One Day Please - It's your time!: Yes2College 2014 - Slide Show

One Day Please - It's your time!: Yes2College 2014 - Slide Show

Yes2college 2014

This year's program, the 6th since we started was a little different. While I was there to help and guide them, Renae Leveille and Manu Prakasam ran the entire program. It was very fulfilling to see how far this program has developed in the last 6 years. We had excellent set of speakers, great sponsors and most of all very engaged audience.

What is Yes2college - An introduction from the founder

Opening remarks - Yes2college 2013

5th Yes2College program - Enjoy!

This is the 5th program organized in Sacramento, CA oriented towards helping children with diabetes navigate their transition towards going to college and becoming a young adult. This program was conceived and created by Darshana Prakasam as a part of her MahaDarshan Leadership series in 2009. Ever since, the program has continued to thrive with contributions of other volunteers. This year program was co-hosted by Renae Leveille, a freshman nursing student at University of Portland, Oregon and a young adult with Diabetes. Manu Prakasam, a freshman at Miro Loma High School presented on the SAT and test-taking tips as a part of his growing program Onedayplease.org. Ceirra Foster, a freshman from Montana State University spoke about the first year student in college. The program was fortunate enough to also have presentations from Eric Planzer, Mitchell Schellinger and the accomplished triathlete and Iron Man, Jay Hewitt.

What Defines a Person? The Harry Potter Story!

Yes to college - 4th Annual program

Lessons from DoodleJump!

Before you jump to conclusions about my DoodleJump skills based on my score in the upper left hand corner, let me assure you that ...oh who am I kidding... I'm terrible at this game! Nonetheless, I did learn a very important lesson from this frustratingly difficult app. As the screenshot above shows, I had just missed the present and was on my way to moving along with the assistance of the jetpack that the little giftbox contained. Rather than accepting this and concentrating on not falling down, I tried to go back for the gift and ended up plunging to the depths of the game's abyss and consequently lost.

As I mentioned on in a previous post, we all wish there was a big red button and we could hit it and change the past. Unfortunately, what happened in the past is in the past and we can only concentrate on avoiding such mistakes and building a better future. I, too, have made the mistake of looking back on something I regret or an opportunity I did not take advantage of, and falling into the trap of trying to regain that chance. What I learned was that I could not get that gift back, but I could make myself ready for the next time a gift comes along. Treat everything as a learning experience, because that experience is what builds your armor so you can weather all the difficulties and tribulations life throws at you.

Stairway To...

The other day, I was climbing a giant set of stairs. No, I mean it. They were extremely long and extensive. Amidst my thoughts of how I would not have to go to the gym that day, I was trying to formulate a method of climbing that would minimize the ensuing exhaustion. I quickly realized that it was easier and less tiring to climb when I just concentrated on the next step. Subsequently, I kept my head down and simply focused on the upcoming step, rather than the whole set. Nevertheless, I was unable to track my relative progress if I did not look at the overall staircase, and thus, would occasionally look up to see where I was in comparison to the entirety.

Sooo...what does my detailed description of my stair climbing have to do with anything? The stairs are an analogy to our process of attaining goals. We have goals for everything. There are goals for finishing our next paper, long-term career goals, and even life goals about where we would like to see ourselves 20 years from now. Keeping all of these goals straight is difficult, so we end up teetering between maintaining the big picture and keeping all the small pieces together. It is important to break our goals down into bite-size portions, so we can systematically achieve our goals, but in the process of breaking down, we should not forget what whole the parts constitute. I find it helpful to lay it out on a piece of paper if I ever feel overwhelmed, so that I can see how everything fits together. We usually have a hierarchy of goals, and it is important that we prioritize what comes next, and determine the best possible way to approach it. In other words, make sure to climb the stairs but remember where the staircase leads!

Creating Shared Value

Michael Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School, recently wrote a fantastic article in Harvard Business Review on Shared Value. Ever since the financial crisis of 2008, corporate social responsibility has been a "hot topic," if you will. More companies look to how they can appear more socially responsible to the general public without compromising their fiscal responsibilities. While many have achieved good in their respective communities whether it be reducing their energy usage or ethical sourcing of their products, CSR has led to some phenomena such as "greenwashing." Greenwashing is when companies manipulate public perpeption of their business to appear more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Thus, shared value is a concept where the intersection between society and the corporate realm is highlighted and the notion of capitalism is broadened from its current connotation and denotation to meet society's needs. Thus, the purpose of a corporation is now to create shared value, rather than simple profit. Shared value pushes companies to incorporate social responsibility into their business model to complement their fiscal responsibility. Companies such as Google, Johnson & Johnson, and IBM have embraced this to ride the new wave of capitalism as the corporate sector accomodates the changes in expectation following the financial crisis.

So, now you might say, "Gee, this is an interesting point about business and social responsibility, but how does this pertain to leadership?" First of all, many people go on to become business leaders. Thus, understanding these concepts and applying it to their approach to business is important in innovating ways to benefit the very society or community that they are targeting for their products and services. Whatever kind of leader you become, it is important to remember that there are numerous constituents who are impacted by each and every decision you make. It is not feasible to please everyone, but you must keep in mind that you have the power to change someone's life. With that power, of course, comes the responsibility to use it to make someone's life a little better. Turn every frown (that you can) upside down!

"Let's March!"

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to hear former Prime Minister of England, Gordon Brown, speak at my university. It is always inspiring to hear someone of his stature and experience speak, because it really exemplifies the strengths of a good public speaker. One of my favorite parts of his talk was when he quoted the example of Demosthenes, a Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. He utilized the reference as a means of explaining the impact that a good leader should have when they speak and the impetus for action. Apparently, when Aeschines spoke, people would laud him saying, "How well he speaks." However, when Demosthenes spoke, the people would respond saying, "Let's march!"

We all strive to inspire those around us and be a good role model for those who look up to us. This example really adds the third dimension to speaking. It is not just about looking confident and making people want to listen to what you have to say. It is about convincing people to take the next step and act on what you have spoken about. Everyone has the ability to and it is about reflecting your passion when you speak. Passion is contagious and only if you love something can you convince someone else to love it. For example, it is similar to when I watch professional athletes. Whether it be figure skating, basketball or tennis, the look of determination and their sheer admiration of the sport they are playing makes me want to get out there and learn that sport.

