I vs YOU

 

From Shabbar Suterwala's Leaders Workshop, Mumbai

We all have been a witness to this situation day in - day out, at home, at office, in the society at large this scenario of "I v/s You".

Some common day to day examples of such "I v/s You" are:

AT HOME:
· Husband v/s Wife
· Son v/s Father
· Brother v/s Brother
· Daughter-in- Law v/s Mother-in-Law
· Elder Daughter-in- Law v/s Younger Daughter-in- Law

AT WORK:
· Boss v/s Subordinate
· Subordinate v/s Colleagues
· Manager v/s Executive
· Workers v/s Managers
· Accounts v/s Logistics
· Operations v/s Marketing

IN THE SOCIETY:
· My Language v/s Your Language
· My Place v/s Your Place
· My Culture v/s Your Culture
· My Status v/s Your Status

If you think deep and introspect of all the above relationships, you will get an insight that the result of this situation of I v/s You is non other than WIN / LOSE. Even if one out of the two wins the other loses and the competition continues like a vicious circle of Win – Lose.

And may I ask - Winning at what cost?

Losing the relationship at home, having bitterness with the immediate loved one?

Losing the good person at work or arousing resentment and demotivation?

Or shying away a noble person from the society or giving rise to a feeling of indifference,making the other develop an attitude of I don't care?

Is this really Winning? Is it necessary to have such victory where the other lose?

This is a question which many people ask me during the workshops and training programs, Shabbar "tell me what do I do", "Shall I start losing then" .. 'Should I give up"..
or "why must I always lose".. and as usual I love to say develop an attitude of "Win – Win'.

If your are in a relationship you cannot WIN at the cost of other Losing. This is not a game which you are playing where Winning is important. Yes, it's a game where Win – Win is important like a true sportsman where you love and respect the other party.

I love to share this another beautiful example of your own body. Which is your strong hand? Which hand does more work? Which hand you use more often then the other? The answer is, for all the Right hander it's the right hand and the left hander it's the left hand.

Now lets take the case of the Right Handed person.. Imagine this Right hand start playing I v/s You game, and says, "I am I what are you?" "I do all the work what do you do?" Right hand goes further and says "I will always be in the front of this body and you the left hand – the inferior, you will always remain back."

Can you imagine how will your body look when you walk with your right hand always is in the front and left hand always back.. you will appear like a robot.. or it will appear weird.

Trust you will appreciate that the creator god has not made any distinction in our body between two similar parts, although one performs more and the other performs less or at times it appears so. How can you and me ordinary human beings practice I v/s You.

So friends, today, think about all your relationship and make a checklist where you are playing this game of I v/s You and practice the 5 A's.
· Acknowledge
· Appreciate
· Apologize (it requires a lot of courage to do so)
· Ask for forgiveness
· Attitude of Gratitude

When you have practiced the 5A's you will feel the transformation from I v/s You and you will feel the WE. This WE will be the power of Synergy to actually play the game against THEM where we need to win. A check list of "THEM"
· Ego
· Pride
· Hatred
· Disharmony
· Jealousy
· Guilt
· Fear
· Scarcity
· Limiting Belief
· Weakness
· Negative
· Our Competitors

Let us 'WE" get together and WIN against THEM.

Trust you enjoyed reading the above. Request you to share your feedback on the same.

Freedom Of The Mind

--- Marlene Buffa

"Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Viktor Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning

As our nation moves into its 65th year of independence, we find ourselves, in many ways, more enslaved than ever before. Exterior forces such as government regulation and requirements, an adherence to a world standard which, by its own accord negates our Declaration of Independence, and most importantly the abdication of our own inner personal freedoms carve a path of confinement rather than liberty.

More and more we self-impose limitations on our worth, our value, and our integrity. We believe what we see around us and assume the illusion is real. We do daily battle with the very spirit inside us and shackle our potential in chains of obligation and expectations. Worst of all, we imprison our creativity by denying ourselves freedom of possibility and fantastic possibility. As we notice these precious freedoms falling prey to our thoughts and fears, we understand the importance of the freedom of our minds.

Freedom of Attitude
As Frankl pointed out in his masterpiece, Man's Search for Meaning, the one true freedom remains the ability to choose one's attitude in any given situation.

