Offbeat Spirituality

In this age of economy recession and cost cutting, more than ever it is suggested that this is the best time to enjoy simple pleasures of life. Last night I got the news that my uncle, dad’s brother, passed away. For few minutes I was numb, didn’t know what should I do or say. All my thoughts, problems, tasks vanished away from my mind I kept thinking that tomorrow can be my last day, am I ready for it? Have I thanked GOD enough for my life? Am I a pleasant person to talk to and am I someone whom people want to be with? What value addition I did with my living today? Everyone takes birth, lives a life and dies away. There are millions who live life just for the heck of living it. They don’t have aims, goals or dreams and then there are few those, who make a difference while living. They bring with them an aura that unites others in some way or another, Elvis Presley, Michael Jordan, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi – they were not born great – they just chose to liv...

In the society we live in, we constantly do business with each other and often come across people whom we, start admiring. There is one habit that is common among all the rich people/leaders/CEOs/star performers of this world, can you name that? It is their commitment towards ensuring that their surroundings reflect their devotion of being world class. You would have seen them living in the best homes, wearing expensive clothes, driving luxurious cars and sharing finest philosophy. They seem to portray one message always: “I stand for being the best in my field, so it makes sense that I should invest in the best.” We admire people like these to the extent that we try to become their followers, but seldom have we done any effort in knowing what kind of struggle that person might have faced. Have you ever thought about the kind of beliefs they believe in? What is their motivation that kept them going through their worst time also? It is their power of 'being the best' that they ...

None of us has a desire to be richest in the graveyard. To most of us, a well lived life is about being surrounded by people we like, staying healthy and having sufficient money to meet our expenses. Each one of us wants to have an influence on the world around us, but how many can successfully do that? From where to get life motivation and how can you stay focused on that? Here are few pointers that can help you in staying inspired throughout the day: 1. Be committed: We know life is short, and who knows when our last day comes. Keep this in mind and connect with your priorities. When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself “How would I show up today if this is the last day of my life?” This is not some cheesy motivational exercise but a profound way to bring some urgency and commitment into your days. Live like tomorrow will not come, so shine bright today and chase your dreams. 2. Be smart: Don’t give life a chance to act on you. Don’t let your time go waste when you have the po...

We all have dreams and try to raise our personal standards to achieve them. If we remain satisfied always, what will we aspire about? This world was built by people who felt some discontent with the way things were and knew they could do better. The greatest among us were not satisfied with the system. Think Newton, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, Einstein – they wanted to bring change and introduced a different type of development. Thomas Edison once said “ Show me a completely contented person and I’ll show you a failure.” Life inspired them in a different way and they chose to play a unique game than others. They used their creativity and talent to paint a new picture of this world. If THEY can do it, why can’t WE? Why should we remain behind? I think every human being has a ‘duty to shine’? So think what inspires you and what vision do you have for this world. If all like mined people start thinking the same way, what is there that cannot be ...

Any good psychologist will tell you that one of the deepest needs of human beings is the need to belong. We are happiest when we feel connected to others – by being a part of a community. Anywhere across the world, staying aloof is not a very admirable choice. All of us want family and friends on whom we can depend during life’s happiness and sorrows. If we are happy, we need someone to share our joy with, and if sad we need a shoulder to depend on. Even in corporate world, top performing businesses make it a priority to build successful relationships with their customers to promote communication and collaboration. Here is a list of few simple ideas for maintaining superb relationships. 1. Be the most positive person you know. 2. Be candid and never lie. 3. Give more that what you can take. 4. Say Please, Kindly and Thank you as many times you can. 5. Leave people better than you found them. 6. Be a world-class listener 7. Become passionately interested in other people. 8. Learn to ‘l...

