Goodbye 2009

2009 is saying goodbye,

Blow the blues away in the sky,

Forget to cry, don't be shy,

2010 is calling to 'come & fly'.

Time to stop being a donkey!

Sticking to past is an easy task. We have become so used to it to even realize that most of the time our thoughts are dominated by things of past. Is it learning from mistakes or living them all over again?

Look into the mirror of introspection – we are carrying the weight of past so tightly on our shoulders that our heart aches. So cheerless has become the ways of living that some people are wasting their lives of it. Sad – isn’t it?

Here’s a basic funda that I have learnt from spirituality – see you life as a movie. You see, then I get this feeling that ups and downs are part of every movie. What is the fun of it when it is all very very good and there’s no villain or problem? When we watch, we know that the hero will come out of everything ultimately. Same way, life of each of us should be seen as a motion picture in which every one of us is playing the most important part. Simple – no strings attached!

Now, let’s stop being a donkey. Let’s stop smiling at ourselves that we are the so called ‘smart’ people on this earth who are living our lives in the best possible way. Darling, this is the time to change – if we are good, let’s become better. Let us mould our characters and imbibe more values. Let us show to the world who we are and let us become more will powered.

Forgive, Forget and Move on

We live in a world directed by feelings of people towards each other. ‘Selfish interests’ have become so prominent in our lives that our every action is filled by it. There are many who practise a very limited compassion for others. In their quest of growing, they overlook the ethics. Wise men tell us that “money can get us everything but a character” – some things are so true and they remain so as long as we live.

And that teaches me a lesson – forgive, forget and move on. There are so many things happening around – people dying of hunger, countries are at risk of getting drowned, earthquakes rattling homes, children getting born on streets and what not. It just takes a second to change your feelings from annoyance to gratitude – and thank God, I am good in this.

Stress Management through Worry Management

We worry too much, don’t we? “What happened yesterday?”, “What will happen tomorrow?” “Why me?” In the “Whats” and “Whys” of our life, we are losing precious time of today. Yesterday is the history, tomorrow is the mystery but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called present.

There is a very fine line of division between worrying and reflection. It is definitely good to go back in past and remember the moments of delight and happiness. Reflection is when I am free from the negative effects of past and I only ponder on memories which are good.


This brings us to worry versus reflection. Worrying is when you dwell in ugly past and express remote over things you cannot change, feel the pain of yesteryears and get bitter. You know it is not useful but you like to do that because you are so much blinded by your habits. To think something negative also sometimes gives a pleasant feeling, isn’t it?


The times are changing. Global warming, nuclear weapons and natural calamities are increasing. Aren’t you getting the message of time? Change yourself before it gets too late. Change the way you think, speak and act, for even a thought is an act. If I change, the whole world is bound to change with me. I know where I am wrong and I have to control my stress and my habit to worry all the time. Any moment can be my last moment; I want to live a perfect life before that moment comes, so that I know I lived better life than millions of other people on this earth!

Spiritual Quotient Learning III

Ask anyone what is spirituality and they will talk about religion. What is the difference between religion and spirituality, no one would know.


Our life has become so unpredictable but does that mean we also have to be? Spiritual quotient is all about knowing what we don’t know existed and implementing changes in life, the changes that will make us a better person, more humane. In other words, we can also call it changing the unpredictable in us to something more regular.


Spiritual quotient means not becoming sad due to small disruptions but be in a position to ‘see the bigger picture’, altering our whole perspective towards life and then helping others in doing that. Life is beautiful because I am!

Let’s today.......

• 
  
  Take out a minute to run from fear
  
  
  
• 
  
  Tell our loved ones how much we adore them
  
  
  
• 
  
  Smile at every neighbour we see
  
  
  
• 
  
  Take an appointment with ourselves to sit in peace for 10 minutes
  
  
  
• 
  
  Call our parents and enquire if they have been keeping well
  
  
  
• 
  
  Promise to help a human being in need today
  
  
  
• 
  
  Make our life’s best day!
  
  
  

Trust your Guts

People like to take others opinion when they start something new. Many often feel dejected on receiving criticism. The founders of Google tried to sell their patented technology for $1 million. Everyone they approached passed on their offer – companies didn't get the chance to connect with the opportunity. They failed to see The Bigger Picture of how search engines would shape up the technology of tomorrow. However the founders did not give up and result is in front of us – who doesn’t know Google today? It is worth a cool $141 billion today.


It is high time that we start trusting our guts. Practise listening to your heart and then follow it. Don’t get too much used to taking the easy way out, raise up to the kind of person you would like to be. There are people like Nelson Mandela and Gandhi who resisted the way things were and trusted their guts to take forward the light of hope. This world wasn't put together by people with small vision and minor thoughts. It was built by the eccentrics like Einstein and oddballs who had the courage to passionately follow their dreams. So what are you waiting for? Each of us has desires to be a better human being and to be a part of a wonderful tomorrow. Let’s start today on the beautiful path in pursuit of doing something great.

