Zeitgeist

Answers on Motivation & Habits

2009-12-08T09:38:00.009-05:00

Leo of Zenhabits recently answered some key questions on motivation & habits. Here are few of them, beautiful insights on most common issues of our life.

How do you motivate yourself to get work done after trying many things and failing over and over again? Motivation is first just about taking that first step, just getting excited about something enough to get started. Then it’s about focusing on enjoying what you’re doing, right now, instead of worrying about how you’re going to get to a destination.
If for a moment you start to feel overwhelmed by the complexities of life, how do you simplify to get where you want to be? Take a deep breath, and let all the chaos and frustration flow out of you. Focus not all all the things you need to do, or that are coming up, or that have happened, but on what you’re doing right now. And just focus on doing one thing, right now. Then, one small step at a time, start making it happen.
What’s the habit requiring the least effort that makes the greatest difference? This will sound trite, but I’d say positive thinking. It’s not the easiest habit, as it requires that you start listening to your self-talk, and start telling yourself positive things instead of negative ones. But it’s the one thing that will make the greatest difference, because it will enable all other habit changes.
My hubby lacks interest in anything except boating. How can I motivate him to get off the sofa? I don’t think you can motivate others — if they want to do something, they’ll do it. If they don’t, then don’t make them. However, you can influence others in positive ways. I’d recommend setting an example by doing, and sharing how great it is, without judgment for what he’s doing. If he’s happy doing what he’s doing, then that’s great. If he’d like to do more, then be there for support — but don’t push. In the end, worry more about what you’re doing and less about what he’s doing — he’s living his life and you’re living yours. People don’t like to be pushed or judged or badgered, but like to be loved and accepted.
How to minimize tension/frustration with others who are less organized than you are? It’s a matter of only worrying about what you can control, and accepting that which you can’t. You can’t control others or their organization level, so don’t even try to. Instead, learn to embrace a degree of chaos, accept that the world is out of your control, and love it. The world is a wonderfully unpredictable, wild, and beautiful place. Learn to let go.
How do you stay motivated in business when you have never done something before & the results won’t show up until down the road? Learn to love the process, and don’t let your happiness be so dependent on the outcome. Be passionate about the actual things you do, do them because you love it, and you’ll stick with it. The great things that result will be a natural by-product.
How do you sustain self-motivation when you suffer a setback toward your goals? I always try to enjoy what I’m doing. If there’s a setback, that’s not a problem, because the progress I’m making isn’t as important as doing the activity (running, reading, writing, cycling, whatever). And because I enjoy the activity, I’ll keep doing it, even if there’s a setback. Just realize that setbacks are not the ending points, unless you let them become so. They’re just a little stone on the road — kick it aside, go over it, walk around it, but just keep walking. And enjoy the journey.

GOKAI

2009-12-05T00:28:00.007-05:00

The secret method of inviting good fortune, the marvelous medicine for all sickness:

Just for today:

Do not be angry
Do not worry
Be grateful
Work with integrity
Be kind to others and to yourself.

Every morning and every night, sit in the Gassho position [hands held palm-to-palm] and speak these words out loud in your heart. For the evolution of body and soul, Usui Reiki Ryoho — Mikao Usui, the founder

Mind & Success

2009-12-03T13:22:00.074-05:00

I recently went through an excellent training conducted by a doctor who is expert in NLP, TLT, Hypnosis, and applied behavioral sciences. It was very enlightening, eye-opener experience. Some of the learnings were:

Performance is when a person can utilize his competence at the right time, at the right place. Internal emotional state, and self management is required to perform when required. Whatever you hold in mind happens. Whatever you pay energy survives. Whatever you focus on expands. What you give is what you get, before you give, you receive. People who are willing to fail succeed, people who only want to succeed don't. Our intention is the biggest power. Observer influences what is being observed.

The core instruments of operation (1) mind, (2) body and (3) brain. Two major parts of mind are (1) conscious and (2) subconscious minds. The conscious, or rational mind works based on the past experience. The subconscious, or intuitive mind is 8 times more powerful than conscious mind. All our learning and knowledge resides in the subconscious mind. People who use the power of their subconscious mind can achieve super success when compared with who don't. Using only "conscious" mind is like using only one finger of your one hand rather than all the fingers together.

There are four major states of brain - Beta (15-40 cps), Alpha (9-14 cps), Theta (5-8 cps) and Delta (0.5-4 cps). The Alpha state is a state of "aware relaxation". At the Alpha level you can re-program yourself and reap numerous advantages. To get into Alpha state, sit, close your eyes, relax. Take 5-7 rounds of deep breath, then breath normally. Begin counting backwards from 25-1, give 3-4 seconds interval between each count. Then bring your attention to breath, and do whatever mental programming you want to do. Come out of this state by counting 1-5, slightly stretch your body.

Sedona is a powerful method for releasing uncomfortable feelings. By learning to let go, we learn the art of being free from habitual tendencies of suppression or expression of emotion and go about living with more inner freedom and better choices. Suppressed feelings, blocked thinking impacts the quality of decision making, hence jeopardizing the quality of life. If you are not fully satisfied with what you already have or are today, then most probably you are sitting on many, many unprocessed feelings.

Two main methods of releasing/letting go - (1) Could I welcome it now? Welcoming is essence means remaining open to what is. Welcoming means remaining aware of all these internal and external feelings and let them pass without your conscious interference. (2) Focus inward on the 'now' feeling - how am I feeling now? Could I allow myself to welcome this feeling? Could I let this feeling go? Would I let this feeling go? Would I rather have this feeling or would I rather be free? When?

Being an executive means doing 5 things regularly (1) Planning, (2) Organizing, (3) Directing / Leading / Coordinating, (4) Review/feedback, (5) Coaching/Training.

Get rid of disruptive thoughts that does not allow you to do the job, use powerful techniques to switch-off the background jobs of our mind. Get into alpha state, allow any thoughts that are are coming, 'let it go' and the disruptive thoughts will come and go. Just let it go. You'll be left with focused thoughts.

Goal setting is simple (1) write down the goals, (2) visualize / picture you already achieved the goal, as crystal clear as possible. To know the best way to achieve a goal, ask your subconscious mind.

Time is impartial. It is available to each one in the same measure, at the same speed. Once gone it does not come back for anyone ever. It is up to you how you manage your speed, execution and focus to take maximum out of it. For proper time management, (1) decide goals, (2) plan activities, allocate time, (3) execute plan, manage distractions and disruptions as mentioned above, (4) keep 20% time free for crisis., (5) keep time from transition from activity X to Y. So it is (Plan + time + 20% buffer time + transition time).

Four pillars of success & well living are (1) health, (2) relationships, (3) self development and (4) wealth. Never take your health for granted. Never take any relationship for granted. Expand your ability to remain employable. Remember - "Jho patthar diwar banane ke kam pe ata hain, woh sarak pe para hua kabhi nahi milega". If you are capable, there are always takers.

Three pillars of rapport (1) trust, (2) understanding, (3) comfort. Lack of rapport invites resistance, opposition, disobedience and argument. Four techniques to build rapport (1) listen, pay full attention, (2) begin to share, (3) appreciate, (4) match and mirror. Building rapport is building comfort.

The best way to start - how can I make my today better than my yesterday? Leaders need to ask right question. Right question gives you 'focus' and power on your head. If you are proactive, you are creating the situation, else you are reacting to an existing situation. What is intuition? Intuition is wisdom based on theory and practice.

RANT (role analysis and negotiation technique) is a powerful method to help managers and subordinates to achieve desired levels of performance, improve team working, quality of feedback and review process. Key steps - managers makes two lists (1) the activities he expects from subordinates while pursuing his KRAs (2) what he thinks the subordinate expects from him. The subordinate also makes two lists (1) activities he thinks manager expects him to do (2) what he expects from manager. Then both share the list, discuss and agree on activities and behaviors. Both agree on the feedback mechanism in case someone deviates from the agreed list. Both set approximate time frame for next review. Ambiguous terms not allowed.

3 step communication process (1) what is the outcome you want? How do you want the person to think, feel and do - after you communicate? (2) create structure, you can only create structure only if the outcome is clear (3) modify the structure by repeating, using alpha state, in different posture. Editing shows you are being sensitive, and you are using your intelligence and wisdom. Once you are skilled, the sequence can be (1) outcome (2) alpha state (3) structure (4) alpha state (5) modify. Be aware of hidden message, choice of words, tone of voice and body language. You can be firmly gentle. I am okay, you are okay. Whenever you have to say 'No' to anyone, use 3 step C-P.

For feedback, rapport is essential. The person must be willing to receive it. The BIDI process of giving feedback (1) behavior (2) impact (3) desired behavior (4) impact of desired behavior. Before sharing your feedback, get into alpha state. Feedback should always be one-on-one. After feedback, you must listen to that person's feelings. Lead it to a discussion. Important - person, sensitivity, time and place.

Assertive people make requests, and they are okay if the request is denied. Maintain eye contact, smile, speak slow, smooth tone, dramatic voice, firm, silence, consultive - doctor style. Assertiveness is (1) share / listen what others / you want and why (2) listen / share what you / others want and why (3) offer suggestions for mutually acceptable solutions.

Effectively delegate (1) identify the task (2) identify the person (3) why do you want to delegate (4) why the identified person (5) what are his competencies for this task (6) what habit may prevent him (7) what support he may need (8) arrange a meeting. During meeting (1) explain the task & complexity (2) discuss and fix timeline (3) set up review process.

As a leader - don't answers people's question. Ask him "what do you think should be done?" Motivate them to generate ideas. Make them think. At the best, give him a lead. On inappropriate answer, ask him "what do you think should be the consequences?"

Secret of life - peace, joy and love. Aware of everything always.

Most Important Values

2009-12-01T23:03:00.000-05:00

A key piece to playing at your absolute best as a leader (and as a person) is to ensure that your daily schedule reflects your deepest values. Anything less is a flight from integrity.

Here are the top 5 values I want to work by and stay true to:

1. EXCELLENCE. I adore this word. My goal is to work at a level of excellence, constantly refining my talents while delivering outrageous values to the world.

2. PASSION. Without passion, nothing great was ever gets built. Passion fuels innovation, builds a fantastic team and makes the impossible possible. I want to express my passion in all that I do. Otherwise, what's the point?

3. SELF-MASTERY. You can't be a better leader than you are a person. So every day, I work intensely on developing my inner life. I read. I reflect. I write in a journal. I exercise. And do all those things I need to do to express my best.

4. BEAUTY. I'm an aesthete. I love beauty in all forms. So I make the time to look for beauty, in both expected and unexpected places. Interesting conversations are beautiful to me; brilliantly designed products (think Apple) are beautiful to me. Great food, fresh nature, cool architecture, a strong cup of coffee in the morning and modern art are all some of the things that fill my life with a sense of beauty.

5. CONTRIBUTION. Leadership is about doing deeds that live on long after your death. I want to do things that will help people awaken to the fact that, regardless of what they do and where they are, they have the opportunity (and responsibility) to show leadership in their work and at their life. Few things are important to me than feeling I'm making a difference for people. And doing my part to build a better world.

Spark

2009-10-03T13:34:00.002-04:00

Excellent speech by Chetan Bhagat, on how to be happy: http://www.chetanbhagat.com/speeches/speech_2.php

Winners of World's Best Presentation Contest

2009-10-02T03:02:00.009-04:00

Slideshare announced the winners of the 2009 World's Best Presentation Contest. The winner is Dan Roam with an entry called "Healthcare Napkins and All." These are the first and third place entries.

Healthcare Napkins All

View more documents from Dan Roam.

Feels Bad On The Back

View more documents from Mohamad Faried.

Timepass Theory

2009-09-29T09:24:00.008-04:00

While reading "It Happened in India" by Kishore Biyani, I came across a very interesting section. This is controversial, many people will interpret it in many ways. Most say it is negative. I felt excited, somehow the philosophical meaning touched me. It is just a different way to looking at the same thing - "Life should have a purpose". It is just accepting the very truth that we all have to leave the world one day, and although we have the whole life, time is limited and precious, so why not spend time doing something meaningful? It is also looking at things in a less competitive way, looking at success & failure in a different way.

Here is the quote from Biyani:

I interpret life very differently and I have this belief that we all come to this world to kill time. Therefore, we pick up some activity that we like doing and call it our profession. I call this the Time Pass theory.

I work to build a business, an organization. But what I am essentially doing is trying to spend the time I have in this lifetime. Every morning, I get busy getting ready to leave for work or some meeting. I am doing it not because I have to do it. I am doing it because I will not have much else to do through the day.

Through this work-life of ours, we tend to create our own world. We make our own definitions of success and failure, of victories and defeats. And we use these not only to judge our own selves, but also to judge others, without ever realizing that all we are doing is basically digging holes and filling them up. Yet I have seen so many people take their life too seriously, not realizing that what they are essentially doing in this world is time pass.

Very insightful thinking. I am afraid it is hard to understand this objectively without a certain philosophical and spiritual maturity.

Getting to the Top

2009-09-27T02:44:00.010-04:00

Employees looking to move up to their first management positions should work on these skills:

Standardizing processes and procedure both across and within units
Improving the quality of products and services

To reach mid-level management, managers need to find “stretch assignments” that give them experience:

Turning around a struggling unit
Building a performing team and grooming future leaders

And to get to the very top, managers need a background in:

Resolving crises
Restructuring business investments or debt
Starting a new department, division, or function

Some other general rules that applies to all:

Exhibit leadership, charisma, financial acumen and a strong understanding of the business.
Communication skills, business writing, world-class presenter.
Master of delegation. Trust your team's abilities, let them perform, listen to their suggestions and, if they don't match your purpose, explain why.
Good relationships with your staff.
Good positioning skill. Know how to target an industry and map out where you could fill a need and how you're going to do it.
While not an essential prerequisite, getting educated from a top MBA/Executive program helps.
Hiring an executive coach temporarily may help you to step back, reconnect to what is really important to you and your business.

Some personal qualities that hardly can be learned, are required to go to top. Here are some:

Good at their job and willing to lead, Self-Secure and Confident, In control of attitude and emotion, Persistent, Continuously Improving, Honest and Ethical, Thinking before talking, Original, Publicly Modest, Aware of Style, Gutsy / A Little Wild, Humorous, Detail oriented, Fighters for their people, Willing to admit mistakes yet unapologetic, Straightforward, Nice, Inquisitive, Competitive, Flexible, Good Storytellers etc.

Biggest Challange in Business - Execution

2009-09-24T02:10:00.009-04:00

The Biggest Challenge
What most business leaders think their greatest challenge is, isn’t.

And whatever their problems are today, they’ll be different tomorrow and they will be bigger too.

This foundational challenge is executing. This is the biggest and toughest challenge in business. Why is strategy execution so difficult?

The majority of us don’t know how to put together all the key steps of strategy, planning, organizational alignment, execution management, innovation and measurement.
We need to keep in mind the control factor: regardless of how well we perform as a business, there are many factors to success we cannot control.
As ironic as it may seem, there is a growth paradox, the organization that’s good at solving today’s challenges will create a new and bigger set of challenges for itself tomorrow.
It’s critical that organizations continually work on increasing their capacity to execute.

Figuring Out the Challenge
The biggest challenge is not the issue at hand. Planning and execution while at the same time dealing with the unknowns of the real world, is the biggest challenge in business.

