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Getting Things Done : David Allen

getting-things-done“Anxiety is caused by a lack of control, organization, preparation and action.” – David Kekich

This book by David Allen is considered a masterpiece in productivity improvement and a bible in productivity as far as I am concerned.

He starts by analyzing the typical challenges corporate employees face today :
• Overwhelming number of things to do
• A constant dilemma – What to do, When to do, How to do
• Day to day fire-fighting
• High levels of anxiety
• A feeling of too much to handle, not enough time to get it done
• More stress despite better workplaces and quality of life
• Fast paced changing nature of their jobs themselves
• The pressure of Multi-Tasking and the risk of errors and efficiency loss that comes with it.
Continue reading Getting Things Done : David Allen →

If things are not “looking up”, change the way you see them.

babyVery recently, a poet named Chanie Gorkin wrote a very interesting and inspiring poem. The poem went viral on the net, unfortunately without attribution to Chanie.

Here it is..

Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don’t try to convince me that
There’s something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look
This world is a pretty evil place
Continue reading If things are not “looking up”, change the way you see them. →

The Carpathia

carpathiaThere were three ships which were nearby when the Titanic sunk.

One of them was known as the Sampson. It was 7 miles away from the Titanic and they saw the white flares signalling danger, but because the crew had been hunting seals illegally and didn’t want to be caught, they turned and went the opposite direction away from the Titanic. This ship represents us and people like us if we are so busy looking inward at our own sin and lives that we can’t recognize when someone else is in need.
Continue reading The Carpathia →

The man who lost “everything”

countThere is a story about a man phoning Dr. Schuller…

The man said, “It’s over. I’m finished. All my money has gone. I’VE LOST EVERYTHING.”
Dr. Schuller asked, “Can you still see?”
The man replied, “Yes, I can still see.”
Dr. Schuller asked, “Can you still walk?”
The man replied, “Yes, I can still walk.”

Schuller said, “Obviously you can still hear or you wouldn’t have phoned me.”
“Yes, I can still hear.”
“Well,” Schuller said, “I figure you have got about EVERYTHING LEFT. All you have lost is your money!”

________________________________________

A 50:50 Life

yinAs part of my coaching practice, I often come across situations where a Client is in a blissfully happy state and wants to stay in that state forever. Who doesn’t want to? But for some reason that state doesn’t last. Here’s what I have come to understand of how life works and WHY it works that way.

First – an exercize for your mind. Remember the genie and the magic lamp story? Imagine YOU have the magic lamp, you rub the magic lamp and out comes the genie.
Continue reading A 50:50 Life →

Just Did It!

right nowOur typical day is filled with things to do. Sometimes it looks like that’s all there is to life.. DOING THINGS! And when you finish doing things… you have more things to do!

It can be overwhelming. In the kind of complex world we live in, there is no shortage of things to do. There’s things to do at work, at home, on the way home, on weekdays, on weekends and even on vacation.
Continue reading Just Did It! →

Always impossible until it’s done!

camelA father left 17 Camels as an Asset for his three Sons. When the father passed away, his sons opened up the will. The will of the father stated that the eldest son should get half of 17 camels, the middle son should be given 1/3rd of 17 camels and the youngest son should be given 1/9th of the 17 camels. As it is not possible to divide 17 into half or 17 by 3 or 17 by 9, the sons started to fight with each other.

So, they decided to go to a wise man.
Continue reading Always impossible until it’s done! →

“Got back my faith.”

Success Stories

Sneha Shiradkar – IT Professional, Hyderabad.

“Before I decided to seek coaching, I was quite apprehensive about spending money on something where I wasn’t sure of the outcome. I was already thoroughly confused due to my circumstances. I was heavily stressed out on the marriage front (I was 29 and single), my parents were on the verge of getting me married on gun-point, I was fat, I had a very low self-esteem (I thought I was committing a huge sin by troubling my parents and that is why I’m being punished) and so on. I had serious professional issues, I was losing interest on work, I was hopping from one job to another, overall I sucked professionally. The saddest part was I knew what could be done to get out of this, but felt too helpless to do anything.I had lost faith on almost everything.

