Day6: Happy Durga Pooja

Sunday, 21st Oct 2012;10:56pm
Electronic City, Bangalore

Today is 'Saptami' of the Navaratri; tomorrow onwards, Durga Pooja celebrations will be at its peak. It's been several years since I last celebrated the grand Pooja with family. Childhood days were so special....visiting the Pooja Pandals with family and neighbours........getting glimpse of the colossal idols of Maa Durga with other Devi- Devtas, and holding hands of Papa jee tightly braving the crowd, insisting Maa on buying toy cars, helicopters and what not ......... .shooting small balloon balls with big rifles, .... and of course gulping scores of panipuris followed by chhole-batoores....... :-|

Okay. Without diving any deeper into the ocean of nostalgia, Let me wish each one of you a very very Happy Durga Pooja. May Maa Durga shower her blessings on each one of us and may we be happier, stronger and at peace of mind.

Do recite along with me, the Maa Chalisa:

It was a sad day for Bollywood and millions of its lovers as we lost veteran director-producer Mr. Yash Chopra. May the holy soul rest in peace. My deepest condolences to the family of Yash Jee. He left this materialistic world a rich legacy for which he would be remembered for a long long time, in fact he must be a happy and satisfied spirit to leave the physical being.

For me, it was a sleepy Sunday. Got my specs' glasses replaced; celebrated my new glasses with a Chicken-Chapati combo in the dinner.

Tomorrow starts yet another new day, full of challenges and M-70 into its second day.

Once again wishing you all a Very Happy Durga Pooja.

Narendra Gupta
Sunday, Oct 21st, 2012; 11:50 pm




                                   

Day5: I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody - Bill Cosby

Saturday, 20th Oct 2012; 11:05 pm
Electronic City, Bangalore

The weather in Bangalore is at its best in recent times. Enjoyed the walk when it drizzled in the evening today. Watching the crucial CLT20 tie MI vs CSK. and as an admirer of Dhoni, wish MS and Team CSK to win today's match.

Sharing one of my all-time favorite poems by Berton Barley:

" Success" If you want a thing bad enough To go out and fight for it, Work day and night for it, Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it If only desire of it Makes you quite mad enough Never to tire of it, Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it If life seems all empty and useless without it And all that you scheme and you dream is about it, If gladly you'll sweat for it, Fret for it, Plan for it, Lose all your terror of God or man for it, If you'll simply go after that thing that you want. With all your capacity, Strength and sagacity, Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity, If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt, Nor sickness nor pain Of body or brain Can turn you away from the thing that you want, If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, You'll get it!                                                          (Courtesy: http://www.bertonbraley.com/) That's it for today; over to match...Wao its 2 down for MI! Good Night and Sweet dreams!  Narendra Gupta Saturday; 20th Oct 2012; 11:10 pm

 

Day4: “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field but never score.” – Bill Copeland

Friday, 19^th Oct 2012; 10:30 pm

Electronic City, Bangalore

                  Three Things for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind

1.       Food that you eat  - RIGHT NUTRITION

2.       Thoughts that you think – POSITIVE THINKING

3.       Exercises that you do – FITNESS EXERCISES

With the zest to live life along with all my limitations, inhibitions and shortcomings, I started yet another day of life afresh. It was a memorable day. YES! Kick started M-70 today. J

I had started Mission 70, the mission to reduce my Body Weight to 70 Kgs around two years back without any successes .Although I started many a times later but my exuberance faded away in a week or 10 days at max, could never keep the momentum going, something I dislike about self . My procrastination had been at its peak all these months. After a break of 14 months, I have started the quest yet again but this time I wish to achieve it. Only and Only thing which will take me through is CONSISTENCE.

Feeling exhausted with huge body-ache,

Good Night to all

Wishing you all a Very Happy Weekend

Narendra Gupta

19^th Oct 2012;10:45pm

p.s: Mission 70 Day1: Weight - 84 Kgs

Day3: When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.

Thursday,18th Oct 2012;10:45 pm
Electronic City, Bangalore

I feel blessed to live around people who are epitomes of inspiration. I recall of the Blind Wiproite whom I see everyday walking around fearlessly, He is so full of energy, and as enthusiastic as ever; Then I recall of another Wiproite, a 4 Foot tall newly joined employee of managerial rank, fighting out all his complexities within self, and saying "Sir, I have done it in the past and I am here to stay" to the facilitator of the induction program. Another fellow Wiproite, a lady, mother of two, disabled in one feet yet making to the office consistently after sending her kids to school and doing all her household work, all this with her solid grit and will power . My salute to all such people who despite all the hardships of life, LIVE BIG.

