tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90166581395542506002026-10-30T08:35:57.785-07:00Life Strategies - For those with one hand tied behind their backActionable Ideas you can use to advance your Career, Investments, Net Worth, Health and Peace of Mind whether you are at a disadvantage or notMinoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.comBlogger810125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-73163833037400269872026-10-25T10:36:30.689-07:002026-10-25T17:35:55.456-07:00Will exploring a wide range of career opportunities improve one's odds of success?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VEPQ-Zh-A688xwb4cdx2vCYHEn_VO6cwChl7cJ6Xoa-JCNicFuR9KiCXYB1f48VUvikPZOO2yD0AXP2C_WGn3WVNwOYpLkE-0jrxdxqcb8uoy-W7X-jZd3O0mBfn2z9K8tvVQbxv5YCkUoVzUBn1PSqeARkLwcUD-r_Ada5JE6PyeGJIQKiLpEVN1OFN/s4722/lydia-lydia-decision-6170512.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4722" data-original-width="3800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VEPQ-Zh-A688xwb4cdx2vCYHEn_VO6cwChl7cJ6Xoa-JCNicFuR9KiCXYB1f48VUvikPZOO2yD0AXP2C_WGn3WVNwOYpLkE-0jrxdxqcb8uoy-W7X-jZd3O0mBfn2z9K8tvVQbxv5YCkUoVzUBn1PSqeARkLwcUD-r_Ada5JE6PyeGJIQKiLpEVN1OFN/w516-h640/lydia-lydia-decision-6170512.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><br />In support of a "yes" answer, here are </i>6 ways in which exploring different career opportunities may pay off:<br /><br />One, life will be more interesting, if you experiment with different career opportunities.<br /><br />Two, you will learn new things. No two careers are the same.<br /><br />Three, with each change in career, you will meet new people, people different from the kinds of people you’ve met before.<br /><br />Four, when you are new to a career, there will be no room for boredom or complacency.<br /><br />Five, your second, third, fourth, or nth career, may be the one you are most successful at.<br /><br />Six, your second, third, fourth, or nth career, may be your most satisfying career. </span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Satisfaction is a legitimate form of success.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Ultimately, each of us decides what success means to us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Satisfaction may be what success means to you.</span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>In support of a "no" answer, here are </i>6 ways in which pursuing different career opportunities may not pay off...<br /><br />One, all the hard work you put into studying something, or learning something, and the experience you gain in one career will be lost, unless you apply what you have learned and experienced in that career, in your next career, or careers.<br /><br />Two, when you are new to a career, you will have newbie status. Not only may the money be entry level, but you will go from being an old-timer in your previous career, to being a nobody in your new career, until you are able to prove yourself, and reach established status.<br /><br />Three, you may lose any benefits that vest, or that you become eligible for, only when you have completed a certain number of years in a job. - benefits such as longer vacations, stock options, sabbaticals, etc.<br /><br />Four, you may lose the freedom, flexibility, and autonomy, that come with being in one job and career.<br /><br />Five, if you are in one career, you will in time, become an authority on topics and subjects related to that career, a satisfaction in itself. You will lose this when you change careers.<br /><br />Six, and this is important to state, perseverance is the key to long-term success in a career. You will lose this key, if you keep changing careers.</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-role-does-perseverance-play-in-achieving-long-term-success/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-d3c52045bd866cc3c90bba18dc1307b1"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Oct 6</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What role does perseverance play in achieving long-term success?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Perseverance is a key, perhaps the key to long-term success. Those who persevere will achieve more in any sphere (area) of life, than those who don’t. Firstly, they are keen on using their talents, putting their abilities to work, or pursuing their interests. So they are likely to start using their talents, abilities, and interests, early in life. Initially, it may be in a non-professional, hobby setting. At this stage, they do the activity, for the sheer joy of being able to do it. Creation is involved. And they enjoy seeing the results of their creations, as well as experimenting with new ideas. This is a soft beginning. A little later, their talents and creations will be discovered, or they will themselves spot an opportunity, to pursue their interests further, either through getting a job, or through a business idea. This is when their plans and ideas solidify. At this stage, many people’s ambitions come to rest. But the persevering person never rests. They could be happy with the fact, that they are earning money from something they like to do, and are good at doing, and they are gaining knowledge and experience, while practicing what they are good at. But for the persevering person, that’s not enough. Their goal is to become better at what they do, to create and do more, to establish a name for themselves, to use their talents, abilities, and experience, beyond what is required just to support themselves. They are in it to find out how far they can take their talents and skills. They are in it, not just for the immediate future, but for the future they cannot see. The long haul. Regardless of challenges, rejections, disappointments, slow times, and competitive blows, they plan to keep the momentum going. Not resting in high moments, or grieving in low moments. When thrown to the mat, instead of thinking, “it’s all over for me”, they pick themselves up, and keep going. The persevering person may be a short-run pessimist, but they are always a long-run optimist. They never fail to hope for better times. It helps them persist. It helps them expand the number of things they can do, as well as expand the variety of things, they can do. They are also able to branch out, and extend. While the non-persevering person, jumps from tree to different tree, allowing too little time to achieve significant success in any area, the persevering person hones and refines what they do, smartly extending what they do, when the opportunity arises. They don’t make the deadly mistake of losing focus, losing interest, losing traction in the area they have dedicated their lives to. Over time, this makes the core of their knowledge, skills, and insights, strong. It also makes them agile. Quick thinkers and quick doers. Persevering people are success attractors. Over time, they achieve remarkable success. Looking at their success, the non-persevering person will say, “how lucky they are - they got into the right field, everything clicked for them.” They assume the persevering person’s success was due to advantages, resources, support, and connections, that they were lucky to have. But it’s neither a true assumption, nor a fair assumption. The persevering person’s success may have nothing to do with being handed a golden key at birth, or being lucky with resources, connections, and the support to succeed. Their success may be entirely self-made. In fact, the persevering person’s success is significantly due to their persistence and perseverance. They never gave up. They kept going. They were willing to try, and try again. They stretched themselves to meet new opportunities, not letting complacency make them lose their grip. Long after others stopped, or hopped onto a different tree, the persevering person kept at what they were doing, kept the momentum going. It’s how they got to where they are today. And it describes the long-term success of most of the successful people I know. If you ask any of these successful people the question, “what role does perseverance have to play in the success you’ve achieved, and continue to achieve?”, this is the answer you can expect from them…. “EVERYTHING!”</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I have presented 6 ways in which, a wide range of career opportunities may benefit you, </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">and </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">6 ways in which they may not.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />For most of us, this may be just a point of curiosity, because the default option (maybe, even the best option) is to stick with one career.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">If there are circumstances in which, you don't have a choice, but to switch, even though you loved your career, you will see some of the negative aspects I have listed come to play - such as being a nobody, stripped of the respect and authority you previously enjoyed, and for many, far less income too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Immigrants often don't have a choice, but to switch.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Some are doctors, some are professors, some are just copywriting hacks like myself.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I was forced to make a radical career switch, after I immigrated to America, and was unable to get a copywriting job.</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/If-you-had-a-chance-to-do-over-which-profession-would-you-choose/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-b5689990aa73ea0ec05581864a36e06c-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">4y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">If you had a chance to do over, which profession would you choose?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Yes, both of them. This piece explains… Quick - What do Ronald Reagan and I have in common? We both have had second careers. Being a Hollywood actor, and serving as president of the United States – those were Ronald Reagan’s 2 careers. Being an advertising copywriter, and then a commissions analyst – these were my 2 careers. I am not sure what inspired Ronald Reagan’s career change. I know what inspired mine. It was moving to America. I moved to America in an existential crisis. There was no planning involved. Further, I came to America with a toddler in tow, and money to last me 3 months. By hook or by crook, I had to find a job before the money ran out. I spotted just one or two openings for copywriting jobs. Copywriting had been my career in India, a career in which I had been successful. So I applied. I got a response to one of my applications. Off to San Francisco, I went for the interview. But I did not get the job. Maybe looking in AdWeek would have been better. But I did not know how to drive. And I had an 11 month old child to contend with. So I decided to bite the bullet and get an Admin Assistant job. First, I went to Goodwill Institute of Career Development. There I learned the rudiments of the Microsoft Office suite of applications – Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint. Just before my 3 months of money ran out, I got my first admin assistant temp job. Phew! 2 more admin assistant temp jobs followed, before I was to get my first permanent admin assistant job. I became an Admin Assistant to a Sales Manager at Palm Inc, the company that made the Palm Pilot. Palm was where my Commission Analyst career was born. Here's how it happened... After a few months of working at Palm, my boss wondered aloud at one of our one on ones, whether I might be better suited to a more challenging job. I asked him, “Like what?” He said Palm had tons of openings. I should look at them. Maybe there was something that would catch my eye. I asked him, “Can you think of what might be suitable for me?” “Yes,” he said, “Laura, over there is looking for a Commissions Analyst to join her Commission Accounting team. Go talk to her.” Commissions Accounting - what’s that? I wondered. Like in the story of my first career, where my boyfriend knew what copywriters did, but I didn’t, my boss knew what Commission Analysts did, but I didn’t. Anyway, I went to Laura. I didn’t even know if I was saying it right. “I have come to see you about the Commission Analyst job. Andy told me you had an opening,” I said. “What’s your background,” she asked me? “I used to be an Advertising Copywriter in India, and I’ve been working for Andy as his Admin Assistant these past few months.” She was incredulous. “You don’t have the skills,” she said. I was incredulous too, when I found out what the job involved. It was all numbers. I would have to calculate sales commissions, which was a numbers job, the whole day. I had no experience with numbers. I didn’t believe I had a talent for numbers. And to tell you the truth, I wasn’t interested in numbers. How could I, a words person, obsessed, besotted, in love with words, do an “all numbers” job like Commissions Accounting? The suggestion from my boss I go to Laura, appeared kind, but misplaced. But my boss didn’t let go of the idea. I think he was keen to get me off his back. Either that, or possibly, he just wanted me to be fruitfully occupied at work. I had a lot of idle time on my hands, and he could see it was wearying me. “Minoo, go back to Laura. Tell her you have free time. Tell her you will help her out, until she hires someone.” So I went back to Laura. She felt bad to turn me away. After all, what harm was there in letting me help her till she hired somebody? “Ok,” she said, “maybe you can help me with a few things. Let’s get started tomorrow.” And that’s how it began. My foray into Commissions Accounting. Laura started giving me work to do. And teaching me at the same time. The work involved a lot of Excel. Actually, advanced Excel. I only knew the rudiments of Excel. I just followed her instructions. Frankly, I was scared to death. But the fact I was just “helping till she found someone” took the pressure off. I must have done alright. Because after a short while, she said, “Minoo, I need to convert you from Andy’s assistant to a Commissions Analyst under me.” The paperwork was processed. Soon my business card read Minoo Jha, Commissions Analyst, Palm Inc. Laura informed me she would be going out on maternity leave soon after. When I heard her say that, I started panicking. “Laura, how am I going to manage? I don’t understand any of the formulas.” “Laura, if any of the formulas break, I won’t know how to fix them.” “Laura, if a new hire comes on board, what will I do – I don’t know how to set up their statement?” She put all these fears to rest. “Don’t worry, Minoo, trust me you can do this.” “Just copy the formulas from the existing sheets on to new sheets for new hires.” “And if you break a formula, just look at one of the other spreadsheets and copy the formula over from there.” “Trust me - you can do this.” Those were the magic words. Laura went out on maternity leave. I found myself in the position of having to handle the commissions function at Palm entirely on my own. The challenge both terrified and inspired me. I knew the answer was to become really good at Excel. So I did a Google search for ‘best books to learn Excel” and read reviews. I decided there were 5 good books, each of which had different things to offer. I got my boss to let me expense them. The books arrived. Every night after Tanita went to sleep, I would crack them open. Soon, with the help of my 5 books, I mastered Excel. And this once “words only” person stopped being terrified of doing a numbers job. Laura never returned from maternity leave. I handled the commissions function at Palm on my own for the next 5 years. All the way until I moved to greener pastures. I am still doing Commissions Accounting today. Except I now do it as a Freelance Consultant. So now you know the story behind my second career as well. Not as exciting as Ronald Reagan’s second career. But you can see there were many cliff-hanging moments for me, along the way. P.S. Aren’t managers amazing? Laura took me on just because I had fire in my belly. She saw I just needed a little confidence and a little grooming and I would be on my way. She set me up for success. I am so grateful to her till today.</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></a><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Tears and frustration gave way to cheerful acceptance, and a focus on the positives. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I wouldn't have been able to compare myself to President Reagan, if not for that change.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Actually, I got <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-makes-you-decide-to-change-your-job/answer/Minoo-Jha">more than one blog post out of</a> the switch.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Careers are a way to find out about ourselves.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">While our background, history, personality and talents, may land us the perfect first career, we may find out that we can do things which are completely opposite of that.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Career changes, in that respect, expand our horizons.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Life events will also play a part.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Marriage, having children, a family illness, aging parents, can each, in its time, change <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-one-and-done-mistakes-in-your-profession/answer/Minoo-Jha">what we want from a career</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">We can try to ignore those realities, but they will intrude into our thoughts, and demand our attention.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Just as the kind of work that is good for someone else, may not be good for us, w</span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">hat is good for us at one time, may not be ideal for us at another.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">My concluding advice therefore, is to make regular evaluations of what you are currently doing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Does it make sense, based on your background, history, personality, talents, and circumstances?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Make an assessment, and if you think something needs to change, then put on your thinking hat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">What can you do that might work?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">It may not be an all or nothing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Can you tinker with what you are doing currently?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">What small or modest adjustment can make a difference?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Hopefully, I have got you thinking, and this is just the impetus you need to make a change.</span></div><div><br /><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-44892d17303785a636fda79078ec09c4-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/If-you-know-several-successful-people-what-is-something-that-they-all-have-in-common/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">5y</span></a></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/If-you-know-several-successful-people-what-is-something-that-they-all-have-in-common/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com">If you know several successful people, what is something that they all have in common?</a></div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/If-you-know-several-successful-people-what-is-something-that-they-all-have-in-common/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com">They all understand that success is personal… All of us are unique. One size doesn't fit all. Not only do we have different geographical backgrounds, we come from different families and cultures. Our genetic and environmental make up is different. What each one of us was exposed to as children, was different. We have had different kinds of schooling. We've been raised in different kinds of families and homes. We've been part of different communities and cultures. Because we spent our childhoods doing different things, and facing different circumstances, we grew up learning different lessons. We grew up absorbing different values. Naturally, the options we think we have are different. The things we are willing to do are different. The things we are able to do are different. We have different fears and concerns. We have different interests and drives. We have different goals and priorities. Quite naturally, the challenges we feel we are up to taking on, will also be different. For all these reasons, it's important for each of us to develop a personal definition of success. This definition should be valid for you, and you alone. I had a rough childhood, where I rarely got a good night's sleep, because my dad had a drinking problem and would be up all night creating scenes. So part of my definition of success is a good night's sleep. Your unique background, your unique education, your unique experiences and experiments, your unique circumstances, and of course your unique dreams and talents, should all figure in crafting your definition of success. Is it that you were the only one to blaze a trail in your family? Is it that you got through your teenage and early adult years without messing up your life? Is it that you have been able to go with the flow, and make a living taking on different challenges? Is it that whatever you touch, you have always made your investment of time, money, and energy pay off? Is it that you have been able to achieve some things that are important to you, such as work flexibility, or work-life balance, or good health? Is it that you have been able to live simply? Is it that you have been able to go from strength to strength in your field? Is it that you have never let a disabling illness or condition stop you from doing the things you want to do? Is it that you have reinvented yourself through different jobs? Is it that, no matter the life blows, you have never lost your faith in God or humankind, or yourself? Is it that you have made some tough sacrifices you never thought you would make? It is that you are a good friend, a good parent, a good child, or a good brother or sister? Is it that you have never let failures and setbacks keep you down? Is it that you have been steadily able to command more and more respect as a person? Success to you may be succeeding in a field where you are a minority. Success to you may be knowing you have conquered some fears or weaknesses to become a better, or stronger person. Success to you may be dealing with a tough situation, without going to pieces, or losing your compassion. You don't have to let other people's definitions of success determine your life. You know who you are. You know what you have been able to do. Most important of all, you know what still remains to be done. Here’s someone who has his own unique definition of success:</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-33504787702909554802026-10-19T08:56:37.021-07:002026-10-19T08:56:37.021-07:00Are there any circumstances where it is acceptable not to follow through on tasks or commitments, you have said yes to?<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uAwuRz0IxxEz9qxyTSfu15s3bYfB8Wa3b_9i5Boo0FH0ZRsJAj5cFxSHRVYNWYWOG4jlM_t62rQnjYpdH_aoCrREyP4OMllLdQXK7j3KLvOCkibT0saulaq7WWd3wk7iPDAg3uOvtks8yUWpF7zWGy2tSs6p_KbDPViVwoCPolNP74lfXLxG-VjvZQ0-/s3642/a-c-JNwba6cv4e0-unsplash%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3642" data-original-width="2428" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uAwuRz0IxxEz9qxyTSfu15s3bYfB8Wa3b_9i5Boo0FH0ZRsJAj5cFxSHRVYNWYWOG4jlM_t62rQnjYpdH_aoCrREyP4OMllLdQXK7j3KLvOCkibT0saulaq7WWd3wk7iPDAg3uOvtks8yUWpF7zWGy2tSs6p_KbDPViVwoCPolNP74lfXLxG-VjvZQ0-/w426-h640/a-c-JNwba6cv4e0-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Here are some circumstances where it may be acceptable...</span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">You agreed to the task or commitment under coercion.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">You agreed to the task or commitment, without thinking things through.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">The task or commitment involves a commitment of money (or money and time) from your side, that you have changed your mind about, and have decided you do not want to make.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">A gut feeling surfaces, that the task or commitment, is not the right thing to do, or not right for you.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">You have learned new information, which rules against doing the task or commitment. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">Something has arisen - such as a health issue, or a personal crisis, which is a legitimate reason for you not to follow through:</span></li></ul><p></p><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">In all of the above circumstances, it is important to let the person or people you are letting down, know.</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br />Better still, do not commit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">Better to say you can't make a commitment, then to make a commitment, and back out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">Because think about it...<br /><br />Saying yes, and then backing out, can cause an inconvenience.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">It can cause financial loss.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">It can cause physical difficulty.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">It can cause the person to scramble to make alternate plans, to fill the spot you have created.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">This is, of course, besides making them feel disappointed, making them feel let down.<br /><br />So, whatever you do, do not make backing out of commitments a habit. <br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">You don't want to develop the reputation of being a flake.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">You don't want to develop the reputation of being an opportunist. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">An opportunist says yes, but keeps their options open.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">If something better comes along, they casually back out of the commitment, often giving a lame excuse about why they had to back out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">Much better to RSVP no, even if it means losing your place, and the opportunity to change that.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">It's no secret...<br /><br />Relationships and friendships are strengthened, when those in the relationship or friendship keep their word, and keep their commitments.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">When you shake hands on something, make your handshake firm.</span></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-72888811280234022732026-10-11T07:20:50.410-07:002026-10-11T07:20:50.411-07:00Why is it good to be courageous in life?<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcQonmVEe3RMaD_qJ1dJedBmuJUiaguxnpl1NhhEkoTOw93ZdRQANDUjAKx61QKEwfbL105FuthC8z6PD5f8pMalGZTnzxS9vbXO0v3FXPJoY_Tb5735TzaJckoEv_K0qHbb_OgezC3sLi0T6makGyD4Rb1AgA2kGJxM-xXBweIy9EaKhzKaIAp_5befs/s2613/Courage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2613" data-original-width="2090" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcQonmVEe3RMaD_qJ1dJedBmuJUiaguxnpl1NhhEkoTOw93ZdRQANDUjAKx61QKEwfbL105FuthC8z6PD5f8pMalGZTnzxS9vbXO0v3FXPJoY_Tb5735TzaJckoEv_K0qHbb_OgezC3sLi0T6makGyD4Rb1AgA2kGJxM-xXBweIy9EaKhzKaIAp_5befs/w512-h640/Courage.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br />You will need courage to get out of a comfort zone:</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-event-made-you-get-out-of-your-comfort-zone/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-c48c0d85bef57453d6af8311fadc70b3-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 500.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What event made you get out of your comfort zone?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked,What event made you get out of your comfort zone? I had to make a career change when I moved to America. A big, big career change. This event that made me get out of my comfort zone in a big way. Here’s my story… When I was in 2nd grade, I won a state-wide SPCA essay writing contest for an essay I wrote called My Pet. This was the first sign of my writing talents. The next sign was after I finished high school and started having boyfriends. As soon as we got serious, “the boyfriend” would start receiving handmade greeting cards from me. I would express my feelings in all sorts of creative ways on these handmade greeting cards. They were low on image quality. I couldn’t draw to save my life. But they were reasonably good on word quality. Because when Boyfriend 2 came along, after receiving the 4th or 5th card from me, he said, “Minoo, you would make a good copywriter” “What’s that?” I asked. I had never heard of copywriters. At the time, our city was dotted with some very clever billboards for a floor laminate. My boyfriend said, “Minoo, you know those billboards with those clever Woody Woodpecker lines - those were written by a copywriter.” “Ooooh, I would love to do that,” I said, “How can I get to do that?” “You have to join an advertising agency,” he said to me. At the time, I was still in college, so I just filed it away. But that was sign 2 - the recognition from the boyfriend for my writing talent. Sign 3 emerged shortly after. When I should have been in my 2nd year of college, I switched to “external college studies”. This was really an excuse to give myself time to think about what I wanted to do with my life. As a result, I had a lot of spare time on my hands. I used this spare time to scribble again. Since there was no more boyfriend, he had departed for another city with my greeting cards, my scribbles took on new form. I wrote my own guitar songs - lyrics and music. I found this to be more rewarding than writing greeting cards for boyfriends, because I had a larger audience, consisting of family and friends. And I also started writing middles for the local newspaper. Writing for the newspaper, was of course, even more rewarding in terms of audience; the audience was as large as the circulation of the newspaper. And I was to find out how rewarding it was to reach newspaper audiences, when my sister got a call one day from a friend, who said, “We have a job for that sister of yours who writes for the newspaper.” The friend was calling from an advertising agency. Shortly after that call, I started my first advertising copy job. My boyfriend’s suggestion had turned out to be prophetic. Then I moved to America and the music stopped. I couldn’t land a copywriting job. I couldn’t even land an interview for a copywriting job. I got a job as an Admin Assistant to a Sales Manager at Palm Inc. 6 months into the job, we had a one on one. My manager suggested I apply to an opening that was available on the Commissions Administration team. I was his Admin Assistant, but he had my best interests at heart - I know…so sweet. Initially, I was incredulous. I was a words person. How could I, a words person, do an ‘all numbers” job like Commissions Accounting? His suggestion appeared kind, but misplaced. But you know what? Sometimes, we need to go with an idea, even if it sounds crazy. That’s the only way to find out if we can do the unthinkable. So with a great deal of trepidation and reluctance, I bit the bullet and went for this totally new and scary "Commissions Accounting" thing. And guess what I found out? I was a words person, but I was also a numbers person. I was a pretty decent numbers person, at that. After a short while, my new manager in Commissions Accounting, went out on maternity leave, and never returned. This left me in charge of the commissions function at Palm entirely. It was intimidating. But every night after my daughter went to sleep, I would crack the Excel books. In this way, I quickly mastered Excel. And this once “words only” person handled the commissions function at Palm on her own for the next 5 years - until she moved to greener pastures. I am still doing Commissions Accounting today, except I now do it as a Freelance Consultant. As a freelance consultant, I have to get out of my comfort zone with every assignment. Every new assignment brings a brand new set of opportunities and challenges. But of course, with so many zigs and zags in my professional life, it doesn’t scare me away any more. You see, getting out of my comfort zone has become second nature to me.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You will need courage to face an uncomfortable truth:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-are-people-scared-of-telling-the-truth/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-eb1fbdf7f44123d3e6e70ddeab24a509-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 500.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">4y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why are people scared of telling the truth?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Because the truth may be hard to swallow. When it comes to the truth, each of us has a choice - one, to live in denial or find someone to blame, or two, to seek the truth (about ourselves and about situations and circumstances in our life) and then make the changes that may be necessary. I am strongly for the second option, as this piece I wrote indicates: Sincerely Yours We sign off our letters, Sincerely Yours. But are we sincere? Do people in our lives really know how we feel? Or do we hold back? Do we have secret thoughts and feelings about ourselves that we don't share with them? Do we have secret thoughts and feelings about them, that we don't share with them? We may think we have good reasons to keep some of our thoughts, feelings, and actions secret: If the hidden truth is about ourselves, the truth may be embarrassing or devastating. We are scared of our image being tarnished. We are afraid people will shy away from us, if they knew something about us. Some people were scandalized when I admitted being carried out drunk from restaurants in my younger days. If the hidden truths are, not about us, but about other people we deal with, it is because we may not want to hurt their feelings. Or we may want to keep the peace. Hidden truths can be small truths. Or big, devastating truths. A depression. A desire to end your life. A communicable disease . An addiction. Or just not being what, or who, everyone thinks we are. Examples: Perception: Everyone thinks you are rich. Reality: You are bankrupt. Perception: Everyone thinks you are an upstanding member of society. Reality: You have a terrible addiction, or you are, or have been involved in, some seedy underhand dealings where you used your power to use, manipulate, bribe, seduce, threaten, or deceive innocent, powerless, or vulnerable people. Perception: Everyone thinks you are pro-life and care about children. Reality: You have had children out of wedlock that you couldn't care 2 hoots about. Perception: Publicly, you are outspoken in your disapproving thoughts about homosexuality. Reality: You are a closet homosexual. The truth is a terrible and scary thing. When I suffered a depression, I initially hid it from everybody. It was my big, devastating hidden truth. You can see how the successful owner of a business, who seemingly has everything - " a great business, a fit body, a great marriage - would want to hide the fact she is depressed. And yet, the more devastating the truth, the more it needs to be poured from one heart into another heart. Even if the truth knocks you off your pedestal. For sure, having a depression knocked me off my pedestal as the "gal who had it all". But I knew keeping it a secret was not the right thing to do. If there was any hope for me to recover from it, it would come from sharing it with someone else, which I did. So these are my thoughts on the truth... I believe sharing the truth helps us more than it hurts us. Hopefully, this means you can count on me to tell you the truth. Just say, "Minoo, I want your sincere advice, " and I will give it to you. Sometimes I will give you the truth, even when you don't ask me for it. This is because truth has become a value to me. Which is why I am writing a piece about it. Signing off, Sincerely yours, Minoo</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><p class="q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: anywhere; padding: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You will need courage to go against stereotypes:</span></span></p><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-way-to-become-successful-as-a-woman/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-a3952f76852e7e83f119ea6795a4a5b7-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 500.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What is the best way to become successful as a woman?