If God doesn’t change the situation, He changes us for the situation.

6:54 AM Posted by Unknown


 We have fire in our hands, dreams in our hearts, and no concept of limitation in our heads. And so we live.
We don’t have to wait to until we get burned. We can confess our limitations and the limitations of the things we have, the money we’ve earned, the stuff we’ve acquired. We can be honest and admit that a car will not make us invincible in bad weather, that a security system will not prevent a break-in, that a good investment strategy can’t guarantee retiring as a millionaire. All these things are good, and they increase the probability of your desired outcomes. But they make no absolute promises. The simple act of acknowledging that can free you from a reliance on the wrong thingsTo confess our limits, to surrender our dreams and embrace the ordinary, to hold power loosely and even turn down the chance to gain more—these are unlikely, uncommon spiritual disciplines that can help us remain God-dependent even in the midst of plenty~Glenn Packiam

Of late God has been dealing with me intimately and giving me lessons that I wouldn’t learn otherwise. He was showing me, my own limitations to myself. (Though at times I tend to believe in “All is possible”, “Unlimited Potential” Bla bla bla)  Its illusion. Now I want to tell my blog readers few things..
  1.  The things I was passing through in life revealed things about-me to me which is already known to GOD.  The more I know my limitations; my dependency on Him grew. Often times the areas I think I’m good at got tested through circumstances and I realize i might be good at it but not that good. And that is why I need God. I found the trial of my faith as precious.
  2. If  you think you won’t go through what other people go through. It might even make you arrogant. But when a time comes and stuffs hit you flat on your face, and bring you down on your knees. Now I understand God made me limited so that I couldn’t praise myself. Sometimes when I pray I say “God, Why did I go thought that? How come this part of my life doesn’t line up with that part of my life? Why didn’t you fix this?” The lesson for me is when I’m limited I lean on Him. When I am limited i depend on him. Because when I  come out of this season  He doesn’t have to be worried about me being arrogant/prideful because i know that if it has not been for the Lord I wouldn’t make it. That is why I wouldn’t look down on anybody.
  3. We all have to learn about dealing to delayed gratification. Slowly but surely God blesses us in His time.




When Only Love Could Make A Way

11:45 AM Posted by Unknown

When only love could make a way
You gave your life in a beautiful exchange
When only love could break these chains
You gave your life in a beautiful exchange

When only love Could make a way
You gave Your life In a beautiful exchange...

 You were near, Though I was distant
Disillusioned I was lost and insecure...

Trading Your life, For my offenses
For my redemption, You carried all the blame...

Sachin’s 100th Century.

10:46 PM Posted by Unknown


If you don’t have few minuites, please don’t feel obligated to read this long post 

Sachin’s  100th Century.

Me and my dear-friend (& Co-founder at FlyingCocoon) Joshua Chris were having coffee at regular venue (Beyond Coffee) We get a coffee time pretty much most of the weekdays when he isn’t in Bangalore. He loves Cricket. So i knew today’s discussion point was somewhat important and relevant to what we’ve been going through as partners for quite sometime. He shared an article with me that was written few days back on yourstory.in about Sachin’s 100th century miss and Nation’s anticipation. (Josh usually says, we don’t always get what we want. We get only what God gives directly proportional to what we are capable of) i’ll probably write about this another day. In general I love Joshua’s insight on things, i don’t remember a single day i wasn’t inspired by him over three years+ of our friendship. (though i’ve many good friends I can count on for advice) He’s ONE person i know who connects with me in different level, may be its because He understands technology, business and has balanced spiritual life too. I learn a lot from him.(I hope he’ll learn few things from me too)
Coming back to the article i mentioned he shared with me, the author talks about three main focus points



