Zubin Rashid's Blog #Humor #Inspiration #Happiness

#5 The Face Speaks
#6 Breathe slowly. Stay calm.
#7 Where do the hands go?
#8 Gestures Communicate

#9 Posture and Presentation

#10 Walk. Stop. Talk.

Zubin Rashid is an International Consultant in Public Speaking, Intercultural Consulting, and Team Building. He is an Author of 4 books, including his latest on personal growth and development called Dream Learn Act Achieve. He is a Newspaper Columnist, and frequently contributes to different media. He has been featured in various newspapers and magazines as an author, and as a soft skills and public speaking expert.

Public Speaking Secrets - Speak & Grow Rich! #10

2017-06-29T15:11:00.000+05:30

#10 Walk. Stop. Talk.

The small plant sways graciously as the breeze passes over it. The dancer on stage uses planned movements synchronized with the music and we love to watch her perform. The speaker walks to another part of the stage confidently and briskly and the audience is watching him and focusing on his speech.

There is something about movement. Anything that moves attracts us. But the kind of movement defines whether the attraction creates a positive or a negative image in our mind. Since I am writing about public speaking and presenting, let me tell you about a simple rule that you can follow on movement. Remember these three words: Walk, Stop, Talk.

Walk when you are introducing a sub topic or point.

Stop after you have introduced the sub topic or point.

Talk about the sub topic or point in detail after that.

Repeat the process for every sub topic or point.

The fine tuning on movement can only be done with practice. You will have to build within your own mind the frequency of movements based on the presentation time and the points that you want to cover. For a longer duration speech you use less frequent movements.

Are you following the rule of Walk, Stop, Talk?

#5 The Face Speaks
#6 Breathe slowly. Stay calm.
#7 Where do the hands go?
#8 Gestures Communicate

#9 Posture and Presentation

Public Speaking Secrets - Speak & Grow Rich! #9

2017-06-16T17:15:00.001+05:30

#9 Posture and Presentation

The man who stoops is the man with no energy. The woman who puts her hands on her hips is too aggressive for the audience. The person who stands straight and walks with the head held high is the one who is seen as confident.

What you just read are examples of postures in presentations. If you are speaking in front of an audience, your posture speaks louder than your words. A posture that communicates confidence, enthusiasm and energy, will keep the audience focused on you. No one likes to watch a tired and low energy person giving a presentation or talk.

Observe yourself in the mirror and try different postures. You will understand to a large extent which postures communicate what meaning. Take this seriously as this would create an important part of your image as a speaker.

Are you displaying the right postures during your presentations?

#5 The Face Speaks
#6 Breathe slowly. Stay calm.
#7 Where do the hands go?
#8 Gestures Communicate

Public Speaking Secrets - Speak & Grow Rich! #8

2017-06-07T17:15:00.003+05:30

#8 Gestures Communicate

Close your eyes and imagine someone speaking without any movement of the hand or the body and with an expressionless face. Do you think such a person can hold the audience’s attention for long? I am a strong believer in gestures. This is something that helps a person to communicate with more conviction and helps the audience to understand the meaning of the words better.

Gestures compliment the words that are spoken. Be it with the hands or any gesture from any part of the body. We use all kinds of gestures to make the words more visual for the audience. A lively presenter with these gestures is loved by people who listen to them.

Stand in front of the mirror and speak a couple of sentences. Speak without gestures first and then with them. You will notice the difference. Remember to use the correct gestures. You cannot point upwards and say “down”!

Are you using gestures while speaking in front of an audience?

#5 The Face Speaks
#6 Breathe slowly. Stay calm.
#7 Where do the hands go?

Public Speaking Secrets – Speak & Grow Rich! #7

2017-05-28T09:51:00.001+05:30

#7 Where do the hands go?

I remember when I first got up on stage to speak when I was in school, I was not trained and did not know what to do with my hands. So, I stood like a statue with my hands at my sides and spoke without much expression. That was how I started.

So, where do the hands go? One important thing to remember is to use the hands for gestures. You can communicate through your hands. In fact, hand gestures that compliment the words spoken makes a powerful communication. Whatever you say is made easier for the audience to understand with the help of gestures.

The second point to remember is what you would do with your hands when you pause or when you are listening to someone in the audience ask you a question. The palms come together, and you keep one palm on another and the palms are kept close to the tummy area but not touching it, and at a height near the navel region.

Practising the use of gestures and keeping the hands at the right position would help you become a much better presenter and speaker. Body language constitutes 55% of communication according to research.

Are you using your hands for gestures?

