Is there a secret mantra for bringing enthusiasm in our day to day work? How can we regain the lost excitement in our personal life? I recently came across an unusual but inspiring real-life story that may have the answer. This incident took place with Harvey Macky, a well-known motivational speaker.
Harvey was waiting in line for a taxi at the airport. When a car pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed Harvey a laminated card and said, "I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement."
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said, ”Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.”
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."
Harvey said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink."
Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice."
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke."
Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal , Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today."
As they were pulling away, Wally handed Harvey another laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio."
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
"Tell me, Wally," a visibly amazed Harvey asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?"
Wally smiled into the rearview mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd. The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.’
"That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more."
"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said.
"It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.
So, here is the secret mantra. Great service is a matter of choice. You could either quack like a Duck or soar like an Eagle. It doesn't have to be just service. This lesson of this story can be applied bring back enthusiasm to your workplace and personal life. Whatever be the situation in life, it’s our own choice to be a complaining Duck or a soaring Eagle.
There are times when we seem to be perpetually stuck in an unpleasant situation against our wish. It may a stagnant business, or a dead investment, a project that has fallen off-track, a relationship that has gone sour, a job that is not taking us anywhere, and so on. The situation may appear to be completely out of our control; what steps can we take to come out of such conditions? Before I answer this question, consider the following anecdote:
Monkey-hunters use a box with an opening at the top, big enough for the monkey to slide its hand in. Inside the box are nuts. The monkey grabs the nuts and now its hand becomes a fist. The monkey tries to get its hand out but the opening is big enough for the hand to slide in, but too small for the fist to come out. Now the monkey has a choice, either to let go off the nuts and be free forever or hang on to the nuts and get caught. Guess what it picks every time? You guessed it. He hangs on to the nuts and gets caught.
There is an important lesson hidden in this story. Whenever you are in a never ending unhappy situation, think carefully and ask yourself, “Am I hanging onto some nuts here that keep me from going forward in life? Why can’t I break free from this?” You may find yourself rationalizing by saying, "I cannot do this because . . ."; and whatever comes after "because" are the nuts that you are hanging on to which are holding you back.
Once you understand the idea and recognize the nuts you are holding on to, just let go of them. Put a stop loss and get rid of the investments that are not working out. Let go of the business that seems to have no future. Accept the fact that it did not work out in a sour relationship, and let go. Know when to decide to put an end to a failed project, even if it is a highly cherished one. Look at your beliefs and perceptions that are not helping you navigate through life smoothly, and get rid of them. This does not mean that we just quit everything quickly and do not try harder to make it work. Perseverance is good and necessary to achieve anything worthwhile in life. However, after making all possible efforts, if you still find no rays of hope in the situation, then it is worthwhile to consider if it is time to let it go.
So, it is well within your circle of influence to come out of these unhappy situations if you so desire. Just learn to let go when appropriate. Get rid of your bulky baggage that is holding you back. And you will be free to fly again to newer heights.
Wish you and your family happiness and prosperity on the auspicious occasion
of Diwali, and this means not just financial prosperity alone, but Emotional
Prosperity too. What does Emotional Prosperity mean and how can we achieve
it?
When we have close and affectionate relationship with the friends and family
members around us, it is a measure of our Emotional Prosperity. Just
like financial prosperity provides us security, Emotional Prosperity fills our
life with happiness that comes from a sense of love and belonging. This at
times may be even more significant in our lives.
If we want to enjoy close relationship with someone, we need to build trust
between us, and that requires that we make regular deposits in the Emotional Bank Account, to accumulate a healthy balance in it.
Making emotional deposits is not difficult at all once we understand the
concept. Here are some easy ways to make emotional deposits. Let us keep a
keen eye for any opportunities to make these deposits.
The Deposit of Listening
Just paying attention to someone and
listening to him is a big emotional deposit. However, it is essential that you really listen without interrupting. Avoid daydreaming or planning your response as
you listen with the intent to understand the person.
The Deposit of Affection
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and holds. Let
these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends. This
is one area that we very often neglect. Try it with your close ones and you
will be amazed to see its impact.
The Deposit of Laughter
Share jokes and funny stories on WhatsApp and email. Use humor in your
interactions. This is your way of saying, "I like to laugh with you."
The Deposit of Written Note
The art of writing notes is gradually disappearing, but it can be a very handy
emotional deposit. It can be a simple "Thank You", “Sorry”, or “Well Done”
note, or can be a more elaborate expression of your feelings. A handwritten
note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life at times.
The Deposit of Appreciation
Very often we notice things worth appreciation in other, but we hold ourselves
back from expressing it for various reasons. Sincere appreciation is one of
the biggest emotional deposits. A simple and sincere, "You look great in in
this dress”, "You did a great job" or "That was a tasty meal" can make
someone's day. Go ahead and press the like button on Facebook more often. Add
comments of genuine appreciation to the posts that you like. You do not gain
anything by holding back your appreciation for something you like.
The Deposit of a Favor
When a friend is in need and you help him, it gives you double benefit. It is
the easiest way to raise your
happiness,
and it also works well as an emotional deposit. Howsoever small is the
favor, the thoughtfulness behind it helps build trust in your relationship.
Make it a habit to look for ways to help a friend every day.
The Deposit of Solitude
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. If you be
sensitive to those times and let the person have the gift of solitude, you
will make an emotional deposit.
The Deposit of Cheer
The easiest way to make someone feel good is to simply greet him cheerfully
when you see her. Really, it's not that hard to say, Hi, Hello, or Good
Morning with a smiling face, and it immediately makes an emotional deposit.
So, if you want to grow the Emotional Account balance, get into the habit of
making regular deposits. I have listed a few possible deposits in this post,
and if you look around, you will find numerous other ways to make deposits.
Seize all such opportunities, and grow the trust balance in your
relationships. The resulting improvement in quality of your relationships will
make this effort worthwhile.
