Category: Pictures that Speaks

A New Year or a New Day?

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn Ecology, Environment, family, happiness, hope, Life, Personal Excellence, Pictures that Speaks, Releasing, Sri LankaLeave a comment
A photo captured by me on the 18th of December at Yala National Park – Sri Lanka

My new year’s message last year was ‘I wish you serenity this new year’. I hope you find the serenity to accept the new reality as you went through the second year of the pandemic, with all the confusion surroundings vaccines, booters, masks, lockdowns and travel restrictions. Perhaps the best approach would have been to find serenity and love it all as a way of releasing the tension and finding meaning.

I enjoyed taking one day at a time as it was pointless trying to predict or control the future. Whiles short-term plans were made with a long-term aspiration, I was willing to change them based on the reality of every new day. This helped me to be in the present (now) and enjoy the present (gift) of ‘peace of mind’ I received in the process. Interestingly when I released the want for the control of outcomes and made peace with not having them, almost all such aspirations manifested. 

One such situation was visiting the Yala national park in Southern Sri Lanka earlier this month with my brother and sister and their families who were visiting for Christmas Holidays from the UK and Canada. Sighting a Leopard at Yala is the aspiration of all visitors, but it is said that only a very small percentage of visitors are treated to this beautiful sight. Our trekker was trying his best to get us to see the Leopard, communicating with his fellow trekkers, speeding to various locations when information of Leopard sightings was reported. After about one hour we realised that in the pursuit of Leopard Sighting, we were missing the elephants, dear, peacocks, birds, crocodiles and the beautiful scenery. We released the want to sight the Leopard and was enjoying the rest of the wildlife. Suddenly we realised that our trekker was speeding in a direction. He had got information of a Leopard sighting. We saw the Leopard on a tree about half a mile away. The picture taken by me of the leopard, shared in this post is something I will cherish.

My reflection on the above and many experiences has helped me find serenity, taking one day at a time, letting go of wants and experience life. This is my wish for the new year.

With this aspiration I wish you an amazing New Day – Every Day of the New Year.

Rays of Enlightenment

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, Ecology, energy, Environment, happiness, hope, learning, Life, Personal Excellence, Pictures that Speaks, psychology, purpose, success, Team ExcellenceLeave a comment

A photo taken at a rain forest in Kandy, the hill capital of Sri Lanka.

This is a photo taken during a nature walk with my team. I remember sitting down on this bench to take in the energy of the beautiful rain forest. As I reflected I felt the paradox of the place; the sounds of nature and the voices of people, the trees and the cement bench, the forest and the road, the cool wind and the warm sun rays. One of my colleagues had taken this photo at that time and I was fascinated with the rays of sunlight coming towards me, as if the universe was sending me rays of enlightenment.

Inspiring Online – Opening Up New Possibilities.

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn hope, learning, Life, Personal Excellence, Pictures that Speaks, psychology, purpose, success, Team ExcellenceLeave a comment

A screenshot captured by a participant of the ‘Mastery of Self – NLP online’ session.

It was a common occurrence to have participants take photos during in-room sessions and publish it widely on social media during my work before the pandemic. After having taken my work online over the past 6 months and conducting various organisational and personal transformation webshops for leaders, teams and individuals, I was pleasantly surprised to see this photo on LinkedIn.

A participant from r-pac Bangladesh, Rakibul Alam has posted this photo with the message: I am not the best but I can be better. Yes I can do it in a better way, no one can hold me down! Special thanks to my Guru Ranjan De Silva.

This type of gesture gives me confidence to do this work, even online. This comes at a time when I have started conducting in room sessions for companies in Sri Lanka, with the mindset that my type of work requires and in-room experience for best impact. However due to travel restrictions I don’t see myself flying for a while and this gesture gives me confidence to innovate newer methods to make online learning experiences to my overseas clients in a more enjoyable and effective manner.

Interfaith harmony – Childlike Joy

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn happiness, hope, Leadership, Life, Pictures that Speaks, Spiritual, Sri Lanka, Values, World affairsLeave a comment

The Cardinal of the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka and a Senior Buddhist monk during a moment that capture interfaith harmony and childlike joy. The picture speaks for itself. Let’s hope and pray that this type of authentic harmony and joy spreads far and wide to heal this world.

Natures Wrath – When Will We Wake Up?