1. You never know what’s going to happen next minute – Sachin has reached 100′s so easily till last year and since last 8 months it’s been such a struggle repeating the same thing. There are phases in your startup journey when all is going great and then the landslide starts but that doesn’t mean the commitment is low or you are doing something wrong. It’s just that you need to continue and stay put and pass the phase. I am sure Sachin will get his 100th century soon if not today some other day, and I think that’s the level of confidence and self belief that needs to be there.
 2. New Day is always a new day – In last so many occasions we have seen Sachin play well and cross 50 but when he comes the next day the landmark seems to elude him. In a startup a new day is a new day. You got to start afresh, forget the good and bad of the last day and focus on what’s on hand.
 3. Focus – We have seen so many startups starting wonderfully well but losing focus mid way especially when the BIG THING is nearing. Much like Sachin going just 6 runs away from what could have been a great great innings, slight loss of focus can lead to a sudden downfall in the fortunes of a startup.


For a young entrepreneur like me who is trying to make it work with unrealized ambition and probably with lots of bills to pay.  Josh had a bit of his own commentary on top of the article I shared above.  He said Just like sachin No matter how successful we become, life always shows up with a surprise and mystery.  Its in a times like this our faith will be tested. Emmy when you find you self in this spot remember your faith is on trial, but you've got a good lawyer. A person who pleads your case in heaven.  He continued talking but I stopped listening and went in to my own thoughts. Suddenly all my previous small and big achievements & failures started to mean nothing in the face of whats ahead of me and whats possible, its just like Sachin’s failure at his 100th century. Previously I’ve tried and tried more to get things back to the perfect track but i found it an uphill to get my way, the way I want it.

“I wanted the gold, and I sought it;
I scrabbled and mucked like a slave.
Was it famine or scurvy—I fought it;
I hurled my youth into a grave…”
“Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting
So much as just finding the gold.” -Robert Service,

Before my graduation i had to work for internship for three months. At the office i worked in people loved me, i was the youngest and nerdy and geekiest chap around so they wanted me to say longer (i too wanted to stay because I was learning a lot in that environment) And i ended up working there for a year. Last week I was immersed in deep five years old nostalgia while i stumbled at the recommendation letter i received from the CEO when i resigned. In those days I had all the energy, regularly over-night i used to crush in the office on my desk. I ate on computers, breath computers dust, slept on keyboard. I massaged(scratched) myself with mouse.  While working in that office, though i enjoyed every moment of it I knew  from my college days that my brains are wired differently( to work for myself). That is why back in good old days 2004-5 I  launched a website and optimized it to earn from Adsense Ads, While my classmates wanted to work for so and so multi-national companies. I knew that i knew i’m never gonna work for anyone. (Though in college days i used to say i wanna work ONLY for Google, later i outgrow that and wanted to build company and sell it to google. I still secretly lust on that front.)  Between then and now sooooo many things happen, i saw myself evolved through tough situations. So FlyingCocoon is one of those things that a happened in between then and now (started early 2008 and much didn’t happen in between Josh left to Bangalore and i was busy trying out there things). I’m lucky! I have many people i love and value like Josh beside me. For many entrepreneurs finding a co-founder has been likened to getting married and like a marriage it can be the best or the worst thing to happen to you. Now am runing a (Lean)scrappy startup I’m pushing myself, despite all the limitations, swearing i have to make this work, no matter what. I don’t know how many people understand the intensity but Running a startup without any funding is definitely a hard life. Even with funding, it is a lot of work. I remember Conan O'Brien's quoted what  Nietzsche famously said ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ But what he failed to stress is that IT ALMOST KILLS YOU.  You know, The stresses of running a poorly performing company or the frustrations of not closing enough deal almost kills you.  I was absorbed so much, I stopped caring about myself and things around me much. Few trusted friends came and told me Emmy pls take care of yourself  you are underweight & you look like a shit. I still didn’t care much. Sometimes dreams make us insane. And those who are around us who don’t know what’s going on inside of us looks at as commenselseless-lunatic. That part has never bothered me ever, because to some degree i’m iconoclast. What the society think doesn’t bother me zilch while my dream is at stake.

