The best book I've read this year

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Childrenby John Wood is a fantastic example of what an inspirational book should be like. Inspired on a hiking trip in the Himalayas, Wood, a former Microsoft exec, left his job and founded Room to Read. This charity builds schools, libraries and funds the education of girls throughout the Third World.

If reading about education and projects in remote mountain villages is not your thing, pick up the book just for the writing. Who knew that a MS official could write so beautifully?!

I've read 40+ books this year; this one beats everyone of them hollow. I couldn't put it down. Even in the midst of worrying about our luggage which has finally touched Indian shores, I wanted to know what happened next.

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World inspires me to get on with my own plans to do something innovative. Remember my quest for public libraries in India? Reminds me of that quote from Om Shanti Om - "अगर किसी चीज़ को तुम पुरे दिल से चाहते हो तो पुरा कायनात उसे जुटाने में लग जाता है।" (If you wish for something from the bottom of your heart, the universe conspires to fulfil your desire)

Could this be the universe telling me something?
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Learn more about Room to Read
More about the book

Watch John Wood speaking about distributing books in Nepal

A thought for 2008

We spend January 1 walking through our lives,room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done,cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list,we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives ...not looking for flaws, but for potential.

~ Ellen Goodman

Source : The latest FFW newsletter

Something to think about

Cheryl Richardson's latest newsletter is taken from a commencement speech she gave to a graduating class some time ago. We could learn a lot from this, irrespective of whether we are kids or adults. There's something here for everyone no matter where you are in your life at the moment.

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Dear Class,

For the last fifteen years I've worked as a coach helping people to create great lives. I've guided artists, entrepreneurs, corporate employees, or moms and dads through the process of identifying their goals and crafting an action plan, and then I've held them accountable for taking the actions that will improve the quality of their lives. I've learned a lot about what makes for a great life -
a life that honors who we really are; our values and most treasured priorities. And I've learned about what gets in the way.

Today I'd like to share a list of ten things my clients tell me they wish they had known earlier in life (me too!). As difficult as it is to listen to adults, trust me, if you take even one piece of advice
from this list and use it, you've got a much better chance of leading a full and happy life.

1. Relax. Nowadays there's too much pressure put on kids to make the "perfect" career choice. You're still young. Give yourself plenty of time to chart your own course. After all, current studies show that adults will change careers (not jobs) 5 to 7 times in a lifetime. We all have multiple gifts and talents that need to be honored and expressed. The choices you make today will grow and evolve over time, so don't worry. Think of your career as a long-term portfolio of jobs that will express the fullness of who you are. There are no perfect choices.

Read the rest of the article here.

Reach out

For those of us fascinated with the idea of projects like bookcrossing, here are a few others that I've discovered. What fabulous ideas! Go on, participate!

- Post crossing : Register to send/receive an actual (not e-mail) postcard from a random postcrosser somewhere in the world. My first one is to send a postcard to a 15 year old girl in Finland! Great if you're into stamps as well. You can choose how anonymous you want to be.

- Toy Voyager.com - Share a toy. Each ToyVoyager has a travelog on the toyvoyager website which becomes a history of its journey. The idea is that anybody who finds a ToyVoyager adds to its adventure by taking it places, updating its travelog and then releasing it to somebody else. Toys are usually handed over to someone personally or left in a public space like a cafe, with permission. They are not left in random places to avoid security scares.

- http://travelinghope.blogspot.com/ : project to make journals travel around the world to make people more aware of the the problem of cancer.

- The Wandering Moleskin Project : Moleskinerie is a blog dedicated to the proposition that not all notebooks are created equal. Its impeccable provenance notwithstanding this site talks more about the places and adventures, life's little dramas and other forgettable events that otherwise would have been lost were it not scrawled between the pages of these little black books.

- The 1000 journals project : The 1000 Journals Project is an ongoing, collaborative experiment attempting to follow 1000 journals throughout their travels.

- Phototag.org : The original sharing project that sparked the rest.

For lots more , click here : http://www.bookcrossing.com/links

Tell yourself the truth...

