Opportunity

Today I will talk about opportunities we get in life. Are you thinking that a great job in a big company is some foreign land is an opportunity? Are you thinking that getting funding from a big funding agency to start your business is an opportunity? Of course these are opportunities, But there are many more opportunities in life, that God bestows on you constantly, which we fail to recognize and think that we don't get enough opportunities. God flood us with opportunities always, but it is we who fail to recognize them.

Your younger sister, asking you help for her Math's exam is an opportunity. She will be so happy when she gets your help and always thinks you are the smartest and brightest kid in the planet. There are so many children who do not have a sister and miss the happiness they get when the younger one, thinks so great about them and keeps them as a role model for her growth. The love you get from sister is incomparable. So always think everything you can do for your sister as an opportunity.

When your mother asks your help to dry the clothes, think that as an opportunity to serve her. It is a small thing you can do to her for the million things she constantly does for you. Never ever try to dodge any small opportunity you get to please your mother. There are millions who do not have a mother and waiting to feel what it is like to serve a mother so dear.

When your father asks you to write a grocery list, it is an opportunity. When your grandma asks you to help her open chrome browser in mobile phone, it is an opportunity. When your friend asks you to help her with homework, it is an opportunity. When a beggar asks you for some food, it is an opportunity. When somebody asks you for favor, it is an opportunity. Why should he/she ask you for favor when there are billions of people in this world.

So never attach opportunities to only materials, attach it to every act you can do to please any living thing in this world. It is difficult to get such opportunities, if we are born as an insect. 

We have the sense organs and can sing, dance, feel, taste and do so many things. Use the sense organs to effectively pray to the God and use this unique opportunity you got to be born as a human and try to sing his name, chant his name, dance to his bhajans, eat his prashadh, feel his presence and enjoy the life to the fullest. Start looking at this life full of opportunities.

Marghazhi - Margasheersha

To both my daughters I want to tell you something very special today. it is about the month Marghazhi and what makes it so special. Margasheersha as we call this is considered very auspicious.

Lord Krishna says in Bhagavadh Geetha that he is the month Margasheersha among the 12 months. It is the dawn period of the Devas. The festivals of Vaikunta Ekadheshi, hanuman Jayanthi, Aruithira darshan fall in this month. Thirupavai is recited during this month. It is very good especially for girls like you. Also during this month there are many Ayyappan devotees who go to Sabari Mala.

I will be really happy if you both do Pavai Nombu. Andal performed this to merge with Lord Ranganathan.it is performed by Girls and Women to get a good husband and for longevity of husband. Girls should get up early before sunrise and pray to the god and read Thirupavai. This is so simple right. Can you do this?  Getting a good husband and healthy husband is very important to a girl. Now the same is important for man too to get a good wife. There is a way for us to pray for this and there is nothing wrong in following that. After all I have taught both of you Carnatic music, so now is the time to practice that by singing the Pavai Songs and also get the God's Blessings. So start right from today, what are you waiting for?

Dhana

Today I want to tell you about Dhana. Dhana is something you give to others, which can be utilized by them. This gives Punya to the person giving Dhana, so he can get a good life here in earth and also after he leaves the earth.

There is something that comes in Kathopanishad. The Rishi gives away Cows in Dhana and he gives away cows that have become old and would not longer be able to give milk. His son Nachiketha was seeing this and he felt what his father was doing was wrong. Actually it is wrong.

So what are the things you should consider when giving the Dhana.

• Give to most deserving people. Do not give to relatives, friends who are already well off and do not really value what you are giving as Dhana.
• The material you give in Dhana should be of the best quality. Not something that you no longer need and want to throw away. Instead of throwing away, giving it as Dhana is a sin.
• It will be really good if the material you give is your most favorite.

There are people who say Anna Dhana ( giving food) is the highest form of Dhana, as this is the only Dhana in which people say enough, as they cannot eat more than what their stomach can hold.

I am specially amazed with the Kanya Dhana. It is not about commoditizing women and considering it as a material that can be given to someone. But just think  about the Girl Child's parents who raise the child by pouring their affection and love, do all that is required for the girl. The most precious gem in their life is the girl child and then relinquishing their everything on her, after giving her to a person in marriage is something extra ordinary. Giving away what is the most precious to you is true Dhana.  

