I wrote this piece with regards to so many entrepreneurial spirits and their enterprise who catapult to fame and recognition and 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
So 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 doubly 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 fear
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
Its 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 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 disapproving eyes on you
One slip is a sure fire miss and costs a lot!
Watch your every step and 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.
Have you had moments
Where you have nothing to feed your soul
Except your own listless mind.
Have you experienced days when minutes seem like hours?
When every second drags endlessly
Have u wished you were somewhere else far away from the familiar
Just to see what that might rustle up?
Have you longed to dance with unknown
To sense the spectrum of what lies ahead.
Have you felt the days come and go
Bringing nothing but monotony?
Have you wondered if this is the will of God
That you must endure with no one to share.
Have you wanted to dance in the wind,
Be free as a feather and flow light and easy?
Without freedom we are stifled souls
With nothing to look forward
Suppressed emotions all bottled within
Rebellion bursting at the seams
A breakdown awaiting itself.
Feeding the soul
Begins with freeing the soul
Unshackling it from self limitations.
Of fear and repression.
Freedom is that which frees up the spirit of the soul.
Enthuses enterprise and initiative.
Values expression & creative spirit
To honor the life in the being.
When dance lessons are adapted to suit the requirements of a specific group there is greater relevance in dance education and its application.
Here are 6 Valuable Tips while conducting Adapted Dancing workshops.
1. Empathetic Communication
Communication is a very important part of any dance education. Especially so in dance workshops in special groups. When addressing a session it is important to keep a clear and empathic tone to establish a sense of connection and care. Whatever the language of communication maintaining appropriate eye contact provides the necessary connect of being spoken to in the session.
2. Simplicity of Steps
Breaking a pattern to teach by dividing it into simple steps or simplifying it all for every one by choosing easy to do steps makes it more relatable.
In case of dancers with balance issues it is necessary to initially modify / alter steps or reduce directional changes to suit these parameters and progress from there.
Ideally starting of with simply the foot work without working on the arm movements helps focusing on learning one thing at a time. The progression must be gradual in time.
Photo& Artwork credits Savvy Raj
3. Matter of Repetitions.
It is necessary to do a number of repetitive movements of the same steps in order for the muscle memory to form. Hence repetition helps more than switching to other movements.
Depending on the groups capacity to continue taking a pause, interspersed with explanation or some motivation in between is also a good idea so that it does not get too challenging or monotonous.
4. Ease ofFormations
There are different dance formations like the square circle and line etc. However conducting the dance workshop in circular formation is known to bring about a sense of community.
Adapting other dances creatively to this formation initially helps when the participants can see the instructors movements in the center.
5. Slower Music
Besides choosing slow songs even decreasing the tempo of the music aids in keeping up with the music Especially for new group of dancers and dancers with special needs.
6. Value ofInclusiveness
Most importantly ensuring everyone in the group is feeling included and addressed to, is very positively impactful.
Coaching another and transferring skillsets is an art.
Make sure to be responsible for the life entrusted to you to mould.
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?
