drsonaliduttabaanerjee

FIND YOUR VOICE| EVERY CONTRIBUTION IS UNIQUE|

YOUR VOICE IS UNIQUE AND YOUR KEY CONTRIBUTION

Every person in this world has something to say and contribute to the world at large. However often we fall into a trap of feeling that all has already been said or done. The biggest reason for our existence is to exchange our thoughts and build a community of free-thinking beings. To find your voice it’s crucial operating from a place of alignment and authenticity in our personal and professional lives, and the truth is… only you are the expert of your voice and thoughts!

We all have the inner whisper which gets quietened because of fear of perceptions, rejection, and judgment around us. Sometime back when I had asked one of my relatives to be a panelist in our leadership discussions, she said, ”I have nothing new to say”! On the other hand, I have friends and family who love to share their perspectives on every national policy that is being worked out! I just love the dichotomy in our world.

Our education system prides itself on reproducing what was done thousands of years ago…while that may be the foundation, a human need to voice and create new aspects of the same needs to be encouraged and practiced.

Voice is found in the intersection of 4 circles, your Talent -Passion -Needs -Conscience. The more you dive into each of the circles the better you can carve a niche for yourself. As a leader your voice is critical for your Vision -Inner Alignment & Authenticity -Nudging your team members and navigating organizational objectives.

Often in meetings -discussions -conversations, your voice (also referred to as POV-point of view) is critical for best outcomes. Thus coming out of complacency can sure open the pathway to your legacy.

3 quick hacks to practice voicing yourself are :

Celebrate Milestones -Every time you feel satisfied after sharing your thoughts rejoice at the occasion and make it your motivation for the next one. Most of us tend to hold off treating ourselves until we’ve accomplished something truly remarkable. Taking the time to honor your efforts will accrue valuable emotional deposits , as well as establish great reflection points to track your progress. We’re evidence-based beings. If you adjust your focus to what you’re proud of, or what you did “right,” you’ll start to see two beautiful side–effects: First, you will begin to cue into similar experiences, and then, build confidence by reiterating your ability.
Conviction on Your Thoughts -You do not have to compromise to voice your thoughts. Your voice is important and worthy of being heard. If you are aligned to your heart and speak your mind, there is no need to panic about criticism. Take every criticism in your stride.
Making a Note -Very often we get flashes or ideas about things that we want to express, and then it quickly disappears. Keep a small diary where you can keep all your thoughts as it comes and then build on the same. I generally get my flashes at midnight, out of nowhere!!

How does your voice feel? Have you ever felt that your voice has no need? How do you keep yourself motivated to share your voice where it is needed?

For more do explore the following read:

Finding your voice

FINDING YOUR VOICE

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM LORD SHIVA|

Lord Shiva is also known as Maheshwara(The ultimate God) as he is the symbol of both Destruction and Creation. A leader can imbibe valuable lessons from Lord Shiva as He is the leader of His team and has to deal with many challenging situations.

The book ‘Shiva Trilogy’ which is the set of three books: The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, and The Oath of the Vayuputras have many such golden lessons of leadership. In these mythological fictions, the protagonist who was initially portrayed as a young tribal leader in due course of time emerges as the greatest leader of the time by his sheer virtues of being a great team player, vision, empathy, honesty, decision-making skills, thinking for every single person’s benefit and welfare of society.

Here are a few lessons that a leader can learn from Lord Shiva and Shiva Trilogy, apart from always chanting ‘Om Nama Shivai, Nama Shivai for wellbeing and wisdom. Let’s garner some beautiful leadership lessons from Lord Shiva and His ambiance.