A horse came galloping quickly down the road. It seemed as though the man had somewhere important to go. Another man, who was standing alongside the road, shouted,"Where are you going?" and the man on the horse replied,"I don't know! Ask the horse!"
A man who was traveling in a foreign land stopped on a crossroad and asked an elderly person, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked,"Where do you want to go?" The man replied,"I do not know." The elder said, "Then you can take any road. What difference does it make?"
These anecdotes bring out an important point for life. If we don't know where we are going, we are not likely to reach anywhere worthwhile. This is why we need to set goals and be aware of them. Goals provide a direction to channelize our energy. Enthusiasm without such a direction is like diffused energy that leads to drifting and frustration.
We know the power of focus in life. On a bright sunny day, the most powerful magnifying glass will not light paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up. When we work with a goal firmly in mind, we can take advantage of focus and concentration. Without a goal, we will not know what to focus on.
Imagine you are in a football match, with all the players ready with full enthusiasm to play the game, and then you take away the goal posts. What will happen to the game? There will be no fun left. How do you score? How do you know when you have scored?
So, get into a habit of setting up goals and working to realize them. The positive difference that it brings to your life will be visible almost immediately. You cannot imagine of boarding a plane or train with no knowledge of where it is going; then why go through the journey of life without having a destination in mind?
किसी भी लक्ष्य को पाने के लिए फोकस और एकाग्रता का होना बहुत जरुरी है। यह सुन्दर कथा इस तथ्य को बहुत खूबसूरती से प्रस्तुत करती है। एक
दिन एक व्यक्ति की घड़ी गुम हो गई। वैसे तो घड़ी कीमती नहीं थी, पर वह उसे
उसकी पत्नी ने शादी की पहली सालगिरह पर भेंट की थी। उसका उस घड़ी से
भावनात्मक जुड़ाव था और वह किसी भी कीमत पर उसे वापस पाना चाहता था। उसने
घड़ी को पूरे घर में खोजा, पर वह उसे कहीं नहीं मिली। इससे वह परेशान हो
गया। तभी उसे सामने मैदान में कुछ बच्चे खेलते हुए नजर आए। उसे लगा कि घड़ी
खोजने में बच्चों की मदद लेनी चाहिए।
उसने बच्चों को अपने पास
बुलाकर कहा, "सुनो बच्चो, मेरी घड़ी घर में कहीं गुम हो गई है। तुममें से जो
कोई भी उसे खोज निकालेगा, उसे मैं 100 रुपए इनाम दूंगा।" फिर क्या था, सभी
बच्चे जोर-शोर से इस काम में जुट गए। उन्होंने घड़ी को घर में हर जगह
ढूंढा, पर वह उन्हें नहीं मिली। मायूस होकर जब बच्चे जाने लगे, तभी उनमें
से एक लड़का उस व्यक्ति के पास आया और बोला,"काकाजी, मुझे एक मौका और दीजिए।
पर इस बार मैं यह काम अकेले ही करना चाहूंगा।"
घड़ी मिलने की
उम्मीद टूट चुकी थी, फिर भी उसने लड़के की बात मानते हुए हामी भर दी। इसके
बाद वह लड़का घर के कमरों में एक-एक कर गया। जब वह उस व्यक्ति के शयनकक्ष से
निकला तो घड़ी उसके हाथ में थी। घड़ी देख वह व्यक्ति प्रसन्न हो गया और उसने
लड़के से अचरज से पूछा-"बेटा, कहां थी यह घड़ी? हम सभी नाकाम हो गए, आखिर
तुमने इसे कैसे ढूंढ निकाला?"
लड़का बोला, "बस मैं कमरे में गया
और घड़ी की आवाज पर ध्यान केंद्रित करने लगा। कमरे में शांति होने के कारण
मुझे घड़ी की टिक-टिक सुनाई दे गई, जिससे मैंने उसकी दिशा का अंदाजा लगा
लिया और अलमारी के पीछे गिरी इस घड़ी को खोज निकाला।"
I have shared a series of posts on how I went around learning about digital recording process at home. Since then, I have been using this learning to have endless
fun doing recordings and in the process discovering more new things regularly. However, my focus was on audio as the music was provided by a ready made Karaoke track, and my contribution to the song was confined to vocals. I have deep fascination for the sound of music that seems to be a mix of so many different instruments. I wished I could create such music myself, but I did not know how to go about it. This post is the story of my attempts to make a move from singing and audio mixing to music creation. Since it is about music, it will be more than a dry text, and will have many samples of my recordings for you to listen to. So prepare yourself by putting on your headphones!
Getting Started
As a part of Synopsys’ band Enchanting Engineers, I got an opportunity to observe some of the finest musicians like Jagminder Chugh and Radhika Gupta from a close distance. These people have invested a huge amount of time on their passion and devoted years in practice. They have such mastery on the instruments they play that their performances are a treat to listen and pure magic to watch.
I myself had tried my hand on a few instruments like harmonium, keyboard, flute, mouth organ, and random beats on the table (not Tabla) with varying success, but since I see myself primarily as a singer, I could never get reasonable proficiency in any of them. However, with my adventures in the audio world, I had started to get a feeling that it should be possible to combine technology with art and come up something reasonable without being an expert musician. But how to do it?
Learning Keyboard Basics
So, I started exploring electronic keyboard for an answer to this puzzle. A keyboard is an ideal place to start creating music since it has the easiest to play interface, with options to choose the instrument. It can also add accompaniment of drum beats in various styles. Modern keyboards use sampled instrument technique to create good sounding music with ease. So, I practiced and learned to play some of my favorite songs on keyboard. However, they sounded very raw without supporting music. Leveraging my audio experience, I supplemented them with Karaoke tracks so that I listened to the Karaoke track and played the lead part on keyboard in sync with it while recording it on computer. To my delight, it started sounding like a reasonable instrumental track. Listen to the song “Bekaraar Karke” below to get an idea of what I mean:
The Magic of Midi
This was a good finding, so I started using it on more songs, and then I discovered Midi. Midi stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It is a standard language for music programming supported by most keyboards and computers. It is a popular tool used by musicians, since it allows music notes to be stored on multiple parallel channels. For my next song, I tried to record notes from my keyboard in Midi format. The main improvement I got was that I could hook up any instrument to play these notes later. Listen to the “Jaane Kahan Gaye” recording below, in which I used Midi recording and changed to Saxophone to play it during mixing.
