Gap and Gain – Part 2

Continuing on this concept that I started of on yesterday, Dan Sullivan has a very nice method which I have gathered from his books and videos.

He talks of looking back 25 years. Assuming you are more than 40 years of age. Then checking out where you were 25 years back and where you are today. Chances are that you have come a long way in terms of your earnings, your experience.

Based on that he says that in the short term there could have been challenging times ever so often, but in the long term you would have generally made it with a lot of achievements to be proud of.

Once you remember those moments, then it becomes easier to come out of a “down” state and look at the future with hope.

I have shared multiple tactics over the years when I feel. One of them is to see how far I have come from 25 years back. It changes my complete mindset and makes me happy.

When I look at things that way, I do notice that I have actually achieved quite a bit for myself. Comparing the 25 year younger me with the present me actually makes me eel quite happy.

Try this for yourself whenever you’re in the self pity mode.

Till next time then.

Carpe Diem!!!

Gap versus Gain

Habits, Happiness, life

This is a term I heard from first Dan Sullivan, and similar terms then from Vishen Lakhani and Benjamin Hardy.

All of us want to grow. My team members and I all have a lot of aspirations for the future. The challenge that a lot of them face because of which they don’t enjoy the journey is that they are always looking at the horizon.

The horizon is such a place that you will never reach. It’s a moving target. It’s unachievable. That’s what gets us unhappy, depressed etc.

When you drive a car on the road, while your eyes are focused in the front, from time to time you look at the rear view mirrors to ensure that no one is coming too close to hit. When you look in the rear view mirror you also realize how far you have come. So while the destination is ahead and you are driving towards it, you also get to know how far you have come from where you were.

That’s the important thing that I learned from this term Gap versus Gain. While its important to be aware of how much is left to do, you can also from time to time look back and see how far you have come from where you started. That will cause you to feel happy in the progress you made from where you started.

Its just a perspective issue but it can make you happy and more focused for your future with renewed energy versus being anxious and depressed.

Till next time then, count your gains and make your journey worth remembering.

Carpe Diem!!!

A helper’s high – 2

charity, Habits, Happiness, History, Karma

Just a few days back I wrote on this topic. When you help somebody, the universe tends to give back more than 10 times over. It’s all about Karma.

Today I happened to be reading Chanakya Neeti. A little bit about Indian history. Chanakya lived almost 2500 years ago in India and was the advisor to two generations of kings Vikramanditya clan, the kings of Patliputra (now Patna the capital of the state of Bihar in India).

Vikramanditya was among the people who stopped the movement of Alexander the Great and his army, east of the Indus River. Alexander who had been unbeaten till then from Greece to India couldn’t continue on his dream to conquer the world and eventually died at a very young age

Chanakya authored some of the most elaborate thinking related to politics ,economics and general rules for living in a society. Chanakya Neeti is about the rules for the society to live a decent life. It was written in Sanskrit. I was reading the English translation since I haven’t learnt Sanskrit.

Now in this book in the 12th chapter, 2nd stanza, Chanakya wrote that if one does charity then God rewards that person ten times over. Even two and half thousand years back, he wrote that in a civilized society people should be giving or doing charity.

It’s so good to know that an idea that you believe today was also suggested more than 2500 years back.

Till next time then get a helper’s high by helping someone.

Carpe Diem!!!

A helper’s high

charity, Habits, Happiness, Human Brain, Karma, mindset

This is a term I learned today while I was reading the book 5 Day Weekend.

I have mentioned in multiple posts earlier how when I am feeling low, I try to see if I can donate something. Even Joe Polish talks about how if you’re feeling depressed – go and help someone. It’s not necessary to do it with money only.

You go to an old age home, or you could go and offer your services to an orphanage etc. When you see the fact that you have something to give and help, it changes your whole body and emotional state.

This phrase immediately struck me because I also feel a high which cancels out my depressive emotions the moment I give to charity.

However I have always felt that there is a Karmic reaction to doing good. When you do good by doing charity it sets in motion a whole set of emotions in your mind.

It improves your self esteem, improves your mood, reduces your stress levels and makes you more calm and peaceful. Since you are on a high by helping someone you also tend to become more grateful.

In the Indian thought process if you are facing a lot of bad luck in your life, then you can slowly start reversing the “bad” part by doing charity, by helping others.

Till next time then, be on a high by helping others and make this world a better place.

Carpe Diem!!!