This is your Captain and I welcome you all on board..!!
Virgin-o-Literati… You all must be wondering where did this word come from..
The Oxford says:
Virgin [vur-jin] – The first.
Literati [lit-uh-rah-tee] – persons of scholarly or literary attainments.
And thus.. The word was coined:
Virgin-o-Literati –
Our first attempt to come on a common platform towards literary attainments..!
I wouldn't take long and would directly come to Virgin-o-Literati's very first adventure.. The Necker Island-ic discussion-our discussion over the book "Screw it, Lets do it" .. Lessons in Life by Richard Branson.
It has been a great pleasure to hear all our Panelists express their stands.. their perspectives towards Life after having a close look at how Mr Branson has been living his life.
I would like to take the pleasure of (informally) introducing our Panelists and our discussion. We all had 'over-heard' a conversation between Sam and Holly, Mr. Branson's children and we were left on a crossroad to take our own decision on how we see life.
If I see the over all discussion, Our Panelists have talked about a wide spectrum of colours on what life is all about. To start off, our panelist from Aamchi Mumbai, Jitin, a guy with unbelievable will power and positivity, symbolizes the 2 sides of a coin with a choice which we have to make in life .. between the respectful/logical/safe option and the passionate/adventurous/high risk one. Talking about Risks, Sangeeta, an ocean of ideas.. creativity personified, emphasizes that Risks are ok, but what should go behind this .. is extreme planning, as everyone of us has a spectrum of responsibilities and thus we can't just take risks on basis of Luck. As we all know now, Richard had his share of luck. Even Ridhi, our madam professional, believes that Richard was a go-getter. Ya that's true, one needs to go all out for what he visions and dreams for but there is a lot which goes behind scenes. A very creatively brought out point by our bubbling, full of life Priyanca, that what plays a key role is Transformational decision making and change. Once you know your goals, then just believe in yourself. As Lovina, Our Thinkpad ..this is how Miss Know All is known, quotes.. Impossible can also be read as I M Possible. Go that extra mile. Esha, a voracious reader and a someone who can be the editor of a global magazine, substantiates the same, laying greater stress on risk as the essence of life, by bringing us closer to the finer details of history. I particularly liked a line beautifully quoted by .. our highness Sabina, "a new roadbloack is a new beginning" and thus we should consider it as an opportunity to make gold out of coal. As Himanshu, our Inspiron.. an inspirational figure..a very ambitious guy, says opportunities are all around us, its just about having the will to take that risk to succeed. And to that our energetic dynamic Deepak, adds, its not luck but belief which matters till the end. He who wins the war writes History..!
Now, after an informal, candid chat with all the panelists, I would declare the house as open…
Jitin Sharma
Hello Captain!
To introduce myself, this is Jitin Sharma on board of the Virgin-o-literati flight. After practising 4 years of engineering-ism@Thapar and 22 months of business-analysis@Evalueserve, I am currently a holy disciple of NITIEism, an MBA devotee in Mumbai :-)
So here I launch myself...
"Screw It, Lets Do It" - The discussion between Sam and Holly was indeed thoughtful. I would like to share my perspective on the same. There are two sides to the coin and it all depends on the choice you want to make - the respectful/logical/safe one or the passionate/adventurous/high risk-high returns option.
Talking from my personal experience, I finally managed to crack CAT third time around and i am proud to be a part of an elite batch at NITIE now. So what did it took me to be here? or rather what was special in this 200 something junta who are now a part of this prestigious MBA institute?
Every year more than 3 lakhs MBA aspirants prepare for the CAT exam, but only a luck few (around 2,000-3,000) make it to the top notch institutes in India. What separates them from the crowd? Are they more intelligent, rational or brilliant than others? The answer to that in 4-5% cases maybe yes, but for the other 95% it is a big NO.
For this majority junta, cracked CAT not by following a logical or safe approach in those all important 150 minutes, they did it by playing the CAT-game to perfection! They were really passionate about it, took some calculated risks, were adventurous in their question selection and essentially followed a high risk-high returns path. Well, now they see themselves in one of the best institutes in the country.
Through this example, i just wanted to emphasize the importance of the choice which lies in our own hands. We can make it or break it. Its our life - either we can sit back, relax, take it as it comes, play the safe game, without any aspirations or goals, and finally end up wherever life takes us! OR we can take the giant leap - go all-out for the ultimate thing which we aspire to achieve in our life, give it our everything, even if that means taking few risks here and there, its worth it!
