Never Ever Doubt Your Capabilities

Below I will reveal the other side the coffee mug whose one side was revealed in my earlier post.

Readers are advised to read part one to have a better connectivity. Click here for part one

Why the delay between the two posts? I thought I had lost the image and so there was nothing to post. Lucky for you, I stumbled on it again tonight. Let me go on with my story.

Valentine day is generally preceded by Valentine week. Each day having a different name and purpose. Below is the rough order of the Valentine week Days

7 Feb - Rose Day - You simply give rose and hope for a happy beginning.

8 Feb - Propose Day - Well, things should be final by now. You will get yes or no as an answer. I think this should be on or just before Valentine day itself, nevertheless, this is the second day.

9 Feb - Chocolate Day - One of my favorite days, I never say no to chocolates.

10 Feb - Teddy Day - This is a separate chapter in my life book. More on this some other year.

11 Feb - Promise Day - This post is all about this day.

12 Feb - Kiss Day - Nothing over here so far.

13 Feb - Hug Day - Nothing over here so far.

14 Feb Valentine Day <3

Colour changing Magical Cup

11th February 2017 - I made couple of promises to couple of my friends. One of the promise being - 'I will Never Ever Doubt my Capabilities'

It helped me to sail through some tough times in the initial few months. ie till May - June and then things started to get too difficult to cope up with. The part one of the blog tells about how asking a question to yourself improves the quality of output of your work. Whereas this promise helps me to get start with a seemingly impossible task.

Sometimes you start a work thinking it is easy and then you realise it is out of your capability to finish it. Precisely at that instant I recall this promise and finish the task. I took up the challenge of running 10 kms daily for 15 consecutive days. (Click here - 150-kms-in-15-days) There used to be days and sometimes moments halfway in the run that I felt I can't do this and I should quit. Then I recalled the promise and rest is history. Mission accomplished.

Now, you all can make this promise and I am sure you won't get the kick/push/motivation that I got after making this promise. You know why it won't work? Because you would be making that promise to yourself. Plus it will be you who will initiate the promise. Why it worked for me - 

1. Someone else came up with this idea for me

2. That someone to whom I promised is a special someone to me

3. Knowing that somebody wants you to take such an oath, makes you realise that someone believes in your ability. It helps you to tap into your hidden potential.

Franky speaking, I had forgotten about this promise because of daily work life tasks. Now by writing this post, I retake this promise and I am fill with new energy tank.

Write about your special promises and inspirational stories.

Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith

7 am in the morning !!
Coffee shop is some 30 metres away from. People are all over the places have some hot coffee while chatting with their friends and colleagues. Televisions lined up and playing news channel so that people of every age group can watch or atleast pretend to watch.
There are people having coffee without any colleagues and there are few people chatting without coffee. I am surrounded by human beings of each possible type.
30 year old someone is busy on phone discussing about his today's presentation. Then there is a 14 year boy holding his not so smart phone near his ear for almost 10 mins now, i wonder what is he discussing about and with whom. May be his new world changing idea or his recent achievement in last week's school sports meet. Boy looks much more energetic than the guy next to me who is discussing about office work.


Apart from coffee house, there is a toy shop, purse shop and what not. there is also a gift shop selling all the costliest items in the world at a premium rate. Not to forget my favorite book shops. I was actually standing in front of one of the book shop for good 5 mins starring at the shelf. i was looking at different book covers and doing a mental check about which book I read, which ones are in my bucket list and which are ones that I hearing it for the first time.
Subconsciously I was taking a note of all the free space available in the display and filling it up with new launches yet to be come. Reading - there are few newspaper racks having all the latest happenings of the world. For a change, I am not reading a newspaper today. A new gang of three friends just came in my line of sight, reminds me of Dil Chahta hai.

7 am in the morning, people in this age can't be imagined without smart phone. There is a guy and a girl at different locations busy clicking selfies. So yeah, selfies are now so much gender specific. I am trying my best to get into atleast one of the picture. Some are busy chatting on phone, while very few are playing games. I can also see some people struggling to get their phone charged at free power outlets. Some are busy updating today's presentation on lappy. Some Gen-Z, current generation, guys are busy watching old but funny episodes of friends.  I watched Friends last year assuming that it will help me improve my English for so called CAT exam for MBA.
People are anxious, majority of them look happy and few look neutral. Few look confuse and are running up and down and asking for help at inquiry counter.