All in all, the key takeaway from what Gordon Brown cited is that an hour speech should not last an hour. It should last forever in the minds of your audience.

What it means to be a leader...

Leadership does not always mean standing up. It is knowing when to stand on the stool and deliver an elaborate, but extemporaneous speech, but also knowing the appropriate time to lie down and let the situation unfold. Think for a second. If you were to stand up in quicksand and exude as much confidence as you would in front of an auditorium full of people waiting to listen to you...you would still be in quicksand. And sinking in that quicksand, to add. But if you let yourself adapt to the circumstances, you would quickly realize that lying down would be your best bet to overcoming the rapidly moving grains surrounding you.

A leader sometimes has to stand in front to clear the path, but other times must step aside to reveal the destination. It is easy to assume that you always have to be the strong one, the protector. However, wielding the tools is not a prerogative of the leader alone. Those who follow are talented and apt in their own right, and may possibly require a little push now and then, but are able to walk forward in their own capacity. Thus, learn to be in the forefront and learn to step back. A leader should be loud sometimes and quiet other times. Aggressive and passive. Here and there.

Sometimes it's the little things that make the big difference...

Between the story of the mouse that helped the lion and the long-told tale of how the chipmunk helped Lord Rama with the bridge, we have heard numerous accounts of how we should never underestimate someone or something based on size. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's true. No, seriously. Think about all the times you wish you hadn't made that tiny mistake on that one test or how close you were to winning the game/competition/match and it somehow eluded you. After all, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip. You have to dot every i and cross every t. There are many people who produce good work, but the difference between something good and something great is the little extra effort that it takes. When you are willing to put in 20 hours where 15 would suffice or review a reading for the third time even when you're sure you know it, it sometimes does not seem like it is worth it. But trust me when I say that luck favors the prepared mind. When you have put in the effort, things just have a tendency to fall in place, even if not immediately. Knowledge does not go to waste. Experience makes you stronger. And in the words of 3 Idiots "Chase excellence. Success will follow...pants down."

A Quote to Share With You...

For those who consistently read my blog or have scrolled through the posts, quotes seem to be a recurring theme. At first look, a quote is simply a phrase, a sentence or "in other words" just a bunch of words. What's so special when we utilize words on a daily basis? Besides, the common refrain is that actions speak louder than words. Nevertheless, I derive many of my ideas from the quotes of others and have always been fascinated by the concept of embedding a deep meaning into a skillful sentence. I love being able to put together words in a way that makes people stop and think. The quote below is my own, so I hope it will make you stop and reflect a little on your life.

In the book of life, there is no editing; only writing.

I do not know a single person who does not wish there was a big red button that they could press to go back and change something from the past. However, that red button unfortunately does not exist. Thus, we need to learn to live life with no regrets and make sure to act in our better judgement. Only then can we write the best life story ever.

What does maturity mean?

Close your eyes and imagine a person in a position of great leadership. Personally, I used to imagine someone who could carry themselves very confidently and command an audience. This is often linked with being austere and even a little bit stern-faced. Taking yourself and others seriously is commonly regarded as a mark of maturity. Thus, as we grow older, we try to push away our childish tendencies and develop a more adult personality. However, those childish behaviors are sometimes the most interesting things about us! I will proudly say it. I watched Princess and the Frog in theatres on the day it opened. I bawled at the end of Toy Story 3. And last but not least, I very excitedly went to watch Tangled and still oo'd and aah'd for every cliché, predictable scene! Nevertheless, I do not think this fascination with Disney makes me any less capable of being mature at the appropriate moments and getting myself together in positions of leadership. In fact, I do not think having silly obsessions or interests reflects immaturity. It simply exhibits that we are all complex people with a preferential story. Thus, as long as we do what we love and make a difference, we can make that story worth reading!

"I wish I was a microscope so I could focus better..."

Focus. Easier said than done. The common distractions are facebook, Youtube, friends, texting, etc. But sometimes, even work can keep us from maintaining focus. We all have goals, big and small, and we work very hard towards achieving them. In situations of stress and anxiety, we continue to perform, balancing all of our work and commitments. In school, college and life, a surfeit number of opportunities are constantly knocking, and we attempt to answer. While this is excellent, all of our work and smaller goals should be leading up to a large goal (i.e. becoming a successful lawyer, starting our own business, living in the Hamptons) and we cannot allow ourselves to get distracted. In the back our mind, we should maintain absolute concentration on our dreams.

A very unexpected "somebody" showcases the type of focus that all of would do well to emulate. Who is it? See below. They were kind enough to allow me to post their picture.

It's the arctic tern! This unlikely role model has the largest migration pattern out of any bird, taking numerous routes between Greenland and Antarctica. By the end of the year, even more than most people travel on flights, the tern checks in at about 44,000 miles. Even more incredible than the distance is the attention they dedicate to the task. Many excited observers try to attract birds by throwing food out into the water, and they generally face success by urging numerous sea gulls and other birds to the water surface in hopes of a tasty treat. On any normal day, the arctic tern would be right there with the other birds in diving for the snack. However, when they are migrating, nothing in the world can faze them and detract them from their journey. Their journey is their priority and the only thing in the world that matters to them.

Thus, while the arctic tern is not the conventional example for a critical life skill, it fantastically embodies the ability to focus on a larger goal.

P.S. Nevertheless, never forget to stop and smell the roses. Life is not solely the destination, but the journey.

Communication and Relationship Building for Medical Professionals

This experience was phenomenal and it is always fascinating to present to different groups, because everyone functions on different wavelengths and responses are never exactly the same between two audiences. They were a great audience and responded well to all that I was saying. I have always appreciated being listened to an audience who is much older than me!

Maharishi School 2010

This school, as you all know if you have seen my other posts, is very special to me. The kids are always willing to listen and learn and go outside and play. They were a sharp bunch of children and quickly responded to everything I had to say. Even more special was that Manu, my little brother, gave his very first presentation in Tamil this time on memory. Check out his blog if you have time (http://ezmemory.wordpress.com/vlog/)! In fact, I even got to see one of the children who I have presented to before but had graduated!



