Whine Not
I had no
shoes and complained, until I met a man who had no feet. - Indian proverb
We take too
many things for granted and most times complain about little things that do not
work out as we thought they would. Complaining is one of the easiest things to
do. There is so much to complain about. But there is also so much to be
thankful for. Unfortunately, many of us prefer to focus on our mishaps and take
our blessings for granted. This might be a good moment to consider changing our
attitude in that regard.
Let's be
grateful today. Grateful for all that we are. Grateful for all that we have.
And grateful for all that we can be for others. We are fortunate to be here—to
be able to read this, or hear it being read to us. We are fortunate for being
part of the world—a miracle of its own. There are many who have less than we
have. Let's try to find ways to help them and rejoice for the opportunity.
Speak less
and Sparkle more
It is better
to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.
~ Apache
proverb
Assertive
people often steal the show, they speak a lot and loud too. However, the big
talkers are often the weakest doers. It will be good to observe people for a
while before drawing a conclusion on their actual qualities. Those with thunder
in the mouth usually have little lightning in the hand, and those with
lightning in the hand often have little thunder in the mouth. Instead of
talking all the time and not doing much, let's show the world who we are! Let's lead by example, even if we aren't an
official leader of anyone else but ourselves. Let's do those things that we
have postponed for a while, and get organized where we weren't. Let's work
systematically until the day is over, and then let's retreat with a sense of accomplishment.
Changes Your
Thoughts and Yourself
You think
you lost your horse? Who knows, he may bring a whole herd back to you someday.
- Chinese
proverb
A Tale:
One day, the
stallion of an old farmer broke its fence and ran away.
The
neighbors said, “That’s so bad!”
The old
farmer just said, “Maybe.”
The next
day, the stallion returned with three wild fillies.
The
neighbors said, “That’s great luck!”
The old
farmer said, “Maybe.”
The farmer’s
teenage son went out to break one
of the new
horses. It bucked him, and he broke his leg. His neighbors said, “How
unfortunate!”
The old
farmer said, “Maybe.”
The army
then came around, conscripting young men to fight in a war. Because of the
broken leg, they didn’t take the farmer’s teenage son.
The
neighbors said, “How fortunate!”
The old
farmer said, “Maybe.”
Let's not
allow material loss to daunt us. If we lose anything, let's consider it to be
for a good reason. If you miss an opportunity feel for it and think about it, a
better one will emerge, "may be."
Change is
constant
"It is
the greatest mistake to think that man is always one and the same. A man is
never the same for long. He is continually changing. He seldom remains the same
even for half an hour."
- George
Ivanovitch Gurdjieff
Often, we do
not realize that we’re constantly changing, because we are part of ourselves
all the time! We erroneously expect others to remain the same, and get
disappointed when we find out the opposite. It is important to be aware that we
change through all the influences we encounter—books we read,
people we
meet, circumstances we face, impressions from every place—our minds develop as
a result of these encounters. Let's cherish the thought of continuous change,
that we all are subject to change on a constant basis, and so are others. It
would be shortsighted of us to think that anything or anyone is the same as
last week or even yesterday. Let's embrace change, because it is part of
living.
Walk the
Talk
An ant on
the move does more than a dozing ox. ~ Lao Tzu
A Tale: A
Chinese teacher used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty,
trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees. The pupils
felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not
listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools. That day the master
did not eat. The next day he did not eat, nor the next. “He may be angry
because we have hidden his tools,” the pupils surmised. “We had better put them
back.” The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before. In the
evening he instructed them, “No work, no food.”
Our actions
speak louder than our words. We ought to perform to the best of our abilities
and not get distracted by others who do not practice what they preach. Let's
set a good example because it is for the betterment of everybody, as well as
for our inner gratification.
Be my friend
Will you be
my friend?
A friend is
one before whom I may think aloud. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
How many of
us are afraid to speak our mind anymore because someone may use our own words
against us?
How often
have we heard of or experienced cases where individuals distorted others’
statements with mean-spirited intentions?
Finding
someone with whom we do not have to be on guard is a virtue. Being the one with
whom others do not have to guard their words is nobility.
Let's try
being a friend to those around us without expecting anything in return. Let's
not abuse information that is shared with us in trust. Even if not confidentially
shared, let's not use information from others for our own gratification or to
deliberately
hurt them. Let's understand that we can only find real friends when when we
choose one.
Will you be
my friend..
Wishing you
a relaxed and an enjoyable day my friend.
Defend not
Judge Not
One must not
attempt to justify neither the aspirations nor the judgments, but rather sense
their nature simply and clearly. ~ Albert Einstein
A Tale:
Two monks
were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion
that was
drowning.
One monk
immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was
stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The
monk saved the scorpion and was again stung. The other monk asked him, “Friend,
why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know its nature is to sting?”
“Because,” the monk replied, “to save it is my nature.”
(Adopted
from John Suler, “Zen Stories to Tell Your Neighbors”).
We should
remain true to our nature and respect that of others.
Instead of
justifying others as if they are part of a different world, let's try to see
the mirror of ourselves that is everyone around us. Let's seek to understand
before wanting to be understood. Let's keep in mind that each of us has our own
reality, and that such is what makes the world a beautiful place.
Uniquely You
Guiding
Quote:
Make the
best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.
~ Epictetus
Your most
important job is to be you. There are contributions you can make, and gifts you
have to give, that no one else can duplicate.
You have a
perspective that is unique and valuable.
Share the
insights and energy that come from that perspective.
You have
feelings and longings that flow from the core of who you are.
Express
those feelings and fulfill those longings in your own special way.
There is
great treasure in your authenticity. There are beautiful possibilities that
spring from the genuine person you are.
Through you,
life experiences itself in a way that is unique and special. Live true to the
best of who you are.
Let your own
bright and distinct light shine. Use this opportunity to make a difference in a
way that only you can do.
Action:
Use your
power by offering your assistance where it is not expected — helping out
a colleague,
assisting a stranger, treating your loved ones to dinner tonight. By
making their
day, you'll be making yours as well.
Wishing you
a lovely day, friend.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
Balance in
Life...
He lost his
20 year corporate job and was feeling devastated.
His spouse
gave him all the support he needed and asked him to try out a new career with a
skill of influencing he had.
He became a
Speaker.
He started
churning out speeches on YouTube, Podcasts, began to get sufficient viewers and
listeners. He began to carve a niche for himself. He was being recognized as
the fastest growing "influencer," and in his reflections he was
regretting how he spent 90% of his time at work and neglected both his family
and other hobbies.
He
transformed his life completely, thanks to his spouse who sparked the idea in
him and his close friends too for spreading the word.
He decided
that he wouldn't repeat that mistake any more and like he had made good
investments of the money he earned, he recast his investments on his personal
life too and divided the 24 hours equally -
8 hours to
earn money
8 hours for
the family
8 hours for
rest, relaxation, reading, hobby etc.
And this
time he reconnected with some of the other things he used to indulge in and
that was dramatics. Thus he began to create another avenue for an alternate
living by which he could either act, direct or script stories, write lyrics for
songs or write screen plays.
Everyone
admired him for creating a new life opening up so many avenues using all the
resources he had in him.
When we are
focused, have self-belief and are confident, with hardwork, perseverance and patience we can do wonders.
Let this
story spark your imagination too. Don't wait for something to hit you hard and
then struggle to restart life.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
Finding
Yourself
In the
recent happening around the world due to the pandemic, it seems most of us have
forgotten ourselves. You may for a moment also think, "Yes, I have...,
but, it doesn't work that way."
You aren't a
currency note left in last years' winter coat pocket.
You aren't
lost either.
Your true
self is right their beneath your skin under
cultural conditioning, other people's opinions and inaccurate
conclusions you drew while growing up as a kid, that became your beliefs about
who you are.
Finding
Yourself," is actually returning to yourself, an unlearning, an
excavation, a remembering who you were, before the world got its hands on you.
Don't be
impressed by money/titles/followers/degrees/appearances/social media/big
words... instead be influenced by
kindness/trustworthiness/authenticity/genuinity/generosity/integrity/honesty/sincerity/optimism...etc.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
We are all
scared of the deadly virus that grips us physically now, but, there have been
several other viruses that has been killing our Joy happiness and progress for ages.
Rumors is
one of them.
Rumours are
carried by haters, spread by fools,
fanned by cynics who shoot from others' shoulders and all this is
believed by "idiots," at the top, bottom, left, right, straight and center.
Be
responsible - you can't stop rumors or rumor mongers, but you certainly can
squash them by arresting it from spreading no further by not contributing to it
anymore.
Just like
breaking the chain so to control the virus doesn't spread, rumors also need to
be arrested by breaking the chain and we maintain social distancing with "rumor"
and "gossip," mongers who can
cause our psyche untold damage.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
Shades not
Shadows
When I
gained enough confidence, the stage was gone.
When I was
sure of losing the game, I won.
When I
needed people the most, I found me alone.
When my
tears dried, I found a shoulder to cry on.
When I
mastered the skill of hating people, I found someone who loved me more than
life.
I find
telling others what to do and not to, but, when it comes to me, the same things
hurt.
This is
life...
I know if I
have the courage to begin, I also have the courage to succeed, but, how do I
measure success.
Someone
tells me success isn't measured by where I've reached now as much as I have
climbed over the many obstacles and from the depths to reach the top.
I know that
the difference between success and failure is hard work and determination, yet,
when someone else succeeds I think it is luck.
It is this
flaw, as much as many more that makes me up I am trying to correct, because
mistakes help me learn and the more I learn the better I become, as my awareness,
leads me to curiosity.
The more and
more I seek the more and more I gain. That is the difference between just
knowing and become wise.
So sometime
in life I need to run away from all not just to keep distance, but also to see
who is following me.
If there's
in light in front of me, what follows me is my "Shadow," which has
not different "Shades," but one, and that's none but me.
I learnt all
this because life, is much larger than me.
When I look
at more and more people and things
outside me I realize what my life, is.
It is
enlightenment that can make all the difference in life.
It is
beautiful if I am willing to learn, to unlearn, to relearn, to adapt, to
reinvent and to grow, else I am a statue - erected, unchangeable on which
pigeon's and
birds love dropping constantly.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
You have
to...
We can share
any amount of learning, but, we can't grow your knowledge, you have to.
We can have
a lot of delicious things made, but, can't taste it for your approval, you have
to.
We can
create any number of offerings, but, can never compel experiences, you have to.
We can show
you the path, but, can't travel for you, you have to.
We can
create any number of invitations, but, we can never guarantee enjoyment, you
have to.
We can only
offer you bread and butter, you have to eat, bite chew, eat and digest it.
We can
empathize with your pain, but, we can't endure it for you, you have to.
We will say,
we are there for you and support you overcome obstacles I life, you have to
work to overcome them.
Life is out
there with everything, you have to choose what's good for you and everyone
around you so you can make a life worth remembering and emulating.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
The
Grammatic Family
Long long
ago somewhere in England lived a couple Mr. Noun and Ms. Verb."
Mr. Noun, is
handsome, but, generally an eavesdropper.
Ms. Verb, is
very beautiful and is in action always.
They had
three children - a son named Pronoun, and two beautiful daughters who the named
Adverb and Adjective.
As usual the
son Pronoun has to do all the work in case any one in the family is absent.
The two
lovely daughters love each other but do have some differences.
Adjective
loves everyone and always adds more value to whoever they are attached to in
the family.
Adverb, too
on the other hand loves everyone and enhances everyone's worth to show they are
attached, as if to say, "I am there whenever you need me."
The family
had two faithful servants Preposition and Conjunction, serving them all
through.
Preposition,
is the principle servant whi is principally only at the service of his master
always, whereas, Conjunction, is the common servant for everyone in the family
and serves them well/equally always.
In all this
there's a visitor to the family, Interjection, who makes his appearance only in
good times, bad times, surprise times, exciting shocking times etc.
Thus this
family not just lived but, spread over the years. This family has presence in
most parts of the world and is spoken officially too.
The family
has influenced not just culture but, has dominated business, too.
Indeed the
family has left an indelible - legacy for mankind, though there are other
families too with their own language, grammar and style.
All families
co-exist leaving people to choose whatever they like.
We all need
People...
Don't we?
I believe
yes, people do matter over everything else.
Let's imagine
this pandemic happening 20+ years ago with very little technology support.
We may have
been using our landlines not caring even for a moment what the bill could run
into.
Despite
technology it seems it has been people who have helped us a great deal.
Apart from
medicines, food supplies and essentials that people helped us with, the
connect, the feeling of being together, the assurance of we are together etc.,
have helped us tide over several difficult days now.
Looking at
the pickle jar theory - the huge rocks represent spouse, children, family and
health. The perceived importance for job, house, car, luxuries are all pebbles
that fit into spaces after the rocks. Sand fills whatever space is left over
and the story goes there's still some space more for water.
All this is
only after taking care of the rocks.
One cannot
understate the importance of money and the needs/wants, it fulfills, but, it
all comes only after people.
Gratification
in life comes only when one knows to gather (people)
keep and
share (affection, love and respect),
build
(relationships),
and
cherish
(moments).
Love you
people, everyone of you and thanks for being there helping me being here and
saying all that I am with gratitude from the bottom of my heart. Be Blessed.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
History,
Heritage and Hindsights,
...are
powerful teachers, but we are too much in a hurry, to reach higher ground, to
learn from them....
...don't be so
busy to get from here to there, that you forget, how you got here from there...
If you want
to connect the dots between all your yesterday's and hopeful tomorrow's, start
with your back story...
Embracing
and sharing your back-story...
01. Connects
us to our purpose and vision - for life, career, business...
02. Allows
us to celebrate our strengths by remembering, how we got from there to here...
03. Deepens
our understanding of our unique value and what differentiates us from the rest
of the world...
04.
Reinforces our core values...
05. Helps us
act in alignment and to make value-based decisions...
06.
Encourages us to be responsive to people's needs rather than be reactive to
people or situations...
07. Attracts
people who want to support people who reflect and represent their values...
08. Builds
an image that gives us a story to tell...
09. Attracts
like minded people we want to be with...
10. Helps us
stay motivated and continue to do the work we are proud of...
Rewind,
Reflect, Reposition are characteristics of growth-minded people...
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
What
"is in" is "what Spills"
You are
standing with a "cup of coffee," in your hands and someone bumps into
you to spill the coffee. This gets you become irritated and angry.
But, why did
you spill coffee?
Because
someone bumped into you.
Wrong
answer.
Had there
been tea in the cup, even would have spilled!
Whatever is
in the cup spills.
Therefore
when life comes along and shakes you (which will happen), then whatever is in
comes out. You just can't fake when rattled.
So we need
to ask ourselves what's in our cup?
When life
gets tough what spills over?
Humility,
joy, thankfulness, gratitude, peace forgiveness..
or
Anger,
hatred, harsh words, bitterness abuse...
You have to
choose, and all choices are yours...
yet,
recommendation would be to choose - Affection, , Care, Cheerfullness,
Compassion, Delight, Excitenent, Gracefulness, Happiness, Humility, Joy,
Intimacy, Kindness, Love, Motivation, Nectar, Opportunities, Passion, Patience,
Quality, Quiteness, Respect, Sweetness, Tranqulity, Uniqueness, Versatility,
Wonder, Yearning and Zest...
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 -
Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
09:17 - : Comfort Zone..
A king got a
gift of two beautful Macau Parrots.
He would see
them on the branch of a tree opposite the window of room he spent most time -
reading, relaxing, writing or listening to music.
He was
worried to see one of the parrots wasn't moving at all while the other was
flying, so he sent word to the parrot trainer (it is believed there were people
like that in those days), to take a look. The next day when the king saw both the
Macau Parrots flying called the parrot trainer to reward him. Just after he
have away the award, he asked the parrot trainer what did he do to make both
birth take to their wings. The parrot Trainer replied, "I just chopped off
the branch of the tree on which the Macau was
06/08/2020,
09:17 - : That's the comfort zone.
Taking this
to our lives, most of us in the journey of life settle down on the branches of
comfort zones till someone like a -mother, father, sister, brother, close
friend, teacher, mentor, coach or anyone of influence comes over to nudge us
out of our comfort-zones.
We all need
this in out life. Keep looking out for anyone of them who can appear anytime
and after that your life will not be the same. You will be flying too.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
09:26 - : Being vs Doing
"The
ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but, where he stands in times of challenge and controversy."
~Martin Luther King
In any
context or any given situation, being, is more crucial than doing.
Doing
(Action/Execution), is achieved only when there's proper Being
(Motivation/Drive).
Life happen
by being in the moment, than doing, and most profound things occur not by doing
but just by being.
Coaching,
Mentoring, Leadership, or even Friendship, is all about Being, than Doing.
Doing is
never going to be enough, if we aren't mindful of Being.
The highest
levels of creativity is due to being than doing.
This seems
to be so true in the present context.
The world
around us is suddenly different, taking a huge shift throwing us
out-of-balance.
It is
equally amazing how we are able to face everything with confidence despite our
day-to-day support dwindling and coming to a complete halt.
We will be
lying if we say we aren't scared, but, it is also true that the confidence each
of us has within is much greater than the challenge.
That is what
human beings, are and that's what they will keep doing, - survive and fight
till the last breath.
After all,
how long can this storm âš¡ðŸŒ§ï¸ â›ˆï¸ âš¡last!
In the end
it has to bring a 🌈 rainbow.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
bh
Raman
06/08/2020,
09:26 - : Personal Touch
Old and
frail, losing sense of touch, smell, taste, sight and a bit of hearing, but
when brought to touching distance smell is revived, when anything touches the
tongue that tingles the taste buds, going close the sight gets better even
without specs or using a magnifying glass.
Words are
heard when spoken close, but, heard still better with the earphones. Now the
point isn't all of these, but, the personal touch that is given by us to the
others especially in tough times like we are going through.
It is even
more when we touch base with our friends for years who've all been our
colleagues and are retired now.
Occasional
calls to them lights them up and when wished on special occasions of their life
such as a birthday makes it even more joyful and happy.
We should
therefore maintain these contacts and instead of exchanging cold emails or
WhatsApp which are virtual, just pick
your mobile and dial the friends number just to hear him/her say
"Hello.." would do a world of good to all.
In the space
of this lockdown I have spoken to at least 80% of my personal contacts. That
itself gives me immense satisfaction.
"An
apple a day, keeps the doctor away," is an old saying, let's revive it
this way, "A call a day, keeps the distance away."
Cheers!
Be Blessed.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
09:26 - : Emotions - Intelligence
We all
believe we can understand well and particularly others...
We believe
we know, what the others mean when they speak... particularly at work...
We also
believe we know, what they mean even when they don't speak.. particularly at
home...
We may see
their faces, hear voices, may hear words, but, can we really understand...
the
anticipation in their eyes,
the
disappointment in their sighs,
the yearning
in their pauses,
the
apprehension in their bent heads,
the hope,
for acceptance of their words,
the fear in
their smiles,
the silences
that speak so much more?
When we
really begin to understand, we will see they aren't the others, but, they're
just like us, waiting to be understood.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
09:26 - : All of June... Sent
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Times are Changing
I picked my
ringing mobile, could identify it was our laundryman.
He asked,
"Do you want vegetables?"
Being
surprised I respondeded, "You and vegetables !!"
His reply
was so refreshing and growth oriented, "Sir, what is that you don't
know...in these days of WFH there aren't too many clothes for laundry and what
if I say, flexibility and adaptability are my new friends. My basic skills will
remain in tact, am serving needs for survival and found it lucrative."
Was very
impressed indeed. He is our regular vegetable vendor now who keeps adding other
essentials to his supply shelf.
Always we
keep asking people the wrong questions to people.
Here is
another example.
We often ask,
"What do you want to become when you grow up?"
The answers
usually are Doctor, Engineer, CA, Pilot, Lawyer, Photographer, Model, Fashion
Designer...the list goes on...
The question
actually should be "Who do you want to become when you grow up?"
The difference
is "What" and "Who."
"What"
is an avocation a profession - you can
be even more than one in combinations. One being your base profession, another
an interest or a hobby becoming an added avocation - Engineer - Photographer -
Musician - Singer - Sportsman and so on...
"Who,"
emphasises on you as a human with values, with character, with
integrity...someone who people would love to follow, emulate, someone who will
leave a legacy.
You may be
an engineer but a corrupt one or be a doctor who only intends to make money
doesn't care...
Now that's
the difference between "What," and "Who."
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 -
Raman's, Random, Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : How time changes things.
From being constantly
worried about the future, we can't think anything beyond the present moment.
From being
conscious of what to wear, we now are weary of wearing anything other than
casuals.
From calling
friends and relatives on video calls, we are now calling even our neighbours
over video calls.
From longing
for a salary hike, we are now waiting for whatever be the salary.
From longing
for a promotion, to holding on to whatever the position now.
From trying
to change our job, we are now holding on tightly to our current job.
From
refusing to cayying the laptop home, we now have made our home the office.
From longing
to go on a vacation, we are now longing to get back to our workstation.
From waiting
for weekends, we are now waiting for all our fears to end.
From being
enveloped in smoggy smokey environs we now have clear skies, we see bright
stars in the night's, chirping birds in our neighbourhood and a lot more puree
air to breath.
While all of
this seems so magical and unbelievable, it seems surprising how an invisible
thing could bring about so many changes.
Not
surprisingly our faith on the invisible Almighty is so much more now..
Are we
paying a big price for losing our innocence or nonchalance and arrogance, or
what else?
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : A List of Alternatives To Winning
We are told
and are trained from our childhood, we need to win, we need to be the best in
our class, in competitions everything. It is human, it is natural that we grow
up too with this habit and practice it even more harder. We want to be the
best, we strive even more to be the best. We always want to win - the day, win
every arguement, win every deal etc., winning is good, but there are
alternatives too.
For instance
failing too as it teaches us many things for our overall development and
temperment too.
Else too the
alternatives are
- Caring
- Helping
- Being
human
- Growing
wiser
- Inspiring
others
- Righting
wrongs
- Upholding
values
- Giving
generously
- Learning
patience
-
Prioritising values
- Practicing
empathy
- Building
community
- Leading
thoughtfully
- Acting
with integrity
- Exploring
possibilities
-
Encouraging progress
- Making a contribution
- Teaching
perseverance
- Fostering
collaboration
-
Experiencing fulfilment
- Working
towards mastery
- Changing
how people feel
-
Questioning the status quo
- Putting
people before
profits
- Creating
the future you
want to see
- Doing work
you’re proud to
have done
It turns out
there are more ways to matter than just winning. We get to choose which boxes
to tick.
Cheers! For
a great day on hand.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : A very interesting story must-read.
One Sunday
morning, a wealthy man sat in his balcony enjoying the sunshine🌞 and his coffee ☕when a little
ant 🠜caught his eye which was going from one side to the other side of the
balcony carrying a big leafâ˜˜ï¸ several times more than its size.
The man
watched it for more than an hour. He saw that the ant faced many obstacles
during its journey, paused, took a diversion, and then continued towards the
destination.
At one point
the tiny creature came across a crack on the floor. It paused for a little
while, analyzed,🤔 and then laid the huge leaf over the crack, walked over
the leaf, picked the leaf on the other side then continued🤗 its journey.
The man was
captivated by the cleverness 👌of the ant, one of God’s tiniest creatures.
The incident left the man in awe 😱and forced him to contemplate the miracle
of Creation. It showed the greatness💪 of the Creator. In front of his
eyes,👀 there was this tiny creature of God, lacking in size yet equipped
with a brain🧠to analyze, contemplate,
reason, explore, discover, and overcome.
A while
later the man saw that the creature had reached its destination🎯 – a tiny
hole in the floor which was the entrance to its underground dwelling.
And it was at this point that the ant’s
shortcoming that it shared with the man was revealed. How could the ant carry
into the tiny hole the large leaf that it had managed to carefully bring to the
destination? It simply couldn't! So the tiny creature, after all the
painstaking and hard work and exercising great skills, overcoming all the
difficulties along the way, just left behind the large leaf and went home
empty-handed.
The ant had
not thought about the end before it began its challenging journey and in the
end, the large leaf was nothing more than a burden to it. The creature had no
option, but to leave it behind to reach its destination. The man learned a
great lesson that day. That is the truth about our lives too.
We worry
😨about our family👨†👩†👧†👦, we worry about our job🠢, we
worry about how to earn more money💵💰, we worry about where we should
live🠨, what kind of vehicle 🚘to buy, what kind of dresses🧥👚 to
wear, what gadgetsâŒšðŸ“±ðŸ’»ðŸ–¥ï¸ to upgrade.only to abandon all these things
when we reach our destination – We don’t realize in our life’s journey
that these are just burdens that we are carrying with the utmost care and fear
of losing them, only to find that at the end they are useless and we can’t
take them with us.....
🙠🙠ðŸ
¼ðŸ˜Œ
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Hold your dreams
Take your
first steps towards your passionate idea, which is burning inside you. Though
you might not be able to see the entire road clearly now, as you take one step
after another, you will see the path unfolding in all clarity.
Your long
cherished dream might seem too much to handle from your circumstances today. Do
not step back from it just because you feel that it might take too long to reach
there.
Focus on one
step, and the next and the next, one at a time. Believe in yourself. Trust your
FAITH. Go on.
Be patient.
It will take its time. Do not try to rush the process. Enjoy and relish,
chewing the cud little by little. Experience the joy in every bit.
You will
hold your dreams in your hand with all gratitude and pride.
Happy and
Safe Weekend
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
By
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Ducks Quack and Eagles Soar
Three
decades ago while undergoing training of Train the Trainer and facilitating
TQM, we were deconstructing a case study of a "Cabbie," who from an
ordinary one turned out to be a "most preferred cabbie," and how he
transformed the others too.
(In short
the way the cabbie was dressed, the courtesy he showed, the hospitality he
extended, the conveniences provided inside the car, his proactive thinking,
spoke volumes of the great "customer service he provided," and how he
got referred to become the most sought after cabbie).
He said, it
all happened when one passenger during a drive narrated an impactful story and
shared the secret of the "POWER OF CHOICE."
We live in a
large world - five continents seven oceans, mountains, rivers, beings - humans,
birds, animals, plants etc. All of it common to all. Power of choice is that we
can be a duck or an eagle.
If we get up
in the morning expecting to have a bad day, we'll rarely disappoint ourselves.
Ducks quack,
eagles soar.
It isn't
about me, you or whoever. It is that we
always hear people quacking and complaining,
We need to
resolve to change our attitude and become an eagle.
Let's look
around.
We will find
people of all varieties, categories, attitudes, character, disciple, and their
behaviours at times nasty, unfriendly.
This happens
even in business with some having unhappy
customers and doing nothing about it.
It is easy
to get caught in such a negative web, so we to decide to make some changes,
slowly ... a few at a time.
When we
interact with the others, after we choose eagle way, we will experience that
others respond well too.
Perhaps
compananies can do the same with their customers who also might respond well.
The more we
do the more happier we become.
The more companies
do the more they make, the more they gain.
Overall it
is transforming everything to good.
The whole
point then is that we need to decide to stop quacking like a duck and start
soaring like an eagle.
We need to
start becoming an eagle today, from this very moment ...
We may fail
because we tried. We can learn from the failure and get better.
The worst
thing is not to have tried at all.
We don't die
if we fall in water, we die only if we don't even beat our legs, swing our arms
and shout for help, especially when we don't know how to swim.
Thats the
Real Meaning of Life.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : YESTERDAY - TODAY - TOMORROW...
Kal..Aaj...aur
Kal...
The Present
(NOW) from The Past (THEN) to
The Future
(COMING)...
Let me begin
from Now..
(A connect
wrote about his people and him WFH and his people failing in health because of
lack of proper conditions to work, and suggesting that working spaces be made
available even in rural areas of India thereby a new business
opportunity...invites comments), and I respon👇
Pandemic -
WFH - Privacy - LOC (Line of Coordination) - HOW (Hours of Work) - WT/FT (Work Time/Family Time) - Health
issue (Mainly improper infrastructure at home etc., are unexpected realities in
action. WFH may become the normal in future too.
From the
Past..
I remember a
time long ago when Internet became widely available across the country and also
a time - - - - - when we would find it difficult to get people to work
- when women
used to go for confinement, someone getting injured etc.,
- we would
find it difficult to get replacements of high quality, time consuming and so
when the suggestion was made by me that people should be allowed the facility
of WFH from wherever they were, there was a big hue and cry about security and
all sorts of things. That was a bluff, people just didn't buy into a new
thought and they were not willing to trust people.
Now all
those alleged fears are allayed and the world is working from home.
What I
foresaw is happening - call it destiny
or whatever, I can look back and only smile.
I wonder if
that was taken seriously - am wondering what the scene might have been.
I believe it
would have been very different and nice.
We wouldn't
have had urban migration, so many concrete jungles, less crowded cities, more
trees, adequate distribution of growth and resources etc.
All this
restricted to technology companies.
The
development would have been distributed too.
That's an
unfulfilled dream.
Let the new
normal make all of it a reality.
Wanted to
continue my response with a QUOTE.
"The
right time to plant trees was twenty or more years ago. The next right time is
now, else we will regret. The generation yet to be born will curse us and all
the generations before for they inherited nothing worthy of being proud."
Let's
stop...
...the
"analysis-paralysis."
...being
judgemental
...being
fixed mindsets
Let's be
adventurous,
let's
experiment,
let's become
confident and let's develop more confidants by trusting and be able to share
our thoughts and leverage our SEE -
Skills, Experience, Expertise.
Let's -
Revisit -
Review - Reflect on past practices
and
let's make
Distribution
- Diversity - Development
That I
believe, is the key.
Thanks to my
connect for triggering this thought.
Looking
forward to your response.
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : What's the Story...this day!!!
Every
decision we’ve ever made was influenced by a story—every single one. From
the decision about whether to wear a mask during a pandemic, to the charities you choose to support.
A story we
heard, the story we believed or that story we told ourselves, had an impact on
those choices.
If stories
are our most persuasive technology, why don’t we do more to put them to work?
Why don’t
we leverage the power of stories every day in our work and our lives?
Over many
years now, we’ve come to believe that storytelling is a professional
discipline.
A skill for
the master storytellers at the Disney’s of the world.
We’ve
stopped honing the story skills that came so naturally to our ancestors.
We’ve forgotten how to tell small, powerful, everyday stories.
Let's try to
change that and to help more people leverage the power of storytelling to
become their most inspiring selves.
We don’t
need an epic story to be a great storyteller.
We just need
to adopt the posture of a storyteller and to practice the craft together.
Let's take this
for a start:
What's it
about life you love?
01. Family
02. Feel
good to wake up saying, "I have another day in my hands...! And...I am...
03. Being
able to take on the challenges, overcome hardships/obstacles and appreciate
everything you have now instead of wanting more.
04. That you
are someone who makes a difference in the world.
05. Being
alive at the moment because that's what really is the thing that exists right
now.
06. The
sheer beauty of everything around you.
07. All the
good people around you.
08. All the
unexpected things.
09. Every
moment in life is a new beginning.
10. Creating
abundant joy for yourself and others.
11. The
diversity that everyone brings to the table.
This list
can go on and on depending on you.
Enjoy life.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : This is a beautiful story that I have to share. I hope you all will like it as much as I did
The black
Telephone - What an awesome story!
The Black
Telephone
When I was a
young boy, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I
remember the polished, old case fastened to the Wall. The shiny receiver hung
on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to
listen with fascination
when my
mother talked to it.
Then I
discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person.
Her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not
know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time.
My personal
experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting
a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my
finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in
crying because there was no one home to give sympathy.
I walked
around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway.
The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to
the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to
my ear.
"Information,
please," I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.
A click or
two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.
"Information."
"I hurt
my finger..." I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now
that I had an audience.
"Isn't
your mother home?" came the question.
"Nobody's
home but me," I blubbered.
"Are
you bleeding?" the voice asked.
"No,"I
replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts."
"Can
you open the icebox?" she asked.
I said I
could.
"Then
chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice..
After that,
I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her for help
with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with
my maths.
She told me
my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat
fruit and nuts.
Then, there
was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, "Information
Please," and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things
grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, "Why
is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only
to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?"
She must
have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "Wayne, always remember
that there are other worlds to sing in."
Somehow I
felt better.
Another day
I was on the telephone, "Information Please."
"Information,"
said in the now familiar voice.
"How do
I spell fix?" I asked.
All this
took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was nine years old,
we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much.
"Information
Please" belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never
thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I
grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really
left me.
Often, in
moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I
had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to
have spent her time on a little boy.
A few years
later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about a
half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my
sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed
my hometown
operator and
said, "Information Please."
Miraculously,
I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well.
"Information."
I hadn't
planned this, but I heard myself saying,
"Could
you please tell me how to spell fix?"
There was a
long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must
have healed by now."
I laughed,
"So it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea how
much you meant to me during that time?"
"I
wonder," she said, "if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look
forward to your calls."
I told her
how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her
again when I came back to visit my sister.
"Please
do," she said. "Just ask for Sally."
Three months
later I was back in Seattle.
A different
voice answered, "Information."
I asked for
Sally.
"Are
you a friend?" she said.
"Yes, a
very old friend," I answered.
"I'm
sorry to have to tell you this," She said. "Sally had been working
part time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks
ago."
Before I
could hang up, she said,
"Wait a
minute, did you say your name was Wayne ?" "
"Yes."
I answered.
Well, Sally
left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. "Let me read
it to you."
The note
said, "Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I
mean."
I thanked
her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
Never
underestimate the impression you may make on others.
Whose life
have you touched today?
Why not pass
this on? I just did....
Lifting you
on eagle's wings.
May you find
the joy and peace you long for.
Life is a
journey... NOT a guided tour.
I loved this
story and just had to pass it on.
I hope you
find it lovable too.
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Our Deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our Deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our
light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask
ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually,
who are we not to be?
You are a
child of God.
Your playing
small doesn't serve the world.
There's
nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that
other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born
to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not
just in some of us, it's in everyone.
And as we
let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are
liberated from our own fears,
our presence
automatically liberates others.
- Nelson
Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Emerging Leader Qualities
My
observations after lockdowns commenced.
Ability to
collaborate
with others
- even virtually. (WFH - Zoom Calls).
Self-assured
confidence.
(Can work
from anywhere, but, sure can't manufacture anything remotely too).
Consistent
and constant learning and self-improvement.
(Re-booting,
Up-skilling, Up-grading).
A propensity
for fostering growth in others.
(Step back
and make others conduct the on-line meetings, so as to groom them for higher
responsibilities).
A strong
capacity for clear communication.
(Most people
during this time have become more expressive, more communicative, looking to
network, attend webinars, learn not just more, but also improve their own
communication skills).
This is the
way forward, and also the reality, as I visualize.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random,
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : You may choose to call it by any name
Self Talk
Self
Confidence
Self
Encouraging
Self
Empowerment
Self
Motivation...
If it helps you...
Tell
yourself:
- I'm
allowed to feel what I feel and I'm capable of feeling how you feel too...
- I'm valued
and I believe you are valued too...
- I have so
much to offer and I'm aware you also have a lot to offer too..
- I'm loved
more than I know and I know that you too are
loved more than you know..
- I'm
capable of doing amazing things and I know that you can do amazing things too..
Come let's
join together and widen this space with the same thoughts and get more into our
circle
..there's a
lot happening out there
...there's
so much to do
...there are
so many more to connect with...
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : We were all once children, and still have that child dwelling within
us, there's no doubt about that. But, most adults are quite unaware of this.
And this
lack of conscious relatedness to our own inner child is precisely where so many
behavioural, emotional and relationship difficulties stem from.
Leads to
unnecessary thinking, talking, being judgemental, being sarcastic, being
critical that leads to conflicts, disorderliness and disobedience that leads to
all the trouble
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Take children in your school, they may or may not listen to their
parents but listen to their teachers and are disciplined. The obey them too.
Assuming the child in us listened to the appeal of social distancing and
lockdown protocols, the pandemic would have been history by now.
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : The adults are totally responsible for everything we all are
witnessing and experiencing in the world.
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : We all have experienced, at some point, that many of the so called
adults aren’t adults at all – they have only gotten older in age physically
but psychologically speaking that’s not adulthood.
True
adulthood hinges on acknowledging, accepting and taking responsibility for
loving and parenting one own’s inner child.
Instead they
deny, neglect, abandon and rejected their inner child.
This come
form societal conditioning of being asked to “grow up†and not behave
‘childishly†.
We are
taught that in order to become adults we need to stifle and quarantine our
inner child – thus losing out on its capacity for innocence, wonder, awe,
joy, sensitivity and playfulness alongside.
The inner
child comprises and potentiates these positive qualities.
But it also
holds our accumulated childhood hurts, traumas, fears and angers.
"Grown-ups"
are convinced they have successfully outgrown, jettisoned, and left this
child--and its emotional baggage--long behind.
But this is
far from the truth.
In fact,
these so-called grown-ups or adults are unwittingly being constantly influenced
or covertly controlled by this unconscious inner child.
For many, it
is not an adult self-directing their lives, but rather an emotionally wounded
inner child inhabiting an adult body.
A
five-year-old running around in a forty-year-old frame. It is a hurt, angry,
fearful little boy or girl calling the shots, making adult decisions.
A boy or
girl being sent out into the world to do a man's or woman's job.
A five or
ten-year old (or two of them!) trying to engage in grown-up relationships.
Can a child
have a mature relationship?
AÂ career?
An
independent life?
Yet this is
precisely what's happening with us all every day to some degree or another.
And then we
wonder why our relationships fall apart.
Why we feel
so anxious.
Afraid.
Insecure.
Inferior.
Small.
Lost.Â
Lonely.
But think
about it: How else would any child feel having to fend for themselves in an
apparently adult world?
Without
proper parental supervision, protection, structure or support?
As
pseudo-adults, we futilely attempt to force others into fulfilling these
infantile needs for us.
But this is
doomed to failure.
What we
didn't sufficiently receive in the past from our parents as children must be
confronted in the present, painful though it may be.
The past
traumas, sadness, disappointments and depression cannot be changed and must be
accepted.
Becoming an
adult means swallowing this "bitter pill," that, unfortunately for
most of us, certain infantile needs were, maliciously or not, unmet by our
imperfect parents or caretakers.
And they
never will be, no matter how good or smart or attractive or spiritual or
loving we become.
Those days
are over. What was done cannot be undone. We should not as adults now expect
others to meet all of these unfulfilled childhood needs. They cannot.
Authentic
adulthood requires both accepting the painful past and the primary
responsibility for taking care of that inner child's needs, for being a
"good enough" parent to him or her now--and in the future.
It is
pertinent that the adult part of the personality learns to relate to the inner
child exactly as a good parent relates to a flesh-and-blood child, providing
discipline, limits, boundaries and structure.
These are
all - along with support, nurturance, and acceptance - indispensable elements
of loving and living with any child, whether metaphorical or actual.
By
initiating and maintaining an ongoing dialogue between the two, a
reconciliation between inner child and mature adult can be reached.
A new,
mutually beneficial, cooperative, symbiotic relationship can be created in
which the sometimes conflicting needs of both the adult self and inner child
can be creatively satisfied.
Has your
adult self spent time with your inner child today?
(Source –
Psychology Today & Dr. Diamond – Psychotherapist)
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Tell yourself, today I am playful and free.
Answer these
questions for yourself?
How can I
tap into that childlike innocence and just be?
Where can I
find play in my life?
How can I
bring more play and that feeling of freedom into my life?
And then...
Find 3
things that are playful that you can do today.
06/08/2020,
15:57 - : Think it over...
I asked
life, "Why are you so difficult?
Life smiled
and said, "I am so simple, but, the problem is you people never appreciate
simple things in life."
Where
science ends, there imagination begins.
Here it
goes..
We all have
the potential to perform, if only we create the right pathwithin ourselves.
Our life
begins to change the moment we take complete responsibility for it and be
totally accountable for it.
It's not
important who is ahead of us in life.It's not important who is behind us
too.What's important is who is with us.Who is walking along side us.
Â
Real leaders
are sometimes in the front, at times alongside us and at time behind us, but,
when bthings get accomplished people will all say we did it.
That's the
essence.
Have a great
day.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
17:52 - : It begins, and brews before it spews, it's all in the mind...
After so many
hundreds of years of intricacy the mystery of how a man's thought gets aroused
is sorted out and confirms everything begins in the mind first...
It can be an
arguement...
A quarrel...
A fight...
A murder...
A war...
Well not
just that even discoveries and innovations...
Everything
begins and ends with the mind.
How we
manage it, how we mend it, how we control it, makes all the difference...
A small
satire to explain this...
Julius
Caesar and Marcus Brutus are at the airport.
Brutus:
“Which is our boarding gate Caesar?â€
Caesar:
“A-2 Brutusâ€
Brutus:
“And what time is the flight Caesar?â€
Caesar:
“8:02 Brutusâ€
Brutus:
“By the way, I have sandwiches. Do you want one Caesar?â€
Caesar:
“Ate two Brutusâ€
Brutus:
“This is an unusual paper size for a ticket. What size is it Caesar?â€
Caesar:
“A2 Brutusâ€
Brutus
(Thinking to himself): “This man is really beginning to get on my nerves. One
of these days I’m going to have to kill him.â€
....thus the
devil was aroused in Brutus and Ceasar ceased to be because he was done in by
three trusted mates around him.
Something
that needs serious consideration is our mental well-being, scripted exclusively
for members of this group...
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
17:52 - : Simplest Success Mantra
Success just
doesn't happen by chance. It can happen if we can adopt a process.
Let's
understand fully that
it is our
ability that makes things happens,
- by
utilizing our best skills,
- believing
in our
capabilities,
- focussing
solely on the
things we have in front of
us to accomplish,
- commiting
to work hard
enough,
- pushing
ourselves to keep
- learning,
improving and
innovating constantly,
- making
mistakes,
-
realizing accepting we did, - working again and again
till it gets rectified
- gaining
new experiences
-
persistenting on and on,
- overcoming
barriers,
- taking on
all the challenges - to meet the ends that
translate all our acts to
fructify.
Success
embrace those who embrace all these aspects and strive tirelessly.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
06/08/2020,
17:52 - : Habits and Practices
The road
from Transaction to Transformation.
Just to set
the ball rolling let me begin by asking which hand is your preferred hand?
Right or
left?
Let's
assume right.
Now if I ask
you to write something you will immediately respond by beginning with your
right, but, if I stop you and ask you to write with your left hand, how does it feel?
Stange,
awkward, clumsy, effort,
slow...... isn't it?
However if
you practice, it becomes it may not sound as difficult, probably easier to who
knows.
So lots of
practice will make the left hand as good as the right hand and you become
ambidextrous.
In short
changing a habit requires lots of conscious practise.
Great if you
identify more things in yourself and become self-aware, which is the first act
of Emotional Intelligence.
Now the next
step is give yourself some signal that will tell you to take a pause, then respond.
Journaling
is also very helpful. Don't be too hard
on yourself. Give yourself time. Don't give up.
New habits
will form.
All the
best.
If everyone
does this they and practice these principles they become Emotionally
Intelligent too.
If all
become aware of themselves and develop EI, the next step would then mean we
need to understand each other too. That has then established an Emotional
Quotient between each other.
When this
transformation happens we will find that things become a lot easier to
transact.
Think about
this and make a beginning.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:45] Raman Bharadwaj: We are in it together...
Everything
and everyone is connected with each other. That's the way nature has created it
all.
There are
two ways of being united, by being frozen together or melting together.
It is always
better to be belting our feelings and freezing our difference to really be
united.
Every action
has a consequence.
We get
rewarded for the right action only, but, that's only relative, because many
hues go into painting the colors of things we see on the planet, accepting
black and white are colours too and is the reality.
We need to
consider all this
else we will
be billed as obsolete. We need to be flexible to change and nimble enough to
adapt to the changes to be relevant.
Obstacles,
challenges, difficulties, troubles make us
~ revise our
thinking
~ re-visit
our processes
~ re-think
our goals/objectives
~ re-align
our strategy
~
re-structure our execution, to
~ regain and
retain our original position.
Nothing in
life is permanent, so the storms that we encounter shouldn't alter our core
values or core beliefs.
Institutions
and organizations have to be, "Built to Last, but policies ought not to be
built to last instead it is to be
"Built to Adapt."
Don't hold
anything tight...learn to fail but never become called a failure.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:45] Raman Bharadwaj: What's your UVP?
UVP -> is
UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION, a thing that I coined just now taking taking cue from
USP-> which is a marketing term that advertising urges company's to spell
out features that stand out among competitors.
Strangely
though every company has its USP it can be anything from features built into
the product to even logistics such as quick doorstep delivery or within hours
etc.
Quality of
course is a default expectation.
UVP is
somewhat like that, especially when you seek changes in job or position.
One shows
Value Add, which can be quantified and translated to economic presentation of
revenue, profit etc., which gives the edge.
For every
role there are metrics to measure performance, but, when one speaks of value
one addresses the perceptions and one has to experience.
For instance
if someone claims to have improved the bottom line by big numbers to add to the
turnover and the profit margins of the company, but, what one doesn't get to
know whether such a person would have exercised power pushing people to
excrutiating psin with his/her positional power and get results beyond
expectations, as against someone else who may have contributed lesser revenue
growth and lesser profits, but, facilitated the growth surging people to
concentrate on the processes that could push up performance and profits.
That's
tremendous value-add indeed.
Such people
over a period of time will be able to influence people to become not just big
time performers, but, may even create leaders for the future.
As you can
make out, each person has an UVP. What
one must do is to sit down and assess one's UVP. It's always good.
People who
are known to be value-add's are always in demand. They were, they are and will
indeed always be.
What's you
USP?
Do share, it
will be interesting for other also to know.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random,
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:45] Raman Bharadwaj: Simplest Success Mantra
Success just
doesn't happen by chance. It can happen if we can adopt a process.
Let's
understand fully that
it is our
ability that makes things happens,
- by
utilizing our best skills,
- believing
in our
capabilities,
- focussing
solely on the
things we have in front of
us to accomplish,
- commiting
to work hard
enough,
- pushing
ourselves to keep
- learning,
improving and
innovating constantly,
- making
mistakes,
-
realizing accepting we did, - working again and again
till it gets rectified
- gaining
new experiences
-
persistenting on and on,
- overcoming
barriers,
- taking on
all the challenges - to meet the ends that
translate all our acts to
fructify.
Success
embrace those who embrace all these aspects and strive tirelessly.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:45] Raman Bharadwaj: Value and Worth
The whole
world is going through a rethink of not
just the structures that sustain the global economy, but also life style and
living essentials.
We will even
address issues like “What does value
mean?” and “What is true worth?”
Today we
think in terms of returns and value. We don’t think about worth.
For the past
decade or two, many traditional businesses have had the least value allocated
to them. But now we’ve seen that these sectors are the most worthy: healthcare,
agriculture, food retail.
The current
crisis has shown us that the greatest drivers of economic value creation are,
in fact, the essentials, such as strong health and well-being.
Rich, poor,
high, low, here there or anywhere in the world makes no difference whatsoever,
it has been established beyond doubt that all of us in this world are
vulnerable.
We have all
been given enough lessons to learn what are the essentials for live, which
really means what’s really important in life if one cannot get a cucumber or a
tomato for making a sad to eat and survive?
If we can
preserve live now, we can hope to recreate a new living by rewiring and mending
our fences.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:45] Raman Bharadwaj: Distant Yet Close
Many of us
are no longer physically working together, but we still need to generate ideas
collaboratively.
Fortunately,
we can still lead/follow a productive remote brainstorm session.
First, invite a diverse group of contributors.
Because you’re working remotely, you don’t have to limit participants by
geography. Identify the roles and expertise you want, and then invite people
who fit those descriptions.
Make sure
you clearly communicate the specific problem the group is trying to solve
before the brainstorm begins. This step is especially important when you’re
working in a remote environment, where communication is more likely to break
down.
Finally,
structure a process that can unfold over time.
In fact, a
productive brainstorm doesn’t require everyone to be online at the same time:
People may
generate better, more distinct ideas if they’re working independently.
So create a
shared document where participants can add their ideas, and then ask them to
collectively finalize the most promising ones at the end of the process.
Following
these simple steps can make the remote work environment an advantage, not an
obstacle.
