Friday 20 May 2022

My Experience with Panchakarma & Ayurveda

Dearest investors & friends,

Praying that all of you are in the best of physical and mental health. We all Invest Our Money in Businesses, Invest our Time in Activities and Passions. But as a Fundamental Investor, I believe that the Best Investment we can Make is in our Health & Well Being. This is perhaps, the only Investment which will enable us to enjoy all the other Investments, in times to come.

As I write this article today, I am 36 years old on this Wonderful Mesmerizing Planet Earth. As many of you who follow me closely are aware, I began my Investing Journey in 2007. I came out of my Actively Paying Professional Career 3 years back, in 2019. Most of my Articles and Tweets are mostly on the process of achieving Financial Independence & Early Retirement. But this article is something different.

We all invest our time & money in mostly worldly things. Job, Family, Loans, Vacations, Pleasure, Education. This list goes on & on. We spend some time every day Ensuring that our Body is Fit. This can be Daily Exercise, Walks & Workouts.

When I came out of the rat race in 2019, I always thought that, at least once a year, we should spend some Serious-time Servicing our Bodies. Just like a House or a Vehicle needs Regular Servicing, Oiling, Painting & Washing, Our Body Needs Yearly Service too. Our Body is the only Vehicle which will last with us, as long as we Enjoy this Planet. I had this Serious Thought and Wanted to Do Something in this Direction.

In 2020 & 2021, Covid sprinted across the planet. 2 years, we all became closer to our Bodies. Closer to our Families. The Pandemic had brought about a lot of change on this Planet. In thought and in deed.

This year, 2022, the Love of My Life and I decided that we would explore Ayurveda. As most of You must be Aware, Ayurveda is a Way of Life. It is a Lifestyle. Both at Mind & Body Levels. Normally, most of us think about our well being, when our health is deteriorating. But, We wanted to begin connecting with our bodies early. When our body and mind are in decent shape, we wanted to explore this opportunity. We didn't want to wait for an ailment to strike.

My best half, myself & our son (Prakrit) have a reasonably healthy lifestyle. We sleep well, eat healthily and have a nice routine. I swim every day. My best half dances. We teach. My son plays, learns and explores. We wanted to have this tryst with our bodies as well.

As we started thinking of options, we were very clear that the place & environment was very very key in this process. We had a few things in mind:

1. The Ayurvedic Facility should be Clean, Green & Peaceful.

2. The Ayurvedic Therapists should have Seva Bhava (attitude of Service).

3. The Accommodation Facility should be Clean & Comfortable.

4. The Annakshetra (Bhojana/Prasad/Food Facility) should be Hygienic & Nutritious.

5. The Ayurvedic Doctors should Focus on our Nadi Pariksha & Guide us on the Needful.

6. The Complete Process should be a Divine Prayerful Experience.

As we explored various options, we finally zeroed in on the Sri Sri Tattva Panchakarma (SSTP) Facility on the outskirts of Bangalore. The facility is just near the Sri Sri Art of Living Ashram campus.




So, in general, my wife & I had some basic issues. The main issues we had then were General Exhaustion (after Covid time) and Some Weakness in the Knee & Back.

Just before coming to SSTP, my wife & I got our comprehensive medical tests done. My insurance covers the same. I am always a believer, that, if we are going to pay insurance premiums for the next 30 years with a provider, it is always best, if the insurance company is aware of our health (good & bad). I know, that many would disagree, but I am of the opinion, that there should never be anything to hide. If we have a problem, then the insurance company, better be aware of the same.

In our tests, with God's grace, all the parameters were ok. But, our Vitamin D levels and B-12 levels were really low. Now, this explained, why the nutrition was not reaching our bones. The body pains now made sense. I never knew that Vitamin D was such an important part of our system.

We came to SSTP for our Nadi Pariksha in the month of March, 2022. Nadi Pariksha is a divine process where the Doctor (after deep prayer), feels our Nadi, and then suggests the blocks in our system. To release these blocks, a particular lifestyle is suggested along with some basic medication. Based on the body, a Panchakarma Treatment is also suggested. This is a gradual process. It needs patience & time. It is not for emergencies.



In our case, our Ayurvedic doctor also suggested that we consult an Allopathy doctor to enhance our Vitamin-D and B-12 levels. This clearly showed the openness & approach. All sciences should move together to general well being. Each science has its place in our well being. No science is above all. All need to work in tandem.

As far as Panchakarma treatment was concerned, for me, the focus was on my back, knees, digestion & basic well being. Behind one of my knees, I had some small Varicose veins issue which also needed attention. This was not a major problem since I exercise my feet every day by swimming & walking regularly. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity to tackle this problem & all our general issues.

In March 2022, we decided to begin this lifestyle and medication for a couple of months and then, take the Panchakarma treatment in the month of May 2022. This would give our bodies a couple of months to get used to the lifestyle & the medication.

In the two months of lifestyle & medication, we saw enormous improvement in our health and well being. We began our Vitamin-D supplementation as well & connecting to Surya for 20 minutes every morning. We were preparing slowly for the Panchakarma treatment.

