announcement

In line with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notification of 4th November 2011, the validity of all cheques, drafts, pay orders and banker cheques will be for 3 months only. This is effective 1st April 2012.

Therefore, kindly ensure that all such instruments, from 1st April 2012, are presented within 3 months of the date on the instrument, for successful clearance. Please note that instruments presented after a period of 3 months may not be cleared.

This change is applicable across all banks in India, and covers all instruments that are issued or received by you.

Work Life Balance

Dear Friends

I have recently noticed that a good number of friends are concerned about their health. I constantly hear complaints about feeling sick, exhausted and depressed. When I interact with them, I almost always discover that they spend the majority of their day working and very little or no time for true rest or relaxation. In the end, they become stressed, stop sleeping well, even though they are tired, and eventually begin developing other physical problems.

These aren't just my own observations. A number of scientific studies have shown that that all work and no play aren’t good for your mental, physical or emotional wellbeing. But that said, trying to balance work and fun can be one of the toughest things to do. It's not surprising when you think about it. From the time we are young, we are taught that doing a good job is important and that working hard will help us get ahead in life. As a result, many of us put too much time into work and too little into play. The good news is that you can actually train yourself to spend more time on having fun, which in the end greatly benefits your health.

Creating a balance between work and play usually involves an increase in leisure time, a process that may be easier than you think. I can show you very easily. Just take out a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle to divide it in half. On one side of the page list all the work and chores you do each day. On the other side of the page, list the things you currently do just for fun. My clients who do this are always surprised to see how hard they work and how little time they spend on healthy, fun and leisurely activities.

The next goal is to balance every work item or chore with something enjoyable. These activities don't have to be a minute-by-minute exchange. They can be small things like a few minutes of stretching, 15 minutes of meditation, a short walk around the block, working on a favorite hobby, or participating in some group activity. The idea is to get away from the grind so that you'll have more space to breathe and enjoy the day. If you keep working toward balancing your list, over time you will find it much easier to create the leisure time that is so vital to your mind, body and spirit.

Creating a better balance between work and play times will do wonders for your health and you'll actually enjoy life more. After all, our main reason for working is to create a better and more pleasant life!

Hope you'll try to my exercise. Make the most of it.

announcement

We have planned to conduct a Train The Trainer workshop in Tanjore on June 11th in association with Bioslabs, Chennai. Rush your nomination. Call Dr.Bala 98400 27810. For individual counseling to your children on career guidance during this summer, please fix appointment with Dr. Bala - 98400 27810.

problem solving

Dear Friends,

I'm sure you've heard the old adage, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Personally, I believe this is wonderful advice. After all, there is not a one of us who hasn't found ourselves at some point in time in an uncomfortable situation or facing some crisis. The question is what we do when faced with such things that can make or break us.

Whether your difficult situation involves a frustrating coworker, a financial issue, sudden job loss, a family squabble or some other crisis, remind yourself that you have options. Your options are how you choose to view and respond to the situation that's going on around you.

When bad things happen, it may feel like the wind has been knocked out of us. However, the best thing we can do is to accept the situation for what it is and to start looking at our options. Are there aspects we can control? If so, what steps should we take to do that? By taking stock of the problem at hand, figuring out what you can do about it, and letting go of the parts you have no control over, you are far more likely to come up with a positive solution that can reduce any negative impact and leave you feeling empowered as well.

When life gets really challenging, it is time to start looking for what there is to learn. And one obvious thing is that we do not want to find ourselves in such a situation in the future, if that is at all possible. We should ask ourselves if there is anything we did that somehow contributed to the situation. Even if the message is, "Just don't do this again," you have learned something useful.

Once you realize you have learned something valuable from a seemingly difficult situation you can use that knowledge so better your future, by taking steps to prevent a repeat incident, avoiding the people who constantly cause problems and/or changing your own behavior when and if such situations come up again.

Accepting the fact that challenging situations will occur and finding ways to adjust our own behavior to that we change what we can, and take steps to help us avoid such problems in the future, we turn negative situations into positive ones and enrich our lives in the process.

next announcement

Dear Friends,

Greetings.

Vision Unlimited is pleased to announce their next workshop in collaboration with M/s Staffing Cell, which is scheduled on March 19th meant for "Placement Officers" of the Colleges. The venue would be Hotel Savera, Chennai.

The program would be facilitated by two eminent experts in the field namely Dr.Arumugam and Mr. Bharath of Staffing Cell.

