Art of Knowing when to ‘Stop’

As an artist we were always told that we should be aware when we should stop working on a piece of art. The knowledge of this ‘Stop’ is thin as a line. You stop too early and your work looks incomplete. You over-work and it looks confused.

Doesn’t this knowledge apply to everything in life?  If you cook, you will understand what I trying to say. It’s a difference between undercooked and overdone food.

Sometimes we just want to share our thoughts with our friends. But no sooner than we put our thoughts forward, there comes a stream of opinion back at us. And then there are few who don’t even acknowledge your thoughts. Knowing when to ‘Stop’ is a balance between introvert and extrovert.

This knowledge is extremely rare. In fact I come across spiritual well intended people unaware of this line. People going through spiritual metamorphosis, instead of absorbing the changes they are going through start expecting their family and friends to follow suit. And this expectation ruins the beauty of their path.

This brings a wise quote to mind which resonates with me “Respond, not react”.  I have come to realize that we have three buttons with us at every stage “Play” “Pause” and “Stop” which we should use consciously. When in doubt pause and decide whether you need to Stop or continue to Play.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Influencing and getting influenced

In the Journey of life we use influencing very effectively in many areas, but would not have seriously analyzed, why we are able to influence others or why I am getting influenced by -

What is Influencing - It is, understanding yourself and the effect and Impact you have on others when you interact with them. (For example)

a) Parents influence their children by identifying the positive traits  in them, keep reiterating those good aspects and empower them to make them understand that they are good in that aspect which makes them more confident to take the decisions in life. This method is called Empowerment approach.

b) Husband - wife, Mother-in-law - daughter-in-law, or any other close relations, if you take as examples, if I can understand the likes and dislikes of other person, preferences and choices of other person, the words they use often, their body language, colour preferences and so on. I can use this to influence the other people for a positive cause not to get any mileage from this relationship, but be of value to them. This method is called Interpersonal awareness approach.

This is an interesting topic which can be discussed in length. There are eight different ways of Influencing people in personal as well as in professional life.

I have shared with you two different approaches. You can help me by contributing what other approaches you feel is of value.

Keep sharing, let us evolve and influence the society for a positive cause and enjoy this journey called life.

By : Venkatesha Sharma

Contact - consultantvenkat@gmail.com

Soul mate

The word soul mate is often associated with spouse or a lover. Especially in our culture where we have grown up hearing mythical stories of Savitri and Satyvan and where wife’s fast and pray for their husband’s long life, it is natural to assume so.

A soul mate as I understand can be any one with whom you feel deeply connected, loved and cherished. It necessarily need not be of the opposite sex or having any physical relationship with him or her. In fact they need not be humans at all. Animals, trees or even non-living things like a body of water which energizes you can make that difference in your life. In fact soul mate need not be just one. You can have a number of soul mates.

I bring forth this explanation and understanding to remove the blame and hurt that many of us cause our loved ones by accusing them with words like cheating and affair which often lead to deep, painful lifelong wounds. Anyone expressing their deep connection to others should not be tainted shame. A soul to soul relationship should be valued and honored.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Sense of Awe

Each morning I sit with my tea in the presence of nature and marvel at it’s beauty. The stillness and the peace it provides is a meditation in itself.

In younger days, nature was of little value. I knew that the beach or the presence of water made me feel good or perhaps a nice scenic place. As years have gone by our relationship has become deeper. A beautiful sunrise or sunset adds value. Sometimes trees and greenery amaze me. I can enjoy the bloom of spectrum of flowers during various seasons.

Birds oh dear…they amaze me

Call of the Owls, feel as if chatting and communicating with me. And of-course they keep a keen gaze to see if I am responding to them. And the little black Bushchat bird comes each day into my home, just to check if I am still there.

Peacocks call, as if they lack attention. Bulbuls gather to dance. The Sunbirds hover over flowers and sucking the nectar. The gorgeous Kingfisher, make my heart dance. Squeals of the Hornbills or the soothing call of the Cuckoo bird, both unique and attractive in their own sense. The sharp flight of a Kite or an elegant swoop of the Egret, such a treat to watch.

And ah, the Squirrels running around and holding food with their two fore legs, just to remind us 'that we are similar ’. I enjoyed watching them gather cotton and make a nest. And out comes those small little babies running around learning to navigate through trees and bushes.

