Tag: Personal Growth (Page 8 of 9)

Choosing the right path

May 19, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

I was due to leave Thailand in a couple of days. Wondering how to get my bicycle packed in a case, I looked around for a bike shop that could help me.
Fortunately, I found a bike shop, ‘Bok Bok Bike’ run by a kind gentleman named Ma.

I went in to be greeted by his warm, welcoming smile. I felt as if I had arrived at the right place.
I asked him if he could help me get a cardboard casing for packing my bike for the flight back home.
He readily agreed and said I could come on the day I had my flight and pack it up the way I wished.
I felt relieved on hearing his offer.
I asked him for the best way to get the bicycle and my luggage to the airport. He got wondering. He seemed to be thinking of ways I could transport my bike. He suggested that I could book a big cab to the airport.
The following day I reached his shop at 2pm. The box was already waiting for me inside. He helped me pack up my bicycle in the best manner possible.

I asked him what I owed him for his help. He smiled, just the way he did the first time we met.

‘It is free for you. Enjoy your ride back home!’

And I knew I could never make an even offer with money.

‘Ma, can you help me book a cab?’ I asked.

‘Oh, one of my friends stays close to the airport. He will be visiting me in the evening.
You can go with him to the airport in his pickup truck. Just pay for the toll.
You’ll save time and money.’

At that moment I felt grateful and helpless at the same time. Grateful for him abundant kindness and helpless for I could think of no way to make up for his help on an immediate basis.

I rushed to my bag and took out my Polaroid camera.

‘Ma, I have a little project I wish to share with you. I click pictures for all the kind and helpful people I meet on my journey.

Can I click a picture for you?’

He readily agreed and I clicked a candid picture for him in his shop.
I hugged him goodbye with sincere hope of meeting him in India when he bicycles here on a tour.

Today, I reached Kolkata, India.
Here, I am staying with my childhood friend’s family.
I had issues with my SIM card not being active when I came back to India. My friend’s father sent me with his driver to the mobile store to get my sim reactivated. The driver, Ratanjeet, a chatty Bengali folk made good conversation all throughout our ride to the store.
He helped me communicate with the mobile store staff in Bengali.
We were told that the SIM will be activated only 48 hours later.
As we were leaving the shop Ratanjeet asked me,

‘Sir, it would be so much trouble to not have a phone for two days.
We can get a new SIM for you in my name. You can use it for two days and then give it to me when you leave.
I’ll use it later as needed.’

I was pleasantly surprised by his eagerness to find a solution.

‘Thank you so much Ratanjeet, but I think it will be okay for me to not have a number for a couple of days. ‘

In the evening, I sat back and wondered about these two incidents that happened with a span of 24 hours in two different countries.
Two complete strangers went out of their way to help me in the best manner possible. In fact, it wasn’t even about me. I am sure they would have gone out of their way to help someone they thought they could help.

Then I realised,
These kind humans,
are not going out of their way at all.

Helping people in need, is the only right way in their eyes.

We often hear elders tell us to choose the correct path in our life. After meeting these two gentlemen, I am convinced that the correct way,
The noble path,
Is one where there are avenues to help others.

Grateful for the profound lessons my friends Ma and Ratanjeet introduced me to,
I too am enthusiastic to join their tribe,
Of kind strangers,
On the noble path,
Of helping people with an open heart.

How to find a good teacher

May 18, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

In my eyes, the most powerful group of people, who can make the maximum impact in the world are teachers.
A teacher is like a skillful potter, who can mould the the psyche of an entire generation. She can steer the course of thought of curious and aspiring minds.
What a gift it is to be a teacher !

I’ve had the fortune of having met teachers who have changed my life in profound ways. The way I have evolved in life is undeniably a function of the influence my teachers have had on me.

After a point in life we move out of the brick and mortar university. But we must not forgo the possibility of being an eternal student of life. In fact we should actively seek out teachers to learn from.
Even our friends are but teachers,
who we learn from constantly.