7:30 am in the morning. This is all what is happening on my left hand side. If I see straight, I see Milestone kind of numbers reading 4, 5, 6 to infinity. Housekeeping staff busy cleaning the floors and seats. There is a good amount of security, let me not get into detail of it. There are screens showing timetables of today's schedule. Some advertisement boards for smart phones. The ceiling is made up of tubes forming a truss and covered with thin metal sheets.
On the right there are people wearing reflective jackets and busy doing their work. Looks like its very routine job for them. There are buses, trucks, road train, fuel tank and AERO-PLANES. Yes, i am at the airport. A plane just came in at the terminal where I am sitting. looks majestic and let me not delve into the beauty of the plane. Travellers and baggage getting off loaded at one end, at the other end there is a long queue of passengers waiting to board the same aircraft.

What am I doing here. I am at Chennai domestic airport waiting for my Mumbai flight. this is one of my routine visits at home. A long routine visit.

Leap of Faith - This was my FB status a month ago when I was at the same place and going Mumbai for Holi. The title seems catchy and you may or may not find a direct relation between title and post content. For me, Leap Of Faith, this is what is constantly running in my mind.
That trip was planned just two weeks before the departure for some special reason. I was trying to dive into an unknown territory and hoping that I would get results that I had dreamt of for so long. I am really glad that my manager approved my last minute short trip. I enjoyed my trip at home. The only issue is I wasn't able to accomplish the task that I had planned. That was a good learning lesson for me. May there was really no need to go for that impromptu visit, anyway, past is past - can't change it.
This time again I am trying to accomplish the same task. It is matter of trying and trying till I get there. There was a phase after the last trip that I gave up on my dreams. Somehow, after some encouragement from books and stories. Strong motivation from my friends, I am back to where I was a month ago. This time with a stronger sense of purpose and a deeper conviction. I am trying to dive into the unknown in a hope that all my past good and evil deeds will form a net and catch me.

8am in the morning - My English, i can't find proper words. This may well turn out to be yet another crazy step/chapter in my life book, but I have decided to go for it. There are lot of things that I have done in the past which I shouldn't have. Some were non-logical, some were crazy some were pure stupid. Those past actions give me strength to take my next future crazy step and I am proud of it. They say ask and don't be afraid of rejection. Just a change of seating location for me at the airport. So, there are some personal leap of faith and some professional. Three months have already gone by 2017, there hasn't been much of difference in my life as seen from outside. I tried miracle morning, continued for 50 days and then again went back to being old me by not being consistent.
But let me tell you, there is some change in my attitude from the inside. Have read around 7 books in last three months. Many more books to read in next three months. 100 days of running challenge is also going to start from April end. So, lot of activities lined up.

My flight just came in and it is time for me to board. See you guys later.

Please do leave your feedback and comments below.

Are You Giving Your Best

One of the life changing questions that I ask myself these days. I seriously don't remember if I picked this up from some book or ted talk. The source doesn't affect the effect this question has on me.

Have read articles in which people say ask yourself - What would you do, if today was your last day? I tried answering this question and became sad after answering it. I would like to be in Mumbai with my parents and near and dear ones and let them know how much I loved them. If today was my last day, then I wouldn't spend time running miles and miles, or cycling by keeping bum on saddle. I would spend all my money and eat as much dark chocolate and Brownie as I want.

Few positive things did came out of this question, I started conversing more with parents and near and dear ONE. I started sleeping really less (it backfired and since a week I am back to 7-8 hour sleep pattern). I started eating loads of chocolates. Negative side - I stopped exercising for few days, I started spending on unwanted stuffs. I was not focusing much on work and studies. I was totally carefree. Then suddenly Happy Realisation Moment occurred and I changed the question. Still not sure if its my own creativity or from some book, but the question did wonders.

Are You Giving Your Best !

This is my new Phone wall-paper. Whatever work I am doing I ask myself - Are you Giving Your Best ? If the answer is no, then I go back 15-20 mins in time and redo the in a better (if not best) way. The change is slow but steady. Let me start from morning - I started waking up early again. Running some 3 to 4 miles daily, eating healthy breakfast and doing many other activities. There might not be a huge impact now, but the change has started taking place at slow and steady rate.

At work - At times I have to do some meshing activity (related to finite element analysis). I am not too good at meshing and somehow my productivity used to drastically go down as soon as I start meshing. But since a week or so, after meshing few parts, I ask myself, Is this the best that I can give? If the answer is no, I go back to the mesh part and make it better, if not perfect. While making a presentation, I will insert few images in my presentation and then just casually check my phone to see if I have any new notifications and then the above wall paper pops up, Am I giving my best, again, if the answer is no, I will go back and change those images. Small small improvisation, expecting huge impact :P

I have customised a coffee mug too. The other side of it contains a promise that I made to someone. Let me not get into detail of the other side. It has made its own impact and I will surely share that story someday, but not today.

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Thank You and Keep Reading !!!

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Race of my Life ?