Click here if you want to know about Public Speaking Workshops

#5 The Face Speaks
#6 Breathe slowly. Stay calm.

Public Speaking Secrets – Speak & Grow Rich! #6

2017-05-19T09:39:00.000+05:30

#6 Breathe slowly. Stay calm.

Controlling nervousness has a physical aspect. When you get nervous you start breathing faster and chances are you will have a dry throat and mouth. Many people ask me what can be done in such a situation. While there are points about the mind that need to be considered, however, let us focus on the body and understand what can be done.

I found that learning to breathe very slowly is an instant solution. When you take long and deep breaths, you slow down your heart beat and feel relaxed. The nervousness reduces and allows you to speak calmly. This needs to be learnt and practiced to improve its effects.

I also advise speakers to drink a moderate amount of water to prevent the mouth to become dry very fast and to keep hydrated and fit. When you speak, you need to be on top form!

Do you take three deep breaths and drink some water before every speech or presentation?

Click here if you want to know about Public Speaking Workshops

Click here if you want to know about Public Speaking Workshops

#5 The Face Speaks

Public Speaking Secrets – Speak & Grow Rich! #5

2017-05-12T07:41:00.000+05:30

#5 The Face Speaks

Expressions are the windows to the meaning of your communication. Your face is of utmost importance in public speaking. Words are of not much use here if not accompanied with facial expressions.

Imagine someone speaking to you with a blank face. This person has no expressions. How would you feel? Will you understand everything this person says? Wouldn’t it be better if you see happiness on the face when you hear something happy, or see an expression of sorrow when something sad is being spoken about?

Your facial expressions help the audience as most people are visual in nature. We pick up meanings easily through the facial expressions. In fact, if you face speaks a different language than your words, people would be confused, and in fact, would be more likely to believe your face than your words. For example, you show a sad face and say you are happy. What would the audience believe?

Are you expressing through your face while presenting in front of an audience?

#3 The Magic of Voice
#4 The Lighthouse Technique

Public Speaking Secrets – Speak & Grow Rich! #4

2017-03-22T19:17:00.002+05:30

#4 The Lighthouse Technique

The eyes are the windows to the soul. Well, your eyes are very important in public speaking. Think about any moving light. Does it attract your attention? Yes! If you have heard about the lighthouse, you would know that it has a moving light that guides ships. We use this concept to connect eye-contact with the audience in public speaking and presentations.

What you do is rotate your head to your left and to your right when speaking. But you do it naturally. When you speak to a group of friends seated to your left and right, what do you do when you speak? Don’t you look at all of them at different times while you are speaking? We do the same in public speaking.

This lighthouse technique is one of the important tools to maintain audience interest. If you do not look at a section of the audience, they would feel ignored, and at a sub-conscious level, would lose interest in what you are saying.

Do you use this technique during your talks and presentations?

Click here if you want to know about Public Speaking Workshops

Click here if you want to know about Public Speaking Workshops

Public Speaking Secrets – Speak & Grow Rich! #3

2017-02-25T09:23:00.001+05:30

#3 The Magic of Voice

There are numerous examples of leaders in history who have stirred their audiences through their powerful speeches. What made their speeches so great? While content and words play an important role, which I will deal with in a later article, there is something we need to know about that is equally essential, if not more.

This important element is the magic of your voice. Modulation of your voice can make the audience sit up and listen. How do you tell stories to children? Don't you modulate your voice and create expressions that help children to visualise the story?

Remember, your voice is what makes a great impact. Practice every day to improve your expressions. Move from a monotonous voice to varying your tone and volume to express yourself better. Do you modulate your voice every time you speak?

Click here if you want to know about Public Speaking Workshops

Previous Articles:
#1 Smile when you say something important
#2 Standing Tall

Public Speaking Secrets – Speak & Grow Rich! #2

2017-02-16T12:41:00.000+05:30

#2 Standing Tall

The language of the body has more impact than simply verbal communication. A very important aspect of this is posture. While presenting, how should you stand?

This appears quite simple, yet, I have found most people don’t stand straight while speaking or presenting. There is a tendency to incline towards one direction or the other. You may find yourself leaning towards your right, and then after a while you change that direction.

Standing tall fundamentally means standing straight. In fact, when you are standing straight you are at your tallest height. This posture also makes you look confident and more in control of your own movements.

The best way to check if you are standing tall, or not, is to get your speech or presentation video recorded. Watch yourself in the video later and see your posture. Are you standing tall?