This second slideshow, shows our second visit to Maharishi. We awarded the top rankers with prizes and we went outside to go and play with them!

Subishta Conference Vellore 2010

I had a wonderful opportunity to speak to a number of medical professionals in Vellore, India. There were students currently in medical school as well as doctors who had a practiced for a number of years. I spoke to them regarding communication skills and relationship building when practicing medicine. At the beginning of the presentation, I told them that I was speaking to them as a patient, the daughter of two doctors and a student who was going to business school.

2nd Annual Yes2college Program - June 2010

The video collection....



This is the 2nd Annual Program I had organized to educate about college and my first after graduating from high school.

This year it was attended by over 80 people and I thought it was very well received.
I had selected the speakers with a wide range of interest and expertise and the feed back from the audience was very positive.

I enjoyed organizing this program and really feel that if I could make some of the children in the audience to dream big that is a job well accomplished for me! I hope to be back next year. My bigger dream is to take it to more centers than just Sacramento! Let me see what happens...

Support Group @ Yuba City, CA - April 2010

Even though I get to speak at various venues, coming here to Yuba City, CA is special to me. This is the 2nd time and every time I interact with this group, I seem to take away a lot more than I give. These children who experience a chronic disease and yet work hard to lead a totally normal life, with fun, sports and school amaze me all the time.
When just existing with a chronic disease is difficult, these children don't just exist, they EXCEL!.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to meet you all!

Make Passion a Fashion - A MahaDarshan Seminar

This MahaDarshan Program at Sacramento was designed to enable children to go after their passion. The program design was intended to help them see their innerself and how they can bring out what they are passionate about and make it to something which will not only benefit them but also benefit the community.

The quote that won my vote this week...

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

-Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin said this to support his theory of natural selection. He always said it was those that were most adapted to their specific environments that were able to reproduce for future generations. In that sense, the phrase that we use commonly now - "survival of the fittest" - does not necessarily match up to Darwin's theory.

Regardless of the scientific implications of this quote, we can take away a very valuable leadership lesson. Change is generally not welcome into our lives, especially when we are comfortable with the way things are, and it is not always pleasant. However, it is important to be able to adapt to various situations. By doing so, you raise yourself above those who remain stubborn and unwilling to be flexible. At times, by changing, you discover more about yourself and available options. Being forced into such a situation may actually prove to be a blessing in disguise. You are given an opportunity to better suit your environment and possibly come up with a more effective idea. For example, companies that do not make modifications at a time like the current financial crisis, will have an extremely difficult time.

BUT, there are times that you DO NOT change. This is when circumstances require you to forfeit your morals and values. A leader will always stand their ground when it comes to their ethics.

I found this quote while reading Harvard Business Review (January-February 2010 Issue).

Remember?

The PAST is a PRESENT for the FUTURE.

As much as it is easy sometimes to try and run away from past errors, failures and events that just did not go as planned, the past can be used as a very effective driving force for the present. Learning from past mistakes and understanding reasons for previous successes can minimize disappointment and maximize accomplishment. By arming yourself now with knowledge you have already obtained, you can prepare yourself for a brighter future.

Passion

Q: What do rocket ships and you have in common?

A: You both need fire for lift-off!

It's good to win a lot of awards. It's good to do a lot of activities. But, if you define success as your happiness, you need passion in everything that you do. Passion is what takes you from the top of the pyramid to the tip of the pyramid. Whether it accounts for mediocre ability or turns otherwise good results into great results, a passion gives you a reason for everything you do.

Passion is the wind in your sails. Passion is the wheels on your car. Passion is the dressing on your salad.

Follow the saying... Love what you do and do what you love. It'll show.

On the phone with children in India before their term exam - Sept 2009

It is always interesting and refreshing to talk to the children! The call starts with speaking to the principal of the school, Mr Natarajan ( I call him uncle, which is a common practice in India when speaking to elders).

You can hear them referring to me as "Akka", meaning big sister in Tamil. This is only a small part of the long phone call with the children in Vellore. It is time for one of their 3 big 'tests' every year, called the "Quarterly Examination." They are tested in all the subjects from the beginning of the school year (June) until now.

The best part which touches my heart is that when I am calling to wish them, they are wishing me to take care of myself. One of the kids wanted me to conduct a drawing competition next time and others insist that I return before next summer. Their justification: they're all there all the time and I can come anytime. Unfortunately, they do not understand that I am thousands of miles away.

Nevertheless, I hope I can always be a [long distance] big sister for them. These children, by the way, were 4th and 5th graders! They are mostly speaking in Tamil, the regional language, which also happens to be the language I speak at home.

Here is the chat:

Creative Writing Competition for elementary school and highschool, India, August 2009

I arranged this competition in India for elementary school children from the Dravidian tribal ancestory and a group of teenage middle class neighbourhood children in India. It was again an excellent opportunity for me to interact with them remotely and stimulate all of them to make them to think beyond their regular school work.

Youth Empowerment Summit - A seminar to introduce college education

This program was especially important to me because it was much more than giving a talk or conducting a seminar.
I concieved, designed, invited, coordinated and conducted the entire program. It was a lot of work! From inviting the speakers to creating the agenda to interacting with prospective attendees, the work was spread over 2 months.
The program was designed to introduce the young students to the process of applying for college. I was fortunate enough to have an excellent group of speakers. Vu Van spoke on financial aid and scholarships, Michael Mulfich interacted with the students during lunch and discussed various aspects of college life and cost, Heather Alva shared tips about taking SATs! Frank Sanders and Julia Halprin Jackson gave excellent presentations on college life, travel and work.

Brenda Pieper, founder of the charity TT1, promised to continue this program on a yearly basis! On the whole, it was really and very rewarding experience for me.

Watch some videos from the program:

Some Clips from the teen leadership workshop - Foster Care Conference August 2009

3rd Annual Foster Care Conference 2009

The 3rd Annual Education and Career Summit for Foster Care youth and families. It was an incredible opportunity to meet a whole new group of youngsters and motivate them to take advantage of their resources and potential.

Self Esteem... Again!

