Ek Raja Ki Kahani

एक राजा था जिसकी प्रजा हम

भारतीयों की तरह सोई हुई थी !

बहुत से लोगों ने कोशिश की 

प्रजा जग जाए .. 

अगर कुछ गलत हो रहा है तो 

उसका विरोध करे, 

लेकिन प्रजा को कोई फर्क 

नहीं पड़ता था !

राजा ने तेल के दाम बढ़ा दिये 

प्रजा चुप रही

राजा ने अजीबो गरीब टैक्स 

लगाए प्रजा चुप रही

राजा ज़ुल्म करता रहा लेकिन 

प्रजा चुप रही

एक दिन राजा के दिमाग मे एक 

बात आई उसने एक अच्छे-चौड़े

रास्ते को खुदवा के एक पुल 

बनाया ..

जबकि वहां पुल की कतई 

ज़रूरत नहीं थी .. 

प्रजा फिर भी चुप थी किसी ने

नहीं पूछा के भाई यहा तो किसी

पुल की ज़रूरत नहीं है

आप काहे बना रहे है ?

राजा ने अपने सैनिक उस पुल 

पे खड़े करवा दिए और पुल से 

गुजरने वाले हर व्यक्ति से टैक्स 

लिया जाने लगा फिर भी किसी

ने कोई विरोध नहीं किया !

फिर राजा ने अपने सैनिको को 

हुक्म दिया कि जो भी इस पुल 

से गुजरे उसको 4 जूते मारे जाए 

और एक शिकायत पेटी भी पुल 

पर रखवा दी कि किसी को अगर 

कोई शिकायत हो तो शिकायत 

पेटी मे लिख कर डाल दे लेकिन 

प्रजा फिर भी चुप !

राजा रोज़ शिकायत पेटी खोल 

कर देखता की शायद किसी ने 

कोई विरोध किया हो लेकिन 

उसे हमेशा पेटी खाली मिलती !

कुछ दिनो के बाद अचानक एक 

एक चिट्ठी मिली ..

राजा खुश हुआ के चलो कम से 

कम एक आदमी तो जागा ,,,,, 

जब चिट्ठी खोली गयी तो उसमे 

लिखा था -

"हुजूर जूते मारने वालों की 

संख्या बढ़ा दी जाए ... 

हम लोगो को काम पर जाने मे

देरी होती है !

Anna Hazare

Kisan Baburao Hazare (born 15 June 1937), popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption. In addition to organizing and encouraging grassroots movements, Hazare frequently conducted hunger strikes to further his causes—a tactic reminiscent, to many, of the work of Mohandas K. Gandhi. Hazare also contributed to the development and structuring of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan—the third-highest civilian award—by the Government of India in 1992 for his efforts in establishing this village as a model for others.

Anna Hazare started an indefinite hunger strike on 5 April 2011 to exert pressure on the Indian government to enact a stringent anti-corruption law, The Lokpal Bill, 2011 as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, for the institution of an ombudsman with the power to deal with corruption in public places. The fast led to nation-wide protests in support. The fast ended on 9 April 2011, a day after the government accepted Hazare's demands. The government issued a gazette notification on the formation of a joint committee, consisting of government and civil society representatives, to draft the legislation.

For the year 2011 Foreign Policy magazine named him among top 100 global thinkers. Also in 2011 Anna was ranked as the most influential person in Mumbai by a national daily newspaper. He has faced criticism for his authoritarian views on justice, including death as punishment for corrupt public officials and his alleged support for forced vasectomies as a method of family planning.

Early life

Kisan Hazare was born on 15 June 1937 in Bhingar, near Ahmednagar. He was the eldest son, with two sisters and four brothers. He later adopted the name Anna, which in Marathi means "elder person" or "father". His father worked in a pharmacy and struggled to support the family financially. In time, the family moved to their ancestral village of Ralegan Siddhi, where they owned a small amount of agricultural land. A relative took on the burden of providing Kisan(Hazare) with an education, taking him to Mumbai because the village had no primary school. The relative became unable financially to continue the support and Kisan's schooling ended in the Standard Seventh grade; his siblings never attended school. He started selling flowers at the Dadar railway station in Mumbai and eventually managed to own two flower shops in the city. He also became involved in vigilantism, joining groups who acted to prevent landlords' thugs from intimidating the poor out of their shelter.