When I took the exploratory coaching, Milind showed me a ray of hope, which I badly needed.
Continue reading “Got back my faith.” →

The Secret : Rhonda Byrne

secretIt’s been 9 years since the inspirational film “The Secret” and the book with the same title were released. The concepts from this internationally best-selling book (it was on the New York Times bestsellers list for 42 consecutive weeks and has sold more than 21 million copies!) have been accepted and adopted by millions of people worldwide.

Although the book seems have to been influenced by a number of earlier books that have been classics on the concept of positive thinking, what is great about “The Secret” is that it has packaged positive thinking as a Law – The Law of Attraction.
Continue reading The Secret : Rhonda Byrne →

In pursuit of Happiness

kittenThis story is about a beautiful, rich lady who complained to her psychiatrist that she felt her whole life was empty; it had no meaning. So the counselor called the lady who cleaned the office floors, and then said to the lady, “I am going to ask Beatrice here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is listen.”

So Beatrice put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story: “Well, 25 years ago, my husband died of malaria and that same year my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody…I had nothing left…I couldn’t sleep…I couldn’t eat…I never smiled at anyone…I even thought of taking my own life.
Continue reading In pursuit of Happiness →

Evernote: A great note-taking app

evernote-logo-designThere was a time when I used to create notes either on a paper notepad or on Word docs on the computer. Ever since Evernote was launched, all that has changed.

Evernote is a great app to create, file and store notes. You can create text notes, audio notes, picture notes or checklists if you want to. The basic format is: You first create a notebook and in that notebook you create notes relating to that notebook. All similar notebooks can be inserted into a notebook “stack”.
Continue reading Evernote: A great note-taking app →

“Helped me make a career switch.”

Success Stories

Sameer (name changed on request) – Senior Management Professional, New Delhi.

“I started coaching with Milind when I was in the process of moving on from my entrepreneurial venture, back to the corporate world. I had been working as an entrepreneur for seven years so I was anxious if I could actually make the switch.

Milind helped me prioritize my goals. He helped me become more positive and productive as I went about my job search. I became more patient and began trusting the process to make things happen. Milind also introduced me to a bunch of books and videos which helped me immensely.

I am happy to say that before the end of the 12 week coaching period, I have found a job at a senior position in a large company. I will recommend Milind highly to anyone who is trying to bring about a big change in his life.”

Don’t Complain

mayaMaya Angelou is a famed American poet and author. From the age of three to seven she was raised by her grandmother, a period of calm and stability in what would be a very traumatic childhood.

Grandma ran a general store and one thing that riled her was people complaining. They’d complain about the heat, the cold and a myriad of other issues Maya’s grandmother thought trivial.

Whenever that occurred Continue reading Don’t Complain →

The Go-Giver : Bob Burg and John David Mann

go giverThe Go-Giver has undoubtedly been one of the most influential books I have read.

The Go-Giver as the authors tell, revolves around the story of a young professional (Joe) who is striving for success. Joe is ambitious, however lately it seems like his hard work and efforts are not paying off in terms of results. Following a disappointing quarter—in terms of sales results—he inadvertently seeks the mentorship of The Chairman.

Joe then embarks on a learning journey by meeting Go-Givers—friends of The Chairman. Through these interactions he learns of the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success:
Continue reading The Go-Giver : Bob Burg and John David Mann →

“I got perspectives to look at life more powerfully.”

Success Stories

Madhuri (name changed on request)- Media Professional, Mumbai.

“I am 27, he is 52, yet when we talk on calls, there is no gap I feel between us. We are always on the same side – like a team, trying to understand the intricacies of life and unlearn and re-learn lessons that take us forward and make us a better version of us.

I am one of those few people who call him by ‘Coach’. I started sessions with him when I had no one to listen to me and entangle the messy life experiences, inner voices, and unproductive behaviours that surrounded me.

I wanted someone to hear me out without judgement and provide perspectives to look at life more powerfully. That’s what Coach does the best.

Everyone has their dark, vulnerable side. To my recollection, he has never made me feel bad about it. He identifies the problem point and empathizes with the person. He knows that people are the result of their past, but he will always push you to make your future better and better.

