Recommended Reading for Your Professional Journey

My favorite articles that I often refer to help recenter my professional journey:

  1. Change or Die by Alan Deutchman: In our personal and professional life — the most important thing to surviving and thriving is change; however, whether it a pre-diabetic individual focusing on health and wellness or a impatient manager realizing he or she needs to change, change seems almost impossible. This article delves into the science and art of change.
  2. The Brand Called You by Tom Peters: The new economy is an economy of tiny companies — we each have our own company; we each have our portfolio of clients (our jobs) and we each have our own brand: the brand of you. This article is 15 years before its time and it shows the kind of thought leader that Tom Peters is.
  3. The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time by Tony Shwartz: So many of feel burnt out or stressed or like zombies when we work. Tony Shwartz discusses on tiny personal and management habits that can transform your professional life.
  4. Create a Meaningful Life Through Meaningful Work by Umair Haque: Umair Haque’s amazing HBR article on creating meaningful life through meaningful work. Does your work: stand the test of time? test of excellence? The test of you? Umair writes with heart and reason, and, most importantly, it sticks. I want to meet this guy and learn everything he knows.

[Continually updated]

Deepak Chopra Notes from Super Soul Sunday

Problems and Solutions:
+ Problem means you are living in a contracted state of being (i.e. fear)
+ Solutions mean you living in a connected state of being

Spirituality:
+ Recognizing that you are a spiritual being having a human experience –> that is the beginning of spirituality

Observer:
+ We are the observer behind the thoughts, not our thoughts
+ Most of the time people are not consciously observing or thinking our thoughts. Our thoughts mainly come from our previous experiences (karma), which creates our future thoughts and creates more karma

+ The highest form of intelligence is being ability to observe yourself without judging yourself.

+ Body and mind is a projection of your soul

How do you control thoughts?
+ STOP = Stop, Take Three Deep Breaths (and smile everywhere in your body), Observe What is Happening and Proceed Now with Kindness and Compassion
+ Just say “next” if you don’t like a thought
+ Take a deep breath, since one cannot think and take a breath at the same time

Karma:
+ For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
+ Ultimate affirmation of free will: the actions of the past, create the present circumstances
+ The worst thing you can say about another contains a truth about yourself
+ The more positive energy you put out there, the more you receive, the more you can put out there
+ Prison of Karma: Conditioning of the past that rules of the life.

Mirror
+ What you say about others is a reflection of what you think about yourself
+ Everybody does the best they can at whatever stage of life they are in
+ When judge others, you are judging yourself
+ You don’t have a soul, you are a soul. You don’t have a body, you are wearing a body.

How do you maintain positive attitude?
+ I learn from the past, I rejoice in the present, and I re-imagine the future.
+ I use memories but I will not allow memories to use me.

Be Present
+ The best way to prepare for the future is to be present now
+ Become the director, producer and hero of your own life

What are some important questions?
+ Who am I?
+ What do I want?
+ What is my purpose?
+ What are my unique strengths?
+ What do I expect in meaningful relationship?
+ When you can answer who am I and what I want without saying what you do, then you are on a spiritual path

How do you lead a more spiritual life?
+ If you want to be happy, make someone else happy.
+ If you want to find the right person, then become the right person.
+ If you want to see the change in the world, then be the change.

Where you are is the point of arrival. In the West, there is always a point of arrival in the future and because of this you are never in the present.

Source: Oprah Interview with Deepak Chopra

The Guest House by Rumi

Made with Paper
Darling, the body is a guest house;
every morning someone new arrives.
Don’t say, “O, another weight around my neck!”
or your guest will fly back to nothingness
Whatever enters your heart is a guest
from the invisible world; entertain it well.
Every day and every moment a thought comes
like an honored guest into your heart.
My soul, regard each thought as a person,
for every person’s true value
is in the quality of the thoughts they hold
If a sorrowful thought stands in the way,
it is also preparing the way for joy.
It furiously sweeps your house clean,
in order than some new joy
may appear from the Source.
It scatters the withered leaves
from the bough of the heart,
in order that fresh green leaves might grow.
It uproots the old joy so that
a new joy may enter from Beyond.
Sorrow pulls up the rotten root
that was hidden from sight.
Whatever sorrow takes away
or causes the heart to sacrifice,
it puts something better in its place —
especially for one who is certain
the sorrow is the servant of the intuitive.
Without the frown of clouds and lightning,
the vines would be burned by the smiling sun.
Both good and bad luck
become guests in your heart;
like plants traveling from sign to sign.
When something transits your sign,
adapt yourself,
and be as harmonious as its ruling sign.
so that when it rejoins the Moon,
it will speak kindly to the Lord of the heart.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
~ Rumi