Let’s think out of the box
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: November 30, 2011
Everyone has issues, challenges and problems in life. Everyone is trying to face those challenges and find ways to solve problems.
People are playing by the ‘rules’ of the game which are seldom challenged. Here is a short story from the Greek literature which brings a very interesting moral: ‘There is more than one way to solve any problem in life’
Here is the story:
In ancient Greek mythology, Gordius, who was King of a state, gave a challenge to the people.
He declared that whoever could untie the ‘knot’ was destined to become ruler of all Asia.
People came one after the other and tried their level best to open the knot. No one was able to untie or open it fully. Puzzle remained where it was – the knot was still tied.
Then came Alexander the Great. He too tried his hand at the task but like others, he was also unable to get the knot untied. He got impatient.
He tried again and again with both hands to open the knot. However, knot was tied in a manner that he was unable to untie it with his hands. Impatience started growing.
Finally, he pulled out his sword and smashed it down on the knot, cutting it in half!.
Instead of using hands, he used his sword to cut the knot.
The king saw this and told the audience that his challenge was to untie the knot.
Though Alexander has used unconventional way, he has achieved the results. Alexander was awarded the prize and he became ruler of all Asia.
So, the moral of the story: There are more than one way to look at a problem. Unconventional ways may help at time! We might need to think more, re-frame the problem and think out of the box to find the solution.
Note: The above story is from the book: Tales for Coaching by Margaret Parkin
The Power of Now!
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: July 11, 2011
A beggar was sitting on the road side for thirty years. A stranger was passing by. The beggar asked him for some money.
The stranger responded: I have nothing with me. But I notice that you are sitting on a box. What is inside this box?
The beggar responded: I don’t know. There is no use of knowing it either. There is nothing in it.
The stranger said: Open this box and see if there is any thing. When the beggar opened the lid of the box, he found gold in it!
We all have gold inside us, yet, we are not aware about it.
The above is from Eckhart Tolle’s book: The Power of Now!
Those of you who are looking for spiritual enlightenment must go through this small book which was one of the New York best sellers.
Another important point which I found in the book was the strong verdict that a person is himself or herself creator of pain or pleasure. One need to live in present without fear of past or any tension of the future. This is the path to the enlightenment and what do we mean by enlightenment?
Enlightenment has been defined as: The absence of all sufferings!
Are you worried? Do you have many ‘what-if’ thoughts?
Our mind keeps on creating imaginary fear and imaginary future which we never see in our life – Those are just our thoughts!
Another interesting point was to know that we are all ‘waiters’. We are waiting for good times. We are waiting for promotion. We are waiting for success. We are waiting for money and in all this process, we are not living in the present moment. The key to joy is to enjoy the present moment. To realize harmony with the universe.
So, let’s enjoy the present!
Your thoughts?
How can we become a big thinker?
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: July 1, 2011
When success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, pounds or in term of their family background or wealth, people are measured in term of the size of their thinking. The bigger people think and act, more successful will they be.
The question is: How can we think Big?
In this blog post, I will share ideas from David Schwartz book, The Magic of Thinking Big!
A practical exercise
Here is a practical exercise which is used in certain motivational training workshops by David Schwartz which can be used by us too:
1. What are our five chief assets or qualities? We need to list them down.
We can take help of any our our friend or some one who can assess us. Those qualities may include our education or a particular skill or appearance or home life or any other item.
2. We need to write down names of three people who don’t have any of those assets but are still successful in life. (We need to look around and think hard on this but believe me, we will find some people who don’t have the qualities we have but those people are still successful)
David Schwartz says that once we complete the above exercise, we will realize that we outrank many people in life! We have certain qualities and certain assets which are not available with many successful people. If this is the case, we can be successful too.
Big Thinker’s style of talking:
Big thinkers are able to create a positive picture in minds of other people even when there is no good news to tell e.g. Instead of saying: We incurred a big expense, big thinkers say: We made a big investment!
Or, instead of saying that: We are afraid to report that we failed, big thinkers say: We need to make another attempt.
Let’s think of the situation when a person comes to us and say that we face a big problem.
This will create an image of despair and gloom. Instead this can be phrased as: We have a challenge to deal with.
In order to be a ‘big thinker’, we need to create positive mental pictures – all the time!
We need to look at things not as they are in the present but what could those things be in the future.
An architect visualizes a house which is not built yet. An entrepreneur visualizes a successful business when there is no business plan on paper. A painter constructs a master piece in mind first before putting it on paper.
