Rajeev Kurapati's Blog, page 7
February 14, 2014
The Art of Working to Live: Insight from StriveOnJosh’s Josh Haymond
1. How did you become so passionate about the “working to live” mentality? How has it changed your life?
Many in the corporate world find self-worth through career accomplishments. Though driven in my career, I recognize that work is a means to create the life I want to live. I work not for personal fulfillment but to be of service to others, which karmically equates to providing the lifestyle I have chosen to live. Viewing my career in this light has transformed the way I view my work-week. Work becomes less work and more an integration of life, a way I can kill two birds with one stone – assist others where I excel and provide for my family.
2. You talk a lot about life-work balance. In all the hustle, what keeps you “sane?”
I entered the work force five years ago, married around that same time. Despite working significant hours, I’ve kept life-work balance at the top of mind. Admittedly, earlier in my career, my balance tilted heavily to work. I recognized that was not my vision, but rather I was laying the necessary bricks to create the long-term vision in my life centered around family rather than career. Today, I strive to find even greater balance in my life, continuing to lay the bricks to build the foundation of balance. I’ve never been scared of hard work – accomplishment motivates me to accomplish more, and for me, I constantly remind myself why I am driven to accomplish. It’s less to do with becoming rich and powerful and more to do with creating the lifestyle that my wife and I visualize.
3. What is your best advice for maximizing daily productivity?
From a young age, I took pride in multi-tasking. In recent years, however, I have found that multi-tasking can be so detrimental to productivity that I consciously work to avoid the act. Everything we do deserves 100% of our attention. Otherwise we deliver a result that is not indicative of our ability. I also caution people to remain mindful of over-listing. This is not to say a to-do list doesn’t cannot be valuable, but to-do lists can also slow us down by taking the time to compile, writing down extraneous information (low-hanging fruit that is easy to check off), instilling a sense of concern with how much we “need” to do, all of which bring us further from intuitive thinking. Along the lines of intuitive thinking, I challenge the idea of perfectionism – we are our best at our most natural, and over-analyzing slows us down for little value-add.
4. Who most inspires you and why?
I am deeply inspired by progression. I strive to be a better man than I was yesterday. That’s my challenge in life, and that challenge never goes away. I never feel as though I cannot improve upon an aspect of my life. If I am successful in progressing, I feel more fulfilled in life than the day before, and that, in turn, shines through to all aspects in my life – career, hobbies, relationships and most importantly, self-love. Once I taste the sweet nectar that is progression, I am motivated to further break down self-imposed walls that I have placed around my life.
5. Tell us a little about Strive On. What message are you hoping to spread?
Strive On is a reflection of what I work through, a mirror of my life. I created Strive On last year as an outlet. At the time, I was stepping out in a number of ways and wanted a way to share my accountability with others. I wanted to share with others the idea of choice, the lack of settling, and the fulfillment I find in progression. I know how an unfulfilled life feels, and I know that buried beneath that feeling lies passion. Strive On is me challenging myself to become closer to my truths and break through the misnomers of what the “norm” suggests our lives must look like.
The web address of the blog, striveonjosh.com, can be read as a direct order, “Strive on, Josh.”
6. You talk a lot about the idea of self-love. Why is this so important?
There’s two sides of the coin – we either operate from a place of self-love or a place of self-destruction. If I love myself, it isn’t narcissism, but rather enforces the message that I am enough. Like many of us, I am my toughest critic. In those critiques, we must be mindful that we are not beating ourselves down. Admitting we need to improve can be challenging. This admittance need not be negative – the moment the admittance becomes negative is the moment the coin flips to self-destruction. In that moment we are conditioning our minds to ignore opportunities to better ourselves.
We should welcome growth from a state of positive progression, excited in our awareness of the improvement opportunity. Only once comfortable with this growth can we truly love ourselves, and only when we truly love ourselves can we truly love others.
7. What do you think the biggest problem is in the corporate world regarding general happiness/wellness? What can we do to combat this?