The next logical step was to try to use different instruments for different parts of the song creating variety in the music. In this case, I played the song on keyboard and recorded Midi notes on computer, and then edited Midi file to change instruments in different parts of the song. The results were really interesting to hear. As an example, I tried this method to record “Hoto se choo lo” in the track below:
Midi opened another possibility for me. Maybe it was no longer necessary to play the song on keyboard; how about using a Midi editor on computer to enter the notes of the song directly. When I tried out this idea, it worked, but was not satisfactory since it sounded more mechanical than natural. Due to this, I had to drop this approach. The track below illustrates what I mean:
Understanding Music and the Structure of a Song
My efforts to create music so far did not yield the outcome that I was trying to get. The music I played sounded flat and bare bone. What was I missing here? To find an answer, I had to learn essential theory of music – about notes, staff notation, scales, beats and rhythm, intervals and chords, and so on. It was an interesting revelation that a lot of music theory has scientific foundation and the great mathematician Pythagoras himself contributed to the Circle of Fifth theorem in music. Armed with this knowledge, I set out to understand the various components of a song. Using Reaper, I took apart many Midi songs, and learned after hours of experimentation that a song’s groove contains a mix of drums, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, piano, and strings sounds, all playing identical chords in sync. In most songs, we can not tell these sounds distinctly due to their low volume in the mix, but they contribute to the feel of the groove. For my music tracks to sound good, they would need such a mix as well. Listen to the song “Pukarata Chala Hun” below that was the source of this insight. (Not my recording).
Exploring Loops and Accompaniments
I was keen to use my new findings to create music for a song for which a Karaoke track is not available. One such song was Karvan Guzar Gaya gubar dekhte rahe. I used my keyboard to get a suitable Tabla groove for this song, recorded a few bars of this groove in Reaper, and used it as a ‘loop’ to create the background music. This means that a small sample of the groove is repeated again and again throughout the song. I am happy that this method allowed me to do my favorite number with good results, but after a while I could feel that the music is sounding bare since there are no other instruments. Listen to the resulting song below.
Next, I tried to get add some rhythm instruments using the accompaniment feature of my keyboard. I came across a beautiful poem by my friend Sanjay Srivastava, and I used my keyboard to create the background for it. It sounded much better with the chord sounds added, but since it was the same chord, it added a touch of monotony after a while. The recording below illustrates the point:
When Jagminder suggested a song to be done in Enchanting Engineers with our own composition, I tried to compose a draft of its background music by using a Midi editor and picking up parts from Midi files and rearranging it. We could never get to do this in Enchanting Engineers, but this effort got me a track that came very close to what I was looking for. The track below was the result:
Band in a Box - Finally
By now, I had realized that to create a good music track, I need to find a way to get drums, bass guitar, strings, rhythm guitar, piano to play together in a specific pattern. One possibility was to play them on keyboard one at a time and used layered recording to mix the sounds, but it was too much for my music skills. I was looking for a technology solution to the problem; and then I came across Band in a Box, a music software tool that is the exact solution I was looking for. Like a keyboard, it offers various rhythm styles like Rock, Pop, Disco, etc., allows you to program the chord progression for a song, and play the melody part on your keyboard. In no time, I could use it to create music of my favorite song Bekaraar Karke Hame, and was very happy with the results. This was exactly what I had been trying to do!
Band in a Box also have some styles with solo guitar that gives a feel of performing with a live guitarist. I used such a style to create cover for Batein Kuch Ankahi Si, and when I sang with it, it gave me exactly the same feel that I had while doing this number live with Jagminder. This was amazing indeed!
I found it to be an ideal tool for a composer, since it allows melody to be captured and stored in small chunks, so you need to play only a piece at a time. By now, I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to try and create a cover for a full song. I chose what I believed was a simple song – Hoton Se, but it turned out to be much more difficult than that. I could finally get it right with a few day’s effort, and was pleased to see my first full cover for a song.
Band in a Box is like a band of musicians ready to play what you ask them to. It is very easy to program for playing a chord progression for a song. The preset drum styles allow user defined variations and fills. It supports Midi record and play for user melody parts. With support for viewing and editing staff notation, it is a good music learning tool as well. However, to get good results out of it, you have to know the chords and melody of the song well. I tried one more song on it, Hai Apna Dil to Awara, which also turned out to be equally interesting:
As far as my memory goes, the music of Come September by Billy Vaughn has been my childhood fantasy. The guitar notes in in were a treat to listen to. I tried it in past on keyboard with laughable results. I could recently find this song on YouTube and decided to give it one more try. It was an enjoyable experience trying to recreate the magic of this beautiful number:
The Journey Goes On
So, this is a story of my adventures with music so far. Hope I did not bore you with too many details. Can I call myself a musician now? Not really; At best, I am just a novice in music wonderland. I feel a little comfortable working with music concepts now, but there is so much to explore, so much to learn, and hours of enjoyment ahead. However, one thing can be said with certainty that in last two years, I transitioned from Audio Wonderland to Music Wonderland; and the journey continues..
