Miracles

A tree; A bare tree.

No green leaves,

No gentle breeze.

No shade to rest,

No cozy nest.

A tree nevertheless.

No special crown,

Branches gone.

No flowers or fruits, 

But glad for the roots. 

A tree nevertheless.

Trunk under water,

Got nothing to alter. 

Half wet, half dry,

Somewhat bold, somewhat shy.

A tree nevertheless.

Faith deep in the bark, 

Embracing the dark.

Silent and stoic,

Still a seed of frolic.

A tree nevertheless.

A bird in sight,

A bird with wings!

A bird that sings!

The Sun is blazing away,

Miracles are on their way!

The Dance of Life

Note: Made some updates - added a few more lines (5th Oct)

With due apologies to the Bard of Avon, all the world is a stage and we are all dancers on it. We can't help but dance in order to balance the paradoxes, see two sides of the same coin, experience moderation rather than extremes, manage perceptions and so much more. (Each of the following pairs of words could be seen as paradoxes, perceptions, extremes or two sides of the same coin!) 

The dance of the unique and the un-understood,

The dance of victory and vulnerability.

The dance of bliss and bewilderment,

The dance of humor and hope.

The dance of spontaneity and strategy,
The dance of seriousness and silliness.

The dance of silence and sharing,

The dance of solitude and society.

The dance of dignity and determination,

The dance of dearness and distance.

The dance of freedom and familiarity,

The dance of forgiveness and the future.

The dance of the constant and change,

The dance of the creative and the crazy,

The dance of the cool and the casual,

The dance of confidence and confusion

The dance of insight and indulgence,

The dance of inertia and inspiration.

The dance of risk and routine,

The dance of rejuvenation and resurrection.

The dance of the mundane and the miraculous, 

The dance of the mighty and the minuscule. 

The dance of the past and the present,

The dance of peace and perseverance.

The dance of the given and greed,

The dance of growth and governance. 

He stood up on one leg and reached for the crutch,

It was a poor substitute, but something he would, nevertheless, clutch. 

His dance would look awkward all right,

But his very attempts would make life less of a plight.

Serenity

Just reading these Buddhist tenets makes me feel serene. Following these, however, I know will require herculean effort and infinite faith.

1. Bao Yen Hsin: The willingness to accept, without complaining, suffering and unhappiness because you understand it is your own karma.
2. Sui Yen Hsin: Understanding that all situations are the consequences of karmic causes, and therefore, you maintain equanimity in all circumstances, both negative and positive.
3. Tsung Fa Hsin: Realizing through practice the essence of your Buddha Nature, which is equanimity.

Source: http://sped2work.tripod.com/bdharma.html 

W.F.S

I know bucketing people is not particularly considered wise. But I can't help it. Do you find yourself focusing on one of these dimensions of life constantly? I am skeptical about people being able to concentrate on everything. In some cases, it may be two dimensions (like W and F).

1. The W group: Wisdom, Work, Wit (includes pursuit of all mental skills)

2. The F group: Food, Fitness, Family (worldly relationships), and Finances

3. The S group: Serenity (search for peace and quiet), Spirituality (intrigued by sincerity, morals, supernatural experiences and social-causes) and Sensitivity (emotional rather than rational aspects, creative endeavors that don't necessarily make sense to others)

If you find yourself falling under one of these categories, do you think it is easier for you to relate to others in the same category?

The 'Real' Success

The man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; 

who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; 

who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; 

who leaves the world better than he found it, 

whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; 

who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; 

who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.

- Robert Louis Stevenson

Super!

Author- Bill Watterson. Source: Gocomics.com

One of my all-time favourite strips from C&H.

C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N

This post occurred to me out of the blue. Funnily enough, I am even unable to recall whether it came to me when I was about to drowse off yesterday night or this morning when I was trying to sit still for a while. Parenting is a topic that is very close to my heart and I believe if we focus on and know how to bring up children and (as a result) every family in the nation is a happy family, it might be the end of most problems our society faces today. 