6 Critical lessons from Lord Shiva that can support us to be a better leader are:

Living in Austerity – Various historical and mythical researches prove that Lord Shiva lived in the dark cold mountains, thereby depriving himself of the materialistic world. Emulating this value from Lord Shiva can help every leader or entrepreneur to rise above the attachment for the position -laurels -perks of the role. Very often as a leader one needs to rise above the needs and incentives to take fair decisions; this attribute keeps every leader grounded at all times…irrespective of the highs and lows in life.
Fearless Decision Maker -Lord Shiva often considered to be the God of Gods also has a very fearsome form which is known as ‘The Rudra’. Every leader needs to have this trait of being fearless like Rudra, in the face of difficulties and chaos. A leader like the captain of the ship also needs to be bold and quick in decision-making and inspire the people.
Balance & Self Restraint -Indulging in extremities of any kind can be detrimental to a leadership journey. With his life balance and self restraint, Lord Shiva exemplifies how balance brings peace and joy. Every leader needs to balance between business – family, spirituality, health, and enjoyment. Though Lord Shiva is known to be a ‘Maha Yogi’ and prays for the wellbeing of the entire universe, and though he secludes himself from the materialistic world; Shiva, also is an advocate of strong family values with his wife and children.
Grand Creator -A leader must be an artist in ideations, creations, innovation and inventions. This creation and destruction is based on the larger need of our society. Thus leader needs to be observant of people and their needs, to be able to create solutions in sync with times. And also destroy or de-clutter what may be obstructing the creative process.
Respect For Diversity & Partnership -A leader needs to have equal respect for all. A leader’s biggest reliance is on the team, and only by unbiased treatment one can win the trust and ownership of team members, irrespective of gender. Gender stereotypes are a global phenomenon, however in India where many deities are women… we should lead this space of respect and equality. ‘Ardhanarishvar’, a composite androgynous form of Lord Shiva and his better half Parvati is a testimony of this equality.
Third Eye Instinct -Lord Shiva is also known as “Trinetradhari” (tri: three; netradhari: the owner of eyes). The third eye of Lord Shiva exemplifies knowledge, intuition and wisdom. We all can develop the third eye with practice and prayers. In challenging times it’s the third eye that can support us to navigate our journey. This third eye also helps us gain awareness of our ecosystem and ourselves.

Wish you a very Happy Maha Shivratri! Do share with us how you would like to emulate Lord Shiva in your leadership practice.

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM LORD SHIVA

COLLABORATION FOR RESULTS| PRACTICE AS LEADERSHIP VALUE|

Collaboration is a much-debated topic in the leadership sphere. While everyone wants to get the best in every network or relationship, taking the first collaborative step sometimes is a challenging task. Working in synergy rather than silos gives the best outcomes. Collaborations bring together individuals who are working towards similar goals. However at the same time, sometimes when you are working in the same domain with similar goals… personal comparisons and competitions can also surface which can have damaging outcomes.

Collaborative leadership also promotes mutual trust, value for each other, engaged workforce, increased employee loyalty. The benefits of collaboration cannot be undermined, however, building it as an organizational value takes time and effort.

3 Simple Ways to Inspire collaboration and not competition:

Watch What you Encourage & Award -Very often organizations only applaud individual employee performance rather than team performance or peer camaraderie. In a team game if individuals become the focus, then the essence of collaboration can be lost. The moment our appraisals are restructured to award and appreciate Collaborations, the employee realignment will happen; till then it will be like the British rule being part of the bell curve mysteries. Making Collaboration a Value to be practiced in the organization can give a huge boost towards its practice.
Hire Diverse Team members -Hiring plays a quintessential role in bringing diversity to the workspace. People with different backgrounds, talents, and skills in the same space can be a huge asset to collaborative culture in the organization. This also helps the quality of creativity and innovation in the collaborative efforts.
Learning & Networking Labs -Organizing learning and networking events from time to time can also be another great way for people to find their prospective collaborators. These events would open up a plethora of opportunities for different projects and also solve current roadblocks.

Do you like to be the best or part of the best team? Do you think collaboration is a higher value than competition? As a leader do you encourage collaboration or competition? What has been your experience as a collaborator?

To know more do explore the following reads:

Collaboration-How Leaders Avoid the Trap & Create Unity

Radical Collaboration

MAKING CRITICISM INTO STRENGTH|

TRANSLATE CRITICISM TO POWER

All of us have faced criticism at some point in time or the other. It often breaks us down and makes us defensive in many ways… rarely do we see it as a merit. At work in relationships or even in personal space, we sometimes feel undermined for the good that we are trying to bring to our ecosystem. When criticism makes you feel like a victim, you enter a toxic arena of life that can be self-sabotaging. If you are doing something unique-creative -unconventional -innovative -out of your comfort zone -you are bound to attract a school of critics who always invest a lot of time and effort to create a narrative against you!! Thus dealing with criticism is one of the essential aspects of life, if you want to realize your aspirations or even buy peace.

