The Poetry of Life!

Poetry, music, dance, theatre and free speech capture the happiness capsule that Life has provided mankind. Even the most tragic of events hold forth in their arms a sheaf of poems, a collection of literature. This is the month we celebrate world poetry day. Poetry captures the deepest feelings of the human spirit – its joy, its wisdom, its failures, its deepest terrors. "By paying tribute to the men and women whose only instrument is free speech..... By giving form and words to that which has none – such as the unfathomable beauty that surrounds us, the immense suffering and misery of the world – poetry contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness," says Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO. World poetry day is celebrated on March 21st as declared by UNESCO. The purpose of the day is to promote reading, writing publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world. The Romans celebrated poetry on the birthday of the great poet Virgil. Poetry preserves the authentic feelings of people by creating an oral tradition, which often mingles with theatre. Many languages which have no script, like Tulu, my own language, is preserved in the oral tradition. Endangered languages are thus saved for posterity. Poetry breaks down barriers created by conflict. It makes us realize that as human beings, our innermost desires and feelings are the same. More translations into commonly read languages like English can bring about better understanding and peace in the world. Each celebrates Poetry Day in his own way. An Austrian coffee company offers a deal for coffee drinkers to pay with a poem. Last year, 1,00,000 coffee drinkers in 27 countries paid for their coffee with a poem. As a creative art often set to music, poetry makes us capture the most beautiful and elevated thoughts of our time on earth. So get involved in poetry recitals. Publish poetry promote the synthesis of poetry with other arts – theatre, dance, music and painting. And why not start writing poetry? Dr. Rekha Shetty Author of “Everyday Happiness Mantras” and And “Happy Street”

Innovation Sutras

1. Innovation Sutra: Building anything great takes time. Invest in a great cause. 2. Innovation Sutra: Everything changes. Everything born or created dies or sinks into dissolution . Lead innovation and create proactive change. 3. Innovation Sutra: Focus on what is really important. Relax and enjoy the present moment. 4. Innovation Sutra: If the purpose is flawed, profit is the road to hell. 5. Innovation Sutra: If you live in the jungle, be prepared to live by its law. You can always choose to live elsewhere. 6. Innovation Sutra: Follow your dream, however hard the path. Inspire your team. Together, strive to reach your goal, whatever the obstacles. 7. Innovation Sutra: Let go of frozen habits and behaviours. 8. Innovation Sutra: Get rid of clutter. Abolish everything that does not add value. 9. Innovation Sutra: Anything, anyone can be transformed. Keep working on creating a statue from the block of marble. 10. Innovation Sutra: When you’re looking for a new idea or approach to your business or life, go for the unexpected. 11. Innovation Sutra: Awaken your imagination through poetry and natural beauty. If the left brain is a lawyer, the right is a playful Persian cat. Get your lawyer to listen to the cat! 12. Innovation Sutra: Still the mind, and let a thousand ideas bloom. Play, laugh, jump! Do nothing to contain crazy new ideas. Build castles in the air and then put foundations under them. 13. Innovation Sutra: Understand the process of innovation and learn the thinking tools. 14. Innovation Sutra: Network, connect, collaborate, and pool. Get support internally and externally. 15. Innovation Sutra: During idea generation, play, dance, let the mind run free. No criticism. Apply analysis only when the ideas are allowed to float around and grow for some time. 16. Innovation Sutra: Looking at the opposite of conventional wisdom is future vision. Analyse carefully before acting. 17. Innovation Sutra: Act, implement, pilot a project. Correct flaws in the marketplace, on the run. Celebrate, affirm, reward. 18. Innovation Sutra: Every person, every place, every product is capable of transformation. Lead your team with that vision. Reach out, help, affirm. 19. Innovation Sutra: All solutions should help you learn to live in harmony with nature, companions, and family. Get the support of all leaders and grassroots workers. Review regularly and course-correct. 20. Innovation Sutra: Look at other companies, other fields of endeavour, and import ideas into your company. 21. Innovation Sutra: Use every event, crisis, and explosion to think anew about your company. 22. Innovation Sutra: Look for the opportunity in every problem. Make life’s lemons into lemon juice. 23. Innovation Sutra: Look back, learn, and reinvent for the future. Communicate, understand, and act. 24. Innovation Sutra: Rebuild, recreate, and rescue beauty from the rubble of the past. 25. Innovation Sutra: A happy ending includes the payment of all debts to society.

