'Tis The Season Of Giving!

Ideally, there doesn't have to be a season of giving. Everyone and anyone can and should try their best to donate their money, time, knowledge, skills to underprivileged any time of day, week, month and year. But surveys and studies show that Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season really brings out the best in people - at least here in US. The average American household donates 2.2% of its income each year, or roughly $1,000. How much do you ? Forget 1% or 0.1%, even if we donate 0.01% of our income annually, I'm sure this world will be much better place ..

With mere USD 30/- donation, in underprivileged parts of the world, a mother and child can get education for a month, or, a person can see this world through cataract surgery, or, some elderly person will get a shelter to live in, or, some foster kids can get food and healthcare for a month ..

Charitable donations are a direct reflection of my values and perspectives. Whenever I donate money, I’m contributing it towards something that Ifeel has importance. If I want to see food available to homeless people in my community, I can donate to the local food pantry or soup kitchen. If I want to fight global warming, there are plenty of organizations that are fighting for such change. The real question is whether you have found something with enough importance to you to speak out with your pocketbook.

Helping others improves your self worth in many ways. Once you’ve given something to a charity that you truly believe in, you feel good about it. The money in your pocket went towards a cause beyond what you can manage in your daily life, a cause that combined with the similar actions of others can actually bring about change in the world. That’s not something you can get from buying yourself a flat panel television.

I don’t think, like many do, that whether or not you tithe or give to charity is a sign of whether you’re a good person or not. I know some very wonderful people who don’t give to charities and I also know some people who give to charities that people wouldn’t trust their child around. A person should only give to a charity if they truly feel it is the right thing to do with their money – if it doesn’t feel right, don’t donate.

The charities I usually donate to (because I believe in the work they do and I want to help as much as I can) are -
* Sankara Eye Foundation
* India Literacy Project
* ASHA Foundation
* CRY
* VIBHA
* WHFC (Wide Horizons For Children)
* Help Age India

Even if you don’t donate any of your income to charity right now or you don’t see the purpose, don’t close your mind or your heart to the idea. When the right reason comes to you, open up your wallet and see what happens ..

El Patrón - World's richest and most wanted drug lord or a humanitarian ? Probably both.

"I watched as my brother, Pablo Escobar, became the most successful criminal in history, but also a hero to many of the people of Colombia. My brother was loved and he was feared. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in his funeral procession, and certainly as many people celebrated his death." - Roberto Escobar - the top accountant for the notorious and deadly Medellin Cartel, and brother of Pablo Escobar, the most famous drug lord in history.

At the height of his reign, Pablo's multi-billion dollar operation smuggled tons of cocaine each week into countries all over the world. Roberto and his ten accountants kept track of all the money. Only Pablo and Roberto knew where it was stashed - and what it bought.

And the amounts of money were simply staggering. According to Roberto, it cost $2,500 every month just to purchase the rubber bands needed to wrap the stacks of cash. The biggest problem was finding a place to store it: from secret compartments in walla and beneath swimming pools to banks and warehouses everywhere. There was so much money that Roberto would sometimes write off ten percent as "spoilage," meaning either the rats chewed up the bills or dampness had ruined the cash.

Pablo built entire towns, gave away thousands of houses,paid people's medical expenses, and built schools and hospitals. Yet he was responsible for the horrible deaths of thousands of people. Its a story of a world of riches beyond mortal imagination and in his own words, in the book - The Accountant's Story - Roberto Escobar (with David Fisher) tells all: building a magnificent zoo at Pablo's opulent home, the brothers' many escapes into the jungles of Colombia, devising ingenious methods to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States, bribing officials with literally millions of dollars - and building a personal army to protect the Escobar family against an array of enemies sworn to kill them.

Few men in history have been more beloved-or despised- then Pablo Escobar. There are two schools of thought on Pablo, who was killed by a joint American/Colombian operation in 1993. The conventional assessment is of a murderous, power-crazed narco-boss who opened the sluicegates to a river of Colombian blood. Unsurprisingly, Roberto Escobar subscribes to the second, minority view. This sees Pablo as driven by the plight of Colombia's poor.

