Tuesday, 6 October 2015
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Hunger
Being raised in an upper middle-class family, I had heard ofpoverty and hunger but had never seen or experienced it at any point in my life. Till that unusual day.That day, I had plans of catching up with my gang of girls. We had planned to meet for lunch, followed by some shopping in T. Nagar, in my hometown Chennai. My friends and I were enjoying our holidays after four years of engineering college. The fact that we had landed plush jobs at IT companies gave us an added reason to celebrate.Being used to the holiday (read, lazy) mode, I was frightfully late that day. So, I decided to take the train instead of my bike, as it was faster, considering the gruelling traffic conditions in the city. Chennai is well-connected with local trains. On that particular day, I needed to take connecting trains from Villivakkam to Central and then from Central to Mambalam.I boarded the train at Villivakkam, and as usual the ladies compartment was bursting with people. I pushed myself through into the compartment and found a place on the other side of the entrance.Standing in front of me was a lady who seemed like a daily wage worker. She was carrying an infant in her arms, while holding on to two of her other children. As the train chugged along the tracks, the baby in her arms started to wail, much to other passengers' annoyance.The train had crossed Vyasarpadi station when I suddenly realised that the baby had stopped crying. Out of curiosity, I peeked to look at the baby and found that the mother was feeding it.When I looked closely, to my horror, I found that she wasn't feeding the baby milk or a food item, but it was a piece of brick. Yes, red brick. The kind that is used for construction purposes. She was hiding the brick under her sari, so it was not very apparent or obvious and didn't garner her any attention. I noticed that the baby was ravenously licking at the brick and had stopped crying, as if it was used to doing so.Minutes flew by without my realisation as I was numb with shock, and the train was already at my destination - Central.As the train came to a halt, I quickly got off it and rushed to the station canteen. I bought a packet of biscuits, while keeping an eye on the lady and her children, lest I lost her in the milling peak hour crowd.I reached out and handed her the packet of biscuits. Confused, she just blankly looked at me. There was already a lump in my throat throughout the incident and I was almost reaching a tipping point where I would burst into tears any moment. I didn't want her to see that, so I quickly turned away after handing her the packet.That day, I realised what hunger really is and what it does to human life. All those times that I had wasted food; my mother's pleas about valuing food; all those leisurely meals during restaurant visits; everything was flashing through my mind.I know I cannot feed every hungry child in this world, neither can I promise four square meals to every nursing mother, but I know that if I stop wasting food, someone somewhere will get that morsel.
Saturday, 3 January 2015
Boxing day
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Robinsharma at its best
By Robin Sharma #1 bestselling author of “The Leader Who Had No Title” Just home from the tour that included stops in Zurich, Stockholm, Kuwait, Moscow, Saudi Arabia and Lisbon. I know I should be in refueling mode but I needed to share these 50 Rules with you. These will remind you that leadership is less about a title and more about a decision… …to work with wonder, achieve with awe, go the extra mile in all you do, innovate like Beethoven composed music, radiate optimism like Mr. Mandela led and pretty much lift up everyone you meet by the gift of your masterful example. Our world demands that of you and I, yes? I guess what I’m suggesting with love and respect is really this… …leadership’s not just for CEOs and Presidents…we ALL can lead. Because leadership’s mostly a mindset and a way of doing things… Taxi drivers can lead and street sweepers can lead and teachers can lead as can managers, artists and salespeople… These 50 Rules are drawn from my over 18 years of passionate work with the Fortune 500 and from The Leader Who Had No Title If you still haven’t read this book that’s been a complete game-changer for so many people and organizations, you can get it here Ok. Let’s go…
#1. To lead is to serve. #2. At the heart of mastery lives consistency. #3. Take care of the relationship and the money will take care of itself. #4. The seduction of safety is always more dangerous than the illusion of uncertainty. #5. To double your income triple your investment in your professional education and your personal development. #6. The swiftest way to grow your company is to grow your people. #7. If you’re not leaving a trail of leaders behind you you’re not leading–you’re following. #8. An addiction to distraction is the end of creative production. #9. The caliber of your practice determines the quality of your performance. #10. Leaders Without Titles are less about ego and more about getting things done. #11. Don’t worry about the economy when you can be so genius at what you do that you create your very own personal economy. #12. Lead where you are planted. Start where you stand. And remember that much of winning is just beginning. #13. The true measure of our leadership is how we perform in volatile conditions versus in times of ease. #14. To lead is to be yourself in a world of clones. I recently re-read one of my favorite business books–Do You, the bestseller by Russell Simmons, the legendary entrepreneur who founded (and sold) Phat