SUPERSTAR at WORK

New York, New York !

2011-11-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

The NYC Marathon is world famous and iconic not without reason ! Its exciting, tough, diverse and I can't think of a better way to experience the city in one day touching all the 5 boroughs as you run along its course - Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan.

When I ran the Chicago Marathon 2011 on Oct 9th ( my first full marathon in life - just 4 weeks before the NYC marathon), I was prepared and felt I had trained to the best of my ability for it ! It was a separate matter that owing to it becoming very hot towards the end, I faced the wall in my last 6 miles with my quads cramping up 4-5 times !

The difference with the NYC marathon was that I had hardly trained for it !

The reason was that while I was elated with my performance ( I ran a sub 4 :30 time - 4:28:19) in Chicago inspite of the cramping and the heat, I came back with a souvenir ( besides the medal) - a foot injury !

After any hard race, it is expected that your body would be sore - and mine was sore like hell the day after. But in addition to this soreness, I sensed one particular pain in the area below my right ankle was not just soreness.

The other issue with my resting was that the very next morning after the marathon, we had to fly off early in the morning to California from Chicago ( a good 6-7 hour journey with a stop over) - not the best ingredient for recovery !

I rested for 2 days, and the pain below the ankle decreased, but did not go away entirely. Meanwhile the rest of my sore body was back to normal.

I tried to run only a good week after the marathon - s short run in hilly San Francisco - which I cut short because I could still feel pain in that area.

I ran another short run - a fast paced one ( 5k) - the pain was there, but less.

So, I was ready to do a long run finally ( 2 weeks after the sunday marathon).

I ran a blistering pace and I broke my record for a half marathon distance ( 13.1 miles/21k) in 1:49 minutes. My previous best was 1:54. All this was possible thanks to my newly picked up skills in Chi Running.

But, an hour after the run, the pain came back with a bang ! I couldn't walk ! I knew this was an injury that I had to take care of. For the first time, I felt that maybe New York would not happen ! On describing the pain to a new friend of mine who is a chiropractor in LA, he said I should rule out the possibility of a stress fracture if I wanted to consider running New York !

We were scheduled to go off to Boston the next day, so I called my American friend there who is also a runner and asked him if he could get an X-ray appointment for me.

He managed to get an appointment in the Mount Auburn hospital ( part of Harvard Medical) with a sports doctor.

Dr. Leo Troy happened to be a marathoner ! He mentioned that his happiest moment in life was doing 3:05 in the Boston Marathon ! Oh Boy ! He asked about my timing in Chicago and he was very impressed with it - as it was my first one !

On examining my foot carefully, he said that it was not a stress fracture but a Peronial Tendon strain. He said that if I wanted to run New York, I would not be able to run at all before it ( only low impact exercise like cycling - not even walking !).

So, I had a chance ! And I managed to do a few days of elliptical training in the community gym where we were staying in New Jersey and did not run even once in the 2 weeks before the NYC marathon. Not a very comforting or confidence inspiring feeling - trust me !

On race day, because of the rest and the taking care, I didn't seem to feel the foot paining like before - so I felt that I could take the chance !

The first experience on race day was 4 hours of cold and shivering for me ! I had to wait for 4 hours before our start - and in spite of wrapping myself in 2 jackets that I would throw away, I was freezing ! It didn't help that the temperature was 1 degree Celsius in the morning ! In fact, I felt my feet freeze inside my shoes - with no feelings at all !

Then, right when we started, the weather suddenly became hot - making my attire uncomfortable ( long sleeved shirt with a vest, gloves and ear warmer).

I decided to bear the discomfort and kept running. I had also decided to match my pace in Chicago due to the injury even if I felt i could.

The start of the run was over the majestic Verrazano bridge which connects Staten Island to Brooklyn. The bridge has a good amount of ascent - but I enjoyed it and enjoyed the spectacular view of Manhattan as we crossed the bridge.

We then descended into Brooklyn and I was quite impressed with this borough - the streets were wide and the spectators seemed so friendly, welcoming and encouraging ( even the cops !).

After a long run up the 4th Avenue in Brooklyn, the course wound its way into Queens giving me a glimpse of the Citibank building in Manhattan, pulling me towards it and beckoning me !

After a few miles, I got the same glimpse a little later - but this time the Citibank building was closer - beckoning me even more !

Just before we reached the Pulaski bridge near Queens ( the half way point - 13.1 miles), someone grabbed my arm - it was Sarita ( wifey !) who had also decided to run. It would be her very first full marathon. She was not sure of doing so - but I encouraged her to just try it out and drop out if she wasn't up to the distance. She had done the max distance of a half marathon in Sydney before.

She had started her race much before me in the first wave an hour before me and I had now caught up with her. I was thrilled to see that she had made it to the 20 km point and felt that she would definitely finish the race.

We held hands for a few moments and then with a glance she understood that I would need to keep running at my pace and go ahead.

I hit the Pulaski bridge half marathon point ( 13.1 miles) and was looking forward to the Queensborough bridge at mile 15. This would take us from Queens finally into Manhattan !

The Queensborough bridge has the steepest climb in the course and I was very surprised that I was just enjoying the run up that bridge. I suddenly felt cold wind on the bridge and I was happy that I was still attired adequately.

True to its hype, the bridge descended into First Avenue, Manhattan where huge crowds welcomed the runners with a deafening roar !!

Also at this time, I caught up with the 4:30 pace team - and seeing that I had done so without risking my foot, made me tear up !! For the first time, I felt I could match Chicago's sub 4 30 time - in spite of all the hills !

The first avenue stretch from Manhattan to the Bronx was long and hot - and by the time I reached the 18 mile mark, I could feel myself fading. I quickly took a loo break and then refueled with my energy gel earlier than my planned time ( a lesson I learnt in Chicago - this was to avoid the cramps).

As I hit the 20 mile mark, I could feel my energy coming back to me in spite of yet another bridge. By mile 21, we had finished with the Bronx and were headed back to Manhattan, I felt new life within me.

I refueled earlier than scheduled again and I felt I could actually do well !

In fact, from mile 22 to mile 26 and then to the finish at 26.2 I ran my best race ever !! In spite of now tired legs, I consciously summoned my Chi Running posture and it made all the difference ! I was flying down Central park ( miles 24 to the finish) - the section which normally frustrates runners, where I saw so many walking it as they could not go on. I had found new life and a new pace which helped me finish strong !!

And as a result, I broke 4 :30 ( 4:29:20). I was a minute slower than my Chicago timing ( 4:28:19), but I didn't have to take care of an injury then and I didn't have all those bridges to climb ! So, I know that I did far better than Chicago !

And I had not run at all for 2 weeks in a row.

I was ( and am) so so happy with this experience. To top it all, Sarita managed to finish the marathon too ! Am so so proud of her determination and spirit. I would like to believe that a little encouragement from me and her learning Chi Running helped her too !

Running New York was a dream. That dream is now a reality. Running both Chicago and New York in the span of 4 weeks as my very first full marathons in life is just divine !!

The photo I have used in this blog is of the book that I read a few months ago - called A Race like no other - where a New York Times journalist describes the NYC marathon experience mile by mile - with many different stories of different and diverse runners as part of the story. I really wanted to run the marathon after reading it - and today I feel I can understand all that I read then ! :-)

Today, I genuinely feel that if I care for something in my life to be manifested, it can definitely happen !

I go back to India in a few days after a wonderful visit in the US and now especially after these two marathons much enriched !

Thank you all for being a part of this journey with me.

Running my first full marathon - Chicago Marathon 2011

2011-10-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

I got into the US on Sept 5, 2011. The Immigration officers asked about my intent for visiting - and I said " I am here to run two marathons !". It always got an appreciative smile and gave me re-affirmation that I was onto the right thing ! :-)

To further my running exploration, I had taken another leap of faith ( besides closing shop for 2.5 months for this trip !) and signed up to get trained as a Chi-Running instructor.

Little did I know that very soon, that would also work out beautifully in the most amazing way !

1. I got introduced to a beautiful part of the US - as my training was in Asheville, North Carolina.

2. I connected with the most amazing people - both the instructors and participants of that program - and I can say safely that a few of them would be friends for a long time !

3. I finally discovered for myself how transformative Chi Running can be for my own running and eventually life !

This blog is not about chi running, ( might write one on that too !) - so here's a little description for those interested at this link

http://www.chirunning.com/what-is-chirunning/

For the purpose of this blog, I will just say that it is a way of running which goes with the flow of natural energy and forces of nature, thus making running more efficient and less injury prone.

I got back from the course and I started my training run build up for the full marathon. I was feeling at first a bit behind on the preparation due to my trip and traveling and then of course the training program.

All that changed when I ran a 25 k interval run where I noticed that when i relaxed my legs ( rather than using them to power every move), I could run more relaxed and ... surprise surprise - faster !!

This continued in my long runs as well - and ultimately I managed a 22 mile run - and I did not feel as exhausted as I had done on my 20 mile run 3 weeks prior to that.

A little pain in the feet followed which made me want to go carefully after that intense week, and I started tapering down my mileage to be fresh for the marathon !

Ultimately I realized as the date loomed closer and closer that all I had to do was focus on all the training and hard work that I had already put in - and that alone would be enough to get me from 22 miles to 26.1 miles as I had never run that far before !

From lay perspective, 22 to 26 doesn't sound like a major leap or ask, but trust me, every km / mile which is above your body's threshold, is surely felt !! My threshold was probably around 25-30 km. After that it was no man's land !

So, mentally prepared, I embarked on the flight to Chicago, a few days before the Sunday race ( oct 9). I told myself that I need not worry at all as I had gone the distance a few times ( 30, 32 and then 35.8 km) and had trained in the cold ( for me ! 7 degrees celsius) - so I said to myself - Bring it on !

And it did, with a reversal of weather conditions on the marathon week.

It was hot !! It looked like I would have to focus on the training in the hot weather I had done back in Mumbai a while back !! Lesson no. 1 ! Don't assume anything - but be prepared for anything :-)

The race began at 7 :30 am on October 9th, Sunday, 2011.

It took me thanks to the crowd of 45000 23 minutes to reach the start line - which was of course more crawl than run !

Even after the start ( when one goes across the timing mat), the run was very constrained - thanks to the sheer number of people around me !

As I was getting into mile 1, I suddenly realized I had passed the hotel where I was staying !

The race was on. I eased into the race thanks to my Chi Running Posture - and tried to reach my comfortable pace - which was a little difficult as one had to keep slowing down because of the crowd. "That's the advantage of being an elite runner - one doesn't have to go through this ! Good incentive :-)"

The Chicago marathon allows people to listen to their music while running, as long as they are mindful while they do that. So, I took advantage of it and put on my music. I had trained for the last 2 months without music - so it was nice to experience this again !