Many present-day spiritual leaders remind us of our choice of perspective and stress the importance our outlook holds over the outcome of many day-to-day decisions and behaviors. Mother Theresa taught us to "see God" in every person we meet.

When we shift our attitudes, and hence our automatic observations, from seeing problems to finding the good and God in everyone and everything we encounter, we reach levels of happiness and positive energy which bring us peace of mind.

Freedom of Potential
As a young girl, my parents blessed me with their encouragement and matter-of-fact approach to my achievements. Never doubtful of my capabilities, they sought out new things for me to try, new books to read and new ideas to consider.

While taking Cello lessons didn't result in anything more than an exploration in string instruments, my parents allowed me to express my potential. As we grow older we rely on ourselves to break free from the limitations of self-doubt and entertain the full symphony of our own potential.

No one can express your potential but you! Your vision, your drive, your confidence work in concert with your spirit to express the crescendo of your abilities in harmonious orchestration by living a life worthy of all your talents. You are the conductor holding the baton of purpose and directing your life.

Freedom to Grow
An adolescent told me once that his pet alligator would never outgrow the fish tank he called home. He said that alligators only grow to the size of their container. While I don't know if this holds true or not, it presents an interesting spiritual consideration.

When you examine the expanse of the container of your spirit, you gauge your ability to change and grow from the allowance of space permitted yourself. If you limit your spiritual environment to a small community of like minded individuals, this may feed your soul, but leave you hungry for the nutrients only bountiful gardens can provide.

When you sow the seeds of possibility and hunger for more knowledge, information and wisdom, you expand the harvest of your life to include a wide variety of endeavors and experiences.

Freedom to Love
So often, we consider ourselves unworthy of love. In humble self-deprecation, we hear ourselves deny our lovability, or become embarrassed when someone acknowledges how much we mean to them. As Gerald Jampolsky pointed out, "Love is the total absence of fear."

When we live in fear, we live not only outside of love, but inside the confines of stagnation. In giving ourselves the freedom to love - to give, to receive, and truly accept love - we fill our lives with the warmth that only sincere expressions of emotion bring.

Louise Hay teaches us that we are the only thinker in our minds. You alone are responsible for your thoughts - whether they empower you or destroy your spirit.

The freedom of your mind knows no boundary but what you draw around you. When we use the power of attitude to view life in a more positive way, we find we free ourselves from the doubt of our potential; we allow ourselves to continue to learn and grown in magnificent ways and to experience love to our fullest and best imagination!

Why Not Now?

--- Bob Stoess

The time on earth you are blessed with is limited. As you grow older, time will seem to go even faster.Know that your time is quickly being used up. How you utilize that time, therefore, is one of the most important decisions you make in life. Yet, it is so easy to "put off until tomorrow" your dreams of today.

The hectic pace of today's living gives all of us an easy way out. We can put off our aspirations in order to cope with our everyday tasks. It's easy to tell ourselves that we will find time to pursue our dreams,after we have accomplished our lesser goals. Usually, it's our fears that keep us from plunging into any greater works, as we view failure as a real possibility.

Why can't we realize that we can gain knowledge, fortitude, and determination in times of failure? It's these experiences that should spur us on in furthering our goals.

"Why not now?" can drain you of your power to attain those ambitious goals. Don't be concerned with the idea that you are inadequate, unworthy, or undeserving. When you affirm yourself by saying, "Why not now, indeed!" you will be empowered to reach out and decisively change that questioning of "where will I find the time?" A positive attitude will enable you to overcome your deficiencies or lack of self-belief, worthiness, and self-confidence. The real truth of the matter is that there's no time like the present.

Whatever you aim to accomplish in life, you will achieve it more quickly, when you seize the day. All of life's joy, passion, and contentment can be yours. You need to remind yourself that there is nothing standing between you and attainment.

Now is the time. It's up to you. Know that God is on your side. You are here for a purpose. Fulfill your purpose by letting God mould you into the very best you can be.

Why not you? Why not now?

FIRST STEP

No matter if your goal is big or small, personal or professional, tangible or conceptual; you come closer to it by taking the FIRST STEP.