Review the outcome

During implementation review the outcome. Be aware of the end before you take the first step. Unify your teams by hitching them to the ultimate goal. Top management should inspire and empower the teams to action. A team bonding exercise getting everyone to see a bird’s eye view of the exercise is critical. Review the Resource for every team. Consolidate the reviews if the resources being used are adequate. Study the impact on the expected outcome. Ensure that the process is moving towards the final outcome: reducing costs, increasing revenues, improving customer satisfaction and ensuring greater employee participation.

Dance

The body moves to the cadence of music. The rhythm of drums had been part of the earliest societies. The Bhimbetka rock shelter paintings are 33000 years old. The dancing figures in Egyptian tombs are dated 33000 B.C. Dance has been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment. Dance was a means of social communication since the earliest times. The eyes, the fingers, the feet and the body are used to communicate information and ideas. Harvest dances are part of almost every culture. The rain dances are common among Red Indians, some African communities and surprisingly in China! The Dandiya reverberates through the towns of Gujarat during the Navarathri celebrations for the Goddess. Vigorous dance movements often induce ecstatic and heightened feelings that are useful in healing. They often led to trance states of heightened suggestibility. Dance was also used to preserve and pass on stories and literature to flow, from generation to generation. Dance can be a very enjoyable form of exercise. In fact Jazzercise has become the new craze, making exercise more zestful and less monotonous. Dance even more than exercise affects your flexibility, energy levels, controls weight and affects mental and emotional health. It is said that a ballerina can burn up to 432 calories while doing ballet. All forms of dance improve posture, balance and co-ordination with others. Improving dance steps enhances creativity and problem solving skills. It helps in improving memory skills. The release of emotions liberates the happiness chemicals like endorphins and serotonins. Dance unblocks neural pathways in diseases like Parkinson, while improving mood and satisfaction. As spring enters with the colours of Holi, you are challenged to understand yourself better through movement rhythm and music. Explore some form of dance and discover new facets of yourself.

The Poetry of Life!

Poetry, music, dance, theatre and free speech capture the happiness capsule that Life has provided mankind. Even the most tragic of events hold forth in their arms a sheaf of poems, a collection of literature. This is the month we celebrate world poetry day. Poetry captures the deepest feelings of the human spirit – its joy, its wisdom, its failures, its deepest terrors. "By paying tribute to the men and women whose only instrument is free speech..... By giving form and words to that which has none – such as the unfathomable beauty that surrounds us, the immense suffering and misery of the world – poetry contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness," says Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO. World poetry day is celebrated on March 21st as declared by UNESCO. The purpose of the day is to promote reading, writing publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world. The Romans celebrated poetry on the birthday of the great poet Virgil. Poetry preserves the authentic feelings of people by creating an oral tradition, which often mingles with theatre. Many languages which have no script, like Tulu, my own language, is preserved in the oral tradition. Endangered languages are thus saved for posterity. Poetry breaks down barriers created by conflict. It makes us realize that as human beings, our innermost desires and feelings are the same. More translations into commonly read languages like English can bring about better understanding and peace in the world. Each celebrates Poetry Day in his own way. An Austrian coffee company offers a deal for coffee drinkers to pay with a poem. Last year, 1,00,000 coffee drinkers in 27 countries paid for their coffee with a poem. As a creative art often set to music, poetry makes us capture the most beautiful and elevated thoughts of our time on earth. So get involved in poetry recitals. Publish poetry promote the synthesis of poetry with other arts – theatre, dance, music and painting. And why not start writing poetry?

The Poetry of Life!