Military service

The Indo-China War of 1962 caused the Indian Army to commence emergency recruitment measures. Hazare was drafted in April 1963, despite not meeting the physical requirements, and was attested as a soldier on 16 November of that year after undertaking training at Aurangabad.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Hazare was posted at the border in the Khem Karan sector. He was the sole survivor of an enemy attack—variously claimed to have been a bomb, an aerial assault and an exchange of fire at the border—while he was driving a truck. The experiences of wartime, coupled with the poverty from which he had come, affected him. He considered suicide at one point but turned instead to pondering the meaning of life and death. He said of the truck attack, " sent me thinking. I felt that God wanted me to stay alive for some reason. I was reborn in the battlefield of Khem Karan. And I decided to dedicate my new life to serving people." He spent his spare time reading the works of Swami Vivekananda, Gandhi, and Vinoba Bhave. In a blog post, Hazare expressed his views on Kashmir by saying that it was his "active conviction that Kashmir is an integral part of India" and that if required once again for service, he would remain "ready to take part in war against Pakistan."

During the mid-1970s, Hazare survived a road crash while driving for the army. He interpreted his survival as a further sign that his life was intended to be dedicated to service. Despite subsequent allegations that he had deserted from the army, official records show that he was honourably discharged in 1975 after completing 12 years of service.

Prohibition of alcohol

Hazare and the youth group decided to take up the issue of alcoholism to drive a process of reform. At a meeting conducted in the temple, the villagers resolved to close down liquor dens and ban alcohol in the village. Since these resolutions were made in the temple, they became, in a sense, religious commitments. Over thirty liquor brewing units voluntarily closed their establishments. Those who did not succumb to social pressure were forced to close their businesses when the youth group smashed their premises. The owners could not complain as their businesses were illegal.

Drunken villagers were tied to pillars and then flogged, sometimes personally by Hazare. He justified this punishment by stating that “rural India was a harsh society”, and that

"

Doesn’t a mother administer bitter medicines to a sick child when she knows that the medicine can cure her child? The child may not like the medicine, but the mother does it only because she cares for the child. The alcoholics were punished so that their families would not be destroyed."

Hazare appealed to the government of Maharashtra to pass a law whereby prohibition would come into force in a village if 25% of the women in the village demanded it. In 2009 the state government amended the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 to reflect this.

It was decided to ban the sale of tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies (an unfiltered cigarette where the tobacco is rolled in tendu also known as Diospyros melanoxylon leaves instead of paper) in the village. In order to implement this resolution, the youth group performed a unique "Holi" ceremony twenty two years ago. The festival of Holi is celebrated as a symbolic burning of evil. The youth group brought all the tobacco, cigarettes, and beedies from the shops in the village and burnt them in a Holi fire. Tobacco, cigarettes, or beedies are no longer sold.

Grain Bank

In 1980, Hazare started the Grain Bank at the temple, with the objective of providing food security to needy farmers during times of drought or crop failure. Rich farmers, or those with surplus grain production, could donate a quintal to the bank. In times of need, farmers could borrow the grain, but they had to return the amount of grain they borrowed, plus an additional quintal as an interest. This ensured that nobody in the village ever went hungry or had to borrow money to buy grain. This also prevented distress sales of grain at lower prices at harvest time.

Watershed development programme

Ralegan Siddhi is located in the foothills, so Hazare persuaded villagers to construct a watershed embankment and associated works to stop water and allow it to percolate and increase the ground water level and improve irrigation in the area. These efforts solved the problem of water scarcity in the village and made irrigation possible.

Cultivation of water-intensive crops like sugarcane was banned. Crops such as pulses, oilseeds, and certain cash crops with low water requirements replaced them. The farmers started growing high-yield varieties and changed cropping pattern. Hazare has helped farmers of more than 70 villages in drought-prone regions in the state of Maharashtra since 1975. When Hazare came to Ralegan Siddhi in 1975 only 70 acres (28 ha) of land was irrigated, Hazare converted it into about 2,500 acres (1,010 ha).

