Category: Struggles

Developing Purposeful Self-Leadership (Purposeful Leadership – Part 4)

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, Ecology, energy, Environment, EQ, family, happiness, Health Care, hope, Leadership, Life, Personal Excellence, purposeful leadership, Purposefulness, Spiritual, Struggles, success, ValuesLeave a comment

We explored the notion of Purposeful Self-leadership in the last post, part 3 of this series titled ‘Start with the Self’. Today we explore how to develop Purposeful Self-Leadership and in the next post, we can explore the complexities of such an aspiration. In the first two articles of this series, we explored the two key concepts of purposeful leadership: purposefulness and leadership, and the three branches of purposeful leadership: self, people, and organisations.

Developing Purposeful Self-Leadership starts with articulating a purpose statement depicting our sense of purpose at the current stage of life. The first version of the purpose statement is only a glimpse of our purpose as finding purpose is a lifelong journey. However, having a sense of purpose begins the quest and gives us the drive and desire to be purposeful. Being purposeful improves our clarity about our life purposes and helps us fine-tune our purpose statement, leading to us being more purposeful. This cyclical process not only improves our sense of purpose and purposefulness but also attracts abundance to succeed in vocations aligned with our life purpose, gives us happiness and peace of mind (De Silva, 2024).

Continue reading “Developing Purposeful Self-Leadership (Purposeful Leadership – Part 4)” →

Saying ‘Yes’ to Beingness

On By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, Compassion, Ecology, Environment, happiness, Health Care, hope, Life, Love, purpose, Releasing, Spiritual, Struggles, Values1 Comment

An original poem by Ranjan De Silva

Image credits: goodmorninggratitude.com





Beingness invites us to ‘be’





But we attempt to ‘become’





Are we human beings or human becoming’s?





What would it mean to just be?




 Continue reading “Saying ‘Yes’ to Beingness” →
			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Values – The Compass of Morality

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Business, Conflict, engagement., Knowing, Leadership, Life, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Relationships, Sales, Spiritual, Struggles, success, Team Excellence, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			






Think of the last time you had to make a difficult decision. A time where options were difficult to pick from. A time where the more materialistically profitable option did feel right. I have faced many such situation. I would like to share my personal experiences to help shed some light on this dilemma. 





When I have such a dilemma I reflect on my aspired values to find direction as per the quote by Idowu Koyenikan in the visual above. The five values I attempt to live by are  summarised I the following statement. 




 Continue reading “Values – The Compass of Morality” →
			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Your Children Are Not Your Children

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, Compassion, energy, family, hope, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Relationships, Soul Nourishing Poems, Spiritual, Struggles, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			

When I first read these lines in the ‘Road Less Travelled’ by M.Scott Peck, quoted from the original writings of Khalil Gibran, I was confused. What are you saying? My children are my children, I gave birth to them and I did what it takes to grow them in to purposeful adults. However, after listening to it and reflecting on it, I realised how profound these words were. I have created a video with these words of wisdom as you see embedded in this blog. I recommend you watch and listen to the words in the video, reflect on it and then read the rest of the blog.














I believe the impact this video creates is different from person to person. I also believe the impact this video creates for you is determined by the journey of your life so far, where you are in your life now and your aspirations for the journey ahead. Therefore I feel the best contribution I can make is to write about what this poem means to me. Perhaps that might give you another perspective for you to reflect on, perhaps nourish your perspective and move you on to further reflection. 





 Let me reflect on the verse in two parts;




 Continue reading “Your Children Are Not Your Children” →
			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Who Are You?

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, hope, Knowing, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Quoates for Reflection, Spiritual, Struggles, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			






Do you really know who you are? Well, I am still discovering who I am and I am not sure if I will ever find the answer. However, everyday I live with this question in my mind, I see a little bit more of who I am. 





So, how do we find who we are? 




 Continue reading “Who Are You?” →
			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
How Is The Pandemic Serving Us?

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, Conflict, Ecology, happiness, Knowing, Life, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Purpose Quest, Spiritual, Struggles, success, Values, World affairsLeave a comment			

					


		

			

Image Credits: Wired.com





In the one before the last blog post (two Wednesdays ago) in the ‘Purpose Quest’ series, I attempted to list down questions that came up during my various interactions with various audience over the last 6 months of the pandemic. I started attempting to write about how I responded to those question and the insights I had regarding the first two questions related to goals, in last Wednesdays blog post. Let me attempt to respond to the third questions;





What is the purpose of the pandemic? How is it serving us?




 Continue reading “How Is The Pandemic Serving Us?” →
			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Goals! What Goals?

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, Ecology, happiness, Knowing, Life, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Purpose Quest, Spiritual, Struggles, success, Values, World affairsLeave a comment			

					


		

			

Image Credits: Saba.com





In the last blog post in the ‘Purpose Quest’ series, I attempted to list down questions that came up during my various interactions with various audience over the last 6 months of the pandemic. I will attempt to write about how I responded to those question and the insights I had, in the next few blog posts. So let’s begin with the first two questions. Both of them are related to goals;





My goals have become irrelevant due to the pandemic? What do I do now?