If you are reading beyond this point, you are likely to be interested in finding out more about this topic. Here are some good introductory books to read on this topic:
Music Theory For Dummies by Michael Pilhofer
Playing Keyboard for Dummies by Jerry Kovarsky
Music Series - My Experiences
Welcome to my Music Series blogs. There are following posts in this series;
Paryushan / Das Lakshan is a religious
festival that Jains celebrate with a great enthusiasm. It is marked by ten days
of religious festivities in which each day is devoted to one virtue or
dharma. Many of us view it as a period to recharge our spiritual side, in which
we devote time in the temple doing worships, fasts, and listening to spiritual
discourses.
However, the ten virtues that are central to this festival give us much
more than religious and moral values. In this post, I will try to outline a different way of looking at Paryushan by taking
a few of these virtues as example. If we use this new
paradigm, we find that these virtues have solid practical advice hidden in
them that has relevance in our daily life. Even if we try to understand and
practice one of these virtues in real life situations, it has a
potential of changing our life for better.
उत्तम क्षमा / Uttam Chama
उत्तम मार्दव / Uttam Mardav
उत्तम आर्जव / Uttam Aarjav
उत्तम शौच / Uttam Shauch
उत्तम सत्य / Uttam Satya
उत्तम संयम / Uttam Sanyam
उत्तम तप - Uttam Tap
उत्तम त्याग / Uttam Tyaag
उत्तम अकिंचन्य / Uttam Akinchanya
उत्तम ब्रहमचर्य / Uttam Brahamacharya
Uttam Kshama – Forgiveness
When someone hurts us, we should be quick to forgive him,
and if we hurt someone, we should come forward and apologize. This is
established as one of the most fundamental way of improving inter-personal
relationships. Most common cause of a broken relationship is the lack of
forgiveness. Hence, it makes a perfect practical sense to adopt forgiveness as
a way of life and be more tolerant towards the fault of others. However, it
goes a little further and urges you to be equally tolerant towards your own
flaws as well. When your own actions do not measure up to your standards, do
not be too harsh in your judgment. Accept your own mistakes with the same feeling of forgiveness as you
accept others.
Uttam Mardav – Humility and Modesty
All of us are created equal; no one is inferior or superior.
If we start treating others with humility, it will pave the way for a much
better society. The principle is simple to understand, but not easy to practice.
People either tend to treat others as inferior or superior to them most of the
times. This is of significant practical value as getting rid of your pride can
help you relate much better to others and win you many friends.
Uttam Arjav – Integrity
If one lacks integrity, he will think one thing, speak
something else and do something entirely different. Such a person loses
credibility very quickly. On the contrary if we want to win the trust of
others, we have to practice integrity. Say as you think, and do as you say.
This is not just a great moral value, but most successful companies are
adopting it as corporate value these days. Without integrity and trust, it is hard
to do business, and even harder to establish a long lasting relationship.
Uttam Shauch – Purity and Contentment
While we talk about purity here, it is not only the purity
of body that can be achieved by cleanliness, but purity of soul, that requires us to be content. There is no end of desires, and if we are not content
with what we have, it leads to unhappiness in life.
Uttam Satya – Truth
The benefits of being truthful are very well known. It has
such an impact on our life and happiness. Gandhiji also gave a lot of stress on
being truthful. It also implies that we should always seek the truth. However, this
principle goes a bit further and asks us to not only speak truth, but also
ensure that we do not hurt others by saying harsh words to them. With the rampant menace of fake news, it has become vital now to apply this principle before we post anything on social media.
Uttam Sanyam – Self-regulation, and Moderation
Watch a deepak (lamp) that illuminate our house; it contains
the same fire that can cause devastation if left uncontrolled, but when this
fire is carefully regulated in the lamp, it gives us light. In the same way,
when we harness or channelize our energies in a positive way, it becomes a
constructive force that moves our world. If we do not, it will cause negative
impact on our lives. To channelize our energies, we must exercise self-control or sanyam that ensures that the fire does not get an uncontrolled supply of
fuel and get out of control. This is a very practical argument in favor of
living a disciplined, purposeful life.
Uttam Tap - Reducing Indulgence
It is well known that over-indulgence inevitably leads to unhappiness in life. Uttam Tap aims at
reducing indulgence and keeping desires and passions in control. Some of the useful practices involved at physical level are fasting, avoiding overeating and unhealthy foods. At the spiritual level it involves meditation, which is a universally acknowledged practice to steady your mind.
Uttam Tyag - Renunciation
Uttam Tyag or renunciation works at two levels - at physical level it is about giving up worldly possessions and live a life of contentment while keeping desires in check, and at emotional level by letting go of the emotions, that can cause major stress to us. You are known not by the amount of your accumulated wealth but by the wealth you renounce for others. Renunciation is done at the highest level by saints who renounce not only the household but also all their negative emotions.
Uttam Akinchan – Non-attachment
Akinchan encourages us to reduce parigraha (belongings) and
reduce our attachment towards it. It is also about avoiding excessive
consumption. While the world is grappling with the problem of how to go green
to control the damage to our environment, Akinchan shows a simple way to do
it. If all of us reduce our consumption, our belongings, our carbon footprint,
we can leave a better earth for our future generations. We need to learn how to go after less, not more. Excessive attachment to possessions causes unhappiness in our life.
Uttam Brahmacharya - Free Yourself from Senses
Uttam Brahmacharya aims at reducing our dependence on sensory gratification so that you can use your energy for higher pursuits. We can become more effective if we stop being a slave of our senses, as this allows us to do what is important for us, not just what gives us the momentary physical pleasure. The saints practice this to the highest degree with their body, speech and mind, refraining from all pleasures associated with the senses so that they can pursue their supreme goal of salvation.
I offer my advance apologies to the purists
who may not like this interpretation of Paryushan, my intent is not to temper with religion,
but to extract more practical value out of it.
Humility /Modesty is a vital virtue, and all of us think we are humble and modest. What about you? Do you believe the same about yourself? Why not take this simple test of modesty to confirm? Imagine that you are asked to find someone lower than you and help him, what will be your response? Note it down and read the story below to check your results.