Milk production

As a secondary occupation, milk production was promoted in Ralegan Siddhi. Purchase of new cattle and improvement of the existing breed with the help of artificial insemination and timely guidance and assistance by a veterinarian improved the cattle stock, increasing milk production.

Education

In 1932, Ralegan Siddhi got its first formal school, a single classroom primary school. In 1962, the villagers added more classrooms through community volunteer efforts. By 1971, out of an estimated population of 1,209, only 30.43% were literate (72 women and 290 men). Boys moved to the nearby towns of Shirur and Parner to pursue higher education, but girls were limited to primary education. Hazare, along with the youth of Ralegan Siddhi, worked to increase literacy rates and education levels. In 1976 they started a pre-school and a high school in 1979. The villagers formed a charitable trust, the Sant Yadavbaba Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, which was registered in 1979.

Removal of untouchability

The social barriers and discrimination that existed due to the caste system in India have been largely eliminated by Ralegan Siddhi villagers. It was Hazare's moral leadership that motivated and inspired the villagers to shun untouchability and caste discrimination. Marriages of Dalits are held as part of community marriage program together with those of other castes. The Dalits have become integrated into the social and economic life of the village. The upper caste villagers built houses for the lower caste Dalits by shramdaan and helped to repay their loans.

Gram Sabha

The Gandhian philosophy on rural development considers the Gram Sabha as an important democratic institution for collective decision-making in the villages of India. Hazare campaigned between 1998 and 2006 for amending the Gram Sabha Act, so that villagers have a say in the village's development. The state government initially refused, but eventually gave in to public pressure. It became mandatory to seek the sanction of the Gram Sabha (an assembly of all village adults, and not just the few elected representatives in the gram panchayat) for expenditures on development works in the village.

Meet Raghuram Rajan - Our next RBI Governor

Raghuram Govind Rajan, the country's chief economic advisor to the Finance Ministry, will take up the mantle of governorship from the Reserve Bank of India from D Subbarao, who will demit office in September this year.

 Raghuram Rajan was born to an Indian diplomat in Bhopal in 1963. Till his 7th class he was abroad and then studied his rest of schooling in Delhi. In 1985, he graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, and he completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad in 1987. Rajan was a gold medalist in IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad. He received a PhD in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1991 for his thesis titled "Essays on Banking". He was awarded the distinguished alumni award by IIM Ahmedabad in 2005, and was also conferred the prestigious Durga Shankar Memorial award by the institute in 2012.

 

After graduation, Rajan joined the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. He was then appointed as the youngest-ever Economic Counselor and Director of Research (chief economist) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from October 2003 to December 2006. In 2003, he was also the inaugural recipient of the Fischer Black Prize awarded by the American Finance Association for contributions to the theory and practice of finance by an economist under age 40. The Center for Financial Studies (CFS) has awarded the 5th Deutsche Bank Prize in Financial Economics to Raghuram G. Rajan for his highly influential contributions in a remarkably broad range of areas in financial economics.

 

In 2005, at a celebration honoring Alan Greenspan, who was about to retire as chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Rajan delivered a controversial paper that was critical of the financial sector. In that paper, "Has Financial Development Made the World Riskier?", Rajan "argued that disaster might loom." Rajan argued that financial sector managers were encouraged to

(take) risks that generate severe adverse consequences with small probability but, in return, offer generous compensation the rest of the time. These risks are known as tail risks. But perhaps the most important concern is whether banks will be able to provide liquidity to financial markets so that if the tail risk does materialize, financial positions can be unwound and losses allocated so that the consequences to the real economy are minimized.

The response to Rajan's paper at the time was negative. For example, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and former Harvard President Lawrence Summers called the warnings "misguided" and Rajan himself a "luddite". However, following the 2008 economic crisis, Rajan's views came to be seen as prescient; by January 2009, The Wall Street Journalproclaimed that now, "few are dismissing his ideas." In fact, Rajan was extensively interviewed on the global crisis for the Academy Award winning documentary film "Inside Job".

 

In November 2008, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Rajan as an honorary economic adviser. That same year, a high-level committee on financial reforms, headed by Rajan, submitted its final report to the Planning Commission.

