Help Yourself

If one has grown up as an adult, looking back all the time for all small issues of life, for help from outside, then one has just grown old as an adult and not at all rich in experience and maturity to solve the issues of life with self- help. So much of help lies inside us- which goes totally unnoticed. Each individual has the potential and capacity to solve all the challenges which life throws at them, but every time we have to look inwards for help, there is a deep embedded knowledge, power and strength already there. But as a child we should be exposed to our this faculty, otherwise it remains dormant, but still if one takes a decision to use it at any age one has to just go ahead. Mind is like a library, full of wisdom on all layers.

We are so full of self noise inside and outside, that this wisdom gets buried beneath all this noise. If we consciously decide to stay quiet, silent, talk less, talk softly, slowly and sweetly; when we talk loud we get disconnected with the natural rhythm of this universe. Beyond this noise lot of wisdom awaits, which shall flow from our own soul, in the form of self help required for any present situation.

Soul manifests through body, it carries lot of knowledge, if we are able to quiet our own mind, creating stillness and silence inside, then we can clearly hear to the soul. Soul can help us experience blissfulness amidst any kind of confusion. But first we have to create bliss inside; we shall then attract or draw bliss from all worldly pleasures. A miserable person will attract misery from every where.

There is short inspiring story of 4- Wives, which I had read as a child in a book, I would like to share it here:

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He was very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant was always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife. She was a very considerate person, always patient and in fact, merchant's confidante. When ever merchant faced any problem, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Merchant's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.


One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!" Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.


He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"


Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives:
a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.
b. Our 3rd wife? - Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.
c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.
Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament. Let us help our self right now cultivating a soulful life.

Soul has three faculties which it has to use- mind, intellect and values/ belief system. But with most of us these three faculties get so dominating, that instead of soul running and managing them, they are on their own and soul sits in when corner neglected under the clutter of our mind. If the soul is in a blissful condition, pure, peaceful and calm, it shall get the right guidance from God. We should know our role. We are like a student and God is like a teacher/ guide/ power. He can teach us, guide us, give us strength but we have to perform in the exam our self, we can prepare with His help for the exam but we have to appear in the exam our self. So learn to take help from Him and prepare your soul, but appear in exams with your own help.

If the soul is in the right condition, it shall use the mind, intellect and belief system righteously to generate the right thought, from right thought comes the right feeling, from right feeling comes the right attitude, from right attitude comes the right words/ actions, they form our habit, then personality and it constitutes our Destiny. So we can create our right Destiny from just one right thought. Help yourself to generate this right thought.

Transformation is just one thought away, not years of work. It is really worth it. By just changing ourselves, we can actually make a big difference to make the world a better place.

Inner Fitness

When we talk about inner fitness, it is not about any fitness regime concerned with health, we are concerned with inside calmness and inner stability, I believe that if this aspect of inner fitness is there health automatically follows. We have to make this inner stability, this peace as an integral part of our personality. This is from where the true leadership also begins.

The concept of inner fitness is directly related with spirituality and spirituality plays an important role in enhancing our professional lives. The real bottom line in business is spiritual and personal growth. As the business world becomes more complex and demanding, there is a need for a stronger foundation on which to build a professional life, job, or career. Principles that influence the quality of passionate work; how to absorb them into daily practice? Spiritual/ inner fitness increases energy, reduces absenteeism, improve sleep and mental outlook and overall health.

We live with so many wrong beliefs all of our lives, one of such beliefs I was living with was: "peaceful are those, who are weak, who are powerless. If I am calm and peaceful people will walk over me”. But this is not true it is a wrong belief, rather peace is actually for strong people, inner peace itself gives a lot of power, and rather anger depicts loss of power. In a leadership position one has to know the difference between assertiveness and submissiveness. Assertiveness indicates inner stability and putting your point straight forward, where as submissiveness creates turmoil inside and is represented with anger or fear outside. Fear paralyzes and one can not find the right solution.

There should be times when we should choose to be quiet because there is no benefit in getting angry at that situation. And if there is any task to be done, the request should be clear and straight forward. When we chose to be quiet, we shall be stable inside and can listen to the whole situation in a way finding, and solving the issue rather than messing it up further.

Now there is another wrong belief which most of us live with: “If I am quiet- I lost!” Question is what do I want to win? What is winning and losing? In the game of life we are all together we are not competing. If we have to loose something we have to loose our anger and fear; our jealousy and proud. Our life is our own choice- what we want? Then I win. I win over the illusion that life is not a race or a competition. My journey is my own, on this road of life, I am driving my own vehicle.

How do we as individuals and organizations survive and thrive amid tremendous change and transition? The key to dealing with transitions is having a changeless, principle-centered core. Learn to see change as a challenge, not as a threat. During a challenge we should learn how to develop our internal compass and use it as a source of security, guidance, wisdom and power.

Internal compass or inner fitness can be developed by following simple steps, number one is to let go of suffering, mental noise and anxiety. We miss so much when our minds are cluttered with events of the past and anticipation of the future. The energy we give to things that are not part of the present is wasted and blocks us from seeing and experiencing what is right in front of us.

