I don’t want to be a “Second Hander”

Acknowledgements

 A special thanks for Ayn Rand for introducing the term “Second Hander” to me. Also, Very special thanks to all my friends who shared their wisdom and experience which formed the essence of this blog.

I will turn 25 this October. When I look back, I realize one thing. I was always given a choice in my life. I am fortunate that in every single step right from KG to UG, I had the liberty to choose the life I wanted. I also realize that the choices I made were sometimes good and sometimes not so good (but were good experiences). The consequences of the choices were also proportional to the quality of my choice. There is one important thing here. How I made a choice is important. Did I make a choice since others around me are making it or is it my own?  How was I influenced by the world around me? And why am I influenced?

I think it was in my 8^th standard (1999) that I finished Karate Yellow Belt. There was one incident here that I still remember. For finishing Karate, I had to take an exam. It will cost me some 1000 rupees. That was last week of the month and my Dad had no money to give me. He said “you were never regular to your classes and there is no point in going for an exam. Even if you pass, it’s because of the money you paid and your learning is not good enough. So, learn Karate well and I will pay the fee next month”. He was right.  But I am not OK with his answer. All I want is a certificate. And why? Because all my friends are getting it. I thought I will get humiliated by my friends. I was hurt by his answer. I cried for 2 hrs and did a lot of drama before my parents and finally got my wish fullfilled. I am a karate Yellow belt. That day… I won the war but lost the battle. Whenever this thought comes to me, I always feel so embarrassed and I always wish I get a chance to go back and erase that chapter.

Fast forward>> Four years later 2003, its time that I choose my UG course. I chose Engineering ECE. There was no second thought. But if you ask me “why?”, The honest answer would be: “Couple of my uncles and four or five of my cousins did engineering and settled in US. They are earning well and I will also do the same. I took ECE because all the meritorious candidates around me said ECE is the best course in engineering”. That time, In my world, there is no other branch that a boy who completed +2 can take. If the boy takes any other stream other than engineering, he is a worthless candidate.

Fast forward>> Four years later 2007, Anyways, I chose ECE and I graduated very well in First class. Now it is time to take up a job. I have only a list of 7 or 8 companies in my mind and I will have to make it to one of them. IBM, Infosys, TCS, CTS, Wipro, Satyam, Mindtree, IGate and Hexaware were my list as well as order of priority. All of them, IT companies and prominently, Indain IT companies. I never thought “What the hell am I gonna do in an IT Industry? How am I gonna do justice to the engineering I did?” I went to IT because all my friends and cousins are going to IT. IT pays me more and IT company gives me a good feel to boast in public. People recognize IT company better than most of the other companies.

Fast forward>> present day 2010, Fortunately, I didn’t repent of having joined an IT company. I am doing a good job and My Company always treated me well and I am happy for being in that.  learnt a lot.

But If you ask me now “What is ECE?”, I may not be able to answer.This is not the case with me alone. Many of my friends, relatives and lakhs of other people whom I don’t know have similar stories. I forgot everything about my main stream which I studied for 4 years.

So, what now? Why am I telling all this? Because I learnt one thing. No matter what I did, no matter what I became, all the others around me were not really bothered. Even if they bothered, it was only for a moment or two. There were very few in my life who cared for what I did. The rest of them were busy with their own lives. The friends for whom I insisted my parents in getting the karate belt, The society for which I had to make various choices were not really bothered of what I did and frankly, they don’t have to. Why should they?

The most important thing I learnt from all these experiences is: not to COMPARE. There is a saying in Telugu “Pulini ni choosi nakka vaata pettukundi” (The fox burnt its skin to get the scars of a Tiger). This should not happen.  I am unique. There is no other Chaitu in this world. I am special. Like ways, everybody in this world is special. It is very wrong to think that the other person should be reaching your standards and expectations. At the same time, it is very wrong changing yourself for the sake of the other person (Where is your individuality then?).

One day, in a discussion about family, I was asking my best friend “What is the best thing about your wife?” and he replied “She is not a second hander” (He also is a fan of Ayn Rand).

I was so happy to hear that. So far, this was the best answer I got. I loved it.