In April 2009, Rajan penned a guest column for The Economist, in which he proposed a regulatory system that might minimize boom–bust financial cycles. In 2010, he was featured on Foreign Policy magazine's FP Top 100 Global Thinkers, and again in 2012. In a 2011 poll in The Economist, Rajan was ranked by his peers as the economist with "the most important ideas for a post-crisis world".

 

Replacing Kaushik Basu, Rajan was appointed as Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India on 10 August 2012. He also prepared his very first Economic Survey for India for the year 2013-14, on the 27th of February. On August 6 2013 it was announced that Rajan would take over as the next RBI Governor of India. He is member in the Group of Thirty. He has been appointed RBI Governor for 3 years. Current RBI Governor D- Subbarao"s Term ends on 4th September 2013.

Amazing New Titanic Ship you have ever Seen............

New Titanic

Alessandro Diddi's life-like 3-D drawings

Alessandro Diddi's life-like 3-D drawings are achieved by trick of the mind
When artist Alessandro Diddi puts pencil to paper, his works really come to life.

His clever 3-D drawings are achieved by a trick of the mind, using shading and angles to give them a life of their own and make them 'leap off the page'.

'I want my drawings to put across the message that the eye can trick the mind and make you believe that there are dimensions that are not really there,' said Mr Diddi.


An amazing 3D drawing shows a hand holding out a ring, by artist Alessandro Diddi. His clever life-like 3-D drawings area are achieved by a trick of the mind


The drawings are a trick of the mind created by the designer, who said he wanted to create dimensions that weren't really there


A drawing shows a figure helping another to escape from being erased by the artist

Using his own hands and objects to make the drawings appear even more life-like, they appear to show two men using their strength to pull a pencil out of the artist's hand, as well as a snake slithering away as its being drawn.



Another shows Mr Diddi's fingers turn into claws and ripping the paper, while a different drawing indicates the designer trying to slam down the paper on a struggling man.

He said: 'When people see my drawings they are often pleasantly surprised, they fail to understand exactly how I've managed to achieve the 3D look.


A trick of the light and mind turns Diddi's hand into a fearsome claw


The 42 year old said: 'I want my drawings to put across the message that the eye can trick the mind and make you believe that there are dimensions that are not really there'


A snake attempts to escape the page, pursued by the artist's pencil



This drawing of two pillars is so realistic, one could almost believe they are holding up this pencil


A mouth appears to attack the artist's finger pulling him into the paper for a bite


The artist said all you need is a pencil and something to draw on to create something 'really magical'


'All you need is a pencil and something to draw on, and you can create something really magical.'


A dolphin bursts from the page and through a hoop held by Diddi


The clever pictures are 'easy when you understand the mechanism of the anamorphic design', the artist says


A doorway on top of steps appears in a folded piece of paper

They'll find us

Sachu and Preeti are flying to Australia for a two-week vacation to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

Suddenly, over the public address system, the Captain announces, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am afraid I have some very bad news. Our engines have ceased functioning and we will attempt an emergency landing. Luckily, I see an uncharted island below us and we should be able to land on the beach. However, the odds are that we may never be rescued and will have to live on the island for the rest of our lives!"

Thanks to the skill of the flight crew, the plane lands safely on the island.

An hour later Sachu turns to his wife and asks, "Preeti, did we pay our Rs 5lakh deposit cheque yet to our Bank?"

"No, sweetheart," she responds.

Sachu, still shaken from the crash landing, then asks, "Preeti, did we pay our Bank credit card bill yet?"

"Oh no! I'm sorry. I forgot to send the cheque," she says.

"One last thing, Preeti. Did you remember to send cheques for the auto loan to them too this month?" he asks.

"Oh, forgive me, Sachu," begged Preeti. "I didn't send that one, either."

Sachu grabs her and gives her the biggest hug in 40 years.

Preeti pulls away and asks him, "So, why did you hug me?"

....

...

...

...

Sachu answers, "all thanks to you, They'll find us!"

Hey honey!

