Thursday, December 18, 2008

Don't call yourself a LEADER, if don't know to follow direction yourselfDon't call yourself a LEADER, if don't know to follow direction yourself

Dear Friends,

I don't think that any one is capable of giving direction, unless he or she knows how to take direction and carry them. Today the key issue that we face in many organizations are, we seldom find leaders who follow directions that are laid down but expect people down the line to do so - WHY?

An essential quality of leadership is developing the ability to persuade others to align their goals with yours and those of the organization. Until you, yourself, are able to join forces with others in the pursuit of a common objective, you will never persuade them to join your cause.

Effective leaders recognize the value of working together, and they learn how to follow directions before being entrusted with the responsibility for the performance of others. Good leaders show by example how they expect others to behave. Even though the troops may be trained to follow orders unquestioningly, the officer always leads them into battle.

You cannot push others to follow your example; you must pull them along with you. When you show by your every word and deed that you are a person of character, one who works for the greater good of the entire organization, your people will follow.

We all need to REFLECT and assess the same.

Cheers,

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Beating the slowdown blues

Ever thought about spending a penny to save a Rupee.  

Sounds a great proposition, especially when recession is on upward swing & markets are hitting rock bottom.  So as our oldies said, money saved is money earned holds particularly true in today’s scenario, when cost cutting is the new mantra. 

So, to untangle one from the clutches of recession, a new service is launched, moneysaver, brainchild of 2 young entrepreneurs, Kunal Bahl & Rohit Bansal, who aspired to make every brand affordable for everyone by offering hundreds of discount coupons & buy  one get one free coupons on branded apparels, fine dining, casual dining, movies, entertainment etc.  

Moneysaver is a service that comes in handy to consumers as its affordable (Just Rs 100 monthly), accessible (Just a sms away), Available (More than 200 outlets where one can buy moneysaver recharge card.) & every month, subscribers are kept abreast with the latest offers through monthly catalogue. 

The entire model is based on the simple fact that everyone loves to strike a deal, to make a bargain and avail a discount. The research which their focus group discussions revealed was that Indian customers are not price sensitive, they are value sensitive. The perceive value not on the basis of whether they are getting the product cheap but if they are getting it cheaper. Money Saver stretches the concept to make it a win-win for all by feeding on ’dependencies’. Aiming to reach a target group of 15 million potential booklet buyers comprising young professionals, college students and housewives they know that this is exactly the same group that the expanding pool of retailers is trying to reach across the country. There website called www.moneysaver.in is full of such great offers.

Not only Moneysaver, but other companies are also trying to utilize SMS, Bluetooth, mobile websites, to cost effectively reach customers.  Bluetooth companies such as Telebrahma and CellMagix have been promoting offers and content to consumers inside malls, by sending information directly to Bluetooth activated phones.  

Monday, December 15, 2008

Obstacles are stepping stone to success

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I was talking to one of my colleagues on why its important to look at all obstacles as challenges or stepping stones and then I hit upon this article.


Wally Amos, the man whom many consider to be the father of the gourmet cookie industry, has turned lemons into lemonade so often in his life, that in his official portrait he holds a pitcher in one hand and a glass of lemonade in the other.
A perennial optimist, Amos refuses to acknowledge that obstacles are anything other than stepping-stones to success. In a career that has spanned several decades, he has made it to the pinnacle of success several times, only to lose everything and be forced to start over. But he's never lost faith. "You have to have the trust and faith to let go and not agonize," he says.

So we know what to do now - If Life hands you a lemon, don't complain, but instead make lemonade to sell to those who are thirsty from complaining.

Let's not waste our time worrying. Worry is not preparation. Analyze the situation and focus on solutions. There is always an answer and its only there with us.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Drifting without aim will lead you nowhere

Dear friends,

Without a plan for your life, it is easier to follow the course of least resistance, to go with the flow, to drift with the current with no particular destination in mind. Having a definite plan for your life greatly simplifies the process of making hundreds of daily decisions that affect your ultimate success.

When you know where you want to go, you can quickly decide if your actions are moving you toward your goal or away from it. Without definite, precise goals and a plan for their achievement, each decision must be considered in a vacuum. Definiteness of purpose provides context and allows you to relate specific actions to your overall plan.


Cheers,

Thursday, December 11, 2008

There's always a NEW beginning

Dear Friends,

THERE ALWAYS REMAINS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A NEW START.

