Musings On The Road

I travel on a road,
To a place I have to go,
If I want to be there,
I don't even know.

Lack of space,
Sweaty race,
Fear and anger,
Set the pace.

Enjoy the journey,
Is what they all say,
And I am yet to see
Many a cheerful face.

The one whizzing faster,
The one weaving through,
Do they have it figured
Or do they even wonder?

At the destination,
There's no pot of gold,
If I travel again the same road,
Will a different story unfold?

The Walk of Couples

Near my workplace is a park with lot greenery, a playground and a walking track. On some evenings I go there for a leisurely walk, while allowing my mind to drift and gain some new perspectives on some issues. The park bustles with activity with men and women indulging in some form of exercise, children playing and with people just chatting.

There are three different categories of couples who visit the park. The ones in their early twenties, who sit on the benches, talking to each other, lost in each other's eyes, oblivious to the world; the ones in their late twenties to forties, who come to the park together for their exercise but walk separately at varying speeds; and then the elderly who walk very slowly together with occasional bursts of conversations.

I think, this pattern is also indicative of how we act in the journey of life. Young couples start of with love as the foundation of their aspirations and actions. They dream their dreams together. At some stage, they migrate their efforts to proving and establishing themselves, and their partner becomes someone in the periphery of the overall priorities. In the never ending chase for fame and proving their worth, times passes, children grow up, friends drift apart and younger folks outpace them at work. Now they realize that their partner is the one who is still willing to walk with them at their now diminished pace. They turn their attention to their partners perhaps out of necessity or perhaps to discover the love which to begin with had given them wings.

Why doesn't it become obvious early on that a journey with love even if traveled at a slower pace will provide more growth and happiness than a solo race to a mirage?

The Most Generous Country

According to the World Giving Index (WGI), published by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), based on trends seen in 2014, the most generous country in the world is Myanmar.

The WGI measures three different kinds of giving undertaken by people in the past month: 1. Donation of money, 2. Volunteering and 3. Helping a stranger. For this year 145 countries were surveyed.

Ninety two percent of Myanmar's population donated money and 50% volunteered their time. It is possible that the country's generosity may reflect its culture of Theravada Buddhism.

The other countries forming the list of  top 10 in the WGI are United States, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Ireland and Malaysia.

One very interesting finding is that only 5 G20 countries are present in this year's Top 20, indicating that economic prosperity does not automatically lead to increase in generosity.

In this survey, India ranks 106th, last among the South Asian countries. However due to the large population, India has the greatest number of givers. In 2014, more than 183 million gave money and more than 334 million helped a stranger.

Correlation between Generosity and Happiness

I thought it would be a good idea to compare the rankings of the most generous countries with their happiness rankings to determine if there is an apparent correlation between generosity and happiness.

According to the World Happiness Report 2015, the following is the happiness ranking of the top 10 generous nations: Myanmar (129), US (15), New Zealand (9), Canada (5), Australia (10), UK (21), Netherlands (7), Sri Lanka (132), Ireland (18) and Malaysia (61). India, even with a significant number of helpful people, still ranks 117 in the happiness report.

Although a number of factors determine the happiness levels of a nation, it seems obvious that people in happy nations give more, while it is debatable if generous nations are happier.

The Toll of Working Long Hours

People who work 55 hours or more per week have a 33% higher risk of stroke and a 13% higher risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who work for 35 to 40 hours per week. These are the results of a study published in the medical journal ‘The Lancet’, by Mika Kivimäki and colleagues.

In this study, the authors combined results from different independent studies (meta-analysis) and analyzed data for 603 838 men and women who were free from coronary heart disease at baseline; and 528 908 men and women who were free from stroke at baseline. The mean follow-up for coronary heart disease 8.5 years and for stroke the mean follow-up was 7.2 years.The association between long working hours and the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease remained even after adjusting for factors like age, sex, and health behaviours.

To explain the increased risk, the authors suggest behavioural mechanisms like physical inactivity, higher alcohol consumption, ignoring symptoms of cardiovascular disease and repetitive triggering of the stress response.