Building an organization that can learn how to execute strategy and deal with the daily surprises of the business world is solving the one problem that makes solving all other problems easier.

Solving this one problem yields substantial long-term benefits for your business, including predictability, balance, managed growth and substantially increased market value. All of this promotes a better night’s sleep for you.

Solving this one problem also leads to the creation of an organization that is trusted both internally and externally. It enables an organization that learns how to develop its people to their fullest potential. It empowers an organization that can be successfully transitioned to the next generation, and so on.

What is an Organization?
Think of an organization as a system for deciding what to do (a strategy, a plan) and the managing the execution of that plan. When the system (the business) makes an error, choosing to do the wrong thing or forgetting to do something that is required, the problem must be corrected. The longer it takes to detect the problem, the more it costs to fix. If the business has no system in place to set, manage and monitor strategy execution, the process is not only error-prone, it’s a huge disaster just waiting to happen.

What is wrong with us?
Most leaders fail to understand the implication of the human nature barriers. Our natural tendency is to do what we like doing, not necessarily what we should. Being accountable to ourselves is not enough. We clearly need others, preferably outside of our organization, to hold us accountable and to help us accelerate our learning. We need others to help us fight the continual battles against our own human nature and our tendency to do what we want to do, rather than what we need to do. We need others to challenge our way of thinking and acting. We need others to help us increase our capability to manage the next challenge. We need others to learn how to do this faster than we can do it on our own. Finally, we need others to help make change last within our organizations, to make the new way of working “stick.” That’s what strategy execution coaching is all about.

What kind of methods do we need?
A business-building methodology must provide a framework for an organization to learn and grow as its size and complexity grows – a way to increase its capability to learn and grow faster than its challenges. Another priority of the methodology is to connect long-term goals with daily decisions. To do this requires connecting people’s activities to the company’s strategy – from the top to the bottom of the organization. It requires a clear process for defining strategy and goals that are then translated into team and individual goals.

Questions to Ask
The critical question for every business leader is, “How do I build an organization that consistently executes with excellence?”

The answer: it takes a complete program. The reasons other approaches do not last is that they are missing key elements.

Bottom line
Singular, piece-meal approaches just don’t last. Sustainability, the capacity of an organization to maintain the necessary balance between strategy and execution, and doing so while overcoming the hurdles, requires a complete program consisting of four tightly-integrated elements:

A Repeatable Methodology to drive organizational learning and understanding.
Strategy Execution Coaching to nurture and nudge to stay the course.
An Execution Software System to engage everyone, everyday in real-time alignment.
Community Learning to share and reinforce best practices and accelerate learning.

In order to build a sustainable strategy execution program in small and midsized businesses, three major barriers or hurdles need to be overcome:

The Expertise Hurdle: Cope with the wide range of expertise required to employ the appropriate best practices that are available. Keep this body of knowledge growing and changing.
The Economics Hurdle: Consider how to deliver the expertise and technology required at an economic level that business can afford.
The Human Nature Hurdle: Now, for the toughest hurdle of all: people. Narrow the gap between knowing what needs to be done, and actually doing what needs to be done. Another challange - most of us resist change, unless it’s our own idea.

Wooden - A Lifetime of Observations & Reflections

2009-09-21T01:52:00.009-04:00

There is a vast difference between leaders in their ability to teach and to motivate those under their supervision. Knowledge alone is not good enough to get desired results. You must have the more elusive ability to teach and to motivate. This defines a leader; if you can’t teach and you can’t motivate, you can’t lead.

To be a good teacher, you must be a good student. To be a good motivator you must be able to understand the human psychology.

A person in a position of leadership must make decisions. Making decisions is a tough job. Those under a leader can make suggestions. Making suggestions is an easy job. Everybody has a suggestion. Not everybody has a decision. Perhaps that is why there are so few good leaders.

Wooden’s Two Sets of Threes:

Never lie.	Don’t whine.
Never cheat.	Don’t complain.
Never steal.	Don’t make excuses.

The Pyramid of Success:

Faith / Patience

Competitive Greatness

Poise / Confidence

Condition / Skill / Team Spirit

Self-Control / Alertness / Initiative / Intentness

Industriousness / Friendship / Loyalty / Cooperation / Enthusiasm

Some Favorite Maxims:

The best way to improve the team is to improve our-self.
Big things are accomplished only through the perfection of minor details.
Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
If I am through learning, I am through.
Time spent getting even would be better spent trying to get ahead.
Be most interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way.
What is right is more important that who is right.
You handle things. You work with people.
Do not permit what you cannot do to interfere with what you can do.

Advice

2009-09-20T12:14:00.003-04:00

My only advice is, be true to your innner voice. Joh karna hai tumhe zindagi mein, woh karo. If your inner voice says you really love the rat race and can be great in the rat race, please do it. Just don't attach any value system to it. Many of my batchments have made great careers for themselves, built great brand equity, done well as global managers. If you inner voice says, that's my route, go for it!

If your inner voice says, my route is social entrepreneurship, do it. If your inner voice says, I want to be an author, journalist, write books, please do it! I had a colleague from St Stephen's, Ramchandra Guha, who did economics and became a noted historian. And look at the brand equity that he has today.

What I find is many people hear that inner voice but just don't have conviction to act upon it.

Don't get too concerned about peer pressure. You may be successful, you may be unsuccessful, but in the philosophical market, what is success and what is failure? At least you'll have the pleasure when you face yourself in the mirror to say "I did what my inner voice told me!"

I don't want to put a premium on entrepreneurship. It's not a fad or fashion to follow.

So my only peace of advice is find purpose, means will follow. Life's journey will take you whereever it is. Don't worry about the fruits. Woh Geeta wali baat hai - nishkaam karmayoga - duty without desire.

But be prepared to stick it out. Remember Narayana Murthy's quote: "It has taken me 25 years to become an overnight wonder."

- Advice to Young Enterpreneurs,

Vinayak Chatterjee (IIM-A '81)

Chairman, Feedback Ventures

A Small Introduction

2009-09-19T10:53:00.053-04:00

Let me tell you a bit about my background. I am from a typical middle class family at Kolkata, and at my home – I have my dad and my sister. We lived there since our grandparents came to India during partition. My dad was a small businessman until it failed on 1985, and to support the family since then, he is working as a store supervisor in a local private company, an auto-body workshop. My mom was a school teacher; but unfortunately she passed away on 2001 – when I was just 19 years old. My sister, who is quite younger, prettier and jollier than me, is now doing her graduation from Kolkata.

I left home 9 years ago for study, and since then, I am travelling to different places. When I was in school, I wasn't very sure about what I want to do in life, but I remember having a feeble desire of becoming a math professor, as mentoring seemed exciting to me. Studying engineering was accidental, and I owe my success to my beloved math teacher who forced me to get into it. I loved to read, but traditional studying was never my cup of tea. I burnt most of my night oil reading story books. Fiction & comedy was my favorite, and so was Tintin and Asterix. They are still favorites, but at this age I prefer non-fictions more. I picked up English reading capability much later, so missed a good part of true literature, and I still regret that.

Apart from voraciously reading everything except necessary textbooks, I was also locally very popular as a right arm fast bowler. It was 1996, and I was 16 years old. India poorly lost the World Cup Quarter Final, but for our generation, that World Cup aroused exaggerated zeal and passion for Cricket. Playing became much more important than study, and it took a good part of my student life. Initially started with a hand-cut coconut-wood bat and rubber balls, over the years I earned enough respect from fellow players, specially the opening batsmen who had to face me. However, after seriously injuring my left leg during a football match on 2002, I could not play anymore, and it helped me a lot to pass the exams.

Although I wanted to carry on study after graduation, I had no option but to take up a job to meet the financial needs. I started my professional life at Cognizant, worked there for 5 years and travelled many parts of India and US. I did play many different roles on the job, hated a lot of stuffs, met some of the best people, became expert in few things, started taking more responsibilities, and lately found my niche areas. But above all, I enjoyed being creative, energetic, and acting as a catalyst of interpersonal & organizational improvements. I enjoyed doing exciting things, it was my only motivation factor, and it still is.

When I was a kid, my mom, who was a reputed singer, took me to an art school as she always wanted to foster creativity & desire for learning in my mind. In fact I remember she used to borrow story books from her colleagues, lot of books for me, every week. I hated singing in public and had a horrible voice, so could not become a singer as she initially wanted, but ended up as a skilled water-color painter, and continued the beautiful journey for 12 long years. My Dad was a talented calligrapher, so I guess my skill was inherited. I could not keep the painting habit up after I started career, but fortunately my job allows me to think wild sometime, think creatively – and that keeps me alive. Recently I left a well paid job, and the beckoning of american green card dream, when my soul started suffocating due to lack of excitements. This excessive desire for excitement works as an antidote for smugness. I came back to India and took up a much lower profile job, because it is exciting, and so is satisfying.

Motivating others when necessary is another special skill I have, which I realized when I touched many lives positively and came to know it from those who were affected. My friends, my relatives, my colleagues, and my students have seen me as a good mentor. I guess I can do it, because making a real difference is always exciting.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

2009-09-16T01:19:00.005-04:00

This is the story of William Kamkwamba, a clever boy in Malawi, Africa who built his own windmill from found materials at age 14.

Malawi, an interior country of 13 million in South Africa, has minimal health care, primitive agriculture, and no free public high schools. Villagers can be killed by wild animals in the forest. In 2001 the maize crops failed, plunging the countryside into famine and near social collapse, and William loses friends to disease and starvation. The government comes off badly in this episode, incompetent, brutal against the local village chief who complains, and corrupt.

William is a bright boy eager for school, but his family cannot afford the fees. He is forced to drop out. Doing the best he can in spite of this disappointment, William finds an elementary physics textbook in a local library and sees diagrams of windmills - he cannot even read the English text. From this bit of information, with impressive focus and persistence he manages to build his own version from scraps of wire, an old bicycle hub, and flattened PVC pipe for blades. He has zero resources - not even a soldering iron, which would be useless in any case since there is no electricity in his household. But he is a natural engineer, and even with no guidance or help, he succeeds in making an operating windmill which powers a few lightbulbs for home and village, charges cell phones, operates a water pump - all of which make a real difference in village life.

William's windmill comes to the attention of an engineer working in the capital city, who blogs about it, inspiring others to take a four hour bus journey to find William, who then quickly comes to the attention of international entrepreneurs and technologists. His life quickly expands - amazingly, straight from his village he is invited to speak at an African conference organized by TED, the California organization which publicizes emerging ideas about technology and design. Taken under wing by US sponsors, he travels internationally and finds scholarships for his own education as well as funding for his village technology. He now has a website of his own (just Google his name).

Very inspiring, amazing story. The Lesson is - despite challenges, desire having no resources, despite being called crazy, despite living in poverty, and almost starving, there was no giving up.

Tom Peters on Alchemy of Entrepreneurship

2009-09-09T10:52:00.002-04:00

Life is pretty simple.
You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works.
You do more of what works.
If it works big, others quickly copy it.
Then you do something else.
The trick is the “doing something else.

Habits of Highly Effective Managers

2009-09-09T03:18:00.003-04:00

Only 10% of managers really do their jobs. Make sure you're one of them. You need to have these skills - interpersonal, strategic, and analytic skills; a knack for team building; and certainly the ability to develop and articulate a purpose (vision). Strategic ability involves thinking through and then making difficult choices and trade-off decisions.

Take stock of yourself: Ask the Person in the mirror - Am I communicating the purpose and priorities? Does the way I spend my time match my priorities? How do I act under pressure? Am I attuned to market changes?
Tackle heavy workloads under pressure: Channel your focus and your energy by building "think time" into your schedule, answering e-mail only during specified periods, picking your battles carefully, and cultivating influential relationships.
Drive strategic goals to completion
Fuel breakthrough innovations

Stay ruthlessly true to yourself.

Jimmy Choo Mantras

2009-09-08T13:14:00.003-04:00

A good dose of common sense.

Work hard and keep your word. If you say you will do something, do it. Nothing is hard enough.
If something is not working (out), do something else.
When time comes to push, push. But when you need to lay back, do so. Don't push too hard.
College degree gives you a basic idea, but working in business is a different matter - it's the proper way to learn.
Speak good English. Practice hard to be a very articulate person.
Also be down to earth person ... Remember, someone is always better than you.
Give love, give hope. You - specially young people, mustn't get angry.
Don't be too proud.
You mustn't criticize your business associates and clients.
Believe in yourself. You can make it.
You have to spend a lot of time learning and working. You have to be there even if it's very late at night. The leader has to be strong and has to lead.
Give and take, then you wouldn't have hard feelings.

Balance, Harmony, Simplicity

2009-09-02T07:45:00.002-04:00

If we open our eyes and are willing to think differently, we can see that there are lessons all around us, even in something like a beautifully prepared traditional Japanese meal.

Like a designer, a preparer of washoku is guided by principles that help in the careful decisions of what to include and what to exclude. Ingredients may depend on many things including the season and occasion. Portions are measured with restraint and are in balance. Above all, elements are chosen and arranged visually to be balanced and in harmony from the point of view of the customer.

Balance, harmony, restraint, simplicity, and naturalness. These are some of the guiding principles behind the preparation of washoku, and they are also fundamental principles we can apply to design, presentation and in our own world outside the culinary arts. In either case, the visual matters.

Remember Kid - whatever you prepare, always serve with a little dressing.

Thoughts Become Things

2009-08-30T03:21:00.015-04:00

All the powers in the universe are already ours.

It is we who have put our hands before your eyes and cry that it is dark.

We are what our thoughts have made us;

so take care about what you think.

Words are secondary.

Thoughts live; they travel far.

When an idea exclusively occupies the mind,

it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.

We reap what we sow.

We are the makers of our own fate.

None else hsa the blame, none has the praise.

There is no help for you outside of yourself;

you are the creator of the universe.

Like the silkworm

you have built a cocoon around yourself ...

Burst your own cocoon, and come out as beautiful butterfly,

as the free soul.

Then alone you will see Truth.

In one word, this ideal is that you are divine.

God sits in the temple of every human body.

- Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902)

Strength of Charcater

2009-08-30T02:58:00.007-04:00

How you hold up in the face of temptation calls for real strength of character.

Temptation comes in abundance and it is when you still walk the straight and narrow that you truly shine. How can intentions and character be tested till you have actually been faced with temptation? And if you have walked away from temptation once, what's to say you would be able to so do a second time too?

The truth lies not in the spic and span marble flooring but in the dust swept under the carpet. It is when the mask slips that the real individual emerges. Your mettle as a professional lies in the away you treat your peers and subordinates, not the way you kowtow to the boss. Your worth as a friend and companion is in how honest you are with your friends, not behind their backs.

All of us wears musks - for each other as well as ourselves. Nothing wrong with that, so long as the mask's don't sleep at the critical moment. There is a good you and a bad you and the struggle between the two is a part of all of us. The true test of character isn't in the non-existence of the bad you, but in your ability to suppress it. Yes, even when nobody is looking!

