Living With LSD

LivingStories
In 1997, a student Mahan Mitra was awarded a PhD in topology by the University of California,  Berkeley. The very next year, he renounced the world and joined the Ramakrishna Mission & became known as Mahan Maharaj.  This year,  he was awarded the Infosys Prize for 2015 in Mathematical Science. His reaction was , “I have little to do with awards. It is the recognition of the work which I value. “

MyLearning
Live with the right proportion of LSD in your life. Balance between:
Laxmi: wealth & prosperity,
Saraswati: knowledge seeking and
Durga: spiritual fulfilment & peace.

The Power of Boredom

Dr V K Kurien arrived at Anand in May 1949. Bored, and with nothing to do in the small sleepy town, he joined a band of tenacious dairy farmers in their  struggle against the exploitative practices followed by the local trade. Little did he know that he was actually sowing the seeds of a revolutionary cooperative movement. It went on to create the White Revolution, making India the largest milk producer in the world.

#MyLearning
Do not underestimate the power of boredom. Activities born of a state of boredom, could transform into passion and produce remarkable outcomes

Failure Is Success in Disguise

In 1917, Einstein set out to design a theoretical model to prove space is bent around itself like the sides of a tin can.

He failed.

But in the process, he succeeded in doing something very interesting - unifying the effect of acceleration and gravity.

#MyLearning
Treat failures like Edison, who in  the course of his journey of the invention of the incandescent light bulb, said he had succeeded in “finding 10,000 ways that won't work.” Discard the 10,000 ways that won't work, but do learn from the ones that did, and had ‘Einsteinian’ outcomes.

Picture Source : Paul S. Cavella

The Downsides of The Digital Age

The control & nurturing of an ecosystem takes patience  care, contrasting sharply with the immediacy of messaging or tweeting of the smartphone generation. In order to encourage them to slow down & take time out to take care of their plants, Samuel Wilkinson has designed a terrarium that links to your IPad or IPhone & can control the climate, water level & nutrient from your device.

MyLearning
The ‘convenience’ of being online 24/7 & the compulsive call of the social media adds up to a state of constant urgency & stress. Take time out and tend to life?

Think
What's your sense of the story?

Beliefs and Business

Patrizio Bertelli,  CEO of fashion and jewellery line Prada, believes the counterfeit trade has created jobs & they do not want to be a brand that nobody wants to copy.

On the other hand Caroline Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard believes that one had be desirable to be copied. But imitation is plagiarism and is annoying, hence they create patterns that are too elaborate to copy and have 10 lawyers constantly trying to stop the menace.

#MyLearning
Our Beliefs influence Behavior.
Behavior impacts Business

#Think
What's your sense of the story?

Channelising Energy Productively

Thimmakka is a native of Karnataka. She has no formal education and worked as a casual labourer in a nearby quarry. Married to Chikkaiah who is a cattle herder, they unfortunately have no children. She has filled the lack by planting and tending to 384 banyan trees along a four-kilometre stretch of highway between Hulikal and Kudur. Her work has been honoured with the National Citizen's Award of India.

#MyLearning
Mourning and lamenting a lack or loss is an unproductive use of our energies. Best to channelise them into working on the larger good, both for self and others.

Clearing Our Demons

“All my demons, all my monsters that I’d been carrying around forever… The light came through and I realized, 'Oh! They’re not demons, they’re not monsters, they’re not dragons. I’ve been making them more grandiose than they are. They’re just the orphaned parts of me. And they are throwing temper tantrums because of their fear. And now I have to tell them it’s going to be okay. And they will all go to sleep. I am the mother of all of these parts of me.'”.  Author Elizabeth Gilbert in an interview.

#MyLearning
We create monsters of our fears. We also have the power to put them to sleep.

Ideal Decision-Making

Ryoma, a 19th century samurai, played a key role in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate & end Japan's 300-year isolation. He established the nation's first trading company & helped Japan become a naval power.
A portrait of Ryoma, hangs in the office of SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son. Every morning when he comes to office, it reminds him to make a decision worthy of Ryoma.

#MyLearning
Ideals are born, not of logical analysis, but of feelings which have no language of words to measure them. Holding ourselves to the ideals of our heroes invests the ideals with a measure for our actions.