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is the best way to become successful as a woman? I started off as a dependent cry baby. I became a strong, independent woman. Here’s how I did it (reprinted from a post with the same title on my blog). How I Went From A Girlie Girl to A Strong, Independent Woman It Doesn't Matter Where You Started, What Matters Is Where You Plan to End I learned to live alone. I learned to drive. I learned to make my own decisions. I learned to manage money on my own. I learned to value myself outside of a relationship. I learned to value what was in my head and heart, over the way I looked. I changed my focus to what I did, and how I acted. I stopped measuring myself against traditional ideas of ‘feminine’ success. I stopped identifying myself with my child’s successes and failures. I started setting boundaries on what I would, and would not, accept. I stopped being passive-aggressive, and learned to speak up. I started handling more things on my own. I became more self-sufficient. I started getting involved in things I used to hand over to men. (While I do not know how to fix my car, I get fully involved with every repair – researching the facts and becoming knowledgeable – whether it’s the blend door actuator on my air-conditioner, or a rack and pinion steering issue.) I learned to take charge, and make choices which made the most financial sense, covering all the bases - my housing, my car, my taxes, my insurance, my investments, my utilities, my child’s education, my health. I learned to make my voice heard through my blog. I learned to stop second guessing myself, and beating myself up for flaws or slips. I learned to take risks. Finally, I learned it does not matter where you started. What matters more is where you plan to end. So this is my advice to you: Sit at the table. Take smart risks. Seek challenges. Pursue your goals with gusto. And know, you can do it, exactly as you are. You are enough.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You will need courage to succeed if you are in a minority, for example, the only woman in a group:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-d91b1133d1adee7b0d426d577c5483b9"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 500.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Are-all-women-manipulative/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">9mo</span></a></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Are-all-women-manipulative/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com">Are all women manipulative?</a></div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Are-all-women-manipulative/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com">People pleasing, emotional blackmail, and manipulation are learned behaviors, and have their roots in the historical expectations of what behaviors are expected from a woman. Throughout history, and even in current times, women have been expected to be quiet, passive, soft-spoken, submissive, gentle, kind, and undemanding. It is very important to be “UNDEMANDING”. To demand NOTHING. Speaking out, standing out, and DEMANDING anything, is frowned upon. It is thought to be shrewish and UNWOMANLY. This is what makes many women, as modern as they are, resort to people pleasing, emotional blackmail, manipulation, lies, and other forms of deceptive behavior, when they have to get what they want. They are afraid of criticism, condemnation, and being rejected, or ostracized, if they decide to be truthful and assertive, about their wants and needs. They are mortally afraid of being DEMANDING, and being seen as UNWOMANLY, because of it. Many women take pains to preserve a Madonna image of being passive, soft-spoken, submissive, gentle, and kind. Women who are conflicted, and who are afraid, in the way I have described, are reluctant to try to change their circumstances, or aim for a better life, based on their own efforts. They are convinced (or have allowed themselves to be convinced) that the way to a better life, is to attract a wealthy man, who will provide for them. They believe the only way to pull this off, is to spend all manner of money and time on looking good, excelling in the home arts, being passive and submissive, and keeping up a superficially pleasant demeanor at all times. In this way, the ideal of the quiet, passive, soft-spoken, submissive, gentle, kind, and undemanding woman is perpetuated, in spite of all the advances women have made. The choices of women like Hilary Clinton and Malala Yusafais, who are brave enough to buck this trend, are frowned at, and looked down upon. They will get scorn and more, for their daring to one, want more for themselves, and two, to approach what they want differently - by speaking up. Why should a woman have to be pleasing, passive, submissive, soft, gentle, kind, and undemanding? Why should a woman have to use people pleasing, guile, and manipulation, to get her way? Why can’t a woman be her authentic self? Why can’t a woman speak up for her needs, just like a man would? If you are a woman, I encourage you to pursue what you want, while being who you are. I hope the poem below gives you courage. Courageous women never look back. Do It Anyway - Women on the Rise Version Men (and women who are afraid to do the things you want to do) may say you are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered for having a non-traditional vision for yourself. Do it anyway. The most important people in your life (your family and relatives) may think you are way out of line and shame you, for wanting something that the community you were born into, the society you were born into, or the religion you were born into, frowns upon. Forgive them for their lack of understanding and do it anyway. If you decide to say something about something that needs talking about, you may be branded as a hater, an ignoramus, and a troublemaker, by popular and powerful people. Use your voice and say the things you need to say anyway. If you are successful in a role and in a field where women are in the minority, many men and women might try to dismiss, discredit, or diminish what you do on both public and private platforms. Continue to blaze a trail in that field anyway. Don't let that unnerve you. If you say things in a forthright way - and without a smile, men (and women who are used to people-pleasing) will call you unpleasant, unappealing, bossy, a shrew, unsexy, lacking in charm, and more. Be honest and frank (and give yourself permission not to smile) anyway. If you want to create or build something that's ambitious and challenging, especially for a woman, you risk enduring excessive public humiliation if you fail. Have big aims and aim to build anyway. If you have found your serenity and happiness making choices that are not typical for your sex, you may be looked upon as a poor role model or a weirdo. Make those choices anyway. As the ending lines of the original "Do It Anyway" Mother Teresa poem say... “Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God. It was never between you and them anyway.”</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-77408518596282168732026-10-05T07:17:54.363-07:002026-10-05T07:17:54.364-07:00Can mindset affect financial success?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlN2WaMr5k0-dCDvDO9IarG28CkgY0SI0atDUgMSl9wrAelsOA4n2nPRMbAXoDZKlH0JFtF3MzfE_5uZI4HT7XRnC20HDH_jdYbyCIR9Y9Xx8MmA5Fun2PzIEiTcus21SggpbRzOldG0hfRs7KMUpFw1SfIlqtsJFlX-l3zoXVSLXtm40_dJfRZA5UA72/s4032/psychology%20of%20money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlN2WaMr5k0-dCDvDO9IarG28CkgY0SI0atDUgMSl9wrAelsOA4n2nPRMbAXoDZKlH0JFtF3MzfE_5uZI4HT7XRnC20HDH_jdYbyCIR9Y9Xx8MmA5Fun2PzIEiTcus21SggpbRzOldG0hfRs7KMUpFw1SfIlqtsJFlX-l3zoXVSLXtm40_dJfRZA5UA72/w480-h640/psychology%20of%20money.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A readable book I highly recommend everyone read</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Can mindset affect financial success?</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Yes, especially if someone has a “material acquisition” mindset, rather than a “financial goal” mindset.<br /><br />The difference between a “material acquisition” mindset and a “financial goal” mindset is like night and day.<br /><br />A “material acquisition” mindset is focused on accumulating “material things”.<br /><br />A “financial goal" mindset is focused on accumulating “financial assets” in order to achieve different goals.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">From basic goals, such as building an emergency cushion.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">To big goals, such as saving for a house, a child's education, a post-working secure future, or the ambitious, but achievable goal of </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">financial freedom.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The money that goes into financial assets does different things than the money that goes into material assets.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />Financial assets <i>produce</i> income.<br /><br />Material assets <i>consume</i> income.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I am talking about personal material assets, here.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">In other words, nice things.<br /><br />A nice house in a cool neighborhood is a material asset.<br /><br />It consumes income.<br /><br />While all houses consume income, a house in a less cool neighborhood will consume less income.<br /><br />But people rarely want a house in a less cool neighborhood.<br /><br />They want a house in a cool neighborhood.<br /><br />There are two underlying mindsets at play for that.<br /><br />One is a mindset of “It looks or sounds so nice. I must have it now".<br /><br />Two, is a “keeping up with the Joneses” mindset.<br /><br />The combination of the two results in a person with those mindsets, using up all the money they earn, on maintaining their "<i>keeping up with the Joneses</i>" lifestyle, and continuously buying experiences and things.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">And when what they earn, is not enough to keep up, they borrow money, or max out credit cards and/or personal loans.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">This comes at the cost of their financial security, sometimes, also at the cost of alienating (turning off) their family and friends.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">And it usually puts them very much behind, not just behind the people whose lifestyles they were keeping up with, but behind less well-off family and friends, as well.<br /><br />If it’s not a house, and things which make up a house (hard wood floors, granite countertops, fancy appliances, etc), it’s cars.<br /><br />Cars, like houses, consume rather than produce income.<br /><br />In fact, they consume lots of income.<br /><br />Upfront income. Ongoing income. The purchase price, the sales tax. the registration, the insurance, the gas, the maintenance, the repairs.<br /><br />It doesn’t matter that you bought the car with cash, and didn’t use financing.<br /><br />Maybe you are not paying interest, by buying the car with cash.<br /><br />But the cash you used to buy the car is hard-earned income, and hard-saved income.<br /><br />That hard-saved income could have been used to create wealth, or be used to produce more income, instead of all being used on a single new and fancy car.<br /><br />Buying a used car would have left some money for you to to build an emergency cushion, or if you have that, to invest towards a future goal such as a house, or a child's education, or your post-working days.<br /><br />Houses, cars, name-brand clothes, expensive restaurant meals, sports games, concerts, vacations… if it’s not one thing, it’s another.<br /><br />There are limitless ways to <i>consume</i> income.<br /><br />There are fewer ways to <i>produce</i> income.<br /><br />It comes down to a job, or two jobs, a business, or investments.<br /><br />Financially successful people have one or more, of these things. Usually, at least two of these things.</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />They use debt, but when they use debt, they use it to produce income, rather than consume income, </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">as books like </span><b style="font-family: Oxygen;">Rich Dad Poor Dad </b><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">advise....</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-does-Robert-Kiyosaki-mean-when-he-says-living-debt-free-is-the-worst-advice-you-could-give-anybody-today/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-books-that-are-really-worth-reading-that-you-can-recommend/answer/Minoo-Jha"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px !important;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">2y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What does Robert Kiyosaki mean when he says "living debt-free is the worst advice you could give anybody today"?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px !important; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">He believes in using OTM to acquiring assets that produce an income, such as rental properties. His book was life-changing for many, and was one of the books that had the effect of a starter gun on me. It had an even more powerful impact on a friend of mine. Here’s what you need to know…</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Financially successful people are so focused on producing, or finding more capital for what they produce, they don’t care whether they live in a fancy neighborhood, have a fancy car, or go on fancy vacations.<br /><br />They know those things will come later, as a product of focusing on producing more income.<br /><br />Being focused on building their stream, or streams of income, they are safe from unnecessarily expensive personal purchases, while they are in the producing stage.<br /><br />They will be observed to spend less on cars, clothes, vacations, hobbies, etc, relative to what they are earning.<br /><br />Money is continuously steered towards a financial goal, or towards producing more income.<br /><br />Consuming is largely absent from, or a minimal part, of a producer’s mindset.<br /><br />A producer’s mindset is focused on production, and/or their mission.<br /><br />Capital opportunities to further production, to further the mission, are more attractive to them, than stuff that’s on sale.<br /><br />The annual Nordstrom Sale or Geoffrey Beane sale is not marked on their calendars.<br /><br />Producers also do not try to display wealth to attract a partner, or to display looks to attract a partner.<br /><br />They know that displaying wealth, and actually having wealth, are two different things.<br /><br />What’s the point of wealth display, without actual wealth, especially if it reduces, rather than enhances your financial security.<br /><br />What’s the point of a looks display, without wealth to support it, and at the price of your future financial security?<br /><br />For the person trapped in the looks display or wealth display mindset, financial security will be very hard to achieve.<br /><br />And because one can’t fight age, or debtors, indefinitely - one or the other will catch up to them, eventually.<br /><br />So my advice for anyone reading this, is to drop the consuming mindset, and switch to a producing mindset.<br /><br />Take up a more high paying job.<br /><br />Start a business and focus on growing it.<br /><br />Invest in income-producing, or capital appreciation assets.<br /><br />The more you invest, the more Interest and dividends you can earn, the more your investment grows, the more your<i> stash of cash</i> will grow.<br /><br />Spend less, save more.<br /><br />Become a minimalist.<br /><br />The answer to a <i>stash of cash</i> may be as simple as that.</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Could-minimalism-be-the-key-to-financial-freedom/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-59ee92f6b0e1edae66d1291db0c8b3f9"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px !important;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Could minimalism be the key to financial freedom?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px !important; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, Could minimalism be the key to financial freedom? Yes, short of living in a tent, I am comfortably off because of living a minimalist life. Here’s how I did it… I internalized Suze Orman. I started meditating. (The book “How God Changes Your Brain” gave me both my motivation and my technique). I stopped being a nervous Nellie about my future, accepting that the future was hamarey bas ki baat nahi (Hindi for “beyond my control/capacity/competence”). I channeled stories such as the Farid ud-Din Attar story about King Mahmud and the Beans. I started tracking my expenses. I found that knowing my average monthly expenditure was within a certain range made me oodles less anxious. I searched for and read books on downshifting like Your Money or Your Life. I found out how simply some folks were living (friends and relatives in India) and how happy and content they were. It helped me develop perspective. I realized that things are not always what they seem. That people who looked better off than me with expensive cars, nice houses, the latest gadgets and who went on fabulous holidays might actually be reeling in debt and have negative net worth. I also observed how many people who are better off than me fret more than me. This is because though they are rich in externals (the visible accoutrements of a successful life), they are poor in internals (their internal life is messy). Peace and contentment can’t be bought. It is a gift you give yourself. You can be at peace even living in a crowded noisy apartment complex, whereas you can be in a state of turmoil even in the quietest most luxurious and secluded waterfront mansion. I know this sounds like a “sour grapes” rationalization, but I really do fret less than many people who are materially far better off than me. I discovered “Asteya” and made it one of my goals. Asteya is the discipline of taking from the world only what you need – without greed, excess, or wastage. I realized that producing something (expression) was more satisfying than owning anything (consumption). I observed that more stuff made me less happy rather than more happy – giving me more house cleaning, maintenance and security to worry about. And finally, I observed what made me happy. They were not things, but experiences. A good conversation. A good read. A walk or talk with a friend. A simple hearty meal. A guest post (hint,hint). A satisfying workout at the gym. Giving and receiving appreciation. Learning something new. My meditations. A fear or weakness conquered. An intellectual puzzle solved. A physical challenge met. And realizing this, I was able to cheerfully and contentedly declare “I’m good!”</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Spend some time today, thinking about how you can improve your financial security.<br /><br />If until now, you’ve been largely focused on buying goods and services to improve this or that aspect of your life, it will require a mindset shift.<br /><br />It will also require you to be realistic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Making money is not easy.<br /><br />Hard work and sacrifices may be required to improve your financial security.<br /><br />Accept the reality of that.<br /><br />You can't have the mindset that you will only take up an easy, comfortable job, with low stress, flexible hours, an easy commute, or only do a business that you can do from home.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">You only have to try these things once, to realize that what looked like easy money, isn't easy money.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">It's easy, but there isn't any money.<br /><br />Save the easy money mindset for the times in your life, when you are a parent of a young child, or you have an ill family member to take care of.<br /><br />You should certainly not make it your standard operating system.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">You will shackle your ability to earn money, and save money, if you operate with that mindset.</span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /><br />Replace that “easy job”, or “easy business venture” mindset with a “mission”, and/or a “financial goal” mindset.<br /><br />Get into the right money producing occupation - whether that is a job, a business venture, or a mission.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">And keep at it, until all your financial goals are reached.<br /><br />Remind yourself regularly, why it’s worth your time, to give it all you've got...</span><div><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-does-it-seem-easier-to-give-up-than-just-not-try-again/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><span style="color: black; font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-96368dcd998347b15c86708e4b15a153-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px !important;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">5y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why does it seem easier to give up than just not try again?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px !important; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Because of the thought that trying again may result in nothing. But there are many circumstances in which we should consider doubling down rather than giving up. I wrote this piece to highlight some of those circumstances: 25 Circumstances In Which You Should Consider Doubling Down On Your Resolve When the money is worth it. When the opportunity is worth it. When it is essential to achieving your potential. When you have a worthwhile goal. When you have nothing to lose. When you have a lot to learn. When you really (really) want something. If your conscience says you should. If it’s a possible stepping stone to big things. When your intuition tells you to. When your financial position is at risk. If it is what you need to do to tide over. When a value that is important to you is on the line. If it’s important to you not to feel like a quitter. If it involves any habit you need to give up. When you want to break a pattern. If it’s a life and death situation. When you’ve invested time and money, and victory feels close. When people are depending on you. When turning back would have negative consequences. If your physical or emotional health will be positively impacted. If it is important to your spiritual growth. If it is important to your self-worth. If it will increase your tolerance of challenges, frustration, and criticism. If it will build your character. ******************** When you double down on your resolve, you effectively create your own boot camp. Going through your personalized 'circumstantial' boot camp, will make you stronger, and more confident in your ability to handle tough challenges. A quitter mentality never made anyone feel good. An easy-way-out mentality never made anyone feel good. It is your hard achievements which will make you feel good. Make sure your goals are hard and worthwhile goals to pursue. Then resolve to double down, even triple down, on your resolve to achieve those goals. I urge you to bump up your motivation to a new level by breaking out of convenience, comfort and the status quo, and going for something bigger. Here's a sampling of my thoughts on that, taken from the concluding lines of another piece I wrote: "You can’t write a blog without actively choosing fear. When you sit down to write a piece, you fear being boring, being repetitive, being out of touch, and being irrelevant. I face that fear every week when I sit down to write. Convenience. Comfort. Status Quo. Inconvenience. Discomfort. Breakthrough. The fact that I continue to write tells you what my spirit has chosen." I will end with this powerful message from Joe De Sena who conducts the Spartan Up races: “When you break through the other side of hell and finish an event that did not seem possible, that stopped you in your tracks, over and over, something happens. You feel accomplished, incredibly proud of yourself, and in some ways, a different person” You are going to feel accomplished, incredibly proud of yourself, and a different person for trying and trying again.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Whatever you do, don’t pair the “easy income”, “easy mission” mindset, with a “spend to the paycheck on personal indulgences, and use debt when the paycheck is insufficient” mindset.<br /><br />That will doom your efforts to achieve your financial goals, even before you begin.<br /><br /><i>Choose a job that pays you well<br /><br />And then choose financial success or mission success, over material success, as your goal.</i><br /><br />One last word -<br /><br /><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-important-things-to-know-about-personal-finance/answers/138029732">It’s never too late to wake up.</a><br /><br />It’s never too late to <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-I-feel-like-I-become-more-foolish-as-I-interact-with-people-socially/answer/Minoo-Jha">stop following the crowd</a>.<br /><br />It’s never to late to think <a href="https://www.quora.com/Could-minimalism-be-the-key-to-financial-freedom/answer/Minoo-Jha">radically differently</a>.</span></div></div></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-4316915059162398112026-09-28T07:48:25.670-07:002026-09-29T06:18:53.310-07:00Can early life experiences truly shape a lifelong commitment to values like compassion and humanism, and what are some examples?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBMc8xqyUaiE7UrSm4mCIRRLMxHF0rE5H2eW0YlB5xTbSOqUNkaubiO6JqVq99c_7Qa1H1zEEHaVxX9qeoGpt4-DrmiPAq-9vXR9gQEffdC2Z0iy3b08InL7f0nUPkfnvIF2vuUJ8mJUVKvJ3lMBIvcV0IBcUeMCJVnDoiltb1kANxmMpd_bAjA5xUPf0/s6000/teo-zac-o6fcyYd6j5s-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBMc8xqyUaiE7UrSm4mCIRRLMxHF0rE5H2eW0YlB5xTbSOqUNkaubiO6JqVq99c_7Qa1H1zEEHaVxX9qeoGpt4-DrmiPAq-9vXR9gQEffdC2Z0iy3b08InL7f0nUPkfnvIF2vuUJ8mJUVKvJ3lMBIvcV0IBcUeMCJVnDoiltb1kANxmMpd_bAjA5xUPf0/w426-h640/teo-zac-o6fcyYd6j5s-unsplash.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />I do have memories of events in my early life, pointing to an awareness of what I thought was inhumane.</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />When animals or people were treated with cruelty, I used to have tears rolling down my face.<br /><br />I was called a “cry baby”, because I was so easily driven to tears.<br /><br />I was driven to tears, sometimes out of self-pity, which is a form of compassion for oneself.<br /><br />I was also frequently driven to tears, out of compassion for the suffering of other living things- human beings and animals.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">If I plucked up the courage to reach out, I reached out.<br /><br />As I grew older, I hardened to indifference, unkindness, and cruelty - whether aimed towards me, towards other people, towards animals..</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I realized this indifference, because a few people around me had the compassion that I no longer showed - my friend, Anita, for example - who had, <i>and still has</i>, an amazing compassion for animals.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I was happy for the existence of people, such as Anita.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Some things have stuck in my head from those days - such as my maid Theresa telling me not not kill the ants that were running around our kitchen, because in her words, "<i>they were seeking food to store for winter.</i>"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />By my early 30's, the hardening was complete, and resulted in me doing some unkind things, which I truly regret...</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-important-life-lesson-youve-learned-after-growing-up/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9e92a4ab3d1b76539df3cfe89a8e2955-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What is the most important life lesson you've learned after growing up?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is the most important life lesson you've learned after growing up? That kindness is more important than generosity. As a young adult, I was generous, but I was not kind. This story is a classic example of how I was generous and not kind… The Gold Chain When I got married, I moved into the home where my husband lived with his brother and his dad. Working for them was Pushpa, their maid, who had been with the family for a long time. I knew Pushpa from before I got married, because she had been doing part time housecleaning and cooking for me at my bachelorette pad. Like all maids in India at the time, Pushpa was poor and lived a hard-scrabble life. Her home was a thatched hut in a slum, and everything - from food to clothes to medicines, to keeping her hut from collapsing when it rained - was a challenge. Pushpa's pay wasn't sufficient for all her expenses, so she would ask my father-in-law for additional money during the month. When my husband came home from work, my father in law would say to him, "Pushpa needs x rupees for medicine. Can you give me that to give to her." I felt sorry for Pushpa and decided to reach out to her secretly. When she and I were alone, I said to her, "Pushpa, I would like to give you some additional money on the side, so you don't have to ask Sir (my father in law) for money every other week. This can be just between you and me – Sir or Rakesh or Shreekant needn’t know about it.Can you tell me an amount that would be helpful for you to get." Now Pushpa was not a greedy soul, and she didn't know what amount to propose. She shyly replied, "I don't know Ma". So I made the decision for both of us. I said, "I'll tell you what. You are getting 2000 rupees every month from Sir. How about I give you another 2000 rupees? Here, take this." And with that, I gave Pushpa 2000 rupees, effectively doubling her pay. (I was earning a good income and I can assure you this was not financially difficult for me at all, so please don't think I was anyone great for doing this.) A month went by. One day, my husband and me arrived home from work together. As we entered the door, my father in law said, "Ah, Shreekant…..can you give me 400 rupees to give to Pushpa for medicine." I felt a flash of anger. I had expected that once Pushpa started getting the extra 2000 rupees from me, she would stop asking my father-in-law for money during the month. “How dare she ask for this money after I have doubled her pay!” I thought to myself. Of course I couldn't talk to anyone about this, since I was giving her the money in secret. At the first opportunity I could get her alone, I confronted her about it, "Why are you still asking Sir for extra money? I doubled your pay. You should not be needing to ask for 300 rupees here, 300 rupees there anymore." She looked embarrassed and never replied. I felt a great need to solve the situation once in for all, thinking mightily of my powers to do so. "Ok, I will tell you what, Pushpa," I said, "I will give you 3000 rupees instead of 2000 rupees every month secretly from my own pocket. This should cover you for anything and everything that comes up during the month. Agreed?" She nodded her head and I handed her an additional 1000 rupees which she gratefully accepted. A month went by. And, oh no. Yes, you guessed right. I hear my father in law say to my husband, "Ah, Shreekant…..give me 400 rupees to give to Pushpa. She needs to buy something for her family." It was like waving a red flag to a bull. I had expected that the extra 3000 rupees would have put a full stop to this. I could not understand what was going on. Things were not going as planned. Though Pushpa was getting two and a half times her pay, nothing had changed. She was still asking for extra money, as if the extra 3000 rupees did not exist. I couldn't wait for her to come in to work the next day to tackle her. As soon as she got in, and I got her alone, I demanded an answer. "Pushpa, your pay is two and a half times what it used to be. Whatever are you spending the extra money on? " I was taken aback when she sheepishly pointed to a thin gold chain round her neck. She explained..... Apparently she had always wanted a gold chain, but could never afford to buy one. When I started giving her the extra 3000 every month, she was able to enroll in a chit fund and take out a loan to buy a gold chain. Now she was using the money I was giving her every month to pay the loan off. All the extra money was going to pay off the debt she had incurred to buy the gold chain, and none of it to improve her everyday life. Which was why she still had to ask for 300 rupees here and 300 rupees there. I was horribly upset. There was nothing I could do and my hands were tied. I had expected to improve Pushpa's lot in life, but she was at square one, struggling to keep body and soul together, except she now had a gold chain she was really happy and proud to possess which I had made possible. Because of my expectations, it took me several years to come to terms with this. Over the next year, I gradually grew into an expectations monster, and a tyrant with Pushpa, nagging her about everything. Eventually Pushpa left the job because of my nagging and demands. Starting out in childhood as a kind, generous person to her, I turned into a monster. And I didn’t realize it. It was many years later when remorse struck and I regretted my past behavior. It had been inexcusably harsh. Pushpa was such a good soul, and didn’t deserve my harshness. Today, I understand that kindness is superior to generosity, and expectancy is superior to expectations. My kinder attitude has brought perspective as well, and I think about Pushpa’s gold chain purchase differently. It is human to have needs beyond food, clothing and shelter. Even someone in tough circumstances may prefer the beauty and pride of a gold chain to a marginal improvement in comfort. How I wish I could turn back the clock and have been kinder when I was younger.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a>Changing back to who I was, took a long time, and started only with my mother’s death.<br /><br />I realized that if I had to pick a model of kindness to aim to be like, my mother was the perfect model.<br /><br />Her death whispered this truth to me, and I felt a desire to become more like her, to become more like the compassionate child I used to be.<br /><br />I had gotten lost, but now I decided it was time to find my way back.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-that-family-school-and-environment-has-a-big-impact-on-ones-personality/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-gift-you-got-till-now-from-somebody/answer/Minoo-Jha"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">3y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why is it that family school and environment has a big impact on one's personality?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Because behavior is typically enforced in families and schools. Where behavior is not enforced, impressionable minds learn from example. The example set by our parents can impact us for the rest of our lives. My mother was a beautiful soul, and one of the examples she set for us was to be kind and generous in everything, including her compliments. This had an impact on me and 2of my siblings. I was not aware that I was generous with compliments, until some of my close friends began to comment on it. I wondered where the tendency came from. Then I noticed that an older sister of mine was very generous with her compliments, and I immediately decided my habit of complimenting came from her. But when I spoke to her about it, she told me it came from my mom. My dear mom. A beautiful soul. She left us a legacy of extreme kindness and poetry…</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a>I decided that the best thing I could do to honor my mother’s memory, was to be as kind to my daughter, as she used to be to my daughter.<br /><br />The work of returning to a more compassionate state had started.<br /><br />5 years after my mother’s death, I learned to meditate.<br /><br />I became more self-reflective, after learning to meditate.<br /><br />Through self-reflection, I identified <i>other</i> ways in which I needed to <i>change</i>...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-people-have-a-hard-time-with-self-reflection/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e37060b321154ab1f9986244a7d2757a-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">3y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why do some people have a hard time with self-reflection?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Because you will find out that you are not as smart as you think you are, as nice as you think you are, as ethical as you think you are, as honest as you think you are, I could go on and on…. In this piece I wrote, I share my own humbling discoveries about myself - I Thought I Was A Flower I thought I was a flower. Silly me. In so many respects, I am still a bud. And have growing to do. In spite of the sunlight. In spite of the soil. In spite of the water. In spite of the many years I have been on the stalk. I am still a bud. In this respect and that respect. In so many respects. I am still a bud. And I still have growing to do. __ That being the case… Be patient with me. Be patient with me. __ I thought I was a tree. Silly me. I now see. I am just a branch. Of a very big tree. Called humanity. It will take some time. To shake off the idea. That I am not the tree. I have to chip away at the bark. That kept me in the dark. That kept me from seeing all this time. That I am just a part. Of this very big tree. Called humanity. __ Which is why, I ask... Be patient with me. Be patient with me. __ I thought I was the ocean. Silly me. I found out I am just a drop. Among drops and drops and drops. In a vast expanse. That's as wide as it is deep. Beyond what my naked eye can see. When I think about that. I pause. And lift up my hands. And express awe. And then some more. At this amazing vastness I was not aware I was a part of. Isn't it amazing, to think. This little drop that's me. Is part of drops and drops and drops. So vast, it's more than my naked eye can see. And to think I have been living in a bubble that was so tiny. I am glad my eyes have opened. But I have to get used to this. __ So please… Be patient with me. Be patient with me.