Budget basics!!!

I.What is general budget and why we need it? 
Like we prepare our family, entrepreneurial or company budget, the government also needs to prepare its own budget. The financial resources for the government are derived through levying taxes, duties and surcharges etc. Often government also requires borrowing money to meet urgent needs. In a democratic country like India government being formed by public representatives (the Parliamentarians) is supposed to collect and spend financial resources in accordance to public opinion. Being difficult to accommodate views of all Indians, to seek vote of account from the Parliamentarians, every government needs to present annual financial statement along with proposed estimated receipts and expenditures for ensuing year to the Parliament for its approval. This financial statement is called as 'General Budget' which contains the following documents– 
1.Key to Budget 
2.Budget Highlights 
3.Budget Speech 
4.Budget at a Glance 
5.Finance Bill 
6.Memorandum 
7.Receipt Budget 
8.Expenditure Budget 
9.Customs and Central Excise 
10Implementation of Budget 
11Announcements 
12The Macro Economic Framework Statement 
13The Medium Term Fiscal Policy Statement 
14The Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement 
15The Outcome Budget 

II.What are sources of finance for the general Budget? 
Among three major accounts for the Government, the consolidated count is the main one where all receipts are intentionally mobilized for general budget. The second account is contingency fund where Rs. 500 crores is kept for unforeseen incidences and in case of any emergency, if any amount is used from this account, after approval from the Parliament the same should be transferred back to maintain the balance of contingency account. The third type of account is Public Fund where the Government keeps public funds like savings at Post offices, and EPF etc. Since Government is supposed to be custodian of such funds, there is no need to take any approval of the Parliament to use such fund. 


The Major sources of receipts for the Government may be categorized as revenue receipts and capital receipts. Revenue receipts can further divided into tax revenues and non – tax revenues receipts. All incomes generated by the government through tax, customs, excise and surcharges etc. fall under tax revenue, where as income generated through surplus of income over expenditures in public enterprises are main source of non-tax revenue receipts. The issue of securities, bonds, shares and borrowings are main sources of capital receipts. 

III.What are major heads of expenditures in general budget? 
The government proposes two types of expenses in the general budget i.e. plan expenditure and non-plan expenditure. Plan expenditures are proposed to meet the financial needs to carry the proposed plan by ministries whereas general running expenses fall under non plan expenditures. Both plan and non plan expenditure are further categorized into capital and revenue expenditures depending on nature of expenditures. All expenses which help create asset falls under capital expenses whereas the expenses which not create assets fall under revenue expenditures. The payment of interest over government borrowings is an example of revenue expenditure whereas purchase of automobile is an example of capital expenditure. 

IV.What about constitutional provision of general budget? 
Constitutionally under Article 112, the President is obliged to have the Annual Financial Statement for the ensuing financial year laid on the table of the House. But according to Article 77(3), the Finance Minister has been made responsible to prepare the Annual Financial Statement and pilot it through Parliament. The Finance Bill, Demands for Grants and Appropriation Bill are respectively provisioned under articles 110 (a), 113 and 114 (3) of the constitution. 

V.How the general budget is prepared? 
Though the Finance Minister is responsible to prepare the Union Budget and Budget of states under President Rule, following public organs are involved in budget making – 

1.The Planning Commission is responsible to set overall targets for the ministries. 
2.Comptroller & Auditor General is responsible to check the accounts. 
3.Administrative Ministries are responsible to submit their requirement and priorities. 
4.Each department in the Ministry of Finance is charged with a particular responsibility. 
a.Department of Expenditure evaluates & prepares Expenditure estimates. 
b.Department of Economic Affairs prepares the estimates for Non-Tax Revenue and Deficits budgets. 
c.Department of Revenue prepares the Tax Revenue estimates. 

The budget exercise starts in September when the Budget Division of the Department of Economic Affairs (DoE) issues budget circular to all union ministers, states and UTs, autonomous bodies and departments, and the three arms of the defence forces for preparing revised estimates for the current financial year and the estimated budget for the next financial year. 
After the line ministries submit relevant documents, pre-budget meetings begin. These involve extensive consultation between line ministries and the Department of Expenditure. Meanwhile the DoE and Department of Revenue engage in consultation with stakeholders such as farmers, labour unions, business enterprises, FIIs, chamber of commerce & industries, economists and NGO's etc. 