A TO Z... FOR LIFE

A--Accept
Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.

B--Break Away
Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to accomplish with your life.

C--Create
Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and happiness with.

D--Decide
Decide that you'll be successful and happy come what may, and good things will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the way.

E--Explore
Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much to give. And every time you try something new, you'll learn more about yourself.

F--Forgive
Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes.

G--Grow
Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand in your way.

H--Hope
Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as you remain dedicated to the task.

I--Ignore
Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals and remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small inkling of what the future holds.

J--Journey
Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try to learn something new every day, and you'll grow.

K--Know
Know that no matter how bad things seem, they'll always get better. The warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.

L--Love
Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart, there's room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there's room for endless happiness.

M--Manage
Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll suffer less stress and worry. Then you'll be able to focus on the important things in life.

N--Notice
Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding.

O--Open
Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the worst of times, there's still much to be thankful for.

P--Play
Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without happiness.

Q--Question
Ask many questions, because you're here to learn. We Learn By Doing, And Teach By Being.

R--Relax
Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things always have a way of working out in the end.

S--Share
Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything that you invest in others will return to you many times over.

T--Try
Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You'll be amazed by what you can accomplish.

U--Use
Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that's wasted has no value. Talent that's used will bring unexpected rewards.

V--Value
Value the friends and family members who've supported and encouraged you, and be there for them as well.

W--Work
Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel guilty if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second chance.

X--X-Ray
Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you'll see the goodness and beauty within.

Y--Yield
Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you'll find success at the end of the road.

Z--Zoom
Have a bigger prospective of life.

Food for thought

I met a middle aged couple, both of them serving at the board positions in different countries. Loved their zest for work and life. The way they truly love and repect each other is remarkable. They have a wonderful aura of positivity around them and its difficult not to get impressed my them. I asked them what their secret was and they replied

"When making your choice in life, do not neglect to live".

Beautiful!

Thought Conditioning And Stress Management

Why do we feel stressed? Why sometimes there is a sudden desire of shouting on someone to tell people that I am right and they are wrong? Why sometimes motivation from life suddenly disappears?

The answer lies in thoughts and their conditioning. Thought power drives us, makes us feel delighted or saddens us. When something happens according to us, our thoughts condition the mind to feel happy. If someone says something to us that we don’t like, our thoughts start to run with such a speed that it usually gives us a headache.

Motivation is a very refined feeling of thoughts when your mind programming becomes positive. One of the most successful ways of doing that is to meditate. It now only calms our mind but also puts a brake on our thoughts which otherwise just flow unconditionally. By the way, do you know that on an average how many thoughts come into our mind in a day? 25,000 – 30,000. Amazed?

A Beautiful Quote on Quality

While working yesterday, my husband said a very funny liner on 'Quality at Work' that I'd like to share with you all

"Quality involves both heart and mind – one drives you ahead, the other keeps you kind."

Stress Management

I had a chance to speak at a conference today which was full of working professionals, age group 20- 50 years. Hearing them discuss the issues of their companies, teams, products, deadlines, meetings and God knows what else; it was worth noticing that how individuals are shaping the future of organizations. The surprise element was however the stress level that each of them carried. Almost each of them reported problems of constant headache, blood pressure or high temperament.

Stress is a silent killer, it kills without warning. Don’t forget that “stress is not what happens to us. It is our response TO what happens, and RESPONSE is something we can choose.” When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter in 5 years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go.

Winters & me!

Winter is setting in. I love this weather - mostly because the sky is clear and it’s the time to plant new seeds. From November to March, nature gets beautiful. I go out for long walks every morning just to see who is growing what. There is a unspoken competition among all on whose flowers are the best.

I love the way air smells and the beds of different colored pansies. I grow them every year to remind myself of the vibrant life that we all are given. It prompts me to see my daily living as a sketch book, and it depends on me make it colorful.

Value of Time

“Know the value of time” – A very common proverb but the most ignored proverb. Time passes with every moment. If I am not making use of it right now, I am wasting the most prized possession of mine. Time is an entity which is common and equal for all. No matter which country, cast, religion we are from, we all get 24 hours in a day. Some people spend their day in sleeping and doing activities which does not add any value to the humanity as a whole while others work hard to make their ends meet.

If you want to be stress free and live an extraordinary life, you will have to get ahead of time. Here are some pointers that can help:

• Give up laziness – just give it up
• Don’t postpone work, do it now.
• Don’t involvement yourself in enjoyable activities such as watching TV, listening music, relaxing or a get together with friends till the time you have completed your work.
• Be truthful to yourself. You have to be your own teacher.
• Make a timetable for the day and stick with it.
• Be strong willed.
• Know what is right and then do IT
  

I can go on like this but I guess everybody else is smarter than me. I hope you have got the message - Know the Value of Time

Spiritual Quotient Lesson II

Human beings have 4 levels of interaction – physical, mental, social and spiritual. The physical level constitutes the kind of person you are and characteristics like what you are fond of, what you hate, your passions, values you stand for etc.

