Wednesday, July 28, 2010
mantra 01/08/2010
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village.
A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long." they answered in unison.
"Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the tourist.
The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.
"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives. In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. We have a full life."
The tourist interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
To this suggestion the fishermen asked "And after that?"
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man,
you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City , Los Angeles , or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
One of the fisherman interrupted "How long would that take?"
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting” answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fishermen.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
"With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point wasting twenty-five years?" asked the Mexicans.
So keep an eye on your goals in life, you may already be there….and....
_____make it a great week ahead _____
Adapted from a contribution by Ajay Singh
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
2/27
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."
Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have.. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively…and…
____ make it a great week ahead ____
mantra 27/02
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."
Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have.. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively…and…
____ make it a great week ahead ____
13 march 2010
__ Greetings to you this Monday morning!!! __
"So you think I'm courageous?" she asked. "Yes, I do." said he.
"Perhaps I am. But that's because I've had some inspiring teachers." And she told him about one of them.
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.
"Yes, I've learned courage," she added, "because I've had inspiring teachers."
We see courage and inspiration all around us - from the smallest and the most ordinary. Today, be that inspiration or be inspired…..and….
_ make it a great week ahead!!! _
forestry day
World Forestry Day commemorates the contribution and value of forests and forestry to the community. It has been celebrated around the world for 30 years to remind people of the importance of forests and the many benefits we gain from them.A forest, which we usually think of in terms of trees, is in fact a complex, living community. Forest has been of great importance to mankind since prehistoric days.
HSE Team
To know more about Health, Safety and Environment in TCS, visit the HSE KNOWMAX site: https://knowmax.ultimatix.net/sites/ehs-corpfn/default.aspx
[Log on to KNOWMAX to view this link ]
Please write to us - corporate.hse@tcs.com or manoj.thomas@tcs.com for any kind of query with Occupational Health & Safety and Environment perspective including RFPs
water day
A dripping tap at the rate of one drop per second wastes 7.40 gallons of water per / day. So Be Water Wise. Conserve and protect Water for our future.

Ergonomics and You !!
The term ‘ergonomics’ is derived from two Greek words:
Ergon, meaning work and Nomoi, meaning natural laws .
Ergonomics involves the study of human capabilities in relationship to work demands. It is the science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability. Ergonomics is employed to fulfill the two goals of health and productivity. It is relevant in the design of things as safe furniture, easy-to-use interfaces to machines as well as correct working postures.
To know more on Symptoms and Controls of Ergonomic related Disorders, please visit :
https://knowmax.ultimatix.net/sites/ehs-corpfn/Tips%20For%20Health/default.aspx
To know more please visit:
https://knowmax.ultimatix.net/sites/ehs-corpfn/Environment/Tips%20on%20Environment/Biodiversity%20is%20Precious.pdf
Please write to us - corporate.hse@tcs.com or manoj.thomas@tcs.com or aunkumar.aru@tcs.com for any kind of query with Occupational Health & Safety and Environment perspective including RFPs.
With Regards
HSE Team
health and safety
Frequent power cuts, soaring fuel costs, global warming and fast depletion of fossil fuel resources has signaled a growing demand for renewable energy sources - the sun, the wind and biomass - across the world; since they are reliable, economical and efficient in the long run.
From cooking food, heating water or refrigerating to lighting up our home/office, energy plays a vital role in our everyday life. Using renewable energy reduces our dependence on energy sources that contribute to climate change and can help make a big difference to the energy efficiency of our society.
The benefits of using renewable energy for your home/office are many. Of course, there are the financial benefits from saving money on utilities and the tax rebates. There is also the feel good implication that you have helped to save the world from a changing climate. If these benefits are not enough, consider the impact you are making through educating your family, friends, and community.