Take aways :
Re-group
Re-align
Re-vist
Re-structure
Review
Respond
Relate
Reflect
Rebound
Resonate
Relax
Relish
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:45] Raman Bharadwaj: Habits and Practices
The road
from Transaction to Transformation.
Just to set
the ball rolling let me begin by asking which hand is your preferred hand?
Right or
left?
Let's
assume right.
Now if I ask
you to write something you will immediately respond by beginning with your
right, but, if I stop you and ask you to write with your left hand, how does it feel?
Stange,
awkward, clumsy, effort,
slow...... isn't it?
However if
you practice, it becomes it may not sound as difficult, probably easier to who
knows.
So lots of
practice will make the left hand as good as the right hand and you become
ambidextrous.
In short
changing a habit requires lots of conscious practise.
Great if you
identify more things in yourself and become self-aware, which is the first act
of Emotional Intelligence.
Now the next
step is give yourself some signal that will tell you to take a pause, then respond.
Journaling
is also very helpful. Don't be too hard
on yourself. Give yourself time. Don't give up.
New habits
will form.
All the
best.
If everyone
does this they and practice these principles they become Emotionally
Intelligent too.
If all
become aware of themselves and develop EI, the next step would then mean we
need to understand each other too. That has then established an Emotional Quotient
between each other.
When this
transformation happens we will find that things become a lot easier to
transact.
Think about
this and make a beginning.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:45] Raman Bharadwaj: Be the Tallest Oak.
Knowledge is
deep-rooted, Education springs-out and spreads.
If you need
to conquer the world, begin with conquering
your pride,
your ego,
your
arrogance,
your
contempt,
by being
aware of yourself first, don't just sit and think about it, get-in and get
busy.
You'll feel
Divinity in yourself.
You will
then begin to FLY - First Love Yourself,
and slowly,
like the
wind spreads the fragrance of the flowers in the direction it flows,
Your Love, and Respect,
for everyone
and everything will spread too.
You just
need to be connected to to the core like the deep-rooted, tree.
A pure heart
is the place to worship.
With the
deepest love and respect for all of you this has been scripted exclusively for
each you as members of the group in R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings, with best
wishes for a great week ahead.
~ Raman
[10/08,
23:46] Raman Bharadwaj: Vacho Vegam
(WHEN TO BE SILENT - 21 practical tips):
1. Be silent - in the heat of
anger.
2. Be silent - when you don't
have all the facts.
3. Be silent - when you
haven't verified the story.
4. Be silent - if your words
will offend a weaker
Person.
5. Be silent - when it is time
to listen.
6. Be silent - when you are
tempted to make light of
holy things.
7. Be silent - when you are
tempted to joke about
sin.
8. Be silent - if you would be
ashamed of your word
later.
9. Be silent - if your words
would convey the wrong
impression.
10. Be
silent - if the issue is
none of your business.
11. Be
silent - when you are
tempted to tell an
outright lie.
12. Be
silent - if your words
will damage someone
else's reputation.
13. Be
silent - if your words
will damage a friendship.
14. Be
silent - when you are
feeling critical.
15. Be
silent - if you can't
say it without screaming.
16. Be
silent - if your words
will be a poor reflection
of your friends and
family.
17. Be
silent - if you may
have to eat your words
later.
18. Be
silent - if you have
already said it more
than one time.
19. Be
silent - when you are
tempted to flatter a
wicked person.
20. Be
silent - when you are
supposed to be working
instead.
21. Be
silent - when your
words do not do any
good to anyone
including yourself.
"WHOEVER
GUARDS HIS TONGUE KEEPS SOUL AWAY FROM TROUBLES"
[10/08,
23:46] Raman Bharadwaj: One day, a young boy came into the monastery and asked
the Chief Monk, to give him some work and also food.
The Chief
Monk asked him: What have you read? What work can you do? What do you know?
The boy
replied: I have not read in school. I have no proficiency in any work excepting
some stray jobs like washing food plates,
cleaning up
the cottage etc., I do not know anything else.
The Chief
Monk asked Are you sure you do not know anything else?
The young
boy replied: Oh, yes, Sir, now I remember.
I can play
good Chess
The Chief
Monk said: Oh that's good. Now I shall test you in your game.
He asked
another monk to come with chess board and coins and asked a table to be placed
so that the game could start.
Before start
of the game, the Chief Monk said: Now see, I have a sword on my hand. If any
one is defeated, his nose will be severed
The boy
became nervous. However, without any other way to go, he agreed.
The game
started. Initially, the boy made some mistakes in moves. His position on the
board became almost hopeless.
He then
concentrated completely on the game and improved the position to a winning
level.
Then he
looked at the monk sitting opposite and playing. He was not quite nervous but
obviously disturbed a little.
The boy then
thought,
"I am a
useless fellow in life. Nothing will change the world if I lose the game and
lose my nose.
But this
monk, is well read person, doing meditation and is sure to attain Buddha Hood
Why should he lose?
So the young
boy deliberately made a wrong move, so that the monk sitting opposite could
take advantage and win the game !
The Chief
Monk suddenly flashed his sword on the table. All the coins flew into different
directions.
He then
said: The game is over. Oh boy you are IN. You will be with us in the monastery
hereafter.
The boy did
not understand.
The Chief
Monk explained:
"I did
not ask you to play chess to find out your caliber in the game. But I was
looking for two essential qualities that are necessary for Self realization.
One is Maha
Prajna. The Great Awareness. I found that in you. When your game became
positionally bad, you put your entire concentration and attention on the game
and improved your game.
This is Maha
Prajna.
The second
is Maha Karuna - The Great Compassion. I found that also in you. When your
opponent was about to lose the game, you looked at him with great compassion
and deliberately made a wrong mistake so that he could win.
These two
qualities are adequate to do sadhana and make the life Meaningful.
YOU ARE IN.
Life isn’t
about winning or losing there is nothing to win and nothing to lose.
[10/08,
23:46] Raman Bharadwaj: A masterpiece joke
!
A rat
swallowed a diamond and the owner of the diamond contacted a man to kill the
rat.
When the rat
hunter arrived to kill the rat there were more than a thousand rats bunched up
all together and one sitting by itself away from the pack.
He spotted
and killed the one sitting by itself and to the owners surprise, that was the
exact one that had swallowed the diamond!
The amazed
diamond owner asked: "How did you know it was that rat?"
He
responded: "Very easy,
When idiots
get rich, they don't mix with
others!!!"
😏😜😂......
Superb 👍👍👍
Rather, its
not a joke its a bitter reality
[10/08,
23:48] Raman Bharadwaj: Ibn Sina, also known as Abu Ali Sina, Pur Sina, and
often known in the West as Avicenna was a Persian polymath who is regarded as
one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, thinkers and writers of
the Islamic Golden Age, and the father of early modern medicine.
Ibn Sina
conducted an experiment in his times.
He put two
identical lambs in two separate cages.
He put a
wolf in another cage next to one of the lsmbs.
Only the one
lamb which could see the wolf constantly died soon due to severe stressed
caused due to fear, even though the wolf did nothing ever to the lamb.
It was
obvious therefore that the other lamb was doing well for itself living in its
world of ignorance.
In this
experiment Ibn Sina observed the positive and the negative effects of the
mental influence and environment on the health and the body.
Unnecessary
fear, anxiety, stress does nothing but harm our body.
In times of
the unprecedented pandemic that we are going through now we need to take care
of our physical and mental health and not overstressed ourselves.
Physical
distancing and emphasizing with an emotional connect is the best thing apart
from observing the statutory protocols.
[10/08,
23:48] Raman Bharadwaj: How time changes things.
From being
constantly worried about the future, we can't think anything beyond the present
moment.
From being
conscious of what to wear, we now are weary of wearing anything other than
casuals.
From calling
friends and relatives on video calls, we are now calling even our neighbours
over video calls.
From longing
for a salary hike, we are now waiting for whatever be the salary.
From longing
for a promotion, to holding on to whatever the position now.
From trying
to change our job, we are now holding on tightly to our current job.
From
refusing to cayying the laptop home, we now have made our home the office.
From longing
to go on a vacation, we are now longing to get back to our workstation.
From waiting
for weekends, we are now waiting for all our fears to end.
From being
enveloped in smoggy smokey environs we now have clear skies, we see bright
stars in the night's, chirping birds in our neighbourhood and a lot more puree
air to breath.
While all of
this seems so magical and unbelievable, it seems surprising how an invisible
thing could bring about so many changes.
Not
surprisingly our faith on the invisible Almighty is so much more now..
Are we
paying a big price for losing our innocence or nonchalance and arrogance, or
what else?
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:48] Raman Bharadwaj: Times are Changing
I picked my
ringing mobile, could identify it was our laundryman.
He asked,
"Do you want vegetables?"
Being
surprised I respondeded, "You and vegetables !!"
His reply
was so refreshing and growth oriented, "Sir, what is that you don't
know...in these days of WFH there aren't too many clothes for laundry and what
if I say, flexibility and adaptability are my new friends. My basic skills will
remain in tact, am serving needs for survival and found it lucrative."
Was very
impressed indeed. He is our regular vegetable vendor now who keeps adding other
essentials to his supply shelf.
Always we
keep asking people the wrong questions to people.
Here is
another example.
We often
ask, "What do you want to become when you grow up?"
The answers
usually are Doctor, Engineer, CA, Pilot, Lawyer, Photographer, Model, Fashion
Designer...the list goes on...
The question
actually should be "Who do you want to become when you grow up?"
The
difference is "What" and "Who."
"What"
is an avocation a profession - you can
be even more than one in combinations. One being your base profession, another
an interest or a hobby becoming an added avocation - Engineer - Photographer -
Musician - Singer - Sportsman and so on...
"Who,"
emphasises on you as a human with values, with character, with integrity...someone
who people would love to follow, emulate, someone who will leave a legacy.
You may be
an engineer but a corrupt one or be a doctor who only intends to make money
doesn't care...
Now that's
the difference between "What," and "Who."
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 -
Raman's, Random, Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:48] Raman Bharadwaj: How to Deal with People Who Lack Empathy?
It is very
difficult to deal with people who lack empathy when you are a sensitive and
caring person.
When you try
to express your feelings, instead of compassion and understanding, you get
anger or judgment back.
It’s painful
because sometimes you can get stuck in a vicious cycle where the more someone
doesn’t understand you, the more you feel hurt, and the more you want them to
understand your feelings.
It’s almost
as if you are pleading for validation.
Here’s the
thing:
Most of the
times, talking with these people will lead you nowhere, and will leave you
feeling completely depleted.
Here are some
easy-to-follow steps, so you can deal with people who lack empathy:
1. Don’t
Take Their Anger or Judgments Personally
By doing
this you can get off the emotional roller coaster. It’s not about us. Remind
yourself that they are the ones that have a problem connecting emotionally with
others at a deeper level. There’s nothing wrong with you!
2. Don’t Try
to Make Them Understand Your Feelings.
Trying to
instill empathy or insights in them is a waste of your time and energy. This
will only increase their anger and judgement.
3. Talk
About Facts with Them
Instead of
talking to them about how you feel, or how something they did or said made you
feel, talk about facts and what you think. It’s easier to communicate this way
because they won’t feel blamed or shamed.
4. If You
Don’t Live with This Person, Try to Distance Yourself from Their Company
You don’t
have to end the friendship or stop visiting your family member, but you need to
set some boundaries and be mindful of your interaction with them. Keep the
connection superficial to avoid arguments and don’t expect depth and
understanding.
5. Cultivate
or Nurture Relationships with People Who You Trust
Spend time
with people who you trust and who make you feel safe so that you can feel
comfortable sharing your inner world and your feelings with them. These are
people who might have shown signs of empathy in the past.
6. Know That
Your Value and Worth Does Not Depend on Their Validation and Opinion of You
Our
self-worth should never be based on approval or validation from others.
7. Take
Loving Actions Towards Yourself
Offer
yourself kindness and practice doing things that reflect self-love – eat
healthy, get enough rest, pursue your dreams, work on yourself, develop a
spiritual life, surround yourself with loving and positive people.
8. If You
Feel Too Overwhelmed, Get Professional Help
Find a
caring and compassionate therapist or life coach who can be there for you and
offer guidance during painful times.
Unfortunately,
our friends and family can’t always provide all of the emotional support that
we need at times.
If the
person that you’re dealing with shows a willingness to be more open to change
and become more empathetic and caring, then you have a real opportunity to
strengthen your relationship with them.
Final
Thoughts
There are
many reasons why some people lack empathy. Dealing with these people is not
easy and may leave you feeling frustrated and disappointed. But with my advice,
you’ll learn that you can’t change someone, however you can change your
attitude towards them.
Remember
that you can’t save everyone, but you can love yourself enough to not let
people who lack empathy to overpower you. Set boundaries and do what makes you
happy.
Ultimately,
don’t be afraid to get professional help when you are overwhelmed
[10/08,
23:48] Raman Bharadwaj: What Is Empathy?
It's the
ability to emotionally understand what other's feel. It is seeing things from
their point of view, and imagining yourself in their place.
Essentially,
it is putting yourself in someone else's position and feeling what they must be
feeling.
When you see
another person suffering, you might be able to instantly envision yourself in
the other person's place and feel sympathy for what they are going through.
The ability
to feel empathy allows people to "walk a mile in another's shoes," so
to speak. It permits people to understand the emotions that others are feeling.
Signs
If you are
good at listening to what others have to say.
People often
tell you about their problems.
You are good
at picking up on how other people are feeling.
You often
think about how other people feel.
Other people
come to you for advice.
You often
feel overwhelmed by tragic events.
You try to
help others who are suffering.
You are good
at telling when people aren't being honest.
You
sometimes feel drained or overwhelmed in social situations.
You care
deeply about other people.
You find it
difficult to set boundaries in your relationships with other people.
If you show
any of all the above you are deemed to be empathetic.
Do we need
be empathetic always?
We don't
need to be emphatetic all the time.
When we
borrow from the tragedy of others to make our empty days feel purposeful and
high-stakes, we can become emotional parasites.
It becomes
bad sometimes and at those times, we could be hurting ourselves even more.
Empathy
- can make
us sad and broke
- can be
dangerous and fatal
- can kill
relationships faster - can exhaust and tire us out - can turn us become
negative
- spewing
emotion like being
agressive, angry,
argumentative arrogant,
etc.
What does
lack of empathy result in?
People who
lack empathy can cause a lot of damage both to themselves and the others.
Here are
some signs of someone around you who
lacks empathy:
They are
fast at criticizing others without caring about feelings.
They are be
cold beings should we say just out of touch with people suffering or those that
are less fortunate.
They believe
that only their ideas and/or beliefs are right and judge everyone who does not
hold their beliefs as wrong, ignorant or stupid.
They have
trouble feeling happy for others.
They have
trouble
- making or
keeping friends
- getting
along with family
members too
They feel
entitled to receiving favors and use others to serve their needs without
showing appreciation. They will even get offended if they don’t get their way.
In a group
setting, they will talk a lot about themselves and their lives without really
caring about what other people share.
They do or
say something that hurts a friend or a loved one, and tend to blame his/her
actions on them.
They truly
believe that the fault is in the person receiving the hurt because they reacted
poorly, were rude or were oversensitive.
The truth is
that without empathy, it is hard to create deep emotional connections with
others.
[10/08,
23:48] Raman Bharadwaj: What's the Story...this day!!!
Every
decision we’ve ever made was influenced by a story—every single one. From the
decision about whether to wear a mask during a pandemic, to the charities you choose to support.
A story we
heard, the story we believed or that story we told ourselves, had an impact on
those choices.
If stories
are our most persuasive technology, why don’t we do more to put them to work?
Why don’t we
leverage the power of stories every day in our work and our lives?
Over many
years now, we’ve come to believe that storytelling is a professional
discipline.
A skill for
the master storytellers at the Disney’s of the world.
We’ve stopped
honing the story skills that came so naturally to our ancestors. We’ve
forgotten how to tell small, powerful, everyday stories.
Let's try to
change that and to help more people leverage the power of storytelling to
become their most inspiring selves.
We don’t
need an epic story to be a great storyteller.
We just need
to adopt the posture of a storyteller and to practice the craft together.
Let's take
this for a start:
What's it
about life you love?
01. Family
02. Feel
good to wake up saying, "I have another day in my hands...! And...I am...
03. Being
able to take on the challenges, overcome hardships/obstacles and appreciate
everything you have now instead of wanting more.
04. That you
are someone who makes a difference in the world.
05. Being
alive at the moment because that's what really is the thing that exists right
now.
06. The
sheer beauty of everything around you.
07. All the
good people around you.
08. All the
unexpected things.
09. Every
moment in life is a new beginning.
10. Creating
abundant joy for yourself and others.
11. The
diversity that everyone brings to the table.
This list
can go on and on depending on you.
Enjoy life.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:48] Raman Bharadwaj: Emerging Leader Qualities
My
observations after lockdowns commenced.
Ability to
collaborate
with others
- even virtually. (WFH - Zoom Calls).
Self-assured
confidence.
(Can work
from anywhere, but, sure can't manufacture anything remotely too).
Consistent
and constant learning and self-improvement.
(Re-booting,
Up-skilling, Up-grading).
A propensity
for fostering growth in others.
(Step back
and make others conduct the on-line meetings, so as to groom them for higher
responsibilities).
A strong
capacity for clear communication.
(Most people
during this time have become more expressive, more communicative, looking to
network, attend webinars, learn not just more, but also improve their own
communication skills).
This is the
way forward, and also the reality, as I visualize.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random,
by
Raman
[10/08,
23:50] Raman Bharadwaj: Cheers! and Hello! everyone on the group. It's been a
pleasure connecting with Ms. Geethanjali Kapoor.
Being born
more than 800 moons ago and brought up in Hyderabad I respond to the name -
Raman Bharadwaj.
Professionally
though am known as Raman TSK - including on LinkedIn, a platform on which I am a very active
participant - discussions and shares alike.
Am grateful
to the Almighty for all the gifts given unto us and consider myself being
fortunate to
have been in
the
right
places,
doing the
right things
with the
right people
at the
right time
for the
right
purpose.
Am currently
engaged as a Coach and am actively facilitating people who are pursuing their
careers and want to take them to higher levels of achieving their dreams.
[10/08,
23:50] Raman Bharadwaj: Think it over...
I asked
life, "Why are you so difficult?"
Life smiled
and said, "I am so simple, but, the problem is you people never appreciate
simple things in life."
Where
science ends, there imagination begins.
Here it
goes..
We all have
the potential to perform, if only we create the right path within ourselves.
Our life
begins to change the moment we take complete responsibility for it and be
totally accountable for it.
It's not
important who is ahead of us in life.
It's not
important who is behind us too.
What's
important is who is with us. Who is walking along side us.
Real leaders
are
sometimes
in the
front,
at times
alongside us
and at times
behind us,
but,
when things
get accomplished,
all the people will say we did it.
That's the
essence, of Truly remarkable leadership.
Have a great
day and a great week ahead
~ Raman
[11/08,
11:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Almighty created Originals
Purpose is
to
knowing
ourselves,
loving ourselves,
trusting
ourselves to
be ourselves
to share the
"gifts"
with the others to let them
know
themselves,
love
themselves,
trust
themselves and to be themselves always.
Instead, we
get Conditioned...
A legendary
stage actor, once said, "The hardest thing you can do is walk as
yourself." The actor may have been
speaking about acting when he said this, but I think his words carry wisdom we
can use beyond the stage.
The school
is the place, where our conditioning begins, asking us to fit in from a young
age.
With every
advancing year apart from the learning we get, every teacher subjects us to all
sorts of conditioning, so much so that we are far from the original we were.
We get to
higher studies and intermingle with the
others, grow up and then meet people in society, where norms are different.
We get
labeled by what we do for a living by people who will judge us through a prism
they're used to.
No one gives
us an opportunity to explore things we want to, or to speak the language we
wish to or what we feel and let us live the way we want.
According to
all of them, the way to fit in is not to do anything out of the ordinary. If it
does, we are good else not.
By
definition, that means ignoring possibilities and opportunities to explore
different path and progress, fulfilment, joy are a by-product of exploration.
Ironically,
what the world that tries to make us conform needs, most from us fall in that
trap, yet, it is for us to walk as ourselves.
To
contribute as only we can, to find our voice to follow our path, then to shine
a light for others as we go.
To do this
effectively we need to find ourselves.
The game of
life is not ever won by the one who is the most talented, but by the one, who
does not loose his grip over the defining moments till the final whistle is
blown! It is won by the one who refuse to give up.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman....
Cheers! And
Wishes to you all for a Tranquil Tuesday.
[11/08,
13:31] Raman Bharadwaj: We grow up with a set of values and form certain
beliefs, with which we conclude that, that's the rule, the only way things
ought to be. It gets "fixed," in our mind.
When we rely
too much on a pre-existing information or on the first information you receive.
e.g., A buffet in a restaurant costs around Rs. 800/- per person. Another
restaurant offers it at Rs. 150/- per person. The second restaurant will be
perceived as low quality.
Such ways of
thinking becomes our practice. It's at times like the changing times we are in
, that we need to consider all perspectives, information, data to analyze and
arrive at more than one possibility. With that done, we need to choose the
best, given the time and the conditions.
What are the
other anchors that impact our decisions?
[11/08,
22:39] Raman Bharadwaj: "Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Ask Questions.
Usually a lot of them.."
Says Melody
Wilding, ForbesWomen, and adds (I help sensitive high-achievers thrive in the
workplace)
Great
leaders are great communicators.
Namely, they
have perfected the art of active listening, a component of emotional
intelligence that requires you to be completely present with another person.
When you’re
listening actively, you’re not in your head formulating what you’ll say next.
Rather, your focus is 100% on the other person and how they are feeling.
This is one
reason Sensitive Strivers make amazing leaders — their empathy and thoughtfulness
translate into building deep relationships and trust.
But many of
my coaching clients get tongue-tied when it comes to one crucial part of active
listening: asking questions.
They
overthink their responses and end up getting so trapped in their heads (trying
to say the “right” thing or wondering how the other person is judging them),
that they lose sight of the goal of the conversation, which is to connect.
Questions to
Ask in Meetings and One-on-Ones..
To you help
you, here is a list of questions I share with my clients.
Keep these
saved somewhere so you can refer back to them and become the emotionally
intelligent leader you are meant to be.
When you
want someone’s reaction to information..
What do you
make of what I’ve shared?
What do you
think is best?
How does
this look to you?
What would
you add or change?
How do you
feel about it?
What’s your
impression of X?
How does
this fit into your plans?
When you
need clarification
What do you
mean?
What does it
feel like?
What is the
part that is not yet clear?
What do you
want?
What’s your
desired outcome?
When you
want them to elaborate
Can you tell
me more?
What else?
What other
ideas/thoughts/feelings do you have about it?
What is an
example?
On a scale
of 1 to 10 how urgent/serious is X?
What is the
hardest/most challenging part for you?
When you
want people to think outside the box..
What is here
that we want to explore?
What part of
the situation have we not yet explored?
What other
angles can you think of?
What are our
other options?
What
assumptions can we let go of?
What’s the
best outcome we can imagine?
When you
want to understand why something happened...
What
contributed/caused it?
What led up
to it?
What have
you tried so far?
What did we learn
from X?
How could
you turn this around next time?
When you
want someone to implement and follow-through
What is the
action plan?
What could
be our first step?
What
progress have you made so far?
What support
do you need to accomplish it?
What could
get in the way?
When someone
is naysaying or resistant to your ideas
Before we
get into drawbacks, can you share some reasons you think this will work?
What
suggestions do you have for improvement?
What would
you like to see change for the better?
What’s
working right now?
Let’s
operate from the assumption that we will be successful. How does that shift
your perspective and ideas about what to do next?
[12/08,
09:26] Raman Bharadwaj: The Jubilee diamond ( at 245 carats is twice as large
as the Kohinoor) , Lady Tata and how it
helped TATA Steel..... a long read but a
testimony of what the TATA Family value stood for.
The
Jagersfontein Mine, located in South Africa, has been of the great diamond
mines of the world. Discovered in 1870, it has yielded over 9.6 million carats
of beautiful diamonds over its lifetime. Yet the unique stone that was
discovered here in 1895 was particularly special, in more ways than one.
First and
foremost, this magnificent large diamond, weighing 245.35 carats, turned out to
be the sixth largest diamond in the world. This means it was twice as large as
the legendary Kohinoor. Second, it was a diamond of exceptional purity and
sparkle, and often described as the most perfectly cut of all large diamonds.
But most importantly, as this interesting story will soon reveal to you, it
went on to play a very important role for the Tata Group, well beyond the
normal remit of diamonds and jewellery.
The large
rough stone was sent to Amsterdam in 1896 for polishing, where it became clear
that it was yielding a superb, colourless, cushion-cut diamond. A stone so
perfect in cut, that it could be balanced on its narrow culet, less than 2 mm
across. In 1897, it was named the “Jubilee” Diamond, to commemorate the diamond
jubilee of Queen Victoria. Here is a rare instance of a diamond being named for
a diamond jubilee, quite a literal commemoration ! Indeed, the consortium of
three London merchants who owned it then may have even thought that this
diamond would be best placed in Her Majesty’s royal crown.
However,
destiny had other plans in store for the Jubilee Diamond. In 1900, it was
displayed at the Paris Exposition, which was held to celebrate the achievements
of the past hundred years, and also to welcome the new century. The diamond was
a centre of attraction at this global fair, and received a lot of praise from
experts. At that time, it must have caught the imagination of Sir Dorabji Tata,
the elder son of Jamsetji Tata, founder of the Tata Group. Two years earlier -
on Valentine’s Day of 1898 - Dorabji Tata had been married to Meherbai, and he
was deeply in love with her. He now decided to gift her the Jubilee Diamond.
Dorabji
bought the diamond from the London merchants for around UK £100,000. Lady
Meherbai Tata had it set on a platinum claw, and it was then hung on a platinum
chain which she could wear around her neck. She would wear it for special
occasions, and it is quite possible that she may even have worn it while
meeting the then US President Calvin Coolidge, or the King and Queen of
England.
Lady
Meherbai Tata was a pioneer of the women’s movement in India, and she was also
very proud of her Indian roots, so she inevitably wore a saree to celebrate her
Indian heritage, even while travelling abroad. The Jubilee Diamond must have
been a perfect accessory, complementing her beautiful Parsee sarees. However,
this was a very valuable diamond, and heavily insured too. Dinsi Gazdar, who
was a well known jeweler of those days at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai,
remembered Sir Dorabji Tata stating that every time his wife took the diamond
out of their safe deposit vault in London, he was "fined" £200 by the
insurance company.
In the meanwhile,
Sir Dorabji Tata had succeeded his father as Chairman of the Tata Group, and
was busy managing the affairs of Tata Steel, Taj Mahal Hotel and other business
ventures of the Group. Tata Steel, based in Jamshedpur, had undertaken an
expansion programme, post the first World War, and the Company, which was still
in its early years, now ran into a host of difficulties, ranging from price
inflation to labour issues. Demand in Japan, a large market, came spiraling
downwards because of an earthquake there. By 1923, there was a shortage of cash
and liquidity, and the Tatas grasped for breath, making valiant efforts to
raise funds.
In 1924, a
telegram arrived from Jamshedpur, and it was bad news. It simply said that
there was not enough money to pay wages to the employees of Tata Steel. Would
the fledgling Company survive, or would it be forced to shut down ? Would the
dreams and visions that guided the establishment of India’s first integrated
steel plant come tumbling down ?
Sir Dorabji
Tata did not hesitate for a moment. He had to save the Company, so that it
could survive during these difficult times. His wife Meherbai and he decided to
pledge their entire personal wealth, which came to around Rs. 1 crore (a huge
amount in those days), to a bank, to raise funds for Tata Steel. Sir Dorabji
pledged his family wealth to the Imperial Bank. This included all the jewellery
owned by his wife, including the Jubilee Diamond.
The Imperial
Bank provided the Tatas a loan of Rs. 1 crore, against this personal pledge. The
money was used to fund Tata Steel. Soon, the Company’s expanded production
facilities began producing returns, and the situation took a turn for the
better. Not a single worker was retrenched during this period of intense
struggle, though shareholders were not paid dividends for the next several
years. The Company returned to profitability within a few years, and the pledge
was repaid. By the late 1930s, Tata Steel began hugely prospering once again.
By then, Sir Dorabji Tata had passed away, but the personal sacrifice made by
his wife and by himself, in pledging their wealth and jewellery, had saved Tata
Steel from extinction.
Lady
Meherbai Tata died of leukemia, at the relatively young age of 50 years, in
1931. Sir Dorabji Tata passed away just a year later, in 1932. He willed his
entire fortune to the Sir Dorabji Tata charitable Trust - including, of course,
the Jubilee Diamond. The Jubilee Diamond was sold through Cartier in the year
1937, and the funds from this sale went to the Trust.
The Sir
Dorabji Tata Trust used these funds that it was endowed with, to establish the
Tata Memorial Hospital and many other Institutions, including the Tata
Institute of Social Sciences and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
This surely makes the Jubilee Diamond unique – it is perhaps the only diamond
in the history of mankind that has saved a steel company from collapse, and
hence saved several livelihoods from being lost, and has then gone on to create
a cancer hospital as well. No diamond has served worthier causes, and this was
only possible because of two wonderful hearts of gold.
What
happened to the Jubilee Diamond, thereafter ? It was acquired from Cartier by
M. Paul-Louis Weiller, a French industrialist. It has since been bought by
Robert Mouwad, of the House of Mouwad, reputed jewelers and watchmakers since
1890. There it rests today, its brilliance as splendid as ever, on the back of
its eventful history. A beautiful, magnificent diamond with a Tata history.
When Sir
Dorabji Tata died, the Times of India wrote, on 4th June 1932 –
“Sir
Dorabji’s fame, however, will not rest on his great (industrial) achievements,
splendid as they were, or on his wealth, but it will rest solidly on the use he
has made of his possessions.”
Truly, what
use we put our possessions to, is the real value that they serve. The story of
the Jubilee Diamond stands testimony to this truth. (Harish Bhat, Brand
Custodian, Tata Sons)
[12/08,
12:15] Raman Bharadwaj: The Evergreen Principle..
As sand
eases down from the hour glass, suggesting time has lapsed, to emerge as
something else, it's a reminder to everyone of us that time and tide, waits for
none.
What have we
converted it to is the only thing counts in the end.
How what I
have done in those moments, adds to my experience if I choose to.
If I was
gazing, it was that I was existing in those moments being alive to the occurring shift.
If I have
seen things that emerged around me at that times it means I explored.
If I tried
to apply the learning with something that I got curious with by my observing it
means I experimented. If I succeeded, it
means that was elementary. If not, it says I gained experience to emerge with
enlightment, that educates me
elevate,
myself to higher levels rising up energetically.
If I have
learnt that nothing is permanent and that I have to constantly engage myself in
knowing more and being more with efficiency, that allows me to excel, in my
attempt over the previous ones.
Going
through this process without giving excuse I belief I will have evolved.
When I
become aware of my being I begin to understand the others.
That's
progressing elegantly and endlessly.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: It begins, and brews before it spews, it's all in the
mind...
After so
many hundreds of years of intricacy the mystery of how a man's thought gets
aroused is sorted out and confirms everything begins in the mind first...
It can be an
arguement...
A quarrel...
A fight...
A murder...
A war...
Well not
just that even discoveries and innovations...
Everything
begins and ends with the mind.
How we
manage it, how we mend it, how we control it, makes all the difference...
A small
satire to explain this...
Julius
Caesar and Marcus Brutus are at the airport.
Brutus:
“Which is our boarding gate Caesar?”
Caesar: “A-2
Brutus”
Brutus: “And
what time is the flight Caesar?”
Caesar:
“8:02 Brutus”
Brutus: “By
the way, I have sandwiches. Do you want one Caesar?”
Caesar: “Ate
two Brutus”
Brutus:
“This is an unusual paper size for a ticket. What size is it Caesar?”
Caesar: “A2
Brutus”
Brutus
(Thinking to himself): “This man is really beginning to get on my nerves. One
of these days I’m going to have to kill him.”
....thus the
devil was aroused in Brutus and Ceasar ceased to be because he was done in by
three trusted mates around him.
Something
that needs serious consideration is our mental well-being, scripted exclusively
for members of this group...
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Think it over...
I asked
life, "Why are you so difficult?
Life smiled
and said, "I am so simple, but, the problem is you people never appreciate
simple things in life."
Where
science ends, there imagination begins.
Here it
goes..
We all have
the potential to perform, if only we create the right pathwithin ourselves.
Our life
begins to change the moment we take complete responsibility for it and be
totally accountable for it.
It's not
important who is ahead of us in life.It's not important who is behind us
too.What's important is who is with us.Who is walking along side us.
Real leaders
are sometimes in the front, at times alongside us and at time behind us, but,
when bthings get accomplished people will all say we did it.
That's the
essence.
Have a great
day.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: What's the Story...this day!!!
Every decision
we’ve ever made was influenced by a story—every single one. From the decision
about whether to wear a mask during a pandemic,
to the charities you choose to support.
A story we
heard, the story we believed or that story we told ourselves, had an impact on
those choices.
If stories
are our most persuasive technology, why don’t we do more to put them to work?
Why don’t we
leverage the power of stories every day in our work and our lives?
Over many
years now, we’ve come to believe that storytelling is a professional
discipline.
A skill for
the master storytellers at the Disney’s of the world.
We’ve
stopped honing the story skills that came so naturally to our ancestors. We’ve
forgotten how to tell small, powerful, everyday stories.
Let's try to
change that and to help more people leverage the power of storytelling to
become their most inspiring selves.
We don’t
need an epic story to be a great storyteller.
We just need
to adopt the posture of a storyteller and to practice the craft together.
Let's take
this for a start:
What's it
about life you love?
01. Family
02. Feel
good to wake up saying, "I have another day in my hands...! And...I am...
03. Being
able to take on the challenges, overcome hardships/obstacles and appreciate
everything you have now instead of wanting more.
04. That you
are someone who makes a difference in the world.
05. Being
alive at the moment because that's what really is the thing that exists right
now.
06. The
sheer beauty of everything around you.
07. All the
good people around you.
08. All the
unexpected things.
09. Every
moment in life is a new beginning.
10. Creating
abundant joy for yourself and others.
11. The
diversity that everyone brings to the table.
This list
can go on and on depending on you.
Enjoy life.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Ducks Quack and Eagles Soar
Three
decades ago while undergoing training of Train the Trainer and facilitating
TQM, we were deconstructing a case study of a "Cabbie," who from an
ordinary one turned out to be a "most preferred cabbie," and how he
transformed the others too.
(In short
the way the cabbie was dressed, the courtesy he showed, the hospitality he
extended, the conveniences provided inside the car, his proactive thinking,
spoke volumes of the great "customer service he provided," and how he
got referred to become the most sought after cabbie).
He said, it
all happened when one passenger during a drive narrated an impactful story and
shared the secret of the "POWER OF CHOICE."
We live in a
large world - five continents seven oceans, mountains, rivers, beings - humans,
birds, animals, plants etc. All of it common to all. Power of choice is that we
can be a duck or an eagle.
If we get up
in the morning expecting to have a bad day, we'll rarely disappoint ourselves.
Ducks quack,
eagles soar.
It isn't
about me, you or whoever. It is that we
always hear people quacking and complaining,
We need to
resolve to change our attitude and become an eagle.
Let's look
around.
We will find
people of all varieties, categories, attitudes, character, disciple, and their
behaviours at times nasty, unfriendly.
This happens
even in business with some having unhappy
customers and doing nothing about it.
It is easy
to get caught in such a negative web, so we to decide to make some changes,
slowly ... a few at a time.
When we
interact with the others, after we choose eagle way, we will experience that
others respond well too.
Perhaps
compananies can do the same with their customers who also might respond well.
The more we
do the more happier we become.
The more
companies do the more they make, the more they gain.
Overall it
is transforming everything to good.
The whole
point then is that we need to decide to stop quacking like a duck and start
soaring like an eagle.
We need to
start becoming an eagle today, from this very moment ...
We may fail
because we tried. We can learn from the failure and get better.
The worst
thing is not to have tried at all.
We don't die
if we fall in water, we die only if we don't even beat our legs, swing our arms
and shout for help, especially when we don't know how to swim.
Thats the
Real Meaning of Life.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Times are Changing
I picked my
ringing mobile, could identify it was our laundryman.
He asked,
"Do you want vegetables?"
Being
surprised I respondeded, "You and vegetables !!"
His reply
was so refreshing and growth oriented, "Sir, what is that you don't
know...in these days of WFH there aren't too many clothes for laundry and what
if I say, flexibility and adaptability are my new friends. My basic skills will
remain in tact, am serving needs for survival and found it lucrative."
Was very
impressed indeed. He is our regular vegetable vendor now who keeps adding other
essentials to his supply shelf.
Always we
keep asking people the wrong questions to people.
Here is
another example.
We often
ask, "What do you want to become when you grow up?"
The answers
usually are Doctor, Engineer, CA, Pilot, Lawyer, Photographer, Model, Fashion
Designer...the list goes on...
The question
actually should be "Who do you want to become when you grow up?"
The
difference is "What" and "Who."
"What"
is an avocation a profession - you can
be even more than one in combinations. One being your base profession, another
an interest or a hobby becoming an added avocation - Engineer - Photographer -
Musician - Singer - Sportsman and so on...
"Who,"
emphasises on you as a human with values, with character, with
integrity...someone who people would love to follow, emulate, someone who will
leave a legacy.
You may be
an engineer but a corrupt one or be a doctor who only intends to make money
doesn't care...
Now that's
the difference between "What," and "Who."
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 -
Raman's, Random, Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08, 15:02]
Raman Bharadwaj: Emerging Leader Qualities
My
observations after lockdowns commenced.
Ability to
collaborate
with others
- even virtually. (WFH - Zoom Calls).
Self-assured
confidence.
(Can work
from anywhere, but, sure can't manufacture anything remotely too).
Consistent
and constant learning and self-improvement.
(Re-booting,
Up-skilling, Up-grading).
A propensity
for fostering growth in others.
(Step back
and make others conduct the on-line meetings, so as to groom them for higher
responsibilities).
A strong
capacity for clear communication.
(Most people
during this time have become more expressive, more communicative, looking to
network, attend webinars, learn not just more, but also improve their own
communication skills).
This is the
way forward, and also the reality, as I visualize.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Think About it all the time and Atrract it to you.
Ibn Sina,
also known as Abu Ali Sina, Pur Sina, and often known in the West as Avicenna
was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant
physicians, astronomers, thinkers and writers of the Islamic Golden Age, and
the father of early modern medicine.
Ibn Sina
conducted an experiment in his times.
He put two
identical lambs in two separate cages.
He put a
wolf in another cage next to one of the lambs.
Only the one
lamb which could see the wolf constantly died soon due to severe stressed
caused due to fear, even though the wolf did nothing ever to the lamb.
It was
obvious therefore that the other lamb was doing well for itself living in its
world of ignorance.
In this
experiment Ibn Sina observed the positive and the negative effects of the
mental influence and environment on the health and the body.
Unnecessary
fear, anxiety, stress does nothing but harm our body.
In times of
the unprecedented pandemic that we are going through now we need to take care
of our physical and mental health and not overstressed ourselves.
Not just
physical distancing and emphathizing with an emotional connect, cut yourself
from the TV, news media the WhatsApp
Universities on any new about the pandemic.
This is the
best thing to do apart from observing the statutory protocols.
Stay home,
stay safe stay healthy.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Emotions - Intelligence
We all
believe we can understand well and particularly others...
We believe
we know, what the others mean when they speak... particularly at work...
We also
believe we know, what they mean even when they don't speak.. particularly at
home...
We may see
their faces, hear voices, may hear words, but, can we really understand...
the
anticipation in their eyes,
the
disappointment in their sighs,
the yearning
in their pauses,
the
apprehension in their bent heads,
the hope,
for acceptance of their words,
the fear in
their smiles,
the silences
that speak so much more?
When we
really begin to understand, we will see they aren't the others, but, they're
just like us, waiting to be understood.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: YESTERDAY - TODAY - TOMORROW...
Kal..Aaj...aur
Kal...
The Present
(NOW) from The Past (THEN) to
The Future
(COMING)...
Let me begin
from Now..
(A connect
wrote about his people and him WFH and his people failing in health because of
lack of proper conditions to work, and suggesting that working spaces be made
available even in rural areas of India thereby a new business
opportunity...invites comments), and I respon👇
Pandemic -
WFH - Privacy - LOC (Line of Coordination) - HOW (Hours of Work) - WT/FT (Work Time/Family Time) - Health
issue (Mainly improper infrastructure at home etc., are unexpected realities in
action. WFH may become the normal in future too.
From the
Past..
I remember a
time long ago when Internet became widely available across the country and also
a time - - - - - when we would find it difficult to get people to work
- when women
used to go for confinement, someone getting injured etc.,
- we would
find it difficult to get replacements of high quality, time consuming and so
when the suggestion was made by me that people should be allowed the facility
of WFH from wherever they were, there was a big hue and cry about security and
all sorts of things. That was a bluff, people just didn't buy into a new
thought and they were not willing to trust people.
Now all
those alleged fears are allayed and the world is working from home.
What I
foresaw is happening - call it destiny
or whatever, I can look back and only smile.
I wonder if
that was taken seriously - am wondering what the scene might have been.
I believe it
would have been very different and nice.
We wouldn't
have had urban migration, so many concrete jungles, less crowded cities, more
trees, adequate distribution of growth and resources etc.
All this
restricted to technology companies.
The
development would have been distributed too.
That's an
unfulfilled dream.
Let the new
normal make all of it a reality.
Wanted to
continue my response with a QUOTE.
"The
right time to plant trees was twenty or more years ago. The next right time is
now, else we will regret. The generation yet to be born will curse us and all
the generations before for they inherited nothing worthy of being proud."
Let's
stop...
...the
"analysis-paralysis."
...being
judgemental
...being
fixed mindsets
Let's be
adventurous,
let's
experiment,
let's become
confident and let's develop more confidants by trusting and be able to share
our thoughts and leverage our SEE -
Skills, Experience, Expertise.
Let's -
Revisit -
Review - Reflect on past practices
and
let's make
Distribution
- Diversity - Development
That I
believe, is the key.
Thanks to my
connect for triggering this thought.
Looking
forward to your response.
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: The Personality Traits Necessary To Be An Army Officer Are...
Effective
Intelligence:
Most of the
jobs in armed forces are practical rather than analytic and the main job of the
officer is to follow the orders of his seniors’ orders. On the field, all it
requires is to be practical, spontaneous and courageous.
Reasonability:
To be
reasonable means to be able to ask the question, i.e why I am doing a
particular job.
Organizing:
Use the
resources to its maximum is one of the specialty of an armed force officer.
Power of
Expression: Power of expression is a trait required for mobilizing people. Your
orders mean to the difference of life and death in war so it is very important
for an officer to have a clear set of vision.
Initiative:
An officer
is always enthusiastic, lively and optimistic. He ahs the courage to take reasonable risk ion the
field.
Self
Confidence:
Progressive
Learner
Confident of
your abilities
Alert:
To be
Spontaneous, speed to make a decision, and adaptive as you never know what will
come across your way, so you always has to be prepared for any kind of
situation.
Liveliness:
Energetic,
optimist about the future, always active and cool and relaxed person always
deal with a situation with a positive and an easy approach rather than a
complex approach.
Influential:
The best
quality of a leader is that he has a clear vision and he motivates his
followers to move towards a bright future. He mobilize his team towards the
objective and leave a positive impact on them.
Determination:
An officer
is always clear in his mind of what he wants and how he will get it. An officer
is always dedicated and determinant of his aim and he always put efforts to
achieve his aims.
Courage:
Courage is
not the strength to carry on, rather it’s carrying on when you don’t have the
strength.
Stamina:
Physical and
mental health combination are stamina and it is very much required in the war
and on the field.
Social
Adaptability
How will you
connected with family, friends and society.
How well you
are able to manage different situation so as to keep your surroundings stable.
Cooperation:
One should
believe in give and take also with the law of nature.
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Personal Touch
Old and
frail, losing sense of touch, smell, taste, sight and a bit of hearing, but when
brought to touching distance smell is revived, when anything touches the tongue
that tingles the taste buds, going close the sight gets better even without
specs or using a magnifying glass.
Words are
heard when spoken close, but, heard still better with the earphones. Now the
point isn't all of these, but, the personal touch that is given by us to the
others especially in tough times like we are going through.
It is even
more when we touch base with our friends for years who've all been our colleagues
and are retired now.
Occasional
calls to them lights them up and when wished on special occasions of their life
such as a birthday makes it even more joyful and happy.
We should
therefore maintain these contacts and instead of exchanging cold emails or
WhatsApp which are virtual, just pick
your mobile and dial the friends number just to hear him/her say
"Hello.." would do a world of good to all.
In the space
of this lockdown I have spoken to at least 80% of my personal contacts. That
itself gives me immense satisfaction.
"An
apple a day, keeps the doctor away," is an old saying, let's revive it
this way, "A call a day, keeps the distance away."
Cheers!
Be Blessed.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
Shades not
Shadows
When I
gained enough confidence, the stage was gone.
When I was
sure of losing the game, I won.
When I
needed people the most, I found me alone.
When my
tears dried, I found a shoulder to cry on.
When I
mastered the skill of hating people, I found someone who loved me more than
life.
I find
telling others what to do and not to, but, when it comes to me, the same things
hurt.
This is
life...
I know if I
have the courage to begin, I also have the courage to succeed, but, how do I
measure success.
Someone
tells me success isn't measured by where I've reached now as much as I have
climbed over the many obstacles and from the depths to reach the top.
I know that
the difference between success and failure is hardwork and determination, yet,
when someone else succeeds I think it is luck.
It is this
flaw, as much as many more that makes me up I am trying to correct, because
mistakes help me learn and the more I learn the better I become, as my
awarness, leads me to curiosity.
The more and
more I seek the more and more I gain. That is the difference between just
knowing and become wise.
So sometime
in life I need to run away from all not just to keep distance, but also to see
who is following me.
If there's
in light in front of me, what follows me is my "Shadow," which has
not different "Shades," but one, and that's none but me.
I learnt all
this because life, is much larger than me.
When I look
at more and more people and things
outside me I realize what my life, is.
It is
enlightenment that can make all the difference in life.
It is
beautiful if I am willing to learn, to unlearn, to relearn, to adapt, to
reinvent and to grow, else I am a statue - erected, unchangeable on which
pigeon's and
birds love dropping constantly.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Comfort Zone..
A king got a
gift of two beautiful Macau Parrots.
He would see
them on the branch of a tree opposite the window of room he spent most time -
reading, relaxing, writing or listening to music.
He was
worried to see one of the parrots wasn't moving at all while the other was
flying, so he sent word to the parrot trainer (it is believed there were people
like that in those days), to take a look. The next day when the king saw both
the Macau Parrots flying called the parrot trainer to reward him. Just after he
have away the award, he asked the parrot trainer what did he do to make both
birth take to their wings. The parrot Trainer replied, "I just chopped off
the branch of the tree on which the Macau was
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: That's the comfort zone.
Taking this
to our lives, most of us in the journey of life settle down on the branches of
comfort zones till someone like a -mother, father, sister, brother, close
friend, teacher, mentor, coach or anyone of influence comes over to nudge us
out of our comfort-zones.
We all need
this in out life. Keep looking out for anyone of them who can appear anytime
and after that your life will not be the same. You will be flying too.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Play into the Gaps
It's a leaf
out of a great cricketer of our times, Ricky Ponting, fondly nick named
"Punter," for his penchant to place bets on racing.
"Punter"
Ponting grew to become what he eventually became was his
"never-say-die," attitude.
When
"Punter," became a prolific run getter, was asked by a journalist as
to what was the secret of his dominance
and consistency. He said, "Every batsman
surveys the field before taking strike so that the fielders positions are
imprinted in their minds.
I too this,
but, the difference is I see not just the fielders, but I see more of the gaps
between them." This art sped his cricketing ability exponentially and went
on to become the player he eventually retired as.
If we take a
leaf out of Ponting's ability and take the lesson :
- Focus on
the opportunities gaps), not on the obstacles (fielders).
-
Concentrate and be patient when on a task, taking each task by it merit.