What a sense of amazement and awe nature provides us with. Small blessings which we so easily ignore, but the bliss it provides is priceless.

By
Pushpa Ramesh

GOD (As I know it)

Probably we all know deep down in our hearts that at our core we are 'Child of God' and in our humanness we forget that. Or probably we just shut it down because we as humans are entwined in our social web. If we say don't follow a religion we are outcast by the society. As we join this society since birth, we fear being outcast.

All religions describe God in almost similar way. Hindu philosophy -  'Aham Bhramasmi' (I AM GOD) the literal translation. Or, there is GOD in each of us . Christianity & Judas call it the concept of 'I AM THAT I AM'.

Even the vibrations created by different religions is similar - AUM, AMEN & AMEEN -. Concept behind it is - Everything we see or don't see is energy. And energy vibrates on different frequencies. All 3 words have a same higher frequency derived from aaa... & ummm.... So, basically same words pronounced differently in different religions. 

To know more about 'OM' read my earlier post http://coffeetableconversation.blogspot.in/2013/07/om.html

Anita Moorjani describes beautifully in her book ' Dying to be me' - 'GOD isn't a being, but a state of being......and I was now in that state of being!' 

So GOD can't reject us even if we are the worst kind of humans. I read in a book that even Heaven & Hell are just a state of being. So we won't even go to Heaven or Hell, but experience them depending on which state we are in.

Purity of thoughts is the only spiritual evolution. Peace, Joy, Bliss, Love, Abundance is nothing but our GOD self, which we should strive to maintain at each ad every moment of time.

Even with all this knowledge that GOD is one or within us, I myself insist, that my child prays every morning. I am not a religious person, but when I needed that support & protection from someone greater than me, I know that I can pray to GOD. Prayer gives us hope, in hopeless situation. And I wish that my child feels that support.

If humanity awakens to their GOD-self, then there can be, no hate, no religious intolerance, no caste inequalities, But Pure Humanness. 

By 
Pushpa Ramesh

Having Faith....

Taking the cue from your post Pushpa on Faith

Faith - Face Anything In Trusting Him. 
I would like to share with you a real incident which I read in a book. 

A Steel Manufacturing Company has a division called "Steel Melting Shop"and it is the heart of Steel Plant.In this shop the raw material iron ore is mixed with chemicals like limestone, coal etc to produce Ingots. The temperature in the Steel Melting shop would be 600 - 1000 degrees centigrade.

In earlier days there was no automation and people work in this Steel Melting stop would work for 15 mins and then take a break and an alternative person would do the job as they face the heat of 600 degree centigrade. We during the summer time, for 42 - 45 degrees centigrade express that it is scorching heat outside.The people working in the Steel Melting Shop have tattooed the words "JAI BHAJRANG BALI' (In Praise of Lord Hanuman) They had enormous faith on Lord Hanuman and because of that faith, they got a positive feeling that any task howsoever hard it may look can be accomplished. (FAITH WORKS, IF WE HAVE FAITH AT WORK)

Contributed by

Venkatesh Sharma
Mercuri Goldmann (India) Private Limited
consultantvenkat@gmail.com

Having Faith

The word 'Faith' has been loosing it's value in our atheist society, because people relate faith to religion. But Faith isn't about religion, it's about trusting a power far greater than ourselves. That can be God for some people, for others it can be higher intelligence or energy or simply trusting their own self or perhaps one look's upon somebody.

Personally 'Faith' has given me the knowledge that I am unsinkable, even when I stand in the midst of a chaos. Each day I have dialogue with the higher power of my challenges and my aspirations, waiting for magical solutions to appear. The solutions are some times 'perfect' and sometimes they are not in my favor. When I fight with it and want things my way - it brings in a conflict within me and peace is lost. But when I accept these unfavorable solutions whole heartedly I begin to see a more clear picture of my life.

Most of us loose faith when we face danger and fear overpowers us. Life has shown us, people magically getting cured of life threatening diseases or were saved at the last moment when they were facing death. And we have seen examples of healthy people losing their life because they didn't have faith that they could lead a happy life.
Sometimes just being an observer of life creates amazing possibilities which we miss when we are over-reacting in a situation. Choosing a possibility with which one resonates most and having the willingness to overcome the challenge, will not only help us to expand but also live our life with purpose.

By 

Pushpa Ramesh