Google Images

C - Coach the child (Being a coach is not the same thing as being a teacher)


H - Help when you're needed or Hold her hand as she walks her path


I - Inspire the child through your own actions and through other mediums like books, stories etc


L - Love the child irrespective of her flaws and faults. Laugh (share humorous moments) with the child as often as possible. 


D - Demonstrate things rather than just resorting to rhetoric (very stale piece of advice in parenting)

Google Images

R - Reward and Recognize the child appropriately (drawing a balance between over-rewarding and under-rewarding may be extremely difficult)


E - rElease the child from your grip and let her lead her own life except in situations that need you to be protective 


N - Nudge the child when nothing else works (Use tactics that are provoking but subtle. Note that Nudging is very different from Pushing or Forcing). But DO NOT Judge the child! As Mother Theresa said, where there is judgement, there can be no place for love (not reproduced verbatim)




I love acronyms or rather actual words that are given the form of an acronym. More often than not, I believe it is possible to creatively expand actual words into alphabetical pieces that make meaning independently and then as a whole. I have no idea what this technique is called (I'm sure someone must have coined a term for it) but I love it as it is one of the best ways to remember things.

Google Images

Simplif(e)y

Love this post by Leo (Zen Habits). Brilliant. Perfect. Peaceful. 


Shortest guide to life:


‘A few strong instincts and a few plain rules suffice us.’~Ralph Waldo Emerson



less TV, more reading - OK. Cool
less shopping, more outdoors - OK. Cool
less clutter, more space - Almost OK...getting there
less rush, more slowness - Almost OK....difficult in a city
less consuming, more creating - Almost OK.....getting there
less junk, more real food - Almost OK.....
less busywork, more impact - Where be me?
less driving, more walking - Lots more to be done!
less noise, more solitude - OK. Cool
less focus on the future, more on the present - Work to be done...but focusing on the future is sometimes good
less work, more play - If work seems like play, is it OK?
less worry, more smiles  -  :-)
breathe - Lots more work to be done! Wonder if I breathe at all.

Types of KM Strategies - Part 2

A week ago, I'd written about different types of KM strategies. That was largely a sudden flash followed by a little bit of introspection and analysis of my own experiences. John Hovell - @klowey22 - was kind enough to appreciate it and helped me take another step forward by providing me with an opportunity to talk about the post! Whether we like it or not, obviously, what most of us do most of the time is create a power point to help us present an idea to a live audience. So, that's what I did too. I used the opportunity to add some slides on examples, conclusions and a take-away summary. What do you think?

Types Of KM Strategies

View more presentations from nimmypal.

Infinite Inspiration

This could easily be one of the most inspiring things you'll ever read in your life. At least, for me, it definitely is. Period.

Source: This website

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Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian

 

Dr. Mani is a heart surgeon, an internet entrepreneur and a founder of the Children's Heart Foundation, which saves the lives of underprivileged kids.

A dream fueled by purpose, fired by passion and followed with persistence will definitely change the world. ~Dr Mani Sivasubramanian

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...If I had five minutes to tell my daughter what I believe to be the success of living happily, this is what it would be...

Have a dream. It may be lofty or small - but it should be yours. And it must do two things. It should make you happy. And it should be of value to others.

Live your dream with passion. Passion is the energy that fires the spark of your desire, fans it into a glorious flame, and shows off your radiant brilliance.

Pursue your dream with determination. Believe with all your heart that it will come true, no matter how remote or difficult or impossible it may seem at the moment.

Dare to be different. Throw off the shackles of what is 'regular' or 'conventional' or 'accepted' - and follow your heart. Yes, it is often scary, unnerving and terrifying to give up the familiar and the secure to follow your dreams. It takes a lot of courage. Find it.

Feel gratitude. Wake up every morning feeling thankful for all the things you have - even the ones that, until now, you've taken for granted. Think about those who do not have those things.

Also, be a little crazy. Have a little fun. Let that little child within you come out and enjoy itself every now and then. Have a personal philosophy that directs all that you do. Mine is a simple four-word mantra... "Be Kind. Help Others."