Metal level is the foundation of your intelligence quotient. It is all about your capabilities as a human being, your strengths and weaknesses. Next one, social level constitutes our communication with the rest of the world in general.

The fourth level – spiritual is totally neglected. We are so tied up with the first three levels of interaction that most of us do not even realise that the intellect inside us has its own needs. Spiritual quotient is used to judge this realization and on the basis of it, the ‘humanity’ factor in you can be determined.

‘Humanity’ is one of the most confused words in today’s language. For most of us, it means helping others in any way we can. To be of assistance is certainly good but where is the compassion? For others as well as for self? Aren’t most of our actions are driven by the perception that others have about us?

You see, we human beings have fallen to such a level of deteriotiation that self interest has become the biggest thing. You may care about global warming, wars, terrorisms but if you are not caring for your parents and family selflessly then your living is a waste.
And this, my friends, is what spiritual quotient teaches us.

Identify the Leader in You

If you want to be great in life, know thyself and live in present. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery but today is a gift and that is why it is called “Present”. Live in the moment, it will help you in two ways:

1. What you are doing right now will pave a way for your future. So if your thoughts are of best quality and you are doing with work with utmost sincerity, the future will become like that. According to the Karmic Philosophy, we reap what we sow. So, sow good deeds and reap their benefits.
2. Use your creative power to get rid of old habits, unsolved issues. Let the past go, only then you will be able to make the place for future. See it like this – If you have a cabinet which is filled with old clothes and junk, where will you keep the new stuff? And since you will not be able to make space for the new things, you will keep on looking at the junk and feel bad about it or carry a feeling of guilt within. To make yourself happy, give yourself this one gift on Diwali – give away the junk of your mind or a bad habit that you know will do you harm later. Enjoy the newness around because the world needs people like YOU who are different that the rest and possess the inner strongness that no one else has.

BTW: Diwali is the biggest festival in India and its tomorrow, 17th Oct. It is also known as the festival of light and I must say to those who haven’t seen Diwali in India – You are missing something too big in life. Visit us once to see what humans who are lit with happiness from mind can do. The scene at night is worth thousands of dollars. Every home sparkles with lights, colourful lights and candles. It is WONDERFUL.

Monday Blues!

I’ve got cough today and my nose is running. Couldn’t get up early because of my laziness and had to drive in the morning to somewhere – so missed meditation class –one hour practice that opens my mind to a new world of possibilities. It’s around 2 pm now and I haven’t had the chance to nibble the breakfast and work seems to be happening too slow. I have to go out for shopping with my mother this week (have been postponing that for over a month but can’t do that anymore) and one of my clients is not paying for the work I did for him two months back. I have to complete a pile of articles today and I know it would take me another 10-12 hours to do those and I want to go for a meeting tomorrow so badly, not sure if I would be allowed to!

Well, that’s how my Monday is going so far but I still love it when things get too jumbled-up. It becomes the test of my patience and like everyone else, I don’t like to fail. So, as I plan my day ahead, I feel cheerful from inside and I know that if I can keep myself calm now – I can keep myself composed under any situation.

I am writing this on my blog so that it acts as a constant reminder of what I need to be – A Calm Person.

What’s your spiritual quotient?

We all have come across terms like intelligence quotient – used to measure presence of mind of an individual, emotional quotient – tells us about the sensitivity and demonstrative power, memory quotient – name itself suggests what it reports..... And then there comes spiritual quotient.

Spiritual quotient has been given such a low importance that many people do not even know about it. Thankfully, I live in a country like India where a lot of importance is given to spirituality. Many see spirituality as a way to lead a prosperous life.

Spirituality is a way of living. It is NOT LIMITED to idol worship, chanting mantras or listening to discourse. And I repeat – spirituality is NOT any of these.

IT IS ABOUT knowing your true self, having a contented state of mind and being someone who is strong from inside, no matter what the circumstances are. The practical aspect of spirituality covers meditation, which introduces you to your true self and makes you realise that you are blessed to have a life worth living. People are dying somewhere; floods are eroding houses, quakes are shattering dreams, thousands are becoming orphans due to nonsense wars and terrorism and then there are people like us – who are cosily sitting at our desk while reading this. It is time when we can make a choice of what I want to be – ordinary or extraordinary – and remember – the route to becoming an ordinary person is very well written but to become extraordinary, there has to be sacrifice, discipline and motivation. Do you have them?

Never say Sometimes...

Say Always. I am always victorious, not sometimes victorious. I can control my feelings, anger, ego always, not sometimes. “Always” is a key to do wonders. Discipline is about always doing the right things at the right time.

