Bamboo In The Wind

Much of our creative journey happens while we are in conversation with others. Listening to someone else's thoughts gets us going with those of ours. It is as if we have found a vehicle to learn their world. In doing so, we happily start imagining how we would act if we were to share a similar experience. Before long, we stray into areas completely unrelated. We continue to grasp the conversation we are in, even while walking on an independent track that only we know. We converge on the discussion at will, on interruptions, while at other times, we continue traversing our world gaining insights about us, our little world. As if we are soul searching what we must explore and do. When we cannot figure out what we should do, riding on others' thoughts is an excellent way to get into action!

Fear grips us in the throes of inaction. Feeling disoriented, abandoned, shattered, and lonely, we imagine being at no point of return!  Why do we feel so? Fear makes us see our place in our surroundings relative to others. We find ourselves poorly positioned when compared to others. Stumped, behind, needing to play catch up, and ill-equipped.  Until we bottom out of that fear! When we realize there is nothing more damning and damaging than what we are experiencing. In some ways, it is the uncertain starting point of a new race. When this reality hits us, that much is now up to us. That conscious realization gives us a view of the datum of worst-case scenarios. Once we know our ground zero, it gives us the strength to spring back on a path of return! How does one get back on a path of return? Sincerely accepting our situation and admitting the reasons for it. Engaging in the very acts that were scary and we hated to indulge in.  The best part of mustering courage is it th...

Interactions are a privilege. Privilege is earned because someone trusts we will bring our best to them and then, in turn, offer theirs.  Interactions don't last very long when there is no tooth in them.  Unless there is a meaningful exchange of thoughts, opinions, listening, or expressions, there is very little energy for the interaction to carry on. We only realize the importance of engaging and fueling dialogues once we see a dearth. Often, we take it for granted that we will get opportunities for interaction. It comes from the sense of entitlement overpowering us. Clearly, interaction is an earned right. We can rarely demand it at will. Unless we feed the interactions with valuable insights or allow ourselves the time to absorb vitals from them, they lose steam over time. The loss of privilege is damaging because right always sits on the foundation of trust. In the connected economy, transactions are at the forefront of all our dealings. Instantaneous feedbacks, ratings, l...

Upward and onward movement is quite desirable. Everyone wants it. Very few get it. There are mechanics of understanding what contributes to the forward motion. It is the combination of desire or a will followed by a supply of energy that aids in sustaining momentum. Desire or a will comes from within. It is the most vital part of making things progress. Something has to strike a cord internally before our actions become coordinated and our attention becomes fully involved. Supply of energy depends on kick-starters. Some of them come from us, such as building a clean, simple, and easy-to-follow model of what we need to do to get from here to there. We get tremendous energy to bounce back where we can perform activities efficiently, verifiably, and unobstructed. Can there be dampeners even when there are clear plans? Of course, there can be. But then, the recovery from mistakes is fixable with effortless actions.  Rebounding to normalcy requires accepting feedback, returning to the h...

Mountains are perceived as tall, unyielding natural structures. On the other hand, molehills are little bumps formed by ants hauling dirt to create a surmountable pile-up. They are hardly comparable. And yet, we often see that confuses one for the other! Many times we like to think of temporary obstacles in progress as mountains. Unsurmountable and impossible to get past. It is a perspective that develops because avoiding confronting complex matters might badly bruise us. We prefer to bury such issues under the rug of the unwanted section of minds! By doing so, the problem has not gone away. It remains unresolved and alive. Many circumstances can bring situations that can open the issue from under the unconscious.  It takes so much energy to keep it under there, yet we try to avoid confronting it and resolve it once and for all.  That is a mountain made out of a molehill! An unaddressed emotion. A scare, a fear, an anger, a decision, an action that never was dealt with and was...

It is common to set out for great destinations. We embark on a supercharged highway for a smooth ride. Little do we realize that the intended destination is only sometimes the first stop. Often, we make stops that may seem inconsequential. We like to pay no heed to them. They often differ from the ones we expect to inspect as potential destinations. If we look back, many great journeys happen because of our experiences during the stops along the way. It is rarely just the memory of a flamboyant destination. It is about experiences that weave into an incredible journey. These innocuous-looking spots give us a glimpse of where you are and who you are with. It lets us experience what you do in the short span that you are there. It makes us curious about what lies ahead, and further lures us. Most things in work and life are built upon unmissable learnings we receive at most unexpected parts of what we set out to do. All we need is to be present and open to every stop, regardless of whethe...

