My Result:
You scored as a Existentialism
Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism: You choose the meaning and purpose of your life.
“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.”
“It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.”
--Jean-Paul Sartre
“It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the Truth.”
--Blaise Pascal
More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page...
Existentialism
95%
Hedonism
70%
Justice (Fairness)
50%
Strong Egoism
50%
Nihilism
50%
Divine Command
45%
Utilitarianism
45%
Apathy
30%
Kantianism
25%
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
What this blog is...
I don't know what this blog is.... Is it a preaching ground where I preach fundas? Is it a blog where I write articles?I don't know.But from now onwards I'm going to use this blog as a journal - a diary..... maybe.To write out articles that can make a difference in my life and the lives of others in the world, I have started a new site - meghufreepd.blogspot.com.....So Happy Birthday Mr Journal....
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
What are goals?
Goals are dreams with deadlines. I want to achieve something. I write it down. I look at it everyday. I work towards it. I intend it to happen. I set a deadline for its achievement. And I achieve it. I have then achieved a goal.
Special Goals
HABIT BASED
GOALS to achieveThis could be the standard meaning of a goal. But if I face one fear a day – that is a goal too. It has no set deadline, but it is a goal. If I condition a habit, the aim to condition that habit s a goal too. And of course working hard towards something is a goal anyway. So I have general goals – habit based goals and special goals.
Habit based and special goals can be part of the action plan of goals to achieve or they may be separate interesting goals to test, experiment and let go.
I define long term goals as goals that are aimed at the next 3-5 years. Then there are medium term goals that are aimed at the next one year. Then of course I have short term goals aimed at 3 month intervals. It is not necessary that short term goals flow out of medium term goals which flow out of long term goals. But it is necessary for all goals to have some kind of link with my personal mission statement.
Long term
Medium Term
Short term
Personal Mission Statement
All habit based and special goals are essentially sort-of mini goals, for they are not intended for months or years.
Each type of goal (long term, short term) may lead to new and exciting habit based and special goals.
Now how do I go about implementing these goals?
I create a word document titled – long term goals. I have no prior experience so let us say I review my long term goals every week. I review them every week because I think it will be difficult to review so much every day and they are long term goals anyway. I review my short term goals and my habit based and special goals everyday. My habit based and special goals are tabulated in a word document. My medium and short term goals are tabulated in separate word documents too. All these goals are tabulated under the following categories:
Social – How I can lessen the influence of what society thinks of me in my life.
Physical – Fitness, health.
Mental/Academic, Technical – As long as I am involved in technical work – how I can do that work to the best of my ability.
Spiritual – Meditation, being.
Personal Development
Etc.
Of course all those goals which require time to be allocated for them will be allocated time by the Quadrant II time manager.
Also the word document that lists particular long term goal (say) will list every thing – all details and all habit based and special and short term goals etc. associated with that goal. They will also list whether certain tasks need to be added unto the weekly time manager.
Special Goals
HABIT BASED
GOALS to achieveThis could be the standard meaning of a goal. But if I face one fear a day – that is a goal too. It has no set deadline, but it is a goal. If I condition a habit, the aim to condition that habit s a goal too. And of course working hard towards something is a goal anyway. So I have general goals – habit based goals and special goals.
Habit based and special goals can be part of the action plan of goals to achieve or they may be separate interesting goals to test, experiment and let go.
I define long term goals as goals that are aimed at the next 3-5 years. Then there are medium term goals that are aimed at the next one year. Then of course I have short term goals aimed at 3 month intervals. It is not necessary that short term goals flow out of medium term goals which flow out of long term goals. But it is necessary for all goals to have some kind of link with my personal mission statement.
Long term
Medium Term
Short term
Personal Mission Statement
All habit based and special goals are essentially sort-of mini goals, for they are not intended for months or years.
Each type of goal (long term, short term) may lead to new and exciting habit based and special goals.
Now how do I go about implementing these goals?
I create a word document titled – long term goals. I have no prior experience so let us say I review my long term goals every week. I review them every week because I think it will be difficult to review so much every day and they are long term goals anyway. I review my short term goals and my habit based and special goals everyday. My habit based and special goals are tabulated in a word document. My medium and short term goals are tabulated in separate word documents too. All these goals are tabulated under the following categories:
Social – How I can lessen the influence of what society thinks of me in my life.
Physical – Fitness, health.
Mental/Academic, Technical – As long as I am involved in technical work – how I can do that work to the best of my ability.
Spiritual – Meditation, being.
Personal Development
Etc.
Of course all those goals which require time to be allocated for them will be allocated time by the Quadrant II time manager.
Also the word document that lists particular long term goal (say) will list every thing – all details and all habit based and special and short term goals etc. associated with that goal. They will also list whether certain tasks need to be added unto the weekly time manager.
Why I did not get up today at 5 AM
What is the impediment to any person getting up at 5 AM?
The impediment is his thought process.
If I am motivated to get up early, say, I have something really important to do – then I will certainly get up. This is because as soon as I get up thoughts about that thing to do will make me get up.
But if I want to get up and run and meditate and all… cool. But when the alarm rings, the thought that comes up is what am I going to gain by so much discomfort ? Will I have to run? Why do I have to implement this scaffold.
One way out is to have no thoughts whatsoever while getting up. No thoughts. The alarm rings. I get up. Alarm ringing…. I get up. That’s it. Pavlov’s dog.
But thoughtlessness is not a piece of cake. As a matter of fact, It may take me – the persisting me – 3-4 days to register one success using the thoughtless method. The method is good, but too error prone.
There must be some motivation to get up.
Earlier one motivation was to test how it felt to get up at 5 AM for 30 days. It does not matter whether I do anything productive or not. It does not matter whether I need to get up or not. This is simply a 30 day test of my discipline and the change that can be brought about by getting up at 5AM.
The key motivator here is the fact that this is a 30 day test. There is no other motivating fact. I get up because I have vowed to get up for 30 days. I get up to keep that vow. To experience what happens when I get up at 5 AM simply because I have decided I will for 30 days.
Because, simply put – there never can be enough motivation to convince the sleepy Meghu to get up at 5 AM regularly. Anything that can be done at 5AM can be done in the evening too. So there is no point providing false motivation, back-humping motivation.
So I want to get up at 5 AM for 30 days. That’s it. I intend to get up at 5 AM for 30 days. No reason. No justification. Nothing. Just to test whether the habit of getting up early is worth it. After this first 30 day trial of mine, I can use it to test habits. After all some guy saying that it is good to get up at 5 AM is not reason enough to believe it blindly. Let me try it out for 30 days.
Of course since getting up is the main thing, running etc. don’t come into the picture as yet.
Cool. Journaling is fun J
The impediment is his thought process.
If I am motivated to get up early, say, I have something really important to do – then I will certainly get up. This is because as soon as I get up thoughts about that thing to do will make me get up.
But if I want to get up and run and meditate and all… cool. But when the alarm rings, the thought that comes up is what am I going to gain by so much discomfort ? Will I have to run? Why do I have to implement this scaffold.
One way out is to have no thoughts whatsoever while getting up. No thoughts. The alarm rings. I get up. Alarm ringing…. I get up. That’s it. Pavlov’s dog.
But thoughtlessness is not a piece of cake. As a matter of fact, It may take me – the persisting me – 3-4 days to register one success using the thoughtless method. The method is good, but too error prone.
There must be some motivation to get up.
Earlier one motivation was to test how it felt to get up at 5 AM for 30 days. It does not matter whether I do anything productive or not. It does not matter whether I need to get up or not. This is simply a 30 day test of my discipline and the change that can be brought about by getting up at 5AM.
The key motivator here is the fact that this is a 30 day test. There is no other motivating fact. I get up because I have vowed to get up for 30 days. I get up to keep that vow. To experience what happens when I get up at 5 AM simply because I have decided I will for 30 days.
Because, simply put – there never can be enough motivation to convince the sleepy Meghu to get up at 5 AM regularly. Anything that can be done at 5AM can be done in the evening too. So there is no point providing false motivation, back-humping motivation.
So I want to get up at 5 AM for 30 days. That’s it. I intend to get up at 5 AM for 30 days. No reason. No justification. Nothing. Just to test whether the habit of getting up early is worth it. After this first 30 day trial of mine, I can use it to test habits. After all some guy saying that it is good to get up at 5 AM is not reason enough to believe it blindly. Let me try it out for 30 days.
Of course since getting up is the main thing, running etc. don’t come into the picture as yet.
Cool. Journaling is fun J
20 Ways to improve
I can work more. Well whatever it is, but I think I spend 0-30 minutes on serious undisturbed work in a day. Working this less certainly will not lead to the achievement of concrete goals. So I think I need to work more.
I think I can implement the “cultivating intense desire strategies” recommended by steve pavlina.
I can become more committed to doing whatever I have thought of doing – unless I have to do something important during that time.
I can become more disciplined in terms of completing the 30 day trials I have set out to complete.
I don’t think I am facing enough of my fears. I need to face more of my fears by identifying situations both on and off the field and acting.
I can become physically fit.
I can write more.
I can conduct more experiments with my life.
I can be freer with my parents.
I can interact more frequently with all the girls in campus and with all my girl = friends on Orkut. J J (Now what is that supposed to mean?)
I can take myself less seriously.
I can read more books in a week.
I can stay more in the now.
I can concentrate more in the class.
I can set more goals pertaining to college.
I can play more tennis and volleyball.
I can study more in the hostel.
I can dress in a better way.
I can eat lesser in the canteen.
I think I can implement the “cultivating intense desire strategies” recommended by steve pavlina.
I can become more committed to doing whatever I have thought of doing – unless I have to do something important during that time.
I can become more disciplined in terms of completing the 30 day trials I have set out to complete.
I don’t think I am facing enough of my fears. I need to face more of my fears by identifying situations both on and off the field and acting.
I can become physically fit.
I can write more.
