Free Life Coaching - How to Be Your Own Life Coach

Join 90 Minute Free Vedic Life Style Coaching

2010-02-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

Download Free E-book on Spiritual Life Coaching

2009-02-14T03:47:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

I have just published my book "Secret The Way of The Rishis", and you can download the introduction to the program for FREE! Also, if you have any questions or you want to join online free spiritual life coaching use the "Ask a question" button on my new website: http://www.the-secret-law-of-attraction.org

Click here and download the E-book for free.

Jay Ho - means glory to all beings!
Debojit

Secret The Way of The Rishis Spiritual Mind Programming CD

2009-01-24T03:08:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

The Secret The Way of the Rishis Program will help you transform your life completely. The Spiritual Mind Programming CD will be available soon. Unlimited Free Spiritual Life Coaching will also be available from our website: http://www.the-secret-law-of-attraction.org

The program is divided into three (3) sections:

1st part teaches you how to control "Prana" the life force energy. Once you learn to control Prana everything in creation will gradually come under your control.

2nd part teaches you the "7 Spiritual Laws of Abundance" this helps you to align your life, and live in harmony with natural laws.

3rd part teaches you "GMT." GMT, is the primordial vibration. It is the nature's song, for creating abundance. We can also say GMT is the law of attraction. At the same time the source of everything that we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.

By practising GMT regularly you will be able to create the right conditions and the set of vibrations in your body. It will fine tune your 'Soul and Mind' and you will generate good vibes. The good vibes will then leave your body and start looking for similar good vibes in the Universe and bring them back to you as a great gift. This is how GMT works and transforms our life. Like a magnet it automatically attracts all good things to our life. The more we sing the nature's song the more blessings we receive.

Take care and talk to you soon!
Debojit

Secret The Way of the Rishis www.the-secret-law-of-attraction.org

2009-01-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

Do you want to achieve your highest aspirations and overcome your greatest challenges?

Gandhi said something valuable, “There is an orderliness in the universe, there is an unalterable law governing everything and every being that exists or lives.” Now the big question: do we know about these laws? If we do, do we follow them?

I also remember Stephen Covey saying in his best selling book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' “One of the most profound learnings of my life is this: if you want to achieve your highest aspirations and overcome your greatest challenges, identify and apply the principle or natural law that governs the results you seek.”

And this is exactly what we are going to do in "Secret The Way of the Rishis" program, first learn and then apply the seven spiritual laws of abundance in our life.

Love and blessings for the New Year 2009
Debojit

Secret The Way of the Rishis http://www.the-secret-law-of-attraction.org/

2008-12-30T15:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

I am sure you had a wonderful Christmas! And, we are just few steps to "A New Year". As we celebrate and welcome 2009 I have got something to give you. "Yes" offcourse good news!

My new Audio Book is ready for release in the early part of January 2009. It is called the "Secret The Way of The Rishis". I am sure you will support me with your love and blessings. I will keep on updating you more...

The program will be released through this website: http://www.the-secret-law-of-attraction.org/ so bookmark it please!

Lot's of love and blessings for now.
Debojit

Success Coaching Course

2008-02-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

Important: All New Posts Goes Below this Menu. Please scroll down to read.
Success Coaching Course

The aim and objective of this course is to help you to become your own ‘Success Coach’. Once you make a firm commitment, you will be able to learn the methods, strategies, tools, and techniques used by a top life coach. Then, you can use those skills and knowledge to take control of your life, and create your own destiny. You will experience abundance, achieve bliss and harmony by balancing all life areas - personal relationship, family, finance, health, and career. (New sections will be added regularly as the course is not complete. You will also get an opportunity to use a Virtual Learning Environment soon. Please use the contact us link for any queries.)
(1) Programme Message
(2) Introduction to Life Coaching
(3) Application of Life Coaching
(4) Getting started with Life Coaching
(5) How will it work?
(6) Basic qualities you will need:
i. Be Non-Judgemental
ii. Do not give Advice
iii. Empathic Listening
iv. Think Win-Win
(7) Purpose in Life
i. Introduction to finding your Purpose in Life
ii. Law of Dharma Part I: Natural Law or Spiritual Principle for Success
iii. Law of Dharma Part II: Natural Law or Spiritual Principle for Success
iv. Applying the Law of Dharma: Success Equation and Bill Gates
(8) The Success Story of Ray Kroc - McDonald's (Use I-CAN-DO Model)
(9) Create Excellence using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
i. Introduction to NLP
ii.How to use NLP Future Pacing to Achieve Excellence in Your Life?
iii. How to Use NLP Future Pacing to Excel in Job Interviews?
iv. How to Use NLP Future Pacing for Effective Dating?
v. How to Communicate Effectively using NLP?

Hurrah! Back to blogging

2008-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

Dear friends, it is a great day for me since I am back to writing again! Yes, I am blogging again and I believe ‘Life never stops’. Does it? It is one of the basic principles of this mystical – only because lot of it is unknown to us - universe. And, I experienced it firsthand, last year a lot has happened in my life. I wanted to share it with you, but did not have the determination to do so after I lost my Dad first in February, and then my wife forever in July. They have gone away from this world and me. Life has changed for me; I mean the meaning and my perspective of life. It looks different, sounds, and feels different. I cried, wept, screamed, and felt miserable for few months. One thing I would like to share with you, which is so inspiring, among all turmoil I could still see the Lord. He was there and with me holding my hands as he did from the day, I was born. Also, he made sure his trusted comrades were with me all the while. They made sure that I see the light.

Let me quote this powerful message by Swami Vivekananda – a great modern Yogi of India, which you might find insightful:

“All power is within you, you can do anything and everything. Believe in that; do not believe that you are weak. You can do anything and everything, without even the guidance of anyone. All power is there. Stand up and express the divinity within you. Arise, awake, and sleep no more. Within each of you, there is the power to remove all wants and all miseries. Believe in this, and that power will be manifested.”

I have learned a new way of life. I always believe, and when I say this, I mean it with lot of passion, ‘Nothing ever is going to stop me’. I would not allow anyone or anything from achieving my goal or fulfil my life’s purpose – “Freedom is our birthright and we will achieve it”. When I use the word ‘Freedom’, I mean freedom from all wants, which might take any form either material or spiritual. Our idea should be to attain happiness and perfect bliss. When we gain this, we win real freedom, so folks plan, prepare, and march ahead. Do not look back but do not ignore it either. Life is continual learning. Take good care of yourself and the world. I will be back soon with another piece of thought.

Man Proposes and God Disposes

2007-07-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

It is such a wonderful experience to see the raindrops falling and being greeted by mother earth; it gives me great delight in silently watching our nature in motion. We are having weeks full of rain in England recently, and it has caused real havoc down south. Anyways, let me organise myself, and get back to the mood of connecting with you this weekend.

My Dad strongly believed in God, and as I grew up, I also saw a person who lived his life serving others. Though he believed in God, he was not a great advocate of frequenting the temples to earn his share of blessings. He loved his family, and anyone who got in touch with him could feel a difference. He touched everyone’s life he met in a special way.

So, I was lucky in a sense to be his son. He was a man of values, and dealt with the events in life steadily with respect. And when I use the word ‘Respect’, I mean he believed everything that happened in our life had a reason, some meaning, and it had a connection to something else.

I often heard him saying, ‘Man proposes and God disposes’. Sometimes I felt frustrated and became annoyed when he said this to me, especially at times when I failed to achieve what I wanted. At those times, I remember I used to express my anger and resentment. Strangely, he never showed any emotions, rather had a subdued smile in his face. But as I gained more of life’s experience, I started to realise the hidden meaning of the statement. This week’s exercise is based on the meaning that I have realised. And I would like to invite you to join me to explore it further.

Exercise for this week:

(1) Every event that happens in our life has a deep seeded intention. It is manifesting our past intention and desire, and we can physically see and experience it when it is in motion, which we describe as an event or episode. It is our responsibility to understand it, identify the hidden opportunities (messages), and use it to our advantage. The opportunities may be in any form, physical or meta-physical. So, try to understand it, identify the opportunities and use it as best as you can.

(2) Practise and try to manage your worries by saying to yourself, “Everything that is happening to me now is for a reason. It has a connection with my past as well as my future.” Gradually, this will help you increase your power of acceptance. Slowly and steadily, you will learn more about yourself, and your real nature.

(3) Power of Acceptance will help you to gain control of the future. You will gain the power to control your own destiny. But it will only happen when you accept yourself ‘as you are now’.

(4) Do not resist because it would seem futile challenging the laws of the Universe. Cecil B. deMille observed, “It is impossible for us to break the law. We can only break ourselves against the law.” So, identify the hidden opportunities (messages) in every event, and use it to your advantage. This will lead us to our destination (destiny) safely.

Take care and God bless!

Sharpen Your Saw

2007-06-23T04:02:00.000-07:00

Just before I sat down in my kitchen this morning I thought why not do a constructive reflective review of the week that has passed into the oblivion. Do you think it is a good idea? Well I am sure you must be relaxing and gearing for a fun filled weekend. I hope you won’t mind to spare a little time just for ‘You’ the self.

So, this week we will briefly review our achievement in the past week and examine whether we have done anything commendable, which serves as a preparation exercise for our future. It can be anything small, a new skill, or anything you have learned.

Our topic ‘Sharpening your Saw’ simply means constant development of our self. It is important that we have a continuous programme of self-development. And when I say this, I do not mean you have to undertake a formal course or programme all the time. It can be simple, just using our common sense to reflect and improve our performance in all areas. For example, you may look back, and examine the way you have dealt with someone. And then ask yourself, ‘How can I change my approach and deal with it differently?

We must remember that ‘Common sense’ is our greatest teacher. The more we use it the more effective it gets. Now let us do this simple exercise.

Exercise for the Week:

(1) ‘Sharpen your Saw’ work diligently and reflect on your actions during the week that has passed. Identify at least one or more thing you have learnt that will help you to improve your performance or make you a better person in future.

(2) ‘Common sense’ is our greatest teacher, practise, and use it effectively. The more you use, the better it gets.

(3) Visualise and come up with a simple plan for next week by asking yourself this question: What can I learn next week?

(4) Develop a continuous programme for self-development. A simple written plan would be suitable.

God bless you!

Impermanence and the nature of reality

2007-06-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

This week let us think about the real nature of reality, and the easiest way to do that is to examine the events in our life. Our life is comprised of an eternity of events, which includes both pleasurable and painful moments. It is a natural tendency to avoid pain and suffering, and seek joy and happiness. Both these states that is joy as well as suffering are impermanent. Since they are impermanent, there is no way that you can hang on to any of these states forever. It is simply not possible.

So, what should we do? Simple, just examine your life more closely and when you do this you will realise that whatever happened in your life good or bad has passed. You know from your experience that whatever you are experiencing now is also going to pass or end. So, accept it, and search for a way to march forward in the journey of life. Realising and accepting that our life and nature of reality is impermanent will enable you to lift the veil and open your doors to pure wisdom.

Exercise for this week:

(1) Remind yourself this week that both joy and suffering are part of life and they are both impermanent.

(2) Do not waste too much time by wondering and pondering on an event.

(3) Let go and become light-hearted and practise detachment.

(4) Everything that is happening in your life is for a reason. Work diligently to identify the reason and take proper action.

God bless!

Success: Application of Pain-Pleasure Principle

2007-05-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

In this article, we will briefly examine ourselves; explore what the term ‘Success’ means, and how the Pain-Pleasure Principle governs it. In general, success means to achieve something attempted or in other words experiencing a favourable outcome. We can say success means reaching our goals and desires. When we achieve our goals or desires, we experience a pleasurable state of mind, and that makes us feel good, and we feel satisfied. On the other hand, when we fail to achieve our goals and desires, we experience pain and dissatisfaction, which affects our mental state and therefore our quality of life.

It is a natural instinct in living beings to avoid pain and sufferings, and seek pleasurable states. This idea is governed by a powerful natural law called the Pain-Pleasure Principle. The Pain-Pleasure Principle is based on sensory perceptions. We use our sensory organs such as eyes, nose, tongue, ear, and skin to make meaning of the energy and information in our environment. We experience pain or pleasure depending on how we interpret or decode energy and information in our environment, and our interpretations influences our actions.

In our natural state, all of us use this principle without even realising it. We are easily attracted to anything that gives us pleasure, and any painful state is instantly rejected or avoided. Though we use this principle routinely, we must understand and examine the principle closely by bringing it to our conscious awareness. It is important because all our decisions do not lead to a pleasurable state. Let me illustrate this with an example, people smoke cigarettes to get some pleasure and avoid pain. Does it help them? Smokers may experience a momentary pleasure or relief but we know in the long run they suffer from the adverse affects of smoking. So we can say all decisions driven by momentary pleasure may not lead to a favourable outcome.

Human beings have the faculty of choice, so we can choose what we want in our life. If we become conscious on the way we use Pain-Pleasure Principle, we will make wise decisions after properly examining the outcome. So, next time you set a goal and commit yourself, think how you are going to achieve it? And what are you going to get as an outcome?

Let us do a simple exercise now:
Take a pen and a blank piece of paper, write down 10 things you rejected or avoided today to be happy. Write down what comes to your mind naturally. Once you have your list, examine them by thinking deeply, and now write down what you wanted to have instead. This simple and powerful exercise will help you to concentrate and focus on the way you make decisions. If you use it, you will feel re-energised, have better control on your life, and you will also increase your capacity to make informed decisions.

We will cover this topic in greater details soon in our ‘Vedic Coaching Programme’, and I will keep you informed through this blog. Take care and God bless!

The story of God’s Child

2007-05-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I want to share with you a beautiful story of a child and his conversations with God. My wife received this inspiring presentation from a friend through e-mail. And I want to give this to all the wonderful mothers in this world.

Before I begin, I would like to apologise for not keeping my promise. I was down with chicken pox and was not doing well. So, I could not publish the first part of the special programme based on Vedic Technology. But I must tell you that I am working on the project, and I will be able to present it to you soon.

The story

Once upon a time, there was a child ready to be born. One day the child asked God, “They tell me that you are going to send me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?” God replied, “Among the many angels, I have chosen one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.”

The child looked sad, saying, “But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.” At that moment, God hugged the child and said, “Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you.” But said the child, “Tell me here in heaven I don’t do anything else but sing and smile. That’s what I need to be happy!” God said, “Your angel will sing for you everyday. And you will feel your angels love and be happy.”

The child looked up at God saying, “And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?” God smiled at the child and said, “Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.”

The child then said, “I’ve heard that on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me from them?” God put his arm around the child, saying, “Your angel will defend you even if it means risking life!”

And said the child, “How am I able to understand when people talk to me, if I don’t know the language that men talk?” God then said smilingly, “My child that’s easy. Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.”

Then the child in a hurry asked softly, “Oh God if I am about to leave now please tell me my angel’s name.” God replied, “Your angel’s name is of no importance as you will simply call her MOMMY!”

At that moment, there was much peace in heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard.

The Art of Questioning

2007-04-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hurray! I think I am getting back to my old form and I have started writing some meaningful stuff. I hope by the end of this week, I will be able to publish the first part of a life-changing programme based on 5000-year old Vedic Technology. I am sure you will hold your breath! But I promise not for long.

Anyways, to keep you busy I will re-introduce you to something extraordinary in this article. It is a simple but powerful technique of self-discovery and progress. So, what is it? It is the art of self-assessment and evaluation. It is the way we ask and question ourselves. Have you ever paid attention to something, which always talks to you? It is our inner voice. And it is an automatic process, as it talks to us intelligently without our active intervention. It just happens. Do you know how and from where it happens?

I am sure all of you have experienced your inner voice. But have you ever questioned: whose voice is it? Is it an inner being that is talking to you? Is the inner being and you the same entity? And how do you discover the identity and nature of that inner voice?

The next time you make any decision silently observe the way it talks to you. And when you do that you may hear it is saying something subtle such as, “Are you doing it right?” Or “Is it right for you?”

I would not write anymore on this topic now, as I want you to go back and reflect in your leisure peacefully and quietly. If you think deeply you might see something extraordinary happening to you.

Do let us know about your experience. Take care and God bless you.