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn Ecology, Environment, Knowing, learning, Life, Pictures that Speaks, purpose, Spiritual, Sri Lanka, World affairsLeave a comment
mahogany landslide may 2017
 Landslide of a Mahogany Plantation

It’s May 2017. I got a call from the account manager from the company that manages my Mahogany plantation in the Ratnapura district of Sri Lanka. I have some bad news to share with you. What is it? I ask. One of your Mahogany plantations in Munihinkanda has got affected by the recent landslides. We have not been able to access the plantation yet as the authorities have restricted access to the plantations until they are able to confirm that it is secure. What is the extent of the damage? I ask. About ten acres of the plantation has slid down to the river below and we feel it includes one of your plots too.

As I digested this news my mind went to the time that a rubber plantation of a larger extent belonging to my father was destroyed due to a cyclone about 40 years ago. I remembered my involvement in the process of transporting the fallen trees to help my father recover at least a part of the losses. My mind wonders to the hundreds of lives lost due to this storm and thousands who have lost their livelihood as a result. I have watched with dismay so many natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunami’s, floods, landslides, forest fires and now a pandemic.

The question is, when will we humans learn to stop destroying nature? How many more disasters are needed before we stop damaging Mother Nature so that we can live in harmony with nature.

Joyous Humility

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn energy, happiness, hope, Leadership, Personal Excellence, Pictures that Speaks, Sri Lanka, Team ExcellenceLeave a comment

Mental Toughness for the Sri Lankan Cricket Team

This is a moment of Joy and Humility. The humility of being trusted to spend 3-days with the Sri Lankan Cricket Team in 2003 in helping them in developing mental strength. The joy of learning from this amazing team while been entrusted to share some essential mental techniques with them. The joy of liberating and galvanising the energy, passion and confidence of this team that makes a cricket loving nation of 20 million proud.

Childlike Learning – Is it a thing of the past?

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn EQ, happiness, learning, Pictures that Speaks, psychology, Relationships, Team ExcellenceLeave a comment

This is a moment from an in-room learning experience pre-pandemic. This a photo taken after an activity related to the ‘Six Thinking Hats’, conducted for one of my clients in Dubai. It now 4 months of online learnings using ‘webshops’, a concept innovated by my team to attempt to create an experience close as possible to the fun and interactive in-room experience.

While some participants who have experienced our in-room and online learning experiences say that they got a similarly impactful experience, my fervent wish, for the sake of the quality of learnings, is that we move back to physical venues as soon as the situation starts permitting us to. Given that life in Sri Lanka is limping back to normal, we have already conducted 3 days of in-room sessions and many more are lined up. I cant tell the impact these have had not only on the participants experience, but also on the quality of our contribution.

Interfaith Respect for a Better Word

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn Conference learnings, happiness, hope, Leadership, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, Pictures that Speaks, purpose, Relationships, Spiritual, ValuesLeave a comment

A picture from the interfaith conference in Sri Lanka a few years ago. The respect for each other and their views points gives hope to make this world a better place. Please reflect on a baby step you can take to create interfaith harmony in your own community, be it the neighbourhood, workplace, school, social organisation or any other organisation you are associated with.

Walking Down Memory Lane

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn Environment, happiness, hope, learning, Life, Love, Pictures that SpeaksLeave a comment

This is the path that I must have walked a 5000 times for 10 years during my childhood. this is the path connecting to the rear entrance to my school, St Anthony’s college, Kandy. it was the last few steps in to school or the first few step returning home every morning or evening. It was the beginning or end of the two mile walk from or to home. This was the point where I started or ended another day or learning in the class room or on the sports field. If this picture can read my mind and talk, imagine the stories it will tell. This picture received yesterday from a friend in our school WhatsApp group created so much nostalgia. Thank you!

Pride and Gratitude to my Hero

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn family, Life, Love, Pictures that Speaks, purposeLeave a comment

book launchA picture  that speak of the pride and gratitude for a father. This is my father Stephen Richard Francis De Silva addressing a gathering of 500 plus buisness leaders of Sri Lanka after being presented the first copy of my first book in 2003. My mother Carmen Cordillia Maureen De Silva, who is a tower of strength for him and our family stands by during this beautiful moment as I look at my fathers performance with pride and gratitude. I pay tribute to him on his 16th death anniversary on the 5th of July.

Pictures that speak