I slowly got into the groove, dodging runners every now and then, weaving in and out of the crowd to find my natural pace.

My usually trusted steed - the Garmin 310 XT's GPS was getting thrown off by every bridge we ran under - so I had to rely on the mile markers on the course for progress !

My hydration and refueling strategy seemed to be working perfectly ( I use a Camelbak 2 litre backpack for hydration and GU Roctane gels, followed by Accel Gels and ultimately Second Surge gel with caffeine for the last effort !)

Instead of continuously running without stopping ( which I did in my half marathons) , I had a new strategy of walking while I had every gel break ( every 45 minutes).

This I think took the edge off the strain of running such a long distance !

The weather so far ( for the first 2 hours) was pleasant- so I thought that I had given too much thought to the "heat" expected on this race day. I was soon proven wrong !

I realized that even with a "low temperature" of about between 25 to 30 degrees Centigrade, the sun was quite scorching hot !!

I could see the volunteers doing a fantastic job of helping "cool down" the runners - hosing us down at intervals, then providing water soaked sponges to each runner.

I initially avoided all this, but after the heat started having its presence more than felt, I too gladly embraced all these cooling down measures !

Magic happened after I hit the half marathon mark ( 13.1 miles / 21.097 km) - as emotionally I realized that I had never run that much in any race before this. This feeling got me into my best pace right from 21 km to around the 30 km mark ! And this was all inspite of the heat getting worse ! I could see it having its effect on runners around me - many people needed medical attention - that was a bit disturbing !

I was however enjoying the 21 to 30 km journey, smiling like I had never smiled before !

And then I touched 20 miles ( 32 km). The psychological fear of the wall ( which is supposed to strike runners after the 20 mile mark) started working on me and I started feeling cramps in my quads. I slowed my pace a bit and kept going on !

More than me, I think my trusted Shure earphones ( which have been acting funny ever since I got them almost drowned in a rainy deluge in a mumbai run) hit the wall ! The music was sounding all wonky, but I kept listening !

Chinatown happened as advertised at mile 21. 7 and that woke me up a bit - but when I hit 22 miles ( which was another emotional moment - as everything would be longer than I had ever run in life from this point onwards).

While I was buoyed by the above emotional moment, the heat seemed to have its effect finally - and I felt the cramps come back ! I stopped running and realized I could not even walk !!

I quickly changed my refueling strategy and decided to refuel there and then ( instead of waiting for 45 minutes), then stretched. So, I had the Second Surge gel which I had saved for a strong finish there itself ! Another lesson learnt - the best plans would need to be adapted to the situation ! :-)

It seemed to work and the cramps slowly went away - and I plodded on, carefully keeping my pace below the normal level, fearing the return of the cramps.

They did return - thrice ! After stopping and stretching everytime and one more refuel, I gave up all ambitions for a sub 4 30 finish which was seeming like a possibility when I was in a super flow !

I said to myself that it would be acceptable to finish within 4 : 45 - if I could given the current circumstances.

As I plodded along, I finally touched 40 km ! This was another emotional high point and I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks !

At that point I started seeing the signs held by people saying "Just 2 miles to go" and I felt that if I could just keep at it, I would have a decent finish ! At this point I made a request to my body - asking for its full support to take me there ! It of course complied !

Then, I passed the Nike "motivational" zone which I must admit with great gratitude really helped with their messages of "2 miles from here is the finish line , etc." I felt emotional again ( yes - more tears) and then I had vivid images of Steve Jobs and his spirit of making things happen, etc. and all that got me focused on making those 2 miles happen. I was also very grateful to Chi Running as it got me all the way there in a way I could not have imagined earlier !

The first mile ( of the last two) was a relief and I was straining my neck to catch a glimpse of the 26th mile marker !

It all seemed like a slow motion movie to me - I saw a marker, thinking it was no. 26 - but it merely said 1 mile to go ( to complete 26.2) and I had mixed emotions of the burden of that knowledge ( so close yet so far !) and the excitement of it being the last mile as well !

I was straining to see the finish line - no sign yet. I saw a 800 metre sign - and I ambled on. I came to the 400 metre sign and I still could not see the finish line. Finally we turned and there I could see that word which probably never meant so much to me before this moment in life - FINISH !!

I sprinted ( the last 200 m) - politely showing the middle finger to my cramps and gave it my all !!!

I reached the finish and something told me that I hadn't finished within 4 : 45 - but I had managed to do so within 4 : 30 !!

I checked my time much later - it was 4:28 and 19 seconds !!

The rest of the day was a blur with an amazing massage stretch provided by the hospitality tent, then the terrible reality of walking back to the hotel as we couldn't get a cab, walking even more to Niketown as I wanted to get my medal engraved with my name ( a Nike promotion), coming back to the hotel, packing our bags for our early morning flight to California the next day...

But, the overall experience is now etched into the deepest recesses of my heart and soul, as I know that I had longed for this and made it into a reality - and I knew that I could finally and proudly say " I was a MARATHONER" ! :-)

Its been more than a day since this "life defining experience" and I am nursing my very sore legs - but the euphoria far outweighs the pain and the net gain to me as a human being, I know will take me a very long long way in life ! Helping me address "seemingly insurmountable obstacles/ un achievable goals" and give me the conviction that I can make it happen ! :-)

Thank you for letting me share this !

manifesting Dreams into Reality

2011-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

This blog post ( yet again after a long time) is an attempt to capture and share a very important journey in my life. This is not about that journey where I talk about how I lost lots of weight and turned my health around.

This journey is about CREATING BELIEF. I never believed in my 40 years of existence that I would enjoy physical activities. I never believed that I could be good at them. I never believed that one day those physical activities would serve as a dynamo in my life, charging it totally.

A lot of people who see me and know me today will stand testimony to the fact that anything I set my mind to, I will do. And the recent example is my running my very first full marathon - 42.1 km / 26.2 miles at the Chicago Marathon on Oct 9, 2011 ( The date was aptly 9/10/11 !)

But, what most people don't have an idea about, is the mental AND physical journey which takes place getting there !

I would like to talk about that journey.

That journey pretty much started with doubt like I mentioned earlier. What made it beautiful was that I focused on the "delightful possibility" of creating something beautiful, taking that first step of commitment and then just taking one step at a time towards that possibility.

I never thought i could run a year ago -and then I proved myself incorrect by taking the first step and then just going ahead and doing it ( a la Nike !)

That effort resulted in my first half marathon effort on November 21, 2010 after just 6 weeks of running. It was an awesome testimony to converting a thought into reality.

Running in a public race also upped the ante from just running on my own to being a part of something much bigger where the energy of the people around you lifts you !

I was hooked. I ran 3 more half marathons - Mumbai, Thane and then Sydney in May 2011. They involved injury ( achilles tendinosis, healing it and then running the race with it), new PRs ( Personal Records - 1:54 at Thane, breaking the 2 hours barrier for the first time !) and braving the cold and hills ( Sydney in May, 2011)

But much before Sydney, I saw a docu-movie called The Spirit of the Marathon - which captures beautifully the story of a racing veteran ( Deena Kastor), a senior citizen, some Boston marathon qualifying aspirants, some first time marathoners, etc. taking us through each of their journeys as they all prepare mentally and physically to run the Chicago Marathon ( 2005) and then of course run it successfully. One drops out due to an injury prior to the race.

All that made me feel one thing - " I would also love to run Chicago".

With that decision, I waited to register for the event. The prospect of running in cold weather scared me ( forget the distance !)

I went ahead and made Sydney happen as I felt it would prepare me for the cold ! That was a good experience - it also helped me connect with an old school mate, whom I hadn't met for 23 years - along with his family.

In the meanwhile, I was also fascinated by the world famous New York marathon - and I started harboring a longing to run that as well !

So, I registered for that as well - not too hopeful, as one gets into a lottery when you haven't run it before or when you don't have an impressive timing from another full marathon.

What happened next ? I got through the lottery !!

Suddenly I was faced with the scary prospect of running my first full marathon in Chicago on October 9, 2011 followed by NYC on November 6th, 2011 ! barely a month later !

As you know by now, I have already done one of them ! ( Chicago) and will soon be doing NYC as well !

So, what did all that mean ? Being in the US for more than a month, and running those races, taking a break from my business, work ,etc. for that period.

In the meanwhile, I was following a beautiful way of running called Chi Running. I had obtained the book and video and was attempting to follow whatever I could. But, the longing in my mind said, "If I am going to the US to run the marathons anyway, wouldn't it be great if I could also learn Chi-Running ?"

And that's precisely what I did ! Not just learnt the basic course - but signed up and started the certification process of being a Chi Running Instructor ! Not because i wanted to start that offering back in Mumbai, but honestly I felt it would be the best way to get deepest into it !

It suddenly expanded my trip from a month to more than 2 months - but undaunted, I went ahead and committed to it !

The beautiful part of this was that much later, my first book got finalized and the trip suddenly seemed perfect to help the research for the book to happen. "Those Dots will connect" - those golden words from Steve Jobs' Stanford speech still resonate deeply within me ! The Dots were more than connecting for me !

So, as I write this post, nursing very sore legs ( but overjoyed rest of body, mind, heart and soul !), I reflect on this very special journey and realise how I made all these things realise in life and how today I believe that if I really want something in life, and if I commit to it, it will... it will definitely happen !! :-)

A separate post on my Chicago Marathon experience follows !

You've come a long way ABHI !

2011-05-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

As I was going through another run today at one of my favourite and most frequented spots - Joggers' Park, Carter road, Bandra, Mumbai, a thought hit me.

The last 7 months flashed in front of my eyes and I was filled with awe and gratitude - for my journey ! specifically, my Physical journey. In the last 7 months, I started running for the first time in my life AND amassed a respectable participation in no less than FOUR half marathons !

It all began on November 21st, 2010 at Delhi, went on to Mumbai in January 2011, Thane in Feb 2011 and boom ! All the way to Sydney on May 15th, 2011 !

From not being able to run for more than 3 minutes at a stretch earlier ( Thanks to my diet of Gold Flake cigarettes for almost 15 years of my life !) to now comfortably running 21 km half marathons, taking on tougher and tougher courses and challenges and constantly improving my performance !

What happened ???

Another flashback hit me as I was digesting all of the above during my run - a memory of myself in school ( kindergarten - no less) where I remember convincing a friend of mine to hide in the school closet to avoid going out during the PHYSICAL EDUCATION class ! It was a huge relief not to attend it and spare myself the "torture" of physical activity !

I then recalled that this was how I was THROUGHOUT my life !!

I had always shied away from anything physical. I never really enjoyed playing any sport / game. I learnt swimming as a child, bit only thanks to the insistence of my parents. ( This was in Bahrain)

In fact, I remember the first 3 lessons being the most torturous days of my life. I remember the teacher clearly ( Pauline Packwood was her name) "giving up on me" because I just could not get it ! And just before I sunk any deeper, I suddenly managed to swim ! That moment changed me. I felt that I could also do something physical.

