What makes me crazyyy!

To answer that in one line would be...Technology!
By technology I mean mostly computers and smartphones(which are also computers btw)
I am basically a tech savvy guy...well sort of,but I am Crazyyy about technology. My YouTube subscription list is littered with all the tech guys including MKBHD about whom one of my blogger friends talked about in this very blog. He is the best tech reviewer on YouTube and he is only twenty years old!tech nowadays has become an integral part of our lives, don't believe me? Ask anyone in our college and they will tell you, we simply cannot live without our laptops and and phones.Well that would be exaggeration but still technology has become a necessary part if not essential.we have our assignments and study material online,do most of our homework on our PC's (or should I say Google does it for us ;) (except for the English homework obviously) ) and is our only source of entertainment.
       And now the smart phone.......we all a smartphone revolution has started(or occurred?) recently(Apple and Google being its pioneers) and they are being sold out like hot cakes! and why would't they be ,can you imagine someone selling you the ability of having the world at your fingertips at cheap and affordable prices(except for Apple products ) and you not buying it?No,right?A smart phone is basically that!You have all your files, contacts, emails, music, games, notes, all the social networking capabilities, news, weather info(basically your world!) and what not, at your fingertips!this is technology at its peak!Yes, yes I know that's lot of exclamatory marks, but I already told you I am crazy (with three y's!) about this and am very excited to talk about it! If I type any more than this people will start saying TLDR(too long did't read), I think its best if I end it here.Thank You staying with me and for making it till the end of this article. Have a techy day!

(I don't even know if techy is a real adjective)

My Inspiration

I take the most inspiring thing from Albert Einstein is to be rebellious and ability to fail and learn. That’s what he practiced in his life. He constantly challenged his thoughts, beliefs and made numerous mistakes before arriving at results, no one could achieve in the history of mankind. He had a habit of not accepting things as they are rather he used to think in experiments in his mind.

One mistake we all do is, do things blindly without putting logic to it just because everyone is doing it. You will be surprised to know that during Einstein negated this, he challenged his school teacher in the class. He challenged his PhD supervisor. He challenged Niels Bohr. He even challenged his senior physicist. There were many stalwarts of physics, whom he challenged just through his power of rational thinking.

The result was, he could give new ideas and theories, no one ever thought, visualized or postulated. Not only that, even today a large number of people
cannot understand what he told. NASA and various other research institution across the world are still trying to find the evidences of his predictions.
He lived hundreds of years ahead of his times.

Another inspiration is that he formulated his theories in his spare time, when he was working as a clerk. When he wrote his 5 papers in 1905, he said to his wife in a letter, that his papers were revolutionary and he would win the Nobel prize for one of his papers. See his confidence here. That’s the inspiration!

MY REGRETS

Living a life free of regret is very possible…I do it, and I am aware of many other people who experience a regret free life as well. No regrets. As far as I am concerned, regret uses energy; so I can use it in a more productive way. I try my best to learn and grow with each and every life experience, so there is nothing to regret.

How does it serve us, or anyone else to hold onto the feelings of regret? Of course we can identify the lessons without regret. That is exactly how to live a regret free life. If we spend our energy learning from the experience, there really is no room in the heart and mind for regret. Holding onto regret is a choice in each and every moment. Don’t think of the past too much instead focus on the present. Live the moment. There are only things I have learnt from in the past. Some have been very painful lessons. But once the emotional intensity passes enough for me to gain perspective, I don’t regret the experience. Instead, I push myself to try to learn and to grow from it. I then try to leverage this learning moving forward.I think what’s important is to give yourself the freedom to fail to take risks but not the freedom to fail to learn and grow. The only mistake we can make is believing we shouldn't make mistakes. The only failure we can make is the failure to learn (and thereby rob ourselves of the opportunity to leverage our experiences). Live. Learn. Grow. When we will do these things while loving and being fair to ourselves,regret shall be fleeting and experience;everlasting.

There is no reason in crying over spilled milk and blaming ourselves for unaccomplished wishes, and worrying about how one could have changed the course of their life. One should move on look forward to evening and make best of what remains of the day. A lesson to be learnt is that we should not get caught up in formalities and should always follow and pursue our desires. So forget the past and live in the present.

What Inspires Me.. 

"Life is so much brighter when we focus on what truly matters."

Life is long and you can't always have one thing to inspire you. At each stage of life we have something that inspires us to move forward in life. Without any goals ,our lives are useless. I have been inspired by many things in my life.
With time, my inspiration changed but the goal remain unchanged, that is to be successful in life.

My childhood was normal, TV, Games, Friends,School, I just wanted to enjoy life then. Then in my high school,I began to develop interest for physics and chemistry. I would enjoy doing chemistry experiments  and also tried some of them at home. And my friends would call me a "Scientist"(sounds funny). I would laugh at it. But I did imagined me as a scientist in those days and hence would study these two subjects seriously.

Then I entered the phase which most IIT JEE aspirants go through, 2 years coaching for IIT JEE. The whole way of studying chemistry changed and hence my interest in the subject was gone. This happens with many IIT JEE aspirants. I was attracted to the salary of the teachers at the coaching institution and I would think of teaching at some coaching institution or opening my own institute. But what  inspired me to keep going was to get into a top IIT. I would read stories of people ,who cracked JEE and pursued their dream, and get motivated to work hard.

