Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Let Go of Resentments



How do we rebuild trust and let go of resentment? Resentment happens when there has been an accumulation and pattern of broken trust and betrayal. Resentment can take on the form of withdrawal, pulling back, and shutting down within the relationship. The great news is -- there is a path for healing and renewal. It includes 7-steps: 1) Observe and acknowledge what has happened 2) Allow feelings to surface 3) Get support 4) Reframe the experience 5) Take responsibility 6) Forgive yourself and others 7) Let go and move on *Daily Quote: Inspiration you can transform your thoughts, create new etchings, and movethrough each day and every situation with positive expectancy. - Julie Bartkus

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

LITTLE CANDLE


Once upon a time a little candle stood in a room filled with other candles,most of them much larger and much more beautiful than she was. Some were ornate and some were rather simple, like herself. Some were white, some were blue, some were pink, some were green. She had no idea why she was there, and the other candles made her feel rather small and insignificant. When the sun went down and the room began to get dark, she noticed a largeman walking toward her with a ball of fire on a stick. She suddenly realized that the man was going to set her on fire. “No, no!” she cried,“Don't burn me, please!” But she knew that she could not be heard and prepared for the pain that would surely follow. To her surprise, the room filled with light. She wondered where it came from since the man had extinguished his fire stick. To her delight, she realized that the light came from herself. Then the man struck another fire stick and, one by one, lit the other candles in the room. Each one gave out the same light that she did. During the next few hours, she noticed that, slowly, her wax began to flow.She became aware that she would soon die. With this realization came a sense of why she had been created. “Perhaps my purpose on earth is to giveout light until I die,” she mused. And that's exactly what she did. God created you and I to produce light in a dark world. Like that little candle, we all can produce the same amount of light, no matter how small weare or what color we might be. But we can't produce light until we receiveit from an outside source

Thursday, September 4, 2008

WHAT's UP ?

Lovers of the English language might enjoy this......How do non-natives ever learn all the nuances of English???
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.'
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but why do we wake UP in the morning?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?
Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends.
We brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.
We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.
At other times the little word has real special meaning.
People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP !
To understand the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in a dictionary.
In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 page -- it can really add UP.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.
It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.
When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.
When it rains, it wets UP the earth.
If it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP .
One could go on, but I'll wrap it UP.
For now my time is UP, so .... Time to shut UP .....!
Don't mess UP.
Send this to everyone you look UP in your address book.

GRATITUDE


Hans Selye, the great stress specialist, says that gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions and revenge is the most destructive. He's right. It is a fact that when you express gratitude for what you have, you will have more for which to be grateful. It is equally true that the more you complain about your problems, the more problems you will have to complain about. Here's why. People who express appreciation for what they have attract people who recognize that attitude. They are far more inclined to encourage and/or lend a helping hand because they know their help will be appreciated. People who are always complaining about their problems repel the very people who are in position to give them help and encouragement.Try this. Make a list of ten things you like about your job, mate, child(ren), city, school, etc. The next time someone asks you what you do or where you are from, respond enthusiastically, "I'm from XYZ City," or "I work at ABC Company, and I really like it!" They are likely to comment on your enthusiasm and ask you why you like your city or your job so much. You can respond, "The people there are really nice and we render a great service. My manager is a neat lady," and go right down the list. You'll be amazed at the response you will get and the impact it will have on your attitude and performance. Recently I met a lady who had been working for the JC Penney Company for many years and had grown disgruntled and unhappy. She decided to give this approach a try. Two weeks later she told me that her supervisor had commented on her dramatic change in attitude and performance. The lady added, "And you know, it's funny, I really do like my job much better!" Give it a try and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

