FootPath

What Does Real Beauty Means?

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Fri, 20 May 2011 07:47:00 +0000

Summary

Often, when we talk about beauty, our brain cells unconditionally tend to imagine and portray a picture of young Women. This is a very common and natural thought process. While this is not always true, beauty is deep and beyond gender! Beauty means not only the outer surface appearance of someone, but also who they are inside and how they portray themselves on a day-to-day basis. Beauty comes from Inside-out rather from outside-in.

To me beauty means standing for your unique qualities and being yourselves. It is the reflection of joy within oneself. Beauty is probably an intangible feeling and pleasure we receive when we look at and admire, endless green mountains, spending quality time with someone special, extending help to others, doing what we like to do and much more.

When I think of Beauty, I think of my Parent and Grandparent. The unconditional love, warm protection, and endless care they shower are beyond explanation! Another example: Mother Teresa - who for over 45 years ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, first throughout India and then in other countries.

Having said this, the below poem is an attempt to uncover what beauty really means:

'Beauty is The Promise

We keep rising from a failure!

Beauty is the Innocent Smile and Curiosity

We observe in our Child!

Beauty is the Small Sacrifice

Made to raise us by our Parent!

Beauty is the Smile and Unconditional Love

We share with our Friends!

Beauty is the Valuable Knowledge

We gained from our school Teachers!

Beauty is the Maturity

We developed working with our Colleagues!

Beauty is the Helping Hand

We lend to someone Unknown!

Beauty is the Kind Word

We share with our Strangers!

Beauty is the eternal Pain

We get when we lose someone Special!

Beauty is the Spiritual Belief

We get when we pray the Almighty!

Beauty is the Sizzling Pleasure

We receive watching the rising Sun!

Beauty is the Thanks

We say everyday to our selfless Nature!

Beauty is the Perfect Imperfection

We did to learn new things!

Beauty is the Great Success

We achieve for our hard work!

Beauty is the Beautiful Life

We make to live and let others live!

and finally…

Beauty is the Complete Satisfaction

We get for being Ourselves!'
- Ganesh Ram Anand

Conclusion

I read somewhere this famous quote- “the most beautiful things in Life cannot be touched, but can only be felt and embraced.” So true as it read!

Beauty is not something which is physical. It is beyond our surface boarders. It is the image that we carry by spiritually touching the inner-self, illuminating the happiness inside and radiating the true beauty to our outside world! Beauty is like an everyday experience which we receive, feel and embrace within ourselves.

Let us be BEAUTIFUL to make this world a better place to live, share, enjoy and spread happiness each seconds we consume!

My Commitment & Request

If I win I owe to donate part of the prize money to one of the old age home or underprivileged group.

Now, if you had enjoyed reading this post, you can share your BEAUTIFUL Facebook likes votes.

Special Thanks to Yahoo Real Beauty and Indiblogger for providing such a wonderful platform and common forum to connect and bring out the real beauty within us.

Check out:

Jai Hind!

FootPath's FootPrint 2

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 06:20:00 +0000

Are You Afraid of Future.hmm..Think Again!

Yesterday is out of your Hand
Tomorrow you do not know what will be in your hand
TODAY is what YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND!

So just do not keep brooding over the Past, Stop worrying about the Future and Start Acting and Enoying the PRESENT! Success will follow you!

Jai Hind!

Qualities of A Requirements Analyst

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:17:00 +0000

My first article attempt at BusinessGyan about the topic qualities of a Requirements Analyst.

Here is the link for the same.

http://www.businessgyan.com/b/qualities_requirements_analyst

Please have a look and post your comments.

Happy Week Ahead!

PICON - 4

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:37:00 +0000

Theme - Time,Energy and Opportunity shall wait for none!

PICON - 3

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Theme - "Leap and the Net will Appear"

PICON -2

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:25:00 +0000

PICON Theme: Knowledge Vs Brave

PICON- 1

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:16:00 +0000

Here is my first PICON attempt with a theme: Communication- Past, Present and Future.