This is how a smallest effort can change our future. Never postpone, do what you have to do “NOW”. Sluggishness is the enemy number 1, just get rid of it – “NOW”. Because if you can’t give up your weaknesses, you will never be able to climb up the ladder of satisfaction & happiness. We have so much of raw power and we don’t even realise how energy is getting wasted within us. So, drive the change now. Today is the time to become a leader – of your own thoughts – and not the other way round. Future is right here, waiting for you to see it in the eye but the BIG question is “Are you ready for it?”

Living with Courage

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 and how to gain self importance? Let’s be a ‘giver’, let’s all give peace, smile and good wishes to others and Mother Nature and let us all be incredible citizens. We have lot to be thankful about; start feeling grateful about gifts of life before it gets too late and you miss your chance to do so.

On the way to success

There is nothing like “overnight success”.

Behind flashy smiles, there is years of hard work and yes – route to success isn’t sexy. It takes time and you need patience.

Most of the time, the right thing to do is the hardest thing to do. Generally people give up there only. To be successful in something, you need to be passionate enough to stick to it everyday, week, month and year of your life.

It’s really amazing to see how far you can get just by staying with something long enough. Giving up too early is a sign of running away and alas – some of us are like that. We are guided by our fears and faith takes a back seat.

Thought for the day is "Greatness is not about revolution but about evolution. It comes to you naturally with those small yet consistent wins. To be great, you only need to have a viewpoint and the will to stick with it."

Lessons That I Learnt From Indian Army

One of my childhood wishes was to join the Army. Unfortunately, my eyesight did not support me and I had to drop the idea at the age of 13. But Indian Army still inspires me to the core and not a single day passes when I don’t think about the men (and the women!!) in green.

There is so much for which I adore it – first being the team spirit. I don’t think anyone can display better selflessness than the brave soldiers, who I don't know how get the guts to put their lives at risk every single day.

It has a 'young force', the people from gen Y and their motivation is worth noticing. They are the ones who don’t have worldly longings like us, those who never complain of aching, who can sacrifice the comfort of home beds for sub zero temperatures of Siyachin , leaders who fight against all odds and those who know that to achieve something, you have to give up a lot.

Love them for what they are, for without them India is a broken country.

Do you have a kid in you?

Its 7 p.m. here in India right now. While coming from office today (yes! 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 are we always stress? 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 .........

In the Search of Passion

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 superb services”. He was a young guy of 20, simply smiled.

Then something incredible happened. One by one, each of the serving members appeared from kitchen and paid me a little visit. I could see that they were touched by a simple note, reminding them that their hard work mattered and it was due to their combined efforts the restaurant was flourishing.

So my dear friends, let’s not the passion go away from our lives. Keep it alive, it shows you the way to live!

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About Leadership

Leadership means that you do everything thinking that you are zero. Its only then you begin to see the bigger picture. And if you ever get a feeling that you know everything – start counting your days to gloom.
To be a leader, you need to –

1. Let go of your past.


2. Leadership makes you forgive others for their mistakes and love them as your own


3. Maintain your health – it is your biggest asset.


4. Leaders are authentic communicators


5. Read and read more. Books are our best friends, really and they make leaders.


6. Develop a habit of writing journals to record good ideas, lessons learned and dreams to be executed on.


7. Run your own race. Leadership isn't about following the mob and being like everyone else. That's followership.


8. Be ethical – maintain immaculate reputation
9. Micheal adds: Try to keep friends with all people. Everyone has a right to an opinion.
   

That’s my list for being a leader – add if you know anything worth mentioning about leadership.

Controlling Your Thoughts

“Do you know who I am?” Last night I heard someone shouting these words at a glossary store. The speaker of these words was a tall man who looked like someone from a very rich 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 the two within 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 arguments or fights. They only need a slight indication. 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 with anger on others. Our reaction, when we see a incident like these, is often none. And chances are, that we will react in the same way under a similar situation. So the result is that we do not have a control on ourselves and give out the ‘remote control’ of our mood to others. We react and not act within circumstances. Now how much correct is that approach?

Are you a God Follower?

Being a writer, I have developed a habit of observing situations– something that few people consider strange. I was at a conference yesterday where someone from the audience asked if I believe in God in a religious way. For two minutes I just couldn’t answer – I am not a religionist but I do believe that there is a Supreme Force called God. It’s just that I refuse to limit my vision of GOD.

So what followed was a detailed discussion which made me write this post today – “What is God?” and “Is it possible to Find Him?”.

Science says that everything that originates has an end. So that means whatever we see with our two eyes will become extinct after few years or decades. Since nothing including us is permanent in this universe, how can God be? So it makes sense to realise that God is not like how we perceive HIM (I am talking about Hinduism here). Science also says that the only thing that never dies out is energy. One of the properties of energy that I read in ninth standard stated that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. So here is my answer – I believe in GOD as long as you consider him to a source of energy, a positive energy. And finding HIM, experiencing HIS powers and following the route showed by HIM is not difficult provided you have the will power.

