you are what you think

India celebrated 75th Independence day this 15th August. Many of us were thinking that we failed to avail one public holiday as 15th August is Sunday this year. Independence day does not evoke gratitude and respect in many of us now-a-days, since widespread corruption and painstakingly slow judicial system of India have dampened positive attitude of the citizens towards India's democratic system. Of course, some of us observe this day with vigour and high emotion. I heard people questioning the validity of our democracy in view of the fact that regional sentiments often supersede national unity leading to ugly form of racism in many places, even seven decades after independence. Freedom fighters of India dreamt of a nation connected with the feeling of brotherhood and respect to each other. Does this dream sound unrealistic today? Once American business magnet Warren Buffet had a conversation with Barack Obama on wealth tax . Buffet was of the opinion that people who have achi...

   "Where do you see yourself 10 years down the line?" . This is one of the frequently asked questions in interviews. Of course, I also ended up answering this question couple of times in my professional life. But I will never forget the reaction of the panel to my answer in one of such interviews. It was final round interview with IIM Bangalore in 2011. I prepared a lot for this interview. When the moment came, I was both amused and nervous to interact with the esteemed panel. After asking few analytical questions, they wanted to know my long-term goal. I gave an honest reply, "I wish to set up a rotary service to train unprivileged women in job-oriented skills". I tried to convince the panel how my life journey made me realize the value of financial independence in women's life and how my MBA degree from a premier institute will enable me with vision and resources to materialize my goal. One of the panelists smiled and replied that this kind of goal really do...

Year 2020 has itched a special mark on our mind. And its impact on our life is continuing. The epoch-making events like World War I, World War II and 1930 Great Depression had touched the life each and every living human being on this planet before. We read about those eras. This time we are living such an era. I survived calamities like 2015 Chennai flood and couple of cyclones in my lifetime and used to consider my experiences worth documenting. I never thought life has bigger surprises for me in its store!  This decade started with lots of excitement, introspection and hope for me. I started a long-cherished chapter in my career that changed my daily routine. I completed a long-awaited trip to one of my favorite destinations. And I was contemplating an investment decision. Then came March 22nd. I remember the kind of anxiety I used to feel while travelling to office every day in spite of the assurance from our company management. The news of lockdown in other nations was raisin...