Can you photoshop your life ?

It is not what you are but what you make of yourself that will ultimately define you. However, to do that one must be able to visualize what one wants to achieve, constantly work on making changes to one’s self with that vision in mind and proactively work on creating a new self that personifies and brings out the best out of you. This is a tough call partly because instead of redefining ourselves we are largely focused on imitating others, partly because we do not have the self belief that we can change for the better and largely because we are fatalistic and resign to our fate. While a dynamic self portrait is merely symbolic of the immense potential each of us has, it is important to also bear in mind that we cannot photoshop our life, our deeds, our efforts or our achievements. We need to bring out the changes ourselves by sheer passion, persistence and patience.

The following are pointers to key areas of our life that we need to literally touch up so as to enable us to live out a life that is fulfilling and representative of our full potential.

Attitude – Having the right attitude holds the key to any form of progress for every human being. If one can develop an attitude of positivity, optimism and imbibe a never say die spirit then no challenge is insurmountable, no task too menial or any achievement the pinnacle. The right attitude helps inject enthusiasm, creativity and take proactive initiatives that propel us in the right direction and abets progress.

Self Motivation – Without self motivation every good intent remains merely a dream. Most times a good attitude will generate self motivation but we have to work on sustaining it even when progress is slow, obstacles are many, our spirit is flagging and our urge to give up is overwhelming. A self motivated individual would find reasons to pursue passionately and prevail till the goal is attained. A good aid to be self motivated is to visualize the big picture or ultimate goal and to clearly outline the intermediate steps to attain that. Pursuing a passion or linking the goal to a passion would be the perfect way to constantly be self motivated.

Imagination – With a colorful imagination one can visualize the improbable, see beyond the obvious, create dramatically different images and most of all learn to find possibilities all the time. They say opportunities often disguise themselves in the garb of difficulties and it is only the imaginative that can spot them. Imagination also helps one create chances, seize the moment and bounce back from every setback. Without imagination one would see things in mere shades of grey, be confined to the dungeons of monotony and merely survive without embracing the joys of life. Imagination gives wings to a thought, a spring to your step and zeal to your mission.

Self belief – The degree of confidence one has in one’s abilities is a major indicator of self belief. However, self belief goes much beyond mere confidence and is an assimilation of diverse traits like commitment, discretion, daring, risk taking and rationality. Self belief comes from knowledge, upbringing, passion, learning and mental toughness. Self belief must be distinguished from foolhardiness, in as much as the latter is nothing but either over confidence or misplaced self belief.

Effort –Without effort, the self portrait that you will visualize would be just a figment of imagination; an illusion; a dream; a wish; a hope. Effort generates momentum to a pre determined destination and propels thought to be channelized appropriately. All the traits, abilities, learning and mental strength is tested only, when effort is used to mix and mould the product to be showcased. Effort also helps you discover yourself. It helps you understand your strengths and weakness, it makes you aware of your own potential and often helps you discover qualities and traits that you were never aware of.

Spend some time on visualizing your goals. These could be broadly categorized as personal goals, professional goals, self actualization goals. Spend time in understanding your own attitude and reactions to various goals that you have identified e.g. Financial goals might require you to be very self disciplined but your own attitude is to live life king size. Perhaps a diagnosis of your attitude could help you realize your folly and make you aware of the extra discipline needed to meet your financial goals. Find a way to be self motivated so that your quest to attain your goal is not a burden but a personal achievement. Be imaginative enough to discover alternatives that appeal to you and tap into yourself belief that will enable you to keep your eye on your goal and ears closed to the naysayers while continuing your effort and progressing towards your goal.

See yourself evolve into a different person; a more confident and successful individual who dared to change himself/ herself and the world around too !

Try these:

1. List out 3 things you would like to change in your subordinate / kids and your boss / spouse. How would you go about telling this to them, in a manner that would ensure, that your objective of bringing about the desired change would be effectively implemented by them?
2. List out 3 people who you interact with often and whose feedback you value. Identify atleast one negative feedback you have received from them in the recent past. Can you work on rectifying the fault pointed out by them?
3. Which animal / bird best represents your characteristics? Write down 3 – 5 qualities that the animal possesses / displays that closely represents qualities that you posses. Get a picture of the animal and note down these qualities on the picture and place it in a location that will enable you to frequently see it and remind yourself of the traits you posses.

Do not forget that doing all of the above takes EFFORT. No pain no gain !