This is an excerpt from a newsletter that I get called 'Notes from Nancy'. I thought this one made interesting reading. See if it works for you...
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~~~~ Notes from Nancy ~~~~
Creating the Life You Want
October, 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When in doubt, tell the truth.
It will confound your enemies and astound your friends."
~ Mark Twain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm always fascinated by the stories we tell ourselves. Each of us tell a different story of our lives, even when our circumstances are similar to someone else's. Our stories make us heroes, victims, and martyrs. We tell the stories of our lives either about what happened to us or what we made happen. Stories of what happened to us are often about what others did that made us who we are. Stories of what we made happen are stories about how we changed our lives.

In my work I often ask for biographies. You can tell a lot about a person even in a one page biography. Is it about what they did or what was done to them? Do they believe their life is based on what others did to them or on their choices?

We tell stories all the time and for lots of reasons. We tell stories about what happened, stories to justify what we said or did, to defend ourselves, or because it is easier to blame someone else. We tell stories that sound good, stories so we don't have to explain, and stories so we don't have to change. If you don't think you tell stories answer this: have you ever looked at the caller ID, decided not to pick up because the person on the other end was a complainer or drained your energy and then later when asked said you weren't home? Ever want to impress someone and embellish a story - just a bit?

After we make up or embellish enough stories we begin to forget we are making them up and begin to believe them ourselves which is the beginning of the end. As we believe our own stories we loose track of the truth, it becomes buried, and so we loose the ability to change the situation - we get stuck. Let me give you an example.

You come home from work, tired and cranky, and you don't want to cook. You grumble to your partner: "I work hard all day, I'm tired, I don't want to cook after a long day at work any more." If you stick to your story and don't look any further you will either stop cooking or cook with so little enjoyment that no one else will enjoy it either. You won't notice that you also don't want to cook when you're not tired, or when you're not working. You won't notice that the kitchen depresses you because its dreary and needs a new coat of paint or more light. You won't remember that it's been a long time since you tried a new recipe or that you're feeling unappreciated. Instead you'll dig your heels in - and be stuck.

How can it be different?

Listen to yourself as you tell a story. You may be telling what happened at work, why you're angry at someone, the reason you failed or succeeded. Listen carefully. If you can, tape or write down what you actually say.

Ask yourself: is this true or am I telling myself a story? Could it be something else? Is that what really happened?

Take your emotions out of it, be a detective, look for the facts: "Just the facts, ma'am." Is it every day? Just when you work? What part do you dislike the most: preparing, cooking, eating, clean-up?

Tell the truth. If what really bothers you is that everyone sits in front of the TV even after you've put dinner on the table or people eat and take off, tell them. (Kindly!) Tell them not what they are doing but how it makes you feel: "I feel like nobody cares or appreciates what I do." Tell them what you need: "I really need acknowledgement that this is a meal you enjoyed or that you would prefer something different." "I would really appreciate everyone sitting a little longer and talking about their day rather than jumping up and running back to their game, computer, TV, etc."

Keep digging. Sometimes what we find at first is not the real issue. Sometimes we don't even like what is the real issue or what it represents. However being really honest with ourselves is the only road to freedom.

Practice telling the truth. Start in little things and work your way up. Remember this is not about making someone else wrong but about admitting what you really feel. You can feel angry when someone cuts in front of you, but they didn't make you angry.

On some level you always know the truth, that's why you feel like a fake, and the deeper the truth lies, the more you fool yourself, the unhappier you are though you don't know why. You're unhappy because you're lying, because you begin to live the lie, because you are no longer truthful with the most important person in the world - you.

Change the story.
Change your life.
It's up to you.

http://www.nancybaker.net

43 things

www.43things.com reminds me of my list of 'Things to Do before I Die' . Everybody should have a list written down, or so I think. It helps you remember your dreams and things you promised yourself you would do when you're grown up. Last I remember, I had about 57 things on that list. Of that, I had managed to cross off, about , umm, nine. Yeah, Nine. I have a long way to go yet.

