"Miracle Child" - A poem dedicated to my unborn

Oh what thrill, oh what joy!
The love of a mother's heart knows no bounds,
I know not yet girl or boy.

From that moment I whispered in God's own ear,
"If be thy will, then so be it now, here..."
This mother's heart your creation aware,
Dreamed day and night your miracle to bare.

When the time was right and hope turned to doubt,
I stared at the stick; two bars to turn out,
Skipped a beat, a tear in my eye
Called Daddy dear who wasn't nearby.

That blessed moment forever we'll cherish
When gifted we felt, a joy none can perish.
For a gift you are; a gift of God's love,
A sign of a miracle from Jesus above!

The wait now begins; forty weeks with you in,
Your face for a glimpse is all I dream and imagine.
Three months though in agony, all trials I'll overcome,
An addition to us, Dad and I look to welcome.

Now the moment is near, our voices you hear,
Every loved one awaits to hold you, my dear!
But take your sweet time, a lifetime we have,
To love and adore you, to rejoice and be glad.

When Life hits the 'Pause' button

I think it's fair for me to say that we live in a time and age where most of us at least the Gen X, Y and upwards live non-stop kind of action packed lives.   To say the least, time-management and work-life balance are the biggest challenges most executives and even students deal with.  While some of us have managed to slip in time for ourselves and our own development within our maxed out schedules, there is barely any time to include an added hour for others or unplanned events.

My life is pretty much the same.  Between a well synchronized outlook calendar, smartphone and Google calendar that has every activity listed to the tee, including private and life events, the only free time seems to be that to breathe, eat and sleep.  But fortunately for me everything seemed to work perfectly well since my husband and I live in our nuclear family; my parents in a different country and his the kind who don't keep in touch.  As long as we managed to give each other our required attention and also take personal time out among our busy schedules I was pretty confident that I had created a perfect little world around me.  In fact, I could (and do, being a corporate trainer) give lessons in time management to several top executives on where and how to save precious minutes.  Why, I could even write a book on it!!!

All until a fortnight ago.....  two Mondays ago, when reality hit me!  No matter how many gadgets you have, how many efficient apps that assist you to be better at time management, no matter how organized and planned, there are some things in life that just throw you off (way off) your plans and that's when you can do nothing but stop and PAUSE because that's what life throws at you - the pause button.

Being 24 weeks into my pregnancy with our first child, like any other mother, I'd been going through a whole surge of emotions - excitement, eagerness, anxiety, joy, worry and most of all happiness.  While the first couple of months crawled by, I soon got back into my regular routine, barring a few activities which were no longer advised.  But apart from that, there seemed to be lesser time to do all the things I wanted to get done before being a full-time mom for at least half a year! I had things planned out (the perfectionist that I am) in such a way that I would have everything in order well in time before by baby was due in May.  Work wouldn't stop; I even hired two more BD execs to take on Mumbai sales while I go out of action, clients were informed and I had the next few months' plans in place.  Everything else could be handled over the phone.

On that Monday, two weeks ago, while trying hard to juggle through a very tight schedule and deadlines and a sudden urgent job that required me to travel the next day, I experienced uncomfortable tummy cramps.  I decided to down some antacids and wait it out as I had so much to take care of, it seemed like a low priority at the moment.  In my attempt to complete things and get work organized in my absence for the next couple of days, I even ignored the severity of the cramps which were now nearly unbearable.  After getting off a conference call at 6:45pm, when I could not even lift myself off my chair, I scrambled my way to ring my next door neighbour's doorbell. She's a doctor and her clinic is in the same apartment's commercial complex outside.  Only then did I realise that in my fast-paced life, I had ignored labour pains.. for nearly 20 hours and passed them off as a gas attack!  Reality hit me hard - very hard indeed!! Was it all worth it after all? Was my attempt to delay hitting the pause button myself going to result in a very bad consequence? There was no time to think - I dropped everything, got my husband and had him drive me to my gynecologist.

The next two days were a struggle.  It's a miracle that both baby & I came through safely and are now fine.  But that was a very close call, a call I could have prevented altogether.  A call that if had I the ability to go back in time I'd have taken sooner, almost immediately in retrospect.  My doctor tried her best to prevent a preterm delivery and miraculously succeeded however I spent the next 12 days confined to a declined bed at the hospital, hoping and praying my baby would stay put and stay safe. I had all kinds of pipes and wires going through me and even celebrated my birthday there.