I sipped my coffee, Josh also sipped his coffee and continued talking i didn’t concentrate on what all he said new he moved on to the second point what the guy wrote about sachin’s NEW DAY, its is pretty much similar to what paul says  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me. Emmy In God’s kingdom Faith is your currency, Have faith in a new day. Its By faith gentile became a Jew. I hope you remember Abraham’s story how he birthed a new nation. Because he believed God it was counted unto him as righteousness. He was not right but he believed God is so good. And guess what? God said if you believe me like that I'll go ahead and i'll credit your account. And it was counted as righteous. Its like God saying I know you are not perfect, but i'll take your faith as a currency. I'll bless you. give you land and everything.

I know his FAITH also told him he'll give him a son, funnily the case got on hold till his wife passed child bearing age, now she was barren on top of that his body aged too. When it was completely impossible in human terms, God gave them a son.
Emmy as long as you can see you way clear God will do absolutely nothing. Its when absolutely there is no way for you to get it, when all of you plans & plots are failed and the budget is blown, the checks are over drawn. When you can see no way how you can make it. No way to run your dream startup, no way to hire the kind of talent you want. Its then God moves on your behalf and say I'm gonna bless you. Like Abraham. When you reach to this stage you know whom to be thankful for. Credits only goes to God not to anyone. Not even for yourself. Because you couldn't do it.
While we just have to trust God, often times we try to trace him. Trust is form of worship. If you don’t want to worship him question your purpose why here on earth you are here for.
Am still listening while looking at the one of the paintings on the wall at BeyondCoffee. I looked at my green tea cup I’ve realized i finished it without realizing it. Both of us have finished our drinks the only thing left on the table is French fries.
Josh took hand full of French fries and continued about the article he was talking about. He said the third point deals with really crucial issue. (Especially for us) I believe there is dime a dozen opportunities now than any previous generations ever lived on this planet had. For the little guys to create wealth and be who they want to be barriers to entry have been mostly removed especially for Tech companies; the playing field has been quite levelled same way for a guy in Hyderabad and for the guy in Silicon valley. This is something "very liberating". As you are yet to be discovered,  you haven't gotten your recognition. But at the same time, you don't have expectations. You just have to Focus, and take Action while the opportunities are still here. He looked me in the eye and said people like you suffer because they think they can be everything(not one thing) they want to be and when reality bitch slaps them. They’ll go out on full spree to prove a point.
Truly speaking I’ve done all of that, trying to prove a point and all, knowing what i know now, "odds are highly stacked against start-ups i’v nothing i want to prove. I just let God, what He lets me to do. I’ve reconciled with the fact that i can’t fight with that, even if i fight that. That is a losing battle already from the beginning.

As I mentioned earlier Me and Josh understand technology & business (local business) that is what clicked between us and helped us to build this incredible friendship over the years. We’ve been advising our friends on how to use the social web to generate leads for their small business in a very casual way for the last two year (very casually not for revenue). And For the past few months I’ve been working on SocialCRM called “OppTube” and i never knew FlyingCocoon which we started in 2008 will become serious and we’ll help more business to adopt social Media to expand their reach.
The plan is very simple for now. We do Social Media Consultation for local business for free or for extremely nominal cost. Help them with execution. We nurture a long term working relationship with them. At later stage when my SocialCRM gets ready for beta testing they’ll be signed up. After their initial trial & feedback period It will be priced rightly based on the value it provide. I’ll talk about on that development on another post
As conclusion he said: It’s really scary to forsake everything and focus on one thing. It’s ok, accept the fear: It is natural to be frightened by unknown. Naturally you want to diversify. You might being a situation making less money and working more because  company you are working in decides suddenly freeze salaries and increase working hours This has happened for several friends in Indian IT companies.  But still focus is the only way-in only way-out
In a serious voice he asked me:  Em what’s the worst it could happen to you? Quickly i said I’ll be completely bankrupt and start sleeping in my car till I bounce back. He said think for a second Are you really afraid of that. I mean really? After thinking for a second I replied: Actually not that much. If you look at any successful Startup, many encountered situations where most would throw in the towel, but they didn’t, they pushed through and achieved their dreams.