Once, I was taking credit of an event which happened in my sister’s life thinking that I was instrumental in making it happen, by even resorting to an extreme coaxing method.
That’s when he showed me the mirror and said, “A, you are living in delusion. People do what they do when they think it’s the right time. By forcing them to do what YOU wanted, you have in fact pushed her away from you.” He was right. That changed me for good.
He also has an ocean of examples which makes his point-in-case crystal clear. Years down the line, I always will remember these little, yet real powerful stories to derive the lessons that is hidden within them.
Just like the saying goes, ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second best time is now’, I invite anyone considering to transform their life to take his coaching lessons starting today.”

“I improved my relationships with my parents and relatives.”

Success Stories

Smita (name changed on request)- Management Professional, Mumbai.

“I had not experienced life coaching before I started speaking with Milind. When I first spoke to him I did not know what to expect.

While I elaborated a problem statement to him, he made me reflect on areas which suddenly clicked in my mind as the real problem. I became aware that the root cause was the strain with which I was handling some relationships. And that was the real reason for me not feeling so good in other areas of life.

Milind is a powerhouse of energy and clarity. From my first conversation, I knew he was really an expert at his role. He gave me deep insights to navigating through my relations with parents and relatives. And practical frameworks to look at my job in a different light. Each of his sessions empowered me.

My thinking has changed to allowing myself to be in the flow of things. And to be unaffected by challenging people or circumstances. All his teachings are out there on a large board of post-its in my house so I can keep practicing what he taught me.

There is no doubt that he leaves anyone with a spark. A spark to change, think and reinvent yourself. Thank you Milind for empowering me.”

“I learned how to stay in the present.”

Success Stories

Vijay Sharma (name changed on request)- IT Professional, San Jose.

“I started my coaching around May 2020 during COVID phase. It was a time when I changed a job and was looking for a coach who can show me a few blindspots in my life/career. I had a good job and a great mix of social and personal life, but I always felt that I could do much better with my career.

Milind as a coach was very punctual in his appointments and a great professional. He is patient, attentive, knowledgeable and a great listener. His one of the best traits I found was storytelling skills. He would not push ideas on your head but instead he would tell a few of his personal or real life stories, which will naturally pull you to understand his lessons.
After a few sessions, you will have very friendly conversations and you can argue with him saying “you are wrong Milind on this”, but eventually he will still convince you why our mind works in a certain pattern.
Continue reading “I learned how to stay in the present.” →

The World is a Big Mirror

mirrorA long time ago there was a great Shah. He ordered to build a beautiful palace which had many wonderful things in it. Among other curiosities in the palace there was a hall, where all the walls, the ceiling, the door and even the floor were made of mirror. The mirrors were so clear and smooth that visitors didn’t understand at once that there was a mirror in front of them – so accurately the mirrors would reflect the objects. Moreover, the walls of this hall were made in a way that they created an extraordinary increased echo.
Continue reading The World is a Big Mirror →

“Became inspired and encouraged.”

Success Stories

Abhay Nipane – IT professional, Pune.

“I remember approaching him couple of months back when I was very much confused about ‘WHAT NEXT’. He has helped me regulate my wellness area very effectively. Milind is a much-needed tower of strength that people in need can lean on. Today, there is a need for such people who can inspire and encourage people to work on leading a more positive and productive life. His recommendations are easy to adapt and practical while you are still not deviating much from your routine, so that it easy to implement in your daily life. His passion and involvement in clarifying doubts are commendable.

Overall every week for the last 3 months it was an hour well spent with him and this promises a great deal of change in my life. Thank you Milind for helping me have the right perspective and teach the importance of being Happy, Healthy and Hopeful!”

You can live your dream

Life is short. Way too short to live an ordinary life. A life spent just surviving, just paying the bills, just getting by, just taking care of today. Most people die at 21 and retire at 75. Don’t be one of them.

Anybody can live that kind of life. It takes nothing to live an ordinary life.
If you want to be extraordinary, remember extraordinary people are simply ordinary people with extraordinary commitment. People so committed to their goals and dreams, they are unstoppable. Nothing stops them. Least of all, reasons and excuses.

Don’t let the winds of difficulty blow your dream away.
Go protect your dream. Go live your dream.