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a>Self-reflection is an interior mirror.<br /><br />Exterior mirrors tell you <i>how you look to other people</i>.<br /><br />Interior mirrors tell you <i>how you are</i>.<br /><br />As I get older, and look more and more into this interior mirror, I think back on the steps and missteps I’ve made, on my journey in and out of compassion, and it is clear to me that in this rough and tough world, there is great need for more compassion, and more humanism. Hearts need to soften, my heart most of all. I am grateful to all the people who have set examples, and opened my eyes to the need for hearts to soften. Hard decisions made with a hard heart, weakens bonds and connection, and leads to rifts. Hard decisions made with a soft heart, increases bonds and connection, bridges the distance between people to bring them closer, and heals rifts. Whatever the situation, love and a soft heart are the way. We would do well to tamp down our expectations, ideas, and carelessly expressed opinions and comments, and to let compassion and connection guide our words and actions, and carry the day.</span></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-59080559051092953412026-09-20T09:42:45.606-07:002026-09-20T09:42:45.606-07:00How do you help a client who has reached their goal weight, but still sees their "old self" in the mirror?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYdV1x5er8FX5RPZhZDEzZ22HI-_0UAgTM_7Hf_jYfsS072rqgM3NdUAIeKBHG3LC8xrzmX9e330MzjGGvtZSu7P3naA7X8CuI4r3nm0GZPdLFpPTeXjx2Z22GLq84wABn9hH4ZolMQl_SgzrZhAOAfbqdiYjMXzbcFWVpyNeJ7-bgm4Agy3JxTC0Zi7n/s3543/Maxwell%20Maltz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3543" data-original-width="2362" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYdV1x5er8FX5RPZhZDEzZ22HI-_0UAgTM_7Hf_jYfsS072rqgM3NdUAIeKBHG3LC8xrzmX9e330MzjGGvtZSu7P3naA7X8CuI4r3nm0GZPdLFpPTeXjx2Z22GLq84wABn9hH4ZolMQl_SgzrZhAOAfbqdiYjMXzbcFWVpyNeJ7-bgm4Agy3JxTC0Zi7n/w426-h640/Maxwell%20Maltz.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />This is where therapy and self-help books are useful.<br /><br />A self-help classic, (one of the 50 classic self-help books, according to some lists like the Butler-Bowdon list) is <b>Psycho-Cybernetics</b>.<br /><br />It was written by <b>Maxwell Maltz</b>, a renowned plastic surgeon.<br /><br />He wrote <b>Psycho-Cybernetics</b>, because he discovered that not all self-esteem problems can be solved by correcting physical flaws.<br /><br />Some of his patients suffered from low self-esteem problems, even after they underwent plastic surgery, and the flaw that they thought their low self-esteem was due to, was corrected.<br /><br /><b>Psycho-Cybernetics</b> contains other strategies to boost self-esteem.<br /><br />You can find a short summary of the book on websites like <b>Short Form</b>.<br /><br />You can also find the entire PDF of <b>Psycho-Cybernetics</b> online.<br /><br />I would also recommend the book <b>The Feminine Mystique</b> by <b>Betty Friedan</b>, if the client is a woman, because women have their own unique set of problems, related to societal expectations of what they are supposed to be like, and what lives they are expected to be happy with.<br /><br />It is a huge relief when we are able to shake off our self-esteem problems, and our eyes are opened to the fact that what we think is the problem, is not the problem.<br /><br />And this is what you should aim to do - open their eyes to the fact that weight loss is not the whole answer.<br /><br />“<i>Bad leads to good</i>”, as I often say.<br /><br />Your client had to succeed at the weight loss, for both you and them to realize, that their problem is not purely cosmetic.<br /><br />It is a generalized dissatisfaction problem.<br /><br />The dissatisfaction will go away, or reduce, only when your client makes meaningful progress in the area of the dissatisfaction.<br /><br />So my advice is to start by familiarizing yourself with <b>Psycho-Cybernetics</b> and <b>The Feminine Mystique</b>.<br /><br />Then guide your client towards non-cosmetic improvements in their life.<br /><br />It is a relief when we can give up our <b>self-absorption</b> and <b>self-indulgence</b>, both of which cast a dark shadow on the life of someone with low self-esteem.</span>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-62857847638555247532026-09-13T16:21:14.538-07:002026-09-18T14:14:09.253-07:00What are some unexpected places or people I got great writing advice, or inspiration from, and how did it help me in my writing?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8cTKZFAYilFKfUBUs8yQl7uOBE1u_fX2smD5qijGwfcth03oF7ROkOfwG0G2jIfDr0RDvwHBQchyphenhyphenL5O977KWP_0ZZKYqckmOFcZjkNpSHlp10Pil6E3wG2nEVMMWu6DWvpk-icJUKvitgCwhfm7C5bTDug_dRFS3hHiRCBGD-4Flf54zMJ7uqw83ODW0/s5796/Unexpected%20sources%20for%20writing%20inspiration.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5796" data-original-width="3261" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8cTKZFAYilFKfUBUs8yQl7uOBE1u_fX2smD5qijGwfcth03oF7ROkOfwG0G2jIfDr0RDvwHBQchyphenhyphenL5O977KWP_0ZZKYqckmOFcZjkNpSHlp10Pil6E3wG2nEVMMWu6DWvpk-icJUKvitgCwhfm7C5bTDug_dRFS3hHiRCBGD-4Flf54zMJ7uqw83ODW0/w360-h640/Unexpected%20sources%20for%20writing%20inspiration.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />One, was a book called <b>Write for Your Lives</b> by <b>Joseph Sestito</b>, a practicing Buddhist.<br /><br />I started my blog in 2010, and I read this book in 2014.<br /><br />Before reading it, I used to fret excessively about each post, especially when I was getting ready to publish it on my blog.<br /><br />Joseph Sestito’s book helped me free myself from that.<br /><br />I think about this book, every time I start to fret about my writing.<br /><br />Thank you, <b>Write for Your Lives</b>.</span><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-downsides-to-a-person-being-a-striver/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-51d7a53a9aff3c057117899e38a1a469-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">2y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What are the downsides to a person being a striver?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hollow victories. I speak from personal experience. Once upon a time there was a girl. She looked around her and decided she needed to be certain things in order to feel worthwhile. “I need to be stylish” she said to herself. “I need to be thin.” “I need to be funny.” “I need to be clever.” “I need to be thrilling.” “I need to be original.” “I need to be successful.” “I need to be rich.” The girl threw herself hither and tither in many different directions in order to be all of these things. She tried many different diets and exercise programs. She read joke books. She studied the dictionary and practiced IQ tests. She thought of clever things to say. She worked hard to improve her skills. She changed jobs and rose up the ladder. She read relationship books and parenting books. She developed her tastes in music and literature and the good things in life. She left no stone unturned. But whatever the girl did, satisfaction and fulfillment was just out of her reach. When she asked herself, “am I stylish enough?” the answer was no. When she asked herself, “am I successful enough?” the answer was no. When she asked herself, “am I rich enough?” the answer was no. When she asked herself, “am I a good enough mother and a good enough spouse?” the answer was no. The girl found that in spite of how far she had come and all she had achieved, there were many things missing from her life. Happiness was missing - she was easily dejected. Fulfillment was missing - her victories felt empty. Self-control was missing - she would lose it at the drop of a hat. Peace was missing - she felt stressed and anxious most of the time. Energy was missing - she didn't have enthusiasm or passion for anything. Security was missing - she felt dread and anxiety when she thought about the future. Above, all she felt trapped in an endless cycle of keeping up - with the job, with the bills, with the house, with being a good mother, a good employee, a good spouse, and above all, her image. Then one day, the girl woke up. She realized she had been borrowing other people's ideas of a worthwhile life. She realized energy, peace, equanimity, self-control and security was what she wanted most and it would not come from pursuing wealth, approval, status or conformity. She realized being at peace and living a harmonious life was more important than being stylish, rich, clever or successful, or fitting in with the crowd. She decided to go her own way. Immediately, a weight was lifted off of her. She was free to do all the things she wanted to do without any false ideal or standard to conform to. She could go to work and focus on doing a good job, not getting ahead. She could have a conversation with people and not worry about whether she was coming across as uninformed or uncultured. She could meet people and not fret about her appearance. She could be who she was and make the decisions she wanted to and not worry about being judged. She could focus on meaning and authenticity rather than impression and image in all her interactions. That girl was me. Do you want to be like that? Raise your hand, if you do. How do you do that? You do that by waking up from trying to be Ms. Perfect living the “perfect life”. Perfection is the enemy of our peace, our equanimity, and our tranquility. If we let it raise its head, it can make us feel miserable about everything we do and all areas of our life. And it will keep our wheels stuck in the sand. If I aimed for perfection every time I sat down to write an article on my blog, it would never get off the ground. I would ask myself - “Is this funny enough?” “Is this clever enough?” “Is this thrilling enough?” “Is this special enough?” “Is this original enough?” “Does it have enough witticisms?” Of course, the answer would be no. I am not good with jokes. My thoughts are rarely original. And I can't come up with a witticism to save my life. So I would spend oodles of time trying to compensate by perfecting a sentence here, or a phrase there. And all I would be doing by that is spinning my wheels, indulging in what Joseph Sestito, author of Write for Your Lives, calls “self-cherishing”. Self-cherishing is focusing on the impression we want to make rather than the ideas we want to communicate. The downside of being a striver is that you can become so focused on striving, you can forget what it is you are striving for. At bottom, what we all want is a worthwhile life. But each of us needs to separately think what that means to us. Because borrowing your idea of a worthwhile life may leave me feeling unfulfilled and empty. And borrowing my idea of a worthwhile life may leave you feeling unfulfilled and empty. If everyone is buying houses, is buying a house essential to a worthwhile life? Only you can answer that for yourself. The answer was no for me. If everyone is buying fancy cars, does it mean buying fancy cars is essential to a worthwhile life? Only you can answer that for yourself. The answer was no for me. If everyone has a partner, does it mean having a partner is essential to a worthwhile life? Only you can answer that for yourself. The answer was no for me. So my advice to strivers is to know what it is you are truly striving for. Craft a personal definition of success</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>Second unexpected place was my advertising career, and the writing advice I got from reading books by advertising greats such as <b>David Ogilvy</b>, and learning through the experience of being a practicing advertising copywriter, what combination of words and images works, and what doesn’t.</i><br /><br />One of the first things to go was my “<b>Shashi Tharoor big words</b>” habit, a habit I thought made me sound stylish, articulate, and well-bred, which I later understood was also related to the Mangalorean Catholic culture, I was born into.</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-unique-things-about-your-culture/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-1a54fe8624b817c2711f13115b299c56"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What are some unique things about your culture?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What are some unique things about your culture? I am a Mangalorean Catholic. Mangalorean Catholics pride themselves on their vocabulary and if they have to choose between a big word and a small word, they always choose the big word. I wrote a post on my blog about this. Reprinting it below in full for your amusement. The Mangalorean & The Big Words When my daughter was younger (10 years younger than she is now), she made the observation that Mangaloreans (yours truly included) use extra big words when they speak. So I thought it might be fun to do a “How Would a Mangalorean Say?” post (with a little bit of exaggeration here and there for added flavor). Here goes... Normal Person: My kids play together while I work. Mangalorean: The offspring entertain each other while I attend to my business affairs. Normal Person: Be back soon after changing my clothes. Mangalorean: I will return presently in more suitable attire. Normal Person: Can I say something? Mangalorean: Can I interject with an opinion? Normal Person: Did you see any animals while walking? Mangalorean: Did you encounter any wildlife on your trails? Normal Person: I have to use the bathroom. Mangalorean: I need to utilize the facilities. Normal Person: Can you help me? Mangalorean: Can you provide me with the necessary assistance? Normal Person: I am thinking of visiting India. Mangalorean: I am contemplating a visit to the motherland. Normal Person: I would like to climb Mt Everest one day. Mangalorean: I am desirous of scaling the heights of Mt. Everest. Normal Person: That was a great meal. Mangalorean: That was a gastronomical delight. Normal Person: Can I get back to you? Mangalorean: Can I formulate an appropriate response? P.S. If you know someone (Mangalorean or not) who talks like that and have examples of your own to share, send them on to me for my collection and possible future publishing on my blog...thanks. P.S. After publishing this post, I was afraid to attend an NCMA event. What if they threw "sannas" at me?</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I realized this after attending and volunteering at numerous <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-makes-you-proud-of-your-society-or-community-What-are-some-ways-to-make-it-better/answer/Minoo-Jha">Bay Area events hosted by my community</a>.<br /><br /><i>A third unexpected place was from learning to meditate.<br /></i><br />The book that helped me learn to meditate was a book written by 2 neuroscientists, called <b>How God Changes Your Brain.</b><br /><br />This book helped me become <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-low-maintenance-person/answer/Minoo-Jha">a low maintenance </a>person.<br /><br />In a few months of reading <b>How God Changes Your Brain</b>, and learning to meditate, I also started my blog.<br /><br />Meditation helped me give up the self absorption and self indulgence, which had blocked the flow of ideas and words for 14 years.<br /><br />Yes, I got back to writing after a break of 14 years!</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-does-taking-a-break-from-learning-an-activity-seemingly-make-you-better-when-you-come-back-to-it/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-4125951afad210512388c2169face86f-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why does taking a break from learning an activity seemingly make you better when you come back to it?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, Why does taking a break from learning an activity seemingly make you better when you come back to it? It totally does. It apparently has something to do with allowing the subconscious to contribute to the process. Nowhere is this truer than in being able to generate ideas. I know from experience. Read on… Picture Courtesy: EssJay (Flickr) Each one of us is an ideas machine. The combination of our experience, our circumstances, all the things we have seen, heard, read and been exposed to, our unique genetic make-up, our education, our knowledge, and our skills, gives us the potential to produce a unique idea. Actually, to produce an unlimited quantity of unique ideas. Every advertising creative knows this. As idea after idea is rejected for the campaign we are working on, we are able to come up with yet another idea; and then yet another idea - until we arrive at the one idea everyone believes will work – the one which will go to print or production. Every serial inventor or entrepreneur – (Ray Kurzweil, Elon Musk, Reed Hoffman, or any of the other people who have founded multiple companies, or come up with multiple products) knows this. Once you come up with an idea for a second invention or start a second company, you know you have the power to do it again. So if each one of us is an idea-generating machine, why do we get stuck and what will get us unstuck? I thought about this a lot during the 14 years, when I did not and could not write. My first career was in writing. After writing a few freelance pieces for the local newspaper, and one or two magazines (this was back in India), I was discovered by a friend of one of my siblings. She got me my first copywriting job in an ad agency (Thank you Mela). For the rest of time, I was in India, I was a copywriter, and made a living out of writing for the Indian affiliates of J Walter Thompson, Bozell, and Saatchi and Saatchi. I even set up my own creative shop. Then I came to the US. I was not able to break into advertising. So I took up a sales admin job at Palm, and then, by sheer accident, ended up becoming their Commissions Analyst. Whether it was the fact of dealing purely with numbers in my new role, or the stress of raising a young child, I stopped writing. It bothered me. Where had that person gone? I would get an idea for a story or article, and I would pick up a pen. I would write a couple of lines, but the motivation and inspiration would completely dry up. I would stare at the blank paper hopelessly. People would say to me, “Minoo, you used to be so good at writing, you really should get back into writing.” I would nod my head and say “I know,” but inside my head, I would think, “those days are over for me. Maybe my previous career was just luck.” And then it happened. On December 27, 2010, I created a blog on Google Blogger, and published my first post on it. Why after 14 years of not being able to write, was I suddenly able? What had happened? Do you want to guess? The title of this post gives a clue. I had been given the accidental gift of a creative pause. Here’s the story…. I gave up my last full-time employment in June of 2010. I did the Xactly Administrators Course 2 months later, and signed a contract with Solution Partners to join their Xactly Implementation Team. But other than doing an FRD (Functional Requirements Document) for a project which got put on hold, I did not do any other work, and was to remain professionally idle for the next 7 months. I now realize this idleness was the gift of gifts. Because the next thing I knew, I had learned to meditate. Just like that. I read a book (my post Connected Minds tells the story) and followed the meditation technique from the book. I never looked back. Meditation became a daily activity in my life, starting from that time. The next thing I knew, I was blogging. On December 27, 2010, I published my first post 4 Decisions I Wish I Had Made Earlier. Even while writing it, I wondered “Is this a flash in the pan? What if I can’t keep it up?” It felt awkward and clumsy to write after all that time. But the impulse was there and I followed it. This time the inspiration didn’t dry up after the first two lines. And the inspiration didn’t dry up after the first post; or the first few posts; or the first few months; or the first year. Just like with my meditation, I never looked back. Blogging became a regular activity in my life starting from that time. From my experience, I can confidently say we are all idea-generating machines. And the only thing holding us back from being the idea-generating machines we are meant to be, may be a creative pause. In fact, we may need regular creative pauses. Because when we are caught up in the humdrum and buzz of routine life, and all its mundane demands, it’s hard to get the idea machine going. See, ideas are not like horses you can go after with a lasso (John Wayne style). They are just neurons, firing, and lighting up, and colliding against other neurons in your brain. And for whatever reason (another wonder of nature), they need you to relax - go fishing, take a walk in the park (Newton), jump into a shower or a bath-tub (Archimedes), open a hymn book in church (Arthur Fry of Post-it Notes fame). This suggests we should welcome creative pauses in our lives, even intentionally create them. Want to come up with a new business idea? Go on a nature hike. Want to write a book? Seclude yourself in a quiet place with nothing but your thoughts. Want to create something new? Go fishing. Your thoughts are not to be underestimated. Thoughts did not let down all the inventors and entrepreneurs and authors and artists through history. Why would you think they would let you down? So take a walk. Go fishing. Go on a hike. Become unemployed. Go to prison. Get sick. “Minoo, what are you talking about – become unemployed, go to prison, get sick? Have you gone insane?” No, I am serious. Any stretch of completely unstructured time, in which you are alone with your thoughts, can turn on the idea-generating machine. Remember, it was precisely because I was unemployed, and had oodles of time on my hands, the muse came back. I might never have rediscovered my creativity, were I not twiddling my thumbs for 7 straight months. It helped that I had an emergency cushion and lived a simple life. If you have an emergency cushion and can live simply, a spell of unemployment can be just the ticket to get your idea-machine going. Let’s not forget J K Rowling was a single mother on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. What ideas can be conceived in a prison cell? Anything. After all, you are alone with your thoughts. Chuck Colson, were he alive, would testify. During his 8 month sentence in a federal prison for his role in the Watergate scandal, he came up with the idea for his nationally famous Prison Ministry. I also mention getting sick. Does that sound weird? It is not weird at all. Many famous books and ideas originated in someone’s head when they were on their sick bed. My post The Gift of Time mentions one such. Interestingly, this post you are reading, was written by me from my sickbed. I had a full blown migraine yesterday and had to take to bed. But as I was lying down, resting off the headache, thoughts would come to me, so I would get up, scribble them down, and fall back into bed. I wrote almost 60% of this post from my sickbed yesterday. Could migraines be a gift from the universe? Hmmm… I repeat, any stretch of completely unstructured time, in which you are alone with your thoughts, can turn on the idea-generating machine. So I hope you will welcome these pauses when you get them, and even intentionally create them. Don’t be anything less than the idea-generating powerhouse you were meant to be. Begin the process of regular creative pauses and experience the thrill of continuous creation.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">2010 was a year of many remarkable new things for me.<br /><br />I read <b>How God Changes Your Brain</b>, and learned to meditate that year.<br /><br />I became a freelancer in my commissions administration field that year.<br /><br />Before that year ran out, I had started a blog.<br /><br />2010 was also the year I made a new, lasting, and much treasured friendship.<br /><br />Here’s how it went down…<br /><br />I was living in an apartment, and I went to get my mail.<br /><br />At the mailbox, I ran into another tenant, who I had never met before, and who was also getting her mail.<br /><br />I noticed she was dressed to go for a walk, and I said to her, “ You look like you are going for a walk.” “Yes, care to join me?” she replied.<br /><br />“I have to hop onto a meeting on my computer in 15 minutes, so I can’t today, but I would like to join you when you walk next,” I said.<br /><br />“Sure. I walk every day,” she said, “I go up the hill. What is your name and where do you live?”<br /><br />My apartment was right in front of the mailboxes, and I pointed it out.<br /><br />“I will call you from down here, tomorrow, when I am going on my walk”, she said.<br /><br />I expected this to be a grand promise on which nothing would be delivered, as is sometimes the case, when people make plans to do something with you.<br /><br />But she kept her word, and sure enough, the next day, I heard a voice calling me from outside my apartment window - “Minoo. Minoo”.<br /><br />That was the beginning of a walking companionship that continues till this day, and which morphed into a cruising companionship, a going to the movies companionship, a going to the Sphere in Las Vegas to see Wizard of Oz companionship, and so much more.<br /><br />And 5 years later, I started going to Sunday service, with this friend.<br /><br />And voila….<br /><br /><i>Going to Sunday service became another new and unexpected source of inspiration for my writing.</i><br /><br />I have had before service inspirations, during service inspirations, and after service inspirations.<br /><br />My friend is an usher, and we go to church 30 minutes before the service starts.<br /><br />As a result, I am typically, just one of 5 people, in the sanctuary, when we get to church.<br /><br />The 30 minutes before service, when hardly any of the congregation is around, has proved to be a fertile field for both ideas and thoughts.<br /><br />I will be sitting, sometimes with a book, and almost whatever the book, ideas and thoughts, worth remembering, cross my mind.<br /><br />If I have a paper and pen in my bag, I take them out, and write the ideas down.<br /><br />If I don’t have a pen and paper, I just enter the ideas and thoughts on my iphone Notes app.<br /><br />Many a blog post has emerged this way - during silent idle time in the church sanctuary.<br /><br />One was written <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-real-freedom-letting-go-of-unwanted-things/answer/Minoo-Jhapostwrit">one 4th of July</a>. It was prompted by someone passing me with a stars and stripes tie.<br /><br />So many delightful and uncanny things have happened during Sunday service.<br /><br />Sometimes I will have thoughts and ideas before service, and then, when the pastor gives his sermon, his thoughts and ideas are similar to the thoughts I had just before service started.<br /><br />Like we have had a telepathic moment.<br /><br />On occasion, I have published a blog post in the morning, and gone to service to find the pastor’s sermon filled with many of the same thoughts and ideas that were in my post, sometimes, even the same quote, or same references, and metaphors.<br /><br />For example, on the same day, the pastor gave a sermon in which he made multiple references to the Garden of Eden serpent. I had published <a href="https://www.quora.com/Where-what-were-you-doing-when-you-got-your-best-ideas/answer/Minoo-Jha">a post about a serpent</a> that morning.<br /><br />I like to think of these as telepathic moments created by being in a meditative field with others.<br /><br />Shortly after I started meditating, the idea for one of my favorite posts came out of a telepathic moment with a close friend - my <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-most-interesting-meditation-experience/answer/Minoo-Jha">3 Benches post</a>. Read it and you will understand why it qualifies to be one of my favorite writings.<br /><br />So now you know that church and Sunday service is another one of my unexpected places, to get thoughts and writing ideas from.<br /><br /><i>I will round off this list of unexpected sources for writing thoughts and ideas, with a fifth and last unexpected source for writing thoughts and ideas - IMDB, the movie site.</i><br /><br />It is where I stumbled upon some truly delightful <b>Big Bang Theory</b> conversations between <b>Sheldon </b>and <b>Penny</b>.<br /><br />I developed my “<a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-funny-conversations-on-the-Big-Bang-Theory/answer/Minoo-Jha">Find a Penny”</a> series of blog posts, based on those conversations.<br /><br />So there you have it - 5 unexpected sources of writing advice and inspiration from someone who loves writing, and who has been writing weekly on this blog, starting Dec 27, 2010.</span></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-37230462904332396582026-09-06T08:54:56.944-07:002026-09-06T08:54:56.944-07:00Why might the idea that "life happens outside your comfort zone" not always be the best approach to living a fulfilling life?<i><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">One, because you may take unnecessary risks.</span></i><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-consequences-of-having-too-much-ambition-How-can-one-tell-if-they-have-too-much-ambition/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-5d93dfc3cda6b97d7ef2b27e4beabbec.webp"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">3y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What are the consequences of having too much ambition? How can one tell if they have too much ambition?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Pursuing something just because of vanity. Pursuing something just because of pride. Pursuing something just because you can’t stand for someone else to get something or enjoy something, unless you have the same thing yourself. Pursuing something to the point of burnout. Pursuing something in spite of diminishing marginal returns. Pursuing something purely because of sunk cost. Pursuing something just because you want to prove something to someone (a parent, a spouse, a friend, a sibling) and your ego can’t let go. In ambition, as in everything in life, you should stay on the safe path. Stay on the safe path my friend…</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>Two, because pride, ego, vanity, and stubbornness, may be involved.</i><br /><br />Those things (pride, ego, vanity, stubbornness) can have a shrinking effect on your life.<br /><br />The goal of life is to expand your life, not shrink it.<br /><br />When you give in to pride, ego, vanity, stubbornness, or defensiveness, you are likely to make things difficult for yourself, and to lose rather than to gain, in the areas that are impacted.<br /><br /><b>You can lose relationships.<br /><br />You can lose money.<br /><br />You can lose your health.<br /><br />You can lose your job.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><b>You can lose your reputation.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">What's more, other people, such as family members, can suffer losses, because of something you may do, when you let pride, vanity, stubbornness, or defensiveness, get the better of you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Family members can lose valuable relationships, money, health, job, reputation, privileges, too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">It doesn't take much to create a rift, whether between family members, friends, coworkers, or countries.<br /><br />Safeguarding your relationships, money, health, and career, involves not just keeping pride, ego, vanity, stubbornness, and defensiveness, out of the way, but also exercising discipline and judgement, resisting temptation, and giving attention to the things that need attention.<br /><br />If you spend too much time outside your comfort zone, what’s inside your comfort zone might get neglected, and you may not realize the threats to the things inside your comfort zone, including the threats brought on by your own behavior.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">What's neglected can be lost.<br /><br />If you cherish what’s inside your comfort zone (your relationships, your comforting routines, your activities, your assets, the physical and non-physical things you are blessed to have), invest the time, thought, and energy to nurture and protect each of those things.<br /><br />They should take precedence over all the exciting things, that exist outside your comfort zone.<br /><br />What are you doing to nurture the things, that are inside your comfort zone, and that you value?<br /><br />I will leave you with that question today.</span></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-69425114409141389462026-08-30T09:28:52.830-07:002026-08-31T06:27:12.824-07:00How does the comfort of preparation help you meet expectations...<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>Preparation betters your chances.</i></span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br />Listed below are some ways to better your chances. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>All of them require preparation, and/or expanding your knowledge, or working on yourself.</i></span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span><div class="q-box" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; font-size: 15px; margin-left: -12px; margin-right: -12px;"><div class="q-box" style="box-sizing: border-box; filter: blur(0px); margin-bottom: 1em; position: relative; transition-duration: 1s; transition-property: undefined; transition-timing-function: ease-out;"><img class="q-image qu-cursor--default qu-display--block" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-86171784a267e4ef51c4a44f4f75f1a6-lq" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: default; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></div></div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><b>Better Your Chances for Successful Employment</b>…<br /><br />The more job applications you send, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more people you connect with, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more pavement you pound, the better your chances.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-innovative-ways-to-introduce-yourself-to-anybody/answer/Minoo-Jha">The more creative your approach,</a> the better your chances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The more you learn about the places you are applying to, the better your chances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The more you learn about the job you are applying for, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more samples of work you show, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more your work gets seen, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more you think outside the box, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more you <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-qualities-of-a-happy-person-do-you-think-lead-to-better-employment-and-financial-outcomes/answer/Minoo-Jha">work on yourself</a>, the better your chances.<br /><br />The broader your search, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more you persevere, the better your chances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The more you <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-recruiters-reject-a-resume-in-six-seconds/answer/Minoo-Jha">modify your resume</a>, and the more you <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-can-we-learn-from-being-rejected/answer/Minoo-Jha">reflect on your failed interviews, and modify your approach</a>, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more in-demand skills you have, the better your chances.<br /><br />The larger your skill-set, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more developed your communication skills, the better your chances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The more you <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-7-ways-the-stock-market-reflects-life/answer/Minoo-Jha">use metaphors to keep going</a>, the better your chances.<br /><br /><i>Above all, the more driven and engaged you are, the better your chances.</i><br /><br /><b>Better Your Chances For Good Health</b>…<br /><br />The more you look after yourself, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more you know about health issues, the better your chances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The more tools you use, the better your chances.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The more you see <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-should-you-expect-from-your-life/answer/Minoo-Jha">problems as puzzles to be solved</a>, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more disciplined you are about what you eat, about exercise, sleep and relaxation, the better your chances.<br /><br /><i>Above all, the more driven and engaged you are, the better your chances.