After the JEE results, I was disappointed,but I was satisfied on getting Computer Science at one of the old IIT's .I have always been fascinated about computers , their working,and about the World Wide Web and how computers have changed the world. I am inspired by Steve Jobs, Tim Berners- Lee and Bill Gates to move forward in the field of computer science. All of us find our goals at some point of time and I think that I have found my goal!

"Don't follow your dreams, chase them."

What Inspires Me...

Friends are the best assets one can ever have. And for me, they are the ones who inspire and of course, make me crazy. Oh yes! My friends are my inspiration. Sounds weird? May be; but it’s true. My world becomes much better when I am around them. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I am the luckiest person in the world to have them.

I used to live in hostel while preparing for IITJEE (as many do) and that was, I suppose, the best phase of my life. I have made friends for life; Friends whom I can regard as my soul-sisters. Living in a hostel is not an easy task. You experience a drastic change in your lifestyle. You have to handle a lot of complicated things all by yourself. And this is exactly when your friends come in picture. They help you to cope up with all your tensions and difficulties, be it anything related to studies or to homesickness. I too went through such experiences. There were times when I went completely hopeless about my preparations. And I believe my friends are the only reason I could manage to survive those hard times. They were always there for me whenever I needed them. Even today, just a phone call from any one of them makes my day. They are the ones who motivate me always to get higher and higher in life. Whenever I am upset, I think of the good old memories. The days we spent together were full of joy, entertainment and of course, hard work.

The emotion of competitiveness and jealousy are inbuilt in human beings. But the love and friendship we share has suppressed this emotion. My friends have always supported me. They helped me always, from waking up on time in the morning to clearing my doubts. The word ‘doubts’ might seem to refer to doubts related to studies. But in my case, it refers to doubts in almost everything. Those two years have given me memories that I shall cherish throughout my life. Whenever I am down or disheartened, I know what to do next. They are always there to rejuvenate me. They make me feel special and after talking to them, I feel like I can do anything and literally, anything I want to do. I am very fortunate to have such people in my life.

It is correctly said that we value things only after we lose them. Though I have not yet lost my friends (and I hope I never will) but I really long to meet them and live with them again. They are one of the reasons for what I am today and what I will be tomorrow. Distances have brought us closer. We are staying in different parts of the country, still are bound together with threads of love and friendship. I have now understood the true meaning of friendship and I hope I get such friends here in IITR as well.

What inspires me and what makes me go crazy

For the first part I would rather like to answer “who” inspires me, and that would be MKBHD aka Marques Brownlee. This great person is a tech reviewer who’s basically all about technology. Mobile technology in particular is the one thing that makes me go crazy or nuts. I could spend days in watching mobile tech videos on my laptop while my body disseminates on the bed.

All this passion started when I bought my first (Crappy) smartphone. All the research that I could do as a layman resulted in that shitty piece of plastic and metal. From then on I started my “journey towards enlightenment of mobile tech”.

Hours and hours were spent in front of the laptop screen browsing for different aspects and intricacies of mobile phone. GBs and GBs of internet data was exhausted on watching YouTube videos just for the sake of the satisfaction that I got after knowing all that stuff. That feeling is just inexplicable to others.

MKBHD started as a teen tech reviewer who made V-logs of his interactions with different gadgets. He’s now 20 years old and the world’s biggest and most trustworthy tech reviewer out there. The largest fraction of my knowledge of tech comes from his part. He’s so into his gadgets that he’s now come down to reviewing anything that has an “ON” button. This is what inspires me about him the most!

It’s all very amusing to know all the pesky little and mighty great things that such a small piece of hardware as a phone can do!

Want to listen to some music? Want to watch a movie? Want to get updated with the rest of the world? Want to talk to someone? Want to play some games? Want to watch your TV? Too lazy to switch on your other electronics? Too lazy to even pick up your phone? .... Well, Mobile tech is all ready for your rescue. 

These attributes of the tech world make me go crazy for it and make want to dive in its bank of knowledge fully.

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”

-Anthony J. D'Angelo

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

This is an incident of when I entered 12^th class. At that time, I was not very serious about studies. Most of my time was spent with my friends or my laptop. I was interested in the field of computers and programming, but had not thought of making it a career.

 I didn’t have very good reputation among my teachers. I used to bunk classes and often got scolded. My marks in exams were not very good either. Once, I, along with two of my friends, got into some heated argument with my Maths teacher (actually, it was more than just that). When the principal came to know about that, she called our parents. My father came to school. She told him about the incident. She also told him about the previous times I was caught doing mischiefs and exhibiting insolent behaviour. She warned of taking severe actions if I continued such activities. Upon hearing so much from the principal, he was upset but didn’t say anything to me. I knew that he didn’t expect much from me. That’s why I wanted to prove myself.

I knew that that year was the most crucial year of my life. The decisions and actions taken at this stage would define the course of the rest of my life. I began to think deeply about what I wanted from myself. I realized that I had already wasted a precious year, and now I have only a little time to make up.  I resolved to crack JEE Advance exam. I devoted myself to studies. I started to focus on what was taught in the class. My performance improved sharply. My classmates and teachers were amazed by such sudden change in me. I worked hard – harder than ever.

