Where Do Our Questions Take Us; Forwards Or Backwards?

“Only the one who does not question is safe from making a mistake.”

—Albert Einstein

Life is a long interesting journey they say.While We’re at it we are out to succeed;somehow,at something.And thereby find fulfillment.Of course every one has their own field of pursuit,which is okay.

Yet everyone is also a student.Right?Even the masters,the true masters, in any arena will tell you they are essentially students of their art.

And a true student often asks.Questions.Lots of them.

Flashlights of Life

Questions are the little flashlights of life.They help you find your way.They point somewhere.When you look where they point you find direction.You find answers.Answers that  bring hope,faith,purpose,and fulfillment along with them.Yet it is critical to make sure that our questions are right.That they are moving us forwards and not in the reverse.

 Repetetive Questions.

Once there was a young fish in a tank,along with many others.It would often swim upto a point in the middle of the  tank and then abruptly turn back.Why? Because all others did so too.Then one day it stopped midstream before turning back, from that fixed point, for an umpteenth time.It just asked why it was turning back,when there was so much more food beyond that invisible “wall of return”.

She asked the others and they told her exactly that.There was an invisible wall there indeed!Many moons ago the granny-fish in the tank had nearly broken their snouts bashing against it .They vouched for it.So now everyone wisely left the “invisible wall “ alone.Yet the young fish still wanted to find out more.Why,it kept asking,must we still turn back?Couldn’t the wall have disappeared by now?So she kept asking the older,wizend ones,while she herself continued turning back, like them, from that habitual point of return.

She was too curious,the others felt.Her questions would never fade away.Then one day she decided to do the unthinkable.She resolved to bash her snout against the “secret wall” too.Even at the cost of hurting herself,and appearing foolish before all else.And she did it.Guess what?She did not break her snout. Instead she went through the “unbreakable invincible wall”.The tank owner had placed a huge glass sheet to separate one part of the tank from another ,which he had long since removed.The other fish,out of habit,had stopped venturing beyond that absent glass wall,or even questioning its presence.Now there was no wall!Of course our little young fish lived  happily ever after; to enjoy the succulent meals across the wall,and also the adulation of her “school-mates”.

That is the power of repetitive questions.They open doors unseen.They melt mythical boundaries.They clear the way for richness unimagined.Questions that occur to us,and occur again ,and again ,are like drumbeats.They are telling us to fall in step with a steady march toward growth and accomplishment.

But do we honestly listen?

The Response :Street Side Or Hall Of Fame?

Often when questions roll downhill, barreling towards us ,commanding us to take decisive action ,we falter. Taking action is fraught with effort, change, and the possibility of failure. This is not digested too well.So we tune our inner ears out.We do not listen to the questions.We dare not.It makes sense to dismiss them. Quite like waving off irritating mosquitoes close by.Henry Ford didn't do that when his engineers told him that putting the V8 engine in one block was impossible.That’s because his questions spurred him towards the unthinkable. The Wright Brothers listened intently to some noisy questions too; the ones that asked them how they could kiss the skies like eagles do. Einstein answered interesting questions as well.In doing so he changed the dimension of scientific possibilities after them.Its amazing that all luminaries have a common thread concerning their response to answers.

When we follow the crowd we seldom listen to our questions. We only hear pre written answers that are a cheap copy of collective fear and insecurity.

What Do You Do With A Loaded Gun?

Questions are loaded guns. Their barrels spit out answers that enrich us,or spell disaster.When we “get” our questions all we need do is to pull the trigger.Fire the gun.Then wait for the report.It always comes,and in this case it  returns with answers.It opens doors.

Asking questions is a craft,which some people keep polishing throughout life .They arrive at higher levels of success each time.It’s a skill that brings hefty success more often than not.Asking questions is a fine art  to be mastered ,which few of us care to think about.Lets rest for a while with this thought.The only concern being, to make sure that our questions are relevant for our purpose.That they are pointed towards success,strength,ability,and accomplishment.Once a question has been asked it is crucial to see where it is directed.Is it furthering what we want or not?That is what we do with a loaded gun.Aim it well.Two questions in the face of similar challenge reveal everything about the aim of the gun;and the marksmanship of the one wielding it.Contrast this “why does this always happen to me?” to “What does this teach me?”