The term second hander is introduced to me by Ayn Rand in her book “The Fountainhead”. In brief, the term refers to a person who considers him/herself unique, doesn’t compare him/herself with others and doesn’t care about what others think of him/her as far as he/she is doing the right thing. If you haven’t read “The FountainHead” and “Atlas Shrugged”, I sincerely suggest you read them. They will become an integrated part of your life.

Most of the time, we are concious about what others think of us. To an extent, it helps. But beyond that, it sucks. It is because of false pride / false prestige / over conciousness / inferiority complex that most of the times we tend to do some things that we can’t afford to or we will not do some things which we must do. Simple example: Avoiding speaking in public by thinking “What will others think of me if I make some mistakes?” Why do you care a damn? How long are you gonna be like this? And who is free enough to go home and talk about the mistakes you made? Another example will be “Un affordable shopping / Investment”. Why do it when it is gonna bring you tons and tons of mental pressure? When I ask someone this question, 95% of the time, I get an answer “Social Status” and after listening to that I think “**** the social status. It is killing you man”.

Tomorrow, when you are in pain, is your social status gonna help you? If so, how far? As far as I believe, anything which is acquired by using money will never last long unless and until you have more money. Be it your status or be it your pride or be it your friends. These will come with expiry dates and you’ll have to renew them. Things that are permanent never need money but they require trust, love and effort.

So, In my opinon, doing things for the sake of others is ignorance. Comparing oneself with another is foolishness. Don’t let the society define us. We can define ourselves. We are fit enough.

Why I am saying all this lecture is because I am seeing it. Everyday.This has become so common. The worst part is yet to come.

Let me take a common example. In Case of teenagers or people in the early 20s, it is now a social status to have a girl / boy friend. Somebody should call you up everyday in the morning and say “Hi honey!! How are you doing? Did you sleep well last night? Whats the plan for the day?” You should go shopping only in super malls. You should wear only designed clothes. You should be going for movies in multiplexes. You should be receiving gifts on Valentines day, Birthday and if possible everyday. You expect an SMS every hour and a call two times a day in which you should be asked “Hi Sweety!! How was your day” and call should last a minimum of one hour.  And finally after continously doing this for 3 or max 6 months, you’ll end up saying “He / She is not my type” The story goes on…..

WTF!!!! You finally ended up becoming a small and ofcourse temporary Devdas / DevDasi J Bullshit!!

(I am not talking about the sincere lovers. I respect love and I know its value. No offense).

So, from this entire discussion, I just wanna express one thing “ We always will have choices in our life. Before making a choice, Kindly, just think once “Is this really necessary for me?”.Dont make a choice if it unnecessary and don't forgo a chance / choice which is necessary.  This simple thought is gonna bring you loads and loads of happiness. Trust me. Let us define and maintain our individualities. Let us not give others the chance to define them.

There is more to write…. But I am sleepy. BTW, Happy Ganesh Chaturdhi J

See you guys again when I write my next blog…. Till then…. Ba bye….

How much money do I need?

Forward: This blog  is dedicated to my parents because of whom I am today in this position. Like most of the persons on this earth, I also think “I got the best parents whom God can never create one more time for anyone”. With all due respect to them, let me start this blog :)

It was in May 2007 that I graduated as BE in Electronics and Cmmunicactions Engineering. My monthly expenditure during the final year of my Engineering was Rs 5000/-. For the first 3 years, it was Rs 3500/-.I really love, adore and respect my parents for all their love and affection. They didn’t  even a single time refused to provide the money I asked for. I never realised that when I am asking for more and more money, my parents had to cut many of their other costs and provide me the funds I asked for. I was so blind and selfish that I never thought about the difficulty in earning a rupee. I don’t know how many sarees my Mom had to sacrifice for sending me the money to watch movies and buy gifts to friends. I am not sure how many loans my Dad had to manage to run a family of 6. They never told me about it. Whenever I asked them if it is becoming becoming difficult for them, my Mom used to say “I can earn back Money. But I cannot earn back the time of your student life. So, forget everything and enjoy the moment”.

It is now almost 3 years that I started earning. In these 3 years, I learnt many things. One of them is the fact that “Money is valuable and is not easy to earn”.

