PICTURE OF EARTH @ NIGHT

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Shashi Kumar
Alt Mail -aansooshashi@yahoo.co.in
Web- http://www.shashiaansoo.blogspot.com/
"Be Nothing Less Than The Best"

5 Suggestions for Leaving With Style

5 Suggestions for Leaving With Style
Sent to you by Shashi Kumar Aansoo via Google Reader:

There's something to be said for leaving a former employer with style. We're in the middle of a time when more than a few employers are having to downsize and plenty of people who would otherwise be assured of a job are getting the axe. Just because a former employer may have directed you to the door, however, you can still walk out with your pride intact. The same holds true if you're leaving an employer willingly. As long as you stay in the same industry, you're guaranteed to run into people you've worked with in the past over and over. It's not unheard of to return to the same company, or find a former coworker at a future employer.

No matter the reason you're leaving your employer, do it with a little style and grace. You still need goodwill from your past employers — references, anyone? — and you are likely to have plenty of positive relationships at your old place of employment that are worth preserving. There are a few things you can do to make your transition a little better.

1. Skip the theatrics

The fact that you're moving on to a new employer is not an excuse to engage in theatrics. I worked with one otherwise brilliant man who took the moment of his resignation as an opportunity to explain at length the faults of our employer. Aside from burning a few bridges, he ensured that the two weeks' notice he gave turned into two weeks of sheer misery. Constructive criticism is not out of line, but there is a time and a place for it — an exit interview is usually the best choice.

But theatrics can span a wide variety of actions. It seems like every employee bears some hard feelings towards a supervisor — but all in all, try to leave it at the statement that you and your former employer were not a good fit and move on. At the very least, your resume will be healthier in the long run.

2. Write a few thank you notes

It's not necessary to write a personal note to every person you worked with, but if you had a coworker or supervisor who particularly acted as a mentor or otherwise helped you along, take the time to thank them. People remember the little touches and if they're dwelling on the thoughtful note you left, any small problems along the way will become so much water under the bridge.

3. Tidy up your loose ends

I've seen the greatest argument for leaving things organized for the next person while sitting in a waiting room: a new receptionist was obviously struggling with a mess left by her predecessor. A phone call came for that former employee and the new receptionist mentioned she had left the organization — managing to slip in a comment about how she had left the business in a difficult position.

The person who comes after you will have a chance to discuss your abilities to clients, co-workers and anyone else who comes in the door. Even if you never meet your replacement, try to leave a good impression.

4. Network with your co-workers

Before you leave the office for the last time, you should have the contact information of every co-worker you plan to stay in touch with. There's nothing wrong with making sure you connect with all of those individuals online through LinkedIn or Facebook. Hopefully, you had a good relationship with your peers: these are people who you share a common interest in your industry, who will hear of new developments and job openings and generally can be good friends to have.

Personally, I'm always in favor of the farewell party: it's a clear opportunity to exchange contact information and make sure you stay in touch. And do stay in touch — this isn't high school, when you promised to be friends forever and didn't talk after senior year.

5. Do something memorable on your last day

Bake cookies. Hand out farewell cards. Do something to remind your co-workers that you will no longer be occupying the next cubicle over. For some people, this sort of action can be a matter of guaranteeing that you have that great business network or reference sealed up.

It's can be just as much a matter of saying goodbye to people who you've spent a lot of time with, shared stresses with and connected to. You may need that little bit of closure before moving on to your next job and it can't hurt to have a little fun on your last day.

Your Exit

The way you leave is likely to be the thing your supervisors and co-workers remember best about you. At the very least, it's probably the most recent interaction you had with them. Make the effort to leave with a little style and you'll find that not only do you have a number of unburned bridges in place, but you also have some pretty solid relationships worth maintaining.