</i><br /><br /><b>Better Your Chances for Good Relationships…</b><br /><br />The less high maintenance you are, the better your chances.<br /><br />The less needy you are, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more solid and dependable you are, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more ethical you are, the better your chances<br /><br />The more supportive you are, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more patient and persevering you are, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more positive you are, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more attentive and caring you are, the better your chances.<br /><br />The more interesting and “interested” you are, the better your chances.<br /><br /><i>Above all, the more driven and engaged you are, the better your chances.</i><br /><br /><b>One final piece of advice: </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">In life, there are no guarantees. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">But there are always ways to better your chances. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Preparation is a way to do that. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Prepare by first asking what am I overlooking? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">What am I missing? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Then create a plan of action.</span></div></div><div><b style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>Because, as I have repeated throughout this post, the more driven and engaged you are, the better your chances.</i></b></div><div><b style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></b></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-16569799553332281022026-08-23T08:17:50.547-07:002026-08-23T08:17:50.547-07:00When you are young and fresh out of school, or college...<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13nYdRWtukP0DqeAkKIRkhYyiWp9TyyM-u_tLLUX6LGdVZG1zBBiLAbTfQJ09H1U1piGovnzl8gRfXjEekV_EjWXR_o8rtxeVP9HQYnlDwLBi0sity3XOtBOQdZcVCMJWWLuZdQzn_9gkhUSvL9s5NbHDqHhdu8t2w6hhH7GyFDMbgJIlDy-zaQ3nat1a/s6000/Fresh%20out%20of%20college%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13nYdRWtukP0DqeAkKIRkhYyiWp9TyyM-u_tLLUX6LGdVZG1zBBiLAbTfQJ09H1U1piGovnzl8gRfXjEekV_EjWXR_o8rtxeVP9HQYnlDwLBi0sity3XOtBOQdZcVCMJWWLuZdQzn_9gkhUSvL9s5NbHDqHhdu8t2w6hhH7GyFDMbgJIlDy-zaQ3nat1a/w426-h640/Fresh%20out%20of%20college%202.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />When you are young and fresh out of college, is it advisable to work as hard as possible, and make personal sacrifices, where necessary, for many years, in order to establish a good financial base, for the rest of your life?</b><br /><br />Absolutely.<br /><br />Yes.<br /><br />Yes.<br /><br />You are in the prime of life, when you are fresh out of college.</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">You should aim to turn an academic victory into a dedicated professional journey.<br /><br />Your brain is young, your body is young.<br /><br />You should work as hard as you can, and make as much money as you can.<br /><br />You should work multiple jobs, if it will help you establish a good financial base.<br /><br />You could have a main gig, and one or many side gigs.<br /><br />You want to produce as much income as possible early in life, not only so you can get rid of any student debt you have, but to save for future expenses, such as marriage (if that’s on the cards), a house, and retirement.<br /><br />You should aim to put away a minimum of 20% of your income in savings, and maybe even 50% of your income, if you can manage it.<br /><br />Live in your car if you have to, scrimp and save, if you have to. Chris Pratt did it. Jim Carrey did it. James Cameron did it. Kelly Clarkson did it. Colonel Sanders did it.<br /><br />First order of the day is to get a foot in the door.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Take a job, any job, even a highly challenging and inconvenient job, just to get a foot in the door, and gain experience.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Next order of the day, is to put on your money saving hat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">When it comes to savings - before marriage, house, and retirement - you should aim to build up an emergency cushion.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">An emergency cushion should cover 6 months to a year of all your living expenses.<br /><br />You should save this money in a liquid account, such as a checking, savings, or money market account. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">If you put it in a separate bank account, and name the account Emergency Cushion, you will be able to keep your hands off it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Don’t touch that money. It is only to be used in case of emergencies.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The most common emergency is job loss, but it could be something else for you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">If you have to use some of the money in your emergency cushion account for something, make sure you put the money back again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Keep your emergency cushion amount consistent.<br /><br />If you are out of work for a while, your emergency cushion will help you meet your expenses, including your medical expenses.<br /><br />Establishing a good financial base early in life, will do the following for you:</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Enable you to deal with unpredictable events like unemployment, ill health, and disability.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />Help you meet expenses associated with health, marriage, children, housing, and retirement.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />And finally, it will equip you to ride recessions in the economy, which can sometimes last an eternity, and almost always involve layoffs, plus real estate and stock market crashes.<br /><br />When that happens, you want to stay invested, following the philosophy I outlined in answer to the Quora question, <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-did-you-survive-the-2008-2009-stock-market-crash/answer/Minoo-Jha">How did you survive the 2008-2009 stock market crash?</a></span></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-20927982215955076102026-08-16T07:46:04.152-07:002026-08-16T07:46:04.153-07:00When in my life did it feel like my motivation for what I was talented in, was drifting away?<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaRA4iVw6WULBILVTWyp4AfTk166fFJSwyjWdbYlIeTA0HEazglDtzYCIgj1AYT89OS9Hg3Uq0Y0txQsd2I4B9Sf8Gajk1vuDaLKtTAfFfOVdkX8g0ZoR0GM91EHMl395_Rg-ksqkZ9TXgKN3BXMxvtuKrO7BSdeIORglt5OL6MJu9W2dN78H8CxsyZpb/s5068/Inspiration%20Drying%20Up%20-%20Blog%20post%202026%20May.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5068" data-original-width="3379" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaRA4iVw6WULBILVTWyp4AfTk166fFJSwyjWdbYlIeTA0HEazglDtzYCIgj1AYT89OS9Hg3Uq0Y0txQsd2I4B9Sf8Gajk1vuDaLKtTAfFfOVdkX8g0ZoR0GM91EHMl395_Rg-ksqkZ9TXgKN3BXMxvtuKrO7BSdeIORglt5OL6MJu9W2dN78H8CxsyZpb/w426-h640/Inspiration%20Drying%20Up%20-%20Blog%20post%202026%20May.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>When I moved to America, and could not get an advertising copy job, I jumped at the first job that paid decent money, which was commissions administration.<br /><br />My writing came to a screeching halt.<br /><br />Year after year passed, without the inspiration to write, ever emerging.<br /><br />Every time I sat down to write, I couldn’t.<br /><br />I came up empty.<br /><br />I thought that maybe the writing chapter of my life had ended.<br /><br />Then I walked out of a job in 2010.<br /><br />Lots of amazing things happened that year, and I believe it was partly because I did not work during the next 6 months, that lots of amazing things happened.<br /><br />I learned to meditate, after reading the book, “How God Changes Your Brain.”<br /><br />Learning to meditate brought gifts.<br /><br />I became a <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-low-maintenance-person/answer/Minoo-Jha">low maintenance </a>person.<br /><br />Those early years of meditation resulted in some beautiful, and hard to explain inspirations:</span><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-most-interesting-meditation-experience/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-100b8c3189f19ea432ef4096b0a315a9-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What is your most interesting meditation experience?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is your most interesting meditation experience? After I stared meditating, I have had a few telepathic experiences. One of them was waking up in the middle of the night with a story about 3 Benches. I do not normally write fiction pieces on my blog, so it was very unusual for me to wake up in the middle of the night with the idea of this 3 Benches Story. The next day I called my friend in Klamath and I asked her, “Hey Nadya, whatcha been up to?” like I usually do. I got goosebumps when she said, “Oh, I am building a bench for my backyard.” I felt the only explanation for the mysterious appearance of the 3 Benches idea in my mind was because of a telepathic experience with Nadya. By now I must have aroused your curiosity about what this 3 Benches story is all about. It took another 6 years for me to actually get down to being able to write it and publish it on my blog. Here it is. I hope you enjoy reading it. Everyone Has Their Purpose Everyone has their purpose. I just hadn’t discovered mine. We were 3 benches in a park. Bench 1 clearly knew its purpose. It was to enjoy the rich conversations and the books of the people who sat on Bench 1. Bench 1 was into mind-expanding things. Bench 1 was always going on and on about philosophy and epistemology and such, things which, if they didn’t entirely go over my head, only somewhat interested me. I am curious and I have a love for words. These two personality traits made me listen to whatever Bench 1 said. Bench 2 was clearly status-seeking, a name-dropper. Bench 2 lived for the stylish, well-heeled, and well-known people that sat on Bench 2. Bench 2 would tell you that Bench 2 occupants that day included people who wore Manolo Blahnik Hangisi shoes, or toted the most expensive Louis Vuitton bags, or drove up in a Tesla Model X P100 D. As for me, neither status, nor mind expanding ideas, excited me, or held the key to my soul. I registered everything Bench 1 and Bench 2 said. I was curious enough for that. Bench 1 and Bench 2 knew they had a perfect listener in me. So they shared everything and anything that excited them, or troubled them, with me. And I would listen. But truthfully, I was interested in an "interesting what other benches find interesting" way. I knew, there had to be something more. One day, an older woman sat on my bench and said the rosary. As she sat there, moving from bead to bead, and repeating the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, I caught a glimpse of what my purpose was. Another day, two young men sat on my bench. One of the young men had the book Awakening Loving-Kindness by Pema Chodron in his hands. He explained to the other young man what meditating on loving-kindness meant. I caught a glimpse of my purpose again. Another day, I watched a man put a mat on the grass, put his hands up, then put his right hand over his left hand, then bend down and put his hands on his knees, then stand back up and bend down, placing his knees, hands and head on the floor, all the while reciting prayers. I caught a glimpse of my purpose again. One day, two Hindu studies major students sat on my bench. One of them read this passage from the Bhagavad Gita out aloud to the other: “The man who sees me in everything and everything within me will not be lost to me, nor will I ever be lost to him. He who is rooted in oneness realizes that I am in every being; wherever he goes, he remains in me. When he sees all being as equal in suffering or in joy because they are like himself, that man has grown perfect in yoga.” I caught a glimpse of my purpose again. Another day, two Jesuit priests chose me for their bench. They spoke of wondrous things, such as St. Augustine hearing a childlike voice telling him to “take up and read”. For days after, I kept thinking about that. And then one day, it happened. A man with a backpack and a stick entered the area where our 3 benches were located. He looked weary and he looked tired and he looked disheveled and he looked unkempt. I knew he was the kind of man Bench 1 and Bench 2 would be least interested in, even revolted by. He looked at all 3 of us benches, and then made his way to where I was, even though I was the furthest bench. He put his backpack down on one end of the bench. Then, using the backpack as a pillow for his head, he sprawled across the length of the bench, covered his face with a dirty shirt, and fell into a deep sleep, from which he awoke, hours later, after which he picked up his things and left. He came back the next day and did the same thing; and he came back the day after and did the same thing again. At the end of day 3, after he had woken up and left, Bench 1 said to me: “Tough luck 3, to have a homeless guy single you out and make a habit of it.” I didn’t say anything. Bench 2 added, “Better accept it, 3. You might be stuck with him at least till the weather changes!” I didn’t say anything. If only Bench 1 and Bench 2 knew…..at last, I had found my purpose. The End Note to Readers: The original idea for this story came to me in the form of a miraculous coincidence - which happened in October of 2012, almost 6 years ago. Though I had the idea for this story 6 years ago, I wasn’t able to put it into words. So it just lingered with me, all these years, until a few days ago. Here's how it happened. On the morning of April 27, 2018, while riding the bus to work and reading a book, suddenly these words came to my mind, “Everyone has their purpose”. My mind, next inexplicably, jumped to my unwritten 3 benches story. The next thing I knew, I was writing furiously. This story, that had been waiting to be told for 6 years, got told.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I also decided to become a freelancer in my field.<br /><br />That turned out to be an inspired decision.<br /><br />Freelancing turned out to be both more financially rewarding for me, and more suited to me.<br /><br />And on December 27, 2010, I created a blog on Google Blogger, and started writing.<br /><br />My blog is now in its 16th year, and I have published 788 posts.<br /><br />One of my posts is a post reflecting on my career switch from advertising copy to commissions administration, and how unthinkable that was —written from a humorous angle.<br /><br />If the twists and turns in your life made you switch careers, and your second and third careers were dramatically different from your first, I think you will be able to relate to it.</span><br /></div><div><br /><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-aadc8682085513607f86bc30a38520ba"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 143.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 111.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-become-interested-in-something-after-spending-enough-time-with-it-or-does-the-interest-always-have-to-be-there-from-the-start/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">4y</span></a></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-become-interested-in-something-after-spending-enough-time-with-it-or-does-the-interest-always-have-to-be-there-from-the-start/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com">Is it possible to become interested in something after spending enough time with it or does the interest always have to be there from the start?</a></div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-become-interested-in-something-after-spending-enough-time-with-it-or-does-the-interest-always-have-to-be-there-from-the-start/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com">Totally! I was completely uninterested in spreadsheets, Excel and numbers, but when I switched careers from a copywriter to a commissions analyst, the more time I spent as an analyst, the more interested I became in spreadsheets, Excel and numbers. In 2010, I walked out of a commissions analyst job at a tech company where I had been for 5 years, and a few months later, I started a blog. Here’s a piece I wrote about the role of words vs numbers in my life and the genesis of that blog: Words vs Numbers The Words , who had gathered to discuss the issue at hand, were clearly flustered. "Discombobulated, unsettled, unnerved, agitated, ruffled, upset, bothered, disquieted, disturbed, perturbed, disconcerted, confused, thrown off " is how Thesaurus put it. Among the Words gathered were prominent Word luminaries such as Action, Strategy, Thoughtful, Biography, Explanation and Analogy. "It is ridiculous" said Exclamation. "It is preposterous" said Emphasis. "It is unthinkable" said Enunciate. "We should do something about it" said Action. "Like what?" said Curious. "With her making the career switch to a Commissions Analyst, what could we possibly do?” "Of all the things she could have chosen to become…a Commissions Analyst!" exclaimed Judgment…."a Commissions Analyst!" "There should be a law against Copywriters becoming Commissions Analysts" said Legal. "How can you go from working in so many different ad agencies...and writing the Fiesta campaign...and starting Purple Patch...to crunching numbers?" said Biography, shaking her head. "A rhetorical question" said Rhetoric. "Calculating commissions? Sounds as dull as ditchwater to me" said Analogy. "Apparently not to her" said Explanation. "What on earth do Commission Analysts do?" said Clueless. "I will have to write it out, but be warned. Even when I do, it will make no sense to you" said Explanation. Explanation strode to the whiteboard and wrote, "60000/500000 x 0.03"on the whiteboard. The Words looked at what Explanation had written, open mouthed. "Wow, don't understand it. And don't understand what she sees in it" said Incredulous. "What does it even mean?" said Clueless. "Sales divided by Quota multiplied by Rate. It's a commission calculation". "She stares at screens full of this the whole day" continued Explanation. "We need to come up with a plan" said Strategy. "The goal is to get Minoo back into words. I want us all to put on our thinking hats. Let's meet again in a week with ideas. And so they met again. At that next and crucial meeting, some of the Words looked more excited than others. They had the look of those who have ideas they can't wait to share. "I have just the thing" said Eager, "Let's have Minoo kidnapped and taken back to India. Someone from her advertising past in India will be sure to offer her a job, and she will be back to being a words practitioner again." The idea fell flat. Eager looked dejected. "I know, I know" said Devious, "Let's have Minoo make mistakes in her work as a Commissions Analyst. Then she will have to come up with creative ways of explaining the mistakes. She will have to use words to do that." All the other Words glared at Devious for this inappropriate suggestion. "I was only joking" said Devious. All the Words then turned and looked at Thoughtful. Everyone knew Thoughtful would have an idea. "I was thinking" said Thoughtful, "What Minoo needs is a creative pause. A creative pause will spur her creativity. I am willing to bet if Minoo has a creative pause, she will automatically start writing again." "But how would we engineer a creative pause?" said Practical. "I know, I know" said Devious, "You know how Minoo loves her telecommuting?" "Yes," said the other Words… "Well," said Devious, "If a boss got in the way of that, Minoo is likely to leave her job." "And that will produce the creative pause …yes I totally approve of that" said Thoughtful. The other Words who respected anything Thoughtful said, nodded their heads in agreement, shaking their heads Indian style. Meanwhile, Devious was as pleased as punch. Known for joking around, he couldn't believe he had come up with the winning idea. And so the Words put their heads together. They plotted on planting ideas in the ear of the boss of Minoo's direct boss - ideas that were in direct contradiction to what Minoo would like to hear. As to why it had to be the boss of Minoo's boss, and not Minoo's boss, it was because Minoo's boss was deemed too kind to cause any inconvenience and trouble for Minoo. The idea the Words put in the head of the boss of Minoo's boss (and it was while he was sleeping), was that he should ask Minoo to account for every hour she spent working from home, and to also question her current system for calculating commissions. And things went exactly as the Words expected. The boss of Minoo's boss asked her to account for every hour of the time she spent working from home. He also started questioning how she did her commission calculations, even though she was using a system she had refined over the years, and which was both accurate and fast. Being asked to account for every hour of her time and being questioned about her well-developed system did not sit well with Minoo, and she was rattled. She exchanged words with the boss’s boss again and again. Eventually, tired of exchanging words, actually tired of the psychological demands of dealing with the boss of her boss, one Monday, Minoo did not show up for work. Shortly after, she announced her resignation. The Words couldn't have been happier. They high fived each other. According to Thoughtful, it was now just a question of time before the creative pause bore fruit. And that's exactly what happened. By walking out of her job, Minoo gave herself a well-deserved creative pause. And this creative pause soon spurred Minoo's creativity. Before 6 months was out, she started a blog, and began to write and post online. She wrote posts about losing weight, she wrote posts about buying cars, she wrote posts about starting businesses, she wrote posts about doing taxes, she wrote posts about being unique, she wrote posts about being a virtual worker. She wrote and wrote and wrote. She even wrote a Valentine's Day post about Cupid getting his groove back. The Words were ecstatic. And guess what…the Numbers were happy too. Because Minoo decided to continue her engagement with numbers by becoming a Commission Administration Consultant So her numbers work resumed, but she still found time to keep up with her blog during the weekend. And she is doing both even today. All’s well that ends well, as they say. And now you know the genesis of my blog, Minoo Jha Life Strategies.</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-66624492721826076172026-08-09T10:20:02.682-07:002026-08-09T12:05:36.734-07:00What has been my most rewarding collaboration with a junior, senior, or an equal level performer?<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #282829;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #282829;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi1VL1JT8OZ-XvY4lRBOiJLIF6GzY_Dml3NGO6f643vy5gZ_rM8xyRUgDk9tQhcaIUr_vWjoaSQH3GeOtOrX7pgvEeJZOuhN2T4zLTXYK-xaRhbzlM0t_tul3BVlEPHNY7YbjBbLdkZY65CLs4u9sSMsptCkcpyQE8W4DUF1wqP30caf5IP_BXQQpRHB0/s1280/Collaboration.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="731" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi1VL1JT8OZ-XvY4lRBOiJLIF6GzY_Dml3NGO6f643vy5gZ_rM8xyRUgDk9tQhcaIUr_vWjoaSQH3GeOtOrX7pgvEeJZOuhN2T4zLTXYK-xaRhbzlM0t_tul3BVlEPHNY7YbjBbLdkZY65CLs4u9sSMsptCkcpyQE8W4DUF1wqP30caf5IP_BXQQpRHB0/w366-h640/Collaboration.png" width="366" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #282829;"><br />I can think of a few different ones...</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #282829; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">The manager who took a chance on me</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #282829; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #282829; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">by giving me my first commissions administration job</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #282829; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">, and who collaborated with me, until I was confident enough, to do the job on my own…</span></p><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-gift-of-encouragement/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-f162e3a90ff63d320ce06a7ba403f714-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What is the gift of encouragement?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is the gift of encouragement? I am reminded of when I first took on the role of Commissions Analyst at Palm - my first commissions administration job. I did not know Excel – yet there I was being recruited to a job which was entirely Excel based, and what’s more, involved an advanced level of Excel. I was anxious about pulling it off. But if on one side I had doubt and concern, on the other side, I had a fierce women’s advocate, my manager, Laura H, who wanted me to succeed. She not only took a chance on me by giving me a job I was not qualified for, by either education or experience…. She mentored me so I developed the confidence to do the job. Laura went out on maternity leave, not long after I took up the Commissions Analyst job. I went into panic mode when she gave me the news. “Laura, I am not sure I can manage on my own. I don’t really understand any of the formulas. If anything goes wrong with a formula, how will I fix it? And what do I do when new hires comes on board – how will I set up their commission statements? I don’t know how to do that.” “Don’t worry, Minoo. Trust me you can do this”, she said. “Just copy the formulas from the existing sheets on to the new sheets for new hires. And if you break a formula, just look at one of the other spreadsheets and copy the formula over from there.” “Trust me - you can do this.” Those were the magic words. If Laura felt I could do it, surely I could. After she had gone, everything went just like she said. I was able to manage the process on my own, copying sheets, copying formulas, using what had already been built. Laura did not return from maternity leave. She had decided to get involved with the launch of a women’s sports magazine. But thanks to her confidence in me, I was able to keep going. In fact, I did the job on my own for the next 5 years, until I left for another job. That’s How Powerful The Gift of Encouragement Is Did Laura know for sure everything would turn out okay? Not really. Did I know for sure everything would turn out okay? Not really. But just the fact Laura had so much confidence in me made me believe I could succeed. From my experience, this is what I learned… Want to see what someone is capable of? Take a chance on them. Give them adequate training. Make sure they have a template to follow. Tell them you are confident they will succeed. Then sit back and watch the magic happen!</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>The Toastmasters mentor who collaborated with me on each of my 10 speeches</b>, enabling me to complete all of my 10 CTM speeches within a year, plus <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-stories-about-failure-that-can-teach-us-some-valuable-life-lessons/answer/Minoo-Jha">win an award</a>, and <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-something-youre-still-afraid-of-doing-even-after-doing-it-so-many-times-before/answer/Minoo-Jha">write an article</a>.</span><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/How-often-do-you-find-yourself-thinking-two-is-better-than-one/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-2f843a2febefbb7c6bfe08cd5e824e8a-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">How often do you find yourself thinking ‘two is better than one’?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, How often do you find yourself thinking ‘two is better than one’? Every now and then. And wistfully. Because some of my best work - and most wonderful output - has come about, because another person was involved. In successful partnerships, as in successful marriages, one plus one does not equal two, but an exponential amount more. Having the right co-pilot, spouse, or mentor can make all the difference to what you achieve. My Toastmasters experience is a good example. In 2003, I joined Toastmasters. I was lucky enough to be mentored by someone, who was not just very experienced at public speaking, but incredible at mentoring as well. Thanks to her feedback and input, I completed my CTM in a year. Moreover, all of my speeches were big hits. Other aspiring speakers would come up to me after my speeches. They would want to know the secret behind my speaking ability. My mentor had a big part to play in it. I decided her contribution to my success shouldn’t go unrecognized. So after I completed my CTM, I wrote a speech dedicated to her, and what she had done for me. Want to guess what it was called? When One Plus One Does Not Equal Two.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>The art director and copywriter who collaborated with me </b>on some of the ads I am most proud of…</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/How-would-you-describe-the-time-you-have-collaborated-with-an-individual/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-77fba0c7085e881034a40deaac7f7d01"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">1y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">How would you describe the time you have collaborated with an individual?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">“Two is better than one” describes it best. I collaborated a few different times in my career as a copywriter. It was usually with another copywriter. There was one art director and me who had the most amazing collaboration. This was at Contract Advertising, Bangalore. There was a copywriter whom I met at Contract Advertising, Bangalore who also collaborated with me, not just when we worked together at Contract Advertising, Bangalore, but later when I started my own creative hot shop in Madras - Purple Patch. Collaboration requires chemistry. And you need to be on the same wavelength so you enjoy the collaboration. My career as a freelance Commissions Administration Consultant has not provided me with opportunities for collaboration. But when I was in Toastmasters, my mentor and me had that chemistry. I would love to be in a collaboration again - be a Brian Grazer to a Ron Howard, or a Ron Howard to a Brian Grazer.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">You can have project-length collaborations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div>You can also have <b><i>collaboration</i></b> moments.</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>What do I consider <b><i>collaboration</i></b> moments?<br /><br />Anytime, <i>I get someone thinking</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">That's a <b><i>collaboration</i></b> moment.<br /><br />Anytime, <i>someone gets me thinking</i>.<br /><br />That's a “<i>collaboration</i>” moment, too.<br /><br />C<b>ollaboration</b> moments, can be more satisfying than “<i>personal inspirations</i>”, even though those are fun, too.<br /><br /><b>Ron Howard</b> and <b>Brian Grazer</b>, who gave us <b>Parenthood</b>,<b> Splash, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13</b>, and more, by working together on those films, can testify.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Perhaps, what they have achieved together, they may not have achieved on their own?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We don't know.<br /><br />Another example is author <b>James Patterson</b>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Besides the many books he has written on his own, he has co-authored books with more than 30 other authors.<br /><br />I have listed just one Hollywood collaboration, and one writing collaboration.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">There are plenty more.<br /><br />Up for a quiz on some famous collaborations?<br /><br />If you have a good memory for trivia, but have not dipped your toe into the waters of collaboration trivia, it’s time you did…</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-find-good-technical-co-founders-Is-there-any-particular-resource-or-technique-in-finding-competent-technical-co-founders/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-5a2d904e7bb621af239d117477779b3c-pjlq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">How do I find good technical co-founders? Is there any particular resource or technique in finding competent technical co-founders?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, How do I find good technical co-founders? Is there any particular resource or technique in finding competent technical co-founders? Here is a resource which may have already been suggested to you. Founder.Dating.com. Meanwhile, while your search is on, I thought you might enjoy a little quiz about collaborations. Here goes - Q1: Which of these well-known companies was not founded by college buddies? Google Yahoo E-Harmony Reddit Proactiv Answer: E-Harmony. E-Harmony was founded by Neil Clark Warren, a psychologist and author of relationship advice books, along with his son-in-law Greg Forgatch. All the other companies on this list were founded by college classmates, and 3 out of 4 of them were, in fact, founded by Stanford classmates, Proactiv being among them. Q2: Which of these co-founders of companies discovered that one of the things they had in common with each other was preferring Bob Dylan to the Beatles? Was it…. Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack of Cisco? Jerry Yang and David Filo of Yahoo? Paul Allen and Bill Gates of Microsoft? Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple? Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben and Jerry’s? Answer: It was Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. You may not have known that. I didn’t either. I learned of it from a Los Gatos Patch interview with Steve Wozniak. Q3: All these are celebrated collaborators. How quickly can you fill in the blanks? Rodgers and………. Lewis and………. Gilbert and ……….. Masters and……… Lords and……… And the answers are: Hammerstein, Sullivan, Clark, Johnson, Taylor Q4: Next, do you know the fields of work of the people listed in the last question? Can you match them to the list provided below: Sexology Opera Expeditions Fine Clothing Broadway Musicals Answers: Masters & Johnson - Sexology, Rodgers & Hammerstein - Opera, Lewis & Clark - Expeditions, Lords & Taylor - Fine Clothing, Gilbert & Sullivan - Broadway Musicals. On to our next question about collaborators…. Q5: Which of these collaborators were not siblings? Orville and Wilbur Elizabeth, Mary and Sophia Walt and Roy Lucy and Desi Jacob and Wilhelm Richard and Maurice Answer: Lucy and Desi …who were husband and wife. Bonus question 1: What are the last names associated with the names above? Bonus question 2: How fast can you associate the following with the correct pairs from the list above?... 1) It’s A Small World 2) The History of Flight 3) Ethel and Fred 4) The Golden Arches 5) The introduction of kindergarten education in America , and 6) Hansel and Gretel. Q6: And finally, for all you lovebirds out there, the husband-and-wife teams listed below are behind some really cool and well-known companies. Can you identify the companies from just their names: Diane Greene and Mendel Rosenblum Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake Michael and Xochi Birch Sehat Sutardja and Weili Dai Eugene and Natalya Kaspersky Answers: Diane Greene and Mendel Rosenblum (VM Ware); Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake (Flickr); Michael and Xochi Birch (Bebo); Sehat Sutardja and Weili Dai (Marvell); Eugene and Natalya Kaspersky (Kaspersky Lab). Another famous husband and wife partnership is Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown of the legendary architectural firm Venturi Scott Brown and Associates. I hope you find your technical co founder and embark on a fulfilling and fruitful collaboration with them – whether that person is a friend, a soul mate, a spouse, a sibling, a classmate, a workmate, or someone you run into that turns out to be a great fit. Happy New Peer. As Henry Ford put it….."Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Do I think there is an art to collaborations?<br /><br />I think you have to be open to other people’s ideas, suggestions, and inputs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Plus you have to be willing to share credit…</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-good-example-of-when-you-sought-other-people%E2%80%99s-views-to-help-you-improve-your-personal-practice-or-your-service/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e015a33298728babed042fead00eb2f1-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">1y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What is a good example of when you sought other people’s views to help you improve your personal practice or your service?