By Zig Ziglar

Two Roads in MY Life


Today I took a time of silence just to look back on my life and to see what happened to me. I looked back on the road of my life and I saw that there are two roads that are leading to where I am currently standing. I could not understand this.
The one road is twisty and go through canyons, over cliffs and it seems that it is a road that no sane man will travel. The other road is a road that looks like a highway. It is straight and flat, but it is also very, very narrow.
I asked God why is there two roads that only converge a little way from where I am standing. God answered me and said that the one road - the twisty difficult road, is the road that I chose to walk. This road is so difficult and so dangerous because I did not heed God's word. I sinned and the devil led me on this twisty road.
As I looked at the twisty road, I started seeing road-signs all along the way, representing the things that I have done in my past. How shocked, horrified and ashamed was I to see all the bad things that I have said, that I have done, that I have thought of.
I can see where I went over cliffs, the places where I have fallen and stumbled and where I got hurt so badly that it seemed impossible to live. There were also places where it seemed impossible for me to have survived the road that I was traveling. It was really a horrific road. Sometimes there was no road at all and I wondered what happened during those times in my travels on this difficult road. I asked God and He said with a smile in His voice, "Son that is where the devil let go of you and I caught you, I carried you."
I said, but how is it still possible that if I was walking with and following the devil that You where still there for me. He said to me "It is because I love you and I will never stop loving you, regardless of your sins."
I looked with amazement to this horrible road and wondered how it happened that I ended up traveling this dangerous road. As if God knew what was on my mind, He said, "Son your choices was not always right and you had to learn, I gave you freedom to do as you wanted and was hoping that you would learn from your choices."
I shrieked in my body and soul, because the sign posts next to the road showed so clearly the choices that I have made. There was no doubt in my mind that all these choices was very far removed from what God had in mind for me and what He had planned for my life.
I asked God about the narrow road that is flat and straight and He said to me, "Son that is the road that I had planned for you and which you choose not to walk for so long. I was willing to lead you and show you all the riches that I had in my stores for you."
I wondered just how much I have missed in life by trying to follow my own road. I looked at the place where the two roads converge and my twisty and dangerous road meet with the narrow, straight road, it was only a very, very short distance from where I was standing at this moment.
Again, before I could ask God about this, He answered me and said, "Son you started praying, you started leaving the choices in My hands. You started trusting me and you started believing in the power of what I can do. I was hoping that you would come to Me and look at My road."
" All it took was for you, to start asking Me for the things in your life that you wanted and trusting Me enough with those things. I am burning to release My full flood of riches onto you, to give you far more than you could ever ask for or dream of! You must remember that it was YOUR choice to travel your own road, I was always there, but you never trusted Me, you never asked Me to help you."
" You where the one that went of on the difficult road with all the dangers and My road was there all along. It was up to you to come back to Me, because I never left you, it was you who left Me. There, where the roads converge, that is when you came back to Me, that was when you gave up on trying to be the leader in your own life, when you realized that on your own power you are not getting anywhere and you are not achieving anything meaningful in your life, when you stopped relying on your own power.
" That was when you said to me that I must take control of your life and lead you according to what I, your Father, has planned for you. I was waiting so long for you to just start asking Me for guidance, I wanted to take your hand everyday, but if you did not allow me and trust me, I could not do that."
I could only stand in amazement on what happened since the two roads converge. I could see the drastic change and the things that came my way since traveling God's way. I decided there and then that without God in my life, I do not want to live another day. I started understanding what God, my Father had in store for me and it is so simple. I just need to trust Him with everything and I must ask Him for it.
The simplicity of this only started sinking in and I now know that without God in my life, life is not worth living. I vowed that never again will I rely on my own strengths, never again will I doubt in what God has promised each and every one of us. I vowed to keep on looking for God's will in my life and to get to know Him a lot better! God is my King and Savior, how about yours?

Rhythym of Rituals

CHANGE IS INEVITABLE AND ALL CHANGE IS CYCLICAL; TO BREAK THE MONOTONY OF LIFE CREATE SOME MEANINGFUL RITUALS FOR YOURSELF

