Thursday, July 5, 2007

Something else is more important than fear.

Yes when I look back, I see myself a transformed person. I never believed that I could do the things which I have done in the 20 odd months I’ve spent at Blue Lotus. It has been a terrific learning experience. Still a lot to do, because everyday is a learning experience. Yes, I do have a serious VERTIGO problem. There was a time when even looking down from 3rd floor made me dizzy. Once I had a spin on a giant wheel felt disoriented for three whole days. My friends had quite a few laughs at my expense. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. Life can teach us so many things and each day and moment is a new learning experience. We should be prepared to adjust to new conditions as and when required. We should give the seed of learning a chance to grow within us. It all started with the Rajmachi offsite. We trekked non-stop for two long, arduous days. The path traversed was along the Western Ghats; the ground was extremely slippery and the conditions unfavourable. All the while there was the danger of someone slipping down to a free fall of around 200 meters. People were made to live in tents, cook their own food, and dig toilet holes. In spite of the hard conditions, they just refused to give up. As if that was not enough, on the final day we had to climb to a height of 750 meters and then rappel down. This final trek to the bottom of the cliff was nerve wracking. There was a 250 meter drop on one side and towering range measuring 2000 m on the other side and we were walking along a path of about two feet width which at times reduced to a feet. The climb was steep and exhausting. But what came as a total shock to us was when we were told that we had to rappel down. I was horrified, made two false starts, fear holding me tight in her grip. My family, friends and all the loved ones came in my mind. But then I thought that let me go through the motion and I knew that I could do it. The feeling of being suspended at a height of 750 meters is frightening. But then as I have already mentioned, something is more important than fear. As I was rappelling down I felt the fear leaving me. It was a great feeling, a feeling of having overcome adversity. Great, isn’t it? In our just concluded offsite, we were out on all three days, totally soaked in the rains. It was a fantastic experience. We had events like a Tag Hunt, a Simulated War, and Climbing and Rappelling down in difficult conditions. And yes, my team and I did them all. It didn’t end there; yes, if I extend my learnings to daily life, the offsite has certainly helped. Monday morning it was raining heavily when I started from home, but I thought that getting wet is a state of mind. Yes, the rains can no longer stop me from doing things. I came to office almost soaked, but because of a fire burning within, I dried up equally fast.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Importance of Colour

Let's learn a little about the importance of colour and its power as a communication tool. Colour information via (the sense of ) sight influences our intention or decision making. Human beings have five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing. Of these, the information we take in via our sense of sight accounts for about 87% of the total. And about 80% of the information we take in via our sense of sight is colour information. As these figures attest, the majority of the sensory stimulus we experience is in the form of colour information. In short, colour is a very important presence in our lives. Colour adds uniqueness and distinctiveness to your documents. With the proper use of colour, you can emphasise specific parts of your documents to draw attention to key points. Also, by using colour effectively, you can create unique and distinctive documents and leave the readers with a lasting impression. You can give your documents unity. You can create a sense of unity over multiple pages by using colour to consciously draw attention to common elements. You can clarify the structure of your documents, making them easier to read. Colour can be used to delineate different sections of a document. Also, by consistently using a special colour for certain items, you can make your documents easier to understand structurally. Another technique you can use is to employ colouring variations by using gradations, etc., to direct the eyes of the reader in the direction you desire. You can present images effectively. Colour is your most potent tool for presenting images. By making effective use of colour, you can give your images the attributes you want to convey through your document: power, warmth, trustworthiness, etc. You can direct the reader psychologically in the direction you wish. Different colours have varying psychological effects. By skilfully making use of effects you can lead the reader psychologically in the direction you desire. In conclusion, adding colour to your documents will allow you to be more persuasive and to communicate more effectively.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Yes, I am crazy about F1

Date: 5th April Place: Mumbai Time: 05:46 Mood: 8/10 Yes, I am crazy about F1 I have never seen a F1 race live, nor did I supported an Indian driver in F1. There was no one who represented India in this sport when I got hooked into it. I really don’t know how this happened, but I got attracted to this crazy sport where cars go round and round in a race track. I have always been a cautious driver myself, but I drive pretty fast, at times, especially if someone takes panga with me. I am typically a German, behavior wise. This is the reason I have always been a German fan, may it be their Soccer team, Tennis Stars or a F1 driver. I even read books on Hitler. This is where my fan following for Michele Schumacher started. I started following his race very closely. I liked his hunger to be on the podium, the killer instinct, strive for perfection and the way he used to acknowledge his supporters. He won the race which was a sad day for the sport as it lost one of the brilliant drivers who was a legend. Yes we lost Ayrton Senna. On May 1, 1994, he took part in his third race for the team, the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola circuit. Although he would not finish it, Senna started his last race from pole position. It was ironical that end of a legend gave birth to another legend. This started Michael Schumacher era. Well my liking for this sport really went to such extent that lots of crazy things happened in my life. Once I had a small altercation with my Dad. He didn’t understand why I watched this sport, where same set of cars went round a circuit for close to 100 minutes. He wanted to see one of his favorite Bangla serial, and I wanted to watch F1. There was some emotional over spill. That was the first and last Shumi race I didn’t watch. He didn’t see the serial and I didn’t watch the race. On another occasion, I had a fight with one of my friend. He said that Michele Schumacher was a cheat. I didn’t argue with him but didn’t talk with him for about 4 months. He was a Mclaren fan and supported Hakinnen. To be continued…

Monday, April 2, 2007

1st Posting

Date: 2nd April
Place: Mumbai
Time: 11:45
Mood: 3/10



Well, this is the first posting, even the title suggest that. I have created a blog for the fist time and trying to write something for it. I will share my Experience, Creatives, Leanings etc. in this blog.

Something about my background:
I am working as a Creative Director with an Advertising Firm called "MUSTARD COMMUNICATION". A bunch of young professionals. More about it later.


Hobbies:
I love to Paint, Read Books, Travel, do Photography, Design Product, Talk, Teach Painting, Drive, Cook, Wear Denim and so on.

Experience:
Came from Delhi a year back, I have gone through lots of changes in my life. Mostly good ones. It has been a great learning experience for me. Creatives suffered a lot because of the struggle for survival. But it has been a creative experience with a difference. I was creating the system for making my day to day life smooth. Now things are more or less in place and I can consider on my core area again.
I am sure that in days to come, I would be in a position to share and learn a lot from this blog.
Till my next posting, BYE and take care.


Bishi