You cannot photoshop your life but you certainly can leave behind a good impression that does not require any photoshopping.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

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You have to be odd to be…

The odd and even numbers start with the numbers one and two respectively. In life, we attach a lot of importance to standing first be it in academics, sports, quizzes or in form of competition. Perhaps the only place a person is not keen to be first, is in the roll call list. It may look ironic, that to be first you have to acknowledge that it is an odd number. However, there is a large message though, which suggests that you have to be odd, different, stand out in a crowd, evolve into someone unlike anyone else, if one wants to stand first. The challenge is to mentally be ready to be different, have the self belief that being different is the way to be noticed, that being different does not mean being a deviant and that when one is different, the conformists (who are always in a majority) would try everything in their power to bring you back in line.

Here are a few rules to being on top and standing first:

Give wings to your imagination – All of us have a wild imagination that often pops in the form of dreams, ideas, wishes, hopes and wishful thinking. To give momentum to your imagination think wildly, be creative, don’t curb your instincts and never prejudge your thoughts. Let you mind free to explore, to soar high, to visualize creatively, to be wild and fantasize. Look around and observe the man made wonders and you will see the wonders created by imaginative people. If they had curbed their natural urge, stifled their wild imagination and feared criticism they would never have achieved what they did. Be odd in your thinking and that is the way to be number one.

Dare to be different – A wild imagination will give you ample alternatives to explore. However, picking on one of the numerous brilliant ideas that you have would be a huge challenge. Most times we are caught between choosing from equally attractive and equally challenging alternatives. More importantly you may never find support from those around you, who cannot be as imaginative as you or are constrained by their own understanding and logic. Thus the choice of alternative becomes even more complex for it is yourself belief that has to overcome all rational objections. If you can see the path ahead, no matter how rocky or perilous, you can be sure very few will dare to walk that path and so you have the advantage to be pioneering the way. By being different, you risk being labeled odd but remember fortune favors the brave.

Never fear failure – There is an inherent risk of failure in any new venture. Failure must therefore be viewed as a reality check, that helps keep the venture on track. Fear of failure is perhaps the single biggest reason that separates the achievers from the dreamers. The achievers have factored in the risk of failure and then made decisive progress whereas those who had lofty ideas, gigantic plans and aimed for a risk free venture got waylaid by a syndrome called ‘paralysis by analysis’. Managing failure is also an art. The focus must be on root cause analysis and fixing the problem rather than apportioning blame and squabbling. When confronted with failure there is a thin line between being obstinate and having confidence; the key is to listen, observe, think through and be humble enough to correct the errors. When one fails there will be plenty of criticism, lots of well meaning but often ill directed advice; be rationale in evaluating them. Bear in mind that failure is not falling down but failure to get up.

Act today – Most plans never take off because we wait for that perfect moment. Most times the perfect moment is always delayed because we have never defined what that perfect moment is. In a race the starter gun begins the race. In our quest for glory we wear two hats; that of the starter and that of the participant. More importantly in our mind we do not see the rivals and so we believe we are competing only against ourselves and so we wait to make the perfect start. They say that even a tortoise makes progress only when it sticks it’s neck out; be bold enough to stick your neck out and begin today.

Keep improvising –They say quality has no finishing line. No matter what you have achieved, there is scope for improvement. When you strive to improve further, you remain competitive. You make yourself invaluable and edge ahead of the competition. One trait that always helps become competitive by improvising is by listening and paying attention to feedback. The negative feedback about yourself, the positive feedback about the competition and the wish list that people express, all provide vital inputs for you to reinvent yourself. Imagination and asking questions are the other traits that will provide you inputs to work upon to edge past the competition and get that odd number one spot.

Each day provides you and opportunity to improve upon yourself. Every new thought, act and effort that helps you grow, change and improve means you are better than the day before. You are retaining your number one spot by choosing to be at odds with the previous day and bettering yourself.

Try these:

• Read the poem If by Rudyard Kipling by clicking on the following link http://tinyurl.com/6xkmplx
• List out the actions that you have initiated despite not getting support from family and friends, that have helped you achieve something significant. Can you recall actions that you initiated that failed by still helped you improve by learning from that failure?
• Identify a hero and a heroine from history that you admire. Find out at least 2 decisive decisions / actions/ initiatives that each of them took that was bold, different and path breaking that made them a hero and heroine in your estimation.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

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Leveraging your anger

All our negative qualities have possibilities of being harnessed and channelized into productive action. Negative qualities are akin to nuclear power, which is largely understood as being a destructive force because of the Atom Bomb and is unfortunately not well known for being a rich source of productive energy, used widely for generating electricity. Anger is a common enough human impulse and largely manifests itself in sudden and provocative outbursts often laced with violence and expletives. The consequences are fear, equally reactive anger, mistrust, bad blood and a breakdown of meaningful communication. Anger converts itself in disruptive, unproductive, wasted energy.

