assalam alaikum

President Obama gives his historic speech in Cairo..I heard someone on Fox say that she thought she was at an MTV concert, as if that was a bad thing!! Well, actually, I take that back. I dont know how anyone over..lets say 25 could feel at home at an MTV concert, let along someone that wold be invited to Fox. Anyway, I loved his greeting. Call me provincial, call me petty but I'm willing to give a chance to anyone who say Sat Sri Akal to me.


On a personal note, I met with some old colleagues today. We got talking about how I like my new job - still at Microsoft but different group. Here's the great epiphany for today - I don't have to LOVE my job (not saying that I don't) but anyway, as long as the job can keep me engaged, give me interesting stuff to do and have smart people around me who can teach me a thing or two, it's all good. That seems like a lot to ask from a job but believe it or not I at least have always wanted more. So here's the gist of the discussion today from a few old timers ( read older and wiser)
1. Learn to Settle - You do not need to LOVE your job - you just need to like it enough
2. Look for the right things - As long as you can get things done and keep moving forward, its all good. End of the day, you need something to hang your hat on. Busy work is no good. Free office supplies cannot make up for job content.
3. Get some hobbies - Having other things going in life is a good thing - it'll keep you from obsessing about your job
4. It's all about YOU - Worry about what you need to get done, stop obsessing about what's fair- if you're thinking about what others are doing, chances are you're not going to be in job bliss
5. Get efficient about your work - that means planning your calendar, planning your communications and limiting the time you're available to your team. 24/7 access is NOT a good thing.
6. Stick Around - All the superstars/rising stars I've observed around me are folks who are smart but have also been around the company or the industry for some time. So do not throw up your hands and walk out the minute it gets boring or stupid or hard. Of course, when you've given it your all and things are not working, time to start looking.