Passing Away

2007-04-11T11:52:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

This is the first article I am writing after my Baba (Dad in my native language) passed away in India on the 28th February 2007. I am thankful to all of you for supporting me by sending emails and leaving messages in the blog filled with love and compassion.

I went to India for the funeral and other ceremonies, and it did go very well. Though it was quite a demanding process as Hindu, i.e. the Vedic rites are time consuming. But I feel better now; being the only son, I have done my father’s last rites. There is a strange feeling though. And I must say it is a good feeling. When I think I have followed the footsteps of my ancestors, which has been going on for thousands of years in India.

After I came back to England, I have received lot of support from my friends and colleagues. So, I am grateful to God to have you all with me, as my extended family.

Today, I want to present to you a great piece of text, which I received, from one of my colleagues. It touched my heart and left a mark on my Soul.

“Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, that we still are. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference in your tone, wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Pray, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was; there is unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well.”

Thank you, I will try to get back to my old routine soon, and publish more articles. God bless you all.

Personal

2007-03-02T01:19:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

My Dad passed away and I am going to India for the funeral on 8th March. Just to let you know that I won't be writing for a while.

Take care and God bless
Deb

NLP: How to Communicate Effectively

2007-02-25T07:41:00.000-08:00

It is true that communication is the key to success in this fast paced digitised world. We live in an ‘Information Age’, and our life has been dramatically transformed by the advancement in science and technology. The information highway has revolutionised the way we interact with people.

The Information and Communication Technology has to a great extent removed the intermediary, and enabled us to talk to our target audience direct. This has opened the enormous opportunity of new and effective relationship building and growth.

But whether you use advanced technology or the golden old ways of personal communication, effectiveness in human communication remains the key to excellence.

And any form of communication is successful only when the audience gets the right or intended message. In other words, we can say, “The meaning of the communication is the response that we get.” We may spend millions of advertising dollars but we may not get the desired response. And I am sure you are aware of many marketing disasters. This concept does not apply to business and organisations only but also in our personal life.

For example, you are interacting with someone and you are not getting the response that you expected. The best course of action in such a situation is to reflect and rethink the way you are communicating. And change your approach so the other person responds positively. And this is important if you want to get the desired response and achieve success.

Remember, our success in communication does not entirely depend on how well planned or organised we are, please do not get me wrong, planning, and organising is important but communication is successful only when we get the desired response. We cannot control somebody else’s response but we can always influence it by using a suitable strategy and some innovative thinking.

Exercise

(1) If you are not getting the desired response, reflect, rethink, and change your approach till you get the desired result.

(2) If you are not getting the desired response from your target audience, ask yourself, “What can I do to get the desired response?” And do it. Or, you can further explore to see if anyone is getting the right response from the same audience. If they are, learn and mirror them, and get the desired outcome.

How to use NLP Future Pacing to Achieve Excellence in Your Life?

2007-02-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

“Change Your Mental Picture & You Will Change Your Life”

Have you ever thought that we have a mental image of ourselves stored in our mind? We form certain opinions about ourselves, on what we can do or achieve in our life. Are you surprised to know this? Self-image is what we think about ourselves, the mental picture which we form about our abilities. Self-image influences our self-esteem, attitude, and our behaviour. We create a high boundary wall and we work within that mental boundary or framework. And that becomes our comfort zone. So, our achievement and success in life is highly dependent on our Self-image. If self-image is that important, do we need to do something about it? Please read on if you want to create a positive self-image.

We hold both positive and negative views about ourselves and self-image is the sum total of both. Comfort zone does not necessarily mean that it is the best place for us. We may experience great pain in our comfort zone but still we may like to stay there. Normally we do not like to go out of that zone and accept a new challenge because we become use to that lifestyle. Human beings always resist change and we fail to accept that our environment is constantly changing.

I have met many people in my life and I know for certain that they can live a far better lifestyle if they change. But they prefer to stay where they are in their so-called comfort zone. And the problem is they even do not realise that they are suffering. I have done it myself in the past. There were times in life where I let myself down. I thought I cannot do something, but later, I realised that it was only my thinking, which was limiting and stopping me to move forward.

But one thing that I always do when I identify a limiting belief; I do my best to find a new way and take a different approach. Replace the old limiting belief with a new powerful and positive belief. I believe and often say to myself, “I have unlimited potential.” When we repeat this statement again and again, amazing things start to happen in our life. You do not need to trust me, try it yourself sincerely for at least a year. There is no quick fix. Then, you can decide for yourself what the truth is.

Let me tell you a real life story, a couple of months ago I was watching the news in BBC. And became shocked when I watched the news about a young woman who faced torture from her partner for many years before she sought any help from Police. During the interrogation, she revealed why she did not seek help earlier. Surprisingly, she said that she felt the torture and agony was a normal part of her life.

I still cannot believe it. And at that moment, I asked myself: how can someone form such a negative self-image? I am sure you know about similar examples where people let themselves down. They think they do not deserve any better. Can you remember any such examples?

Let me share a beautiful story about an eagle. Once upon a time somehow, a chicken hatched an eagle’s egg. So, the eagle grew up with other baby chicks. And with his other chick mates, he learnt what everyone did in the chicken world. In other words, he adopted a pure chicken lifestyle. So, everyday he used to go looking for food with his Mom and others, scratching and digging the ground looking for grass, seeds, and insects. And it seemed he was living his dream.

One day the eagle saw a majestic bird flying in the sky and he turned to a fellow chicken and asked him, “Hey look how wonderful that bird looks in the sky.” The fellow chicken replied, “Don’t you know that’s a majestic eagle. We can’t fly like them because we are chickens and meant to be in the ground.”

The eagle accepted what his mate said to him and nodded his head. Thereafter he led a life of a chicken and died, as because he formed a self-image and he believed that he was a chicken. Now we need to ask ourselves: do we sometimes behave like this eagle? Can we fly high majestically if we change our mental picture? Yes, off course we can, the moment we decide to take a new approach to life.

When we decide to break out of that boundary or loop, we experience ultimate freedom, and that becomes the turning point of our life. You can stop reading for a moment, think deeply, and identify your mental boundary. What is keeping you behind? What is limiting you to grow and have more in your life? What are your limiting beliefs? Is there anything that is stopping you to reach your full potential? Take your time and identify any blocks or barriers that you have at the moment. When you identify them, write them down immediately.

Now ask yourself: what can I do to change them? How can I change my approach to life? What are the different options or choices? And write them down as well. At this stage you do not need to worry whether they are right or wrong, just write them down as a list, as you can always change and modify it later. It is your life so it is you who decide what is right or wrong for you. Off course, we have to keep in mind that our actions do not harm or disturb others.

When you think deeply and start to question yourself, you will experience deep change, and move towards releasing your untapped hidden powers. And you will also realise that some of the opinions you held about yourself seems unfounded now. You might even laugh at yourself. And this happened to me a few times.

Sometimes when I sit down and look back I laugh at myself thinking about few opinions and views, which I held about myself in the past. I now know that they were my limiting beliefs. I don’t feel sorry or repent, but I definitely reflect and learn from my mistakes or feedback. Remember, there is no failure in life, only feedback. If you do not like something, keep changing your approach till you get what you want.

There are many successful people in this world who have faced severe hardships but they never stopped and accepted defeat. “When the going gets tough the tough gets going”, read this inspiring story of this brave man called Stephen Hawking. Take responsibility for your own life if you want to control and create your own destiny, if you decide otherwise, someone else will. Let me quote Anthony Robbins, one of the world’s top motivational speakers, “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

Read about this great man if you think you are a failure or not achieved much in your life. Then, ask yourself: if he can do it why not me? We have to keep in mind if we want something amazing to happen in our life we have to pay a price. Ask yourself: Did I pay a price? Or, Am I ready to pay a price? And I believe that if I am not ready to pay the right price than I should not expect it.

By ‘paying a price’, I mean the following: Am I taking responsibility for my life? Am I taking massive action? Am I doing everything possible to achieve what I want in my life? Are you the man who believes, “The man who wins Is the man who thinks he can!” You can read this beautiful poem by Walter D. Wintle.

Remember, the more positive is your mental picture about yourself, the better are your chances of success. Change your mental picture and you will transform your life. So, how simple is that?

Let us explore briefly how we form our mental picture. Do you know that your mental picture started to take shape from the day you were born? Our environment has a massive impact on how we think and behave. Our parents, brothers and sisters, family members, friends, teachers, supervisors and everyone we have met till now have played a role in our life. And influenced us in some way.

They told us what is right or wrong. Some of them were experts in their field; ‘Gurus’ or they had more of life’s experience. Some of them even made some major decisions of our life. They told us what they personally felt was right. In other words, they gave their own opinions. And we accepted some of the opinions without giving a second thought. We never questioned whether that opinion is right or wrong. Or whether it is applicable in today’s environment.

Remember the way people treated you and behaved with you made the person you are today. Let me give you an example, a teacher might have reprimanded you in your Math class for not doing so well. And from that day, you thought that you are not good at Math. Therefore, every time you faced a Math problem you avoided it, and you sent a message to your brain, “I am not good at Math.” And you told your parents, friends, and everyone that you are not good at Math. So the more you did that your opinion about yourself became stronger and stronger, and gradually you formed a mental image that you are not good at Math.

It is important to understand that when we make a statement we try to collect evidence to support that statement. We want that statement to be true. For example, if someone says, “I am not good at Math”, he or she will collect all the necessary evidence to support that statement. And in real life, they will act and behave accordingly, and they will also expect others to support their statement. And with every reference or support, his or her belief will get stronger and stronger. Then, it forms an integral part of his or her self-image. For this example, I am assuming that the individual is not suffering from any mental or physical disability.

But I would also say that a disability should not be an excuse, we have many examples in this world. Stephen Hawking is one of them, and I have great respect for this brave man.

Exercise:

Now let us do some simple exercise, which will help us to challenge our limiting beliefs, remove and replace them with empowering positive beliefs. We will also use some NLP to change our mental picture to a more positive one. Are you excited? I know it is a long article, but we know it well there is no quick fix solutions.

(1) Be careful what you say to yourself. Always send positive messages to your brain. From the previous example, let’s say you feel that you are not good at Math. Say to yourself, “I am good at Math.” It does not matter whether the statement is true or not, now. It will become true with repetition. But you have to take necessary action such as taking extra Math tuition. Jim Rohn said, “Affirmations without discipline is the beginning of delusion.” Affirmation with discipline creates miracles. So, if you do not take some concrete actions, only affirmations are not going to make any difference. You have to walk your talk. Read the following articles:

(a) Your thoughts decide your destiny 1
(b) Your thoughts decide our destiny 2
(c) The Principle of positive self-talk
(d) Strategies for developing self-confidence

(2) Easiest way to identify your limiting belief is to challenge and question yourself. Whenever you say that I cannot do something, make sure that you question yourself. And find out how other people are doing it. Learn by modelling or mirroring their actions or behaviour. Find out exactly what they are doing and do it.

(3) If you fail in doing something, never give up; keep changing your approach till you get the desired result. There is no failure in this world, only feedback. We learn at each step, accept without hesitation that learning is a natural part of our life. Say to yourself, “It is alright to make mistakes.” But please do not abuse it. You know what I mean. Don’t you?

(4) Let me show you how to use a simple but immensely powerful NLP (Introduction to NLP) technique called ‘Future Pacing’. It will help you to re-engineer your thinking. In future pacing you mentally rehearse a future outcome to ensure that you get the desired result. It is similar to visualisation. Some of you may be aware of visualisation technique, but if you are not, there is nothing to worry. The following examples will make it clear. Please feel free to adapt and change these examples to suit your needs.

(a) How to Use NLP Future Pacing to Excel in Job Interviews?
(b) How to Use NLP Future Pacing for Effective Dating?

How to Use NLP Future Pacing to Excel in Job Interviews?

2007-02-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

Scenario
Let us say you want to achieve excellence in your performance during an interview.

Future Pacing
Before you begin this exercise, find a quiet place where you will not have any disturbance. Close your eyes and take few deep breaths. Inhale and exhale deeply and gently. Please do it for about 10 times and say to yourself, “I am calm and relaxed.”

Now with your eyes closed, imagine in your minds eye that you are in your favourite movie theatre. You are alone and sitting comfortably in a seat in the theatre. And you are feeling calm and relaxed.

Now imagine that you are watching yourself on the big cinema screen. And visualise the interview scenario. It is similar to watching a movie. Remember in this movie, you and the other members in the interview panel are the actors.

Imagine that you have walked into the interview room, you have greeted everyone with a gentle smile, and you have a sign of confidence on your face. Then, when they ask you to take a sit, you thank them, and sit down comfortably.

Imagine that you are acting and behaving in a confident and relaxed manner. You have a gentle smile in your face and you are answering all questions confidently. Think about the exact questions and answer them effectively.

Imagine that you are sending positive vibes to the panel members and you are enjoying every moment of the interview. You are in total control. You are managing yourself effectively by using suitable body language. You feel powerful because you know you can convincingly answer all questions. You are confident about your skills and abilities. You are a unique and wonderful human being. Once you have finished the interview, you thank the panel members, and leave the room feeling great.

Remember, whatever you do in the future pacing exercise, you can easily replicate it in the real life interview. I do it in my life and I also do it often with my clients, it works wonders. The interesting part of this exercise is that you can do it as many times as you want. If you do not like something, keep changing your approach till you get the desired outcome. There is no failure, only feedback.

Let’s say you do not like something in the first session, your body language, voice, or whatever. Then in the second session repeat the same process and change what you do not like to what you like.

As you do this exercise few times, you will experience the great change in you. You will become more confident in accepting any new challenge in your life. You will remain calm and relaxed.

Good luck! And God bless.

How to Use NLP for Effective Dating?

2007-02-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

Scenario
Let us say you want to achieve excellence while you Date someone. And make it a memorable experience.

Future Pacing
Before you begin this exercise, find a quiet place where you will not have any disturbance. Close your eyes and take few deep breaths. Inhale and exhale deeply and gently. Please do it for about 10 times and say to yourself, “I am calm and relaxed.”

Now with your eyes closed, imagine in your minds eye that you are in your favourite movie theatre. You are alone and sitting comfortably in a seat in the theatre. And you are feeling calm and relaxed.

Now imagine that you are watching yourself on the big cinema screen. And visualise the dating scenario. It is similar to watching a movie. Remember in this movie, you and your partner are the actors.

Imagine that you have walked into the restaurant or wherever you want to go, you have greeted your partner with a gentle smile, and you have a sign of confidence on your face. Then, when he/she asks you to take a sit, you thank them, and sit down comfortably.

Imagine that you are acting and behaving in a confident and relaxed manner. You have a gentle smile in your face and you are interacting with your partner confidently. You are in total control. Think about the exact topic of your conversation, and talk effectively.

Imagine that you are sending positive vibes to your partner and everyone in the room and you are enjoying every moment. You are managing yourself effectively by using suitable body language. You feel powerful because you know you have all the good qualities in you. You are confident about your life, skills, and abilities. You are a unique and wonderful human being. Once you have had your meal and the nice conversations, you thank your partner, and leave the place feeling great.

Remember, whatever you do in the future pacing exercise, you can easily replicate it in the real life situation. I do it in my life and I also do it often with my clients, it works wonders. The interesting part of this exercise is that you can do it as many times as you want. If you do not like something, keep changing your approach till you get the desired outcome. There is no failure, only feedback.

Let’s say you do not like something in the first session, your body language, voice, or whatever. Then in the second session repeat the same process and change what you do not like to what you like.

As you do this exercise few times, you will experience the great change in you. You will become more confident in accepting any new challenge in your life. You will remain calm and relaxed.

Good luck! And God bless.

How to be aware of opportunities and threats by resolving conflicts?

2007-02-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder how much time and energy we spend on conflict resolution both in personal and professional setting. Can we avoid it? Can we save precious time and energy if we are proactive? I feel at times we become so involved with our differences and ego that we lose focus of our present opportunities and threats. Fire fighting takes prominence rather than looking forward for newer goals and objectives. Think for a moment and ask yourself: do we need to step back and reflect on our actions?