Don't make your exit all about your resume, though. References and networks really aren't everything. It's equally important to make sure that you're comfortable and happy about your transition. While making it absolutely clear to your boss what you think of him may feel good while you're telling him off, but, honestly, it's probably not a step you'll be happy about when you finish

Topic: I am not your FRIEND if..................... (From Shashi Kumar Aansoo)

Dear Shashi,

I want you to check out "I am not your FRIEND if....................." on FunOnTheNet Community. To view it, please click this link:

http://www.funonthenet.in/forums/index.php?topic=101882.0

Thanks,
Shashi Kumar Aansoo

~!!~ World's cutest prayer ~!!~

Sent to you by Shashi Kumar Aansoo via Google Reader:

~!!~world's cutest prayer~!!~

via SantaBanta Forums by pup on 10/8/08

SORRY IF ITS A REPOST...



~!!~WORLD'S CUTEST PRAYER~!!~

Computer Crash

Sent to you by Shashi Kumar Aansoo via Google Reader:

Computer CRASH

I can't respond to
any emails this morning...
something crashed
on my computer!

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and the mouse is missing!

Really Stunning World

50 Rules To Being A Gentleman

 

 

Sent to you by Shashi Kumar Aansoo via Google Reader:

 

 

50 Rules To Being A Gentleman

via The Best Article Every day by bspcn on 9/30/08

Written by KING Magazine

For dudes who split bills on fast-food dates, KING offers a template for sophistication. Relax and take notes.

The Gentlemen Panel: Fonzworth Bentley, Pacino Bing, John Delgado, Gerrell Gaddis, Damon Gales, Claveria "JoJo" Gumersindo, Rashaun Hall, Sheldon Hall, Grant Hill, Chris Mathis, Adam Matthews, Zach McCall, Mark Rooney, Jalen Rose, Anslem Samuel, Chiun-Kai Shih, Musiq Soulchild, Jamal Sullivan, Q-Tip, Greg Watkins, Pat Wilcox

50. A warm iron and a can of spray starch can do wonders. Invest in them even if you don't wear slacks and button-ups regularly.

49. "If you buy one pair of shoes and one suit per year, you'll have a nice collection soon enough. It's an investment. Also, know your measurements and sizes, because you might find a woman who wants to hook you up and get a suit made."-Chris Mathis, 36, barber

48. Wearing a fitted hat on your commute to work with your business suit or with just pants and a dress shirt isn't a good look.

47. "Tone down the bagginess a bit without wandering into nut-hugger territory. Showing your ass and boxers is not appealing in any setting."-Anslem Samuel, 31, magazine editor

46. Find a good tailor.

45. T-shirts should fall just below your waist, and the seam of the shoulder should be right on your shoulder.

44. Wear a belt. It's called underwear for a reason.

43. Don't try to outdress a woman. She should be the center of attention and should not feel that she's underdressed.

42. "The world is bigger than your hood and the places your favorite rappers represent. Try to travel to a place where your cell phone won't work. That's when you know you've actually gone somewhere. If you can't afford to put your passport on pivot, try reading a book or travel guide about the place you'd like to visit."-A. Samuel

41. Barnes & Noble should be your best friend.

40. "[As far as books], start with the classics: Catcher in the Rye, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Odyssey, Crime and Punishment."-Q-Tip, 38, rapper/producer/actor

39. If reading books the size of War & Peace seems daunting, peruse different types of magazines-ones covering art, architecture, design or photography.

38. Try not to go straight to the sports section of the newspaper.

37. Watch the news, preferably more than one channel. Suggestions: BBC, MSNBC, CNN and, yes, even FOX News.

36. Being open-minded and aware of the world around you shows class and sophistication, but avoid seeming pretentious by being modest instead of showing off what you know.

35. "There will come a time when you outgrow the dudes you grew up with. Have a beer with them once in a while, but it's OK to move on and be friendly with new people."-Adam Matthews, 36, journalist

34. Go easy on the slang, especially among those who are already judging you based on race and age.

33. Don't just talk the talk.

32. Look people in the eyes when you greet them and shake their hand.

31. "Take criticism with an open mind. You can improve from listening to superiors and by changing your actions to serve them. Don't mess with the pack order-it's there for a reason."-A. Matthews

30. Be on time to meetings-early if you can.

29. In meetings, don't hold conversations at the same time someone else is speaking. Let the person finish his point before giving yours.

