Saturday, May 26, 2007

WHO are you ?

One of my favourite quotes is, "There is no such thing as a self made person. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success."
I absolutely believe that it is true. A lot of people have contributed to where i am today. My mentor, Dr. Patel, all the geniuses whose work i have read through books and articles, my staff whose dedication has helped me climb to where i am, my family whose encouragement has brought me so far, and all the endless stream of people who through their appreciation emails, letters, phone calls and smses have expressed their gartitude and respect, have contributed to the person i have become.
Alone i would not have achieved what i have today. It is sheerly the result of a thousand of others that have contributed in my success.
This got me thinking, if the positive of it is true.... That my being a success, is a contribution of a thousand of others, then is the reverse also true ? That someone being a failure, is also a contribution of a thousand of others ?
What do you think ?
Do share your thoughts with me and i would write up my answer in the next blog, and it sure would come as a surpise to you !! :O)

The Power of One


I remember watching the movie Dumb and Dumber. And i loved the character Jim Carrey played in the movie. It was this particular scene where the lady he was in love with, tells him that she is engaged. Jim Carrey, asks her "What are my chances ?" And she looks at him and says, "One in a million !" And Jim Carrey jumped with joy. A lot of people thought that it was really dumb. But i think it was really smart.
People think that quantity is greater than quality, but the exact opposite is what is true.
One is enough all by itself.
I was in Goa once and i was devasted to witness a bus run over a dog's leg. He was howling in pain and was bleeding profusely. It would not survive if he didnt get help. I immediately began to call Animal shelters and vets in Goa. My first call met with an answer, "Sorry we are closed today." Second call, "Your place is too far from where we are." Third call same answer, fourth call same answer. I made 12 phone calls and no one was willing to help. It was the thirteenth call that i was able to get some help.
The dog had one out of thirteen chances of surviving that day, and the fact that "one" was there, he still lives.
Never under estimate what "ONE" can do. The world has benefited from "ONE" Jesus, "ONE" Budhha, "ONE" Mahatma Gandhi and so many "ONE" people.
So Jim Carrey's character knew that as long as he had one chance, out of how many was irrelevant, he still had hope !!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Jackpot Day !!


A lot of people say that they are surrounded with negativity. And some of the very common dialogues are ; "You dont understand Priya, My mother in law blah blah blah and my boss blah blah !" Truly, we can all pour in our complaints and start a contest on who suffers more. And when you win the contest, you lose in life.
The solution is this. Accept that there are challenges and negativity and be prepared for it. Why complain on something that wont change ? You know that the sun is hot, and that is why sunscreen sells.
Where is your sunscreen to shield you from your daily negativity ?
Welcome to Priya's blog :O). Its a 1 minute read. It will provoke your thoughts towards solutions and give you insights I had paid a lot to learn. And best of all, you can communicate with me.
Im not bragging but I finish my business cards in every workshop. I am so busy that its impossible for me to have a chat with every person one on one. So i decided to get on radio. This way I can speak to millions at the same time. I have also put down my thoughts in the form of articles and I want to be a columinist too. And I also thought that a blog would be a great way to communicate on the net.
If you are reading this today, then you are one of the few who is really committed to taking responsibility to what happens in your life. By acknowledging my words you are expressing your curiosity to learn more and are willing to spend some time on it. And I highly appreciate that, because this is what I do too. Learn and learn and learn.
To show you my appreciation, i have a special gift for you. This gift is for all those people who began their day with my blog and were committed enough to even comment and communicate with me.
If your comment reaches me before 11a.m. India time, i will send you a gift, from my heart to yours.
Thank you for your time. Your attitude towards growth gives my life a meaning, and I have a job to do,,,, to serve.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Money in Exchange of Value


