An old man meets a young man who asks: “Do you remember me?” And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks: “What do you do, what do you do in life?” The young man answers: “Well, I became a teacher.” “ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man. “Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.” The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story: “One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it. I stole it, I took it out of his pocket. Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you. Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student’s watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’ I didn’t give it back because I didn’t want to. You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle. You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found. However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed. We did as instructed. You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone’s pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’ You didn’t tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life. But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson. I received your message clearly. Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do. Do you remember this episode, professor? The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn’t remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’ This is the essence of teaching: If to correct you must humiliate; you don’t know how to teach “
In continuation to my earlier post on trust I share a few verses that flowed along…
Trust is the lifeline Between people That keeps hope alive In faith and belief That things will come through In trust life resurrects And success sustains In feeling fulfilled.
A lack of trust Erodes relationships Personal or professional For when trust is broken Efforts become meaningless For sense of purpose is lost Without trust Every thing crumbles… Until trust is gained Nothing matters.
I gave myself permission to feel and experience all of my emotions. In order to do that, I had to stop being afraid to feel. In order to do that, I taught myself to believe that no matter what I felt or what happened when I felt it, I would be okay. Iyanla Vanzant
I love this powerful quote. It speaks to me of the strength within. Of valuing every emotion and it’s expression for what it is.
And most of all the strength of self belief in self assurance that all is well no matter what happens. It helps to be in touch with your feelings and make it your friend.
Whatever you feel is a way of channelizing your emotions. It heals you through expressions. It helps to acknowledge your emotions.
As you understand your emotions and feelings you become more self aware in life’s situations. It gives you the necessary strength and intelligence to tide through the rough times.
When your self-belief is strong, and faith is deep, nothing can rock your boat.
Unconference, the word piqued my curiosity for a while until I checked it up on the internet, only to find that the idea has gained tremendous momentum across the globe.
The idea of un-structuring the ingrained structure seemed interesting to say the least, in creating spaces and possibilities to honour the learning.
Suffice to say recently, when I came across an Unconference event in the local newspaper I decided I must make a visit.
The venue of this Unconference was the well known Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts in Pune. I reached just in time for the proceedings to untold.
A customary registration ensued and I was greeted by a few volunteers with a relaxed warm and welcoming attitude. Clearly, the Unconference had started right there.
The word Conference kind of stiffens people up. There is a formal attitude, a thick air of competition to perform at their very best. There are fees and strict rules to adhere to. There are super busy organisers scurrying through and tension is writ large on their faces and their bodies as well are stressed out with expectations of the outcome of the event. Suited men and women whizz through looking super important. And yes there would be a Chief Guest of honour and a coterie of important people who need VIP handling… Adherence to their whims and fancies and most importantly their speeches which may or may not be of interest to any. But all must endure as to get up and leave is an offence to the speaker.
On the contrary here, there was a prevalent free-spirited feeling in the first place that all were in it together. The sense of community always takes time to build so I stood in that room with a small group of people waiting for the (informal introductory practice,) the opening circle.
The Opening Circle :
Someone from the group had taken an initiative to design a pretty pattern made of flowers in the centre of the space and light a lamp there.
A few introductory rounds later which turned out to be icebreakers with a few games to let loose and get into the flow.
There was a board set up with a mention of few rooms and a time slot to boot. The participants were encouraged to choose to attend or conduct workshops or just wander around and network.
A few people got up to mention their workshops and claim their slot. On a moment’s impulse although I was not exactly in the right attire for a dance workshop I simply decided to go with the flow and offered a Dance connection workshop by me.
Encouraged by a decent number of participants I let the moment take the lead. As I began teaching I witnessed the flow of the energy in the exchange.
I spoke about the dance, hold, frame and positioning and started introducing them to partner dancing and some basic steps. Bit by bit people shed inhibitions as they were getting tuned into the moves.
The moment strangers began to hold hands and face one another… for many, there was harmony to be found in the mirror imaging. For after all the lead and follow were simply an extension of each other dancing as one unit.
The energy in the room turned up a notch with the Achy Breaky Heart country cha sounds of Billy Ray Cyrus for company.
All started sensing the tuning in to the rhthymic expression of music & movement with their partners at that moment.
After the dance workshop I asked what they felt in that moment and here is what they shared immediately…
Sitting for long hours at work can be rather stressful for those who have sedentary work. In such cases taking good care of your feet health is very important for your heart and overall health.
What can you do besides wearing comfortable shoes, soaking your feet in warm salt water after work, massaging your feet from time to time.
However when at work you can incorporate a simple practice of taking a short walk every one hour to break monotony and reduce the impact of long hours of sitting in a chair.
