At your service

I watched my best friend with her child yesterday. I watched as the little one cried, complained, laughed and ran around in circles. I watched thinking to myself, gosh how lucky am I that I don't have children and have to deal with this.  In my head, Being a mum seemed like a 24 x 7 thankless job, where all you did was serve your child endlessly, with no time for yourself or anything else.  It seemed like being a glorified butler - sans the uniform.

I have mothers who come to my yoga class and there too, all I hear is them talking about what their kids need, or will need. I often wondered why, why would an accomplished woman give everything up to become a mum? It logically made no sense!

As I sat contemplating this over my evening cup of Coffee, I remembered reading somewhere that the true expression of love is service of the beloved. I remembered watching people like Mother Teresa be glorified for her service to humanity, Narendra Modi to his nation and Mary Kom to her sport. I am sure to they too, at many many many points in their life would have felt like it was a thankless job - but in their ability to shut the individual ego up in the service of something higher - they inspired the rest of us to be better versions of ourselves.

unbeknownst to us, our mothers are just the same. They sacrifice their individual selves at the alter or love - us. They serve tirelessly never once complaining. When I think back to my own parents, I often ask - did I deserve the amount of love and support I got from them ? The answer is no? I was strong willed, followed my heart and did whatever I want? I was selfish and argumentative as a young adult. But did that ever stop my mom from loving me and guiding me towards being a better version of myself - the answer is no.

She embodied the very spiritual value that I was seeking to develop - the dissolution of the individual ego. I just never saw it. It was the same with my best friend.

So here is to serving, even when it is hard. Here is to serving the roses that will come with thorns and the thorns that will come with roses.

The power of Vulnerability

A week back I cut my hair, really short and as always I was angered, irritated, amazed and sometimes even traumatised by the reactions I received.

The plethora of reactions ranged from people comparing me to an anglo indian (in a not so flattering way), to saying "who will marry your face now" to "how did your parents let you do this to yourself"  to "you look beautiful".

Whilst I kept my mouth shut to every reaction that I received, I couldn't help but reflect....

- When did we become such a shallow society that measures a persons beauty by the length of their hair vs the depth of their soul? 

- Why do we promote self expression and yet belittle anyone that steps outside the lines of "comfort"? 

- Why are our tongues so sharp and our hearts so cold? 

And as I reflected on all of this I chanced upon this little gem


I teared up and when I realised that at the end most people admired the girl's courage to put herself out there, regardless of the consequence - in this situation shaving her hair off.  It reminded me to this incredible quote by Brene Brown "Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

Now, I am not glorifying my tiny act of cutting hair to something that required a lot of courage, but I ask that the next time we see someone that is doing something outside the norm - i.e. pursuing a career in football vs a secure 9 to 5 job,  spending their money on travel vs assets, choosing spirituality over the nightclub - don't be quick to judge :)

Pause and admire the courage the person had to pursue what they wanted regardless of society telling them otherwise

The story no one tells you

You know what people tell you about success? That it just takes pushing yourself that little extra and you'll get there. And, whilst they might be right in some senses, I think all books and articles on success/growth forget to mention A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER THINGS. 

So let me introduce you to somethings, that I have learned over the past couple of months:

1) You need to be at it - every day; every 
minute; every second - Thats right, routine is important. You need to program it into every single day of your life. If you want to achieve greatness at a particular thing - you need to eat, sleep breathe it. You need to constantly update and more importantly WANT TO update. Your desire to improve needs to over-ride every other desire of too hot, too tired, not feeling up for it, I need a break etc. Its the only way. The mind always seeks to want to stay in 'comfortable' and greatness unfortunately is just outside that circle.

2) Strive for Progress not perfection - The internet/ facebook/ instagram is filled with a gazillion photos/articles of what perfection looks like. For me as a yogi, it is Kino McGregor and her ability to do handstands like it is no big deal, for you it could be Masaba Gupta churning out design after design, Jason De Silva creating this mind blowing videos, it could be anything. But remember this,  if you aim for perfection it will be a  fast and very painful decent into misery-land. Instead aim to progress. Aim to be better than who you were yesterday. 