Farm clothing and co-founded Def Jam records. He reminds us that to win in business, “do you” by staying true to your vision even when everybody’s laughing… …BIG NEWS…Russell Simmons has just signed on as a member of my faculty for The Titan Summit 2014, joining Sir Richard Branson, Dr. Daniel Amen, Todd Henry, Dr. John Izzo and Dr. James Rouse. All these thought leaders will be in the room with us helping you grow your business and mindset so you become unstoppable… …Watch this short but inspiring video to get one of the remaining seats before they’re gone and you miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. #15. Aim for iconic. Why be in it if you’re not dreaming of being in the history books? But be kind, decent and ethical along the way. #16. The humblest is the greatest. #17. Energy is more valuable than intelligence. Health is more brilliant than gold. #18. The thing you most fear carries your greatest growth. #19. All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end. #20. Criticism is the price brave people pay to arrive at iconic. #21. If you’re not lifting people up you’re bringing people down. #22. Leadership has less to do with authority and more to do with a mindset. #23. Where the victim sees a problem a leader sees an opportunity. #24. Don’t wait until you’re successful to work on your optimism. Work on your optimism and you’ll become a lot more successful. #25. Be alone a lot. All massively creative people value solitude. It allows them to protect their dreams from the voices of dissent, refuel their creativity and get far more done–free from distraction. #26. Small daily micro-wins when done continually over time lead to staggering results. #27. Genius has less to do with natural talent and divinely blessed gifts and more to do with relentless focus (to the point of obsession), extreme practice and uncommon grit. #28. Disrupt or be disrupted. #29. Be the most honest person in every room. #30. Remember that people don’t leave companies. They leave the people they worked for. #31. Saying you’ll “try” is expressing “I’m not really committed.” #32. The secret of passion is purpose. As I shared years ago in Leadership Wisdom from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, when you know your why, the hows just start showing up. #33. If you’re the smartest person you know it’s time to know new people. #34. Outlearning everyone around you is a game-changer. The best love learning. Because once you know more you can achieve more. #35. To make more money, help more people. #36. Leaders Without Titles talk about ideas versus people and dreams versus others. #37. Eat less food, get more done. #38. The way you begin your day determines how you live it. So put mind over mattress. Win the battle of the bed. And join The 5 am Club (another total game-changer). #39. Develop an obsessive attention to detail. World-class user experiences are all about winning at the small stuff everyone else doesn’t care about. #40. Even if you clean toilets, do it with pride and love. This summer I met a man who cleans toilets at the Johannesburg airport. He beamed “welcome to my office” as I entered. The place was flawless. His passion was palpable. That man is my hero. And he reminded me that all work has dignity and honor. #41. Leaders Without Titles are in the business of making people feel bigger versus smaller. And smarter versus less knowledgeable. And seeing gifts and talents they’ve never seen before. #42. Lean into your fears. Commit to what frightens you. Life’s way to short to play small. #43. The secret to genius is doing less. Developing a monomaniacal focus on being brilliant at one thing is the the key to mastery. You’re smart so you know that the person who tries to get great at many things ends up mediocre at all of them, no? #44. The moment you think you’re a virtuoso you’ve lost your virtuosity. The best always think like a beginner. And they know that nothing fails like success. #45. Be decent and kind and loving. At the end you’ll have wished you were. #46. Never lose the sparkle in your eyes and your sense of wonder about the things most people take for granted. Leadership, business and life is awesome. Don’t miss the simple rewards of standing for world-class. [Note: there are two types of income...external (money and title) and internal (pride on doing great work and pursuing mastery). The ordinary chase the first. The exceptional want the last]. #47. Remember that the things that get scheduled are the things that get done. #48. Say please and thank you. #49. Practice gratitude daily. To lead is to see the blessings each day brings. You’ll also release dopamine–the neurotransmitter of motivation–which will kickstart your performance. The value of being grateful reminds me of the Persian proverb: “I cursed the fact that I had no shoes….until I saw the man who had no feet.” #50. Do your part. Be the leader you wish the people around you would be. As Mother Teresa said: “If each of us would sweep our own doorstep, the whole world would be clean.” Now, please go lead…. With every great wish for your rise to iconic… - See more at: http://www.robinsharma.com/blog/10/50-rules-to-lead-the-field/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+robinsharma%2FYlRc+%28Robin+Sharma%27s+Blog%29#sthash.9FVauXBJ.dpuf
Thursday, 3 July 2014
Glued to my phone ....a tragedy
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Disciple and master in 25th century
