Previous month:
May 2007
Next month:
July 2007

June 2007

Looking within yourself

Once, in heaven there was a discussion among the Gods to decide where  the miraculous secret power, the power by which man can achieve anything in this world was to be kept hidden. One of the Gods suggested that it could be kept hidden in the depths of the sea.  Another said it could be buried on top of high mountains.    The third one thought of a cave in the woods as the right place.

At last, the most intelligent among them said, 'Keep it in the depths of man's mind.  He will never suspect that the power is hidden there because right  from his childhood, his mind is prone to wandering and he will not  look within.  Only the intelligent among them will look within, and use the power and become great.'

All Gods agreed.  So, do you see that the difference between two people lies in their  minds? 

One knows how to tap its power and the other does not. So, the truth expressed here is that in the depths of man's mind lies  hidden the miraculous power, using which one can become great.  Whatever you think, that you will be.If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think  yourselves strong, strong you will be .   
-Swami Vivekananda

You have got the POWER:)


Perseverance

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

I’ll venture to say that perseverance is one of the most valuable qualities you have to obtain success in any field. And the really great thing about perseverance is that you don’t need a university degree, or any complex training to make use if this tool. You HAVE the requirements to reach success using this tool.

Perseverance rarely does not result in success. No matter in what area you have goals, if you keep “keep on trying” as Mr Carnegie suggests you will reach success.

In reality, perseverance is something you were born with. Learning to walk, to talk, to write required perseverance. And the result was success.

It’s worthwhile to consider that you can be active, but not move forward. When you don’t move forward, you will not reach success. Think back to when you learned to ride a bicycle. For most of us, it took more than one attempt to get the hang of it, but we persevered, and that resulted in success, in that we could ride the bicycle.

The key in developing perseverance means taking small steps, resulting in small achievements, ultimately resulting in success with your objective. Think of building a jigsaw puzzle, one piece is added at a time, and eventually you have the finished picture.

Perseverance often means learning something new, in order to reach your ultimate goal, which is great. Why? Investing in your knowledge is never a waste - you may be able to utilize your new skills and knowledge to enable you to advance in some new area.

If you want to make more sales, you get out and see more prospects, one at a time.

Perseverance will not be without setbacks. The key is to learn from the setback, then continue forward. Do not dwell on it. Take the lesson, and move forward, and on to success.

As Mr Carnegie said, “people who have kept on trying” – that is the key to achieving success in any area you want.


Universe is your genie

Daydreaming is really more thought of as wishing for something. Children know it instinctively and believe that they can achieve anything that they concentrate on long enough. As adults, we forget the power of daydreaming, of letting loose and letting our minds create limitless possibilities for our lives. We’ve let life and responsibilities interfere with our hopes of who we’d someday like to become, what we’d someday like to create and what we’d someday like to accomplish. We’ve allowed ‘someday” to be pushed so far out of our minds that we no longer believe we can achieve those things we dreamed about so long ago.

Wikipedia defines daydreaming as “a dreamlike musing or fantasy while awake, especially of the fulfillment of wishes or hopes”. Without the ‘fulfillment of wishes or hopes’ life has little meaning. Instead we go through the drudges of life thinking that someday we’ll have time for ourselves, time to do all of the things we’d like to do, time to become the person we’d like to be.

The problem is that we’re caught in the middle. We’ve left our daydreams behind forgetting that life should be a fun and fulfilling journey. We’ve postponed our ‘someday” to when we retire, and we’ve left our responsibilities behind. Except that responsibilities are never left behind. That’s life; there’s always something we’re supposed to do. And so, we’re stuck in the middle, living life, going through the motions, with little time spent on fulfilling those dreams that once had so much meaning.

That’s when creative visualization and meditation techniques need to step in. That’s when we need to focus our concentration on becoming the best we can be. It’s time to let our imaginations go, follow our dreams and start on a journey of fun, fulfillment and self-actualization. It’s time to live up to our full and complete potential.

So what is creative visualization? And how does it relate to meditation? Creative visualization is simply setting our minds free, daydreaming and letting our creative thoughts flow. It is allowing our imaginations to run wild, setting us on a course of action we might never have taken. It’s about attracting into our lives those things that our hearts truly desire whatever they may be. Meditation allows us to reach a dreamlike state by relaxing our minds and slowing our brain frequencies. Together creative visualization and meditation allow us to focus on a life of fulfillment, a life we have first created in our minds.

