Letting go as 2011 gets nearer

HOW TO LET GO & GROW
I was reading some articles and here is a summary of some of them. In the next two to three days, let me cover them and give you the links to the sites.

When you have to get over it, a lot of times it feels impossible. Realize that part of what hurts is not reality. It's the pain of losing the picture you've kept creating in your own mind of how wonderful things would have been.
CHOOSE to create different pictures. Be positive and listen to positive songs such as Listen to Mariah Carey's A Hero. Always remember that pain is necessary and suffering is optional. It's always YOUR choice.
Happy people let go of old emotional baggage.
What is old emotional baggage?
Old baggage is emotional stuff we carry around with us for days, months or years. It is usually negative like old hurts, resentments, anger or some kind of pain inflicted by another person. It can also be just carrying around some old guilt, failure or fear.
Why do people hold on to all of these old feelings? Everyone moves through life with their own very personal agendas, needs and life issues. Old baggage starts to feel very comfortable after a while, so comfortable as a matter of fact many people die never able to let go of these hurts, slights and pain.
There is one very good reason to let go of all of this baggage. One of the major causes of stress today is suppressed emotions that fester in the body taking their eventual toll on some aspect of our physiology. One of the biggest causes of stress today is all of this old baggage. So why let it go? It may kill you if you don't.

Habits

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

Leadership

Last night, I was there at the Sime Darby Lecture series with my colleague Subra to listen to Prof Ram Charan, renowned author and former Harvard Professor. Simple message: Leaders work on their basics just like athletes do. And, they are not shy of hiring people who are more clever than them.

Wellness

I read a wonderful piece by A R Samson in the Town & Country, a Philippines magazine. The article on Social Graces: Vintage Years emphasised the simple truth that age serves as a kind of social boundary, much like milestones on the way to a destination.

• Twelve when airlines charge you full fare
• Sixteen to get a driver’s license
• Eighteen when you can vote
• Twenty one for males and twenty three for females when you can marry without parental consent
• Thirty when you are no longer a whiz kid
• Forty when life is supposed to begin but passes by un-remarked
• Forty five when you are certified middle age no matter how you dress
• Sixties when you are eligible for senior citizen status and discounts

Wellness and happiness comes from accepting yourself, whatever age you are. The ultimate test of wellness is equanimity and avoiding the stress of trying to become what you cannot be. It’s fine to be greedy but more important is the acceptance of the gift of life.

Aamir Khan's Three Idiots

Aamir or Rancho as he is known in the film is a true Rainbow Creator.

I watched this lovely film today with my family. Enjoyed it immensely. The message do what you are passionate about and follow your heart resonated with me.

Become an engineer if you desire so, become a photographer if you desire so not because of parental or peer pressure.

All is Well were three most powerful words I took away from the film.

My name is Khan

I watched Sharukh Khan's movie, I was so touched by the story line. My family enjoyed it too. The film is about an autistic person but who said such a person cannot create a perfect world for others.

He shows you to be yourself, taught me so much about what prejudices mean. I only wish every American Caucasian gets to see this film. The country that elected a non Caucasian to the country's highest office must be proud of this movie.

It helps erase so much of the prejudices prevailing about Muslims and clearly communicates you cannot stop someone from showering their love and goodwill for you.

A wonderful movie. Just made me sit up and recognise what I should be doing for the needy every day of my life.

Creating a perfect world

Mahatma Gandhi remarked that we must be the change we wish to see in this world.
Yet, we expect others to change but not us.

The world may not be a perfect place but there are huge opportunities for us to create a perfect world for at least some if not all the people. We can touch people’s lives if only we stop for some time in our busy lives and take notice of what is happening in the world. This requires personal change, a personal commitment and a resolve to do things differently.

If we just look around, we see numerous problems that we wish will go away. Problems stubbornly persist despite all our good intentions. Just take the Haiti earthquake or the one in Indonesia; what do we do more than just think about it for a few minutes. It is strange that other than a few minutes of sadness, most of us just go about our lives in a routine way. We take many things for granted. This largely arises from the thought that what can an individual do.

Mahatma Gandhi started the Indian independence movement; Mohamed Yunus started the micro credit revolution. They did not expect others to change; they initiated the change stemming from the belief that they can do something substantial to make the world a better place.

In our work with people to develop them into Rainbow Creators, we work on the principle:

Recognize you can make a difference

My friend and colleague Scott Friedman talks about creating a perfect world. He says this starts from recognising that you can create a perfect world for your loved ones and the communities you desire to serve. This is my 2010 goal.

How can I create a perfect world for my family, colleagues and society in my own way?

What can I do to touch people’s lives?