- Focus on
your ability to solve problems (score runs)
Life in many
ways is like playing cricket. There will be people and challenges that'll keep appearing very often as obstacles in the
way of your achieving things you want. In addition there will be people around
you who like the opponent captain will use every strategy to get you out
(competitors and rivals, will often do this), and our business is to overcome
the obstacles and go on to achieve the objectives (much like looking for the
gaps to score the runs), and push forward.
In whatever
you do there'll be fielders (obstacles) and
your job is
to get past the fielders (obstacles) to get ahead, the "Ponting" way
of looking at the gaps to score, no matter what the odds and obstacles are,
including the present time during the pandemic. Stay within the crease, step
out only if it is safe to play confidently otherwise occupy time in the middle
and play safe thinking year 2020 is the
test match of your life not an ODI or 20:20.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: EGO.. is the ENEMY
There's one
virus in all of us the is a permanent resident - and that is our EGO.
Whether we
realize it, accept it, or not we all have it in us. Some have a little..
Some have a
little more..
Some have a
lot...lot more..
We will know
about this if we reflect on it...
01. Wherever
we are, whatever we do, our worst enemy - EGO - dwells in all of us...only the
degree° varies.
02. People
with ambitions, talents, drives, and potential are hampered, as EGO comes
within their territory too..
03.
Self-Confidence becomes arrogance, assertiveness becomes obstinacy and
self-assurance becomes reckless abandon.
EGO is the
ENEMY of all What you Want and What you Have.
It helps
being a student all our life...by being...
HUMBLE in
our ASPIRATIONS and AMBITIONS.
GRACIOUS in
our SUCCESS and VICTORIES,
and
RESILENT In
our FALL or FAILURES.
Just think
of the little creatures like the ants, bees,
squirrels and the like of insects and animals...they never showed their
"EGO" ever, but if the ever do, we all can imagine what the
consequences can be...
If you can't
believe what I say, just think of the invisible microcosmic virus called
CARONA/COVID19 and the havoc it has caused making human go on their
"knees," as if in surrender.
The world is
at a standstill, reminding us probably it is time to shun our EGO.
Pause,
Ponder and Position yourself for a better start beginning now...
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Learn, Unlearn, Relearn...
The
"pandemic," as we all know wasn't just humanity's fight against
nature for survival, it also revealed the "ugly face," of man's lust
for power and supremacy.
The events
that unfolded speaks of the hysteria, the backlash, the acceptance, the
challenge - graduating to self-less action - humanity first.
The
questions that come up are :
- Will this
bring about a change in human behaviour?
- Will this
bring about a change in our life style - particularly the work life style?
- Will it bring
about a change in business too?
We all know
tomorrow isn't going to be the same ever, as any of the by-gone of yesterdays
or yesteryears.
New business
opportunities will begin to emerge, new technologies will be adopted that will
usher in a new work style...it is all a question of perspective.
The paradigm
shift is happening.
It isn't
about out-of-the-box thinking anymore.
It'll be a
great opportunity for fixing all that broke, develop the existing and disrupt
business for new creations.
A great maxim
that gas stood the test of times "LEARN, UNLEARN, RELEARN," needs to
be understood in the new context, because old ways can never address the new
realities - the unforeseen and the unpredictable.
The
"pandemic," was also a testament that the fittest companies were
often the ones that were the quickest to
"LEARN, UNLEARN AND RELEARN," were the quickest to adapt and innovate
too in challenging times.
Curious to
know your thoughts on what the future holds - be it for business, life style,
work style, education, travel etc.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: The "E" of Life!!!
"E"
is the eminent of all!!!
The modern
world introduced us to eMails, eTickets,
ePaper, eRecharge, eGovernance, eCommerce...but, let's not forget the first
"E" we knew was "Eshwar" who makes everything easy for
everyone, everywhere, everyday.
It is in...
men and
women,
house and
home,
bread and
butter
power and
peace...
it isn't
there in war but is there twice in peace...
in the
beginning of existence and in the end of
trouble.
"E"
stands for emotions hence figures in all relationships - father, mother,
daughter, beta, sister, wife, nephew, niece, friends...figures in foes too..
"E"
figures in "Effort and Energy," hence for excellence it is better to
be better than good, so we need the "E."
We are given
eyes to see, nose to smell, teeth to bite, grind, chew, tongue to taste.. all
this to keep the heart pumping and head thinking...and legs for action with
fingers in the hands.
We would be
so incomplete without the "E."
There'd be
no life nor death without "e."
Everything
is created or born with an expiry date as a practice or process.
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Finding Yourself
In the
recent happening around the world due to the pandemic, it seems most of us have
forgotten ourselves. You may for a moment also think, "Yes, I have...,
but, it doesn't work that way."
You aren't a
currency note left in last years' winter coat pocket.
You aren't
lost either.
Your true
self is right their beneath your skin under
cultural conditioning, other people's opinions and inaccurate
conclusions you drew while growing up as a kid, that became your beliefs about
who you are.
Finding
Yourself," is actually returning to yourself, an unlearning, an
excavation, a remembering who you were, before the world got its hands on you.
Don't be
impressed by money/titles/followers/degrees/appearances/social media/big
words... instead be influenced by
kindness/trustworthiness/authenticity/genuinity/generosity/integrity/honesty/sincerity/optimism...etc.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: We are much more than....
Yes, we all
are much more than we give credit for ourselves.
Any doubts?
If yes,
let's explore...
If I were to
ask you to explain your "value proposition," you'd probably hesitate, at least for a few moments,
then...say...
I....
I....
it will go
on by putting you in a think mode.
But, if I
were to ask you what your stakeholders will miss if you aren't there.
You are
likely to have some thoughtful answers, as to why someone else needs what you
do,
what you
make,
what you
serve,
what you
offer/sell.
As you can
see here it is the language used and the question that sent you on the - back
foot, and the other made it possible to come on the front foot.
So one way
to go about this is to have a picture of your "value creation," in
your mind always, meaning what can or will happen...
Without us
fewer people...
can.....
are......
feel....
have..
do......
become...
By filling
these things up we will begging to tell better stories about our "value
proposition."
Know your
true value...
Sit back and
script your list.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: What or Whom are you taking for granted !
A disciple
of a Guru wasn't happy with the space in his house, so he went and complained
to his Guru.
The Guru
listened to his woes and asked him to also take his ten buffaloes too into his
house.
The
surprised disciple did this and found that the space was further cramped.
He went back
to the Guru once again to complain.
Seeing his
the Guru said, "I know you have five goats too, now take them too into
your house !"
The suprised
disciple did what the Guru told him and found there was no more room for
anything else.
He ran to
the Guru yet again.
On seeing
him the Guru said, drive away the buffalos and the goats.
The disciple
was at his wits end...first he was asked to admit all the buffaloes, then admit
the goats and mow he was being asked to drive all those animals away.
Anyway,
being an obedient disciple he went home and drove the buffaloes and the goats
outside, and found there was so much of space in the house now.
Now that
what happens when we aren't happy with what we have.
We look for
more, something else happens and again something else happens.
When we sit
back and think it over we realize we sweat for nothing.
By making
tiny adjustments or alterations we can get more.
What we need
to do is to take stock of what we have.
Are we
taking things or people for granted and look for more?
That's when
it begins to hurt!
Check back
in your own life, with the pandemic in the back ground and look at the life
style you were used to and also look at the work style. You may have been
feeling inconvenienced a bit, perhaps a bit stressed too. But, now that it has
been over forty days of the lockdown you've got adjusted to the new style be it
for life or at work.
Perhaps it
is appropriate to recalibrate and analyze things from a new perspective - what
was and what is to redefine what will be...
Cheers!
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Thoughts to ponder over.
We all have
two eyes but our opinions aren't the same ever. Our views differ.
We have two
ears but even when we hear the same we don't decipher it the same. Our
perceptions differ.
Humans are
strange, they have egos because of their knowledge, but, have just no knowledge
about the ego each one carries.
The letter
"O" is the beginning of "Opportunity," but, "O"
doesn't figure in Yesterday, once in Today and twice in Tomorrow. What does that mean?
Pain is
unavoidable, but, suffering in optional.
Never ignore
the one who cares for you and loves you, for you never know you've lost the
moon counting the stars.
Sometimes
life doesn't give you what you want. It isn't because you don't deserve it, it
is because you deserve it more and that sometimes isn't good for you.
People who
matter don't judge and people who judge don't matter.
The most
distinguished characteristic of successful people is that they are curious
always wanting to learn. They know change is inevitable and are willing to
change. They are flexible mind and swift in their action.
When the
road is beautiful don't worry about the destination and when the destination is
good don't worry about the road.
It isn't
just our messages to influence people, but, our life should become a message
for others. That's ultimate influencing.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: What will you do when the lockdown is lifted...?
Seriously...
what will you do...put your hand on your heart..and be true to tell what you
will do...
Will you
hurry to a friends house for a drink?
Or will you
watch sunsets as the sky turns ink...
Will you
rush to shop in the largest mall?
Or will you
still find music in the koyal's call..
Wilm you
join in a wild party to celebrate?
Or you will
read to your little one till late..
Will you
ache to visit the restaurants and bars?
Or will you
find wonder in the tiniest flower..
Will fumes
and smoke again make you cough a d wheeze?
Or wilm you
step aside to converse with the breeze...
Will your
evenings be spent amidst the line of cars?
Or will your
eyes paint the stars.
Will you
stomp in to join the herd?
Or will you
have found wings, to soar like a bird...
When the
lockdown is over...what will you do?
The eyes of
the children are focused on you..
Will you
return to the nights of the pooping pills?
Or will you
have learnt the "Art of Being and Living Fully," in a rejuvenated
planet earth..
Zindagi mey
na jaaney kaunsi baath aakhri hogee,
Na janee
kaunsa din ya kaunsi raath aakhri hogee...
Miltehey
julthey baathen karthe raho yaron...ek dusre sey...
Na janey
kaunsi mulaquaat aakhri hogee...
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: The Lost Art of Storytelling
Our
ancestors - great grandparents, grandparents all - couldn't script a Tweet or
send WhatsApp text messages or update FB or Instagram page nor even send an
eMail, but, they possessed a lot many life skills (DIY - Do it Yourself), and
were the GOOGLE of our times. We don't think much of any of them or any of
those things and also forget that we are here today because of them and the
lessons they imparted through stories.
The
generations of the past knew - how to build fire, knit clothes, grow and
preserve food and many more things including the art of storytelling.
Each of them
were such masters at the art that all of us put together would make just one.
They told
stories to pass on skills, to make sense of their world and to share that
understanding. They also did that to earn the trust and cooperation of all.
That makes sense, doesn't it?
Yes!
We need
these skills more than we realize.
We need
stories and also skills of telling stories. Some have, many don't, but, the
truth is all of us have stories and a lot of them.
Sit back and
think.
What stories
will you weave today and why will it matter to the people who hear them?
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: History, Heritage and Hindsights,
...are
powerful teachers, but we are too much in a hurry, to reach higher ground, to
learn from them....
...don't be
so busy to get from here to there, that you forget, how you got here from
there...
If you want
to connect the dots between all your yesterday's and hopeful tomorrow's, start
with your back story...
Embracing
and sharing your back-story...
01. Connects
us to our purpose and vision - for life, career, business...
02. Allows
us to celebrate our strengths by remembering, how we got from there to here...
03. Deepens
our understanding of our unique value and what differentiates us from the rest
of the world...
04.
Reinforces our core values...
05. Helps us
act in alignment and to make value-based decisions...
06.
Encourages us to be responsive to people's needs rather than be reactive to
people or situations...
07. Attracts
people who want to support people who reflect and represent their values...
08. Builds
an image that gives us a story to tell...
09. Attracts
like minded people we want to be with...
10. Helps us
stay motivated and continue to do the work we are proud of...
Rewind,
Reflect, Reposition are characteristics of growth-minded people...
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Hues hues, hues.
Colours have
a massive impact on us.
It
influences our thoughts, feelings, emotions, personality and a range of things
in life.
Black and
white are colours too. They can be stunning in contrast and make a great visual
appeal.
In
combination with other colours it becomes even better. Just imagine our life
with just one single colour which ever it may be. Life would have been so
boring. Deserts and ocean for instance can be tedious, yet in the vicinity of
an oasis or an island the whole feeling changes.
Companies
also use colour for their branding. That's the impact of colour in our life
without which our optical vision would
have been so narrow.
Enjoy life
enjoy colours.
Happy Holi
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: A Major Shift
The world is
changing its perception at the speed of light.
The ways of
life are changing, life styles are changing, working styles are changing.
How can we
afford to be stuck in the past and try looking forward?
There is
nothing from the past that anyone can tell us about what we are going through
for the last month or so across the globe.
According to
in-puts I receive :
People are
listening a lot better.
Are
seemingly more disciplined and more accountable.
Are able to
build more trust now.
Are
communicating much better now.
Are able to
show more presence and productive
contributions now.
Are able to
establish better connections and are much more involved and engaged now.
Are more
impeccable with their word now.
There are
others who say most people are open to feedback now.
Only thing
hoped is that
- people
don't take it as personal and view it only as a feedback on out-put.
- people
don't assume too many things and so ask a lot many questions to get clarity.
- people
become more patient, as the pressure of WFH is a lot higher..
Summarily
therefore, it seems the
Volatility
has now moved to become Versatility
Uncertainity
has now become a New Equity
Complexity
has now become Creativity
and
Ambiguity
has become the latest Agility.
The current
VUCA has certainly boosted the Overall
Confidence of people.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: There's only one WHY!
I am a great
fan of Simon Sinek the creator and the greatest practicing advocate of his
concept and theory of WHY?
Someone
asked him is there a professional WHY and a personal WHY?
He
vehemently says NO, there can't be two WHY's because if there is then either
one of the two whether it is Personal or Professional is a lie.
He adds that
his WHY is to inspire others - friends, relatives, customers are all receivers
of his products of inspiration in various forms through different messages.
The WHO is
(him), the WHAT is his message and his HOW is through short video's, his books,
his programmes etc.
I look back
at my own self and ask what's my WHY? The answer is to inspire thoughts and
share it with others.
WHO am I?
An influencer.
And WHAT am
I saying?
Keep your
mind focused on your WHY and make it big.
And HOW do I
do it?
Being in
circulation through scripts like this, my writings on social media, my audios
and videos (coming soon).
If our WHO,
WHAT and HOW, doesn't align properly
then our WHY, will not show up prominently.
And to
repeat what Simon Sinek says, "If you don't know your WHY then your WHAT and HOW doesn't matter WHO you
are."
"If
your intent is good, nothing else matters and if your intent isn't good nothing
else matters. Be who you are and say what you feel, for those who know you will
not mind and those who mind don't matter
to you." This quote from ~ Dr.
Suess, goes very well with my WHO, HOW, WHAT and WHY.
And so does
this quote from ~ Maya Angelou, "For in the end people will not remember
what you said or did, they will remember what you made them feel."
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Champions aren't made in the gymnasiums, instead what
makes them is what they have deep inside them - a vision, a dream, a deep
desire that drives them to seek everything that's needed to get what they yearn
for dearly.
They are
focused and put their steps one after the other firmly, steadily, continously,
constantly, consistently inching towards their goal, even when there's a set
back.
They know an
arrow on a bow string will be pulled back before releasing it to the target. In
fact, even a bullet from a gun or pistol in fired by pulling the trigger
backwards.
So when life
pulls you back, remember there's a setback but be also assured that you are
being launched for something even better.
When faced
with an obstacle like a rock or a hill climb over, walk over, dig through or
circumvent it, keeping trying and keep moving on. That's progress.
Bash on
regardless is to move on adventerously and courageously.
Scripted
exclusively for members of this group
R3 -
Raman's Random Ramblings,
by Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: An Indelible Page.
Yes, we all
are a part of an indelible page in the history of mankind....
And...
History will
remember this war against a deadly virus, brought unto us involving all of
mankind's survival.
It will go
down as a war fought by doctors, healthcare staff, hygiene workers and people
at large, not just soldiers who fight conventional wars.
History will
also remember how scientists worked night and day for creating medicines that
can contain, cure and eradicate this artificially created virus.
History will
remember this war as one that was fought by soap, sanitizers and not by
bullets, shells, rockets or bombs.
History will
remember thst this battle was not fought on the battlegrounds, but by us in our
homes along with everyone's prayer and support.
History will
remember the sacrifices of the many poor innocents who lost their lives
unsuspecting.
History will
also remember with gratitude the survivors of this virus and their personal
stories to enable us protectect ourselves adhering to the protocols.
History will
also remember the leadership of the tallest leader of their country and the
world will be willing to seek advise from.
History will
not forgive anyone for brought this misery on humankind to gain supremacy by
power or for economy or both.
Take cover,
stay home, stay safe.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Rama
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: One World...Different People
When we see
the world from our eyes, we see the same.. but, how we feel or how we think.
Then your world and mine looks completely different to my world, not because of
economic or social factors, but, because of
our beliefs, as it shapes the way we see the world.
One is born
in a 5-Star hospital, another in the hands of a mid-wife...both survived...
One woke up
from a warm soft bed, another from the cold hard floor...both slept well..
One went to
a modern private school another to a government school, but, both ended up from
the same college..got the same education..only levels of knowledge and wisdom
and how it shaped their life later differed..
One grew
rich and arrogant, the other ordinary and humble...they lived in their
worlds...
One wore
expensive clothes, the other ordinary...bith clothed to converse their
nakedness...
One ate rich
food every meal, the other ate simple...both fulfilled their hunger.
One drove
expensive cars the other used public transport, both got to work...
One might
read this message from an expensive iPhone6+ and the other from an ordinary
Smartphone, the message remains the same...
Just because
my neighbor has amassed possessions, it doesn't mean we are failures if we
don't...the point is how we have impacted another's life...
Happiness
doesn't come from having everything but by having enough to live and putting
those resources for maximum yield.
Happiness
isn't having a lot of what we like, but, liking what we have and learning to
make the most of it by giving and sharing!!!
It's about
how we see ourselves!!! Happiness is a state of mind!!!
Lifestyle
isn't a competition, whatever paths, lanes or roads we take the final
destination we all reach is the same..
Change your
thinking...
Own your
beliefs
Mould your
mind...
Process the
inputs...
Renew yourself...
Rejuvenate
yourself
Reboot
Rebuild
Review
Reward
yourself...
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Pause Read Think
It's an
eye-opener isn't it, we have been made to realize everything is equal - no
rich, no poor, no young, no old, no male, no female, no beautiful or handsome
no ugly, no dark no fair, no tall, no short...everyone is one the same
thought...how do we protect ourselves, how do we save the others.
You amazing
dream job is no longer anything like that. Your expensive branded clothes
hanging in your expensive teak wood almirah have no meaning. No one cares a
damn... Whether you have a Rolls Royace, Lamborgini or a Nano it is all the
same - static - standing on it's 4 wheels.
Whether you
live in a mansion on a cliff overlooking the ocean or a 8'x8' dingy single room
it makes no difference.
We are
seeing a few of them doing some very important jobs..there are just a few
people out there taking care of us, serving our needs.
The shop
keeper near by
The health
worker
The NHS
staff
The
emergency staff
The doctors
and the nurses
The lorry
driver distributing essentials
The
ambulance drivers
The leaders
The refuse
workers
These are
the people who are doing crucial jobs to us keep ticking over and helping us
feel safe. This is not just during normal times but also during such trying
times but always. They are people who often go absolutely unnoticed. These are
the ones who we frown upon generally gloat that we earn much more than them.
But what
worth is all of that?
For now
let's take a bow and be grateful to all these people who make a difference in
our life.
Next...
Let's step
back and look at the reality we are staring at.
Some are
skeptic about their future and are wondering if their job is secure?
Some are
waiting to get back.
Some are
thinking working from home may become the new normal.
Many of them
at leadership positions are engaged in dialogues on strategies and that
includes how to take every pandemic and/or lockdowns.
The other
strategies might be think of alternatives to Annual Plans be abandoned and only
work on Strategic Plans so define new methods of going about business.
It then
means we need to reinvent a new us to take on the new realities.
It means we
need to be open to many changes that will redefine our life.
It means we
need to find newer attitude to cope up and to grow.
The need of
the hour is humility, acceptability, curiosity, learnability.
New mantra
01. Start Up
02. Stand Up
03. Spruce
Up
04. Steady
Up
05. Scale Up
06. Size Up
07. Speed Up
08. Soar Up
09. Sail
on..
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: It is all a mind game...
From WIIIFM
to WIIIFO
WIIIFM ->
WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME.
WIIIFO ->
WHAT IS IN IT FOR OTHERS.
When the
mind is weak, every situation becomes a problem...
which will
make us believe it can't be overcome.
Even a
pebble will seem like a mountain.
Everyone
becomes our advisor. We are confused.
When the
mind is balanced ever situation becomes a challenge...
which we
believe we can overcome.
Even a
mountain will seem like a hill.
We listen to
what others tell us and use our own thinking to decide.
When the
mind is strong, every situation will seem like an opportunity...
we will know
how to use every resource
for the
right purpose,
in the right
ways,
in the right
places,
for the
right reasons,
that will
benefit,
not just us
but
everyone
around us.
We will ask
for inputs, feedback, we will consider every aspect and firm up things
according to our belief, confidence and experience. Winning is just another
result and losing is another lesson to gain experience.
The
differences we see here is being derailers (losers), and influencers (winners).
In the game
of life what is important is playing (participating, contributing, giving more
than taking) the game well.
Winning or
losing, is a by product.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Inner Scorecard
We regularly
measure our status and our progress, with what we see externally.
We have
grown in the lap of comparison, when our mothers used to rant about our first
tooth, then on it continues to school from day one into higher studies where it
escalates to marks, percentage, distinction and what not.
We are by
this time actually aware of all that is needed for external dressing up to make
us feel smart in front of others. We want to feel remarkable in the eyes of the
others. We have all learnt and work by what Warren Buffet, calls the ouuter
score card often on the expense of what is right and what is right for us.
If what's on
our inner score card grounds us, we must get into the act of prioritizing those
things. Inner score cards are essential for individuals and organizations are
alike.
Now the
point is what are things you are proud of and makes you feel remarkable.
What's on
your inner scorecard?
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Thought for today..
Thank you
God, "I learnt that "Cost of living" is never expensive, but it
is the "Cost of Life Style," that makes it exhorbitant.
I really
don't have to spend too much even today for my basic living - Food, Clothes or
for Shelter. It was the same decades ago in proportion to my income today it is
almost the same.
Then what
has been the change. The change has been our extravagance.
Top-end
mobiles, expensive automobiles and/or motorbikes, increasing consumption of
fuel, large screen TV's music systems, shopping for expensive clothes when
there no place for storage, wasting cooked food by ordering on Zomato etc.
Am not
saying one should indulge in fantasies like this at all.
The lockdown
is an eye-opener.
What the
future holds for us is so uncertain.
It is very
difficult to predict how long it will take to restore the economy to
steadiness.
One wonders
what decisions would business take to reduce costs.
Am desperately
praying it is not going to be giving the pink slips.
I will be
looking for the figers that can wipe the tears of sadness in my bad times
rather than ever remembering the hands that clapped for my success.
Also
remember each and everyone of us goes through some pain or the other sometime
in life.
Some get
lessons early in life, some in middle age and some in the later stage.
Exceptional are those who had to face
difficulties early and overcome it. Then again get to another unexpected
difficulty and overcome that too. The early experinces come good to handle
whatever comes in their old age, because they think every moment of their life
is a bonus.
The tragedy
of life is we get too old soon and wise too late.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Your Ikigai
Whether we
like it or not, we need to be all this
An
electrician
who can mend
connections between two who don't talk.
A painter
to paint a
smile on faces that can last beyond our life time.
An
optemeterist
who can, not
just correct a vision but also perspective.
A gardener
who can
plant seeds of good thoughts and values right from the roots.
A plumber
who can fix
leaks and mend broken relationships.
A doctor
who can fix
the problem of "ego" between people.
And last but
not the least
A recruiter
who can get
people on board which is not just talent
and a bundle of degrees and experience but good trustworthy human beings
who can love and respect people.
Let's MARCH
along. Have a great week and month ahead.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Emptiness is useful.
Imagine a
house. It has four walls, and a big cavity that gets a frame to be called a
door and another set of cavities that get frames to be called windows. While
the door allows entry, exit and safety windows give light and allows fresh air
circulation.
Like wise in
a hollow bamboo which has holes drilled on it is makes to be known as flute
which produces melodious musical notes.
It is all
from the emptiness.
We need to
take a lesson from this.
Our life has
become one of busy-ness, that we hardly have the time to create vacancies of
time.
One doesn't
realize working endlessly like this can cost us our health, mental peace and
all of that.
We need to
create some space for emptiness time daily.
We need to
dump things that we don't need to carry, so that we can keep ourselves charged
all the time.
Happy
Sunday.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Care for what comes free.
A 93 year
old being discharged from the hospital after close observation, when the bill
was handed over to him he began crying.
The doctor
calmed him down and asked him the reason for crying because he thought the old
man had a shortfall of money to pay.
The old man
said it isn't that I can't pay the bill. I was looking at the charges fir the
ventilator.
Realized it
costs Rs. 6000.00 a day and have to pay Rs. 18,000.00. I was in tears and
thanking God he have me free air for 93 years.
It is sad
that we just don't care for what we get as s gift.
"Air,"
so far has been a free gift for all of us, for everything else we need to pay
(includes water).
The love of
our parents, siblings family and friends too comes free.
Let's us
care for all of it snd share.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
March 31,
2020 is the last day of our financial year. I thought I'd close my account with
this also coming freely from within me.
Cheers!
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: "Cope" ing With Transitons Like A
Butterfly...
Transitions,
are usually changes that occur in predictable patterns, that we find
comforting, but, are essential parts of learning, growing and getting ahead in
life.
The
transition that is happening now is unpredictable, but, the process and learning
is the same.
THE HUNGRY
CATERPILLAR
Nourish
yourself with experiences. You can learn from anyone you meet. Challenging or
easy ALL are important to you for your future form.
COCOONING
Retreat,
rest and practice self-care. Enjoy the flow of creativity and inspiration that
comes from a place of quiet contemplation.
METAMORPHOSIS
Outside
appearance may appear unchanged, but, nourishment from those new experinces and
the time to retreat and rest transforms us into a new being.
BEAUTIFUL
BUTTERFLY
Emerging
from its cocoon, wings have formed leaving behind the old ways of being.
The old
mindset of crawling is now transformed by a growth mindset of flying.
The
butterfly is now ready to wing it's way
forward with courage sharing its hues and beauty with the world.
Hoping you
all will be like the "butterfly," transitioning through the most
difficult period mankind has ever known.
Rest, relax,
stay at home, stay safe and enjoy your weekend.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: GA-GA -> GET ATTENTION vs GIVE ATTENTION
Everything
we do is to show up our talent to meet our purpose, we work with passion, using
the skills we have acquired.
Don't we all
know how difficult it is to do all this in "unison," so that we get
someone's attention and recognition.
All of this
is not easy, because talents is an "inborn gift," whereas skill is
acquired, purpose and passion are defined is unique to each of us.
Attention
like every other scarce resource on the planet is scarce. You get it for a
while and is gone next moment if it isn't followed up well with another
strategy.
It is hard
to sustain anyone's attention for long. Not all succeed, but, some always do.
What instead
of grabbing attention, we try giving attention to people to understand what
they do. The more people we give our attention, the more we we get to pay
attention to us too.
Wont they?
Giving
yields a lot more results than getting.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Past & Future
Over the
last few days I have been reading and listening about this being the last
"ten-year," of this century, in fact in it last few hours this day.
Enjoy every moment this day and savour it.
Tick off
another year into history and move on to welcome 2020 cheerfully, joyfully,
happily, hoping for health, peace and prosperity.
Life is a
dream within a dream. The past is nothing and the future an illusion.
In between
the vastness of time-spaces our own existence is a microbial reality.
Unlike the
human being no other living creature spends it's day brooding over their
history of wrong doing or agonize over the vagueness surrounding their future.
Our
preoccupation with the past and future often times causes us to fail to embrace
the true joy of living each day, one minute at a time.
Some people
are inclined to sabotage their present happiness by assigning disproportionate
significance to their past. Other people escape meaningful engagement with
reality by fantasising about their future.
As I sign
off one good news I heard this morning is that India's forest cover has
increased by 5188 sq. kms (2017-2019), which is the size of Goa + Delhi
combine. There's still a distance to go
to reach our country's goal of having one third of our geographic area with
forest.
We all have
a role to play in this.
Delhi is
reeling under s cold wave with temperatures at 5°C making it the the coldest
day in a 100 years. Always know to be the coldest place in India, Saichen, the
last point on which India has armed forces gaurding our borders, usually cold
through the year has a temperature at 23°C now.
We also had
fairly decent monsoon this year.
Net net
everything around us is changing, so should we.
Am signing
off with R-3 Raman's Random Ramblings, this day the last day of the
"teen-years," which none of us will ever see.
Best wishes
aplenty to all of you and your family.
Warm regards
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Spare a Moment
We all need
a job to earn a living. The more we get paid, the better is the savings, the
better we can afford a better and comfortable living. At least hoped.
We get to
work and become experts at doing the same things over and over again. We add a
few more things to the existing work and then keep doing it over and over
again, to become experts again in a few more areas.
The big leap
comes when we acquire more knowledge, contribute to more ideas, assume more
responsibilities, become more accountable and add value.
All this can
happen only if we can commit and dedicatedly work to enhance our knowledge, for
instance by reading more or by taking online course and certifications or take
a study leave to study full time.
Being
eternally busy with work and giving excuses that work occupies all the time
leaving one with anytime for self development is asking for trouble
tantamounting to self sabotage.
The choice
is yours to grow or remain happy whinning all the time that the employers
exploited you by not promoting you enough.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Seems Slow...but...!!!
I came
across a quite recently.
"When
passion goes away, it is the practice that sustains it." ~ Jeff Goins
I kept
thinking about these simple but impactful words for over a few weeks and when I
looked back I realized, when things went out of control, when we experienced
setbacks as a part of growing, were a result of failing on promises or
over-commiting.
What saved
the day was, "the practice - which are a set of habits, rituals, processes
and plans that are scheduled to support the goal."
It may make
sense to you too.
Just look at
this....
Focus on the
habit, result will flow in by itself. With most things frequency is what
matters.
Make the habit
small and repeatable. Then make it difficult with consistent practice. Don't
binge. Nibble.
Don't do
something big and/or audacious. Do something small and right consistently.
The secret
to breakthrough be it goals or even the change you want to make is doing it
consistently bit by bit. It isn't the big things that change our lives our
world, it's the small things that add up over time.
Drip by drip
as Seth Godin likes to say.
It's not the
passion, but the practice that usually sustains us.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
Disclaimer
Note :
The
expressions here are purely personal and in no way, my intent to impose my
thoughts or views on anyone. You have your choices.
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Reactive Thinking
Here's a
sensible cohesive piece - an example of how we think in a particular moment and
how we react immediately..read on
I am ugly.
So don't try
to convince me that,
I am a
beautiful person.
Because at
the end of the day
I hate
myself in every single way.
And am not
going to lie to myself saying,
"There's
beauty inside of me that matters,"
So rest
assured, I'll remind myself
That I am a
worthless, terrible person,
And nothing
you'll say, will make me believe
I still
deserve love
Because no
matter what
I am not
good enough to be loved
And am in no
position to believe that
Beauty
doesn't exist in me
Because,
whenever look in the mirror, I always think
Am I as ugly
as people think and say?
Now, instead
of reacting, we were to step back and think about it, the perception changes
completely.
Read this
same piece again from the bottom to the top and see the difference.
Lesson -
Respond, don't react.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group R3 - Raman's Random Ramblings
by Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Big Question Indeed
Robin Sharma
authored the book, "Who will cry when you die?"
In this he
shared some very positive behaviours that'll enable you attain a position that
people will remember you when gone.
But really
and honestly how does it matter when you are dead?
Instead if
we asked ourselves, "Who will be happy with our living?"
We will get
answers to that question by those whom we lead, who we serve, those who derive
strength by our being, those who are happy with our being.
We need to
be at our best with our courtesy, respects, affection, time, language, words,
action, promise, commitment, follow up, behaviour, attitude etc.
We can use
all these in-puts to keep all those constituencies well served and also keep
them happy.
Ask this
question of yourself, "Who will be happy with your being?"
Make out a
list and ensure everyone around you, everyone with you and even the ones who
pass by you feel good about your being.
The answers
will give you your progress report.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,"
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Lions Are Never Bothered By Flies.
Flies are
flies, the spare none be it the rich/poor, mighty/weak, whoever.
It bothers
the King of the Jungke too, especially when sitting doing nothing.
Lions aren't
bothered anyway. They might lift their tail once a while ti sawt the flies and
forget about it.
Just image
what'll happen if the lion tries to teach the fly a lesson. Obviously, first it
has to give up being the lion (King of the Jungle), act like a monkey and catch
the flies.
Sometimes
this is exactly what happens in our life too. There are some many small (flies)
things that happen in our life that bothers us.
And what do
we do?
We forget
the main things of life. We forget the aim and goals of our life, and spend
time on trivial things.
And what do
we do?
Just focus
our attention and energy on the flies, as against the lion that doesn't bother
about it. It knows it is bother when sitting idle, remain inactive, lying
dormant.
The lesson
the lion imparts is to be fully focused on the main things, goals (hunt), so
that these small (flies) problems wilm stop troubling us.
Goals are
attained this way.
When your
moods are low, recalling this story may help you raise your spirits.
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by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Creatures ' Elevated Living Beings...
An ancient
fable hich holds relevance even today for the message it has.
An ancient
temple was the home for a flight of pigeons.
Nearing a
festival and the temple needing a fresh coat of paint, the pigeons had to take
shelter elsewhere, so they moved to a church.
They just
about settled down and approaching Christmas the church was undergoing some
repairs and repaint so the pigeons moved to a mosque.
They were
happily settled till the mosque underwent a renovation before Ramzaan, so the
pigeons moved to an old building near the market place.
One day a
fight broke out among groups of people in the market place. People armed with
sticks were fighting each other, stones were being hurled, people were getting
hurt. There was commotion all around people were shouting, wailing and wooing,
alm sorts of things were happening.
Among the
pigeons perched nervously on top of the old building - a baby pigeon asked it's
mother, "What's happen below us there, Mamma?"
The Mamma
pigeon said, "These are human beings, who go to the Church and are called
Christian's, those who go to the Mosque are called Muslims and those who go to
the temple are called Hindus."
At this the
baby pigeon interrupted and asked, "Why is it so Mamma? When we were in
the temple we were called pigeons, we were called the same in the church and
the mosques then why should they be called just humans as human beings instead of..."
The Mamma
pigeon broke in and said, "It is because we piegons have all realized God
and we sit at elevated places like this. We get called 'Doves of Peace' too. It
is a matter of pride for us as universal peace signs. These people are yet to
find God and hence lost their peace everywhere in the world. Hence they are
living below us, fighting and killing to prove their supremacy."
Seems a
fairy tale, but, in reality the message is still so relevant isn't it?
It is
"Bhoghi," today let's burn our differences.
Let's
resolve and work towards saving the planet from an environmental breakdown of
depleting resources.
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Priorities and Prioritisation
Most people
I exchange notes with these days are all busy..
Being busy
serves a natural belief the we are achieving and that we are becoming
indispensable is a feeling that sets in unconsciously.
An inflated
feeling really because busy-ness doesn't equal productvity, accomplishment or
achievement.
Prioritizing
requires one to think ahead, to know what's important, to know what's going to
come next, to see how everything relates to the original
story/vision/thought/idea.
Questions of
ourself will help.
01. What is
required? What can I do that nobody can do for me?
02. What
gives the greatest return?
Work in your
strength areas. Check if 80% can be done by others? If yes, delegate.
03. What
brings the greatest reward?
Life is too
short not to fo somethings you love. What energizes you and keeps you
passionate?
Today and
everyday after today, give your time only to those that pass the requirement,
return and reward test.
After saying
this let me quickly add, "do not forget to be a human being and care for
people.
This piece
today (the first double digit day of not just this day but the first in the
decade), has been inspired by several
hundred thinkers and writers down the ages.
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Humpty Dumpty
This rhyme
of old so relevant even today.
Philosophy
and metaphors say: Life is a...
- game of
art - different forms
- quest,
discovering self
- a game,
you play different roles, one of them being career
- a battle,
the effort to execute through conflicts, chaos etc
- school, a
constant learning place.
In the midst
of all this our life is running too trying hard..
- Who you
are? (The Denial Trap acts as a roadblock which is of denial and unwillingness
to examine ourselves deeply).
- Be
yourself in this world. (The Approval Trap - a
roadblock which is that of seeking approval from others).
- Organize
efforts for maximum results. (The Availability Trap - a roadblock which settles
for things being available easily).
- Make
changes necessary to make things happen. (Lack of Self-Confidence Trap - a
roadblock which tests our ability of
patience when things go wrong, of learning etc.).
Everything
seems a challenge and as an default addition of modern day life.
Efforts are
to gain connections, recognition, rewards etc., to acquire and hold.
Efforts are
always for more economic growth.
At the
personal level - status, money, fame, recognition, admiration, knowledge for
leveraging position etc.
All of it
are real dreams that if we get enough of all these parts, it'll become a whole.
The biggest
challenge for all is "time," as they spend all their energies in
these pursuits and miss out on good things, good people, good happenings of the
world.
But alas,
all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put ole Humpty Dumpty back
to gether again.
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Keep Calm in the Storm
It is said
that deep inside the storm there's a zone of calm.
If we are
open to it, your darkest days are when you get the best lessons.
Tough times
don't last, tough people do. It is at those times we get to learn about life,
leadership and people. That's when you'll love to come and work everyday.
It is true
that most aren't comfortable with the demands of the jobs. It is true one can
never ever feel relaxed in a demanding job
as they are when they have grip of the systems in place.
When we get
into a role it is a new role obviously, and we try getting to know people,
because we have known the systems and so we basically get our feet under the desk. This takes time.
Added to all this with technology in the forefront everything is visible out
there. People can gauge what we do and some could judge too. So the stress
increases. Over a space of time we get to know people and systems and also get
our feet under the desk. It will be good to let it go there on. The problem
comes when we try wearing a mask, instead of being authentic and our true self.
"If you
want to be within yourself think and be like a microscope. If you want to go
far think and be like the binoculars. If you want to go further than all of
that think and be like a telescope."
You have all
the choices.
Remember -
great leaders see much farther than most.
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- Raman's Random Ramblings,
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Have An Imperfect Plan
You must be
thinking this is odd isn't it?
People plan
for ideally perfect products and perfect
customers. This helps business grow.
However, in
reality trying to be perfect or to have a perfect customer is difficult. We
could have some days when things don't go exactly as expected.
Great
companies work hard to delight their customers even during those disappointing
moments.
They get
busy trying to workout more on apologing and take a bow.
However
great we may be, whatever good we might do, there could be just a small slip
and one can falter. It is humility, regret and apology that makes them greater.
Arrogance
and pride can never take anyone the distance one can actually go if they use
their potential completely.
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By
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: You are this...if
We say
someone has integrity, whem one does the right thing always, even when no one
is watching us.
Integrity can't
be bought as it is never on sale.
People with
Integrity are not just respected but, also trusted.
People with
integrity are known to display abundance of humility with generousity in
thought, word and deed.
People of
Integrity also
have the
Patience and Poise of a Monk.
The Courage
and Conviction of a Warrior.
The
Innocence and Imagination of a Child.
You are the
judge of who you are..
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Cheerful Sunday Morning
This is the
first Sunday not just of 2020 but of this decade too. The message for special
people in my life has to be special
too...
Make your
goal to be better than you were yesterday and not to be better than someone
else.
99% of the
battles we fight daily are in our minds.
When, what,
where, why, who and how? To say, to go, to do, to be...
"Yesterday,
I wanted to change the world, today am wiser, I want to change myself. Walk the
path and the path appears." ~ Rumi
We have all
the choices and the resources under our command. The point is how do we process
all this in our mind and choose the best paths to take.
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: What if...
Two words
that don't help us at all.
Instead
instilling us this thing called...
FEAR
F alse
E vidence
A ppearing
R eal
And this...
Can make the
following happen..
It can...
freeze us -
make us feel numb and make us do nothing but sit tight with no action,
whatsoever
or
fry us -
make us feel uneasy and force us to act - leaving us with no options
When we
act...
We can tend
to makes the following things happen...
We may make
mistakes which end up becoming a learning and add to our experience.
We might
take the challenge and go all out to overcome obstacles and accomplish the
desired result. Helps confidence, adds to experience.
One may even
become an adventurous, non-hesitant, spontaneous, intuitive and bold risk taker
too.
These are
all possible. Whatever be it..
it helps
growth,
it helps
progress,
it helps
advancement.
All of which
helps us
want to know
more,
learn more,
do more.
That paves
the way for growing in our careers too.
All of this
is better than doing the same thing over and over again being in the
"comfort zone" and become static.
Choices are
yours to
FLY
F iring on
all cylinders
L everaging
Y our innate
resources
for your
SAKE
S kills
A bilities
K nowledge
E xperience
or
be in the
shell of
F alse
E vidence
A ppearing
R eal.
What if...
you dare and succeed...
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Whatever you do comes back to you.
A man walking
next to the mango groove by a river side.
His eyes
fell on the mango.
Eyes can't
pick the mango, so his legs carried him to the mango tree.
Legs can't
pluck the mango so he used his hands to pluck a mango.
The eyes
can't eat the mango, the teeth in the mouth has to and the tongue tastes it.
The tongue
can't keep it there all the time so the crushed mango is sent to the stomach.
The
caretaker of the garden saw the man stealing the mango, so he comes running and
whacks the man on his back.
Was it the
fault of the back? No!
The eyes saw
the mango, the legs carried him to the tree,
the hands
plucked it,
the teeth in
the mouth crushed it,
the tongue
tastes it,
the stomach
digested it,
but,
the back got
the whack on its back for no fault of it at all.
The whack
pained and automatically there were tears in his eyes.
All of it
began with the eye, and came back in the end to the eye.
That's what
it is in all aspects of life as well - what goes out comes back.
Send hate
out, comes back as anger.
Send
negativity out, it comes back as sadness. Send good wishes out, it comes back
as joy and cheer.
Send
happiness out, it comes back as smiles and happiness.
Always Be
Blessed.
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Competition - Comparison - Confusion
"Zidh
hai khudh jeethney ki, khudh sey haarneyki...
Mai bheed
mey nahi hoon duniya ki..mere andhar hai mera guzrah hua kal, mera thajurbha ek
zamana hai ache or burre ki... Shukr hai ham ke yeh sab thaleem bhan gaye hame
jathe rahne ki..."
Translation
: Am determined to win with me and also lose to myself. Am not in the crowd of
the world, as withing me are the yesterdays and the days before, a generation
of experience, good and bad. Thankfully all of it are lessons that keep me
going."
As soon as
we got into school, we were set up for a competition in life - by parents,
teachers and all.
We didn't
know what it meant because we didn't know what it turn out to become. When we
began to know, we put my best effort.
Ahead sometime, behind sometime.
Because we
weren't too sensitive we came out unscathed.
When we
reach the workplace we realized the competition is just with ourselves.
We ought to
better ourselves, become better and better, by competing with our own selves.
We therefore become our own motivators.
Life goes on
a brings you to a point where neither competition nor competence nor excellence
means nothing more than maintaining yourself, your values and your standards.
This isn't a
weakness, it is just a manifestation of strength...
No
competition, no comparison, no confusion.
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[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Saturday Morning
Gratitude
Prayer.
I always
remember thank the Almighty for stitching some nice threads into the fabric of
my life. The texture of each thread adds immense value to the whole. May God
keep the threads happy and flowing always.
Life often
doesn't introduce us to people whom we want to meet.
Life often
puts us in touch with people
to meet and
to help us,
to teach and
to hurt us,
to love, to
care, and to leave us become the strong person we were meant to be.
We are all
humans and so we are all equally vulnerable.
Howard A
Walter writes on Character...
I would be
pure, for there are those who care.
I would be
strong, for there are those who suffer.
I would
brave, for there is much to dare.
I would be a
friend to all - the foes, the friendless all.
I would be
giving and forget the gift.
I would be
humble for I know my weakness.
I would look
up and laugh, and love, and lift.
Wishing you
all an awesome weekend. Capture as much as peace as you want and relax leaving
no weak-ends.
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Share, Share, Share..
Grow, grow,
grow....
the more you
share,
the more you
get,
the more you
get,
the more you
give...
this cycle
goes on and on..
Share your
knowledge, liberally
Share your
thoughts, chosenly
Share your
ideas, freely
Share your
experience, willfully
Share your
time, endlessly
Share your gifts,
generously
Share your
love, abundantly
Share your
joy, relentlessly,
Show
kindness, gracefully
Show grace,
really,
Show
patience, lovingly
Pay respects
to all....forever..
All these
and many more are lessons our teachers beginning from parents gave.
Am what I am
because of being a beneficiary and recipient of all those love lessons.
Also what I
am today is also because of my friends who make me feel who I am and liberally
share with me their life.
Am what I am
again because of my family - siblings, spouse, children, extended families for all their love,
affection and care. And last but not the least my lovely little grandson who
not just teaches me but amazes me with everything he does.
Can't lift
my hands to ask the Almighty for more as I offer my gratitude to him and
everyone around me who make my living worthy, teaching me to be a good human
being.
Happy
Teacher Day.
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🙏
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Practice and Repetition helps your Reputaion.
Practice
like you never won before.
Let's see
this...
Monday - I
practice, you don't
Tuesday - I
practice, you practice too
Wednesday -
I practice, you don't.
Thursday - I
practice, you too practice.
Friday - I
practice - you don't
Saturday - I
practice, you practice too.
Sunday - I
don't practice and you too don't.
So in a week
am practicing and repeating it 6 times vs your 3.
In 2 weeks
me vs you it is 12 - 6
In 3 weeks
18 - 9
In 4 weeks
24 - 12
In 12 weeks
- 72 - 36
In 24 weeks
- 144 - 72
In 52 weeks
- 312 - 156
All through
if one looks at it, that clearly say that I have practiced and repeated twice
more than you which suggests I am twice better than you.
Take
exercising, fitness, walking, jogging, swimming, reading, listening,
singing, meditating or whatever it is
twice more because of repetition, repetition, repetition....
It helps
your perform as if you never lost and that helps your reputation indeed.
Practice...Repeat...Perform...Enhance
Your Reputation as beging a confident performer - winning or losing doesn't
matter.
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Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Big Question Indeed
Robin Sharma
authored the book, "Who will cry when you die?"
In this he
shared some very positive behaviours that'll enable you attain a position that
people will remember you when gone.
But really
and honestly how does it matter when you are dead?
Instead if
we asked ourselves, "Who will be happy with our living?"
We will get
answers to that question by those whom we lead, who we serve, those who derive
strength by our being, those who are happy with our being.
We need to
be at our best with our courtesy, respects, affection, time, language, words,
action, promise, commitment, follow up, behaviour, attitude etc.
We can use
all these in-puts to keep all those constituencies well served and also keep
them happy.
Ask this
question of yourself, "Who will be happy with your being?"
Make out a
list and ensure everyone around you, everyone with you and even the ones who
pass by you feel good about your being.
The answers
will give you your progress report.
Scripted
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R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings,"
by
Raman
[12/08,
15:02] Raman Bharadwaj: Run or Walk.
The earth
spins on its axis with the same speed
from times we never knew, but, people on the planet are all running now. Call
it speed, call it keeping with time or whatever. The reality is people are running.
I too ran
and asked, " Why are you running?"
The reply,
"What a stupid question!" and the person began to run faster.
The next,
the next after next the one after etc., said the same, till it changed to
"I don't know, I saw someone running, and someone else running, so I began
to run."
This too
went on till I met someone who told me "I don't know why, but, am running
and don't know where to."
I anyway ran
too with all, doing what all I had to, being in tune with the world.
I stepped
out of race.
Now, I only
Walk and mainly at my pace and choice.
I Walk The
Talk.
I see one by
one those who were running then beginning to Walk too.
Am not going
to ask them "Why?"
I realize
they also realize the speed at which things are changing and that every change
isn't effecting us.
We need to
step back to look at what change will affect us and just change to be relevant.
Keep upgrading after that.