The program would highlight the presentation skill, effective communication methodology of arranging job fair in the college campus, positive attitude to handle cent percent placement. The participants would be given a vital list of potential employers with their contact details in the form of a CD.The participation fee would be Rs. 4000/- for the one day workshop which includes, training kit, training materials, lunch, tea and snacks. The participants are restricted to 40.

For nomination please call Dr. Bala 98400 27810.

overcoming fear

Dear Friends,

Considering the difficult time many people have been experiencing when it comes to finding stable employment, keeping food on the table , it is no surprise that many of us are experiencing fear over our circumstances and our future. Fear can be an internal message alerting us to an actual or probable threat. Fear can also be an anxiety about things or situations that haven't happened yet and may be unlikely to happen at all. In this news-driven world we live in, we are constantly bombarded with news and images of violence and disaster occurring around the globe. It is no wonder that fear has become a frequent experience for many of us. The unfortunate thing is that our wrestling with fear may prevent us from living in the present and experiencing life's day-to-day joys.

When friends complain of feeling overwhelmed with fear(s), I introduce them to a simple process to help them release any fear(s) so they can focus on living in the moment. To begin, I tell them to go to a calm spot where they can sit quietly, breathe deeply and think about what is making them feel fearful. I ask them to examine their fear(s). Is it the fear of losing a job, not being able to pay bills, not able to complete targets, being thrown out of their home or of someone harming them? Then I ask them to name their fear(s) out loud. By identifying your fears, you can actually begin to face them.

The next step involves classifying your fear(s) and this is really quite simple. Ask yourself if the thing you fear has actually happened or if you are projecting something you are afraid could happen. Next ask yourself how realistic that fear is. The purpose of this exercise is to remind yourself of the many times your fears haven't come to be, but have simply resided in your psyche, haunting you like the monsters that were under your bed or in your closet when you were a child.

It is noticing what we have right now, in this very moment that is the primary focus of this process. Take a look at the room around you, the chair you are sitting in. Think about the people who are present in your life. Take time to count your blessings and express your gratitude for this very moment. Know that the fearful things that may loom in some hypothetical future are just that, fearful things that haven't happened yet and may never happen at all.

Friends, a big part of this exercise is to learn to stay in the present and be grateful for the things we are enjoying right now. This is actually a very good remedy to stave off fear of hypothetical future situations. The next time you have one of those moments when fear overtakes you, I hope you'll follow my suggestions to look at what is making your fearful, consider it and then let it go so that you can focus on what is really important -- making the most of your day

The spiritual seminar on Jan 22nd

Dear Friends,

Greetings.

Today's seminar on "Spiritual solutions for material problems and work life balance" by Bala Gaura Krishna Das and Krishnaraj in Hotel Savera was a grand success.

Both the facilitators excelled in their role and the participants were thrilled by their presentations.

More than 20 people participated in the seminar. The arrangement in Hotel Savera including the

Sathvik food was superb. The feedback received from the participants was excellent.

Both the facilitators added value to Vision Unlimited.

The next program will be in Feb 2011 meant for Placement Officers of the colleges.

I am already excited about it.

Looking forward to your support.

with regards.

Bala

Fear of failure

Dear Friends, I recently had a consultation with a young man who was struggling with a fear of failure. His wife was frustrated with him as he was always starting new projects and ventures but never seeing them through, because once he started, he became paralyzed with fear that he would fail. I could sympathize with this anxiety about failure. In my experience, it is quite common to be worried about failure and the idea of disappointing others, so it helps to address it. I have another friend named Rabi, who has developed a great secret of mastering failure. Rabi thinks it is impossible to fail. "You can't even call it bad decision-making. You make a decision, evaluate it based on what happens, and then make another decision based on the results. If something doesn't work out, you learn as much as you can from it and either find a better way to do it or do something else. That is all you can do." In Rabi's theory, there are two ways to proceed in the face of failure. Either allow the negative results of your decisions (your "failures") to knock you down and keep you from trying anything new, or you begin to count your failures as successes. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense to look at the plans that don't work as a positive, because they usually direct us off in another direction. And there is always the possibility that the new direction will provide the results we are seeking. When I shared Rabi’s wisdom with my young client and his wife, he was skeptical but agreed to try sticking to a path long enough to find out if it would work for him or not. I heard from his wife later that he had taken the advice to heart and followed through on his next business venture. That one failed, but the circumstances around that initial failure led to his meeting a person who had the answer he needed to help him to succeed. She reported that he was now in a new business venture and he was excited, focused and happy that he had stuck with advice. Behind every failure is the potential for success, and if we give up too soon, we may never know what wonderful thing we could have accomplished. Friends, there is a story involving Edison, which illustrates this point perfectly. At one point Thomas Edison was supposedly asked by a reporter how it felt to have experienced 1,000 failures in inventing his light bulb, and the inventor allegedly replied, "I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb." Can you imagine what life might be like if Edison had given up on the first try?

