Emotional Fitness; For life & not just work life

 An article in the newspaper prompted me to ask this question to self; Emotionally Fit? My answer was ‘somewhat’. Anyone who read the article would have asked themselves the same or similar question. Being an instructional designer (a person who designs & creates Training courses) my obvious thought was why not create a training program “Being emotionally fit; For life& not just work life”. While I would eventually design the training program to be offered to various clients, the question constantly knocking my head is “Why do people react differently to same situation”. As a reader of my blog you can definitely help me, Please Do!

In my quest to seek the answer to this question & my research, I stumbled upon a concept “Rashomon effect”. Wikipedia explains it as “the effect of the subjectivity of perception on recollection, by which observers of an event are able to produce substantially different but equally plausible accounts of it. A useful demonstration of this principle in scientific understanding can be found in an article by that name authored by Karl G. Heider and different movies like Vantage Point”

Emotional fitness I believe is an output of our upbringing together with the faith & trust that our parents embed in us. They say when you see something, you start seeing more of it. I have been seeing a lot of emotional stress around me in friends, colleagues, family and even people I have met lately. The need to find my emotional fitness level is growing & growing and the search is on (I will let you know as soon as I find the way to find one’s fitness level).

You may choose to do your own self assessments to see where you stand. One of the ways I am familiar with is scenario analysis, A technique often used in training sessions to help learners reflect upon their behavior in a situation or what they would have done if they were in the same situation.

How you handled an emotionally stressful situation – by breaking down into tears, running away, calmly handling the situation or any other way, you would be able to fairly judge your fitness level.

‼ Few things that may help you deal emotional situations better;

‼ Imagining yourself calmly handling the situation (Power of positive imagery)

‼ Work on your physical fitness level (agree or don’t, a fit body has only emotions to fight in a situation like this)

‼ Deep breathing or meditate

‼ Create a fighter’s mindset

‼ Get yourself a Pet 

And my quest for finding/ creating a tool to test emotional fitness continues; Once I find it I will share “Sharing is Caring"

" Nissan Micra - The One "

Ego can put a heavy dent in your pocket if you don’t tame it. In 2004 I bought my first car Maruti Suzuki Esteem Lxi, packed with features like Power steering, power windows, power this and power that; I was the kid with an Ego, who bought his first Saloon with three years of hard earned, harder saved money at 24. Our house had just got its first 'real' car in 24yrs. The last one was a Fiat bug, with retractable roof that my father owned.2010 was the year when the Indian car buyer moved from the power saloon to the uber cool hatchbacks. On a larger note, egos were tamed and pocketed, and people started to prefer driving the feature packed hatchbacks or 'small car' as one of my friends calls it than the saloon considering the growing traffic and parking problems. It was also my era of awakening and after romancing my lxi for good six years, i took a clue from the bypassing small cars during office rush and spending extra time in finding the right space before reaching every destination.My ego was still untamed and this time i lost heart to Nissan Micra, fully loaded, straight from the assembly line; its my second car. My reasons of writing this article are many but the one that Tops my list is “The satisfaction and Pride of driving a NISSAN”. I am going to write this blog in phases, as my journey from Maruti Suzuki Esteem to Nissan Micra has been, i.e.
o My Available Options
 o From Many to “The One”
o Max Value from the Deal
o The Buying Process
o The First 1000 kms Drive
o The Running Cost and the Service Experience
The blog is in parts because I am going to write each mile, mile by mile. Isn’t that the way life goes…….

In this journey of life I am burning rubber no soul……so came back to read more

My Massage Experience

My friend in a PR agency told me about his client DealsandYou.com, the incredible offers that they make. So I picked up vouchers for a massage at TT footcare for my family and myself. I chose the cash on delivery options for the vouchers which were to be delivered to me in 3 working days but it took dealsandyou and Aramex about 5 days to deliver. Since they were plain printouts and no special voucher I wondered (being an operations guy always focusing customer centric approach) why they didn’t let me pick up from their office, never wanted to wait for 3 days of delivery time

A couple of personal life problems didn’t allow me to use them; out of the fear of vouchers getting expired I pushed my family to use it. They came home pretty satisfied and relaxed with the experience and all gaga about the no oil, no mess and lots of stretching during their massage time. With my raised expectations I booked myself for a 7:30 pm massage on Dec 1, just a day before the voucher expired. Since I already knew that there would be no oil which meant no stripping down to that ultra undie, I went in my track pants and a workout T-shirt

So I arrived on time at the TT footcare’s Gurgaon centre, gave the coupon to the lady at frontdesk, took off my shoes and started browsing through Asian Spa magazine. I must have just flipped 10 pages when I was greeted by a north eastern girl, who was there to do the service. Lot of thoughts crossed my mind, thanks to the stories I have heard about massage parlors. Let me tell I am a person who prefers a male masseuse to female, not comfortable with certain things in life, You See!