If you can BE it, you can SEE it.

bedohave“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”  said Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where ..” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
” .. so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
– From the book “Alice in Wonderland”
Continue reading If you can BE it, you can SEE it. →

The Pregnant Deer

deerIn a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth.
She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river. This seems a safe place.
Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above and lightning starts a forest fire.
She looks to her left and sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her.
To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.

 
What can the pregnant deer do?
She is in labour!
Continue reading The Pregnant Deer →

Kindness Boomerang

What goes around, comes around.
If you send good vibes, they will circulate randomly all across the planet and come back to you. Multiplied.
If you send bad vibes, they will circulate randomly all across the planet and come back to you. Multiplied.

What you give, you get.
Corollary: Whatever you want in life, you have to first give to others.

Toggl: the simplest time-tracking App

toggl-logo-light-withbackgroundEver since I became an independent professional in early 2009 I’ve increased my focus on time-management. Because time IS money. It’s the new currency. And it’s the one thing everyone seems to be starved of. AND it is a perishable commodity!

Over the years I’ve experimented with multiple time-tracking apps and sites and I finally settled on Toggl because it is the simplest of the lot and yet so powerful. AND it is free.
Continue reading Toggl: the simplest time-tracking App →

“Overcame my habit of worrying unnecessarily.”

Success Stories

Samir Prabhudesai – Self Employed Professional, Mumbai.

“I approached Milind with major issues of worrying too much unnecessarily and fixing my source of income. Right from the first session I got a feeling that the coaching is going to be interesting. The impact of the first session was I felt a bit lighter on the stress levels.

Milind has a set of powerful tools that need to be religiously used if one needs to feel the change in his/her life. I was able to overcome many limiting beliefs about myself after a few sessions. Milind’s coaching has put me on the right path to tackle my present issues and I am fully confident that I will overcome them. I would definitely recommend Milind’s coaching services to whoever feels he is stuck with some personal or professional issues in their life.”

The Ex Factor: The Asian Age, Kolkata

Asian Age

Asian Age asked for my views on the sensitive topic of dealing with your ex-partner when getting married.

This story was triggered by the news that Twilight actor Robert Pattinson, who was set to marry his girlfriend FKA Twigs in a few months, wanted to invite his former girlfriend Kristen Stewart to his wedding. Click here to read the article online.

“There is life before Milind and life after Milind.”

Success Stories

Suresh Khera (name changed on request)- Senior Management Professional, London.

“The coaching I got from Milind has profoundly improved my way of living. He has helped me to view life differently and take action.

From my relationships with others to career and my confidence problems, Milind helped me to identify my blind spots, with examples from his own life experience. His probing questions made me think deep and I often end up with a sense of enlightenment.

I feel glad that I have chosen to take life coaching from him. Its totally worth it.”

Inventing Empowering Meanings

meaningAdmit it. We are all meaning-making-machines. We keep creating meanings all the time. And we don’t have to work too hard to do that. Creating meanings is an automated task for us.

Somebody says something to us.. we create a meaning.
Somebody keeps quiet when they are with us.. we create a meaning.
Something happens to us.. we create a meaning.
We read the headlines in the newspaper.. we create a meaning.
We watch a movie.. we create a meaning.
Continue reading Inventing Empowering Meanings →

“I quit smoking.”

Success Stories

Ramesh (name changed) – Senior Management Professional, New Delhi.

“I have always been skeptical about life coaches , because I always believed that one has to do what one has to do and some one outside cannot guide you or know you to make it happen for you.

I was going through some turmoil and I took a chance with Milind. Milind and I have worked for 12 weeks. He is good at getting one to take action by being plain and simple. He gives different perspectives, which helped me to see things through various lenses.

While we were working on one project another result happened. I quit smoking. He will move a few levers and it will help get results elsewhere.”

“My life got better and easier to live.”

Success Stories

Aarti – Ph.D Student, Goa.

“Dear Milind sir!!!

I think I have not thanked you enough to make my life so much better and easier to live.  If I look back now, just one year earlier, I was in a mess. Holding onto so many unnecessary things.. then I took your sessions and you made it possible to be like the person that I am today.

And, you worked like a lucky charm for me today. I spoke to you earlier today, and I have received the best news of my PhD life today. I am so happy to share with you that my research paper has been accepted in one of the topmost journal in my field today.
This is all possible because of you. Having you as my life coach was the best decision ever.