Why do I need to have goals when they can become irrelevant due to uncontrollable situation?




 Continue reading “Goals! What Goals?” →
			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Philosophies That Drive Us

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Compassion, happiness, Health Care, Knowing, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, purpose, Quoates for Reflection, Spiritual, Struggles, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			






For Neil deGrasse Tyson, its increasing knowledge and reducing suffering daily, that drives hime? Reflect on what drives you everyday.







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Questions about Purpose

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn belief, Conflict, Ecology, happiness, Knowing, Life, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Purpose Quest, Spiritual, Struggles, success, Values, World affairsLeave a comment			

					


		

			

Image Credits: thamarathorpe.com





The last six month opened up amazing opportunities for me to reflect on the notion of purpose. These opportunities arose during conversations with family, team and clients in trying to make sense of the pandemic. These opportunities arose during webinars conducted to help people with their concerns, anxieties, stress and other psychological challenges. These opportunities arose from the 150 plus participants from 15 countries taking part in the four ‘Mastery of Self’ through NLP, online certificate courses over the past few months. 





In this blog post I will attempt to list down the questions that came up. Some of these questions were already asked earlier, some of these are modifications to the old questions and some of these are new questions. 





My goals have become irrelevant due to the pandemic? What do I do now?





Why do I need to have goals when they can become irrelevant due to uncontrollable situation?





What is the purpose of the pandemic? How is it serving us?





Is our purpose changed due to changing realities?





I am struggling more due to the pandemic. Is it helping me to find purpose?





Am I struggling more during the pandemic because I try to live purposefully?





Do our values change with situations? Arn’t they supposed to be fixed?





Isn’t values an important component of our purpose?





My purpose is clashing with the purpose of some of my family. It is prominent now because I spend a lot of time with them. How do it deal with them?





Are religious people more purposeful than non-religious people?





Does spirituality become more important than religion for purposeful people?





Does the notion of Purposeful living taken a new meaning with the pandemic?





Are world leaders being purposeful in the way they are handling the pandemic? 





I will reframe from answering these questions to provide you the opportunity to reflect and answer these questions. I am not sure what that process will do. I will be delighted to hear from you the answers that came up and how these questions and answers served you. 





I wish you purposeful living.







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
How You Lived Will Epitomise Your Death

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Compassion, happiness, hope, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Soul Nourishing Poems, Spiritual, Struggles, success, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			

How Did You Die? – Edmund Vance Cooke 














Reflect on the deeper meaning of this poem as you listen to it and read the lyrics below. How did you respond to trouble times? What did you do when you fell down? What is real success & failure? How would you face life’s challenges from now onwards? 





Read by Shane Morris – Full Poem: 





Did you tackle that trouble that came your way





With a resolute heart and cheerful?





Or hide your face from the light of day





With a craven soul and fearful? 





Oh, a trouble’s a ton, or a trouble’s an ounce,





Or a trouble is what you make it,





And it isn’t the fact that you’re hurt that counts,





But only how did you take it? 





You are beaten to earth? 





Well, well, what’s that!Come up with a smiling face.





It’s nothing against you to fall down flat,





But to lie there-that’s disgrace. 





The harder you’re thrown, why the higher you bounce





Be proud of your blackened eye!





It isn’t the fact that you’re licked that counts;





It’s how did you fight-and why? 





And though you be done to the death, what then?





If you battled the best you could,





If you played your part in the world of men,





Why, the Critic will call it good. 





Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,





And whether he’s slow or spry,





It isn’t the fact that you’re dead that counts,





But only how did you die?







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Something Inside So Strong – To Make You Rise Above the Odds …

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn energy, hope, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, purpose, Songs for Growth, Spiritual, Struggles, success, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			

Something Inside So Strong – Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Choir





As you listen to this powerful song, let the strength inside you awaken and fight against the odds so that your bright light will blind the darkness. 














Lyrics 





The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The further you take my rights away
The faster I will run
You can deny me, you can decide
To turn your face away
No matter ’cause there’sSomething inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone, oh no
There’s something inside so strong
Oh, something inside so strongThe more you refuse to hear my voice (ooh-weh ooh-weh ooh-weh ooh-weh)
The louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho (ooh-weh ooh-weh ooh-weh ooh-weh)
Your lies will come tumbling
Deny my place in time, you squander wealth that’s mine
My light will shine so brightly it will blind you
Because there’sSomething inside so strong, strong
I know that I can make it
Though…







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Living Life To The Fullest as the Captain of Your Life

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Compassion, happiness, hope, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, psychology, purpose, Soul Nourishing Poems, Spiritual, Struggles, success, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			

O Captain Mu Captain – Walt Whitman 





Reflect on the deeper meaning of this poem as you listen to it and read the lyrics below. Who is the captain of your life? How will you live to be able to be happy on your last day feeling that that you lived it all.