But, for me the pain to get there was too much of a price to pay and that's the way it remained till 7 months ago ...

In school I concentrated on those "games" which had social acceptance but did not need any physical effort - Pool, Darts. Table Tennis was probably the only game that I did a little well at ( but not because of any physical effort !)

I went through school secretly nursing the "hurt" that I would never compare to all the "cool" boys in school who were good at sport. I justified in my mind that if I was good at studies, I need not worry about being good at sport. That theory came crashing down many a time, when I saw many "good" students excelling at sport as well.

Once I began working, with a sigh of relief, I discovered that the evil world of sport/physical activity was finally behind me. The only "acceptable" sport that I needed to cultivate was the no. of pegs that I could down to keep up with the drinking boys !

And that was my physical activity at its best !

A decade ago, a new world suddenly emerged as a worthy substitute to the menacing world of Sport / Physical activity - ADVENTURE. It did not need physical activity - BUT it needed a fair bit of COURAGE !

Enter the world of Scuba Diving, Bungy jumping, Sky Diving - and suddenly I had my own weapons in life ! I loved the activities and more than that the fact that not many ventured to do them like I did !

Hiking / Trekking slipped into this world somehow and it bridged the two worlds of ADVENTURE and PHYSICAL ACTIVITY for me and I loved it too ! The only issue with it was I could not really do this on a regular basis and it featured prominently in our overseas trips - therefore quite sparse.

The only other physical activity that I started doing well on a regular basis - was Strength training at the gym to coincide my total health turnaround 2 years ago. I always "attempted" to go the gym earlier, but extremely half heartedly. Once I did that, I started "enjoying" it for the first time !

Thanks to the gym, I started running a bit on the treadmills as part of the "cardio days" and found that I could run far better than my earlier 3 minutes and I could do it without huffing / puffing !

What eluded me was to able to GO OUT and run !

So after a good holiday which had a huge amount of trekking and a little running thrown in, I felt a void after coming back to India and so, I decided to ... run ! Outside !

I did and was rewarded with a painful knee. Someone advised that I needed better cushioned shoes for running - so I took the big step, invested in those, got myself a Nike plus sensor and after the first 5 k run that I did, thanks to the sensor, I have been running, enjoying and measuring my progress throughout. Last I checked I had clocked 850 km ( in the 7 months) so far ! While the knee pain went away, I went ahead and was rewarded with other injuries which were a huge blessing as they made me look at everything seriously and carefully. I know I have come a long way since then !

I today feel that I have found my "sport" and I absolutely RELISH physical activity. This has made me set really aspirational goals. Two full marathons ( 42km) this year ( no lesser than the Chicago and New York marathon - the world's most famous marathon ! The largest ultramarathon race next year ( The Comrades run, South Africa 89 km to be completed within 12 hours !). The Ironman the year after that ( 2.4 miles swimming followed by 112 miles cycling followed by 26.2 miles of a full marathon all to be completed within 17 hours !)

The "physical"activity has made me feel younger. It has definitely helped me in my work - in all ways. I feel my brain operating at levels unrealised before.

I feel that it has created an even deeper bonding between my wife and I. The high point was when she, against all odds, managed to finish the Sydney half marathon recently. ( Tough hilly course. She had previously run only 8 km ! There were time cut-off throughout the race and people who did not meet them were asked to stop running. Hardly the best candidate for a first race !)

Yes, it took me almost 40 years to get here - but I can say with no regret that the journey was truly worth it and its only getting better ! I have definitely come a long way ! :-)

I only wish for those people who haven't yet accepted the gift of Physical activity in their lives, to discover it and enjoy the effect !! :-)

My first race in life - The Delhi Half Marathon 2010

2010-12-08T02:44:00.001-08:00

My First Step

Everyone's first step - whether its the very first word they utter in life or the first time they ride a bicycle sans the balance wheels or when they get their first salary cheque / slip or when they receive their first promotion at work or their first date or their first car, the emotions attached to them are always special !!

For me the Delhi Half Marathon 2010 race will always be in that category. Immensely special.

The journey began in September ( 25th) when after I purchased a pair of "real running shoes" - the Nike Vomero 5 + with a Nike Plus sensor which would monitor my running progress.

It was the idea of the Nike Plus monitoring that spurred me on and got me to run my first 5 k ! The sensor which was nestled discreetly in my shoe would connect wirelessly with my iphone and integrate with the ipod feature ! It sounded just too exciting !

And off I went to Jogger's Park in Bandra to try out Nike Plus ( more than run !).

It worked like a dream. It connected effortlessly to my iphone and I could select any song / playlist to accompany. I stopped when I touched 5 + km thinking that this was a good benchmark. The next run 2 days later was 10 k .
I would have probably kept ramping up the mileage if someone hadn't cautioned me that it would have led to injury !

So, using caution I purposely stopped at 13.69 instead of taking it to 15 ! I felt very good and responsible for that act of cautiousness :-)

When I shared this achievement with a client of mine ( who is a runner herself), she just messaged back and said " you are ready for the half marathon. I am sending you the registration link for the Delhi Half Marathon". This was the first week of October. The Delhi half was scheduled for the 21st of November !

"Huh ? !" Delhi Half Marathon ? But I was just enjoying my Nike Plus !! And that's like next month !! Ready ? What makes her feel I am ready ?!

The mail from her came soon along with that dreaded link.

I tried it once or twice - and the not so efficient website didn't quite work. "See. its not meant to be. Just leave it !" And, suddenly the link worked.

I went to the register & payment section, filled out all the requisite information and when I clicked on the "credit card pay" button, I thought like many previous unsuccessful e-commerce transactions ( like on flipkart, etc.) this one too would join the list of "Yeah, I tried, but it didn't work !"

And, ... it worked !! "OMG !! Now I will actually have to run. I will have to go to Delhi !! "

To cement the realisation of the fact facing me now, I did the best thing I know to seal it : put it on to my Facebook update status !! Now I had no excuse to back out ! ( or didn't I ... ?)

My running suddenly had purpose. " I am running in the Delhi Half Marathon. Getting ready for that." is what I would share with other runners at Joggers, hapless bystanders, my captive driver, my amused wife, my impressed gym instructor, my even more amused yoga teacher, etc.

In terms of "training" I didn't do anything different though as far as running was concerned .

I still ran twice a week - no more, again to play / run safe. But, I still managed to ramp up. The next week it was 15, the week after it was 18 and finally I reached the mental barrier of the half marathon distance : 21 km !

I went to the gym twice a week ( scaled down from the early 6 days a week routine) - because " I am getting ready for the Delhi Half Marathon !"

Because of the new found purpose and goal, I even fell in love with the Ironman triathlon race - which I happened to see on ESPN ! I Have to do this ! After Delhi.

But hang on. I don't swim nor cycle !!

So, I corrected the situation by 33 % and bought myself a bike.

So, the other 2 days was dedicated to the bike ( to work other leg muscles which were not being used while running without the damage impact !)

I was set !

The date loomed closer and closer. A friend of mine from Delhi graciously invited me to stay over at their home. I had booked my air tickets well in advance.

November 19th : I reached Delhi. The new found admiration for Indigo airlines was almost shaken however after a 3 hour delay with passengers ready to blow themselves up ( just kidding !)

November 20th : EXPO : This is when I had to go and pick up my Running Bib. Don't know why we were being reminded of being efficiently eating toddlers again ! I was more excited about the Timing chip that they gave us which we had to attach to our shoes.

The other exciting thing was my friend's neighbour ( where I was staying) was also running in the marathon. He in fact was an organiser of runs in Delhi. He had offered to drive me to the marathon. I thought that would be great experience. The race was to start at 7 30 am. We were supposed to reach by 6:30 am. So, I figured we needed to leave ( from Gurgaon) by at least 5 30.

Thanks to the marathoning neighbour, I met many runners en route to the event. Most of them were regular runners who were looking at bettering their PR ( Personal Record !) !

I tried not to get intimidated by all that. Two of them had just finished running an Ultramarathon in Bangalore of 75 km !!
They were all however quite surprised when I told them that I had been running for all of 6 weeks in my life before this. So I felt good again :-)

The other thing I was worried about was the cold. Everyone kept going on about how wonderful the weather was. I was almost shivering !! They all said that once the race started, the cold would vanish.

I still had more than an hour for that to happen so I felt very grateful that I had dressed appropriately. Long sleeve sweatshirt plus tracks. Of course the cold made me want to relieve myself often/ "What will happen once I start running ? Will I be able to go ?"

I also had this niggling doubt about this pain in my left leg, below the knee which had started coming up in my last few runs.

"What if it comes up again ? What will I do ?"

Finally it was 7 30. After waiting in a very crowded field ( where many runners were relieving themselves in imaginative ways and places, we were all set to go !

I heard the crowd roar and assumed that the race was on. I had done 2 rounds of loosening exercises and I was rearing to go !

I pressed play on my iphone playlist and .... then turned it off again. The crowd was crawling out, so I decided to start the music only when there was an opportunity to run !

After about 5 minutes that happened and I pressed play again and the much anticipated "opening song" started my first official race run !

AR Rahman's Delhi 6 blasted into my ears, getting me into the mood. I felt very proud to have selected such an appropriate number ! Meanwhile all around me, there was mayhem. People were generally going beserk all around me and were sprinting as if the finish line was in sight ! I decided to stay calm and focused on my run.

We started the race near the Hotel Ashok, went over the Safdarjang Flyover ( which though I was dreading for its climb turned out to be fun !) and since the race was a loop, I was looking at the other side longingly. "Soon I will be running back on the other side of the road !"

It however didn't feel like soon. Half way towards the half way point, I suddenly heard fellow runners screaming. I was wondering what the commotion was all about when I saw these mystically athletic figures - Ethiopian / Kenyan runners who were in full glory, already heading back !!!

I was filled with awe and equal amounts of frustration. " They have already finished half the race and they are going to finish soon !! And I have just started !!"

I shook my negative thoughts and decided to focus on the race ahead and the many people that were still behind me !!

We then reached the incredibly beautiful part of Delhi passing the Delhi Gate, then running towards the Rajpath -which was just an awesome sight. What spoilt it for me was seeing on the other side of the road all the runners who after reaching the half way point were also heading back.

"I have to reach the half way point too. Then all will be fine !"

This thought stayed with me for another 2 km till we finally reached the Meridien hotel at the half way mark.

Then, new energy took over me !! Some thanks to the energy gel that I used for refueling, but the maximum from knowing that I had finished half the race and I was on the other side of the road facing many runners who were still not at the half way point !!!

