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March 2004

Humility

-Karthik Gurumurthy

"One of the traits I respect most in people is humility. 'The tree that has the most fruit is the tree that bends to the ground,’ my father taught me as I was growing up. And though there are very few exceptions I have found in my own experience that it is true-the people who know the most, who have achieved the most, and have lived the most, are also the people closest to the ground. In a word, they are humble ..there is something special about being in the presence of a person who is humble. Practicing humility shows that you respect others and reminds us that there is something for us to learn. It sends a signal to those around you that you are open to receiving the gift of their knowledge and listening to what they have to say.


What is the Purpose of your Life?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I believe that the purpose of life is twofold:

First, we have a human duty to discover who we truly are and access our highest abilities.

Second, once we discover who we truly are I believe we have an obligation to present our gifts to the world in a way that adds value to the human beings around us.

So, step one in fulfilling your life’s purpose is to understand that the doorway to success does not open outward but inward. In other words, the first step to claiming your destiny is to begin the journey of discovering your best self.

I believe every human being has to do the inner work called to do. I invite you to press the pause button on your life and to consider whether you are taking steps on a regular basis to access your highest abilities, your best talents and your authentic self. I know life is busy and it is difficult to make time to reflect and ponder in this day and age but life slips away very quickly and it is easy to get caught up in an unconscious life. The elite performers on the planet and the most fulfilled people have the same quality: they pay attention to life and are very awake. They make time on a daily basis to keep deepening themselves and moving through their fears. They know their weaknesses better than their strengths. And rather than running away from all the things that they are resisting, they run towards them and in doing so they transcend them.

Here are 3 practices that I offer you to help you claim your destiny by discovering your best self:

1. Keep asking yourself the following question: “What am I resisting most in my life?”. We all have blocks that limit us. At our core, we are infinite potential, ideal health, unconditional love and pure fearlessness. In other words, everything that we want to be we already are. We are simply blocked to accessing our highest potential. Just as an artery to the heart can become blocked, our access to our greatness can become blocked as we pick up other people’s limiting beliefs and the fears taught to us by our early teachers. By doing the inner work, we become conscious of our blocks. And the more we pay attention to them, the more we can make choices around transcending them.

2. Practice solitude, silence, and stillness on a daily basis. All of the deepest answers to your biggest questions already lie within you. Science is starting to show that the heart’s intelligence is extraordinarily powerful. In the past, we have believed that the brain holds all our intelligence but this is no longer the case as proven by the new field known as Neurocardiology. Five thousand years ago the mystics were already inviting us to listen to the heart's wisdom and to govern ourselves accordingly. When we go into silence, we can still hear the mental chatter that dominates our days and connect with the deepest part of ourselves.

The more we can go into silence, the more we can let our hearts guide us to living a truly authentic and inspiring life. Make your positive affirmations about where you want to go and practice your self-talk.

3. Connect to a Bigger cause. It is essential, in claiming your destiny, to connect to something higher than yourself. Every great leader who has ever walked the planet before us discovered a Cause. Discovering your “big vision” will serve to motivate you, give you more energy than you have ever experienced and help you to stay focused and inspired through the difficult times that every human being must face sometime along the journey. Discovering your cause will help you shift from a focus on success to a commitment to significance. It will help you step out of your current life and step into your highest possibilities so that you feel a deep sense of mission about everything that you do. And remember, for a bigger cause to be effective and to truly engage you at your core level, it must ultimately be something that adds value to human lives and makes a difference in the world. When you shift from a compulsion to survive toward a commitment to serve, your life cannot help but explode into success.


Hospital Window

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."


Work on your thoughts

All of your behavior results from the thoughts you think. If you are not satisfied with your behavior or your performance, then all you have to do is change your thoughts and you will change your behavior. This is what many people refer to as visualization.

I read Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain yesterday night. Thanks to Sridhar Athimber for suggesting this book. This is what got I out of it...and I think this will help to put your thoughts to work for you.

1) Your actions come from your images. If you constantly picture something in your mind, you will naturally move toward that thing. Whatever you see yourself doing, you will do. Your circumstances do not determine what your life will be; they reveal the kinds of images you have chosen up until now.

2) Tell yourself that everything you visualize is already here. Think about the concept that there is really no such thing as time. When you visualize something, then it already exists for you. Your job is simply to bring it from the world of thought to the world of form.