28. "Memphis Bleek had one good line: 'The strong move quiet, the weak start riots.' Don't be the guy who always needs attention on him or starts problems over small stuff."-Mark Rooney, 31, salesman

27. Don't talk down to coworkers, including subordinates. You may be above them in rank, but as a human being, you're on a level playing field.

26. "Look for the people who will make your job easier. You can't do everything yourself, so you're going to need help. These people will be pivotal to your success. And always thank them and show your appreciation when they come through for you."-Claveria "JoJo" Gumersindo, 36, quality management

25. Don't be afraid to share the spotlight in your workplace. Rather than being self-centered, work together with somebody of equal ambition. You don't always have to be in the front seat-the backseat is cool.

24. Don't think because someone has money, he's a good businessman; there are people with no money who are better.

23. "You don't want to do anything and everything just for a buck. I've walked away from deals a number of times that I think were good deals, but I didn't think they were good people."-Grant Hill, 35, Phoenix Suns small forward

22. Learn more about food and where to eat it cheaply. Most cities have great ethnic food; you just have to go to a specific neighborhood to get it.

21. If you initiate a dinner date or meeting, then you should expect to pay. That works both ways.

20. At a restaurant, let women order food first, and stand up when a woman leaves the table.

19. Avoid unnecessary use of expletives in public, especially in the presence of a woman you're trying to impress.

18. Unless your Fight Club membership is in danger of being revoked, walk away from altercations.

17. Always put your napkin in your lap at dinner. Stuffing it in your shirt is grounds for getting slapped.

16. Caveman behavior at the dinner table isn't good. Use utensils, avoid chewing with your mouth open and don't leave a messy plate.

15. When eating out, always tip more than 20 percent. Waiters live off of customers' kindness. And you don't want to make other people at your table reach into their pocket to cover your cheapness.

14. "Treat older women as if they were your own mother."-C. Mathis

13. Always have a woman walk on the inside of the sidewalk and on the side of parked cars in a parking lot, basically using your body as a barrier from harm.

12. Sometimes the best movies are in the independent market. Documentaries are great educational sources, too.

11. If you're trying to have a relationship, let the woman know. If you're not, and you're just trying to hit, let them know that, too.

10. Brush your teeth, gargle or have a breath mint before getting up close and personal.

9. If the opportunity presents itself on the first night, don't pull a condom out of your wallet. She'll get the impression that you're premeditated and will be turned off.

8. Even if you're having a one-night stand with a woman, be respectful. Jay-Z might brag about kicking women out five minutes after having sex with them, but he's not having sex with your date-you are. Casual sex needn't be disrespectful. In fact, it's more fun when its not.

7. "Don't fall asleep when you're done. Just because you got yours doesn't mean the night is over."-JoJo

6. "If you're not into oral, you better get into it. Not with every woman, of course, but someone you're serious with."-C. Mathis

5. "If you want her to be your devil, treat her like an angel."-Gerrell Gaddis, 32, songwriter

4. Don't ask about the last guy she was with; as in, "Was I better than he was?" Being competitive is a young man's game.

3. Never forget to introduce your woman as your girlfriend, spouse or otherwise to people when you're out at functions together.

2. Avoid public fights with your woman. Keep things private to let her know there's an exclusive world that you and her share.

1. "Young guys should pump their brakes. Don't have kids until you're 30, and look at her family and background to know what you're getting into."-C. Mathis

 

 

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5 Effective Ways to Improve Your Sleep

Sent to you by Shashi Kumar Aansoo via Google Reader:

5 Effective Ways to Improve Your Sleep

It's almost funny that in such a supposedly advanced age, we've gotten worse at mastering the art of sleep. More and more people have difficulty switching off at night and there are a million and one things to blame: the always-on techno-society we live in, or the always-busy capitalist society we live in, or… the list goes on, growing longer with each and every person you ask—because, of course, everyone knows exactly why this is so.

