Adios

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In the year 2015, I decided to start penning and opened this site. I was generally addressing students and student related post. When I say student, I mean, anyone keen to learn. It addressed a number of issues including women safety, leadership and team building. In my initial days, I addressed issues related to hiring, interviews, group discussions and placements.

The site evolved with time and my role kept changing. COVID 19 disrupted our lives. My engagements with educational institutions (offline visits) came down to a trickle. Besides, I moved on to a different role. Not that I don’t believe in what I did or what I’m doing presently .. but like I said, my roles changed.

I donned the innovator’s hat. I started a couple of start-ups. And finally, it has led me to an IIT where we’ve been able to successfully set up a ‘Centre of Excellence for Defence’ and defence related issues. It is a first of its kind initiative and has kept me occupied.

I re-located to a new location and am eagerly pursuing to reach the lofty goals we set for ourselves.

It is with a very heavy heart, I bid adieu to all my well-wishers. To all the readers, who some time or the other, read my articles, to all the people whose lives I could touch (digitally!).

I wish each and every one of you the very best in your lives.

God speed !

Leader and Hope

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In HOPE of a better future … The nation marches

It was only the other day when an organization approached me to speak to their executives during these tough times. In the Army there is a very famous adage; “Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do“. This principle has stood by me during all the tough times I had. And yes, we did have some tough times. Over the 25 years in the uniform, we’ve faced challenges galore. Some inflicted due to the vagaries of mother nature, and some due to the actions of our adversaries.

Thus it got me to contemplate: if there is one thing, just one thing a leader should do, what should it be? I think the Leader should be the messenger of hope. The core of leadership is H . O . P . E . A research paper highlights that in the US Presidential elections, the candidate who wins is the one who can assure the citizens and instill HOPE. And to think of it logically, the leader can be pragmatic, can be a realist but unless he can infuse hope, show a better future, assure of the good things to come, he is no leader.

Hope gives us the courage to progress, to move forward. Towards a better future. A better life. It thus allays fear and gears us up to the face the next challenge. It helps us on our feet. It helps us re-group. Thus HOPE and leadership are two sides of a coin. Once you gear up, ready for the challenge, it is HOPE that gives us confidence. And of course HOPE is contagious. Just as it is not possible to live on love and fresh air alone. Hope has to be accompanied by hard work. Roll up your sleeves and get down to it. The leader shoulder to shoulder.

I remember once, we were to conduct an ‘Firing Competition’ in our Division. And being a professional competition, it’s was a matter of pride to win, more so being the conducting unit. The HOPE of winning the competition alone would not fructify into reality. We got down to it. The officer-in-charge and the men participating in the competition, moved into the firing ranges and started their practice in right earnest. Day and night (night firing was also part of the competition). With regular practice, religious maintenance of the weapons and looking into each minute detail, we put in our best foot forward. Yes, we won. But with HOPE alone we wouldn’t have achieved our result. HOPE has to be accompanied by hard work. HOPE has power to push relentlessly.

Any organization that can inject HOPE in the organization will succeed in these trying times. To paint a picture (some may call it Vision) where each one is aware of their role/ part and soon, the whole is greater than the parts. But to instill HOPE a very basic ingredient is a must. T . R . U . S . T . Without trust the organization/ members will find the words of the leader hollow. Trust is built with transparency. Trust is built with honesty.

In our pursuit, we will make mistakes. All the operations in the Army are followed by an ‘After-Action’ report. What went right and what went wrong. What could be done differently? And these lessons are disseminated across the organizations in sector. Learnings are faster and the institution gets stronger. Over time it is the organization that benefits. To prepare any organization to face the challenges of the future … The Leader must instill HOPE.

It all begins with H . O . P . E .

. Trust .

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Your Alma Mater . It’s Teachings .

I’ve often been queried that in the ‘Defence Forces’ you’ve troops from all over the country, different regions, different cultures, different backgrounds and yet how do you’ll function like one well-oiled machine? How do you all do that? How do you build TRUST?

This question got me thinking. It’s really amazing, when you get down to think about it. The officers are from all different background and commanding men from different culture with no common language. The broken Hindi these men learn (kind of foreign language to them) is during their brief recruitment training. And yet, with ease, they face bullets together. How? The level of trust is so much that they’re ready to risk their lives in the hands of their buddies, in the hands of their sub-unit/ unit; willing to lay down their lives.

