All Entries Tagged With: "Motivation"

Research has found a connection between the power of the mind and what happens in our life and the results are speaking for themselves. The process to create what we want in our lives is called “manifesting” – the bringing of ideas and desires into physical form. Manifesting becomes a self empowerment tool when it is applied to realizing our desires. This is done through the law of attraction.

For most of us, childhood is when life is most enjoyable. Bereft of responsibility, we are taken care of, sheltered, fed, clothed, educated and kept in good health. All we have to do is savour every wonderful moment to the fullest.

There is much talk of progress and success nowadays. Motivational programs are everywhere. In what sense of the word are we talking? For argument’s sake, let’s confine ourselves to the sense of advancement in career and money-making prospects. This then presupposes that everyone would always be striving to improve one’s earning capabilities and keep on [...]

It’s when events are overwhelmingly beyond your control, that you either find new ways to cope or are pulled down by the undertow. Your usual defenses are inadequate to protect from overwhelming long-term stress. Stress can build gradually beyond tolerance level, or a surprising turn of events like those recently reported in the news can create the kind of vulnerability that demands openness to change.

Sometimes when I try to explain my dream to my family and friends, I get blank stares. My enthusiasm does not find an eager audience. Most of the times, I try and avoid this situation by just keeping quiet about my dreams, but there are times when I can’t contain my excitement. I do understand that everyone operates from their belief system, just as I do. But how come the belief systems are different in the very same family in which we grow up?

Even if you consider yourself of AVERAGE ability, you can be successful, independent, free of worry, and be your own master, from this point forward, if you can commit to do these four things. Of course, it will take diligent and persistent practice for you to make these permanent and long-lasting positive habits. However, the rewards will be manifold!

Let’s take a look at success. For many people, success or being successful is just as scary as the first time they rode a bicycle. Naturally, many people want to be successful. However, there are few that truly have the motivation to put forward the needed effort and action, and make the necessary sacrifices to get what they want.

Myths have a way of perpetuating themselves. There are quite a few related to training and learning too. Everyone seems to believe in them. So much so that they have become sacrosanct and no one even bothers to question them.

Employee Engagement has always been a burning topic amongst HR people. It is generally viewed as managing discretionary effort, that is, when employees have choices, they will act in a way that furthers their organization’s interests. An engaged employee is a person who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about, his or her work.

2009 was an eventful year with its fair share of ups and downs and nothing indicates that 2010 won’t follow suit, if not further test our mettle. As

When I stuck my head inside me like an ostrich, whoa, I found a person – confused, desiring to be someone else, someone who was slim, svelte, spoke very well, oozing confidence, knew what to talk, spoke so knowledgeably that I silently gawped. So I plunged headlong and imitated, spoke like “Her’ adopted her values and attitudes. Headily I watched myself transforming into a miniature ‘She’.

Most of us lead our lives with a major fear: the fear of failure. Have you ever found yourself facing this fear? Let us be truthful; the fact remains that no one ever wants to fail in any endeavour.

I once worked with a branding client who had a closet full of clothes fit for a hooker. Purple animal prints, a sequin skirt (with the price tag still on it,) lacey, itty-bitty things. Yet, she told me that her ideal outfit was a crisp white shirt, straight-legged jeans and a single strand of pearls. “I could wear that everyday,” she pined. “You know, Jackie O with a twist.” Uh–huh.

There is one issue never dies out in India. Just when I thought that it was settled — not by any serious thinking by our netas — but by the collective wisdom of our people, the controversy has resurfaced. By sheer coincidence events have indicated the solution that no policy maker can devise in his head. I refer to the language issue.

Find yourself hating your job? It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some steps to start enjoying work.

Whatever tasks we do, we should make sure, that we accomplish each one of them as if they were great and noble responsibilities. Aggregate of small and noble tasks can mean accomplishing a big task. You have to hack small branches, before you can strike at the root, to cut down a big tree. Do [...]