Have you ever read those motivational one-liners, inspirational stories or self-help books, found them wonderful, felt good about them – and then nothing changed? Have you sifted through web pages and "how to" magazine articles, and still found yourself exactly where you were? What happened? How can we so full-heartedly agree with what those articles tell us, and then still end up not following through? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a magic wand, whoosh, and our dreams and goals would be reality?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work that way. Achieving our goals takes "effort" we hear, it takes "commitment", it takes "persistence", we have to "endure" and keep "working at it." Well, if you are like me,those concepts don’t sound the least bit appealing. There seems to be this huge mountain that I need to climb to get to the top, and frankly, I feel already tired and worn out just by looking at the heights I’ll have to conquer. Result: I choose to wander around at the foot of the mountain, looking wistfully at the top, imagining what it must be like up there, but never taking a step to get closer to it.

There may not be a magic wand to catapult us to the top, but the journey up there definitely does NOT have to be hard work, tough and without joy. If I could only find a way to make the road a pleasant one, one that doesn’t feel like I have to grit my teeth to get on.

This is an invitation for you to find out if you can take the first step without drudgery. And then the next. See how far you get without it becoming a begrudged "have to." Try this out. You can stop the moment you feel uncomfortable.

What inspires me to take steps and do things I have postponed or avoided so far? A sense of adventure? The knowledge I have the freedom to turn around any moment? The curiosity of what it would be like to actually begin the journey I’ve been dreaming about for so long?

The answer is: results. Now. Not at the end of the journey. Now. Give me something right now. So let’s try this:

Make a commitment to yourself to follow the goal described below for one hour. When it is achieved,congratulate yourself and extend the goal for another hour. Keep going until you’ve done it for one day.After that, you may rest and suspend the goal for a while if you wish. Or you may feel so encouraged that you don’t want to stop. You may find it irresistible to keep going. And this is the goal:

Keep your word. If you promise your boss, "I’ll do it right away" do it right away. If your friend calls you and you say "I’ll call you back", call them back. If you remember that you wanted to pay your bills last night and didn’t, recommit to a new deadline and KEEP THE DEADLINE. Make a list of things you want to get done TODAY and then make sure you do them before the clock strikes midnight.

Feel free to take on as little or as much as you want for one day. But KEEP YOUR WORD under all circumstances. No excuses. Do not allow anything or anyone to come between and your word. For one day. And see what happens. See how you suddenly feel different about yourself. See how you feel more powerful, more in control, more optimistic – just by keeping your word. Live your word like it is the only thing that you have. One day. At a time.

ALL THE BEST!!!

How do you want your day to be?

HOW TO HAVE A BAD DAY:
- Wake up late, in a panic
- Rush to get ready
- Dress hurriedly
- Don't eat
- Drink lots of coffee
- No spiritual reflection
- No exercise
- Don't plan your day
- Focus on your failures
- Never smile
- Be selfish and unfriendly
- Criticize, blame, complain
- Think negative thoughts
- Dictate, direct, command
- Don't forget to nag
- Don't overlook mistakes
- Grumble
- No time for lunch
- Harbor resentment
- Keep rushing
- Don't communicate
- Keep it all to yourself
- Worry about tomorrow
- Be rigid and cranky
- Retire with bad thoughts and a full stomach

HOW TO HAVE A GOOD DAY!
- Wake up early - don't rush
- Breath slowly and deeply
- Exercise
- Take 5 minutes to reflect
- Greet everyone
- Smile a lot
- Compliment often
- Communicate
- Listen more - talk less
- Beware of giving advice
- View your work as a privilege
- Express appreciation
- Do your best
- Welcome change
- Relax your neck muscles
- Plan time for relaxation
- Throw away negative feelings
- Let go of anger and guilt
- Leave work at work
- Review your accomplishments
- Plan pleasurable events
- Eat well at night
- Recognize your blessings
- Lots of love

Goodbye Stress!

By Rene Godefroy

7 Ways To Deal With Problems And Stress

1) Don’t Just Sit There. Move! According to many psychologists, motion creates emotion. You might notice that when you are idle, it’s easier to become depressed. Your heart rate slows down, less oxygen travels to your brain, and you are slumped somewhere in a chair blocking air from reaching your lungs.

I challenge you right now, regardless of how you are feeling, to get up and walk around at a fast tempo. Maybe you might want to go to an empty room and jump up and down a little bit. It may sound silly but the results speak for themselves. Try it now for a few minutes. By now you should begin to feel more energetic and in a better mood. It works like magic.