What factors influence stress related to a job? Here’s a list:

a) Job strain: Work is highly demanding but the employee has no or low control over it.

b) Low social support at work.

c) Effort and reward imbalance: Employee perceives that the income/ status/respect do not match the effort that goes into doing the job.

d) Organizational injustice: Unfair treatment, disregard for viewpoints, lack of information regarding decision making.

A powerful way to minimize work related stress and to in-fact make it pleasurable is to develop a calling orientation with the work. People with a calling orientation perceive their work as intrinsically enjoyable and fulfilling. They do not work for the financial gain or status enhancement but permeate their work with personal and social meaning.

Does your work make you happy? If not, you might be risking more than just your satisfaction.

Tulsi (Holy basil) for Stress

Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum, Family Lamiaceae; also known as Ocimum tenuiflorum) has an important place in the traditional systems of medicine in many Asian, African and South American countries. It is referred to as ‘Tulsi’ in India and its medicinal properties have been mentioned in ancient Indian medical literature namely Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita (about 1000 BC). Within Ayurveda, Tulsi has been referred to as “The Incomparable One,” “Mother Medicine of Nature” and “The Queen of Herbs,” and is considered as an “elixir of life” with both medicinal and spiritual properties.  It is considered to be an adaptogen, balancing various bodily processes, and helpful for adapting to stress. It is notable that adaptogenic herbs do not alter mood as such, but help the body function optimally during stress.

Medicines with several beneficial effects can be extracted from the leaves, stems, and seeds of the plant. Holy basil has been reported to have expectorant, antimicrobial, analgesic, anticancer, antiasthmatic, antiemetic, diaphoretic, antidiabetic, antifertility, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, radioprotective, chemoprotective, hypotensive, hypolipidemic, neuroprotective,, immunomodulatory, cognition enhancing, anti-anxiety etc properties.

There are at least two types of holy basil commonly cultivated, the Green type and the Purple type. The green type is more common and is called Sri Tulsi or Rama Tulsi, whereas the purple type is not that common and is called as Krishna Tulsi or Shyam Tulsi.

Traditionally, holy basil is taken in many forms including herbal tea, dried powder, fresh leaf, or mixed with ghee. It is often added to soups because of its peppery taste. You can consider growing your own holy basil plant from seeds or cuttings and making freshly brewed tea every day or even nibbling on a few leaves. Many Ayurvedic practitioners recommend the regular consumption of tulsi tea.

In a small sized clinical study, plant extract of holy basil (500 mg equivalent) given twice daily for 60 days decreased generalized anxiety disorders and related stress and depression. In another study, taking whole plant extract of holy basil, one capsule (400 mg equivalent) after breakfast and two capsules after dinner for 6 weeks decreased symptoms of stress, including forgetfulness, sexual problems, exhaustion, and sleep problems. In one study, extract of holy basil (300 mg equivalent) given once daily for 30 days resulted in enhanced short-term memory and attention.

Insufficient literature exists about the safety of the use of holy basil during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Animal studies suggest that large amounts of holy basil might negatively affect fertility. Holy basil might slow blood clotting, so it is advisable to stop using holy basil at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery. Although no evidence exists in published literature, precaution should be exercised while taking holy basil with medications that decrease clotting (e.g. aspirin, clopidogrel, heparin, warfarin, etc).

References:

1. Bhattacharyya D, Sur TK, Jana U, Debnath PK. Controlled programmed trial of Ocimum sanctum leaf on generalized anxiety disorders. Nepal Med Coll J. 2008; 10(3):176-9.

2. Cohen MM. Tulsi - Ocimum sanctum: A herb for all reasons. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2014;5(4):251-9.

3. Sampath S, Mahapatra SC, Padhi MM, Sharma R, Talwar A. Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) leaf extract enhances specific cognitive parameters in healthy adult volunteers: A placebo controlled study. Indian J PhysiolPharmacol 2015; 59(1): 69–77.

4. Ram Chandra Saxena, Rakesh Singh, Parveen Kumar, et al. Efficacy of an Extract of Ocimum tenuiflorum (OciBest) in the Management of General Stress: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.2012, Article ID 894509, 7 pages.

