Nikhil Gandhi's rags-to-riches story

Today, I was referred to this article. It is really inspiring and interesting. Values in his life has moved him up. 

Shades of grey in Pipavav Defence & Everonn Education's Nikhil Gandhi's rags-to-riches story - The Economic Times:

Living leaders who can make changes in our career.

Monkey and Ladder

Today, early in the morning, I learnt a lesson. A lesson from a monkey. A monkey climbing the ladder.

At 05:45 in the morning after my daily routine, I was at the terrace of my house.  It was wonderful scene to watch.  The cool air, first light of sun, the biophony of city and cloudy sky - made me to feel like heaven.

While gazing around I saw some monkeys on the terrace of another house, couple of houses away.  There was one active monkey among them, looking curiously here and there.  It is neither too small nor too old, should be in its adolescence.  Every other monkey was busy in taking fallen mangos on the floor from the side tree.  But this monkey didn’t do that, rather had a purpose in its movement.

This young monkey wanted to climb on the water tank.  There was an iron ladder rested on the wall.  It went near the ladder, took two three cautious steps on the first steps of ladder.  Then stopped at that level and shook ladder with its arms.  It looks as if it is checking the strength of the ladder.  Of course, it did check.  When it gained confidence, it climbed up fast without any hesitation and reached the top.    Reaching there it was looking around attentively.  Do every one getting up?  Are the street lights switched off?  Is the traffic signals switched on?   Are the joggers doing brisk?  When it got satisfied it came down silently.

It touched my chord.  A monkey, an animal, thinks and double checks before it start acting.  On confirmation, it remain focused and did what it wanted.

I remember this quote - "I was busy climbing up the ladder. On the top, I realized that it was on the wrong wall" Now, is my ladder rested on the right wall?  Is my ladder strong and firm?  Am I really climbing up?

I am contemplating … ... 

Now Close The Windows

Another cute gem of poem from the Robert Frost.  It has lot of subtle meanings.  talks about inner self getting influenced by happenings of world.  Yet to see as a spectator.  In eastern scriptures(vedas) it is referred as 'Sakshi bhav' and 'Anthar muktha'.  Being a spectator and to be introverted. 

It has much more meanings...  Will share as time comes...

Now close the windows and hush all the fields:
If the trees must, let them silently toss;
No bird is singing now, and if there is,
Be it my loss.

It will be long ere the marshes resume,
I will be long ere the earliest bird:
So close the windows and not hear the wind,
But see all wind-stirred.

Remember The Milk

As a man of absent mindedness, I have a great affinity towards to-do list software. I recently come across this application. Remember The Milk(RTM). The application looks fine and easy to use and intuitive.

The RTM services can be collaborated with other application. You can have RTM with your iPhone, Gmail, Google calendar, Google Task, Twitter, Windows Mobile, Google Map location and so on… The list extends …

Yet, when you look at the team size, it is only SEVEN. Wonderful! This is great inspiration for start-up companies and a lesson for Big Tech companies. The team is led by Emily Boyd[ a Coffee addict like me ;) ] I wonder the possibility of a coffee addict to forget getting milk.

Bapuji writes…

Here you go with a fictitious letter but with factual feeling!! This is written not to hurt anyone’s sentiment but to share some of my feelings.

Bapuji writes…

Dear Friends,

I wish that every Indian will see this appeal and give thoughtful attention to it.

For the past few days, I was just watching drama that is going on across the globe. News paper, news sites, TV channels milled my name many times. It is on the auction of my personal belongings. I want to share few things with you on this openly.

First of all, I really don’t know whether those materials are the ones which I used. I didn’t even have time to give attention to those worldly possessions. My heart and soul was focused only towards my beloved GOD and Nation. When my people were living without food, should I think about my old metal dinner bowl? When my heart was pulling me to read a letter from my fellow fighter, should I think of the shape of my spectacle? When I was thinking about the destination to reach, should I care for my sandals? All these material items are mere sand and dust when compared to the values which we need to embed in our lives.