Since anger is a natural response that we are all born with, we cannot eliminate that emotion. However, it is possible for each of us to harness its power by our own proactive initiative and channelize it into a utilitarian energy that will bring us peace, happiness and results. Here are ways to channelize anger into productive energy:

Release it gently – When angry, most people react aggressively with a raised voice, a string of expletives, level unsubstantiated allegations, cast aspersions on others and vitiate the environment. At times, an expression of anger is justified in order to grab attention, emphasize authority, highlight the importance of an issue or merely to get rid of pent up emotion. However bursts of anger must be well controlled, appropriately directed and sparingly resorted to, so as to be effective. Ideally one must be able to channelize anger like a laser beam to pinpoint the problem and cull it before it spreads. Anger must not be expressive; it must not be demonstrative; it must only be sharp, incisive and administered in the right dosage and focused on resolving an issue without destroying the relationship.

Channelize it appropriately – When anger is expressed, it often transpires that there is more collateral damage done than intended. Often the anger is directed at the wrong person or issue, the expression of anger is completely disproportionate to the problem being tackled, it creates more psychological trauma than effective problem resolution and often on hindsight one would realize that it was both futile and stupid to have let off so much steam and become emotionally drained. To channelize anger appropriately the trick is to distinguish between a problem and a person. Never end up shooting the messenger. Do a root cause analysis and then focus on the real problem without flying off the handle impulsively.

Burn it up productively – President Abraham Lincoln once famously remarked that ‘Write a letter when angry and you would have written the best letter you ever regretted’. The beauty of the wisdom in that observation lies not in what is apparent but in the immense possibility it holds to productively burn up our anger. Express your anger in private; shout, scream, rave, rant, write down all your feelings, fling things around but do so when alone and then tear off what your wrote, clean up the mess you created and by then you would have regained your equilibrium and expended your pent up emotions. When angry take deep breathes and count to 10 if still angry count another 10 and so on till your breathing stabilizes and your anger subsidies. Don’t forget that anger is just one alphabet short of danger.

Make anger your anchor. – When there is a tempest in your life, frustration and anger coupled with self pity aggravate your plight. The anger that wells up within could turn into a poisonous gas that can explode; but you can, with a strong will and determination, rationalize and convert it into a strong anchor that will steady your thoughts and enable you to weather the storm. The satygraha movement that Gandhiji resorted to, is one of history’s best examples of how anger was anchored to help a nation win freedom from its foreign rulers. In daily life, if one is unfairly criticized and anger wells up within, use that energy to perform efficiently with vengeance and then prove your worth to those who criticized and tormented you. They will view you in a new light; with a wee bit of remorse and a large dose of admiration at your efficiency and equanimity that you displayed despite the provocation. Try not to react to anger but absorb the energy that anger generates and direct it towards a productive goal. Imagine yourself to be a batsmen using the pace of the ball to skillfully direct it between the fielders to score runs.

Try these:

1. Recollect the times when you got really angry and how did you react to the provocation for that anger. On hindsight was you anger justified? Would you have reacted differently today?
2. Which of the following styles do you adopt when angry? Now that you realize it, how would you try to avoid that approach?

• Be sarcastic
• Be explosive
• Blame / criticize others
• Keep your anger pent up
• Be constantly irritated and complaining
• Express self pity
• Shun people and go into a shell

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

The real YOU

There is a different prism through which we can see ourselves more clearly; uncomplicated, realistic and honestly. That prism is through the eyes of others who are around you, with who you interact, your colleagues, friends, family and even worthy opponents. They value you not in terms of your wealth, your education or your achievements but seek out the person you really are by stripping of the external trappings and going into your individuality.

This is how your individuality is seen by others and your worth assessed by others.

Kindness = Greatness – Can you stop and help a blind man cross a road? Would you be able to spend time with the aged and infirm who are in institutions. Would you be able to respond charitably to those who may have wronged you? Can you forgive or be magnanimous to acknowledge your fault? There are numerous opportunities to give of yourself and be kind to those who seek your indulgence. Do you seize the opportunities to let them pass by either because you are not inclined to or because you believe someone else will take care of the same? Citations and awards maybe cherished by you and seen as the pinnacle of achievement but it is in giving of yourself that your greatness is brought to the fore.

Modesty =Education and intellect – The college degrees, the merit certificates, the academic performances are just a formal way to acknowledge an individual’s academic performance. To some extent they are also a barometer of a person’s intellect. However, the true worth of one’s education and intellect is reflected in the person’s ability to be humble, modest and graceful to the less equals. Making tall claims, boasting, names dropping, self centered conversations, refusal to respect and appreciate others, running down people etc. are some definite pointers to academics not translating into sound education and appreciable intellect.