Intentional Living

“Intentional living, basically, is about choosing your spots. You can’t be on 24/7, but you can identify the spots when you are going to be on. So I think a lot of high energy is a result of intentionality, looking at your schedule and saying, OK, I’d better be good here, here, here and here. But hey, this is just lunch, and I can be 50 percent and be OK there.” - John Maxwell, Leadership Guru

#MyLearning
Clarity and strength of intention (aka purpose) can help us intuitively decide how much energy to expend in a situation.
Action
Clarify my Purpose, define my goals and set priorities. For a deeper analysis, talk to a coach.

Relationship Boundaries

Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love became a bestseller, and from being an artiste living close to the bone, she found herself in possession of a giant pile of money. Feeling lucky and wanting to do something for her friends who still lived in poor circumstances,  she gave away a lot of money to them.  But by doing this, she found that in many cases, far from strengthening relationships, it actually spoilt them.

#MyLearning
Money, religion and politics are divisive. Best to keep them out of relationships, both at home and work.

Picture Source : Souleylo

Lifework Results Calculator

Entrepreneur Kazuo Inamori believes the formula for calculating the results of someone's lifework is Attitude x Effort x Ability.

#My Learning   
To work the formula into my life I have to commit to an:
Attitude: Constantly demanded perfection for yourself.

Effort: When launching a new project start off with a dream. Once the planning stage begins, become a pessimist in order to recognize every possible difficulty, then it’s back to optimism for thee execution.

Ability: Live by the belief that you have the ability to do anything

The Elixir of Knowledge

In the 6th century, Borzuy, the personal physician of the Persian emperor came to India looking for the Mritsanjeevani, the mystical herb that could revive a corpse. He did not find the herb but found the Panchatantra instead. After reading it, he  realized that the magical herb was knowledge and the corpse was ignorance.

#MyLearning
May I have the  wisdom to use the elixir of knowledge, not only for my own benefit, but also for the benefit of others.
May it not instil in me the pride of knowing what I know, but the humility to understand that there is yet more to know and learn.

Time to Stand and Stare?

“Time is the new currency, “ says Pushkraj Shenai, CEO, Lakme Lever. Consumers are multitasking with buying groceries and hailing cabs on mobile phone apps, food is getting delivered in record time and household chores are being outsourced. ‘Busy’ consumers are even being offered express hair colouring along with manicure and pedicures in 10 minutes instead of 40 minutes earlier!

We are increasingly becoming a people in a hurry.

#MyLearning
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
                         - William Henry Davies

The Luxury of Freedom

Actor Ranveer Singh is considered the high priest of fashion, but he believes in the  luxury of freedom. Freedom such as walking back home through the by-lanes from the studio to his suburban Mumbai home.

#MyLearning
We perform the Laxmi Puja to propitiate the goddess of wealth, but the greatest wealth she could bestow on us is not money. It is the wealth of peace and happiness, and the luxury of  the freedom to do what one’s heart wants.

From Material to Sentimental Value

Jean-Marc Lacave, President and Regional Managing director,  Moet Hennessy Asia-Pacific, was  asked what is his most prized position. His reply,  “I am starting to think I need less and less. But my watch is sentimental to me. It's not worth too much,  it was given to me by my father when I was 18.”

#MyLearning
Aging after a life of craving and acquiring things, realisation dawns  that all our indulgent acquisitions are less valuable than say, the solitaire earrings bought with your first paycheck, the pair of sunglasses left to you by your granddad or the shawls passed on to you by your mom and grandma.

The Power of Questions

Physicist Richard Feynman found the atmosphere at the Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton stultifying.  He found it sterile because there were no students to ask him questions - questions that would force him to rethink his beliefs and perhaps discover new theories.

#MyLearning
A leader who fosters a work culture of asking questions, opens the door to an engaging and collaborative environment for innovation and success.
Read the Forbes article below for ideas and suggestions for questions leaders can ask their people.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hennainam/2013/07/30/why-oprah-is-worth-2-8-billion-the-power-of-questions/

Love Has Many Parts

When Anand Mahindra met Harvard collegemate Bill Gates for the first time, he complained, "Thanks to you, I am never going to look like a winner to my kids." Explaining the reason why, Mahindra says his daughter asked him who were the famous people at Harvard with him, and when he  enthusiastically responded, “Bill Gates” she put him down with,  ‘Jeez Dad! In comparison, what a loser you are.‘

#MyLearning
Love has many parts to it; respect, caring, honesty and trust. While all are important, a few maybe some degrees less than others, but the weight of the rest more than make up for the lack.