Why can’t we visualize success when it is yet to come?
Let’s try this: Whenever we have an issue or challenge, let’s use the words which create a positive picture and not a negative one.
Your thoughts?
Five Trends that will shape future science & technology
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: May 25, 2011
If you want to know your past, look at your present conditions
If you want to know your future, look at your present actions – Buddhist saying
Many educated guesses are being made about the future. There are numerous books, articles and websites on this subject. However, these days, I am reading a book named: Future Files. Here are some ideas from the book about five trends that will shape science and technology in future:
1. Nanotechnology
Gone are the days when we used ‘floppy disks’ and ‘magnetic tapes’ for storing data. Now, there are USBs, flash drives and what not. This will shrink further. It may happen that there will be a small ‘chip’ for mobile phone and that smallest chip will be connected to fingers for dialing numbers. That is one of the examples of ‘nano’ technology. This technology will affect all industries. However, we will see public debate only when some ‘major’ nano-event happens!
2. Biotechnology
Genetics will be the talk of the world in next 20 – 25 years. People will be impacted by genetically enhanced humans! Biotechnology will be used for benefits of society but like every technology, it will be the brains behind the technology which will determine the use of the technology.
3. Emotionally aware machines
We might see cars with sensors. Those sensors will sense the ‘mood’ of the driver. Online retailers will tailor their pages according to the customers’ need and so on. Seems unbelievable? Once upon a time, flying in air was impossible too!.
4. Robotics
We may see small scale robots working all around, carrying bags, doing repetitive task and helping us in complex tasks. However, to see robotics on a vast scale, we might have to wait for 20 to 25 years!
5. Ethics
With the advent of digital era, privacy is long dead. The only way to maintain privacy is not to use any form of social media or mobile phone which are becoming necessities of life. Hence, debate on ethical use of technology is going to continue in time to come.
Note: The above ideas are from the book: Future Files by Richard Watson.
Your thoughts? You may read about Thomas Friedman’s book: The World is flat from: http://wisdomfrombooks.com/?p=879
Note: I have moved to my own website www.wisdomfrombooks.com . You may visit the website and book mark the same. Thanks
How to learn better in less time – 5 tips
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: May 21, 2011
A few weeks back, based on my experience, I wrote an article on ’7 tips to pass an exam’ (you may visit:http://wisdomfrombooks.com/how-to-pass-exams-7-useful-tips/) which was greatly appreciated by the readers.
I was thinking to write something on techniques for better and effective learning and this post comprise of some ideas towards better learning. A few days back, I was watching Paul Mckenna’s lecture on accelerated learning.
He advised about a few techniques which can be used by us to learn effectively in less time. Here are few tips:
1. Concentration span: A person’s concentration span is generally 18 minutes. While reading course material, one should read for 18 minutes and then take a 4 minute smaller break and again study for 18 minutes.
2. Visualization: One should try to ‘visualize’ learning in the home environment.
Read more from: http://wisdomfrombooks.com/?p=1094
Becoming a better manager – in one minute
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: May 19, 2011
Becoming a better manager is easy and Kenneth Blanchard has told us about doing it in one minute!
One Minute Manager was an international best seller which was translated in over 25 languages.
It is about a person who tried to become the best manager. He met a mentor – a person who was great manager. He told him about the one minute principle. Before we proceed to one minute principle, here are a few ideas from the author:
1. If God wishes us to talk more and listen less, he would have created two tongues and one ear!
2. It is not important what people do in front of you. The important thing is: What people do behind you.
Read more from: http://wisdomfrombooks.com/?p=1076
5 ideas on setting priorities in life
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: May 17, 2011
Why some people achieve financial independence in their lives and why some do not? Is it because of education, family background, society or is there any other related factor too?
Brian Tracy mentions that in according to a Harvard Study of 1970, achieving success is result of a particular attitude of mind. This attitude was termed as ‘long term persepctive’. How can we set priorities in our lives? Here are five ideas from Brian Tracy: http://wisdomfrombooks.com/?p=1063
My new domain – www.wisdomfrombooks.com
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: May 13, 2011
Dear All
I would like to inform all readers that I have bought my own domain www.wisdomfrombooks.com
You are requested to visit the new site henceforth and book mark it for reference and visit purposes. Please feel free to inform your friends, colleagues and people whom you consider are interested to read ideas from best selling motivational, self-help, inspiration, business and classic books.
