I am going to Hang on !

Dearest Darling Friend,

Chances are you haven't heard of Nicolo Paganini. He was a well-known and gifted nineteenth-century violinist. He was also well known as a great showman with a quick sense of humor. He would make the audience laugh and loved to regale them with his antics.

There are many memorable stories about his wit and crafty tongue. However, there is one incident from his life that made him have more admirers than any other incident.

It happened during a concert in Italy. He was performing before a packed house. His technique was incredible. His tone was fantastic; his audience clearly and dearly loved him. 

Towards the end of his concert, Paganini was astounding his audience with an unbelievable composition when suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung limply from his instrument. A few in the front rows gasped. Paganini frowned for a micro second, shook his head, and continued to play, improvising beautifully.

To everyone's horror, immediately afterward, a second string broke. This time, Paganini did not even take a micro-second. He continued to play as if nothing had happened. Shortly thereafter, the third string too broke. 

Oh my god! The audience clearly was devastated by what was happening. But, Paganini was unmoved. When the third string broke, he kind of 'smiled'. It was as if, he was talking to the creator and saying, "Aha! You are testing me. Go ahead. I am going to hang on. I won't give up" 

Paganini stood there with three strings dangling from his Stradivarius. But instead of leaving the stage, Paganini stood his ground and calmly completed the difficult number on the one remaining string.

He got a standing ovation. Many in the audience had tears in their eyes. Some said that evening changed their life. A few expressed, they were praying the fourth one should NOT break!

Can you imagine the evening? Can you imagine and feel the goose bumps? Can you imagine the electricity in the air? Can you imagine the mental state of Paganini? Can you imagine what that evening would have done to him?

Can you imagine yourself in the place of Paganini? What would you have done? Having read about this incident from his life, what would you do in life, in future when you face something disastrous? 

If I have to face something similar, I pray, I display the same strength and serenity Paganini displayed. I pray the same for you too.

With love, prayers and exceptional wishes,

naren

Imagine, when we wake up, we are given only what we had thanked for.

www.lifeschool.co.in

Now what !!!

Dearest Darling Friends,

Here we are, at the beginning of 2015, with a clean slate, new goals set, resolutions made, and plans to take life head on. We might even have decided on ‘word for the year’. (For me it is ‘abundance’)

We have great intentions, we read inspirational books and attend self-development programs. We are excited with the ideas we hold in our head. We imagine a great year ahead. We convince ourselves, this time, we are certainly going to make things happen. Well, well, well. Mapping out ideas is so much easier than executing them, and I know it so well!

I have a whole set of ’notes' full of potential book ideas. The number of notes increases every now and then. However, the number of books written is agonisingly slow. 

Now what?

Should I give up on new ‘notes’ on book ideas?

Should I give up on myself with a silly regret of being ‘non-great’ material?

Should I now, just watch and stay amazed with people who ‘do it’?

No! That’s the answer to all the questions above.

Executing on any one ‘note’ or executing, for that matter, any idea,  needs three things. Get these three things in place and any idea can see day light. 

What are these three things?

1) A commitment to the idea. Choosing to commit means caring enough about the impact you believe your idea will have. Caring enough to see yourself growing in the process and loving it.

2) Doing the work. Making time. Setting plans. Starting. Continuing.

3) Choice to forsake doing something else. This means a willingness to sacrifice other things that might feel good to do in the moment. It's tough, but when you believe it is worth it, you end up doing the right thing.

I'd really love to know what you're committed to this year. 

This is my list of ‘Top 5’.

1) Write a book on Meditation

2) Reduce my fat % to below 20%. Right now it is 29%.

3) Take a 8 - 10 day holiday, all alone.

4) Increase my profits by 100%

5) Start the ‘school project’ where kids will grow up to be ‘world class’ in whatever they chose to do.

Looking forward to 2015 like nothing else in my life.

If you want to share your top 5, hit reply to this email and let me know what will be on your ’Top 5' for 2015, and why.

Looking forward to hearing about your plans.

With loads of love, prayers and exceptional wishes,

naren

As I Live...I Learn

www.lifeschool.co.in