As a Ballroom dance teacher I used some simple props for my students to help strengthen their feet.
Elevating your feet when ever possible, can reduce pressure on the blood vessels, lowering fatigue and release stress.
One is simply rolling a tennis ball under your feet for a few times in a day to release the strain and tension.
Another easy way is to have a small terry towel under your feet and to try to lift it by scrunching your toes.lt helps tone, stretch & ease your feet muscles.
They are both easy to carry and can help you do a feet workout as you work.
We are an ever growing circle Emerging through our words In the sharing we have grown We have eased into each other’s hearts We may not see one another ever But we have connected in mutual respect Of each others creativity. Though the power of words Comforted and understood Accepted and appreciated One another in our own little ways. For we all know the power of words That, one heartfelt word can change a day!
Thank you all for being here and hoping for a joyful journey ahead together for us all.
A memory rushed in through the photograph I chanced upon.
A decade or more back, I remember how I passionately volunteered to train seniors to dance at the local church in Mumbai. This photograph is a reminder of them praying together on my birthday.
And we celebrated with a cake…
I knew not them beyond the Dance class.
They knew not me beyond the dance
But this motley crew of seniors
Made me feel very special
On my birthday and on every Monday too.
The day of their dance class.
Meet we would at 6 pm sharp
Without fail come what may…
These warm and courteous seniors were always on time….
These simple unassuming souls
Somehow etched their place in my heart.
Will cherish the memories forever
I thank them for trusting me & having me around.
And more importantly for the kind prayers & blessings.
I wrote this piece with respect for so many entrepreneurial spirits and their enterprise. Who catapult to fame and recognition but then often find themselves unable to sustain themselves. And the heart-wrenching truth is that not all have the resilience and the capability to bounce back.
But life is a circle and change is the order of nature.
In the toughest of rounds
Keep the faith and patience
And trust time to show the way…
Ladders that lead
The climb is a chase, but the fall is steep.
So persevere on beyond just the achievement.
Be tenacious in ascent & resilient in descent.
Ladders that lead you higher in the name of career success, fame and glory lead you to so much more than just that. As you climb each step gradually, you inch closer to your dreams.
You are chalking your life in every move. And then in the pinnacle of your success…
You realize you have reached your goal.
Here is the point of discernment
As you observe, check the signs around you
Are you ready to play the game of survival?
You will receive less warmth here than ever before.
Your colleagues will change their minds
Think twice before supporting you.
Fear not and keep on going
Stay mindful in the moment.
Ladders are meant to go up and down. If you have climbed up you must know to establish your survival modes else there is the ladder that brings you down.
But it’s twice much harder to bear, on the way down than the challenges you face on the way up.
What do you do when ladders do the disappearing act?
Sometimes the ladder vanishes
And there is no clear way to step down
Except for a blind leap of faith.
There may be darkness and uncertainty
Sadness and silence
Shame and blame
All devastating effects
Of loss and failure
Yet the trick is to go on
Correcting your ways
Learning from the experience
And letting go of past foibles.
Mistakes make you more aware
Hurt a little and you are cautious
In pain there is understanding
It’s what to watch out for!
Paths that may seem easy
May get you embroiled in complexities.
Watch yourself along the way
For the journey takes all of you!
You will encounter much support on the way up
But once you are catapulted into the halls of fame…
You will find many critics and judgments
From those watching with interest
How you are managing it from here.
With all those judgemental eyes on you
One slip is a sure fire miss and costs a lot!
Watch your every stepand move
For you are being followed
Here is where your resilience is tested!
Stay true to who are.
Look ahead as you trust yourself.
Paths can appear out of nowhere.✨🙏✨
The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration. Pearl S. Buck
Nurture life nurture living Care for one another Each of us need one another For we are not meant to be alone We are meant to live and love In this life we have. This world is meant to coexist.
If each of us take a step To reach out as humans To nurture life and living In love & compassion In empathy & care To be humane and inclusive As simple as checking With those closest to you. Asking them a single question Are you OK? And truly listen. Our actions can be transformative Sending a message of care. Making the world around us A whole lot better.
If you find someone lonely Reach out with this message In hope and trust in care.
Sharing this read of an impressive story of an Indian entrepreneur Dr Reddy and his dedicated pathways to success.
Any Success is a result of passion that makes you show up no matter what , patience in observing, listening, exploring and understanding. And perseverance to dedicatedly continue what you do as well think of how to sustain it forward.
When you arrive at being comfortable At ease no matter the seeking and the knowing At peace no matter the circumstances In equanimity in the wisdom of the interconnects You are awakening yourself… To the profoundness of you. In the subtlety of consciousness Resides the truth of it all.
Savvy Raj 
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