Abhishek's Musings

  ACE YOUR PLANNING   When confronted with a mission, how do we go about it? There are two ways to do it. Plunging headways into it is one way. But what if we could break down the task and work at it systematically? Well, in other words, we have a plan of action.   Some people are meticulous planners while others just go with the flow. Love it or hate it, one thing is clear: planning scores over not planning any time. Well, here are four ways to plan our work.   #1. DETERMINE OUR GOALS  For any undertaking, we first of all should have a goal in mind. The goal should be of two types: the short-term goal and the long-term goal. Once we are sure about these two types of goals, we should immediately take a pen and paper and write them down. This reinforces our goals. It is much easier when we have our objectives on paper. We should then sit down and write down all possible roadblocks that we might encounter, and only then should we create a plan of action. Once the ...

  SOME FOLKS   Some folks know what it is like To be called a stutterer in front of the world To have a speech defect To be short of the bus fare To be short for the funds To be short of proper resources To live in cramped spaces To be called challenged To wait in government hospitals waiting rooms full of sick people To lose a friend To be in the hospital unconscious after a drinking spell To land up at the police station To have a learning difficulty To fail in the exams To wait for years to get an ailment looked at To be food poisoned To be operated urgently for a perforation in the intestines To wait another few years to be operated on the second time for hernia To be bullied and abused by a group of psychopaths for years To wait endlessly for help to come To talk to the pillow to dull the pain To talk to a recording device To be in the wilderness and out of employment   To be out of cash To be out of favor To be out of the latest fashion trends To be out of pals To b...

BE A VALUABLE TEAM PLAYER   An invaluable team player is an asset to any team. Teams win or lose by the contributions of their members. How teams communicate, behave, perform, and their attitude: all of these can make or break teams. How to identify a dream player or better still how to be one? Well, read on.               PUT IN THE HARD WORK: Never shirk work! Always perform what’s expected of you to the best of your abilities. Work sincerely and honestly and with good intentions. Give it all you have got. Do more than what is expected of you. Speak less, put your head down, and do more. If you do your share of hard work and always deliver more than expected you will be indispensable. There is no substitute for hard work, the faster you realize it the better.     ALWAYS STAY HUMBLE: Always remember that what goes up has to come down. So at all times stay humble. Never let success get to your head. If you are good to people on your way ...

    MEMORIES OF MY DAYS AT ST. EDMUND’S SCHOOL   Nestled among the hills, ours was an Irish Christian Missionary School. It was founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, a great missionary and educationist. The story goes that he belonged to a family of tenants who were into farming. When tragedy struck, and his wife died, he was left alone to care for his daughter with special needs. He sold his elegant house, moved into a stable, and opened his first school. Today, about 800 Christian Brothers in 28 countries run prestigious Edmund Rice educational institutions and follow in his footsteps.   St. Edmunds School had colossal buildings built by the Irish Brothers amidst picturesque settings. The school had three large play fields. It also had a very tranquil and very quaint chapel. Prayers were offered here in the serene atmosphere. The classrooms were spacious, roomy, and airy, with a giant blackboard in front. An intercom was fixed in the top corner of each class, through wh...