I can conduct more experiments with my life.
I can be freer with my parents.
I can interact more frequently with all the girls in campus and with all my girl = friends on Orkut. J J (Now what is that supposed to mean?)
I can take myself less seriously.
I can read more books in a week.
I can stay more in the now.
I can concentrate more in the class.
I can set more goals pertaining to college.
I can play more tennis and volleyball.
I can study more in the hostel.
I can dress in a better way.
I can eat lesser in the canteen.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
What would I do if I had all the money in the world
Well, this is really an exciting concept, isn’t it?
Let me get objective and consider A’s situation.
Assumption 1: A has enough money to last 10 lifetimes.
Assumption 2: A is interested in reading, writing, quizzing, personal development, and public speaking.
What does A do? He studies a course in pulp and paper engineering.
Why on earth does he do that? He is certainly not interested in paper is he?
No he isn’t but at the time of choosing the course, poor A didn’t really think on his own. He was way too influenced by what others thought was better for him. So A joins a paper course. But why do the people who make him join a paper course make him join a paper course?
Because they think this will fetch him a good job.
And what does A do with a job – a software job at that? He earns money. He works for money.
But according to assumption 1, A has enough money to last a lifetime. Then why work for money?
So when A completes the paper course, he realizes that since he has money to last a lifetime, he need not work for a company.
Now people around A – the same people who want him to study paper now want him to study chemical engineering in the USA.
But A is wiser this time. He knows first and foremost that he is not interested in chemical engineering. Nor in any science course.
He is, in fact interested in writing, quizzing, reading, personal development, and public speaking. But why would he pursue a post graduate course in writing? A loves to write but he does not need to study a writing course just because he loves writing. He is interested in writing, not in selling his writings. He does not love learning about the nuances of writing, so he surely won’t take a writing course.
Will A take a quizzing course? Well that seems pretty odd. What would they teach in a quizzing course? Quizzing is fun you ask and answer questions, participate in quizzes. Surely you don’t need a course for that.
Reading – a course would be too much. J
And coming to personal development. I don’t know about A but I think it would certainly be foolish to pursue a graduate course in personal development. After all wouldn’t it be better to pursue small – interesting, essential courses – say 1 month courses or 2 day courses – as and when required if required at all. I guess A would think this way too. A is sane, right?
So now we come to speaking. Well, Mr A. If you love speaking, go ahead take a course. But a two year course? I would say no. That would be too much. Indeed too much.
So here we are there is not an iota of doubt that if A does not need to work for money, A would certainly not do a professional course in the US! That’s clear and obvious.
Well then what would A do? Would he do a management course. That would teach him how to run a company and how to manage people + how to keep accounts – wouldn’t it? Well, as a matter of fact it will teach him all this and more. But the question is, why would A want to start a company in the first place? Why?
A is certainly not interested in managing people. A is certainly not interested in manufacturing products like soaps and steel. Assumption 2 takes care of that. It lists A’s interests, right?
So if A is sane ( Well they didn’t mention assumption 3 and I seriously doubt it J), he would certainly pursue his interests. Why wouldn’t he? He has all the money in the world!
A would continue writing. Maybe he would reach out to a wide audience by writing on the internet. Maybe he would write a book and make a difference in the lives of some people. After all, he is interested in writing.
He could conduct quiz competitions: He is interested in speaking. So why not organize quizzes. He could lecture at Universities where personal development is taught. Of course, if they allow him toJ He could conduct workshops. Yes he could.
And A can read and read and then proceed to read some more. Who’s stopping him?
And now we come to a very special portion of this article.
Here’s a beautiful statement.
"Assumption 1 is false but A and all of us have the potential to live our life as if it were true at the same time earning enough money to make it true."
There’s no point working for money, as someone has said – if you can make money work for you.
Let me get objective and consider A’s situation.
Assumption 1: A has enough money to last 10 lifetimes.
Assumption 2: A is interested in reading, writing, quizzing, personal development, and public speaking.
What does A do? He studies a course in pulp and paper engineering.
Why on earth does he do that? He is certainly not interested in paper is he?
No he isn’t but at the time of choosing the course, poor A didn’t really think on his own. He was way too influenced by what others thought was better for him. So A joins a paper course. But why do the people who make him join a paper course make him join a paper course?
Because they think this will fetch him a good job.
And what does A do with a job – a software job at that? He earns money. He works for money.
But according to assumption 1, A has enough money to last a lifetime. Then why work for money?
So when A completes the paper course, he realizes that since he has money to last a lifetime, he need not work for a company.
Now people around A – the same people who want him to study paper now want him to study chemical engineering in the USA.
But A is wiser this time. He knows first and foremost that he is not interested in chemical engineering. Nor in any science course.
He is, in fact interested in writing, quizzing, reading, personal development, and public speaking. But why would he pursue a post graduate course in writing? A loves to write but he does not need to study a writing course just because he loves writing. He is interested in writing, not in selling his writings. He does not love learning about the nuances of writing, so he surely won’t take a writing course.
Will A take a quizzing course? Well that seems pretty odd. What would they teach in a quizzing course? Quizzing is fun you ask and answer questions, participate in quizzes. Surely you don’t need a course for that.
Reading – a course would be too much. J
And coming to personal development. I don’t know about A but I think it would certainly be foolish to pursue a graduate course in personal development. After all wouldn’t it be better to pursue small – interesting, essential courses – say 1 month courses or 2 day courses – as and when required if required at all. I guess A would think this way too. A is sane, right?
So now we come to speaking. Well, Mr A. If you love speaking, go ahead take a course. But a two year course? I would say no. That would be too much. Indeed too much.
So here we are there is not an iota of doubt that if A does not need to work for money, A would certainly not do a professional course in the US! That’s clear and obvious.
Well then what would A do? Would he do a management course. That would teach him how to run a company and how to manage people + how to keep accounts – wouldn’t it? Well, as a matter of fact it will teach him all this and more. But the question is, why would A want to start a company in the first place? Why?
A is certainly not interested in managing people. A is certainly not interested in manufacturing products like soaps and steel. Assumption 2 takes care of that. It lists A’s interests, right?
So if A is sane ( Well they didn’t mention assumption 3 and I seriously doubt it J), he would certainly pursue his interests. Why wouldn’t he? He has all the money in the world!
A would continue writing. Maybe he would reach out to a wide audience by writing on the internet. Maybe he would write a book and make a difference in the lives of some people. After all, he is interested in writing.
He could conduct quiz competitions: He is interested in speaking. So why not organize quizzes. He could lecture at Universities where personal development is taught. Of course, if they allow him toJ He could conduct workshops. Yes he could.
And A can read and read and then proceed to read some more. Who’s stopping him?
And now we come to a very special portion of this article.
Here’s a beautiful statement.
"Assumption 1 is false but A and all of us have the potential to live our life as if it were true at the same time earning enough money to make it true."
There’s no point working for money, as someone has said – if you can make money work for you.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Can a man change the Universe?
A man can change the thoughts that people have. He can change the things that people do and thus change their thoughts. He can make them happier. He can stop the actions of other men that stem from undesirable thoughts. But can he actually change the world. Depends on what "world" means! If world means the physical world, he can. If world means the minds of men, he can to some extent – he can change the minds of some men. If world means the Universe as a whole, he cannot. From what I have read and to a very small extent experienced, I can say that a man can only change himself and by doing so and in no other way can he change the world. I can heal myself. I can change the way I see the world. I can alleviate the poverty in some people’s lives. But that wil not make the Universe better. That is the most important thing to note. That can expand my consciousness and make me better.
My mind’s a bit clearer. Journaling works ! J
My mind’s a bit clearer. Journaling works ! J
Money where does it go?
To actually look at the way I am spending my money, I want to start maintaining a balance sheet. So from now on I’ll keep track.
Also how much am I willing to spend on certain activities and how much on others.
Example, I am ready to pay Rs 60 to an auto driver? (when there are cheaper options available).
But how else would I generally spend those Rs 60?
I spend money on:
Eating out.
Lending money to friends.
Transport.
Mobile Recharge.
Notebooks, pens.
Shopping in general.
Movies
So the point is – though in future I want to do something for the Universe, I am at present spending no money or for that matter no time for it.
That is something to ponder about isn’t it?
Also how much am I willing to spend on certain activities and how much on others.
Example, I am ready to pay Rs 60 to an auto driver? (when there are cheaper options available).
But how else would I generally spend those Rs 60?
I spend money on:
Eating out.
Lending money to friends.
Transport.
Mobile Recharge.
Notebooks, pens.
Shopping in general.
Movies
So the point is – though in future I want to do something for the Universe, I am at present spending no money or for that matter no time for it.
That is something to ponder about isn’t it?
My take on Scaffolds
I want to estqblish a 30 day scaffold. It pretty easy, let me give it a try.
5 Am = get up, then play or exercise.
Then Pavlina
At the end of the day = meditation + book reading + wikihow
I start this scaffold from July 23
5 Am = get up, then play or exercise.
Then Pavlina
At the end of the day = meditation + book reading + wikihow
I start this scaffold from July 23
Posteriorities
Posteriorities mean those things which we cannot do when we introduce certain things as priorities in our life.
When I decided to get up at 6:30 AM everyday, sleep became a posteriority because I was habituated to sleeping at around 1 AM which meant I started feeling sleepy in class. This meant I came back from class and slept again, something I almost never did.
Similarly when I started using some of my time for mailing training applications, volleyball, an evening bath, reading these became posteriorities. Again becoming phoenix secy also made these my posteriorities.
