The Eternal Optimist!

I have been thinking for the past few months about why I have been unable to make any progress with part II of my book ‘Cool but Confused” (which I intend to re-launch under new title when it catches my fancy again). Problem-solving is fun (my own problems; not those of others). I mull over issue for months, even years, and at times it seems that the trail has gone cold. The solutions often come just as other people have forgotten the issue; circumstances have changed, and I have developed a new perspective over the long period of time that has passed. Also, you become detached with things after long period of time and that makes it easy to swiftly implement solutions that seemed brutal before. So, here’s what came up after the little thinking exercise. The characters in my previous book are based on friends who have been by my side since the last 20 years. The stories in it were based on the experiences they shared with me at various points during those long years of bonding. Eve...

People migrate from place to place in search of good life. They seek better employment opportunities, more opulent houses and what not, and thus go from Goa to Delhi to Washington. In my opinion, if you want a good life, stay in one place. Take roots. That gives you a chance to cultivate people. Building networks and staying with them is perhaps more important than just running where the money takes you. Ten years down the line, you suddenly discover that your bench-mate in school has now become a police inspector; that girl who always lended you notes has become a teacher, and the conductor of that bus you take to office every day is none other than that back-bencher who pretended to be the cool dude of the class. Moving places prevents you from strengthening these networks. One might say Whatsapp and social media help maintain friendships. True, but they do not strengthen them. Nothing equals the joy of pouring out your mind after the day’s work to that old friend who has been b...

Hello, New Me, this is Old Me (even though technically you are the older person.) You are definitely wiser and more experienced than I am. You may wonder why I am writing to you from my time. I will put it this way: We have these epiphanies sometimes and we discover what being truly happy is, but they last for a short time before being forgotten and lost in our daily struggles. This letter is an attempt to preserve one such epiphany. I believe you are currently surrounded by more people than I was but connect with very few of them. I started that phase of your life. I understood that material stuff brings limited happiness and people bring a little more happiness, but in reality, our happiness lies with us. Today, you will find people pressuring you into do things you do not wish. In that case, I remind you, strive for solitude and reflection.  That is what brought you the success you enjoy at the moment. If you are at the moment feeling depressed and indifferent to pretty m...

I have found a flaw in our lives and I intend to mend it.  People are glorifying rat-race; prioritising work over sleep and health.  “I am so busy, I don’t have time even for myself” is something people say with pride. This is a cool trend. I intend to reverse that trend. It is cool to have control over your own time; to be happy with less rather than chasing money at the cost of health. The West is witnessing such a trend where young professionals are rejecting hectic work schedules and opting for less-paying options that offer a slower and more peaceful life. This is called ‘ downshifting ’.  This is the trend I seek to drive forward.   To that end, I have tried to write stories about people caught in the rat-race, only to find them sprawling with clichés. I found myself falling prey to anger, frustration, pushing myself harder to research Slowness and Minimalism , reading books late into night, exhausting myself thinking hard till it was almost ...

Had a discussion about the proper use of social media in office yesterday.  We talk a lot about the increasing penetration of social media but with that we also need to develop the right mindset to use these media. When you are sharing something on social, it is akin to broadcasting your views on national television. In case of something like Twitter or blog, you are broadcasting to global audience. With that in mind, and drawing upon my thoughts during the discussion, I listed some basic guidelines for sharing information on social . I call them the Rules of Sharing. Think twice before you post anything.  The world is watching. You won’t gain much by following your own friends. Follow people from different countries and cultures. Broaden your horizons.  Curate relevant information by scanning the right hashtags. Getting information is the easy part. Curating is more important.  Hashtags are a must with every status. They get you visibility.  People w...

Our magazine, The Goan in School just brought out a special issue on secret services around the world. As a part of the issue, I got a chance to interview a former officer of India's internal intelligence agency, the Intelligence Bureau. It was an interesting conversation and I couldn't resist sharing the article here.   Considering India’s strategic situation, security has been a serious concern for the country and this has called for the need of a powerful and efficient intelligence apparatus.  Today, at a time when we are fighting unconventional threats such as terrorism, it is important that the nation’s internal intelligence mechanism should be sound and capable.  Associate Director of Fomento Resources and former officer of the Intelligence Bureau Mr Suresh Kumar Nair spoke to us at length about the strengths and weaknesses of India’s primary internal intelligence agency, the IB. Our perception of the world of spies is often shaped by the TV and m...

Hi guys! We meet after a really long time, I know. I’ve been doing some aimless reading lately, picking up books that might help me design quirky characters and twisted storylines.  I have no idea what I am looking for. Just wandering through the two worlds –real and literary, hunting for people and ideas. I just read these two amazing books that triggered the urge to write something. The first book, which will stay forever in my shelf, is “ Reasons to Stay Alive ” by Matt Haig. Matt was 24. He was living in a posh villa in Ibiza, Spain, and his job was organizing parties. But he had severe depression. This book chronicles his suffering and rising from the mental illness. What I like about the book is that it combines deeply personal narrative with bits of psychological research regarding depression, and all of it is presented with dry humor. The author tells us how depressing thoughts turned his days into nightmares and states that the medicines did not seem to work at al...