When we have inner stability we can create the life we want not how others dictate or want our life to be. It is a life free from anxiety, disturbance and irritation. The right thoughts will create the right words, right words will create the right actions, and right actions will create the right harmony in our life. With right thoughts, actions and behavior we are creating a peaceful, content and happy life. Let us take out time to feel the love and support which already exists around us. Listen for the still, small voice within and be open and receptive to the answers we seek. Then the path we travel shall be filled with the fragrant sweet smell of roses.

Our peace and inner stability is checked the moment somebody shouts at us! Or the moment a challenging situation arises? How do we react at that time is the true test of all the lessons learnt, that is the true test on the scale of spirituality where we stand. In the small, small situations we face daily! Normally we shout – to attract attention, but if we show and have acceptance towards others, then why to waste our valuable energy in getting angry?

Step on the path of knowing thy SELF and we will reach greater heights of success, creativity and joy; feeling more spiritually radiant. I have heard that happiness resides within us and have believed it. I must say profound, to experience our true happiness and to find the place within us it radiates from, has nothing to do with people, places, or conditions in the external world.

When we see, and admit, our essential powerlessness to provide for ourselves what we believe can make us happy. This is a necessary stage in our spiritual development: to realize we don't have a clue how to help ourselves become whole. This discovery alone makes it possible for us to learn real patience and inner calmness.

Little Is Enough

Today when we see the endless ads, marketing of latest products, mobiles, electronic gadgets, cars, dresses, cosmetics……., sometimes make me wonder from where does this race starts and where does it ends? How much does a man need? Where does this greed end?

Why does even after possessing all latest materialistic pleasures one is unhappy with his/her daily routine? Why can’t we adapt a simple living instead of being inclined towards acquiring materialistic possession? How can one become Self-sufficient in this Materialistic World? Perhaps it is time to think…...

What is the bottom line? Is it this growing fixation for something which is adding no value to our peace of mind? No doubt, products do have a functional value, but being obsessed about our possessions and running after them is absurd. What happens to our quality of life when we value materialism?

In a world obsessed with materialism, entertainment, and vanity it is no wonder that many people have become unhappy with their lives. Working to pay a mortgage, car loan, and credit cards, life has lost its appeal for many. And when it seems the bank owns everything, and has trapped us in an endless cycle of working to pay the bills people seeking greater happiness must ask oneself, is it all really worth it?

It is a point of concern that we are becoming more and more materialistic with every passing day. The real issue is when this mad materialistic race distracts one from honesty and hard work. This tendency has isolated us from the actual spirit of life and has pushed it towards selfishness. The wish to become rich overnight by hook or by crook has resulted in increased crime and other issues like murders, robberies, kidnappings, bomb explosions, etc...

It is precisely a race to match to the standards of the society in which we live. It is a false belief of feeling happy after owning an expensive “thing”. There is no connection between our happiness and acquiring expensive products. We all shall comprehend the concealed fact that this happiness from possessions is really temporary, superficial, short-lived, lasts just for a while and then we start running after something else…….

Today an ordinary man is not clear and rather suffers in the darkness of these overly inflated, unrealistic ideas about the worth of wealth and possessions, ignoring true self-worth, deep satisfaction and genuine meaning of life. When we run after possessions, we continuously create goals, wants and desires in order to measure up to an ideal situation, setting up discrepancies from what we already possess. And we start living with an incomplete identity and thus decreased life satisfaction.

Once we introspect and tell our self that It’s “ONLY ME” who has the power to make myself happy; we will realize that these materialistic things won’t attract us anymore or at least we shall not bother to run after them. More is not better and in no way linked with happiness. We have to correct the underlying psychological issues that lead to such an empty pursuit which is detrimental to our well being.

The issues within us will always be there until and unless we address them. One of the core aspects of leading a fulfilling life is our self esteem. If our self esteem is high then we can go out and win over the world in any given circumstances; we don’t need expensive mobiles, cars or clothes to do that.

We as superficial materialistic society need to discover that life has much more to offer than the opportunity for shopping, shopping, and shopping. And that people shouldn't be rated by material possessions. The best things in life are still free!

Even God must be thinking that what actually He has to offer to a man to quench his thirst of desires and turn him into a happy soul!!! As all His efforts to make us happy have been futile, whatever we asked for He kept on giving us and still could not make us smile, and we still keep on asking for more and more and more, these are unending and thankless desires. And when we are all the time running after them, we fail to count and thank already existing blessings, ignoring them, taking them for granted and realizing later when we have even lost the existing blessings in the race to get more. (Health and Family are the most often, most ignored ones…)

Little is Enough, right now also we have enough to be happy and content, just look around and count the blessings and stop running after more……Enough, enough to be Happy.

Relationship Engineering

From childhood till death, we are on this theater/ stage of the world busy playing, building and maintaining relationships. Undoubtedly relationships are the most important science on this earth, and if we can master this art, definitely we shall have a life full of progress and happiness. Seeing the intricacies involved, I am giving it the terminology of “Relationship Engineering”.

Relationships give us the biggest platform to learn the lessons of life and about our being here; if one is facing issues with any relationship in life simply means to improve and transform one’s own self, let’s work on our own self and our relationships shall be better.