The fruits of that gigantic leap would show when you reach your destination. For me, this JUST-DO-IT approach has worked wonders and helped me to reach destination NITIE. Rest assure, i will continue to follow this approach during my next 2 years stay here and even afterwards, even if it means a few small failures here and there!
LETS DO IT GUYS!
Cheers..
Sangeeta Rawat
Hey my name is Sangeeta Rawat, a delhite, Mechanical Engineer by Profession and presently associated with Bechtel India Pvt. Ltd…..
Everybody is special so I am. I am what I am. I am just myself. I am human.
Sense of humor
Attractive
Natural leader
Good-natured/ personable
Extremely quick thinker
Excellent executive image
Tactician / strategic thinker
Ambitious
"The beginning is the most important part of any work" so lets begin …………………….
Dr. Yes funda of living life at its fullest and doing things which you really enjoy is some what correct… but I still disagree with this definition of life by Mr. Branson and I am with Sam…….if you want me to conclude.
A person wants to do so many things in life but sometimes you have to be responsible, reasonable and consistent with your life.
"Many of school students doesn't want to study but if we let them to do what they want without the restriction of minimum qualification they ll be lost in the world of education. No more doctors, engineers, managers …. Every body ll dance, sing and ll go for sports or may be some only yawn thru out their life….by making some set of rules you can convert your loving into hobbies like you can join dance classes can play sports everyday after office and fulfill your dreams….. And if you are seriously dedicated to something jus do it and make it your career. you can have multiple careers no doubt but sometimes jus doing what you feel to do, makes you directional less because loads many people in early stage doesn't know what they want to be in life. So jus doing at instance is harmful."
"Extreme planning before taking risk is good philosophy…. But taking risks where you know you stake your life and planning can fail is not worth. This can be appreciated only when you dun have any responsibilities. We Indians have high responsibility spectrum….and family orientation "
"LUCK is one thing which can't be your basis for taking risk. If one person is lucky enough to get out from an Atlantic challenger balloon it doesn't mean that every body would. Mavericks saying that never say I can't do it is also correct because everything practical is achievable. But say "I can do it" to only those things which you think are worth doing. I want to fly and yeah I can manage it also but if there is a calculative risk….because at the end of the day I am responsible for my family my close ones and towards myself."
I am not here to do one thing at fullest and then lost. Sometimes I have to go an extra mile to achieve my goals and there is a risk associated, I should calculate the risk and then proceed.
"Screw it let's do it " is highly influential and true but remember the luck factor and risk factor associated with it and then Jus do it.
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending
It feels gr8 to be in Necker's Island, thanks to our Captain and Panelists for such an unforgettable memory. I want to go back to mah Delhi now as I have heard that rain has started.
Have Fun.
Ridhi
Doing my MBA (HR), working as a trainee in BECHTEL..love reading & appreciate good humour.
Hi!
It was so engrossing and hugely motivating. Reading about the life of Richard Branson, who I have always perceived as that oh-so-rich guy, was a humbling experience. He seems just like any of us. I think he was a go-getter, and i can relate to him in certain stands. But I think he risked his life far too many times ( remember the balloon flights) which I dont think is a wise thing to do. Its okay to do it for fun but going a way too ahead is something I dont agree to. But whats worth appreciation is his will power and the ability to take initiatives as he did when he hired a private jet to take the stranded passengers home. Its truly humbling to see that money did not get to his head ,except for the time when he smuggled records illegally, but that too shows his sharp mind! His determination is what kept him going after initial failures. Whats commendable is that he didn't lose his identity even after being so successful and helped the hostages set free from under saddam's nose.! He was a confident guy even in his childhood days when he knew he could learn to swim and accepted his aunt's challenge. He owes a lot to his family that was his greatest strength throughout and thats why i think he is so close to them till now. I appreciate his will power and salute his sheer determination that has brought him this far and he has become an idol of some sorts for me.
Hats off !
Priyanca Manchanda
HRG SITA INDIA PVT LTD
First of all I would like to thank Captain (Mr. Sidharth Ramsinghaney) for sharing this wonderful book and secondly congratulate you for creating the ultimate panel discussion on "Screw It, Lets Do It" by Richard Branson.