A lot of people feel that earning a salary is in exchange of the work one does in an organisation. You can work endless hours, and still not add value. Its not the work but the value of that work, that gets you to earn money.How do you calculate the value you are adding with your work ? It's simple. Does your contribution increase profits ? If yes, you should earn atleast 5% on net profit increase as a result of your efforts, as a salary.
So if you are a sales person and you bring in a minimum of Rs. 2,00,000 worth of net profits to the company every month, then your salary should be a minimum of Rs.10,000. The net profit can be reviewed every 6 months.
If you are in PR, be aware of the increase in net profit of the company as a result of your communication and do the math on your salary.
No matter in which department you work, you have a direct impact on the profits of the company.
As i was discussing this, the office cleaner walked up and asked how he contributes towards the profits of the company ? I was impressed with his willingness to step forward. "Save on detergent, and you increase our profit," I said. No matter what you do, you can contribute. Its the attitude of adding value that i want to encourage. Just working is not enough to get a pay raise.
And when you do ask for a pay raise, SHOW the profits you have caused. Your raise should be seen as a re-investment for the company and not an increase in the monthly over heads.
Want a pay raise ? Show me the value :O) And yes, the value must be monetary, because the pay raise is monetary. If the value added is intangible, then the compensation would also be intangible.

What's Your Exchange Rate ?


I was writing out the salary cheques one day, and one of my employees walks up to me, with her cheque in his hand. "I think i deserve more," she said. I was pleasantly surprised. I like and admire courage to stand up for oneself. "Sure, I said, "How much more do you deserve ?". I think i caught her off guard, coz she replied back "Ummm, I dont know how much, but I know I deserve more." I told her, "Then go back, do the math and come and tell me how much." "And, give me a break up of that !" She didnt come back for two days.
I walked up to her desk on the third day and asked her what happened, and i found out, that she had already consulted with two of her colleagues, on how much more she deserved. End of the story, I gave her a raise, and she is happy. But the real question is, how does one calculate what one deserves when it comes to exchanging work for money ?

This incident got me thinking, and i reached some conclusions. And it helped me greatly because i revised my salary and my professional fee. I now make 4 times the money that i used to since last month. And thanks to my employee, who brought to my attention that "I deserve more."

Before i let you in on my theory, I want to know from, how did you decide your salary ? How did you give your efforts a number ? Or did you even put any thought in it ?
Your answer will bring you riches you cannot even imagine, so do reflect on this and comment !!

What Should You Do ?


There are certain universal laws that govern our lives. For example, the law of gravity is a universal law. Whether you acknowledge it or not, it exists and we all are at the effect of it.
Such as that, there is a law of give and take. The law very simply states, you cannot give that isnt yours and you musnt take that isnt yours. It also states you cannot give if you havent created, and you cannot take if your havent earned. It also states in your giving, you grant the permission of giving. In taking you must have the permission to take.
If that law is applied to the 500 dirham note at the airport :
1. The note isnt mine, so i cant take it.
2. I havent earned it so i cant take it.
3. The owner did not grant me the permission to take it, so i cant take it.

A quantum physist would explain the law scientifically, and i love this theory. According to quantum physics all matter is energy. And energy is always vibrating and flowing and is either negatively charged or positively charged. An object that is negatively charged will emit negative energy and an object that is positively charged will emit positive energy. How does an object get charged ? Through our thoughts and emotions. When we focus our thoughts and emotions on an object, we influence its energy field.

Money is the greatest form of energy. If you expend your energy in stress, frustration or deciet to earn it, that money earned will serve you negatively. If you expend your energy in joy, love, fairness and delight to earn it, that money earned will bring you greater positivity.

So when one loses money, that money is negatively charged, because the person losing it feels negatively about it. You hold in your hand, an object that represnts someone else's loss. In "quantum physics" that will only cause more loss to you.

In spiritual terms, the law of karma comes to play. If you didnt earn it, it isnt yours. As simple as that.

Now what about our theory of luck ? Luck is used ignorantly by so many of us. If we cant explain it, its luck. If we cant repeat the same success, it was luck in the first place. If you look at the word LUCK closely, it means Labour Under Correct Knowledge. And that means you must live and act with knowledge.

