-Karthik Gurumurthy
Let's remove the "what ifs" and "buts" from our thoughts and words....three things we need to remind ourselves if we want a vibrational existence:
*Stop talking about other people.
*Stop focusing on our problems.
*Stop waiting for outcomes of your prayers. Pray and let go and they will be answered.
Your energy matters.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Jackie Chan responded to a journalist's question about whether he is satisfied with his life with these wise words:
"You know, I once heard very wise words:
Your hard work is the dream of every unemployed person;
Your restless child is the dream of everyone without children;
Your small home is the dream of every homeless person;
Your little capital is the dream of every debtor;
Your poor health is the dream of every patient with an incurable disease;
Your peace, your peaceful sleep, your accessible food is the dream of everyone in a country at war.
You must appreciate everything you have. After all, no one knows what tomorrow will bring."
We should be appreciative for everything that we do have and never lose sight of that.
We should always practice positivity—-believe that anything is possible and always carry a positive and hopeful attitude.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
" Remove expectations from people and you'll remove their power to hurt your feelings."
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Based in Kennington, The Kia Oval has been the home of Surrey Cricket Club since 1845, a stadium iconic the world over for its history and unique gas-holders that have overlooked every game played at the ground since 1853. Oval has also staged International cricket since 1880 and was the ground where the Ashes were born in 1882.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does. ~Margaret Atwood
We are actually 70% water."Be water, my friend!" says Bruce Lee
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Little nuggets of wisdom can be found all around us if we keep our eyes and ears open to the possibility. Roger that!
The main take aways from Roger Federer’s commencement speech are:
i. Effortless is a myth:
Talent matters but talent has a broad definition. Most of the time it’s not about having a gift but having grit. Discipline, trust and patience are talents. Embracing the process is talent. Managing your life is a talent. Developing and working on these abilities is key to success.
ii. It’s only a point:
The best in the world know they lose again and again and have learned to deal with it. You move on, be relentless, adapt and grow.
iii. Life is bigger than the court.
Life like tennis is a team sport. Your success depends on your team, your family, your friends, your rivals. These influences shape you in who you are and to become the best version of you.
iv. He won 54% of all the points he played, yet he won 80% of all the matches he played!
v. Even a small, but consistent, performance edge at a micro-scale integrates to a much bigger macro-scale advantage over a period of time.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
It feels like there is never enough time in the day to achieve everything we want to. Work, family, the daily rituals of life, getting through a to-do list sometimes seems impossible. We're living during a time when most people around the world glorify productivity. Being busy is almost considered a virtue, but it's worth asking ourselves why this is and how we can overcome it. There are a couple of problems with this excuse. The first is that we do make time for things that are important to us. Actually, it's a really interesting test of your personal values to see what you spend time on. Another problem is that we are often more engaged in meaningless actions instead of productive activity. Productivity and time management research demonstrates that we spend a significant amount of time answering emails that are reactive and less time in deep work or working without distraction on creating something, depending on your field of work, that could mean writing, connecting with clients etc.
Creating habits is more than just being motivated to do so, it requires discipline. I have a good friend who is an executive coach and business school professor who always reminds people that motivation is just one part of the equation. Discipline is key to building sustainable habits. Discipline really means a sustainable plan of action for you. Have you ever gone to a seminar or workshop and been so inspired to change your behavior at work only to have that wane once you get back because of the regular cadence of your job? That's because you needed a plan. A plan to build habits and I'm going to suggest four key things to help with this plan. Develop a regular practice for reflection and learning. Be prepared to fall off the wagon. Connect with others, and know your purpose. How can we build commitment in a way that is sustainable?
Number 1, have a regular practice for reflection and learning. Are you familiar with the scientific method? Scientists develop hypotheses, design experiments to test these hypotheses, evaluate the results, and then make adjustments to their hypotheses and complete the whole process over and over again. This is how scientists learn and actually it's how adults learn too. Models of adult learning suggest that the way we absorb and integrate new knowledge is that we take in new information, we test it out, we evaluate the results and we adjust. In this context, we can think of creating a meaningful plan as engaging in the scientific method, we need a regular, consistent and easy way to follow experimentation and learning. Learning is hard. What I find is helpful for reflection is to structure it. I typically think about reflection in four steps.