The demands for grants by the state governments are sent to the concerned finance ministry for evaluation. The Finance Ministry undertakes an intense internal assessment. The DoE finalizes the spending priority and align the expenditures with policy goals. The Department of Revenue finalizes estimates about revenue mobilization. 

1.Once the pre-budget meetings are over, the approved ceiling for expenditure as finalized in these meetings is communicated. It includes internal ceilings of revenue and capital expenditure. Based on these limits, each ministry / department prepares a final Statement of Budget Estimates (SBE) and send back to the budget division. 
2.The Revenue Department goes through all the demands and works out their revenue implications. A final call on the tax proposals is taken by the Finance Minister. The proposals are discussed with the Prime Minister before final decision is taken. 
3.Budget Division then gets on with the task of preparing all the budget documents and converts these documents into ready to print template formats in a CD. Finally around 24th of February, the Finance Minister hands over the CD to the press for printing of budget documents. 

VI.Where the budget documents get printed? 
Initially, budgets were printed in Rashtrapati Bhawan. From 1950s the printing venue was shifted to Minto Road located security press. And since 1980, the Union Budget is printed at the special printing press in the basement of the North Block of the Central Secretariat in New Delhi. The entire process of collecting data and preparation of the budget document is done by selected officials working on computers which are de-linked from all networks, including NIC hot link. Intelligence Bureau monitors every movement, phone calls and the security of all officials involved with budget preparation and production. All electronic storage devices are out of bounds. All officials, technicians, legal experts on taxation, Press Information Bureau officials who prepare press notes in English, Hindi and Urdu on the budget and other workers involved with the printing are quarantined in the North Block. They all need to sleep in North Block and are allowed to walk out only after the Budget is tabled in the Lok Sabha on the budget day. The Cabinet also gets budget summary only 10 minutes before the Parliament assembles for budget presentation. 

VII.How general budget is presented? 
The Budget session of the Parliament opens with the address by the President on a date fixed by the President. Since 1999, it is being presented at 11.00 am on the last working day of February. Finance Minister presents the Budget Speech in the Lok Sabha in two parts. Part A deals with the general economic survey of the country and policy statements while Part B contains receipts and expenditures proposal. 'Annual Financial Statement' is laid down on the table of Rajya Sabha after the Finance Minister's speech. 

The Railway Budget is presented to the Parliament by the Union Railway Minister, two days prior to the General Budget and the general economic survey of the economy is presented prior to the annual financial statement. The Railway Budget figures relating to the receipt and expenditure of the railways are also shown in the General Budget, since they are part and parcel of the total receipts and expenditures of the Government of India. 

VIII.How general budget is passed? 
Immediately no discussion is followed after the budget is presented in the Parliament. Few days later for 2 to 3 days the Lok Sabha discusses the budget as a whole and not in details. At the end of the discussion, the Finance Minister replies of the queries. A 'Vote of Account' for the expenditure in next two months of ensuing financial year is obtained form Parliament. The House is adjourned for a fixed period. During this period the Demands for Grants of various ministries / departments including Railways are considered by relevant standing committees. 

-Reports by various Standing Committees are presented to the House. In the house these are discussed Ministry-wise and votes on Demands of Grants. 
-The Speaker puts all the outstanding Demands to the Vote of the House. This device is known as the 'guillotine'. The Lok Sabha has the power to assent or refuse to any Demand or even to reduce the amount of grant sought by the government. 
-In the Rajya Sabha, there is only a general discussion on the budget. It does not vote on the Demands for Grants. 
-After general discussion on the budget proposals and voting on Demands for Grants have been completed, government introduces the Appropriation Bill. The Appropriation Bill is intended to give authority to the government to incur expenditure from and out of the consolidated fund of India. 

Considerably if the Budget proposals are defeated in the Lok Sabha, the Government has to resign. 

IX.What is the significance of the Finance Bill? 
The Finance Bill seeking to give effect to the government's taxation proposals, which is introduced in the Lok Sabha immediately after the presentation of the budget, is taken up for consideration after the Appropriation Bill is passed. However certain provisions in the Bill relating to levy and collection of fresh duties or variation in the existing duties come into effect immediately on the day the Bill is introduced by virtue of a declaration under the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act. Indirect tax proposals come into force as soon as they are announced; direct tax proposals await approval by the Parliament. Parliament has to pass the Finance Bill within 75 days of its introduction. 