Automation - Basics

Today I will tell something about automation. Automation means you do certain tasks using computer software/hardware without involving human action. Example, if you submit the details for opening a bank account in a proper format, then there is no need to talk to bank staff etc, the completely the account is opened and your account details are mailed to your inbox.

More complex example is insurance claims process, here there are multiple talks that happen between the stakeholder parties to go for insurance settlement for a claim. But if we automate it, then the software will take care of everything, provided we give the inputs needed in the required standard format.

You can think of many complex examples. Things about all domain, any task where humans are needed, they could be replaced with software/hardware. Other than the emotions of human beings and the situation based intelligence, rest all are getting automated. Now the scientists are trying to have software do decision systems as well as trying to mimic the human emotions. 

If the task is simple like checking the mail content for some keywords and then doing a paper work and sending a mail, a dumb rule based program can automate this work. But if the work is complex, like based on analysis of a huge set of data, if some decisions are to be made, then we need to go for machine learning programs, that are not as dumb, but try to match the human thinking and at times, try to better the human thinking.

But now, if you want to automate a business process, what are the things you should do? Think first and strategize and think what may be the complexities involved in this, before moving further.  Take 5 minutes and think. Read on. Automated means, the things need to be performed by a computer by itself, by utilizing the instructions you provide to it. So if it has to work properly, you should be able to provide proper instructions in such a way that the computer wont get confused and will be able to perform by itself, just by following the instructions you provide. To reach this level, we need to have many things sorted out.

1. Process fitness - See whether the whole process we are trying to automate is fit to be automated. How can you decide this. Based on below few criteria we can decide that.
• Whether the instructions can be given a well defines rules. They should not be ambiguous. They should be clearly expressed as rules.
• The process should be repetitive. If the process is going through unique workflow steps each time, it is difficult to provide a common instruction to the computer right.
• Whether the whole process is standardized and is stable process. Doesn't keep changing constantly due to external factors which are not in our control.
• Whether we can give the input in a standard format. This should also not keep on changing.
2. Automation Complexity - We need to see how complex the automation is going to be. This will consider factors like what type of application, number of screens, what are the business logic algorithms in place, what and how many type of inputs to be given etc.

Based on this assessment, we can conclude any business process that we consider for automation into 4 categories

•  No Automation - Cannot do any automation
• Semi automate
• High Cost - Fully Automate
• Low Cost - Fully Automate

Starting LOVING

 I know this topic entices you. You and many teenagers like you think love is lovely and the moment I say LOVE, what you people imagine is pink, balloons, cake, costly gifts, new dress, chocolates, dinner in nice restaurants, picnics, and the so many good things young lovers do the moment they fall for each other.

I am not talking about this imaginary love and this love that is short lived. I want to talk to you about the love that you need to develop towards all.

Just think in your home, everything is neat and tidy, including the bathrooms and toilets. Have you anytime thought who keeps these tidy for you to use. There are times, you throw the things hither-thither and rush to school and when you come back everything is neat and tidy. There are daily chores like cooking, washing, sweeping, buying vegetables, buying grocery etc that gets done meticulously without getting missed even for a day. These make your life easy. What is it that you can do to bring a small smile to the face of people who do this. Think, that is love.

Just think about your teachers who teach you. They do have lot of personal life problems, but once inside classroom, they are only concerned about the subject and fully work to make sure what they teach, reaches your brain. They don't allow their personal life problems inside the classroom for your welfare. What can you do to bring a small smile to their face?

There are so many people whom you come across in life, who contribute to your welfare directly like the doctor you visit, the shopkeeper of the shop where we get our idli floor daily, our servant maid, our milkman, our garbage collector, our newspaper person? Is there any small gesture you can do to bring a small smile to their face? Do you remember their names/ Do you greet them with their names? Is there any time you thanked them for their service/

There are many people whose face you have not seen, but they are also working for your welfare. The farmer, the prime minister, the chief minister, the army staff, the railways staff, the roadways staff, the numerous government and non government staff so many? Is there any gesture you can do to bring a small smile to their faces? 

Why are you studying. Education is a tool. it should be used effectively and powerfully to bring a small difference to all the people you are connected with. Think about it. You should not always think about the by product which is money, but think about what you can do using your education to bring a smile to everyone around, how you can help them, how you can make the world a better place to live. that is LOVE. So start loving everyone from today and when their is Love, there is care, there is sincerity and their is genuineness to do something to the LOVED ONE. So Start LOVING everyone from today. All the best child.