But how to find a good teacher?
In the pursuit of finding a teacher/mentor, strive to ask these two questions to them:

a) What more can I learn from you apart from what you promise to teach?

b) Do you consider yourself more a teacher or a student?

Citing an example, the way I play drums and approach music has been deeply influenced by my mentor. Not only by her playing which is spellbinding in itself, but also by her philosophy, worldview and personality.
While choosing a teacher, seek someone who has a worldview you find fascinating, a personality that you would like to integrate. For even if you want it or not, these things will seep into your being while you are learning from someone.
Better to choose someone who you admire deeply, both for their expertise and the way they lead their life.

Secondly, I firmly believe that,

‘The best teachers are eternal students.’

My mentor had such a curious spirit of learning that she would learn things from me if she found I was working on something new. My lessons with her always felt as if two students are learning at the same time, albeit at different stages in their lives. It made me confident about my creative energy as a musician. My discoveries were always received avidly with an intent to learn from it if she found value in it.
And while learning from her I also picked up this aspect of her personality that made me a better teacher and human being.

Remember,
Learning will preserve your youth.

Find good friends, sincere mentors and curious students. Explore the possibility of being a student and teacher throughout your life.

And ask those two questions to all your teachers,
And be in a position to answer those two questions for all your students.

In the spirit of eternal learning,
Let’s aspire to design,
An Epic University Of Life!

The seed we are all sowing…

May 17, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Each tiny seed has a mighty tree waiting inside it.
A single seed being a microcosm of all of what the tree it came from is like.
Many seeds,
Many trees,
The possibility of a thriving forest!

Now, consider this.

Each of your actions is your own seed,
Your own karmic fingerprint.
Each little action is a microcosm of all you are, all your future could be.
Many actions,
Many stories,
The possibility of a thriving life!

Once you realise this,
The smallest of actions can only be done with greater love.
Being responsible at every moment will become second nature.

And each of the seeds we plant,
Each of our little actions,
Will manifest into its highest possible expression.

We can start small.
How about listening to someone with complete attention?
Or keeping an organised living space?
Or smiling with an open heart?
Or playing and learning from children?

Little steps.
Little actions.
With a little smile throughout,
We’re planting a forest of the future after all !

May it thrive !
Realising all of its expression.

Let us begin my friend.
Let us begin.

When you feel you are not good enough…

May 14, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

‘Am I good enough?’
‘You know,
Maybe I’m not good enough.’
‘Maybe I should not pursue this at all. There are people out there who are way better than I am.’

Sounds familiar?

In life, we often find our self in situations when we question our ability. It happens way more to people who consider themself an artist.

While it is easy to bow out and not pursue something that you’re involved in, it is seldom the best choice one can make.

Before making a decision to quit anything that you’re currently pursuing ask yourself,
What kept me involved with this activity/art for such a long time?
Does my growth in this field matter to me?

If you hear a voice staying ,
Yes! My growth in this field matters to me,
Ask yourself,

How is the decision to quit going to take me any closer to the growth that matters to me so much?

As humans, we are prone to make irrational and impulsive decisions.
But when you question your own ability at an art form, and you are close to quitting, thinking there are people way better than you out there and you must not continue,
Think about,

What led you so far into it?
Does your growth matter to you?
Does quitting make you any better?

Once you can answer these questions with conviction, making a decision becomes much easier.

Most likely you will continue with the art form and work hard at it.

You are not the only one who loses faith in himself from time to time. Even the best of us fall for this trap.

The ones who march on despite this, are the ones who get better.

Don’t quit yet.

Comparison never fosters art.

I’m reminded of a story about a father and son looking at two mango saplings in their garden.
The son asks,
‘Which one of the two will bear more fruit Daddy?’
The father smiles and answers,
‘It is too early to tell son,
Let me just say,
they’re both growing !’

We’re all growing, at our own pace. And we shall all bear fruit in our own reality , in our own capacity.