The point is time management is easy. But there’s a catch. If I am spending my time in a particular way throught the day and now I need to fit in something new, it is most obvious the I must remove something to! I f I continue doing the same things and expect to find an extra hour, that is not possible. If what I am introducing newly is a really big priority, then I will be unconsciously deleting a lot of regular activities from my day. But if this new thing is just a new thing – a thing I want to do but – not really –well- then all those things which my days are filled up with will remain filled up and I might complain as I sleep – I have no time for thi new thing. What I am saying is – if I keep spending my time in exactly the same activities I am spending it on now, then there’s no way I can fit in something new in the same 24 hours. I may feel the time is already up! I hope there wee\re 26 hrs in a day! But the fact is a 26 hr day would have me gasping for 28 hrs because it is not the hrs that are the problem, it is the conditioned way of spending time which I am trying to keep and change at the same time that is the problem.
When I decided to get up at 6:30 AM everyday, sleep became a posteriority because I was habituated to sleeping at around 1 AM which meant I started feeling sleepy in class. This meant I came back from class and slept again, something I almost never did.
Similarly when I started using some of my time for mailing training applications, volleyball, an evening bath, reading these became posteriorities. Again becoming phoenix secy also made these my posteriorities.
The point is time management is easy. But there’s a catch. If I am spending my time in a particular way throught the day and now I need to fit in something new, it is most obvious the I must remove something to! I f I continue doing the same things and expect to find an extra hour, that is not possible. If what I am introducing newly is a really big priority, then I will be unconsciously deleting a lot of regular activities from my day. But if this new thing is just a new thing – a thing I want to do but – not really –well- then all those things which my days are filled up with will remain filled up and I might complain as I sleep – I have no time for thi new thing. What I am saying is – if I keep spending my time in exactly the same activities I am spending it on now, then there’s no way I can fit in something new in the same 24 hours. I may feel the time is already up! I hope there wee\re 26 hrs in a day! But the fact is a 26 hr day would have me gasping for 28 hrs because it is not the hrs that are the problem, it is the conditioned way of spending time which I am trying to keep and change at the same time that is the problem.
Professors at Stanford/MIT
Research engagements are many.
Travel opportunities are ample.
Freedom = reasonable
Student – interaction is the good thing.
But pay is less.
And free time is also quite less.
Travel opportunities are ample.
Freedom = reasonable
Student – interaction is the good thing.
But pay is less.
And free time is also quite less.
Ragging, anti-ragging
The question is this:
What is my stand on ragging? Is it for or against ragging or do I desire a third alternative? Once I clarify my stand, is there anything that can stop me from acting by it? What can I do to overcome these obstacles and act out what I really want?
Ragging means a person is being made to live in fear and terror. Subjugating another human being or dominating him is something I can never agree with. I believe love and oneness to be the basis of most things so filling someone with fear, and laughing and having fun at his expense is a despicable act fit for cowards. The desire to subjugate another indicates incompleteness in oneself doesn’t it? It is very few individuals who rise to the level of understanding the futility of ragging. It is extremely beautiful and appreciable if I have grown to be such an individual.
So I am completely against ragging, that is clear.
So what am I for – nothing extra – nothing unusual – just talking normally.
Cool.
This means that I will never ever join a group of people ragging a junior.
If I see harsh ragging taking place I’ll try to stop it.
I affirm that keeping my life mission in perspective I will have the courage to refuse any offers of ragging my batch mates may make.
Also I feel that it is very obvious that healthy interaction should occur between seniors and juniors and so if ever I meet a junior I will try to start conversations and will try to help him in the best possible way.
I realize that I may face a lot of opposition from my own batch mates if I try to interact in a healthy way with juniors.
But that’s about it.
It’s better to be yourself and make a fool of yourself than to try to be someone else and make a fool of yourself anyway.
What is my stand on ragging? Is it for or against ragging or do I desire a third alternative? Once I clarify my stand, is there anything that can stop me from acting by it? What can I do to overcome these obstacles and act out what I really want?
Ragging means a person is being made to live in fear and terror. Subjugating another human being or dominating him is something I can never agree with. I believe love and oneness to be the basis of most things so filling someone with fear, and laughing and having fun at his expense is a despicable act fit for cowards. The desire to subjugate another indicates incompleteness in oneself doesn’t it? It is very few individuals who rise to the level of understanding the futility of ragging. It is extremely beautiful and appreciable if I have grown to be such an individual.
So I am completely against ragging, that is clear.
So what am I for – nothing extra – nothing unusual – just talking normally.
Cool.
This means that I will never ever join a group of people ragging a junior.
If I see harsh ragging taking place I’ll try to stop it.
I affirm that keeping my life mission in perspective I will have the courage to refuse any offers of ragging my batch mates may make.
Also I feel that it is very obvious that healthy interaction should occur between seniors and juniors and so if ever I meet a junior I will try to start conversations and will try to help him in the best possible way.
I realize that I may face a lot of opposition from my own batch mates if I try to interact in a healthy way with juniors.
But that’s about it.
It’s better to be yourself and make a fool of yourself than to try to be someone else and make a fool of yourself anyway.
Special Memory Technique
Whenever you want to remember something, don’t procrastinate – just form a mental image-based association right then. Do this every time and you’ll always remember things. Forming an association between food and money can remind you that you need to go to the bank after lunch.
Serious ...oooh
What do I actually want to do in life. Let’s be simple. No hotch potch. Straight answers.
Do I want to join a software company and work from 9 to 7? No because:
I will be a slave to that company.
I will have to do work which they assign me, not what I want.
I will have no time for myself.
I will not be making any real contribution. At the end of the day do I want to produce software for organizations ? Is that it?
First, in deciding what I want to do, let me list out what I definitely want to do. From the general to the specific. That’s it.
Point 1 I want to be free. This means – I should be able to work when I want, in the way I want. This means that if I want to go on a cruise across the atlantic right now, I should not have to ask anyone’s permission.
No one else can actually channel my time into a place where my present isn’t wonderful.
So the first thing is freedom.
Conclusion1: I can either be self employed or a professor etc. Either I start something of my own or I work for an institution of my interest where I can pursue my interests and be free.
Remark 1: Find out the various possibilities for a self employed person.
Remark 2: Find out the lifestyle and degree of freedom of a Professor at MIT, Princeton, IIT etc.
Point 1: The work I do should be what I want to do and not just work. This means that if I love singing (say, just say!) I need not spend my time managing a company for a living.
Conclusion 1: I want to earn money by doing something I love doing. I cannot do something just for money’s sake.
Remark 1: List out all the things I love doing.
Point 3: I should be making a contribution to the Universe. Making soap or software can never be satisfying enough. If I contribute in the best possible way I can, what more could I ask for?
Conclusion 1: Whatever I do cannot be for my material satisfaction alone. Conversely I will not pursue any career in which I do not grow and make others grow with me.
Remark 1: Can a man really do something for the Universe? What can I do? Find out.
Do I want to join a software company and work from 9 to 7? No because:
I will be a slave to that company.
I will have to do work which they assign me, not what I want.
I will have no time for myself.
I will not be making any real contribution. At the end of the day do I want to produce software for organizations ? Is that it?
First, in deciding what I want to do, let me list out what I definitely want to do. From the general to the specific. That’s it.
Point 1 I want to be free. This means – I should be able to work when I want, in the way I want. This means that if I want to go on a cruise across the atlantic right now, I should not have to ask anyone’s permission.
No one else can actually channel my time into a place where my present isn’t wonderful.
So the first thing is freedom.
Conclusion1: I can either be self employed or a professor etc. Either I start something of my own or I work for an institution of my interest where I can pursue my interests and be free.
Remark 1: Find out the various possibilities for a self employed person.
Remark 2: Find out the lifestyle and degree of freedom of a Professor at MIT, Princeton, IIT etc.
Point 1: The work I do should be what I want to do and not just work. This means that if I love singing (say, just say!) I need not spend my time managing a company for a living.
Conclusion 1: I want to earn money by doing something I love doing. I cannot do something just for money’s sake.
Remark 1: List out all the things I love doing.
Point 3: I should be making a contribution to the Universe. Making soap or software can never be satisfying enough. If I contribute in the best possible way I can, what more could I ask for?
Conclusion 1: Whatever I do cannot be for my material satisfaction alone. Conversely I will not pursue any career in which I do not grow and make others grow with me.
Remark 1: Can a man really do something for the Universe? What can I do? Find out.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Fears again
When will I stop writing about fear? I guess that'll be when i have noe left.
Ya anyway its been a long while now since i've been facing and facing fears as they come. So now after successfully and unsuccessfully facing my feras as they come I'm listing out my major fears so that I can better fac them..:)
1. Fear of letting my innermost thoughts being known. It's alright to let one's innermost feelings come up to the surface because clarity and transparency bring amazing freedom and lightness.
2. Fear of expressing in any way feelings or thoughts through actions or otherwise which directly and completely contradict the feelings of the other person before the other person. The truth is the truth wehther expressed or unexpressed so it's perfectly OK to be assertive.
3. Fear of being judged or branded or criticized. Being judged by X reflects only X's thoughts. Every person is simply talking about himself or herself in every word he or she speaks. If someone's judgement effects my thoughts then i am only falling prey to someone else's weakness - judging in the first place.
4. Fear of offending set societal norms. All of us do not know who we are and so we imagine ourselves to be what we are conmditioned to think we are right form our birth. Sometimes we do make conscious choices but the point still remains that we still keep thinking that we are what society in general thinks we are and that we are bound by society. But it is OK to do what I really want to do because society is an illusion in the first place. And an illusion is never consistent - it is not even a shaqdow - it is like water which keeps changing its sshape depending on the vessel. Doing what I really want to do is also not reality but it is atleast a shadow with a definite shape which may lead me to myself.
" Do only what your heart desires because they'll damn you if you do and they'll damn you if you don't", Eleanor Roosevelt
5. Fear of accepting myself as I am. Whatever i am there is no denying that I am what i am. The truth just is and i just am. There is no point in commenting or not accepting. Acceptance is the first rung in the ladder of growth. Only the now exists and by letting go of the past and embracing the present, I can create the future. That is what i mean by - the future is now.
