55 Events, Thoughts, Books, Articles that helped me to steer life.

#295

This week, no Housekeeping announcements!

As I turned 55 this week, I was wondering, pondering on 55 articles/books/ thoughts/events that helped me to shape my life. I would try to post this in chronological order as much as possible. Memory can play tricks.

1. 1971 War win over Pakistan,We lucky generation,never before,never again.
2. 1975 Emergency, Mrs Gandhi's only mistake,these days bastards do 100s.
3. 1976 "Well now my Pretty". My first crime fiction! JHC. Crime never pays.
4. 1977 Stone for Danny Fisher and other Harold Robbins books, Reality of life including Sex. 
5. 1977 PK Sridhar my schoolmate,introduced me to Carpenters!Addict to Karen,even after 30+ years of her passing away!Music of 70s 80s is divine.
6. 1978, 10th grade,at last I took studies seriously!Still cant believe I passed History exam,51%,certain that was not my paper or god filled in 20 marks.
7. 1980 College life Engineering "RAGGING" gave me courage, resilience! Kids miss this now. Believe me, it was extremely harsh, but bring it on!
8. 1981 Botham's Ashes, Nothing is lost until everything is lost! Still works for me 36 years on and for me, I am sure even 36 years later! Eternal Optimist in me. 
9. 1982 Stone Leopard, thriller, I must have read 10 times, Trust nothing!
10. 1983 Hostel life!! Boy,Mom's cooking is good! Really,at last I started taking things in life seriously!  
11. 1984 Smoking!! an awesome feeling, I can understand why that is the greatest addiction!?
12. 1985 Landing in job, MBO----> Maaraa Maari between Ourselves (Fight!) my exposure to Peter Drucker books at Corporate.
13. 1986 Power of Positive thinking, Norman Vincent Peale, What you think is contagious and influences you a lot !! 
14. 1987 Bhopal, Chernobyl, Sandoz fire,My focus to Safety environment career vindicated!My exposure to Trevor Kletz books for subject knowledge.
15. 1989 Smoking,Chasing women(Not Girls,note!),movies,all disappeared one night!I still wonder how?? Do I regret??? hahahh! No way!! 
16. 1990 Think and Grow Rich! Changed my life, I planned my life went as planned 95% even now. I gifted the book to my children, 2012, I wish I got the book at 18!
17. 1990  Lalitha saying "YES" to me! Smart man+smart woman=Romance, still on 28 years.....
18. 1991 Sandoz!Changed my career destination and confidence! We started breaking Rules. I don't think I ever worked at a better organisation,great colleagues, value system.
19. 1993 First airline travel, at age 30, never Imagined even wildly, I would do a 1000 trips all included, across world!Some things are luck, u at right place, right time! (Radhu international trip age 14, Son 19!) 
20. 1994 X Files----> Molder and Sculley! That is how, workplace relationship should be! Sex and work don't mix! PERIOD! 
21. 1995 Grandfather's Death----> My first meeting of tragedy! Changed my outlook, within 12 months moved out of Gujarat, a place I thought I would settle forever.
22. 1997 Dr Rajan, My Manager at BASF, I became a better Manager+ Family FIRST! 
23. 1999 Japan visit, my addiction to Internet, 3 months down the line, Computer and Internet at home, my vision changed. Esply "OSHA" access for my professional growth.
24. 1999 how to ace a job interview in must win times! Prepare prepare prepare! Speak the organisation's jargon!! Game changer! I wouldn't have done without Web.
25. 2000 "7 Habits of effective People" Ripper, Organised my life, work. I got as a gift/souvenir at the Conference at Monsanto. 
26. 2000 I realised at 37,I need to give gift,even to wife on occasions!Female boss/colleagues,enhanced my view->'Woman are better managers "PERIOD! 