What happens normally when we have a difference with someone? We become defensive and overprotective. And I think it is normal as a human being, as it is a basic part of our nature. We want to prove our point; we want to make sure that people understand us. But the problem occurs when we do not retract and reflect on the situation to find a middle way. And more often than not, we find the other person doing the same. And this results in a deadlock.

So, what should we do and what is the best principle to follow? I have written about the Win-Win principle before, and I feel that it is the best way to resolve a conflict, read the article, and see if you can relate it to conflict resolution.

I am sure you will be able to find your own answers by reading the Win-Win principle. What happens if we do not act wisely and resolve our conflict? There is a beautiful story, which I would like to share with you now and it fits in well with this article. This story is again a gift from my Dida – Grand mom in my native language. I hope you enjoy it.

The story

There lived two gorgeous cats in a little village in India, and they were great friends. They loved to go for long walks together and that also helped them to find their daily food. One fine sunny day as they were passing by a rich merchant’s house, the merchant’s daughter saw the cats and liked them. So, she lovingly offered them a large piece of tasty biscuit. The cats became delighted and overjoyed. I am sure they thanked the lady in their own cat mannerism, and quickly took the biscuit and went to a safer place.

They decided to sit under the cool shade of a banyan tree and enjoy the meal. One of them divided the biscuit into two parts so they can share it. But a problem arose, as one part of the biscuit was little larger than the other. And both of them wanted to have the larger part. This created a big tussle between the two friends.

By seeing this entire episode, a monkey who was sitting in that tree volunteered to solve the matter. So, he told the two cats to stop fighting and assured them that he would resolve their differences. The cats felt relieved and stopped fighting.

So, to make the two pieces of biscuits equal, the monkey took the larger piece and had a bite. The cats saw this and asked the monkey, “Why are you eating our biscuit? You have told us that you are going to make both the parts equal and solve our problem.” The monkey replied, “Yes that’s what I am doing. If I do not take off a part from the larger piece how can I make them equal.” The cats thought the monkey was right, and was doing his best to help them.

Once the monkey had the first bite, he compared the two pieces. Now it seemed the other piece is bigger. And he asked the cats about what they thought. The cats replied, “Still the two pieces are not equal.” So, the monkey had another bite of the larger piece. And this time as well the two pieces seemed unequal. So, as the cats watched, the monkey took one bite after the other to make the two pieces equal. Gradually, at a point, there was nothing left because the monkey had eaten the whole biscuit. Then he ran away. The cats then realised how foolish they have been by not resolving their conflict themselves, and they decided not to make the same mistake ever again in their lifetime. So, they shook hands and carried on with their stroll.

Before I close, I would ask you to project your consciousness on the article again, and reflect for a while. And then, take a piece of paper and a pen, sit down in a quiet place, and do the following exercise. And soon you will see the difference it makes to your life.

Exercise:

(1) Ask yourself: what can I learn from this story?
(2) What happens when we give in to our ego?
(3) Is it necessary to resolve a conflict quickly by following the Win-Win principle?
(4) What happens when we involve ourselves in a conflict, do we lose focus of our threats and opportunities? Take a moment and think does it apply to both family and professional situations?

Power of Choice: Stephen Hawking and his Incredible Inner Strength

2007-02-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

I usually publish three articles a week though I want to write more and connect with you but somehow I cannot manage to write because of severe time constraints.

I want to tell you something strange about this article. I was wondering last night about what I am going to write this weekend and therefore I was not too sure. But strangely, this morning about 4 am the thought of Stephen Hawking’s life came to my mind. And I decided to write about his incredible inner strength.

Anyway, I did some quick research and sat down to write an article based on his incredible life story. And I must say that I am deeply inspired by his story of personal power, inner strength, courage hope, and determination.

We know Stephen from his great work on Physics. And his famous book ‘Brief History of Time’ was my personal favourite. I am sure you are also aware that he has contributed a lot to us through his research, and he did these despite his severe disability.

Let me quote this powerful words that touched me the most, “I have had motor neurone disease for practically all my adult life. Yet it has not prevented me from having a very attractive family, and being successful in my work. This is thanks to the help I have received from Jane, my children, and a large number of other people and organisations. I have been lucky, that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope.” And I suddenly thought if he could do it despite all his difficulties. If he could overcome all his obstacles, we can do it too. We have something to learn from this brave man.

Now let me tell you about the ‘Power of Choice’. The ‘Power of Choice’ simply means our inner power to choose what we want in life. Our decisions shape our life. It does not matter what happens to us in life but what we decide to do with what happens, and that is what shapes our destiny. This is exactly what Stephen Hawking has done in his life. He is disabled, he cannot write or speak, but he decided he would do his best to contribute to the society. And he has done wonders.

When we face an unexpected event in life whether it is personal or professional, we as humans lose control on our decision-making capacity. Sometimes even worse, we make the wrong decisions or choices. It did happen to me several times and I felt I was powerless, out of control and my life was in a mess. Did it ever happen to you? Did you ever feel you are out of control? I am sure we did at some point.

So, what should we do in such situations? It is important to realise and understand clearly that we are always in control. It does not matter what happens to our life, we always have the choice to drive ourselves forward by striving continuously. It is true that sometimes our life’s journey becomes difficult if we hit rough weather. And I completely agree that driving through life isn’t easy during those times. But we always have a choice to sit idle, repent, moan and groan or take responsibility and do something to change and take control of the situation.

By taking responsibility, I mean becoming firm with our decisions. To muster the courage and strength, to make ourselves determined, to believe in ourselves by saying we can always find a way if we have the will.

We should also remember that we always have the choice to create a way if we don’t have one. Before I close let me share with you this beautiful proverb, “No choice is also a choice.” Please click here to read the inspiring and energising short story of Stephen Hawking. And then, take a piece of paper and a pen, sit down in a quiet place, and do the following exercise. And soon you will see the difference it makes to your life.

Exercise:

(1) Take a moment and ask yourself how this article will help you.
(2) Focus on what you have, in other words, ‘Count your blessings not your sorrows’. Make a list of all the positive things in your life, if you do, you will make an amazing and empowering discovery.
(3) What did you learn from Stephen Hawking’s life?
(4) How can you create your own destiny by making the right choices every moment?
(5) Think deeply and visualise how you can create your own way, if you feel you don’t have one.

How to use the Ripple Effect Principle to make a positive difference to the world?

2007-02-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Do you want to do something different in this world? Do you want to touch people’s lives in a special way? Yes off course we do. Don’t we? We want people to acknowledge our work. We want people to treat us with respect. And we also want to give something back to the world; we want our friends and families to feel proud of us. And when I use the word difference, I do not necessarily mean in a materialistic sense but in a wider context.

So, what exactly is making a difference to this world mean? Is it only the domain of celebrities or famous people who connect them to millions? Or can it happen in every little thing we do in our life? Does it mean we can touch everyone we meet in a special way?

We have our own belief systems. We have a unique way of looking at life, what is good or bad, or what is important to us. Let me tell you about myself. My idea of making a difference to this world was to help people to lead a blissful and harmonious life. And as far as I remember, I had this thought for many, many years. And I also had the problem of not knowing what to do, how to do it, or how to make a start. Did you ever face such a problem?

As I did not know the secret of making a difference, I used to think and make many plans and say to myself I will do this or I will do that. I am not saying this thinking did not help me but I was not achieving or doing much at a physical level. Whenever I used to say I want to do something for people my Dad used to say to me, “Charity begins at home.” He also said, “Start small, help yourself first, help people in the family, and make them happy.”

I think I did not take his words too seriously, and I suppose it was my immaturity as a youngster. We sometimes think that we are smarter than the older generation. Don’t we? I did not realise what he meant until few years from now. And I know and understand now that he was talking about the ‘Inside Out Approach’.

Have you ever noticed what happens when you throw a stone in a still water? We see the ripple effect in action, isn’t it? So, the ‘Inside Out Approach’ is nothing but the ‘Ripple Effect Approach'. So, if we want to make a difference to this world we need to follow the Ripple Effect Principle. And if we follow it diligently, we will continuously expand our centre of influence.

And the most important thing to remember, it starts with us, we have to make a difference to our life first. If we want to create, positivity in our life, we have to become positive first. If we want to influence and bring a positive change in someone else’s life, we have to change ourselves first. And the same natural law applies to creating abundance both material and spiritual. Now let me share with you another beautiful story about a Buddhist monk.

The story

One day after a big storm, a Buddhist monk went for a walk on the sea beach. As he was walking and enjoying himself, he suddenly noticed the sea waves have washed large amount of fish to the seashore. And as he watched, it made him feel bad, as most of them were dying because of dryness of the sand. So, he stopped and started to pick the fish that were alive, and put them back to the seawater one by one.

A fisherman who was also present there saw the monk, and found the monk’s behaviour little strange. So, he went and said to the monk, “There are thousands of fish on the seashore, and you cannot put all of them back to the sea. So, your effort of picking one fish at a time won’t make any difference.”

What do you think was the monk’s reply? Can you make a guess? So, the monk looked at the fisherman as he picked another fish and said to him, “I am going to make a difference to this fish right now.” The fisherman then realised what the monk meant so without making any more comments joined him to save the dying fishes.

Now that you have read the beautiful story I would ask you to take a moment, think what you have gained from this article, and how you can use it in your life. Also, please ask yourself: How can I use the ‘Ripple Effect Principle’ to make a positive difference to the world? Take care and may God bless.

How can we free ourselves from becoming the prisoner of our own thoughts?

2007-02-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

This story is about my sister and me and as I am writing, I am going back to a point in time in India, almost 25 years from now. We had only one TV set at home. As it happens with children in every family, we had frequent fights on who is going to watch their favourite programme and so on. I do not know whether some of you still remember about a popular television series called ‘Dallas’. And that was my favourite. My sister never liked it and she had a choice of a different programme broadcasted at the same time.

So, one fine day we had a massive disagreement. I am sure you can easily imagine the situation as we have all gone through those funny moments of life. Childish sentiments and rage was in the air. Nothing helped to ameliorate the situation. Though I feel bad now as I always won being an elder brother and a boy I suppose. And I think she was more forgiving and understanding, as she always is.

Anyway, we stopped talking to each other and the whole situation was warlike. You must be wondering what happened next. My Dida - Grandma in my native language - saw this situation differently. I suppose she knew how to handle us better than anyone else in the family. So, one night just before going to bed she said to us, “Are you interested in listening to a beautiful story?” As I have told you before, she was such a wonderful presenter, and we could have never said a ‘No’ at this great offer. So, we all sat down in our favourite corner of the house.

The story

Once upon a time two Buddhist monks went for a trip to the nearest village. And as they were returning to their monastery they approached the village stream, where they saw a beautiful woman struggling to cross the stream. So, the monks stopped and looked at each other, as they did not know how to help her. Then, the older monk decided to approach the woman, and as the younger monk watched, he lifted her in his arms, crossed the river, and gently put her down on the other side. The woman was grateful, and thanked the monk for his generosity.

Then, the monks carried on with their journey to the monastery. Once they had reached their destination, the younger monk seemed little unhappy. And he approached the older monk and said, “How could you commit such a sin? We are monks and we should not touch a woman. How could you lift the beautiful woman in your arms and cross the stream?” The older monk with a gentle smile in his face replied, “I have left her on the other side of the stream but you are still carrying her.” The younger monk soon realised his mistake and asked for forgiveness.

After our Dida finished the story, she asked both of us about the moral of the story. Since we found it difficult to give the right answer, she explained to us how our past thoughts determine and control our present actions and thoughts. Then she said to us, “You had a difference of opinion in the past but why are you still carrying it in your mind.” And related our thinking to the monk. Both my sister and I did understand the principle instantaneously and we called a truce. I must also tell you that as kids, we did have differences after that day but the wonderful memories of that moment are still fresh in my mind.

So, take a moment and think whether you have gained anything from this story. How you can apply this principle in your own life? How many times do we think like the younger monk? Do we carry hatred? Does it help us both physically and spiritually? How can we free ourselves from becoming the prisoner of our own thoughts? If you have something interesting to share with us, please do leave a message. In the meantime, let me go and call my sister in US to read this article. Take care and may God bless.

Applying the Law of Dharma: Success Equation and Bill Gates

2007-01-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Law of Dharma has three main parts and we can see them in the success equation given below. In this exercise let us do something different and interesting. Let us explore and examine whether we can apply this principle to Bill Gates’ life. Isn’t it exciting?

Success =
Identify your Unique Talent
+
Nurture and develop the talent
+
Identify the unique needs of others and serve them elegantly

Exploring Bill Gates’ life using the success equation:

(1) Did he identify his unique talents?
- He was passionate about software programming, and from a young age he use to spend hours writing computer programs.
- He knew that he could succeed using his unique talent. He is a man of great vision.
- He knew that he could revolutionise and change the world of computing.
- He also knew that he could touch other people’s lives in a special way using his unique talents.
- He believed in himself.
(2) Did he nurture and develop his talent?
- He knew computer programming was his unique talent. So, what did he do with it?
- He took massive action. He was 100% committed and he used his skill to create abundance.
- He worked hard and stayed focused on what he wanted to achieve.
- He created a map for his life’s journey.
- He continually developed and improved his programming and marketing skills.
- He partnered and networked with people.
(3) Did he identify the unique needs of others and serve them elegantly?
- He found out there lies a huge opportunity in computer software industry.
- He envisioned that computers would revolutionise the society. He realised the power of personal computers, and used his unique skills and talents to develop the famous Windows Operating System and the Windows Office tools. So, did he know about our unique needs? I am sure you would agree he did. Did he serve them elegantly? Yes, he made it easy for us to use a computer through the special Windows Graphical User Interface.

We have explored Bill Gates’ life using our success equation, let us ask ourselves the following questions: What happened to him when he applied this equation? Did he succeed? Did he realise his dream? Did he create abundance? Did he make a difference to our lives?

Now let us take some time and visualise about our own life. Then, take a piece of paper and a pen, and write down the success equation. And identify and apply each part in your life. Please share with us what happens next. Take care and may God bless.

Be Inspired: One-Minute Principle of Time Management for Perfect Happiness

2007-01-27T03:43:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I feel and say to myself, I wish there was more time in a day. I work full-time in a secondary school in England and my responsibilities besides teaching include line managing as I lead the ICT department. I also have my personal commitments, and I love writing, as it is a way of realising my full potential and connecting with all of you. I am passionate about it. I also need to find time for my life coaching.

So, I find the balancing act challenging at times. Managing our time in this fast paced world is a real problem. Isn’t it? I am sure all of you have busy schedules and have various types of responsibilities and face similar problems in managing your time.

So, how do we manage our time in a better way? Let me share with you a simple idea, which I came across a few years ago, and I found it amazing as it works wonders if we can apply it creatively. Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield says, "I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves."

So, What did I do with this simple idea?

(1) I plan and I have a schedule for my whole day. I break up the day into small manageable chunks. I remain flexible, as I know I may have to deal with any unforeseen events.
(2) I say to myself whatever I am doing at this minute I will do it to the best of my ability. I will apply the One-Minute principle.
(3) I also say to myself, I am happy every minute, as I know if I am happy every minute, I will easily remain happy for the hour, and eventually it will help me to remain happy throughout the day. It works for me, so you can try to see if it works for you. I have also found, by simply saying and acting as if I am happy this minute makes a big difference to the state of my mind.

So, whatever your role is at this minute Mom, Dad, Grand Mom, Grand Dad, Homemaker, Cook, Cleaner, Manager, Business owner, Lawyer, Teacher, Doctor, Sales personnel or any other role, please apply this principle and make effective use of this minute. And see for yourself what happens to the hour, and if possible please share your experience with us.

Be Inspired: Anger Management

2007-01-26T14:24:00.001-08:00

“Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offence.” Proverbs 19:11 (Amplified Bible)

How do we feel when we are angry or when we carry an internal grudge against someone? Certainly, we do not feel comfortable. Do we? We know that we live in a materialistic world and we cannot deny or avoid its influences. And sometimes we face events in life, which affects our mental equilibrium.

Anger is a killer and we know from scientific evidence that it can cause serious damage to our system. According to various spiritual scriptures, ‘Anger’ is not a normal part of our human nature. And through regular practice, we can form a habit to ward off this external element from reaching and manifesting our system.