Communication-Past,Present and Future

Please do leave your comments and feedbacks.

Jai Hind!

Announcement!

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:56:00 +0000

As known, sometimes when we put effort to explain a concept using written text we end up saying, hey, you know what; let’s augment what we discuss by complementing a picture for it! (Ouch..Including these lines…) that’s right; A Picture is worth 1024 words! This is the trigger which pushed me to create a new category named PICONs. I zeroed to this name as I started writing this post (I know I am bad at keeping names). So, if someone is curios to know the logic behind the name, then drop me a personal email and I will send you the fact!

So, what does PICONs do? A PICON is hand drawn picture conveying an idea and a message. Yes, I am going to create these pictures. I am not that good at drawings. If I dust through my random access memory, I could recollect that I was the first-from-last student in the drawing class during my school days! However, I shall try to do maximum justice in creating these PICONs. Till I get a hook of it, please do bear with me.

A PICON is a theme with an idea and a message. It will capture either a current fact or abstract idea or fact derived from some reality or futuristic vision of some known thing in our life or inspirational thought.

Please do send me your feedbacks, comments and thoughts which will definitely help me to improve better. As we get along more PICONs to follow.

Jai Hind!

Time to Say Thank You to 5 Elements

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:49:00 +0000

Imagine a life without water to drink to satisfy your thirst, fresh air to breath to keep you alive, the great lands to hold on and hug your loved ones, the wide open beautiful sky to dance with your dreams and enjoy the freedom and the fire that provides you mother's warmth and a reliable weapon to fight your own enemies like laziness, lethargic attitude to successfully leap and move forward! If any of above 5 elements is not available to us in our life, we will end up living dead!

Having said this, how many of us do really give respect (what respect!) to this essential 5 elements? Mostly everyone take casual advantage of our mother nature’s gift and end up polluting them the maximum as we can. And when asked, we simply say, hey those are available free and I need not bother about them! Then comes a day, where the nature comes back to us in the form of Tsunami, Twisters and teaches us a lesson! Remember, we are in mercy of these 5 elements and we need to realize that it is our own responsibility to keep our earth clean and green!

Time to Say Thank You to 5 Elements

It is never too late to say Thank You to each of 5 elements as part of your morning task! I do this every day which makes me feel good. I pledge everyone to Say - Thank You and feel proud of you! Whether or not we believe in God, let’s have trust and belief in the things we see and use – the Nature!

We remember to say Thank You to someone who helped us long back and forget them after few days. But, don't we realize and agree to say Thank You to something which helps us to embrace every moment in our life, every step we move, every breath we take, every dream we achieve and does remember us all time!

Come and join me to say Thank You to our nature’s gift - Water, Land, Air, Sky and Fire!

Jai Hind!

Lines I Liked #2

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:51:00 +0000

“Your growth always lies on the other side of your discomfort. Whether it’s in the weight room or in career decisions, you’ll never develop yourself by staying in your comfort zone. People don’t become old when they reach a certain birthday; they become old when they decide to live life without crossing that line of discomfort.”
source:http://www.jagoinvestor.com/about

Stay away!

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:50:00 +0000

Stay away from someone who is trying to persuade you by telling:
- Relationship doesn't matter at all!
- Money can get you all in life!
- Love is sex!

Happiness is your Choice-Part2

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:02:00 +0000

This New Year I just thought will start my first post discussing about one thing which everyone wants and that is Happiness!

This post is in continual to my old post Happiness is your choice. How much ever we discuss about happiness it cannot be spoon feeded. It is like this, you try teaching a kid not to touch a hot iron plate, but still they will try touching it until they experience it by touching the hot plate. Similarly, happiness shall need to be experienced within you rather than forced upon yourself. One needs to embrace it and experience it day-in and day-out.