3) Forget the fear of being wrong - Many times you will be forced to make decisions  and sometimes you may never know - if that is the right decision to make, at this particular point of time, under these particular set of circumstances. But you know what,  you need to give yourself the permission to be a beginner. The only way you will know is by trying. Dont let inaction take control of your mind and body until the opportunity passes.  And last but not the least don't be a shadow boxer- someone who lives in a land where they are caught between the dream of action and the fear of failure. 

Lessons from starting an off-beat business

For those of you who don't know, I quit my job a few months back to teach yoga full-time. I am now a proud, and at times slightly apprehensive owner of the Chennai Yoga Studio. The journey has been one filled with equal parts self-doubt, doggedness and adventure.

Its been 3 months since I opened my doors, my heart and myself to my students and here are 3 important lessons I have learned along the way:

1) The honeymoon period fades but true love lasts : In my first month I had 15 students sign up

(with 0 money spent on advertising) and made twice the money I made at my day job. I was amazed and grateful that things took off so smoothly. Then came month 2 - were the number initially remained static and then declined by 10%. I began to fear I was a 'one-hit-wonder' and was extremely self critical of my work. I realised that the income from such a venture, was not predictable and secure. I doubted the decision and had half the mind to quit and go back to an easy but secure day job. BUT, the love of yoga and teaching overtook and I persevered ( it wasn't easy, still isn't, but I somehow managed).

2) The seduction of money : For the first time in a very long time, I felt at ease/content with my work. A student of mine sent me a text saying "Hey, just wanted to let you know that I am loving the class and I have so much positive energy after I come home" and it helped reinforce everything I was feeling. Then, as fate would have it, I met a long lost friend and learned that she was drawing a yearly income of 36 Lakhs, and here I was making less than half of that. The competitive streak in me questioned "After all that studying and work ex, this is all you make? Miserable. You need to focus on making more" and then I read

"There’s something inside you that knows when you’re in the center, that knows when you’re on the beam or off the beam. And if you get off the beam to earn money, you’ve lost your life. And if you stay in the center and don’t get any money, you still have your bliss."

3) Finding balance : Call me dreamer if you may, but I truly believe in waking up every day and feeling excited about work. I FINALLY feel that with yoga. I feel like I am doing my own little bit, and helping the world to be a slightly better place. And whilst doubt has often crept into my mind about financial security, social status and everything else, I have found balance.

A balance that is a delicate dance between love and still being a good business woman, a balance where greed does not kill love or, love does not shame profit-making.

Its been a crazy journey, but its been worth it in the end

PK: To ban or not to ban!

Dear Amir Khan and Team,

As a closet writer, I for one enjoyed the script behind PK. It was strong, polished and seemed to tackle a lot of 'touchy' subjects with wit and panache - something I greatly admire. The cinematography (you did the best you could with Anushka's Daffy duck face), the costumes and sound track were all beautiful and at the end of the 153 minutes that was your film - I thought it was money well spent. 

But, my mother and a fair few other people around me felt you had touched upon a very sensitive subject in a crass/cliched manner. On the ride back home, there was a healthy discussion/debate on why your movie should or shouldn't be banned and after much talking (to people of varied opinions) I   seemed to agree with my mom (no, this wasn't just because she was my mom). 

Ah, now before you label me to be as a blood-thirsty fanatic, let me introduce myself. I am 26 year old girl who has had the opportunity to grow up in India, Malaysia and Australia - my view of the world is multicultural and diverse. That said, I do love and am proud of the intricacies of my culture, the festivals, the food and just about most aspects of it.

Your movie PK in its essence asks every Indian to discard the godmen/baba/guru of their religion. Whats wrong with that you may ask? After all, we have no dirth of con artists masquerading as gurus/fathers and maulawi's who convert people on the basis of a heaven/promise them a life with no disease/more money etc. 