Life is Choices

Actor Salman Khan says it Is difficult for him to deal with the dichotomy of perception. In his professional life, people see him romancing pretty girls, travelling to fancy places for film shoots, hosting shows, laughing, responding and giving advice, and they think he is having a good time. But, he says, with the verdict of the court cases against him due shortly, people have no idea what it takes for him to smile and romance on screen and do justice to his work.

#MyLearning
That work and life are two separate and contrasting entities of our lives is a dichotomy of perception They are just one - LIFE, and being happy is an outcome of the choices we make.

Picture source: bms. co.in

Time The Healer and The Killer

“Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them,“ says Dion Boucicault. How about women?  Actress Jennifer Lawrence says her busy schedule in Hollywood takes a toll on her body.  Moreover, she feels empty when she has nothing to do. She therefore tries to keep working instead of taking a vacation, and says now she's “aging like a president.”

#MyLearning
Man or woman, we need to draw a balance between killing time and overworking to the point of exhaustion. Time quietly kills both extremists.

Leaders Lead the Way

Both Actor Salman Khan and film director Sooraj Barjatya are the same age, yet the actor addresses the latter as Sooraj babu. Asked why, Salman say he realized (Sooraj’s) calibre right from the time of their first film together, when both were 19-year-olds. He had then noticed that people were taking Sooraj for granted, and he had not liked it. So he’d started calling him Sooraj babu so others would respect him.

#MyLearning
Every action and communication of a leader has the power to shape the perceptions,as well as behavior of his people. Use the power well.

Picture source: brettlsimmons. com

Accepting Alternative Points of View

“Raja Raja Chola, in building the magnificent Brihadeeswara Shiva temple in Thanjavur, also incorporated sculptures of Vishnu as well as the meditating Buddha thus admitting to alternative viewpoints. When Shahenshah Akbar invited scholars of all manner of persuasion to debate the eternal verities in his court, he was only following older traditions of our Hindu and Buddhist kings, who encouraged and protected the spirit of enquiry.” - Raghuram Rajan, RBI governor.
#MyLearning
Accepting an alternative point of view,  so long as it is not intended to hurt is a sign of strength & a source of enriched ideas.

Your Day a Blank Page

Asked about the kind of book he wanted to write, Rajdeepak Das,  chief creative officer, Leo Burnett says, his life has been like blank pages. He works positively to scribble something new and memorable each day.

#MyLearning
Early each day, we prepare a draft plan of our to be o actions. Once pen is put to the blank sheet of the day,  what emerges is either the exact same as we had planned, or it may be different. Both ways, it creates new learning and the scope to do a better draft plan for the next day.

That Courage to Act

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve during the financial meltdown years, has written his memoirs. The New York Times in its review of the book says, “Bernanke’s memoir is called The Courage to Act - a title that may be ironic because, although he generally chose to act in most of the crisis he faced, it would have required an equal amount of courage, or even more, not to.”

#MyLearning
Actions carry relevance and pertinence when done at the right time & at the right place. May I have the courage to be proactive in the deserving moments of life situations.

Pic: biz shift-trends.com

Setting Life Goals

Economist and political scientist Joseph Schumpeter, who popularized the term "creative destruction" in economics, claimed that he had set himself three goals in life: to be the greatest economist in the world, to be the best horseman in all of Austria and the greatest lover in all of Vienna. He said he had reached two of his goals, but he never said which two,although he is reported to have said that there were too many fine horsemen in Austria for him to succeed in all his aspirations.

#MyLearning
Our life goals should be a healthy mix of aspirational professional and personal goals. Working toward becoming the best in each can be fun and deeply satisfying - and never mind that we may fail to achieve one or two of our goals - the fun lies in the journey!

Picture source: engineering. com

Living Life Authentcally

Their chests were to be digitally tattooed in post production so they had to shave their chest hair. While others in the cola campaign ad agreed, cricketer Sehwag did so only after some coaxing. After the shoot, while others rushed to the monitor to reflect on their performance or their looks, Sehwag just swaggered away unconcerned,  once the director yelled cut.
Because frankly, as with his batting style, he didn't give a damn.

