Guess the tone – Is ‘that’ how you do it?! :O ;) :) :{ :/

Positive Criticism.

Can criticism ever be positive? Can it ever lead to something good?

Do you avoid criticizing others?
and
Can you take criticizing remarks made on you, in good spirits?

If you avoid criticizing others, or look over their mistakes, it may very well imply, that you expect others, to ignore your own mistakes and faults as well.

The reality is – Unfortunately, in this world, if people keep patting each other on the back without pushing each other to improve, they can not grow or do better.

“How to take criticism sportingly?” – This is one training, which probably every person should get during childhood itself.

It’s ok if some people do not like you or your work, it’s ok if they do not understand your efforts, it’s ok if they do not recognize you. You are what you are and you need to be happy about it. You need to be yourself!

If you do not like something, it’s ok to say it. Ofcourse, it is important to be polite towards others and show the minimal amount of courtesy in various situations. But, it is equally important to have an opinion – good or bad.

If something happens to you, try to categorize it as “towards your good” or “towards your bad”. It will help you judge people and situations better. It will also help you judge yourself better.

When someone says, “Hey, you didn’t do that right!”:

Step1. Understand that he is recognizing something bad in you or your work.
Step2. Accept that there is room for improvement.
Step3. Take a step back and do not take the comments personally. Disconnect ‘the comment’ from ‘the person’ who said it.
Step4. Analyze – can you improve the situation to avoid it in future?
Step5. If you can, then improve it, taking it as a lesson.
Step6. If you cannot improve it , take it as a lesson in understanding ‘the person’ who made the remark. Think, why that person is making such a remark and change your communication style to handle the situation.

There’s a lesson either ways. A lesson for you.
That’s what positive criticism is – a lesson for you to grow.

If you focus your energy on trying to change others, it may not be very productive. Change yourself.

Be like flowing water, that can fit into any vessel, any container ~~~~ of any shape. Hard or Soft. Symmetrical or Crooked. Water never loses its worth and internal properties.

There’s a famous proverb: The key to happiness is good health and bad memory. Forget the criticisms, but remember the lessons learned!

Criticism is good if it leads to constructive thoughts in your mind. If you welcome applause, you must welcome criticism with an open mind.
~ In all situations stay cool!

By the way, were you able to guess the tone in the title above? 🙂 

Testing Times

Life is a roller coaster ride. We all go through ups and downs many times in life! The testing times teach us to remain calm and patient. Those are the times when we reflect back on our mistakes, our weaknesses and take a moment to learn from them.

One should not be scared of testing times because fear will only make the journey more difficult. It’s important to appreciate the change these times bring in you! It’s important to realize that you become a better person, just because of these moments.

I’ve encountered many people who choose easy paths, who are scared to do wrong, scared to make mistakes, scared to innovate! They need an affirmation on every action they take. Half of their life is wasted in the hope that others will affirm their actions.

I have a very good mentor whom I respect a lot. If I ever ask him, “Did I do it right? Was I good enough?” He responds by saying, “You’ve not made enough mistakes. There’s a lot to learn!” 
And, I am inspired to make more mistakes by trying new ways of doing things! 🙂

It is important to encourage yourself and push your limits, so that you become a better individual!

It’s easy to praise other people, it’s even easier to praise yourself. However, it’s very difficult to critique other people positively. It’s even more difficult to critique your own self positively!

We have our own beliefs and convictions and sometimes, it’s difficult for us to convince ourselves that ‘We may be wrong and it’s ok to be wrong!’.

If I look back, I realize that my greatest strengths showed up in my most difficult moments. That’s when you rise high up!

Do not fear failure and do not fear people. Challenge yourself each moment, each day. 

If you’re scared to go to a new place, for once, just go…
If you’re scared to ask a question, for once, just ask…
If you’re scared to face an audience, for once, just face it…

Sometimes we wonder, how many more testing times will we have in life? How many more tests and how many more battles? The truth is, it’s never enough!

Stay calm during the trials of life, be positive, believe in yourself, do not give up…..Find new ways….Explore new places…Experiment with new roles….Keep trying!