So, every morning you get ready, right?  What do you see when you look in the mirror?  Do you see yourself smaller than what you are?  I hope not!  That's having a low self esteem!  Do you see yourself bigger than what you are? I definitely hope not!  That's having too high of a self esteem!  

The thing is, we humans are unfortunately not Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman and most of us don't have an amazing car, suit and underground lair to make us Batman!  We're humans and humans aren't perfect.  But each person is unique and to figure that out, they need awareness.  They need to know what their strengths and at the same time, what their weaknesses are.  Consequently, they will know what they can do and what they cannot do. 

Once you obtain this awareness, you will be able to see yourself in the mirror for exactly what you are - wonderful... in your own way!  

Listen Up Folks...It's Story Time!

I'm going to tell you a story that really helped put "dealing with problems" into perspective for me.  I hope sharing this with you will help you in some way as well! 

There was once a girl who was frustrated, fed up, overwhelmed and on the verge of giving up.  She went to her mother and said, "I'm done!  I can't talk it anymore.  Every time I think I solve one problem, there are a thousand more just waiting in line for me. What do I do?" Well, the mother looked at her, and smiled.  The girl's faced darkened and she yelled, "I'M TELLING YOU I NEED HELP AND YOU'RE SMILING?!"  The mother stayed calm and said, "Follow me into the kitchen." 

There, she took three pots, filled them with water and set them in the stove.  Once the water was boiling, she put carrots in the first pot, eggs in the second and coffee beans in the third.  Now, that hit a nerve.  The daughter shrieked, "I'M FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY AND YOU'RE COOKING!?"  The mom smiled again and motioned for her to wait.  Figuring that she could not do anything else, the daughter waited. 

The mom then indicated that it was done.

She walked up to the first pot and told her daughter to tell her what she saw.  The daughter looked in and said, "Well, the carrots are soft and mushy."  The mom replied, "Yes. That is one type of person.  Those who start out strong and hard, but fall apart and become weak in face of problems and stress."

She moved over the next pot and told her daughter to tell her what she saw.  The daughter looked in and said, "Well, the egg looks the same as it did before but I know it is hardboiled."  The mom replied, "Yes. That is the second type of person.  Those who look and feign that they are the same but have actually hardened on the inside in face of problems and challenges.  They are then unemotional and stolid." 

She then moved over the last pot and told her daughter to tell her what she saw.  The daughter looked in, sniffed, and smiled.  She said, "Ahh, the sweet aroma of coffee." And the mother smiled brightly and said, "Yes, that is the third and last type of person.  Very few are like coffee that can actually use challenges that they are faced with to become better than they were before and shine."

So now tell me, are you carrots, are you eggs, or do you have the incredible ability to be coffee?  I hope you answered or will answer in the future, with confidence, COFFEE!

Communicating with Confidence @ Institute of Child Health, Egmore, Chennai, India

MahaDarshan program at the Institute of Child Health in Chennai, India. The program was titled, "Communicating with Confidence" was designed for senior medical professionals who are not only health care providers but are also involved in undergraduate and postgraduate education of other medical professionals in the field of Pediatrics and allied sciences.

MahaDarshan - Vellore Medical College - Nurses' Conference

The Dean of the Medical School, Dr. Vamsa Tara requested me to talk to the nurses after viewing my lecture to the medical students. I was asked to address issues regarding communication with patients and how to give good or bad news appropriately to the families. The talk was in Tamil and English to allow the nursing managers and nursing students to better understand the concepts.

Self Esteem and Confidence @ PES Medical Institute, Kuppam, Andrapradesh, India

I conducted a program at the PES Medical Institute in Kuppam, Andra Pradesh. It was truly an amazing opportunity with a supportive and receptive audience consisting of medical students in all years and faculty members. They listened attentively as I spoke to them about what self esteem means (summaries of some of the concepts I discussed are on my blog) and the importance of being confident. My plan is to visit there again when I next visit India.

Visiting Deenabandu Ashram again - June 2009

It is truly a pleasure! With children calling me "Akka, Akka" as I walked in, it was a special feeling. I have continued to work with the children since I last visited. I spoke to several of them on the phone, we conducted competitions for different grade levels, so going back again was more of a homecoming for me!



Here are some video clippings from the program - watch part 2 in particular

MahaDarshan to Medical Students for the first time - Vellore Medical College, India

I presented MahaDarshan to medical students for the first time, but specifically speaking about self esteem and potential. This lecture was at Vellore Medical College and was very well received. The program was followed by a request from the Dean of the Medical School to give another program to the nurses.

Odi Vilayadu Papa - an informal Mahadarshan get together June 21st 2009

I gave a program to a group of children who meet monthly under the banner "Odi Vilayadu Papa" - which means run around and play. This program is run on a monthly basis by Mother Care Diabetes Center. The goal is to educate the normal children in the area about the importance of healthy lifestyle. This free program attracts 15 to 30 children every month. I spoke to them on being self motivated and determined, courage, being a leader in the community and helping others. The children said that they would like to maintain contact with Darshana Akka (me) on a regular basis and even asked me when I'd be coming back!

Diamonds

How would you describe a diamond? 

Beautiful?

Gorgeous? 

Breath-taking?  

I N C R E D I B L E ? 

MaGnIfIcEnT? 

What is a diamond? 

Though we consider it one of the most valuable gemstones on the planet, one that serves as a representation of love, engagement and marriage, it is simply a piece of carbon that has undergone conditions of extreme depth, pressure and temperature.

So...?

Why can't we be magnificent, sparkling diamonds?  All of us experience difficulties and hardships, facing situations where we are put under immense pressure and stress.  They push us down when we are at our lowest points and pull us down even when we work to stay on top.  Often times, this stress strips us of our self confidence and leaves us feeling down and horrible.  Majority believe that they are not good enough and that this hardship is simply another way of saying, "You're horrible!  Why do you even bother trying?"  Isn't that right?  NO!  Never, ever, feel that way.  If a carbon can allow pressure and scorching temperatures turn it into one of the most beautiful stones on the planet, why can't you allow tough times turn you into someone beautiful?  Believe in yourself and believe that what you go through only shapes you and molds you into someone with experience, someone deep and someone wonderful.  Summits are not to prevent you from moving forward but something for you to climb and stand atop with pride.

