Beyond expectation

To expect or not to expect. Well I would say please have expectations and hope. These are your drivers. But change the way you expect. 

Jane prepares her presentation for the forthcoming client meeting. She expects the following.

A. Her presentation covers the subject completely and there can be very few questions.
B. Whatever questions arise she would be able to answer as she already knew them.
C. The mock clients she faced were all completely convinced about the bright prospect of the venture.
D. She could satisfy all her critics. In fact they were all praises.
All and all she had it all covered.

D day is here. She decided to reach her office 30 mins before time. So she did dreaming of a handsome bonus and maybe a promotion while she drove.

The boardroom was prepared for the meet. She logged on and transferred the presentation from her thumb drive to the system and checked on the projection. Once she was satisfied with everything she settled down to check her official mails.

Let us replace Jane with June. Their presentations are identical and she too has gone through the same set of critics and everything else. Only their thoughts were different.

The night before the presentation June was considering a failure. There were no reasons why the project would fail. But what if? She was smiling. It was her way of thinking. So she worked out for a while and came up with 5 more prospective clients who had a good chance of responding. She also figured out 2 ways to tweak the presentation that may attract 3 different clients. She laughed at herself though because she was confident that tomorrows meeting would be a grand success. She fell asleep and her sleep was uninterrupted and sound. When she woke up she was fresh as paint. She drove down to her office enjoying the crisp weather as atmosphere control was turned off and the window was down. On reaching office she loaded her presentation, made sure that the projection was working and settled down to check her official mails.

"Regret......." bottom line, the meeting was called off from the client side citing unnatural and unavoidable circumstances. and it was not just the meeting, it was the deal itself.

Jane was completely shattered. The fall from the morning high hurt her badly. She slowly picked up her stuff and walked into her boss' chamber.. He too looked pale and completely lost. Jane sat down. Her boss gained composure and asked her whether she would prefer a few days off? Jane agreed and admitted that with her state of mind she would not be able to contribute anything to the organisation for a while. She got up and left slowly.

June was disgusted. She was angry. She took a few deep breaths then got up and marched into her boss' chamber. She found him dejected and he looked miserable. "I have another plan" she said and handed over the thumb drive. He plugged it into the system and within minutes he started taking interest in the new idea. After an hour of studying the new plan and making a few phone calls he was able to secure another client meeting the day after tomorrow with a few modification in the project specifications. They spent the rest of the day in working out the modalities of the new variant of their project. When June reached home, she was exhausted. She barely managed to fix a light meal, had dinner and was asleep the moment she hit shack

Conclusion - 

Always have a plan B and if possible an alternative for Plan B.

Expect the unexpected or unknown. They are the spoilers and they happen.

Always insure. It gives you protection from these scenarios.

Finally - It feels good as long as there is hope. So work today to avoid hopelessness from creeping into your mind.

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Uncertainty or how happy was the caveman

The human mind is not good at handling uncertainty. let me draw a hypothetical situation. I wake up and find myself in a cave. initially I feel that it must be a fancy dress party that I attended last night, got drunk and ended up in some children's park. I soon realize that I am wrong, this is real life and there's no eggs and bacon for breakfast today. so I go out hunting. I manage to catch some fish from a nearby stream and also manage to start a fire. by the time I'm done it's dinner. I'm already worried to death about my security during the night, and if I survive, what to eat tomorrow. everything is so uncertain.

The alarm is buzzing. it is 5.30am. I get out of my bed, turn on the kettle, brush, shave and sit with my decaf. I don't need to look at the watch, it's 6 am. I leave exactly at 6.30 and I am in my office by 7. the rest of the day goes smoothly. everything is programmed, so certain and I am happy and comfortable.Why? Because I can foresee my next move and I do not see any threats to my well being. Well, so was the caveman in his habitat.

We find it difficilt to handle uncertainty. Had I actually been the caveman, I would have made sort of a routine and made myself comfortable with the same set of resources available there. The other way round is also true. If the caveman woke up with the alarm he would have felt the same way I did as him. Randomness or uncertainty makes things unpredictable and thus our future becomes obscure. It is this lack of transparency that plays havoc in our mind. The mind seeks security and comfort and when it cannot figure out the path to this safe haven it starts working overtime to find a way to this.