Before I proceed, let me now take you through the SSTP facility:

1. Main Reception where we get all details

2. Doctor Kuteers where we can consult with the doctors

3. Krishna Kuteer - Panchakarma Treatment Facility

4. Meera Vanam - Beautiful Accommodation Facility equipped with Duty Doctors & Nurse Stations

5. Panchamrut - Bhojana/Food Facility where Food is prepared as per our Diet for the stay. General Food is also available, but mainly Nutritious and Sattvik.

6. Vehicles to shuttle us across various facilities (of course, we chose to walk most of the time)




We booked ourselves Twin Sharing Room in the Meera Vanam facility. Such a beauty, this facility was. When we reached the Meera Vanam, we were greeted in the Reception Front office. We had a beautiful room on the 3rd floor overlooking lush greenery and the Vishalakshi Mantap of the Sri Sri Ashram. Immediately, we were added to a Whatsapp group which had my wife, myself & 22 others (Doctors, Guest Relations, Insurance and Treatment Team). This group was mainly for any communication regarding treatments, schedules & any concerns. We were impressed. Each room had its own Whatsapp group. So, we had a personalised team taking care of our needs and concerns.

I visited the Krishna Kuteer facility for my first Panchakarma Treatment. My therapists escorted me to one of the rooms. I had to wear one piece of cloth to cover my private parts. They made me sit down. They first prayed to Lord Dhanavantari & chanted some prayers. They cleaned my feet and applied oil across my body with lots of prayers. I could sense that they were completely into the process, with prayers & humility.


This small process set the beginning of a wonderful experience. Each staff was doing their Seva with lots of prayers and Bhakti. This added a huge difference as they worked through my body. The staff were part of satsangs, prayers & hence, their attitude was simply humbling.

Since, for me, the focus was on my back, knees and digestion, I had the following treatments.

- Uzhichil & Pizhichil - Hot Oil Massage across the body

- Udwarthanam - Hot Oil Massage. Then Hot Herbal Powder is Rubbed across the body from Bottom to Top of the Body (against normal massage). 2 therapists massages. 3rd person assisted in heating the powder and maintaining the right temperature.

- Lepam - Herbal Paste applied on Knees and then Bandaged tightly for 3-4 hours so that Juice Enters my Body

- Jambeera Pinda Sweda (JPS) - Jambeera means Lemon. Potlis are made (small bags) with Lemon and herbs inside, soaked in hot oil and massaged across. The Entire Strength from the Lemon Potlis enter our system. This is done by two therapists, with a third person assisting in heating the potlis and maintaining the right temperature.

- Patra Pinda Sweda (PPS) - In this treatment, Potlis are made with Herbs inside, soaked in hot oil and applied across the body.

- Marma & Osteopathy - Subtle treatments, where the doctors activate the points across our body as we get into deep meditation. This is not a massage. These are meditative techniques where the experience is subjective. I cannot describe my feeling in words. Just that the connection was blissfully medicative.

- Basti - Enema treatment to cleanse the intestines. Felt super light.

- Leech Therapy - To remove impure blood and general well being. Leeches are taken care of and used as another staff in this process. Leeches are also therapists here.

For my wife & me, personally, all these procedures were opportunities to give our body the best, from the best. I had beautiful conversations with the therapists, some of who had spent 15 - 20 years of their lives, serving people. The most experienced hands were working their magic on our general health. With complete devotion.

Our breakfast, lunch & dinner were ready as per our diet recommendations. Pure Sattvik food with wholesome nutrition was provided as part of our stay in SSTP. The diet included ragi, oats, millets, brown rice, jowar/bajra/ragi rotis, steamed veggies and sabzis. We consumed lukewarm water throughout our stay. Herbal Tea and khichdi were regular in our diet.



Duty doctors used to visit us 3 times a day to check our general well being. Nurses used to come to our rooms with kashaya and medication regularly to strengthen our system. Water was refilled regularly. The housekeeping staff cleaned every day. Diet food used to come to our room (in case we didn't go to Panchamrut). It was pure bliss to see the whole system working together, without any issues, seamlessly like a well-oiled machine.

It was so awe-inspiring to see how the doctors, therapists, nurses, housekeeping, cleaning, food and shuttles coordinated. It was simply amazing !!! Only in Seva, this can be achieved.

As we leave this place, stronger, healthier and making a new relationship with our bodies, I realised that this experience comes at a price. As Warren Buffet says - Price is What We Pay. Value is What We Get.

What we Pay, goes into making this Place more Efficient, Supporting the doctors, staff and Ayurveda & Panchakarma. The ashram feeds thousands daily. We were more than happy to pay for the same. We got enormous Value in the 7 days spent here.

Now, friends. Let me give you a perspective:

There are 365 days a year. For these 7 days of Treatment, Stay & Food, we have to Invest ₹250 x 365 days (₹125 per head per day). My wife & myself discussed, that, ₹250 a day for our well being is not such a big price. We can afford it today, and we should make this a yearly affair.

Most of our Insurance Partners cover AYUSH Treatments. So, you may want to explore that as well.

To conclude, I wanted to say that, this was a wonderful experience. I believe that each of us has the right to take care of our bodies. Vehicles undergo yearly maintenance. Why should our bodies be any different?