#MyLearning
How unmindful can I be of societal, familial and peer pressure in being my authentic self?

The Truth of Intention

He treats his music room like a mosque & visitors have to keep their footwear outside. He prays five times a day, which leaves him with “no time for smoking, drinking or fornication.” That was ace composer A.R. Rahman speaking in the television documentary Jai Ho, based on his musical journey. He explained how an intention coming from purity and love  can make any music appeal to people,  irrespective of their cultures, nationalities or geographies.

#MyLearning
The truth of my intention should be seen like a beacon of light - clear, direct and of unmistakable integrity. Can I honestly do it?

Mentors and Life Lessons

Mentors don't mould champions.  Opponents do. - An ad for Jack & Jones.

#MyLearning
Opponents do mould champions by teaching them unforgettable lessons in the do’s and don'ts in certain life situations.
Mentors organise those lessons into doable actions in daily life.
Both have their roles to play.

The Pain of Ravana

Last evening, as they stood him up in the middle of the grounds, readying to set him afire, Ravana looked down sadly on the multitudes and wondered to himself,  “Who among you is Rama?”

#MyLearning
Before I criticise, or think negatively of people, can I look inside myself and ask,  “am I too guilty of the same wrongdoing? “

Skill Building Framework

"I want to thank everyone for the cricketing advice given to me over the years and apologise for not accepting most of it. I had a reason; I did it my way." Cricketer Virender Sehwag announcing his retirement.

#MyLearning
The path of skills evolution is:
1. Learn the Rules,
2. Practice the Rules,
3. Break the Rules and finally,
4. Make Your Own Rules

While the linear path to evolution may be best,  mavericks and geniuses can, and do,  skip steps. I am the best judge to decide what, where and how I shall deal with rules.

Driving Desire

"Some dreams need wings, some ride on a chariot of desire." From an advertisement for a jeweler.

#MyLearning
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, "You are what your deep, driving desire is. As you desire, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny." Great things happen as a result of  a deep driving desire.  Dreams too require this desire in order to take wing.

Right Focus

Hindi film lyricist Varun Grover says Hindi poets had a purist angst that a poem should not be part of a film. But now, threatened by English and Hinglish, they are changing tracks. But Urdu poets didn't mind such things, so even today, romantic songs use Urdu words.

#MyLearning
Focusing on performance over process, volume over value and quantity over quality etc, have their place, but know when to widen focus, or change focus so as not to be left behind in the race.

Your Gift to The World

An artiste has to constantly grow,  says singer Sunidhi Chavan. Epiphany dawned at the Global Citizen Festival, where she realized that as a human being & citizen of India, songs weren't the only thing she wanted to be remembered for, she  wanted to make a difference and help causes. While her profession made her a singer and entertainer,  she wanted to be someone people could look up to.
#MyLearning
The Needs of Man, says Covey, are, To Live, To Love, To Learn, & To Leave a Legacy. Once we are clear about the contribution we want to make, it can influence our actions in the rest of the needs.

Rules of Decision-making

Children Not Allowed, But The Child In You Is Welcome, says a sign outside a Mumbai eatery. A Chinese restaurant meanwhile, has a dress code for patrons - No Shorts Please.

#MyLearning
Age confers wisdom on us, while children have an insatiable curiosity to know and constantly question the status quo. So think curious wearing the shorts of childhood and act wisely wearing the pants of adulthood.

Emotional Intelligence

Speaking about the making of her recent film Talvaar,  filmmaker Meghna Gulzar says for her, it was curiosity that triggered  the immediate, spontaneous urge to do the film.  Emotions started coming in during her research on the story. But she shut them down when when working and discussing the script with Vishal Bhardwaj and during the making of the film. Now that the film has been released, emotions are coming back.  And she is letting them.
#MyLearning
Emotions can lend sharpness and acuity to our thinking. They can also lead us astray by making us act in impulsive and unwanted ways. Wisdom lies in knowing when to engage with our emotions and when to keep them in check.