Relationship is the exchange of energy between two individuals. Now we have to check what kind of energy is exchanged, is it positive or negative? With whatever thought we have in our mind, it shall trigger either positivity or negativity in others. The highest source of positive energy is good wishes for others. Each soul we come in contact, if inside we are wishing good about them, it shall trigger positivity. Here integrity of thoughts is really important, means inside and outside it should be the same. Many times inside we are thinking wrong about the other person, while the words are saying something else. In this case only negative transmission is happening, so do not expect positive results, with these kinds of thoughts internally.

The other highest source of positive energy is trust in others, when we have trust in the other person; the energy transmitted gives confidence to others, triggers the creativity in them. The third source of positive energy is respect to the other person. Even if you are giving instructions to the other person, it should not be through your power, rather to empower the other individual.

Now the case comes, when the other person commits a mistake; don’t withdraw the respect, rather he/she needs more support at this time, if we withdraw the respect or disempower the other person at this time, we shall never achieve the desired results as well. And always remember respect is for the soul and not for the job!!

We attend lot of seminars, conferences etc, on art of living, anger management etc….etc… come out of them, for few days, our words, behavior is good, then after that we are back to our individual self. Why does this happen? Because we are working on the surface level, for a temporary change, we are trying to replace the leaves of the tree to make it better, it shall not work, we have to work at the seed and the roots level, and roots and seed are the thoughts, unless we change and work at our thoughts level rest all is very superficial.

We got to have love, compassion and respect unconditionally for each soul we come in contact with, irrespective of their shortcomings. As this is not their fault, their own battery is so discharged; they are unable to view the situations and others in the right perspective. Today we all know that every day we have to charge our mobile, laptop, cameras and all such other important gadgets. But unfortunately we don’t know how to charge such an important gadget our own human body? This is only possible if we spend 15 minutes of undisturbed time with our selves generating only positive thoughts. First of all do we have even 15 minutes for our self in peace, undisturbed? Secondly even if we are able to get 15 minutes, do we know how to quiet our mind and generate positive thoughts??

Another issue which I would like to touch upon here is how to work with people with ‘anger aura’, who are like touch me not? First of all look at the them also as someone who’s own energy is depleted, he is also living in fear and insecurity. And to hide those emotions, he is always in that anger aura. To deal with such people can be very difficult, but if your own battery is charged, you can deal with love and compassion towards such souls, healing and forgiving them all the while.

And on the other side a leader should realize the difference between fear and respect. At times a leader thinks that to get respect from otters, he has to maintain his touch me not, anger aura status, but respect should come from love and not from fear. Leader is the one whom everyone should feel like meeting, discussing and sharing, rather than going away, scared away because of fear. If there shall be a good bonding in the leader and his subordinates, then only there shall be good following of the instructions.

Another challenge which we commonly face in the office is gossip/ spreading rumors about each other. Realize that it is out of fear and insecurity, the other soul is behaving like that. If I am also fearful then I need to prove otherwise, let’s have compassion towards them, their own batteries are discharged. No body’s wrong, by nature they are also loving and peaceful, right now their vision is blurred. Fill your mind with positive thoughts about them and see the difference in their behavior. Always remember your thought leads to your destiny, you are your own master. Check your thoughts; are they towards internal progression or regression? Check and do what is right for you.

We have to charge our own battery, so that we can see the soul in the others, qualities of others, have faith in others. When we are at peace, love and power with our own self then only we shall be able to transmit love and peaceful energy to others, empowering them and developing healthy relationships.

Cultivate Humor

Cultivating a humorous mindset helps us see our self and any situation with a suppler mind so that we are not locked into a negative view. Humor is one way to change our view intuitively—and enjoyably. What we are looking for is gentle, playful perspective that embraces humanness but never at the expense of others—or of ourselves. The goal is not to take life too seriously.

By cultivating this new trait in the personality, one can be the person that everyone likes, the person who is funny, and just drips of charisma. The “HOLY GRAIL” of not just being funny... but being interesting, witty, likable and charming as hell. Funny Conversationalist That EVERYONE Wants to Meet and Be around…... someone who people become obsessed and fascinated by, a people magnet to all, one talks to.

Study upon study shows that a sense of humor is high up on the list of traits that most people seek in others.“Humor being one of the top traits Employers look for when hiring a worker”. There is an actual science to being funny, witty, interesting and being liked by other people.

A good sense of humor does a lot of good things for a person. It makes them more likable and increases their attractiveness. Also, people with a sense of humor tend to be very natural at starting and leading a good conversation. Each and every one of us can cultivate our inner funniness to a level that people would admire.

Cultivating humor not only makes life more bearable, it makes one more attractive to others. Humor can dilute the negative emotions, eliminate frustration and suffering. Who have a sense of humor, life is full of fun, and many painful annoyances that earlier seem to matter, can be coped up with ease. Use humor to deal with troubles and conflicts, make people feel happy, harmonious, and friendly.