Having said this, below is a list of few (many more can be added to this list) common circumstances /events which might make us feel down or unhappy unless and otherwise if we could not get the hold of those.

Unique as ‘U’

Every individual is unique and that is the nature. This is easy to view, but hard to practice. The acceptance of this principle requires an individual’s one hundred percentage commitment and hard work!

I like Blue, so my friends should too…

I love pets, so my spouse shall too…

I love travelling, so my family too…

I keep my TV volume high to enjoy favorite music, so my neighbors too…

These lists can keep growing and endless too! Instead of looking at the indifferences you share, try start appreciating and accepting your partner’s or friends or family members as they are. Love them for what they are, instead of what you want them to be! This will definitely keep your head up and cool.

Try embracing the difference and nurture your happiness!

Apple to Orange! Orange to Apple! Apple to Apple and so on...

Are you able to hear the below lines aloud in your ears from a loud speaker?

Your Cousin scored centum in math, but you did not.

He owns BMW latest model, but I own only Ford.

He has 2 row houses with posh garden, but I own none.

My colleague travelled to USA for a business trip, but I was not selected.

She got 55% hike during appraisal, but I did receive only 27%

Why comparison? Love and comparison is like 2 sides of a sharp pencil. While love sweetens our life, comparisons mix bitter to it. Try accepting yourself as you are, have belief in your own abilities, strengths and likings. Rather than comparing, perform little introspection within you and work towards self-improvement.

Stop comparing to sow the seeds of happiness within yourself.

Small things matter

Vilfredo Pareto's Pareto principle states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Let’s look at couple of example which is quite common. (Sometimes it might look simple and joking too!)

‘Wanting to go home early to play with your new born child, you start early from the office that day evening. Just before 3miles to your home, you got stuck in traffic jam! By the time you reach home, your child is asleep. The next day in a local newspaper you read the reason for last night traffic jam being, because of a road side seller’s attempt to cross the wrong signal! Sounds silly and familiar!

Yes, 80% of the time we stuck in traffic signal because of 20% of people poor driving skills.

Similarly, in our life, small things add to big events.

Few other examples, when you commit to your family to Alice and Wonderland move this weekend, then, "Make it, do not break it.” When your better-half proposes a date this Anniversary then let being 5th Anniversary be not the reason to avoid it! Give her your time; after all she is your love! Make It! "Take charge and Take Control" and happiness will follow.

Take care of small things, to cure yourself!

Encourage family culture

Phone calls have been replaced with short SMS. Electronic mails have replaced traditional mails! I still remember writing to my cousins using a post card during my school vacation holidays! Where are those cultures now? Social networking has replaced face-to-face family networking! Technology provided solutions to human problem which is great! But, in turn, we took over advantage of the technology and started creating problems with the solutions!

Develop a good culture within your family. Meet your lovable Parent’s at least once in 3months. Participate in family functions and spend some time with your friends (remember those college days!). If possible, try creating album of your life events. I personally started doing this whenever possible. Looking at those albums will heal your inner-self and bring happiness. Perhaps at times it might look funny to look these albums and teach yourself that you crossed so many milestones in your life!

Above all, I strongly recommend you to connect with the elderly persons in your family, like Granny! How many of us do this? Many ignore them, just because they have become older! Spend some time with them. If can't meet, call them. They are Gems in our life and are the one from whom we learnt about bedtime stories! After all, they are the ones who cared for you when you are young even more than your parents! Teach your son and daughter their importance.

Start committing a healthy family culture to spread wings of happiness.

Fake it to make it

I read a saying, "Fake it, to make it." Sometimes, when you feel low, unhappy and pulling down, try to fake it. It might sound fuzzy! But, from my own experience I myself applied this and it works. Few times, when I used to feel low, I look at my face in front of a mirror or say to myself, ‘Be happy! Be Happy!’ I fake my face to smile! This could help your brain cells get some spontaneous trigger and bring back your energy. Remember, only you can do that and not someone else on behalf of you!

