5 Qualities of a Learner

Learning is a life -long pursuit. Everyone who has achieved greatness in life claims that they never cease to learn. In the words of Stephen Covey – “We need to sharpen the saw.”

A good learner drops the ego and continuously unlearns. Because if you don’t break the old patterns, there is no room for new. 

In Sanskrit there is a Shloka that explicitly states the five qualities of a learner. This is ancient transcendental wisdom that has stood the test of time. 

काक चेष्टा, बको ध्यानं, स्वान निद्रा तथैव च ।

अल्पहारी, गृहत्यागी, विद्यार्थी पंच लक्षणं ॥

These 5 qualities apply to a learner at any stage in life. Be it a student, a businessman, a homemaker, a freelancer, an artist, or a sweeper… anyone and everyone who has an innate desire to learn more needs to follow the above. Let us understand each of the above – 

काक चेष्टा means to be curious like a crow. Crows are one of the most intelligent species of birds. They are observant and constantly looking for cues. They have strong problem-solving skills and a sharp memory. 

बको ध्यानं means to be sharp-focused like a heron. These birds are masters in picking their prey in flowing water. They know when to bend and pick and constantly watch the surroundings. 

स्वान निद्रा means nap like a dog. A trait of every dog is that it is alert even in sleep. A learner should always be alert to gain more knowledge. 

अल्पहारी means watch what you feed your mind and body. Read, watch, and listen well and eat healthily. One should never forget that your body is your medium to act.

गृहत्यागी means step out of your comfort zone. Embrace change to learn the unknown. Your comfort zone includes people, places, and habits. 

My grandfather explained to me the real meaning of a student. I go back to it every time I falter or fail. He was a self-made man who worked three shifts to settle in the city of dreams – Mumbai. With minimal education from Jasrapur, Rajasthan, he self-learned and established himself. 

This post is a tribute to him and his teachings. 

I hope you found it helpful. For more content on self-growth and well-being, follow me and keep reading here. 

Viral Mindlessness

Fake reviews

Fake fan base

Fake influence

The game of likes and love, support and object has gone too far. We often find a genuine post on a positive change getting lost in the frenzied world of social media, while a random post highlighting a vague outfit worn by some crazy woman goes viral within hours of release. 

The result is mass- misguiding. People only go by the number of likes, without giving a thought to the value in a post. The next step is where they engage in making posts or recording reels of similar nature in the hope of social media stardom.

Here are a couple of examples – 

When a marketing statement made by a sales girl in her local accent – ‘So beautiful, so elegant, just looking like a wow!’ becomes the talk of the town in public events, social gatherings, and even in formal meets to gather attention.

‘Moye Moye’ for a person who has no words to explain his stupid situation. 

The airport- look highlights comfort with style, pushing many to buy a new outfit for the ideal flight experience. 

The real success of Jamal Kudu – a song from the Bollywood film Animal should be accredited to millions of people performing the hook step and posting videos of the same on social media.

If we look back at each of these viral trends, do they hold any real meaning beyond projecting a vague sense of upbeatness?

And the best part about this cycle is that a small realized group of people, who know this game is flawed, are considered as unaware fools. They are regarded as old school and conservative with zero taste for what is trending.

How do we make it real?

How do we break free from the false influences?

The starting step is to stop showing interest in such posts and to avoid repeating the trend. Soon, you make AI work in your favor, and your social media handles start showing less of these futile trends.

Remember that the information available within the AI gamut is vast, and the intelligence lies in tapping into what holds meaning for you. 

Starting Over…

Starting over…

A thought- provoking 10-point self Q&A on Starting Over in Life.

1. In which activities do I usually start over and over again?

Areas of self -growth like reading, exercise, regulated social media usage, learning and updating.

2. Why does starting over feel irritating?

Because it brings me face to face with my habit of procrastinating, my failures and my poor confidence in self-abilities.

3. Why do I hesitate in starting over?

Because I fear, I may discontinue yet again.

4. Why the delay in starting over?

Because it requires high degree of self- motivation.

5. What do others feel about the process?

No one has time to evaluate except those very close to me.

6. How I deal with my loved ones?

I know that the ones who love me will only respect me more every time I restart.

7. How I deal with the haters?

Think less about them and more about my growth.

8. Why starting over is a good option?

I feel better from the moment I start over.

Not starting is even more suffocating. It feels similar to how a bird feels when it is unable to take off.

9. What is the ideal way to start over?

I don’t rush. I set small targets and make sure I achieve them. I continue and scale up gradually.

10. Why is starting over worth the effort?

Because I understand it is the only way to realize my dreams.

Hope you found 👆 insightful.

Follow me for more positive content that encourages and empowers.

