Your Anger Can Transform Adversities Into Opportunities

 

Anger: A Human Emotion

We all have grown considering anger as a bad or negative emotion, in best of our knowledge. We feel good while talking about happiness, love, enthusiasm and achievements but talking about anger feels like something morally wrong or destructive and the reason is our social, cultural and religious beliefs often manifest anger as destruction and violence. So the youngsters are always taught to suppress or kill their anger and not to express it. In doing so, we forget that anger is a human emotion just like any other emotions such as joy or contentment but we never pay heed to its valuable impacts and benefits on human life and society as a whole. You get angry when you feel like things are out of place and that anger propels you to correct everything around you and motivates you to find solutions of the disorder and chaos in your life. You get angry when you see something wrong happening either with you or the people you feel connected to; your connectivity can be for people worldwide if you are an empathetic person. And it’s pretty natural to have anger, if you really care for your own being as well as others.

Anger Helps You Fight Your Fears

Your anger is the only weapon that can protect you from being subjected to any wrong. It helps you rise over all your fears. It makes you more informed and aware of your powers to help you adapt a better response. Anger is much required for survival and embedded in human mind to protect us and sharpen our focus. Whenever you feel threatened or attacked it is activated and drives you to fight back, act quickly and conquer the battles. Anger gives enough strength and aggression to overpower a stronger enemy and acts as a guiding force to fight our fears and transform adversities into Opportunities.

Anger doesn’t mean harboring resentment against people and waiting for the right moment to retaliate; anger is expressing and showing your disagreement and protest against the wrong. Often anger is mistaken for impulsive behavior, angry outbursts, holding grudges and accumulating bad thoughts. Anger instills optimism and give you bigger dreams to realize, it encourages you to have faith in yourself because whenever you are angry you think of channelizing your maximum powers against whatever angers you.

Anger Promotes Our Actions Against Injustice

It was the revolutionary Bhagat Singh’s anger that electrified a strong militancy in India in the 1930s and triggered a nationwide stir against the oppressive British rule. His anger to vindicate the honor of  a great nationalist, Lala Lajpat Rai, in fact the honor of  the  nation made him a hero in each and every town of Punjab as well as the rest of the northern India. His slogan, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ still reverberates in every Indian heart and brims it with patriotism and love for motherland. It was the anger of Mangal Pandey that sparked the Indian Revolt of 1857 and united the whole nation to begin the fight against slavery and exploitation. When he felt his religious feelings were hurt due to the new cartridges, he didn’t hesitate in raising his voice against and spearheaded the ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ which eventually intensified the anger and agitation among Indians leading to the first War of Indian Independence.

Anger is triggered when you are denied justice or your basic rights. Anger helps you when to Trust Your Instincts and tells you something isn’t right and need to be corrected immediately. Standing up for yourself always makes you a victor, not a victim; your anger unveils the secret of your own power and determines how extreme you can go to fight against injustice. The people with a productive anger can only withstand the test of time as anger gives you the ability to wade through the unpredictable challenges of disrespect, humiliation and exploitation at both personal and professional fronts. 

Manage Your Anger Don’t Suppress It 

As we have already discussed that anger is a human emotion which can be empowering if managed well. Anything in excess is always bad and the same goes with anger. Anger releases a great amount of energy and if not used productively, it can be destructive. It can spoil your relationships and overall quality of your life.  Do you think you become impulsive when encounter such emotions? Or you breathe deeply and think about the possible solutions and take time to express your disagreement over that situation? It's very important to utilize the energy of anger while maintaining a calm and equipoise demeanor; which is considered one of the strongest social skills these days. If you can’t harness your anger, try to stay quiet for a while and escape the situation if possible. This respite will give you enough time to strategize your plan of action against the circumstances that trigger your anger . 

Remind yourself that getting infuriated is not going to fix anything, start honing your problem solving skills and be resolute and unswerving to your aims. Always remember, anger when released with violence and verbal abuse it vitiates its own powers and leave  one floundering. As Richard Davidson says, “Anger mobilizes resources, increases vigilance, and facilitates the removal of obstacles in the way of our goal pursuits, particularly if the anger can be divorced from the propensity to harm or destroy.”

To conclude, I would say, anger can make you achieve those heights in your career which your talent can’t so learn to harness the infinite energy of your anger and see it can do wonders.

Why Honour Killing in India Requires Urgent Reforms

Honour Killing: An Odius Crime

The recent heinous case of honour killing in Aurangabad, Maharashtra shook the society. The intensity of the rage was evident by the act of victim's younger brother who took selfies after beheading his pregnant elder sister and paraded the severed head of his sister in the locality. It was heart wrenching to know that his mother was the accomplice  in committing this brutal killing.