It's a pretty complicated question to tackle with, I'm sure, many contributing factors: why is it that society as a whole has seemingly gotten worse at getting good sleep? I don't pretend to know exactly why, though I have my suspicions, but I do know a few tricks that can help you nod off quicker and wake up feeling more refreshed than usual.

1. Get Up Earlier

That's right, you slacker: if you want to get to bed earlier and easier, set your alarm for 5am and haul yourself out of bed the second you hear it go off.

The catch is that for this to work, you've got to muster all the self-discipline you've got and not only get up as soon as that alarm goes off, but get up as soon as that alarm goes off every single morning. No matter what. Even if you only had an hour of sleep the night before.

Try going for four or five days on two hours of sleep and then try to tell me you haven't felt sleepy and ready for bed earlier than usual. This is the best way to reset your sleep schedule.

But boy, does it require some self-discipline—more than some people have got.

2. Read the Right Material

I make a point never to read nonfiction before bed. I suppose I should clarify since some wise-mouthed kid reading this may reason that any time during the day is "before bed" and try and get out reading a textbook, and I don't really need a mob of enraged parents after me. There's a time of day when you've got to shut off your active mind and let the passive mind take over, and this can happen just an hour before bed or just after you get home from work.

In any case, you've got to figure out how long you need to transition out of that active mind that'll keep you thinking and awake all night and keep yourself from partaking in any really mind-chatter-activating activities during that time.

For me, in the past, reading nonfiction before bed killed my hopes for sleep. I'd undoubtedly begin thinking about the content I'd just consumed and how I can apply it, and this could wrap my head up for hours. Eventually I decided to enjoy only fiction works, like a good Terry Pratchett yarn, after 9pm.

This small restriction fixed my thought-induced insomnia immediately.

3. Extinguish All Sources of Light

I have a Mac mini in the bedroom that I use as a media player when I'm too lazy to get up and go to the living room or office (I realize this doesn't fit in with number one but you only need to use that technique to reset or fix your routine, not to maintain it). Like most Macs, there's a small light on the front that pulsates on and off.

If you've seen the mini, the light is tiny. Way smaller than the lights on the old iBooks, more like a pinpoint. I started to notice that my sleep was better on nights when the mini was switched off completely, and then realized it must be the light (it is noiseless).

I'd would never have thought that such a small light would affect my sleep if I hadn't read a few years back that any light, even in the minutest amounts, can affect your quality of sleep. But it's true: if there is a light source in the room, it will decrease your sleep quality. Kill it. Pitch black is the ideal situation.

4. Sweep Your Mind for Stray Thoughts

Often, we're kept up by worry: did I complete all the tasks I needed to complete today? What if I forget that I need to call Bob in the morning? Oh, I need to get a brief for that article in by tomorrow evening or I'll lose the job…

It only takes a couple of minutes to sit down with a pen and pad (or a keyboard) and perform a mind sweep before tucking in for the night. Get every thought on your mind out of your head and into a tangible form. Afterwards, it literally feels like you've tipped your worries out into a bucket so that you don't have to deal with them until you're ready, and it's a great habit if you want to get more organized.

Sweep for tasks you've got to complete, people you've got to contact, ideas you've had throughout the day but failed to capture (tsk, tsk) and make sure you get everything on your mind written down—no matter how insignificant it may seem.

5. Avoid Computer and TV Screens

While the picture on your computer screen might look like a bunch of windows and images standing still or moving the way things in real life move, the reality is that the screen is being redrawn so fast that the illusion of motion, or even solidity, is present. The same principle is at work when it comes to television; it's not motion being shown, just static pictures being displayed in rapid succession.

While you might not see a bombardment of repetitive flashing, your mind certainly gets hit with the strain of it, and your eyes and brain get stimulated further by it—meaning you'll find it harder to get to sleep. If you log off the net at two in the morning and wonder why you can't get to sleep, it's probably because you spent too much time with your eyes glued to the screen. Steer clear of screens before bed.