We all are blessed in unique way. Some of us have brilliant jobs, others have money, few are loved deeply by their parents/lovers/kids/friends, we all have homes to live in, decent community to interact with, nutritious food to eat ....... the list goes on. Each of our encounters with outside world teaches us and shapes our prospective. I had a chance of meeting a CEO of a successful company last week. When I asked him the secret of his success, he smiled and said “I take out time to think and thank.” Every morning he spends 1 hour in deep reflection. He sits with his eyes closed and meditates for the day to come, thinks on action plan and thanks God for every moment that passes. Taking out quality time from your busy routine is an excellent strategy for a successful day. Many people spend the best hours of their days agonizing over arguments, differences and non productive thoughts. Even though they are working but they, either do not put their best effort or mentally are occupied wit...

I just saw a beautiful program on Discovery. It was a documentary on a man from Congo who lost his wife, job, estate and home to the rebellions. He has three kids and nothing to feed them. What struck me hard was this man’s will to survive and to raise his children successfully. He doesn’t have a place to live but his eyes still sparkle of hope, of a better tomorrow. When the interviewer asked him how he plans to live now, he said that as long as he can walk on his own foot, he doesn’t fear future and will work hard to begin his life again from a new edge. What an amazing fellow! It’s being said that “Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to walk through it.” There are many among us who are ready to devote their energies to the positivity in life. We all have troubles in our own way but how are we helping those who live around us? What are we giving the world each day? How do we inspire others? Why can’t we be different from others who just know how to take, how to crib an...

My sincere condolences to General Manager Karimbir Kang at his great loss - and my admiration for his steadfast performance of his duties - that is how terrorism is defeated. Sir you are an outstanding example to the free world. For those of you who do not know Mr. Kang - His wife and two sons were staying at the hotel Taj, Mumbai. During the terror attacks, all three of them were killed mercilessly by terrorists. In spite of this tradegy, Mr. Kang (GM, Taj) continued to work endlessly to save the life of other innocents. Such is the courage of people of our country.

Today, while we were at India Gate, saluting to those who laid down their life so that we can sleep peacefully at night, I realised a very important thing: Courage is not only absence of fear but along with that willingness to walk through a tough route, sometimes when you know the route can end in your death. It takes guts to leave your family, your children behind for your country. Some of us can not even imagine how motivated those policemen and commandos were who fought bravely to end the unfortunate situation and ensure that maximum number of people can be saved. Messages have been pouring in from every country and I am amazed by the solidarity shown by those who do not live in India. What chance do terrorists have in this world which just needs one incident to unite against them?

What has happened at Mumbai has broken many hearts and given us wounds that may probably never heal. Some have lost their loved ones forever and many may have to live a life of injured now. Fear has made way for rage which is ruling high among all. Mumbai is the place of bravest of the brave and the city will rise again. The spirit of optimism can never be killed and this is the time to turn wounds into wisdom. Our country has stumbled but this incident would become stepping stone for the future. Choice is ours – do we want to mourn endlessly or do we want to stand tall again and make our world a decent place to live. Let’s not miss an opportunity to inspire others and spread peace amongst this tragedy. It is the only way to mend broken hearts and let’s all be a part of it.

It’s 9 o’clock on a Thursday morning. Mumbai has been rocked by consecutive blasts, people have died and many are injured. Why do terrorists strike? I fail to understand that what do they get by hurting others? Well, if it is their will to cause havoc around the world, ours should be – not to give up. We will stand again and this time more united. Every one of has something to offer to society in the form of inspiration, and with it comes the influence of strong thoughts and feelings on each other. Makes me think of what Margaret Mead once observed: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Nice.

We constantly face struggle to gather the strength and courage to break through our internal fears. The anxiety of unknown constantly pulls us down. There are some who are stay optimistic and motivated to accomplish everyday tasks successfully and set long-term goals. On the other hand, there are some who avoid, procrastinate, and waste valuable time agonizing about their inability to carry out the simplest of tasks. So which group you belong to? What is the level of your intrinsic motivation? The concept if motivation is not rare, almost everyone has it and practices it in some way. The problem arises when we forget our positive points. If that is the case with you, here are few motivation boosters that can be used anytime when you need a shot of confidence. If he/she can do it, why can’t I?...... When others can do it, why can’t you? Why should you limit yourself by saying/thinking that the task in front of me is difficult? Nothing is impossible if you have the willingness to perfor...