A rich man went to his guru and said, "I want to develop humility, please guide me." The guru suggested that he help someone who is lower than him.
He did that and came back to the guru and said, "I have helped a poor man today with money. Am I humble now?"
The guru said, "No", and asked him to help another man lower than him.
The man kept helping poor people and coming back, but the guru kept asking him to do more.
After repeated visits to different people, he became impatient and finally asked the guru, "When will I become humble?"
The wise guru replied, "As long as you keep finding people lower than you, you are not humble. You will have obtained humility when you can no longer find anyone that you think is lower than you in any way!"
The sound of music played by a live band mesmerizes us, and leaves us wondering what makes it so pleasant to hear. We engineers like to take everything apart, and look under the hood. In this post, I will present a layer-by-layer introduction to the different parts that typically go into making of a song.
So, put on your earphones, and let us embark on a musical journey together.
1. Basic Beats
Let us start with the basic beats, created with drums and percussion instruments. You must have seen a drum kit that contains bass drum, snare, tom-toms, hi-hat, cymbals, and so on. Add to it percussion instruments such as tambourine, cowbell, shakers, triangle, and other hand percussion, to provide extra color to the rhythm. Listen to the track below to hear the sound of the resulting beats. (Use earphones for listening pleasure).
2. Bass
Let us add Bass sound to the basic beat. Bass presents the low notes that play some sort of rhythmic, moving series of notes. It may be an electric, acoustic (upright), or synth bass sound, depending on the style of music. Listen to the track below to see how it sounds after Bass is added.
3. Chordal Part
A band may have one or more players playing the chords on different instruments. When we add chordal part to our song, it gives an interesting color to the sound of the beat. Listen to the track below to know what I mean:
4. Sustained Chords
For additional interest, instruments like strings or synth pad are used to add sustained chords. This brings more variety to the sound. Listen to the track below in which strings have been added:
5. Lead Guitar
Now, lead guitar is added to play the preludes and interludes of the song. At this point, the song starts to come alive. Listen to the track below to get a feel of it:
6. Melody
Finally, it is time to add the main melody part. In this example, we used a piano to do this part, but it can be vocals as well. Our performance is ready now. Listen to the completed song below, can you distinguish different sounds that went into making it?
So, these are the different parts of a typical song. All these parts need to be played in perfect tune and rhythm for it to sound good, that’s why a band has to put in a lot of practice and preparation into any performance. It should be interesting to know that electronics plays a major role in creation of music these days. Many bands that are small use electronic keyboards today to create several of these sounds.
Take a look at an apple tree. There might be 500 apples on the tree, and each apple has more than ten seeds. That's a lot of seeds! You might ask, "Why would we need so many seeds to grow just a few more apple trees?"
Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us, "Not all seeds grow into a tree."
The key lesson is - if you really want to achieve success, better be prepared to sow many seeds; try as many times as necessary."
This might mean:
You may have to attend twenty interviews to get one job.
You may need to interview forty people to find one good employee.
You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, one car, one vacuum cleaner, one insurance policy, or a business idea.
And you may have to meet a hundred acquaintances just to find one special friend.
When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't get so disappointed when our efforts do no bear fruit. We stop feeling like victims. We remind ourselves that it is a law of nature, and we need to try again and harder. We learn how to deal with failure effectively.
In a nutshell, successful people fail more often, and they keep planting more and more seeds till they succeed.
We know how important it is to charge our smartphone battery everyday. We depend so heavily on the phone that we dread the situation when the battery runs out and the phone goes dead. Everywhere you can see a familiar sight of people next to a power socket charging their phones.
Why don't we watch our own batteries with equal eagerness and recharge them regularly? When it comes to our own well-being, we tend to neglect it to a point that the batteries are about to run out. The most common excuse for this is, "I am too busy right now, will do it next week / month."
It reminds me of the woodcutter, who was working to saw down a tree. He was exhausted from working for hours. Someone noticed that his saw has gone blunt and suggested that he take a break to sharpen the saw. The woodcutter replied, "I don't have time to sharpen the saw, I'm busy sawing!"
Are we not a victim of the same syndrome? Why can't we take enough time for improving ourselves on a regular basis so that we are better equipped to tackle the challenges of life?
We are sum total of four distinct parts – Body, Mind, Heart, and Spirit and we need to continuously charge our batteries in these four areas. You can call them four dimensions of well-being that need to be nurtured to achieve the right balance. If we ignore any one of these aspects, it will affect our happiness adversely.
Let us find out more about what these parts are and how can we take care of them.
Physical well-being relates to our body and health.
We need regular exercise, adequate rest, and healthy diet to stay physically fit.
If we ignore our health for a prolonged period, it may cause an illness, reducing our capacity to work.
Mental well-being is about knowledge, thinking, and intellect.
We need to recharge our mental ability by reading and learning new things.
This helps us do the same job with a deeper understanding, and equips us to take on more challenging tasks.
Another important dimension is Emotional well-being, which includes relationships and trust.
The work alone cannot give us a happy and satisfied life.
We need to invest in close relationships within our family and friend circle for emotional well-being.
The fourth dimension is spiritual well-being, which is about the meaning in life, purpose, values and religion.
When we take time to think and discover our mission in life, it can have a truly energizing effect on all areas of our life.
So, every evening when you plug your phone into the charger, remind yourself that you need to charge your own batteries as well. As you go through your day, find opportunities to recharge yourself in any of the four dimensions. This will pave the way to long lasting happiness.
In difficult times when are about to give up, our faith is really put to a test. We can emerge victorious in such situations if we can manage to hold on just a bit longer. I came across an inspiring story that illustrates this point very well:
There was once a man who got lost in the desert. The water in his flask ran out two days ago, and he was on his last legs. He knew that if he didn't get some water soon, he would surely perish. The man saw a shack ahead of him. He thought it might be a mirage or hallucination, but having no other option, he moved toward it. As he got closer he realized it was quite real, so he dragged his weary body to the door with the last of his strength.