Poetry, music, dance, theatre and free speech capture the happiness capsule that Life has provided mankind. Even the most tragic of events hold forth in their arms a sheaf of poems, a collection of literature. This is the month we celebrate world poetry day. Poetry captures the deepest feelings of the human spirit – its joy, its wisdom, its failures, its deepest terrors. "By paying tribute to the men and women whose only instrument is free speech..... By giving form and words to that which has none – such as the unfathomable beauty that surrounds us, the immense suffering and misery of the world – poetry contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness," says Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO. World poetry day is celebrated on March 21st as declared by UNESCO. The purpose of the day is to promote reading, writing publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world. The Romans celebrated poetry on the birthday of the great poet Virgil. Poetry preserves the authentic feelings of people by creating an oral tradition, which often mingles with theatre. Many languages which have no script, like Tulu, my own language, is preserved in the oral tradition. Endangered languages are thus saved for posterity. Poetry breaks down barriers created by conflict. It makes us realize that as human beings, our innermost desires and feelings are the same. More translations into commonly read languages like English can bring about better understanding and peace in the world. Each celebrates Poetry Day in his own way. An Austrian coffee company offers a deal for coffee drinkers to pay with a poem. Last year, 1,00,000 coffee drinkers in 27 countries paid for their coffee with a poem. As a creative art often set to music, poetry makes us capture the most beautiful and elevated thoughts of our time on earth. So get involved in poetry recitals. Publish poetry promote the synthesis of poetry with other arts – theatre, dance, music and painting. And why not start writing poetry?

A LIFE OF WISDOM

Wisdom is highly prized in every society. Those who are wise, are respected, loved and cared for. In the past, especially in Asian societies, older people were thought to be wise, just by the process of living longer and experiencing life for a longer time. Suddenly things are different. The scorching pace of change and the variety of new skills required to live successfully in the modern world has called this hypothesis into question. Older people often end up looking like terrified deer caught in the bright focus of head lights, especially when faced with digital challenges. So what can each of us do to develop wisdom is changing circumstances? Keep pace with change. Learn digital skills professionally or from you grandchildren, if need be. Be part of a group which has younger people as well. A network of friends who are of different ages, keeps us up to date with changing mores and technologies. It has been found that people are wiser with friends. Make new friends and keep in touch with them. Psychologists say that those who are wiser, are more satisfied with life. They are able to avoid negative feelings or replace them with positive feelings. It is even believed that wiser people are healthier and live longer. The Buddhist practice of mindfulness is said to be the most effective method of wisely avoiding stress and depression. Wisdom goes beyond the information that the digital world offers on a platter. Learning itself, one of life’s most joyful activities now calls forth skills never needed BI –Before IT. Skills like memorizing and remembering, have become far less relevant. Modern skills include adaptability, critical thinking, risk taking and perhaps the ability to innovate. Balancing your needs with needs of others is wisdom. So is finding the right path between long term and short term interests. Is it better to grow paddy or coconut trees? In what proportion and during which years? Good relationships are keys to a good life. The questions: will it build better relationships? Is it beneficial to all? are key questions, testing the wisdom of a solution. So let us do what we can do to become wise. For it is the path to health and wealth.

DARE TO BE YOU....

"Your time is limited; so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary" said Steve Jobs The original is always better than a Xerox. But so many of us try to be what we think others want to see. This is often done by ‘impression management’, creating a public persona which has little to do with the real person. To be ‘yourself’ can be quite frightening, because one becomes very vulnerable to scrutiny by others. To be like everyone else is easy. To conform, to blend in, is so much easier and also so much more boring. How can you celebrate your unique and special qualities? What elementary ideas make you a brand? To enjoy being original, here are a few: • To your own self, be true says philosophers. Understand and accept and love yourself unconditionally. This is the only basis for loving anyone else. • Sometimes the public image can be so real, that no one gets to know the real person. Sometimes you yourself forget who you are! • Trust your gut feeling and intuition. Listen to others but decide by what your inner voice says. The expectations of parents and friends may prevent you from pursuing your own goals. The road less travelled is forgotten. How many potential artists end up being dissatisfied businessmen, denying themselves and the world the enjoyment of their unique creations. • Do not worry about what others think. Many lives have been stunted by living in fear of others’ rules. These rules are often restrictive and may be from a different century, altogether. So listen to yourself. Live a life of fulfilment and joy. Create landmarks, blaze new trails. Be a trendsetter and create magic.