Social Capital - Why Countries Like India Cannot Ignore It

The third edition of the World HappinessReport published on 23^rd April, 2015 emphatically mentions that the proper measure of social progress should be happiness.

Many countries have pursued GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as a measure of growth. However, a lopsided pursuit of GDP has led to neglect of social and environmental objectives resulting in a negative impact on well-being. Take for example India which has a GDP of USD 2.308 trillion (Nominal; April 2015) and is ranked 7^th in terms of GDP (Nominal). However, India is ranked 117 out of 158 countries in the World Happiness Report. Similarly, in 2014, China had a GDP (Nominal) of approximately USD 10.36 trillion with a GDP rank (Nominal) of 2. However, in happiness measures it is ranked 84^th. Apparently even with a high GDP, people in these countries do not perceive a high quality of life.

Despite the general cheer around the economy and the positive notes on the growth potential, what’s the missing happiness ingredient for India? The top five happiest countries Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada, besides economic development also have a high social capital. High level of social capital includes generalized trust, good governance, and mutual support by individuals within the society. Countries with low social capital exhibit generalized distrust, pervasive corruption, and lawless behavior.

How do countries like India with an apparent low social capital increase it? The report suggests several pathways including education, moral instruction, professional codes of conduct, public opprobrium towards violators of the public trust, more effective regulation by the state to reduce public sector corruption and dangerous anti-social behavior (e.g. financial fraud, pollution, etc.), public policies to narrow income inequalities and strong social safety nets.

With most people absorbed on increasing their financial capital as the way to happiness, I wonder at what stage people will start focusing on investing in social capital.

East India Company and the Lesson for Happiness

The East India Company (EIC) was an English trading company, which traded with the Indian subcontinent. In order to carry out commercial activities from certain areas in India, the company arranged for a treaty with the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1612. This was accomplished in exchange for the promise of gifts and rarities from the European market to the emperor.  Once it got a foothold, the Company did not limit itself to commercial activities but embarked on territorial and military expansion in India. They were aided by the greed of some Indian rulers and the rivalries between them. The Indian rulers slowly started losing their autonomy, and by 1773 the EIC was directly involved in the governance of India. This private company with its own army and judiciary ruled India till 1858. During the Company rule, besides losing autonomy, affluent regions of India became impoverished. One will of course wonder why the Indian rulers allowed themselves to be lured into losing so much in return for something which started as gifts from the European market. Did they not know that it would have been preferable to curb their greed and rivalries?

Do you often buy stuff you don’t actually need? Are your decisions based on advertisements and what is considered the in thing to do? Do you guzzle down sweetened beverages without knowing why? You might know people who undergo surgeries to appear more fulsome. The modern day version of the company has already landed on the shores of the mind. We have been lured us into giving them a foothold in return for the prospective gift of happiness. However, we ought to know that given free control, they will only impoverish our being. If we want to be happy and maintain an affluent mind, we need to protect our territory. The first step is to recognize the traders as traders, understand their motives and not allow our greed and rivalry to hand over the governance of our thoughts to them. 

Key to Life and Julia Lennon

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
- John Lennon

This quote from John Lennon is often referred in messages on happiness. Particularly, because of the quote, I wondered what sort of personality did John Lennon's mother, Julia Lennon have. Although earlier biographies depicted her as a flirtatious and frivolous woman, later accounts showed her as a wonderful woman with a heart of gold, warm, jovial, playful and with a love for music. She bought John his first guitar, taught him banjo and ukulele chords and also how to play the piano accordion. She comes across as a woman for whom love was a primary motivator and who was trying to manage her life in a old-fashioned society, with a family which frequently challenged her decisions. Her tragic death in a road accident traumatized John and her memory inspired songs such as Julia and Mother. For someone who was trying to follow her heart while balancing the several demands placed on her by her family and social norms, she certainly seemed capable of conveying the message that happiness is the key to life. 