The exam went well. And as they say, hard work always pays. I got a decent rank in JEE Advance. It was a moment of extreme delight and pride for me and my family. The joy of achieving what you have persevered for so long, is incomparable. The most important thing that I’ve learnt is:

“Your dreams are worth it. Persevere. Because there is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

Share a goal and outline how you plan to achieve it.

My goal right now is to graduate from college and get into Google. Google is one company that I have immense respect for and the role Google has played in revolutionizing the Internet over the past few years is really baffling 

respect worthy. 

Google states that it's primary objective is to organize all the information available on the web and make it accessible to users. So, it is no surprise that Google

tests you heavily on 'Data Structures and Algortihms' in its interviews for a Software Engineer. But since I'm from ECE and do not have an algorithms course in my

curriculum, I plan it to learn it through other resources such as books and MOOCs.

Since Google is more often than not, exclusive to Computer Science students during on-campus placements, I'll have to apply off-campus. The procedure might be slightly 

tougher and more rigorous, but I have to condition myself to face the challenge.

In my second year, I plan on participating in the Google Summer Of Code and try my best to get my project get accepted. To do so, I need to be extremely good at coding and algorithms. That's why I plan on learning a core programming language like 'Java' and practise coding in a site like TopCoder or CodeChef.

Google also offers internships to junior college students. Although it is extremely tough to gain an opportunity to work with some of the best minds in Google, it definitely falls within the realm of the possible.

When Google bought Android in 2005, it lead to a revolution in the mobile development platform. Android is undisputably one of the most important 'parts' of Google (after Google Search). I also plan on learning some Professional Mobile Development Programming in the Android platform and develop a few good apps so that refelcts well on my resume.

Finally, I plan on improving my communication and other soft skills since they make a huge difference during the HRD interviews. A good grasp on the English language and flawless body language definitely makes for a good first impression on the interviewers.

Working in Google has been a dream for me ever since I was in high school. I aspire to work hard, work smart and some day, end up at Googleplex at Mountain View, California.

Rounak Banik

14116059

What makes me Crazy...

Craziness to me is something which makes you dream about something day in and day out but doesn't let you sleep either. Some call it passion,some say obsession,for me,if you are crazy about something you simply can't let it out of your mind.Everyone of us is crazy for something or the other,it can be your job, a sport,a form of art,a proffesion,travelling,technology,or any other stuff.A thing that makes one crazy becomes a crucial part of one's life and a characteristic of their persona.

Coming to me, I already am a total crazy person as others say,but on a serious note there is only one thing I am crazy about.'DANCE'. Dance in any form is my first love.The very name of it drives me CRAZY.A kind of energy and enthusiasm emerge inside me whenever I get to hear any music to shake a leg on.A tingle runs down my spine seeing someone perform energetically with a huge crowd cheering for them and I feel like joining them too.Dance is something that helps you let out all your emotions be it excitement or frustration, happiness or sorrows.One can express his feelings through it.

I got to discover this interest of mine when I was in 3rd standard.I had to perform on the occasion of teacher's day at my school. It is since then when I have been participating in almost all dance activities till now.I have been quite popular for my dancing skills as I never skip any chance to showcase it while,I feel that there is still need of refining.I always wanted to learn a professional dance form and be a pro at it,however hardly got a chance to do so.The reasons are many, worthless to discuss.But I pledged to furnish my skills after school,and hence I luckily am a member of Choreography and Dance section IIT Roorkee today.My desire got pushed even more seeing the seniors perform fabulously on stage during our orientation.I simply love the environment of hugely skilled people showing frantic moves and  cheers and hooting all around. I deliberately wanted to be a part of the group.

There are many dance reality shows on TV today which fascinate me a lot.It is amazing to see how a  fellow from a very simple background becomes a star merely due to his pro dancing.In addition the madness and dedication of the participants over there is worth watching.It's amazing to see them making such difficult moves with such an ease and getting appraisal from all over.The appreciation and applaud they receive are all one longs for who is ,like me,crazy about dancing.I dream to get one single chance of being a part of a renowned talent show like this and dance my heart out.I am taking small little steps to fulfill it so that my very desire of a huge crowd cheering for me is not left unfulfilled.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT

seedr is great https://www.seedr.cc/ 

At the end of the day

 Today I want to share my experience with you all. Its about a great risk that I took and things were evenly slipping out of my hands. And when I thought that everything is over, and prepared to give up God gave me a push that I needed the most.

  I am talking about my decision to stay back a year after +2 to prepare for IIT-JEE. This does not actually look like a big risk but someone who has seen me, who knows me can very well realise the risk that I had taken. I was getting a seat in BITS Pilani in electrical and my parents were just pushing me to bag it. Their point was right as I realised later. They said that I can never read the same thing again with the same enthusiasm like I did the first time and so if I could not crack it this time then it will be really hard in the second attempt. But I was adamant on my decision. I took the leap of faith. But things did not go in my favour.

  The first strike of destiny came with the results of Jee Main; I had scored way less than what I had last year. But I assured myself that it was just a case of bad luck and that everything will go right in the next one and overall I have qualified for the Jee advanced. But all the entrances I appeared got really messed up and i ended up scoring less than before in each of them. The last one before Jee advanced was Bitsat and when that slipped out of hand I was totally broken. I lost all hope. If I could not crack these exams that were a cakewalk for me last time then how will I stand up against that devil which shattered me the last time. I lost my appetite, I lost my sleep, I lost my interest in anything. I had made up my mind that I am going to get a seat in one of those institutes that I rejected last time for IIT. The faces of all those people jumped in front of me, those people who had urged me so much not to take this step. I felt like they were mocking me, laughing at me, I felt a punch in my stomach.

