Category: Self-Esteem
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 →
Just Stitious
“Son, based on your history and background, you should never wear any jewelry with black onyx”, said Anjali’s uncle to me, soon after we were married.
I have been a rebel all my life, questioning beliefs that made no sense to me. But I have unwittingly paid heed to uncle’s suggestion, mostly because I didn’t know what black onyx was, and I had no particular desire to find out.
In India, religious, cultural, traditional and superstitious beliefs are intertwined, and it is often hard to tell them apart. Many people believe that Tuesday is the best day to fast, whereas others choose Friday, or any other day. From movie stars to street hawkers, people carry talismans, amulets and other objects to protect them from evil or to attract certain energies. In one blockbuster movie, the hero, a dock worker, learns from his friend that the number on his metal badge had special protective powers…. Continue Reading →
The Motivation Multiplier
One of my mentors, Bill Britt, explained motivation using a simple formula-
NEEDS X FAITH = MOTIVATION
Joe has needs – to pay the bills, to put food on the table. He also has faith (belief in something that is yet to happen) that he will reach his workplace safely each day, and that he will get a paycheck every two weeks. Without faith, he wouldn’t leave his house. With faith, he is motivated to act.
Faith can be further explained as a cross product of different kinds of faith. Joe’s needs are normal. His faith formula could be as follows-
FAITH = FAITH IN THE JOB X FAITH IN THE PROCESS X FAITH IN SELF
Mary has just founded a tech startup. Her passion has created an intense need to succeed. She has to fight against all odds, put a team together,… 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 →
Lessons from a Mango Tree
I grew up in Chembur, Mumbai in a rented one room and kitchen apartment, with my parents and two sisters. My extracurricular life revolved around a giant rectangular play area (we called it “the compound”) surrounded by buildings on three sides and a street up front. There was a huge mango tree smack in the middle of the compound, which belonged to the landlord. Each summer the tree would be laden with delicious green mangoes. Not unlike a plot from Mission Impossible, we did our groundwork. We timed the landlord’s afternoon siesta, and struck with unpredictable frequency. The rocks and stones we threw at the stems to dislodge the mangoes would rustle the leaves, but we managed to get away before he could find his bearings.
On one occasion my Dad caught us in the act. “I know we are not rich, son” he said, “but we can afford to buy mangoes from the market.”… Continue Reading →
What happened to Jack?
There are many “good old days” that I do not miss. Like sitting in a class in primary (elementary and middle) and secondary school (9th & 10th grade). I can count the classes I enjoyed with one hand – 9th & 10th grade English, Math and Physics. Only because the teachers seemed to care and knew how to mix some fun into the process. I have never particularly cared for a daily repetitive routine that feels like a rut, be it school or a job. I was christened “junglee” on the first day of pre-school (nursery) by the teacher in response to my ferocious protests to being carried into a class by force by a concerned mother and aunt. As a side note, the English word jungle comes from the Hindi word jangal which has a Sanskrit origin. A junglee would be an anglicized Hindi version of belonging to the jungle as in Tarzan,… Continue Reading →
Early Serendipity
In 1971, India was at war with Pakistan. Ours was a simple community of middle class South Indians. Generally it is said that South Indians make good tenants even in the other parts of India because they are generally bovine, and had the reputation of paying their rents on time. One night the armed forces of India sent out tracers into the sky- bright bursts of light to detect enemy aircraft. “Black out” had been mandated in our area- no lights were allowed and all windows had been sealed with thick paper to prevent any light from escaping. Someone in our community decided that the tracers were bombs, even though they were clearly traveling in the opposite direction. Basically controlled frenzy set in, and everyone started to pray in loud whispers, simultaneously an expression of panic and a reassurance to one another that God had us covered. Whoever made the effort to sound confident owned the credibility of the moment…. Continue Reading →
There is always a Silver Lining
I grew up in a building named “Tilakwadi” in Chembur, Mumbai. There was a huge quadrangle with a building on each of three sides, and the fourth was open to the street. This was the the heart of the community, cricket and soccer ground, community theater at night (Chakyar Koothu), cultural activities, seven stones (Lagori) venue, Diwali & Holi celebration space and a hot spot for a score of other activities.
I missed a lot of the late afternoon action during the week because I was the only one on the afternoon school shift in the building. The rest of them went to OLPS, Saraswathi Vidyalaya and SIES. I was the only one in GEA- the only school that let me start 1st grade a year early. As I reached home in the evening, dragging my school bag and water bottle,… Continue Reading →