3) Be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Trying hard is not enough. Being determined is not enough. Giving it your "best shot" is not enough. Everything that you can visualize is already waiting for you to be connected to it. Your willingness to do whatever it takes is what will make that connection.

4) Realize there is no such thing as failure. You only produce results. The concept of failure is based on someone's opinion of how you could have done. You cannot fail. It is not possible -- you always produce results. If they're not the results you desire, then you need to go back and examine your thoughts to see why they are leading you in the wrong direction.


Time for action

"Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing."

William Feather
1888-1981, Author

-Karthik Gurumurthy

. Love this quote.  Get started, do act. Action cures fear.  Thinking about doing work is painful. Doing work is much easier. 


Watch your thoughts

-Karthik Gurumurthy

How do I create a more prosperous life for myself?

Simple. By changing your thoughts. Life isnt something that happens to us, it is us that makes something happen to life.

We are the cause of everything in our lives. It is our thought systems. Our minds are like DVD players, our thoughts are the film and the world is the screen onto which we play it.

Be vigilant about what you think about on a constant basis. Are you in a negative or positive mode?

When you want to change something about your life, you need to focus on what you want, because what you focus on expands and it ends up coming to life.


Make a connection

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Think back to your high school days for a moment. Who were your favorite teachers? Who were your favorite friends? If you were involved in sports, who were your favorite coaches?

The answer is the same for each question. Your best teachers, friends and coaches were the people with whom you had a connection. They connected with you, and you connected with them.

You know when someone connects with you, don't you? Words flow easily. You laugh readily. You leave the encounter feeling valued and understood. It's a bit tougher to determine whether you've connected with another person or a group of people, although body language is usually a good indicator. For example, if you're leading a strategy meeting and the members of your team are yawning, gazing out the window or looking at their watches, there's a good chance you're not connecting with them at all.

Good leaders get the best out of others because they know how to relate—both individually and collectively—to the people they are leading. For some, this comes naturally; for others, it's more of an acquired skill. Fortunately, the more you do it, the more comfortable you become doing it.

If you could use some improvement in this area, here is a simple formula to follow:

C — Consider others first.
O — Open yourself up to them.
N — Never violate their trust.
N — Never manipulate them.
E — Encourage them at every opportunity.
C — Constantly add value to their lives.
T — Treat them with respect.

Relationships built on this kind of connection can have a dramatic impact on the morale and performance of your team. Here's how baseball great Don Mattingly, who played first base for the New York Yankees in the 1980s and 1990s, explained how he learned this.

"Team sports are really difficult things," he said. "Sometimes your team wins because of you, and sometimes in spite of you and sometimes it's like you're not even there. That's the reality of a team game. Then at one point in my career, something wonderful began to happen to me. I don't know why and I don't even know how; but I came to understand what 'team' meant. It meant that although I didn't get a hit or make a great defensive play, I could impact the team in an incredible and consistent way.

"I learned that I could impact my team by caring first and foremost about the team's success and not my own," Mattingly continued. "I don't mean by rooting for us like a typical fan. Fans are fickle. I mean care, really care about the team, about 'us.' I became less selfish, less lazy, less sensitive to negative comments that were personally given to me. And when I gave up me, I became more to the other players. I became a captain, a leader, a better person; and I came to understand that life is a team game, and that you know what? I've found most people aren't team players. They don't realize that life is the only game in town. Someone should tell them. It has made all the difference in the world to me."

Mattingly's statement stuck with me long after I read it because it is so universally applicable. Whether you're playing baseball, providing a service or manufacturing widgets, you don't have to make a direct contribution to be a valuable team member. Home runs are an important part of the process, of course, but so are coming to the ballpark every day, caring for your teammates and helping other people succeed.

Of course, no matter how good you are at connecting with the people around you, conflict is inevitable, especially on a team. That's why knowing how to pick your battles is just as important as knowing how to get along with people. The following disciplines will help you gain a better perspective on when to fight and when to acquiesce.

1. Spend time with people who are different from you. This will help you to appreciate others and understand how they think and work, which will make you less likely to judge or battle them.

2. In matters of personal preference or taste, give in. Keep the main things the main things. If you don't save your energy for what really matters, you'll wear yourself out and wear out your welcome with others.

3. Don't take things too personally. Always remember, hurting people hurt people. That doesn't excuse bad behavior, but it can make it easier to deflect insensitive or rude comments.

