Sketches

Happiness

To be able to eat what I want, to sleep peacefully and wake up with a smile on my face.

Work issues

The heart may want what it wants -- but the brain knows what it knows! Let intellect dominate your decision-making process today and you should find that things make more sense in the long run.

Philosophical meanderings are perfect for your state of mind today -- and your great energy should help to ensure that you make some new inroads into an area of some importance to you.
You may feel somewhat overwhelmed by your workload -- or just your inbox -- and you need to do something about it. No fair just passing it all off on someone else, though! Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

The Laws of Power

The Laws
1. Never outshine the master.
2. Never put too much trust in friends; learn how to use enemies.
3. Conceal your intentions.
4. Always say less than necessary.
5. So much depends on reputation. Guard it with your life.
6. Court attention at all costs.
7. Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.
8. Make other people come to you; use bait if necessary.
9. Win through your actions, never through argument.
10. Infection: avoid the unhappy and unlucky.
11. Learn to keep people dependent on you.
12. Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.
13. When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interests, never to their mercy or gratitude.
14. Pose as a friend, work as a spy.
15. Crush your enemy totally.
16. Use absence to increase respect and honor.
17. Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate an air of unpredictability.
18. Do not build fortresses to protect yourself. Isolation is dangerous.
19. Know who you're dealing with; do not offend the wrong person.
20. Do not commit to anyone.
21. Play a sucker to catch a sucker: play dumber than your mark.
22. Use the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power.
23. Concentrate your forces.
24. Play the perfect courtier.
25. Re-create yourself.
26. Keep your hands clean.
27. Play on people's need to believe to create a cultlike following.
28. Enter action with boldness.
29. Plan all the way to the end.
30. Make your accomplishments seem effortless.
31. Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal.
32. Play to people's fantasies.
33. Discover each man's thumbscrew.
34. Be royal in your fashion: act like a king to be treated like one.
35. Master the art of timing.
36. Disdain things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best revenge.
37. Create compelling spectacles
38. Think as you like but behave like others.
39. Stir up waters to catch fish.
40. Despise the free lunch.
41. Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes.
42. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.
43. Work on the hearts and minds of others.
44. Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect.
45. Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once.
46. Never appear perfect.
47. Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop.
48. Assume formlessness.

To Do but never did

Inside Mumbai

Haji ali – sardars pav bhaji – Mumbai central
Bade miya
Queens necklace
Bade Miya

• Phone: 22848038, 22851649
• Address: Tulloch Road, Apollo Bunder, Colaba , Mumbai
•
• Landmark: Behind Hotel Taj Mahal
In and around Mumbai

Alibaug
Lonawala
Matheran
Kashid murud beach
Mahesh lunch home- fish-andheri / vile parle
Addresses:
Fort Branch: Mahesh Lunch Home, 8-B, Cawasji Patel Street, Mumbai - 400001.
Telephone No : (022) 22870938, 22023965. Fax No : (022) 22043365
Email : maheshlunchhome@gmail.com
Juhu Branch: Mahesh Lunch Home, Kings Apartment, Juhu Tara Road,
Next to Juhu Centaur, Mumbai-400049.
Phone No: (022) 66955559, 66955554, 65720059
Andheri Branch: Mahesh Lunch Home, Andheri kurla road,sakinaka,
Andheri (East), Mumbai-400072.
Phone No: (022) 28565560, 28565561, 28565562
Thane Branch: Mahesh Lunch Home, Vihang Palm Club, Opp. Raymonds,
Pokran rd. no.1, Thane (W)-400606.
Phone No: (022) 25441822 / 1616 / 5080.
Pune Branch: Mahesh Lunch Home, Ashoka Pavillion,
18 Ambedkar Road,Pune-411001.
Phone No: (020) 66032230, 66032231, 26133091


PUBS
Athena pub in colaba
J49 juhu
Enigma JWM-j w marriot
Copper chimney in phoenix – lower parel
Grand Maratha central

Mumbai Firsts

25th October Tuesday
Left baroda @4 am morning and reached Mumbai BCT station- Mumbai central. Had lunch from Pearl restaurant. Shopped at R city mall for dress and saw a Harley Davidson upclose. And the driver too was yummy.
26th October Wednesday
Watched RA – One. Yuck.
Evening had same after burning crackers for diwali.
27th October Thursday went to Bandra to get a tattoo done – eye of horus me and luxmi- butterfly. Shopped for ug’s had veg sandwich by roadside.
Watched 7 senses in tamil- more bearable than Ra-0ne.
Night vodka and orange
28th October Friday rested and did some gymming. Explored by foot till kanjur marg station. Night vodka with cranberry. Getting too drunk for my own good.
29th October Saturday ordered Chinese for lunch. Stayed home for more gymming and swimming this time. Had dinner @ Pop tates- ghatkopar, baileys’s and vodka neat during happy hours – 6.45 pm to 7.00 pm. Grilled chicken in thai green curry, with chicken salad, starters fish sticks [ didn’t smell fishy at all- best fish I had].
30th October Sunday- Had a gr8 time with the kids.Woke up late and left for gym for 2 hours to give the lady of the house some peace and quiet and quality time with her man. Went to bandra station – too crowded after having lunch @ Lucky restaurant- chicken biryani, mutton fry, mutton biryani the best mughlai food.
31st October Monday – time to come back had a spa time at great eastern gardens and left for baroda at 8 pm after mcdonald’s dinner.