Had started writing a post for new year and my running updates but somehow it remained unfinished. Here is a new one mainly focused on my upcoming marathon race on 17th Jan. It is a flashback post as I look back into past one year post my half marathon run. There are few things that make this post more special. First of all I am writing it at airport. Secondly it is a new phone being used by me which was a gift from a Special SomeOne, my Bestie :)

Flights are delayed due to poor visibility and I am waiting right in front of plane docking area. I see flights landing about 200 m away from me and other flights picking up passengers n going towards runway. I'll finish the blog midair and publish it as I land. Checking in for now.

Seat belts warning off n electronic devices on. Now getting back to blog title - Is this really going to be a race of my life ? This is certainly my first but not the last marathon. After this I can officially call myself a marathon runner and/or long distance runner. Till I run next marathon I will be under the category - 'Also Ran'. Generally used for one time runners.

I never imagined that any of my close ones will ever run such a long distance and then I find myself in that shoe. In the process I discovered that there are few cousins of mine who do long distance running. One of the few memories that plays in my mind is of a Sunday morning, 10  12 years ago. I accidentally stumbled on live telecast of some marathon (mostly Mumbai). I so very admired those guys, I had just woke up lazying around on Sunday and these guys had already finished 42 km run. Looking back it now, it feels that you can easily achieve what you want. Some might say you need to have a dream and passion and what not. Frankly I never dreamt of being an athlete at any level, nor was I passionate. Just that 2 years ago I decided to go for it to stay fit and achieve something out of my comfort zone. Discipline is also a very essential ingredient to achieve something phenomenal, I wasn't disciplined either. I believe that make your plan and it is more than enough if you follow 80% of it.

Haven't done long distance running practice after Diwali but still let me share another wondering memory that flashes in my mind. I think back of December 2013 and January 2014, the time I started running and building my stamina. I used to be dead in 2.4kms, my friends use to cross the line a minute before me and still fresh. Things have come a long way since then. My SPEED has almost been the same all these years. The feeling of comparing myself with my old myself is breathtaking. You see yourself and things around you very differently.

I read few blog post by marathon runners and one thing all agree is that - no matter what your speed and stamina is, you start respecting everyone running or taking up any other similar activity. You admire runners faster than you, you know what it takes to reach there. You respect slow runners, since they are trying and making a beginning. Don't be afraid of moving slow, be afraid of not moving at all (bhaag milkha bhaag).

Flashback of a year, after not achieving my half marathon timing target, I decided to go for full marathon within 3 hours - a very not unrealistic but a challenging target. First thing I did after half marathon was to chill and in the process lost all my stamina. Then I started working on my technique, changing foot strike pattern in particular. My shoes wear off in couple of months and sole wear pattern is a good indicator of my foot strike pattern. I now land on ball of my foot, outer side first and then inner side and the the front of foot and then push. I also changed my attire, moving to synthetic from cotton. Really short shorts and regular dry fit T-shirt. Last month I moved to sleeveless, feels so  relaxed.

Around may June I started following some diet regime too, salads and fruits. Beetroot is my  favourite since it helps a lot in building more RBCs which means more oxygen can be absorbed and so more energy and faster I can go. I also decreased the percentage of runs I did in evening, mostly morning runs only. All was well in Mumbai, since it was home sweet home and mom took care of all my diet demands and made sure I followed my running routine. Dad motivated me specially after my long runs. Then came Chennai and each and everything changed. I eat chocolates and sweets as much as I want. No control on rice intake and no fruits at all. There was no running at all, finally my roomies Kartik and Rohith directly/indirectly helped me out. Kartik and I started off with 3 4 kms slow run and then gyming started in which I used to do trademill runs and some skipping too. Kartik has played football amd cricket at a very competitive level and it was good to restart my running with him. Since last 3 weeks Rohith has been a long distance running Buddy of mine. Running 7 8 kms almost 5 days a week. Rohith hasn't been into long distance running, but see him pre and post runs and you know he can make it big.

Had ran lot many 10 miles (16 kms) back in Mumbai and one 24kms too. There was good variation in running too, fast 2.4kms, medium and slow 8kms. Gruelling 16 kms. Then hill repeats and hill sprints. I exercised more and included skipping and cycling too. But all this was in Mumbai.

Plane is about to land, 10 15mins more. Now, again coming back to blog title. Why this race is so important. I practice a lot for half marathon except last month before race. I carried through somehow and finished it. This time I lost all that was gained till November end. I am fit for half, full I doubt. I am confident I will run slow and finish but at the same time I can't forget the troubles I had when I ran 24km when I was in good form. It is going to be a complete mental game for me. I have to turn deaf ear to my body. About the timing, if I go by my half martagon pace then it should be 4 hours 30 mins and I will be a happy finisher if I can do that. This is the personal cut off time I am keeping for myself. Wish me Luck :)

Hello Mumbai !!!