Win or Loose...

Success lies in creating a balance between planning for the best and preparing for the worst.

There are some people that base everything in their personal and professional lives on a best case scenario. Any minor bump in the road can cause these people to have a fatal crash. On the other hand, there are people who spend so much time planning for the proverbial rainy day that they never enjoy the sunshine.

There is a famous saying - "People who think that it is never going to rain again are destined to get very wet."

Whether it's the career decision, your health, the weather, stock market, or the economic conditions … change is inevitable.

Few days back, I was watching NBA basketball game on ESPN, what gave me the real learning was when the match analysis was presented - One team was heavily favored, and they were way ahead with less than five minutes to go in the game. Their coach called time out and obviously changed their game plan.

When they came back out on the floor, they held the ball and stalled for time trying to run out the clock. Unfortunately for them, this talented team was great at shooting and scoring but was not good at this delay tactic. They turned the ball over to the other team a number of times and lost the game in overtime.

It could be said that they became a victim of their own caution.

As you move ahead, look for ways to both plan for the best and prepare for the worst.

Persistence - makes the difference ...

It reminded me a meaningful quote by Og Mandino – a world famous sales guru and author of ''The Greatest Salesman In The World'' -- "I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars." Wonderful !!

The quality he is hinting at is the one that makes the difference – Persistence. Persistence is a unique mental strength; a strength that is essential to combat the fierce power of the repeated rejections and numerous other obstacles that sit in waiting and are all part of winning in a fast-moving, ever-changing world. There are hundreds of highly successful men and women who have cut a path for others to follow, while leaving their mark on the scrolls of history… and every one of these great individuals was persistent. In many cases it was the only quality that separated them from everyone else. Think about it.

If you took a quick mental walk down memory lane and reviewed some of your accomplishments in the past – large and small – you would have to agree that persistence played an important role in your success. Repeated rejection and obstacles are part of a daily routine, where Persistence is an expression of the mental strength that is essential in almost every profession.

Ultimately persistence becomes a way of life, but that is not where it begins. To develop the mental strength – persistence - you must first want something. You have to WANT something so much that it becomes a heated desire... a passion in your belly. You must fall in love with that idea. Yes, literally fall in love with the idea and magnetize yourself to every part of the idea.

At that point, persistence will be virtually automatic. It is generally believed that a lack of persistence is a consequence of a weak willpower. That is not true. A person could have a highly evolved willpower and still lack the persistence required to keep moving forward in life. In more cases than not, if a person lacks persistence, they do not have a goal that is worthy of them, a desirable goal that excites them to their very core. Willpower is important in moving a person toward their goal. However, if there is ever a war between the will and the imagination, the imagination will win every time.

What that means is: you're powered by desire and fuelled by the dream you hold. Once you start to use your imagination to help you build a bigger picture of your dream, you can then define and refine it until you get it just right for you and your success.

To Get.. Learn To Give First !!!

Nothing teaches character better than generosity.

Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.
Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have. Curiously enough, the giving spirit creates the receiving spirit. So, to get more all one needs to do is give more. The more ideas one creates and gives away the more ideas one has. "I'll spend the first half of my life creating great wealth and the second half giving it away…

Attempting to do the most good and the least harm with my benefactions." -- Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron and philanthropist who funded more than 3,000 libraries all over the world. In giving and sharing you always have more. It seems arithmetically as though one would have less but, in fact, giving expands whatever one has.
Music is the best example of this theory, proving that giving and sharing always creates more for everyone.

When a musician gives their all, they feel exalted and thankful that the music flowed through them. The audience is enthralled, entranced, moved to happy tears, and feels compelled to participate instantaneously in a standing ovation. The star musician bares his soul and the audience experience the 'wow' and delighted to tell everyone to see this performer.
Likewise, the simple act of giving simultaneously creates more good and blessings seemingly out of nowhere. Why? Because God is always watching and cheerfully gives instantaneously to the giver. That's why givers' give more. They have experienced this amazing formula, even if they cannot articulate it.

They know that it works to theirs and every one's benefit. It's best to start the discipline of generosity when the amounts are small. It's easy to give ten cents out of a dollar; it's a little harder to give a hundred thousand out of a million.

Sharing makes you bigger than you are. The more you pour out, the more life will be able to pour in. What you give becomes an investment that will return to you multiplied at some point in the future.

Gateways to a Beautiful Life...

Few days back I was reading an acclaimed book The Saint, The Surfer, And The CEO by Robin Sharma.He has listed some gateways to a beautiful life and hence today I shall share them with you.

1. The main work of every human being is inner work. Each day, do something significant to deepen yourself. To have more of the life that you truly want, you must first become more of who you truly are.
2. See your life as a fantastic growth school. Everything that you experience, both good and challenging, has come to you to teach you the lesson that you most needed to learn at that particular stage of your evolution as a person. Understand this truth, and keep asking yourself, “What opportunity does this person or situation represent” in terms of your personal growth. This is a great source of inner peace.
3. Be true to yourself—the best life is the authentic life. Never betray yourself. Take off your social mask and have the personal bravery to present the real you to the world. The world will be richer for it.
4. Remember that we collect what we project. Our outer lives are nothing more than a mirror image of our inner lives. Pour light on your dark side. Become aware of the false assumptions, limiting beliefs, and fears that are keeping you small, and your exterior world will change.
5. We see the world not as it is but as we are. Know that the truth in any given circumstance is filtered through your personal stained glass window—your personal context. Clean up the windows, and you’ll clean up your life. Then you’ll see the truth.
6. Live in your heart—its wisdom never lies. Follow the quiet promptings of your heart, and you’ll be led in the direction of your destiny.
7. Stand in the curiosity of your life. In surrendering control, you’ll create a space for possibilities to enter and treasures to flow.
8. Care for yourself. Do something each day to nurture your mind, body, and spirit. These are essential acts of self-respect and self-love.
9. Build human connections. Dedicate yourself to deepening your bonds with the people around you. Focus on helping others achieve their dreams, and be more concerned with selfless service rather than self-gratification. You’re here to enrich this world, and you betray yourself once you forget this truth.
10. Leave a legacy. The deepest longing of the human heart is the need to live for a cause greater than oneself.

The Wow Attitude...

Would like to illustrate a short incident in form of a story...

Last spring I was walking in a park.
A short distance ahead of me was a Mom and her three-year-old daughter.
The little girl was holding on to a string that was attached to a helium balloon.
All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl.
I braced (expected) myself for some screaming and crying.
But, no !!! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, Wow !!!

I didn't realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something...

Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem.

I felt like responding with Oh no !, what should we do...
But remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, Wow,
that's interesting !

How can I help you ...

One thing's for sure - life's always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems.
That's a given.
What's not preordained is our response. We can choose to be frustrated or fascinated.

No matter what the situation, a fascinated Wow! will always beat a frustrated Oh, no.

So the next time you experience one of life's unexpected gusts, remember that little girl and make it a Wow! experience.

The Wow! response always works.

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