Training and development today

Corporate training is seldom focused on the motivational alone. While that was true 20-30 years ago, most corporate training and development now focuses on performance improvement. The key to improving performance is a systematic approach to identifying and solving the (performance) problem. Of course, training is ONE of the soutions. However, the breadth of skills needed including not only stand-up training but instructional design, student mateials development (including elearning development) learning project management, change management, change project management, working with subject experts and working with sponsors. This is a great platform of experience to the larger corporate T&D demand (the one that's a million times larger than motivational speaking). Now, I'm not saying that motivational speaking on topics like interpersonal communications, time management and leadership are unimportant. They are not. They are very important. However, they have a limited perspective in the larger organizational needs which include constant change, adaptation to technology, identifying process issues and reworking the work process, merger, acquisitions, downsizing, etc, etc. Corporate Learning and Development (L&D) is more about the corporate learning process than individual needs (though the individual needs are a factor).

next announcement

Vision unlimited's one day seminar on Spiritual solution to material problems and work life balance on Jan 22nd in Hotel Savera by two international repute spiritual scholars is getting a good response. How about your nomination? Call 9840027810

happy to share

Dear Friends,

The workshop for trainers - with global methodology done today (3rd Dec 2010) in Hotel Pleasant Days under the Vision Unlimited banner was a grand success. The program was very well coordinated by Mr.Udhayasandron.Ms.Priya,Ms.Subhashini,Ms.Subeeksha along with Dr. Bala

The program started with a wonderful breakfast and then prayer by Dr. Bala.

The program was formally inaugurated by Dr. Natarajan, former Joint Director of industries and commerce (MD of Natarajan and associates and Entrepreneurship promotional institute of Chennai) Dr. Bala was introduced by Trainer Priya Agarwal. The program commenced withthe first session by

V.T.Giridar which was wonderfully presented by him. The second session was handled by Dr. Arumugam very efficiently and professionally. The valedictory prog and certificate distribution was done by Mr.Ethirajan, DGM of Audco India ltd. The program went on up to 6.30pm

Employees of Re Gen Power Tech, Makino, S & T Engineers -Coimbatore, CREW, Dynamatics

and lot of individual trainers/participants (Dr.Chitra,Mr.Bharath-Senior corporate trainer, Mr. Amutha mathizhagan,Mr. Abraham,Mr.Senthil,Mr.Bala krsna to name a few) participated in this successful workshop. The logistics by Pleasant Days was really superb and I must thank them profusely for the same. They excelled in hospitality and service.

The next workshop of Vision Unlimited would take place on Jan 22nd.

with regards. Dr. Bala

My program in Doordarshan on 27th Oct

Dear Friends

Greetings.

Please watch me live tomorrow (27th Oct) at 12.05 noon live in DD Pothigai

The topic is on " Business Ideas"

Your comments are welcome.

thanks.

Listening skills

Dear Friends,

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you realized that they were looking at you while you were talking but weren't really listening? Nobody likes that feeling, but the simple truth is that most of us are better talkers than listeners. So if we want to work on our communication skills, we can take the initiative to start with our own listening skills.

The art of listening has a lot to do with the difference between hearing what someone is saying and actually paying full attention to what they are saying. What we simply hear can very easily come in one ear and go out the other, but when we really focus on listening to what the other person is saying, something physiological happens to us. We may register that information physically, emotionally, or intellectually! That is because when that information captures our attention, we involve ourselves with the information that is being shared with us.

I would like to share some tips for becoming a better listener. The first tip is that when someone else is talking to us, it is important not to interrupt them. It is true that we all have our stories to tell, but when we are listening to someone else talk it should be about them, not about us. So the next time you are listening and have the urge to interrupt them take a breath and refocus your attention on the other person. You just might learn something important, and at the very least the person you are with will appreciate your attentiveness.

