Wednesday, November 30, 2011

SUCCESS = Blessings of Shakti!


Whenever I read newspapers or watch electronic media, there are stories about physical and psychological abuse of women. It pains me to read that women are abused across the globe. The abuse is not only carried out by men but also by other women. The abuse not only happens in the poorest part of the globe or society but also in the developed world. Those responsible for these mistreatments are not only illiterate, but also well educated. I feel shameful of humanity’s treatment to women.

Since my childhood, I have experienced the amazing power of women. This is why Hinduism refers to women as ‘Shakti’, the creative power of life-force energy. Shakti to me is the living power of the goddess, and every woman being a manifestation of that power, is extremely sacred to me. For a moment let’s keep aside spiritual reasoning and just think of the woman’s role in the man-woman partnership. A man is incomplete without a woman. A woman contributes in numerous ways to a man’s success. Thus, she helps fulfill the very purpose of life.

Shakti has always played a significant role in my life and taken me to the stage where I am today. She has always nurtured and supported me in my quest for success. All these years, I have received enormous blessings of Shakti. In fact, the more I respect and adore Shakti, the more I am blessed in my pursuit of being useful to family, friends, society, and of course humanity at large. Her blessings have injected in me a potential to overcome any obstacle and achieve almost every single goal.    

Women who truly manifest Shakti are natural and more in tune with existence. As a result, they never lose contact with their heart and others’ heart. It is in this sense I strongly believe that women are major contributors of emotions and empathy. Thus, every contact I have had with women has transformed me into a stronger individual capable of working towards fulfilling the true purpose of life thus being useful to humanity. 

Thus, to me SUCCESS = blessings of Shakti!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

SUCCESS = Power of Gratitude!


Last weekend, I invited some of our friends over for dinner. During the course of discussion, we drifted towards the topic of arrogance, its nature and level in various communities across the globe. This sparked a thought in my mind: if arrogance is needed or required at all?  How about transforming an attitude of arrogance one of gratitude! 
 
I remember reading somewhere that an “attitude of gratitude” is a good attitude to have. Being grateful more often makes us happier and more optimistic as it affects our body, mind and soul. Expressing our gratitude to all that we have been blessed with brings humility, which is essential to make further progress in our pursuit of success. I think this type of attitude is especially needed as there is always someone out there with less, and in a worse situation with unbearable obstacles. We should be thankful for everything in our lives. Remember, there is someone who is hungry while you are relishing the very best food. There is someone who is homeless while you are living in a luxurious home. There is someone who is sick while you are healthy. Thus, I feel we need to be grateful for every moment we have. The best news is that being in grateful does not require time and money.  All it requires is an attitude of being grateful. 

Many assume being grateful means being submissive. This is a misconstrued idea that keeps us far from being thankful for life and what life offers us. Gratitude improves a person’s productivity and leads him/her towards the desired success. The reason I feel ‘gratitude brings success’ is because with gratitude a person can attract what he/she wants. Whenever a person is consciously aware of his/her blessings and grateful for them, he/she is more focused. 

Gratitude improves relationships with all those we come in contact with. In childhood, we have all been taught that saying “Thank you” is good manners. However, this is an extremely powerful tool in building the most productive, mutually beneficial and long-standing relationships. Gratitude further reduces any  negativity we possess or are likely to be influenced by. It is hard to be negative about your situation when you are thinking about things for which you are grateful. In fact, being grateful is the best way to improve your mood or outlook. 

Gratitude also improves problem-solving skills as it opens our mind to new possibilities and connections. It helps in looking at problems as opportunities rather than challenges. Lastly, I feel being grateful helps us to learn. 

Having said this, why aren’t we thankful for life and what it offers us and people we interact with? The answer is quite simple: gratitude is an attitude, it is a choice, and it is a habit. However, not many of us make this as a choice and practise it. Whenever a person consciously practices being grateful for the people, situations and resources around us, we begin to attract better relationships and results. 

Thus, SUCCESS = Power of Gratitude!