By changing our outlook towards criticism we can make a paradigm shift in our mind space. The moment we view Criticism as an opportunity: for growth, strength, and a chance to surpass expectations…we suddenly feel strengthened in our power -resources, and goodwill in life. We all know 2 negatives make a positive!! Thus moment you have a negative feeling about some negative comment, remind yourself of the positive that can come out of it!

So let’s see 3 Quick Hacks to make Criticism into Power :

Evaluate Merit & Act on It – The moment you receive a critical comment, evaluate the merit of the same. You can seek support from experts or even your cheerleaders to evaluate how authentic is the comment. If it merits your action then focus your energies there rather than whining about it. This way acting on criticism can support you be a better version of yourself, rather than drowning in the same.
Cherish Your Failure – Failures sometimes teach us the best lessons! They are the gateway to the grand plan of divine aura around us. Every episode of failure is a way for the almighty artist to scrape off all the unwanted debris around us to become the much-awaited masterpiece. I always cherish the example of the biggest actor of our times Amitabh Bachchan …who was denied a role on the radio, criticizing his voice which has today become the biggest asset to him! When someone criticizes you, they may not be able to give you the most articulate version of what they feel about the situation. That’s when you use your collective wisdom to carve out the best in your solution.
Thank Your Critics – None of us are perfect, nor our critics! So every time they criticize with merit or unduly you thank them for their time and effort!!! The fact that they have chosen you is a big compliment. Life is short and our time on earth is not known, so if someone takes time out, then it’s a great applaud to your efforts in any domain.

Personally, I appreciate my cheerleaders and I sure respect my critics! My critics have always been my biggest reason for all my milestones in life. I salute them for taking time out.

Do share with us, how you deal with criticism. How have criticisms helped you grow in life?

To know more explore the following:

Dealing with Criticism

Criticism Bites

MAKING CRITICISM INTO POWER

FINDING MEANING & PURPOSE| WHAT’S YOUR WHY!|

Meaning & Purpose in LIFE…

Have you ever wondered why Purpose and meaning in life are the ingredients based on which your WELLBEING AND HAPPINESS IS BUILT? The clarity in what adds context and meaning to your life can also help us design our life for phenomenal success.

Whether you are a Leader -An entrepreneur or a Professional, understanding the REASON for which you do things can be more important than BEING IN ACTION.

Recently during one of my online leadership workshops, I was asked this question on how one can find meaning and create a legacy in this fast-paced world around us, where most of the time we are busy delivering our responsibilities and earning a livelihood. We all go through this crossroads of trying to find our real meaning in life, and HONESTLY, we need to revisit this time to time…as with time our goals also need to be reconfigured. Thus setting a long-term maybe 5-year vision and short-term yearly goals can bring in a lot of focus in our day-to-day life.

6 Ways you can identify your MEANING IN LIFE –

Introspect -Finding meaning doesn’t have to be a path-breaking exercise, a sabbatical, or going to the monastery. Simple introspection can help you get started.
Knowing Your Strengths – is not an easy task. Sometimes are our talents are better experienced by people around us…Our inner circle of friends and family often share our natural abilities better than we do. Maybe the things that make us feel centered are already there, but we’re not seeing them because we’re too busy or stressed. Thus it is worth spending some time to create evidence for this.
Dream Destination and Enjoy Journey -We all dream of the final destination and accomplishment…however the journey is what makes it a sweet experience. The journey is what makes us a persona and equally important
Legacy you can Create-What is it that you want to be remembered for. Life is too short to be taken for granted. We all want to contribute to our fellow beings. Thinking about what you would like to have inscribed on your tombstone can surely inspire us and get us out of our complacency.
Creating your Zone -Being in a Zone or a state of flow is all about what makes you truly satisfied with the process. Make an effort to be conscious of what brings you joy, and think about how you can turn those things into habits. Positive habits are important when learning how to find meaning in life because they help us feel fulfilled.
Learning Enthusiast -Things around us are changing every day. So it is essential to keep learning about the trends of our times. Learning something new keeps us engaged and can open our eyes to skills or talents we didn’t know we had.

Hope this has helped you. How would you like to start designing your IDEAL life vision or Leadership strategies? Do share with us your life story and legacy.

