TOWARDS SELF GROWTH -TSG 4

TOWARDS SELF GROWTH -TSG 4
Taking advice is a different proposition.
Giving advice comes easily to many of us.
This later tendency can be capitalized.
When we meet people – they can be chosen people – we can ask them: What is that I am doing now that I can do better, smoother, faster? What are a few things I am not doing now but that I can take up for consideration?
We are free to do with the ideas and the suggestions the way we like.
What we get is a chance to view possibilities.
We get the benefit of what is described as ‘possibility thinking’.

TOWARDS SEEDS OF ENTERPRISE 4

TOWARDS SEEDS OF ENTERPRISE – TSE – 4
RECENT STORIES OF ENTERPRISES

Fairly regularly, Economic Times publishes stories of recent enterprises.

It is possible other economic papers do the same, at least from time to time.

They may be collected, edited, annotated, translated and published as a volume from time to time.

The emphasis can be on enterprises with small investment.

One major mental block is that people associate enterprises with big money. Hence this thought.

TOWARDS HUMAN EXCELLENCE – T H E 4

THE 4
AN EXPERIENCE WITH A GROUP

In the sixties, a group met every month to exchange news and notes of excellence interest.

For example, one month we heard the story of a couple who were doing some excellent work in the Malavli village.

Thanks to their intervention, the average yearly income of the poor households doubled!

The couple were from Bombay – the lady was workinh for the AG office and her husband for the western railway.

They happened to listen to a talk of Vinoba Bhave and they were so moved that they decided to quit their job and work for these hapless people.

At one of the discussions following such meetings it was observed that the positive energy level of those who attended the meetings went up and stayed that way for quite a few days.

In other words, even hearing a good human excellence story is a paying proposition.

TOWARDS SELF GROWTH – TSG III

TOWARDS SELF GROWTH – TSG 3
From the time we get up to the time we go to bed, we are doing one thing or another.
Each one of them lends itself to review and revision.
With or without someone else’s help.
When we do that, what we do and how we do will have a degree of freshness.
So often, we do the same things the same way.
We tend to be mechanical in that sense.
This need not be.
There is much promise before us.
When we do what we are not currently doing, it is more so.

TOWARDS SEEDS OF ENTERPRISE 3

TOWARDS SEEDS OF ENTERPRISE – TSE –3
This can be an item of discussion when we meet people.

We can ask: What enterprise will make for a better life?

For a few or many is secondary.

A supplementary question can be: Does this enterprise or close to it exist elsewhere in the world?

A logical next question will be:

Can we start it with or without anyone’s help?

And when will be the inauguration?

TSE 2

TOWARDS SEEDS OF ENTERPIRSE 2
Enterprise means productive employment,
More enterprises mean more opportunities for employment.
Such enterprises surface each day in many places
I wish the dailies spot them and splash them as welcome news.
Not in a stray way but in a special way.
The special way will mean collecting such stories and placing them in one place.
The special can also mean a special display.
It can also highlight what human need the enterprise is addressing.

TOWARDS SELF GROWTH – TSG II

TSG II

We can take to the practice of writing a diary.

The theme of the diary can be the self-examination we did that day.

I say that day because it may not be every day.

The act may not be big or small.

It is the thought, it is the action of review that matters.

Such a thought may lead us to an insight, to a finding.

Our hindsight can prove to be someone’s foresight.

This someone can be just a family member.

This may well be one of our contributions to posterity.

T H E I –2

T H E I –2
A story is told of Dharmaputra and Duryodana, leading characters in the epic Mahabharata.

Both were visiting their common friend and counselor Krishna, one after the other, for a consultation.

Krishna told them: “I will think about it. Meanwhile, please go around this town and spot some people about whom you can say a good word.”

Duryodana returned first. “What a horrid job you gave me, Krishna! I cannot spot a SINGLE PERSON about whom I can say a good word.”

I am sorry you have to on this wasteful errand, said Krishna.

Dharmaputa returned smiling. “What a pleasant job you gave me! I cannot find a single person about whom I CANNOT say a good word. Every one is great in one or more ways.”

We may consider doing daily this exercise – the exercising of finding someone about whom we can say a good word, a big, good word.

Some one is doing some job very well. Many people are doing some jobs very well.

If we keep our eyes open, we can find them.

And then we will have something, someone to talk about.

