See the positivity in everyone, everywhere

There is a beautiful Sanskrit proverb that says, "Nobody gives happiness or misery. It is created by one's own mind." It means that you take unhappiness from others. You question people, "Why did you behave like that? Why did you insult me?" It is useless to do so. You should have compassion and feel, "Oh this person does not have that refined level of consciousness." If you don't want to be insulted, then nobody can insult you.

If you are basing your life on these feelings, you will be ruined because emotions are not stable at all. And not only are you bothered by your feelings, you also bother everybody by your feelings which are anyway momentary. The first thing in spiritual path: Praise yourself and praise others. And stop blaming your self and others. Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, "You are so good, you already have all the good qualities. I am only just bringing them up in you. Don't worry."

There is a story of a Guru who had stupid disciples. So, any work that the Guru would give, the disciples would do the opposite. Once the Guru's daughter was getting married and he told the disciples to whitewash the front of the house.

The disciples went and whitewashed the opposite house. The Guru asked, "What did you do? Now the baraat (bridegroom's family) is coming. Quickly whitewash the front." When the guests arrived, the disciples caught hold of each guest and started painting them. The guests got so annoyed that they cancelled the wedding. The Guru was very upset. But then he later found out that the groom was not mentally sane.

The lesson: even though the disciples were stupid, something good came out of all their mistakes.

So, the point is to see the positivity everywhere and in everyone, and hold the mind steadfast in the self. That is a sign of yoga and it will bring skill in action, success in endeavours and happiness in one's being.

Top 10 happiness mantras

Can you achieve excellence in the corporate world and still be happy? Find out from a new book called 'Happiness Quotient' by Dr Rekha Shetty. "

The top 10 happiness mantras for you: 

1. Each new day holds out a chance to create a whole new beginning, a sparkling new field of possibilities.

2. The ecology, the geography of your inner mindspace, is in your hands.

3. 'Swayambhu' is a word that describes happiness welling out of you, like an underground stream in the mountains.

4. Focus on Stress and unhappiness should be turned upside down. Instead of attacking unhappiness, we should plant a garden of happiness, by welcoming the positive emotions into our lives - love, compassion, wonder, courage, laughter and peace.

5. Focusing on our unhappiness by attacking it only helps to magnetize more power and attention to the negative person, event or object that causes it. Hence focus on cultivating happy people and avoid toxic people.

6. When the garden is clean and blooming and full of life, the snakes of anger have no place to hide; the thorns of greed get cleared away. When the clutter of old hatreds is replaced by order, the flowers of friendship bloom. The scorpions of revenge and jealousy slither away and the butterflies of laughter return to celebrate the flowers.

7. Too much television is 'Tele-visham' (Tele poison). Too much stimulation, a mindspace crowded by fantasy people and events, distracts you from focusing on your own mindspace, your home, your backyard.

8. Some days we seem to live a fantasy life dominated by day dreams, while reality tugs at our heartstrings for attention, like a neglected child. Take care of what is yours and enjoy it.

9. Let the cells of your body be gently bathed in happiness, positive thoughts and healing energies.

10. Physical fitness is the most important thing in life. The capacity to attain perfection of mind and soul depends on your physical health. Take care of yourself as no one else can do it for you.

Go on, be positive!

The state of your mental health says a lot about your life. Experts say that people who focus more on positive thinking and have positive attitudes not only enjoy life more but also lead healthier lives. Optimists are said to deal with pain and hardship better than their pessimistic counterparts. Remember your body reacts to your thoughts, feelings and actions. So if you're in a bad mood, your body will respond in a similar manner. While keeping yourself fit by eating right and managing stress is alright, positive thinking goes a long way in ensuring good health.

If you're feeling unwell and tell yourself that you're coming down with a bug, chances are that it will come true. Your mind is more powerful than you think. Stop thinking that you are going to fall sick or will take time to recover from a sickness. Experts call this the placebo effect - a placebo is treatment that provides whatsoever no medical gain except making the patient believe that it is helping them get better. Several patients report relief from their problems although they haven't actually received any medicine.