Suspicion and prejudices = Ignorance – Insecurity, mistrust, ignorance are negative traits that trigger the mind to be suspicious and prejudiced. The tendency to read too much between the lines, casting aspersions on others, being biased, playing favorites, planting the seeds of doubts etc. are sure signs of a deeper malady of suspicion and prejudice. In reality it reflects one’s ignorance about one’s own competence and also betrays one’s ignorance about the complications and damage that one is inflicting by such behavior.

Consideration and tolerance = Caliber – While personal achievement demonstrate one’s ability, the caliber of an individual goes much beyond personal ability. When an individual can not only perform well but can influence others to give off their best, that is when the real caliber of the individual is on display. Great coaches are a prime example of people with exceptional caliber for they are able to get the best out of their wards. Similarly, team leaders whose teams achieve excellence and retain both the competitive and the team spirit are people with excellent caliber because often they would have to groom people far better than themselves with a healthy dose of encouragement, motivation, firmness and flexibility. Caliber is excellence put to the test and coming up triumphant.

Try these:

• List out the names of 3 individuals who you have personally interacted with and who you believe are modest people. Pinpoint at least one incident / happening for each individual that made you come to this conclusion about them.
• Outline 2 of your pet suspicions about others and 2 of your frequent prejudices. Do you have any tangible evidence or proof to harbor such thoughts?
• Next time you are in a one to one conversation with another individual consciously make it a point to count the number of times you use the word ‘I’ or ‘my’ in your conversation.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

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Color your world bright

One of life’s ironies is that we allow our life to be influenced, modeled and directed by others. While it is good to take parental advice, follow the discipline and rigors taught by teachers and elders, be attentive to the suggestions of seniors and mentors at the workplace, we lose our individuality and ability to follow our dreams and furrow our own path if we do not allow our own thoughts to take center stage in our life. Yes, it is possible that when we dare to be independent, there could be the risk of failure, of criticism and of confusion but it is offset by the thrill of exploring, of having given dreams wings and there is definite possibility of success when we translate imagination into effort.

It is not merely the brilliance of individuals that brings about progress, revolution and discovery but it is the ability to propel and channelize the ideas, imagination and creativity into daring, tangible and concrete action that bears fruits. Pause for a moment and imagine the numerous interests that you had in your formative years. Perhaps you still nurture a few new dreams to pursue. Did you want to be a scientist, an astronaut, a fireman, an engine driver, a computer wizard, an industrialist, a fashion icon, a mechanic, a farmer, a writer / dramatist ???? Ask yourself what efforts you made to get a better understanding of the fields of your interest. Did you make some serious efforts to test your skills in the filed of your passion? Did you get discouraged because of the snide comments, sharp rebuke or constant berating of some key influencers in your life? Were you firmly directed to follow the beaten path? Did you succumb to the real and imaginary pressures around you?

Actually it is never too late to add color to your life. After all it is your life and you have to take responsibility for managing it, improvising on it and making it an exhilarating one. So if you fancied yourself as singer what stops you from atleast singing at a Karaoke night? What is holding you back from penning your dream story or poem? So you want to visit foreign lands; start by zooming on the places you want to visit, work out your budget and now you are already half to realizing your dreams. The key to adding color to your life is in using all the available crayons, color pencils, paints and brushes to start coloring. Don’t wait to find the ideal mood, the right canvas, the perfect colors or for your imagination to conceive the exact drawing. Leverage your inspirations with a little perspiration, loads of obsession and infatuation and see a drab life turn exotic and colorful.

Try these:

Simply select 8-15 objects that are around you. Re-arrange them / use them to create something different. If nothing else change their location so that the environment looks different and more pleasant. Good start!

Write down the most frequent criticism / critical feedback that you get from family, friends and colleagues. Now write down an action plan to work on changing the image you project so that those who criticize you will notice the change and applaud you for it.

Allocate a small sum of money each month as ‘ my surprise money’. Use this to buy something to surprise someone or family members or office colleagues. Notice the joy you bring to them and feel it reverberate within you also.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

The past is behind… begin now and march ahead !

One of the big millstones that weighs down and defeats people, is the regret that they have of their past and their mistaken belief, that they have missed the boat to success. It is true that every one of us would have something in the past that we would desperately want to edit and redo; yet the past is only a mirage that cannot be revisited but we must not convert that into a regretful flashback put on permanent loop. On the contrary, successful people have build their success by learning the lessons from their past, being cautious not to repeat the mistakes and occasionally tweaking the lessons learnt to make another attempt. (Read this to get insight of the FedEx billionaire Fred Smith http://tinyurl.com/ln9xxbq )

In fact, your past provides you an excellent reference point to value your achievements. Whatever your failures, disappointments, frustrations and / or regrets you are here today reading this post because your past could not define you as a defeatist nor could it destroy your strong will nor could it deter you from pursuing your dreams and neither did you concede defeat to the past failures. Your past has made you more determined, disciplined and daring; in short it has strengthened you.

