Road To Excellence

Be your best self.

Becoming clear that true competition is only with yourself always, do you think it would be a good idea to strive for excellence in whatever you do, instead of trying to be the best/perfect?

Have you ever really thought of the difference?

Think about how, when you are striving for perfection or to be the best, your focus is more on what more is yet to be done, instead of the good that has already been done and how it can be made even better 😊

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(Take a deep breath)

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Now the case in point.. 

Because Perfection is just a perspective, it's subjective and varies from person to person right?

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Also since you can be the Best only in comparison to some people or things; but as your competition is just with yourself, shouldn't you just try to make yourself better i.e. strive for excellence always? 😊

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Besides, I also found the interesting image below that distinguishes the emotions felt while striving for Excellence vs. Perfection that I'd urge you to give thought too 😊

And movie dialogue from another Bollywood film, 3 Idiots, I'd like to end with today.. Kaabil bano beta kaabil; Kaamyaabi to jhak maarke tumhare peeche bhagegi! (Focus on becoming competent; Success will follow!)

It's a Level Field

Today, I'd like to first share with you an incident that has deeply impacted me over the years..

This happened a long time back when a classmate wrote the following words on the classroom board.. "Always try to be your best self." 

Reading these words, triggered my mind and I started questioning this statement! This reminded me of another thing that was told to me while growing up.. Your competition is always just with yourself.

Woah! Such liberating thoughts, don't you think?!

I think the following image sums up the effects these thoughts had on my mind very well..

This actually changed the rules of my life completely!

I realized that everyone should be respected for who they are .. Have your opinion, but don't judge!

Think about the statement above (you may have heard before) .. Don't we actually (no matter how much we think we know the reality) compare what we perceive to be real about other people/situations, with, what we know better.. we are dealing with??!

Is that a fair comparison then?

Also, how does it really matter?!

P.S. I still have more to say in continuation ..Until next time then! 

Perfect Perspective

Firstly to recapitulate, we had discussed that while one can be good/better/best only in comparison to a fixed sample of things/people, one can be perfect only in comparison to the ideal picture of the thing/person in question.

I had also said that since it is your life, you get to choose what you want to strive to be, and it will be any which way you decide.

And in the end, I had said that Perfection is just a perspective. 

To explain my point of view, I would request you to please read again the sentence I have begun today's post with and try to figure out the catch!

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You might have noticed that I have mentioned that the concept of perfection can only exist in comparison to the ideal picture, which can be different for different people!

For example, A may think that South Indian food is perfect while B may think that Japanese food is perfect. In both these cases, the premises based on which both A and B were making their judgments were probably different in terms of palette, what they have been taught to eat, or something else.

Hence, what is to be noted here is that one makes comparisons based on their understanding, which comes from what they have experienced! (#anonymous-reader-to-comment-on-'Thinking Freely')

So this implies that what may be perfect for one, may not be so for another. Therefore, Perfection is just a perspective!

And the thought I'd like to leave you with today is Be your best self.

(Yet To Be Continued..)

Perfect!

Once again, taking a cue from a comment on my previous post, I'd like to discuss with you today something that I believe most of us strive for ..  Perfection!

Before I delve into this, there is something I'd like you to think about; The superlative degree (maximum) of the word Good, is Best, and NOT Perfect!

So let's first of all, think about the difference between Best (Good -> Better -> Best) and Perfect, and ask ourselves, what are we trying to be?!

When we say anything/anyone is the best, don't you think it can only be in comparison to certain things/people? While perfection can only be in comparison to an ideal picture you have of a thing/person?

To substantiate, let me give you an example:
A student getting 90 percent as compared to all of the other students in his/her class may be the best, but it would be perfect only when (s)he gets cent per cent i.e. 100/100 or 100 percent!

So, do you want to be the Best or do you want to be Perfect?

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I believe that the answer to the above question would help you understand yourself and focus better .. Your Life, Your Choice! 😊

In the end, I would like to leave you with my following thought on Perfection..

Perfection is just a perspective.
~ Meher

(To Be Continued..)

Excuse Me Not

Hello there.. How was your day?!

Today I want to discuss with you a word that has definitely made an appearance in your life .. Excuse.

Have you ever really thought about what it really is? Think about it .. Isn't it essentially just a reason to fail?

By giving an excuse (to anybody else or even yourself), just how can you ever lead towards growth?

Don't you think it is always better to find reasons to do things, rather than the opposite?

The way I see it is that since it's all just a matter of priorities, giving excuses is not just an indication of how you prioritize something, but also a mark of how much responsibility and control you have over your life. What do you think?

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At this point, I'd also like you to think about the difference between Reason and Excuse.

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Do you see that while Reasons make you do things, Excuses do the opposite?

P.S. Song coming to my mind now you might like to check out.. The Reason 

The Seven Ages

Today I'd just like to share with You some words by William Shakespeare.

You may hear them in the video below..

..Or read below it if you wish!

Either way, I hope it speaks to you and you let me know what comes to your mind! 😊

The Seven Ages

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. 

At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;

And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. 

And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. 

Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. 

And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. 

The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. 

Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Happy Sunday .. Have a great day! 😊

Life Cycle

A reader recently mentioned Innovation making it difficult for every generation to remain abreast with time. This reminded me of a concept I had studied while pursuing MBA called the Product Life Cycle 😃

The above image illustrates the four stages in the life of any product: Firstly it is introduced and used by the early adapters. Then it sees the growth phase as more and more people start using it, after which it obviously reaches the maturity stage, as its demand gets stagnated ..and eventually a decline as newer options become available!

Now for a minute, imagine your Thinking to be a product of your mind, and see if the same concept can apply to your mind too?

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Fortunately, this concept has been updated with time!

It has now been found that the life of a product can be increased using Innovation!

According to the above image, just as the product is about to cross-over from the Maturity to Decline phase, we can renew and increase the longevity of a product by innovating it. It thus gets launched into another life cycle!

So assuming our thinking to be the product in consideration, shouldn't we be innovating our thoughts i.e. makes the old thoughts better?

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Please understand the difference between Invention and Innovation here . While Invention would be creating completely new thoughts, Innovation is creating new thoughts on the base of old ones! So isn't it a good idea to keep pace with the changing times and build on the changes that are anyways happening, all the while keeping your basics clear and strong? 😊

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Do let me know what's coming to your mind 😊 

And then, to unwind you might like to listen to the following music..

 

Building Blocks

It was such a pleasure to hear from people how simple their lives used to be before so much technology and I hope all readers became aware (in any way!) of the change that has transpired over the years.

Firstly, I'd like to emphasize that am also pro-technology only.. after-all it has made our lives so much easier; I just want you to ask yourself if these things, along with making life easier have made it simple too?

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A reader mentioned about keeping our basics clear yesterday.. Think about it... What is the base or foundation on which your life is built?

This thought by Gandhiji got me to think again ... Why was he so adamant about there being no compromise on fundamentals?

What I got from this was that compromise is like Adjustment.. we can arrive at a Win-Win situation for all, so that's acceptable.. but compromising on your fundamentals is like giving away your very crux (who you are and what you are made of) .. and thus sacrificing (or surrendering) your Power ..hence, a no-can-do!

Thus, I believe that while one could be flexible in adjusting to a situation, one should also be strict about sticking to his/her basics/fundamentals. (Wow! Do you see how this essentially implies that Going beyond is as wrong as falling short, and one should always Follow the middle path ?!)

Tik Tok

Hello! In case you were wondering why I hadn't posted anything till now today, the reason is the above image i.e. the arrival of the Alarm Clock I had ordered for myself 😊 

Now, you may or may not be wondering why anyone would need an Alarm Clock today when we have mobile phones.. You are right, that's what I have been doing too, till the following thought came across my mind.. I don't want my mobile phone to be the first thing I see or touch in the morning!

This may sound a little naive to you.. What exactly came to my mind right? 

For starters, it helps me Keep Things Simple! Also, it helps me move Beyond The Technology that surrounds us today and not only makes me slightly nostalgic, but also happy (Ah the little joys of life!) ..does it kind of remind you also of BB8?! 😉 

And strangely perhaps.. last but not the least, it also gives me a sense of greater control over my life! ..For it makes me freer to choose the thoughts I start my day with!

What do you think of my new purchase?! 😉 

Either you control your time, or it controls you. 

~ Meher

The Hands

You might have guessed from the title that this post is a continuation of my post called The Hands Of Fate (https://beyonddobvious.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hands-of-fate.html)

Today I'd like to share with you what I recently wrote on reading the poem I had written years ago..

(Recommend you read the first part again by clicking the link above, before moving on to the next part below!)

The Hands

Nothing to be seen, nothing to be heard,

I felt myself in vacuum

All sensations began to fade,

And bewilderment began to loom

I kept my hands over my heart,

And hearing my heartbeat, I sighed

I realized there still was hope,

Thus, on my hands I relied

I felt my way ahead with my hands,

And moved on, believing in me

My own hands became my eyes,

And with them I could see

It then dawned upon me that I had all that was needed,

The Hands were mine, and there was really no fixed course

Rather it was mine to make how I want to,

‘Cuz my will, nobody else can force

This brought a smile to my face,

And a sparkle to my eye

For everything suddenly seemed all clear,

And there was nothing left to Try

~ Meher 

(9.4.2018)

Eagerly awaiting your thoughts! 😊

Think Straight

To continue where I left off yesterday, I'd like to begin today with some awesome words by Confucius.. To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.

Relate this with the image I had shared yesterday and think.. We had seen that both options (expectations and reality) were preventing us from achieving our fullest; So if we try to think like Confucius, isn't he suggesting that nothing should be in extremes and everything should be in moderation?

(Looking at the image above also reminds me to follow the middle path as preached by Lord Buddha 😇)

Anyway, coming back to the case in point, do you see how doing the above keeps you in check with reality and simultaneously encourages you to move on further?

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And does this in any way help you regain calm and control in your life? (question especially to the reader who had inspired the post yesterday 😊)

Besides, realistically thinking about a comment on yesterday's post; since we are responsible and have control only over our own life, won't having expectations from others obviously be like comparing apples to oranges and hence unrealistic?!