Footprints to leave

Yesterday I saw your presentation on Digital Footprint and how important it is in current days to have a strong digital footprint. You are correct, as today's world has become more brand building and advertising. No one really cares about what we do and reward us for what we truly do and who we truly are. So go ahead and get a strong digital footprint created for yourself for the world to recognize you. You know the means and ways to do that also, as you superbly articulated in your presentation.

But I am now going to tell you about the other footprints that are important for you and means and ways to create them.

Dharmic Footprint : How much you know about our Dharma and what are the various activities you have done to grow the Dharma in this world. You are born for a purpose in this world. The family you came into follow certain principles and have taught you how to lead a dharmic life. This was transferred to you not directly from your parents, but in fact from you forefathers through millions of years, as the Dharma we follow is so old. It has bean treasured by so many generations and they have followed, practiced it and have carefully transferred it to me. I being a dutiful girl tried to follow as much and have educated you about the same. It is now your duty to follow them and not only follow, but practice and also make sure your children also get the same treasure that you got without a single drop being wasted. If you do that successfully it the respect you show to the so many generations who have preserved it.  Otherwise it is a break in the chain that you bring and it is not good.  Just think how you would feel when you organize something and few people do not follow what you are organizing and do it their way. You feel so hurt right. When you feel so hurt for a thing you started just now, just think this whole dharma and practices where started so early in life and kept passing through generations and we have no right to break it. We can, if these had any flaws or shortcomings, but when they are only good, why should we? I know the question going through in your mind. You thing they are mundane and not useful and superstitious, but my child, take the effort to go deep into the subject and understand each and everything that you question, you will find an answer. So start exploring if you think anything I am telling you you feel is wrong. Question and explore, you will get the answers. Following once Dharma is basic and performing activities towards enhancing it and reaching it to many people helps you build a footprint here. So will you start trying from today?

Karmic Footprint: How much good Karma you do in the every second of your life you get. How much you make the people around you happy. how much you share and give others? How much of kind words you speak with others? How much you cherish God and his presence? how much you help the animals and he birds? How much you care for your fellow human beings? How much you contribute to keeping the environment and your surrounding clean? How much you love the children? how much you respect the elders? How much you understand the sufferings of the poor and the ill people and enable them with what you have. How much you understand the arrogance of the few rich and ill behaved and try to correct them with you pleasant words?  Don't think all this Karmic footprint is easy to achieve through social media handles, it is tough to leave a good Karmic footprint and requires lot of hard work. Start trying to build a good solid footprint from today as time and tide waits for none. 

Daily Routine - Very Simple

 Its been some time, I wrote to you. You know the reason. Anyway end of one relationship will not impact other relationships to flourish. I love you more than before.

Would like to reiterate to you how important health is for anyone. Especially when youngsters like you ignore what is the basic fabric of life and focus on things which are not so relevant and important as the basic fabric. If we are healthy, we can reach the stars, but if any impact to a small finger, we end up thinking about the finger the whole day. 

So what are we supposed to do to keep a good health always. This is not a rocket science. Just follow what people in our culture have been following for many years and years earlier. What are those.

1. Raise up early in the morning. At least by 5.00 AM. Do the daily morning routine. Brush, Drink warm water, Clean your bowels, Yoga, Meditate, Bath - user turmeric and basin powder, Comb your hair, Apply Oil, Go to Temple, Eat break fast- along with Fruits.
2. Carry out your regular day activities. Can start by 8.30 AM. Study properly.
3. Eat Lunch - Good balanced lunch. Greens, vegetables. No Non vegetarian food. Take enough Ghee. Take pickle- especially skin on lemon or mango. try to finish lunch by 1.30 to 1.45 PM.
4. Carry on your regular activities till 5.00 PM
5. Go for a walk or play, do some exercises for 2 hours from 5.00 PM.
6. Eat dinner by 6.30 PM to 7.00 PM
7. Study for some time. Pray and Thank god for all he has given and hit your bed by 9.30 to 10.PM.

Through out the day stay cheerful, stay grateful for all God has given you, be always thankful to him. Try to share things and help others always. Always be happy and never frown and get into negative thoughts. Is it so DIFFICULT to live life this way. Think about it.