AS RAVI ENTERED his cabin, he suddenly felt lost. What was he supposed to do next? He set up his laptop and went straight for his email inbox. Maybe there were emails there to respond. And in the midst of responding to the emails, maybe he would find a purpose, a task that would make the rest of the day meaningful. Ravi needs structure in his life. A plan. But he does not know how to go about it. A business year has just got over and until last week the sales target was the destination, and the desire to reach it kept him going. Now, the target has been reached, the year is over, and suddenly there is a vacuum. What seemed like a full stop now reveals itself to be merely a comma, a pause, as he waits for a new goal. Is that what life is all about – moving from one target to another target, one year-end to another year-end, one project to another project?
Ravi was raised on fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel, which always ended with 'happily ever after'. But as the exhilaration of reaching last year's target wanes, Ravi has realised that 'happily ever after' is a dream, a fantasy far from reality. In frustration, his mind wandered to earlier that day, to when he was having breakfast. His wife drew his attention to traditional Indian narratives. Unlike European fairy tales which had clear beginnings (once upon a time), and clear endings, (happily ever after), classical Indian fairy stories such as Suka-saptati, Betalpachisi, Simhasan-battisi, had endings that invariably curved back to the beginning. For example, Suka-saptati always began with a travelling merchant's wife preparing to step out and meet her lover, and always ended with her not leaving the house, distracted as she was by the story narrated to her by her husband's pet parrot. Betal-pachisi always began with Vikram pulling down a ghost from a tree, and ended with the ghost always returning to the tree after telling a story. Simhasan-battisi, always began with a king approaching a throne thinking he was worthy of sitting on it, and always ended with him doubting his capability after hearing a tale of royal achievement narrated by the throne itself. Thus, the stories would run in cycles – again, and again, and again, with the same beginnings, with the same endings and change happening only in between. In the middle was the exciting part – mystery, action and romance. Ravi realised these tales were so much like life. Every business year would begin the same way – with a target. And would end the same way – with a struggle to reach the target. The exciting part was in the middle. In the middle was life.
While driving to office, Ravi had noticed a few workshops on the roadside where artisans were molding clay images of Ganesha and Durga. They did this each year, in the rainy season, preparing for festivals that were celebrated as the rains drew to a close. By which time the images of Ganesha and Durga would be ready for worship. After being worshipped for nine-ten days, the images would be dissolved in a water body. The following year, at the same time, the artisans would mold fresh images once again. Repetition was the key. The festivals recurred cyclically, just like the stories. Was this the way of the forefathers to show that while change is inevitable (stories end, images are dissolved in water), all change is cyclical (stories restart and images are recreated)? Through the rhythm of rituals, one's mind was drawn to the cyclical nature of things so that life seemed less uncertain and more predictable.
Are we rats on a ferret-wheel, running but reaching nowhere? From the window of his office, Ravi noticed the sticker of Tirupati Balaji pasted on a car parked below. The deity had a wheel on the right side. It rotated around the deity's index finger, a reminder of life's circular rhythm. The dreaded merry-go-round of life, no doubt. But there was a conch-shell on the left side of the deity. Here the rhythm was different - spiral not circular. The end did not actually meet the beginning – it was separated by a distance created by time.
It dawned on Ravi that when an event recurs, one is not the same person – one has matured, gained more experience and information, hence one's approach to the event should ideally be different. When the Ganesha or Durga festivals return after the rains this year, as ritually planned, Ravi should be able to perceive the celebrations with a more matured perspective compared to last year. And when Ravi hears the next story narrated either by the parrot, the ghost or the throne, he should be smarter than when the previous story was told. Ideally, when events recur, he should be more prepared, hence more efficient and more effective. Ravi concluded that circular rituals offered not just a predictable certainty, it also offered a chance to relook at the same event differently, allowing for new insights, making every recurring event something to look forward to.
Suddenly Ravi did not feel as lost as before. It dawned on him that for the past four years, ever since he took over as head of sales and marketing, this feeling of dread and despair always overwhelmed him in the period between the ending of the previous business year and the start of the current business year. Rather than surrender to monotony and despair, it was up to him to turn the cyclical truth of his job to his advantage.
Inspired, Ravi instituted a circular rhythm of rituals of his own in his office. Every Monday morning, he asked his team to meet in his cabin for coffee. The meeting had no agenda. What was important was the gathering. Sometimes the meeting generated heated discussion about work, sometimes people just gossiped on various topics, and sometimes nobody spoke; everybody just sipped coffee silently. Those who attended the meeting did not realise what the point of it all was. But Ravi did. The ritual anchored his team – gave the week a very certain start, a clear indicator that the weekend was over and the week had begun. It allowed the team to cope better with the Monday morning blues, and return to the corporate fold faster. Now, Ravi plans to institute more office rhythms – monthly reviews, quarterly team dinners, bi-annual picnics with family. He has realised that people respond to rhythms very well – like cyclical festivals and stories that give everyone the opportunity to find excitement and new insights in the otherwise monotony of life.

HAPPINESS


Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Bamboo and The Fern


One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, and my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. "God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me..."Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" "Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo." He said. "In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit."
He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?" "I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you." "Don't compare yourself to others."
He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high" "How high should I rise?" I asked. "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as it can?" I questioned, "Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. He will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life!