And in the end, have no regrets. We are all human, and therefore imperfect. We will always make mistakes. And that's ok. Yes, things could have been better. But they also could have been worse.

The only question you must ask yourself is this: "Did I do my best?"
I hope your answer will be "Yes, I did."
That's all that matters.

No Problem!

I'd like to give myself (and, potentially, some of the readers as well) a bubbly and positive start to 2010 by spending some time on the "what" and "how" of problem-solving. Just a few simple thoughts on the process and philosophy of problem-solving. I know. It's been done before by many a brilliant mind but, well, what's the harm in doing a bit of free-style thinking (not consciously influenced by anything else) on my own?

This isn't an attempt to teach readers how to solve problems...I don't plan to write a self-help book. :-) It is purely an introspective post, written more for my own benefit. I'd like to come back to this post when I find myself losing my way when amidst a dense problem or when I feel like scooting off into the sky when faced with a particularly blistering problem. I am just thinking aloud like I do when I write most of the posts on this blog.


It is intriguing - Though it is true that we are likely to learn a lot from personal experience, we are more capable of objectively analyzing situations when someone else - at an observable distance - is going through a challenge. This way, more often than not, we are not biased and are capable of detaching ourselves from the problem and its consequences.

So, what do we do when we come face to face with a dense or blistering problem that stares at us in a wicked way?

Pic: Google Images

1. Stare back at it. Face the problem. Accept that it is there and acknowledge its existence 

2. Resolve to find your way through it successfully. Tell yourself you were born to conquer that problem. Come what may. Never give up. Stay positive. Pull yourself up every time you slip

3. Stay calm and composed. It is easy when you trust yourself or believe there is an opportunity in every difficulty. You could even try assuming the role of a cartoonist and spot some hidden 'humor' in the situation to retain your sanity 

4. Get creative. Try unconventional ways to get your head around the problem. Pat yourself when you think of something fresh and new, even if it doesn't work

5. Defocus. Take time off. If you feel tired, step off the track and rest a while 

6. Consulting others vs independence. This is a tricky one for me. Introspection is a must. Self-help is a must. But getting others' opinions can surely help. What is dicey is how do you decide who are the 'right' people to consult. You must connect with positive, creative, helpful, and mature people for support. You have to be careful not to be misled or - at the other extreme - get over dependent on the adviser

7. Stick to your values when thinking of solutions. Stay honest, shun violence, consider the potential impact of your actions on others around you etc Don't cheat yourself by adopting methods that you don't agree with 

8. Work on your negotiation skills, consider compromising on certain things and settling for a less than perfect solution....

9. Know all your facts. Look at and understand the situation from multiple angles. Do your homework 

10. Take your own - final - decision and the responsibility for the consequences. If you think you've made a mistake, go to the heart of this process at #5, defocus, cut your losses and be prepared to start over again with renewed energy and determination

Om. Tada!

What it Takes

Pic: images.google.com

To know that life is amazing
...even amidst a depressing phase
To know that life is good
...even during an emotional low
To know that life is fair
...even when things don't go your way
To know that life is exciting
...even when you feel empty inside
To know that life gives you opportunities
...even when you lose
To know that life is fun
...even when you don't get what you want
To know that life is full of wisdom
...even when you make ignorant mistakes
To know that life is unpredictable
...even when you plan every move
To know that life is unique
...even when you don't understand it
To know that life has its wonderful moments
...even when you spot the Damocles sword
To know that life has enormous potential
...even when you have spent most of it
Makes you a fine human worth this life...

The Force of Freedom

Image Source: Google Images: http://empxtrack.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/freedom.jpg

Freedom is the ink in the mighty pen,
With which we write the story of our lives.
The quality and flow of the ink is often,
Compromised for something unequal, however nice.
Some of us sacrifice it at the altar of holy trust,
At our own paranoid mind's behest,
And then are shocked by self-inflicted ruin,
And wonder endlessly as to why we did not, in life, win!