Shakti Gawain in the book Creative Visualization talks about the steps of creating anything you would like to manifest in your life. The process is a simple one, yet one that leads to happiness, joy and the knowledge that we’re living life on our own terms. He defines them as:

1. Set Your Goal
2. Create a Clear Idea or Picture
3. Focus on it Often
4. Give It Positive Energy

Picture a goal you’d like to create or an outcome you’d like to achieve. It could be something material, a change you’d like to make, becoming more spiritual, improving your relationships – anything at all. Then form a clear mental image of that desire in your mind, complete with emotions, pictures, colors and as much detail as your can muster. Think of it as happening now, here in the present, already manifest in your life.

Throughout the day think of your desire, daydream about it, and meditate on it. It doesn’t take long, a few minutes here and there several times a day. Perhaps a morning and evening meditation with several minutes of quiet attention paid to that special desire.

Picture yourself as already having that desire, as already being, doing or having what you’d like to create. Let negative thoughts simply pass through without giving them any credence. Just concentrate on the positive, feeling it, seeing it, enjoying it.

Before long, you’ll start noticing some wonderful changes in your life. Things you’ve thought about will materialize; you’ll feel lighter and more relaxed; you’ll start accomplishing things you’ve always wanted to; your heart’s desire will begin to come true. You’ll be on a path of your own choosing; moving closer and closer each day to becoming who you’ve always hoped you would someday be. After all, isn’t that worth dreaming about?

Another book in the same topic: Secret; Get hold of it now:)

The Secret

Business blogs

Your daily habits

"The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer."

Nolan Bushnell
Founder of Atari Computer


Fighting the fight

Today Khyati did a fantastic job talking about Sugeet's CD " Play Hard, Work Hard. She quoted from the CD about how the coral reef looks different from the inside and the challenges are faced by the outside.

The strongest oak tree of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.

Let us make it happen.


Resilient Power of Purpose

Few days back I finished reading "The Resilient Power of the Purpose" by Larry Diangi. This is an AMAZING book. Get hold of this book and read it. If you have slightest doubt also in your mind about WHY in life, you got to read this book. If you don't have also you should read this book :-).

He talks about Finding the Right Mirror. He says : If you know you are worthy and deserving of your next level you become absolutely persistent. This sense of worthiness is connected to the picture you have of yourself. I remember going to Disneyland years ago. As I walked into the arcade, I saw a row of mirrors to one side. I looked in the first mirror and my head looked six inches and leg ten feet. In the next mirror head looked ten feet and legs looked six inches. In another extremely large and in another like a bean pole. Each of those mirrors showed an extremely distortion of what I really looked like. But if I had never seen an accurate mirror, I probably would have believed that was how I really looked.

This book gives a clear picture of INSIDE you which is buried in OUTSIDE you.


Embrace Change

Fast businesses are using the power of social networks like MySpace to rise to all-new levels of success. They are tapping into user generated content for solutions to many of their business challenges. And reinventing business models in the process. An example.


Loreal just did a cool ad. Would have cost them over $150,000 for that 30 second TV spot. People loved it. Actual cost? $1000. Here's what they did. They tapped into Current TV - a web based social network where users can upload five-minute media segments and post comments. Loreal asked Current TV be the source of their new ad. A user named "spicytuna" did the spot. Crowdsourcing is what the process is being called. Pretty amazing.


The world of business is changing at a dazzling-no, dizzying, pace. The way we did things is being transformed. Traditional business models are being shattered. And only the fast/smart/innovative/bold will survive.


Integrity

For clear and honest expression, our thoughts, speech and actions must all be congruent. We will not stand in our power if we are inadvertently sending mixed messages—if we say one thing and do another.

I found it helpful to consciously identify the values that matter most to me. With these values in mind, it’s easier to ensure I’m living them.

“Honor your integrity and you will be repaid many times over with increased prosperity.”

-- Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer


One step at a time

There is no sudden leap to greatness. Your success lies in doing, day by day. Your upward reach comes from working well and carefully.

Good work done little by little becomes great work.Your house of success will be built brick by brick.
A bottle fills drop by drop.


Product of your environment

The first step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you're not going to stay where you are.You're a product of your environment. So choose an environment that will best develop you toward your objective.

Analyze your life in terms of your environment. Are the things around you helping you toward your success, or are they holding you back?

You're not a captive of your environment. If you don't like where you are, change it. You're not planted in the ground like a tree. Don't say, 'You would, if you could,' say, 'You will, if you can.'