It was reported that a few months ago, the victim, Kirti, 19, eloped with Ajay, a resident of the same village and got married. When informed about their return to the village, both brother and mother of the victim went to meet her. She welcomed them wholeheartedly; little did she know what the motive of her mother and sibling was. While she was preparing tea and snacks for them, was brutally attacked by her brother by a sickle. Her mother grabbed her legs and the brother chopped her head off. The revenge was not yet over; neither it satiated their malice, the brother took the chopped head and showed it to her neighbors to prove that he had taught a lesson to his sister.

Another case of the same state narrates one more gruesome story when a woman and her husband were set ablaze by her father and other relatives as they were enraged on their inter caste marriage. She succumbed to her burn injuries and the man kept battling for life.

Is this the society we dream of? Is this the society we are proud of? And is this the development we are striving for where human rights have no existence and  personal choices and freedom of thoughts are meant to be crumpled under the feet of so called ‘honour’ of a family? Where atrocities on young couples are considered an important lesson for their decisions of marrying to a person of their choice, and everything is fair in the name of ‘HONOR’.

Honor killing is defined as killing for the sake of honor, a brutal killing that is awarded mostly to a woman or her partner by their own family members for getting married against their wishes. Whose ‘honor’ are we talking about? The honorable murderers or the orthodox elders who think that women’s prime responsibility is only to take care of her family members, doing the daily chores and carry the honour and legacy of the family by accepting the groom that they select for her. A girl of the family carries the dignity by not raising her voice against any wrong done to her while a boy preserves the honour by raising weapons, killing innocent and committing crime; such a wonderful parameter of “Gender Equality” in our society. 

The Factors Responsible for the Crime

In India, majority of caste members do not approve an inter caste marriage, any type of relationship outside their caste or within the same gotra is not allowed and this stereotype gives birth to outrage when young generation defies to follow such orthodox norms set by their elders. On the pretext of preserving the decorum and honour of the family; the crime takes birth. Not just the inter caste marriages, some other reasons like; losing virginity before marriage and tag of love marriage also contribute to such killings. To utter dismay, it can be a casual talk also. A dalit boy of 17 from a farmer’s family in Nagar district was beaten and strangled to death because he was talking to a girl of an upper caste. His body was found hanging from a tree in the village. The increasing cases of honour killing in the recent years is an alarming situation and mockery of the law, as per the data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 251 murders were reported as honour killing cases in India and more than 300 cases have been reported in recent 3 years.

The barbaric murders in the name of honour not only violate human rights but infringe the integrity of institutions like police and judiciary also. The attitude of zero tolerance in caste matters is the prime factor behind these killings which are posing an impediment to our socio cultural growth and communal harmony. And that makes a strong reason why honour killing in India requires urgent reforms.

The Role of Khap Panchayats

Even after 75 years of independence, people of India are still victims of social evils like honour killing, Casteism and other violence in the name of communal and religious issues. In India, people still think caste is more important than life and under the fear of losing certain privileges of that particular caste; they choose to kill their own children instead of supporting them. Despite the rule by the Supreme Court that none can intervene in a happy married life of two adults, Khap Panchayats practice the ruthless administration in the villages where there is an absence of structured legislation and people are illiterate and not aware of their rights to freedom and constitutional rights to safeguard themselves from any kind of exploitation. Due to the inaccessible and fragile existence of law and order, these Khap Panchayats flourish in our country and still have the authority to declare punishments and settle dispute among them. These Khap leaders enjoy the power and supremacy by becoming the custodians of the honour of the entire clan and feel no hesitation in giving death penalty to those young couples who marry as per their choice.

A Ray of Hope

Many laws have been amended and government took strict action to curb this crime in Indian society yet we have to go miles. People need to understand the proverb stated by Justice Dipak Mishra, “Liberty, taking the word in its practical sense means the right to choose.” So it’s the need of the hour to change the perspective of considering caste and gotra above human life. Many NGOs have come forward to fight against this social evil and helped young couples.  They provide legal guidance, financial support and safe houses to these tormented couples. They even provide assistance for marriage solemnization and registration.

But will that suffice to curb this ghastly crime, certainly not; the problem is not with the generation gap and the freedom of choices, the problem is the mindset, the taboo which casts a shadow over the budding dreamers and beating hearts who just want a safe and happy life and a life partner of their own choice. Do you still think; they are wrong?

Let’s wait together for the dawn that will witness the cessation of such atrocities on innocent lives.