To know more on Renewable sources of Energy, please visit:
https://knowmax.ultimatix.net/sites/ehs-corpfn/Environment/default.aspx
https://knowmax.ultimatix.net/sites/ehs-corpfn/HSE%20Awareness%20Posters/Forms/AllItems.aspx
For any kind of query with Occupational Health & Safety and Environment perspective, Please write to us at -
Corporate.HSE@tcs.com.
With regards,
Team HSE
Health,Safety & Environment : Renewable Energy : Need of the hour
From: Corporate HSE/MUM/TCS Thursday, May 20, 2010 12:51PM
To: ramakrishnan1.h@tcs.com
cc:
bcc:
Sent by: DominoAdministrator/TCS
05/22/2010
A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. She announced to her class that each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates. So the number of potatoes that each child put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.
So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go for 1 week.
Days passed by, and the children started to complain about the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended....
The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?". The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
The teacher then told them the hidden meaning behind the game. She said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"
Are you carrying such potatoes. If so get rid of them...and...
_____make it a great week ahead!_____
Adapted from a contribution by Kunal Grover
05/30/2010
Sent by: DominoAdministrator
05/30/2010 03:20 PM
To
ramakrishnan1.h@tcs.com
cc
bcc
Subject
Monday Mantra
________Greetings to you this Monday morning!________
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop trying. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop going through the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
The power of hope and despair lies in words. Say an encouraging word to someone today…and…
_____make it a great week ahead _____
Adapted from a contribution by Yogita Doshi
For Monday Mantra Archives please Click Here > https://knowmax.ultimatix.net/sites/bfsbpo-hsd/default.aspx
post 07/26/2010
Story of a Tea Cup:
There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. Then one day my master came. He took me, brought me home, rolled and pounded me on a wooden table. Again and again, he poked his fingers into me until finally I yelled out: 'Don't do that! Leave me alone!' But he only smiled and gently said: "Not yet!"
Then, whoommmm! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly spun around and around and around until I lost all my sense of direction: 'Stop it; don't you see that I'm getting sick? Quickly, take me from the spinning wheel!' But the master only nodded in understanding and quietly said: "Not yet!"
Then he placed me carefully into an oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door: 'It is hotter than hell - I'm burning to ashes. Please get me out of here before it is too late.' I could only read his lips as he shook his head from side to side and silently pronounced, "Not yet!"
After I had cooled down he carefully picked me up, looked at me and brushed some dust away. Then he brought the colors! The fumes were horrible! 'Please... you have no mercy! Please, Stop it!' But he only shook his head and said: "Not yet!"
An hour or later he came back and placed a mirror before me and said: "Look at yourself!" And I did. What I saw amazed me. 'That's not me!' I said. 'It is too beautiful...'
With a very compassionate voice he spoke: "This is what you are meant to be," and then he explained: "I know it hurt you when I rolled and kneaded you on the table. But if I had not gotten the air out of you, you would have broken. I knew you must have lost all your sense of orientation when I was spinning you. But without this you would never have come into this form. I know the fumes of the colors were intolerable when I painted you all over. But if I had not done that, you would not have had any color in your life."
So, the next time you face a hardship, make sure you think of the Master’s vision and…
_____make it a great week ahead _____
Adapted from a contribution by Bakkianath
Sunday, July 18, 2010
TCS WELCOME MESSAGE
To: ramakrishnan1.h@tcs.com
From: CEO's Desk/MUM/TCS
Sent by: DominoAdministrator/TCS
Date: 12/31/2008 07:01AM
Subject: Welcome to Tata Consultancy Services!
Dear Colleague,
Welcome to Tata Consultancy Services!
I am delighted that you have joined this ever-growing, multi-cultural and vibrant family. I’m also certain that each and every one of you will add to TCS’ richness of culture, diversity of talent and its pool of intellectual thought and assets.
January 1, 2009 presents a turning point for all of us. You are now an integral part of the $40 billion Tata Group, a business house whose name evokes trust, expertise and innovation and one that is globally reputed for its ethical approach to business. The Tata brand is a symbol of what the group stand for and a beacon of light to guide us in the manner we conduct our professional lives.
