Olivia Culpo – Inspirational

* Rhode Island for the first time ever in history brings Miss USA crown home

* USA after 15 years of long wait was able to win The Miss Universe contest this year 2012

* 5.5 feet, 20 year’s girl was titled the most beautiful girl in the Universe.

Yes! All this was just so close to impossible…but Ms.Olivia changes history back to back.

She is one big example for - “Anything is possible”.

I have been reading & watching here videos off lately & have learnt a lot from this beauty queen. Few quick things that has touched & inspired me to a major extend about her:

Beauty: “You got to be more than just a pretty face. It’s about how good you feel in your own skin. Smile always because that always radiates and brings in smile on others face too. A beauty is not to show-off but to inspire others.”

Grateful: “Treat each day as a gift. Make the most out of it. Be grateful to your loved one. Hug your parents and express your feelings, gratitude to people who mean a lot to you.”

Confidence: “My boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend, it hurts but then I didn’t let it shatter me. I learnt my lessons, moved on. Didn’t let that take over me…focused on my goals and believed truly on myself and on god, as he had some very interesting plans for me”.

Being yourself: “All what matters is how you feel about yourself. Don’t be judgemental, just have an open mind…keep getting inspired by the people around you and keep learning. Better yourself each day.”

Communication: “There is no great feeling than being able to express yourself truly in best words. Choose your words carefully. Words have the power to inspire, hurt, create, collapse, destroy… so I always watch what I say.”

Passion: “People call me crazy because I dance & keep singing every time anywhere…but I can’t stop. Music is so much in me…the passion in me defines me…keeps me always happy & going for new challenges.”

Her values, beliefs, passion, beauty, words has created history today.

So what are your creating for yourself?

Whom are you inspiring?

Are you yourself?

Exit Strategy

“There was a phase in my young life as a photographer when I would shoot every object that comes into view. It was good practice, invaluable training, even. 

Now that I have grown comfortable with my camera system, know more or less how to play with light, I try to push myself beyond every comfort zone I find myself in.

It was therefore quite a treat to put together a bland looking window on a fire exit door with a gorgeous woman”

This was narrated by a friend of mine - an ideal example of exit strategy.

You got to figure out when to exit…move out from your comfort zone…take new challenges…in order to grow…in order to excel. Exit strategy is needed in everything you make an entry into, if you don’t, that’s the time you feel stuck. This post will talk about why exit strategy is a must for the below:

Partnership Alliances:

You can never win in today’s industry by being an individual player, strategy alliance with other business gives you an edge to fulfill customer needs and excel. Every partnership that I sing off brings in lots of excitement along with commitments. We sign off Win-Win partnership deal, decide on Go to Market plan, but never plan on defining the exit strategy.

What if the market does not respond positively to the partnership?

What if only one partner succeeds out of the deal?

What if the market circumstances change and the partnership backfires?

To proactively act in the above situation its important while designing an alliance best moment is to talk about the exit strategy.

Product:

When thinking of the end of a product’s life, think of the principles of product life cycle management and the four phases of a product’s life cycle. There’s the introduction phase, the growth phase, a peak phase, followed by a gradual decline phase. 

An exit strategy for a given product line typically involves outlining the company’s steps to reducing its exposure. Using customer reward programs, prompt payment incentives and offering volume discounts, are just some of the ways to retain business. The intention here is to maximize the product’s gross profit during its final life-cycle. In telecom I see a new product killing another existing new product launched from the same brand.

It’s important to predict eventual decline in customer demand, accordingly reduce the products marketing expenditures, reduce inventory and move the product line to“made-to-order” status. Support & Maintenance for the existing customers using the product is primary in exit strategy. Either move them to the new product or set a deadline for the end of support dates. Oracle products are the best example for the same.  

Relationship:

I know it’s debatable, why would one need an exit strategy for a relationship? Who wants to step out it? Why work on it?

But look at it in 2 angles:

Exit strategy for being friends to moving on to be in a love relationship. Exiting from being just lovers to a married couple. Exiting from just being a couple to a family etc. Figure out when to exit from one kind of relationship to another.

Other angle is when you realize your integrity is no more secure. During getting marriage discuss the divorce scenario when heavily in love, it is the best time. The moment the love is over and all what is left is disagreement and difficulties, it will be much harder to find a common ground based whereupon both partners can exit gracefully. Having a plan ready in advance will save emotional energy when you're feeling sapped from fighting.