God was kind enough to just hit the pause button this time, but sometimes our resistance to accept His plan causes pause to turn into STOP.  What really opened my eyes even more in the two weeks that I lay there was, while I had made little to no time for so many others in my life before this due to busy schedules they were making the time for me! They were there! They all had a much better awareness of how and when to use their pause buttons.  It made me realise just how selfish I'd grown, just how small my world was and opened my eyes to the possibility of a whole new universe that can exist even in the slow lane! A more meaningful one.

I now have 14 weeks at home, grounded on bed, but I don't regret it one bit. And I'm looking forward to it to reconnect with life, its meaning and most importantly the people I care for.   Most of all I thank the Lord for His mercy and grace to show me the more important things in life.  I know I'll be a better mother now, than I would have ever been before.

Uncle Ronnie, Mom, Aunt Ruby and Savio
- Just a few of the regular visitors at the hospital

Cake for Baby & me :) Thanks hubby!

Birthday at the hospital

Audi India - The King in Consumer Marketing

We're living in a world where brands are finding it super tough to keep up with the demands of consumers and that speaks volumes of the high consumer driven age we're in. With consumers being smarter and extremely researched these days, brands are competing at every level to outsmart competition in not only reaching out to, but also providing prospect customers with the experience they are looking for.  Social media presence is no longer the buzz word; practically everybody who's anybody is on there! With Facebook and Twitter bursting out of its seems, advertisers fighting for elbow room and with more and more users accessing social media through apps, it really isn't worth betting all the bucks on.

The latest move most companies are going in for is the user experience.  We've lately seen Nokia do this with their Lumia, where radio campaigns shout that you can go pick up a Lumia and try it out for free for a couple of days and if you don't like it just return it or else purchase it.  Most pure tele-marketing brands have an all-year-round offer to try their products and return them for a full refund within a limited time if consumers are not fully satisfied with them.  For years together automobile and high-end electronic brands have given consumers a touch-feel to their products before making a purchase decision.  But today it seems every product is finally seeing value in enticing their customers by making them believe "we no longer sell; you buy".

The invite to the A4 F1 circuit experience

So, it's about time automobiles changed their approach and set a new benchmark. That's exactly what Audi's doing in India.  Audi set up  its own sales in India in 2007 as a division of Volkswagen Group and has sold between 10,000-12,000 units till date. The brand is known to have a niche customer base and also a very loyal one. So it's no surprise to see Audi go out of their way to please them with more than just service.  Right from VIP passes and invitations to some of the most elite events around the country Audi's customers get it all.  2012 being big for Audi India - with the global launches of their TT Coupe, A4 and Q3 and S4 all set for this year, needless to say, in a country where value for money sells better than premium, Audi has its money on the A4 and Q3 to hit the volumes, and has to find a way to get people to notice it and yet not have their loyalists discard the product for being entry-level.

Michael Perschke, Head Audi India
at the A4 launch

To launch its 8th generation A4 in a big way this month, Audi India hand-picked their chosen clientele and prospects from around the country and decided to blow their minds by creating the 'Audi Experience'!  What's the cover got to do with the book? Everything! These chosen flew were flown down to India's Formula one, Buddh International Circuit in Noida to have the experience of a lifetime.  With this product launch, Audi's gone where no one's gone so far. The entire experience included picking up the chosen one from their home in (of course) an Audi (some got the A6, some the Q7, some the Q5), and then training on circuit with Team Audi India's most promising racers on track driving and handling and finally the adrenaline pumping A4 experience on the track!  Audi also offered hot lap experiences of the R8 and RS5 while on the circuit. I was one among the chosen few and all I can say is this is one experience no one is forgetting soon. More importantly, there was no selling and yet Audi's sales team is now hands full pre-booking either this or the to-be-launched Q3 and S4, and no guesses who were the first to book. What's more is nothing does better than word-of-mouth selling when someone describes an out-of-the-world experience in a product that made it all possible. (see the complete album)

Audi A4 F1 experience at Buddh International Circuit

Of course, social media is key in linking up to promoting and publicizing such marketing. So the key really is in beautifully tying in all of a brand's marketing presence - print, radio and digital (and even the dying and not so relevant) television with everything that's the buzz around your product and see those sales hit the roof!  It doesn't get more real than this - Let's learn the new consumer experience from Audi!!