Public Speaking Secrets – Speak & Grow Rich! #1

2017-02-03T17:40:00.002+05:30

#1 Smile when you say something important

What a wonderful universal language this is! Smile and you can diffuse all the tension. Smile and you can win hearts. Smile and the audience will remember what you said while you were smiling.

Have you ever thought that we have such a simple yet highly powerful tool in the form of a smile? When I take my son out (he is 15 months young) he smiles at so many people. These are strangers in different places – parks, malls, museums – and they mostly smile back. His smile is infectious. I am sure they would remember that smile for some time.

Public Speaking is about connecting with your audience. Smiling brings positive energy to your speech. From a psychology perspective, when you are saying an important point make sure you give a smile, even a hint of a smile, and your audience will remember that point for a long time.

So, with all the great benefits of a smile, start that practice right now! Are you smiling?! :)

Click here if you want to know about Public Speaking Workshops

Training as a Profession

2017-01-08T12:12:00.003+05:30

A Trainer adds a lot of value to the corporate world and to institutions. Imagine you have been in a field, say sales, finance or information technology, and you have gathered knowledge and skills that when shared could help a lot of people to upgrade their skills and perform better. However, the challenge lies in whether you would be able to impart the lessons well, whether you have the skills of a trainer to deliver that content in a manner that would help the learners.

There is definitely a dearth of excellent trainers. The void becomes evident when we see trainers not performing well. The reason is because either they lack the necessary knowledge and skills in their subject or domain, or because they lack the skills of a trainer.

If you are experienced in a domain you can become a great trainer and make a profession out of it. In a few years time of practicing as a trainer, you can become a high profile trainer who has her / his calendar filled in no time! So, what are those knowledge and skills that would help you? Let us have a look at a list of things, but please note that there is more that you could do than just these points.

1. Facilitation Skills: These are the basics. What should you do as a trainer in a classroom? How should you interact with the audience, what should be your body language, how can you use eye-contact and your voice modulation to engage your audience, and such other points form part of your facilitation skills.

2. Training Needs Analysis: This is perhaps the most important part. If you do not know what exactly the need is, what the gaps are, you would not be able to design and develop the right level of content in the training.

3. Training Design: Many trainers do not know the science behind design. You need to understand the steps that could be followed, what elements and methodology could be used and what flow should be there for the content based on the objectives of the training that you have set.

4. Content Development: This is about filling in the content based on your Training Needs Analysis and the Training Design. The content has to be enriching and useful for the participants and at the level at which it is to be delivered.

5. Evaluation of Effectiveness: How do you evaluate if the training has added value to the participants in terms of results that they have got because of it? What evaluation methods can you use?

6. The Theories of Adult Learning: These are the foundations that would set you apart from average trainers. The psychological aspects of learning when well understood helps you not only speak to your clients or stakeholders with complete confidence, but also helps you design and develop much more effective training programs.

Well, this list can go on to a lot more. I personally believe that we all have the educator inside us. And if we have significant knowledge and some experience in a domain, be it sales, finance, soft skills, management, teaching, technology, or any other subject, all we need is some learning on training and we can get into a noble profession of helping others to grow. A great career awaits you with unlimited potentials of earning and growth!

If you want to know about our Train The Trainer Certification Programs please click here:
http://www.zubinrashid.com/train-the-trainer-ttt

"After all is said and done, more is said than done."

2016-12-07T08:48:00.001+05:30

It is pretty easy to talk.

It is pretty easy to make promises.

It is pretty easy to say you will do it.

Although we say "Action speaks louder than words," it is quite evident that there are just too many words being thrown around everywhere. We are lost in a sea of words. Sometimes I ask myself if this is a hopeless situation. And then I ask myself what is the challenge and what is the solution to it.

Words have a great impact. When you use the right words in the right context, they are a very powerful tool. But when the words lack follow up action, they cease to continue being powerful, they just seem so hollow. Only making promises can get you the initial support, but the moment people realise that you were only loud but just full of air, they will withdraw all favourable thoughts about you.

Let us consider a hypothetical situation. Your boss tells you that s/he will get you another team member as the workload is getting higher. You feel happy and put in extra effort to support the team till the new team member joins. A month passes and still no sign of the new member. You talk to your boss and s/he says that interviews are on and soon someone would be selected. Another month passes by. You get the same reply from your boss. After another month you have got used to the extra work, and the new team member is nowhere in sight. You feel that s/he just talks and doesn't deliver. There is a loss of trust.

On another occasion the boss promises to bring in a new team member and keeps his/her word. You believe in your boss. The next time s/he says something or makes a commitment you have complete faith in him/her.