Wishing you
all on the eve of the "Festival of Lights," a very Happy and
Prosperous Diwali. May the light be enough to lead us one step to the other and
then the other, forever, that'll do in darkness, because we have sunlight for
everything else.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
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by
Raman
[13/08,
08:01] Raman Bharadwaj: Step Back - Pause - Restart
Yes, things
around us can go bad and beyond our hands, take a moment, and think about
several things with us is still going good. We seek whatever we want from the
outside, but, before that look inwards, you might find everything, we are
seeking from the outside is within us already.
You are what
you do and not what you say you'll do.
Find Your
Ikigai
Whether we
like it or not, we need to be all this
An
electrician who can mend connections between two who don't talk.
A painter to
paint a smile on faces that can last beyond our life time.
An
optemeterist who can, not just correct a vision but also perspective.
A gardener
who can plant seeds of good thoughts and values right from the roots.
A plumber
who can fix leaks and mend broken relationships.
A doctor who
can fix the problem of "ego" between people.
A recruiter
who can get the right people on board which is not just a bundle talent a bunch of degrees and loads of experience
but good trustworthy human beings who can love and respect people, and share
what they have.
Those who
will not have to apologize for saying what is felt right. The affection we get
from others is a gift of our character.
Never lose
the sparkle in your eye, the fire in your belly and the steel in your
character.
Cheers! Have
a great day.
Scripted
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R3 - Raman's
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from
Raman
[13/08,
09:08] Raman Bharadwaj: 10 Steps to Achieve a Growth Mindset in Business
August 5,
2020
Opinions
expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
We all take
pleasure when our ideas come to fruition. We’re even more pleased when the
ideas have an impact by improving motivation, innovation or productivity, among
other areas. The spread of an idea can benefit many, but that popularity can
also alter and distort the original.
I am a fan
of Carol Dweck’s research. Dweck is a highly regarded professor of psychology
at Stanford University and the author of several books, including Mindset: The
New Psychology of Success. In Mindset, Dweck differentiates a “growth mindset”
from a “fixed mindset.” According to Dweck: A growth mindset is “the belief
that an individual’s most basic abilities and skills can be developed through
dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point.”
A fixed
mindset is “the belief that an individual’s basic abilities and skills, their
intelligence and their talents, are just fixed traits.”
Dweck
concluded that individuals who believe they can develop their talents through
hard work, good strategies and input from others have a growth mindset. These
individuals are likelier to achieve more than those with fixed mindsets because
they put more energy into learning and are less concerned about looking smart.
Adopting a
growth mindset can supercharge your wellbeing and growth.
Here are ten
ways to develop a growth mindset in business.
1. Be 100
percent accountable
To grow, you
need to be accountable, or willing to accept responsibility. As an
entrepreneur, you must start to be responsible and accountable to yourself.
As you grow,
you will be demonstrating accountability and its value to your team; they will
follow your lead, making accountability part of your company’s culture.
2. Do not be
concerned with what others have..
Avoiding
envy is fundamentally important when you’re trying to be focused, driven and
leading. Focusing on what others have and what they are doing sets expectations
that simply slow you down and take focus away from your purpose.
3. Become an
expert in your field..
I meet so
many so-called “headliners,” people who skim the surface. In a world fueled by
fake news, Photoshop’ed social posts and other illusions, it’s critical to
become an expert. Strive to become truly good at what you do—so good that
everybody wants your services. Stand out based on your specialty.
4. Don’t
focus on your failures..
When we
learn that we should work on our weaknesses, we tend to think we need to hold
on to our failures. But focusing on your failures gives detractors too much
leverage against you. Instead, claim and learn from your failures and then
focus on learning and growing from your mistakes.
5. Do the
work and put in the time..
Greatness
does not come when you put in just ten percent. Put in ten percent, and you’ll
achieve only two percent of your potential. To achieve greatness, you’ve got to
be at 100 percent, putting in the time and effort.
6. Do what
you love for the people who love what you do..
One of my
favorite sayings is, “You need to be purpose-driven doing what you love for
those who love what you do.”
Discovering
your purpose is as important as finding your niche. You will bring much more
value and expertise to those that need you, and you will have so much more fun
delivering your products and services.
7. Don’t
focus on money..
Business
leaders that focus solely on money are never fully satisfied, and often lose
their customers. Instead, care about creating value. You want customers to say
how proud they are about your products and services. You want employees to say
how great it is to work for you and how much they learn from you. Focus on
creating fans through value creation.
8. Achieve
your outcomes quickly..
Do not be
obsessed with perfection. Instead, be fast. Getting somewhere first has more
value than being perfect but last. That first-mover advantage is very important
for growth. Develop an appetite to fail often and quickly, developing your products
and services quickly and better aligned with the needs of your customers.
9. Be
grateful for what you have..
Be grateful
for what you have now. Be grateful for what you’re going to achieve. Be
grateful for what you don’t have. Gratitude is a gift and a core requirement
for a growth mindset. The true expression of gratitude sets off energy that has
the power of drawing people towards you. Explore and embrace it.
10. Become
self-aware and understand your purpose..
If you want
to succeed in life, you must know your purpose. If you want to have a business
growth mindset, you must become self-aware and understand your purpose.
Self-awareness
has the power to align your will and humility, which attracts people to you
through your purpose.
Growth
mindset is the belief that skills and abilities can be improved and that
developing these is the purpose of your actions.
Build a
culture whereby all employees are enabled and encouraged to develop growth
mindsets for themselves—reward improvement.
Emphasize
that failures are opportunities and not threats. Leaders need to encourage and
challenge employees to be brave and courageous.
A growth
mindset is a continuous belief that improvement is possible and that failures
are opportunities to learn.
It is much
larger than the limited objective of improving earnings.
Growth
mindset is a frame of mind. Leaders can positively assist people in adopting
growth mindsets by fostering a culture encouraging specific behaviors and
practices. Individuals and organizations can have growth mindsets.
A growth
mindset is not unbounded. Just because you put your mind to something doesn’t
mean you can do anything. You have to work at it, so start by implementing
these ten steps and begin to live with purpose.
[13/08,
11:55] Raman Bharadwaj: Effective Leadership Development in the Workplace.
by Conni
Todd on Wednesday, October 09, 2019
As we engage
in conversations with executives about developing talent and leaders in the
workplace, they often reply, “We already have leadership development covered”
when in fact, they don’t.
Frequently,
the lack of an effective leadership development and training program results
from thinking only the “senior players” need to evolve in areas of leadership.
However, the
best leadership development goals for any organization are an integral part of
the strategic business plan which includes all employees and managers since
that is where operational execution occurs at it’s core.
While the
C-suite executive and senior executive are vital to business success, focusing
on building leadership skills at all levels within an organization can build a
culture of leaders ready to fill positions at a moment's notice. There are
several areas for leadership development and training in the workplace and the
opportunity for it isn’t always the most obvious.
Let’s take a
look at 4 often overlooked areas of leadership development:
1. Team
Intelligence
Building and
leading teams impacts the outcome of organizational objectives and can support
the emergence of leaders. It is incredibly beneficial for teams to understand
and acknowledge the strengths and challenges of each member, as well as a
mission and roadmap with agreed upon boundaries. In most cases, team members
don’t automatically know how to effectively work together and create success
and without training they are often less productive. Providing the opportunity
for teams to give and receive feedback is vital to creating a high-functioning successful team.
2. Managing
Up and Down
In numerous
conversations with high-potential employees, they consistently wished they had
more knowledge and tools on how they were perceived and how to manage up
(bosses) and down (subordinates). Often, these talented employees believe they
are expected to perform management duties at a high level already. Therefore,
it is imperative to equip them with the essential skills for leaders that
maximizes their potential including leadership coaching skills, situational
leadership, effective communication skills and knowing how to build smarter
teams.
3.
Succession Planning
Even beyond
the executive level, middle management role fulfillment can be devastating to a
company’s bottom line when left unfilled. Often organizations don’t place a
high enough priority on middle management in key positions. Has your company
identified high-potential employees and are you effectively training them in
order to be promoted?
Professional
leadership training and development for employees at all levels will reduce job
transition time and save money by having a group of trained leaders in-house ready
to move up the ladder at a moments notice.
4.
Performance Problem Solving
This is an
area of challenge for most mid and senior level managers.
Do they know
how to get to the bottom of low performance?
At what
point do they invoke consequences and what exactly is acceptable?
How do you
have a difficult conversation and communicate consequences in a manner that
promotes accountability and behavior change?
Without
ongoing and effective programs in place to develop essential leadership skills,
most managers will be ill-prepared to handle problems.
So, does
your company truly have a comprehensive and effective leadership development
plan?
If your
business solely focuses on the senior executive ranks, then you’re ignoring
several critical areas to develop leaders, create high-functioning teams and
generate additional business success.
[13/08,
12:00] Raman Bharadwaj: What's Your "Why," What's Your
"Purpose?"
An attempt,
a few thoughts that go into the purpose, factor.
We all take
pleasure when our ideas come to fruition.
We’re even
more pleased when the ideas have an impact by improving motivation, innovation
or productivity, among other areas.
The spread
of an idea can benefit many, but that popularity can also alter and distort the
original.
Becoming
accountable..
To grow, we
need to be accountable, or willing to accept responsibility and be accountable
to oneself.
Minding our
own business, not being concerned with what others have.. Focusing on what
others have and what they are doing sets expectations that simply slow us down
and take focus away from our purpose.
Becoming
passionate and an expert in the field our choice..
We all meet
so many so-called “headliners,” people who skim the surface, that'll not be
enough, it’s critical to become an expert. Strive to become truly good at what
you do—so good that everybody wants your services. Stand out based on your
specialty.
Removing
attention from our failures..
When we
learn that we should work on our weaknesses, we tend to think we need to hold
on to our failures. And really failures teach us a lot many lessons.
Doing the
work and put in the time..
Greatness
does not come when you put in just ten percent. Put in ten percent, and you’ll
achieve only two percent of your potential.
Doing what
we love for the people who love what we do..
We need to
be purpose-driven doing what you love for those who love what you do.
Discovering
our purpose is as important as finding your niche..
We will
bring much more value and expertise to those that need us.
Being
grateful for all what we have.. being grateful for what we’re going to achieve,
being grateful for what we don’t have.
Become
self-aware and understand your purpose..
To succeed
in life, we must know our purpose. If you want to grow we must become
self-aware and understand our purpose.
Self-awareness
has the power to align your will and humility, which attracts people to you
through your purpose...
[13/08,
18:14] Raman Bharadwaj: COACHING
5 Types of
Content You Should Create to Grow a High-End Coaching Business.
Start by
shifting your audience's beliefs and expectations.
Margaret
Olatunbosun
Content
Strategist
August 12,
2020 5 min read
Opinions
expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Whether you
just started your coaching business or have been running one for years, your
business has two goals: revenue and impact. Building a successful coaching
business requires that you have great client acquisition skills, and one way to
make this happen is through content marketing.
Strategic
content can build your brand reputation, create a community around your values
and promote your services. But one thing most online entrepreneurs forget is
that content is a conversion tool, not just a series of knowledge-based
paragraphs.
Content
marketing, when done exceptionally well, can convert cold prospects who are
actively looking for solutions to problems they’re experiencing, into premium
clients.
With that
said, here are the five types of content to create to grow a high-end coaching
business.
1. Create
content that shifts your audience’s beliefs.
The number
one mistake I see coaches make is starting their conversion process with
features and benefits of their services. While this is great, your sales
argument is likely to fall on deaf ears, because you haven’t shown your
potential clients why staying in their current situation is detrimental to
their goals.
Every
content created to win clients must start from addressing your prospects’
beliefs about themselves and their ability to transform their lives. Before any
investment can be made, prospects need to understand why a shift in their
thinking is needed. Modeling the desired outcome for your clients is only
possible if you stock of your audience’s current beliefs and how these beliefs
are stalling their growth.
Basically,
you cannot convert prospects into clients without addressing their current
belief system, challenging them to leave old systems, and inspiring them to
adopt a new way of thinking and behaving.
2. Create
content that tells a story.
You need
more than hard facts or data to move prospects from curiosity to the payment
page. You need relevant stories that show that you understand their passion,
goals, challenges, and frustration. Your brand needs to engage potential
clients in a way that humanzies you and influences loyalty.
It isn’t
enough to tell stories about how great your product is — you need stories that
adapt to your audiences’ ever changing needs. Tell stories about how you’re
evolving as a person and an entrepreneur, too. Not only do people get to see
the face behind the brand, they feel a sense of camaraderie because you show
that you understand their current reality.
Social media
can help you build this "know, like and trust" factor for your brand.
You don’t need to forgo all privacy. You just need to be transparent about your
beliefs and values and give your audience a sneak peek into your life.
3. Create
content that celebrates your clients’ success.
Have you
successfully helped clients get results using your process and methodology?
Proudly
share this fact. This is not bragging. Rather, it is acknowledging the fact
that potential clients have unspoken questions about you and your high-end
offers.
Research has
shown that online reviews influence purchase decisions, especially when the
item to be purchased is more expensive and risky in nature. To address these
hesitation about investing, you need amazing case studies of people who have
experienced the same “before” states your potential clients are currently
experiencing.
You can’t
depend on how awesome you are or how unique your service is. Your potential
clients are weighing several options in their minds, debating who to work with
to get phenomenal results. Displaying your clients’ successes convinces them
that not only do you have a well-documented process to solve problems; your
clients have also enjoyed great success from working with you.
4. Create
content that documents your process.
It is not
enough to display your accolades and proof of success on your website and
social media platforms. Your clients’ successes alone will not make them shift
into believers. What you need to do is show that you actually know what you are
talking about.
Create
content that walks prospects through your methodology or transformation
process. Don’t hold anything back, and teach like you’ve been paid to deliver a
once-in-a-lifetime seminar. The idea here is to plant the seeds that you have
the keys to helping your prospects get to a desired solution faster than anyone
else.
Yes, you may
be hesitant about teaching your process, thinking that if you teach everything,
you won’t have paying customers. But this is false. Not only do clients want
proof of your expertise, they don’t want to spend their entire lives figuring
it for themselves when they have someone who can collapse their learning time.
5. Create
content that directly asks for the sale.
This is
where all your work leads: asking your prospective client to invest in your
services. While you may have worked extremely hard to position yourself as the
expert, converting prospects into paying customers will falter if you fail to
make the ask.
Selling
should be natural, not seen as a way to trick prospects into making a decision
to make unwanted purchases.
You have
already provided value by creating content that displays your humanity and
expertise. You have bridged the gap between being a stranger and a trusted
ally. Stories of your clients’ success have increased their desire to
experience the same transformation. Therefore, go ahead and for the sale.
Your content
can do most of the selling for you, and if you have the right combination of
messages, you can create a pipeline of prospects who are willing and able to
invest in your high-end coaching services.
Copyright ©
2020 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
[13/08,
22:00] Raman Bharadwaj: Ten Take Aways from the Trillion Dollar Coach, Bill
Cambell.
Written by
Will Kloefkorn | June 19, 2019
Editor's
Note: This blog post has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness on May
28, 2020.
Our mission
at the EcSell Institute is to create a world where everyone knows what great
coaching feels like.
The
individuals that were fortunate enough to know and interact with Bill Campbell
experienced a world like this.
The Trillion
Dollar Coach is a fantastic new book that focuses on the life and coaching
secrets of Bill Campbell.
From his
early days coaching football at Columbia, to his time spent at Google, through
his later days mentoring and coaching some of the biggest names in Silicon
Valley, for free I might add, Bill positively impacted the lives of thousands
of individuals and helped them become better people and professionals than they
could have without him in their lives.
“Because the
world faces many challenges, and they can only be solved by teams.Those teams
need coaches.” – "Trillion Dollar Coach"
1) Create an
environment of psychological safety with the team.
Without
trust you will not get candid communication and your team will not feel
comfortable taking risks.
2) Don’t
assume executive leaders don’t need coaches.
The need to
coach and challenge executives needs just as much attention as any other
position in the company.
3) Pay close
attention to one-to-ones and staff meetings.
If you get
these two things right so many of your other business challenges will fall into
place.
4) Coaching
is an individual game.
To be
effective you must coach to the individual; no sort of cookie-cutter approach
will work. More on this topic in my recent blog about managing to mindset vs.
skill set.
5) Authenticity
is key.
Bill
Campbell led with love, was not afraid to give hugs and blow kisses, and was
not afraid to curse. People can tell when you are not being yourself and this
breeds distrust.
6) Ask
questions and allow your team members to self discover.
A coach’s
job is not to tell people what to do, but to help them figure out solutions on
their own.
7) Recognize
that hierarchy exists for a reason.
If teamwork
and collaboration have not determined a solution or decision, it is the
leader’s job to break the tie. They get paid to make tough decisions.
8) Care
about your people as human beings not simply employees.
As validated
by EcSell’s own research, when employees feel their manger cares about them as
a person, not just an employee, performance significantly increases.
9) Tell
stories.
If you want
to influence behavior, don’t tell people what to do. Instead, tell them stories
about why they are doing it!
10) Tension
is necessary to cultivate success, but it takes a great coach to ensure that
the tension is healthy.
Often times
the path to growth is through discomfort. Bill Campbell was always challenging
his teams, but he did it with love and trust which made all the difference.
Everyone
indeed deserves to live in a world where they know what great coaching feels
like. Bill Campbell proved that one coach can most definitely change the world
– a trillion times over.
What is your
coaching effect?
[13/08,
22:36] Raman Bharadwaj: Decoding the Secrets of Successful Billionairres.
- Manmeet
Kaur on LinkedIn
Well this is
a start of a mini effort to add value to all of those who are interested in
reading but don't have enough time to do that.
What I am
doing here is, picking up some landmark books and summarizing them in brief so
that you can have an overview of what they are all about.
I am
starting this series with one of my favorite by Brian Tracy: 'Success Secrets
Of Self-Made Millionaires'
About Brian
Tracy:
He is a
motivational speaker and an author to more than seventy books that been translated
to dozen languages.
He is a well
respected figure in International markets and have worked with many famous
businessmen and celebrities.
So, let's
dive in to see what all this book cover:
Dream Big
Dreams: Author urges his readers to dream big.
He asks them
to practice 'back from future' thinking.
He believe a
lot can be achieved only if we dare to dream big.
He asks us
to think without the thought of failure.
Exercise:
Make a list
of everything you would do or attempt if you were absolutely guaranteed of
success.
Then decide
upon one specific action and do it immediately.
2. Develop a
Clear sense of Direction:
Dreaming
alone with not take you anywhere till the time you back your intentions with
directions.
Here author
ask us to 'prepare our goals' and draw out actions to achieve them.
Here is list
these 6 steps to give sense of direction to your goals.
- Decide
what you want in each area of your life, especially financial life
- Write down
your goals clearly and specifically.
- Set a
deadline for each goal
- Make a
list of everything you can think of that you will do to achieve your goal
- Organize
your list into a plan of action
- Take
action on your plan immediately
Do something
every day that moves you at least one step closer to your goal
3. See
yourself as Self- Employed:
An important
which author mentions here is that even if you are working, consider yourself
as self-employed.
Work on your
skills everyday.
Prepare a
list of things you believe will help you succeed in your work and start working
on them immediately.
Exercise:
No matter
what is holding you back accept full responsibility for your life and take
action today!
4. Do What
You Love to Do:
Well, its a
no-brainier, you will naturally succeed in things which you love doing.
So, he says
that it is our responsibility to discover and find what we love doing the most.
Exercise:
Identify the
type of work that you enjoy the most.
What
activities have been most responsible for your success in life to date? If you
could do any job at all what will you do?
5. Commit to
Excellence: Here author ask us to make a resolve to join top 10% of your field,
no matter what it is.
He says,
every person who is in top league today started small, so there is no reason
why you can't make it big.
To do is, he
ask us to identify, what is that one skill, if you develop will make a great
impact on your life.
6. Work
Longer and Harder:
There is no
escape from hard work.
He believes
that 40 hours work week is never going to give us the result that we want to
achieve our dreams.
He says that
all top people have spent in hours and hours on their work to make it shine the
way it is today.
Exercise:
He says make
a plan and see how you can devote more hours each day to your work to make it
bigger and better.
7. Dedicate
Yourself to Lifelong Learning: Mind is like a muscle, it develops only with
use.
Here is a
fact which the author wants us to work upon.
Keep
learning and keep improving.
The more we
learn the better we get with our thinking.
He says, instead
of listening to music while going to office, we should try to listen to some
meaningful podcast.
We should
remove TV time with books to give our minds the exercise it deserves.
8. Pay
yourself First: Saving is the key to financial independence.
The more we
save when we are young the less we have to earn when we grow old.
He says the
best way to start is by saving 10% of what we earn every month.
He says that
the habit of saving alone will help you go places you have always dreamed of.
9. Learn
Every Detail Of your Business:
Market
praises and reward people who know every aspect of the trade.
So, no
matter what you are doing, make sure you are up to date with all the trends.
Subscribe to
all best resources of your field and read them everyday. It goes without saying
the more you learn the better you will get.
See which
trends are getting hotter and if they entice you, learn and implement them to
your business.
10. Dedicate
Yourself to Serving Others:
If you
dedicate to serve others with utmost sincerity and responsibility then be
assured you will go places.
All the big
businesses have one thing in common, they offer great value to their customers.
So you need
to identify the ways both inside and outside your business through which you
can serve your customers better.
11. Be
absolutely honest with yourself and others: Its a valuable skill.
If people
can vouch for your honestly then there will no stopping you.
Customers,
investors, co-workers and employees will all have great respect for you.
You will
never face any problem in getting your work done.
So be true
to your values and keep your honesty intact.
12.
Determine Your Highest Priorities and Concentrate on them single mindedly:
Here is what
author has to say to this: 'When you develop the habit of setting priorities
and concentrating single-mindedly, you will be able to accomplish virtually
anything in life.
So, set your
priorities, keep asking yourself questions.
Make sure
you have definite plans to reach where you want to reach.
Keep away
from distractions and never compromise on your values.
13. Develop
a reputation for speed and dependability:
Something
which is very powerful yet most people take it easily.
People are
getting more and more impatient.
They need
things yesterday so if you as a brand can match their speed, you are in game.
This is what
all top brands are working on using technology all kinds of gadgets to reach
out to their customers as soon as possible.
So develop
your reputation for speed and you will always be in need.
14. Be
prepared to climb from peak to peak:
This perhaps
is the most insightful chapter of all.
Here author
ask us viewers to keep realistic expectations.
He explains
that business is a series of highs and lows so it is imperative to manage our
expectations accordingly.
He advices
to keep reminding that everything moves in cycles and trends. He adds that the
best way to stay focused on your path is to have a clear insight of your goal.
Once you know where you have to reach you will not falter on your way.
15. Practice
Self discipline:
This is the
most unique quality is turning a mediocrity into a million dollar success.
If you can
combine a long time perspective with an ability to delay gratification you will
unstoppable.
Self
discipline requires, self mastery, self-control and self-direction and the best
part is everyone can develop this.
Authors sums
this up by saying: 'Everyday, every hour and some time every minute is the test
of our self mastery'.
Exercise:
Don't try to
change yourself in one night. Change one thing at a time. Identify, one area of
your life where lack of discipline is interfering with your success.
Conclusion:
We have all
the resources , skills and knowledge that we need to succeed all we lack is
clear focus goals. Anyone can achieve the success they want the only catch is
they should know
WHY they
want what they want.
[14/08,
12:21] Raman Bharadwaj: Regret and Guilt an unworthy Emotional Baggage
Let's admit,
we humans are vulnerable to carrying an Emotional Baggage, of which these two
emotions Regret and Guilt, are a big part.
Regret is of
two kinds.
One is for something
wrong we may have done.
The other is
for something right we failed to do.
This kind of
regret, can run even deeper than the first, sometimes - and that begins to
haunt us life-long as Guilt.
Being Guilty, we feel ashamed, of ourselves
and that dents both our self-confidence, at one level and our self-esteem
another.
This changes
our behaviour, which manifests as - deep rooted agony, disillusionment, frustration, anger and depression.
That's what
an emotional baggage can do to us.
Needless to
mention though, emotional baggage are the heaviest and the most expensive
baggage to carry.
It costs us
high not just mentally, but, also one that leads to physical illnesses. Many
are known to have their genesis in trapped such emotions. Once these are let
go, the healing is phenomenal.
A quick
check on the
emotional
baggage that weigh us down, can help.
We should
ask ourselves.
1. What is
the emotional baggage that we are carrying?
2. How is it
impacting our emotional health and behaviour?
3. What
would we like to do with and what actions can we take?
It is good
to set the record straight once and for all, by being honest with ourselves.
We need to
get all the answers, then setting deadlines, we need to work on them
without compromising on anything.
This will be
the biggest test of our life to show our character and commitment, to get rid
of our emotional baggage.
When we are
committed to something, we accept no
excuses but only results.
Every act is
sign of DISCIPLINE, and COMMITMENT.
Every
silence is a sign of DETERMINATION and SOLIDITY.
Every smile
is a sign of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and ATTACHMENT .
Every
thought is a value of REVERANCE" and LOYALTY.
This done
consistently with
Purity of
heart,
Clarity of
mind
Gives
you....The Surety of a Happy Journey in Life with no Emotional Baggage .
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
[14/08,
13:16] Raman Bharadwaj: Being with the subject of discussion Emotional Baggage
brought out sk aptly earlier this day by Ms. Annapurna.
Taking it
forward though Milindji's points about regret, I submit my thoughts to add to
the discussion.
Regret and
Guilt an unworthy Emotional Baggage
(Ref.
Milindji and Ms. Annapurna).
Let's admit,
we humans are vulnerable to carrying an Emotional Baggage, of which these two
emotions Regret and Guilt, are a big part.
(Ref.
Milindji and Ms. Annapurna)
Regret is of
two kinds.
One is for
something wrong we may have done.
The other is
for something right we failed to do.
(Ref.
Milindji)
This kind of
regret, can run even deeper than the first, sometimes - and that begins to
haunt us life-long as Guilt.
(Ref.
Milindji, Sapna)
Being Guilty, we feel ashamed, of ourselves
and that dents both our self-confidence, at one level and our self-esteem
another.
This changes
our behaviour, which manifests as - deep rooted agony, disillusionment, frustration, anger and depression.
(Ref.Arpita,
Chai, Swetha)
That's what
an emotional baggage can do to us.
Needless to
mention though, emotional baggage are the heaviest and the most expensive
baggage to carry.
It costs us
high not just mentally, but, also one that leads to physical illnesses. Many
are known to have their genesis in trapped such emotions. Once these are let
go, the healing is phenomenal.
(Ref. Ms.
Annapurna and Milindji)
A quick
check on the
emotional
baggage that weigh us down, can help.
We should
ask ourselves.
1. What is
the emotional baggage that we are carrying?
2. How is it
impacting our emotional health and behaviour?
3. What
would we like to do with and what actions can we take?
(Ref. Ms.
Annapurna)
This 👇is my two cents, to the
discussion.
It is good
to set the record straight once and for all, by being honest with ourselves.
We need to
get all the answers, then setting deadlines, we need to work on them
without compromising on anything.
This will be
the biggest test of our life to show our character and commitment, to get rid
of our emotional baggage.
When we are committed to something, we accept no excuses but only
results.
Every act is
sign of DISCIPLINE, and COMMITMENT.
Every
silence is a sign of DETERMINATION and SOLIDITY.
Every smile
is a sign of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and ATTACHMENT .
Every
thought is a value of REVERANCE" and LOYALTY.
This done
consistently with
Purity of
heart,
Clarity of
mind
Gives
you....The Surety of a Happy Journey in Life with no Emotional Baggage.
It's time to
Re-boot, our
mind
Re-think,
our strategy
Refill, our
mental tanks
Revive, our
energy
Reconstruct,
our being
Regenerate
ourselves
Re-live, our
life
Relish, and Rejoice every moment here after.
[14/08,
16:57] Raman Bharadwaj: Want to Transform Your Life?
Discover
your life’s purpose and find ways to
fulfill it.
Start today!
by Peyush
Bhatia
August 14,
2020.
What is your
purpose of life?
This one
question can leave many of you speechless.
But why?
Have you
seriously not found out your true purpose?
Or, you
never tried to look for it?
Most of us
have deliberately avoided this question all our lives. We never tried to look
inside and find the true reason for our being here and alive.
This is
because, finding an answer would mean taking the responsibility of our life’s
purpose and jumping into action. It would mean being answerable to ourselves
for what we have done so far or will do to make it come true.
But it is
essential that we understand that our lives do have a purpose- one that is
aligned with the ultimate purpose of the Divine.
It can be
anything, one or many – from travelling the world to writing books or spreading
humanity; our life’s purpose gives us a distinct sense of fulfilment that
nothing else can.
Though, as
we navigate through our daily lives, lost in its constant chatter, we often lose
touch with
this
purpose.
Just in case
you too are lost and are unable to find your true purpose, these steps will not
just help you to find them but also fulfil them and live better.
How to find
your life’s purpose?
Admit it..
The first
step is to admit that your life has a purpose. That, you are here for a reason.
Giving yourself the permission to accept this fact will create a fire in your
belly to explore more
about it.
Explore it..
Ask yourself
these questions...–
- What did I
want yourself to be as I was growing up?
- If I had
limited time to live, what would I definitely want to achieve?
- If I had
all the money in the world, what would I do with my time?
- What make
me very happy?
- What do I
hate most about life?
- Who is my
role model and why?
- What
engrosses me so much that I loose track of time?
- What do I
want to be remembered as?
- What am I
grateful for?
The answers
to these questions will point out to things that are most important to you and
help you
move closer to your life’s purpose.
Think from
your heart..
While your
head can help you take the most rational decisions, happiness is where the
heart is.
When you try
to look for your life’s purpose from your heart, you naturally look for things
that evokes passion and joy and find a purpose that is worth living for.
Embrace life
as it comes..
Purpose
gives you a constant sense of fulfilment and achievement.
When you
live purposefully, you live every single moment in absolute joy and give it
your best, no matter what it brings.
This can
only happen when you embrace life as it comes with all its risks, challenges
and newness, and stop resisting anything about it.
When you
feel connected with every aspect of life and are in complete alignment with it,
your purpose gets fulfilled on its own.
Cultivate
gratitude..
Researchers
suggest that when we feel grateful for our blessings, we are able to observe
how others are working to making our lives better.
In this way,
we also tend to contribute to the world beyond us and live a life of purpose.
Cultivating
gratitude is thus an excellent way to live a purposeful life.
Going
inwards into self..
Bring this
deep practice so that you are more conscious and connected with your
inner-self.
This
connection will help you to find answers to who you are, what is your purpose
and the actions that you should take to fulfil this purpose.
Find your
purpose live a meaningful and happier life.
Start today!
Want to
Change Your Life?
© 2020
Peyush Bhatia
[14/08,
17:52] Raman Bharadwaj: Born Original but becoming a Copy...Build A Passion,
Not A Proof of Concept.
The world is
a beautiful place as there are different people with different mindsets,
different skillsets, different beliefs adding up to the variety around us.
Every person has a place of his/her own as their being is truly their own. No
one can substitute or replace the existence of any individual. Why then, is
there a constant anxiety to prove one’s worth?
Our systems
are deep rooted in creating copies of someone else to be acknowledged or
appreciated. When someone trying something new is seen, ridiculing is the first
reaction, discouraging becomes the norm of caution, abnormal is the chosen
nomenclature to clearly demark the boundaries of existence. This, has been a
norm in all cultures, all societies during all the timelines of evolution
starting from Socrates, Edison, Einstein to a Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or even to
a child from a local community who doesn’t fit the definition of routine/normal.
As much as
the larger community tried to shun these bright minds, they chose to shine on
their own. They showed that their minds are bright, not because they are any
different, but because, they chose their passion over the need to prove the
same. They relied only in their quest, but not in providing an explanation or a
justification to why they thought or believed in a certain way. They had
nothing to lose, as they never identified with the larger acceptance. They
never ceased to fire their quest in fear of not being awarded otherwise. That
was their brilliance.
Having a
passion is great. Not needing to prove it, is divine. When you are driven by
your passion, your environment doesn’t affect you. You will not be bothered on
who is aware of your work or not, of who acknowledges it or not, of who
appreciates it or not. All of this blur out in oblivion when compared to the
magnanimity of what you have set out to do. Be it about building a rocket or
just simply cleaning your home. You will be so lost in the beauty of doing what
you truly want or love, that it fulfills your soul from within. Pure passion
oozes calmness and it is visible without an iota of effort.
Every time
you focus on showing what you believe or do, you are moving an inch away from
your true being. Imagine working only to show what you are doing, but not for
the pure joy of the task, you wouldn’t have even scraped a bit of who you truly
are! It is in this area where anxiety, tension, stress, judgement, expectation
precede your very existence. Every action will just remain an act. An act to
prove others wrong or an act to prove yourself right. An act to shun your
subordinates or an act to please your superiors. An act which might even fade
the line between right and wrong, true or false, acceptable or not. This shall
reduce you even further, if not to the world immediately, to yourself every
time. Every such belittling will fuel your need to prove that you are great.
This is
precisely the reason why people with a passion and purpose are always calm. It
is only those wannabe’s who complain, stress out, because, they don’t know how
to pave their own path and brave their way out under any circumstances.
Take a
moment, think for yourself, do you build on your passion or on the need to
prove a point to someone? How far or how well can you hold what you truly want?
Is it entirely necessary, maybe not. But will people with passion make the
world a better place? Of course YES!
[14/08,
17:52] Raman Bharadwaj: Being truly happy?
August 14,
2020
Going by the
dictionary or wikipedia, happiness is always described as a feeling of
pleasure, content, positivity, or maybe it is a feeling when someone feels
good, excited, relieved, satisfied about something.
But what is
being truly happy?
There could
be guides to give you a 10 step pointer list to do something in particular or
to set up something of relevance. There are also many lists that help you in
finding happiness.
Do these
lists actually work? Can you follow 5-10 points and check if you are happy or
not?
Asking
again, what is being truly happy?
How would
you know you are happy?
Will you be
able to be happy whenever you want?
Is there a
reason to be happy?
Is there a
time to be happy?
If you ask
me, Happiness needs to being present in the moment with whatever you are doing.
Enjoying
your meal without any disturbance of watching tv, news in the background,
answering your texts or emails, or having serious discussions.
When you are
able to be with your food as you savor it every bit, you will truly be happy.
Even in case
you don’t like that meal, being present in the moment and observing what you
didn’t like about it, maybe tweaking it a bit as you like it or even keeping it
aside so as to pick up something else you’d like eating, will give you a chance
to be happy in that moment. But for something as simple as this to be done, you
need to know how to switch off from everything else and indulge absolutely in
having your meal without any disturbance.
Meal is just
a small part of the day. But, the magic of being in the present is something
that needs to be tried out in every aspect possible.
Are you
talking to your child?
Keep the
phone away, mute/pause the tv or music, check your emails later, cut your
vegetables after you finish talking to your child.
See the
difference of how your bond would be by doing all this.
When you
meet a friend, be with them, not with your phone.
News can
wait.
Forward
messages can wait. But, relationships need that moment to be nurtured.
We live with
people with emotions all around, but tend to function with emotionless objects
as our priority.
Isn’t this a
mismatch?
And Whenever
there is a mismatch, there would be friction, there would be confusion, there
would be arguments.
Imagine a
situation where everyone is very happy and celebrating something very big.
If you are
not in the right frame of mind, you will not be able to participate in that
happiness around you.
Whereas,
however the environment around you is, if you can find a reason to be happy,
you will be.
So,
happiness is not in what we do. Happiness lies in how we do anything that we
do. Focus on being happy in everything
you do, because happiness is not
destination. It is a state of mind.
Being truly
happy is finding your flow in anything that you do. It is finding your ground
in any aspect you pick up. Work on the ‘How’ of anything that you do and see
the magic of happiness around you at all times!
[14/08,
18:03] Raman Bharadwaj: As for me it began both accidentally and deliberately.
First
deliberately because of being torn to shreds five times from school to
worklife. Mental assaults can be much worse than physical one's.
I practiced
hard.
Went into
the ring and started punching for fun, but, knocked down a few. That dawned on
me to keep the practice going.
Accidents :
Dale
Carnegie's Books (Classics at that time).
How To Sell
Yourself To the Others, by Elmer Wheeler.
In Search of
Excellence,
In Pursuit
of Excellence,
Thriving in
Chos - books by Tom Peters.
How to Pull
Your Own Strings
Your
Erronous Zones by Dr. Wayne Dyer led me to many other of his books.
25 Secrets
of Leadership Thomas Leonard.
Then
Books on
Sales by Zig Ziglar
Dr. John
Maxwells - Leadership Books.
Books of
Subroto Bagchi, Gopalakrishnan R, Prakash Iyer, Rashmi Bansal, Simon Sinek,
Josh Bersin and many more have all been very impactful fof my career and
growth.
I have a
library of about 200 bound books of 200 pages average roughly extracted printed stuff, and hard copy
printed books of authors mentioned here. In addition I have 3500 books in soft
copy PDF formats.
That apart I
have CD's of Management Lessons, and some on EHDD Drive that accounts for about
90 GB material on several management disciplines.
Share,
Share, Share..
Grow, grow,
grow....
the more you
share,
the more you
get,
the more you
get,
the more you
give...
this cycle
goes on and on..
Share your
knowledge, liberally
Share your
thoughts, chosenly
Share your
ideas, freely
Share your
experience, willfully
Share your
time, endlessly
Share your
gifts, generously
Share your
love, abundantly
Share your
joy, relentlessly,
Show
kindness, gracefully
Show grace,
really,
Show
patience, lovingly
Pay respects
to all....forever..
All these
and many more are lessons our teachers beginning from parents gave.
Am what I am
because of being a beneficiary and recipient of all those
love/hate/conflicting/confronting lessons.
Also what I
am today is also because of my friends who make me feel who I am and liberally
share with me their life.
Am what I am
again because of my family - siblings, spouse, children, extended families for all their love,
affection and care. And last but not the least my lovely little grandson who
not just teaches me but amazes me with everything he does.
Can't lift
my hands to ask the Almighty for more as I offer my gratitude to him and
everyone around me who make my living worthy, teaching me to be a good human
being.
Don't please
get overawed.
This was
just my journey, a deliberately chosen one.
I assure you
that you can create one based on your strengths and experiences to call it your
niche.
Practice and
Repetition helps your Reputaion.
Practice
like you never won before.
Let's see
this example...
Monday - You
practice, others don't
Tuesday -
You practice, the others practice too
Wednesday -
You practice, the others don't.
Thursday -
You practice, others too practice.
Friday - You
practice - others don't
Saturday -
You practice, others practice too.
Sunday - You
don't practice and others too don't.
So in a week
you're practicing and repeating it 6 times vs others' 3.
In 2 weeks
You vs Others it is 12 - 6
In 3 weeks
18 - 9
In 4 weeks
24 - 12
In 12 weeks
- 72 - 36
In 24 weeks
- 144 - 72
In 52 weeks
- 312 - 156
All through
if one looks at it, that clearly say that you have practiced and repeated twice
more than others which suggests you are twice better than others.
Take
anything
exercising
fitness
walking
jogging
swimming
reading
listening
singing
writing
meditating
or
whatever,
it is twice
more because of repetition, repetition, repetition....
It helps
your perform as if you never lost and that helps your reputation indeed.
Practice...Repeat...Perform...Enhance
Your Reputation as beging a confident performer - winning or losing doesn't
matter.
It is as
simple as that.
04/01/2021,
07:25 - Raman Bharadwaj: Cheers!
It is the
first working day of the year 2021. Wishing that you have a beautiful day at
work and a productive week on hand, my friend.
Respect All
- Each their perspective.
Guiding
Quote:
An optimist
is a person who sees a green light everywhere.
The
pessimist sees only the red light. But the truly wise person is color-blind.
~ Albert
Schweitzer
Point to
Ponder:
Acting
color-blind is an interesting concept in today’s world. It is wise to apply it
in our approaches to others and to circumstances, so that we do not taint our
perceptions
with bias.
A traveller
through the mountains came upon an elderly gentleman who was
busy
planting a tiny almond tree. Knowing that almond trees take many years to
mature, he
commented to the man, “It seems odd that a man of your advanced
age would
plant such a slow-growing tree!” Th e man replied, “I like to live my life
based on two principles. One is that I will live forever. The other is that
this is my last day.”
Action:
Let's work
on our wisdom and apply color-blindness toward events as well as people.
Let's see
opportunities and take notice of warnings. We will realize that there are
multiple perspectives, let's respect them all.
There are
four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are
evaluated and classified by these four contacts: What we do, How we look, What
we say, and
How we say
it. ~ Dale Carnegie
The four
contacts, What we do, How we look, What we say, and How we say it, are
foundations
upon which we are measured by our societies. Unfortunately, many societies lay
too much emphasis on the appearance factor, and too little on the other
aspects. While concern about how we look is indeed an important one, it is also
the source of much pain and suff ering in the world. People discriminate on
basis of looks, especially considering the fact that we only have limited
influence
on that
factor. We cannot change our race or gender, so how we look is a given
to a large
extent. We should think on that.
Let's pay
attention to all four contacts listed above, and each of us specifically focus
on the following three today:
What we do,
What we say, and How we say it.
Scripted
exclusively for the members of this group
R3 - Raman's
Random Ramblings
by
Raman
Notes for
Ms. Lalitha Rajagopalan
Wednesday, July 28, 2004 - A higher level
When times are hectic, when your
plans go awry, when frustrations mount and anxiety overtakes you, stop and
remember. Remember who you are.
The
troubles of the moment may seem big and imposing right now. Remember, though,
that they are relatively minor when compared to the big picture.
You
will get through the difficulties and frustrations. You'll get through them far
more quickly and effectively when you can rise calmly and confidently above
them.
Remember
how very good life can be, and how very fortunate you are to be living it.
Remember the things that truly matter, your most profound blessings, your most
treasured dreams.
The
frustrations and inconveniences, the disappointments and setbacks all exist on
a certain level. And you can rise to a much higher level.
Remember
that, when the world is hectic, noisy, and confusing. Put it in perspective,
rise a little above it all, and move on ahead.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004 -
Slow down
Life is not a race. It is a
journey.
Getting
someplace first, before anyone else, has very little real and lasting meaning.
Seek instead to encourage others to come along, and you'll find the journey
much more fulfilling.
When
you hurry through each moment, you miss out on the richness that could be
yours. Take the time to live, to experience where you are, rather than being so
obsessed with getting to the next checkpoint.
When
you stop demanding to have it all now, you'll discover that you have plenty
already. Learn to experience joy where you are, and you'll experience it in
abundance.
Yes,
it can be wonderfully exhilarating when life is moving quickly. But do not move
so quickly that speed becomes your only experience, for there is so much more
to enjoy.
The
terrain of life is filled with wonderful and astounding detail. Slow down and take
in its richness.
Monday, July 26, 2004 - Get
it done
There is something you know you
must do. Yet you're worried that it won't be perfect, that it will be
difficult, uncomfortable and maybe even painful.
You
wonder what others will think of you, whether they might silently disapprove,
openly taunt you, or even work against you. You worry that it could be more
challenging and more demanding than you anticipate.
Go
ahead and do it anyway. The sooner you get started, the more confident and
effective you'll be.
Sure
there will be problems. And with solid commitment, you will find a way through
every one of them. Of course there will be challenges. And from each one you'll
build the strength to take on the next one.
Accomplishment
is never easy, and rarely perfect, yet it sure beats sitting around worrying
about how powerless you are. When you know you must, then get up, get going,
and get it done.
Saturday, July 24, 2004 -
More than enough
There is much to be gained by
remembering and learning from the past. There is also much to be gained by
remembering that the past does not have to control you.
Now is
where you are. Now is when you are fully alive, fully able to make things
happen.
Wishing
that things had been different steals energy away from the positive actions you
can take right now. Because now, instead of merely wishing, you can act to make
it happen.
All
the disappointments you've ever experienced are now behind you. Though their
consequences may continue, those disappointments no longer must hold you back.
In
fact, now in this moment you have the power to turn each disappointment
completely around. You can, with your thoughts and actions, redirect your
energy in whatever direction you choose.
When
you break free of the chains that hold your thinking in the past, you'll
discover something truly amazing. All that is now is much, much more than
enough.
Friday, July 23, 2004 - The need to judge
Your ability to make judgments can
serve you well. It can also cause a lot of needless trouble, anxiety, and pain.
Stop
making judgments about the things that don't matter. And you'll free yourself
to focus on the things that do.
Imagine
a world in which there was nothing to annoy you. When you let go of the
constant need to judge, the annoyances drop quickly away.
Many
times judgment can be replaced with understanding. And by truly seeking to
understand others, you will yourself be far better understood.
Certainly
there are times when a judgment is necessary and appropriate. Your judgment at
such times can be much more powerful and effective when you haven't wasted it
on things that don't matter.
Use
your judgment wisely. And just as wisely, give it a rest.
Thursday, July 22, 2004 -
Must do
In each task that must be done,
there is opportunity. See the task not as a burden, but as an encouragement to
be fully alive and effective.
The
real burden would be the inability to do anything. No task is a burden, but is
instead the chance to express your own aliveness.
Does
the work seem dreary, unimaginative, tedious or boring? That's mainly because
your attitude makes it so.
See
what happens when you start by being thankful for the opportunity to do it.
Your genuine gratitude will help you to see the positive value.
When
the things you must do become things you want to do, it can transform your
life. Each moment takes on more meaning, each effort brings greater and greater
reward.
Rather
than fighting and forcing yourself to do what must be done, let go of your
resistance and allow yourself to accomplish. Let what you must, become what you
want, and watch yourself begin to soar.
Wednesday, July 21,
2004 - Joys remain
There is a place where the joys
remain. There is a place where the golden days, the precious moments, live on
and on.
No one
can tell you how to get to that place. Yet you know exactly where it is and
when you are there.
When
you are truly in that place you know that the joys exist beyond all
circumstances, impervious to harm or decay. You do not merely believe or hope,
you know.
The
fleeting moments, the shallow artifacts of the world, will come and go. And
through it all, the joys remain, always with you, somewhere.
Give
your energy not to the anger, not to the frustration, not to the petty
disputes, not to the empty pleasures, for these all quickly fade. Give your
energy to the joys, for they remain.
In
your heart you know what they are and from whence they come. And in your heart,
the joys remain.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004 -
Outdated assumptions
It can be useful and efficient to
rely on assumptions. Remember, though, that most assumptions do not remain
valid forever.
How
many of the assumptions that you rely on have long since ceased to be true? It
can be truly liberating to discard some of the old assumptions that do nothing
now but hold you back.
Many
of your assumptions have become so thoroughly ingrained in your thinking that
you no longer realize they are even there. Each moment they influence what you
see, think and do.
The
net result is that the person you were ten, fifteen, twenty years ago is
controlling the actions you take today. Though you have grown immensely in that
time, much of that growth goes unrealized because you labor under outdated
assumptions.
There's
no need to throw out all your old assumptions. Yet it can be extremely
worthwhile to question them, and to seek to go beyond them, on a regular basis.
Watch
what you think, what you say, what you do, and regularly ask why. Free yourself
from outdated assumptions, and you'll be amazed at the possibilities that open
up to you.
Monday, July 19, 2004 - Let
yourself be
Unburden yourself from the limitations
you've borrowed from others. And let yourself be. Empty your mind of the fears,
doubts, worries and distractions that have built upon each other. And let
yourself be.
This
moment is filled with every possibility. All that you need to live it fully is
already yours.
Look
past the noise and turmoil of your thoughts. Be at peace with what is now, and
see that peace as it spreads far beyond you.
Let
any resentment, anger or disappointment from the past dissolve into
nothingness, never to return. Let any anxiety or worry about the future melt
away.
Now is
where you can make a positive difference. Now is when you can let yourself be.
Saturday, July 17, 2004 -
One step away
If you were just one step away from
reaching your goal, would you take that step? How do you know, right now, that
you're not?
What a
shame it would be to stop making the effort, when just a little bit more would
make it all worthwhile. What a shame it would be to have taken all those steps,
only to miss the very last one.
The
next step you take may very well be the one that makes all the others count.
You owe it to yourself, and the efforts you've made, to keep going.