The highlight of this day of life was the Bachelor's Party Treat at Barista by Madhuri, my team member who is getting married later this month. Wao! It was a memorable one. She said, she is feeling a little nervous yet excited. She is doing everything possible to make this life changing event of her, a memorable one. I along with other 2 team members wished her a very Happy Married Life. After this enjoyed the Bhangra and DJ Beats by ReadyMix Group at the AppFest carnival in the campus.

Signing off for today,
I wish all my Friends and Well Wishers a Happy and Blessed Life.

Narendra Gupta
Thursday, 18th Oct 2012; 11:05 pm

Day2: I am not telling you it is going to be easy, I am telling you it's going to be worth it.

Wednesday, 17^th Oct 2012; 10:50 pm

Electronic City, Bangalore

I started the day with Sahaja Yoga for 8-10 minutes. At office couple of good things happened with one not so good experience, will share that first. 

I had been observing the activities of one of the team members in project who imposed himself as the boss. Today his behavior went out of limit and I had to say STOP. Being humble is good but being submissive is a SIN. He had been calling me and others for last 4-5 days at his desk; simply pinging on the chat messenger ‘come here’ with no courtesy in words whatsoever with the only intent to show him as BOSS.  He is a simple colleague handling one of the modules like I am. His behaviors with others are equally bad and everyone is pissed off with him though they do not speak openly.  Today when he called pinging one of the other colleagues, I simply said NO. Then he called on phone and asked to come for he needed some status updates, I simply replied “I am busy, I won’t come now”. I had already updated status to my manager the previous day. He is the so called ‘chamcha’ of manager. I raised this issue in the team meeting and made everyone know that his behavior was unacceptable to me and he better understand that.  

The way I handled the issue may not be perfect but then that is how I am. I cannot simply live under suppression of any wrong person, the right people do not suppress. Anyway, the Good thing today was the news of 1^st November 2012 as a Holiday by one of the office friends. And the second happy news of the day was:

Yes, after a long wait, I got the Gym membership, although h've to pay 300 bucks just for 3 days this month. But then, Anything for Fitness!

Good Night to all my friends and well wishers

Take Good Care of yourself

Narendra Gupta

Saturday,17^th Oct 2012; 11:10pm.

Day1: Nothing Works if you Don't.

Tuesday, 16th Oct 2012; 10:45 pm
Electronic City, Bangalore

It was an easy going day at office. Prithvi, one of the new joinee in Project brought Prasadam, he had visited temples in Mysore last weekend. The delicious ladoos made my day, in fact,  am very fond of sweets. While there was least to work, I used the day to finish some of my unofficial and pending works. It started with calling the Karbonn Mobile Customer Care. They have a bad customer service and that I can say with the kind of response I received from the Executive on Call. She was not sure about the no. of available service centers and their whereabouts. She gave me the wrong info which I could trace after I checked their website.  Come on, when you are interacting with your customer, you are representing your organization, should be responsible enough to give the right info at the least. I had bought a low cost karbonn phone after I lost my Nokia smart phone in a BMTC Bus two months ago. Just 2 months and the Phone has issues with its audio system, that’s where Brand comes heavier.

Later in the day, I called up the Guy who repaired my old laptop and had charged heavily for his services. Despite this, the laptop is not shutting down properly. Called him but he had his own excuses to escape like He is out of city, you give me call in the evening and I will send some executive, only to find that his phone was unreachable at that time. Service? Where is genuine and selfless service lost in India? Anyways, finished couple of other tasks in the meantime.

 

The mainstay of the day was Madhuri, a girl going to get married soon. It is good to see her doing all preperations for her wedding – drafting e-invitation, preparing maps, lists of guests, calling each of her friends, ensuring she doesn’t misses any.  She is undergoing the RCT treatment for her teeth this week. She says, I just want to get my swollen cheeks alright, for the camera and people focus remains on the bride. Wao! Good to see her energy, enthu. Pain takes U- turn when you have bigger things ruling the mind.

Yes, Breaking my procrastination,today initiated for my membership in Gym to accomplish M-70., Not successful though, non-availability of seats in the arena :(

Narendra Gupta

16^th Oct 2012, 11:20 pm

 

When I became Papa...

