Whats on news today?

For the past few months, the constant news on headlines has been the bear grip on the stock exchanges around the world! Today, Sensex dipped below 10k again...

Small investors like me have two major worries:
1. Bigger one: Should I continue to stay invested or book loss and thereby stop further losses.
2. Keep wondering whether now is the right time to invest or wait.
Well, those who are facing liquidity issues, donot have choices and thereby no confusion !

On a lighter note, here is what my friend had to quote:

"A normal balance sheet will have Assets on the right and Liabilities on the left.

In case of Lehman Brother's balance sheet, there is nothing left on the right and nothing on the left is right. "

Well said, dude!

Take a break!

Well, thatz what I'm doing, right now!
A break from the corporate world after so many years ! Though it is a 3 week interval, I'm enjoying it and thats the reason I haven't written any new post.
Well, now that I have broken it, let me also tell u that the next two weeks will be hectic with fun, thanks to Diwali and a function at my parent's place.
Whats your plan for Diwali celebrations?
Wish you all a very happy Diwali and happy holidays :-)

Expectations in a relationship!

Word of caution: A posting on the heavier side of life

I am a bit confused today!
Relationships have always confused me !
I realise this mainly during the troubled times!
It takes time to define a relationship, its nature and objective. Only time can tell about the longevity of a relationship and if it is successful or not and if it is ongoing or not!
And then, there are a few which fall on neither sides in both categories. We don't know sometimes if a relationship is alive and kicking or if it has ended successfully or not!

Humans are amazing - not only because each one is unique, but also each heart and mind store infinite feelings and thoughts about people and relationships with them.
We get hurt when our feelings are not acknowledged or in other words, when our expectations are not met! Feelings arise from the heart.
From where do expectations arise?
And a more critical question is - Do we have control on our expectations?If yes, to what extent?

Is spirituality a search to answer these questions?
Many religions and philosophies seem to be against expectations in a relationship!The core principle of Buddhism is to have no expectations which is also the basis for almost every other religion as well.
BhagvadGita dictates one to do the duties without worrying/expecting the results!

But, is it easily humane to be without expectations in one's deeds or in a relationship?
And my bigger question is : If there is no expectation, what defines a relationship and how does one differentiate a relationship from another?

Points to ponder!

On a lazy Friday post noon session, what do you do?
I decided to calculate my BMI (body mass Index) to figure out my health vitals.
In one of the sites, www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/, I found this pearl of wisdom :-)

Women tend to imagine their ideal weight is unrealistically low, so they diet unnecessarily. Men tend to allow their ideal weight to be higher than medically recommended. Men and Women should learn from each other.
:-)

The joy of learning

Here is an update on personal stuff - after a long time!

I am the type of person who is interested in studies, as the mere act of learning gives me pleasure! My friends made a joke out of my 'Tagged' post, when they saw a tick mark against studies while almost everyone else had ticked sports :-)

Coming straight to the point - I've enrolled for keyboard classes and thoroughly enjoying them. I'm yet to get mastery on fingering and play the keys like a typewriter sometimes!

Along with the keyboard, I am also unearthing few of my blind spots - i.e. the grey areas within me about which I had been unaware earlier. One of them is that my little finger is weak! I realised it when the ring finger comes to the rescue of little finger and plays the key marked to the latter! Now, as I type this post, I notice that my little fingers are not used for typing at all !

Music has been my favorite since childhood and I was reassured of this when I felt an overwhelming joy after playing my first rhyme 'Mary had a little lamb' last night on the keyboard!

Well, the tutor had given exercises to strengthen the fingers and I wish to play more in the coming days! I love learning :-)

An insightful statement

Warren E. Buffet while referring to reckless corporate debt mentioned "You never know who is swimming naked until the tide goes out."

I'm sure many would be able to appreciate this insight in today's context. The financial global meltdown has exposed or started exposing the bare bodies which may not be a pleasant experience, to put it mildly! And remember that Buffet had made this statement, decades ago!!

Well, just wanted to point out that the above statement seems appropriate in many contexts, exactly like a proverb!

Who owns Kashmir?

Another interesting fwded mail:
An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred recently in the United Nations Assembly that made the world community smile.
A representative from India began: 'Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Rishi Kashyap of Kashmir, after whom Kashmir is named.When Rishi Kashyap struck a rock and it brought forth water, he thought, 'What a good opportunity to have a bath.'He took off his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water.When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Pakistani had stolen them.
The Pakistani representative jumped up furiously and in support of Pakistan, he shouted, 'What are you talking about? The Pakistanis weren't there then.'
The Indian representative smiled and said, 'And now that we have made that clear, I will begin my speech'