One thing always puzzled me. When I was getting 3500/-, it was always JUSTsufficient for the month. Today I am earning 5 times that, and even then, it is just sufficient for the month. Keeping aside the inflation and cost of living, one major difference I noticed is that my wants increased. It was not until my parents forced me to that I used to buy a pair of jeans in my engineering. Today, I started spending 10000/- per year on clothing. I used to walk a lot and save money spent on transportation. Today even to go to the near by general store, I use a bike. I used to watch movies in an average theatre in second class ticket for 20 or 30 rupees. Today I prefer multiplexes. Fast foods were never part of my menu in student life. At the max, I used to have chat or pani puri. Today, I visit subway thrice a week. Those days, treats were given only on birthdays and that too in very average restaurants. Things are completely different now. My phone bill used to be 800 for 3 months then. Now, it is 700 per month. Those days, I never bothered about Brand. But now, all I bother is Brand. It is now a prestige :)

When I introspect myself, all I can find is one major difference. Probably that is the root cause of many events.

I must say that my environment had a great impact on me. I’ve become part of the herd. My “SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL” tag increased my standard of living. I got tempted to the system and had to go along with that. To say frankly, it is killing me :)

Last week, I was sitting with my friend in Subway (my favorite food chain) and I asked him "Ram, How much money do you need per month to survive?" He replied "35000/-"  Is that enough? For you and your Family? He replied "For my standard of living, it should be fine. I don't want to drive a BMW or build a bungalow". I asked "But you are now getting much more than that. Don't you have a dream of receiving a hefty pay cheque?" He said "I don't have such big dreams. All I need is a peaceful life". I asked "Money buys many things. Then why are you not trying to make better money?". He replied "I need money but I don't love it and I don't crave for money. All I want is: When I wish to go out for a restaurant / movie, I should not think twice about doing it. That's all".

I had similar discussions with various people. Consolidating all their wisdom, all I can say is one point: "You should control your wants. Your wants should not control you". Your status / pride doesn't lie in the assets you accumulated but lies in the quality of work you put across and lies in the number of good acquaintances you developed.  

I also learnt one more thing. The more money you have, the more will be the luxuries you go for. The more luxuries you go for, the more you have to maintain. The more you have to maintain, the more will be the pressure you should sustain. I was a very happy man when I was not earning. I never had to spend and never had to think of luxuries. It was such a peaceful life.

So, from my experience, I can say one thing. The more you earn, the more you'll need. It is not true that once you become a millionaire / billionaire you will get settled once and for all. Your wants will grow with your earnings. So, the only way you can answer the question "How much money do I need?" is by answering "How well can I control my wants?" and "How self-satisfied person am I?". I have to start working on how to limit my desires and control my greed.


As the first step, I am going for an acer lappy instead of an Apple (having apple was once my dream :))

Let's see what happens :) Experience is the best teacher :)

-- 
Luv,

Chaitu.

A Ton of Inspiration.. ..

It’s been a while that I blogged. I was may be busy or was not inspired.  Today, I want to write. I am so overwhelmed by watching this person for 4 weeks. He is not a renowned person. But someone who made me feel good. In fact very good. He is somebody who inspired me. I want to introduce you to Sai kumar Vishawanathan.

Sai is a person who showed the world that all a man needs to succeed is the desire and passion to succeed and nothing else. A physically challenged person, Sai was born to a Tamil couple who settled in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.  

Unlike in the case of many other people, the disability did not stop him from aspiring great heights. He stood as one of the toppers in the +2 examinations. He not only graduated from one of the best colleges in the state, but also went to USA to complete his MS in computer sciences from the University of Wisconsin.   His achievements in these phases are numerous. He is the only person of that kind, whom I saw doing a sky diving feet from the height of 25000 feet.

There is no exaggeration in saying that he is an epitome of determination. He worked as a software engineer in one of India’s best IT companies for 1.5 years. Then he tried GMAT and got a very good score. Watching his abilities, Princeton offered him to guide its students for GMAT. In this way, he became a faculty for GMAT. He also applied for some MBA colleges around the world and for the achievements and profile he has, every college welcomed him with open arms. This April, Sai would be joining the batch of 2011 of the prestigious Indian School Business. And you know the best thing about him? I guess it’s the simplicity he has. I’ve never seen any person of such outstanding profile being so simple. You can know more about him @ his amazing blogs and sites: happy-blissfull.blogspot.com / youtube.com/user/saiprasadv

So, why am I saying all these? Why am I making one person an Icon? It is just because of one reason. He taught me something. DETERMINATION NEED NOT HAVE ANY CONSTAINTS. You are the person of what you think. The thoughts and only the thoughts of you make you. Yes. You are what your thoughts are. Thinking has no limits. Aspirations are boundary less. Determination has no Line of Control. When Sai is able to do all these things, why can’t I? I should. You should. We all should. Undoubtedly, He is a ton of inspiration for me.