Unexpected swings in the relationship can create distress and drama. If you have a relationship that you value, sit down with the person while things are going well and create an agreement on how you would handle your worst case scenario. What would you like to see happen, from a calm rational place, before you end the relationship. An exit agreement can clear a lot of bandwidth we can use for other fun activities, and let us enjoy the moment in the relationship now!

Start-up:

Your new venture is off and running. You and your partner are in sync with your goals for the future. As hard as it is to imagine the ending when you’re just beginning, an exit strategy belongs in your business plan, it can actually help you improve your business, making you look at cracks in the foundation of your company that need reinforcing and new methods to help you push your business even further in the right direction. 

Plan for what happens if one of them dies. 

Define what happens when one partner is ready to walk away. 
Worst scenarios for dissolving a business partnership is when the partners are locked in a dispute and the only solution is splitting. This is a time when emotions can run very high and having the terms of the dissolution already in place limits additional conflict.

So what happens to the partners when your small business becomes bigger either by merger or by sale?

What if somewhere down the road one of the partners is ready to take it all on alone and wants to buy out the shares of the other? A carefully crafted plan will lead to a smooth financial transaction. Having a clearly defined exit strategy does more than just establish the rules for different end-of-partnership scenarios. 

Job:

I am guessing that at the beginning of your career or even at the end of your corporate one, you did not have any idea that you would end up doing this for a living. I used to have a mental box of where my career could “logically” proceed, until I realized that I love learning new things, working on challenging stuff.

So my advice to you if you do not know what you want to do…Congratulations! It is perfectly normal. I promise you few really know their life’s purpose early on. It is a work in progress and that’s what makes life so beautiful. Second, be patient and have fun and explore. Try new things, learn constantly and allow yourself to imagine, to brainstorm, to come up with ideas and to put a few to test. Also, pay attention to your strength. That’s something that you do well consistently and feel energized and happy about.

We have got to be open to the possibilities and the opportunities that come along or else we will miss out on great chances to reach our fullest potential. I always wanted to make my professional smooth exit so I took my time building what I believed was imperative to that: a smart exit strategy at every job that was interesting, different & challenging.

Exit strategies aren't failure missions; they help to reinforce what you are doing right and focus on what you can do better. 

Thank You!

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”

Last few couple of days I have been getting upset and angry over very minor issues; I took a pause to realize what’s exactly going wrong. With time keeping me busy I have started taking things for granted, without any clue what life could be like on the other side.

One thing that we took for granted was education. In country like India where it’s compulsory for all kids to go to school, so it was a given. We never thought about how lucky we were to be educated until we read about Malala Yousafzai

Another thing we take for granted are our parents. Since our birth they are the people who keep doing small & big sacrifices just to give us a beautiful living.

We all are fighting with our fears, upset about something that’s not fair happening with us, stuck at some point in life, hurt when our expectations never get fulfilled… but is this all life. Let’s began to appreciate things around us more. As I saw more and more of the world out there, I realized all the things I’d been given are not rights, but privileges.

Do this small exercise: Before going to bed, hold your favorite thing in hand and count 5 new things you did for the first time new today or few things you are grateful of. This will make you focus on the positivism & beauty of life, which we royally ignore in our busy schedules these days.

Like today I am grateful. Grateful for my favorite music, for movies that make you feel good, for my phone that connects me with people, and for the electricity that lights up my life. Grateful for my imagination, grateful that I can think and communicate. Grateful that I can laugh and smile with lovely friends. Grateful of being literate. I realize that there is a lot of war and violence in the world, and I’m lucky to live in a country where it’s safe and peaceful. I realized there are people out there who don’t have their five senses, and to have mine which I am extremely grateful about. Grateful that I am alive!

Sometimes it’s easy to feel bad because you’re going through a tough time in life. However, remember no matter how bad your situation may seem, there are tens of thousands of things to be grateful for in life.

We always focus on others, what they are supposed to do/give/behave/react…we keep building our expectation & finally WHAT? We lose our piece of mind. 
Instead just focus on yourself – see what you contributing/creating/learning/giving/changing in yours & others life or think BIG for this world.  

