Browse Category: Leadership

Are you listening to your soul’s call?

www.ashukhanna.com

There are times when life puts you at crossroads. For some reason, when mine put me in one such situation, I just whispered to myself, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost, Road Not Taken.

It is one of my favourite poems that reminds me that there is a purpose of being for each of us. Every day, every waking moment (and even when you are in a sweet slumber), your soul tries to communicate with you of the void it is feeling.   Questions such as “Who was I born to be?” “What is my purpose here?” “Why do I feel incomplete even after so many accomplishments?” would haunt many. Some chose to play deaf to the soul’s call, and some people like my next guest on Warriors of Change, Mrs. Ashu Khanna, act upon it.

Mrs. Ashu Khanna is a globally celebrated Leadership and Life Coach and a writer of four best-seller self-development books.  In a life-threatening encounter with bees (yes! life has different ways to wake you up), she realized it was time she stops existing and starts living. And that indeed made all the difference. All it takes is listening to that alarming voice of your soul and acting upon it.

What is my destiny?

Uffff… Destiny! How do you explain it? How do you find it? It is a bit confusing and sometimes gimmicky. But honestly, it is just because no other person can tell you what your destiny is. It is a self-discovery process. People can support you, and let me warn you, at the start of the journey, you will find yourself lost, nothing would make sense, and you would feel right inside. But, when you would look around,… how do I say, everything would seem uncertain.

On one hand, you have been so numb to your destiny’s call, and suddenly, when you wake up, you are bound to become sensitive to the things around you. We, humans, create relationships, life, and work around us. Suddenly, it dawns upon you it’s not worth it, and you embark on a new journey altogether. It will be difficult.

How can you be sure it would work for you?

When we are born to do something and be something as per our life’s design or destiny, you will be gifted with all the talent, strengths, and skills to fulfill it. I remember a line from the Holy Bible, which makes a lot of sense here:

“No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.” ~ 1 Corinthians (10:13)

Simply put, life and God would not give you a test bigger than you can brave. You are born with talents and gifts that would help you endure your journey to find yourself. In fact, these set-ups are so powerful that it would even weave an environment around you that enables you to realize it and be what you are destined to be. We would find people and resources that would help us fulfill our destiny.

Is everything predestined?

So, your soul has a plan for you. And when you are born, life showers you with innate gifts, collaborates you with the right people, and offers resources to evolve yourself and fulfill your destiny. So, do you not have any control over anything in life?  And if not, how can you be sure you have created it at all.

As per my understanding, humans are born free. Your soul might have a plan for you, but as a being, you have a choice to follow it and be it, or you ditch it entirely or partially. Isn’t it beautiful? You can change the course of life anytime you want. However, what would make you feel complete? What would nourish your soul throughout life for it to become happy? You might have a plan for you, but not every time you can compete with the “perfect” plan destiny has got for you.

It is a deeply meaningful plan that would make sense all your life. It has short-term and long-term goals for you and short-term and long-term benefits to keep you enthusiastic all throughout life.

Should You Take a Leap of Faith Then?

If anything can explain what destiny is, I would say it is a dream of your soul for you. It is what you are meant to be. It is hopeful, joyous, and profoundly satisfying and gives meaning to your whole being.

There are sciences such as palmistry that say before we are born, our life’s design gets imprinted on our palms and fingers, and by reading it, we can understand what we are born for. Not endorsing anything here, but humans have tried to make sense of their being for thousands of years. Dissatisfaction from your actions, especially the goods one, and a void that gets bigger and bigger each day. We have been trying to find the meaning of life for eternity.

Would it be easy to follow my destiny?  

What was ever easy? It is our zeal for survival and finding happiness that gives us the boost of positivity. If we were to get frightened by the challenges and failures, I would say we would not have been the keepers of the world. We would not have created the wonders we see today. That includes everything physical and non-physical.