Thank you again for accepting me as your coachee.”

Get Back Up, Nick Vujicic

If you’ve watched Nick Vujicic’s videos before, you’ll agree that he is one of the most inspiring people of our times. There are many videos of Nick on YouTube, but the one I’m posting here is one where he talks about the importance of self-acceptance and the power we all have to get back up when we fall down in the journey of life.
Very very powerful stuff!

A life full of problems

pearlA man was complaining to a sage about the troubles and problems in his life.

“Sometimes I wonder if they will ever end. Most of the time they are not big, they are only irritants. Yet I am not at peace. Will I ever be free of them?” he asked.

“Perhaps these irritants will remain,” replied the sage. “But while you are waiting, consider this. Oysters use the invading sand grain irritant to make the precious pearl. What are you doing with yours?”

________________________________________

“Came out of my dilemma.”

Success Stories

Amit (name changed on request) – Senior Management Professional, Baroda.

“I was looking for guidance as I was feeling stuck in a routine job and I was having an inclination to become an entrepreneur – how to start and how to take it forward. With Milind’s guidance I have come out of that dilemma and confused state of mind. The process was systematic and the preparation was step by step with focus on reality, facts and practicality.

There were excellent insights in the coaching and I will definitely need to revisit these from time to time to sharpen myself. They are my key tools for way forward.
Continue reading “Came out of my dilemma.” →

Eat that Frog & the ABCDE Method

Many of you may be familiar with Brian Tracy’s popular procrastination beating method “Eat that Frog” which also has a book by that name written by him. In this video he relates the task-planning method ABCDE to the Frog metaphor and shows us how to prioritize our To-Do lists.

The ABCDE Method in summary:
A Task: Absolutely must-do tasks: Frogs
B Task: Important tasks but mild consequences for non-completion: Tadpoles
C Task: Unimportant tasks – tasks that will have no consequence on your work life if you don’t do them
D Task: Tasks that you can delegate to others
E Task: Tasks that you can eliminate altogether

Interesting perspective. Watch the video for more.

“Helped me view life differently.”

Success Stories

Rudra (name changed on request)- Salaried Professional, Dibrugarh.

“The coaching I got from Milind has profoundly improved my way of living. He has helped me to view life differently and take action.

From my relationships with others to career and my confidence problems, Milind helped me to identify my blind spots, with examples from his own life experience. His probing questions made me think deep and I often end up with a sense of enlightenment.

I feel glad that I have chosen to take life coaching from him. It’s totally worth it.”

“Boosted my confidence.”

Success Stories

Vijay Sheth – Sales Manager, Chennai.

“My coaching sessions with Milind have helped me realize the areas where I had been stressed out and to create a thought process to manage the same. The sessions introduced me to my strengths & weaknesses. We discussed on the values & traits that I need to work upon to be happy. The books & videos he recommended are enriched with wisdom to lead a fulfilling life.
Continue reading “Boosted my confidence.” →

“I learnt a lot about myself in just one conversation.”

Success Stories

Mahesh Babu, Aspiring Life Coach – Tirupati.

“I’m so fortunate to have this privilege of having a conversation with Milind, a couple of days ago. There is an old adage: “When the student is ready, the Guru will appear”, absolutely the same happened to me.

As I was contemplating to get in touch with him inspired by his FB posts, he himself had put a post sharing his willingness to mentor aspiring Life Coaches like me. I took this opportunity and immediately pinged him, he was so gracious to accommodate me and call me promptly at the agreed time and date.

The 1 hour conversation that happened between both of us was totally ‘blissful’ and I learnt a lot about myself. Towards the end of our conversation I felt a bit guilty as I had got such wonderful precious gems free of cost, so I offered him to pay for the time spent with him. But Milind was so gracious, he gently refused my proposal and the words he told me I will never forget in my life. ” Mahesh, coaching is not always about money but more of ‘Blessings’ we receive from the opposite party once their life challenges are solved. Those are golden words which I want to remember for the rest of my life.

I’m in the process of getting my coaching certification and next step I’m going to sign up for Milind’s mentorship classes. From the bottom of my heart ❤. I passionately recommend Milind to everyone out there for all your ‘coaching’ needs.”

“Benefited personally and professionally.”