Just a slight change in lookout & a bit more gratefulness will change how you are feeling now
 * Now I don’t lose my temper when a colleagues shows me how to work in excel, I am grateful about getting to learn new excel skills.
* Now I don’t get upset if the cab driver drives slowly, I am grateful that he is driving me safely.
* Now I don’t get irritated when my friends pull my leg, I am grateful about getting their attention & which helps me stay grounded by knowing my flaws.
 * Now I don’t feel suffocated when people care, I am grateful of being able to love & be loved.

So, be grateful that you are You!

Be grateful that there are two words that can change your life.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Are you listening to your heart or mind?

At every point of time in our lives we have to make decisions. It could be as small as deciding where to go for a vacation or where to go out to dine or it could be as big as choosing a profession, choosing a job or choosing your life partner. Taking a decision has never been easy for me and I am sure it’s not that easy for you too. We get stuck at a point where we can’t make a choice. This is majorly because we don’t know should we listen to your heart or mind. The question comes next is how do we differentiate what our heart is saying and what our mind wants us to do?

Have been researching on this for a while and few things below that I will be noting down is purely based on my experience: So let me tell you something about the role of the heart and mind. Let’s take an example:-Your parents are searching a groom for you and they show you two boys x and y. You got to choose between two of them. You have met them, interacted with them and have a fair idea on what the boys are. This task is done by our mind. It logically analyses things and construct a meta-data based on different parameters. If the differences between parameters being compared are huge then decision making is obvious. Say boy x fares very poorly in comparison with boy y on some parameters of your choice. Hence the decision making becomes easy and mind says yes.

Now consider a scenario where it becomes extremely difficult to decide whom to marry. On some parameters x is better and on some y is better. Your mind has analyzed things but has failed to break the deadlock. This is where your heart comes into picture. Your heart can’t lie. It knows what it wants. Just close your eyes and I am very sure, one choice will be in front of your eyes even if it’s higher by a small percentage. Go with your heart.

The same scenario can be applied to other cases as well. You are undecided between medical or engineering course. Listen to your heart. Go with it. Don’t look back in regret at any stage. Things will work well. But when it comes to any decision related to money always listen to your mind, like gambling, investment, lending money etc

Once you have listen to your heart, it’s time for your mind to take over. And this is where you need to play a major role. Listening to your heart is simple but not easy for the mind. Never regret the decision which your heart has taken. But if you fail to do this you will be in trouble for sure. The confusion will again return and you will end up making your life miserable. 

Few days back I got my handwriting analyzed and I was surprised to know that my mind rules my heart and trust me, that’s the worst. Get out of it…I have regretted all my decisions that I have made by my mind, I was scared to close my eyes and see what I always wanted. I was scared to speak out loud and trust on things that I wanted. Have belief!

Getting over the guilt of making a wrong decision is also important. Well it is not an easy job but one way of looking at it is by asking your conscience. Ask yourself whether the decision was taken with the intention of hurting others or with the intention of keeping someone happy. If your answer to this is positive, then the question of guilt creeping in doesn’t arise at all. In extreme cases few loved ones will stop talking to you completely forcing you to think about what you have done. But if your conscience is clear then just get along with it.

To conclude mind analyses things logically and strives to arrive at a decision. If the analysis leads to confusion then ask your heart for answers. No wonder the saying
“listen to your heart when in confusion” holds well true all time.

Happy Diwali!

On a moonless night, we light candles and small earthen pots with oil to get rid of the darkness. 
In India, we celebrate Diwali as a Festival of Lights. More than the religious reasons, I like it for what it symbolizes. A day I try to get rid of the darkness and fear, inside me, with the proverbial inner light.

I also take this opportunity to pass on love and light to all my near and dears. May you always have the courage to face your fears, may you always find light in the darkest hour of the night.

When you get a chance, please light a candle. Who knows someone might be looking for light, in his or her hour of darkness.

Happy Diwali!

*Wonderful lines by Tarun Chandel 

Boss: Books that U must read

1.Magic of thinking Big - David J Schwartz
Enhances the thinking of people, encourage to think big see big and look for the +ve in everything, helps in removing excuses which currently people are not aware of themselves.

2. Being better than your best - Danny Lena,Marie Lena
 How to challenge self every day, set benchmark of self-improvement and lots of examples of people achieving greater heights. Self awareness of people increases, self worth, confidence.