Though it may not seem so when you first encounter a serious blow, you can never lose two of the most important assets you have. These are the power of your mind and your freedom to use it.

Once you have turned them to understanding what laid you low, you can begin forming new plans. You may not have the money you once had; you may lack the allies you had cultivated. But you still have the benefit of
a universe that eventually rewards honest effort, as well as gaining the experience of mistakes you will never make again.

Remember, no matter where you are now, whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. Protect the most important thing you have - YOU


Cheers,

B

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Self pity - a curse

Dear friends,

SELF-PITY IS AN OPIATE.

The most insidious problem with drugs is that the human body develops a tolerance for them and requires larger and larger doses to achieve the same effect. The same is true with self-pity. The more you allow yourself to indulge in it, the more you will require. Soon, self-pity will become a habit, one so debilitating that you will rob yourself of all the potential you possess.

Happily, there is a cure. If you truly analyze the situation, most often you will find that the problems that have driven you to pity yourself are mostly of your own creation. It follows, then, that the best person to remedy the problem is the person who created it: you yourself.


Cheers,

B

Monday, December 8, 2008

Failure - A reason to Change

Dear Friends,

FAILURE IS A BLESSING WHEN IT PUSHES US OUT OF A CUSHIONED SEAT OF SELF-SATISFACTION AND FORCES US TO DO SOMETHING USEFUL.

If you carefully study your own life and those of achievers whom you admire, it is an absolute certainty you will discover that your greatest opportunities often occurred during times of adversity. It is only when faced with the possibility of failure that we are willing to deal with radical change and take the risks that lead to great success.

When you experience temporary failure and you know that it is temporary, you can capitalize on the opportunities adversity always brings. It all depends on the individual and his take on accepting failure in a positive manner.

If everything we attempted in life were achieved with a minimum of effort and came out exactly as planned, how little we would learn-and how boring life would be! And how arrogant we would become if we succeeded at everything we attempted.

Failure allows us to develop the essential quality of humility. It is not easy (when you are the person experiencing failure) to accept it philosophically, serene in the knowledge that this is one of life's great learning experiences. But it is.

Nature's ways are not always easily understood, but they are repetitive and therefore predictable. You can be absolutely certain that when you feel you are being most unfairly tested, you are being prepared for great achievement.

regards,

B

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Two choices

Two Choices

What would you do?

You make the choice.

Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway.

My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fund-raising  dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the  father of one of the students delivered a speech that would  never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my  son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and  physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys, Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?'
I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father, I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much), if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team  shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In  the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other  team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball  to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the  bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay  reached  third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the  boys. from  both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the  'natural order of things.'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a
choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those
opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said "Every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them".

Life a mixture of Love and Understanding

Dear Friends,

I was actually thinking about what to write on LIFE, when I hit upon this beautiful story and the same is about LIFE, LOVE and UNDERSTANDING (written by Steve Goodier). This is something that every Man and Woman should go through - they will understand the importance of each other in their life.

You've heard it said: "Love is patient and kind." If love is patient, it may be because love is truly understanding.

Do you know what the most common craving is among pregnant women? (I'm sure this is factual.) The most common craving among pregnant women is not spicy food, pickles or ice cream. Not even close.

It is for MEN to get pregnant. Why? Because then they would know what it is like! Then they might be more patient.

What most women need during times of cravings, discomfort, swollen ankles and morning sickness is... understanding. Much of our conflict is simply misunderstanding.


As a new bride, one woman moved into the small home on her husband's ranch in the mountains. She put a shoe box on a shelf in her closet and asked her husband never to touch it.

For 50 years he left the box alone, until his life partner was old and dying. One day when he was putting their affairs in order, he found the box again and thought it might hold something important. Opening it, he discovered two doilies and $82,500 in cash. He took the box to her and asked about the contents. "My mother gave me that box the day we married," she explained. "She told me to make a doily to help ease my frustrations every time I got mad at you." Her husband was touched that in 50 years she'd only been upset enough to make two doilies. "What's the $82,500 for?" he asked. She explained, "Oh, well that's the money I've made selling the doilies." (Pity isn't it - We men don't understand our women very well)

Marge Piercy beautifully said, "Life is the first gift, love is the second and understanding is the third." But it is love that gives us life and understanding that brings about love. Making dollies might take your mind off the problem, but it won't change anything. The path from conflict to love is not by way of arts and crafts. It is through the valley of understanding.  