As they say, most stories have 2 sides and, the truth often lies somewhere in the middle. Its up to us, individually, to believe either or both or none ..

How to banish the perfectionista in you

Perfectionism can be a double edge sword. If it makes you strive to be better then it's done a good thing. But if it makes you loose interest because you can't do it as well as you think you should, then it's been bad.

Here are some ways to banish your quest for perfection :

1. Learn to distinguish between healthy high standards and perfectionism.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do things well. However, having high standards is not the same thing as perfectionism. Perfectionism refers to a tendency to have excessively high standards - standards that cannot possibly be met. Perfectionists often experience intense anxiety, shame, anger, or low mood when their standards or goals are not met. Perfectionism may affect people's functioning by causing them to spend too long on tasks, or to avoid tasks altogether (in other words, to procrastinate).

Before overcoming problems with perfectionism, it is useful to distinguish between healthy high standards versus standards that are unrealistic or that cause problems in the long run.

2. Take a step back - consider your perfectionist thoughts and shift your thinking to be more realistic and balanced. Remember, just because you believe that everything has to be perfect, doesn''t mean that your belief is true.

3. Expose yourself to imperfection. Just as practising driving can help someone get over a fear of being behind the wheel, allowing things to be less than perfect will reduce your fear of imperfection.

So, let the towels hang crookedly, purposely add a minor typo to your dinner invitation, or serve dinner a half hour later than planned. By allowing some flexibility in the way you do things, you will learn to be more comfortable with minor imperfections and unexpected changes to your plans.

4. Evaluate whether you may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because perfectionism is associated with standards and expectations that are impossible to meet, perfectionists run the risk of having events not turn out as desired and therefore develop the perception that they have "reason" to worry. Accept your inability to control the outcomes, but recognize that you can control your reaction.

Emergency/Disaster - You can't predict ..but you can prepare

The house down the street is on fire. Would you know what to do?

The earthquake has passed — the ground has stopped shaking. Do you know how to search for your friends and neighbors?

The hurricane has passed. Do you know how to tend to your family's injuries?

When disaster strikes, you may not be home. Who will check on your family? Who will check for gas leaks? Who will take care of your pets?

Now is the time to get some training and prepare yourself with lifesaving skills. If you want really comprehensive training to give you the skills and self confidence to face an emergency, it's time to check out CERT training.

I am a CERT and a Block Leader in the city of Cupertino and I'm proud of it and as part of our ongoing trainings and exercises, just last month, on Oct 17-18, we conducted a citywide drill.

The purpose of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program is to educate members of the community about disaster preparedness for natural disasters and other emergencies which may affect their area. The program trains individuals in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical response. Trained CERT members are prepared to assist in their neighborhoods or workplaces following an emergency before professional responders are available to help.

When a disaster occurs, first responders will be overwhelmed. This is when those with CERT training can temporarily fill in and meet immediate needs. When help does arrive, CERT responders can provide professionals with the information they will need to begin immediate aid to victims.

CERT team members may also be used in their communities to promote emergency preparedness and to help educate others. In some communities they have helped to install smoke detectors, teach the use of fire extinguishers, educate neighborhood watch groups, and much more. Immediately after a disaster they can assist with evacuation, coordinate collection and distribution of clothing and other donations, prepare food for first responders, answer phone calls for fire and police departments, and offer comfort at evacuation sites.

Check out Cupertino Emergency site and resources. Register for classes. Get trained. Get actively involved. Help your community be prepared for the emergency. Together, we can make a difference !

"The Last Lecture" - It wasn't about dying, it was about living

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." - Randy Pausch

At Carnegie Mellon University, a lot of professors give talks titled “The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

"Almost all of us have childhood dreams; for example, being an astronaut, or making movies or video games for a living. Sadly, most people don’t achieve theirs, and I think that’s a shame. I had several specific childhood dreams, and I’ve actually achieved most of them.  More importantly, I have found ways, in particular the creation (with Don Marinelli), of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center of helping many young people actually *achieve* their childhood dreams." - Randy Pausch, Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008

Check out the book and video and other related items from CMU ..