Yet, I was much touched by your love and national feeling. I appreciate you all for making one single voice irrespective of religion, political party and other divisive forces. I still see traces of patriotism sitting inside, which made me to write to you all friends.

At the same time, I want to put few questions before you all. I ask for no patronage, I merely point out to you as a friend, a value namely Ethics, is open to you. The questions are:

• When you are ready to pay any amount of money for my possessions, why are you not ready to pay your life with values which I emphasized?

• When you value my sandals so much, why not you buy Truth and Discipline to walk in your life, which I practiced?

• When you are very keen in getting back my spectacles from foreigners, why are you not getting my Vision of Ram Rajya (Now, a politically misused word) for our nation?

• Have you ever thought of practicing values like Cooperation, Freedom, Happiness, Honesty, Humility, Love, Peace, Respect, Responsibility, Simplicity, Tolerance and Unity by which I lived and loved to practice?

After so many years of independence, still I am only hoping and praying and I want all the friends here and in other parts of the world to hope and pray with me that this blood-bath of morality will soon end.

I am,

Your faithful friend,

M. K. GANDHI

Everyday effort

Many things we read but some of the words ring bell inside. “10,000-Hour Rule” is one such reading. The rule says if you want to excel in any field you need to put at least 10,000 hour in that work. This is reflected in our old axiom ‘Practice makes perfect’

It is from Malcolm Gladwell's new book Outliers. According to him people who achieve an extraordinary level of success in life have invested at least 10,000 hours of practice. He points to Wayne Gretzky, The Beatles, Mozart and Bill Gates as examples of high-level achievers, who invested at least 10,000 hours of practice in learning their crafts before they became extraordinary.

I am not raising an argument that- do all the achievers fall in this pattern. There can be highflyers, with fewer inputs. I am taking this point to myself and check.
Have I put my 10,000 hours? Do I have the perseverance till 10,000 Hours? Or Have I quit or will I quit when I face failure in mid of the journey? Am I giving consistent, continuous, constant efforts? Do I do it – Everyday? Where am I standing in my journey? An athlete in a marathon cannot take rest in mid of the race. Run till you can run.

Everyday – I need to do my passion. Everyday – I need to feed my fire in the belly. Everyday- I need to plug my field. Everyday – I need to sow seeds inside. Everyday- One step ahead, one up.

Everyday effort to become an Outlier

Hanji...

I found a wonderful piece of knowledge today. Of course, this requires some practice, before we directly take up...

The most powerful word in the world
By Aviv Shahar

Here we go. "What are the five most important words for you?" is a question I like asking people. It tells me something about their mindset.
Often people tell me the words that are high on their values and/or goals lists. Words that represent what they aspire for. Their answers (and perhaps yours, too) include these words: Health, Love, Wisdom, Purpose, Peace, Success, Meaning, Inspiration, Confidence, Respect, Intimacy, Trust, Happiness, Leadership, Faith, Humor, God. Each of these words holds a mystery we experience but never fully and completely resolve.
For most people the word that triggers the strongest response is their own name. What's my proof? You walk down a busy mall and someone shouts out your name in the middle of the crowd, you turn around. The use of your name causes such a response that it is almost impossible to resist. The only other word that gets a stronger reaction in a crowded mall is "fire". Your name triggers a personal response. "Fire" triggers a reptilian reflex and evokes fear and awe.
This Key is about another word, another mystery. Which then is the most powerful word in the world?
It is a three letter word that carries great meaning and power. That word is YES. Here are some of the potential meanings of what the word YES can communicate:

1. Yes, I agree.
2. Yes, you are right.
3. Yes, that is a great idea.
4. Yes, you can do it!
5. Yes, I understand, and am now with you fully and completely.
6. Yes, we have the permission and power, capability and strength - we can do this!
7. Yes, thank you for including me.
8. Yes! We are winning.
9. Yes. Thank you for challenging me.
10. Yes, I love you.