Let me share with you a beautiful Buddhist story on anger management told by my grand mom when I was a little boy.

The Story

One day a Buddhist monk approached his spiritual teacher with a problem. And the monk looked worried. So, the teacher asked him in a loving voice, “My son why do you look so worried.” The monk replied, “I have a big problem with my anger, and I feel out of control when I am angry. Please help me to get rid of this habit”

The teacher then said to the monk, “You have something that is not normal and I find it strange. Show me your anger now. Where is it?”

The monk became little surprised at the teacher’s comment. Then he said to the teacher, “I cannot show it to you because it is not there in me now.”

So, the teacher said, “Why can’t you show it to me right now?” And the monk replied, “As it is only there when I am angry and I can experience it at that particular moment.”

Then the teacher said, “If the anger is there in you only for a moment, it cannot be a part of your true nature. And if it was your true nature, you could have shown it to me right now.” Then, the teacher went on and said, “Why are you allowing something which is not a part of your true nature to control and agonise you?”

The monk immediately realised what the teacher meant, and it opened his eyes. So, he vowed to his teacher and thanked him for the advice.

In future, whenever the monk felt angry, he recalled what his teacher has said to him, and that helped him to gain full control of his mental state. Before I close, I would like to ask you to take a moment and think, is there anything that we can gain from this beautiful story?

Take care and may God bless you. Catch you soon!

Be Inspired: The Power of Courage and Inner Strength - Conquering Critics

2007-01-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

How many times you had a fantastic idea in your mind, but you stopped yourself from pursuing it? And later, you found out that someone else has acted on a similar idea and achieved a great deal. So, what is the difference between you and the other person?

When you look back, you realise that something powerful stopped you from taking action. Sometimes we think more about what other people are going to think about us. Are they going to accept our idea? Are they going to be too critical about it? Am I doing it right? Am I going to embarrass myself? Did these questions ever arise in your mind? I am sure you will agree with me that we have all experienced this inner voice. One part of our self-says that we can do it, and at the same time, the other part says that we can’t. It is like an inner tug-of-war. We need courage and determination to overpower the part, which says we can’t.

If we think deeply we will find that we often focus more on the external elements rather than looking inside. We become object referral rather than self-referral. We become easily influenced by external stimulus. What happens when we do that? I am sure by now you have already got the message that I am trying to send to you.

Please stop reading and think for moment. Can we make progress in our life and achieve excellence if we always worry about what other people might think about our actions? Can we satisfy everyone? Or should we reinforce our inner strength and courage by focussing on our goal rather than focussing on external event?

Let us look at this beautiful quotation and see what Ralph Waldo Emerson has to say, “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”

What can we learn from this beautiful message? Would it be a good idea to think how we can apply it in our day-to-day lives? As I write this article, an interesting story suddenly came to my mind, and let me share it with you. The story is about Robert Fulton the man who invented the steamboat. After completing his dream project Robert Fulton wanted to display his invention to people in the Hudson River. So, many people gathered on the riverbank to see how the steamboat works. When the boat was ready and about to begin its journey the critics and pessimists commented the boat wouldn’t move at all. To their surprise, the steam engine propelled the boat and it steadily moved forward. Now, when they saw the boat moving they started saying, “Though the boat is moving forward, it wouldn’t stop.” Great views, isn’t it? So, what do we learn from this story? And what should we do to move ourselves forward despite all the external influences?

The following list has some tips but it is not an exhaustive one, please use your imagination, and add more:

(1) Identify your passion.
(2) Create a plan of action.
(3) Take massive action.
(4) Stay focussed on your goal.
(5) Trust your inner self.
(6) Do not share your goals with too many people.
(7) Lead life based on sound universal principles.
(8) Ask yourself, ‘How can I help? And ‘How can I contribute?’
(9) Choose your companions carefully.
(10) Think how an external stimulus can help you to move forward. If it does not add value, ignore it sensibly.
(11) Develop and follow a programme of continuous development.

Be Inspired: The Principle of Positive Self-Talk

2007-01-21T05:24:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought how we treat ourselves? Do we talk to ourselves with love and care? Do we show enough respect to our self? Let us take a moment and think what we do when we make a mistake or do not get the desired result? Do we tell ourselves off? How many times do we call ourselves ‘Stupid’ or use a similar word to express our dissatisfaction? If we think about these questions deeply then we will discover that often we treat ourselves unfairly. And when we do not treat ourselves properly, the world treats us in the same way.

I had this bad habit myself. Whenever I made a mistake, I used to blame and curse myself, and carried a feeling of guilt with me. What happens if we do this? First, our subconscious mind accepts whatever we say as true. If we say to ourselves, we are not good at doing something. Immediately our subconscious mind receives this message and records it as true; because it does not judge any statement, we make.

When I realised the way we talk or communicate to ourselves decide the quality of our life and our effectiveness, I changed my approach. I desperately wanted to break free from this never-ending cycle. So, what did I do?

When we talk to ourselves positively, we send positive feedback or message to our brain. And this reinforces our action and our experience. On the other hand, if we talk to ourselves with a negative tone, we send a negative feedback or message to our brain. And we tell our brain that we are a failure and this further reinforces and records the negative experience.

Whatever feedback we send either positive or negative is recorded in our brain. It is like a solid mark in a piece of paper. So, if it is negative it remains like a scar in our mind. And this has a massive impact on our behaviour, confidence, and self-esteem. That is the reason we doubt ourselves in doing certain things in life. We form a fear of doing something, if we have failed in the past, and record that experience as a negative one, and our internal self-talk process further strengthens it.

It is important that we pay attention on how we communicate with ourselves and get rid of the habit of sending negative signals to our brain. Sometimes it may become a real challenge for us to try to change our habits, which have formed from many years of negative reinforcement. So, how do we change and form a habit of positive self-talk?

I would like to share with you some simple ideas, which I have used in my life to cut through the never-ending cycle of negative self-talk. And let me also tell you the truth, despite my practice I still fall prey to this cycle. So, it is a constant battle. But as soon as I realise I am going the wrong way, I fiercely bounce back.

Some simple tips:

(1) From this moment, unconditionally accept that it is all right to make mistakes. We always learn through our mistakes. For example, babies learn to walk by making mistakes. There is no Failure in Life, Only Feedback, or Outcome. Remember, we always succeed. Say it to yourself, ‘We always succeed in getting a result’. Sometimes we get a result, which we did not want (we call it failure), but still it is only a result. So, whatever happens in our life is only a result or a feedback. If you do not like the result, learn from the experience, change your approach, and get a different result. If you still do not like the result, change your approach again till you get what you want.

(2) Watch carefully how you talk to yourself when you face any event in life. Remind yourself about this principle.

(3) When you realise that you are sending a negative message to your brain stop it immediately. One interesting and powerful technique is to say to yourself: STOP! STOP! STOP! Say it as loudly as possible inside your mind. After that, immediately replace it with a positive statement. For example, if you were saying to yourself, ‘I am not good at remembering names’. Immediately replace it with the positive sentence, ‘I am good at remembering names’. This process is called the self-talk interrupt process. Make sure your new sentence is a positive one, and it is in the present tense. Do not worry if the statement is not true now. When you start repeating the statement consider them as true, and act accordingly, you will soon realise that they will come out as true.

Here are few examples, please add your own statements to this list:
(a) I am a good cook
(b) I am a wonderful singer
(c) I am a good Mathematician
(d) I am a wonderful human being
(e) I am a calm and relaxed person
(f) I am enjoying every moment of my life

(4) I would also suggest that you read the following article on positive affirmations again to reinforce your belief:
(i) Your Thoughts Decide Your Destiny
(ii) Does Thoughts Decide our Destiny

Be Inspired: The Principle of Present Moment Awareness

2007-01-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

In this article, we will make a wonderful life-changing discovery and unleash the unbounded power of the present moment. I wrote a small article on the ‘Power of Now’ few weeks ago and this is a continuation of that topic. Let us look at this beautiful poem again:

“The past is history.
The future is a mystery.
This moment is a gift.
That is why this moment is called the present.
So enjoy it”
Allan Johnson

The principle of Present Moment Awareness simply means to become more powerful and effective with whatever we do in our life by focussing all our energy into that moment. Anthony Robbins, one of the world’s top motivational speakers says, “Controlled focus is like a laser beam that can cut through anything that seems to be stopping you.” The idea is simple: Harness the massive power of human mind effectively. It is the power of our concentration, which makes us great. All great men and women mastered the power of concentration to become effective in their field. Their devotion and cent per cent commitment made them great. To achieve ‘Controlled focus’ we have to discipline our mind through constant practice.

Just stop reading for a moment, close your eyes, and imagine what would happen to your life if you did every little thing effectively. Please think about it deeply, for a moment. And this can only happen when we decide to focus all our attention to the present. We can then become highly effective and we will experience our unbounded self. By ‘Unbounded self’, I mean the massive power that is hiding inside all of us. It is the ‘Prana’ or the life force energy, which governs everything in this Universe.

Now let us do a simple exercise to reinforce our understanding of the present moment awareness and experience the ‘Power of Now’. You are doing something now, isn’t it? You are reading this article. Watch your mind for a moment and see if are 100% focussed. Are you thinking about any other thing while reading this article? If you are, then your mind is not 100% focussed on reading this article; obviously, it is wandering somewhere else. Now our duty would be to stop the ‘wanderer’ and consciously bring it back to this moment, remember you have to use your mind to do that. Isn’t it interesting?

In other words, you will use your mind to gain control of your mind. Do not worry if you find it little confusing at the beginning. It will become clear to you as you practise it regularly and you can apply this technique throughout the day. If you commit yourself in applying this principle, you will notice a massive positive change in your life within a short time. This concept is simple but immensely powerful.

Remember human mind is extremely powerful and it loves wandering. It has a natural tendency to run wild if we do not hold the reins properly. According to the Vedas - Veda is the powerhouse of knowledge that evolved in India for more than 5000 years - if you want to gain control of your life and create your own destiny; the first step is to watch your mind.

So, what happens when you watch your mind? An instant evolution takes place. You see and experience it for yourself how your mind behaves and reacts to various events in life. What happens when we know how our mind behaves? When we know how our mind behaves, we are in a better position to manage and control our mind.

When we carefully watch our mind, we also realise that most of the time we unconsciously allow our mind to wander. When we do not control our mind, it does whatever it wants. It takes full control of our body and our soul, and therefore controls our actions. And if we allow our mind to become the king, it soon becomes unruly, and in the long run, we suffer from the adverse effects. We know from scientific research as well as our personal experiences that thoughts and feelings have a direct affect on our body. So, if we manage our thoughts and feelings effectively it will have a massive impact on the quality of our lives.

A human being is the sum total of mind, body and the soul.

Human being = Mind + Body + Soul.

The ‘Soul’ or the ‘Self’ is the real master of the other two parts that is mind and the body. When we allow our mind to run wild like a mad elephant, the Soul or the Self-loses it’s supreme glory, and the result is suffering or pain. But if we can gain control of our mind, we can use this powerful tool to achieve whatever we want in life.

So, the idea is to use the power of the mind to tame the mind. And this can only happen through constant practice. Raja Yoga provides sophisticated tools and techniques to manage and control our mind. Yoga simply means balance that is balancing the mind, body, and the soul and reaching an equilibrium state. I have found that ‘Hatha Yoga’ or the physical yoga exercise is more popular in the West. But Raja Yoga, which deals with the management and control of the mind, has often been sidelined.

In this programme, I will introduce you to various tools and techniques from Raja Yoga that will help you to gain total control of your life and unleash the massive inner power that is hidden inside each individual. We will learn how to increase our energy, which is vital for performing at a peak level.

So, when you consciously watch your mind, you will notice an interesting fact that most of the time we live in the past or in the future. And both the states i.e. past and the future do not exist. This means we may be doing something in the present but we are not fully present in that moment. We either think about something, which has happened in the past, or we think about something, which might happen in the future. We lose and waste much energy by doing that. We have to keep in mind that thoughts are nothing but energy. Our thought consumes a huge amount of energy.

All great discoveries and inventions such as steam engine, light bulb, aeroplanes, rockets, and space ships, computing technologies were only a thought in somebody’s mind at a point in time. So, thoughts decide our destiny, and a thought consumes a huge amount of energy. We know from our experience that when we do mental work, we spend energy, and that is the reason we become tired that is our energy level decreases. Proper management of our energy is the key to effectiveness.

We know that we cannot become effective if we are not 100% focussed in the present. Can we? Just imagine that you have gone to an important meeting. What would happen if your level of presence and commitment were 50% that is the other 50% of your mind is somewhere else? Will you be able to give your best and perform convincingly? Will you succeed? These questions apply to every event in your life. If you ask these questions in whatever you do, you will experience the massive universal power of the present moment.

Present moment awareness is a powerful self-evident principle and it is universal and timeless. If we want to become an effective person, we have to lead our life according to these natural principles. We need to establish this concept into our conscious awareness and I would like to quote Stephen Covey, the best-selling author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen Covey says, “Principles are like lighthouses. They are natural laws that cannot be broken.” Problems arise in our life when we break the natural laws or principles. Cecil B. deMille says, “It is impossible for us to break the law. We can only break ourselves against the law.”

Yes, it is hard, it needs commitment, and we need a continuous programme to apply these principles effectively. And we have to pay a price. ‘Paying a price’ is another interesting principle, and I want to say something about it right now. We pay a price for whatever we do in your life. So let’s say if I want to become an effective person I will have to pay a price, and that’s a natural law. If I am not ready to pay a price now to become effective, then I have to prepare myself to pay a price by suffering later. So, we have a choice? Isn’t it? We have to decide which is right for us.

How to practise Present Moment Awareness?

Now we will look at few simple but powerful techniques to practise and apply this principle in our lives.

(1) Watch your mind when you are doing something and observe carefully whether it is deviating from the right path. If you notice that it is wandering use your mind consciously to bring it back to the right track, use it like a steering wheel of your car. Our mind is only a tool, which is directed by its master i.e. our Soul.

(2) Practise it regularly. It does not happen in an instant so you have to be patient and diligently apply it. The more you apply the better you will get.

(3) An easy way is to talk to yourself and remind your mind what you are doing at each moment. Let me tell you what I do, and these examples will help you to make a good start. I would suggest that you begin your practise with the simple ones, and then you can add more to your list.

(a) For example, when I am taking a shower, I say to myself, ‘I am enjoying the water falling on my body and I consciously experience every little sensation’. Believe me it is amazing. You can try it yourself and see how you feel.
(b) I will give you another example. When I walk down the stairs, I just say to myself, ‘Now I am walking down the stairs, I am right here, and I consciously experience it with my mind’. I say to myself, ‘I am enjoying every moment’.
(c) Another example, when I am eating I remind myself of that moment; I focus only on eating, and enjoy and relish every moment. I ward off any other thought. Try this yourself and share your experience with everyone.

(4) Proper breathing is vital for leading a good life. Make sure that you breathe properly, and you watch your breathing patterns. Do you inhale and exhale properly? When you concentrate in your breathing you will gain great benefits and it will also help you to focus your attention to the present moment. I would tell you more about effective breathing practises for creating high-energy level in another article soon.

I would like to end by saying that when you practise and apply these principles, please do not expect results overnight. Give yourself enough time so that you can form the right habit. This article is only an introduction to thought control and management. In coming weeks, we will focus more, and go into depths to gain an understanding of this area. Take care of yourself and may God bless you.

Be Inspired: What is Love?

2007-01-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

The word ‘Love’ has different meanings, isn’t it? These days do we care much about its meaning and it’s true value? Sometimes symbolic things mislead us and cast a shadow on the value of this intrinsic principle. Is it not the time to ask these important questions: How many times did we try to represent love with a symbol? Can we use a symbol to represent it?

Before we can properly answer those questions, we have to know what love is. I am sure we do not need much explanation, do we. As because we have all experienced it at different levels. But have you ever thought what is that thing called ‘Love’.