So, the whole process of preparation to finalization of annual general budget around 7 months time where almost all public representatives like Member of Parliament, Secretariat and officials are involved. If general Indians intend to contribute in the budget process, they have better time in September to approach the concerned ministry. The concerned ministry will listen the views of general public and may incorporate their views if find genuine and worthy. The other way is that NGOs may submit their proposals / views to the Budget Division in the Department of Economic Affairs under Ministry of Finance for consideration. Planning commission may also be approached with genuine plans and proposals in this regard. But all submissions should be made before launch of the process instead after presentation of the budget in the Parliament. 

Be sure that every citizen of India duly participates in preparation and implementation of general budget because in a democratic country like India it is our socio – economic obligation. Only public participation can make our system better and negligence invites corrupt people to pervert the system. So be aware and active for general budget. Without public participation we cannot achieve the plan of inclusive growth.

Life

"It's the Circle of Life, And it moves us all, Through despair and hope, Through faith and love, Till we find our place, On the path unwinding, In the Circle, The Circle of Life"

The circle of life…is what keeps us going. All the ups and downs we go thru..makes us what we are and helps us in being what we want to be tomorrow. Things we repent doing at one point does help us be more strong and confident for a better tomorrow. Never to look back attitude get us striving for more.

"Life has no smooth road for any of us; and in the bracing atmosphere of a high aim the very roughness stimulates the climber to steadier steps, till the legend, over steep ways to the stars, fulfills itself."

Life is like a diamond…..when found it is rough and ugly…it goes thru scratches..moulds..rough edges..cuts…bruises.. and then we have it shining like never before… completely priceless.. We humans are such….the need to shine takes us thru millions of hard ways…a rocky road…a lonely path at times which we would feel it leading us no where…but end of it…these burns make us look better …they make us rise and shine...they make us believe in ourselves…they make us achieve the milestones we set…and in end its all with no regrets.

"The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be."

Best Friends

It's the times we're so crazy,
that people think we're high.
It's the times we laugh so hard,
we can't help but cry.
It's all the inside jokes
and "remember whens".
those are all the reasons
that we're best friends! 

Interesting quote by Thomas Friedman

 

Speech by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times....                       
                                                                           
"When we were young kids growing up in America, we were Told to eat our vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, think of the starving children in India And finish the dinner.'                                         
                                                                           
                                                                           
And now I tell my children:                                     
'Finish your homework. Think of the children in India who would make you starve, if you don't.'!!!"                   
                                                         
.

Evening I can never forget!!!

The whole issue of SRK n MNIK was blown out of proportion. The other side we had a blast… to give more security to theaters etc.. the security was reduced at other places.. What is the government trying to give importance too?? Its a sad world out there…its easy to sit in a AC cabin and discuss issues..but the pain is when someone from family is lost in such days…

I personally can relate it too so much…26/11 Leopolds…I was there …ten mins before the firing…car parked just outside the café. Never feared and scared so much as I was that day.. Had a colleague from Bahrain ..& I was out wid her all over colaba causeway…and this happened.. she was petrified & scared ..could see her crying like anything when she wasn’t allowed to enter President hotel where she was put up. We somehow managed to get her in thinking will take her home wid me wid belongings..but she dint want too..as she wanted to fly asap…took a cab and headed to airport. She was to fly after 3 days…cut short the trip and left the very next flight which she could get thru… She cried nonstop..thinking something will happen to her..she has twin daughters…about which she couldn’t stop talking about… I was never as sad as this day..

We were to dine at leopolds…thnx God ..we dint…else am not sure what & where I would have been…I too had to drive down all the way back to Vashi…alone that too… family kept calling me...One evening of my life I would never forget.. don’t want to also..as it would remind me the state we live in…that we need to get up & speak..we need to change so much around us..so that our next Gen is not worried about being at a mall or café or a walk near nairman point as we would be today….

Graduation - Vitamin C

Love this song….