3. Who moved my cheese - Dr. Spencer Johnson
How to embrace change, a change is resisted what will happen and how it impacts overall a person. Very nice story.

4. Today matters - John c. maxwell
Fantastic book on how by utilizing today effectively tomorrow will be much better, it teaches about setting priority, lots of fantastic examples of achievements

5. 7 habits of highly effective people - Stephen Covey
One of the best book on being effective in anything a person does

6. How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie
Best book on resolving conflicts, achieving best teamwork and great goals together. How to keep a win-win perspective in each interaction for a greater benefits for all.

7. Power of Subconscious Mind - Joseph Murphy
How to embed good habits into our subconscious mind by consciously practicing it. How powerful is our subconscious mind and if controlled how it will take you to heights. another books is The Ant and the Elephant little story type of book depicting the same.

8. The secret - Rhonda Byrne
A strong law "Law of attraction" How it can attract everything (good or bad) to our lives and how by controlling the things we attract to our lives with deep focus the universe itself will manifest it for yourself . Very powerful.

9. How to stop worrying and start living - Dale Carnegie
Most of us worry about things that may impact something or the other. How by taking actions we can stop worrying and make our life better.

* These are the list of books my boss has suggested me to read... his everlasting wish that he would love to see me read more. So I thought let me note it down here so that whenever I am in any mood of reading or will be wondering which book to gift my friend I can refer to this list :) 

#unConditionalLove

Love is knowing just what to do when someone in your heart is struggling to recapture their usual spark. Sometimes it is sitting quietly beside them, or taking them out and helping them think other things for a while, or simply giving them space for a few hours to work things out. Love is knowing exactly how and when to show compassion, even when you feel like someone is being a bit silly about something. When you open your heart and arms instead of your mouth and simply be there for the ones you love - these are the times that bring a closeness and unity that no hurt can ever touch.

But you can know for certain you have found your one when, faced with the big problems, you pull together and deal with the issues together. All those funny little things about that person you love, even the little annoying things that you secretly hate to love, but love anyway. Loving someone is having the courage to step outside of our comfort zone and have a go at something we may never have dared before.

Those we love will hurt us, and you will at times hurt those that love you.

#unConditionalLove is when u don't have any reason for loving the person
#unConditionalLove is when u smile in difficult situations
#unConditionalLove is doing things without any expectations
#unConditionalLove is accepting
#unConditionalLove is just unconditional

Remember no one's perfect

Something that I have realized with time & thought that I should share it...specially to all the lovely females out there:

He’s not perfect. 

You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. 

U can’t look for similarities in each other, then how would the other complete you. 

But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. 
He isn't going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. 

Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. 

Don’t analyze. 

Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. 

Love hard when there is love to be had. 

Feel him as a part of you, so that you could feel unconditional love towards him.

Before having any expectations, ask what you have done to have those expectations.

Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.

With whom you can create a perfect moment.

Give me red… only Red Wine!

My love for Red Wine is no secret. I fell in love with Red Wine when I visited Grover Vineyard, which is 40 Km towards north of Bangalore.

You will find people with a lot of passion for wines visiting the winery. Visit to Vineyard is a whole day event, per head charge is 1000/- and trust me it’s totally worth it. We were taken around the vineyard, winery and at the end is the most interesting thing – Wine Tasting.

Few things that I learnt during the tour:

- Land on which cultivation of the grape is known as viticulture.

- We have around 40 varieties of grape

- Green/White grapes is used to make White Wine and red grapes for Red Wine

- Viticulture depends on factors like sunlight, soil, moisture, wind, and pest and disease control.

- The best wines result from warm, dry conditions.

- Red wines actually vary in color from dark pink to almost black.

- Red wine contains resveratrol, has a positive influence on the prevention of aging and the promotion of heart health.
-The color comes from a natural organic pigment called anthocyan that is present in the skin of red grapes and not from the juice of the grapes

The tour to Grover was perfect in every way and we enjoyed every minute of our time spent at the Vineyard. The Winemaker Tasting and Vineyard Tour was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

After going through the wine making process I have a new respect for grapes, although not all grapes. Wine is much more than just a drink. The more you read about it you realize that it represents so many other things, like culture & history.

I am so high about red wine is that the day when I have enough money I would love to have my own Vineyard.

