Living in a materialistic world has led us to find happiness. Well this may not be totally true. Many people assume and say that today we have lost that connection with people, the love with others and the joy of sharing and caring. Well this may not be true.

I would suggest and say that there is lot of it or atleast believe that there is lots of it. People today connect more with others, there is lot more love, sharing and caring in this world.

And sometimes with these things around also people want to satisfy themselves and be happy by buying it rather than feeling and living it. These are the reasons why i say that you can find happiness without buying it.

Happiness is just a State of Mind: Remember happiness is just a STATE of MIND. Imagine you are feeling dull or not at your best and then you see a long lost friend then what would happen? You step into a state of happiness and start recalling many happy things that happened in the past with the friend. Or say you are sad and then you see a darling little child, you start playing with it, how do feel?

If you don’t have money?: Everyone in the world does not have enough money to buy materialistic things that make them happy. So does that mean that the poor ones are not happy. So you cannot actually buy happiness.

Happiness is just a Choice: You can be happy this moment. Have a smile on your face now and thinking of happy people, your happy moments and happy life. (Don’t just read this, do this small exercise now…). Did you feel happy. Why? It is just a choice that you make. What you want to focus on? You can always crib about things not happening the way you want and at the same time also be happy that many things are happening itself. Which do you think is a better choice?

Have you felt jealous about some people who always tend to be happy? How do they do it? Simple, they know that Happiness is a State of mind and that nothing can buy it and importantly they make a choice to be happy. So BE HAPPY ALWAYS

The difference between successful people and the not so successful people is not their resources or capabilities, but its the mindset that people carry. Success in life is from 2 component, the mechanics of the game and the Mindset. Over the year what has really changed is only the mechanics. Like years back there was no internet, email or mobile phones. But today is there any life without these? But over the last several decades and centuries what has not changed is the mindset.

Here are the differences that I feel in the mindset of Successful and Unsuccessful people.

1. Unsuccessful people lack of Will – Successful people have the will in them to always pursue their goal irrespective of what happens and what setbacks that take place. Its that indomitable will that actually guides them towards the goal on whatever happens and whatever challenges that come their way. People who are not successful are not ready to face the challenges head on.

2. Successful people take responsibility and control their destiny – Successful people do not give any excuses or point fingers to others and they feel that they are in total control of their destiny. They do not want others to control their life especial when the results are not what they want. They take the responsibility and work towards the change.

3. Success is a Must for Successful people – For the unsuccessful people success is just a wish or a want. They do not put themselves on the line while successful people put themselves on the line and make sure that they make success MUST for them. They do not let anything a wish to have, or a like to have but for them its a MUST have.

4. Unsuccessful people get carried away and lose focus – I call these people are opportunity hoppers. They do not focus on the goals and what has to be done for their goals. They get easily distracted and lose their focus. When they lose their focus they do not take action on their goals that they are supposed to and in the process never get to what they want.

5. Focus on the Solutions and not the Challenges – Successful people focus on the solutions and not the challenges and hence there is a lot of positive feel in them. when you focus on the challenges (Problems as many people call them), there is only a negative feeling and hence it drain the resources and the abilities to find solutions.

6. Live disciplined lives and stick to the commitment – Successful people always live disciplined and act with integrity. Come what may they keep up their word and do what they are supposed to do. For them their commitments are more important than anything else and hence they reach their goals easily.

7. Successful people take Failures in their stride – Failures are feedback for them and not a setback. They are capable of handling failures and learn to make the right choices on how to react to the failures than getting bogged down.

8. Successful people invest on themselves – They make personal development a must and are humble and ready to learn from everyone. They don’t feel that they are the best always and are ready to learn. Self development is a priority for them.

If you look at the above 8, it just says that Success is about the Mindset and when you carry the right mindset you too can take your life to the next level. None of the above said has anything to do with the field you are in, or the skills that you posses to be a the best. Its your attitude, your mindset and your ability to feel in control of your life.