That changed my race. I was now running faster ( at least I felt I did !) and the other joy was overtaking many runners. I also saw so many runners who had now started walking. They were exhausted. They had given up. They had started too strong. I was so so grateful that I had started steady, slow and wise !!

My strong run continued throughout the run. There was a period which lasted for at least 2 km, where this person wanted to overtake me, but I held strong without exerting myself. It was an amazing feeling where both of us were running neck to neck with the same pace. Finally he gave up ! ( trying to overtake !)

The kms went one by one. As per my Nike plus, the race was over 2/3 km before it did ( as per the distance it registered) ! I am really happy that I didn't get psyched out by that. In fact, I went stronger. The Safdarjung flyover happened again and everyone around me was spent and many started walking. I kept at it.

We got blessed by some downward slopes and I maintained the new pace and momentum after them.

I finally saw the 20 km sign. Wow !! Just a km to go ! I wanted it to just end.

Someone who I had met earlier suddenly said something like " come on go for it". And that spurred me on again. Now it was not a strong or clipped pace. It was a sprint ! And I did it with the prayer that the finish would come up soon ! It didn't. But I kept at it !

I finished the race the way I had always heard races should be run - start steady finish strong !! The pain I was worried about, came and went and didn't bother me at all !

My music which normally dictated the moods of my runs was drowned by the excitement of the marathon !

I finished the race in 2 hours and 13 minutes. I had expected to finish slightly faster, but I realised that my Nike plus was not necessarily as accurate as I thought it to be. Net analysis told me that I had run farther and faster than before !

As soon as I passed the finish line, I hit a void.

I was numb. Nothing registered. I remembered to stretch and had a lucozade bottle. Smiled and accepted my Finisher's medal; I hobbled towards the car. Stretched. My legs were now screaming with pain. All part of the journey. Headed back home to recuperate !

A new chapter had opened in my life. I had traveled from idea to dream to making it a reality !

I did it !!

The pain vanished after a day. The high is still there ! :-) Next ? Mumbai Marathon - half. Next ? Chicago / NYC Marathon - Full ! Here I come :-)

The LONG RUN by Matt Long

2010-12-07T08:10:00.001-08:00

Just finished reading one of the most moving stories ever !!

Matt Long is a New York city fireman, who tells us about his awesome athletic story where after years of constant pushing the limits, sees him running the New York city marathon ( 2005) and qualifying for the coveted Boston Marathon as a result of his super timing ! ( 3:13)

He feels like he is on top of this world as he has qualified for his dream race and just a few months earlier he finished racing the ultimate endurance badge - the IRONMAN triathlon ( 2.4 miles swimming followed by 112 miles biking followed by the full marathon distance of 26.2 miles - all to be finished within 17 hours). Matt finished in 11 hours and 18 minutes.

After running the Boston, he would aim to better his Ironman timing to qualify for the annual Ironman championships at Hawaii.

Matt's life was all set !

Till December 22nd, 2005 happened to him.

Because of a transport strike, Matt rode to work on his bicycle ( which he used for training for the Ironman).

On the way, a 20 ton bus, making an illegal right turn, did not see Matt on the bike, and in the agonizing moments that followed pretty much crushed Matt.

Matt was rushed off to the New York Presbyterian hospital. Doctors gave him a 5 % chance of survival. His entire abdomen was
torn apart. The bike seat rod had penetrated and decimated his pelvis region through his anus.

He was bleeding profusely and it was just not stopping. After many hours of the surgeons battling, they finally managed to stop the bleeding and after a good 24 hours, they finally felt hope that Matt might survive.

One of the key decisions the doctors had to make was to do a colostomy - which meant that if Matt survived, might have to have a bag which collected his human waste as his entire system was non functional.

His left leg had titanium rods through them. His gluteus muscles were not active at all and therefore he could not use his right leg properly.

The story talks about his very painfully recovery. The months it took for him to take his first step; The self hating that he went through - for this once accomplished athlete to start accepting the cost of having his life saved. This part of the story was quite humbling ! And so so real !

It took an entire year for Matt to start walking ( with a cane) - but more importantly to feel good about living again ! He painfully got his system and muscles to start working again so he could finally remove the bag which was causing him untold embarrassment and misery.

But once he did ...

He decided to stop feeling sorry for himself and blaming the world and accept life and push the limits like he always did !

He decided to run again. And he did again with a lot of determination and .. pain.

With some expert coaches, he managed to run his first mile.

And then the next target ? The New York Marathon !!

And he did it ! 3 years after the accident, Matt Long ran the NYC marathon again and finished it in 7 hours 22 minutes ( compare that to his previous 3 :13 !). But the elation he felt was just the same as before ! His friends and family supported him big time. In fact his running partners of before sacrificed their marathon to run alongside Matt to protect him.

He didn't stop there. Matt Long did the Ironman again in 2009 ! He ran the same circuit in 16 hours 58 minutes - to finish the entire circuit 2 minutes before the cut off time, 2 minutes before midnight.

It took him 4 years to do that, but he did. And as a result, turned his life around and managed to inspire countless people who face similar adversities to do the same !!

To help make it a reality, Matt has founded an organisation / foundation to support people like him called I WILL.

It was that willing human spirit which propelled him to take a big tumble and crawl back again and reclaim his life !

check this for more

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13053-0,00.html

My take out : I cried many times while reading this and felt how much I take for granted what life has already given to me. Once its gone, that's when one realises the true value.

The other thing that hit me was the VALUE OF FITNESS in life. The Doctors said that only reason that Matt survived in the first place was the strength of his heart - thanks to the marathons and Ironman !! Wow !! It makes me appreciate fitness that much more !

This book has really really impacted me !!

Transformation - my journey

2010-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

"Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace"

These words when powerfully belted out by Beyonce in her song HALO, always sends positive shivers down my spine and never fail to elicit a few tears of joy as well !

The context that I relate to when I listen to these words is not that someone came into my life and became that saving grace. Someone did - but that someone is me !!

Me ! Connecting to myself, my true self for the very first time and realising the unlimited potential of that realisation to me and therefore having courage to bring down those walls one by one is what I call my journey of Transformation !!

I love how Bill Philips, the world famous fitness coach and author of the best selling book and program - Body-for-life defines transformation.

1. Transformation is going from a lower to a higher state of being

2. Its the ending of something old and the beginning of something new

3. There's a degree of permanence; of irreversibility to it

What was my Transformation journey ?

Stage I

This journey began for me in 2001/2002 when I took responsibility for my life for the very first time, and I asked my current wife to marry me ! ( yes I was married before and that didn't last ultimately !) I realise today that by owning up to my choices rather than forever believing I was this hapless victim of circumstances who deserved pity and aplomb for managing them in life !! For the purpose of this blog, I am not going to get into the depth of Stage I.

Stage II

Close on the heels of Stage I, I took the next step towards taking responsibility for my life where I finally paid attention to the myriad distress signals my body was giving me for a while through alarming health test results !
To cut a long story short, thanks to my indulgent lifestyle which involved healthy doses of partying via old monk & thums up, gold flake cigarettes , late nights ( or actually very early mornings !) matched by my love for lots of meat products had its impact on my Cholesterol, Trigylcerides, Liver ( SGPT) and Kidney ( Uric Acid) in a very unflattering way !

I took charge again - for the very first time and being the extremist that I have always been, went totally to the other side - gave up alcohol for good, ultimately kicked the cancer stick as well and totally revamped my diet following a certain nutritionist's advice.

The fall out however of this "new way of living and eating" was not all positive. From a eating perspective, after the novelty of the new way wore out after a year, I started feeling like a prisoner of my own making.

The removal of alcohol from my life suddenly yanked away a very important social outlet and more importantly my biggest emotional release mechanism. So, I started "bottling up" those very emotions.

Stage III

Around 2004, while the do good way of eating, etc. had some remarkable effect on my health - most of my health levels came to normal. I lost a lot of weight then. However there was one health ailment which had began which kept striking back - Gout thanks to my "still on the higher side" uric acid levels.

The Gout attacks came yearly and the latest one was always worse than the other ! They would leave me incapacitated for at least a week, where I could not walk and my foot - toe joint would cause me excruciating pain which would not get alleviated even with regular painkillers !

In 2004, when it struck, I had reached an abysmally low state of sense of self - thanks to the physical ailments and even more so thanks to the lack of emotional release for almost 2 years since I had given up drinking !

That's when Stage III happened - through my timely introduction by a colleague to an entirely new world to me - the work of Spirituality and Reiki.

The highlights of this journey are :

1. I realised that I had bottled up far more inside of me than I even imagined

2. I managed to release a lot of this thanks to this realisation

3. I also realised that through recurring patterns in my life, I was unconsciously sabotaging my life

4. The awareness of the above got me to change my mindset towards more positive self perception and outcomes

5. I found an "emotional release mechanism" through group sharing ( very much like what I am doing in this blog) which for the first time did not need a bottle with a priest on the label !

6. I developed a new network of friends who for the first time did not chastise me for "becoming boring in life and giving up alcohol !!"

This stage had a profound effect on me and I will always be grateful for it. I had life changing insights and was able to apply them practically to make a significant difference to my personal and professional life. It had an effect on my Gout as well ! It just disappeared and I didn't see it for at least 4 years !

The impact on my life was so powerful that I realised that there was a bigger passion that I had, which overshadowed my inherent love for brands, marketing and turning things around - helping people around me to connect to their real selves and true potential and make a difference for themselves !

I knew that this was my calling !

But, before I answered my calling, I had learnt another big lesson which helped me immensely : Being OBJECTIVELY Passionate in life ! I was always Passionate in all that I did in life, but Objectively Passionate ??

To translate this, in the spiritual journey's context, my big learning was to Focus on the MESSAGE and NOT the MESSENGER / Master. This allowed me to separate the person / personality from the message ( objective) and apply it passionately for myself. Why was this important ? Because then, I could focus on the power within me and not unconsciously give that power to someone outside of me.

When the power is within me, I realised I took ownership and responsibility for my life. When I gave away that power to someone / something else, I immediately became a victim in my own mind !

One such fall out of this was my health journey - specifically my eating. I had become a total prisoner of " focus on the messenger" in this regard that I had lost all objectivity, and became a suppressed rebel as a result. The weight that I had lost when I gave up drinking ( 12 kg) silently piled up again and left with a "theoretically awesome wardrobe" ( many clothes - hardly any that fit !!)

Stage IV : Where it all comes together : Circa 2008/9

A very big milestone in my life happened when I decided to take the plunge and leave the comfortable corporate world I was so used to for 16 years and become an entrepreneur, starting my own company, Superstar Business Solutions.