When you become a part of anything, it becomes a part of you.


Refuse to be a victim

"We focus on the negatives, losing ourselves in the ‘problem.’ We point to our unhappy circumstances to rationalize our negative feelings. This is the easy way out. It takes, after all, very little effort to feel victimized."

-- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.

Nothing and no one can make us a victim. We do it to ourselves when we allow external circumstances to hold power over us. Although we have no control over what happens to us, we ALWAYS have a choice in how we respond. We hold our power when we accept complete responsibility for our thoughts, feelings and actions.

"A man may fall many times but he won't be a failure until he says someone pushed him."

-- Elmer G. Letterman

"The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed."

--Steven Biko


Work on yourself

Gaining the power of positive feelings, and the ability to use this power constructively depends on you. You need to inner work such as concentration, meditation and affirmations.

Read PMA books, remember and enact in your imagination times when you felt positive, as in the explained above, and constantly guard against negative feelings and emotions and replace them with positive ones.

These actions will change your inner attitude and make the power of positive feelings available for you. Right now, within yourself, you have the ability to do anything you want with your life. You have complete control of your behavior, your actions from minute to minute. Look deep inside yourself and tap into the wealth that lies hidden within you. It is there if only you will look, and the best way to find it is with an attitude of thanksgiving and joy.

Think of the beauty and richness of your life. They all spring from your attitude, the way you react to situations, the way you value others, the way you value life itself.

People who believe in themselves are willing to take responsibility for themselves. The losers in life blame their troubles on someone else, and by so doing they give control of their lives to others. People who refuse to take responsibility for their own lives are always frustrated and depressed.


Build yourself up!

Understand that it is not your responsibility to change difficult people. Know that you are not responsible for their behavior. They are responsible for their behavior.

Accept that you cannot change difficult people – however you can change how you deal with and respond to them. How you respond to them lets them know whether or not they can continue to behave badly around you.

It is really important to do some work on your vulnerable areas. If you lack confidence, suffer from poor self-esteem and don’t believe in yourself, then you are at risk of responding to difficult people in such a way that they will continue to treat you poorly.


God's Cake

Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" Or "Why did God have to do this to me?"

Here is a wonderful explanation!
A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up With her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack,
And the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck" says her daughter.

"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"

"Would you like some flour then?
Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies:
"Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way,
They make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when he puts these things All in his order, they always work for good!
We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you.

He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.

Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. 

He can live anywhere in the universe,  and He chose your heart.

Acknowledgements: Connect-Ticket


Conversation with God

I really enjoyed this forward....I hope you enjoy it too.:)

-Karthik Gurumurthy

God : Hello. Did you call me? 

Me: Called you? No.. Who is this ?

God : This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God : Well I wanted to resolve your! Fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty. .

God : Pain is inevitable able, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God : Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God : Yes. In every terms, Experience is a hard teacher . She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why cant we be free from problems?

God : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you! Are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..

God : If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God : Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God : when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I cant get the answer.

God : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God : Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God : There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.

God : Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear . Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

WISH YOU THE BEST IN EVERYTHING LIFE HAS TO OFFER.


Nuggets from the conference

Yesterday we had an outstanding conference by our leaders. He mentioned about the great changes that the corporation is making it in order for anyone who has a desire, perseverance and a great work ethic to make it big in this opportunity. One thing he told yesterday blew my mind.

He said there are 4 kinds of people who play the game.
1. Champion plays the game knowing he already won it.
2. Winner plays the game knowing he is going to win it.
3. Loser plays the game hoping to win it.
4. Quitter plays the game knowing he already lost it.

What is your dominant thought process?

Remind yourself that you are where you are and what you are because of what you have done or failed to do. You are very much the architect of your own destiny.


Everything happens for good reason

This story narrated by Jennifer Haupt touched a chord with me.

"I am always telling my children, that whenever something "bad" happens, or we feel cheated, stop awhile before succumbing to despair and mental torture.

Inevitably, either, there is a lesson to be learned, or something wonderful is about to happen. From childhood, we are so deeply programmed to react in a typical format, that we have to make an effort to change the mindset in order to find the silver lining over every single dark cloud that we see......or maybe even find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! :)

A few months ago, I was on a business trip and checked my cell phone for messages in between my morning and afternoon meetings. There was one message, the one you never want to hear: "Honey, it's me," said my husband Eric, trying to sound nonchalant and doing a horrible job. "Call me as soon as you can. It's important."