Coming on sharing the views on the book, I must say the book will not tell us how to make millions over night, or how to become successful in our lives, or how to be happy. So what is it? Well, the book does convey important life lessons that are useful to all of us. The experiences he talks about are incredible. Opportunities are all around us if we are able to become receptive to them and willing to take the risk of succeeding.
Some of the highlights from the book which I think will inspire us to make a difference in our everyday life that include:
• If we want to do anything well, we must plan and prepare
• Live life to the full enjoy every minute of it
• Have fun and money will come and in turn so will our goals
• When we have goals and a positive outlook on life, we have something to aim for. Hard work and fun is what life is all about
• Long term success will never come if profit is the only aim
• Have a positive outlook in life and just get on with it. Work hard and enjoy people you come into contact with through your job
• We have to keep chasing our dreams and our goals.
• And once we decided to do something, we should never regret it
• Stick on goals. Success is more than luck. We have to believe in ourselves and make the things happen. That way others also believe in us
• We can achieve almost anything but we have to make effort
• Value family and friends
• Challenge is the core and mainspring of all human action. We should all continue to challenge ourselves
• Listen with care to everyone, rely on yourself and your goals.
• Hard-own things are more valuable than those that come too easily.
• We have only got one go in life, so we should make the most of it.
• It's best to bring things out into open. A dispute with a friend or a colleague can be sorted in a friendly way
• Respect talent
• Money is to make things happen
• Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it. Go ahead, take that first step-Just do it…..
We fear losing lives...we fear loosing relationships… we fear losing money...we are constantly fearing.... but the benefits of risk taking are great but so can be the losses... We all live in a reasonable world where people do reasonable things in a reasonable way. This is ok for the majority of our lives but without change our lives would eventually fail. To effect change we must make transformational decisions in our lives..
Transformational decision and actions bring about all-important changes in our lives and in our world. They are the bases of our survival and are usually high risk. This anatomy involves making a sudden decision, something that just happens on the spur of the moment. we should decide what we really want to change and keep taking risks...some will leave us at a loss but other will take us further to where we want to be... I think the biggest risk is changing nothing in our lives as we will stagnate and that goes against a persons natural creative ability to expand through new things and experiences. It can be a challenging road to follow because it brings change and challenges us to adapt to the changes it creates. Paradoxically, it provides us with the greatest control over a changing world and maximizes our chances to achieve a truly meaningful personal satisfaction..
Sometimes we need to find the passion and at times its just there.
"Always remember that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any Endeavour is taking the first step, making the first decision."
Lovina Varyani
A warm hello to the Captain and all the panelists on board. This is Lovina this side. I have done MBA Finance, worked with Bank of Baroda and Axis Bank. I love spending time with my 18 months old son Nikhil.. A hello from him too to everyone on board.
"Richard Branson...An art ..a life.. an adventure personified".. thats what i would like to call him.
Truely what he did or what he does requires a lot of courage...a strong will power and a belief in oneself ..yes I CAN.
But are there only two ways...the adventurous and the laid back..i guess No.
I, as in myself..would probably not go that far to achieve my goals nor at the same time sit back and relax and let destiny shape up on its own for me.
For i believe that, nothing's comes free...there is no gain without pain...so we got to make an effort but a calculated one.
Mr Branson...embodied in his life his dreams and the experiences ,attitudes of all around him be it his mum, grandmom...friends foes...anyone, similarly, we should also look around ourselves and keep learning....all ages are perfect to learn, understand life. Its never to late.
i believ in taking risks but calculated ones..not at the cost of harming or disturbing anyone..and yes one fundamental...
" Keep trying..Morning isnt that far, That first ray of sun is sure to come..in our lives to brighten all odds, we need to keep our minds open and believe in ourselves...and keep saying...I CAN DO IT..coz there is nothing thats impossible...as the word only means..
I M POSSIBLE"
Esha K Anand
Bechtel Corporation
Risk is the essence of life.
A man who doesn't make mistakes doesn't learn anything.
The essence of living in the real sense of the word is to think beyond the obvious, work towards the unknown and transcend all boundaries.
If Galileo hadn't taken the risk of standing up for his theories against religious beliefs, we wouldn't have learnt about astronomy.
Thankfully most of the achievers weren't averse to risks otherwise; we would have still been in the Stone Age.
History proves that only risk takers can be real achievers in life.
It is possible to be "conservative" and do the same work all your life to earn your bread and butter but then don't animals do the same everyday.
But at the same time stupidity can't be justified and masqueraded as risk.
