an institution that empowers each one with the ability to make a choice; to reason and decide for themselves. John Wood's Room to Read organization works on the grounds of this very belief; that educating children will enable them to live a life of dignity.

Room to read builds schools, libraries and sponsors children in many of the developing countries. It believes in the policy of "co-investment", which is very fascinating. Instead of building and setting up schools independently, it engages the local community through labor and resources in building and maintaining the institutions. Such a simple idea of giving everyone a vested interest in a cause.

The statistics on the website are definitely heart-warming - they've opened 2000+ libraries and several hundred schools.

But, here's something to chew on :- it takes $250 to educate a girl for a year - books, uniform, transportation, mentoring, tuition included. $250/year or $21/month will give a new life to a girl. That's really all it takes.

Crowdsourcing the D's for a movie.

2009-07-11T02:34:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: Spoiler alert for a lame bollywood movie, Short-kut.

Social media and insanely-easy publishing tools like blogs, twitter and tumblr have definitely given a potential stage to every individual today. Each one of us has a platform and a microphone, if we have something interesting to share. It's really as simple as typing away or recording one's self and publishing on facebook/twitter. Boom, you're words are read and voice heard.

Well, I watched a hindi movie last night called "Short-kut". While I wouldn't recommend the movie to my worst enemy, there was an interesting concept in there. In short, this dude wanted to make a movie but didn't have a producer for it. So, his neighborhood got together and about 100 of them became equal stakeholders in the movie. The movie was produced by the common-man. Now, this might be a little far-fetched, but I definitely thought it was interesting.

Sure, there's video-blogging for those of us interested in sharing stories, but what about just one that is sure to make money? Like I've blogged about earlier, we all have a story to share. Maybe, the traditional platform of cinema is really the way to go for it. I'm curious to know what the audience would consider of an ultra-limited release like that.

I'm glad short-kut had something for me to think about. Don't waste your time watching it, though.

It's all about the outlook

2009-07-07T02:04:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting excerpt from a book that I've been reading, called "Tribes" by Seth Godin :-

"A fundamentalist is a person who considers whether a fact is acceptable to his religion before he explores it.

As opposed to a curios person who explores first and then considers whether or not he wants to accept the ramifications."

I totally believe in this philosophy. I'd rather follow my gut and do something rather than analyze to the point that its too late or just an over-thought, over-complicated problem. Sometimes, I'd prefer to jump first and then think cause there's thrill in that; and an opportunity to learn.

In the past few years, I've truly realized the importance of self-belief; a faith in an understanding of myself, a pursuit of making my principles and ideals my only religion. This really is easier said than done, and I know it. It's a work in progress, and I strive to get there.

"What we're seeing is that fundamentalism really has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with an outlook, regardless what your religion is."

(another excerpt from the book)

So, let's change this outlook. Let's believe, trust our gut, and jump.

Bring light to your home

2009-07-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

Here's an inspiring story by a 15 year old boy, William Kamkwamba, that brought light to his family. How? He built a windmill; in his backyard. With his bare hands and scraps of waste, he brought 12 watts of power to his home - two light bulbs and two radios.

I came across this video on Abha Malpani's blog.

Here's a question for us - where's the need for light in our home/community? Let's put our minds to it and play our responsible part.

Ann Arbor's Exclusive Entertainer

2009-05-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

It's been three weeks since I've started working at the Techarb (a new name to a new place that's an incubator/accelerator for student-startups from the University of Michigan). Life have been busy - working nights and weekends to see our first iPhone application through.

In this hustle and through the three weekends that we've worked, I've seen this individual break-dance through the entire weekend to music that he loves. He's really good at it - moving in that robotic and agile manner at the same time to the beats of Michael Jackson draws at least an eye or two every hour. I happen to walk past him every time I have to enter the Techarb. With a smile on his face, he always waves and greets me. It's inspiring to see someone so involved in what he does - this is his forte.

Brian has been entertaining Ann Arbor since 1995. He grew up in the world of Michael Jackson, with a dream to be an entertainer.

I've been thoroughly inspired by his perseverance. I had a chance to speak to him today and, very indifferently, he shared with me how he's received mixed reactions to his performances. Some people stand to watch and appreciate, while others walk by with a weird and puzzled glance. Yet, his love for break-dancing and desire to be an entertainer keeps him going. Every weekend, Brian happily performs for himself and us. An alley on East Liberty street is his venue. Ann Arbor is his audience.

