Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


1 Comment

Life lessons

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.


1 Comment

Kindsight

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


1 Comment

For the love of dance!

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


1 Comment

Be this alive…

Just dance.

And feel this alive!

Savvy


1 Comment

Purpose of Art

Art is meant to align us.

The true purpose of an artform is found in the aligning with the universal consciousness . 

Savvy Raj


1 Comment

Life lessons

Life lessons
( Translated by my mother from tamil forward)
The 9 laws of Karma

  1. Whatever we do in this Universe will come back to us.
  2. Nothing will come to us by itself. We have to work to get what we need.
    3 when we learn to accept certain things then only change will happen.
    4 when we change ourselves Life will also transform.
    5 We should realise that we only are responsible for whatever happens in our life.
  3. Past, Present and Future all are interconnected.
    7 We cannot think of two things at the same time.
  4. Our behaviour should reflect our thoughts and actions
  5. If we keep on thinking the past, the present will pass without living it.

Let there be peace and happiness everywhere. Let all prosper and live a fulfilling life.


3 Comments

Lightness of being

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.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6999002048583147520-3ShF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

Beautiful to witness

The ways of nature

Sometimes maneuvering

At times adjusting.

But mostly thriving.

No matter the odds.

Savvy


3 Comments

On Opportunity

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


1 Comment

On Freedom

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


1 Comment

Your choice!

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


5 Comments

Self Mastery

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


3 Comments

On Changes

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


1 Comment

Art of Management

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


1 Comment

Its Logical!

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


5 Comments

Acknowledge as is!

Today morning I happened to read my mother’s musings… which was written back in time on life. I share it here for I think it comes across as a relevant reminder for a pause in reflection.

No one is without faults.
To err is human, to forgive is divine.
Perfection in our speech, appearance, behaviour & habits are all our wants. But is it possible? Being wrong, doing wrong things, saying inappropriate words,-intentionally or not -is all in our nature. Do we realise, we too can be wrong sometimes , before pointing others.
Forgiving, if not forgetting is also in
in our nature. But how many of us are ready to do that. It is because of our ego and pride, putting ourselves first, comes before everything.
There is a proverb in Tamil. ” Even elephants can slip. ” How much ever perfect, one tends to be, mistakes happen many ways knowingly or unknowingly. If we keep this in mind , forgiving others, accepting people with their faults becomes easier.
Each is born & brought up differently. Values & principles change as per their culture , beliefs, situations and circumstances. Being stubborn & sticking to our thoughts , narrows our outlook of the world.
When we widen our spectrum, understanding & accepting others as they are, becomes much easier.
When we shift our perspective a little & start looking from other’s eyes, our shortcomings will become visible. Let’s be true n honest in our judgements.
We all need to co exist . Criticism, unless asked, distances us. Instead of accusations , appreciation & acknowledgement will bring us closer to each other. After all peace is what all of us want.
Above all we all are born with different nature by birth which is hard to change. We cannot change the stripes of a zebra. Acceptance & adjustment to a certain level is the road to peaceful co- existence.
So to have good relationships
Forget.
If not forgive
Accept
If not adjust.
We need not be divine. But need not be fault finders too. As fellow human beings , with erring in our nature, let’s all strive to live peacefully & happily acknowledge each other as they are.

Anjana