Where They Can Take Us.

Well crafted questions have the power to  lead us all the way to  our goals.Towards achievement,higher self esteem,assured growth,to heady fulfillment,confidence,and happiness.Misdirected  questions are the lovechild  of  impatience and insecurity.Despair and discouragement quickly follow..A primary school science teacher was instructing the students about the uses of a magnifying glass.Held over a minute object at a correct distance,it presented a clear,enlarged  view to the inquisitive eyes.A few minutes later when focussed  with the sun’s intense rays at another angle it burned,and reduced that same object to a smokey,smelly lump of waste.Questions by themselves are powerless magnifying glass.It’s the way they are held that makes the difference.

The right context is the true power of a question.

Over to you my friends.......

DID YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE CONTRIBUTION OF THAT TINY STEP TO YOUR SUCCESS ?

The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living the life of your dreams today, in every little way you possibly can. -Mike Dooley

The Power Of Tiny

 TINY STEPS  TO PROGRESS

Everything in this big ,wide,and beautiful universe began with a tiny event.Even the big bang began with a multitude of tiny events leading up to the major event.

The power of ‘tiny’ is immense.Because the tiny is always the father of the big. Whether it is a tiny acorn hiding a huge oak,or a grain of sand concealing its mysterious capacity to grow into a huge mountain.It is the small bits of the universe that eventually make up any big object,or event

.Never underestimate the potential of the tiny,the minute,the small.It is a small spark in the forest that leads to a mighty conflagration. It is an infinitesimal atom which,in combination with others of it's kind,unleashes enormous atomic power.

Tiny drops of water add up to form huge nimbus columns,that rain down in torrents and flood our natural water bodies.The tiny seconds on the clock add up to hours,days,weeks,months,years,decades,eons.And you already know how important time is.Try asking any Olympic silver medalist!Yet none of the chronology of the world would have been possible without that one tiny second on the face of your clock.

The Big Picture Ain't Big By Itself

Want more?Go no further than the electricity flowing through the wires in your house.Each time you use a convenient electrical appliance it is because tiny electrons are flowing through the wires incessantly,which makes up your regular electric current ,driving the world’s industry and economy. God knows how many billions of homes earn their livelihoods  across the globe,thanks to a tiny electron.Ever thought of that!

No sir ,we prefer the big picture only.

Well the big picture is vital,but understanding how the big picture adds up is critical.To your growth and success.

Now why are we getting so techy here?Just stop to wonder how our lives began with just two tiny cells in the mother’s womb.So Nature itself has an amazing mechanism to exploit tiny units of construction to achieve whatever it wants.it never stops to doubtfully question how such a massive project,like a mountain,or a cloud,or an ocean will be built.It just goes to work with whatever smaller building blocks it needs to do so.

The Rational Mind Misses A Lot

It is only the rational mind which usually thinks largely in terms of mammoth objectives ,that immobilizes itself with doubts,and inadequacies.Especially so when there is a crying need to succeed at something,achieve something,do something spectacular.Because,whatever you might say,succeeding and moving ahead does require a lot of digression from routine;changing lanes from the “comfortable track”.The bigger the stakes the bigger the change and detour.And hence the bigger the doubts,the bigger the question marks,the longer the deliberations,the more likely the paralysis .We exaggerate our problems,in tiny steps,instead of exaggerating our capabilities,and possibilities.

RIPPLES FROM DROPLETS

Yet this need never be the case.All we need to do is focus on the tiny steps;the smaller building blocks of any achievement,any success story.

Remember  nothing big and worthwhile ever attained its gargantuan proportions suddenly,at the snap of a finger.It always took finite time,and finite addition of smaller sub-parts to lead up to the whole.