If you are an auditory person do take a listen to our podcast.

For more explore the following reads:

Finding Meaning in Age of Nihilism

Meaning in All Stages of Life

LEADERSHIP FACILITATION| FUNDAMENTALS OF SKILL TRANSFER|

As a leader in any domain, the biggest responsibility that we carry is to up-skill and upgrade talent in a moving vehicle. Business is the moving vehicle and every leader needs to be able to train and coach their teams while traveling with all the fire and the challenges on board. Thus this has become a fundamental skill to be an impactful leader and even keep yourself relevant to times. You may be formally or informally doing the role, however, the proof of the pudding is the results that you create.

Often leaders are asked to make themselves redundant to the current role to be able to transition to higher responsibilities…however, the need to be perfect can sometimes rob you, of prospective growth.

In Maslow’s hierarchy, we talk of self-transcendence that maximizes satisfaction -growth -the feeling of elevation…however the physiological and security levels are also a need, and when that gets threatened a leader can rarely do justice to the primary reason of being in the system. Many organizations struggle to strike the balance as they are in a race to create cheaper -better -faster!! The balance starts with securing leadership to be able to do justice to their primary role -SKILL TRANSFER!! This transfer is as good as heart transfer or cloning tacit expertise and needs to be dealt with, acumen and focus.

In recent times a lot of focus is being given to empowering leaders to become better coaches -trainers and facilitators for business optimization. Inviting industry experts to constantly hone this attribute goes a long way to keep the leadership growth pastures hydrated.

Most often these sessions are done clinically, however, the best results are experienced when they are done as a lab workshop from time to time. A lab is an experimental space where leaders, can role play -ask questions and test out principles that are proven since time immemorial.

6 Fundamental methods to support our leaders become better facilitators of Skill transfer:

Orchestrate – When we work with the best of minds it is important to understand every person’s strengths and accentuate them. Like a conductor in the orchestra, the leader can lead with the baton to give wings to what the composer creates, and passionate musicians play with perfection. Every team member is an asset who the leader needs to further align for the organizational vision and symphony!
High Energy environment -Energy is a KEY component in facilitation. Whether in a workshop or lab setting or even a formal discussion -training setup, the energy decides how much is imbibed by the audience. Energy can also be induced through activities -role-plays and giving queues to the participants rather than controlling with your lung power.
Managing Dynamics -No matter the team or company size, team politics and groupthink ALWAYS creep up. Being able to set aside the grave-vine yet address it, is an art that needs to be dealt with tactically.
WIIFM -Keep the WIIFM (‘What’s in it for me’-crystal clear). In an age when our attention span is limited it is important to call out the return on investment of time. Engaging, interactive dialogue, group activities that involve moving about, brainstorming, and creating tangible outcomes.
Building a secured Relationship -Having a secured relationship rather than one of interaction is what gives true value to any skill transfer journey. The comfort of asking questions -bonding with your target audience gives you an advantage of a seamless skill transfer. In most traditional classrooms in schools, children are asked to keep quiet…which is counterproductive as the questions or doubts for effective Knowledge and skill transfer don’t take place. Andragogy has always been practiced by the best facilitators from ancient times.
Enforce Accountability -To see the best results of learning and facilitation, participants need to feel accountable for putting what they learned into practice. There could be follow-up sessions, discussions, weekly catchups to see the skill in action. Creating an accountability matrix and mechanism can help all stakeholders to view the results of the learning journey. This also translates into practice of the skill learned diligently.

What is your facilitation style? What is your biggest contribution as a leader? How comfortable are you in sharing all your techniques and expertise with others? Look forward to hearing from you.

To hone your Facilitation and Training Skills explore the following:

Facilitation Workshop

How to Lead with Facilitation skills

Facilitation Mastery

INSPIRATION TO LIVE YOUR GIFT|| FUEL SELF MOTIVATED STATE|

In a fast-paced dynamic world, we are constantly challenged and forced to course correct during our journey to our goals. Thus staying inspired to figure out the best methods become very critical. The rules of yesterday may not apply to our goals today, so staying inspired to innovate and explore our gifts can help… Inspiration is a motivated state that gives wings to our ideas. The new generation of research and neuroscientific study has revealed that inspiration is a construct of our creative endeavors and fuels us to usher in transformational solutions, thinking and products for the benefit of society.