Re-Engineer Your Life

This year take proactive steps to increase happiness in the here and now. Seek out new experiences and adventures. Studies show that even planning to go for a comedy show increases levels of happiness. Even if you make a booking for a new adventure, your mood shifts to a more positive level. Those who read are happier, as are those who play a game. Families who play together find themselves in an improved mood. Tai Chi, or swimming helps replace brain cells lost due to stress. Gardeners are happier than those who live in sterile surroundings and have nothing to do with the earth. Being in the midst of Nature for 20 minutes has a positive effect on well being. A pet, undoubtedly, contributes to wellness. Live near a cheerful friend. There are many easy steps you can take to welcome joy into your space. Get sun in the mornings or late afternoons for a shot of instant well being. Dress up and look your best every day. Smell flowers or spray your home with a floral scent for a shot of instant joy. Citrus scents banish depression. ‘The Lipstick effect’ is so called by women, who swear it raises their spirits. Painting rooms sky blue ushers in a sense of calm. Food has for centuries, been the way to heartfelt happiness. Walnuts, apricots, mushrooms, dark chocolate increases contentedness and caffeine increases dopamine transmission. Seafood, meat and nuts provide zinc and lift your mood. Crunchy foods trigger the release of dopamine and Norepinephrine.. Eating fish boosts the effect of anti-depressants. Iron tablets taken with orange juice is absorbed better. Four or five helping of fruit and vegetables make life more enjoyable. Beans and peas with high magnesium, boost energy. Being grateful for all that we have is key. Buying gifts for others gives more happiness than just craning your shopping bag. Watching your team win in a national game induces a great high. Shutting off social media, can boost your overall well being. So this year you get out of auto-pilot, get up and reach out to a happy 2017

Affirmations for Personal Wellbeing

Affirmations for Personal Wellbeing You are a powerhouse of potential. The great Michelangelo was once asked how he created great statues. Old and half blind, Michelangelo stood before a block of marble, scarred and muddy from the quarries of Carrara. He said quietly, ‘I have never created a statue. I just stand before a block of marble and study it with reverence. For I know that within every block of marble, there lies a statue, waiting to be liberated by the touch of the Master’s hand.’ Within each of us lies hidden a masterpiece waiting to be liberated by the magic touch of attention. Only you can do it. Be your own ‘expert’. Do not build negative ideas about yourself through the comments of others. Your self-talk should be calm, happy and elevating. Choose to see and hear what is beautiful and encouraging. When you are wounded, learn to soothe yourself by using these affirmations. (Sit with eyes closed and silently affirm) By nature I am kind, gentle and loving. Any mistake committed is unintentional and I forgive myself and others for it. God’s grace has created a magic circle of love, a safe haven for me and my loved ones. I am capable of achieving my goals with hard work and dedication. I look around me for help and knowledge to reach my goals. I seek companions who encourage and help me.

Happy Vacations

Just thinking and planning a vacation can create a higher level of happiness. Anticipating a holiday boosts happiness for 8 weeks. A holiday makes you feel like a child set free after gruelling examination schedules. Enjoy the 8 weeks prior to your holiday. Google everything on the destination, buy a good book on it. Invest in a Berlitz dictionary. Study each of the places you are going to visit. Learn important phrases in the new language and talk to friends who have been there. Pack light. Make sure all your travel papers and insurance is in order. About the vacation itself: make sure you eliminate all the stress you can avoid. Make sure you are carefully protected from financial uncertainty. Disagreements with a travel partner or illness are the main reasons for increased stress on a holiday. Try to find a helpful contact in that country. When you return, keep a couple of days free so that you can de-stress, get over your jet lag and ease into your normal schedule. Get extra help during this time, if you need it. Work should not pile up, waiting for you to clear it. Those, who felt very relaxed on their vacation, reported a post vacation level of happiness that lasted for two weeks. Vacations certainly make people happy and a break always helps. Choose a time when the weather is good. Pick dates when work is slow and alternate arrangements have been made to handle your work during your absence. Vacations are a good time to reflect and plan changes in the future. Keep the pace slow and easy. Make sure that you don’t need a rest cure once you return. Have clear contingency plans Several small trips may be better than one long trip. Talking about it and discussing it with others can enhance your happiness. So happy holidays! Take a break, bond with your family. Make the most of it, and return rejuvenated and full of energy. Dr. Rekha Shetty Author of “Everyday Happiness Mantras” and And “Happy Street”

