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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
Dear Readers
What makes a good story?
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Little I, big Q
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Short stories
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Change self or change world
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Perception
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The mountain story
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Break-The-Box with Rajiv Khurana
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Everyone loves a good story. Everyone creates a story. Everyone narrates a story. Our story spans through the stage of life with all its melodrama, roller-coaster and multiple climaxes. We share some. We hide many. We remain curiously critical about the plot which others write. We justify ourselves as the best protagonist. Keep creating stories. Add more success to it with ideas of right FRUITful flavours. whY not! Cheers, Rajiv Khurana Editor rajiv@rajivkhurana.com 9810211256
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What makes a good STORY?
#48 March 1, 2016
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Stuff
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Telling
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Options
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Real or imaginary
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You
Practice Story
Acronym STORY created by Rajiv Khurana
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
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Call it a plot. The sequence of events from which a story, play, song, puppet show, song, etc. can be made.
Style, expression, words, meta-communication… Distinctive, dramatic, impactful…
Versions that encompass one of many possible presentations of the same plot
People, animals, fairies, robots or other communicating entities in the tale
The narrator. The soul to act as the ‘mover and shaker’ as the story proceeds and reaches the climax.
Three Fish An Indian Tale Three fish lived in a pond. One was named Plan Ahead, another was Think Fast, and the third was named Wait and See. One day they heard a fisherman say that he was going to cast his net in their pond the next day. Plan Ahead said, "I'm swimming down the river tonight! Think Fast said, "I'm sure I'll come up with a plan. Wait and See lazily said, "I just can't think about it now!" When the fisherman cast his nets, Plan Ahead was long gone. But Think Fast and Wait and See were caught! Think Fast quickly rolled his belly up and pretended to be dead. "Oh, this fish is no good!" said the fisherman, and threw him safely back into the water. But, Wait and See ended up in the fish market. That is why they say, "In times of danger, when the net is cast, plan ahead or plan to think fast!"
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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
Preeti looked totally confused and scared. Presence of 19 other children in the adoption center did not give her any comfort. For a 3 year old this was a different world. A world where she is just a figure. Some day some couple will come and take her away. And she will become statistic for the NGO which was given bundles of joy to numerous children Indian and foreign couples. While other children felt happy to see us again, Preeti stood in a corner with a bit of surprise and expectation in her eyes. Other children wanted to spend some precious time with me, my wife and son. Cake and sweets on new year eve was enough occasion to share something that they wanted in abundance but were currently deprived of due to the cruel hands of destiny. Preeti did not find my wife threatening. She quietly sat besides her. We could see her body moving to the music but she surely was not inclined to dance along with the other kids. We know all these kids come from different part of India and are up for adoption. All of them have adjusted well to the small SFS flat as their home. Somehow Preeti has not found any comfort so far during the last one month of the stay.
Little Big
I Q
- Rajiv Khurana
With her looks we could make out that she must have belonged to a good family. The way she ate her piece of cake and started eating her eclairs, good habits formed over the period were clear. We probed further. The results were shocking. Her mother brought her to the adoption center. Her father had died and her mother wanted to get married again. Preeti was an obstruction. She had to be given away. The Indian man wanted a wife but not a mother. The Indian mother gave up a piece of herself for the man. Mother India hid behind her compulsions and shame. The great Indian family system perhaps showed further cracks in spite of all cosmetic family soap operas. When we visited this adoption center last time the shock of poverty was different. A father of three had abandoned his children because his wife ran away. This father from the northeast only knew how to bring kids to this world but not bring up the kids in this world.
We will go again to the children on another occasion. Perhaps Preeti will not be there. Some angels may pick her up. ‘Son Pari’ is only symbolic in the TV serials. Some childless mother would be her ‘son pari’. These three kids are already booked for the USA. There is always hope. The light at the end of the tunnel is there for such kids too. These kids are still blessed. There are centers that look after them. There are parents that want them. The number is big and ever growing in supply. The demand is still limited and restricted. The bigger question still remains. – Shall we fight for temple or mosque or bend down on our knees before these children and look into their eyes. Because God is waiting to see us.
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#48 March 1, 2016
Short Stories
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
FALL AND RISE: Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground. He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago.
THE POWER OF UNIQUENESS: Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.
LOVE CONQUERS PAIN: Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.
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A FATHERS ADVICE: Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try! You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product. Amateurs started Google and Apple. Professionals built the Titanic. LOOKING BACK: Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile."
Shared By Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
TRY & YOU SHALL KNOW: I am blind by birth. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to play baseball. I asked my father- "Dad, can I play baseball?" He said "You'll never know until you try." When I was a teenager, I asked him, - "Dad Can I become a surgeon?". He replied "Son, you'll never know until you try." Today I am a Surgeon, just because I tried! GOODNESS & GRATITUDE: Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”
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A DOOR CLOSES TO OPEN ANOTHER: Today at 7AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job. I start tomorrow. AFFECTION: Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.
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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
JOY: Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again. KINDNESS: Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon.”
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LOOKING BACK: Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often.” INNOCENCE: Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.” I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said.
SHARING: Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”
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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
Knowledge and wisdom There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit not a vegetable. Wisdom is knowing not to include it in a fruit salad.
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CHANGE SELF or CHANGE WORLD There was a very wealthy man who was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted many physicians and was being treated by several. He did not stop consulting a galaxy of medical experts; he consumed heavy loads of drugs and underwent hundreds of injections. But the ache persisted with more vigour than before. At last, a monk who was supposed to be an expert in treating such patients was called for by the suffering man. The monk understood his problem and said that for some time he should concentrate only on green colours and not to let his eyes fall on any other colours. It was a strange prescription, but he was desperate and decided to try it. The millionaire got together a group of painters and purchased barrels of green paint and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall to be painted green just as the monk had directed. When the monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire's servants ran with buckets of green paint and poured it on him since he was in red dress, lest their master see any other colour and his eye ache would come back. Hearing this, the monk laughed and said "If only you had purchased a pair of green spectacles, worth just a few dollars, you could have saved these walls and trees and pots and all other articles and also could have saved a large share of his fortune. You cannot paint the world green." Let us change our vision and the world will appear accordingly. It is foolish to shape the world, let us shape ourselves first.
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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
And A Meadow Lark Sang "The child whispered, 'God, speak to me' And a meadow lark sang. The child did not hear. So the child yelled, 'God, speak to me!' And the thunder rolled across the sky But the child did not listen. The child looked around and said, 'God let me see you' and a star shone brightly But the child did not notice. And the child shouted, 'God show me a miracle!' And a life was born but the child did not know. So the child cried out in despair, 'Touch me God, and let me know you are here!' Whereupon God reached down And touched the child. But the child brushed the butterfly away And walked away unknowingly."
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Perspectives One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" Very good, Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?" The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon. When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless. His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!" Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything! You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing! Author Unknown
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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS The Mountain Story
A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?" Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!" He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?" The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" Again the man screams: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have given to it." YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU! Author Unknown
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#48 March 1, 2016
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
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#48 MarchCoaching 1, 2016 Learning Advancing Sharpening Smartening
Window for action loving PROFESSIONALS
Make Your SMART People SMARTER Periodic learning investments do wonders to people and business. Take your people to a new orbit of awareness and equip them with SMART skills they need. Start catapulting your business to the level next. Each programme shall be tailor-made to your organization’s specifications and nuances. You are different. Your programme should be different too. Call us for a dialogue. +91 9810211256 +91 9013698960 rajiv@rajivkhurana.com
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