When I got down to think, the reasons were crystal clear. In the Army we have a shared common goal. A clear vision as to what has to be done for the glory and the good name of the unit with no personal agenda interfering with these objectives. Next the organizational value system set a benchmark for every one to emulate. It becomes incumbent on our part to follow the rich history and tradition of the armed forces. Coupled with this tradition is the ethos of the regiment you get commissioned into. The regimental history pushes you to continue the legacy.

The ‘Naam, Namak, Nishan’ are the ultimate inspiration as a touchstone for our own values to be judged against. The ‘Naam’ is the name of the regiment on your shoulders that you display with pride. ‘Namak’ is the salt of the place. Our country. Our motherland. ‘Nishaan’ is the standard you carry. The ultimate symbol of valour. The ‘flag’ for which a soldier lays down his life. It’s carried into the battlefield to rally the troops around it. It inspires. It enthuses. It reminds. It pushes. It urges. It eggs. It commands. It compels. It implores and it exhorts. Nothing less is acceptable. Each one of us is set against this benchmark.

Last but not the least is integrity, loyalty and transparency in our dealings. When lives matter. When it’s a question of life and death no opacity can function. The interactions/ the interpersonal relations go beyond the mundane. Here, when you say, “you’ll do it, you do it”. You walk the talk. Because each moment you are in the spotlight. Your men. The men whom you’ll lead to battlefield are watching you 24/7. Any discrepancy or murkiness is called out. This is the day they stop following you. Your word matters.

You are trusted or trustworthy when people believe in your ability, your consistency, your integrity and commitment to deliver. Without trust your influence will diminish. Trust is the principle of empowerment and the principle of success. And more often than not, Trust in an organization is top-driven. Your CEO. Your Commanding Officer. Thus respect plays an important role in trust.

A major obstacle to the success of many relationships, is trust. Without trust, respect and love cannot flourish. Truly successful and healthy relationships don’t have room for suspicion or lack of belief. For any organization to thrive, Trust is an imperative. Organizational trust is built on everyday actions. TRUST: Transparency, Responsive, Ur Caring, Sincere and Trustworthy. We’ve dealt with broken promises, unfulfilled commitments, withholding information, unfair treatment, lies and dishonesty. In such an environment people will bail on relationships, greater resignations, cynicism reigns, productivity goes south and self-interest triumphs. Think about it!

Dr Brene Brown spoke of ‘Vulnerability’ in her seminal TED talk. So, how does vulnerability tie to Trust? When we trust someone, we are vulnerable with them. Also when we feel vulnerable, we want to trust someone. It is the act of sharing our shortcomings with others that make our relationship strong. Practicing it is the core of healthy communication.
Think of your friend. Doesn’t he/she know who you are as a person? Doesn’t he/she know what are your flaws and your strengths? Vulnerability thus, is not a weakness; it is a strength.

And to initiate any trust issues, you need to begin with ‘Self-trust’. Self-trust is when you maintain boundaries to protect your own needs and safety. You prioritize self-care. You keep your promises and speak kindly to yourself. You are mindful and honour your whole self regardless.

Trust your Heart to do the Right Thing

Fail and Succeed

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Orders of Cpl Campbell to his section, WW I.

The current health crisis across the globe has given each one of us ample time for self analysis and helped in self awareness. I, personally, got loads of time for self-development; pursued a number of online courses through MOOCs, read amazing number of books and currently pursuing learning a foreign language 😉 I believe, it is up to each one of us to g . R . O. WWW … grow to our true potential.

Marianne Williamson oft repeated quote “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world … We are all meant to shine.

During these times of introspection, I realized the one thing that always helped me grow were my failures. “Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again.” – Henry Ford. Each time our patrol had an encounter and we returned from a fire fight with casualties, it taught us what not to do the next time. Each and every engagement is a lesson for the next time; as the next time there may not be another chance. After the IRA murdered five people in the Brighton bombing, the organization expressed regret that it did not kill the PM, “Today we were unlucky, but remember we have to be lucky only once, you have to be lucky always.”

How do you fail and have the strength to keep continuing? Well, persistence and sheer repetition certainly and the desire to want the result badly. “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill. Becoming proficient at any skill requires time, effort and discipline besides the willingness to persevere through whatever it takes attitude.

“The greatest mistake a person can make is to be afraid of making one.” – Elbert Hubbard. Well, think of the best basketball player of all time. Michael Jordan? He has a career shooting percentage of 50 percent. In other words, half of the shots he took in his career were “failures.” If you think of it, success, to a large extent, is a matter of persistence. Keep trying, keep developing yourself and implement the learnings , you’re going to succeed.

