Time to review & set new goals

As the year comes to an end, let's take a while and sit for a review. I am not talking about the monthly/ quarterly/ annual review at work. I'm sure our organizations have done that or are in the process. I am talking about reviewing ourselves, holistically. Like any other review exercise let's sit down and check how far have we reached. Those of us who had set holistic goals earlier can review the progress easily, check for deviations and take corrective actions; but those who did'nt, need to ask a few basic questions in relation to personal and professional lives-

1. Am I happy doing what I am doing?

2. Have I reached where I wanted to reach by this time?
3. Am I on the right track?
4. Have I done things that I should have done?
5. Have I done things that I should not have done?

The answers are self explanatory and shall give us an insight into the growth trajectory of life. Next, we need to set goals for the coming year- goals for life to be achieved over the coming year. So let's take a break and ask ourselves the above mentioned questions and set new goals in relation to our:

• Health
• Relationships
• Work
• Self help, Self love
• Attitude towards oneself, others & events in life
• Selfless service

And now a few resolutions:

• We'll not carry whatever we do not need to carry (baggages of grudges and negativity).
• We'll take a few steps backwards if they can take us farther in the journey of life.
• We'll not make unjust comparisons.
• We'll give ourselves and our loved ones time and effort.
• We'll leave no stone unturned to make our lives better and happier.

Let's be full of energy to welcome the new year and hold the same energy levels throughout the year. Let the new year take us to heights of wholesome achievements and happiness.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas & a Lovely New Year! May His grace fill our lives with everlasting hope and happiness.

Softer Techniques for Employee Management

With the ever rising competition, companies are using various softer ways of managing and motivating workforce. Let's have a look at two such methods.

1. Office Buddy

A new joinee is introduced to an existing employee, who now happens to be his collegue and is formally made his office buddy. This buddy not just helps him to come in sync with the prevalent systems and processes in the organisation, but also aids him on the personal fron by helping him fetch an accomodation, vehicle etc if required. This buddy becomes the first point of contact for the new joinee if he has any problem in settling down in work. A few MNCs and large corporates are trying this concept are are finding it successful in making the freshers smoothly sail through the teething troubles that crop up on joining a new organization.

2. Mentoring

The concept of mentoring has been in the corporate world since quite some time.

In general parlance, mentor means a friend, philosopher & guide. When we talk in context of a corporate organization, the same meaning holds true when an emplyee needs to undergo the process of learning on the job. Usually his boss or a senior (in terms of knowledge or experience) plays the role of a mentor. He is responsible for grooming the employee for his job.

Whether it's a mentor or office buddy, the concept helps the organization and the people concerned in the following ways:

• Saves resources
• Reduces errors
• Provides role clarity
• Checks deviation from goals
• Improves communication
• Keeps employee morale high
• Enhances learning
• Yields better results
• Helps in self-development of both the parties
• Strengthens relationships
• Reduces attrition

I am sure we all must have had and still have buddies and mentors in our lives- both professional and personal. I will always remember those peers who helped me not only understand the customized softwares and cumbersome operations, but also in getting things like getting an identity card, canteen coupon etc. which seemed as humungous tasks in a new organization in a new city. Yes they were informal office buddies. I will always be thankful to those seniors who gave their time and effort in making me understand every item of a project report, a balance sheet and its implications, along-with a lot of other work relating things.

We have buddies, philosophers and guides in the forms of friends, cousins, parents and other close ones who play significant and positive roles in our lives. Similar concepts when replicated at work place, shall prove to be highly effective.

I shall get a sense of completion for this post only when I add that, the ultimate mentor & buddy in our lives is God Almighty. When we realise this and act accordingly, sucess shall be all ours.

Please give your views and throw some light on the innovations being made for boosting employee morale and productivity.

Unusual qualities of the accomplished

While reading the interviews of a few famous and accomplished personalities from various fields, I could note a few generally uncommon qualities that all of them have and those that have always impressed me.
Be it the great scientist and ex-president Abdul Kalam, the great philanthropist whose company has a rich history of over a century JRD Tata, our hero from the world of cricket Sachin Tendulkar, certain remarkable traits in them are:
Staying connected to roots- While Abdul Kalam (an ardent devotee of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba) was the President of India, he visited Baba and gave his first month's salary to Him praying that in India we give our first month's income to our mother and since Kalam had lost both his parents and Baba was everything to him, he should accept the same.
Unwavering faith in Almighty- I read that whenever Sachin hits a six or four he looks up with his hands facing the sky and eyes closed, he prays to the Lord and thanks Him and his father.
Down to earth- Quite often those who've achieved certain amount of monetary wealth seem to have stopped talking or behaving at the ground level. On the other hand, be it a Sachin, Kalam or Tata or a few others too, they all are so humble that they do not seem to possess even an iota of air.
Dedication- Sincere hard work and toil, not just smart work carves a successful person apart from other things. There are really no short cuts, and those that are tempting, take only into pits.
Working for a noble cause- The Tata Memorial Hospital, a state of the art temple for fighting cancer is a live example of true service to mankind. Cancer patients of every income group from all over the world are being provided the best of treatment at very nominal rates there.
The amount of charitable work done by Sachin Tendulkar, Narayan Murthy, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet (the list will be endless) is truly exemplary.

So let's yearn for imbibing and living these qualities, I'm sure success will follow.

Do leave your comments and remember to subscribe.