When Things Go Wrong in Life, Trust Your Instincts

Talk to Yourself-Trust Your Instincts

The ability of realizing what’s right for you when everything is going wrong is the trust that you have in your instincts. And this ability always leads you towards a concrete decision and a fruitful action in your life. The people who answer their inner calls always succeed because it keeps their instincts alive and that’s the only way forward. Former international cricketer and captain of Indian cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of the best examples of the people who pursued their passion with an unwavering trust in their instincts. Undeterred, he weathered all the difficulties with the unquenched zest for his sport while following his instincts. Though his father never liked his growing interest in cricket as he believed there was no future in sports, Mahi remained firm about what he wanted from his life. After completing High School, he started looking for a job so that he could fund his sporting and luckily got selected for the role of a ticket collector at the Kharagpur Railway Station because the SER (South Eastern Railways) cricket team was looking for a wicketkeeper.

At this point, life became very tough for him; he would run all day at the platforms and practiced at training nets, in the late evenings. He was swinging between his passion for cricket and his job in railways. Three years passed, but he kept balancing everything as he knew that his heart was beating for the cricket ground only. He was confident, his instincts would not deceive him and finally his determination and hard work paid off when he was selected in Indian Cricket Team for an ODI series against Bangladesh. Rest is History!

Your instincts have infinite powers to prepare you for any battle; they show you the right way to deal with the obstructions and guide you when to change your perspective about such seemingly insurmountable hurdles in your life. It is beautifully quoted by Martin Luther King Jr., ”As my sufferings mounted, I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” These words clearly express the momentous influence our instincts have on our action when faced with difficulties, worries and adversities. They will determine whether to fall in the trap of anger, hurt, uncertainty, revenge, disappointment and sadness or to emerge as a fighter, a warrior and eventually a winner.

 

"It’s very important to observe, how you talk to yourself, because you are sure to be listening to it." Making affirmations about your capabilities and accepting your weaknesses are also very important in decision-making. Introspecting feels like journeying into the deeper realms of your core which opens a way to self-realization and helps you handle your expectations.

Be Willing to do the Undesired also:

There are many who feel annoyed when forced to do something against their wish; it can be a new assignment or a responsibility that they don’t like to do or feel this is going to demean position. They assume that people are trying to undermine their worth and that very moment an emptiness creeps in them and finally they choose either to escape or to step back. It becomes galling when they start feeling as there’s nothing left to do for them now. Let's try the same with a different perspective, doing something that doesn’t fall in your list of choice can make you more resilient and teach you something that you could never ever Learn while walking on the usual path of your life. Moreover, one can explore new vistas and scale new heights while doing the undesired. One should always remember; “There is a light at the end of every tunnel. Some tunnels just happen to be longer than others.” Ordinary people keep doing the ordinary things in their usual way but successful people never build any Comfort Zone for them, they nurture themselves more when things fall apart and do everything with great happiness they are expected to and never hesitate in undertaking arduous tasks.

What’s Wrong V/S Who’s Wrong

Whenever problems fall upon us we start blaming others for conspiring against us. We think that all the problems in our life are because of the people around us, we never pay attention on what’s going wrong, so when you feel thing are not turning up the way you were expecting; you must reflect on your own life to find- What’s wrong? Blame games and complaints will ruin your mental peace and deplete your consciousness. You will become revengeful and end up in the frustrating phase of your life. Always believe that every experience or situation in life, good or bad, comes with their own rewards and such positive attitude will give you strength to stay calm and gain control on your mind during the toughest times of your life. Focus on mend what’s wrong instead of blaming and targeting people when things are going topsy-turvy in your life.

Never Wait for the Right Time, Do it Right Now:

I have heard many people speaking about their future plans or resolutions to begin when met with certain conditions or waiting for the right time. I never understand what is a ‘right time’ to start something right in one’s life. It’s your resolution or passion that is important and every moment is the perfect moment to begin something in life and the best time is NOW. Procrastination kills potential even in the most skilled professionals, learn to make the maximum use of your talents and never wait for the right opportunities to fall your way, convert every single option into a right opportunity for you. Talk to yourself when in dilemma, you are the best advisor of yourself. 

Let's follow this simple formula of life: When Things Go Wrong in Life, Trust Your Instincts.

You Have Endless Possibilities Within You

Learn to Explore the Infinite Possibilities Within You

Have you ever thought of the infinite possibilities within you and what you can do to explore them? If not, just try to ponder the words of Thomas Edison, “When you’ve exhausted all possibilities, remember this. You haven’t.” These words express a very deep meaning about the infinite potential of human mind and nothing is impossible for you if you can ignite this treasure of potential within you. Let’s try to connect the same with the story of Dr. Sharif Tabebordbar.

