Yesterday there was a very interesting experience with the Taxi Driver on the way back home from the office in Dubai. I was silent when my collegeue started a converstaion with the taxi driver. The guy (lets call him Mr. X) was curious to know what we were doing. So he was told we are into training on personal excellence, helping people change their attitudes, behaviors etc.
Then Mr. X started talking about how he stopped procrastination and started exercising every day in the morning and how he has been consistently doing it for the last 6 months. I was happy for him and then he said he smokes 4 cigarrates a day. Well I was wondering for a moment if I need to talk this guy and make him quit smoking. I did not have much time either as I was nearing my place. But the previous sentence of his gave me confidence that he will be committed if the change comes from within. So with that in mind I decided to give my few mins to change his behavior!

What drives people are 2 things, Pain and Pleasure. With smoking the Pleasure component is so high that unless its negated with something so painful will not help him come out of the habit. Most drivers in Dubai come here with the intention of giving the best for the family. So is Mr. X, and he has 2 children, a 5 year old boy and a 3 month old girl. So I had my trump card to play with and started asking him how will it be if he orphaned his children (I know this is quite raw but I had to give him a painful experience).
He was shaken for a second. Becuase he was in blaming the govenment, stating that why are allowing smoking when they are not allowing drugs. So I simply asked him, ‘The government also does not allow suicide and still people do, so it lies in individuals to define whats right and whats not! I wanted to scare him a little more on the consequneces of smoking, and then told him if knew how the lungs look like? He was not sure, so picked my phone and drew the lungs with holes in it. I told him in normal lungs there are no holes and since he is burning them down with smoke, a few months later that how his lungs will be. All this shook him a little and then decided to push him more!

My collegeue then said stop it now! Well thats one big challenge many people face! Not taking Action on time. My collegeue was really pushing him to stop now! Now that was a challenge for me to make him accept the change instantly. Thats when I believe that the Brain works at a great speed if you want to! So I just gave him a metphor to keep him in a fix. Tomorrow never happens.

NLP always told me this, Speak in the others persons language. The example I gave him was this. Assume that your are driving and see a truck crossing and what do you at that moment? So here is a conversation that we had (Mr. X - The Driver, PS - Praveen Sherman)

Mr. X - I apply the brakes
PS - and how quickly
Mr. X - Immediately
PS - what would happen if you do it after 5 mins
Mr. X - an accident and crash
PS - and?
Mr. X - probably even die
PS - So what do you stop smoking? Now or later?

So I was expecting the next one. How about reducing it to one or two? So I continued the conversation

PS - Shall I give you some few drops of poison? Just half a spoon?
Mr. X - Oh no!
PS - So coming back to the same thing, if you see a truck when you do brake?
Mr. X - immediately
PS - so what happens if you brake only half? Do not brake fully, so what are the consequnces
Mr. X - crash and accident.

By this time I felt that I had almost won him and made him undergo that split second choice. Remember Changes always happens in a Heart Beat!

PS - Hold the Brakes now and full! And if you have a cigaratte now give it to me! (not for me, but to throw it out :))

So he handed over one to me, I did felt good at that moment for making a difference in this guy. Pray for this guy for him to stop smoking for ever. I told him to call his wife and tell her that he has stopped. That will give him a better push!

A request to all those who smoke, you know what to do Wishing you all a wonderful 2010!

This is a great way to start a New Year! I am gifted to have helped him and I am sure more in the future! Welcome 2010!

Just yesterday I saw the documentary movie - This is it

I have always been a great fan of Micheal Jackson and then when I started training I had him as a model because of the kind of energy what he has on stage. He is simply superb.

And after the movie I could learn more about this great man. I would want to see the best things that this man did and learn from him. This movie was some of his rehearsals that he did for his final tour. And just 8 days before he was to go for it, he died.

1. Humility - So humble he was during his rehearsals. For the man he is he can have so much ego in him. But he is cool and humble. He has the humility to say, I am not able to hear things properly and not say you guys dont sound proper

2. Passion - At the age of 50 he still dances with the same passion. He did not look tired even for a minute.

3. Intensity - Oh.. you just need to feel it.

4. Perfection - He exactly know what he is doing and is a perfectionist. Even a small change in the sound he immediately pointed it out. And he did not move on till it was 100% perfect. I was wondering how he did it and thats when my friend told me “thats why he is MJ”. How true right, but we too can do it.

5. Energy - There is no doubt that the only reason he is so powerful is his energy. And at 50 he has the same energy as he was 25 years ago. When the Thriller Song was rehearsed I was just oozing in energy and he exactly does the same way he did when it was shot 25 years ago.

6. Compassionate - he went and hugged all dancers, technicians. He did not throw any tantrums and was really compassionate and loving. And thats what he said to all. Pass on your Love to everyone

7. Challenges himself - He was put in a crane to reach towards the audience and give them a great feel. So he alighted the crane and the director tells him, be careful and this is only half the height that it can. MJ immediately tells everyone “This guys is teasing me and he knows that I want to go higher”. Thats what he has always wanted

8. Think Big - Everyone who works with him believe that he is a big thinker. He wants the best of  everything and never compromises on his desires

9. Walk the Talk - When he makes a mistake he immediately accepts and corrects them. Thats what makes other do their best. (if you just stand next to him I think u’ll start feeling his energy in you. He just vibrates with so much enthusiasm and energy). And after a small mistake when he stops and the directors asks if he wants to practice again, he just says “Thats what rehearsals are supposed to be”

10. Social Awareness - He is not just singing what he likes or what others like. He says in the movie the he loves plants and nature and how we must protect them

11. Performer - Its just not important to know what you are doing, its equally important that whatever you do, do it differently and effectively. No one can beat his creativity.

I am going to live the above and if not be MJ, be close to what he has achieved. MJ we miss you.

