A man must constantly exceed his level!

By John Little

This inspiring story is about Bruce Lee, a legendary martial art master.

“Bruce had me up to three miles a day, really at a good pace. We’d run the three miles in twenty-one or twenty-two minutes. Just under eight minutes a mile [Note: when running on his own in 1968, Lee would get his time down to six-and-a half minutes per mile].

So this morning he said to me “We’re going to go five.” I said, “Bruce, I can’t go five. I’m a helluva lot older than you are, and I can’t do five.” He said, “When we get to three, we’ll shift gears and it’s only two more and you’ll do it.”

Bruce Lee

I said “Okay, hell, I’ll go for it.” So we get to three, we go into the fourth mile and I’m okay for three or four minutes, and then I really begin to give out. I’m tired, my heart’s pounding, I can’t go any more and so I say to him, “Bruce if I run any more,” –and we’re still running-” if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.”

He said, “Then die.” It made me so mad that I went the full five miles.

Afterward I went to the shower and then I wanted to talk to him about it. I said, you know, “Why did you say that?”

He said, “Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

Phrases of wisdom

1. Life would be perfect if :- anger had mute button, mistake had back button, hard times had fast forward button and good times had pause button.

2. Difference between Einstein and Karunanidhi –
Einstein believed everything is relative while Karunanidhi believes relatives are everything,

3. A bird asked Bee you work so hard to make honey and people steal, don’t you feel bad? Bee said that I don’t feel bad as they can never steal my art of making honey,

4. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us,

5. Tongue weighs practically nothing, but only few people can hold it,

6. The happiness of our life depends upon the quality of our thoughts but quality of our thought depends on the people we have in our life,

7. We get lot of unconditional love when we are born and lots of unconditional respect when we die. We just have to manage the time in between.

What is your Title?

By Vinod Bidwaik

“I have completed three years in the organization, what is the further career growth for me?”  You must have encountered with such questions, if you are a manager. When they join the company, they take six months to adjust with the team, understand the business; it takes further one year to contribute in the organization. Their question is right, but they also need to ask the question, what they contributed to the organization during these three years. There are number of employees in the organization and off course, it goes very difficult to the organization to plan everybody’s career. In fact, most of the organizations are struggling to address the issue.

There are certain employees and off course Indian psychology supports another pseudo-satisfaction of getting promoted. It is the title change. Manager is promoted to Sr. Manager, without change in role.  The visiting card, holding the higher designation gives the social status to employees. Nobody in the society bothers actually what role he handles.

One youth approached me from one of the service organizations. He gave me his visiting card. His title was Regional Manager. I thought he may be responsible for some regional territory. I was quite happy to know that today’s’ youth are progressing fast. I asked him his territory. He told that he was responsible for specific area of the city and they used to call area as region. In his organization, there were almost 50 regional managers in one city!

Is promoting merely by designation improves the engagement? I don’t know the answer, but definitely people are fascinated by the fancy designations. AVP is one of the designations in baking, service and BPO industries. I had one friend working in one of the well known BPOs in Pune. He was AVP there, but working in shift. I was envious his designation. After working there for 1 year, he joined in manufacturing company as Manager-HR!

Candidates negotiate for designations. They want higher title. Manager wants to be Sr. Manager and Sr. Manager wants to be AGM. They totally ignore the role and job description. There can be DGM without freedom in one organization and Manager with lot of empowerment in another organization. MNCs have flat organizational structure and job responsibilities play important role in career development in such organizations. Roles are based on job evaluation methods like Hay, Mercer or Hewitt or simply internal designed methodology.

When you see the job, it is better to check the role and level in the organization. The purpose of the job, span of control, impact of the job, contribution expected by that job and salary offered are the important factors than mere designation.

Career development and career planning is not only the responsibility of organizations, but also employees’ willingness to learn more, their accountability and commitment towards job. If you follow this, mere title change will not satisfy you.     

You Must Know Your Career Goal

Since childhood, most of the people aspire to become a professional in a specific area. Most of the kids say that they want to become a doctor, an engineer, a policeman, an architect or an expert in any other field. However, as people grow up they become lesser specific about their job objectives. Consequently, they find themselves placed in any random organization doing a job that may not be the best for them.

You Must Have Your Career Goal Clearly Defined
Just saying that you want to reach the top position in a company is not enough, you must clearly know where exactly do you want to see yourself after a specific period of time. It means you must know the designation you aspire to work on. It will help you in polishing your skills accordingly.