Real vs Surreal

It seems as surreal as a dream, nothing has changed, it is the same as before. I dont exist for others and if I try to garner attention, it is the opposite of what I want.

Ghost

As a kid,we were always scared or frightened to go to dark places for fear of facing the GHOST. An apparition, an unknown entity whose identity to this day in our adult hood remains a mystery. All our fears have been manifested in the belief that we are always vary of the things which we do not know of, of things which we do not understand.

As long as the doubt remains, we are happy in our world created by us with our set ideals and thoughts.

For example, a wife suspecting her husband of having an affair, is safe and secure in just the nagging doubt. But the day, her husband admits to having an affair her world crumbles.

The same goes for employees, as long as they the boss doesnt show them the pink slip, the employee works in the fear of

Heart-to-Heart

The heart may want what it wants -- but the brain knows what it knows! Let intellect dominate your decision-making process today and you should find that things make more sense in the long run.

Philosophical meanderings are perfect for your state of mind today -- and your great energy should help to ensure that you make some new inroads into an area of some importance to you.
You feel somewhat overwhelmed by your workload -- or just your inbox -- and you need to do something about it. No fair just passing it all off on someone else, though! Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Tips to handle criticism

Summary: What do you do when you receive a performance review that is negative, less positive than you feel you deserved, or seems to be unfair, unrealistic, biased or disappointing? It's a tough situation. Here are seven ideas and tips to consider before you jump to any premature actions that may be damaging to you.

Q. “I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Should I dispute the review? Write a letter for my file? Talk to a lawyer? Or just let it go?”

A. Most professionals feel you should offer some kind of response. But whether to respond, and the way to respond, will depend on your company's culture, the unwritten message and your own career goals.

1. Assess your report in light of the company's culture.

In some cultures, anything but glowing praise will be viewed as negative. In others, tough reviews are the norm.

Often your boss will be expected to come up with at least one point of constructive criticism. After all, nobody walks on water. But if you're being attacked or unfairly criticized, you must explore further.

Sometimes you'll win more points by taking the review in stride than by fighting. But in some cultures, a single negative review means you need to start job-hunting right away.

2. Calculate your boss's strategy.

Sometimes your performance report has nothing to do with you or your performance. Your boss might honestly want to see you leave the company or make sure the next promotion goes to someone else.

Your boss may be a new hire who is still learning your company's culture. She may bring only good intentions.

Or maybe your boss wants to get your attention: he's dropped hints and you've ignored them. Or he wants to help you progress but doesn't know how to communicate tactfully.

3. Listen for unwritten messages.

Does your company have a category where a low score means you're headed for disaster? Does your boss try to tell you, “It's a great review!” when you know otherwise?

Suppose you've been getting terrific reviews - and now you get slammed with a truckload of criticism. Maybe you really did have a bad year. Or maybe there's an agenda you need to understand.

4. Get the facts without getting defensive.

Ask your boss to explain each criticism.

For example, if your boss said your project was delivered late, get dates and times. If you're criticized for interpersonal skills, ask for specific instances.

But give your boss a chance to save face.

Anyone can make mistakes. An overworked, harried boss can skimp on her own data collection. You can say, without confrontation, “My records show I managed six projects, not four. Can we go over this point?”

5. Delay your response.

Prepare your employees to be active and constructive participants in the performance appraisal process.

Performance appraisals work best when employees understand the process, prepare, and see the benefits of being engaged in it. Getting The Most From Performance Appraisals For Employees is meant to get employees ready.

Get a copy for each of your staff members.

Free preview available. Click here for more information about Getting The Most From Performance Appraisals For Employees

Ask for a second meeting, explaining calmly that you need time to think. Use the time to collect your backup file. Consider a consultation with an outsider: career coach, consultant, human resources professor - even a lawyer if the situation warrants.

Do not discuss your report or your decision to seek help with your peers. Ever.

6. Back up a rebuttal with facts, not emotion.

Assemble your own evidence of performance. Collect letters of appreciation, dates and times of project completion, statistics showing how you helped the company.

Often simply placing a rebuttal letter in your own file will defuse the impact of a negative evaluation. When you've had a strong track record, your company will ignore an occasional negative, unless there's a new agenda.

Your boss may be ordered to grade on the curve, i.e., assign some employees the “low” category even if everyone's doing great. And, being human, he may assign those ratings to those who are least likely to speak up. A strong, carefully written rebuttal will clarify your strength of purpose.

7. Avoid jumping to conclusions - or to a new job.

When clients ask, “Should I look for a new job?” my answer will be, “When you work for any organization, keep yourself marketable. Maintain your network. Identify reputable recruiters and build ties with them.”

It's rarely a good idea to share your career change plans with your colleagues or boss until you have a written offer in hand. And it's rarely a good idea to accept a counter-offer from your present company. (Over half the workers who accept a counter-offer are gone within six months, one way or another.)

But if your company wants to send a “Go Away!” message, they may be happy to give you a good reference that reflects your real contribution.

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., helps midlife professionals create small, medium and huge career changes, start a business or start over.