TCS has always represented the innovative spirit of the Tata group, not only pioneering the IT industry in India but also spearheading entry into new services, markets and products, thereby creating new business models and disruptive innovations in the marketplace. This is very similar to the innovative company that you have all built in the domain-led banking BPO niche. The merger of these performance-oriented organizations will be symbiotic and reinforce each other’s strengths.
The acquisition of CGSL will broaden TCS’ portfolio of BPO services in the global Banking and Financial Services (BFS) sector. It will enable your expertise to be the hub for TCS’ new growth engine while TCS’ enhanced scale and skills will help provide service improvements to your customers. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a winning combination.
In the days ahead, TCS teams will be working towards greater integration on several fronts, so that as an organisation we can all work seamlessly. The future will, I'm sure, present opportunities for you to interact with TCSers in other geographies, and familiarise yourself with TCS' comprehensive range of services and products across a range of industries, especially in the banking and financial services field.
Already among the top 10 IT service providers globally on a number of metrics including revenues, market capitalization, employee strength and profitability, TCS has an ambitious vision growth plan. To achieve our goals, we need the right mindset, rigour and focus in our work and a passion to innovate, excel and learn.
You are now a part of this journey, one that has been exciting and rewarding in the last 40 years and promises to be even more so in the future. I am joined by 120,000 other TCSers, in wishing you the very best on a new beginning.
I would like to wish you and your families a wonderful 2009!
Warm Regards,
S Ramadorai
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director,
Tata Consultancy Services
01.01.2009
MANTRA MAY 28
-----Forwarded by Ramakrishnan1 H/CHN/TCS on 07/18/2010 12:21AM -----
To: ramakrishnan1.h@tcs.com
From: CEO's Desk/MUM/TCS
Sent by: DominoAdministrator/TCS
Date: 12/31/2008 07:01AM
Subject: Welcome to Tata Consultancy Services!
Dear Colleague,
Welcome to Tata Consultancy Services!
I am delighted that you have joined this ever-growing, multi-cultural and vibrant family. I’m also certain that each and every one of you will add to TCS’ richness of culture, diversity of talent and its pool of intellectual thought and assets.
January 1, 2009 presents a turning point for all of us. You are now an integral part of the $40 billion Tata Group, a business house whose name evokes trust, expertise and innovation and one that is globally reputed for its ethical approach to business. The Tata brand is a symbol of what the group stand for and a beacon of light to guide us in the manner we conduct our professional lives.
TCS has always represented the innovative spirit of the Tata group, not only pioneering the IT industry in India but also spearheading entry into new services, markets and products, thereby creating new business models and disruptive innovations in the marketplace. This is very similar to the innovative company that you have all built in the domain-led banking BPO niche. The merger of these performance-oriented organizations will be symbiotic and reinforce each other’s strengths.
The acquisition of CGSL will broaden TCS’ portfolio of BPO services in the global Banking and Financial Services (BFS) sector. It will enable your expertise to be the hub for TCS’ new growth engine while TCS’ enhanced scale and skills will help provide service improvements to your customers. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a winning combination.
In the days ahead, TCS teams will be working towards greater integration on several fronts, so that as an organisation we can all work seamlessly. The future will, I'm sure, present opportunities for you to interact with TCSers in other geographies, and familiarise yourself with TCS' comprehensive range of services and products across a range of industries, especially in the banking and financial services field.
Already among the top 10 IT service providers globally on a number of metrics including revenues, market capitalization, employee strength and profitability, TCS has an ambitious vision growth plan. To achieve our goals, we need the right mindset, rigour and focus in our work and a passion to innovate, excel and learn.
You are now a part of this journey, one that has been exciting and rewarding in the last 40 years and promises to be even more so in the future. I am joined by 120,000 other TCSers, in wishing you the very best on a new beginning.
I would like to wish you and your families a wonderful 2009!
