It all begins with belief
In believing you can
And that there is always hope
For the better in every way
For it takes you places
And makes things happen
Such is the power of belief
Profound and precious
Every move in self-belief
Allows you to get closer
To the truth of you!
Savvy
Another inspiring story translation from tamil forward by my mother Anjana.
A gardener one day saw a bird’s nest in his garden. Out of curiosity he peeped inside and saw a few eggs laid inside it.
Next day he was happy to see small tiny cracks on the eggshells. He realised th eggs are getting ready to hatch . His curiosity increased.
For the he next few days , every day he will see the how the eggs are and happy to see the cracks getting bigger. His expectations kept on increasing.
One day he saw the eggs moving and the little tiny birds were struggling inside to break open the wall and come out of their confined space .
He felt sad for the birds as they have to struggle so much. He wanted to help them . So he softly made the cracks big enough to make their work easy.
The next morning he went with lot of expectations to see the little birds out of the eggs without struggle. He was disappointed to see there was no change. It was same as he had kept the day before.
For the next couple of days it went on. The eggs remained the same . There was no movement. Then one day he was shocked to see lot of ants all over the eggs and found all the tiny birds dead inside.
His heart ached to see this . He was very sad. His friend who saw him asked the reason. When he told what had happened , his friend told, ” You are the reason for their death. Out of your love n expectation you killed them. “
“Me ? How?”
“Yes , only you are responsible.
When the little birds are ready to come out , their little wings and legs will move slowly giving it strength. It will break open the shell with the help of its beak n body. It is a natural process . If you had left it their way by now all the little ones must have come out and flew from their nest in a few days. A normal delivery would have happened.
The gardener was shattered when he realised his folly.
As parents we are doing the same to our children. We protect them with so much care and precautions to safe guard them from any pain or suffering.
We fail to make them know the value of sweat, the worth of labour and the struggling path to success. We want to give them all ready in a platter. Our mentality is’ I’ve suffered a lot. My children should not’.
We forget that our overprotective love will make them weak and some day when they face life with its realities , they will suffer.
Let us make them walk the path and watch them grow as individuals with inner strength. When needed be there to guide. How long can they walk catching your fingers. Let them walk alone. Let them fall and learn to rise on their own. Let them make their own path . Watch them from a distance. Applaud them.
This is not a bird’s story.
It is a life lesson for our children.
With a rich imprint of lessons
The past is behind you
Full of hope & promise
The future is yet to reveal itself
The now is the present
It shows up in myriad ways.
Can we learn from the past
And apply it to this moment
Can we shape this now
And make it matter
Can we breathe in kindness
And make a difference
For this now and forever.
All we need is a willingness
To accept a shift in perspectives.
Savvy
World Dance Research Congress India
A fond reminisce
A moment in time
A community of dancers
A representation of artists
Of myriad dance forms.
Of different nations
A communion of cultures
Beautiful memories ❤
Savvy
Just dance.
And feel this alive!
Savvy
Art is meant to align us.
The true purpose of an artform is found in the aligning with the universal consciousness .
Savvy Raj
Life lessons
( Translated by my mother from tamil forward)
The 9 laws of Karma
Let there be peace and happiness everywhere. Let all prosper and live a fulfilling life.
Life is full of challenges
Along the way
For each and every being
In their own unique ways…
Am reminded of the saying…
It’s never about the weight
But the way you carry it.
Lightness of being
Is knowing how to steer
Through the hurdles
In effortless grace.
Beautiful to witness
The ways of nature
Sometimes maneuvering
At times adjusting.
But mostly thriving.
No matter the odds.
Savvy
Opportunity does not just come to you
You walk to it
And when you do
Remember, you are on a new trajectory
There are new challenges in the changes
Know the strength of your spirit will be tested
Your balance may be tilted
To extremes of possibilities.
Yet, your patience perseverance & passion for your purpose
Will guide you through
And somewhere along the way
in fleeting moments
You will feel that gliding, waltzing feeling
Sensing harmony in the synchrony
To that which you truly love ❤️
What are you waiting for?
Savvy
On Freedom
Freedom is being able to be all of you
But remembering the rights
Of other lives to be all of them
When we understand…
Our Freedom ends where another’s freedom begins.
So then
How free do you feel in this now
How important is freedom to you?
Can you sense your life flowing
Or is there restraints that bound you
Can you express yourself without hesitation?
Can you speak your mind without fear?
Can you write without worrying if the words may reveal your nature?
Can you walk alone without a care where you live?
Can you wear what you want without fear of ridicule?
Can you dance the way your spirit moves you?