How to foster good humor?
• Choose to allow yourself to laugh at your own behaviors and beliefs— but not at yourself. Make that distinction clearly.
• See your life not as a distraught drama but as a romantic comedy. Recognize the inherent farce-like quality in situations.
• Creating your own funny expressions for your experiences makes you more flexible and allows you to interpret and assess reality better.

Humor is wonderful. It leads to happy thoughts and add spark to relationships. Apply it every day in life. It is a great therapy which can really lighten things up in workplace, in a relationship, and anywhere else.

“Who do not know how to joke then there is no hope”- is an old saying. In real life, humor can eliminate frustration and pain, relieve tension, bring joy and hope. Sense of humor is an important part of emotional intelligence.

Humor is a special kind of tool for people to adapt to the environment. It is the human face of adversity to reduce mental and psychological pressure.

What is life without a sense of humor? Many a life has been inspired by the ability to laugh in a tough situation and smile at the miseries of life. The drudgery of life is often relieved by these little glorious moments of humor. The capacity to see the flip side of life in the day to day situations and to come out of the bottlenecks of life, with a smile is indeed a great blessing. Charlie Chaplin said that he would not have survived the greatest battles of his life without the great sense of humor he had. He could come out smiling in the hardest moments of his life. He laughed at the ironies of life, the very bitter sarcasm that life is.

Life and the drudgery of everyday living cannot be changed by crying or crimping about it. In this quest for solutions, if one can keep a cool head by being sensible and light-hearted about the situation, definitely the chances are that solutions would emerge on its own. Gloominess, depression and melancholy can only add miseries to life. But humor can brighten life, inspire the mind and spark the brain to look for way outs.

That is why sense of humor is a must for healthy living.
When the going gets tough, how does one keep a firm footing and avoid slipping and falling into an abyss of despair? There is no better tool than a sense of humor. One of the main causes of suffering and stress is a sense of helplessness, powerlessness, or lack of control. But a sense of humor can put one back in control. Genuine humor points out the weaknesses of humanity, but without contempt. It is a commentator of life, not a critic of it. Its purpose is to uplift, not tear down, and to lighten the burdens of others, not add to them. Good humor is a shock absorber that helps us get over the bumps in life. Those with a good sense of humor have a good sense of life.



Sense of Humor detaches us from our problems and releases negative emotions; it is the best medicine. It transforms our thoughts, which in turn transforms our feelings for the better.

Hurt And Forgiveness

We live under an illusion that hurt is caused by another person, so he should get punished, or I have to take revenge from him. In the process we withdraw from him, stop interaction, thinking that we are giving pain to that person. He should feel bad; we can make him feel bad. Even if we forgive we show as if we have done some great favor to the other person.

Whereas the whole situation is wrongly interpreted; the reality is I have chosen to hurt myself, my mental agony is my own creation. If somebody needs to be forgiven, its me, I have to forgive myself I have to be sorry with myself, and forgive for creating hurt inside.

We might not be able to forget an incident, but it should no longer cause pain, forgiveness means to remember the incident but forget the pain associated with it. At times we choose to live with pain. We are holding on to that pain, check- pain is not holding on to you. When we accept the responsibility that whatever is happening is because of me and only me, any situation or person cannot impact me anymore. This is when we are totally liberated.

Life is under control, it is no longer in control of other people, past or situations. Whole life we try to control other people and situations and feel that our life is not in our own hands. But who has given the control outside? Our getting upset inside shows that we are trying to control things outside, other person’s behavior, other situations. But do not want to control our self and take the responsibility of our own behavior.

We cannot control anyone, neither anyone can control me. At times we do say that I have no choice, I have to do this…and feel like a victim and create hurt. Whereas the fact remains we always have a choice. The other person is just playing their role. The situation is just playing its drama. It is our choice to create fear, hurt or responsibility. Instead of feeling like a victim and saying ‘I have to’; the statement is actually I choose to…….do this.

We have to watch things carefully, how much weight and how much waste. Hurt is just extra weight and only waste we are carrying unnecessarily with us all the time. Today we know the importance of staying fit, the diseases caused by obesity, but we are unaware of extra weight on the soul, leading to the diseases of soul. We avoid eating junk food, it adds to the weight and is a waste for the body. But we keep feeding our soul with the junk of others. We enjoy gossiping and discussing others weaknesses. This adds to our weaknesses.

On the other hand if we discuss the strong points of others, their strengths, we become strong in the process. Fried food is very tasty and tempting it attracts a lot, similarly gossip attracts, it is inviting, gives pleasure, but it is harmful to the soul. Criticizing someone else creates negative energy, its waste and junk, creates weight on the soul.

Whatever hurt we are carrying with us is extra weight of the past, weaknesses of others, waste news etc… If body has extra weight cannot run or climb heights. Similarly extra weight on soul cannot rise or transform for better. If body does not release the waste in time and keep on carrying it, the whole body can become toxic and leads to sickness of various kinds. So release the waste from the soul before it gets toxic for it. Release all the past hurt, forgive the people and situations for your own benefits.
 

