Forge Ahead With Gusto!

‘Growth’ is the fundamental right of all living beings. We look forward to growth in our jobs, our relationships, our stature, and life in general. Growth at workplace encompasses all other growths as we define ourselves by our jobs and our designations in today’s world. Understandably our energies and efforts get focused on our move up the ladder of corporate hierarchy.

The best part is that while we are focused on our growth, our organizations are focused on it as well. In their scheme of things, we play an important role as future potential leaders. If that be so, why is it that most of us (and our companies) are frustrated in our efforts? What is sabotaging our collective interest?

According to an IBM study, companies in Asia Pacific region are the ones most concerned about their ability (or inability) to develop future leaders. According to the same study, United States’ concern about the same issue is considerably lower. (Perhaps they are confident of their ability to lure the right material from around the world!)

What do you think is the solution for us? How do we get out of this mess and improve our market value? Over centuries we have been enslaved by feudal lords, invading armies, and foreign sovereigns. As a result we are very good at enduring hardships, working hard, burning the mid-night oil and all that the minions are supposed to do, but we (the majority of us) are incapable of being effective leaders. Even our education system does not prepare us for that!

So what do we do? Let me suggest some ways of getting back on track with our progress.

Let us first get one thing clear in our collective sub-conscious – Great leaders are made and not born. So with adequate desire and willpower any one of us can be a leader, an effective one. We can hone our leadership skills through a continuous process of introspection, knowledge of the self, education, practice, and experience. Like they say, ‘In order to have more, you have to be more.’

There are certain things that we must be, do, or know to move up in any sphere of our lives. These things do not just fall in our lap; we need to continually strive to be more, to do more, and to know more. We need to continually work and study to improve ourselves. (Note my repeated use of the word ‘continuous’ in its various avatars. The opposite of this word is ‘stagnant’. Now take your pick.)

Well, I forgot to ask you, how do you define the role of a leader? According to the ethos of the Indian Army, ‘A leader is a person who leads from the front.’, the corporate world puts it in different words, ‘A leader leads by example.’ Both mean the same thing. In essence, a leader walks the talk. Is a ‘boss’ always a leader? The power bestowed upon a person as a part of his/her position of authority can make that person a ‘boss’, but not a ‘leader’. The leaders believe in the dictum, ‘Abundance to all, lack to none.’ They build people as opposed to bosses who just boss around.

So how does one become a leader? There is one theory that states that some traits in us, such as courage of conviction, strong belief in values, and a commitment to growth help us grow as a leader. Some say that a trigger of some sort, say a great loss or crisis, makes the dormant leader in us emerge to take up the challenge. I believe that people can simply ‘choose’ to be leaders. You might call it a simplistic theory, but I have seen it work in my own life.

Your life is a sum total of the choices that you make in each moment. Your today is a reflection of choices that you made till yesterday. In any given moment you are free to choose differently and transform your life. (I have done that with mine.) So, if you want to move up the value chain and you are serious about it, just change your thoughts.

Your thoughts are potent. Don’t underestimate them. They are packed with the power to create. Unleash that power now for your unprecedented growth. I assure you, you will never look back.

So the mantra of being successful is to EXPECT SUCCESS!


The Times Ascent, 21 November 2007, Chitra Jha

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Goal: The Energy Source That Powers Our Lives

We all know the importance of setting goals. We do set them from time to time but some how we don’t seem to achieve them. Why is it that most of us fail at achieving our goals? What stops us before we reach the summit?

In my experience this failure happens because most of the times our goals are not really ours. They have been imposed upon us by others, and we are made to believe that this is what we should want, or aim for. Our immediate environment sets our goals for us and when we try to achieve these ‘externally determined’ goals, we fail. Is it any surprise then that we fail? Unless we can put our heart and soul into our goals we can’t win. And when do we put our heart and soul into something? When we love doing it; when it is our passion; when it is our dharma (another name for our purpose in life).

Now how do we find our passion or our dharma- the purpose of our lives? It is very simple; our passion lies in what we love to do. Take out a paper and a pen, yes do it right now; and write down all the things that you LOVE to do (leisure activity as well as work). E.g. I love watching TV. I love playing with my dog. I love reading books. I love listening to music. I love working on a computer. Whatever it is that you love doing, just jot it down. Don’t think of anything as too trivial, unimportant or a time waster (you may have been told all that by others!). If you love doing it, it is worth doing. After all it is about you, your passion, your purpose, your life and your goals. Go ahead, do this exercise. It will take only five minutes. You don’t need to think, you don’t need to cook up some so called ‘done things’ or politically correct interests. This is not a ‘B-school interview’. This is between you and YOU. Once you have made a list of all that you love, analyse your interests and build a career around them. (E.g. if you love making friends and meeting new people: you will do well in PR jobs.) Probe around, there may be an existing career that may fit in with your interests, or you may have to think of doing something on your own. But understand that this is your life’s goal. No matter what anyone else tells you! The love for these things was put inside you for some purpose. Your dharma is to fulfil that purpose. Once you have determined your purpose, the whole universe will conspire to make it happen, co-incidences will occur and you will move towards your labour of love. But you will need to take some action and the right time to take that action is NOW.