Many of us, being strong enough to do anything won't do the things. It may be due to various reasons. But, we have everything. We can do anything. We just need to try. All it needs is a little bit of hard work and constant passion (and determination) to achieve something.

One day, when you become old, please don’t resent thinking “I SHOULD’VE DONE THAT DURING THAT TIME”. I was told by many that that kind of feeling will be horrible. So, anything you want -  Just do it now. Please. Utilize all your energy in becoming better. Every day, every hour, every minute and every second. Focus on what you want to be.

 Just thought of sharing these thoughts. OK then, C ye. Bye for now. I’m signing off. Have to go to office J

Satyam to Mahindra Satyam - A journey

Hello Everyone : ) It’s me again : ) Hope all of u are doing well : )

I feel very happy when I ask someone “How are doing?” and they say “Dude, I’m having a fantastic time!! Lifez beautiful :)” It really elates me. Its bcoz I believe the rule that says “We should clean the street only once we clean our home”. So, these people who are happy will be the people who make a difference. They have that spirit, that energy and most importantly, THAT COURAGE to make the world around them BETTER. Don’t you agree?

So, let me talk something about people like that today.

Before I start, I should appreciate the efforts of the leadership teams of MSat and TR for their endurance to re-vitalize our brand. They are trying to make a difference. THEY HAVE COURAGE. : ) I’m very glad for taking part in this event of rejuvenating our company.

To start.. I would like to take you back a few months.

It was Jan 7. The day I can never forget. This was my first job and that day was “A WEDNESDAY” of my life. I’m sure everybody knows what I am talking about. I never answered those many phone calls in a single day (not even on my birthday) in my entire life. The day was a disaster.

Many people asked me “What’s your fate?” and I answered “I’m not sure. Let me tell you later”. Today the very people when I call them say “Buddy, looks like you guys are back on track? :)” and I’d be proudly smiling and saying “We are!!! What do you think?”

This is a journey. A very strenuous journey. Not only for me but also for 30000+ friends of mine. It’s not simple that we reached safely to the shore from the middle of the ocean, despite the struck from the hurricanes and thunderstorms. We had to survive. It pained very much. Eventually, we are now done. A decent development I must say. I have to thank the Captains of my ship name by name for guiding the ship appropriately during these turbulent times.

So, what is it we people did? Or, what is that we had to withstand such a tough time?

The answer as far as I can think is: Belief in our abilities to rescue the ship. In one word, COURAGE.

When Emerson said “Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” My god!! He is right. And that courage - we have. Am I right?

I’m a kid in this organization. Just a few years of experience. May be I don’t know everything what my leaders did. But, I’m sure I can talk about what I saw.

The fiasco didn’t deteriorate our deliveries. Instead, it improved it. It didn’t de-motivate us. But reminded us “Have the courage to act instead of react”. We did everything possible to keep up the expectations of the customers. We double checked everything we gave them. Made sure the clients won’t have a single problem. We continued becoming more proactive, more responsible and more accommodating.

As with most of the clients, their confidence in Satyam remained the same. The work we’ve been doing helped us retain the customer confidence. There were many events where the customer came to our development centers, reassuring us the confidence they have in us, giving us hope and support and thanking us for what we’ve been doing. We’ve received feedbacks from customers which were much more than impressive. Those were the days of survival.

Even in those days, to cope with the situation we organized events like “Knowledge Festivals”, other competitions which rejuvenated us and led to knowledge enhancement.

Today, those days were gone. Today’s days are of Revival and not survival. Many good things happened and are happening. Slowly we are trying to get back to what we were and I’m sure we’ll do it very soon. The pace with which we are racing is going to lead us there. All we need to do is just stay focused :)

"Without the rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar". We have that rich heart which is courageous. Everything should follow the suit :) Just believe in the best.