Success Stories

Ashraf Ali, Director – Life Academy Center for Self Development, Chennai.

“I have known Milind for more than 9 years now and I have personally & professionally benefited a lot from his inputs. Milind is an excellent Life Coach with a very deep understanding of the human mind and its processes. He is a continuous learner and he shares his valuable knowledge generously.

He embodies the term “Go-Giver” and creates tremendous value for all the people connected with him. Apart from Life Coaching, he is also an expert in Personal Branding, New Age Sales and Marketing skills. I wholeheartedly recommend his services to anyone interested in their personal / organizational growth.”

We create people the way we see them

eyeHere’s a magic mantra that changed the way I looked at people completely.

“We can never see people the way they actually are. We can only see them the way our mind creates them.”

No information goes into us without our mind filtering it. We see what we want to see. What we see is very selective and our mind is very clever at sorting out what it wants to let in and what it wants to block.
Continue reading We create people the way we see them →

The Other Side

otherOne day a young Buddhist on his journey home, came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young Buddhist yells over to the Master, “Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river”?
Continue reading The Other Side →

How to make your economy recession-proof

recession proof

I come across a lot of people who ask me how they (and their businesses) can survive in an economy that’s hit by recession. I want to share with you what I usually share with them. It has to do with a much abused term. Value.

Firstly, I believe there are two economies. The Actual Economy and Your Economy. They are both real, yet they are parallel to each other. It means.. one has nothing to do with the other.
Continue reading How to make your economy recession-proof →

Extreme Positive Thinking (EPT)

PositiveYour 5 year old kid throws a tantrum and refuses to go to school anymore. Your older son gets pathetic marks in 8 out of 9 subjects. The wash basin in your house starts leaking in the middle of a party. The household help bunks work for the fifth time in the month. The cabbies decide to go on strike. You drop your expensive phone into the kitchen sink. Your blood tests show your sugar levels rising. Your CEO implements a 15% pay-cut. You tear your trouser right at the bottom while jumping into the train. The house owner asks you abruptly to vacate your rented apartment. Your biggest client sacks you. You’re late for a meeting and a cop stops you for jumping signals. You tell yourself – something AWESOME is going to come out of this.

I agree this is crazy. It is irrational, outrageous. This is not a normal way of thinking. This is EPT. Extremely Positive Thinking.
Continue reading Extreme Positive Thinking (EPT) →

Life is RIGHT NOW!

nowEven as I write this, I’m experiencing the joy and privilege of “being alive”. I can feel the breeze at my window, hear the sounds on the street below, sense the pain in my back..What a wonderful feeling! And it sure feels great to be able to focus on the present moment and be completely oblivious to the hundreds of challenges and “problems” that wait for me in the future.
Continue reading Life is RIGHT NOW! →

There is just news

oogway

“Ah Shifu. There is just news. There is no good or bad.” – Master Oogway in the movie Kung Fu Panda

Master Oogway’s simple words hide the profoundness of the wisdom they express. Profound but still puzzling, especially in an age where we can’t get by one day without the media and society bombarding us with news clearly categorized as good or bad.. mostly bad actually! Master Oogway’s words are therefore difficult to digest. But because they are Master Oogway’s, I thought I’d examine them a little more closely.
Continue reading There is just news →

Parental Guidance: The Asian Age, Mumbai

coparenting

Shared my views with Asian Age on their story on “co-parenting”, triggered by the decision of Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner to co-parent their 3 children and stay together on the same estate even after their divorce.

The article explores the pros and cons of co-parenting and how to deal with children when you’re doing so.
Click here to read the article online.

Today is different!

todayYou’re sitting in front of your comp. And forwarding a joke to your friends. You smile to yourself even as you’re sending the joke. You can imagine your friends smiling too. Guess one of them does. Coz he replies immediately “Good one, pal!”. You’re not the one who made up the joke, but you almost feel as if you did. Ah, that makes you open many of the unread mails in your inbox. You find many nice jokes in those. Very soon you have a cleaned up inbox. What an accomplishment! Something you had planned for the last one week is finally over.