4. Practice the 101 percent principle. Whenever possible, find the one percent you do agree on in a difficult situation and give it 100 percent of your effort.

5. Finally, be a servant leader. If your mindset is to serve rather than to be served, you will likely encounter less conflict.

 


Lessons from my Mom

-Karthik Gurumurthy

What I learned from my Mom is that it doesn't matter who you are, but how you act.  What counts is your kindness and gentleness, and your ability to forgive.  Those are the qualities that really define each of us, and separate out the true heroes. There are many folks who have ill treated her but she never had any grudges and still try to meet those people. I would have avoided those folks but she never takes it in person and carry it forward. One day, I would like to be that way.

 

 

 


Character

"Good character is more to be praised that outstanding talent. Most talents are to some extent a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece--by thought, choice, courage, and determination."
- John Luther


My Daily Prayer

-Karthik Gurumurthy

  • LORD, Keep me from the habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.
  • Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.
  • Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details - give me wings to get to the point.
  • I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others' pains. Help me to endure them with patience. But seal my lips on my own aches and pains - they are increasing and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
  • Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally it is possible that I may be mistaken.
  • Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be saint- Some of them are so hard to live with- but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.
  • Give me the ability to see Good things in unexpected places; and talents in unexpected people,and give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
  • Make me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful, but not bossy.
  • With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it at all.- but thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end."

Take charge of your life

-Karthik Gurumurthy

The people who get what they want in life are those who are willing to take responsibility. Think about it-- who would you rather deal with? Someone who makes excuses, and blame other people for everything that goes wrong, or someone who takes responsibility and gets the problem solved no matter whose "fault" it is?

When you are willing to take responsibility, you immediately stand out from the crowd. You become an effective, "can-do" results-oriented person. You're a leader and an achiever. It's only logical that when you are willing to accept more responsibility, you'll get more responsibility.

Take responsibility for your own work, for your own career, for your own surroundings. for your own health. Avoid blaming others for your problems, because that gives them control over your life. The moment you take responsibility, you become the master of your own destiny.

Take charge, take control, and take responsibility.


Struggle and Victory

-Karthik Gurumurthy

For some people, life is miserable and marriage does not work thus leading to impatience and misery.

I would like to say that if your marriage has failed, can one not treat failure as a learning experience? Failure is a fertilizer for success. Failure is God’s or nature’s purpose to teach us something profound. Many times relationships do not work because men and women are not sensitive to each other’s comfort and discomfort zones. This unawareness leads one to tread into the other’s discomfort zone. Once this happens, one is unhappy and feels that the other is responsible for it. Then each one is busy maintaining a score of one’s hurt and settling accounts with each other. To be aware of each other’s sensitive zones helps in understanding each other very well. But, some people will say that there are so much struggle in their lives. Struggle is a part and parcel of life. Make the struggles sacred, give them eyes to see, ears to hear, and heart to feel, legs to walk.

Then one would have implanted sacredness in one’s struggle, which in turn will lead one up the ladder of success. Of course, this will take time. One should learn to wait with understanding and commitment.

The following story gives the insight of how to see things in a proper perspective.
A man went to a shop, picked up a beautiful cup. The cup started talking to him. “I was not lovely before the pot-maker made me so?”. “I felt wreathed in pain while being separated from earth. But the potter said, ‘Just wait.’ “Then he put me into an oven and heated me up. I felt completely burnt. He said ‘Just wait.’

He poured hot paint on me. I felt the fumes and irritation. And finally he took me to a mirror and said ‘Now look at yourself.’ Oh, what a change! I found myself so beautiful”.

We have to wait; our struggles have a cosmic purpose. When our agenda is not fulfilled, it gives us pain. But the universe has its own plans. We just have to learn from experiences, make some changes in our plans, thought process, be consistent and persistent, stay steady. We have to wait and make our struggles sacred.


8 vital steps towards reaching your Goals

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Visualize. One of the most timeless laws of success holds that all things are created twice: first on the picture screen of one’s imagination and then in reality. Those people that create rich, fulfilling lives regularly flex their imaginations and visualize a better future. By constantly holding that vision in their mind’s eye and taking action to make it a reality, they overcome their circumstances and create the life of their dreams.

