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Mission BBM Accomplished

In August, 2016 I decided to pursue the Bachelor's of Business Management Course from University of Mysore. My previous qualification was a Diploma in Production Engineering that was completed in the year 2001. I chose not to pursue a degree in engineering then. However, the lack of a formal degree was a short coming as few good career opportunities failed to materialize. I had made two previous attempts. One through IGNOU and another through Anamalai University. I did not attempt even a single exam. The enthusiasm and motivation at the time of enrollment fizzled out. I just could not get myself to focus on studying and gave up. 

The Bachelor's of Business Management course from University of Mysore was my third attempt at completing my graduation. I enrolled in the year 2016 and there was a good chance of history repeating itself. I did not get started immediately after enrollment. The best part of University of Mysore was that there was a follow-up done wherein a representative would contact over email and/or phone to check on the progress. In the initial days, it helped me to overcome the inertia and the work place related challenges that prevented me from focusing on studies. I attempted few exams and again there was a break for few months. Then I set a target for myself to complete my exam by August-2019. Due to work load in office I missed this target. It was demotivating and I felt bad that I was not able to focus and get the course completed. 

In December, 2019, I decided that come what may, I will complete the course by May, 2020. I took it as a mission to be accomplished. I figured out how many subjects were remaining to be attempted and created a tracker in Google drive for the remaining subjects. I attempted my last exam in June, 2020. The results got declared in July and I managed to clear all the remaining subjects. The whole experience taught me an important life lesson. Clearly defining a goal, putting specific timelines for the milestones in between and trust in the divine is how goals are accomplished. I believed that things not in my control will be taken care of by Him. I truly feel that Lord Shiva's blessings played an important role in having a strong faith that this time I will complete my graduation.

I am sure that successful completion of my graduation would serve as a catalyst in achieving few other goals I have set for myself. Ultimately, the process remains the same no matter what the goals are.

Swami Vivekananda - An Eternal Soul

Today is the death anniversary of a great soul named Swami Vivekananda. He left for heavenly abode on July 4, 1902. However, he is one of those rare personalities whose thoughts and words still continue to inspire and he remains amidst us as a guiding force. He was a perfect blend of scientific temper and spirituality. From being someone who did not believe in God, he transformed into a person who through self-realization became a strong advocate of existence of a divine force. He was against superstition and also believed that a divine force exists in every living being. How can racism or discrimination exist in the mind of someone who believes that God resides in every living being?


Whenever one feels low, reading few of Swami Vivekananda's quotes should be enough to fill you up with energy. He had said, "Thoughts live; they travel far". It is definitely true and his quotes are a testimony of this fact. They continue to inspire millions even today. Check out any of his pictures and there is something distinctive about his eyes. They still seem to communicate and his body language was that of a super confident person. He believed that all religions in this world are just different ways to reach the same God. Can anyone forget his speech at the World's Parliament of Religions, Chicago on 11th September, 1893?

Simple one liners of his are enough to inspire people to overcome inertia and start taking action towards their life goals. He believed that all knowledge is within us. He left this world at an early age of 39 but in that short span of life, he was able to motivate and inspire people from all walks of life not just in India but abroad as well.

He wanted every one to believe in oneself. A strong belief in self is the first step in the realization of God. Without having faith in self, faith is God is not possible. Isn't this true of any task you undertake in life and not just seeking the divine? Without self belief, nothing can be achieved in life.


I wish I could have met this great soul in person.




Image Courtesy: https://www.india.com/

Welcome 2020!

Today is the first day of 2020. Wish every one a prosperous and Happy New Year. Many say that it is just a change of date and nothing really changes. Yes, that is true. New Year resolutions will be made to be forgotten. Some goals will be decided to be pursued. As days pass they may get abandoned. I still feel that a New Year should be looked forward to. At some point of time you need to make a start. If a change in date helps then why not see it positively.

I always look forward to this change in date as an opportunity to reflect on the year that passed and mentally prepare for the year ahead by identifying some goals. Few of them are realized, some of them are abandoned. It doesn't really matter. The act of reflection does help in figuring out what went wrong and how you can take some corrective action in the coming days to do course correction.

I am glad that I was able to stick to the Daily Doodle challenge for 31 days without fail from 1st December, 2019 to 31st December, 2019. It was a nice experience wherein I could realize that it is not that difficult a thing to be able to draw. There are some tricks and techniques you can use to improve your skills and use your creativity. Effective today I will not be coming up with Doodles on a daily basis anymore. My focus now will be on Mission BBM - May2020. This does not mean that I will be stopping it totally. I will still randomly come up with Doodles and may use it as image for my blog articles. I will also be using my Doodles to help with my learning efforts. As you know a picture is worth a thousand words. 

I am looking forward to positive changes this year both on personal and professional front. I have already identified goals for this year and will work towards fulfilling them. I did reflect today on the things that I did not do right and have identified the steps to be taken to do course correction. 2020, will be a year of implementing the changes and moving ahead.

Once again, wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Image by Samad Khakpour from Pixabay

Bye bye 2019 Welcome 2020 (DDC - Day 31)