I hope this article sparks a thought process in each one of us. This article was aimed at you, doing the best for our bodies. Wherever it is, the time to begin is TODAY. You can explore various options at a location near you. We are in Bharatha, the land of Ayurveda.

The best investment we can make is in our body, mind and general well being. Our bodies will stay with us until the end. Let us make every second count !!!

Cheers to Peace, Health & Happiness.

Lots of Prayers,

Fundamental Investor


You can write to me anytime at investorfundamental@gmail.com

To connect - Click Here


Sunday 18 October 2020

My Learnings from Zero To 1 Lakh Followers on Twitter

Dearest investors & friends,

As many of you know, my investing journey began in 2007. In 2013 I began guiding friends on email. In 2016, I started my website where I began writing articles and sharing my thoughts. What a wonderful journey this has been, interacting with thousands of virtual friends, making few real friends for life. Absolutely phenomenal. 

It was in March 2017, that I joined Twitter as FI_InvestIndia. I have been guiding virtual friends on email since last 8 years now. Long long journey in connecting with everyone. Like compounding, it started Zero. And today, I have connected with over 1 Lakh Virtual Friends.



Today, as I touch 1 Lakh Friends on Twitter, I thought I should collate my learnings for benefit of all. My learnings, mistakes, associations, arguments, discussions & all the emotions I went through in this wonderful journey. I want to pour my heart out to all of you. 

This is not only useful for myself as a reminder, but also for readers who aspire to use Twitter effectively to reach out to thousands effectively. This post will also serve as a guide for friends who aspire to become People Influencers and Make a Difference to a lot of people.

I am blessed to have such a beautiful journey.

Click here for My Long Journey in a NutShell

Before we begin, I want to give you something awesome. Very powerful to begin with.

BASICS OF TWITTER:

Let's say I have 1000 followers. My 1000 followers each probably follow hundreds or thousands of people apart from me. Read this again friends. Our followers follow many many more people. So, my tweet is just one, out of thousands for my followers. It's just a random Tweet on their Timeline.

Now, when I create a Tweet, it shows up on my Followers' Timeline. But, along with my Tweet, other Tweets will also show up on my Followers' Timeline based on how many people he/she follows. So, effectively, my tweet has to be so so awesome, for someone to give it a second read. Yes. It has to make a difference. Only then, will someone Like it, Retweet it or even Share it with someone else. If my tweet is continuously making a Difference to someone, he/she will follow me. If my tweet touches someone's heart or makes someone smile, he/she will share it around. It's Simple but we need to Understand this.

LIKE BUTTON:

When I Like a Tweet, what Happens? When I press the Like Button of a Tweet, my Followers will get a notification of that on their Timeline. This is a very Powerful concept. But there is some algorithm there as well. If I like something which is really getting other Likes as well, it can actually help that person to gather more readership. A Like is the simplest way of Really Appreciating someone's content. When we Like something, it moves around.

RETWEET:

This I think everyone understands. If I retweet something, all my followers will get it on their timeline. We need to Retweet wisely. The more we Retweet, the more our followers' timelines get filled up. So, we should use this very very judiciously. A lot of Retweets can be irritating at times (especially for me).

MUTE:

If I Mute someone on Twitter, I cannot see his/her Tweets. But, that person can still see my Tweets and reply etc. In my opinion, this helps if we feel that we do not want to see all the tweets. For eg: I am interested in reading a person's tweets. But, 80% of her tweets are irrelevant for me. I am interested to read 20% of her tweets. In this scenario, we can Mute. Later on, we can go to his/her timeline and read what we want to read. This is a powerful feature. I have muted few Amazing People and I read their Tweets every night. I can choose what I want to read in this process and my Timeline remains clean. I do not use Mute for any Trolls/Time pass people. So, what do I use?

BLOCK:

Superb feature. In Twitter, not everyone is coming for constructive discussions. Over time, we know which people actually do not wish to read our tweets. So, we can Block them. So is blocking something to be ashamed of? No way. Actually, we are helping the person who is being blocked. The person being blocked has a huge huge advantage since he/she will never see our tweets again. Isn't that great for them? I feel it is a wonderful feature. It's the greatest service we can do for people who do not find value in what we post. I love it.

So Blocking in my view - Politely ensuring that someone doesn't go through the pain of reading our tweets. We are serving them by Blocking them. Always remember this.

Now, with this basic introduction of the features, let us proceed. Sit back. Read aaram se as I open up some amazing stuff.

Rule 1 - Never Underestimate the Power of Organic Growth:

Just like my Wealth Creation, this journey to a Lakh friends following has been Slow. Steady. It has taken it's own time. To be frank, I never started off with any aim. I just joined Twitter to share my experiences. But, from the beginning I was very clear about one thing - Organic Growth. I came to know that there are multiple ways in which we can buy Followers or Likes, Retweets etc. But, thankfully, I never resorted to such things. Yes, it takes time. But friends, let me assure you - It is totally worth it. If we have 100 followers and if even 10% of them resonate with our sharing, this can compound real big. What's the use of having fake or paid followers if our content is really not creating an impact? So, the first and most important point is to grow organically. The better our content, the better our reach eventually. 

So, GROW ORGANICALLY. TAKE TIME. IT PAYS OFF.

