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Uncategorized

Loving Winter 2013

I can see that a lot of people are having a hard time keeping a smiling face when they talk about winter, the snow and the wind because they're thinking about the cold, the slush, and layers of clothes and shoveling. I'm one of those people who really seem to be enjoying this year's winter. I understand that I might be getting a few frowns as people read this because I work indoors most of the time and yes I do not need to commute because I work from home. But hear me out, will you?

I couldn't get much work done yesterday, so at night I went to the nearby 24 hour Tim Hortons, a Canadian favorite coffee shop to have a warm cup of Cafe Mocha and to get some work done. Ask any Canadian and they'll know the name 'Tim Hortons' it because it's a common name mentioned almost daily in Canadian households. I came home at around 1:30am. It's at most 20 feet from my driveway to the door of my house and within that short distance I began to feel the cold reaching into my legs beneath the multiple layers of clothing. I could feel my cheeks freezing. The coffee had not awaken me up as much as the cold hitting my face did. It was a good feeling.

There was no one on the street, there was silence – my conjecture was that it was so cold that it was difficult for much of the sound to travel. The snow had settled on the ground like icing on a birthday cake and the whole street was lit up with the light from the street lamp that it reflected. I stood there for a few minutes in awe.

Why should I not love winter?

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Categories
Business Philosophy Psychology Self Development

The Power of Intro-Extro-verts

Just a few weeks ago someone commented that I was a bit shy. That came as a bit of a surprise to me as I do not consider myself as even a remotely shy person. After a bit of reflection I realized that at some point in my life that in fact may have been true from one perspective and even today to some this may hold true. I do not usually tend to speak unnecessarily. If I do not bother speaking up, it is mainly because the situation or topic at hand does not interest me or I do not have anything worthwhile to add to the conversation because it does not add any additional positive value.

Although I have a blog which may seem like an open expression of my personal thoughts, a twitter page which paints a picture of what goes in my mind and a Facebook account where it may seem that I share my intimate thoughts amongst my Facebook friends, it is only what one sees on the surface. I have learnt from experience that things are not always what they seem. I like to express myself freely when the time calls for it, but my biggest breakthroughs in thinking and understanding have come from seeking solace in solitude.

I like to deal with certain things like figuring personal and business solutions to problems I face on my own,. The bigger the problem the more silence it requires. But the fact is, this is not just true for me – this is true for everyone. Even the most extreme cases of extroverts need to at times find their inner voice in seclusion.

The key here is not to categorize oneself as either an introvert or an extrovert. There are different times that requires one to taken on introvert or an extrovert traits.

When making business deals, giving speeches in public, working in teams I have to take on an extrovert persona and during planning, projecting, writing or doing any kind of creative work I have to take on an introvert persona. The key is to realize one's natural state and then balancing it according to the situation that one is in.

 

Categories
Philosophy Politics

If Peace is the Price, Then What’s the Prize?

Let's remember our fallen soldiers. A few pay the price with their lives so that the rest can enjoy safety and freedom. But really being the so-called evolved species how is it that we can't take peace, cooperation and unity over this divide that is ever so present.

What is this progress of building cities, expanding our scientific knowledge and building wealth if we can't stop ourselves from blowing each other up?

Yes, it's because of those soldiers that sacrificed their lives that we enjoy this freedom, but do the few have to die in order for the rest to have it?

If the price is peace, then what's the Prize?

Categories
Self Development

Why You Should Set Your New Year’s Resolution in November!

Two years ago, I wrote an article on "Why not to Set a new Year’s resolution!". Now I like to catch people's attention like that. The fact was that I was not telling people to not set new year's resolutions, but instead I was showing why you should set them in November.

It has worked well for me and I have made some amazing changes in the past two years. Some of my friends and colleagues have also adopted this out-of-the-box way of making self improvements.

Now remember, you do not need to restrict yourself to health goals like losing X pounds or just financial goals like earning $Y within the next Z months. You can set new year's resolutions for your company, for your community, for your family or for your circle of friends .

You can check out the article here: http://www.kapilbulsara.com/2010/01/why-not-to-set-a-new-years-resolution/

Categories
Web Web Development

Simpe CheckList for Choosing a Drupal Module

 

I have been working with the Drupal Content Management System for almost 2 years now. Here is a quick 5 minute small checklist of things that I look at before choosing a Drupal module for my Drupal Projects.

Here I'm assuming that you are a programmer or web developer who has some experience with Drupal. Ideally you have already decided which version of Drupal you will be working with. I usually prefer working with Drupal 7, unless client insists on working with Drupal 6. Drupal 5 and Drupal 8 is out of the question.