2) Smell The Roses. Like my friend Jan Toles says, “Stop and smell the roses.” How do you smell the roses? How about investing some money to go on that one trip you’ve been dreaming about? Would Paris do? There you will find lots of exotic places to jolt your imagination and spur your creativity. You can also visit the Caribbean and learn how to scuba dive. Can you imagine swimming deep under the beautiful blue water alongside some of the most beautiful creatures you have ever seen? When my friend Lumenise Gilot described that experience to me, I thought to myself, “What an exceptional way to smell the roses!”

3) Get Some Company. If you’re like me, you have many acquaintances, but you only have a few true friends. This isn’t because I’m introverted. It is because I’m very selective about who I let enter my territory. I have worked too hard to build my house—my dream—and I won’t let anyone destroy it for me in the blink of an eye. When you’re feeling down, call your true friends and share what it is that you’re going through. Ask for their advice or input. While their advice or suggestions may be helpful, often you’ll find that simply verbalizing your problems will help you feel better.

4) Help Others Cope With Their Problems. It is very therapeutic when you engross yourself in helping others.You will be surprised how many people’s problems are worse than those you may be facing. You can offer others assistance in countless ways. Don’t curl up in your bed and let depression and stress take hold of you.Get out and help somebody. There are many charitable organizations that can use your help right now. My dear cousin Barbara reads to the blind. What about that? Call the National Federation of the Blind so that they can tell you how to get involved.

5) Laugh A Little. By now you’ve heard that laughter is a good internal medicine. It relieves tension and loosens the muscles. It causes blood to flow to the heart and brain. More importantly, laughter releases a chemical that rids the body of pains. Yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Every day, researchers discover new benefits of laughter. Let me ask you this question: “Can you use a good dose of belly-shaking laughter every now and then?” Of course you can.

6) Visit other poorer Countries. Nothing is more humbling than to visit a poor country and see firsthand what other human beings go through just to survive. Most people who have taken such trips come back with a deep and profound sense of gratitude and appreciation. They realize how much they’ve taken for granted without ever realizing it. I encourage you to travel whenever you can afford to do so. You’re not too busy. Do it for you. Your life will never be the same.

7) Wear Your Knees Out. If there were one sustainable remedy I could offer you when the going gets tough,it would be prayer. Many people, depending on their faith, might call it meditation. It doesn’t matter to me what you call it, as long as you have a place to run to. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Religions are crossroads converging upon the point.” Well, I don’t often discuss religion, and I do not know what works for you. My whole point is that when everything else fails, prayer works!

Keep It Moving Pledge

Dr. Alicia Francis - a.k.a. "Dr. Li"

From this day on out, I will Keep It Moving

By staying in control of my life.

I will not let other people, events, or situations make me lose focus on the bigger picture in my life, which is being happy, peaceful, purposeful, and prosperous.

I understand that it is up to me on what kind of life I live.No one else has control over my life unless I give them control, in which I will not do, because I love myself too much.

I understand I will be faced with the good, the bad, and the ugly in life, But no matter what the situation is I will Keep It Moving.

I have a choice to focus on the positive and be positive which will influence how happy, peaceful, purposeful and prosperous I am. Or I have the choice to focus on the negative and be negative which will only hurt me and hold me back from being all I can be.

So, I have decided today to take control of my life and Keep It Moving.

Always Create WIN-WIN Situations

- Chris Mohritz

Whether you are dealing with personal relationships, co-workers or business associates, one of the best principles you can base your decisions on is always looking at ending up with a win-win situation. The win-win strategy is one that is sure to improve the productivity and success of most day to day interaction. Contrary to the cut throat mentality, which can be glorified in this day and age, when it comes down to the wire, the most successful companies and individuals are those that are able to develop more business and personal relationships that provide a winning outcome for all parties involved.

But ending up with a win-win situation is never automatic. There are certain character traits that one must pay attention to if they are to increase the odds of both parties coming out on top. A prerequisite is a high level of integrity - one must maintain consistency and adherence to that which they have committed to do. When you put your name and signature down, people must be able to trust that they can count on you to deliver on your end of the bargain and not back out midstream when it seems convenient for you to do so.