No tree ever curtails its own creative expression. Why should you?

March on.
For your life is,
a masterpiece in progress…

The Power of Everyday – May Update

May 11, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Hello there!

It’s been 10 days since I’ve been involved in ‘The Power of Everyday’ experiment. I had the following five tasks I promised myself I would do every single day no matter what.

1) Watch the sunrise everyday and write a page about it with the left hand

2) Daydream for half an hour and write a page about the experience

3) Celibate

4) Practice Yoga every single day

5) Write and publish a blog post every single day

Ten days of the month have passed. I am happy to share that I have been able to accomplish all of these tasks, every single day so far.
It is challenging to keep up with it since I am traveling. I start my day with the first task of watching the sunrise and end it with writing an article and publishing it. While it is challenging to be consistent, once I finish the day’s tasks, that’s when I truly feel a sense of closure.

This challenge has put me in a frame of mind of ‘earning my sleep.’

Sometimes, I’m tired from a 7 hour day of bicycling and fall asleep as soon as I find shelter. But I wake up in the middle of the night and finish whatever is left before sleeping again. It might seem a bit too difficult from a third person’s point of view. But trust me, at this juncture, it is more difficult to not do these tasks.

I wouldn’t sleep well if I didn’t!

It is fascinating to feel how the brain chemistry can be influenced by our decisions.
Inaction only leads to lethargy and depletion while being active and focussed surprisingly keeps you more energised and replenished.

I’m learning a lot through this project and am also getting better at the tasks.
I will keep sharing my progress every tenth day. I also hope it inspires you to take one little task that you’ve always wanted to do, one that might add value to your existence, and do it every single day.

Start small. You can choose to do it discreetly.

But, do it!
Even in failing, there are as many lessons to learn.
And the aim is always,
to be learning !

I’ll give another update in ten days time.
Until then, I wish you luck with your journey of harnessing
‘The Power of Everyday.’

The two paths

May 9, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Change is the most constant thing in the world. It applies to all things around us, and of course, within us.
With every experience, every interaction, we are changing.
Regardless of whether we are aware of it or not, the evolution is underway.

We all desire for positive personal changes. But working towards them consciously isn’t what we are best at.
We often take ‘the path of least resistance’ in doing something.

Citing an example of this phenomenon in nature, water always flows from high altitude to low altitude since it needn’t face any resistance in doing so.
In human behavior, the path of least resistance is the one we are on at the moment. We are satisfied with the status quo not wishing to do much about improving a situation since it will be met with resistance.
For instance, choosing a smartphone over a book is an easier way to get a dopamine rush.
So we find the path of least resistance to gratification. But this path doesn’t challenge us. It does not foster our creativity or make us a better version of our self.
It does not help us to grow as a human being.

Yes, we are changing, evolving at every moment, but are we influencing the change by our mindful choices or just letting life happen ?

There’s a better way than ‘the path of least resistance.’
It is called ‘The path of maximum learning.’
We can choose if we want to stream hours and hours of self improvement videos (the path of least resistance) . Or we can actively pursue the smallest self improvement plan we can devise.

When you are confronted with a choice that will inevitably change you,
Ask yourself,
Is my decision, the path of least resistance? Or is it the path of maximum learning?
Start with the smallest everyday choices that you make in life. It could be your diet, your data consumption, your parenting…

A choice made in the favour of maximum learning will make sure you evolve in the direction that serves you and the people around you best.

To your eternal learning spirit.

Art, Man and Motherhood

May 8, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

As a kid, my mind was always full of questions. I clearly remember one question that kept looming in my mind.
As a kid I used to feel,
‘Why can only women become mothers?’
‘Men should also be able to give birth !’

It is funny indeed to think about it now.
But that was the first time I felt unequal to women in some sense.
Over time, I realized how naturally empowered women are !

Recently a friend shared how she is sometimes frustrated when she has to go through the agony of getting periods every month.