Unlock Your Mind

Houdini was a master Magician as well as a fabulous locksmith. He boasted that he could escape from any Jail cell in the World in less than an hour, provided he could go into the cell dressed in street clothes. Houdini became very famous.
A small town in the British Isles built a new Jail, which they were extremely proud of. They issued Houdini a challenge. "Come give us a try", they said. Houdini loved the publicity and the money attached with it, so he accepted.
The day of the challenge came. By the time Houdini arrived, excitement was at a fever pitch. Houdini rode triumphantly into the town and walked into the cell. He proudly walked into the cell and the Big Iron door was closed. Houdini took off his coat and went to work. Secreted in his belt was a flexible tough and durable ten-inch piece of steel, which he used to work on the lock. At the end of 15 minutes his confident expression had disappeared. At the end of 30 minutes he was looking confused. At the end of an hour he was drenched in perspiration.
After two hours ...
Houdini literally collapsed against the door - which opened...!
Yes, it had never been locked.........except in his mind..........where he viewed it was as firmly locked as if a thousand locksmiths had put their best efforts in making the lock for it. One little push and Houdini could have easily opened the door..........But he didn't.
People! Many times a little extra push is all you need to open your opportunity door. In the game of life you will discover, as you set your goals and unlock your mind, that the world will unlock its own treasures and rewards to you. Realistically, Most locked doors are in our minds.
Unlock your Mind...Think Great Thoughts...Do Great Things...

GOD's WIFE

An Eye Witness Account from New York City, on a cold day in December:
A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.
A lady approached the boy and said, "My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?"
"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand and went into the store and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy.
She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.
She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with a towel.
By this time the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.
She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said,
"No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more comfortable now?"
As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes,
Answered the question with these words: "Are you God's Wife?"

NOT MY JOB


Performance Pressure in Industries


Actions Still Speak Louder Than Words

Too often we talk about what we are going to do "someday" while we actually do very little to make our dreams come true. We talk and dream and set goals and plan. We budget and visualize. We do everything, in fact, except take action.We all know that only action changes things. One of my favorite slogans is that "Nothing changes until something changes." I love the reminder that even a small step in the right direction can have huge implications! And, I love the reminder that only action will make our dreams come true.We are blessed to live in a time when we can have or do just about anything we can imagine. You can go to law school or medical school--yes, you really could! You can make a fortune, start a foundation, travel the world, raise happy children, run for office, publish a book, start a business or become a hermit and live in the woods. If you can imagine it, you can DO it!The only catch is that you have to actually make it happen.I see at least three popular tools that are routinely used to avoid taking action. They are good tools when used properly, but we mis-use them to stay in our comfort zones, change nothing, and wonder why our dreams never come true.First - We Set Too Many Goals: I'm a huge fan of goal-setting and I even wrote an ebook about the process. I use goals in my business and personal life, and I encourage my clients to set goals, so don't mis-understand me here. The problem is that we set goals instead of taking action. We plan and talk and set dead-lines, when what we should do is get to work and "go for it". Losing weight is not a goal! It isn't even a long-term project, it's about walking around the block, skipping desert or whatever is right in your situation, and doing it today. Never set goals when it's simpler and more powerful to take direct action!Second - We Wait for the Right Time: Yes, "there is a season for every purpose under heaven" and timing can make a huge difference. But we mis-use that truth when we refuse to take reasonable action while we wait for a "better time," or for the moon and stars and our checkbook to be in alignment. It's an excuse, folks! There will never be a magical "right time" to start a business or start a family or start a savings plan.The time is NOW! Take action, do what you can, move in the direction you want to go. Stop procrastinating and move it!Third - We Look for "Leverage" so we can make big, dramatic progress. Now, of course big steps forward are wonderful! They are fun and exciting and leverage can make everything easier. No one doubts that! But that is no reason to avoid doing what you can, where you can, right now.In fact, too often the "big steps" are scary and then we find even more reasons to avoid them.In most things, I'm a huge fan of "baby steps" and have written about taking the smallest, safest, least dramatic step you possibly can, so long as you take it today. Take small steps, just take them!Find and use a goal-setting routine. Goals are vital to your long-term success! Just don't get so lost in the process that you forget to look up, get up, and get into action! The same is true of timing and taking huge, bold steps when you can.Action always speaks louder than words or plans or goals. Only action gets stuff done! Take small steps, but start today. Call someone. Read something. Open a savings account. Invest a dollar, take a walk, talk with your kids. Whatever it is, just do it! Before you go to bed this evening, take some real, measurable, positive step (no matter how small) in the direction you want to go. Then tomorrow, do it again.

