Why Ravish Kumar of NDTV Prime Time is my Favourite Anchor?

This is my response to a question on Quora which reads as “How do I get over the fear and shame of talking in Indian accent in the US?” My response has more that 548 Likes and 26000+ views at the time of  publishing this post here

Photo via Wikipedia

Mr. Balaji Viswanathan has already given a brilliant response. So, I will only add the story of Mr. Ravish Kumar of NDTV to prove that ACCENT never come in way of your success.

Accent is something unique to every state or region of a country. In India also we have different accents. I am a huge fan of Mr. Ravish Kumar, host of the show Prime Time on NDTV. It is a show where he conducts debate on the burning topics of the day.

He is from Bihar, a poor state of India and has a Bihari Accent. He never tries to hide it. He feels proud about his lineage and has great skills to handle heated debates.

Why I am telling about Mr. Ravish Kumar?

It is not because I also hail from Bihar. In-fact I don't have bihari accent as I have stayed and studied in 4 states and eventually from my voice, no one can guess from which state I belong. 

Rather, I am sharing his story as I wanted to share how accent doesn't come in way of your success, in fact you get a competitive advantage in the herd of polished speakers.

Ravish Kumar won the Indian news television award 2014 for Best News anchor in Hindi despite his humble beginning. 

It may be my personal view, which is also echoed by my friends and family that Ravish Kumar is an amazing anchor because he gives a feel of reality and originality. I am convinced that those who enjoy their work and are truly passionate about what they do attract the attention of others irrespective of their accent.

EDIT- I am overwhelmed by the response on this answer related to my favorite anchor Ravish Kumar. I am sure many of you are his fan. Can anyone share this response with him via twitter. I have tried but getting noticed on Twitter is really difficult. My Twitter handle is rohansinha03
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If you have liked, you can follow me for more answers and I hope you will also like: 

Ravish Kumar Interviewed UPSC Topper – Lessons for all of us

 Rohan Sinha's answer to How was the Indian economy shaped after its independence?

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Learning from the Monk who sold his Ferrari

Photo via  www.besttop5.com

The Monk who sold his Ferrari is a wonderful book written by a great author, Mr. Robin Sharma. I have read this book several times and every time I feel delighted and inspired by doing so. So, I have tried to summarize the content of the book for motivating others to read this book.

It is a fable about a trial lawyer who was obsessed with his work and more precisely with his life.  He had all the worldly possessions one could dream of, yet he was unsatisfied because something was missing from his life .He sold all his possessions like his holiday home, Ferrari car, etc and decided to go to India on his personal odyssey due to a self-imposed exile.  He   was determined to find out  who he really was and what his life was all about before it was too late.

He decided to connect with India’s vast pool of ancient wisdom on living a more rewarding, fulfilling and enlightened life. He totally transformed his personality from a over worked tired man to an enthusiastic, radiant and enlightened human being by following the advice of the sages living in Himalayas in India.

In India he met several sages and from them he got 7 timeless virtues of enlightened living. (Under bold heading)

1.    Master your mind

Ø  Good gardener guards their garden like proud soldiers yet we put a lot of waste (like worries, fretting about past, self created fear) in our mind (garden).

Ø  We might not be able to control the weather, traffic or the mood of all those around us but we most certainly can control our attitude towards these events.

Ø  Stop being the prisoner of the past rather become the architect of your future.

Ø  Wake up early if possible.

Ø  Secret of happiness: It is to find out what we love and then directing all our energy towards doing it.

Ø  Saying that you don’t have time to improve your thoughts is like saying you don’t have time to stop for fuel because you are too busy driving.

2.   Follow your purpose

i)    Make clearly defined priorities and goals for every aspect of life.

ii)   Five steps in Goal setting

Ø  Form a clear mental picture of the outcome of your goal.

Ø  Then create positive pressure by informing your friends & family about your goals. This works because we don’t want to look like failures.

Ø  To breathe life in a goal a timeline must be attached to it.

Ø  The goal that is not committed to paper is no goal at all.

Ø  Passion-This is the word we must keep in our mind as we follow our mission.