The first thing I'm trying to do as I reflect on something is to identify some if-then cause-effect relationship. When I look back at this meeting, or I look back at this project or I look back at this situation or events or whatever, I want to digest my feelings. I want to see if I miss something, all that. But then I want to, at the end of that, see if I can pull away some generalization, some lesson for myself. Then what I want to do is provide the argument for why I believe that lesson. If I think in this situation that instead of talking, I should've listened. Why? What's the outcome that would have produced? Listening more makes people trust me more. There's a potential generalization. Why do I believe that might be so? What's the argument for that? If I was going to try to convince my colleague to listen more in order to foster trust. What would I say to make them believe that to be true? What happened in this experience that led me to believe that? Is there anything else in my life that makes me think that's a good lesson? What's the lesson? Identify not just moods, feelings, etc. But what's the lesson and then what's the argument for that lesson?
Then the next step is what I think of as complexities. What are the boundary conditions, when might be hard to do this, when might it not work? There are always limitations. Nothing is always true. Things are usually true, often true, or sometimes true, true under some conditions. What are the conditions under which this lesson holds?
Then the last one is implementation. What am I going to do differently now that I appreciate this lesson? What is the behavior practice saying? What am I going to do differently so that I remember to use this lesson rather than forget about it? When I think about reflection, what's the lesson? What's the argument for the lesson? What are the limitations? What am I going to do to make use of this rather than leave this behind and forget about it? The second is to be prepared to fall off the wagon and have a plan. Part of the reason this is so interesting to me is because I have always been really good at setting a great big goal, getting excited about it, breaking it down into daily goals. Then I miss one's day, maybe I wasn't feeling well or I was preoccupied, or whatever. I think well, missed that day might as well give up. We actually need to have a practice for what happens when we aren't achieving our smaller goals. Is it because we didn't set the right goal to begin with? Maybe we need to course correct or did we simply have a bad day and we need to forgive ourselves and think about tomorrow as a fresh start?
Research on fresh starts show that they do matter. They matter for motivation and commitment to our goals. Decide whether your practice needs to change or if you just needed a break, either way, you can keep going. The third is to connect with others. You might have heard it said that if you share your goals with others, you're more likely to achieve them. This is true. Making a commitment to others holds us accountable. It's why gym buddies are such a good idea. It's easy to skip the gym if it's just you. It's harder to tell your friend who's already in the car and headed to the gym that you're going to leave her hanging. Growing as a leader is an individual journey, but it is not an isolated one. Other people are on leadership growth plans of their own and creating these connections can be so helpful. When I was completing my leadership coach training, I found that my commitment to my own practice of leadership growth felt like it took off because I had this group of like-minded people to talk to, share ideas with, and to go to for advice. The fourth is keep the big picture in mind. What is your purpose? Don't get scared by the word purpose. I don't mean you have to write a treatise on your reason for existence. I simply mean know why you're interested in developing as a leader. Why is this journey important to you? What are you hoping to accomplish throughout it? Why is a powerful concept and having that big picture goal in mind can be a powerful way to help us stay committed to our daily exercises. Growing as a leader requires commitment. That means we have to build sustainable habits that will help us stay on track while we grow, create a practice for experimentation and reflection, course correct and use a fresh start when you course correct. Connect with others who want to grow as leaders and know your why for choosing to focus on your own leadership growth.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
To wanderlust's insistent call, a traveler takes heed,
Beyond the map, a world enthrall, a tapestry to read.
New lands unfurl, with sights unseen, where senses come alive,
From bustling streets, a vibrant scene, to mountains reaching high.
A tapestry of cultures weave, in languages unknown,
With open hearts, the travelers receive, a kindness they have sown.
The compass spins, a lesson taught, not just where we may roam,
But self-discovery, dearly sought, a journey found in home.
For wanderlust unlocks the mind, with every winding trail,
A broader view, a heart more kind, a spirit that won't fail.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
The Joy of living in Southern California.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
You don't know your great grandfather's face and many from the past. They didn't know that you will exist after few years. You will be forgotten. Do not take things to your heart and spoil your short stay here. If people makes sense collaborate, if not ignore, if f you are forced to, adjust and adapt. Do whatever is truly possible that will hold your peace of mind intact. Lead a peaceful life. It's all in your mind.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
"Whenever you wait for something to happen you are truly not in the present and keep thinking of the future. This is a state that is working against your success. You have to emulate a personality of creativity and stay present to achieve any of your desire.