There are a few things that drive what happens to us. We have a system of determining truths; We have a system of engineering our actions; And, We have a system of what we actually do based on these two. The first system is the belief system. It places a picture of our reality through a tiny time window through which we absorb all our experiences. And, through a high-speed network wired to our brains, we make sense of the truth we have absorbed.  The thing about a belief system is its DNA can be rigid. The first experience of the world develops an image of the actual or false nature of what we just experienced. We extrapolate from our past experiences.  The repeat experience helps amplify our belief or reject it based on how cemented our version of the faith is. It reflects the difference between the two mindsets. Closed mindset or Open mindset. The second one is a system of engineering our actions is a value system. The value system reflects what we actually want and must do....

It is easier to place our judgment about things in a positive light or otherwise. We take a clear position by placing our opinions rather than being on the fence. Often being judgemental puts our emotional bias as our honest opinion. Being judgemental can be a quick response and make us feel like we have provided valuable contributions, but often it results in a tilted view of how we think about things. It has the potential to create a clear yet unfavorable instinctual bias. It has the scrutiny of facts. On the other hand, Discernment focuses on understanding the line of opinions and the reasons for having those opinions. It emphasizes looking at evidence from factual information. Thus it leaves doors open to change our minds based on a well-rounded understanding of facts. Discernment allows us to develop a balanced view of the situation and has the edge over spur-of-the-moment reactions drawn from being judgemental. When we deploy an ability to discern, we demonstrate care for underst...

Have you ever realized mistakes quickly catch our full attention? They do because mistakes create an impact in the form of a lack of progress and disappointment. We rarely want to be seen as regressing and yet still be happy. And thus, mistakes make us sharply focus on what is wrong. However, when it catches our attention, there are possible reactions.  1. We unabashedly try to hide our mistakes because they create embarrassment and shame.  The inclination is to brush aside acts that create such emotions and make every attempt to show control of the outcome with no responsibility for it on our shoulders. Make it look like not our doing, or blame it as a silly slip-up. Both ways, we protect our skin despite being responsible for mistakes and outcomes! People will see through your attempt to defend your self-image and will learn to stay away from you. 2. We own up to the mistake. We assess the actions that triggered the outcome and learn how they could have been avoided. It requ...

When life knocks us down, it can look like a terrifying path of no return! We freeze in action, feel low, and don't find a way out of the endless spiral of hopelessness.  What exacerbates this feeling is that no one can help and understand our plight. We find the world around us simply walking on while trapped in the most difficult. We are lonely and tempted to fight our battles alone! Contrary to how we feel, that is usually different. The world around us is exceptional and competent enough to notice our problems. People around us have a wealth of experience and initiative to show us that life is full of ups and downs, success and failure, and acceptable and unacceptable. We simply need to listen to what is coming our way! We learn setbacks are followed by comebacks! If we care to ask or listen to those who care, we will understand ways to weave emotional experiences into a rewarding string of comeback actions. This change of thought that we can overcome difficulties is where a re...

The choice of how to start is ours. We can research, review and mull over our findings all we want. We can be sure of all the parameters or pitfalls of our thinking. Surprises are unavoidable, and stumbling blocks are a near-real probability. While trying to learn to drive a car, we can know the technique, but nothing replaces holding the steering and understanding the position of wheels or knowing the combination of speed and gear changes. We have to experience it by starting in a place and thinking of it as the best possible place to start! Starting in some place creates a web world of possibilities. It ignites the next best step as we learn from the first and negotiate our way forward. Grafting a new idea from the first one is the best way to keep our start and turn it into a journey. Grooming ideas and grafting them as often as needed is the legitimate and most natural way we think!

The real reason delegation is problematic is that there is a chance of seeing it as a loss of control! Our biggest fear is that handing our work to others is risky. Who in a sane mind would want to be put down in public for not finishing what we were to do by giving it to someone else. Delegation sometimes feels like watching things slip through the crack in plain sight!  There are innumerable instances where our inner desire to control overrules the desire to generously engage the best effort involving others. Delegation attracts a few reactions. The first is the bias that anyone other than us has an insufficient background to negotiate with we are about to. Another reaction arises out of the first one. It relates to the risks of damage to the personal portrayal. It stems from insecurity and a lack of trust. The fear of loss of face at the expense of others makes it impossible to delegate almost anything. It is strange that we even think like this in daily work and life....

It is a good thing to be able to attract attention! After all, not everyone can get it. Apart from personal charm, you are able to get that only with solid accomplishments that yield from a lot of grunt work. You get something spectacular, something to stop and take note of,with a lot of invisible hard and intelligent work that we can relate to.  When your work takes roots it is because you made it applicable to your surroundings. How do you know? They shared their mind, told you what was missing, asked you to change what you have, and provided feedback. When you hear from a few, you can be sure you have the ears of others. And trust is building slowly and steadily.  Trust builds because of consistent, meaningful, applied engineering of desires and expectations of others through your work. Knowing the desires and expectations of others we are interested in is the holy grail of knowing which problems to solve! Keeping at it for the core of its creation is often the way to go. Y...

