Countdown to 2014 - Being Compassionate 2

Saturday morning… very pleasant. Was feeling blessed, as I stepped out for my 20-minuteworkout.

Shocked to see the ground covered with dead and also, dying honey-bees (entire night struggling between life & death). Hopefully, someone will walk/drive to help it die!

We protect ourselves by keeping our premises clean, restricting speeding cars, hiring a good security agency, checking if the fire-fighting equipment is in order, sprinkle water on the kuccha-roads to minimize dust, discourage honking, hygienic disposal of garbage, etc.

Are we not being selfish by killing honeybees, like mosquitos, perhaps using the same ‘easy-to-use’ sprays? (everything ‘easy to use’ comes with a huge price?!)

Can we not be more compassionate to spare honeybees?

Are we, the educated, ignorant how important they are to our fragile environment?

How are they inferior to us, human beings?

Can we not prevent them from making a honey-comb?  (We did successfully recently, by just smoking them away, without killing a single bee)

Can we not spare a balcony for sake of honeybees & thus, environment?

Also, show our children how to make small sacrifices to be compassionate?

Human beings have been on this planet for last few centuries. Whereas so many other species have been around much earlier. But we are ruthlessly killing all the helpless species through various means (for eg., plastics in seas)

We may not believe in the doctrine of karma, even if we are religious & ritualistic. We may not extrapolate newton’s law of action & reaction to our personal lives. We may ridicule Malthusian theory. But can we ignore the possibility of how a situation may arise when we are threatened, when helpless, or our elders, children and pets are threatened.

Nature (at a more holistic, majestic level) may choose to take a spray to wipe out, like we ‘mas-murder honey bees’ (through any natural or man-made disasters)

Master’s Voice:

“ Have you ever visualised Viswa Virata Swarupa (the Cosmic Form)? Earth, water, sky, etc., can be seen in it. The universe is made of five elements, and the same five elements are present in you too. So, you are Viswa Virata Swarupa. God is in you and in everybody. So hurting others amounts to hurting God.” 

Countdown to 2014 - Being Compassionate

What & Why?

I want to be more compassionate - at personal level, as a member of my family and as part of all different communities that I belong to..

Be compassionate to myself, to people around me, and most importantly, Nature/environment/community, including plants, birds, animals and physical structures… (would need a heavy dose of 'H'opnopono!)

Even if it were difficult for me, bit of self-sacrifice would suffice.  Not because I have reached a level of self-satisfaction to focus more on self-sacrifice. But just inspired…

It helps in my work also. (so, not all selfless!)

I am tempted to add, ‘self-satisfaction’ is just a state of mind! Just Being SSpiritual!

How?

·  At a personal level be more environment-friendly. Minimise use of plastic. Get the home compost, on my to-do-list for a long time. (If experience good, champion cause of garbage-segregation and home/community compost)

·  Join groups in cleaning up area around us, in our community. Clean & Green. Move from passive to active participation with groups actively working in our part of city. And of course do something to save our precious lakes, street dogs and Honey Bees. (All precious, precious components of our delicate environment, most helpless)

All time bound and planned, instead of loose aspirations…

When

Here & Now… surely into 2014 :)

The 4 Smartest Things You Can Do Every Morning | | The New OPEN ForumThe New OPEN Forum

Interesting thoughts -  practical and very useful.

But I would rather re-shuffle the same in the following order: 

1. Do something for yourself (#2 as per author). Here, I would stress the need to spend some time on meditation, surely. Meditation has to be a must-do, for all. 
2. Have a Routine (#3 ): Body is more comfortable to a routine. The example of Prez Obama, very true. Makes sense to cut off the unnecessary things in our daily routine.  
3. Check to-do list (#1): This is a great practice. I prefer writing down. Back with with digital diary to ensure meetings are scheduled properly.
4. Start with something, big/small (no change): It does not matter, big or small, important or urgent. Just start... go, as per your heart or even head. But have a plan and stick to it.