No,
the next step may not get you there. Yet what about the one after that? If you
keep moving ahead, a little at a time, you will indeed arrive. When you take
that final, triumphant step, you'll be so very thankful you persevered.
At
some point success is just one step away. Keep going and you'll be there.
Friday, July 16, 2004 - The
other side
When your skills are challenged,
you can become far more capable. When your beliefs are challenged they can
become immensely more compelling and persuasive.
When
your intentions are challenged, it can make you more determined and committed.
When your faith is challenged, it can grow even stronger.
The
downside of challenge is that it can be difficult to go through. The upside of
challenge is that it's great to have been through.
When
you arrive at a challenge, take a moment to look at it from the other side.
Imagine all that will be gained by working your way through it.
The
bigger and more imposing it appears when you first encounter it, the more value
you'll have gained when the challenge is behind you. And that will set you up
to conquer even bigger challenges, and to enjoy even more substantial rewards.
Give
your best to the challenges. And what you get will be even better.
Thursday, July 15, 2004 -
Choose your path
The footprints you leave behind
show clearly where you have been. Yet they do not dictate where you can now go.
Perhaps
your life up to now has been difficult and filled with disappointment. Or
perhaps it has been easy and filled with good fortune. None of that matters
when it comes to the choices now available to you. At this moment in time, you
can go in any direction you choose.
You
can learn much by looking at how you arrived at where you are. Now that you're
here, you can benefit from what you've learned and experienced.
Now
that you've been through your past, you have a much better idea of where you
truly want to go. Look back at the footprints you've left behind, and decide
where the next footprints will lead.
At
this very moment, your possibilities stretch out in countless directions, yet
your next step must be in one specific direction. You have the choice to make
right now, so choose the very best.
Wednesday, July 14,
2004 - Small success
At some point during this day
you're sure to find a few minutes that would otherwise have been wasted. Today,
take those few minutes and use them for productive, creative effort.
Don't
be concerned with what you'll get from it. Just put your mind, your heart, your
passion and full attention into the effort. Don't do it to impress anyone or to
gain any kind of advantage. Just do it to give something of value to life.
Spend
a few moments creating value where it did not exist before. Spend a few
precious moments expressing yourself in a positive, unique way through the
efforts you put forth.
Even
the smallest positive accomplishment can improve the tone of your whole day.
Once you establish a positive momentum, its energy will carry over into
everything else you do.
Enjoy
a small success today. It can lead to something grand.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - A golden day
This is a golden day. Open your
eyes and see its richness.
Open
your heart, live the beauty and value of this day. Accept it as it is, and the
love you give to life will make it even better.
Whatever
comes along, consider it a privilege that you're able to experience it. Look
for the blessings in everything, and you'll surely find them.
Pay no
attention to the false limitations that the world may put on joy. There is no
need to acquire or to dominate in order to be happy.
Simply
open yourself to the abundance that already surrounds you. And you'll be firmly
connected to all you could ever desire.
This
is a golden day. And the more you live its treasure, the more of it there will
be.
Monday, July 12, 2004 -
Respond to life
Respond with love to those who
might otherwise annoy you, and suddenly the annoyance is gone. You'll both be
better off.
Respond
with patience to situations that might otherwise make you frustrated, and
suddenly the frustration is gone. In its place will be energy for positive
achievement.
Respond
with understanding to things that might otherwise anger you, and the anger will
dissolve. Instead of destructive rage, you'll see creative possibilities.
Respond
with determination to events that might otherwise cause you dismay. You'll find
yourself powerfully motivated to move positively forward.
Respond
with enthusiasm to tasks you might otherwise find tedious. You'll find a way to
create new and lasting value.
Respond
to life as if each moment is a grand experience, filled with positive and
unique possibilities. And that's just how it will be.
Saturday, July 10, 2004 - Get inside
Dive into your problems. Once
inside, you'll find lots of things you can do to get through them.
If you
run from them or just stare angrily at them, the problems can seem
overwhelming. Yet the closer you get, the more clearly you'll know how to handle
them.
If
your day is not going so well, identify one clear, specific thing that would
make it better. Then go to work and make it happen.
You
won't get anywhere by moaning about how rough life is. Yet when you get inside
the troubles, you'll find plenty of things you can do to change them for the
better.
A big
problem with problems is that they cloud your thinking by appearing more
troublesome than they really are. Decide to look clearly and confidently at
them, and you've already begun to triumph.
Get
inside the problems, and there's plenty you can do. Get inside the problems,
and you'll find them filled with opportunities.
Friday, July 9, 2004 -
Falling ahead
Are you tired of falling behind?
Then start falling ahead.
Falling
behind begins when you neglect to take care of something that needs to be done.
Then something else comes along and suddenly you're playing catch up.
All
too soon, the problem builds upon itself and you find yourself so far behind
that it's difficult to get anything done. Yet you can work yourself out, and
work yourself ahead, the same way you fell behind, one task at a time.
Falling
ahead happens when you can anticipate something that will need to be done, and
then you go ahead and take care of it early. That frees you to anticipate the
next necessary task, so you can address it early as well.
Before
long, you're so far ahead that you're no longer burdened by what needs to be
done. You can focus your energy on the valuable, productive and fulfilling
activities that you choose to do.
Those
who get ahead and those who fall behind use just about the same amount of
effort. Those who get ahead just take each effort a little bit earlier than necessary,
and that can make an enormous difference.
Thursday, July 8, 2004 -
Inner voice
Sure, the task is difficult, the
road is long, and the challenges are great. And yet, somewhere deep inside, you
know you can do it.
Your
outer thoughts and words may complain loudly about the trouble, frustration and
annoyance. Yet your innermost thoughts know that what is best is to move ahead
with it, despite all the trouble.
Listen
to that inner voice, the one telling you that yes, you can. Listen to that
inner voice, the one reminding you that yes, you must.
That
inner voice can give you valuable perspective, for it is not distracted or
dismayed by the events of the moment. Certainly it's useful to pay attention to
the moment, and it's also important to keep the big picture in mind.
And
when you measure the challenges of this moment against the big picture of your
life, you'll know that you can handle those challenges. When you view the
opportunities of this moment within the big picture, you'll know that your
efforts will be richly rewarded.
Listen
to that inner voice, the one that's saying yes to life.
Wednesday, July 7, 2004 -
One to remember
Do you remember anything special
that you did exactly one week ago, or one month ago today? What can you do
today that will make today a day to fondly remember for a long time to come?
This
day is an entire day of your life. You have the opportunity to live this day in
such a way that it will make a positive difference for years to come.
You
can express your love in a new and unique way. You can begin an ambitious
project that you've been meaning to start for a long time.
You
could take the time and make the effort to learn a new skill that will add
value to every day of your life. You could visit a place you've never been to
before, or re-connect with an old and dear friend.
You
can thoughtfully re-commit yourself to your highest priorities. And then you
can take real, effective action that will bring those priorities to life.
You
can live this day in such a way that you'll be forever thankful for what you've
made of it. Get started now, and make it one to remember.
Tuesday, July 6, 2004 - If
you could choose
If you could choose the life you
live, how would it be? If you could choose your surroundings, what would they
look like?
If you
could choose the people with whom you associate, who would they be? If you
could choose your activities, what would you be doing?
If you
could choose your thoughts, what would you think? If you could choose your
feelings, how would you feel?
If you
could choose your priorities, what would they be? If you could choose to commit
your time, your energy and your skills to something, what would it be?
If you
could choose how to spend the next moment, what would you do with it? What
would you do if you knew that all your choices, in each moment, in each
circumstance, would mold and shape the life you live?
The
good news is, you can choose, now and in every moment to come, and those
choices add up to the life you live. So remember each time to choose the best.
Monday, July 5, 2004 - Just
go with it
Take this richly beautiful day and
just go with it. Take this moment, though it may have flaws and imperfections,
and live it.
Instead
of worrying that there's not enough time, go ahead and fully live the time that
is here now. Rather than being concerned that things are not perfect, enjoy and
experience all that is, as it is.
There
is no need to wait for the gratification of every desire. For that is not what
will bring true happiness. There is no need to remain upset if events do not go
your way. For even when things have not gone your way, you are always free to
be your best in the moment that is now.
The
majority of things that trouble, annoy or frustrate you, do so only because
you've allowed them to. Imagine how peaceful and positive you can be simply by
deciding to let it be.
This
day, this life, is a precious, beautiful gift that you've received. Accept it
with gratitude and never hold back the joy that can be yours.
Saturday, July 3, 2004 -
Positive habits
To bring your thoughts to life, put
them into words. To bring your words to life, put them into action. To bring
your actions to life, make them into habits. What you make into a habit becomes
a part of who you are.
Imagine
having hundreds of people taking action on your behalf. Over time, the habits
you develop can create that kind of leverage.
Habits
give powerful focus to your actions by repeating them over and over again. So
it pays to give great care and consideration to the habits you develop.
A
negative, destructive habit can hold you back as surely as a steel chain around
your ankle. A positive, productive habit can enable you to soar to heights that
would otherwise be unreachable.
Work
to make your most effective actions into habits, so they become a part of you.
The effort will be rewarded over and over again.
Friday, July 2, 2004 - Joy
no matter what
You don't have to ignore the
difficulties in order to be joyful. You only have to decide that you won't let
them get you down.
You
can live this day with joy, even though there may be no objective reasons for
being joyful. Joy is its own best reason.
Experience
joy not as a result, but as a cause. Let your own joy be a driving force that
spreads its light far and wide.
There
is never any reason to feel guilty about being truly joyful. For by living with
joy, you are giving far more than you receive.
Today
is a day to be joyful. Live with joy no matter what the world may demand. And
you'll be creating something of real value.
Thursday, July 1, 2004 -
Many alternatives
There are millions of roads that
lead to success and fulfillment. Yet far too many people push and shove just to
get on a few of those roads, while leaving most of the other ones empty.
There
is virtually no limit to the number of ways your dream can be reached. There's
no need to give up on that dream just because one of the most obvious ways is
blocked.
Instead
of focusing on how you can't get there, consider all the other alternatives.
For they are most certainly there.
With
some creativity and commitment, you can put yourself in a place where there is
no competition. You can put yourself on a sure and steady path that leads to
the fulfillment of your most treasured dreams.
The
biggest winners do not depend on making others lose, on gaining at the expense
of another. The biggest winners are those who create real and lasting value
where it did not exist before.
Stop
fighting for your share of the existing pie, and start creating a new and even
more enjoyable delicacy. It will bring you a level of success that cannot be
denied.
Wednesday, June 30,
2004 - Wanting it
How do you get yourself to do what
you know is best, what you know you must do? You find a way to truly want it.
Think of
your favorite food. If you were hungry, and that food was sitting on the table
in front of you, would you be able to bring yourself to eat it?
Of
course you would. It would be no problem at all.
You
wouldn't have to attend a seminar, or buy a book, or watch a video instructing
you on what to do. You'd simply take the necessary steps, out of a desire to
eat your favorite food.
No,
not everything is as easy as reaching out and taking a bite of food. Yet the
fact remains that the things you get done are the things you want to get done,
whether they are easy or difficult, simple or complex.
You
are completely capable of figuring out how, and finding the motivation to do
something, when it is something you truly want to do. When you can make and
maintain the connection between what you know you must do, and what you truly
want, it will get done.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004 -
Give it time
Some of your blessings you
instantly recognize as such. Most of them, though, take some time to become
fully apparent.
Often,
a great blessing can come from what may at first seem to be a heavy burden.
Reflect back on your experience and you'll see this is true.
Perhaps
a relationship that got off to a rocky start ended up becoming a treasured
friendship. Or perhaps a difficult challenge brought to the surface a valuable
skill you didn't know you had.
Maybe
you needed to solve a thorny problem and in doing so, discovered a golden
opportunity. Or perhaps living through a time of immense frustration made you
stronger, more confident, patient and resilient.
When
life takes a distressing turn, give it time. And during that time, be on the
lookout for the valuable and positive aspects of your situation.
Keep
your eyes open for blessings in disguise. They are often the most profound and
enduring ones.
Monday, June 28, 2004 -
Someday you'll see
Someday, you keep telling yourself,
you'll truly start to live. Someday you will take the very best of your
possibilities and make them real.
Someday
you'll escape from the meaningless distractions that only waste your moments.
Someday you'll focus all your time and energy on what is really important.
Someday
your longing to move vigorously forward will overcome the fears and
insecurities that have caused you to hesitate. Someday you'll realize that
you've always had the courage and the confidence to fully live, and wonder why
you didn't start sooner.
Someday
you'll laugh at the petty angers, frustrations, worries and annoyances that
keep you from being all you can be. Someday you'll learn to let go and live.
Someday
you'll decide that your life cannot wait any longer. Someday, you'll realize
that living with richness and fulfillment is infinitely better than making
endless excuses.
Someday
you'll see that someday is here, that there's no reason to wait any longer. And
there's every reason, here and now, to be fully alive.
Saturday, June 26, 2004 -
Transformation
There are many things that can hold
you back. Yet there's always a way to turn them around, into forces that move
you forward.
If you
ever find yourself feeling envious, take that envy and turn it into
inspiration. The envy will do nothing for you, but the inspiration can make an
enormous positive difference.
When
despair comes upon you, transform it into strength. When you've experienced a
defeat, redirect its energy into commitment.
Take
the pain of humiliation and let it spur you to build a real, lasting
confidence. When you've experienced disappointment, turn it into wisdom.
Transform
your most irritating frustrations into rock solid discipline. Change your
negative anger into positive determination.
There's
never any need to be tossed around by the fickle winds of fate. For you can
take what life gives you, and turn it in your favor.
Friday, June 25, 2004 - Keep
on choosing
Success is not a secret. It is a
choice, a choice that is made over and over again.
The
choice that brings success and achievement is more than a one-time event. It is
a choice that is integrated into every moment of life.
It's
one thing to decide upon a course of action and then leave it at that. Such a
strategy will leave you with nothing but empty wishes and good intentions.
Real
achievement comes from choosing to achieve, again and again, moment after
moment, until the goal is attained. Real achievement comes from choosing to
achieve, and then continually reaffirming that choice with action.
Choosing
success is really quite easy. To actually reach that success, just keep on
choosing it.
Keep
on choosing, and acting on that choice, for as long as necessary. And anything
is within your reach.
Thursday, June 24, 2004 - Be of value
When you're always worried about
what you can get out of the deal, you won't get very much. Yet when you focus
on what you can give, a whole universe of positive possibilities will open up
to you.
There
is always work that needs to be done. There is always a way to make a positive
contribution. There are countless ways to be of service, to be of value. And to
be of value is the very best way to create value, in your own life and in the
world around you.
You
don't need anyone else's permission to make a positive contribution to life.
All you need to do is open your eyes.
Look
around you, with a genuine sense of caring for the needs of others. In every
direction, you'll see countless opportunities for making a positive difference.
If you
seek real confidence, richness and fulfillment, then step up, take the
initiative, and be of real value. It will bring true, lasting and meaningful
success.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004 -
The beauty of this day
This is a beautiful day, a
priceless gift never to be matched, filled with unique and wonderful
possibilities. This is a beautiful day, and you can make it even more so simply
by experiencing it.
Today's
beauty may not be obvious at first. After all, the problems and injustices have
a way of demanding your attention.
But
they do not have to blind you to the beauty of this day. No matter how loudly
the difficulties may shout, the beauty and positive possibilities are always
there.
The
beauty of this day has no need to shout or scream. For the more peaceful your
spirit becomes, the more fully you will know and experience the beauty.
Many
things, fortunate and unfortunate, will happen today in this busy, complicated
world. And the beauty of this day remains a steadfast reality enveloping it
all.
For
the beauty of this day does not happen, and needs no push or promotion. It is
always, and it is yours.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004 -
Remember why
If you could do anything, what
would it be? And even more importantly, why would you choose to do it?
Just
for a moment, imagine that there are no limitations, no obstacles to get in
your way. If you could create something just by willing it into being, what
would it be, and why?
You've
probably complained to yourself or others about how hard it is to get ahead.
Have you ever considered in detail how you would know when you got there, and
what you would do with your good fortune?
Look
beyond the daily onslaught of problems and concerns. Look ahead to where you'd
like for it all to get you.
Remember
why you've chosen the path that you are on. Remember why, and resolve anew to
make it all worthwhile, to fully live the meaning that is certainly there.
Let
your mind, your spirit rise above the clamor. You'll surely get where you
choose to go when you regularly remember why.
Monday, June 21, 2004 -
Higher thinking
As you move through this day, make
it a point to replace troubled thoughts with thoughts of peace. Replace
thoughts of weakness with thoughts of strength.
Replace
thoughts of limitation with thoughts of possibility. Replace thoughts of anger
with thoughts of compassion.
Let go
of any thoughts of frustration and helplessness. In their place, put thoughts
of creativity and empowerment.
Gather
your various and scattered thoughts together, and point them all in a positive,
productive direction. You'll be amazed at the power that's yours when each
thought is working to enhance the others.
Your
thoughts determine what you decide to do with all that you have. And you determine
what your thoughts will be.
So put
them to work in a positive way, moment by moment, day by day. Make them all
thoughts that serve you well.
Saturday, June 19, 2004 - Do
something about it
One of the best ways to change a
bad feeling into a good one is to do something positive about it. Bad feelings
have their purpose, after all, and that purpose is to spur you into action.
If you
just sit there, wallowing in negativity without doing anything about it, that
brings you down in two ways. Not only do you feel lousy, you also pass up the
opportunity to be powerfully motivated by those lousy feelings.
Yet
when you take a positive cue from a negative feeling, things almost immediately
begin to change for the better. As soon as you start to do something about it,
you are in control and you are moving forward.
Take a
positive step, and you go from being a victim to being a beneficiary of your
negative feeling. Keep on going, and you'll soon leave that negative feeling
completely behind.
If you
seem to be having a lousy day, it's not the day that's lousy. It's your lack of
a positive response to it that makes it seem so bad.
So
listen to what your bad feeling is attempting to tell you. Get busy, do
something about it, and you'll turn it into a triumph.
Friday, June 18, 2004 -
Appreciate the good things
The sunshine feels so very much
warmer after weeks of rainy days. Your loved ones seem so much more precious
whenever they've been away.
You
truly appreciate and value your good health after recovering from a difficult
and prolonged illness. You learn new respect for financial discipline after
working your way out of a burdensome debt.
It's
easy and natural to appreciate the good things after you've experienced life
without them. Yet sadly, that can often be too late.
How
very much better it is to appreciate the good things you have while you still
have them. For then, not only can you appreciate them, you can put them to
positive and productive use.
So
begin each day by counting your many blessings. Pay particular attention to the
ones so overwhelmingly a part of you that you might otherwise take them for
granted.
True
abundance and gratitude are solidly linked. The more you appreciate the good
things, the more numerous they will be.
Thursday, June 17, 2004 - Get beyond
Get beyond the need to impress
anyone, and you'll begin to truly impress everyone. Imagine the refreshing
sense of fulfillment you'll then know.
Get
beyond the need to possess and control, and your world will be filled with
abundance. You'll see real value in every direction, ready to be joyfully
lived.
Get
beyond the need to worry, and you'll be filled with a positive, productive
energy. By living fully in the moment of now, you'll build the confidence and
strength to handle whatever the future may bring.
Get
beyond the need to blame and to carry resentment from the past. Then you can
put all your energy and focus into making your way successfully forward.
Get
beyond those limitations you've imagined for yourself. And the other
limitations will begin to fall away as well.
Get
beyond the petty negativity that only serves to hold you down. And the positive
possibilities will be truly endless.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004 -
Imagine the future
You do not know for sure what will
happen in the next hour, the next day, the next week or year. Yet you can
imagine, and when you do, it pays to imagine the very best.
No,
your imagination by itself does not make it so. But it can certainly line up
many factors in your favor.
The
more you imagine your most desired and treasured scenario, the more clearly you
can visualize the actual details. And the details are important, for they
provide specific goals upon which you can focus.
When
you can clearly see yourself being there, you can see much more clearly how to
get there. You can imagine the path to your dreams, then start to actually walk
it.
Imagining
a bright and shining future can serve to draw you toward such a state. So fill
that imagined future with whatever you treasure most.
Play
an active role in your own future. Imagine with passion and detail how you'd
most like it to be.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004 -
Enjoying it
You spend much of your day striving
for more, and yet you already have so much. Spend some time enjoying it.
Enjoyment
takes little or no effort, and doesn't have to detract from what you're doing.
In fact, enjoyment will add real value to all your efforts.
Enjoyment
takes no special skills or training. All you need is the intention to enjoy
where you are, and suddenly you're doing it. Focus not on the problems. Focus
on how fortunate you are to be here, able to make a positive contribution.
The
next time you're in a situation that you normally would find annoying,
frustrating, or dreary, decide that you will enjoy yourself. Put a smile on
your face with a lightness in your spirit, and enjoy being you, simply because
you've decided to do so.
A
moment lived with enjoyment can bring hundreds of times more value than a
moment spent in dismay. Enjoy life's richness and there will be so much more.
Monday, June 14, 2004 - Yours to use
You have just now arrived at this
moment. Whatever may have brought you here is now yours to use in moving
forward.
Perhaps
the journey has been going well. If so, expand on what you've already found to
work so well for you.
Or
perhaps there have lately been more downs than ups. If so, then take that
knowledge of what doesn't work and use it to find what does.
You
cannot change what has already happened. Yet no matter what it may have been,
you can take something positive and valuable from all of it.
Hold
on to the love, the laughter and the lessons. Let go of the disappointments,
setbacks and regrets.
Today
is a new day, and that gives you the chance to make something new and positive
out of whatever you already have. Make every reason a reason to move forward,
and you'll find yourself doing just that.
Saturday, June 12, 2004 -
Just one
When it seems that you're
overwhelmed with problems, pick just one and go to work on it. Suddenly the
momentum will shift in your favor.
When
you feel helpless to make a difference, stand up and take just one small step
forward. And you'll discover that you can indeed make a difference.
You're
not going to solve all the problems of the world before bedtime. Yet you can
take many positive, productive steps in that direction.
It
sure beats sitting around worrying about how bad things are. All the worrying
in the world cannot equal the power of just one positive step.
Once
you take that one step forward, you'll find yourself wanting to do it again and
again. Just one step can ignite your passion, and there's no telling how far
that will take you.
When
you feel that there's no use in making the effort, that's precisely the time
when even the smallest effort can make an enormous positive difference. Commit
to taking just one step, and feel how great it can be.
Friday, June 11, 2004 -
Undeniably good
"I know in my heart
that man is good.
That what is right will always eventually triumph.
And there's purpose and worth to each and every life."
-- Ronald Reagan
Life
is difficult, challenging and painful at times. Yet at its very core, life is
undeniably good.
The
world is ripe with injustice and tragedy. Yet goodness always finds a way to be
where it is needed most.
What
is wrong, what is false, can often seem powerful and compelling. Yet eventually
each falsehood consumes itself, collapsing under the burden of its own lies and
inconsistencies. And life's goodness not only endures. It grows stronger and
more solidly entrenched as it survives each passing challenge.
Often
life's purpose seems to get buried beneath the confusion and the complexities,
the distractions and the pressing demands. And yet, through it all, that
purpose patiently remains, ready at any moment to be lived and fulfilled.
Celebrate,
respect, enjoy, give to and make the most of life. It is a gift more precious,
more positively powerful than anyone can imagine.
Thursday, June 10, 2004 -
Confident thoughts
What if a thousand people were to
come up to you today and express serious doubts about what you are doing and
your ability to get it done? Think of how much your confidence would be shaken.
Now
imagine how stunningly different it would be if a thousand people today were to
offer you a word of encouragement, and to express enthusiasm for what you're
doing. You'd be so completely confident that nothing could stop you.
In
fact, you will receive a thousand opinions today. But the vast majority of them
won't come from strangers. They will come from someone you have believed and
trusted all your life. They will come from you.
In
every moment, in each thought you think, you have the opportunity to express
confidence in yourself and in the value of what you're doing. The power of
those thoughts can add up very quickly.
Every
moment you are thinking something, and you can choose what those thoughts will
be. So choose the ones that will lift you up and push you positively forward.
Wednesday, June 9, 2004 -
Decide you will
Decide to live this day with
positive purpose, and you'll figure out how to make it happen. Make a firm
commitment to yourself that you'll make valuable and productive use of your
precious time, and you'll find yourself doing just that.
Decide
what you truly intend to achieve. Decide what your priorities will be. You have
the wonderful ability to accomplish whatever you set your sights upon. But when
you have no firm commitment, that powerful ability is wasted on trivial and
meaningless diversions.
Imagine
that you have an assistant whom you are paying one hundred dollars an hour.
Think of how frustrated you would be if that well-paid assistant never got
anything done because you could never decide what he should be doing.
You do
in fact have an assistant whose time is far more precious than money. That
assistant consists of your own ability to get things done, and that assistant
is always anxious for positive direction.
So
take a good look, today and every day, at your hopes, your desires, your vision
for how life can be, and decide what to do with it all. Truly decide you will,
and you will.
Tuesday, June 8, 2004 -
There are those
There are those who say it can't be
done, and are content to leave it at that. And then there are those who find a
way.
There
are those who see every setback as an excuse to give up. And then there are
those who find the courage, the will, the commitment to persevere.
There
are those who back away from challenge, and complain when it finds them anyway.
And then there are those who eagerly welcome each opportunity to move the world
forward.
There
are those who prefer to do what is easy, comfortable and convenient. And then
there are those who do what is best, what is right, as difficult as it may be.
There
are those who bounce and skim along the noisy, confusing surface of life. And
then there are those who dive deeply in, to where meaning, purpose, vision and
truth are clear and unmistakable.
How
fortunate we are that there are those who live like they mean it. How fortunate
we are that we can too.
Monday, June 7, 2004 -
Feeling good
It feels good to feel good, about
yourself, about your world, about those around you. And feeling good, as simple
as it sounds, can be a truly powerful and positive force.
Genuinely
feeling good is more than just empty pleasure. It comes when you have the
confidence and courage to be who you are, to live what you believe, with
purpose, with meaning, with integrity.
In an
attempt to appear sophisticated, some folks think they must be constantly
critical, judgmental, and pessimistic. Yet true sophistication is the ability
to bring out the best in yourself and in those around you, even though the
challenges may be great.
In
order to be your best, it helps tremendously when you can feel your best.
Feeling good about what you're doing will greatly enhance your commitment and
your ability to see it through. Feeling good is not a matter of ignoring the
negative realities. It's a matter of overpowering those difficult challenges
with a positive, purposeful spirit.
Go
ahead and feel good. The world eagerly welcomes all the goodness you can give
it.
Saturday, June 5, 2004 -
Clarity
At its heart, achievement does not
require more time, energy, money or resources than you already have. It is
simply a matter of clearly focusing and directing what's already available to
you.
The
wealthiest person in the world got that way utilizing exactly the same number
of hours in each day that are available to everyone else. Success depends not
so much on what you have to work with, but on what you do with it.
Be
clear, specific and precise about what you want to achieve. Fill in all the
details, then fill in some more.
If
you're too vague about where you're going, you can't possibly get there. Yet
when you're completely clear about what you want, that will help to focus every
aspect of your life in the direction of your goal.
Accomplishment
comes to those who precisely define what accomplishment means, in each and
every detail. What does accomplishment mean to you? Answer that question, with clarity
and precision, and you're well on your way. Stay clear, stay focused, and
you'll surely have what it takes.
Friday, June 4, 2004 - The
magic of kindness
Kindness is almost always bigger
when it is received than when it is given. What may be a small thing for you to
offer can make a tremendous difference to those who receive it.
Kindness
vastly increases the effectiveness of your efforts. Even a small kindness can
bring a big result. And a truly ambitious kindness can change the world.
Kindness multiplies itself in a way that seems almost magical.
Those
whose lives are filled with richness are those who know and understand the
value of genuine kindness. Kindness is not a difficult thing to grasp or to
bring about, and is freely available to all who wish to practice it.
Every
day you come across numerous opportunities for kindness. Each one of them is
brimming with a value more precious than gold.
Avail
yourself of those opportunities to spread kindness. And know the special magic
that kindness brings.
Thursday, June 3, 2004 -
Imagined problems
Are you fighting against obstacles
that don't even exist? Often, the imagined problems can hold you back more
firmly than the real problems.
For
the imagined problems can prevent you from ever getting started in the first
place. When you're certain that things are not going to work out, you have no
incentive to move forward with them.
You
never really know until you make the effort. The chances are very good that the
obstacles are not nearly as difficult as you imagine them to be.
Every
undertaking has its challenges, to be sure. Yet there's no reason for you to
add to those real challenges with your own imaginary ones.
Go
ahead, take action, and you'll likely discover that many of the obstacles you
once imagined are not even there. And you'll find a way to handle those
obstacles you do encounter.
Don't
let the imagined problems stop you. Step confidently forward and move ahead
with those things that need to be done.
Wednesday, June 2, 2004 - Momentum of achievement
Success comes most readily to those
who are already successful. That's why the small successes are so important.
When
you set a goal, however small it may be, and then work to achieve it, you put
in motion a powerful positive momentum. That momentum can help you to reach
toward higher and higher levels of achievement.
The
small successes do matter, for they set that momentum in motion. No step is
trivial, however small it may be, when it is leading in a positive direction.
Too
many people wait and hope for, beg, plead and even fight for that one big break
that will bring about instant success. Sadly, in so doing they overlook the
small opportunities for success that come in every moment of every day.
You
can easily make a little bit of progress in the next fifteen minutes. And you
can make a little more progress in the next few hours. Create for yourself the
momentum of achievement. And you can take it wherever you wish to go.
Tuesday, June 1, 2004 - What
you choose
You are the sum total of the
choices you have made. So who do you choose to be?
Experience
will show which choices work for you, and which ones work against you. So how
are you making use of your own special experience?
Success
and achievement do not come as the result of blind luck or random chance. They
are built on choices. The choices that matter are not just the big ones, but
also the little, seemingly insignificant ones. For there are lots of little
choices to be made, and their consequences can add up quickly.
Every
choice will take you in a specific direction. So where exactly do you want to
go? Every moment is a choice, and every choice will make itself felt in your
life and in your world. So what kind of life do you choose, this day, this
moment, to live?
Monday, May 31, 2004 -
Always changing
In your
weariness, find energy. In your disappointment, find encouragement. In the
moments of despair, see the hope that is there. In the times of difficult
challenge, take hold of the opportunities.
When
all your options have been exhausted, focus on the positive possibilities. When
you feel you just can't go any further, that's when it's most important to keep
on going.
When
you encounter anger, offer kindness in return. When you find yourself in
darkness, be a shining light. When things are at their worst, that's the time
to be your best. Take the raw energy that life deals out, whatever it may be,
and turn it in a positive direction.
Make
the most of the fact that life is always changing. Change it for the better.
Saturday, May 29, 2004 -
Behold the beauty
Behold the beauty that is all
around you. You'll find it in the vast expanses, in the smallest details, and
everywhere in between.
There
is beauty to behold amidst noise and confusion, as well as in the quietest
moments of solitude. You'll find beauty in the simplest of things, and in the
deepest depths of complexity.
Why is
there beauty and why are you able to know it? Have you ever wondered?
Beauty
exists for the purpose of filling your heart with joy. So take in the beauty
that stretches out in every direction, and let it do just that.
Beauty's
reason is pure delight. Take delight in true beauty, and it becomes even more
beautiful. Behold the beauty that fills your life. It is a blessing that has no
equal.
Friday, May 28, 2004 -
Life's detours
Sometimes life will present you
with an unexpected detour. Sometimes you'll spend a lot of time and effort, and
end up right back where you started. Such times are no reason for despair.
Rather, they provide an opportunity for renewed determination and commitment.
Sometimes,
things will not go as you planned. When that happens, keep in mind that much of
life's richness comes from its unpredictability.
Rather
than cursing the detours that life throws your way, explore what they have to
offer. Even though you're not moving in the direction you intended to go, you
can still make positive progress.
No
moment is wasted when you live it with passion and purpose. Every sincere
effort brings a valuable reward, even though the result may not be exactly as
you planned. Getting there the fastest is not nearly as important as making the
most of every moment.
Value
and enjoy the journey, even when there are detours along the way.
Thursday, May 27, 2004 -
Power of focus
When there is much to be done, it
can be tempting to try and work on it all at once. Yet rarely is anything ever
gained by taking that approach.
The
most effective effort is focused effort. Do one thing and do it well, with
total focus, until the job is done. Let go of your thoughts and worries about
what comes next. Give your attention to the task at hand.
Jumping
back and forth from one thing to another can waste much of your time and
seriously dilute your momentum. The more there is to be done, the more
important it becomes to solidly focus your efforts.
Hurried
and scattered actions will rarely get you there any faster. Be patient, stay
focused on one task at a time, and you'll make the most progress.
Give
your efforts the power of focus and momentum. And watch them bring spectacular
results.
Wednesday, May 26, 2004 -
Live joyfully
The joy connected with a particular
experience does not really come from that experience. It comes from the part of
yourself that you put into the experience. When the experience is over, the joy
is not gone. As long as you care to live it, that joy is there.
You
can carry it wherever you wish. You can nurture it, expand it, and spread it
far beyond its original realm.
Joy
does not depend on any particular set of outer circumstances. It comes from how
you choose to live within those circumstances.
You
can find joy wherever you want. Because it is wherever you bring it. Choose to
live joyfully. The more you do, the more joy there is.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004 -
Motivating setbacks
No one likes to suffer setbacks.
That's precisely what makes them so valuable.
Every
setback is an opportunity for you to get your own personalized supply of a
special energy that will propel you forward. That energy is known as
motivation.
Think
of how an illness can motivate you, like nothing else, to take better care of
your health. Consider how a financial setback can provide the compelling
motivation to be more financially responsible.
When a
setback comes, the first priority is to deal with it and get beyond it. After
that's done, and you've experienced it fully, you're blessed with an increased
level of motivation and focus.
So use
the energy of that motivation to deal with the underlying cause of the
disappointment you've just experienced. In your highly motivated state, you can
easily take steps to immunize yourself against similar setbacks in the future.
Certainly
you would never seek out disappointment, but when the setbacks do come, they
bring with them a valuable, compelling, personally meaningful motivation. It's
something you can use to great advantage.
Monday, May 24, 2004 - Extra
effort
How do you get enormous results
from a relatively small effort? It happens when you make that effort an extra
effort.
Once
you've done the necessary work, do a little more. The extra payoff will be
vastly larger than the additional effort expended. Why is that? Because the
more your efforts can build on each other, the more valuable they become.
If you
stop at the very earliest opportunity, you give up precious momentum. Instead,
keep going a little longer, and watch as your efforts become increasingly
effective.
Think
of how much fuel you'd waste, not to mention the wear and tear on your car's
engine, if you turned off that engine and then restarted it after every mile
traveled. Once you're in motion, it's far more efficient to keep moving as long
as possible.
When
you've made the minimum necessary effort, do yourself a favor that will pay off
in a big way. Go ahead and make the extra effort.
Saturday, May 22, 2004 -
Bright future
The sooner you act, the bigger
difference you can make. A slight change in course, early in the journey, will
have a huge impact on the destination that is reached.
When
you wait until the last minute, many things simply become impossible. Prepare
far enough in advance, though, and just about anything is possible.
Time
can provide you with enormous leverage if you will simply make wise use of it.
So many things you could never hope to accomplish immediately can easily be
yours over time.
If you
are willing to take only one or two steps, there are very real limitations on
how far you can go. When you are willing to take as many steps as necessary,
you can go anywhere you wish.
If you
insist on having it now, you can severely limit your options. Yet with patience
and persistence, the limitations disappear.
Take
action now, make full use of the time you have. And your future is bright
indeed.
Friday, May 21, 2004 -
Encourage you
Are there times when you don't feel
like doing what you know must be done? What you need is a little encouragement.
When
others give encouragement at such times, it usually comes across as nagging.
However, when you encourage yourself, it can be truly energizing.
Picture
yourself with the task already done. Feel how good and satisfying it is to have
it behind you.
Experience
the sense of satisfaction you know you'll gain when the work is completed.
Visualize the sweet freedom of knowing it is behind you. Turn your reluctance
about doing it into an excitement for having it done. When you think about it,
that's really a very easy and natural step.
Then
dive in with enthusiasm, encouraged by your own positive, meaningful thoughts.
And soon enough, it is done.
Thursday, May 20, 2004 -
Drop the negativity
You may indeed have every right to
be angry. Yet you also have a compelling reason to let that anger go. You may
be completely justified in seeking retribution. Yet focusing on positive
pursuits is much more likely to be in your best interest.
You
may have all sorts of totally understandable reasons to think negatively of
someone else. Yet those negative thoughts, as reasonable and accurate as they
may be, serve only to weigh you down.
Think
for a moment about how easily you could lighten your load by dropping the
negativity you carry around. Anger, blame, resentment and other such thoughts
cost you much and bring you nothing of real value.
Every
negative thought uses up time and attention that could be invested in more
productive pursuits. Every negative thought pushes you back when you could just
as easily be moving forward.
When
you feel a negative thought rising to the surface, see it for the dead weight
that it is. Then turn around, face forward, and set your sights on the
abundance of positive possibilities.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004 -
Culmination
You've been preparing all your life
for today. Now it is here to be lived.
The
obstacles you encounter may seem formidable. Yet you are now fully ready to
face them and to truly make a difference.
You
are more experienced today than you've ever been. You are more knowledgeable,
more capable, more thoughtful, refined and informed than ever before.
And
that makes today an opportunity such as you've never known before. This day,
this moment is a grand culmination of all that you've ever been through.
As you
live this day, keep in mind what it has taken to get you here. Remember and
appreciate all the dreams, efforts, hopes, frustrations, setbacks and victories
that have carried you to this point.
And
then make sure this day lives up to all you've done to get here by making it
worthy of all you've put into it. Go out and make this day the greatest one
yet.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - Not
easy
Life is not easy. That's what
make's it so valuable.
If
everything in life came easy, where would be the opportunity for fulfillment?
If there were no real challenges, there could be no real rewards.
If
pleasure, comfort and achievement were all you knew, what possible reason would
you have to value and appreciate them? If life were easy, it would be
unbearably tedious.
Consider
how precious are the opportunities to give, to contribute, to make a
difference. They're what create the possibilities for true enjoyment,
satisfaction and fulfillment.
The
life you envision can most certainly be achieved. For that to happen, you must
first get past the wish that it be easy. You would not really want it to be.
Never settle for easy when you can make it great.
Monday, May 17, 2004 - See
the beauty
Much of the beauty you admire and
enjoy is really your own beauty being reflected back to you. The beauty you
nurture inside yourself is what enables you to see beauty in the world around
you.
Beauty
speaks in the language of the heart. It is powerful and wonderful because it
touches something within you, and does so in a profound way.
Delight
in the beauty you experience, and it increases the positive energy available to
you. Look at life through thankful and loving eyes, and you'll find much of it
to be beautiful.
There
is beauty in every direction -- in your world, in your home, your family, the
work you do, the things you love, your faith, and the people in your life.
Appreciate and enjoy the beauty that is all around you, and you bring the
abundance of that beauty to life.
When
you find joy in beauty, it is because you are truly beautiful. Take delight in
beauty, and you've made even more.
Saturday, May 15, 2004 -
Forgive and be free
Carrying a grudge can be terribly
difficult work that brings you nothing of value. Forgive, and be forever free
of that burden. Remaining offended by the words or actions of another can be
quite painful and terribly distracting. Forgive, and the pain is suddenly gone
for good.
If
someone hurts you, if someone wrongs you, do you really want to perpetuate and
multiply that damage? Is it really in your best interest to give your time,
energy and attention to keeping the pain alive? Forgive, and move on past it.
Forgive, and put yourself back in positive control.
Forgiveness
does not mean that you allow others to take advantage of you. It simply means
that you allow yourself to move positively forward, regardless of what others
say or do.
Even
if the other person doesn't deserve it, you deserve the opportunity to leave
the pain behind. Forgive, and be free.
Friday, May 14, 2004 - Live
it all
Stop waiting for someday, or
wishing that you could have it all. Simply step forward and live it all.
If all
your fondest dreams were being fulfilled, how would you feel? Go ahead and feel
that way now. If you had transcended every limitation, what would your highest
priority be? Go ahead and make that your priority today.
If the
problems that plague you were suddenly gone, to what would you devote your
time, your attention, and your commitment? Even in this moment, in a very real
way, you can devote yourself to those things that are truly important.
Let
the richness that is your life flow out from you. And you'll experience even
more flowing in.
There
is never any need to have it all. For even now, where you are, with what you
have, you can truly live it all.
Thursday, May 13, 2004 -
Welcome what comes
Welcome this day with enthusiasm,
with positive anticipation. And you'll find something great to do with it.
Welcome the challenges with an eagerness to make a difference. And you'll
transform the most difficult obstacles into the most magnificent achievements.
Welcome
the complaints and criticisms. And you'll discover priceless avenues for improvement.
Welcome the opinions of those with whom you disagree. And your own beliefs will
become that much stronger and better defined.
Welcome
the beauty, the joy, and the disappointments. Welcome the setbacks, the
problems, and the pleasant surprises.
Welcome
whatever comes, for that is what you have to work with. Welcome life, with its
ups and downs, and you'll surely do great things with it.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004 -
Value of perspective
One reason why the problems of the
moment can seem completely overwhelming is because you're so close to them. It
is always helpful to put things in perspective. Your immediate frame of
reference is based on the last few hours or days. Yet when you step back and
put things in perspective, that time accounts for only a small fraction of your
life.
Certainly
the present moment is of vital importance, for it's the one in which you're
living. Yet even as you live in the current moment, your life has an immense
reservoir of value, knowledge, and experience.
When
the challenges seem insurmountable, consider all the massive challenges you've
already overcome. Compared with the totality of who you are and who you can be,
most difficulties will pale by comparison.
It's
easy to allow the problems of the moment to dominate your thinking, for they
can certainly be compelling. To move successfully through the challenges, to
think more clearly and act more effectively, take a step back from them.
Give
yourself some perspective. And you'll see your way positively through.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004 -
Life's abundance
The more you fear failure, the more
of it you'll get. Attempting to avoid all possibility of loss is the surest way
to lose. Those things you try to hide and to hoard will quickly lose their
value. The best way to safeguard what you have is to put it to effective and
productive use.
Accomplishment
requires that you put yourself on the line. Yes, that does introduce the
possibility of failure, yet it also is what opens up the opportunity for
success.
Life
is yours to be lived, with richness, fullness, confidence and purpose. Your
many blessings exist to be put to use, not to be smugly or fearfully hidden
away. For what good is it to have anything if you're not willing to make use of
it? Instead of worrying about what you might lose, consider all that you can
accomplish.
The
more you make of life's abundance, the more of it there will be.
Monday, May 10, 2004 -
Nourishment of thought
The life you experience is
nourished by the thoughts you think. What kind of nourishment are your current
thoughts providing?
When
your thoughts are filled with fear, with criticism, with anger, worry and
selfishness, those are the things that will nourish you. You'll surely
experience disappointment, anxiety and unhappiness as a result.
Instead,
let thoughts of kindness, love, faith, hope and goodness fill your mind. You'll
be nourished by those thoughts into the experience of joy, happiness, good
health and achievement.
Imagine
how lousy you would feel if you ate a diet of nothing but junk food. Giving
your life a diet of nothing but negative, limiting thoughts can have the same
effect.
Thinking
does not make it so. Thinking provides you with the nourishment you need to
make it so. Make that nourishment of positive thoughts the best it can be. And
your life will benefit greatly.
Saturday, May 8, 2004 - Let
peace come
Peace is perfectly natural. All it
asks is that you let it fill your heart.
Yet
peace can become so deeply buried that you might forget it's there. Take a
moment, though, to dwell on peace, and it begins to rise within you.
The
world may seem to be filled with strife, anxiety, violence and confusion. Yet
peace endures, and is always close at hand.
Peace
is ready to be lived at any moment. Let it be, and it is with you. Let peace be
in you, and it will radiate out from you. Nourish peace within your heart, and
that peace will spread beyond you.
Instead
of being angry or resentful that others do not know peace, be thankful that you
can give it. And then lovingly let peace come from you.
Friday, May 7, 2004 - Give
your dream
What have you always wanted to do
with your life? Today you can actually begin to make it happen. What is your
most treasured dream? Now is the moment for bringing it to life.
But
isn't it selfish to follow your dream, when there are so many problems, so many
responsibilities to be met? No, it is not selfish at all. In fact, the selfish
thing to do is to hide your dream away and deny it life. In the process of
following your dream, you cannot help but add enormous value to the lives of
others.
The
things you deeply care about are there for a reason. They push you toward a
level of achievement that will benefit not only you, but all those around you.
Somewhere
deep within you is a dream, a vision for how life can be. Let this day be when
you begin to give it to the world.
Thursday, May 6, 2004 -
Firmly in control
If you could reverse the direction
of time, it might be useful to assign blame. Because blame is all about the
past. Yet time moves only forward. And no matter how precisely you analyze and
reconstruct the past, you won't be able to change what has already happened.
When
you truly desire to move forward, assigning blame won't do it. The way to move
positively ahead is to take responsibility.
The
situation in which you find yourself is yours, no matter how it came to be, no
matter who may be to blame. Life moves forward, so let your thinking and your
actions be focused in the same positive, productive direction.
From
this point on, your best strategy is to embrace responsibility. After all, the
person with the most vested interest in your future is you.
Take
responsibility, and you put yourself firmly in control.
Wednesday, May 5, 2004 -
Hold that thought
Many thoughts will cross your mind
today. Which ones will you hold there?
The
thoughts you hold most intensely are the ones that become real. The thoughts
you visualize most completely and most consistently will work to determine the
reality of your life.
As
thousands of thoughts fly through your mind today, pick the very best ones and
hold on to them. Give life to them, help them to grow stronger and more
influential.
For
you can choose which thoughts you hold, which thoughts you build upon, and
which ones you leave behind. That choice can make an enormous difference.
There
is a place where your thoughts live. It is the place where the rest of you will
be living soon. Make that place the best you can imagine. For you're on your
way there even now.
Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - Your
great fortune
You are so very fortunate. You are
alive and free to create value with your thoughts and actions. You are aware,
and able to adapt effectively when conditions change. You live in a world where
even the most difficult circumstances can bring great opportunities.
Perhaps
you don't feel so fortunate today. Perhaps events have not gone your way, maybe
not for a long time.
Yet
all that disappointment, including any disappointment with yourself, is now in
the past. The minute you let it go, it is gone. And you are left with the
opportunity to move forward, guided by the experience you've so dearly earned.
What greater fortune than this could you ever have?
See
your great fortune in this moment and run eagerly into its richness. Live fully
the life with which you're so fortunately blessed.
Monday, May 3, 2004 -
Peacefully on your way
Life can too often be hectic,
confusing and painfully noisy. If you listen just to the noise, and focus only
on the confusion, it can indeed be quite distressing.
It
pays to remember, now and again, that the noise and confusion are not what life
is all about. Sure they command your attention, but that doesn't make them
particularly meaningful.
Have
you ever noticed that people who always feel the need to shout rarely have
anything useful to say? On the other hand, those who whisper do so because what
they're saying has great importance.
The
events of each day are often the same way. The things that scream for your
attention rarely deserve very much of it.
When
you come face to face with something loud, urgent, insisting or demanding, get
in the habit of asking yourself this question. Is it really all that important?
If
it's not, then quickly dismiss it from your concerns. And go peacefully,
purposefully, positively on your way.
Saturday, May 1, 2004 -
Change forward
Sometimes, even when you give your
best to the effort, the results are not what you intended. Other times, factors
largely out of your control change the landscape in disappointing ways.
Every
day the world changes. Some of those changes bring pleasant surprises, others
bring unanticipated difficulties.
Fortunately,
just as surely as the world changes from day to day, year to year, you have the
ability to adapt. Change will always happen, and you will always have the
option of making the best of it.
It can
be frustrating when something beyond your control swoops down and ruins your
plans. Yet you can turn the energy of that frustration in a positive direction.
You
might be inclined to try to get even, to pay back an equal amount of damage and
disappointment to whomever or whatever has disappointed you. But that will not
bring you anything of value.
Instead
of getting even, resolve to get even further ahead when the changes come,
whatever they may be. See each change as the opportunity it is, and you'll find
a way for them all to pull you forward.