So the massage started, me on lying on my stomach and the lady pressing the acupressure points in my feet. It felt good at the start as the driving in Delhi traffic is so nice that at night your feet actually ache of the A-B-C of driving. (Constantly of Accelerator + Brake + Clutch).I loved the lower body relaxation that came after the acupressure & massaging of feet and legs with lower body stretches. Now I was expecting since 45 minutes of 90 has been spent on my lower body, it should feel good after the second half of massage time is spent on the upper. So the lady started with the acupressure points around the spine, in my head I was like god I should have been a king with a masseuse to my disposal every night, to relax my muscle and let me slip in my dream sleep. The thought ran out as soon as the back stretch started and I was back in the massage room. The lady tried her best to stretch and hear the cracking sound of stress in m back going away, but she didn’t know that my everyday morning stretch routine is a step further. The second half passed by quickly and by the end of it I wasn’t too sure or satisfied if I got what I expected. I was relaxed yes but not really. Even before I was out of the massage room and putting on my shoes, I had started comparing my massage experience at Shangri La, Delhi  and Leela, Gurgaon to the one I really missed the right pressure that the lady applied to relax my muscles of all the stress that my desk job leaves me with. So I lit a cigarette, so that I could convince me to drive 5 kms to home. My family was waiting for me at the dinner table and I did gobble a lot that night. The massage was nice and definitely value for money. I guess I may go back, since I really want a cheaper option for massage. Leela, Shangri La or any other 5 star spas will have to wait for the special occasions in life

8 Useful Twitter Tips: My Micro Blog Experience

So here I am sitting at my office desk writing my next blog entry “My Micro Blog Experience called Twitter”. My reason to write this is not another blog post but to help all those who are new to twitter and striving to get in the grove and flaunt the followers count. In the post I shall also share 8 tips which could be of use to anyone, trying their hand at the micro blog. This is basis my experience of 2121 tweets over a long period of time.

My reason for starting the account was plain and simple, Can I have followers? Over time the reason has evolved from ‘as many’ to ‘lets build relations’. To an extent I have been successful, remember each one of you reading this would define the word differently. My definition: The following and follower ration to day stands at 1.69.

Twitter helped me make some friends and it isn’t that I have no friends in real life these are some friends that I made
@ccitsme -
Bio: Sinner not a Saint! And lot of naughty stuff gets twitted by her, often indirectly and not always her fault, I like it that way
@jjenpenwen –
Bio: Sign Language Interpreter on a VSO placement in New Delhi. Geek-in-training, potential tree-hugger, a bit opinionated.
@lassyvee
Bio: Chocoholic, Apple 'freak. Enjoys her wine. Loves good conversation .Needs retail therapy. A foodie. Thrives on music. Ex-cosmo gal, loves all things pink. Needs a book by nite.
@hardeepkrai
Bio: Social Media Analyst, Community Manager. Chief qT at 2020social. Writer. Blogger. Dreamer. Creative person.

The friendship is like mutually benefitting one wherein you seek and you give out. There have been times when I found a business opportunity for my budding PR Company too. At other times twitter has kept entertained when I was getting bored. The experience has been a mixed one, there was a time when I did not login at all for weeks, and sometimes just logged in for the sake of it and then I started getting a hang of things.

So let me share few things that I picked up as I walked the line, read on, they may help.