The 5 Winning Leadership Qualities of Arvind Kejriwal

 

1. Integrity

Of all the facets of leadership, integrity is the most important. Integrity goes beyond just being honest. Integrity is about being consistent, honest and trustworthy. Leaders with integrity are consistent in their words and action even during adversity. They maintain their authenticity and honesty across time and situations.

Arvind Kejriwal (AK) has consistently spoken and displayed the same core values over a period of years. Compare this with his rival for the chief minister’s position who is known to be very honest but has not displayed consistency in her stance on important issues like corruption.

Integrity builds trust because it provides an idea of a leader’s likely behaviour when an opportunity for selfish conduct presents itself.  Trust develops more at the subconscious level rather than as a series of careful thoughts. Intellectually you may not agree with AK but, instinctively you know that you can sleep peacefully if he says that he will be on watch.

2. Resilience

Resilience is the tenacity to carry on in the face of a setback despite the situation appearing hopeless. After facing a formidable blow, resilient leaders take speedy action, and not only do they bounce back quickly, they build the momentum to bounce forward.

After the Lok Sabha election, AK’s party was battered, ridiculed and morale was down. Many political commentators wrote them off. However, AK kept his focus, did not become defensive and took significant action to create a positive environment which rejuvenated the party cadre to carve out a memorable victory.

3. Judgment

One of the most important facets of leadership which remains esoteric is judgment about people and situations. It is said that with good judgment, little else matters and without good judgment, nothing else matters. The right judgment call in a crisis situation could result in glory and a wrong one could result in disaster. A leader also needs to make the right call about choosing people to depend upon to tide over challenging situations.  A leader with defined goals and a clear set of values, who spends effort in objectively understanding the environment usually gets the judgment calls right.

AK spent time understanding the political environment and defining the path which would lead his team to success in the assembly elections. He chose the candidates who would inspire confidence in the voters. When the opponents mounted their campaign, he had already studied their possible moves and his team was already prepared for it, forcing the rivals to change their strategy several times. Need it be mentioned that the judgment call for Kiran Bedi as chief minister candidate was quite wrong?

4. Communication

The leadership attribute which is essential to secure the benefits of the other leadership qualities is communication. Great leaders have the ability to communicate their ideas in a simple way which connects to a person’s emotions. They prefer to communicate the truth and their words are powered by the credibility they have generated.

Leaders who are great communicators are good listeners too and are able to sense the moods, dynamics and concerns of the people they are interacting with. They have the ability to change the presentation of their message according to the environment they are in.

AK and his team engaged the people of Delhi in a dialogue to outline the vision for their state. They exchanged ideas and discussed possibilities. Along with the apology for quitting without consulting the people, the message that he was going to stay for the complete term was conveyed by the simple slogan “Paanch saal Kejriwal” (Kejriwal for 5 years). Compare this approach with that of the rival parties who did not seem to be listening to the people and wanted them to consume whatever was being generated by the propaganda machinery. Isn’t it quite apparent now, whom the people chose to listen to?

5. Servanthood

There are leaders who want to serve first and then lead. They make sure that the priority needs of other people are served before their own; they share power and create the environment for people to perform optimally. These leaders are servant leaders. Such leaders believe that each person has value which can be enhanced, and they move ahead by putting others first.

"the king [leader] shall consider as good, not what pleases himself but what pleases his subjects [followers]" "the king [leader] is a paid servant and enjoys the resources of the state together with the people."

Chanakya, 4th century BCE

AK’s decision to enter politics was fueled by the desire to make things better for the people of the country (His opponents enjoyed calling him an “activist”). The manifesto drafted by AAP is a reflection of what the people want for themselves. It heralds the beginning of sharing power with the people in decision making. This is what AK calls Swaraj. The rival parties seemed to have already decided what was good for the people and apparently were more focused on the execution of these plans, in consonance with the authoritarian style of leading.

World Happiness Report

Looking for someplace happy with satisfied people around? Try Denmark. According to the World Happiness Report, it is the happiest country in the world. The other countries in the top 5 happy countries are Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands and Sweden.

The six key variables which have been used to explain the average scores are:

(i) Real GDP per capita
(ii) Healthy life expectancy
(iii) Having someone to count on
(iv) Perceived freedom to make life choices
(v) Freedom from corruption
(vi) Generosity

The Report also shows that happy people live longer, are more productive, earn more, and are also better citizens. 