Best of Art -Science or even products is an outcome of inspired focus. Self-motivation is possible only when our context around our inspiration and purpose share a common path.

Examples of some of the best minds – artists – scientist who were not recognised in their times but stayed inspired, help us emmulate the path of excellence even when the light doesn’t show in the tunnel!!! Van Gogh a post-impressionist painter was a ridiculed artist of his time and sold only one painting in his lifetime, is one of the renowned painters today.

”A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness” (Endymion by John Keats)

John Keats was an English Romantic poet who was disregarded by critics during his lifetime. Keats died at age of 25 without much appreciation for his work. His poems reflect vivid imagery and sensuous connections. Today he is counted among the most esteemed poets of all times.

Galileo Galilei, a famous Italian astronomer lived in the 16th century however his ideologies were accepted only in the 19th century. Galileo Galilei was often criticized by those heavily involved in religion, who believed that the world was fixed and did not revolve around the sun.

Thus inspired work is not related to outcomes, it’s more to do with the inner joy in pursuing your gift or what you cherish, what gives meaning and purpose to your life. In a job, art, or research the meaning that you attach to your contribution is what decides how happy -satisfied you are in it. One of my dear friends is into foreign education counseling (Santosh Neelangetal –Merit Education) and is always supercharged, as he believes in helping people find their best professional choice and the education that can help them achieve that goal.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that is a combination of our gift -contribution -innate skills which support others around us. ‘ ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. Thus ikigai is the meaning you attribute to life. While this concept is the sweet spot for professional success, we also need our traditional scriptures’ guidance where Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita advises us …”Karmaṇyevādhikāraste Mā Phaleṣu kadācana ” Our duty is towards our action or karma and not for the results related to the same. If we focus on our inspired actions and duties rather than results, our life can be truly blissful…without complaints -pains and whining for some unknown!!!

What inspires you in life? How do you fuel your motivation? Do you need Results -Outcomes -Financials to prove your gift? Look forward to hearing more from you.

To find more about Science of Inspiration explore the following reads:

Inspiration in Science & Religion

Magic Words- Science of motivation

2AM LIFE LINE| INNER CIRCLE CHOICES|

We all crave a 2 am support and lifeline!! Yet very often we detest being one. Recently I was listening to my son’s Amazon library songs, and came across lovely lyrics -” You get what you give…” by New Radicles. The new age gen Z song touched me…” Don’t let go you have the music in you”. This new generation has defined spirituality with their outlook and how they live it, rather than following rituals and protocols. Hours of prayers can be futile if we forget the fact that the divine resides in the hearts of people around us; the more we do justice to our ecosystem the more spiritual we are!!

The bottom line is if we wear our heart on our sleeve and plunge into a world of uncertainties, with a single-minded belief that doing good has a boomerang effect, life all of a sudden is simplified. The balance sheet of other’s deeds or sins, doesn’t bother us anymore; cause we know we only attract what we GIVE -DO -BELIEVE -FEEL!!!

Building a 2 am inner circle that we can rely on, starts with our actions. In fact, sometimes the good samaritans appear out of nowhere to be our saviors. I remember almost two decades back in Kolkata, me, my son who was about a year old, and my husband were returning from the airport after dropping a relative when we met with an accident and suddenly groups of people came forward to get us out of the car and got a cab for us.

It’s not only the network we build, it’s also our day-to-day actions -thoughts -feelings that eventually decide how the divine creates a shield of souls around us.

6 Action Steps to creating your 2 am lifeline:

Unconditional Love and Support – When we start by extending unconditional love and support to our inner circle, we have built a foundation to the lifeline which we may have to opt for at some time.
Stop engaging in Gossip -If we have feedback for someone we can always meet up or pick up the phone rather than creating a gossip chain. Gossip often can damage relationships and long-term understanding. Gossip also creates a negative charge in our life.
Ask for Support -Often we find it difficult to ask for support. This may be due to ego or even apprehending perception of others etc. However, reaching out to people is the best way to keep your network warm. This could be to ask or even extend support.
Celebrating Milestones of Others -We need to rise above the ”Neighbours envy Owner’s pride” concept and rejoice in the success of others if we want a strong 2 AM LIFELINE circle! What we appreciate in others we imbibe in our life and personality.
Revisit our Personality -” You attract what you are”. Thus being the person we want in our life is an easy way to build a network of the strong team-or inner circle of friends.
Opt for the Good of 50-50-Recently my daughter came up with a great theory, everything is 50-50!! School too was half good half bad! Interesting that we always focus on the half bad when we want to judge others and just the opposite when it comes to us!! Every lifeline starts with what you want to prioritize …When you cherish the good from the 50-50 principle you would never be let down. Rather than complaining look at the brighter side of 50-50 and you are a Winner!!