I have met numerous salespeople who make false claims and people who have deceived me. I have lost trust in them and have never purchased anything from them hence. But a few convinced me with good faith and excellent communication. They have not used false claims but used the truth to convince me. I continue buying from them. I have learnt a lot from them.

In one experience of mine, one team member reporting to me wanted a soft board in the training room. As a trainer she wanted to do some activities which involved pinning some papers on the soft board. I promised it will be done. It took me some coaxing for my boss to approve the budget and I got the soft board installed. She was elated. It was unbelievable to note that she became many times more committed in her work than before. Was it the soft board?

"After all is said and done, more is said than done." But the day when you at least do what you say, you will find the difference it makes.

Don't make promises that you cannot keep.

Don't make false claims.

Don't just talk and not take action.

Let your actions do more talking than your tongue.

Purpose and Passion - what they mean in Leadership

2016-08-30T19:22:00.001+05:30

When I look at ants I think of a clear sense of purpose. Have you ever noticed that they try to find and carry the biggest possible pieces of food? In fact, when one ant finds it challenging to carry a big chunk, other ants move in to help. The alignment is extraordinary, and no matter what the obstacle, they are ready to move over, under and around every possible block that they find on the way. And they all move towards their destination.

What drives these ants? They have a clear purpose. They have to save the food for difficult times. The purpose is the greatest reward that makes them work with passion.

Passion makes you perform your tasks well, maybe even to the best of your abilities. And what makes you passionate is the purpose.

Leaders have a clear purpose. I am not getting into vision or long-term or short-term goals here. I am looking at anything you do - you may want to achieve some goals in 10 years or some by tomorrow. Is the purpose clear? If it is, it means you know 'why' you are doing what you are doing. The 'why' is something you can relate to and something that makes you passionate to achieve that goal.

Imagine, as a leader, you make the purpose absolutely clear for your team members. What does that do to them? Do you take the time and effort to make the purpose clear for them? Can they relate to the purpose? Can you create an alignment with the purpose and their interests and thoughts? This is what is the fundamental step for a leader. Once the purpose is clear and aligned, passion takes over. Passion is the bye-product of making the purpose clear.

www.zubinrashid.com

The 3 Side Effects of Learning Presentation Skills

2016-07-11T18:41:00.001+05:30

Imagine a person is unable to present very well. The body language is not good, the voice is not modulated or even the content does not have a good structure. So you send this person to learn and improve her/his presentation skills. However, in a training program, are these the only points that a person would learn? No!

In more than a decade of experience I have observed that a participant in a presentation skills program learns much more. The takeaways are much higher. In fact, I believe that the other learning points have a stronger impact in the performance of the individual.

Let us look at three key points:

1. Confidence

This is the most important development. The person who corrects her/his body language and voice modulation and also can now build better content in the presentation naturally feels more confident about herself/himself. Secondly, the multiple practices of speaking in front of an audience improve the confidence level of the person and help in reducing fear of public speaking. This confidence then can be applied in other areas of work and life.

2. Teamwork

You might not have thought this could be a learning point in a presentation skills training program. But it depends on the design of the training program. In my training design, for example, I include team presentations. This has a lot of benefits. The individual now has help and support for encouragement, feedback and learning from each other. Teamwork means a lot of different skills like cooperation, communication with each other, working towards a common goal and such others. While preparing and presenting with the team, these learning points are intrinsic and extra takeaways.

3. Networking & Interpersonal Relationship Building

If the audience consists of people from different departments or groups, this is a great opportunity to network and build good relationships. We tend to get a very different perspective on the same point from a person who works in a different field. This is important to help us move out of an uni-directional mode of thinking. Connecting with people from other departments also helps in building better relationships and makes inter-departmental coordination smoother and more efficient and effective.

7 Reasons Why I Closed My Start-up

2016-06-23T10:40:00.001+05:30

This is not a sad story, although I cannot really comment whether it is a happy one. But whatever I cannot describe I call it an interesting experience. Was it easy for me to take the decision to close? Of course not! But I am happy that I took the decision. I will tell you why.

1. “Maya” – you aren’t controlling me, please

Remember that girl/boy in college who you swooned over; who then walked away with some other friend of yours and left you in the lurch with only imagination and despair? And then you became the drunk and drug addict and lost your way? Okay, maybe you did not go that far. But something made you keep thinking about that person.

Or perhaps that favorite dress of yours which is not “wearable” anymore, but you just cannot throw it away. You can keep it for some more time. Who knows what future has in store for you. What if you suddenly become poor and you are unable to purchase new clothes? You could then wear this favorite dress of yours!