How To Define Your Career Goal?

1. Consider Your Present Job Status
   You must jot down your present job status, which must include your designation, salary, personal financial position, etc. You be aware if your current employers provide sufficient growth opportunities. The most important question to ask yourself is that whether you like the job or not.
2. Analyze Your Need To Work
   While most of the people work for financial reasons, there are some who work to follow their passion or to with a purpose to create a name for themselves. Identify your need to work.
3. Give A Thought To Your Post Retirement Life
   Ask yourself about how you want to see yourself after retirement. You must ask yourself that what all do you want to achieve after retirement.

Give considerable thought to all the above mentioned points and identify your career goal accordingly. Taking professional assistance is a good option for those who find it problematic to define their long term career objectives. It is advisable to get registered with a reliable Online Placement Portal. Leading web portals provide placement services in accordance with the skills and interests of the candidates and also have informational write-ups on career planning.

Response Vs Reaction

Author Unknown

At a Restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming out of fear. With a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky.

The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away but it landed on another lady in the group. Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama.

The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter.

The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior? If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed?

He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos.
It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies.

I realized that, it is not the shouting of my father or my boss or my wife that disturbs me, but it's my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs me. It's not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me.

More than the problem, it's my reaction to the problem that creates chaos in my life.

Lessons learnt from the story:

I understood, I should not react in life.

I should always respond.

The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded.

Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought of, just and right to save a situation from going out of hands, to avoid cracks in relationship, to avoid taking decisions in anger, anxiety, stress or hurry.

Job Interview Don'ts

 

Some job interview pitfalls to avoid.

1. Don't arrive at the interview late.
2. Don't over or under dress or dress inappropriately for the position. First impressions do count and you want to be dressed to show that you fit into the desired role.
3. Don't wear strong perfume.
4. Don't forget to take with you extra clean copies of your CV as well as a notebook and pen with which to take notes.
5. Don't forget to shake the hand of the Interviewer firmly - a limp or sweaty handshake will not be looked on favorably.
6. Don't chew gum, smoke, eat or drink at the Interview.
7. Don't act distracted. Look the Interviewer straight in the eye and give him your full and undivided attention.
8. Don't let your body language send the wrong messages. Be aware of the nonverbal cues you are sending out! Sit upright and straight in the chair facing the employer and smile. Lean forward occasionally to express interest. Avoid crossing your arms or legs in front of you (suggests defensiveness), slouching in the chair (suggests sloppiness and lack of energy), leaning too far back (may be interpreted as being overly familiar and disrespectful), talking to the floor (lack of confidence) or flirting.
9. Don't refer to the Interviewer by his first name unless he specifically asks you to do so.
10. Don't talk about your weaknesses or failings or apologize for lack of education, experience, training etc. Everyone has weaknesses; the Interview is the time to showcase your enthusiasm and strengths.
11. Don't make derogatory comments about previous bosses or peers. This is never acceptable and particularly works against you in the Interview.
12. Don't act tired or jaded. Employers are invariably looking for someone to energize, inspire and uplift the team. Try to act enthusiastic and full of energy and motivation.
13. Don't act unfocused and uncertain about what you want. Whatever interview you're in - you want THAT job.
14. Don't lie. Answer briefly, truthfully and concisely.
15. Don't interrupt.
16. Avoid giving 'yes' or 'no' answers. Support your answers with examples and be as factual and concise as you can.
17. Don't talk too much. Focus your answers on the particular question and on your related strengths. Watch for signals that the Interviewer is losing interest and stop talking immediately.
18. Don't talk about your personal life. You have not been hired yet so keep it professional. This is no the time to talk about failed love lives, a husband who asked you to quit your job etc.!
19. Don't treat questions as jokes or try to be too funny.
20. Don't ask about holidays, perks, hours or compensation until you've actually been made a serious offer.
21. Don't act overly confident or superior. Ultimately, unless you are applying to the very senior level positions, the Interviewer is looking for someone who is manageable and will fit into the team.
22. Don't drop names of influential friends and acquaintances unless you are passing a message or someone has referred you. Be very careful and professional when you mention names of clients and make sure you are never giving out confidential information.
23. Don't leave abruptly. Shake the Interviewer's hand firmly, thank him for his time and ask what the next step will be.

Are your “Socially Intelligent”?