The next tip to being a good listener is to abstain from holding judgement. The minute our judgment kicks in, our listening usually stops. That is because it is hard to pay attention when we become preoccupied with our personal opinion over what we are hearing. Moreover, putting aside our judgment puts the other person at ease and helps them feel more comfortable and relaxed, so that they can be open and honest with us.

By becoming a good listener ourselves we set an example for those around us and create a better opportunity for ourselves to be heard. And on a side note, one of the better benefit of being a good listener is that when we apply these principles to listening to our own inner voice, we gain access to a world of wisdom all our own.

Simplify things in life

Dear Friends,

Simplifying life is something I hear a lot about lately... And there is no doubt that it is a very important step that demands a concentrated effort. A while back I had an experience with a friend of mine who needed to do just that. He had taken on too much and was feeling overstressed from juggling a busy schedule and too many demands. I gave him the same advice I give to anyone: if you want to feel more in sync with life, you need to take steps to simplify it.

First, I encouraged him to prioritize his commitments and eliminate at least one. Right away, he eliminated one commitment and then later decided to let go of two more. He said he felt a little guilty at first, but in the end freeing up valuable time was a huge relief.

Next, he took stock of his rather lengthy "to-do" list. Long to-do lists can make you feel like you are drowning in a sea of work that will never end. He decided which tasks he would cross off, as well as what he could delegate to someone else or simply put on hold until later. He later told me that shortening his list had made it easier for him to complete tasks, and that gave him a feeling of accomplishment.

My friend also began to de-clutter his physical environment. Clutter creates a feeling of chaos and can prevent you from being relaxed and happy. Rather than trying to tackle the whole house at once, he chose to focus on one drawer, cabinet, or closet at a time. He only kept the things he really loved and used, and then sold, donated, or tossed the rest. By de-cluttering his space, even a little at a time, he soon created a more pleasant living space.

When I last spoke to him, he sounded much less stressed and more peaceful. He thanked me for my suggestions and said that his quality of life had greatly improved since his simplification overhaul.

I hope you will find this instance helpful.. Most of us can stand to simplify our lives to some degree or can help someone close to us who is in need of doing that.

Until next time…………….

Money matters

Dear Friends,

This time I want to talk about money. Now more than ever, we need to be building an emergency savings account. In this depressed economy, it is important to have a savings account we can depend on in an emergency. That said, it seems that fewer and fewer people are putting money away. Some of my friends complain that that their money is so tight at the end of the month that it hardly seems worth the effort. I completely understand their point. It can seem daunting to try to put money away when there isn't much available in the first place. But it can be done, and it's important, especially right now, when unexpected expenses could play havoc with your pocketbook.

Building a savings "safety net" is something we all can and should do, especially during this economic downturn we are experiencing. When unexpected expenses arise, people with no savings often have to turn to high interest credit cards. Having to make monthly credit card payments along with high interest payments is a lot of stress on an already tight budget. That is when a savings "safety net" really comes to the rescue!

Putting away 10% of each paycheck helps to build a savings very quickly. However, if that is too much, try 5% or even 1%. The important thing is to make the gesture and effort. Even the smallest amounts can slowly build and provide a positive psychological effect. My friends who have actually done it have been pleased with how quickly their little "nest egg" has grown, and in the end, they often look for more ways to add to it.

There are ways to boost even the tiniest of savings plans. Have a garage or yard sale and put all of the proceeds into your savings account. Save up aluminum cans and then periodically take them to the recycling center at your grocer for cash, which you then add to your savings balance. Make a rule that windfall money, such as rebates, tax refunds, cash gifts and such go directly into your savings as well, and follow through no matter how tempting it may be to spend that money. You'll be glad you did.

You can also add to your savings by giving something up. Do you spend money every day to buy your lunch on work days? Do you have other daily expenses that aren't absolutely essential? Try giving up one or two of those non-essential purchases for just one day each week and then put the money you would have spent into your savings account. You can even get the whole family involved by choosing something together that you will all forego as a family once a week, in order to sock away a bit more.