Your suggestions on the layout and the content of the new site are welcome. Keep reading, contributing and sharing your thoughts.
regards
Malik Mirza
5 ways to improve personal productivity
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: May 11, 2011
“I know what I have to do but I don’t know how to organize myself”
“Only 24 hours! I wish I had more”. “This is too much. I can’t handle it all”
Does this sound familiar? Generally, people have much to do in lesser time. We all need to increase productivity to achieve better & more results. Here are five ways to improve personal productivity:
1. Law of HPO
Law of HPO says: Use a paper, a document, an email, a fax or any letter only once and not again. Once you have reviewed a paper or email, complete your task and don’t review it again. It happens that we mark our emails to read them later. That ‘later’ may never come!
HPO stands for: Handle Paper Once.
2. Practice UGF
We generally execute ‘easier’ tasks first and less easier next. Practising UGF will improve your productivity. UGF stands for: Ugliest Task First!
Hence, try this: Eat that Frog – Do the ugliest task first and see the magic of increased productivity. Here is a post on setting priorities: http://wisdomfrombooks.com/?p=713
3. Have a BUS
I am not advising you to buy a BUS but you need to have a BUS system i.e. a back up system. Have you ever lost a mobile phone or have suffered computer crash or some unfortunate incident whereby you have lost the data?
As I have moved to my new website www.wisdomfrombooks.com, read more of this entry from: http://wisdomfrombooks.com/?p=1044
Don’t be demotivated – be thankful for having eyes!
Posted by: Malik Mirza on: May 3, 2011
If ever you feel depressed, dejected, de-motivated and think that there is nothing to be thankful about, here is an article by Helen Keller who was deaf & blind.
In her famous article, “three days to see”, she has brought out a clear message: Be thankful for what you have, particularly the eyesight!
Here is the article: What would you look at if you had just three days of sight?
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight, silence would teach him the joys of sound. Now and then I have tested my seeing friends to discover what they see.
Recently I asked a friend, who had just returned from a long walk in the woods, what she had observed. “Nothing in particular,” she replied.
How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing worthy of note?
I who cannot see find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf. I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough, shaggy bark of a pine. In spring I touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a bud, the first sign of awakening Nature after the winter’s sleep.
Occasionally, if I am very fortunate, I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song. At time my heart cries out with longing to see all these things. If I can get so much pleasure from mere touch, how much more beauty must be revealed by sight. And I have imagined what I should most like to see if I were given the use of my eyes, say for just three days.
First day
On the first day, I should want to see the people whose kindness and companionship have made my life worth living. I do not know what it is to see into the heart of a friend through that “window of the soul,” the eye. I can only “see” through my fingertips the outline of a face. I can detect laughter, sorrow, and many other obvious emotions. I know my friends from the feel of their faces. For instance, can you describe accurately the faces of five different friends?
As an experiment, I have questioned husbands about the colour of their wives’ eyes, and often they express embarrassed confusion and admit that they do not know. I should like to see the books which have been read to me, and which have revealed to me the deepest channels of human life. In the afternoon I should take a long walk in the woods and intoxicate my eyes on the beauties of the world of Nature. And I should pray for the glory of a colourful sunset. That night, I should not be able to sleep.
Second day
On my second day, I should like to see the pageant of man’s progress, and I should go to the museums. I should try to probe into the soul of man through his art. The things I knew through touch I should now see. The evening of my second day I should spend at a theatre or at the movies.
Third day
The following morning, I should again greet the dawn, anxious to discover new delights, new revelations of beauty. Today this third day, I shall spend in the workaday world, amid the haunts of men going about the business of life. At midnight permanent night would close on me again. Only when darkness had again descended upon me should I realize how much I had left unseen. I am sure that if you faced the fate of blindness you would use your eyes as never before. Everything you saw will become dear to you.
Your eyes will touch and embrace every object that came within your range of vision. Then, at least, you would really see, and a new world of beauty would open itself before you. I who am blind can give one hint to those who see: Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind. And the same method can be applied to the other senses. Hear the music of voices, the song of a bird, the mighty strains of an orchestra, as if you would be stricken deaf tomorrow.
Touch each object as if tomorrow your tactile sense would fail. Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel, as if tomorrow you could never smell and taste again. Make the most of every sense; glory in all the facets of pleasure and beauty, which the world reveals to you through the several means of contact which nature provides. But of all the senses, I am sure that sight must be the most delightful.
Here is another post on Expressing Gratitude: http://wp.me/pHUHq-4i
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