Awakening the Buddha in us…

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

“The mind is everything. What you think you become”

Risk comes free

to laugh is to appear the fool,
to weep is to appear sentimental,
to reach out to another is to risk involvement,
to expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self,
to place your ideas, your dreams in front of a crowd is to risk their loss,
to love is to risk not being loved in return,
to live is to risk dying,
to hope is to risk despair,
to try is to risk failure,
but risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
the person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
he may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, and live.
chained by his certitudes, he is a slave.
he has forfeited his freedom,
only a person who risks is free.

— from page 147 of the book “Addiction by Prescription” by Joan Gadsby

Dictionary of Life

There are lots of words which were always there in my dictionary of life but not with these meanings. Its amazing, you think of a word and how instantly an image or impression takes shape into your mind. God almighty is really a great creater.

Same words can have different meanings for different people. It differs quite due to the life we live… our individual encounters throughout and now I feel Age too play an important role. As I get completely different images when I speak them. What about you.  Take a look..

I … Me … only “Me”
You … Your
Love … Friendship
Family … Relationships
People … Society
Being practical … Faith
Values … Conscience
Lust
Beauty … Manner
Originality
Mind Games
Marriage
Character
Adjustments
Honesty … Lies
Strength … Weakness
Commitment
Career … Money
Educated … Literate
Pride … Ego
Affection … Opportunist
Fake … Soul
Life … Death
Human … Animal

and many more…

And “Love” has been most beautiful word for me. It makes me what I am.

just all Alone!

A fallen leaf
flying in the winds

a closed book
pages gone blank

a single face
but many facets

a silent witness
to many worlds

in thy vast universe
I live my own

and walk a different path
just all Alone!

Ta-Moko, The Maori

According to Māori mythology, tattooing commenced with a love affair between a young man by the name of Mataora (which means “Face of Vitality”) and a young princess of the underworld by the name of Niwareka. One day however, Mataora beat Niwareka, and she left Mataroa, running back to her father’s realm which was named “Uetonga”.Mataora, filled with guilt and heartbreak followed after his princess Niwareka. After many trials, and after overcoming numerous obstacles, Mataora eventually arrived at the realm of “Uetonga”, but with his face paint messed and dirty after his voyage. Niwareka’s family taunted and mocked Mataora for his bedraggled appearance. In his very humbled state, Mataora begged Niwareka for forgiveness, which she eventually accepted. Niwareka’s father then offered to teach Mataora the art of tattooing, and at the same time Mataora also leant the art of Taniko – the plaiting of cloak borders in many colours. Mataora and Niwareka thus returned together to the human world, bringing with them the arts of ta moko and taniko.

A maori done from Als Tattoo Studio, Bandra.

Maori tattooing is essentially curvilinear, and the mainstay of Maori designs are based on the spiral. It should be noted that renowned traditional Hawaiian artist Keone Nunes has demonstrated that it is possible to reproduce complex curved designs using traditional Polynesian tattooing implements. Maori tattooing is distinguished by the use of bold lines and the repetition of specific design motifs that are prominent both in the tattooing or “moko” of the Maori people of New Zealand and within other cultural artworks suck as carving and weaving.  A traditional Maori tattoo artist could produce two different types of pattern: that based on a pigmented line, and another based on darkening the background and leaving the pattern unpigmented; as clear skin.

The space between stimulus and response

Stephen Covey writes in The 8th Habit that “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.”

That is a central tenet of my approach to conflict management. We can always choose our response to any stimulus, provocation or comment made within a conversation. if we can train ourselves on the range of possible responses, and how they will effect the direction of the argument then we do two things.

Firstly, we empower ourselves. We become the driver of the discussion rather than just letting the dispute take us along in its path. 

Secondly, we take back on board the responsibility that we have to ourselves, our families, colleagues and community to act, communicate and relate effectively. 

It is no longer enough to blame our partner or colleague for the dispute. We contribute to it by the way we respond and we need to recognise that and make sure that we don’t let ourselves and each other down by not keeping up our end of the bargain.

The Bean Break!

This Sunday was in the Registration Team Meeting led by Sharad Bhagwat -  a scintillating persona…  consistent, explicit and concise and he commanded the presence when he walked into the room. Later that day had a brief meeting with Victor just & he just sharpened the axe that I was much waiting for… Spent some time in the Landmark centre with Registration Team Manager Venugopal, and he just hit the nail at the right place. Not to forget DV’s rational & intentional thought processes as we sat at the STADIUM Restaurant enjoying my strong coffee and munching pattice

Coffee Breaks...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always when I went back home, some thoughts orignated & surrounded me!!!