Sabina Bassi:
Engineer at Bechtel. Hail from Chandigarh (which is the bestest city on the planet :P) Am an avid reader; and love music. No specific genres in either!
Here's a hello to all J
Screw it, Let's do it
The one thing I can say about Richard Branson is this: the man's a rockstar! My first reaction after reading the book was almost physical… it was something akin to a fresh gust of wind hitting you in the face. Square on. His zest for adventure, for any enterprise, for finding a solution.. well, for life itself is truly awe-inspiring. One thing I liked best about this man was that for him a new roadblock is a new beginning. I know I am presuming a lot here, but how many of us would actually get further egged on by a hindrance? And to top it all, his idealism is duly tempered with sound rationale. Taking risks, albeit with a liberal sprinkling of restrained calculation, seems to be his recipe for success. And one that he's perfected on the way.
If I have to pinpoint one incident in the book that made the deepest impact on me, it would undoubtedly be when Branson made that trip to Iraq, risking his fortune and his life. Detractors may say that with King Hussein backing him there was but the minutest probability of harm coming to him. Or that to Branson's shrewd mind, this was a brilliant plan to popularize a struggling Virgin Airline. It would become THE thing to be talked about when the hostages would be flown back; providing a much needed business boost, and much-wanted publicity. All of these are valid arguments. But the fact remains that he initiated the dialogue, and followed up to fulfill the promises he made, the risk involved no bar. It requires a very strong disposition, and in this case, excellent contacts (!), to be able to pull off something like that.
Examples like these abound in Branson's trove of experiences. I loved the book for its core essence: undying optimism and a never-say-die attitude.
(Highly recommended for anyone who's yet to read it!!)
Well, there are many new perspectives waiting to be explored, so am looking forward to "meeting" all our fellow panelists.
Cheers!
Himanshu Vashisth
Profession: MBA Student, IIFT Delhi
Experience: 2 years, Engineer Bechtel India
Interests: Reading, Swimming and Adventure sports
Richard Branson is well known not simply for his success in business as head of Virgin, but for the manner in which he has achieved it. In this short book he sets out the key lessons that he has learned and which guide his approach to life and business. He manages to cram a lot of ideas into the nine short chapters, and reveals insights into his childhood, the development of his business and the personal challenges he as undertaken as driver of record breaking power boats or as a pioneering balloon pilot.
The book is full of insights which weave lessons learned in childhood, with their application to his life. The role of luck, serendipity or synchronicity, as well as hard work and following your instinct are all brought to life. When we look at someone like Richard there's a temptation to think that he had something special, something denied to the rest of us. That's not how he sees it. A key message is that we can all achieve, as he says, 'I'm a believer in people, and what they can become.'
It is clear that Richard's success has more than an element of good fortune to it, but this is not something handed out only to a few. Opportunities are all around us if we are able to become receptive to them, and willing to take the risk of succeeding. Once you do there's no knowing where it may lead.
Deepak Mishra
A street-smart Bechtel-ite.
I won't beat around the bush but let's concentrate in the two words "Want" and the other "Willing", there's a big difference.
Whatever you are willing (remember the originating word "will") you don't need to go extra mile to grab it rather I would say it's within YOU, but whatever you want Yes of course that extra mile always comes in the play.
Again everything should have limitations, at least something, not at the cost of family and friends. Exactly if I talk about Mr. Richard then the way he flew in the balloon risking his life I believe is a best example of stupidity. I mean how can a man risk his life and hence his family and of course whole business. I know the word "adventure" answer the question. But do you really think that adventure @ life? My answer is nope never.
Yes I agree that Extra mile is always there to fill in the gap between those who have achieved and those who didn't, but not at any cost. We do anything in life can always be calculated and the risk assessment should be done. Actually we need to enjoy our job it should come from deep our heart.
We don't need to take that leap that risk for our die heart wants; actually that come out from the vigor in blood, from the passion. Remember the staff of Virgin calls Mr. Richards as "Dr. Yes". Did you ever think why so? He again answers the question the attitude "let's do it". So in short it's our attitude to challenge our self and stand on our decision.
Let's not forget that "He who wins the war writes the history". So that doesn't mean if his luck worked so will our.
Cheers..
I hope you all enjoyed our stay at the Necker Island- our e-discussion. If there is something you would like to share over this, you are most welcome to mail me or talk to me any time.
Here's your captain wishing you a great day ahead..!
