Srikumar Rao's Blog, page 14

I Have No Time!

I remember reading, many years ago, an interview with Ron Howard. Howard was a professor at Stanford University for more than a half century and is widely regarded as the father of decision analysis. He had an ‘awakening’ experience in his early mid-years and attended Buddhist retreats where he was exposed to contemplative practices. There…

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A Lesson from St. Paul

I have always been fascinated by St. Paul. How could Saul of Tarsus, so bent on torturing the followers of Jesus, become the most influential apostle? And while I could not always understand his enigmatic dictums, I knew that there was power and truth in them. I was particularly struck by his saying, “I live;…

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It Was Never the Way You Thought it Was!

You labor under a misapprehension. And it could be preventing you from reaching the success that could be yours. You think the past is given and it happened and there is nothing you can do about it. The past did not happen. You merely think it did! This is HUGE, so bear with me as…

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We All Make This Mistake

We rush through life desperately striving and achieving. We are on the go, on the run striving to be more productive. Time is a precious resource and we want to make sure that we fill each minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run. But we just might be making a big mistake. I elaborate…

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There Is No Such Thing As Peace of Mind!

I go into some deep stuff, so read with care. Wait a few days, come back and read with care again! I have been assured by many talking heads that we are living in unusually turbulent times. Politics is dirty and ever more vicious in countries around the world. Economies are in contraction, inflation is…

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A Lesson From Google Maps

I am not good with technology. Even simple technology like Google Maps can confuse me. I was heading down to the beach a few days ago with the firm intention of apricating for a few hours and catching up on my reading. Google Maps asked me to bear slightly left. I think I bore more…

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The Wonder is in Your Eyes, Not in the Scene!

I remember the very first place of my own I had in the US. It was a studio on the thirteenth floor of an apartment building on the Southwest corner of 113th street and Broadway. It must have been substantially renovated because I do not recognize it anymore. On the ground level was a Pizza…

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Why Did the Domestic Help Cry?

One of my coaching clients shared a story with me that I found deeply moving. It was also instructive. This client runs a company that is just scaling. It has the potential to launch an industry that does not exist yet. Think Fred Smith in 1971. He built Federal Express into a highly successful business.…

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How To Show That You Understand

Here is a famous quote by Thich Nhat Hahn. An alumnus of my course, Creativity and Personal Mastery, who is serious about personal growth, posted it on our electronic bulletin board. “When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well.…

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How to Become Nobody

I would like you to try this thought experiment. You go to a company party and the host, a senior executive, mis-pronounces your name when he introduces you to nearby guests. Later, he asks you how you are enjoying the affair and, this time, he does not even remember your name and addresses you as…

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