The shack was not occupied and seemed like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The man gained entrance, hoping against hope that he might find water inside.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in the shack - a water pump. It had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep under ground.
He began working the pump, but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened. Finally he gave up from exhaustion and frustration. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all.
Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the shack. It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.
He uncorked the bottle and was about to gulp down the sweet life-giving water when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it. Handwriting on the paper read: "Use this water to start the pump. Don't forget to fill the bottle when you're done."
He had a dilemma. He could follow the instruction and pour the water into the pump, or he could ignore it and just drink the water.
What to do? If he let the water go into the pump, what assurance did he have that it would work? What if the pump malfunctioned? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground reservoir had long dried up?
But then, maybe the instruction was correct. Should he risk it? If it turned out to be false, he would be throwing away the last water he would ever see.
Hands trembling, he poured the water into the pump. Then he closed his eyes, said a prayer, and started working the pump.
He heard a gurgling sound, and then water came gushing out, more than he could possibly use. He luxuriated in the cool and refreshing stream. He was going to live!
After drinking his fill and feeling much better, he looked around the shack. He found a pencil and a map of the region. The map showed that he was still far away from civilization, but at least now he knew where he was and which direction to go.
He filled his flask for the journey ahead. He also filled the bottle and put the cork back in. Before leaving the shack, he added his own writing below the instruction: "Believe me, it works!"
This story is all about life. It teaches us that we must give before we can receive abundantly. More importantly, it also teaches that faith plays an important role in giving. The man did not know if his action would be rewarded, but he proceeded regardless. Without knowing what to expect, he made a leap of faith.
Whenever you find yourself in a situation with no light at the end of tunnel, take a leap of faith by reminding yourself of the message on the note, "Use this water to start the pump. Believe me, it works!" About this Post
Thanks a lot Jagminder Chugh for sending this inspiring story.
Remembering you fondly Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on the occasion of your birth anniversary. It is hard to believe that you are no more among us. You have been and will always be a huge source of inspiration for me. I consider myself fortunate that I got an opportunity to meet you in person when you were leading India's missile program.
Just today I was watching your interview on TV – every word that you spoke was so full of positive thoughts and vision for a bright future for our country that I found the enthusiasm to be rubbing on me as well. You were such a source of positive energy that I felt charged and inspired while watching you on TV.
Your life and writings will continue to inspire us in the years to come. Here is a collection of inspiring quotes from you:
You have to dream before your dreams can come true.
Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep.
Don't take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.
This is my belief that through difficulties and problems God gives us the opportunity to grow. So when your hopes and dreams and goals are dashed, search among the wreckage, you may find a golden opportunity hidden in the ruins.
Why be afraid of difficulties, sufferings and problems? When
troubles come, try to understand the relevance of your sufferings.
Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.
God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways All our
life through; God has not promised Sun without rain, joy without sorrow,
peace without pain.
Failure will never overtake me if my definition to succeed is strong enough.
Be active! Take on responsibility! Work for the things you believe in. If you do not, you are surrendering your fate to others.
Once your mind stretches to a new level it never goes back to its original dimension.
The sides of the mountain sustain life, not the peak. This is where things grow, experience is gained, and technologies are mastered. The importance of the peak lies only in the fact that it defines the sides.
If you want to leave your footprints on the sands of time, do not drag your feet.
He who knows others is learned, but the wise one is the one who knows himself. Learning without wisdom is of no use.
Within the mind are all the resources required for successful living. Ideas are present in the consciousness, which when released and given scope to grow and take shape, can lead to successful events.
My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people.
A positive attitude provides the essential fuel to keep you charged and ready to face everyday challenges in life. However, there are some really difficult times in every one’s life when he finds himself to be in an endless crisis. These are days when he feels so low that he does not even want to get out of the bed and face the world. Examples of such a crisis could be:
An important project at work runs into a crisis situation with no solution in sight.
Business not going well – resulting in huge losses and financial disaster – have run out of money.
Lost job and unable to find a new one.
Serious health issues for self or a family member.
Loss of someone close due to death.
A difficult to resolve conflict in a close relationship.
Faced with such a crisis, one may think, "There is nothing I can look forward to. I am finished. The future is bleak. I find myself in a tight corner. What is there for me to feel positive about?"
Even the most hopeless situation can be turned around. Have heart from the fact that there are numerous stories of people who have faced such crisis situations and successfully come out of them. To handle our crisis successfully, we need to try our best and take positive action, but for that, we need to be in right frame of mind. It is necessary for us to keep a fighter’s spirit. However, the real challenge is – how do we keep high spirits in the midst of such a hopeless situation when we are feeling so dejected and worn out?
We need a lifeline, a booster dose of positive thinking to help us bail out from such a situation. The lifeline I am going to suggest is based on what Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Anyone can carry his burden, however heavy, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, until the sun goes down. And this is all that life really means.”
This booster dose is a program called “Just For Today”, using which we can charge our batteries daily with cheerful and constructive thinking, and get going with action.
Just For Today
Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do, just for exercise.
Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
Just for today I will have a schedule. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecision.
Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.
Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.
This program was originally written long ago by Sibyl F. Partridge, but I learned about it from Dale Carnegie's book. I have tried this program myself and found it to be very effective as a lifeline.
As a child, I had a 78 RPM vinyl disk with a non-filmi bhajan sung by Mukesh, that went like this.
नैतिकता की सुर सरिता में, जन जन मन पावन हो संयममय जीवन हो
It was my favorite song, and I used to play it very often. However, with time, we lost our treasure of these Vinyl records and gradually I forgot the exact words of the songs as well, but it continued to haunt my memories over the years. I was thrilled when I could locate a youtube video that had a small fraction of this record. Listen to this video below and you will get a feel of the song.