Were we to think about what we gained, in retrospect,
The trust we apparently gained minus the freedom we lost,
Is an equation that is unquestionably equal to naught.
We'd also ponder over whether trust can ever be bought,
And if better than freedom can anything ever be sought!
For freedom is, arguably, the primary source of thought.

Freedom is the Father of happiness, scarce.
Freedom is the Mentor of responsibility, for the one who dares.
Freedom is the Sponsor of the one who learns,
Freedom is the Foundation of life for the one who yearns.
Freedom is the Mother of the muse,
Freedom is a paradox that prevents its own misuse.
Trust is obliged to be nothing more than a strong thread,
That follows freedom and, in a subtle way, allows to be led.

Freedom, when we are born, is up for grabs and totally free,
Till we stupidly make it as expensive as it can ever be.
Parents charge their children an obligatory fee,
Organizations wear it beneath the mask of hierarchy,
Families trade it for their camaraderie.
So, this is a wake-up call to let freedom just be!

Purpose, Passion, Pursuit

I loved reading this...from www.dailyom.com. Emphasis mine.

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Defining Your Direction
Your Life’s Work

Many people are committed to professions and personal endeavors they never consciously planned to pursue. They attribute the shape of their lives to circumstance, taking on roles they feel are tolerable. Each of us, however, has been blessed with a purpose. Your life’s work is the assemblage of activities that allows you to express your intelligence and creativity, live in accordance with your values, and experience the profound joy of simply being yourself. Unlike traditional work, which may demand more of you than you are willing to give, life’s work demands nothing but your intent and passion for that work. Yet no one is born with an understanding of the scope of their purpose. If you have drifted through life, you may feel directionless. Striving to discover your life’s work can help you realize your true potential and live a more authentic, driven life.

To make this discovery, you must consider your interests in the present and the passions that moved you in the past. You may have felt attracted to a certain discipline or profession throughout your young life only to have steered away from your aspirations upon reaching adulthood. Or you may be harboring an interest as of yet unexplored. Consider what calls to you and then narrow it down. If you want to work with your hands, ask yourself what work will allow you to do so. You may be able to refine your life’s work within the context of your current occupations. If you want to change the world, consider whether your skills and talents lend themselves to philanthropic work. Taking stock of your strengths, passions, beliefs, and values can help you refine your search for purpose if you don’t know where to begin. Additionally, in your daily meditation, ask the universe to clarify your life’s work by providing signs and be sure to pay attention.

Since life’s journey is one of evolution, you may need to redefine your direction on multiple occasions throughout your lifetime. For instance, being an amazing parent can be your life’s work strongly for 18 years, then perhaps you have different work to do. Your life’s work may not be something you are recognized or financially compensated for, such as parenting, a beloved hobby, or a variety of other activities typically deemed inconsequential. Your love for a pursuit, however, gives it meaning. You’ll know you have discovered your life’s work when you wake eager to face each day and you feel good about not only what you do but also who you are.

Cartoon Dreams

Ah! Wonders never cease! I find it really hard to believe that this could have happened! It's a magical world! Everything is interconnected. Anything is possible. Coincidences take us by surprise however frequently they occur and make us ponder over the mysteries and joys of life. OK. Let me stop rambling unnecessarily and come quickly to the point.

Some of you blog-friends may be aware that I adore cartoons. Most of my close friends - the ones that I work(ed) with - are also aware of my fascination for cartoons. So, a thoughtful friend working with another organization wrote to me and asked me to answer a set of questions (related to preferences in music, movies, friends, profession, colour, extra-curricular activities, places etc) after which she said she would tell me what cartoon character I happen to 'resemble'. Now, I've seen quite a few such surveys before - not related to cartoon characters but other types of characterizations. I knew nothing about the way the survey worked and had no clue what cartoon characters we were being compared with. Nor did my friend, as it was on online thingy that her organization had put up in their own employee-fun portal. Nevertheless, she went the extra mile to feed in my response to the survey and got back to me with the results. She said she was not at all surprised about what cartoon character I had turned out to 'be' and said she might have as well guessed the results.