The thing is along with the multitude of con artists, India has ALSO given birth to the greatest saints in world - Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Ramana Maharishi, Mother Teresa, Baba Qamara U Zaman Faridi Chishti and if you look back in history the Buddha, Mahavira etc (I could go on and on and on). Imagine trying to understand quantum physics with elementary knowledge of science and without the aid of an experienced teacher? You would be completely lost and frustrated. The presence of a Guru helps us decipher and understand the religions we belong to in better light. And just like when you were in school and had some good teachers and many not-so-good ones - the same rule applies here as in every field of work.

Additionally, Hindus in large want progress and dynamic change - it is why we are open to changing the systems of yore that no longer work - be it sati, the cast system or anything else thats holding us back - of course there is opposition from people but you must understand that thats what happens when you are changing the nuances of an ancient culture. It is precisely this want that make us all the more vulnerable to poo-poo-ing ALL sadhu's and gurus as opposed to any other religion.

Now, coming to the size of the ashrams/money hungry nature of gurus that you have chosen to

portray in your movie. Again, I personally believe this portrays the whole communities of teachers in a very poor light and fails to highlight the good work that they do. Asking them to sit under a tree with nothing but a lion cloth and do all the work they do is like asking you to let every Indian watch PK with one theatre in Bihar - it would be impossible and impractical. Similarly, to share the knowledge each sadhu/guru has, his devotees come together to help build ashrams in the spirit of a yagna or teamwork. The grandeur of the oscars is not attributed to just one man - its a whole community coming together for a cause and an ashram is no different. It is why the vatican has been granted statehood, mecca is a mini city and a small scale ashrams does everything it does.

Your movies have always had the ability to inspire and cause a shift in the masses. Unfortunately this time round, to quote a dialogue from my favourite movie "I hope your project doesnt kill goodness in an attempt to expose the bad. I hope that in your attempt to destroy evil, you don't end up destroying the divine"and sadly, I think thats what your movie has done.

Now, I know this is not entirely your fault - the Indian audience is an easily influenced one - its why we all want fair skin, straight black hair, holidays in switzerland, a romance like the one in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Patriotism like in Rang De Basanti and wild parties like in most movies. BUT, this is also why as film makers and the influentia of society we have the additional responsibility of making movies that leave positive impacts for generations to come

To responsibility and creativity,

A hopeful fan.

O.M.G

So, this happened a week back.

With a span of one hour, I went from being the ideal indian beauty with long black hair to someone whose 'hair looked like it was growing back after a tirupati mottai' in my moms own words.

To a culture that set's it beauty standards on straight, long hair - this short, curly, wild hairdo sent shockers. My mom constantly reminds me of how much 'prettier' i looked before. Many of my friends don't say it aloud but think this was by far the stupidest and silliest thing I have done.

Some lessons from this social experiment I accidentally manage to conduct:

1) Society will always have its standards, that it will choose to reinforce at any given opportunity - to me it was hair, to you it could be body type, skin tone, the length of your skirt or the choice of a partner.

2) You need be ready to step outside your comfort zone every once in a while - because how you how you do the small things is how you do the big things. To the whole world, it was just a hair cut to me it having the courage to do something against the norm.

3) Change is scary - I will admit I spent a few hours in front of the mirror thinking of how to hide this 'horrifying' haircut. Scarf, ponytail, hair band - i pondered every option. But I had to embrace the change - I had little other option. And I am grateful for that.

4) You change the world around you changes - The moment I embraced the wild hair cut people around me started appreciating it.

5) Its ok to have self doubt, but soldier on - Self doubt can rear its ugly head at the most unsuspecting of times, acknowledge its presence - because its what makes you human but move on. Soldier on to be braver, to be more beautiful and more innovative even if it is in your own strange way.

More powerful than you know

Out of the blue on a rainy saturday afternoon, I got a text from a junior of mine. It was an image of a a poorly made card I had given my teacher almost 6 years ago. I was curious and asked him how and where he got his hands on it?

He told me that he had gone to my teacher for advice on what to do in life, a few weeks ago. And after some long powerful conversation, my teacher spoke fondly of me and gave him this card as a reminder of a little girl he knew who always followed her heart. My teacher went on to say a few more nice things about me.....none of which really matter.

What matters, and what took me by surprise is the fact that not only did my teacher bother to keep my silly card for all those years but also that the card went on to act as a catalyst for change, in someone else's life.