You have some now :O) And thank you for all your comments. I appreciate your interest.

What would you do ?


I was recently waiting at the bagage claim at the Dubai airport. As i stood waiting for my bags to show up, something on the floor caught my eye. About 20 feet away, i saw what looked like, a 500 dirhams note. Obviously someone had dropped it, unknowingly.
I sat there thinking, 500 dirhams is a lot of money, to have dropped. There were only two questions in my mind. Should i take it ? Or shouldnt i take it ? And as i dwindled from should I to shouldnt I, a man clad in brown pants and a yellow shirt, walked up, between me and the 500 dirhams. Obviously, I wasnt the only one who had seen it. He stood there for 2 seconds and then bent down and picked up the note, looked at it, and saw it was real. He opened his wallet, planted the note in it and walked on by, as though nothing had happened. He didnt look back, he didnt look left, he didnt look right ! He walked on straight to his trolley and waited for his bags to roll by.
500 dirhams while waiting for your bagage, is easy money.
My question is what would you do ? And we often see lost money in places. So what do you do ? Pick up the money or walk on by ? And most importantly why ?
I have some outstanding insight into this. But tell me first, what would you do and why !!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Who Won The Race ?


So who won the race ? Runner A or Runner B ?
I have interviewed many successful people and tried to find a common thread, a formula to their success. I have found, that ALL of them were under great pressure to achieve. They were not just doing their best, their life depending upon their success.
Design Human Engineering is a science that has proven time and again, that human beings are designed to work under pressure. This is an animal instict. According to DHE, when a human being is under pressure, that is the time when the human mind and body are at the peak of alertness and creativity. The greatest innovations have taken at place at the time of crisis or at the cost of personal tragedy.
Let me give you an example:
A man comes home after work, dead tired. He has not slept in days and has no stamina even to eat. The wife asks him if he would like to eat dinner, the man refuses and says "I dont even have the stamina to stand up," and slumps on the couch, planning to sleep there. As he is about to close his eyes, he sees his 3 year old baby girl, walking towards a boiling vessel of water, kept on the stove on the kitchen floor. What do you think he does ? Does he continue to close his eyes and goes to sleep, or does he jump off the couch like super man, runs at light speed and whisks away his daughter from touching the hot vessel ?
Ofcourse he does the latter. So now the question is, where did that sudden burst of energy come from ? Just 15 seconds ago, the man said he was "dead" tired, too tired to eat, and 15 seconds later he ran a 100 meter sprint for his little girl.
Runner B, when coached to use pressure to win, always does.
Think about it, we are all surrounded by pressure in all areas of our life. Get Coach B to teach you to use it as a spring board to soar you higher towards success.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Coach A Vs. Coach B


I am quite happy that so many people have put thought into whether they would want Coach A or Coach B.
A lot of us would prefer coach A. Coach A is sweet, chilled out, gives us our own space, and doesnt impose winning as a condition of survival.
On the other hand, Coach B is a lean, mean, success-oriented machine. Coach B, eats, drinks and breathes success. He has no tolerance for doubt and hestitation. He is strict on discipline and practice, and leaves no room for failure.
Now here are a few points to consider before making a choice between the two:
1. You are preparing to run for the Olymics. What is your goal ? To win the gold medal, or just run ?
2. Why do you need a coach ? To chill out with you ? Or to push you to discipline ?
3. What are your expectations from your coach ? When you hide and make excuses, do you want him to give in ? Or would you want him to push you ?

I consider everyday as a race run at the Olympics level. After all, whatever you do, whatever you say, whatever you think, directly or indirectly impacts the entire world ! We are playing on a global level today. Winning is the ONLY thing ! Because to win, you have to have a vision, impeccable focus, incredible courage and self confidence, endless hours of preparation and strategy, burning desire to succeed, and unshakeable discipline. And the biggest glory of these attributes is, that a winner IS a winner wherever he goes.
So think again, which coach would you choose, Coach A or Coach B ?