Think of the things you wait for right now in your life, and stop waiting for it. Stay present and work assuming whatever you want is already there.
Waiting, pulls you down. Stay present."
-Karthik Gurumurthy
"You can never be better than your thoughts. What you carry within defines your true well-being."
-Karthik Gurumurthy
When we do our best with what we have we get better. We should never let what we don’t have or can’t do keep us from using what we do have and can do.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Dr. Louis Brus delivered his Nobel Prize lecture today at the Aula Magna, Stockholm University. He was introduced by Professor Heiner Linke, Member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. He was awarded the Nobel Prize this year for his work in Quantum dots.
“We’re all trapped by our educational backgrounds. You come out of school knowing a certain field but you don’t know about any other fields of science. That limits what you can do for sure. The way to combat this is to every day learn something new. I tell my grad students that the greatest skill they have is to continue to learn by themselves after they have left graduate school. Most of the things I have used in my life are things that were invented after I left graduate school and I had to keep learning just to keep up with the field.”- Louis Brus
You can watch the entire lecture here.
Continuous learning is the key to staying relevant in an ever-evolving world. Louis Brus's perspective resonates deeply – the ability to adapt and acquire new knowledge independently is indeed a priceless skill.
It's fascinating to hear about Louis Brus's emphasis on continual learning beyond formal education, especially in a field as dynamic as science.
It reinforces the idea that success isn't just about innate genius, but about a commitment to growth and staying curious.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
From a young age, I've harbored a deep desire to become a valuable member of society. I believe that each of us has a unique purpose and the potential to make a positive impact on the world around us. As I look ahead to this new chapter, I encourage all of you to consider how you too can become valuable members of society. It's not about fame or fortune, but rather about the lasting impact we leave on the lives of others.
As I step into my 50s, I am filled with gratitude for the journey thus far and excitement for the adventures that lie ahead. My wish is that each of you embarks on your own journey of becoming a valuable member of society, leaving a legacy that shines brightly for generations to come.
Thank you for being a part of my journey, and let's continue to inspire and uplift one another.
For my birthday, I have shared a list of lessons to document on the lessons I have learned over the years.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
18262 days in this planet. and starting 18263rd day here. Thankful to amazing parents, wife, brother, teachers, friends and family for being there throughout this journey. My journey would have ended in 3176 days if not for all the Blessings and prayers from parents.
There’s something about milestone birthdays that make us reflect. And as great as it is to look back and be grateful for all the experiences that have shaped who I am today, I’m even more excited to look forward at what’s yet to come. You see, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that every day is a gift. We only get one life, and it’s up to us to decide how to spend our time. Working on making each day count for making a positive impact to make sure dash counted for something good. Don’t let people scare you. 50 is amazing!
I have more life experience than ever before.
I know myself better than ever before.
I have more meaningful relationships, and a purpose that drives me to get up and be excited about my work.
I have no idea what aging gracefully means, but aging happily is pretty sweet.
My wife Shobana was so thoughtful and kind to reach out to my long list of students and created an amazing video which made my day. I can't imagine the amount of work that went for creating that. It was lovely to see students from different timelines joining hands. Awesome to see everyone. Thank you, Shobana. It was the best Birthday gift, ever.
Spending time with my mom, son and wife. What more can I ask for? I do miss my dad, though. But I know he is there with me all the time guiding us every step on a day-to-day basis.
My advice is don’t get so busy with life that you forget to live. Spend your time wisely and invest in the things and people worth your time and energy.
As I step into the second half-century of my life, I carry these lessons close to my heart. Hoping they resonate with you too.
Thankful and feeling Blessed for everything. I have been blessed abundantly in every facet of life. I couldn't have asked for more.
When I was born 50 years ago today, my parents certainly rejoiced in the gift of my life. Today, I know that what I most desire—for my life to have significance, to add value, to be coherent—is not an achievement but a gift.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis shared yesterday in HBR about how to be an agile learner.
What is learning agility?