• Don’t be the one who blows their own trumpet: How many times have you seen a celebrity, a chef, a restaurant or our ministers telling you why they are the best and ask you to follow them. Be subtle about it if need be.
• Tweet with each breath: There is limit to everything, people will follow you initially but if you are bombing their timeline like you are on a warfront, firing rapidly. Sorry mate, it does not work here. Respect each one’s timeline ( or space).
• Don’t weave a hash tag garland in a tweet: Using Hash tag in your tweet is good but I suggest keep it to a maximum of 2 per tweet. More than that it seems like you desperate to get noticed and get followers. Law of nature “More desperate you are for something and farther it goes from you”. Its better to put sensible tweets there followers should follow.
• Mixed Tweets: A mix of links, videos, pictures and Information/text works. If you only tweet pictures or links, people who don find them interesting will just click “Unfollow”. Engage your followers with everything and not just one.
• Don’t just Direct Message everything: Twitter gives you the option of sending a direct message for saying what you wouldn’t want everyone to know. Don’t use to flirt or being a pervert, use DM for what it is meant to be.
• Retweet: That’s a great option to let your followers know what you found interesting. Retweeting everything means that you don’t have a taste, you just retweet. Retweet when its important, useful, or has a value. 
• Profile Information: Use a twitter name that you relate with, you always have a choice but more importantly make sure you pack information into your Bio section intelligently. I followed someone because I liked the profile and the user followed back. Reason: User like my interesting bio and tweeted about following me because of interesting bio. People follow you for what you are or tweet about. 
• Display Picture: Choose a display picture that you think would help a prospective follower relate with and try to sync up with your bio. A picture may tell a story that words can not. Choose what you feel like, Don’t be a Pervert or a Porn star.
• Sharing Videos and Pictures: One can choose to share videos and picture through different ways. Two simple ways can be posting the video or picture on the Facebook or Google+  page and sharing the  link, or one can use the different apps available like instagram or yfrog to share them.

While the tips may be endless, given my twitter experience these 8 tips are helpful. So go on and enrich your twitter experience and let me know if you found them useful too, use the comment section below.

Delhi Metro's website: www.delhimetrorail.com/

Catch me at twitter: http://twitter.com/AntzonBike

My First Delhi Metro Ride

It’s been almost two years since I had written my first blog about my cycling experience in Delhi, a ride with the Delhi cycling club and Delhi cycling google group. The ride was slow and I never went back to cycle again. The club had a different agenda than my own. Past is past and each one of us has to move on because life goes on.

My recent ride in the Delhi metro from Gurgaon to my office in Sultanpur was full of mixed feelings.

My experience started with the five minute walk from my home to the bus stop and lucky enough to get into the bus without a wait. The bus ticket of INR 3/- to the metro station was seemingly cheap. The first impression of the metro M.G. road station in Gurgaon was “It’s definitely clean”. The fares for metro are definitely cheaper than a bus or your car. Buying the ticket to Qutab station (INR 16) in Delhi, getting through the security, waiting for the metro at the platform and getting in, was all good in the morning. The unavailability of any feeder service at Sultanpur station in Delhi rather no availability was a completely dampener. The 3 km walk to my office was really long not because I have problem walking; it was long because when I reached worked I was sweating like a pig. I am sure no one likes to be drenched in sweat while they start their day.
My walk in the evening was actually fine, I enjoyed it but the attitude of the guy at the Sultanpur station’s ticket counter was not called for. I tendered a 100 rupee note and promptly he said “No change”, a little shouting and his cash till had all the change. Gosh, why do people just act difficult and don’t want to learn anything about customer service. What irritated me was not the statement but the way it was said. It’s always about “How you say and not what you say.”
The auto ride from M.G Road to home was really funny especially because I was sitting in the back of the auto facing the traffic behind it. People in their cars just stare at you as if you are a clown or something.
Hope Metro team introduces the feeder service soon, till then I guess it is my dear car.

Cost of driving everyday: INR 300
Cost of Travelling in Metro: INR 50
Experience: My first
Would I travel again: May Be?
Will you?

You can visit the Delhi Metro website at:  www.delhimetrorail.com

Leave me your comments, I will appreciate the feedback

World Health Day – My own Meandering experiences

Technology has made our life so dependent on it that wherever we seek help we find it to our rescue. The love of cycling that I have had from my school days, made me register myself with the Delhi cycling club, a yahoo group on the internet. I have not been cycling after school which makes it a year less than a decade. Now don’t calculate my age as that would be being rude to me. I guess whenever you follow your passion, even if after a few tries, you get there but of course it doesn’t necessarily apply to a crazy little thing called Love. A day before April 7, 2008 – World Health Day the Delhi cycling club has organized a 16 km bike trip around Lutyens Delhi.