Less is More

Less is more! But staying easy, not busy is hard to accomplish and also looked down upon in the society

How can you appreciate the less ?

Here is a simple way.

Prioritize and keep an easy to-do.

Ideally set 3 top priorities.

These activities should be important, time-consuming and should ideally be based on both personal 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 and professional objectives.

The secret is that once you set the top 3 tasks, you feel easy in your mind because the count is limited. Also rest of the tasks that you take up feel like a bonus and you are glad that you achieved more.

As against that if you have an elaborate to-do 📝 where you assign equal importance to every task, even after ticking off more than 50%, you still feel you have a long way to go.

Keep it short and well-defined. And remember the count is 3.

Trust me, it works!

Be bold and confident, about how you find more in less.

Do not let others define your ideal!

Hope you found this idea 💡 useful?

The Beauty of ‘The Incomplete’

We give such high importance to COMPLETION

Completion of a task, a project, a process, a relation

Why the thrust on completion?

Don’t you agree

A poem reads well even if the last verse is still in the poet’s mind

Only the chef knows that the mustard in the recipe is missing

A designer sulks about a small motif that looks out of place

A painter knows that the orange should have been darker

The runner knows that he finished 30 seconds later than yesterday

The entrepreneur knows that his actual profit target was 20% higher

Only the homemaker knows that there are some clothes that are soiled and creased

Let us delve a little deeper

Incomplete love is more intense than a perfect love story

The half-moon looks as calm as the full moon

A bud is as delicately beautiful as a fully bloomed-flower

The Sun spreads light even when hidden behind the clouds

A rainbow looks as pretty in a little glimpse as in seeing it end to end

The truth is that the incomplete in our life is complete for the world outside. If we sum up all that is incomplete, we will understand how good life has been to us.

Does that mean that we should leave things halfway?

NO

It simply means that we should learn to celebrate the incomplete as much as we rejoice for the COMPLETE in our lives because life happens in the journey, not at the destination.

5 Simple Steps to Tame the Anxious Mind

I had a long day ahead. The to-do list looked longer than the day. What did the list include? Work, family, health and passion. Some of the items in the list were for the world and a little some that mattered to me.

It felt strangely overwhelming despite knowing that I have the entire day at my disposal.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Read on to know how I tamed my anxious mind –

Step 1 – I took a few deep breathes and decided to bring my concentration back to the moment. Once, I was present in the NOW I felt motivated to start.

Step 2 – I shortlisted 3 tasks that would make me feel accomplished at the end of the day. The rest of the activities were important but I had to prioritize.

Step 3 – I started with one major task in the morning itself. Do the difficult one first and you breathe easy all day long.

Step 4 – I asked for support wherever possible. My statements were clear and precise with no ambiguity in the form of help that I needed.

Step 5 – I took breaks in between two tasks where I engaged in real conversations with people, reading and meditating.

Ta-da! I could attend to two of my major tasks, well before noon and the entire list looked easily doable in the remaining time.

Do you know what I did?

I expanded my concept of time. Rather than considering time as the limiting factor, I chose to make it my strength. Always think in abundance and keep telling yourself – ‘I have enough time and energy.’

9 Powerful Tips to Help You Develop the Courage to Pursue

He was born in an educated and cultured family. After completing his education in Delhi, he moved eastwards to Kolkata for his first job at Shaw Wallace and later at a shipping firm Bird and Co. But, at the age of 26, he decided to stop earning for livelihood and took a courageous decision of pursuing his dream – ‘He wanted to act on the big screen!!’

While Bollywood is known to run by nepotism, this superstar made his struggle count and today the world looks up to him. He is none other than the respected Mr. Amitabh Bachchan!

What we see today is the glitz and glamour but, the real star emerged after 12 flops over a span of 5 years. Now, this is what we call COURAGE.

How can you develop the courage to pursue your dreams?

– Continuous improvement in knowledge and skills in your field, makes you more confident.

– Share your goals with people, who encourage you. Avoid people who are critical of new ideas.

– Keep patience till the right opportunity comes.

– Take some time to internalize failures and get back to work. Don’t let it stop you.

– Do not succumb to peer pressure. Remember, you are doing it for reaching your optimum.

– Make sure that you earn enough to support day to day expenses and also keep saving some money. This is so that, you don’t have to give up your dream abruptly due to financial crisis.

– Try to fund your own interests. This gives you mental and emotional freedom.

– Work distraction-free. Time is the most precious when trying to imagine/build/create.

– Be genuine and don’t try to create a false image.

On the arduous journey of making your dreams come true, you will come across two big hurdles. First, a question – “What will people think and say?” Facing this question requires maximum courage. Second, self-doubt which requires trusting your capabilities.

Once you have overcome these, the world is yours.