Create a “Success Mastermind”. Just as five fingers can achieve more than one, getting together with a group of like minded achievers and pooling your knowledge and success strategies will bring you to your goals much faster. Set a time every week and meet with your success mastermind. Share your goals and dreams. Support each other. Encourage each other. Celebrate even the smallest of successes as you advance confidently towards a better life.

Love Failure. Failure is the highway to success. Every successful person has faced endless failures and encountered adversity. However, rather than giving up and moving on to another easier pursuit, they persisted. They believed in themselves and in the importance of what they were doing. They had the wisdom to know that failure is an essential teacher. From failure, we grow wise. Failure teaches us how to win. Without failure, there would be no success.

Get a Coach. The Law of Duplication says that if you do the same things that someone else did, in the same way that they did them, you are certain to get the same results in your life. Whether you are trying to build a great business or grow a great family, get a mentor. Find someone who has been there, done that.” Why reinvent the wheel? Use your mentors’ own experiences to shorten your learning curve. Learn from their mistakes and let their pasts serve you. On top on this, you can read self-improvement books wherein you learn more about yourself and you build the muscle of mental toughness to achieve the success you are shooting for.

Play the Numbers. Success is a numbers game. Smart salespeople will tell you that the average sale is closed on the fifth try and yet most people give up after the first. Similarly, the more times you try to succeed, the closer you get to success. The more times you ask for something, the greater the probability that you will get it. Take more chances, seize more opportunities and take more action. Just as the farmer who plants more seeds reaps a richer harvest, you will attract much more success into your own life.

Work Hard. Successful people will tell you that the harder they work, the luckier they get. In this age of the quick fix, where people buy creams to slim their thighs and pop pills to lose weight, one timeless truth remains, hard work always produces its just rewards. No undertaking can ever be successful without patience and hard work. Have the character strength to put in the effort required to reach your dreams. Remember, the harder you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you.

Have Written Goals. Goals that are not written down are impotent. By writing out your goals, they become embedded on your subconscious mind and crystallized in your consciousness. Write out your goals on 3X5 cards and post them next to your bed, on your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard in your car and next to your computer at the office. Never lose sight of your goals. Never let the busyness of the everyday allow you to forget about your life goals. By thinking about them constantly and acting on them daily, you will steadily create the brilliant life you know in your heart you deserve.

Master Your Moods. Just as you are not your thoughts, you are not your moods. Effective people don’t let their moods get in the way of their progress. If they feel tired, they keep on working. If they feel disappointed, they laugh it off and keep chasing the dream. If they grow fearful, they act on their fear. By overcoming their moods, the liberate their inner power and grow stronger by the day.


Anger Management

-Karthik Gurumurthy

It is important to know how to defuse anger. It is more important to remember the following when you are angry.

  • Keep short accounts: This serves to minimize the pent-up emotions that lead to anger.
  • Think before you speak: If you dump the whole emotional load first, without thinking , you will spend more time than you care to imagine cleaning up the mess.
  • Describe how you feel: Please express how you feel preferably in a controlled tone of voice; you are more likely to create a cooler atmosphere.
  • Seek resolution quickly: With experience, I have learned that anger left to fester becomes a deep emotional infection that only gets worse at time passes.

Prayer

-Karthik Gurumurthy

A prayer is not just words, descriptions or sounds. It is mainly the sacred understanding of ourselves with devotion.

Prayer is not getting entangled in mere rituals without understanding their meanings. I read this in Swami Sukhabodhananda's book "Manase! Relax Please! and would like to share this with you.

There was a Guru who had mastered the scriptures. One day, when he was teaching Vedas to his disciples, a cat was moving around.

This, however, did not disturb the Guru, but was a distraction to some of his disciples.

So, the Guru instructed his disciples to get hold of the cat and tether it to a pillar to prevent distraction. As this nuisance continued to recur on the following days, the cat was regularly tethered to the pillar before the Guru began his teaching. After some years, the Guru passed away. One of his disciples became the new head of that ashram.

The practice of tethering the cat to the pillar continued while he taught his disciples. After a few months, the cat died. The next day, when the new Guru began his teachings, he noticed that the cat was missing.

He said, “Don’t you know that a cat must be tethered to the pillar here during my teaching? This is our tradition!” The disciples promptly obeyed his orders. People blindly follow tradition and miss the spirit of tradition.

Some people say, “We do not have a separate prayer room; So, how are we to pray?”