One Small Step Ahead Of The Other

A couple of decades back  in the US of A,  newspapers reported excitedly of an unimaginable feat in that day.In response to a challenge, an ageing grandmother had walked all the way from one city to another, several hundred miles away.The elderly lady was asked by media reporters at the accomplishment of her feat later,if she had ever felt doubtful about her undertaking at any point.She smiled and merely shrugged it away saying, “oh,I didn't think much of it,except putting one small step ahead of the other, all the way”. “One small step ahead of the other” is the mantra for all of us who are looking forward to spectacular achievement.Smaller bits of action always add up to one another,and finally lead to your destination.Nothing,no constructive action, ever goes waste.Only you have to maintain the tempo of your actions.Right upto your goal.

Snowflakes  Of The Snowball

Simple actions,small steps can go a long way.They are the tiny,magical snowflakes  of the snowball.They can ,and more often than not,have led to magnificent victories in the past.And the same process will continue to be repeated in future as well.Ornery human beings will continue to succeed by simply capitalizing on the power of the “small incremental” steps towards bigger and bigger laurels.

The Little difference Makes the Big Difference You attitudes in small affairs,in your day to day thinking make all the difference.They add up to one another and take you to the edge of your achievements.That is all you need for success.

Goal Oriented Actions Each time you initiate any action it helps to be conscious of your orientation.These small details of focus literally snowball into something worthy of pride.

Time Management.Managing time is  very commonplace these days.Yet more lip service is done to this aspect than real action.But even a fraction of your effort devoted to time management contributes to your success hugely.

Repetition Of Productive Actions.Once a small  activity has proved successful ,it must become a part of your repertoire of productive activities.Like healthy eating and regular exercise.

Positive Mental Responses To Life .Optimism,discipline, foresight,planning ahead are all well known leadership range activities yet we tend to gloss over them.Maintaining a journal for improvement in these qualities is not a very tedious task.It is a small step,yet again.But pays off massive dividends. Benjamin Franklin could do it despite his hectic schedule of work.A lot of modern day leaders do it too.you are no less.Try this small step.

Self Encouragement In Small Victories.Make it appoint to pat yourself on the back for small achievements during the day.Your self validation in small affairs has a cumulative impact on your self confidence,and esteem.A vital ingredient for success.

TINY GRAINS  OF SOIL MAKE TOWERING MOUNTAINS

Intellectual Diet,Mental Exercise.What do you watch on TV most of the time?What books are you reading,which magazine articles?What news do you follow?What kind of discussions do you usually engage in with your friends and associates?Are they nudging you towards intellectual and mental development,progress and success?This is not asking you to convert to a morose public bore,and a “wet blanket”.But where do your small time interests lie mostly?Remember they matter to your achievement.Immensely.

Habit Of Attending  To Minor Details.Ensure you attend to the minor details of any worthwhile projects you undertake.The minor details have the power to swing things in your favour.Or otherwise.The doors of your success hinge on minor details,more often than not.Accomplishment is  a long chain made of critical links,each of which is a small detail.

Continuous Steps Forward .Then when you start succeeding you keep taking small steps ‘one ahead of the other,all the way’.Each tiny step counts,each one contributes to the cumulative whole.And remember to encourage yourself for each one.

Keep your Learning Curve Moving.Each bit of information you acquire, that is  pointing towards your ultimate goal, is significant.It  fortifies your chances of success and achievement.So keep learning,every day,even in minuscule amounts.It matters to your success.A lot.  

 Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. -St Francis of Assisi

Have you identified what tiny steps to success you need to take?

Which small steps to success have you taken so far in life?

I'd be glad to hear from you.

COMMIT YOURSELF TO WORK IF YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT PROGRESS

Knock Out Your Own  Lazy Comfort First

When you work consistently and work hard nothing can steal your success from you;like the famous saying goes "anything worth having is worth working for".You simply have to face the reality of rolling your sleeves up if you want to achieve anything deserving your  yearning. And you must yearn,because that alone guarantees your growth. But having yearned you need to make good friends with hard work.

TOP UP YOUR SUCCESS RATE WITH NEW THINKING

Same Action Same Result

New Thoughts Remake You

It is a funny sight to watch people running around in a frenzy trying to achieve much from life ,but only attempting things the same way they did a long time back.Einstein wisely stated that doing the same thing over and over again ,and yet expecting different results is a sign of insanity.