PS.
I know my writing style is as terrible as it gets. Something tells me with practice i can write better in the future. This is written as a practice. When i become a better writer i’ll look back and laugh at this post the awful grammar and punctuation..
P.S.S  On the flip side i feel really happy, coz this is a testament of overcoming my two fears, Fear of long post and showing off my insecurities as man. Sometimes opening up ourselves to vulnerability helps us to reclaim our humanness and remind us we are not God.



The Best in the world at something?

3:39 AM Posted by Unknown






Do you or your startup wants to be the best in the wold at something? Know this at least! :)
Long time ago my mentor thought me the following simple serinity prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference
In other words knowing when to quit and when to stick to your guns. Especially when you have a major project on your hands and start out with a lot of energy, making huge strides toward to your goal. You’re firing on all cylinders. You’re excited and motivated. Then you hit the wall(dip). That is where this prayer comes handy.
So the qusetion is When to Quit and When to Stick??? According to Seth Godin, while quitting is often a poor snap decision made under stress, under the right circumstances it is a smart choice for turning around a dead-end situation.
Please watch 8min video summery of Seth's Book.

The reason that being the best in the world is worth so much is that only few can do it. Scarcity carries a premium. We fail when we give up too soon, or when we get distracted by tasks that we don't have the guts to quit. Seth says the DIP is the long stretch between beginner’s luck and real accomplishment.

Download The Dip Manifesto Here

Freedom Calling

10:25 AM Posted by Unknown

Freedom Calling - with lyrics

by CECILE DOO-KINGUE


Renew me - Avalon

8:42 PM Posted by Unknown


Why am I such a dusty window
For your light to shine through?
Why am I just a tiny star
In a sky already blue?
Why do I offer everything
With my heart closed like a fist?
I want to love You better than this

Why do I live like I'm in chains
When You have set me free?
And why do I have to break Your heart
Before I fall to my knees?
I know it's time to pray for change
Give all I have to give
I want to love You better than this

So renew me
Remake me
Undo me
Unbreak me
Come into the empty spaces
Of my broken places
And consume me
Complete me
Pursue me
Redeem me
Let Your Holy Spirit living through me
Renew me

I need Your power to renew me, Lord, yeah
I need to know You're moving through me, Lord

I need You as my refuge
My first and last resort
Be the river always running
Through my deepest thoughts
Keep me in Your arms
'Cause even when I drift
I want to love You better than this

So renew me
Remake me
Undo me
Unbreak me
Come into the empty spaces
Of my broken places
And consume me
Complete me
Pursue me
Redeem me
Let Your Holy Spirit living through me
Renew me

My life bending to Your will
Seeking You until I'm more and more like You

The prayer of jabez for teens

3:31 AM Posted by Unknown


The prayer of jabez for teens
He'll open up possiblities you've never thought of before. He'll ask you to do things you've never done before (and that you're pretty sure you can't do). it will feel like He takes you to the edge of a cliff and says, "let's go for a walk."

*I'm looking forward for the camp... I wish this will be a time where God will say to me Let's go for a walk..... I really need to take that walk with him.... :)

PRAYER OF REPENTANCE

12:59 AM Posted by Unknown

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that’s exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that:
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it a choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the airwaves with profanity and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your
will... Amen





*Joe Wright is the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita, KS. On January 23, 1996, He was asked to be the guest chaplain for the Kansas State House in Topeka. He prayed a prayer of repentance that was written by Bob Russell, pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. According to an article in the Kansas City Star from January 24, 1996, his prayer stirred controversy, and one member of the legislative body walked out. Others criticized the prayer. 
The controversy didn't end there. Later that year in the Colorado House, Republican representative Mark Paschall angered lawmakers by using Joe Wright's prayer as the invocation. Some members there also walked out in protest.
Paul Harvey got a hold of the prayer and read it on his program. He got more requests for copies of it than any other thing he had ever done.