It's called Mindset!!

As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?

"YOUR ATTEMPT MAY FAIL, BUT NEVER FAIL TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT."

What is meditation

Mind without agitation is meditation.
Mind in the present moment is meditation
Mind that has no hesitation, no anticipation is meditation.
Mind that has comeback home, to the source, is meditation.
Mind that becomes 'no-mind' is meditation.

It all lies in how we perceive it.

A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something is troubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you."

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time." Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!

"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the un cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un cashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.

"I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller."

And she led the old man away by the arm. The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he 'd been wheeling and dealing, buying
and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

Confidence comes from ones own commitment and dedication to ones vision.

Seeing ourselves having what we want and feeling it with us all the time increases our confidence enormously. Whether real or imagined doesn't matter.

It all lies in how we perceive it.

Life As A Game

A 30 second  Speech by Bryan Dyson (CEO of Coca Cola)

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, Friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the Air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.”

Why do we shout in anger?

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people  shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.

Nobody likes to be criticized.

Don't take it personally! How to accept -- and benefit from -- criticism

Nobody likes to be criticized.

When the complaint is coming from a client or customer, however, criticisms can actually be your best friend.

Whether they're about you, your company or your product, constructive criticism can be a powerful opportunity for you to improve your sales technique, close more deals -- and increase your revenues.

The key is to not respond defensively or angrily. Most sales people -- like most people period -- get their dander up the moment anyone says anything even remotely negative. They get defensive, angry or, in the worst-case scenario, they look for ways to retaliate either overtly or coercively.

The following four-step process can help you learn how to take criticism well, and even begin to use it to enhance your client relationships.

Step 1: Thank the client for their feedback.

Try saying something like "thanks for bringing this to my attention, I appreciate the opportunity you've given me to improve (the level of service, my responsiveness, etc)."

Step 2: Ask questions.

People love to teach others what to do. So involve your customer in the solution by asking them what suggestions they have that might help you improve.

Asking questions will allow you and your client to have a constructive dialogue around the issue at hand. Who knows, the client may even make a suggestion you never thought of.

Step 3: Listen.

Your client is entitled to their opinion. So whatever they have to say -- hear them out.

Listen to what is being said, process it, reflect on it and then use it to improve. Try taking notes to show that what they're saying is important to you. If your client feels you're taking their opinion seriously, they'll be less likely to get angry and more willing to work with you to reach a resolution.

If you listen with the intent to improve, you'll have an even better chance of understanding their point of view. Use the listening techniques you've developed as a sales professional to ask probing questions or ask for examples. And remember: let the client do at least 70 per cent of the talking.

At the end of the conversation, summarize what they've said to show them that you understand. Then ask for one more opinion: what they think you should do to improve.

Step 4: Commit to improve.

Finally, always let the customer know that you appreciate their opinions and suggestions -- and that you will be taking concrete steps to improve. You can even go so far as to ask whether they'd like you to check in with them again in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, don't turn your back on what they've said or try to forget about it. Spend some time looking for any validity in the criticism, and perhaps share the feedback with someone you can trust to tell you the truth. This will also give you a chance to look at the criticism from a neutral perspective.

One last thought: I've seen far too many people pull their ads, cancel programs, postpone events or ruin otherwise profitable relationships just because somebody got offended. So whatever you do -- don't ever take criticism personally.

I know this can be hard to do, especially when it's coming from someone you like (or someone who signs your paychecks). The fact of the matter is, if you're not offending at least one person, you're probably not pushing hard enough.

The reality is you may make two to three per cent of your clients uncomfortable. That's okay, because you weren't going to sell to them anyway. The thing to remember is that the other 97 per cent of your clients really want to see your personality, your style and your communication reflected in your work. If you try to make everyone happy, the only thing you can be certain of is becoming a bland commodity that no one will be particularly excited about.

Only you can give other people permission to make you feel bad. Interpreting criticism as a subjective opinion with a solution instead of a personal rebuke will help you grow, build better relationships and, ultimately, become more successful.

So take the opinions and criticism of others seriously, not personally. Use what they say to create an action plan to upgrade your performance, both personally and professionally.

And don't worry about being perfect. As the Bard once said -- to thine own self be true. Be your best not for your boss, your customers or even your family. Be your best for you.

Kids Need Love

A father just came home from work. His son was waiting for him at the door. As he came in, his son asked “How much do you make an hour, daddy?” Being tired from work the man was very angry that his son had asked him this. He said “Your mother doesn’t even know that!” “But please daddy, how much do you make an hour?” The man said “Fine, I make Rs 1000/- an hour.” Hearing that the son left the room. After some time, his son came back to him and asked, “Daddy will you please give me Rs. 100/-?”But he was too tired to do anything. So he just told his son to leave him alone.

That night he felt bad for the way he treated his little boy. So he got out of bed and went to his son’s room. The boy was still awake. He went over to him and gave him the Rs. 100/- he had asked for. Immediately the son picked up his saving box, took out all the money from it and kept everything on his daddy’s hand. The man didn’t understand what’s going on, so he asked his son, “What’s the matter son?” His son replied,” Daddy I want to buy one hour of your time.......”

!!! Have you hugged and spent time with your child today? !!!

Excellence

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...

Read... Think... Act... & Excel.....