Learning agility is the skill of learning from experiences so you can succeed in new situations. For example, a leader with learning agility can successfully transfer their talents across different parts of an organization. And individuals with high learning agility become the trusted “go-tos” for high-profile projects and high-impact positions. An agile learner can successfully navigate two different types of newness: complex work with no blueprint and situations where they have no previous experience. Where some people struggle with the high levels of ambiguity that newness creates, agile learners take advantage of the opportunity and succeed in situations where other people might stall.
Agile learners are adept at empathizing with and even anticipating different perspectives. By putting themselves in other people’s shoes, they can connect dots, spot and resolve potential conflicts, and zoom out to see the bigger picture. Rather than waiting to be told a different point of view or that something won’t work, agile learners seek out dissenting opinions and are open-minded in their approach.
Agile learners have high levels of self-awareness. They understand their impact and seek insight on how they can improve. They are specific about the support they need and confident enough to ask for help from others so they can be at their best. They see learning as a constant and are proactively curious about the world around them, borrowing brilliance from different people and places.
Questions to ask ourselves about our learning agility:
-Karthik Gurumurthy
To protect your energy, it is okay to cancel a commitment.
It is okay not to answer a call.
It is okay to change your mind.
It is okay to want to be alone.
It is okay to take a day off.
It is okay to do nothing.
It is okay to speak up.
It is okay to let go.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
“Choose a day as your day of simplicity. Speak little, and listen with attention. Do something incognito and nice for a person you are close to. Eat simple and natural food. Create time periods for not doing anything – just walk, look around, live the moment. Have your mind open to a more profound and silent sensitivity. Appreciate each scene and each person as they are.”
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Life is different in every country, and traveling opens your eyes to all living conditions. Traveling puts into perspective your blessings and privileges as well as facing the harsh realities that many people live with.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Rosenborg was built as a pleasure palace by Christian IV at the beginning of the 17th century, and quickly became the king's favorite castle. Christian IV left a deep impression on Danish history through his colorful personality, building projects and waging of war.
Christian IV ruled the counry together with the Privy council, but absolutism was introduced with his son Frederik III in 1660. Many of the furnishings in the castle reflect the pomp of the absolute monarchy.
From the 1700s Rosenborg was no longer used as a residence, but became the place where the kings placed their oldest. finest and rarest objects. Here the king's guests could see the wealth and status of the Danish-Norwegian kingdom in Europe. Rosenborg opened to the public as a museum in 1838. This displays the king's lavish collection of valuables, often acquired as gifts from foreign rulers.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Traveling forces you to break out of your daily routine and all that you are familiar with. It might be uncomfortable, scary even; however, the rewards are worth it. The knowledge and experience you gain will outweigh any self-doubt and worry you had before you began traveling.
Travel also forces you to self-reflect and understand yourself as a person. As a result, you will be more prone to being open and comfortable expressing yourself without worrying about others’ approval.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Disvoveries have been made in the Round Tower. Institutions have started here. Important historical figures have come here. And people from all walks of life have passed each other in search of Copenhagen's most charming view 34.8 metres above the street. The whole world is passing through the Round Tower and has done so since 1642, when the tower was finished. For centuries , the views of the city's roofs and sights from the top of the Round Tower have been Copenhagen's major attractions.
With its distinctive Spiral Ramp, the Round Tower is one of Denmark's best-known and most visited structures. It was built as a platform for the university observatory and for centuries it was the centre of Danish Astronomy. The foundation stone was laid on July 7, 1637 (344 years later MS, Dhoni was born which is a different story altogether). Five years later the Round Tower was finished as the first part of the Trinity complex, which was designed to accommodate three things : the observatory at the top of the tower, the University library above the Trinity church and the church itself below.
The Round Tower is built by King Christian IV, who constructed its round walls in the royal colors yellow and red. The king himself also sketched the famous golden rebus on the front of the tower: Lead , God, the right teachings and justice into the heart of King Christian IV.
Halfway up the tower you will find the library Hall since its reopening in 1987. The platform on top of the tower has a great 360 degree city view centred by the Observatory, which is still used in the winter months and thus the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.
The Spiral ramp twists 7 1/2 times around the tower's hollow core and is the only way to the top. It is inspired by both German Renaissance castles and ancient structures and is unique in a Danish context.
