Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"


A very good read :-)

It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for
them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2
years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a
rule.

Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense
of searching for immediate results.. Therefore, we have come to posses a
need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow
movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate,
hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end,
this always yields better results.

1. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants..
2. Stockholm has 500,000 people.
3. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, are some of its renowned
companies. Volvo even supplies NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden , one of my colleagues picked me up at the
hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive
early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000
employees drive their car to work).

The first day, I didn't say anything, neither the second or third days. One
morning I asked him, "Do you have a fixed parking space?

I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other
cars in the lot."

To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, don't
you think that whoever gets in late will need a place closer to the door?"
Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement
establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to
taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing.
Slow Food is against its counterpart, Fast Food and what it stands for as a
lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe,
as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness"
generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of "having in quantity"
(life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality
of being".

French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive
than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and
have seen their productivity driven up by 20%..

This slow attitude has come to the notice of USA , the pupils of the fast
and "do it now" brigade.

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower
productivity.
It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity,
perfection, with attention to detail and less stress.
It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time..
Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and
anonymous.
It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living.
It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and
more productive work place where humans enjoy doing what they know best how
to do.

It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious
quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of
products and services, without losing the essence.

In the movie, 'Scent of a Woman', there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a
girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any
minute now". To which Al Pacino responds, "A life is lived in an instant".
Then they dance the tango!

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we
die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others
are so anxious to live for the future that they forget to live the present,
which is the only time that truly exists.

We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The
difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live
each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're
busy making other plans"

Monday, November 16, 2009

lotus touts




There's some mighty fine advice in these words, even if you're not superstitious. This Lotus Touts has been sent to you for good luck from the Anthony Robbins organization. It has been sent around the world ten times so far.
 


ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.  



TWO.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.  



THREE.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.  



FOUR..
When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.  



FIVE.
When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.  



SIX.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.  



SEVEN.
Believe in love at first sight.  



EIGHT.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.  



NINE.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.  



TEN..
In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.  



ELEVEN.
Don't judge people by their relatives.  



TWELVE.
Talk slowly but think quickly.  



THIRTEEN! ...
When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'  



FOURTEEN.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.  



FIFTEEN.
Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.  



SIXTEEN.
When you lose, don't lose the lesson.  



SEVENTEEN.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.  



EIGHTEEN.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.  



NINETEEN.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.  



TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice
 



TWENTY- ONE..
Spend some time alone.  


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Blender's Pride....Too good....

BLENDER’S PRIDE FISHING STORY

I finally got around to going fishing this morning but after a while I ran out of worms.

Then I saw a cottonmouth snake with a frog in his mouth, and frogs are good bass bait.

Knowing the snake couldn't bite me with the frog in his mouth, I grabbed him right behind the head, took the frog and put it in my bait bucket.

Now the dilemma was how to release the snake without getting bit.

I grabbed my bottle of Blender’s Pride and poured a little whiskey in its mouth.

His eyes rolled back, he went limp, I released him into the lake without incident, And carried on my fishing with the frog.

A little later I felt a nudge on my foot.

There was that same snake with two frogs in his mouth.

 


Monday, November 2, 2009

LITTLE JOHNNY is back


        
              
Little Johnny's at it again..... A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, 'Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!' After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, 'Do you think you're stupid, Little Johnny?' 'No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!'



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Little Johnny watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face. 'Why do you do that, mommy?' he asked. 'To make myself beautiful,' said his mother, who then began removing the cream with a tissue. 'What's the matter?' asked Little Johnny. 'Giving up?'



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The math teacher saw that little Johnny wasn't paying attention in class. She called on him and said,
'Johnny! What are 2 and 4 and 28 and 44?' Little Johnny quickly replied, 'NBC, FOX, ESPN and the Cartoon Network!'


       
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Little Johnny's
kindergarten class was on a field trip to their local police station where they saw pictures tacked to a bulletin board of the 10 most wanted criminals. One of the youngsters pointed to a picture and asked if it really was the photo of a wanted person.  'Yes,' said the policeman. 'The detectives want very badly to capture him.'Little Johnny asked, 'Why didn't you keep him when you took his picture ?'


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Little Johnny attended a horse auction with
his father. He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, running his hands up and down the horse's legs and rump, and chest. After a few minutes, Johnny asked, 'Dad, why are you doing that?' His father replied, 'Because when I'm buying horses,I have to make sure that they are healthy and in good shape before I buy. Johnny, looking worried, said, 'Dad, I think the UPS guy wants to buy Mom .'


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