Seeing beings It is human nature to notice and register the most distinguishing aspect of someone. This has its own drawbacks as we tend to make snap judgements about others. These are rapid automatic associations that are in a way unconscious and also isolating us from others. Neuroscientist Rick Hanson teaches a mindfulness practice called …
Reappraisal It is human nature to make our meaning and interpretations out of events. Our interpretation is not fact-based but based on assumptions and our habitual thinking. Sometimes, these can be self-limiting and self-defeating. Reappraisal is a way to break patterns of interpretation. It requires us to notice the self-defeating interpretations and replace them with …
Reappraisal | Personal branding 101 | Overcoming progress blindness Read More »
Being unconventional Srinivasan Ramanujan, the world’s renowned Mathematician did not rely on formal education to make his mathematical discoveries. He followed his intuition along the way to work out on what interested him. We love to be in a well-charted territory or a well-trodden path. A big drawback is that we perceive only what is …
Being unconventional | Festival of light | Transformative journey Read More »
Mimesis of ambitions French philosopher René Girard stated that human desires are mimetic, or imitative. It meant that what we covet is pure imitation of others’ desires, not based on personal preferences. It leads to conflict and rivalry. Our career ambitions may be mimetic in the corporate world, especially in the early and mid stages. …
Mimesis of ambitions | Calm is contagious | Coaching the person Read More »
Accountability vs Blame When something wrong happens, the first tendency is to blame someone. It could be parents blaming their children, employers blaming their employees, or the public blaming the government. The blame game has prevailed in every aspect of our lives. Blaming is quick but holding someone accountable is difficult. Holding someone accountable means …
Accountability vs Blame | Engaging on Social Media | Timing in Coaching Read More »
Taming inner demons It is festival time in India. At this time of the year, Navrathri is the festival of nine nights celebrating the victory of the Goddess against a formidable demon. The celebration is resplendent with narratives, mythology, symbols, and rituals to gain the grace of the goddess. What fascinates me is the nine …
Taming inner demons | Nurturing ecosystem | Observing the obvious Read More »
Last responsible moment We tend to jump four or five steps ahead to make a decision. This happens when we are already biased towards something or anxious to conclude it in our head. The hurry leads to poor decision-making when sufficient facts have not been gathered. Here is valuable advice that someone shared with me …
Last responsible moment | Internal authority | Infinite vision Read More »
Lessons from tree life The book ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’ by Peter Wohlleben, changed my ideas about trees. Like humans, trees live as communities. Tree parents nurture their children for several years (even up to 100 years). Trees know to bond, communicate, and even are good at learning. However, trees fared better than humans …
Lessons from tree life | Inactive bystander | Get beyond coasting Read More »
Generosity burnout I have friends who love to give. They are generous to the fault. They do not say no to giving their time, money, energy, or resources. While they are seemingly angels on earth, they have a dark side. They grapple with exhaustion after emptying themselves for others. As a result, they withdraw, snap …
Generosity burnout | Hindsight bias | Choice as a change agent Read More »
Internalization Many times we internalize what others think of us and project on us. A classic example is the tale of the ‘Ugly Duckling’. For a long time, it internalized that it was an ‘Ugly Duckling’. Ultimately, the ‘Ugly duckling’ learns that it is neither ‘Ugly’ nor a ‘Duckling’. Until that moment of realization, it …
Internalization| Activity Adequacy Mindset | Paralympics Read More »