Sharif Tabebordbar was born in 1986 and the same year, his father, Jafar had started developing the symptoms of a muscle wasting disease and this mysterious disease eventually defined Sharif’s life as an incredible scientist whose research led to an unprecedented medical discovery that can transform gene therapy and correct genetic defects; for almost all muscle wasting diseases including muscular dystrophies that affect about 100,000 people in the US, according to the MDA, Muscular Dystrophy Association.

In his growing years, Sharif was watching his father's mobility gradually deteriorating, he resolved to find a cure for this rare disease and finally his quest led him to a doctorate in developmental and regenerative biology, the most competitive ranks of academic medical research.

Born in Shiraz, Iran, Dr. Sharif moved to Rasht when he was 9. His excellent score in a national test helped him seek admission in a High School, which was part of Iran’s National Organization for the Development of Exceptional Talents. As he was already driven by the ardent desire to cure his father, he chose to study biological sciences. Sharif’s mother, Tahereh Fallah, who herself wanted to become a doctor but couldn’t continue her studies in Iran, motivated both her sons to pursue their dreams and supported them in each of their endeavors.

After completing his High School he was determined to get selected for the accelerated program at the University of Tehran and made a position for himself among 8-10 student from the country by placing himself seventh out of 1.3 million. As the young boy had vowed to find a cure for his father’s illness he moved on with a fervent zeal and completed his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate in just nine years. During the years of his research on muscular dystrophies, the only question that kept hovering over him was: What caused my father’s illness?

When his father visited Harvard to attend the graduation ceremony in the year 2016, Dr. Sharif got an opportunity to have Jafar’s gene sequenced to figure out the mystery and to his surprise it wasn’t any mutation but a rare genetic disorder which is not caused by a mutation in a gene but a mutation in an area between genes that leads to excretion of a toxic chemical which kills the muscle cells. Despite all his efforts to cure his father, he couldn’t help him but he hopes that his research will save many lives and he kept moving on to his journey and co founded a drug company, named Kate Therapeutics which will focus on gene therapy for muscle diseases.

This story of passion and strong determination teaches that every human being is imbued with immense potentiality and we just need to awaken it. We can become what we want; it’s only a matter of being resolute and uncompromising on our dreams. Never forget that you have endless possibilities within you.

Life Changing Read: Failures are Opportunities

Know Your Inherent Powers

It’s good to know others but it will be wise to know yourself, as Nature has bestowed endless possibilities and potential upon everyone and it's very important to explore the inherent powers in us. Always believe that you are a miracle with limitless potential of your own, that none can confiscate from you. Adversities and circumstances may lower down your enthusiasm but can’t alter the reservoir of the potentiality within you. It is always inspiring to believe that you have endless possibilities and powers to experience life to its fullest and bring a change in the wider world too. Let your strong beliefs and personal narratives of overcoming your fears script your life story as they hold incredible energy to define and determine your destiny. Never allow your insecurities to dwell upon you and diminish your powers.

Shift Your Perspective Away from the Consequences

Before we dream and strive for something we start assuming about its results and outcomes. which is a major setback in our growth. Take every choice of your life as a pristine canvas and keep painting on it without paying any heed to the results, failures and dichotomies. The moment you start thinking about the outcome you start losing your faith in your own abilities and become apprehensive about your choices. It makes you seek advice from others and finally you end up in utter confusion. We all know that realities impose limits on us and force us to be dubious on our capabilities but this is how we have to navigate the complexities and hardships of life. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves to keep our focus clear and have faith in our efforts and efficiency. There’s no other way round.

Stop Comparing Yourself with Achievers

Never think that your achievements are too small to be proud of. Comparison Kills! When you compare your achievements and success to other people’s there will always be a great number ahead of you. If you have completed a half marathon today, there will be hundreds to have completed the full one on the same day so there’s no point in falling prey to this endless cycle of comparison. Set your own benchmark, take baby steps and be proud of your progress. There will be many who progress faster than you but let's  never forget- life is not a race; life is a joyride and everyone has their own pace and adventures. Challenge Your Comfort Zone to go beyond your limits and explore the infinite possibilities within you.  Keep moving ahead, no matter how slow it is, and just impress you at every milestone. 

Human life is full of challenges and problems and they can never overpower you till you let them reside in your inner self. We all know that ships never sink due to the water around them; they sink when the water gets into them. So, the choice is yours- would you let the water of insecurities and fear get into the ship of your life OR you will explore and utilize the powers within you? 

Be unstoppable, be unrelenting and be powerful!

How Criticism Helps You Grow Stronger and Undeterred?