Somewhere, sometime, someone was frightended to call upon his destiny. But when he did, he created electricity, Similarly, the skyscrapers, the space stations everything in this world and outside. In different parts of this world, people had it imprinted in their destiny, and they believed in fulfilling it; it gave them happiness and that changed the world for the better.

So was decided for you by your soul’s calling. You would never be ready outside, but always be ready inside. Take one step that would alter the world around you, change your life, and people who get in touch with the wonders you create. In the end, focus on nourishing your soul with happiness, leave the details for the universe.

Watch my interview with India’s best coach and hear her wisdom :

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CC_V-5UFXmB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Ashu khanna can be reached via a tweet away : @coachashukhanna Website : www.Ashukhanna.com

You can check out her books here !

To that .. with love and Reverence : https://amzn.to/3eRND3l

I am .. Life is … : https://amzn.to/32ICoYO

I am freedom : https://amzn.to/3hAfUxr

Wisdom on Life Purpose

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” ~ William Shakespeare

Are you the one who controls your life or is your life controlling you? Which road should you take? Do you know which path will lead you to where you really want to be?

Creating and shaping your own destiny is one of the many things that only a handful of persons can successfully do, while most end up aimlessly cruising through life, hoping that one day, their predetermined fate will step in and lady luck will shine on their lives.

If you want to live with purpose, the first thing that you have to do is to know remember that more than anyone or anything else. It is you who have the ability of preparing for the opportunities that are bound to come your way. It is you who make things happen. You do not just put your trust on fate. Creating your own path and destiny is actually all up to you. That is the foremost thing that you need to keep in mind if you really want to live a life with purpose.

“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it fearlessly.” ~ Steve Maraboli

Most people today are struggling with the concern that how they are doing their lives is not really in sync with living their life’s purpose. But what are the basics of living on purpose? How will you be able to live a life that is aligned with your calling, authentic and put into action your purpose every single day?

To life a life fully, you need to live a life that you created yourself. This way, there will be no regrets, no pointing of fingers, and no disappointments. This way, you can say that even though there might be failures along the way, at least, you did what you need to do and no one dictated you to do things that you do not want to do.

Create your own destiny! Find the path that you want for your life! Start living your life today!

“No matter what your history has been, your destiny is what you create today. What are you going to create?” ~Steve Maraboli

8 ways to Instill empathy in leaders !

Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings and emotions. It is essential to building good relationships, both at work and in your personal life. People who don’t exhibit empathy are viewed as cold and self-absorbed, and they often lead isolated lives. Sociopaths are famously lacking in empathy. Conversely, someone who is empathetic is perceived as warm and caring.

The research shows that empathy is partly innate and partly learned. Everyone can improve, however. Here are eight ways to strengthen your own empathy:

  1. Challenge yourself. Undertake challenging experiences which push you outside your comfort zone. Learn a new skill, for example, such as a musical instrument, hobby, or foreign language. Develop a new professional competency. Doing things like this will humble you, and humility is a key enabler of empathy.
  2. Get out of your usual environment. Travel, especially to new places and cultures. It gives you a better appreciation for others.
  3. Get feedback. Ask for feedback about your relationship skills (e.g., listening) from family, friends, and colleagues—and then check in with them periodically to see how you’re doing.
  4. Explore the heart not just the head. Read literature that explores personal relationships and emotions. This has been shown to improve the empathy of young doctors.
  5. Walk in others’ shoes. Talk to others about what it is like to walk in their shoes—about their issues and concerns and how they perceived experiences you both shared.
  6. Examine your biases. We all have hidden (and sometimes not-so-hidden) biases that interfere with our ability to listen and empathize. These are often centered around visible factors such as age, race, and gender. Don’t think you have any biases? Think again—we all do.
  7. Cultivate your sense of curiosity. What can you learn from a very young colleague who is “inexperienced?” What can you learn from a client you view as “narrow”? Curious people ask lots of questions (point 8), leading them to develop a stronger understanding of the people around them.
  8. Ask better questions
    Bring three or four thoughtful, even provocative questions to every conversation you have with clients or colleagues.

How Beliefs can shape your destiny and Dreams?