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is a good example of when you sought other people’s views to help you improve your personal practice or your service? I try to do this as much as I can. In many of my assignments, the most useful thing I have done is to find out what the manager wants and then work to that requirement. I always try to feel out how I can deliver value that the person I am working with may not have thought of, and in fact they may not even know I can help them with. The skills required for Commissions Administration are numerical and software skills. The skills required for Advertising copy are writing skills. I try to see how I can bring both to my assignments. In many companies, I have written FRDs, User Guides, Commission Process documentation. And I even developed a learning tracker in one assignment. The feedback loop is very important to improving one’s personal practice or service. Quora is a good way to suss out what people want most - though I haven’t yet started using Quora for that.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Anyone can become a collaborator.<br /><br />In fact, I urge you to.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Find someone to collaborate with.<br /><br />See how it takes you beyond your limits.<br /><br />And see how much more fun it is.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Two heads, two hearts, two springs, from which to draw ideas.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Magic happens.</span></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-79805210706458556142026-08-01T09:32:18.281-07:002026-08-01T09:32:18.281-07:00How can you strategically use the right tools to distinguish yourself in your field, and attract the opportunities you desire?<p> <span face="-apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="color: #282829; font-size: 15px;">Try to brand yourself in a unique way:</span></p><div class="q-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;"><span class="CssComponent__CssInlineComponent-sc-1oskqb9-1 UserSelectableText___StyledCssInlineComponent-lsmoq4-0"><span class="q-box qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box; user-select: text;"><a class="q-box Link___StyledBox-t2xg9c-0 gcYyKo puppeteer_test_link qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none" href="https://www.quora.com/What-s-your-most-marketable-skill-Why/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: transparent; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-804342ba3c5117957b060150b47bbdc7"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.375px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 500px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.375px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken Photo___StyledBox-sc-1x7c6d3-0" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle BadgeWrapper___StyledAbsolute-kazm88-0 bhmOme" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: calc(13px * var(--dynamic-font-scale,1)) !important;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: calc(13px * var(--dynamic-font-scale,1)) !important;">5y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What’s your most marketable skill? Why?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: calc(13px * var(--dynamic-font-scale,1)) !important; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is your most marketable skill and why? I am an independent Commissions Administration Consultant. I became an independent Commissions Administration Consultant in 2010, after leaving a full time job as a Sr. Commissions Analyst at a tech company. At the time of my leaving, I had no plans to go independent. But after doing the Xactly commission software training in 2010, and then spending a year and a half doing Xactly implementations, I decided it was worth giving it a shot. My first experiment was with a company called Epicor. Their Sr. Commissions Analyst had resigned. This was someone who had handled their commissions administration for 17 years. Epicor urgently needed to find a replacement for her, so there could be some knowledge transfer between the outgoing analyst and her replacement. I spotted my opportunity to market myself as an independent Commissions Consultant. A staffing agency gave my resume to the hiring manager - who was the Director of Strategic Finance at Epicor. Soon after, she called me. As soon as she did, I made a proposal to her. I said, “I know you advertised this as a permanent position, but I propose to come and help you keep the commissions processes going, until you find a suitable back-fill; and then train the back-fill before I leave.” It took a little bit of convincing, but she could see my suggestion made sense. After all, there were only 5 days left for the knowledge transfer to take place. “Would I be willing to get on a plane with her and go to L.A. the next day,” was her next question. The LA office was where the outgoing commissions analyst worked from, so that’s where we would have to go to do the knowledge transfer. I immediately said yes. So this is how my marketing of “temporary commissions administration”, actually, “emergency commissions administration” began. With that first assignment at Epicor. I have done the same thing, in one form or another, at 14 different companies since 2010. The most recent of them being Linkedin, Rubrik, and Zoom Videoconferencing. So the answer to your first question, what is my most marketable skill? It is Commissions Administration - everything and anything to do with it. And the answer to your 2nd question, why?… Because finding experienced and non-flaky temporary commissions administration help is difficult. It’s a niche field. And possibly, I am the only one who works it as an independent professional.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a>Here’s one more trick I used. This was to be memorable after an interview:</span></span></div><div class="q-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;"><br /><span class="CssComponent__CssInlineComponent-sc-1oskqb9-1 UserSelectableText___StyledCssInlineComponent-lsmoq4-0"><span class="q-box qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box; user-select: text;"><a class="q-box Link___StyledBox-t2xg9c-0 gcYyKo puppeteer_test_link qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none" href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-innovative-ways-to-introduce-yourself-to-anybody/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: transparent; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-5f7c8a9344fe685243334cbcaef5c876-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.375px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 500px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.375px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken Photo___StyledBox-sc-1x7c6d3-0" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle BadgeWrapper___StyledAbsolute-kazm88-0 bhmOme" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: calc(13px * var(--dynamic-font-scale,1)) !important;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: calc(13px * var(--dynamic-font-scale,1)) !important;">2y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What are the best/innovative ways to introduce yourself to anybody?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: calc(13px * var(--dynamic-font-scale,1)) !important; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Triple Hatter After reading Richard Nelson Bolles’ What Color is Your Parachute?, I found myself doing some soul searching. I thought about my past, my present and my future - all the colors and threads which were the patchwork of my life. And then I wrote a one page “dare to share” piece about myself, I titled Triple Hatter. I created it as something I would leave behind at an interview. I would hand it over to the interviewer at the end of the interview and say “This will tell you things about me that may not have been caught or covered in the interview”. If I was interviewed by 3 people in turn, I would hand out a copy to each of the interviewers as they left the room. I am sharing Triple Hatter with you. I hope it will motivate you to read What Color is Your Parachute? (when you get a chance) but more importantly, to learn to accept who you are in your entirety (past, present and future)... ... and then to “dare to share” everything you are with the world. Read Triple Hatter. Then go write your own Triple Hatter. And start sharing it with the world…. Triple Hatter One Gal. 3 Hats. I am a Commissions Analyst who writes advertising copy and a blog. I am a Copywriter who does Commissions Administrations and Implementations. I am a Commissions Admin who does Xactly Implementations You could call me a Triple Hatter. One Gal. 3 Hats. Solution Partners Inc, Los Gatos This is where I picked up my Implementations Hat. I said goodbye to fear and a regular paycheck when I signed up to be a contract Business Architect with Solution Partners and do Xactly Incent Implementations for different companies. 2 years and 4 projects later (including two 3-month stints at Salesforce Inc) – I am still entranced with the nuts and bolts of the Xactly Incent Commissions Machine. And now I can’t wait to see what it’s like to work both sides of the equation – the administration side and the implementation side. Which company will provide me with the opportunity to put both these skills to work? It’s exciting to speculate and wonder. Extreme Networks, Santa Clara This is where the Commissions Admin Experience I had gained at Palm was put to the test. And my ideas about my skills and traits. Excel whiz. Good at picking up new software. Accurate. Deadline Oriented. Dependable. I was there 5 years and had a fantastic relationship with my boss. Need I say more? Palm Inc This is where I got my training wheels as a Commissions Admin. No sooner did my boss sign me on to assist with commissions, when she went out on Maternity Leave. And never returned. So I was Palm’s one-woman commissions team from that point on. Of course, this meant I needed to take off my training wheels ASAP. Staying up nights with multiple Excel books, I did. It paid off. Minoo Jha Life Strategies My writing hat. It’s my oldest hat. Writing comes naturally. As flying to a bird. For a while, it looked like I had a broken wing. But when in December of 2010, I started blogging, I knew I was back in the groove. I write the Minoo Jha Life Strategies blog. Posting regularly to it, inviting guest posts and promoting it via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Triple Hatter. That’s me.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #282829; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-pb--tiny qu-mt--small qu-color--gray_light qu-passColorToLinks" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #939598; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: calc(13px * var(--dynamic-font-scale,1)) !important; margin-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 4px;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between AnswerFooter___StyledFlex-sc-2xbo88-0 kcDxwV" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; gap: 6px; justify-content: space-between;"></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-25942027216697673812026-07-26T07:33:08.779-07:002026-08-03T12:10:21.504-07:00Does everything in life have a solution?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyHunncy3mWsb-stkIztwmj4tZsVXQdIKo3HCrsvu2wbtHQ0bDXlsa7gnN4pQAyHznW_3q_zmoOjzLaMpDMG_nNLh_S0xoj8ualNi0FbI9fLybw65ydD1ulX6mHVn6zxQZAj0qaNHDGpY0iBDomZ7JPBc-jVkUAFshOXFkT9gwvJmDDcesNqxOEA8BtCp/s3399/Does%20everything%20in%20life%20have%20a%20solution.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3399" data-original-width="2400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyHunncy3mWsb-stkIztwmj4tZsVXQdIKo3HCrsvu2wbtHQ0bDXlsa7gnN4pQAyHznW_3q_zmoOjzLaMpDMG_nNLh_S0xoj8ualNi0FbI9fLybw65ydD1ulX6mHVn6zxQZAj0qaNHDGpY0iBDomZ7JPBc-jVkUAFshOXFkT9gwvJmDDcesNqxOEA8BtCp/w283-h400/Does%20everything%20in%20life%20have%20a%20solution.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br />Here’s my answer, based on personal experience.<br /><br />Actually, based on a few different personal experiences of mine.<br /><br /><i>One, it is in looking for solutions, that discoveries are made.</i><br /><br />It is how I discovered Dr. Jason Fung and intermittent fasting.<br /><br />Here’s the story…<br /><br />In 2015, I was freelancing at Aruba (subsequently acquired by HP).<br /><br />My team and I were eating lunch.<br /><br />During lunch, I told my team I was going for a fasting blood sugar test, the next day.<br /><br />“I am pre-diabetic, so I am worried,” I said.<br /><br />In response to this, a team member chuckled, and said something to me, that baffled me at the time…<br /><br />“Oh, I practically fast the whole day, before I go for a fasting blood sugar test, and I get a normal reading,” she said.<br /><br />Totally ignorant about blood sugar, in those days, I was taken aback.<br /><br />“What”, I said, “If you fast the day before a test, your fasting blood sugar reading will be normal?”.<br /><br />“Yes,” she said, “works for me every time”.<br /><br />I went home that evening, and because I didn’t believe her, I decided to do a Google search to find out if what she said was correct.<br /><br />I typed… “Will fasting the day before a fasting blood sugar test result in a normal blood sugar test?”.<br /><br />The answers to that Google search question changed my life.<br /><br />One of the top search results was a video by a Canadian doctor called Dr. Jason Fung.</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">It was a video, in which Dr. Jason Fung talked about how intermittent fasting could reverse diabetes.</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Fasting? A cure for diabetes?<br /><br />I was very interested to learn more.<br /><br />I watched the video.<br /><br />I found out how, and why, intermittent fasting works on controlling diabetes.<br /><br />My understanding of diabetes changed that day.<br /><br />I started intermittent fasting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">And I watched other YouTube videos by </span><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-happened-when-someone-said-I-told-you-so-and-they-were-right/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="font-family: Oxygen;">people who belonged to the low-carb movement</a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">, and made changes to my diet.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />I also bought a home blood sugar meter, and started pricking my finger, at different times of the day, to check what foods and activities increased my blood sugar.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">I checked first thing in the morning, last thing at night, one hour after anything I ate, two hours after anything I ate, three hours after anything I ate.<br /><br />I found out that foods like rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, and other starchy foods, and simple carbs, increased my blood sugar.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Hard though it was, I largely gave them up.</span></div><div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-most-amazing-physical-feat-you%E2%80%99ve-managed-to-pull-off/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-55b1ab434ce86d44d33f16826f601e13-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What was the most amazing physical feat you’ve managed to pull off?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is the most physically impressive feat you have ever accomplished? I was able to go low carb and do it successfully. This was a very hard thing for me to do. I grew up eating rice and bread and potatoes. And my favorite foods are either rice based like biryanis, ghee rice, pilaf, dosas, idlis, or wheat based - nans, puris, bread. Going low carb, I gave up all of that. And I gave up more than that. I gave up lassi and milkshakes and ice-cream. The only dairy products I have are heavy whipping cream and butter. I gave up fruit, including some of my favorite tropical fruits like mango, sapota, jackfruit. I gave up anything which had high-fructose corn syrup on the label…and you will be surprised by the number of things that have high fructose corn syrup on the label, including ketchup. I did this to reverse my pre-diabetes and I succeeded. But make no mistake, going low carb is a very tough thing to do. In fact, it’s my most physically impressive feat. I succeeded only because I wanted to reverse my pre-diabetes so badly. As I said in my answer to the Quora question, What are some tips for becoming successful? …motivation is the key to succeeding at anything. If you want to succeed at anything, you have to be highly motivated. If you are, you will achieve things you never thought you were capable of. I am so very proud of myself for succeeding at going low carb.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div>I learned so much from Dr. Jason Fung, and <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-happened-when-someone-said-I-told-you-so-and-they-were-right/answer/Minoo-Jha">all the voices of the low-carb movement</a>.</div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">And it had a positive impact on my health.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div>So to go back to your question, "is there a solution to everything", what my experience shows is that...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>One, in looking for solutions, discoveries are made.</i><br /><br />How else can the search for solutions solve a problem?<br /><br /><i>Based on my personal experience again, I found, that in looking for solutions, I am able to find alternate solutions.</i><br /><br />This is how I once hired 4 people, who arrived for an interview at the same time, when I planned to hire just 1 of them….</span></div><div><br /><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-6cb55f9575130bf1ec9afc44d94f9ae5-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What are good ways to make a decision quickly?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What are some examples of quick decision making? Here’s an example from my life… I was an advertising copywriter in my first career. After several years of working for ad agencies, I started my own creative shop, Purple Patch. Soon after starting Purple Patch, I decided I needed to hire additional copy help. I was willing to train someone who had the copy talent and potential to grow. At the time, I was guest lecturing in Advertising Copy at Loyola College, Chennai. I thought, why not, just hire one of my students. They had class only in the morning, so they could come to my house in the afternoons. I operated Purple Patch from my home which was not far away from Loyola College. I looked at the homework assignments and identified 4 suitable candidates from my batch of students. I asked these 4 students to come to my house for an interview. Little did I expect, they would arrive at my house together since their interviews were half hour apart. Anyway, when they arrived, I took them one by one into my home office to interview them, leaving the others sitting in my living room till it was their turn. I interviewed all the 4 students, and then I told them I was going back into my office for a few minutes to decide between the 4 of them. This was when I made a quick decision. I had planned to pay 3000 INR per month to the student I hired. A new thought suddenly occurred to me… What if I hired all 4 of them and paid them 750 INR each? I would have 4 talents instead of one. I made a quick decision about this and went back into the living room. “Do you want to know who I have decided on?” I told them. They looked at me with the excitement and nervousness of those on American Idol. “All 4 of you,” I said, and quickly added, “And I thought I’d pay you,” and then I stammered out, “750 INR each. They jumped up from their chairs in unison and shouted “Yay” as if they had won the Powerball or Mega Millions lottery. I was very proud of my quick decision making that day, especially in all the months and years to come running Purple Patch.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">One last and final insight about the search for solutions, based on my personal experience...</span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><i>If when you are looking for solutions, you have a <b>resource crunch</b> - such as limited money, time, health, or other resources to use, this often forces you to think creatively.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>And if something embarrassing happens to you, or there is an embarrassing lack in your life, it will force you to come up with ways to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">In both these circumstances, the solution you are likely to find to your problem will be, not an <b>ordinary solution</b>, but an <b>inspired solution</b>.<br /><br />Which makes the solution wonderful, even miraculous.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">This is true, whatever the problem, whatever the situation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Two examples, a personal example where my "limited resources" forced me to think creatively.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>Example 1 - resource crunch, based on a personal experience</i>...</span></div><div><br /><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: none; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-957c860d0fccb4ab49c7a2792b2d9a63-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="background-color: white; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: none; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What are some unique ways to prepare avocado?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What are some unique ways to prepare avocado? Avocado Pani Puri. Instead of putting potato in the puris (puchkas), put avocado. Just substitute potato with avocado. I discovered this recipe by accident and wrote a post about the discovery. Reprinting an adapted version below: My Avocado Pani Puri Story: I meditate on asteya. Asteya is one of the yamas (ethical precepts) of yoga. It means taking from the world only what you need -- without greed, excess or wastage. I am far from where I want to be when it comes to asteya, but I get a little better every day. One day I spotted a can of beets and a can of pineapples in my kitchen cupboard. The cans had been sitting there forever. I had picked them up and never gotten around to using them. They were a glaring example of not living by the principles of asteya. But now I looked at the cans and decided “Enough is enough. I need to use these cans and not let them lie around gathering dust anymore.” Of course, there was the challenge of what to do with them. I thought if I opened the two cans and mixed the ingredients together - they might pair well. But the pairing needed something to make it work and taste good. That made me think about fruta picada – the Mexican street vendor snack they sell at the Beryessa Flea Market. It is a mix of chopped fruit dusted with lime and chile. “Fruit chaat, that’s it,” I thought, “All I need to do is add some chaat masala to the beets and the pineapple.” It worked. This got me thinking about the avocados I had in the fridge. “I wonder how they would taste with chaat masala,” I thought. I gave it a whirl. This was a successful experiment too. Encouraged, I wondered what avocado pani puri might taste like. I typed avocado pani puri into the Google search box. Several recipes came up. Avocado pani-puri turned out to be a great spin on pani-puri which is traditionally made with boiled potato and garbanzo beans. Thanks to constraining myself to use up all the canned food I had at home, I experienced one culinary breakthrough after another. My avocado pani puri was a family hit and I was asked to make it at family events for at least a year or two. Here is the recipe: Avocado Pani Puri (Serves 3-4) * 1 Avocado * 1 Lemon * 30 Puris (Crisp, hollow, spherical crackers) * ¼ Cup fresh mung bean/dal sprouts * Salt and chilli powder, chaat masala to taste * ¼ Cup sweet tamarind chutney * Pani or spiced water (recipe follows) 1. Slit the avocado into 2 halves and remove the seeds. Scoop out the flesh using a sharp-edged spoon and cut it into chunks. Transfer the chunks to a bowl and squeeze some lemon juice all over the chunks. Sprinkle with salt, chilli powder and chaat masala to taste. 2. When you are ready to serve, crack the tops of the puris and make a hole just enough to fill them. In each puri add an avocado chunk, some mung sprouts and a dollop of sweet chutney as the filling. Pass the Pani (spiced water) in wide-mouthed cups, one for each person. Dip the filled puris in the Pani and stuff the entire puri in your mouth.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i>Example 2 - embarrassing events or lack...</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Think of Mahatma Gandhi's embarrassing experience of getting thrown out of a first class compartment, on a train in South Africa, in spite of being an Oxford educated lawyer, and what he decided to do with the rest of his life, as a result of having this unfair and embarrassing experience.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Or think about the initial ouster of <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-extremely-motivated-individuals-always-succeed/answer/Minoo-Jha">Steve Jobs from Apple</a>, and the events that unfolded after. Would Toy Story have ever been created? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Yes, sometimes the more embarrassing the circumstances and events, the more it stirs our spirit, the more it steels our determination.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div>So to summarize my answer to "<b>Does everything in life have a solution?</b>"...</div><br /><i>In looking for solutions, discoveries are made.<br /><br />In looking for solutions, alternate solutions are found.<br /><br />In looking for solutions, and having limited time, money, or materials, or an embarrassing situation or an embarrassing lack, powerful, inspired solutions are found.</i></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">So this is why., </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">even when you think there are no solutions to your problem, </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">you should never give up searching for them, never stop putting your mind to it, and never stop looking for answers.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">You never know what answer you may find.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">And you never know how much delight, or how much satisfaction that answer will bring to your life.</span></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-88670670670202213552026-07-19T08:03:01.612-07:002026-07-19T08:03:01.612-07:00What personal traits are key for turning consistent failures into success stories?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPqjFyXTXhhv2lptz-drI4QCjI8lh0pDLheuPLE35wnk38veVWEMoNXQj8qKJ6KtOX1vFRjDi4oaE403ivc4bx5Q2SJs5a_zMN2Z0dB2q7Mmhqcuh1PWeH-87lg78CzDGrO9RB_RESOWeOyRBPAzgyMd2scMsfty27lV6PCypHki4T0re_XAb1gmoSywi/s5427/Woman%20sitting%20under%20a%20tree%20in%20twilight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5427" data-original-width="3618" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPqjFyXTXhhv2lptz-drI4QCjI8lh0pDLheuPLE35wnk38veVWEMoNXQj8qKJ6KtOX1vFRjDi4oaE403ivc4bx5Q2SJs5a_zMN2Z0dB2q7Mmhqcuh1PWeH-87lg78CzDGrO9RB_RESOWeOyRBPAzgyMd2scMsfty27lV6PCypHki4T0re_XAb1gmoSywi/w426-h640/Woman%20sitting%20under%20a%20tree%20in%20twilight.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />If the failures are “consistent”, there is a problem.<br /><br />It means, nothing was learned.<br /><br />Success involves learning.<br /><br />Learning that trying to <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-stories-about-failure-that-can-teach-us-some-valuable-life-lessons/answer/Minoo-Jha">copy someone’s success strategy is a fool’s game</a>.<br /><br />Learning that to inspire people, <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-to-inspire/answer/Minoo-Jha">you don’t have to have a superpower</a>.<br /><br />Learning that there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything, even a simple thing like <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-Remind-my-boss-about-my-leave-off-work/answer/Minoo-Jha">asking your boss about leave</a>.<br /><br />Learning that <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-biggest-scam-you%E2%80%99ve-ever-seen/answer/Minoo-Jha">if it’s too good to be true, it probably is</a>.<br /><br />Success is as much about learning from failures, and avoiding the pitfalls, as it is about resilience and <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-role-does-perseverance-play-in-achieving-long-term-success/answer/Minoo-Jha">perseverance</a>.<br /><br />Resilience, discipline, and a growth mindset are good traits, but insufficient.<br /><br />An ability to be a continuous learner is also necessary.</span>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-83122874708166253262026-07-13T07:43:43.149-07:002026-07-13T07:43:43.149-07:00What life events in my past changed my financial situation today?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-DzcvWqLpmB8CzieBtk5KRx5pce40d4djBHN7rxaR6AIvipcai4yknK-6aX3TJgYKQvOPKwviuvv3lzuSd-Vzx4Q-7kFUUrDuyPe8fKddTmR7XJmXCzDvu2JXfn9hY1Jg7UP_r0wxh3bVi2HTSFdo3cf7DSDXQtxDjP5pL2NrKz0WWTBtcwoL3a9oboT/s4608/Financial%20History.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2592" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-DzcvWqLpmB8CzieBtk5KRx5pce40d4djBHN7rxaR6AIvipcai4yknK-6aX3TJgYKQvOPKwviuvv3lzuSd-Vzx4Q-7kFUUrDuyPe8fKddTmR7XJmXCzDvu2JXfn9hY1Jg7UP_r0wxh3bVi2HTSFdo3cf7DSDXQtxDjP5pL2NrKz0WWTBtcwoL3a9oboT/w360-h640/Financial%20History.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />Becoming self-employed in my first career.</i><br /><br />It made me a better negotiator, a think-on-my-feet decision maker, a smart time, money, and talent resource allocator. I am the only one among my siblings to pursue self-employment, and as a shy, dreamy, introverted child, it could hardly be predicted that I would choose to become self-employed at any stage of my life. Entrepreneurs need not necessarily show an entrepreneurial bent as a child. There are<a href="https://www.quora.com/Did-successful-entrepreneurs-act-entrepreneurial-as-children/answer/Minoo-Jha"> a few different reasons someone may become an entrepreneur</a>.<br /><br /><i>Becoming a freelancer in my second career.</i><br /><br />It made my interest in all aspects of money, from taxes to insurance to credit, to options for saving and investing money, go from zero to 100. It is amazing the things you discover, once you start paying attention. You discover <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-doesnt-make-sense-to-you/answer/Minoo-Jha">how not to waste money</a>, and you also discover how to <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-productive-way-to-use-money/answer/Minoo-Jha">put your money to productive use</a>.<br /><br /><i>Reading <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-books-that-are-really-worth-reading-that-you-can-recommend/answer/Minoo-Jha">Rich Dad Poor Dad</a>.</i><br /><br />It provided a wake-up call, at the crucial time when I still had enough career runway to play catch up on saving enough for retirement. While I didn’t follow his “passive income from rental properties, using OTM” path to financial stability, <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-best-life-changing-books/answer/Minoo-Jha">a friend I introduced Rich Dad Poor Dad to</a>, did so, and she is very comfortable with where she is at today. Rich Dad, Poor Dad led me to other thought-provoking money-related content, such as <a href="https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/01/13/the-shockingly-simple-math-behind-early-retirement/" target="_blank">Mr. Money Mustache’s Retirement Calculator </a>and <a href="https://ofdollarsanddata.com/climbing-the-wealth-ladder/https://ofdollarsanddata.com/climbing-the-wealth-ladder/">Nick Maggiulli’s Climbing The Wealth Ladder.</a><br /><br /><i>Developing a Money Workshop for kids, and then for young adults.</i><br /><br />I took what I learned about earning, spending, and saving money, and turned it into a Money Workshop for the 4th-6th graders in my daughter’s elementary school, later adapting the same Money Workshop for young adults. <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-effective-is-it-to-learn-something-by-explaining-it-to-someone-else/answer/Minoo-Jha">Nothing like teaching</a> to bring clarity.<br /><br /><i>Surviving the 2007–2009 stock crash.</i><br /><br />I <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-did-you-survive-the-2008-2009-stock-market-crash/answer/Minoo-Jha">developed an investing philosophy</a>, which turned out to be astute, and has completely proven itself.</span>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-22747001415534892482026-07-05T07:35:19.005-07:002026-07-06T06:59:19.739-07:00How does a partner who blocks communication affect the way you view them?<span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWK-ZMvSNwdp_Ezqm1SOMjFIfrNQgi87JAUic5lXUo0SA4mAgt8UqsnZyRjKegyxOwv7w7gRZI1ippTp9Q5mFmQ0Z9jNGKXH4ZMBK24cw7sEpOhW4LBXO5SLRw7dDy8ygAPjy8mHKz-aw9QVA169PElFCWHhsDmgjygP1khCf1WQMOmcC5Lfrln-TQAEp/s5347/Blocking%20Communication.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5347" data-original-width="3565" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWK-ZMvSNwdp_Ezqm1SOMjFIfrNQgi87JAUic5lXUo0SA4mAgt8UqsnZyRjKegyxOwv7w7gRZI1ippTp9Q5mFmQ0Z9jNGKXH4ZMBK24cw7sEpOhW4LBXO5SLRw7dDy8ygAPjy8mHKz-aw9QVA169PElFCWHhsDmgjygP1khCf1WQMOmcC5Lfrln-TQAEp/w426-h640/Blocking%20Communication.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />When you try to communicate with your partner, depending on what you are trying to communicate, they might block the communication, by doing one of the following…</span><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><br />Not responding.<br /><br />Saying, “I’m sorry, I am too tired for this. Can we talk about this later?”, only to never actually talk about it later.<br /><br />Raising their hand to indicate, “Stop. I don’t want to hear any of that.”<br /><br />Saying something snarky.<br /><br />Making a firm declaration, such as “I’m not doing that. Take it or leave it.”<br /><br />Outright shouting, or screaming, at you.<br /><br />Making threats.<br /><br />Doing something angry, which scares you, such as smashing their fist into a wall, or throwing something.<br /><br />Doing something which makes you feel bad about bringing up the subject, such as getting up from the table, and going to bed, without finishing their food.<br /><br />Storming out of the room, or even storming out of the house, for several hours.<br /><br />It is unfortunate, but you can conclude one of the following, from their reactions…<br /><br />They don’t like conflict.<br /><br />They don’t know how to deal with conflict.<br /><br />They do not like engaging on some subjects.<br /><br />They want to be left alone.<br /><br />Sensitive subjects might include money, expenses, health, social events, chores.<br /><br />Living with a partner, like this, makes everything tougher - maintaining a house, managing expenses, raising kids, socializing.<br /><br />It is love, sacred vows, kids, social mores, and financial dependence, that makes us keep going, even though we may be dismayed, disappointed, and dissatisfied, with how things are.<br /><br />Eventually, you may find peace apart.<br /><br />Or your partner may mellow over the years, and through mellowing, and sometimes, through faith, wisdom, and self-reflection, improve on all fronts.<br /><br />As they become more caring, and more considerate, you may experience a renewed closeness with them, or even a closeness, better than you ever had before, a closeness that’s precious, and you never thought possible.<br /><br />I have observed this, having observed many couples, through decades of ups and downs.<br /><br />You may discover, as those couples have, that you loved, and still love your partner, and your partner loved and still loves you, through all the ups and downs, through it all.<br /><br />Which is precious.<br /><br /><i>Suggestions to make you achieve this precious closeness faster…</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><i><br /></i></span><div class="q-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;"><br /><span class="q-box qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box; user-select: text;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Is-it-fair-to-judge-someones-level-of-love-if-they-dont-show-it-the-way-we-think-they-should/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: transparent; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-3feb3788557d322a508a883b020c6d92-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px !important;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Is it fair to judge someone's level of love if they don't show it the way we think they should?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px !important; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Yes and no. Here’s a piece I wrote on the importance of tuning in to the other person in your life… The Secret to Good Relationships - Tuning In Let’s talk about radio stations. If you want to listen to the KFOG radio station, you have to tune in to the frequency of the KFOG radio station. 