Faith can make the impossible possible

Yesterday I happened to read a simple but very effective story and can't stop sharing. It's about a school boy Hari who lived in a small village with his mother. Hari had to cross a jungle everyday while going to and coming back from the school. He was dead scared to walk through the jungle and finally told his mother one day that he shall not go to the school anymore. On knowing the reason his mother said, "My dear son, don't be scared in the jungle, you have an elder brother there, his name is Krishna. Whenever you feel scared or helpless just call him and he shall come to your rescue." Hari felt quite relieved. The next day when he reached the jungle, his hearbeats started soaring up. Suddenly he remebered his mother's words that his brother Krishna was there to help him. Hari called, "Hi brother", there came a sound “Hi brother”. Then Hari said, "I am here", and there came the voice “I am here”. Hari's happiness knew no bounds on listening to his brother's replies.
He went to school and the class teacher asked all the students to get different dishes for the whole class the next day. Hari was told to get curd for the entire class. He felt very low thinking that it was quite difficult to get two square meals for two people at home, how will he be able to get the dish for sixty people. Worriedly he left for home, and on the way he remembered his mother's words again about his brother Krishna. On reaching the jungle he called Krishna saying, "Oh brother! Where are you? Please come here soon, I need your help." No sooner he said that, Krishna appeared there and reassured Hari that he shall get a bowl of curd for all his class-mates tomorrow. Hari had a big sigh of relief.
The next day on reaching the jungle Krishna was ready with a bowl of curd. On seeing the small size of the bowl Hari felt a little dejected, but thanked his brother and went to the school. When he reached the school, even the teacher gave an awkward look when she saw the small bowl. When they start serving the children, to everyone's amazement, the quantity in the bowl remained unchanged. Every child was served from the dish brought by Hari & given by Krishna and the curd still remained intact in the bowl.
Those of us who know about Lord Krishna's friend Sudama's experience of rags to riches on meeting his friend the Almighty Krishna and the tale of Sudama's rice can relate the above story immediately.
The story is nothing but about -
Being in unison with The Almighty
As in the above story, even an echo of one's voice appeared to be His reassurance and undaunting faith made Him come to the child's rescue. Yes, faith and love can make the impossible possible.

Take a good name

I remember a noteworthy message given by one of the head-girls in our school when we were bidding them a farewell almost two decades back. She said- when you leave your Almamater take a good name with you. Your behaviour with teachers, school mates, staff & others should be such that you create a good name for yourself and your family.
A couple of years back from now I got to read a lovely book called ‘Who Shall Cry When You Die?’ Don’t get me wrong, the book is not about dying, it is rather about living a worthy life. The author’s father tells him, "son when you were born, the world was laughing and you were crying; live your life in such a manner that when you die you laugh and the world cries." Nevertheless, the intention behind writing this post is not making anyone cry, but to impress upon, living a worthy life.
Hence the context of the above matter is applicable to everyone and in all the arenas of life- workplace, home, society etc. Whether one is an employee, a professional, student, or a householder, his behaviour should be such, that not only brings him and his family, organization, country a good name but also entitles him to the grace of the Almighty.

A few do’s & don’ts:
Do’s:
-Develop a vision for your own life
-Aspire for higher objectives (self- actualisation)
-Be sincere and committed towards your life and duties
-Be clear-hearted
-Develop a sense of discrimination
-Avoid bad company
-Exercise control over senses
-Introspect yourself regularly and take corrective steps
Don’ts:
-Create obstacles for others
-Cheat in any manner (it will be cheating your own self)
-Pull someone down (negative publicity is always in bad taste)
-Indulge in backstabbing, criticising, idle gossip
-Fall prey to erroneous acts for enjoying momentary pleasures
-Miss a single opportunity to help someone

Let's implement the above in our day to day life from this very moment, so that the people around are proud of us and so is the Almighty.

Do leave your comments and subscribe to the blog.

Go to the source

The other day while watching one of musical programmes on television, I was touched by the answer given by AR Rehman, one of the Oscar Prize Winners. When asked from where does he get the inspiration for composing such soulful music, he gave a beautiful answer. He said, “I go to my source for getting inspiration”. These words gave me some food for thought and for this post. What an answer! Going back to one’s source, the divine mentor, the very cause of our existence!
Then I also recalled a wonderful incident about which I was wanting to write since a long time.

In one of the programmes on Human Values, Dr.Art Ung Jumsai, a NASA scientist, Senator, industrialist, etc. who is propagating Education in Human Values (a project undertaken by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) worldwide narrated a wonderful incident. He shared one of his experiences during meditation- while he was working with NASA on designing a spacecraft that could be sent on Mars, one fine day he viewed the prototype of this space shuttle in meditation. When this prototype was put in shape and sent on Mars it landed successfully there. Everyone amongst the audience was spellbound.
Such is the power of connecting with source. When one starts connecting with one’s source he starts achieving not just worldly accolades but also the abundance of HIS grace. The immediate benefits of this connection-
-Clarity of path
-Clarity of desires/ aspirations---which ones to follow and which ones to abandon
-One emerges stronger
-Gets strength to make the other connections better
-Mind control
-Positive energy
-Control over negativity and self- defeating ideas
-State of bliss
So, let's stay connected with our source:)

Please leave your comments.

The joy of giving

In this 'Joy of giving week', a few ideas given by a local newspaper made me write this post.
Charity begins at home
-Make a conscious effort to make your elders feel good and special. They feel happy to narrate incidents of their times (my granny loves to tell us the various episodes of partition n number of times:)).
-Whatever good you have, is because of them (your parents). Treat them with utmost love and respect. Their blessings will go a long way in making your life a happy one.

Coming back to the joy of giving, I remember an experience shared by a friend a few months back. She was on her way to feeding the underprivileged (a routine activity under Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization’s Narayan Seva programme), when she came across a woman on the street who was in torn clothes and appeared to have lived in starvation for days together. She stopped there and sat down with this famished woman, took out a food packet from her bag and started feeding the lady with her hands. She had tears of joy on seeing this lady quenched with food and love.

