Two Perspectives

 

 

Two Perspectives on Optimism, Pessimism, and Pragmatism

Dr. Amit Nagpal, New Delhi, India, and

Dr. Janet Smith Warfield, Florida, USA

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Dr. Amit Nagpal’s Perspective

 

 

 

“Two men look out through the same bars,

One sees the mud, the other sees the stars.”

~Frederick Langbridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frederick Langbridge believed so, but I think he forgot people like me. I believe you should neither see the mud nor the stars, but rather see what is in the front. Optimism may make us unrealistic; pessimism may depress us (and make us lonely also), so pragmatism is the best policy.

But Optimism Sounds Better

People love optimistic company (and not pragmatic) and (on a lighter note) the most optimistic people end up becoming the best motivational speakers. Nobody wants pessimistic company unless you want to crib and share your pessimism at times. Also, it is easier to be a leader when you are optimistic because people have more faith in your success. Everyone is struggling in the world in some way and we all are looking for someone to motivate and inspire us all the time, more so from our leaders.

Best Case Scenario and Worst Case

Even organizations create two scenarios – best case scenario and worst case scenario. I believe neither the best happens in reality, nor the worst. What usually happens is the average. Or sometimes the best happens, sometimes the worst, and ends up on the whole with the average.

Which is Best?

Who gets the optimum in life, the optimistic, the pessimistic or the pragmatic? Should you be pragmatic for yourself and optimistic sounding with people? Should you expect the best and be prepared for the worst? Should you listen to the eternal optimist-soul or eternal pessimist-mind? Tough questions indeed and the answer is different for each person at a different point of time.

The mind is busy in feasibility studies; the soul is busy in possibility studies. The soul is divinely optimistic, the mind is animally pessimistic. You must move from the mind to the soul, which is a long journey. When you have mastered the law of attraction (or have become fully enlightened and under the influence of the soul), you can be optimistic all the time. Till then, it would be good to be pragmatic.

I can read your mind. You are wondering. “So what do you personally do?”

I ask both soul and mind, and then divide it by two.

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Dr Amit Nagpal is a Personal Branding Consultant & Deepest Passion Coach. He is based in New Delhi, India and specializes in personal branding with a holistic touch. His philosophy is, “Enlarge as a Human Being, Excel as a Social Media Being and Evolve as a Personal Brand”

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Dr. Janet Smith Warfield’s Perspective

 

 

 

 

“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” ~Michelangelo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the proverbial half full – half empty glass. Which way do you see it? How does your choice affect your emotions? How does it affect your well-being?

When we see the glass as half empty, we see possibilities that have not yet manifested. The choir director working with a newly-formed chorus sees the possibility of a beautiful, harmonious, balanced chorale, energizing and magnetizing its audience into a larger human symphony. Michelangelo saw a block of marble and envisioned David. Jesus, the Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius, Plato, Socrates, and many others saw human suffering and dysfunction and envisioned an all-inclusive humanity connecting needs and resources and co-creating a dynamic, peaceful, respectful, accountable, functional society.

And yet, when we see the glass as half full, aren’t we envisioning the same things? Isn’t the space at the top of the glass simply a metaphor for our unmanifested dreams, hopes, and visions for a better life and world?

How do we manifest these visions together, in harmony? Or don’t we? Do we choose instead to blow ourselves up?

 

It is All Very Simple

 

Each of us has only one soul to fix…

Each of us has only one heart to heal…

Each of us has only one head to clear…

 

our own.

 

But we need all of us.

 

Without one, there is disorder…

Without one, there is imperfection…

Without one, there is a hole in harmony…

 

no whole.

 

It is all very simple.

We all matter.

 

Previously published in

Shift: Change Your Words, Change Your World

by Dr. Janet Smith Warfield

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Dr. Janet Smith Warfield serves wisdom-seekers who want understanding and clarity so they can live peaceful, powerful, prosperous lives. Through her unique combination of holistic, creative, right-brain transformational experiences and 22 years of rigorous, left-brain law practice, she has learned how to sculpt words in atypical ways to shift her listeners into experiences beyond words, transforming turmoil into inner peace. For more information, see www.wordsculptures.com, www.wordsculpturespublishing.com www.janetsmithwarfield.com

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Additional Resources:

http://blog.ted.com/2012/06/28/the-glass-is-half-empty-and-half-full-tedglobal-2012-day-3-recap/

http://uncommonchick.com/glass-half-empty-or-half-full/

 

 

Two Perspectives on The Power of Intention

Dr. Amit Nagpal, New Delhi, India, and

Dr. Janet Smith Warfield, Florida, USA

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Dr. Amit Nagpal’s Perspective

As I had completed a little more than one year of my passionate journey into Personal Branding Consulting, I felt the need for an annual reflection. I decided to do the introspection and reflection in the Himalayas – probably the best place in the world for contemplative practices.