Thought of the Day

Read a beautiful quote and thought of sharing with you all!

" It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." --- Dale Carnegie

The WOW factor of Life

Everything in life offers us a platform to learn – from a simple argument to the fights– there is something valuable to learn from each of them. Some great men encourage this value of incidents of life and encourage us to appreciate everything that we have got and consider the practice of striving for more as a sign of materialism. And there are others who say that as human beings, we are made to push our limits and discover more to reach for something higher and become a WINNER.

Having struggled a lot with this issue, I have realised that the WOW factor of life is about maintaining a balance in between these two. I remember a beautiful lesson that once I heard on Discovery:

“After climbing a steep hill, you will find that there are many more hills to be climbed. Take a moment to rest there, steal a view of the glorious scene that surrounds you and look back on the distance you have come. But you can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities and the long walk of life has yet not ended.”

Remarkable comment!

Ways to Get Up Early...

While I was a kid, my parents used to say
Early to bed
Early to Rise
Makes a man
Healthy, Wealthy & Wise
Its strange how the very first things learnt in childhood remain true for the whole of your life. Waking up early is a gift to yourself that each one of use should preset to the self. We have seen how leaders win their fight against time..There is so much to achieve and influence and so less hours in a day....

So what is the solution? Wake up early, see the morning sun rising and feel its power charing you up for the whole day. I thought it might be a good idea to share how to get up early and you can follow if you like:

1. Exercise:
Never miss exercise of the day. A good work out always keeps us active, when we need to.

2. Meditate:
Take out 30 minutes of your time and meditate. Meditation, if done correctly, can help you to control wasteful but time consuming thoughts and you can concentrate in a better way.

3. Take a massage:
I don’t take it regularly but it might help YOU. Massage can relax your body muscles and control your blood pressure. Let the negativity move out through it.

4. Spare a thought to your core values
‘Who you are?’ and ‘What do you stand for?’ Think about the values on which you would like to base your life and evaluate if what you are doing currently is helping you in achieving it. It isn’t tough but you have to learn to sit with yourself sometimes.

Giving 1-2 hours to these activities will ensure that you remain more productive during your working hours and who wouldn’t want that?

It’s all About Leading the Way!

I sometimes feel shivers down my spine when I look at people who have failed to understand the value of life.
Seeing how people waste their time & life sends shivers down my spine. Some of us get too much that we simply fail to understand their values.

Here’s a little test for those who say they are out of this trap

How do you react if someone doesn’t talk to you nicely? What is your first reaction? Do you let the situation go or you react by saying something equally disrespectful?

(I could have asked you something more displeasing like ‘what would you do if someone rejects your work’ but since I myself have not still learnt to take such a situation calmly, I can’t talk about that right now!)

Think about it and if you are on the side of majority, it’s time to reform. These days are such that most of us ride on the wave of impatience. They say ‘God made human is HIS own reflection’, so think: how we counter circumstances – is it the right way to react?
This world has too many commoners, what it requires is leaders. Life is all about leading the way, it’s about managing your stresses with elegance & grace and becoming a person who paves his own way!

Learning From the Courage & Compassion of Indian Army

Whenever I am down, I read stories of Indian Army. Knowing that people can sacrifice so much, live in sub zero temperature, leave their newly born kids to a single whistle of duty, guide expeditions to places where no one has gone so far – all for the love of country – is amazing.

India was born rich but unfortunately our neighbours weren’t. Being surrounded by countries like China, Pakistan & Bangladesh there is not much scope to rest for these brave men. When we talk of stress, we fail to consider those who eat, sleep & work in stress, the stress of life, not knowing what would tomorrow bring and still they manage to spread the good cheer around– there is so much to be learnt from life, literally.

In management, we offer talk about ‘mindset’ of doing things & of getting them done. But what about ‘heartset’? Heartset is not even a word in English – isn’t it necessary for leaders to have heartset as well? A high performing individual operates with articulated strategy and displays mental excellence in every step.

Courage always goes hand in hand with compassion. This is what Indian Army has – unlimited courage and undying compassion for country. This is what I strive to achieve

Development through Cooperation

On a daily average, how many of us spend time in reviewing our core values? Even though we know that our character development is dependent on it, it’s an investment that many have never given a thought to – and when we come in contact of others, we seek cooperation. The practice of ‘self realization’ begins when you start giving appointment to yourself.

From the moment we get up, ‘things to do’ dominate our mind and the whole day is spent in doing duties towards home and work. Have you ever wondered that how with time, we have changed from ‘human beings’ to human doings’? Taking care of ourselves physically, running off to office, socializing with friends and colleagues, attending to family matters, eating out, going for vacations – we are doing everything to keep ourselves busy but are unaware about what to feed to our mind, emotions and feelings?