Some more search on internet helped me assemble the lyrics of the song as well and I discovered that it is Anuvrat Geet by Acharya Tulsi. Here is the inspiring song that talks about self-discipline, good values, friendship, and principled living. I am also adding my interpretation of the meaning of this song below. (Warning - It may not be an accurate translation.)
नैतिकता की सुर सरिता में, जन जन मन पावन हो संयममय जीवन हो
May we adopt morality and good values to purify ourselves and live a life with Sanyam.
अपने से अपना अनुशासन संयम की परिभाषा, वर्ण जाति या सम्प्रदाय से मुक्त धर्म की भाषा, छोटे छोटे संकल्पों से मानस परिवर्तन हो संयममय जीवन हो
Sanyam means self-control or self-discipline. It is a universal principle applicaple to everyone irrespective of his sect, caste or creed. May we exercise self-control and build willpower by making small resolves and keeping them.
मैत्री भाव हमारा सबसे प्रतिदिन बढता जाए समता सह-अस्तित्व समन्वय-नीति सफलता पाए शुद्ध साध्य् के लिये नियोजित मात्र शुद्ध साधन हो संयममय जीवन हो
May we get more and more friendly with each other, following the values of equality, co-existence, and co-operation.
Since a noble cause does not justify unfair means to be employed, may we always employ just means for just ends.
विध्यार्थी या शि़क्षक हो मज़दूर और व्यापारी नर हो नारी बने नीतिमय जीवनचर्या सारी कथनी-करनी की समानता मे गतिशील चरन हो संयममय जीवन हो
May everyone adopts a lifestyle based on principles and values. May we treat integrity as a key value to be pursued; do as we say and say as we do.
प्रभु बनकर के ही हम प्रभु की पूजा कर सकते हैं प्रामाणिक बनकर ही संकट सागर तर सकते हैं आज अहिंसा शौर्य वीर्य संयुत जीवन दर्शन हो संयममय जीवन हो
What better way to worship God than to try to imbibe His qualities and follow the path shown by Him? We need to be authentic and genuine to squarely face the enormous challenges in life. May we adopt the right attitude with a perfect blend of courage and non-violence.
सुधरे व्यक्ति समाज व्यक्ति से राष्ट्र स्वयं सुधरेगा तुलसी अणु का सिंहनाद सारे जग में प्रसरेगा मानवीय आचार संहिता में अर्पित तन-मन हो संयममय जीवन हो
If all of us work on improving ourselves, this will gradually lead to the improvement of the society, and then the whole world.
May we dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of a moral code of conduct with good values.
Here is another video of the same song sung by Rajendra Jain:
To be successful at anything, mere intent to do it is not adequate; it needs a lot more effort and hard work. I came across this beautiful article recently with simple and sound advice on what does it take to succeed in anything that you set out to do. I believe this advice can particularly help students in improving their odds of success at studies:
किसी भी काम की सफलता के पीछे कई चीज़ों का सहारा होता है। केवल एक काम करने का फैसला कर लेना ही उसके परिणाम को सफलता के शिखर तक पहुंचाने के लिए कारगर साबित नहीं होता, बल्कि उसके साथ कई भाव जुड़े होते हैं। क्या हैं वे भाव जो बनाते हैं किसी काम को सफल : काम पर ध्यान(Concentration)
यह देखना अहम है कि आप काम को कितने ध्यान से करते हैं और उसे किस रूप में बदलते हैं। सबसे जरूरी है, आप उस काम को करने के लिए अपने भीतर कितनी एकाग्रता लाते हैं क्योंकि एकाग्रता ऐसा पड़ाव है जो किसी भी काम को सफल या असफल बनाने के लिए जिम्मेदार होता है।
ठान लेने की आदत (Determination)
अगर आपकी एकाग्रता कम है, तो काम को असफल होने से कोई नही रोक सकता। अगर आप दुनिया-जहान को भूलकर अपने काम में डूबे हुए हैं, पूरी एकाग्रता के साथ उसे पूरा करने का निश्चय बनाए बैठे हैं तो एक अच्छा नतीजा आपको मिलेगा ही।
फोकस जरूरी (Focus)
अक्सर लोग काम करते समय यह नहीं समझ पाते कि इतना वक्त देने के बावजूद भी काम पूरा क्यों नहीं हो रहा है। इसका सबसे बड़ा कारण है फोकस की कमी। फर्ज कीजिए आप घर बैठे हैं और अचानक आपको ऑफिस का कोई अर्जेंट काम करना पड़े। घर में ढेर सारे रिश्तेदार भी आए हुए हैं। ऐसे में आप काम करने बैठ तो गए, लेकिन पूरा नहीं कर पा रहे हैं। यही काम अगर आप ऑफिस में बैठकर करते तो शायद 5 मिनट में खत्म हो जाता। ऐसा क्यों/ क्योंकि ऑफिस में पूरी तरह से फोकस होकर काम कर पाते हैं।
दिमाग रखें शांत (Quiet Mind)
कभी यह ना भूलें कि एकाग्रता आप तभी बनाए रख सकते हैं, जब आपका दिमाग शांत हो और किसी प्रकार की कोई परेशानी न हो। अगर आप किन्हीं कारणों से दुखी हैं, घर-परिवार की कोई परेशानी या फिर लाइफ पार्टनर के साथ हुआ मतभेद दिमाग में घूम रहा है तो आप काम नहीं कर पाएंगे। सबसे पहले आपको दिमाग शांत करने की जरूरत है। इसके लिए या तो आप उन मतभेदों को सुलझा लें या खुद ही दिमाग को इस प्रकार से स्थिर बनाएं कि आपका ध्यान उन बातों पर जा ही ना सके।
I am not exactly happy with my willpower. Very often my willpower has been put
to test in real life situations with not so good results. I do not remember
how many times I took up a firm resolve to quit smoking and failed to keep it.
