I got some bad news yesterday. Not the "totally bad, no good, terrible" kind of news, but the kind that makes you fret and worry and build scenarios in your mind. After falling into the worry-meets-anxiety-meets-panic-then-depression kind of mode, I realized I was in a downward spiral which felt so familiar and welcoming, but into the ...
Planning for flexibility
One thing I don't like about myself is the fact that I overplan- a lot. I mostly live in the future - 80% of my brain activity's about "what should I do next", "how to squeeze this appointment next to the other one", "oh god, I'm late with that, when should I do it" and so ...
Make time for doing nothing
I started to meditate sometime in my teenage years, and always had the feeling that I'm doing something wrong. Since then, I read several books on the subject, did countless guided and non-guided meditations, went to India and meditated with monks and even in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and reached two ...
Innovation starts from an empty page
{source: link} Creation starts from the void. Or so the Holy Books tell us. I get my inspiration in the morning, driving to work, listening to music. Or sometimes, in an empty room, writing on my laptop. Or listening to a presentation and going through idle thoughts. Either way, creativity and results focus don't really go together. You have to give up ...
A manifest for running
(photo by link) Yesterday I went for another run, in the heat of 32 degrees C. It was harder than running at 10 degrees, in the pouring rain. There were not many people in the park - few were walking in the heat, preferring to stay at home or longer hours in the office in the cool ...
How Whiplash helped me get over myself
I saw "Whiplash" a week ago, and something stuck with me. If you haven't seen the movie yet, you should. Despite JK Simmons being the beacon of acting (he won an Oscar for it), it's a movie about an eternal fight for recognition and coming of age. Also, it's a story about how NOT to coach. But that's ...
Trust the process
I'm fascinated by my personal growth process. I've gone through ups and downs, had months in which I felt tremendously strong and stable, and days and weeks when I felt like I don't know who I am anymore. It's easy to give up and say "This is who I am. I'm probably never going to change." The hard ...
The Paradoxes of Gen Y
I helped someone a few days ago prepare for a big meeting with a bunch of Gen Yers, and made a Mind Map about what Gen Yers want from a leader. I remembered the time I recruited almost all of the Procurement Center for EMEA at P&G, about 200 young, charismatic, exceptional, but loud and ...
Focus: Learn something new
Life without meaning can be very depressing. Having no purpose behind what you do everyday can make your days grey and foggy like a November morning. But once you discover something you love (or someone , sometimes :) ), all rays of light seem to gather to shine on that new purpose. It puts an engine ...
When NOT getting what you wanted became the next best thing
The way this blog started to exist was from deep unhappiness. In 2009, I had, after long attempts to score a much desired job, received an assignment that to me seemed difficult, unrewarding and so much different than what I was built for. Compensation & Benefits was an area that didn't interest me, that I found ...
Do less. Be more.
I love October, it's one of the months when everything around pops with colour, I feel nostalgic and more attentive to the changes around, in the air, as it shifts from warmth to breezy to cool, in search for winter. October is also one of the busiest months of the year, full of long meetings, last ...
Does happiness really come from doing what you love?
As a corporate worker, I'm one of the lucky ones who get to do something they really enjoy, and something I've wanted to do for many years. Some might even say "living the dream". However when I draw the line at the end of the day, the answer isn't always "happy". As a human being, I'm ...
5 questions for 2012′s New Year Resolutions
I wished for a quiet year in 2011 - a year with my family, friends, new home, and work. I wished for no big changes, no surprises, and good sleep. I got all minus the last one. But I compensated by learning to cook and experimenting in my new kitchen. Now in 2012 I have almost ...
How to be a better communicator: be aware.
I'm conducting a series of 4 trainings on communication (although I'm not a full time trainer: it just came out that way). And I'm not an expert on communication or building relationships either. Heck, I would even say that is one of my weak areas. But I guess at a certain stage I decided I ...
What are you learning new about yourself?
I haven't been posting for more than a month, which, in blogger terms, is unexcusable. I haven't posted not because of lack of ideas, but of lack of ability to get myself together and do something constructive. Instead, I kept having long conversations with myself, especially at night during my insomnia hours. It seems that lack of sleep ...