So, lesson of the day?  YOU CAN BE A DIAMOND!     

Self-Esteem

How many of us actually stop in our busy lives to tell ourselves, "There's only one of me in the world and I'm awesome!"? Many people work hard and strive to reach their dreams but they generally lack on crucial element - self esteem. Sadly enough, confidence has come to interchangeable with egoism and being over confident, but that is not the case at all. Being confident means to know your abilities and believe that you can do it. Dreaming means nothing if you lack enough self esteem to see YOU reaching THAT goal!

But beyond all of this, self-esteem, in my opinion, comes down to one thing: R E S P E C T. Everyone knows what respect is. We all respect others and look up to other people. However, why do we often forget to respect ourselves and place ourselves on the pedestal we deserve to be on? It is good to see the amazing traits and characteristics of others but we should also see the amazing traits and characteristics that we have.

Therefore, change your thinking around a little bit. Start to think something like . . .

THERE'S ONLY ONE OF ME IN THE WORLD AND I'M GOING TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT I CAN DO!

After all, you're awesome!

MahaDarshan @ Yuba City, CA - Feb 20th 2009

I was invited by the Yuba City Diabetes Support group to present briefly on "self esteem". This was actually first time I have gone beyond doing the MahaDarshan's 14 point leadership program to just concentrate on one specific concept.

It was a wonderful learning experience to present to a mixed audience ranging from 5 years to 60 years!

Healthcare Managers and MahaDarshan - Jan 2009

MahaDarshan Program - Nov 2008 @ Sacramento

The 6th program of MahaDarshan hosted in Sacramento. In this program, the children got certificates at the end of the program for winning several leadership based activities. Some of the children signed up to come again for the next program in Sacramento.

MahaDarshan for Exclusively Professional Medical Audience For The First Time!

Nelson Mandela's 8 Lessons of Leadership

Over the course of the years that I have had this blog, I have shared my thoughts and knowledge about leadership.  Today, I would like to share with you the knowledge of a renown leader, Nelson Mandela.  Featured in the July 2008 edition of Time Magazine, he shared his 8 lessons of leadership. 

The official link to the article is:  http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1821467,00.html

MahaDarshan at Maharishi School in Vellore, South India

MahaDarshan at Deenabandu Ashram, Walajahpet, South India, 2008

MahaDarshan at Gibbons Park, Carmichael, CA

Optimism

© Disney

Timon and Pumba are excellent examples of optimism because they do not allow past events to take over their lives. Instead, they have a catchy motto to help them deal with their situations. "Hakuna Matata" or "No Worries" is what they teach Simba when Simba is feeling down. While you do not want to approach everything in life with this attitude, you should use it to avoid dwelling on the past. Use your past experiences to help you, and remember that every day is a new day and every day the sun will rise once again. So... don't worry!!

To help you remember the fourteen points...

The fourteen points to leadership may be a little difficult and tedious to remember.  Because of this, I have come up with a way to help you remember what each point means. I will be posting the fourteen points to leadership again, but this time I will not be posting a definition with each one.  I will be posting... pictures!  The pictures will be of different characters that appropriately represent the message that each point conveys.  

Leaders are defined by their followers...

As a leader, you are expected to lead.  Correct. As a leader, you are expected to know all of the answers.  Correct.  As a leader, you are expected to always be strong.  Correct. As a leader, you make yourself stand above others. Wrong.  

The biggest mistake you can make as a leader is to place yourself at a level higher than others and exude an aura of conceit and obnoxiousness.  The first step to being a leader is to realize that a leader is no one without their followers.  Without followers, a leader is simply a regular person.  It is acceptable to know that others look up to you, but you must never show this.  Allow others to raise you to a pedestal; do not raise yourself.  After all, it is more work to raise yourself! 

This may seem like an odd concept to follow, since leaders do stand above others.  However, you must learn to allow others to name you a leader.  This way, you gain your position out of respect rather than fear.  As a good leader, you will only need to accept your position.  There will never be a need to demand your position. 

Best of luck!

Tennis

Many of us play sports and many of us strive to become better and better. We spend hours practicing or just playing for fun to relieve ourselves of stress. For me, this sport is tennis as I play for our school team, go to lessons and use it as a way to spend time with my brother. (How unfortunuate that most of these brother-sister quality times end in arguing over pointless shots or points!) Anyways, the point of this post is to show how we can apply these sports to leadership. Since I play tennis, I will be using tennis to exemplify this concept.

Let's use bullet points to demonstrate these points...

• You always want to be in control of the point and move your opponent around - As a leader, you always want to be in control of your situations and decisions, causing others to move around to fit their schedules or actions around your choices. However, as a leader you must cause the 'opponent' to move around, because they want to. Similarly, your opponent is only going to run for a brilliant shot, only if they have that desire to win or desire to get it back.
• You always want to give it all you've got and bring out that killer backhand, rather than stick to an always consistent lob - When you enter the realm of leadership, it is important that you understand the concept of taking risks. Those who win are the ones who know their true potential, and are not afraid of using their strengths to their advantage. They do not allow that percentage of failure to stop them from trying at all.
• The winner will be the one who can hold out longest and hit that shot 20 times more than the other person - It is neither common nor likely for a leader to simply enter a situation, win and leave. You must fight for what you want; you must fight for every situation. The winner, the true leader, will be able to give it back once again. A leader is not defined by one action, but a series of actions and the ability to repeat those actions.
• Add a little finesse and personal touch to everything, changing the shot to something that has your name written all over it, not your coach's - Leadership is about revolutionizing processes to put your touch to it. The moment your actions lose their personal touch and become predictable is the moment you lose your leadership. This is because you are no longer a leader, but instead a follower using another's method to solve a problem. A leader always uses their thoughts and their experience to change these common methods to something more powerful, something more effective, and something they can call their own.

Annnnnnnd.... now you see it! Tennis can relate to our desires and goals to become good leaders, so keep your eyes out on your sports. :)

Quote

A great man once said...
"Never is glory found in another man's success..."

To begin, that great man was ... -drumroll- my father! This 'quote' was his response to the stories my brother and I were telling about great entrepreneurs and children that were venturing into the wide field of business. He pointed out to us that while they were succeeding and making decisions that would change their lives forever, my brother and I were simply trying to live in their glory. The only way to attain glory for ourselves was to take action now and do something about our dreams and goals.