Mobile Cloud Computing Keynote at NIT – Trichy & Hyderabad

It was my absolute honor to be invited as a Keynote speaker by NIT to talk to their PhD & MTech student’s about Mobile Cloud Computing at the Cloud Computing Conference.
Below are the slides that I presented during my keynote:

Mobile Cloud Computing 2012 from Bhavya Siddappa

Last week travelling to Trichy & Hyderabad: visiting NIT campus, meeting the students & exchanging cloud computing research content with the PhD students & professors was an amazing experience.
Few research papers that were presented by the students:

One thing that I realized is that what these students & academies research & study and what the industry is working on…there is a huge gab. It’s time to work together bridge the gap and let the research just not be thesis but be a major input into the corporate innovations.

Living

Think a new thought;
Accept a new responsibility;
Memorize a new song;
Try a new recipe;
Plan a new adventure;
Entertain a new idea;
Learn a new language;
Enjoy a new experience;
Make a new friend;
Read a new book;
See a new movie;
Climb a new hill;
Scale a new mountain;
Launch a new career;
Find a new purpose;
Fill a new need;
Light a new lamp;
Exercise a new strength;
Grasp a new truth;
Practice a new awareness;
Encourage a new growth;
Affirm a new beginning;
Discover a new answer;
Dream a new dream;
Build a new life;
Open a new door;
Explore a new possibility;
Capture a new vision;
Start a new chapter;
Seek a new challenge;
Express a new confidence;
Write a new plan;
Turn a new page;
Follow a new direction;
Be a new person;
Radiate a new enthusiasm.

Have Belief In Your Path

You may not know where it leads,
You may not have answers to all the questions,
You may have a past,
You may fear,
You may not see the end,
You may be afraid to take the first step but sometimes you have to simply take it.

Each and every person has a path,
Some will know the way they want to go,
Some will not but within your heart you will know when its right.

Have hope,
Have faith,
Have belief.....

The only thing you should be more afraid of when setting out on your life's journey is not setting out at all.

A year with Huawei - An incredible journey

For all those who know me, would also know that completing a year working in Huawei is such a big milestone in my life :-)
Yes, not only does this make me feel happy sharing this news in public…but the fact is that in last one year working for Huawei has been an incredible journey for me.

AND I AM STILL SO MUCH IN LOVE WITH MY WORK!

Aug 2011 is when I joined this Chinese Company and I still remember how bad I was in pronouncing Huawei. Now I m good at it… well this is how we say Huawei and not “Who are we”

Joined as a R&D Tools Leader in Quality team and now currently working as a Business Developer for Huawei devices. So what do I do here…hmmm LOTS:
- Alliances & Partnership for Huawei Devices:
- Identify and qualify strategic alliance partners for Smartphone & Datacard products
- Product Manager for Huawei Datacard Landing Page
- Looking after embedding third party apps & solutions into devices

The best part of this role:
- Getting to meet & talk to some awesome entrepreneurs each day.
- Working closely with R&D Engineers, testers, designers & lawyers which helps me learn new things each day from each of these fields
- When I bump into customers and get to hear good stuff about the products that I work for
- Getting an opportunity to talk business with brands that I am personally a big fan off
…. And many more reasons

Nothing is always perfect on this earth, as in my case I hate when I have to sell rejections to most of the business proposals, feel bad when products don’t do well in the market and face customer’s feedback when the products don’t meet their expectations.
But all this becomes worth-it, when I wake up with tons of things that goes in my mind which drives me to office every day & going to bed with a satisfaction that the work done is taking my company closer to its goal.

More importantly what I enjoy best is working with an amazing team, boss & business partners who make me a better person each day….and the journey shall continue.

Graphology: Art of knowing a character

Slides on Graphology that I planned to present at Barcamp Bangalore 12

Graphology: Art of knowing a character from Bhavya Siddappa

I know these slides bring in lot of questions on your mind, like:
- How to analyse handwriting ?
- How does graphology helps in judging a person’s character?
- What does my signature speak about me ?
- How can I help my child be a better confident individual ?
- How I can recruit better people ?
- Can I succeed if I change my handwriting ?

Well, I will answer all these when I get a chance to present this topic next time…

Breaking the Ice

We’re not that different, you and I.

