Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly, loved it so much that he went against its own flock to reach for the sky. Yet we find fewer Jonathans soaring in the skies above because society wants conformity, has its beliefs and expectations. Many buddingJonathans face the harsh reality soon as they start going to school, around…
Nirmal’s Blog
The creative narrative
“She is so creative.” “He is really creative.” “That’s the creative team.” Creativity is hard to define. Each one of us is creative – that creativity can be seen at our homes, workplaces, the hobbies we have, the activities we do, and it can be anywhere and everywhere. What type of environment helps in facilitating…
Curiosity is its own reason
Albert Einstein once said “Don’t think about why you question, simply don’t stop questioning. Don’t worry about what you can’t answer, and don’t try to explain what you can’t know. Curiosity is its own reason. Aren’t you in awe when you contemplate the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure behind reality? And…
Your Authentic Greatness
Each individual has internal superpowers. These superpowers are unique and developed through our personal experiences, environment, and evolution. Storytelling is one of our authentic superpowers. Each individual can define “success” in their own terms and go towards reaching their authentic greatness. If each of us realize and tap into our internal superpowers, live our authentic…
Then what else do you see, Arjuna?
“What do you see?” I see the eye of the bird. “Do you see the tree?” No. “Do you see the branch?” No. “Do you see the bird?” No. “Then what else do you see, Arjuna?” Nothing, I see only the round black eye of the bird. Excerpt from The Mahabharata – A conversation between…
Being an apprentice
Every human activity, endeavor, or career path involves the mastering of skills. – Robert Greene in “Mastery” In his book Mastery, Robert Greene elaborates on the Apprenticeship phase involving three essential steps in the apprenticeship, each one overlapping the other. The three steps are: Deep Observation (The Passive Mode), Skills Acquisition (The Practice Mode), and…
Your company’s “Chief Question-Asker”
“The most important thing business leaders must do today is to be the “chief question-asker” for their organization” says Dev Patnaik of Jump Associates. Patnaik says that “the first thing most leaders need to realize is, they’re really bad at asking questions. The business executives rose up through the corporate ranks because “they were good…
A basketball evening to remember
I saw Michael Jordan in person for the first time in my life. He was about to go on stage with Vanessa Bryant and induct my favorite player of all time, Kobe Bryant into the Basketball Hall of Fame. This particular event was part of the Enshrinement Weekend, where the new class to the Hall…
What’s your dominant question?
Jim Kwik, author of Limitless says a dominant question is the thing we keep asking ourselves, over and over throughout our day. It’s what drives our decisions in the moment and focuses our obsessions when we’re alone. He says the dominant question feels permanent but it is not. “The questions you ask yourself will shape…
Useful resources on curiosity and questions
Articles/blogs: The DNA of the World’s Most Innovative Companies Curiosity is a Must-have Skill The Business Case for Curiosity Forget Brainstorming. Try Questionstorming Why must businesses step back in order to move forward? Videos: How to Ask Better Questions | Tim Ferriss The Truth about Being the “Stupidest” in the Room | Simon Sinek Podcasts:…
Here’s a piece of advice…
Giving advice to someone is a tough ask. When someone reaches out to you for advice, you are put in a position of authority or power. It could be that the person seeking your advice thinks you are the right person, have the relevant experience, have information that others don’t or for any other reason….
Will by Will Smith
Just finished reading my 1st book of 2022!! Image source: https://willthebook.com
Sports documentaries that are worth it
As a sports fanatic, I’ve devoured the sports documentaries available in various streaming platforms. Some of those documentaries I’ve gone back and watched it again because the stories are told in a riveting way and have had a huge cultural impact. Here are the sports documentaries or documentaries based on sport figures that I really…
Books I read in 2021
I enjoyed reading these books in 2021.
What’s your energy focused on?
Your energy has immense power. What you put your energy into will create the results accordingly. Being aware of your energy, focusing the energy on your important goals and priorities, and taking utmost care of your energy is crucial to achieving success and getting the results you want. The Law of Attraction is based on…
Books that inspire asking questions
Here are a few books that I found to inspire each of us to ask more questions. These books delve into the power of asking important questions, questions that can change the direction of a person, group, or company and provide insights into using questions as a helpful guide in our personal and professional lives.
Feedback for growth
Growing up in a household or being in an environment where you get mostly or only positive feedback, you will expect that type of feedback in all areas of your personal and professional life. How helpful is the (mostly or only) positive feedback for the person receiving it in the long run? Is that positive…
Asking questions to understand better
Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why and other books says that “asking questions doesn’t mean you’re the stupidest person in the room; it usually means you’re the only one brave enough to speak up.” Some of the reasons why we aren’t asking enough questions even when we don’t understand the topic of discussion are…
the perspective
With new adventures, everyday challenges, feedback from others, conversations between employees and managers, and many other moments in our daily experiences, it’s important to keep them in perspective. Imagine a scenario of a manager giving an employee honest feedback. It’s tempting for the employee to expect all positive feedback from his/her supervisor and vice versa….
Grades or growth?
When we put a lot of focus on the grade in school and college, are we limiting the growth of the students’ learning? If ultimately the course grade is what matters, then the students will study accordingly and stay within the framework of the course curriculum. In theory, the student’s grade is expected to represent…