    

    Lalitha, Jolanta me, 2010 a good 4 years after I left Monsanto. 
27. 2001 Presentation to 1000 Global audience,in massive St. Louis, Hyatt Ball Room, I figured then, I have flair, good at public speaking, presenter! Some day I should fuck myself off from the corporate Rut!! Happened 11 years later!! 
28. 2001 hahahah!!! 9/11 happened, I @ Pakistan, I used very rough language, at some colleagues that night,they took it so cooly! Showed me, you don't have to react to everything; you can move on!! Have I toned down?? No way? Not me! That is my oxygen!!! 
29. 2001 I read what I practised at Sandoz a decade back, "First Break all the rules, by Marcus Buckingham" 15 elements of great managing! Helped me a lot when to change jobs as well as quit job forever, when I see signs.
30. 2001 Jack REACHER!"Naam Kaafi Hein If you want to know more,Google!
31. 2001 First copy of Harvard Business Review, what a magazine to read. My thoughts, views changed!
32. 2002 HBR exposure made me to take up qualifying in MBA-HR, Used international flying time to read course notes, write assignment!! My friends joked 9/11/2002, Another 9/11 happened that day, I got my MBA admissions.!! U have element of luck, all fits in!
33. 2003 Stumbled up on JRD Tata's guiding principles! It hung on my work desk next 10 years. I still keep a copy.
    
34. 2004 Jack Welch-->Straight from Gut--> Energy, Energiser, Edge, Execute.
35. 2004 Broadband! I took Airtel, never regretted, Information no longer a power! How you use them is key! 
36. 2004 Selling stocks & $$$ New York Stock Exchange!Awesome, I tell u!
37. 2005 8th Habit---> Modelling& Path Finding, Aligning & Empowerment!! Beyond you, it is also helping others do better.
38. 2005 I took to Blogging!! My first Blog post! I am back here active, after 4 year lull due to twitter! (2012-16) 
39. 2005 Events lead to my romance with Lalitha strengthened to unbreakable bond! She the Jack Dawson of my life. 
40. 2006 Success Principles-->Jack Canefield amazing book touches all life. Book I purchased attending Honeywell job interview. 
41. 2006-12, Honeywell, We set world on fire as I say!! Everest conquered. Sandoz gave tech skills, Honeywell the"Swagger in me" 
    
42. 2006 If I am allowed to take one article with me to heaven, This one, "Who has got the monkey" As such I am a natural type to delegate, this strengthened my case. 43 years on, I think world would rate this in top 50 articles ever written.
43. 2007 Ipod!Life Changed What can I say!! Impulse purchase at Bangkok Airport.
44. 2007 Manager Tools, Oh yeah!! Delegation, One on 1, Coaching, Performance review triad management. Mark and Mike helped me take decisions effortlessly where others would fear.
45. 2008 Economist !! My print access to world, then to web and audio! If it is not published in Economist, WSJ, it does not matter..... 
46. 2008 What got you here, Won't get you there! What a book! I can't still understand how Idiotic managers & leaders, micro manage???
47. 2009 Boy Global Economic recession, shit hit the fan! Concept of Furlough! We pulled on! Gave me immense internal strength to face odd situations!
48. 2010! IPAD, Main reason to buy, so not to disturb a sleeping Lalitha with lights on while I am a night owl. Quickest purchase of my life at Chicago.
49. 2010 Manage your energy not time! What an article by Tony Schwartz! 
50. 2011 What your leader expects of you! Larry Bossidy! Not that I need deep introspection, but this article confirmed I am in right track! 
51. 2012 Million $ consulting, A book helped me to shape my consulting career!
52. 2013 Apple Mac-> my Children's surprise gift for my 50th birthday! whole feel of computing changed! Some things feels good than sex!! 
53. 2014 Smart phones, all in one, my Podcast, email, I wish I had this in 80s, we would have done much better job! Anyway!! 
54. 2016 After much pestering of grown up children, agreed for 1 movie a year  Jack Reacher after decades, Even today,Son cribs, what principle Dad!! I said man, I am a Sagittarian!! கொக்குக்கு மதி ஒன்னு !!! 
55. 2017 Joined GoodReads, posted all books I read! Memory Jogger??? 

Last!!!! 2017 Professional Blog!! Don't like what I post, EFF off!! hahahah!!! 

Take it easy, take care, God bless!!
Karthik

10/12/2017!!! 

1330 Hrs.