3.    Practice kaizen

i)     Kaizen means constant and never ending improvement.

ii)    The only limits on our life are those we set ourselves.

iii)   Ten rituals of radiant living

Ø  Solitude- It involves nothing more than ensuring that our daily schedule includes a mandatory period of peace.

Ø  Physicality-Do some form of physical activity, take deep breathe at least 2 min daily as to breathe properly is to live properly

Ø  Live nourishment- Eat live, fresh food on daily basis, have salad, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.

Ø  Abundant knowledge- Expand your knowledge base as its good for our self as well as all around us.

Ø  Personal reflection- Retire in a silent corner of your home and think about all you have done  like meeting colleagues, client, got struck in a traffic jam, etc  and the thought which came at that time, think whether they were positive or not and  accordingly do what’s necessary. How can I ever improve myself and my life if I haven’t even taken the time to figure out what I need to improve?

Ø  Early Awakening- Sleeping is nothing more than a habit. We can change it according to our need. Ten minutes before sleeping and 10 minutes after waking up influence sub conscious mind so in those period think positive things.

Ø  Music- Listen soft music to relax.

Ø  Spoken words.- Words have power so recite what you want to feel, for example, when you need to feel motivated you might chant aloud that I am inspired energized and disciplined.

Ø  Congruent character- Our character must be congruent or aliened with principles of  compassion, humility, patience, honesty, courage

Ø  Simplicity-Focus on your priorities, unless your needs are reduced you will never feel fulfilled. Most people fail due to fear of failure, Never underestimate the power of simplicity.

4.    Power of self control & discipline

Ø  By practicing self government there will be no hurdle too high, no challenge too tough, and no crisis too hot for you to cool down.

Ø  Willpower inspires us to do what is right in any moment.

Ø  Words have power, by filling our mind with words of hope we became hopeful and so on

Ø  Start off small.

5.    Stopwatch (value your time)

Ø  Time mastery allows us more time to do things that are truly meaningful for us.

Ø  To be even more effective, took one hour on a quiet Sunday morning to organize your entire week.

Ø  Have the discipline to focus around your priorities.

Ø  Learn from the errors others have made.

Ø  Don’t let others steal your time. Be ruthless with your time. Learn to say no to small (less important) things so that you can say yes to big (important) ones.

6.    Selflessly serve others

Ø  Cultivate richer relationship.

Ø  Compassion and daily act of kindness makes life far richer.

Ø  Sincere words of praise to those who expect the least. Gesture of warmth offered to friends in need.

Ø  The small token of affection to your family members for no reason at all.

7.    Embrace the present

Ø  Living in the moment

Ø  Enjoy the special moments that everyday offers.

Ø  Enjoy the path of personal enlightenment; the journey is just as good as the end.

Disclaimer: - I have intimated the office of Mr. Robin Sharma regarding this post where I have summarized my learning from his book. They were very kind and have responded promptly with a positive response which can be read here

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Come on Flipkart...overcome this communication problem and give me a hug?

Photo credit-   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipkart

I was an ardent fan of Flipkart but the loyalty is fading with time. I think it is because of the following:

a. I am their customer since they were a novice in the market, selling only books and stationery.  They were the company through which I made my first online order and they helped me build my trust in purchasing things online. They somehow couldn't manage to keep intact their loyal customers and hence people like me flocked away to other e-commerce sites while being happy for the rise of Flipkart.

b. They moved on and so do we: We never felt that Flipkart is doing anything to retain their original customer base. So, the affection for Flipkart started to fade, and the process is going on. I want them to Read How an E-commerce company turned anunhappy customer into an Ardent Fan

c. I still admire Flipkart, as I have watched them grow over all these years, I am still their supporter, their well wisher, their self nominated brand ambassador and also their critic.

d. Most of the time, I have felt that they fail to convey the message they intend to give. For example, they are running a campaign #AachaKia nahi kharida. But, I couldn't understand the intent when I saw it on the TV for 7-8 times. I was feeling a bit dumb but still I asked my friends about the point this ad wanted to make. I was surprised to know that they were also equally dumb as they also didn't had any idea, what was the point Flipkart wanted to establish.