It’s just that I speak a lot, and you prefer to listen.

You dream a lot, I’m a bit realistic.

I laugh openly, and all you do is smile.

I cry sometimes, and you hold back your tears.

You express your doubts, and I hold back my fears.

But we love each other, and thus we are alike.

In some matters though, I have to say you’re wrong,

You complain that I don’t love you,

Just ‘cause I don’t say it out loud.

You say that I don’t care for you,

Just ‘cause I haven’t cried by your side.

You claim that I’m never happy for you,

Just ‘cause I’ve never laughed when you have.

I want to confront you; I want to tell you,

I do love, I do care,

And I’m always happy when you are.

But that would involve speaking my heart out,

Something I’ve never been very good at.

What if you think I’m rude?

What if you think I’m self-centered?

What if I lose you forever?

I shudder to think of that possibility,

And I quiet down, saying nothing.

It is then that I realize, that even I’m flawed.

'Cause with you, I still haven’t learnt how to break the ice...

~~Guest Post

Sentimental Journey with Movies - Part 2

What women want:

Every man who has this question must watch this movie. Actor has the power to hear everything women are saying. Finally...a man is listening.  Families should talk about whether it is hard for men and women to figure each other out, and how they can do better. They may also want to talk about the pressure they should also talk about how a small act of kindness can be very important to someone who is coping with depression. If you know what women want, you can rule! Its simple not easy :-)

Best dialog: “He made you feel the price you pay just for being you is that you don't get to have love”

Best scene: When the Nike ad is presented - No games,Just sports. 

Dirty dancing havana nights

Dance is not about steps 123..567 …. It’s about feeling the music. You have a choice. You can do nothing. You can hide under the bed or you can work through the knots. Dancing is about being exactly who you want to be in that moment. Dancing is hot ..dancing is expression..Dancing is feeling.. Dancing is connecting with the almighty…. Dancing is love

Best dialog: “Listen to me. I know that it's scary as hell to let another person touch that part of you. But if you do... It's worth it.”

Best scene: Showing Katey how to move her hips

Never Been Kissed

We will spend your lives trying to keep others down because it makes us feel more important. There is a big world out there... bigger than high school, college or office and it won't matter if you were the queen, the quarterback of the football team, or the biggest nerd in school. Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it. inside everyone is a loser afraid to be loved, and out there is the one person who can kiss us and make it all better. Being popular doesn't make any one a happy person. It's staying true to yourself and your beliefs that you can really be happy and really be yourself.

Best dialog:”That thing, that moment, when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person and you realize that that person is the only person that you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life, and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you want to laugh and you want to cry because you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that that it will go away all at the same time.” 

Best scene: Josie writes her final article http://www.angelfire.com/fl2/neverbeenkissed/article.html

The.Adjustment.Bureau.2011

Most people live life on the path which is set for them, too afraid to explore any other. But if you are sure of few things and even if its not a part of your destiny go ahead knock down all the obstacles that come on our way. People who realize freewill is a gift that you'll never know how to use until you fight for it. Fate is all in your hands…choice is u wanna write it or leave it blank.

Best dialog: "I don't care what you put in my way, I'm not giving up!"

Best scene:Elise and David run out from the agents to be together forever and change the plan

Sentimental Journey with Movies - Part 1

A lot like love:

There’s nothing better than a great romance… to ruin a perfectly good friendship. World is round and people do meet again. We most of the time wonder that it’s “looking a lot like love”, is it love? We always plan things but be sure that life will not go as planned. This is your life. Right now. It doesn't wait for you to get back on your feet. Honestly, if you're not willing to sound stupid you don't deserve to be in love. 

Best Dialog - “Don't... you'll ruin it”

Best Scene – When Emily runs to get Oliver

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days:

Love isn’t easy - true love, the kind that makes you want to be around a person every day and every night of your life. No matter where you are in your relationship, it can only survive when you accept the fact that each of you is flawed. And sometimes those flaws could use a little compassion, a little understanding, and lots of forgiveness. In order for relationships to survive, we’ve got to make time for each other, our faults, and got to be willing to do whatever it takes to save the relationship even if it means biting our tongues once in a while or giving up something we love to do for something they love or offering a bit of praise when it’s most needed.