 

And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives 
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25 
I keep thinking times will never change 
Keep on thinking things will always be the same 
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back 
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track 
And if you got something that you need to say 
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day 
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down 
These memories are playing like a film without sound 
And I keep thinking of that night in June 
I didn't know much of love 
But it came too soon 
And there was me and you 
And then we got real cool 
Stay at home talking on the telephone with me 
We'd get so excited, we'd get so scared 
Laughing at our selves thinking life's not fair 
And this is how it feels 

1 - As we go on 
We remember 
All the times we 
Had together 
And as our lives change 
Come whatever 
We will still be 
Friends Forever 

So if we get the big jobs 
And we make the big money 
When we look back now 
Will our jokes still be funny? 
Will we still remember everything we learned in school? 
Still be trying to break every single rule 
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man? 
Can we ever find a job that won't interfere with a tan? 
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye 
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly 
And this is how it feels 

Repeat 1 

La, la, la, la� 
Yeah, yeah, yeah 
La, la, la, la� 
We will still be friends forever 

Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now? 
Can we survive it out there? 
Can we make it somehow? 
I guess I thought that this would never end 
And suddenly it's like we're women and men 
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round? 
Will these memories fade when I leave this town 
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye 
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly 

 

 

Can't things get better??

Why is there so much of crap over SRK and his movies…for that matter any movies…why these SS have to stoop down to riot like a situation.

The other day a SS spokesperson said that The So called Mango People had issues with the statement SRK passed…well to which I totally don’t agree. I believe the Mango people just want to watch the movie and really not bother much about what SRK would say intentionally or unintentionally. Why are the theaters targeted or say Film Industry…its sad to know that we live in such a community that even going to watch a movie, to entertain ourselves we have to worry.

Don’t we have bigger issues to sort out..poverty…attacks…half of the population in India mite not be getting a proper one time meal too… why cant these SS guys just spend the day wid the needy rather then creating a mess n fear all over.

Another thing which is bothering me today is the issue about Nooria Haveliwala http://bit.ly/9TyJQs . Well for sure she was drunk heaps that nite…when she rammed into several people killing a few n injuring a few. Now the blood test says that alcohol content in her body was less than one third of what had been detected by the breathanalyser tests done by the traffic police. So does it mean that the units these cops use is faulty…well I don’t think so…am sure it’s got more to it. Just shows how much money talks. Well I wonder how these kind of kids are been treated by the parents.. Way too much freedom n liberty works as a spoil sport sometimes. They drink heavily at such tender age and life becomes a mess!!!

Super Boring Day...

Well day dint start well...ydys sad hangover was still clinged on...but the work at home kept me on toes.. One of the most imp task was done with today..a kind of life changing task..Somethings just cant be described or said..one just has to feel it..

Work @ home is at all time high..loving those nice french windows...wid tiles all around...hmm..nice place now to sit n watch the sun go down....aaah..bliss moment..

Mr Gandhi travld in train today...sound grt..esp a good move to show the MNS n SS dat Mumbai belongs to India..and not just .......

Missing out my practice on my 6 strings...feelin bad when i dont touch it....Hunting for a new tutor who could come home and teach me more and more as i find it a grt destresser.. Hope i get one soon...

Thats it for the day...Markets working tmrw...a chance for it to fall....aah nice time for some bottom fishing...fingers crossed.....

Seems like a never ending day!!!

End of another day….a hectic day…a rough day….dint expect markets to fall down like it did today….Portfolios are going crazy..silver has come down…hoping markets don't behave crazy and see any sort of blood bath..

Talking about World Markets..there seem no end to avenues to make money…just never ending for the ones running behind it….Learnt a few things about opening a account and etc etc on Nasdaq / NYSE / Sing Markets etc…hoping this new venture is fruitful…

Today day dint end well..someone said something to me without knowing how I would feel for the same. Well I guess some realize the value and importance of  people only once they go far far away….. 

Day dint end the way it should have been…wished it would have ended nice..but it dint budge…The day too is just getting longer and longer....

Losing a Friend

The worst thing in life is to lose a friend,
A friend that means the world to you,
A friend that you put all your trust and faith in.
A friend you believe in from the start.
A friends that took the center of your heart.
A friend you'd die for,
A friend you wanted to cherish for a lifetime,
A friend,
A good friend,
A best friend.

Just lost one today.....

To write or not...

To wirte or not to write …it was always on my mind.. But I always knew I wanted to write. There were days where I used to pen some nice poems…friends used to love them..