So it is not the amenities that make us comfortable and relaxed. It is the minimization of uncertainty in our life that gives us the feel good sensation.So if you were wondering why some people living in the slums are happier than some living in plush apartments and villas you must be having your answer by now

Beware of prediction practitioners.

The obsession for predictability (some call it visibility) is a part of our daily life. We consume predictions faster than a SLV consumes fuel during take off. You will find these men (prediction practitioners) all around you, in different forms with a constant prefix "expert in". The grim looking 40 something guy in a suit will tell you on tv "There would be pressure on rupee in the near term" and you will instantly become biased without questioning the expert how long or short is the near term? what is pressure? relative to what? gold price, crude, onions what? However you are armed with the knowledge that there would be pressure on the rupee. Please note that the expert's remark is no different from the daily prediction under your sun sign in the newspaper. Beware of these self proclaimed and widely advertised experts. Remember there are a million of them but none could predict the timing of the 2008 stock market crash.

Have you not observed remarks like "India is expected to grow at 12% the coming fiscal". Remarks not made by you and me but by responsible politicians and "experts". Have you not then seen this growth dwindle to 5% which was attributed to "external factors". Still the experts remain experts. They churn out predictions at an even higher rate and some do hit the mark by sheer chance. So now it is your call. predict India's GDP growth for the coming fiscal. Go, take a few shots. Most of you will be close to the mark and some of you will hit the bulls eye.

Now am I asking you not to try to foresee? No, that is not my intention. What I intend to say is, think of the possibilities. The moment you become deterministic about the future you are narrowing down your options and in most cases you would not have any options. Also you will tend to expect something that suits you and if it does not work out your way, you end up being disappointed. You will be advised by many to not have any expectations and attain sainthood, but i would suggest otherwise. It is expectation, hope that keeps you going. Now think, you have a situation here. If you expect some result and do not get it you are shattered, dejected. If you do not expect anything, you do not get the drive to go on. So what should you do. Go figure.

En route

Esplanade Long Distance Bus Stand, Calcutta

Subir was having tea from a clay cup. The seat was towards the front of the bus and by the window.  "Can you help me with these?" It was a man in his early thirties struggling with a couple of duffle bags. "Sure" said Subir and after carefully placing his unfinished tea cup on the window sill, he took both the duffle bags from the man and placed them on the floor. The man boarded the bus followed by his wife and daughter. The man sat next to him and his family sat across the aisle.  He thanked Subir and introduced himself as Aniruddha Chatterjee. Subir had smiled, reciprocated and avoided any further conversation. The bus for Digha started off exactly at 7 and was soon crossing the Hooghly river. Subir was engrossed in the  beauty of his surroundings and Aniruddha was listening to the grievances of his wife towards his mother. He was smart enough not to defend her though. It was partly cloudy and windy. All and all it was nice weather. "The living conditions in this city is deteriorating fast, I must say." It was Aniruddha and the statement was meant for Subir. "When did you realize this?" asked Subir. "Today I got the confirmation that the conditions here are heading south" said Aniruddha. "Well, I dont think you should feel so negative about the city just because the cabbie refused you". Aniruddha went silent for a few seconds, then he smiled for the first time and asked the

obvious question. "How on earth do you know this?" Subir smiled and said "I saw private bus tickets and a Rs.5 coin in your shirt pocket. I assumed that you gave the conductor Rs.20 and got the change. From this I concluded that you have travelled a relatively short distance to board this bus. From the Tissot you are sporting, I would bet that you are used to cars and cabs. So I assumed that you tried to hail a cab. Cabs in the city often refuse passengers taking very short rides. Your plans go off the wire early in the morning and finally you are compelled to board a private bus to reach on time". Aniruddha was staring at him in disbelief. "Are you a detective, like Feluda or Sherlock Holmes? You observed so much in such a short while." Subir smiled and said "no, I am not a detective, infact at the moment I do not have a job. I quit day before yesterday. I just thought that its a high probability situation. Of course I was guessing. And at the same time entertaining myself”.