Ask a person who has to close down a startup and he will give you a million reasons why it should not be closed. What I so passionately built up for 5 years cannot be just closed? I mean, what about all the hard work and strategizing and the hundreds of cups of coffee that went into it?

Finally one day I remembered that girl in college and that shirt I did not want to throw away. I told “Maya” that she cannot control me anymore. I learnt how to let go.

2. Whoever said business is better than jobs is an idiot

This does the rounds a lot. Believe me. A lot of people are in awe of people who quit their jobs and started business. Entrepreneurship is attractive.

While I am definitely not saying that entrepreneurship is not good, I have enjoyed every bit of it for so many years, it is talked about as better than doing a job. That is where perceptions go wrong. The most common reason people give for business being better is that it gives you freedom from having a boss and you can do things your own way. What most people don’t understand is that a business is also like a job. You have a set of tasks to do and goals to achieve. Yes, the appraisal is in your hands, the better you perform the better your business results. And that is your achievement.

Entrepreneurs cannot define tasks only in one area or department. They have to have a good overview and participate in different areas of work. I have had to build the strategy to marketing and financial work as well as my core work of design and development of learning interventions. I have even worked on digital marketing, website building and cold calling. Now if you want to focus on one department or one area of work, you would probably be better off in a job with a requisite job description or perhaps be adventurous and be an independent consultant. This second part is specifically what drew me out of business and into consultancy in my core area.

3. Doesn’t matter if my peers are millionaires already

Hey, many people told me that business means you’ve got to make a lot of money, else what is the point? I said that money for me should be a by-product of my good work. I want to concentrate on my quality of work. Yes, many of my friends in jobs earn a lot compared to me and I have invested so much time, money and effort in setting up my start up. It is tough to think that I would now close down what I put everything into.

It took a little convincing for me to stop thinking that I too could have earned a lot of money in a job for all these years. The human mind it is, takes will power to control it. But neither those jobs nor the money could have helped me learn what I have learnt and they would not take me where I want to go. I am happy taking my next step. I am happy that I get to do what I decide. It is my life, and it is different from my friends.

4. I know how to accept failure and comments from wretched creatures

Have I failed in my years of running the business? Of course yes! So many endeavors and so many failures were part of the journey. There are always those extra smart ones who know-it-all and then tell you mean things about your failures. They are also always there to advise you on what “you should have done” to avoid the failures.

I remember many such people in my life. Right from the time when I was in college to the time when I was struggling to begin my career to the times when I took the decision to quit my job and start my business, there have been these creatures that turned up from nowhere to turn me off with their comments.
The best part is that they were good educators. They taught me that there would be failures and these creatures would remind you of your mistakes. They have taught me how to deal with failures and how to deal with them.

I have got so used to these wretched creatures that I keep telling others to beware of these pundits. I have learnt how to accept failures and how to deal with success too. So these creatures did not have any effect on me when I announced the closure of my start-up.

5. I was just doing monotonous work after all

This is one of the things that I loathe – monotony at work, or perhaps in anything in life. I am creative, I like changes and I like to keep moving and running at my own sweet pace. But I do not like standing still. When I began my start-up I had a lot of challenging things to do. Every day was a new day with new ideas. What happened later was that the tasks were all chalked out and the same things were to be done again and again. Send those emails, make those calls, and deliver the same training programs.

Not everything was monotonous though. Many things were interesting and drew a lot out of me in terms of creativity and effort. So I decided that I should get rid of the monotonous work and instead do only what excites me. The choice is mine, so I have taken the decision. Who cares what the world says? It is my life!

6. I started thinking about money

This was not me. Somebody had advised me that if you want to become a successful businessman you have to think about money as a major objective. But if that was not the kind of person I was, what would I do?
I realized in the last few years that my mind started moving to the “business” part of work more than the creative part. I salute and respect those entrepreneurs who love the business part, and those who like it and do it well should definitely continue with it. However, this was not my cup of tea.

When I started thinking more about the turnover and the costs and how to manage the financial part I got drawn away from all that I loved doing. It is like getting sucked into a whirlpool and I did not even realize it for quite some time. But when I did understand this part I told myself that I needed to think about this. The thinking led to the decision! Close. Do something else. Do what you love.

7. The destination is more important than the vehicles you travel in

If you don’t like “gyan” don’t read further. Because that is exactly what the next few lines may sound like. But I am honest with what I am expressing here. I believe in focusing on the destination. I have to get there. I may need only one vehicle, or multiple ones to reach there. However, what is important is that I move towards my destination. So if I am in a vehicle now that has brought me in the direction of my destination but will now turn towards another way, I have to get off and get into another one.