Live your Passion

I am sure you know that and would have seen my video on the my last Superbkids and Superbteens program in India. I completed it last week and I am yet to come out of the same. It has been so much of hard work and in the last few years the kind of improvements that has happened in the program is so immense that today Superbkids and Superbteens is truly the no.1 training for kids in the country.

So with this in mind, I shoulder a bigger responsibility. Of ensuring that Superbkids and Superbteens reaches out to more kids. I train the trainers who in turn deliver the program. I have already done the base ground work. Have a strong foundation and pillar established. Its just time I grow the tower and since my foundation and base is strong there is no limit to which the tower can grow. I am sure that shortly we would be the No. 1 training company in whole of Asia. Its with so much pride and fear that I say that no trainign can match Superbkids and superbteens. Pride because we changes live, fear that it has to be consistent. But its amazing and fun and its a stretch and I shall live upto expectations and ensure that we closer towards “Making People Powerful”

When I did my session “Goals” for the kids it was indeed a session for myself. I set my own new Goals for the Superbkids and Superbteens program in the future. The kids were just awesome and I did my final parents training during the Graduation ceremony. I did not want the day to get over and I was indeed feeling a little bad to be honest. But I looked at the future and said all is for a purpose and the best. I always believe that everything happens for a reason and purpose. Right now the OnlySuccess centers are doing great and more to happen in the future.

Here is a snapshot of the Camp

Last Saturday (23rd May) lot of people had a great time with Dr. Aruna an Oncologist and a great role model for Life. The way she carried herself and the way she conducted herself was just mind blowing. I am and every one who attended the session is blessed to have met such a great person who survived a Cancer and living with so much courage and discipline in life.

She was so energetic and she was just emanating joy of life. She surprised everyone when she started saying “I am doctor but I am going talk about life”. What did I learn from her? I think different people had different learning but these are my learning. I am sure I cannot express everything because there was also lot of connection and feelings that was communicated.

1. All of us have been successful in life. We won the race when we were born and thats a great deal in life.

My Learning: Wow what a message to start with this was. Hitting me hard to remind me that Praveen its time you do more in life.

2. World came into existence by Imagination. For example, electricity can be used for many purposes, for light, ECG for checking if the heart if working, an oven to bake and an electric chair to kill people

My Learning: Whatever is happening in the world is by imagination and if we can stretch it wide we can do wonders.  And I am doing this every day

3.  Be aware of all things in life and thinking can Change your Life. Thinking changes everything or even the events that happen around. 

My Learning: I just found of what thought patterns I have about certain things that are not happenign in my life and I changed them. Event is not the outcome but Event plus response is the outcome and I can control the thoughts and choose the response

4. Jonathan the seagull: This is from a book where the seagull was fat and people thought it cannot fly and it started flying and was on top of the world. It is like the bumble bee. Aero dynamically speaking the bumble bee cannot fly but it does not know it cannot fly

My Learning: Be the seagull. Break barriers that you thought you cannot. So I am taking up new challenges in my life

5. There is not any hopeless things or situations that you cannot come out of if you think differently.

My Learning: Wow! thats all can I say

6. Sorrows are not sorrows in itself but its only so called sorrows which you can come out of. Do not succumb to Sorrows

7. People see me as a successful person but am I successful. If I achieve what I want then i am successful

My Learning: Never live for others. Just achieve what you want.

8. Your living is by your thoughts. Difficulties will come, but have the mental strength and dont give up at any cost

My Learning: During difficult times I will focus on the goals and move one

9. Why waste this precious life? Never compare yourself with others

My Learning: I never do that and dont want to do it in future too. I will have role models and do better than many.

10. At no point of time I thought I will not do my M.S. Thinking is the greatest attraction

My Learning: Dr. Aruna had some challenges to do her Masters in Medicine and this belief and focus made her achieve. Can’t I do that?

For all those who could not attend, I feel sorry for you and this is the best I could do.

The Superbkids and Superbteens camp was rocking and I had a fun time with the Coaches, A Coaches and ofcourse all the participants. I must thank all the parents of these participant for having the belief and trust in me and all my trainers and Coaches.

These kids walked out as Champions. Hats off to the entire team at UAE, to have made this happen. I think this is one of the best arranged camps that I know of. Like I say many times, what we see outside in the training is just the tip of the ice berg and many things happen for the training to go well and my team at UAE really made it happen. Thanks guys! I am back again soon for another exciting event.

There was a lot of connection from day 1 of the camp with the participants and never did I feel that I was meeting them for the first time.

It was so much fun with them. And the A Coaches. Wow! what energy they had and they did all sorts of gimmicks. Every day morning we had a great energetic warm up session with some running, dancing and the Program Director Hassan came up with some exciting dance movements. Kids loved it and so did I. I joined every day for the warm up and realized that I have an amazing stamina just like the kids

Check out this head stand by one of the A Coaches. They also did some hand stand and I did not go near that. Obviously did not want to break my hands

The COACHES as always were the guiding force for this amazing camp. Lead by Hassan the Program Director, Geetha, Abdul Ghani, Swapna, Divya, Pragna, Padma, Sanjay and Abhayan, Dittin and Ramesh from OnlySuccess did a fantastic job connecting with the participants all the time and delivering the best for them. It was unforgettable moments especially when the coaches comepte with each other that theirs is the best team. Super fun it was for me and this camp I was also assisted by Sam (kids loved him)

One of the participants called me the Funniest Person ever. I love it when kids call me that way and that’s been my dream always to have fun with them and one of the mentioned i am the encyclopedia. Well not sure if thats really true but atleast in front of them I cant really say “I don’t know” something especially when they are not supposed to use that phrase (Its a banned phrase for the Superbkids/superbteens participants)

Check out the complete video of the Camp here…