Fact is, there is no such thing as failure. There are only results; some more successful than others. In effect, there’s success and then there’s learning. Failure doesn’t mean that you’ve reached the end of the line and that success isn’t possible. The only time success is impossible is when you quit. Quitting is final. Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.

In my professional life, each time I encountered ‘failure’, it was an opportunity for another success to happen. And I truly believe, when one door closes, four windows open. These trying times. Quite a few amongst us have suffered personal loss & grief. Do we have any other option besides grieving? This one decision will decide your future. Answer this one question, “Will I come out stronger or will I come out weaker?” And this response will drive you forward to your glory and success.

Be safe . Stay safe .

Watch YOUr Words

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Make the Change. Make a Difference.

“Watch YOUr Words” : Repeat anything enough and it starts to become YOU. The words you consistently select will shape your destiny. People who feed themselves with a steady diet of negative words are destined to have a negative attitude and vice versa. 

A number of us react by saying that we’re “angry” or “upset” or even “furious”, “livid” and “enraged”. Your physiology and subsequent behaviour would dramatically alter. Your BP would rise. You’ll feel tense all over. On the other hand, if you spoke of the situation as “annoying”, or “I’m peeved”, you’d feel much more relaxed.

Change ‘I’ve been destroyed’ to ‘I’ve had a setback’ or ‘I prefer’ to ‘I hate’ .. instead of ‘I’m determined’ to ‘I’m unstoppable‘ or from ‘feel okay’ to ‘Feel phenomenal’ or ‘I feel awesome’ rather than awful. Each time you say, ‘I’m not good at maths’ OR ‘I can’t remember names’ – you’re programming your mind for failure. It all boils down to your attitude. You have a choice. Consciously choose words that will point you in the direction of your goals.

“How are YOU?”: How many times in a day you are posed this question? It’s a significant part of our daily conversation. Negative responses: lousy, terrible, I’m tired, Don’t ask … Passive responses: I’m okay, not too bad, same old same old, fine … with both the above responses; a. How do you feel? b. How does the listener feel? Does it excite you, NO? Then how can it excite the listener? Do you want to spend time with someone who thinks that life is ‘not too bad’? People who use mediocre words will develop a mediocre attitude AND get mediocre results. 

POSITIVE responses: Terrific, Fantastic, Great, Excellent, On top of the World .. You already feel better, feel energized, feel excited. JUST FOR THE COMING TEN DAYS USE THESE RESPONSES and note the difference. You’ll start feeling ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

Your words are a self-fulfilling prophecy. You repeatedly state that our life is wonderful, you start attracting and begin to move in a positive direction. Remember: You don’t need talent, money or good looks to have a great attitude. You just need to get in the habit of using a high-energy, positive response, and you’ll get the same exciting results.

After my stint in the uniform, I joined the corporate where I earned a sobriquet: Passionate Prabir. Each time I use my name now, how do you think I feel? Get/ give yourselves a name .. something that goes with your character or personality … think this through and then with your NEW name. Make sure the adjective rhymes with the first alphabet of your name like Vibrant Vishwas, Kind Kushal, Radiant Roopam, Joyous Jit, Spectacular Sanjana or Motivated Meeta. And all this … SAY IT WITH A SMILE and a sparkle in your eyes. It doesn’t matter whether or not you completely and totally feel … but soon, you’ll start living your name. People will notice the difference and YOU will be surrounded by positive people.

Make the change! Make a difference. 

What Ever It Takes

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Focused Persistence

The second wave of the ongoing pandemic has impacted everybody, more so in our country, as the population is huge. It has been singularly responsible for the anxiety it has caused to our near and dear ones.

But then we know certain things for a fact. Like the Sun coming out of the East. How many times, if at all, do you speak about that. Zero. Cipher. Nada. Then why are we speaking about the V****, Pa******, Lock**** … these are given. When we were growing up, there was this new killer disease: AIDS. It was such a major scare that we, in our all boys boarding school, avoided even touching each other. Then there was the SARS, Ebola and a stream of such killer diseases. Each one predicted the doom of mankind. We, the people, are much more resilient than these strains of virus or any other so called ‘killer’ disease. Sooner rather than later we come out with a vaccine and Voila!!!! We are Winners.