It appears that there is a growing trend amongst governments to start thinking of aligning policies with what can really improve people's overall well-being rather than just focus on economic growth. Although the report mentions that Bhutan has gone the furthest to measure their progress with reference to the happiness of their citizens, Bhutan has not been included in this list. This has been explained by the fact that  survey questions used to determine happiness levels in the report are not the same as usually used in the country.

The ranks of some other notable countries are: Canada (6), Australia (10), Israel (11), Mexico (16), USA (17), UK (22), Brazil (24), France (25), Germany (26), Singapore (30), Japan (43), Italy (45), Russia (68), China (93) and India (111).

Happiness Equations (4)

A Feel Good Formula has been proposed by Dr. Todd Kashdan.

Feeling Good = (Mx16 + Cx1 + Lx2) + (Tx5 + Nx2 + Bx33)

In this equation, M = Live in the moment - appreciate the sounds, smells and sights that you take for granted everyday. Remind yourself every waking hour to do this (M x 16).

C = Be curious - explore the unfamiliar, mysterious, complex, and uncertain aspects of our world once a day (C x 1).

L = Do something you love – if there is anything that provides the framework for a well-lived life it is the presence of activities that are important to us and excite us. Do this once at work and once at play (L x 2).

T = Think of others first – offer compliments, do a good deed and listen. This is not intuitive because many believe you need to love yourself before you can love others. Science has found this to be false. Do this five times a day (T x 5) and you’ll soon see it feels good to make someone feel good.

N = Nurture relationships – dedicate time to a partner, friend or family member twice a day (N x 2). Scientists have discovered that when you observe the happiest people on the planet, every single one has a close, significant relationship with another person.

B = Take care of your body – no, you do not need three per cent body fat, nor do you need to be able to pound through three sets of 15 unassisted handstand push-ups. Taking care of your body is about healthy eating at least three times a day and committing 30 minutes per day to exercise (B x 33).

According to Dr. Kashdan there is no single secret to feeling good, but when these "happiness six" ingredients are carefully attended to, in the right doses, a person will be on target for a happy life.

The Eight Irresistible Priciples of Fun

I happened to find this animated movie at box of crayons. It is full of wisdom to infuse fun and zest in our lives.

The Man in the Arena

The following passage is from Theodore Roosevelt's speech titled Citizenship in a Republic. It is also sometimes referred to as 'The Man in the Arena'.

Quote "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." Unquote

Isn't it a fact that effort and courage bring much more happiness than simple musings and yet many of us don't take that one small step that stands between mediocrity and glory.

Sleep and Productivity

I had previously posted on the relationship between sleep and mood. Arianna Huffington is a proponent of adequate sleep. In this small video, she uses humour to emphasize her point that sleep may be related to increased productivity and happiness.

Focus

The skillful management of attention is the sine qua non of the good life and the key to improving virtually every aspect of your experience, from mood to productivity to relationships.
- Winifred Gallagher

Crafting the Job

Most people would like to have a ‘calling’ relationship with their work. However, they may be in occupations where they feel their callings are unanswered. However, it’s not the occupation, but the individual doing the work who defines the work orientation and makes meaning of the work. The same work may be viewed differently by different individuals.

People can realize a calling orientation by job crafting. Job crafting is defined as the physical and cognitive changes individuals make in the task or relational boundaries of their work. Individuals can redesign (craft) their work in ways that can enhance satisfaction, engagement, resilience and flourishing. This allows people to permeate their work with a personal and social meaning and allows one to view that through their work they are making a bigger contribution to the world.

Individuals can pursue unanswered callings by employing five different techniques to craft their jobs (task emphasizing, job expanding, and role reframing) and their leisure time (vicarious experiencing and hobby participating).

A. Job crafting

Task emphasizing: Involves accentuating tasks that are already formally a part of one’s job to pursue an unanswered calling.