What’s It Going to Take to Make You Happy?

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What’s It Going to Take to Make You Happy?

I've been thinking about this question a lot lately. What does it take to be a happy person? Obviously the answer is going to be different for each person, but what worries me is that, as far as I can tell, most people don't even ask – and those that do don't have a very good answer.

Ask someone what would make them happy, and their answer is likely to be pretty vague. "A good career"," they might say. Or, "Family." "A strong relationship with my partner," they might add after a moment's reflection.

There's nothing wrong with these things, of course, but there's not much meat to them as answers. They don't give us much to chew on – which is to say, they're not really actionable.

And I think that's because we don't give much thought to the question. Maybe we're a little suspicious of the very concept of "being happy". After all, our grandparents/parents/[insert fabled ancestors here] came to this country with nothing and scraped and toiled to build a better life for themselves – they didn't sit around thinking about whether or not they were happy. They were miserable and they liked it!

That's the American Way, right? More and more, it's the Modern Way, hardly bound to the US borders. Work hard, hunker down, tighten your belt, and make a better life.

There's no dignity in happiness, not in this worldview anyway. Happiness is frivolous, fleeting, ephemeral. Dignity is found in the grave and serious, not the frolicking and joyful.

There's another reason I think we aren't willing to face the question of what makes us happy: we're afraid that the answer will prove to be something out of our grasp. Maybe you need a million dollars to be happy, and you only have $3.62. Maybe you need a better job than you're capable of holding, or a bigger house than you can afford, or a prettier wife or more handsome husband, or better-behaved children. Maybe you need to be smarter, better-looking, more outgoing, taller, healthier, more disciplined, thinner… someone else.

I don't buy it. There are unhappy people in all walks of life. If it were brains, there wouldn't be unhappy smart people – and there are. If it were money, there wouldn't be unhappy rich people – and boy are there! If it were looks, there wouldn't be unhappy beautiful people – and Marilyn Monroe wouldn't have taken her own life.

And vice versa – there are unhappy dumb people, poor people, and ugly people as well. Just as there are happy rich people, happy poor people, happy dumb people, happy smart people, happy beautiful people, happy ugly people – happy people of every stripe.

What makes them so special?

I think the answer has to be self-knowledge – facing the question of what it will take to be happy head on. It's obviously not something external to us that "makes" us happy; we make our own happiness. But it's not so simple as just deciding to be happy. We make our happiness by determining what it will take, according to our own individual taste and character, to be happy, and chasing after those things and only those things.

Maybe you need to be rich to be happy – that's the kind of person you are. Or maybe you just need to be comfortable, to not have to worry. Or, quite possibly, you need the edge of poverty to come really alive – stranger things have happened! You can't know if you're not willing – or not able – to face yourself and figure out what money means to you. Not whether rich people are shallow or profound, whether poor people are lazy or victimized by a social system that needs poverty to secure cheap labor – but what money means to you.

Or maybe you need a different job. But what job? Maybe you need to move – but to where? Maybe you need to get healthier – but how? In what way?

The trick here is to move beyond empty platitudes and hollow stereotypes and really look at our own lives. That's where happiness starts to take root.

Your assignment – and mine, too – is to figure all this out, to sit down with a pad and paper and start writing out our answer to the question: what's it going to take to make me happy? Be specific – what exactly do you want from life? How is each thing on your list supposed to help you create happiness in your life? Most important, are you sure these are your answers, and not society's, not your friends', not your parents'? It's so easy to internalize everyone else's talk about what makes people happy – but the proof's in the pudding: are they happy? If not, what are you doing listening to them.

Sit down, write your list, and tuck it away somewhere safe. Then go out and do the things on your list, and let me know how that works out for you. Let's see if we can't all figure this out for ourselves, ok?