I could only share,
‘But you are the source of all creation! You have the ability to support a life inside your body. To me you are the most powerful force in the world that I know.
This recurring inconvenience is nothing as compared to the gift of creation you possess!’

Once I said this, the old question I used to have as a child came back to me.

‘Why can’t men give birth?’

Then I thought,
Maybe a man can’t nourish a child like woman. But he still has the choice to create art.
The two are quite alike!

Whenever we create a piece of art, we feel as if it is a part of us.
It is our baby so to say.
Anyone who has ever created art would relate to it. It could be an old poem you’d written that you still remember, or a song that you’d composed when you’d fallen in love for the first time, that day when you baked your first cake or knit those socks for your newborn niece…
It could scale up to more serious pursuits in art, depending on how much it means to you.

Through art, a man gets access to motherhood.
The more lovingly you create, the more the work of art feels like an extension of yourself.
And just how a well brought up child takes care of his parents when they need him,
The art you create will heal you as you’re at it, and bring you joy, satisfaction and recognition as it ages with you.

A man can be a mother, repeatedly, through his whole life. He has the liberty to be a better mother as he understands and evolves with the process of creation.
Biological motherhood doesn’t offer this latitude!
Women are lucky indeed, for they can create babies and of course, art!

Now, I believe I can give birth.
With my art!

And just how important making babies is for perpetuation of our species,
Just as important is art, in revealing what the universe expresses,
Through the fascinating experience,
Of being human.

To our collective experience of the joy of motherhood.

Make art ! 🙂

On making better decisions

May 5, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Quite often, we feel overwhelmed by the prospect of making a big decision. One that could steer the course of our life in future. Fearing making the wrong choice, we find ourself not making a decision for as long as possible.
Most likely, the decision pertains to either

A) Starting something new, a fresh avenue in life

B) Quitting something that we were involved in for long in the past.

Considering the gravity of the consequences of making the wrong decision, we often procrastinate for far too long. But the indecision doesn’t serve us.

An easy way around this is to sincerely ask yourself the following two questions.

A) Do I have enough love for what I am getting myself into?

B) Is there a prospect to learn and grow ?

If the decision is about quitting something old, ask yourself,

A) Do I have enough love left for what/ who I’ve been involved with?

B) Does the opportunity to learn and grow still seem promising?

If you have enough love to get involved with something new and there are avenues to learn and grow,
By all means you should decide to go for it.
And if you find yourself not passionate about what you were involved with and it doesn’t hold the promise of learning and growing, even if it is hard to do so,
Quit it.

Do not fear making the wrong decision. Sometimes choosing to making a decision is in itself, the best decision one could make.
For regardless of whether it is right or wrong, there is a prospect of learning and growing.

Trust your instincts and tread.
Making the decision itself is the way forward.

To more love and learning in your life.
To boundless beautiful possibilities.

On realising your own unique voice

May 4, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Recently, a friend of mine shared her design work with me. It was a poster she has designed for an event.
I must share that I found the design to be extremely pleasing. There was a seamless coherence in the elements, colors and font.

Happily I remarked,
‘I love your design ! Do you?’

‘Yes, I’m happy with the design too’ she said.

‘I must say that you have a unique voice as an artist!’

‘Hmmm.., I don’t know about that !’

‘Most certainly you do.’

‘Maybe!’ she said hesitantly.

I smiled. And wondered, how an artist perceives her own self.

I’d like to pose a few questions before I elaborate.

‘Do all of us have a unique face?’
‘Do all of us have a unique, identifiable voice?’
How about physique?
Worldview?

The answer to all of these questions is undeniably in affirmative.
Why are we so comfortable with accepting our physical uniqueness, yet hesitant when it comes to our art?

For me, every person is an artist. It doesn’t matter if you wield the paintbrush or the broom or a chef’s knife. And every person does even the smallest of things in his own unique way. It’s our karmic signature so to say.
It is unique, much like our fingerprint.

It is upto us to first accept ourself as an artist. Then, we have to realise and embrace our uniqueness.