One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!

Have you heard about Freecycle and wondered what it was all about? There are already over 2.9 million members in over 3,000 local groups globally! The Network provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items.

Freecycle's mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.

• This cycle of giving helps ease reliance on consumerism while building local community and keeping usable item out of the landfill.
• You can get to know members online and in person, if you choose, and develop closer ties to your local community.
• In 2005, 100 million tons were saved from the landfill due to the efforts of local Freecycle members. "One gift at a time" has made a huge impact locally !

Visit Freecycle.org to find a group in your area. The main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. Think globally, recycle locally. The Freecycle Network is open to all communities and to all individuals who want to participate. Freecycle groups are run by local volunteer moderators from across the globe who facilitate each local group - grassroots at its best!

Happy Freecycling ! I'm doing it, I'm sure you'll also do it.

Can there be anything more satisfying than helping others achieve their dreams ?

And that too with just $25 ..



Check out Kiva.org - a non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur across the globe.
Lend $25, Change someone's life for better, Get $25 back, Lend it again, Change another life ..

Wouldn't that be whole lot better than that money just sitting in your bank checking account without interest ?

You choose who to lend to - whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq - and as they repay their loan, you get your money back. It's a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.

Check out my lender page to see profiles and success stories of entrepreneurs I've lent money to.

Make sure to post a comment if you agree and once you start making a positive difference in someone's life ..

Wanna play like a top shot financial analyst ? Now you can ..

Who says you need to have an MBA in finance from top business school or you have to work at one of those top investment bankers or brokerage houses ? Just follow these 7 rules and you can call yourself the best financial analyst in the business -

7. When market goes up, say it was "opportunity buying"
6. When market goes down, say it was "profit taking"
5. When company announces better than expected results, immediately upgrade the stock
4. When company announces worse than expected results, immediately downgrade the stock

3. When S&P comes down from 1000 to 985, predict it will go down to 650 within next 2 months

2. When Gold moves up from 900 to 1000 per ounce, predict it will be up to 2000 per ounce within next 2 years

And #1 is -

1. When your prediction goes horribly wrong, blame it on war in Iraq, Oil prices, World hunger, Terrorism, Global warming or someone not taking a shower that day ..

got projects ?

To All Project Managers -

Today, November 5th, is International Project Management Day™. It was founded in 2005 by Frank Saladis to recognize the extraordinary efforts of project managers all over the world – across industries and geographies.

On the fifth annual IPM Day, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize you and your efforts as a professional project manager. The work that you do makes the world a better place for everyone - it improves the way people, companies, communities and even countries achieve their goals.

From its modest beginning as a webinar in 2005, IPM Day has grown exponentially in scope. Today, all over the world, individuals and organizations are formally recognizing this day and acknowledging the value that project professionals bring to companies. Educational events and gatherings are taking place around the world. We hope that you and your organization are also participating in some special way.

In New York, where we are headquartered, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed today, November 5th, International Project Management Day. The mayor said in his proclamation, “In every facet of business, government, education, and the nonprofit community, project managers play an important role in building a bright future for our city. We are proud to honor these dedicated individuals, whose work exemplifies the importance of leadership, cooperation, and innovation. On behalf of all New Yorkers, my best wishes for an enjoyable event and continued success”.

All these activities represent a benchmark in how far the project management profession has progressed. But even more so, today is simply a good way to pause and recognize the important role you are personally playing as an individual project manager, often as one of the unsung heroes behind the big and small achievements that add up to great progress.

So, thank you. And keep up the good work. The world appreciates it.

(Courtesy of IIL)

Would you call yourself a successful PM ? Whats the success rate of projects at your work place ? Does your company celebrate IPM day ? Is PM given the deserved respect and importance at your work place ? Do economic conditions matter ? What are the challenges in PM profession ?

What do you think ? Share your thoughts ..