Today’s words of wisdom hold a special significance for me personally and hopefully it would also be an apt quote for all those reading this blog. Around three and half years ago in Jan 2010, when I conceived this blog, it was actually my second attempt at experimenting with the medium called blogs. I had first started off on 1st Dec. 2009 (http://www.poweract.blogspot.in/2009/12/poweract-fission-of-ideas-to-fusion.html ) and was fortunate to get a quick comment from a friend which was motivation enough to write regularly. However, when I began this blog and kept a target of writing daily, all three of the doubts expressed in the quote above overwhelmed me. Fortunately for me my heart was in the right place and nudged me hard enough and I am delighted that I have kept my pride intact, gained invaluable experience and have reason enough to make the point that unless you try you will never know what you can achieve.
When one is setting off to explore unknown territory, it is good to have some apprehensions but it is terrible to start with doubts. Apprehensions are nature’s way of injecting a sense of responsibility, caution and pragmatism all of which are essential to complete a challenge. Doubts on the other hand, fuel fear, deflate self belief and allow irrationally thoughts to creep into our mindset thus heightening the chances of derailing the journey almost as soon as we attempt it. Apprehension stems out of our inexperience coupled with the realization that there are lot of unknown variables along the way. Doubts on the other hand seep in when we let our pride assume humongous proportions morphing into false pride. There is no shame in failure if despite our best efforts we fail but there is no pride in chickening out for fear of failure.
Experience is either first hand or it is second hand (that what we see/ hear about others). Either way each adventure poses new challenges that even past experience may not necessarily equip us to handle. In fact experience should guide us to make the necessary adjustments to ensure success. At times though, experience can give valuable insights that could temper our pride especially so as to ensure that we do not do anything foolhardy. The key to leveraging experience is in making a realistic assessment of the risks, finding innovative means to minimize the risks and then translating the risks into worthwhile targets for us to pursue.
The toughest obstacle is posed by our logical mind which reasons out every action but is not fully equipped to accommodate variables like creativity, individual resilience and risk taking ability. Reasoning is an excellent mechanism for analysis, provides reference points that flag off caution and alerts and is a dispassionate tool for exercising our options. However, far too often reasoning tends to err on the side of caution thereby reducing the potency of our decisions. We cannot dismiss reason completely but have to temper it with our personal insights, gut feeling and a healthy dose of self belief. Don’t always let the head rule the heart.
The heart has its reasons; not necessarily logical nor would it be completely irrational. What it does is prod, push and nudge one to become aware of some hidden and untapped abilities, potential and daring that is ready to be harnessed. When we can add this mix to our rational and logical self we get a holistic mix far more potent than we can ever imagine. Success is all about finding this right holistic mix and using it appropriately by balancing our mind and our heart.
The voice from the heart may sound fainter than that from the mind; but it is for you to seek it, listen to it and then believe in it.
Try this:
- During the coming month participate in at least 3 contests. It could be giving answers to contests run by radio / TV channels or sending in your entries to contests run by newspapers/ magazines.
- Find & execute innovative ways (in which you are an active participant) to raise funds for your favorite charity. (Do not involve family or friends in raising the monetary resources) e.g. putting up some unused things owned by you for sale on a website with the sale proceeds earmarked for charity.
- Prepare your own crossword/ quiz (the answers to which must have some relevance to your family and friends or your neighborhood or city) and use that in the next get together or party. E.g. which person in this group stays on the top most floor of his/ her building? Or The person in this group who is born in Lucknow. Or find out some well know spots in the city which have a colloquial name but which can be translated into English. In the quiz give the English translation and ask people to identify it. For example in my city of Pune we have a Phoolwalla Chowk (Flowersellers roundabout) / Lakadipul ( Wooden bridge). These can be innovatively used to prepare your quiz.
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
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Excellent post.. truly inspirational… Hats off to you!!!
Hi
Thank you for taking time out to comment on my blog post and for your warm appreciation of the same. Please continue to send in your feedback and comments.
Regards
Jacob
It just happened that i was upset about something. Thought of reading something and opened your blog and as usual I got my answer. i want to share with everyone that I started a small business from home 3 days back, was very excited about it. But to my dismay, a close family member taunted me that it is a very lowly kind of start up. Its not RESPECTABLE. I was very disheartened. But after reading your blog, I am motivated again. THANKS FOR POSTING. Always look forward for more.
Hi Sonia
Thank you for the feedback and more importantly I am delighted that the post was apt for you and came at the precise moment to revive your drooping spirits.
What is important is that you trust yourself and work towards your goal. Don’t ignore the feedback and criticism for there may be some truth in it; if the criticism merits attention do something proactively to correct the situation; however if you find no merit in them get back to focusing on the task at hand.
Best Wishes
Jacob
Believe in yourself even when no one else does.
If someone tells you that you can’t do it, PROVE THEM WRONG…
And it’s better to be crazy and happy than normal and bitter.
All the Best!!!
-Dhiru.
Hii Dhiru here, hope you remember me. I lost d track of this blog because of excess use of social media fb and twitter, Today I read your post after long time, and guess what… U are the best. .. The way you managed your posts is truly inspirational. Best thing I like about your blog is you always explain points in short and crispy way… Good job… Keep it up…
Hi Dhiru
I am delighted to note your feedback. I am also glad that despite the distraction of FB and Twitter you did come back to check out this blog. Thank you very much for your appreciative feedback. If you subscribe to the blog you will get the updates in your email inbox and you can go through it at leisure.
Do continue to post your comments.
Regards
Jacob