Social Intelligence… 

By Vinod Bidwaik

“It is difficult to handle that person. He is crazy.” One of the friends was sharing his experience about the interaction with another colleague. There are different types of personalities in this world and you have to interact with most of them in your life. There are people in the society who even not aware about their own behaviour in public. They don’t know what to talk and where to talk. They hurt, disturb another people and take blame.  Can we avoid these personalities? You can’t; you have to live with them. But there is a strategy to deal with them.        

You must have heard about Emotional Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence can work, but not always. To deal with such people, we need Social Intelligence. Karl Albrecht coined this term.

Social Intelligence: Social Intelligence as the ability to get along well with others and to get them to cooperate with you. It is basic understanding of people.

The question is how to develop the Social Intelligence. The best way is to understand the S.P.A.C.E. model. This is a simple model of assessing and developing Social Intelligence. This has five dimensions.

(S) Situational Awareness: This is the ability to read, understand the social context which influence the behaviour and accordingly choose the behaviour. It is your social radar which helps you to interpret the behavior of people in those situations in terms of their possible intentions emotional states, and pre deposition to interact.

If we want to be accepted and taken seriously, we all need to pay special attention to the sense of presence we communicate. Here you need to sense the expected behaviour of the person. But before that you have to understand, what are his social norms, his communication style and tone of language and culture of the person.

(P) Presence: It’s the way you affect individuals or groups of people through your physical appearance, your mood and demeanor, your body language, and how you occupy space in a room. Your personality should reflect the positive-ness and confidence.

If some senior person, imagine, President of the company come in the meeting room, his presence in reflected in the surrounding. But this is due to his official position. This is charisma due to his official position.  There are people who earned the personality, like Anna Hazare. His presence in due to his earned charisma. There are people, who project themselves as personality and carries artificial charisma.

You can check this side by becoming awareness with your style, by asking your family members and friends.

(A) Authenticity: This dimension reveals how honest and sincere you are with people and with yourself, in any given situation. It’s how you connect with others people so you become worthy of their trust.  It’s a reliance on or belief in yourself, so you can take real authorship and ownership of your space or place.  

It is possible, for example, to have well developed “people skills” and yet lack the emotional depth to be considered truly socially intelligent. Authenticity does not only require being yourself; you must genuinely connect with others, which demands a fair amount of empathy and compassion.

(C) Clarity: This measures your ability to express your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and intentions clearly. Using proper language is important here. Your language should be used skillfully. Simple test is asking the question, “Do you say what you mean and mean what you say?” Sometimes silence also works effectively.

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”

There are certain situations were saying less, accomplishes more

(E) Empathy: Last but not least is empathy. This dimension invites you to look at how truly aware and considerate you are of others; and the feelings of others. In simple language understanding and assessing why people behave in specific manner. Putting yourself in their situation is the best way to understand them. Try to understand the emotions, feeling of other and decide your strategy to deal with them.   

Try to follow the above dimension of Social Intelligence. This will definitely make you effective in your career and life. Just enter into the S.P.A.C.E…. 

Time is like River

The Power of Encouragement

Author Unknown

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous 19th-century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they at least showed potential talent.

Rossetti looked them over carefully. After the first few, he knew that they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic talent. But Rossetti was a kind man, and he told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent. He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man. The visitor was disappointed, but seemed to expect Rossetti's judgment.

He then apologized for taking up Rossetti's time, but would he just look at a few more drawings - these done by a young art student? Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately became enthusiastic over the talent they revealed. "These," he said, "oh, these are good. This young student has great talent. He should be given every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a great future if he will work hard and stick to it."

Rossetti could see that the old fellow was deeply moved. "Who is this fine young artist?" he asked. "Your son?" "No," said the old man sadly. "It is me - 40 years ago. If only I had heard your praise then! For you see, I got discouraged and gave up - too soon."

Strategies to alleviate stress on and off the job

Is work stressing you out? Has stress become a routine part of your life? That needn't be the case. The job site nikhiljobs.com has identified some effective stress-busting techniques which incorporated into your routine should enhance your emotional well-being and improve your performance both on and off the job!

Breathing Exercises

One way in which stress often manifests itself is in feelings of panic which in turn result in disrupted breathing patterns. You may feel like you simply can't get enough air and that your breathing is very shallow. If you are having breathing difficulties, remedial action is definitely in order.