107.7. You can't tune in to the frequency of the KBAY radio station and expect to hear the KFOG radio station. KBAY music plays on the KBAY radio station. So if you tune in to the frequency of the KBAY radio station, you will hear the music played by KBAY. So now how is this related to dealing with the significant people in your life? You need to tune in to the station of anyone who is significant to you, so you can really hear them. But what happens if you don't like the music that's being played on their station? This is where the problem arises. You don't like the music that's playing on their station. What's more, you may not be able to escape it - living under the same roof, or having to deal with them day in and day out. So you decide the next best thing is to just tune it out. Block out whatever they say as best you can. Using tools like your imagination. While this is a coping tool, it's not a solving tool. It would be nice if you could say to the people in your life, ”Hey I don't like what you are playing on your radio station; can you play this instead?” But of course, that's wishful thinking. It's never going to be as simple as that. If you do that, it will only make things worse. So the same thing goes on and on. And maybe you continue to do what you have always done - try to tune things out. You can live a whole lifetime like this - with nothing changing. And with profound dissatisfaction on all sides. If you desire to have a meaningful, caring, and more easy-going relationship, no two questions about it... You have to tune in. If the dial is stuck, you may be tempted to use your developed reflex to tune out and block out whatever you do not like. But really, you should consider using your alone time as reflection time. And come up with a strategy to replace “blocking out” with “tuning in”. Tuning in might be to ask someone, "What are your thoughts right now?" Or, "What would you like to do right now?" Or, “What is bothering you the most right now?” Or, “How can I make things easier for you?" Or, "Why do you think that?" Life gets more challenging for everyone as we go along. Life gets more challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. Tuning in may mean acknowledging the increased physical, mental, and emotional challenges the people in your life face. And doing what you can to alleviate them. Tuning in many also mean acknowledging the small things that bother other people. Sometimes what's small to you may be significant to someone else. We are all different. The most successful relationships are those where both people are tuned in. How can you craft and implement the right “tune in” strategy today?</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #282829; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-pb--tiny qu-mt--small qu-color--gray_light qu-passColorToLinks" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #939598; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px !important; margin-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 4px;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between fufw740" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; gap: 6px; justify-content: space-between;"><span class="c1h7helg" style="--separator: " · ";"><br /></span></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-47738926882391564132026-06-28T06:45:04.314-07:002026-06-28T06:45:04.314-07:00What role does perseverance play in achieving long-term success?<span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mlT5A92PlDtz8MK6R5VuPf6zCQKlg46QT1f2chH41AjDEeeM8y_xHbV7scUIva_adnKdm4-bsPd1c6BChyphenhyphen8LuJXXqv3ZoLnIDhUpGewqNIWtcl-Nft6X13c8cwl_lqJGWb3viG_W0uZH53O-EU5gSxLXeF2JNol8_zzYm5-d97ZrRd0mmGvFIwC1RLiJ/s6000/Golden%20Key.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mlT5A92PlDtz8MK6R5VuPf6zCQKlg46QT1f2chH41AjDEeeM8y_xHbV7scUIva_adnKdm4-bsPd1c6BChyphenhyphen8LuJXXqv3ZoLnIDhUpGewqNIWtcl-Nft6X13c8cwl_lqJGWb3viG_W0uZH53O-EU5gSxLXeF2JNol8_zzYm5-d97ZrRd0mmGvFIwC1RLiJ/w426-h640/Golden%20Key.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />Perseverance is a key, perhaps <i>the key</i> to long-term success.<br /><br />Those who persevere will achieve more in any sphere (area) of life, than those who don’t.<br /><br />Firstly, they are keen on using their talents, putting their abilities to work, or pursuing their interests.<br /><br />So they are likely to start using their talents, abilities, and interests, early in life.<br /><br />Initially, it may be in a non-professional, hobby setting.<br /><br />At this stage, they do the activity, for the sheer joy of being able to do it.<br /><br />Creation is involved.<br /><br />And they enjoy seeing the results of their creations, as well as experimenting with new ideas.<br /><br />This is a soft beginning.<br /><br />A little later, their talents and creations will be discovered, or they will themselves spot an opportunity, to pursue their interests further, either through getting a job, or through a business idea.<br /><br />This is when their plans and ideas solidify.<br /><br />At this stage, many people’s ambitions come to rest.<br /><br />But the persevering person never rests.<br /><br />They could be happy with the fact, that they are earning money from something they like to do, and are good at doing, and they are gaining knowledge and experience, while practicing what they are good at.<br /><br />But for the persevering person, that’s not enough.<br /><br />Their goal is to become better at what they do, to create and do more, to establish a name for themselves, to use their talents, abilities, and experience, beyond what is required just to support themselves.<br /><br />They are in it to find out how far they can take their talents and skills.<br /><br />They are in it, not just for the immediate future, but for the future they cannot see.<br /><br />The long haul.<br /><br />Regardless of challenges, rejections, disappointments, slow times, and competitive blows, they plan to keep the momentum going.<br /><br />Not resting in high moments, or grieving in low moments.<br /><br />When thrown to the mat, instead of thinking, “it’s all over for me”, they pick themselves up, and keep going.<br /><br />The persevering person may be a short-run pessimist, but they are always a long-term optimist.<br /><br />They never fail to hope for better times.<br /><br />It helps them persist.<br /><br />It helps them expand the number of things they can do, as well as expand the variety of things, they can do.<br /><br />They are also able to branch out, and extend.<br /><br />While the non-persevering person, jumps from tree to different tree, allowing too little time to achieve significant success in any area, the persevering person hones and refines what they do, smartly extending what they do, when the opportunity arises.<br /><br />They don’t make the deadly mistake of losing focus, losing interest, losing traction in the area which they have dedicated their lives to.<br /><br />Over time, this makes the core of their knowledge, skills, and insights, strong.<br /><br />It also makes them agile.<br /><br />Quick thinkers and quick doers.<br /><br />Persevering people are success attractors.<br /><br />Over time, they achieve remarkable success.<br /><br />Looking at their success, the non-persevering person may say, “how lucky they are - they got into the right field, everything clicked for them."<br /><br />They assume the persevering person’s success was due to advantages, resources, support, and connections.<br /><br />But it’s neither a true assumption, nor a fair assumption.<br /><br />The persevering person’s success may have nothing to do with being handed a golden key at birth, or being lucky with resources, connections, and the support to succeed.<br /><br />It may be entirely self-made.<br /><br />In fact, the persevering person’s success is significantly due to their persistence and perseverance.<br /><br /><i>They never gave up.<br /><br />They kept going.<br /><br />They were willing to try, and try again.</i><br /><br />They stretched themselves to meet new opportunities, not letting complacency make them become non-competitive.<br /><br />Long after others stopped, or hopped onto a different tree, the persevering person kept at what they were doing, kept the momentum going.<br /><br />It’s how they got to where they are today.<br /><br />And it describes the long-term success of most of the successful people I know.<br /><br />If you ask any of these successful people the question, “what role does perseverance have to play in the success you’ve achieved, and continue to achieve?”, this is the answer you can expect from them….<br /><br />“EVERYTHING!</span>”Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-81216976579110448552026-06-21T08:29:50.330-07:002026-06-21T14:20:37.879-07:00What are some practical steps to open our eyes and evolve, in the face of recurring life challenges?<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydaK18y01L23Kp9NOMQWQSj0eS3ZtEFDow552sU9cUh9Lv99ohUg_rYaEtZTMmHP1kUAIEuI9pPkfFWD-zd-ERsV4Ew5lBEQ3txRZZHcGmxtr6Jg7cYCp-XqyBTqwy2GbBCp7KTs__y7fu3V0beh9Os86PUdnb0uKjfimKRgqKuVrNRxiwV43LdZCV38c/s6720/wisdom%20of%20her%20ways%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6720" data-original-width="4480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydaK18y01L23Kp9NOMQWQSj0eS3ZtEFDow552sU9cUh9Lv99ohUg_rYaEtZTMmHP1kUAIEuI9pPkfFWD-zd-ERsV4Ew5lBEQ3txRZZHcGmxtr6Jg7cYCp-XqyBTqwy2GbBCp7KTs__y7fu3V0beh9Os86PUdnb0uKjfimKRgqKuVrNRxiwV43LdZCV38c/w426-h640/wisdom%20of%20her%20ways%203.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />One piece of advice is to read.<br /><br /><i>Read holy books.</i><br /><br />You can find inspiration from the lives and teachings of people in the holy books.<br /><br />Here’s an example:</span><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-important-to-forgive/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-ba2866d28e6c5f6af2942ac600365e0c-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why is it important to forgive?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, Why is it important to forgive? Forgiving is both an aspiration. And a coping strategy. It is important to getting along with the most important people in our lives. It is important to thriving. And it is important to happiness. You may never be able to forget what someone did. But you can learn to forgive them for it. Forgiving is not easy. But if you turn to the strength within, you can do it. I wrote a post last Easter. It is about how Jesus Christ is the perfect example of turning to the strength within. Even if you are from a different faith, or have no faith, it it worth a read. The Strength Within When you have to make sense of the senseless…turn to the strength within. That’s what Jesus did. He made sense of the senseless by turning to the strength within. Today, Easter Sunday, is a day to make the amazing strength of Jesus to deal with the senseless, your inspiration. He showed us how it’s done. Let's do it. When you have to cope with disappointment…turn to the strength within. That’s what Jesus did. He coped with disappointment by turning to the strength within. Today, Easter Sunday, is a day to make the strength of Jesus to deal with disappointment, your inspiration. He showed it can be done. Let’s do it. When you suffer great pain…turn to the strength within. That’s what Jesus did. He suffered great pain by turning to the strength within. Today, Easter Sunday, is a day to make the strength of Jesus to suffer great pain, your inspiration. He showed it can be done. Let’s do it. When you are dealing with rejection…turn to the strength within. That’s what Jesus did. He dealt with rejection by turning to the strength within. Today, Easter Sunday, is a day to make Jesus' capacity for dealing with rejection, your inspiration. He showed it can be done. Let's do it. To forgive and forget…turn to the strength within. That’s what Jesus did. He forgave and forgot by turning to the strength within. Today, Easter Sunday, is a day to make the amazing strength of Jesus to forgive and forget, your inspiration. He showed it can be done. Let’s do it. To find the will to persist in your mission…turn to the strength within. That’s what Jesus did. He found the will to persist in his mission by turning to the strength within. Today, Easter Sunday, is a day to make the will of Jesus to persist in his mission, your inspiration. Let’s do it. When your faith is tested…turn to the strength within. That’s what Jesus did. When his faith was tested, he turned to the strength within. Today, Easter Sunday, is a day to make the amazing capacity of Jesus to continue to be faithful, your inspiration. He showed how it’s done. Let’s do it. Don’t let disappointment crush you, don’t let shame, humiliation, or grief, submerge you, don’t let betrayal and rejection weaken your faith, don’t let bitterness make it hard for you to forgive… Just turn to the strength within…like Jesus did. What better day, than today, to make a new promise to yourself… “I will turn to the strength within!”</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Read biographies.</i><br /><br />Biographies of people you admire.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Read their biographies in full.<br /><br />Or read the Wikipedia versions.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>Or read</span><span> summaries on websites, like History.com.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />You will find out how your heroes coped with challenges.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Many great people achieved greatness, and made their mark in history, through unusual means.<br /><br />If there ever was an unusual means, it was consulting the Oracles of Delphi.<br /><br />Alexander the Great would not have left such a mark on history, if not for consulting the Oracles of Delphi.<br /><br />Diogenes dealt with the challenge of having being caught out in an act of shame, by consulting and heeding the Oracles of Delphi.<br /><br />What is the modern day version of consulting the Oracles of Delphi?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Astrology, fortune-telling, numerology?<br /><br />Praying - and seeking answers through prayer, with an open mind, may be all that you need.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/How-can-you-speak-concretely-to-the-unconscious-mind/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 608.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">How can you speak concretely to the unconscious mind?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Just being more open to Miracles…. Principles of Miracles 1. There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not "harder" or "bigger" than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal. 2. Miracles as such do not matter. The only thing that matters is their source, which is far beyond evaluation. 3. Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle. So begins the book “A Course in Miracles”, a book that has inspired countless people over the decades, including authors and life coaches such as Julia Cameron, Gabrielle Bernstein and Iyanla Vanzant. The book has a fascinating history. The story goes like this…. The year is 1958. William Thetford, a Phd in psychology joins Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons as a psychology professor, during which time, he also serves as Director of Clinical Psychology at the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. Shortly after, he hires a research associate and associate professor by the name of Helen Schucman. Helen Schucman is great at her work, but she and William Thetford do not get along. Frequent arguments and disagreements characterize their working relationship. One day, after one of their heated arguments, Thetford is completely fed up and delivers an impassioned speech to Helen. He says it is totally crazy they butt heads about everything, cannot see eye to eye, and can't work agreeably with each other. At the end of the speech, he declares “There has to be another way”. His speech, far from upsetting Helen Schucman, strikes a deep chord in her. She is especially struck by the words, “There has to be another way”. Helen has a series of visions and dreams thereafter. Then on October 21, 1965, a voice (which she takes to be the voice of Jesus) says to her, “This is a Course in Miracles. Take notes.” Startled, Helen gets out a pencil, and begins to take down what the voice is saying, in shorthand. The first words said by the voice are “This is a Course in Miracles. Take notes.” This is followed by Principles of Miracles. The next day, Helen reluctantly tells Thetford about the voice and the notes. He encourages her to continue taking notes, and even offers to type them up for her. Over several years, Helen experiences the voice every night, and continues to take notes. She dictates the notes to Thetford, who types them up. By the time the voice stops, the manuscript is 600 pages long, and 7 years have passed. They make photocopies of the manuscript, and give one of the copies to Father Benedict Groeschel, a Roman Catholic priest, who studied under Thetford, and is also known to Helen. Father Benedict Groeschel gives the manuscript to a friend Kenneth Wapnick, who has led a fascinating and miraculous life himself. Like Helen, Kenneth has experienced several dreams and epiphanies; one of them results in him becoming a Roman Catholic, though he was raised in the Jewish tradition. The night Kenneth meets Helen, he tosses and turns, and sleepless in bed, he remembers a dream he had the year before. In the dream, he is among a group of people, much younger than himself, when suddenly, a very wise middle-aged woman lawyer enters the room, takes him aside, and asks him 3 questions. One of the questions is “If you could change any of your childhood experiences, what would you change?” Kenneth gives the answer - which proves to be the correct one - he would not change anything, since all was the way it should be, and the past no longer matters. Kenneth wakes up, and half-awake, half-asleep, it dawns on him, the woman in the dream is Helen. Wapnick has 2 more uncanny dreams - both featuring a book - at which time, he decides he should delay no longer in reading Helen's manuscript. Wapnick planned to spend his life as a monk in Israel, but after these three dreams, he writes a letter to Helen informing her will be visiting the US briefly, and plans to read her book during his visit. Reading A Course in Miracles completely changes his plans. He recognizes Helen’s book as the perfect blend of psychology and spirituality, and decides his mission is to stay in America to help Helen edit and publish the book, and to make it his life’s work to spread the book's message of forgiveness. So he and Helen start work on editing the book. Soon after it is published, they start the organization, Foundation for a Course in Miracles, to help people transform their lives through adopting A Course in Miracles. Thetford, too, dedicates the rest of his life to spreading the word of A Course in Miracles. And when he retires, he decides to meditate on the message of a Course in Miracles in his own life. If Schucman, Thetford and Wapnick experienced all the miracles they did, it was because they were open to miracles. It is very important to be open to miracles in our life. Not all things come through thinking, and reflection and planning, and willpower. Many unexpected things happen as a result of grace. When I was 27, I became a vegetarian literally overnight. I remember that day, because I met up with friends, and we talked about going on a hunting trip. I did not know, I was to experience a complete change of heart that very night. It was waiting for me in a little known Lewis Carroll story called Sylvie and Bruno. I had borrowed the book Alice in Wonderland from my friend Anita, because I wanted to re-read it as an adult, and see if I took anything new from it. In the book Anita lent me, there was another short story by Caroll, “Sylvie and Bruno ”, at the end of the book. “Hmm….” I said, “I wonder what this is about.” I found myself reading the story of a man who converses with two fairies in his garden called Sylvie and Bruno. At one part of the story, Sylvie and Bruno see a dead hare. Sylvie wants to know how the hare died. The man explains to her it was killed by hunters. Weeping, she wants to know, why do human beings hunt? To which the man sorrowfully answers, “Just to prove they have good aim.” The vanity and senselessness of hunting struck me right there and then, and I found tears streaming down my face. I determined to become a vegetarian, as soon as possible, and the very next day, I started eliminating meat from my diet. I became a gradual vegetarian over the next 3 years. What is this, if not a miracle? We have to be open to miracles. Throughout history, well-known figures achieved breakthroughs in their life, because they were open to miracles. Have you read about St. Augustine? If you have, you will know he was a typical young man, indulging in wine, women and song. His mother, who was a devout Christian, implored him to mend his ways, but her words fell on deaf ears. Then one day, when Augustine was visiting his mother, he heard a childlike voice say, “Take up and read.” This was a turning point for him. Augustine took it as a divine command to open his Bible and read the first thing his eyes laid on. Augustine read from Paul's Epistle to the Romans – the “Transformation of Believers” section, consisting of chapters 12 through 15 – in which Paul outlines how the Gospel transforms believers and their behavior. …“Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.” He was a converted man from that day. Have you read about Diogenes the Cynic? He and his father were engaged in debasing currency, and when they were banished from Sinope for their crime, Diogenes visited the Delphi Oracles to find out what the future held for him. The Oracle at Delphi instructed him to adulterate the political and cultural traditions of the day. So Diogenes moved to Athens, and dedicated the rest of his life to doing that; to debunking all that was false in Athenian society. Have you read about the apple falling on Newton's head? Surely that is a miracle. Have you read about Archimedes in the bath? Surely that is a miracle. Just be open to more miracles…and your subconscious mind will become your biggest ally.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Are you a physical, rather than spiritual person at this point?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>Stretching yourself physically might be the answer to dealing with the challenges of life.</span><br /><br /><span>Get yourself a trainer.</span><br /><br /><span>Or find a partner, or partners, with whom you can stretch yourself, physically.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Read self-help books that are written for someone like you.</i><br /><br />Books about people who have stretched themselves physically.<br /></span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-would-you-choose-a-harder-path-in-life-when-others-run-away-do-you-stay-and-fight-for-your-path/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://img.youtube.com/vi/MzIQWUlH0Bk/0.jpg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">7y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why would you choose a harder path in life, when others run away do you stay and fight for your path?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi Kennedy, You asked, Why would you choose a harder path in life, when others run away do you stay and fight for your path? Things which are worth it, which are valuable, are rarely easy. We have to stretch to get them. Most people don’t reach the levels they are capable of. This is simply because they get comfortable too easily. They get comfortable too fast. They are willing to do only so much, and no more! They find it impossible to find the time, to find the energy, to do anything more, anything extra. But I know from experience when I find the time and the energy to do more, I gain so much. It is my sweat equity which has got me to where I am today - a successful Commissions Administration and Sales Comp Consultant. At times it was (and is) exhausting, at times challenging, but in the end, I have arrived at a better, more satisfying place as a result of the extra effort. In the prologue of Spartan Up, Joe de Sena, reflects on participating in the Raid International Ukatak, an extreme sports event... Here's what he says: “An inverse correlation exists between how you feel during the race, and how you feel after it.” De Sena felt like a million bucks after the Ukatak was over, but during the event, he was utterly miserable, frightened, and desperate, at many points. He adds, “When you break through the other side of hell and finish an event that did not seem possible, that stopped you in your tracks, over and over, something happens. You feel accomplished, incredibly proud of yourself, and in some ways, a different person” I totally agree. If a chicken can play America the Beautiful, surely I can stretch myself and get beyond where I currently am. And so can anyone else.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Keep an eye out for <span style="font-size: medium;">quotations and one liners.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes a single line of wisdom can change the trajectory of your life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Recently, I came across this quote:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>"A fool is better than an obstinate man"</b><span>.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">It made me think about all the things I am obstinate about.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And the things I used to be obstinate about, and stopped being obstinate about, bringing a welcome change in my life.<br /><br />What are you being obstinate about?<br /><br />Being obstinate could be what is holding you back from dealing with your current life challenges.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />Obstinate that you can’t do something - because you have never done it before.<br /><br />Obstinate that you are too old, or too young, or too whatever, to start something, or to give up something.<br /><br />Obstinate that you can’t do something, because you have tried many times, and you have failed.<br /><br />Obstinate that you are right, and others are wrong.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Obstinate that you can't help be resentful about a situation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Obstinate that you hold the truth, and others don't.<br /><br />What are you currently obstinate about?<br /><br />What are ways to open your eyes and evolve?<br /><br />If you know someone wise, ask them.<br /><br />Have conversations with people whose ideas you value.<br /><br />Watch or listen to podcasts.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Read blog posts.<br /><br />Expand the number of people you interact with.<br /><br />You can learn something new almost everyday.<br /><br />Recently, I learned this from someone at my book club:<br /><br />She told me that the founder of Sikhism wanted to create a religion that avoided the worst of Hinduism and the worst of Islam.<br /><br />Since Hinduism was intrinsically linked with the caste system, and with many gender atrocities at the time, the founder decided that there would be only two last names for Sikh men and Sikh women. Sikh men would have the last name, Singh - which means lion, and Sikh women would have the last name Kaur - which means princess.<br /><br />From Google AI, I was able to learn more…<br /><br />“Sikhism mandates absolute spiritual and social equality between men and women. The faith’s scriptures reject female infanticide, the veiling of women, and the notion that women are impure. Both genders possess equal rights to participate in religious, cultural, and leadership roles.”<br /><br />If you were to found a religion, and take the best of today’s religions, what would you include in it? What would you exclude?<br /><br />The challenges of life are there to help us evolve.<br /><br />The challenges are questions to which we are invited to seek answers.<br /><br />There are many ways and places to search for those answers.<br /><br />Both Newton and the Buddha found their answers sitting under a tree.<br /><br />Answers are found by thinking or meditating deeply.<br /><br />Those who give themselves time to think deeply, to self-reflect, to tap into the wisdom available, and to access their unconscious mind through prayer and meditation, will find the answers they seek.</span></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-44026501490008855532026-06-14T07:53:27.793-07:002026-06-14T07:53:27.794-07:00Is oversharing a negative trait? What's the correct way to share something about yourself?<p><span style="color: #282829;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyUcXRNt9I8q7VcZUpx3cA085IXll_A04wCC9RDV2Gb3Jg7MEshoFqMdZu7FuHrueQZc6CE1oE1RF1IOtNmKbXk0BEOlQ5VsFl3UgcY9cHHPLw_8Ql85_3jXlEkemRwAg5wSM4iqT0rQ4zfhmd3v7DVGn9j1iAW8uaghOuP2BuVoFHuZbiIr1K71zthjR/s1280/wake%20up%20dear%20dog%20bed%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="855" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyUcXRNt9I8q7VcZUpx3cA085IXll_A04wCC9RDV2Gb3Jg7MEshoFqMdZu7FuHrueQZc6CE1oE1RF1IOtNmKbXk0BEOlQ5VsFl3UgcY9cHHPLw_8Ql85_3jXlEkemRwAg5wSM4iqT0rQ4zfhmd3v7DVGn9j1iAW8uaghOuP2BuVoFHuZbiIr1K71zthjR/w428-h640/wake%20up%20dear%20dog%20bed%202.jpg" width="428" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />Oversharing can be a sign of self-centeredness.</span><p></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Self-centeredness is an unattractive quality.<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">People like to be around those who listen to them, not just treat them as a ear for all their thoughts, and feelings.</span><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-love-to-talk-about-themselves/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-ec4af36f3669393b22787324bfba34b8"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">2y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Why do people love to talk about themselves?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, Why do people like talking about themselves so much? Because that’s what’s on their mind - what’s happening to them, what they are doing, how good or bad they are, what problems they have, what they did or did not do on a day. I answered a Quora question, “How do I find fascinating conversationalists?” I listed these suggestions. * The best conversationalists are storytellers. So I would say look for people who are storytellers. * I would also look for people who are interested in a lot of things, and read a lot. People who are interested in lots of things and read a lot will always have something new and interesting to share. * Finally, I would look for people who are great listeners. As I have said on my blog, interested people are interesting. * Until you find “your people”, I would tune into talks, podcasts and You Tube videos. I have discovered several riveting talks, podcasts and videos. Have you listened to Alan Watts, Sadhguru, or Jordan Peterson? Have you listened to This American Life? I am so excited to even list these options. I can’t wait to see what you think of them. I need to add one more bullet point, triggered by your question: * Find people who are other-centered, rather than self-centered</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">As you become less self-centered, you will become better at being “conversational company”.<br /><br />“Conversational company” is different from being company to sing with, company to dance with, company to travel with, company to eat with, company to attend a business meeting with, or company to attend an event with.<br /><br />Those who are skilled at “conversational company” do thoughtful sharing.<br /><br />They know when to share, and how to share.<br /><br />Those who have a natural or developed “conversational company” talent, do not avoid sharing, but share in a positive way.<br /><br />And they share with humility.<br /><br />I will leave you with one important thought on becoming better conversational company...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Interesting people are interested people.</i></span></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-31321049215460262952026-05-31T09:23:30.697-07:002026-06-04T10:14:53.672-07:00What decisions in my life gave me the biggest growth?<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNu08xePxHachKmqqXyzpcqLn4ovBLQXEoYZkbGQEaQizEixmVRE-HFB9Rl8i6Xxmb5TDX3zDQkpc7jt0HD4Ggc82dbGJTrwc5S0DmSx9sfPl8hF6snDBQ-bxgA79oQkR_F6-7T1o4rSOp5gZRsmhOJuOO_IhjV5LyREbGdet1uMIypTw-4Em5a0FkNmuW/s6000/Grow%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNu08xePxHachKmqqXyzpcqLn4ovBLQXEoYZkbGQEaQizEixmVRE-HFB9Rl8i6Xxmb5TDX3zDQkpc7jt0HD4Ggc82dbGJTrwc5S0DmSx9sfPl8hF6snDBQ-bxgA79oQkR_F6-7T1o4rSOp5gZRsmhOJuOO_IhjV5LyREbGdet1uMIypTw-4Em5a0FkNmuW/w426-h640/Grow%202.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />Here are some of them:<br /><br /><b>Career:</b><br /><br />The decision to start my own advertising hot-shop, Purple Patch in my first career. I learned to manage money, people, time, clients - in a way I would never have been able to, prior to that.<br /><br />The decision to learn Xactly, and become a freelance Commissions Analyst in my second career.<br /><br />I learned to be flexible.<br /><br />I learned to adapt to different client’s needs, priorities, quirks, and limitations - over 17 clients in all.<br /><br />I became the<a href="https://www.quora.com/Can-you-share-a-negative-experience-that-turned-into-a-positive-learning-experience/answer/Minoo-Jha"> ideal temp </a>in the process.<br /><br /><b>Hobbies:</b><br /><br />The decision to start a blog.<br /><br />I grew into a writer, who cared less about making an impression, and into a writer, who cared about sharing my thoughts, having an influence, leaving a legacy, and helping people avoid the mistakes I have made.<br /><br />Over time, my writing has become simpler and simpler.<br /><br />I aim to reach the maximum number of readers.<br /><br />I do this with answering questions on Quora as well.<br /><br />Quora has been a great lab.<br /><br />If an answer of mine gets a lot of views on Quora, I understand the question must be important to a lot of people.<br /><br />So I republish the Quora answer on my blog, so it can benefit the readers of my blog.<br /><br />Author <b>Joseph Sestito</b> helped me to become less self-cherishing in my writing.<br /><br />I have hit the publish button on blog posts and Quora answers, even when I am uncertain about their quality, thanks to reading his book, <b>Write For Your Lives.</b><br /><br />I have <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-downsides-to-a-person-being-a-striver/answer/Minoo-Jha">matured into a less self-cherishing person</a>, overall, thanks to the wisdom that time, experience, reading, listening, conversing, meditating, and attending Sunday services, has brought me.<br /><br /><b>Finances:</b><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The decision to become financially savvy.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Becoming a freelancer made me sharply aware of the need.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Freelancers cannot afford to take their eye off of their finances.</span><br /><br />There will be gaps between assignments, when no money comes in.<br /><br />I made the decision to become a freelancer, knowing this fully well.<br /><br />I felt I was in a good position to become a freelancer.<br /><br />I had low monthly bills to pay, being a minimalist.<br /><br />I had absorbed the idea that <a href="https://www.quora.com/Could-minimalism-be-the-key-to-financial-freedom/answer/Minoo-Jha">minimalism is the shortest route to financial freedom</a>, by reading online articles by <b>Mr. Money Mustache</b> and other <b>FIRE </b>advocates, for years before.<br /><br />I doubled down on the idea, after becoming a freelancer, <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-does-financial-freedom-change-your-life-Why-should-people-try-to-achieve-the-financial-freedom/answer/Minoo-Jha">giving myself the goal to create FMG money</a>.<br /><br /><b>FMG </b>money is necessary for success if you are a freelancer, or any sort of self-employed person - whether hairdresser, or electrician, personal trainer, or consultant.<br /><br />I was in great shape to create <b>FMG</b> money, for one thing, having done my taxes myself continuously since 2003, and two, having read a lot of finance books, including Robert Kiyosaki’s book <b>Rich Dad Poor Dad</b>, which was a wake-up book for me.<br /><br />When it came to my stock investments, <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-stories-about-failure-that-can-teach-us-some-valuable-life-lessons/answer/Minoo-Jha">I ate humble pie and donuts early</a>, and never looked back.<br /><br /><b>Life Choices</b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The decision to have a child.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">It changed my habits, and changed my priorities.</span><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Suddenly, there was this little thing that was completely dependent on me for everything.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I became more responsible.<br /><br />I stopped drinking, not wanting to be in the position where I might need to take my daughter to a doctor, in an impaired state.<br /><br />Instead of typical job benefits like more money and promotions, I asked for <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-reasons-why-people-chose-not-to-advance-in-their-career/answer/Minoo-Jha">flexibility</a>.<br /><br /><i>Different stages of my child's life called for different things.</i><br /><br />So I became <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-essential-parenting-skills/answer/Minoo-Jha">a different version of myself at every stage.