My motive behind the company was to address my calling and make a difference to people's lives !! That's where I got it all wrong !! :-)

Superstar was all about Executive Coaching, which would help people navigate their individual journeys in life and as a result not only discover what was unconsciously coming in the way, and as a result of that awareness and clarity achieve what one would want to achieve.

The other thing I was doing was to help organisations in the journey of change.

My role in both cases would be that same "Objective but Passionate partner" who would help you see perspectives you were missing previously and therefore enable to travel that journey with far better clarity.

It all started beautifully till right in the beginning, something which had not been part of my life for almost 4 years struck again - Gout ! And this time the attack was far worse than it was earlier !! And this time, the pain and swelling lasted not for a week, but more than a month and left me destabilised for two !

I realised at this stage that all my earlier "progress had all fallen apart at the seams !

1. I was as overweight when I had begun

2. My clothes just did not fit me - as a result I would wear only the few that did - and demotivated me as I could not bear the thought of buying new ones, knowing guiltily, that I had so many in my wardrobe already ! In fact, there were clothes which I had enthusiastically "altered" ( incl. my wedding suit) to fit the lean new me and now they mockingly looked at me from the wardrobe !

3. On doing my test results, I found out that my levels ( except for the liver thankfully) were far worse than what I had before I gave up drinking !!

4. Thanks to the Gout, I vanished from the gym and exercise for almost 4 months. I re-started gym and added for the first time - Yoga ( for which I always had a huge block - one more wall I had built !). I went back to my old nutritionist, vowing to go back to prison, did yoga and the gym for a month and .... voila the results had only gotten worse !!!!

I was shattered ! I was a coach, who was supposed to help other people in their lives ( though that was supposed to be for corporate / business goals) and here, I could not take care of my own life !!

That was the push I needed - and the trigger was a photo someone posted ( of me in a workshop) on the ubiquitous facebook which when I saw, made me very very very angry !! What had I done to myself ?

That was the beginning of my most recent stage of transformation which began end may, 2009.

Armed with a NLP ( Neuro Lingusitic Programming) course, I found ways to lose weight in the most healthy manner ( You all have heard of Paul Mckenna by now!!)

My motivation was to fit into all those clothes in my wardrobe !

After merely a week, I suddenly found myself fitting into 80 % of the wardrobe !

After 2 weeks, everything changed ( I had already lost 5 kg) and I discovered that I could no longer fit into 80 % of my wardrobe ! ( the clothes were now loose !)

After 3 months, I needed a whole new wardrobe ( I had lost 15 kg ! which became 18 in 4 months !) More importantly all my levels came tumbling down to a normal level which I had not seen for at at least 8 years !

My goal shifted from fitting into my clothes to something really exciting ! Getting my six pack ! ( and not of the beer kind !)

For those, who still "doubt" the six pack as I have never posted any pic, can consult me in person and I will show you the pic on my iPhone ! Or you can verify with my wife !!

Net impact :

I realised that when I took charge and was sincere about my own journey, it had a qualitatively bigger impact on the people I wanted to help via coaching , etc. as it either inspired them or made them feel I was walking the talk, etc.

I now knew that when I focus genuinely and authentically on myself, I can help far far more than I could only imagine earlier !!

This journey ( gym & weights) continued for a year till this year in August when it shifted gears dramatically again - from Overweight to Slim to Good Body to ....

Physical Performance !!!

Something which I had never ever tasted in my life. Another wall that I had built was my self belief that I was not into sports / physical activities.

It has taken a while and a lot to bring down this wall !!

It got triggered in our holiday in August / Sept this year to Switzerland and Spain where because there was no gym to go to every day, I ended up diverting my physical activities outside !

A lot of walking and more importantly some awesome trekking got me into a different level of fitness which I had never before experienced. I even went on short runs on a few days ( My running was restricted to the treadmill in the gym earlier).

The change happened when i got back. While I was most excited about trekking, I quickly realised that we would not be able to indulge in it as regularly as I would have liked.

And that's when Running entered my life. There's a lot to share ( lots !) about running, so I will approach that in another blog !

The highlights of this transformation stage were :

1. Huge walls broken down : earlier I could not run on the treadmill for more than 2 minutes ( thanks to Gold Flake). This improved to 20 / 30 minutes and on rare days even to 60 minutes ! But today I realised that the fun of running is outside and my last long continuous run lasted for 2 HOURS 27 minutes ( when I did a training run of 25 km !)

2. Performance achievement : I could never have imagined the above - forget the prospect of taking part in a half marathon and that's precisely what I did end November in Delhi and really really enjoyed it !! I now know that if I could have done this, ANYONE CAN !!

3. I finally realised that true transformation has to be of the ENTIRE system - not just in parts. It has to include mind, body and spirit !

My immediate goals are to run the half marathon again in Mumbai, then the full marathon in 2011 in Chicago ( October) or New York ( November).

By 2013 I want to take part in the Ironman Triathlon : which is 2.4 miles swimming in a lake followed by 112 miles ( 180 km) of bicycling followed by running a full marathon of 26.2 miles ( 42 km) -all to be completed in 17 hours !!

To be honest, it scares the shit out of me ! But hey so did the prospect of running the half marathon earlier ! And now the full marathon !

So I know the journey is to Dream, to be Scared, to do it anyway, enjoy it like mad no mater what the outcome and then dream even bigger the next time !!

The transformation journey for me has been just that : a journey of continuously defining your goals / dreams, plunging into them, learning from them and redefining the dreams yet again !

And all this is adding tremendous value to my work - my coaching, workshops, etc.

Though I am not a patron of Ronald McDonald, I AM LOVING IT !!!! :-)

Thank you for your patience and allowing me to share this most precious part of my life !! Thank you to all the friends who have believed in me always, the biggest thanks to my wife who was the first and most important catalyst, supporter and believer !! And of course thanks Beyonce !!

NEUROMARKETING - what on earth is it really ?

2010-11-30T01:01:00.000-08:00

After a verrry long period of hibernation, I am back here, sharing with all of you a recently published article of mine on NEUROMARKETING.

While, Marketing and Brands have always been a part of my professional life for the last 18 years, the last two, saw me intensively immersed into a practice and research into what makes us tick ( what does not !) thanks to my journey in Executive Coaching, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Neuroscience ( from a motivational and behaviour perspective, I have been able to piece these two journeys together to form my perspective of Neuromarketing.

Neuromarketing is not a concept understood easily today, thanks to the little awareness most have about it. Even more so are the assumptions which may hold it in slight negative light - owing to the "possibility of manipulation of our brain for commercial interests".

I am not going to pass any verdict / judgement citing it as either "safe for humanity" or " a scourge of all evil which must be put to a halt as soon as possible !".

Responsible marketers can use this approach to "genuinely understand" their consumers and "connect" with them at levels unprecedented / connect in the same way consciously rather than wondering why something worked and why something did not !

The publication where this article has appeared is a marketing journal from the Times of India group called Top of Mind.

The links ( one for page one and the other for page 2) are :

Page 1 of article

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2CJkxe8_VRgM2QwMzgzNzItYjEzZS00ZmI1LTgyOWYtOGQ3MzMyN2U2ZTY1&hl=en

Page 2 of article

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2CJkxe8_VRgNGUxODMzZWQtM2U1ZS00OTE0LTg3ZGMtY2IzN2M3ODZjNTAz&hl=en

Enjoy !

Special people one encounters on the journey of life

2010-07-26T03:18:00.001-07:00

I just reached Delhi airport after a nice long drive from Agra. I was supposed to take the early morning train to Delhi, but my client very kindly decided to upgrade me and sent me off in a nice car straight to Delhi airport.

I gave my visiting card to Mukesh, the driver of the car who got me here.

He is one of those "special people" who I keep encountering in life - someone whom you least expect, touches your life and makes an impression on you.

He was friendly, humble, sensitive and full of values ( refused to allow me to pay for his lunch).

He made sure that I got the kind of lunch that I desired - Dhaba style - but healthy - tandoori, etc. He did a survey of dhabas - and finally took me to a place which matched my brief.

He turned guide whenever required giving me a good overview of temples in Mathura to Vrindavan.
He told me that he keeps getting offers to move to big cities for a better deal - but he somehow is happy with the life that he is leading today.

For that, I am really happy for him - and even more happy to meet more Mukesh s in life - just enriches the journey so much more :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:New Delhi,India

A new dimension to the journey and destination

2010-07-22T10:31:00.001-07:00

As promised I am back.

Yesterday in a coaching session with a client, I realized my own take on the age old discussion of journey vs destination in life.

Firstly, i believe BOTH Journey and Destination are important to focus on.

If one focuses on just the destination, then one never enjoys till eeone reaches the destination - which is also a big if :)

If one focuses only on the journey, and have no intention as far as the journey is concerned, one might end up floating with no purpose / aim in life - which may not be too fulfilling a life.

So i say focus on both. First decide the destination : thats your purpose. Then focus on the journey trusting that the destination will be reached.

At this point I would like to introduce another dimension.

The MILESTONES on the journey.

I believe man is a GROWTH driven being - we get best engaged and motivated when we are constantly learning or out performing ourselves.

This constant state of progress is what makes our life so meaningful and every moment so special.

Progress not Perfection -!is the way I see it.

So, on the journey of life it is most satisfying keeping your focus moving from the latest milestone to the next. Small or big steps of progress both can give us great joy when we see the progressing milestones - in anything we do. It could be running an extra 5 minutes every week.

It could be writing one more blog per day than usual.

It could be losing that extra pound of weight.

The constant buzz of progress - no matter how small keeps the journey always charged and the destination firmly in the horizon. Celebrating every single milestone makes it all that special !

So here's to living life one progressive milestone to another !!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Vithalbhai Patel Rd,Mumbai,India

Back once again ! :)

2010-07-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

Hey all !

I emerge once again - sheepish after the tremendously long gap.

The credit this time goes to my new partner in life - my new ipad along with a blogging app !

Lots has happened since we last connected.

Superstar has grown leaps and bounds.

New clients. New projects. New learning - spanning fields like neuroscience, quantum physics, epigenetic, etc etc !!

I feel like writing again - so am not covering anything specific in this post - just thanks for always keeping the faith ! :)

Have a lovely day

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Vithalbhai Patel Rd,Mumbai,India

Lessons from Toyota and the criticality of PURPOSE

2010-02-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

I was moved deeply when I got this article as part of a newsletter from Robert Fritz. For those who havent introduced to this thinking doyen yet, he introduced something called STRUCTURAL THINKING many years ago - something like Peter Senge' s SYSTEMS approach to organisations and life. His book "The Path of Least Resistance" is a classic.

I think the article just gets us connected back to the basics - in business and ... in life !

Anyway, do read the article : ( I have highlighted the section in it that hit me the most !)