Another key consideration for a win-win outcome is the maturity of the parties. A short sighted person is the one that will always be looking to get one up on both friend and foe. Someone fostering a mature business or personal relationship will instead think about the feelings and final standing of the other party. Also fundamental to a win-win situation is the abundance mentality. As opposed to the scarcity mentality where one's mindset is always geared with the thought that for me to win you have to lose, the abundance mentality goes by the principle that there is always more than enough to go around.

For you to better appreciate the power of working towards a win-win situation, it is important that you recognize the inherent weakness and very short term benefits of the other methodologies. For instance, a win-lose strategy leaves one person feeling confident but the other feeling short-changed.The win-lose may be appropriate where one is dealing with a direct business competitor and even in such cases, there are times where coming together with a business rival is the best way to drive your business up (for example, industry associations). Otherwise, you do not get quite the same level of return as you would with a win-win approach.

The other strategy that some people employ is the lose-lose principle which the direct opposite of the win-win. This is an almost sadistic methodology where you are satisfied with losing as long as the other person loses as well. Even looking at it on face value, there can be very little that one can achieve with this approach. Eventually, you will have expended a large amount of energy but with nothing but negative outcomes in return.

When you deliberately and proactively seek more win-win situations in all that you do, you will end up with a more close knit and harmonious family, a more efficient business environment and friends that you can count on whenever you need them. This is because you will have demonstrated that your commitment to the betterment of the other party is never in doubt.

Right Words!

Ashish Dimri

“An incorrect word led you to humiliation” -Sri Krishna said to Draupadi (Mahabharat) Words can break or make a relationship.

We feel motivated with positive words like “keep it up”, “Thanks” but are de-motivated to hear “not again”, “pathetic”.

Words have magical power to attract. They also show the company you keep. For example, those who use rough language have bad company. Those who speak politely have good peer group.

Words lead to your professional growth. Behavioral therapists believe all loves those who use good words. They are seen as motivators, while everybody dreads a foul language.

Some of the greatest motivators of this world, Sri Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Moses, and Tao never used foul language. They were roughly treated by their foes but they still used gentle words.

Words show inner state of mind. Most of those who use expletives are in bad state of mind, suffering from negative emotions like fear, jealousy.

When we use good words, we attract attention but our bad language may put off others. Those who think that use of bad words is a way to show-off; then forget that a listener ever changes mental perception about you.

Use of words to key to your success… be it personal or professional.

Quick Decisions

By Priya Jayadevan, Sr Recruiter at Wipro Technology

A game warden noticed how a particular fellow named Sam consistently caught more fish than anyone else, whereas the other guys would only catch three or four a day. Sam would come in off the lake with a boat full. Stringer after stringer was always packed with freshly caught trout.

The warden, curious, asked Sam his secret. The successful fisherman invited the game warden to accompany him and observe. So the next morning the two met at the dock and took off in Sam's boat. When they got to the middle of the lake, Sam stopped the boat, and the warden sat back to see how it was done.

Sam's approach was simple. He took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and threw it in the air. The explosion rocked the lake with such a force that dead fish immediately began to surface. Sam took out a net and started scooping them up.

Well you can imagine the reaction of the game warden. When he recovered from the shock of it all, he began yelling at Sam. "You can't do this! I'll put you in jail, buddy! You will be paying every fine there is in the book!" Sam, meanwhile, set his net down and took out another stick of dynamite. He lit it and tossed it in the lap of the game warden with these words, "Are you going to sit there all day complaining, or are you going to fish?"

The poor warden was left with a fast decision to make. He was yanked, in one second, from an observer to a participant. A dynamite of a choice had to be made and be made quickly! Life is like that. Few days go by without our coming face to face with an uninvited, unanticipated, yet unavoidable decision. Like a crashing snow bank, these decisions tumble upon us without warning. Quick. Immediate. Sudden. No council, no study, no advice. Pow!

Don't Spend Today Living In The Past

Today Is Something New

The height of your brilliance does not depend on the size of your head, rather it depends on the limits you're willing to break to achieve excellence. Creativity puts the world in your head and foolishness puts your head in the world.

Have you ever wondered why the world revolves and rotates while you don't even feel it moving? If you understood all the mysteries of life, you'd be a mystery yourself.

We came into this world with zilch, except the nakedness we wore. We are just a breath less to the other end of our hyphen. What have we done to make our hyphen thick? There's nothing you can't do; there's everything you should do so that when that time comes, our deeds will pave the way into the other life where it's an endless hyphen.