The Round Tower planetarium shows the solar system with the sun in the centre. The observatory telescope dates from 1929 when the current observatory building was opened
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Traveling is more than sunsets and shopping–it’s a way to get your mind off things. It’s a way to allow you to develop yourself in a faraway land, and it’s a way for you to be who you want to be.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
You know the story about the elephant whose one leg used to be tied using a small rope since the time he was young and he used to experience a lack of freedom in moving around wherever he wished. At that age, the small rope was enough to tie the elephant. As the elephant grew bigger, he possessed the physical strength to break the rope and wander around freely but instead of making use of his strength to break the rope, he did not do so. He remained confined to the same small region where he used to be tied because his mind was conditioned that he cannot break the rope, which is an example of a mental limitation.
In a similar manner, the inner region of our mind is the place where we as children got used to being tied with the different types of ropes of a lack of optimism or positivity. E.g. I cannot do well or I am not good enough or I am not as successful as others or I am low on self-confidence or I am an under-achiever. These ropes in many people are so strong that a time comes when situations of success have arrived in their life in different forms as they have grown up and they have achieved reasonably in different spheres of life. At that time they can easily break these different ropes, but they still remain low on optimism.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Life is short. How do we meet the challenge of finding both joy and impact in the time and place we actually live in?
Each of us must learn for ourselves what we have to give and how to give it well. Our work is to give with the best of our abilities, the fullest of our love to create a lasting impact. Several years ago, I chose teaching is my way of giving it back to the society.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Spend time every day imagining your ideal self. Picture what you would look like, how you'd speak and your tone towards those that can do nothing for you. Think about how you'd act in uncomfortable situations, how you'd push through difficult scenarios or how you'd come up from being underwater. Picture what your wardrobe consists of, the environment you'd live in, and the places you'd explore. Visualize the memories you'd like to create with your closest friends and the success of the business your child you once dreamt of. Envision how you'd act, think, believe, laugh, smile, move and speak. Visualize your ideal self and now, do everything in your power to become that person. Because if you were able to imagine and feel them- then they exist.
But it is only up to YOU and your power to become it. It is only up to you to match the energy that lays dormant within you and that ALIGNS with the world you envision living in.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Everytime you think about a negative event from your past, your body produces the exact same chemicals in the body as when it happened. That means you relive the experience hundreds/thousands of times simply because you haven't let it go. Move on. It is not worth it.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Do not spend time on people who aren't grateful. Those are the ones who take blessings for granted and live a life that lacks empathy. Your time once spent won't be gained back even by spending millions. So make sure you spend it wisely on those who respect your efforts and are grateful for the support they gained. As well, build this quality in your own life. Be grateful. Every interaction matters. Do not waste your energy and time on people who don't deserve it.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
“People’s vibrations reveal who they truly are. Each person carries their vibrations, and we can feel them by paying a little attention. When we silence our mind and turn away attention from visible parameters, we sense invisible energies, their vibes. It helps us understand the other person’s nature and intentions. The next time you meet someone, feel their vibes. Words or behaviors may be deceptive but vibrations cannot lie. “
-Karthik Gurumurthy
"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”
To be specific, these small minds are fault-finders, which according to the Webster dictionary, are people who habitually find fault, complain, or object, especially in a petty way.
As a part of human nature we subconsciously search for faults in other people to feel better about ourselves, or just because their faults are annoying to us.
Put simply, fault-finders are people who obsessively find fault in others and criticize. They often complain and harshly judge others based on trivial issues. Fault-finders are constantly telling others what they are doing wrong and or what they should be doing. They rarely, if ever, let a fault slip by, regardless of how insignificant.
Once, A famous painter had thousands of fans who would never get tired of praising his work.
One day, he thought "Do people praise only in front of me & talk about mistakes behind my back?"
The next day, he put up his painting at a busy intersection of the city & wrote a note "If you find a mistake in my painting, please put a mark in that place."
In the evening, when he went to the square, there were hundreds of marks on his painting. Seeing this, he got very disappointed & stopped painting thereafter.
When one of the painter's friends heard this, he said, "Let's put a painting made by you at that intersection again but this time with a different note."
The next day, a new painting was put at the intersection. Now the note read, "If you find a mistake in my painting, please correct it."
In the evening when the painter went to check the painting, it was still the same & there were no corrections made.