Just as we physically travel to some destinations, we can think of life and its goals the same way.

So there you go, you now know the 7 reasons. For me the 7th reason seems very realistic when I think of my journey. I have hopped off a vehicle and now getting into a new one. Don’t wish me luck; just delve into your life and your present vehicle right now. Do some soul searching and take responsibility for your decisions. Whatever happens, whoever says whatever, at the end of the day it is your life.

www.zubinrashid.com

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Wow! Can this be done in Health Care?!

2016-03-04T10:46:00.000+05:30

I want to see a lot of changes in the healthcare systems. I like to think of breakthrough technology and facilities. But let me share with you what I was visualising today regarding healthcare operations. I will explain this with the help of two scenarios.

Scenario 1
The doctor is at the bedside of the patient. He checks the patient’s condition and wants to prescribe some medicines. He takes out his iPad and opens the hospital’s application. After a few touches on the screen he reaches the patient’s profile. He types the names of the medicines and prescribes the dosage. Once done he moves on.

The moment the doctor has completed his prescription, the information reaches many stakeholders, including the nursing team and the pharmacy. The pharmacy has robots that are synced with the application and the data fed into it. The medicines prescribed by the doctor are immediately picked up by the robot and placed into the tray. The medicines are then sucked into a chute system which are connected to all the beds. This one goes straight through and onto the medicine tray at the bedside of the patient who the doctor had just prescribed the medicine for.

The nursing team has immediately been notified of the medicine and dosage and also are notified when the medicines arrive in the medicine tray of the patient.

Scenario 2
Each person is wearing a smartwatch. The smartwatch has an application that is always live and monitoring the heart rate and other aspects of the person’s health.

Say a person has a heart attack. The application in the smartwatch picks it up and immediately sends a code blue. The nearest ambulance and hospital are notified. The ambulance can see the location of the person and the profile of the person – like name, address, health records, and such others. The ambulance moves to the location while the hospital prepares to receive the patient. The application also notifies the emergency contact people of the person who is having a heart attack. The ambulance begins the basic life support and takes the person to the hospital.

Scenario 3
The doctor hits “discharge” to let the patient go as she is fit to go back home. That triggers auto generation of bills at the billing counter. Payments can be made online through the application in the phone by the patient or her family immediately or cash deposited at the billing counter. The medication schedule to be followed after discharge is updated in the application as well as a printout goes with the discharge summary. In one step the patient has completed discharge formalities and can go home.

Imagine what else can be done. Believe me, all of this is possible with the technology that we already have. It just requires some innovation and building of modern infrastructure. What ideas do you have?

The Silver Lining

2015-12-21T11:19:00.001+05:30

The sun had completed its journey for the day and was retiring as I proceeded with eager anticipation to meet the old timers who had been my companions during the best years of my life. A bus ride with happy, smiling people enjoying the warmth inside the vehicle during this winter evening was a pleasant beginning for me. As I alighted from the big six wheeler I walked briskly towards my destination.

Something attracted my attention. An old man sitting at one side of the sidewalk was selling peanuts. He was roasting some and the aroma reached the inner depths of my olfactory nerves. I was drawn to the source.

"Can I have some peanuts? Please give me peanuts worth Rupees Ten. And add some chopped onions and green chillies and some salt and masala too."

The old man nodded his head in acknowledgement of the fact that he had heard me. He roasted the peanuts for another minute and then proceeded to prepare my order.

Paradise may have different definitions. But the roasted peanuts presented to me the opportunity to experience a version of it now. I walked on as I let the flavours of the nuts and the onions and chillies make me smile as they blended together in my mouth.

I reached Wazir's office to find him and Rajiv waiting. Soon followed other friends - Vik, Afsar and Tanweer. We talked about science, medicine, miracle treatments, placebo effect, psychology, family, holidays, and a lot of things that cannot be categorized as well as a lot of things that I cannot write about.

These are people who I grew up with. Each is a different personality. We do not always agree with each other. We have our arguments and our fun moments. But we are inseparable as friends.

It wasn't so much about the dinner or the topics of discussion as it was about feeling happy and secure in each others' presence. There is something that binds us together which words would not be enough to explain or describe.

The evening had passed and the night was taking over. The winter cold was smiling with me as I walked towards my home. "Tomorrow the sun will rise again," I said to myself.

Degrees don't make you successful

2015-06-28T16:53:00.000+05:30

"To be successful in life what you need is education, not literacy and degrees." -Munshi Premchand

How important is it to have degrees from the top schools? Do these degrees make people successful?