Get this: I just heard that lonely people belonging to high income groups are showing up at designated places to cuddle up and have 'get together' parties. Strangers meet, introduce themselves and then spend time cuddling. Nothing more – just for the feeling of warmth and being connected. Well, what do you think about it? The paradox of our weird world is that as we become more connected electronically, we become less connected emotionally. People spend hours every day downloading podcasts, reading emails, chatting online and surfing the net but they have forgotten the importance of old-fashioned conversations. They have neglected the ritual of eating together with family, helping parents, sending letters to relatives and saying hello to neighbors. What is the fun of earning money if we get lost in this mechanical world?

I work as a volunteer for a NGO. Today I met a very senior lady of this NGO who shared a beautiful thought to ponder on: “If you can believe that there is benefit in everything that happens, your mind would be always peaceful.” Rightly said, and we can relate it to our lives so easily. Why do we feel stressed? I think, we experience tension when we give our mind continuous dozes of negative thoughts. Whatever is going to happen will happen, so why think too much about it? Again – it’s the matter of how you want to mould your thinking process? Don’t forget, we have a choice at every moment and it’s our attitude – optimistic or pessimistic – that decides our path of destiny.

" Is there anything that has been taken away from you, only to realize how much you appreciated it after it was gone? " Many would say ‘ Yes ’ I am sure. It’s common for us to take something or someone for granted. We sometimes realize the true value of person or situation only when the thing/person leaves us. I met someone who’s dream of playing professional football ended abruptly after a serious injury. He’s 25 right now and has been practicing football for the last 19 years. Imagine – 19 years of hard work gets blown away in a single day! It’s now; this person admits that when he looks back on his nineteen years in competitive football, he has a regret – He pushed himself so hard that he had forgotten to enjoy the game. He was so focused on overcoming his weaknesses and ‘making it big’, that he never took time off to appreciate what he was doing along the way. We habitually waste away our time and energy focusing on what we don’t like, what needs to be done or what we’re...

Today when we see global economies tumbling down, it’s natural to be gripped by the fear of recession. My concern is a small one. I want to know if we have enough courage to sail through this period of uncertainty? I read a very disturbing article this morning about how people worldwide are losing confidence in government systems. Well, just a request them– be patient at this hour of time, and you will remain to see the wonderfulness that this time will bring to our children. Remain brave and do not let your courage leave you. Courage, my friends, is not the absence of fear but the willingness to walk on the path that is not very well laid. You ride on it through the fear, in pursuit of your goals that means life to you. Living in comfortable safety of the known is like ‘living dead’, when there are no more challenges to conquer. Fun of life is to let your heart beat strong into the territory on the unknown and explore places/vision for something which is deviated from the usual. Every...

Let me know if you have any comments. Would like to hear from you.. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1136246/my_little_discovery.html

I got a beautiful response from Richard ( articlesbyrichardkendall.blogspot.com/ ) and would like to share with you all.... Thanks Richard for your lovely thoughts. There is a kid in me. He can no longer count all of his birthdays on one hand or all of his appendages combined but he still thrives. He is still curious, easily distracted, and sure to try and jump over a mud puddle rather than walk around it. Even when he lands in the middle, and walks home in muddy, wet shoes, he chalks it up to experience and vows to get a better running start the next time. His toys have evolved over the years: From plastic animals and helicopters, to guitars and weights to cars and boats. Now, a bike ride, a fishing pole, hand tools, lumber and wood, a guitar and a Frisbee tossed to his dogs are standard play toys. When he plays, stress takes a back seat to invigoration. Worry melts down to perspiration, leaves his body and evaporates. Stress? Worry? When he is engaged in play he forgets that he ever...

Its 7 p.m. here in India right now. While coming from office today (yeah! we work on Saturdays) I bumped into neighbourhood kids. I asked them that what they did today and pat came the reply – “we played”. It made me think – as adults, how often do we play? By playing I mean it in true sense - in the playground -a cricket, football or rugby match? Why do we adults think that we have hundreds of responsibilities on our head? Why is our enjoyment limited to going out for movies, shopping, parties, eating out, chatting unnecessary with people around? True that we need these activities as well to let our presence known and stand tall in the social arena, but where has the kid in all of us gone? The kid who wanted to steal every opportunity to play, to get dirty on the ground, the kid who knew no boundaries, no tensions, no stress .........