You open the door only to find two leaking milk packets at your feet. The milkman sucks.. is what you would have normally said. Not today. Not now. You’re in too good a mood to get mad at him. You decide to spare your wife of the agony as well. You want to give her break. Let’s give her a surprise, you think. You hate making tea, but today is different. You make tea and toast the bread as well. Which wife wouldn’t want a husband who does that? An early morning thank you kiss is all you need to keep going.
Continue reading Today is different! →

Want to stay productive? Stay motivated!

Man jumpDo you remember times when you’ve been positive and empowered for several days in a row and all of a sudden, one negative situation drained you of your energy and put you in a low-life state? Or you’ve been optimistic and productive all day, and the energy just dropped fast as evening approached? We all go through such phases and then it seems to take hours or even days to get back into a more positive state of mind.
Continue reading Want to stay productive? Stay motivated! →

Use your Brains. All Three of them!

3 ballsNext time someone asks you ‘Do you have brains?’, tell them you have THREE of them. Yes you really do. We all have three brains, one in the head, one in the heart and one in the gut. No kidding! It’s a proven fact of neurological science. And it’s also proven that the brains in the heart and the gut are far more powerful than the one in the head!

What that tells me is that I need to use my head less often. Ah, what a relief! Have you ever faced a situation where you’ve thought and thought.. and thought and thought.. and the more you thought, the more confused you got? And you concluded.. “My brains are just not working!” Well, maybe the problem was not with the brain. Maybe, you just used the WRONG one.
Continue reading Use your Brains. All Three of them! →

Unlabel yourself

LabelsHow often have you heard someone telling you “I’m the type who likes to be busy.” Or “My house is always neat and tidy.” “I’m a class-topper.” Or even “I always play to win.”
The list can go on and on.. “I CAN NEVER…” ,“I’M TOO FINICKY TO …”, “ I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A…”,

You might think “What’s wrong in saying all that?” Problem is when we say such things we’re setting ourselves up. We tend to get so attached to that cute little story we’ve created for ourselves, we want that story to come true. Every single time. And when even once something that doesn’t conform to our story happens, we feel the heavens have collapsed on us! We feel lost, identity-less! I’ve seen people who live their stories all their lives. They carry their labels on them whether they change professions, cities, relationships..
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The ‘should-be’ trap

AcceptanceAre you caught up in the ‘SHOULD BE’ trap?

I was. I always felt that things SHOULD happen the way I expected.
My clients SHOULD be reasonable.
My family SHOULD be more understanding.
My boss SHOULD be more sensitive.
My colleagues SHOULD be less jealous.
The traffic SHOULD follow lane discipline.
The neighbour’s dog SHOULD bark less at night.
The government SHOULD be more effective.
The weather SHOULD be ..
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Good Luck and Bad Luck

horsesThere once lived a farmer. He had a son and a horse. One day the horse ran away and the neighbours came to the farmer to console him “What bad luck that your horse has run away!”
The farmer said “Who knows whether it’s good luck or bad luck?”
“Of course it’s bad luck!” said the neighbours.

A few days later, the farmer’s horse came back – with twenty more wild horses! The neighbours came to celebrate this time. “What good luck”, said they, “that your horse has come back with another twenty!”
“Who knows whether it’s good luck or bad luck?” replied the farmer.
And some of the neighbours, by now angry, said “Of course, it’s good luck, you silly old fool!”
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Ctrl-Alt-Del

ResetWhat do you do when you’ve opened too many programs on your computer and it hangs? REBOOT IT! What’s the best thing to do when your phone’s memory is jammed by too many open applications? RESET IT!

What happens when you reboot/reset electronic devices? The unwanted data disappears from memory and the device starts functioning the way it was supposed to.

Many years back I had a boss who used to do exactly this. He used to start afresh. He used to RESET himself. EVERY SINGLE DAY! Every day he told himself – Today, is the first day of the rest of my Life! Every Day. And that was his Reset button. The moment he pressed that button, he forgot every negative, unpleasant thing that had happened to him till the day before. He had made it a habit to learn IMMEDIATELY from every mistake he made, because he knew that in a day’s time, the learning would stay (on his hard disk, you might say..) but the incident was going to vanish from his memory.
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Leap before you look

LeapLook.. for the right job. Look.. for the right product. Look.. for the right relationship. Look here. Look there. Is life all about looking around? When will you stop looking and start doing?

