Fallen Leaves

 Lovely shapes. A beauty in how they fall and lie down.

Lovely Dance Video by AVAR

 Here's another wonderful performance by ex-students of UoH, Dance Department. Heartwarming to see them enjoy what they love so much. They call themselves AVAR.

Krishna, Shilpa, Aashika, Sruthi and Lakshmi

An IPL theme dance cover. Watch and enjoy.

The Zurich Axioms - Max Gunther

 The byline is is a wealth warning - This book can make you rich! There are 12 axioms and it will help to get rich and stay rich (which is more important). Here are the 12 with their minor axioms below them.

1) Take risks. Worry is not a sickness but a sign of health. if you're not worried, you are not risking enough. Put your money at risk. Don't be afraid to lose a little.

- Always play for meaningful stakes

- Resist the allure of diversification

2) Always take your profit too soon. Don't fear regret.

- Decide what gain you want in advance from a venture and when you get it, get out.

3) When the ship starts to sink, jump. Don't pray.

- Accept small losses cheerfully. expect  several when awaiting a large gain.

4) Human behavior cannot be predicted. Distrust anyone who claims to know the future.

5) Chaos is not dangerous until it begins to look orderly

- Beware the historian's trap 

- Beware corelation and causality delusions

- Beware the chartist's illusion

- Beware the gambler's fallacy (I'm hot today)

6) Avoid putting down roots. They impede mobility.

- Do not get trapped in bad ventures because of loyalty

7) A hunch can be trusted if it can be explained 

- Never confuse a hunch with hope

8) It is unlikely that God's plan for the Universe includes making you rich

- If astrology worked, all astrologers would be rich

- A superstition need not be exercised,  it can be enjoyed provided it is kept in its place

9)  Optimism means expecting the best but confidence means you'll handle the worst. Never make a move if you are merely optimistic.

10) Disregard the majority opinion. It is probably wrong.

- Never follow speculative fads. Often the best time to buy something is when nobody else wants it.

11) If it didn't pay off the first time, forget it.

- Never average down.

12) Never take your own long range plans or other people's long range plans seriously. The future is not under our control.

More on this later. But brilliant. Thanks Vinod.

Thought for the Day - Are You Scared Money Will Change You?

 Deep inside there could be this feeling that money (or success) could change us into people we don't want to be. We will not then be nice people, struggling people, people who others can pity (or admire), people who are brave and courageous in the face of odds and people who are classic victims. All these are things that keep us rooted to that 'nice' image we have. But poor.

Now if the thought is that money or success might change us, and we are not acting in a manner that is conducive for money or success to flow in, all we need to see is what we are  scared of becoming. Will money make us arrogant, conceited, loud, thoughtless, proud, cruel and whatever else we are scared of becoming?

The best way then is to first be fine with all those traits in us. Instead of holding out against them, if we accept that we ave all those characteristics in us, and we show a bit of that characteristic too, we will actually be telling the Universe we are being more honest with it, with ourselves. A bit of ugliness is OK, as long as it is ours. Be it, show it. It makes me more authentic, more honest. A little less 'good' but more 'me' and more 'honest me'.

I think it is also easier then to be ourselves when we get the money or success. The key then seems to be not that we are scared that money will change us, but that we are cared that money will show us for what we really are. And if we are OK with that, then there is nothing to fear. Let it come right in!

Thought for the Day - How to Grow Your Doorway to Receive

This has been at the back of my mind ever since I realised that I have a rather narrow doorway to receive the good from the universe - How do I increase the doorway size is the question.

Or rather, let's begin with the why? Why is my doorway narrow?

My doorway would be narrow simply because I do not want more to come in. I am regulating the inflow consciously. Why am I regulating the inflow consciously? Most likely because I don't know how to handle the inflow if it goes out of control. What happens if it goes out of control and why would it bother me if I get a lot of good?

Maybe because I feel I don't deserve it.

Somewhere I feel that the doorway is kept narrow by me because I feel I only deserve that much. But now I want more but the doorway is still small. How do I grow its size?