Company management tends to change once directly impacted, thus the change must first come from the employee. We must challenge conventional thinking, offering suggestions on process improvement and life-work improvement. Improvement and cultivation are one in the same. Even if an our ideas are stifled, we are still sharpening our minds in a creative way. Do not settle for what you feel to be normal. Think outside of the box. Cultivate. And if you cannot cultivate where you work now, find somewhere where you can.
About Josh Haymond
Josh is on a quest to create balance in the workplace. His mission is to encourage individuals and companies alike to start “working to live” instead of “living to work.” Seeing the culture of the corporate world, Josh is dedicated to equipping you with the tools to create success in your career and life, as well as the ability to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Through personal development and better business, start loving your life.Josh is Director of Business Development at Vaco, providing consultative solutions to clients in accounting, finance and IT. Prior to joining Vaco, Josh was an Assurance Manager at PwC. He earned both a Bachelor in Science in Accountancy and Master of Science in Accountancy at University of North Carolina Wilmington, and maintains his CPA license in North Carolina. Josh serves as Treasurer of The National Students of AMF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one.
Josh and his wife Christie currently reside in Raleigh, North Carolina.
February 13, 2014
Podcast – Unbound Intelligence: Discover the God Within
Dr. Rajeev Kurapati is a practicing family doctor and author of the new book, Unbound Intelligence: Discover the God Within, where he examines the conditioning of the human mind and lays out pathways to go from believing in the transcendent to truly experiencing the force that powers all existence.
Unbound Intelligence: Discover the God Within
What do you mean by “discovering the God within”?
What’s the difference between believing in the power of God and actually experiencing it?
Can anyone find God within themselves?
What’s holding people back?
How do we discover who we truly are and why we are here?
This podcast is presented by Annie Jennings, of the National Publicity Firm, Annie Jennings PR and the creator of JenningsWire online magazine. JenningsWire is capturing the heart of America with its rich community of talented, insightful and relevant bloggers and podcasters!
January 19, 2014
7 Business Insights to Build an Astute Life Plan
The life cycle of a business involves evolution, maintenance, and dissolution or merger. Life is no different. To build anything worthy of deeming “successful,” a well thought-out, insightful plan is a must-have. Perhaps no other blueprint for success tops the in-depth presentation of a business plan. When devising a strategy for a fruitful business, we take the time to analyze the reality of a market, spell out how our business will fit in and excel within that space, determine how we will fund our aspirations, decide who will be a part of the journey, and how we will scale once we’ve met our initial goals.
Like a business plan, we need to analyze the reality of our circumstances and determine how our strengths and weaknesses can survive within the limited resources at our disposal. In life, we must figure out how we’ll finance our most basic needs; and, once those are met, fund our greatest aspirations. We must decide who will be on our team to help us be our best selves, to survive and to thrive, decide who will be a part of the journey, and how we will scale once we’ve met our initial goals. And, once we’ve conquered our goals, we continue to rediscover ourselves, even if it means finding happiness in new ways.
Such astute planning in business is exactly the sort of exercise we should be doing when devising our course of actions in life.
Here are seven insights to get your life on track to build a meaningful and purposeful life.
Published on LifeHack.org; by Dr. Rajeev Kurapati.
January 18, 2014
Eat Think & Live Rich: A Guide to Health and Happiness
This book is a practical and spiritual guide to living with exceptional health and creating deeper fulfillment.
In this book you will learn:
The 8 keys to nutritional success—achieving your ideal weight, double your energy, create beautiful radiant skin and more….all through simple tweaks to your daily diet.
The most common health challenges and how food can support healing.
10 strategies to bust through your blocks when it comes to making the change.
10 practices that lead to more connection, freedom, and fulfillment.