Many of us appreciate the success of other people by sharing there stories with friends, families and associates. However, how many of us use these stories as motivations to do something, to take action? It is a common error of our ways to simply indulge in reading of the wide acclaim of these people who 'made it big' rather than going out to find our own glory. It is one thing to read about another's glory but it is another to try and make it our own. We all have the potential to make a difference in this world and uncover our own glory. Do it now! :)

Writing things down

I think the most beneficial things about keeping a blog or journal is that you write down all of your thoughts and ideas. When you are a leader, you will tend to "produce" many ideas a day and as my dad has told me countless numbers of times, write all of them down! This is because, you never know when these ideas will one day become useful to you. And as I have experienced before, you don't always remember these ideas and if you don't write them down right away, one day you will need it. And that one day when you do need it, you will regret not writing it down because that idea usually won't come back to you as good as before. You can definitely come close, but why do you need to go through all that extra work when you could have simply written it down before and kept an excellent idea.

The main lesson to learn from this is that leaders will always keep their eye out for new ideas, new innovations, and new methods to effectiveness. So become a leader today and open your eyes..... as well as your note pads!!

Staying Focused

This posting is mainly for all of those aspiring entrepreneurs out there!

When you are young, or younger, you will realize where your true interests lie whether it is in math, science, or history! Using that, and any business ideas that you may come up with, use them as your center! Once you decide what you would like to do when you are older, keep that same idea and stay focused on it. Center your projects and thoughts around it and always look for ways to enhance your idea. You must essentially eat, sleep and LIVE your dream! Best of luck!

Quote Explanation

I hope that those of you who are reading this post, will have read my previous post with my quote. If you have not, then here is the quote:

Working hard will get you to the top, working smart will keep you there.

My explanation for this quote is that I feel that we all need to work hard, for working hard will definitely end in success. As my parents always remind me, no hard work will ever go to waste. In other words, working hard will get you to the top. However, as I discussed in one of my previous posts, working smart is the only way that you can get work done fast, and effectively. If, "at the top", per say, you spend countless numbers of hours working tirelessly on small projects, you will never learn proper time management. If you leave the working hard, and go to working smart, you will be able to judge correctly how much effort should be put into each project. This way, you will be able to manage everything in an organized and effective manner.

Try it, and let me know how it works for you! :)

Quote

Please read this quote and give me your feedback. I actually made this quote and I will post again later what I meant by it.

Working hard will take you to the top, working smart will keep you there.

Read this quote... and interpret it for yourself!

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

If you would take a moment to refer back to the 14 points of leadership, this quote ties in rather nicely to my "courage" point. You must face all challenges head on!

Based on my interpretation of the quote (I would like you to interpret it for yourself as well), this quote is telling us to face every challenge head on and if we allow fear to intimidate us, then we will never achieve anything. The only reason there are things that we cannot do is that we allow fear to convince us that we cannot do it. When fear is given the liberty to determine what we can and cannot do, our cannot-do list simply grows larger. When we attempt the things we think we cannot do, it is the same as facing fear and looking it in the face. You must overpower fear and fulfill your potential!!!!

Tolerance

We have all been told to be tolerant of others and their personalities, but how much is it enforced that we be open to others ideas about our situations. This may be a bit difficult to understand as the wording is not clear. As leaders, we all want to be the decision makers and the people who create all the ideas in the group, whatever the group may be for. Sometimes when we believe that we have a brilliant idea, it is difficult for us to hear criticism or suggestions to the idea. The fact is though, by allowing others to contribute to your idea, you can have credit for the idea but develop it into something greater than it would have ever been.

For example, I am working on a book for my personal project and I was discussing with my father's friend how to create a web version of the book I am in the process of writing. But with my core ideas in place, I realized that the entire conversation I became very defensive when he mentioned areas where my idea could be modified. When I reflected back on this, I realized that his suggestions would only help me, not hurt me. As a result, when I went back to edit my ideas for the website, I made sure to incorporate his ideas into mine, to create a new and improved version of my idea!

SO... make sure to be tolerant of other people's suggestions for they will only help you grow!

Scheduling

An important skill many of us should learn, especially those of us who aspire to be leaders, is scheduling. Many of us work hard, but to maximize our outputs, we should schedule. Scheduling gives us an idea of what needs to be finished during the day, so that we are not making sporadic decisions on what to do. By laying out our day and what work needs to be done, we will work smartly and you will see that your work seems to have more positive results. Moreover, you will get a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day, and your work will tire your less. When you do work hapazardly, it takes more effort causing you to tire you more easily. This results in you having less positive results and bewilderment as to why you are so tired for such little work.

Scheduling lays out our day for us, maintaining the delicate balance between work and play. Try it for yourself and good luck!!!

Working

Does it ever seem like you work for hours and hours but your result does not reflect those tireless hours of work? We say that we have worked very hard, but others cannot see that work in our result projects. This is because we lack one quality that leaders need to have and that is the ability to work smart not just work hard.

Working smart means you appropriately evaluate the task at hand and determine how much work is needed to maximize your result. If spending 2 hours to get a job done for a 100% and spending five hours to make it a little better and still only gets you 100%, then get the job done in two hours! Also, when you work, choose the right methods to getting work done instead of just tirelessly working a couple of extra hours. You need the sleep!!!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SMART WORK!

Delegating

A problem some of us face in groups and projects is, we end up doing all the work. Usually our reason is that the people in our group just do not work. However, if we really look at it, we are basically saying that we do not trust others with the project and it is easier on us to do the entire project versus entrusting part of it others' hands. Which is where leadership comes into play. A skill many of us lack is delegating.

delegate/delegating: to commit or entrust to another: delegate a task to a subordinate.

Delegating does not necessarily mean that you need to treat others as lower to you, but it means that you should take charge and appropriately distribute the work to others and yourself. By analyzing and evaluating the situation, you should be able to play people's strengths and get the job done quickly and effectively. Now you should be able to make a group project, a group project!! GOOD LUCK!

The Actual Fourteen Points!!

