The Zen attitude, important for living the life.

Just a few days back there was a fire in residential building of Mumbai’s Parel area. Nothing new about such incidents but what was amazing this time, was involvement of a 10-year-old girl Zen Sadavarte, in saving many lives out of fire.

Yes, a 10-year-old girl. How is that possible that in case of an incident where the whole building is on fire and people are running for shelter but a small girl is keeping her cool and using all the methods she was taught in school to be followed in such situation.

Well, it is not about her knowledge, which many of the residents might be having. Neither it is about the skills, which for sure she was too young to acquire, it was her sheer attitude which helped not only her but many elders. Of course she gained knowledge about it in school, but she carried the attitude to use the knowledge, which made her a winner in odd situation. For me she is a winner because she turned her learnings into action for her attitude of being a fighter.

This proves that howsoever well-read you are, how so many degrees you have earned, if you are not carrying a winner’s attitude, all these things, which you feel is an asset will go waste.

A correct attitude gets recognized in the odd time only.

Attitude of Listening

Zen is only 10 years old but she carries good listening skills. It is due to this skill only she remembered what was taught to her. Listening is a very important skill, which if gets imbibed in her age helps all through the life.

‘Listening’ is different from ‘Hearing’. Very subtle difference. Something which is heard from ears and gets absorbed in mind in such a way that it works to bring positive outcome is listening. However, in hearing, the absorption area is not used. Another minor difference is, while listening, mind is ready to understand what is said and then assimilate to decipher it. But in hearing, person is doing so to prepare the answer to adjust the point of view he or she carries.

Attitude of Learning

Once we understand the difference between listening and hearing, it becomes easy to ‘Learn’. I was not very good in getting marks, but I was and am an ok listener. I acquired most of my life skills and knowledge due to listening. Sometimes it was listening to others and sometimes to my heart, which always gives out the difference between right and wrong.

To be a good learner, one need to be courageous enough to accept that one doesn’t know. There is a very dangerous combination of ‘not knowing and not agreeing to it that I don’t know’. This combination is the biggest challenge to learning. It hinders your growth.

When I lost my leg, it was not so difficult for me to accept that I don’t have leg so no point cribbing and sulking or seeking sympathy about it. This helped me to move ahead and learn things to counter the challenges posed by not having leg and later learn to make this shortcoming as my strength.

On the lighter side, Zen could be a good learner as the name itself generates meditative feeling. I may be an ok learner because I am a Sikh (Literal meaning of the word ‘Sikh’ is a learner in Hindi).

Zen could evacuate because she could build the attitude of using the knowledge and not storing it. I could run because, I learned to build the attitude of pushing limits to achieve what I dreamt about.

Attitude originates and ends in mind

We all have heard this many a times but let me repeat it for the sake of saying again. ‘If you think – you can do it. You will do it. If you think you cannot. You will not.’ Both way you are right as it is your mind only which plays the role of doing it or not doing it. No one can force you.

Just sit back and think. Anything which we see today has originated in someone’s mind first. Zen could do it because she thought she could. She did not jitter despite the fact that many around her must be in such state of mind.

That’s the mechanism of attitude. It works like that only. When we think positive, we plan positive and thereby we work with a positive attitude to get positive results. I can vouch that because I have done something which was considered almost impossible till then. You attract what you start thinking. If you look back, you will realize that something which originated in your mind as thought, both negative or positive, got converted into reality somehow. That is the power of thinking. This is also known as law of attraction.

Never Give Up

During my talks as a motivational speaker, I meet countless people who are eager to meet me in person, seek a photograph – yes! Selfie as we call it and create a moment. The more I meet the youngsters my urge to work with them on their perspectives increases. There is a need for transformation – in attitude, in faith and in outlooks. I am not a trailblazer for change here, I love them for their clarity, their friendships, their candidness but maybe it’s the technology, the change in interface that has changed the way they think. Their world lacks substance as they are stuck around the Instagram and facebook stories. The moments that they capture is only born with the vision of few likes &; comments and afterwards – they are on a new vision.

They are quick to get inspired, quicker to hope & try and quickest to lose hopes and give up! That’s disturbing! But I am also happy that, may be less in number, but there are kids like Zen, who inspire by their actions.

I am the Boss

One of my session which is designed around the school kids as I believe that is the correct age to build attitude, is called, ‘I am the Boss’. This is only about attitude building and the power of positive attitude. It disheartens me to read about the suicide cases, the adolescent crimes and fraud stories involving the youth – who have mostly done it under peer pressure or the reason because they gave up to a certain circumstance. The program revolves around that problem area and specifically works around the young mindsets who need positive & mature nurturing at this age.

Now that I work every day for my NGO, The Challenging Ones and with people who are trying to bring in some change in the society – I feel the necessity of attitude building – the attitude of positivity and peace, of hard work and tolerance, of friendship and camaraderie.

The ‘Zen’ attitude.

Jai Hind