But I was too stunned to even react. I even suspected that she was just trying to make me feel happy by telling me that I resembled the cartoon character I am, arguably, most devoted to or more importantly, the cartoon character I am most able to relate to. But on interrogating her further it was pretty obvious to me that she had done nothing to manipulate the results in my favour. Any guesses? Take a quick look at this entire page and you should be able to say it in a second or two. Actually, how stupid of me...you have to be afflicted with some kind of strange blindness to skip the image immediately below this write up to take a look at the rest of the page. In fact you'd have obviously spotted this image long before you even started reading the post. So much for all the silly suspense I was trying to build!

So...what shall I say? My friend made my day by telling me about this astonishingly intriguing survey and its results for me. This little fella Calvin is undoubtedly the most lovable little - cartoon - child I know of, however notorious. Er...please....it doesn't mean to say I think I am the most lovable little child...not at all....far from it. Just that it feels unbelievably good to know that you have shades of someone/something you admire and love. Maybe that's the very reason why we are able to relate to that someone/something so much!

PS: I am not so sure I like the expression on Calvin's face in the pic above though! ;-) And, well, extending my thoughts a bit further, if there is any other cartoon I reckon I may have been equally pleased to be thought of as resembling, it would undoubtedly be the one and only Bugs Bunny! :-)) Wassup doc? ;-) But to be honest, I think Bugs Bunny is many shades too cool, calm, composed and witty for me. That's wishful thinking on my part.


A question for you to end the post: Who would you rather be? Think about it.... (Power puff girls? Dexter? He Man? Phantom? Mickey Mouse? Donald Duck? Superman? Asterix? Obelix? Tintin? Tom? Jerry? Popeye? etc)

Ready, Steady, GOal...!

This thought-provoking post by Sukumar and subsequent - brilliant - discussion around it awakened my mind like never before and made me type out my response like I was a possessed being. Sigh. These things make you feel absolutely alive (and kicking and screaming and what not). But they don't happen often enough. Maybe they should not happen often enough...because that way, when such a moment 'finally' arrives, it promises immense exhilaration - the Aa..ha! experience. Uh?

So, do read the post...and the discussion around it (lengthy read). As for me, I need to reproduce my comment (longest ever?) here so I can come back and re-discover my own thoughts whenever I need to.

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Amazing! Simply amazing! First of all, I must congratulate this whole community on Sastwingees.org for the mind-boggling variety of perspectives and sincere discussion/debate. Sukumar: I must say I am almost jealous. Not everyone can find and motivate such a community to engage in such a wonderful discussion. While I blog - most of the time - for myself…there are times when I know that only a conversation/discussion will throw light. This blog has what it takes to generate knowledge! :-)

Now, to the post. I am pretty late to the ‘knowledge’ party. Saw the post only yesterday and couldn’t respond immediately for I wanted to run through all the comments and that took me some time. So, unfortunately or fortunately, most of what I might have said had I read the post earlier has been said by many others. I, nevertheless, want to use the opportunity to write down what *I* think…as it would be a good idea to summarize my own thoughts especially taking all the comments into consideration. If it happens to generate some more discussions and ideas, all the better.

1. My first thought on reading your post was: But…a goal is different from the results of the goal and the Gita Slokha you refer to talks about the *results* and NOT the goal. Someone has already explained that. So, I guess I must not waste everyone’s time repeating that.

2. The Gita Slokha only talks about being detached from the results (whether we finally succeed or not). From what I’ve read (books on the Gita) it simply means that we’ve got to be emotionally intelligent. We must not let the results (temporary or otherwise) deter us from either pursuing the goal (never give up) or modifying the goal (get more intelligent and change the methods/processes/tools). Being attached to the results will shake us up in the wrong way - we get emotional and may even lose sight of the goal ultimately. Someone has already mentioned this as well.