e. It was only yesterday that I came across an article regarding how Snapdeal trolled #AcchaKia campaign of Flipkart. It was only then when I came to know that Flipkart wanted people to know that they have sale on their App from 22nd to 24th June, 15 and hence should buy things during that time.

f. This is not the first time that Snapdeal has trolled Flipkart, its Big Billion day or something like that was also trolled beautifully. I really feel that Snapdeal is really smart in communicating their messages while Flipkart only make people feel dumb as many a times we have no idea what they want to say.

g. Flipkart has started behaving like a Big Daddy of E-commerce Industry and are doing very little to win the trust of the people. Probably they need to relook into their strategies to save billions on Marketing and Public Relations while winning the trust and love of people.

h. It is my personal feeling that the customer care of Flipkart should improve.

My best wishes to the company which gave me the confidence to make online purchases. I have fond memories of my online purchases from Flipkart. I have ordered lots of Cooking Recipes books for my Mom, many good books for my brother on his birthday, a mobile for my sister and so many more things. You have taught me to shop online; I am indebted to you and will always be your admirer. Now, you must have understood that I criticize what I don’t like about Flipkart in the hope that my genuine feedback might help them to overcome their limitations and they keep on growing and evolving always. Here is something which Flipkart can learn from An Startup Evangelist .

Edit1- This is trending of Quora as per my standards, 5100+  views and 146+ Up votes with only 10 followers on Quora. Am I crazy? View it yourself.

BY- Rohan Sinha

Read more articles on Life is beautiful

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How to turn an unhappy customer into your ardent fan

Update-  It has become like a movie with various sequels and hence I am reflecting on the chronology of events

What is this?  Truth is stranger than Fiction. Never in my wildest dream, I had ever imagined something so positive can come out of a bad encounter. I always believed that First Impression is the last Impression. I was so wrong! I had already decided not to buy anything from that e-commerce company but I am writing about them because I don't know how to digest this awesome story.  

In short the key elements in the chronological order are:

- I purchased a product and was not very satisfied with it.
- Got an accidental email from the e-commerce company regarding product feedback.
- Have provided my feedback  on that email which was not very positive. 
- The company couriered an Apology Letter and two amazing gift items to cheer me up.
- I felt guilty for accepting the gifts and thought to return the favor so have published a blog post about what they did.
-  I have also sent an appreciation email to them 
- They have shared my appreciation email and blog post on Facebook.

Original Post-

Sipper

 I have never experienced anything like this before and was in a pleasant shock over the goodwill gesture of M/s Gaames Unlimited. I am really touch by their gesture and decided to give genuine thanks in the best possible way. And that’s why I am writing this post to appreciate their genuine effort to cheer up an otherwise not so happy customer.

Gaames Unlimited, was official partner of BCCI for the sale of merchandise during the Cricket World Cup 15 through the website www.icccricketstore.com . They are a reputed sports management company which manages star players like R Ashwin and A Rahane.

This incident is related to the purchase of a showpiece from the ICC Cricket Store which was looking very beautiful. I searched for the product description like size but it was not mentioned anywhere. As, I had liked the product very much, I opted to go ahead with the purchase keeping in mind the reputation of the seller.

Apology Letter from Gaames Unlimited

After some days, the product was delivered at my native. I asked my parents about the product and they informed that it looked good but is a bit small and the product was not up to our satisfaction. We considered the money spent on that product as wasted and forgot about it.

Then, one fine day after two months, I got a mail from Gaames Unlimited that the product has been dispatched. I was shocked as when I tried to contact them earlier there was no communication from their end, which they later informed was due to the overwhelming sales during the cricket mega event.

I replied to that email to provide my feedback regarding the product, their service and our expectation from the product and the company. I was glad that this time the company responded and seemed to be interested to know about my concerns.

Then, I have conveyed the following things to them:

Ø  Had the product size been mentioned on your website then I must not had purchased it.

Ø  And, if the customer care was more responsive earlier then I could have sought for an exchange.

Ø  I have asked how they can help me.

The company informed me that they have escalated my issue and shall revert to me. I didn't expected anything but after few days I have got the apology  letter from the company along with two gift items viz. a wrist watch shaped external storage drive and a beautiful sipper.

