My Learnings……My Transformations

 

Choiceless state

In mythology it is said that Rama was a choiceless state for Hanuman. He refused to go to “Vaikuntam” as Rama would not be there in that form. There are certain things in life which we can choose not to do, but there are certain things that we must do, no matter what. Do you have any practices or a routine that you will adhere to and give yourself no other alternative? Well, Meditation, exercise, my annual spiritual retreat, Sunday morning “satsang,” writing a blog every week, eating healthy food, writing a gratitude journal every day, investing quality time with the family, reaching out to people in times of need, are all a choiceless state for me. Not reacting to negative actions, not retaliating to allegations, trusting humanity all over again after being betrayed, are all a choiceless state.

Do not give yourself an alternative choice for something that is good for you, which you have to do on a daily basis.

Sleep is something I still love. But waking up at 4.30am, doing yoga and meditating on a daily basis is helping me to contribute a lot more to the world and has made life so much more beautiful. Why would I give myself a choice to miss my daily routine even for a single day? I have made what is necessary, compulsory in my life.

Subordinate your likes and dislikes to the purpose of your life

Most of the children may be tempted to run towards their mobile or switch on the television or use their computers to play games as soon as they come back from school. It is their way of unwinding. There are some who will refrain from doing all of these as they would have prioritized to do what is most important.

I too have learnt to take up that which is important, whether I like it or not, as I know that my likes and dislikes cannot come in the way of achieving my goal. Individual interest has to be sacrificed for larger interest. Over the years, putting others ahead of me comes naturally to me. Today I don’t feel I am sacrificing my sleep or giving up my comfort zone, or not going out with my friends, because of my work. Rather I am enjoying what I am doing, and happy that I am making my life count. I am not missing any of these.

In order to achieve growth in professional and personal life, to be healthy, to contribute to the world, to become a champion, we need to prioritize and let go of the trivial pleasures of life that will take us nowhere.

As mahatria says, “What is most important should not be at the mercy of what is least important.”

Start loving what is good for you. You will find yourself indulging in it more often.

Do it consistently and you will find yourself doing what is right.

Then you will begin to look up to yourself. That will be the beginning of a life of purpose, and you will attain a choiceless state

What are your ways of attaining a choiceless state? I would love to hear your thoughts on these. 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 

My Learnings……My Transformations

Who is feeding your mind?

A good performer becoming mediocre, a good relationship turning sour, an honest person becoming a cheat, a happy person becoming unhappy, are all due to a change in mind. If our mind is susceptible to external influence, consistent progress is doubtful, a happy and peaceful life is at stake. Unless our mind is powerful, we cannot make our own decisions. We will be people dependent. Also, our confidence level has to be high and our self-image has to be good. Then we can handle external pressures.

From the time my spiritual guru became my inner voice, I have been able to navigate through the vicissitudes of life. Meditation has helped me to develop a powerful mind. Whether it is my professional life or my personal life, I keep away from people who are toxic. When we can do so much good to the world or grow rapidly in our professional life, why should we make the wrong choices?

Beware and be aware of the company you keep…Entertain only positive thoughts and conversations. Be guarded about what goes into your head. Unknowingly we get sucked into negative talk.

Acceptance….

“What is, is. What is not, is not.” A very powerful statement. I realized that even if I cry or scream hoarse I cannot change people or situations in my life. There is no use asking, “But why?” Disappointments are a part of life, so are setbacks. People may talk at your back. Apart from leaving you disturbed, there is no remedy for these things. The best thing we can do is, not get emotionally attached to people who don’t care for our feelings. I have learnt to be cordial and polite to such people. My level of acceptance has gone up considerably. There are no ill-feelings whatsoever. I have learnt to accept and move on, even though there have been temporary disturbances. I try and come out of it sooner than later.

When things don’t go as per my plan, or when situations are not favourable, I do my best and leave the rest to God. I have had experiences in the past when my plans did not work, and I was very much upset.  But today, I have learnt to wait calmly in anticipation.

“God upsets your plans so that He can implement His plan, and His plans are always good for you.”

These are two of my transformations that I wished to share with you. It did take me a few years to reach here. I was nowhere close to this in my growing up years. It was providence that I was introduced to spirituality at the right time. That has made life so peaceful for me.

You be the most important person in your life. Your happiness and peace should be a premium.

I invite the readers to share their views, thoughts and perspectives. 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 

 

HAPPINESS IS THE WAY

 

Are you wondering why some people are very happy? Whether they have something which we do not have. What could that special ingredient be?

Well, I feel a compelling need to share the early years of my life. My life revolved around my son. Motherhood is something I eagerly looked forward to. I always wished to be a homemaker and take care of the family.

But a couple of years after I had my son, I had to join school. I was very new to the profession, learning how to run a school, at the same time, my little son, all of two years, needed my attention, he being the apple of my eye. I had health issues and also challenges in my work place. But nothing stopped me from enjoying motherhood, though it took me a while to achieve work-life balance.