There's a lesson to learn from Brian - How many of us have a dream like Brian does ? How many of us are really working towards it? There's always a Saturday and Sunday to fulfill whatever that might be. We've just got to persevere. Keep at it. Hustle.

Brian, for all those that have walked down East Liberty, you've entertained young and old through the 14 years that you've been doing this. You're Ann Arbor's exclusive. Not many people share the exclusivity you do.

UP

2009-05-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful movie. I cannot understand how Pixar does this - over and over again. They have this amazing ability to express every emotion in silence (No, this isn't another Wall-E with no dialogue! Also, credits to Aditi for making me realize this). I wont spoil the movie for you, but I would encourage each and everyone one of you to go and watch the movie - it's a one size fits all movie for everyone.

I was deeply touched by the soundtrack of this movie. Michael Giacchino has hit the right note on every scene. What really fascinated me was how he, with the same melody and tune, expressed several different phases of life. It's really a pleasure to listen to. You know that he was deeply inspired himself when you listen to the score.

Here's a short video that highlights an interview he gave :-

A really simple message in here - let your inspiration be your driving force.

Note to self

2009-05-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

What are we without:

Passion
Self-belief
Heart
Focus
Judgement

Simple elements, yet, a life so complicated.

I want to simplify things.

Share your story

2009-05-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

I just watched this video post by Gary Vaynerchuk of his interview on CNN. This guy's awesome. He's taken the media-world by storm, and is showing people how to run a business just by being honest and really caring.

My mom recently launched her website (check out her blog and website) . She's been wondering how to increase the number of visitors on her website, and has been working really hard to create a personal brand. My advice to her has been extremely simple - give the world a piece of your mind. Get people to know you. Introduce yourself through your beliefs, opinions, knowledge and understanding of the field that you work in. Share your experiences with the people. How? Tell your story on the internet, through a blog, using twitter and facebook as your platform. As Gary Vaynerchuk simply puts it, 'content is king'. My mom, you and I have the ability to attract our own audience and create our own platform. There really is power in this fact.

We all have a story to share. A million things run through our mind each day, we learn new and interesting things, meet interesting people, spend countless hours working on a hobby of our own. Why not share that knowledge or experience? Do it in your own way. But make sure you do.

Speak your mind. You'll be surprised at how many people are waiting to learn from you. Neither them nor you know it.

So, what's your story?

Looking forward...

2009-04-24T19:37:00.001-07:00

I've got to do this! It's been a while since I wrote a post, and while it might not be the best time to do this, I think my state of mind urges me forward. A lot has happened in the past few weeks. Mobil33t, our mobile application development startup, is gaining traction. We're all gearing up for the summer, where we'll have nothing but Mobil33t work to do - all our powers of focus, passion, determination and sheer enthusiasm combined to develop our first app as a company.

Graduation is just around the corner - I'm three exams away from being master of my every minute. No exams, no classes, no homeworks, no projects - just things I want to see through. How exciting is that? I'm pumped!

My parents made it into town today to see me walk - it kinda puts things into perspective for me, for how long a ways we've all come in the past 4 years. I'm excited to have them here. I'd like to show them what Ann Arbor means to me and how it's influenced my ways of thinking.

On another note, I've also realized that I haven't really paid much attention to my classes this semester. Yet, its been the most enlightening one of the past 7. I'll save that for another post - think it deserves a post in itself.

Graduation, here I come. Parents, welcome! Mobil33t, hang in there, I'm all yours come summer. CSE Scholars and Winter 2009 - I'll talk about you in another post!

Over and out.

Years of learning. Years to share.

2009-03-22T00:57:00.001-07:00

I'm almost there. My 4 years as an undergrad are almost complete. I can still remember the day when I first came to Michigan. My dad and I checked out the campus before my mom arrived. That was over a 1000 days ago. I cannot believe that we've come such a long way since then. A lot has happened in the world around me, and at the same time, a lot in my life has changed. It's amazing, yet frightening, to think of how time has flown by.

I know almost every senior ready to graduate goes through the same feeling as I am now, but it's true. Time really has flown by. Not sure where I learned what or what I did to make me the who I've become. All I can say is that these 4 years have broadened my perspective a whole great deal. Everyday has been an experience.