Friday, April 30, 2004 -
Savor life
As you do what you do, whatever it
may be, enjoy the moment you're in. Whether the day is bright or gloomy,
whether your surroundings are comfortable or coarse, there is always something
to savor.
Rather
than worrying too much about what is next, pay more attention to what is, here
and now. Instead of agonizing too much about what you can't change, marvel at
the possibilities of what you can do.
There
is beauty and wonder in every direction, if you'll simply take the opportunity
to see it. Every day, every situation, every person you encounter brings
something that will add richness to life.
Each
moment holds the prospect of a new experience. Eagerly drink in all of those
experiences, for in them you will find the fertile substance of life.
The
more earnestly you savor life, the more you will find to savor. In the
spectacular times and in the ordinary moments, there is always plenty to add to
the priceless treasure of experience.
Savor
life as quickly as it comes. And experience for yourself its overwhelming
abundance.
Thursday, April 29, 2004 -
Behind desire
Behind every desire is a deeper
desire. Behind the deepest of desires, you'll find the true identity of the person
you are.
If you
follow only the desires on the surface, without ever looking beneath them,
you'll likely come up empty. For knowing why is a key part of accomplishment.
If your desires are ever to be realized, you must question them. Know that
beneath each and every desire is a more profound, more fundamental purpose.
Perhaps
you are a slave to your desires, or perhaps you are shocked by your desires,
and maybe you're even fearful of them. Have you ever considered stepping back
and really examining them? They all exist for a reason. Knowing and following
those reasons can lead you to an undeniable sense of real and lasting
fulfillment.
Behind
your desires you'll find something even more compelling -- purpose. The more
often you bring that purpose to the surface, the more successfully your life
will proceed.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004 -
Momentum in your favor
Those who complain the most bring
upon themselves the most things about which to complain. Those who praise and
rejoice the most end up finding and experiencing the most things about which
they can rejoice.
Experience
is driven by expectations, and expectations are formed through experience. Once
you're on a particular path, whether positive or negative, it can become
largely self-perpetuating.
That's
the power of momentum. You enjoy a small accomplishment, and the positive
satisfaction it gives you sets you up for an even bigger and better
accomplishment, which further increases the positive momentum.
Small
things can make a big difference, because even the small things define the
direction of your momentum. When you're thankful and joyous about the modest
successes, they begin to build into bigger successes.
Because
negative momentum can be just as strong, it often takes a lot of effort to make
even the smallest move in a positive direction. Yet it is worth all the effort,
because even with that small move you have effectively turned the power of
momentum in your favor.
Once
momentum is moving in your direction, you begin to get more and more positive
results from each effort. Start small, get momentum working for you, and
there's no limit to how far you can go.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 -
Life's richness
Life's richness does not come as a
result of acquiring what you don't have. True richness comes from fully living
and making the most of the unique and valuable things you do have.
The
outward signs of success are neither the causes nor the essence of that
success. They are merely superficial, visible consequences. To see success only
as a pile of material possessions is to miss out on success altogether. The
substance of success and fulfillment can never be contained in mere artifacts.
You
are already wealthy beyond all measure. Your challenge now is to make
meaningful use of that immense good fortune. Let go of the illusion that
fulfillment is in the getting, the acquiring, the possessing. Rather, seek
fulfillment in the becoming and creating, in the living and giving.
True
value is not something you can ever confiscate from others. The value that will
bring richness to your life is the value you create.
Monday, April 26, 2004 - Give
this day a purpose
Don't be content to let the moments
of this day slip silently and uselessly away. Fill them with life and with
meaning.
Give
this day a purpose. And you'll transform it from a day merely to be endured
into one that will always be cherished.
Give
this day a purpose. And its richness, its value will stay with you long after
its time has ended. Make something useful and meaningful of the moments. Live
them in the service of a real and consequential purpose. This day is here and
now, and yours to live. Give to it a purpose, a reason, a true measure of
respect for the possibilities that come with it. Live this day by giving it a
purpose. And the best of its possibilities will be yours.
Saturday, April 24, 2004 -
Make room
There are times when it pays to be
certain, to be decisive. Yet there are also times when certainty can hold you
back.
When
you're certain that you know all there is to know, it prevents you from
exploring potentially valuable options. When you're certain of what does and
does not work, you could fail to take advantage of useful and workable creative
approaches.
It's
important to be decisive and persistent when you are certain of the track
you're on. It can be foolish, though, when you stubbornly stick to a position just
to prop up your own ego.
When
you can admit that you don't have all the answers, that makes you much more
able to get the best answers. When you acknowledge that you don't know it all,
it puts you in a position to learn much more.
Your
experience is truly valuable and can be extremely useful. Even so, there are
realities beyond your experience that can prove just as valuable, when you open
yourself up to them.
No
matter how much you've learned and experienced, there's always something
valuable that you don't know about yet. Open your mind and make room for it.
Friday, April 23, 2004 -
Positive initiative
A smile will give you something to
smile about. Just try it and see. Offer an encouraging word and suddenly you'll
have a reason to be encouraged. It works every time.
Be
positive and you'll have something to be positive about. Rather than waiting
and hoping that something good will come along, be the something good that
comes along.
You
always have the ability and the opportunity to change the world for the better
in your own special way. Every moment that goes by is a moment you can use to
move positively forward, when you choose to do so.
If the
day seems too dark, fill it with the light of your love and laughter. If life
seems too discouraging, give to it your positive energy.
The
situation is always ripe for someone to step forward with a positive
initiative. Be that someone, right here, right now, and see how great it can
be.
Thursday, April 22,
2004 - Living integrity
Practice integrity with those
things that don't really matter. And your integrity will shine brightly in the
things that matter most.
Integrity,
by very definition, cannot be turned on and off. True integrity is indivisible.
To be
able to act with integrity in any area of life, you must live with integrity at
all times, in all situations. Otherwise, you are merely attempting to imitate
integrity, and that is an exercise in futility.
Practice
integrity even when you're sure that no one else will ever know. That will
build in you a true, living integrity that does not need to be announced. Be
quick to forgive and slow to offend. For integrity has no use at all for
holding grudges.
Live
each moment with integrity, and make it who you always are. For a real, living
integrity can take you places you otherwise could never go.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004 -
Thoughts to reality
Imagine for a moment how it would
be if every time you thought of something it would suddenly become real. If
that were the case, upon what things would you focus your thoughts?
If you
knew for certain that thinking would instantly make it so, how would that
change the nature of your thoughts? Would you focus your thoughts on worry,
frustration, anger and resentment, or would those thoughts be more directed
toward the positive possibilities?
Of
course, you know that your thoughts do not instantly create your reality. Yet
those thoughts do indeed have a powerful influence on where your life leads.
For your actions are certainly guided by your thoughts. And the actions you
take do indeed have a major impact on your life and your world.
In
fact, the thoughts with which you most consistently fill your mind do
eventually become real. It just takes some time. So keep in mind what would
happen if your thoughts were to suddenly become real. Because one day, they
will be.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004 -
Ordinary magic
The ordinary moments are where life
comes to life. What you do with the ordinary moments can play a major role in
the way your life progresses.
If you
wait for something spectacular to happen before you begin to truly live, you
might be waiting a very long time. Instead, see the magic that is there in even
the most ordinary moments.
In the
ordinary moments you have the opportunity to fill life with substance and
meaning. In the ordinary moments you can move, step by persistent step, toward
whatever you wish to accomplish.
Most
of the ordinary moments are not memorable. Yet when you make full use of them
they will yield truly memorable results.
If it
were not for the ordinary moments, life would just be an empty shell. The
ordinary moments are where strength, resilience, integrity, persistence and
other essential values are given room to grow.
Today
you'll be richly blessed with some ordinary moments. Let their special magic
fill your life.
Monday, April 19, 2004 -
Truly best
It's easy to think that life is
unfair, and to lower your expectations accordingly. It's easy to find someone
or something to blame for your disappointments, and then to give up on moving
forward.
It's
easy to convince yourself that you can't, and to find plenty of perfectly valid
reasons for hiding away from life. But what does that really accomplish? It's
easy to settle for less than you know you can be. Yet doing so can often lead
to a terribly difficult and disappointing life.
The
easiest choices in the short term usually bring the most difficult consequences
in the long run. So the more you seek a life of ease, the more uncomfortable,
the more truly uneasy it becomes.
To
choose what is best, for yourself, for your world, is not usually the easiest
choice. To follow the path of what is best takes commitment, effort, some
discomfort and sacrifice.
Rather
than quickly jumping on the easiest choice, consider the long-term effects on
your precious and irreplaceable life. Look at the big picture, and you'll find
yourself choosing what is truly best.
Saturday, April 17, 2004 -
Dividing moment
This is the moment that divides the
past from the future. And this is the moment that you control. It's a powerful
place to be. What you do right now will determine what you carry from your past
into your future.
You
can choose to hold on to all the good, empowering things such as your
knowledge, your positive relationships, your wisdom and experience. And you can
choose to move beyond those things that have held you back, such as negative
habits and low expectations.
If
you've dragged yourself down, if you've held yourself back, now is your
opportunity to begin moving yourself forward. Now is the time when you can put
all your past experience, whatever it has been, to positive and productive use.
The
past does not equal the future, and right now is the moment that proves it.
Right now is a doorway through which you can carry those things that will bring
a brighter future.
See
this moment for all it is, and live it fully for all you can be.
Friday, April 16, 2004 -
Symptoms of happiness
When you are truly happy and
fulfilled, it will show. Be careful, though, not to confuse the symptoms of
happiness with happiness itself.
Happiness
shows itself in many ways. Remember, however, that those outward manifestations
are not the source of happiness.
The
signs of happiness you see in others are the results, not the cause of their
happiness. Chasing those same results in an attempt to bring happiness to your
own life is an empty pursuit.
Instead,
live each day with gratitude, with wonder, awe, love and kindness. Be happy,
without first requiring a reason to be.
And
the symptoms of happiness will begin to show in you. What's more, they'll be
real and meaningful, not just empty tokens.
Rather
than expecting happiness to come to you from the outside, let it come from you,
pouring forth from the inside. And delight in the joy your happiness creates.
Thursday, April 15, 2004 -
Give to this day
What can you give to this day?
There are a million possibilities to be of service, to be of value, to make a
difference.
Sure,
you're as busy as can be. Of course, your world is filled with complex,
complicated challenges. Yes, your time and resources are in short supply, and
it may seem that there's nothing left to give. Give anyway, and you'll find
that the very act of giving brings you even more with which to give.
Give a
smile, give a moment of your time, give a word of encouragement. Give a hand,
give a small bit of kindness, and watch it grow.
There
is nothing that can energize you more than knowing you're making a real
difference. Give of yourself, and there's suddenly even more of you to give.
Give
to this day. And you can make it the best one yet.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004 -
Pay the price
The sooner you pay the price, the
lower that price will be, and the more you'll receive in return. The more
willingly and gratefully you pay the price, the more quickly you'll realize the
benefits.
When
you attempt to gain value without paying the price, you'll end up paying even
more. Each effort you make to get something for nothing will just put you that
much farther behind.
What
you hoard, hide and hold back from life will only serve to hold you back.
Instead, be generous with your time, your spirit, your love and your efforts,
and life will be full indeed.
It is
truly a privilege to pay the price. For that is how value gets created. It is
truly a blessing to make the effort. For that is where fulfillment begins.
Step
forward with enthusiasm and pay the price. For you know how much value it will
surely bring.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004 -
Feelings flow
It's one thing to feel lousy. Yet
it's even worse to feel lousy about the fact that you feel lousy.
However,
when you can accept and welcome your feelings, both negative and positive,
those feelings lose their power over you. Stop fighting against your feelings,
simply let them flow, and all of those feelings can become more valuable.
Your
feelings are yours for a reason. They can tell you much about yourself and the
world around you. Yet when you become a hostage to your feelings, craving
certain ones and dreading certain others, even the pleasant feelings lose their
positive value. If you find yourself in that position, take a step back and
remember that your feelings are there to enhance your life, not to dominate it.
If you
try to fight against your feelings, you're merely giving them more power.
Instead, simply allow them to flow in, experience what they offer, and then let
those feelings flow on past.
Today
you'll move past a whole range of different feelings. Let them come, let them
go, and find real value in every one.
Monday, April 12, 2004 -
Along the way
Dream your big, grand, glorious
dreams, and follow them with all that you have. Yet take care not to let your
dreams get in the way of your living.
For
what good is it to reach your dreams if you do not fully live what you have,
what is right here and now? This is the moment that you are in, and there is
never any reason to postpone the richness of life.
The
dreams you have are great objectives toward which you can reach. And the real
value of them is in the process of reaching.
Now is
when you give true value to your dreams by the way you live and work toward
them. And now is when your dreams give value to you, with the inspiration and
direction they provide.
That's
why it is never too early and never too late to dream. It is never unrealistic
and never presumptuous, whatever your dreams may be.
Let
your most treasured dreams pull you forward. As you do, remember to experience
the richness and value of every moment along the way.
Saturday, April 10, 2004 -
What you make of it
The difference between a dreary day
and a beautiful one is mainly in what you make of it. The difference between an
impassable obstacle and a golden opportunity is primarily in what you make of
it.
Each
experience is largely raw and unformed until you actually experience it. Each
circumstance, each encounter with life is yours to make of it what you will.
Your
attitude is the filter through which the moments of your life are seen and
known and valued. What gets through to you and what does not, is largely up to
you.
Life
can be filled with unfairness and misery, or it can be full of invigorating
challenge and opportunities for achievement. So much depends on how you take
it, on what you make of what comes your way.
Some
have been blessed with every advantage, and end up with nothing to show for it
all. Others have been saddled with unimaginable burdens, and yet have risen to
magnificent heights.
As
this day plays out, whatever the moments may bring, make the choice to look
first for the positive possibilities. This day, this moment, this life is what
you make of it.
Friday, April 9, 2004 - Determined action
Those who actually solve problems
spend very little time complaining about them. Problems are turned into
opportunities not by complaining or blaming or endless analysis, but by
thoughtful and determined action.
When
you're busy solving a problem you're working to transform it from a negative to
a positive. When you merely complain, then you're investing yourself in
perpetuating the negativity of that problem.
Complaining
is easy, and it usually just worsens the situation. Taking positive action is
indeed the more challenging course, for it involves effort and commitment.
Taking
action requires you to make real-life decisions, to look at the tradeoffs and
to weigh the value of different options. When you take action, you must be
willing to put yourself on the line.
For
the results are not going to be perfect, and there is always the possibility of
failure. When that happens you learn from it and make another, more informed,
more determined effort.
Commit
to taking thoughtful, persistent action. And it will take you where you want to
go.
Thursday, April 8, 2004 -
Wind against your face
The faster you move forward, the
more intensely you'll feel the wind against your face. The more progress you
make, the more resistance you're likely to encounter.
When
the challenges become more formidable, it's because you've become strong enough
to handle them. Failure rarely meets much opposition. Success, on the other
hand, is often challenged at every turn.
When
you're meeting up with resistance, it's because you're having an effect. That's
one of the strongest signals you could ever receive to keep on keeping on.
Achievement does not come easy. That's why it is so celebrated and valuable.
Each
challenge serves to further prove the value of your pursuit and the depth of
your strength. Persist and endure, for the challenges confirm that you are
already making it happen.
Wednesday, April 7, 2004 -
Untapped value
Go a little bit beyond what you
know you can do, and you'll discover you can do more. Go a little bit beyond
what is comfortable for you, and your horizons will begin to expand.
Get
away from the routine, and you'll start to see the world more clearly. Give
more than what's expected, and you'll find you can expect more from yourself.
Stretch
yourself, and feel yourself becoming more flexible, more capable, more
confident and effective. Question yourself, challenge yourself, and become more
aware of who you truly are.
Life
can move quickly ahead when you decide to move ahead with it. Yet if you
persist in standing still, you'll end up falling behind.
There
is immense untapped value in your life that is eager to be unleashed. Give a
little more, go a little beyond, rise to greater and greater challenges, and
you'll bring that untapped value to the surface.
There
is far more to you than you know. Let it all come to life.
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 -
Annoyed no more
Life is too precious to spend it
being annoyed. The sooner you move past being annoyed, the better each moment
will be.
If you
find something annoying and it's something you can change, then quickly take
the necessary steps to make it better. Redirect the negative energy of your
annoyance into making a useful and positive contribution to life.
When
something annoys you that you cannot do anything about, let yourself rise above
it. There's no point in wasting your time and energy being concerned with it.
You
can choose to be annoyed by something, and you can just as easily choose not to
let it get to you. Annoyance is nothing more than a reaction, one that is under
your complete control.
When
you become annoyed, it distracts you and can cast everything in a negative
light. Once your annoyance has gotten your attention, there is no good reason
for it to continue.
One
way or another, quickly move whatever annoys you. Be free to focus on those
good and valuable things that truly matter.
Monday, April 5, 2004 -
Golden day
There will come a day when you'll
finally decide that you're ready to live up to your full potential. There will
come a moment when you will no longer settle for less than you know you're
capable of achieving.
There
will come a time when you'll no longer be satisfied with making excuses and
rationalizations. There will come a time when your desire to move forward will
outweigh your fear of the unknown.
There
will come a time when the search for empty pleasures will seem silly compared
to the pursuit of real achievement. One day you'll realize that everything you
do makes a difference, and you'll put that incredible power to valuable use.
There
is really no reason to put that golden day off any longer. There is every
reason to go ahead and make it happen for you. You were born to do great
things, to create much value, to make a real difference. The longing and
frustration you feel is a constant reminder, so listen to what it has to say.
Your
life can be as full as you are ready to make it. Now is the day to make it
great.
Saturday, April 3, 2004 -
Decisive
A decision is nothing more than a
wish until you act on it. The more quickly you act on the decisions you make,
the more powerful and effective those decisions will be.
Every
moment you wait before taking action makes that action less and less likely.
The moment you decide is the moment to start putting real substance behind your
decision.
Give
power to your choices by giving them your efforts. Even if the first step is
small, take it right away. For your actions will create momentum. Once momentum
is on your side, you greatly increase your success rate.
Being
truly decisive means more than just making decisions. It means making a
commitment to see them through. That takes action. And the sooner it starts,
the more power it has.
Friday, April 2, 2004 -
Letting go
Letting go of discouragement is no
more difficult than holding on to it. And letting go is so much more
empowering.
It
takes an enormous amount of time, energy and attention to remain bitter or
angry or disillusioned. Let it go and move on ahead. Whatever has happened is a
matter of history. Whatever is to come is a matter of choice.
Now is
when you make that choice. Now is when you can decide to stop giving your
energy to what is past and start making the most of what will be.
Freedom
is much, much closer than you might think. Imagine being free of the things
that hold you back. It takes so little effort to let them fall gently away from
you. And be free to truly live.
Thursday, April 1, 2004 -
Positive outlook
The best time to put yourself in a
positive frame of mind is when you don't feel like it. That's when it can make
the biggest difference. But how do you do that? How do you get yourself up when
circumstances have you down?
You
simply decide that you're going to do what's best for you. And what's best for
you is to move positively, confidently forward.
No,
you may not feel like it at the moment, when things are not going your way. But
ask yourself a simple question. Would you like to make things better or would
you prefer to make things worse? If circumstances are not to your liking, why
would you want to prolong them for even a single moment more?
The
more negative you feel, the more reason you have to quickly get yourself into a
positive frame of mind. It will truly and reliably work wonders.
Ambition
Ambition is a word that asks you to take inventory of your dreams
and the goals that you set for yourself.
Ambition is the drive behind the dream, the action used to move
you towards your goals. We often talk
ourselves out of our dreams. We insist that we are not "smart
enough, talented enough, pretty enough, lucky enough etc." to do what we
are truly passionate about doing.
Ambition must be powered by faith in both yourself and your higher
power. It must be fed with positive
affirmations and with persistent action.
Cultivate habits that help you work towards your destiny.
For example, if you are an aspiring writer or artist, get in the
habit of devoting at least 15 minutes a day to your craft. This action keeps you motivated and keeps
your goals within your grasp. No matter what your goal, use positive
affirmations and daily action to keep you moving forward.
Today's exercise
Make a list of positive
affirmations to keep you motivated. Prepare an action plan that allows you to
work towards your goals for at least a few minutes each day.
Blessings
Blessing is a Power Word that deals with learning to make the most
of what we have been given.
Learn to focus on the Blessings you have right now at this moment.
Don't think about the "stuff" you don't have, or what
you feel is lacking.
It is true that where thoughts go so does your energy.
Those who stay focused on their blessings make room for more of
them to flow in.
By taking less for granted we enjoy the whole of our lives more.
Those who take the pessimists view receive more negativity in
feelings of loss, lack, and fear because that is where their thoughts and
energy are directed. Need some more blessings in your life?
Focus on the ones you already have.
Tomorrow's Exercise
Right now, before moving on further name 20 things you are blessed
with right now at this very moment.
Write them down if you are able.
Focus on these 20 things for the rest of your day.
When your thoughts start to turn to what you don't have, pull them
back to your 20 blessings, add to them as you are able.
See how deeply enriched you feel at the end of this day.
Repeat as necessary.
Calm
Calm is a word that speaks of finding our center, the place within
our being where external conditions do not affect our true spirit.
We have all heard of the phrase "eye of the storm", the
center of solitude and calm in the midst of the chaos of nature's furies.
Each of us also has a place of calm centered deep within our
being, the place at the heart of us that
is always tranquil despite outer conditions.
Those who practice meditation/relaxation techniques work to access
this place of peace.
Many struggle with life's upheavals and "storms" without
knowing how to find that center which allows us
to make more informed decisions and choices, free from the
whirlwinds of thoughts and emotion.
Today's word reminds us that mastering our world involves finding
our place of peace, that silent center that is our connection to our source and
to the Universe. True power lies in this silent center, and not in struggling
against the forces of nature & external circumstance.
Day after tomorrows Exercise
Reflect on methods that you can use to help you find your center.
Take up a new activity that is relaxing and grounding: breathing techniques, meditations,
journaling, gardening, walking in nature are
just a few practices that can help restore a sense of connection
and inner peace.
We are close
to ticking off months of and a year plus in the midst of the worst
times humankind has witnessed in over
years. How many of us can really claim that we have fulfilled our
purpose?
Mother
Teresa quoted, Life is a promise; fulfil it.
Can we look
at what we can do.
Let's fulfil
our life’s promise by lending a smile to all those who may have a hard time
finding one of their own.
Let's
radiate our good intentions, show that we care. This way, we will enrich our
own spirit and those we encounter.
Point to Ponder:
The promise
of life can only be fulfilled through our own actions. That is the power we
have. If we decide to give in to misery, mean-spiritedness, or tedium, we will
dread our circumstances, and the fulfilment of life’s promise will be bleak.
If we decide
to be courageous, loving, and mindful, we will enjoy every step of the journey,
and the fulfilment of life’s promise will be grand!
We are the
sculptors of our life, and we can create either a beautiful sculpture of
togetherness by showing that we care, or a desolate monument filled with
egotistical “I”-ness.
If we make
the promise; we had better fulfil it.
When In
Doubt, Risk It
A blind man
had been waiting a while at a busy road for someone to offer to guide him
across, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Excuse me," said the tapper,
"I'm blind - would you mind guiding me across the road?"
The first
blind man took the arm of the second blind man, and they both crossed the road.
Apparently,
this is a true story.
The first
blind man was the jazz pianist George Shearing.
He commented
on this incidence "What could I do? I took him across and it was the
biggest thrill of my life."
Moral: There
are times when we think we cannot do something and so do not stretch or take a
risk.
Being forced
to stretch and take a risk can often help us to reduce our dependencies (on
others, or our own personal safety mechanisms), and to discover new excitement
and capabilities.
It's the
first day of the sixth month.
Let us Pray
everything get well soon.
The Hero
In the wake
of Chicago's worst ever winter, when all of the rooftops were loaded, many
overloaded with snow, Mr. Robert McGrath saw his wife run out to the
backyard garage to fetch some boxes.
Seconds
later, he heard the crash. Looking out, he saw the roof of the garage had
caved in. McGrath did not stop for his hat or coat; he immediately ran
from the house, grabbed a snow shovel, and called out for the neighbours
to help.
Yelling and
digging, with sweat freezing on his face, throwing snow and pulling away boards,
he heard her voice and then saw her hand. He kept digging, throwing, and
pulling. Within minutes, he had his wife in his arms and was sobbing
"Are you all right? Are you all right? I thought you were hurt, I
love you so much honey."
She was
fine.
What Mr.
McGrath did not know was this:
Mrs. McGrath
had gone into the garage through one door and out through another one. She
was safe in the house when she looked
out and saw
her husband digging, shouting orders, and throwing planks of wood
feverishly trying to rescue her. She could not let her gallant rescuer
down, so she put her coat on again and went outside and quietly entered
the garage through the back door jumping over the wrecked planks of wood
and allowed her husband to be her hero.
Coming to
where we are and today...
In the wake
of the pandemic, none of know exactly what's happening to whom, whose house is
collapsing with the main pillar falling or the emotional pillar
crumpling.
Peoples
lives are getting blown like plastic in strong winds. People are literally
gasping for breath to be alive and to pay the debts back being alive.
It is in
times that try people that heroes are born.
There are
many for sure, some doing what they can very silently in every
possible way, some publicly announce what they do, some more get noticed and
they talk about them.
All in all,
there's still so much more to be done.
Be assured,
this too shall pass
Golden
Memories...
It's these
days of June...!!!
This is that
wonderful time when several years back, the most exciting things of our lives
used to happen.
School used
to re-open.
For a brief
moment, just think of it all and try, if you can to visualize those days.
The
excitement of new uniforms, new bag, new books.
The end of
an exciting vacation, with a tinge of sadness.
A bit of
anxiety on the first day of another academic school year.
The
unforgettable smell from the pages of new books.
New
subjects.
New
teachers.
New sitting
positions of a class.
And the most
exciting was to welcome our best friends in the class.
The sight of
our secret 'crush' after a long gap.
The pouring
rains outside.
The shopping
for raincoat.
Everything
around us freshend up.
Lush green.
Cold and
pleasant.
Wasn't it
the most beautiful period of our lives.
It can never
return...!!!
But you can
always close your eyes for a moment, and try to relive it.
And don't
forget to experience the same through the kidz heart.
Wishing
everyone a 'nostalgic' June...!!! and praying that our children, grandchildren
and the generations to come enjoy these things.
Proxemics is
the study of the impact that distance has on human behaviour. Although subtle,
it exrts a very powerful influence. So what's the distance that needs to be
maintained? It all depends on the equations with person/s concerned. That
choice is purely individual.
(Please see
the graphic below).
Ever
wondered why the police always want to squelch mob/s?
Members of a
packed mob find themselves in an intimate space but in a n agitatated and/or
negative state of mind, hence anger is whipped up and high.
Context
makes a difference too. As a culture, the Japanese don't hug and yet easily put
up with being packed together in a subway train. In New York is is directly
opposite, they like hugging but dislike people standing close to each other,
it's ditto with Londoners too.
So the next
time you either feel comfortable or uncomfortable around somebody, just give
this a thought and assess yourself.
The 212°
Effort.
At 212°
water boils,
At 212 ° it
becomes steam. It becomes powerful enough to power a locomotive.
Just that 1°
extra, makes the difference between static and motion.
What will
adapting 212° aspects to our life?
What
should/can/will you do?
Indulge your
good side.
You see the
opportunity.
You are
aware.
But you're
busy and will say,
“I need to
be somewhere, doing something, otherwise I'd help.”
“Someone
else will do it.”
“Someone
else will pick it up.”
“Someone
else can handle it.”
“It's not my
responsibility.”
Giving up
all these excuses and with just that ° more, adopting the ° Approach
A person
struggles.
You help.
A door needs
to be opened. You open it.
A piece of
trash is in your path.
You pick it
up and throw it away.
A child
needs some extra attention.
You give it
to them.
A job needs
to be completed.
You do it.
Allowing one
less opportunity of service or kindness to fall to the wayside each week due to
laziness or indifference will add acts
of inspiration to your year.
Push it to
two a week and you add more than . Imagine the possibilities.
° Commitment
Indulge your
good side once more each week.
Mood Nudges
for all...
In times
like we are going through, I have found many people twitchy, reactive,
shortfused and also people who choose to be silent, glum and immersed as if in
deep thought.
We are all
sailing through a storm in individual boats. Each one experiences it in their
own way. Its a big variety out there. The prayer though is let's be sailing and
safely too.
Here I share
some simple mood nudges that we can choose to nourish ourselves abundantly :
• Think
about three things you are grateful for or, even better, write them down.
• Remind
yourself of something bigger which you
are a part of – a movement, a community, a team, a family, a faith.
• Hugging is
a thing of the past...alternatively....
• Speak to
someone you love – it helps release oxytocin, a hormone that is reported to
relieve stress, reduce social fears, relieve pain and promote trust, relaxation
and compassion.
• Write down
something about yourself that makes you proud.
• Tell
someone else why you are proud of them.
• Exercise –
get those endorphins moving.
• Get
outdoors and stock up on Vitamin D when the sun is out.
• Listen to
music that lifts your mood.
• Learn
something new.
• Do
something just for the fun of it – no targets, no achievement, just have fun.
• Give
someone a compliment.
• Give
yourself a compliment.
• Perform a
random act of kindness.
• Give
someone something – a gift, a lift, a smile,
your full attention.
• Eat well.
• Make an internal
commitment to yourself and honour it. It could be something as simple as take
the stairs, smile at someone, turn off your phone or go to bed early and well
before midnight.
• Remind
yourself you are enough.
Simple acts
with terrific emotional impact.
Its
magical...
The
Dragonfly Model
(Focus +
GET)
The
dragonfly is the only insect which can propel itself in any direction-with
tremendous speed and force-when its four wings are working in concert.
This
ancient, exotic, and benign creature illuminates the importance of integrated
effort.
It also
demonstrates that small actions can create big movements.
Dragonfly
Effect is the elegance and efficacy of people who, through the passionate
pursuit of their goals, discover that they can make a positive impact
disproportionate to their resources.
A dragonfly
travels with speed and directionality only when all four of its wings are moving in harmony.
Metaphorically,
then, the central body of the dragonfly should embody the heart and soul of the
concept or person you are aiming to help.
The
Dragonfly Effect relies on four distinct wings; when working together, they
achieve remarkable results.
Focus.
Identify a
single concrete and measurable goal.
+
Grab
Attention.
Make someone
look. Cut through the noise of social
media with something personal, unexpected, visceral, and visual.
Engage.
Create a
personal connection, accessing higher emotions through deep empathy,
authenticity, and telling a story.
Engaging is
about empowering the audience to care enough to want to do something themselves.
Take Action.
Enable and
empower others to take action. To make action easy, you must prototype, deploy,
and continuously tweak
tools,
templates, and programs designed to move audience members from being customers
to becoming team members-in other words, furthering the cause and the change
beyond themselves.
Today's
students may not even know that the alphabet of Indian languages is full of
science. Each letter of the alphabet is
logical and placed sequentially with precise calculations. Such a scientific view is not ingrained in
the alphabet of other foreign languages.
E.g. See: क ख ग घ ઙ - This
group of five is called kanthavya because the sound comes out of the throat
while pronouncing this. Try pronouncing.
च छ ज ज ઞ - These
five are called palate because the tongue will feel palate while pronouncing
this. Try pronouncing.
ट ठ ड ઢ ण - These
five are called Murdhanya because while pronouncing this the tongue will feel
Murdhanya. Try pronouncing.
त थ द ध न - This
group of five is called Dantavya because the tongue touches the teeth while
pronouncing this. Give it a try
प फ ब भ म - This
group of five is called Aushthavya because both the lips meet to pronounce
this. Give it a try
Any other language in the world has such a
scientific approach? We need pride for
our Indian languages but at the same time let us know why and let the world
know.
Good News Or
Bad?
Robert De
Vincenzo, the great Argentine golfer, once won a tournament and, after
receiving the check and smiling for the cameras, he went to the clubhouse and
prepared to leave. Some time later, he walked alone to his car in the parking
lot and was approached by a young woman.
She
congratulated him on his victory and then told him that her child was seriously
ill and near death. She did not know how she could pay the doctor's bills and
hospital expenses.
De Vincenzo
was touched by her story, and he took out a pen and endorsed his winning check
for payment to the woman. "Make some good days for the baby," he said
as he pressed the check into her hand.
The next
week he was having lunch in a country club when a Professional Golf Association
official came to his table. "Some of the boys in the parking lot last week
told me you met a young woman there after you won that tournament." De
Vincenzo nodded.
"Well,"
said the official, "I have news for you. She's a phony. She has no sick
baby. She's not even married. She fleeced you, my friend."
"You
mean there is no baby who is dying?" said De Vincenzo.
"That's right," said the official.
"That's the best news I've heard all
week." De Vincenzo said and added, "She did what she knows best, I
did what I do best, let's put the incident ti rest. Let this not deprive
someone of their genuine need, for all aren't the same."
You can
complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have
roses.
Grief and
Pain are Inevitable.
Courage to
overcome the loss in quick time is a challenge.
Lamenting
and brooding over is not at all an option. Enduring the pain is maturity.
Allowing it
to continue is a sickness.
We do have
Grieving Incidents at work.
You could be
a "Unicorn," at times or next best a "Stallion." Else you
are a pony, not a zebra. Worst is when you become a donkey - beast of burden.
All are
realities.
At times
they're inevitable.
Good to be
aware of them.
. Becoming a
"small fish," in a large pond.
When a
company gets acquired by a larger company, the employees of the smaller company
are made to feel this in the name of process and culture.
Another
example is an entrepreneur going back to work in an organization.
.
Organization structure changes.
People and
departments get constantly organized and reorganized. People and physical
locations get shunted off to different buildings with poor conditions as their
project ceases to matter. Everyone puts up s brave face and says, "We are
fine, thank God we are there still, we can't ask for more." Their grief of
lost opportunities lingers, their contributions are hardly ever recalled.
They'd have been stars in the years gone by.
. Projects
and people are ignored.
Business can
move fast and break things, but, many of these abandoned projects shatter
dreams and promises, changes trajectory of career paths. When people stop
getting invited to meetings where once upon
time you were the first. At that time line makes up by saying,
"Thank God, I have one less meeting to attend." This grief is often
invisible until someone notices the feelings and tears of humiliation. The pain
of being ignored and devalued is a part of every workplace and also in the walk
of life, but the grief it generates is real.
. Victim of
office politics.
People are
promised rewards if the achieve stiff targets and goals or when the go ahead of
expected levels, but, office politics, people equations deflects the reward to
someone else (deserving, not deserving, highly connected etc.), has a hand.
When the CEO
changes the power structure there's grief. When other departments are reviewed,
except yours, there's hurt, humiliation and grief.
We grieve
alone because we fear being seen as petty if we say, "It hurts."
This share
this my personal experiences.
I have been
through all these situations listed that has made me become, "A tough as
nails, character and that has led me to become steely in my outlook.
At times
like these, think of the seed. It gets buried in the soil, dark and alone, but
never lets its self belief sink.
It endures
it all despite being cramped and sprouts tearing open the earth's surface one
day, to reach the skies, when it's time comes. This is the story of every
banyan tree, neem tree, coconut palm, a pipal tree and a oak you see.
The
foundation of my house have been strengthened by the bricks others have thrown
at me. I have raised the walls of my house with the bricks others through at
me. One day, one some day, I put a ceiling on it all. It became a house filled
with joy and happiness that even those who threw stones and bricks at me want
to come to for their mental peace is now scattered if not shattered.
Self-Esteem
leads to Self-Belief and that leads to Self Confidence.
Learning -
Growing - Applying Learning - Working Hard - Working Smartly, Grabbing
Opportunities, Creating Opportunities and capitalizing on them is the way to go
forward.
A MILE
Most
Important Lesson Essayed
The
following story is told by Anne Cutchings.
During my
second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz.
I was a
conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the
last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the
school?"
Surely, this
was some kind of joke.
I had seen
the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her s, but
how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
blank.
Just before
class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz
grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor.
"In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say
'hello'."
I've never
forgotten that lesson.
I also
learned her name was Dorothy.
Moral: When
you learn about big things in the world, don't forget to learn about the
important little things as well.
Getting to
know a person humanely and genuinely adds value to our life.
Story
Telling
The moment
we get up in the morning, our mind starts ticking. A dialogue happens, a story
is narrated and the day is set into motion. Throughout the time we are awake we
share thoughts, we seek information,
communicate to inform to influence. All this if one puts it in context, the one who conveys well, the
one who tells well, sells well - be it an idea or a product...
The secret
is to Master the Narrative (Internally and Externally).
Stories are
the vehicles that share information, communicate perspective, and accentuate
influence.
They make
things understandable, actionable, memorable, and engaging.
When stories
connect, they invite investment in thought, feeling and performance.
They teach
and shape performance.
Effective
stories engage, entertain, educate, excite, and energize.
It can help
you progress enormously in life.
They have
purpose, pace, form, and structure.
Stories get
better with detail.
Here's an
exercise
) Think
of stories that have impacted you.
They’ve been
formative and memorable.
Typically,
these are in narratives friends have shared, films, books and/or music.
Why have
these had such a significant effect?
a.
b.
c.
) Write your
own story. Refer to the C’s.
Craft it
purposefully and with feeling.
Focus on
your struggles and victories.
Writing your
narrative in terms of past, present and future serves to improve your empathy
and self-awareness.
It is an
exercise in self-expression and understanding.
Come back
and edit it often.
Feel free to
amplify.
Most heard
words since April -2020, 1000's of times
everyday.
Pandemic
COVID-; coronavirus; -nCoV;
Zoom
novel
coronavirus;
disruption;
creative
innovation;
creative
disruption; disruptive leadership;
disruptive
leader;
digital
leader;
digital
leadership,
disruptive
digital leader; disruptive innovation;
crisis
leadership;
VUCA;
Fourth
Industrial Revolution; Industry .;
digitalization;
digital
transformation; digital transformation culture;
cognitive
readiness;
critical
thinking; next-generation leaders; next-gen leadership;
future
leaders;
high
potentials;
leadership
pipeline;
leading for
the future;
future of
work
The Farmer -
The Boy and the Pup.
A farmer was
busy hammering a notice board on the edge of his fields that read "Pups
For Sale."
A boy
passing by asked the farmer pulling out ₹ from his
pocket, if he would get to buy a pup to buy for that money.
The farmer
shook his head as if in disgust said, "No."
The boy
pleaded with the farmer that he at least shows him the pups.
The farmer
consented as whistled - the furry little pups about came running slowly out of which one was
walking with a limp and falling, and rising, trying to run.
The boy
showed that pup and asked the farmer if he would sell it to him.
The farmer
laughed and said, "Why would you go and buy that limpy fragile dog which
can hardly stand by itself or walk by itself?"
The boy
pulled up his trousers and showed the farmer his legs (one of which was an
artificial one made of steel). The boy went on to add "I can empathize,
you know, what that little pup, can be going through and therefore I can look
after it well too.
A farmer was
busy hammering a notice board on the edge of his fields that read "Pups
For Sale."
A boy
passing by asked the farmer pulling out ₹ from his
pocket, if he would get to buy a pup to buy for that money.
The farmer
shook his head as if in disgust said, "No."
The boy
pleaded with the farmer that he at least shows him the pups.
The farmer
consented as whistled - the furry little pups about came running slowly out of which one was
walking with a limp and falling, and rising, trying to run.
The boy
showed that pup and asked the farmer if he would sell it to him.
The farmer
laughed and said, "Why would you go and buy that limpy fragile dog which
can hardly stand by itself or walk by itself?"
The boy
pulled up his trousers and showed the farmer his legs (one of which was an
artificial one made of steel).
The farmer
was choked to see what he saw - the boy had just one foot, yet he was full of energy and full of life.
The boy went
on to add "I can empathize, you know, what that little pup, can be going
through and therefore I can look after it well too."
The farmer
was moved beyond words. He turned
emotional and told the boy he could take the pup free under one
condition and that was - the boy will visit him once in six months with the pup
so that he could see both of them developing.
This story
is a lesson on Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Quotient and Emphathy of the
highest order.
Gratitude?
What it
is...!
Gratitude is
a personality trait, a mood, and an emotion. As an emotion,
gratitude is a feeling of happiness that comes from
appreciation. While in a grateful mood, grateful emotions are
more likely be present. Those with a more grateful personality are
more likely to experience grateful moods and emotions.
Gratitude is
a spontaneous feeling but, increasingly, research demonstrates its value as a
practice—that is, making conscious efforts to count one's blessings. Studies
show that people can deliberately cultivate gratitude—and there are important
social and personal benefits to doing so. It is possible to feel grateful for
loved ones, colleagues, animals, nature, and life in general. The emotion
generates a climate of positivity that both reaches inward and extends outward.
Imagine you
have to attend a parent-teacher meeting at your child’s school. But your
manager informs you that you have to meet a client for a sales pitch. Around the
time when you start panicking, your colleague steps up to fill in for you.
Their kindness will leave you with a feeling of appreciation.
You’re
filled with gratitude when you’re thankful for someone’s help or just their
presence in your life. This could be toward your employer who retained you even
when the organization was suffering or a friend who sent you a care package
when you were feeling lonely.
In positive
psychology, gratitude is well researched as a feeling of strong happiness. It’s
a positive emotion that is derived from a healthy mindset. It makes you more
resilient and motivates you to achieve your goals. It’s also what connects you
with people in your life. We may not always say it explicitly, but there are
many times when we’re thankful for something or someone.
Every time
you say a sincere ‘thank you’ to someone, it’s a form of gratitude. It’s
synonymous with appreciation, acknowledgment and respect.
Think about
a time when someone helped you in a crisis, listened to you when you were feeling
low or gave you a shoulder to cry on. You feel positive about people who help
you and who are there for you. This can help you strengthen your relationships
with the people you surround yourself with.
Gratitude
can be expressed in multiple ways. You don’t always have to say you’re
thankful. Sometimes a smile or a handshake can do the trick. For many people,
praying is the highest form of gratitude and for others, it’s more tangible
like receiving a present or a thoughtful letter.
Many times
we are advised to “count our blessings”, which is a conscious method of
appreciating the things you have. What we might have, someone else can only
hope for or vice versa. There’s no one-size-fits-all way to live in this world.
So, you have to acknowledge what you have and make the best of it.
Some of the
things that are considered blessings are a roof over our head, food on our
plate and clothes on our back; these are basic human needs. Being thankful for
these necessities will make you happier and more satisfied in life.
Why Is
Gratitude Important?
Gratitude is
important if you want to nurture relationships with your friends and family,
cultivate a habit of saying thanks where it’s due and adopt a positive mindset.
Many of us
think of a distant future and the ideal situation where we’ll be happy. We
think “If I can have a bigger house, I’ll be happier” or “If I can move to
another country, I’ll finally be happy”. But happiness can be found even in the
present. It’s the little things like going out with friends, traveling or
listening to your favourite music.
A feeling
of gratitude helps you appreciate the things you have rather than
focusing on what you don’t.
This isn’t
to say that you shouldn’t be aspirational but it’s important to remember that
the grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. If you can answer
why you want something, you won’t struggle with how you’re going to achieve it.
The
importance of gratitude in life is best understood with this quote by the
ancient Greek philosopher, Epicurus, “Do not spoil what you have by desiring
what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things
you only hoped for.”
Sometimes
when you want more, you forget to appreciate what you already have. It’s
important to pause and acknowledge what you’ve achieved, give thanks and make a
conscious effort to be happy.
How To
Develop Gratitude In Life
Gratitude
isn’t always an innate feeling but a choice you make. This can be developed
over time. There are many ways to develop gratitude in your daily life. Here
are some ways to nudge you in the right direction:
Say ‘Thank
You’
This is the
most overlooked and the easiest way to express your gratitude. Say thank-you to
your parents, your friends and everyone who helps you even in the smallest
way.
Acknowledging
your co-workers is also important because it can help you build a strong
rapport with your managers, peers and juniors. Send a thank-you note or an
email at the end of a meeting or a conversation to appreciate their time. Make
an effort to recognize what others do for you.
Acknowledge
Other People’s Efforts
Sometimes
when people do things for us, we tend to take it for granted. For instance, the
people we overlook the most are our parents. Even when your mother hands you a
glass of water, you should convey that you’re thankful for her effort.
At work, if
a close colleague helps you with your tasks, expressing your appreciation will
strengthen your relationship.
You should
go out of your way to acknowledge their effort because if you don’t convey it
in some way, they’ll never know that you are grateful for their help.
Develop A
Positive Mindset
Starting
your morning on a positive note will change the course of your day. If you want
to be happy, you have to make certain decisions that lead you on that path. You
may think it’s easier said than done. But what if we start building ourselves
up instead of putting ourselves down?
Many people
turn to daily affirmations as a way to cultivate a positive mindset. Some of
these affirmations are:
- There’s
nothing I can’t do
- I am my
own person
- The
possibilities are
endless
- I am
enough
Tell
yourself that you’re in a good place and you’ve got what it takes no matter the
circumstances!
Accept
Yourself
The moment
you start building yourself up, you’ll learn to accept who you are. For your
personal growth, you have to care for yourself and be grateful for the person
you’ve become. Before you can start to appreciate others, you have to
appreciate your own efforts. You’ve worked hard to get where you are and
reminding yourself of that is just as important. You don’t have to prove
yourself to anyone but yourself. Only you need to know how hard you’ve worked!
Volunteer
And Give Back
Give back to
society to share your gratitude with others. Philanthropy is an empathetic way
to help others and make their lives better. You should try to support a cause
you believe in—whether it’s to protect the Amazon rainforest or a green
initiative in India. Not only is this immensely satisfying but it also helps
you realize that the world is much larger than you anticipated. Many business
leaders like Azim Premji and Warren Buffett have dedicated a portion of their
wealth to charity to give back to society.
Examples Of
Gratitude
There are
many examples of gratitude that you might feel in your everyday life.
Here are a few:
- Being
thankful to the
person who cooked for you
- Being
thankful for your
good health
-
Appreciating the person
who cleans your house
-
Acknowledging your junior
at work for taking the
initiative to ease your
workload
- Being
grateful to yourself
for your financial
independence
- Being
thankful to your
friends for a memorable
birthday celebration
- Being
thankful for the life
lessons you’ve learned
from other people
- Being
thankful for your
teachers and mentors for
their support and guidance
- Being
thankful for having a
reason to smile every day
- Being
thankful for the
luxury of choice and having
the autonomy to make
critical life decisions
Conclusion
If you’re
here, you’ve taken the first step toward appreciating your life. You’re already
on your way to success. It takes a deep sense of self to realize your place in
the world without simply going through the motions. We could spend hours at
work or while away time at home. But if you can take a moment to appreciate
everything you have, you can approach life with a positive mindset.
The Milo of
Croton – Start Small and Never Give up.
Croton(e) is
a small town in Southern Italy, which was also a Greek colony in the ancient
times (th century BC).
The last big
name of Croton was the best renowned wrestler in antiquity named Milo. Milo of
Croton was an Olympic winner six times in a row.
He also won
many other prestigious athletic titles, including wrestling competitions, and achieved an
important military triumph for his hometown.
He decided
to carry a new born calf on his shoulders. Day by day, for more than four
years, he carried an animal on his shoulders.
While people
were laughing at him, the small calf slowly grew into an adult ox and Milo got
stronger and stronger along the way.
What an
awesome idea! Every day, when Milo woke up, he lifted the calf, put it on his
shoulders and carried it around all day. After four years, Milo was lifting and
carrying around an impressively big ox. By then, people stopped laughing a long
time ago, when they saw Milo’s muscles and strength grow.
Whereas the
other people were just laughing and tried to lift an adult ox. Ultimately, they
failed and could never extend their strength.
The main
lessons for us from his training:
In the beginning, people will laugh at you,
especially if you take innovative approaches.
Always start
small and be consistent. Slowly progress to bigger challenges and make sure you
never give up.
E-Bank
Account
Am sure you
are thinking it is an Elctronic Bank Account!
Am afraid it
is not!
This is an
account which begins with our parents who teach us how to make deposits into
the account.
Later when
we go to school, then higher and higher studies etc., apart from teaching, our
teacher and all other around, teach us to make such deposits. Our friends do it
too and expect we would help them as well.
