As part of my coaching practice, I often come across situations where a Client is in a blissfully happy state and wants to stay in that state forever. Who doesn’t want to? But for some reason that state doesn’t last. Here’s what I have come to understand of how life works and WHY it works that way.
First – an exercize for your mind. Remember the genie and the magic lamp story? Imagine YOU have the magic lamp, you rub the magic lamp and out comes the genie.
Continue reading A 50:50 Life
There was once a man who did a lot of penance, prayer and he obtained a boon from God. A boon of a conch. Whatever he asked, the conch would give him. This was the boon.
The man was so satisfied to meet God that even though he had the conch, he never asked it to give him anything. But he still had it.
But his neighbour got so jealous that Continue reading The Magic Conch
This story is about a beautiful, rich lady who complained to her psychiatrist that she felt her whole life was empty; it had no meaning. So the counselor called the lady who cleaned the office floors, and then said to the lady, “I am going to ask Beatrice here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is listen.”
So Beatrice put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story: “Well, 25 years ago, my husband died of malaria and that same year my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody…I had nothing left…I couldn’t sleep…I couldn’t eat…I never smiled at anyone…I even thought of taking my own life.
Continue reading In pursuit of Happiness
You’re sitting in front of your comp. And forwarding a joke to your friends. You smile to yourself even as you’re sending the joke. You can imagine your friends smiling too. Guess one of them does. Coz he replies immediately “Good one, pal!”. You’re not the one who made up the joke, but you almost feel as if you did. Ah, that makes you open many of the unread mails in your inbox. You find many nice jokes in those. Very soon you have a cleaned up inbox. What an accomplishment! Something you had planned for the last one week is finally over.
You open the door only to find two leaking milk packets at your feet. The milkman sucks.. is what you would have normally said. Not today. Not now. You’re in too good a mood to get mad at him. You decide to spare your wife of the agony as well. You want to give her break. Let’s give her a surprise, you think. You hate making tea, but today is different. You make tea and toast the bread as well. Which wife wouldn’t want a husband who does that? An early morning thank you kiss is all you need to keep going.
Continue reading Today is different!
How often have you heard someone telling you “I’m the type who likes to be busy.” Or “My house is always neat and tidy.” “I’m a class-topper.” Or even “I always play to win.”
The list can go on and on.. “I CAN NEVER…” ,“I’M TOO FINICKY TO …”, “ I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A…”,
You might think “What’s wrong in saying all that?” Problem is when we say such things we’re setting ourselves up. We tend to get so attached to that cute little story we’ve created for ourselves, we want that story to come true. Every single time. And when even once something that doesn’t conform to our story happens, we feel the heavens have collapsed on us! We feel lost, identity-less! I’ve seen people who live their stories all their lives. They carry their labels on them whether they change professions, cities, relationships..
Continue reading Unlabel yourself
Are you caught up in the ‘SHOULD BE’ trap?
I was. I always felt that things SHOULD happen the way I expected.
My clients SHOULD be reasonable.
My family SHOULD be more understanding.
My boss SHOULD be more sensitive.
My colleagues SHOULD be less jealous.
The traffic SHOULD follow lane discipline.
The neighbour’s dog SHOULD bark less at night.
The government SHOULD be more effective.
The weather SHOULD be ..
Continue reading The ‘should-be’ trap
Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.. is what everyone says. And I agree. Yet I procrastinate..so often. Like most people alive, it comes really easily to me! But there’s one thing I don’t procrastinate about.. living Life!
Life is far too precious for me to put off to tomorrow. But I did try.. mind you. Many years ago, I convinced myself that there are a million other things more important today than living my life. And I promised myself that I would live life to the fullest.. tomorrow! And I waited.. and waited.. and waited. But tomorrow never came! While I was busy working and worrying and fire-fighting, Life kept waiting for me.
Continue reading Tomorrow is an Illusion
My views on how brands are connecting happiness and consumption..
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