Happiness can't be given! It's intangible. Fake it to make it.

As the saying goes,

“Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul.”

In this New Year, let’s try making a resolution which will help binding together all our ray of hope and dreams come true by understanding that;

‘Happiness is Your Own Choice’!

Jai Hind!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 08:06:00 +0000

Merry Christmas to all my friends and readers around the globe. We wish you all beautiful, safe and prosperous year ahead!

Lines I Liked

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:55:00 +0000

"Set your goals high. Understand what you know and what you do not know. Get educated about things that you do not know.

It is important to know – “Who am I?”, “Where am I drawn?”, “Where is the current towing me?”

- by Deepika Bajaj,President, Invincibelle,Inc.

Are You MAD?

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:25:00 +0000

Someone said one should not wait for the opportunity; we must go and grab it! However, sometimes we do not even know whether it’s an opportunity or just another passing cloud! If you are someone who is ready to act at least when given an opportunity at your hand, then this post is for you! Others please excuse!

Before you proceed reading further, let me ask you one question? It might sound weird :-)

Are you MAD? (I am not teasing you) If you accept BIG YES then let’s discuss further! By the way, I will let you know the answer for this question at the end of this post.

Now again, if your answer to my below simple questions are YES, YES then you the person who can make a difference!

1. Do you want to do littlething if not big thing?
2. Are you ready to make someone happy?
3. Do you agree being kind is being human?

If you accept the above questions continue reading further! Here are the few facts about people:

The World Bank estimates that 456 million Indians (41.6% of the total Indian population) now live under the global poverty line of US$ 1.25 per day (PPP).
India currently adds approx. 40 million people to its middle class every year.
India has the highest number of malnourished people, at 230 million!
94th of 119 in the world hunger index.
Number of malnourished children (43% of India's children under 5 are underweight (BMI<18.5), the highest in the world) as of 2008[45].
According to the New York Times, is estimated that about 42.5% of the children in India suffer from malnutrition
The World Bank, citing estimates made by the World Health Organization, states "that about 49 per cent of the world's underweight children, 34 per cent of the world's stunted children and 46 per cent of the world's wasted children, live in India." (above source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India)

Does your ass moved out of chair! Need some appetizer to digest these hard but real facts. (relax now and the very reason I am telling this is you are going to help change the above figures over a period of time! )

Already thinking of doing something? Do you feel you’re left alone to make this change! Then I tell YOU ARE NOT! Do not worry about you do not have time, energy and opportunity! As I claimed in the beginning

first time an Opportunity is coming at your place and it is through Akshaya Patra.

The Akshaya Patra starts with a story of compassion. Looking out of a window one day in Mayapur, a village near Calcutta, a common man saw a group of children fighting with street dogs over scraps of food. From this simple, yet heart breaking incident, came the determination that: No one within a ten mile radius of our center should go hungry. It is his inspiration which helped to create The Akshaya Patra Foundation as it is today. The message of the foundation is very simple and crystal clear ““No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.”

In June 2000, the foundation started thier mid-day meal program in Bangalore by feeding 1500 children in 5 schools and after various forms of growth, currently the institution is reaching out to 1.2 million children everyday!

Now, how you can be part of this. There are many ways. One of the ways is by becoming their volunteer and provide your service provided if you have time and energy! But, in this busy world, we need everything QUICK! If you are at my side, then, just contribute through their online donation campaign and be sure that you have reduced a 0.0001% from that hard facts you have seen just few minutes back! And proudly tell the whole world that YOU ARE MAD!

Yes, YOU ARE Making A Difference to India and World!

Select the link to Be The Change for a Cause

Now you having done your job go and tell people what a difference just one meal can make in the life of a child. It is possible to make a change for good. YOU can do it.

Select this link to Be The Change for a Cause

For more information visit to: Akshayapatra

Jain Hind!

Lines I Liked

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:54:00 +0000

...Remember that at the end of the day, you need only be satisfied with the performance of ONE person - YOU...