Once used by the ancient Egyptians to anoint their gods, honey has a long history of healing and medicinal properties that have been documented in cultures and holistic practices across the world. But is it really a healthier alternative to sugar? Here are some honeyed truths and myths…

 

 

It's rich golden hue and intense sweetness awakens the senses. As you spoon it into your beverages, bake it into your cakes or slide it over bread, you vaguely recall that there may be some healthful properties. A popular home remedy even recommends that you take a spoonful of honey in water, first thing in the morning to facilitate weight loss, but these are just one of the many honey myths that abound. You will not lose weight this way and if you've opted for honey as a sugar substitute, you may be disappointed, say experts.

 

Not ideal for weight watchers, diabetics

"Honey for weight watchers or diabetics is not as good as it is believed to be," says nutritionist Neelanjana Singh, Heinz Nutri Life Clinic in New Delhi. "It is a myth that it does not add fat to your body. Honey has just as much carbohydrates as sugar so it is best to restrict its use, especially if you're trying to lose weight or are diabetic. Since honey has some vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, nutritionally, it is a better option when compared to sugar."

 

Essentially, honey is a mixture of glucose and fructose, both forms of simple sugar. And much like ordinary sugar, it is absorbed fairly quickly into your blood stream and has almost the same effect on your body. "Honey has a glycemic index value of 55 and sugar has a glycemic index of 68 which is much higher. Foods with a higher glycemic index lead to a higher rise in blood sugar levels which causes the body to keep releasing insulin from the pancreas to process all that sugar. High insulin levels in the blood have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. While honey is (slightly) better than sugar in this regard, moderate use is the key," says clinical dietician Ruhi Alware who practices at Niron and Guru Nanak hospitals, Mumbai.

 

Keep in mind that while it gives you instant energy, the calories in honey can quickly add up. In fact, a spoonful of honey will have slightly more calories (22 calories) than an equal amount of sugar (20 calories), simply because honey is denser. However, honey does have some intrinsic healing properties.

 

Sweet healing

History has it that before the discovery of antibiotics, honey was widely used in healing. "Honey has been in use since ancient times, both as a food and in medicine," says Ruhi Alware. "The Ph of honey is acidic which prevents the growth of many bacteria. It also contains powerful antioxidants with antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties. It has been known to boost the immune system, providing energy as well as aiding in digestion." However, raw honey (that which has been directly collected from the honey comb and has not been processed and packaged) is found to be a far more effective anti-bacterial agent than the processed kind. The quality of honey--which is determined largely by the bee itself and the kind of flowers from which it partakes of its nectar--matters too. "Different kinds of honey have differing levels of hydrogen peroxide and this is what provides honey with its antiseptic value," explains Neelanjana Singh. "There is a special kind of honey called Manuka honey. This has very potent antiseptic properties and can be compared to powerful antiseptics such as phenol and carbolic; this honey has been used to treat wounds in diabetic patients and has aided the healing of (severe) pressure sores and leg ulcers."

 

The presence of substances called phytonutrients also provides honey with its medicinal qualities, in particular, its ability to prevent colon and other cancers. Unfortunately, when raw honey is subjected to excessive heat and preservatives during the pasteurization process, the benefits of these phytonutrients are largely lost. If you're interested in reaping rich nutritional benefits from honey, purchase only organic, fresh honey that is 100% pure. Also, read food labels carefully to ensure that the honey you purchase does not contain any other food additives/ingredients. It should not have a strong odour either nor should it have fermented.

 

No honey for your honey!

Paediatricians around the world strictly advise against feeding honey to infants and children below one year. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics' Committee on Nutrition and the US Department of Health and Human Services, honey contains spores from a certain kind of bacteria called botulism, which find their way in from dust and soil. While these spores have no effect on adults, for children, they can be fatal or can cause paralysis, especially since the immune system of infants has not matured. So though your grandparents might ask you to feed your infant honey in order to prevent cough and cold, develop a sweet voice or give him/her glowing skin, realize that real dangers can often lurk behind propagating these myths.

 

So should one avoid honey completely during childhood? Not necessarily, says experts. If your child is above one year, honey is perfectly safe and can even offer lasting relief from chronic cough. In a study conducted by the Penn State College of Medicine in the US, it was established that a spoonful of buckwheat honey (a variety that is available in India) before bedtime helped ease cough in children over one year. The home remedy worked better than treatment with dextromethorphan (DM), an ingredient found in many cough syrups. When taken at the right time and in moderation, honey can offer the sweet relief of nature's bounty.

