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Avoid the 3 Ps: Pessimism, Possessiveness, and Perfectionism

In life, most of our struggles are not born outside us—they quietly grow within. Sometimes it’s not circumstances that limit us, but certain habits of thought we unknowingly nurture. Among them, three stand out as silent energy-drainers: pessimism, possessiveness, and perfectionism. If we learn to loosen their grip, life becomes lighter, relationships become warmer, and success becomes more meaningful. 1. Pessimism: The Habit of Expecting the Worst Pessimism often disguises itself as practicality. We tell ourselves, “I’m just being realistic.” But there’s a difference between being realistic and constantly expecting failure. A pessimistic mindset slowly erodes confidence. It convinces you not to try because “it probably won’t work.” It makes small problems look permanent and temporary setbacks feel like final defeats. Every successful journey carries uncertainty. The student who studies hard still doesn’t know the result. The entrepreneur who invests savings doesn’t know the outcome. T...
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​Work–Life Balance in Public Sector Banks: An Uncomfortable Truth

Work–life balance in Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in India has largely become a slogan rather than a reality. While the term is frequently mentioned in policy discussions and official communications, the day-to-day experience of PSB employees tells a very different story. The problem is not a lack of intent—it is a deeply entrenched working culture that continues to prioritize control, compliance, and optics over efficiency, trust, and employee well-being.  PSB employees are expected to handle ever-increasing workloads with shrinking manpower. Long working hours have been normalized to the extent that staying late is often seen as a sign of commitment rather than a symptom of poor workload planning. This culture quietly rewards overwork while ignoring its long-term costs: burnout, declining morale, health issues, and disengagement.  One of the most damaging contributors to poor work–life balance is micromanagement. Instead of empowering officers and staff to make decisions, the ...
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​Leadership: A Duty, Not a Throne

In today’s world, we often mistake titles for true leadership. A designation, a corner office, or a nameplate on the door can make someone appear to be a leader. But real leadership has never been about the position—it is about the responsibility one carries, whether acknowledged by the world or not. Indian philosophical tradition has always understood this deeply. Leadership, in our scriptures, is inseparable from dharma—the sense of righteous duty that one performs without attachment to power, fame, or reward. The clearest expression of this comes from the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna instructs Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Arjuna, a peerless warrior and prince, is overwhelmed and wants to abandon his role. Krishna does not remind him of his royal status or his command over armies. Instead, He speaks of responsibility: *”Sva-dharme nidhanam shreyah para-dharmo bhayavahah”* (It is better to die doing one’s own duty; the duty of another brings danger.)-Bhagavad Gita 3.35 An...
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Harmonize heart’s passion with Mind’s clarity & thoughtfulness

​ Emotional intelligence (EI) is the art of harmonizing the heart’s passion with the mind’s clarity, a dance between  dil  and  dimag  that echoes ancient wisdom. Below, I substantiate each EI insight with Sanskrit quotes from timeless texts, blending their profound philosophy with practical steps to deepen the heart-brain synergy. These quotes, drawn from scriptures like the  Bhagavad Gita ,  Upanishads , and other Indian wisdom traditions, illuminate the timeless relevance of EI. 1.    Self-Awareness: The Heart’s Mirror, the Mind’s Lens EI begins with recognizing emotions (heart) and understanding their roots (mind). The heart feels joy or sorrow instinctively, but the mind names and contextualizes these waves. Self-awareness aligns the two, fostering clarity.  “Ātmānam viddhi  (Know thyself) mentioned in  Mundaka Upanishad  (3.1.9), urges introspection to understand the self beyond fleeting emotions. The  Upanishad ’s c...
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Memoir 1 : Bank Orientation Odyssey

October 1985, the first of the month—a date etched in the golden annals of ambition. The hallowed grounds: State Bank of India Training Centre, Pataliputra Colony, Patna. This was the dawn of our odyssey, the sacred threshold where we, the eager probationary officers of the 1985 batch, gathered to ignite the flame of our professional voyage. A whirlwind of 25 luminous days lay ahead—immersion in knowledge’s forge—before we ventured forth to our inaugural branches, armed with the alchemy of theory transformed into practice. Amid the sea of unfamiliar visages that sparkled with promise, a few beacons of familiarity pierced the horizon: Aditya Nath Jha, Mithileshwar Jha, Prabhash Kumar, and the late Mohan Lal Gupta. Aditya, a childhood comrade woven into the tapestry of family ties, I hailed by his intimate moniker, Mukund—a whisper from yesteryears that bridged the chasm of time. Mithileshwar and Prabhash were echoes from Netarhat’s verdant classrooms, fellow travelers on academia’s wind...
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The Fast Track Trap: Why Rushing to the Top Might Leave You Empty-Handed

In the relentless sprint of modern professional life, the siren call of the “fast track” beckons with promises of swift success, towering titles, and overflowing bank accounts. It’s the career equivalent of hopping aboard a gleaming bullet train: sleek, efficient, and hurtling toward the destination at breakneck speed. But as the scenery blurs into an indistinguishable streak outside the window, a nagging question arises— what are we sacrificing in our haste?  This is the essence of the “Fast Track Trap,” a mindset that prioritizes endpoints over the rich tapestry of the journey. As one observer poignantly notes, “Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.”   Yet, in our ambition-fueled era, too many of us board that high-speed express, only to arrive at the platform feeling strangely unfulfilled. Drawing from the timeless analogy of train travel, consider the bullet train versus its slower, meandering counterpart. The bullet train embodies the ...
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Understanding Gender Inequality in Indian Workplaces

The assertion that Indian workplaces, rather than women themselves, must evolve to foster true equality is spot on. Despite rapid economic growth and increasing female education levels—where women now outnumber men in higher education enrollment—systemic barriers rooted in patriarchal structures, unconscious biases, and outdated norms continue to sideline qualified women. Indian workplaces remain predominantly male-dominated, with men holding about 80-85% of leadership roles across sectors like IT, finance, and manufacturing. This creates an environment of resistance, where women encounter negativity, microaggressions, and the infamous “glass ceiling”—an invisible barrier preventing advancement despite merit. Even when women demonstrate competence and sincerity, they face skepticism about their commitment (often tied to family responsibilities), exclusion from informal networks, and higher scrutiny on performance. These issues aren’t about women’s shortcomings but about workplaces fail...
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