Being You!

Life's a funny journey. We all begin at pretty much the same origin, but our paths and destinations are carved from the various choices we make and the circumstances we face on the way.  Like a wise man once said...

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” 

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Life is a journey. Enjoy each mile!

I guess the question then lies in, how many of us really know what we want and aren't afraid to either seek it or go after it? How may of us truly ever max our potential? What were you built for? What's your true calling? Have you given life all that it's given you?  I've often had these questions bother me in my moments of solitude; each time I'm traveling solo or lying down with my thoughts at the end of the day.  We're born in a cruel, cruel environment - one that demands we conform to our surroundings, become one among the army of soldiers already fighting life's battles.  Our time, fortunately, is a little more accepting of individuality but then this thing called 'a conscience', which is so subtly driven into our little selves before we even discover that individuality, kills us when we're even on the verge of swerving off to a new bend.

Thanks to the highly social nature of all that I do (media, corporate training, modeling, writing, anchoring, travel, adventure sports…..) I've met with and heard stories from numerous individuals from various age groups.  A vast majority of them believed there were different things they wanted to or could do but never had the chance.  My question is "when is your chance?" Do you just sit under a tree and hope to be as lucky as Newton? Does it mean you pull out a calculator and strike out the best calculated risks? Or is every moment, every opportunity your chance?

Growing up I wanted to be a fire fighter (don't ask me why), an astrophysicist, a geologist, a pilot, a model, a movie star, a stunt professional, a social reformer and the list is endless...  I'm sure we pretty much all have a costume carnival of professions we've thought of.  And yes, both circumstance and the choices I've made along the way have helped me achieve some of these dreams and disown a few others. I know I'm still on the route to achieving some more.  But here's what I want to focus on today:  The moment, the right chance, an opportunity - these are all around and waiting to be grabbed! All we need is to truly believe and truly want something; hard-work and determination are good, but can have you go around in circles without direction.  So simply put, imagine life to be a very important wheel. This wheel is only so useful if it's turning and if it's taking the vehicle (YOU) to all its destinations from the routes you need to follow. Some will be winding, some enticing, some long and some pleasurable.  So just like a hub & spoke model to a sturdy wheel; let your vision, your values and your ultimate prophecy or purpose be your hub around which the spokes of growth, energy, hard-work, passion & commitment, responsibility for choices and determination strongly radiate out of.

Remember: There's just one life and you live each moment only once - Life has no replays! So spin on (the wheel of life)!

The Rich Man's Food Dilemma

I've spent a lot of time studying, understanding and experimenting with food, and I don't mean gourmet but food that benefits health, vitality and life expectancy.  Here are some of the things I believed were what any individual can easily do to maintain healthy food habits:

1. 1. The thumb rule is to eat freshly prepared, home-cooked meals with balanced components that meet your daily recommended nutrition needs.  So, no packaged foods, no fast food, no synthetic or processed foods. Tough, but do-able; particularly if you can hire a cook or have a home-maker to take care of it for the family.
2. 2. Colourful meals.  Yup, but not with the help of food dyes and colorants! Adding the dark greens and reds to your meal (spinach, broccoli, radish, beet, berries, carrots) ensure you cover the various essential and much-needed vitamins and minerals into your meals without actually calculating. So, just checking if there's colour in the plate can be an easy way to good health! 
   
3. Cut out the saturated and trans-fats (artificial fats) from your diet completely. While a healthy balance of natural fats is essential to maintain a healthy body and prevent joint troubles, bowel disorders and colon-related complications, we can all do without any LDL (bad) Cholesterol. Fats from virgin oils of olive, coconut, fennel, flax and other seeds are good, while dairy fats should be reduced to skim and low-fat only.  Cow's ghee, however, is the only saturated fat that is not harmful and recommended in daily diets to about a tablespoon a day.  Fish oils too are very healthy and have anti-oxidation properties along with Omega-3.  
4. Fad-diets are more harmful than helpful.  So going on a no-carb, no-fat, no-grain or high-protein diet is only going to have short-term benefits as your intestines, kidneys and other organs work doubly hard to keep up to such diets and cry back in the long run.  So the answer is to balance carbs, proteins, fiber, and fat according to the body's metabolism and daily requirement.