                                        “When I became Papa…”

Saturday, October 13, 2012;11:00 pm                                                    

Electronic City, Bangalore

                                              She’s a little bit of sunshine

                                              She’s a smile to light our days

                                              She will steal our hearts and keep them

                                              With her warm endearing ways…

                                              She is our precious little daughter

                                              With a sweetness from above

                                              Who will fill our years with laughter

                                              And our lives with lots of love

                                                                                                        (…unknown)

It’s been almost 2 months since I became Papa. Today, I sit to reflect on the changes I have gone through since then and what lies ahead.  Has Life really changed ever since I became Papa? I still continue to struggle with my career woes, neither the daily nuances of life seem to get better, lot of gray areas remains in personal and professional spheres to be improved on. Irrespective of all these vexations of life, there is something and for sure that altered after I became Father and that for good. I however find it difficult to express in words.

A mere thought of my little angel makes me feel happy. I picture her, moving her two little hands continuously, throwing her two little legs effortlessly, her often smiling and often crying face while she is asleep, or when she is hungry or when she pees, and I start smiling wherever I am, I start feeling good. I often think of my baby (or see her pics in mobile) when I feel low and need motivation. It works surprisingly for me as if some motivation waves start running through my veins and I start feeling gladder. My baby is an absolute bliss, extreme joy and seeing her smiling face can wipe away worries of the world in an instant. It is difficult to stay away from you Beta and your Mom.  Love you and Miss you both…

“I was not ready for parenting……”

Believe it or not, I was not ready for Parenting at this stage of life when I am yet to settle down in my career, am not sure where I will settle, with no home zero property status currently, when I am undergoing financial havoc repaying Educational Loan dues I had taken for my studies abroad and at this age when I am not even 30. Probably I was afraid of the extra responsibility and the financial burden which would come ahead. I feared if I would be able to fulfill my pending career aspirations.

I remember, I used to tell my wife “ Yaar, itni jaldi kya hai, lets enjoy for few more years…..” . She however insisted on having a child and so did my Parents and family. In our part of the world, society would start assuming different things if a couple does not have baby after 1 or 2 years of marriage and the onus would mostly fall on the bride (typical small town mentality…). My wife wanted a baby and I could not see her in distraught for a single moment. For her sake and for my Parents, I decided to give it a GO.

My silly talks….

During Wifey’s intial pregnancy days, I used to say “I feel jealous of the baby inside ….once he/she comes you would give more time to him/her, you would love me less……bla blah ….”. I recall of those days today and think how foolish I was to say those words. Today, it is me who scold/ask Rani (my wife) to feed her and look after her each and every single moment, “no phone calls to me, just look after her”.

“You are instantly a MOM …........but you become a FATHER”

 

I thank Rani for the precious and the beautiful gift she has enriched our family with, for the unbearable pain she has gone through in the labor room, for all the care she has taken for herself and for the baby. My dear wifey, I thank you from the core of my heart for everything you have given to me and will continue to give for life…I love you so much. I am a proud husband for what you are.

“It is much easier to become a Father than to be one”  ……. Kent Nerburn

Being the youngest of all siblings, I was the most pampered child in family. I was most reluctant to take responsibility for any house-hold work. I grew up as a shy and largely an introvert person (… an altogether different story, would take this up in a different blog piece). Whenever it came to taking responsibility in the past, I faltered on most occasions.

Life now brings me into a stage when I have a bigger responsibility of bringing up my kid, giving her the best she deserves like every precious child on earth, like I received from my Parents. In this regard, who best can be my role model than my own PAPA.

“Papa, when I became Papa…..”

I look back and see, you fulfilled my every single, smallest and the biggest of desires, you gave me love and affection, the best food, the best education I was capable of, irrespective of the financial limitation you had in bringing up the big joint family. I remember you borrowing money on interest to pay my engineering semester fees. When I expressed my desire to study abroad you did not say no even then, for you knew, it was my long time dream, you put up all your savings as collateral to fetch me the loan. I simply adore you and in you, I see my GOD.

Papa Jee, you along with Mommy are my GOD and I have always been praying you before I do to any other deity. At this stage of life when I have become Papa, I seek your blessings and the inner strength to discharge my duties, like you did.

On Fatherhood…

I recall of the moment when I took my baby in my lap for the first time. It was a feeling like never before, an intense emotional moment, I kept looking at her for minutes, tears coming down my cheek like never before, I was in bliss like never ever before.

I look forward to all my responsibilities as a Son, a Father, a husband. I strongly believe I can fulfill my aspirations in personal and professional life even after being a father with increased determination and will power.

My angel is called “SANSKRITI” meaning - the Culture (Courtesy: Rabindra Bhaia).

Beta, having you in our lives is an extreme bliss. Life has certainly become more meaningful and more purposeful. You make our family a complete one. 

With Lots of Love and blessings to my angel

Best of Regards to my Dearest Parents

Love to my Sweetheart

Yours forever

Narendra Gupta

Sunday, 14 October 2012: 12:50 am

(I start blogging hereafter….)