The Idea Monk

Inspire Yourself

[theideamonk]

"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind." - Bruce Lee

Bending with the wind is not about being submissive. It is about going with the flow. Sometimes we are so resistant to change. 

I had noticed many times, in myself and in people around a great aversion that we develop for change. We want everything to be as it is. Nothing should change. 

Well.. Can you guarantee me that you would never change! Your mind would never change! Whom we hate today, we love them tomorrow and the next day we again hate.. Why next day, the very next moment the mind changes!

So why resist change.. Why not embrace it. A cold wind is blowing in life? Accept it.. A hot wind is blowing? Accept it. go with the flow and the journey would be much more smooth. 

The above quote could also be interpreted in various other ways. How would you interpret it? write to me at [email protected]

Do I have to announce a reward every time!  :) I guess we have grown beyond rewards and I hope that you would write to me for the joy of sharing your thoughts and not just for rewards!  :)

[theideamonk]

Starting today, another 10 blogs I am going to share some of the wisdom of Bruce Lee. We know him as a fighter. But he was a great philosopher and a spiritual man too. His whole mission in life was to take the teachings of Sholin Temple to the west through martial arts. 

"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough we must do."

What a powerful thought. All of us know what is right and what is wrong. We know what is good for us. We know what can get us to where we want to be. Yet, we are stuck in "DOING". So break that mental block and start applying / doing. 

[theideamonk]

We have completed many Blog series... 

- GO FISH series

- Inspiring Poem Series

- Inspired vs Despired

- Master Piece Series, and so on.. 

Here comes another one - Inspiring Short Stories (Real / Fiction)

This one is my favourite among my collection of Inspiring short stories.

Read on. And please do feel free to mail me your favourite inspiring stories to [email protected]. 

*---------MONTY ROBERTS----------*

Here’s an excerpt from No More Dreaded Mondays

When Monty Roberts was in high school, his teacher asked the class to write about what they wanted to do when they grew up. Monty wrote that he wanted to own a ranch and raise thoroughbred racehorses. His teacher gave him an F and explained that the dream was unrealistic for a boy living in a camper in the back of a pickup truck. He would never be able to make this a reality. When the teacher offered the chance to rewrite his paper for a higher grade, Monty told him, “You keep your F; I’m keeping my dream.”

Today, Monty’s 154-acre ranch in Solvang, California, is home to world-class thoroughbred racehorses, and his gentle Join-Up method of training horses (and kids) is the inspiration of companies around the world. Join-Up is a method of training horses without the use of pain or force. Monty studied the nonverbal communication between horses and gives a horse the option of accepting the leadership of a human, thus “joining up” rather than being forced into submission.  He and his wife, Pat, have raised their own three children as well as forty-seven foster children, who return regularly to spend time on the ranch. This real-life horse whisperer inspired the book of that title and the Robert Redford movie that propelled Monty to fame and fortune beyond his wildest boyhood dreams.

So, who’s been trying to talk you out of your dream? Who’s been telling you you’re crazy and it can’t be done? What level of success is that person experiencing? Did you ever notice that most naysayers and dream kickers are unhappy and unfulfilled themselves? Don’t let them bring you down to their level. Find people who are already performing at the level at which you’d like to be. You’ll find they will encourage and inspire you even more.

What dream are you bringing to life this year?  And how are you getting past the naysayers?

Source:48days.com

[theideamonk]

I was not a great literature student. But after I got pursuing spirituality and I started looking for inspiration, I found it in poetry. There are a few poems that have really inspired me and set me thinking. 

I train teachers by profession. I travel across the country and I meet a lot of teachers. When I ask them to write their own poetry, at first they resist. "Poetry! I don't think I can write poetry!" they say. But when I insist, they come up with some really good ones. 

All of us have learnt poetry at school. But, how many of us would have got chance to write our own poetry at school!

So here is a chance. Write your own poetry or share some of the poems that have truly inspired you. 

Let's share, read, appreciate and get inspired. 

You can mail me your poetry at [email protected]

Looking forward.