Stay Undeterred and Get Stronger While Facing Criticism

Mihika was very sad and upset over the continuous criticism and negative feedback of her bosses as well as clients; she wasn’t able to figure out where things were going wrong and how to win the trust of the people around her. She was helpless and couldn't  gain popularity at her work place despite her strong work commitment and efficiency. She was putting in her hard efforts and dedication in whatever was assigned to her yet felt incompetent and humiliated whenever her colleagues or managers would find faults in her work. She was perturbed about her future and felt as if this situation was a career cul-de-sac. She was in a dilemma- was there an urgent need to cope up with the criticism in her professional life or to accept the ‘Quit Moment’?

We all face criticism in life, by friends, family, society or seniors and colleagues. It can be a performance review, employee feedback or a piece of advice (actually an implicit remark) by the elders or the extended family. Now the question that arises here is: do you feel killed by it or you give yourself  an extra chance to do a little better, next time?

To assess our own attitude towards criticism let’s do a small activity. Let's take a moment to think about the last time when you received a compliment and the last time when you received a negative comment. You must have felt very happy after receiving the compliment but how did you feel after receiving the criticism; certainly you were distressed about it and wanted to reject it. In a bid to avoid accepting ourselves as failures we don't want to listen to the critics' opinion and hence, give birth to an approach of being an escapist and mediocre for the rest of our life.

The great Indian mystic poet of 15th century, Kabir Das says, we must always have a fierce critic in the vicinity as his constant criticism will purify our mind and soul and  fortify our intellect with his habit of finding faults in our actions. Indeed, constructive criticism forces us to evaluate our endeavors, honesty and guides us to boost productivity in life. Would you like to gain more insight on how criticism helps you grow stronger and undeterred? Let's read a little more to clarify this point-

 

Accepting Criticism Makes You More Coachable:

Being coachable means having the ability to learn and evolve with the instructions and guidance of our mentors, peers and sometimes our well wishers also. Staying rigid on one’s views and opinions about a situation or performance makes one intransigent and hinders one’s personal and professional growth. If you develop acceptance for a constructive criticism, you will certainly start improving upon your weaknesses, grow stronger and hone your skills. In a nut shell if you pay attention on expert’s criticism; embrace it with a positive attitude and have a realistic view on your capabilities and flaws you will certainly gain new skills faster and nurture the ability of introspection and retrospection, eventually becoming a better version of yourself. So learn to stay undeterred while facing criticism. Those who take criticism positively, always ask clarifying questions when confronted with conflicting or uncomfortable situations. They are always ready to give a try to new ideas and opinions.

Criticism Encourages Continuum:

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life in imprisonment and faced a lot of criticism and injustice in his life, yet he remained unstoppable and continued his fight against racism and inequality. If taken as challenge; criticism boosts the continuum and never allows you to sit idle and be complacent after an achievement. It keeps you thriving on the challenges with a constant pursuit of perfection. It instills more Grit and Determination in your character because every time when you accomplish a task and face criticism; you become more determined to do things with stronger efforts and more energy.

Being Defensive on Advice Shows Cowardice:

Do you become defensive when someone gives you advice on maintaining a healthy life style, improving dietary and hygiene habits or to keep calm at workplace? Just think about your responses: do you give excuses on such advices? If yes, then certainly there’s a problem. When we respond with endless excuses to criticism; we actually deny seeing the opportunities that lie on our way to help us grow as a person; as an individual and thus we tend to avoid the person who gives us a valuable suggestion. Every time when you receive a suggestion to improve upon something, do you wheel out the same excuses and statistics? This practice shows cowardice and prompts us to react negatively to feedback instead of addressing the issues which really demand improvement. Dwelling on criticism also reduces the number of well wishers and friends in our life so learn to take criticism constructively and believe in “you could do better”.

Taking things in the right way, by the right people can do wonders in one’s life. Taking criticism on a positive note helps you look at things in an objective light that means you are paying attention on your work, life style, habits, behavior and professional attitude. Criticism is actually a gift in disguise, accept it wholeheartedly and invigorate your efforts to achieve the best.

At the same time it’s imperative to understand the source of that criticism also. It can be considered nebulous when done by an arrogant or self-obsessed person, so be clever enough to understand if you are targeted by the gauche people in the vicinity, observe if your critics look askance at your accomplishments or if somebody is trying to demean you for no reason. But even if you are trapped in such situation; I would say you are blessed, don’t take me wrong- what I mean to say that malicious criticism is also equally important in life; it teaches you how to stay undeterred, maintain equipoise and be at peace amidst this chaos of criticism and negativity and that’s the most important life skill in today’s scenario; keep yourself happy no matter how adverse the situations are! It will train you to distance yourself from NEGATIVITY and limit the influence of naysayers and haters in your proximity. If you stop engaging with such people; you will be able to devote your time and energy to maintain your happiness quotient.  