Rule 2 - Crisp Content in Few Words:

On Twitter, Content is everything. Twitter is a great platform to share few thoughts with our virtual friends and to have constructive discussions. My first learning is that a content which connects and resonates with thousands really gets passed on. To build a good content, we need to know what we are good at. What are the areas where we have an edge or expertise. This introspection should happen over a period of time. If we can deliver great content which instantly makes a difference to others, it really helps over a period of time.

The art of communicating a lot in 280 characters takes a lot of time. To be frank, it took me months to understand how to post on Twitter. I realized that the greatest of quotes are short but very very powerful. In the last 3 years, I have seen so many people who communicate powerful ideas in a simple sentence. I can assure you that this is possible. We all get such powerful thoughts if we can connect to ourselves and to the universe. And you know what. Powerful thoughts compacted in one sentence can really touch the hearts and minds of thousands. It is magical.

WORK ON CREATING SHORT POWERFUL SENTENCES. THEY WORK MAGIC.

Rule 3 - Association Matters:

Twitter is a Virtual World. I call it Virtual because thousands of people whom we don't know personally read what we write. And they comment/respond with their opinions and reactions on what we write. So, on a platform where everything is virtual, Association becomes extremely key. The better our circle of association, the better our thoughts become. We need to decide whom we would like to Follow on Twitter. Twitter as a platform is very powerful and I have made some amazing friends here. But more importantly, I have also realized whom to stay away from. Yes. I keep a long long distance from many as well. If used effectively, Twitter can become a beautiful place. But, if we are associated with people who do not resonate with us, it can become an Ugly place. So, Association Matters.

SATSANG IS MOST IMPORTANT ON TWITTER. NEVER ALLOW ANYONE TO DECIDE YOUR STATE OF MIND !!!

Rule 4 - Follow only People who add Value to your Timeline:

There is no magic number here. To make Twitter an effective platform, we should Follow the People who make our Timeline Powerful. Never follow someone just to please someone. To be frank, as you all know, I mainly focus on Personal Finance and Long Term Investing. But, a lot of Awesome Trader Friends follow me. They are simply the best. I used to feel bad that I am not able to follow them. I used to honestly DM them, telling them that I do want their Chart Tweets in my timeline and hence I do not follow them. And they actually understood it. And we are the best of friends. Every night, I read their Tweets on Life. Their psychology tweets. Their pictures etc. I love them. But, I really cannot afford to have their Chart Tweets on my timeline. I realized that we need to follow people who can keep our timeline apt for ourselves. If you are a trader, follow the best traders. If you are a spiritual person, follow people who can give you that precious timeline. If you are looking for jokes, music, stories, inspiration, quotes, follow people who can give you specifically that. That's key.

FOLLOW WISELY. KEEP TIMELINE RELEVANT AND POWERFUL.

Rule 5 - Sincerely Respond to Almost Everyone & Support Awesome Content:

One of the things I have been following from the beginning is to respond to each and every person. I try to build a beautiful connect with each person. Now, since I read all the replies, it also helped me to understand who the genuine people are. It helped me in handpicking my circles and associations as well. I realized that responding to every person really helps. A small like can make a big difference to the person following us. A small response like "Wonderful", "Great" or even a "Good Morning my Friend" goes a long long way. If I read any article which really is awesome, I Like it and I respond individually to the Person's Thread. In this way, since I have pressed the Like Button, my followers also can see that article and then read it. I love supporting awesome content. I realized that appreciating amazing content actually builds a great connect with the audience. Over a period of time, we get to read great stuff by following this simple technique.

But yes, there is a problem here. Since I respond to each and every person, I get to see some irrational remarks sometimes and trolls etc. Initially I used to try and justify and argue etc. I lost my peace of mind many times, since I was trying to educate a troll. Never works that way. Later on, as I understood the real intent of trolling, I started liberating them with the BLOCK feature. It's a WIN-WIN Now. My Timeline has also got much much cleaner.

Appreciate Publicly. We don't lose anything by Congratulating someone openly. But, if we want to Criticize, do it Privately on DM. It really really works wonders.

Rule 6 - Tag People Rarely, but Effectively:

Now, this is a tricky one. Tagging multiple people in your posts can actually do well or get irritating. To be frank, there is nothing right or wrong here. I have been tagged on some amazing articles which helped me build great connections. But, sometimes when people tag just for the sake of tagging, it gets irritating. So, it's for you to decide - When to tag and whom to tag. Let me give you a small idea here. Instead of tagging all the ids in the Tweet, upload a relevant picture to your tweet and tag people in the picture. This can work wonders actually. In this way, you are still tagging people, but you get the entire Tweet for the content. It can become more effective. Tag rarely. But effectively.

Rule 7 - Being Positive Pays:

I have seen a lot of people being Negative on Twitter. Yes, Negativity Sells. But, you know what? Positivity goes a long long way. Actually much much longer. There are very few people who are Optimistic about something. I actually think that being in a Small Positive Camp is always more powerful than being in a Large Negative Camp. A Positive Quote in a Time of Crisis, a Smile or a Like in a Bad Time or even a Word of Encouragement to someone can do wonders. Positivity is contagious. I have built a huge huge impact by just being positive. Yes. The World needs more and more Positive Thoughts. Why can't we be the Torchbearers of the same?