Lessons from Toyota
Robert Fritz

It is interesting how Toyota turned itself into General Motors as they aspired to become the largest car company in the world, something they achieved two years ago. The lessons that we can learn from this are not limited to corporations. They can apply to any of us as we pursue our goals. So, while I'll be talking about the specific case of Toyota, the very same pattern can be seen in the lives of individuals, couples, teams, groups, and, of course, organizations.

First, there was what made Toyota great. A simple idea, really – make cars that are very well built. After years of having to endure lousy American cars made in the 60's and 70's, with such terms as "planned obsolescence" being described as a useful business concept (translation: the car falls apart just after it goes out of warranty), people were given a chance to buy cars that were reliable, safe, and lasted a long time. This was a good business strategy on Toyota’s part.

But it is easy to say build cars with great quality. It is another thing to do it. And for years, Toyota’s focus was on building in quality to their manufacturing lines, just as Dr. Deming had taught them. When Toyota first became a force in America, I saw a documentary on the company. The workers on the line had great allegiance and alignment to the company, a sense of belonging, of membership in something larger than themselves to which they were dedicated.

The way it was expressed, the sense of loyalty, or whatever it is that the employees explained, was not a typical Western notion. Yet there was something very personal – call it pride, call it professionalism, call it feudalism as many people did at the time – that seemed to help make quality cars. There was an overriding vision that people shared. And in this case, it was a REAL vision, not just a platitude. Here was a company that knew its competitive advantage was making cars that matched what their customers wanted.

That is a strategy that the high paid executives at General Motors never quite seem to get. If they had figured that out, they would have done what the Toyota people had done for years: plan ahead, invest in the future, make the types of changes they needed to, anticipate what will happen after the current period, and after the period after that. There is a lot of creative work to do if you want to build cars people want to buy. There is also a lot of technical and managerial work that has to be done.

Toyota did that work and it paid off.

But over time they lost their vision. Or they forgot what made the company work. Their management techniques moved from a way of making things more thoughtful, to bureaucratic rituals that became more and more mindless. The more ambitious they became in relationship to market share, the more they lost their soul.

Now there is nothing wrong with having high ambition. But there is something wrong with mindless ambition. You lose touch with the deeper reason you are doing what you are doing. Sometimes you see this pattern happen to great and talented film and rock stars who lose touch with their own art. They become parodies of themselves. They seem not to connect to the same creative source they once had. It is sad when that happens.

The good news is that when people lose their soul, they can get it back. But to do so, they must discover or rediscover the deeper reason why they are doing what they are doing. Purpose is not a cliché. And not all purposes are created equal.

Many companies have been sold a bill of goods about what Wall Street thinks their purpose should be: Shareholders’ return on investment. Well, why do we have shareholders in the first place? In other words, if we owned a company, why would we sell parts of it (shares) to other people? The reason is so that we can raise money to fund our purpose. Therefore, our purpose can never be shareholders' return on investment. (That's our shareholders' purpose, not ours.) If we thought that were true, we could lose touch with our customers' desires, values, and needs. In addition, we form a structural conflict between serving the customers, which usually mean investing in things that are good for them, versus serving our shareholders, which means holding off on investments if they take away from the bottom line.

There are many ways to lose one's way. There is only one way to stay on track, and that is to be in touch with what really matters to you, being true to your vision and values, learning along the way, not letting success go to your head, not letting failure take you off course, being both open and steadfast, being honest with yourself to a fault. And as you look at this list, it sounds a little like the advice you may get in a fortune cookie. But, beyond the slogan quality of these thoughts, they are a pretty good description of the principles that will keep you aware of your deeper purpose as you pursue your aspirations.

But there is more. To grow a business or a life, investment is needed. It may be financial, or it might be energy, or focus, or learning, or blood, sweat, and tears. And for the business organization, while there is nothing wrong with trying to run operations with an eye toward economy of means, a line is crossed when it is just a matter of trying to under-invest in needed capacity simply to satisfy those who only care about their own pockets, and not the customers being served.

On the personal level, "investment" often means making any necessary strategic secondary choices that support your primary choices. And making any fundamental choices that are consistent with your deepest values.

What are the lessons here? One is how easy it is to get distracted by the glitter of success and the arbitrary symbol and mindless ambition of being the biggest versus the best. This may have been Toyota’s critical flaw that so blinded it to its own foundation. And there is a universal principle here that is helpful to us all: be mindful of the deeper reasons of your creative process.

© Robert Fritz 2010

My Six Pack Journey - The Flip side !

2009-10-21T23:36:00.000-07:00

Imagine a journey where just 5 months ago, I was struggling with ill health, lots of unwanted body fat and a slipping morale to a point today where the key shifts and achievements are as follows :

1. After frequent Blood tests in the last few months, the latest one showed that not only did I maintain all the super levels that I had managed after starting on my new eating system, but I had vanquished the earlier unassailable URIC ACID levels to a all time low ( after 8 years !) getting them to a very healthy level probably for the first time in my life !!! ( Everything else superbly normal - Triglycerides, Cholesterol, Sugar)

2. My Body Fat percentage ( which is the best indicator of sustainable health as compared to Weight, BMI, etc.) had plunged from a disturbing 26 % ( which falls under the OBESE category) to an amazing low of 9 % today ( which is the zone of the Athlete ! 6-10 %).

3. My Trouser waist size ( which is also a great indicator of health as fat which accumulates around the belly is supposed to be the most dangerous for males) has shrunk from Size 34 ( which I used to struggle to get into !) to very comfortably getting into a Size 28 today !

4. My Fitness Score ( as checked by the Bio-electrical pulse device at the Gym) has shot up from a previous level of 60-65 to 75 plus ( this was more than a month ago - to check it very soon for the latest update !)

5. My Strength and Energy levels : I can see these having increased significantly since earlier and I can see these increasing far far more soon !

6. Body Flexibility : This was nothing short of pathetic. Today, I think it is moving towards "acceptable". This would definitely be one of my next key goals as I move forward !

and lastly ... I had announced to the world after I lost 18 kg in 4 months and had started tasting awesome health again, that my next milestone was discovering my Abdominal 6 packs ! Where do I stand on that ... Hang on for a moment :-)

When I look at the above achievements, I cant help but feel proud ! But this Blog Post is not about that !

This is about the toughest part of the journey when, IN SPITE of some tremendous hard work, dedication and some mind blowing results, you still hear the growing din of the "Skeptics" who keep questioning every thing you are doing - making you question everything.

This post is really about handling the "CHANGE NAYSAYERS" ! :-) (also a chance for me to vent !)

If you have read The Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter ( The Change Guru), there is a penguin character there called No No ( who obviously keeps saying NO to change and wants to ensure that everyone does as well !)

This Post is about helping people who undertake any kind of change to REALISE that all the Naysayers are struggling with their own issues related to change and their reactions is NEVER really about you !

I know this is difficult to accept when you are facing it, but just remembering this perspective might save you a lot of doubt and conflict !

In my journey, I have been facing a lot of this ( and its only getting worse !)

It really amazes me to hear people who accept you when you are unhealthy and suddenly have a "point of view" why I am going about it absolutely the wrong way ( in spite of the above achievements) !

"You are looking too thin !"

"You are looking like a boy now ! People wont take you seriously now ! "

" You were fine earlier !"

" I think you need to put on some weight"

I realise that most people are coming from care and concern and even more importantly, cant handle the BEFORE and AFTER effect, but I wish they were able to see it from the holistic picture which I feel is more important.

I believe I am a person with very clear goals and am totally self motivated. I can however imagine the condition of people who embark on a similar journey and get totally intimidated and discouraged by the judgments of others and maybe even compromise their success !

That, I feel is sad.

I also know that a lot of people desire change and when they see change happen to people they know very well, they can have the following possible reactions ( my hypothesis and observations - please don't pounce on me for these !)

1. "Wow ! If he can do it, maybe so I can I !" ( the Inspirational reaction. This post is not about this one)

2. "No No, what he has done is wrong - and therefore I must oppose it (The Conspirational reaction - I must attack it - so I don't have to take on the pressure to change myself ! This post is definitely all about this one ! )

3. Some other possible reaction

Because most of these are also from people who care, I would urge them to also consider all the facts and then decide whether the journey that the person is taking is truly good for that person and more importantly figure out in which way can you SUPPORT rather than just impose a judgment or spectator point of view !

Believe me ENCOURAGEMENT can go a long long way !

While I sincerely hope this post appeals to all the Change Nay-Sayers and maybe it might just make them re-think their behaviour, I feel that the ONUS of change lies with me ( the Change Undertaker) to NOT NOT get affected by the reactions, believe what I am doing is the right thing for me, commit to that and just go at it ! At the same time, I would say IGNORE the Nay-saying , but not the Nay-Sayers as they still do care for you as a person !

That is definitely my decision. And finally coming back to the SIX PACK.... Yes, I managed it ! In 6 weeks ( though I had declared I would do it in 3 months !). It still has a long way to go ( to get beautifully chiseled - and that will happen in the next 2 months ! And that is when I will reveal in public :-)) Nay-Sayers can check with my wife - she can endorse the authenticity of the claim !

How does it feel to have a six pack ?

WOW !!!!

It feels really good to have reached there from the "teased tummy size comments" from my wife just a few months ago.

Healthy or not ? I don't know. While the epitome of health may not be a chiseled six pack, but I cant think of how one can attribute "ill health" to a six pack especially considering that the way to get one is NOT JUST exercise but the right nutrition / eating approach which gets your body fat to a respectable level !

So, what are my next goals ?

1. To truly get a ripped, lean muscular body ( yes, body building ! Not with bulk weight but with lean muscle) and by the way, I am getting there !

2. To continuously explore health, truly understand my body and forge this new founded relationship that I have just begun !

3. To never be on the receiving side of AGING ever again ! ( And now I know it is so so possible !)

What are your goals ? Aspirations ? Spell them out, Start acting on them one by one and .. remember just IGNORE the Nay-saying of the Nay-Sayers !

GO FOR IT !!!

Be the BEST you want to be - EVER !! ( Part II)

2009-08-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Yes - that is Mr. Lee ( Bruce Lee to most of us !) - my NEW ROLE MODEL !

Its been more than a month since I wrote my last post about my Fitness Journey - and I must say I was overwhelmed with the response ! Thank you all so much !

Many said they were inspired, and that further egged me on to define and redefine the BEST that I can ever be !

I am convinced that one of the biggest differentiators that set man apart from other being is that he ( or she !) is a LEARNING ANIMAL.

We have the incredible capacity to keep learning, adapting, defining benchmarks and even more remarkably - constantly redefining those benchmarks for ourselves !

Life is about constantly stretching our Potential - which is like an infinitely elastic rubber band !

So, when I wrote the post, I had managed to secure some amazing health wins ( Triglycerides, etc.) and had managed to trim down 10 kg of weight.