Through the semesters that have rolled on, the most important thing that I have learned is the power of hard work. Sheer determinism - it has carried me through, from one semester to another. I pride myself for that. Yet, I do need to hustle more. College has been all about figuring out my calling. Can't say I know exactly what I want to do. All I know is that when I do, I will hustle, I will persevere. These years of youth and energy are too valuable to throw away in complacency and self-appreciation. I will do more.

A lot of people have influenced my life in positive ways - fired me up to rise up and just do my thing. I must admit there's still noise. Still a haziness. Yet, I believe that I'll see through it. To turn this noise into something meaningful.

I've always followed my gut feeling. Reason has been my guide, yet, intuition my decision-maker. I like this impulsiveness - think it's what keeps me going.

Can't wait for the years to come - these are my years to live. To shape. To share, learn, live. I promise to make them count. What about you?

NO - A hard to use but much needed word in the vocabulary

2009-03-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

I have really come to respect and admire the guys at 37Signals. I just heard David Heinemeier Hansson speak at Startup School 08 online. He gave some insight into making a profitable business, and was extremely realistic in his approach. While its important to be a visionary and sometimes even a dreamer, one has to be pragmatic and realistic of the way things work as well. David sums it up pretty nicely.

On visiting 37Signals' blog, I came across an entry that speaks of something that we all know about - the power of saying NO. Yet, we fail to act upon this knowledge. Well, atleast I do. I definitely have something to take from this. Taking on too much at once in a semester has definitely made me loose sight of the bigger picture on many ocassions. I'm always debating whether or not I will be able to give every task that I take on my 100%.

Question is, is this what's all about - committing to something based on the time you have or that you allocate? I think I'm missing something here. Slowly but surely, I've come to realize, that its not about time. As Gary Vaynerchuk puts it in this video blog, it's about what you believe in, it's about your passion - then, there is no boundary between work and play. You're on the move and in the game - 100%, all the time. I crave that right now. The end of school will give me hope. Right now, I'm too busy doing things like stats and computational theory courses so that I graduate.

So, the power of saying NO? In a way, it's what can make the difference between noise and light in your life. You can either spend time doing several things in different directions, or clear the path to focus on that one thing you really love and want, persevere and move forward.

This is a note to myself - I need to change to be this way. I do need to hustle more, but in that one direction that I believe in.

I need to hustle more.

2009-03-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

I attended FOWA Miami over spring break. It was just as I expected - inspiring, motivating, exciting. It was phenomenal. To hear talented guys such as Jason Fried, Joe Stump, Aza Raskin and many others voice their thoughts on the future of the web made me realize the countless number of opportunities that lie before us. Question is, what am I doing about it?

Here I am in school, trying to meet deadlines and graduate. Am I really doing what I love? Or for that matter, what do I love? As Gary Vaynerchuk rightly put it, "passion is undefeated". These guys presenting at FOWA are doing what they're passionate about. And they're winning. I have got to figure this out.

I had to leave the conference a little early to catch my flight to Mexico so I didn't get a chance to attend the afternoon session. I just watched Gary Vaynerchuk's talk online. If you have 30 minutes to spare while eating or doing whatever you do, watch this. This talk sums up FOWA pretty amazingly. As Gary mentions in the video, the web is not about the platform, but about content providers. You and me - reading and writing the web. All we need to do is "hustle" more and figure out how to add value to this rich yet incomplete web. Leave your mark in there.

I wish there was some way for such conferences to take place on college campuses - to inspire students and urge them to do what they really love. At the same time, while I can listen to such conferences all day long and be moved, I've got to do something about it.

In the words of Gary Vaynerchuk, "I need to hustle more".

The videos are up online here. Watch them - trust me, they'll be worth your time.

Tweet Tweet!

2009-03-05T23:00:00.001-08:00

Have any of you tried twitter? I think its pretty awesome. It's basically a service that has been created off Facebook's status box and people "tweet" about pretty much anything in 140 characters or less. You might think that this is just another way for people to talk about their lives and the most useless things around. On the contrary, its a great way to throw some ideas out there to see what people think of them, share information and pretty much speak your mind in a positive way.