We all have
this account, only a few are - consciously aware, though. Only those who are
aware make deposits, hardly withdraw ever.
This is the
concept that our interactions with others make deposits, or take withdrawals.
Unlike a
bank where you may only have one or two accounts, we have an emotional bank
account with each person we come in contact with, especially those that we have
a relationship with.
We make deposits in each other’s Emotional Bank
Accounts, the following ways:
Keeping
Promises
– Keeping
small promises and commitments is vital to building trust.
Do Small
Acts of Kindness
– Sometimes
the smallest things can make a big difference.
Be Loyal
– Avoid
gossip, stick up for others and do not betray confidences.
Listen
– Listening
to someone helps them feel heard and valued.
Say You’re
Sorry
– Don’t let
your pride or lack of courage stand in the way of saying you’re sorry.
Set Clear Expectations
– So many
withdrawals are made because one party assumes one thing and the other assumes
something else.
When our
trust level is high, because we’ve made lots of deposits, communication is
almost effortless. We can be yourself, and others understand and appreciate us.
Then, when we make
mistakes or
offend someone unexpectedly, we draw on that reserve and the relationship still
maintains a solid level of trust.
Conversely,
when we
- are
discourteous,
- disrespect
others,
- interrupt
others,
- speak
sarcastically or
- ignore
others,
our
emotional bank account becomes overdrawn because you have jeopardized the trust
level.
When the
trust level is low, we have to be very careful of what we say; we tend sound
artificial and/or more potical.
Deposit-Deposit-Deposit,
more and more into your EBA.
Cheers !
Enjoy a
beautiful Sunday.
R - 's
Random Ramblings,
Yours
gratefully
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: The last I said this was in March
...
My doubt now
is will we ever...
Praying we
can...
//, : - EI
EA Dr. Uma Warrier: Well said ji 👍
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: P - Pause, Ponder, Probe...
Pause for a
moment, step back and imagine a life without time-keeping...
You probably
can't.
You know the
month, the year, the day of the week, the day and the exact time too..
there's the
wall clock, the table top time piece, the wrist watch, the mobile, the iPad,
the laptop, the dashboard of your car.
You have a
schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner a time for movie, a time for work, this
and that, a whole lot of activities...
Yet, with
all these things around us, we are late for our appointments, our meetings, our
calls, family time etc.
Birds aren't
late, dogs don't check watches, deer doesn't fret over passing birthdays..
We humans
alone have a concept of time, we keep checking it constantly, we chime the
hour...we know it's morning, afternoon, evening and night..yet...
And because
of this, we humans alone suffer from a paralyzing fear that no other creature
endures...
A fear of
time running out...
A FOMO a
FEAR of MISSING OUT...
A FEAR an
IMAGINED ONE that grips our present....a FEAR that doesn't let us go
forward...TIME...and we all know well it isn't something we can CONTROL..
We just need
to utilize it and get the best out of it for everything in the world.
Cheers! Have
a good week ahead.
R - 's
Random Ramblings,
by
//, : - Bharadwaj: This too shall pass...
If I've
learned anything in life in + moons, is
that sometimes, the darkest moments takes us to the brightest places... India's
history has many incidents to cite reference
I've learned
the most toxic people can teach you the most important lessons in life...I have
personal experiences, but for those people I would have gone the distance in
life as I have done.
I've learned
that our painful struggles can grant us the necessary growth...personal
experiences..and story of Caterpillar to butterfly...
I've learned
that the most heart-breaking losses of friendship and love can make room for
the most wonderful people.
I've learned
that what seems like a curse in the moment can actually be a blessing and that
what seems like the end of the road is an actual discovery that we are meant to
travel down a different path.
I've learned
that no matter how difficult things can be there's always hope.
And I've
learned that no matter how powerless we may feel or how horrible things may
seem we can't give up. We have to keep
going. Even when it's scary, even when all of our strength seems to have gone,
we have to keep powering and pressing ourselves forward. There's no Option B
because what ever we're battling in this moment now will surely pass and we'll
make it through. We have made it this far am hopeful we will make it through.
We can make it through whatever comes next.
R - 's
Random Ramblings,
by
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: Key learnings from the #Eriksen
saga in #Eurocup yesterday.
Christian
Eriksen: As Denmark's midfield
superstar Christian Eriksen collapses on the field,
the football world stops breathing #Eriksen saga in #Eurocup
yesterday.
#Leadership
- We speak
regularly about leadership and in the midst of the distressing and numbing
scenes following the sudden chilling collapse of Christian Eriksen, it’s worth
noting the actions of Denmark captain Simon Kjaer:
. He went
immediately to the player, put him in a recovery position and prevented him
from swallowing his tongue.
. He then
signalled for additional medical staff after the first responders arrived on
the scene.
. Noting the
TV cameras watching on for the entire world to see, he organized his players to
hem around and create a barrier around the succumbed player, giving him and the
staff working to save his life the respect they deserve.
. When
Eriksen's girlfriend arrived pitch side, he immediately ran to her and
comforted her.
#self-discipline
:
Only
playing and medical team were near
Eriksen.
No one else
including coach, bench players, family members, fans rushed near.
#social
#discipline :
All
spectators were at there seat and no chaos.
#media
#disciplines :
Hardly did
any media try a close up video coverage of the sensitive activities going on.
Even on sports channels, replays were not shown.
#patience :
No updates
coming to anyone, even after Eriksen taken out for hospital. Still all were
calmly waited in the stadium for official announcement.
#sense of
duty :
As the news
came that Eriksen was stable in hospital, though the game was suspended, the
players decided to play keeping behind the trauma they went through few minutes
back.
#humanity :
When clothes
fell short to cover around Eriksen on the field, a large national flag of
opposite team was used as curtain. No one made a fuss out of this.
This was not
only an exemplary situation for sports fraternity but for all of us.
Long live ⚽ the beautiful game of ⚽.
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: If we meet and I say,
"Hello,"
That's a
situation.
If you ask
me, "How are you or how do you feel?"
That's a
consideration.
If we stop
for awhile and just talk
That's a
conversation.
If we
understand each other it is an emotionally intelligent communication.
If we oppose
each other, argue, disagree, scream/fight/quarrel
That's an
altercation
If later we
regret and apologise
That's
reconciliation
We look up
to the skies in the night
That's when
we see the stars and the constellations
If we work
together for a common cause
That's
collaboration
If many of
us meet together at a common place
That's a
congregation
If one
entity absorbs another entity into it completely
That's
amalgamation
If we help
each other without any expectation
That's
cooperation
If we try
something before it works
That's
experimentation
If we
improve upon the efficiency of a working system
That's
innovation
If we do it
many times over
That's
repetition and replication
If we have
all these going on regularly
That means
we are a part of today's civilisation.
All that I
have scripted now is neither an imagination nor an exaggeration it is what
happens in every situation.
//, : - Bharadwaj: <Media omitted>
//, : - Bharadwaj: One Vital thing...
👉 A bit longer than
usual, yet, worthy of investing your time to read this.
As we all
know we're confronted with the severest test mankind has known in recent times.
While a solid skillset is a great place to start our journey to bounce back,
it’s a knack for adapting that differentiates shapers from the crowd.
To thrive in
the future we need to become fluid–moving quickly with dexterity amid constant
threats and change. It’s this trait more than anything else that makes shapers
indispensable.
A marked
departure from the rigid ways of the past, the new mode of work is much more fluid.
It allows us to handle more ambiguity and complexity. With the modern ways of
working we consistently tap into our cognitive powers, creative energy, and
collective genius so we can soar. It’s this fluidity, a learned practice that
ebbs and flows, which is the hallmark modality of the new world of work.
Fluidity:
the ability to move quickly and with dexterity amid constant change.
Being fluid
is a sign of strength in times of uncertainty. We move like water; flowing in
harmony with everything we encounter.
Those that
shine in the workplace move with similar ease. Cultivating fluidity means
seeking change, continuously improving, all
the while
expertly navigating towards a future that’s only coming at us faster.
Are you
FLUID?
- Flexible
with
- Learnability
as your
- Untitiring
- Interest,
that too with
-
Dedicatation
then the
chances of your succeeding in the future are high.
The followin
are the vital INGREDIENTS that help shapers become FLUID:
Intuiting:
Sometimes
working things out by intuition and learning to trust our gut.
Noting: Bear
witness, observe, pause, respond, refuse, and choose from a place of wisdom.
Practise self-awareness so that we can direct our focus to those things that
makes our minds soar and our hearts sing.
Remain
cognisant of our teammates and the entire organisation.
Giving:
Commit to
something greater than ourselves. Dedication can’t be faked and companies can
smell it from miles away. Let the care we have and the quality of our work do
the talking.
Relating:
Connect with
others for depth not breadth. Building meaningful relationships is enlightened
self-interest at work. It helps us build a
safety net
that provides the confidence to create our personal flywheel for doing our best
and deepest work.
Expanding:
See the
world with wide eyes and remain open to possibilities, understand situations
from another’s point of view, and let go of
our egos to
curiously engage with the unknown.
Discerning:
Time is
finite. The trick is to be ruthless in managing our
energy, so
that it can expand and become boundless.
Integrating:
Give life to
a myriad of projects that we are valued for and that fuel our inner working
lives. Combine and recombine as needed.
Expressing:
Be a good
steward to our unique gifts. Create, experiment, and serve ourselves and others
with gumption.
Navigating:
The tenacity
to engage with the unknown and constantly
stretch our
capabilities through training, novel experiences, high contrast conversations,
experimentation, and feedback. Showing courage
to step out
of our comfort zones and never rest on our laurels.
Trusting:
Nothing
fruitful in the long term comes without integrity. Trust is earned with
courage, over time, and by reputation. There is no quick hack.
Sensing:
At the individual,
collective and global level appreciating what’s
needed in
any given moment–and then having the audacity to show
up
wholeheartedly.
Now that
you've got the ingredients that can help,
keep
checking your FLUIDITY, constantly.
Best wishes
to you for all your future endeavours.
Source:
SHAPERS
REINVENT THE
WAY YOU WORK AND CHANGE THE FUTURE by JONAS ALTMAN.
Be You...
...The
Original Almighty Created and Intended you to be...
You can't
change how people treat you nor can you stop them from saying things about you.
All you can
do is to change the way you react.
Best would
be respond with care.
Become ok
with being liked, with not being liked. If you are being liked or not being
chances that things change over a period of time - liked becomes not so liked,
and not liked becomes liked. It is like the night after the day and the day
after the night.
No matter
how loving or kind you are, never people please your way into collective
acceptance.
You could be
could be a whole ray of sunshine and people may dislike you because they are
used to rain. Be ok with shining regardless and be the rainbow.
Be happy
being who you are.
You don't
have to wear the opinions of others to make you look and sound good.
Weekend
Reflection!
"Pack your drawers!"
I once read something about a girl who asked
her grandmother to solve a serious problem.
The grandmother always said: "go upstairs, tidy up your drawers and
after doing this you will have the solution".
I tried to ask older people if there really is
a connection between the problems and the drawers... So I once asked my
grandmother what had the drawer with the problems to do with? She wisely told me: that the messy drawer is
the mirror of life!
So every time you have something messed up,
some area of your life
manifests messed up. Every time you have
something materially disorganized, that disorganization is reflected in your
life.
Remember:
you are a reflection of God, a reflection of the universe. You have a world inside you. Your home is a reflection of your emotional
states. If you have a reflection of the
world within you, when you are disorganized inwardly, manifest it outwardly.
The universe
works like this: what is inside is outside.
What is above is below. What is
on one side is on the other. So if you
always remember that you can influence the inside with the outside and vice
versa, you have the key to total organization.
The moment
you clean your drawer and throw away what is no longer useful, you are
symbolically reprogramming your interior.
It is one of the best keys to achieving serenity and answers to
difficult problems.
Enjoy and
tidy up your drawers. It will definitely
help you find a solution to many of your problems.
REFLECTION:
"Pack your drawers" in the figurative sense, it doesn't mean that
it's just the drawers. You have to get
rid of everything that is negative, including the people around you who do not
contribute anything to your evolution in this lifetime. Your wallet with messed up money, messy purse,
your car glove compartment full of things that don't make sense to be there,
your car dirty and full of advertising papers, empty plastic bottles of mineral
water lying on the floor of the vehicle.
Your workplace turned upside down.
Objects you no longer use indoors...
Unknown
author
There's a
lesson quite like this.
During a
commencement speech at the University of Texas, the commander of the forces
that organized the raid to kill Osama bin Laden delivered some key advice on
success. "If you want to change the world, start off
by making your bed,'' U.S. Navy Adm. William H.
McCraven told the graduates of his alma mater on May , .
Navy SEAL's
advice to grads: Make your bed every morning
By Scott
Stump
McCraven,
the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, relayed several lessons
he has learned in years as a Navy SEAL,
starting with some advice that was music to the ears of exasperated mothers
everywhere. "If you make your bed every morning, you will have
accomplished the first task of the day,'' he said.
"It
will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another
task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task
completed will have turned into many tasks completed.
"Making
your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter. If
you can't do the little things right, you'll never be able to do the big things
right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed
that is made — that you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that
tomorrow will be better."
"That's
what I always tell my son — make the bed first thing in the morning!"
Natalie Morales said.
McCraven's lessons also included accepting the help of
others, measuring a person by the size of his or her heart, fighting through
adversity, not being afraid of failure, and charging into difficult situations
head-on. He also encouraged graduates to "be your very best in the darkest
moment" by finding inner strength and to never lose hope or give up.
If you want
to change the world:
Start your
day with a completed task.
Don’t go it
alone.
Grit and
determination trump talent.
Life is not
fair; get over it.
Don’t fear
failure; embrace it.
Take
calculated risks.
Stand up to bullies.
Rise to the
occasion when life gets hard.
Give people
hope when times are tough.
Never quit.
Should
anyone want an elaboration of this, then
visit: https://www.ricklindquist.com/notes/make-your-bed
Where to
start
One day a
person climbed a mountain where a hermit woman was meditating.
She was
asked :-
"What
are you doing here alone in such a solitude place?"
She
replied:- "I have lots of work."
"How
can u hv so much work? I don't see anything around you here?"
"I have
to train hawks, eagles, assure rabbits, discipline snake, motivate a donkey and tame a
lion."
"And
where have they gone that I don't see them?"
"I have
them all here within me!"
"The
hawks stare on everything that is presented to me, good or bad, I hv to work on
them to see only good things.
They are my
eyes".
"The eagles with their claws, hurt n destroy, I hv
to train them not to hurt.
They are my
hands."
"Rabbits want to go where, at the same
time they do not want to face difficult situations. I teach them to be calm
even if there is suffering or stumbling.
They are my
feet."
"The
donkey is always tired, stubborn n does not want to carry the load each time I
walk.
That is my
body."
"The
most difficult to tame is the Snake . Although it is locked in a strong cage
with bars, it is always ready to sting,
bite n poison anyone nearby. I have to discipline it.
That is my
Tongue."
"I also
have a Lion . Oh, how proud n vain. He thinks,
he is the king. I have to tame him.
That is my EGO."
"So you
see, my friend, I have lots of work to do."
Think &
Reflect !
We all may
have the same. Lots to work on ourselves!
Let's learn
to nurture ourselves. Begin by
not
criticising, evaluating and judging others!
Let’s First
work on ourselves.
Play at the
best you can ...always.
In football
or hockey, in basketball or a volleyball
match, the duration is fixed and the match ceases to be when the match is over.
After that nothing counts, but, in that space of time we and everyone on our
team stives to win - it doesn't play to stave a loss. It is only "play to
win."
Two things
emerge out of this - the concept time and not losing.
While none
of us know
the time each
of us have on our hand, but, yes there's soneone above all of us who referee's
our time. Yet, what we can really do is to take like moment by moment valuing
every next moment as percious - as if our life depends on it, so we make it
count.
Like tiny drops
of water make an ocean, every moment goes on to knit a life-time of moments.
To then make
our life-time worthy - all we need to do is to manage the moment we have in our
hand.
When the
play is on, each one of us watches, relates and reacts in many different ways.
When the curtains fall, all stand up. Only one in
slumber
remains as he was. Everyone else, even those who did not enjoy
the play,
stand up and acknowledge that it is over. It would be fantastic if every act of
the play was appreciated or at least looked upon with respect.
So the point
is we will not win always or lose always. We will win/succeed sometimes and
will lose/fail sometime.
We need to
take lessons from those experiences - many when we fail/lose to strengthen our
weaknesses and some even when we win so that we strengthen our strengths.
Also
irrespective of winning/losing/failing/succeeding if we play and put out the
best we have to offer that in itself is a great achievement.
Hence put
your best foot forward to make every moment of life to count.
Be
Interesting not just Interested about self...
Don't be
Beautiful or Handsome!
They keep
saying that beautiful is something a girls or a woman needs to be and a man
needs to be handsome.
But,
honestly - just forget that.
Don't be
beautiful or handsome!
Be angry,
intelligent, interesting, witty, klutzy, funny, adventurous, crazy, talented -
there are an eternity of other things to be better than beautiful handsome.
And what is
beautiful or handsome anyway but a set of letters strung together to make a
word that makes you feel an assumption - not sure if it is true.
Be your own
definition of amazing always, that is so much more important than anything -
beautiful or handsome.
GRATITUDE
It takes a
warm slice of bread to soak in the butter put on it. It doesn't matter how much
butter we put, but if the bread is cold the butter will stay on the surface
only. If we bite into the cold toast with butter, we will experience a
different taste as compared to the warm bread! It is the same bread and same
butter but a world of difference in taste.
And so is
the case with the 'blessings' in our life. It doesn't matter how abundantly God
blesses us but if we are not gracious in our acceptance, how can those
blessings ever make a change in our lives?
Pretty much
like the layer of butter on cold bread, blessings not graciously and whole
heartedly embraced, continue to remain on the periphery and fail to make any
positive change in life.
Acknowledge
your blessings....
'Accept'
with gratitude.
Keep your
bread warm.
Let the
butter soak in.
Bathed in
the richness of this butter, every bite, every morsel then is bound to taste
divine.
If we list
our blessings we will realise that we have a lot to be thankful for!
Cover the
roads with leather
Somewhere in
ancient India, there was a king whose feet were very sensitive. He complained
constantly about the kingdom’s roads, which were rough and rocky. Finally, the
king decided he would have all the roads covered with leather, so that he could
walk on leather anywhere he wanted to go and his feet would be comfortable.
He invited
the best craftsmen in the land to bid on this formidable project. One replied,
“I can do the job, but it will cost all that is in the kingdom’s treasury.”
Another said, “I can cover the roads with leather for half of what is in the
treasury.”
Then an old
woman came to the king and said, “I can do the job for ten rupees. I’ll just
strap a piece of leather
under each
of your feet, and you’ll be walking on leather wherever you go.”
When things
aren’t the way we’d like them to be, there’s a tendency to complain.
Just for
example this is certainly true for
golfers, “It’s windy.”
“It’s cold.”
“The greens
are too bumpy.” “The rough is too deep.”
“The
fairways are too narrow.”
“There
aren’t enough parking spaces.”
And on and
on.....
The yester
years champion golfer Jack Nicklaus said that at many tournaments he felt he
only had to beat a few of his fellow competitors. When he’d hear players
complain about conditions, he’d check them one by one, thinking to himself,
“There’s a guy who won’t be in contention.”
“There’s
another one I don’t have to worry about.” By the time the tournament started,
not many were left.
Complaining,
wanting all the conditions to be just the way we’d like them, doesn’t get us
anywhere. In fact, we’re just distracting ourselves from the task at hand.
Instead of complaining, let's recognize that everyone has to play the same
course.
Let's learn
to play a variety of conditions.
Let's adapt
ourselves and our state of mind to whatever we encounter. Let's cover our feet
with
leather, and
we’ll be walking comfortably no matter how rough the road.
Ösel
Tendzin, (born Thomas Frederick Rich Jr., was an American Buddhist and was the
principal student of Chögyam Trungpa),
gave one of
his students this very powerful instruction about complaining.
It has three
parts:
- Don’t
Complain
- About
Anything
- Not Even
to Yourself.
The Second
Offer
A plumber
was helping fix a leaking tap...
I asked him
for a cup of tea..
He said,
"No thanks."
A bit later
I asked him again,
He said,
"Yes, thank you, a small cup."
A colleague
of mine was down and upset.
I asked him
if he would like to talk to me about it.
He said,
"It's ok."
A bit later,
walking along with my arm on his shoulders I asked, "Is everything
ok," he broke down and poured his heart out. Was wondering how much of
sadness he was carrying in him alone.
In my
experiences, the first is seen as mere courtesy or lip service, whereas the
second offer is from a warm heart a genuine one.
I have
narrated just two instances, there may be many like this in your life too.
How can we
make it "First Time Right - Yes?"
Fable
version:
Partners in
Crime.
An Ass and a
Lion hunted together. Ass went into the forest and brayed to scare timid
animals like the goat which became easy prey to the Lion. The lion had it's
fill, and when the donkey asked how he fared, the Lion said, "Had we not
partnered and if I heard your bray, I
too would have run away."
The lion
while it put up modesty and humility, which usually happens in partnership,
actually hid its sarcasm, "Don’t think too much of yourself !"
Today's
version.
"Smart
Ass" - just for fun
The Lion who
acquired knowledge and hunting skill online, got stuck up in the reality.
The smart
ass standing nearby the left over bones, flaunted that he only hunted that
animal and escaped becoming the prey.
//, : - Bharadwaj: Cheers to a Serene Saturday
Morning...
Please
invest minutes reading this. You will
realize your investment paid off.
Being Tossed
Up
Happened
several years ago on a morning while driving to work.
A light
plastic bag went rolling from the left to the right across the road. While just
about crossing the road, another car passing by tossed it back this side, and
as my car passed by the plastic bag was tossed to the other side.
It triggered
my senses - poor plastic, is helpless and is being tossed from this side to
that and back and so on.
Poor
plastic.
Not its
fault for being tossed back and forth..
- Is the wind then tossing..?
- Is it the one who
discarded it to be
blamed...?
- Is it the fault of the one
who made it...?
It is no
one's fault I guess.
It was made
for a purpose.
Once the
purpose is met it gets discarded, and so it will be till another finds it to
serve another purpose and then discard. It is a curse though that it is
indestructible being a pollutant. It just lingers on to languish disgustingly
I begin to
wonder if we also get tossed like this in our professional career and real
life.
Immediately
the questions that come to mind are....
- Are we in
control of anything happening out there?
- Can we
control anyone's temper or behaviour out there?
- Are we in
complete control of events and situations out there?
- Are we in
control of all the inputs that need to go into all tasks out there?
- Are we
responsible for all the outputs out there?
- Are we
taking the flak for someone else?
- Are we
cowards that we can't stand up for ourselves?
- What are
the compulsions, drawback, the pressures?
- Why are we
so submissive?
- Why do we
succumb?
Really a lot
many things like these can bother us. Pity is we can't speak to anyone to share
or to lighten our feelings. We can do this with only the ones we can trust.
Point is who
can we really trust.
Anyway, do
this at your convenience, but, do it surely.
Sit down
relaxed somewhere.
All answers
are within you.
Ponder deeply
and ask questions of yourself.
Search for uncompromisingly hard truths.
You will
find
- things
that annoy you,
- people who
irritate you,
- obstacles
you might
encounter that block your
progress,
- things
that you lack,
- things you
are ducking,
- things you
are running
away from
- things
that you fear..
All these
are your plastics and you are being
tossed up just like the plastic pouch. It is only sad that you don't think so.
You could be
the boss, the assistant, or even the CEO, there's no escape.
Some get
tossed
- by words
on the face,
or
- on a call,
or
- by a video
chat,
or
- by a mail,
or
- by a
letter
or whatever
other medium..
All these
things can cause you a worry because it puts you down badly,
crushes your
ego,
questions
your ability...
The
"truth," is there's no difference in the "tossing up."
The point is
do we let this happen to us even after knowing that we are?
Redundant
Process...
An army
veteran took over command at a station went on a round to familiarize himself
with the people, surroundings etc.
Going around
he noticed two sentries standing attention either side of an empty bench.
He asked the
soldiers what they were doing.
They
replied, "Guarding Sir."
The officer,
"'An empty bench?"
The soldiers
kept mum for a while and on being pressed for an answer.
They
eventually said, "It's the order of the superior, Sir!"
The officer
on reaching the office, summoned his senior officers and asked them why two
sentries were there guarding an empty chair?
No one knew
anything about it and the standard reply was it was practice when they came in
they continued.
It became
even more intriguing so this officer decided to go deeper into it talked to the
earlier commanding officers and the earlier ones before that too, some
still in service and some retired. This went on backwards till the information
got confirmed that it was Col. James' who was the British Officer stationed
there in , who had ordered that sentries be placed there.
Feeling a bit
more confident now this officer went over to meet the happily retired Col. James in the woods.
The officer
introduced himself and asked Col. James, "Col. Sir, am intrigued at the
two sentries stationed either side guarding the bench. No one seems to know
why. Finally I heard this was started during your stint there!"
Col. James
responded, "Whaaaat????? Hasn't the paint dried yet?"
The veteran
officer is stunned.
Story
ends.....
Getting back
to today's times...there are several procedures and processes (especially gate
pass system for people and the inward-outward materials gate-pass system), that
organizations and people follow without asking why in changing times.
Check if there
are any processes you go through that don't add value. Review and if you find
it redundant discard it.
I often ask,
"what value-addition is it for the business when a security guard outside
super bazars check the bill and punch it without checking bought times being
taken out."
I get no
answer to this wasteful process.
Just a point
to ponder over.
IQ + EQ + SQ
+ AQ
According to
psychologists, there are four types of intelligence:
Intelligence
Quotient (IQ)
Emotional Quotient (EQ)
Social
Quotient (SQ)
Adversity
Quotient (AQ)
.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ):
A measure of
our comprehension ability eg.,
- to solve
maths;
- to
memorize things
-to recall
subject matters.
. Emotional
Quotient (EQ):
A measure of
our ability to maintain peace with others eg;
- to keep to
appointments
- to be
punctual on time;
- to be
responsible;
- to be
honest;
- to respect
boundaries;
- to be
humble,
- to genuine
and
- to be
considerate.
. Social
Quotient (SQ):
A measure of
our ability to build a network of friends and maintain it over a long period of
time.
People who
have a higher EQ and SQ tend to go farther in life than those with high IQ but
low EQ and SQ.
Most schools
capitalize in improving IQ level while EQ and SQ are played down.
A man of
high IQ can end up being employed by a man of high EQ and SQ even though he has
an average IQ.
Our EQ
represents your character; your SQ represents our charisma. Give in to habits
that will improve these three Qs but more especially your EQ and SQ.
EQ and SQ
make one manage better than the other.
Let's not
teach children only to have higher IQ , but let's each also to have higher EQ
and SQ.
Now there is
this one :
A new
paradigm
. The
Adversity Quotient (AQ):
A measure of
our ability to go through a rough patch
in life and come out without losing your mind.
AQ
determines who will give up in face of troubles and may abandon their families.
In the
current context of Corona, many professionally successful people are going thru
bouts of Depression. Because they haven't seen and thus are unprepared for
Adversity.
To parents:
Expose
children to other areas of life than academic. They should adore manual work,
sport and art .
Develop
their EQ, SQ and AQ. They should become multifaceted human beings able to do
things independently of the parents.
Finally,
let's not prepare the road for the children. Let's prepare the children for the
road.
Micro short
stories, with depth in their meaning!
Those who
had coins, enjoyed the rain. Those who had notes, were busy looking for
shelter.
Man and God
both met somewhere. Both exclaimed, "My master creator!" "My
inspiring creation!"
He asked,
"Are you a Hindu or Muslim or z Christian?" The response came,
"I am hungry!".
The fool
didn't know it was impossible. So he did it.
"Wrong number," said a familiar
voice.
What if God
asks you after you die, "So how was heaven?"
We don't
make friends anymore: We just add them nowadays!
I struck an
idea...seems a "rich vein.." pleasure to share...
Reviewing
the week that went by...
I spent time
looking for gaps to be filled in my effort to be able to apply learning to
practice and share with others.
Assessment -
not to boast, but, fairly satisfied, miles to go though:
My basic
Framework
- Spot
opportunities that others don’t see
- Manage
speed by focusing on the horizon
- Be in the
OODDAA loop:-
Observe, Orient, Develop Decide, Act, Apply
- Fail
wisely:- Set a failure ratio and hone
resilience
- Network
minds:- Harness cognitive diversity to build on each other’s ideas
- Gift:-
Unleash generosity to help others in their progress and development.
Your's
humbly
From Failure
to Success
Defeat to
Victory
Failure/Defeat
- happens
in ways
Ignorance -
When we can't see it
Arrogance -
When we see it but don't do anything
Attempt -
When we see it and try to do something about it
Routine - We
do it because we have to, we don't know why it is done and don't know how to do
it completely either
We
Succeed/Win when we change ourselves, meticulously follow a process, change our thinking become curious
and changing our response to situations, being % present in the present time.
Mindless
Practicing
We need to
constantly keep asking ourselves "Why."
The legend
goes that a Beer Distribution got a new CEO. As a part of settling in, he went
about visiting various departments to understand the work and processes
followed.
With his
mind focussed on increasing the bottom-line, he was prospecting the how of how
he could ramp up sales.
He noticed a
peculiarity, that the liquor distribution to the country and outside the state
used to be on Monday through Wednesday, with Thursday as a holiday and again
Friday and Saturday distribution would happen locally.
He couldn't
just understand this and was just not able to "crack the code."
None of them
around him too had no idea. He went to meet his predecessor to find out the
reason for this.
The former
CEO said he didn't know anything about it
and
suggested, "Let's go to meet the CEO prior to me, he will know!"
At the
former CEO's house, after paying their respects and exchanging pleasantries
they got down to serious business.
One of them
gathered courage and asked the year old
CEO, "Sir we will be obliged if you can throw light on the distribution of
our beer, why is it staggered in this way that it goes to the distant places the first three days - then a
day's rest - and - two days of local supply another day's rest."
The elderly
man smiled and narrated, "Supplies in those days were by horse drawn
carts. Since the horses and the men will feel tired a days rested was ordered.
The next two days they go to distribute stocks in the neighbourhood and enjoy
the Sunday at home, sufficiently rejuvenated for their next consignment drop
off. It went on smoothly."
It was only
then it dawned of the newer CEO's that their stocks today were distributed by
lorries and not horses, hence there needs to be a revamp.
So as you
can see, there are several such things that need to be reasoned out and
whatever processes practices exist have to be revisited for content and apply
only those that fit in the present moment and time.
Review your
policies and processes. Check for redundancy and get rid of it.
We’re not all skilled at the same things, each
talented in his/her own way and we don’t fully understand their range of
abilities. Experts recommend starting with the theory of multiple intelligences.
First introduced in his book “Frames of
Mind,” Howard Gardner, a psychologist and professor at Harvard University,
states that there are eight types of human intelligence — each representing
different ways of how a person best processes information.
Understand and build upon your strengths.
Emotional Intelligence – often referred to
as “EI” or “EQ” (for “Emotional Quotient”). The researchers defined EQ as the
ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions; discriminate between
different emotions and label them appropriately; and use emotional information
to guide thinking and behaviour.
From
Failure to Sucess
Defeat to Victory
Failure/Defeat
- happens in
ways
Ignorance - When we can't see it
Arrogance - When we see it but don't do
anything
Attempt - When we see it and try to do
something about it
Routine - We do it because we have to, we don't
know why it is done and don't know how to do it completely either
We Succeed/Win when we change ourselves,
meticulously follow a process, change
our thinking become curious and changing our response to situations, being %
present in the present time.
Mindless Practicing
We need to constantly keep asking ourselves
"Why."
The legend goes that a Beer Distribution got a
new CEO. As a part of settling in, he went about visiting various departments
to understand the work and processes followed.
With his mind focussed on increasing the
bottom-line, he was prospecting the how of how he could ramp up sales.
He noticed a peculiarity, that the liquor
distribution to the country and outside the state used to be on Monday through
Wednesday, with Thursday as a holiday and again Friday and Saturday
distribution would happen locally.
He couldn't just understand this and was just
not able to "crack the code."
None of them around him too had no idea. He
went to meet his predecessor to find out the reason for this.
The former CEO said he didn't know anything
about it
and suggested, "Let's go to meet the CEO
prior to me, he will know!"
At the former CEO's house, after paying their
respects and exchanging pleasantries they got down to serious business.
One of them gathered courage and asked the year old CEO, "Sir we will be obliged if
you can throw light on the distribution of our beer, why is it staggered in
this way that it goes to the distant
places the first three days - then a day's rest - and - two days of local
supply another day's rest."
The elderly man smiled and narrated,
"Supplies in those days were by horse drawn carts. Since the horses and
the men will feel tired a days rested was ordered. The next two days they go to
distribute stocks in the neighbourhood and enjoy the Sunday at home, suffiently
rejuvenated for their next consignment drop off. It went on smoothly."
It was only then it dawned of the newer CEO's
that their stocks today were distributed by lorries and not horses, hence there
needs to be a revamp.
So as you can see, there are several such
things that need to be reseasoned out and whatever processes pratices exist
have to be revisted for conent and apply only those that fit in the present
moment and time.
Review your policies and processes. Check for
redundancy and get rid of it.
You do this...and be at the top...
Strengthen this No # skill for professional
sucess - the ability to influence.
The Influencing and Persuasion Principle.
I learnt this
decades ago as I began my career. All this through observation, through
conversations and listening to advise with care to apply. It just kept adding
in as I matured and gained pratical experience. I got to know, to get people to
go somewhere with us, we need to meet them where they are... and not just
pretend that they are already where we want them to be.
Instead, go to their bus stop and
from their bus stop, invite them on the bus.
Most people, particularly successful
people, use the same strategy with others that they used to convince
themselves to believe or do something, but.... other people are
different!
Remember whatever we do we are in the business
of selling
our idea,
our skill,
our thought,
our act,
our intent
our services...
that means we need to influence and persuade
others..
And how?
How is:
It is about how to be successful in thjngs we do.
· First Step : Diagnose - Identify the need,
the pain, the gap, before we dispense the medicine
· The second step identify - what we are trying
to influence/persuade/sell.
· The third step - identify who our
stakeholders/ consumers/customers are.
· The fourth step identify - how many
prospective stakeholders/consumers/customers we know.
· The fifth step - identify why exactly we you
doing what we are doing
· The sixth step identify our CQ - Credibility
Quotient and find ways of building it
· The seventh step build our brand before we
demand your price
· The eighth step power positioning
· The ninth step seven Golden rules of
Marketing...
-
Start small, dream big.
-
Every huge business has started small. ...
- Go
step by step. Never stand still in the business world. ...
-
Invest less, but get more. ...
- Be
everywhere. ...
-
Never lie. ...
- Turn
negative into positive. ...
-
Never give up.
· The tenth step how to influence/persuade/sell
like a Champ
· The eleventh step following up and manage.
When we can easily identify what is
motivating people, how they think and how they make decisions, we'll be
able to:
. Establish a deep level of rapport and
communicate effectively with anyone
. Reduce conflicts and misunderstandings
. Take the pain out of implementing
organizational change
. Shorten sales cycle and guarantee customer
satisfaction
. Design powerful marketing and advertising
campaigns
. Recruit the right people who fit and perform
. Dramatically improve results in negotiations
and presentations
. Create learning programs to satisfy diverse
needs, increase self-knowledge and competence
. Learn a whole new way to advance coaching
skills, and the coaching business
. Lead high performance teams by managing
peoples' strengths, instead of suffering from their weaknesses
See you at the top...
Summary of "Man's Search for Meaning"
by Viktor Frankl
Man's Search for Meaning is a book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his
experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and
describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose
in life to feel positive about, and then immersively imagining that outcome.
Author: Viktor E. Frankl
Purposeful Themes from Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor Frank
. Life asks you the meaning of life by
questioning you; you don’t ask life. It’s not what you expect from life, but
what life expects from you.
. Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to
which you can aspire.
. Self-actualization is possible only as a
side-effect of self-transcendence.
. Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue as
a side-effect of a reason to be happy.
. The meaning of life is unique to each moment;
no situation repeats itself.
. The meaning of life is unique to each
individual; no one can be replaced.
. Humans are self-determining; meaning is your
responsibility to actualize.
. No matter the circumstance, you always have
the last of the human freedoms: to choose your attitude.
. Tension, striving, and struggling for a
worthwhile goal are positive; trying to close the gap between what one is and
what one should become.
. Life never ceases to have meaning; even
suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.
In Viktor Frankl reconstructed and revised the
book that was destroyed when he was first deported (The Doctor and the Soul),
and that same year in only nine days—he wrote Man’s Search for Meaning. He
hoped to cure through his writings the personal alienation and cultural malaise
that plagued many individuals who felt an ‘inner emptiness’ or a ‘void within
themselves.’ Perhaps this flurry of professional activity helped Frankl to
restore meaning to his own life.”
First published in German in as A Psychologist Experiences the
Concentration Camp and later called Say Yes to Life in Spite of Everything,
subsequent editions were supplemented by an introduction to logotherapy and a
postscript on tragic optimism, or how to remain optimistic in the face of pain,
guilt, and death. The English translation, first published in , was called
Man’s Search for Meaning.” About Viktor Frankl (from the Afterword by William
J. Winslade):
Viktor Frankl’s life spanned nearly all of the
twentieth century, from his birth in to
his death in . At the age of three he decided to become a physician. In his
autobiographical reflections, he recalls that as a youth he would ‘think for
some minutes about the meaning of life. Particularly about the meaning of the
coming day and its meaning for me.'”
“At age sixteen, Frankl attended an
adult-education workshop on philosophy. The instructor, recognizing Frankl’s
precocious intellect, invited him to give a lecture on the meaning of life.
Frankl told the audience that “It is we ourselves who must answer the questions
that life asks of us, and to these questions we can respond only by being
responsible for our existence.” This belief became the cornerstone of Frankl’s
personal life and professional identity.”
“He joked that in contrast to Freud’s and
Adler’s ‘depth psychology,’ which emphasizes delving into an individual’s past
and his or her unconscious instincts and desires, he practiced ‘height
psychology,’ which focuses on a person’s future and his or her conscious
decisions and actions. His approach to psychotherapy stressed the importance of
helping people to reach new heights of personal meaning through
self-transcendence: the application of positive effort, technique, acceptance
of limitations, and wise decisions. His goal was to provoke people into
realizing that they could and should exercise their capacity for choice to
achieve their own goals. Writing about tragic optimism, he cautioned us that
‘the world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless
each of us does his best.'”
Viktor Frankl’s Personal Meaning:
(During camp life) “Let me recall that which
was perhaps the deepest experience I had in the concentration camp. The odds of
surviving the camp were no more than one in twenty-eight, as can easily be
verified by exact statistics. It did not even seem possible, let alone probable,
that the manuscript of my first book, which I had hidden in my coat when I
arrived at Auschwitz, would ever be rescued. Thus, I had to undergo and to
overcome the loss of my mental child. And now it seemed as if nothing and no
one would survive me; neither a physical nor a mental child of my own! So I
found myself confronted with the question whether under such circumstances my
life was ultimately void of any meaning.”
“Frankl was once asked to express in one
sentence the meaning of his own life. He wrote the response on paper and asked
his students to guess what he had written. After some moments of quiet
reflection, a student surprised Frankl by saying, ‘The meaning of your life is
to help others find the meaning of theirs.’ ‘That was it, exactly,’ Frankl
said. ‘Those are the very words I had written.'” — William J. Winslade
Short Book Summary of Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor Frankl
The Foreward (written by Harold S. Kushner) and
Afterword (written by William J. Winslade) provide great summaries of the book.
“Frankl offers readers who are searching for
answers to life’s dilemmas a critical mandate: he does not tell people what to
do, but why they must do it.” — William J. Winslade (Afterword)
“It is important to note that Frankl’s
imprisonment was not the only impetus for Man’s Search for Meaning. Before his
deportation, he had already begun to formulate an argument that the quest for
meaning is the key to mental health and human flourishing. As a prisoner, he
was suddenly forced to assess whether his own life still had any meaning. His
survival was a combined result of his will to live, his instinct for
self-preservation, some generous acts of human decency, and shrewdness; of
course, it also depended on blind luck, such as where he happened to be imprisoned,
the whims of the guards, and arbitrary decisions about where to line up and who
to trust or believe. However, something more was needed to overcome the
deprivations and degradations of the camps. Frankl drew constantly upon
uniquely human capacities such as inborn optimism, humor, psychological
detachment, brief moments of solitude, inner freedom, and a steely resolve not
to give up or commit suicide. He realized that he must try to live for the
future, and he drew strength from loving thoughts of his wife and his deep
desire to finish his book on logotherapy. He also found meaning in glimpses of
beauty in nature and art. Most important, he realized that, no matter what
happened, he retained the freedom to choose how to respond to his suffering. He
saw this not merely as an option but as his and every person’s responsibility
to choose ‘the way in which he bears his burden.’” — William J. Winslade
(Afterword)
“Several times in the course of the book,
Frankl approvingly quotes the words of Nietzsche: ‘He who has a Why to live for
can bear almost any How.’ He describes poignantly those prisoners who gave up
on life, who had lost all hope for a future and were inevitably the first to
die. They died less from lack of food or medicine than from lack of hope, lack
of something to live for. By contrast, Frankl kept himself alive and kept hope
alive by summoning up thoughts of his wife and the prospect of seeing her
again, and by dreaming at one point of lecturing after the war about the
psychological lessons to be learned from the Auschwitz experience.” — Harold
Kushner (Foreward)
Who are you when everything is taken away?
“The majority of prisoners suffered from a kind
of inferiority complex. We all had once been or had fancied ourselves to be
‘somebody.’ Now we were treated like complete nonentities. (The consciousness
of one’s inner value is anchored in higher, more spiritual things, and cannot
be shaken by camp life. But how many free men, let alone prisoners, possess
it?) Without consciously thinking about it, the average prisoner felt himself
utterly degraded.” — Viktor Frankl
In the concentration camps, a human being was
reduced to a number. Viktor Frankl was number ,. Upon arrival at his first
camp, he estimates that about % of his transport was killed in the first few
hours.
Yet, he was still able to find meaning.
In the book, Frankl mentions a couple
statistical surveys of college students:
In one survey of , students at colleges conducted by Johns Hopkins
University, percent said their first
goal was “finding a purpose and meaning to my life.”
Another survey showed that percent of Frankl’s American students showed
a marked degree of existential vacuum (feeling of total and ultimate
meaninglessness, inner emptiness, a void within themselves).
So, everyone wants meaning/purpose, yet few
have found it:
“These are the dry facts, and they may well be
the reason why reporters of American newspapers and particularly of American TV
stations more often than not start their interviews, after listing these facts,
by exclaiming: ‘Dr. Frankl, your book has become a true bestseller—how do you
feel about such a success?’ Whereupon I react by reporting that in the first
place I do not at all see in the bestseller status of my book an achievement
and accomplishment on my part but rather an expression of the misery of our
time: if hundreds of thousands of people reach out for a book whose very title
promises to deal with the question of a meaning to life, it must be a question
that burns under their fingernails.”
Why?
“As to the causation of the feeling of
meaninglessness, one may say, albeit in an oversimplifying vein, that people
have enough to live by but nothing to live for; they have the means but no
meaning.”
We all have an individual responsibility today:
“That is the glorious responsibility of such a
time, that we know how many difficulties we have to bear, and yet at the same
time how many opportunities we hold in our hands! ‘He who has a why to live for
can bear almost any how,’ Nietzsche once said. The consciousness of our
unprecedented responsibility, which encompasses the future of one’s own life,
or that of a family, of a work, of a larger society, or of a people, a state
even, of humanity, this true ‘historical’ consciousness of responsibility will
allow the man of today to bear the ‘how’ of his difficult life circumstances,
to shape them, to surmount them. In our struggle full of duties and
responsibility.”
Time
Time is the same.×× =, seconds x = ,, seconds
is the same for all of us, Einstein,
Edison to every achiver today has had the same time to work with yet,
accomplished so much.
We can find all the time in the world if we...
Accepted that we are a lot more distracted and
so distressed this day than any time before, we need to admit we fall into
traps, we set for ourselves.
Let's examine a few:-
Analysis Paralysis - most of us operate in a
zone of diminishing returns...if % effort gets us % accurately most times, we
may need to work % of our time to get % accuracy, we tend to stop instead of
going for that last % and this too after pursuing a % that always eludes
us...we sit and analyse what went wrong instead of relooking at our process.
We get stuck in activity trap - doing this,
that and something else after that to tick of our to-do list. Activities keeps
us busy, else occupied or engaged, but, it doesn't create any impact.
We "churn the ocean," to arrive as
the same conclusion. That's because we work with the same knowledge we started
with. We work one day and repeat the same thing everyday of the month and the
year. We claim that as experience but I'd say it is x or x days. Attending
training, upgrading ourselves, reading relevant material all expand our
knowledge and horizon. We can make reasonably more assumptions, try more
approximations in several situations.
We do what the others have to do. We don't need
tk carry others' monkeys on our backs. We need to make the others accountable
for what they're supposed to do.
We need to understand the core of
issues/challenges/problems quickly through uncluttered thinking.
STRATEGY VS TACTIC
Most Stanford students fail this challenge.
Here's what we can learn from their mistakes.
You are a student in a Stanford class on
entrepreneurship.
Your professor walks into the room, breaks the
class into different teams, and gives each team five dollars in funding. Your
goal is to make as much money as possible within two hours and then give a
three-minute presentation to the class about what you achieved.
If you are a student in the class, what would
you do?
Typical answers range from using the five
dollars to buy start-up materials for a makeshift car wash or lemonade stand,
to buying a lottery ticket or putting the five dollars on red at the roulette
table. But the teams that follow these typical paths tend to bring up the rear
in the class.
The teams that make the most money don’t use
the five dollars at all. They realize the five dollars is a distracting, and
essentially worthless, resource. So they
ignore it. Instead, they go back to first principles and start from scratch.
They reframe the problem more broadly as “What can we do to make money if we
start with absolutely nothing?” One particularly successful team ended up
making reservations at popular local restaurants and then selling the reservation
times to those who wanted to skip the wait. These students generated an
impressive few hundred dollars in just two hours.
But the team that made the most money
approached the problem differently. They realized that both the $ funding and
the -hour period weren’t the most valuable assets at their disposal. Rather,
the most valuable resource was the three-minute presentation time they had in
front of a captivated Stanford class. They sold their three-minute slot to a
company interested in recruiting Stanford students and walked away with $.
The five-dollar challenge illustrates the
difference between tactics and strategy. Although the terms are often used
interchangeably, they refer to different concepts. A strategy is a plan for
achieving an objective. Tactics, in contrast, are the actions you undertake to
implement the strategy.
The Stanford students who bombed the $
challenge fixated on a tactic—how to use the five dollars—and lost sight of the
strategy. If we focus too closely on the tactic, we become dependent on it.
“Tactics without strategy,” as Sun Tzu wrote in the Art of War, “are the noise
before defeat.”
Just because a $ bill is sitting in front of
you doesn’t mean it’s the right tool for the job. Tools, as Neil Gaiman reminds
us, “can be the subtlest of traps.” When we’re blinded by tools, we stop seeing
other possibilities in the peripheries. It’s only when you zoom out and
determine the broader strategy that you can walk away from a flawed tactic.
What is the $ tactic in your own life? How can
you ignore it and find the -hour window? Or even better, how do you find the
most valuable three minutes in your arsenal?
Once you move from the “what” to the “why”—once
you frame the problem broadly in terms of what you’re trying to do instead of
your favored solution—you’ll discover other possibilities lurking in plain
sight.
From the Roots to Fruits...
You need a lot many Hands + Emotional
Intelligence + Behavioural Intelligence + Conversational Intelligence to reach
all your goals.
The Noble - Nobel Story
It’s easy to get carried away by the work we
do, but, who knows it might build a negative story, about you and you aren't
aware about it. But, belive me you can build a positive one for sure?
Assumptions drive a ridiculous amount of human
behavior. Meanwhile, the “Fundamental
Attribution Error” shows that we are inclined to attribute people’s behavior to
their character, without giving enough credence to context.
The "Nobel Story," is one touches a
human heart being a real one. It makes
us see where people’s behavior is rooted in a combination of their core values
and unique circumstances. It lets us release the negative story and replace it
with a more holistic and positive one.