What not to do, is to switch on TV for news or even newspapers. No need to start the day with all the negativity in our media. Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin, can wait too. Better to read something useful or inspiring. 

The idea is to treat the body with respect (not abuse) and time, with more respect ! All are interconnected. Once we are aware & accept, our approach will be holistic and fulfilling.

Blissfully!

The 4 Smartest Things You Can Do Every Morning | | The New OPEN ForumThe New OPEN Forum

I was briefly on air this morning on FM Radio

Was on a long drive with son, this morning. Monday, late morning,  not to office/work! 
Was listening to the interesting discussion on 'how to handle monday-morning-blues'(Sunday/Saturday morning blues for friends in Middle East) on FM Radio 104/Bangalore.  
When this question was posed on-air and sought feedback, I pulled the car aside and quickly text-ed: Stick to the weekly time schedule. Get extra physical exercise. And, Meditate...

The topic was a personal favourite and hence could not resist temptation to text.  Hence, this post too...

In less that 15 minutes the RJ was on phone!!! I was surprised & my son was delighted! He asked me what do I do, put me on hold and went-on-air immediately.   

When I mentioned, ' Executive Coaching & Corporate Training', he asked, 'what was Exe Coaching'. I knew there was no time to explain, hence quickly mentioned, 'just as you have a coach in sports, you have a coach for executives and others in corporate world'. 

 Then he asked for my thoughts on the topic. My response was:

• We tend to over-eat, over-sleep and mis-manage our time over week-ends. 
• The best way is to stick to the usual schedule to wake up early, use the extra time to jog/exercise, do things we love to do (spending time with family, friends, etc). And of course, spend extra moments with the self, Meditate !
• Would have loved to add, 'Spiritualise Week-ends'..

I have often seen, lot of friends in corporate world live from week-end to week-end. We tend to mis-manage week-end time and return to work, reluctantly. 

It was during my stint at Middle East, I got this great 'insight' to stick to the same time to wake up (and often sleep too). My alarm clock is thus permanently fixed at the same time. It has been a great experience. You wake up early on a week-end and suddenly you have a lot of time in your hands to do all those things you always wanted to... Try out & see for yourself.. Initially it may be difficult to shift, but once you & family get used to it, the experience can be not only healthy, but very fulfillling!

I have always been an early to bed/early to rise type. (Quite boring, right ?!) Partly blame it on the Fauji upbringing. But, no regrets at all... 

'Time is God' (kaalaya namaha) according to Indian belief. I guess, it is true, across all beliefs and cultures. Every moment is precious. Hence, it is called 'Present', truly a gift. 

If we make a small shift to manage our time better during week-ends, we could see the difference. Worth trying!

Blissfully!
The Coach 

PS:  I did not start, 'Good Morning Bluru....', Munna-bai style. Of course the discussion was good. He then played my favourite singer, Sri Jagjit Singhji's song... 'Hoshwalon...' !

Master's Voice - Judgement

A renunciant couple were once proceeding through a thick jungle on a pilgrimage to an inaccessible shrine. 

The husband saw on the footpath a precious stone, shining brilliantly when the Sun’s rays fell upon it from between the leaves. He hastily threw some sand over it with the movement of his foot, so that his wife may not be tempted to pick it up and become a slave to the tinsel. 

The wife saw the gesture and chided the husband for still retaining in his mind, a distinction between sand and gold. For her, both were the same. 

This habit of judging and labelling others is a prevalent practice today. What can you know of the inner working of another's mind?

Midwayfilm Must Watch

Got this from couple of friends... 

This video is about an island in the ocean at 2000 km from any other coast line.Nobody lives there, only birds and yet ...............You will not believe your eyes!!!!!!! This film should be seen by the entire world, please don't throw anything into the sea. Unbelievable, just look at the consequences!!!!! 

http://www.midwayfilm.com/

Must watch...