Warm Regards,
S Ramadorai
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director,
Tata Consultancy Services
01.01.2009
MANTRA 6/5
A teacher from Primary School once asked her students to write an essay about what they would like God to do for them. At the end of the day while grading the essays, she read one that made her very emotional.
Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her, "What happened?"
She answered, "Read this. It's one of my student’s essay."
It read like this… 'O God, tonight I ask you something very special. Make me into a television. I want to take its place. I want to live like the television in my house. Have my own special place, and have my family around me. I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives when it is not working. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset and I want my brothers to fight to be with me like they fight for the television. I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me. And last but not least make me a television in my house because I can make them all happy and entertain them... God I don't ask you for much... I just want to live like every TV.'
At that moment the husband said, "My God, poor kid! What horrible parents!"
She looked up at him and said, "That essay is written by our son!"
Nobody deserves our time & efforts more than our families. Work-life balance ensures that we are there for our family! Hope your spending quality time with your loved ones….and…
_____make it a great week ahead _____
![]() | 06/05/2010 10:33AM | ![]() |
Saturday, July 17, 2010
mantra 6/6
A teacher from Primary School once asked her students to write an essay about what they would like God to do for them. At the end of the day while grading the essays, she read one that made her very emotional.
Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her, "What happened?"
She answered, "Read this. It's one of my student’s essay."
It read like this… 'O God, tonight I ask you something very special. Make me into a television. I want to take its place. I want to live like the television in my house. Have my own special place, and have my family around me. I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives when it is not working. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset and I want my brothers to fight to be with me like they fight for the television. I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me. And last but not least make me a television in my house because I can make them all happy and entertain them... God I don't ask you for much... I just want to live like every TV.'
At that moment the husband said, "My God, poor kid! What horrible parents!"
She looked up at him and said, "That essay is written by our son!"
Nobody deserves our time & efforts more than our families. Work-life balance ensures that we are there for our family! Hope your spending quality time with your loved ones….and…
_____make it a great week ahead _____
mantra 6/13
Three people were laying bricks. A passerby asked them what they were doing.
The first one replied, “Don't you see I am making a living?"
The second one said, "Don't you see I am laying bricks and making a wall?"
The third one said, "I am building a beautiful monument."
Here were three people doing the same thing who had totally different perspectives on what they were doing. They had three very different attitudes about their work. And did their attitude affect their performance?
Well, the first person just managed to make a wall and got the wages he was entitled for
The second person built a wall which was strong enough and hence was appreciated by his boss and paid for his job as well
But the third person not only built a strong wall but decorated it with various decorative elements and colours. He was appreciated, paid for his job and given extra incentives for his exemplary job
Excellence comes when the performer takes pride in doing his best. Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it, regardless of what the job is, whether washing cars, sweeping the floor or painting a house. Most people forget how fast you did a job, but they remember how well it was done. So are you letting people around you know how well you did your job???? ….and….
_____make it a great week ahead _____
Adapted from a contribution from Ankit Singh 06/13/2010 12:32PM
mantra 5
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a famous piano master’s concert.
After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the
little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "No Admittance."
When the houselights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.
In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, he reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. And the audience was mesmerized.
Each individual has the power to transform any problem into a way to mesmerize your audience....there is always a solution to any situation that might seem impossible! So try making things possible this week….and….
_____make it a great week ahead _____
Adapted from a contribution by Sanjay Prasad
06/20/2010 01:45PM
mantra 4
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling for various things in her life. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed that the egg was hard boiled.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
The mother continues “Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength? Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Do you have a fluid spirit, which after a difficult situation become hardened and stiff? Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and favour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? Tell me Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”
That’s when the daughter understood what her mother had just thought her through this simple example!
So let us try and remember the coffee beans as we hold our coffee cups this Monday morning and….
_____make it a great week ahead _____
Adapted from a contribution by N. Kunte 06/27/2010 11:47AM
mntra3
A little girl walked to and from school daily. One morning, though the weather was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trek to the elementary school.