The challenge now is to make optimum use of the strength that you posses. This can be done by consciously working on your GAME

Your Goals – Unless one has an objective and a plan, there would be neither purpose not progress. Well thought out, written goals will provide us the direction and the roadmap to march ahead. Never forget that the a journey of a 1000 miles begins with the first step. Writing down your goals is the first step in your march towards success. You must have goals for varied dimensions of your life be it personal goals, professional goals, academic goals, self development goals, relationship goals, spiritual goals etc. Writing down your goals will bring clarity, ensure attentiveness, help monitor your progress and provide you motivation and self worth to pursue it with passion.

Your Attitude – Like New Year resolutions that we all cynically believe are meant to be broken, even written down goals will remain on paper with no progress being made unless one adopts the right attitude to attain the goals. Progress could be slow, impediments could be many, there could be occasional failures and disappointments but remember every successful person has overcome all these because they had the can do, will do attitude. No goal is too big or too small. In fact the small goals are the stepping stone to success for with every small goal attained you would have traversed many mile forward to attaining your larger goal. Yes you too can eat an Elephant slice by slice!

Your Motivation – Even the most disciplined individual will have to confront the demons of self doubt, slow progress, discouragement from others and at times even the ignominy of ridicule and taunts from critics. One must be able to identify both an extrinsic motivation and more importantly and intrinsic motivation to provide the energy, the nourishment and the impetus to keep marching ahead ignoring all protestations of mind and body. Your goals must exceed your grasp for that is when one is motivated to aim higher, reach further and progress beyond one’s comfort zone and discover a new world, a new destination and a new person in you.

Your Efforts – Now that you have read so far, it is time you actually walked the talk. So write down your goals, the positive words /adjectives that could determine / outline the attitude needed and identify the motivation that will drive you to attain your goals. Don’t forget that your goals are not mere statements of good intent but definitive, positively articulated tangible outcomes. Ensure that each one of your goals is a SMART goal i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound. By now you have the drift of what is expected of you; not platitudes of good intent but a tango of mind and body that will bring you closer to realizing your full potential, leverage your hidden strengths and give you the euphoria of success.

Who cares what happened in the past? The GAME is on…this moment is as good a time as any to begin and win !

Try these:

I often get emails (actspot@gmail.com) requesting help in finding the best way to improve an individual’s English Language Skills. Here are some ways but you will have to convert them into your own personal goals. Cultivate the right attitude, find the appropriate motivation and put in your efforts to progress in mastering English.

• Read a lot ( could be Readers Digest / English Newspapers / Magazines / Comics / Fiction / books related to your profession etc.)
• Look up words in the dictionary and also check for alternative in a Thesaurus
• Most English language newspapers have a recreation page with crosswords , comic strips, other resources. Make it a habit to consciously attempt some of these daily. This is a fun way to learn new words and the meanings.
• Cultivate English speaking friends and make a conscious effort to speak in English. Encourage your friends to correct you so that you get feedback and can improve. Make a determined effort not to speak in your native tongue.
• Watch English movies with sub titles so that in case you do not understand the spoken language you can still grasp the words from the sub titles.
• Write one page atleast, every day. This could be in the form of a dairy of daily happenings or it could be your thoughts and feelings or it could be a summary of your reading or random thoughts and musings. Once you start writing, you would be well on your way to becoming excellent in English for that is the culmination of the GAME you started and your Efforts will pay off.

What are the passions you always wanted to indulge in but never had the time / resources / courage to pursue? ( e.g. learn dancing , go hiking, visit Europe, write my own blog, work with an NGO, start my own business, give lectures, become a crusader for a cause etc.) Select a couple of them and put it in your list of Goals. Use the SMART goal formula to make these attainable goals. You should now be able to definitely attain your goals within the time-frame you have set.