I never felt the need to watch television, or go out with my friends or watch a movie. I did not miss any of these. My happiness has always lain in supporting my son in his growing up years and nurturing my students in school.

I could have chosen to either complain or be happy. What I choose will decide the quality of my life.

If complaining is our nature, if we are constantly finding fault with the world, if we are carrying a baggage from the past, if we are looking only at the negative aspects of life, if we are always judging the actions of  people and getting ego involved with them, or if we are wallowing in self-pity, we are sure to be unhappy in life.

It is up to us to find our happiness. Don’t hand over the keys of your happiness to the world.

Being with children in school gives me happiness. If you enjoy what you are doing, there will be no stress in life.

My happiness is not dependent on what people talk, or how they perceive me, or whether things work out in my favor. I have decided to gift myself a happy life. Who else will give me happiness besides my own self?

“Nothing for happiness; everything out of happiness.

There is no way to happiness

Happiness is the way.”

I am sure you too have your happiness zone. For some it is cooking, for some it is gardening, while some enjoy playing a game, painting, writing, dancing or singing. We can create our own happiness.

We invariably search for happiness in the world outside. Little do we know that it is within us and in the small things of life. Unhappiness is our reaction to life. Let us be grateful for what we are blessed with. An ungrateful heart can never see the good things in life.

A few tips on living a happy life;

>Develop a positive mindset

>Practice gratitude and mindfulness

>Sit in meditation

> Connect with nature

>Laugh and have fun

>Practice self-love

>Celebrate your blessings

>Adjust, Appreciate and Accept

Happiness is a state of mind. Let’s fill our space with happiness. Everybody would love to nestle close to a happy person. Walk around with a smile and remind yourself that you are going to leave the world happier than you found it.

According to the Bhagavad-Gita, true happiness isn’t found in fleeting external pleasures or material possessions, but in inner peace, self-realization, and a life aligned with one’s true purpose and spiritual growth.

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 

AND THE CAUSE CHOSE ME

HE sends you

Whispering a PURPOSE 

In your ear.

The earthly life

Takes over

And the journey begins…

 

In the din of life,

And the sights you behold,

The whisper is forgotten,

As emotions take hold,

And you live

In a world of Pain & Pleasure.

 

Then came a game changer

Of choosing

To be a leader.

Oh! how I dreaded

To be an Educator.

My smile froze!!!

Yet

Courageously I ventured

Into the unknown

Feeling sad & forlorn.

 

Time flitted…

Unbounded joy

And happiness engulfed

I was no more

The one I was.

Every moment

Every heartbeat

Took me closer to HIM…

 

Every day became my Valentine’s Day

And I rejoiced

In the love 

Of the little Angels

Who became 

The PURPOSE of my Life.

The whisper was loud & clear.

 

With overwhelming Gratitude

I looked up towards HIM

In prayerfulness

Tears trickling

Whispering…

“Thank you for choosing me

As Thy Instrument

I am truly, truly, Blessed.”

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 
 

ARE WE BEING RESPONSIBLE?

I follow a particular podcaster. Though young, he has impressed me with his maturity and spiritual alignment. He has been interviewing the top personalities in all fields. From a spiritual master to a politician to a vedic scholar to an industrialist to a Bollywood actor. You name them and he has interviewed them. He has grown considerably over the years and has become an influencer.

Suddenly, to the dismay of all his followers, he was found to be part of a show in which he asked a very provocative question to a contestant, and what was shocking was the vulgarity of the question that he asked in the name of humour, forgetting who he was and his influence on the younger generation.  His words were crass and vulgar and would have made his mother cringe and hang her head down in shame. Her son got carried away and did not exhibit responsible behavior.

Is this the society in which we live! Have all moral values vanished and become extinct? Young children, who use the social media, are exposed to such shows and the impact it can have on them cannot be reversed, sometimes. It can have an irreversible damage on the younger generation. Are we aware of it?

The people in their immediate surroundings are, their parents. If we wish to create a better world, we have the responsibility to take care of our behavior. It is frightening to hear about the influence of media on the younger generation. Gone are the days when we used to see changes in children’s behavior at the onset of puberty. Now it is astonishing to see children at the age of six becoming physical with each other! This may be because they are watching adult movies or serials.

It has been worrying me for some time. How do we bring back that innocence in the six- year old? An earnest appeal to parents. You need to invest a lot of time with your children, young and old, for them to be aligned in life. They are the future. None of us wants a perverted society. If we wish to live in a world where there is peace, happiness, trust, safety, morality, beautiful relationships, and a threat free environment, parents have to play their part.

Only parents can be the game -changers in a world that is fast losing its credibility. Parenting should not be delegated.

Children are becoming more volatile in their behavior. This is because they do not get quality family time. They spend long hours with gadgets, on social media, in front of the television, in the company of friends, rather than with their parents. The loving touch of a parent is missing. So also, the much-needed hug.

