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:))