Following people like @WernerVogels, @ryancarson and @jasonfried has been pretty awesome. They're really successful individuals in their respected fields and to read about what's on their mind is pretty fascinating. Think of it as a way for you to give words to those random thoughts that run through your mind. Wouldn't it pretty cool to see if there's someone out there sharing the same idea, interests or sentiment as you?

I've tweeted about things like Cloud Computing, class, tech conferences and have got to know about entrepreneurs in San Francisco and the Bay Area. As a result of twitter, I've got the opportunity to read about articles which I probably wouldn't have come across otherwise. With twitter, I've got a sneak peak into the minds of some awesome guys out there.

So, join twitter and check this service out. There's definitely something to it. Check my feed out at www.twitter.com/kajham.

Don't forget the simple ones

2009-01-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

Busy pursuing big some big goals, trying to make it big? Well, take a step back and don't forget to look around you :-

But you're so busy changing the world
Just one smile can change all of mine

Angel by Jack Johnson

I get so engrossed in my daily activities that I sometimes tend to forget how much a simple smile can matter...

Driving

2009-01-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

Found that place or activity where everything just seems clear and things make sense? Well, I have and it's while driving... I don't drive much back in Michigan, but whenever I come down to Dubai, I find myself quite a bit on the road. Driving really gives me this inner peace where I'm one with my thoughts.

At the same time,I need the right music to put me in the zone, and the following songs have really done it for me in recent times:
1. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
2. Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead
3. Kaise Mujhe from the movie Ghajini

Glad I've realized this about myself. It's pretty amazing to have this activity you can always fall back on, no matter what the time or situation. Now, I just can't wait to move to Seattle and get a car :).

Any words of wisdom?

2009-01-02T05:34:00.000-08:00

I finally got a chance to meet with my Principal a few days ago and discuss with him the mentoring program idea that I had. I was surprised and thoroughly impressed to find that my school was taking steps to expose students to activities such as internships and travel-abroad programs during the course of their summer breaks.

Now, I've been invited to talk to the 11th graders on the afternoon of January 5 regarding my ideas. When thinking back in retrospect, I've often wanted a chance to speak to students currently in school. Here's my chance, but guess what, I'm not sure what to say. The purpose of this meeting is to interact with the 11th graders and see how we can making this mentoring program possible.

To be less specific, I'd like it to be more of an interactive discussion to see how current students can leverage off the alumni network. At the same time, I'd like to leave them with some simple advice/suggestions of what more they can do while in school.

I've got a document open on my laptop and it's pretty bare right now.

-----------
Got any ideas?

- What is the one (or two or three) thought(s) you'd like to share with your younger mates back in high-school?
- What is it that books haven't taught you but college or high-school has?
- What is it that you wish you had or did while you were in school?
- What is it that you wish an alum came back to tell you ?

-----------

Come one guys, there's gotta be something. Leave a comment!

Let's make this one count

2008-12-31T10:00:00.001-08:00

What can I say? Another one rolls along. I'm about to head out for NYE celebrations with a bunch of friends so will keep this one short. While America looks towards the new year with a renewed hope and India sorts out its issues with Pakistan, Israelis and Palestinians weep for the loss of their loved ones. Let us pray for them.

A very Happy New Year to you. Hope you fulfill all your goals (if you don't have any, make some!).

Let's begin this new year with a prayer of hope - for the happiness of everyone and for investing in a brighter tomorrow.

I'd like to leave you with this quote my friend emailed me -

Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision.

-V.S. Naipaul

Challenge yourself. Do your part. Make this year count.

Interesting Thought...

2008-12-28T22:56:00.000-08:00

I came across a very interesting quote while doing my daily news-feeds reading today -

To manage to face this new moment and allow room for new ideas and for energy to be renewed, it is necessary to have courage. Courage to face prejudices. Courage to be fair. Courage to understand that everything we do affects the history of the world. Courage to take steps in the direction of the unknown, even knowing that from time to time we are going to make mistakes.

God has done his part by creating us and putting us in the world. Now He looks down on us with love and asks us to do our part.

- Paul Coelho's Blog

While studying at the library, pulling all those all-nighters working day and night on projects, I often wonder why I'm putting myself through this. I do have a passion for what I do. I know I will get good grades and eventually, a good job in my field. I do know that. However, is that all? Do my goals end there?