Overcoming Fear

Sandeep Aggarwal, founder of startup Droom, is paranoid about physical contact with people. Even when people put cake on his face on his birthday, he regarded it as an encroachment of his privacy, He recalled  the activities he did back when he was in Microsoft, which had helped him build lifetime relationships with his team members. So he organized a cake - smashing session for his team - hurling 250 pastries and 50 cakes at each other. himself included.

#MyLearning
Fear of fear can come in the way of building  lasting relationships, or delivering our best. To overcome fear, - confront it.

Enemy of Excellence

In a recent TV commercial,  a father and son go to a prospective bride's place to see her. When the girl enters the room, the boy looks at the picture he had been given of her earlier, finds a mismatch and tells the father so. The father tries to mollify the son with 'unees bees chalta hai', or, minor differences are to be condoned.
#MyLearning
Can our ingrained Indian habit of settling for 'unees bees' or second best, letting price and crude functionality win over quality, the 'chalta hai' attitude come in the way of our goal to become the manufacturing destination of the world?

Learning in New Ways

Faced with the problem of excessive product failures, Rajiv Bajaj turned to unlikely places to glean management lessons. Places such as yoga, homeopathy & even philosophers, like Seneca & Confucius. Yoga taught him that "a posture without a sound position is a monkey on the mat. (Similarly) a brand without a sound position is a commodity in the market."

#MyLearning
When stuck with a problem, think out-of-the-box - look for solutions outside of your industry or field of work. The metaphors & analogies from the learning and practice, drive home the lessons of key imperatives in powerful ways.

A Phased Approach to Goal-Setting

David Berg, COO Carlson Hospitality and Travel Co. uses a phased approach to goals; Core goals are the short term success measures for the next 12 months where he puts the maximum amount of his resources. Optimization goals are those where success measures 12-18 months out and where he puts a modest amount of resources. The Transformation goals are ideas to explore with impact beyond 18-24 months, here he puts a small amount of resources.

#MyLearning
By giving our goals labels that indicate the meaning they have for us, we invest them with a clarity and urgency that can shape the nature of our priorities, and extent of our responses.

Picture: mattaboutmoney.com

The Relationship Dance

"Love is not the only emotion felt between a mother and child.  The relationship is like a dance - sometimes you are close, sometimes you pull away;  there is passion, anger and forgiveness;  and much like a dance,  the relationship will end one day." - Anita Ratnam, Indian classical dancer.

#MyLearning
Every relationship goes through the motions of this very dance - whether personal or professional. While relationships with no expectations attached are the most lasting, it is good to occasionally reflect on what a relationship means to us - what emotional sustenance does it provide us?  Does it make me feel wanted? Does it give me joy and happiness? Does it insire and motivate?  And more such questions. The idea being not to treat the relationship a transaction,  but to make us aware of it's importance in our lives.

Picture: aninception.com

God Has No Religion

During his stay in S. Africa, Gandhiji studied and was influenced by Islamic & Christian religous texts. From Islam he picked up the concept of jihad, which he interpreted as commitment to a cause & even giving one's life for it. From Christianity,  he learned about 'turning the other cheek.' He  distilled his understanding of these thoughts to come up with 'Satygraha' or 'truthforce' which was to bring India It's freedom and Gandhij the title of Mahatma.
#MyLearning
We read the same texts but each of us interprets it differently. This fact has to be understood,  acknowledged and leveraged for peace and amity in the world

Why a Coach?

Vishal Gondal bought different fitness bands and apps to keep fit but none helped him achieve his goals.
Till he met a coach.
The coach began asking him for his data and started tracking what he was doing and how he was doing, on a regular basis. With this regular tracking and monitoring by the coach - who wouldn't meet him on a daily basis - he managed to remain committed to the daily targets. His learning; technology alone cannot achieve fitness goals, human interface and engagement is equally important to achieve necessary results.
#Learning
If fitness goals are hard to achieve on one's own, what of life and business goals? Being on our own and lacking the expert advice of a coach results in limited engagement with our goals, limited reinforcement and limited motivation and therefore,  failure to achieve them. Ultimately It is not about setting goals, it is about how much of an impact their successful achievement has on the health of your business and the happiness of your people.

Importance of Discovering Our True Purpose

In the movie Everest, Rob Hall, the expedition leader, addresses his group of climbers on the evening before the climb to base camp. He asks them why they want to climb Everest and the group choruses the cliché, 'because it's there'! He tells them he wants the real answer and then Doug Hanson speaks up. He explains that he wants to prove to people back home how he, an ordinary mailman, can do extraordinary things.