O Captain, my Captain our fearful trip is done
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people are exulting,  
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring  
But O heart! heart! heart!  
O the bleeding drops of red,  
Where on the deck my Captain lies,  
Fallen cold and dead.  





O Captain, my Captain (x3)





O Captain, my Captain rise up and hear the bells  
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding  
For you they call (the swaying mass)
their eager faces turning (their eager faces turning)
Here Captain! dear father!  
This arm beneath your head  
It is some dream that on the deck, 
You’ve fallen cold and dead. Dead.





My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still  
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will  
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done  
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with this object won
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!  
But I, with mournful tread,  
Walk the deck my Captain lies,  
Fallen cold and dead. Fallen cold and dead.







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
It’s a Possibility, with Your Heart the Hunter, to find Peace and Happiness

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Conflict, Ecology, happiness, hope, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, purpose, Songs for Growth, Spiritual, Struggles, Values, World affairsLeave a comment			

					


		

			

It’s a possibility – John Denver 














As you listen to this beautiful song reflect on how you can use your heart, the hunter to fight off hatred and help find peace and happiness in your little world, thereby creating ripples to make this world a better place.





Lyrics 





For all of the times that you’ve wondered why
The world turned out this way
And all of the times that you’ve asked yourself
About the games that people play.





About the politics of hunger
And the politics of need,
How the politics of power
Seem to be the politics of greed.





For all of the times that you’ve struggled in an effort
To work your way back up stream,
And all of the times you’ve held on to it,
When most of us had lost the dream.





And for all of the ones who have walked with you,
By your side or way back home,
Maybe much more than any of us
You know that no one is really alone.





Because the heart is still a hunter,
It’s like a beacon in the night.
Though the heart is just a lover,
It’s never afraid to fight.





We are fighting for more than survival,
We are…







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
What’s Your True North?

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Communications, family, happiness, hope, Inspirational Speechs, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, Relationships, Spiritual, Struggles, success, Values, World affairsLeave a comment			

					


		

			

Anne Hathaway Keynote Address International Women’s Day 2017














As you listen to this speech, reflect on how it speaks to your heart and mind. Is it about the rags to riches story? Is it about love? Is it about parenting? Is it about gender equality? Is it about speaking out on behalf of your concerns? Is it it about your sense of direction? Is it something else? Reflect on what matters to you and the baby steps you would take to make a difference. 







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
The Pandemic & Money

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Business, Cash Flow, learning, Life, Personal Excellence, purpose, Purpose Quest, Releasing, Spiritual, Struggles, Team Excellence, Values, World affairsLeave a comment			

					


		

			

Image Credits: gfmag.com





In the last 5 blog posts in the ‘purpose quest series’, we explored how the pandemic impacted five important pillars for purposeful living; spiritual, mental, emotional, relational and health. Let’s explore the sixth pillar, the financial aspect in this blog post. The financial pillar consist of four aspects earnings, expenses, savings and investments. As in the past five blog posts let me describe my personal experience during the pandemic. 





With the announcement of the pandemic, cases starting to rise and lockdowns getting implemented, many of my clients decided to postpone sessions that were scheduled. In addition some of the industries my clients were in, specially the apparel industry was having orders getting cancelled, resulting in impending reduction in their cashflows. In the past too, some companies first eliminated people development budgets when such challenges arose. All this made me realise that I need to focus on planning my finances. Continue reading “The Pandemic & Money” →

			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Moments that Fuel You to Your Destiny – Your Freedom

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn energy, happiness, hope, Life, Love, Personal Excellence, purpose, Songs for Growth, StrugglesLeave a comment			

					


		

			

One Moment in Time – Dana Winner














Think of one moment in time that you were more than you thought you could be. Reflect on it. Take in the feeling deep in to your heart and use it to create more such moments as you race with your destiny and find your real freedom.







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Fail Big – Leave Big

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Inspirational Speechs, learning, Life, Personal Excellence, psychology, Struggles, success, ValuesLeave a comment			

					


		

			










As you listen to this amazing speech, reflect on what will you leave behind (not what you will take with you, because we don’t) and how will you gain what you will leave. 







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
How are Great People & Trees Made?

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Ecology, EQ, Knowing, Life, Personal Excellence, Soul Nourishing Poems, StrugglesLeave a comment			

					


		

			

Good Timber by Douglas Malloch – Read by Mark O’Keeffe














As you listen to this poem (words below), reflect on what your challenges and struggles have done for you? 





The tree that never had to fight
     For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
     And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
     But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
     To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
     Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
     But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,
     The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
     The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
     In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth
     We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
     Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
     This is the common law of life.







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
What’s your ‘Why’ that helps you find the ‘how’?

						

				On  By Ranjan De SilvaIn Life, Personal Excellence, purpose, Quoates for Reflection, Spiritual, StrugglesLeave a comment			

					


		

			






Reflection Guide





Read the above quote and reflect on the struggles you head and the steps you took to deal with it? Did you have a big ‘why’ to understand the higher purpose of the struggle? If so how did you serve you? If not, how would it have been if you had a big ‘why’?