Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Integrity, A Passion for Life

Ever thought of doing something really good and not waiting to get reward of it?
This is something we are going to explore in today's chapter. The Integrity.

Doing right and Doing something that is not just helping me/myself but that helps others,
that is a responsibility of a great soul. let me try to put few things forward where we can apply the great formula.

At Work ( my obvious start :-) )
Most of us know the demand of our profession, Something that we can improve but we are not approaching that.
Most of us are waiting till the next reminder comes on table. aren't we?

Sometimes we know how to make things better but we wait till we are asked to do?
let me ask you a difficult question now... Why are we waiting to be asked?

The law of integrity works in reverse direction than the above mentioned human fundamental behavior.

Do it right and do it now if it helps you, or it helps others or it helps organization.
But here comes the twist of story..... Do not do it if it was just an act of getting noticed.

An integral step towards good being is always gets noticed without saying but we got to have  patience.

Example 1 : Every organization has some process related scope of improvement.
Certain things do not require a high level permission to change things little bit and make it efficient. A responsible professional can solve it and when the time comes, he/she can take the credit.

Example 2: Stopping others to do something wrong could save the organization from major/minor loss. When there is a right time, nothing wrong to pin point that how an individual helped the company.

A Home ( I love this area :-) )
We all do what is expected from us at Home, Sometimes we don't do what is expected :-(
Do we do something that is not expected but could be a great thing for Home and Family?
Do we take initiatives to make the house hold processes little better?
If we do it, we try to look around and see if someone noticed it or not?

Most of us are very serious about what all is related to Home,
But Integrity rule is  "Do the best, Do it better than before without letting Family know that you did this, You started this first and others followed. "

Example 1 : Taking an insurance for home, takes a bit of money but could be a savior in case of disaster. ( sorry i am not selling an insurance here :-) i thought this is a good example. ) Do we wait till the senior member ask us to do or do we do it without even letting other's know it.

Example 2 : Contribution for family or household expense/investment. We can encourage others by putting major contribution from our end and let others follow. because we are integral part of family. ( this doesn't apply to a family of 2 or around but if you are younger one, you can inspire the elder with your integral actions)

At Society and Nation ( You cannot ignore this )
We forget many times that we are integral part of our society and our nation.
The routine hinders our responsible citizen living within us.
But that doesn't mean that we are allowed to go away from our responsibilities towards nation and our society.
Do we see something going wrong in society and still we ignore it, just to avoid difficulties for ourselves?
Do we see there is a scope of improvement in something routine in society and still we don't try and we think... what the hell going to change if i change today?

The law of integrity says "Change if you think it can help society, A good society build good people like you and me", we can create a platform for others by taking initiatives in society.

Example 1 : I ask people to wait in a queue if there is a heavy rush for certain things. That helps all to get things on time and with peace of mind

Example 2 : Planting trees and encouraging others to do it would be a great way of showing your integrity towards society and nation.

It's not difficult to build an Integrity but we just have to have passion for this.

Friday, August 20, 2010

An Interview with Life

I would like to present some of the glimpse of my recent interview with Life

Life : What do you expect from me?
Me : Oh a lot.

Life : Good, describe few so I can give you some.

Me : Three things at least, 1. Price 2. Popularity 3. Peace

Life : great, So how soon you want the Price ( Money )?

Me : hmm very smart, As soon as possible?

Life : Ok and then, who and how will you use it?

Me : simple, will spend, save and make more money for me and family?

Life : And then?

Me : then what? I will soon become popular because of my money?

Life : So you believe money can make you popular? Have you heard about Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabh bhai patel, George Washington, Thomas Alva Edison?

Me : Yes great personalities. They are remembered now and forever.

Life : Yes Me too remember them because they lived the best of the life ever, I asked the same question from them that I asked you and the answer was different.

Me : Hmm so you have been asking this question  to all, well what was their answer?

Life: will tell you later, so what next after popularity?