It is rare to find an exact match that gets us together. We usually build an overarching theme of alignment, join hands, and let the combination fuel with trust. Is that by choice or a forced decision? We must demonstrate patience as alignments build up over time. Let such arrangements get support from activities that provide opportunities to solve problems with the help of one another. Activities provide the necessary environment to thrive and overcome teething issues of adjustments. What appears to be an alignment may develop cracks under duress. Mainly owing to impatience, mismatch of expectations, or reactions to unexpected. Our instinct is to leave a group effort because we might resort to judging each other - instead of their work. There is room to build a quick misunderstanding, especially when the activity is short-lived and limited experience with others' decision-making styles.  So, we must put a group on a hot plate to test its durability. We need to feed various activit...

It is appalling, unfair, and daunting. Just as we get done with the dishes, there is more waiting! Just as we finish the work, there is a new pile. As soon as we are out of a terrible situation, another one is waiting! Crisis after crisis keeps us bogged down. We cannot fend off people, their priorities, their preferences, and their confusion. It is a priority for them to chase you and engage in gory details of what transpires in their private world when it is on the verge of a breakdown! But is there a filter guiding only what we want in the pot that we like? The criteria for it are straightforward. Does engagement thrown at us drain us or make us sit up and engage! A crisis is mostly our making. It is an outcome of everything that affects social status, induces fear, and pressures us with moral obligations. A crisis that tires and drowns us? Or a ravishing opportunity that brings out the best and gives us a well-rounded experience? Learning to segregate broad-based, people-pleasing e...

No matter what opportunities come their way, they like to say no. Of course, those who want to say no to creating space for themselves and drawing fences so their privacy does not breach must learn how opportunities fall in their alley. They need to be closer to your core inclinations and interests initially. More often, it's usually the way to shrug off responsibility and ownership! It can be disheartening to opportunity creators because all they are eying for is electrifying the environment they can create or see. We will feel the excitement and be open to grab it with both hands. But for us, any ball rolling our way disturbs the sanctity of what is kosher. But if what we see does fit the norm that defines kosher, then our response is based on the premise of keeping the status quo for us.  That is grossly unfair to many others who need to see the change. They involve us in enacting the change. They sure lead the way, but they hope we will embrace their priorities openly. Saying n...

We are unforgiving to ourselves when we are off a proven track that we know will take us to uncertainty. We know the pitfalls of resolving tension. It involves hard work, understanding, and interactive corrective steps. That is an arduous task! Why try climbing down the seemingly impossible cliff when we know the world ends there? This is a bias that prevents exploration. Retain the status quo, pursue tried and tested methods, do what we know, and play safe. That is our preference. A beginner's mind, however, works the opposite precisely. It is willing to throw away the known, reassemble the new environment, and be open to doing what is not done before. A beginner's mind can erase the past and rebuild a new canvas. It knows there is a risk that rebuilding may yield something other than what it embarks on. Life-changing experiences are all based on pauses and restarts from a clean slate. Beginner's mind tests out the evolution we had and experiences we have gotten and if we ...

Negotiating with self is common. We have little control over it. We need to get something straight. It is the simple thing we want to accomplish, yet we have an uncanny ability to push our desire into random possibilities pouring over the hills. It is like getting underneath the waterfall with the thought of getting drenched. But the water flows over us, changing the entire thought pattern. Much we had in our minds vanishes. Unexpectedly.  Many times that is relaxing and desirable. But sometimes, it's overwhelming. We simply need the desire to progress to achievements. We cannot give the chatter in our minds the required grasp and complete whole-hearted backing. We bring up all kinds of impossible possibilities and delay marching toward what we desire. That is usually a cover. A delay tactic. A reason we find to tell ourselves that we are not there yet. The decision can wait; we need more evidence before we can progress. It shows we are risk-averse, detest failing, and think others...

Finding the course is enthralling when we can make the right moves. Just the freedom to make those moves is enough. But a rather crucial step after getting started is immediately learning the effects of our actions. Doing so has a few effects: It tells us what is working. How would we know that? We would know it because we can comprehend the next step based on it. What we have done has established a building block. It tells us what is not working. That requires a little bit of work. It is intuitive, from the evidence of the development.  We need help configuring our following best response when results are unanticipated. It tells us we are off course. We need to rework the landscape of what we are chasing, rebuild the understanding by correcting our base assumptions, and then restart afresh. As straightforward as it appears, along these paths lies an experience of how we are supported or questioned. That usually means we emit signals from our workspace that catch favorable or unfav...