Go through this list of positive words, that can trigger your imagination to determine other words, which will help you have the right motivation and attitude to achieve your goals.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog
www.poweract.blogspot.com

Never mind the crack

It is rather ironic that today’s post offers hope; for a despondent nation is still trying to pick themselves up after their semi-final loss to Australia today, at the 2015 Cricket World cup. In fact the raging debate especially on TV channels is between those who believe we have been shattered and those who say that the defeat is a mere blip albeit a devastating one. So to begin with let us accept the fact that after a flawless undefeated run upto the semi-finals, we did get a nasty crack when playing a better team. Yet, while the margin of defeat, the manner of loss, the poor bowling, batting on display as well as the captaincy will be the subject of much debate the fact is that cricket will continue to be our most loved sport. More importantly, remember it was the same team that were totally outplayed in the Australian series that turned themselves around to have an unblemished run till the semi-finals; clearly proving that we can still mend the cracks and also crack the whip when we want to.

Each one of us would have at various times experienced failure. Most failures largely our own fault where we were tardy, disorganized or simply not prepared to succeed. However there could be times when failure hurt us deeply because it was unexpected, we felt humiliated or because we had prepared in all earnest to succeed. In almost all cases failure did not end our life, nor threatened our career or terminate our future. This clearly underscores an important characteristic of failure, that with very few exceptions, failure can only temporarily impact us. Overcoming failure is a matter of 4 simple steps

Believing in yourself – We throw in the towel when we stop believing that we are capable of achieving what we set out to do. This is primarily because we focus on our limitations and weakness rather than on our strengths and our passion. Each one of us can grow in our chosen field of endeavor, provided we nourish it with the right amount of effort, intellect and discipline. When we do get the results the first time, see it as an opportunity to prepare better and succeed.

Letting time be the healer – When we fail, we must avoid cracking up and seeing lack of success as an end to our aspirations. Do mull over the reasons but do not brood over it forever. Let by gones be by gones but never forget the lesson.

Fresh initiative and diligent effort – Time also gives us an opportunity to go back to the drawing board, come up with fresh strategies and relaunch a fresh attempt with a brighter chance of success. Leveraging our strengths, adding new arsenal to overcome our limitations and honing up skills as also find other means to neutralize our weakness are the key to succeeding.

Not giving up and also knowing when to give up. – Perhaps this is rather difficult to comprehend for there are two diametrically opposite suggestions. Try till you succeed is an old adage and frankly an excellent piece of advice to follow. So what if a crack appears, one can still stick the pieces together and get things functional. However what happens when the cracks are too many and too fragmented. Perhaps the only way out is to replace. Essentially it means that the outer frame is still sturdy, it has tremendous utility but it may require a fresh coat or it may need to be fixed with fresh glue. In investment parlance knowing when to give up is called ‘cutting one’s losses’.

You may lose a thousand battles but you can still win the war ! Don’t give up- don’t give in; just give it your best shot ! even it means having to take a decision to cut your losses.

Try these:

1. List out 5 of your major failures. Think of atleast 3 reasons for your failure. Have those failures made you risk averse?
2. Try all of the following. Attempt each of it atleast 3 times ( each succeeding attempt being at least 3 days apart)

• Creating a drawing using any software
• Playing a card game / board game / indoor game that you have never played before
• Preparing a dish you have never cooked / attempted before
• Doing something that you were mortally fearful / apprehensive of eg. Holding a reptile in your hand / participating in a public speaking contest etc.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

Energy flows where attention goes

If there is a one line success mantra it is this ! The line contains a wealth of wisdom for it also draws attention to the role of energy and suggests how energy can be focused and leveraged to get desired results. Here are 5 ways you can leverage the wisdom for your own personal success

Use it for Goal setting – Goal setting begins with thinking about the future, drawing up plans, reviewing the present and identifying milestones to ensure steady and focused progress. All this involves paying attention to one’s own inner voice, being pragmatic about the assumptions made, going beyond one’s comfort zone, taking giant leaps when required and making adjustments when required. Notice that at every stage you are focusing your attention on what you seek to attain and in the process you are channelizing your energies to fulfill those dreams.

Use it to be creative – One problem that many of us encounter is boredom. The other is the sheer monotony of the daily grind. Then there are awkward situations, unexpected crisis and the occasional need to be wriggle out of a tight spot. What is common to all these is the need to be creative and come up with an out of the box idea. Rather than being overwhelmed by the occasion or being flummoxed by the situation pay attention to find a solution and you will be amazed at how you manage to direct all your energy into coming up with something different and unique that is possible, pragmatic and definitely worthwhile.

Use it to overcome a challenge – There are many times, apart from those mentioned in the previous paragraph, when each of has to face a challenging situation, overcome a major problem we encounter or make a critical decision. While we may be armed with facts and figures, have a slew of alternatives to choose from and / or be given helpful tips, suggestions and advice when the moment of reckoning comes the individual has to make the choice. This is tough partly because of the criticality of the situation; partly because most alternatives look equally good or in some cases none of the alternatives seem effective. It is at these times that we have to keep focusing on the challenge on hand, direct our attention and channelize our energies to zooming in on the best solution under the circumstances.