Crisis management

Dear Friends,
Coping with uncertain times can leave anyone feeling vulnerable and edgy, and you are no exception. In the last few months, many have expressed their feelings of uncertainty and fearfulness about the future. It is natural to be concerned when things around you are shifting and changing rapidly, such as the activity we have recently with the stock markets, gasoline prices, and housing foreclosures.
Fortunately, we don't have to live in a state of panic when life throws us a curve. The wonderful thing about human beings is that we are resilient and resourceful. This means that, even if we don't like change, we are able to adapt to new situations and find new ways to deal with them.
My first advice about dealing with change is to breathe. It is such a simple technique but one that is tried and true. The old practice of counting to 5 or 10 while breathing deeply really does work because it fills your system with extra oxygen and drops your stress level quickly. By giving yourself a moment to breathe deeply and absorb a change in this way, you'll handle change more easily and gracefully.
It is equally important to call upon your sense of humor. When times are tough, a bit of laughter can help to lighten the load. Seek out reasons to laugh, and if you have difficulty finding them, look for them in funny movies, comic television shows, or comedy routines by your favorite comedian. Scientific studies have shown that laughter is healing for both the body and mind and, as far as I know, nobody has died from laughter.
Close friends and loved ones are another good support when times are tough. The people you are closest to can become your best support system. Building and maintaining solid and supportive relationships can make all the difference in how you weather tough times and sudden changes.
Friends, I hope that these tools for coping with life's twists and turns will help you roll with the punches when times are difficult or uncertain.
Remember to check out your Health, Wealth and Happiness frequently to remain happy………….
All the very best in all your endeavors……..

Success formula

Hi Friends,
What Prevents Most People From Achieving Success In Life?

If setting clear goals is so crucial for us to achieve a successful
and fulfilling future, then why do so many people fail to do it?
Why are so many people allowing the river of life to pull them in
all directions?
1) Limiting Beliefs
The first thing that holds most people back from setting goals are
their limiting beliefs. Many people only dream about what they
would love to have. When it comes to committing to a specific
target and plan, they don't even bother. Something inside them says
'there is no way'. Either it's too difficult or they simply don't
have what it takes.
You now know that these are nothing but limiting beliefs. Unless we
break past these generalizations about ourselves, we will never
dare to design goals that drive us to the next level.
2) They Don't Know What They Want
'But... I don't know what I want!' This is probably one of the
most common responses I get from people.
I bet if I gave these
people a magic lamp and told them that they would be granted
anything they wish for, they will start making up a whole list of
things real quick!
It is not that people don't know what they want. What has truly
happened is that most people have stopped daring to dream. I
believe that as kids, all of us had fantasies and dreams of what we
wanted to have and be when we grow up. However, as we went through
life, we meet with so many failures and disappointments that our
rational, critical mind has forbidden us to continue day dreaming
anymore.
Whenever we get excited about something, our internal voice will
rush in to tell us, 'it can't be done' 'you cannot do that' '
that's impossible.' 'grow up, get real'. (It could even be an echo
of our parents' voice, if we had stern, no-nonsense parents). As a
result, this would block our creative juices and deflate our
passion - the very elements we need to create and design the life
we truly want.
We need to learn how
to unlock our imagination and set our creative
minds FREE....free of fear and inhibitions so we can dream clearly
and with growing excitement of what we truly want out of life.
3) Fear of Failure
This fear of failure, of rejection and embarrassment is what
probably paralyses most people from even starting out.
Does this mean that people who keep setting goals do not fear
failure? I don't believe so. I think everyone hates and fears the
feeling of failure, including myself.
What then gives them the courage to set high goals and go for it?
It is how we define failure to ourselves. The only one who can tell
us that we failed and make us feel bad is... ourselves.
Yet, this is how we often shoot ourselves in the foot. The moment
we do not achieve what we want, even on our first attempt, we tell
ourselves we have failed, and feel really bad.
This pain is what prevents us - and this goes for the majority of
people - from daring to try for high stakes, to taking risks.

4) Addiction to the Soft Life
Most people are risk averse because they are addicted to a way of
life: a soft life, a cushy life with habits and material comforts
they are loathed to change or risk losing. Unless that comfy
life-style is imminently under threat, they won't do anything that
calls for iron will and discipline.
Setting goals and really going for our goals often means changing
habits, sacrificing time spent hanging out with friends. This is
why people make half-hearted attempts. As soon as their new path
impinges on their old habits, they withdraw...it's too hard.
A friend who teaches a Detox & Energize self-help program says most
people don't stick to it because even if they believe in its
long-term health benefits, they are not willing to work at it....and
it is life-long work. They'd rather pop a pill (a drug) and dam the
long-term consequences.
There are no short-cuts to success in any area - business/career,
health or personal relationships. So, be prepared to
make what appears to be 'sacrifices' and, if you do, the rewards are there.

To Your Success ….. Bala