Have you seen the whales breach
In such confidence they soar upward
They even maneuver a twirl
And fall back in complete trust
In the support of the water below.
How beautiful an example can mother nature give
Of unfolding grace in trust and confidence
Much of our lifes story can be just as beautiful.
When it is in a flow like that
When we rise in success with faith
Being completely confident of our purpose
When we surrender in complete unflinching trust
Knowing there is support and love flowing in the roots.
Why are humans rising and touching the stars?
Why are we progressing phenomenally
Yet why are we crash landing at times?
Why are we failing?
While it is the faith in ourselves that may take us upwards
Bu the lack of trust and support for one another brings us down.
Perhaps we need to learn from water
How to be flexible in its fluidity.
To be adaptable in its buoyancy
And then we too can rise again with every fall.
For inspite of every ability we have …
Support from our family and friends
Matter more than we know!
Wouldn’t you agree?
When you have faith in your roots then every leap of faith is of a trustful knowing
That no matter how far you reach you have a home to come back to!
“A tree nowhere offers a straight line or a regular curve, but who doubts that root, trunk, boughs, and leaves embody geometry?”
~George Iles
The above collage of artworks is based out of one of my photographs of this adorable tree I pass by every time, during my walks in Rennes France. I then enhanced my photo digitally and I am sharing the artworks out of my photography of this tree. I am always amazed how this tree would look different during different times of the day. And the changing weather would make it a treat to capture. While I clicked the pictures I couldn’t help notice the play of light on the tree and how its autumn leaves would shine through.
Sometimes there is no logic,
It is just the nature of being.
It may seem like just any other tree but for me this beautiful tree lives in my heart forever.
We as humans of the so called evolved societies with education and global experiences and connects on our sides are often the ones who take the most time to smile at one another as humans traveling in the same journey of life, let alone share a laugh in the open. I wonder why?
We live within boundaries for our own safety which is good for our protection and yet it robs us of our freedom to live life.
We are always so careful in looking to put our best foot forward that we lose the joy of spontaneity.
Our life is controlled by our own doings that we throw ourselves into little boxes every day and night and we forget what it feels to think feel and sense beyond the box literally.
And sadly those who do are ridiculed for being the odd one out.
True freedom is unshackling the self from these chains of false convictions…of how to be. And just be.
Oh beautiful piece of sky!
Lighting our heart with liberty!
Forage in us the spirit of freedom.
Let us breath in the beauty of openness.
Let us witness the ethereal light across the horizon.
Let us rejoice in your dance of abundance.
May you bless us every day
Painting our hearts with hope.
And let us live in love.
In gratitude and good energies.
In a world that is literally shrinking globally, In a world where respect for cultural diversity, Is paramount to humanity. In a world where inclusivity is a necessity, In a world where businesses are adopting empathy driven approaches. In a world where love, kindness and faith is needed much more than ever, In a world that is changing states quo…
There is need for all of us to come together. There is need to value connections. There is need to understand each others vulnerabilities. There is need to be inclusive in the diversity.
When we move beyond the I And envision the Us When we see the world as ours than mine. When we care to collaborate together, In mutual respect of the differences When we acknowledge the strength of unity in the diversity. When the, Me and Myself Shifts to Us beyond the Mine.
Artic Circle Rovaniemi Santa Claus Village. Image Credits Deepa Rajesh
The world will evolve for the better of all. Let’s know, how interweaved we are! For that’s where our true strength lies In this very interconnectedness. No matter the distance of space or time. So, in a world where it is right now There is no room for the I, Me & Myself anymore.
A true story I came across which is worth reading…
“I boarded flight from Bangalore to Mumbai, economy class. I put my hand bag in overhead bin and took my aisle seat. There was an old person sitting next to me on the window seat.
I had a presentation in Mumbai, so took my documents and started going through them for the final time before the presentation. After 15–20 minutes I was done with my documents, so I put them away and started looking out of the window, and suddenly I looked at the face of this person sitting next to me. I thought I have seen him somewhere.
He was old, his face, the suit was not very expensive, and he was replying to some mails or going through some documents. I exactly don’t know. I noticed his shoes, they were average quality.
Something stuck me and I asked him:
*“Are you Mr. Narayana Murthy?”*
He looked at me, smiled and replied, *“Yes, I am.”*
I was shocked !
For one second I had no idea what to say next. I looked at him again. His shoes, his suit, his tie and his specs. Everything was average. This guy was worth $2.3 Billion and co-founded Infosys.
I always wanted to become super rich so that I can buy all the luxury and travel business class. He could buy the whole airlines and yet he was sitting next to me in economy class!
I again asked: *“Why are you travelling in economy class and not business class?”*
He replied:
*“Do Business class people reach early?”*
And then introduced myself, “Hello sir! My name is ***** and I am a freelance corporate trainer and I work with many MNCs PAN India.”
He then put his phone away and started listening to me, he also asked few questions and answered the questions I asked. We both went down deep into the conversation until I asked a question which was about to change my life entirely.
I questioned:
*Sir, You are so successful and have made so many good decisions in your life. Is there something you regret?”*
He got intense look on his face, thought for a while and answered,
*“Sometimes my knee hurts, I should have taken better care of my body. When I was young I was so busy working that I never got time to take care of myself and now even if I want to work more, I can’t. My body doesn’t permit.”*
*“You are young. You are smart and ambitious but don’t repeat the mistake I made. Take proper care of your body and take proper rest. This is the only body you have got!”*
That day I learned two things, one that he told me and another that he showed me!”