There is absolutely no need for an external peaceful atmosphere for one to pray or meditate. It is possible to pray without mantras and shlokas provided one has peace within.


Responsibility: Greatness

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Always give people more than they expect to get. No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines greatness.  We need to hold ourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of us.


Be a Good Listener

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Most people fail to make a favorable impression on others because they do not listen attentively. Big men, who matter, prefer good listeners to good talkers. Everyone is dying to air his views, pour out his heart, talk about his problems, speaks about his accomplishments, share his sorrows and joys. Even the dumb or tongue-tied individual is eager to unburden himself. There is, therefore, a constant and pressing demand for sympathetic, sincere, keen, enthusiastic and intelligent audience. When people talk about themselves, their great need for importance is being satisfied. At the same time, it helps them to solve their problems, mitigate their distress and multiply their happiness.

"Many persons call for a doctor when all they went is an audience." Next to their names, all people want to hear is their own voices. When you want to create the right impact, when you want to influence and motivate them, you should encourage them to talk about themselves. Even the busiest individual who charges millions of $ for each second of his time, will readily spend hours together talking to you, when you get him start talking about himself. There is literally no exception to this rule. To be interesting, you have to be interested. Ask questions. Draw him out. Make him talk about himself. Pay rapt attention. Never be impatient. Do not start looking at your watch and then start shaking it and putting on to your ear to make sure it hs not stopped. Do not yawn. Do not interrupt. Do not tell him that you have heard it all before or that you know about them long before he learnt about.

You may be smart. You may be clever. You may know a lot more than the other chap. That is very good indeed and you must do everything possible to get into the lead and stay in the lead. But never tell anyone you are cleverer or smarter than him/her. If you are really smart, you will not try to appear smarter than him. If you are really smart,you will not try to appear smarter than the other fellow. You should not give the impression that you are a "know all" and the other party is nitwit. If you can help it, avoid talking about yourself and that about your strong points. But it is different in an informal conversation. If at all you are made to talk about yourself, be brief, modest and tactful. Do not go about dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's. If you speak highly of yourself, others will conclude that you are boasting and if you are speaking ill of yourself, they might believe it and spread it. Therefore, it is wiser not to talk about yourself.

There are few sentences or phrases which at once set the other person talking. They are truly magic phrases or magic words. Ask anyone-your friend, teacher, spouse, doctor, baker, boss, anybody-just what is his/her opinion on the subject that he specializes or claims superior knowledge. See how at once he/she feels elevated, how his/her eyes brighten, how he coughs importantly and proceeds to elucidate his opinion on the matter. "If you please,", "May I ask you a favor?" "Can you kindly spare me a second?", or other such magic phrases at once get you a favorable response from the other person. To keep the conversation going just ask "and then what did you do?" And first watch how he proceeds to explain how he/she proceeds to explain with renewed vigor, gusto and self-satisfaction.If you want to be regarded as a reputed and interesting conversationalist, if you want a royal and ready welcome from any and everyone, no matter at what time of day or night it might be, first remember to put this all important question: "And then what did you do?" or "And then what did you say?" or "And then what happened?"

Disraeli, the famous English statesman and favorite of mighty Queen Victoria, was beset with two serious handicaps when he wanted to get the recognition and acceptance from the British royal and high society. He was a nobody and his meteoric rise many extremely jealous. But very soon he was not only accepted but was in great demand. He became the most charming and sought-after person. His secret, which he himself wrote in his diary was "Don't talk too much. Never argue." Remember that you cannot learn when you are talking and your mouth is open. To hear and learn more, you must keep your ears and eyes open and not the mouth. The average individual wantes to talk and not to listen. Hence, a good listener is most welcome,anywhere, anytime. If you listen, you have the advantage. If you speak, others have the advantage. A fish dies by an open mouth and the frog attracts the snake, its mortal enemy because of its constant yelling. When the great Einstein was approached to provide the mathematical equation for success, he said: "If 'A' represents success in life, the formula is 'A' equal'X'plus'Y'plus'Z', 'X' being work and 'Y' being play." The impatient one could not wait, butted in and quipped, "And what does'Z' stand for, Mr. Einstein?" "Z", the great scientist replied, "is keeping your mouth shut." You must, therefore, listen your way to success and not try to talk your way to it. If you listen your way in, you do not have to talk your way out. We have two ears and one mouth. We must, therefore, use our ears twice as much as your mouth. The person you are talking to is one thousand times more interested in himself or herself than in you. That individual is bursting to talk about his hopes, wants, wishes, problems, achievements, family, friends, children, pets, possessions and what not. He/she has not time or inclination to listen what you have to say unless it concerns him/her or affects him/her in some way. He/she is certainly not interested whether you become a leader or stay as a follower. He/she is not bothered about your problems or what you want. His headache or tummy upset means more to him than Tsunami in the South-East asia. You must remember his cardinal, basic, all important and embracing fact, when you set out to motivate people and master the art of leadership.