20 Success Ideas

2009-08-21T05:54:00.000-04:00

Whatever you do, you will be more successful if you do it with honesty, fairness, and to the best of your ability.
Be voracious in your learning, and ensure that others benefit from your intellectual and monetary wealth.
Reclaim the “killer instinct” as a natural part of who you are.
Don’t be satisfied with being merely good or excellent. Discover what it takes to be great.
Whatever you desire is probably close at hand, if you are willing to open your eyes and your mind.
The first step on the road to success is good character. The second is openness to new perspectives. The third is ensuring that daily action is shaped by higher aims, with the knowledge that you always reap what you sow.
The simplest, most uncomplicated way is often the most successful.
Continually refine your thinking power. Imagine something the world would really need. Make it cheaply as possible and sell it at the lowest price.
Diligence and frugality build character as they create wealth.
Everyone hungers for appreciation and acceptance. If you can genuinely provide these you will have the key to human influence.
Make distinctions, look for subtlety and nuance. Success requires fine observation of human nature and refinement of the self.
You have everything in you that you need to succeed.
The ability not only to accept change but to create it is a mark of the dynamic individual.
Realize that you can’t manage time; instead, adopt better ways to use your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy.
There are few things that cannot be achieved by sheer determination and effort. You need luck, and skills too.
Hard work, continuous self-improvement, and a sense of building for the future create identity. From identity comes focus, from focus, success.
The true leader brings out the best in people in even the toughest situations.
The successful person has unusual skill at dealing with conflict and ensuring the best outcome for all.
Be the best at what you do and the world will beat a path to your door.
Successful people are lucky people, but luck is less related to chance than you may think.

On Selling

2009-08-21T05:24:00.001-04:00

Some ideas from Frank Bettger:

The best salespeople do not “sell”—they find out what the other person wants, then help them find the best way to get it.
When trying to sell something, talk mostly in terms of “you” and “your.” This lets the other person know you are thinking mainly of their interests.
Forget witty conversation—be a good listener instead.
Invest in increasing your knowledge of your own industry. You can’t afford not to.
In contacts with clients, praise your competitors. It shows clients you are even-handed and won’t hide anything from them.
Use “witnesses” (i.e., satisfied clients) to sell your product to new clients. Then you can say, “Don’t listen to me, listen to them.”
Use a magic question to keep yourself in the presence of a potential client. Ask them: “How did you happen to get into this business, Mr/s…?” The history of a person’s career is always of the highest interest to them.
Prepare for an audience of one as you would an audience of a hundred; i.e., prepare properly for every meeting.
Be like Abraham Lincoln with his famous two-minute Gettysburg Address, and remember that the book of Genesis is only 442 words long—become a “master of brevity.”
When you greet someone, say their name.
For 30 days, smile frequently and watch it transform your life.
Don’t ever engage another person in argument. Instead, ask questions whose answers are likely to bring them round to your viewpoint.

On Leadership

2009-08-21T05:18:00.001-04:00

“Leaders have no interest in proving themselves, but an abiding interest in expressing themselves"

According to Warren Bennis, becoming a leader involves:

Continuous learning and never-dying curiosity.
A compelling vision: leaders first define their reality (what they believe is possible), then set about “managing their dream.”
Developing the ability to communicate that vision and inspire others to follow it.
Tolerating uncertainty and taking on risk: a degree of daring.
Personal integrity: self-knowledge, candor, maturity, welcoming criticism.
Being a one-off, an original: “Leaders learn from others, but are not made by others.”
Reinvention: to create new things sometimes involves recreating yourself. You may be influenced by your genes and environment, but leaders take all their influences and create something unique.
Taking time off to think and reflect, which brings answers and produces resolutions.
Passion for the promises of life: a belief in the best, for yourself and others.
Seeing success in small, everyday increments and joys, not waiting years for the Big Success to arrive.
Using the context of your life, rather than surrendering to it.

How to be a Good Speaker

2009-08-19T10:32:00.004-04:00

There are few rules for being recognized a good speaker, and this is specially true for Indians working in a global environment. Here are four basic rules:

Put the core message on the top. Speed is necessary here, to cut the latte factor and come right to the point.
Use well chosen, appropriate & meaningful words. Best if you can finish your message in 20 words or so. If you notice - best executives can tell big things in 10 words or less.
Modulate the voice appropriately. It matters.
Moderate the rate of speech (average 160 words/min)

Now, once you master the basic part - there are advanced techniques who consider speaking nothing less than art. Use proper metaphors, stories, humors, phrases etc. to make the message interesting, memorable and comprehencing.

Know Your Role

2009-06-15T09:37:00.003-04:00

Dr Meredith Belbin has spent over 20 years researching the nature of team work in order tyo improve people's strengths. He has identified nine distinct team roles:

The Plant - Original thinkers, they generate new ideas; they offer solutions to problems; they think in radically different ways, laterally, imaginatively.
The Resource Investigator - Creative; they like to take ideas and run with them; they are extrovert and popular.
The Coordinator - Highly disciplined and controlled; they can focus on objectives; they unify a team.
The Shaper - They are very achievement oriented; they like to be challenged and to get results.
The Monitor Evaluator - They analyze and balance and weigh; they are calm and detached; they are objective thinkers.
The Team Worker - They are supportive and cooperative; they make good diplomats as they only want what is best for the team.
The Implementer - They have good organizational skills; they display common sense; they like to get the job done.
The Completer - They check details; they tidy up after them; they are painstakingly conscientious.
The Specialist - They are dedicated to acquiring a specialized skill; they are extremely professional; they have drive and dedication.

Basically your role is how you fit into the team - and yes, we are all team players.

Strategic Presence

2009-06-12T14:22:00.001-04:00

Tony Jeary, author of Strategic Acceleration, brings together practical ideas to help you get out of your own way. A critical aspect of getting things done through others is presence – your presence. To influence others you need to know how they perceive you and adjust your communication with them accordingly.

The question is how do leaders really get others to voluntarily and enthusiastically produce the desired results?

Here is a great story that illustrates Strategic Presence and also illuminates its effect. A student from a foreign country was enrolled in the middle of a school year. During the first day of class, the other kids in the class were doing what kids do. There was a lot of giggling and staring and posturing for the new arrival. The new student was dressed in a way that did not meet the expectations of a few of the other children and eventually one of them (the class clown) began to make jokes about the new student's appearance.

As the scene was progressing toward chaos, the teacher was about to intervene when a girl stood up and told everyone to stop picking on their new classmate. The girl reminded them that it was scary to be new in a school and they needed to be kind to the student and make them feel welcome She reminded them they should treat this new person as they would want to be treated if they were in a new country and a new school. After class, the teacher called the girl aside and said, "That was a very brave thing you did. Why did you do that?" The girl replied, "Because that is what my Mom and Dad would expect me to do!"

This story powerfully illustrates the essence and the effect of Strategic Presence. The girl had merely done what she knew her parents would want her to do. Her parents had succeeded in creating a positive presence in her mind, which gave her the willingness and courage to do what she did. Most importantly, the presence of her parents was so authentic that they did not have to be physically present to inspire their daughter's good behavior.

Leaders create impressions that exist in the mind of every person they lead. It is a presence that defines the perceptions people have of their leaders and what they believe about them. It is this overall persona that is Strategic Presence and there are two types: Positive and Negative. Leaders are constantly creating and presenting images of influence that produce both.

The most important fact about Strategic Presence is that it produces two possible reactions in others. It either produces voluntary cooperation or it produces various forms of resistance. If leaders generate positive Strategic Presence, people will be more likely to support what they want, most of the time. However, if perceptions of leadership are negative people will substitute resistance for cooperation. The possibilities of how people will respond to Strategic Presence are limited to cooperation or resistance. There is not much middle ground between them. As someone once said, "you are either for us against us!" It is easy to see why creating an authentic, positive strategic presence is critical for the execution of a vision.

Creating positive Strategic Presence is not a strategy of manipulation. The positive strategic presence leaders project must be authentic. Failing the test of authenticity means the very image leadership hopes to establish will be perceived as deceptive and disingenuous, or worse. People are very perceptive and they will see through efforts to project a phony persona for the purposes of manipulating their behavior. So, why shouldn't a leader's strategic presence just be allowed to be what it is?" That is a great question and the answer is simple. Many leaders are misunderstood and create perceptions that really don't match their intent. So, understanding how Strategic Presence is created will minimize the possibility of being misunderstood.

So, how is strategic presence is created? What are the things about leadership that speaks the loudest about it? What creates the perceptions that combine to produce Strategic Presence? There are two components that contribute to strategic presence: values and behavior.

Our values are established by what we believe to be right, wrong, true, false, acceptable, unacceptable, appropriate and inappropriate. Let's face it, we have all developed deep, strong opinions about many things as we live our lives. Our opinions spring forth from your values and your values influence what we actually do.

Our values and beliefs impact 5 areas of our behavior, and it is our behavior that creates Strategic Presence. The five categories that drive behavior are:

Work ethic
Integrity
Judgment
Courage
Willingness to help others

So, if you want to be a great leader, you need to have great values and your values must be demonstrated in the action you take. This is the essence of Strategic Presence and it is truly the power that fuels leadership.

Hard Choices

2009-06-12T14:04:00.001-04:00

You’re so busy grasping technology in one hand and science in the other, you have no hand left to grasp what’s really important. It’s the human spirit, that’s the challenge, that’s the voice, that’s the expedition.

—John Travolta as George Malley in the film Phenomenon

The Book of Hard Choices is a book about integrity. We are reminded that integrity is one of those words that doesn’t mean a thing until it becomes behavior. And it’s all the more important in difficult and challenging circumstances. Eventually your integrity will be put to the test.

The authors James Autry and Peter Roy have found that the really tough choices are not about money but relationships. And the little everyday stuff is just as important as the big dilemmas. They write, “Once you recognize that your integrity is on the line every day, then your work life takes on a different meaning.”

As organizations have pressured their workers to work harder and work longer, they have helped create an atmosphere in which the concepts of civility and cooperation are lost in the hurry-scurry of a high-pressure workplace.

This means you have to be careful with your own language. You must take time to express yourself calmly and carefully, especially when telling people something they may not like to hear. There’s a thin line between being frank or honest and being tactless. There’s also a measure of integrity in how you speak to people, in your body language, in your tone of voice.

Using a series of 23 stories the authors offer up hard choices that we any one of us could face. For example, do you go for the quick fix or teach values first? When the pressure is on to turn things around, the temptation is to skip over a lot of the “pleasantries.” In their example, the CEO said that first you need to lay out the ground rules and be consistent. “It always starts with respect, and that means respect even under pressure. It takes more time to treat people with respect, and when you are under pressure, it seems counterintuitive to insist on something that takes more time. But without the value of respect, nothing else works.

Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way

2009-06-12T13:42:00.003-04:00

Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way by Ron Karr says - it is a choice to think differently. Leadership is a choice to think differently about anything you do. Selling is no exception and is closely linked to the functions of a leader. Leadership is not always about people we “lead” in the conventional sense, but is frequently about people we must influence. Karr writes, “Whether you sell a product, a service, or an idea, you must be able to influence other people as leaders do.”

It begins with being able to and understanding the need to engage others in continuous strategic conversations as part of the normal way of doing things—a process Karr has termed Integrated Dialog.

As with all leaders, sales people too will succeed when they fully appreciate the many relationships inherent in their success. Sales leaders lead a whole cast of people in their own organizations from the customer service, tech people to accounting and senior management.

Gone are the days where everything filters through the salesperson. “Your success as a salesperson depends on your ability to build and sustain coalitions both inside and outside your organization. You must create and lead the coalition, no matter what you are selling.”

To make this happen you must possess and develop the belief that you have everything you need and can build on that, the belief that you can improve any area of your life, everything is possible, preparation maximizes your potential, and your customers—the people you need to influence—come first.

After laying the groundwork, Karr defines and explains the seven traits that great sales leaders share:

Visualize: Begin with the end in mind
Position: First impressions lay the foundation for the entire relationship
Build Alliances: They reach out; sales leaders leverage their influence
Ask Good Questions: Sales leaders ask powerful questions that uncover opportunities to enhance customer outcomes and results
Create Powerful Value Propositions: They create and deliver a powerful value proposition based on a simple formula that is based on both tangible and intangible incentives that motivate buyers to take action
Communicate Persuasively: They inspire action in others by delivering messages that are congruent with the larger purpose
Hold Themselves Accountable: Personal accountability matters. People are accountable to other people—not organizations

Karr demonstrates how to move from task-oriented selling (which is what most salespeople do) to purpose-oriented selling. These principles are worth bearing in mind on a personal development level as well. Karr encourages, “The bottom line is that you have the ability to increase your sphere of influence and sales just by the way you act toward those you are trying to influence.” Change your conversations, change your outcomes.

Rules of Management

2009-06-11T12:34:00.002-04:00

Here are some tips from my favorite author Richard Templar's book The rules of Management:

Managing your team

Get them emotionally involved
Know what a team is and how it works
Set realistic targets - No, really realistic
Hold effective meetings - No, really effective
Make meetings fun
Make your team better than you
Set your boundaries
Be ready to cut
Offload as much as you can - or dare
Let them make mistakes
Accept their limitations
Encourage people
Be very, very good at finding the right people
Take the rap
Give credit to the team when it deserves it
Get the best resources for your team
Celebrate
Keep track of everything you do and say
Be sensitive to friction
Create good atmosphere
Inspire loyalty and team spirit
Fight for your team
Have and show trust in your stuff
Respect individual differences
Listen to ideas from others
Adapt your style to each team member
Let them think they know more than you
Don't always have to have the last word
Understand the roles of others
Ensure people know exactly what is expected of them
Use positive reinforcement to motivate
Don't try justifying stupid systems
Be ready to say yes
Train them to bring you solutions, not problems

Managing yourself

Get it done/Work hard
Set an example/standards
Enjoy yourself
Don't let it get you
Know what you are supposed to be doing
Know what you are actually doing
Be proactive, not reactive
Be consistent
Set realistic targets for yourself - no, really realistic
Have a game plan, but keep it secret
Get rid of superfluous rules
Learn from your mistakes
Be ready to unlearn - what works, changes
Cut the crap - prioritize
Cultivate those in the know
Know when to shut the door
Fill your time productively & profitably
have a plan B and plan C
capitalize on chance - be lucky, but never admit it
Recognize when you are stressed
manage your health
Be prepared for the pain and pleasure
Face the future
Head up, not head down
See the woods and the Trees
Know when to let go
Be decisive, even if it means being wrong sometimes
Adopt minimalism as a management style
Visualize your blue plaque
have principles and stick to them
Follow your intuition/gut instinct
Be creative
Don't stagnate
Be flexible and ready to move on
Remember the object of the exercise
Remember none of us has to be here
Go home
Keep learning, specially from the opposition
Be passionate and bold
Play for the worst, but hope for the best
Let the company see you are on its side
Don't bad-mouth your boss
Don't badmouth your team
Accept that some things bosses tell you to do will be wrong
Accept that bosses are scared as you are times
Avoid straitjacket thinking
Act and talk as if you are one of them
Show you understand the viewpoint of underlings and overlings
Don't back down - be prepared to stand your ground
Don't play politics
Don't put down other managers
Share what you know
Don't intimidate
Be above interdepartmental warfare
Show that you'll fight to the death of your team
Aim for respect rather than being liked
Do one or two thing well and avoid the rest
Seek feedback on your performance
maintain good relationships and friendships
Build respect - both ways - between you and your customers
Go the extra mile for your customers
Be aware of your responsibilities and stick to your principles
Be straight at all times and speak the truth
Don't cut corners - you'll get caught
Be in command and take charge
Be a diplomat for the company

As A Man Thinketh

2009-06-10T12:32:00.004-04:00

This timeless classic "As A Man Thinketh" has inspired millions around the world, and is partly responsible for launching an entire self-improvement industry. It was written by James Allen. Here I am quoting some texts from the book here, you can read the whole book here: http://www.asamanthinketh.net

A man’s mind is like a garden. It may be intelligently cultivated or allowed run wild. But cultivated or neglected, it must, and it will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then useless weed-seeds will continue to produce there kind.