Subir Bose cracked the entrance for Indian Institute of Technology the first time he attempted. But he went on to study Chemistry at the Presidency College, Calcutta.  After a year he again sat for the IIT Entrance, got through and this time he went on to complete his B.Tech degree, worked with google for a while and retired at 35 after a lot of globe trotting. He had got married when he was 27, to Ankita, a professor of economics. They are still deeply in love with each other and Ankita actually does not care about his jobless state for that matter. She knows that Subir has a beautiful mind. He is creative and analytical at the same time. His approach towards situations are always multilateral. This does make him look a bit eccentric at times but that's all. Once he suppressed his qualifications and had gone to work as a telecaller to understand the real potential of telemarketing. Though he thought that there are better and more effective ways of marketing and selling a product, he was surprised by the skills of the telemarketing workforce. He found them extremely innovative and brilliant in their field of operations.

Today he woke up and asked his wife to join him for a short trip to the coast. But she excused herself as she had to frame questions for the forthcoming university examinations and his son too had a language test on Monday. So he had to go by himself.

The bus came to halt after some coughing and choking in the middle of nowhere. The passengers got out in no time and after enquiring it was learnt that its going to take about an hour to repair. Subir strolled off and found a tree by the road with a paddy field in front. He got some black tea without sugar from a nearby shop and sat down under the tree to enjoy the greenery and the breeze. He saw a mud hut in by the paddy field, a pond and a lot of trees. The mud hut had an adjoining area which city dwellers would call a lawn. And it was

quite big. When Aniruddha and family joined him a couple came out of the mud hut and the lady was saying something to the man in a very animated manner. What is happening out there, can you guess? Asked Aniruddha. "I think they are fighting, like we do and I am sure its the mother in law. " replied his wife. "What about you Subir? What do you make out of the set up?" Subir stared back at Aniruddha.  "you tell me first, then I'll share my thoughts". "ok" said Aniruddha, "its poverty I would say. The lady seems to be frustrated with the lack of basic necessities,  which in this case seems to be food. Unfortunately this is the reality and a vast majority of our population are living under these circumstances. By the way this is Pratyusha, my wife, and Ayushi my daughter." Aniruddha introduced Subir and they all exchanged pleasantries. "Wow its getting philosophical. I would say its the politicians who are responsible for the plight of these poor villagers. So much money is being earmarked for these people but how conveniently the politicians put it in their pockets. Its really pathetic - the state these people are in." Subir had a mischievious smile on his face. "And you are smiling at their plight" remarked Aniruddha.  "Nope, not at their plight, but at the way I am seeing the set up. Come with me". He was off in a flash and in no time was with the man he thought as the owner of the place. Anirudhha and family followed him more out of impulse than curiosity. What followed was a business conversation between Subir and the man. They were surprised how easily Subir had convinced the man to let out everything for 5000 a month and keep everything to himself at the same time

What he was offering the man was what corporates call a business proposition. He wanted to set up a few mud huts with all amenities. Create a spotless surrounding and offer a homestay in a rice plantation. The family will ensure hospitality of the guests and he would give them 20 percent of the total profit. The owner had agreed because he had nothing to loose and get Rs.5000 per month upfront. He would consult his cousin though, who was a lawyer and lived in the city. He gave him his phone number and promised to come back next week. He gave the man Rs.100 and said he would deduct it from the rent. Before leaving he asked the man two things, his name and the name of the village.  "I am Tapan and this is Tarakpur". They all ran back to the bus which was honking.

The journey began once again and the Chatterjees were bewildered. They asked Subir several times about his conviction about the whole affair, but Subir only smiled and said he would try to make it work. Subir was about to get off the bus when Aniruddha said " It was a pleasure knowing you. I was just wondering from where you derive your happiness". "Its how you look at things" he replied and got off.

Two years later

Aniruddha was going through the newspaper on a lazy Sunday morning when his eyes caught a travel supplement lying on the centre table. The cover was very attractive with coconut trees and beautiful traditional huts. He opened the magazine and under the featured destination column it was there. He nudged Pratyusha, who joined him and they could not believe what they were reading

Welcome to Tarakpur, the most preferred weekend destination of  the celebrities from Kolkata. The place offers 7 home-stays in 7 different properties in a perfectly natural set up with all amenities of the mordern society........

They both stared at each other and said in muffled unison "Its how you look at things"