Where have those days gone..just been busy busy with the routine..and not time to look back in life for the fun n good moments missed out on.

Last 2 years have started taking life in a different manner. Living life and not just mere dragging it in the Race of corporate structure.

Miss those days when we used to bunk classes for movies…bunk lectures n hang out @ Nariman point and watch the world pass by… Miss those canteen days…where we used to struggle with the pocket money and have those yumm junk food with friends…

My Kine days…amen…blissful days…all over the town wid my kine and a friend…Ya her name was Leena..quite good friends …Miss those late nite @ Three flights up :p …still remember being fired hell out for that nite…Those late nite movies…sneaking back in to the house…Aaah all those affairs n flings…. :p . GNiit classes were jst the best time of my life…made best buddies when there…

But life moves on and on…new people.. new work…new choices…new tastes …new demands…Life has moved on from a Cassette Walkman to an ITouch…from canteen food to CCDs n Barrisatas…Road side food to 5 Star resturas…from a single screen to a multiplex…from a kinetic to a big car…

In short…got everything we need as luxury in life….but peace..love..friends..time for family has gone away..and miss this the most now..

Make the most of every moment we have in life!!!

Making Love Flourish

Of late I seem to have this wish

Of us walking hand-in-hand to the finish

I know this may seem childish

But when love grows, it doesn't vanish

I wonder if together we can make it flourish

Leaving us memories for us to cherish?

Husband & Wife :)

One day a young man and his wife were invited to visit an elderly couple for dinner. The elderly couple had been married for about 60 years, and seemed to love each other very much. The husband would always address his wife as honey, pumpkin, etc. When the two women disappeared to the kitchen the younger man asked the elderly man, "How do you manage to keep calling your wife honey and stuff after being married for so long?" The man blushed as he looked away for a moment, then turned back to the young man and relpied, "I forgot her name ten years ago." 

Equity Markets 3rd Feb

Sensex which surged by 170 points in opening trade on Tuesday driven by rally in the global bourses, failed to sustain its uptrend in the afternoon session on heavy selling by funds and retail investors. Among the sectoral indices, realty was down 2.45%, bank 1.99%, PSU 1.71% and oil & gas 1.57%. Today we expect the market to open firm on strong global cues.

 

US Stocks rallied on Tuesday, with Dow Jones posting their second straight triple-digit gain, as investors welcomed better-than-expected corporate results, signs of stability in the housing sector and solid auto sales. Both Dow Jones Industrial Average & Nasdaq ended up 1.1% & 0.9% respectively.

 

Asian markets are also trading higher at this point in time with Hang Seng & Nikkei down 0.6% & 0.3% respectively. Indian ADRs ended mixed with Dr Reddy's Lab being the biggest gainer up by nearly 4.5%. Among Tech ADRs while Satyam & Infosys were up 0.6% & 0.4% respectively, Wipro ended the day with losses of 1.5%. Financials ended mixed with ICICI Bank down 0.4% while HDFC Bank was up 0.6%. Sterlite & Tata Motors however were down 0.4% & 0.3% respectively.

End of the Day

Friday, January 29, 2010
 

Market fell from 17641 on Jan 18 to 16189 on Jan 28 which was the last day of Jan settlement. Drop of 1452 points or over 8%. All bad news ended with end of earning season. Obama comment, S&P downgraded  Japanese funds, profit booking unwinding by hedge funds and open interest unwinding were enough to damage the sentiment to leave the open interest of Feb at 48000 Crores only, in this period market digested FII selling of over 1.5 bn usd. Govt is here to support market which seen from the fact that LIC bought over 1 bn usd stocks in this period, Govt also planning to sell ITC and Larsen for 20k Crs apart from 25k Crs disinvestment proceed Sail and Tisco working at over 100pc cap prove a point that India is not only doing well but we will achieve 9% GDP. This selling was only an abrasion. It was the last chance to bears to break the 4800 level yesterday they missed the bus.

CRR hiked by 75 basis points which will help in controlling the storming inflation. However, the key interest rates were left unchanged. The hike in CRR is expected to suck out Rs 36,000 crores liquidity from the system. Despite CRR hike, we are not expecting any rates hike. This will expand capex which will help in Economic growth. Selling is absorbed and we expecting fast recover and our target is intact.