With this I would like to say a big, smiling bye bye to all of u : ) Let me know how u liked this. And do remember the key take away:

“We must have courage to bet on our ideas, to take the calculated risk, and to act. Everyday living requires courage if life is to be effective and bring happiness.” All the best : ) C ye next time with a new topic : )

A beautiful day in my life : )

Hello Everyone!!!
It’s been quite some time that wrote a blog…. I didn’t feel like writing one these days… But, one incident happened to me last night because of which I’m writing this. Yesterday, I learnt something…
It was about 8 30PM that I came out from office after a hectic day. I took my bike and started back home. I was in between Madhapur and Jubilee hills when my bike suddenly came to a halt. The engine got shut down. Then I realized that my fuel tank was in reserve for the last 3 days. And now, it is empty. I tried my best to start it and all my attempts went futile. Seeing no other option, I prepared my mind to walk for the next 1.5 kms to find a petrol bunk.
I was about to get down from my bike and walk to the fuel station when a bike came & stopped beside me. I saw two guys getting down from it. As they approached, I understood they work for Deloitte by seeing their ID tags. Both were around 25 – 28 years of age.
One of the fellows spoke “Hey Boss. Any problem?”
I was about to answer “Aaah…. Yes…. Uhh...”
“You are out of petrol?”
“Yes”
“Ok. You need some petrol?”
“Ya. My tank is empty. But it’s ok it’s just 1 more Km for the fuel station. I’ll walk and get it”
“Aah. Wait”
He walked back to his bike. He took out a plastic glass underneath his seat cover. I was wondering what he would do…. He simply removed the petrol pipe connecting the fuel tank and Engine. A small flow of petrol dropped down. He extracted a full glass of it and came to me and said:
“Put this in your bike and check if it starts”
I was so overwhelmed inside from his action that words didn’t come out of my mouth. I was so happy. I did what he asked. But the bike didn’t start.
He saw that and without any second thought went back and got me one more glass of Petrol.
And, my bike got started.
I was extremely happy. I was not happy that my bike got started and I can avoid a walk of 2 kms. But the reason behind it is – The feel this man gave to me. This man showed me a practically how it feels when a stranger helps you.
So, I asked him straight – “May I know your name”
“Janardhan” he replied.
“Thank you very much Janardhan. But, why did you help me when nobody else is caring?”
He smiled, chuckled and said “I know how a person feels if somebody helps him in a situation like this. I was once in your position”
“Ya true. But, why should you think about my trouble? It’s not your headache”
He smiled and said “I don’t know, I just wanted to help”
“I’m very glad Janardhan. Thank you very much :)”
He smiled while sitting on his bike and while leaving, he told “You also help somebody if they are in need : ) you’ll know the answer why I helped you : ) Good night” Then he went off.
I started my bike, went to the petrol station, filled fuel and went home. Only one thought surrounded me till I slept. “Why did he help me?”
I still don’t know the answer, but one thing is for sure… I can never forget that person and how he made me feel. Wherever and whatever he is, I owe him. I’m his fan. I liked him.
This is the feeling I felt for very few people on this earth. Because not everybody makes you feel so. The people who make you feel so are indeed THE BEST PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE.
One conclusion I can made from this experience is – “You need not try very hard to become a great person. All it takes is your personality and Character. The rest takes care of itself”
So, finally, this blog is for Janardhan who made me feel so :)

A Cute Conversation Between Rita, Mita and Bata on Stocks & Trading Process

Hey Everyone!!!! This is a small story or you can call it a cute conversation happened between 3 friends. Rita and Meeta are two engineering graduates who just got into a software firm. Bata is a Charted Accountant & a senior employee in the same firm. Time made them good friends. And one day during lunch time……

Rita: Oh my god!! It’s such a hectic day. Lots of issues. Had not even a minute free.

Meeta: Ya true re… Even my schedule was similar. Totally packed. But Rituu, we should have lunch at correct time. 2:30 is too late. God help us.

Rita: Hmmm.. true. By the way, wherez Bata? You called him? Is he coming.

Meeta: ya… I called him… Must be on his way…. Ya… here he comes….

Bata: Hey girls!!! Sorry if I’m late.. Hw r u doing?

Rita: Ya.. busy persons… Always late : ) … Went to meet your girl friend?

Bata: No re baba… got stuck with my stock broker over the phone.. He kept dragging my time….

Meeta: Stock broker? U own stocks?