  Yet deep inside I had this urge. Lets give it a try, one last final push to this broken car, one last surge of trial, one last call of despair. I gave my best, I restricted myself from every single activity that I previously thought I cannot live without. From the dusk to the mid night I slugged with my books in a final attempt to save my skin. But you cannot prepare for the most competitive entrance exam in a week, so I knew nothing much would come out of it.

  But at the end of the day some mystical force, some unknown blessing or may my salvation in the last few days saved me. I ended up with a modest rank in Jee and got a seat in one of the premiere colloeges of India.

  Friends I am not saying that I prepared for Jee in the last week and ended up where I am. I had prepared well for the first attempt but out of nervousness I could not do well. So the concepts were there at the back of my mind but I did not give it enough time, enough practice. What I did was I tried , no matter how unfruitful my attempts seemed.

  So I gained a very crucial lesson in my life, Never give up trying. Because if you try you may lose but if you don`t try you will sure lose, there is no exception to that. And at the end of the day that's what matters is whether you tried till the very last quanta of your energy was exhausted.

My Goal? Well That's an easy question...

Music is a form of art that everyone can understand. It is something that everyone loves and no one can ignore. Music is diverse in nature, defined differently in different parts of the world. But one thing is common everywhere, and that is, Music always brings out the emotions.

I just LOVE music. Music defines me better than anything else, if not the best. So, when I say that my goal is to become a world renowned musician, I am dead serious. What I want is to see people humming on the streets while listening to my songs with their earphones on.

When you see a guy studying CSE in IITR dreaming to become a musician, you can easily bet on the fact that something went horribly wrong in his decision making during high school years.

I started my journey to understand music at the age of 8, and my idol was my father. He is a great singer and has a god-gifted voice. So listening to his songs through my childhood years had a real impact on my understanding of music. I learned to play keyboard at the age of 14, and now I am learning the guitar, but throughout these years, vocals have always been the closest to my heart.

Talking about future, well I don’t have a specific plan. I wish to go with the flow, staying committed to music and keep learning as much as I can. Though I have always thought that I will just finish my graduation (somehow), get a decent job (somehow :P) and then pursue my real dream.

Right now, all I do is go to the music section of the college as much as I can, spend some time on the guitar and record a few songs in my mobile when I get bored in the hostel room.

I would like to conclude by saying that, I know I have a really far sighted dream and probably, some people might think it isn't possible for me to achieve it, but still I won’t let go off this dream, ever, because I know I can do it and that’s all that matters.

Risky: To be or not to be? That's the question.

There are three types of people in this world – Risk seekers, Risk averters and the neutral ones, I prefer the second one. Taking the safest path was always my thing. Everyone knows that higher the risk, greater is the return. But I used to believe in “higher the risk, greater is the fall.” I used to avoid all those risks and be satiated with whatever little it gave me back.

No one can run away from taking risks all their life, me not being an exception. A big decision came knocking on my door. Even if I was afraid, I had to answer the call. One year ago, I was in a situation where taking the risk was the best thing I have ever done in my life. I completed my high school with great marks, but the thing that mattered the most was clearing JEE-Advanced in which I failed miserably.

I had not studied as hard as it takes to make my way through JEE-Advanced and eventually I ‘succeeded in failing’. But I was able to excel in JEE-Main and other competitive exams. I knew I had the potential to pull-off JEE-Advanced. The dilemma before me was whether to join NIT as I was getting a good college, or to prepare for one more year and reappear for the exam. Somewhere in my heart I knew I couldn’t settle for anything less than an IIT. But the risk here was, if I went for NIT then there was no more of IIT in this life and if I waited for another year, what if the results were even worse and I couldn’t even convert a decent engineering college and along with this wasting one full year of my life.

At this point of my life, I decided to take a chance. I declined to join NIT and took the risk of taking the exam again next year. These 12 months were the scariest for me. I was always worried that what if all my hard work gets flushed down the gutter and this decision turns out to be the worst in my life. But my fear was futile, I worked hard and it fetched me great results. I finally landed at IIT Roorkee, one of the most prestigious institutions in India.

Today I know that if I had not taken that risk, I would have been regretting it all my life. The only thing I lost was a year and had to wait to experience the so called exciting college days.

This risk being a success changed something significant in me. I am not afraid to take risks anymore. I now believe that one can make a risk fruitful if worked hard. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO & founder of Facebook and the inspiration for many once said – “The biggest risk is not taking any risk….In a world that change really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking any risks”.

I would just like to suggest the readers that there is no running away from risks. If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. The risk of a wrong decision is always preferable to the terror of indecision. Any goal worth achieving involves an element of risk no matter how much you try to avoid it.

Don’t listen to those who say “you are taking too big a chance”. Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor, and it would surely be rubbed out by today. Most importantly, don’t listen when the little voice of fear inside you rears its ugly head and says, “They are smarter than you out there. They’re more talented, taller, prettier, luckier, and they have connections.” I firmly believe that if you follow a path that interests you, with the strength of conviction that you can move others by your own efforts and do not make success or failure the criteria by which you live, the chances are you’ll be a person worthy of your own respect as well as others’.

