Blending in If you visit a new place as a tourist Would you prefer to blend in Such that you are almost invisible… Or would you be someone Who would prefer to be noticed, For your differences And draw attention of others
Being able to blend in can often be a blessing in disguise. As you look like you have been there and are aware of their ways of life. You don’t stick out like a sore thumb. Or behave as if you are out of place. You tend to draw less attention perhaps, but there in is your safety in new locales. You are adaptable and accepting of the new culture. For some it’s really easy For some it’s truly difficult For they are by nature noticeable Whether they like it or not!
What is your take on this… Have you ever tried to blend in or stand out from the crowd
How has your experiences of traveling been so far ? Do share.
When progress is a possibility Perfection is a fleeting moment. An idealistic illusion perhaps of what’s in the offing. There is always scope for more For no one can be perfect all the time and in everything. Growth is about progress, not perfection. As perfection is constricting, Whereas progress is liberating. Perfection may be sensed and applauded every once in a while. But it is progress which gives a confidence through continuous improvement.
True sense of balance is achieved. In aiming for perfection, but in realizing it is an unending journey of progress. In knowing while there is always more without discounting achievements.
Perfection of any kind is like the tight rope walking performer The mere fraction of second when moments seem perfectly orchestrated with no lose of Balance Glimpses of perfection are points of motivation And progress is about a never-ending journey of improvements For life goes on…
Some times as you read you pause in reflection, to ponder over the memories and to sense the meaning just one more time …
Here is one such read …
There are perhaps no days of our childhood that we lived as fully as the days we think we left behind without living at all: the days we spent with a favourite book. Everything that filled others’ days, so it seems, but that we avoided as vulgar impediments to a sacred pleasure — the game for whose sake a friend came looking for us right at the most interesting paragraph; the bothersome bee or sunbeam that forced us to look up from the book, or change position; the treats we had been forced to bring along but that we left untouched on the bench next to us while above our head the sun grew weaker in the blue sky; the dinner we had to go home for, during which we had no thought except to escape upstairs and finish, as soon as we were done, the interrupted chapter — our reading should have kept us from perceiving all that as anything other than obtrusive demands, but on the contrary, it has graven into us such happy memories of these things (memories much more valuable to us now than what we were reading with such passion at the time) that if, today, we happen to leaf through the pages of these books of the past, it is only because they are the sole calendars we have left of those bygone days, and we turn their pages in the hope of seeing reflected there the houses and lakes which are no more.
There is something endearing about dancing with a partner, it’s the power to attract another magnetically and charmingly interact with another’s energy and spirit through dance movement.
A prerequisite to dancing well is one’s ability to take an emotional journey and open oneself and to share and connect to another’s energies .This is what engages the audience and keeps them enthralled. It’s beyond the physicality of steps, patterns, touch, or even the right dance hold or dance frame. It’s in the ability to dance with space, time, yet in complete awareness of one another’s heart of movement.
I had an opportunity to experience this just the other day when I witnessed all of this and more in Rohini (my mother’s friend actually) a family friend of many years .
I have known her to be a simple religious and a happy go lucky person who also may have been through much personal turmoil like so many others but yet has managed a cheerful disposition every time I met her.
Her characteristic sunny nature would never give away the strife behind the smile. The occasion was her 25 th wedding anniversary that I got invited to , and as we reached the venue the couple were at the dais, very understated , a picture of simplicity & composure.
The evening took off, with all their close friends having some wonderful and touching things to say about them both.
There was a small dance floor which soon got filled up with people who were initially hesitant As the music filled the air many more of us started getting into the groove and dancing. And then I saw her, it was her in her element, dancing from her heart and soul. It was fantastic to see her energetic dancing in full display for the all to see , Her ever calm and composed husband seemed mesmerized by all the fun moves she did .
In fact everyone was charmed by her passion and for that moment I realized just then that her joyful dancing soul had peeped out from the depths of it all.
Kudos to her for keeping the spirit of dancing alive in her through all these years .God bless!
Dancing from the heart always counts more than perfection of steps. And that’s the ultimate challenge… To keep the mind open, ready, receptive, giving and simple enough, to dare to step out of comfort zones.
Sharing these inspiring lines… You are not what happened to you You are how you handle it.
What makes you handle life’s challenges well? What is that in you that makes you bridge over troubled waters? What makes you sail through your troubles? It is your own faith, trust,belief and most importantly hope that keeps you alive. For hope is unending!
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.
Saw this post and I was struck by the truth of these words.
In fact what made me post this is that I have carried this exact feeling of being truly alive whenever I have danced.
In fact I had captured it years ago in a set of verses dedicated to dance and the way I feel about it .I had summarized it to this very same concept of being alive.
Am sure if there are other dancers reading this post they would agree,
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!
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 
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