Gathering thoughts requires some work. Thoughts are usually flashes of something that resonates with us momentarily. We can imagine ourselves being a part of it. We can even place ourselves as participants in those. The trouble is how to hang on to those transient themes. Locking them up for processing later is futile. Hanging on to those thoughts needs some concrete physical action to share. It creates an exchange that builds a system of sender-receiver passage and a method for correcting an exchange. Creating physical action involving others is problematic because it places the onus on us to put a stake in the ground right away that we have had a thought that has perceived benefit to us in our mind. It requires running a risk of knowing that them not seeing the benefits we see. At least until they see the side of it that is closer to their belief system.  Everyone has flashes of interest. Often concretized priorities lead to expectations that can dwindle the possibility...

Setting goals to accomplish them depends on knowing all things that can go wrong along the way. That is undoubtedly the job of a plan. To understand possible blind spots we can run into and have an alternative action in place, so we know precise fall-back steps to take. Pivoting with planned steps is suitable for continuing to make progress. All we are doing then is to switch a new planned action when something that we planned does not work. The big premise is that the plan has accounted for all possible stumbling blocks, and our prior experience is vast and provides reasonable indications of trouble areas. Often, more than deliberate actions are required. It requires assimilating the encountered facts and reassessing the plan based on it. This brings in many unknowns and puts us in a situation that raises self-doubt. Similar to walking in the pitch dark on a familiar road to a routine small store that we traverse many times a day. Despite the prior experience, can we get to the store ...

The usual inclination is to chalk everything on paper and have a plan. Planning is an excellent start while considering possible contingencies, hurdles, rollbacks, and corrective strategies. We must know. However, there are very many assumptions that have the potential to derail them. It is usually not enough to entirely rely on speculative planning if we are to succeed.  On-the-feet thinking has a role. It is to think as you enter into a situation, make sense of the situation on the spot and take corrective actions as best as you can, keeping the dynamic assessment in mind. Fixed procedural plans, learning as we go,  and flexibility to think on the feet are great ways to tackle most of what we are likely to face in any work situation. As easy as it sounds, it requires courage to steer away from what we had already decided as a code of conduct. Deviation depends on how we apply our knowledge and intelligence of the situation and make firm decisions that may turn out disastrous...

It's easier to blame the tools when we can't get something done.  Producers know what they have got and understand their limitations and find the best way out of everything they encounter. In the face of difficulty, they alter their assumptions about the situation and continue the quest to find the way out until they land on something of common, broader interest.  It's easier for us to think of embarking in isolation; nothing wrong with it, but having company in our journeys requires keeping doors open. When we do, we might encounter something of more profound interest if we can deal with distractions. Because doing so gives us glimpses of changing winds and fresh air. It is no surprise, then, that we get traction on something that amplifies our central beliefs, albeit the manifestation of it is mildly altered from the core. And we should be okay with that.  The biggest obstacle for us is adjusting to our own willingness to change! Being open to the idea that we can chang...

The more we know, the more we learn, the more we learn, the more we do, the more we can do, the more the opportunity - there is little doubt about it. We all start with the same premise of what gets us to a high pedestal. And then we come tumbling down.  The reasons for it are surprisingly straightforward.  The steady application of effort with a little bit more work applied sensibly has the potential to get us far. But we need more rigor and commitment for it. The sensible approach is grounded in reality. It relies on facts of surroundings, accepts feedback, and deploys course corrections. In other words, we give justice to what we learn so we know what else to do. Our ability to tolerate ambiguity is another crucial factor. The opportunity shows up at their door who can demonstrate a high ability to tolerate ambiguity. They can do so because they know their foundational understanding well to detect errors and flaws and can rebuild a new, improved foundation.  The danger...

Haziness emerges when we fail to strike cords. Nothing we see, encounter, or do catches our imagination. Imagination is a big part of forming an act of reciprocation in our minds. The excitement we feel about something is usually a result of a healthy imagination. It provides the hope that our constructive acknowledgment of what we experience will be worthwhile and satisfactory. Such imagination stems from automatic concurrence - an alignment of sorts. We are okay with sitting on the fence until something appears on the horizon and makes us take note. That means we need to employ observation and align with the theme of everything that comes our way. It requires attention, sincerity, and openness to receive things different from our prior experiences.  When that theme strikes the cord with us, it is because it amused us along unexpected lines. It shatters the state of known we like to be in. It makes us curious. This is when we engage with new learning, and haziness begins to disapp...