Lines I Liked

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:58:00 +0000

"If you want something very badly,

set it free.

If it comes back to you,
it's yours forever.

If it doesn't,
it was never yours to begin with."

You Forget to Smile!

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:02:00 +0000

Wake up in the morning
Drink a sip of coffee
A quick glance through newspaper to keep you updated
Patch up with your kids to keep them keyed
Realizing time is getting late to office
Rush yourself to snatch a quick bath
And get dressed up to match up
Without even knowing eat up breakfast
Just about to leave home
Realize that your sweetheart is waiting to hug…
Life is mechanical, life is mechanical

Grasp through your emails
Just to ensure nothing essential
Immerse yourself in the office tasks
After completing your tasks and meetings
The known missed calls history in your mobile
Makes you remember it’s time to go to home
Shock to see clock stuck past late night
On the way back home ensure to pack some foodies,
Just to bribe your loved ones at home
Life is mechanical, life is mechanical

By the time you reach home
Realize your kids are almost in half sleep
Your sweetheart with a disappointing face waiting to dine
Ready to eat and sleep
Few words along the dinner with the family members
Your eyes already drown to catch up sleep
The day sunsets as you fall asleep
Life is mechanical, life is mechanical

The Sun rises again bright in the east,
To make you run through miles
Finally comes a day,
Just to make you realize
You forget to SMILE! You forget to SMILE!

Lines I Liked

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:30:00 +0000

"Look questions are bound to be asked if you are not scoring runs. It's just that when you are 23 or 24, people ask different questions and when you are 37 or 38, they ask different questions. That's part and parcel of modern day cricket and you have got to accept that. The best way to come back is to score runs. "

"As far as I am concerned, I have never really bothered about the questions. It's always been about how I feel emotionally, physically and spiritually and whether I am giving my hundred per cent or not. These are a few boxes I always mentally tick before a series."
- Rahul Sharad Dravid, The Wall of Indian Cricket Team

Quotation Mark#5

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 06:00:00 +0000

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."
-Albert Einstein

Life Goes On

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:29:00 +0000

Zero to Four
We crawl on the Floor
To receive attraction
Life goes on!

Five to Ten
We learn to Run
To grab attention
Life goes on!

Ten to Twenty
We shape self-identity
To gain experience
Life Goes on!

Twenty to Thirty
We earn employability
To get appreciation
Life goes on!

Thirty to Forty
We take responsibility
To get along life easy
Life goes on!

Fifty to Sixty
We acquire maturity
To make feel happy
Life goes on…

After Seventy
We reflect on life integrity
Making You feel pity
Life goes on…Life goes on…

Footpath's Footprint

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:50:00 +0000

Are you confused?

Do not get confused. Decide on one thing,choose,believe in that from bottom of your heart! Develop passion for it. The choice shall never put you down. Even if you fail, its just not success thats all. You will be happy just because you gave a sincere efftort to try to achieve it. Just try. Nothing wrong in trying. Afterall, the world is an open playground with many games to play!

Happy weekend!

Win Friends & Influence People-Mindmap

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:52:00 +0000

Minmaps are easiest way to orgnize your thoughts and share knowledge. Thanks to my ex-collegue Ramesh for introducing me to this new concept few years back which comes very handy even today.
Mindmaps can be used for both personal and professional purposes. Here is a mindmap which I liked very much and found at http://www.mindmeister.com/ . This is a mind map about how to win friends and influence people-a book by Dale Carnegie. Image source/owner-Mindmeister

Learning the art of Mindmapping shall definitely make your life easy!

Happiness is your Choice-Part1

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:23:00 +0000

Everyone wants to be happy. But, why some are always happy and some are not? The question might look too obvious. Many times we might have asked this question to ourselves only to end either with, no answer or feeling blue!

Be it a vegetable seller or CEO of a big enterprise all need happiness. Being happy brings inspiration, soothing relief for mental stress and builds positive energy to face life with SMILE.