#MyLearning
More often than not, our true purpose in life is hidden under layers of conflicting and apparently real reasons to explain why we do what we do. Once we discover our true purpose, then it opens the door to infinite possibilities.
A coach can help in the journey to discovery.

What to Do When Stuck

It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else. Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward. In the case of information loss and black holes it was 29 years.

#MyLearning
When stuck, it is a good idea to surrender yourself to your subconscious mind. Many solutions to niggling problems come to you during the 'Brahmakalam', the early morning hours between 3 and 5 when, acording to Hindu scriptures Brahma's consort Saraswati, the Godess of knowledge, resides in the brain. In other words the mind is at it's best. - Stephen Hawking

Living Life with Positivity

Stephen Hawking was 21 when he was diagnosed with a rare motor neuron disease that made him wheelchair-bound and having to talk through a computerised voice. He is now 73 and one of the foremost physicists alive. His advice to people with disability is,  "concentrate on things that your disability doesn't prevent you doing well and don't regret the things it interferes with. Don't be disabled in spirit, as well as physically."

#MyLearning
Life throws many challenges at us. Some we overcome successfully and others we have to cope with. Focusing on things we can do and control, and attempting to push the boundaries on them without fear, can help us be positive in mind and spirit.

Leaders Build Cultures

Warren Buffett has often noted that you build a reputation over years and decades, but you destroy it in a blink of an eye,. Well, Volkswagen just blinked.
The most critical work of an incoming CEO may be to rebuild and overhaul the culture where this sort of deception occurred, says Charles Elson, a governance expert.

#Viewpoint
The Volkswagen case is a rude reminder of the role leaders in creating organizational culture. Employee performance is a function of assumptions & behaviours leaders encourage, promote, or turn a blind eye to. And these assumptions and behaviours drive the results.

4 Ways Leisure Pursuits Can Provide a ROI

 “I’ve realized that somebody who is tired and needs rest, and goes on working all the same”, is a fool” - Carl Jung.

We live in a highly competitive world where employees have high material and professional aspirations. Many work at jobs that demand global business interactions, which keep them up at unearthly hours. To them any leisure activity may only seem at best like a dream, or worst, an unproductive use of time. Not just that, but any mention or suggestion to spend time on them, is likely to elicit a response such as the one below

Carl Jung's words notwithstanding.

But what if they knew that leisure activities could teach them valuable skills which could be assets to them in other their work, as well as other dimensions of their lives? What if they realized that the returns on them could be disproportionate to the amount of time invested?  Would it then make it a worthwhile investment for them?

Well, 'show me the ROIers', (and also others) read on and decide for yourself: 
1. ROI: Leadership and Negotiations Skills
Activity: Essaji Vahanavati, son of former Attorney General of India is a young partner at a reputed law firm. He is passionate about wildlife photography. Benefits: His leisure activity has ingrained in him the virtues of patience; given him an eye for detail; and taught him to stay cool in critical situations. During transactions, he can patiently wait for others to put their point on the table and at the same time quickly grasp the matter and come out with solutions. This has earned him the respect of senior partners at the law firm.

2. ROI: Importance of Making the Journey the Destination

Activity: World Bank economist Kaushik Basu spent his leisure time working on a longer method to prove what Pythagoras proved 2600 years ago. In a right angle triangle, the sum of the square of two sides equals the square of the hypotenuse.  
Benefits: To justify the new and longer proof,  he invokes the Greek poem Ithaca, which describes the long journey to Odysseus' home island. The island,  the poet Cavafy says, is disappointing, but Ithaca's charm is in the journey itself.

3. ROI: Patience
Activity: Stock market man Ramesh Damani has a thing for dough which made him seek out baking and attend a week's bakery course in Paris. 
Benefit: Asked for the similarity between brokers and bakers, Damani's reply is, "Both like the feel of dough....and both (investment and baking) need a lot of patience."

4. ROI: Inspiration

Activity: For geniuses, a routine was more than a luxury - it was essential for their work. Charles Dickens took three hour walks every afternoon, while Beethoven took lengthy strolls after lunch.

