TRUTH

When faced with a dilemma the simple solution is to tell the TRUTH for that is The Real Ultimate Test of Honesty. Unfortunately telling the truth is not an easy task though it is considered a prime virtue. When we attempt to tell the truth, it is often camouflaged with the mask of our personal perceptions, distorted by our compulsive urge to interpret the happenings and our tendency to be verbose, abets the misreporting of the plain facts.

While most of the above problems are the result of the human beings inability to communicate effectively, the bigger problem is when the communication is deliberately falsified either because of perceived threats, fear of retribution or to shield the guilty and occasionally the victim. The truth can also be very uncomfortable for many, for our indiscretions could be exposed, skeletons in our cupboard could come tumbling out, our carefully cultivated image can be scarred for life and the long arm of the law could catch up when the truth is out.

When the truth gets hidden, what sprouts is often a web of lies and more often than not, the people who spin this web of lies invariably get caught in their own web. The law of life will not let the truth be hidden for long and sooner or later the hard evidence will be laid bare and the bluff called. However lies are not the only way the truth gets hidden; sometimes the evidence is destroyed and it is near impossible to get to the truth. In other cases the facts are by passed and those pursuing the truth send up the wrong track. The most common method of destroying the truth which we are all guilty of is to look the other way and pretend that we never saw anything happening. This gives us the freedom to honestly state that we didn’t see anything while the TRUTH is we chose to close our eyes.

For the ordinary mortal, telling the truth saves him/ her the torturous mental tension of having to come face to face with the reality some day and in the interim, living a life in fear, shame and agony. When we are prepared to confront the TRUTH we are standing up to the challenge of facing boldly and squarely ‘The Real Ultimate Test of Honesty’

Action Points

1.  Read the book ‘My Experiments With Truth ‘ by Mahatma Gandhi
2. Play the card game ‘Bluff’ to get a feel of how tough it is to be dishonest with a straight face. Often it is your body language that gives you away when playing the game. Notice the tension you experience when you are bluffing. Also ask yourself what makes you like the game and if you don’t like it what makes you dislike the game.

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/  

 

 

 

Puzzle

It is a ten letter word..

---d--a--s

Clue:
1.Lover loves it
2.Friends need it
3.Relationship starts with it
4.Life ends with it
      |
      | 
      |
And the answer starts with H 
and the last but one word is E
Now  the word looks like H--d--a-Es
don't give up now....fill up the blanks to get the word...which is within handshaking distance!

GREET

When we GREET some one, we are in fact Giving Recognizable Enthusiastic Energetic Tribute. Hello is the most common for of greeting and it is usually followed by energetic shake hand and a enthusiastic Good Morning or similar such sentiments. Occasionally we also punctuate our initial greeting with How do you do? All these words when expressed with feeling and meaning, form bridges in our daily social interaction and pave the way for a healthy and respectful relationship.

Greetings are a key ingredient in the upbringing of an individual. It is also the essential prelude to any form of etiquettes and manners. The essence of greeting a person lies in the ‘ice breaker ‘quality that it has. It sets the tone for further communication; gives the parties involved the break through needed to interact and ignites the environment with positive emotions and feelings. The form and style of greeting would vary from region to region, culture to culture and would be richly spiced with the local customs and practices. In rural India ‘Namaste’ with palms joined would be the general yardstick, the urban yuppie would not be shy of air kissing and hugging as form of greeting.

Man being on the upper echelons of the animal kingdom has the distinct advantage of being able to interpret and analyze communication of the higher order. The style and display of greeting would therefore play a vital role in forming impressions, conveying messages and getting meaningful responses. Greetings also provides us a culture specific form of initiating communication, a non threatening means of expressing our individuality and a socially acceptable means of reaching out to another. It is in our interest therefore to observe the greeting styles, practice the same so as to ensure that it is done right and most important of all make sure we don’t use greetings as just a formality but we need to make sure that when we GREETwe are in fact Giving Recognizable Enthusiastic Energetic Tribute.

Action Points:

1. 
   
   Study the various greeting styles in other cultures particularly in other Asian, African and Middle East countries. Ask yourself if you will be able to respond in like manner. Try a Japanese style of greeting and reflect on how you felt about it.
2. 
   
   Observe your own greetings when in a good mood, a foul mood and in an introspective mood. Also observe what you can learn about a person from his / her style of greeting. Practice greeting in social situations and try and meet new people at weddings, social gatherings etc. How important is a persons looks, smile and demeanor and how does it impact your own ability to go and make new friends? 

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on - 

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now. 