Before it’s too

Following a spate of techie suicides in Chennai, Anusha Parthasarathy and Lakshmi Krupa find out from experts what prompts young professionals to take this extreme step and what can be done to prevent it.

You've known them for a long time. Everything seems all right with them and then one day you read about it in the papers. Yet another 20-something, a seemingly successful techie, has taken a cold-blooded decision to end his life. And then you wonder if you've really known them.

How do you conclude that a friend or a family member needs help? When do you intervene and what can you do? Experts talk about handling stress in the wake of a spate of techie suicides in the city.

Rajani Nandakumar, a counsellor, says, ―When you have known someone for a while and notice them withdrawing from social life; when they no longer find joy in even the simplest of things in life; when they have recently experienced failure — professional or personal — or a failed relationship, that's the time to intervene. You can gently ask them if they need to talk. Just that will help in most cases.‖ In case you find their problem is too complex for you to handle, you can suggest that they seek professional help. ―Counsellors are trained to listen and guide those who are in extreme distress,‖ Rajani adds.

Workshops for techies

Sneha, a suicide prevention helpline, has been conducting workshops on stress management and depression in BPOs and IT companies for the last five years. Says Shankaranarayanan, media co-ordinator: ―The common triggers for suicidal tendencies among IT professionals, we have noticed, are work pressure, financial instability, deadlines, team-related issues, loneliness and relationship trouble.‖ Sneha regularly receives calls from those in the 25–30 age group. ―Many of these professionals are located at places away from home and are homesick. There's also the problem of language. We give them emotional support and keep everything confidential. Most often, all they need is a patient listener.‖

S. Venkatesan from Personnel Search Services, a HR services firm, says, ―These are high-pressure jobs with strict deadlines and often dealing with big names and tending to focus more on brand value than the issues of these troubled employees.‖ He also feels that many big firms are in denial of the fact that there could be something wrong with their employees' emotional balance. However, it's not always work-related stress, he insists. ―I know of a really smart, independent, woman who had a fight with her spouse. The very next morning she committed suicide. It was most unfortunate. These are people who need someone to tell them that patience pays and things will get better. Most importantly, that taking their lives is not a wise decision and they should consider what their family will go through.‖

Lack of social capital

City-based author Rekha Shetty, who has written books like The Happiness Quotient feels such incidents happen because of the lack of social capital in people's lives. ―These days, we do not have a network of very close friends; and as a result loneliness has become a major epidemic of our times. Joint families have disappeared and everyone has moved away from home to build careers. There is no time to talk or build relationships and we are becoming islands. I deal with innovation initiatives and keep in touch with brilliant minds across the country but they all tell me they want to retire by the time they are 35. They are under so much pressure that they suffer a burn-out in a short span — and all for a job that they may not even love. We all need jobs that will help us use our creative energies while having time to connect with people.‖

It is important for a neutral person to listen to these people, feels Shankarnarayanan. ―They need to unburden themselves to people outside their immediate circle because sometimes friends and family may not be able to help. They need to feel accepted and not judged.‖

An industry insider explains, ―In our company, we have third-party counselling which employees can access any time. Moreover, most companies now have workshops or sessions with experts giving tips on good health, of which emotional health is an important aspect.‖

Most often, suicidal tendencies are a result of a person's inability to cope with disappointment, says Rajani. ―Cultural differences and rejection are some of the other reasons that make one feel vulnerable. For example, a child might have been a topper all his life in school. But as soon as he enters an elite school he finds that all his peers are as good as or even better than him. He is unable to handle this pressure. In these cases, most often, all they need is to get the problem off their chest. Listen to them and you may make them feel better. But if they continue to appear withdrawn, lose their temper too easily, or complain of headaches, then it's best they are guided to a professional.‖

The 10 Ways To Achieve Success In Both Business And Life - EDDIE CUFFIN

In life, like in business, you have the people who are out there living it to the fullest and the bystanders letting it pass them by. You have the people who sit around and mope all day about how miserable their lives are, then you have the people who are out there crossing things off their bucket lists on a regular basis.

 

In business, you have the people who started from nothing and didn't do anything to change their situations, like the people on occupy Wall St., then you have the people who saw whatever little opportunity they had and made the most of it.