Cheers,

B

Alter your Attitude

Dear Friends

The greatest discovery of this generation is that a Human being can alter their LIFE by altering their attitude.
I believe this all my heart and over the years have seen it happen as well. What most people fail to realise is that, your attitude not only impact your happiness and your success, it also can impact the happiness and success of people (friends and family) around you.
Attitude truly are contagious. And from time to time, we need to ask ourselves...... "Is mine worth CATCHING"

Cheers,

B

Be n control

Dear friends,

Human faults are like garden weeds. They grow without cultivation and soon take over the place if they aren't thinned out.

Habits are formed so slowly that most of us don't realize what is happening until the habits are too strongly entrenched to be broken. Seldom can one pattern of behavior be eliminated without replacing it with another. It has been said that nature abhors a vacuum and will always find something to fill a void.

The best way to thin out the "weeds," or faults in your character, is to identify those traits with which you are dissatisfied and replace them with their positive counterparts. If you have a tendency to lose your temper, for example, find a replacement for your anger. Neutralize it with a positive expression or affirmation such as, No one can make me angry unless I let them. I will not let anyone else control my emotions.

Cheers,

B

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Its your positive mind that will help you achieve anything

SUCCESS ATTRACTS SUCCESS AND FAILURE ATTRACTS FAILURE BECAUSE OF THE LAW OF HARMONIOUS ATTRACTION.

In physics, positives attract negatives and vice versa, but in human relationships the opposite is true. Negative people attract only other negative people, while positive thinkers attract like-minded individuals. You will find that when you begin to achieve success more successes will follow. This is the law of harmonious attraction.

Train your mind to visualize yourself achieving a certain goal - whatever you most desire. Then use self-suggestion to persuade your subconscious mind that you can achieve your goal, and put your plan into action.
When you use the tools that you have at your disposal to prepare yourself for success and visualize yourself as having already reached your objective, you can achieve any reasonable goal that you set for yourself.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Be open to CRITICISM

Dear Friends,


MOST OF US DON'T MIND BEING TOLD OF OUR FAULTS IF THE CRITIC IS GENEROUS ENOUGH TO MIX IN A FEW OF OUR VIRTUES AS WELL - In other words, a lot of us don't like to be criticised. We feel, we know it all. (Start questioning this attitude, if you aren't still)

It's a normal reaction to defend ourselves and our behavior when someone criticizes us - even if we secretly recognize that what we're being told is correct.

Those who achieve great success in life, however, are those who have learned to set aside their emotions and learn from others, even when the message is unpleasant. If you find yourself being evaluated by someone else, tell yourself that criticism of some aspect of your performance is not a personal attack. Control your emotional reaction and adopt useful ideas even though you may dislike the manner in which the information is delivered.

Accepting CRITICISM will bring the best out of you - something that you have not even thought of.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Relationship is the KEY to success

Dear Friends,

ALL ENDURING SUCCESS IS FOUNDED UPON HARMONIOUS HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.

Most of us are incapable of "going it alone" - (Are there any who believe they have been RAMBO's in their life). Whether it is in our careers, our personal relationships or in life, we all need others (team or a companion), if we are to achieve the level of success we desire. Besides, what's the point of having it all, if we have no one we care about to share it?

You may choose to work with others, you may ignore them, or you may choose to work against them, but the greatest successes in life come to those who work harmoniously with others. When your personal goals coincide with those of another, not only does the power of your combined labors benefit you, but such cooperation also creates a synergistic effect that allows you to achieve far more than the simple sum of your individual efforts.

Remember that "friendship freely given and gratefully received is one of life's greatest gifts".


Cheers,

B

Don't Give Up

Dear Friends,

I BELIEVE, EDISON FAILED 10,000 TIMES BEFORE PERFECTING THE INCANDESCENT ELECTRIC LIGHTBULB.
DON'T WORRY IF YOU FAIL ONCE.

Arguably America's greatest inventor, Thomas Edison had an extraordinarily positive perception of life that greatly enhanced his ability as an inventory. When others might have been hopelessly discouraged after failing thousands of times in an attempt to develop an electric light, the great Edison simply viewed each unsuccessful experiment as the elimination of a solution that wouldn't work, thereby moving him that much closer to a successful solution.