A gardener cultivates his plot and keeps it free from weeds. He grows fruits & flowers that he needs. A man should consider his mind like a garden, weeding out all wrong, impure & useless thoughts, and cultivating towards the perfection of right, pure & useful thoughts. Man is the master gardener of his soul, director of his life. A man’s mind and thoughts shape his character, circumstances & destiny.

Man believes he is the creature of outside conditions.

The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, loves & fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspiration, falls to the level of desire, and circumstances are the medium by which soul receives it own.

Every thought sown or allowed to fall into mind and to take root there produces its own act and bearing its own fruit of opportunity & circumstances. Good thought good fruit, and bad thoughts bad fruit. Following the inmost desires, aspirations, thoughts which dominates a man, he at last arrives at their fruition and fulfillment in the outer condition of his life.

Circumstances do not make a man; it reveals him to himself. Man is the lord and master of his thoughts, maker of himself, shaper of environment. Through every step of life, the soul attracts those combinations of conditions which reveal itself, which are the reflections of its purity and impurity, its strength & weakness.

Men do not attract that which they want, but which they are. Their whims, their fancies and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. Man is manacled only by himself.

Not what he wished and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.

Then, what is the meaning of “fighting against circumstances?” It means that a man is continuously revolting against an effect without, while all the time he is nourishing and preserving its cause in his heart.

Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to change themselves. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set.

Man is the causer (though nearly always unconsciously) of his circumstances, and while aiming at the good end, he is continuously frustrating its accomplishment by encouraging thoughts & desires which can not possibly harmonize with the end.

Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad result; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good result. Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction.

A man only begins to become a man when he ceases to whine and revile, he adapts ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts; ceases to kick against circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a means of discovering the hidden powers and possibilities within himself.

Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it can not. It rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstances. Bestial thoughts cause drunkenness and sensuality habits. Impure thoughts cause enervating & confusing habits. Thoughts of fear, doubts and indecision cause weak, unmanly and irresolute habits. Lazy thoughts cause weak & dishonest habits. Hateful thoughts cause habits of accusation and violence. Selfish thoughts cause self-seeking habits.

On the other hand, pure thoughts cause habits of temperance and self-control. Thoughts of courage, self-reliance and decision cause manly habits. Energetic thoughts cause habits of cleanliness and industry. Gentle & forgiving thoughts cause habits of gentleness. Loving & unselfish thoughts always cause abiding prosperity.

A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, can not fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man can not directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.

Let a man cease from his sinful thoughts, and the world will soften towards him, and be ready to help him. Let him put away his weakly and sickly thoughts, and the opportunities will spring up on every hand to aid his strong resolves. Let him encourage good thoughts, and no hard fate shall bind him down to wretchedness and shame.

Clean thoughts make clean habits.

Until thought is liked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. To put away aimlessness and weakness and to begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognizant failure as one of the pathways at attainment. A man should make all conditions serve them, think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.

The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step.

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. A man’s weakness and strength, purity & impurity, are his own and not another man’s. His condition is also his own, and not another man’s. His sufferings and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so is he. As he continues to think, so he remains.

A man can only raise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can remain weak, abject, and miserably by refusing to lift up his thoughts.

There can be neither progress nor achievement without sacrifice, and a man’s worldly success will be by the measure of that sacrifice. The universe does not favor the greedy, the dishonest, and the vicious; although on the mere surface it sometime may appear to do so. It helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtuous.

Intellectual achievements are the result of thought consecrated to the search for knowledge or the beautiful and true in nature. Spiritual achievements are the consummation of holy aspirations.

All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought.

He who would accomplish little need sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much. He who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.

To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

The thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of luck, of fortune, and chance. Seeing a man grow rich, they say “How lucky he is!” Observing another become skilled intellectually, they exclaim, “How highly favored he is!” And noting the sanity character and wide influence of another, they remark “How chance helps him at every turn!” They do not see the trails and failures and struggles which these men have encountered in order to gain their experience. They have no knowledge of the sacrifices they have made, of the undaunted efforts they have put forth; of the faith they have exercised to that they might overcome the apparently insurmountable and realize the vision of their heart. They do not know the darkness and the heartaches; they only see the light & joy, and call it “luck”. Do not see the long, arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal and call it “good fortune”. Do not understand the process, but only perceive the result, and call it “chance”.

In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results. The strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not. Gifts, powers, material, intellectual and spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort. They are thoughts completed, objectives accomplished, visions realized.

The visions that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart – this you will build your life by; this you will become.

The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others. He ceases to fuss, fume, worry and grieve. He remains poised, steadfast and serene. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. The strong, calm man is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, always loved and revered. Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life?

Tempest-tossed souls, wherever you may be, under whatever conditions you may live, know this: In the ocean of life the isles of blessedness are smiling and the sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hands firmly upon the helm of thought. In the core of your sole reclines the commanding master; He does but sleep; wake Him. Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “Peace. Be still!”

Success Secrets

2009-06-08T12:32:00.002-04:00

Success Secret - Robin Sharma

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Non-fiction Books success Robin

Thought of the Day

2009-06-08T10:54:00.001-04:00

The NY Times did an interview with Kevin Sharer, CEO of Amgen.

I was impressed with what he said about Leadership:

Q.There are also, of course, intangibles in leadership. Could you talk about those?

A. Great leaders have something that when you see it, you know what it is, but it's hard ahead of time to describe exactly what it is. But the first thing I'd say is that leadership is not about charisma and it's not about style. It's something about authenticity. It's something about integrity. It's something about willingness to take risks. It's something about the ability to make others feel part of a larger thing. It's part of being able to articulate the social architecture in a way that others can understand, believe in and follow.

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

- Helen Keller

The 12 Bad Habits

2009-06-05T10:20:00.004-04:00

Here is a book that is psychologically-based opposite to Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The authors of 'The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back' are both business psychologists, executive coaches for those with career problems, and directors of MBA career development at Harvard Business School. Here are the main points:

The ways people fail in their careers, however, are quite limited. People fail in the same ways, for the same reasons, over and over again, from one industry to another, from the lowest level to the highest . . . Moreover . . . many . . . people are amazingly unaware of the patterns of behavior they exhibit that are resulting in failure. Talk about unconscious incompetence!

Part I of the book identifies 12 behaviors that can hold you back.

Never Feeling Good Enough (Acrophobia or fear of career progress)
Seeing the World in Black and White (Meritocrats or not seeing the relevance of loyalty, self-interest, or personality)
Doing Too Much, Pushing Too Hard (A hero, with an Achilles heel from overdoing it)
Avoiding Conflict at Any Cost (Peace keeper, who avoids even healthy conflict such as that required to overcome misconceptions)
Running Roughshod over the Opposition (Bulldozer, a male role similar to an offensive lineman in football)
Rebel Looking for a Cause (Rebels, who want attention more than results)
Always Swinging for the Fences (A home run style swinger who strikes out most of the time)
When Fear Is in the Driver's Seat (A pessimistic worrier, a naysayer out of fear)
Emotionally Tone Deaf (Mr. Spock from Star Trek, low emotional intelligence)
When No Job Is Good Enough (Coulda-been, who moves on because they feel inadequate, but don't want to face up to that)
Lacking a Sense of Boundaries (People who talk out of school)
Losing the Path (Alienated people who have lost their career vision of what they want from a career)

In Part II, the authors look at the four psychological causes of these 12 behavioral problems:

Having a negatively-distorted self-image.
Not seeing the perspectives of others.
Not coming to terms with authority.
Not being comfortable with using power.

We all have some of the above habits, and it is not possible to get rid of it completely. without any of the bad habits, you'll probably not be a 'human' anymore. The challenge is to balance it. The challenge is to not to let your bad side take over your good side. The challenge is to feel the strong desire to change, when we identify weaknesses. Sometime, we need help to create the motivation to change. If you can afford and find an executive coach, that would be a nice. If you cannot, you will have to rely on self-help.

The Rules of Work

2009-06-05T09:49:00.003-04:00

Reading the book 'The Rules of Work', and thought to put some points here. This is a nice book, talks about the human relations art. To perform well in any job, we should remember:

There are no bad jobs, only bad attitude to jobs.

Remember kid, whatever you make, always serve it with little dressing.

There is no bad karma in trying your hardest to be pleasant, cooperative, helpful, friendly, kind, and honest in your dealings with others around you.

Get your work noticed by management
Develop a niche or specific area of your expertise
Over deliver what you promised
Make definitive commitments
Be cognizant of your attitude
Dress appropriately
Smile and be positive
Exude energy and enthusiasm
Be cool
Speak well of others generally
Set realistic objectives
Keep copious records and notes
Understand the corporate culture and hierarchy
Speak in the "we" rather than the "I" mode
Don't get too personal

An easy read, it demands returning on occasion to "brush up" on these kernels of wisdom.

7 Habits & Other Habits

2009-06-04T11:10:00.009-04:00

I am just trying to jot down the very famous 7 habits & some other points, explained by Covey in his most famous books:

Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice
Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution
Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit
Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding
Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation
Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal
The eighth habit is to "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs".

The "6 Cancers" that inhibit people's greatness:

Cynicism
Criticism
Comparing
Competing
Complaining
Contending

The 3 foundation stones of character:

Integrity
Service
Faith

The 3 foundation stones of competence:

Talents & skills
Accomplishments
Physical health

For teens, here are the 6 most important decisions:

School: what are you going to do about your education?
Friends: what type of friends will you choose & what kind of friend will you be?
Parents: are you going to get along with your parents?
Dating & sex: who will you date & what will you do about sex?
Addictions: what will you do about smoking, drinking, drugs & other addictive stuff?
Self-worth: will you choose to like yourself?

Keep reading books. It's brain food, you know. And never forget the words of P J O'Rourke: Always read stuff that will make you look good even if you die in the middle of it.

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, & then do them as well that people can't take their eyes off you. (Maya Angelou)

Go Giver

2009-06-04T10:59:00.002-04:00

Most people just laugh when the hear that the secret to success is giving. Then again, most people are no where near as successful as they wish they were.

Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.
The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Nice lesson from the beautiful book 'The Go-Giver'.

Why we do what we do

2009-06-03T01:00:00.001-04:00

Terminator Management and HumanSigma

2009-06-02T12:29:00.005-04:00

In the book "HumanSigma", John Fleming and Jim Asplund present and then examine a new set of rules and a different way of thinking about managing company's complex human systems.

You have seen the second Arnold Schwarzenegger film in which the Terminator acknowledges to John O'Connor that he has been programmed not to think. Fleming and Asplund suggest that is also true of a common management style, "an institutional mind-set that views people - customers and employees - as a necessary evil, a nuisance, or in extreme cases, as adversaries in doing business. Rather than viewing people as the reason a business exists, the Terminator School of Management views them as impediments to business that breed inefficiency, cost, and errors."

The 5 rules are best explained in the context, so it is important to read the book.

Rule 1: You can't measure and manage the employee and customer experiences as separate entities. Because you must manage these human systems in tandem, you may need to reorganize. Who owns the employee experience at your company? Who owns the customer experience? How well integrated are the efforts to assess and manage the employee-customer encounter?
Rule 2: Emotion frames the employee-customer encounter. It's important not to think like an economist or an engineer when you're assessing employee-customer interactions. Emotions, it turns out, inform both sides' judgments and behavior even more powerfully than rational or dispassionate thinking. Because employees and customers are people first and employees or customers second, they are prone to all the volatility and irrationality that is the hallmark of being human.
Rule 3: You must measure and manage the employee-customer encounter at a local level. Though companies can manage many kinds of organizational activities effectively from the top down, the employee-customer encounter is an intensely local phenomenon that can vary considerably from location to location within the same company. Because of the variability in local performance, you must measure and manage it locally.
Rule 4: We can quantify and summarize the effectiveness of the employee-customer encounter in a single performance measure -- the HumanSigma metric -- that is powerfully related to financial performance.
Rule 5: Improvement in local HumanSigma performance requires deliberate and active intervention through attention to a combination of transactional and transformational intervention activities. Measurement by itself is never enough to improve performance. Creating organizational change is hard work and requires active and disciplined intervention.

It focuses on employees as knowledge workers, and their level of engagement being more important in the new economy than physical effort was in the industrial era. True value and profit comes from the employee-customer encounter in the service sector, and by measuring and managing this interaction properly.

12: The Elements of Great Managing

2009-06-02T12:21:00.006-04:00

This book is a follow up on to "First Break All the Rules", and these rules were distilled from the ten million workplace interviews Gallup has done over a long period of time, and they make sense. Great managers effectively support their workers, respect them, treat them as people rather than cogs in a machine, and manage them with a view to giving to them rather than exploiting them and taking from them. If you or your company are all about getting all you can out of your workers until they leave, you are on exactly the wrong course.

The 12 elements are:

Ensure your employees know what is expected not only in the tasks of their job, but in all of its ramifications and under a range of circumstances.
Provide your employees with the actual tools and resources they need to perform their job excellently. Don't make them scrounge, hoard, or steal to get their job done.
Do your best to let the employee use their best talents in their work. Fit the job to what they do best rather than making them fit themselves to get a job done.
Provide compliments, recognition, and public pats on the back.
Foster an environment where people feel cared about as a person by other people.
Be sure employees understand a career path and are developing new skills.
Listen to employee opinions and implement the really good ones.
Show them how their work directly connects to the mission of the firm.
Foster teams that succeed and do quality work so each person has a sense of belonging, of success, and of pride.
Create a culture where each person feels that they have to come to work to be with one of their best friends.
Talk with each employee about their progress as part of your everyday work rather than only at the annual interview. Use the interview to review accomplishments and set next year's goals.
Provide real opportunities for each person to learn and grow as a person as well as an employee.

Finally - take some time to get the compensation package right. Pay is rarely the most important thing on an employee's mind and when it becomes a serious issue, you have already bungled other aspects of the person's employment. But you don't want to put yourself in a weak position in what and how you compensate your people.

This was an interesting and useful book.

How do you build professional reputation, trust?

2009-06-02T11:00:00.005-04:00

Be known for positive attitude, knowledge & friendliness
Get a website
Write a white paper
Write an article that your friends, customer in your industry will read
Send weekly communication to the entire base of relevant contacts
Speak at a conference
Become a leader of something
Build a great reputation for level-headed decision making
Be a real presenter
You should be able to prove your claims
Entertain, engage, create value, prove it
It is all about them
Relationship - you are on it, in it or over it?

Personality & Strengths

2009-06-02T10:23:00.004-04:00

Below are the 34 themes of talent in Gallup's taxonomy of strengths. Find your top 5 strengths, your top 5 weaknesses, and top 5 areas for improvement.