While returning from my office in evenings, sometimes I used to have snacks at a road side chat vendor, John. He is married, and has two young school going children. Inquisitive to understand his life, I used to talk with him after chat! One day, I asked him how he manages his family with his solo income. With a warm smile on his face and calm voice he replied saying, “Sir, whether it is ten rupees or 100 rupees, all is yours! I look at what I have instead, what I do not have. Person can be happy with what he has or unhappy thinking what he does not have! Happiness is our choice.” This simple, yet powerful message inspired me to write this blog post.

There are great books available in the market about how to achieve happiness and start leading a fulfilling life. Volumes of knowledge and techniques can be gathered from these books, seminars, and even this post which you are reading now!! But, remember, Happiness should start from self. True happiness lies in your own state of mind.

Happiness is YOUR choice. Like John, each of us can lead our life happily. It’s simple, if you decide and choose to be happy then, you will be happy. This might look easy to read/write, but to achieve it requires great amount of self-discipline and practice to attain this state of mind. Definitely, just because writing this post, does not necessarily mean that am the happiest person living on this earth! But, through my continual learning and personal experiences, I am trying to manage and lead my life happily.

Like other positive energies, happiness is also a kind of positive source of energy. It shall neither be created nor be destroyed; it is a form of energy that gets transformed from one state to another!

I penned a small poem to spread Happiness across! A special thanks to my long term friend, SenthilVel for his contribution towards the poem.

“Do you think, you are the beautiful in this world?

Then, there are Millions beautiful than you!

Do you think, you are the brilliant in this world?

Then, there are Millions brilliant than you!

Do you think, you are the intelligent in this world?

Then, there are Millions intelligent than you!

Do you think, you are the smartest in this world?

Then, there are Millions smarter than you!

Do you think, you are the successful in this world?

Then, there are Millions successful than you!

But, if you think YOU are the HAPPIEST in this world,

Then, there is no one else in this world HAPPIER than you”!

Remember!

'Happiness is your choice! Start storing as rain drops, to outpour rains of Happiness in your life.’

Wish all my readers a Happy Wednesday!

I welcome your comments to further sharpen my pencils!

Attitude decides your Altitude!

noreply@blogger.com (Ganesh Ram Anand) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:32:00 +0000

This is my addition post in the SMS category and it's about Attitude! Ergo what is Attitude? The question flash like a blaze light in everyone mind.

Be it,Sachin Tendulkar's contemporary record scoring double century against South Africa or Sourav Ganguly's drop (personally, I am a great fan of Sourav!) as a team member by the selectors committee, it relates with Attitude. Given the time, energy, and opportunity, both the players are masters in their own world! Remember, there were controversies circling both the players, like Sachin's brokenness performance and Sourav's belligerent conduct along with lack of respective for the senior players in the Indian Team.
Having said this, Sachin marched ahead of the time and went on to break the 13 year old record. Alternatively, Sourav(still considered as one of the successful captain produced by the Indian team) is struggling to retain his position as captain in the recent IPL 20-20 games!

I am definitely not a seasoned commentator like Harsha Boghle or neither cricket expert to analyze them. The point here is clear. It's their individual patients, persistent, perseverance and mental-strength that made huge difference between them and where they stand today. And that is what Attitude is all about.

I recently read a short story received through an email chain which best relates what I am trying to explain. I am sharing this with you all below...

Story starts

...Jack is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jack was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jack was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jack and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jack replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to me, Jack, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jack said.

"Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jack said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jack did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jack was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jack was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jack about 6 months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jack replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jack continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." “What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jack. "She asked if I was allergic to anything.’Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live’. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'" Jack lived! Thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
... the story ends…

Remember, 'if Talent can take you to Sky, then your Attitude shall take you to the Stars!'

* I thank my wife, Arundhathi for sharing this wonderful story.

Happy Weekend...