In the words of Mr. Bachchan – “You can’t skip struggle. Better, accept it.”

The Samsung Brand Story

In January 2024, Samsung was in headlines, when it launched its premium S24 model at its biannual event, Galaxy Unpacked. Intrigued by questions like how this great brand was built? Who was the visionary behind it? I thought of reading up on the Samsung brand story.

Did you know that this premium electronic brand, once sold groceries, fish and noodles? Yes, that was the beginning of the current conglomerate.

Setup by Lee Byung-Chul in 1938, the name Samsung is derived from Korean Hancha which means ‘Three Stars’. The founder explained that the name refers to something big, powerful and numerous that remains everlasting and eternal.

From textiles to banks to insurance, fertilizers, cement and others, Samsung started acquiring diverse businesses. For me Samsung was synonymous with electronic gadgets but I was surprised to know that Samsung entered this industry only in 1969, almost three decades after its start.

After the death of its founder, all the units were separated and that’s when Samsung started to focus on the electronics division.

The first Samsung smartphone was released in June 2009 and within 3 years of its introduction, Samsung Electronics became the largest producer of smartphones in the world

Today The Samsung Group contributes more than 15% of South Korea’s GDP and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is one of the most valued brands worldwide.

Every big brand has a unique story, that inspires commoners like us to follow our dreams.

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3 Easy Ways To Adopt A Sustainable Lifestyle

Are we seeing a change in the culture of India? Zero waste weddings, dedicated cycle tracks, no vehicle zones, celebrities supporting mindful fashion? Sustainable living is the latest trend and I am glad that the society is fast catching up.

Living sustainably is a choice. The transformation from consumerism to sustainability is gradual and beautiful. Why beautiful?

Because it places power in your hands. The power to find more in less. Following are some simple ways by which common people can easily adopt a sustainable lifestyle –

Repeat

Alia Bhatt repeated her wedding outfit and the impact on commoners was phenomenal. When celebrities promote an idea, the message hits different. If we do a similar act, the influence will be on a smaller group but will definitely lead to a stir. The real difference is, in how comfortably and confidently you repeat.

Repair

The Japanese follow Kintsugi, a practice where they mend the broken ceramics by fixing the cracks with gold. In Indian culture also, the idea of repair and reuse is not new. In the last few years, with fast fashion and social media intimidation, the privileged section may have lost the patience to mend, but a larger group still believes in maintaining the old. Not disposing things for the smallest of the reasons is the easiest way to begin living sustainably.

Value experiences

If you analyze closely, most of your shopping is driven by impulse. Good offers, social media trends, the displays and pop ups. The root of sustainable living lies in finding joy in experiences and not possessions. Be it a celebration or an achievement, keep your focus more on living the moment rather than on decking up for the event.

Sustainable living is a habit that can be consciously developed. An important thing to keep in mind is to internalize the habit by not being boastful about it. It is a modern, subtle choice that one makes for self. If others find it inspiring its good else one can continue for self-sake.

Trust me, living sustainably gives you a super feeling because the lack disappears and all that remains is just ENOUGH.

5 Ways to Build a Happy Team

An organization that is successful in creating an enthusiastic team is poised for organic growth. We were exposed to the idea of team work in our early schooling years, when we were given group projects. Professional education also lays emphasis on working in teams.

What makes a team work? What binds them in an unmatchable spirit to do the best? What leads them to believing that their team work will ultimately culminate into organization growth? Here are a few points that can be of help in developing a healthy team culture –

Define clear work flow

The timeline has to be specific and there should be absolute clarity in roles. Research, designing, content, presentation, proposition and other elements should be clearly allotted with a deadline. While doing this all the team members should be involved so that the outline receives better acceptance. This also improves the proactiveness of the individual members.

Avoid small talk

Stereotyping and gossiping are detrimental to the health of the team. You may think that the person does not know, but the vibe catches faster than words. Do not speak that, which you cannot say in the face. Choose your words wisely and do not let negative communication spread.

Trust the process

Don’t be too quick to opinionate on the others methods. Every person works the best, in their own form. You try to be interfering and you harm the spirit. Be concerned only with the outcome and as far as the process goes, just trust and accept.

Continuous re-evaluation

As a team you have designed a strategy and you all are working by it. Now, you notice some flaws. In such a scenario please re-evaluate the plan of action. Shying away from it will only complicate and lead to an indefinite blame game within the team.

Take time out to enjoy

This is personal choice but you definitely bond better over coffee or a drink. However, the moment also becomes perfect for useless banter so, make sure you keep the exchange positive. Explore the non-work side of each other during such times.

Yes, you feel you work best when alone but, the world does not work this way. Make an effort not to be the best in the team but to be a happy team player.

#teamwork #teamplayer #teamspirit