Executing

Achiever: People strong in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
Arranger: People strong in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.
Belief: People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Consistency: People strong in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.
Deliberative: People strong in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.
Discipline: People strong in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.
Focus: People strong in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.
Responsibility: People strong in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
Restorative: People strong in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.

Influencing

Activator: People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
Command: People strong in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.
Communication: People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
Competition: People strong in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.
Maximizer: People strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
Self-assurance: People strong in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.
Significance: People strong in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.
Woo: People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

Relationship Building

Adaptability: People strong in the Adaptability theme prefer to "go with the flow." They tend to be "now" people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.
Developer: People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
Connectedness: People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
Empathy: People strong in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others' lives or others' situations.
Harmony: People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don't enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
Includer: People strong in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.
Individualization: People strong in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
Positivity: People strong in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
Relator: People who are strong in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Strategic Thinking

Analytical: People strong in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
Context: People strong in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.
Futuristic: People strong in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Ideation: People strong in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
Input: People strong in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
Intellection: People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
Learner: People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
Strategic: People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Attitude Repair Shop

2009-06-02T10:08:00.007-04:00

Attitude is everything, and attitude is the foundation of everything. Attitude is reflected in your response to events and your responses to people. Actions you can take right now to improve your attitude:

Be nice
Be kind
Smile
Make friends
Say nice things
Praise others
Take responsibility
Be proud of your work
Be proud of your accomplishments
Don't worry - just be happy

Start your response with words like:

Great!
No Problem!
Thats my favorite problem!
I think we can solve ...
I am sure there is a way ...
I think I can help!
YES!
Cool!
Can do!
Consider it done!

Actions to stay on the positive path:

Admit its no one's fault but yours
Understand you always have (had) a choice
If you think it is okay, it is. If you think it is not, it is not.
Invest your time, don't spend it.
Study the thoughts & writing of positive people.
Attend seminars & take courses on attitude.
Check your language gouge.
Avoid confrontational and negative thoughts.
Say why you LIKE things and people, not why you don't.
Help others without expectation of measuring.
Think about winning and losing words. Think "learn", 'lessons", "experience" and "solutions" before you make a statement.
Think about your mood and mood swings.
Celebrate victory and defeat.
Count your blessings everyday.
Help someone everyday.

The Daily Dose Of Attitude

You wake up in the morning and you read something positive, or something inspirational, or something educational. Then you write your thoughts and ideas. Thats why I kept my own blog.

Talk about what you learned. Act on what you learned. Start your day with a great attitude.

How can I be more positive with kids and colleagues?

Attitude actions when others (and kids) do something wrong:

Never yell at them.
Instead, ask what they did.
Then ask if this was the best they could have done?
Ask them what could have been done differently?
Ask them if they can do that next time?
Encourage them to do the right after they are wrong.
Never put them down.
Speak to them with a YES attitude.

Attitude Maintenance Rule: Reinforce your attitude every morning. Talk to yourself. Write to yourself.

Preventive attitude maintenance:

Reading something positive every morning
Thinking positive thoughts every morning
Having an attitude sanctuary to think and decompress
Saying positive things every morning.
Knowing your direction BEFORE you start walking.

Practice attitude maintenance:

Random acts of positive attitude.
Random acts of kindness.
Saying positive things all day long.

Things you tell yourself:

I am the friendliest person in the world.
I am the most enthusiastic person in the world.
I am the most helpful person in the world.
I'll never do or say anything that shows bad taste.
I will tell myself what I can do, and what I can't.
I love to serve.
I love to sell.
I don't prejudge or put down anyone.
I will take control of myself and my success.
I will remember the good times as often as I can.
I will ask for what I want.
I will stick at it until I won, even if my ass falls off.
I will thank everyone for their help and never measure.
I will ask before I tell.
I will be memorable.
I will avoid arguments.
I am grateful for life and living.
I will have great time tomorrow.
I will get over it in one minute and get back to enjoying life.

Wisdoms

2009-06-01T16:57:00.001-04:00

Change your self image.

A leader gives the follower a chance to evaluate his own performance.

The more critical the effort, the more teamwork is required.

Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.

Have courage. Be curious. Realize that failure won’t kill you.

Luck is predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.

Focus on what is useful. Focus on big wins. Focus only on things that give you the most return.

Avoid big losses. Discard the things that aren’t helping you.

Success comes when you do what you love to do, and commit to being the best in your field.

Set clear goals. And write them down.

Take responsibility for your life. It's nobody's fault ... It you!

Create helpful habits. Successful people are simply those with successful habits.

Ask yourself helpful questions. The questions you ask yourself in life determine much of your outlook and success.

Suffering is optional. And so is happiness. Realize that you have to pay the price. Nothing you really want in life is free. You have to put in hard work to get it. And usually over a long time period. You have to make hard choices and sacrifices.

Make a decision. Any decision. Just do something. Decisiveness is a characteristic of high-performing men and women. Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.

Keep going. That’s what people like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Bruce Springsteen did. They practiced a lot.

If you are going your own way, prepare for reactions. If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

7 Ages of Business

2009-06-01T11:57:00.003-04:00

1st Age - The Enthusiasm Age

Everything Is Possible
The bright side of this is that you will be full of energy.
The down side of this is that you will be full of energy.

What To Avoid

Starting Too Many Things At Once
Overspending
Getting Burned

What To Do

Day Dream
Research
Assess

2nd Age - The Naivety Age

Seeing The Real Picture

What To Avoid

Speaking Over Doing
Believing Everything
Sudden Partners

What To Do

Increase Your Network
Work Your Presentation Skills
Control Your Cash-Flow

3rd Age - The Attention Age

Learning To Fly

What To Avoid

Excessive Analyzing
Expansion
Routine

What To Do

Innovate
Long Term Planning
Learn

4th Age - The Maturity Age

Doing It Right

What To Avoid

Relaxation
Partnerships
Expansion

What To Do

Invest
Enjoy
Prepare

5th Age - The Expansion Age

Bigger Is Better

What To Avoid

Limiting Yourself
Getting Bored
Getting Afraid

What To Do

Think Big
Be Fast
Trust Your Intuition

6th Age - The Leadership Age

Being Number One

What To Avoid

Expansion
Lose Control
Excessive Pride

What To Do

Search For An Exit
Assess Your Success Publicly
Integrate The Experience

7th Age - The Exhaustion Age

Time For A Change

What To Avoid

Salvage
Depression
Conclusions

What To Do

Exit
Delegate It Big Time
Accept It
Run Again

More details here: link

Career Map

2009-06-01T11:20:00.007-04:00

Come Alive

2009-05-31T23:28:00.001-04:00

What would happen if we started being honest with ourselves about who we are, what we really want? What if we started being ruthlessly real?

Our egos may shrink and squirm, afraid to face reality as it is; afraid to bypass all the pretense; afraid to confront the shear nakedness of authenticity.

But maybe if we could evade the grip of our ego-based fears, we could embrace unbiased reality.

Maybe, just then, we’d start to come alive.

It’s from this place that you experience bliss, because there is no ego holding you back from it. There is no hesitation when the ego is not present.

To get rid of ego, practice mindfulness. If you’re not being mindful, you lose awareness of your ability to determine whether you are acting reactively or if you are acting from your authentic self. Remaining in a position of persistent mindfulness is not an easy task. This is not something you will master in a day, a month or even a year.

The more mindful we become, the more we increase our capacity for action that is stripped of pretense and duplicity.

My Lessons

2009-05-24T03:06:00.014-04:00

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.

Your relationships depends on your communication, interpersonal and people skills. Your life & distiny depends on your relationships.

Remember - 3 main rules . Be friendly. Display positive expression. Avoid conflict.

If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic. Does your expression tell the world to leave you alone or that you're friendly and approachable? Take acting class if required, but for heaven sake - be friendly.
We live in narcissistic society. We always try to prove that we are smarter than others. Avoid doing this, ignore when others do it. Be an encourager and an affirmer. Show respect. Be humble. Show your appreciation. Remember every name.
Care about and encourage each other. Be a kind person. Put their needs ahead of your own. Do sacrifice sometime, for greater good.
Resist the urge to be original with each person you meet. Avoid conflict. When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. Keep away your strong opinions. People are happy to talk about topics where less effort is involved. Focus on your similarities. If you are like them, they'll probably like you more. They'll listen to you more. They'll confide in you more. Even if you have a scant one percent commonality, focus 100 percent of your conversation on that commonality when you can.
Create an environment where people are relaxed in your presence and feel comfortable talking to you. Ease into tougher discussions—warm-up to them—rather than being so direct. And always show them you are paying attention. Be genuine, transparent, accepting, and loving.
Always keep your cool. Absolutely no no to heated discussions, at any cost, about anything, with anyone. Relationship first! You don't need a heated discussion, there are other better ways.
The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it. Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving. See the innocence.
Apologize. Just say it. Repeat after me: "I…was…wrong. I'm…sorry."
Never, ever gossip—ever. Many people don't even realize they're doing it, bonding with someone by tarnishing someone else's reputation. That's gossip, plain and simple. If what you're about to say undermines the reputation of someone who's not in the conversation, think first about why you're really saying it. Then, in most cases, bite your lip.
You hear but you don't listen! Be a good listener, and put some empathy in it.
People love to talk about their interests, so give them the opportunity to do so.
Don't interrupt when someone is speakin, and never complete their thought for them either. These behaviors infuriate most people. If you have this problem, then "Shut up and listen"! Don't fight for airtime.
Do everything without complaining or arguing. Offer potential solutions when you identify problems, or say nothing at all.
Don't communicate when you're angry. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but often it's not. Most of us do an exceedingly poor job of making our point clear when our brains are clouded by anger. And then we get even angrier—at ourselves for not communicating well—spiraling the problem. Just step away and take a break.
Never send an email when you're mad. Same rule, different venue. If you send it, your diatribe will be on record for all posterity!
Make self-examination a habit. Where can I improve? What's working and what's not? Reflect on your people skills often and then find ways to improve on your weaknesses.

If you're serious about "perfecting" your people skills, there's no shortcut. Unless you are natuarally talented and or got a supporting mentor, you'll probably make lot of social blunders too may times. Only awareness & practice will make you better.

Here is one nice link I liked: click here.

Full Moon

2009-05-18T10:17:00.005-04:00

Today I came across a translation of a poem by Haziz on Jen Lemen's blog, called ‘With that moon language’

Admit something:

Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me."

Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops.

Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.

Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye

that is always saying,

with that sweet moon language,

what every other eye in this world is dying to hear?

Diet War

2009-05-18T00:20:00.006-04:00

After a lot of reading, searching and trying, I think I came to a final conclusion on healthy nutrition plan.

Remove these 6 Poisons!

Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats (most packaged snacks, cakes, cookies etc.). Best way - avoid man-made super market shelfed packaged foods that used any kind of oil.
Refined grains (anything that is 'not' made of whole grains)
High fructose corn syrup (most packaged juice & drinks, packaged sweet foods)
Artificial sweeteners (as bad as HFCS)
Artificial preservatives & colors (chemicals - that you don't wanna drink or eat)
Glutamate (MSG - flavor enhancer, affects your brain - so keep your distance)

Avoid - as much as you can

Starchy root vegetables
Tropical dried and canned fruits
Excess soy
Excess alcohol
Full fat dairy & fatty meats
Canned foods
Non organic caffeine

Eat the 10 real foods - food that was either grown on soil or had a mother - and was not modified by food scientists!

Legumes
Allium
Berries
Meat, fish and eggs
Colorful fruits & veggies (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green)
Calciferous veggies
Dark-green leafy veggies
Nuts and seeds
Organic dairy
Whole grains, Complex Carbs

Also, for best result - Do this

Go organic
Eat every 4 hours
Must not eat after 9 pm, no coffee after 2 PM, and no carb after 6 pm
Eat until you are full, but not stuffed

Necessary Characteristics

2009-05-17T19:47:00.006-04:00

Confidence: In yourself, your thoughts, your values, your experience, your abilities, and in others.

Ability to Analyze objectively: This means evaluating a problem, a person, a situation - everything. It is not just evaluating, but also doing so without personal interests and feelings.

Speaking Skills: They come in a different variety: average joe, teleprompter, off-the-cuff, emotional, charismatic, etc. Choose your style, and become better at it.

Writing Skills: Successful people write a lot... as much as you think that they just get someone else to do it, they do a lot on their own. They write briefs, summaries, letters, proposals, bills, agendas, speeches, marketing material, biographies, personal statements, recommendation letters, etc.

Intelligence: This one seems obvious that you cannot do the job without it!

Cooperation: Nothing ever gets done without it. You hear too many "I will..." and not enough "Together...",and "We will.."

Warnings:

Avoid making enemies, they will come naturally.
Rudeness is always wrong and is not the same as confidence.
The most important 2 things to own - a cool head & a warm heart.

I just finished the famous book "Ogilvy on Advertising". I have modified the list a bit, because Ogilvy's advise was more inclined on advertising career. To have a career - be ...

A good psychologist
Willing & and able to set high standards
An efficient administrator, good time management skill
Capable of strategic thinking - "positioning" and all that
Research minded
Equally good at working with technology and managing people and accounts. Well versed in science & general management.
A hard worker - and fast!
Slow to quarrel
Be prepared to share credit for good work, and accept blame for bad work
A good presenter
A good teacher & a good recruiter
Full of infectious joie de vivre

Take Time

2009-05-10T15:04:00.001-04:00

Take Time:

Take time to think-
It is the source of all power.
Take time to read-
It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to play-
It is the source of perpetual youth.
Take time to be quiet-
It is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to be aware-
It is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be loved-
It is God’s greatest gift.

Take time to laugh-
It is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendly-
It is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream-
It is what the future is made of.
Take time to pray-
It is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to give-
It is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to work-
It is the price of success.
There is a time for everything. . . .

[Ecclesiastes 3:1-8]

Amazing Speech & a Bold Plan

2009-04-14T18:02:00.000-04:00

Workout Tips

2009-04-04T17:08:00.006-04:00

Those who are trying to do serious workout, do know - how tedious it is to prepare and consume the protein shakes 3-4 times a day, specially during the weekdays. Whey protein powders do not mix so well with cold water if you just stir it with a spoon in your "office desk" coffee cup - making it very unpleasant to drink that power juice when you need it. We also need a good bottle for gym, where you can prepare the shake just after your workout. Creatine does not taste very good if you prepare the shake at home, bring it to gym, and try to consume after your 1-2 hour workout.

I found a very good blender, it made my electric mixer almost obsolete. I carry it with me all the time - to office, to gym ... even to shopping. Thought to post it here, as it might help the right person who is looking for something like this. I found it in a GNC shop.

You can find more details at: http://www.blenderbottle.com

Take responsibility for your Life!

2009-03-31T14:44:00.011-04:00

"A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make."

- Denis Waitley

"Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, self-esteem and personal satisfaction."

- Brian Tracy

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself."

- Henry Ward Beecher

Focus on the following four major areas of your life, and try to make them fulfilled in an honest way. Take your time, you have the whole life to do it right. Give your best, and the world will return the best to you:

Health
Wealth
Relationships
Happiness

Make life work for you. Be honest with yourself & others. Work smarter, get luckier. Create lasting relationships. Open your mind to possibilities. Take risks, and there are no failures - there are only lessons. Stick to your honest path, but don't hesitate to steer the course to a better direction when life's lessons tell you to do so.