Rule 8 - Never Ever Troll:

Never Troll. Period. If you want to disagree with someone, do it politely. Sweetly. Word your Tweet carefully. That's an art which we have to work on, early on. To be frank, this is something I have developed over a period of time. It was not a part of me when I joined Twitter. I also used to sometimes disagree in a rude way or sarcastic way in initial days. But, Twitter and people have taught me how to put my thoughts effectively without hurting someone. I have noticed that Trolls never create a Big Impact. There are many ways to have a good effective conversation. So, the bottom line - Do not become a Troll.

Rule 9 - Involve Twitter Friends in Activities & Learnings

In 2017, I conducted an activity which became extremely popular. Hundreds of friends volunteered to study Annual Reports of Businesses and prepare notes on the same. I also used to have Exercises for friends on my Google Group where there was active participation. These small activities picked up momentum and they helped me personally reach thousands of minds. It was a group effort and it was phenomenal. We all loved it.

So, Involve More People and Create Value for them Directly or Indirectly. It helps Reach Thousands and Compounding is Awesome.

Rule 10 - Don't be Sarcastic until it is Constructive:

I like Sarcasm. But it has to be Constructive. Be Sarcastic, constructively. To be frank, I also sometimes, even today, feel like being Sarcastic about something. But, I think twice - Should I post this? Will this lead to a wrong effect? I feel that being constructively sarcastic (if at all) is much better than being ridiculing sarcastic. This has helped me to focus on the main point, rather than ridicule something. Constructive Sarcasm doesn't hurt anyone. The message is most important.

Sarcasm is like a Rocking Chair. Keeps us Busy. Takes us No-where.

Rule 11 - Focus on Quality of Tweets. Not Quantity:

Now, this is something which I try to follow. And let me admit, this was not what I was doing initially. Too many tweets can sometimes dilute the readership. I try to post a Tweet at 8 AM (IST) and one at around 8 PM (IST). I make sure that the quality is top notch, atleast it should inspire me for sure. However, sometimes, if the Market moves a little violently, I try to put some Motivating Posts on my Timeline during the Day. Also, if the Market gets a little Euphoric, I try to put some Posts to Balance this. But, I generally Avoid Many Tweets in a Row. When I post one Tweet, and allow People to Digest it, it actually Reaches a Better Audience. This has been my Observation.

When we Tweet, make sure we give enough time for readers to digest it. Let them read it. Understand. Think about it. And share it. Giving time between tweets really help.

Rule 12 - Tweet on your Strengths:

Initially I only used to tweet about some stock market related stuff. But my strengths are varied. I slowly started covering Personal Finance, Behavioural Psychology of Investing, Stock Market, Inspirational Quotes, Experiences, Videos with Children, Indian Education, Songs on my Guitar, Special Moments with Family, Trips, Personal Spending Habits etc. etc. The point I am trying to make is - I slowly created a huge Family on Twitter. To create a niche takes time. But it is worth it. And slowly, we get to be known for our niche. Everyone knows that I do not talk about stocks. So, people who expect names and tips do not find value in what I tweet. People follow for something unique. Create that unique space for yourself. That's my point.

Tweeting on topics which are our strengths help. Also, we need to slowly build up and keep inspiring everyone to live a better life, be happy and enjoy life. It takes time. But it will surely touch people. Slowly. Steadily. But Surely.

Rule 13 - Save Interesting Content in Drafts:

This is one of the best tips I can give. When I find anything interesting (quotes, Whatsapp jokes, Inspiring thoughts etc.), I immediately save it in my Twitter Drafts. This really really helps me to post some cool stuff occasionally. Even sometimes, when I am, let's say, playing with my son, if I suddenly get an amazing thought, I just save it in Drafts to be fine tuned later. In this way, we always have some great content to post and touch hearts and minds of thousands.

Rule 14 - Give Credit to Source:

This is really important. This might look small, but people are observing every step we take. If we unknowingly take credit for something which is not ours, we will end up creating a sorry figure. This is something I learnt over time. I also have made some mistakes in initial journey. Now, I am careful.

If I put up a joke or quote which we received on Whatsapp, I usually put #WAFwd as a hashtag. If I tweet a quote which I have not created, I generally use "Anonymous" in it. The reason I use "Anonymous" for even some popular quotes, is because, many times, some quotes are quoted by multiple popular people. When we google the source, we find 2-3 sources sometimes. So, to be safe, I put "Anonymous". It has worked wonderfully for me. In this case, there is no debate and people can actually focus on the message. And of course, there will be 1-2 people who find fault in Anonymous also. Best to ignore, and move on.

Rule 15 - Keep Reposting Best Tweets:

Initially, I used to Retweet my old Tweets which got a great response. But, later I learnt that, reposting a great Tweet always helps. When we Repost an old tweet, here are the advantages.

Firstly, it looks Fresh. Old friends love re-reading great thoughts again and again. Sometimes, some friends would have missed my tweets the previous time (since they might be following other people and hence, might have missed my tweet in their timeline). Also, new friends who follow will get to see my tweets, which they might have missed.

So, all in all, reposting best tweets time to time really really helps to reiterate those thoughts, act as a constant reminder and also helps new friends to understand us better.