His friend said, "Anyone can find mistakes but there are very few who help to correct those mistakes. There is no point in unnecessarily taking opinions of people who only find fault without suggesting improvements."
My guiding thought about fault finding has always been a quote from Marcus Aurelius,
" Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question : What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?"
Let's stop finding faults and make a serious attempt towards becoming an example of one who focuses less on the bad, and more on the good & stay blessed forever.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
“Each of us has grown up with values, and taught to be kind to everyone around us. But we often exhibit a behavior of dependency – we are nice to people only when they are nice to us. If they behave wrongly with us in small or big ways, we feel an impulse to strike back in the name of tit for tat or an eye for an eye. We copy people’s wrong behaviors and give up our inherent goodness.
People behave with us differently on different days, depending on their mood, nature, circumstance, perspective or environment. They may argue, betray, scold or ignore me. There is always a chance of them being rude or disrespectful. We have three options:
1/To reflect their behavior and deplete our virtues,
2/To absorb their behavior and go into pain, and
3/To transform their energy by radiating our inherent goodness. If we keep copying people’s behaviors, we lose our own identity and virtues. It’s their life, their energy, their karma and their destiny. We need not respond the same way as they behave. We have the power to be nice to everyone, including with those who are not right to us.
Understand people and don’t hurt them back. Let them be their way, you be yours. Let your behavior be a reflection of your personality. Don’t copy their behaviors and don’t reflect their personality.”
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Whenever we meet friends or family, we make it a point to meet one family at a time. We try our best not to meet many families at the same time.Sometimes due to time constraints we might have done it but we try not to do that anymore. We seldom invite anyone for the sake of meeting them but we always wanted to give them undivided attention.
There’s nothing quite like it to unburden yourself. To know that you are being listened to. To feel that you are special. Many a memory is made up of meaningful conversations with significant others.Everyone has a special story to tell and I have learned a lot from the 1:1 conversations as opposed to having many extroverts completely take over the conversation and you never get to hear from the quieter people who wanted to share a useful nugget or a funny situation.
It is at these times that we learn to still ourselves to listen to the other. To give him/ her the gift of our undivided attention. It is when we learn how our lives can make a difference to other lives.
If we pay more attention to others, someday, in the future, someone will tell us how our attention and words made a difference.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
I love this picture not just they are tennis fiercest rivals of all time. To see your greatest rival cry tears of sadness is the ultimate respect. There will never be another rivalry like this duo.Two men demonstrating the strength to be authentic. To be truly as you are, where you are. It's so obvious what this moment means to these two. Their powerful emotions clearly, courageously on display for all to see. How often do we hold ourselves back from being our authentic selves because we feel "it's not allowed." When was the last time you felt strong enough to be authentic? It disrupts and destroys all myths about masculinity, competition and vulnerability.Being vulnerable in front of others always shows one's inner strength and character.
Men are expected not to cry.
Men are expected to be tough.
Men are expected to destroy the competition.
Nothing about the raw emotion of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal follows any of those outdated, damaging and dangerous rules of toxic masculinity.
They are openly crying.
They are holding hands.
They are competitors on the court and compassionate comrades who respect and revere one another.
Possessing both masculine and feminine traits is the sign of an evolved person. This really warms my heart.
And I hope that we are continuing to move towards a world that evolves beyond the gender binary "masculine" and "feminine"; one that isn't so desperately set on putting people into boxes and telling them that who they are, what they feel, who they love and how they live is "wrong" or "right" based on how the world has gendered them.
Until then, I implore more and more leaders to show up fully in all of their *human* traits — regardless of gender — so we can embrace, learn from and love them wholly. Bow and respect to both Federer and Nadal..
-Karthik Gurumurthy
We live in a world of no tolerance. We avoid people who think or act differently. It can be parents, in-laws. It is sad to see people taking advantage of their relationships to get few tasks and then ignore after getting their job done. It is sad to see people avoiding parents and in-laws.
I find their house very clean but their thought processes extremely oolluted and dirty.