There are plenty of people out there who will tell you that you are crazy. They will tell you what is best for you. They are afraid, because they don't want to see you fail. You have to be stronger to overcome fear. You need to stand up. You need to try. You need to set an example. Take responsibility of your life!

My Resume on Scribd iPaper

2009-03-30T13:14:00.004-04:00

Bikramjit Maximo Resume

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Resumes & CVs resume java

No Limits

2009-01-03T14:50:00.002-05:00

"So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do will tell you it can't be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You Plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits."

- Michael Phelps

Why not You?

2008-12-09T14:38:00.006-05:00

Today is a new day!

Many will seize this day.
Many will live it to the fullest.

Why not you?

I am an INTP

2008-11-27T14:55:00.007-05:00

Today I discovered, that I am an INTP!

INTP means - Introversion, iNtuition, Thinking, Perceiving, and it is an abbreviation used in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test to refer to one of the sixteen personality types. You must have to take this personality test sometime for a reason, for example - before arriving at Harvard Business School. Here is little intro to INTP personality:

INTPs make up 3% of the US population.

INTPs seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.

INTPs are theoretical innovators, fascinated by logical analysis, systems, and design. Often seen by others as detached, analytical observers, INTPs are preoccupied with theory and often seem oblivious to the world around them because they are so deeply absorbed in thought. The INTP is typically nontraditional, more likely to reason out their own unconventional way of doing things than to follow the crowd. They are passionate about what they see as logical, reasonable, and innovative, and will go to great mental lengths trying to devise ingenious solutions to interesting problems.

Popular leisure activities for an INTP include reading, art and cultural events, chess and other strategy games, writing, taking classes, working with computers, backpacking, hiking, and meditation.

At work, the INTP quickly earns a reputation for being intelligent, innovative, and a bit offbeat. INTPs hate being limited by bureaucracy and rules, but given free reign, will often come up with something truly ingenious. INTPs work best independently or with a small team of colleagues that they perceive as smart, competent, and logical. They quickly tire of colleagues who are aggressive or overbearing, and can be dismissive of people who aren’t as clever as themselves. An ideal organization for an INTP is flexible and non-traditional, and values innovation and ingenuity over conformity. An ideal job for an INTP allows them to address complex theoretical or technical problems by designing creative solutions.

In leadership positions, INTPs inspire others with their intelligence and innovative ideas. INTP leaders are often unassuming on the surface but catch everyone’s attention once they begin talking about their ideas. INTPs generally allow their reports a lot of latitude, preferring to set the overall goal and trust their team to solve problems autonomously. INTPs enjoy exploring new possibilities and engaging in creative problem solving, but may sometimes get so caught up in the world of ideas that they neglect to lead their teams into action.

Popular careers for the INTP include:Software Engineer, Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, Financial Planner, Investment Banker, Web Developer, Neurologist, Physicist, Plastic Surgeon, Psychiatrist, Biomedical Engineer, Legal Executive, Political Scientist, Architect, Entrepreneur, Mathematician, Astronomer, Aerospace Engineer, Photographer, Musician, Inventor

In relationships, INTPs are independent and clever partners. They enjoy engaging intellectually with a partner who can match their quick wit. They tend to analyze the theory behind everything, and may interpret human interactions with the detached logic of a psychological researcher. INTPs may find others difficult to deal with when they cannot understand the logic behind their behavior; when things get too emotional, they typically prefer to retreat to their own world of thoughts and ideas. INTPs value a partner that appreciates their ingenuity and problem-solving ability, and one that understands their need for autonomy.

Good matches for the INTP include INFP and INFJ. These types share the INTPs need for autonomy but balance it with a focus on the quality of the relationship. Also a good match is an INTJ, who understands the INTP’s devotion to logic but helps bring structure and order to the pair.

As parents, INTPs encourage competence and independent problem solving. They often do not tune in easily to their children’s feelings, but will enthusiastically help them to reason out a complex dilemma. INTPs are usually involved in their own projects or ideas and typically do not take much pleasure in the mundane, day-to-day tasks of caring for children. As a result, the INTP parent may sometimes seem distant to their children, but their true delight in parenting is in sharing exciting ideas and concepts with young minds.

Famous INTPs include Albert Einstein, Rene Descartes, Charles Darwin, C.G. Jung, Isaac Newton, Socrates, and Abraham Lincoln.

Interesting facts about the INTP:

On personality trait measures, score as Candid, Ingenious, Complicated, Independent, and Rebellious
More likely than other types to study a foreign language
Most frequent type among college students committing alcohol and drug policy violations
Have lowest level of coping resources of all the types (with ISTPs)
One of types least likely to believe in a higher spiritual power
Highest of all types in career dissatisfaction (with INFPs)
In school, have lower grades than would be predicted from aptitude scores
More likely than average to complete engineering programs
Personal values include Autonomy, Freedom, and Independence
Overrepresented among working MBA students
Commonly found in science and technical occupations

Sources:
MBTI Manual, Third Edition, Briggs Myers et. al.
Introduction to Type and Careers, Hammer
Just Your Type, Tieger and Barron-Tieger
Please Understand Me II, David Keirsey
Do What You Are, Tieger and Barron-Tieger
Quick Guide to the 16 Personality Types in Organizations, Berens et. al.

My Inspiration

2008-11-22T12:53:00.016-05:00

Today I am going to talk about the person who was my first inspiration for self-realization & self-development. I read his first book 5 yeas ago, and it was an remarkable eye-opener for me, that single event inspired me to venture the amazing journey of being a good & enlightened human being. That amazing person is - Robin Sharma, a Canadian citizen of Indian origin, one of the top 10 leadership guru of the world. This is the second year in a row that Sharma has been in the top ten by merit and public voting.

Here are some inspiring wisdoms from Sharma, they were my "mantra" from the time when I was studying in university. This is a big list, but who said the list of good habits you can develop are small?

Sleep less (i.e. raise early). This is one of the best investments you can make to make your life more productive and rewarding.
Practice Peace. Set aside one hour every morning for personal development matters. Meditate, visualize your day, read inspirational texts to set the tone of your day, listen to motivational tapes or read great literature.
Do not allow those things that matter the most in your life be at the mercy of activities that matter the least. Every day, take the time to ask yourself the question "is this the best use of my time and energy?"
Live a simple, uncluttered and productive existence.
Find pleasure in the things that others take for granted. Take a mini-retreat and care for your mind, body and spirit. It will profoundly improve the quality of your life.
"When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take - choose the bolder," said W. J. Slim.
In work, love and life, play hard and play fair.
"Anybody can become angry - that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy." – Aristotle
Every day, get away from the noise, the crowds and the rush and spend a few hours alone in peaceful introspection, deep reading or simple relaxation.
Learn to meditate effectively. The mind is naturally a very noisy machine which wants to move from one subject to another like an unchained monkey. One must learn to restrain and discipline it.
Be the master of your will but the servant of your conscience.
Be truthful, patient, persevering, modest and generous.
Try fasting one day every two weeks. During these fast days, drink fruit juice and eat fresh fruits only. You will feel more energetic, cleansed and alert.
Empty your cup. A full cup cannot accept anything more. Even the teachers have teachers.
Remember, in the twilight of your life, when all is said and done, the quality of your life boils down to the quality of your contribution to others. Leave a rich legacy for those around you to savor.
Once a week, arise at dawn. It is a magical time of day. Be still, go for a walk or simply listen to an old Ella Fitzgerald recording. Take a long, hot shower and do 100 push ups. Read one of the classics. You will feel alive and invigorated.
Stephen Hawking, one of the great modern physicists of the world, is reported to have said that we are on a minor planet of a very average star located within the outer limits of one of a hundred thousand million galaxies. Are your problems really significant in light of this? You walk this Earth for but a short time. Why not become devoted to having only a wonderful experience. Why not dedicate yourself to leaving a powerful legacy to the world?
You must have a mission statement in life. This is simply a set of guiding principles which clearly state where you want to be at the end of your life, and the principles which will govern your life and which will keep you focused at all times.
No one can insult or hurt you without your permission. There are no negative experiences, only experiences which aid in your development and toughen your character so that you may soar to new heights. There are no failures, only lessons.
Become a highly disciplined time manager. Never let the things which matter most be placed in the backseat as compared to those that matter least.
Reading is a powerful way to gain many years of experience from a few hours of study.
Readers are leaders. U.S. President Bill Clinton read more than 300 books during his short time at Oxford University. Some top performers read a book a day.
Keep well-informed about current events, the latest books and popular trends. You don't have to read every story of every paper. Know what to focus on, what to pass by. Knowledge is power.
Get into the excellent habit of reading something positive and inspirational before you go to bed and as soon as you awake in the morning.
On the subject of conversation, a Chinese proverb states as follows: "a single conversation across the table with a wise man is worth a month's study of books." Seek out the wise and learn from them. They are just waiting for that small spark of interest to tell you all that you need to know.
Associate only with positive, focused people who you can learn from and who will not drain your valuable energy with complaining and uninspiring attitudes.
Be so strong that nothing interferes with your peace of mind. You truly cannot afford the luxury of even one negative thought.
Never discuss your health, wealth and other personal matters with anyone outside of your immediate family. Be very disciplined in this regard.
Remain slightly aloof. Do not let everyone know everything about you. Cultivate a mystique.
Always remember the key principle that the quality of your life is the quality of your communication. This means the way you communicate with others and with yourself.
Master the art of public speaking. There are few natural speakers. Role model anyone you think is a highly effective, influential communicator.
Never argue with the person you work for - you will lose more than just the argument.
Keep your words soft and arguments hard.
Be known as someone with a cool head, warm heart and great character. Your presence on this earth will long be remembered.
Be the most honest person that you know. Be trustworthy - worthy of the trust of others.
Two of the fundamentals for a happy, joyful life are balance and moderation. One must maintain a balance of all activities and do nothing to extremes.
Create your image as a highly competent, strong, disciplined, calm and decent individual. Do not tell everyone everything about yourself, your strategies and your aspirations. Make things look easy and people will say you are naturally gifted. Speak only good things and people will flock to you. Never speak ill of others and all will know you will not malign them behind their backs. Build your character and live a highly principled life.
The sages of China have held a basic life philosophy for thousands of years: develop an indomitable spirit along with courtesy and integrity. But also be shrewd and know when to be tough and courageous. Never be taken advantage of, and always be aware of the politics around you. Stay above petty gossiping and office politics but appreciate that they indeed exist and know what goes on behind your back. Every great leader does.
Make it one of your goals to develop a dynamic, charismatic personality. President Kennedy was a sickly youth but rose above his physical problems to be the most charismatic and exciting political figure in the history of the United States.
Be careful about your reputation. If it is good it will take you to the highest of heights. But once tarnished, it will be difficult to retrieve. Never do anything you wouldn't be proud to tell your mother about. Have fun always but temper it with common sense and prudence.
Familiarity breeds contempt is a very good rule. The stars remain far above the Earth. You must keep a distance from all but your closest of relations. Once people see everything of a leader he loses his aura and with it the authority and mystique he may have created. Did you ever see the President of United States with his dressing gown after waking up from one of his long sleeps, hair tousled and beard grown?
Never complain. Be known as a positive, strong, energetic and enthusiastic person. Focus on the positive.
Overlook the weaknesses of your friends. If you look for flaws you will most surely find them. Be mature enough to learn from everyone. Everyone has a story to tell.
When choosing your life partner, remember that this is the most important decision of your lifetime. The marriage relationship offers 90% of all your support, happiness and fulfillment so choose it wisely. Consider qualities such as affection, sense of humor, intelligence, integrity, maturity, temperament, compatibility and that indescribable characteristic of chemistry. If these are present, your relationship stands an excellent chance of great success. Move slowly and let no one press you into an uncomfortable decision.
Lao-Tzu prized three essential qualities for a person of greatness: "the first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others.
Be known as an innovator at your place of work. Sit down over the next week and write out ten suggestions for your supervisor as to how to improve the work being done and the quality of the workplace itself. Be known as an idea person willing to discover challenges and tackle them with zest and enthusiasm.
Become an adventurer. Once every few months, plan to enjoy a new, thrilling activity such as white water rafting, scuba diving, windsurfing, rock-climbing, joining a martial arts club, sailing, deep sea fishing or camping. This will keep your life in perspective, bring you closer to those you share the activity with and keep you feeling invigorated and young.
Recall the wise saying "mens sana in corpore sano" which means in a sound body rests a sound mind. Never neglect the body which is intimately connected to the mind. This is your temple. Feed it the finest fuels, exercise daily and care for it as you would your prized possession - because it is.
Travel often. The perspective offered by visiting new lands is important and allows one to appreciate the existence that we generally take for granted.

Read the above list over and over again, and adopt as much as you can! I can tell you, it is not easy, because I am trying it for last 5 years.

A Simple Wisdom

2008-11-22T09:35:00.003-05:00

The following is a simple truth, but I wish someone told it to me before I started my life! I made so many terrible mistakes, and all of them could have been avoided if I kept this simple truth in mind. At least, I'll try now, to remember it for the rest of my life.

Every time you interact with others, you have the choice to listen to, acknowledge, and let go of their words, or you can take what they are saying personally. If you attempt to take what they do or say personally, you may end up feeling hurt without reason. But what people do and say has no bearing upon you and is usually based on their own experiences, emotions, and perceptions. You may have been an easy target for someone having a bad day, and their comments may have been offered with no ill intentions.

When you recognize that what anyone says or does doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you, you will no longer feel hurt or attacked. While it’s easy to take things personally, you should never let anyone’s perceptions or actions affect how you see yourself or your worth. Your life is personal to you, and it is up to you to influence your own value and sense of well-being.

The Art of the Start : The Art of Presentation

2008-11-18T18:45:00.015-05:00

What is the BEST presentation you have EVER seen?

I have not come across many so far. I don't know the reason, but most of the presentations I came across - sucks. I was badly looking for a passionate presentation which thrilled the audience, which had all the basic qualities of a good speech. History has lots of excellent treasures - we have seen the world famous "I have a dream" speech from Dr. King. We know how Steve Jobs mesmerizes the audience. I was wondering why most of today's businessmen or engineers don't have that temperature to seduce their audience!

Probably God got pissed off with my prayer, so he allowed me to came across this wonderful presentation. This is probably ranked in the top 10 presentations of the world, never seen a better real life delivery of a presentation. Enjoy ...

I found a great site for excellent presentations around the world: TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. It is a gold mine of inspirations, and here is an example - it left me speechless for hours!

Winning

2008-11-03T19:12:00.001-05:00

Whether you’re a musician, a writer,
an athlete or a businessman;
There is no getting around it.

The only way -
You are going to get anywhere in life,
is by working hard to achieve your dreams.

If you do, you’ll win;
If you don’t you won’t.

Choice is yours

2008-11-03T19:11:00.001-05:00

When we wake up in the morning, we have two simple choices.
Go back to sleep and dream, or wake up and chase those dreams.

Choice is yours…

Strange but True

2008-11-03T19:10:00.002-05:00

We make them cry who care for us.
We cry for those who never care for us.
And we care for those who will never cry for us.

This is the truth of life, its strange but true.
Once you realize this, its never too late to change.

Where you belong

2008-11-03T19:09:00.001-05:00

Some people make the world happen;
More watch the world happen;
Most wonder what happened.