3. I also belong to the school of thought that believes that the journey matters more than the destination. The means are as important as the end if not more. So, focusing on the results of the goal (as opposed to the goal per se) means we lose the joy that is embedded in the *journey*. And it is the journey that makes us what we are…not the goal or the achievement of the goal. [I think that's really important]. It is the journey that gives us the strength, the values, the skills, the contacts, the experience, the learning etc. The goal is what the society gets to see (as opposed to the journey that we went through). But the goal does not make us what we are - deep within. It is journey that allows us to achieve another goal of the same order. If we were to have achieved the goal without concentrating on the journey, I suspect that we will never be able to achieve another such goal. It becomes a flash in the pan. It is only a matter of time before the society forgets that we exist.

4. Regarding the type of goal we must set for ourselves, I believe in Dave Pollard’s repeated talk about the intersection of three aspects - what we love doing, what we are good at doing, our calling/purpose in life. I am not sure I’ve understood your query on the relationship between success and the goals we set. Isn’t success what we think it is? How can it be only related to the goal we set? How can the goal determine we are successful or not? Isn’t it you who determines whether you are successful or not? Let me explain…You may have a goal XYZ. If you think you’re successful only if you achieve XYZ, then you’re letting the goal control your perception of yourself. On the other hand, if you think you’re successful even by setting such a goal and enjoying the journey and experience of moving towards it, then that’s it! But continuing on the topic of setting huge goals, why do we have to limit ourselves? Why can’t we dream big and believe we can achieve anything and everything? Are all geniuses and prodigies only born and not made? I don’t think so. The law of attraction says we can achieve just about anything we desire from the bottom of our heart! I think it takes a spiritual person to determine what goals to set….to get away from this maddening world and look within…introspect. Many of us are far away from that state…we are caught in this routine whirlpool and find it hard to take off the black cloth that covers our eyes. Do we believe that making money and leading a good family life is all that is needed? Are we looking at what’s happening around us? Do we see the big picture and what’s happening to the environment we live in? Do we think long term? Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like many of us are thinking these thoughts! We are mostly in a mad rush….setting temporary and materialistic goals for ourselves. But, apparently, the world does not discriminate. It allows us to achieve all our goals provided we want it very badly.

5. Taking the completely opposite direction, spirituality also advocates just being! Like Gregory points out. This school of thought asks us to spend time in just being…stop doing, thinking…try just being. I am not sure I understand the implications as yet. But, ironically, something tells me that it is a great way to arrive at a goal. To stay silent and watch the world…step aside…..and think about what needs to be done as opposed to following the herd.

6. I am fascinated by two other perspectives that this post has generated. Not looking at results because they are “temporary”! Wow. Nice way of putting it! And the other perspective - understanding what the goal is - it is not about winning the war…it is about rooting out evil! That should teach us not to focus on temporary results but keep the ultimate aim in our minds. But can rooting out evil be a goal??? Think about it….it cannot be….! Why? It is actually not something you can achieve at a given point of time and then sit back and relax!! It is a journey! It is something we must work towards every minute of our life…it does not have a destination point. It is a way of life!!! That makes it a value…not a goal!!! So, there is a difference! In our endeavour to lead a life which denies a place for evil, we aim for temporary goals…small steps…throughout our lives….and that is what give us the satisfaction! Eternal satisfaction….for we do it every minute of our life and there can be no situation when we feel bored that we have achieved our goal!!

Whew! I am not sure how to thank you for such a wonderful post and how to thank this community here for such a sincere and brilliant discussion! You folks rock!

[Thanks for the patient reading and I am hoping I find the energy to respond to your second post as well...very soon] ;-)

Maybe...this is just what you need...!

Incredible write-up, this!! Thanks to Prashant for sharing it. It moved me....actually, shook me up. I knew I had to share it with my readers as, to my mind, this 'poem' or whatever else you may want to call it can change the way you think...the way you look at life! No idea who the author is...but God bless her/him.

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Maybe. . we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.


Maybe . . . it is true that we don't know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.


Maybe . . . the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches.


Maybe . . you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.


Maybe . . . the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most ofeverything that comes along their way.