I'm at an age where I have absolutely nothing to tie me down - no commitment to tether me to mundane society. All I need is courage - to do things differently, to better society that has bettered me.

What is there to wait for? A more opportune time in a better place? I'd rather leave my footprint behind in the places I've already been to; try and change a place, an institution or an event that influenced me.

Time came a creeping
Oh and time’s a loaded gun
(Every road is a ray of light)
It goes on
Time only can lead you on, still it’s
Such a beautiful night

- Life in Technicolor ii by Coldplay

Hope

2008-12-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article that I read. While I don't want to bore you by getting into the details, there's a line in the article that definitely has some food for thought -

But today, the US federal government is being urged to spend money propping up the past — as governments often do — rather than investing in the future.

Phil Wainewright

Yes, the government is right in trying to save jobs of millions of people. Yes, it is right in trying to save clusters of companies from going into bankruptcy. But what about our tomorrow. Now's a time to regroup, rethink and reassess.

Here's a problem on a macro level. I'd say its a daily crisis in every individual's mind. To save now and spend later? Life's too short to savor later. Balance is good. Being pragmatic's better.

While we spend those few extra dollars on drinks or clothes or a new toy now, let's remember to save some for our future - for times unexpected, for our protection. While we save some for ourselves now, let's remember to save some for the unfortunate. Someone of our age, someone less fortunate - let's invest in their future as well.

Hope he lives up to his promise. I'm banking on him...

Picture by David Choe

Diaries that inspire

2008-12-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land.

- Ernesto Ché Guevara

I happened to watch the Motorcycle Diaries while on my way back to Dubai. It's a spanish movie about marxist revolutionist Che Guavera's travels through South America. My friends told me about how good this movie is, but little did I know that it would be one of the best movies I've ever watched. Personally, I like movies about self-discovery and any that speak of inspiration - this one definitely goes up right on top of the list. I dont want to spend time drawing up a synopsis of the movie, for that you can go here.

The unifying theme that this movie and an artcile titled "Road over Resume" that I read have a lot to share in common. Both speak of undetermined travels. Both speak of a journey in search of reason. Both stories center around educated individuals. Yet, they find meaning not in books or in the classroom, but in the "open land" or the people that they meet along the way. What are each one of us in search for, when the answers we seek lie in this world we live in? I guess it's all about perspective, about the right eye with which to look at things.

But you're wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from human relationships. God's placed it all around us - its in everything... anything that you can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.

- Into the Wild (2008)

Movies like these often inspire me. They make me think of the kind of impact I'd like to make. I'd love to make a trip like this through the roads of India - through the rural lands, in search of what I'm really out here to do. I'm a Computer Engineer passionate about Distributed Computing. Why should I become a software engineer like a million others in the field. Why should I confine my thoughts, my abilities to computing when there's the world to discover? Thoughts like this often discourage me. However, I guess it's all about being patient and waiting for the right time to make your mark. Learning as much as possible now to give it all at that one shot you have is what it's all about.

Here's what my friend, Dheeraj, recently said to me:

dheeraj: i thought i would add that the desire to cause change may fade if left unmonitored (as we discussed). so:: if you really want to change things, act to keep yourself from forgetting until you're ready to contribute. i.e. hold friends who will nurture that desire or maintain exposure to the needs of the world (volunteer)

"it's easy to forget what is important to you. the world's full of bills to pay"

-andrew

all we can do for now

  is to make sure the fire doesnt die

  no matter what

I'm sure you have something you'd like to do. I hope that we all have a chance to experience what Patrick and Ernesto did through their journey. Hope that we all travel to find what we need.

i'd like to be a mentor...you?

2008-12-17T21:45:00.001-08:00

Like several others that have started a blog but never gone through with it, I fell a victim to the same transient urge to start writing. There are several grand/mediocre thoughts that have run through my mind, which, if I blogged about, I was sure to build on and take them somewhere. My only lame excuse is that time did not permit me to do so. Now that my semester's over and I'm back home in Dubai, I'd like to give this one more shot. It's almost 10 am here today, and I've decided to go to school today to re-visit my alma mater.