Benefits: For Charles Dickens what he observed on his walks, fed directly into his writing, while Beethoven carried a paper and pencil with him in case inspiration struck. 

Call to Action
Leisure activities can be both both satisfying and capable of building and honing useful skills and virtues. Discovering the parts between your profession and your hobbies which are similar, or support the other can help you get satisfying returns.

Dealing with Complex Times

During his childhood days, says Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickramasinghe, having a phone connection was considered a status symbol and since his family was influential, they soon had two telephones which further elevated their status.  Now, he says, things have changed in his country and he is the only one in the family who does not have a cellphone.

#Learning
Life is becoming more complex, and every new technology, tool or device has it's uses - ranging from improved efficiency to increased self-esteem. Asking ourself why and what questions on the benefits of ownership can save us money, time and stress.

Enjoy the Journey

World Bank economist Kaushik Basu has found another new and longer method to prove what Pythagoras proved 2600 years ago - that in a right angle triangle, the sum of the square of two sides equals the square of the hypotenuse.

#Learning
"I treat this as my hobby.  I do it for fun", says Basu. To justify the new and longer proof,  he invokes the Greek poem Ithaca, which describes the long journey to Odysseus' home island. The island,  the poet Cavafy says, is disappointing, but Ithaca's charm is in the journey itself.

Commit to the Process

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna advises to not let the fruit of action be our motive. Cartoonist Scott Adams, puts it as committing to a process, and not a goal.

Karl - John Persson,  CEO of H&M, may have that thought in mind when asked about his brand's targets for India. He said, "We never say, 'Let's reach amounts of stores or this sales target.' We want to deliver something fantastic for the customer. If we do that well,  the selling will come."

Leander Paes too must have thought along similar lines when he shared that all he does with doubles partner Martina Hingis is to keep her happy and relaxed. The tennis takes care of itself to produce wins such as the Wimbledon doubles championship.

Daily Fundamentals

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” - Zen Saying

The message, according to college lacrosse coach John Brubaker is that consistent execution of fundamentals over time is the key to success. In ancient times you chopped wood to make fire and carried water for drinking; and if you didn’t, you wouldn’t survive, never mind thrive. What are the high-value fundamentals you yourself must execute daily to ensure prosperity? Possible examples are:
^ Responding to all emails the same day they come in.
^ Returning all phone calls by the close of business that day
^ Waking up and going to bed at the same time
^ Exercising daily during lunch hour

So what are your preferred 'chop and carry' fundamentals?

The Path of Four-Way Wins

Stewart Friedman, founding director of Wharton's Leadership Program and the Work/Life Integration Project,  recommends pursuing the path of four-way wins. The path comprises practical steps to making things demonstrably better in four domains of of our life,  at work,  at home, in our community and our private life. To begin, do a quick  review to explore: what's important to you,  where you focus your attention and how things are going in each of the four domains. Use some of the the thoughts and experiences of the people given below, help to generate ideas for experiments to better align what matters to you to what you actually do. Design experiments in which you are deliberately aiming to improve your performance and results in each of the four domains.

    1.   Expand your Knowledge

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert cartoons, believes, every adult must have working knowledge of; Public speaking, Psychology, Business writing, Accountancy, Design (the basics), Conversation, Overcoming shyness, Second language, Proper grammar, Persuasion, Technology (hobby level) and Proper voice technique.

       2.   Declutter you Mind

"To compose, I need to be happy and to have free mind space, " says A.R. Rahman the Oscar winning music composer, and Leander Paes, winner of the US Open Mixed Doubles title along with Martina Hingis says, "if I can keep Martina happy,  if I can keep her relaxed,  the tennis I don't even have to worry about. "

Focusing our motivation results in our single-minded immersion and harnessing of our emotions into performing and learning. The emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand.

     3.     Dance with your Emotions
"A relationship is like a dance,  says Indian classical dancer Anita Ratnam, "sometimes you are close, sometimes you pull away;  there is passion, anger and forgiveness;  and much like a dance,  the relationship will end one day." 

Every relationship has its share of a range of emotions - most, if not all are impermanent, changing with time, context and our personal and mental growth. Let us make the best of our relationships in our time in the world.