 

Success is more than an idea; it is a state of mind. Although success is relative to each individual, the key to achieving success is the demeanour in which you go about living your life and taking advantage of opportunities that come to you.

 

Whether it be in life or in business, you should never take anything for granted and you should learn how to make the most of the situations that are presented to you. Here are the 10 ways you can be successful in business and in life:

 

1. Learn to listen to your gut feeling.

Your gut feeling is one of your most innate senses. It usually comes in at random, sporadic times when you least expect it, yet need it most. There is no way to turn this instinct on or off; however, when you realize you are in a tough situation, your gut feeling is the most trusted way to go. Gut feelings are particularly helpful when it comes to reading people, either it feels right or it feels wrong.

 

If your gut is giving you a negative feeling about a particular person or situation, then it would be best not to question it. We do not fully understand this instinct — but ask yourself, has your gut ever led you in the wrong direction?

 

2. Have an open mind when it comes to unfamiliar ways of thinking.

People love to be in their comfort zones, once we find a particular way of doing things, we are very reluctant to change the way we go about it. However, times do change and it's important that we keep an open mind when it comes to new ideas and ways of thinking.

 

This is especially true when it comes to the way you go about living your life. Don't try to force your beliefs onto others. Just because something works for you doesn't mean it will work for someone else. Be open to other people's thoughts as a situation in your near future may arise where your way of thinking may not work and another one does.

 

3. Constantly educate yourself.

Just because you graduated college does not mean you stop learning. Your life experiences from now on will prove to be the best teachers. College has given you a good idea as to what to expect in the real world, but your experiences will forever ingrain new lessons into your mind.

Go to seminars in whatever field you work in and brush up on old skills while seeking to learn new skills that can prove to be useful. This is important to the development of your skills beyond the college dorm room and it will help you keep up to date with the times.

 

4. Accept new technologies and try to learn as much about them as you can.

If you read Arthur Miller's "Death Of A Salesman," you understand the importance of keeping up with the times. No one wants to be the old hag that is left behind because of an ignorance of new technology. While you can survive without a single idea of pop culture, it will be hard to last long without keeping up with technology.

 

Have an open mind when it comes to understanding the new technologies out there; it will help you keep up with the times. You don't want to end up being considered old just because you can't keep up with the technology.

 

5. Know that being street smart is just as important as being book smart.

While school is important, being book smart is not the only thing that you will need to excel in this world. Book smarts help you understand what you are talking about and will give you an idea on which path to choose, however street smarts allow you to use your intuition to analyze any situation at hand.

 

Your street smarts will allow you to see things that were never really presented in those books you read. A perfect balance between street smarts and book smarts will prove to be a handy tool in your future endeavours.

 

6. Give back when you can.

Great success is coupled with great responsibility. Do not take your success for granted. You may have worked hard for what you achieved, but know that you are now in a position to help those who are less fortunate. Now this doesn't mean you have to give away everything you have to people less fortunate, but it wouldn't hurt you to give a helping hand.

 

There are people who will never get the same opportunities as you. Help open up doors for these people, it will not only show others the importance of helping out, but it will also make you feel good about yourself. Who knew that with such little effort you can make a big difference in someone's life.

 

7. Care for yourself.

There is nothing more important that your health. You want to operate at maximum levels at all times that you are up and working. This requires you to get enough rest and proper nutrition on a regular basis.

 

Operating at 80% versus 100% can be the difference between you completing your work and you saving your work for tomorrow.

 

8. Treat others with respect.

Your beliefs, hobbies and reputation are some of the few personal things that you have. No one wants to associate themselves with a pompous person who is only interested in themselves. Any business relationship and friendship is based on what value it brings. No one wants to be used, treat others as you would treat yourself rather than a means to an end.

 

This will prove to be useful in the long run, as people have really good memories when it comes to getting screwed over. Just because you may not necessarily need someone now, how do you know that they won't be useful to you in the future? That is why it is always important to be courteous and treat others with respect.

 

9. Find a passion and commit yourself to it.

Anything that you want to achieve is going to take time and, most importantly, effort. Time is our most valuable asset and if we are truly invested in something, our efforts and time will be all we have to offer. That is why it is important that we choose a goal that we really enjoy because we must be committed to it.