Thinking positive may not come naturally to everyone. To make that change you need to make a conscious effort. Whenever you find yourself getting negative thoughts, stop them. Start thinking of a happy event or memory that will cheer you.

Make positive statements. Instead of thinking or saying, "I can't do this or this is impossible", state positive affirmations - I will give this my best shot or I have so many things to be grateful about," sends out positive vibes.

Down in the dumps or feeling out of sorts with an illness? Visualization is a great technique that will actually help you feel better. Imagine yourself healthy and happy. When you visualize your thoughts, they send out positive signals to your brain making you feel better.

Positive emotions like humor, friendship and love are known to supercharge your health. Experts have long since asserted that laughter is great for you. Life is full of humor if you stop and experience it. Watch funny movies or TV shows, read books and jokes that make you smile, meet people who make you laugh. Laughter increases creativity, reduces pain, and even accelerates healing.

Catch up with friends. With the hectic lives we lead, we often forget how relaxing and calming meeting a friend can be. Good friendships are important so make sure you surround yourself with genuine ones. Having close buddies help you recuperate faster from sickness.

Social service and volunteering boosts feelings of compassion, which in turn make you a better person. When you help someone, you also help yourself. There are several orphanages, old age homes, mentally and physically challenged centers and animal shelters that need you to spend time with people and animals living there. You don't need to go there every week. Go once in a while and notice the difference.

When you spend a certain amount of time in prayer, and spiritual beliefs, you send positive vibrations your side. Have faith and it will go a long way in being a faithful companion. Prayer and meditation are good ways to connect to your spiritual side.

Office Politics - I'll Outshine at Work & that too without YOU!!

Dear Office-Politics,

I’ve worked hard to build a solid reputation as a good performer. I’ve had rave reviews from most of my managers.

Four years ago I was asked to learn a segment of the business from top to bottom, front to back. It is complex and high pressure, but I did it and used to be considered a valuable resource.

Then I got a series of new bosses.  Sure enough the team was no longer a team but my personal stock never dwindled. As a matter of fact these days most of the people I see don't respect each other and undervalue each other's contributions. I think some are so blinded by their own brightness that they can’t see other’s contributions.

I have worked with all sorts of people and have been a people's person, but I would definitely remember a few for all the lessons they have given me for my professional life. In the past I helped people on a couple of projects who never acknowledged my contributions, even though they were critical to the success of the projects.  I've seen people who have been insecure and in front of my colleagues and customers were condescending and openly rude to me, although I didn’t take it personally because that was their general demeanor to everyone. I have been forced to polish their apple with my experience in the name of team work. I’ve seen no team work from them. The job had grown, and having more people perform the job is merited, however I worked hard, and they got the glory.

I could have bowed to the powerful trio of adversaries and could have been the X, Y and Z of the “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” equation but I decided that I would never in my life romance a whore(Office politics). 

Yours lovingly, 

Vasu Gautam

Lessons learnt from the harmless flirtatious encounters with Office politics:

Positive attitude at work is something bosses look for in every employee. It is these very qualities that makes some more welcomed into any team, loved by your bosses and envied by colleagues.

Are these attitudes so difficult to possess or learned?

Frankly, it is really up to the individual - whether the person wants to learn it up or not, or even if that person is ambitious.

More often than not it is because people want a short cut to success, are insincere in their pursuit for better positions that they fall flat on their faces.

Assuming you are of the right thinking, you are sincere and willing to work hard, what then are some of the common expectations from bosses? What will make them take notice, perhaps even consider you for a promotion?

Remember, out there – there are full of people who will only do enough, too lazy or expect things to be delivered to them. If you have the right frame of mind, here are some tips you can use in your daily routine.

Start romancing with the work 

This means getting involved. No matter what is your rank, always be prepared to get your hands dirty. That means really doing the work.

Roll up your sleeves when you see a crisis looming, colleagues scrambling for a solution, managers in desperate need of assistance. These are perfect time to let your skills and knowledge shine.

Do not view your colleagues as competitors as that will mar your decision making at work. View them as team mates and when something happens to the team it hurts you too.

