Category: Relationships
Role Models
Someone recently asked me “What kind of a role model will this President be for our children?”. My answer was, “He will be a role model in his areas of strength”.
Every achiever can be a role model, in specific areas. One person having to be a role model for everything is unnecessary and impractical. For example, I could serve as a role model for optimal health through moderate exercise and eating habits but not for someone who wants a six pack.
I have never understood why a sports celebrity also needs to be a moral role model. A great tennis player could be emulated for her discipline, tenacity and talent. A political leader who surrounds himself with competent people and executes his duties efficiently and effectively in trying to keep his promises can be a role model for leadership. No one is perfect, so the tennis player may not be a great role model as a mother,… Continue Reading →
Finishing Strong- Iron Man, Silken Heart
Bill Britt was one of the greatest business leaders of the 20th & 21st centuries. I had the privilege of spending time with him, learning and observing. This included watching him on stage for hours on end, listening to his CDs and streaming talks, and most importantly, sitting at his feet, spending face time with him, singing with him and building a unique bond.
He would often tell us that a dreamer will always have unfulfilled dreams when he breathes his last, and if they were worthwhile dreams, others would carry the torch and help fulfill them. Bill Britt was an influence leader, and was able to create a strong vision that other leaders bought into, of helping the everyday person with much needed guidance and mentorship on how to create economic and personal freedom. He was able to realize many unusually strong dreams before he passed away on Jan 23,2013…. Continue Reading →
How spotlights work
While sharing pictures and videos of the grand receptions and vast audiences related to our speaking engagements, I am torn between the fine balance of sharing relevant parts our lives with you, and being braggadocios. Every time I click the “Post” or “Publish” button, I tell myself that my intentions matter more than perceptions.Because they do.
When spotlights are new, the glamour and the attention can be intoxicating. However, with the passage of time, other things take priority. Anjali & I are in the business of developing and empowering leaders. This means that we have the responsibility of putting the spotlight on other people -those new and upcoming team leaders who are proving themselves through words, deeds and character.
You see, unless you have the spotlight, you cannot put it on others. You may not be an attention seeker, but you should get the necessary attention to get your message across…. Continue Reading →
Will may not be the way
“If you control your environment, you don’t have to control your will.”
I love this quote not just because it is mine. I do believe that if we put our will to test unnecessarily, it is only a matter of when, not whether we will succumb.
If you are a teetotaler, and you insist on spending every evening with friends in a local bar, it is only a matter of time before you try a sip.
A few years ago a holy man India with a massive following was caught on video in a compromising position with a movie star. Many people argued that it was a case of entrapment. My question- Why was he alone with the movie star in a hotel room in the first place?
On an earlier post, Thanksgiving, Tourniquets and Trains, I talked about how the internet can foster unhealthy relationships…. Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving, Tourniquets and Trains
There are some who gather friends on social media like it is a contest. While we can debate about how many of those connections are meaningful, we should be grateful for the opportunity to track down old connections and friends.
Not a single Thanksgiving has passed by since 1988 without me thinking about Emma Carney. She was a colleague, friend and mother figure when I started to work at Bell Communications Research in Piscataway during the late eighties. I remember asking her questions about the festival, and she was gracious enough to invite me to her house. She even took me to her Indian neighbor’s house (the Mehrotras’) in Hillsborough. While the turkey lovers dug in, I went for the stuffing. Every Thanksgiving season, I remember the Carney family. Even with social media it took me a while to find Emma, but this month I was able to track her down…. Continue Reading →
Another Tree Story
Words of encouragement. Uplifting, belief giving words. They cost nothing, but can change lives for the better.
I have shared my story hundreds of times with audiences of all types and sizes. I have talked about people who have showered me with great, empowering words that contributed to my success in life- my parents, my wife, my sisters, a couple of high school teachers, and business leaders who came into my life in my mid twenties. However, I have failed to acknowledge a few of them that came into my life, primarily during my college years. In this post, I want to talk about one such person.
In an earlier post, Lessons from a Mango Tree, I talked about my spectacular failure in a singing contest. Despite the encouraging lesson I learned through that, I became a reluctant performer. While I would sing in class during free periods,… Continue Reading →
Living Rooms around the world
I started to write this blog in-flight, on my way back from London, UK. I am extremely fascinated and grateful that I am able to connect to the internet at 35,000 feet.
In my business, I teach people how to build an asset through business ownership, without jeopardizing their primary income, and not having to worry about raising capital and hiring employees. Through the Britt Worldwide system, we have an elaborate training, coaching and mentoring program to empower people around the world with the right mindset and tools to own and operate their own Independent Business.
While we have meetings of all sizes from homes to coliseums, my favorite ones are small huddles in living rooms. This is where great relationships are built and we get to know about people by listening to them.
Once again, my weekend trip to London, taught me that people have the same basic desires all over the world. … Continue Reading →
My Amazing Wife
Today is Anjali’s birthday. In our family, we celebrate happy events, but on our terms. We went out to dinner a couple of times last week, and to a comedy show in New York, and decided that they were all part of the birthday celebration. Today there won’t be any special plans because it is also Karva Chauth. This means Anjali is fasting. She won’t eat a morsel until the moon shows up at night.
I would hardly classify our family as religious or ritualistic. Karva Chauth is the only ritual that Anjali follows diligently each year.
What is remarkable is her equanimity. It is one thing to read about and preach an evenness of spirit, calmness in demeanor, and a non-judgmental attitude, it is a whole different thing to implement all of this.
Anjali Kumar does this effortlessly, every day of her life,… Continue Reading →