If we explore and search deep inside our self, we will realise that Love is a principle. And principles are self-evident. According to Stephen Covey, “Principles are like lighthouses. They are natural laws that cannot be broken.” We know what happens when we break or try to break this principle. Don’t we?

And we know from our experience if ‘Love’ is a principle it cannot be a symbol. Now can we ask ourselves: What happens when we try to represent ‘Love’ with a symbol for e.g. gifts and presents?

Please do not get me wrong. I am not trying to say that giving gifts and presents is bad. What I am trying to do here is to make you aware of something that is beyond any material thing.

Take sometime and think over it. See what message you receive from this article and whether it can be useful for you. Before I close, I would like to leave you with this beautiful message from Holy Bible, which is one of my favourites.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." Corinthians 13:4-5 (New International Version)

Be Inspired: The Principle of Indifference

2007-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

What is the principle of indifference? Well, it does not mean lack of interest or lack of concern as used in the general sense. According to Buddha, the simple way to peace, bliss, harmony, and joy is to practice indifference. So what does he mean by his indifference?

Buddha says do not be too happy when someone praises you, be humble and grateful for the praise. On the other hand, if someone criticises you do not be too sad. Learn from the criticism, and move ahead. He says wise man practise indifference. When you gradually form a habit of using this principle, you will get in touch with your real self.

I would say that it is difficult to practice but when you try it, you yield a sweet fruit. It does work wonder and I have experienced the bliss. You can try to see if it works for you. Let me summarise the article with this quotation, “The power of indifference creates the big difference.”

Law of Dharma Part II: Natural Law or Spiritual Principle for Success

2007-01-07T03:56:00.000-08:00

Law of Dharma

According to the Vedas - Veda is the powerhouse of knowledge, which evolved in India for more than 5000 years - ‘Law of Dharma’ simply means our purpose in life. It has three parts and let’s use the ‘Success Equation’ to represent the Law of Dharma:

Success =
Identify your Unique Talent
+
Nurture and develop the talent
+
Identify the unique needs of others and serve them elegantly

Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, James Watt, Wright Brothers, Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Ray Kroc, Walt Disney, Robbie Williams, Madonna, Kylie Minogue; they are some of the most successful people, and they are superstars in their own field.

You can ask these interesting questions now: How did they become successful? Did some of them touch our life in a special way? Did they serve our needs elegantly? You can also ask: Are they special because they came to this world with a ‘Silver Spoon’ in their mouth?

Are they fighters? Do they take responsibility for their own life? Do they deal with any events in their life boldly? Let me give you an example, it was not long ago when Kylie Minogue was suffering from cancer. Is she back onstage? As I write this article, Sarah, one of my friends is watching her performance live in Wembley stadium, London.

Another thing, which I feel, is important and we need to remind our self often. We do not need to be Bill Gates, Albert Einstein or anyone else we can just be ourselves and feel great about it. But we can learn their good habits, behaviours, and skills. Can we?

Law of Dharma says that you are unique, and you are the only person in this Universe to have that special skill, no one can do it like you. You may be a homemaker, parent, doctor, nurse, writer, singer, dancer, artist, painter, scientist, blogger, teacher, cleaner, contractor, builder, business owner or work in any other profession. You have a special way of doing something; your way of doing is unique.

Once you identify and know your unique skill and your passion, nurture and develop it, identify the unique needs of others, and fulfil their needs elegantly. Create a Win-Win situation (read about the Win-Win principle) where you and everyone win. You will have ‘Success in Abundance’; the mighty river will flow through your doorway.

We can stop here for a moment, take few deep breaths, and relax. We can then ask ourselves: How do successful people use the ‘Law of Dharma’ to achieve success and create abundance in their life? Can you visualise and see how you can fit into the 'Success Equation'?

I would like to close this article here, and give you more time to reflect on this principle. Please do not rush into things. Be relaxed and give yourself enough time to apply the principle in your life. I am sure there will be confusions on how to apply this law. In the next article, we will deal with some of the important issues related to finding your ‘Purpose in Life’ and I will also teach you the visualisation exercise as promised. Take good care of yourself and others, may God bless you.

Law of Dharma Part I: Natural Law or Spiritual Principle for Success

2007-01-04T14:12:00.001-08:00

Introduction
Before I start this article, I would like to tell you something, which has a deep impact on my presentation and writing. First, it is about my background, I had a humble beginning, and I was born in India in a Hindu family, and went to a good Catholic Missionary school. I studied there for 12 years, both primary and secondary schooling.

So, I became strongly influenced and motivated by the teachings of Jesus Christ. That shaped and built the foundation of my life. We used to call our teachers ‘Sisters’ – my real Gurus - as they were nuns. And it is unbelievable that some of them still remember me by my name - though I was a naughty boy then, do not worry you can safely read on, as I am all right now. I think I learned the real meaning of love from them.

I feel little nostalgic as I write this article, as my childhood memory has suddenly flashed back into my mind. Anyway, as I was growing up, I took a personal interest in Buddhism, mainly because I was lucky enough to come in touch with some wonderful Buddhist scholars. The resulting product was interesting; I became a ‘Mixed Vegetable’ as defined by one of my Australian friend.

There is a reason for saying this to you. You will find the influence of these great religious traditions in my writing – but I do not consider myself a scholar or a Guru. I believe ‘We are our greatest Guru’. The whole idea of becoming your own ‘Success Coach’ revolves around this notion. With great respect to all the good people, I want to say that I do not believe in any monk or a priest, I believe in myself. I am my own monk and a priest. I know if there is a Jesus or a Buddha, it is inside us. I remember a great piece of information from Jesus. He said, “Serving his fellowmen is serving him.” And I do my best to lead my life based on this principle. And our topic the ‘Law of Dharma’ is based on this principle. Can you see an interesting correlation here, between the great religious traditions?

I believe in all religions. My realisation is that they all say the same; they are like parallel highways or motorways. They take you to the same destination. And the destination is achieving the highest form of ‘Human Excellence’. The sad thing about religion these days is people misinterpret and misuse it for their vested interest, I think it has always been like this throughout the history, someway or the other.

But we always have a choice; we can stay away from them. And I feel that religion means nothing other than human excellence. And if it says something other than ‘Human Excellence’, I would rather stay away from it.

I believe Jesus Christ, Buddha or Krishna they all mastered ‘The Art of Excellence’. And this programme is about excellence and not about any particular religion. I think it is a good idea to master the ‘Art of Excellence’ by using the teachings of those great masters. What do you think and how do you feel about it?

As you know by now I am a ‘Mixed Vegetable’ and I am going to use the best things from all sources, so prepare yourself to relish on a mixed curry. If you do not agree with something, which is normal, please be selective, use that works for you, and ignore the rest. But please do share it with us if possible, everyone is unique, and we can learn from one another. No one person is fully right.

I have many friends around the world who do not believe in God but they are wonderful human beings, and they use their special talent to do their best for others and I have great respect for them. Remember our objective is to reach highest form of human excellence, and it does not matter which highway you take to reach your goal effectively. My personal favourite is the ‘Mixed Vegetable Highway’, believe me it is wonderful.

Before we move on to explore the Law of Dharma, let us gain an understanding about the intermediaries. And how to get rid of the intermediaries? My belief and understanding after going through many scriptures is that if we want to know or realise ‘God’; Use the DIY method that is Do-it-Yourself.

My DIY method is pretty simple. I believe that if there is a God, it is inside us, nowhere else. It is inside each living being. And if you want to realise its power, discover your own self, by following the spiritual or natural laws. Getting rid of the intermediaries simply means that nobody else can do it for you.

I do not expect a Guru, Monk, Priest, or anybody else to talk to my inner self-or represent me. If I want to talk to God, I want to do it direct (A personal hot line I suppose), I do not want anyone between my higher self and me. But, that is only my belief please feel free to disagree.

I always remind myself that I would love and take care of every being in this planet and in the best possible way because if I do that I show my love to God. I think that’s what Mother Teresa did. Do you agree with me? Do you remember this beautiful premise, “Charity begins at home”, so use the inside-out approach. Start with your family, partner, friends and foes, colleagues, boss, competitors, or anyone you choose. And you will have what you want. We will cover the ‘Law of Dharma’ in the next article. Be blessed. next...

Be Inspired: What is the true joy in life?

2006-12-30T05:03:00.000-08:00

The year 2006 will be ‘History’ in few hours. We are looking forward to the New Year ‘2007’. We do it every year. Don’t we? We start with new hopes, dreams, and desires or sometimes with nothing. Am I right?

I think this is a precious time. Have you thought what was ‘Your Story’ in 2006? Would you like to write your own biography for the year 2006? Are you pleased and satisfied with your story?

One good question to ask ourselves now: Do we have a real purpose in life? If we have one: What have we achieved? Another important question, if we do not know our purpose in life, how to identify it?

This is the right time to think about it. See if you can explore and identify your real purpose in life. Why are you in this world? What difference can you make to this wonderful universe? How can you touch others life in a special way? What ‘Story’ are you going to write about yourself in 2007? So, at the end of 2007, you can feel great, about what you have done with your life. To help you to visualise and identify your real purpose in life, I will soon publish a visualisation exercise.

Before I close, I would like to share with you this beautiful piece of inspiration from Jawaharlal Nehru. “The true joy in life is to ally yourself to a great purpose, to throw yourself into it heart and soul, to forget your little self for the realisation of that purpose.” next...

Funny Side of Inspiration: Everyone is Right

2006-12-29T04:55:00.000-08:00

From last few days, I was thinking of creating a section of funny and interesting tales, and share it with all of you. We know that ‘Laughter is the best medicine’ and it makes us light-hearted. This is a short story, and again it was a gift from my grand mom. It is about an interesting guy called Naseeruddin Hodja. I am sure you will enjoy it.

The story

One day when Naseeruddin Hodja was resting at his home with his family, one of his neighbours came to him with a complaint and it was against another neighbour.

So, Hodja comforted his neighbour and listened to his complaints carefully. After the neighbour has finished Hodja said to him, “Yes I agree with you, you are right.”

Then, a second neighbour came to Hodja with a similar complaint and it was against the first neighbour. So, this time Hodja did the same. He comforted the second neighbour and listened to his complaints carefully. After the neighbour has finished Hodja said to him, “Yes I agree with you, you are right.”

Hodja’s wife listened what Hodja has said to both neighbours, and she became confused. When the second neighbour has left, she said to Hodja, “Both men cannot be right”.

Then, Hodja replied to his wife in a loving tone, “Yes dear, I agree with you, you are right.”

Be Inspired: Are you the Man Who Thinks He Can?

2006-12-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

I would like to share with you this beautiful poem by Walter D. Wintle. I am sure it will set your soul on fire. Enjoy it, and use it in your life. Catch you soon!

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you like to win, but think you can't,
it's almost a cinch that you won’t.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost;
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
you can win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the strongest or fastest man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!

Be Inspired: The Art of Consideration

2006-12-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

I would like to share with you another beautiful story told by my grandmother when I was a young boy. It was a daily routine for all of us to sit around her and listen to these interesting tales. I have never read these stories, and I think it is the same with my sister, who now lives in US.

The story
It is a story about a young merchant and his faithful dog. A long time ago, there lived a rich merchant in a small town in India. He was a successful man and he had a thriving business. He supplied materials to business associates throughout the district.

Every fortnight he used to go on a business trip to meet his business associates, and collect money for the goods he had supplied. He travelled by horse and his dog also accompanied him.

One day when the merchant was returning home from his trip, he felt tired and stopped near a tree to rest for a while. Then, he lied down and rested his head on his bag. He quickly fell asleep, the dog and the horse also rested near him.

After a while, the merchant woke up feeling fresh and again started his journey. He could not travel too far before his dog started behaving strangely and it continuously barked at him. The merchant first thought the dog might have seen some other animal and that was the cause for his behaviour.

He commanded the dog to shut up and he carried on with his journey. But the dog kept on barking persistently, and it even tried to stop the merchant few times. So, the merchant became little annoyed with the dog, shouted angrily, and tried to carry on with his journey. But the dog still tried his best to stop the horse.

Now, the merchant became furious, and he got off the horse and beat the dog with a stick. The dog became badly wounded, so the merchant left the dog and headed for home.

After travelling for sometime, the merchant suddenly realised that his bag with all the money is missing. He then remembered he had used the bag as a headrest while he rested near the tree. Without wasting anymore time, he turned his horse and headed towards the tree.

When he reached the place, he saw his injured dog lying on the ground with his head on the bag. With great pain, the dog tried to greet his master by slowly wagging his tail, and then passed away.

The merchant didn’t know what to do. He now understood why his faithful dog was behaving strangely. He started crying and prayed to God for mercy. He knew he had done a great blunder by harming his greatest friend.

When our Dida (Grandma in my native tongue) told us this story it always made us cry. I use this story as a metaphor. What can we learn from this story? How many times do we shut off our closest friends? And the closest of all friends is our own self. The inner voice which constantly barks at us like the faithful dog. Do we listen? Do we give enough consideration before we shut it off?

Please use your imagination, and use the message from this story to enrich and enlighten your life. God bless you.

Wish you a Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T01:50:00.000-08:00

Wish you a Merry Christmas! I got up this morning (though quite late), sitting near the window and I was looking outside, at the beautiful world. It was such a nice feeling, Jesus was born on this day, and it is his birthday.

God bless You.

Be Inspired: How can we Adapt, Change, and make Progress?

2006-12-24T13:44:00.001-08:00

Our Universe is in an exciting state of flux; the world has changed dramatically in the last 100 years. We are living in an Information and Knowledge worker age. We have adapted, we have changed, and that’s the law of nature.

But it is also true that we do not like to change, we resist it. And I think it is our basic nature as human beings to hold on to something, which is constantly evolving. We know if we want to make progress, we have to learn and evolve continually.

Let me share with you this beautiful inspirational quote by George Bernard Shaw. He says, “Reasonable men adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable men adapt the world to themselves. That’s why all progress depends on unreasonable men.”

I am sure you will come up with ideas, and apply this principle in your life. We are all unique with a massive inner power. A ‘Power’ that can revolutionise the world, and the same ‘Power’ that can cause massive hindrance to progress.

Be Inspired: Five Steps to Peace by Mother Teresa

2006-12-23T15:31:00.000-08:00

Step 1: The fruit of silence is Prayer.

Step 2: The fruit of prayer is Faith.

Step 3: The fruit of faith is Love.

Step 4: The fruit of love is Service.

Step 5: The fruit of service is Peace.

Mother Teresa

Be Inspired: How Can We Make the Impossible, Possible

2006-12-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

Modern day life is fast, complex and uncertain. We often come across events in life when we feel that we have lost control. For example, when we suffer a relationship breakdown or when we lose a job. We become puzzled and worry about what to do.

Sometimes we lose faith on our inner self. Everything seems impossible; we doubt our capacities. Did it ever happen to you? It had happened to me few times, and at that moment, I thought I would not be able to sail through the turbulent waters of life.

I worried and I experienced the fear of doubt. Does worrying help? Does worry help us to achieve anything? Certainly not, it drains our energy and makes us feel helpless and powerless.

So, what should we do? The answer to this question is: lead your life according to the spiritual principles. And I find this piece of knowledge from Saint Francis of Assisi useful and empowering. He said, "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

I always apply this principle in my life, and you won’t believe it’s power till you experience it yourself. It gives enormous strength and an extended sense of direction.

Let me share with you what I do when I face a deadlock. I make myself calm and consider what Saint Francis of Assisi said. Then, I start exploring the means and take action by doing only that is necessary to achieve the goal. I stop worrying. Then, I give my 100% and do the tasks to the best of my ability i.e. what I can possibly do as a human being, and not worrying about events that are beyond my control. And what happens next? I would like to leave this part for you to experience yourself.

I am sure you will have different expectation and experiences please share it with us. And I would like to end this article by reminding you and me that “We have unlimited potential”.

Be Inspired: The Success Story of Ray Kroc - McDonald's

2006-12-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

I would like to share with you the beautiful success story of a man called ‘Ray Kroc’, the founder of McDonald's. His story has some remarkable features, and I will present to you the important points that I noted when I read the story. I will also introduce you to a widely used ‘Life Coaching Model’ at the end of this article, and show you how to use this model as a Life Coach.