Every good deed you do on earth is like a brick you lay in heaven. Some of us have laid firm foundations, others have built their houses, others can't even afford straws and most don't even want a house in heaven.

I don't know how far I've built mine but I know this; I want to build a beautiful house. It is not the length of your prayer that determines its efficacy, it's the strength of your faith that does.

Befriend that shadow that is you. Be proud of who you are. Don't spend life trying to live in someone else's shadow. Like trees, we grow inwards. Having been born from our mother's womb, we then start learning how to give birth to ourselves.

Today is described as something new; don't spend it living an old life.

Are You A Solution Provider?

---Sam Vijay Kumar

Life is filled with lots of fun. It comes with its share of struggles as well. Problems are an integral part of our lives. Problems are not bad always. Problems reshuffle our usual thought patterns and revamp our approach by getting us to think creatively so that we get to some resourceful results.

 
Hence, would it be discreet on our part to detest problems as if they were germs? And for that matter it is even proven scientifically that some germs (probiotics) are good for us. Problems come in many forms: career, habits, destructive thought patterns etc., and not in a few cases they take the form of humans.

 
Now, a significant proportion of problems in our life are caused by people; people who have a part-time job creating problems (have you met someone who does it full time? Ha ha ha! ). Simply put, they are 'Problem People'. They create... evolve... refurbish... and give life to problems.

 
You can meet such kinds of people anywhere... in our workplace, family, in traffic, the shopping mall or any other place of our interaction. And this one aspect, small as it seems to be, constitutes a noteworthy part of problems that we face. They bring petty, trivial, inconsequential issues and make problems out of it. It might be connecting your breakfast, your car, electricity bill, official document, shopping list, and so on.

 
Now that need not daunt us, if we are willing to be constructive and prepared to work on this,regardless of all the stops and weariness that we would encounter in the course. We have just one expense for such a project - our sweat; I mean our relentless effort. Now let us get to the issue at hand - Knowing why problem people are the way they are.

 
Before starting, we should fully and consciously realize that they too are fellow humans like us and that they need not be looked down on. Hence it is important that we never take a 'holier than thou' stance,which would not solve problems but instead aggravate them.

 
Research has shown that a proportion of the population, unfortunately, is habituated to create problems. The problems they create may range from personal to social to professional ones. The reason scientists give is quite extensive and usually goes to early years of a person:

 
These people in most cases are from a finicky environment. Importantly, many who are into such a habit of creating problems do so without intending any harm. Maybe the surroundings in which they were raised had contributed... maybe their friends, associates and so on. Maybe they continually saw people bring up insignificant, silly, paltry issues, blow them into big mountains, then sat at their feet and lamented. It might have been his/her family member(s) or neighbor(s) who kept on such an activity which finally got ingrained in him/her, that living with such a high strung mentality is the way to live. So they tend to carry such an attitude into later life causing heartaches to themselves as well as others.

 
Now, if we happen to be in association with such people, we have to take up a responsible role - 'Solution Providers'.

 
Are we ready for the role, tough as it is or seems to be? We should not cringe and back away but take a resolute stance in dealing with them and provide amicable solutions.

 
When a problem creator brings up an insignificant issue there are many ways of tackling it (each way is unique and suiting certain kinds of problems, so prudence has to be exercised in choosing the way that will suit one's problem). A few of them are:

 
1. Laughing it off. Make constructive fun out of the situation, laugh out loud and avoid the ill effects. Somebody said wittily - "Laugh at your problems; everybody else does". It, sure works!

 
2. Zipping our mouth. We have to be very careful in using our words in such situations. We can't afford to pour gasoline over the already burning, unneeded problems by wrong words. At times even silence does reward you.

 
3. Taking a brisk walk. Taking a brisk walk would help us handle many issues better as walking helps to drain the blood away from the emotional centers in the brain thus aiding us to think without becoming panicky.

 
4. A friend in need. A call to an old friend would for some time take us away into a world of good-old memories and fun, thus getting us rejuvenated and pragmatic.

 
5. Get creative. Take a book and retire (may be scriptural, novel, anything that touches the soul and heart). Maybe it's time you tune your guitar again or start your strokes on the canvas or do anything you are creative at.