Once u find your goal, stick to it wholeheartedly. 

Exude confidence and enthusiasm. Consider yourself smart enough to handle new challenges and humble enough to not boast about them.

Carve your path and do not stop. Just do not stop until your last breath!

Look up to the testing times. They will only make you stronger.

Growing old and Growing up.

Okay… so I don’t like growing up. It’s a fact. Well… tell me one person who likes it anyways … 😛 🙂

Show me a person who says, “Growing old makes me very happy!”

Growing old is not in our control but ‘growing up’ is. I really like parents who spend a lot of time with their kids. I saw a picture of a lady who dressed up on halloween along with her daughter so that both of them could have fun. Shall we say that the mom has not grown up? She is acting too young for her age? Can we not appreciate the fact that she has given up all inhibitions, just to keep her daughter happy?

Of course, other people might laugh at her but those people might laugh at her grown up acts too!

Have you ever wondered why children learn things so quickly? A kid imitates others and can even pick up different languages very quickly. The same kid after turning into an adult may have difficulty learning a new language.

In order to learn, you need to have the heart of a child and the brain of an adult. A heart that is open to learning new things, a heart that is ready to experiment, explore…break things, make things and not get disappointed or disheartened.
At the same time, you need to have a brain of an adult to interpret things, process them and save some in your memory.

Kids tend to forget things easily. We do not remember everything from our childhood. However, as adults, we can retain and process information.

Albert Einstein said : “Never memorize something that you can look up!”

Now imagine, if you could explore life and take note of every good thing you came across – a unique flower, a different kind of bird, a new language, an artistic creation, a beautiful poem, a difficult word, a new place, some beautiful clouds, a beautiful rainbow, unique architecture, beautiful handicrafts….. and so on… and if you could save those little memories somewhere…in a book, a diary, a journal or in your mind…. Wouldn’t you be proud of your collection? Proud of what all you have learned and discovered? It’s not that hard… if you find time to do it…!

In order to be open to discovery, you have to be willing to learn like a child. Life is very large and you can never grow up to be larger than life! You will always remain a small little tiny winy particle on earth.

You will grow up…and will have to understand the complications of life — troubles, quarrels, ego issues, money matters, sorrows, stresses, weaknesses, career, politics, responsibilities…..but in your heart… remain a child who wants to learn…and explore….beyond these imperfections…

Join an MBA program or a painting class or a hobby… Do something that you like…something you’ll be proud of later in your life….

Growing up means you stop believing in fairies and miracles and the little joys of life.
I still do….so I don’t grow up! 🙂

Here’s a quote from Walt Disney…. “Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children’s approach to life. They’re people who don’t give a hang what the Joneses do. You see them at Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought – sometimes it isn’t much either.” – Walt Disney”

Common Good

Sometimes, I think there’s so much in common amongst people in all parts of the globe.

We all breathe, laugh, cry, sing, dance, wink, love, learn, earn, eat, blink, hope, wish, dream, talk, walk and the list goes on and on.

We all have families, friends or people who care for us. We all need support at different times in our life. We all succeed, we all fail.

We have different ways of doing things but the purpose is same. We express in different languages but the meaning is the same.

I saw a movie where a french guy falls in love with an Indian girl. They meet in an english speaking class. There are moments in the movie where the girl expresses her emotions in hindi and the guy speaks french. Yet they pretend to understand each other! It’s not practical but it’s a beautiful feeling!

I am a people person and do not hesitate talking to strangers. I think we can learn something new from everyone.When I look at a new person, I see him/her as a person and do not wonder, which country or state, he/she belongs to or what language he/she speaks or what he/she looks like.

When you judge people, do not judge them by the way they breathe, laugh, cry, sing, dance, wink, love…
In fact, do not judge them at all.

Judge yourself on a scale of humanity. That is the only valid scale in the world and the only thing, which makes other people feel happy that they are humans.

Judge how much good you are doing in this world. What will be left when you are gone. What will people remember you as.

Think of the common worldwide good – common worldwide success.