I am not aware about the other countries but in India, stress is definitely on a rise. Not many people today are left untouched by anxiety, depression, insecurity, jealously or anger. You can be called lucky if you don’t feel these extreme sentiments frequently.

Overall development occurs when we cooperate with each other and with ourselves, have an attitude of forgiveness towards those who have hurt us, intentionally or unintentionally, and start seeing the BIGGER picture of being extraordinary in every activity – this world is full of those who are ordinary, so how are you different? Let’s begin with a ‘change in attitude’ and witness an overall development.

Best Way to Deal With People

The thumb rule in dealing with people is ‘Respect’. To gain respect, you have to give it first.

The character of a human being works in two ways- either you elevate the people you communicate with by understanding their true worth or you are minimising them. There is nothing in between when it comes to celebrating the essence of ‘human touch’. People are giving you best years, months, days or hours of their lives and it’s your duty to treat them with passion and let them know that their opinion is valued.


If we wish to develop a culture of successful people around us, we have to learn the art of nourishing every human talent. It is THE BEST WAY to deal with people.

Acne Care

Acne Care is like clockwork. Every time you turn your head, there is a new skin care product being launched that promises to make your skin acne free. You can see the display of cosmetics at every store, mall or mart. However, the most difficult part is to choose the right kind of acne care for yourself that gives you a spot free glowing face.
Here are some useful tips that can surely help you in keeping your face glowing amongst every kind of weather.

1. Wash your face 3 times during the day:
A very common yet most ignored ritual in our lives. Washing face with mild soap helps in keeping the pores clean and throws out the dust particles from the skin. You can also use the Acne Body Wash to get better results.

2. Avoid squeezing a zit
When you see a pimple, avoid the temptation of popping it. This can cause the infection to spread underneath the skin or would leave a permanent mark on your face.

3. Exfoliating your skin everyday is not a good idea
The skin of face is very sensitive and can develop harsh reactions if rubbed with scrubber too often. Skin experts suggest exfoliating once a week as a normal practice.

4. Choose a healthy diet
In most of the acne related cases, having improper diet is the main culprit. Avoiding oily and junk food can do wonders for your skin. Also, include as much fruits as you can in your daily eating regime.

5. Selecting right kind of product
Never ever buy a cosmetic without taking into consideration others’ opinion about it. You can speak to your friends, neighbours, relatives or read reviews in magazine, or log on to net and find what other users are saying about it.

If even after taking these precautions your skin develops acne, consider using Acne Products that offer world class care. Some people may need to take professional Acne Treatments to get rid of spots on their skin. For women aged 40 and use of anti aging cream is recommended. Resurgence from Murad is a very well known product and can be tried if you are looking for a cream that can take out years from your face.

Are you FHP?

I can't help observing people in action, understanding how they bring contentment to life and what keep them on the path of doing good for society! At every point of interaction with others, I like to know how they fuel their mind cells or if they don’t bother at all.There are three simplest attributes of becoming the best in life:

• Friendly
• Helpful
• Excellent
  

Friendly is for ‘smile’, never let it go. It shows a great attitude and communicates the raw energy within you!

Helpful is all about initiative, not only at work but at home too. We all love to pass the buck instead of aiming for results. I am trying to learn too, so can’t say much on this!

Excellence: - Ah! I love this word. For me, it carries the essence of working – seeing things from behind your eyeballs and then doing whatever it takes to make you gasp "wow".

So let’s devote some time to become BIW (Best in World) at what we do. About handling a family, entangled relationships, rough love life, work stress, playing a game or working at office – Let’s be brilliant in the work we’ve been blessed to have.

The Art of Saying 'No'

Every time you say yes to something that is unimportant, you are saying ‘no’ to something important. “Yes sir” and “Yes madam” has never created anything great. There is a huge value in getting good at saying ‘no’

Say no to a colleague who wants to discuss useless office gossip with you, say no to a friend who wants to go out for shopping with you at the time when you are not willing, say no to those who spread cynicism, say no to relatives who laugh at your dreams and make you doubt your capabilities. Learn to say no to the social obligations that drain time from your life’s work.

You can never be all the things to people. It is absolutely okay to give your work more importance than useless time spent with others. Instead spend some quality time in doing introspection that will help you to reduce stress. Let your each day be full of positivity of life. Sure, some people will get upset if you choose to follow your wishes instead of theirs – but who cares?

Life has to be lived at your own conditions, don’t you agree?

Weekend Thought

Sometimes you get points of wisom from the most unexpected places. I found this written in the text book for third standard students.

"No matter how bad people may seem, they possess at least one virtue. Be like the humming bird and pick out the sweetness of everyone's character."

Great thought to practise, isn't it?