 
6. Voice it low. When you converse always keep a low volume, for as the holy book says "a soft answer will turn away wrath" and helps you be in control of the situation.

 
7. Self analysis. If we analyze and find ourselves to be among the Problem creators, we need not sit and whine. We need not feel inferior either. We just need to develop patience (meditation, music and exercise help).

 
8. Self affirmation. This helps people in both the groups. Talking positively to ourselves will increase our self esteem and confidence thereby resulting in a total change of our approach and personality.

 
9. Never nurture the nemesis. Another suggestion that has been passed on for centuries.Never crumble down before problem creators, for in doing so we essentially give their activities power over us, which encourages them. We have to make it known to them at every point in polite and acceptable ways that it is time they stop their activities and that we are not going to be affected by them anymore.

 
10. Giving up is not an option. Solutions come to those who keep working on their problems.We must also remember that solutions don't just come in a day or two. Maybe it can take weeks,months or even longer. Let us remember what Albert Einstein said "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer".

Why are Goals Important?

 

On a sunny day, even the most powerful magnifying glass will not be able to light a paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up in a couple of seconds. That is the power of focus; in other words with respect to human attribute this is concentration.

A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked, "Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I don't know." The elderly person said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make?"

How true. When we don't know where we are going, any road will take us there.

Suppose you have all the football eleven players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived?

Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction. Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals?

Commit to Think

In 1849 Walter Hunt wanted to pay a fifteen-dollar debt to a friend. So he decided to invent something new. From a piece of brass wire about eight inches long, coiled at the centre and shielded at one end, he made the first safety pin. He took out a patent on his invention, sold the rights to it for four hundred dollars, paid his friend back and had three hundred eighty-five dollars to spare.

I believe, every human being is capable of becoming a great innovator or inventor. It is really a matter of doing something which you intend to do. Every person is born with this innovative spirit, sure some more than others, I am certain you got some innovator genes along the way. But even if you did not get an extra dose of innovator genes, with a little work you can become a world-class innovator.

Anyone with practice can become a great innovator and become what you think about most. If you wish to become an innovator all you need to do is to commit yourself to think.

A Constructive Attitude

Eduardo Dominguez 

Our thoughts are mental imagines that guide our actions. Our attitude is nothing but a bundle of thoughts that lead our life. A constructive (optimistic) or destructive (pessimistic) attitude has everything to do with the kind of thoughts we choose every moment.

Pessimistic thoughts make us negative and feel like losers – unable to excel and succeed in the great things that life has to offer. Optimistic thoughts paint a smile in our soul. They allow us see the bright side of life and find the appropriate answers and solutions for any challenge we face.

By altering our thoughts, we not only alter our present but also our future. Unless we understand what attitude is and take the right attitude, we will not be able to get any of what we really deserve.

In life, in everything we do, there is no second chance. Either we choose to lose or to win. You can do whatever you set your mind to, you can, if you believe it and perceive it. Set yourself to win, change your thoughts and therefore your attitude.

Have an amazing attitude journey ahead and take care of your thoughts. They are like babies that require our constant attention and care.

"Sometimes only a change of viewpoint is needed to convert a tiresome duty into an interesting opportunity." - Alberta Flanders

It's a Matter Of Focus

- Bob Stoess

Have you noticed how different people who view the same incident can have different conclusions of what happened? Has your environment slanted your thinking? Have your experiences clouded your thoughts of good and bad?

What causes us to have varying opinions of events? What can we do to remain focused and positive in our conclusions?

I'm reminded of the airplane passenger, waiting for takeoff. Looking to the left side of the plane, he saw a beautiful sunset. Looking to the right, he saw dark and threatening clouds. No matter the sky, his flight was still bound for a particular destination.

Our lives are similar to the view of that passenger. We are heading on our destination, knowing there will be some happy, beautiful times, but there will also be some dark shadows along life's pathway.

We can learn and appreciate a valuable lesson in this allegory. If we abide in Him, we will proceed to our destination with peace and joy, no matter the dark days that shadow our lifetime. We have that choice.

We can dwell on the gloomy picture, or we can focus on the bright things and leave the dark and ominous situations to God. He, alone, can handle them anyway. Focus on God and you will be able to experience the peace that passes all understanding.

All the best!!!