Have faith. Remember, mankind will survive this too .. and the signs of recovery, the rays of a new dawn are already shining through. Work around these ‘killer’ issues buddy! YOU are much stronger than what you think. That is acme of Leadership – your control over your mind. Let not the social media & its messages upset you. Work around the issue.

I read this amazing line: The “guest” has impacted your LIFESTYLE – not your LIFE. LIFE is precious; Change your Lifestyle. The main issue here is that some of us, got used to our lifestyles. We found our comfort zones and now making changes to our lifestyle is what we are resenting or feeling uncomfortable about.


All those people who wanted to change their present situation, all those in pursuit of a goal, all those who had a dream to fulfill. What ever you were pursuing OR doing .. Well here is a piece of advice. Make a Commitment. (If possible, read the book: Ultimate Secret to Getting Absolutely Everything YOU Want) Commitment is the essence to the Ultimate Secret. A willingness, a Mental Attitude which says: If it takes 50 steps to reach my goal, I’ll take those 50 Steps. If it takes 500 steps to reach my goal, I’ll take those 500 steps. If it takes 5,000 steps to reach my goal, I’ll take those 5,000 steps.


To succeed, all that’s necessary is that you make a COMMITMENT to do whatever it takes. Remember Ben-Hunt Davies, a former British rower and an Olympic champion. He competed at the 1992 Barcelona Games and the 1996 Atlanta Games in the ‘coxed-eight’ event. The team stood sixth and eighth respectively. The British crew had never won a rowing event since 1912.

In preparation for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, as a member of the British rowing team, he directed his team to ask just one question: “Will it make the boat go faster?” Anything you do, run it through this one question. We would like to go the the pub? OK, will it make the boat go faster? NO! Then the activity is out. Could we re-design the oar? Will it make the boat go faster?.. Well you get the idea, right? With this single minded focus, The British rowing team won the Gold Medal.

We are reminded of the interaction between Krishna and the Pandavas/ Arjun in The Mahabharat. “Arjun, What do you see?” While his other brothers had replied differently, and Krishna didn’t give them permission to shoot the arrow; Arjun replied, “The eye of the bird”. Krishna nods his head sagely and says, “Shoot”. Single-minded focus. In these trying times, hone this one quality and success is bound to be yours.

Will it make the Boat Go faster? Ask yourself this one question? Persistent action follows commitment . You first commit to something and you persist to achieve it. Let not an iota of doubt creep in. Let there be no duality in thought OR action. Any reason is an excuse. Pandemic – so? It affected everyone. Come on .. YOU ARE MADE OF STERNER STUFF!!!!!

Tough Times Don’t Last; Tough People Do

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Siachen Glacier: The average winter snowfall is more than 1000 cm (35 ft)
and temperatures can dip to −50 °C

The present situation has been singularly responsible to re-look at our priorities. It has forced each one of us to introspect. Among my family (and friends) we’ve started a game, these three words will not be used in our vocabulary: Virus, Covid, Pandemic … use any other word for reference (atithi or guest – atithi tum kab jaoge? Guest, when do you plan to leave?)

The lockdown had eight major takeaways: one. Let’s be humble. We are not indispensable. There are greater forces than us. two. Let’s take care of nature. There is just one planet earth and it needs to breathe. Our actions have to be considerate towards nature. three. Frugal living is beautiful. It helps us connect with ourselves better. four. Flexibility is a virtue. Keep an open mind. What brought you here, may not take you there. five. Put health first. It has to be a priority. six. Success or failure depends on extraneous factors. Chill. seven. Connectivity is a necessity. and eight. Last but not the least. Being is more important than doing. We are human beings not human doings.

A number of people, once they hear that I’m an infantry man, have walked up and asked me this one question: “Sir, how did you face bullets?” (Qs could also be like, how did you control your emotions? Were you scared? so and so forth).

Where did we get the confidence to face oncoming bullets? The foremost confidence building measure is TRAINING. Training instills confidence. Training is assuring; you are better than your adversary. Training prepares us for adverse situations. Situations where your amygdala takes charge and prepares your body for the ‘fight or flight mode’. It prepares your muscle memory. You don’t think. Your body moves on auto-pilot and all you see is like Arjun; ‘the eye of the bird’. In all our training, the one things that stands out loud and clear is the re-wiring of our brains. The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.

Train, Train and Train some more

We know these times (tough times) won’t last. We have to be stronger and we will last. We will come out winners. Success (whatever your definition of success is) is the direct function of training (deliberate practice) and sustained effort; lage raho munnabhai.

