Rama Moondra

One more year has gone by. From the place I am standing right now, I tiptoed to look at what I left behind. Not so surprised that, my eyes are moist.

The year as usual has been losses and gains but losses of humans and gains of more work and success.

Though the year saw lot of goodbyes of big names, for me Jagjit singh was the biggest. His velvet voice was only respite in lonely freezing cold U S days. Tucked in remote western America, I related a lot to his voice. Ghulam Ali echoed my sentiments when he said,” Mera yaar,dildaar chala gaya.” Dev Anand and Mario were next two. Café Mondegar at Colaba Mumbai has been a favourite hangout for me. Mainly because the walls are adorned by Mario’s creations bringing Miss Ninmbupani,Miss Fonseca alive.

My Babuji lost his speech and is now bedridden. Seeing him this way, has taken a lot from my soul. I am slowly waking up to the fact that it’s a countdown of a person who shaped my life in various ways. I wish. I can reverse this and see him the way he always was. Unable to bear this pain, I reel under it.

This year I learnt the biggest art of my life and still practicing it. I finally graduated to treat people the way they treat me. (Have been inhumanly patient with this trait.).  Understood a small fact that door can be locked from both sides.

Three new big names came in client list and brought amazing satisfaction of creativity and strategic implementation of policies which has been my core strength.

I am little more recognized, a little more wanted and though never ever did any business development, I am blessed with an enviable clientele who patiently waited for my dates. Thanks to them and to god almighty.

“May your fan –following increases.” This was a wish sent by a client, who sold two hundred DVDs of my video in one hour.  I now give my video s too with reading material and it has been a great experience.

I also look forward to the journey of becoming a master coach. It takes seven years minimum of brain training and I am on the first step. Exciting but draining every drop of my energy, the four hours study, has cut down on my sleep by two hours. Now I sleep only five hours and hope I master this too.

Right now, after a great new year beginning while watching sun rising from the sea, I am writing this with a faith that the New Year will bring the best for all of us, I hope, not to let go of golden leaves of any plant for this year.

May health, wealth and peace be yours and everyone you love. Happy New Year.

To  Ahmedabad from Bangalore, a normal journey of two and half hours late night flight turned out to be strange experience yesterday.

After three grilling days of Neuro-leadership series coaching, jam-packed schedule, dinner with fellow participants at the airport, I looked forward to some quiet time then after.  Finally delayed flight took off. While listening to an audio -book on my iPod, I felt a little tap on my seat. The cabin crew stood there offering a sandwich.

I politely refused. “This is complimentary.” He clarified.I  refused again smilingly  though asked if I can get a cup of tea.

“Sorry, we do not serve hot beverages in this flight.” I went back to listening mode. Soon the crew came back with a smile. “Regular tea will do for you?” I acknowledged gleefully and thanked twice.

The tea came in and the crew member stood next to me introducing him with a shake hand. I did reciprocate though a bit surprised. “Listen, I have given you my tea so now you at least owe me a coffee in your city.”

I tried getting the context right. “Are you talking to me?” Shocked and bewilderment writ large on my face I asked.

“Yes Yaar! Now I can’t ask you for a drink in that boring city so let’s begin with coffee.” He smiled constantly bending down to talk.

I tried not to look strikingly zapped.“Have we met before?” I gave one chance to assure myself if its case of mistaken identity. “No, but now we can .I come to city every week. Are you married or dating anyone?”

I excused myself sternly now giving a clear stance that it may result in complain. He grinned at me. “It’s ok  …don’t worry. You look so charming. You talked nicely. No one thanks us politely. I thought you will make a good company. Chill now.”

This incident may look very normal though I am a bit shaken. The value system of our younger genre is different. Woman at all ages and strata are deemed as “available” or at least “give it a try”. Is being polite means  signal of any kinds?

This morning, I called a friend to ask that can it be a complaint in writing since I cannot prove the incident. He laughed, “Be happy! It’s a compliment from a male half your age. Don’t act like a sixty year old.”  I hung up even more awestruck.

Is my value system too ancient or have I not been able to catch up with changing times?

B.S.Nagesh,Founder and ex managing director of retail chain Shoppers Stop  has signaled green to “Trrain Foundation.”  A unique concept with tried and tested training modules designed by Aptech, Trrain will build employable capacity in retail staff.

Air-conditioned classroom in a shipping container  fitted into a truck and parked outside shopping malls makes it easy to attend classes for an hour .Coupled with affordable fee Trrain sounds like a viable business model.

Rural India can be second possibility to groom talents from tier three cities and hence increasing employability.The next step can be to explore models of training  physically challenged people that can be employed anywhere, not only retail .

All dreamy, good stuff? Only if government works out on the decision to ease foreign investment in organized retail. Government has to wake up to the fact that FDI is going to increase jobs and the only person suffering in the process is the middle man or intermediaries. The kirana shopkeepers are rich community anyways. Most of them own shops worth crores . So, the friendly neighborhood Kirana guy will exist to make deliveries at home and get you that new coffee brand on demand with apologetic smile of storing your choice next time.

India will take another 100 years to grow up to online shopping of everyday FMCG consumption. Till then, it’s the capacity building process which is the need of the hour. Not banning the growth or revolution.

We all are surrounded by people. Love them, hate them but cannot ignore them. They are all around us. Creations of god almighty exists in full glory everywhere.

Over the years I have become a “reader” and proud of my ability to “read” people.  I believe I have an accuracy rate that is somewhere around 80% of judging others. As for the remaining 15% it doesn’t really matter.

They are residents of cookie cutter categories, (all of them behave alike.) I would rather appear illiterate. Oops…got my math’s wrong…Remaining 5%? Well, those are the ones; I am bonded to emotionally (Read Blinkered.)

So those 80% are shaping my life everyday and every way..oops..typo again.” Their way” if it works.

Some of them are travel agents and send me on guilt trip (free of cost! Mind you).Some people are Frenemies. Friends who are disguised enemies. Continuously proving them right and me wrong.

The third ones are difficult souls. (As if the first two were easy?) Perennially unhappy and trying to be perfect, a sense of pride engulfs them always. “Acquired Reformist” I call them. They try desperately to seek attention and  that too  by pure criticism. Sometimes even without getting any detail about the topics mentioned.

Well, I did not mean to denounce any types. They are colorful and leave indelible marks on my life everyday in some form.

As they say, “variety is the spice of life” and different characteristics are just another spice.  Though sometimes it’s like Coriander on a dish. Does not make a difference if it’s not there but added up, may enhance flavor. So, otherwise mundane life is better with these people and they sure add new dimensions of human psyche  to my training sessions.

So, I might grit my teeth, keep my patience by fake smiles and sometimes hurt, the fact remains intact that all kind of  people are flavor enhancer and I will be kind of lost without them.