I don't believe that degrees make people successful. Don't get me wrong, but too much emphasis on degrees is changing the outlook of students towards learning.

Degrees define "education" in today's world. Youngsters define themselves in terms of which school they have got into. And then there is a certain pride in being from a particular school. But is it the degree that makes the difference? It might give a little head start in a career, nothing more.

Let us look at the world of success today. It would be unfair to limit ourselves to define success in terms of only careers in the corporate world. We need to look at all fields. What makes a good singer? What makes a great dancer? A painter? An author or poet? A politician? For that matter, what makes a good entrepreneur? Is the answer "degrees"?

My answer has multiple keywords. I have words like passion, commitment, discipline, desire, knowledge, skills and hard work. We can add more such words to what makes one successful. But I would not add the word degrees here.

I have seen toppers from schools fade away and are never heard of again. On the contrary I know so many people who are successful in spite of not having high degrees.

"Economists who have studied the relationship between education and economic growth confirm what common sense suggests: The number of college degrees is not nearly as important as how well students develop cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving ability." -Derek Bok (American lawyer and educator and the former president of Harvard University)

So, what is more important is the education and learning that one gets, not the degree. The degree is taken as the symbol of having got education, but it certainly doesn't guarantee so. On the other hand, having got the education doesn't mean one can apply the knowledge successfully. Interestingly, there are numerous examples of people who have got degrees on some subject and then went on to become successful in some other area altogether!

If only degrees defined success, we wouldn't have heard of Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Carnegie, Barbara Lynch, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Bill Gates, John Lennon, Steve Jobs, James Cameron, Ray Kroc, Rachael Ray, Will Smith, Dhirubhai Ambani, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Richard Branson, Simon Cowell, Bryan Adams, Gautam Adani, Adele, Andre Agassi, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Aniston, Mary Kom, Amitabh Bachchan, Harper Lee, Mark Twain, Henry Ford - the list would be a pretty long one!

If you are in a top school pursuing education, enjoy the learning; think about the subjects and their applications. If you haven't got into one of those schools, don't you worry. You can always pursue your passion, work hard, develop knowledge from various sources, become an apprentice and succeed. Remember what Henry Ford had said, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you are right." That is what makes the difference!

10 Things To Do Everyday

2015-06-21T08:33:00.000+05:30

Ever wondered what can make you happy? Although there is no specific system or process, there are some things which help.

So, here is a list of 10 things to do everyday that could make your life a lot fuller and happier:

Read 10 to 15 pages of a self-help book.
Read an article related to your work or industry.
Call a friend and speak for 5 minutes.
Exercise for 15 to 30 minutes.
Write an article on any topic that you are passionate about.
Spend 15 to 30 minutes doing one task that will take you closer to an important goal.
Do 5 minutes of deep breathing.
Think about what you have learnt and what you have achieved during the day.
Listen to an inspirational song.
Complement someone or just give a smile.

15 Inspiring Quotes on Books

2015-06-18T18:25:00.003+05:30

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." -Mark Twain

"The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read." -Abraham Lincoln

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." -Walt Disney

"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries." -Rene Descartes

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." -Mark Twain

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -Saint Augustine

"You cannot open a book without learning something." -Confucius

"There is no friend as loyal as a book." -Ernest Hemingway

"I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book." -Groucho Marx

"Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones." -Stephen King

"A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us." -Franz Kafka

"A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting." -Henry David Thoreau

"Every book is a children's book if the kid can read!" -Mitch Hedberg

"A book is kind of like a river; I simply jump in and start swimming." -Melody Carlson

"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all." -Oscar Wilde

8 Things Successful People Do

2015-06-17T14:24:00.001+05:30

1. They keep themselves optimistic and smile
Mindfulness comes with practice, and more importantly with intent. This is the first step to become optimistic. That is what successful people do. They practice mindfulness and stay optimistic. This state of mind helps them to smile and smile again!

2. They read books instead of watching television
Ask successful people what they do with their time and you will find they don’t watch television. Even if they do it is not more than 30 minutes in a day.
On the other hand they make it a point to read books. Self-help books are a favourite and a minimum of 30 minutes of reading everyday is a discipline that they maintain.

3. They take action instead of dwelling in thoughts alone
Yes, successful people think, but they proceed beyond just thoughts. They take action. Actions always speak louder than thoughts! Imagine you have thoughts and ideas, but don’t take action, would you achieve any constructive result? Successful people know the importance of taking action and making things happen.