It's a little difficult to understand. Things of the heart are always difficult to understand. There are a few disciples who are, day in, day out, in a deep harmony with me. There is no gap. In fact, only they deserve to be called friends.Here I would like to say something which I have been keeping a secret my whole life:One beautiful morning, Gautam Buddha had gone for a walk with his caretaker, disciple, Ananda. It was fall time; the trees were getting almost naked and all the leaves were on the path. The wind was fluttering the trees, and the leaves were making beautiful sounds. Walking on those leaves, Buddha was immensely happy... the music of the dry leaves.He took a few leaves in his hand. Ananda asked him, "Bhagwan, I have always been thinking to ask one thing, but privacy is so difficult. You are always surrounded by people. Today you are alone in this forest, and I cannot resist the temptation. I want to ask you: Have you said everything to us, or have you kept some secrets? Buddha said, "Do you see the leaves in my hand? And do you see the leaves all over the forest?" Ananda said, "Yes, I do see, but I don't understand that that is the answer." Buddha said, "You will understand. I have said only this much, and I have kept secret all these leaves that are in the whole forest."My situation is just different. I have said the whole forest; only one thing I have kept secret, just one leaf. Buddha declared before his death that he would be coming again after twenty-five centuries, and that his name would be Maitreya. Maitreya means the friend. Buddhas don't come back; no enlightened person ever comes back, so it is just a way of saying....What he was saying is of tremendous importance. It has nothing to do with his coming back; he cannot come back. What he meant was that the ancient relationship between the Master and the disciple would become irrelevant in twenty-five centuries. It was his clarity of perception -- he was not predicting anything -- just his clarity to see that as things are changing, as they have changed in the past and as they go on changing, it would take at least twenty-five centuries for the Master and disciple relationship to become out of date.
Then the enlightened Master will be only the friend .I had always wanted not to be a Master to anybody. But people want a Master, they want to be disciples; hence, I played the role. It is time that I should say to you that now many of you are ready to accept me as the friend. Those who are in tune with me continuously, without any break, are the only real friends.There are people who are sometimes in tune with me and sometimes not in tune with me. You are asking why it happens. The reason is -- perhaps you may be surprised to know -- sometimes they are in tune with me because I am in tune with them, because whatever I am saying is in accordance with them. They feel, "This is perfectly right." They are not in tune with me. On the contrary, they feel they are in tune with me only because I am fulfilling some of their ideas, some of their expectations. That is illusion.Once you are really in tune with me, you cannot fall out of it. But if somebody falls out of it, that simply means that I have said something, I have done something, which is not in accordance with you. You remain the judge. You have not dropped judgment. Your ego is still there.I used to go for a walk every day with one of my professors. One day when we were coming back, another professor met us on the way. He was going for a walk; we were returning. He knew me but he did not know my professor. My professor was very new, he had just joined the department two, three days before. So he asked me, "Do you come here every day?" I said, "Yes, I come every day. And for three days my professor has also been coming with me." My professor looked annoyed. I asked him, "What is the matter? You look angry." He said, "Certainly. You come with me, and you said that I come with you." I said, "That's really right. How can a professor come with a student? It is always the student who comes with the professor. So forgive me. But this simply shows that you are an idiot; and from tomorrow you are not going to come with me."People are strange. I had been there for two years. He had been there only for three days, but he wanted to hear that I was coming with him. Just the ego wants fulfillment everywhere. So it happens that when you feel that I am saying something which fulfills your expectations, you are with me, your heart is beating with me, you are in tune with me. No. Please forgive me for being straightforward -- only I am with you. Soon something happens -- I say something, I do something -- and your heart is no longer beating with me.So remember one thing: when you are with me, then it is a continuum, without any gap. What I say, what I do, does not matter, because you are not a judge. You love me the way I am. I don't judge you. I love you the way you are. And if it changes, then remember it is a judgment, and rather than going with me, you are trying to drag me with you. And that is not very loving.I can come with you, but you are in darkness and you will lead me in darkness. I have no trouble in coming with you. You cannot destroy my light; I can destroy your darkness.I cannot lose anything by coming with you. You will have to lose many things by coming with me. And when you love someone, you are ready to lose anything, everything, even yourself. The moment you are ready to lose yourself, the friendship is complete. And then there is great beauty.It is exactly twenty-five centuries after Buddha's death that I am changing the name of the Foundation so that it becomes Rajneesh Friends International. It is not only just a change of the name. It is going to change the very flavor of our whole movement. And you have to rise up so that what I want the movement to become, it becomes. So that the dream is realized.Don't let me down. Okay?