We're often so caught up in the narrative of "Oh but what can I do, I am only just one person...." or "How can I do that, I am so young/inexperienced/fat/....( fill in your excuse)"  - That we fail to realise the actual extent of the influence we have on ourselves and the people around us.

That text reminded me of the fact that all of us are a lot more powerful/influential/inspiring than we choose to believe. It reminded me to not only be grateful for that opportunity but to also constantly challenge and push myself, so that I remained worthy of it. 

Depth Vs Diversity

As someone who usually diversifies her energies in a varied number of projects, I thought I was hurtling towards the old adage " Jack of all trades, Master of none". So I took a deep breath in and decided that this year's new year resolution would be to find depth, to dig my heels in deep and see where the rabbit hole takes me.

Should have been simple enough. But it has by far been the most hardest thing to stick to. By early feb I was getting bored with my work. It was too repetitive and monotonous. I was ready to quit my job and go wandering under the guise of self discovery. Luckily for me, a wise friend told me so to stay put. He said "It is easy to do things when they are exciting and fun. Anyone can do it. But, if your in the pursuit of excellence, you need to learn to stick it out past the boring phase"

Excellent advice to live by I think. Thoughts?? 

I'm just a girl and he's just a boy!

I stood at the gate, jaw open... watching the spectacle unfold.

She was poor, I could tell from the stains and tears that adorned her sari. Her hair was tied in a messy knot, probably because she had just finished work. I watched her walk up to the store with two beautiful children dangling from each arm. The boy was in some sort of school uniform complete with black shiny shoes, whilst the girl, who looked younger was in a ragged skirt and blouse.

The lady bought an ice cream at the store and handed it over to the boy. She said something, which I couldn't really decipher and left. As I watched on...I could see the girl pleading with her brother for just one lick of the ice-cream. But he refused despite her many requests.

Since I love poking my nose into everything, I walked up to him and asked him to share - but he cooly told me in tamil "Amma, ennaku than vangu nanga ( mother, bought this just for me)". Irritated at his answer, and the tone it came out in, I went up to the store and promptly bought a more expensive ice cream for the girl. I watched her open the shiny wrapper with a huge grin on my face.

Just as she took her first bite, her brother came over and said "Ne indha ice cream a sapptiko, anna ku ada koditudu (You eat this one and give your older brother the new one)". The boy continued telling her that it was bad to eat without giving her brother and went to extent of "I'll tell mom if you eat the new one". Annoyed, that he had used both the gender and seniority card, I told her not to listen to her brother and to continue eating

I am not sure if what I did was the right thing or wrong, but the issue annoyed me a whole lot. Why did the mother just buy the boy alone an ice-cream? Why did he think it was ok to have the new one just because he was older and a boy?


This disparity is something I see in India a whole lot - in varying degrees. The boy always gets the better, the boy always gets preference, the boy enjoys more freedom - But Why? 

The alternative to Failure

In follow up to yesterdays story, I found an article that strongly resonated:

“What would you have me do instead?

To the critic who decries a project as a worthless folly, something that didn’t work out, something that challenged the status quo and failed, the artist might ask,

“Is it better to do nothing?”

To the critic who hasn’t shipped, who hasn’t created his art, anything less than better-than-what-I -have-now appears to be a waste. To this critic who thinkg, progress should only occur in leaps, in which a fully functioning, perfected new device/book/project/process/system appears and instantly and perfectly replaces the current model.

We don’t need your sharp wit or enmity, please. Our culture needs your support instead.

Each step by any (and every) one who ships moves us. It might show us what won’t work, it might advance the state of the art or it might merely encourage others to give it a try as well.

To those who feel that they have no choice but to create, thank you.

----Awesome post by Seth Godin

Self worth?

Class was over. I got up with the kids to leave, when I  heard the comment made by a peer who decided to sit in that day "You really did not miss much at all. That was nothing great"  It was made loudly enough to someone who just came in, so that I heard it. I mean after all it was directed at me (the teacher of the class) with all intention of causing irritation/annoyance.

