Becoming by Michelle Obama

As many of you know I do book reviews for Blogadda and IndiBlogger primarily, and at times for close friends who are now authors. I usually get books as gifts and believe me it’s a blessing.

A while back, someone gifted by a copy of the book- Becoming. It was fairly new in India at that point. 

Becoming is the memoir of former United States first lady Michelle Obama talks about her time in the White House, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother. After having read the book and also watching the #Netflix series by the same name, I must share that it felt inspirational reading and seeing the world through her eyes, inside out.

Many of you might be wondering about this ‘someone’ who gifted me this book. 

Let me share.

This ‘someone’ is also a hero that I am very proud of. I hardly say this enough to her but I am super proud of her sheer energy and positivity. She leads an important HR vertical for a global firm and calls herself a passionate HR.  Having met her, known her it’s a power booster everyday to look at her work, helping colleagues and the community at large. She is full of love and enthusiasm which is infectious. I hope we have many more of her in this world, as we all need a good soul. 

PS: Many of you try searching me online and at times stumble upon my blogs. Then, the few "smart thinkers" try to match me as a person with my blog and get into the vicious cycle of assuming and judging. Please don't do this. It will make you confused to say the least. And I will always be beyond your imagination :) 


Note: Many of you reached out to me via twitter, instagram and email to collaborate on my blog with me via blog posts and other content. Happy to partner. Just a share - I like to be creative, write and then share. It's not about the financial bit :) 

Irrationally Passionate

Getting a first hand copy of book, that is yet to be launched is priceless ! 

Thanks, Jason and team.

Learning from people who have experienced the journey themselves is the ideal form of learning.

Jason, the entrepreneur-CEO that we know, has had an impressive and yet powerful life changing journey right from being a young boy in Hong Kong all the way back to India.

The book gives important life lessons and not just corporate gyaan around a host of topics given Jason's strong will and the art of his never give up spirit. The book actually feels and takes you along side with a strong feeling that you have known Jason all through.

The Valiant story in particular and the many learning’s that come out of it are true in present day scenarios as well. An eye for detailing is as important as an eye for learning. Having to hold the pressure of trust that your family and friends put on you is a burden that is not easy to hold onto, let apart deliver.

Being a part of an IVY league college and landing a ‘safe’ job is something that should make all of feel at ease. Yet for Jason that was the very trigger to start or re-start something of his own making a long call on his future and also on the many things that went into him getting to Wharton.

Special call out to the nuances that he has shared of his life across living in different countries, the challenges that he faced and his mental strength to be the best or as I say, to refine continuously.

The focus on team work and partnership is also highlighted in a way that whatever you do in life, doing with people and teams, makes the outcome far stronger and better.

Particularly, the entire start to end of living a dream and believing a dream and double hatting to make the dream a reality, is a long drawn process that not only requires fund raising, it also requires the one person to wear many hats and faces, if I can say.

As a young visionary and not just an entrepreneur, Jason, took a big risk of risking everything he had very early into his life. This can give Goosebumps to anyone yet Jason managed to steer clear and faces all the challenges head-on.

I can keep on writing since the blogger and the speaker in me has picked up so many tiny seeds of wisdom that are for me to sow, being passionate really never goes out of fashion.

And as the rebel, Jason shares, pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered.

Happy reading!! #IrrationalyPassionate

Cheers!

Join me, follow me, partner with me @karansayz

Truly Special - Stories from Vietnam and Cambodia

During my recent travel to Vietnam and Cambodia, I happen to meet some really amazing souls. 

I call them as special people.  

Special, since some of them were suffering from ailments, special, as some were going through bad marriages, special, as they had so much energy that all through the day they were more excited than all of us combined. Special, since they were proud of the heritage and the culture that these two developing nations withstood.

We react very first, as Indians, as people. Our Vietnamese tour manager, during his introduction shared that he had 4 daughters and 2 wives. Just by this one statement, many of us adjudicated thinking and bench-marking that this may be so wrong. Back in India, we only marry once, ideally. Many of us started speaking, mocking on the very character of this tour manager. 

However, he was used to. 

And as he had predicted, we also went the same way like others. His second statement is what made all of us thinking hard.

He shared, his first wife died due to carcinoma and his family pushed him to marry the sister of his late wife, which he was against. He already had 2 daughters from this first wife. Due to the culture in Vietnam, as per him, he had no options but to marry the sister, now his second wife. What's more !? If a lady, after 2 years of marriage doesn't bear a child, she is considered as evil or satanic. Hence, 2 twin daughters.

While, he works really hard in making ends meet, it got all of us thinking that why do we judge so fast. Why is it that we use our thinking the wrong way and don't even try to consider someone else state of mind or being. Character assassination, seems to be the new normal.  Yet, we all consider ourselves to be highly educated, evolved human beings.

Every year, since last so many years, I have been trying to follow this very fabric of our culture. Not to react. Not to immediately jump to conclusions. Avoiding making assumptions. Leaving people, the way they are, and unless, not asked, not to give your two cents.

Believe me, its been a hard journey and while I am much more refined as a person now, still a lot of the ground needs to be covered. 

I hope, we all, try to be empathetic people to start with. This small step, will make you re-look at the world and its' people, a lot differently.