As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. The little girl’s mother felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child, following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword, would cut through the sky.
Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. After one, another bolt of lightning would follow quickly and with each, the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile.
When the mother's car drove up beside the child, she lowered the window and called to her, "What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping and smiling?"
The child answered, "I am trying to look pretty, God keeps taking my picture"
Hearing this, the mother was awed by what her little girl just taught her. The girl had faced the storms that came her way and SMILED at each one of them!
So keep SMILING at every storm that comes your way….and….
__ make it a great week ahead __
Adapted from a contribution by Dr. Abhishek Trivedi 07/03/2010 02:41PM
MANTRA 2
Here’s an interesting excerpt from Shiv Khera’s book You Can Win:
“There was a man who made a living selling balloons at a fair. He had all colors of balloons, including red, yellow, blue, and green. Whenever business was slow, he would release a helium-filled balloon into the air and when the children saw it go up, they all wanted to buy one. They would come up to him, buy a balloon, and his sales would go up again. He continued this process all day. One day, he felt someone tugging at his jacket.He turned around and saw a little boy who asked, "If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?" Moved by the boy's concern, the man replied with empathy, "Son, it is not the color of the balloon, it is what is inside that makes it go up."
The same thing applies to our lives. It is what is inside that counts. The thing inside of us that makes us go up is our attitude.
Have you ever wondered why some individuals, organizations, or countries are more successful than others?
It is not a secret. These people simply think and act more effectively. They have learned how to do so by investing in the most valuable asset--people. I believe that the success of an individual, organization or country, depends on the quality of their people. I have spoken to executives in major corporations all over the world and asked one question: "If you had a magic wand and there was one thing you would want changed, that would give you a cutting edge in the marketplace resulting in increased productivity and profits, what would that be?" The answer was unanimous. They all said that if people had better attitudes, they'd be better team players, and it'd cut down waste, improve loyalty and, in general, make their company a great place to work. William James of Harvard University said, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind."
So let’s imbibe this value in every task we initiate and…
_____make it a great week ahead _____
![]() | 07/10/2010 12:50PM |
MANTRA 1
A man was sitting by a lake. He was throwing small pebbles into it from time to time. A young boy happened to cross by. He was intrigued to see that after every few minutes or so, the man would toss a pebble into the lake. The boy went up to the man and said, "Good pastime, this stone throwing, huh?" "Hmmm," said the man. He seemed to be deep in thought and obviously did not wish to be disturbed.
Sometime later, the man said softly, "Look at the water, it is absolutely still."
The boy said, "Yeah, it is." The man tossed a pebble into the water and continued, "Only till I toss a pebble into it. Now do you see the ripples?" "Yeah," said the boy, "they spread further and further."
"And soon, the water is still again," offered the man.
The boy said, "Sure, it becomes quiet, after a while."
The man continued, "What if we want to stop the ripples? The root cause of the ripples is the stone. Let’s take the stone out. Go ahead and look for it." The boy put his hand into the water and tried to take the stone out. But he only succeeded in making more ripples. He was able to take the stone out, but the number of ripples that were made in the process were a lot more than before.
The wise man then said, "It is not possible to stop the movement of the water once a pebble has been thrown into it. But if we can stop ourselves from throwing the pebble in the first place, the ripples can be avoided altogether!”
“So too, it is with our minds. If a thought enters into it, it creates ripples. The only way to save the mind from getting disturbed is to block and ban the entry of every superfluous thought that could be a potential cause for disturbance. If a disturbance has entered into the mind, it will take its own time to die down. Too many conflicting thoughts just cause more and more disturbances.
Even trying to forcibly remove the thought may further increase the turmoil in the mind. Time surely is a great healer, but prevention is always better than cure."
So, before we allow a thought or a piece of information to enter our minds, let’s put it through the triple filter test of authenticity, goodness and value and…
_____make it a great week ahead _____
Contributed by Guruprakash