Investment Strategies my Gradnparents Taught

 1. Plan for the biggest expenditure first.

2. If it doesnt make common sense, then it doesnt make any sense.
3. Protect your assets and dont blame the managers.
4. While running after Lakshmi, NEVER overlook the importance of Saraswati (meaning, if you have 2 potential partners - one, whose ability to create material wealth is proven but his maturity is slightly lower, and second, who will not help you make as much money, but is a more mature/ wise person, go for the latter.)
5. ALWAYS use a part of your income for charity, and make sure your children know of it.
6. There comes a time when any incremental wealth / income will give u disproportionately more heartburn/ stress. Know what that point is for you. Dont go beyond it.
7. Remember that the reason why you are trying to make all that money, is to be able to sleep peacefully. And remember that peacefully is the key word.
8. Gold never grows old.
9. Dont invest in stocks. Invest in businesses. And then stay.

PS: I will keep adding to this post as more and more things come to mind. I have to put it at one place.. for moi! :-) And.. Thank you!! (to the Grandparents)

On Being a Fleximom

 This post is about being a flexi time/part time/ telecommuting worker, especially if you are a woman.

I have been helped by professional advice from other women, so today, am trying to pay it forward (yes, saw that movie today and cried buckets) .

1. Flexi time is not part time : This, imho, is the single most important lesson for professionals. just because someone is not monitoring your activities does not mean that they are not monitoring the quantum of work being delivered. In particular, sales and allied jobs - your job may or may not need you to enter time sheets and visit sheets, but people notice.

2. Keep it professional: If possible, have a separate corner in your house/room, no matter how young your child or how full your house. If you do flexi time or part time, make sure that those times are dedicated to work and work alone.

3. Excel at something: If you are going to work part-time/flexi time or telecommute, it is important to excel at at least one thing, or take ownership of at least one thing for which you are very important. it really helps.

4. Commitment is not part time or flexi time: Remember that. Your organisation will allow flexibility on the work, not on the work ethic.

5. Communicate and Stay in touch: Sure, you cannot network after office and you cannot go out with the others. But does that stop you from communicating in other ways? Share professional advice, help people in their work, send regular updates to your stakeholders, and make an effort to understand their end of the communication.

6. KRA please: Ask your employers what your KRA(Key Result Areas) are. Is it logging in 4/8 hours for sure? Is it completing the work, no matter how long it takes? is it being available on call at all times, even if u r not working all the time? Find out what this KRA is, and then, make sure that you deliver on it just like another employee without the perks of flexi time etc.

7. Do not accept unacceptable behavior: After you have delivered your end of the bargain, do not let anyone treat you unfairly. You have been fair - you have asked for certain concessions, and you have delivered - professionally and well, on your KRAs, so why should you be short changed on praise or promotion?

And last, but not the least, this talk by Sheryl Sandberg - Facebook COO, is one of the BEST things i have come across in a long long time, about being a woman professional. raise a toast then!

 

That moment when you are listed on thriftbooks.com, and the price of your used book is more than the new book. 

On Memory Loss and Recovery

 After long Covid, I developed serious memory loss. I would forget the morning by evening and the evening by morning. It was a happy place.

Last week, my son shared that this memory loss is affecting him. He worries about me.

Yesterday, I got into a casual chat that turned out to be a 90-minute discussion with some important decisions. Obviously, there was no notepad in the hand and no notes.

At midnight, i documented every single decision made in that meeting from memory. More than 20 decision points. This week, I also remembered most things from long term and short-term memory.

Within a week, the brain learnt to remember better. I am nowhere near my photographic memory of pre-Covid, but it's getting better at an amazing pace.

The human mind works in surprising ways.

On Blood Donation

This week, I was on my way to the blood bank and talking to my brother. Suddenly, he asked, "You always sound so happy on your way to the blood bank. Why are you so passionate about blood donation?" 

After putting the phone down, i thought about it. Why does it always make me so happy? I think, the answer goes like this: 

Blood and organs are the two things that only a human can give to another human. Of these, blood can be given with no consequence to the donor. 

When blood is exchanged between two people, the only thing that matters is the blood group. No religion, caste, location, race, money comes between the donor and the receiver. Blood is the universal unifier. To see that red blood flow from you to the pouch is the surest way to feel one with all humanity. This - is what we all have in common - this magical fluid called blood. 

Every time you donate blood, one consequence is guaranteed - you save a life. Possibly, more than one. Always, every single time. The whole process takes just 20-40 minutes. But to that one person, that unit of blood matters so much. 

Donating blood is perhaps my way of saying Thank you to the universe. 

That's why I am so passionate about donating blood. That's why I am always so upbeat on the way to the blood bank. 

My first author chat

It was my first author chat in person, and I was *very* nervous. 

Will anyone turn up at all?

Will they stay? 

Will I have anything interesting to say? 

A few close friends came for moral support and God knows I needed every bit of it. 

The first two people walked in 5 minutes before the event was due to start. I walked over to say Hello. Met a bright young person in the process. 

We started the event. 

The questions came from the moderator, and then from the audience. 

Then, people started sharing their own experiences. 

People turned around to listen. 

Somewhere at the back, we ran out of chairs. The club staff very sweetly gave up their own. The room continued to fill. 

Some friends, whom I had not met in a long time, made the time to be present. They listened - first out of love, and then, as the conversation got richer and richer, with genuine interest. 

We expected the event to last 35-40 minutes. An hour later, we were still talking. 

For me, of course, it was an evening to remember and celebrate. But the crowning moment was a conversation with a friend later in the night. As I thanked him for coming, he said, "For one hour, no one looked at their phones. Everyone was talking and listening. Do you realise what you have achieved today?" 

Today's post is for the gratitude of last Friday. 

On Learning

 One of my favourite Sanskrit suktis on learning translates thus:

A quarter you will understand when you read the text
A quarter when the teacher explains it
A quarter when you discuss it with your peers
A quarter - only in due course of time will you understand.