Another friend has made it a practice to cook special dishes once a week for the watchmen and other workers in her colony building. She feels on top of the world when she sees them eat whole heartedly.

Someone just narrated a beautiful example- when a farmer sows a single small corn, mother nature gives him bountiful yield of maze that has unlimited corns. Meaning, one good deed comes back manifold (same goes for the reverse too:)).

Other ways of giving:
Baba says-
-If you can’t oblige at least talk obligingly
-Give your forgiveness
-Pray for everyone’s happiness-lokasamasta sukhino bhavantu
The very act of giving will keep you healthy and happy- body & mind. Medical science has reiterated that when we work for a noble cause, our body secretes chemicals that are of healing nature and enhance health and longevity.

So let's find our own ways of giving and staying happy, not just for a week but for ever:)

Still water & Failure

I read a simple and sweet story about nature, action and success, and am sharing the same.

A school boy failed in his exams, and his so called friends mocked at him and this left the boy with a deep sense of failure. He went into depression, gave up studies and did not eat properly. His parents explained to him that, failing in an exam is not failure of life. But the child was so gripped with negativity that he left his house and went to commit suicide. On his way towards the suicidal point, the child heard some voices and stopped to see that in a school there were some students and the teacher was explaining something. He just paused with a nostalgic feeling and then heard the teacher give a lifetime lesson to the students. The teacher said- do you know why river water does not get dirty? Because, it keeps flowing. Aren’t there hurdles in its path? There are, yet it keeps flowing, from a waterfall into a river, from a river into a sea, from a sea into an ocean. Similarly, life should keep going; meaning, despite failures and hurdles, one must not stop moving and putting in effort. Don’t fear obstacles, they are sure to come in some or the other form. If we stop moving, life will start rottening like still water which accumulates all the dirt that comes to it.

After listening to this, the boy got his lost inspiration and moved back to his house. He did not look back. On growing up, the boy became national hero of Vietnam. His name was Ho Chi Minh.

Moral of the story:

• Not the biggest of failures can label us as a failure in life.
• Getting up after falling down, and then moving again is life.

So, let's live life kingsize.

 Do leave your comments.

Faith in goodness

Quite often when someone who is not so close to me, goes out of his way to help me out without any apparent self interest, I find it difficult to believe and keep wondering that why in today’s rush life would someone put in any effort to help a stranger that too without any self- interest. But then I try to bring my wicked mind back to track, say sorry to God for doubting HIS make, that too for being good to me. Is’nt it sad that, when someone does something good without interest, instead of appreciating, we start doubting the other person’s intentions?
Then, I remind myself that God sends HIS messengers in the form of these people to help us out when we are on the right track. When we lose faith in the goodness of HIS creation, we are just mistrusting HIM and giving HIM pain.   

I further remind myself that even if there are 90 forces pulling us down, there still are 10 of them trying to push us up, and their synergetic effect is much more than that of the 90 negative forces.

If we have been cheated badly, it does not mean that loyalty does not exist; if someone has broken our trust it does not mean we shall not trust anyone anymore.

If negative forces were stronger, would’nt this world just come to an end?

This can never happen, because it has been planned and created by the most dexterous creator. Every event, positive or negative is a result of HIS plan for us, and is for our own benefit. So, have faith in goodness and HIS Godliness and move on. HIS most beautiful plans are yet to unfold:)

Remember to leave your comments.

Stress & Happiness

There are times when we come under immense pressure, and as a result there is a high build up of stress. And then we come under the influence of negative factors like -hopelessness, despair, frustration, anger, anguish etc. Let’s look at some of the reasons for this:    

• Repeated failures
• Exhaustion by putting in efforts without a ray of hope
• Unending delay in getting results/ desired outcome
• Too much work with impractical deadlines
• Too little work, all the time to brood 
• Lot of multitasking 
• Health issues 
• Strain in relationships 
• Unexpected and contrary outcome 

 How to handle such a situation?

[I] Short term remedies-Take measures to come out of the negative influence immediately so that you don’t go into clutches of negativity-

a) Remember that this will also pass 

b) Talk to a true friend/ confidante 

c) Take an immediate break if possible – watch a comic movie, programme 

d) Spend time close to nature 

e) Cleanse your eyes and pent up emotions if that works well for you:) 

f) Go for a walk, game

  

[II] Permanent cure 

An example that I remember here is- if you are sitting on a chair and there’s a pin in the chair hurting you, what will you do? Remove the pin? If you are not able to remove it, then? Then you’ll get up and sit on another chair. How do we relate this with stress?

If you can control the cause of stress, do it. But, if you cannot control the cause of stress, learn to control your response to it, this will always be in your control. How? Read on.

  

1. Identify the cause of stress—true cause is not the unexpected outcome or outrageous behaviour of some person; the true cause is our expectation from and deep attachment with the result or the person.

2. Look within- Once you’ve established that it was your own deep desire which led to disappointment, you’ll realise that the solution is with your own self. No extrinsic factor can control you unless you lose control.

3. Strengthen yourself-

a. Be determined not to give in to negative influences

b. Have a regular physical activity-game, walk, yoga, gym

c. Meditation- it charges up every cell of the body and helps a lot in mind control

d. Pursue a hobby, something you always wanted to do but could not find time for

e. Read something positive, motivating and energising

f. Remember that there is a divine planning behind everything, HE has HIS own plans for you

g. Help someone in need, it’ll boost your spirits amazingly and the positive charges between that person and you shall do a lot of good

h. Pray-it works like nothing else

i. Remember that we exist for a larger picture

j. Promise yourself to be happy in all situations. Read my earlier post on happiness & hurdles

 

Remember to leave your comments here, send your suggestions.

