WEALTH

Na biwi na baccha, naa baap bada na bhaiya...

The whole thing is that sabse bada rupaiya!

(not wife, not child, not father, not brother...

The whole thing is that the most important is money)

- Old Hindi song by actor-filmmaker, Mehmood

Wealth makes people go around in a never ending pursuit. It is the driving force for everyone, and a principal priority for the ambitious. At the inaugural of ABLE - JCI India’s training program for businesspersons, the Chief Guest, K Vallabhdas shared his father’s take on five types of wealth.

He listed the first type of wealth as personal health. The second is the wealth of relationship that comes from the unquestioning love from the spouse. The third is the unconditional nurturing that we receive from our parents. The fourth is the uplifting affection that is reciprocated by our children. And the last and the least in the list is the wealth of money.

All of us run too often behind money at the cost of the four greater forms of wealth. But money will come to nought if the first four are lost. Interestingly, the four concerns cover a wider spectrum of a better world for all of us. For we cannot makes our homes better for our family, elders and the children better without ensuring an environment of health and security, a world driven by responsive and responsible actions.

Let’s BE BETTER at acquiring the wealth

that comes from loving family and health !

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Alleppey, Kerala

PERSONAL ANTHEM

150 years after his birth, Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy as a poet, novelist, musician, and playwright continues to inspire… as does his poem - ‘where the mind is without fear and the head is held high’. While the entire poem is inspirational, the first line articulates the apt vision for a nation and its citizens.

In the film Sholay, Gabbar Singh said the immortal lines, ‘jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya’ (fear is death). Our fears are part of the conditioning that we are subjected to since our childhood. Gandhi described fears as creative imagination. They grow to a magnitude that blurs our sense of perception. We must overcome these fears to be unfettered in our flight to newer horizons!

So often we indulge in plastic pride. While arrogance is self-defeating, true self-respect and self-esteem are the psychological foundations for the progress of every personality. They empower individual initiative and help fulfill dreams. ‘Head held high’ also refers to looking ahead to the vision that beckons.

We sing the national anthem that Tagore wrote. However we may have been a better citizenry and a better nation if we were to regularly recite and enthusiastically embrace the words of ‘where the mind is without fear’. Surely, it is an empowering anthem and it would be better if each of us chose it as our guiding lighthouse… as our personal anthem.

Overcoming fears and enhancing self esteem, we find

is the way to BE BETTER at empowering every mind!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

RISE UP monday-muse-12 July

Imagine a situation where a person trips and falls to the ground. What should he do? Should he wait for somebody to help him rise on his feet once again? What if there is no help forthcoming? Surely in such a scenario, most of us should choose to rise up on our own.

Self initiative is necessary to overcome an overpowering situation. Whenever our spirits are down, we must lift them ourselves. Proactive persons who take prime responsibility for changing the situation or even a downward mood are the ones who refuse to stay low. They opt to rise up on their own using the simple choice of self-help.

However, being the first to help oneself is not a practice to be employed only in times of defeat or despair. Even, when we deserve to rejoice over the smallest of success, we must choose to initiate appreciation and celebration. It is a lesson, we must learn from the footballer who scores a goal. He does not wait for his team members to come and applaud him. He immediately breaks into a frenzied run of celebration.

Too often, we shift the onus of support as well as appreciation onto others. And when none is forthcoming we sink into a deeper depression. We must learn to be better at taking ownership of all the happenings in our lives, both, the ones that lift our spirits and the ones that sink them as well. That’s the way to rise up, every time!

Let’s BE BETTER at initiating the right response

... to rise up above the overbearing helpless pause!

- Pravin K Sabnis

CHARISMA

All of us are influenced and impressed by charismatic people. All of us seek to be owners of charisma that can influence and impress others. It is a special quality of impact personalities whose principles, purposes and powers differentiate them from others. To be called charismatic is considered a valuable compliment!

Many of us believe that charisma is a trait that cannot be developed since it appears to be a deep-rooted personality characteristic. But, it is pertinent to note that it is a quality that can be acquired and learnt. For example, being enthusiastic and emotionally expressive is a major ingredient for dishing out charisma – and surely, it is possible to learn to become emotionally expressive.

Look around at people whom you find charismatic. You will notice that they smile easily and seem constantly enthused. Notice that their ever eager energy is very visible. And this is so because they do not hold back their actual feelings. The best method to develop charisma is to be better at expressing our feelings more assertively, openly and freely.

More importantly, charisma is about transference. Others must validate our charisma. And they will do so, only if it impacts them positively. The way to acquire charisma, according to Dan Reiland is, ‘Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves than you are making them feel good about you.’

let’s BE BETTER at charismatic effectiveness,

by discovering our emotional expressiveness!

- Pravin K. Sabnis