Be Contended !!

Someone once said "There is no person richer than a contended person". When I reflect on this statement, I find it to be the absolute truth. As long as one is dissatisfied with his / her lot, one is poor because there is a feeling of shortage. In contrast, if one is feeling satisfied with what one has, then that person has an abundance mindset and therefore is richer than anyone. Therefore, Contentment becomes the most precious wealth. Simple, isn't it ?

One of the biggest source of our miseries is this feeling that what I have is not enough. If I have something more, I will be happy and fulfilled. But guess what ? As soon as we get what we desire, our heart yearns for something else. It is funny. Our satisfaction should not lie in what we do not have. It should be in what we have already. If our satisfaction lies in what we do not have, we will be eternally dissatisfied and therefore eternally unhappy.

Being contended means that we are at peace and we are full of joy. We see things with pleasure but without seeking to own them. We start enjoying the small pleasures of life. We are close to Nirvana. Being contended is the first as well as the last step to attaining God.

Be Contended !!

Care & Share !!

Sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve such a good life. I was born in a decent family, had good support for my education, had good friends and siblings etc. Till I was about 8 years old, I never knew what hunger was, thanks to a very caring mother. In contrast, there are millions of children born into poor families and deprived of the very basic necessities of life. What have they done to deserve this?

In my later life, I have been fairly successful in my education and career. Was this all my own effort or was I assisted in this by others? Do I really deserve all this? Do I have any obligation towards others or should I behave selfishly and keep accumulating riches while others struggle on a continuous basis?

In reality we are all linked in this world. From morning till night we use a variety of products and services which are produced by some unknown people. Our entire life depends on the efforts of others. If this is true, what are we doing to serve others? If one questions thus, one will realise that a truly fulfilling and successful life is one where one feels the pain that others feel. A life well lived is one where one learns to care for others as if they were your own.

When we care for others and are happy to share our wealth / riches, the world will reciprocate and reward us with similar positive reaction. The joy we can see in others when we care and share without any expectation, is sufficient to gladden our own hearts. By caring for others, we are carrying out God's work of spreading happiness and joy around us.

So, care and share always.

Eat Healthy & Be Happy!!

Often when faced with the prospect of choosing what to eat / drink, we tend to pick on what appeals to our sense of taste. If an article of food is dressed well, presented well, smells right and has the taste that we love, we make that as our first choice. Some people go to extra-ordinary lengths to get such food of their choice.

I take my decisions on what is good for me and my body and not worry so much about the few seconds that the food lasts either on the plate or in my palate. What I mean is that the food that we consume must be right for us. It lasts a few hours in the body and the effects (in the form of energy and impact) lasts much longer. So, one must strive to consume such food that has the best impact on the body.

So, even though fried stuff tastes a whole lot better, we may consume it in moderation as it can lead to a variety of disastrous after effects if consumed liberally. Likewise, sweet desserts are tempting but unless controlled, it could lead to some permanent problems. I am not going to go into depths here about different types of food, health foods etc. as I am not a dietician nor do I want to appear prescriptive.

All I would like to reiterate here is that each one of us need to assess what is it that we want from our meal and choose the meal accordingly. Each of us need to be also conscious that by cultivating the right kind of eating habits, we will lead healthier and therefore, happier lives.

So, what are you waiting for ?

Health is indeed Wealth !!

I once read an Arabian proverb which said "He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything". And I agreed whole heartedly. Many of us, in pursuit of our goals, tend to forget how important health is to achieve the very same goals. Without sound health, it would not be possible to achieve anything. And many of us presume that good health is our birth right and needs no effort to maintain.

Dear friends, it is imperative that we be conscious of the fact all the time that we need to put effort to enjoy a healthy body. We need to remember that our body is like a machine which needs to be taken care.

Nutritious and balanced diet taken at regular intervals coupled with good fitness regime and adequate sleep are pre-requisites. Abstinence from things that can damage health should be strictly followed. Right kind of exposure in form of friends, reading, life style, thinking will all help in forming healthy habits and give you longer period of problem free life.

God has endowed many of us with good natural health and it is our duty to take care of this asset that will remain with and support us till the end of our lives. Neglecting it will only be detrimental to our happiness. With good health, we can strive to reach our goals and have fun along the journey.

As Robin Sharma so nicely put it "Care for your health. Don’t be the richest person in the cemetery."

Do your Best !!

At every point of time, we are doing things - Sometimes for ourselves, sometimes for others. Actions or words or thoughts flow from us all the time. What should be one's attitude & approach? How should one deal with the flow?

In my view, the right approach would be to always "Do Your Best" (DYB). Why DYB? This is the only way to ensure that one’s output is of the highest quality possible. This is the expectation that everyone has of each of us - that is to give our best effort in whatever we do. There is no point doing anything with a casual or indifferent approach which will result in output of poor quality, consume more time / other resources and result in wasted efforts.

DYB is an obligation on each of us to carry out. It is a commitment to ourselves and to others to expect the best from us - Nothing less. With God's grace, each of us is blessed with a certain level of talent and a mind which has no limits. "The only limit to achievement is in our mind" is a saying I heard long ago. It is imperative therefore that we open our minds to achieve great things. We also need to make up our minds that anything that comes out of us will be the best possible.

When each of us is in this DYB mode, the world will become a much better place. Quality of output will improve, there will be more self satisfaction and joy. When we are in DYB mode, people will sit up and notice us, appreciate us, recognise us and celebrate us. It is a great feeling.