And without doubt, it did exactly that. Nay, it did more....I was upset and hurt. Upset because in that moment, I felt I failed. I felt I was worthless. I felt that all the effort I was taking - was all pointless. 

Words hurt, more than we give them credit for.

A cloud appeared over my head, and my usual cheeriness disappeared in an instant. The cloud followed me all day, leaving behind an aftermath of glumness, poor self-esteem and wanting to give up. Mind you, I am a masterful actress and despite the inner turmoil put up the best smile - but ever so often there was spill over!

That was until I had the thought " Why in heaven's name am I giving this guys so much air-time in my head? My self worth, in no means, is measured out by one person's opinion. Besides, the work I do, is not to earn praise, I do it because I want to and love to - in a way I think is best. I cannot fit into a niche someone else built for me. It would be the same as thinking Danush and Hugh Jackman needed to be exactly the same because they were actors. The two greats had their own ways and appealed to their own masses - I need to be the same"

In that instant I felt liberated and grounded.


NOTE: As a society, we are very adept at being critics but fail at giving support. Encourage the struggling artist, the young inventor, the girl who wants to change the world, or the guy who wants to be the next tom cruise. They need encouragement, not sniggering. Thoughts?

Gratitude

The morning started of with much chaos. I was running late for work, and I was thoroughly annoyed with the fact that no one else understood the gravity of situation. My sister still waddled around at a snail's pace, my mother was only just easing into her morning pooja and the maid was outside playing with the kittens. And all this exactly when I needed some help. Argh - what was wrong with them!?

I shoved some breakfast down my throat and left in a hurry - after telling everyone exactly how irritated I was. 

As I rode to my office, which is luckily about 40 minute away - I had a chance to cool down and reflect on what a douche I had been - for no real reason at all. My poor family was only trying to help me, but in my morning rage, all I could see was everything they were doing wrong. 

It was then that I noticed a little girl and her mother outside a shack on the streets. She was dressed in rags and her mother was wearing a torn yellow sari stained with dirt and grease. I watched them laugh as the mother combed the child's hair with a comb that had all together 4 teeth on it - that was happiness.

And here I was being fed hot breakfast in the morning, have an amazing home to stay in, a family that would do anything no matter how badly I treated them, friends that helped me whenever I was down, a job that payed me well and kept me happy, a bike to call my own - and I was being ungrateful.

What a 360 degree change in perspective. I decided to be more grateful and count my blessings. 

And i would like to start with being grateful for you, yeah you - who is reading this, Thank you for stopping by - it really really means a lot :)

I hate saying NO.

Especially when it comes to close friends, family and new opportunities. What's the big deal you might ask?

Well, for most of the time I feel like a juggler - running from one thing to another with absolutely no time to myself. I am always ticking off a mental list and figuring where I need to be next - or what I need to do next!

As I spoke to close friends, family and wise one's, I realised this was a problem a lot of people faced.

So in an effort to help myself, I created a little checklist of sorts -if something did not full fill all criterion, it was getting a big fat NO,  despite how hard it was to say those words!

1) Do I have the time to do this? To give it my 100%? Or am I just going to give it half-arsed attention and finish it?

2) Is it in alignment with my long term goals?

3) Is it helping me/people/community in ways better than what I am doing now?

4) Will I be adequately compensated for the attention and time I am taking away from my current project? (NOTE: Compensation does not need to mean money alone, it can mean skills, fun and learning too)

No does not mean you hate someone and want to create conflict - sadly though that's what most of us think.  Sometimes all it takes is an explanation as to why we said no, and a friendly tone of voice to make the other person understand.

What are your thoughts??

Breathe..

I have a confession to make. A big one.

Remember long long ago, not so long ago, but sometime ago ( ok enough with the long ago's) I did this Aah-maah-zing  interview with Adriano Zumbo - Patissier extrodinare, master chef hunk and food innovator?  

Well, two very interesting things happened on the day of the interview. I packed all my gear (i.e a pen, paper and my camera to record it all), wore my best clothes and found my way to Zumbo's store in Roselle, Sydney.  I stood outside the store and couldn't bring myself to open the front door. I had a million butterflies fluttering around in my belly and I was nervous wreck. 

