Win or Lose, The choice is yours.

The other day, while surfing on the internet, I came across a wonderful story that puts in a nut-shell, the way we all live and the difference between the ones who choose to succeed and who choose to fail. Choose to fail! Many of us unknowingly choose to fail. Probably there can never be a better way to explain this than this story where a man explains this with his entire life.

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant in America. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs; they would follow him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life."

"But it's not always that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Jerry said, "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It's your choice how you live your life."

Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business: he left the back door of his restaurant open one morning and was robbed by three armed men. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the ex-pressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'.

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that everyday you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it. The only thing that is truly yours - that no one can control or take from you -- is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

Invasion into the Kitchen....

I'm pretty satisfied with clearing all exam in my professional life but in kitchen if i take up a test in naming all the ingredients i think i will fail miserably. i was very happy clearing my certification but then that happiness was a little shaken because of my invasion into my kitchen as my parents ahd been out of station. So i had to visit the kitchen and i did not know what to do. Thanks to my mother for she taught me to make chapathis "saviour" for i lived on them for 3 days. I did not know which dhal to use for making sambar. Neither did i know how to make it but thats a different story... I really felt alarmed at my knowledge level in my kitchen. I did not know where things are kept. Had to keep searching for each ingredient. Then i realised that i'm in a very pathetic state so have decided to learn at least some basic cooking to manage for the time being. Yesterday i learnt the difference between the two main dhals used in cooking. Slowly i have to learn to cook.... Will soon mark my talent there too :-))))))))))

Today...

I had registered for the certification exam in taht is mandatory in our company for todays date... Initially i was very much determined that i ahve to clear it for not many cleraed it. But due to soem personal reasons i was not in a mood to concentrate and did not concentrate on the subject.. I had lots and lots of time but i found reasons to stay away from the course material for i knwo even if i keep it open in front of me i would be simply gazing at it and nothign is gonna register in my mind. So just left the idea of studying thoguh i wanted to do it... I did not knwo what had happened to me? I know the reason behind but then i could not overcome it and focus on the exam.

We are given only 3 chances and after that i cannot take up this particular exam and i have to take up soem other technology... I had few materials with me and thought.." Fine lets leave everythgin that happened aside and concentrate atleast for these two days before the exam"... but alas i had gone for shopping on Saturday and was very tired so dropped the idea of studyign for i was very lazy to connect tot he net and download the materials...

I decided to study on Sunday... But again i have grown up hearing my mother say this "Tomorrow never comes!!!" And it was very ture i did nto touch the material though i could have... And i slept and Sunday got over..

Got up somewhere around 5 and could hear my mom saying, " Get up and study atleats for 2 hrs before the exam.." And i the reply i gave her as i was ironing my clothes was" Can't finsih this subject in 2 hrs ma.... And i know whats gonna be the result!!!!"

Then somehow found some materials that i had in the printed format.. And so just browsed through for abotu 2 hrs. Thoguh did nto do it seriously it was enough for me to brush up what i had learnt earlier before this slack period... Went through all the notes that i had taken when i studied a little seriously for this exam...

It was 9.20 am and the exam was scheduled for 9.30 am... As i descended tot he ground floor i told my freind " Now i feel i shoudl have not wasted so much time..." She gave me a cold stare and said no point talking about it now...

Went inside the exam hall and wiht a few procedures done and the question paper was presented in front of me... This wa sthe ebst exam i ever had for there was no order of seating arrangement you can sit anywhere you want... So my friend and myself sat together but trust me no copying... I dont like that...

Then my friend finished the exam and she left and i had 5 minsutes to go... The system is that if you dont submit within the time at the end of the given time your paper gets submitted on its own and you will be evaluated for whatever you ahve written and will be given the marks immediately right there...

So i checked once more as i had 5 mins of time and i just scrolled up to see the time left for i did nto want it to close on its own... i had exactly 12 seconds to go.... scrolled down immediately and clicked the submit button..........

And my heart beat went faster .... It took some time to process my paper and finally... there i got my marks flashed on the screen.... I cleared!!!!!!!

I just could not believe it... I had cleared the exam..... I'm so happy!!!!!!

But i know i got the result for the efforts i had put earlier and not everything in life will you get it easy..... A lesson for today..... :-))))

But at the end of the day i'm happy that i cleared the exam.....

Mark your presence

One day i had a call from my CEO in my previous office and i went there. I ahve been there so many times but this time something special caught my attention. It was the lines in the calendar kept on his table. They read...

"Mark your presence wherever you go...."

I still follow it and try to leave a lasting impression ( good one of course) wherever i go and by whatever i do...

Perfection

Read this somewhere....

Behind every apparent flaw is a story,
which when known,
makes the picture
more perfect.....

The Onam festival....

I like the festival Onam for few reasons… The main reason being it is a festival of colours. Almost all houses have this pookolam done in front of their houses. And they would also keep a lamp which is called the “vilaku” and also small lamps made out of mud. It looks so beautiful. And there would be special food and my most favorite dish among the lot is the payasam.

I got a call from my friend who studied with me in college… He wished me “Happy Onam” I was laughing as usual, for lots of them think that I’m a malayali but I’m not…
Even in office on the Onam day, a group of girls were talking among themselves that they have to wish me for Onam…. :-) I was on the other side of the cubicle and couldn’t just stop laughing thinking “Oh my God!!! It continues even here???? “

As this was happening on the other side, I was taken back to my college days… It all started on the Onam day!!! It was my second year in college. We were all new to each other for the first year we were in a class which was like a mixed bag with students from all departments and only in the second year you will be seated along with your stream…
And we were new to each other and there wasn’t much of an interaction amongst us. And we had our department function called “CYGNUS” being held and it also happened to be Onam on that day.

It is an unsaid or unframed rule that “Guys are supposed to be in their formals and girls clad in sari” And so I was in a sari on that day and I, till date haven not figured out the reason why I was chosen to be a malayali when almost all the girls in the department were in sari. And everybody in my class was asking for a treat. I gave them a treat but then they spread the news that I gave treat as it was Onam and I celebrate Onam. J Very funny.. Till date I get calls from friends in college wishing me for Onam. I’m tired of saying that I’m not one and so I have stopped saying that and only say “Thank you!!!” :-)

I sat thinking why they wish me so and somehow tried getting a reason which I think should be true for I always have one or two malyali friends around me and I do manage to talk Malayalam with them. So maybe this the reason why they have branded me to be a “Malayali”

My weakness....:-)

I love them.... They are my weakness... I love the sound they make. i have bangles to match almost all the dresses i have... I love to wear bangles especially when i wear saree...:-)

Work beckons....

Got a call from my DM (Delivery Manager). Will be put into a project soon. :)
My bench life will come to end soon.........

SHELTER...

Dooram...

Anbu nenjangal arukil irunthalenna,
tholaivil irunthalenna?
Tholaiyatha ninaivugal ullavarai
tholaivum vegu arugil than....