Let the Fire Burn from Inside

I was going through linkedin.com and was amazed by reading the responses of people who have been laid off due to recession. The positivity some exhibit is worth praising. Many understand that success doesn't come easily and you don’t have to be the most intelligent/gifted/strong to taste it.

You only need a ‘free spirit’ to feel it. Let the fire burn inside you, let the desire of doing something ‘GREAT’ motivate you, let the passion grow wild in the belief that wonderful things have happened and will happen again. On the stage of the world, we all are actors. So let’s play our part to the fullest. Say no to regrets.

Life is ‘happening’ now; it’s not the time to get lost in minor issues of jealously, anger or feelings of the wrong doing. Work intelligently to upgrade every element of your life – from relationships to career, from health to wealth and from thinking big to making IT big.
So light up your fire – don’t bend under the stress of responsibilities, enjoy them. Look in the mirror and remember who you are. And all that you've dreamed of being. And then act. And when you get knocked down or discouraged or afraid. Get back up. Light up the fire again. And stoke it until it blazes. It is time to move on

Simple Meditation

In today’s world where everyone is running around to get “more”, how peaceful are you? Are you confident that if something unpleasant happens tomorrow, you will be able to maintain your composure? How strong you are internally?

I had these doubts among others when I began on the path of meditation . With time, I have learnt a lot – I have learnt to stay happy and at peace with myself– I have imbibed the values of forgiveness, punctuality, politeness, peacefulness and off-course love. I have understood that contentment comes from within.
I am sharing today a simple formula for meditation which you can include easily in your daily routine to experience a tranquillity that each one of us has.

Each morning before beginning the journey of the day, practice to sit still in silence for 10 minutes. Use the time to sow the seed of peace.

Give yourself these few minutes and see its effect last 24 hours.

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‘Miracles do happen’

Do you believe in miracles? Have you seen hostile situations completely taking a 'U' turn in your favour? I have - not because my work never gets struck but because I believe in 'happy go lucky' attitude.

Being lucky is not like a divine interference in all your works so that your life moves smoothly; it is a feeling that I can do anything. How would you feel if somebody does a forecast for you that 7 years down the life you will be a much successful person in personal and professional life, you'll have more comforts, healthier relationships, better equipped to handle tough days – you’ll instantly feel relaxed knowing that your future is secure.

My point is: ‘forget about tomorrow’ – enjoy your today, do every chore with responsibility and spread the positivity around. If your today is good, tomorrow will definitely be better. Let go of your stress and feel free.

People worry so much about the future that they forget to enjoy the present. Whatever you desire, you will get it - simply focus on what you are doing now. See every setback as a stepping stone and every problem as a blessing in disguise. Contrary to what critics might say, these are NOT corny aphorisms. They are timeless truths of humanity. (And critics are just people too scared to grow their dreams anyway - pay no attention to them. Our world today needs people lifting each other up rather than those who put others down).

About the Lessons of Life

“Why do people lie?” “Why are they afraid to accept responsibility of mistakes that they have done?” – These questions struck in my mind while I was on morning walk today.

From the experiences of elders I have learnt that learning from mistakes is important to stay vibrant, otherwise a human being becomes stale. It is not the sign of wisdom if a person doesn’t understand the significance of lessons of life. A weakness that most people have is that they don’t analyse situations from analytical blend of mind.
To let go your past and to see every day as a new day, you need to spend some time with yourself – not to count how much you earned or what good/bad happened during the day, but to analyse how is each day helping you to become a better person.

‘Conversation with self’ reduces stress drastically as it gives you a chance to see an open door of opportunity that you would have otherwise missed. Today can be the first day of your new life; you can shine with all your might – it’s all about choice.

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Live Life to its Fullest

Here is something which is not very new but since like stuff like this, I am posting a piece on philosophy for your reading pleasure.

A person asked God:
"what surprises you most about mankind"

God replied : "they loose their health to make money & then loose their money to restore their health.

By thinking anxiously about future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor for the future.Life is all about uncertainties
Never know which way it will turn, like a wild horse

--- So Live Life to its Fullest –-

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Look For Goodness

In everything, goodness is there, our goal is to find it.
In every person, the best is there, our job is to recognise it.
In every situation, the positive is there, our opportunity is to see it.
In every problem, the solution is there, our responsibility is to provide it.
In every setback, the success is there, our adventure is to discover it.
In every crisis, the reason is there, our challenge is to understand it.

By simply seeing the goodness we can manage our stress issues to a great extent and can stay enthusiastic and experience a contented life.
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Managing Stress

On the occasion of my friend’s marriage, I met a finance professional who has recently been asked by Coca Cola to be its Asia-Pacific head. As many people understand, it is a huge opportunity for anyone who aims to be CEO someday. This person is however not happy. Beyond the courtesy smiles he is a hollow person. He tells painfully that in his quest of becoming professionally big, he lost his family. His wife left him as he couldn't handle office stress effectively and children barely know him as he never had time for them.