I have shared with virtually all my contacts, on multiple platforms... Hope & pray many get to watch it & share. We have a choice... to make a difference or just ignore the issue. But, eventually it will come to haunt us & future generations.

In fact to cut down on plastic was one of my new year resolutions, as part of my effort to 'GO Green'. Now it becomes a priority. I can not limit my love for animals ( birds/fish/plants Etc) just to pampering our own dog. It should extend to the world... Let us make a choice.

150th Birth Anniv of Swami Vivekananda

'We are not human being going thru a spiritual experience... but, spiritual beings, going thru human experience"

Rituals are the kindergarten of religion - Swami Vivekananda

Came across a few press reports on the occasion of Swamiji's birth anniversary. But this quote stayed on... We get so stuck to rituals. With rituals, we are the humans on spiritual journey. But beyond, we are spiritual beings... 

A few more inspiring quotes on Religion & Spirituality:

https://sites.google.com/site/positivethinkingclub/quotation-sections/religion

 

7 Ways to Be a Stress-Free Workaholic | Inc.com

The author has summarised how do we handle stress at work, esp if we are workaholic.

My favourite is the last one, pick one or two healthy outlets : Exercise, Meditate, get outdoors to breathe fresh air/get out of work-desk, build things, play Scrabble, talk to someone, sing/dance/play an instrument --whatever works, just do it!

These are not only useful to overcome stress, but more importantly preventive. Meditation is a must. Pick up any meditation technique that you like, simple & easy to practise.
Healthy lifestyle helps too....Yoga too !

One big preventive prescription is : don't be a workaholic :)
Don't just be on 'corpoRATe race'!!
Love work, then it will not be a 'work'. And don't forget work/job/career is just Maya!

Blissfully!!

7 Ways to Be a Stress-Free Workaholic | Inc.com

The Maya of Career

Read recently... got multiple forwards from friends...  
"THE MAYA(ILLUSION) OF CAREER IS ONE OF THE WORST....."

On the eve of a new year, Mayan 2012 behind us and with a new spiritual awakening, with all its resolutions & planning, this may come as a big shock. It got me on the wrong foot, I must confess. But, it was very soon replaced by a hearty laugh... I thought, how true! Most of us know that. But we do nothing about it !! 

We chase career at the expense of everything else in life. Work-life balance remains an eternal mirage !! And we blame everyone else for all problems at work. We don't take responsibility. After all, we made a choice. All that we experience today is the effect of choices we made earlier. Let us not blame it on parents/shcool/college/teachers/mentors/boss/spouse/colleague/kids.... WE CHOSE !!

We tend to lose the 'joy of living' in the process. Job and all that comes with it in the garb of 'success'.... image, financial power, big car, big house, big investments, reputed school, club membership, foreign/exotic holiday... etc. 
I don't mean all these are bad. But when needs become wants, we complicate our lives. In the process, we forget health, family, social responsibility, parenting and spiritual growth. We postpone the important things in life, in favour of corpoRATe race! Don't quit the job either. Be aware !!!
As it is often quoted, 'too much of even amrit ( nectar) is bad'. We fail to understand the thin life between too less, just right and too much. THAT IS MAYA...

May 2013 be a year to re-connect and overcome the Maya of Career... in favour of blissful living. 

GOD BLESS

Being K I A S U - Random Notes from Singapore

Got this addition to my humble vocab @ S'pore - being "Kiasu"! It means being afraid to lose out to others !

Sounds familiar ?! 

Singaporeans, many of them at least, see their society as being kiasu. Many see that synonymous with elitist, materialistic, self-centered, etc.
Some see it as 'icononic' ! 
Some see it as 'part of the dna' in a city, which is fast-paced, achievement oriented... 

I don't want to comment on this or be judgemental. 

But I feel, this is a universal phenomenon. Many, in all areas of activities (not just in corporate) are being 'kiasu' ! 

But it would be sad if society sees it as positive and welcome... 
I feel we will be trivialising our lives by being elitist, materialistic or self-centered...

Your thoughts ?