Execute, communicate and train

Implement like an Innovation Star. This is the day to make a final presentation to all the teams in the presence of top management. Get feedback from all stakeholders and respond to concerns. It is a good idea to leave the plan to be studied by all participants. Each can peacefully reflect on it, internalize it. This is the time to get the resource budget cleared. All participants and stakeholders must now receive a clear communication on what to expect. Here it is important to note the process-- communication has to be long term, continuous and consistent. Human resources professionals and problem owners must ensure that the necessary training modules are implemented and their efficacy measured. Management systems implementation should now kick in. The management information system to ensure clear measurement of action should be available to all players. The website and other internet support systems should be properly administered by a webmaster to ensure the seamless flow of information where possible. A regularly produced e-bulletin would help. Knowledge, information and wisdom are important. ‘Know How’ is essential, but ‘do how’ is just as important. Teams by now have dived into the messy business of how to implement what they have chosen as solutions. They have created plans and strategies and worked co-operatively and negotiated the best route to take. Action now becomes the priority.

Complete the Action Matrix

Study your Action Matrix and let every team state its goals clearly and understand that goal. The Innovation Champion can put together the whole matrix filled by different teams and circulate it. The innovation process is an enjoyable process. The teams have had a chance to design an implementation action plan. It is probably a course of action, which has the fingerprints of all participants. This naturally ensures the buy-in of the team. The most important part of this process is that it integrates the viewpoints of all stakeholders and turns spectators into participants. This is about win-win solutions. It is about collaboration compromise and co-operation. It takes into account how people think and feel and acknowledges their need for affirmation and nurturing. The action matrix is the map to be followed in implementation.

Build your Cultural Capital

Culture is to human beings what the purity of water is to a fish. It defines the quality of life, its beauty and ease. Culture is of course, undergoing change as tradition collides with fashion. It was Gandhiji who said “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.” Cultural vitality ensures that you have strong roots that bind you to the living earth of tradition, while allowing the winds, birds, rain and storms of change to transform you. • Act. For instance wearing of the beautiful saree is becoming rare. There is a Chennai based movement urging women to wear sarees 100 times a year! This would support all the weavers and artisans connected with this unique 6 yards of beautiful material. Use things in the kitchen from your grandmother’s time. Jewellery: pass it down through the generations. • Document old customs, photographs and record digitally, old furniture, artifacts, pictures. Circulate family jokes, stories, recipes and interviews digitally and harvest worldwide inputs. • Learn and discuss religious and spiritual traditions. Look at the meaning of sacred texts and ceremonies, rather than just accept without understanding them. • The Maoris have created ‘language nests’ to help their young to learn their distinctive mother tongue. Indians in the US have ‘Sunday school’ to teach Hinduism to their kids. Some languages like mine, Tulu, have no script. They need to be spoken. Record it on tape; see if people can learn it digitally. • Preserve old customs. • Get together to record cook and eat old world food from your family’s past during Diwali or Pongal • Spend time with members of your community on a regular basis. Events can be in your city, nationwide or even worldwide. Being part of building cultural vitality can make you more participative and build your precious social capital.

Review the outcome

During implementation review the outcome. Be aware of the end before you take the first step. Unify your teams by hitching them to the ultimate goal. Top management should inspire and empower the teams to action. A team bonding exercise getting everyone to see a bird’s eye view of the exercise is critical. Review the Resource for every team. Consolidate the reviews if the resources being used are adequate. Study the impact on the expected outcome. Ensure that the process is moving towards the final outcome: reducing costs, increasing revenues, improving customer satisfaction and ensuring greater employee participation.