</a><br /><br />At this stage, <i>Support Mom</i> and <i>Lighthouse Mom, </i>are the most appropriate roles.<br /><br /><b>Relationships:</b><br /><br />I have made my share of mistakes.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In some cases, the mistakes were <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-was-your-big-life-reality-check/answer/Minoo-Jha">because of a crisis</a>.<br /><br />What's important, is I am in a better place now, in each of my relationships - as a parent, as an ex, as a sibling, as an in-law, as a friend.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />I learned to meditate in the fall of 2010, after reading the book <b>How God Changes Your Brain.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since then, I have <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-something-that-is-either-really-easy-or-really-difficult/answer/Minoo-Jha">worked on lots of my issues, including my volatile temper. </a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I became more <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-people-have-a-hard-time-with-self-reflection/answer/Minoo-Jha">self-reflective</a>.</span><br /><br />Becoming more self-reflective opened my eyes to all the "<i>irritable unspoken commentary</i>" that ran in my head, in response to what people said, did, even posted.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />Of course, <i>I was always right</i>, and the other person <i>was always wrong</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">To paraphrase <b>Robert Heinlein,</b> <em class="eujQNb" data-complete="true" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(238, 240, 255);" data-sfc-cb="" data-sfc-root="c" jsaction="" jscontroller="yHWXO" jsuid="ChDgAc_q" style="border-bottom: 0px rgb(238, 240, 255); margin: 0px;"><span class="yADgie" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(238, 240, 255);" style="border-bottom: 0px rgb(238, 240, 255); margin: 0px;">"We are not rational people; we are rationalizing people."</span><!--TgQPHd|[]--></em> <br /><br />After learning to meditate, I decided to improve myself inside and out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Become <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-low-maintenance-person/answer/Minoo-Jha">a low maintenance person</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I stopped many things - including being defensive of actions and ideas, that other people did not share, or subscribe to.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Since 2014, I also began attending church on Sundays.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Attending church has become a meaningful part of my week.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I have had many spiritual breakthroughs and creative breakthroughs, right there in church.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of creative breakthroughs, there is one from many years ago, in <span style="font-family: inherit;">fact in my early</span> years of meditation, which I never tire of sharing.</span><br /><br />My <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-most-interesting-meditation-experience/answer/Minoo-Jha">3 benches experience</a>.<br /><br />I find it hard to dismiss it as a pure coincidence.<br /><br />Life brings us bouquets and blows.<br /><br />Life brings us <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-oddest-thing-you-took-home-from-work/answer/Minoo-Jha">laughter</a> and <a href="https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-best-decision-youve-ever-made-for-your-mental-health/answer/Minoo-Jha">tears</a>.<br /><br />Life brings us things we are <a href="https://www.quora.com/Have-you-ever-had-a-really-bad-situation-turn-into-a-really-good-situation/answer/Minoo-Jha">proud of</a>, and things we <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-important-life-lesson-youve-learned-after-growing-up">regret</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Life brings us all that we see, hear, touch, taste, smell, read, experience, and think about.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Most of all, life brings us <i>other lives.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">All of them contribute to our growth.<br /><br />After being defiantly individual, I learned to cooperate with all <i>the other lives</i> in my <i>life</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">After being defiantly self-centered, I became <i>other-centered</i>, welcoming the role of “<a href="https://www.quora.com/What-wow-moment-did-you-just-realize/answer/Minoo-Jha">the other artist</a>” and of a higher, unseen wisdom.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In my quest for growth, I no longer walk alone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><span>There is wisdom all around me to help me <i>grow.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I just have to be open to it, and not reject it, as it has been my habit to do.</span></div></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-52531552905400618282026-05-17T07:53:50.398-07:002026-05-28T10:57:04.096-07:00How do wealthy people avoid potentially career-ending decisions?<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhFlEXf7dgWSEOaeZjSRwjjKW9fTAyNzMLPZYR7jyT4Euu3-hbYRtcmr_qFiPbBk3HHeKo00mHp_SOy8LeSmmR8mePy-xtVPLLtAI7R1beW69cwVYqOTypWoYjeLsSTvfYLBrjsF6jJ2k4O43QY3Onm3SM4-DYlOpdzu8ESly4TwDAeghxu8ap2GJNFcn/s4500/Wealthy%20people%20career%20ending%20mistakes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhFlEXf7dgWSEOaeZjSRwjjKW9fTAyNzMLPZYR7jyT4Euu3-hbYRtcmr_qFiPbBk3HHeKo00mHp_SOy8LeSmmR8mePy-xtVPLLtAI7R1beW69cwVYqOTypWoYjeLsSTvfYLBrjsF6jJ2k4O43QY3Onm3SM4-DYlOpdzu8ESly4TwDAeghxu8ap2GJNFcn/s320/Wealthy%20people%20career%20ending%20mistakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wealthy people do not have to worry so much about career-ending decisions.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">What they have to worry about, is wealth-ending decisions.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Wealth can be lost by slow leaks.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Wealth can also be lost in the blink of an eye.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-people-make-millions-of-dollars-and-still-go-broke/answer/Minoo-Jha">Those who put their trust in Bernie Madoff</a>, learned the hard way, that wealth can be lost in the blink of an eye.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Wealth can be lost, in so many different ways.</i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Poor investment choices.</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Taking unnecessary risks.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Making risky investment gambles.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Lack of diversification. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Not saving enough.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> N<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ot letting compounding work.</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Saving only to spend on immediate pleasures and gratifications.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Spending too much when buying a house, a car.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Spending to keep up with the Joneses.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Having expensive tastes early in your career trajectory.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting involved in sketchy deals.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Letting addictions, whether to substances, or to gambling, or to sex, get the better of one. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking on unnecessary debt.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Not paying things on time.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Causing oneself unnecessary payments, through fines, parking tickets, tows etc.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Making accidental or deliberate errors on one’s W4. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Not paying one's taxes, or doing sketchy things, to avoid paying taxes.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Using one’s home equity as a bank to draw money from.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Saving in tax-deferred vehicles such as 401Ks, and Traditional IRAs - only to take out money, before turning 59 and a half, and and paying a hefty penalty plus tax.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Being ignorant (or irresponsible) about taxes, insurance, and other information required to protect wealth.</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>On the other hand, here are the things wealthy people do:</i><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p></div></div><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Wealthy people put their wealth in different buckets. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They make sure they have enough money in the cash bucket<span> - </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Cash is not just for <span>emergencies. It is also for opportunities. It doesn't matter that the cash is not earning much, <span style="font-family: inherit;">or growing much, such </span>as at times when interest rates on cash are low. The principal purpose of the cash bucket is to be available for opportunities and emergencies. It is not to earn money. Wealthy people have money in other buckets, <span style="font-family: inherit;">which are growing and earning money.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wealthy people let compounding work for them - </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">This means they resist taking out money from their 401Ks and their IRAs, before turning 59 and a half.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">They also don't get impatient and chase "fast buck" opportunities.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Compounding is boring, but wealthy people know that boring is good, and boring will get the job done.</span></span></li><li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Wealthy people insure all their assets appropriately - with the right insurance companies, and the right coverage.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wealthy people never get themselves into an unmanageable debt hole, by letting interest build up upon interest upon interest.</span></li></ul></blockquote><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wealthy people know what to expect at tax time. They use calculators such as the <a href="1040 Tax Estimator">Dinkytown.net 1040 calculator</a> to model their taxes ahead of time, so there are no unnecessary surprises. <span style="font-family: inherit;">They know all the tax brackets, and in fact, many are able to do their taxes manually, because they have familiarized themselves with the ins and outs of the tax code, keeping up with yearly changes. J K Lasser is a familiar name to them.</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Wealthy people let compounding work for them. They let their money grow.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Wealthy people never scramble to pay their credit card off every month, never scramble to pay their bills, never scramble to pay their taxes.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wealthy use their money and assets to make money. In </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">solid ways, not hustling high-risk schemes, which can go sideways fast, or turn out to be empty <span>shells. </span></span><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wealthy people aim to reach a stage, where they don’t have to work for money - </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">they can work, purely because they enjoy working, or enjoy the work they do.</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p></blockquote><div><blockquote style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A simple wow to make today, in order to get to the same place, without the missteps...</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Become less of a hustler, scrambler, and gambler.</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Every time you hustle or scramble, make a note of it.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Make a note of the reasons why you are hustling, scrambling, or gambling.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Is it because you are short of money?</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Is it because you made a wrong decision, and now you are trying to correct for it?</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Is it because it is thrilling to make a fast buck?</i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Make a wow to yourself, to break free of hustling, scrambling, and gambling.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Make a vow to get on the boring "gets you there" path, and to follow a sane <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-wish-you-knew-at-age-20/answer/Minoo-Jha">philosophy of investing</a>.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Do this….and you will be on the path to "comfortable security", which is a luxury for most people.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Which path do you want to be on?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Path 1 - the path to comfortable security, which is a luxury for most people.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Path 2 - the path most people find themselves on - the path of hustling, scrambling, gambling, and grinding on.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>The choice is yours.</i></span></span></p></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-72945573653023018392026-05-10T08:28:00.000-07:002026-05-10T08:28:30.176-07:00What have I learned about the things I cannot change?<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPcq4se5oKRD0BzsxwgkP9hpazbe_DWFxEfCo_ixoM46rU4F-iKx-d8laWRde5mrrcFQpLra-o-nUnc37-zuv_wg3BFM-0zSTc8d4ZLD2CgJM-76J96FD00L53AcDd9wTRKYxAq3W_oYDsje3iCia8bc_N3bcu5j_QOEyRvPLc3XGNSWnoKsswPfiAWLX/s4961/wisdom%20of%20her%20ways.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4961" data-original-width="3508" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPcq4se5oKRD0BzsxwgkP9hpazbe_DWFxEfCo_ixoM46rU4F-iKx-d8laWRde5mrrcFQpLra-o-nUnc37-zuv_wg3BFM-0zSTc8d4ZLD2CgJM-76J96FD00L53AcDd9wTRKYxAq3W_oYDsje3iCia8bc_N3bcu5j_QOEyRvPLc3XGNSWnoKsswPfiAWLX/w452-h640/wisdom%20of%20her%20ways.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br />Here are some of the things....</span></i></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>To not talk about it incessantly.</i><br /><br />Perhaps, as a guide, to talk about it only once to each new person (though this is easier said than done).<br /><br />What’s on our mind plays on our tongue, again and again.<br /><br /><i>To think of it as a cross I have to bear.</i><br /><br />We will get the same criticisms.<br /><br />The same people will insult us in the same ways.<br /><br />The same people will get angry with us in the same ways.<br /><br />The same people will have disagreements with us in the same ways.<br /><br />The same losses will replay in our minds, again and again.<br /><br />We will respond to these situations in the same ways.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>To think of it as a puzzle to be solved...</i><br /><br />We can also think of our challenges as puzzles to be solved.<br /><br />If it’s something mechanical, biological, or technical, we can keep searching for solutions.<br /><br />We might be able to solve the puzzle - sooner or later.<br /><br />Or the puzzle may be solved for us.<br /><br />A solution may emerge.<br /><br />But if it’s something persistent and pervasive, or something there’s no turning the clock back on, then we may have to turn to prayer, meditation and therapy..<br /><br />If peace and serenity is a challenge, we can, for instance, say the <b>Serenity Prayer</b>, regularly.<br /><br />The <b>Serenity Prayer</b> is prayed by recovering alcoholics all over the world.<br /><br />If it works for recovering alcoholics, it may also work for us.<br /><br />You probably know the <b>Serenity Prayer</b>.<br /><br />It is as universal as the song <b>Amazing Grace</b>.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">It is as powerful as the song <b>Hallelujah</b>.<br /><br />If you do not know it, here’s how it goes…<br /><br /><i>God give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,<br /><br />Courage to change the things I can,<br /><br />And the wisdom to know the difference.</i><br /><br />It definitely helps to develop acceptance.<br /><br />It definitely helps to develop courage.<br /><br />It definitely helps to develop discernment.<br /><br />The combination of the three is a triple power to deal with sufferings and challenges, to escape the prison of our behaviors and feelings, and move towards positive thought, behavior, and action.<br /><br />We are not condemned to live a miserable life.<br /><br />To stay hopeful, in circumstances, dire and tragic, is what each of us will, at one point or another, be called upon to do.</span><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-cope-with-family-members-that-make-you-feel-awful/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-26ab30eb819058b2dc3e32fca465ee0a-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 494.4px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">4y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">How do you cope with family members that make you feel awful?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">There are going to be some relatives in everyone’s life who make them feel awful. In fact, being a hypersensitive person, anyone could make me feel awful very easily. Until I worked on myself and learned to “carry things lightly”. I wrote this piece about it. The Art of Carrying Things Lightly We have so much to worry about in life. Our possessions, our finances, our jobs, our health, our children, our parents, our spouses, our siblings, our investments, the economy– things big and small – keep us constantly worried. A mine can be waiting for us anywhere…in the next relationship, in the next spate of inclement weather, or on the next newscast. Our world can change in a moment. And sometimes it does. But when you think about it, our responses to events and triggers are just habits. We have not been pre-programmed from birth to respond the way we currently do. When we were babies, we yelled at the top of our lungs and till we were blue in the face, if we were in discomfort, or if we needed something. But we grew out of that pretty quickly, didn't we? If we could do it as a child, what is to stop us now, when we are grown people, and have the capacity to reason? If we respond in set ways to triggers and events, it’s because we have made it a habit to respond in set ways to triggers and events. We just have to make up our minds to quit responding in those set ways. We can re-program our responses at any age, and in any circumstances, and in any area. Once upon a time, I used to be a rageaholic, getting crazily angry when my buttons were pushed. But I successfully re-programmed myself. I discovered rage was a habit and I quit it. Once upon a time, I used to be hyper hyper-sensitive. But I successfully re-programmed myself. I discovered being hyper-sensitive was a habit. And I quit it. Once upon a time, I was a slave to some foods (such as rice) and I had to eat them every day. But I discovered specific foods were just a habit. And I quit them. I successfully reprogrammed myself. Once upon a time, I was unable to be anything but a helicopter mom or a tiger mom. But I discovered being a helicopter mom and a tiger mom were a habit. And I quit being either of them. I successfully re-programmed myself. Part of successfully re-programming ourselves is learning to carry things lightly. When you learn to carry things lightly, your responses automatically change. You stop freaking out. You stop having over-the-top responses to things. After all, few things call for a strong response. An emergency may require a strong response. An injustice may require a strong response. It's hard to think of anything else. Reprogram yourself to carry everything in your life lightly. Reprogram yourself to carry your success lightly. You should be able to fly coach, and to stand at a bus stop waiting for a bus. You should be able to wipe down your car, or even your child’s car. Reprogram yourself to carry your professional status lightly. You should be able to roll up your sleeves and do anything. Help your admin assistant clean up after an office lunch, for instance. Reprogram yourself to carry your job security and job satisfaction lightly. Conditions can change even in the most attractive of jobs or businesses. Your status and responsibilities can get reduced. A new manager might start cracking down. Because of the economy or competitive forces, a job or business, which once seemed secure, can become shaky; a layoff or unexpected circumstances can leave you adrift. Everyone should read the book, The Alliance, by Reid Hoffman to toughen up. It will help you carry your job security and job satisfaction lightly. The book was written to help you understand that even if your job came with an offer letter and benefits, it really is only a contract without an end-date. Anytime, this contract can end. Reprogram yourself to carry your relatively lower professional or economic status lightly. If you have not done as well as others and watched people go ahead of you, even though you started out with a clear advantage, be the big person. You should be able to support the success of those more successful than you. The true test of you being able to carry the situation lightly is doing so, without expecting anything in return. With luck, you could get to be the Roy Disney to Walt Disney, the Charlie Munger to Warren Buffett. It's possible. Reprogram yourself to carry your abilities lightly. An ability can lose its value. It can lose its relevance or charm. It can get upstaged. It can be lost as a result of a mishap, or as a result of getting older. If your carry your abilities lightly, you will be able to adapt to any new reality, even one that comes at the cost of your professional and financial status. Carrying your abilities lightly means you will be able to be productive, no matter what. Likewise, reprogram yourself to carry your disabilities lightly. Some of us are born with a disability; some of us will experience a disability as a result of a mishap, or a series of mishaps. For some of us, a habit can turn into a problem, eventually wreaking havoc with our ability. And growing older by itself, can strip us of the ability to do certain things. Whatever the case, we have to learn to carry our disabilities lightly. Which means we have to live life without becoming bitter, grumpy, irritable and cantankerous. Reprogram yourself to carry your knowledge and education lightly. Just because you are smart and capable doesn't mean you will be given the best opportunities. 'Taken opportunities' are sometimes "taken opportunities"; no point hankering for a seat at that table. You may be relegated to work that is below your knowledge and skill level. The only ‘sure’ way out of this is to keep changing jobs until you find your sweet spot. Or else, become an entrepreneur and call the shots. Otherwise, it’s best to carry your knowledge and skills lightly. As a consultant, I strive to be maximally useful to my managers, and sometimes it means doing what no one else on the team wants to do. If the greatest need on a particular day is for a gopher, I volunteer myself. But Minoo, how will I keep up with my skills and knowledge, if I get stuck doing the low-value stuff. Yes, if you are stuck doing low value stuff, and you feel you are ready for something more challenging, by all means look for a better opportunity and move on. In my case, all my assignments are temporary, so I have the confidence that if I don’t get to use my higher level skills at one assignment, I will definitely get to use them at another. So I never worry about what's happening in the present moment. It's one of the advantages of being a consultant. If a work situation has you frustrated, I recommend you take a step back and reflect. If you don't see any value, or future, in what you are doing, bow out and find something more suited to your knowledge and skill level. Reprogram yourself to carry your ideas and opinions lightly. Remember everyone has ideas and opinions, not just you. And their ideas and opinions are just as legitimate to them, as your opinions and ideas are to you. You shouldn't forever be trying to make a point, or to win converts to your way of thinking. You should try to see the other side. You should try to look at the big picture. For instance, I have observed we are unable to appreciate any social or political changes which benefit the marginalized; except of course, when we are the marginalized ones. To me the mark of civilization is how a country or society treats its most marginalized citizens. This is what I mean by seeing the bigger picture. Reprogram yourself to carry your crises lightly. You should not go “oh my god, oh my god, what am I going to do?” in response to every crisis. Crises have a way of sorting themselves out. A year or two later, the memory of the crisis might serve as a lesson, if that. Recently my car got towed, and I said to my daughter, "Oh my god, I made the worst mistake of my life. I parked in the visitor parking in front of the apartments and I got towed”. My daughter answered "Mom, don't be so dramatic. How could that be the worst mistake of your life?" It brought me down to earth. Reprogram yourself to carry your losses lightly. I know this is a tough one. You could lose everything because of an unfortunate event, or sequence of events. Still you can choose how to respond to that. You could either wallow in self-pity, inaction, or self-destruction. Or you could make a pact with yourself to put the past behind you, and build your life on what you have left. It comes down to a choice. Reprogram yourself to carry your possessions lightly, even if they are expensive possessions such as your house, your valuables, or your car, all of which can be lost, damaged, repossessed or claimed by someone else. When people get into accidents, they get into a rage. Don’t let this be you. Carry the fact of owning a car lightly. You should understand that being out on the road and driven, your car is ever at risk. If driving stresses you out, find solutions. Also even though you have a car, you should be able to walk, sometimes; you should be able to walk like a mother walks her baby. Just because you have a car, doesn't mean you have to drive everywhere, and all the time; you can walk, you can take public transport. A baby or child is going to enjoy a walk with their parents, much more than being strapped in a car seat, and they are also ill-equipped to deal with their parents' driving stress. When my daughter was a baby, and I was still a new driver in the US, I once drove from Oakland to San Jose in a car I was test-driving. During the 50 mile journey, my daughter’s blanky fell, and she started yelling for her blanky. My response was to yell back, because I was stressed. Several miles passed with both her and me yelling. Had we been walking and she been in her stroller, I would have just picked up her blanky and said "here you go". We should carry things lightly because we were meant to “thrive”, not just to survive. We eat to survive. We eat right to thrive. We wear clothes to survive. We look after our bodies and dress right to thrive. We go to bed at night to survive. We relax to thrive. It is important to recognize whether we are doing things just to survive, or doing things to thrive. Try to introduce more of the “thrive” activities in your life. It is a sure way to carry things lightly. Meditation, exercise, involving yourself in a worthwhile cause, and lightening up your schedule are all ways to reprogram yourself in the art of carrying things lightly. Get busy thriving, rather than just surviving. I sincerely hope you will take the message of this post - which is to carry things lightly -to heart. I believe if each of us does that, we can make life better, not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In some circumstances, we may have to go beyond prayer, meditation, and therapy.<br /><br />We may have to step out of our self-centeredness, and reach out to others.<br /><br />We may have to use our time and resources, in the service of a greater cause.<br /><br />For many of us, this is the point at which we renew ourselves.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This is the point our life truly takes a turn for the better.<br /><br />As many know, from first hand experience, good things often follow some of the worst experiences in our lives.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The triumphant side of us emerges.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The persevering side of us emerges.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The resilient side of us emerges.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The solution-oriented side of us emerges.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />Bad experiences can serve a purpose in our lives, greater than anything we expected.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Making heroes out of us.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Unlikely and surprising heroes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">One person's bad experiences can change the trajectory of history.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Think of Gandhi getting <a href="https://sahistory.org.za/dated-event/mk-gandhi-forcibly-removed-whites-only-train-carriage">thrown out of that train compartment in South Africa.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And there are examples <a href="https://minoojha-actionableideas.blogspot.com/2011/05/lessons-from-my-personal-heroes.html">closer home</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I said in my post, <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-some-advice-based-on-personal-experience-not-what-you-have-read-or-heard/answer/Minoo-Jha">10 Lessons You Can Learn From My Life</a>..."</span><i>how you react to the good things in your life, is not as important as how you react to the bad things in your life</i>".<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Imagination can also help us.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagination can help us escape torment.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagination can bring us hope.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagination can bring us healing insights.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagination can infuse us with transcendent thought and spirit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">If we give our imagination enough time to work, the solution that comes to us, is usually not a run of the mill imperfect solution, but a perfect solution.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Quiet time may be necessary for this.</span></span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/How-has-thinking-big-improved-your-life/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e3b2aacb4383147bc81fc9dbe3522650-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 494.4px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">How has thinking big improved your life?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Thinking creatively has improved my life more than thinking big. I have used creativity to solve problems, find the best use for things, and to reframe situations. Here’s one example where my imagination helped me, when my brain child was cast aside on an assignment. The entire post, if you want to read it, is called The Element of Imagination and Its Hope for Helping Us Develop Toughness With Compassion and Artful Flair, and is available on my Minoo Jha Life Strategies blog. Here is the excerpt regarding my brain child being cast aside, and how I used my imagination to shake myself out of my negative thoughts and feelings, and to be a bigger person. Using our imagination to reframe a situation… Any situation can be reframed with the help of our imagination. On one assignment, I pulled out all the stops to design new commission statements, and develop a new Excel model to do commissions. However, when I was passing control of my job to the commissions analyst who was to take my place, he and the new company controller decided to abandon my model and create their own model. It was a blow to my self-esteem, and hard to stomach. We want it to be hard for anyone to fill our shoes. We want our absence to cause pain. We want our brain children to be cherished. So my initial thoughts and feelings were all negative. But then, I started meditating, and it helped me transcend these negative thoughts. 3 Deer at a Stream I suddenly had this vision of self-esteem being a stream of water, and the new analyst, new controller, and myself all as deer drinking from the stream. I had had my turn at the stream. Now it was theirs. When I had to prove myself, the stream of self-esteem was there for me. Now it was someone else’s time to shine. Later on, it would be someone else’s time, still. From the moment this image entered my mind – my mindset was different. It was hard to say if I held this image - of the 3 deer drinking from a stream - or the image held me. But during my last weeks at the company, I cheerfully finished up my assignment, and continuously encouraged, praised and supported the new analyst and the Controller. Now years later, I feel a warm glow towards them. Tuli Kupferberg says: “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge. When I was able to escape the normal way of thinking it was almost that I saw all the characters in the scenario in a different alternate world” This is what happened to me. I entered an alternate world. And my imagination helped me get there. I now realize situations can exist in many different spheres, and our imagination can take us to a different sphere. So if you find yourself needing to be a bigger person, try to use your imagination to reframe the situation, and to elevate your thoughts and feelings to a different sphere. It worked for me. No reason why you shouldn’t give it a try. It could work for you.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And finally, we must continue to have faith, that a break in the clouds, is just around the corner…</span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-made-you-stronger-at-the-lowest-point-of-your-life/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Oxygen-Sans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-image: initial; border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px !important; border: 1px solid rgb(222, 224, 225); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-1b0004997985f047990f66a2c7e60f78-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"><br /></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 494.4px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) !important; border-image: initial; border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">3y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What made you stronger at the lowest point of your life?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">The lowest point in my life was when I suffered my depression. The thing that saved me is that I continued to work, exercise, and do all the things I did socially, with the hope that I would come out of it eventually. Here is a poem I recently wrote about how I felt then and what I wish to say to those going through the same thing: Just When The Sun Shone So Bright Just when the sun shone so bright It slipped behind a cloud I wondered where the light had gone And I began to cry soft, not loud Where are you light? Where are you light? Gloom enveloped me It seemed like I would never be myself again I was looking at a darkness as endless as the sea. __ The gloom persisted The clouds persisted In vain, I hoped the sun would shine again The gloom persisted The clouds persisted The beads of darkness were a never ending chain. __ I said my prayers and I worked, played, and ate I applied myself to the business of my days The gloom persisted The clouds persisted The darkness was a never-ending maze. __ And then one day the clouds parted Breaking the spell the darkness had cast on me And I hesitantly took a step forward into the light Into a new hope and a new destiny I was filled again with the inner uncorrupted child's sense of wonder Which the darkness had all but tried to take away from me Now the cloak of darkness was torn asunder And my spirit was once again light and free. __ The gloom had lifted The darkness had lifted The sun had again begun to shine I wrapped myself in my shawl of promise, hope, faith, and purpose And told myself, "Minoo, you will be fine". __ Yes, the gloom had lifted The darkness had lifted And I could say and believe the thought, "Minoo you will be fine" And it taught me that promise, hope, faith, and purpose awaits those who goes through a dark night of the soul When the journey is complete and the dark night of the soul has been left behind. __ Dear Reader - On the other side of an experience of the dark night of the soul is a light of a thousand lamps. Even though right now, you may not be able to see the flicker of even one of those thousand lamps, hold the image in your mind of the warmth and light of those thousand lamps - because it's what awaits you at the end of your journey through the dark night of the soul. Look after yourself, put one foot in front of the other, and believe with your heart, soul and mind that you will be completely restored once the journey of the dark night of the soul is complete.