The "Nobel Story."
Alfred Nobel had the unpleasant surprise of reading
his own obituary published which was titled, "The merchant
of death is dead."
It was Alfred's brother Ludwig who acutally died in , French newspaper mistakenly published
Alfred's obituary. Reading his own obituary Nobel was
disgusted to find out his public image.
Early story..
Alfred Nobel, invented one of the first
Dynamite in the early 's for commercial use in mining. However, when he
witnessed people misused his creation with the intention to foolishly kill, he
regretted his greatest invention. ...
Moved severely by guilt, he used his enormous
fortune from patents to institute the
Nobel Prizes started the Nobel Peace
Prize.
The award achieved a status that's unparalleled
even to this day, for it's recognition which recipients carry with pride. First
instituted in , as of
the Nobel Prize has been awarded to individuals and organizations.
Seventeen women have won the Nobel Peace Prize and among the recipients, there are Indians (five Indian citizens
and eight of Indian ancestry or residency).
May the creator of the virus that caused the
pandemic COVID, be inspired and do something to recreate a world that'll be
free of misery.
Have a Thoughtful Thursday.
Suggested easy practices to track on your habit
calendar
Physical Health
. minutes
of movement
.
servings of fruits and veggies
. , steps
.
push-ups (or your exercise of choice)
. Pack gym clothes for tomorrow
. Drink
glasses of water (you can write the number of glasses you drank in the
square instead of a checkmark)
. Pack your lunch
. Screen-free meals
. Go for a walk
. Stretch
. Explore one new hiking trail per month
. Walk to destinations under a mile away
. Weekly meal prep
. Floss
. Take medications
. Eat a mindful meal
. Monthly breast exam
. Moisturize
Mental Health
. Journal one sentence
. Acknowledge how you’re feeling
. Play with your pet
. Rate stress level on a - scale
Spiritual Health
. Read
page of a spiritual text
. Pray or meditate
. Write in a gratitude journal
. Tell someone you love them
. Take a deep breath
. Spend
minutes outside
. Volunteer weekly
. Repeat a mantra or affirmation
. Remember that we are all connected
Social Health (relationships / community)
. Spend time with the kids in your life
. Call or text a friend
. Host a friend hangout monthly (craft night,
book club, etc.)
. Weekly date night
. Send one thank-you note per week
. Read to kids
. Check in on neighbors/elderly
. Make something (food or otherwise) to share
with a neighbor or friend
Technology
. Keep your phone on Do Not Disturb
. Social media-free weekend
. Under
hour of screen time
. No screens after pm
. Less than
minutes of social media per day
. No texting while driving
. Less than an hour of television
Work
. Choose your day’s priority (aka highlight)
. Inbox zero
. Create tomorrow’s to-do list
. Review and prepare for tomorrow’s meetings
. Call
prospects / write words /
fill orders (or whatever your most
important metric of work is)
. One hour of focused work
. Tidy your work space
. Lunch or coffee with coworkers
. Choose your week’s priority
. Create monthly goals
. Meet with your mentor monthly
. Share daily or weekly goals with an
accountability partner
Finance
. Day of no spending
. Pay in cash for purchases under $ (this has
been proven to decrease spending!)
. Save % of paycheck
. Put money into retirement monthly
. Label all business/work expenses monthly
(saves you time during tax season!)
Home
. Work in your garden
. No plastic bags
. Set up coffee maker for tomorrow
. Clean your home weekly
. Choose tomorrow’s outfit
. Wash dishes
. Put clothes and shoes away
. Clean bag every week
. Laundry
. Make your bed
. Water plants
. Sort mail
. Tidy house
. Turn the compost pile
. Do a deep clean of all
countertops/surfaces
. Declutter and reorganize your closet
. Clean up and reset hubs for pets (clean food
bowls, wipe down litter box, etc.)
. File away the week’s papers
. Reorganize your pantry & toss anything
expired
. Establish “ in/ out” zone – set aside a place
to discard/donate item in your house for
every new item that comes in
Sleep
. In bed by pm
. Read before bed
. No coffee after pm
. Complete your “wind-down” routine nightly
. No phone/screen time in bed
. Reset kitchen and workspace before bed
Creativity
. Practice your hobby (piano, coloring,
puzzles, collage-- whatever!)
. Watch a TED talk
. Work on a crossword puzzle
. Watch a new movie
. Listen to a new album
. Take a photo
. Explore a new place monthly
. Draw your daily diary
. Cook a new-to-you recipe
. Make a monthly moodboard of inspiration
. Practice learning a new language
A billionaire will not teach you all the tricks
to become one, but, a poor man can teach you everything that you should do to
become like him.
A lesson which give us this formula
IQ + EQ + AQ + AQ = HQ
Intelligence Quotient + Emotional Quotient +
Adaptability Quotient + Adversity Quotient = Happiness Quotient
IQ -> Intelligence Quotient:-
. The intellect gathers knowledge enabling a
professional and personal life possible.
We adjust our intelligence according to
situations and people. We have different quotients for different people.
We wouldn't be able to live just with intellect
- mind, hence to balance that we need emotions - the heart.
. EQ -> Emotional Quotient:-
Expression of feelings - anger, sadness,
disgust etc., tells others what we are in a given moment. Hence emotions are
critical.
We all have the same emotions, the variable is
the degree to which each of us show emotions. This again depends on situations,
people, time and place and varies in degrees, for all people.
We strike a balance with people, that becomes
the emotional quotient.
At times emotions just don't match. We hit
discordant notes and go on tangents too. Therefore living just with either -
mind or the heart doesn't help living.
. AQ -> Adversity Quotient
We need both (IQ and EQ) to handle adverse
conditions. The intellect helps in identifying obstacles and to strategize
overcoming them. Emotions help build resilience so we begin to adapt to
situations, conditions and events.
This then is the Adversity Quotient, which
varies with people. Some like Phoneix rise from the ashes, others perish under
the weight of trying and challenging conditions.
In effect we learn to adapt to new
environments, conditions, situations. It is a determined effort to go ahead
despite odds. It is to leave our comfort zone and venture out. It makes us
future ready because of the growth mindset we develop.
We become a lot more self-aware and confident.
We run a race with ourselves and not with anyone else outside. Being upset
doesn't help. We need to be steady, calm and composed, like a duck - no
exaggerated movement on the outside but a terrific stir below the surface of
the water.
This is AQ -> Adaptability Quotient.
All these add up to make us feel good. For some
this is Happiness. For other it could be this + something else + something
else...
Happiness has many definitions and dimensions.
Peace of mind stands high on that list.
Remember
IQ + EQ + AQ + AQ = HQ
Above all this is SQ - Spirituality Quotient -
without which there is neither peace nor contentment.
Please read this and let me have your views.
Paradoxes and Emotional Intelligence
We year to connect with people, yet, isolate
ourselves.
We seek to love, yet, fear betrayal.
We seek adventure, yet, fear a loss.
We dream of some day, yet, we forget today
instead.
We want others to change, yet, we will not want
to change.
We overstock, yet, complain there's no place to
store.
We want innovation, yet, we won't create.
We love the ocean, yet, buy plastic.
We advocate for education, yet, deprive our
daughters be as educated as our son's.
We want health, yet, abuse it with junk food,
less sleep and no exercise.
We believe in equality, yet, we will not yield
even one inch of our space so we let inequality prevail.
We arouse our ego to feel superior, yet, will
advocate attempting narrowing the gap, without giving up our status even a bit.
We want health, yet, think others owd it to us
free.
We ask for better leaders, yet, we don't want
to be one.
We ask for a better world, yet, not at our cost
of comfort and convenience.
There's a massive disconnect, we blame everyone
for it, yet, think we are not to be blamed.
The world is made up of both beauty and
brokenness.
Most time we believe our heart is in the right
place, only that we've displaced our innocent head with unwanted logic,
over-informed garbage and dismantled traditions.
The challenges of maintaining ourselves in a
world with different ideologies and culture becomes overwhelming as it all
seems.
We let ourselves drift, like ostriches that
keep shoving their heads in sand to escape the heat.
We seek to change only when it hurts us,
forgetting that it is the small moments we need to think of changing in our
life time.
Change happens we we see someone who seems
upset, and ask how can we support them.
Change happens when we want to show off that we
are the go-to people.
Change happens when we pretend we have all the
answers and when we think we are empowered to ask uncomfortable questions.
The truth is, if we know the story, behind
everyone actions, we would see why they are the way they are, and it doesn't
excuse it, because compassion is the birthplace of change.
This is emotional intelligence at its best.
VIBRATE HIGHER
The Spiritually inclined will understand:
For humans with a higher vibration, infection
is a minor irritant that is soon eliminated!
The reasons for having low vibration could be:
Fear, Phobia, Suspicion
Anxiety, Stress, Tension.
Jealousy, Anger, Rage
Hate, Greed
Attachment or Pain
And so......we have to understand to vibrate
higher, so that the lower frequency does not weaken our immune system.
The frequency of the earth today is .hz. but
there are places that vibrate very low like:
Hospitals
Assistance Centers.
Jails
Underground etc.
It is where the vibration drops to hz, or less.
For humans with low vibration, the virus
becomes dangerous.
Pain . to hz.
Fear . to .hz.
Irritation . to .hz.
Noise . to .hz.
Pride . hz.
Superiority . hz.
A higher vibration on the other hand is the
outcome of the following behaviour :-
Generosity hz
Gratitude
hz
Compassion
hz or more.
The frequency of Love and compassion for all
living beings is Hz and more.
Unconditional and universal love from hz
So...Come on ...
Vibrate Higher!!!
What helps us vibrate high?
Loving, Smiling, Blessing, Thanking, Playing,
Painting, Singing, Dancing, Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditating, Walking in the Sun, Exercising, Enjoying
nature, etc.
Foods
that the Earth gives us: seeds-grains-cereals-legumes-fruits and vegetables-
Drinking water: help us vibrate higher .....
!!!
The vibration of prayer alone goes from to hz
So sing, laugh, love, meditate, play, give
thanks and live !
Let's vibrate high ...!!!
This information is compiled & edited by Naturotherapist
Dr. Harshal Sancheti, Nasik but
the original source of this information is from
the book Power Vs Force
Based on David R Hawkins' Doctoral Thesis.
A Catalyst...
Ships are meant to sail in the high seas and
also face storms that come in it's way.
We all have heard this many times from many,
"It has been one of the most difficult
months of my life," and truly yes. Whether it is said or not it is
felt by everyone. In this period many have lost their income losing jobs, have
lost family members, encountered more losses than gains.
We have learnt everything is a temporary
moments, feelings and still believe so despite the long treacherous months.
We have all learned love is about giving
everything we have and letting it hurt.
We have heard vulnerability is always the right
choice because it's easy to be cold in a world that makes it so difficult to
remain soft.
Life isn't fair..
No matter what life throws at us, no matter how
unfair it may seem, let's refuse to play a victim, let's refuse to be ruled by
fear, pessimism and negativity, let's refuse to quit.
We have learned all things in life come in
two's - rain-sunshine, night-day, adventure-fear, pain-pleasure, salt-sugar,
we-they. It is the balance of universe. It has been a year+ of hurting so badly, yet living so good
making friends out of strangers, has been fun. It is true some have been making
strangers out of friends to keep themselves positive. There are several other
little things that makes us focus on warm energy always, for if we can't learn
to be kinder to each other in torrid
times like these how will we learn to be kinder to the most desperate
parts of ourselves.
Let's become warriors and work through life
whatever life throws in our path our way, with courage, love, hope and
positivity. Let's push forward.
Difficult times will always come to an end and
the wisdom and strength, wd gain from all of this will make us stronger and be
with us much longer as ours.
We are survivors of the unfairness of life. We
are stronger than we think we are and we are capable of achieving far more than
we believe we can. Joy is never tomorrow, it is always now.
Praying is talking silently to the Universe
through the heart and mind.
Meditation is listening intently to the
Universe with the mind and heart.
A Catalyst..
No one was spared anywhere - it has been one of
the most difficult months of our life.
We were mute witnesses to all the misery around
us, yet, we did what best we could to survive and help survive.
We have been taught everything is a temporary -
events, happenings, situations, moments, feelings.
We still believe it is true despite the long
treacherous months and continuing.
We have seen everything - frontline worker
serving unselfishly and tirelessly day and night. Donors pouring in with
everything possible to help suffering people survive. We've also seen the dark
side of hoarding essentials, selling medicines and oxygen at exorbitant prices
resorting to exploitation. The unaffordable poor succumbing, yet, helplessly
every one of us were watching a handful of them practising evil. We didn't come
out to the streets with candles to pray for those who left us, we didn't squat
on the roads in protest against evil, for reasons of social norms. There were
people who congregated in large number for religious practices, people attended
rallies of speeches to elect the ones who would govern them for the next years.
The others witnessed all this again helplessly and silently to bear the brunt
of an even more severe hit by the next wave.
We have heard vulnerability is always the right
choice because it's easy to be cold in a world that makes it so difficult to remain
soft.
Life isn't fair..
No matter what life throws at us, no matter how
unfair it may seem, let's refuse to play a victim, let's refuse to be ruled by
fear, pessimism and negativity, let's refuse to quit.
We have learned all things in life come in two's
- rain-sunshine, night-day, adventure-fear, pain-pleasure, salt-sugar, we-they.
It is the balance of universe.
It has been a year and more of hurting us
badly, yet living so good making friends out of strangers, has been fun.
It is also
true some have been making strangers out of friends to keep themselves
positive. There are several other little things that makes us focus on warm
energy always, for if we can't learn to be kinder to each other in torrid times like these how will we learn to be kinder
to the most desperate parts of ourselves.
Let's become warriors and work through life
whatever life throws in our path our way, with courage, love, hope and
positivity. Let's push forward.
Difficult times will always come to an end and
the wisdom and strength, wd gain from all of this will make us stronger and be
with us much longer as ours.
We are survivors of the unfairness of life. We
are stronger than we think we are and we are capable of achieving far more than
we believe we can.
Joy is never tomorrow, it is always now.
Take care to protect yourself and the other,
stay home, stay safe.
Above all these - please shut yourself up and
don't get caught by anything the newspapers or news channels say...who knows
what's the truth...who knows who is whipping up this unwanted passion...who
knows whose greed is being satisfied by creating a panic in the minds of people
so that they are in business...
I end this with the Serenity 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.
Almighty, give us courage to change what must
be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know
the one from the other."
A Tale of Pure Emotions...
On an island - there lived long ago - all the
feelings - Happiness, Sadness Knowedge and several others including Love.
One morning it was announced that the island
will be sinking, so all feelings fled the island making their boats except
Love.
Love stayed back helplessly wanting to stay
till the last breath possible.
While the island sunk rapidly leaving just a small bit, Love decided to
seek help.
Love asked Richness, "Can you rescue
me?"
Richness answered with overflowing arrogance,
"No, I can't, because I have no place as I am overloaded with diamonds,
pearls,gold and silver. With this I can find Love everywhere in the world the
way I want."
Vanity was leaving in a beautiful boat and Love
asked for help.
Vanity was quick to respond, "Sorry Love,
you are wet completely and if I allow you my boat will get spoilt, so I
can't."
Sadness was close to Love so Love asked
Sadness, "Please let me go with you.."
Sadness replied, "Oh Love! Am so sad, I
want time by myself."
Happiness was so happy that it couldn't hear
the call for rescue, so happiness also went by.
Suddenly an elderly voice came, " Come
Love, I'll take you."
Love was thrilled hearing this Blessed voice
and they went.
When the two arrived at a safe space on the dry
land the elder went it's own way. Realizing how much gratitude Love owed to the
elderly rescuer Love asked Knowledge another elderly, "Who helped
me?"
"It was Time," Knowledge answered.
"Time!?" asked Love with a wonder,
"but why?"
Knowledge showing a lot of humility and deep
wisdom answered, "Because only Time has the capability of understanding
how valuable Love is."
So am here to learn more about emotion, being
with emotions and sharing my emotions so that we all become Emotionally
Intelligent and make the world around us the same.
This is for you, me and all of us...there's
nothing wrong..
We need to learn to do somethings continuously
and well too.
We need to stop..
- Complaining
- Comparing ourselves with
others.
- Judging
- Over-estimating and/or
Under-estimating ourselves and
others.
We need to know our capacity so we work to the best of our
ability and capability.
We should have ambitions and but we keep focus on both our short and
long terms goals.
We need to keep building on our skills
regularly to be skillful, competitive
and relevant always.
There'll be times which we will say
"I can.... I can't,"
or
feel we succeeded....we failed...,
or were wrong.... were right
or
experience a pleasure or a pain.
Come what may let's keep our ambition and
remember to enjoy our long distance drive in life and let time take the wheel
and believe we'll all get there on time.
This or That
We have the choices.
Stop trying to be liked by everybody. We have a
tendency to try pleasing everyone. We don't want to upset anyone. We don't want
to rffle feathers.
We need to end this....Because, we don't like
everybody, do we?
Then why do we want to like everyone?
Else..
Love all.
or
Respect everyone for whoever they are.
But...remember
Trust just a few....
(People are over the world have a tendency to
exaggerate, hype and or sensationalize events or things. We don't have to
believe all of them).
Everything that happens is real, (The pandemic,
people suffering, shortage of hospital beds, of oxygen cylinders, of medicines,
etc. Media shows it up and newspapers write about it, for us to see).
But..
Not everything is true.
Not everyone is speaking the truth.
No one ever grew wise by chance. It was by
learnt through experience.
Let's take no chances with our life. Let's
maintain prescribed protocols. Let's not be driven by the crazy outside world,
let's drive ourselves from within.
We all are Ambitious...
We all are filled with Self-Pride...
We all have a bloated Ego..
We all have Self-Esteem high for some, low for
some.
This is true for you, me and all of
us...there's nothing wrong..
We need to learn to do somethings continously
and well too.
We need to be grateful that we have an
opportunity to live a life worthy of emulating by being and example.
We need to realize our purpose of being and
play our part.
We need to stop..
- Complaining
- Comparing ourselves with
others.
- Judging
- Over-estimating and/or
Under-estimating ourselves
and
others.
We need to know our capacity so we work to the best of our
ability and capability.
We should have ambitions and but we keep focus on both our short and
long terms goals.
We need to keep building on our skills
regularly to be skillful, competitive
and relevant always.
There'll be times which we will say
"I can.... I can't,"
or
feel we succeeded....we failed...,
or were wrong.... were right
or
experience a pleasure or a pain.
Come what may let's keep our ambition and
remember to enjoy our long distance drive in life and let time take the wheel
and believe we'll all get there on time.
. Acknowledge and embrace imperfections. Hiding
from your weaknesses means you’ll never overcome them.
. View challenges as opportunities. Having a
growth mindset means relishing opportunities for self-improvement. Learn
more about how to fail well.
. Try different learning tactics. There’s no
one-size-fits-all model for learning. What works for one person may not work
for you. Learn about learning strategies.
. Follow the research on brain plasticity. The
brain isn’t fixed; the mind shouldn’t be either.
. Replace the word “failing” with the word
“learning.”
. Stop seeking approval.
. Value the process over the end result.
. Cultivate a sense of purpose.
. Celebrate growth with others.
. Emphasise growth over speed.
. Reward actions, not traits.
. Redefine “genius.”
. Portray criticism as positive.
. Disassociate improvement from failure.
. Provide regular opportunities for reflection.
. Place effort before talent.
. Highlight the relationship between learning
and “brain training.”
. Cultivate grit.
. Abandon the image.
. Use the word “yet.”
. Learn from yours and other people’s mistakes.
. Make a new goal for every goal accomplished.
. Take risks in the company of others.
. Think realistically about time and effort.
. Take ownership over your attitude.
Are we judgemental?
A young man joined a monastery wanting to learn
and to become something worthwhile in life.
On the day he was inducted he was shown to his
room, the facilities and all of that and told - you are allowed only two words
in five years.
The first five passed the young man was asked
to speak his two words.
"Hopeless Bed."
Then on completion of another five years was
asked to say two words.
"Poor Food."
It was fifteen years and time for his two
words.
"Wasted Time."
The chief then said, "In the last fifteen
years all that you were breeding on is negativity and complaining.
The lessons drawn out of this is how seniors,
leaders and higher up's become defensive when the employee begins to narrate
his/her real experience.
Taking this story - fifteen years - six words,
negative comments difficult to digest. Just imagine during our years at work
meeting and talking to people how many things we will get to hear off.
The key is we all need to work together
listening to the said and unsaid words and without getting defensive we need to
create a great employee experience to call it a GPTW - Great Place To Work,
where the systems and process are in place to serve as a "compass"
and the way we look after our employees should be "True North."
Mental Toughness.
Having unshakable confidence in your ability to
achieve our goals.
Knowing that we possess unique qualities and
abilities that make us better than our peers.
Having an insatiable desire to succeed.
Being resilient and able to quickly recover
from adversity, disappointment, set-backs, etc.
Thriving on the pressure of high-stakes events.
Accepting that fear and anxiety are inevitable
and knowing that we can overcome both.
Able to remain fully focused on the mission.
Remaining fully focused on the task at hand in
the face of life-threatening situations.
Being able to cope with high levels of physical
and emotional pain, while still maintaining the ability to execute skills and
tasks required to accomplish the mission.
Quickly regaining psychological control
following unexpected, uncontrollable events.
Where do you stop?
A young lady with baggage in her hand and a
baby in a pram was making her way to the parking lot where she had her car
parked saw an An elderly man was waving his hand for help.
She stopped.
The elderly man came close to her and showed
her his phone asking her to open his phone to show him the picture of his first
grandchild born in a far off city to which he can't travel now because of the
travel ban.
The young lady tried her best but couldn't open
the picture as there wasn't a supporting software on the mobile being an older
generation mobile.
She suggested to the elderly man two things :
. She could try forwarding the picture to her
phone from his to see if it opens, else..
. He could ask his daughter to call her number
and have a video call.
The elderly man said she should do both.
She could open the picture sent to her phone
which she showed to the elderly man - a rosy pink chubby baby with thick curly
hairs busily sucking the first three fingers.
The beauty was irresistible. The elderly man
looked at the oicture as his eyes swelled with tears of joy. He just had no
mood to stio seeing it.
The young lady asked the elderly man to spare
her phone. She walked into a photo studio in the adjacent building - got a
print of the baby's picture framed and handed it over to the elderly man, who
was thrilled seeing that.
In the meanwhile she called the elderly man's
daughter on her phone via a video call and got her to speak to her father. It
was a double bonus all in less than a hour.
The young lady did everything she could to make
the elderly man happy.
If you've decide to do good there's no end
point.
Now I have a question on the Empathy the lady
showed to the elderly man. If you were in her place where would you have
stopped showing empathy to tge elderly man.
The Four Horsemen Apocalypse
The four horsemen of
the apocalypse are four biblical figures who appear in the
Book of Revelation. They are revealed by the unsealing of the
first four of the seven seals. Each of
the horsemen represents a different facet of the apocalypse:
conquest, war, famine, and death.
The White Horse
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the
seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like
thunder, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a white
horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a
conqueror bent on conquest. (Revelation :-)
The Red Horse
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard
the second living creature say, "Come and see!" Then another horse
came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the
earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. (Revelation
:-)
The Black Horse
When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard
the third living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked, and there
before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his
hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,
saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley
for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" (Revelation
:-)
The Pale Horse
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard
the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked
and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was
following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to
kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
(Revelation :-)
We use this metaphor to describe communication
styles that according to research can predict end of relationships. Bringing
the Four Horsemen in our Conflict Resolution discussions is the necessary first
step to eliminating them, yet, this knowledge isn't enough. To eliminate
conflict patterns, we must replace them with healthy productive ones.
Keep it Simple yet Significant!
If it is not simple, majority will not get it.
If it is not significant, majority won’t read
it!
How about looking at life this way?
Life is not complicated, we make it seem
complicated, we have forgotten simplicity and adopted complexity.
I bet, we all want a life that is uncomplicated
and simple, isn't it.
So how do we do that?
Let's get clarity on what is most vital for us
in life and eliminate the rest.
This suggestion may not help unless we get to
know how… so here we go.
It's OK
to - Let go.
It is okay to not to feel okay. It is okay to
feel exhausted, It is okay to feel angry.
It is okay to cry.
It is okay to feel lonely.
It is okay to feel no one understands us.
It is okay to feel stuck.
It is okay to feel disabled.
It is sometimes to feel that we are failing,
struggling to cope up with the pace of things, the pressures of life etc., we
learn and then move on.
Stop berating Ourselves
– The truth is every high and low moments in
life have led us to the moment we are now in right now.
Let's believe in the ‘Power of Now.’
No complaints
- If we are not helping to make things right,
then let's stop complaining about it being wrong
Let's not cheat ourselves by claiming to be
busy, let's try becoming productive with least time invested.
Time is the only main thing
- Let's spend time with right people. Let's not
waste time on unwanted non-value adding activities like information,
apps/platforms, social media etc.
Just a few things but actually very little is
needed to make a happy life
The Habits of Highly Effective People was a hit
on introduction and continues to be a hit even now.
The good news is that there is a definite link
between the Habits and Emotional Intelligence.
The first three habits are all about
self-awareness and self-regulation.
The fourth and fifth habits are about empathy.
The sixth is about social skills.
The seventh habit comes back full circle to
self-awareness.
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of
life," says Melodie Beattie and continues..
"It can turn
what we have into enough, and more....
denial into acceptance...
chaos to order...
confusion to clarity....
a meal into a feast...
a house into a home..
a stranger into a friend."
And I would add this thought too - that without
gratitude, we can turn any paradise into hell.
Without gratitude:
we will always walk away from the table still
starving - no matter what measure of abundance has been laid before us.
Without gratitude,
every job is the worst one the planet
every spouse is deficient
every friend lets us down
every home is on the wrong street
every gift is the wrong size
every novel is full of typos, every mattress is
uncomfortable
every cup of coffee is too weak.
Without gratitude..
every choice we ever made will always feel like
the wrong choice.
Without gratitude..
summers will always be too hot, winters will
always be too cold...
The music will always be too loud...
the movie will always suck...
the teenagers will always be too rude....
Without gratitude..
people who vote or worship differently from we
will always be monsters in our eyes....
Without gratitude..
we will always feel we were born into the wrong
family.
Without gratitude..
the waitress will always be too slow and we
will always get the worst seat on the bus.
Without gratitude, every driver on the road
except you is an idiot...
Without gratitude, life is a misery.
The alchemy of all alchemies - is gratitude.
Even if we learn nothing else, we must learn
how to say THANK YOU and Stay blessed forever
Ever heard about Quartet of Quotients?
The Quartet of Quotients deals with
Intelligence Quotient, Emotional Quotient,
Adaptability Quotient and Adversity Quotient.
This realm is such that sheer knowledge helps us strengthen the brain
and application which makes life easy. Be it personal or professional.
We all would have been able to live well simply
by garnering our intellect and we know the importance of Intelligence Quotient.
But what use is intellect sans emotions? and
hence Emotional Quotient is critical.
Adversity Quotient also called the Science of
Resilience is about our ability to manage adversities in life.
It works on the LEAD model.
Looking for signs of obstacles
Exploring options and or people to help you
tide over
Analysing the best way out
Doing it
and
th one, Adaptability Quotient.
Adaptation to issues around us is nothing but
evolving differently.
Adaptation isn't masking.
It's only being more ready for a situation.
Lastly, all these Quotients mean nothing if we
aren't able to thrive on happiness from within and striving towards the sole
goal.
And hence Happiness Quotient is the most
critical one.
Be happy in the state you are and what you are.
Comparisons do not help and nor will being
grumpy of the life one has.
Which quotient are you working on currently?
Cognitive Biases, Heuristics, and Logical
Fallacies.
These are components of our mind, like organs
in our body, which under the
best conditions serve us well. Life,
unfortunately, isn’t always lived under the best conditions. Their
predictability and dependability have kept confident men, magicians,
advertisers, psychics, and peddlers of all
manner of pseudoscientific remedies in business for centuries. It wasn’t until
psychology applied rigorous scientific method to human behavior that these
self-deceptions became categorized and quantified.
Cognitive biases are predicable patterns of
thought and behavior that lead us to draw incorrect conclusions.
We and everyone else come into the world
preloaded with these pesky and completely wrong ways of seeing things, and we
rarely notice them.
Many of them serve to keep us confident in our
own perceptions or to inhibit you from seeing ourselves as a buffoon.
The maintenance of a positive self-image seems
to be so important to the human mind we have evolved mental mechanisms designed
to make us feel awesome about yourself.
Cognitive biases lead to poor choices, bad
judgments and wacky insights that are often totally incorrect. For example, we
tend to look for information that confirms our beliefs and ignore information
that challenges them. This is called confirmation bias. The contents of our
bookshelf and the bookmarks in our Web browser are a direct result of it.
Heuristics are mental shortcuts we use to
solve common problems. They speed up processing
in the brain, but sometimes make us think so fast we miss what is important.
Instead of taking the long way around and
deeply contemplating the best course of action or the most logical train of
thought, we
use heuristics to arrive at a conclusion in
record time. Some heuristics are learned, and others come free with every copy
of the human brain. When they work, they help our mind stay frugal. When they
don’t, we see
the world as a much simpler place than it
really is. For example, if we notice a rise in reports about shark attacks on
the news, we
start to believe sharks are out of control,
when the only thing you know for sure is the news is delivering more stories
about sharks than usual.
Logical fallacies are like math problems
involving language, in which we skip a step or get turned around without
realizing it. They
are arguments in our mind where we reach a
conclusion without all the facts because we don’t care to hear them or have no
idea how limited our information is. We become a bumbling detective. Logical
fallacies can also be the result of wishful thinking. Sometimes we apply good
logic to false premises; at other times we apply bad logic to the
truth. For instance, if we hear Albert Einstein
refused to eat scrambled eggs, we
might assume scrambled eggs are probably bad
for us. This is called the argument from authority. We assume if someone is
super-smart, then all of that person’s decisions must be good ones, but maybe
Einstein just had peculiar taste.
With each of us getting to know this in a new
angle we
will start to see ourselves in a new way. We
will soon realize we are not so smart, and thanks to a plethora of cognitive
biases, faulty heuristics, and common fallacies of thought, we are probably
deluding ourselves minute by minute just to cope with reality. Don’t fret. This
will be fun.
Willingness to listen
Viktor Frankl, one of the great psychiatrists
of the twentieth century, survived the death camps of Nazi Germany.
His little book, Man’s Search for Meaning, is
one of those life-changing books that everyone should read.
Frankl once told the story of a woman who
called him in the middle of the night to calmly inform him she was about to
commit suicide.
Frankl kept her on the phone and talked her
through her depression, giving her reason after reason to carry on living.
Finally she promised she would not take her life, and she kept her word.
When they later met, Frankl asked which reason
had persuaded her to live?
"None of them, she told him.
What then influenced her to go on living, he
pressed?
Her answer was simple, it was "Frankl’s
willingness to listen to her in the middle of the night". 'A world in
which there was someone ready to listen to another's pain seemed to her a world
in which it was worthwhile to live'.
Often, it is not the brilliant argument that
makes the difference. Sometimes the small act of listening is the greatest gift
we can give.
We are not on Earth to see how important we can
become. We are on Earth to see how much difference we can make to the life of
others.
Everyone in the family tested positive.
Convalescing and recovering slowly and steadily praying to the Almighty.
An Empty Boat
A monk decides to meditate alone, away from his
monastery.
He takes his boat out to the middle of the
lake, moors it there, closes his eyes and begins his meditation.
After a few hours of undisturbed silence, he
suddenly feels the bump of another boat colliding with his own. With his eyes
still closed, he senses his anger rising, and by the time he opens his eyes, he
is ready to scream at the boatman who dared disturb his meditation.
But when he opens his eyes, he sees it’s an
empty boat that had probably got untethered and floated to the middle of the
lake.
At that moment, the monk achieves
self-realization, and understands that the anger is within him; it merely needs
the bump of an external object to provoke it out of him.
From then on, whenever he comes across someone
who irritates him or provokes him to anger, he reminds himself, “The other
person is merely an empty boat. The anger is within me.”
Take time for introspection & search for
answer:
Empty boat is a famous & fabulous metaphor.
Its value lies in its implementation.
The sound of the bell is said to disengage mind
from ongoing thoughts thus making the mind more receptive. Bell ringing during
prayer is said to help in controlling the ever wandering mind and focusing on
the deity.
Bells or ghanta made up of metals and different
alloys are created to make sounds of different frequencies..
Different frequencies have different effects on
human mind and body and even to the surrounding of it ..
Due to day day task our balanced frequencies of
body get imbalanced and due to which we get away from our true spiritual
nature..
The ringing of bells creates that balanced
frequencies and make our body to attain the stability needed to attain to gaze
into self..
Hence ringing of this metallic bells or bowls
also helps in keeping our body healthy..
WHAT MAKES A LEADER?
GOLEMAN - IDEA IN PRACTICE - UNDERSTANDING
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE COMPONENTS.
THE
COMPONENTS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AT WORK
LEAD
Why Emotionally Intelligent People Embrace the
BYAF Rule
Especially when they need a favor.
BY JEFF HADEN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR,
INC.@JEFFHADEN
You need help.
You need a little cooperation.
You need a favor.
So you stiffen your spine, sum up your courage,
and ask.
And get turned down.
Even though you stressed the importance of the
request.
Even though you described the difference the
other person could make for you.
Even though you showed, verbally and
nonverbally, the critical importance of your request.
Shoot: You basically begged.
Which, according to a review of more
than studies published in Communication Studies, is where you went
wrong.
How BYAF works?
If you're like most people, you don't like to
feel put on the spot.
When that happens, you naturally get defensive.
Your walls go up.
The more you feel like you can't say no?
The less you focus on evaluating the actual
request, and the more you focus on figuring out some way to say no.
The "but you are free" (BYAF) rule
avoids that problem by instantly giving the other person an out.
All you have to do, the researchers write, is
"weaken the target's perception that her or his
freedom to say no is being threatened."
Or in non-researcher-speak, always give the
other person an explicit out by including some version of "but
you are free to say no":
"We're looking for volunteers, but
you are free to say no."
"Could you give me a hand? I know you're
busy, so please don't feel like you have to."
"I completely understand if you don't have
time, but could you ... ?"
According to the researchers, simply
include a statement that lessens the possibility the other person feels
like they don't have a choice and that person is more than twice as likely
to say yes to your request.
How to apply the BYAF rule?
First, recognize that your wants or needs are
important.
But only to you. (As plenty of coffee mugs
say, "Poor planning on your part does not constitute
an emergency for me.")
The severity of your problems and
challenges -- or, on the flip side, the extent of
your goals and dreams -- does not mean other people should be feel
more obligated or willing to help you.
Because everyone has problems. And everyone has
dreams.
Be emotionally intelligent enough to realize
that.
Then be emotionally intelligent enough to
realize that other people are more likely to offer help when they feel personally
compelled rather than obligated.
We all like to feel generous. We all like to
feel helpful. We all like to feel we make a difference.
Especially when it feels like we decided to
step in, step up, and lend a helping hand.
By giving the other person an out by including
a sincere version of "but you are free," you
let the other person decide.
The more you make it easier for the
person to say no, the more likely they will be to say yes -- and, more
important, the better they will feel about saying yes.
Because we all like to feel our time and effort
has made a difference.
Which makes the BYAF rule a definite
win-win.
COPYRIGHT
MANSUETO VENTURES
Die empty
The most beautiful book to read is "Die
Empty" by Todd Henry.
The author was inspired and got this idea of
writing this
book while attending a business meeting.
When the director asked the audience:
"Where is the richest land in the world?"
One of the audience answered: "Oil-rich
Gulf states."
Another added: "Diamond mines in
Africa."
Then the director said: "No it is the
cemetery. Yes, it is the richest land in the world, because millions of people
have departed/died and they carried many valuable ideas that did not come to
light nor benefit others. It is all in the cemetery where they are
buried."
Inspired by this answer, Todd Henry wrote his
book, "Die empty .
The most beautiful of what he said in his book
is: "Do not go to your grave and carry inside you the best that you have.
Always choose to die empty.
The TRUE meaning of this expression, is to die empty of all the
goodness that is within you. Deliver it to the world, before you leave.
If you have an idea perform it.
If you have knowledge give it out.
If you have a goal achieve it.
Love, share and distribute, do not keep it
inside.
Let’s begin to give. Remove and spread every
atom of goodness inside us.
Start the race.
Let us Die Empty.
Go to the Woods
When we go into the woods - we find different
trees and all kinds of them too with their shapes different from the other - no
two trees are alike. Some are straight, some bent, some with big branches and
green some thin and whatever. Some big ones bear fruits and smaller ones bear
flowers. We look at them and allow it.
You do that.
Do you know why?
You will make assumptions that tree grows in
height and size depending on water availabilty from the bottom and or sunlight
from tge sides or tops. We don't get emotional about it. We just allow it be
that way.
The minute we get to humans we lost all the
sense we got from the woods - we immediately start saying, "You are too
this, you are tok that.I am this...I am not that, I am too this.." The
judgement mind comes in.
And so to keep me away from judging people I
turn to the woods ehere people are for me like trees - that they are and the
way they are... Automatically appreciation arrives and fills me with up with
freshness in thiughts and abundantly too.
PAUSE and RESET
ways to
stay calm when facing negative emotions.
PAUSE ->
P ATIENTLY
A CCEPT
U NDERCURRENTS OF
S TRESSFUL
E MOTIONS
RESET->
R ESPOND
E MPHATETICALLY and
S ENSITIVELY to
E MOTIONS and
T HOUGHTS
The next time you experience negative emotions,
press the PAUSE and RESET buttons to manage yourself calmly so you can manage
negative emotions.
Who you could be years from now...
If you don't know exactly who you want to be
and what you want to be doing in years,
you're already doing it.
Let it sink in.
If you don't know who you are growing into,
you're already who you're going to be in
years.
I don't know about you, but, who I am today
isn't good enough for me in years from
now.
I don't want to be a time-teller or a
time-keeper. I want to be a clock maker.
I don't want to be caught up with too many
things of today. I will want to see further into a long term future and begin
creating something today.
I want to be a sharer and not a hoarder of
information.
I don't want to be seen as a great leader as
much as I want to be seen as one who creates leaders for the future.
Be like the Pencil
The seven qualities of a pencil🖍️
explained as a guiding philosophy for our life.
A young boy🙇
watching his grandmother writing in a book, asked her what she was writing.
His grandmother stopped writing and said,
"I am writing a story, but more important than the words it is the pencil
I’m using that this story is all about. I hope you will be like this pencil
when you grow up."
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil which
to him didn’t seem very special. It was a pencol so it was just like any other
pencil he had seen!
The grandmother said, "It has seven
qualities which, if you manage to adopt them, will make you a happy person who
is always at peace with the world."
❤️
"First Quality: You must never forget that there is a hand guiding you. We
call that hand God, and He always Guides us according to His Will."
❤️
"Second quality: Now and then, I
have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a
little, but afterwards, it is much sharper.
So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they
will make you a better person."
❤️
"Third quality: The pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out
any mistakes. This means that correcting
something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the
right path.
❤️
"Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden
exterior, but the graphite inside. So
always pay attention to what is happening inside you."
❤️
"Fifth quality: It always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should
know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious
of that in every action of yours."
❤️
"Sixth quality: It gets shorter and shorter with use.... so also life.
Make the most while it lasts."
❤️
"Seventh quality: It writes till the very end. Be useful and productive
till your end."
Calm Your Mind - Manage Your Mind...
🌺
"Let Be.." 🌺
Ask yourself, "What do I need to 🌺 'Let
Be' 🌺
to accept that which I have been resisting?"
🦋
"Let Go..." 🦋
Ask yourself, "What do I need to 🦋 'Let
Go,' 🦋
that which is no longer serving me or that which is weighing me down?"
📙
"Let In.." 📙
Ask yourself, "What do I need to 📙 'Let
In' 📙 to
absorb, to appreciate.
So to Calm Your Mind
🌺
"Let Be.." 🌺
🦋
"Let Go..." 🦋
📙
"Let In.." 📙
And so you Manage Your Mind
Managing energy, not time, is the fundamental
currency of high performance.
Performance is grounded in the skilful
management of energy.
Great leaders are stewards of organizational
energy. They begin by effectively managing their own energy. As leaders, they
must mobilize, focus, invest, channel, renew and expand the energy of others.
Full engagement is the energy state that best
serves performance.
Principle : Full engagement requires drawing on
four separate but related sources of energy: physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual.
Principle : Because energy diminishes both with
overuse and with underuse, we must balance energy expenditure with intermittent
energy renewal.
Principle : To build capacity we must push
beyond our normal limits, training in the same systematic way that elite
athletes do.
Principle : Positive energy rituals—highly
specific routines for managing energy—arc the key to full engagement and
sustained high performance.
Making change that lasts requires a -step
process:
Define Purpose
Face the Truth and
Take Action.
Fully engaged energy, not time, is our most
precious resource.
Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency
of high performance.
Performance, health and happiness are grounded
in the skillful management of energy.
Old Paradigm - New Paradigm
Manage time - Manage Energy
Avoid stress - Seek stress
Life is a marathon - Life is a series of short
quick sprints
Downtime is wasted time - Downtime is
productive time
Rewards fuel performance - Purpose fuels
performance.
Self-discipline rules - Rituals rule
The power of positive thinking - The power of
full engagement.
The challenge of great performance is to manage
your energy more effectively in all dimensions to achieve your goals.
Four key energy management principles drive
this process. They lie at the heart of the change process that we will describe
in the pages ahead, and they are critical for building the capacity to live a
productive, fully engaged life.
PRINCIPLE :
Full engagement requires drawing on four
separate but related sources of energy: physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual.
PRINCIPLE :
Because energy capacity diminishes both with
overuse and with underuse, we must balance energy expenditure with intermittent
energy renewal.
To maintain a powerful pulse in our lives, we
must learn how to rhythmically spend and renew energy.
PRINCIPLE :
To build capacity, we must push beyond our
normal limits, training in the same systematic way that elite athletes do.
We build emotional, mental and spiritual
capacity in precisely the same way that we build physical capacity.
PRINCIPLE :
Positive energy rituals—highly specific
routines for managing energy—are the key to full engagement and sustained high
performance.
A positive ritual is a behavior that becomes
automatic over time—fueled by some deeply held value.
THE MIND AND BODY ARE ONE
The primary markers of physical capacity are
strength, endurance, flexibility and resilience.
These are precisely the same markers of
capacity emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Flexibility at the physical
level, for example, means that the muscle has a broad range of motion.
Stretching increases flexibility.
The same is true emotionally.
Emotional flexibility reflects the capacity to
move freely and appropriately along a wide spectrum of emotions rather than
responding rigidly or defensively.
Emotional resilience is the ability to bounce
back from experiences of disappointment, frustration and even loss.
Mental endurance is a measure of the ability to
sustain focus and concentration over time, while mental flexibility is marked
by the capacity to move between the rational and the intuitive and to embrace
multiple points of view.
Spiritual strength is reflected in the
commitment to one's deepest values, regardless of circumstance and even when
adhering to them involves personal sacrifice.
Spiritual flexibility, by contrast, reflects
the tolerance for values and beliefs that are different than one's own, so long
as those values and beliefs don't bring harm to others.
In short, to be fully engaged requires
strength, endurance, flexibility and
resilience in all dimensions.
EI - Emotional Inelligence
(Basics and Beyond)
Daniel Goleman published the first book on
Emotional Intelligence in and I procured
one copy in .
From then to now, apart from being a student of
this subject, I must confess, I have not stopped feeling the need to know more
and more yet try making it even simpler so more can understand the subject
better and easier.
Trying to be non-clinical and in a way to
understand Emotional Intelligence like soft skills.
I try being as simple as simple can be, yet a
complex concept/subject like this one isn't easy.
I try doing nothing but interpreting that which
I have understood on the subject.
A simple definition of Emotional Intelligence
- Our ability to recognize and
understand emotions in
ourselves and others and
the
ability to use that
awareness to manage our
behaviour and our
relationships.
Emotional Intelligence Basics and Beyond
. EQ (Emotional Quotient) affects the
functioning of our IQ (Intelligence Quotient).
. EI - Emotional Intelligence has an escape
velocity that is faster than speed of light and sound.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence is an excellent
way of self-learning
. EI - Emotional Intelligence comes into play
when you finally know the what and the why of things.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence tells you how to
think, not, what to think.
. EI - Emotional
Intelligence is the differentiator between
humans and machines - things like AI - Artificial Intelligence, ML - Machine
Learning, IoT - Internet of Things and other Digital Technologies.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence teaches us not
just to manage our emotions but also successes and failures in life as well.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence is about
understanding ourselves well - Self Awareness.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence forms our
psychological safety network.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence affects and
effects our competencies.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence is a powerful way
of up-skilling our mental and physical faculties.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence makes us
inclusive to our environment.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence helps us simplify
our thoughts, feelings and actions.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence leads to
self-identification and forms our personality and character.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence is about
extrospection. It is about the empathy and the well-being of others.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence is influenced by
our environment, customs and social values.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence leads directly to
self-worth and self-esteem which are essential components for the successes we
attain in life.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence will soon be a
huge disruptor in education as we see it now.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence is enhanced by
experiential learning which isn't possible with our current learning modes at
schools and even higher education, which follows a textual approach.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence develops the
empathy neurons in our mind and releases vital chemicals to heighten the
awareness of our emotions.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence is the foundation
for our behaviours, thoughts and action.
. IQ vs EQ!
The two have to co-exist.
Both are important but there's no doubt that EQ
precails.
. EQ evaluation and assessment is essential in
behavior management by educationists, psychotherapists or in HR.
. EI - Emotional Intelligence transforms lives,
relationships, beliefs and values.
Recommendations:
EI - Emotional Intelligence must be made an
essential part of our education curriculum in all academic studies.
EI - Emotional Intelligence is also essential
for parents in managing mental health relationship and behavioural issues with children, hence
parents tok should have a basic certification in Emotional Intelligence.
Examples of Emotions :
High Positive -
Challenged
Cheerful
Confident
Connected
Joyful
Low Positive
Calm
Composed
Mellow
Peaceful
Relaxed
Serene
Tranquil
High Negative
Angry
Anxious
Defensive
Fearful
Resentful
Low Negative
Burnt out
Defeated
Depressed
Exhausted
Hopeless
Levels of Learning
. Unconscious Incompetence. -
Explanation: "I don't know that I
know."
Inference: Complacency.
Solution : Awakening would help.
. Conscious Incompetence.
Explanation : "I know that I don't know.
(And I want to improve."
Inference: Aware and honest.
Solution : Can be taught.
. Unconscious Competence.
Explanation : "I can do it with ease and
habitually.
Inference: Confident and Overconfident too.
Solution : Keep Them Engaged.
. Conscious Unconscious Competence
Explanation: I can explain to the others how to
do it with ease.
Inference: Confident workman. Great fit for
assembly line work.
Solution: Encourage and make him head the line
function.
Perpetual Positions
Position - Seeing through my own eyes.
Position - Seeing by standing in your shoes.
Position - Taking the perspective of an
observer.
Position - Observing the observer.
Evolving Leaderhip.
When leadership is not a role but a behaviour
that people practice across the organisation, then the organisations are better
placed to navigate complexities surrounding us.
This involves having the right leadership
mindsets (and helping people build them), to navigate ambiguity, create
customer value, developing people, building strong working relationships
(network) and learning through combination of curiosity and experimentation.
Organizations need to completely rethink what
they are about and what it means to lead. It's not about one person or even
those residing at the top anymore. In today's world, everyone has to adopt a
leadership mindset. We have to think of ourselves as members of a leadership
community.
Psychological Effects That Explain our Brains
. The Pratfall Effect:
Your likability will increase if you aren't
perfect.
. The Pygmalion Effect
Greater expectations drive greater
performances.
. The Paradox of Choice
The more choices we have the less likely we are
to be content with our decision.
. The Bystander Effect:
The more people who see someone in need, the less
likely is that person going to receive help.
. The Spotlight Effect
Your mistakes are not noticed as much as you
think.
. The Focusing Effect :
Place too much importance on one aspect of an
event and fail to recognize other factors.
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