Listen again to what Disraeli says:'Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours." Find out, therefore,his interests and lead him on to talk on those matters. Whenever you get the urge to talk, force yourself to listen. You can never impress people bragging about yourself. If, on the other hand, you listen with interest, enthusiasm and imagination, the other person will soon broadcast and televise your greatness. When you listen attentively and eagerly, it makes others like you immediately. It creates such a nice and favorable impression of yourself on them. Since they must talk and air their views and discoveries, they will everyone what a great and wonderful chap you are. They will become the strongest advocates to champion your cause. Therefore listen your way to leadership and success.


The choices make your destiny

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Immaturity is thinking that you have all the answers. Wisdom is knowing that you don't.

Weakness is wanting to control everything around you. Strength is gracefully accepting and valuing what is.

Insecurity is the constant, gnawing desire to have more and more. Confidence is knowing that you already are enough.

Failure is thinking that you can advance yourself by pushing others down. Success is understanding that the more you lift others up, the more you'll be lifted yourself.

Despair is committing yourself to shallow, superficial things that too soon will wither and die. Joy is filling your world and your life with the things that truly matter.

Every moment, you are fully capable of living with wisdom, strength, confidence, success and joy. It's not a matter of chance, but always a matter of choice. And you can make the choices now that will surely take you there.


How to make each day count?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

  • Start the day with being thankful for all the stuff you have. Like my dad says, develop  an attitude of gratitude. He always starts the day thanking God for all the blessings.
  • Encourage others. When someone has a goal, most point point out the obstacles. You be the one to point out the possibilities.
  • Give sincere compliments. We all like to be remembered for our best moments.
  • Keep Growing: Walk a different path. Read something inspiring and act.
  • Give the Gift of Forgiveness: Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives as well as for the one who is forgiven.
  • Take care of yourself: Exercise, eat a healthy diet,sing and dance a little bit everyday.
  • Do random acts of kindness: The most fun is when the other person doesn't know who did it.
  • Treasure relationships: Eat meals together, talk walks, listen. Share laughter and tears. Make memories.
  • Share your faith: You can wish someone joy and peace and happy things, but when you share your faith- you have wished them everything.

Only you

-Karthik Gurumurthy

A person can make you feel high,
A person can make you feel low.
But only you can decide,
Which way you want to go.

A person can hurt you mentally,
A person can hurt you physically.
But only you can place,
A limit on your abilities.

A person can cause drama,
A person can cause a situation.
But only you can create,
Your own reputation.

A person can make you laugh,
A person can make you cry.
But only you can make,
Decisions for your life.

I guess what I'm trying to say,
That when you're living day to day.
Don't live by what people do,
But live by what you know is true.


Happy Birthday, Viv!

-Karthik Gurumurthy

In Manchester's heart, where shadows grow long,
A cricketing giant, where legend belongs.
Viv Richards, the master, with bat in his hand,
Unleashed his fury, across the land.

The Windies in peril, 39 for 4 they fell,
But Richards stood firm, dispelling the spell.
Hooks and cuts, square drives bold and true,
Each boundary a roar, the ball painted anew.

The bowlers wilted, their deliveries tamed,
As Viv Richards feasted, his hunger untamed.
He danced down the track, with footwork so light,
The ball disappearing, taking to flight.

Runs flowed like water, a tropical stream,
A hundred reached, a mere passing dream.
Onwards he marched, past 150 with ease,
The crowd in a frenzy, swaying in the breeze.

189, the landmark, finally did appear,
An innings for the ages, etching away fear.
Manchester witnessed, a maestro's delight,
Vivian Richards, the king, shining ever so bright.

So raise a glass, to the master's display,
Where cricket became art, on that glorious day.
The highest score, a memory to hold,
The legend of Viv, in stories untold.