Who are your 2 AM Lifelines? How do you nurture them? What beliefs are helping you attract the best people and circumstances in your life? How often do you complain? Do share your perspectives on building the inner circle and the divine blessings.

For more explore the following reads –

Law of Attraction -9 most…

30 Practical Exercise of LOA

CHALLENGING YOUR COMFORT| EXPERIENCING THE UNKNOWN|

“You can choose courage or you can choose comfort. You cannot have both.” -Brene Brown

One of the best ads of our times is ‘Dar ke age jit hee’! FEAR is often referred to by many as False evidence appearing REAL! In our life, we usually live with fear and within our comfort zone, rarely daring to step out. Trying something is always going out of our comfort zone, no matter how much we want to venture out, our ecosystem and well-wishers have few guidelines which are ingrained in our system which shows only one path in life. The routine mostly gives us a predictable outcome that we so much crave, the recognition of our herd furthers our need to keep proving ourselves every day. Yet there are so many experiences that we always wanted to plunge into which are put on the back burner for some later births if we get!!

The pandemic has taught us that nothing is permanent, and no matter what comfort zones we are in, it all can disappear in a second. We protect ourselves from all kinds of mental and physical pain, yet the unknown with its surprises doesn’t allow us time to brace ourselves.

However, it’s also true that sometimes the consequences of going beyond our fears to experience adventure can also cost us our otherwise peaceful life. Thus finding the balance between Adventure and Acceptability could be the icing on the cake!! Lessons from our adventure anecdotes and the acceptability of some of our comfort zones can go a long way to give us a thrilling experience of life. When we do a flashback of our life we shouldn’t have the regret that we wanted to try something, which our fears stop us from experiencing! Likewise, if the adventure has gone awry, what did we learn from the same, which has helped us upgrade our thinking.

We all need to grow, yet we all want to stay in the comfort zone of predictable outcomes -behaviors -feedback -accolades!! The irony of life is that growth starts with aspiration, moves with adventure, stagnates with acceptability, and accentuates with a new adventure! When we want to experience more in life, stepping out of our bubble is the obvious method. Soon enough the comfort zone can be translated into a risk zone, granting you all that you wanted to experience.

6 Baby steps to Challenging your Comfort –

Try a new route or recipe -We are so often scared to waste our time -investment and efforts that we stick to our same routes and recipes. Yet when we try something new, our neurons find new connections. This process further yields new opportunities -thinking and ways of life. The ability to explore the new around us can give you the first step towards the way out of your comfort zone into a new territory that was unknown to you.
Learning Something New -We attribute “learning” as a phase that only happens when we’re kids. That’s ridiculous. The learning process never ends, and there is always an opportunity to grow, no matter what age or situation. Research today says the best way to avoid Alzheimer’s is to engage in lifelong learning. Learning constantly stimulates the brain, more synapses may boost cognitive reserve, in turn delaying memory-related challenges and dementia. Learning is also an essential way of exploring beyond the comfort zone.
Networking with a new Tribe -Developing a new friend circle or acquaintances can also help you get ideas of adventure beyond your comfort. When we interact with people with new values -beliefs or thoughts we step into a new tribe, this also helps us broaden our horizons. Life is full of different and unique people, but when we get stuck in the same tribe, we tend to gravitate toward people that are similar to us. When this is the only interaction in our lives, it leads us to become close-minded and cuts us off from the reality
Dropping your Routine -Routine can limit our thought processes and creativity. Thus from time to time, we need to experiment with a new way of doing things. This could be starting with a new form of exercise like Pilates, high-intensity functional training, strength training, etc. Leaving your comfort zone may also help you get insights of what else do you like around you. Dropping Routine may help you find your other passions in life!
Let go of Your laurels -When we are too attached to our achievements we find it difficult to step into a new horizon. Thus letting go of past glories and dreaming on new peaks is another great way to try living beyond your comforts.
Travel into New Territories -Travelling to different places and exchanging thoughts with people from other cultures can be a great boost to living beyond our comfort zones. Opening your mind to other people’s cultural views and understanding what their ideologies are based on is the first step to gaining wisdom that applies all rather than territories you are used to.