I felt I could do little acts that show that I deserve. I think that's the only thing that needs to be done. prove to yourself that you deserve more. Give to yourself more and more. Then you know you can handle more. When you know you can handle more, you automatically let loose the doorway's regulator mechanism.

The key to that mechanism is in my mind. I need to feel worthy. I need to feel deserving. I need to feel like I can handle it. I can do it by giving myself the good stuff, little by little, increasing it, bit by bit.

  

Visit to Abids

 Last Sunday we went to Abids upon Anjali's request. I hooked up with Vinod who normally haunts the Sunday market every week and we caught up at 1130. As he met us Vinod gifted me a copy of the Zurich Axioms  which I was delighted to have. Looking forward to read it.

Anjali checking out books

I was observing Anjali though. Vinod suggested a book to her immediately - a short children's story by Chitra Divakurani Banerjee. I would have felt some pressure if an uncle of mine had suggested a book reading and might have bought it. But Anjali was clear. She looked at it and put it back. I bought it.

Vinod checking out books

We then moved here and there and it was fun to see her check out books on her own, carry her books. She enquired about the book prices on her own and refused to negotiate with any of them for even a rupee. Vinod had already got a good deal on some book, he got 50 bucks knocked off one book, but Anjali was not going to be swayed. Once when she was picking up a book for 300 bucks I asked her if I should negotiate. She said no, she would rather pay the entire amount.

It's not about getting a good deal or a bad deal, it just about what you think you should do. I liked her clarity in the way she picked up her books, dealt with the shop owners and refused to bargain with them. Interesting perspective and well done A.

She ended up with a nice haul of books. I got a couple myself.

After book shopping we went to Taj Mahal, drank some coffee, and got a meals packed. Good Sunday morning work.   

Artist Date 7 -Beauty Green

 This time I decided to move there for a couple of nights. I told Koni I was coming over, packed some stuff and headed off in Carlos. I reached there at about 7 and was alloted room number 2. I never saw the inside of these rooms and Sadiq and Nadim took my stuff away while Koni showed me the new barbecue he had bought and some chicken kebabs he was planning to make. We sat down in the cold, it was pretty cold and had a drink of rum and chatted. Sadiq operated the tandoor and we were soon given some fine chicken kebabs. We wound up at 1030.

Alone with the silence

I went to the room, the only one that was occupied in the entire resort and checked it out. It was nice, perfect for writing with a round table, a few chairs, a nicely set up room. I set myself up and worked till 1230, the complete silence and lack of disturbance helping much. I slept wondering if the feeling of being alone would bother me. It didn't.

My writing table

I woke up at 640 and headed off to the terrace. It was cold but the morning sun warmed me a bit. I sat and wrote my morning pages and journal and then went down for some writing. I wrote till 1030 completely undisturbed until I got a call about breakfast. 

Walk post breakfast

I went down and stuffed myself with some lovely dosas and walked along to work it off. I saw some construction activity and Masti Farms an organic venture which they let me see. Back to the resort and more writing until almost 3 when I got a call for lunch. I stepped out more for the break than for lunch, grabbed a couple of mouthfuls of rice and curd and potato from the mutton curry and went back fro another hours work. At 430 I headed out for a run and ran a good 7 plus kilometres in 1 hour 20 minutes, running all around Beauty Green and beyond. On the way back I met Sona and Zor who recognised me and were happy to see me.

Morning at Beauty Green

Back to the room, shower, and work. 

Terrace writing

At 730 I got a call from Koni that he was back with some rum. I worked for another hour and joined him at 830. He wa with company and once again there was chicken and kebabs and I drank some rum, ate kebabs and we split at 1030 which seems to be the right time to split. In the room I wrote till 12 in the night and slept, not as well as last night but good enough.

Old friends Sona and Zor

Morning pages, journal and then I decided to head back. The silence, the emptiness, the sheer nothing to do (no TV, no proper Wi Fi) was brilliant. I should do this more often. Thanks Koni and see you soon my friend before the winter is up.