Well I'm getting pretty bored writing all this so let me call it quit for now .:)
Ya anyway its been a long while now since i've been facing and facing fears as they come. So now after successfully and unsuccessfully facing my feras as they come I'm listing out my major fears so that I can better fac them..:)
1. Fear of letting my innermost thoughts being known. It's alright to let one's innermost feelings come up to the surface because clarity and transparency bring amazing freedom and lightness.
2. Fear of expressing in any way feelings or thoughts through actions or otherwise which directly and completely contradict the feelings of the other person before the other person. The truth is the truth wehther expressed or unexpressed so it's perfectly OK to be assertive.
3. Fear of being judged or branded or criticized. Being judged by X reflects only X's thoughts. Every person is simply talking about himself or herself in every word he or she speaks. If someone's judgement effects my thoughts then i am only falling prey to someone else's weakness - judging in the first place.
4. Fear of offending set societal norms. All of us do not know who we are and so we imagine ourselves to be what we are conmditioned to think we are right form our birth. Sometimes we do make conscious choices but the point still remains that we still keep thinking that we are what society in general thinks we are and that we are bound by society. But it is OK to do what I really want to do because society is an illusion in the first place. And an illusion is never consistent - it is not even a shaqdow - it is like water which keeps changing its sshape depending on the vessel. Doing what I really want to do is also not reality but it is atleast a shadow with a definite shape which may lead me to myself.
" Do only what your heart desires because they'll damn you if you do and they'll damn you if you don't", Eleanor Roosevelt
5. Fear of accepting myself as I am. Whatever i am there is no denying that I am what i am. The truth just is and i just am. There is no point in commenting or not accepting. Acceptance is the first rung in the ladder of growth. Only the now exists and by letting go of the past and embracing the present, I can create the future. That is what i mean by - the future is now.
Well I'm getting pretty bored writing all this so let me call it quit for now .:)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
People and understanding
People... I don't know why but I always find people really interesting... I guess all the people on earth are the same on the inside... They're all delicate frameworks, models of glass with a very beautiful inner core. The point is all of us our basically emotional creatures who expect the whole world to behave rationally. ( Quite a lot of expectation I guess!)
I tried out this point Mr Stephen Covey keeps talking about - " Seek first to understand and then to be understood " and really the results were dramatic. Generally when we talk, we're talking about ourselves, we're reading out our autobiographies that's it. When the other person speaks, we're thinking of what we should say next or what the other guy's thinking about us or we're judging him/her subtly. We may deny it but I think all of us keep doing this in most of our conversations. We hardly pay attention to what the other fellow is saying.
Suppose I and my friend disagree on a point. I'll try to tell him my point of view while parallelly he'll try to tell me his point of view. Both of us are concentrating on our own point of view and how to better express it, then how on earth can we catch up with what the other guy is saying?
Seeking first to understand means that i first listen completely and wholly to my what my friend is saying forgetting myself and my ramblings for the moment. I completely understand and reaffirm what he's saying and only then after I've got his point better than he himself has got it, do I put forth my point. I don't just shut up and take notes, but I understand him first instead of babbling away to glory. The wonder of wonders is that he too will now listen to me completely without too many interruptions which means both of us will get our point across and arrive at a synergistic solution. A synergistic solution is a solution which is better than what I propose and also better than what you propose - its good for both of us and its much much better. It comes from a true understanding of any situation from two opposing perspectives at the same time and accepting the situation as it actually is. It emerges from a conversation that's got both courage and compassion elements to it rather than courage bla bla only. Courage is the ability to put forth your point of you irrespective of what the other fellow'll think of you. Compassion is respecting the other person and his point of view as an individual.
I think this is getting too much so I'll stop here...
I tried out this point Mr Stephen Covey keeps talking about - " Seek first to understand and then to be understood " and really the results were dramatic. Generally when we talk, we're talking about ourselves, we're reading out our autobiographies that's it. When the other person speaks, we're thinking of what we should say next or what the other guy's thinking about us or we're judging him/her subtly. We may deny it but I think all of us keep doing this in most of our conversations. We hardly pay attention to what the other fellow is saying.
Suppose I and my friend disagree on a point. I'll try to tell him my point of view while parallelly he'll try to tell me his point of view. Both of us are concentrating on our own point of view and how to better express it, then how on earth can we catch up with what the other guy is saying?
Seeking first to understand means that i first listen completely and wholly to my what my friend is saying forgetting myself and my ramblings for the moment. I completely understand and reaffirm what he's saying and only then after I've got his point better than he himself has got it, do I put forth my point. I don't just shut up and take notes, but I understand him first instead of babbling away to glory. The wonder of wonders is that he too will now listen to me completely without too many interruptions which means both of us will get our point across and arrive at a synergistic solution. A synergistic solution is a solution which is better than what I propose and also better than what you propose - its good for both of us and its much much better. It comes from a true understanding of any situation from two opposing perspectives at the same time and accepting the situation as it actually is. It emerges from a conversation that's got both courage and compassion elements to it rather than courage bla bla only. Courage is the ability to put forth your point of you irrespective of what the other fellow'll think of you. Compassion is respecting the other person and his point of view as an individual.
I think this is getting too much so I'll stop here...
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Dream, Dream, Dream...
Dreams are such beautiful things. They are wonderful. Most of the time they are so unachievable, so surreal and so improbable.
All dreams have some common aspects attached to them and it is so, oh so important to understand these aspects if I have to have any chance whatsoever to fulfill my dream.
Meghu’s Dream Postulates:
Every dream can come true if I try hard enough. There is nothing, absolutely nothing stronger than the power of the indomitable spirit.
All dreams are beautiful. No dream is low or high. It is natural to think that one’s dream is too foolish or useless. But human beings are beautiful beings. They dream and whatever they dream is beautiful.
Only one dream out of a hundred dreams comes true. But this is not because there is some problem with the 99 dreams. If I don’t get admission in a college, it could be because there aren’t enough good colleges around. But there is scope and space for all the dreams of every being to come true. 99 Dreams don’t come true because human beings succumb to negative thoughts, or because they don’t believe enough in the beauty of their dreams.
All dreams are different and all dreams are the same – all of them require a positive attitude, belief in oneself and in the beauty of the dream, a desperate desire, proper planning (optional but will also help), persistence despite ‘n’ failures and hard work.
When we believe in our dream and work for it, the whole Universe works to help us achieve it.
There will be hundred problems and a hundred failures. But every problem, yes every problem is an opportunity to rise higher and go forth faster and stronger.
All dreams have some common aspects attached to them and it is so, oh so important to understand these aspects if I have to have any chance whatsoever to fulfill my dream.
Meghu’s Dream Postulates:
Every dream can come true if I try hard enough. There is nothing, absolutely nothing stronger than the power of the indomitable spirit.
All dreams are beautiful. No dream is low or high. It is natural to think that one’s dream is too foolish or useless. But human beings are beautiful beings. They dream and whatever they dream is beautiful.
Only one dream out of a hundred dreams comes true. But this is not because there is some problem with the 99 dreams. If I don’t get admission in a college, it could be because there aren’t enough good colleges around. But there is scope and space for all the dreams of every being to come true. 99 Dreams don’t come true because human beings succumb to negative thoughts, or because they don’t believe enough in the beauty of their dreams.
All dreams are different and all dreams are the same – all of them require a positive attitude, belief in oneself and in the beauty of the dream, a desperate desire, proper planning (optional but will also help), persistence despite ‘n’ failures and hard work.
When we believe in our dream and work for it, the whole Universe works to help us achieve it.
There will be hundred problems and a hundred failures. But every problem, yes every problem is an opportunity to rise higher and go forth faster and stronger.
Auld Lang Syne
How does a person feel when he returns back to his alma mater after 30 years?
Auld Lang Syne means – "Those times gone by" in Scottish (I think it is Scottish but I’m not sure.)
It’s been 30 years, Thirty years?!
Why! Wasn’t it yesterday?
Why don’t the words come? And these tears?
Somebody shouts "Oray"!
I look around. Friends hug me
From all sides. And suddenly
It all returns. A sea
Of emotion strangles me.
We babble away, about Those Days…
We stutter, we stumble but its fine.
Its our hearts which are talking
About the days of Auld Lang Syne.
Those playful pranks come alive again,
In our words. Those ragging tricks,
Those late night teas, those games in the rain…
And, "Oh Yes", adds someone, "The election antics!"
And we talk and chatter away into the night,
As once we’d done in those cramped rooms,
How holy these dorms seem in the moonlight!
Even those lectures, those H2S fumes!
"Love, naiveté, friendship, marks;
We left them 30 years ago",
I think. In the distance a dog barks.
But midnight cannot stop our flow!
Life has been full of ups and downs.
Full of conquests and triumphs.
Full of careers and marriages.
Full of cities and houses.
But right now, we’ve shed our cloaks,
Our fancy clothes and ties and bows.
In the midst of these ubiquitous motes,
We’re all in vests but I can see the halos…
And right now, as the wind blows,
And the dawn enters – we’re free again.
As over the horizon, the sun shows
Up,we play again, we fight again.
Auld Lang Syne means – "Those times gone by" in Scottish (I think it is Scottish but I’m not sure.)
It’s been 30 years, Thirty years?!
Why! Wasn’t it yesterday?
Why don’t the words come? And these tears?
Somebody shouts "Oray"!
I look around. Friends hug me
From all sides. And suddenly
It all returns. A sea
Of emotion strangles me.
We babble away, about Those Days…
We stutter, we stumble but its fine.
Its our hearts which are talking
About the days of Auld Lang Syne.
Those playful pranks come alive again,
In our words. Those ragging tricks,
Those late night teas, those games in the rain…
And, "Oh Yes", adds someone, "The election antics!"
And we talk and chatter away into the night,
As once we’d done in those cramped rooms,
How holy these dorms seem in the moonlight!
Even those lectures, those H2S fumes!
"Love, naiveté, friendship, marks;
We left them 30 years ago",
I think. In the distance a dog barks.