Maybe . . . the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.


Maybe . . . happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.


Maybe . . you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.


Maybe . . . there are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.


Maybe … giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours.


Maybe . . . you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.

KM News for the Niece...

I can't stop wondering how almost every other conversation I have with a young niece or a nephew (of which I have many) is either enlightening or hilarious or, well, amusing. You might consider me lucky in this regard....or maybe you could take into consideration that it is a good idea for an adult to let herself become vulnerable when having conversations with children. Being seen as vulnerable by children allows them to open up, be bold and speak their mind. They propose the weirdest of ideas without batting an eyelid and if you play along, you may very well end up being influenced and inspired enough to contemplate turning your life upside down/changing the course of your life. As you can see, I am getting carried away. I'll stop myself and get back on track; come back to the purpose of this post. It is to describe a conversation that may not have been life-altering but it nevertheless provided me with food for thought.

So, it all started with this little telephonic discussion that I was to have with a cousin and her daughter, my 10-year-old niece. My niece is normally busy watching Tom and Jerry or one of the other cartoon shows and rarely finds the time to talk with me. If she does find the time for a quick chat, we limit ourselves to our respective experiences of a particular Tom and Jerry episode - which is a common area of interest. This time around, she apparently had a lot of time for me and in the bargain I discovered her ability to drill people down to the components of their soul.

The conversation, right from the time it began, was, er, largely controlled by her. She started with a series of questions and continued with many more series of questions that had me exercising my lethargic weekend brain cells more than I'd have otherwise been capable of. I was caught unawares but went on to answer her questions like my life depended on it (I wonder if she was able to appreciate that though). Sometimes the questions were a lot faster than I could handle. Her Mother, meanwhile, was (I heard later) wringing her hands, sighing and hoping that there would be a day when the phone would be passed on to her.

One of the key portions of the, er, interview was when my niece questioned me about my work. Now, this isn't new to any KMer worth her salt, spice or sugar. Every KMer I know has wondered at some time or the other about how she ought to explain KM to her Mother, Grandmother, Child, Aunt's Sister-in-law and other such near and dear relatives. Coming to how I fared in this particular context, despite the fact that I'd never ever rehearsed it, I was glad I did not draw a blank.

The first question was "So what do you do? What kind of a job are you on?"

I said "Knowledge Manager" with as much dignity as possible

The next question was the inevitable one. "What does that mean? What exactly do you have to do?"

I pulled out a random answer that presented itself to me at that moment "I help people in my office learn"

I thought she sniggered but it must have been my fertile imagination. "But people in organizations are all educated!"

I smiled what I assumed to be a wise smile "No...employees need to keep learning. They need to be told to learn. More than you children are asked to"

She seemed stuck on the previous point "But the employees' bosses will not employ them unless they know most of the things they need to know"

I furrowed my eyebrows and said "Even bosses need to learn"

She retorted "And you? What about you?"

I had to stifle a laugh before answering that one. "Me too..."

I thought she would pause here and consider the complexities of making a person like me learn...but nothing seemed to stop her. She was a rolling juggernaut and I was a poor but inviting object on her path.
"Aah...so you help your organization learn, do you?"

"Yes....I help them learn...!" I don't know what she would have said if I'd not continued but I'd like to think I had a narrow escape. "When you have some homework or assignments to do at School, what do you do? You check out the books, or surf the internet, or ask your parents or maybe get together with your friends for a discussion. Right?"

She murmered in agreement "Mmmmm"

I went on with a satisfied expression (unjustified, I admit) on my face "Well, we make it possible for folks in our organization to do something similar while at work...we make knowledge available to them, connect them with people who can answer their questions etc!"

I don't know if I imagined it but she seemed quite satisfied that I was doing something worthwhile at office. While one part of me wanted to grind the whole thing into powder and get further down into the details and show her I meant business, another part of me knew it would be suicidal- "You should be glad she is happy with this answer", this second, wiser, part told me. Better senses prevailed and I paused for a few seconds, which naturally led my niece to pose another series of questions about other areas of my blighted life. I answered them all. Every single one of them. My cousin, much later, wanted to know if I'd like her daughter to be the author of my biography (after which she, unnecessarily, added "Not that she'd make any money out of it though!").

