Last Friday, on March 14, I went to my office very late – only after 4 pm. The reason was, from 5.30 am that day I was slogging away editing our weekly bulletin, Chennai This Week (CTW). If I had planned things better and focused better, I would have been in the office in the morning itself, as usual.
Going through the work of our staff in the evening, I found the report of one of our staff was less than honest – a matter of deliberately touching up the temporary dip in business with a dash of imagination. I was very upset.
This discovery was soon after we found provisions doing the disappearing act in the house.
Yesterday in the office, I noticed, business was coming, but we did not have enough people to fulfill them on two successive days. I felt very restless inside.
And I was itching to burst out when I saw a few housekeeping staff taking their time to leave with materials for their jobs of the day.
Yet, all these are happening when the muddle in my head is clearing and I am using a language that is liberating and empowering. I am reading my ‘outcome’ and the 4 pages of intentions behind them, everyday with fervor.
I am shaken that the people I trusted betrayed that trust. It is an unsettling feeling.
In this presently shaken world of mine there is a truth yelling out for my attention.
It is, in the office, I delegated and then abdicated.
And, in the house, I did not value enough the provisions I bought with precious money. I used to be mindless about what came in and what went out.
I was not aware of my resources and gifts – in the office or at home.
This morning, in Deepak Chopra’s guided meditation, I was arrested by his stream of thoughts. He says, Stewardship is about responsibly caring for what we value. And, every action we take generates a force of energy that returns to us in kind. ‘As we sow, so shall we reap.’ As we take conscious choices to care for what we have, more will be given to us. This is the essence of the law of karma.
It boils down to – if I want responsible behavior in office, I have to be responsible first.
I value my company very dearly and I am called to be a responsible steward.
And, trusting someone does not mean being blindfolded. I lovingly apply the principle of stewardship first towards myself. I value myself enough to attract the right situations and people into my life – by living in awareness.
This morning, as I walked to my office, I felt angry, upset, determined, overwhelmed, possessed, intimidated and consumed by an amalgam of conflicting feelings. I know this is not at all pure NLP language. Let it be for now.
I reached my office very early today. The way I worked today was a throwback to the old days when everything I touched turned to gold.
I spoke to our team without mincing my words, in firm tones where we stand now and why we need to change our behaviours to head towards our beautiful goals.
I feel different today. There is satisfaction for staying focused. Tomorrow I feel even more different and more tuned in, to work, to achieve.
I read this last week in Seth Godin’s blog. “It’s easy to feel confident when we’re on a roll, when the cards are going our way……. Effective confidence comes from within, it’s not the result of external events. You succeed because you’ve chosen to be confident. “
That is an empowering idea to anchor in my mind.
I notice happy constellations and serendipities emerging. By the way I choose to look at even very daunting challenges, I can usher in happy outcomes. Very much like Richard Bach says:
“But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons”
I see my outcome embracing me.
Every time I read you… yes read YOU , I get baffled with thoughts, thoughts like what made u write this…how would you have select the words…how do u know that this is what u’ll write on…and this is the way it should be written. All I see is the tip of the iceberg which is the story above and all i feel is the coolness of learning every time I read you. I am learning the art of creating iceberg from you nd Rahul Vitekar. Thank you.
Pratima, what you wrote about the art of creating iceberg is a huge compliment. When I start writing I have no idea how things will take shape. I have a general idea of course. Then snippets of thoughts fly from various directions at different times, mostly out of silences. I am sure, you will experience similarly when you try your hand. Thank you very much, you have been very generous to me.
The quote from Seth Godin’s blog. “It’s easy to feel confident when we’re on a roll, when the cards are going our way……. Effective confidence comes from within, it’s not the result of external events. You succeed because you’ve chosen to be confident ” – this is very powerful to me..thank you for sharing your thoughts….
Thank you, Kamini. For going through my post and caring to appreciate.
I am wondering about the words you articulated to describe what you thought inside !
I learnt how reading a quote or book had its impact on our emotional ,thoughts and belief system. You are a wonderful writer and blogger I admire and really fell in love with your writings. After reading this blog, it induces me to see inwards to check the instances I came across and the transformations happened in my experiences. You got inspired from other genius and inspire others by your writings by..Thanks Babu for sharing with me.
Thank you very much, Sharmila. I am taking a deep breath and taking in the good feelings arising out of your words.
Babu
What shines through in this writing is your commitment. You shared with us when things were not going the way you intended them to and the confusion (my perception) that caused in you. You then took the steps to put yourself back on your intended path. That, for me, is where the inspiration lies in this writing.
Thank you for sharing
Helen
Helen, it feels good when I am able to inspire myself. You have a wonderful ability to perceive by penetrating into the core of things. Thanks for writing this.
Dear Babu,
“I value my company very dearly and I am called to be a responsible steward.”
And
“The way I worked today was a throwback to the old days when everything I touched turned to gold.” –
In my humble opinion, these narrations have explained and expressed enough distinctly thy strength and thy opportunity to attain thy outcome.