"Breathe" I ordered myself - but to no avail. 

Now, being a seasoned actor - I put on my best smile, despite the million butterflies threatening to burst out of me, and walked in. His assistant Rose, very sweetly led me upstairs to meet the man himself. I shook his hand with my sweaty palms and sat down opposite him, trying to pull out the questions I had prepared. "Breathe" I ordered myself  again....but nothing was working.

I turned on my camera, hit the record button and asked him a whole bunch of questions. What happened on the next 20 was an absolute BLUR. I only know my time there had come to an end when he said "Would you like some Macaroons" 

"Yes Please" I think I said a bit too eagerly. I got a hand picked box of 6 macaroons, personally packed my Zumbo himself - and left feeling super Happy!!

I had just interviewed a really famous man, scored some free macaroons and achieved a personal goal. Yaay. 

I called for a cab, jumped in and turned my camera on to watch how the interview went ( since most of Q&A session was a blur). And Guess what I discovered? In my nervousness, I had hit the start button instead of the record button - I felt like a complete Dumbo.

Oh well, at least I had the macaroons to make me feel ok.

Limitless

It's so easy to have a black and white list of the things you're not capable of doing. A hard limit, a boundary that says you just don't have the genes to make art, speak up, write, give a speech, be funny, be charming, be memorable, come through in the clutch, survive an ordeal like this one... it's easy to give up.

In response, we ask, "not even once?" Never once have you been funny or inspired or connected? Not even once have you been trusted, eager or orginal? Not even once have you written a sentence that someone else was happy to read, or asked a question that needed to be asked?

Now that we know it's possible, the real question is, "how often can you do it again?"

- Seth Godin

Here is to ensuring no one, not even you, define your boundries. Here is to being limitless and making it a habit!!

Starting Something

It was 5:45 in the morning and I was on the beach with a few friends. We had gone to catch a glimpse of the ever elusive sunrise on the beaches of Chennai.

As we sat there chatting, I noticed two boys playing soccer. Their footwork was amazing and their stamina to run on the sand was very impressive. So in a moment of spontaneity, I excused myself from the group and ran up to join them.

Before I knew it, I too was involved in the game. Half an hour had passed and my friends yelled out that it was time to go home. I shook hands with the boys, thanked them for the game and left.

As I walked back to my friends, one of them asked "I didn't know that you played soccer every Saturday?" I laughed and told him that I didn't.  I just liked the game and thought it would be a bit of fun to join in. I couldn't tell if he was satisfied or confused by my answer.

But I did think it was interesting that by just standing up and joining them, I might be confused for the third member of the group. Because, ofcourse, being the first, second or third person to stand up and follow enthusiastically can have just as much impact as being the guy who played on his own.

Leading courageously and following with conviction are both needed to make change

Random thoughts on a rainy day...

I sit here, watching the rain pitter patter against the wings of the pigeons that waddle along the streets of Melbourne. Fat on Mcdonalds, I wonder if our lives are really much different to theirs? A constant scramble for food…for survival? Establishing a pecking order and sticking to it, until some renegade decides to break it. He will be rewarded in isolation or kinship and heroism. Why are rewards so polar? Or would a better question be –are rewards polar only when we care about them??

People walking by…all lost in their own worlds, with things to accomplish, jobs to do, coffees to drink, friends to meet. When will anyone stop to appreciate the rain? The madness? the beauty of the chaos that is life?

I sit here sipping a coffee that is way too sweet. I shouldn’t drink anymore of it, and yet I feel obliged to. Worth 4$ a cup, I find it hard to justify I bought it to decorate the inside of a garbage bin in misty brown and white. Why do I do this to myself ??

20 Questions

It was a Friday afternoon and I desperately needed to recharge my batteries. I had a battering week, with problem after problem seeming to fall from the sky and the only way I could find solace was in the company of a like- minded friend. So I went to her place to indulge in some senseless chit-chat, delicious food and some much needed pampering.