 
There are three types of traders in the market, one makes wonder happen, second see wonders happen and third one wonders what happened!

Love & Anger

A saint asked his disciples, "Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?"

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, "Because we lose our calm, we shout for that." "But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?" asked the saint. "Isn ' t it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice?

Why do you shout at a person when you ' re angry?" The disciples gave some other answers, but none satisfied the saint. Finally, he explained, "When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance."

Then, the saint asked, "What happens when two people fall in love? They don ' t shout at each other, but talk softly. Why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small." The saint continued, "When they love each other even more, what happens?

They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally, they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that ' s all. That is how close two people are when they love each other."

MORAL

When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.

Why you should invest in exchange traded funds...

While India's business world is made up of thousands of entities like corporations, companies, partnership and sole proprietorship firms, cooperative societies and the one man outfits, only a few hundred are actually listed on the various stock exchanges of the country and of these only 50 large companies actually form the two major market indices, the Sensex (30) and the Nifty (50).

These indices are important indicators of India's economic and financial health. When these indices are soaring consistently, the economy is doing great and when, languishing in the red, these indices announce the dismal state of affairs in the country.

So when you believe in the success of an economy one of the most efficient ways of turning this belief into gains for you is investing in the index of this economy. Very simply, if the economy is going to do well, the stock market index will rise and hence you gain.

An index fund is exactly that. It is a fund that attempts to mirror a stock market index or a sectoral index as closely as possible by investing in the stocks that form that index in the very same proportion. So a nifty index fund would have the same 50 companies that make up Nifty in the same weightage.

SCATTERED PAPER......

Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young  man was proven innocent. After been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him. 

In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, didn't harm anyone..' 

The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man: 'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper . Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.' 

The next day, the judge told the old man: 'Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.' 

The old man said: 'I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them.' 

The judge then replied: 'The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it.

"If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything" 

'Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words.'  

Quotes...

• 
  
  Nothing is impossible in this world.
• 
  
  You really can change the world if you care enough.- Marion Wright Edelman
• 
  
  One word which can change your life - "TRY"
• 
  
  Life is a big canvas, throw all the paint on it you can.-- Danny Kaye
• 
  
  Where there is a will, there is a way.
• 
  
  Never let the problem become an excuse.
• 
  
  When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
• 
  
  God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.----Bible
• 
  
  Proverbs are the cream of a nation's thought. - Unknown
• 
  
  Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
  - T.S. Eliot
• 
  
  3 rules of work
  1. out of clutter, find simplicity.
  2. From discord find harmony.
  3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. ---Einstein ,Albert
• 
  
  In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity. ---Einstein, Albert
• 
  
  Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. ---- Leon Suenes
• 
  
  Begining is half daone.
• 
  
  Whether you believe you can, or whether you believe you can't, you're absolutely right.- ----Henry Ford
• 
  
  Great minds have purposes;
  others have wishes.---- Washington Irving
• 
  
  Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt. -----Shakespeare
• 
  
  Each of us is an artist, capable of conceiving and creating a vision from the depths of our being. ----Dorothy Fadiman
• 
  
  Things do not change; we change. ---Thoreau
• 
  
  Some people think you are strong when you hold on. Others think it is when you let go. ----Sylvia Robinson
  
  
  
  

When in doubt Ask!!!

In our day to day activities, we come across several situations that may not seem clear to us right at the beginning – in such times it is better to clarify whatever doubts , misconceptions ,views we may have - but this may not always be very simple to do !

Lets take an example of a training session you are attending and look at a few tips to clarify

some doubts that come up during the session:

•Articulate the question

Sometimes we ask multiple questions at one go, this leads to confusing the recipient of the questions , which in turn confuses us . The respondent may skip answering important questions and they may not provide the answers we were looking for. Instead , we need to be clear of the point(s) to be clarified and ask these as individual questions .

•Listen attentively

When receiving a response , concentrate on what the person is really saying. Put your opinions on hold , as this will stop you from understanding the information. Wait for the respondent to complete his/her train of thought and do not interrupt with more questions .

•Clarify / Summarize

Once you have received a response , it is best to sum up your interpretation to ensure both are on the same page . For example: "What you just said was . . ." . Doing this also gives the respondent confidence that his/her message has been interpreted correctly , leaving no room for doubt going forward .