Putting family, along with health, should always be the top priority for each one of us. Family matters too much and some people realise that only after they chase their dreams to reach a level only to find themselves along there.

Devotion to work is good but it shouldn’t cross the line to become stress. As adults, we teach our children to view the world and they will follow our leads. So let’s make a smart choice today. Let us have a look at our priorities again and restructure our lifestyle a little so that we can have a happier today as well as tomorrow.

Power of the Mind

What is your ultimate competitive advantage? How can you do things differently than others?

To be successful, one needs to control his/her mind. It is said that “Wars are fought between the minds of great men”. Everything we see today was an idea some time back. Edison fancied luminosity, so created bulb, Gandhi wanted to see equal rights for everyone, so started ‘Non Cooperation Movement’, people wanted to stay connected while on move, so mobile phones were invented, BMW thought of making a car that could change shapes automatically and designed GINA......

It’s the ideas that keep the human race going. People like us make the difference in history of mankind and we know that everything begins with a small step. The mind has to be focussed enough to follow dreams, otherwise what is the fun of living? Live an extraordinary life, do what you dream of doing, take risks and be a person who has tried a lot of different things.

I know that you know that there is no joy living a dull life.

Loving What you Dislike

The things that drive you crazy are the biggest opportunities for you to prove yourself. The people who press your buttons are actually your great teachers. The issues that make you angry are actually your biggest gifts – be grateful for them – love them and learn from them.

The people or circumstances that take you out of your calmness have extraordinary value. They are the test of your limitations and your beliefs. They make you think of values that you do not stand for. I know people who pay huge amount to a complete stranger, called psychologist, just to pinpoint what is keeping them away from success and people like us get a chance to experience that everyday but we fail to recognize the opportunities.

They don’t say ‘Love your Enemies’ just like that – this phrase has a very strong meaning and only those who understand it appreciate the fact that your enemies have the power of taking out the best from you!!

Start Something New Now

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.

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 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’.

Gaining Life out of Lost Moments!!

A philosopher once said: “Most people take the limits of their vision to be the limits of the world. A few don’t – join them.”

This is surely a superb point. The life that you see this very moment isn’t necessary the life of your future. May be right now you are viewing situations with the eyes of fear, rejections, limitations and false assumptions and you would be able to see a clearer picture once you wash off the stain from the glass window.

One of my good friends lost her life partner last month. Though she is a strong person and has her family supporting her completely in this moment of grief, she sometimes feels lonely and depressed. I don’t know what to say except – “this too shall pass”. I know it is difficult to face a situation like this but we all have to see some tough days, may be these are hers...

As Robert Frost says “one thing that is learnt about life through experience is that it goes on.”

No one is born with a guarantee of having a wonderful life – our attitude makes all the difference and this girl is certainly trying to cope up with the loss. I have seen many people who are filled with uncertainty and negativity; however there are still so very many great human beings out there – those who carry deep wisdom, who have big hearts and do not give up easily. We need to salute them and learn from their spirit as they gain life even out of lost moments.

Reveal the Genius within!!

Do you know the way to reveal the genius within?

I know one: its route is through problems solving. Problems are nothing but servants – they bring responsibilities. Inside every problem lies a precious chance to see life from a new perspective.

Every challenge is nothing but an opportunity to improve ourselves and be a step closer to the kind of person we would want to be.
Avoiding problems is never considered a wise decision. To know our true worth, we have to pass through tough situations. To a salesman, a yelling customer might seem like a headache, but to a problem solver he will provide an occasion to cover the gaps. A person who understands the importance of feedback will improve the standards to ensure that such a thing never happens again.

Struggles open our mind to new and refined viewpoints that we never thought existed. It makes us better decision maker and helps in maintain confidence on our abilities.

To conclude, here’s my quote for the evening:
“Life is meant to be lived with simplicity; our attitude makes all the difference.”

Living through Adversities

Very often we come across people who are so used to take shortcuts in life that they get frustrated if there is any delay in any of their works. Traffic jams, office deadlines, fights with friends/family, financial crunch, loosing job, broken vehicles, and arguments – just few examples I can think right now that people call as their rough time.

Problems are a nothing but few days of tough time and while time passes, they also do. Theoretically I know many people who have heard it, know it and advice it. However when it comes to checking yourself, how many of you would give yourself 100% marks in your crisis management techniques. Not 80, not 90 but 100 %.

Check yourself if you get discouraged/upset when you face any such situation that you had not anticipated. If you can’t find the answer, ask your friend/family to remind you instances where you lost your cool. But remember – take their answer as a constructive feedback, do not argue back to justify your actions, instead admit your mistake and take responsibility.

So start your day on a positive note. Think of adversities as nothing but a tide of strong winds. It will tear away everything from you except the qualities that cannot be torn, so that you can see yourselves as you really are.