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog

http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

RUSH

Real Urgency Spurs Haste

Even as I write this post I have a got a message from my wife saying ‘Airfares set to rise, better move your butt’. She is referring to the proposed holiday plans in mid May which was decided around February end but the air bookings haven’t been done to date. Now her message has been a real wake up call and I will be forced into Real Urgency Spurs Haste to book tickets.

As is evident from the facts above, the RUSH could have been avoided if one is more proactive, avoids procrastination and plans well. While the basic planning was done, a combination of laziness and indecisiveness on the part of the travelers to freeze the dates and coupled with my own lethargy has compelled me to RUSH. This is typically what happens in real life. Most rush jobs can be avoided if we appreciate the anxiety, stress, trouble and expenses that are add-ons to the original problem when one tries to solve it in a rush.

Despite knowing all this, there are some avoidable rush which is man made and a result of human weakness. Our crazy to flaunt new technology makes us rush to get hold of the new techjazz and pay huge premium price for the products. The story is no different when it comes to seeing movies on the first day or occupying the first row for a live concert of a superstar singer. For those in the orient, their obsession with religion and their compulsion to abide by the auspicious dates and times sees unprecedented rush at the more famous temples and the river banks. The humongous crowds at the kumbh mela and the Balaji Temple at Tirupathi are testimony to this phenomena.

Medical emergences, unplanned happenings, drastic and sudden changes etc. normally prompt a rush, which is unavoidable. This is understandable and excusable but the response to this rush is also a test of organization skills, level headedness, leadership skills and equanimity. Handling rush jobs requires one to have a calm and cool temperament, an ability to think quickly and incisively and the ability to take charge and decide quickly. Ideally someone with hands on expertise and leadership skills will always be the star of an emergency and rush situation. Fortunately there are standard operating procedures now in plan place for various types of emergencies that require clear thinking and quick action. Fire drills, air raid readiness, disaster management mock drills are all designed to ensure that Real Urgency Spurs Haste without Waste !

Action Points: 

1. Do you have daily, weekly and yearly goals and time slots for the same? If not immediately put this into practice. Keep monitoring the progress and review reasons for not meeting your targets. Also critically evaluate your own personal style, habits and work culture; you may find clues to areas of weakness in you that need corrective action.
2. Some regular commitments cannot be postponed. List out the same. Eg. Monthly bill payments, regular exercise, shopping for provisions and groceries, celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries and festive occasions. Out of these what can be automated, delegated, better planned is a question you need to answer so that you avoid the last minute RUSH

 Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

PAIN

Plain Awareness of Intense Need is the message conveyed by PAIN.

When in pain, be it physical or psychological, the body and spirit screams for solace. It could be medicines or just companionship, empathy and acceptance that is needed but often quick relief is hard to come by. Occasionally pain cries out and seeks the need for rest, recuperation and relaxation, which are often at a premium for the upwardly mobile and success craving professionals.

While there are many cures for physical pain, a grieving heart, a lonesome being and an outcast have very few choices before them. Empathy, companionship and acceptance are the only cures and alas none of these can be bought over the counter. It is in these moments of an others pain that our character is tested to the full. Empathy is more than sympathy for the latter is feeling sorry for the other person while empathy refers to us feeling the pain of the other. Companionship demands that we be able to spare time and possibly our patience too particularly to be with the old, the sick and the infirm. Acceptance is unconditional love for another be it a leper, an AIDS patient or a destitute.

Sometimes the pain is never ending. Imagine the pain of deformed person, a victim of burn injuries, survivors of accidents and bomb blasts who have lost a limb etc. For them the reality has to be lived with and frequently they would fall into the trap of self pity. Self pity is nothing but self inflicted pain and the cure is positive thinking, acceptance of reality and a drive for achievement. They are motivated by their ability to be productive, their thankfulness for the gift of life and reinforcement of their self worth as invaluable members of society.

Reflect on the pain of rejection, the pain of being the butt of jokes, the pain of being scoffed and humiliated, the pain of being the target of sarcastic comments and the pain of falling out of love. Perhaps now you will realize that PAIN is nothing but the Plain Awareness of Intense Need

Remember: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

Action Points:

1. When was the last time you suffered physical and psychological pain. Can you recollect the exact sequence of events or have you unconsciously blanked out large portions of it? Have you got over your psychological pain? Which pain troubles you more often?
2. Do you think a smile, a courteous word and sparing time for people would be good antidotes to pain for people? How often can you do any or all of the above? Starting now, attempt to do it and make it a habit to smile and spread cheer.