This can be done either by (i) allocating additional time, energy or attention to an assigned task which relates to an unanswered calling or by (ii) changing the nature of an assigned task to incorporate aspects of an unanswered calling.

For example a manager who thinks that sharing knowledge or teaching is his calling can allocate more time for sharing knowledge with less experienced colleagues in a structured way.

Job expanding: Involves adding tasks to incorporate aspects of an unanswered calling.

This can be done either by (i) taking on short-term, temporary tasks or by (ii) adding new tasks to a job, which relate to the individual’s calling.

For example, an employee with a strong penchant for a foreign language can offer to be an interpreter when business visitors come or can join the team framing a business document in that language.

Role reframing: Involves modifying one’s perception of the meaning of his or her work to match an unanswered calling.

For example a cook with a creative inclination may perceive his work as an artistic expression rather than just the preparation of food.

B. Leisure crafting

Vicarious experiencing: Involves seeking fulfillment and meaningful experiences through participation of family (or friends and even celebrities) in an unanswered calling.

For example, a mother who perceives music as her calling but is involved in a catering job may gain fulfillment by helping her daughter to learn to play the piano and attending her concerts.

Hobby participating: Involves pursuing leisure and volunteer activities that individuals perceive as related to an unanswered calling.

For example, a salesperson who has a fondness for teaching and social issues may participate as a volunteer in community education programs like children literacy classes.

Reference:

Berg JM, Grant AM, JohnsonV. When Callings Are Calling: Crafting Work and Leisure in Pursuit of Unanswered Occupational Callings. Organization Science. 2010; 21: 973-994. [PDF]

Working Relationship

The work we do (our ‘jobs’) takes up a significant portion of our lives and can be a source of drudgery or a source of elation (or a mix of emotions). The nature of the work itself could give rise to these emotions but a significant role is played by the way individuals view their work. According to experts, an individual can have three different relations with his or her work – Job, Career, Calling.

Job: People with a job orientation primarily see their work as a means to an end. They consider work as a mean to pay for necessities, support their families, and maximize their leisure time. The major interests and ambitions of Job holders are not expressed through their work.

Career: People with a career orientation have a deep personal involvement with their work. They primarily see work as a conduit to achievement and higher social standing. They are principally motivated by the challenge of work, increased self-esteem and the possibility of enhancing their status (social and organizational standing).

Calling: People with a calling orientation perceive their work as intrinsically enjoyable and fulfilling. They do not work for the financial gain or status enhancement and permeate their work with personal and social meaning. The work is usually associated with the belief that the work contributes to the greater good and makes the world a better place.

Individuals with a career orientation or a calling orientation are more deeply involved with their work as compared to those with a job orientation. Only for those with a calling orientation, work is an enriching and meaningful activity.

Although work orientation is more of an individual perspective, it has significant effects on the work group. In teams where the number of members with a calling orientations is higher, there is overall higher identification with the team, more commitment and healthier group processes. For teams with majority of career oriented members, there is weaker identification with the team, more conflict, less commitment to the team itself and more negative group processes.

Gratitude for a Scientist

Recently had the opportunity to listen to Dr. V.S. Ramachandran speak on the occasion of the launch of his new book The Tell-Tale Brain. Amongst other things the eminent scientist talked on topics like synesthesia, mirror neurons, mirror box etc. He made the topics easily comprehensible and fascinating.

During the period of interactions with the audience a young boy stood up. He looked smart and spoke articulately. He said he had come mainly to thank the neuroscientist. As the audience contemplated the possible reasons in their minds, the boy continued and disclosed that he had cerebral palsy. Sometime recently he had suffered from dislocation of the hip. This had subsequently caused him to change his lifestyle from a physically active one to a more inhibited one. He was scared to undertake any physical activity due to the fear of pain and due to doubts about his ability to undertake the activity. Then he had happened to view a video where Dr. V.S. Ramachandran had spoken about learned disability. After viewing the video and obtaining this new knowledge he had decided to challenge his limiting beliefs and had started undertaking activities which he was previously scared to perform. He once again started moving towards an active lifestyle and gained progressive confidence and satisfaction.

