Thursday 21 November 2019

The world is the way you look at it…


“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at changes”.
-         Dr. Wayne Dyer

It is indeed true that the world around us is what we have created for ourselves.  There are different ways to look at every situation, thing and person. The way we look at it also depends a lot on our feelings and emotions. It is the intention in the mind that manifests the situation.
There are broadly, two ways to look at a situation, positive and negative. Positive is an opportunity and negative is a threat. A situation is as big as the way we look at it. When we look at a situation as if it is a disaster, it will become a disaster. If we look at the same situation as an opportunity, yes, a great opportunity is created.

Let’s look at this from a personal and professional point of view……

Personal:

We are what we believe we are, and the world around us manifests the way we start looking at it. If we have a complaining attitude, then we have many things to complain about, our road conditions, traffic, people around us, etc. It is human that we try to find a reason, to blame someone or something for our failure; rather than learning from it and finding opportunities. It is also a tendency to build perceptions about everything and everyone we meet, and the first impression means a lot to us. Once we have built the first impression it’s very hard to change the perception about that person or thing.
Talking about the world around us, mostly what we hear is the bad news (thanks to the news channels)! We get to hear about the way the world is at war, people are killing each other, or hatred among different communities, etc. We always tend to get influenced by these facts very fast and start building perceptions. The world, in reality, is a very beautiful place!
Begin looking at everything around you through a positive lens and see the difference, it will transform your life. When we want to start something new, we have good intentions but, we also indulge in a negative thought, “what if it fails?”. And if we start with this thought, more often than not, we end up facing some hurdle or the other. To state an example, many people wish to start a business of their own, but the fear of failure keeps them away. The first thought itself is negative “fear of failure”! How can one be successful if the start itself is negative?
Then how do we really build a positive perspective in our life? Here are a few thoughts:
- Whenever you meet someone for the first time, focus only on the good qualities of that person. Do not create an impression of the person in the first interaction.
- When you start to office, visualise yourself enjoying the journey, traffic jams helping you to listen to that favourite song or music you love. This can even be done at the beginning of the day by visualising the complete day.
- Stay away from the news about hatred, killing, etc. Instead, spend time on some peaceful music or things you would like to learn. Go out make some friends, spend quality time with them. The world out there is a beautiful place with lovely people, go out and meet them.
- Always keep in mind that “whatever happens, happens for good”. Make sure you look at everything through a positive lens.

Professional:

Let me start with a small story about Steve Jobs. Most of us know the infamous exit of Steve from Apple. If Steve had looked at that as a failure, he would not have been as famous as he is today. He made sure that he looked at it as an opportunity, not a failure. He learned his lessons, started a new company, sold it to Apple to get back to Apple as an advisor and ended up being a CEO. He transformed Apple on his comeback and placed it on the top of the list. This is known as, sensing an opportunity in every failure, to make it big.
If you have lost your job, it is difficult. But it could be because you are due for a better job or maybe you are ready to start something on your own. It is to move you away from your comfort zone, to get the best out of you. Do not look at this as an end to everything or as a failure. There are ample opportunities around, it’s just the way we look at the situation. Every person has their strengths, they just need to work on it. We can even end up make a living out of it.
At the office, there are a lot of things we are worried about, visibility, recognition, competition, etc. If you feel people are trying to put you down, that means you are direct competition for them. Do not get bullied, just take it positively and stay focused on your work. You will emerge as a winner. Do not get into gossips at the office, this is the most powerful negative feeling and will build a negative image about you.
In business, if your revenue is going down, maybe it’s time to try a different approach or diversify your business and try something new. If you are planning to start a business, do not have fear. Instead, fill yourself with confidence. Visualise your business grow big and place yourself in the right frame of mind.

Failure is the stepping stone to Success:

As the saying goes “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”  It’s up to us to look at the glass as half full or half empty. Let’s build a habit of looking at things with the right mindset. For some, success comes faster than others! So do not give up, just wait for your turn. To know the world better, travel places, meet the lovely people out there and you will get to know for yourself. Research says, you are shaped by the people around you and especially by the 5 closest to you. It's important the kind of friends you have, the right company makes you prosper in life. If you are in a bad company, either change your company or change the company. 
Starting today, look at everything that happens in your life with a different perception. Say, “it happens for a reason” and look at it through a positive frame of mind. There are forces in the universe to help you. These forces will unite when you need them. There is an invisible force out there to grant all our wishes, irrespective of it being positive or negative. What is your next thought?