Me : Oh nice question, I will be a Happy person, I will get Peace then after.
Life : I don’t think so, remember Lady Diana ( wife of prince Charles, wasn’t she popular ) and how she died in lack of peace in life? Gurudutt ( the great indian actor), Meena Kumari ( great indian actress) All of them had money and popularity but they didn’t had peace in life.

Me : Oh my god and I thought money and popularity can give me a peace in life.

Life : No my child, that is wrong perception.

Me : Then what should I do to get the peace?

Life : You know the answer, peace is within you and in your activities.

Me: But what do I do to get the peace? I Don’t understand

Life: Ok let me ask you simple thing? Have you ever served water to some one ? How do you feel then?

Me: I feel good to give but giving is the peace?

Life: Nope the joy of giving and doing something for someone is peace and doing an act that could benefit a group of living being is peace.

Me: So I should do social service? Then when should I care for my family?

Life: Your family will ask only what you give them, if you give less they expect less if you give more, they expect more. Now it up to you that you are giving more money to them or giving more happiness to them. Try to give them both and see where they are happy. With money or with moments of happiness?
Exercise: Take family to a super mall, do lot of shopping, then eat in expensive cuisine, watch movie in expensive theater, come back home and keep a note of level of happiness.

Then next time take them to a simple park or just a peaceful place, talk a lot about good old days, take their opinion on past and future, plan something for future together ( after retirement life etc ) and then note the level of happiness. Make sure you do it free flow without planning anything, just let the moment go by and you and family can enjoy it.

No need to tell me where you found the more happiness.. You know the answer.
Me : Hmm will try this, probably I know what you mean.

Life: I have given meaning to everyone’s life, there is a purpose behind living, when you know it then we might not have to schedule interview again.

Me : But one last thing, shouldn’t I earn money then?

Life : You can but create a wealth where everyone benefits. Remember God has made you capable to earn the money because there are various who are not fortunate to earn like you do.
Anyway, thanks for your time, God Bless You.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

value creation does pay off


Value creation applies to all level of working professionals from a small business to big business or even an employee or consultant. Value creation has been discussed so far in terms of business and organizations only, but I would like to take first step to describe it for both, business and worker.

As an employee, let me explain how you can create a value for yourself.
1.    Your attitude can create a higher level of value in you; your employer would love to retain you forever if you have created an inspiring personality within you. If your efforts contribute higher towards the growth of the institution you are working for, you have created a value for you.

2.    Your professional skills helps you increase your market value, find out what is most demanding skill in the market, learn it, create a report, present to management and see how it does a miracle for you. Good communication could be a great skill to have. 

3.    Improve your efficiency, quality and quantity of the work over a period of time, so your employer doesn’t have to think twice when he reviews your profile.

4.    Taking additional roles and responsibilities will surely help you improve your value at workplace.

For Entrepreneurs on how to create value for their organization
1.    Install a process in the organization for almost every function
2.    Create profitable model of business
3.    Project yourself well and your organization as a growing organization
4.    Provide the best quality service
5.    Make yourself available to customer
6.    Retain customers for longer period

If you have created a value in your business, in your role, in your skills, personality, there is always someone to pay a good price for it.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Decision Making, Difficult or Simple?

Making a decision, right or wrong but they do change lot of things in our life. It’s difficult job but there are scientific ways to make it more systematic and less painful.

Let me describe few to help you

1.    Ask yourself that if your Yes will be more beneficial or your No would be more meaningful for certain decisions.

2.    Calculate the advantages and disadvantages of Saying Yes or Saying No. Put that on paper. so It becomes easier to read and decide if this decision will give more benefits or more problems for you in future.

3.    Put up long term benefits and long term issues on paper based on decision.. what is more important for you.

4.    Is the decision is inline with your passion or your dreams you have been seeing with open eyes, if yes then take a step forward but if its just a timely thing and short term, think twice. Its better to take the pain and run without the decision than taking it and keeping burden of it on your shoulders.

5.    If 1 to 4 seems to be confusing, tell your problem to your nearest friend, tell him to view the situation as he was you and what he would have done if this was the situation.