Same goes for my attempts to be regular with exercise or healthy diet. On the
extreme side, sometimes I find myself procrastinating in an infinite loop even
on the tasks that I know are vitally important. As a student, I often promised
to myself that I would study harder the next semester to improve my grades,
but rarely managed to do it.
Do you also relate to some of these situations? In such situations, chances
are that you get the following well-meaning advice from friends and family,
You need to push yourself harder. You can do it. Just push and push
more. And you go back and push harder and with more effort with no success. It feels
like I am attempting to move a heavy rock. What’s wrong here in my approach or
what should I do differently?
Let us try to apply some fresh thinking here. Imagine you need to move a very
heavy box kept at ground; you try a light shove and it does not budge. You try
to push it away harder and harder and it still remains unmoved. If you grab
its handle and try to pull it towards you instead, it is much more likely to
move. You don’t believe it? Go ahead and try it out yourself and you will find
that pulling a load feels easier than pushing it.
We learn the reason for this in the physics class. When we pull a load, part
of our force works to neutralize the weight of the load, thus reducing the
friction; but when we push it, our force adds up to the weight, and the
increased friction makes it harder to move.
How do we translate this knowledge to our willpower problem? Instead of
pushing harder and forcing myself to do something because it has to be done,
What if I try a pull that draws and attracts me towards it? The things that
we like doing seem so easy. Now, it is just a matter of finding the right
pull factor for anything that you want to accomplish. In the examples cited
above, the following could be possible pull factors:
Quitting smoking is easier if I am driven by the health benefits that it
will bring to me.
Similarly a goal to achieve a healthier body can act as the pull factor
for exercising and dieting.
To pull yourself out of procrastination loop, the best trick is to think of
the peace of mind completing today’s work on time will give you.
As you sit down to study, vividly imagine your report card filled with
desired grades, or getting admission to your favorite college, and you can
experience the pull working for you.
It is so simple yet such a powerful idea – almost like a Swiss knife that can
be applied to any personal management problem. Stop forcing and pushing.
Instead try to motivate yourself with a gentle pull, and feel the easy flow.
As you gradually get the hang of it, you will no longer feel that will power
is a problem for you.
You may ask, If it is so powerful, can this idea be applied in inter-personal
situations as well? Definitely yes. Imagine a situation that you have a
serious argument on an issue with someone and you want him to agree with you
very badly. There are several ways you can go about influencing him;
You can try to apply force and push him to do it. You can use your authority
or escalate it to get someone senior to intervene. You can also try threats of
dire consequences, or use emotional blackmail tactics in a close relationship.
I can see a smile coming on your face as you read the above lines – you know
from experience that such tactics do not work reliably.
What if you try a gentle pull to win him over into an agreement? How? Invest
as much time as required to have a dialog with him about the contentious
issue. Make it clear as you start the discussion that he does not have to
agree with what you say. Take pains to listen emphatically with an open mind
and understand how he sees it. Only after you understand him, then talk about
how you see it, and why you believe it to be this way. Keep your patience and
invite him to share his objections or concerns about your view. Iterate over
the process and do not attempt to hurry. Serious differences in opinion take a
lot of time to sort out – give it the time that it needs.
Does this pull approach work in real-life complex arguments? In my own
experience, on numerous occasions I have seen it work like black magic. It is
not that you would always succeed in having your opinion prevail, but you will
emerge with a better mutual understanding of the issue and arrive at the best
decision together. And a pleasant side effect is that both the parties embrace
the outcome fully now, without any residual bad feeling, making the
relationship between the two of you stronger in the process.
So, next time you find yourself in a willpower problem or an argument, stop
yourself and remember that it is easier to pull than to push. Start applying
the pull force in every day situations and if the outcome takes you by
surprise, share the experience with me.
About this Post
I find blogging to be a good utilization of the time spent on a long flight.
This post was conceived and written on a flight from Brussels to Delhi.
Each of us needs to make many decisions in our every day life. It may range from simple ones to very involved life changing choices. Here are some examples:
Where to go for dinner?
What to eat today?
What to wear to a party?
Which dress to buy?
Should I go to the movie today or should I use the time for study instead?
Should I get up and exercise or catch some more sleep?
What line should I opt for study?
What career should I choose?
Where do I invest my money?
Is he the right one to be my life partner?
How do you tackle these daily choices? Do you get a nagging feeling after making a choice that there was a better option that you missed? There is no doubt that many of these decisions are vital in determining our long-term happiness. A good decision will have a positive impact while a wrong decision today will have serious consequences in the long run. It is like walking in a maze. The choice you make at every turn can move you closer to the exit or deeper inside the maze.
If you are a youngster, do you depend on somebody else like parents, elder brother or sister to decide for you? Do you consult experienced people or do you tend to decide all by yourself? How do you involve those who would be impacted by your decision in the process?
Making a choice may look like a burden at times, but the reality is far from it. We humans have been given a unique gift - the ability to make a choice. In any situation, we do have a choice and we are responsible for the consequences of our choice. We can steer our life to a path of happiness and fulfillment by making right choices. According to Stephen Covey, this is a fundamental principle that always applies.
You may ask, "Is there a way I can make these decisions more effectively?" Try to follow this three step approach next time you have to make a decision, it will improve the quality of your decision and will make the process more fun.
Step 1
Gather all facts needed to make this decision. This may need more time for an important choice. It also includes available choices, opinion of others, possible impact on you and others. Do not go to step 2 till you have the necessary information.
Step 2
Analyze the available facts and take the decision based on your judgment. Use your value system to arrive at the choice that seems right to you. Very often, if you have worked well on step 1, the right decision will pop up on its own like a cork from the bottle.
Step 3
Once you have taken the decision, abandon all doubts about it and go about executing it with all your might. This is a vital step, since there is no point spending all this effort if you fail to implement the decision.
So what are you waiting for? Use the power of choice and make your decisions – before someone else decides for you.
About this Post
I wrote this post traveling in a bullet train (Thalys) to Paris. It was an amazing experience.