How do ordinary people, people like you and me, people from all walks of life – join the forces and perform extraordinary feat? If you pin it, it all boils down to: a. Develop your muscle memory. Your life could be dependent on it. b. Discipline. I cannot harp more on the importance of self-discipline. c. Live a healthy lifestyle/routine. Have a good nights sleep (7 hours) and wake up before the sun peeps out. Eat healthy. Live healthy. d. Physical fitness must be a priority. Give 45 to 60 minutes daily for fresh oxygen to travel through your billion cells. e. Mental robustness. Nothing can affect my positive attitude. My life; my choice. f. Be a team man. Camaraderie. Team player. one for all and all for one. g. Have pride in the organization you work for. Don’t like it, then quit. It’s your choice BUT once in, unflinching loyalty. These help you making good choices for life. Our lives in the uniform is dependent on our buddy. He covers your back.

Of course there will be failure enroute? Its only natural. You’re not KOed in boxing so long as you get up. Have faith in yourself. Have confidence and trust the plan. The divine plan. Don’t turn around to ask, ‘Why me?’ Like this guest that’s visiting our planet – it has impacted everybody. Just like you don’t question the rising sun from East – its bound to happen. It’s a given. Come what may. Take it that failures (guests) are bound to happen. Come what may. So be it. Work around the challenge. When one door shuts, five windows open? See which one suits you and and take the plunge.

Remember, your experiences define you. Make memories. Look for opportunities that help you build your repertoire. Each year take it upon yourself to take on something new. It will help you focus. It will help you achieve. It will help you enhance your skill set. It will help in your life with a direction. A motivation. It builds your self esteem, your self belief and your self motivation.

The one question that you need to ask during these times: Will I come out stronger or will I come out weaker? This is the time to ask: What is my statement? If I had to describe myself in ONE sentence, what would that be?

Are YOU a Harbinger of Good News?

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The pandemic (the word itself has such negative connotations) has returned with a greater vengeance with the new variant. The new words added to your lexicon reads something like: fatality, co-morbidity, infection, disaster, lethality, virulence, remdesivir, herd immunity, anti-bodies and so forth.

Being aware is fine. With our basic intelligence , to be aware a glance of a newspaper, or a media report or a social media write-up is enough. But the new norm has been to keep receiving updates, the continuous cacophony of news channel readers (who I suspect suffer from verbal diarrhea), and the 24/7 social media has filled our mind space with fear, anxiety, stress and depression.

Just take a step back. Think of your activity of yesterday. What were your engaged in? What kind of input did you nourish your mind/brain with? What discussions did you participate in? And what are the messages, articles, write-ups you forwarded, commented or liked. Answer this one question honestly and you could objectively assess the issue we are facing.

Are you part of the SOLUTION – offering solutions, DOING things to resolve an issue, taking concrete steps towards a better future OR are you part of the PROBLEM – spreading fear, fuelling anxiety, causing stress or multiplying depressed souls. Before the pandemic impacted the world, WHO study mentioned the new epidemic is depression. One in every four persons is affected. With YOUr actions, ask yourself, are you a catalyst in escalating depression. The unchecked spread of mis-information – ‘death by whatspp’ has been instrumental in inciting rumour mongering, spreading anxiety, instigating negativity and triggering depression.

DO: Be a part of the solution . Be aware . Spread cheer . Be hands on . and DO .

DON’t: Be a part of the problem . Share news (or negativity) . Spread depression . Be a social media warrior . and Talk .

It All Begins with YOU

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The COVID-19 and the resultant pandemic, along with the lock-down has had a all of us cooped up in our homes. During the interim, I had a number of online sessions. Interacting with the YOUth across the spectrum, if there is one thing that stood out for me, it would be how the YOUth adapted/ adopted to this period. In a vast number of cases it had to do with uncertain future, demotivation, anxiety, job loss and resultant stress/ depression.

Some of the words (and the resultant emotions) had to do with the economy (depressed), psychological impact (negative), anxiety, fatigue, stress, suicide and so on and so forth. While, some of us saw it differently; opportunity to connect with family, a healthy lifestyle (and hygiene), environment (and its positive impact, with lesser emissions/ green house/ ozone layer), connect with nature (pets & plants). In a number of cases, it was how you looked (and handled) the issue.