Picture yourself in your new career. Notice your feelings. Does it feel good? Do you feel joy, happiness, eagerness and certainty of achievement? If yes, you are on the right path. If not, you need to review your list.

You may need to enhance your skills to achieve your goal. Do whatever it takes to get there. Learn a new language; undertake a study course, whatever. Just don’t let this goal out of your sight. Write it down on a credit card size piece of white card and keep it in your wallet. Carry your goal with you wherever you go. Read it as many times as you can. Let it seep into your subconscious. Own your goal and see the magic happen.

Goal setting is such a simple exercise and it takes only ten minutes to carry out. Then why is it that so many of us don’t set our goals? I think it is because of fear. This fear has its roots in poor self-esteem and under-confidence. The questions that bother us are- what if I am wrong? What if this is not really my goal? What if I do not achieve this goal? What will my parents say? How will my friends react? There is no money in this profession. Sure I love doing it, but I can’t earn my livelihood from it. There are too many nagging, nibbling, paralysing thoughts that don’t let us take any determined action and we just drift by, propelled by what our external circumstances determine for us. No wonder most of us remain frustrated throughout our lives. Come on you won’t let life just happen to you; you will ‘make it happen’. You will take charge. You will be a doer and a dreamer rolled into one. You will witness life’s miracles. You will follow your PATH. Are you ready for the challenge?

If yes, then you need to make some commitments to yourself. These commitments are easy to make but take some efforts to sustain. I am sure you will put in that effort.

Understand your potential: - Be confident. You are a unique being with unique talents. Bring forth those talents. Let them flower.

Bring Excellence into your life: - Whatever it is that you choose to do, do it to the best of your ability. Being successful is a habit. If you are successful in small endeavours, such as polishing your shoes to give them a great shine (try it, it is very satisfying and you will feel proud of yourself). Yes, success in such small mundane endeavours propels you to success in higher spheres. Rate everything that you do on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means ‘very shabby’ and 10 means ‘excellent’. Your satisfaction level should be at least a 9 on this scale.

Never regret the past: - Let go of the past. Whatever may have happened in the past is no longer relevant to you. Don’t dwell upon it. Learn from your past mistakes and failures and move on.

Allow yourself to dream: - You must be honest with yourself about your goals, but always think big and dream even bigger. It helps you push forward.

Have a plan for achieving your goals: - You must have heard the saying that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It is so very true. You must make a written plan about how to reach your goal. Take it one step at a time.

Believe in yourself: - Confidence in your abilities and your vision is the key ingredient for achieving success. It is like driving at night. You can see only about 100 meters ahead but you reach your destination because you are confident of reaching it.

Never give up: - The role of persistence in achieving your dreams can’t be overemphasised. You want it, go get it and don’t turn back till you’ve got it. It is as simple as that.

Co-create your life and expect success.
Advanc’edge MBA, June 2007

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The Dynamics of Choices

What are the choices facing you at this moment? Either you go ahead and read this write up or you choose to skip it.

At every moment of our lives we are faced with two choices. We always choose one and move ahead. But there are times when we wonder, ‘what if I had chosen the other option?’ Life doesn’t roll back for us to experience the other path, but there is always this moment, the most important moment of our lives. This moment has the inherent power to be the turning point of our lives, if only we acknowledge and make use of this power. To change the momentum of our lives, we can choose to choose differently in any given moment.

Flora Whitmore, a Life skills Coach, says, ‘The doors we close and open each day, decide the lives we live.’ Yes, our choices empower us, or weaken us. Once we realize how our life is a sum of all the choices we have made in the past, we are jolted out of our complacence. The realization dawns on us that whatever we are, whatever situations we face, whatever we have achieved or not achieved, has been of our own choosing. We are responsible for our lives. We cannot blame other people, circumstances, luck or destiny for our problems.

With this realization we suddenly look at our lives with new eyes. If we could choose our current situations, does it mean that we are free to choose ANY other way of living? If we had the power to design our lives the way we wanted to, how cool would that be? The TRUTH is that this is the TRUTH. You are the architect of your own life, so take this wonderful opportunity to re-design and re-build your life RIGHT NOW. NOW is the RIGHT time. Do not hesitate. Do not procrastinate. Whichever form of life you lead now, you can start from just that point and from there on, at every step, witness the miracle of metamorphosis. Once you understand this profound secret, your life will be a song (and a dance!). The beauty of life will unfold itself in your life.