6.    Don’t keep decision long pending, it hurts when things are not moving and you are ignoring or delaying them.

7.    Don’t follow others blindly unless your inner voice accepts decisions

8.    Don’t consider other’s situation for certain decisions, because different people make different decisions in same situations. Closely monitor your situation and analyze points 1-4, if the benefits are higher then go ahead and if things are not showing promising, pull out the things.

9.    Have a faith on your Blink, your first reaction. For whatever decision you make, what was the first reaction came into the mind. Was it yes.. Then ask yourself why this was yes and if it was No why your first voice from inside was no.. You will get the answer.

10.    Build strength within you and make yourself 100% available mentally when you take a decision, because half hearted things never work well in long term decisions.

I have tried the tricks above and it has helped me to take certain decisions well, you may try and tell me if things work for you as well.
Take bold decisions, even if they hurt in short term, they give good long term benefits.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Welcome Problems, You are my teachers

Welcome Problems, You are my teachers

There is no better teacher in life than the Problems themselves. If there would have been a light across the day and night, there would have not been Bulb Invented by Mr. Thomas Alva Edison. It was the problem of darkness in absence of sun, that made Mr. Edison to think of alternate source of Light and he invented the bulb, not only that he capitalized very well on his invention by forming General Electric company now known as GE.


It puzzles you when the problem comes and shakes hand with you (sometimes it hugs you as well :-) ), immediately a question arises that why has this problem came to me? What went wrong?

Here comes the destruction, frustration, low indemnity and energy goes down to bottom.

Here is the trick to avoid all above.


Change the perspective of looking at the problem.


Consider a problem as an examination that you have to take before you can get reward for all your hard work.  Take the examination with high level of confidence; you need to believe that it’s just the test you have to clear with good marks. You need to believe that you are capable to overcome all the hurdles that come towards the way of success.


And the magic begins, once the problem is solved, you can look back and see what a miracle you have achieved. Now let’s take a revision.

What if there was no problem, you would have been all relaxed but an unused entity. You would have not learned to live in unfavorable conditions, your confidence level would have not been so high that is now, in short you are a much better person now than before.


So let’s welcome problems  ( don’t create them :-) ) , because there is no better teacher than a Problem itself.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Stay Focused, Stay Objective

Our surroundings try to influence us every bit of time, it’s up to us what to take and what to neglect. That is what called focused approach or an Objective thinking practice.
Communication with others and communication with yourself will give you an indication of whether you are talking subjective or objective.

Let’s first understand what subjective thinking is
1. A thought or discussion which is based on an individual. Example “Mr. X is not a good person, Mr. Y is a nice guy, Mrs. Z doesn’t like me”
2. A discussion about any living or non living entity, “This table is good,”, “That politician is not bad”…
3. A criticism towards an individual or organization or a process. Discussion about the problem is also a subjective discussion.

Now if above is subjective, what is objective thinking
1. A discussion bound to an entire process or organization or society or nation.
2. A discussion or a thought regarding a solution of a problem.
3. A discussion or a thought not about a person but the circumstances that made a person good or not good.

Why objective thinking is better than Subjective thinking?
The objective thinking means we are talking about the unfriendly circumstances that could be improved and any living and unloving entity could get the benefit of improvement.

The objective thinking lets us stay focused to overall objective and rather than thinking individuals, we can think of whether the objective is being sufficed or there are barriers to suffice it.

The objective thinking keeps us away from being in judgmental role for any human being or non human being. The judgments are always relative and may get influenced by so many circumstances.

There is really no need to be subjective about others and worry on behalf of them. 

The subjective thinking keeps us away from our creative thinking.

The subjective thinking can take us away from overall objective and it may indulge us in unnecessary controversies.

We should be Objective bound and not subjective bound. An objective bound thinking can keep us focused towards individual or organizational goals. Subjective thinking will do opposite of it.

So let’s take a call, let’s think what was the purpose of our existence at one place (at our role, our position), do the best we can to suffice the objectives of our life, our organization, our society, our nation and then the universe.

All the above entities are expecting us to do better than the best and its only possible if we think only about objectives and keep ourselves focused on meeting the goals and stay away from individualism.