TOWARDS SELF GROWTH – TSG I

TOWARDS SELF GROWTH – TSG I

“Life unexamined is not worth living.”

This pregnant saying is attributed to Socrates.

What can be the logic?

When we so examine, we tend to reinforce what needs to be reinforced and to revise what needs to be revised..

This examination is preferably self examination.

And why?

When others do it, however politely, we tend to resist, rebel, react.

Much of what we do now deserves to be continued. They are time-tested. Tradition has helped us to preserve them and benefit from them.

Even so, we need to reexamine because some of them may be outdated and some may have even become counterproductive in the current context.

TOWARDS HUMAN EXCELLENCE – T H E 1

HUMAN EXCELLENCE – T H E 1

Look for excellence.
Spot acts of excellence.
Look at them squarely.
Share the good news with many.
Encourage excellence wherever possible

These five steps look simple.
In actual life, they are hard.

They are hard because we are bombarded by negative news. We are almost blocked from the positive. We sort of get addicted to the negative. We become impervious to the positive.

When do take these steps, consciously, systematically, and continually, we experience one benefit and that is our energy level becomes higher.

TOWARDS SEEDS OF ENTERPIRSE – TSE-1

TOWARDS SEEDS OF ENTERPIRSE – TSE-1

Creating blesses him that gives and him that takes,

Creating is a human privilege.

Let us exercise this privilege in whatever way we can.

The human needs are many. A good number of them have been met.

There is still a large and increasing number, not met.

We can spot them. We can also start them.

When we do that, we exercise the privilege we are heir to.

TANJORE DOLL (Bommai)

TANJORE DOLL (Bommai)

What is this Tanjore doll?
It is a clay doll made in Tamilnadu, India.
It has one unique characteristic.
When we push it down, it seemingly obliges - it bends. It rocks a little and almost instantly gets back to its height!

I keep the doll on my desk and call it my guru, my guide. It constantly reminds me on how I may meet some of my life’s challenges

It says: There are outer forces and inner strengths. Know their existence and relative power. And act suitably.

Being knocked down you cannot avoid but staying knocked down you can well avoid. Know and exercise your privilege.

WHERE WE ARE NOT GOOD AT

We tend to do more and more of things where we are good at.  And this is okay.

We tend to avoid things where we are not good at. And this may not be to our advantage.

It may not be to our advantage because we do less and less of it to start with and avoid it altogether at a time.

Then we may have to pay a heavy price.

Being humans we cannot be good in all areas.

Being humans we can certainly attempt many things with appropriate help.

A common example is personal finance. Good help is available in plenty.

One guideline I have found useful. Become aware of areas where I am not naturally good at. And avoid short changing. Thus, If I am good at a thing only 10 per cent, let me make sure it does not become 9 per cent.  Preventing worse can mean assuring better.

To save a lot of bother

To save a lot of bother, we can remember the Sanskrit saying "loko binna ruchi",

The saying reads: Tastes differ.

It talks of a ruling reality.

When we consciously concede this, we do not get bothered by one action or another, one way or another.

Often we are tempted to say: Why are they like this?  Why are they not like us?

These a re unrealistic questions.

They are as they are just as we are as  we are.

We can well save bother for ourselves and others if we concede this reality consciously.

Also, we can feel pleasantly surprised if in some respects some are "like" us.

Two great guidelines

Smruti and Shruti are two great guidelines.

Smruti refers to what is currently desirable.

Shruti refers to what is continually desirable.

Smruti will have to be reviewed and may be revised from time to time, and place to place.

Shruti holds true for all time and all places.

We tend to mix up the two.

One simple example of Shruti will be: Speak the truth.

And of Smruti: Marry your daughters before they reach the 12th year. (This incidentally was initiated when there were invaders galore who were looking for virgins),

A prayer of serenity.

It reads:

O Lord, give me the courage to change what I can change.
And the serenity to accept what I cannot change.
In addition, give me the wisdom to know the difference between what I CAN change and what I cannot.

This prayer when 'answered' can make a difference in one's life.

Often we either lack the courage or the serenity or the wisdom.

One way to live this prayer  is to use the guideline of 'Control the controllable'.

The guideline is helped by a grid:

Controllable - am controlling - Q1
Controllable - am not controlling - Q2
Not controllable - attempting to control - Q3
Not controllable - not attempting to control -Q4