Today, I stand 17 kg lighter ( Yes - 17 !!) after 3 months of following my new eating system ( Thank you Monsieur Paul Mckenna !)

While I was slowly "inching" towards this unbelievable peak, I "redefined" the benchmarks for myself.

1. I didn't want to have just a "trim" body - but the strongest, most enduring and sexy body ever !
2. I wanted to scale fitness and physical peaks that I had only dreamed about.
3. I needed a new role model ! ( Au revoir Mr. Brad Pitt !)

Enter the Dragon - a la Bruce Lee !

I realised that many people "build" their bodies with rippling muscles and sport the "new symbol of maledom - the 6 pack !)

After studying Bruce Lee, I have formed my own opinion of what the ultimate fitness is -

a Body which is trained to peak at its optimum - not just for show - but more importantly for PERFORMANCE !

A body which can run faster, run for longer, which can be stronger, more flexible, etc. That is how Bruce Lee built his body - to take it to unprecedented levels of performance so he could maximise his core strength - Martial arts.

He was the first Martial Artist to popularise the use of WEIGHT training to help him achieve his objective - and boy did he excel at it ! In fact he is hailed as one of the STRONGEST men in the world who chiseled his body to mind numbing perfection - yes - he was the ultimate bastion of the 6 PACK !! ( and that was 40 years ago !!)

I promptly amazoned myself 2 key pieces of literature -

Bruce Lee's own TAO OF JEET KUNE DO - his philosophy ( transcending physical to meta physical !) and a second book which captures his entire training technique - BRUCE LEE - THE ART OF EXPRESSING THE HUMAN BODY.

Both books have just taken my INSPIRATION to a whole new quotient - and I have embarked on my own physical transformation journey.

It might take a month maybe two - but I know that I am already inching towards a whole new me - a me that I never dreamt possible ( maybe a little !)

A me which can suddenly run after being shy of walking ( post my Gout attack last year)
A me which is suddenly ENJOYING weight training - something I used to avoid like the plague earlier
A me which is feeling Stronger than ever
A me which is building his CORE muscles ( Abs, Lower back, all that connects the upper and lower body)
A me which did not ever speak this language before !
A me which is ENJOYING this new journey and new peak like never before !
A me which knows that just by being TRUE and 100 % committed to the journey ( being clear about the outcome but NOT obsessed with it ! ) has the power to influence the SUPERSTAR in each and everyone of us - to kick start our very own transformation journey !

And NO - this account is not just about my body - it is about my being which scares me in the realisation that it is truly INFINITE in its potential - with the speed breakers and boundaries only placed by my own MIND !!

Check out this you tube clip of Bruce Lee - asking us to be like WATER - to flow into everything in life ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USlnfTGlhXc

ENJOY !!!

Be the BEST you ever want to be !

2009-07-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is my story. A story which like all stories has its downs and ups. A story which has despair and hope. A story which has a "perception" of failure and the relief of "success".

While it is about my health, I am writing specifically about my Weight loss journey and the return to "good health".

What was the OUTCOME after deciding to do something about it ? In 6 weeks, I lost 10 kg ( went from 75 to 65), my Triglycerides which had reached an alarming and unprecedented level of 639 ( max limit being 150 !) CRASHED to 80 ( Yes - EIGHTY !) outdoing even the Sensex. My Sugar which was very high came down to well within the normal range. My Bad Cholesterol ( LDL) which was on the excessive side came to BELOW Normal ! My Good Cholesterol (HDL) ramped up.

In the Body Fat analysis that I did at the gym, it was confirmed that the weight loss was FAT - not muscle - which is normally the biggest danger of losing weight through diets.

So, as many have been asking me HOW ?! I got the urge to write this account of my journey.

So, what is the method I used ?

It is basically a "wise old way of eating which many have heard of - but never really tried put into a simple and amazingly effective system by Paul Mckenna, a leading Hypnotherapist in the world.

The System :

1. When you are hungry, EAT ( never starve - ever !)

2. EAT WHAT YOU WANT, not what you think you should

3. Eat Consciously and enjoy every mouthful ( This is the KEY Principle - as when you do this, the body automatically eats the quantity it needs and not what you "shove" down it !)

4. When you think are full STOP eating ( immediately. Don't harbour guilt about wasted food on the plate. The damage it does because of the over eating leading to fat deposits is far more than the guilt !)

I discovered Paul Mckenna through my NLP journey ( Neuro Linguistic Programming). NLP is the science of communicating with our sub conscious minds to get exactly what we want. Paul uses the most effective method in his program ( get his book - I can Make you thin - new edition available for just Rs. 247/- !) with the free Hypno CD which comes free with his book. This CD contains a 25 minute relaxation and Hypno message which communicates with your subconscious mind encouraging it to start EATING SLOWLY ( this is an important support as we have all been so HABITUATED to eat fast all our lives !)

He also has some amazing exercises - some which help you address CRAVINGS as those are key stumbling blocks for many. He uses a certain technique called TAPPING ( on accupressure points) - an exercise which takes 2 minutes can reduce most of our cravings ( Most of mine have just vanished !)

The other insight I got from reading his book are about GENUINE HUNGER - eating when the body is actually hungry. I realised most of the times its not. Mine was either :

1. Just craving for some food I loved ( Like Frankie, Nando's chicken ,etc.)
2. I was just bored
3. I was reading and eating ( which I have been doing all my life)
4. I was emotionally upset
5. Maybe, I was just thirsty.

I realised that because of the false notion of hunger, I used to STUFF myself. In fact, I used to have this paranoia about eating - What if I remain hungry ( even after eating the entire meal !) ?!

Because of this, quantity became my focus. Value was key. Therefore, Buffets was the norm all my life. "Eat all ( and more importantly as much !) you want" was a very attractive proposition for me. I used to raid the Mainland China and a horde of other buffets and Sunday brunch options to satisfy this need !

A la carte was a 4 letter word as far as I was concerned !

Now contrast this to what diets tell you. Eat less. Eat only what is good. blah blah. It hurt my soul ! I remember trying to reduce my normal Roti consumption ( 6-8) to 4 and my mind revolted ! So, I went back to my state of over eating bliss !

In fact, I realised that all diets or " do good" practices are all about restrictions - till I experienced this eating system.

I have NO restrictions here. I just had to teach myself a new way of eating ( eating really slow). I made the experience enjoyable for myself. I put on some pleasant lounge music ( Craig Pruess, Shastro), closed my eyes, left the books, and started my new eating journey 6 weeks ago.

It has CHANGED my life !

I have started enjoying food ( the simplest of foods) in an unprecedented manner. Each bite is like a feeling of ecstasy ( no exaggeration here !). The music of course helped ( but then again, I am a major music buff !). Closing my eyes helped me focus on the bite totally. It also kept away my addiction ( reading. for others its the TV !) and I realised to my genuine delight that I got full with much lesser quantity !

4 rotis was no longer an outrage as earlier !

After 6 weeks of eating like this, my speed has been slowing down gradually and as a result of that I am satiated with ... 1 ( yes ONE !) Roti !!

Because I am following the system, I eat whenever I am hungry, it has resulted in 5 to 6 much much smaller meals in the day ( again what many nutritionists advise) but NOT because I am forcing myself to have smaller and frequent meals, but because I am TUNING INTO my body and eating when it is genuinely hungry.

It has now become an art to discern WHEN I am hungry and it is my instant response to eat when I am !

The other art which I am picking up is to listen to the body signals when it gets full. This has taken my sensitivity and awareness levels to a new peak !

In fact, for those of you have tasted the sweet effect and experience of MEDITATION, will appreciate that every meal has become a fantastic meditation for me - so I am meditating a minimum of 5 times a day now !

The other effect that this has had on me is this - the SLOWDOWN has calmed me down as a person from within. This has been the most subtle but I realise, the most Powerful benefit for myself. Those who know me, would be aware of the tremendous energy, "jumpiness", "excitedness" that I always demonstrate ! Now imagine all that being harnessed in a calming way !

The other fantastic support from the Mckenna system is the VISUALISING.

The other exercises which he prescribes is to constantly VISUALISE yourself as THIN and having already achieved the outcome.

I clearly had ( and still have) the visual of Brad Pitt's lean body in FIGHT CLUB as my ultimate destination of muscle and lean body ( and I am getting there :-) )

The other thing I did religiously was the wardrobe exercise ( my own version).

I chose my benchmark clothes ( clothes of a thin era in my life - especially my wedding suit pants - which I had altered 7 years ago to match this awesomely thin achievement. The sad part was that I started gaining weight some time later and I slowly crawled back to my original weight and put back the 12 kgs I had lost 7 years ago !)

I wear these wedding trousers every day - and when I began they would be far far away from even closing. Yes, today I can wear them comfortably ! The journey of them being ridiculously tight to fitting comfortably has been heart warming.

All this added to my Intention and made the Vision a Reality and I am today connected with my Body like never ever before !

I realise with re-affirmation in life that if one decides, one can be the BEST that you ever want to be ! Its really really up to you ! I salute and am humbled by the spirit of every soul who TAKES CHARGE of their lives and shapes the way they want to !

Thank you for your attention ! :-) Hope you find the inspiration to be the best you can ever be !

What is your PURPOSE in Life ?

2009-03-31T00:35:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, this would have been dismissed by me as another "esoteric" question. Isn't this applicable to the like of Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi ?!

As I have been walking this journey at Superstar Business Solutions, I am realising day by day the value of having an answer to this question.

One of the reasons I realise, I used to shy away from this question, was because I felt that my purpose wasn't NOBLE enough, and if one's life does not score high on the NOBILITY QUOTIENT, then I deemed it best not to indulge in such embarrassments !

So, what is one's PURPOSE in life ? Does it have to resonate on the global nobility radar or is it about being AUTHENTIC about ourselves and the direction that we want our life to take.

There is another school of thought around DESTINY vs PURPOSE - where all the chapters of our life are already written, and one should just gracefully allow the pages to turn.

Bu then what about all the great achievers, who huge differences in their lives - be it in the field of Science or the field of Cricket ?

Did they not have a Purpose ? Did they not single-mindedly PURSUE it and make a difference ?

Passion vs Purpose

Is Purpose = Passion ? I used to think so. Till, I realised that you can be very passionate about things in life, but you may not have a Purpose !

Does Steve Jobs not have a Purpose ? Of ensuring the world gets a chance to make their life experiences better, exciting and fulfilling ?

Isn't the Apple legacy an answer to Jobs' Purpose ?

So if one is suitably inspired to have one's own Purpose, how does one go about discovering it ?

I realised that mine was just waiting to be found. It was coming to surface for the last few years - and suddenly, lo and behold, I could see it !

In my executive coaching sessions ( individual sessions for senior management), i started realising the value of dedicating an entire session to helping the person articulate his / her own Purpose.