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Winning Isnt Everything


The Story is of two olympic sprint runners, and their two coaches. Coach A and Coach B, are the two coaches, with their different methods of teaching. At the end of the story, comment on what kind of coach / mentor would you like to have ?
Here is the story.. Coach A and B, trained their respective athletes and after four years of practice, the day of the big race arrived. As the runners were lining up, the runners became nervous, looking at their competitors, the best runners from around the world.
Runner A, went upto Coach A and said, "Coach, I am nervous. Suddenly, looking at all these athletes from around the world, i am wondering, if i will win the race ?" Coach A, smiled and replied, "Dont worry son. Go ahead and give your best shot, and i know that you will make it, after all winning isnt everything !" And Runner A, walks back to the start line.
Runner B, goes up to Coach B and says, "Coach, I am nervous. Suddenly, looking at all these athletes from around the world, i am wondering, if i will win the race." Coach B smiled and replied, "Can you see those 4 men in black, near the finish the line ?", "Yes," Runner B replied, after catching a glimpse of 4 men dressed in black tuxedos. "They are waiting for you at the finish line. If you do not finish first, they will break your legs with the hockey sticks they are hiding in their coats, so that you never run again. You cannot walk up to me today Son, and tell me that you are nervous. I have put 4 years with you. Each time you had to run at 4 in the morning, i woke up at 3 to wake you up ! Your headache was an excuse not to show up for practice, but my grave illness never detered my committment. When your wife threatened to leave you, my wife had already left me for my committment to you. I have put 4 years of my life in serving you, for this day of victory. It wasnt your journey alone, i walked the path with you. I deserve to win, with you. So get back to the start line and win this race. Because Son, Winning is not everything ! WINNING IS THE ONLY THING !!!"
The Runner B, went back to the start line.
Who won the race :O) ?
Wait for tomorrow to know !!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

I am Sorry


I feel "I am Sorry" are the most powerful three words next to its immediate competitor "I love You". Only a person who has the courage to apologise has the courage to love. Saying I Love You is easy, and saying I am Sorry is one of the hardest things to do.
Saying I am sorry, means, I was wrong and i realise that i was wrong. That is true courage and humility.
Saying I am sorry, means, you were right and i was wrong. That requires power and strength of character.
Saying I am sorry, means, I am willing to change. That is an attitude of a success minded person.
Saying I am sorry, means, I have a conscience and i still listen to my inner guidance. This one attitude has the power to keep you connected to the Lord.
Saying I am sorry, means, I forgive myself, and i seek it from you too.

The word "I" is used as a term of EGO, but saying "I" AM SORRY is one of the most egoless statements ever formed with the letter I.

My grandfather once said to me, if you havent apologised atleast once in a day, it means that you have not been sensitive enough to notice where you need to change, where you need to get better, or where you need to love more.

I am sorry, i took so long to post this blog ! I know you all have been waiting :O)

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

How Far Will You Go ?

I get so many emails and smses from people around the world, asking me on a few tips on how to be successful. If one wants to be successful, it's gonna take more than just a few tips. Its gonna take grit and guts to act upon the tip.
I
read
an incident a few months ago, where Dhirubhai Ambani before he came to Bombay acted upon one such "success tip". He had immense faith in one of his guru's and had expressed his desire on becoming one of the richest businessmen of the country to him. Mr. Ambani would visit his guru everyday to take his blessings before he started his day. One morning the guru gave Dhirubhai Ambani a small red pouch, he told him, "The day has finally come, take this pouch, and leave for Bombay. There is nothing else you need, no one you need to visit, no one you need to inform, just go, and never look back." And Dhirubhai Ambani did just that. He took that pouch and with whatever little money he had in his pocket that morning he left for the station and never looked back.
My question is, if you were in his place, what would you do ? Would you really "act upon" the tip ? Or would you convenience yourself to act upon it ? Would you not try to work around it, and find a way that most suits you ? Such as atleast go home and carry some clothes, some money, some food, inform your family and a gazillian other tasks ? Or would you heed the words of someone you have great faith in, and ACT.
Your answer will either connect you with the Late Ambani's attitude or set you in the league of the "rest".
Success tips are every where. There are no secrets, its all out in the open. But the question is, "How far will you go ?" "How far will you go in turning that tip into a tornado ?"