Here are all fourteen of my points to leadership TOGETHER! I have scenarios for them but I never posted all of them as one and I hope this makes them more easily accessible. Hopefully, you will be able to apply these points to your own life and become a leader!

Honesty: Leading by being truthful and accepting personal responsibility

Optimism: Making good use of experience by bending, not breaking when something does not go as expected

Determination: Approaching challenges with tenacity and confidence

Looking Beyond: Thinking outside of the box

Judgment: Accurately anticipating repercussions after judging what needs to be done

Problem Solving: Acquiring what you need by overcoming obstacles to effectiveness

Courage: Relentlessly approaching challenges head-on

Being Concise: Giving clear directions in few words

Collaboration: Making sure the entire group shares the rewards as well as the responsibility

Stimulating: Encouraging and energizing others to follow goals defined by the leader

Assisting: Helping others with what they cannot reach by themselves

Fervor: When you approach and pursue objectives with an optimistic passion and motivating others to do similarly

Public Speaking: Being able to speak with enthusiasm and comprehension for any topic, with or without preparation

Organization: Keeping everything accessible at any point of time and being able to produce quality work

Letting go...

Many of us, though we will not admit that we are, are rather obsessive compulsive when it comes to our work. Working tirelessly for hours straight, we endeavor to put 150% effort into everything we do. It is our goal to create the best possible product for everything we do. But sometimes we have to stop and think.... Is it really worth the time?

Don't worry if you have this problem because it won't stop you from being a leader.. as long as you realize the problem. In fact, I myself have this problem and am trying to work to improve. My dad has always told me that if you concentrate too much on the little things, you'll miss out on the big picture. The best way to fix this problem is to first come up with the main goal; the one thing you are working hard to attain. As long as you have defined that, you can determine how much time you need to spend on things to acheive that goal. The one important lesson to learn that will "cure" you of this problem is to realize that all the little things are going to add up to the big thing... so there is no need to try and make every little thing big.

Quality of a Leader

The most important quality in a leader is that of being acknowledged as such. - Andre Maurois

As beautifully stated above, a leader is not a leader until they are acknowledged by others as a leader. Leaders get their power from their people, not from their title.

So next time you think of yourself as the boss, make sure others think the same too.

The Art of Leadership

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.~ Dwight Eisenhower

This quote is very similar to one of my 14 points to leadership: stimulating. Leadership is simply how you can motivate another person to want to do the something that you want done. Instead of coercing someone to finish a job, by stimulating them to have that desire to complete it, you will improve efficiency, the quality of the product, as well as increase the amount of respect you get from your people.

How to look at Leadership

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
~ Peter F. Drucker

This quote shows what a leader is actually expected to do. It is not necessarily doing everything perfectly but being able to take the right decision quickly. People are depending on you as a leader to take the decision that will be the right thing and you must fulfill their expectations by being able to make a decision on the spot.

Attitude

"Attitude is Contagious" is something I learned from my little brother's Karate School. And in many ways, this simple phrase can help to differentiate between a good leader and a mediocre leader. As a leader, you must set the examples for those who are looking up to you for directions and a path to follow. So as a result anything you do as a leader, will be followed.

If your attitude is positive, those who follow will be willing and eager to complete their job. Likewise, if your attitude is negative, those who follow will be dejected and uneager to do their job. Through positive attitudes you can easily unite your team and get them to follow your lead.

What is leadership?

Donald H. McGannon: "Leadership is action, not position"
As this quote clearly states, when being a leader, you must not only take it as a name or role, but as a verb (essentially). To show that you are a leader, you must stand out through your actions. Every action must show that you are in charge and inspire others to look up to you.

Therefore, next time you are the group leader in your group projects, try this out. Remind yourself that you must display through actions that you are the boss! See what it does for you...

Determination~

Determination: approaching challenges with courage and confidence

Scenario:

For your community service, you have to create a project and actually execute your plan. So, being the studious student that you are, you begin planning your project right away. You come up with a SAT Club: a place where children develop public speaking skills, writing skills, geography, constructive criticism, and math skills. You create a brochure and hand it out to your brother's class making sure that you have a large number of students notified about your project. Over a number of weeks you plan and receive feedback from the parents, proving that there is some interest in your program. However, four weeks before your project is due all parents notify you and say that they are unable to attend the meetings because of a commute to your house. This is extremely bad for you needed the hours from the actual meetings to show that there was a community benefit from your plan. Actually executing your project has become a real challenge. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":

A good leader would attack this challenge with courage and confidence, believing that they will be able to acheive the goal. Through brainstorming and planning, they would able to overcome the challenge and execute their initial plans.

Problem Solving~

Problem Solving: Getting what you need by overcoming obstacles to effectiveness

Scenario:

You are working on updating your Mahadarshan program portfolio and making sure you have everything necessary to make a good sizes and informative presentation in front of the TEAM India audience. In addition, you are also working on an essay you were submitting the next day to the TEAM India about leadership and its principles. For your tasks to be completed well and effectively, you had to have a quiet place to work and think. However, your wish was not being granted for one of your "friends" was interrupting your train of thought in many ways. As you were using the computer to type up your essay, she came online and began bothering you about what you were doing for the hero project. When you refused to speak to her and closed the chat box, she began sending e-mails by the dozens. Everytime she did, a notification was displayed on your right-hand side. This was becoming increasingly distractive. Next, when she realized that you were not replying to her e-mails, she began calling you on your cell phone. You not picking up did nothing whatsoever to discourage her. Instead, she tried your home phone repeatedly. Soon, you were unable to think and work on your portfolio. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":

A leader would make sure to remove anything that could prove to be an obstacle to the effectiveness of your productivity. In your case, a leader would turn off all notifications, not sign into anything that may open a means of communication, and isolate themself from phones or noises. This would ensure excellent productivity!