Once that was done, suddenly all the Goals, Strategies and Actions had a powerful context. I realise that after discovering mine, I just feel life is in full flow and there is no action that seems out of context !

What is my Purpose ?

I realised it was - To help individuals and organisations gain clarity about their purpose and CONNECT and ACT on it PASSIONATELY !

I realised that I was doing this for many years of my life at work - just wasn't conscious about it. And, now that I am, everything feels good and meaningful !

Hey ! It scores high on the Nobility Quotient as well ! :-)

Wouldn't you like to discover yours ?

The Power of STORYTELLING in Organisations - I

2008-12-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

What comes to one's mind when one refers to STORIES in organisations ? Rumours, Grapevine, Rumours spread over wine !, Gossip, Watercooler conversation ?

We all know that "hot news" spreads like wild fire ! Especially bad news. We also know that the grapevine can influence the entire organisation like nobody's business.

What if one were to make the grapevine work for you ? for your organisation ? as opposed to against it ?

"Manipulate the grapevine ?" I dont think its possible. What if it were used STRATEGICALLY and more importantly AUTHENTICALLY ?

The right information spread using Mankind's most powerful media till date - STORIES !

Let me tell you a story !

There was a CEO of a global IT company who came into work, got out of his limousine, walked up to the main entrance and was stopped by the security guard.

"Sir ! I need to see your ID before you enter "

The CEO was stumped ! Nevertheless, he fumbled to find his ID - to no avail. He must have left it at home.

" I am sorry sir - I cannot let you enter if you dont have the ID. Those are the rules !"

The CEO was flabbergasted. He didnt say a word and turned around, got back into his limousine and sped off !

Little did anyone know / imagine that the next day the security guard was made HEAD OF SECURITY !!!

Now imagine if this were the story that was spreading in the grapevine ?

What would people start feel about the organisation ? About its leadership ?
About its values ?

More on this later ...

Discovering our WINGS

2008-09-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

You were born with potential
You were born with goodness and trust
You were born with ideals and dreams
You were born with greatness
You were born with wings
You are not meant for crawling, so don't
You have wings Learn to use them and fly!

RUMI

Do we relate to this at all ?
I hear a lot of people connecting with this - but I see a lot more accepting it at only a theoretical level. What stops us all ( or at least most of us) from becoming SUPERSTARS ?

"Oh ! I am normal"

"I am not meant to do great things !"

"Those achievers are made up of a different DNA"

"I am happy with where I am right now in life"

"Its lonely at the top - so its better to stay right here !"

"Growth means work politics - I don't do that"

"Its easy to say we are all great. Wait till you become me !"

"All that Positive attittude is good till something bad happens to you !"

The fact remains that we all do have potential and already have our wings ( sorry Red Bull !)
We just need to discover or accept that they are there !
This journey of Self Discovery is critical.

But as important as discovering our wings, it is critical to USE them
To take that leap, jump.

So, here's to all ye feathered friends - FLY. FLY HIGHER !!!

What stops us from taking ACTION ? Insights from our BRAIN !

2008-09-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

Neuroscience is on a roll the last decade, and has been discovering lots of new insights about our brain and the why, how and what of its functioning.

Am sharing something of particular relevance to all of us at work.

Most Managers / team leaders / bosses often wonder why people don't do what they say will do !
Here's why and more importantly Here's How !

1. Each Brain is uniquely different. Yes, even Homer's above !

2. What makes each brain different is the way we store the info - in patterns or MAPS.

3. Our Brain is on a constant trip to automate or Hardwire all info it deems useful / important. This makes it efficient as the less strain on our current memory ( our RAM) the better for the brain. So, it pushes this hardwired info into our long term memory ( Our ROM)

4. Needless to say, our hardwired info is what drives our perceptions and beliefs and pretty much us.

5. Because it is hardwired, it is next to impossible to CHANGE the perceptions that we carry. This is what comes in the way of ACTION.

6. Our Brain is constantly searching for patterns or connections with the MAPS that it has stored. If a new piece of info does not show any such connection, it is received with indifference. This is what happens when other people give us their ideas or advice !

7. Though it is difficult to change our hardwiring, it is however possible to create NEW WIRING. This is the way to make action happen.

8. New wiring occurs when our brain sees existing info in its maps in an entirely NEW WAY. This phenomenon is called an INSIGHT ! This creates a HUGE amount of activity in our brains. It creates a MOTIVATION to act on the insight. It is important to note that though the info / data may not be seen as ours, but the Insight is OURS. This is what creates OWNERSHIP. The picture below shows different brains lighting up in different areas to an INSIGHT. (Source : David Rock, Results Coaching Systems)

9. This motivation is unfortunately short term. And more often than not, it fizzles out resulting in NO ACTION.

10. It is therefore critical to use the momentum of INSIGHT and quickly nudge it into action and start the process of hardwiring the NEW WIRING.

Worldwide, Coaching is seen as the way to nudge people to gain their OWN Insight, and then facilitate the journey of moving from INSIGHT to ACTION. Coaching as a discipline, unlike most other forms of interventions, does not provide answers, BUT provokes one to come up with our own answers. This is what creates Ownership. It then closes the loop by helping the person to move from Insight to Action.

What / Who is a DREAM BOSS ?

2008-08-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't resist this one ! Who does not have oodles of passion - free flowing and latent about this topic ? Who doesn't like talking about one's boss ? Isn't it an awesome Love - Hate relationship ( the one person you LOVE to HATE !) ?

So here's to asking that loaded question ?
Who or what makes a DREAM BOSS ?

Is it more a friend than someone you report into ?
Is it someone that you can be honest about everything ?
Is it someone with whom you don't have to be on guard all the time ?
Is it someone you will give you honest feedback each and every time ?
Is it someone who genuinely cares for your growth and not just the company's bottom line ?
Is it someone who will fight for you no matter what ?
Is it someone to whom you can say your mind - and not worry about the consequences
Is it someone who takes his/her work but not himself / herself too seriously ?
Is it someone who inspires you to do your job not dictates it ?
Is it someone who will not judge you for the results ?
Is it someone who takes risks on your behalf ?
Is it someone who encourages you to make mistakes ?
Is it someone who you like going for a drink with, because you like the company - not cuz u have to suck up !
Is it someone with whom you can BE YOURSELF
Is it someone who you know will live up to his / her word ?

Would the above make one a DREAM BOSS ?

Would you like one for yourself ?

Are you anywhere close to being one ? Can you be one ?

Can the Dream Boss be a reality ? Does it make business sense to be / have one ?

When was the LAST time you did something for the FIRST time ???

2008-07-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

No, I am not playing word games, and for those who know, am not critiquing Emirates airlines' advertising either !

I am talking about something that many professionals avoid ( no not the canteen chai !) but RISK.

Question time again !

Is Deja Vu a common occurrence in your professional life - meaning : Hey ! Aren't I doing the same things over and over again !!! ?
Am I running to stay in the same place in my career ?
Is the only way to do "new" things - quit / change your department / change your profession ?
Why is RISK a four letter word in professional life ?
Does "being experienced" mean you don't try out new things anymore ? So, only the Rookies get to have fun ?
Is CHANGE something that should only exist in pockets ?
Is NEW something good for the other department ?
Do we realise that with RISK comes GROWTH ?
Do we realise that the natural state of humans is growth ?
Are we denying ourselves our natural state ?

And like the Creative Whack Pack card from Roger Von Oech, here's to FLEXING our RISK Muscle !!!

Are we really FREE ??

2008-07-20T02:02:00.000-07:00

After working for many years in the amazing corporate world, I have always reflected on this question. It might be uncomfortable for a lot of people. It might be liberating for a few.

Are we FREE ( in the corporate world) ?

Are we really doing what we want to do in life ? Or are we just doing our "duty" every day ?
Are we free to take time off when we want ? Do we take our annual holidays ANNUALLY ? or is it more important not to take one lest people think we are not "committed" enough !
Are we behaving the way we want in office or is that also subject to a code ?
Are we being "not effective" if we don't work on weekends like the rest of the office ?
Are we less reliable if we leave office "half time" i.e actually on time as opposed to the rest of the office which burns the midnight oil ?
Are we spending time in life on things which we really love ? Music, Trekking, Dancing ... or do we constantly fall back to the standard life sucking excuse of " I don't have TIME" !
Are we FREE only if we quit ? FREE only if we are in between jobs ? FREE only if we start our own business and become our own bosses ?!

Can we not just claim our FREEDOM which belongs to us in the first place ?? And not have to quit to do that !!!

There is a LEADER in everyone of us !

2008-07-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

I found the most beautiful and fulfilling journey ( in an organisational context ... or otherwise) to be the one of discovering your leadership. How does one define leadership ?

Someone who manages a team base of beyond 20 employees ?
Someone who has an MBA and has done executive brush ups on "leadership" ?
Someone who has a BIG SHOT title ?

I don't know if the above automatically makes you eligible or not, but here is my attempt :

I feel every person becomes a leader when he / she GOES BEYOND his comfort level and becomes someone he / she never dreamt of and in the process ATTRACTS other people who are still striving to do the same.

This is not restricted to title or role. This comes from within and it still works ! People like to follow leaders - and especially the natural ones !

Is it true that only a few of us are the chosen ones ? I don't think so. I feel that every one of us is a leader yet to be discovered.

It may not be in the field in which one is currently - but a leader you definitely are !

People might ask, if everyone is a leader in an organisation, then who will be left to be led ?

Well, there are some leaders who will naturally lead from an organisational context. There will be lots more who will be comfortable leaders in their space / department. There are others who haven't found themselves who will just move to another environment to find their leadership.

Are you ready to discover yours ?

Why shouldn't every work day be EXTRAORDINARY ?!

2008-07-18T04:21:00.000-07:00

I am kicking off this new blog of mine by asking these very basic questions !

Why do a lot of people feel "trapped" in their jobs ?
Why do people feel that you have to have a "mask" at work ?
Is being "professional" mean that you are not yourself really ?
Why is it that being "nice" is not the smartest thing to do at work ?
Is having fun at work mean that you are not a "serious" worker ?
Why do so many so many people "work-in-fear" ?
Why do "walls" exist in almost all organisations ?
Why do we spend so much of our energy on petty issues at work ?
Why is it mandated that to be "successful" you have to be "political" ?
Why is it that to be get ahead in your career, one has to sacrifice personal life in some way of the other ?

After working for 16 years in various corporate set ups, I have YET to come across an organisation which is FEAR or POLITICS free.

I am dedicating this blog to making our careers a source of our happiness ( and not ulcers); a source of our sense of accomplishment (and not the reason why we need shrinks in our lives !); a source of our peace ( and not the reason we keep updating our resumes !)

So, here's to our WORK being meaningful in all ways !!!