Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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Story of strength 

In Japan, a ten-year-old boy had a goal of becoming a judo champion.

However, he was disabled. He didn’t have a left arm.

Becoming a judo champion is a huge challenge even for those with strong arms and legs.

What could a boy without one arm do?

He approached many trainers.

All of them looked at him with pity and sent him back.

The boy didn’t lose heart. He kept trying.

Finally, one trainer agreed to teach him judo.

The training started. The trainer taught him only one move.

Days, weeks, and months passed. The trainer didn’t seem to teach him anything else. The boy got frustrated.

“Master, knowing just one move isn’t enough to become a judo champion. Will you teach me anything else?” he asked.

“If you master this one move, that’s enough,” the trainer replied.

There was no arguing with the trainer. The boy continued his practice.

He mastered that single move well.

The championship began!

First match: A well-trained opponent against this boy who knew only one move.

The match started. To the surprise of the audience, the boy won.

Second match: He won again.

He continued to advance and reached the semi-finals.

He struggled a bit but won that match too.

Now it was the final match.

His opponent was a multiple-time champion. He felt a bit of pity and some disdain for the boy without an arm. But the boy didn’t falter.

The match started. In the first round, the opponent knocked the boy down.

Seeing the boy’s condition, the audience was shocked. The organizers considered stopping the match.

“Let the boy fight,” said the trainer.

The opponent, now careless, thought he didn’t need any safety gear to fight this boy.

The boy executed the one move he knew with great force. The opponent fell.

The boy became the champion.

The audience couldn’t believe it, and the competitors were astonished.

Even the boy couldn’t believe his victory.

That evening, he asked his trainer.

“Master, how did I win this match? I won with just one move,” he said.

Smiling, the trainer replied, “There are two reasons for your success.”

First, you have mastered one of the most difficult moves in judo.

Second, the only way to counter that move is for the opponent to grab your left arm. But you don’t have a left arm!

“Your weakness turned into your strength and made you a champion!”

The boy marveled at the trainer’s words. He felt joy thinking about how his weakness had become his strength.

Each of our minds is a sea of talents. Diving into it can yield pearls or shells, depending on how long we hold our breath.

Every person is endowed with unique talents by God. Our success lies in discovering and utilizing them.


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Doing good anyway

Do good

And when you do

Think not of acknowledgement

Nor recognition

Do good

From the goodness of your heart

And you will find joy in it.

Make it a practice everyday

To do at least one good  deed .

And soon it will become a habit

That happens naturally

And just know

In time…

You will do good anyway

Savvy


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Valley of Reactivity

Between & betwixt  spaces

Of pause and activity

 In the thinking and doing

Overcome the challenges

Of the conflicts of being.

Move on from valleys of reactions

From impulsive actions

That stems from assumptions

Reach out in responsiveness

Being positively intentional

Leading to clarity

In the deeper listening.

Savvy


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Power of Poise

The silent language  of leadership.

Have you ever experienced how some people exude confidence in just their efforless presence? 

It isnt just about the words you speaks but how you show up .

And if you can imagine how the body posture influences the way you move when in alignment you will sense how you exude a quiet confidence flowing in every step you take. Like dancers  deportment,creating the art of presence. Quite akin to the silent language of leadership.

Here are a few insights on how  deportment influences leadership.

More than 55% of communication  is nonverbal and hence how you carry yourself speaks volumes without a word

Maintaining  a good posture  enhances confidence & authority thereby influences how others perceive leadership.

Composure & Presence

Dancers composure shapes their movements And while dance movement training builds poise it also enhances emotional intelligence & resilience all valuable traits for effective leadership.

Adaptability  is Power

Whether in a dance or in leadership situations with quick  decision taking & bouncing back in crisis the ability to move with  fluidity & grace in changes that come with the challenges in time defines success.

Energy speaks louder than words

Leaders, like dancers, must be fully engaged aware of their space, their audience, their message.

Self Check-in

How are you breathing in this now? Is your breath calm or  labored.?

What is your  attitude reflecting ?  Composure & confidence or  Confusion and nervous hesitation.

Power of Alignment

How about if the next time you step into a room you become aware of your posture the way you are carrying yourself?  And then intentionally align yourself.

After all, like dancing, leadership is consistent practice, not just a single performance.

Savvy Raj


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Be the catalyst of change

Just because  you can worry

Doesn’t mean you have to

For there is always a reason  to fret

But if you change your attitude

Shift your perspective

If you can  meet all that comes up

With a smile from the heart

Things just might fall in place

So keep seeing the good in all

And in yourself

Be the catalyst of change…

Savvy


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Embrace Silence

I am not a trained speaker, nor an expert story teller. In fact I am quite the antithesis for while I deeply enjoy conversing with people than speeches… I  have always liked my deeds than talks to show up for me .

And I have sensed the butterflies in my stomach and heard my own beating heart while speaking to a room full of people, many many  times in my life. 

Like they say, life makes you stand on the razors edge, as much as on varied stages to experience what it is to be  vulnerable, only to transform you.

But then I know I have it in me to ace it. After all, the power of my self belief and purpose has always stood out stronger than my vulnerabilities.

Time and time again I have realized how much it is all in our mind. The journey of life through the illusions, our delusions & revelations to the clarity in awareness.

In time I have often sensed that what makes you uncomfortable  has your deliverance. In those moments of vulnerability, there is latent strength to overcome the odds.

What seems like an uncomfortable pause…

Can be the reason why what you say is heard and understood.

For if you truly care to sense

For there is much power in the pause,

In the space between two words  two thoughts , two moments and two people.