[theideamonk]

Once, a Junior School teacher asked her students to bring some potatoes in a plastic bag to school. Each potato will be given a name of the person whom that child hates. Like this, the number of potatoes will be equal to the number of persons they hate.  On a decided day, the children brought their potatoes well addressed. Some had two, some had three and some had even five potatoes.  The teacher said they have to carry these potatoes with them everywhere they go for a week.  As the days passed the children started to complain about the spoiled smell that started coming from these potatoes. Also some students who had many potatoes complained that it was very heavy to carry them all around. The children got rid of this assignment after a week, when it got over.  The teacher asked, "How did you feel in this one week?"  The children discussed their problems about the smell and weight.  Then the teacher said, "This situation is very similar to what you carry in your heart when you don't like some people. This  ill-feeling makes your heart unhealthy and you carry that hatred in your heart everywhere you go. If you can't bear the smell of spoiled potatoes for a week, imagine the impact on your heart of this ill-feeling that you carry throughout your life." Our heart is a beautiful garden that needs a regular cleaning of unwanted weeds. Forgive those who have not behaved with you as expected and forget the bad things. This also makes room available for storing good things ! 

Have a great day, with no smelly potatoes in your bag but just goodies! :)

[theideamonk]

[theideamonk]

IMPROVEMENT was THE GOAL!

NEVER the MEDAL!

[theideamonk]

Ah! That eye-on-object look!

[theideamonk]

[theideamonk]

Source: Robin Sharma

[theideamonk]

Viewing life as a dream is one of my favourite perspective. It immediately eases out a great deal of stress from my mind. I stop demanding. I stop getting attached. I stop insisting. And more importantly, I stop worrying. I just let the life flow like a dream. Smile comes back instantly and resume my life with joy and ease.

[theideamonk]

Keep Smiling

My master always reminded us “keep smiling”. We have never seen him worried. Ever. He was the embodiment of joy and happiness. Some times I used to wonder, is it possible for someone to stay happy always! My master was a living proof. So it is possible.

While we just speak philosophy, he practiced it. I think that makes the difference.

Being cheerful and emotionally steady is a great quality of leaders. It passes on such positive energy to the whole team /  the people around us.

Try practicing this mantra “keep smiling”. I practice it and it has transformed me from an angry person to a happy person.

[theideamonk]

At work, no doubt the outcome / goal is important, but enjoy the very process of work. Give your best in the process, the outcome is going to be the best. 

[theideamonk]

"Grief is not something to tolerate. Grief is a blessing" Says the mystic poet Rumi. This sounds crazy. I read and reread this statement and it makes no sense! How can we ever see grief as a blessing! 

Grief can keep us down with guilt and anguish. It can plunge us to great depths of sorrow and misery. But when we see it as a blessing, as an opportunity to learn, as an opportunity to move to wisdom, then it helps us regain our footing and soar above the devastating moments.

Here are a few tips to follow this

- stop yourself in the middle of sorrow and ask yourself "Is there a blessing in this sorrow?" listen and follow your heart.

- Feel the loss. Express it. Yet know that the loss, the sorrow has some blessings in it. 

- Don't press for immediate change. Just allow the sorrow to be. Zoom out and view it from a macro perspective. Look for wisdom. 

[theideamonk]

To have and not to possess things is the wise way of living. For a day let's try to practice this. What is it that we hold on so tightly? Think about all the reactions this one object of attachment causes. If you want to enjoy the chocolate you have to drop the wrapper. Attachment is the wrapper. Drop it and enjoy the chocolate.

[theideamonk]

Read it later

Your first thought as you get this new blog post would be "Let me read this later."

BUT DON'T. Never snooze your daily dose of inspiration. It will hardly take a minute. Read it now. 

As Leo Babauta of Zen Habits says 

"Identify the most important thing you have to do today. Decide to do just the first little part of it — just the first minute, or even 30 seconds of it. Getting started is the only thing in the world that matters."

[theideamonk]

UBUNTU - A touching anecdote