9 great management lessons from Dhirubhai Ambani

Dhirubhaism No 1: Roll up your sleeves and help.
You and your team share the same DNA.
Reliance, during Vimal's heady days had organized a fashion show at the Convention Hall, at Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi.
As usual, every seat in the hall was taken, and there were an equal number of impatient guests outside, waiting to be seated. I was of course completely besieged, trying to handle the ensuing confusion, chaos and protests, when to my amazement and relief, I saw Dhirubhai at the door trying to pacify the guests.
Dhirubhai at that time was already a name to reckon with and a VIP himself, but that did not stop him from rolling up his sleeves and diving in to rescue a situation that had gone out of control. Most bosses in his place would have driven up in their swank cars at the last moment and given the manager a piece of their minds. Not Dhirubhai.
When things went wrong, he was the first person to sense that the circumstances would have been beyond his team's control, rather than it being a slip on their part, as he trusted their capabilities implicitly. His first instinct was always to join his men in putting out the fire and not crucifying them for it. Sounds too good a boss to be true, doesn't he? But then, that was Dhirubhai.
Dhirubhaism No 2: Be a safety net for your team.
There used to be a time when our agency Mudra was the target of some extremely vicious propaganda by our peers, when on an almost daily basis my business ethics were put on trial. I, on my part, putting on a brave front, never raised this subject during any of my meetings with Dhirubhai.
But one day, during a particularly nasty spell, he gently asked me if I needed any help in combating it. That did it. That was all the help that I needed. Overwhelmed by his concern and compassion, I told him I could cope, but the knowledge that he knew and cared for what I was going through, and that he was there for me if I ever needed him, worked wonders for my confidence.
I went back a much taller man fully armed to face whatever came my way. By letting us know that he was always aware of the trials we underwent and that he was by our side through it all, he gave us the courage we never knew we had.
Dhirubhaism No 3: The silent benefactor.
This was another of his remarkable traits. When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else. There have been none among us who haven't known his kindness, yet he never went around broadcasting it.
He never used charity as a platform to gain publicity. Sometimes, he would even go to the extent of not letting the recipient know who the donor was. Such was the extent of his generosity. "Expect the unexpected" just might have been coined for him.
Dhirubhaism No 4: Dream big, but dream with your eyes open.
His phenomenal achievement showed India that limitations were only in the mind. And that nothing was truly unattainable for those who dreamed big.
Whenever I tried to point out to him that a task seemed too big to be accomplished, he would reply: " No is no answer!" Not only did he dream big, he taught all of us to do so too. His one-line brief to me when we began Mudra was: "Make Vimal's advertising the benchmark for fashion advertising in the country."
At that time, we were just a tiny, fledgling agency, tucked away in Ahmedabad, struggling to put a team in place. When we presented the seemingly insurmountable to him, his favourite response was always: "It's difficult but not impossible!" And he was right. We did go on to achieve the impossible.
Both in its size and scope Vimal's fashion shows were unprecedented in the country. Grand showroom openings, stunning experiments in print and poster work all combined to give the brand a truly benchmark image. But way back in 1980, no one would have believed it could have ever been possible. Except Dhirubhai.
But though he dreamed big, he was able to clearly distinguish between perception and reality and his favourite phrase "dream with your eyes open" underlined this.
He never let preset norms govern his vision, yet he worked night and day familiarizing himself with every little nitty-gritty that constituted his dreams constantly sifting the wheat from the chaff. This is how, as he put it, even though he dreamed, none of his dreams turned into nightmares. And this is what gave him the courage to move from one orbit to the next despite tremendous odds.
Dhirubhai was indeed a man of many parts, as is evident. I am sure there are many people who display some of the traits mentioned above, in their working styles as well, but Dhirubhai was one of those rare people who demonstrated all of them, all the time.
5. Dhirubhaism: Leave the professional alone!
Much as people would like to believe, most owners (even managers and clients), though eager to hire the best professionals in the field, do so and then use them as extensions of their own personality. Every time I come across this, which is much too often, I am reminded of how Dhirubhai's management techniques used to be (and still remain) so refreshingly different.
For instance, way back in the late 1970s when we decided to open an agency of our own, he asked me to name it. I carried a short list of three names, two Westernised and one Indian. It was a very different world back then. Everything Anglicised was considered "upmarket."
There were hardly any agencies with Indian names barring my own ex-agency Shilpi and a few others like Ulka and Sistas. He looked at the list and asked me what my choice was. I said "Mudra": it was the only name that suited my personality. And the spirit of the agency that I was to head.
I was very Indian and an Anglicised name on my visiting card would seem pretentious and contrived. No further questions were asked. No suggestions offered, just a plain and simple "Go ahead and do it." That was just the beginning.
He continued to give me total freedom -- no supervision, no policing -- in all my decisions thereafter. In fact, the only direction that he gave me, just once, was this: "Produce your best."