And staying happy is the sole aim of life!

Tenacity : A Life-Changing Hunger To Achieve The Impossible

 Tenacity Can Write Your Destiny

Chhutni Mahato, a fighter, an inspiration and a crusader who changed not just her life but of many women in her state, let’s read a story of tenacity; from a victim of witch hunt to Padma Shri Awardee, Chhutni Devi, her life, struggles and her emergence as a fearless, feisty leader against a grisly social evil.

Tenacity Turns a Victim of Witch Hunt to Padma Shri Awardee

A battle against a gruesome social evil that gave birth to a warrior with the name of Chhutni Mahato, who herself was once branded as witch, wasn’t an easy road for a woman of Saraikela, Jharkhand where Witch-Hunt was a common practice to torture women and snatch their property. She was a girl of 13 when she got married in the year 1978, education was a dream for the girls of her time in her village and child marriage was the only way to settle a girl child. An unfortunate day in March 1995 changed her entire life when a little girl in her neighborhood fell sick and she was accused of practicing witchcraft and black magic. Her neighbors attempted a sexual assault on her and forced her to drink urine. She fought to prove her innocence and even tried to seek help of the local police but was demanded Rs.10000, for lodging a case against the perpetrators. After having seized an opportunity, she fled from the village with her four children and was back to her native place but here also the situation was equally beleaguered; witch hunt was prevailing in her native village also. She finally resolved to stand against this odious social evil and became the trailblazer in abolishing Witch-hunt. This practice of cruelty and ostracizing women is rampant in the state. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 575 women were lynched after they had been branded as witches during the years from 2001 to 2019.

Her arduous journey had no end till she met Nidhi Khare who guided her to seek help from an NGO which was fighting against this social evil, witch-hunting in Jharkhand. With the help of Deputy Commissioner, Amit Khare she set up an anti-witch-hunting consultation centre and since then there was no looking back for Chhutni Mahato. She has rescued 125 women in past two decades and relentlessly working for the rights of women in her region. Her tenacity and unflinching trust in her efforts finally paid her and served the society at large.

“As my sufferings mounted, I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.”

-         Martin Luther King Jr.

These words of Martin Luther explains nicely how one can transform the sufferings and adversities in life by converting them into guiding forces and that is only possible when you cultivate tenacity in your personality. Tenacity is one of the most important human attributes that invigorates your spirit to never give up despite strenuous challenges and hardships. It arouses your hunger to persist and persevere till you achieve the impossible.

Tenacity instills Adaptability

Adaptability is an essential element when you start doing something which is out of your Comfort Zone; one has to weather hundreds of unexpected hurdles to persist on the aspirations. If you can accommodate with the unpredictable, you can cultivate tenacity. One must be adaptable to become more tenacious because you cannot control the circumstances; you can only channelize your strength and efforts to pave your way of success under the undesirable circumstances also. Your adaptability helps you allay your fear and anxiety because you are no more scared of the unfamiliar situations and know how to handle them deftly.

Tenacity Unfolds Your Potential

Tenacity helps you sow Determination and positivity in the soil of your efforts and your dreams; you stay focused, wait patiently for the desired outcome, remain firm on your choices and finally reap a splendid harvest. It makes you believe in your strengths and skills and unleash your potential. In your pursuit of excellence, tenacity makes you resist the temptations and refrain you from being judgmental. It gives you a clear vision of what you aim to and how to prepare yourself for it by breaking all the barriers that hold you back.  

Tenacity: A Byproduct of Self-discipline

Tenacity demands a great amount of self-discipline, if an athlete doesn’t train himself, he can’t expect victory for his performance. If you don’t devote long hours of practice and a patient repetition in your efforts to master a skill, how you will hope to fulfill your dreams. Achievers never wander willy-nilly, but plan and practice with self-discipline which impels them to unearth their hidden talents and enjoy the accomplishments.

 

The secrets of success are ever-elusive, and there is no doubt that success, at both personal and professional levels, is an unrelenting process; one can never say at some or the other point in life that he has attained success. It’s not a matter of talent, skills, creativity or destiny; your success is all about your tenacity and perseverance, it’s the answer of the question that is  frequently asked to you by your SELF- how honestly and strongly you have strived for it? The tenacious people always answer overwhelmingly- I persevered till I achieved it. So catapult your career and personal growth by practicing tenacity and perseverance in your attitude. Next time when you make a foray into a new activity, skill or task, be tenacious, you will certainly come out as a winner. The story of Chhutni Mahato proves that at the core of every great change, there is always a great human and this great human can be any; it can be you, it can be me. If you have ideas, if you have passion for making a difference, if you have tenacity, you can climb any mountain of marvels.