Without realizing it ,we all tend to behave like that ;at least at some point in life.But it doesn't pay in the long run.When you want something different,some spectacular result,you need to approach life from afresh viewpoint.

Most often we get stuck in one line of thinking,one kind of attitude and then carry on the legacy for a lifetime.This only results in repetitive patterns,similar consequences,spanning a lifetime.

80 YEAR OLD MIURA’S SUCCESS IS A DREAM COME TRUE: LIVE BEYOND LIMITS

Miura:Unstoppable At 80

Eighty-year-old Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura scaled Mount Everest on the morning of 23 May13, becoming the oldest person to achieve the feat. Miura reached the peak at 08:45 am Nepali time.

MOTIVATE YOURSELF AND VISUALISE YOUR SUCCESS :IT'S A PRECIOUS RESPONSIBILITY

OUR SUCCESS: OUR OWN VISION

Motivational quotes are more than mere sentences .They are life changing clusters ,supernovas of words, and concepts which trigger your subconscious and explode into your reality.They can bring you to the proverbial Cinderella’s castle and help you make  that your home .Permanently.That is the power they contain.

Here are some of the most powerful  motivation quotes.

Motivational Quotes

 “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” – Napoleon Hill

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway of life.” – Celia Luce

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard

Attitude “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” – W. Clement Stone

 “A person cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.” – James Allen

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” – Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi

Visualise  Your Own Success

Besides the motivation from the quotes it is also the person’s own job practice something himself. Visualisation.With closed or open eyes.What would you like to have,do ,or be in this life…

Imagine that somewhere out there, there’s a celebrity you, a superstar you,a world famous player you,a millionaire  you,a successful you …

In order to seek your vision, retreat to a quiet and tranquil place, a place that will allow your mind to think creatively and concentrate on your vision.

 Prepare yourself mentally. Your vision begins in your mind and heart. It is something that burns within your soul. it should be greater than your all of your past memories, mistakes, and accomplishments. If you know what your vision is, you will have a purpose and won’t get lost on your journey. Discouragement is the outcome of not having a distinct vision. If you don’t know where you’re going or how to get there, the journey will seem a lot harder.Persistence,balance,determination,faith in God,zeal,and a happy mindset is all that matters.

Motivate yourself regularly to reach out to your goals.That is precisely your job.It is not your employers,or customers’, job to ensure you grow  rich or successful.That is your job.A full time job.

So how about motivating yourself and   visualising your success with true belief in the outcome.Nature likes the soft effortless approach.Motivating yourself with visualisation of your end result is the most effortless tool  you can leverage your chances with.

Happy visions !

SUCCESS IS STICKING TO POSSIBILITIES

 “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” said Winston Churchill.

STICK TO SUCCESS

Acres Of Diamonds

When Russel Conwell wrote “Acres of Diamonds” he did so out of desperation.Yet his very difficulty turned out to be a benefit of greater value.He wrote it as a sermon for his congregation and it turns out that he ended up repeating it over six thousand times and drew in royalty beyond the writer’s imagination.How often do you get inspired to follow a course of action and yet drop it?Why? Because you’re sceptical,because you’re not sure you’ll meet success in the end,because you might feel let down.However time and time again it is reiterated that action only begets success.

TEN INTERESTING WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR ABILITY AND TURBOCHARGE YOUR SUCCESS

SUCCESS IS MASTERING  OF ABILITY

There is motivation at one end of the spectrum and there is ability at the other end .In between is the powerful entity called purpose.When ever these three factors function  in concord what is achieved is success .

Knowledge and ability in your chosen field of endeavour are not some great esoteric secret .Talk of ability.Ability is pure skill.And skills can be learnt.

You can also learn the skill of enhancing your abilities.

Much has been written and expounded upon about  enhancing ability.Yet it is worth taking another look at some options which are simple,workable ,and which have brought concrete results for countless aspirants of success.Try some.