Valuing the Moment

-Karthik Gurumurthy

"... the only time you ever have in which to learn anything or see anything or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal, is this moment, because this is the only moment any of us ever gets. You’re only here now; you’re only alive in this moment."

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Many people regularly squander their time. They live under the assumption that they'll live forever. As a result, they don't value the present as a precious opportunity that will never come again.

Others continually race against time, trying to cram too many activities into each hour, and suffering stress in the process.

In our view, we are more effective and most happy when we balance being and doing. We continually ask ourselves what’s most important to get done. And we’re learning to BE -- fully present -- when we do. We also regularly give ourselves permission to relax.

Make today really matter. It's all you'll ever have.

"Very few of us know how much we can put into life if we use it properly, wisely, and economically. Let us economize our time -- lifetimes ebb away before we wake up, and that is why we do not realize the value of the immortal time God has given us."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda


Eat that Frog- Book notes

I have been reading "Eat the Frog" by Brian Tracy. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to work effectively..If you can commit to yourself about practicing the principles Brian talks about on a regular basis, you will definitely see great results in your work. Some words of wisdom from Brian are as follows:

* Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

* Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.

* You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.

* The more credit you give away, the more will come back to you. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.

*Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching.

* People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.

* Your self-confidence is directly connected to how much you feel you are making a difference in your world.

* Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.

* Perhaps the very best question that you can memorize and repeat, over and over, is, "What is the most valuable use of my time right now?"


How is Life coming along?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

When asked: “How is life?,” many of us say: “It is not too bad, or hanging in there, or nothing much ” with an expression of utter boredom. If we act with this mental attitude, we will not be able to move forward in life, not by even an inch. Our life would be bereft of interest or enthusiasm. How to get out of this quicksand called boredom?

If others get more attention, we feel jealous. It is this jealousy that builds up the attitude of apathy and lethargy. The words and expressions that we use to describe situations are the root cause of our depression. So, if you want to chase away the blues, throw out such words from your everyday vocabulary.

One method to drive away depression and energies ourselves is to employ auto-suggestion! “You have everything that it takes! You can get this job done better than any one else!”- if we begin to talk to ourselves like this, fresh energy will begin to flow in our minds and bodies.

If we become enthusiastic, the light waves that emanate from our bodies would make those around us also enthusiastic. This is a scientifically proven fact! When we say “I,” there are three factors involved: the body, the mind, and the waves or vibrations that emanate from the body. When we speak of great leaders, we usually say that there is a brightness or aura around them. This aura is from the light waves that emerge from the body of a person. Your energy field will also touch people.

Make sure you have good energy and create good vibration around you. No matter how enthusiastic we are and however well we motivate our colleagues, even a small failure could dash us down the abyss of depression.

At such times, remember- just as the experience of success is sweet, the experience of failure is also sweet. We can understand this if we learn to view failure as merely postponed success... that is all! There is nothing in it to make us depressed. Treat each experience as a unique one. In this wordless experience, your being starts relaxing and always be enthusiastic as enthusiasm means 'God within".


Develop Self confidence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Some of you may be familiar with the story of Rapunzel. She was a great beauty. When she was young, a witch took her away from her parents and put her in a tall tower, deep in a dense forest. The tower did not have doors or stairs. Right on top, there was just one single window. Rapunzel eventually grew into a beauty, with skin like fresh blown roses and long hair like spun gold.

Rapunzel grew up knowing nothing about the outside world. The witch used to visit her through a window, climbing by grasping her long hair. But the witch did not reveal to her as to how beautiful she was. She was very possessive of her and did not ever want her to leave the tower. She thought if Rapunzel learnt of her true nature, or of the world outside she would escape from her and go away. There was nothing in the tower that could reflect anything; so, the girl had never even seen her own face. All she knew was the witch.

The witch constantly told Rapunzel how ugly she was and demeaned her totally, from dawn to dusk. Rapunzel had no choice but to believe all this. She used to feel sad that God had created her ugly and cried bitterly, all day long.

One fine day, a prince happened to come to the forest to hunt. Having lost his way, he chanced by the tall tower, where he glimpsed the fair face of Rapunzel and fell in love with her, at the very first sight. He climbed to the top of the tower, just the same way that the witch used to, using the girl’s long hair. He told her how beautiful she was and that he loved her dearly.