It's important. Those words rang in my head as I dashed off to my next meeting, no time to call Eric back until hours later. By that time, I was panicked with the possibilities.

"What's wrong? Is someone hurt? Are the boys OK?" I fired into the phone when Eric picked up. When he told me we'd been robbed, a wave of relief flooded through me. As I walked back to my hotel that evening, I gave thanks that everything with real value to me was still waiting for me at home.

The thief had worked fast, filling a laundry basket with what he could carry: cameras and loose cash from my oldest son's room; a small TV, a video camera, an iPod from the kitchen; some old coins and the jewelry box from my dresser. There was only one item I really felt sad about losing: a cocktail ring of my great-grandmother's, a modest sapphire surrounded by diamond chips, set in delicate silver. I hadn't taken this heirloom out of its box for years, and I'd never worn it because it was a size too small. I had no idea what it was worth and that night when I returned to my hotel, I called my mom to ask about it.

Our conversation turned to the great-grandmother whom I knew so little about. My mom started telling me stories of the grandmother she lived with during her childhood, in a small apartment over a deli that was my great-grandfather's sole investment and which pulled the entire family through the Depression.

I remembered the delectable cheesecakes of my childhood that my mom's Uncle Milt used to send every Christmas cross-country from that very same deli. I thought how ironic it was that the thief who took my keepsakes had actually given me the opportunity to stash away all of these family memories.

Months later when the insurance check arrived, I realized that no amount of money could replace the sentiment that those tiny diamond chips held. So instead of buying a new ring, I decided to spend the money on a trip to visit my parents. I also bought a new notebook and a tape recorder; I had a million questions I wanted to ask my mom and dad about their parents, uncles, aunts, and all of the other relatives I knew so little about.

Memories.
These are the real family jewels that nobody can steal from you. And yet, so often these precious gems slip away with time, never to be recovered. During the three-hour flight, as I thought of more and questions to ask my folks, I smiled and raised my complimentary juice glass to the mystery thief who had given me such a wonderful gift."
----Jennifer Haupt


Nuggets from "It's not about the Coffee"

-Karthik Gurumurthy

 

In his book, It’s Not About the Coffee, Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks International, recounts a fascinating story about attaining the kind of culture every company wants. Behar says one concept that he learned and developed from Howard Schultz was, “The fundamental task is to achieve smallness while growing big”.

It almost sounds like a contradiction upon first glance. How does one actually go about achieving smallness? What does it look and how can it improve the culture of any company? How could it improve yours?

Behar relates one custom that became part of Starbucks culture. The writing of cards. Each month he would write birthday and anniversary cards to everyone in the organization. It started with about sixty cards a month. Behar says that by the time he retired he was sending out more than five hundred a month.

In a time when company culture and employee engagement are the buzzwords and people are trying to figure out what it means, is it possible that we are simply over thinking it?

Maybe it has nothing to do with how big we are thinking and the grand schemes and plans of making improvements. Is it possible that employee engagement and company culture is not working as it should because we are not thinking small enough?

At the end of the day here is what we must remember: it’s all about people. Call it company culture, employee engagement, call it whatever you wish- but it all boils down to people and how you make them feel. Do they feel appreciated? Do they feel valued? How are you showing it?

Growing big and thinking small is not a mutually exclusive goal. But it will require intentional thinking and action on your part as a leader. Here are a few ways you will have to do it.

Connect with the person

It makes no difference if your vision or goals are big or small, it only comes into existence through the dedication and hard work of your people. Every leader should take the advice of John Maxwell who said, “Always touch a person’s heart before you ask for a hand.” You must connect with the person before you can ask people to help you reach your goals.They must first buy-in to you before you can expect them to buy-in to your vision.

Think small serving

It was a brilliant quote I still remember from the late Sam Walton who said, “The bigger we get the smaller we have to think, customers still walk in one at a time”. Whether it’s your employees whom you are serving or the customer base your organization caters to, the way you treat each individual makes a world of difference. Too often we worry about pleasing the masses and forget we still serve our employees and customers one at a time. If you do right by one, you will do right with many.

Think small growing

Intentional smallness is what Behar modeled by writing hundreds of cards a month. It happens with random acts of kindness in recognizing your people. It’s being intentional about building relationships. It’s about ensuring that your people feel valued, respected, empowered, and trusted. It’s about writing that card.

Growth begins to happens when you take care of building a powerful culture of smallness that gives you the momentum to become a big organization that held true to its most sacred values along the way.

Are you thinking small enough?