We sometimes lose hope of success, when there comes a big obstacle that we fail to clear. All of us have failures of our own - at work, at home, in relationships, in life – the list is long. We wonder why this has happened, and start suffering from the dreaded disease of self pity by constantly thinking – Poor me. Till some time back, I was also of the same kinds who could be ‘put off’ by failures quite easily. It took me time to understand my failures, actually. And Now I can see the bigger picture. I have been uncertain towards the better part of my life. Failure is the cost of greatness. Failure is an essential ingredient for a higher success. You can’t win without leaving your safety zone and taking some calculated risks. They don’t say it without any reason – no Risk, no Reward – and the more risks you are going to take in pursuit of your dreams; chances are that you are going to fail more often. But that shouldn’t stop us from moving ahead – let’s learn to stretch today – life ca...

History is full of stories about monuments and how long it took to build them. Great Pyramids, Taj Mahal, Eifel Tower, Great Wall of China.... the list is long – it took years to make them and now they stand tall remind us of time when not many means were available to construct something but some people had vision and patience of making their dreams a reality. They knew that the generations later, their work will still be admired. The point that I am trying to make here is that the larger the dream, the longer it takes. And the endurance becomes critical for our work Maybe, as you read this blog today, you are feeling frustrated over the fact that your richly imagined future is not your current reality, yet! If it is so, I encourage you to keep in mind that the most excellent things take a little longer. Don’t forget - if achieving bold and beautiful things were so easy - then everyone would be doing it.

While on my way to office today I came across few elderly gentlemen who were di scussing on the topic of stress within society. Very interesting chat & I just hanged on to listen more -- one of them said "Keeping yourself alive by throwing fresh currents of thought and emotions into the things you do from habit". Rightly said & something that I needed to hear today - as I try hard to meet a project deadline. Makes me wonder that people of the older generation have so much wisdom; I wish we learn and not ignore them.

Last night we went out for a dinner. It wasn’t on any occasion, but felt like eating Thai. 15 minutes into the restaurant the meal service began. It was simply an excellent meal I’ve had in years - fantastic salad, tasty dishes and brilliant soup. For my own personal development, I have recently started working on gratitude more than ever before. I do so by practising a vote of thanks at every single opportunity. The list includes being grateful towards a rag picker who takes out trash from our compartment, the fruit vendor across the street, the courier guy among others. There are so many people working in the background to make life better for us, the least we can do is to say ‘thanks’. So I took a piece of paper and write out a thank you note to the serving members and the chef. I wrote it sincerely without expectation of any type of a reward. While moving out of the place, I handed the paper to the waiter who collected our bill, saying “This is what I can return you for your super...

We all are aware of chaos around due to recent financial breakdown. Countries are in acute state of depression. Old structures are getting disintegrated. It’s very easy for negative elements to float around and cause further distress. Feelings are like cold; they catch up on you effortlessly and leave you drenched with worries. There’s greed and me-first mentality on the Wall Street. But let’s not stop observing the goodness around. There are many who are optimistic about this whole trend. Why? Because there are still many people who have knowledge and wisdom to carry on, people who have big hearts. New business comes in only when the old crumbles. This is the time of ‘change revolution’; we are here to be a part of it, to implement new ideas and to see a better world tomorrow. Let’s not be depressed, let’s celebrate as in this turbulent times, there is still lot of goodness around. I want to be a part of this change, do you?

As manager sales, I work towards closing gaps with sales people through coaching. I always relate to my sales staff on a more equal, less informal level. The role responsibilities are still there, but I get in the trenches with them... so to speak. Here's a MANIC approach that I have developed to my sales staff , see if it's of any use to you... Ask your sales person these questions and find out if they understand and answer these questions completely. M = Money - who holds the purse strings A = Authority - who can say Yes as well as No N = Need - why would someone want to buy our services I = Interest in buying from you - remember most companies need three quotes - 1 from the incumbent 2 a new supplier they are interested in 3 a price comparison - MAKE SURE you are not the price comparison C = Competition - if you are up against a company that sells cheap - you promote service and quality - if you are up against a company that quotes quality and service you promote value for m...