Wrist band cum Pendrive

I had decided not to buy anything from them again but they made me reconsider my decision. I have written an appreciation mail to convey my heartfelt thanks and have assured them that I will surely return the favor by becoming their loyal customer and an ardent fan.

I am delighted, not because I got gifts from their end. It was the way they have tried to cheer me up without creating a fuss, which moved me. Their apology letter really touched my heart and taught me a lesson in management.

Gaames Unlimited shared my Appreciation Mail on Facebook

Edit1- You must read why An E-commerce company has shared my Appreciation mail and Blog Post and see the enclosed pic.

BY- Rohan Sinha

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Come on Flipkart...give me a hug


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Lessons from the Monk who sold his Ferrari

My Best Birthday


Personal Odyssey of a Writer


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Mumbai Rains and Me

Challenged myself to write 111 blog posts in 30 days

Before I die...I want to

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This video made me terribly miss my Grandfather

Photo credit: Emotional Full's Video Khat

I have got this video called khat (Letter) on social media and have seen it a couples of times. There are many amazing videos on the internet but some videos strike a deeper connection with us. There is something special about this video and so it connected with my heart. This video is about a Grandfather who is writing a letter to his newly born grandson. He is offering some very simple and basic advice to his grandson who has just arrived in this world. His advice made me feel that Life is beautiful. The person who is playing the role of the Grandfather looks so simple and this attracts me towards him. I like the way he walks, I loved his expressions and his gestures in the video. I hope the voice in the video is of the same gentleman.

He made me miss my Grandfather. I have never seen my grandfather in flesh as he left for the heavenly abode before I came in this world.  But, this doesn't stop me from revering him. My grandfather was respected for his godly qualities. I have heard true appreciation about him not only from my close and distant relatives, who knew him well but also from other prestigious people of the society. The way one distinguished doctor, Dr. Bhattacharya appreciated him was unique. He told that whatever he was now is because of him and remembered how my grandfather has helped him establish his clinic in his early days. Despite, repeated insistence, the doctor refused to accept his fees from my parents.

You will be glad to know that my grandfather has helped many people in different ways yet he never accumulated any wealth for himself or his family. I felt proud when I heard that he used to say that his children are his real wealth and he has not purchased any property for himself and stayed his entire life is government quarters.  I have seen one of the quarters that was sprawling over a large area like a bungalow with a lot of greenery. Now all his three children and eight grand-children are well placed in the society due to their hard work coupled with his blessings.

He has gone some 30 years ago but still many people whose life he has touched have fond memories of him. I wish I could have met him in person. He has been a role model. 

BY- Rohan Sinha

If you have liked it, may visit here for more articles.

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My top 3 Favourite books

I love to read novels. I have read many novels but these three are my favourites till date. So, let us see what I have to say about my top 3 Favourite Books:

1.The Old man and the Sea

It is a wonderful piece of literature showing a person's commitment and his experiences

2.The Monk who Sold his Ferrari

It's a wonderful fable which is reminding us that :

a.  Even the whole world's wealth can't buy internal peace satisfaction and love.

b. We must make our priorities and work accordingly.

c.  Life is a journey not a destination.so don't think it's a race.Enjoy the whole process.

d.  Teaches us to live a more rewarding, fulfilling and enlightened life.

e.  Please have a look at the summary of this life changing book  here

3.Wings of Fire- Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam

In his autobiography, APJ Abdul Kalam has given a message that if we have the burning desire to achieve something then nothing can stop us.This book helped me realise that failures comes to everybody.We must take them as a scope for learning and those who learn from their failures becomes successful.

and showing that Life is beautiful. Success is failure turned inside out. If you are feel good while reading this blog, you can let us know.

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The above post has been written 5 years ago on this blog. It is like a heritage post for me. It reminds me of my humble start as a blogger. I don't want to either modify or edit the above post and would like to retain it in its original form . Anyone can see my current posts and these and get motivated to start writing if they ever wanted to do so. You can always learn and improve your skills if you have passion and determination. Click on the hyperlink above to read learnings from those books. 

This blog is all about originality, truth, passion and the purpose of spreading positive energy all around yourself.

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