“When you go home today, ask your father and let me know tomorrow.”
This was the conversation I had with my Hindi teacher, Mr. Cyril Sunny when I was in seventh standard at St. Paul’s, Udaipur.
I asked my father the meaning of my name when he returned home in the evening after work. He told me the meaning in short and enquired why am I asking this question. I told him about what happened in the school that day. He smiled and then said ‘Wait, let me explain you in a better way then.’
He reached out to the bookshelf and pulled out a huge thick hard-cover book with brown coloured pages. He told me it was a ‘Sanskrit-to-English’ dictionary. And then, reading from it, he explained the meaning in detail. He told me the word is ‘Nirvana’ which in Noun means ‘enlightenment’. And in the adjective, it means ‘not glowing’. So, Anirvan means in noun ‘one who doesn’t need enlightenment, say someone like ‘Gautam Buddha’. And in the adjective, Anirvan would mean ‘Glowing’.
I went to school the next day and Sunny sir asked me the meaning again during the Hindi period. I explained to him what my father taught me. He smiled and wrote the word ‘Nirvana’ on the blackboard. He then addressed the whole class for the next fifteen minutes explaining the meaning on similar lines as what my father explained to me.
To this day, I remember this incident!
I was fortunate to have teachers like Sunny sir who had such passion for their subject and students alike.
On this teacher’s day, I bow to all my teachers and convey my gratitude for not only teaching us what was required as per the textbooks but for also teaching us about life and how to lead it meaningfully.
We get so busy in the rat race that it becomes a ‘habitual living’ rather than a ‘meaningful living’!
Pause and reflect!
You can definitely make your life more beautiful when you focus on the following:
Purpose: Having a sense of purpose in life can provide direction and motivation. It can be anything from pursuing a career that aligns with your passions, making a difference in your community, or raising a family.
Relationships: Building and nurturing relationships with others can bring joy, love, and support. It’s important to cultivate meaningful connections with family, friends, colleagues, and others in your community.
Personal Growth: Learning and growing as an individual can help you develop new skills, gain knowledge, and expand your perspectives. It can be achieved through reading, attending courses, trying new things, or traveling.
Health and Wellness: Taking care of your physical and mental health can improve your overall well-being, giving you the energy and vitality to pursue your goals and enjoy life.
Contribution: Contributing to the greater good and making a positive impact in the world can give you a sense of fulfillment and purpose. This can be achieved by volunteering, donating to charity, or supporting causes you care about.
“Please leave your ‘home issues’ at home. Don’t bring them to the office”.
I told bluntly my young manager who recently became a father and was struggling to support his wife, who herself was struggling with the newborn baby as the couple was staying all alone far away from their family. This was many years before.
Years later, I realized how wrong I was in managing that young manager.
The ‘Empathy’ factor was missing in my interaction with him…more so, as a Boss who should have wholeheartedly supported him in his struggle.
Empathy is a critical factor especially, when you are leading a team. As a leader, you need to understand and share the feelings of your team members.
It is important to acknowledge the emotions of others, though many times you might not agree with them. But you need to recognize and respect their emotions.
Listen to others with all your attention and try to understand their perspective. Most of the time, we are prejudiced and prejudge others.
Your team members need to realize that you are bothered about their well-being. You need to show genuine concern towards them and support them when required.
Empathy is not a ‘soft skill’, it is an important leadership trait! And it is critical for effective leadership.
So, the next time when you are faced with a difficult situation as a leader, remember the power of empathy and compassion, and let it guide your actions and decisions!
Remember, empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.
I believe the phrase has been coined by Marshall Goldsmith, the world-renowned executive coach, and leadership thinker. And the thought process behind this phrase is that the habits, behaviours, and attitudes that have helped us succeed in the past may not necessarily be the ones that will help us achieve our future goals.
As we journey through life, we often find ourselves reflecting on the things that have brought us to where we are today. We take pride in our accomplishments, and rightly so. However, as much as we should celebrate our successes, it is important to remember that what got us to this point may not be enough to take us further.
You might have got an excellent break based on your academic qualifications but still might be struggling in the corporate environment!
You might have performed brilliantly in your previous roles but find it going tough in your new role!
The same might be true in your personal life as well. You might have excellent relationships with your friends and colleagues but your family(marital) life might be a disaster! It happens!!
So, the habits, behaviours, and attitudes that have helped us succeed in the past may not necessarily be the ones that will help us achieve our future goals.
The bottom line is that we need to continuously evolve with time.
How can we do that?
Some tips to ponder:
Embrace a growth mindset: Keep learning, evolving, and improving.
Be open to feedback: It might help you to identify your blind spots.