Managing the Flow of Energy

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Managing the Ebb and Flow of Energy

Humans aren't machines; we don't have a constant source of power from which we draw to perform complicated functions all the time, without breaks. Rather, our power supplies—or our energy levels—dip and rise with each hour of the day, and they even wax and wane on a much larger level, and we find ourselves in periods of great motivation and energy or periods where we just want to do what we need to do to survive and no more.

And that's not a bad thing. In fact, when we refuse to listen to our cycles of high and low energy, we make things worse, not better. If energy is low and we're pushing ourselves, then energy will only get lower, faster. When we pay attention to these cycles and allow time for both recovery and hard work, the low energy periods end faster and our high energy periods are really high energy, and not just half or a quarter of what it should be.

Those times when we're running on empty and need to slow down aren't totally unproductive, though. They're good for the fermentation and incubation of ideas, the processing and analysis of big decisions and other various background functions that don't take much energy, but do take time for the mind to really resolve the missing pieces.

It is important to manage the ebb and flow of energy and motivation, both on a daily basis and a long-term basis. When you manage these cycles rather than ignore them, you are far more productive, but more importantly, you're happier too.

1. Get to know your tides of energy

Like our energy levels, the tides of the ocean have a consistent ebb and flow. Fishermen know the tides like the back of their hand and that means they always know when to go fishing and catch the most fish.

There are many factors that contribute to our energy levels. On an average day, a person may know he'll feel energized all morning, until after lunchtime, when he has low energy that suits busywork such as answering emails. Then, at 3PM, he may hit empty and need to take a nap, depending on whether he had beer or water with lunch.

On the other hand, another person may have a totally different pattern. She might not wake up until the morning's almost over, bum around the house until two in the afternoon and then work straight through until midnight. Evidently, she's a freelancer.

The point is, we can learn how our energy levels will change on a typical day. Pay attention and be mindful of the ebb and flow, and once you know when you're most productive and most tired on a typical day, you can make a good guess as to how an atypical day might affect you.

2. Plan your tasks around these patterns

Corporate culture dictates that the first thing one does in the morning is check email. This is fantastic if you're least energetic during that time, but destroys your effectiveness if you're most energetic before lunch.

But now that you know when you have the most energy and motivation, it can be pretty hard to justify such a squandering of that time. Step two, and perhaps the most important step, is to plan your daily tasks to suit the way you work best.

Don't rely on hard and fast rules, though. Just because you feel a certain way almost every day doesn't mean you will every day. If you feel as though you won't kick into high gear until afternoon on a given day, shift your task list around to suit.

The easiest way to plan around your energy patterns starts when you're writing up your task list, not when you're actually scheduling the items. Mark out each item with a high, medium or low energy requirement; if it's processing email, it might be low, or perhaps it is time to reply to a few that require some research of facts—that's probably medium. And if you need to write a long article or tackle a marketing campaign, mark those tasks as high.

Now, you've already blocked your day out in sections of high, medium and low energy. Load up iCal, or open your daily planner, or whatever it is you prefer to use, and it's a fairly simple manner to dump each item into the appropriate section of the day.

Don't forget that lists work best with some form of prioritization; if you've prioritized items in your task list before transferring them to your schedule, you know which order to put items of the same energy requirement in.

3. Optimize your energy levels

The first two steps help you make the most of your existing energy patterns, and making the most of what is already might be fine for you. Personally, I think that once we understand something and make it work as it is, there's no place to go but up. This is the part where you start to optimize your levels of energy.

This involves a good, hard look at the way you live—diet, sleep, exercise, working habits, ergonomic factors (is your workspace arranged poorly, draining your energy faster as you struggle to sit upright?), and emotional factors (does bringing up the bills with your spouse always drain your energy before work even begins?).

I recommend experimenting with each area of your life that impacts on your day-to-day energy levels one at a time, in isolation. If you make three changes at once you can't be sure which ones are working, or if one of those things is cancelling out the benefits of another.

When you find things that have a definite positive effect on your daily energy level, turn it into a habit, perhaps through the use of a 30-day trial which'll give you enough time to decide whether it's worth the effort before declaring that change as permanent.