Success and failure go hand in hand. “The things you are fired for are often the things that in later life you will be celebrated and given life time achievement awards for!” Francis Ford Coppola was canned for writing an “odd” and awkward script for the now legendary film Patton. The film was shelved, took [...]

I’ve worked with a few dozen Fire Starter clients in the past few weeks on career optimizing, transitioning, start ups, reinventions, product ideas, social media strategies and balancing it all without burning it out. (And I adore each and everyone of you. I’m thinking about you all right this minute and smiling hugely, because it [...]

Should your employer pay for your training?

Tough spot, painful circumstance, official dilemma. A total jam. “I just don’t know what to do.” Hmmm. Then what? If you just don’t know what to do, then what are you going to do? Probably nothing. If you declare you don’t know, then you won’t…know. You’ll just sway back ‘n forth in the lull of [...]

Last year, BA reported a sharp rise of operating profit to ￡883 million, which in view of the rising fuel price and their falling market share, seemed to be bucking the downward global trend. This year they reported a loss of ￡401 million. Somewhere between the two, reality probably lies, but when has reality ever [...]

When I do workshops on marketing and mention that speaking is one of the most effective strategies for building a list of contacts who can’t wait to buy from them, most people in the audience look at me with that “no way in hell am I gonna do that” look. What is it about speaking [...]

I am amazed at the various self help and self development books that are currently on the best sellers’ lists. This clearly indicates that many people are looking for a road map to develop and succeed in their life quests. Most seem to be newer edits or versions of age old truths which are just [...]

I poured my body on the grassy lawn at the pier today. A little tyke (we’ll call him Chance – my favorite name) was scrambling nearby with his young momma. Maybe Chance was a one-year-old or possibly a few months older. My guesstimation of a kid’s age is absolutely embarrassing. I was focused on myself. [...]

The nature of my work is such that people often tell me that I am an “inspiring” presence in their lives. However, how does one inspire others? Here are some simple ways you can use to inspire people to be their best: Be a good example: People watch what you do more than they listen [...]

One of our Success Circle members recently asked for more specific guidelines on setting goals. The members each set a 60 Day WOW Goal – an achievement that they would feel really terrific about sharing with other members at the end of 60 days. Here are my best secrets for setting great WOW goals and [...]

Many years ago, when foreign travel was very rare in India, a friend of mine asked me what he could get me from Singapore, the country to which he was traveling. I told him that I really did not want anything at all and would be happy if he were to enjoy his visit. But [...]

Well I can’t resist writing again and again about this favourite life and success topic…persistence. Persistence could communicate different meanings to different people, depending upon how it is interpreted, imaged and communicated – but by far it is the most singular differentiator and determinant for success in any endeavour. Just pick up any literature in [...]

All of us hope to succeed in our endeavours. All of us do wish that hope to get real. For the hope to get real, let us first know what the phrase ‘Nothing succeeds like success’ means. It means that nothing succeeds like ‘having successes in the mind’. And once you have the ideation or [...]

 ”The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service.” – Twyla Dell The topic motivation is extremely important for employers. Motivated employees can create a [...]

Do you work hard to avoid the embarrassment of not having enough and making good on your promises? Or…do you work hard because there’s so much of life to experience and you want it all? Reputation, or self-satisfaction? What the Joneses think, or the merit of your inclinations? The destination, or the journey? The fact [...]

Most of us have been taught to work on our weaknesses, and overcome them assiduously! Here is a contrarian thought. Ignore your inherent weaknesses, and spend all the time and resources in honing your inherent strengths. You will do a lot of good to you, your life, and work.  Many contemporary leadership lessons speak of [...]

When you set yourself a big new goal in an area you’re unfamiliar with, you’re going to go through an initial phase of complete and utter confusion. There’s nothing wrong with this. In fact, you should be delighted. It means you’re doing things right. But it’s not always comfortable. Which is why you need to [...]

Underdogs never go under! Especially, every recession (economic, social and environmental) brings out some “underdogs” and catapults them into the league of “top dogs”! Rajasthan Royals started off as the underdogs and went on to win the Indian Premier League (IPL 2008 season). 2008 culminated with two significant achievements from the underdogs’ camp. India’s successful [...]