 

Ethics with the unethical

Dirty politics, the feeling of being used and misused by people for their benefit etc. are common in a work place (to some extent even in personal relationships). There are street smart people who know how to use every situation to their advantage and move ahead, while there are others who are sincere and dedicated, simple and honest- they are the ones who have problems in moving ahead and become a prey in the hands of vultures.

How does one handle such people? Should one hold on to one’s principles with people who have no principles? I am trying to answer these questions with the help of an example from the epic Mahabharat.

During the battle of Mahabharat, when Arjun comes across Karna (one of the opponents), one of the wheels of Karna’s chariot falls and he falls down and so do his weapons. He requests Arjun not to attack him since he was empty handed. Arjun, being a kshatriya holding on to his principles relented and started waiting for Karna to come back with his weapons. Lord Krishna who was the charioteer & friend philosopher and guide of Arjuna asked him to attack Karna immediately. When Arjuna showed his disagreement on attacking an unweaponed opponent, Krishna reminded him of how Arjun’s son Abhimanyu was killed with deceit and Draupadi was humiliated in public. Krishna said don’t apply principles with people who have no principles.

 The above can thus be applied as follows:

• When you are right, don’t be scared of anything/ anyone 
• Don’t take your opponents on face value 
• Don’t share your strategies with others unless they are directly involved 
• Don’t think about ethics with people who have no ethics when your objective is right

I wish to share 4 Fs told by Bhagawan Shri Sathya Sai Baba -
Follow your master (your inner voice)
Face the devil
Fight till the end and
Finish the game

Do send your feedback/ leave your comments.
HAPPY JANAMASHTMI:)

Happiness and Hurdles

I happened to watch a lovely talk show on Happiness & Hurdles on television yesterday. It was quite inspirational, so I further feel inspired to share a few points.

Success means feeling good, light and beautiful. Success means being stable in all circumstances, giving positive energy to everyone we meet. Success/happiness is not contingent on anything or anyone. Worldly achievements and relations do not make us complete. We are complete the way we are.

How to get this feeling of completeness?  

• Start looking  within.                                           
• Connect with your higher self.
• Remember that-
• Nothing happens to me, everything happens for me, for my growth.
• Obstacles are not meant to lower our spirit or give a feeling of failure; they are meant to help us find a way out-a newer, more innovative way; they come to show us the real path.
• Hurdles are meant to make us stronger, since more energy is required to overcome them:)
• Thoughts of pain, failure, comparison, criticism drain out our energy; let them not creep in. 

False notions with which we live throughout our lives:

• When something happens against my expectations, I feel like a loser.
• If I become so and so I’ll be happy; if I get this, I’ll be happy.
• I’ll be complete when------ happens.

 So fallacious. The truth is that we are meant to be happy and complete irrespective of our worldly achievements, relationships etc. This does not mean that they should be ignored, they should rather be given the best. 

We must remember that a tortoise is strongest when it goes within; it cannot be inflicted with any pain. Similarly, when we start looking inwards, we become strong and no external defeat can harm us. If we can love ourselves the way we are, everyone else will do the same.

So let’s stay focussed on our own journey with a lot of positive energy and vibrance, the paths will start opening up to take us to the destination.

 

Do share your ideas. Keep smiling:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Values and modernization

Since a last few months, some of the leading national dailies are writing repeatedly about the changing social culture (or lack of it) and a drastic shift in value systems; I have been getting a chance to interact about these issues with close ones within and outside India, so, thought of adding a few points.

In today’s world modernization for some people means- 

• Doing things are antithesis to basic human values
• Seeking relationships without commitment or responsibility
• Deriving momentary pleasures without thinking of the effects
• Doing things that others do to be tagged as 'modern'

Reasons:

• Peer pressure
• Lack of communication with immediate family
• Lack of emotional support especially from family
• Lack of self esteem
• Loss of values
• Endless desires

  Effects:

• Loss of one’s dignity and self-respect
• Frustration  
• Further fall in self esteem
• Unending guilt

These effects could be life threatening. Recently, The Economic Times reported of a mishap that was a consequence of misuse of a social networking site in the USA. The case was- a teenage girl received nasty comments on her pictures by some of her so called friends on that site. Such was the implication of those comments that the girl committed suicide and lost her life. This mishap is not just a case of misuse of social networking websites, but also an example of all the points mentioned above.

Haven’t we seen a lot of Page 3 people ending their lives like this? Though they have all the fame and riches, live beyond the social barriers, yet they go into deep depression and end their lives. Why? Because there are things other than name, fame, money, glamour and short term pleasures. These are- true love, emotional strength, courage, family support, self esteem and confidence in all situations, last but most important, spirituality. If ones value systems are strong and communication within the family is sound, one cannot go astray in any kind of situation or peer group.

Modernization means advancement and not degradation of one’s values. A few examples of advancement- 

• Using a mobile medical van for checking patients and distributing medicines in the remote villages
• Having uninterrupted help line telephones/ call centres for emergencies
• Free education portals
• Reconnecting with near and dear ones across the globe at almost zero cost (I could reconnect with a close friend after 2 decades through one such site:))
• Using a plethora of information on the internet for the benefit of oneself and others 

Values are something that make us a true human being and help in refraining from doing those things after which we are left with a sense of guilt or resentment. So let’s be modern in the real sense with our values intact.

 

Please do leave your comments, suggestions and ideas; and do remember to subscribe:)

Surrender

SURRENDER- is it a meek person’s retreat? NO. On the contrary, only people with great grit and mettle can do it since it takes a lot of strength to surrender.