Failures are Opportunities to Reflect, Revamp and Recharge Your Life

The Line Between Winning and Losing is Your Way of Acceptance

Rohan was the most eligible Branch Manager for the next promotion of Regional Head, his fingers were crossed for months to receive the news from the HO and he was very excited about it. But what was in store for him? Not only did Rohan not get promoted for the post, but also one of his peers was about to take charge of the higher post. He felt sorry for himself and couldn’t overcome this loss for months.

Do you take such incidents as loss or failure in your life? Or you find them as opportunities when confronted with such experiences? Let’s read about one such life which was full of failures and obstacles yet the most celebrated one that won many hearts.

Walt Disney who founded world’s largest entertainment conglomerates is widely known as the most popular flag bearer in the world of cartoon characters and animation. His influence on film making and entertainment will be remembered forever. But only a few know that behind his huge success, there was a series of losses and failures. And what had changed his life; was the attitude of accepting failures as an opportunity to reflect, revamp and recharge the course of action.

Walt Disney took his first job as a newspaper cartoonist but was fired soon as they didn’t find him creative at his work. Disappointed Disney started a series of animated cartoon with the name, Laugh-O-grams but couldn’t make enough for a living. He would visit many producers with his videos but returned dejected, disappointed. All his successful projects met dejection in the beginning but he never thought of accepting his ideas as failures. He did not quit.  After the growing popularity of his creation, Micky Mouse, he began to work on other animal characters with speech, skills and human traits. He even tunneled through phases of criticism, despair and discouragement yet he knew what he was planning to achieve and emerged as a glorious winner proving his ideas as pathbreaking experimentation in the American animation world. The exponential increase in the popularity of The Disney studio gave him much enthusiasm to dream a big amusement park near Los Angeles. His project was considered as impossible and he could collect the finance for his dream project only after 302 investors turned down the proposal of the Disneyland. Finally, when Disneyland was opened for public in the year 1955, much of his imagination, creativity and fantasy were reflected in its design and construction. It became a favorite tourist destination and a place that thrilled the fantasies of not just children but adults as well.

Sharing the Long Term Benefits of handling failures and setbacks in life, Disney said, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all the troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

What is Your Interpretation of Failure

A strong attitude of responding to mistakes and failures helps everyone bounce back and consider losses as lessons and failures as opportunities to show fortitude. Every attempt, strategy or plan of action takes birth with its inevitable share of hiccups; we can’t change it, we do fail. But failure is not as important and striking as our interpretation of it. How you respond to your loss defines your choices in life and you are not a loser till the moment, you accept it as a loss, so it’s very important to learn how to react to the failures and loss in life because when you accept yourself as a failure and give up on it, you become a loser. You must understand that the genuine appreciation of your worthiness and quality depends on your acceptance of an event as your success or failure. It’s you who decide, whether you have won or lost so keeping your morale high even in the direst situations is your capability of becoming a victor. So start thinking comprehensively, not impulsively when you confront failures in life, the line between winning and losing is only your way of acceptance.

 

Reflect, Revamp and Recharge Your Plan of Action

Failures demand a deep reflection and enable you nurture tenacity so take them as regular term examinations in your life. They give an opportunity to pause and ponder, reflect, review and repair what’s broken. And this entire process can be possible when you balance yourself and equalize the low and tide of your emotions. As we all agree to this point that failures have a tendency to imprison our minds and it feels impossible to come out of its clutches for long but would you like to choose to wallow in self-pity and keep nursing your wounds for the rest of your life? Or you will rise up against all these adversities and gift yourself a fulfilled life. When failures trigger fear, insecurities and cynicism plan your fight back strategy and muster your courage to replace the gloom and doom. Reflect on your Efforts, find the flaws and revamp your strategy.

 

Focus on Solutions with Optimism

Your optimistic approach determines how quickly and smartly you learn the lessons from the failures and pave your path for growth and success. Think of the solutions and don’t crib about the obstacles; they will keep bothering you, and they should never demand your attention. A fair assessment of your attempt will shift your focus to visualizing a fortified plan to attain success and accomplishments. You are capable of doing everything you strive for just learn and practice to tap into your inner reservoir of infinite strength.  

“Every endeavor pursued with passion produces a successful outcome, regardless of the result. For it’s not always about winning or losing but to assess the quality of the efforts and the attitude you develop after producing the outcome.