How many dreams do you have on your list, yet unfulfilled?

Calling all MW's: The CHOICE Program

The CHOICE programme is being held at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Bandra (W), Near Mt.Mary's Church from 9 am on Sat 9 July 2005 to 5 pm on Sunday 10 July 2005. This is a residential workshop.

The programme aims to help participants develop their relational skills - commmunication, commitment, etc to achieve belonging within family and close relationships. Registration is open to only 25 persons (either college or working); charges are Rs 450/- for working persons, and Rs 400/- for college students. (for course material, boarding & lodging)>For more details, e-mail thechoiceprogram@yahoo.com or call 9820001439 (no missed calls, please!)

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Attending the Choice Programme has been a turning point in my life. The programme came to me at a time when I needed it. Twice. First, in 1989, when I, along with my long time school friend, now psychiatrist Deepak were sponsored by our parish priest to attend. I went back in 1998, when I felt I needed to experience it again. And this time, I stayed back after the weekend ended to be a part of the team that conducted the program. For me, Choice was more than just a weekend experience of meeting new people, making new friends and sharing life stories. Choice changed something fundamental in me. It rooted me, in a way; gave me a sense of balance, of being, of belonging, that I've rarely found elsewhere. Choice, is not a religious workshop, although it originally was (and mostly, still is) run by Catholics. If you are a Mumbaiwallah who would like to make some sense of your life, spend a weekend with the Choice Team. I wish I was there at this time to participate..... maybe next time. Make the most of it and go register!

The postman rings twice

The one good thing about not seeing you is that I can write you letters.

~Svetlana Alliluyeva

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Perhaps I have more time on my hands than most people I know. Which perhaps explains why I feel the desire to take up my letter-writing again. Okay, so there's email to keep in daily touch with family and friends. And there's this blog in case anybody is even remotely interested in my daily doings. But letters, aah, there's a joy to writing and receiving letters that email can never rival. When was the last time the postman left a envelope for you with a distant stamp postmarked a week or more ago ? When was the last time you gleefully opened a letter or read a postcard with eager hands, knowing the news (old already, through email!), but relishing each written word, watching the scrabbly writing change as the page progressed, knowing that fingers used to a keyboard took the effort to shape words out of ink and put them on paper, merely that you can smile?

It's a wonderful feeling receiving letters. I remember the sheer amazement I felt when Mr.R and I started corresponding through snail mail. We were in constant touch through email and chat. And yet, every few days, the postman (grumbling, I'm sure) brought another envelope postmarked and Air-mailed. It was a peculiar joy to come home from work and find either a letter, a card, a magazine on writing or perhaps even a little book waiting for me, with (old) news, or just a line penned on a train. Receiving, usually means writing back too. It's difficult at first - fingers not used to writing long pages with pens suddenly find themselves struggling to keep pace with the flow of words. One can't edit (scratches look terrible!), one can't spell-check after it's done, one can't even change the font or emphasize with italics unless one's calligraphy is very good. Apart from that, writing a letter and posting it secretly (ah,imagine the look on the receiver's face!) is fun enough!

Anyway, now that Mr.R is right here, looking over my shoulder, I'm not posting to him these days. I'm going to, instead, write to people back home - friends and family. Letters, postcards from where ever I go....can't wait to get started! Never mind the postage, never mind if nobody writes back to me; I'm going to enjoy myself doing this! Any wannabe pen-pals out there? Email me first (he,he!)

For those already on my mailing list (sounds like spam!), watch out, the postman may ring twice! :)

In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing,
we forget what an important part it used to play in people's lives.
~Anatole Broyard

Healthy Holidays

(From Cheryl Richardson's newsletter for this week)

"The body must be nourished physically, emotionally and spiritually. We're spiritually starved in this culture -- not underfed but undernourished."
--Carol Hornig

~*~ Topic of the Week ~*~

Well, it's the time of year when many of us will visit with family and friends for vacation and holiday celebrations. During an interview with a reporter last week, we talked about the pros and cons of holiday gatherings and the reasons why so many people have a tendency to
overindulge in food and drink during this time of year. I suggested that it may be because we're so hungry for soul-nourishing connection and conversation that we attempt to fill the void with a form of pseudo-nourishment through excess food and drink. Either that or we simply
use food and alcohol to medicate ourselves against the boredom of superficial chit chat.