Use it to make a dream come true – We all have our share of dreams, hopes, aspirations and desires. Some of it we translate into goals to be achieved but many more remain in the realms of wistful thinking, painful pining and exotic day dreams. As long as we hold on to those thoughts there is a possibility we will yet work on attaining it. If you let it go then you can never hope to achieve it. Keeping it alive in the mind is nothing but paying attention, albeit casually. What you don’t consciously realize is that by letting it be within your attention span you are directing your energies towards it. Perhaps this explains the success of late bloomers who left an inedible mark be it an a Col. Sanders of the Kentucky Fried Chicken fame or Grandma Moses the painter or Gandhiji who spear headed the Dandi March in his 60’s and the Quit India movement in his 70’s.

Use it to be a better individual – We are the sum total of all our physical self, our thoughts, our actions and reactions. If we pay attention to our physical self as also to those thoughts, actions and reactions that hamper our progress we would definitely find ways and means to change them for our betterment. If are overweight or sickly and became aware of it ( it happens only when we pay attention to it) we will find appropriate solutions to address the issue. Similarly, when we realize that we have a poor attitude that hampers our relationships or become aware of our tardiness or casualness that hampers our professional and personal progress we can find ways and means to overcome it. The key lies in realizing our limitations and recognizing our strengths which we can leverage. Realization comes only when we pay attention and then our energy can be directed for our personal betterment.

Try these:

1. Click on the following link to read about Dashrath Mahnji ( The mountain man) http://tinyurl.com/lqq3vzp
2. Make your own version of Jal Tarang at home and attempt to get some harmonious musical notes without breaking the containers.
3. List out 3 of your most irksome / worrying problems and over the next week try to find out atleast 2 unique solutions to manage the problem
4. Collect the following and find something unique / different/ which you had not observed in each of them.

• 5 different types of leaves
• 5 different types of flowers
• 3 live insects
• 3 different types of soil / stones

This post is courtesy wwww.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

Magic Mantra

The magic in the mantra is because it gives you the answers to the questions that have invariably troubled you at some point in time and even possibly trouble you even today. For all those who have a doubt and ask themselves ‘ Can I?’ or those who are resigned to their fate saying ‘ I can’t’ this magic mantra simply says ‘YES YOU CAN’. However the mantra puts the onus on YOU to get what you want.

If you want growth – it could be in diverse aspects of your life like in physique / health / wealth /spirit / maturity you would be limited only by your inhibitions about reaching it. Assume you want to attempt a marathon successfully. The thought that it may be impossible stops you from even exploring the possibility. You could begin by aiming for smaller targets and slowly increase the distance till one day you achieve your aim of completing the marathon. If you don’t reach for it you will never grow enough to achieve it. Similar you mature more from the critical feedback you receive which most times we are prone to refute. Yet, if one were to reach out in a non judgmental way and listen to the others, we could get invaluable pointers that would make us more balanced, less emotional and act in a mature way. Be aware that YOU are the person limiting your growth by not reaching.

If you seek – it could be a variety of things like happiness/ enlightenment / understanding / knowledge / peace you will attain it only when you are prepared to be open minded, take risks and explore all avenues. An open mind and heart is a precondition to allow new thoughts and insights percolate into your being and transform you. A beautiful work of art could give immense joy or a coming across an insightful phrase can suddenly enlighten you or the wonders of technology when we experience it give us new knowledge. However all this is possible only when one is open to seeking it. This means that we need to look out for your destination even as you traverse diverse paths and before you know it you will attain it. Seek and you shall find says the Bible.

When we traverse through life there are so many experiences and events that we come across. Yet, it is only when we decide to consciously pay close attention to these happenings around us that we get to see the humane side of people/ the darker side of human nature/ the pain of others/ affection of people / sacrifices of others / blessings you possess. It is natural for us to take so many things for granted. Yet there are times when we are pleasantly surprised or rudely shocked because of events or happenings that did not fit into the set pattern. The sudden death of young colleague could be the trigger to be aware of one’s own health or the bravery of an ordinary citizen could awaken us to our own lethargic and casual approach to life. Perhaps this explains why beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. While on the subject of beauty, think deeply about this too; some say that love fades when beauty fades but think again; isn’t it when love fades that beauty fades

Dreams are nature’s way of giving wings to your imagination / your fantasies /your creativity / your individuality. The real you is the person who can translate those dreams into reality. Unless you dream big you cannot build on those dreams. Dreams are the blueprint that nature provides you with. They can also take the form of fantasies, creativity and individuality. Let your blueprint be elaborate, detailed, ostentatious for it is only then can you attempt to translate that into reality. If Edison did not imagine an alternative for the candle we would still be groping in the dark. You can be your own Edison if you just allow yourself the luxury of dreaming big, thinking differently, stretching your imagination and attempting something that you have never tried before.

