Archive for Life

Breaking out of your Comfort Zone

Time and again its important for everyone to understand that and individual everyone must have to step out of the comfort zone. Knowingly or unknowingly people tend to slip into the comfort zone and get caught in that web unable to break out of it.

Dream Big : The first way to break out of the comfort zone is to dream big. Let your dreams be so big that you have that courage and motivation to work on it every day. Like Dr. Kalam says Dream is not what you see when you sleep…It’s the thing which does not let you sleep”.

Do with Passion: The reason why many people slip into the comfort zone is lack of passion. When there is passion there is then there is a never ending thirst to always be the best at it. So do things with lot of passion. Either you do what you are passionate about or be passionate about what you do.

Self Belief: A strong sense of self belief will help you to believe that you can manage things quite well even when you step out of the comfort zone. Belief that you can do it, the belief that things will be great and that all is for a purpose are useful beliefs to carry and move on.

Learn to take failures: Never fear failure because it may even happen to you when you are in the comfort zone. So be ready to take failures are feedback, as learning lessons and continue your journey breaking the comfort zone.

Make Mistakes: Its quite fine to make mistakes. End of it you do not do it willingly and just unwillingly and hence they would just be a slip and not a big mistake which you can learn to bounce back.

Stay there: Make sure that you can stay there longer and ensure that your goal is reached as you step out of comfort zone. At no point in time its worth to get back to your comfort zone. So Persist.

Step out of your Comfort Zone !

Find your way during the Tough Times

There are times in life when we have tough times. May not be every day but then you are cornered to a situation where the only thing that you feel is its end of the road and nothing much can be done. It may be with respect to your job, your relationship and so on. You feel that its end of the road but then you because these situation mostly occur to things that are very important you hang on and want solutions.

It is during these tough times that you need that strong will and strong power within to sustain them and move on. So how you handle these tough situations.

1. Hold on – Remember that is most important aspect. Hold on for some more time because you never know whats the solution and for all you know you might just spark off with a solution immediately. So why give up when the gold mine may just be one step away.

2. Be Grateful – It may not be something that easy to do during the tough times but it is important. Rather than saying “Why Me”, ask yourself what all gifts do you have in your life and how can you make use of them?

3. Find the ultimate purpose – When you really know the true purpose of what you are doing, you will really find the way to handle the tough times. Those are the moments when you will have the strongest will to ensure that you hang on and do whatever it takes to come out successful of the situation in place. Finding the purpose will give the true and real meaning of the situation in hand

4. Things will change – Realize that things will change. The same cannot sustain for the rest of your life. There is a time when you will be out of the adversity and have a much more peaceful and joyful life and its important to understand that things will change.

5. Have Faith and Belief – Have total faith and belief that you are capable of handling things and that you will find the a solution. If you playing a role (in whatever capacity either at home or at work) things have been given to you because you can handle it. So have the self belief that you will be able to overcome the difficult times and things will change.

I would not call Tough times as tough, I would call it as Testing times and when someone is testing me I would like to prove that I am capable to handling it. So allow yourself to go through the testing times and come out as a Champ.

Why New Year Resolutions!

New Year

People always ask me, Do I need to have a resolution. It may not be a must for you to have a resolution but then I feel it gives more strength and power when you have New Year Resolutions.

The word resolution is from the word Resolve. So we have so many things to resolve from the past year and apply them and make changes in the them in the future.

Few Reasons why New Year Resolutions work

1. Self Motivation and Self Inspiration – When you have a resolution for yourself then you know that its your choice and not someone else. You push yourself to ensure that you have your resolution achieved. This is quite important for you because you know you have done it and its for yourself that you set on a special day.

2. A lot of clarity – New Year resolutions give in a lot of clarity of though and action. You start dissecting your past and look at things that you have not done and hence a great self reflection for yourself. That is the time when you know the pros and cons of what you have done and what you have not and hence gives you clarity to ensure that you take consistent action

3. A great opportunity – New Year Resolutions are always a great opportunity for you to Architect your life. This is the time you can mould the life you want to especially when you are in the mode of celebration and your mind is in a super high state. This is the time to be positive and hence look at all the possibilities.

So set your resolutions and importnat make sure its for yourself so that you will consistently take action. All the best and here is Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

A great start to 2010! – Quit Smoking :)

smoking-man.jpgYesterday 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
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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!

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This is it! – MJ Rocks!

Just yesterday I saw the documentary movie – This is it

102870-michael_jackson_this_is_it_617_409.jpgI 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. 2009-07-03-mj872.jpg

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

michael-jackson-this-is-it-rehearsal.jpg9. 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