Surrender does not mean:

• Succumbing to adversities or failures

• Yielding to negativity of any kind

• Not giving our best

• Giving up and living in a state of inaction

• Running away from situations and or responsibilities

I remember a small but significant incident which happened over a decade and a half back. During our B.com II year exams, I did miserably in the final exam of Cost Accounting (my favourite subject then). Obviously I felt very sad because before the paper I expected almost cent percent and after the paper there was a dearth of passing marks too. A friend of mine came up to me and said golden words that I shall always treasure; she said -You did your best, HE will do the rest. It registered in my mind, and I also passed with decent marks. So, the simple definition of Surrender is- You do your best, let HIM do the rest.

The benefits of Surrender are:      

1. We are free of tensions

2. The ball goes in HIS court;)

3. We get what we deserve, not what we want

4. We have the satisfaction of giving our best shot

5. We start living in a state of bliss

Why are we not able to surrender?

• Attachment with fruits

• Attachment with situations, momentary pleasures/ gains

• False sense of doer-ship, forgetting that we are nothing beyond his instrument

• Lack of faith in God

• Lack of Divine Knowledge

How to surrender?

Lord Krishna has suggested the following different ways of Surrender in Shrimad Bhagvad Gita:

1. Forget the fruits of your actions

2. Leave the fruits of your actions to ME

3. Constantly remember ME and do your work

Always remember that:

• A doctor has to give all kinds of medicines that a patient needs, and not what the patient likes, in order to cure him.

• In order to climb the ladder up, one has to undergo various tests. Take all tests with a steady mind, righteous means and stay focussed on HIM.

• If HE can take you to it, HE can take you through it. Have faith.

• A flute gives beautiful music because it is hollow from within. Let us also try to be a flute in HIS hands and let HIM play lovely music through us.

So now, Let us do our best & let HIM do the rest.

Your comments, suggestions, questions are most welcome:)

Motivation for leaders

Recently, I was conducting a workshop on Leadership for a group of young, enthusiastic Managers. I was delighted to see their bright and bubbly faces gleaming with a lot of enthusiasm, waiting for me to come out with the next line of encouragement.

While discussing Motivation for Leaders, we talked about various ways of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, de-motivators etc. and something highly motivating for me emerged by the end of the workshop.

I have always been able to relate to Maslow’s need hierarchy theory in my own ways; and have felt that it is possible for a person to be at all or any one or more of the five levels (as described in the theory & depicted in the picture given here). Someone who’s at the self-actualization stage could still have some physiological needs and vice-versa for all levels of needs. But keeping various levels of needs in consideration, how can one increase intrinsic motivation for oneself & others?

Simple- do and make others do the following things:

1. See dreams, chart a path for yourself

2. Have a vision and let no hurdle obscure your vision

3. Look at the larger picture-don’t act by looking at the tip of the ice berg

4. Aspire for higher level needs, aim at self actualisation - Someone who’s at self actualisation stage, would be mature, honest, and an able leader. His intrinsic motivation shall naturally be high & external motivators or de motivators shall play negligible role on his spirits. We must try ourselves and encourage others to look at something bigger and better.

5. Yearn for a holistic life

By the end of the workshop, in the feedback session, one of the participants said that he would go back to his location and immediately apply this learning on a teammate who was senior in age, worked well but lacked the motivation to do better since money and power failed to motivate him. The participant felt confident that this learning would help in motivating his not so motivated teammate. And this response was quite a motivational experience for me:)

Your comments, queries shall add to this motivation:))

Positive Attitude

Thomas Edison was 67 years of age when his lab caught fire and everything was in flames. He was laughing aloud and his son thought he had a nervous breakdown because his lifelong work was destroyed. Then Edison told his son “ Charles, there is a great value in disaster; thank God, all are mistakes are burnt and we can start afresh.” Within a week, he invented the phonograph successfully.  This is the winner’s attitude.

I’m sure no explanation is required about the need to have Positive Attitude. Let’s have a look at some of the effects our attitude has on our body: 

Negative:

• Creates harmful chemicals in blood
• Damages brain cells
• Increases chances of deadly diseases

 Positive:

• Creates chemicals that boost energy and happiness
• Increases life span upto 120 years
• Helps in fighting deadly diseases. Cancers of last stage are getting cured with PA and HIS grace.

But how do we change our attitude from negative to positive? How do we stay positive in the face of adversities? A few points to do so-

1. Have noble objectives, they shall inspire you to keep moving positively.

2. Power of repetition: Repeat self affirming messages to yourself everyday like, today I shall not be disappointed, today I shall look for good in everyone I meet. More on this in my earlier post on

 http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/03/thought-management.html
3. Be the captain of your ship: Take charge of yourself as the captain takes charge of his ship under all circumstances. More on http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/03/thought-management.html

4. Get charged up: How do we charge our mobile phone? It gets charged on getting connected to an electrical connection. How do we charge ourselves? By connecting with the Divine GOD through-

• Prayers, Meditation                                  
• Moving on the path shown by HIM
• Talking to GOD like we talk to a very dear one

5. Use Positive Words: http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/03/management-of-words.html

6. Look at the larger picture:

• Remember that God has sent you with a divine purpose
• Don’t waste time and energy on petty things 
• Look at everyone as God’s creation and treat him with love and respect
• Forget and forgive
• Remember that it is between you and HIM

7. Leave the place where others are indulging in negative conversation like abuse, idle gossip, criticism etc., it’ll save you from negative charges.