Keep soul light, it can adjust anywhere in any circumstances. Don’t overload it with any junk, be careful every day, every minute.With a lighter soul, we have improved flexibility for new challenges, transformation is much easier. When otherwise faced by a challenge it looks like a big rock, we take a hammer and start breaking it, no result. On the other hand with a lighter soul, we can rise above the rock/ challenge and jump across the hurdle, rather than fighting head on with the situation and trying to change it.

Spirituality At Workplace

We all are facing numerous personal and business challenges today, much because we are unable to find the meaning in our job/ work and life as a whole. Our job/ work play a significant role in our lives and it is important that we find fulfillment in what we do. Work is as much about spirit and soul as it is about salary.

Work spirituality has become a significant aspect of organizational culture in most of the business organizations today. The values of spirituality greatly enhance the sense of accomplishment in an individual, which impacts on the overall productivity and growth of the organizations. Regardless of what type of job one has and how unfulfilling it might be, one should take steps to make his/her job “more lovable.” Let us discover the steps to achieve spirituality at work place.

At the individual level, spirituality at work is a distinct, multidimensional experience characterized by cognitive, spiritual, interpersonal, and mystical dimensions. Spirit at work involves:
Engaging work characterized by a profound feeling of well-being, a belief that one is engaged in meaningful work that has a higher purpose, an awareness of alignment between one's values and beliefs and one's work, and a sense of being authentic;

A spiritual connection characterized by a sense of connection to something larger than self;

A sense of community characterized by a feeling of connectedness to others for a common purpose; and

A mystical or unitized experience characterized by a positive state of energy or vitality, a sense of perfection, transcendence, and experiences of joy and bliss. We yearn for work to be a place in which we both experience and express our deep soul and spirit.

We want to feel supported, we want respect, we want to belong and we want to evolve spiritually. Money has very little to do with any of these factors. Learning to respect and accept others helps unite us together, strengthening that universal energy that keeps us alive. What one calls this universal energy is unimportant. It is there, whether we see it, feel it or believe it. When we are in harmony with it, our lives are smoother and easier. When we fight it, we are only fighting our self.

A house divided cannot stand; a person divided cannot function fully, whether in the workplace or in our personal lives, our attitude about the world defines how our life unfolds. Make a choice today to live the fullest life possible - filled with friends and enjoyable work. The world will be a better place for all of us.

The philosophy of spirituality at the work place encourages the emotions of generous love, care, humanity, creation, inner satisfaction and self fulfillment. It is a fact in today’s dynamic business environment; organizations’ performance, productivity and competence are an exclusive outcome of leadership spirituality.

Leadership spirituality intrinsically motivates and drives an individual’s internal focus towards organizational development by aligning their personal values with the values of organizational vision and mission which creates a psychological affiliation between individual and the organization and increases the level of self fulfillment at work.

Leadership spirituality provides the essence for improving the capabilities of individuals, their productivity and growth by setting up an organizational perspective containing the values of love, care affection, affiliation, wholeness and loyalty which builds an inner connection of the individual with his organization.

Spirituality in the workplace promotes the expression of talent, brilliance and genius — talent in the sense of our Divine gifts; brilliance in terms of our intellect and the intensity of the light we have to shine; and genius not as a scarce commodity, but as something that everyone has. Our true job is to connect with that genius. And moreover, spirituality in the workplace also leads to increased self-fulfillment, contentment and a deep sense of belonging.

The orientation of leadership spirituality in organizational culture empowers an individual morally and ethically by making them bold, confident and competent, which as a result enhances their job involvement and job satisfaction. Spirituality impacts in the strong communication and interpersonal relationship among employees by setting up a culture of individual support, collaboration and intrinsic motivation of employees that subsequently leads to highly productive and satisfied work force.

The work spirituality is also found very significant in reducing the pressure, tension, anxiety and burden of work and makes the job more enjoyable. Spirituality is found extremely beneficial in reducing the feelings of tensions, anxiety as it aids the individual to cope with the burden and pressure of work.

Our work is an extension of ourselves, in ways that are personal and complex. Almost any job has some level of natural enjoyment. In strictly economic terms work that provides us with joy, work that we would do even if we weren’t paid for it, isn’t work at all. But we all need to make a living. The level of toil or natural enjoyment is a large factor in how various jobs are compensated. Many people choose jobs that they enjoy doing, even though they could earn higher wages doing something they found more toilsome.

While working with spirituality, one has to have a sense and satisfaction of being a competent and creative producer. As an employee, our spiritual self is one of the diverse strengths we bring to the table. Simply by approaching projects, goals, and interpersonal relations in the workplace with intention, one can pursue individual fulfillment while also doing our part to gently promote a holistic, healthy and harmonious working environment.

Janamashtami- Celebrating B’ Day of Lord Krishna

Krishna Janmashtami is a joyous occasion which is celebrated by Hindu's all over the world; we celebrate Krishnajanmashtami to commemorate the birthday of Lord Krishna, the birth of one of our most enchanting and beloved God, Lord Krishna.

Janamashtami is a very important Hindu holy day. The festival of Krishna Janamashtami takes place during the month of Sravana, eight days after Raksha Bandhan. When I dig deep in to my memory, I am reminded of the various jhankis (exhibits) used to be part of the long winding procession that was taken out through the streets to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, jhankis depicting Krishna in a novel way and in the best of attire. Till date the celebrations of the festival remains quite similar.