His utter trust in me was what pushed me to never, ever let him down. I guess the simplest strategies are often the hardest to adopt. That was the secret of the Dhirubhai legend. It was not out of a book. It was a skillful blend of head and heart.
6. Dhirubhaism: Change your orbit, constantly!
To understand this statement, let me explain Dhirubhai's "orbit theory."
He would often explain that we are all born into an orbit. It is up to us to progress to the next. We could choose to live and die in the orbit that we are born in. But that would be a criminal waste of potential. When we push ourselves into the next orbit, we benefit not only ourselves but everyone connected with us.
Take India's push for development. There was once a time our country's growth rate was just 4 per cent, sarcastically referred to as the "Hindu growth rate." Look at us today, galloping along at a healthy 7-8 per cent.
This is no miracle. It is the product of a handful of determined orbit changers like Dhirubhai, all of whose efforts have benefited a larger sphere in their respective fields.
In a small way, I too have experienced the thrill of changing orbits with Mudra. In the 1980s, we leapt from the orbit of a small Ahmedabad ad agency to become the country's third largest ad agency -- in just under a decade.
However, when you change orbits, you will create friction. The good news is that your enemies from your previous orbit will never be able to reach you in your new one. By the time resentment builds up in your new orbit, you should move to the next level. And so on.
Changing orbits is the key to our progress as a nation.
7. The arm-around-the-shoulder leader
I have never seen any other empire builder nor the CEO of any big organisation do this (why, I never adopted this myself!).
It was Dhirubhai's very own signature style. Whenever I went to meet him and if on that day, all the time that he could spare me was a short walk up to his car, he would instantly put his arm around me and proceed to discuss the issues at hand as we walked.
With that one simple gesture, he managed to achieve many things. I was put at ease instantaneously. I was made to feel like an equal who was loved and important enough to be considered close to him. And I would walk away from that meeting feeling so good about myself and the work I was doing!
This tendency that he had, to draw people towards him, manifested itself in countless ways. This was just one of them. He would never, ever exude an air of aloofness and exclusivity. He was always inviting people into sharing their thoughts and ideas, rather than shutting them out.
On hindsight I think, it must have required phenomenal generosity of spirit to be that inclusive. Yes, this was one of the things that was uniquely Dhirubhai -- that warm arm around my shoulder that did much more than words in letting me know that I belonged, that I had his trust, and that I had him on my side!
8. The Dhirubhai theory of Supply creating Demand
He was not an MBA. Nor an economist. But yet he took traditional market theory and stood it on its head. And succeeded.
Yes, at a time when everyone in India would build capacities only after a careful study of market expectations, he went full steam ahead and created giants of manufacturing plants with unbelievable capacites. (Initial cap of Reliance Patalganga was 10,000 tonnes of PFY way back in 1980, while the market in India for it was approx. 6000 tonnes).
No doubt his instinct was backed by years and years of reading, studying market trends, careful listening and his own honed capacity to forecast, but yet despite all this preparation, it required undeniable guts to pioneer such a revolutionary move.
The consequence was that the market blossomed to absorb supply, the consumer benefited with prices crashing down, the players increased and our economic landscape changed for the better. The Patalganga plant was in no time humming at maximum capacity and as a result of the plant's economies of scale, Dhirubhai's conversion cost of the yarn in 1994 came down to 18 cents per pound, as compared to Western Europe's 34 cents, North America's 29 cents and the Far East's 23 cents and Reliance was exporting the yarn back to the US!
A more recent example was that of Mukesh Ambani taking this vision forward with Reliance Infocomm (which is now handled by Anil Ambani). In India's mobile telephony timeline there will always be a very clear 'before Infocomm and after Infocomm' segmentation. The numbers say it all. In Jan 2003, the mobile subscriber base was 13 million, about 16 months later, shortly after the launch, it had reached 30 million.
In March 2006, it has touched 90 million ! Yes, this was yet another unusual skill of Dhirubhai's -- his uncanny knack of knowing exactly how the market is going to behave.
9. Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don't chase it
This was a belief by which Dhirubhai lived all his life. For instance when he briefed me about setting up Mudra, his instruction was clear: 'Produce the best textile advertising in the country,' he said.
He did not breathe a word about profits, nor about becoming the richest ad agency in the country. Great advertising was the goal that he set for me. A by-product is something that you don't set out to produce. It is the spin off when you create something larger.
When you turn logs into lumber, sawdust is your by-product and a pretty lucrative one it can be too! It is a very simple analogy but extremely effective in driving the point home. Work toward a goal beyond your bank balance.
Success in attaining that goal will eventually ring in the cash. For instance, if you work towards creating a name for yourself and earning a good reputation, then money is a logical outcome.
People will pay for your product or service if it is good. But if you get your priorities slightly mixed up, not only will the money you make remain just a quick buck it would in all likelihood blacklist you for good. Sounds too simplistic for belief? Well, look around you and you will know exactly how true it is.
Hari Nair