Yoga is an excellent way to regain a feeling of balance and control and regulate your body and emotions. Many yoga techniques in addition to generating an overall feeling of peace and relaxation also tone the body and add to its flexibility. Some yoga classes actually provide quite a robust work-out. There are many yoga techniques so enjoy experimenting with different ones until you find the one that really works for you.

Meditation and simple breathing exercises you can do from your desk can also help. Effective meditation can clear your mind and allow you to enter a realm of profound relaxation where your body and heart can begin healing from the adverse effects of stress.

Set aside a special time and place either at home or in the privacy of your office. Clear your mind of all its worries, imagine your mind is a clean white slate and focus on a warm bright light (or object) and breathing slowly and deeply in and out in regular counts of 5. In the midst of panic attacks, lying down on the floor and placing your hands on your stomach as you breathe in and out at regular counts also helps you regulate your breathing as you feel your stomach expand and contract every time you inhale/ exhale.

Remember, many people react to stressful situations by holding their breath which adds to that feeling of heightened stress and discomfort as their body tries to come to terms with its diminished oxygen supply. That feeling that you simply can't get in enough air may be a signal that you are actually breathing in too much air in panic and forgetting to exhale.

Diet

Is your diet rich in all the wrong things? Do you pile up on the sugar for energy in the mornings and spend the rest of the day fighting sugar withdrawal symptoms which can include feelings of depression and general heightened anxiety? Do you drink too much coffee and end up with more 'buzz' than you can possibly channel in a positive direction? Are you malnourished because of a general fashionable preoccupation with being thin and as a result feeling weak, lethargic and drained? Or maybe you're overeating and ending up feeling slow and unhappy with yourself?

A balanced diet is your first step to general physical and emotional health. No amount of stressbuster techniques can make up for a diet lacking in essential requirements. Emotional health is often symptomatic of underlying physical problems so make sure you start out by treating your body right and giving it the nutrients vitamins and minerals it deserves. Aim to drink 8 glasses of water a day to help detox your body and keep the circulation going.

Exercise

Another way to treat your body right and vastly improve your emotional well-being is physical exercise. Exercise helps you look and feel young and full of energy! Try to incorporate regular exercise at least twice a week into your routine. There are so many types of exercise out there that being 'unathletic' is no excuse! For those who don't like to rollerblade or jog or do pump aerobics, a brisk 45 minute walk can do wonders as can skipping rope, a low-impact toning class or a wonderful revi talising swim.

Formulate an exercise plan that works for you and vary it to keep it interesting. The emotional high you get from exercising is immediate and for most moderately strenuous aerobic or muscle-building programs, you should start to notice physical results too after about three weeks providing you stick to a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine of three times a week.

Aromatherapy

After a long day's work in a highly stressful environment, if you are too drained to do anything at all, aromatherapy may be just what the doctor ordered to rejuvenate and unwind. Aromatherapy involves using the sense of smell to heal and restore physical and mental harmony. Essential oils for aromatherapy are generally available in cosmetic as well as health food stores. Essential oils based candles, soaps and bath salts can also do the trick.

One of the most common and well-known healing oils is lavender which is well-known for its soothing and relaxing qualities as well as its antiseptic abilities. Other relaxing oils include cinnamon, lemon balm and geranium. For general mood enhancement, chamomile, clearly sage, marjoram and rosemary are very effective. Thyme, peppermint, frankinsence and citrus scents such as orange, lemon and grapefruit can also act as stimulants. Ginger, sandalwood and jasmine are known to have aphrodisiac qualities.

Talk Therapy

This really works. Find someone to talk to about your work problems and stresses. This will help you see things in more perspective and even if the person isn't able to provide constructive advice, you will benefit from an objective party's viewpoint on the situation.

You can talk to a professional for really effective advice - either a career counselor or a psychologist or a veteran in the industry. Professional talk therapy can be remarkably effective in helping you see and shed bad habits or thinking patterns and resume a positive direction in your life. Alternatively, a friend or family member who will not provide unwarranted criticism and impose their own needs can be an effective sounding board. Ideally, try to a mentor who will be a good sounding board as well as a source of wisdom and strength.

Music

Much has been written about the advantages of music in soothing and calming the nerves. Classical music has been found to have positive effects even with newborn babies and toddlers.

Experiment with different types of classical music to find something that works for you. You may prefer to unwind with Italian opera music, German piano concertos, a Tchaikovsky ballet or some Chopin and Mozart waltzes. Visualize the music and let your mind completely wander off with the notes as your daily worries slip away.