For two days, worshipers will not rest, but instead will dance and sing traditional Hindu songs known as bhajans. These songs are an important form of worship, used to celebrate the memory of Krishna- supreme God. It is believed that Vishnu was reincarnated as Krishna at midnight and thus it is at this hour that the Janamashtami festivities really begin.

To understand the importance of Janmashtami, one has to learn how Krishna takes birth. It is not an ordinary birth. It is Divine, Transcendental. Krishna is believed to have descended on Earth at midnight so devotees celebrate the anticipation by keeping strict fasts. Some keep a nirjala fast where nothing not even water is consumed. Many observe partial fast eating milk, fruits and nuts. Breaking of the fast usually occurs at midnight with prasadam – sanctified food offered first to Krishna. Fasting is accompanied by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and kirtan, as devotees join together and sing about Krishna with music and dance.

Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna at midnight which is the darkest moment of the night, symbolizes that the Lord manifested Himself from the prison cell, thus vigorously illuminating the universe, dispelling the darkness of ignorance. Krishna's advent signifies the dispelling of darkness, the removal of troubles, banishing of ignorance and teaching mankind the Supreme Wisdom.

Worshipers also act out plays, which are based on scenes from Krishna's early life. Idols of Krishna are bathed and placed in cradles to the sound of ringing bells and the song of the conch shell (shankh).

The word, “Krishna” means, “one who is always in the transport of joy”. Let us understand the meaning of the term Krishna. The word has three meanings. One is: "Krishyathi iti Krishnah" (The one who cultivates is Krishna). What is it that has to be cultivated? The Hridayakshetra (field of the heart). Krishna cultivates the field of our hearts by removing the weeds of bad qualities, watering it with love, ploughing it with the use of sadhana, and sowing the seeds of devotion. This is how Krishna cultivates out hearts.

Krishna is known by many other names according to the characteristics he had and the feats he accomplished. He is known as “Makhan Chor” as he was fond of makhan (butter) and used to steal it with his friends. The incident of lifting Govardhan Mountain to save the people from rain made him famous as Girdhari. Also known as Banwari - the one staying in the groves of Vrindavan.

Today when we are celebrating the Birthday of Krishna, we are attaching importance to His body, but not to His teachings. We can celebrate Krishna's Birthday in the true spirit of the term only when we put His teachings into practice. Remembering few of the lessons taught by Krishna:

All the actions that we undertake must be sacred. There should be harmony in your thought, word and deed. The proper study of mankind is man. "Work is Worship", "Duty is God". This was the teaching of our ancient seers. Consider all activities as an offering to God and all work as God's work. Just as two wings are essential for a bird to soar high in the sky, two wheels for a cycle to move, Prema (Love) and Seva (service) are essential for man to reach his destination. No benefit accrues from rendering service devoid of love. Do not expect any returns for the acts of service. The satisfaction which one derives from rendering service is itself a reward.

Never lose your song – Krishna’s flute and his ability to attract people by music were legendary. Many times, when we become focused on our careers or family, we lose sight of our hobbies and real interests and this makes life drudgery! Krishna taught us to put music into life and life into music!

Work sharper not just harder – Krishna always worked sharper rather than harder! There were many times during the Mahabharata war, where it was his intelligence that helped to defeat powerful adversaries. Brute strength is ok, but brain strength is far superior!

Happy Janmashtami to all, and may the blessings of Krishna bless all of us.

Be present

What does it mean to be present to our lives? We have been habituated to passing through our life with little or no presence. Yes, we are aware of the things; we can focus on things and direct our attention to details or panoramas. But to be present means something more: it means to be aware of the external world in which one is acting and simultaneously observes how one’s inner world is stimulated by the external world.

One comes to understand that without presence there is no real life, only an imaginary life. Presence is divine. It is the divine spark that brings us to that Great Pearl, our Higher Self.

I want to use my past experiences to help me in the future, but not for the past memories to weigh me down. Live as if Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Most of the people have lived for the most part of their lives either reflecting on the past, attempting not to repeat mistakes OR telescoping to the future in a vain effort to make the right decisions. And the irony is most of the time we are unaware and not even present to this fact.

When the present moment gets uncomfortable, scary or dull, we tend to move either in the past or future. Without knowing that if we want to make future better right now is the time to sow the right seeds for it and nurture them in the best possibly techniques. We have to be energetic and enthusiastic for the future right now otherwise don’t expect a better tomorrow, where shall it come from??

But more importantly, being present is undoubtedly the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. By being mindful, we enjoy our food more, we enjoy friends and family more, we enjoy anything we’re doing more. Anything. Even things you might think are drudgery or boring, such as housework, can be amazing if you are truly present. Try it — wash dishes or sweep or cook, and remain fully present.

Let us be present today. Today appreciate what is around you, it may not be there tomorrow, choose to gravitate in your field right now. Take pleasure in the simple things (keep your senses engrossed in them) Practice surrender/detachment (accept what IS, not what SHOULD be), use the Power of Now. Being able to live in the present is a great feeling! I didn't realize how stressed I was before and how unhappy! Today, I enjoy just being.