My notes:

Beliefs
Did Ray Kroc start when he was young? Did he have a lot of money? Did he have a high profile business qualification? Ray Kroc started in 1954 when he was 54 years old. He was a milk shake machine salesman. But he knew he could make it big, he did not believe in ageism. He completely believed in his self. He knew he had unlimited potential.

Vision
Did he have a vision? When he saw hamburger stands selling hamburgers, he envisioned the potential of a massive new fast-food industry. He could see the splendour of his empire in a simple bun. Kroc had the ability to see his future. He created a map for success, so he knew exactly where he was going. ”It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun. Yet, is it any more unusual to find grace in the texture and softly curved silhouette of a bun than to reflect lovingly on the hackles of a favourite fishing fly? Or the arrangement of textures and colours in a butterfly's wing? Not if you're a McDonald's man. Not if you view the bun as an essential material in the art of serving a great many meals fast.” Ray Kroc

Passion
He was passionate about owning the most successful chain of restaurants. He wanted to provide high quality service at an affordable cost. He worked for 30 years as a milk shake machine salesman, and wherever he went, he gathered information, knowledge, and skills, which he later used to build the McDonald's Empire. He was patient and waited for the right time and opportunity.

Goal Setting
What did Ray Kroc do with his vision?
(a) He clearly defined the business goal.
(b) He used to break up the larger goal into small manageable chunks.
(c) He clearly defined what his customers wanted, and filled those needs elegantly.
(d) He focussed on customer satisfaction, quality, and discipline.
(e) He constantly, fine-tuned his strategies by reviewing and adapting his approach to meet the needs of the business environment.

Proactive
Was Ray Kroc proactive? He took massive action to realise his dream. He partnered with McDonald brothers' to set up a chain of world famous restaurants. He built a strong successful team. He believed in continuous improvement, searched for gaps, and filled them elegantly. He did not base his life on sheer luck; he took action to create his own destiny.

Commitment
He was passionate about restaurant business and his motivation was high. Commitment is a key factor in the attainment of goals and desires, and Ray Kroc had 100% commitment to reach his goals.

Discipline
He believed that consistency and high quality is the key to success. He focussed on efficiency, effectiveness, and time management, which are the core elements of success. He knew good organisation and discipline are vital for achieving excellence in any field.

Risk taking and willingness to challenge
He was a powerful man, and had a strong faith in himself. He knew ‘Faith can move mountains’. He used sound strategies to survey the business environment and took calculated risks. He was always willing to go an extra mile, and was ever ready to challenge and stretch himself.

Thinking out of the box
Did he revolutionise the fast-food industry by thinking out of the box? He had the curiosity to explore and find new ways of doing things. He rediscovered and found a new way of selling burgers, French fries, and milk shakes.

Monitoring and the culture of continuous improvement
Did he always look for opportunity? He found out the existing food industry suffered because of the lack of proper organisation. He used this information and developed a sophisticated operating and delivery system. He continually monitored performance and identified opportunities. He built a team for research and development and continually improved his way of doing things that is the business process.

Win-Win
Did he think Win-Win? He regarded his franchisees as partners and not customers. He wanted them to win, and he considered their success to be his own success. “My belief was that I had to help the individual operator succeed in every way I could. His success would insure my success. But I couldn’t do that and, at the same time, treat him as customer”: Ray Kroc – From Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All-Time by Daniel Gross.

Flexibility
Was Ray Kroc flexible? He liked the idea of brainstorming and welcomed new ideas from people at all levels. He knew our environment was dynamic and not static.

Respect
He showed high respect for other people’s ideas. On several occasions, he used other people’s ideas to achieve excellence.

Simplicity
Ray Kroc became one of the most powerful people in America but he did not give up his values and ideals. He believed in ‘Plain living and high thinking’.

Modelling Excellence
Was Ray Kroc a good modeller? He looked around him for excellence, identified them, and learned from them. He was a great learner, he did not believe in ‘Reinventing the Wheel’. He adopted good practice from others, refined them to meet his needs. He was good at replicating excellence. When someone did something good, he knew that if the other person could do it, he could do it too.

Magic of reflection
Kroc believed that reflection is a good way of learning. He devoted time and reflected on a new idea or an action. He knew that reflection could clarify thinking and help in achieving the goal effectively.

There is no Failure only Feedback or Outcome
He did not believe in failure, he knew that mistakes are only feedback or outcomes. He learned from his and other people’s mistakes. When an action did not produce the intended result, he kept on changing his approach till he got what he wanted. When he worked as a milk shake machine salesman, he noticed the mistakes made by the businesses in food industry. He then reflected on them and discovered a different approach.

Always succeeded in getting a result
Ray Kroc always succeeded. He knew he always succeeded in getting a result. Sometimes he did not get the intended result, so he kept on changing his approach till he got the intended result. When the McDonald's chain was not doing well financially, Ray Kroc changed his approach and set up a real estate subsidiary to raise extra capital. He used the money from his real estate business to make McDonald's successful.

Adaptation and Change
He believed in order to remain successful we have to adapt and change both at personal and corporate level. He believed in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) both at a personal and professional level.

High Expectations
He set high expectations for himself as well as his business partners. When McDonald brothers’ remained satisfied with an income of $100, 000 a year, Ray Kroc had a different view point. He made McDonald’s chain a multibillion-dollar corporation.

Differentiation
He believed in differentiation and he understood that his company and his people were unique. He helped people to identify their unique talents and supported them to grow and develop. He focussed on those unique skills and talents to beat the competition.

Long-term relationships
Ray Kroc believed in setting up a long-term relationship based on honesty, trust and understanding.

Teamwork
He believed that ‘United we stand and divided we fall’. He built a strong team of staff and business partners. He understood the universal principle that life is interdependent and not independent. He knew the success of his people meant his own success.

Success is a journey and not a destination
He knew that success is only a milestone, and it is a continuous journey and not a destination. Once he achieved a goal, he always set a new goal, and worked effectively to achieve it.

Experience Life Coaching
After reading this article, I am sure you feel inspired. As promised earlier, I would now introduce you to the I-CAN-DO model of life coaching. I learned this model from Curly Martin, one of the top life coaches in UK. This model was adapted from several sources, including the GROW model by John Whitmore.

First, we will apply this model to Ray Kroc’s life and see how it works. Let’s assume that you are Ray Kroc’s high profile Life Coach. Are you excited? This example will aid your understanding to use this model for coaching people. In real life, the process will be more comprehensive.

I: Investigate what is important to Ray Kroc. From the story, we can say that the most important thing to Ray Kroc was to establish a successful fast-food chain. And become effective in meeting the needs and wants of people in an elegant way.

C: Current what is the current life situation of Ray Kroc - we will assume that he is still a milk shake salesman. We also know from the story that he is 54 years old, do not have enough money, and not qualified in business education.

A: Aims what is Ray Kroc’s aim in life. He wants to set up a successful fast-food business, and have 12000 fast-food outlets all over the world.

N: Number what is the number of alternative ways available to Ray Kroc for achieving his aims. For example, he could set up a business on his own or partner with someone, but in real life, he decided to partner with McDonald brothers’.

D: Date by what date Ray Kroc want to achieve his aims. Ray Kroc started his business in 1954, and by 1984 (he died), McDonald's was worth around $4 billion. Let’s assume that in 30 years Ray Kroc envisioned his business to be worth around few billion dollars. We have to keep in mind that Ray Kroc achieved many smaller goals to reach his final goal. We will also assume that he had specific target dates for each goal.

O: Outcome what are the outcome achievement indicators to Ray Kroc. He envisioned 12000 McDonald's outlets all over the world. We will assume he had a specific target for each financial year. Other indicator of success can be a smooth financial position of McDonald's.

You have done some life coaching to Ray Kroc; now your job is to imagine how you can apply this model in your own life. At this stage, I will not give you further details, as I will cover the whole topic soon. You can take a piece of paper and start working with this model.

Be Inspired: What should I do when I am angry?

2006-12-14T11:23:00.001-08:00

I will bridle my anger, trash my wrath, cool my pipes as it only makes things worse.
Psalm 37:8 (The Message)

Anger is our greatest enemy; it is a stumbling block and prevents us from realising our full potential. Anger has negative affects on our body, mind, and strains relationship.

When I am angry I control myself by remembering the spiritual principles. It helps me to regain my composure, so I thought why not share this beautiful spiritual message with you.

Be quick to hear (a ready listener), slow to speak, slow to take offence and to get angry. For man's anger does not promote the righteousness God wishes and requires.
James 1:19-20 (Amplified Bible)

Be Inspired: The Power of Now

2006-12-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

“The past is history.
The future is a mystery.
This moment is a gift.
That is why this moment is called the present.
So enjoy it”
Allan Johnson

We know that we cannot change our past. We cannot experience our future; we can plan and take the right action now to have a better future.

I think if we ask ourselves these simple questions, we can lead a better and fulfilling life. Do we live in our present and enjoy it fully? Or, we just think and live in our past. Or, do we think about our future and ignore our present, which is a wonderful gift.

I asked myself these questions and I decided to realign my life based on this principle. And l experienced “The Power of Now”.

Be Inspired: Our Unlimited Inner Power

2006-12-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

“With the realisation of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world” - Dalai Lama

Be Inspired: Does thoughts decide our destiny?

2006-12-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Does thoughts decide our destiny? There were some disagreements when I first wrote on this topic, and I received some emails with different viewpoints. First, I would like to thank all of you for your support, and for taking the time to read my articles.

It is difficult to accept when someone comes to you and says, “Thoughts are real things.” And I found it interesting when I first came across this idea in the Indian philosophical texts some years ago.

But, I think I did not take it seriously, as I believe in Science, and I wanted evidence and proofs. I always thought Philosophy was just an amalgamation of some good words.

Since I did not take it seriously, I did not manage my thoughts effectively or may be I did not have the necessary skill. Now after many years, and facing lot of ups and downs in life. I have made a realisation that Philosophy can improve people’s quality of lives.

I think one of the greatest sources of realisation was through meditation. I have been meditating from last 20 years and it is amazing. I can’t give you proofs but I can only share my experience. I can realise now that “Thoughts are real things.”

I know it will be hard for you to accept it, and you should not accept it, if you haven’t experienced it yourself. I will start an online meditation course soon, please join in.

Be Inspired: The Story of the Woodcutter and the Indian Water God

2006-12-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

I would like to share this beautiful short story with you told by my grandmother, when I was young, and lived-in India. She was an inspired woman and was a fountainhead of knowledge. The way she narrated something to us made her a star presenter. Her background was simple and interestingly she never completed her high school. I still remember we used to flock around her and she had a big fan following.

The Story:
Many, many years ago there lived a poor woodcutter in a remote village in India. Everyday he used to go to the jungles to cut wood, and he sold the wood in the village market to make a living. His good wife and his two young children were dependent on his income. Though he was poor, he was a happy man and people in the village liked him.

One day when he was cutting wood from a tree, his axe suddenly slipped his hand and fell in the lake below. The woodcutter became worried and did not know what to do. He came down the tree, and tried his best to find his axe, but the water in the lake was deep, so all his effort proved futile.

The woodcutter became distressed, as he did not have enough money to buy another axe. He knew that if he does not have an axe, he cannot make a living, and his family would suffer from hunger. Without seeing any hope to find his axe again, he sat down near the lake and started crying.

After hearing the woodcutter’s relentless cry, the ‘Water God’ felt sorry for him. He appeared before the woodcutter and said to him, “Son, why are you crying?” The woodcutter explained what had happened to him. The ‘Water God’ then said to the woodcutter, “Do not worry I will get your axe back” and after saying this the ‘Water God’ disappeared.

After a while, the ‘Water God’ appeared again before the woodcutter and showed him an axe made of silver, and asked him whether it was his axe. The woodcutter nodded his head and said, “My lord this is not my axe.”

So, the ‘Water God’ disappeared again and this time came back with an axe made of gold. When the ‘Water God’ asked the woodcutter again, the woodcutter nodded his head and replied, “My lord this is not my axe.”

So, the ‘Water God’ disappeared again and this time came back with an axe made of iron. When the ‘Water God’ asked him whether it was his axe, the woodcutter nodded his head and happily replied, “My lord this is my axe.”

Seeing the woodcutter’s honesty, the ‘Water God’ became pleased and gave the three axes to him, blessed him, and disappeared.

The woodcutter could not believe his eyes, and he quickly headed for home to share his experience with his wife. Thereafter he and his family lived happily.

Moral of the story: Honesty is the best policy.

Be Inspired: Walt Disney’s Success Story

2006-12-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

When I was reading this beautiful inspiring story of Walt Disney, the man who revolutionised the entertainment industry, I made few rough notes, which I usually do when I read.

Interestingly, this morning when I was going through my notebook, I stumbled upon the note, and suddenly this idea came to my mind, “Why not share it with my friends on the blog.”

My notes:

(1) He was a man of vision with a magnificent dream.

(2) He could visualise his dream and he knew clearly, what he wanted from his life.

(3) He had goals or targets to achieve in life.

(4) He worked hard and he took massive action.

(5) He had a strong positive self-belief; he knew he could make a difference to the world of entertainment.

(6) He knew exactly what he wanted to do in the field of entertainment.

(7) He was courageous; he took and used the failures in his life as stepping-stones to success.

(8) He was consistent in his approach.

(9) He was a persistent man. He never gave up. He always kept on trying.

(10) He was completely devoted to his work.

(11) He accepted the events in his life as they were, and looked for opportunities in those events. So, he was always focussed on identifying opportunities, rather than counting his failures.

(12) He was a good leader and a manager. He cared for people.

(13) He was flexible in his approach. If something did not work, he was always ready to try it differently.

(14) He saw success as simple milestones. He believed success is a journey and not a destination.

(15) He believed in the power of networking with people.

‘Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All-Time’ by Daniel Gross, is an inspiring book about 20 most successful people in business. I have read the story about Walt Disney in this book, and I can strongly recommend it, if you want to find out how these great men and women made it big. It is mind-blowing, and discovering the secrets of success will revolutionise your thinking.

Suggested reading:

You can buy this book here from Amazon: Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time

Be Inspired: How to measure Success?

2006-12-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

Let me share with you this beautiful piece of inspiration that touched my heart.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Qualities: a good life coach

2006-12-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

The fourth quality that you need to develop as a life coach is to think Win-Win when you interact with people.

Win-Win – The ability to form positive and mutually worthwhile human relationships is the key to achieving a fulfilling life. If we nurture this skill, we will become successful. When I say success, I do not mean just material success. I mean a balanced life, which includes peace of mind, a sense of well-being, happiness and joy, fulfilling relationships, and good health.

Win-Win means building a relationship where everyone gets the best, everyone wins. So, there is no loser and there is no disappointment. It is finding a better way for all parties through honesty, cooperation, and understanding. It is not making compromises because when we compromise, we settle for less. Win-Win means abundance for all. It is a way where we compete with ourself rather than competing with others.

“Win/Win is a belief in the Third Alternative. It’s not your way or my way; it’s a better way, a higher way.” – Stephen R Covey from the international best-selling book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

I believe in the ‘Win-Win’ principle and I apply it regularly in my life. Whenever I reach a dead end, I think about this principle, whether it is in my family, workplace or when interacting with friends.

If you reach a deadlock in a relationship, it is always a good idea to explore and find out what the other individual wants. Then, you explain what you want.

Win-Win will only work if there is cooperation and honesty from both sides. Now, you must be wondering, what if the other person does not cooperate, or is not honest. One-way of finding a solution is exploring the reason of non-cooperation. People usually do not cooperate when they think that they are a loser or they feel violated and compromised. Will you be happy when you lose? I know for sure that I won’t.

If for some reason Win-Win does not yield results, there will be ‘No Deal’. It is better to go for ‘No Deal’ rather than going for:

Win-Lose – where you win and the other person loses.
Lose-Win – where you lose and the other person wins.
Lose-Lose – where everyone loses.

Sometimes it may be necessary that we take the initiative first by being proactive. Sometimes both parties expect the other to take the first step. And that results in a delay, in finding a solution or many a times leads to no solution. Did you ever come across this? I am sure all of us did. The problem is our ego, which may come first rather than the principle.