But midnight cannot stop our flow!
Life has been full of ups and downs.
Full of conquests and triumphs.
Full of careers and marriages.
Full of cities and houses.
But right now, we’ve shed our cloaks,
Our fancy clothes and ties and bows.
In the midst of these ubiquitous motes,
We’re all in vests but I can see the halos…
And right now, as the wind blows,
And the dawn enters – we’re free again.
As over the horizon, the sun shows
Up,we play again, we fight again.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Freedom, fear and hiding things
Is transparency the same as freedom? Does being free of any fear mean being absolutely transparent? Benchmarking can tell me the answer. Mahatma Gandhi was absolutely free. He was also absolutely transparent. Everything he did was for all to see.
And so transparent was he that he wrote about all his shortcomings –even about his going to a prostitute and returning embarrassed – in a book for the world to read. He had friends. He had relatives. He had children. But he had nothing to hide. When life is so open, so free, how blissful everything becomes.
Students call teachers names behind their backs. These same students stand tongue tied when the teacher scolds them. I am not talking about children, this is true of even adults. Lovers hide their love from parents and relatives. Everywhere there is hiding. At IIT, (I am taking IIT as an example because it is compulsorily a residential college) students use un – utterable rebukes they dare not utter at home. Hiding, hiding, hiding, too much is hidden these days. While Gandhiji laid bare his meanest thoughts, we fear to say this or that, fearing it will destroy the false images we have created. Nehru wrote in his letters to Indira that hiding comes from fear. Where there is fear, people will always hide something. Fear of what? Fear of being detected in doing something? We have given ourself up for grabs. Falling in someone’s eyes, it seems has the same meaning in our eyes as falling absolutely.
So the final solution is this: No hiding is the key to no fear. After all when you don’t hide anything – absolutely anything from anyone – you have laid bare your resplendent soul for God to appreciate.
And therefore am I launching, operation transparency, meaning I will keep every act of mine transparent during this operation and after its completion. This transparency of course applies mostly to actions which I generally hide. It may also mean that I’ll use the same vocabulary irrespective of whether I’m talking to my friends or my family. This does not mean that if I get angry, I will go about announcing my anger to all and sundry. That will be nothing but lack of elementary self control.
I intend to launch this experiment from the 25th of July, 2007.
When no curtain hides thee from God’s glance, why draw curtains and hide from the world!
And so transparent was he that he wrote about all his shortcomings –even about his going to a prostitute and returning embarrassed – in a book for the world to read. He had friends. He had relatives. He had children. But he had nothing to hide. When life is so open, so free, how blissful everything becomes.
Students call teachers names behind their backs. These same students stand tongue tied when the teacher scolds them. I am not talking about children, this is true of even adults. Lovers hide their love from parents and relatives. Everywhere there is hiding. At IIT, (I am taking IIT as an example because it is compulsorily a residential college) students use un – utterable rebukes they dare not utter at home. Hiding, hiding, hiding, too much is hidden these days. While Gandhiji laid bare his meanest thoughts, we fear to say this or that, fearing it will destroy the false images we have created. Nehru wrote in his letters to Indira that hiding comes from fear. Where there is fear, people will always hide something. Fear of what? Fear of being detected in doing something? We have given ourself up for grabs. Falling in someone’s eyes, it seems has the same meaning in our eyes as falling absolutely.
So the final solution is this: No hiding is the key to no fear. After all when you don’t hide anything – absolutely anything from anyone – you have laid bare your resplendent soul for God to appreciate.
And therefore am I launching, operation transparency, meaning I will keep every act of mine transparent during this operation and after its completion. This transparency of course applies mostly to actions which I generally hide. It may also mean that I’ll use the same vocabulary irrespective of whether I’m talking to my friends or my family. This does not mean that if I get angry, I will go about announcing my anger to all and sundry. That will be nothing but lack of elementary self control.
I intend to launch this experiment from the 25th of July, 2007.
When no curtain hides thee from God’s glance, why draw curtains and hide from the world!
Courage
Courage is the act of proceeding despite fear. Fear is like a line of nettles we must cross before reaching the soothing and cooling waters of freedom. Facing your fears is one of the best decisions you can make in your life.
Sometimes, even when we have decided to face our fears, courage fails us. Fears come disguised as discomfort, unwillingness, carelessness etc. We think, I am like that – I don’t like doing this – these are all excuses. Having once decided to face one’s fears, we must look forward to facing all clumsy, uncomfortable, undesirable situations. I want to fail, I want to be uncomfortable, I want to face my fears, again and again and again – should be your war cry!
Sometimes we are so afraid that we choose the security of cowardice over the adventure of fear. But every moment we have a choice and courage is making the right choice despite our conditioning and false feelings of security. Beyond fear lies strength indomitable, so why not proceed. Don’t we miss 100 percent of the chances we don’t take? So why not treat every problem – mind you- each and every problem as a challenge and solve it? Why give in to our own thoughts? We are not our thoughts, are we?
Sometimes, even when we have decided to face our fears, courage fails us. Fears come disguised as discomfort, unwillingness, carelessness etc. We think, I am like that – I don’t like doing this – these are all excuses. Having once decided to face one’s fears, we must look forward to facing all clumsy, uncomfortable, undesirable situations. I want to fail, I want to be uncomfortable, I want to face my fears, again and again and again – should be your war cry!
Sometimes we are so afraid that we choose the security of cowardice over the adventure of fear. But every moment we have a choice and courage is making the right choice despite our conditioning and false feelings of security. Beyond fear lies strength indomitable, so why not proceed. Don’t we miss 100 percent of the chances we don’t take? So why not treat every problem – mind you- each and every problem as a challenge and solve it? Why give in to our own thoughts? We are not our thoughts, are we?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
ACTION
Action is the greatest motivator. Ideas are crap if you don’t act. List out your goals. Prioritize them, but its all a waste if no action ensues. Action stirs you on, relieves inertia and enthuses the spirit.
Lethargy and the fear of failure, inertia stop us. Lethargy is a useless thing. One jerk is enough to overcome it. So jerk yourself up and overcome lethargy. Inertia does not make sense. Why should you care two hoots about what is happening, if you believe in the beauty of your dreams? The law of inertia – if I am doing this – then I must keep doing this is baseless. Rational thinking and inertia don’t juxtapose on each other.
Fear of failure – shed it right here and right now. Fear of failure stems from the fact that we may be more worried and in a bigger dilemma than we are now if we take action. But failing a hundred times is better than not trying even if you are in a better position by not trying. It is the education of the spirit that matters. Fail, fail, fail – don’t believe in what they keep saying. Failure is the best indication of the fact that you are taking decisive action.
So, arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.
[ Swami Vivekananda]
Lethargy and the fear of failure, inertia stop us. Lethargy is a useless thing. One jerk is enough to overcome it. So jerk yourself up and overcome lethargy. Inertia does not make sense. Why should you care two hoots about what is happening, if you believe in the beauty of your dreams? The law of inertia – if I am doing this – then I must keep doing this is baseless. Rational thinking and inertia don’t juxtapose on each other.
Fear of failure – shed it right here and right now. Fear of failure stems from the fact that we may be more worried and in a bigger dilemma than we are now if we take action. But failing a hundred times is better than not trying even if you are in a better position by not trying. It is the education of the spirit that matters. Fail, fail, fail – don’t believe in what they keep saying. Failure is the best indication of the fact that you are taking decisive action.
So, arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.
[ Swami Vivekananda]
How to stay motivated throughout the day
Here are some tips:
For long lasting motivation and positivity:
-Listen to motivating, enthusing music everyday with full concentration.
-Listen to motivational tapes (audio) everyday for around 30 minutes every day. ( Zig Zagler, Brian Tracy etc.)
-Act. The very act of doing something with all your concentration is extremely positive.
-Get into flow frequently. Getting into flow means that you forget everything else but the task at hand. You and the creative/ designing/ brain storming /intellectual work you're doing become one and the same.
-Read enthusing books and articles whenever possible.
-Be disciplined and agile – and never lethargic. Lethargy breeds negativity.
-Talk positive all the time. “I want to”, “let me help you” “ no probs, we'll do it anyway”.
-Make sure you're never idle. Work is worship. Either you work or you think positive thoughts.
-Never procrastinate. Never ever. If you must, then decide right now exactly when you're going to do that job and tis is only if there is a rock solid reason for not doing it now. Procrastination is immensly negative.
-Stay away from negative people, negative influences. If you need to interact, make sure you overwhelm yourself with positivity while you talk to people who have been habituated to thinking negatively.
-Meditate – calmly sit and think about all the beautiful things you have. Think about how beautiful the world is and be calm.
-Help other people without expecting anything in return. This fills you with irresistable joy.
Relaxing tips
What can you do if you want to relax without using the logical part of your brain, surrendering to your emotions?
-Watch videos on your computer.
-Listen to songs as you lie on your bed.
-Listen to songs and parallelly play “Real Lives” trying to live a beautiful life.
-Dream about how you can achieve your dream goals or dream about your life when you have achieved a certain dream goal.
-Dream, just dream.
-Sleep.
-Read a relaxing novel/ self-help book.
-Surf the internet for interesting things to do.
-Build or invent something. Example, build a device which you can use to catch wasps in your room and release them outside.
-Call home, or call your friends.
-Watch videos on your computer.
-Listen to songs as you lie on your bed.
-Listen to songs and parallelly play “Real Lives” trying to live a beautiful life.
-Dream about how you can achieve your dream goals or dream about your life when you have achieved a certain dream goal.
-Dream, just dream.
-Sleep.
-Read a relaxing novel/ self-help book.
-Surf the internet for interesting things to do.
-Build or invent something. Example, build a device which you can use to catch wasps in your room and release them outside.
-Call home, or call your friends.
Thought and action
I am not really happy right now. I keep oscillating between stages of ecstasy and frustration 2 times in a fortnight and that is what I want to change.
