Dear Friends,
Greetings!
The New Year has come ushering in new hopes and dreams , new promises and new action to unfold. There is expectation and anticipation on the world economic front and the onus is on us to make the most of what LIFE OFFERS. As I reflect upon the world around me, I can see the indomitable human spirit shining in full glory eliminating boundaries of race, gender and nations. What motivates them to stand up and walk against all odds? What motivates them to devote themselves for the happiness of others?
What motivates them to simply put – LIVE AND NOT JUST EXIST !!
Without faith, hope and trust, there is no promise for the future…
Around Us…
The year started where the Mumbai’s quaint spirit was at its best – the Mumbai Marathon 2010. Water was the running theme in the Mumbai Marathon .From energetic senior citizens, film stars, politicians, businessmen, Auros to Superman with empty buckets; all were a part of this Dream Run.
But what touched most of us was the active participation of all . It was all about being swept up in the spirit of the moment and movement.
As appropriately said, “Those who goes there to support the participants, return with inspiration for themselves.”
The Haitians witnessed the nature’s worst fury when an earth quake of magnitude 7 struck the Caribbean island of Haiti on January 12, 2010. Death laid its icy arms on tens of thousands, spreading the shock waves across the world. Amid the heart wrenching chaos of devastation, and some riots the citizens were seeking strength from each other to rebuild lives with all the shattered remains. It truly is an amazing display of resilience and courage.
One important lesson of learning from the people of Haiti is that; as people, as nations, as communities our strength to endure and overcome the ordeals, helps-us triumph over depths of despair.
Dubai has been in the headlines for the last few months. Be it the financial crises or say the launch of Burj Khalifa-Tallest freestanding structure. With 160 floors, the temperature at the top and the bottom of the tower varies by 10°C. It has created numerous records like having the world’s tallest performing fountains, world’s highest swimming pool and many more. It can be seen from a distance of almost 100 kilometers.
What grabs my attention is dedication and teamwork that went behind the creation of the tallest man made structure ever built. Of course now they have to show similar dedication in solving the financial “infrastructure” issues.
Apple: Apple tops the list again with the customers who loved the brand that made the white ear buds cool and happening.
Berkshire Hathaway: “Warren Buffett is a miracle guy; most things he touches do a lot better.” . Toyota Motor: By going back to the basics, the world’s largest automaker hopes to drive its earnings north again.
Google: The word quickly spread from one satisfied user to another. With over 150 Google domains, the company is still on its journey of evolution. Johnson & Johnson: Innovation and diversification helps it to make a comeback into the Top 5. (Source: CNNMoney.com and Fortune)
Lost Souls: A very disturbing news item these days is the alarming increase in the number of suicides 30 Mumbai students have committed suicide in the last 30 days !!! The sudden spate of suicides among youngsters is astounding, as we come to grips with the frightening reality of killer demon “stress” that lives in disguise in every facet of human life. A modern growing economy cannot continue to thrive with the malaise of suicide eating away a young life and the irreparable damage to the near and dear ones. Let’s together endeavor to bring back the “Sunshine” into their lives. The greatest gift of life is ‘LIFE ITSELF’. My appeal to all is to see how we can make a difference in inspiring our youngsters.
“We’ll fix it all”: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the Indian economy can grow around 7.75 per cent in the fiscal year that ends in March 2010. India achieved the distinction of being the second fastest growing economy amid the global recession in 2009. I guess this why he said, “We’ll fix it all.”
Global Indian of the Year: Ram Charan wins the award for Global Indian of the Year at the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence-2009. He has built a reputation as a one-man CEO consulting industry. Movie Magic – Avatar and 3 Idiots :Avatar bagged two top honors-“Best Picture and Director Award” at the 67th Golden Globes Awards. The movie has been highly praised across the globe for its state of the art 3-D camera effects and motion capture technology. Since its release, “Avatar” has earned an astounding 1.6 billion dollars worldwide. It is the second-biggest film in India for 2009; grossing Rs 95 Crore. The block buster of the year,3 idiots has set the cash registers into a spin and the messages into management case studies.
THE REDWOOD EDGE 2009.
2009 was a special year for us. During the year, We had the opportunity to conduct series of workshops on Service with Passion and Pride and Josh to Win, Power of Presentation, Selling with Passion, Strategic Networking, and Relationship Management for some of my esteemed clients across industries and across countries. It is always a great feeling to go back to my alma mater-SIBM Pune, to ENERGIZE the new team of “future managers”.
One of the sessions conducted in Hyderabad was truly a unique and a learning experience as I co-presented the workshop with the stellar performer and ad guru Alyque Padamsee. It was amazing to see his energy and involvement. I discovered a new facet where razzmatazz and training went hand-in-hand.
The decade rolled on and it’s time to pave way for a new beginning…The number 1 grosser of 2009 3 idiots has taught us the most important lessons for an entire lifetime- Passion leads to excellence, Learning is very simple- just never stop, Management of emotions is more important than optimization of intelligence, and most importantly…..
“Follow your heart…Success will follow you”
I hope you all enjoy reading the 4th edition of our newsletter. The Redwood Edge Team and I together wish you a very prosperous New Year. May this New Year bring in prosperity, love, happiness and delight in our lives.
Newsletter – 13th Edition