     4.    Accept the Past

"Not surprisingly,  I find myself thinking about that slippery substance - the past - and the infinite variety of human attempts to make peace with it.  The impulse to freeze it into tradition,  to tame into verity,  these are common options.  But just as readily available is that other inconvenient choice,  so seldom exercised - the choice to wonder at it,  too accept it's essential non- graspability." Arundhati Subramaniam in book review of Keki N Daruwala's book Fire Altar in HT

      5.   Accept your Ignorance

"Belief means something that you do not know. You want to assume and bring a certainty to something that you do not know. says Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.  "That means you are concretising your ignorance.  There is no need to know everything.  What I know, I know. What I do not know I do not know."

       6.    Establish a Routine

For geniuses, a routine was more than a luxury - it was essential for their work…Charles Dickens took three hours walks every afternoon - and what he observed on them fed directly into his writing. Tchaikovsky made do with two hour walks, but wouldn’t return a moment early, convinced that cheating himself of the full 120 minutes would make him ill. Beethoven took lengthy strolls after lunch, carrying a paper and pencil with him in case inspiration struck. Ernest Hemingway tracked his daily word output on a chart “so as not to kid myself”. Arthur Miller said, “I don't believe in draining the reservoir you see? I believe in getting up from the typewriter, away from it,  while I have still things to say.” 

        7.    Measure What You Can Control

Film director Ashutosh Gowarikar's advice to  actor Abhishek Bacchan - do not measure your success by how your film fares at the box office - because that is not within your control.  Measure your success by how you fared with the goals you set yourself for the film. Their success is within your control.

         8.     Be Resilient
"The hardest time to Captain the team is when your are not scoring runs and that's when your character and of leader you are outweighs your own form. The team needs the Captain to be a strong person who enjoys other people's success and sees the bigger picture. " Brendon McCullum, New Zealand skipper.

         9.      Create Lasting Emotional Bonds 

"In every situation, says Deepak Chopra, make it a habit to ask the key questions of emotional intelligence: How do I feel? How do they feel? What are the hidden stumbling blocks? A leader who can answer these questions will be in a position to create lasting emotional bonds.” 

Call to Action

The result of undertaking the practice of the four-way win is a greater sense of control and freedom living in ways that are consistent with what you're passionate about, what you really care about. When people take even a small step that's under their control, that's intentional and that's in a direction that they choose, they feel better about their lives and about the people they're affecting with their actions on a daily basis.

Focused Motivation

"To compose, I need to be happy and to have free mind space, " says A.R. Rahman the Oscar winning music composer. While Leander Paes, who won the US Open Mixed Doubles title along with Martina Hingis says, "if I can keep Martina happy,  if I can keep her relaxed,  the tennis I don't even have to worry about. "

#MyLearning
Focusing our motivation results in our single-minded immersion and harnessing of our emotions into performing and learning. The emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand.

Power of Intention

It was my son Sooraj's 12th birthday and I was feeling guilty that I had to attend an urgent meeting out of town.  So, I was at the Delhi airport. My flight had been announced but the since the queue was long,  I decided to continue to wait for some time.

Finally, the queue had thinned and I rose from my seat.  Just then I spied a tall imposing man with a shawl wrapped around his shoulders striding regally towards a seat. It was superstar Amithab Bachhan! The last of the passengers had walked out of the gate to board the plane, just then, a thought struck me;  why not I take Amitji's autograph as a gift to Sooraj? I quickly retraced my steps and headed towards where Amitji was sitting.  But my țhroat was dry and my steps faltering!  I seemed to have been struck by a sudden bout of nervousness! Regardless,  I went up to him, and croaked, "Sir, could you give me your autograph? " and stuck out a piece of paper from my pocket. "Certainly", he said. "... and please say,  happy birtday,  Sooraj, as your message*. He duly wrote the message and handed it back to me with a smile. 

On my return a few days later,  I gifted this 'special message for Sooraj from Amithab Bachhan" to him He was very happy! I do not know whether Sooraj still preserves that piece of paper,  but I still preserve the memory of it. For it demonstrated to me that if your power of intent is strong and emotional ( guilt of being not present on son's birthday), one can overcome one's weaknesses ( my terrible nervousness! ).

Money Matters

For Donald Trump, money is a way of keeping score.
For film producer director Karan Johar, money is a resource to make a bigger, better film.
For actress Karena Kapoor, money is security - money in the bank.

#Reflection
What does money mean to you?