8. Look at failures and problems as blessings in disguise. HE wants you to do better and knows that you can do it.
9. Read at least one page of inspiring book every day:
http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-life-is-it-important-to-be.html 

10. Watch inspiring movies.
11. Always sit and walk with your back straight. It will strengthen your confidence and inner strength.
12. Smile with your heart, God blesses through your smile.

You do your best, HE will do the rest.

Do leave your ideas, comments, questions to keep me positive:)

 

Stress- effect of modern corporate culture?

Recently I met a senior academician for my Doctorate and we got into a discussion on the repercussions of mounting stress levels in the corporate world. Though we keep on reading a lot on the subject and the ways to beat stress, yet a few interesting points and questions emerged, which I wish to put forth. So here is some food for thought:

1. People working in most of contemporary industries have no family life. Well, they wake up with their blackberries and sleep with the same (the only time when they are home) to ensure that work is taken care of even at the oddest hour.

2. Serious physical, mental and emotional ailments at any age are quite expected. Are hi-tech gyms, yoga experts, meditation rooms, sports complexes within office premises anything beyond an eye-wash?

3. Working hours extend beyond 12, 14, 18 hours and even more. Does human body have an inbuilt robotic system? Further, are people working till bizarre hours some nocturnal species?

4. Pressure and politics are common weapons to get anything done at any cost. And these companies claim to be people friendly and have won awards for giving a congenial environment for a good work, life balance to their employees.

5. Is the term contentment (without being complacent) a passe’? Where will these larger than life expectations take us, and at what cost?

After all, we are here to live a wholesome life and not just mint vitamin M by compromising on any and everything. Please send your ideas and suggestions.

Entrepreneurship - beyond barriers

Last week, I participated in a Startup Summit organised by an NGO called National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN www.nenonline.org ) and a B-school - Indore Professional Studies Academy (IPSA). The purpose of the Summit was to provide a common platform to budding and successful entrepreneurs to interact with each other.

I got the chance of moderating a session on Cleantech Startups -Profiting from Green – Beyond Barriers. The participants were highly experienced, learned, dynamic professionals who took the plunge of leaving high profile jobs for the sake of creating a cleaner and greener environment and proving their entrepreneurial mettle. It was my first chance as a moderator and the experience was excellent. These guys are doing brilliant work – a) providing pollution free conveyance http://www.ecomovesolutions.com/, b) generating off grid power from unconventional resources http://huskpowersystems.com/home.htm c) manufacturing great power saving devices http://www.artindynamics.com/ . The ideas are really unique and can bring a radical improvement in the environment. Please do visit their websites.

As it happens with pioneers, there are some roadblocks -lack of support as promised by government, funding agencies; financial crunch (after exhausting personal resources), mockery and leg pulling by peers and so on. There are moments when one feels like giving up and going back to a job that promises uninterrupted flow of income specially when he is not able to fulfil a demand or requirement put forth by a family member. What should be done at such times?                                                                

Remember, that if you can dream it, you can do it. If you won’t believe in your dreams, who else will?  Never Never Never give up. Greatest of inventions have thousands and more failures to their credit. Every failure or crisis helps you stretch yourself and bring a solution and thus, takes you closer to your destination. These failures are nothing but messages that, there is a better way of doing it –just look for it and remember that someone up there is confident that you can do it better.

Finally, tough times never last, but tough people do. Moreover, nothing lasts forever- good or bad-everything will pass. But you will always be remembered for your good work and contribution to people at large.

Keep your spirits high. All the very best.

Why, Who & What of Srimad Bhagwad Gita

A lot is being said and done on Srimad Bhagwad Gita these days. Management colleges are debating over including Bhagvad Gita in the curriculum, people from all over the world are reading and trying to absorb the messages in Gita, companies are arranging series of talks/ symposiums on Gita, markets are flooded with audio cassettes and CDs on Gita especially for expectant mothers, so on and so forth.

In this post I’m trying to present a simple and brief introduction on Srimad Bhagwad Gita by answering the why, who and what of Gita as comprehended during a few study circles on the same conducted by speakers from spiritual and management faculties.

Why should anyone read Gita?

Most of us seek permanent happiness from impermanent sources. As a result, we derive transitory happiness and at times perennial unhappiness or divine dissatisfaction. Success, wealth, accolades, worldly relations give only fleeting joy. After all, nothing lasts forever, since everything is ephemeral, except for the soul. Hence, the purpose of reading Gita is to help us accomplish eternal bliss.

Who should read Gita?

Why did Krishna divulge Gita only to Arjun and no one else on the ground of Kurukshetra? Beacause-

a) Arjun was under severe conflict ; on one hand he had the onus of saving his kingdom and on the other he had the arduous task of fighting with his own kith and kin-grandfather, gurus, uncles and first cousins.

b) Arjun was Krishna’s friend, follower and seeker.

Like Arjun, we all are under some or the other conflict or mental/ emotional turmoil at some or the other time; more so in today’s dynamic and highly competitive environment where even a small child is under the influence of stress. There is a gap between what we should do and what we actually do. In order to resolve the conflict, move in the right direction and bridge the gap between what we should do and what we actually do, one must read Gita.

And if one wants to be a friend, follower and seeker of the divine, then again he must read Gita.

What is the subject-matter of Gita?

The subject matter of Gita is self-knowledge. What we see (even about ourselves) is just the tip of an iceberg. Study of Gita helps in knowing the unknown and thus leads to self-actualisation. According to American psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation (popularly known as the Hierarchy of Needs -Theory of Motivation), self-actualization is the peak; it is about the quest of reaching one's full potential as a person. So if one is able to reach his full potential, he realizes the purpose of life.