We could all take a lesson from Edison. Stories abound about inventors who quit trying and gave up too soon or miners who struck gold just a few feet beyond where someone else quit digging. There are few obstacles in life that will not succumb to consistent, sustained, intelligent, positive action. When you are discouraged after you've failed at something, remember Edison's 10,000 failures before he arrived at the solution that forever changed the world.

I am sure that this would change our lives. Failure is a reality and we only learn through failure thus don't fear but look at the same in the positive light and you will succeed.


Cheers,

B

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Relationship is a key to Success

Dear Friends,

ALL ENDURING SUCCESS IS FOUNDED UPON HARMONIOUS HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.

Most of us are incapable of "going it alone" - (Are there any who believe they have been RAMBO's in their life). Whether it is in our careers, our personal relationships or in life, we all need others (team or a companion), if we are to achieve the level of success we desire. Besides, what's the point of having it all, if we have no one we care about to share it?

You may choose to work with others, you may ignore them, or you may choose to work against them, but the greatest successes in life come to those who work harmoniously with others. When your personal goals coincide with those of another, not only does the power of your combined labors benefit you, but such cooperation also creates a synergistic effect that allows you to achieve far more than the simple sum of your individual efforts.

Remember that "friendship freely given and gratefully received is one of life's greatest gifts".

Monday, November 10, 2008

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Dear Friends,

Its been a long time since I last sent some good thoughts. High time for me to get into some action to uplift my own spirits and YOURS.


A GOOD FISHERMAN GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO BAIT HIS HOOK WITH WHAT THE FISH PREFER - WHICH MIGHT NOT BE A BAD TIP FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO SUCCEED IN HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.

Just as in a conversation its a good idea to listen more than you talk, it is also wise in relationships to think about the well-being of others more than you think about your own wishes and desires. When you constantly strive to treat others in the same way you would like them to treat you, you become a person whom others like to be around, one who commands their respect, confidence, and loyalty.

When you learn to manage emotions and your ego, and when you learn to always consider the needs and desires of others, it is inevitable that you will "bait your hook" with kindness and consideration, and catch more friends than you can count.

Any takers.....

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Have clear focused objectives in LIFE to move ahead

Dear Friends,

If you don't know what you want from LIFE, what do you think, you will get?

The great majority of people in the world drift through life, never realizing that their future will be the one they create for themselves. The minority who achieve great success are people who know what they want and have a plan for realizing their objectives. They know what they want and how they are going to get it.

Your goals should be specific, they should be measurable, they should have a deadline for their achievement, and they should be divided into manageable pieces. Know exactly what you plan to achieve, when you plan to achieve it, and how. Review your progress regularly, correct your course when necessary, and never, never give up.

If you are ever to achieve noteworthy success in your life, you must be willing to stand apart from the crowd.

Success is something that is achieved by the minority, not the majority, of people. You will also discover as you climb the ladder of success that there are many who, out of jealousy or envy, will belittle your achievements. Nevertheless, if you have the courage of your convictions, nothing can deter you from your course.

You develop confidence in your beliefs by doing your own thinking and by constantly testing and revising your knowledge.

Use W. Clement Stone's R2A2 Principle to Recognize and Relate, Assimilate and Apply information from any field to help solve your problems and direct your thinking.

The ThinkIng Fruit

Dear Friends,

No one could ride a Horse if the Horse discovered its real strength. The same applies for people as well.

We all know that horses are massive, gentle creatures who are by far larger and stronger than men and women who handle them, yet they docilely obey the commands they are given. It doesn’t seem logical that a large, powerful animal would
allow itself to be mastered by a human being, yet we have been able to use
our intelligence to dominate the animal kingdom.

The learning out here is we can use these same forces to allow the positive side of ourself to dominate the negative. A Positive mental attitude allows us to tap the source of great power that
resides within us, enabling us to accomplish things we never before believed were possible.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Thought of the Day

Dear Friends,

No one could ride a Horse if the Horse discovered its real strength. The same applies for people as well.

We all know that horses are massive, gentle creatures who are by far larger and stronger than men and women who handle them, yet they docilely obey the commands they are given. It doesn’t seem logical that a large, powerful animal would
allow itself to be mastered by a human being, yet we have been able to use
our intelligence to dominate the animal kingdom.

The learning out here is we can use these same forces to allow the positive side of ourself to dominate the negative. A Positive mental attitude allows us to tap the source of great power that
resides within us, enabling us to accomplish things we never before believed were possible.