Invest in Relationships to Earn Long Term Benefits in Life

 

Spend Time and Invest Love in Your Relationships

Humans are inherently social and Love to be surrounded by people; they are addicted to cry on others’ shoulders, rejoice with a crowd while boasting about their achievements and can’t think of celebrations without a mob of their near and dear ones. Yet, today we are standing alone at the crossroads of ceaseless ambitions, work and family life stress and a monotonous pursuit of attainment of the lofty goals of life, and an inner conflict of justifying our own choices of falling in this quagmire which we define as life. Can we really call it a life? How life can exist without the warmth and exuberance of the loving and selfless relationships that we choose to compromise when materialistic goals take precedence over everything. What we will do with the infinite achievements when we have none to share our happiness with.

The Pyrrhic victory of the Pandavas, in the battlefield of Kurukshetra is quintessential of the ultimate truth of human survival when all their kith and kin were wiped out in the name of honor and integrity. The Pandavas lamented after the war was over though they were victors but the cost that they had paid for this victory made them disenchant themselves.

When the pandemic disrupted everything in everyone’s life, the importance of relationships emerged as the only savior to help us and find our way out of this labyrinth. Many must be still living with the compunction that they had harbored resentment and grudges with their relatives and never bothered to revive those relationships. In reality, life is too short to wait for others to extend their hands to reconcile; go and grab your people for yourself. Make it a goal to invest in relationships to earn long-term benefits in life.

Life’s all memories narrate the moments of loving others and being loved by others and our most trusted relationships provide us an impalpable verve and stability in our thought process.  Family and relations are the most formidable forces in your life that guard you against all adversities and obstacles so invest in them, don’t be hasty and precipitous to keep those ‘once lively and loving relations’ in abeyance.

Ego Should Never Rule Any Relationship

Humility is an essential virtue and must exist in everyone to establish peace and harmony in all relationships; humility lays the foundation of the camaraderie among the groups of varied opinions and different perspectives. Each one of us is possessed by an undefined EGO, (for what? Nobody knows) and when ego overpowers our mind, it starts obliterating even the most treasured relations of our Life. Be careful if your love and attention for your loved ones is ego-driven, you will end up with bitterness and sorrow in that relationship.

The words of William James say, “Whenever you’re in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. The factor is the attitude.”

Practice humility in your attitude; overcome your ego and control it so that it can’t build walls and obstruct your near and dear one to come closer to you.

Interesting Read: Explore-True-Happiness

Healthy Relations Break the Monotony of Life

In this fast pace world, our mind is inundated with Endless expectations and dreams while the list of our near ones is being gradually whittled down because we prioritize to strive relentlessly to fulfill our desires without bothering to the stagnation which creeps into us. Eventually, the majority of us are at an intellectual cul-de-sac and the whole pursuit of success boomerang back on us. This bleak, barren lifestyle clutches our emotional well-being and alleviates the miseries of life. On the contrary, the healthy relationships in your life boost your happiness level and you feel delighted to rejoice your happy hours with them. A slight shift in your outlook about the relations in life can help you relish your leisure time with them. Despite the fact that relatives always remain at loggerheads, you are sure, when you need them; they will come rushing to hug you. All your gains are futile if you don’t earn the wealth of good relations and don’t preserve them. Learn to Forgive Your Loved Ones, offer your support and help if you want to nurture the bonds with them.

 

Reflect On Your Relationships

Cultivate generosity in your behavior, it is rightly quoted; “To an artist there’s nothing ugly in Nature and to a generous heart there’s none in the world to feel rancor towards.” When you are generous to your people, you respect their privacy and priorities which is an essential catalyst to sustain the dignity of any relation. In relationships, most of the time, the expectations are on higher side; you want others cater to you, pamper you and fulfill your emotional demands. But you fail to consider the other person’s expectations from you and here you successfully sign up for a life of conflicts and loneliness. Let’s not expect any relationship to continue on the basis of our whims and fancies, rather reflect upon them and have larger hearts to handle the tiffs.

 

OUR MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND PERSONAL WELL BEING entirely depends upon the quality, transparency and warmth of our relationships. If we are well-knit with our loved ones we feel safe, secure and happy because we know that our lives are filled with the desired time and attention we demand from our near and dear ones. The most priceless emotions and experiences are those which are shared and cherished with the people we love. And these people can be enlisted as family, relatives, neighbors and colleagues; the wider groups can comprise those people also whom you share your hobbies with, like gym, sports or religious activities. Invest in your relationships so that you feel more secured and loved and I am sure you will cultivate a sense of awe and gratitude if your inner self is experiencing the joi de vivre because you have the most amazing people in your life. Treasure them, love them, adore them and invest in them you will surely reap long-term benefits and the biggest one is the bliss of enjoying the holistic health of mind, body and soul.