It is waiting for awareness

Embrace the silence

Sense the power in the spaces.

Ease in to the pause

Listen more

Trust yourself

You will find yourself.

Savvy


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Walking in alignment

I walk across the golden sands,

Leaving footsteps of my memories

Flowing in faith across the lands

Celebrating life in the moments.

I sense something limitless

As I dare to share, the truth of me.

I touch the truth of my potential.

In the sensing,  in the  feeling and doing…

My body, heart & mind in alignment

Abundance manifests itself…

Savvy


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The mirror speaks

Has the fire died in me?

I ask, looking at the mirror

The mirror answered

Look again dear,

Perhaps you have missed

The simmering coal in your gaze

Like molten magma…

Perhaps tears you cried

haven’t dried as yet

Misting the view.

Am just a mirror dear

A reflection at best

But even a  mirror cannot miss

The smoldering eyes of passion

The demeanor that speaks

Of resilience no matter

The ravages of time.

Yet the warrior in you  burning bright.

The scars etched on your face

Are a testament of times

Of standing tall in adversity

As the storms passed by.

You ask, “Is the fire in you gone “

I say, I see them in all of you …

In your face and stance.

In all of your body, spirit and soul.

Speaking with all of you.

The fight is not over

As the day is not done.

I saw this line ‘the fire has died ‘ and I was inspired  to write this poem.

Your thoughts are welcome .

Savvy Raj


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Acknowledge

As humans we are always exploring and discovering  possibilities. Sometimes we understand  much in no time, and take the right steps, and at other times we mis the bus.

Acknowledge the wins  & the  misses.

Every step missed is brimming with a lesson.

If we choose to pay attention every failure teaches us something.

On where we want to be,

On how far we are, from where we want to go.

Question is are we ready to acknowledge  failure as  a part of the learning process?

Every success  can be attributed  to the  many experiences that may have had many lessons  and the effort taken to succeed. 

And if there is propensity  and determination to take the effort, there are many pathways  that lead us beyond failure. 

I like this saying by Mary Ash, I came across  recently which presents a fresh perspective on failure.

‘For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.’

Acknowledge where and how you are.

You will find your own path.

Savvy


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On Commitment

An interesting  quote on relationships  I read this morning…

The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it’s not without doubt but in spite of doubt.

Rollo May

As I reflected on the above words  a few thoughts came to me…

On life and relationships

Is there an interplay of doubt and commitment?

Is there commitment when in doubt?

What happens when doubt creeps in the committed?

Whenever they intersect there are conflicts

Whether at opposition or not

Both are in thoughts

Dashing from one extreme to another

At times contradicting at times rationalising

And returning back to apparent normalcy

When doubt dances in, commitment feels the burn

When commitment is strong, doubt rests on the back burner.

Have always felt there needs to be trust in a relationship as much as compromise else even the strongest of relationships fall apart.

What are your thoughts ? Do share.


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Oneness

True intelligence of humanity is in realizing the strength of the intetconnections.

It is the guide to all that we truly are made of .

Oneness of  spirit

Oneness in body

Oneness of mind

Aligns us in harmony

To live in tune

With the laws of nature.

Savvy


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Life & living

How do you navigate the challenges of life by staying practical?

Acknowledging changes by being adaptable  Yet standing up for what you believe,  and saying no assertively, when you want to say no, without fear and doubts of what people will say.

Staying humble and grateful  yet  dedicated & focussed , no matter the vagaries of life.

Being able to move on from errors or failures, without becoming stagnant.

Being kind to oneself with self care.

And then most  importantly allowing every failure to become stepping stones of learnings.

Savvy


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On Forgiveness

In our life

There are all kinds of times

Life can seem unforgettable

With myriad memories…

All is transient

Sometimes it seems unforgivable

And yet…

When you don’t feel like forgiving

You give yourself the choice

For you can choose to forgive

If you do so…

Your life also evolves for the better

Choose to let go the unpleasant

For it makes no sense to hold on.

Change awaits to make a positive difference.

Choose well and in time.

Savvy


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High heels any one?

Watch this… Quite self explanatory

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/playful-physics_wearing-high-heels-can-have-both-short-term-ugcPost-7250442966723371008-YJO4?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

As a Ballroom dance lover and teacher I have worn heels to teach, but in time I stopped wearing high heels.

While competition dances may have the specific shoes as a necessity, teaching people of all ages and  from all walks of life to dance, it becomes imperative to care to teach them to dance safe.

Dancing must be enjoyable not cumbersome . If you are the kind who would like a bit of heel , do  wear for you own joy once in a while ,but do take care of your feet in the longer run.

Many women wear heels to dance but pay a huge price in terms of their health especially if it’s  uncomfortable to them.

Over the years, I have been dancing  many Latin dances and  teaching them without high heels as I realise it’s just an accessory and not a necessity . There are many smooth soled shoes without  resorting to stilettos  which works out just fine, than high heels.

While many feel high heels gives confidence and gait which seems attractive  truly it’s just a commercial phenomenon.

 A great pair of dancing shoes  must support your feet and ankles, while moving in any directions and give a smooth momentum for your turns, flicks and swivels.

If you are a dancer or have danced in heels what are your experiences, do share.


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Haste makes waste

There is always time

Time never is lack

Lack of patience

Is lack of time management

In lack of time

There is hurry

To make things happen fast.

Without deliberation

Confusion and tension sets in

Building up pressure

Creating doubts & distress

In the lack of coordination

A recipe for hasty decisions

Creating more waste 

Of time, energy and resources

Along the way.

So think through

Haste not waste not.

Savvy