  1. Find out what the Client thinks they want!
  2. Then Find out what the Client REALLY wants! – This requires some skill and experience – more on that later
  3. Find out keywords
  4. Do a Keyword search on Drupal.org. (http://drupal.org/project/modules)
  5. Skim through the first 3 pages of the results.
  6. If you don't find the keywords that you have mind mind, go until the first 5 pages.
  7. Skim through the module pages and make a note of which ones might be useful. Prioritize if possible.
  8. The higher the number of Downloads and Reported installs, the better it is. I usually tend to ignore Downloads.
  9. Note the last update dates of the "Recommended releases". Anything more than 2 years old is something I tend to stay away from. I have noticed that some Development releases can still be used for production purposes(Just don't tell your clients that you're using Development releases.) Don't pick Development releases that are too recent. Use common sense.
  10. Always go for modules that have Maintenance status: "Actively maintained"
  11. Check out all dependencies and check for point 8 and 9 for each of the modules.
  12. MOST IMPORTANT: Once decided, test it out on development site. Do not EVER apply modules directly to production. Use common sense.
  13. Don't be afraid to change your mind and try something else.

This is of course a very rough guide. For any questions or comments, please comment below, or contact me via my contact page at Contact Kapil

or message me on twitter at Kapil's Twitter Page.

Categories
Entertainment Music

Made some Music

I was in the mood to listen to some sitar, but found none to be of my taste so arranged some loops. Check it out!
and Let me know what you think.

Categories
Science Technology

Red Bull Stratos – freefall from the edge of space

Okay, check this out: This is a mission to the edge of space that will try to surpass human limits that have existed for more than 50 years. Felix Baumgartner will undertake a stratospheric balloon flight to more than 120,000 feet / 36,576 meters and make a record-breaking freefall jump in the attempt to become the first man to break the speed of sound in freefall (an estimated 690 miles / 1,110 kilometers per hour), while delivering valuable data for medical and scientific advancement.

You can watch this live here!

Categories
Enlightenment Philosophy

Faith

Every once in a while I would get these sudden rush of insight. So fast it comes and so profound it is, that I can only feel it, realize it at a level that words cannot express, as a matter of fact sometimes these sudden rush of insights are not even at the level of thought, because even the mind cannot fully comprehend this message. It is at a level which seems higher than thought, and the mind can only speak in terms of thoughts. This message is beyond the object of this thing called mind. I know not what this is, but it IS and you can only realize it with something higher than yourself. Once in a while we all get these glimpses that put us in a state of peace, awe, amazement, serenity – there are many ways of explaining it and yet we cannot fully describe it because to describe it fully in the words given by the mind will take us out of the very essence of this state.

Today, just moments ago I had this sudden rush of insight. I would call it Faith. Faith is everything, Faith is the bond that carries you forward. It is the absolute Trust in your Self, the higher Self that is indeed the True YOU, it is there ever present, yet it is allusive because of the veil that covers the knowledge of this True Self. To describe what Faith is in simple terms of the mind: it would be the trust in yourself, the trust that what you truly believe within you is what is right and it is what must be done. One does not need books, spiritual leaders, and enlightened beings to show you the 'path'. To follow the path shown by someone else is to call yourself by someone else's name. True Guidance can only come from within. It is this Trust in your Self that is as close as you can get to what I mean by Faith.

Faith has no religious connotation, it is not attached to a particular dogma, or belief system. It is what it is. It is pure, untainted, unconditional. It is Love in it's purest form, unconditional. It is towards that higher Self that resides in you and that which is none other than the True Nature of you.

Categories
Enlightenment Philosophy Self Development

My Prayer

I pray for wisdom of a 100 year old, imagination of a 6 year old, curiosity of a 2 year old, energy of a 20 year old and audacity of a 17 year old!

I pray for steadfastness of a loyal married man, the power of unconditional love of a new mother, the equanimity of an enlightened monk, the passion of a first time lover and the universal connectedness of a prodigy.

I pray for the deep understanding of the just, the burning desire of a new soul searcher, the unwavering firmness of an incorruptible king, and the indestructible courage of a warrior of the highest order.

I pray for the peace that exists in the deepest trenches of oceans and in the furthest regions of the cosmos.

Categories
Enlightenment Philosophy Self Development

Perfect Moment

Perfect moments don’t come. The moment you act, know that that is the perfect moment in time for at that precise time you have taken yet another step to weave the beautiful tapestry of this thing you call Life.

Perfect moments don’t come, you bring it in by deciding to move forward and cut off all other possibilities, because ultimately no matter what, anything that happens in your Life is your decision.

Perfect moments don’t come, you keep hammering at it like it was a boulder again and again until you achieve a breakthrough.

Perfect moments don’t come, you keep chipping away slowly and relentlessly to create a masterpiece sculpture of this thing you call Life.

Perfect moments don’t come, not the way you imagine it would. Whatever that has happened is in itself a display of perfection for any event any other way would not make you you!