If we want to lead a fulfilling life, we have to base our life on principles rather than the ego. We are all unique and different, so use your creativity and imagination to apply this principle in your own way.

Suggested reading:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People – this is a wonderful and the most influential book ever written. I think it is surely the Bible of self-development. Stephen R Covey is a powerful writer and a self-development expert and this book has already sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. He has researched 200 years of success literature and the result is a masterpiece. The book is also available in public libraries.

You can avail the current offer and download the whole audio book free from Audible it is a good company, I use their service (please read the offer agreement carefully):

You can buy this book here and help us too:

Be Inspired: Art of forgiving

2006-12-02T05:11:00.000-08:00

“Once a man repents, stop reminding him of what he did.”
Hebrew proverb

When we make a mistake nature gives us an opportunity to reform and improve ourselves. It does not mean that we can keep on making the same mistakes.

When a person realises his or her mistake and repents, it is best to support and if possible guide them. If we do this, we will feel better and at the same time, we will gain the respect of the other person.

No doubt it is not easy to master the art of forgiving, and I find it hard to practise. But, I have experienced when I can forgive; I feel boundless joy and freedom. And, I close my eyes and enjoy every moment. I reward myself by saying: I am a wonderful human being. And, this gives me strength and further reinforces my belief.

Be Inspired: Your thoughts decide your destiny

2006-11-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

“If you think you can or think you can’t you are probably right.” – Henry Ford

The way you think so do you manifest. Thoughts are powerful. If you want to change your life, change the way you think about yourself. At times, we find ourselves trapped in the never-ending cycle of negative thoughts. We often let ourselves down. We do not trust, understand, and realise our own self.

One of the simple ways to overcome this is by continuously feeding our mind with positive thoughts. I have used this myself, and it is highly rewarding.

As soon as you finish reading this article, please use the positive affirmations given below. Repeat them as many times as you can during the day. If you forget sometimes do not worry just take it easy. You can also write them on small stickers and put them all around your house, this has a massive impact on your subconscious mind.

When you practise and use them regularly, they will become established in your awareness. And, in a short period of time, the benefits will start flowing towards you like a mighty river.

Positive Affirmations:

(1) I am a strong and worthy person.

(2) I have unlimited power.

(3) I am a positive person.

(4) I am creative and I am a wonderful human being.

(5) I believe in myself.

(6) This is a beautiful world.

(7) I love myself.

(8) I am an organised person.

Be Inspired: please read this if you think you are a failure

2006-11-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered, behind every success story there is a story of great failure? One of the most challenging questions in our life: What should we do when we face an obstacle or a hurdle in our life? Should we quit and give up? Read on and I am sure you will be able to find your own answers.

Let me share with you the profile of this gentleman:

Age 21: Failed in business.
Age 22: Was defeated in a legislative race.
Age 24: Failed again in business.
Age 26: Overcame the death of his sweetheart.
Age 27: Had a nervous breakdown.
Age 34: Lost a congressional race.
Age 45: Lost a senatorial race.
Age 47: Failed in an effort to become the vice president.
Age 52: Was elected the President of the United States of America.

Will you call Abraham Lincoln a failure?

Be Inspired: Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All-Time

2006-11-26T04:54:00.001-08:00

We want to achieve success in our life! But how many of us can say a ‘YES’ to these questions. Do we do our homework? Do we prepare ourselves well? Do we take initiatives? Do we take massive action? Are we passionate about what we do? Do we have an uncompromising vision?

Often, we want to achieve success without going through the rigours of life. We want a ‘quick fix’ solution. We are ever ready to take a ‘shortcut’. I have done it, and I am sure most of you will agree that at some point, you might have taken a shortcut. Does it help? Did successful people achieve by using quick-fix solution?

‘Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All-Time’ by Daniel Gross, is an inspiring book about 20 most successful people in business. I have read this book and I can strongly recommend it, if you want to find out how these great men and women made it big. It is mind-blowing, and discovering the secrets of success will revolutionise your thinking.

We know that ‘Life is not a bed of roses’, if we accept it, and gladly walk through the thorns of life, we will become unstoppable. We need enormous courage and strength to push through the mountains and oceans of life, and make it big. We need lot of inspiration, courage, strength, and motivation, and one-way of achieving this is to read about the success stories of outstanding individuals who have excelled defying all odds.

Have you ever wondered what do Bill Gates, Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, Mary Kay Ash, and Walt Disney all have in common? Is it their uncompromising vision, a willingness to take risks, and exceptional business acumen or the support of an alien force?

You can buy this book here and help us too!

Qualities: a good life coach

2006-11-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

You need to develop some basic qualities to become a good life coach. The third quality that you need to develop is empathic listening.

Empathic listening - Successful communication leads to successful relationship whether it is in your family, workplace, social gatherings, or anywhere. And, one of the secrets of good communication is empathic listening.

Stephen Covey, the author of the best-selling book ‘7 Habits of highly effective people’ says, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”. I have practised and used this principle; you won’t believe it works wonders.

It is simple to apply, just listen to the other person first, and try to understand by taking a genuine interest; as it is not easy to hide if you are faking, the other person will realise it from different signs such as your body language, your voice tonality, and the vibrations you send out. Also, you have to resist your temptation to speak before you listen properly and understand the other person.

If you apply this principle when you interact with people, they will feel understood, and they will respond positively, and try to understand and support you. You will be able to create a win-win situation.

Stephen Covey said something interesting, if you want to influence someone, let that person influence you first. By influence, I do not mean to be able to control or manipulate the other person. It is about building a bridge based on trust and honesty.

We always want to put our view first. We want to influence people by imposing our views. I have done it a lot in my life, and sometimes I still do. But, as soon as I realise it, I remind myself to apply the principle. It comes with practise and if you apply it regularly, you will be able to form a habit, and you will do it spontaneously.

In the beginning, I found it difficult to resist my temptation to speak first. I thought I would be wasting time by allowing the other person to speak first. But, now I realise how good the investment is. What I have found is that when I listen first, and just be quiet, the other person tries to explain his or her situation at once, and eventually it saves me time.

Let me give you an example from my daily life as a classroom teacher, when I am teaching, if a problem arises with a pupil, I allow the pupil to speak first, and I just listen. And, by doing this I lessen the problem by 50%, the atmosphere becomes calm, relaxed and conducive because I avoid the confrontation by not imposing my own views or opinions first. And, this results in positive response from the pupil. Then we search and find a solution.

And, I do apply the principle in my home, at work or when I am interacting with my friends. I am sure you already apply this principle in your life, just think what you do when a friend or a member of family is upset and comes to you for support. Obviously, you console and listen to them first before you give your view or opinion. Just imagine what would happen if you do otherwise.

Apply this principle and share your experience with us, as we can learn immensely from one another. Another good idea is to remind yourself always that you are unique with unlimited potential, and you can make a big difference to this world.

Join Free Anthony Robbins Discussion Forum

2006-11-25T04:42:00.000-08:00

Anthony Robbins discussion forum is a good place to find lot of useful success related information. At, the same time you will get an opportunity to interact with people and know about their views and opinions. ENJOY!

“For more than a quarter of a century, Anthony Robbins has served as an advisor to leaders around the world. A recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations, organizational turnaround, and peak performance, he has been honored for his strategic intellect and humanitarian endeavors. His nonprofit Anthony Robbins Foundation provides assistance to the homeless, elderly and inner-city youth and feeds more than one million people in nine countries every year through its international holiday “Basket Brigade.” Robbins has directly impacted the lives of nearly 50 million people from 80 countries with his best-selling books and audiotape products, public speaking engagements, and live appearances.” – tonyrobbins.com (click here to read Tony’s Bio).

Please click here to join the forum free!

Qualities: a good life coach

2006-11-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Do not give advice - This principle is important because life coaching is not about advising people. It is about helping and guiding people to find their own answers or solutions. Good life coaches do not advise their clients, their job is to help the client to find their own answers. When clients propose a solution and find their own answers, they become involved and take responsibility for their own ideas, decisions, and actions.

If you advise people, you may have to take responsibility or blame if something goes wrong, and this can seriously damage the relationship. Let me explain this with an example, if a colleague comes to you with a problem, you will help and guide them to find the solution themselves. You will discuss and explore various choices available to them. You may give them examples how people solved similar problems, which would help your colleague to find a solution to their problem. When you are using coaching you won’t tell the answer even if you know it. When you help your colleague to find the solution without imposing your opinion on them, they will highly appreciate it. It will help you to forge a positive relationship.

You can apply this simple principle at home, office, or anywhere. Let me repeat it, you won’t advise people, you will guide them to find their own solution. You will not impose your opinion on others. That’s the task of a good life coach.

When you apply this principle in your life, you will be able to improve your relationship with others. You will be able to communicate effectively, and gain people’s trust and respect. When people propose their own course of action, they respond and act better, and their effectiveness increases.

Qualities: a good life coach

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You need to develop some basic qualities to become a good life coach. First is to become non-judgemental.

Be non-judgemental – a life coach does not judge the client (I have used the term client just to make it easier to explain). The job of a life coach is to help and guide the client to achieve their goals. If you are self-coaching – you as your own coach – still this principle is applicable.

When you practice non-judgement, you will create bliss and harmony in your life – it will make your mind quiet and peaceful. When you judge everything that occurs you waste precious energy (Prana). If you are non-judgemental, you will save this energy and use it for creative purposes.

To become non-judgemental you have to practise it: Easier said than done. You will need patience and with time, you will form a habit of non-judgement. The best way is to start by saying, “For the next 30 minutes I won’t judge myself, or anything that occurs in my life.” Make a firm resolution, and say to your-self, “I will not judge - good or bad, right or wrong, gain or loss.” “I will accept everything as they are.”

With practise, you will be able to apply this principle throughout the whole day. So, next time you catch yourself judging, remind not to judge. When you establish this principle in your consciousness and make it a part of your life, you will experience infinite bliss, creativity, and freedom through the support of divinity.

I am sure you will use this powerful principle and practise it daily. During this programme, I will cover this topic in greater detail.

Message

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Please visit us and check from time to time. We aim to publish all our courses by this Christmas. All our courses will be completely free of charge. It would be great if you add us to your favourite's list.

How will it work?

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(1) This is a web-based life-coaching programme and it will help you to learn the skills to become your own life coach.

(2) I will provide free online support by replying to your messages or comments. We will also have group coaching sessions using an instant messaging system. The schedule for the sessions will be available by this blog.

(3) I will do free telephone coaching and I will publish more details by the end of December 2006.

(4) I would recommend some books for further reading and I would expect you to do some self-study. I would set practical exercises, which will help you to add to your learning.

(5) You must be keen to know how much time it will take. If you are 100% committed, I strongly believe you will notice significant progress within 6 months to 1-year. If you work hard, 3 months should be enough to gain the basic skills. Remember, self-development is a continuous and never ending process. I will regularly update and add new information; this will help you to perform at a peak state.

(6) You will also be able to use a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to support your learning. I will provide more details soon by this blog.

That’s all really! Isn’t it simple?

Receive Free Inspiring Stories: Chicken Soup for the Soul®

2006-11-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

Here you go guys, I am sure you have read these wonderful stories. You can subscribe for free and enjoy!

Chicken Soup for the Soul® have captured the hearts of millions with stories to open the heart and rekindle the spirit. Now you can be one of the already hundreds of thousands of subscribers to receive heart-warming stories through our FREE Daily E-mail Delivery Service.

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Application of Life Coaching

2006-11-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

Life coaching principles and strategies are helpful for people from all walks of life – teachers, students, teenagers, head teachers, lecturers, writers, plumbers, mechanics, doctors, engineers, company executives, lawyers, nurses and anyone you can imagine. You must be wondering how can I apply it in my life. To get a clear picture, let us look at the applications of life coaching.

Are you an effective area manager?
Have you ever asked yourself: How effective am I as an area manager? We are aware that life comprises of different areas. Health, Personal relationships, Family and extended family, Work and career, Finances, Friends and social life, Spiritual and religious life, and all these areas need effective management to succeed in life. Life coaching helps you to analyse, review, plan, and take suitable action in all areas. In brief, life coaching will make you an effective area manager.

Few examples to aid your understanding:

Health – you will develop action plan for weight loss, eat healthy food, and remain fit

Personal relationships – you will identify your problems, develop positive attitude and create plans for improvement

Family and extended family – you will explore and find ways to meet their expectations and create joy and happiness for everyone

Work and career – you will develop short and long-term plans, explore new opportunities, develop skills, and create positive working relationships

Finances – you will review and improve your credit rating and budgeting effectiveness, explore and identify new avenues for income

Friends and social life – you will make new friends and explore ways of spending quality time with old ones

Spiritual and religious life – you will fulfil your spiritual and religious commitments, discover new ways, and give a new meaning to your life

Are you an effective role manager?
Have you ever thought of becoming a perfect role manager? In real life, we do not have much choice. We have many roles to play in our life and there is a need for effective role management. We take various roles such as student, friend, partner, husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, employee, employer, and the list can go on and on. As you can imagine, it is no doubt a demanding task to manage all these roles effectively at the same time.

For example, when you are in the office, you may take the role of a manager, when you come home your role changes, and you may become a father, mother, son, or a daughter. Your poor soul is trying to cope and deal with everything. No matter how honestly and how hard you try to manage well, something may go wrong. And, it is normal; after all, we are humans. The good news is that life coaching will help you to manage your different roles effectively and preserve balance.

Few examples to aid your understanding:

Student – you will improve focus and do better results by properly planning and balancing your academic and social life

Employee – you will improve your relationship with colleagues, employer, customers, and clients; become more effective by bringing balance in your work and family life

Employer – you will build a bridge based on trust and reliability and keep a motivated workforce, find new ways of expanding your business

Husband, Wife or Partner – you will create happy enduring life by exploring and identifying ways to bliss and harmony

Parent – you will increase parental effectiveness by developing better understanding of your children, identify, and remove any obstacles to better relationship

Friend – you will develop strong bonding and win people’s goodwill by creating a positive difference in their life

Read next chapter: Getting started with Life Coaching

Be Inspired: Mother Teresa the angel of love

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I am proud to be able to write an article about this great human being because she gave up her life for people of India where I originally belong. Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received several awards and distinctions. She received the Novel Peace Prize 1979; please click here to read her bio. She devoted her life to love and care for people who had no one to look after them. Achievement of lasting peace and happiness is possible through selfless work, and she has set a wonderful example for all of us. We can all make a difference to this world in our own way. Mother Teresa has shown us that you do not need to be rich and wealthy to help others, ‘Once you have the will, you will find a way’. SUCCESS MEANS MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO THE LIFE OF OTHERS.

What else can we learn from Mother Teresa and how can we apply them in our daily lives? If you have applied something wonderful in your life, please share your experience and views with everyone! Remember we are all different and unique; we can enormously gain from one another.

Strategies for Developing Self-confidence

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“Self-confidence is an attitude which allows individuals to have positive yet realistic views of themselves and their situations. Self-confident people trust their own abilities, have a general sense of control in their lives, and believe that, within reason, they will be able to do what they wish, plan, and expect.” – University of Illinios Counselling Center Sometimes we feel very low when we suffer from a lack of self-confidence. Experts use strategies and techniques to deal with the problems related to self-confidence. Some of the strategies are as follows:

1. Emphasise strengths

2. Take risks

3. Use self-talk

4. Self-evaluate read the full article…

Achieve Excellence using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

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Brief history

In the early seventies, two outstanding individuals, John Grinder and Richard Bandler, developed Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Then, John Grinder was the Assistant Professor of linguistics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Richard Bandler was a student of psychology at the same University.

What is NLP?

First, let us look at some of the definitions of NLP to aid our understanding:

According to Joseph O’ Connor and John Seymour, “NLP is the art and science of personal excellence.” Curly Martin says, “Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a series of techniques and procedures for coding human behaviour to assist the understanding of what people do and how they do it when they perform with excellence.”

Do outstanding individuals act in a special way? What about Mother Teresa, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Madonna? Are they different? Do they have a magic wand, which we do not have? Do they know something that we do not know? Do they create the difference, which makes them different? Last but not the least, what do they do and how they do it?

