Why are Goals Important?

On the best sunny day, the most powerful magnifying glass will not light paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up. That is the power of concentration.

A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked, "Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I don't know." The elderly person said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make?"

How true. When we don't know where we are going, any road will take us there.

Suppose you have all the football eleven players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived?

Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction. Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals?

Source : Email of FOLK-
Friends of Lord Krishna (FOLK)
Hare Krishna Movement, Chennai

Urs,
Vish

The Employment?

Just reflect on this video and a long deep sigh follows....

Urs,
Vish

Project 5: "Fake it until you make it"

Surprised to see that the Bangalore TM club has taken effort to upload my speech. Thank you.

This is my project 5 and objectives are to improve body language and stage presence. Here I talk about my childhood fear of dog. This fear is well know to all Bangaloreans for the fact that we face this menace at every nook and corner of the city.

Hope the speech drives you with a clear take away message.
You may provide your comments and suggestions.




Urs
Vish

17 Wealth Secrets on Developing A Millionaire Mind

17 Wealth Secrets On Developing A Millionaire Mind by T.Harv Eker

Today is a Fine Day! :)

Husband to wife: Today is a fine day.

Next day he says: Today is a fine day.

Again next day, he says same thing: Today is a fine day.

Finally after a week, the wife can't take it and asks her husband: Since one week, you are saying this 'Today is a fine day'. I am fed up. What's the matter?

Husband: Last week when we had an argument, you said, 'I will leave you one fine day.' 

I was just trying to remind you. :) :D 

Source: http://www.santabanta.com/

Urs,
Vish

My Humorous Speech- Area D3 Contest

Here is my novice attempt to make audience laugh in my club- Express2Lead, Bangalore at Area D3 Level Toastmaster contest, which was held on 27th September 2013. Humor or Comedy has always been a difficult and daunting task for me. Sometimes I end up laughing at my own jokes lest no one laughs. I could get 3+ laughs from audience during the talk and I consider that as a success from the beginner's perspective. :)

Some of my B.Tech friends should be able to co-relate the talk with an incident in my college. :P
Hope you like and enjoy the video.
Please provide your comments and feedback.

PS: Toastmasters watching this video, please provide your suggestions to improve my Humorous skills.



Urs,
Vish

My Journey of Toastmasters

Year 2011 and place Hyderabad

Big surprises come in small packets and it was an invite to a non-work related meeting. This meeting had a different aura as all our HR's were actively promoting it and I wondered what is so special? With nudging from our manager, I accepted the invite and skeptically sat in the conference room.

The meeting started with a high pitched eccentric person shouting “Good Morning” multiple times. This person was so persistent to get a Good morning that I wondered if I was listening to a desperate School principal asking for Good Morning. I later learnt that he is called “Sargent-At-Arms”J. The meeting continued with MC and other role players.

All this seemed well rehearsed and did not impress me much until one session of the meeting. Yes, it was a Table Topic session and I was called as a speaker. I managed to mumble and fumble for 1 min and stood silent for the next. 

During then I realized how difficult it is to speak just for two minutes in front of an audience. This part of the session showed me the scope for impromptu speaking and convinced me to associate with Toastmasters. I visited nearby club for next 4 weeks, but could not join as I was contemplating to relocate to Bangalore.

I joined Express2Lead TM Club in April 2012 and continued to be an active member till date. Currently I am Vice-President- Education of out club helping members reach their goals. I am amazed by my increased ability in public speaking and looking forward to learn at every meeting and from every member.

Dear Toastmasters, remember: Big surprises come in small unwelcome packets. Look out for them and seize! J

Urs,
Vish

Caught in waves of Time

Wonderful poem! and kudos to the writer.
Hopefully I start writing such wonderful poems one day. :)

___________________________________________________
Looking into the sea I stood gaping,
Trying to understand why the waves are moving,
Caught in waves of time they complained of worry,
Sometimes to a greener grassland they would aspire to ferry.
Singing a song that only I knew of,
I wondered if the haste is worth the fight,
Why should I worry if I am always right?
Destination is a mystery -some call it destiny -
Lest we fool ourselves with the chaotic theory.
People here can't stay idle,
Even the fuel prices rise cant quite bridle.
Mobility is the order of the race,
Bonus points if you leave a path to trace.
"But what's with the points?" if you care to ask,
You will know -On earth there's no real task.