Bata: Yup. I’m a Charted Accountant my dear… obviously I love doing stock trading. It is one of my major modes of investment

Rita: Wow. That’s great!! Actually I wanted to learn something about stocks for a long time. I heard that it is a good way of making money. Can you plz tell me something about it?.. I seriously wanna learn.

Meeta: Yo yo.. Even I’m interested. I’m a spendthrift & I wanna control it. May be some investment like this will help.

Bata: Hmmm ok girls. Not a problem. But I can’t say something for free. U should pay me something.

Meeta: Ok guruji.. Tell me wat do u want?

Bata: I’ll let u know that once I finish it. But it is very small. I need your word on it. Can I have it?

Rita: Hmm.. Alright.. If it is something we can do, We’ll definitely do it.

Bata: Cool!!! Then, let me order my lunch & we can start our discussion.

After 10 min…

Tell me girls, what do you wanna learn?



Meeta: Well, from the scratch, start with what is a stock?

Bata: Hmmm. Very well. The Definition of a Stock Plain and simple, stock is a share in the ownership of a company. Stock represents a claim on the company's assets and earnings. As you acquire more stock, your ownership stake in the company becomes greater. Whether you say shares, equity, or stock, it all means the same thing.

Rita: What do you mean by ownership in the company?

Bata: Yes, this means that technically you own a tiny sliver of every piece of furniture, every trademark, and every contract of the company. As an owner, you are entitled to your share of the company's earnings as well as any voting rights attached to the stock.

Rita: So, if I own a stock, can I go and sell a part of company’s building if I wish to?

Bata: Ha ha… Good one. Technically speaking you can. But, practically you can’t. More importantly, you are only entitled to a portion of the company's profits and any voting rights attached to the stock. With some companies, the profits are typically paid out in dividends. The more shares you own, the larger the portion of the company (and profits) you own. At any time, as the value of the stock rises, your profits will also soar.

Meeta: Oh!! Will there be only profits in stock trading? No losses?

Bata: Oh yeah!!. I’m coming to that. The probability of having a loss cannot be ignored in stock trading. It depends on various factors. You may lose as much as you gain. It is un predictable.

Rita: How does a stock take its birth? Who decides its price?

Bata: Very good question. Before that, you should ask me one more question. You are buying a stock means, somebody (or the company) is selling it right? Why should the company sell it and make you one of its owners? What does there for it in this deal?

Rita: Yah!! Bata. Correct. It didn’t strike me. Plz tell me know.

Bata: Hmm. It’s very simple. Initially while starting a company, if it does not have enough capital to do the business, it will come to the public and raise funds for itself. In return, it will offer a part of its ownership to the public who invest in it in the form of shares. This is called Initial Public Offer (IPO). This is how a stock takes its birth. Once the IPO is closed, those shares which were offered remain with the public and trading on these shares would commence. The initial price of the stock is decided by the Company and some Investment Bankers considering various factors.

Rita: Ok. Sounds fare. So, are there any types of stocks?

Bata: Why not? Loads. But for you, I’d like to tell a few of them.

A Common Stock: Common stock is just that, "common". The majority of stocks trading today are in this form. Common stock represents ownership in a company and a portion of profits (dividends). Investors also have voting rights (one vote per share) to elect the board members who oversee the major decisions made by management. In the long term, common stock, by means of capital growth, yield higher rewards than other forms of investment securities. This higher return comes at a cost, as common stock entails the most risk. Should a company go bankrupt and liquidate, the common shareholders will not receive money until the creditors, bondholders and preferred shareholders are paid.

Preferred stock: represents ownership in a company, but it usually does not give the holder voting rights (this may vary depending on the company). With preferred shares, investors are guaranteed a fixed (or sometimes variable) dividend forever, while common stocks have variable dividends. One of the main advantages to being a preferred stockholder is that, should the company experience financial trouble and have to liquidate, you would be paid off before the common stockholders (but still after debt holders).

Rita: Who will make a record of all these transactions?

Bata: Ya. In our job, everybody should report to someone else who will maintain the record of the tasks we do right?, likewise in stocks, the Stock Exchange makes maintains the record of transactions made. In general, all the transactions should be attested by the stock exchange before getting executed. So, in layman terms, Stock exchange is a “facilitator of trading process”.

Meeta: You mentioned “Trading of stocks”. What does that mean?