To explore beyond your comfort zone, do check the following reads:

Fearless Freedom

Think out of the Box

What are your experiences with Fear ? Do you like going beyond your comfort? How would like to keep exploring new territories beyond your comfort? Do share with us your techniques to live beyond your comfort zone.

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE IMPORTANT TO YOU| EVERYONE HAS LIMITATIONS|

SUPPORTING DIFFICULT PEOPLE COME OUT OF INNER STRUGGLE

Every person has some limitations and idiosyncrasies which surface at various points in time. These precious people could be in our personal or professional life, however dealing with them is an essential part of our life to keep enjoying the brighter sides of them. Very often understanding the situation and addressing accordingly is the way out, provided our wisdom is active at such situations.

These people could be our parents, children, team members, supervisors, peers, or clients … who we value in our life the most for mutual success and we’ll being in life. Yet prioritizing wisdom in times when they become difficult is a challenging space to be in. This close inner circle of people who you live with every day can sometimes force you up the wall, where you start losing your sanity. I am sure all of us feel this dichotomy in life, where people who make us feel at the top of the world can also make us feel down and out.

The best way to deal with these otherwise beautiful people who we want in life without their surprising mood swings…is to build our wisdom and strategize in advance. If you suddenly face a situation, it’s harder to deal with it. However, if you understand the pattern and create your action plan, then you are surely not going to get tormented by it.

Most of often you just happened to be in front of them at the wrong time. The reason for their mood or anger has barely anything to do with you. It is an internal frustration that is externalized by the inappropriate expression on people who are close to them. Empathizing with people during their challenging times, by awareness and appreciation can help you build the relationship better.

Generally the stimulus attracts an equally harsh reaction, which one needs to refrain from. It is tough to have an understanding reaction to an unreasonable action…however that is what helps us deal with people in their anger, sorrow, or breaking down moment. The reaction also becomes very intense when we are attached to the person -cause -situation.

Different people have different ways of expression, during unfavorable times, some take it out on others, some torment themselves, others just go within and isolate. However developing the capability of dealing with people and situations, can nurture the skill of being a great leader-coach-confidante – friend -parent -people practice expert.

6 Techniques of Dealing with Difficult People :

Extend Empathy -When someone starts attacking you for no reason, it is difficult to empathize. However, we need to work on this in advance, to be able to rise to the occasion when we are confronted with it. Thus empathy as a value irrespective of who is in front of you needs to be practiced as a skill before you wear it as your persona.
Compassion -Compassion to the person who is being difficult can help resolve the issue. Rarely do we understand what other people go through, even when we share the same roof… The difficult person may be going through a very tough ordeal or an inner conflict that we are not aware of. Thus compassion can be a way to start supporting the person to come out of it.
Give Space – Giving space and silence, for healing and calming down can be an effective way to delay the dialogue and support at more opportune times. This also gives the other person time to gain balance and peace, before any communication.
Staying Calm – Working with a difficult person on a project can be infuriating. When you receive an email or message from the person it leads to a brawl, which could have other repercussions. Thus the best way to deal is to stay calm till you can rationally deal with it.
Practice Self Control -Not Watching our reaction to difficult people can further spoil the situation. We must watch our words or need to give back when we feel like a scapegoat. It is easy to follow Newton’s Third Law !-(To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.) It comes naturally to us. Thus controlling our reaction is a wise way to operate to get the best outcome.
Manage Conflict -Establish boundaries and hold your ground to manage the conflict. We also need to respect ourselves during such times and not allow others to bully us. Sometimes giving in too much can also make this a regular practice…Thus manage conflict to voice your thoughts and build an understanding rather than giving in to the poor treatment.

To know more on how to deal with difficult people explore the following reads:

Dealing with Difficult People

Powerful Phrases to Converse with Difficult People