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In all these ways, I have learned to cope with the things I cannot change.</span></div></div></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-59438118922950970382026-05-03T09:11:00.000-07:002026-05-03T09:11:30.154-07:00What’s my go-to source of strength when things get tough?<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8UbfH1TAJGNt4AWpaCbg8FSNECZQnPRWZspqg-ltCe_rscPHRVf3LJtgCd1zV3oC89iDX3kSo6i2-HCqjn2AfTOGX1GWklVNhOuX5yUYbJSPpOKt4yjvZgd1iMennNL9Pe6sR__2VhKteo8DhyRqkQ1UI9D0zjKVGUrDanrENjYi9YGOBipujTGqU8Fv/s4334/Lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4334" data-original-width="2900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8UbfH1TAJGNt4AWpaCbg8FSNECZQnPRWZspqg-ltCe_rscPHRVf3LJtgCd1zV3oC89iDX3kSo6i2-HCqjn2AfTOGX1GWklVNhOuX5yUYbJSPpOKt4yjvZgd1iMennNL9Pe6sR__2VhKteo8DhyRqkQ1UI9D0zjKVGUrDanrENjYi9YGOBipujTGqU8Fv/w428-h640/Lighthouse.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br />A few different things…<br /><br />Thinking of others, who found a way to stay strong, in spite of life’s challenges.<br /><br /><i>The “Laura Hillenbrand” example:</i></span><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-your-inspiration-that-helps-you-never-give-up/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-f25d4d672624fd27c75aa63fa7cad37c-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What is your inspiration, that helps you "never give up"?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What is your inspiration, that helps you "never give up"? Surprisingly, a recurring inspiration is Laura Hillenbrand, and a few others who fought off debilitating illnesses, while they pursued their passion or purpose. The list started with 1) an advertising friend, 2) Dan Ariely 3) Laura Hillenbrand, and recently has grown to include St Julie of Billiart, and the Hole in the Donut, travel-blogging gal. However Laura Hillenbrand is the dominating figure, and the most recurring inspiration for me. Perhaps because of the extreme success she achieved, in spite of having a debilitating illness. She wrote the books Sea Biscuit and Unbroken. Both Sea Biscuit and Unbroken were NYT best-sellers which were made into movies. The movies were box-office successes. What people may not know was that Laura Hillenbrand wrote these books while being house-bound, and suffering from devastating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. For over 20 years - from the age of 23 till when she was nearly 50 - Laura Hillenbrand never left the house, and spent most of her time in bed, because of a bad case of CFS and vertigo. Whenever she had energy, she would get up and read material for the book she was writing. She would also make telephone calls to the people whose story she was writing about, since both her books were based on real stories. In this way, she completed her first book, and then her second book. Talk about being successful, without ever leaving the house. Every time, I feel too sick to write a blog post, or pursue my passion or purpose, I remember Laura Hillenbrand’s example, and I am able to find the grit and resilience in myself, to plow on.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Thinking of other inspiring examples of people, who found a way to turn setbacks into comebacks, besides Laura Hillenbrand.<br /><br /><i>The “Steven Stosny” and “Grantland Rice” example:</i></span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/I-have-a-setback-in-life-and-I-want-to-make-a-comeback-what-should-I-do/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-ed7fd354139d11c07bfd0e6996c045c2"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 122.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 90.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">2y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">I have a setback in life and I want to make a comeback. what should I do?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Story 1 - Setback into Comeback Once upon a time there was a little boy. When he was 3 years old, his dad was plastering a wall at his house. Innocently - and not knowing what he was doing, the boy poked a finger into the damp plaster. His dad saw him do it from across the room and got mad. In a rage, his dad threw a roof shingle across the room at him. The roof shingle pierced the boy’s head and lodged in his skull. He had to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency surgery. The boy grew up with the memory of this terrible incident, as well as other incidents caused by his father’s rages. Growing up, he was a constant witness to, and a victim of his father’s abuse of himself and his mother. He observed how his mother handled his father's rages with compassion. When he became an adult, the boy chose to pursue psychology. He has interested in anger, and the underlying causes for violent expressions of anger. His studies and research pointed to low self-esteem being the cause of anger. People who were angry harbored severe feelings of shame and guilt - coupled with a lack of empathy for other people’s feelings. He understood low self esteem was at the heart of many violent crimes. He decided to dedicate his life to helping people successfully deal with, and overcome their anger issues. His successes include some of the most hardened criminals in the justice system. His name is Steven Stosny, or more formally, Dr. Steven Stosny. He is a living example of how to turn a setback into a comeback. If someone does something to us, we should never think we have only 2 choices, one of which is to run away and seek refuge in something, the other to strike back. Fight or flight are not are only answers. What Dr. Stosny teaches us (and his clients) is that there is a third way, which is developing compassion for ourselves, and for all those who make us suffer, or have made us suffer. Story 2: Setback Into Comeback In 1918, when the US entered World War 1, a man enlisted in the US army as a private. He was 38 years old and had already amassed a fortune of $75,000. Concerned that he may not come back from the war, he gave his savings to his best friend for safe-keeping. The war took many lives, but mercifully, his life was spared, and when he was released from duty, which was 14 months later, he was ready to begin his old life again. One of the first things he did, on his release, was to visit his friend to get his money. Bad news was waiting for him at his friend’s house. His friend had committed suicide, and left his wife a widow. His friend's widow told him, his friend had put both his own money, and the money they had, in a worthless investment, and lost it all. The shame and grief over the loss had been too much for his friend, and he took his own life. What do you think the ex-Army Private did? He accepted the blame for putting “that much temptation” in his friend’s way, and made monthly contributions to the man’s widow, for the next 30 years. The man’s name was Grantland Rice. He was the most famous sportswriter of his time. Even if you don't know his name, you will definitely know these words which he penned – “For when the One Great Scorer comes To mark against your name, He writes - not that you won or lost - But HOW you played the Game.” There’s another way to turn a setback into a comeback. Story 3 - Setback into Comeback In 1990, a 22 year old student of Kenyon College, Ohio, was riding in a car - when she got an attack of nausea. The nausea continued over days and weeks and months, and was soon accompanied by severe aches and pains - from head to toe, incapacitating her. After months of going to doctors, they would eventually diagnose her condition as chronic fatigue syndrome. She dropped out of college, and from then on, her life became that of a house-bound invalid. In such a condition, many would throw up their hands, and say, “I am an invalid; that’s all my life is good for”. But the girl did not do that. She picked a subject that interested her - and started writing a book. Unable to leave the house, she did all her research at home – either by going online, or via the phone. She turned out a best-seller. Her book was on the New York Times Non-Fiction Best-Seller list for 30 weeks, and was made into a hit movie in 2003. Still home-bound, she started to work on a new book soon after. Her second book was also a hit, # 1 on the New York Times Non-Fiction Best-Seller List for 52 weeks. It was picked up by Angelina Jolie, and made into a film. The girl’s name is Laura Hillenbrand, and the books are Sea Biscuit and Unbroken, movies of which you may have seen. 3 inspiring examples of people who turned setbacks into comebacks. What’s yours?</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Thinking of the previous tough times I’ve been through, and what steps I took to cope.<br /><br /><i>The “depression I had in my 30’s” example:</i></span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-was-your-big-life-reality-check/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-7e86c77d481c37905533a78540d956b1-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">4y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What was your big life reality check?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Realizing I was successful outside, but miserable inside. In fact, as I was soon to discover, I was not just miserable, I was in the throes of a clinical depression. I survived and came out stronger. Here’s the story, as written about on my blog: If Life is So Good, Why Do I Feel So Sad? When Depression Hits! In my thirties, I suffered a depression. Here's what I learned from going through the experience and coming out stronger and happier the other side... Depression can strike even when times are good! By good, I mean really, really good. The year leading up to my depression was my best ever. A seasoned Advertising Copywriter, my creative consultancy (appropriately called Purple Patch) was thriving. Octopus-like, I had my tentacles in several different agencies and clients in Chennai. From O&M to Sistas BSB and Everest to Goldwire on the agency side. From Apollo Hospitals to Hill Country Resorts and Equifax to Strawberry Stripes on the client side. There was so much work, that in addition to the freelance copywriters and art directors I had on call, I was able to hire a bunch of my students from Loyola College where I was guest lecturing on Copywriting and put them on my payroll. I was out and about a lot in those days. I remember speaking at events like the USIS Career Fair. To make a long story short, there was no shortage of money, time, challenge or professional prestige. Yet it was right in the middle of all this, that my depression took hold. Depression can strike even when you are taking really good care of yourself! At the time of my depression, you may think I was leading an unhealthy lifestyle. Eating too much. Or too little. Sleeping too much. Or too little. Stressed out, perhaps? And not getting enough exercise. Perish the thought. I had successfully turned vegetarian 2 years prior. And I worked out for an hour every single day of the week I did aerobics with Kamlesh 3 times a week. And strength training at a gym the other 4 days of the week. Plus I was doing well enough to pay for a masseuse to come to my house and give me a one-hour massage every 2 weeks. Unfortunately, this healthy lifestyle wasn't able to protect me. Depression is quite arbitrary in that sense. Depression can strike even with a supportive partner by your side! I had married a man whom I had known for years and years. He really appealed to my feminist side. He cooked, he was self-sufficient. He did not have any double standards. And he was calm, good-natured and cheerful at all times. It should have amounted to a kind of insurance against depression. But it didn't. Depression won't make you any less able to function! This was both a boon and a curse. I probably generated the most income I have ever generated in my life during my depression. I was able to meet clients, make calls, attend meetings, supervise my team, get work done, pay my bills, deal with my bank and my tax consultant. I was quite unimpaired in terms of being able to carry out the activities of life. What no one knew was that there was no joy and I was dying inside. No one ever guessed because... Depression is easy to hide! Like any socialized adult, I had successfully learned to mask my feelings long before the depression struck. So when it did, I was able to keep it completely secret. In fact, the only people who knew about it were the people I chose to tell. Thank heavens I did decide to tell them. Were it not for that, I wonder how much more protracted my suffering would have been. Thanks to one of my confidants (and believe me, it was really hard to reveal to her that there was all this numbness and emptiness and crying below the successful exterior), I was able to figure out I was going through a depression and then find a therapist. Finally, depression can strike even if there's meaning in your life! You might be tempted to think that it was all the focus on money-making that did me in. But when you learn the facts, you'll see how that wasn't it either. My needs being simple, I was a donor and participant in several different causes around the time of my depression. I sponsored a lunch at an orphanage. I sponsored the purchase of toiletries for the residents of an old age home. I sponsored 2 Blood Banks for Bank of Baroda, Alwarpet which was my bank at the time. I was also on call to donate blood and still remember the hemophiliac mother-to-be who was about to deliver a baby that I was called upon to donate blood to. I was a loving, dutiful daughter and also regularly visited my family in Bangalore. And for one of my mom's birthdays, I flew down with a really special gift. I had printed 200 copies of her book of poetry, "A Twig In a Torrent" in hardback. But you can't buy immunity from a depression in any currency, including soul currency. Is this tale depressing you? Don't let it... The good news is when a depression ends - it really ends. At the time I was depressed, I thought I may never smile again. But I got myself into therapy. And agreed to the treatment prescribed. In spite of not having much faith or respect for it. It included Psychotherapy. An Anti-depressant. A pill to sleep. B-Complex injections. And instructions to revisit all the decisions I had made in my life. I still remember this oft-repeated sentence of the therapist: - "Believe me, in a few years, you are going to be grateful for this depression. It is going to make you make a happier, more fulfilled person." She was right. Though there were casualties - my marriage, my copywriting career, my business, my vegetarianism, and my life in India were all impacted, I have lived more meaningfully and consciously with every passing year since. And I have never looked back! It took me great courage to write this post. But I decided to do it anyway. Because I want people to know that there is a rainbow at the end of the depression cloud. A rainbow with beautiful colors. Which only a person who has had a depression and comes out of it is able to perceive. If you suspect you are suffering from a depression...the important thing is to talk about it to somebody. To seek help. And to put one foot in front of the other until you are over it. Don't over analyze the gene theory, the childhood trauma theory, or other causative factors - focus on getting well with medicine and psychotherapy. May you Live Well and Thrive!</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Finding ways to remind myself, like all other troubles, “this too shall pass”.<br /><br /><i>The “This too shall pass” example:</i></span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://vibify.quora.com/How-do-I-keep-my-own-mind-positive-all-the-time-7" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="vibify.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://www.quora.com/Do-you-think-its-possible-to-gain-wisdom-at-a-young-age/answer/Minoo-Jha"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--squircle" style="border-radius: 33.33%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--squircle" style="border-radius: 33.33%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Icon for Vibify" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-ti-4404814-100-xluecnrapaqwvrrqrepjugdjdaoeeids.jpeg" srcset="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-ti-4404814-100-xluecnrapaqwvrrqrepjugdjdaoeeids.jpeg, https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-ti-4404814-200-xluecnrapaqwvrrqrepjugdjdaoeeids.jpeg 2x" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--squircle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 33.33%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--squircle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 33.33%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex;"><span class="q-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="q-text puppeteer_test_tribe_name" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Vibify</span></span></div> · <div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px;">2y</div><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex;"></div></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">How can we force ourselves to think positive?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Should you keep yourself busy So there’s no room in your head Should you plug your ears, so you won’t hear Anything that brings you dread? __ Should you occupy yourself with toys Play games and have fun So though fires and floods might happen round you You find out only when they’ve ended, and not when they’ve begun? __ Should like the king, you get yourself a ring on which there are the words, “this too shall pass” So you can look at it when you are happy, or when you are sad And it helps you understand, that neither joy nor sorrow lasts? __ All these are ideas that you may consider And I also have some more Because the longer you live, the more you realize That life has both joys and sorrows in store.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Making sure that I do the right things, and not the wrong things.<br /><br /><i>The “taking some of my own medicine for job loss, relationship stress, and other life challenges” example:</i></span></div><div><br /><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/What-advice-would-you-give-an-unemployed-person/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: white; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-a5efecc21dc3cdf3170d668abdf2aa18-lq"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">What advice would you give an unemployed person?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, What advice do you have for someone who's about to be jobless? This is to be read in in advance of and immediately after you become jobless. 1. Think of your blessings. Even a simple thing like the presence of loving pets, loving friends and family, or having a comfortable living situation, is a blessing. Improve your outlook by thinking of all your current blessings. 2. Express positive thoughts out aloud. Tell people what you have learned about your situation. Tell them what’s good about the fact this happened to you. The more positive things you think and say about what happened to you, the more positive will be your future thoughts, feelings, and communication. The more positive things you think and say about your situation, the more improved will be your outlook, and optimism about the future. 3. Take positive action. Instead of isolating, connect. Connect on the phone. Connect for coffee and conversation. Connect with individuals or groups who will revive your spirits. Connect for a cause you believe in. There are so many ways to connect. 4. Express gratitude. If your situation is a result of other people having done something to you, try to think of the good things they did, before the negative event happened. Maybe you can even write a thank you letter or note of appreciation to them, acknowledging those good things. You can write the letter and keep it, or write the letter and mail it. Either way, its impact will be immediate. You will feel better both about yourself, and about them. 5. Keep yourself fit. Get a gym membership and sign up for a pumped up gym class. Try a new style of haircut. Pay attention to your grooming. Keep your appearance smart and sharp. 6. Make ‘not working’ work for you. Turn it into an advantage. If you are not working, think about the fact most people become their healthiest and most resourceful when they are not working. This is because they have the time to work out, and eat right, and think of ideas. You can become part of this wonderful statistic. 7. Do something positive every day. Do something positive in at least one area in your life every day – something good for your career, or good for your health, or good for your relationships, or good for your personal development, or good for your emotional balance. It may be something as simple as taking your dog for a walk, working on a creative project, cooking something, reading an uplifting book, or working in your garden. 8. Talk to the right people. Talk to friends or family who believe in you. They will remind you of your strength and your abilities, and it will help you stay positive and keep negative thoughts at bay. 9. Pick up a pen and list all your achievements. Write down all the amazing things you have accomplished in your life. Write down the disadvantages you overcame to achieve each of those accomplishments. Put dates against each milestone, and record the wonderful results and events associated with each milestone. 10. Read and watch positive & inspiring material. Find material which encourages you and energizes you. Find material which teaches you to become smarter and wiser and less afraid. Listen to and watch this material again and again and again. Make the messages part of your DNA. 11. Bring back your sense of perspective. You may be able to say, “If this had not happened to me, I wouldn’t have learned to value the things that matter most.” 12. Do things which give you a sense of control. Do things which will give you an “I’ve got this” feeling. Clean up your house, clear your backyard, get up to date with your medical appointments and financial obligations. 13. Find the silver lining in your situation. Can your tough times made you simpler, freer, bolder, wiser, more creative, and more appreciative? What’s not to like about that? 14. Create joy for others. Cook a meal for someone, ask someone to join you for a walk, or for happy hour. Spreading joy is a great way to feel good when times are tough. 15. Grab a pen and think of some ideas. Put down some ideas of what you can do in your current situation. How can you use your time, your energy, your resources? Some really creative ideas and insights can come out of putting on your thinking cap. 16. Surrender your problem to a higher power. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it is proven. It has worked for many others. It could work for you. 17. Finally, be hopeful. Remind yourself of the wisdom of ‘This Too Shall Pass’. No matter, what you are going through, it will pass.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Finally, talking it over with trusted people, always makes me think of my situation less catastrophically, and makes me more hopeful - able to believe I have the inner strength to deal with the problem...it's just a question of time.<br /><br /><i>The “challenges of a new immigrant” and other examples:</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><div class="q-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; max-width: 100%;"><span class="q-box qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box; user-select: text;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--none b2c1r2a puppeteer_test_link" href="https://www.quora.com/Describe-a-situation-when-you-received-some-useful-advice/answer/Minoo-Jha" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background-color: transparent; border-radius: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="www.quora.com"><div class="q-relative qu-borderAll qu-borderWidth--regular qu-borderRadius--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="border-color: rgb(222, 224, 225); border-radius: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; min-height: 100px;"><div class="q-relative qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 0 0 100px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-bg--darken" height="100%" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03); background-image: url("https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-3bbdfcba00f8b17e4fadf59dd468c1d5"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; box-sizing: border-box; height: 101.4px; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: background-image; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;"><br /></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullY qu-borderLeft" style="border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-left-style: solid; border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-top-width: 1px; border-width: 1px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;"></div></div><div class="q-box qu-p--medium qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding: 16px; width: 508.8px;" width="100%"><div class="q-flex qu-verticalAlign--middle qu-alignItems--center" height="100%" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 69.4px; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="q-box qu-overflow--hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden;"><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="q-flex qu-alignItems--flex-start" style="align-items: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-mr--tiny qu-verticalAlign--top" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-right: 4px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-flex--none" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex: 0 0 auto; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; position: relative;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-overflow--hidden qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle" style="border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 1px; position: absolute;"></div><img alt="Profile photo for Minoo Jha" class="q-image qu-display--block qu-size--18 qu-minWidth--18 qu-bg--white__ignore_dark_mode" size="18" src="https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-thumb-731870139-25-dalswmchxcqaipuhcwxdfsbpffprxris.jpeg" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 18px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 18px; position: relative; width: 18px;" /><div class="q-box qu-borderRadius--circle qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="q-absolute qu-fullX qu-fullY qu-borderAll qu-borderColor--darken qu-borderRadius--circle avlofet" style="border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06); border-radius: 100%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; inset: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></div></div></div><span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; font-size: 13px;"><div class="q-inlineFlex qu-alignItems--center qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; word-break: break-word;">Minoo Jha</div> · <span class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-color--gray qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box;">6y</span></span></div></div><div class="q-text qu-truncateLines--3 qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-wordBreak--break-word" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 3; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; display: -webkit-box; font-weight: bold; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; word-break: break-word;">Describe a situation when you received some useful advice?</div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-truncateLines--1 qu-color--gray qu-mt--tiny" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636466; display: -webkit-box; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 4px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Hi, You asked, Describe a situation when you received some useful advice? Here is some situation-specific advice I received from my own family members that I am very grateful for… Family Advice I Am Grateful For Wise words to one immigrant sister from another... When I first came to the US, it was tough going. I didn’t know how to cook. I didn’t know how to drive. I didn’t know how to do laundry. I didn’t have job-ready skills like Microsoft Word & Excel. I was overwhelmed. To calm me down, my sister Rosie said “think of yourself as a tourist in this country- you can go back at any time” It was sound advice because I was suffering from all the things that go with making a change. What Anatole France describes as follows: All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. When the best advice was to prioritize... When I was feeling low at one point of time and was distraught because I did not know what to focus on, my sister Chris said to me “Pay attention to the one thing that is bothering you the most and ignore everything else”. The prescription really helped. In telling me to do this, my sister was wisely echoing these words from Denis Waitley, who said: Don't be a time manager, be a priority manager. Cut your major goals into bite-sized pieces. Each small priority or requirement on the way to an ultimate goal become a mini goal in itself. Or these words from Russell M Nelson: Your life will be a blessed and balanced experience if you first honor your identity and priority. Reading: an asset you may not be aware of... There was a time I was between jobs. I was visiting with my sis Betty and told her about all the personal finance books I was reading. She said “you should put this on your resume”. Ever since that pronouncement, I came to see my reading not just as a hobby, but as a strength. If I am able to blog so frequently today, it’s because I am able to dip into the books I read for ideas and topics. Sometimes I attract new readers to my blog because of a book I’ve read and blogged about. Take the case of Wabi Sabi Simple. If not for this post, I would never have got to know reader Aarathi. She read it and commented on it because it struck a chord with her. Ever since, she has been a regular visitor to and lively commenter on my blog. So thanks to the one in our family we refer to as Mother Superior. As Russell Banks aptly said: But really, it was reading that led me to writing. And in particular, reading the American classics like Twain who taught me at an early age that ordinary lives of ordinary people can be made into high art. Stop trading, start investing... Once, I went to my B-I-L Pete for investing advice. My head was full of theories like the Dogs of the Dow theory. He said been there, done that, handed me the Morning Star Mutual Funds Binder and gently advised me that index funds were the way to go. Like all novice investors, I did not heed this advice initially, though I did eventually (after some trading flare-outs). Was it James M. Barrie who said - Life is a long lesson in humility? Analysis paralysis... The B-I-L Mohammed continuously spouts so much wisdom (and flatulence jokes in equal measure - which I've talked about in earlier posts), it’s kind of hard to settle on just one piece of advice from him to talk about, but I’ll pick one. At one time, when I was battling a depression, he suggested I get out of my head, stop reading so many books and stop over analyzing things so much. At the time he said this, it was excellent advice and this quote by Karen Horney is the same advice clothed in different words: Fortunately analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts. Life itself remains a very effective therapist.</div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-absolute qu-hover--cursor--pointer qu-hover--bg--darken qu-zIndex--base qu-display--flex qu-alignItems--center qu-justifyContent--center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; inset: 0px; justify-content: center; position: absolute; z-index: 1;"></div></div></a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #282829; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></div><div class="q-text qu-dynamicFontSize--small qu-pb--tiny qu-mt--small qu-color--gray_light qu-passColorToLinks" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #939598; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 4px;"><div class="q-flex qu-justifyContent--space-between fufw740" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; gap: 6px; justify-content: space-between;"><span class="c1h7helg" style="--separator: " · ";"><br /></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><br /></div>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016658139554250600.post-4767118985707831832026-04-27T07:56:00.000-07:002026-05-21T06:41:20.418-07:00Beware the voice that shouts too loud<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGQnQrXi3bHwOvVzbE39E_KF2vEZ-eAdP4pKzALsvdfoIBs8Kt-w3PD8hi3AEeovgwVbOij0aJZOIA67TOv7iWA30bj0GSPyGDmAOWwM7Zo25wFJ-Q5Vqpv0dZVVYc-UmU0ywXk3IzBprUb6ynHReF_O-Tl5jr3BZQ9NOdixmPPbbU83OxavaJKVXfIRH/s3840/No%20Pedestal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="3840" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGQnQrXi3bHwOvVzbE39E_KF2vEZ-eAdP4pKzALsvdfoIBs8Kt-w3PD8hi3AEeovgwVbOij0aJZOIA67TOv7iWA30bj0GSPyGDmAOWwM7Zo25wFJ-Q5Vqpv0dZVVYc-UmU0ywXk3IzBprUb6ynHReF_O-Tl5jr3BZQ9NOdixmPPbbU83OxavaJKVXfIRH/s320/No%20Pedestal.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />Beware the voice that shouts too loud,</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">That claims the truth and draws a crowd.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">For certainty that leaves no doubt</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Can blind the wise and shut thought out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Not every cause is pure or right,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Not every wrong is cloaked in night.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The world’s not drawn in black and white—</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">It lives in grays, in softer light.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A hero’s just a soul, like you,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">With flaws and faults and blind spots too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">To lift them high, beyond critique,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Is to forget that all are weak.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">No prophet, thinker, saint, or king</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Deserves your mind on tethered string.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Respect their path, but think anew—</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">What’s right for them may not be true for you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Beware the lure of righteous rage,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">That casts the “other” in a cage.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Extremes feel clean, like fire or frost,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">But burn the bonds we need the most.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hold passion close, but keep it kind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Let questions live inside your mind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Let doubt not be your shame, but guide—</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A guard against both arrogance and pride.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Give praise where earned, with open eyes,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">But don’t forget that humans lie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And even truths that seem quite right.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Can turn to chains if gripped too tight.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">So walk the path with open heart,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">But let your judgment play its part.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Not every cause must be your war,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Not every voice a guiding star.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In balance, there is strength and grace—</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">To hold your ground, but leave some space.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">For thought, for growth, for quiet pride—</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And heroes walking by your side.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Not on pedestals. Not above.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Just people, flawed—but worth your thought and love.</span></p>Minoo Jhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12014997524720410794noreply@blogger.com0