Identify areas for improvement: Reflect on the skills, habits, and attitudes that have helped you succeed so far, and then identify the ones that you need to develop to achieve your future goals.
And lastly, stop blaming others and external factors. It’s about you and only you can make that change!
Remember, you have to be willing to take risks, try new things, and push yourself beyond your limits to achieve greater success!
Is it success, fame, or wealth? Or is to achieve spiritual enlightenment? Or is to leave a positive impact on the world?
Ok, you have achieved success, fame, and wealth.
You have also reached the stage of spiritual enlightenment.
And yes, you have done something that leaves a positive impact on the world.
But at the end of the day, if you remain unhappy then do all these achievements make any sense? In fact, at the core of all these aspirations is a single, fundamental desire: Happiness!
Happiness is a universal goal that every human being seeks. It is the driving force behind all our actions, the reason why we wake up every day and pursue our dreams.
Do you know happiness is so crucial to our well-being that it has been recognized as a fundamental human right by the United Nations?
But then what is happiness, exactly?
Many people mistake happiness for pleasure or momentary joy! They believe that happiness is something that can be bought or achieved through external means, such as wealth, power, or material possessions. However, these sources of happiness are often fleeting and temporary, and they can soon lead to feelings of emptiness or dissatisfaction.
True happiness, on the other hand, is a state of being that comes from within. It is a sense of contentment and fulfillment that is not dependent on external circumstances. It is a deep and lasting sense of well-being that is not easily swayed by the ups and downs of life.
So, how can we achieve this kind of happiness?
The answer lies in developing a positive mindset and cultivating inner peace. We must learn to accept ourselves as we are, to embrace our strengths and weaknesses, and to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives.
Another important factor in achieving happiness is finding a sense of purpose or meaning in our lives. This can come from pursuing a career that we are passionate about, volunteering for a cause that we believe in, or simply engaging in activities that bring us joy and fulfillment.
Does failures make you more resilient and better prepared to achieve success?
Resilience is essential for personal growth and success, as it allows individuals to face challenges and overcome adversity. In a world that is constantly changing, resilience enables individuals to adapt and thrive, even in the face of uncertainty and stress.
For individuals, resilience is important because it helps them to cope with stress and adversity, and maintain a positive outlook even in the face of challenges. When individuals are resilient, they are better able to manage stress, overcome obstacles, and maintain their mental and emotional well-being.
How can you be more resilient?
Factors that Influence Resilience
Personal Characteristics: Personal characteristics such as optimism, a positive outlook, and a strong sense of self-worth play a critical role in resilience. Individuals who are optimistic and have a positive outlook are better able to cope with stress and adversity, and maintain their mental and emotional well-being.
Life Experiences: Life experiences, such as childhood experiences and exposure to stress and trauma, can also play a role in resilience. Individuals who have experienced stress and trauma in their lives often develop stronger coping mechanisms and a greater capacity to withstand stress and adversity.
Support Systems: Support systems, such as family, friends, and community, play a critical role in resilience. Individuals who have strong support systems are better able to cope with stress and adversity, and maintain their mental and emotional well-being.
Coping Mechanisms: Positive coping mechanisms, such as exercise, mindfulness, and seeking support from others, play a critical role in resilience. These coping mechanisms can help individuals to manage stress, overcome obstacles, and maintain their mental and emotional well-being.
How can you be more resilient?
Building Resilience
Building resilience is a process that requires individuals to develop specific skills and attitudes. Here are some strategies for building resilience:
Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of bringing one’s attention to the present moment. When individuals are mindful, they are better able to manage stress and maintain their mental and emotional well-being. Mindfulness can be practiced through activities such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises.
Develop a Positive Outlook: Developing a positive outlook is critical for building resilience. Individuals who have a positive outlook are better able to cope with stress and adversity, and maintain their mental and emotional well-being. A positive outlook can be developed through activities such as positive self-talk, gratitude practices, and focusing on solutions rather than problems.
Seek Support: Seeking support from others is critical for building resilience. Individuals who have strong support systems are better able to cope with stress and adversity.
Pointers to keep in mind
Self-awareness: Understanding your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values.
Mindfulness: Cultivating awareness of the present moment and reducing stress.
Positive self-talk: Reframing negative thoughts and beliefs into positive ones.
Social support: Building and maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and community.
Problem-solving skills: Developing effective strategies for coping with challenges.
Flexibility: Being open to new perspectives and adaptable to changing circumstances.
Healthy habits: Taking care of physical and mental health through exercise, nutritious eating, and adequate sleep.
Gratitude: Fostering a positive outlook by focusing on what you are thankful for.
Sense of purpose: Finding meaning and fulfilment in life through personal values, passions, and goals.
Persistence: Maintaining determination and perseverance in the face of obstacles and setbacks.