Try it!!

Live Joyously, Love Selflessly !!

Life is short. Let us learn to enjoy it. Each experience, each event, each encounter is to be savoured and treasured. In hindsight, each of these is useful to our development and evolution. If the attitude and approach is right, one can truly enjoy life and make us experience heaven on earth. For what is heaven but an endlessly period of joy and bliss?

There are times when we feel that the situation is painful and we want to get it over with. It is bitter and sour and not pleasant. At such times, one should remember that most medicines are bitter and despite that, they are good for us. Tough times are nature’s way of teaching us and helping us to become tougher, more mature, balanced etc.

Usually, we go through even good times without fully enjoying ourselves. Some anxiety, some worry keeps nagging us from the back of our minds and we do not make the most of even joyous occasions. It is only when we learn to live “in the moment” that we can truly experience joy.

When we thus live life joyously, we start loving everything and everyone around us. We become generous & expansive and are willing to share the joy with others around us. This is a selfless gesture wherein we have no expectations but to see the same joy in others. This is what I call loving selflessly.

So, if you live joyously and love selflessly, you are already in a state of Nirvana and are in a mood to give and forgive. That mood qualifies you for reaching the supreme. And you are one with God!

Think Solution !!

We are often confronted with innumerable problems in our daily lives. It is usually unwelcome in our lives and we would prefer if the problems never arose. Each of us has a unique way to deal with life's problems or challenges as one might like to call them. Have we observed our own peculiar traits with respect to how we deal with our problems ?

Before I even talk about the preferred way of dealing with the little challenges, let me first state that these are really events that remove the boredom from our lives and bring in excitement. If we were to look at the challenges in this new light, we might even welcome them and look forward to the next one !

Instead to complaining about the problems and wishing that someone else deals with it or procrastinating about it, I feel the right way would be to think of solutions to resolve the problems. It should be viewed as puzzles that life throws up and our responsibility is to rack our brains and come up with the right answers.

Likewise, in an organisational context, one should always use the approach of identifying problems and coming up with the solutions. It is a good trait to be able to spot the problem but no one appreciates someone who is always criticising or complaining but is unable to provide the direction for resolving the open issues.

People who complain fall into the group of negative behaviours while solution oriented people are seen as positive and find recognition and rewards waiting for them all the time.

So, Which side are you aligned on ?

Serve without expectations !!

What is the purpose of life? A very difficult and controversial subject and for which every person has a different thought and opinions. Some people think that the purpose of life is to enjoy life to the fullest and be happy. Some think it is about being successful in ones chosen career or path. While yet others think that there is no such thing as "purpose of life" and we just need to live each day as it comes.

I agree with each view as each is correct in its own way and if pondered over deeply will lead us to the same truth.

My view of the purpose of life is to search for and attain God. Each of us has the same goal and yet we use different approaches / roads to arrive at the destination. In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says that God can be attained in a variety of ways and each one has to choose the path that suits the most. For some, it is the path of worship and for some it is the path of work.

If one has chosen work, it should be done selflessly and without any expectation of results. Expectations of results clouds ones thoughts and makes one less than perfect in the performance of work. Also, this expectation can lead us to joy or misery based on the result. If one chooses to work as if it is the same as worship, irrespective of the type of work being done, it is the best and quickest way to reach God.

Perform each work with love and derive satisfaction purely from the work well done. Appreciation or condemnation should not sway you from doing your work with passion and dedication. If this approach is used, you have arrived!! Satisfaction is always yours and with satisfaction, you have peace and when you have peace, can God be far behind?

Teamwork Works !!

Often I have had a debate within myself as to whether it is important to have star performers in ones team or whether the team is more important than the individual. Quite often I have seen individuals being recognised (like a famous sportsperson or an actor) and adulated and it has made me wonder.. Whether the person would have been really able to perform individually without the support of a team behind.

I believe that the team is really significantly more important that the individuals that constitute it. All processes must be put in place that celebrates the team and makes the individuals work for the team. A classic example of that is that of ants and how they run their society. Each ant is a worker who works relentlessly and passionately for the benefit of the larger goal and the colony. No one ant claims all rights to the glory or is rewarded differentially.

I differ with the theory of differentiating significantly and giving some people much more rewards than the others by describing them as stars / special people. While it is true that some level of differentiation is inevitable, it should not be so much as to create counter productive results. If some people are described as stars and others not, the stars will start getting self centered and will start working for personal goals rather than that of the team. And this will result in the effectiveness of the team getting eroded.

What do you think ?

The Power of Recognition !!

Human beings have one intense desire which is common. Each one of us craves to be appreciated, praised and valued. It gives us a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment. We all want to be seen as important and useful.

So, a good way to deal with people is to identify their strengths and contributions and to communicate this to them very sincerely and often. This elevates the person so recognised to a much higher plane and motivates the person to do much more. It builds a very powerful chain reaction of positive energy. Not only would the person start having a lot of self respect but also a lot of self confidence. Once a special skill / strength are thus recognised, the person tries to focus on it and become perfect at it.

Another important tool to build positive energy and motivation is to publicly recognise and reward people. The reward need not be very fancy or expensive. A mere token of appreciation in the form of a small yet appropriate gift is sufficient to seal the deal. A small chit of paper with a personalised message would be treasured for years by the recipient. A kind word spoken genuinely will remain in the heart forever.

So, what are you waiting for ? Go, make someone's day today..