I believe that a lot of this has to do with your “self talk“. What do you tell yourself? What do you tell yourself when you are faced with a situation/ challenge/ issue/ problem? Some of the chatter (inside your head) is what you’ve heard over the years – your parents, your elders, your teachers. This goes a long way to pattern your thinking. While growing up, if you’ve been constantly told that “you cannot do it” or “it’s beyond you” or similar words, its a belief system that takes shape in your mind.

There are a number of ways to overcome this writing in your head. It starts with your self talk. In school, we had a prayer (early mornings) and the lyrics went something like this: Humko man ki shakti dena, man vijay kare, Dusaron ke jai se pehele, khudhko jai kare. [Oh God, Grant us inner strength to be victorious over our minds, Before victory over others, may we gain victory over ourselves.] In those halcyon days, we never understood the deeper meaning of the passage.

Each day, early morning, what do you tell yourself. Of course, there will be challenges. Of course there will be ambiguity. Of course, things will not move as you want them to OR as you planned it to be. In the uniform, we said, “If you plan for three options, be sure the enemy will adopt the fourth”. So be it. Do you give up? That is not an option.

So your self talk should be on something on these lines. ” XYZ you are good. You’ve always been good. Look at your results (and recollect some of the wonderful achievement of yours). You can do it. Yes, there have been times, when you could not do it due to … but having addressed that, there is no reason for you to fail. Let give it a try.” Thoughts on similar lines, would also help.

Unless you believe in yourself, fat chance, that the world will believe in you. Unless you radiate confidence, slim chance, that the world will feel confident around you. Unless you demonstrate peace, calm and in control, people around you will panic. It begins with YOU.

Post-pandemic the one question you need to ask yourself is: Will I come out stronger OR will I come out weaker?

You Create Your Reality

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Self-Fulfilling Prophecies as YOUr Thoughts manifest into Reality

Often we’ve heard about ‘Self-fulfilling Prophecy’ and the resultant outcomes. We’ve heard/ read about them since The Secret hit the stands. We heard of Laws of Attraction and about thoughts changing our destiny. Norman Vincent Peale mentioned about thinking certain things that will make them appear in ones’ life. Your thoughts manifests into reality. Does it work?

We’ve sportsmen thinking about the forthcoming event and how they prepare for it. The 100 metre race is the most popular and prestigious event for an athlete. Many of the champions, including Usain Bolt, have said, and its a well documented fact, that they run the race, many times over in their mind. The start, the mid-race and the finish including the raising of their hands in the ‘V’ictory pose. They run it over and over again till it becomes part of their muscle memory.

How does it work? Well, it works at many levels.

Let me elaborate. While in the uniform, we had an excellent Commander as our boss. During the annual appraisal, the pen-picture he had written was jaw dropping. Reading it, one felt one was reading the pen-picture of FM Manekshaw. He saw the consternation on my face, smiled and quipped, “I know you’re not this, BUT I WANT YOU TO BECOME THIS”. My life was never the same thereafter. One learnt a lesson for life. Set high benchmarks. Give your subordinate an image to live up to. The subordinate strives for it to manifest. And it does.

In one of leadership training program, we had to select a name for ourselves. The only requirement was that the adjective selected should be the same alphabet as your name and preferably describe you in a word. It should resonate. That day, each one of us earned a moniker which has gone on to define our lives. We have a Vibrant Vishwas, Awesome Anu, Kewl Kerry and I was Passionate Prabir. Even after so many years the name has stuck and people call me Passionate. And each time someone calls me Passionate, I cannot but be one. What is your Good Word?

And last but not the least. Say you have an issue and you keep talking/ thinking about it. The kind of energy and neural connections you make goes on to make that habit more pronounced. Say, you are planning to quit smoking and all your efforts earlier to quit smoking have failed. And the next time you try, with a thought, ‘Oh! it gonna fail. All my previous attempts have failed. What makes you think it’ll succeed this time around?’ By such self-fulfilling prophecies you’ve already sown the seeds of failure. And the worst is, when it does fail, you reinforce it by stating, didn’t I tell you so?

Your mind is a very powerful weapon. Use it with care. Sieve the kind of information (and thoughts) that you’re planting. It is THE MOST IMPORTANT activity of your stay on this planet. Make it worthwhile. The power of your mind works when you think of (and supplant) the outcome. Images of what it’ll be like to quit smoking, for eg. You are habitually late in your official capacity. Plant a thought of being on time. Keep repeating it. And slowly the change happens. It works.