Try this:

Grow – buy a potted plant or plant a seed in a pot. Nurture it well and see it grow. At the same time find a way to increase your savings and some good ways to invest it so that the savings grow more than the current inflation.

Go – Visit an old age home and an orphanage. Note down the different needs of the inmates there. Did you anticipate most of those needs by merely imagining them. How did the visit profoundly impact you?

See – a foreign language / regional language ( a language you do not understand )movie. Try writing a script for a 2 minute movie on a social cause and try to get it shot.

Be – aware of the noises around you when seated blind folded for half an hour. What thoughts crossed your mind when you sat blind folded. Did any wild ideas cross your mind? Did you imagine any fears? What do you plan to do about those ideas or fears?

 

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com 

Let the world change you for the better

In the euphoria of youthful adolescence we aspire to be role models to others, hope to make a difference to the world around us and expect to leave our mark on the world. Over time with the experience we gain, the maturity one attains and the realization that we have limited control over the happenings and people around us, we make a tactical retreat from our lofty ideals. Yet, off and on we still try to impose our ideas, attempt to brow beat others to our point of view and fondly hope that we are making a substantial contribution in changing the world around us. In this process we do gain some small victories occasionally but find ourselves caught up in the tide of the world around us and struggling to stay afloat.

On the other hand if we tweak our thoughts, change our attitude and modify our behavior so as to be more open to new thoughts, embrace new technologies and make peace with differing ideas and ideologies we would find ourselves more at peace, feel the pleasure of doing something different and enjoy the euphoria that comes from embracing change. Suddenly you will realize that slowly but steadily the world has helped you change and evolve into a much better person, a more competent individual and a very adaptable member of society. You have changed without compromising on your values, ethics and principles.

Here are some pointers to get the best out of the world around you

Have an open mind – This holds the key to learning from every situation, experience and failure. An open mind allows us the freedom to dare, risk and remain optimistic. Our crazy ideas make sense only when an open mind allows us the space to stretch our imagination and visualize the fructification of the idea into a tangible outcome. In the same way it allows one to discover the complications, the false assumptions, the unplanned deviations and the unexpected roadblocks without letting us lose our self belief. At the same time it allows us to inject a healthy dose of optimism, drives us passionately and helps us retain our zeal no matter what the obstacles.

Move out of your comfort zone – While all of us have dreams and some even indulge in day dreams, translating those dreams into action requires daring, courage and risk taking. This necessitates that one bite the bullet and take the risks, attempt something different and even have the courage to do what others least expect you to do. A person’s mettle is tested only when he/she is taking on new challenges, exploring uncharted territory and/ or confronting fears. This is also the time when one often discovers new personal strengths, abilities and qualities. This could also pave the way to achieving new milestones and exponential success.

Be prepared for surprises and shocks – If one were to really absorb and benefit from the influences of the world around us, we must be prepared to first embrace the surprises that come our way. Too many times we do not relish our success but worry that the success was an accident and may not repeat itself. Try new things, experience new outcomes. It is also essential to remember that when we try something different there could be some rude shocks too. These shocks would in all probability be temporary glitches or short term setbacks but that should not be construed to be a personal affront or colossal blunder.

Make every day count – Even as you read this, you are making judgments about the veracity of what you have read so far. If you largely agree with the points shared here you would need to quickly have a plan of action to put the learning to work. On the other hand if you are not in agreement with most of what you have read so far, then you must prepare to comment and share your views here. Either way, it is the first step to taking some concrete and decisive action. It is only when one takes decisive action then you make the day count.

The urge to make everyday count is a great motivator to have an open mind, accept the new and apply it, to become an even better person.

Try this:

1. Watch a regional / foreign language movie (the language should be one that you do not understand). If the movie has English subtitles it is perfectly ok.
2. Every week plan to play a new game that you have never tried before. Some suggestions are as under

• A new card game
• A different board game
• An outdoor game like croquet/ baseball
• Try your hand at archery / shooting / darts

Which of the following activities would you never dare attempt? Rank it in order of difficulty. Now try to attempt the least frightening activity within the next 2 months. Then keep attempting the others.

• Scuba Diving
• Bungee Jumping
• Participating in a TV quiz / talent show
• Being the masters of ceremonies at a function
• Holding a non poisonous snake for 10 minutes
• Being a Santa Claus at a Children’s Christmas party

 

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com