Rule 16 - Block Frequently:

Association Matters. However, Disassociation also really really matter. If we Block someone, maybe that person might resort to Snapshots etc. Doesn't matter. Don't think of the consequences. Block if you feel that you are wasting time of someone else. As I said earlier, Blocking is a service which we are doing for sake of people who do not value our thoughts or time. So, I repeat. Block and stay in peace. It's a great tool to disassociate completely from people who do not resonate.

Now, here people might argue that we should not Block Constructive Critics. I totally agree. This wisdom comes over time. I get lots of disagreements but they are respectful. I like such people who know how to put their thoughts in a proper manner. But, it is easy to figure out, who is being cheeky. I block cheeky people. I don't think much :-)

And it really really helps. So, serve others by blocking them. Don't worry. 


My Biggest Mistakes on Twitter Platform:

My Ego:

Twitter is a great place to feed our ego. Finance is a very subjective topic and varies from person to person. Stock Prices fluctuate on second by second basis. We all have a Nice Ego. I am no exception. But initially, it was really Big on Twitter. I used to feel that My Way is the only way. This led to unnecessary debates and loss of peace of mind. I learnt that there is no point in having a big Ego here. And since, everyone has their own way of doing things, we should focus on moving on, rather than have a big ego and continue to argue. Twitter has, over a period of time, taught me this valuable lesson. If we get into the Ego Trap, this can reflect in our Family Life as well. 

So, my learning - Never allow Ego to Take over in the Virtual World. It's like a Time Bomb. Self Destructive.

Making fun or ridiculing:

In initial stages, I used to try to find opportunities to ridicule something. Of course, it was never in a harmful way. For eg: If someone has invested in a particular company that I wouldn't invest in, I would try to find a fault with it. Or, if someone is tweeting something which I would not agree with, I would argue or try to be cheeky. But, over period of time, I learnt that there is no point in ridiculing or finding fault with someone. It might make our ego feel better, but it doesn't serve any purpose. So. now, if I find something which I disagree with, I put a generic Tweet with my point of view. It's for Readers to decide my thought process and see if it fits into theirs. I try my best not to ridicule. But I am also human. Sometimes, if something is too too funny, I cannot stop myself. But working on it. Hopefully getting better at it, over time.

Naming some Businesses publicly:

In my initial months, I used to randomly make comments on some companies. This was not structured at all. Later on, I slowly fine-tuned it to post important articles, concalls etc of the companies I owned. Also, whenever I used to buy some shares, I used to update on Twitter. It used to famous as "Drops". I am a firm believer in Drops make a Mighty Ocean, Over Time.

My main intent was that everyone should understand how to buy shares of a business for years in good times and bad. But, I made a Rookie Mistake here. My Mistake was not my Businesses frankly. But, I didn't realize that most people who are reading this are not here for 15 years time frame. Also, people would read my tweet at different times. Some might blindly follow buying as well without any research. And to be frank, not many readers actually focus on owning a business. 

Also, I spent a lot of time justifying why the company is good etc. This was leading to a lot of time and energy drain. I also realized that most people who used to debate on the businesses are not owners. Also, when I speak about a company, over time, I get identified with the company on social media. But, since we can exit any point in time, this can prove to be detrimental. Yes. When we get identified with a company with "Virtual" people online, it can really get you caught in a Maya Trap. It can sometimes cloud our thinking.

So, all in all, this was a mistake which I feel no one should do on social media. Even today, I own my businesses, but not talking about them, makes me light. I removed & deleted all irrelevant tweets once and for all. This has been a great lesson for me personally. I hope others learn from the same. Today, everyone knows my philosophy towards investing and adding businesses, which was my main focus, then and now. And of course, I like my businesses. Allocation can change with time and opportunity.

I can now own my businesses in Peace. I can buy and sell. I can hold businesses in good times and bad. No justification. No debates. I am responsible for my own decisions. I love this peace of mind. It took me time to understand how awesome it is.

Unnecessary arguments:

There was a stage where I used to attend every argument I was invited to. And I realized that, in dynamic markets, where price fluctuates every second, we can be right at one time and wrong at another. So, a big learning is never to argue with anyone. When anyone comes to my timeline just to argue, a polite "Ok" or "Sure" can do wonders. I cut arguments quickly. And since, as I mentioned before, I read every tweet response, I can easily Close any Argument just by Agreeing to it. In a dynamic market, what works for me, need not work for anyone else. And hence, there is no ONE WAY. There are many ways to Reaching the Goal of Creating Wealth. The faster we understand, the Better.

So these are my biggest mistakes. I always wanted to write it candidly and I am so happy to be able to open up to all of you.

Friends. Twitter is a beautiful platform. It has not only helped me reach thousands instantly, but has shaped me well as a human as well. I am ever thankful to everyone for that.

I hope this post of mine, gives you all various messages as a take-home. Read it again, if needed and please make use of my experiences.

Let me end with my biggest learning from Twitter.

In the Virtual World, Followers will come and Followers will go. Some will Laud and some will Troll. So follower count should not be criteria.

Keep sharing experiences with all & leave the rest. Those who find value will find value. The Rest. Well. They just Move On !!!

Stay Safe. Stay Healthy.