From their childhood we should give them a direction in life by involving them in productive activities, so that we reduce their screen time.

This will help them to align themselves to the goals that they set for themselves. We do not want our children to lose track in life. We wish them well. But if we do not take the required efforts, we are sure to lose them.

With all the wrong exposure and the influence of the peer group, there are chances that they may go astray.

Invest quality time with children and that is the secret of successful parenting. Establish a strong bond with your children, initiate them into the right activities when they are young, and you will be able to live a life that is well rewarded, and also gift society one more beautiful human-being, who is responsible. 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 
 

WHO IS RUNNING YOUR LIFE?

“You can’t control the world

But when you control your

Thoughts, you bring order.”

 

How many of us can say that I am the master of my life? There are times when we need to listen to our inner voice, but there are times when we should be guided by a higher intelligence. This holds good for children and adults.

I have seen how the non-performance of a person in an organization can sometimes be attributed to the negative influence their colleagues have on them. There are a few people in every organization, who will not align themselves with the culture of the organization, and will also stop others from performing.

                         We need to develop a growth mindset

We should not allow anyone to deter us from our growth. Pull yourself out of the negative environment. If we allow someone to pollute our mind, we are doomed. Smartness need not be in acquiring knowledge alone, but in recognizing those who are trying to pull you down in life as well. Be smart, be vigilant, we aware, beware!

Values, principles and standpoints in life will help us to take the right decision.

Else we will be vacillating in life, and will not have an opinion of our own. Always weigh the pros and cons of taking a decision, of listening to the advice of others. This will help in making life simple. Climbing the ladder in our profession will happen only if our contribution to the organization is convincing.

Why should we lose out on our growth when we have the potential to make it big?  Come out of gossip gangs, do not be a part of the bullies, instead use your time and ability to build your career by updating your knowledge and skill. You will be stunned to know who you can become.

This goes for young boys and girls as well. Not realizing the wrong company in which they get into, they unfortunately get involved in a lot of unwanted activities, thus ruining their own life. They get into wrong habits and reach a stage where they cannot come out of it. They befriend the wrong gang and mess up their life.

It is foolish to allow any negative factor to enter your mind and contaminate it. Your life is your responsibility. Choose your friends wisely. Blame game will not change the setbacks in your life. Taking ownership will.

The greatest tragedy of life is not the ultimate death, but your potential dying within you when you are still alive.

Don’t let anyone in the world make decisions for you. It is dangerous if somebody else is running your life. Take the reins of your life in your hands and press the speed button. 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting 

 

BECOME A NUMERO UNO

It is that time of the year when the Annual Surveillance happens. All the process owners are busy putting together all the necessary documents. We see this as the time to learn, to share and to enhance our standards. Hence, we look forward to the surveillance, as the Assessors share their thought process with us for continual improvement.

We know how much we have grown in terms of quality since we were first accredited. Now, it is about eight years since we have been accredited, and there is a quantum leap in the quality of our work.

Was it easy to achieve quality standards? My answer would be an emphatic “No.” The entire staff had to be trained to a new way of thinking. We had to be on the same page and speak the same language. There had to be synergy in the team.  A high level of coordination and communication amongst the process owners was required. We had to learn as well as unlearn. It had to become a new culture in the organization. But we were able to achieve it. It was a breakthrough!

We received accolades for our team’s work and the high level of competency each one displayed. In fact, we surpassed the expectations of the Assessors!

It was our willingness to let go of our old ways and embrace the new system that helped us feel proud of ourselves and where we have arrived.

Achieving continual improvement in other aspects of life made me reflect on the habits that we pick up, knowingly or unknowingly. Our habits either take us to the pinnacle of glory, or to a point of no return. From being a prisoner of certain habits, if we can turn around our life, it will be a very great breakthrough.

So also, a teacher who goes to class to deliver the syllabus and a teacher who goes the extra mile to make a difference to the students, like how Dr Kalam inspired his students and won the respect and admiration of one and all, if continual improvement is what we aspire for, we will willingly go through uncomfortable transition.

To shift from a person whose very nature is to always ask God, “Why me for all the troubles?” and to become someone who, in spite of challenges, will only think about the blessings in life and offer gratitude to the Almighty, is a very big shift in attitude. And we will soon realize that this shift in our thinking will only ensure recurrence of instances in our life for which we can be grateful.

As a student you may desire to achieve so many things, but everything first begins with a shift in your thinking. What should I give up to go up in life?

In life, shifting from where we are now, to a place of pride, where you can look up to yourself, calls for enormous effort

1.Are we willing to transform?

2. Are we ready to go through uncomfortable transition?

3. Are we willing to sustain when the going is tough?

4. Are we ready to embrace the change?

5. Are we keen on gifting ourselves a new life?

If you score at least four stars in all of the above, be assured that your journey has begun, to qualify yourself to be a Numero Uno in whatever you choose to become. 

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting