Plant a Tree

Plant a Tree: According to ancient Eastern thinking, to live a fulfilling life, you must do three things: have a son, write a book and plant a tree. By doing so, the thinking goes, you will  have three legacies that will live on long after you die.  While there are clearly many more elements of a happy and complete life (I would add the joy of having a daughter to the list), the idea of planting a tree is an excellent one. Watching a tree grow from a sapling into a tall oak will keep you connected with the daily passage of time and the cycles of nature. Just as the tree grows and matures, so too will you be able to mark your personal passages and growth as a human being.  If you have children, you might also wish to plant a tree in honor of each of them. As they grow, you can carve notches on the trunk to mark their different ages. Each tree then becomes a living record of a different life stage. Planting a tree for each child in your family is a wonderful and creative act of love and one that your kids will remember for many years to come.

Re-frame Your Situation

Re-frame Your Situation: This might be hard to believe, but nothing is actually stressful in itself. Stress lies in the eye of the beholder. In other words, if you see a person, situation or event as threatening you will register stress. Think of a personal situation which is a problem for you right now.  Visualize the problem in glorious technicolor. Now, drain all the colour out of the picture. Shrink the picture until it disappears.  Replace it with a bright, new, positive image in which all your problems have  been resolved. Re-frame your negative pictures to take the stress out of your life.  Just stop thinking about the problem anymore and instead, only think about the solutions. Visualise that your problem has been resolved resulting in that much awaited relief. Remember that worlds biggest successes have been the result of the biggest difficulties.

Remember... Be Here Now

Remember... Be Here Now: If you get so organized and together that you are busy living in the future or you are rushing to keep track of time, then you are missing the true pleasure of the moment.  Whenever you feel that your life is running out of control, stop and say to yourself: ‘Remember, be here now‘!  The power is always in the moment. Stop reading and recognize the moment, feel now.  'later' never actually exists because we are never really conscious in the Present moment and 'later' always lies in the future.  Appreciate this precious moment of your life.  This reminds me of Jason Mraz's song: 'Living In The Moment'This life is one actWhy do we lay all these trapsWe put them right in our pathWhen we just wanna be free...

Forgive Your Parents

Forgive Your Parents: Number of times I've heard people say "If my parents had taught me this, I would've been very successful." Or "If my parents were good looking, I would've been good looking too." Remember, your parents did the best they could. We can only teach and pass on what we already know or have and that's what they did. You may have recognized some of your own negative behaviours, thoughts and feelings in your parents. You cannot let go of negativity and replace it with positivity if you are still blaming your parents. Since you're now aware of your negativity, why don't you fix it? Maybe your parents were not aware of this. Let go of whatever you think your parents 'did' to you. I repeat, your parents did the best they could. Start to forgive your parents and you will start to feel like a new person. Remember, your parents had parents too!

Believe That You Deserve The Best

Believe That You Deserve The Best: If you don‘t believe that you deserve the best then you will not allow good things into your life. Do you think that you deserve to fulfill your dreams? Do you deserve the best that life has to offer? Do you believe that you don‘t deserve very much or, in fact, that you deserve nothing at all?  Closely examine your beliefs about what you think you deserve. Repeat this affirmation over and over: I deserve the best in life. Say it in the car, sing it under the shower. Believe that you deserve the best and you will get it! Period!

Expect a Miracle

Expect a Miracle: Miracles are love in action. lf you don't believe in them they will never happen to you. We can attract miracles into our lives but only when we truly believe they are possible.  Forget about not really allowing yourself to believe in case you are disappointed. Fear of disappointment will stand in your way forever! Expect a miracle for a week. Wholeheartedly believe that one will happen and keep trusting. The miracle might not be the one you were expecting but I can assure you that something  amazing will happen.  Belief is the most powerful magic of all.

Accept a Compliment

Accept a Compliment: How do you react when someone says 'You are looking beautiful or handsome'? Or 'You're looking slim'? Do you reply like 'No no, it's not like that'. If yes, then think why do we find it so hard to accept a compliment gracefully?  How do you actually feel when someone pays you a compliment? Perhaps you don't believe them. Do you make throwaway comments that spoil the effect of the compliment?  How do you feel if you compliment someone and they don't accept it? Would you bother to do it again? Learn to accept a compliment. The next time someone says something nice about you just say ‘thank you‘. It might be difficult but keep on trying. Accept a compliment and you will feel wonderful and so will the person giving  it.

Don’t Worry About Things You Can’t Change

Don’t Worry About Things You Can’t Change: Time and again, when I face a challenge in my own life, I return to The Serenity Prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr: “God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.” One gentleman who went through an exercise found that 56 percent of his worries related to things that would likely never happen; 26 percent were about past actions that could not be changed; 8 percent related to the opinions of people whose opinions really did not matter to him; 4 percent concerned personal health issues that he had since resolved: and only 6 percent concerned real issues worthy of his attention. By identifying and then letting go of the worries he could do nothing about or that were a complete waste of his energy, this man eliminated 94 percent of the problems that had plagued him.

Give Your Back a Rest

Give Your Back a Rest: Performing back exercises will strengthen your back and it will also help you to support your body and carry it more efficiently. A stronger back may promote better posture and prevent back pain. There are many varieties of exercises you can do to work out your back without weights. Many exercises that target the back muscles can be performed at home using few or no items.Try these exercises:  * Lie down on your back, upper arms resting on the floor and hands resting on your abdomen.  * Support your head with a small cushion so that your head is in line with the rest of your body.  * Pull up your legs, knees pointing to the ceiling. Keep your knees apart and your feet flat on the floor. Feel how this brings your lower back closer to the floor. Rest like this for just a few minutes every day and feel the difference in your  energy levels. God bless!

Praise a Child

Praise a Child: When we recognize children in a positive way we are helping them to develop good, positive emotional and behavior patterns: we are developing their self-esteem.  Using praise is one of the most powerful ways of allowing a child to feel good about him/herself. There is nothing quite like the feeling you get when you encourage a child to  feel good about him/herself - everyone gets a warm glow!  If you haven't got a child go out and find one to appreciate! Praise a niece, a nephew, a next door neighbour - they will feel great and so will you.

Stop Sleeping So Much

Stop Sleeping So Much: There's one truth: Most people sleep more than they need to. They fall into the trap of spending some of the best hours of their lives on a mattress. They squander their potentially breathtaking gifts. They lose the battle of the bed. They trade their greatness for a snooze button. Here’s an insight I invite you to consider: Sleep begets sleep. The more sleep you take, the more you need. Ever noticed that as you sleep more, you feel sleepier? Strange, isn’t it. But it’s true. Yes, I get that sleep is essential to keep us radiant, renewed and healthy. My fear is too much sleep. The kind that keeps great people ordinary. The kind that minimizes high-potential lives. The kind that sucks the living out of human beings destined to stand for excellence (and you know who you are). Happens to a lot of us. Because we fall in love with a pillow. We have too many important things to do and too many great places to explore and too many Big Hairy Audacious Goals (thanks, Jim Collins) to get, for us to sleep too much. Life is for the living. I repeat that: Life is for the Living. You and I have been given a gift today: to have the opportunity to make a difference and exercise our talents and have a phenomenally fun time doing it. And we need to seize (and respect) that gift. So sleep less. Live more. And as Benjamin Franklin observed, “There will be plenty of time to sleep when you’re dead.” l’ve always liked that guy.

Personal Mastery

Personal Mastery: Two beautiful words: personal mastery. They have an inspirational vibe to them. They offer hope. They challenge. They provoke. They affirm—and remind us of our highest possibilities.  To be given the gift of life is to be given an awesome responsibility. Each of us must go out into the world each day and live our best. Yes, life doesn’t always seem fair. We’ll encounter difficult customers and low—performing suppliers and angry commuters. We’ll face hard and confusing times. We sometimes feel alone, or like giving up on standing for our highest and best. That’s just life happening. But, at the same time, life offers you daily opportunities to shine. To polish your gifts. To release your chains. To achieve personal mastery. Make a commitment today that will alter the course of your life. Forever. Dedicate yourself to personal mastery. Think about your thinking. Detect your authentic values and what you aim to stand for. (How can you be who you are if you don’t know who you are?) Get to know your fears. Reflect on your personal genius and human potential. Learn to let go of the emotional baggage from you past. Refuse to tolerate negativity.(Kahlil Gibran once wrote that “Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother”; every one of us has so many more choices than we can currently see, and as we dare, doors we didn’t even know existed begin to open up.) Read more. Learn more. Get fit-no, get ultra fit (sad that-too often-good health only matters to those who have lost it). Become remarkable at what you do for Work. Become so good at your craft that your organization carmot run without you. Become the friendliest person you know. Work on compassion and understanding. Be nice. Be good.

Do Your Best And Let Life Do The Rest

Do Your Best And Let Life Do The Rest: No one gets to top class in their work or within their personal lives without a relentless devotion to not giving up. All acts of heroism were accomplished by human beings who refused to lose. They just wouldn’t let go—no matter how bad or impossible or impractical things looked. But having said that, life often sends us curve balls and has other plans for us. (Comedian Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer at age 42, put it so very well: “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the most of it without knowing what’s going to happen next.”) We long for something to happen and some dream to get done. But no matter how hard we try, the clouds never part. We never get the break. Luck never smiles on us. We continue to toil in darkness, fueled purely by faith. That’s fine—if deep within you, your fire burns brightly and every fiber within you tells you to carry on (self-faith is a hallmark of greatness). But sometimes, you get to a point where you just know it’s time to change strategy. It’s not about losing hope. You just know. It’s about trusting life. Trusting that there’s an even better thing waiting for you. And that it’s time to course-correct. For the past few years, I’ve tried to live by the pretty simple philosophy: Do your best and let life do the rest. It’s not easy to let go of what you want (I know how painful that can be). But why wouldn’t you, if some- thing even better is waiting just around the corner?

Ask to Get

Ask to Get: You’ll never know if you don’t even try. There is enormous power in asking for what you want. All too often, our internal chatter prevents us from taking the steps needed to get us to our own unique form of greatness. We are kept small from our inner imaginings—so many of which are lies. The most brilliant of the best, those who live glorious lives that matter, ask like crazy. They understand that it’s a habit that must be polished for it to shine. And the more you do it, the easier it gets (like any skill). So they ask. For the support and help they need at work. For the understanding they may seek at home. For a Win they need for their business. For a better table at their favorite restaurant. For a better seat at a sold-out concert. And because they ask more, they get more (success always has been a numbers game). Nothing happens until you ask. People are not mind readers. They need to know what’s meaningful to you. And if you ask nicely, they just might say yes.

A Day of Listening

A Day of Listening: Listening is, in so many ways, the social equity of the world-class cultures that evolve into world-class organizations. Listening makes people feel special (and talent leaves organizations mainly because they didn’t feel special). Listening shows respect. Listening allows you to gather the data that will improve everything you do. I guess what I’m suggesting to you is that brilliant performers are brilliant listeners.  Today, just for a day, make the decision to listen (versus just hear). Don’t interrupt. Don’t rehearse your answer while the other person is speaking. And don’t dare check your e-mail or search for text messages while another human being is sharing their words. Just listen. Deeply. Be there for that person. Because everyone has a voice. And each of us craves to have ours recognized. Watch the great things that unfold once you do.

Ask to Get

Ask to Get: You’ll never know if you don’t even try. There is enormous power in asking for what you want. All too often, our internal chatter prevents us from taking the steps needed to get us to our own unique form of greatness. We are kept small from our inner imaginings—so many of which are lies. The most brilliant of the best, those who live glorious lives that matter, ask like crazy. They understand that it’s a habit that must be polished for it to shine. And the more you do it, the easier it gets (like any skill). So they ask. For the support and help they need at work. For the understanding they may seek at home. For a Win they need for their business. For a better table at their favorite restaurant. For a better seat at a sold-out concert. And because they ask more, they get more (success always has been a numbers game). Nothing happens until you ask. People are not mind readers. They need to know what’s meaningful to you. And if you ask nicely, they just might say yes.

Akeli Ladki Mauka nahi, Zimmedari Hai!

A Day of Listening

A Day of Listening: Listening is, in so many ways, the social equity of the world-class cultures that evolve into world-class organizations. Listening makes people feel special (and talent leaves organizations mainly because they didn’t feel special). Listening shows respect. Listening allows you to gather the data that will improve everything you do. I guess what I’m suggesting to you is that brilliant performers are brilliant listeners.  Today, just for a day, make the decision to listen (versus just hear). Don’t interrupt. Don’t rehearse your answer while the other person is speaking. And don’t dare check your e-mail or search for text messages while another human being is sharing their words. Just listen. Deeply. Be there for that person. Because everyone has a voice. And each of us craves to have ours recognized. Watch the great things that unfold once you do.

Don’t Pick Up the Phone Every Time It Rings

Don’t Pick Up the Phone Every Time It Rings: The telephone is there for your convenience, not for the convenience of your callers. Yet, as soon as we hear the phone ring, we act as if we are firefighters rushing to a five-alarm fire. We run to pick it up as if our lives depended on the call being answered at once. I have seen people interrupt quiet family dinners, dedicated reading times and meditation periods to answer those seemingly urgent phone calls, many of which turn out to be ones that could have been taken later. Voice mail, though not perfect, is in many ways one of the great blessings of the modern age. It frees you up to do the things you want by allowing you to answer calls when it suits you. You no longer need be interrupted by the ringing phone and can spend your time on life’s more important pursuits. The habit of picking up the phone every time it rings is a hard one to break, as I know from personal experience. It is so easy to run to it, simply because we want to know who is calling us.Often, picking up the ringing phone is just another way to put off doing something you don’t really want to do. But once you get good at letting it ring and staying focused on the activity at hand, whether it is reading a good book, having a heart-to-heart conversation with your life partner or frolicking with your kids, you will wonder what the hurry to pick up the phone was all about in the first place.

Don’t Finish Every Book You Start

Don’t Finish Every Book You Start: It is so easy to feel compelled to finish every book you start. A great sense of guilt fills our minds if we do not reach the end of that book we used our hard—earned money to buy. But not every book deserves to be read in its entirety. As Francis Bacon said, “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few books to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.” I myself was guilty of feeling the need to read every book I picked up from beginning to end. I soon found that not only did my reading pile become unmanageable but I began to enjoy the pastime of reading less. Once I decided I would be more selective about which books I actually completed, I not only got through more of them, I found I learned more from each one.  If you find that after reading the first three chapters of a book, you have not gained any worthwhile information or that the book has failed to keep your attention, do  yourself a favor: put the book away and make better use of your time (like reading the next book in your pile).

Practice the Action Habit

Practice the Action Habit: "Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it." Most of us know what we need to do in order to live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. The real problem is that we don’t do what we know. I have heard many motivational speakers say, “Knowledge is power.” I disagree. Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is only potential power. It transforms itself into actual power the moment you decisively act on it. The mark of a strong character lies not in doing what is fun to do or what is easy to do. The sign of deep moral authority appears in the individual who consistently does what he ought to be doing rather than what he feels like doing. A person of true character spends his days doing that which is the right thing to do. Rather than watching television for three hours after an exhausting day at work, he has the courage to get up off the couch and read to his kids. Instead of sleeping in on those cold wintry mornings, this individual exercises his natural reserves of self-discipline and gets out of bed for a run. And since action is a habit, the more positive actions you take, the more you will feel like taking. All too often, we spend our days waiting for the ideal path to appear in front of us. We forget that paths are made by walking, not waiting. Dreaming is great. But thinking big thoughts alone will not build a business, pay your bills or make you into the person you know in your heart you can be. In the words of Thomas Carlyle, “The end of man is an action and not a thought, though it were the noblest.” The smallest of actions is always better  than the boldest of intentions.

Talk to Yourself

Talk to Yourself: Once I read a book called 'As a Man Thinketh' by James Allen. The book discussed the enormous power of the human mind to shape our reality and attract great happiness and prosperity into our lives. The work also mentioned the profound influence of the words and language we use on a daily basis to create a more enlightened pathway of thought. Fascinated, I began to read more and more wisdom and self—help literature. And as I did, I discovered the profound impact and importance of the words we use in our daily communications (both with others and with ourselves) on the quality of our lives. This knowledge also caused me to become aware of the personal dialogue that each of us has going on within us every minute of every hour of every day and to vow to improve the content of what I was saying to myself. To achieve this, I began to apply a strategy developed by the ancient sages over five thousand years ago. And, in many ways, it changed my life. The technique is a simple one and involves nothing more than selecting a phrase that you will train your mind to focus on at different times throughout the day until it begins to dominate your awareness and reshape the person you are. If it is inner peace and calm you seek, the phrase, known as a mantra, might be, “I am so grateful that I am a serene and tranquil person.” If it is more confidence that you want, your mantra could be. “I am delighted that I am full of confidence and boundless courage.” If it is material prosperity you are after, your saying might be, “I am so grateful that money and opportunity is flowing into my life.” Repeat your mantras softly under your breath as you walk to work, as you wait in line or as you wash the dishes to fill otherwise unproductive times of your day with a powerful life improvement force. Try to say your personal phrase at least two hundred times a day for at least four weeks. The results will be profound as you take one giant step to finding the peace, prosperity and purpose your life requires. As Hazrat Inayat Khan said, "The words that enlighten the soul are more precious than Jewels."

There Are No Mistakes

There Are No Mistakes: It’s so easy to beat yourself up over mistakes you’ve made. Too many among us live in the past rather than loving the present and building a dazzlingly bright future. Some people stay stuck for years over something they did or a failure they experienced. Sad. A life is a terrible thing to waste. But let me ask you a question: Is there really such a thing as a mistake? First of all, no one tries to fail or mess things up. Every one of us wakes up in the morning, walks out into the world and does the best we can do based on what we know, the skills we have and where we are on life’s journey. But even more importantly, every so-called mistake is actually a rich source of learning. An opportunity to build more awareness and understanding and gain precious experience. Experience that will help us do, feel and be even better. Everything that has happened to you in your life—the good and the diflicult—was necessary to help you become the person you are now. Why make it wrong? So, just maybe, there are no mistakes. Just maybe what we could call failures are actually growth lessons in wolf’s clothing. And just maybe the person who experiences the most wins.

Embrace Fear

Embrace Fear: Here’s a powerful idea that just might revolutionize the way you work and live if you embrace it at a DNA level: Your life will expand or contract in direct relationship to your willingness to walk directly toward the things that you fear. Do your fears and you’ll shine. Run away from them and you shrink from greatness. Reminds me of what Frank Herbert wrote in Dune: ‘'I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over hie and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”  So amazing what happens when you encounter a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable/insecure/scared and yet, instead of heading for the metaphorical exit door, you stay strong and do the thing you know you should do. First, you realize that the fear was mostly a hallucination. And second, you get some kind of unexpected reward for your bravery because on the other side of every fear door lie gorgeous gifts, including personal growth, confidence and wisdom. l’ve seen it time and time again. lt’s a law of life, I guess. So run toward fear. Start small. Slow and steady always wins the race. And watch the success you so dearly deserve begin to show up. When you most need it.

Wear Shiny Shoes

Wear Shiny Shoes: Okay, your shoes don’t need to shine for you to be a superb leader. And please remember, leadership isn’t about your position, its a way of being—Leading Without Title, to be precise. Leadership is about holding yourself to world-class standards, taking personal responsibility (versus playing the victim), being excellent within the sphere of your influence, building beautiful relationships and elevating others by your example. My point with this chapter is simply this: The way you do the little things says a lot about the way you will do the big things. And resigning yourself to mediocrity around your minor pursuits sets you up for mediocrity when it comes to the major ones. If your yard or home is Well organized, I’ll bet your life is well organized. If you are attentive to details like remembering the birthdays of your friends and sending thank—you notes after every meeting, my guess is that you will be attentive to the details around your larger projects and bigger opportunities. And if your place of business is spotless, there’s a great chance the work you do for your customers will reflect the same Commitment to excellence. (I can tell a lot about a business by the cleanliness of their bathrooms; an immaculate bathroom shouts "We care!” and that caring translates into remarkable service.)  So pay attention to the details. Focus on the small stuff (like crazy). Commit to OAD: Obsessive Attention to Detail. World-class people and organizations always do. Because the little things truly are the big ones.

Don't Wait for Change

Don't Wait for Change: You know I’ve never claimed to be perfect. I’ve always maintained that I’m no guru and most definitely a work in progress. Very ordinary. I have my strengths. And my flaws (like every human being). One of my weaknesses is impatience. I just have this aching need to get great things done. Can’t stand slow change. Need to make my impact, and to spend my talents (we all have them). Now.  Like some weaknesses, it’s also a great source of success. I move things forward fast. Just love speed. Only results matter (I’m generalizing, a bit). Makes me think of what Clint Eastwood said in a recent issue of Best Life: “Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands.” Exactly.  Sure, work with your team. Yes, collaborate. Of course delegate to others who have strengths where you don’t. But sometimes, when everyone else is waiting for someone else to take the first step, you need to be the one to drive the change. To me, that’s courage in action. To me, that’s using your life well. To me, that’s leadership and for being extraordinary.

Get Up Early

Get Up Early: Getting up early is a gift you give to yourself. Few disciplines have the power to transform your life as does the habit of early rising. There is something very special  about the first few hours of the morning. Time seems to slow down and a deep sense of peace fills the air. Joining the “Five o’Clock Club” will allow you to start controlling your day rather than letting your day control you. Winning the “Battle of the Bed” and putting “mind over mattress” by rising early will provide you with at least one quiet hour for yourself during the most crucial part of your day: the beginning. If spent wisely, the rest of your day will unfold in a wonderful way. I can safely say that this is one success principle that is really worth integrating into your life. In doing so, you will join the ranks of many of the most influential people of our time ranging from Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Edison and Nelson Mandela to Ted Turner and Mary Kay Ash. So while your family (and the world around you) sleeps, you start getting up first at 6 A.M., then at 5:30 A.M. and finally at 5 A.M. Listening carefully to classical music, writing letters, reading the classics and walking were just some of the activities that can be used to rekindle your spirit and reconnect with a part of yourself you think you had lost. To cultivate the habit of getting up earlier, the first thing to remember is that it is the quality rather than the quantity of sleep that matters most. It is better to have six hours of uninterrupted sleep than ten hours of restless, broken sleep. Here are four tips to help you sleep more deeply:  -Don’t rehearse the activities of your day while you are lying in bed trying to get to sleep. -Don’t eat after 8 PM. (If you have to eat something, have soup.) -Don’t watch the news before you go to sleep. -Don’t read in bed.  Give yourself a few weeks for this new habit to take hold. Saying that you tried to get up early but gave up after seven days because it was just too hard is like saying you tried taking French lessons for a week but gave up because you could not speak the language by then. Life change takes time, effort and patience. But the results  you will receive make the initial stress you experience more than worth it.

