This and That!

"Life is all about the choices we make"
So said a very smart person. ( I don't know who, but have heard it from a smart person for sure!)
I am proud to be raised in a family where women are taught that they are no less ( maybe better!) than any man,and well educated and equipped to take on the world!
Little did I know,growing up, that these "choice" making powers would come haunt my thoughts so much! It's always "damned if u do, and damned if u don't!"
If you buy a house, then you are opening yourself to liabilities,more stress,etc. If you don't, then you are not thinking enough about the future,wasting money on rent,especially if you live in a high rent area like we do,and are not on the road to early retirement.
If you live in a place like NYC or the silicon valley, then you are paying through every orifice for rent, taxes,living costs,etc. If you decide to move to a cheaper city, then you feel that you will miss out on all the stuff that the big-city lifestyle has to offer.
If you work for a big company, you miss out on the learning opportunity that a start-up has to offer,if you go work for a startup, then you miss out on the fact that in a big company, you have more resources and experienced people who will have the time to sit down and help you learn and grow!
If you have kids in your early 20's, then you are not career-minded enough,and you have not enjoyed your life enough to have kids and take on more responsibility. If you wait till you reach the big 3-0, then you risk all kinds of problems for yourself and the kids.
Once the thought of kids come into the picture, if you decide to stay home when the baby is small, then you are not super-woman enough, you don't have the capacity to balance everything life has to offer. If you go to work, you are hard-nosed and always put yourself before your kids.

Since I am one of those lucky Indians who come from HUGE families with aunts,uncles,cousins,and (cousins' children too) galore,and also have a variety of friends,I am exposed to people of all ages and ideologies. This only makes me more confused!

What is it with us???? What choices are right and what are wrong???
On the other hand, if I figured this out, then Maybe, I can write that Best Seller and retire, eh?

Only the brave bare!

Only those that are brave would talk about experiences that display their stupidity,right? So,in my particularly brave mood,here goes!
I took class on "The 7 habits of highly effective people" a couple of years ago. For 3 days, a group of about 10 of us were imparted precious words of wisdom on how to live life more efficiently. I left feeling mighty puffed and totally empowered to take on the world!
The next day,a bunch of us decided to go to a salad and soup buffet place for lunch. We car pooled,and I drove us all. Eager to implement my newly gained wisdom,I decided that I did not need my purse,would be easier to pig out at the buffet without having to guard my purse!So I took out just my credit card and tucked it in my pocket. I locked the car and plonked my purse in the trunk of the car.
Mid-way through my meal,I realized that I had put the car keys into the purse that was oh-so-efficiently locked in the trunk!
After my colleagues recovered from their laughing fit,one of them called his friend who came and drove us back to work,luckily I had a spare key at my desk,so I could come back to the lunch place and drive back to work!
Well,that was a lesson on being efficient that I will not forget!

Here I go again!

So I read a bazillion blogs,comment on a few,but did not share my blog! When I started to think about this,I felt that since mine may not be the most amazing one,and so many people out there were such veteran bloggers with huge a fan following,I was hesitant to share it with the whole wide world(www!). But,here is an experiment,I will keep my other blog private for now and open this up. If it works well,great,otherwise,I tried!