No two mother’s ever cooked a meal that tasted alike. Delicious in their own ways, their art of cooking is still peculiar.

Unique.

Modesty is a great virtue.
But modesty to the point of self denial of one’s own artistry doesn’t serve an artist.

Then, it is our job, to compliment each artist for their own unique voice.
Uniqueness is beyond good and bad, black and white.

As we accept our own true signature and let it express through our work,
It shall enable others in our world to do the same.

We need a thriving world.
Full of artists,
Unique in their own creative ways,
Expressing without inhibitions.

So next time,
At the first opportunity,
Compliment and celebrate the unique artist you find around you.
And most certainly,
The one within you.

The Power of Everyday

May 2, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

We have a tendency to set ambitious goals for ourselves. We would like to be the ‘Biggest’, ‘ Quickest’, ‘Smartest’ , ‘Youngest’ etc. at a particular activity that we let into our life.
While this pool of superlatives helps one set a clear goal, it doesn’t help with the journey along the way to realising it.

For instance,
Wanting to be the quickest sprinter in your school helps set out a clear goal, but doesn’t help much with the work you have to put in to achieve the target.

I believe goal setting needs to be visualised differently. One must aspire to do the smallest task he can do, every single day, to reach his goal.
In my experience, nothing is as difficult as being consistent at something.
One of the reasons majority of new year resolutions never make past the first fortnight !

From what I’ve learnt,
One must design ‘micro goals’. He must aspire to do the smallest thing possible to take him the shortest distance forward in the direction of fulfilment of his goal.

Consistency is the key.

As a writer, I make sure I write an article every single day. As a fitness enthusiast I do Yoga every single day.
The habit of being consistent at the micro task every single day is the surest way to achieve the loftiest of dreams.

This is one of the reasons why I started
‘The power of everyday’ project.
This project aims at investigating the effect of consistent, deliberate practice.

In the month of April, I had the follow three projects.

1. To write one foolscap page with the left hand
2. To write and publish a blog everyday
3. To practice Yoga every single day

I’m happy to share that I did all of the above mentioned micro tasks, every single day in the month of April.

It has been challenging at times especially since I am traveling.
For example, on 29th April, I wrote my daily left hand page on a roll of tissue paper when stranded in an under construction school at an island.
I’ve written blog posts at ungodly hours just so that I can publish them the next day at 8 am IST no matter what.
I’ve found myself asleep on the yoga mat halfway into a yoga pose from the sheer exhaustion of the day. I woke up four hours later on my Yoga mat, and continued on to finish what was left of the daily micro task.

What did I gain from this month of experiment?
My left hand writing is improving and I can write much faster than before.
I am getting better at writing and creating content every single day.
And because of Yoga, I am definitely fitter than how I was a month ago when I started the project.

But more than that,
The most discerning change is in the mindset.
I sense a subtle shift in brain chemistry that helps me be in a positive frame of mind. Finishing all the daily micro tasks by the end of the day gave a reassuring sleep every night. Trust me, it really feels amazing!

In the month of May, I am undertaking the following five daily micro tasks in ‘The power of everyday’ project.

1) Wake up bright and early and watch the sunrise everyday. Write a page about it with your left hand.

2) Day dream for half an hour and journal it. Every day.

3) Celibate.

4) Continue the daily Yoga practise.

5) Continue writing and publishing a blog post every single day.

As you can see, I have built upon my old micro tasks and added a few new ones.

I’ll share one post about the progress of this project and what I’m learning from it every week.

I would really enjoy if you join me on this journey.

Pick one micro task for yourself, that you are willing to do every single day. It can be the smallest thing that leads you in the right direction (Say, write one line every single day)
Focus solely on consistency.
Pick something easy that would seem ridiculous to not do.( One push up a day every single day?)

Share your micro task for the week in the comments below. Don’t hesitate.
We are only enabling each other’s growth,
with the smallest step possible in the right direction.