So what are you waiting for? Ask yourself, if time and money were no constraints, or in other words if you had all the money, all the time and no responsibilities, what is it that you would love doing? Which career would you love to pursue? Give it a thought. Now pick up a paper and a pen, and write this thought down. This is your life’s purpose statement. This is what you have come here to do. Doing this will bring you true fulfillment, in terms of happiness as well as wealth.

Have you done this exercise? How does it feel? Do you feel that rush of adrenaline, or a wave of happiness surging through you? Do you feel an odd mixture of enthusiasm and peaceful calm? If yes, you are on the right track. If not, think again. Perhaps you are not being honest with yourself. Perhaps you need some more time to think it through. After all you had never thought about life in this way before. Take your time but please do it. It is the most important exercise that you have ever undertaken in your life so far. It deserves your time, and your attention.

Now start living your life, keeping your life’s purpose in mind. You cannot change your circumstances overnight; but you can live your present life fully and cheerfully, with the confidence that your REAL life is unfolding in unknown, but certain ways. Have no doubts about that.

For most of our lives we live on autopilot. We make choices but we are not conscious of them. Sometimes others make choices for us and we accept them passively. Sometimes we protest but accept them nevertheless. No wonder our lives are in such a mess. The only way out of this morass is to choose wisely. There is a surefire test of knowing the right choice in any moment. When you make a choice, pay close attention to the sensations in your body. If you feel a sense of discomfort, it is not the right choice for you, but on the other hand if you feel a sense of well being, go ahead with your choice, with all gusto. It will feel just right –because it is so.

Remember that we are one of a kind. We are unique beings. There is no one like us. Each one of us possesses a unique talent and a unique way of expressing that talent. Once we understand and accept this TRUTH, we will be guided to make the right choices. Choices that will lead us to the right path: the path to realize our life’s purpose, the path to prosperity, the path to abundance and the path to fulfillment.

A quote by Denis Waitley, an American motivational speaker, sums it up very well.

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”

Which choice will you make? Remember your choice has the potential to change your whole perspective and turn your life around!

If you need any clarifications, write to me. I am a firm believer that the buck always stops at us, and the choices that we make as we go along the way of life. Once you choose to take control of your life and be the master of your destiny, the universe would conspire to bring the choicest of its gifts to you and you will be humbled by the force of your own power. So go ahead! Unleash your power! I know that you want to do this. Otherwise you wouldn’t have read this write up.

‘And in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it is the life in your years.’
– Abraham Lincoln

Co-create your life and expect success.

Advanc’edge MBA, April 2007, Chitra Jha

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The Secret of Success

What is the definition of ‘SUCCESS’? Success means different things to different people. What ever be our definition of success, one thing holds true for most of us- the elusive nature of success. Yes, we are always almost there, never really reaching the summit. Why is it that we don’t always make it? What holds us back?