In short
Can you flow in harmony with the spirit in you?
If you have answered more yes than no then consider yourself closer to being truly free.
Freedom is not for giving
Freedom is there for taking
Freedom is being you
As you truly are
Freedom is living
Without facades.
Wherever you sense
You are most you.
Now…
How free are you feeling
In this now?
Savvy
Our humanity is within us awaiting expression.
Every one of us has the choice to be humane.
“Sometimes we’re fractured by the choices we make; sometimes we’re shattered by things we would never have chosen. But our brokenness is also the source of our common humanity, the basis for our shared search for comfort, meaning, and healing. Our shared vulnerability and imperfection nurtures and sustains our capacity for compassion.”
— Bryan Stevenson
There is something touchingly tender in every instance of humanity in action be it in thoughts words or deeds.
Our humanity makes us touch the true purpose of our being alive .
Wouldn’t you think so?
Savvy
Self mastery is art of life living
In self control and self discipline
In discerning for the self
In dedicated focus
In balancing and regulating thoughts and emotions
On what matters most!
In the continuing battle
Between the heart and mind
Between feelings and logic
Of thoughts and emotions
Between expression of emotions
And restraint in rationality
Between thinking and doing
Often creating extreme experiences & situations.
If one can practice self control consistently…
One can master anything.
Savvy
Life presents new paths at every turn
Every now has new learnings.
The trick is to be present in this moment
To understand the evolving perspectives
To be one, with the changes that manifests
Be present. Be adaptable. Be receptive!
Savvy
Irony Of Middle Management
One of the common concerns of any scaling team is that while the stakeholders ensure themselves with a great set of leadership and they in turn recruit a battalion of teams under them to do the work, there is one lacuna…the chaos and confusion in the middle management!
The disenchanted middle management scenario is a result of widening gaps in communication and connection between the managers and themselves.
Often, great work done by the team goes without credit, buried under the hierarchy structure and lack of appreciation.
Second, despite ability in the teams and readiness to accomplish good work, there is a lot of confusion about what to do as there is no clarity passed on to them from their managers.
It is clearly indicative of how important it is for the leadership team to share the purpose of why they are doing what they do…and how the message needs to be passed on with the same passion to every member of the teams, no matter the number of layers adding up in the middle.
This is how you reinstate ownership and accountability, which is paramount to the efficiency of the teams.
Unfortunately, much of what is conveyed to the managers from the top in terms of the purpose is typically withheld from teams, for the manager may not personally value the significance of the message for teams reporting to them to understand. It becomes less and less significant in their discussions. And that is where a gamut of internal communications issues show up.
What will you do
When you do not have a purpose
You stop steering…
As there is no winds of motivation to sail your course.
In the case of the middle managers sandwiched in between, they soon have no sense of purpose, they are frequently found working in circles without direction.
They may seem busy doing mundane chores to fill their workdays, and go back home every day a little more disengaged and disconnected with the system.
In my professional career as a Consultant & having been involved in the organizational development up close, I have encountered such scenarios where the value of transparency in teams in their shared work as well as the vision & purpose of the leader is regularly lost in the daily rut of routine. Between filling forms and answering mails, much of the work today has become impersonal.
I believe the role of the middle management is crucial in managing change, for they can bridge the gap between expectations from the strategic objectives and key results set from the top to match with the speed and efficiency of actual day-to-day activities’ integration.
An engaged, informed, and knowledgeable middle management would mean a lot to the stability of a growing organization. It is a huge balancing act between managing to sustain through the changes and managing policies practices and procedures ensuring compliance and come away stronger.
It is important for the key stakeholders to have a conversation that sets clarity on the value for the middle management in the system and expectations from them.
They need to know how much interconnected they actually are in driving changes. They also need to become more self-aware and understand the intricacies of working beyond biases and prejudices that may come along while they understand the power structure of their respective organization.
Beyond good communication skills, they will have to develop their expertise in networking with their seniors as well as their teams.
The responsibility on the middle management is demanding as the role is expanding to include the implementation of changes in the system as well as managing the cultural changes.
This can happen best when the senior management is aware of the challenges faced by the middle management, like time in planning to execution. They can best help fasten this process by direction support and feedbacks while realizing the strategic value of the middle managers.
Every level of management is intrinsically interwoven and important to the whole. In recognizing their individual strengths as well working in the spirit of collaboration, teams begin to evolve.
What do you think of the prevailing practices at work?
Savvy Raj
Logically
There is always a reason
For things as they are
For people to be who they are
For time to be as is
So dont worry!
Just be happy…
Savvy
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