___________________________________________________

Poem Written by Divya, a enthusiastic Toastmaster from Chennai Communicators Club
(Extracted from CCC Newsletter)

Urs,
Vish

What's the point of Worrying?

Today I took a day off and was trying to figure out some confusion regarding my career and sort out things in life and give them a perspective.

Most of the days, I enjoy the thrill of uncertainty, the anticipation of what is next and the suspense of unread chapters in my life. But I have to confess that I worry sometime, especially when I am indecisive and not in full control.
I worry about my job, I worry about my next deliverable, I worry about my future. I worry even though I knew that nothing I could change with my worry.

All the thoughts clouded my clarity and the road seems broken ahead. This link came as if god-send at the right time. I am not a fan of Art of living, but a student of wisdom. These words from guruji are words of perpetual wisdom and knowledge. I learnt and strongly agree with his perspective that - What is the point of Worrying?"

The curtain is any way going to fall, Enjoy the show and give your best while on the stage.
Remember, the curtain is going to fall soon, what's the point of worrying?

Urs,
Vish

Jawaniya Ye Mast Mast Bin Piye ....

My current state of mind @27 is completely described in this song.
A 1957 gem from a ShammiKapoor's movie- Tumsa Nahin Dekha

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Javaaniyaa Ye Mast Mast Bin Piye
Jalaatii Chal Rahii Hai Raah Mein Diye
Na Jaane Inamen Kisake Vaaste Huun Main
Na Jaane Inamen Kaun Hain Mere Liye
Mere Liye Mere Liye - 2

Sabhii Hansiin Sabhii Javaan
Kahaa Pe Dil Ko Haariye
Sabhii Hain Dil Ke Mehamaan
Kise Kise Pukaariye
Javaaniyaa Ye Mast Mast ...

Diwaane Ham The Chaah Ke
To Beqaraar Ho Liye
Ke Duur Kii Nigaah Ke
Gunahagaar Ho Liye
Javaaniyaa Ye Mast Mast ...


Youtube Video:

Urs,
Vish

The Man Who Thinks He Can !

Nice poem I came across the Internet.....

____________________________________
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind!

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the strongest or fastest man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!

- Walter D. Wintle
____________________________________

Don't let others tell you otherwise!

Urs,
Vish

Miscelleneous Gems!!

Nothing comes from the magnetizer; everything comes from the subject, and takes place in his imagination. - Abbe Faria

"The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. No big laboratory is needed in which to think. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating on us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone - that is the secret of invention; be alone - that is when inventions are born."

                                                              - Nikola Tesla

‘Realize what you want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.’

~ William Moulton Marsden

The Paradox of Clarity

The Paradox of Clarity

Phase 1: When we really have clarity of purpose, it leads to success.
Phase 2: When we have success, it leads to more options and opportunities.
Phase 3: When we have increased options and opportunities, it leads to diffused efforts.
Phase 4: Diffused efforts undermine the very clarity that led to our success in the first place.

If not overstated:  success is a catalyst for failure.
The above is an interesting read from HBR review.

I was reflecting on childhood days and student life with one of my friends. We were discussing that as a student we had more time to focus on what is essential and thus were very successful in what ever pursuits we had. As we grew older and after some amount of success we are finding difficult to get time to focus on what really matters. 
The suggestions to avoid falling prey to above paradox:

• First, use more extreme criteria - Do I really love this? Am I passionate about this?
• Ask “What is essential?” and eliminate the rest: Ruthlessly remove time fillers and focus on the primary passionate motive that one has
• Beware of the endowment effect: Refers to our tendency to value an item more once we own it.

The phrase "Declutter Life" was occupying my office board for sometime now but the importance of that phrase becomes obvious with the above paradox.

Urs,
Vish

Further references: "How the Mighty Fall", Jim Collins
 

Tony Robbins

• “By changing nothing, nothing changes.”