Thursday 14 November 2019

Take charge of NOW…


The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it’s the door to all moments.
-         Thich Nhat


Life gives us plenty of time to do whatever we want, only if we stay in the present moment. Most of us, spend a good part of our time, either thinking of the past or worrying about the future, forgetting to live in the present. The more we are away from the present moment, the more we are away from happiness. The past is mostly reminisced with anger and disappointment, whereas the future is full of anxiety and worry. Does this mean, we should forget the past completely and not worry about the future, just live in the present moment?  The answer is No! The past and the present are important. However, what is more, important is what we learn from the past and how we plan for the future, being in this present moment.



It is human that we look for happiness, mostly in the future. “If I struggle now, I will be happy in the future”, is a typical thought that crosses most of our minds, at some point or the other in life. How can one be happy in the future, when there is a struggle in the present moment, the moment which is in absolute control?! The focus of the human mind is always on the destination and in the process, people actually forget to enjoy the journey, the present, the now!

The only moment one can ever be in is “This moment”! No one can ever be certain about the next moment. So, it becomes imperative that one does the right thing in the present moment, to have the right next moment and hence a better future. Do not feel the present moment is an obstacle that one has to cross to reach the future. The future is always a conceptual reality, so one can only live in the present moment.

Living in the present moment, with active consciousness, is called mindfulness. Here are a few habits, one could inculcate, to have the right F-R-A-M-E of mind, in order to increase one’s mindfulness.


F-Focus:


Focusing one’s attention on daily habits will help one to be in the present moment. Put attention back on habits like brushing, eating food, driving, walking, etc, like a child. Be curious, and observe the process of how it is done. For example, while brushing putting your complete attention on brushing and keep any other thoughts away. This will help one to be in the present moment.



R-Routine:


Changing the routine, once in a while, will help us be in the present and stay focused. For example, change the regular/daily route you take to your place of work. This will bring back attention and will help us to be in the present moment. Using the mouse with your left hand, practicing writing with your left hand, walking reverse, reorganising the bookshelf (by colour, alphabetical order, etc) are a few other things one could try, to break a daily routine and focus on the present moment.

A-Attention:


Bring attention back to those first actions that we take early in the morning. Practices like the direction we wake up in, what is the first thing we do after we are out of the bed, etc. For the first 15 mins, let’s try to be conscious about what we do. Morning prayers, washing our face, the first few words we speak, are a few things that we are completely unaware of. Attention to these activities will help change, if there are any, wrong practices that we have developed.

M-Meditation:


There is a mention of meditation in all my articles, as I feel that, it is an important ingredient of our lives. Build a habit of meditation, the suggestion is two to three types of meditation. This will help break the routine, stay focused and be in the present moment.


E-Ease out:


Ease out and slow down. Ease your day by taking a break, relaxing for a few moments. There are a few ways one can ease out during the day. It could be by reading books, writing a journal (past, present, and future), sitting silently (watching nature, observing the thoughts, etc). I personally prefer writing, as it helps in a few ways. One, I am in the present moment, thinking and writing. Second, it helps me learn from the past and plan the future, being in the present moment. Being in the present moment relaxes my mind. The choice is the individuals, writing, being in silence, reading books or even playing some sort of sport (outdoor games).


If FRAME is practiced on a daily basis, it will help build the habit of living in the present moment. Being in the present, will help correct the past and plan for a better future. Let the thoughts of the past and future flow in, but be in the present moment to take action. Like someone rightly said, “We lose the beauty and the magic of the present moment because we are always chasing the next moment”. Take charge of now and have a great future! 


Please leave your comments below. Your thoughts, experiences and other practices may benefit others. Do let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to answer.


The world is the way you look at it…

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at changes”. -          Dr. Wayne Dyer It is indeed true that th...