I find these kind of behaviors very immature. Sometimes you feel you are being taken advantage of and that doesn't go well. Well, I personally feel it is better to be taken advantage of than us the ones to take advantage of someone else. I have learned from my parents and in-laws to always find opportunities to collect Blessings in every opportunity.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
For those who have aged parents or in-laws at home. Beware that how you treat them sets a direct and powerful example to your children on how to treat you when you are old and weak!! It is sad to see people choose convenience than doing what is right. It is definitely a shame when I see folks giving excuses and avoiding to take responsibility. Fast forward few years later, your son or daughter will do the same like it or not. It is going to happen.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
It’s not every day when one feels hopeful or excited about life, right? Hope—that elusive magical thing might suddenly go amiss.
Some days, the cup we are drinking from, may be empty. With not an ounce of hope to look forward to, we may feel despondent and lost. That’s when we must channelize our inner strength, and force every tissue, nerve and sinew within our being, to lead us on—to show up, and be ready to face whatever comes our way, irrespective of whether we feel brave or not.
These days, I’m focusing on learning to ‘generate’ hope, (mostly out of nothing!) and I do it by connecting to the Universe on a daily basis. My meditations and the affirmations greatly help and so do the workouts. Some days, it is the walking that does it. This is one connection that has now come to be my lifeline, one that I keenly look forward to every day, but more so, on the days, when the challenges feel insurmountable and I feel like hiding into my shell and never come out to face the big bad world.
If there’s been one lesson that life is teaching me these days, it is learning to be more patient—way more than I ever thought I could be. I’m learning that not all problems in life can be resolved the way we’d like them to be, and even if it is rather difficult to accept, I’m learning to be more accepting of this reality. I must say that I’m getting there, slowly.
Often, things do not seem to change even for days or months, but here, again, I’m learning to look beyond the immediate circumstances and patiently wait. Pray and wait. And hope for things to pass and better days to come.
How does one do that?
The one silver lining in life that brings me solace is that nothing stays the same. Nothing at all. Neither the good times, not the bad times. There’s such great comfort in this thought, when you’re going through difficult times. This fact alone makes the pain points more bearable. It instills hope, when all is lost. When the past is gone and the future is doubtful, being mindful of the moment really truly helps.
In learning to be mindful, one also learns to savor every little good and blessing that comes our way, the little nameless moments of joy, however fleeting and short. One is filled with gratitude because one realises that nothing can be taken for granted any more. One learns to live in the moment alone. And more importantly, one learns to let go of things that do not matter—things that do not speak to one’s heart and soul anymore.
As I continue to grapple with the slings and arrows that come my way, I often wonder what life would have been like, if things were a little easy for me.
For one, there could have been an infinite number of possibilities that could have happened in life. But, would that have made me the person that I am today? I think not.
At the end of the day, though, what really matters to me is that, the person I see in the mirror every morning, the one who stares back at me, a tad bit sleepy, tired, worn out and still managing to smile, is STILL standing there—resilient, hopeful and ready for combat, no matter what lies ahead.
Maya Angelou’s wise words ring true, now more than ever before:
I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.
-Karthik Gurumurthy
In my twenty plus work experience, I have had the opportunity to work with amazing organizations and great leaders. What I have observed with the top leaders is they focus primarily on the growth and well being of the team and the communities to which they belong. They always put the needs of others first and help their people develop and perform at a very high level.
I have also witnessed so called average positional leaders sharing lofty big dreams but doesn't necessarily back it up with the action/ strategy to make that happen. To develop leaders, one needs to start from the ground-up. What separates average companies from the great ones is their ability to build a leadership culture through out their organization that cultivates great leaders.
"a true leader is not the one with the most followers but the one who creates the most leaders."
-Neale Donald Walsch
-Karthik Gurumurthy
Marshall Goldsmith provides a powerful guide for anyone seeking a higher purpose in their personal and professional life.
Goldsmith draws on his experience as a world-renowned executive coach to provide practical advice and exercises aimed at helping readers live a life aligned with their overarching purpose, regardless of the eventual outcome.
Taking inspiration from Buddhism, Goldsmith reveals that the key to living an earned life, unbound by regret, requires committing to a habit of earning and connecting that habit to something greater than the isolated achievements of careerism.
With illuminating stories from Goldsmith's legendary career, this book provides a roadmap for ambitious people seeking to close the gap between what they plan to achieve and what they actually get done, and to avoid the trap of existential regret that reroutes destinies and persecutes memories.