Recent scientific research has determined that there is no limit to achieving success in life; we are limited only by our own imagination. The commonsense notion, 'You are as good as you think you are’ has deep implications. The TRUTH is that our success story is actually scripted by our thoughts.What is a thought? It is an impulse of energy and information. There was a time when we used to regard thoughts as harmless, abstract activities of an over-active mind, but we have been proven wrong by science. In effect our thoughts are electrochemical triggers that produce positive or negative chemical reactions. Once we understand that our thoughts are potent and have tremendous power, we are more careful of what we think. An ancient proverb conveys this message very well; 'No one deceives us more than our own thoughts'.My god-fearing mother has her own way of making this point. She tells us that God knows only one word, and that word is 'Tathastu' or 'Amen', in other words, 'So be it'. According to her, our thoughts are our constant, unconscious prayers to God. What ever we think or say to ourselves (our inner God), He utters 'tathastu' in response. Thus our thoughts get materialised in our lives by the divine willpower. Now science has corroborated her simplistic theory that our thoughts are indeed creative. They possess an inherent power to create. All we have to do is, understand this creative process and harness its power to achieve success in our lives.Harvard University psychologist David McClelland believes that if a man can change his thoughts about his performance, he can change his actual performance.Our thoughts depend upon our internal programming. Unfortunately most of us have been negatively programmed in our growing up years. This early programming has led us to a habit of negative self-talk. When these negative thoughts get repeated over and over in our subconscious mind, they get recorded on our internal tapes without our being aware of the process, and create failures in our lives. Sociologist Robert MacIver says, "All of us carry on a constant dialogue with ourselves. We are constantly makingpredictions about what we can and cannot do. And there are quite a few of us who could do a lot more if we simply expected more of ourselves."What programming is holding you back? Have you ever been told that you are not good enough? That so and so is better than you? That you can't do anything right? That it won't work? That you don't deserve it? That you don't have it in you? Are you frequently feeding such negative inputs into your hard disc? Most of the under-performers in this world suffer from this bad habit of re-playing internal tapes, saying that they will never amount to anything, re-enforcing these negative thoughts and thus increasing thepotency of such thoughts.There is this story about a pumpkin farmer. Once he put a small pumpkin hanging by the vine in a glass jar. At harvest time he saw that all other pumpkins had grown big, but the pumpkin in the glass jar had grown equivalent only to the shape and size of the jar. Just as the pumpkin could not grow beyond the boundaries restricting it, human beings cannot perform beyond the boundaries of their self-concept, whatever it may be. Richard Bach writes, 'Argue for your limitations and sure enough they are yours.'Most of us think we know our own limits. But what we 'know' isn't knowledge at all; it is belief-erroneous, self-limiting belief. And such self-limiting beliefs are the biggest obstacles to high-level performance.For many years everyone 'knew' that running a mile in less than four minutes was 'impossible'. Articles published in the journals of physiology 'proved' that the human body couldn't do it. Then, in 1954, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier. Within two years ten other athletes had followed suit.This doesn't mean that there are no limits to human endeavour. The point is: we rarely really know what these limits are. Thus too many of us actually set our limits far below our true potential.Think about your current pattern of thoughts. If you are unsure, keep a log of every negative, self-limiting thought for a week. You cannot keep track of all the thoughts that enter your mind but you can register the thoughts that you dwell upon frequently. These repeated thought patterns determine whether you are in a positive or negative programming cycle. Positive programming cycles boost your 'will’ power, while negative programming cycles give a fillip to your 'won't' power.The good news is that the negative programming cycles can be re-set. Yes, these patterns can be corrected. Scientific studies have proven that all habits can be changed, if we are aggressively committed to change them.Norman Vincent Peale has said, “If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectation, you put yourself into a condition conducive to success.” So as a first step imagine yourself as a person, who must have success, responsibility, challenge and variety. Now write down all your negative thoughts and rephrase them into positive statements.

Negative Thoughts

I am not good enough.
I don’t deserve it.
There aren’t enough opportunities.

Positive Rephrases

I am good and getting better everyday.
I am a person of infinite worth and unique possibilities.
There is an abundance of opportunities.

Your subconscious is extremely literal. It takes every message at face value. So once you start re-programming your thoughts with positively worded self-talk, your subconscious will interpret it literally.Autosuggestions alter our belief system by influencing the subconscious mind. And our belief system influences our behaviour.What is autosuggestion? As the name suggests it is a suggestion made by you, about yourself, to yourself, for yourself. How can we use autosuggestion to eliminate self-limiting beliefs and develop positive ones? Autosuggestion is a tool to programme and condition our mind to change a statement into a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is a repetitive process through which we feed our subconscious with positive statements, which translate into reality.It seems easy but this paradigm shift requires a consistent effort. At first your mind will reject these autosuggestions because these new thoughts are alien to your belief system. You will feel ridiculous. Your old programming will cry foul and say 'not true' to your entire positive self-talk. Success will depend upon your ability to keep practicing it. You will need to be patient with yourself and keep repeating this process. The self-discipline to finish what you start is a key element.If thinking positive thoughts does not come easily to you, you can write them down. Make a list of your autosuggestions in the present tense. Repeat these in your mind at least twice a day. Our subconscious is most receptive in the beginning and at the end of a day. In the morning the mind is fresh and at night you can drift off to sleep thinking of positive outcomes. This process should be repeated at least for a month or until it becomes your habit.The most immediate benefit of this exercise will be a boost in your self-esteem. Within three weeks you will notice other positive changes. Eventually your thoughts will materialise into positive strokes of success.These positive autosuggestions work best if you can charge them with emotions and feelings. So when your thought reads-'I have received a raise in salary.' You must feel the emotions that would surge if it were true. You must visualise the whole process. It is like watching a film, in which you are the star. Some people dismiss such reverie as 'day dreaming' or 'wishful thinking'; and they won't be very wrong if you think that just visualising these happy thoughts is the road to success. These autosuggestions are a power packed supporting tool to all the hard work you are putting in to get there. Purposeful, single-minded pursuit of your goal encompasses hard work and positive autosuggestions.Believe with the bottom of your heart that you will achieve success and workincessantly to achieve it.
Remember-Our thoughts are causes.You sow a thought, you reap an action.You sow an action, you reap a habit.You sow a habit, you reap a character.You sow a character, you reap a destiny.It all starts with a thought.



AWWA Journal 2007, Chitra Jha

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