So, what makes this happen. Suppose I am so involved in doing something that I forget myself completely. Then obviously I'll be happy, ecstatic as long as this happens. But as soon as I remember myself this doubt-saga starts again.
Doubt is the cause of all frustration. The question is how to stop self doubt? How to be really really confident of oneself? How to accept yourself as you are and yet keep growing?
Why does doubt arise? What is doubt?
All Self doubt is thinking – Am I perfect? If not, am I going on the exact track that leads to perfection? Am I acting perfectly. All others are watching me – can I act perfectly and come up to their expectations? Doubt is asking questions which are useless. Pondering on negative things produces doubt.
I don't know what your mindset was before class 12th, but in class 12th it became very negative. You have since tried well to remain overwhelmingly positive but that negative mindset has actually stuck with you. Remember class 11th when you only used to think of doing this and that – not am I pursuing the right approach? I have set some goals. Am I following them? Am I setting the right goals? Am I really growing or am I stagnant and worrying too much? - This is what makes up self-doubt.
Answering these questions is of course not the solution. The solution is changing the mindset. The mindset can be changed by thinking positively regularly. When you stop thinking positively, negative thoughts come up because of habit. I am telling you a startling fact. This negative thinking is a disease. You are infected and only overwhelming positivity medicine can cure it. Despite trying to be positive, the disease keeps coming back.
The solution: Flooding yourself with positive thoughts. All doubt arises from concentrating on negative things. Positive thinking can change your life. There should be only 2 things – positive thinking and working. Nothing else. Only positive thinking and work. If you have any doubts regarding this solution itself, here is the clarification! Life is too long isn't it? The greatest mistakes and failures are but stepping stones. So why not try it out? Every month sit down for 5 minutes and have a look at the effect it has had and decide upon any newer and more exciting things you may come across.
So what is positive thinking and doing? It means constantly flooding your mind with how exciting life is – constantly talking, thinking about positive changes and exciting changes – constantly reading, listening to positive things, constantly jumping and brimming with happiness – AND constantly being in flow and lost in achieving goals. I'll completely define the mindset for you.
A sample day:
You get up at 5 am with a deep breath, exercise and brush and while you are brushing you're thinking about studying – what to study today – heat transfer seems really exciting so you decide to study what to study while brushing.
You then excitedly start studying heat transfer and set a goal that you'll finish 20 problems by 7. At 7, you shut up heat transfer and go for a jog with dhakar. It would be better if you listen to audio tapes while jogging. Or maybe inspiring songs. Or maybe soulful conversations. The only fact is – don't trust your mind and let it run free. Then from habit it will start doubting and thinking negatively. Singing inspiring or devotional songs while running is another option. Another option is setting a goal to figure out why today's dawn is more beautiful than yesterday's morning while you run. Or you may simply give running your best and concentrate only on running – that is you may time yourself.
After jogging you immediately have a bath and get ready. Then you listen to some devotional music and some inspiring audio tapes or pod casts before having breakfast and going to class. In class you listen carefully and enthusiastically – you have set a goal of asking one question per class at least. In between classes you listen to audio tapes or talk of inspiring things to your mates or read something positive. If there is a break or when you break for lunch, you read the positive news from the newspaper. You have already made a note of where the most positive news items are listed and you read them Then you have lunch and while having lunch you listen to positive tapes or talk positively with friends – making it a point to appreciate and complement genuinely juniors, seniors, everyone. Suppose you have no class after lunch. You are completely involved in doing what you have set out to do and suddenly you even set dynamic goals like – I will develop an exciting C++ application today after reading and practicing what I intended to. In the meanwhile I listen to inspiring, enthusiasm generating music, read some positive material and am in flow doing what I have set out to for 4-5 hours. Then I have dinner, read a novel trying to find out something positive and exciting in every chapter – I have set a goal to do this. I watch an inspiring movie after watching which I revise the most positive aspects I witness in that movie – I have set a goal for this. Then as I read my way to sleep, I pray to god to keep my mind full of pure and motivating thoughts!
Remember
Carrying a positively motivating book or an i pod all the time so that you can listen or read whenever idle.
Whenever you talk – talk positively. Talk cannot be neutral. It has to be positive or negative. Appreciating, complimenting, what can we do – humorous talk is positive. Criticizing talk, if only talk, this has happened talk, why should this happen talk, Life is crap talk, is negative.
You must listen positively too. Stop talking to negative people. If you have to talk, seize control. Never give the rudder to a negative person. Take control of the situation. Talk him into talking positively. Choose positive topics like humor, compliments, life is good thoughts, etc. Never ever fall into a negative trap. Example if a friend is frustrated and depressed, don't come to his level. Make him rise to your level with positive thoughts.
When you do a job give your 200 percent. Be in flow. If you don't have privacy, go to a place where you won't be disturbed. When you work, there should be nothing but the work in your mind. Go to the insti roof. Don't compromise on quality by talking while you work because small compromises like this lead to negative thoughts.
If you find yourself to be part of a peer group that is goes on talking aimlessly, leave your group. Don't gossip because all gossip is negative.
When you are criticized as you will be criticized – throw all negative criticism into the Indian Ocean. Make note of and stay away from persons who criticize negatively always. Whenever you talk to such persons, never reason or comment. Send positive vibes.
There are so many gaps in your daily routine – that one chink is enough for negative infiltrators to have a party. Think of ways in which you can flood your day with positive influences. Keep setting new goals. Keep doing things you fear.
Despite all your attempts, remember never to consider yourself the ruler and conquerer of negative thoughts. This egoistic thought itself is a negative thought disguised as a positive influence. An year of positive blissful growth oriented living can be ground to dust by a week of negative thinking.
Despite all attempts to surround yourself with positive thoughts – doubts will creep in. Let us say you were really embarrassed. After this situation, your self esteem will naturally tend to decrease and negative thoughts will make a mammoth attempt to break in. If the situation was a very small incident, dismiss it as a bad dream and overwhelm yourself with positivity. The best thing to do would be to -> Look for the positive trait you exhibited in that situation.
-> Set positive goals to further improve that situation.
Do not think that positive thinking and positive doing means no failures ever. Not only will you have failures – you will have more failures than ever before. The more positive you are, the more you venture forth and the more number of times you fall. But for every one step you fall, you will climb a hundred more. The secret is not to stop climbing. That you have come down a step does not mean your climb has been a failure. It does not mean you are a failure. It does not mean there are no more steps left to climb. And it does not mean you should look down and let go of the ladder. It simply means nothing basically. At most it could mean that you need to have a stronger foothold. So do just that. Have a stronger foothold and climb right up.
The goal of positive thinking is to make you look up all the time. If you look down by chance, positive thinking should make you climb up again. That is why positive thinking is almost as important or even more important than the climb itself.
Rely more on motivation from tapes and books more than motivating yourself from within initially because you have been habituated to negative thinking.
When doubts creep up as they sometimes will, when you start thinking if you are actually doing what you intended to do – forget those doubts- shun them. And then continue your positive schedule as if they never came. Because they don't exist. They have been conjured up. Never ever act as your doubts want you to. Don't think what they want you to.
Act don't think. Whenever in doubt whether to act or not act, follow the golden rule – act anyway. If you don't you have behaved negatively. Negative thoughts have found an inlet into your heart – whether you believe it or not. Every negative action brings in negative thoughts and every positive action brings in positive thoughts. Positive action is ten times better than positive thought so you can well gauge the importance of positive action.
Remember that positive thoughts don't come from the blue – read positive books, listen to positive tapes, work hard, talk positively, think positively, listen to positive songs, watch positive movies, act positively.
When overwhelming positivity enters your life and when work follows thought as thunder follows lightening – life becomes a blissful, growing experience.
So, what makes this happen. Suppose I am so involved in doing something that I forget myself completely. Then obviously I'll be happy, ecstatic as long as this happens. But as soon as I remember myself this doubt-saga starts again.
Doubt is the cause of all frustration. The question is how to stop self doubt? How to be really really confident of oneself? How to accept yourself as you are and yet keep growing?
Why does doubt arise? What is doubt?
All Self doubt is thinking – Am I perfect? If not, am I going on the exact track that leads to perfection? Am I acting perfectly. All others are watching me – can I act perfectly and come up to their expectations? Doubt is asking questions which are useless. Pondering on negative things produces doubt.
I don't know what your mindset was before class 12th, but in class 12th it became very negative. You have since tried well to remain overwhelmingly positive but that negative mindset has actually stuck with you. Remember class 11th when you only used to think of doing this and that – not am I pursuing the right approach? I have set some goals. Am I following them? Am I setting the right goals? Am I really growing or am I stagnant and worrying too much? - This is what makes up self-doubt.
Answering these questions is of course not the solution. The solution is changing the mindset. The mindset can be changed by thinking positively regularly. When you stop thinking positively, negative thoughts come up because of habit. I am telling you a startling fact. This negative thinking is a disease. You are infected and only overwhelming positivity medicine can cure it. Despite trying to be positive, the disease keeps coming back.
The solution: Flooding yourself with positive thoughts. All doubt arises from concentrating on negative things. Positive thinking can change your life. There should be only 2 things – positive thinking and working. Nothing else. Only positive thinking and work. If you have any doubts regarding this solution itself, here is the clarification! Life is too long isn't it? The greatest mistakes and failures are but stepping stones. So why not try it out? Every month sit down for 5 minutes and have a look at the effect it has had and decide upon any newer and more exciting things you may come across.
So what is positive thinking and doing? It means constantly flooding your mind with how exciting life is – constantly talking, thinking about positive changes and exciting changes – constantly reading, listening to positive things, constantly jumping and brimming with happiness – AND constantly being in flow and lost in achieving goals. I'll completely define the mindset for you.
A sample day:
You get up at 5 am with a deep breath, exercise and brush and while you are brushing you're thinking about studying – what to study today – heat transfer seems really exciting so you decide to study what to study while brushing.