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

The 20-80 Priciple

As a CEO of my company, I always and always follow the Pareto’s Principle the 80-20 Rule. Those of you who are not familiar with the law, in 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created a mathematical formula to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in his country, observing that twenty percent of the people owned eighty percent of the wealth. The 80/20 Rule means that in anything, a few (20 percent) are vital and many (80 percent) are trivial.
You can apply the 80/20 Rule to almost anything, from the science of management to the physical world.
As a sales person you will find that 80 percent of your business will come from 20 percent of your customers.
The value of the Pareto Principle for a manager is that it reminds you to focus on the 20 percent that matters. Of the things you do during your day, only 20 percent really matter. Those 20 percent produce 80 percent of your results. Identify and focus on those things. When the fire drills of the day begin to sap your time, remind yourself of the 20 percent you need to focus on. If something in the schedule has to slip, if something isn't going to get done, make sure it's not part of that 20 percent.
There is a theory called Superstar Management. The theory's supporters claim that since 20 percent of your time produces 80 percent of your results you should focus your limited time on managing only that 20 percent.
Pareto's Principle, the 80/20 Rule, should serve as a daily reminder to focus 80 percent of your time and energy on the 20 percent of you work that is really important. Don't just "work smart", work smart on the right things.

Monday, May 7, 2007

One Shot to Fame


We all live with a secret dream. It all begins with "I wish i was.....", "I wish i could...." These are wishes that would defy reality should they come true. These are those intimate desires that we are afraid to even confront, at the mere impossibility of them materialising.
I had one such desire of owning a car, a sports model, in my twenties. This was an impossibility way back then because of the financial background i came from. But i took the courage to make my wish a command. And in a few short months, i drove my yellow sports lancer.
Years later, today, i do the same process with every wish. Whether it is expanding my company into international markets or even to buy a red BMW convertible. The process is simple and so much fun. Its not just what you would gain, but also who you would become at the end of the process. And the bottom line, like any too good to be true commercial reads, *conditions apply.
I feel everyone has the capacity to turn their wishes around, to turn their dreams into a reality. If you are committed to making your dreams come true, i am committed to make you a success. I am now running a project to take 12 people to the life of their dreams in 30 days. The 30 days would mark the beginning of an automatic process towards success.
If you want to be a part of my project, and its for free, you need to post in a comment on why you want to achieve what you want, and why are you willing to get help with it.
I want to convert my blog into a dialogue, and everyone else who reads will read about our daily success and process towards our dreams.
Success be ours,
Priya

Saturday, May 5, 2007

My Spiritual Family

When i walk into work every day, i feel that i have come home. Its not just a feeling that i have but a feeling that my entire staff shares. I love the company and presence of every member of my company, we connect, we share, we create and we conquer, together. We are so well aligned to our goals, our mission and our values. It seems like a blessing to have such an incredible team of dedicated and passionate people.
I feel success is a team effort. Any individual effort that saw success, ended with the individual, however a success bound team, keeps the mission alive even in absence of "an" individual, and i know that is our greatest strength.
There is trust, there is respect and there is love, between all of us.
Ours is one of the few offices where pets are welcome, where challenges are embraced and where goodness is the intention behind every sale.
I dedicate my first blog to my team, they bring out the best in me. They keep my fire lit, endlessly with their love, their committment and most of all their trust.
In sincere gratitude,
Priya