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Good luck,
Fundamental Investor

Saturday 15 August 2020

The Illusion of Returns !!!

Dearest investor and friends,

How are you all doing? I hope you & family are safe & sound. 

In March 2020, when we had a market crash due to Covid-19, there were many people & articles talking about Market under-performing Bank Deposit Returns in the last 10 - 15 years time-frame. And this was INFACT TRUE.

So if this was true, are Bank Deposits really better Instruments than Funds or Equity? Are the Returns really better? Then how come, the wealthiest people and most financially independent people invested in Markets? 

I call this - THE ILLUSION OF RETURNS !!!

Recently, I was reading slogans like "Stock Market Sahi Nahi Hai" or "Mutual Funds Sahi Nahi Hai" etc. You would be surprised to also note that, I received hundreds of emails during that time, asking whether SIP should be stopped or whether we should exit all the stocks in loss. People started talking about Importance of Selling in a Downmarket etc. Comparisons were made to the Great Depression. Whatever we read, it was Negative. 

But a very few of us were encouraging everyone to continue investing in Markets and in Mutual Funds in-spite of returns looking crazily bad. Why were we giving this advice during those times? Why?

I was just looking back at some of my tweets in March. It was so much fun to see that every tweet was received well and we all faced the crash together and came back stronger. Love you all for that.














Also, I got some tweets from few friends saying that their investments have not yielded the returns they were looking for. Why did they not get returns? Is there something really missing? I call this - Illusions of Returns.

Today's article will provide you a much needed perspective.

Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) or Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is perhaps one of the most less understood terminologies and also, the most misused. In a Fixed Instrument like Bank Deposit, it doesn't fluctuate much. But, in a dynamic Market Based Instrument, the beauty of CAGR/IRR is that it can be made to look really good or really bad, based on the start & end point of the calculation. So, we can feel Really Bad or Really Good based on when we look at it.

Before we begin, please take 10 minutes to read through this article to get a basic understanding of CAGR. Click here to read. If you have not clicked this link, please do. It will be worth your time, before you continue.

As we are all aware, the Stock Market is never Linear. It moves up & down daily. And that what makes Market an easy target for Fluctuating Returns. I keep saying that, in Stock Market, Returns Fluctuate Daily, Value Doesn't.

Assume that on Jan 1st 2010, Kiran started a SIP (monthly Rs 10000) in the following instruments. She knew that RD would give around 5-6% and hence decided not to invest in a Bank Deposit. This is what she did:

She decided to invest monthly in 4 different Mutual Funds - Large, Mid, Small & Index (Rs 2500 each). Here's a small Table for us to refer while I communicate the message.



NOTE: I have taken average Real Funds for this Table (I don't want to Name). Focus only on the Message & the Essence. Try this for your own Funds and see how it co-relates.


She reviewed her Investments Regularly but didn't Churn at all. She did not change her Funds. She Stuck On. In Jan 2019 (after 108 months), she noticed that her Return was around 11% - 19% (across 4 funds). She was Happy. She continued. In March 2020, the Market started Collapsing. She checked her Return. It has down gone to 8%. She didn't Stop. 

In April 2020, her return was almost 0%. Oh my God. She was Devastated. She had absolutely No Returns. It was as good as just putting her money in a Locker at home with 0% interest. She lost all her hope. Her total investment was exactly the money she had put. 

Everyone Laughed. Twitter was full of Jokes against Stock Market. People were Laughing at Long Term Investing. There were commentaries that people should just Sell everything and never Invest in Markets Again.

But, Kiran had great Friends. She had an Amazing Association. She ignored the Trolls. She Didn't give up. She continued her Investment. In Aug 2020, her return is above 6%. She is confident that in the next few years, she will definitely Reach Her Goals.

So, to Summarize:

- Bank Deposits are always Better in the Short Term. I always say - Never Invest Something in the Market which you need in the Next 15 years.

- Taking CAGR below 10 years, according to me, is Misleading. This is because of the fluctuating Nature of Market Instruments. Please keep this in mind.

- When Market Fell drastically, the returns diminished to almost ZERO. Just by NOT STOPPING Investing in Bad Times, the Returns became better as Market Picked Up.

- As Indian Growth Story is Always Intact, the Trajectory is always UP in Long Term. Question is - Are we Ready to Look Beyond Small Time-frames? Can we look at Decades instead of Quarters?

- Association Matters. Absolutely. If we are in the Right Circles, we can Take the Right Decisions. And we can Avoid the Wrong Decisions.

- Have Reasonable Expectations. In an environment where Interest Rates are going towards Zero, the Goal should be to Beat Inflation and Meet all our Goals. If the Expectations are Reasonable, we will Not have the Pressure to Beat Someone's Returns.

- Today, there are Rockets Flying everywhere. Do not get Carried Away. People are looking at 3 month returns & extrapolating. Be Calm. Composed. Stay Long.

- If we can manage Returns of over 10 - 12% over 15 years, that means we are doing Really Well. Focus on the Amount Invested, Time Horizon. Returns will Follow Automatically. Don't Despair.

I sincerely hope that the point is clear now. So next time, if someone says that something is Sahi Hai or Not Sahi Hai, let us use our own wisdom to evaluate.

So friends, Enjoy this wonderful Journey. Keep going. You Can !!!