Courage~

Courage: Relentlessly approaching challenges head-on

Scenario:

Due to unbelievable amounts of homework and your Nature Bowl competition, you have been unable to prepare for the Geeta Chanting Competition. In addition, you have twice as many verses to memorize this year as you did last year; last year being 15 and this year being 30. On top of that, you have a synopsis to create, memorize, and recite in front of the judges. It's looking like a tough task and you only have twenty days to do it. Even your sister, who had been doing it for four years, decided not to do it. Friends are discouraging you from taking upon the onerous task and encourage you to just go on with your studies and not even attempt it. Your parents leave the decision up to you, but are hinting that it would be better not to do it. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":

A leader's decision would be to take on the task without any hesitation. Say yes to every opportunity you have and do your best to fulfill it. A leader will never know when something they endeavored or achieved will be of future use.

Stimulating~

Stimulating: Encouraging, Inspiring, and Energizing others to follow the goals defined by the leader

Scenario:

You and your friends enter a competition together involving creating an original invention and creating a presentation about it. Everyone in the group is very smart and part of the International Baccalaureate program. The one downfall, however, is that everyone except for you is extremely lackadaisical. You have two months to synthesize your invention and everyone is brainstorming. When everyone comes up with an idea, you set upon working on creating the invention and presentation. But, soon everyone's downfall begins to be displayed and you are the only one working on the project. If everything is finished and submitted on time, it is a guaranteed first place. Nonetheless, no one is working. To cajole people into working you even create detailed instructions for everyone in the group instructing them of what they need to do for the competition. Even that effort proves futile. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":

A true leader would have stood up and gently encouraged and inspired the group to work by listing rewards or energizing their spirits. The leader would have made sure to have clearly defined the goal and made everyone follow by being an example.

Fervor~

Fervor: When you approach and pursue objectives with an optimistic passion and at the same time motivating others to join you

Scenario:

It is almost the weekend of the Science Olympiad State Competition and all your teachers are giving a lot of homework. However, that is not the worst. Your history teacher, decided to assign the quarter project three days before the end of the quarter and you have a competition that Saturday. In fact everyone in your group is in Science Olympiad. Through much persuasion you are able to get your due date to be extended to Monday. But, it is not good enough. You are leaving Friday and coming back late Saturday night. Sunday, you have all the homework you missed to make up. Where are you going to get the time? You have to meet with the group and allot a minimum of five hours to the project. Your teammates are getting discouraged and are thinking about throwing something together and making an excuse. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
"Answer":

A leader would be optimistic about the assignment or project and be able to persuade their teammates to follow their example. They would have the ability to get the team to work together to produce something of value, and not settle for excuses.

Children are the future

As an 7th grader, it humbled me to visit and interact with the children of this orphanage in a remote village in Southern India. I learnt more from the children than what I gave them. It further made me stronger and determined

Being Concise~

Being Concise: Giving clear directions in few words

Scenario:

Your wonderful history teacher just assigned a HUGE history project on Ancient Rome. There are five people are your group and they ALL elect you to be the "leader" of the group. Your job is to give instructions as to what people have to be doing. Since your group is not getting enough done during class time, everyone votes on meeting after school. The planned two-hour meetings become five. Soon, every day that you meet with your group, you are late for dinner and up until midnight finishing homework. This is happening because has the "leader" of the group, you have to explain to each and every person what they have to be working on for the project. If they have a doubt, they come straight to you. You are fine with explaining and helping, but you spend 20 minutes with EACH person endeavoring to explain thoroughly enough. The 20 minutes start adding up, and sure enough the planned two-hour meetings become five. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":

A good leader would not have to be in this situation due to the fact that they have acquired the skill to be crisp and clear in their directions. This means explaining directions in few words, but also making sure that the other person is clear with the instructions.

Optimism~

Optimism: Making sure you make good use of experience and not breaking but bending when something does not work

Scenario:

RRRIIINNNGG! The bell rings and your one week vacation has officially begun. Oh, but wait a minute. You have a math project called the Leaky Faucet due the day you get back.The purpose of the project is to calculate the amount of water wasted by a dripping faucet every hour. That means you have to sit by a dripping faucet for at least FIVE hours. There goes all ideas of a great vacation. So, you plod on home and after a quick snack, you begin your project. Within two you are officially frustrated because the calculations will not "cooperate". Within five hours you are ready to give up. Since math is not your forte, you keep failing to get the correct measurements and all the techniques you are using to calculate are not working. Should you give up now? Or should you keep trying? But, you are already about to explode. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":

A good leader would follow Thomas Edison's quote, I have not failed. I have just found 1,000 ways that won't work. This would mean that they would not give up no matter how trying the circumstances and learn from their past experiences, even if the experiences add up to over a 1000. Giving up is basically cheating yourself and not giving yourself the credit you should be. Leaders should be optimistic and show everyone ELSE the silver lining of each cloud.

Looking Beyond~

Looking Beyond: Thinking out of the box

Scenario:

Yeah! The bell rings and everyone is dismissed! You rush home and within a half an hour, you have completed your homework. Now you can go and play with everyone outside! But, WAIT! You have a project due on Monday and it is Thursday. Uh Oh! You quickly look at your sheet and discover that if you spend time brainstorming on what type of creative objects to use, you will never get to play outside with the other children. Then you remember that the teacher had made you copy down a list of objects that could be used in your project. Eureka! All you have to do is use those objects, write down whatever comes to your mind, put it all into a nice little presentation folder and you are done! Right? But, shouldn't you use some creativity and do your science project? Then again, if you do that you will not be able to play outside. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":

It may seem easier and more convenient to go with the teacher's objects, but a TRUE leader will use what they thought of and get an appropriate "score" for it. Taking another person's idea is something anyone can do. But it takes a true leader to think OUT of the box.

Assisting~

Assisting: Helping others with what they cannot reach by themselves

Scenario:

It's the weekend!! Within a few hours your answerless PACKETS of homework are transferred into answerful packets. Now, you have the rest of the weekend to kick back and read the book you have een waiting to read for weeks! But, your little sister, who is in the first grade, has a LARGE book report due on Monday. She asks for help from your mother, but your mom does not really know the the book report system works so she is not really any help. The only person who can really help your sister is... YOU! However, you would very much rather read your book than help a whiney sister with a boring book report. On the other hand, she really needs you! WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

"Answer":
It is very tantalizing to go with the book choice, especially if you are a reader, but one thing a leader has to remember is that helping other people to reach what they CANNOT by themselves, will show that they are someone people can look up to in order to follow, or in order to get assistance.