Its your choice,
Which group you want to belong to.

Grab it!

2008-11-03T19:08:00.001-05:00

Opportunities - Small or Big. They come and go.
Some will be easy to take advantage of, some will be difficult.
But once we let them pass in hopes of something better,
those opportunities may never again be available.

Always grab the first opportunity.

Richness of Life

2008-11-03T19:05:00.001-05:00

You are Rich or Poor in life by…

Smiles around you,
Friends you make,
People you are with,
Ideas you have,
Dreams you chase,
And the love you spread.

Its true

2008-11-03T18:58:00.003-05:00

Its true.
That it really takes more than a lifetime
to forget someone you Love ...

That it hunts like hell to realize that life would never be empty ...
In spite of having everything.

That nothing and I mean nothing compares
To the moments you have had with your love ...

That those precious things that were priceless once,
Comes free for you and it does not even matter ...

That heartache increases with every breath you take ...

That time will heal all wounds,
All but mine.

Some People

2008-11-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

Some people come into our lives and quickly go
Some people move our souls to dance
They awaken us to new understanding
With the passing whisper of their wisdom...

Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon
They stay in our lives for awhile,
leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never, ever the same again ...

Life

2008-10-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

I wanted a perfect ending.
Now I've learned, the hard way.

Some poems don't rhyme.
Some stories don't have
a clear beginning, middle, or an end.

Life is about - not knowing, having to change,
taking the moment and making the best of it
without knowing what's going to happen next.

The Four Agreements - A Toltec

2008-10-26T22:34:00.010-04:00

It was a busy month, could not post any blog - and somehow managed to read only two books so far. However, during my 2.5 hours flight this morning, I finished one of the most enlightening book I ever came across. The Four Agreements, written by Dr. Miguel Ruiz - is an amazing book of Toltec wisdom.

Thousand years ago, the Toltecs were known throughout southern Maximo as "women and men of knowledge". They were an ancient group of scientists and artists that was formed to explore and preserve the practices and spiritual knowledge of the ancient ones. They came together at Teotihuacan, the ancient city of pyramids outside Maximo City known as the place where "Man Becomes God."

The Four Agreements are very simple, but very profound.

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD: Speak with Integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the words to speak against yourself, or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY: Nothing others do because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness & drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you'll avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

I learned so much from this little book, I had to enlist it on my all time favorite books list.

The Saxophonist

2008-09-21T13:05:00.008-04:00

Last week was very hectic, so it took some time form me to upload another sketch here. This is not a saxophone, it rather should be a Trumpet (thanks to the comments on this pic), and I found drawing either of actual Trumpet or Saxophone (they are complex instruments) below will take the focus away from the man's face - so the instrument is basically - nothing! Please forgive me for this. I wanted to paint an old man, and just reflecting a certain mood.

Click on the image to see larger version

My Drawings

2008-09-11T22:59:00.011-04:00

Started sketching tonight on my tablet - here is my first digital pencil/charcoal figure - "The Lady":

Click on the images to see larger versions.

My First Digital Abstract Art

2008-09-11T14:30:00.006-04:00

I was missing my paintings, so recently purchased a Bamboo Fun tablet for digital painting. I tried to draw the following abstract art on Corel Painter Essentials 4, mostly using "Think wet Impasto" brush. It is impressive, you can go as close as to the real job - without the mess of chemical paints all over you:

Click on the image to see larger version.

Take your time to ... Think

2008-09-04T21:22:00.001-04:00

The Natural Human Diet

2008-09-04T21:03:00.002-04:00

I was thinking to post an article on - how nature made us herbivore. Human physical structure resembles a herbivore animal. Civilization and abundant usage of energy helped human to initiate the habit of eating flesh. But is it good for us? Meat & Dairy industry is one of the largest & most profitable business, so there is no doubt - that we'll be taught about all good sides of eating animal products.

Instead of writing a large article, I am posting an excellent cartoon video I found on Youtube. Please watch it, not to be vegetarian - but just to learn few things that you might not know about us.

5 Unforgettable Days

2008-09-02T22:28:00.008-04:00

Once upon a time, I appeared for SSB interview for Indian Army (toughest interview you can ever have - lasts for 5 consecutive days). My location was Allahabad, and it was on year 2000. I forgot the exact Month and Date, but it was around March-April. In fact, I appeared twice for this interview (once at Bangalore), and failed twice too! But it was one of the best learning experience I ever got, it changed my life afterwards.

It would be a long story to tell you what happened during those 5 days at Allahabad - but I think I found someone who already wrote it, and he is hell of a writer - so I better don't waste time trying to make a prose again. You'll find below the detailed experience of a SSB interview at Allahabad Army cantonment - the only different experience I had was - I was there during summer time, so we had to wake up at 3 AM every sweaty morning.

Check the full story here.

I had this experience 8 years ago, and I still can't forget it. It was thrilling. Thanks to Arindam for posting such a beautiful memory stimulating story.

Why I want to be a Vegetarian

2008-08-31T14:58:00.029-04:00

Let me state that vegetarianism isn’t for everyone. If you are fanatically devoted to meat (and I was at one time, so I understand), you might not be interested. If you already eat healthy, or you’re not interested in your health, you might not be interested. If you’re sensitive about not changing your life style for any reason, please skip this post.

But there are some reasons, for the rest of us, to consider it. I was in the same position as most of you probably are. I too didn't want to consider any of the following thoughts fairly, because I wanted to keep eating meat. I'd grown up eating it, and I liked it. I came up with various arguments to justify my behavior so far.

But deep down I knew I was not following the conscience of my heart. I felt I was not doing the right thing and I was not doing what was best for me & everyone around me. When I considered the arguments honestly, I decided to stop eating animals. Not only I wanted to have a healthier & moderate life style, I really wanted to make my "ugly" footprint on earth a bit smaller. It is not an easy task considering my last 26 years of carnivorous life style. But I know I can do it, because it is absolutely the best decision I can ever make.

Watch more videos at PETA.org

Please watch the above video. Do you still need more reasons? Here are some facts to think about. If they make any sense, we should follow what our heart will be saying to us.

Health Reason

It's much easier to become (and stay) slim & fit if you are a vegetarian. Avoiding meat is one of the best and simplest ways to cut down your fat consumption.

The largest epidemiological study ever conducted (the China-Oxford-Cornell study) found that those eating the amount of animal foods typical for Americans have seventeen times the death rate from heart disease, and, for women, five times the rate of breast cancer, than those who get 5% or less of their protein from animal foods.

Meat contains absolutely nothing that the human body cannot obtain perfectly happily from a vegetarian diet.

High fat plus cholesterol. Animal foods are higher in fat than most plant foods, particularly saturated fats. Plants do not contain cholesterol.

"Carb" deficient. Meat is deficient in carbohydrates, particularly the starches which are so essential to proper health.

Vitamin deficient. Except for the b-complex, meat is largely deficient in vitamins.

'Meat' can include the tail, head, feet, rectum and spinal cord of an animal. A sausage can contain ground up intestines. How can anyone be sure that the intestines are empty when they are ground up? Do you really want to eat the content of a pig's intestines?

Meat contains 14 times the amount of pesticides as plant foods, since pesticides get concentrated as they move up through the food chain, and since they're more easily stored in fatty tissues. Exposure to livestock drugs. There are over 20,000 different drugs, including sterols, antibiotics, growth hormones and other veterinary drugs that are given to livestock animals. These drugs are consumed when animal foods are consumed. Pathogenic Microorganisms. Worms and other Parasites. There are a host of bacteria and viruses, some quite dangerous, that are common to animals. When I eat meat, I eat the organisms in the meat.

Cancer prevention. Of all the natural cancer prevention substances found: vitamin C, B-17, hydroquionenes, beta carotene, NDGA, - none has been found to be animal derived. Yet most meats, when cooked, produce an array of benzenes and other carcinogenic compounds.

Disease Inducing. The correlation between meat consumption and a wide range of degenerative diseases is well founded and includes: anaemia, appendicitis, arthritis, breast cancer, cancer of the colon, cancer of the prostrate, constipation, diabetes, gallstones, gout, high blood pressure, indigestion, obesity, piles, strokes and varicose veins.

'Meat' is fiber deficient. Fiber absorbs unwanted, excess fats; cleans the intestines; provides bulk and aids in peristalsis.

'Meat' contains animal body wastes, including adrenaline, uric and lactic acid, etc. Before adding ketchup, the biggest contributors to the "flavor profile" of a hamburger are the leftover blood and urine.

'Meat' contians essential protein? Actually, meat eaters usually take in way more protein than they need. The average American eats 400% of the RDA for protein. This causes excess nitrogen in the blood that creates a host of long-term health problems.

Environmental Reason

If you're like most people, going vegetarian is the single most powerful action you can take to save energy and reduce pollution.

That's because meat production requires staggering amounts of land, water, and energy.

Livestock eat several times more grain than they produce as meat. So raising livestock uses several times as much land to grow the grain to feed them, energy to harvest the grain and transport it, water to grow the grain and to water the animals.

Worldwide petroleum reserves would be exhausted in 11 years if the rest of the world ate like the U.S. The least energy-efficient plant food is 10 times as efficient as the most efficient meat food.

Over half of the water used in the U.S. is used to grow feed for livestock. It takes 100 times as much water to produce meat than to produce wheat. The water required to produce a day's diet for a typical American is 4,000 gallons. (It's 1,200 for vegetarians and 300 for vegans.) Compared to a vegan diet, three days of a typical American diet requires as much water as you use for showering all year (assuming you shower every day). If the US meat industry wasn't supported by the taxpayer paying a large proportion of its water costs, then hamburger meat would cost $35 a pound.

U.S. Livestock produce 250,000 pounds of waste per second -- 20 times as much as humans. A large feedlot produces as much waste as a large city, but without a sewage system. Animal waste washed into rivers and lakes causes increased nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, and bacteria, and decreases the oxygen content. This kills plant and animal life. The meat industry account for three times as much harmful organic waste as the rest of the industries in the U.S. combined.

It takes ten times as much land to produce food for an average American compared to a pure vegetarian. An acre of land can produce 20,000 pounds of potatoes, but only 165 pounds of beef. In the U.S., 260 million acres of forest have been destroyed for use as agricultural land to support our meat diet (over 1 acre per person). Remember that 100 acres of land will produce enough beef for 20 people but enough wheat to feed 240 people. If we eat the plants we grow instead of feeding them to animals, the world's food shortage will disappear virtually overnight.

Around 85% of topsoil loss is directly associated with raising livestock. The USDA says crop productivity is down 70% as a result of topsoil loss. It takes nature 500 years to build an inch of topsoil. Vegan diets make less than 5% of the demands on the soil as meat-based diets.

Conservation of Fossil fuel. It takes 78 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef protein; 35 calories for 1 calorie of pork; 22 calories for 1 of poultry; but just 1 calorie of fossil fuel for 1 calorie of soybeans.

African countries - where millions are starving to death - export grain to the developed world so that animals can be fattened for our dining tables.

Human Reason, Ethics

Clear conscience. I know what I'm doing is right. I feel good inside about my decision to remain "meatless". We can set an example. To live this way is to protect the underlying values of those around me.

Nobody wants animals to suffer, but it's easy to forget that when we eat them, that's what we're supporting. Animals suffer from pain and fear just as much as you do. How would you like to spend your last hours locked in a truck, packed into a cage with hundreds of other terrified animal and then cruelly pushed into a blood soaked death chamber?

Around eight billion animals are killed for food every year in the U.S. alone -- a number greater than the entire human population of the planet. In a lifetime, the average meat eater will consumer 36 pigs, 36 sheep and 750 chickens and turkeys. Do you want that much carnage on your conscience?

Animals which are a year old are often far more rational - and capable of logical thought - than six week old babies. Pigs and sheep are far more intelligent than small children. Eating dead animals is barbaric.

The sacrifice I make by not eating 'Meat' is nothing compared to the animals, its life.
It is about aesthetics. Decaying animal parts, whether in a freezer case or served in restaurants, can never be as asthetically pleasing to the senses as the same foods made from wholesome vegetable sources. Only habit can allow one not to perceive this.

How to Start

One of the great things about becoming a vegetarian is that it often spurs people to try new and interesting ethnic foods (or reminds them of foods they love but don’t eat much). Great vegetarian dishes can be found all over the world, from Italian pasta to many Indian dishes to spicy Thai food to Chinese, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Mexican, South American and more. It can be interesting to do a series of theme weeks, trying vegetarian dishes from a certain country for one week, and then moving around the world and sampling other great ethnic foods.

I started a gradual transition into vegetarianism … although you can do it all at once. There’s no need to give up all meat at once. Try a few new recipes, maybe eat one vegetarian meal for the first week, two for the second, and so on. If you do this, start with red meat, as it is typically the least healthy.

Consider dairy & eggs. I do. Vegetarians vary widely on this, so there’s no mandate to give up dairy or eggs if you’re giving up meat. Do what feels right for you.

Have Fun! Most of all, don’t make becoming a vegetarian be a restrictive, grueling ordeal. If you feel like you’re depriving yourself, you won’t last long. But if you feel like you’re doing something good, and trying out some great-tasting food, you’ll stick with it for much longer (for life, I hope).

Have a great time along the way.

Why am I an Agnostic?

2008-08-26T00:32:00.017-04:00

Like the most of you, I was born and raised among people who were very faithful believer in God. They knew that they had the truth. In their creed there was no guess, no perhaps.

I wondered from my childhood days, who is this "God" whom everyone respects so much. Who is this almighty who can see our every deed, and keeps a list of every sin and every good deed - to either punish us later by detaining at hell (where they have not heard of human rights or geneva convention) - or to allow us to enter heaven, based on standard deviation during my life from God's moral scale.

Well, I was growing up as a very bad kid - and against all odds, I started asking questions on faith. Now faith is a concept where you should not provide much reason, otherwise it can't be called "faith" anymore - it will become a science. So, I found the basic principle is mostly - shut your sinful mouth up - and accept things on "faith".

Faith, by its very nature, requires belief outside of known fact. Now if existence of something can be proved, faith becomes unnecessary or irrelevant - it will scientifically exist and be available - no matter if we believe it or not. Hence something only available through faith makes me more skeptical that probably it does not exist. If it really exists, it should be there and have the same effect even with or without faith.

God is only available on faith. It is like - you can even walk on water if you have enough faith, which you can not prove wrong easily - because faith is impossible to measure. You can always be asked to keep trying, but never expect it to work - of course this not due to physical science of properties, it is because you are not trying hard with enough faith! I feel irrational to accept this. How do you know your faith is enough?

Does Prayer really works? Well - religion says God answers your prayer in 3 ways. (1) He grants your wishes, (2) He denies your wishes because he has something better for you, (3) He asks you to wait. Did it help? Are you still feeling blue and don't know which one God choose for you? Even without any help from almighty - the probability of getting something you wish are practically only these 2 - Either you'll get it, or you won't get it (Immediately). When you don't get it immediately - there are 2 more possibilities: You will either get it later by chance, or you may never get it. There is no exception to this rule. It is same either we do prayer or not. Prayer might have some psychological healing effect, but it does not increase or decrease the chance of fulfilling your wish.

I am not a believer or a non-believer in God. Because both a theist and an atheist, holds a belief that we can know whether or not there is a God. The Faithfuls holds that we can know there is a God; the atheist, that we can know there is not.