Guess who inspires me?

Let me keep this short and sweet, I know you have better things to do than just go on and on through a blog.

Inspiration! Well, inspiration can be deemed subjective. It varies from person to person, the type, the intensity and the genesis. The source of this potent property can be anything, ranging from men to objects, it could be a known personality or their own antecedent forefathers, a book or a motion picture. For me, the inspiration trickles from myself, colloquially known as, self inspiration.

How? Isn’t it obvious? Aren’t we all, at some level, self inspired? Inspiration only begins its useful work when our spirits are moved to thought and action. The self is the weak link between all things inspiring and inspired, thought and action. Blaming others for not inspiring us when we are not self inspired, externalises the problem. And we cannot inspire others if we are not inspired ourselves. To become self inspired, I have found it useful to build three reinforcing processes within me — evolving self, congruent self and courageous self.

Inspiring self is integral to the never-ending journey of becoming a better person. Without it, the inspiration we receive from others does us no good. I try to keep my eyes on the stars and my feet on the ground. The past cannot be changed. But the future is yet in my power. I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.

Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity or even pain. To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices, I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but to embrace it.

Let us do something that our future self will thank us for.

Risk: That changed my Life

It was 22nd March, 2013. I had just finished my 11th class school exams. Though they went superb, I was feeling very anxious and confused. Not enough time was left. I had to make a decision- a decision - on which my whole future was dependent. 

It started on December 25, my tuition teacher gave us a surprise (not a good one as one can guess from the context). He told us that he would not be teaching us from next year. In simple words he was going to leave the city and had joined an institute in Chandigarh. It was more than a shock I could withstand at that time. He was the best in the city (at least according to me). He was the one who created my interest in math and even today I owe a lot to him. OK, let’s come back to the context. Just after 1 month, the same announcement was made by our physics teacher.

I couldn’t think of being taught by any other teacher even in my wildest dreams. I cried a lot those days. I just could not understand what I would do next year.Then our physics teacher advised me to join the same institute (Chandigarh).

Then came the confusion. My father had been posted in Ambala for 3 years but we hadn’t shifted there and he used to come at weekends. Now, the decision was to be made. One choice was - the family would shift to Ambala (for me) and I will have to travel to Chandigarh daily for coaching which would cost me 3 hours daily. (There were no good institutes in Ambala and my father had simply discarded the idea of me living in a hostel at that time.) The other choice was very simple- I would have to study in the same city under some untrusted teachers. My father gave me the power (actually the tension) to make the decision.

I was very confused. Many people told me I would not be able to manage. The tiredness caused by 3 hour journey would not allow me to study and I will destroy my future instead of embracing it. There was one more fear inside my heart. What if I am unable to crack JEE? What if I get bad results in all the exams? All the efforts of my family would go in vain. Everyone would taunt my parents. What was the use of shifting for the girl? (Though I knew my parents would never think like that and would not mind listening such things for me but I personally didn’t want that.) Studying in the same city wouldn’t give me anything – I had this opinion. I tried hard to make up my mind for the new teachers but was unable to achieve it. Everything was messing up in my head.

Finally. I took the risk and on 22nd March I told my father that I want to go to Ambala.I went to Chandigarh everyday – up and down – back to Ambala with no less energy and enthusiasm to achieve my goal. And here I am, finally, in an IIT. So, there is no need of telling what I gained. In addition to getting into an IIT, I had a really great and new experience of studying in Chandigarh- the City Beautiful. I got to meet new 

people and discover myself more.

On the other hand, it made me loose many of my friends. I missed (actually miss) my sweet cousins and the love of relatives. I lost the joy of being together. I lost the happiness which I would have had if I were in my own city; the delight which would have got quadrupled had I been with my friends. But it doesn’t matter now since I have gained more than losing. 

At last I would just like to quote a few lines of Jim Rohn:

"If you are unwilling to risk the unusual,

you will have to settle for the ordinary."

REGRET : Just a term

If you knew that today was your last day on Earth what would you look back on and wish you could change? I strive to make my answer to that absolutely nothing because there isn’t anything I would regret more than living a life full of regrets, full of wishing I had done something differently. We should never regret our decisions, no matter how terrible life seems at the moment. Everything that happens in life makes us the exact person we are meant to be.

“You can’t change who people are, without destroying who they were.”

This is a quote from one of my favorite movies, 'The Butterfly Effect'. In the movie, the main character goes back in time to change events he thinks could have had a better outcome. In the end he realizes that these things had to happen for the future to be perfect, just the way it was.

Knowing this we need to figure out one thing; how can we live life with no regrets? It seems to be an impossible task in a world that will coldly turn its back on you at any given moment. Take them and mold them to create a positive outcome. They are like the anchors of our lives. You can either let them drown you or you can use them to hold you down, keep you steady.

A short time ago I did something that I thought I would regret for the rest of my life. I ended relationships with friends I had known for over 10 years. I would sit around upset, knowing they were off having fun without me. I second guessed myself terribly. It wasn’t until the end of the summer that I could finally look back and see that if I hadn’t made that choice I wouldn’t have had the best summer of my life. I wouldn’t have gone to that camp, reconnected with the girl that is now my best friend, strengthened my religious faith, and met someone, yes a boy, who taught me to be grateful for what I have, to live only for things you are passionate about, and most importantly, to live with no regrets. It was that choice which I had once been so weighed down by that lead me to these life changing experiences. This ending was really just a new beginning and I didn’t need to regret one single part of it.