1.Observe Others With Similar Ability

There are scores of people in your chosen field with better abilities, purely by virtue of spending more time in that area,while you may be new.Or they may have innate ability (God gifted )in that  field.Ability here refers to knowledge and skill,both.You only need to observe these successful people closely.What do they do differently from you?Meet them if possible,or observe their activities(ability) online or in the media.Emulate them as closely as possible.Observe what happens to your  graph of ability.

2.Read About Other Achievers In Your Field

READ THE STORY OF EMINENCE

It is quite possible that you may not be able to meet the established luminaries in your sphere of interest .Then the easiest route for you is to read up.Read all you can about them.Learn from your reading what they do differently.In fact gather as much info as possible about their activity in the chosen field.

WHAT YOU KNOW OR DON’T KNOW ABOUT SPECTACULAR SUCCESS

What Are You Lacking 

THERE IS INDEED A SECRET  BEHIND SUCCESS

What is it that you feel, you do not know ,or cannot do, that decides your success?If you knew that something  or did that something would it increase your chances of success?

Obviously there are others who know something,currently, you do not  know ,or do something you do not do . So decide today, to make an all out effort to find out .To come to know, what you must know for achieving  spectacular success .

In your chosen field,once you have a clear purpose, what is the missing link to success?

Search For Your Missing link

SWEET SUCCESS IS A COCKTAIL OF DETACHMENT AND VISION

REACH OUT TO YOUR GOAL WITH A CALM  DETACHMENT 

Work done with detached involvement brings the best 

results at all times. What do you need? You need your intent  to be clear ,yet your actions to be devoid of their clinging ,obsessive nature.You should be able to generate expectation without rigid insistence to fixed options.Ask for divine help while maintaining a positive attitude, remembering that each problem is loaded with infinite opportunities.

OVERCOME YOUR FEARS AND COME OVER TO SUCCESS LAND

Fear Is An Artifact Of Our Own Creation

Human life comprises of circumstances that keep changing.This change also brings with it  situations that we desire to experience or ,which we desire to avoid.Whenever we avoid something it grows into a larger field of worry ,resentment,agitation,disturbance and many negative and  inexplicable emotions.Essentially we fear something that  we avoid ,which we ourselves have created.We fear our own creations.

I SEE WHAT I'VE CREATED

Fear can control major chunks of our life period,without us coming to realise  that we ourselves s have given  birth to the Frankenstein in the first place .Yet the very fear that troubles us in our sleep takes flight the moment we illuminate the dark corners of our mind with a even a little knowledge.Whether we realise or not knowledge is also the seed of courage invariably.The knowledge to differentiate  between  the real and the unreal,the knowledge to remove the disturbing ,niggling fears that seems to harass us unnecessarily, the knowledge to stand up to our own inner enemies which are sometimes far stronger than any enemy outside on the street or battlefield.

PROBLEMS ARRIVE ALONG WITH POTENTIAL FOR ACHIEVEMENT

PROBLEMS OPEN THE PATH TO SUCCESS

Problems Come With Their Own Basket Of Benefits

Normally when anyone is faced with trying circumstances they would prefer to give up and run away,particularly if the situation is prolonged, persistent,and refusing to how signs of thaw .However it is important to remember that every problem contains it’s own seeds of solution.Every problem comes packaged with its own basket of benefits
.History has proved this again and again.All problems arrive along with  a huge potential for achievement.

Isn't Solving  Problems The Better Alternative

As you encounter problems in life there are two simple alternatives immediately available.One- to solve it,overcome it.Two- to escape,run away,leaving a trail of defeat .The latter is easily accomplished by putting off the work.Procrastination is a good tool for doing this.Yet procrastination only ferments the ‘dough’,the problem,even further.Escape is the easy path, surely, but its not the glorious path .The person escaping later finds it difficult to face himself.He cannot look any one in the eye.He has a hard time justifying his escape,and he has an even harder time understanding the mechanics of solving subsequent problems.His antecedents shadow him.Relentlessly.

Solving a problem is another alternative worth considering.Why would you not do that in the first place? Here are  strong reasons why solving the problem is better.

·         First of all remember that you are a champion any way.You are born to win,from the very moment you were conceived in the womb.