• An effective leader is only as good as the people he/she surrounds themselves with
• Character is built around a true concern for the people within the organization. It is based on fairness and consistency
• Excitement will get excitement. Success will breed success, the more the desire to succeed, the more leadership is demonstrated and this draws support from the employees/ family members and creates a team environment
• In Reality – We often don’t give employees enough credit for their intellectual capacity. Employees aren’t stupid. It is amazing what they can accomplish, the ideas they can come up with and the solutions they can provide -if only you give them a chance.
• Panic response management is more likely to occur if growth objectives are Ego driven vs. Profit driven which often leads to putting personal needs ahead of business needs. This is a common symptom of the lack of leadership in the organization.

People who get results are high impact leaders. Truly… a memorable day at the coaching was so precise & methodical. Hats off to Sharad… He had enough charisma to turn the dullest moment into a high-energy event. His openness and honesty creates a legacy which the entire team will admire and look up to. Looking ahead for the Landmark Education, Oct 2008 Event @ Bangalore!!!

Its such a Groovy Relation…

The problem with relationships is not all can last forever!

Well you would turn back and say yes they can all you need is a little bit of love and a whole lot of commitment… but what if the love goes away, does the commitment still hold you strong enough to pull along… what if you have put in years trying to make something work that shouldnt have happened in the first place… and then it dawns upon you that w-t-b-f!! What am I doing and Why am I here! and you let go!

But.. but … but it dosent go away!

It sticks like a leech and sucks your blood till you bloody well die …

I say ladies and gentlemen, whenever u decide to let go (as in you or your partner)

Let go … let it fade away …  let it dissapear … memories are for life … cherish them they will stay … but let go !!

sure the sex might be great,  but still…
LET GO !

Life’s treating me good :)

If one has discovered what really matters to one’ life – it follows that one would do whatever to nourish it. For me the Landmark Education Assisting Program [LEAP] is the tool to be unstoppable. Its an opportunity to master the rare skill of living inspired life for myself as I overcome the challenges to fulfill the possibility I have invented. I get to empower and inspire people to see their own greatness!!! In fact, the way I see it, Landmark Education is assisting me – not the other way around.

As one of the people who assist in Mumbai, each new person I meet became the start of big things – a new business, a foundation to empower the nation, a new organization to lead, or a new way to contribute to the education of children around the India. Around me, people get that they are extraordinary and that they are great leaders. Around me, people get that they are limitless and that they can have extraordinary lives that work!

Literally, for me, every moment at the Landmark Mumbai centre is an opportunity to see what is possible when the world is transformed – a sneak peak of the future of this nation, the India, before it even happens – and while I’m at it, I get to be with amazing, powerful, and committed individuals who contribute to me in each and every step. Then there was a bonus: the profound experience of being the cause of someone else’s transformation!!! This is what I love about this training & education!!!

When do we Children Grow up for Parents?

… never

In the context, below is a beautiful dialogue from “Finding Nemo”  (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543). The scene is when Nemo’s dad is swimming with the turtles in the East Australian Ocean Current (EAC) to reach Sydney to search & rescue Nemo. The big turtle talks to Nemo’s dad about their kiddo-turtles hatching out, growing up, being on their own and he ‘letting them go’ after that. Nemo’s dad was very protective and over-caring about Nemo till he gets lost.

{Nemo’s dad is respectfully called Jellyman by all turtles since he fights off jelly fishes, deep in the ocean, while searching for Nemo}

(DT = Daddy Turtle, ND =Nemo’s Dad)
DT: (speaking to his son) Curl away my son. ( speaking to Nemo’s Dad[ND] ) Its awesome, Jellyman.
The little dudes are just eggs.
We leave ‘em on a beach to hatch…
and then, coo-coo-cachoo…
They find their way back to the big ol’ blue (the ocean).
ND (surprised): All by themselves?
DT: Yeah.
ND: But Dude, how do you know when they’re ready.
DT: Well, you (parents!) never really know. But when they know, you’ll know, you know? Ha!

I totally love the spirit of the last sentence and his ‘ha’ expression for obvious reasons