The questions which were hanging in my mind were related to my intentions and the purity, clarity and parity of my intentions. (I call it the PCP of intentions)

a)  Purity – Are my intentions pure and in alignment with the universe? Are they surrounded with positive energy? Am I doing something which is blocking the manifestation of my intentions?

b)  Clarity – Are my intentions clear? What do I want in life? Why do I want it? How do I expect to get it? Does the order of my prayers match the order of my intentions (priorities)? What future course of action is required to convert my intentions into reality?

c)  Parity – I believe in Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism which says, “Earthly Desires lead to Enlightenment” It means I can ask God/Universe what I want and once my desires are satisfied, I shall be ready for enlightenment. So my daily prayers include my personal wishes. Now the question arises, “Do my prayers match (are at par) with my intentions?”

(Even from the sub-conscious mind perspective, we need to exactly visualize what we want in life and then a complete commitment to our goal creates serendipity.)

The gratitude to Universe started flowing automatically due to the natural beauty and calm of Himalayas. Thus I began my journey of self-reflection with gratitude prayers. I posted on Facebook, “In the heights of the mountains, I found the heights of my consciousness. In the depths of the valleys, I felt the depth of divine love.” Never in my life, have I felt so inspired.

Excellent ideas began to flow. I wrote probably the most beautiful (and concise) sentence I have written in my life, “If he could, he would. So don’t judge and say, he should.” The mind loves to frown and the soul loves to smile. In touch with my soul, I was all smiles. I was like a spring, “Ego is like a stubborn mountain, sometimes an emotional rock. Soul is like a free flowing spring dancing towards the ocean.”

RW Emerson said, “Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen.” The decision Intention) must be accompanied by a complete commitment. If our desires continue to change, how can we blame God for not meeting our desires? Poor guy (God) must be so confused because we keep changing what we want and are doubtful about whether we really want it. Sometimes we are praying for the means while we want something else (ends).

Over a period of next seven days, I meditated and reflected upon these questions. The chit-chat between mind and soul began. There is a saying, “When we speak, God listens, when we become silent, God speaks (to us)”

Had I finally understood “The Secret”? I created a list of desires (intentions) which had purity, clarity and parity.

And when I reached absolute silence, God began to speak.

(And I came back with more answers than the questions I had left with.:-))

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Dr. Amit Nagpal is a Personal Branding Consultant, passionate Blogger, and Motivational Speaker based in New Delhi, India. He specializes in personal branding with a holistic touch. His philosophy is “Enlarge as a Human Being, Excel as a Social Media Being and Evolve as a Personal Brand”

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Dr. Janet Smith Warfield’s Perspective

As we approached Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, 90 miles southwest of London, I could suddenly feel the energy shift. Before us lay miles and miles of open grasslands, gently rolling hills, burial mounds, and peaceful mists. It was as if I had been transported back in time to a space held sacred by a Neolithic culture.

We had passed the restrictive energy of the military complexes surrounding Salisbury Plain. Now, I was beginning to feel the sanctity of the natural environment. Despite a parking lot crowded with tourists, I did not want to take pictures. I wanted to hold the awe of a mystery I couldn’t explain. I wanted to experience amazement over the dedication of those unknown human beings, thousands of years ago, who hauled those massive sarsens, blue stones, and lintels from miles away, then found a way to set them upright, raise the lintels to the top of the sarsens, and chisel them so they were stable and all fitted seamlessly together. I had clearly set my intention not to get sucked into the chaotic tourist chatter in the parking lot.

What I experienced was a mystery my mind could not understand. What I received was peace, awe, amazement, gratitude, connection, unity, wholeness, and sanctity. Had I shifted my intention to taking pictures of a physical place, I would have lost an amazing energetic healing experience. I would have mentally divided the experience into a subject/object relationship with “me” taking pictures of “Stonehenge”.

On the way back, I shifted my intention. This time, I wanted the pictures as a memento of a wonderful experience. I mentally split the energetic field into myself as photographer and Stonehenge as object. The experience was totally different. I had my mementos.

Intention is everything! It sets the direction of each and every moment of our lives, focuses our attention and actions, and allows us to manifest whatever we desire.

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Dr. Janet Smith Warfield serves wisdom-seekers who want understanding and clarity so they can live peaceful, powerful, prosperous lives. Through her unique combination of holistic, creative, right-brain transformational experiences and 22 years of rigorous, left-brain law practice, she has learned how to sculpt words in atypical ways to shift her listeners into experiences beyond words, transforming turmoil into inner peace. For more information, see www.wordsculptures.com, www.wordsculpturespublishing.com, www.janetsmithwarfield.com

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