Bata: “Trading” bluntly means Buying and Selling of stocks. It is the simplest way of defining it. It is a sequence of transactions made across various traders.

Meeta: How does this trading happen? What is it’s process?

Bata: Wow!! I’m very happy that you girls are asking so many questions. I like the enthu you have. Well, I’ll explain you the trading process with an example.

Let us say you want to buy 100 stocks of Satyam at 45 rupees. What you will do is:

1. Go to a stock broker; issue your order to your broker.

2. The broker passes your order to the stock exchange

3. Stock Exchange makes note of your order and searches for some other order that is willing to sell 100 stocks of Satyam for 45 Rupees.

4. If it finds it, it executes the trade between these two orders and the funds / stocks are transferred between the two brokers.

5. In India Bombay Stock Index (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) are two major exchanges where trading takes place.

Rita: It sounds so simple. Wow! Tell me more about this exchange and the process.

Bata: Ya I seriously want to explain you more about:

1. Markets

2. Stock Exchanges

3. Index

4. Stock terminology

5. Factors Influencing the stocks

6. Trading process.

I even want to show you some examples. But it is about time that I should leave. I’m already late.

Meeta: Where can I get more details about the basics of Stocks?

Bata: You can google through numerous web sites. Also next week there is gonna be a knowledge session taken up by my friend Chaitanya on “Stocks & Trading Process”. It may help you in understanding the basics better. You can even invite your friends to attend the session.

Rita: Wow!! That’s great.

Bata: Ok. Finally, wat about my Fee?

Meeta: Ya ya. Ask what do you want?

Bata: Ok Now that you’ve learnt something, I don’t want it to get wasted. Share the knowledge you have with your friends, It helps them. Also, it makes you better and gives you satisfaction. PROMOTE WISDOM. Can I have your word on this?



Rita, Meeta: Yeah. You definitely can have it. We promise you that.

Bata: Ok then girls. Thanx 4 listening. Have a great day. See you in the evening. Ba bye

Rita, Meeta: Ya. Thank you Bata. Bye. Take care. Have a nice day.

One of the best Articles that impressed me : )

Money has no memory. Experience has. You will never know what was the total cost of your education, but for a lifetime you will recall and relive the memories of schools and colleges. Few years from now, you will forget the amount you paid to settle the hospitalisation bill, but will ever cherish having saved your mother's life or the life you get to live with the just born. You won't remember the cost of your honeymoon, but to the last breath remember the experiences of the bliss of togetherness. Money has no memory. Experience has.
Good times and bad times, times of prosperity and times of poverty, times when the future looked so secure and times when you didn't know from where the tomorrow will come… life has been in one way or the other a roller-coaster ride for everyone. Beyond all that abundance and beyond all that deprivation, what remains is the memory of experiences. Sometimes the wallet was full… sometimes even the pocket was empty. There was enough and you still had reasons to frown. There wasn't enough and you still had reasons to smile. Today, you can look back with tears of gratitude for all the times you had laughed together, and also look back with a smile at all the times you cried alone. All in all, life filled you with experiences to create a history of your own self, and you alone can remember them all.
The first time you balanced yourself on your cycle without support…
The first time she said 'yes' and it was two years since you proposed…
The first cry… the first steps… the first word… the first kiss… all of your child…
The first gift you bought for your parents and the first gift your daughter gave you…
The first award… the first public appreciation… the first stage performance…
And the list is endless… Experiences, with timeless memory…
Not denying that anything that's material cost money, but the fact remains the cost of the experience will be forgotten, but the experience never.
So, what if it's economic recession? Let it be, but let there not be a recession to the quality of your life. You can still take your parents, if not on a pilgrimage, at least to the local temple. You can still play with your children, if not on an international holiday, at least in the local park. It doesn't cost money to lie down or to take a loved one onto your lap. Nice time to train the employees, create leadership availability and be ready for the wonderful times when they arrive. Hey! Aspects like your health, knowledge development and spiritual growth are not economy dependent.
Time will pass… economy will revive… currency will soon be in current… and in all this, I don't want you to look back and realise you did nothing but stayed in gloom. Recession can make you lose out on money. Let it not make you lose out on experiences… If you are not happy with what you have, no matter how much more you have, you will still not be happy.
Make a statement with the way you live your life: How I feel has nothing to do with how much I have.