Shivaputra

When I joined Tata Johson Controls (my first company), on first day only I met Shivputra. To all new joiners Shivputra gives (at least used to give) one half photo-copied page for sign language. Shivputra is deaf and dumb but he is very good in expressing himself. If some one would have given him company uniform, he would have looked as handsome as engineers working in the organization.

Generally people with any kind of disability have some kind of negative attitude (inferiority complex) towards life. Shivaputra was totally different he always looked full of energy and enthusiasm. Mady (Madhav Khadilkar) learned his language very fast and helped me many a times communicating with Shivaputra. They used to talk(?) so fast that it was difficult for me to understand what they are discussing, but I could understand few things from their expressions and body language.

In TJC's building next to our office there was office of some air travel company (probably quatar airways). Some times I used to give lift to Shivaputra on my way home. I was waiting at COEP signal and something unusual happened. In car next to me there was a young air hostess and I could not believe why her car window is open and she is contiguously looking at me (what a happy feeling!!), (No no I was not so lucky - when I looked back my doubt was right) she was looking at (talking to) Shivaputra. Then afterwards I come to know that Shivaputra have many friends in Sohrab hall (old TJC office), from girls in Qatar airways to people working in hero mind mine.

Another surprising incident which I have not seen myself. in 2005 Endurance was one of the few high class gyms in Pune. Daughter of one of very well known businessman used to come to Endurance. She was one of only 6 or so owners of Mercedes Maybach (Rs. 5 crore car) in India at that time. When people come to know about this - many of engineers went to terrace to see this car. Engineers were very happy to have look of Maybach. Shivaputra went and requested (I do not know to drive or to owner) to see the car from inside, and even got opportunity to see Maybach from inside!!

Most of the time office boys in any company do their assigned work and keep chit-chatting in free time. Shivaputra shown some spark here as well, he used to ask us his doubts about using computer and Internet. Many people used to help him, Mady was the most helpful of those I guess. He learned how to type!! He have personal email account!! (I have lost touch with him and he did not reply to my last email so I am not sure if he using any other account now a days).

It is bad thing that I forgot to keep contact with Shivaputra (few times I tried to contact him on orkut and email) after I left TJC. God bless Shivaputra.

There are many other incidences I remember about Shivaputra probably blog is very small place to write those memories. I hope at least few of my old TJC colleagues will feel good after refreshing their memories about Shivaputra.

As I was writing this blog, I remembered few thoughts from the book "The Power of Positive Thinking" -
- Today many are handicap because of mental illness of self doubt (may not be exact sentence).
I think all those mental illness can be cured looking at the example of Shivaputra.

If you have read this blog till end - please pray for Shivaputra at least once, so that tomorrow many other people can look at him and will get cure for their mental illness.

Neutral thinking

**Note before writing this blog - This blog speaks about something I always felt in life but I think I got words to express these thoughts after reading of Know thyself

I always I like to (love to) read books. I was reading Dale Carnegie and Shiv Khera for quite some time in my college days and continued with some of the books talking about the positive attitude even after college. Though reading books by Dale Carnegie like "How to win friends and influence people" or reading something from Normal Vincent Peale like "The power of positive thinking" makes you happy for the moment. If you loose contact with these books chances are you will forget this superficial positive thinking course.
Why? either of the positive or negative thoughts makes you think of the partial side of the object. I have belief that half truth can never make you really happy, it can take control of your conscious mind for some period of time but it will never be able to satisfy your sub-conscious mind (rather soul). It is as simple as if I keep looking at the positive part of the number line I am never looking at the complete number line - I am only looking at part of it, and to face the real world we can not ignore negative numbers.

What I believe could be the ideal way of looking at things is 'Neutral thinking' i.e. Neither think positively nor negatively - just observe the things as they are, and never 'how they should be?'.

How can neutral thinking help me?
Neutral thinking could help everyone because then you do not get positive or negative surprises or chain of inter-woven positive and negative thoughts. This is because I am not thinking about something - I am just looking at it. When I think with positive or negative perspective then having the perspective of looking at the subject makes the subject hard to digest - because then you do not look at the actual subject - you just look to verify or you make fool of yourself my making your mind convinced about the thought which is not real.

When I say that I am born to win then it makes my mind constrained to think of victory as the purpose of life, is winning the purpose of your life? Does winning matters more or the joy of play? I am convinced that for me the joy of playing matters much more than winning. What if I loose? - I need not think that I will win next time - but I should look forward for the joy I will get from the next play. Though I have used the word joy here I think really what I mean is 'feeling being an alive part of the play' than just a stupid player who plays not for himself.

So decide what you want to be optimist, pessimist or just an observer.

The positive side of recession

Now a days whenever I meet any old friend he asks me what is the situation in your company. We talk on it for sometime and then I see my friend is quite scared about the situation.

I think they are serious because they think that they will have to sit at home, then people will ask questions? What will happen to bank loans? Oh our future is in danger.

When I think about recession, I feel very happy. I will be happy to sit at home. After ~3.5 years I will get full freedom. I do not have to worry about meetings. I do not have to wake-up thinking of office timing. I can see the sunrise and sunset everyday. I can go on terrace and see the sky for long hours as I used to do in BE prep. leaves. I would like to see the birds in the sky for hours.
I will use time at home as study leave. I will start studying new subjects. I already have 20-30 books which I want to study as early as possible. I will get time to learn those, I want to learn linux I will learn it. It is opportunity to get spend time on health. Great is not it!!

Yes there is one problem if recession continues for more than 3-6 months them I will have to find source for income. I guess I could teach school children subjects like maths and science (I will enjoy this a lot and will surely get around 2000Rs per month). Then I will start taking software projects on my own. Otherwise even I could do some consultancy -by doing this I will get what I deserve, this is my loooong due dream.

Few more things I would like to do if I get opportunity to sit at home -
1. I want to become good cook (presently I am poor cook)
2. I will go to FC road and SB road to make myself believe that world is beautiful.
3. I would like to complete my next level of Japanese language - I laugh a lot when learning Japanese.

Job is not 'the most' important part of life. You will at the most loose your present job. God might have better plans for you and me.

Cheers!!