Too often we go overboard during the holidays with the intention of making up for it in the New Year. Then, January comes around and we start beating ourselves up for letting our health go. This week I'd like to offer you a few suggestions on how to stay healthy during the next couple of weeks so that you set yourself up for a strong start in the New Year. Here we go .

~*~ Enjoy "soul-nourishing" conversations. When attending social gatherings spend more time having meaningful discussions. For example, rather than stand around the food table talking to a co-worker about your latest work problem, sit down and have a heartfelt conversation about a favorite memory from 2002 or an important goal for 2003. Don't get pulled into the gossip about Aunt Millie's constant complaining and instead, take the kids outside to run around or make a snowman. Trust me, the nourishment of intimacy and fun will curb your cravings for food and alcohol.

~*~ Get out and move your body. Gather friends together and go carolling, bundle up and go for a walk after a meal, or stroll around the neighborhood to look at lights. Personally I'm hoping for snow over the next two weeks so I can cross-country ski or take my nieces and nephews to a local tube sledding park. Remember, our bodies need fresh air and sunshine in order to run properly.

~*~ Eat protein first. When attending parties, start your meals with some kind of protein (meat, eggs, nuts, cheese, etc.) so you have less room for carbs like cakes, candy, or cookies. While you'll need to be mindful of how much protein you eat, choosing it as your first food selection will not only help you to feel satisfied and full, it will curb your cravings for sugar.

~*~ Drink plenty of water. Now that the weather is cold and dry we all need to be more conscious of staying hydrated. Bring a bottle of water with you wherever you go and remember that alcohol, soft drinks, coffee, and tea are not hydrating liquids.

~*~ Be willing to bow out of the parties that leave you feeling empty inside. Choosing to disappoint someone else may be just what you need to do to make sure that you don't disappoint yourself. Simply tell friends or family members that you need to sit this one out. Your "soul-care" is always a valid excuse.

Most of all, relax and have fun over the next couple of weeks. We are making memories during every moment of our lives. Make sure that yours are worth remembering!

~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~

Decide to make at least one change in your behavior this holiday season so you can feel better about yourself. You might choose to eat before going to a party or limit your alcohol consumption to one drink. The trick is to plan ahead so you'll be less tempted to overindulge. Good luck!

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An exercise for December

An excerpt from Cheryl Richardson's newsletter this week. Reminds me of my diary reading adventure two days ago! Spooky, I tell you! :)

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"Find your true path. It's so easy to become someone we don't want to be, without even realizing it's happening." --Bernie Siegel, MD

~*~ Topic of the Week ~*~

Last February, I offered you an experiment designed to helped you uncover valuable information about yourself and the gifts and talents you may be meant to share with others. I asked you to put this information away until the end of the year, when I offered a "part 2" to the experiment. This week's newsletter fulfills that promise. First, reread the earlier newsletter below. Then, follow the "Take Action Challenge" to learn more about yourself. If you didn't participate in the experiment, don't worry. These exercises are a perfect year-end planning tool. Here we go . . .

From February:

While doing research for my next book I found several exercises in an old journal, that I used to help me explore my life's purpose. I was shocked to find that 80% of my answers were directly related to what I do today. At the time that I completed these exercises, I was twenty-five years old and struggling to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. As I read through the entries it was obvious that, in retrospect, I knew more about myself and what I was meant to do than I realized at the time.

There's something about keeping a journal or writing private thoughts in a notebook that activates our inner wisdom. While your entries might seem like random thoughts or ideas, often they contain vital information about who you are and what you've come here to do. This week I thought we'd try an experiment. Below are some exercises for you to complete in a journal or notebook. Once you've finished them, I want you to tuck this information away until the end of the year. In December, I'll ask you to retrieve it in order to complete part 2 of this experiment.