Let's enjoy what is in store for us. Downturn or Uptick, let's chill.




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Love,

Fundamental Investor

Saturday 28 March 2020

21 Tips During the 21 Day Corona Virus Lockdown in India

Dear friends & investors,

As I write this article, the temperature is 34 degrees Celsius in my city. Nice and hot. We are all under the 21 day lock-down due to the Corona Virus spread. Kids, Parents & Family everyone. Are you all enjoying this period together?

Saturday 14 March 2020

Corona Virus, 2020 Market Bloodbath & Road Ahead for Indian Investors

March 13th 2020. Friday the 13th. Markets Freeze for 45 minutes. Blood on the Street. Media in Full Panic Mode. Tensions. Frenzy. Mind Stops Working. Friends. Read on...

Saturday 11 May 2019

Best Mutual Fund for Wealth Creation

What's the best Mutual Funds for Wealth Creation? How do we choose funds? Is there something called a Top Fund or an Under-performing Fund? Which is the best for me? Do we need advise? Read on...

Thursday 13 September 2018

My Inflation & Balance Sheet !!!

We are all worried about the Inflation Rate of our Country. Also, about the Balance sheets of Businesses. But, have we ever thought - What is my Inflation? How is my Balance Sheet? Read on...

Saturday 30 June 2018

Magic of Dividends - The Real Return !!!

What are Dividends? Are Dividends Useful? Are Dividends Significant? What Impact do they have? Can they, over a period of time, cover Basic Expenses? Can Dividends Compound? Read on...

Saturday 18 November 2017

Compounded Annual Growth Rate - CAGR

Ever come Across Following Phrases?
- Our Company has given 33% CAGR Returns in last 30 Years.
- If you had invested in our Mutual Fund Rs One Lakh in 2000, you would have 22 Lakh in 2017 - A Mind Boggling 20% CAGR in last 17 years
- This Company can Grow at 66% CAGR for next 10 years

And they follow this with Disclaimer - Read Offer Document Carefully before investing :-)

What is CAGR Really? Are these Statements Really as Awesome as they Sound? Read on...

Friday 13 October 2017

Annual Reports FY 2017 Key Highlights

Dearest investors and friends,

How are you all doing? Hope you are all compounding wealth peacefully and steadily.

Apart from the Google Group & MMB, recently, I have been connecting with Investors in Twitter which is a wonderful platform for quick updates. I hope, through these channels, anyone can connect with me at ease and we can have good discussions.

If you like the collective work below, please take a moment and to Like & Retweet this link so that many more of your followers can also benefit.

Click to Retweet 

#AnnualReport #Notes 2017 for #Investor #Community

Click on the below Box for Annual Reports FY 2017 Key Highlights.



Please share the link to your circles on Emails, Whatsapp Groups, Twitter, FB etc so that more and more investors can read, understand, benefit and maybe help by contributing some more Notes.

As of today, the following companies have been covered:

- Piramal Enterprises Ltd
- Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd
- Edelweiss Capital Limited
- Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd
- Advanced Enzyme Technologies Ltd
- Cupid Ltd
- Avenue Supermarts Ltd
- LT Foods Ltd
- Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd
- Finolex Industries Ltd
- V-Mart Retail Ltd
Granules India
- Avanti Feeds
- Murudeshwar Ceramics
- Manappuram Finance
- Maharashtra Scooters
- Future Enterprises
- Cadila Healthcare
- Omkar Speciality Chemicals
- Future Retail
- Virinchi Ltd
Rain Industries Ltd
- Caplin Point Laboratories Ltd
- Vakrangee Ltd
- Nitin Spinners Limited
- Multibase India Ltd
Maithan Alloys Ltd
- IG Petrochemicals Ltd
- Mold Tek Packaging Ltd
- Siyaram Silk Mills Limited
- BSE Ltd
- APL Apollo Tubes Ltd
- P I Industries Ltd
- Jamna Auto Industries Ltd
- KEI Industries Limited
- Raymond Limited
- Spicejet Limited
- Tata Global Beverages Ltd
- Hikal Limited
- Ambika Cotton Mills Ltd
- Persistent Systems Limited
- Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited
- Alankit Ltd
- Aurobindo Pharma Ltd
- Navneet Education Ltd
- Byke Hospitality Ltd
- Trigyn Technologies Ltd
- Bharat Bijlee Ltd
- Nesco Ltd
- Pondy Oxides and Chemicals Ltd
- Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd
- Anjani Portland Cement Ltd
- Majestic Research Services and Solutions Ltd
- Strides Shasun Ltd
- Karnataka Bank Limited
- L&T Finance Holdings
- Dilip Buildcon Ltd
- Century Plyboards India Ltd
- Vikas Ecotech Ltd
- Centrum Capital Ltd
- Oriental Carbon and Chemicals Ltd
- Time Technoplast Limited
- Sanwaria Agro Oils Limited
- Eimco Elecon Ltd
- Sharda Cropchem Ltd
- Fineotex Chemicals Limited
- Accelya Kale Solutions Ltd

Every week, Ill be updating you with more and more companies prepared by Friends and Investors.

Enjoy the Read. Let us know you thoughts.


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Good luck,
Fundamental Investor