You then excitedly start studying heat transfer and set a goal that you'll finish 20 problems by 7. At 7, you shut up heat transfer and go for a jog with dhakar. It would be better if you listen to audio tapes while jogging. Or maybe inspiring songs. Or maybe soulful conversations. The only fact is – don't trust your mind and let it run free. Then from habit it will start doubting and thinking negatively. Singing inspiring or devotional songs while running is another option. Another option is setting a goal to figure out why today's dawn is more beautiful than yesterday's morning while you run. Or you may simply give running your best and concentrate only on running – that is you may time yourself.
After jogging you immediately have a bath and get ready. Then you listen to some devotional music and some inspiring audio tapes or pod casts before having breakfast and going to class. In class you listen carefully and enthusiastically – you have set a goal of asking one question per class at least. In between classes you listen to audio tapes or talk of inspiring things to your mates or read something positive. If there is a break or when you break for lunch, you read the positive news from the newspaper. You have already made a note of where the most positive news items are listed and you read them Then you have lunch and while having lunch you listen to positive tapes or talk positively with friends – making it a point to appreciate and complement genuinely juniors, seniors, everyone. Suppose you have no class after lunch. You are completely involved in doing what you have set out to do and suddenly you even set dynamic goals like – I will develop an exciting C++ application today after reading and practicing what I intended to. In the meanwhile I listen to inspiring, enthusiasm generating music, read some positive material and am in flow doing what I have set out to for 4-5 hours. Then I have dinner, read a novel trying to find out something positive and exciting in every chapter – I have set a goal to do this. I watch an inspiring movie after watching which I revise the most positive aspects I witness in that movie – I have set a goal for this. Then as I read my way to sleep, I pray to god to keep my mind full of pure and motivating thoughts!
Remember
Carrying a positively motivating book or an i pod all the time so that you can listen or read whenever idle.
Whenever you talk – talk positively. Talk cannot be neutral. It has to be positive or negative. Appreciating, complimenting, what can we do – humorous talk is positive. Criticizing talk, if only talk, this has happened talk, why should this happen talk, Life is crap talk, is negative.
You must listen positively too. Stop talking to negative people. If you have to talk, seize control. Never give the rudder to a negative person. Take control of the situation. Talk him into talking positively. Choose positive topics like humor, compliments, life is good thoughts, etc. Never ever fall into a negative trap. Example if a friend is frustrated and depressed, don't come to his level. Make him rise to your level with positive thoughts.
When you do a job give your 200 percent. Be in flow. If you don't have privacy, go to a place where you won't be disturbed. When you work, there should be nothing but the work in your mind. Go to the insti roof. Don't compromise on quality by talking while you work because small compromises like this lead to negative thoughts.
If you find yourself to be part of a peer group that is goes on talking aimlessly, leave your group. Don't gossip because all gossip is negative.
When you are criticized as you will be criticized – throw all negative criticism into the Indian Ocean. Make note of and stay away from persons who criticize negatively always. Whenever you talk to such persons, never reason or comment. Send positive vibes.
There are so many gaps in your daily routine – that one chink is enough for negative infiltrators to have a party. Think of ways in which you can flood your day with positive influences. Keep setting new goals. Keep doing things you fear.
Despite all your attempts, remember never to consider yourself the ruler and conquerer of negative thoughts. This egoistic thought itself is a negative thought disguised as a positive influence. An year of positive blissful growth oriented living can be ground to dust by a week of negative thinking.
Despite all attempts to surround yourself with positive thoughts – doubts will creep in. Let us say you were really embarrassed. After this situation, your self esteem will naturally tend to decrease and negative thoughts will make a mammoth attempt to break in. If the situation was a very small incident, dismiss it as a bad dream and overwhelm yourself with positivity. The best thing to do would be to -> Look for the positive trait you exhibited in that situation.
-> Set positive goals to further improve that situation.
Do not think that positive thinking and positive doing means no failures ever. Not only will you have failures – you will have more failures than ever before. The more positive you are, the more you venture forth and the more number of times you fall. But for every one step you fall, you will climb a hundred more. The secret is not to stop climbing. That you have come down a step does not mean your climb has been a failure. It does not mean you are a failure. It does not mean there are no more steps left to climb. And it does not mean you should look down and let go of the ladder. It simply means nothing basically. At most it could mean that you need to have a stronger foothold. So do just that. Have a stronger foothold and climb right up.
The goal of positive thinking is to make you look up all the time. If you look down by chance, positive thinking should make you climb up again. That is why positive thinking is almost as important or even more important than the climb itself.
Rely more on motivation from tapes and books more than motivating yourself from within initially because you have been habituated to negative thinking.
When doubts creep up as they sometimes will, when you start thinking if you are actually doing what you intended to do – forget those doubts- shun them. And then continue your positive schedule as if they never came. Because they don't exist. They have been conjured up. Never ever act as your doubts want you to. Don't think what they want you to.
Act don't think. Whenever in doubt whether to act or not act, follow the golden rule – act anyway. If you don't you have behaved negatively. Negative thoughts have found an inlet into your heart – whether you believe it or not. Every negative action brings in negative thoughts and every positive action brings in positive thoughts. Positive action is ten times better than positive thought so you can well gauge the importance of positive action.
Remember that positive thoughts don't come from the blue – read positive books, listen to positive tapes, work hard, talk positively, think positively, listen to positive songs, watch positive movies, act positively.
When overwhelming positivity enters your life and when work follows thought as thunder follows lightening – life becomes a blissful, growing experience.
Why on earth did he do that?
This is based on a true story:
He toiled by day, he toiled by night
He rowed and rowed with all his might,
And as he rowed, he dreamt in mirth,
To become the fastest rower on earth.
Can I do it? He often thought.
And then his mind was filled with gloom;
“Shut up!” He spurned this spurious thought,
And went back to work with his broom.
“You fool”, they said, “you simpleton!
The Olympic gold is not won,
By people like you and me”,
As he rowed past them with glee.
And when the trials drew so – so near,
His heart was numb and filled with fear.
He failed, he stumbled, he came last
Way behind the winner’s mast.
He tried again, again and again.
(They said that he tried in vain!)
Until one day, this man from nix,
He made it to the Olympics!
The race began, he rowed unafraid,
Body, heart, soul in unison swayed.
And as he led the scowling pack
He turned around and looked aback.
An opponent’s boat had turned about,
He could see faces popping out,
Of the water. As all other rowers over took,
He jumped into the slashing brook.
The waves hit him on the face,
He knew he had lost the race.
But heart and nerve and sinew he risked,
As a panting comrade he frisked.
When all was over, all was done,
When the Gold had gone to the chosen one,
A special award was announced,
And he the recipient pronounced.
For victory and loss are common things
But there are even greater kings.
By choosing not to row, but dive
He’d kept the spirit of the Olympics alive.
He toiled by day, he toiled by night
He rowed and rowed with all his might,
And as he rowed, he dreamt in mirth,
To become the fastest rower on earth.
Can I do it? He often thought.
And then his mind was filled with gloom;
“Shut up!” He spurned this spurious thought,
And went back to work with his broom.
“You fool”, they said, “you simpleton!
The Olympic gold is not won,
By people like you and me”,
As he rowed past them with glee.
And when the trials drew so – so near,
His heart was numb and filled with fear.
He failed, he stumbled, he came last
Way behind the winner’s mast.
He tried again, again and again.
(They said that he tried in vain!)
Until one day, this man from nix,
He made it to the Olympics!
The race began, he rowed unafraid,
Body, heart, soul in unison swayed.
And as he led the scowling pack
He turned around and looked aback.
An opponent’s boat had turned about,
He could see faces popping out,
Of the water. As all other rowers over took,
He jumped into the slashing brook.
The waves hit him on the face,
He knew he had lost the race.
But heart and nerve and sinew he risked,
As a panting comrade he frisked.
When all was over, all was done,
When the Gold had gone to the chosen one,
A special award was announced,
And he the recipient pronounced.
For victory and loss are common things
But there are even greater kings.
By choosing not to row, but dive
He’d kept the spirit of the Olympics alive.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Overwhelming Positivity
I discovered this concept a few days ago. I was like feeling depressed and not so happy for no reason at all and I thought: OK meghu, old boy these negative thoughts must be doing their job, lets beat them at their game!
And so I decided to be overwhelmingly positive. In 5 minutes flat I couldn't stop myself from laughing and grinning. Suddenly my spirits soared really high. I felt better tyhan I'd ever felt in a month. I was like soaring in the sky. So there I discovered that just blocking negative thoughts, concentrating on the positive things, thinking about what to do instead of what has hppened can channge your life.
Three cheers to overwhelming positivity.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Power of Thought
The power of the thoughts we think is beyond our imagination.
Stay alone for 10 days in a room from which you cannot escape and with no one to interact with. You will be a different person altogethor.
And contrary to what you may think, the change in the isolated person will vary from person to person from being outright depressed to being ecstatic!
The important thing is that it lies within our power to allow or disallow pleasant or unpleasant thoughts! People habituated to thinking of depressing things will have hundreds of unpleasant thoughts in a day.
One reason why the proverb “Work is worship” is really really true in our lives is that men forget everything but the job at hand during work, which means unpleasant thoughts will have no chance to enter.
Today I am feeling really happy – so happy that everything seems beautiful and mirthful. I can do anything – so high is my confidence. Some hours pass and suddenly, I am not feeling that great any more. I am feeling OK or I am feeling slightlly off target. Why? Has this not happened to so many of us so many times? This is because so many useless thoughts have somehow crept in and convinced us and changed our view of life.
We are what we think. If only positive thoughts come in, then our day will be really great.
Positive thoughts + action + positive thoughts + action = the way to go.
Thoughts + Thoughts + thoughts (Positive + Negative at random) + no action = depression and frustration.