What sets this book apart is it addresses how to make the changes. This book is titled Eat, Think & Live Rich because food is something we interact with on a daily basis and plays a pivotal role in our energy levels, mood, and how we feel about our body. Additionally, how we think influences the food and lifestyle choices we make. Thus, addressing our mind—the beliefs and inner-processing that is at the root of our habits, and our ability to create change, is vital to this process of living a rich life. Tova proposes that true richness comes from living a healthy and happy life, which is made possible through eating mindfully, and connecting to ourselves on a deeper level through the practices offered in this book. Tova focuses on the importance of approaching things as a practice, and taking daily, consistent action to create lasting change. In this book, Tova gives you the information, strategies, and practices to make these lasting changes which will not only leave you with more energy and health due to what you are feeding yourself, but the practices will give you the keys to deeper satisfaction and a truly rich life.
January 11, 2014
7 Qualities Of Truly Great Leaders
Champions are driven by a creative impulse to fulfill missions of personal improvement and human advancement.
Being a true champion means understanding yourself in relation to the greater puzzle of life. From this wisdom springs your life’s true purpose. A champion doesn’t get distracted by the temptations of the ego. A champion transcends beyond the shallow, self-fulfilling desire to simply win someone over.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com
December 28, 2013
A Heartfelt Farewell to 2013
This year, like so many years gone by, we have seen a mass exodus of people from this place we dearly call home to the unknown realms. From tech visionaries to movie stars; popular politicians to little known, yet dedicated social workers; musicians to mathematicians, from healers to entertainers – we lost many individuals and endured much grief over the past year. We have bid a heartfelt, sometimes agonizing goodbye to some of the nearest and dearest, so cherished by us that we still hear their voices and live out their messages, which remain deeply seeded in our minds.
After losing a loved one, for some, it feels as though they lost everything in their life. Why?
Just like the face sees not itself, but the reflection from something other than itself, we tend to see ourselves through the eyes of others. And when that someone is no more, we feel a void in our lives that seems impossible to fill. These are the people who have shown us patience in adversity and peace in prosperity. When they are gone, their beacon of hope seems ever absent – until it is replaced by someone else.
It’s hard to explain what it is that makes that exceptional person so special in our life. No logical reasoning can explain their charm; their presence can only be described as transcendent, something senses can’t describe.
At times, those whom we plan – plan big – to share our lives with are taken away into the unknown prematurely. The mortality of time rushes over with us and life seems to suddenly come to a halt. All hope is lost as we are forced to face the reality of our own fragility, a level of vulnerability never known to us before. Before their death, time seemed infinite. But when they are gone, our own mortality brutally reveals itself.
While space and time have separated these loved ones from our current reality, we live on, impacted by their presence – they left a legacy, their footprints in our minds. They merely vanished into the hearts of us still here – thus living on.
As the jukebox of the new year spins for many things – courage, pain, adventure, loss, mystery, success – let’s hope that we all beat to the rhythm of one tune that connects us as one – love and compassion.
A photo album of some of the people who left us in 2013. (click on the image to enlarge)
December 27, 2013
2013 Roundup
As another year draws to a close, I wanted to share my most popular and most loved write-ups (or thoughts).
As usual, the “best” is rarely the same as popular.
Which means that if we keep track of doing our best work, we can avoid the distraction of letting someone else decide if we’ve done a good job or not.
Here are a few that I composed this year:
1. http://buff.ly/1kMvcx0 – this one… was shared by close to 8000 people so far.
2. http://buff.ly/1kMvfcc – this is close to my heart!
3. http://buff.ly/1kMvcx1 – this is an interesting travel experience
and few more in “writings” section of this site.
These seemingly trivial writing exercises have given me a change to see the majesty of life, beyond my petty little self.
I wish all of you peace,
Rajeev
December 11, 2013
Changing Dynamics of Marriage Explained
Photograph: Jens Bonnke
We take great comfort in treating marriage as a timeless tradition. Overtime, people have adopted their lifestyles for staying in a long-term relationship, sometimes for convenience, other times for a mutually beneficial social support. And then there are those who stay in marriage for the respect and legal protection a marriage provides.
It is interesting to see just how people have changed their conventional roles within their relationships to make the concept of eternal monogamy work.
Click here to read the complete article on MORE magazine.