Think of this assignment as a special Valentine's Day gift to yourself. Taking time out of your busy life to reflect on who you are and what you want is one of the key ways that we influence the direction of our lives. To make it easier, break the exercise into five parts and complete one
part a day over the next week. Work on it during your lunch hour or while the kids are at school. When we get to part 2 in December, you'll be glad you made the investment in yourself.

Once you complete these exercises follow the "Take Action Challenge" below to complete part 2 of the experiment. Enjoy!

1. Finish the following sentence stems with at least ten answers for each one:

I am
I will not
I would like
I will
I love
I hate

2. What advice would you give yourself at this time in your life? (fill at least one page)

3. Imagine you were interviewing *you* and answer the following questions:

~*~ What three major choices brought you to this point in your life?
~*~ Looking back, what three things do you wish you had tried?
~*~ If you had to choose an object that represented your future, what would it be?
~*~ If you had to choose an object that represented your past, what would it be?
~*~ What tasks or assignments would you say you've been given in your life so far?

4. Complete the following four exercises:

~*~ List three internal changes you'll need to make to live a more meaningful life.
~*~ List three external changes you'll need to make to live a more meaningful life.
~*~ List three positive qualities that you feel proud of possessing.
~*~ List three qualities that you'd like to develop.

5. If you could try five new jobs over the next year what would they be?

~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~

To complete part two of this experiment, read through your answers to the exercises above and, using your journal, take time to answer the following questions:

What themes or patterns do you see?
Which answers *feel* right, but scary?
What life lessons have you needed to work through?
If you were meant to teach others three things, what would they be?
How is "who" you are, related to "what" you might offer others?
What one theme best reflects your life lesson thus far?
What have you learned about yourself since you completed the first experiment?
What advice would you give yourself now?

Using the first and second person, write at least one page in your journal completing each of these two sentence stems:

When I read through my answers, I notice that I . . .
When I read through the answers, I notice that (your name) . . .

Finally, what are three specific action steps you need to take to do something with what you've learned from the experiments? Challenge yourself to take these steps *before* the New Year!

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The Thank You game

Cheryl Richardson has always been one of my favorite 'life coaches'. Her weekly newsletters with a 'take action challenge' for every week often spur me to do things that I would not normally. This weeks newsletter has her annual "The Thank You Game".

There are so many people out there who work with/for us everyday silently in the background, without a word of thanks or a smile in return. It doesn't cost us anything to show thankfulness or gratitude, yet most of us walk about with a chip on our shoulder often saying, "It's their work, they get paid for it. Why should I say thank you?" To these people, one just wants to ask, "How do YOU feel when someone says a thank-you or acknowledges your contribution, even though it's just part of your daily work or something relatively 'minor' in the scheme of things?".

Think about it. Gratitude is one of the best gifts to give, this holiday season. I'll start the game by saying a big Thank you to all my online friends, both known and anonymous, many of you just names on imaginary faces. Thank you for visiting my blog to read about my version of the world. Thank you for your comments, your criticisms, your affection. Hope to see you in the New Year, happy with the way your lives are progressing. Good luck and God bless!

Cheryl's "The Thank You Game" from this weeks newsletter
~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." --Leo Buscaglia


~*~ Topic of the Week ~*~

This week's newsletter is our annual "Thank You Game" broadcast with a few updates. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, it's a wonderful way to bring some unexpected kindness and gratitude to others.

The object of the "Thank You Game," is to find a creative and inexpensive way to thank or acknowledge those people in your life that often get overlooked. For example you might do something like:

1. Send a bouquet of flowers to a busy mom.

2. Offer support to a military family in your community. You might send a note of comfort, help out with work around the house, or offer to take someone to lunch. Some of these folks have been away from their loved ones for several months and could really use your loving kindness.

3. Speak to the boss of an administrative assistant who has provided you with exceptional care, and let him or her know about how great you were treated.