You know what, sometimes it’s more exciting, when you have a good look.. RIGHT AFTER you’ve done something! So what if you end up saying “Look! What a mess I’ve created!” No problem. The world will respect you more for creating a mess and learning from it, than just fooling around watching other people create their mess!
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I love Myself

I love myselfWe all want to be loved right? By our family, by our friends, our colleagues, our neighbors.. And so often we do get that love. We really do. Even if we don’t believe it! Question is, how much do WE really love OURSELVES? I would say most of us are so caught up in attracting attention, care and respect from others, we rarely stop to experience that beautiful feeling of love for ourselves – from within.

Much of this thinking is because of the conditioning we get from society around us. Society has always considered ‘giving’ to be a much bigger virtue than ‘receiving’. Love thy enemy, love thy neighbor, love thy family.. We do all that, and forget to love ourselves.
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Tomorrow is an Illusion

Time is NowDon’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.. is what everyone says. And I agree. Yet I procrastinate..so often. Like most people alive, it comes really easily to me! But there’s one thing I don’t procrastinate about.. living Life!

Life is far too precious for me to put off to tomorrow. But I did try.. mind you. Many years ago, I convinced myself that there are a million other things more important today than living my life. And I promised myself that I would live life to the fullest.. tomorrow! And I waited.. and waited.. and waited. But tomorrow never came! While I was busy working and worrying and fire-fighting, Life kept waiting for me.
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All the time in the world

timeWhy is it that some people are always cribbing about lack of time and there are others who seem to have it in abundance? They say people who crib about lack of time are actually disorganized, inefficient, lazy. I thought – shouldn’t it be the other way round? People who have lots of time probably have it because either they have nothing to do or are actually disorganized, inefficient and lazy and are not doing what they’re supposed to be doing!

In fact I went one step ahead – I felt God ought to give the first group MORE time to finish the things they want to do. Like maybe an extra hour every day. Isn’t that a pretty fair thing to expect? Ya, they are the ones who are working hard. And they could do with some extra time. They need it Man! Believe me, I even know what these people need more time for.. I happen to be one of them!
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Expand your comfort zone


I once read something really interesting about our brain. It is said that there is a powerful part of the brain, the Amygdala, that wants the world to run on routine, not change. Located within an ancient area of the mind that deals with the way you perceive and respond to the world, the Amygdala urges us to favor the familiar and routine. It craves control and safety, which at times can be vital. It dissuades you from embracing anything that involves risk, change, or growth.
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Everyone who walks into your life is a Teacher

When I was 22 years old (that was nearly 20 years ago), I was not the same person I am today. I was shy, timid, weak (literally!) I remember I was on a train journey from Pune to Bangalore, a distance of over 600 miles. My first long distance journey alone! I was scared like hell! I thought the world was out there to cheat me. Barely a few hours into the 22 hour journey, a group of youngsters asked me to remove my suitcase from the ‘upper’ berth where I had kept it, as one of them wanted to have an afternoon nap on the berth. I refused! I pretended to be tough. The guys ganged up on me and threatened to offload me from the train. I surrendered but protested “You guys are bullying me” I told them, and asked myself “Why should this happen to me? It’s unfair..”
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Change is always challenged

Inertia is a BAD word. It can wreak havoc in your life. Sometimes getting out of bed and wearing your jogging shoes can seem to be the most difficult thing to do in life. Yet one day you are able to move yourself out of lethargy. You not only wear your shoes, you actually go for a 20 minute walk too. That day and the next day and the next day! You feel delighted. A sense of accomplishment engulfs you. The mega business order you bagged the previous week pales in comparison to the significance of this achievement! You tell yourself.. now only if I could continue this tomorrow and the day after and.. forever. And then disaster strikes!
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Classroom of Life

“We are here to learn lessons, the world is our classroom and Life is our teacher”  – Andrew Matthews.

If there ever was one thought that changed my life, it is the quote above. This philosophy suddenly gave new meaning to my life. I started seeing sense in everything that was happening around me. I had always believed that every problem I was facing was an opportunity in disguise. What I now realized was that many of my problems were recurring, again and again, and I understood that I was stuck in the same class and Life was teaching me that lesson again and again simply because I had not yet learnt it completely.
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