As we sat and spoke about our lives, our jobs and our ambitions to redefine the world, the topic of growth came up. We both thought it was important that no matter how old you grow...you need to keep learning and consequently keep growing. Stagnation as we observed not only deteriorates your mind but in the long run your relationship with people and objects.

So, to ensure that the two of us never got 'stuck' we made a pact - a pact to check up on each others growth. I came up/found some questions and we decided that once a week, we would catch up and review how we were doing?

Here are the Questions: 

1.What did I learn last week? – If you have trouble answering this question, it’s time for a change.  It doesn’t matter how old you are, you should learn something new every week.

2.What was my greatest accomplishment over the past week? – Reflecting on your accomplishments is a healthy way to raise self confidence and contentment.  It’s also an effective way to track your progress.

3.Which moment from last week was the most memorable and why? – It may open up your mind to new passions and goals, or simple pastimes worth revisiting.

4.What’s the #1 thing I need to accomplish this week? – Everything else is secondary, and should be treated as such.  Nevertheless, this question will also shine light on other noteworthy tasks.

5.What can I do right now to make the week less stressful? – Set reminders in your calendar, get your laundry done, fill the car with gas… organize yourself.

6.What have I struggled with in the past that might also affect the upcoming week? – The idea here is to learn from your struggles and better equip yourself for future encounters.

7.What was last week’s biggest time sink? – Steer clear of this in the future.  Setup physical barriers against distractions if you have to.

8.Am I carrying any excess baggage into the week that can be dropped? – Physical clutter, mental clutter… eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary may shine bright.

9.What have I been avoiding that needs to get done? – Pencil in a time to get these things done.  For any 2-minute or less tasks, consider scheduling them first thing Monday morning.

10.What opportunities are still on the table? – If it’s still available and you want it, make a concrete plan to go after it this week.

11.Is there anyone I’ve been meaning to talk to? – Regular communication can solve problems before they fester. Always keep an open line of communication to those around you.

12.Is there anyone that deserves a big ‘Thank You’? – Take time each week to thank the people who have helped you.  Your kind gesture will not go unnoticed.

13.How can I help someone else this coming week? – The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.  If you help them, they will remember you when you need help.

14.What are my top 3 goals for the next 3 years? – You’ll never make any progress in life if you don’t setup realistic goals for yourself.

15.Have any of my recent actions moved me closer to my goals? – If the answer is no, something needs to change.

16.What’s the next step for each goal? – Knowing the next step is the key to accomplishing the whole.

17.What am I looking forward to during the upcoming week? – The answer can act as a great source of motivation.  If nothing exists, schedule something to look forward to.

18.What are my fears? – Consciously address your fears each week and slowly work on resolving them.  It’s all about taking baby steps.

19.What am I most grateful for? – It’s a smart way to keep things in perspective, and something you should never lose sight of.

20.If I knew I only had one week to live, who would I spend my time with? – Another helpful reminder… Life is short.  Spend more time with the people you care about.

Hopefully they help you in your quest to be ‘unstuck’

Only 1% Create

Today's post is inspired by something I read on Fred Wilson's blog. For this of you who do not know who he is, Fred Wilson is a successful VC in New York as well as a really popular blogger.

He says and I quote "Out of 100 people, 1% will create the content, 10% will curate the content, and the other 90% will simply consume it." As someone who blogs (sparsely nowadays) I know that much of my 'content', if you can call it that, is inspired by things I have read elsewhere on the internet. So then I questioned am I just the 10 % that curates ? I do modify and adapt it to my situation yes....but isn't that still a fanciful way to curate information?

If I really think of this, aren't entire websites like Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter  built on the principle of curation? After all they allow and in fact encourage users to post media and links that they did not create.

Have we turned into a culture that prefers curation to creation just because its easier?? I am actually not sure. One thing is for sure I shall endeavour to create more original content henceforth. 

Would love to hear your thoughts on the idea.

Kindness is underated

Last night I was telling my friend how I refuse to believe that you have to be a jerk in order to be super-crazy-successful. And just now, I stumbled upon this post by Marc Johns in which he states that he believes kindness is underrated. I couldn't agree more.

“Stop praising the jerks. It reinforces bad behavior.”
- Marc Johns