Outstanding Performance Professional

The Outstanding Performance Professionalby Harold D. Stolovitch, Ph.D.What makes an outstanding performance professional? This is the question we at HSA Learning & Performance Solutions posed to a number of recognized experts during interviews at a variety of conferences. They worked in specialty areas such as human resource management, human resource development, organizational development, organizational effectiveness, performance consulting and learning and development. After sorting and collating responses, what emerged was a remarkable consensus about 10 characteristics shared by exceptional talent and HR leaders.Outstanding Performance Professionals' CharacteristicsThe following 10 characteristics of outstanding workplace performance specialists detail the value they can bring to both organizational clients and the talented performers who make up the organizations' workforce:1. Focused on client need: Exemplary performance professionals never lose sight of the primary mission: valued performance. They are not swayed by enthusiasms or constraints. They ably separate wants and whims from true needs and stick to required outcomes despite pressures.2. Cause-conscious, not solution-focused: The performance professional is an analytic and systematic investigator. This leads to decision making based on data, hard evidence and a thorough sifting of facts. As a result, solutions are derived from cause, not opinion.3. Systemic thinkers: This means outstanding performance professionals view workplace and talent gaps holistically. They anticipate how change in one area affects others. Single, simple solutions, while attractive, rarely achieve long-term performance improvement. The system view weaves together a web of interventions that are mutually supportive.4. Appropriately involve others: Successful performance professionals seek out complementary skills, experiences and power sources to support an effort, such as those of authority figures, knowledgeable individuals and union representatives. They draw strength from diversity. They are project orchestra leaders.5. Organized, rigorous and prudent: The true performance professional lets data and credible evidence speak for itself. This characteristic builds trust with management, clients and stakeholders. It increases support for a project and smoothes the way for work to progress. It also enhances the belief that solution recommendations will deliver as promised due to data-based decisions and actions.6. Sensitive to the need for verifying perceptions: Careful performance professionals continuously conduct reality checks with reliable people. They double and even triple-test interpretations. By frequently checking and rechecking understandings, they ensure the project is on the right track. Investments in "verifying time" are worthwhile because they negate the need for rework and can eliminate the ill feelings that result from misinterpretation.7. Sort out and maintain a firm hand on priorities: This results in adherence to business needs. A byproduct is protection from spontaneously appearing miracle-cure seductions. All projects have the potential to slip off course because of new, exciting "discoveries" reported to clients. It demands skill and wisdom to absorb new information while maintaining goal focus. The ability to suppress distractions, including faddish hype and the latest and greatest technological marvel, is a major asset.8. Diplomatic and credible: Being able to overcome resistance without antagonizing, while convincing decision makers and team members to remain on track has powerful payoff. This characteristic takes the edge off rejection of nonessential recommendations. It fosters smoother implementation of talent interventions and the attainment of performance goals without bitterness.9. Generous in giving credit to others: By highlighting other people's accomplishments and sharing in success rewards and recognition, performance professionals achieve loyalty to the project. They also draw out the best from all players.10. Principled, yet flexible: True performance professionals stick to bottom-line outcomes. They bend with pressures and constraints without deviating from the mission.[About the Author: Harold D. Stolovitch, Ph.D., CPT is a principal of HSA Learning & Performance Solutions LLC and is emeritus professor of instructional and performance technology at the Universite de Montreal.]
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!God's Pharmacy! Amazing!


A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the res earch shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents c e rvical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. The y even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.