      You don’t feel like flying today, you say? You’re feeling life’s weight? If I say, “Chin up,” it may piss you off. It sounds trite, as though I expect you to down a placebo. Well, listen up.   You can’t fly without sticking your neck out.   Watch a bird in the [...]

Break your goals into smaller goals and take the first step. Take action; take massive action on the goals that you have set. When you have one step forward, that is progress. Confucius had a saying that “If you know something and you do not act upon it, it is as though you know nothing.” [...]

You may have real obstacles or you may have imagined ones.  Either way they tend to stop you cold.  And guess what?  Obstacles are a normal part of the process – particularly life changing processes. If you spend your time avoiding obstacles – you get frustration and “what ifs” and regrets. If you are looking [...]

Every body talks about living the dream.  How many of us really get to do “living the dream”?  It is my belief that more of us are living it than we realize, while others watch others in wonder and say “Why not me?”  There is no magic formula, no special potion and (shhh…) no secret [...]

A team does as well as you and the team think they can. This idea is known as “the self-fulfilling prophecy”. When you believe the team will perform well, in some strange, magical way they do. And similarly, when you believe they won’t perform well, they don’t. There is enough experimental data to suggest that [...]

Motivation is the key to all success. There are many factors in life that determine the amount of motivation we have at any given time. Pain can be a motivator as well as pleasure. The degree to which we desire to have something or some situation is another motivator. Desire and determination has the ability [...]

You’ve taken all the abundance courses, read all the prosperity books, watched the latest and greatest inspirational movies, listened to all the motivational audios, and you’re still struggling. Here are some possible reasons why. Perhaps you can relate to some of them. 1. You’re stuck in the “pay off”. What is the pay off for [...]

A little girl stood at the foot of the mountain. She looked up and wowed at the beauty around – the greenery, the open blue skies, the vastness of the land but what really caught her attention was the big, strong mountain. It stood there for years or maybe centuries.  Snow, thunderstorm, strong winds came [...]

Life promises to surprise. Just a while ago we were polishing our shining economy and patting the bloated belly of our envisaged future. Suddenly the winds of fortune turned out to be gas! A case of the economy suffering from grave dyspepsia with the indigestible servings of the high and swinging life of over-indulgence. A [...]

You are committed to achieving your success and if you’ve been on the journey for any length of time, you already know that there are no short-cuts. We have to commit ourselves to completing the journey and every time you make a commitment to anything, it will be tested! Along your journey you will experience [...]

Have you ever heard of “the butterfly effect”? It states that if a butterfly flaps its wings in New York it could cause a hurricane in Tokyo. The butterfly effect is a law of causality and chaos. It basically means that one small change in one place can have a dramatic effect somewhere else at [...]

Did you think that vision statements or credos are only for organizations and not for you and me? It’s time for a reality check. The most important driving force of any successful and contended individual is his or her ‘vision statement’. And this statement can be made by the person at any point in life, [...]

“A person with half volition goes backwards and forwards, but makes no progress on even the smoothest of roads.” – Thomas Carlyl The secret of success is known to both successful and unsuccessful. Then why do we have to be told how to succeed? By one and all? Have you ever pondered and mulled over [...]

In 2005 as I was traveling through Montana on our way back to Wisconsin from Oregon, I exited onto Highway One from the Interstate to find gas. As I traveled the two mile trek to the nearest gas station I passed a sign pointing to the right that said “Opportunity”. I thought to myself, “How [...]

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.” – Rumi Don’t know and can’t wait to find out? Well let me give you 3 ways to figure it out NOW. Before I give them to you, I want to give you a framework. First of all, do not get [...]

Sometime in our youth we come to understand the issue and challenge of making personal changes.  We carry that understanding with us forever, yet many people never decide to become its master.  We avoid change like the plague.  We do everything we can to “make it NOT happen”.  Don’t you find that interesting?  Change is [...]