‘Clarity affords focus’ – Thomas Leonard
Best regards,
Arunima
Yes, Arunima. You keep reminding me about the possibilities and what lies within. Thank you very much.
HI Babu
I admire a Tamil literate named Solomon Pappiah. When I hear him speak, I get a feeling that he knows what is happening with me and whatever he is speaking is designed for me. Many other viewers also shared my opinion. His articulation was awesome and delivery was flawless and the message was pertinent.
Whenever, I read your blog, I get the same impression and I could instantly connect many of my experiences with your blog.
Your writing skills are beyond my imagination and I echo whatever our friends have said about your writing.
Thank you so much Babuji.
Regards
Giri, you are putting me up there. I feel very elated to read what you have written. At the same time, something tells me that I have just begun exploring my frontiers as a writer. There is a long way to go. Thank you for being such an encouragement.
Babu
Hi Babu, compelled as usual to read your work/blog.
I think you are using this media to ‘relieve’ you of some of the frustrations that well within you. As these incongruent behaviours challenge your sense of Purpose, values and desire to achieve a well formed outcome.
Inspirational quotes fro Deepak help me and you to navigate through the challenges and I can understand from your writing how you develop alternative strategies to address these challenges.
I know you love your business! And…I also see you love writing!
Are you modelling and representing to your organisation the essence of ‘living the values’ of your business? (Provocative I know)
Yesterday I was working with 12 managers and was challenged by their constant bad behaviours on the telephone, texting and laptop. So in a spirit of openness and feedback I choose to demonstrate by mirroring back to them what bad behaviour looked like.
I programmed my phone to go of mid session, I picked it up and chatted. The group where to say the least… ‘aghast’!
I facilitated the feedback as ‘Open’ and as ‘Clean’ as I could.
the result….
The next day no one, nobody, NADA, touch a phone a laptop. In fact they asked me if it was OK to go to the bathroom!!!
I believe you are so powerful a leader that your are being ‘copied’ by you team and you are the exemplar to them and may I say a real source of inspiration (just like Deepak)
Your writing for me is challenging all of my leadership behaviours and some values.
I appreciate your sharing and openness.
Pace, Pace and lead in the manner that serves your higher purpose and keep writing.
Best wishes
Mike
Hi Mike,
Your feedback to me is encouraging, lovingly provocative, challenging and very inspiring. I have always thought I am ‘living the values’ of my business, but the fact is, the far from desirable behaviours that exists here sometimes, is a reflection of my self-fulfilling behaviours. I know that everything in my world changes when I change.
The example of how you brought about change in your environment is very inspiring. I want to be able to model that type of leadership style.
What you told me repeatedly in Cherai about being an ‘exemplar’ rings in my ears even now. That is something I will always remember. Being the ‘exemplar’ is what gives me and my organization the capacity to resurrect.
Thanks, Mike.
Helen has beautifully expressed what I felt. You are expanding the space, Babu. Inspiring!
I know Rahul, that I have to learn to take honest praise with elegance. When this comes from a noted writer, I am beside myself. I am almost tempted to say – no, no, I do not deserve this.
So, resist the temptation and I honour you by accepting what you wrote with a lot of gratitude.
Babu
Babu you are a gifted writer. Your skill in taking the reader through your internal journey with your inner team makes for an exemplar of excellence; you made the change to your own behaviour before setting about inspiring awareness for the need to change amongst the staff. I admire your capacity to manage your time to write your blogs that inspire others with your truth and sincerity . Thank you.
Hi Elizabeth,
You goad to me travel on the path of excellence, being myself. There is so much of encouragement and the right thing to do seems to be, to make them all true. Thank you so much for your very kind words. I do everything possible to be true to myself and stretch.
Babu some writings we just read.. and some.. they just pierce and churn and are cathartic… so much so that at times I ask myself “are you upto it…to enter into a journey with this…?” Well Babu that in a nutshell is what your writing is to me.It’s an outpouring from your soul and spirit and thus resonates with all that is high and true in my soul as well.
I thank you for sharing your learnings with not even a wince and in that truthfulness showing me a mirror too…a mirror that I value very very much.
And selfishly I would say… keep me showing a part of your soul..keep it coming.
Saji, you have written so very beautifully and I suspect there is a writer within you waiting to break out.It makes me feel very good, what I write here just for myself is creating an impact in others as well. Thank you very much for saying that.
-Babu
Dear Babu. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and beautiful writing. A great model of excellence – wow. I really appreciate how you shared your restlessness and then connected with Deepak’s words. This shows such honesty. You have reminded me that whatever behaviours I would like from others, I first look inside and take responsibility for my own behaviour – thank you Babu. So the butterfly wings are causing change in Britain from India.
Also reading other people’s comments and your comments back is in itself wonderful…you know many wise and eloquent writers that are also able to write from their heart, just like you.
Lindsey, you are most kind for saying what I write does make a difference to you in Britain. I am so very honoured. Yet, the fact is, I write for my clarity, understanding and deliberate creation through words. I am honest as I do it. Perhaps that is the reason you are able to relate to the feeling behind my words. You are a wonderful person, Lindsey for encouraging me so much.