Dare to have an opinion

Learn to have a view on things and voice it when the time is right and appropriate. You are not just employed to do the work; you are also employed to propose better solutions to make things better.

Form opinions and generate ideas that can help make the company better. Do not think you are low ranking hence your opinion won’t matter. That is not true. Also, learning to have an opinion and generating ides when you are young at work will also prepare you for higher rank work. That is a positive attitude at work to have that everybody is bound to like.

Learn to Co-operate

It means more than just working with others in a seamless manner. It also means being able to learn to share credit when credit is given to the team. Very often people like to hog the limelight and are unwilling to cooperate since the success may need to be shared. But think about the overall effect of your actions on the team. Bosses will realize that you can contribute but are unwilling to cooperate as you know you may have to share credit.  Your subordinates and peers will disrespect you for not sharing the due credit. This sort of attitude will hold you back. You learn more and achieve more when you cooperate.

You gotta be trendy enough!! 

You may think this is funny. Why would you need to keep up with news on business, technology and trends especially when you are new? This positive attitude at work is not just relevant to the newbie but to managers too. In this day and age, bosses expect everyone to know what is happening in the world around them. A flood in Pakistan may affect the sale of your company’s product; a growing trend in China may mean new market for your company. All these are basics of the working world. The more you stay informed the better you can contribute.

Be the driving force of your own Career

You want to move up the corporate ladder? Be the driver of your own growth. There is only so much your company and your boss can do for you. When your boss sees that you take the initiative to grow yourself through exposing yourself to new ideas and people or even reading, you would have made a positive impression. Get feedback from supervisors and colleagues and see how you can improve. Take on the challenges that will spur your growth even if it scares you.

Positive attitude at work is not difficult to adopt. It really depends on you.  Remember, The Office Politics is a fickle mistress, my friend. You never know when she'll turn on you.

सौ ग्राम ज़िन्दगी

थोड़ी सी मीठी है ज़रा  सी  मिरची है
सौ ग्राम ज़िन्दगी यह संभाल के खर्ची है
असली है झूटी है  खालिश है, फर्जी है
देर तक उबाली है कप में डाली है
कडवी है नसीब सी ये coffee गाढ़ी गाढ़ी है
चमच्च भर चीनी हो इतनी सी मर्ज़ी है
सौ ग्राम ज़िन्दगी यह संभाल के खर्ची है
खरी है खोटी है रोने को छोटी है
धागे से खुशियों को सीलती है, दर्जी  है
सौ ग्राम ज़िन्दगी यह संभाल के खर्ची है

Theory of Karma

There are many theories around the theory of Karma. A lot of us believe hat our present actions are he outcome of our past actions. That means we have no control over them or any improvement.

But Karma determines only our experiences and not our actions. Our personal happiness and sorrow is he result of our past actions but what we are doing at present is not the result of past actions. There s a tendency sometimes to blame Karma for our decisions. Secondly, Karma is very empowering. We wrongly understand that we have no choice in life that is bound by our Karma. Basically, Karma gets mistaken for fate or destiny, which it is not the case.

If work is Karma, its effect is Karama-phala or fruit of work. It is difficult to deny that actions have consequences. Everything that we do has results. Secondly, t is difficult to deny that we all want our life to be happy, meaningful and fulfilling. Thirdly, it makes difficult to deny that our hope for justice for life makes it difficult to oversee that goodness is rewarded and evil punished.

That is what Karma theory in the essence is. There is no need to blame anyone for our sorrow or be indebted to anyone for our happiness.

We are responsible for both for our action as well as the results of our actions.

We rarely question the existence of happiness in our life. If something makes us happy, we say we deserve it. Only when there is failure, then we ask, “why me“. The general tendency is to find an external cause for the trouble and blame it. Then the control as to when I should be happy or unhappy depends on others. Then there is no freedom to be happy.

It is inevitable that some news or happening will make some of us happy and some others unhappy.
Should I be overwhelmed by the joys and sorrows in life? Both can be overwhelming.

If we are getting overwhelmed by joys or sorrows, then the clarity of our mind is lost.