We can apply the above tips to any situation like a conversation with our managers , our colleagues in different locations or even our clients . Through practice, we should learn to ask questions that help us gather valuable information and understand clearly what is expected of us . This gives us a clear sense of direction and ensures that we are taking the right actions to achieve our desired goals .

We all want to fall in love.....

We all want to fall in love. Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive. Every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is shattered and we are flying into the heavens. It may only last a moment, an hour, an afternoon or hopefully a lifetime. But that doesn't diminish its value...because we are left with memories that we will treasure for the rest of our lives." "What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose." Here's to our hearts dancing together in the moonlight.

Reasons to Love

Each time that we touch, every day that goes by
At night as we snuggle, each breath that you sigh

With a tilt of your head, and sparkle of eye
The joy in that laugh, the times when we cry

Everything that you do, and with all that you say
Tells me you Love me, for more than today

And surely you've seen, how we fit like a glove
Seemingly gifted, from heaven above

For all of these reasons, and so many more
It's you that I Love and will always adore

Worth reading.....

Read this blog which was posted by someone I dont know but the story touched me so much that I decided to share with all those who read my blog.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, "you are not a man!" That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions:
She didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.

She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible.. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage. This was agreeable to me.

 But she had something more. She asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning

I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy.

Our son clapped behind us, "daddy is holding mummy in his arms..." His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me... She had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office.... Jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs.. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. "Do you have a fever?" She said. I moved her hand off my head. "Sorry, Dew," I said, "I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart." Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart. That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.

The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank, blah....blah...blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy.

Do have a real happy marriage, if you're married.

If you're not married… Just believe!

Start investing when you are still in your 20s

Wake up Sid! This film showed the state of mind of a youngster who is in dilemma of how to go about his career and life. Imagine a college graduate having his savings account credited by his own salary, something that was till now being filled by his father.

Managing money is something that most Indian parents are not very comfortable teaching. Usually one hears, 'be satisfied with what you get'. While this is true it is equally important to make suitable arrangements for money with money. Let us understand this concept in detail.

Welcome to the world

In the English comedy serial "Friends", when Rachel decided to get a job and start earning, Monica says - "Welcome to the real world! It sucks! You're going to love it". This is applicable for the fresh graduates who have all the zeal and drive to prove themselves and create an identity in the business world. Getting a job and earning "my own money" seems to be the only goal in life. There is a long list of things to be done and bought with the first salary.

Saving and investing is done not as a voluntary decision but money is committed as something that is required to save tax.

Market vagaries like Sensex crossing 21,00, and then falling to 8,000 within a span of a few months – unnerve many would be investors.

One needs to understand basic terms like earning, saving and investment instead of opting for the readymade "packages" that are prevalent. Take heart, it's not just the newcomers who find it difficult to strike the right balance, even experienced investors find the art of managing money a little difficult to grasp.

Habits

A word of caution for compulsive buyers. Irrespective of whether you have just started earning, or have been at it for a while, remember the most intelligent thing it to learn how to best use that money so that in times of emergency you can fall back on it.

Investing

Like we eat, we work, we sleep, we also need to invest. But first we need to understand the meaning of investing. These issues are not that simple but a bit of financial knowledge can make things much simpler. So, let's start!

An example will help us understand the whole process.

Mohit, working as an accounts executive has a net monthly income of Rs 45,000 (he gets this amount credited to his bank account after all deductions like provident fund and taxes.

He has monthly personal expenses of Rs 10,000 including conveyance and daily expenses. He devotes Rs 10,000 to his home. Finally he has Rs 25,000 each month at his disposal.

Mohit has now ato take a decision about this Rs 25,000 - to spend all now, to save all, spend some and save some - the options are endless.

Another point to be understood is that saving is one part and putting it in useful financial instruments is another. Buying all equities could be very risky and putting all money in FDs can be a waste for our young investor. Better idea is to match your investing with your time horizon.

If you have lot of time, invest more in equities, else have a balanced portfolio. The exact portfolio is relative to each person but having more exposure to direct equity and/or equity mutual funds is what is best for young people as they have long investing time and need an overall greater return.

So get cracking. Consult a financial advisor and ready a portfolio and be a disciplined investor.