I remember a story about Gandhi ; He was asked by a reporter if you had 25 words to tell people how to live a happy life What would you say? Gandhi said, "You only need 3 words, Live Life Now."

Have you ever experienced anything done outside the present? The answer is absolutely not. Nothing ever happened in the past it happened in the present, nothing ever will happen in the future, it shall happen only in the present- that is the power of present.

There exists only the present instant... a Now which always and without end is itself new. There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow, but only Now, as it was a thousand years ago and as it will be a thousand years hence.

My past was imperfect, my future is uncertain, but my present is just as it has to be- it is JUST perfect. You can learn from the past and prepare for the future but do not forget to enjoy the present, as it is the one which is the most precious. Be present (stay) in the present (right now) as it is a present (gift) to you, to make you happy and complete.

Be with the present, be with yourself (learn to enjoy your own company), and Be Happy. As we have just enough to be Happy, As we know just enough to be Happy.

Contaminated Happiness

Most of us seek happiness throughout our lives, not happy with what we have but want something different or more. Many look for happiness in the wrong places, such as material possessions - a large house with all the latest luxuries, a luxury car, or a well-paid job or may be in reputation, good looks, power, excitement or adventure. Many try to find the meaning of their life in relationships with their family and circle of friends. All these things can make us happy for a short while, but they can also cause us much worry and suffering. They can never give us the perfect lasting happiness that all of us, in our heart of hearts, long for. Since the key to happiness is in the hands of another person, object, place or situation, one can never be truly happy, it shall only be linked outside.

As an end in themselves worldly attainments are hollow; they are not the real essence of human life. The happiness of living beings is rare and fleeting, and this is only a contaminated happiness that is in reality the nature of suffering, as we increase the cause of our worldly happiness, our happiness will gradually change into suffering. You are hungry, got food became happy, ate too much, caused suffering. You were lonely, found love- became happy, wanted too much, got possessive, suffered. Without job, found one, very happy, gave in your best, wanted promotion, incentives, suffered. And so on. Since suffering is coming from happiness, thus it is coined as contaminated happiness, only to end in despair.

When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations we tend to regard the situation itself as the problem, but in reality whatever problems we experience come from the side of the mind. If we were to respond to difficult situations with a positive or peaceful mind they would not be problems for us; rather we regard them as challenges or opportunities for growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to difficulties with a negative state of mind. Therefore, if we want to be free from problems we must learn to control our mind.

Suffering, worry, depression and pain are feelings—of mind—so, they exist inside and not outside our mind. If while experiencing adverse conditions, our mind remains calm and happy through the practice of patience, we do not have a problem. By keeping a peaceful mind in difficult situations we are far more likely to find solutions and respond constructively.

When you find yourself reacting with anger or opposition to any person or circumstance, realize that you are only struggling with yourself. Putting up resistance is the response of defenses created by old hurts. When you relinquish this anger, you will be healing yourself and cooperating with the flow of the universe. Motivated by the truth inside you, you can face any threat because your inner strength is invulnerable to fear. Live in the present, for it is the only moment you have. Keep your attention on what is here and now; look, for the fullness in every moment. Accept what comes to you totally and learn from it, and then let it go.

Don't struggle against the infinite scheme of things. Instead, be at one with it. Relinquish your need for external approval. You alone are the judge of your worth; and your goal is to discover infinite worth in yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks.

The key to being truly happy—is a way of life, and you have to choose that as your way of life. I have to be happy and that is my way of being. You have to seek happiness in whatever comes your way.

Helping and sharing with others than to be self-centered and caught up in one’s own problems, cares and concerns. Living the way of ‘give’, as opposed to the way of ‘get’.Do not wait for life’s circumstances to come together to provide you the perfect life you always dreamed of living, rather be happy with what you have got.

Even if someone I have helped
And of whom I had great hopes
Nevertheless harms me without any reason
May I see him as my holy Spiritual Guide.

Our normal reaction when faced with a problem is to try and find someone to blame, but if we look at the situation with wisdom we shall realize that we created the cause of that problem through our negative actions.

The main cause of all our problems is necessarily a negative bodily, verbal, or mental action that we our self created somewhere, sometime in the past; other people’s actions are only secondary conditions that enable our negative karma to ripen.

If they do not provide the conditions for our negative karma to ripen, someone or something else definitely will; for once the main cause has been established, unless we purify it through purification practice, nothing can stop the effect from occurring sooner or later. Instead of blaming others for our problems we should use our misfortunes to deepen our understanding of karma.

By training our mind to recognize the spiritual lessons in all our experiences, we can come to view everyone and everything as our Spiritual Teacher, and we can turn any and every situation to our advantage. And stay away from the vicious cycle of contaminated happiness.

