First impressions

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Isn't that the truth?
It does not matter if you are an adult or a child, going for a job interview or speaking to the public, teaching or being taught.

I have to keep reminding myself and my kids that you never know who is watching. How you carry yourself is a representation of who you are and how you were brought up. How you react is a reflection on your character and values.

In the Hindu philosophy, you learn about detachment. Do not get attached to the fruit of your actions. So when people get upset it is usually when things do not go their way. When you get upset in public, it is not the others but you who looks bad. Why? It is because it shows lack of control. You never know who is watching.

So now you know why your mother always says 'Behave' before you leave the house.

Full circle

Its never complete till you come full circle. And that applies to everything.

When you first learn something - it is new, then you become the expert and then you have to give back for what you learnt. One of the pledges that we learn says that service to the people is service to the supreme self. I am sure you have heard of the phrase that goes if you are unhappy go help someone who needs the help and you will feel so much better.

It is all about giving, or giving back for only when you give do you get and you get it back in abundance. Pretty neat philosophy eh?

Some schools ask you to come and teach to give back, some ask you to fund certain programs, some ask you give scholarships. Some places of work ask you to go to the schools and recruit, some ask you to go and speak on career day and some ask you to go and mentor kids - all in all I think it is great way to give back.

Pay it forward

If you have not heard of this concept - I am sure you will soon enough.

When you have a little bit of prosperity or good fortune - you make sure you share it with others who need it. I never paid much attention to it until we had the dance program this weekend. Now most people have no clue what all goes on backstage, until something falls apart. A lot of coordination between the sound, light, curtains etc is happening between the control booth at the back of the auditorium and the back stage. That is just the stage part.

Then you have the dancer who has to go back stage in between items and she needs the touch up and water and morale boosts before she goes out again. The crew backstage changes every time - the last person who was on stage is the one who is backstage the next time. This gives them a chance to return the favor the the next person who is on stage plus it helps since they know how it felt to be at the receiving end. pay it forward.

Now in the Detroit area - the Goodwill Industries have something similar - you put a dollar in an envelope and sign your name and pass it on. Each person puts in a dollar or more and passes it on to the next person until you have 25 people. Once that happens you mail the envelope to Goodwill industries. They will use the money for retraining, for those who were laid off. A noble gesture in an area where the layoffs have hit hard. You never know when you will be a recipient of that help.
Pay it forward.

Quick update

Today is July 1 - officially 6 months of the year has passed and I wanted to see where I was with my goals of writing.

Well, so far I have written 117 posts which leaves with another 174 to go. At this point I have yet to write more than I have already written. Since I have 180 days to write a 174 posts - I should say I am still within range.

I have to say I have enjoyed this exercise of making sure I have completed my writing for the day. It is habit forming, once you start it is difficult to stop.

As far as the rest of my goals - being happy and smiling more - o most definitley happening - after all happiness is a state of mind. I feel like 25 again and nobody can dictate how you feel right? Now, if only I could get the rest of the world to look at life like that :)