Wear Shiny Shoes

Wear Shiny Shoes: Okay, your shoes don’t need to shine for you to be a superb leader. And please remember, leadership isn’t about your position, its a way of being—Leading Without Title, to be precise. Leadership is about holding yourself to world-class standards, taking personal responsibility (versus playing the victim), being excellent within the sphere of your influence, building beautiful relationships and elevating others by your example. My point with this chapter is simply this: The way you do the little things says a lot about the way you will do the big things. And resigning yourself to mediocrity around your minor pursuits sets you up for mediocrity when it comes to the major ones. If your yard or home is Well organized, I’ll bet your life is well organized. If you are attentive to details like remembering the birthdays of your friends and sending thank—you notes after every meeting, my guess is that you will be attentive to the details around your larger projects and bigger opportunities. And if your place of business is spotless, there’s a great chance the work you do for your customers will reflect the same Commitment to excellence. (I can tell a lot about a business by the cleanliness of their bathrooms; an immaculate bathroom shouts "We care!” and that caring translates into remarkable service.)  So pay attention to the details. Focus on the small stuff (like crazy). Commit to OAD: Obsessive Attention to Detail. World-class people and organizations always do. Because the little things truly are the big ones.

Create a Love Account

Create a Love Account: Mother Teresa once said, “There are no great acts. There are only small acts done with great love.” What small acts can you do today to deepen the bonds between you and the people you value the most? What random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty can you offer to someone in an effort to make his or her day just a little better? The irony of being more compassionate is that the very act of giving to others makes you feel better as well. To practice being more loving, create a love account. Each day, make a few deposits in this very special reserve by doing something small to add joy to the life of some one around you. Buying your partner fresh cut flowers for no reason at all, sending your best friend a copy of your favorite book or taking the time to tell your children in no uncertain terms how you feel about them are all good places to start. If there is one thing that I have learned in life, it is that the little things are the big things. Those tiny, daily deposits into the love account will give you far more happiness than any amount of money in your bank account. As Emerson said so eloquently, “Without the rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar.” Or as Tolstoy wrote, “The means to gain happiness is to throw out for oneself like a spider in all directions an adhesive web of love, and to catch in all that comes. ”

Become a Volunteer

Become a Volunteer: I find a great deal of wisdom in the ancient persian proverb “I wept because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet.” It is so easy to magnify our problems and lose sight of the many blessings we all have to be so very grateful for. Giving the gift of your time by volunteering to serve those who have less than you is an excellent way to remind yourself on a regular basis of the abundance that exists in your life.  Once I was attending a conference, a man came up to me and told me he was one of the top managers of a big media company. One of the reasons for his success, he said, was his habit of spending a few hours a week helping those less fortunate than he was. “Seeing what others don’t have keeps me awake to all the good things I do have. It  prevents me from taking things for granted and, even more importantly, helps me make a difference in the lives of people who really need me.”  French physician Albert Schweitzer observed, "I don't know what your destiny will be but one thing I do know; The only ones among you who will be happy are those  who have sought and found how to serve." And Anne Morrow Lindberg wrote, “One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay ‘in kind’ somewhere else in life." Volunteering affords you the chance to help others and pay back the debt owed to those who have helped you.

Be So Good They Can't Ignore You

Be So Good They Can't Ignore You: Here’s comedian Steve Martin’s advice to young comics: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” Love it. Life favours the devoted. The more you give to life, the more life sends back. It’s just not possible for you to be great at what you do, always reaching for your brilliance and standing for excellence, and not win in the end. Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead once said, “You do not merely want to be the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do.” Sometimes discouragement sets in. Happens to all of us. We try hard, stay true to our dreams and pursue our ideals. Yet nothing happens. Or so it seems. But every choice matters. And every step counts. Life runs according to its own agenda, not ours. Be patient. Trust. Be like the stonecutter, steadily chipping away, day after day. Eventually, a single blow will crack the stone and reveal the diamond. An enthusiastic, dedicated person who is ridiculously good at what they do just cannot be denied. Seriously. Steve Martin’s insight speaks to me deeply. “Be so good; they can’t ignore you.” (Management guru Peter Drucker made the point slightly diiferently when he observed: “Get good or get out". ) Apply that philosophy at work. Apply it at home. Apply it in your commumty. Apply it to your world. Having the courage to present your gifts and your highest capacities will yield magnificent rewards. Life is always fair in the end. Trust it.