In my anticipation of a good bike trip tomorrow morning and the hope of meeting few people who would have interest to cycle in and around Delhi I borrowed my younger cousin’s (if you meet him you will say I am the younger cousin) bicycle to join the event tomorrow. This is after my search for a good bike to ride and Enjoy. After all, happiness is in moments and we just need to find such moments.

In pursuit of my passion, a hobby in making, I met Johan (a young at heart Brit) today who has been in Delhi for work. He is working on an environment friendly project making the world a better place for you, me and the entire human race. Like me he is looking forward to meet people tomorrow with similar interests. Let’s hope we find something that we all are looking for.

April 6, 2008 – The morning sunshine seems to be refreshing bringing a smile on my face for the hope of good bike ride around Delhi in just a couple of hours. Mobeen aka Mobz, my friend - has agreed to be my caddie (not on the golf course but for the event). He said a yes to take some real nice pictures rather memories which I plan to share on the yahoo group and the blog I intend to post this on. Couple of hours to go and I hope these hours will be enjoyed for the love of cycling and the good cause of celebrating World’s Health Day.

Its 8:30 in the morning, listening to the tunes of Tequila Sunrise, here I am standing at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate. I see fellow bikers all set to ride. Some with the perfect biking gear with their Helmet and water bottles and some, waiting to savor the pure biking pleasure. Different faces, different cultures, different nationalities they all seem to be non existent as the group comes together to ride. A while before we leave we are greeted by our Dear law enforcers the Delhi police, represented by an inspector with a wireless set insisting that making move is as important as his law enforcement in the area. The only question that popped up in my head was “Are we really a threat? A group of people who have come together to promote environment friendly means” but nevertheless we move like an elephant enjoying his walk while the dogs chase you around.

Cycling from the India Gate to the Presidential place was slow, people trying to know people, cycling the talk but enjoying the ride. Paparazzi to the stars, media to the common man followed us with their gadgetry MUV’s making us feel like prisoners to our own city. Riding the slope to the Presidential Place was a nice feeling. One of the riders with his pillion rider barely managed riding uphill until an American gave him that extra push to make it through. The guy was glad he could make it and me worried about the next 14 kms that he was going to. He definitely did his homework of learning about the North and the South Block and the ministry of affairs Operating out of the two blocks. He definitely wanted to educate people about the homework he did but to others, riding was of prime interest than anything else. From here we headed to Nehru Park, a huge joggers park in the heart of the Diplomat city of Delhi – Chankyapuri. It was the pit stop for us but almost all wondered why we had a pit stop for a 16 kilometer ride. I understood the importance after I was back on the saddle of my bike from the 30 minute session knowing fellow riders. The Delhi cycling club definitely thought through before planning the session as they helped us by providing us with water, bananas and a mango drink that we remember with the punch line “Fresh & Juicy, mango frooty”. This time on the saddle we definitely felt the pace. En route to India Gate, where we all were to meet up again but this time around to end the event we started a couple of hours ago I had not only the sun shining on me but also my hard luck shining on me as I was blessed with a front wheel flat tyre. With no equipment to fix it I rode the last leg of 1.5 kilometers trying to keep pace with others and realizing that it really is difficult. We concluded the ride about 500 meters before the starting point.

I always say Expectation leads to Disappointment. I was disappointed when I started, refreshed after the break and contended and happy to make to the finishing point at the end. Talking to Ramona from New York, now based in New Delhi, Tarun who runs a pharmaceutical unit, Johan who is in Delhi on an environment project, Sunny and Kumar from East Delhi, I think these were the riders who made my ride interesting. Tarun’s young son Pavit who made it from the start to the finish on his own “Firefox junior” was an inspiration to ride more. The young fella rode 16 kilometers with a smile on his face. Kudos to Pavit and his will power. I thought if only I could be that strong with all my decisions in life. Life’s like that and enjoying every moment gives us pleasure.

Thanks to the club for getting people to meet and ride for a common cause – Environment and World’s Health Day.

Not to forget Mobz my patient friend who drove me and the bike to and fro India Gate from Gurgaon in his hatchback and patiently waiting for me to finish. His efforts will always be appreciated and remembered.

So until we meet again Cheers – live to Ride and ride to live.