How beliefs can shape your destiny and dreams ?

Here is a video where I share the truth about self doubt and how was keeping me in safe or comfort zone . Yes self doubt is a a certain way to remain in ignorance.

I remember someone last year told me I couldn’t do the things a certain way and it will never happen ! I proved them wrong again! And it was about keeping my beliefs to my bolster ie close to my Guru’s feet and surrendered it to the power of Universe!

The truth is once you sign an agreement with the “Light” , then everything must diminish by the “Law of diminishing” once self doubt diminishes from your core existence you must develop
Or add faith and purpose to start with .. and make it work towards you !

This is exactly where I was when I started my journey.

I had one of my breakthroughs in my belief systems yesterday and take super pride to sharing this incident so that no one allows themselves to be in ignorance or self doubt anymore !

Once you diminish or erase self doubt then you can start believing in your dreams and in yourself to making your dreams a reality !

Next time – will you fuel your self doubts or your powerful beliefs ?

Eight Ways to Improve Your Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings and emotions. It is essential to building good relationships, both at work and in your personal life. People who don’t exhibit empathy are viewed as cold and self-absorbed, and they often lead isolated lives. Sociopaths are famously lacking in empathy. Conversely, someone who is empathetic is perceived as warm and caring.

The research shows that empathy is partly innate and partly learned. Everyone can improve, however. Here are eight ways to strengthen your own empathy:

  1. Challenge yourself. Undertake challenging experiences which push you outside your comfort zone. Learn a new skill, for example, such as a musical instrument, hobby, or foreign language. Develop a new professional competency. Doing things like this will humble you, and humility is a key enabler of empathy.
  2. Get out of your usual environment. Travel, especially to new places and cultures. It gives you a better appreciation for others.
  3. Get feedback. Ask for feedback about your relationship skills (e.g., listening) from family, friends, and colleagues—and then check in with them periodically to see how you’re doing.
  4. Explore the heart not just the head. Read literature that explores personal relationships and emotions. This has been shown to improve the empathy of young doctors.
  5. Walk in others’ shoes. Talk to others about what it is like to walk in their shoes—about their issues and concerns and how they perceived experiences you both shared.
  6. Examine your biases. We all have hidden (and sometimes not-so-hidden) biases that interfere with our ability to listen and empathize. These are often centered around visible factors such as age, race, and gender. Don’t think you have any biases? Think again—we all do.
  7. Cultivate your sense of curiosity. What can you learn from a very young colleague who is “inexperienced?” What can you learn from a client you view as “narrow”? Curious people ask lots of questions (point 8), leading them to develop a stronger understanding of the people around them.
  8. Ask better questions
    Bring three or four thoughtful, even provocative questions to every conversation you have with clients or colleagues.

Learn to Empathize and Build the Relationships that Truly Matter to Career Success.

(Content credits : Received content as a forward )

Mindfulness and mental well being

You may feel stressed-out when waiting in a line at the bank or the post office, when driving in traffic or along an unfamiliar route, when facing a deadline, or when having an uncomfortable conversation.

You can even experience stress reactions as a result of anticipating or remembering such events.

Though these stresses seem fairly minor, they can cause all sorts of symptoms, such as muscular tension, headaches, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, and skin conditions. Long-term stress can also be a factor in serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and dementia, particularly if you rely on unhealthy strategies to cope with stress, such as smoking, substance abuse, overeating, or overworking.

One of the gifts that mindfulness offers is helping you recognize that there are choices in how you respond to any stressful situation.

Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, describes this eloquently: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” (Pattakos 2008, viii).

Even amidst Frankl’s imprisonment, he found ways to provide comfort and healing to those around him, underscoring that, with awareness, everyone has freedom of choice how to respond. The key is awareness.

Of course, conditioning is a powerful force that can make it difficult to change. Just as water finds the path of least resistance, you’ll tend to fall back on habits because in many ways this is the easiest course to follow. This includes habitual ways of seeing and reacting.