Best Dialog - “You can't lose something you never had”

Best Scene – Family plays the Bullshit! Game

No strings attached:

Can you have sex without love getting in the way? We don't pick who we fall in love with. At times we don’t acknowledge our feelings because we are scared of being hurt.

Best Dialog - "Hey, you can't call me and tell me that you miss me. I don't wanna have that conversation on the phone. So you can't text me and you can't e-mail me and you can't write on my wall. If you really miss me, you need to grow up and get in your car and come and see me."

Best Scene – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvnZg52iZI4

A walk to remember:

My all time favourite movie

Best Dialog – “But our love is like the wind. I can’t see it, but I can feel it”

Best Scene – When the couple sleep under the sky all night

The notebook:

A movie for anyone who wants to get lost in a beautiful story, for anyone who believes romance is still alive and true love. A belief in how one can wait for years surviving a dream for his lover.

Best Dialog – “Stop thinking about what everyone wants; stop thinking about what I want, what your parents want! What do *you* want?”

Best Scene –  James and Gena boat ride 

Who will cry when you die?

Extracts from the book “ Who will cry when you die?”
This book gives tips to lead a better life. It is highly potent and makes us sit up and realize the real meaning of our lives. This is a mini gist of the book. - Guest Post by a good friend

THE PILLARS OF SELF-MASTERY, AUTHOR ROBIN S SHARMA

1. Sleep less: This is one of the best investments you can make to make your life more productive and rewarding

2. Set aside one hour every morning for personal development matters. Meditate, visualize your day, read inspirational texts to set the tone of your day, listen to motivational tapes or read great literature. Starting the day off well is a powerful strategy for self-renewal.

3. Laugh for five minutes in the mirror each morning. Laughter activates many beneficial chemicals within the body that place us into a very joyous state. Laughter also returns the body to a state of balance. A 4 year old laughs 500 times a day while the average adult is lucky to laugh 15 times a day.

4. Set aside every Sunday evening for yourself and your family and be strongly disciplined with this habit.

5. To enhance your concentration and power of focus, count your steps when you walk. This is a particularly strong technique. So many people allow their minds to be filled with mental chatter. All peak performers appreciate the power of a quiet clear mind, which will concentrate steadily on all-important tasks.

6. Enhance your will-power. You must first exercise it and then push before it gets stronger. When you are hungry, wait another hour before your meal. When you are laboring over a difficult task and your mind is prompting you to pick up the latest magazine for a break, curb the impulse. Soon you will be able to sit for hours in a precisely concentrated state. Newton had a remarkable ability to sit quietly and think without interruption for a very long period of time. If he can develop this so can you.

7. Never discuss your health, wealth and other personal matters with anyone outside your immediate family. Be very disciplined in this regard.

8. Cultivate the art of walking half an hour after your dinner. Walks in natural settings are the very best. Walking is, perhaps, nature’s ideal exercise.

9. Be careful about your reputation (high esteem and honour). Never do anything you wouldn’t be proud to tell your mother about. Have fun always but temper it with common sense and prudence (Knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress).

10. Become your spouse’s number one supporter, the one who is always there supporting and fueling hopes and dreams. Develop together and march confidently through the world as an army of two.

11. Spend time with Nature. Natural settings have a powerful effect on your senses, which in turn will lead to a sense of renewal, refreshment and peacefulness.

12. Try fasting one day every two weeks. During these fast days, drink fruit juice and eat fresh fruits only. You will feel more energetic, cleansed and alert.

13. Drown (Cover completely) your appetite by drinking more water – ten glasses a day is ideal. It revitalizes the system and purifies the body. Also get into the habit of eating soups and more complex carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes than other less healthy foods.

14. A contented (showing satisfaction with things as they are) mind is a continual feast. Greed (Excessive desire to acquire materials than one needs) and material desires must be curbed (Held back from some action especially by force) to achieve lasting happiness and serenity (The absence of mental stress). Be happy with what you have.

15. Every day, get away from the noise, the crowds and the rush and spend a few hours alone in peaceful introspection (self-examination), deep reading or simple relaxation.

16. Empty your cup. A full cup cannot accept anything more. Similarly, a person who believes that he cannot learn anything else will stagnate (stand still) quickly and not move to higher levels. Even the teachers have teachers.

