This Stage

So I am at a point where life revolves around the work that I do. All things exciting, boring, disappointing, and demanding are work-related. And I am enjoying it too. But the question, "so how is life beyond work?" leaves me with nothing to talk about. If the person across the table has no interest in how the government plays a rather important role in my client's life, I have nothing interesting to say. There is nothing I can make conversation about. Of course, I can talk about the people I spend close to 10 hours with every day, but if you do not know them, we are back to square one. And let me admit, more than not having anything else going on in life, it is the thought that nothing is going on that makes me slightly uncomfortable. It is peer pressure of a different kind. And since I love to take everything personally, I feel obliged (to myself) to ensure that I  am doing something new at regular intervals. And my not-so-lame list of "something new" for this first quarter looks like this:

# Went scuba diving

# Watched the beating retreat, live

# Started wearing contact lenses

# Wore heels to work every single day of February

# Started doing yoga

# Went for a (rather unfortunate) sufi concert at Humayun's Tomb

# Dressed up and looked good (per my standards) for a wedding that didn't directly matter :P

Next what I need is to see the Ladakh plan materialise. That is all. And of course, the 6:00 am yoga showing some results. That is all. Yeah. 

Notes to Self

Important to have opinions. But opinions that suit your audience. Not opinions that you believe in. Without exception!

Definition of "a people's person" is not what you always believed. Quite different.

Hold the words for that extra second, will help in the long run.

There is no such thing as greater good.

Nobody is on your side. You for yourself. Don't forget it, no matter how much time you spend with anyone.


I should begin a separate section on corporate learning. 

March Away

It's March, it feels like exam time year after year

It's March, it has the crap asthma weather

It's March, when I invariably get depressed

It's March, that indicates towards the loooong summer ahead

It's March, yes, I know the legs need to be waxed again

It's March, makes my skin cringe

It is March again, I feel low again, and there is no news that would lift the spirits.

Type X

I may not be old yet, but I am old enough to figure that people are not unique. There are no billion plus personalities. There are some very clear and valid personality types. People's behaviour has many common characteristics. Any given situation would have a similar reaction from every set of these similarly-wired people. I am happy as well as disappointed about this. Happy that it saves me energy insofar as I am not left guessing about people all the time. I can tell what reactions would come out of people. But it is unfortunate because, well, the universe of reactions is quite small. There are some standard things you can expect, and you invariably see them staring at you. It is so boringly disappointing.