To help provide motivation for the challenging work of turning off your autopilot and resisting habitual reactions and behaviors, mindfulness activities such as Mandala art , meditation or breath awareness will help you explore how stress is impacting your life.

Becoming truly aware of the stress in your life and how you interact with it is a necessary first step in choosing new responses that will serve you better.

Let me ask you today – Are you aware in the present moment? And from a scale of 1-10 how aware are you?

(Adapted from the book- Mindfulness Stress Based Reduction workbook)

Try this Navel meditation on weekends ( Mindfulness tips)

Mindfulness Sunday : Navel Meditation

Hey folks ! Time for Navel meditation that can be done by a beginner as you focus your breath on your belly and your breathing.

Inner Journey’s of lifelong evolution often begin simply….

No matter how complex the goal or desire we have nurtured in our souls, the first steps we take are nearly always basic and uncomplicated.

This inner cave or Navel meditation, a creation of the Taoist tradition and the oldest form of meditation recognised in China and India, is a simple practice suitable for those experienced in the art of meditation, yet it is also a wonderful introductory meditation for novices.

It utilizes the natural rhythms of the breath and the regular movement of the abdomen as a means to focus awareness and rid oneself of extraneous thoughts.

As you concentrate on the breath, the chaos within reveals itself, allowing you to gently train your mind to accept stillness as its natural state.

Step 1 : To begin, assume a comfortable and natural seated position–either cross-legged on a cushion on the floor or on a chair with your legs facing forward. Maintaining an upright, balanced posture will ensure that you are physically centered and prevent fatigue.

Step 2 : Now Close your eyes and relax your body gradually, starting at the toes and ending at the crown of the head. Take a moment to note any physical sensations you are feeling, such as the hardness of the floor under your legs or the weight of a piece of jewellery.

Step 3 : When you are relaxed, breathe through the nose at your natural pace. With each inhalation, draw air deep into the abdomen, allowing the area surrounding your navel to rise and fall. Gradually focus your attention on the sensations caused by the inhalation and exhalation of breath.

Step 4 : You can feel the air flowing in and out of the nostrils as well as the expansion and contraction of the abdomen. If you find it difficult to concentrate on both sensations, concentrate only on the movement of the navel area.

Step 5 : As you endeavour to commune with the breath, you may notice that your mind strays- do not attach any significance to your thoughts. Simply bring your attention back to the flow of air into and out of your body and the rise and fall of your navel. 

You can slowly and steadily come out of this meditative state and roll your shoulders, move your fingers and toes and become aware of the environment. Hope you enjoyed this meditation .

Credits : @dailyom

The Eight Attitudes of Mindfulness

In my previous blog, I had mentioned how stress can lead to various health conditions and how being mindful of your being and breath will help you rebalance your energies or restore your mental well being .

In this blog , we shall explore eight attitudes of Mindfulness:

Eight attitudes of Mindfulness
Source : Pinterest

Let’s take cooking for a moment , how would you consider trying it as a beginner ?

Cooking skills
Location : Angsana Resorts and Spa Bangalore
Photography : Own

1. Assume a Beginners mind – You could Begin with a mindset that you wouldn’t need to know cooking and its the first time your trying it – You could sense or smell the carrots or capsicum with green veggies whatever you are planning to cook and get familiarised with the recipe and procedure

2. Being non judgemental – Being non judgemental with yourself would really help because you are not an expert or expected to be one.All you need to do is start preparing a dish or salad or whatever you have planned as an outcome and staying in this space of curiosity.

3. Patience – Trying anything for the time first makes our brains get overwhelmed by this pace of learning and skills development that we try and apply it to any context or area in life. Leaving us susceptible to frustration, worry, panic and impatience . Some of these behaviours are conditioned from the past.

4. Trust – Learning to trust that whatever you are trying in cooking today is going to be ok and fine. Trust in your intuition or gut feel or whatever that thought is and tell yourself – Whatever I am going to make is gonna be great and amazing!