This is how I want to live for the rest of my life; free of regrets and sadness for the past. Before I die I want to be able to look back and smile. To see that every moment, every emotion, every choice made me the person I needed to be. Isn’t that really just being happy?

My Source of Inspiration...

Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do a task, especially to do something creative or good. One may be inspired by another human, or by a situation or object.

Inspiration is the winning step to destiny and in this way one performs the difficult and more complex tasks in an easier and fruitful manner.

When I look back at my life, I see that I have been inspired by different things at different times.

During my childhood days, I was quite fascinated by the various software and applications that had been coming up in those times. I was inspired to learn software development and it was my dream to develop a computer application or a game of my own. When I was in mid school, my inspiration was Mr. Bill Gates, founder of one of the biggest software giants, Microsoft. He, even though a dropout from school, went on to build a brand which formed an integral part of almost all computers for decades. Success story of Mr. Bill Gates gave direction to my life and my interest in computer science grew manifold.

As times change, our inspirations and role models also change.

Of late, I found my true inspiration in Mark Zuckerberg, the founder & CEO of social networking website Facebook. Basically, he is a computer programmer who began using computers and writing software in middle school. His father taught him basic programming in the 1990s.

Together with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students, Zuckerberg launched Facebook from Harvard's dormitory rooms on February 4, 2004. His personal wealth, as of July 2014, is estimated to be $33.1 billion.

I am amazed by abilities and accomplishments of Mark Zuckerberg. I get inspired by his leadership qualities and perseverance.

In 2007, at the age of 23, Zuckerberg became a billionaire as a result of Facebook's success. The number of Facebook users worldwide reached a total of one billion in 2012. In 2010, Time magazine named Zuckerberg among the 100 wealthiest and most influential people in the world as a part of its Person of the Year distinction.

It is a known fact that one needs to find inspiration to do something creative. It is my goal to be a proficient Computer Programmer and Developer.

This is why, I draw my inspiration from the success story of Mark Zuckerberg, who began writing code for web sites at early age. Now, as a student of Computer Science in IIT Roorkee, I am on my way to fulfilling my dream of becoming a proficient software developer.

He Made Me Think Bigger... My Inspiration

“I WIN...THAT'S WHAT I DO"

Whenever I hear these words, it immediately reminds me of my inspiration, a person whom I admire the most. Everyone in life needs to have an inspiration in order to be one. It might be a legend’s life, Mother Nature, one’s parents, a friend....in short anything and everything under the sun can be perceived as an inspiration and I am no different to have one. Interestingly, unlike others, my inspiration is a work of fiction. This is not out of fascination but appreciation and admiration.

Let me introduce him to you. His name is ‘Harvey Reginald Specter’ popularly known as ‘The Harvey Specter’ synonymous with ‘The best closer in New York’.  He is a corporate lawyer and a senior patner from the fictional law firm of New York-‘Pearson Hardman’ in the critically acclaimed law drama on the USA network-Suits. The wonderful character is created by Aaron Korsch and is aptly played by Gabriel Macht.

Harvey is known for his lavish yet balanced lifestyle. His winning  mentality along with witty responses and corporate brilliance allows no one to level up to him. Though his personality might appear quite  idealistic in today’s world but he is yet another shark in a pool of sharks; it’s just that his vision is not only about hunting. In ‘Suits’, almost everyone possesses a-“I wanna win attitude”, which makes the show smart, thrilling and more than entertaining. But its Harvey’s over the top ‘unrelenting competitive attitude’,  that knocks down all others. 

The above description was quite superficial. Now let’s dig a bit deeper to understand this magnanimous character till its core. And for this I’ll be mentioning few of his life’s ideologies and his fantastic dialogues that leave the viewers speechless.

The foremost thing that I respect about him is his take on life. At every instance, he cares about his life as if it is his beloved wife. He maintains a dynamic aura around him and earns everyone’s respect merely by walking his talk. He confidently says, “I don’t have dreams, I have goals.”

As I am a literature lover, more appropriately an admirer, I like  people who know how to craft people just by their command. And this character, just tops the table. While he is an effective manipulator, he even masters the art of reading people which is very much visible when he is working on a case. He believes, “Learn to predict what others are going to do before they actually do it. You always have to be way ahead, if you desire to win”. He beautifully perceives life as a game of chess where you have to be sure of your future ten moves.

“Play the man. Not the odds.” It is a smart one liner, but its meaning is even deeper. While saying this Harvey means every Tom, Dick and Harry can play the odds. But when someone takes 'The Road Not Taken' in times of crisis, he surely emerges out as a better player. Practically nothing comes on a silver platter in life, but if you go by Harvey’s ideology, ‘you can surely have it on one-just by serving it to you ’.

 “Never waste time trying to explain the problem, try to fix it” adding to this, he even suggests, “Be the part of the solution and not the problem”. Such ideologies should be the base for anyone to excel in any field.