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

 Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/   

STYLE

It is the Smart Trends Yelling Loud Everyday that catches the eye and opens the wallets that fuels the STYLE euphoria. In a world driven by marketing gimmicks, trendy lifestyle and keeping up with the Jones’s culture, STYLE is the generic term used to describe the trends and the cool dude tag. If you think that style is the prerogative of the young think again, for it is the older generation that actively promotes styles for business ends; and the world is lapping it up.

The style mania gets its thrust from the big money spends of the big brands when they get endorsements done by the movie stars, sporting icons and the occasional celebrity from another discipline. The message is simply ‘you need to own this if you want to be seen and recognized in society’. It could be a hairstyle, the latest technological gizmo, being present at premiers or the so called exclusive events or just splurging on the so called designer clothes, accessories or event events like a birthday bash or wedding. The key driver of style is the high cost attached which acts as an entry barrier and preserves the exclusivity and puts a premium on ownership.

The most vocal critics of STYLE are the conservative older population who argue that most style is just cult following with little or no functional enhancement or utility for the price paid. They view style as an illegitimate offspring of the unholy alliance of corporate sharks and marketing quacks. The more vociferous opponents old the fanatical view that style is exploitation of the ignorant, through the subtle manipulation, using a mix of technology, psychology and sociology. Their most touted proof pertains to the relative short term life span of most styles be it the hippy culture, the bell bottom pants or the Marlboro Man.

The style fanatics on the contrary point out to the numerous advances made because of style. The move from desktop computers to colorful laptops, the wide range of mobile telephones using an array of technology, the changes in the formats of games from test cricket played in all white’s to the quick fix T20 format played in flood lights and in colored clothes show the range of styles that have borne testimony to the growing fan following. The proponents of style point out that style leads to innovation not just in the presentation but also through extensive use of technology, has a large mass appeal and will be improvised upon periodically depending on the market demands.

Style is here to stay; it will dominate the years to come for no one can ignore the Smart Trends Yelling Loud Everyday

 

Action Points:

1. What are the Style trends that you find hard to identify with? Is it because they are too loud/ or is it because you feel awkward attempting that style / or the style violates your sensibilities?
2. How often are you tempted to buy a new technology gadget because it is the in thing? Do you think the features of the new technology can be effective harnessed by you or are you just paying the premium for being called trendy? What are the most functional and useful styles that are in the marketplace today that is useful and efficient? Eg. Solar powered gadgets, fuel saving small cars etc.

 Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

 Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

 

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/   

EGO

While the animal kingdom abounds in examples of  a hierarchy, usually headed by a dominant male who usurps power by brute force, history bears testimony to the fact that the human race has often been subject to the Machiavellian antics of despotic, scheming and cunning leaders most of who were driven by an Exaggerated Grandiose Opinion of themselves.

From a more down to earth perspective, it is often the same EGO that has become the bane of corporate and political leadership. Opportunism, power grabbing and personal wealth creation are seen as a culmination of the EGO. If Hitler’s Aryan ego was responsible for the massacre f the Jews, the modern superiority race is played on the battlefields of technology and the ill effects are showing in terms of Global Warming, extensive pollution, the growing divide between the rich an poor countries and the constant threat of nuclear arsenal being used to massage the ego of the technologically superior nations.

While the EGO has its ill effects, it also plays a vital part in realizing the potential of an individual, a nation and a society. An individual can strive to achieve much more than he/ she is capeable of simply because his ego wants to prove itself. Similarly a nation would leverage its core strengths to ensure that it is competitive in the world. The Arab world for example would not easily let go its stranglehold on the world oil market. Similarly competition is nothing but a battle of egos and the beneficiary is the consumer who gets better choices, cheaper alternatives and better customer service. The society at large is then a beneficiary of the ego vs ego game.

For us the important learning is that the ego exists and if it is leveraged correctly, can be exceptionally beneficial. Else, our Exaggerated Grandiose Opinion could be like quick sand from which we cannot easily extract ourselves; the consequence is anybody’s guess.

Action Points:

1. Doing a reality check on ourselves would be a good start. The best way is to pay close attention to the criticism we get be it at work, home, from our children or parents. The annual appraisal time is also a good time to consciously make an effort to check our ego levels. Do we keep mentally refuting all criticism or vociferously justifying our actions?
2. Make a list of people whom we are not comfortable with or have a dislike for. Now objectively assess if your dislike has to do more with the competence and self confidence of the other person and this affects your personal ego?  How do you feel when you are in the company of some who is the life of a party or who can tell the most hilarious jokes or people who easily attract people around them? Who are the icons of society that you envy? Does ego have a part to play in your envy of the person?

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/