 

Nothing comes easy in this world and if we really want something, then we are going to stop at nothing to make it happen. If you find yourself losing interest in particular goal, then it was never meant to be. Finding your passion may be the most difficult part of your life, but once you find it, you will stop at nothing to make your dreams come true.

 

10. Make self-examination a habit.

In life and in business, you will go through many phases, you will make mistakes and you will come across countless obstacles on your way to achieving your goals. If you do not examine yourself, you risk living a stagnant life. It is crucial that you reflect on the mistakes you made and what you learned from that experience, so you know not to make those mistakes again.

You also want to think about the people you met and what you learned from your daily interactions with them. There is always something you can learn from someone you meet, take advantage of people's experiences and try not to make the same mistakes they did.

 

A foolproof fitness plan

When it comes to life, Rakesh Badola has a simple philosophy: never preach something you don't believe in. "In the service industry, you want people to believe in the importance of well-being and fitness. No one takes a pot-bellied associate seriously. You need to be fi t and presentable to convey your message," says the 32-year-old associate director of F&B at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi. For Badola taking stock of food and beverage at work comes as naturally as spending hours at the gym. "If you don't respect and care for your body, it will never make you feel proud about it," he quips.

On a strong footing

Thanks to a strict and disciplinarian father, who served in the army, fitness was an integral part of his growing up years. "Even the games that I played with my brothers involved climbing up ropes, setting up tents in the garden, pretending we were at war, moving across the lawn on our elbows or lunge walking with imaginary snipers around, all this helped me stay abreast of my peers at school sports competitions," says Badola. These childhood games equipped him with a good muscle memory that proved handy years later.

Too good to ignore

"I was able to pursue my love for fitness after I began my career in the hotel industry 10 years ago. It's the kind of job in which you get a chance to interact with motley of people: from movie stars to political leaders to industrialists, authors and many others. Some of them leave an indelible imprint on your mind. I was inspired by a few for their commitment to fitness despite their busy schedules," he says. In the beginning Badola's fitness regime only comprised an early morning jog of 45 minutes but gradually he realised there was a difference between being fi t and having a good body. He also wanted a body that he had seen some of the celebs he met flaunt.

Build up to the destination once having made up his mind; he became a regular at the hotel gym. "Getting a body of your dreams isn't an easy task. It requires single-minded dedication, discipline and perseverance. But I had my goals clearly chalked out and there was no deliberation. Working out, for me had become as important as eating to drive away hunger," he says. Given the strict environment that he had been brought up in, adapting to routine and maintaining discipline wasn't difficult for him.

Workout essentials

As far as consistently following a workout schedule is concerned, Badola feels he is lucky to be in the hotel industry, where a gym and a certified trainer is easily available. "I would arrive a few hours before my shift and head to the gym. Till date, I begin with a 15-20 minutes warm up followed by push-ups, pull-ups, barbell chest presses, chest fly, bicep curls, shoulder presses and bicep dips. Over the weekend or on my weekly day off s, I double my hours at the gym," he says. But the road to fitness isn't always a cake walk, it comes with a fair share of ups and downs and Badola hasn't escaped it. "Those big sculpted arms take time. At times, results don't show and you tend to get demoralised. But the trick is not to give up and persist with your mission. It took me 10 years to get to where I am today," adds Badola

A vegetarian plan of action

Another important move besides charting an exercise regime was turning vegetarian. Badola completely eschewed any form of non-vegetarian fare, dispelling general notions that only chicken, fish and eggs provide the protein needed for building muscles. "I discussed with nutritionists at the hotel, read up on the net and also followed Men's Health to come up with a diet that accounted for my nutritional requirement. I spread my six meals through the day and it comprises different types of dals, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and beans; paneer, chappatis, fruits and dry fruits," he says. It has been 10 years since, but he still sticks to his diet. "If at times I end up eating rich oily food, I try and balance it by increasing my workout for that day," he says

Fighting temptation Badola feels the best way to fight your temptations is to give in. "The thought that you are depriving yourself of something acts like a catalyst for the brain to want it even more. It's essential to have cheat days where you can feast on almost anything. After all, no one said you can't have little fun on your road trip to fitness." he says.