It might sound strange but this man just loves, rather enjoys, pressure. “Diamond was yet another coal, which performed well under pressure.” Keeping cool in stressful situations, is one of his forte. Keeping your composure during difficult times allows others to have confidence in you. With this viewpoint, he tries to settle most of his cases outside the court, negotiating on good grounds. “Win your battles before they’re even been fought. Because if you don’t you certainly go to war.”Garnishing this he mentions,  “Be the exception to every rule and the moment you are done , set better ones”. This doesn't mean you go crazy and break every goddamn rule. But by following the rules every single time, you’re only letting your competition get ahead by being naive enough to believe that they won’t be doing the same. Exploit every resource, opportunity and thought to win the game, because if you don’t someone else will do it.

His mantra for success is –“Reach for the stars”. Learn from the best and eventually you’ll surpass them. This is what he instructs his associate-“Just because you’re a rookie, doesn't mean you have to think like one. Think like a child and you’ll be treated like one... Or think like a boss and you will be respected like one.” In simple words, never let your lack of experience hold you back. Harvey’s favorite one comes like this-“Don’t try to loose small, try to win big”. Be a risk taker based upon calculative amount of risk.

All these qualities are somewhat expected from him at this kind of workplace but Harvey shines well in his ethical scrutiny also. His stand on lying is just an eye-opener for many-“Lying for me doesn't protect me; it betrays me”. He hates perjury. He knows to what extent he has to exploit any relationship or emotion for his corporate gains. Sometimes he says-“I am against having emotions, but not using them.” On reading this you might have formed an opinion about this man that all he cares about is- winning. Well let me correct you- 'He is not against emotions. He just doesn't like to display them. Because their exhibition makes you weak and Harvey hates weaknesses'.

Harvey’s life comes around with a combo of practical learning. And not just social ones, but even those that will definitely enhance an individual’s personality. In spite having such a hectic life, he has his interests and hobbies outside work like boxing, playing poker, listening to vinyl while drinking Scotch, and watching movies.

Dear Reader, they say that the greatest things in this world happened in the mind and this very character teaches us to play from and with the mind. But wherever heart is required, give it its due honor.There's so much to learn from him. I might not have absorbed each one of the above qualities in my life but am trying my level best to be one and then surpass. Every tinge of his personality and every minute aspect of his life is captivating and worth incorporating in one’s life to the fullest. I hope after reading so much about this man you would surely Google about him.Go ahead you'll certainly enjoy a lot. But before I finish let me mention my favorite Harvey Specter quote that will be my show-stopper-

“The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

You cannot get Everything you want in life

                                             

Life has been meaning to teach this lesson to me for quite some time now.  It started with the JEE Advanced paper. Even at the end of the first paper, I knew that my hopes and expectations of going to IIT Bombay had evaporated, leaving behind just dry and crumbling despair. Nevertheless, I managed to write the second paper satisfactorily. Dropping out was not an option. I just had to come to terms with whatever result I got.

 It was difficult, but I numbed myself to all topics related to JEE and managed to manoeuvre myself through the "dark times". That too, without actually learning the above-mentioned lesson. Surely, it must be a glitch on God's side, I thought. Maybe I hadn't tried that hard. This won't happen the next time if I try harder. This attitude of mine got even a more solid ground to stand on, when I performed excellently in the BITSAT.

Unfortunately, Life hadn't given up yet. It was determined to teach me this lesson, no matter how much I tried to blind myself to it. The pessimist inside me tried to compare Roorkee with Bombay. The optimist burnt it to the ground, though only temporarily. Then came the Aditya Birla Scholarship. Excited, full of hope and confidence, five of us from Roorkee went to Bombay for the interviews. As you might have guessed from the context, I didn't get through. This was Life's second strike at my perception that the entire world would part and make way for me if I just tried hard enough. The third, and I feel that many of you will agree with me on that one, was the MTE results.

Now, after facing such disappointments, I have begun to acknowledge the fact that you cannot get everything you want in life. 

Even so, the optimist inside me is still standing. To not expect anything in life is a sin too, one that I am not willing to commit. If you don't try, then scratch everything, you won't even get anything.

Hence in my life, I have decided to expect, try my best, have faith but move on. I now live by the motto:

                               Though you can't get everything in life,

                                     Give Life everything in You!

               

HOW I LANDED IN IIT-R

"There is no decision that we can make that doesn't come with some sort of balance or sacrifice."

-Simon Sinek

It was the results time, the final outcome of my two year struggle. I always had aimed for studying in the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology. On the day of IIT-JEE, I couldn’t give my best and my performance wasn’t optimum. However, for the rank I scored, I was offered Electronics at IIT-R and Computer Science at IIIT-H. Even though Computer Science was a better course, I couldn’t give up my dream.

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."

                                                                                                                                 -Theodore Roosevelt

 At this point of time I had two options, both equally favourable and equally good. The hardest part of all was that, I had to finalize the decision in two days. I kept constantly conflicting with myself and couldn’t reach to any conclusion. This dilemma not just diminished my other interests but also held my attention for a long time. It was the first time I had to take a life-changing decision, all by myself. Being from Hyderabad my parents also weren’t ready to send me this far from home. 

At this judgement point, I decided to go with IIT. It was the biggest risk I had ever taken and needed a lot of courage. I lost a very good branch in a good college but, it gave me immense satisfaction and a sigh of relief. After coming to IIT, I learnt how to live by myself without misusing my freedom. It was the first time I had got to see such a big North Indian circle, and it took time for me to adjust with them. Now I am happy for taking the right decision that gave an unexpected turn to my life.

I never repented on this decision, as I gained a lot more things being a part of IIT.