The reasons for doing this are two fold. Firstly, I'd like to see how everyone's doing and relive some of those fond memories I share. Secondly, I'd like to bounce an idea I have off my principal and a couple of teachers. Since the only way for me to give my racing mind a logical pace is to write about it, I'd like to tell you about my idea.

I graduated from school in '05 and hell have I come a long way from then. I've been through 7 semesters or 3.5 years at the University of Michigan and to say the least, it's completely changed the way I think. I'd like to think that my school has something to do with this - it is where I learned to communicate my thoughts and to think logically. While this is true, I still wish I was not conformed only to my textbooks and was given a chance to see beyond the classroom. My life was defined by my grades then, which is where things went sideways. Having learned by experience, I'd like to help other students realize how very crucial it is to explore - by reading, by helping, by learning and by giving. My words may sound very abstract and cliched, but I really feel that each one of us as students needs to think big.

Almost a hundred students graduate from high school every year - each one of them goes on to figure life out. How many of us come back and contribute what we've learned along the way? This is the question I like to answer through a mentorship program at Dubai Modern High School. The Alumni association has helped bring a bunch of alumni together, and I'd like to help current high-school students leverage off this network.

Here's how I was thinking of starting this - students from grade 9 upwards will be given the opportunity to sign up for a mentor. They will be able to contact the mentor mainly through email and touch base with him/her. It will be more of a resource available to students than an activity that is mandated. Ofcourse, this requires the joint participation of both students and alumni. If such a program does get started, I feel that students will have a lot to gain from the lessons learned by alumni in the bigger picture. If you are an alum reading this blog, I ask you to leave a comment if you are interested.

In the hope that I can encourage such an activity, I'm visiting school in a couple of hours.

Personally, I feel I would've benefited greatly if I had a mentor while in school. The simple lessons we learn along the way are often the most valuable ones we have to offer. So, let's share them with current high-school students. Let's kindle in them a fire to question the status quo, explore themselves and understand what they're really passionate about.

Lagaan and Leadership

2008-06-12T01:46:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep this one short. As is the case with many other ideas that inspire me and influence me, the idea of maintaining a blog has been a fleeting one. I have a few ideas of what I'd like to write about but just haven't had the time to sit down and write. In fact, I haven't been relaxing at home for the longest time. Seattle has been keeping me busy, which well, is great! I'm loving it out here...

On a different note, I've realized that movies have a different story to tell to each individual. It all depends on what you're looking for in them. For example, ever since I've been inspired by the ideals of Randy Pausch and his leadership, I've been deeply examining human characteristics.

The other day, I was watching Lagaan with a group of friends. I realized that the character that Aamir Khan plays in the movie exhibits great leadership qualities. He gives his people the greatest weapon of any time and kind - hope. When he encourages his fellow villagers/farmers to dream of the potential future where they will have to pay no tax for 3 years, he encourages his people to have vision, to have a set goal that they can work towards. When the villagers try to shun him down, he does not budge for he knows he's right and always keeps the group's interest at heart.

This is just one example that I have spoken about here - there are so many such examples hidden in the mundane dialogues of several movies. I plan to expose those that I see. I will be including a videos section under my website to include clippings of such videos that are exhibit great leadership qualities.

Being a great leader is all about affecting change in the environment you live and thrive in. The scale on which you affect change does not matter, as long as you attempt to make a difference. While my words may sound commonplace or cliched, it's so true that we are responsible for what the world is around us. We can change the way things are.

Hello Blogosphere!

2008-06-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

public class myFirstBlogEntry extends blogosphere {
public static void main () {
System.out.println("Hello Blogosphere!");
}
}

Being a Computer Engineer, I just wanted to do something geeky. I love doing geeky things, even when though I'm not the typical geek. I like other things as well and its the other side of me that I'm here to talk about. So, no, I'm not going to write any more code on my blog (okay, maybe sometimes). Instead, I plan to pour my thoughts over this blog and talk about anything and everything that I feel and see.

For a first, I've been deeply inspired by the life of Randy Pausch. I highly respect him and am in total awe of how simple his beliefs are. His last lecture was amazing - very simply yet effectively constructed to touch the lives of thousands of people.

Inspired by his life, I've taken it upon myself to try and give back to the world in whatever way I can. So, here I am, re-thinking the steps that I plan to take in the near future.

It will take me time to be concise in my blogging, but I guess my rambling will help me explore more anyway.