I can say what Ingersoll has said once: Is there a God? I do not know. Is man immortal? I do not know. One thing I do know, and that is, that neither hope, nor fear, belief, nor denial, can change the fact. It is as it is, and it will be as it must be.

We can be as honest as we are ignorant. If we are, when asked what is beyond the horizon of the known, we must say that we do not know.

So the more I learnt, I felt I am basically an agnostic. An agnostic thinks it impossible to know the truth in matters such as God and the future life with which religions are concerned. Or, if not impossible, at least impossible at the present time. An Agnostic does not accept any `authority' in the sense in which religious people do. He holds that a man should think out questions of conduct for himself.

No sensible man, however agnostic, has "faith in reason alone." Reason is concerned with matters of fact, some observed, some inferred. The question whether there is a future life and the question whether there is a God concern matters of fact, and the agnostic will hold that they should be investigated in the same way as the question.

Here is a good news at last - if you are an agnostic, then you are not alone. You have just joined the 100 million (and growing) club. Some of the members of agnostic club are: Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Larry King, Bertrand Russell, Carl Sagan.

I am an agnostic. I don't know, neither do you.

Habits of Happy People

2008-08-25T23:48:00.005-04:00

Here is my list inspired by Cindy from Pickthebrain:

“Happiness is a habit - cultivate it.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Appreciate your life, count your blessings. Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Make the most of each day. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Choose Friends Wisely. Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals.
Don’t let the set backs affect your mood. Think solutions.
Build excellent relationships. Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Be kind.
Stay hungry, stay foolish. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or sky-diving.
Notice small things, enjoy small moments. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc.
Nothing stays forever. Good moments will come back again, and bad moments will not stay very long.
Follow your passions, have a goal. It may take 30 years to discover and get actually what you want.
Anger or Jealousy doesn't help. Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you.
Meditate. Take care of your mind, body and health. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest.
Mind your Own Business. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.
Be optimist. See the glass as half full.
Accept what can not be changed. Don’t waste energy on things beyond your control. Accept your limitations.
Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.
Be ethically honest. You are 100% responsible for your life. Be first to admit when you’ve made a mistake.
Listen to Music, read some books, redesign your bed-room, laugh some more, check out nature.

Cindy Holbrook manages a blog that focuses on Overcoming Life’s Obstacles. She pulls from her personal experiences as well as through her 15+ years working in social services. Pick up your free e-book “Your Guide to Happiness” when you visit CindySense.com.

Into the Wild

2008-08-22T21:04:00.018-04:00

Tonight, I have watched "Into the Wild" - Sean Penn (director) was waiting to make this film for ten years. It was based on a moving true story, and it kept me stirred and silent for a long time. The Story was adopted from the bestselling non-fiction book by Jon Krakauer - who spent three years on research, and went to Alaska 23 times to write this book.

It is about the soul searching journey told by Carine, the younger sister of an american fresh college graduate Chris McCandless. They both had a disturbing childhood. Chris rejected the notion that money is power, or, perhaps more accurately, could care less even if it is. On April 1992 at the age of 22 - rejecting materialism and elitism - he burnt cash, gave away his entire life’s savings $24,000, left his home and hiked for two years to arrive at the the Alaskan wilderness with little food and equipment, hoping to live a period of solitude. Nearly five months later, he died of starvation near Denali National Park.

This movie left some message for all of us. I just want to quote a little from Chris here:

"It is wrong if you think that the principle joy of life comes from the human relationships. God has placed it in all around us. It is in everything. It is in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at those things."

For years, McCandless dreamed of an "Alaskan Odyssey" where he would live off the land, far away from civilization, and keep a journal describing his physical and spiritual progress as he faced the forces of nature. He spent two years on the road, and lived 5 months in solitude at Alaska - the dream place where he always wanted to be. He lived in the wild nature he wanted to live in, and he probably had found his happiness and the answer. He wrote in his diary with starved, weak, trembling hand writing - just few days before he died alone in a abandoned "Magic Bus" he used to live in:

"HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED"

"Smiling - if I run into your arms, would you see then - what I see now?" - this was the last line of this striking soul searching journey. We need love & warmth of people around us, and it is a very hard realization when there is no one around us to feel our joy out of everything around us.

Here is Christopher McCandless in his camp on the Stampede Trail (self-portrait found undeveloped in his camera at the time of his death).

Poem by A Himalayan Saint

2008-08-22T15:58:00.002-04:00

Love and serve all mankind, Assist everyone

Be cheerful, be courteous
Be a dynamo of irrepressible happiness
See God and good in every face
There is no saint without a past
There is no sinner without a future
Praise every soul
If you cannot praise someone, let them pass out of your life

Be original, be inventive
Dare, dare, and then dare more
Do not imitate. Stand on your own ground
Do not lean on the borrowed staff of others
Think your own thoughts. Be yourself
All perfection and all virtues of God are hidden inside you, reveal them
God is already within you reveal Him

Let God emancipate you. Let your life be that of a rose
Through silence it speaks in the language of fragrance

What is Maturity ?

2008-08-22T15:56:00.000-04:00

Maturity is the ability to control anger and settle differences without violence or destruction. Maturity is patience. It is the willingness to pass up immediate pleasure in favor of the long-term gain. Maturity is perseverance, the ability to sweat out a project or a situation in spite of heavy opposition and discouraging set-backs. Maturity is the capacity to face unpleasantness and frustration, discomfort and defeat, without complaint or collapse. Maturity is humility. It is being big enough to say, "I was wrong." And, when right, the mature person need not experience the satisfaction of saying, "I told you so."

Maturity is the ability to make a decision and stand by it. The immature spend their lives exploring endless possibilities; then they do nothing.

Maturity means dependability, keeping one's word, coming through in a crisis. The immature are masters of the alibi. They are the confused and the disorganized. Their lives are a maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business, and good intentions that somehow never materialize.

Maturity is the art of living in peace with that which we cannot change, the courage to change that which should be changed -- and the wisdom to know the difference.

Lesson from School of Life

2008-08-22T15:53:00.000-04:00

Respect all people - the old, the young, the rich, and the not so rich.
Don't be afraid to say what you think.
Try to be the best that you can be.
Always do what you think is right.
Don't worry about what people think of you.
Don't tell everyone your business.
Be happy with the things you have.
Try not to worry.
Try to be happy.
Be kind.
Get enough sleep.
Exercise every day.
Don't go looking for trouble.
Look for the good in everything and everyone.
Try to forgive and forget.
Spend time with your family.
Make time to see friends.
Don't spend money that you don't have.

How to Enhance Your Day

2008-08-22T15:50:00.002-04:00

Get up early.
Look around outside before going to work
Relax and enjoy your meals.
Spend time with friends.
Pace yourself.
Find a quiet place to go to.
Praise yourself and others.
Develop positive relationships.
See your mistakes as stepping stones.
Keep track of your own moods so you can watch out for them.
Say "No, but thank you for asking" without feeling guilty.
Learn effective time management.
Pay attention to health, diet and sleep.
Exercise regularly.
Keep from comparing yourself to others.
Keep reading nice Books

Do's and Don'ts of Respect

2008-08-22T15:47:00.000-04:00

Do:

Begin each day with a promise to respect others
Sit down and talk quietly
Listen carefully to what others say
Look for things to appreciate in others
Give praise out loud for the good you see in others
Tell others they are good, good enough, and lovable
Tell others they are worthwhile and important to you
Speak in a quiet voice even when you disagree
Pass up chances to insult, attack, or criticize
Let others have responsibility for their lives while you take responsibility for yours

Don't:

Look for things to criticize
Make fun or laugh at others
Make faces or roll your eyes
Tell others how to run their lives
Insult others
Ignore others
Put people down in front of others
Act superior
Sneer
Tell others they're weird or crazy
Say others are bad, not good enough, or unlovable
Say others don't belong, or you wish they were dead
Call others names like fat, ugly, stupid, or worthless

Words of Truth

2008-08-22T15:45:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.
I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross.
Life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% of how you respond to it.
Life is like an onion, you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
When it comes time to die...make sure all you got to do is die.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.
If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it.
Remember that your character is your destiny.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

Most Important Words

2008-08-22T15:30:00.000-04:00

The six most important words
"I admit that I was wrong!"

The five most important words
"You did a great job."

The four most important words
"What do you think?"

The three most important words
"May I help?"

The two most important words
"Thank You!"

The most important word
"We."

The least important word
"I"

Laws of Life

2008-08-16T15:44:00.004-04:00

As nature has many laws to keep a balance, human life also has its own laws that can help him to keep a balance. The laws of nature are so predictable, that human can land a man on Moon and return him back to earth with split seconds of precision. The laws of human life are invisible and hard to understand, so very few can master them. I am trying to list down the "rocket science" of life that helped me to sail through life with a balance:

Don't criticize others when you are angry with yourself.
Never underestimate the power of simple courtesy.
Communicate in a way to leave as little room for misunderstanding as possible.
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Make peace with imperfection.
Be aware of snowball effect of your thought.
Ask yourself - "Will this matter after a year from now?"
Allow yourself to be bored.
Repeat after yourself - "Life is not an emergency. Slow down."
Choose your battles wisely.
Become a better listener. Learn to listen with your eyes.
Praise and blame - are all the same.
See the innocence, resist the urge to criticize.
Stop blaming others.
If someone throws you the ball, you always don't have to catch it.
Mind you own business.
Be careful what you ask for.
Never, ever backstab.
Never send an e-mail when you are mad.
Stop exchanging horror stories.
Never emphasize on how busy you are.
Stop repeating the same mistakes.
Recognize when someone does not have an eye for something.
Remember - it is the little things that will be remembered most.
Surrender to the fact that there is always something to do.
Say - "No, but thanks for asking".
Be 99 percent gossip free.
Learn to laugh at yourself.
Don't fight over stupid things.
Don't sweat the occasional criticism.
Avoid correcting each other.
Let others be right about your little things.
Stop broadcasting your thoughts.
Not everything can be made sense of.
Let anger die quickly.
if you can't tolerate little ills, you can't achieve great things.
Be patient, patience can wait for anything.
Make decisions based on the whole picture.
What you have been taught to believe is not as important as what you know.
In life, some things are bigger than they appear from distance.
Avoid blaming or comparing people.
Use your memory to make life more enjoyable.
Do not peruse fame.
Never hate the truth.
Any plan that can't be changed is a bad one.
Respond to the rudeness with kindness.
Scribble down your thoughts as you have them.
Forgive & forget the bad act of others.
Never let them see you sweat.
Look back at your ancestors for strength.
Surround yourself with people who are more intelligent that you are.
The truth can come out at the wrong time.
Do what matters most at the time.
If you know nothing, say nothing.
No revenge is ever worthwhile.
Silence is the hardest argument to refute.
Know when it is time to leave.
Remember - two most powerful things on earth: (1) Money, (2) Beauty of an woman. be careful from such trap.
Always think before you react.
Carry a "can-do" attitude with you. People don't like pessimistic ideas.
Your happiness is driven by your character.
Double check your work. The arrow that leaves the bow can not come back.
The ultimate measure of a man is where he stands at the time of challenge & controversy.
If you are upset and feel like venting your frustration - pour it on paper.
Refrain from - envy, debt and lust after woman.

Too many rules to remember. May be. One thing - good things are not always easy, they are time tested, true and Important!

Take the Challange

2008-08-11T11:35:00.001-04:00

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and you cannot make a change. You will not have a sense of accomplishment unless you have defined the purpose of your life.

Do not forget that you are a very special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which - you were born to accomplish.

We are all faced with challenges at some point in our life. Challenges that we did not create. Challenges that happened beyond our control.

The difference is how we respond to these challenges. You can adopt the attitude there is nothing you can do, or you can see the challenge as your call to action.

Never make the same mistake twice. Keep experimenting. There are so many new ones to make; Try different one each day…

Laugh at your mistakes; but learn from them.
Joke over your troubles; but gather strength from them.
Have fun with your difficulties; but overcome them.

These are Lessons of Life for you !!!

Don't Break

2008-08-11T11:29:00.001-04:00

Life is a mixture of good times and bad times,
happy moments and unhappy moments.

The next time you are experiencing
one of those bad times or unhappy moments,
Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point; show resilence.

Bend; But don’t break!

9 Essentials for Contended Living

2008-08-11T11:20:00.001-04:00

1. HEALTH enough to make work a pleasure.

2. WEALTH enough to support your needs.

3. STRENGTH to battle with difficulties and overcome them.

4. GRACE enough to confess your sins and forsake them.

5. PATIENCE enough to toil until some good is accomplished.

6. CHARITY enough to see some good in your neighbor.

7. LOVE enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.

8. FAITH enough to make real the things of Lord.

9. HOPE enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

Who We Are

2008-08-11T11:19:00.000-04:00

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well", he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson", he said, "No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.... and especially to those who love you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

Priceless

2008-08-11T11:18:00.001-04:00

Life holds so many priceless things.
The falling rain, the wind that sings.
Each star on a high, a big full moon.
And sunbeams dancing in your room.

The river as it rushes on.
A sunset when day is gone.
No wealth can buy a mountain tall.
These priceless things belong to all.

An autumn tree lends beauty rare.
With leaves piled deep most everywhere.
As nature wears a glowing smile.
To make each day a day worthwhile.

Could anything be quite as dear?
As laughing children that we hear?
The gift of friendship that is ours?
The miracle of growing flowers?

Each magic moment, treasured time
These priceless gifts are
Yours and mine.

What goes Around

2008-08-11T11:15:00.001-04:00

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer.

One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."

"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.

"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.

"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."

And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time?

Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.

His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said: "What goes around comes around"

Morning Thoughts - Fruits of Spirit

2008-08-11T11:06:00.002-04:00

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness, I choose love.

I choose joy...
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity.

I choose peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank almighty for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how the all-powerful Divinity has treated me.

I choose goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My loved ones will not question my love.

I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by almighty. I will be taught only by divine self-realization. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

I have Learned

2008-08-11T11:05:00.001-04:00

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it may be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles a rainy day and lost luggage.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch - holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Perspectives

2008-08-11T11:02:00.001-04:00

One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

Very good, Dad!"

"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.

"Yeah!" "And what did you learn?"

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.

When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.

His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!" Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything!

You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!

A Life Worth Saving

2008-08-11T10:56:00.002-04:00

A man risked his life by swimming through the treacherous riptide to save a youngster being swept out to sea.

After the child recovered from the harrowing experience, he said to the man, "Thank you for saving my life.

The man looked into the little boy's eyes and said, "That's okay, kid. Just make sure your life was worth saving.

A Butterfly

2008-08-11T10:56:00.001-04:00

A man found a cocoon for a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly.

He took a pair of scissors and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. Something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the small opening of the cocoon are God`s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.

If God allowed us to go through all our life without any obstacles, that would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Not only that, we could never fly.

When the Sun Rises

2008-08-11T10:48:00.000-04:00

Every morning in Africa, When the Sun rises,
A deer awakens, Knowing it has to outrun the fastest Lion,
Or, be hunted to death...

But... When the Sun rises,
A lion awakens, Knowing it has to outrun the slowest deer,
Or, be starved to death...

It does not matter whether you are a deer or lion,
When the Sun rises,
Better be running at your best...