4. They will get up every time they fall
The truth is that successful people fail a number of times. They fail because they take risks. Remember the old adage – No risk no gain?
What is more important to note is that the failures don’t stop these people from taking more risks and further action. Every time they fall they get up – and stronger! This is a great characteristic of successful people.

5. They live in the Now
Successful people don’t dwell in the past – be it achievements or failures. The only time that we live is NOW. They live in the NOW and think and do this moment. They also don’t dwell in the future – with only hopes and dreams. Dreams are like goals for them, but they dwell in the present and do things NOW!

6. They always keep their goals in sight
Without a target, what is there to hit? Successful people keep their sights on their goals, always. That is what keeps them on track. What you do right now is either taking you towards your goals or away from it, or you may just stand still. So keeping the goal in mind helps take positive action.

7. They do more than what they are paid for
Money is not the primary motivator of successful people. Achieving goals, doing the work with passion is what does. Thus, they always do more than what they are paid for. They know that not doing more would restrict their own personal growth and development.

8. They keep themselves healthy - both mind and body
Health is wealth, it truly is! And successful people understand that. Keeping the mind healthy through positive thinking and mindfulness and keeping the body healthy through relaxation and exercises is what they do at a regular basis. Stay healthy to achieve more and be happy!

www.zubinrashid.com

What makes you a Winner?

2015-06-07T07:07:00.000+05:30

Every now and then we have a feeling of not being able to achieve. I hear a lot of people hiding their true feelings in the garb of smiles and brags. The veracity lies deep within the heart - not getting the raise or promotion, not being able to buy things that are needed, not being able to cope up to competing with the neighbour or friend - you name it and there is so much to worry!

But how can you come out of the rut - this feeling of inadequacy and at your wit's end? Is it you alone who is feeling that way? Let me assure you, there are many, in fact most people feel that way one time or the other.

Winners somehow control their feelings. You cannot avoid the situations or feelings, but you can definitely work on them. The first step for sure is to push the negative thinking out of your mind through constant practice. But the key lies in thinking long term - the short term approach doesn't give you the best results. The short term is about survival, the long term is about the creating the life that you want. So the graph doesn't go steeply up and then suddenly fall down. It grows gradually and steadily. Trying to win the lottery has thrown a lot of people deep into dark abysses. So take the path on which you have more control and you have better assurance of success.

Here is what most people don't do. They don't set goals. I am not talking about the goal setting exercise only in your job - the ones that lead to the appraisals. I am referring to all goals in life - all of those things that you want. Of course, you need to be realistic in your approach, but remember that in the longer term almost anything is possible. So, if you know that you are leaving your home to go to office - your goal is reaching office - you will carve out the best path to reach your destination. You will find the way, the transport required, you will calculate the time required and you will move and reach your goal!

Then why can't the same process be applied in everything else that we want to achieve? Again a bitter truth stares at our face! There are times we have some goals in our thoughts, but that is where it remains and then evaporates. We don't work on the thoughts, we don't believe in the possibility of achieving them. This where we can change ourselves to become winners. Act on those thoughts! I mean, take action. Period.

I can list a big list of skills required to achieve success, but none of it would be applicable until you are ready to take action.

Winners are optimistic. They set positive goals. They plan and carve out a path. They take action and move towards their goal. In spite of some challenges that would be found on the way, they solve the problems, find alternative paths, and finally reach their goals. That is why they are winners. They have the conviction to see things through and achieve!

So, are you ready to be a winner?

-Zubin Rashid

The Perfect You!

2015-06-03T16:15:00.001+05:30

Don't try too hard to be someone else, like that model shown on television, or that friend who looks perfect in that dress, or whoever else you might think has the look you want. You are so unique that trying to be someone else would be like trying to kill the person called you. Why would you want to do that?

You have what it takes. It is just that you haven't realized it yet. No one is perfect. What is perfection anyway? Perfection is a mirage, the more you try to get it the further it gets away. It doesn't exist.

Look inside you. Look at what you have achieved in your life. You are alive. You have lived through so many challenging days. You have been able to bear all the negative thoughts and comments. You have passed examinations. You have loved people and made them happy. You have helped animals. You have watered plants. You have given a smile to your friend, or maybe that man on the street who really needed it!

If you would ask me I would say you are just the person the world needs to make it a whole. Without the real you so many things would not be in place. You complete the world!

So just be who you are, yourself, just the way you are. If people love you it is because of who you are. We can't fake it to get love. Just keep thinking positive, keep taking great actions, move ahead in life, and enjoy every moment of it. Remember, someone in the world loves you even if you feel otherwise. So change that feeling, be happy, love others and see how much of the same love and happiness you receive in return!

- Zubin Rashid