5. Non – Striving – Allow yourself to experiment and not force anything out of the process. Attitude matters big time. Bring in an element of ease and joy and do no rush through the process . Your mind may take you to a higher gear while you are still at gear 1 .

6. Acceptance – Acknowledge your self-reliance that you care for self and others while cooking .

7. Letting Go -Cooking associates to learning any new skill so let go of the need or being impatient with your culinary skills with yourself and others. Let go of the need for perfecting anything in the attempt or rushing to completing the dish, knowing that you are doing it for the very first time and doing your best.

8- Generosity (For others including self) Show generosity and self compassion .Allow yourself for mistakes and several failures.

Imagine this process or check-in being mindfully written on your mind’s whiteboard – where you can imprint these attitudes and start seeing how they express themselves in reality. Also explore where else can you use this approach ?

Let’s take a break!

Who ever thought dreams can make you insomniac, like literally insomniac? Thousands of questions and doubts in our hearts, we take a leap of faith just to find the internal contentment. But sometimes, we just become too hard on ourselves. We forget that we have our limitations. The burden of dreams is like carrying an entire world on your shoulders. You must let that warrior inside you rest for a bit. 

Not a long time ago, I was interviewing Lopamudra Banerjee, an entrepreneur, and a fitness coach. As soon as I made the announcement, I received a flood of messages in my inbox for Lopa to share her entrepreneurial journey. She is one brave soul. But I will tell you why this interview was a lot unique then what we see all the time. Lopa gave us all something to think about. From a sales professional to a personal fitness coach turned health entrepreneur, her journey says a lot about what happens when you choose to not take a break. Meanwhile, we hear people talking about breaking your limits and giving up everything for your goals, she shared the darker aspect of dreaming and overdoing things. 

So, as per my rendezvous with Lopa, I will tell you what I have learned about the dreams and working too hard on yourself. Also, please do visit my Instagram page to find my interview with Lopa, and don’t forget to comment and share your thoughts on dreams. Also, please feel free to share your experience and how you found your warrior spirit.

Phase One: Opportunity knocks

When opportunity knocks our doors, what a time of merriment it is. You are filled with a reviving energy and you are ready to take the world down. But have you planned things the right way? Planning is an essential part of any journey. Do you just take a vacation to a place unknown without even checking the weather of the place? No, everything that we do, requires planning. Deep down we know going without plan is a lot adventurous and we all want to feel the thrill. But a smart person will always be prepared beforehand, so that when the weather is all stormy, they have a safe shelter.

Phase Two: Nobody tells it is going to be stressful 

The actual story begins in phase two. Meanwhile, it is great that you are following your dreams, but the stress is just going to take a toll on your mind and body. It is going to break you and will make you feel helpless. If you are young your body will support you longer in the journey, but eventually depriving it of the needful rest, fun, and peace, you will notice your will starts to wither. The worst part is, you lose the quality at which you were always performing.

For many of us, it is important to give our 100% in whatever we do. But when you face work overload, are you still sure you will be able to keep up the quality? For any person quality is something which we all want to achieve. I am one of those people. Lopa is one of those people. You might be too.

It is essential in these times that we understand our limitations. We have to reinstate the lost balance. Sometimes, in the hurry to catch up with your dreams we leave behind the beautiful moments. We compromise our time with family to work hard. And in the end, we have to make do with whatever little connections are left with our loved ones.

Just like our body, the mind needs to rest too. But how to do that? It is constantly thinking, calculating your next move. Are things in your control when you are already juggling thousands of things at a time. In my conversation with Lopa ,I understood how badly restless she was while managing her growing business. It got her worried when a client did not get the results she promised. Though she never lost the business, it was too bad for her self-esteem.

As a result, things start to fall apart. Brick by brick you are back to square one with the burden of broken dreams. You must realize the importance of rejuvenating yourself. Resting your mind. Investing your time in knowing your limits and realizing when you are overdoing it. Empires aren’t formed in days or months, they take years. When we increase our pace, we forget we don’t have the energy to do it all ourselves. And also, you don’t have the resources to manage it.   