For years now we have been inspired and been talking about Roger Bannister and how this guy made a mark in the field of sport but which has been one of the best inspiration on how beliefs can truly shape a person and how that the mind can and cannot be a barrier to achieve success in life.

What Sachin has just done is something even more bigger I would say. Usually people in the world of sport don’t hang around for a long time. Their body does not respond to them the way they want to and does not help to be on top. But this great man again proving that its just a mindset and going out to achieve the top. Not just the top, a record which probably will be etched for a long long time and something that is not going to be so easily beaten.

A 100, 100′s. Is it a feat, a record, an achievement? What do you call that? Look back for a moment and forget the numbers. 100, 100′s is a feat, is an achievement, but if you just cloud that number in your mind, who is this man Sachin Tendulkar?

Does he has super natural powers, does he posses some talents that he was born with or he is like we call like a new Avatar? When people in his present team were barely born and were crawling babies or some may be not even born he started playing cricket for the nation and has made him reach the top?

Several factors which we know is what made him what he is told. I guess enough has been told about his dedication, his hard work etc. And that is what is being said time and again and is there anything different that I am writing here? Well I don’t think so as those are the few qualities that really made a difference.

Even a small boy he used to do that. Practice 14 to 15 hrs non stop and literarily drop down on the dinning table. When kids at his age usually have other things that they get carried away, he used to play cricket, not as a hobby or a pastime but as passion and ensure that the 1 Rs. coin that the coach would give to the boy who gets Sachin’s wicket on the nets was always retained by him.

These are what really made Sachin what he is told. Now we can feel happy and proud about Sachin, but then what do we take forward from there?

I started this article asking is Sachin the new Roger Bannister. Definitely yes. Similar to us, he did look up to people and got the inspiration from them to achieve what he has achieved today. So we too can the same inspiration from him. We too can learn whatever lessons that we can from this great man and emulate or forget emulate follow them at least.

Sachin when he started was not different from anyone of us. Today may be he is like the greatest of all but when he started he was just a young boy. So those people out there, learn from Sachin. Not just cheer and be happy about his achievements and get emotional when he is playing (Oh yeah I do get totally involved when i watch him play.. hehe) follow his foot steps. Not literally in the game of cricket but in your own life, in your area of Expertise.

Be the Sachin Tendulkar, In years to come many people may hit several 200′s in one day games, may be few may even his 100+, 100′s but who created that phenomenon? Its Sachin Tendulkar.

Quoting Shakespeare – Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.

So what is Sachin? I allow you ponder over that and let him be a force of inspiration and motivation for your Success in Life! Live a Greater Life!

What is Passion?

I love my job.. and so do many people and does that mean Passion? The word passion is most of the time misunderstood or taken to what do you like doing. Well if you ask people what do you like doing then it would be sleeping, eating, resting, for the kids playing computer games and so on. So is that what is passion?

So what exactly is passion?

I time and again tell people that do what you are passionate about or do what you are passionate about. Well I also know that its easier said than done. So what is that you must do?

A few quick points to understand your passion.

1. If you don’t have to work for money and you just have to spend time adding some value to the society what will you do. You know why i wrote the later part is because when i ask people if you have enough money in the bank and you don’t have to work for money, they say they would prefer to sit at home because they are so much bugged in life of what they have been doing over several years. And also they would not realize how boring and dull life would become if they stop working all of a sudden. So this is one of the ways to identify your passion

2. The 2nd possible indicator of passion is, rather than waking up in the morning and getting out of bed, is there something that will help you to jump out of your bed. Then it just means that you are passionate and excited about that work and that should be your passion.

Remember a passion is something that should excite you. When will you be excited if when your performance is good and when your performance be good, when you excel in some area of life. So the secret to passion is also to understand your strength and improve on that more to be able to be the best. Remember people who are successful are not just passionate but also excel in their field. So to be passionate excel in an area of life. Make that your passion and be at the top.