As the boy completed, I sensed a gentle smile on the neuroscientist’s lips. The boy’s expression of gratitude would have definitely made both him and the recipient happier. An insightful scientific talk had proved to be a source of inspiration, strength and happiness to a boy whom Dr. V.S. Ramachandran did not even know. The concurrent applause from the audience was perhaps an appreciation of the endeavour of both human beings.

Structuring Happiness in 8 Steps (2)

STEP 5: Empower Broad-based Action and Remove Barriers

Unleash yourself to do your best to achieve your vision. To bring about the changes which will bring happiness, you might be required to do things which you have not done before (or are uncomfortable doing them). You have to move out of the comfort zone and develop ease for those activities. Work and acquire the necessary skills. Update yourself regularly on the required tools.

Remove as many barriers as possible which obstruct you from bringing about the change you want. These could be in the form of time consuming activities which are hardly of any consequence like watching television, purposeless surfing on the net, etc. If your network of friends or relationships do not support the changes you want change have an honest dialogue with them and if required change your interactions with them.


STEP 6: Generate Short-term Wins

If your plans for a change require significant and/or long term effort, short-term wins (related to your strategy to change) are essential. Short term wins must be both visible and unambiguous. These short-term achievements provide positive feedback, increase motivation and help build up momentum. They also provide feedback to help you fine tune your vision. Savouring success would make you eager for more in a more efficient way.

Short term achievements are usually the result of careful planning and effort. Although you may see changes as you implement your strategy to change you have to identify the achievement milestones.

STEP 7: Don't Let Up (Consolidate Gains and Produce More Change)

As you start savouring victory there might be a tendency to relax, celebrate and take a break. This may result in your losing critical momentum resulting into regression. Once regression sets in, rebuilding momentum is a daunting task.

Continue removing the undesired behaviours. At each victory instead of relaxing reinvigorate with more changes in accordance with your vision and let more activities reflect the changed behaviour.

STEP 8: Make Change Stick (Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture)

To prevent resistance from re-asserting itself, the new behaviours must be diligently practiced to make them natural to you. The new practices must grow deep roots in order to become firmly planted, spontaneous and strong enough to replace old patterns of behaving.

Structuring Happiness in 8 Steps

People know that to be happy they need to make some changes. However most people are unable to bring about this transformation. Some dont begin and some efforts lose steam after a decent start.

John P. Kotter is widely regarded as the foremost speaker on the topics of Leadership and Change. He is considered an authority on how the best organizations actually achieve successful transformations. Dr. Kotter outlines a 8 Step Process to help organizations succeed in an ever-changing world.

I think the steps described by him can be adapted to bring about personal transformation to achieve more happiness.

STEP 1: Create a Sense of Urgency

Examine the realities which affect your happiness. Identify the problems and the major opportunities which exist, to create a sense of urgency.

The sense of true urgency comes from a deep determination to win and not from an anxiety about losing. Whatever might be our reason to seek happiness, urgent action will be created by a gut-level determination to move, and win, now and not by feelings of contentment, anxiety, frustration, or anger.


STEP 2: Develop your Guiding Team

You have to recognize the fact that the availability of the right people is very important to the success of your program. It is possible that you may not find a person with all the required expertise. Get in touch and associate with people who have related skills which you want to develop to be happy. Share your intentions with them. They should have your trust and respect so that whenever you are slackening they can drive you to move towards the change you desire.

STEP 3: Develop a Change Vision and Strategy

Be as clear as possible how the future will be different from the past. The vision should make sense both to the mind and the heart. This vision will help you to make efforts in the right direction and go the extra mile when required.

Concurrently develop strategies which will help achieve your vision of changed behaviour, which will result in greater happiness. Obviously the vision should be flexible to incorporate new learnings and effects of a changed environment.

STEP 4: Communicate the Vision

You have to constantly and consistently communicate your vision (and strategies) to yourself and if you want to members of your guiding coalition. Use several methods to communicate to yourself (notes, pictures, clips etc). Keep the communication simple and vivid (it should create a vibrant picture).

One powerful way to communicate to yourself would be to consciously exhibit changed behaviour consistent with your vision.