Classical music is not the only way to unwind. Arabic or any local music, slow pop music, jazz or a top-of-the-charts album can be just as effective for many. Whatever the music type you enjoy, try to lose yourself in the rhythm and really let your worries slip away for the duration.

Creative Endeavours

Does your job leaving you feeling bored and unfulfilled? It may be your creative impulses that are not being stimulated. Oftentimes, taking up a creative endeavour can do wonders to channel your negative vibes and giving you a sense of fulfillment and centredness.

Writing in a journal, writing fiction, drawing, sculpture, baking, experimenting with cooking techniques, decorating, arts and crafts for the home, music, photography are all means to channel and challenge your creative impulse. Remember, the goal is not to replicate Rembrandt or Wagner, you are merely venting artistic energy and trying to make the art that makes you happy.

Hobbies

Take up a hobby that will add a new dimension to your life and allow you to feel a sense of accomplishment and joy quite distinct from your professional life. Find something you really enjoy or have always wanted to do or learn. Remember, you are never too old to start something new.

For some, a class in oil painting or pottery may be just the outlet they need for their creative impulses after a long day in a staid job. Others may require a hobby that stimulates their intellect such as an archaeology or chess club or a language class. Exercise is always a good thing to add to your hobby list whether it be fencing, kickboxing, swimming, joining a football club, squash, tennis or whatever. Sewing, stamp collection or art appreciation clubs provide a tranquil setting for the release of your daily frustrations.

There are many many options for hobbies to pursue and you are bound to find at least one that interests you and  logistically feasible. Make the time to pursue your hobby and make sure your hobby makes you happy and fulfilled.

Holidays

Needless to say, a holiday does wonders for your emotional health. While most of us would love an exotic getaway to our location of choice, holidays need not entail a suitcase, an airline ticket and a huge expenditure. After a really stressful month, checking into that delightful 5 star hotel down the road for the weekend may take all the energy and time you can muster and may be just as effective!

10 Ways to Have a Better Day Today

1. Wake up 30 Minutes Early.

Get up 30 minutes before the alarm goes off and take the first half hour for yourself. Once you get busy and into the day there never seems to be the time for yourself. Take this time to plan getting the most from the day.

2. Read, Listen, or Watch Something Uplifting.

Make this a daily habit. Get out of starting the day with no mental food. A great day does not begin with the news or the paper, it begins with ideas or energy that will propel you through the day. What you first hear will stay with you throughout the day. 

3. Eat a Good Breakfast to Start You Off Right.

Get something good into your body to wake it up and get it going. Think about the energy you will need to perform. Everyday we run a marathon. What would you need to eat and drink to win it.

4. Choose Your Winning Attitude.

There is enough to go wrong without sabotaging yourself. Your attitude is a choice you make. Don't let it come between you and your success. Be careful to keep it positive all day long.

5. Be Aware of What They are Telling You.

The people around us have a profound effect on how we get through life. Our closest friends and family are our greatest environmental influences. 6. Make the Most of What You Do. When you get to your work, make it the best place to be. Most people go to work and never think about work while they are there. Focus on your contribution. What would it be like if you were not around. Strive to give a 100% each and every day.

7. Always Remember that People are Listening.

Make a point of talking well of others. Wish others the best in life. What goes around does come around. Don't talk negative about anyone. Try to understand their circumstances Practice being a support system to your friends and family. They need you.

8. Be Honest and Fair to Others.

It does make a difference. What you give to others is usually what you get from others. Practice integrity that people can see and feel. Be aware of what you say. Learn to walk your talk at all times. The more people trust you, the more of their time they will trust with you.

9. Pace Your Energy to Last All Day.

Be. careful of bursts of energy. Pace your energy throughout the day. If you get to crazy early in the day, you will reach a point of exhaustion before the day is over. By planning your entire day before you begin, you will have what you need. You've heard the old saying "look alive.

10. Get in Bed Early and Study for the Future.

I have a friend who keeps a journal at his bedside. Every night he writes best day ever. what he learned new on that day. The only way to keep one step above the masses is to learn new ways to do things.

Develop the habit of reading a work or personal development book before you go to sleep. Reading for 30 minutes a day is like a year of college. You can't succeed if you don't read. Remember throughout your day that life is what we make it, day by day. Practice having the It adds up to a great training ,great life.