For the first time in her life, Rapunzel realized how good-looking she was. Thereafter, they met often, and their love grew deep and strong. The story ends, after many mishaps, with the prince releasing Rapunzel from the prison and marrying her. And as in all fairy tales, they lived happily ever after!

Now, you may wonder why I had to relate this fairy tale here! Before we go into the reason for the story, let us remind ourselves of the ideas on creativity that we shared earlier. A boy was studying in primary school. For some reason, he was unable to score good grade in English language. His family members as well the teachers at school told him repeatedly that he was no good in English. This was done again and again till he completed his college.

Now, is there any difference between this and what the witch used to tell Rapunzel? This is known as ‘Negative Belief.’ There is a witch in us, the ‘negative belief.’ There is a prince in us, and that’s our ‘creativity.’ Our mind, if it becomes repetitive, can be a prison in which the beautiful Rapunzel would be trapped. This way of constantly telling oneself is known as ‘Repetitive Thinking.’ Just as Rapunzel was imprisoned in a tall tower, this young man was imprisoned by his own repetitive thinking. To develop self-confidence and overcome negative belief you have to replace all negative beliefs by good creativity and positive thinking (by positive reinforcement).


What you see is what you get

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I read this story somewhere, maybe wisdom magazine. I don't recollect the source. I loved it and I think it is a good story with regards to having good attitude.

Long ago in a small, far away village, there was a place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, "This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often."

In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, "That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again." All the faces in the world are mirrors.

What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet? Doesn't that say a lot about ourselves?


Be Enthusiastic

-Karthik Gurumurthy

William James said "We do not sing because we are happy. We are happy because we sing." Along the same lines, "We do not stop working and playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop working and playing."


Work on yourself

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Make a decision to change your life right now. Become a better person. Work on being more fit. Lose that unwanted weight. Give up those old destructive habits. Do more spiritual work. Meditate more.

I don't know what you actually need to become a better person, but I am sure there is something everyone can do every day to advance a little more in their lives. The journey to wholeness is a lifelong process and can be very enjoyable if you are headed in the right direction.

We were put on this planet to realize our true potential and it is through betterment of ourselves, that the truth of who we really are starts to dawn upon us. As Wayne Dyer says, we are spirits having a human experience, not humans having a spiritual experience.


Is God in your heart?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

One day, God came to earth to enjoy his creation. Those who recognized Him, pestered Him for favors.

God ran from place to place in order to escape from this nuisance. He was utterly perplexed as to what to do. Finally, He struck upon an idea. "Man does not seek within, nor does he introspect about himself. No one delves into one’s own heart. So, that is the best place for me to hide from this maddening crowd. No one will be able to see me,” thought God.

He entered into the heart of mankind and hid there. This is a comical reply to a very serious question about why God resides within our hearts. Most of us constantly think as to what we can get from others. Hence, we rarely contemplate on what we can give others.

Should we provide a lighting fixture to a temple, we paint our name on the tube so large that no light can ever emanate from that tube.

According to Hindu dharma, when something is donated, it is deemed, “This is not mine anymore.” In Sanskrit, “na mama” means, “Not mine.” What does it mean when one declares “it is not mine” while donating and still painting the donor’s name over it? What dharma does it conform to?

Consider this for a moment. From the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, all the multifarious things that we use, are made and provided to us by hundreds of other people. It is enough if we think for a moment, “I have received so many things from the society in which I live. In return, what have I done for the society?” We would realize how deeply we are indebted to the world around us.

God has given us a wonderful life. Not all the brilliant scientists with their combined effort can make bodies such as ours.

The very first teaching in the Veda is “Learn to be grateful.” The Sanskrit word stuti means “praise unto Him” and that one must utter His name in total gratitude. When we reckon all the words that we use in our daily conversations, the one most often used would be “Thanks.” We have to ask ourselves, “Does this come from our heart or our lips?”

There was a technical snag encountered on a plane in mid-air. The plane began to wobble, and the airhostess announced, “There is a small problem in the engine. The pilot is attending to it and soon it would be set right.”

But the problem aggravated. The airhostess announced, “My dear passengers, in spite of the best efforts put in by the pilot, we are unable to rectify the problem. We are sorry. The plane may explode in a few minutes. We however thank you for flying with our airlines.” Leaving the passengers to fend for themselves, she fixed her parachute on and jumped off the plane.

So are our “thanks” to others, many a time, is a mere formality like the words of the airhostess. We have to be sincere when we thank someone.