Overcoming Frustrations

We all suffer from frustration, and being able to effectively deal with frustration is very important for self improvement. It can be a decisive factor between success and failure.
Frustration can have highly damaging impact on our frame of mind. It can turn a positive person into a negative person. It can inhibit our progress. We can become so wound up with our own frustration that we can’t even think or act rationally, or we can even become aggressive. There are countless causes of frustration, and what affects one person may have no impact on someone else.
Here’s a very important Quote:
‘Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.’ by Helen Keller
The problem is that we focus on God changing the situation, rather than on the fact that He can give peace, joy, grace, and strength while we go through it. The peace of God is available, but we have to ask for it, receive it, and walk in it.
Still Feeling frustrated? Want to get rid of it? Here are 7 Tips for finding true and lasting inner peace no matter what is going on around you and who is causing it.
Tip 1: Identify what is making you frustrated.
Then think of this: Some people can deal with the very same problem and never get frustrated. So why is it irritating you so much? Take a look at the true cause of where your anger is coming from: Look at yourself! Here are some very common sources of frustration:
• I feel frustrated whenever someone doesn't change fast enough to suit me.
• I want others to improve in order to make my life more pleasant.

Tip 2: Acknowledge your frustration as a sin.
When we are frustrated, our attitude is not very loving, is it?
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
Frustration occurs because we insist that our pain will only go away when the other person shows us they are truly sorry for what they have done.
Love doesn't insist on having its own way. Frustration is the emotional act of insisting that somebody else must do something to bring justice when we have been unfairly treated.
We like to point the finger at other people, because it's easier than admitting the sin of our unloving reaction to what they have done. To overcome this, ask God to help you see them as He sees them, through His loving eyes.
• See the offender as weighed down by bags of garbage (the abuse that's been inflicted on them, the rejection and misunderstanding they have gone through)
• Look past the garbage to see the real person underneath.

Tip 3: Repent. Turn away from the feeling of frustration.
To repent means to change your mind. Choose to accept people the way they are even though you don't like everything about them. What if they never improve? Could you still accept them that way? If they do begin to change, is it okay if they don't change fast enough? What if their lack of improvement or slow growth causes more problems? If you try to repent under your own will-power, you won't get very far. Ask the Holy Spirit to intervene in your life and give you help. God gives us supernatural help!
Repentance also means forgiving yourself for getting frustrated, and forgiving those who are making you frustrated. Be ready and willing to forgive continually and repeatedly ("hundred times or more"), and frustration usually only happens when we are continually and repeatedly offended.
Even after deciding to repent and forgive, the feeling of frustration usually remains. Why? To discover the answer, we move into:

Tip 4: Recognize that your desire for people to change is another sin.
Love means seeing the good in others while not holding their sins (their bags of garbage) against them. Because we do love them, we want to see them become free of their garbage. For their own sake, we wish they'd change, and then we get angry when they don't. To overcome this frustration, we need to stop looking at the garbage. But how?

Tip 5: Learn what is the root of your desire for the other person to change.
Usually, the root is Fear. We're afraid of getting hurt again and so we reach the conclusion: "I should be upset with them for not changing." This really means: "I must hurt that person now because he might hurt me in the future." And so we hurt them by being frustrated with them. They don't even have to know we're frustrated, as long as we feel frustrated, we feel like we're taking some sort of revenge.
In other words, fear leads to disapproval of the other people, and disapproval is not love.
• We're offering conditional love: "If you change, then I will be happy and loving with you."
• The people causing our problems need our acceptance. To give this to them, we need to get in touch with God's love for them.
• When we love them with His unconditional love, they experience God's healing touch.

Tip 6: Discover the true source of your happiness.
Our happiness does not depend on others and how they treat us. We don't need constant kindness from others to feel good. Our happiness depends on how good our relationship is with God. God is our true source of joy, inner peace, calm and non-frustrated spirit.
• We're happy because we're partners with God, making a difference in someone's life.
• We're happy because God will never do anything to hurt us.
• All other sources of joy only last short time.
But knowing this is not enough. The next time a problem occurs, we're unhappy and frustrated again. It seems like we'll only be happy if the person hurting us changes or leaves us alone.

Tip 7: Kill off all illusions about other sources of happiness.
We need to become a sign of the true, loving and healing presence.
Get your eyes off the people who hurt you and look at your own relationship with God, who is love ~ God, whom you rejected when you gave to others your anger and frustration instead of God's love.
Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
A grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die to produce much fruit. Your desire for the unloving person to love you must be nailed and killed, and with that you will be killing the source of your frustrations. Then, you will experience the growth of much peace and joy.
If we love our life we will lose it. By hanging onto your life of frustration, you lose what you want most. In your desire for the unloving person to love you the way you want him to, you focus on what is hurting you and you lose touch with whatever amount of love that person has to give.
We've grown up with the illusion that happiness comes from being right and protecting ourselves from hurts. To find true happiness in troubled relationships, we must embrace these people with love, the way they are and accept them as it is. Stop fighting and offer no resistance.
Do not resist another person. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
The other person might not change, but you will. You will find inner peace and joy no matter how much you suffer. You will no longer be damaged by the hurts inflicted upon you. You will no longer have any reason to feel frustrated!
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other and live a life of love, and compassion.
Do not let life’s frustrations be the downfall of your spiritual walk and growth.
Recent experiences have shown me that people go from challenge to challenge. Some use those challenges to become better, some become bitter.