Motivation and Self Esteem always go hand in hand. Got a chance to attend a session on motivation, this is what I liked: Common Belief Issues - low motivation Hopelessness - It is not possible to get what I want. Helplessness - I am not capable of getting what I want. Worthlessness - I do not deserve what I want. Transforming Beliefs - moving to high motivation Hopelessness to Optimism Helplessness to Confidence Worthlessness to Self Esteem You are important, special and unique. You have something to contribute. So, where do you stand??

Last night I watched a program on Discovery channel. It was on U2 (Early days of their career). Do you know that they drew only 9 people to a gig? 9 people. U2.- imagine We often refrain from living our dreams thinking that Those Great Ones are different from us. This is not at all true. The people we admire - whether in entertainment or professional lives, or society - started from a dream and nothing else. But what counted is that - they started. And each day – without a break - they promoted their vision, worked towards making it move ahead. From few audience to hundreds, to thousands. To become one of the major rock band in the world. So start attempting to move your closely cherished ideals forward. Start somewhere. And start now. Do that please - The whole world needs you being at your best. Can’t think of anything better right now than R Kelly’s popular song ‘I Believe I Can Fly’.

Motivation is certainly a good topic to write an article on I think. If you know the way to intrinsic motivation, then you know the way to be successful. We all are different and therefore look out for different motivational solution to our need. So, here is my suggestion of dealing with this issue: Write, on a piece of paper, about yourself describing – what constitutes YOU ? Like an introduction that you would give to a complete stranger. Now read it – Are you only talking about your work life because that is all in all about you, or do you have hobbies, interests, favourite pastimes, voluntary work that you can include? See yourself as being made up of components, like - your home life, relationships with your family, friends and even pets, your status in the community, local issues that you stand for and support, some volunteer work that you do for church or NGO, being in the local sports team, your passions in life, etc. Now I don’t profess to be lucky enough to have these many co...

We know that what we eat today determines our health. If our diet is nutritious, we cannot expect to have a strong body. So don’t you agree – Actions always drive results. We know ourselves and we know what we stand for – Excellence in life, family, career and fun. So I ask you to take your diet to the next level. Eat excellent food. Give your body the best fuel. Think of yourself an elite athlete who needs to putting only excellent nutrition in, so to get excellent results out. After all, what's the point of getting to mountaintop - but reaching there sick? Or not having enough stamina to go for your dreams? So eat a healthy diet to win.

“Do you know who I am?” Last night I heard someone shouting these words at a glossary store. The speaker was a tall man, who looked like someone from a affluent family, and he was shouting at a boy aged 14-15 years. This man was so full of ego that it overflowed in his every action. Someone interfered and sorted out the matter within two minutes. Just after 10-15 minutes I saw the same man driving away his car rashly, as if wanted to show his anger to the world around, and the boy on the other hand was back to his cheerful jokes. Time and again we come across people who are always ready to pick up an argument/fight, they only need a slight persuasion. These so called ‘hyper sensitive’ and ‘temperamental’ people can be seen at every corner– in the departmental store, on roads, within movie halls, at parties etc. They do not have a control on their feelings do have tendencies to burst out on others. Our reaction, when we see a incident like these, is often none. And chances are, that we...

Difference between ‘ Life Style’ and ‘ Art of Living’ ? To define it in simplest way, I say - Lifestyle is ‘what we pursue in the modern world’ and Art of Living is ‘internal’. It shows what your actual character is, never affected by external materialism. Lifestyle is however an imaginative and modernized term. People want to follow others, they want cars, high paying jobs, wonderful relationships, recognition everywhere, but at the end of the day what counts is ‘ value addition’ . How much did you actually work for you own happiness and peace of mind? Earning is a necessity but earning blindly and compromising on self esteem constitutes rat race. This world is so full of artificiality and the question we need to ask ourselves is that “ Do I want to be part of this artificiality or do I have something unique in me ?” this is just the beginning of introspection. Never call yourself ordinary. It is like playing a victim. To say you can't Lead, Innovate and Inspire others, in the si...