A-B-C of Life

It is pouring inspiration today. Got this on mail. Either I am in a very receptive mood or there genuinely is a lot of inspiration in the air today. :-) Anyway, I adore the simplicity and sense in the message below.

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Hal Elrod - The A-B-C's of Life's Purpose

To Love & Create—this is the essence of life. But to be able to create the life you want, you must first be able to love the life you have. When you do, you are then able to enjoy a true sense of freedom and inspiration while engaged in the exciting process of creating the life of your dreams.

Accept Responsibility (For Everything)
From the economy to that difficult person in your life, to the speed of traffic during your daily commute—the external events and circumstances of life are often out of our control. Although we can't always control what happens to us, what we choose to think & do about it is our responsibility.

This is a profound truth, that it is not what happens to us that determines our quality of life, but it is how we choose to respond to what happens that creates our experience of life—good or bad. Even if a circumstance is not your fault, how you deal with it is always your responsibility.

The moment you Accept Responsibility for everything in your life, is the moment you have the power to create anything for your life.

Be Grateful (For Everything)
People often defend their negative attitude by claiming, "I'm not negative, I'm just realistic. Consider this: How is it any more "realistic" to focus on, think and talk about all that is wrong in your life, than it is to focus on, think, talk and Be Grateful for everything that is right in your life? Hmm...

When you choose to focus on the positive in your life and Be Grateful for everything, you have the power to create happiness at any moment of your life.

Commit To The Process (Without Being Emotionally Attached To the Results)
Every result (goal/dream/etc.) that you desire is preceded by a process. If you desire improved health, it must be preceded by a process of healthy eating and exercise. If you desire financial independence, it must be preceded by a process of accumulating, saving, and investing your money.

Most of us are emotionally attached to our results, and we base our level of commitment to each of our processes on how we feel or how things are going. Poor results usually lead to feeling discouraged or frustrated, both which hinder our desire and confidence to keep working towards our dreams.

The secret is to define the process required for each of your goals, then live everyday committed to those processes, and don't worry about your short term results. The process always eventually produces the result, you just have to stay committed and never give up!

You can learn to truly, authentically and unconditionally love the life that you have, and once you do you will find a sense of true joy and fulfillment in creating the life of your dreams. Your pursuit of a better life will no longer be out of fear of not having or being enough. You will be free from the stress and pressures that may have weighed on you in the past, so that you can begin genuinely loving the life you have while you are engaged in the exciting process of creating the life of your dreams!

Cha(llen)nge

From Dave Pollard's blog: I love this list on Change Management....(emphasis mine)

1. Communities are the basis for change, and what they need more than anything now is excellent stewardship. Facilitators, please stand up.

2. The great value of networks is that they enable groups of people to organize, collaborate, do the work each is best at, and share the work needed to bring about the change, and then show others its value.

3. Change has to start with an identified need, not with a good idea. Generally, we only change when we must. Listen for needs.

4. We need to create safe places to explore and work on bold ideas. Skunkworks can often accomplish more than large amounts of funding.

5. Change, like great research, begins with asking important questions, and provoking respondents to self-change instead of trying to persuade or impose it.

6. To bring about change, be prepared to work with people, listen and understand what works and what is important for them, and engage them in ways they see value in and relate to. And be totally, brutally honest about what you don't know, aren't sure about, or difficulties in the path of desired change. And stay open to other ideas and concerns.

7.If you want to accomplish great change, give up the idea of getting the credit for it.

8. Experiment. The best, profound changes come from masses of iterative learning and exploration of possibilities.

9. Create the starting conditions for momentum, enthusiasm, sufficient resources, the right people, and don't worry about outcomes.

10. Make it easy. When you make it easier to change, to do the right thing, it will succeed more quickly and profoundly than if it requires a lot of work from every person.