Positive thoughts + positive thoughts + positive thoughts + no action = impossible, so many positive thoughts and no negative thoughts will have to lead to some action.
Action + action + action + no thoughts = Very less or no growth.
Stay alone for 10 days in a room from which you cannot escape and with no one to interact with. You will be a different person altogethor.
And contrary to what you may think, the change in the isolated person will vary from person to person from being outright depressed to being ecstatic!
The important thing is that it lies within our power to allow or disallow pleasant or unpleasant thoughts! People habituated to thinking of depressing things will have hundreds of unpleasant thoughts in a day.
One reason why the proverb “Work is worship” is really really true in our lives is that men forget everything but the job at hand during work, which means unpleasant thoughts will have no chance to enter.
Today I am feeling really happy – so happy that everything seems beautiful and mirthful. I can do anything – so high is my confidence. Some hours pass and suddenly, I am not feeling that great any more. I am feeling OK or I am feeling slightlly off target. Why? Has this not happened to so many of us so many times? This is because so many useless thoughts have somehow crept in and convinced us and changed our view of life.
We are what we think. If only positive thoughts come in, then our day will be really great.
Positive thoughts + action + positive thoughts + action = the way to go.
Thoughts + Thoughts + thoughts (Positive + Negative at random) + no action = depression and frustration.
Positive thoughts + positive thoughts + positive thoughts + no action = impossible, so many positive thoughts and no negative thoughts will have to lead to some action.
Action + action + action + no thoughts = Very less or no growth.
Monday, March 5, 2007
A Poem
The business of living
“The movie is so interesting”,
He thought, sitting in the theatre.
The corn, the ambience, the plot so arresting!
(And what about the caricature?)
He’d come with the account didn’t he?
Wads of notes, cheques, coins to chime,
Fortune to last an eternity:
The bank account of time.
Spend and watch, watch and spend,
As if they were synonyms!
The Business of watching a movie!
The Business of living a life!
With eyes on the screen,
And hands on the keys
Of his lap, he sat unseen.
A gander among geese.
Amidst this stifling heat-
No fluster, no frown.
He got up from his seat
He put the lap down.
The movie went on
As out he went(And out it went)
Into the rain- the spattering rain:
Out of the vent.(All that was pent)
The rainbow, the rain,
The stir of the way:
The radiance, the main,
The light of day.
He’d stopped watching the show,
He’d stopped working on the lap
There was nothing to tow
He’d opened the tap;
That he may drink.
The freedom in control
The freedom of being
And being in control
Not the freedom of the leaf
Blown by the wind;
The freedom of reality:
The freedom of the wind.
And then he knew he was
Not in the future,
Not in the present,
But in eternity.
Meghu
“The movie is so interesting”,
He thought, sitting in the theatre.
The corn, the ambience, the plot so arresting!
(And what about the caricature?)
He’d come with the account didn’t he?
Wads of notes, cheques, coins to chime,
Fortune to last an eternity:
The bank account of time.
Spend and watch, watch and spend,
As if they were synonyms!
The Business of watching a movie!
The Business of living a life!
With eyes on the screen,
And hands on the keys
Of his lap, he sat unseen.
A gander among geese.
Amidst this stifling heat-
No fluster, no frown.
He got up from his seat
He put the lap down.
The movie went on
As out he went(And out it went)
Into the rain- the spattering rain:
Out of the vent.(All that was pent)
The rainbow, the rain,
The stir of the way:
The radiance, the main,
The light of day.
He’d stopped watching the show,
He’d stopped working on the lap
There was nothing to tow
He’d opened the tap;
That he may drink.
The freedom in control
The freedom of being
And being in control
Not the freedom of the leaf
Blown by the wind;
The freedom of reality:
The freedom of the wind.
And then he knew he was
Not in the future,
Not in the present,
But in eternity.
Meghu
Current Strengths and Weaknesses according to www.authentichappiness.com
Brief Strengths Test
Here are your scores on the Brief Strengths Test.
ALWAYS
Integrity [authenticity, honesty]Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for one's feelings and actionsHonesty, authenticity, and genuineness
98th percentile [compared to all web users]
Fairness: Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chanceFairness, equity, and justice
91st percentile [compared to all web users]
Appreciation of beauty and excellence [awe, wonder, elevation]Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experienceAppreciation of beauty and excellence -
91st percentile [compared to all web users]
GratitudeBeing aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks
100th percentile [compared to all web users]
USUALLY
Creativity [originality, ingenuity]Thinking of novel and productive ways to do things; includes artistic achievement but is not limited to itCreativity, ingenuity, and originality 80%
80th percentile [compared to all web users]
Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience]Taking an interest in all of ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discoveringCuriosity and interest in the world
72nd percentile [compared to all web users]
Love of LearningMastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one's own or formally; obviously related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knowsLove of learning
67th percentile [compared to all web users]
Perspective [wisdom]Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to oneself and to other peoplePerspective (wisdom)
73rd percentile [compared to all web users]
Persistence [perseverance, industriousness]Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles; "getting it out out the door"; taking pleasure in completing tasksIndustry, diligence, and perseverance
81st percentile [compared to all web users]
Vitality [zest, enthusiasm, vigor, energy]Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activatedZest, enthusiasm, and energy
88th percentile [compared to all web users]
Kindness [generosity, nurturance, care, compassion, altruistic love, "niceness"]Doing favors and good deedsFOR others; helping them; taking care of them
80th percentile [compared to all web users]
Social Intelligence [emotional intelligence, personal intelligence]Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit in to different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick Social
82nd percentile [compared to all web users]
LeadershipEncouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happenLeadership
74th percentile [compared to all web users]
Forgiveness and mercyForgiving those who have done wrong; giving people a second chance; not being vengefulForgiveness and mercy
85th percentile [compared to all web users]
Hope [optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation]Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be brought aboutHope, optimism, and future-mindedness
88th percentile [compared to all web users]
Spirituality [religiousness, faith, purpose]Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfortSpirituality, sense of purpose, and faith
85th percentile [compared to all web users]
HALF THE TIME
Open-mindedness [judgment, critical thinking]Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; not jumping to conclusions; being able to change one's mind in light of evidence; weighing all evidence fairlyJudgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
25th percentile
Bravery [valor]Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what is right even if there is opposition; acting on convictions even if unpopular; includes physical bravery but is not limited to
48th percentile
Citizenship [social responsibility, loyalty, teamwork]Working well as member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one's shareCitizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
20th percentile
Humility/ModestyLetting one's accomplishments speak for themselves; not seeking the spotlight; not regarding one's self as more special than one isModesty and humility
35th percentile
PrudenceBeing careful about one's choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regrettedCaution, prudence, and discretion
41st percentile
Self-regulation [self-control]Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one's appetites and emotionsSelf-control and self-regulation
52nd percentile
Humor [playfulness]Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokesHumor and playfulness
35th percentile
NEVER/RARELY
LoveValuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to peopleCapacity to love and be loved
5th percentile
Here are your scores on the Brief Strengths Test.
ALWAYS
Integrity [authenticity, honesty]Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for one's feelings and actionsHonesty, authenticity, and genuineness
98th percentile [compared to all web users]
Fairness: Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chanceFairness, equity, and justice
91st percentile [compared to all web users]
Appreciation of beauty and excellence [awe, wonder, elevation]Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experienceAppreciation of beauty and excellence -
91st percentile [compared to all web users]
GratitudeBeing aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks
100th percentile [compared to all web users]
USUALLY
Creativity [originality, ingenuity]Thinking of novel and productive ways to do things; includes artistic achievement but is not limited to itCreativity, ingenuity, and originality 80%
80th percentile [compared to all web users]
Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience]Taking an interest in all of ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discoveringCuriosity and interest in the world
72nd percentile [compared to all web users]
Love of LearningMastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one's own or formally; obviously related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knowsLove of learning
67th percentile [compared to all web users]
Perspective [wisdom]Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to oneself and to other peoplePerspective (wisdom)
73rd percentile [compared to all web users]
Persistence [perseverance, industriousness]Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles; "getting it out out the door"; taking pleasure in completing tasksIndustry, diligence, and perseverance
81st percentile [compared to all web users]
Vitality [zest, enthusiasm, vigor, energy]Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activatedZest, enthusiasm, and energy
88th percentile [compared to all web users]
Kindness [generosity, nurturance, care, compassion, altruistic love, "niceness"]Doing favors and good deedsFOR others; helping them; taking care of them
80th percentile [compared to all web users]
Social Intelligence [emotional intelligence, personal intelligence]Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit in to different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick Social
82nd percentile [compared to all web users]
LeadershipEncouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happenLeadership
74th percentile [compared to all web users]
Forgiveness and mercyForgiving those who have done wrong; giving people a second chance; not being vengefulForgiveness and mercy
85th percentile [compared to all web users]
Hope [optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation]Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be brought aboutHope, optimism, and future-mindedness
88th percentile [compared to all web users]
Spirituality [religiousness, faith, purpose]Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfortSpirituality, sense of purpose, and faith
85th percentile [compared to all web users]
HALF THE TIME
Open-mindedness [judgment, critical thinking]Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; not jumping to conclusions; being able to change one's mind in light of evidence; weighing all evidence fairlyJudgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
25th percentile
Bravery [valor]Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what is right even if there is opposition; acting on convictions even if unpopular; includes physical bravery but is not limited to
48th percentile
Citizenship [social responsibility, loyalty, teamwork]Working well as member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one's shareCitizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
20th percentile
Humility/ModestyLetting one's accomplishments speak for themselves; not seeking the spotlight; not regarding one's self as more special than one isModesty and humility
35th percentile
PrudenceBeing careful about one's choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regrettedCaution, prudence, and discretion
41st percentile
Self-regulation [self-control]Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one's appetites and emotionsSelf-control and self-regulation
52nd percentile
Humor [playfulness]Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokesHumor and playfulness
35th percentile
NEVER/RARELY
LoveValuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to peopleCapacity to love and be loved
5th percentile
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