What is meditation? Contrary to a popular belief that it’s a very exclusive and difficult process, meditation is quite simple. During meditation, all we do is ‘controlling our negative thoughts’. Why to do it?: Meditation is a constructive way of discovering the beauty and strength of our inner world. With every passing day, need to develop the power of mind is being felt by the all of us, as we try to keep up with the ever-increasing pace of life and its complexities. How to do it? Every morning when we get up, we work according to a set routine. We race from one work to another, trying to complete daily routines on time – but what we cannot control is - the day - and how it unfolds. So why not put our maximum effort in starting it with the most cherished and motivational thoughts. That ways, we will feel a warm flow of positive energy, within us, throughout the day. Now, if we apply this simple ‘thinking process’ to what we're all about, as we achieve great things in life at pers...

Hardship comes in different size and shapes - and it comes often. No matter how much we try to stay happy, sometimes we do get mood swings, which can be the form of depression, anxiety, sudden, violent or wild rage - depending upon its intensity. For most of us, it means getting into ‘mood off’ mode. Our emotions act like virus sometimes – they travel from one person to another, be it cheerfulness or sadness. Seldom we realise the ‘power of emotions’ that we carry and unknowingly pass on our mood to others. Here’s a list of questions that I would like to call mood quiz. Answer this to find out - - how steady is your frame of mind: If your boss or senior colleague does not talk to you nicely, do you think about it whole day? Do you pass over your unpleasantness to others? When the going gets rough, do you find it difficult to deal with feelings of desperation? When you are upset and in very sad mood do you have a remedy to cheer yourself immediately? Do you imagine that others are happi...

Ours life is a world of thousand colours and beliefs. Our streaming faith in God and ourselves takes us through time’s ups and downs. Spirit of life is one constant among so many diversities and acts like a pilot to navigate through different situations. For some, spirituality implies religion. But there’s a major difference in between the two: Religion is an organized community of believers that has written codes of regulatory behaviour whereas spirituality is more about one's own inner personal belief and experience of a higher power or greater purpose. If you call yourself religious, answer these questions honestly: Can you control your anger at will? Are you able to compose yourself gracefully under any situation? Is stress making you impatient? Do you worry about yesterday or tomorrow? Is your attitude cheerful? Do you compare your life with others often? Now truthfully rate yourself as where do stand in salvation from these practices? These are the basic human values and we d...

“Stress never comes alone, isn’t it?” With stress there are symptoms of nervousness, anxiety, blood pressure and in some cases panic, fear and depression. Nowadays even kids are using terms like ‘stress depression’. So much is the visibility of symptoms that corporate managements have identified it as a major factor effecting the productivity and morals of employees. To help such a situation, role of spirituality in management is increasing day by day. Spirituality, whether of the God or the self kind, is about growth, doing better and acts as stress reliever. When all the outward stress busters fail to help in busting stress in its entirety, try turning your search towards meditation. This way a person realizes his true 'self' and become conscious about his inner potential that can guide him through an effective stress management process. Through spirituality, understanding of permanent and transient things in life starts to set is. You start analyzing the significance of al...

The foremost tool of not letting STRESS make you its victim is cheerfulness. Through cheeriness and warm heart we can make our environment joyous, happy and optimistic. It’s the best medicine for depression and internal relief. Being happy is like wearing a joy perfume; you always smell good and want to spread the warmness around. So based on my experiences, I have come across 6 points that I would like to share with you and if you make them a habit, they will lead you to a contented life. 1. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, ALWAYS Being sad is a state of mind, being happy is your character. Everyone likes to be around the "realistic optimist". The "RO" is a person who can acknowledge that everything isn't always great, but that somehow we will all make it through. Knowing that trials and setbacks are both inevitable as well as temporary makes you an asset to the people around you. 2. LEARN TO GIVE IT AWAY Be economical with your bills, be generous with everything else...