Happy Diwali

WISHING YOU & FAMILY A VERY HAPPY & PROSPEROUS DIWALI!

Inspirational lessons from the life of Steve Jobs

Though the morning newspaper gave the sad news of death of a genius, but after going through the details which gave an insight into the troughs and ups of his life, I was left with nothing less than a high dose of motivation and learning from the life of Steve Jobs.
For someone born to an unwed college girl, adopted by labour parents, could anyone imagine that Steve Jobs would leave a mark not just in the tech world, but on all of us? Guess not!

So here are a few inspirational lessons from the life of Steve Jobs:

1. Don’t let any force or circumstance suppress your creative talent.
2. Put wings to your thoughts (positive ones of course) they’ll make you fly.
3. Find the love of your life and love your work.
4. Learn to fight out all odds, no matter what their size and number be.
5. Failures come in life only to take you higher to a place that you deserve.
6. Don’t ever give up even in the worst of crisis.
7. When on a dead end, carve new ways.
8. Constraints and problems are nowhere, but in your mind.
9. Don’t run away from your responsibilities.
10. Best of ideas come when the mind is calm and quiet.
11. Life becomes very easy when one follows the path of spirituality. When on a spiritual quest, one gets all the answers.
12. Live on a daily basis and give your best to life.
13. Always follow your heart and listen to your inner voice.
14. Nothing stays forever.
15. Never say die; face life victoriously even in the face of death.

16. Leave a good name behind and stay in people's hearts forever.

Your ideas and comments are very valuable. Please do share them :)

7 Keys to Happiness

1. Ignore
Ignore the negative remarks and opinions of others. Do not react. Give yourself 24 hours, analyze in silence and then, if required, respond. But at the same time, remember that genuine criticism brings progress.

2. Maintain
Maintain balance in life; balance of qualities, efforts and priorities as per requirement.

3. Avoid
Avoid expectations. Remember that expectations are inversely proportional to happiness; higher the expectations, lower the happiness, and vice-versa.

4. Forget
Forget the past. 80% of our thoughts are of the past. If we hold a glass in a hand for 5 minutes, there will be no affect, if we hold it 24 hours, our hand will become stiff and painful it might make us paralytic as well. So, do not hold the past to an extent that it starts damaging.

5. Remember
Remember that life is a game and we all are players. A good batsman gives his best to all kinds of balls and does not run away from the tough ones. Similarly, we must play well in all situations that we come across in life.

6. Stop
Stop being jealous and do not compare yourself with anybody. Surpass your own self.

7. Establish
Establish a true relationship with God. HE alone stands by us in all conditions and situations unconditionally.

The above inputs are from a workshop that was conducted by The Brahmakumari Mission.

Have a lovely week ahead!

While we celebrate Independence Day singing songs of joy & glory we need to ask ourselves if we are truly independent.
Before pointing a finger at anyone let’s do some self-introspection. Are we independent of our fears, greed, endless & useless desires, compulsive negative behaviours? Do we extend a helping hand when a chance comes our way? Do we raise our voice for the right cause?

While doing some self-introspection myself, what comes to my mind is that we are privileged to be born in a country which has a truly rich culture that makes it stand apart from any other country in the rest of the world. India is the only country where the land and river are also addressed as mother (though a mother is treated as one or not is another sad question). Now it's time to do one's duty well.

So let’s take a pledge on this Independence Day to become independent in the real sense and spirit of the term.

Wishing you a Very Happy Independence Day!

Stay Positive-Let Go

How many times people or situations behave the way we want them to? Rarely, is’nt it? Yet we get disturbed, react, argue, fight, feel cheated and spoil our own day and happiness. A few examples of such situations:
-Someone criticises us
-Someone finds fault with us or our work
-We say something, but it is perceived differently and someone reacts differently
-Someone close behaves coldly or badly
-Our command is not followed
-Road rage
We get disturbed because we try to control people and situations and in the process lose our own control. Do we realise that as time passes, these things stop playing any role in our life, though they were not very significant in the beginning too. Still we lose our precious time, energy and happiness fretting and fuming about such insignificant things. All we needed to do is to let go. Let go of what? how? Let go of those negative feelings, ego, desire to control, pain (which is self inflicted).
How to let go?
-Confront & resolve, while saying that you care
-Use empathy
-Take a disciplinary action if there is a breach of ethics/ values
-Understand that everyone grows up in different environment and has different set of experiences, hence the difference
-Remember that it is not the end of the world
-Forget & forgive
-Remember that things happen or do not happen as per the divine plan, and He has better plans for us.
Life is too short and beautiful, not to- let go and stay happy:)

Have a lovely weekend!

Your comments and ideas or of immense value. Please keep sharing.