So, Gita shows us the way of life; helps in developing divine sense of discrimination, enables us to tread on the path of righteousness under all circumstances and emerge victorious.

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Team work

Whenever I think of team work, I remember the story my granny used to narrate during childhood days. I’m sure you all must have heard the story which went like this-once upon a time there was a man who had four sons. While he was on his death bed, he called all his sons and asked them to come with a piece of wood each. When they all came, he asked one of them to hold the four pieces of wood together and then asked the sons to break it; obviously the stack of wood could not be broken. Then he asked each son to hold a piece of wood separately and break it; every piece of wood broke. The message of strength of unity and team work is imprinted in my mind ever since then.

Most of the top class companies test a candidate before hiring him for his ability to function in a team cohesively. It's because if one wants to reach the top and lead a team or an organization, he has to be a good team player himself to begin with.

A few points to be a good team player:   

• Ensure clarity about team objectives-do not hesitate to seek guidance if not clear.  
• Strive to view and achieve individual objectives as a part of team objectives. 
• Do not act in a manner that lets your team down.
• Do not indulge in office gossip or discuss delicate topics.
• Do not strive to pull a colleague down just to get the approval of the boss. This will backfire on you in the long run.
• Use office privileges like sick leave etc thoughtfully so that you don’t burden your co-workers with extra work. 
• A secure and efficient worker never grudges another’s success. Envy and jealousy among co- workers ruins the working environment for everyone.
• Faults and blunders usually take place due to lack of communication. Find out the cause of the mess-up and solve the problem so that it is not repeated. 
• Curb your annoyance and control your temper.  

Be it a football or cricket match or a professional organization or a family set up, it is the group synergy that determines its victory.

Enjoy the game by giving your best shots...

Leadership

We learn a lot about various styles and theories of Leadership. The success or failure of an organization depends upon the ability of its leaders to a great extent.

I heard an interesting story on the same subject a couple of days back on Radio FM and am sharing it here.

A renowned MNC carries out annual appraisal of its employees. One senior team leader does not take a single day off saying that his work and team need him; while his counterpart takes all the eligible leaves ensuring that, his team is self driven and knows how to fulfil its responsibilities even in his absence.

Can anyone guess who among these two guys gets a promotion?

The first guy who does not take any leave is not appreciated because of his team's overdependence on him and lack of his ability to have groomed them to function in his absence; while the second guy is appreciated to have developed a great team that knew how to accomplish team objectives even in his absence. So the second guy is promoted.

Leadership is not about being indispensable, it’s rather about developing proficient leaders, without the fear of them replacing you.

A few do’s and dont’s for a competent leader:

Do’s :

1. Lead from the front (remember Shivaji and Akbar).  

2. Ensure clarity of goals and roles. 

3. Share credit for good work with team mates and peers.
4. Take responsibility for failures.
5. Keep the team motivated.
6. Lead by example/ act as a role model.
7. Welcome new ideas and encourage thinking. 
8. Foster talent and develop leaders.

 Dont’s :

1. Use team members only for his own growth or benefit. 

2. Misuse team members (eg- pressurising a team mate to claim boss's expenses through his account).
3. Present a subordinates project as his own.
4. Favour those team mates who use flattery / do personal work to climb the ladder.
5. Use pressure and politics as a regular weapon to get results.

Remember, that there is no law of jungle out there and hence, might is not right.

The 6th US President John Quincy Adams so aptly said,

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Let's aspire to be such leaders.

Time Management

Is there any bank that credits a balance of 86400 in your account at the start of everyday and nullifies the same by the end of the day?

NATURE is one such bank that provides 86400 seconds every day and by the end of the day, nullifies the balance. Whether we use/ misuse/ do not use the balance, not a single second is carried forward. But the way we use the balance determines our success or failure in the journey of life. Assuming average life span to be 80 years, we all can calculate how much of this balance have we spent (used / misused) and how much are we left with.

Michael Altshuler said an interesting thing about time-"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." So true…the way we use our time today will have an important bearing on the rest of our lives (also going by the law of deeds as mentioned in previous blog on Management of deeds).

So, is time management important? I’m sure everyone would reply in the affirmative. Be it the biggest political figure, a filmstar, CEO, student, housewife, just anyone and everyone needs to manage time effectively so as to enjoy the journey of life and reach the destination. How? A few tips-

• 
  
  Set worthy and SMART goals (more on goal setting in the coming posts).
• 
  
  Set priorities in light of your goals-learn to differentiate between important, urgent, not important and not urgent activities. 
• 
  
   Keep your time log- analyze current expenditure of time (note down every activity time-wise-from the moment you get up till the time you go to sleep).
• 
  
  Re-allocate time to important activities and do include reading, spending time with family, doing things that make you feel healthy & good in body, mind and soul (exercise, a game, a hobby, meditation, a selfless deed, meeting friends).
• 
  
  Begin with the end in mind and plan for some slippage . 
• 
  
  Keep a clean desk and well-organized systems, but don't be obsessive.
• 
  
  Never try to eat an elephant all in one go, (ie break very big tasks down into doable chunks). 
• 
  
  Use waiting time effectively- a couple of years ago we used to carry word lists, numeric exercises etc. as MBA aspirants while going to a bank/ doctor/ a place where we were required to spend time waiting for someone or for our turn, and it paid. If you are a student, try this out; if you are a professional, use this time to catch up with a close one.
• 
  
  Introspect- before going to bed everyday, sit for a while and look at what you’ve been doing the whole day. If there is anything that you should not have done, just say 'cut' like the editor of a film and promise yourself not to repeat it tomorrow.

 In the end, just a phrase for those who have a typical brooding habit.