And more. The word YES means agreement and connection. YES brings transference of my power and presence to you. YES passes on your power and presence to the other person - your friend, your partner, your child, your loved one, your team, your employees. YES opens the door to collaboration, to co-creation. It gives permission and enables us to move forward together. YES makes us greater together than the sum of our parts. YES is not an addition; it is a multiplication. Learning to engage on the basis of YES multiplies our knowledge and experience, intelligence and capabilities.

The Blind Spot
If "yes" has such magical powers, why are so many people so afraid of saying "yes", such that "no" is their first response? What is the Blind Spot? Consider these false beliefs:

1. Saying YES implies lack of strength
2. YES makes you vulnerable
3. You lose something when you say YES
4. YES weakens your position
5. YES means surrender
6. YES will subject you to the other person or group
7. You won't be respected when you say YES
8. YES compromises your integrity
9. YES implies you don't think for yourself
10. YES means you are not your own person

Making Relationships Work
In a Harvard Business Review conversation, Psychologist John M Gottman the executive director of the Relationship Research Institute was asked: "What's your biggest discovery?" Gottman replied: "It sounds simple, but in fact you could capture all of my research findings with the metaphor of a saltshaker. Instead of filling it with salt, fill it with all the ways you can say yes, and that's what a good relationship is. "Yes," you say, "that is a good idea." "Yes, that's a great point, I never thought of that." "Yes, let's do that if you think it's important." You sprinkle yeses throughout your interactions - that's what a good relationships is." Gottman worked with 3,000 couples over 35 years and the data supports his discoveries. "Successful couples, he notes, look for ways to accentuate the positive. They try to say "Yes" as often as possible. That doesn't mean good relationships have no room for conflict. On the contrary, individuals in thriving relationships embrace conflict over personality differences as a way to work them through."
People say "no" out of habit. They resist "yes" because they mistakenly equate "no" with independence; with being one's own person; with being in control. But they deprive themselves of the one thing more powerful than NO, which is YES. As Richard Branson says: "Life is a helluva lot more fun when you say yes rather than no."

Take Action
Here are some simple steps you can take to embrace and unleash the power of YES:

1. Find today five things you can say YES to full-heartedly. Make this a practice for 10 days. After identifying five yeses for 10 days you will have etched that mindset into your reactions.
2. Practice turning a NO into a YES. The practice is to catch the habitual NO just before it comes out and to turn it into a YES. Say "Yes, and" and then complete the sentence differently. By doing this regularly, you change your mindset, your energy state and your brain chemistry.
3. Give yourself a big YES. Make it a ritual: when you complete a task, when you succeed and accomplish something, say out loud: "YES" or "YES, I/we have done it."
4. Find the YES inside the NO. When someone does or says something you strongly disagree with, identify two good things in this idea/action that you can say yes to. You may disagree with the concept but agree with the intention or the quality of commitment. You may disagree with something that was said but ready to support the initiative, the care and the courage in standing up. You may disagree with an action but be supportive of the risk-taking spirit and the innovative thinking. This is not about making things nicer than they are. This is about a discipline of mind that engages in positive and constructive affirmation. You may say to someone: "This was obviously a flop but first we gave it our best, and second we learned how not to do it and I say a big YES to these two things." Or you may say: "Yes, you have put great effort and thorough analysis into this and you are going against the mold. I disagree with your conclusion and will not approve this decision but I appreciate your free thinking and passion. Your energy is what made this a great exercise."
5. Often tell your son and daughter the most powerful sentence in the world, "Yes, you can do it!" Tell it to your partner, to your team, to your friends. Say "Yes, you can do it!" and "Yes, you can do anything!"

Now it's your turn. Be your own leader. Turn the key. Activate and discover the power of YES.