What makes you CRAZY?

ARE  YOU  SETTLING  IN ANDROMEDA?

Well, that must be a weird question for you. You might be thinking about those star trek episodes with monster space ships and 50th generation weapons.

Are you?

I don't know about others but this is the field of science fiction that inspires me. And yes, you have every right to declare me a crazy lad.

The point is that our Sun God is getting out of fuel, and we can't import it from its nearest neighbor        Mr. Proxima Centauri.

At some point of time in the future, it’s going to get extinguished leaving this ball of dirt, upon which we live, in complete darkness. And I don't want it to be the end of our story.

Ours a society, completely dependent on science and technology where we have immense possibilities of doing miracles with it.

I get inspiration from everything that is a part of our universe, from the small electrons to the gigantic galaxies with billions of mysteries hidden in them.

And technology coupled with science is perhaps the best tool to understand them.

Imagine that you have a Bucati Veyron spaceship, with top speed 0.98 light years per second, parked in the garage of your farm house on moon.

(For your kind information:-      I am not a disciple of Rajnikant!)

These are not mere fantasies. After achievement of globalization, the next mission is to achieve ’universalization’.

And there are brilliant minds around the globe working on this theme , among whom my favorite is   Dr. Stephen Hawking!

This guy has beaten his neurological disorder and all other physical limitations to emerge as one of the greatest minds of the century.

(Sorry! Rajnikant fans.)

Whenever I see a machine working, be it a supercomputer (on Youtube of course!) or a tiny watch, it adds to my craziness and catches my nerve.

I immediately start dreaming about the immense effort that we (creatures of blood and flesh) are putting to improve the quality of our life. And space exploration is definitely going to be another chapter in this history of human endeavor.

POSTED BY:-

SHARANPREET SINGH

ENROL. NO. -14114053

What I learned from a big disappointment - Do NOT Expect!

What I learned from a big disappointment

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed”

                     -         Alexander Pope

Do NOT Expect!

Well, I learnt that the hard way.

Expectations are difficult to live up to. It doesn’t hurt that hard when you expect something from somebody else, but when you are expecting something from yourself and you fail, it stings like hell. Expectations lead to hope and extinguishing hope leads to disappointment, which is hard to handle.

I have been practising the Korean martial art Taekwondo since the last 8 years and I hold a Black Belt. I will not boasting if I say that I AM good. One should know when they are actually good and when they are being overconfident. Ever since the first Taekwondo tournament that I participated in, I have won medals in every single competition, except one. That one tournament taught me the fact that one should never expect anything from anyone, especially from himself, rather just go with the flow.

I had always been good at Taekwondo. I used to train hard during the classes. When tournaments were round the corner, I would train harder even on days when there was no class. It’s just that when you take things for granted, they start falling apart.
It happened in the 24^th National Taekwondo Championship 2010. I had participated in two national championships before that and emerged as the gold-medallist both times. So, I was pretty much at the apogee of my career, and that is precisely when the devil strikes – when you are at your most vulnerable. It seemed that everything kept on coming to me the easy way, that I didn’t need to put that much effort to achieve them. I paid less attention during classes; my concentration started wavering during training. I didn't seem to notice the decline in my performance. 

But expectations don’t care about your attitude towards the task. They just depend on how you have been faring in the past, and I had a pretty good track record. So, everyone was expecting another successful championship, even me. But results don’t care about expectations; they consider the training and abilities. So, eventually, I ended up going down in the semi-finals, with a bruise on the left cheek and an internally bleeding finger. 

It’s not that I hadn’t got hurt before, but this time it hurt worse than ever. It was because of the losing factor, I guessed. I had lost to someone whom I had defeated three out of three times in our previous encounters, and losing to someone against whom you have a perfect record, that too because of poor preparation and overconfidence coupled with not being able to live up to expectations, is just too big a disppointment. 

My parents, teammates, even I was disappointed with myself. More importantly, my coach was disappointed. I could see it on everyone’s faces. I knew it was my own fault. I had sabotaged this tournament. I got the bronze medal as a consolation though, but even that didn’t seem right since there was no 3^rd-4^th place bout; both the losers in the semi-finals got the bronze. 

It was not just the losing part that pinched, but the fact that I had not been able to live up to the expectations. When you go in with full preparation, you have a chance at the top position. But even if you fail, you are still satisfied that at least you gave it your best shot; the other guy was just better than you. But when you go in like this - unprepared, overconfident – you are bound to eventually fail, maybe even to a rookie, and then handle the disappointment.

But I also knew that it was no use regretting what had already happened. I had to show everyone that I had still not lost my mojo; I just needed to train hard.

Again.

And so I did. Yes, it took some time, but I did bounce back. By the next nationals, I was ready. This tournament was important. Not only because it was the biggest tournament after the last disappointing one, but also because it was the 25^th National Taekwondo Championship – Silver Jubilee. Also, there was the silver lining of the treat that our coach had promised for anyone who won gold. I was confident, but still had some doubts as to whether I was ready or not. Eventually, I won the tournament (one of the bouts ended in a KO – I am really proud of that one).

So this way I learned that expectations are not good for anyone. One should not EXPECT anything from anyone; just do what they must without thinking about the end result. This keeps everyone from disappointments.

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you are not in this world to live up to mine.”

                     -         Bruce Lee