In Memoriam

Three years ago, I lost a dear friend.  His name was Sanjay Nathani, and he was just about as old as I am.  Until a few weeks prior to his death, he was a hale and hearty individual with no history of any major illness.  Then, one day, they discovered a tumor in his brain that was already in its last stages.  Soon after, he died.

Two days ago, on the occassion of his third death anniversary, the wife and I went to a close friend’s house to honour his memory.  I’d seen death in the family many times before, but this would be a first for a friend. 

What do you do at such an event?  How do you honour someone’s memory after they’re gone?  Do you talk about them, recounting stories when they were around?  Do you share photographs with each other?  Do you build a website or setup a Facebook account in their memory?  Does it even matter?!

There would be more questions than there were answers… And there would be no right answers, in any case.

Then, I recalled that only a few months ago, I had returned from my aunt’s funeral and had started penning down some thoughts on this very subject.  She was the closest friend or relative my mom has known, and therefore, had come to occupy a significant place in our lives.  What I’d started writing then, would be completed today…

Photographs of times with your family and friends?
Those hideous shoes and your fashion sense?!
 
How naughty or responsible you were as a child
Your choice of carpet or how your kitchen was tiled

Maybe two kids and a loving spouse
Or how you just wouldn’t budge from that house

Your favourite icecream flavours or how you liked your tea
The recipes you willingly shared with every one and me

When it’s time to leave this Life unkind
Is that all that you manage to leave behind?

Building Prosperity

BripBlap.com is an excellent blog on “wealth, work and life success”.  In ‘38 random thoughts on building prosperity’, Steve covers a wide range of ideas that he thinks are critical to achieving financial freedom.  Here’s just a brief excerpt:
Pay yourself first. When money comes in (paycheck, client payments, alimony, whatever), put the first 10% in savings until you have an emergency fund of at least $1000. Then put the… Continue Reading

Just Say No!

An interesting post on Macias’ blog got me thinking.  It’s called the “No List” and Macias’ list looks something like this:
no booze
no eating animals
no laziness
no tv
no buying new things
no tight pants

& there it is.
My own version would probably be more like…

No losing my temper at idiots and incompetents 
No getting stressed out about the small stuff
No more procrastinating… Continue Reading

The Toyota Crisis

More than 13 years ago, as I sat in the library of my business school, I read a book that would change my perspective forever.  The book was entitled The Machine That Changed The World. 

It was based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s study on the future of the automobile, and offered a groundbreaking analysis of the worldwide move from mass production to lean production.  The Toyota motor… Continue Reading

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