There are a couple of ways we can overcome the hurdles. First, stare it in the eye! Engage with the most tricky part of your hurdle. No matter whether you are cornered, put down, ignored, or not understood. However terrifying it's to engage and stand in the storm, stay in there.  Next, Take action! Some. Any! It does not matter whether it is right or wrong. Action triggers emotional responses, interactions, and learning.  Imagine using Google Maps for driving directions in a crowded locality. Google maps tell us to head North. We simply need to find out where our North is! How easy is that!  The best thing we can do is to take "some" action. So, we drive forward and see if Google Maps detects our direction and suggests the best course of action.  We engage until we learn the correct path to our destination. Maps guide. Same with other people! They cajole, suggest, opine, and nudge. We choose the way!

  "No" and "Not yet" have two different connotations. Saying "No" is definitive, stalling. Sometimes it is self-effacing and boundary setter. It is protective of preferences.  It can be limiting. We pretend that we have all the facts. Naturally, it embeds the thinking that we have built an unbiased understanding. "No" is easy and gets you off the hook quickly. It also leaves out an opportunity for the deep inspection something deserves. Often "No" is the trap we get into. "Not yet," on the other hand, is more open. Encouraging and exploratory.  It expresses confidence that we can learn more and still make the right call. It is respectful of needing ways to overcome biases. "Not yet," can lead us to uncertain possibilities, risk exposure, and experience of stumbling before we are confident. Confidence is a trigger to say "Yes." Or affirmatively say "No."  Say "Yes" or even "No."...

You are constantly under pressure to do better from none other than you. Inside you, however, you will hear a sigh of relief.  All the huffing and puffing that got you here is usually a sign of time well spent. Of course, you loathe hearing that sigh of relief that indicates satisfaction. What you did so far could have been better.  This discontent gives rise to a chase. It starts the search for what is missing around you. You embark on "what more" and "for who."  If you are not chasing "like who," you will likely discover something interesting. The path is unobvious, unnoticed, and without a cover. Yet, guardrails show up from unknown quarters. Find a way to chase down the discomfort.  This is how the most credible journeys start.

There are many aspects about us that back our credibility. The way we show up and speak; the ethics we demonstrate, the rigor in our work; the disciplines, the way we make decisions, etc. These are factors that make us interesting and noteworthy in an ecosystem that is driven by superficiality.  At least, so we think in our heads! This internal noise makes us feel about ourselves differentiated and valuable. Which is a good starting premise that needs validation. Even though we have a lot of exciting work behind us, there is little guarantee that people will be interested in us. Their interest in us depends on the noise and priorities in their head. That drives how we might be accepted!

The benefit of omnidirectional brainstorming is that it teaches us to make our point and listen to that of others. It is a process of making an informed decision on how to move forward. The brainstorming process in the real world plays out in various ways. One manifestation of it is to trigger discussions that consider our opinions as final, immovable ones and seek none from others who are interested in what we do. This authoritarian discussion leads to dis-satisfying outcomes because the others are entirely excluded. Another manifestation gives some accommodation to others. We allow others to express their views while remaining firm on our opinions. It offers others a chance to communicate their ideas to us. Usually, that is all they want. They mostly speak for satisfaction from expression rather than to achieve any effect of mutual benefit from the exchange. As such, we are not obligated to do anything about what they say. This type of accommodative discussion leads to a per...

Loneliness is a state that we detest being in. It's scary. Often it is forced upon us by our preferences. As such, it's more a psychological constraint than a practical one. When lonely, we feel starved of social contact and lose a sense of belonging. When loneliness is dealt with a sense of grudge, we get placed in a disadvantageous corner. From there, we can benefit from participating in action around us, but everything is at an unreachable distance.  We feel deprived, neglected, and unwanted. That is a downward spiral. When loneliness is embraced, we can witness everything around us with an open mind. We don't need to rush to fill the void by surrounding ourselves with people. But we know we can step into it slowly and participate where we feel most comfortable. Often by contributing our original.  The courage comes from being open to the idea that loneliness can be shed and retracted at our will. Then lonely corners and quiet observations become vital. One that can make...

The way to get excited about something is to believe in the conclusion it will have over the long horizon. Deep-rooted beliefs take a long time to develop. They develop from experience and understanding of varying points of view.  Often your excitement is limited by the strength of the belief itself. To strengthen it, you rely upon reasons that substantiate the path to conclusions you are hoping for. Reasons can be learned or invented, but they can also be driven by external biases beyond your control. The grounds for explanations must be intrinsic, factual, and experiential but rarely instinctual. Once there is a reasoned-out belief, it might signal that you are onto something.