Phase Three: Rejuvenating and Restarting Again

You don’t have to give up on your dreams. Take some time out of work and start working on your peace of mind. In the end, don’t forget you wanted to achieve this all to attain a great degree of self-contentment. 

Understand where things are going wrong. Make a list of things that you will like to change from the last time. Start working on them. Choose wisely what and how much you want to work. Work exclusive if necessary. In the end entrepreneurship, job or business are not just about money, they are about gaining that expert badge.

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On how she unleashed the warrior spirit in her and dealt with so many ups and downs in her career / business ! She found true happiness when she spent time going within . In this video , she talks about her career strategies , her courage to pursue Galdrags contest as a mom to starting on her own and then moving to a job and starting ventures in fitness ! To summarise her traits 🤟She let go of me time and focused on the competition on becoming a mom 🤟She dealt with changes in her career and switched to alternate one in fitness to follow her passion 🤟She dealt with uncertainties in her business but didn’t stop 🤟She did go through a tough period mentally and emerged even stronger and wiser 🤟She even tried working in a healthcare startup for a while 🤟She then started up again and became successful 🤟Finally she found happiness within when she decided or chose to rest and introspect on what she truly wants ! lot of power & best wishes to her for her onward journey and cheers to a new life ! @getfitwithlopa #changewarriors #changemakers #true success is happiness within #entrepeneurswisdom #emotionalhealth wellness

A post shared by Corporate Facilitator + Coach (@ranjinir) on

How to overcome fear of Public Speaking and gain confidence?

Here’s 5 tips on how to begin with overcoming fear of public speaking!

Step 1 : Beginning with the end in the mind

As my Coach and 7Habits of Highly Effective People Master Stephen Covey says – “ Begin with the end in the mind “

Start with a vision statement for your purpose

Why do you speak on a public speaking platform ?
What kind of speaking opportunities you are looking for ?
What platform do you wish to speak on?
Whom do you wish to address?

Step 2 : Define the content and context

Define what will be of immense “value” to those startups or entrepreneurs whom I’m supposedly addressing and representing myself as a brand and Google as a brand to them – what would be a win win situation?

As my Coach Master Stephen Covey says – “Be Proactive “ and “Putting first things first”

What matters most?
Focusing on what’s utmost importance
What are some of the trending topics that would be of interest to them?
What would be a Better outcome for developers?

Step 3 : Empathise with your audience

Empathise what will be they be thinking , feeling and doing .Having Listened to startup by being a part of their conversations and looking at their profiles , I’m supposedly understanding their concerns and putting myself in their shoes.

As Master Stephen Covey says “Seek to understand then to be understood”.

What are their pain points?
What would they gain from my expertise and skills
What could be their challenges?
What are their thoughts,feelings and emotions?

Step 4 : Ideate or Brainstorm

Ideate or brainstorm what will be they excited to know or hear about .
After Empathising with startups by being a part of their conversations and looking at their profiles , I started generating content / topic ideas that would be of interest and bring an element of newness.

As the 5th Habit is all about – “Think Win -Win or Synergize”.

Where can I look for inspiration?
What , What If? , So What ?
What could be the best strategy?
How do I select the best idea & start synthesising my talking points ?

Step 5 : Experimentation / Execute

So I finally Executed or Experimented the selected idea and made it experiential .
After ideating with my colleagues and mentors and LPA associates and looking at LPA seminars on Youtube , I started conceptualising the ideas that would be engaging and encourage participation.

As the 7th Habit is all about creating “Synergize “.

How can translate this idea into reality?
How will the participants experience the subject/topic ?
What could be the learning delivery method?
What could be the possible outcomes for us & companies?

Step 6 : Evaluate

And after I spoke at this session , I performed a self evaluation on what did I do right, and what did I do wrong?

How can I do better next time?

Are there any improvement areas?

How can I practice or explore more such speaking opportunities?

Watch the Youtube video here>>

https://youtu.be/bL7Ermu4Mo4