4. Send a thank you card to someone who would least expect it like your auto mechanic, lawyer, accountant, dental hygienist, or doctor. If you own a deck of self-care cards, include a card, too.

5. Bring a box of chocolates to your post office and let the employees know that you appreciate them (from what I'm told, they rarely get this kind of acknowledgment).

6. Leave a larger than normal tip for a favorite wait person.

7. While driving, make it a point to stop and let others into traffic (smile too!).

8. Bring a box of brownies to your local fire or police station to thank them for their protection and hard work throughout the year (I do this every year and I'm telling you, the shocked faces make for half the fun).

9. Send a free "self-care" e-card to thank someone special. You'll find them on our website here: http://www.cherylrichardson.com/postcard/

10. Write the words "thank you" on the bills you pay this month.

11. Bring some homemade cookies to a local Veteran's home.

12. Send a note of thanks to the favorite coach who takes good care of your son or daughter.

Whatever you decide to do, unleash your creative spirit and have some fun. As you play The Thank You Game you'll probably discover that saying thank you and giving to others feels so good you'll want to do it throughout the year!

~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~

Stop for a moment and browse through your address book to identify the people who serve you, keep you safe, or help make your life easier in some way. Then, consider the people in your neighborhood, community, family or friends. Who could use a special acknowledgment this week? Make a list of at least five people and thank one special person every day!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Care more than others
think wise.

Risk more than others
think safe.

Dream more than others
think practical.

Expect more than others
think possible.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An idea...

Can we start something like this in India?

http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/

A thought for today

We are here on Earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I do not know.
-W.H.Auden

The Lemming Dilemma

"The Lemming Dilemma" is a lovely little illustrated book, for all ages (you can read it in about an hour or less). The book follows the principles of "The Fifth Discipline" by Peter Senge and (I think) explains the concepts more clearly than the original work.

Lemmings jump off cliffs. Why do they do this? No one really knows. Some scientists, having nothing better to do, have puzzled over this question for decades. Maybe this behavior is instinctual. Maybe it's culturally conditioned. Whatever the answer, thousands of lemmings the world over continue to march to the edges of cliffs and simply leap into the great unknown.

Among lemmings, this behavior is considered normal. Take, for example, the annual "Great Lemming JumpFest." Rarely witnessed by scientists, this eagerly anticipated event features dancing, barbecue, and Elvis impersonations, and culminates in the "Big Leap."

Lemmings never think about why they jump off cliffs. They just do it.Until one day Emmy the Lemming questions "Why?" And Lemming Life would never be the same again.

The story is engaging, but what I liked most was the explanations and questions for introspection at the end of the book. And it ended with a light bulb moment for me : I know what I want to do the rest of my life! The clarity is so clear (what a sentence!) that I wonder how I was muddling through all these years. Everything falls into place suddenly and the path ahead is all at once clear, visible and familiar. I know what I have to do now; it's just a question of when. I have the answers to The How's and The Why's. It is the 'When' that will put me on the road to what I'm meant to be doing...

And that better be soon *talking to myself here*

It's a good moment when you think you know what you're here for on this planet. Life suddenly looks brighter. I have Options and a way to get this dream out into the world.

Options and Dreams are a good thing to have.

The legacy you leave

A 'forward' that I'd like to share...

The legacy you leave

All you will leave behind for the world to remember is your Legacy, so ask yourself :

- Will you have earned the respect of your peers and the admiration of your critics?
- Will you have acted humbly at the peak of succes and graceful in the face of defeat?
- will you have kept your childlike wonder and revelled in the beauty of the world adn the small miracles that each day brought?
- Will you be remembered for how often you laughed adn brought smiles to others?
- Will small children and the eldery have been overjoyed to be around you?
- Will others have trusted you with their innermost secrets?
- Will you have forgiven and offered heartfelt apology?
- Will you have looked for the very best, and done your utmost to build worth, in others?
Will you have fed a hungry child or clothed a naked man or given hope to a stranger in dire need?
- Will you have left this world a better place by the life you have lived?

What Legacy will You leave?