Expect The Unexpected

Today's post is dedicated to the dear reader who got me thinking about Expectations and Control!

One thing I have said for many years now is Always expect the unexpected . So first I'd like to explain what I mean by this.. As rightly pointed out by our dear reader, mismatch of expectations and reality tends to cause stress to us, right?

Now let's pause for a minute and think why this really happens.. Don't we expect things cetirus paribus? (that is, assuming that all factors that can influence the situation will meet our expectations?) And is that a sensible or a naive thing to do? 

Also, on the contrary, if you give too much importance to these factors, how can you achieve more than what is 'real'?!

All I mean by Expect the Unexpected is consider All the factors that can come in the way of you achieving your dream, so you can prepare yourself for it!

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Coming back to the above image, if both the options cannot help you achieve what you want realistically, how can you do it, right?

The best solution that I see in the above image is the line between the 2 extremes 😊 

What do you think??

P.S. I know there is more to this, but I do not want to overload you with thoughts, so that's it for today! 😊

Don't worry, Be Happy!

Today's topic is dedicated to a dear reader of this blog who got me to think about the increasing mental health issues and sadness in our society, that is seemingly on the rise these days..!

Well, first of all, I want to clarify that whatever I write about this, will only be from my heart .. And based on my thoughts, so you may or may not agree 😊

Now do you agree that most of us today (no matter the age), are stressed about something or the other?

I, like most of us I guess, had begun accepting this as an inevitable aspect of life I have to face, till I came across the following thought..

There is actually no emotion called stress and what one feels is just a result of his/her inability to manage things right !

I was actually stupefied when I read this! But then I began thinking.. Hey, that's quite right! The moment things start getting out of control, they start causing ‘stress’! 

So maybe if I just ensure that I control more things in my life, I’d be able to reduce that stress!

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But a valid argument would obviously be that not everything is in our hands always! Fair enough, but then aren’t you missing out the fact that your reaction or attitude is always in your hands?!

Another interpretation of stress, in the scientific terms (based on my knowledge) is what really happens when you are under ‘stress’!

It is a scientific fact that when you are under stress, your first body part to get affected is your weakest part! What happens is that when you breathe, the air gets trapped in the weakest part of your body, because of which you feel discomfort in your body and hence the stress! 

So more the negativity and pain, more is the stress; and you can get rid of it just by taking care of your mental health and being happy!

   

Yes, that’s all there "essentially" is to the thing that leads to so many problems in our life! And it’s clearly not worth it, so really… why worry?!

Be happy and 😊 always … for as Mr. William James very rightly said: “We don’t laugh because we are happy; we are happy because we laugh”!

All said and done, I'd like to end this post with the following song I'd like you to listen to! 😊

P.S. I really can't say this enough.. Your comments not only give me encouragement, but also ideas for topics of the posts to follow; So please speak up! 😀 

Why/How/What are You thinking?

Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai.. (Sometimes I think.) Why is there so much crime in the world? Why is there so much hatred? Why is there so much unpleasantness and Why is there so much unhappiness?

Assuming that you are an informed and educated human being, this is quite obvious right?

But since here we dare to go BDO (Beyond D Obvious), let's pause for a minute and think... Have shared with you 2 awesome tools to do so .. Think of an issue you are faced with, ask yourself (as much as you can) "why" / "so" ? and let the answers come to you

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How does it feel now?

I was thinking about a comment on my previous post and realized that this is perhaps my way of "cultivating a warm-hearted feeling towards others" 'cuz after all, we are "essentially" the same right?! 😊

Also, came across a superb image that got me thinking..

Really think about it .. Who are you living for? Who do you really owe any explanation to? Who truly matters to you? WHY? . . How are you doing or not doing what could give you contentment ("Security, and, Peace of mind" as commented by a reader of the previous post) ? . . .  What is the smallest thing you can do right now to achieve what you want? ; And, just do it na! (Remember the song, "What the hell are you waiting for?" I had shared?!)

LOL .. just realized I have shared names of 3 songs with you in this post alone 😉 (Identify all 3 for fun #randomchallenge1)

Thank You ☺️

So today's post has two objectives:-

1. To Thank You for taking out the time to hear me out (technically, read my views!) and sharing with me yours, thereby expanding your world and mine. 😊

           

2. To share an excellent way of living I have learnt, with You.

So, as I've mentioned before as well, I have found that Perspective and Attitude play key roles in determining the quality of our life. 

I have also found that life is not only most peaceful, but also most fun when we are aware of all the things we have and are thankful for it!   

Think about it.. Isn't life better when you are seeing the positive side of things and aiming to make it even better, as compared to stop a bad thing from getting worse?!

I understand that what am trying to express is probably not as simple as it sounds, so even if you don't get the logic, I would urge you to just try it for yourself!

'Cuz the way I see it, there is always a silver lining to everything; You actually just have to believe in this and be determined to see it; and am sure you will (sooner or later)!

So, today I just want you to force yourself to think what could possibly be the good thing in the adverse situation you are faced with right now??