Being rich is not about owning things.
I had got what I needed.
What a great and down to earth human being he is, no doubt he is so successful!
There are many types of feedbacks given and solicited in a typical corporate environment.
In the art of management the topic of critical appraisals and sharing feedbacks is a nerve wracking process on both sides. For the truth is feedbacks at work take not only a whole lot of in- depth analysis, but it takes courage and common sense deliver. And often they can be the toughest of conversations to have.
Are you feeling uncertain about how to confront a feedback session.At work there will be time where you might have faced a feedback session .
If you have been the one who is giving feedback to your team or a member of your team here are six tips that can help you master the art of giving feedbacks.
Prepare
Keep the perspectives clear of what was expected and agreed upon earlier and the issues that is evident. Give a clear picture of what has been observed to the receiver. Remember you are addressing the work issues, dont get personal.
Proper time and place
Ensure you are slotting a feedback time that is mutually least distracting.
This will ensure there is the required focus and necessary attention to the discussion at hand.
Ask and listen well
Contrary to what is understood about feedbacks time the reviewer needs to hear more and speak less often to deliver objective feedbacks to resolve issues.
Avoid letting your own ego from taking too much space. Instead Inquire more into why certain things are not going well. Speak less ask more open ended questions and let them speak and ask for feedbacks and own up to their mistakes. That way you will not be crushing egos but resolving issues you are facing as a team .Avoid bombarding. Be empathetic but assertive.
Sandwich
Choose your words and sentences well.Feedbacks and critical analysis involves being mindful of the words you choose and conveying the criticism in a well meaning way so that you are not directly attacking the receiver. This will ensure they are able to digest and understand what is going wrong and not stagnate by becoming defensive.
Remember it is not a war of egos and ensure you avoid making it one .
Be clear & concise
Vagueness is not going to resolve anything. Be objective in your feedback . If someone is a perpetual latecomer then mention specifically how many times they are late in the last month .
This will make them more accountable and lead to ownership and better productivity at work.
See the Bigger Picture
When you giving feedback address the issue and do not attack the person’s character. Try your best to see things in the larger frame . Avoid being petty and leave your own ego aside before you begin.Remind yourself always to envision the bigger picture. And remember that it is not personal.
Feedbacks in general can be a very valuable tool for companies.and there are many types of feedbacks.
Have you given or received feedbacks recently.
What are your expectations and experiences on feedbacks?
The above clip is my dedication to my dear mother. They are a compilation from her own set of artworks dated around 55 years back in time or more.
The reason I share this is to encourage people to see possibilities in creativity and how it can soulfully connect us all, through creative enrichments.
To give you the background…my mother had and still has a fine sense of design and her drawings always had an artistic flow. But unfortunately the daily grind of life and living took its toll and art and creativity was pushed into the background perhaps not realizing the innate talents. But the truth is, a lot happens in appreciation than in indifference.
So her skills were lying untapped and unrecognized. In time as I grew up and while on a visit to my maternal grandparents home in the village, I chanced upon her collection of drawings and paintings stacked in the attic gathering dust in complete ignorance.
The moment I saw them I knew they have to be brought out to see the light of the day… although sadly it was personally disheartening, to see many of the beautiful pieces made on paper, crackling and crumbling in time.
I brought them back with me to the city and took pictures of what was left of it and tried to salvage it piecing them together.
By then I was encouraged by friends and relatives who saw and deeply appreciated them too.
I hit upon the idea of creating a video clip using technology to enhance her original design sense. Yes, they are not as good as her original artworks, for technology is way too perfect to bring out the joy of uniqueness in the human hand.
Yet it is my humble attempt to value the time spent in creating by her own hand with the limitations of the resources available to her in those times.
There are far too many paintings, so I pieced them like a kaleidoscope of sorts to get a sense of her artistic endeavours.
Many times we fail to see the hidden talents in our loved ones. We relate with them for years and hardly know the depth of who they truly are.
Art has a way of bringing out the brilliance of the light within us by bridging gaps in our understandings but also opening new perspectives of thinking.
Today is the day I was born, and one of the ways I choose to celebrate it, is by dedicating this post to my dear mother Anjana.
Thank you, mom, for the beauty you create, being who you are! God bless.
Choose well You are way better way more, Than what you think & understand of you. There is much that only you can choose to do. Choose to live your life lovingly! Choose to be purposeful! Choose empathy than criticism. Choose self respect and freedom to be.
The faster you understand yourself And accept being who you truly are, And choose to better yourself to be the best version of yourself… The closer you are to being truly happy!
Love makes you hear music, you have never heard before,
Love makes your steps look like a dance.
Love makes your heart flutter in abandon.
Love makes you see the truth of beauty in the ordinary.
Love is the gift of grace from your soul.
Be in love. Be in love
With yourself and the world around.
And make both a better place to be in.
Life throws curveballs at you when you least expect. Sometimes it may be your own expectations that are set high. Simply adjust your attitude to life and let go of unnecessary expectations.
Choose instead, to keep the faith, trust in yourself and hope for the better.
Life begins to shape up differently.
When you are feeling downhill When you are feeling demoralized When you feeling disappointed When you feeling demotivated
Just remember everything is meant to change.
What is today lasts not forever. What is hurting today will become a faint memory in time. What seems to be important will lose its significance. What is stressful will begin to ease in time.
When the odds are too high They must even out soon enough. Trust time to keep moving Have faith, for one makes way for the other.
Savvy Raj 
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