17. Drink a cup of warm water before a speech. Ronald Reagan employed this strategy to ensure that he maintained his honey-smooth voice. You will be judged by the caliber (grade of excellence) of your communication skills.

18. Always remember the key principle that the quality of your life is the quality of your communication. This means the way you communicate with others and more, importantly with yourself. What you focus on is what you get.

19. Aromas (A distinctive odour that is pleasant) have been proven to be an effective means of entering a state of relaxation. Scents have a very noticeable effect on your mindset and moods.

20. Never argue with the person you work for – you will lose more than just the argument

23. Do not take personal development books as gospel (An unquestionable truth). Read them and take whatever useful ideas you need. Some people feel that they must do everything suggested and take the techniques to extremes. Every book has at least one tool or strategy of benefit.

24. Keep well informed about current events, the latest books and popular trends. Many peak performers read five or six papers a day. You don’t have to read every story of every paper. Know what to focus on.

25. Readers are leaders. US Ex President Bill Clinton read more than 300 books during his short time at Oxford University. Some top performers read a book a day. The more you know, the less you fear.

26. When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take-choose the bolder, said WJ.Slim. Take chances, take smart risks and you will meet with success beyond your dreams.

27. You sow (Place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth) an action, you reap (get) a habit. You sow a habit, you reap a character. You sow a character, you reap a destiny (An event that will inevitably happen in the future). The essence (most essential) of a person is his character- makes yours unique, unblemished (Free from stains) and strong. Do not say you will do anything unless you will indeed (in truth) do it. Speak the truth and measure your words wisely. Be humble, straightforward and peaceful.

28. Read the biographies of the world’s leaders and learn from their habits, inspirations and philosophies (A belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group). Cultivate the important practice of active role modeling.

29. Remember and use people’s names when you talk to them. A person’s name is a uniquely sweet sound to them.

30. Go outdoors and look up into the blue sky for half an hour. Note the supremely strong feeling that you get when you are connected to Nature. Get away from your rigid schedule, which will provide a refreshing release and make you feel wonderful when you eventually return.

31. Laugh at work and be known as a positive achiever

32. The most efficient and effective alarm clock ever developed lies within our own minds. Try the following:

         1.Sit in an easy chair ten minutes before you go to bed.

         2.Shut your eyes and gently rest your hands on your knees.

         3.Breathe deeply for a few minutes.

        4.Repeat this for 20 times: "I will awake at 5 am feeling fresh, alert and enthusiastic". Then visualise yourself waking up at the desired time and imagine how great you will feel. You will soon wake up at the desired moment after little or no practice.

33. Develop the essential habit of punctuality for it is most important for high success. Punctuality reflects discipline and proper regard for others. Without it, even the most sophisticated person appears slightly offensive.

34. Winners do the things that less developed people don’t like doing even though they also might not enjoy doing them. This is what strength of character and courage is all about.

35. All individuals who have attained the highest of levels generally have cultivated the essential mental habit of optimism. Without optimism, life loses its luster and hardships appear at every step.

36. As we can take nothing with us when we leave, when you wake up early in the morning, repeat the mantra:

1.I will serve others today
2.I will care for others today
3.I will be kind today

This kind of living will bring you huge returns if you stay on the purpose of aiding others rather than on the outcome of personal gain.
37. Each day, do two things that you do not like doing. This may be the preparation of a report you have been putting off or shining your shoes. It does not matter how small the task, just do it! Your personal power will increase and your productivity will soar (The act of rising upward into the air).

38. Pick five relationships that you desire to improve over the next six months. Write out the names of these people and under each name detail why you want to improve the relationship, how you plan to do so and in what time frame. This is simply another facet of goal setting.

39. Browse second-hand bookstores every few months searching for lost treasures of character-building books. You will find gems on public speaking, improving your habits, time management, personal health and other important subjects for low prices.

40. Be known as someone with a cool head, warm heart and great character. Your presence on this earth will long be remembered.

41. Fill your home with bright, fresh flowers. This is one of the best investments you can make. Let the sounds of great music, loud laughter and good fun fill the oasis of your home

42. Recognize the power of mantras and the repetition of positive, powerful words. Indian yogis have employed this technique for over 4000 years to live tranquil (Characterized by absence of emotional agitation), productive and focused lives.

43. Build a mystique (An aura of heightened value or interest or meaning surrounding a person or thing) around yourself