Throughout history, civilizations have invented various ways to nurture and protect this institution of marriage in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged. If we look back, we will discover how different tribes adopted laws that governed marital status of couple. One such tribe is early Celtic civilization in Great Britain.
Read the here to see just how different, yet so similar, marriage once was: Marriage Laws in Celtic Britain.
December 5, 2013
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
Written in 1902, this short volume was exceptionally written by James Allen and continues to serve as a guiding post for those who seek a meaningful life. As of 12/2013, this book has close to 11,500 reviews on Goodreads.com with a 4.3 rating, which is remarkable. This is a must read folks!
The foreword explains it all: “This little volume (the result of meditation and experience) is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written-upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that—
“They themselves are makers of themselves.”
This short read is richly equipped with life changing insights such as: “Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves” and “Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.” And many more..
Here is the free PDF version: As a Man Thinketh
Here is the free Audio version:
December 1, 2013
All You Need to Know About Sleep
I have summarized the most important points from a TED speech titled Why do we sleep? by circadian neuroscientist, Russell Foster. Foster shares three popular theories about why we sleep and busts a few myths about how much sleep we need at different ages.
SLEEP Must know facts
The average person spends 36 percent of his/her lifetime asleep.
If you live to 90, about 30 years of that will be spent entirely asleep.
Our attitude towards sleep in the 20th century: We used Thomas Edison’s light bulb to invade the night and we occupied the dark, and in the process, we have treated sleep more like an illness than a necessity.
While we tend to think that we don’t do much when we are asleep, there is actually a lot happening in our brain – some areas are even more active during sleep than during our wake state.
Within the brain, the set of genes associated with restoration and rebuilding metabolic pathways have been shown to be turned on only during sleep.
Most important activity that sleep confers is memory consolidation. Not simply laying down memory and recalling it, but the ability to come up with anything from novel ideas to solutions to complex problems is hugely enhanced by a night’s sleep. Important neural connections are improved while less important ones fade away.
Sleep deprivation and weight gain: If you sleep around five hours or less every night, you have a 50 percent increased likelihood of being obese. The reason? Sleep loss gives rise to release of the hormone ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Ghrelin makes the brain crave carbohydrates and particularly sugars. There is and undeniable correlation between sleep deprivation and a predisposition for weight gain.
How much sleep is right for me?
a. It depends on two factors: The quality of sleep and the amount of sleep.
b. If you wake up with a headache, need lots of stimulants to keep awake, are grumpy and irritable, it means that either you had less sleep than your body requires, your quality of sleep is poor or both.
9. A huge sector of our society is sleep deprived. Lets look at our sleep-o-meter:
a. In the 1950s, reliable data suggests that most of us were getting around eight hours of sleep a night. Nowadays, we sleep one and a half to two hours less every night.
b. Teenagers need about nine hours of sleep for full brain performance. Many of them, on a school night, are only getting five hours of sleep. It’s simply not enough.
c. About 20 percent of the working population works a night shift. Our body clock does not shift to the demands of working at night. It’s locked onto the same light-dark cycle as the rest of us. So, when a shift worker goes home to try to sleep during the day, desperately tired, the body clock is saying “wake up. It’s time to be awake.” So the quality of sleep you get during the day is relatively poor. This impairs memory consolidation, recall, creative thinking, problem solving aptitude, and appetite. This lack of restorative sleep also increases impulsiveness and overall poor judgment.
Some myths about Sleep:
Teenagers are lazy: No, they are not. They have a biological predisposition to go to bed early and wake up late. This is because their brains need that much restoration for memory consolidation, building up creative skills for their young brains to face challenges ahead. So, give them a break!
Old people need less sleep: Not true. The sleep demands do not decrease with age. What’s different though is that sleep duration becomes less robust. Elderly individuals wake up after about five hours of sleep. While they sleep in fragments, the overall sleep requirements remain the same.
So, take sleep seriously. Don’t ignore what your body is telling you. A good night’s sleep improves your concentration, attention, decision-making, creativity, social skills and thus, improves your overall health and well being.
Sleep well and be healthy !
Russell Foster studies sleep and its role in our lives.