Past is history, future is mystery; this moment is a gift, that is why it is called PRESENT. So give yourself the best gift by making the best use of the Present.

Management of deeds

We think so much before investing our money. Rightly so, it should be given a good thought, after all, it’s our hard earned money, and where we invest it today will determine our tomorrow ( financial future). BUT, do we think at all before investing ourselves, that is, before doing whatever we do? Will our deeds not have an impact over our entire life (present and forthcoming lives)? After all, as we sow, so shall we reap. In today’s fast paced life, we do most of the things just to move ahead and be on the gaining side without even thinking of the repercussions. High time to delve at least now... 

I believe that all the fundas of wealth management are applicable to management of deeds. Every deed has the power of compounding ; one good deed may come back manifold and one bad deed can bring a lifetime misfortune. Haven’t we heard wise people saying that, such and such thing happened, and it was nothing less than a miracle that came to rescue. So very true. This miracle is nothing less than a good deed which comes back compounded manifold just when needed (HIS timing and accounting are just so perfect). Miracles are nothing but divine interventions that take place as a result of our worthy deeds and Almighty’s grace. 

How can we create this worthy reserve or surplus? Here are a few points:

• Do atleast one selfless deed everyday-It could be taking someone to the doctor if required, giving a good reference, passing useful information; If nothing else, then atleast talk helpfully. When we think of doing a good deed, we’ll surely have endless options.
• Empathize when required (without being sympathetic).
• Encourage- words of inspiration can make someone’s day, even life.
• Smile-It not only radiates one's inner beauty, but also has the power of brightening someone’s day, including your own:) 
• Donate-Giving away a certain percentage of one’s earnings for a noble cause will make your reserve replete and give tax benefit too:)
• PRAY-Prayers are very effective when done for others.

 So let’s start right away and create a worthwhile portfolio of our deeds. If there have been some not so worthy acts, let’s churn the portfolio now as we must have done with our financial portfolio at the beginning of the new financial year:) ; and finally, let's trust and thank The Infallible Porfolio Manager.

Management of words

Words have the power to make or break lifetime relations, both personal and professional. During the most heated arguements there are just a few words that are responsible for deciding the fate of the relationship. And all it takes is a little self-control and prudence in selecting one's words. How does one do this? Here are a few points:

1. Make sure your words pass the three gate test - are they honest, kind and necessary? If not, please don't utter them.

2. Do not use offending words (words that hurt someone's dignity).

3. Do not judge others and give a name unless that's your job.

4. Make a habit of using more positive words-like I did a few days back when I had to send an SMS to a friend. First I wrote, "Please do not forget to...."; then I reminded myself of being positive and changed the message to "Please do remember to....". Try this out:)

5. Leave the place where others are indulging in negative conversation like slander, idle gossip, criticism etc. I always do it, and it helps in staying positive.

The power of words is further reinstated by the rigorous effort by scientists in capturing the hymns and chants of vedas and ancient spiritual scriptures. Medical science is using spiritual/ devotional music for curing chronic diseases. Agriculturists are using Gayatri Mantra for getting bountiful yield (and the results have been quite encouraging).

Some people have such a charm or positive aura surrounding them that we feel like being with them without any requirement too, on the contrary some people have such a repulsive aura that we dread going near them:(.  Let's come in the first category).

Happy talking.

Further to Thought Management

A further note on Thought Management in response to the comment given by Kritika.
Life is a lot like a roller coaster ride. For some of us the ride is too bumpy and the bumps are quite frequent, while for others a little less. But if one is in God's refuge and seeks HIS grace through good deeds and prayers, the bumps do not hurt all that badly.

We should not let a negative past influence us and even while battling with a tough situation one has to stay strongly positive, so as to fight it out. How negative have one person's experiences been viz-a-vis that of another cannot and should not be defined. And when one starts to look down he realises that there is a lot to be thankful for.

No method for being positive works unless one wants it to. We have to constantly instruct and train our minds to come to the positive track when it loses one (that's where the tips given in the blog on Thought Management work). Permanent satisfaction will come with practice, patience and perseverence for the same:)

Stay positive and happy, life is too beautiful, despite all odds.

Please write in with your contact details.

Women's Reservation Bill -is it needed?

In a country where Goddesses are worshipped and mothers are said to be the first form of God, do we need any kind of reservation for women? The ideal answer should be NO, we do not need any reservation.

The other day, after ratification of Women’s Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha, I saw Barkha Dutt talking to Sonia Gandhi on one of the news channels. My initial reaction after seeing the two women of substance, was, that if we have more and more women like these, there shall be no need for Reservation in Parliament or anywhere else. But hold on... immediately after that interview, I saw the animal like behaviour (sorry for the harsh words) of some of our so called leaders who were throwing bits n pieces of paper on the Speaker amongst the uproar in RS. And then I realised, that as long as such contemporaries exist, Reservation for Women in Parliament would help.

But, this convinces me only on a superficial level, and somewhere within I feel that reservation is not enough for women empowerment (don’t confuse it with a feminist movement:)). Empowerment starts much before a woman reaches the eligible age to enter Parliament. It starts right when you have one in your family. Family is the first and foremost unit that nurtures a person-man or woman, a male or female child. If a girl child is welcomed with the same warmth and love as her male sibling (female foeticide is still at a growing rate in our country), given the same if not more opportunities, encouragement, support (not just financial but emotional and moral support too), a feel good factor, there shall be no need for any kind of reservation anywhere. It is very important for a family to make the female member strong and capable enough to make a standing of her own in any circumstances without compromising on her dignity and losing her feminine grace.  I'm lucky to have one such family (that's why kept on wondering initially if Reservation was required:))