Counselling- a commendable initiative by Corporate India

Further to yesterday’s post http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2011/07/stressed-workforce.html, let’s understand the meaning, importance & role of Counselling/ Counsellor; and initiatives taken by Corporate India in this direction to help their employees cope up with stress.

Meaning , Importance & Role
Why do we go an income tax consultant or a Chartered Accountant for tax related and financial matters; to a lawyer for property related or other legal issues? Why can’t we handle these matters, after all we are such intelligent and well read people?
Because, the nitty grities of income tax or legal issues are slightly beyond our purview and there are times when we need an expert’s help and guidance. Simple, is’nt it? Yes it is indeed. Life by itself is quite simple, but there are times when it gets complicated and one is not able to look beyond the complexity of a situation. All one needs is an expert’s help and guidance to overcome that situation or problem and move on.

An expert who helps us overcome our behavioural problems by just talking to us is called a psychologist/ counsellor/therapist, and this process of talking and getting guidance is called Counselling. When we are in a grave problem, we talk to a close one- a friend, philosopher or guide who gives us a patient ear and tries to offer a solution. The role of a psychologist is almost the same, the only difference being that we get absolutely unbiased and appropriate guidance from a professional, and of course we shall have to pay the professional charges:). Life shall become simple and happy again by just talking to someone who is an expert who keeps our good, bad and ugly in strict confidence and stays non-judgemental. Amazing!

Difference between psychiatrist and psychologist:
A psychiatrist is not the same as a psychologist. Though both are in the field of mental wellness, yet their scope of work is different. A psychiatrist is a medical practitioner, a doctor who specialises in psychiatry and prescribes medicines if required in cases of acute depression, anxiety etc.( quite common these days) While, a psychologist is usually someone who has completed Masters degree in Psychology and is a practicing therapist, usually a Clinical Psychologist (since the specialization is wide like in every other field). However, it is not incorrect or stigmatic to see a psychiatrist also. If he feels that no medication is required, he will direct you to a psychologist.
Going to a counsellor does in no manner signify insanity or mental illness. Counselling is quite common in West, especially the US, not because they are ultra modern and open; in this case, because they are open to seeking help. Good schools appoint counsellors so that young students have uninterrupted growth and are able to make right choices in face of competition. Good hospitals have counsellors to help their patients overcome the agony and pressure that comes as an aftermath of physical illness.

Initiative taken by Corporate India:
I was very happy to read that corporate India has taken this initiative of using services of counsellors. Companies like BPCL, IBM India, Tata Power, HCL, Glaxo SmithKline have tied up with Employee Assistance Provider companies that even provide personal counselling to employees of these companies. I checked the website of one such Employee Assistance Provided called 1to1help.net and was quite impressed with their services as mentioned on the site(something that I always aspired and still aspire to do). Talking of counselling, they provide personal, telephonic and online counselling, maintaining 100% confidentiality.
I sincerely urge the rest, to make use of such services for employee well being; it will definitely effect and reflect in your company’s well being.

Life is just too beautiful to be spent in agony or stress. Let’s stay happy and make the best of life!

Stressed Workforce

The Economic Times presented a wonderful report on Stressed Workforce on 7th July 2011. Here is a snapshot of the same, with a few additions.

Causes:

Work related:
1. Excessive workload
2. Inadequate planning
3. High expectations & inhuman demands (happens to be a personal cause too)
4. Quick growth & money
5. Negative work environment
6. Un co-operative boss
7. Non-challenging work

Personal:
8. Loss of spouse/ loved one
9. Chronic health problem
10. Strain in close relationship
11. Lack of understanding
12. Lack of communication (can be work related too)

The report has made an eye opening revelation, that Indian women are the most stressed in the world. The main reason being- overstretching themselves to meet the expectations both at work and home, and still carrying guilt of not being able to keep people around happy (I see this struggle happening at list till my generation). However, keeping the article gender neutral, let’s move on.

Effects:
1. Problems in inter-personal relationships
2. Difficulty in communicating
3. Inadequacy to cope up with problems
4. Irritable behaviour
5. Anxiety, nervousness
6. Depression
7. Weight loss or gain without any reason
8. Problems in digestion
9. Hypertension
10. Sluggish auto immune system

Corporate initiatives:
1. Gymnasium, yoga centre etc at workplace
2. Counselling - An appreciable initiative taken by a few companies- shall be presented at length in the forthcoming post.

Link to the newspaper report: A must read:)
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/india-inc-executives-both-physically-mentally-stressed-out/articleshow/9132595.cms?curpg=1

Have a nice week ahead!