I am sure you will agree with me that outstanding individuals act in a certain way. They are different; they stand out in the crowd. They behave and do things in a certain way. They display patterns of excellence in their performance, and they achieve outstanding results by applying those patterns.

Can we learn their magical way of doing things? Can we adopt their patterns of excellence? NLP is an answer to those questions. Using NLP strategies, tools and techniques these patterns of excellence demonstrated by outstanding individuals can be observed, studied, examined, analysed and learned. NLP is only about excellence. In other words, NLP will empower you with tools, techniques, and strategies to model outstanding individuals, to achieve outstanding results. We will cover ‘Modelling’ in details in a different session.

Benefits of using NLP

This list is not exhaustive but it will give you an idea:
(a) It will help you to learn the strategies, tools, and techniques used by outstanding individuals.
(b) Identify and remove ‘Limiting Beliefs’, which hold us back, and do not allow us to achieve excellence. NLP will help you to remove blocks and interferences that stop you from reaching your goal.
(c) It will help you to improve communication skills. You will be able to communicate better with yourself and others. The better you communicate with yourself; the better is your chance of success.
(d) Improve your confidence.
(e) It will help you to change the way you think and act. You will be able to create ‘Resourceful States’ and remove any unpleasant thoughts from your memory. For example if you have a relationship breakdown and you have an unpleasant experience, you can use NLP to make you feel better. Get rid of trauma and unpleasant experience.
(f) You will learn techniques for self-motivation, and you can help others to do the same.
(g) It will help you to clarify your thinking and enable you to focus on effective goal setting.
(h) NLP will help you to develop excellent communication skills. You will learn to use language effectively.

And the list can be endless…

My Experience:

It is a fascinating area; after I came in touch with it I have gained so much, I simply do not have words to express my feeling. It has helped me in many areas such as personal communication and relationship building, confidence building, clarifying my thinking, and removing limiting beliefs, and goal setting. But, I use it selectively, and adapt the skills and knowledge to my need. Believe me, it is flexible and easy to learn. What I found was we use lot of skills unknowingly, which are a part of NLP.

Getting Started

I have used this book as a starting point: Introducing NLP by Joseph O’Connor & John Seymour – It is one of the best books for learning NLP, and it is an International Best-seller. I have also bought the CDs (audio book) of the same book, which I use regularly when I drive to work. The audio book is wonderful.

I recommend you this book to make a start; you can then go for further reading. Introducing NLP is a comprehensive book, easy to read and well organised.

Do I need to spend a lot of money to learn NLP?

I would suggest that you do not spend any money till you have completed this book, and it will cost you less than £10.

Where can I buy it?

Buy it here using this link and you will help us too!

My Investigation: NLP

Myth: NLP is difficult to learn and requires special talents or abilities.
Fact: It is easy and simple to learn, at the same time it is exciting. Anyone can learn and apply it to achieve excellence.

Myth: It is expensive to learn NLP.
Fact: You can learn the tools and techniques to use it in your day-to-day life by reading a self-help book. Look above in the recommendation section for more information.

Myth: You have to enrol for a course and get a certificate to use NLP.
Fact: There is no such requirement. Don’t fall trap to bogus organisations that promise you the stars, and charge exorbitant fees for nothing.

Myth: It is not used widely in organisations.
Fact: It is widely used in business and industry all over the world.

Myth: I have to go to a certified NLP practitioner to use NLP.
Fact: There is no such requirement. But, if you have deep-rooted and complex problems, a good NLP practitioner can be of great help. Check the section below for information on certified professionals.

Organisation that promote NLP:
ANLP

Getting started with Life Coaching

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I am sure you are all excited at this point; yes, we are just about to begin our life coaching. Do not worry life coaching is simple. I will work with you and be your partner and guide at each stage of the coaching process.

Preparing for life coaching:

Before we begin our coaching, I would like you to get the following and become fully organised:

(1) An A4 folder – You will need this folder to store your forms and other coaching documents safely. You will also use the folder to store any relevant information for example a newspaper article on self-development. To give it a professional touch you can call the folder as ‘Life Development Folder’. You have to show your commitment and become fully organised. Remember, these small things make a major impact on your success.

(2) An A4 pad – You will find this pad handy if you need any papers for writing purposes.

(3) A journal or diary – You will need a journal or a diary to write or record information. Life coaching involves various exercises and you will use your journal or diary to record them.

(4) Other stationaries – You will need pen, pencils, coloured pens, or crayons. During your coaching programme, you will do various activities like drawing a diagram, it might seem funny, but using different colours makes a huge difference. Scissors and glue will come handy if you want to cut a newspaper or a magazine article and stick it to your file.

As you want to excel these are important for the success of your coaching programme. It makes a big difference when you write down your goals and objectives, or draw pictures to represent them. When you list your thoughts, feelings and desires you will be able to visualise what you want in life more clearly. You have to store and record the information properly because measuring and monitoring your progress is important. If you follow a simple professional approach, you will soon find that your life has become more organised, and your effectiveness and efficiency have increased remarkably. I would say just organising yourself by doing these simple things is a significant step forward. I am sure you will agree with me.

Introduction to Life Coaching

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Definitions:
First, what is life coaching? To find the answer, let’s look at some of the definitions. In the book Coaching Successfully John Eaton, and Roy Johnson said, “Coaching is the art of improving the performance of others.” Curly Martin, one of the top life coaches in UK and the author of the international best-selling book The Life Coaching Handbook said, “Life coaching is about transformation – from a caterpillar into a butterfly. It is about gap analysis that closes the gap between life and dreams. It is a holistic process that has the power to balance and harmonise life.”

Life coaching is about balance:
Successful individuals perform well in all areas of their life by keeping a balance – that's the mantra for success. And, life coaching helps you to keep balance in all areas of your life such as personal relationship, family, finance, health, and career.

Disharmony breeds problems:
Let me explain this with an example, if you work too hard and you devote most of your time for your career, and ignore your personal and family life. In long run, it will result in problems in your family and personal relationships. This in turn will affect your work efficiency and effectiveness. In this case, life coaching will enable you to find a way to achieve balance in your work and personal life, and help you to improve your overall well-being. Life is interdependent so life-balance is important for success.

Fulfilment of our dreams and desires:
Life coaching is about enabling you to lead a life with excellence. We have to meet our needs, and wants, our dreams and goals to lead a good quality life. We have to feel good about ourselves and be happy with our achievements, and the aim of our programme is to help you to achieve this.

Life coaching strategies:
If all individuals have unlimited inner power why people still fail to achieve their full potential and excellence in life? First, people do not have a clear vision and mission. They do not know where they are, and where they would like to go. Second, people cannot identify and remove the interference, which prevents them to achieve their goal. Tim Galley says, “Potential minus Interference equals performance.” Third, people do not have the tools and techniques at their disposal to manage their life effectively.

Life coaching uses powerful tools and techniques to help you:
(1) To identify and get a clear picture of what you want - set goals and objectives.

(2) To identify and remove the blocks and hurdles from the road to success.

(3) To organise and manage your life effectively and efficiently.

Good life coach:
A good life coach’s job is to help you to identify your vision and mission in life, and to help you to identify the interference and remove it. He or she will act as your guide, support and motivate you at each stage of your journey.

Be your own life coach:
Do you know that you can be your own life coach? I believe that self-coaching - you as your own coach - is the best way to personal success and attainment. In this programme, you will learn how to become your own life coach, and take control of your life and shape your own destiny. You do not need any qualification to be your own life coach, and it is easy to learn, you will soon find out as you undertake this programme. Also, it is important to know that if you hire a life coach still you have to do everything yourself. A life coach does not do anything for you beside supporting, guiding, and motivating you. I am not saying that using the service of a professional life coach is not helpful. It is helpful.

Let me explain this a little more, usually when you hire a professional life coach you will commit yourself for 6 one-hour sessions (it varies). To give you an idea, in UK a good life coach will charge you a minimum of £100 an hour, top life coaches charge about £350 an hour and above. If you can commit yourself financially go for it, but make sure you choose a reputed life coach – you will come across all sorts of people, as the government still does not regulate this profession. Let me reiterate, once you hire a life coach still you have to do everything yourself to achieve your goal. Trust me, if you do not take the initiative to change your life, hiring the best coach in the world won’t make any difference.

So, if you are serious about gaining control of you life and shaping your own destiny, be your own life coach. As you begin this journey of self-discovery, you will find that it is a wonderful area. And, once you learn the skills, you can use them in your home, office, or anywhere and lead a life with excellence. You will be able to make a significant difference in your life as well as others. Remember, it is a skill for life.

My Views:
Life coaching provides a proven framework for achieving success in all areas of life - Health, Personal relationships, Family and extended family, Work and career, Finances, Friends and social life, Spiritual and religious life. It helps you to realise your dreams, goals, and ambitions by unleashing and using your unlimited inner power.

It has the potential to transform our life dramatically. Life coaching attaches much buzz and fanfare because of the wide media attention received by the celebrity life coaches, their celebrity clients, and features on prime time television has made it even more popular.

According to the conventional thinkers, life coaching is an American idea and it developed in USA couple of years ago. Though, there were early doubts about the life span and efficacy of life coaching, over the years it has proved to be an effective way of transforming people’s lives. Individuals, top corporations, schools, colleges, and universities use life coaching throughout the world. It has become a widely accepted and popular way of leadership and management.

Life coaching provides the skills and knowledge to lead and manage life effectively, and achieve balance and harmony. Great improvement in productivity and well-being of the people is possible. Life coaching is here to stay. It is a wonderful area because it is constantly changing and with adding new strategy, techniques, tools, and methods, its armoury is constantly growing.

I am little detached from the conventional view. I believe that life coaching is ageless and timeless, and it had existed even hundreds and thousands of years from now. If you take my words seriously and explore a little further, you will discover that Jesus Christ, Buddha, Krishna - these enlightened souls - were the greatest life coaches, the world has ever seen. They had the skills and know-how for achieving excellence. Through the ages, they have transformed civilization and guided them to supreme success. And, my main objective of designing this programme is to introduce you and I to some of those secrets of achieving excellence in a 21st century perspective.

Isn’t it assuring? It had a glorious past and no doubt, it will have a promising future. The whole idea of life coaching re-emerged in America. Whether you agree with me or not will fully depend on your personal viewpoint. But it works wonders in people’s lives, which is most important. And, it is simple to learn and apply the coaching principles in your life. It is likely that you already know and apply some of the life coaching principles without even realising it. But, do not worry, as you read on, you will realise that everything is unfolding gradually, and as we practice these principles they will naturally manifest and stabilise in your conscious awareness.

Coaching trends:
This is an interesting read from Times Online (UK): “For the right price the right person could even get Tony Robbins — whose one-to-one clients have included Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, François Mitterrand and Bill Clinton. But it is only in recent years that coaching has gone mass-market with an astonishing trajectory: a growth rate the Economist in 2002 estimated at 40 percent a year.”

About this programme:
From thousand of years people have based their life on the ageless and timeless universal principles and achieved their highest ideals.

“One of the most profound learning’s of my life is this: if you want to achieve your highest aspirations and overcome your greatest challenges, identify and apply the principle or natural law that governs the result you seek. How we apply a principle will vary greatly and will be determined by our unique strengths, talents, and creativity, but, ultimately, success in any endeavour is always derived from acting in harmony with the principles to which success is tied.” – Stephen R. Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

In this programme, we are going to use life coaching to introduce you to those principles. You will learn and apply these principles in your life to achieve excellence. Universal and spiritual principles govern everything in this universe. When you gain mastery over the principles, they will support and work for you. And, you will gain control of your life and shape your own destiny.

What will I gain?
You will learn and develop the following:
(1) Unleash unlimited power of the self
(2) Strong Self-belief
(3) Positive thinking - thought management and control
(3) Strong Self-and moral discipline
(4) High Self-esteem
(5) High-level of motivation
(6) Create and preserve high-energy level
(7) Relaxation and visualisation techniques

Is it a religious programme?
The programme does not base itself on any particular religion so it is not a religious programme. Universal and spiritual principles used in this programme are proven and time-tested so they are scientific knowledge. The programme uses ancient Vedic knowledge – Veda is the powerhouse of knowledge, which evolved in India for more than 5000 years. We have also used some ideas and strategies used by Jesus Christ and Buddha.

Do I need to belong to any particular religious faith to join this programme?
This is not a religious programme; your religious background does not matter. If you do not believe in any religion, still you can join this programme and get results. This programme is about developing excellence.

When you say the methods and techniques are scientific, what proofs do you have?
Successful people have used these tools and techniques; they have stood the test of time. But, you should not believe them until you experience it yourself.

Welcome aboard; please fasten your seat belts we are ready to take off!

2006-11-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Our Aim

We aim to provide a high-quality professional coaching service, which serves your needs and interests. We believe in long-term relationships, and we would like to work together to build a bridge based on mutual trust and respect. We would like taking every opportunity to partner with you in your journey of self-discovery and the realisation of your ultimate dreams and desires. We aim to support you at every stage in achieving your goals, career, wealth, contribution, relationships, and mission.

Our Values

Our coaching practice is based on Respect, Integrity, Honesty, Quality, Professionalism, Partnership, and Value.

Free Life Coaching - How to Be Your Own Life Coach

Join 90 Minute Free Vedic Life Style Coaching

Download Free E-book on Spiritual Life Coaching

Secret The Way of The Rishis Spiritual Mind Programming CD

Secret The Way of the Rishis www.the-secret-law-of-attraction.org

Secret The Way of the Rishis http://www.the-secret-law-of-attraction.org/

Success Coaching Course

Hurrah! Back to blogging

Man Proposes and God Disposes

Sharpen Your Saw

Impermanence and the nature of reality

Success: Application of Pain-Pleasure Principle

The story of God’s Child

The Art of Questioning

Passing Away

Personal

NLP: How to Communicate Effectively

How to use NLP Future Pacing to Achieve Excellence in Your Life?

How to Use NLP Future Pacing to Excel in Job Interviews?

How to Use NLP for Effective Dating?

How to be aware of opportunities and threats by resolving conflicts?

Power of Choice: Stephen Hawking and his Incredible Inner Strength

How to use the Ripple Effect Principle to make a positive difference to the world?

How can we free ourselves from becoming the prisoner of our own thoughts?

Applying the Law of Dharma: Success Equation and Bill Gates

Be Inspired: One-Minute Principle of Time Management for Perfect Happiness

Be Inspired: Anger Management

Be Inspired: The Power of Courage and Inner Strength - Conquering Critics

Be Inspired: The Principle of Positive Self-Talk

Be Inspired: The Principle of Present Moment Awareness

Be Inspired: What is Love?

Be Inspired: The Principle of Indifference

Law of Dharma Part II: Natural Law or Spiritual Principle for Success

Law of Dharma Part I: Natural Law or Spiritual Principle for Success

Be Inspired: What is the true joy in life?

Funny Side of Inspiration: Everyone is Right

Be Inspired: Are you the Man Who Thinks He Can?

Be Inspired: The Art of Consideration

Wish you a Merry Christmas!

Be Inspired: How can we Adapt, Change, and make Progress?

Be Inspired: Five Steps to Peace by Mother Teresa

Be Inspired: How Can We Make the Impossible, Possible

Be Inspired: The Success Story of Ray Kroc - McDonald's

Be Inspired: What should I do when I am angry?

Be Inspired: The Power of Now

Be Inspired: Our Unlimited Inner Power

Be Inspired: Does thoughts decide our destiny?

Be Inspired: The Story of the Woodcutter and the Indian Water God

Be Inspired: Walt Disney’s Success Story

Be Inspired: How to measure Success?

Qualities: a good life coach

Be Inspired: Art of forgiving

Be Inspired: Your thoughts decide your destiny

Be Inspired: please read this if you think you are a failure

Be Inspired: Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All-Time

Qualities: a good life coach

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Qualities: a good life coach

Qualities: a good life coach

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Application of Life Coaching

Be Inspired: Mother Teresa the angel of love

Strategies for Developing Self-confidence

Achieve Excellence using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

Recommended reading

Getting started with Life Coaching

Introduction to Life Coaching