Be a part of the solution

I heard a very simple and sweet story in a spiritual camp the other day and wish to share the message I inferred from the same. The story goes like this:
There’s a small bird sitting on a tree in a jungle. All of a sudden the jungle gets ablaze. The little bird finds a river close to the tree on which she was seated and rushes to the river to get water in her peak and throws the water on fire. The bird repeats this act n number of times, when a crow sitting on the nearby tree laughs and says’- hey little birdie, do you think the water you are carrying in your tiny peak will put the jungle fire on rest? Even if you do this exercise for the rest of your life, you will not be able to put off the fire. So just relax, and have fun the way I am doing (watching the scene).
The little birdie replies-you could be right older brother, that the water in my peak might not suffice to put the enormous jungle fire on rest, but I am not so meek that I will sit back and enjoy other’s trouble; whenever the history of this fire will be written, my name will come in the names of trouble solvers and not onlookers.
Words of wisdom indeed, by a miniature bird, is’nt it? Here are a few inferences that can be drawn as morale of the story:
1. Be a part of the solution and not the problem.
2. Don’t sit back and make merry at other’s problems.
3. Genuine efforts, no matter how meagre, do have synergetic effect.
4. Don’t underestimate your potential even in the face adversities .
5. Don’t demean others’ endeavour.
6. Don’t be passive thinking that others will mock at you.
7. Always extend a helping hand, it surely has a boomerang effect.

Please share your views and comments.

Strengthening relationships

Our thoughts form the very basis of our relationships in every sphere of life. Thoughts are the first level of communication. They create and send vibrations. They form an aura around us, which is the first perfume that we wear. If our thoughts are negative in any manner, somewhere somehow, they will show in our behaviour, because every thought radiates energy.
Merely speaking and doing right is not enough. It is like doing patchwork. The energy produced by thoughts is much more in number and power than sound energy. Hence, strengthening the foundation is required. This can be done by using the following steps:

1. Awareness: Unless and until we are aware of our thoughts and thinking patterns, we will not realise that the key to sound relationships is with us. One has to put in a conscious effort like self introspection to create awareness. There can be the following outcomes when one tries to become aware:
(a) Hopelessness: I don’t want to think like this, yet I am not able to change, forget it.
Eg: What a feeble body I have, but no, I can’t, I just can’t do anything about it.
(b) Compromise: I am ok with it
Eg: I lack physical strength-I am fine, I don’t need to do tough work anytime in life.
(c) Challenging oneself -I know I need to change my thought process and I will do it.
Eg: I want to increase my stamina and will join the gym, work on my diet and increase it.

2. Being in charge: When we decide to change, we can do it
Eg: If the car is in 5th gear and our foot is on the accelerator, we need to slow down by- removing our foot from the accelerator, changing the gear, using brake.
Similarly, our thoughts that travel at a speed that is much higher than the speed of light, needs to be reduced. The following can help in controlling the multiplicity of thoughts-
(a) Meditation
(b) Chanting mantras
(c) Spending time in vicinity of nature
(d) Self introspection on a daily basis
(e) Earlier post on http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/03/thought-management.html

3. Positive reinforcement
It is not about- not to think, rather it is about- what to think. We need to train our minds to think positive. The following help us develop positive reinforcement:
(a) Positive self talk and reaffirmation on a daily basis.
(b) Building a loving relationship with our own self because, our relationship with others is merely an offshoot of our relationship with ourselves.
(c) Being a good parent to oneself.

Life can be really fulfilling if one has stable and secure relationships; and the the struggle in inter-personal relationships shall become so easy.

Most of the ideas given above have been taken from a talk show called Soul Connection (by the Brahmakumari Mission) on television on Aastha channel. The channel has soulful stuff for the younger and not so older generations too:)

Have a great week ahead!
Your ideas and comments are a source of inspiration. Please do share.

Catalysing Change

“ As it is , I am compromising so much by moving from one locality to the other, now am I supposed to bring a 360 degree change in my life?” said a young girl who was getting married soon, to her friends who were trying to pacify her. I overheard since they were sitting just next to my table in a restaurant in Mumbai. While the conversation was amusing, I could sense the feeling of discomfort the young girl had in anticipation of various changes she would go through on getting married.

CHANGE, be it in personal or professional life, does create anxiety and resistance.
But change is just so inevitable. Every moment , every event in our life is different from the other; uncertainty is the way of life. At the same time change leads to growth, not implying job hopping or changing one’s values to move ahead, but being positively geared to move into unaccustomed environs. A caterpillar would never turn into a beautiful butterfly if it does not go through the not so easy process of metamorphosis.

However difficult and painful the process maybe, yet it can be eased out and the resistance reduced to a great extent. The change catalysers can help the person undergoing change by:
1. Counselling/ talking on a one to one basis without being judgemental
2. Providing adequate support system before setting expectations
3. Administering changes in piecemeal
4. Imparting requisite knowledge and skills
5. Showing trust
6. Being there at the time of need

Your thoughts are immensely valuable. Please keep sharing.