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Nagesh Belludi

Inspirational Quotations #308

January 24, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

If there is anything that a man can do well, I say let him do it. Give him a chance.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

We came to enjoy; we are being enjoyed. We came to rule; we are being ruled. We came to work; we are being worked. All the time, we find that. And this comes into every detail of our life.
—Swami Vivekananda (Indian Hindu Mystic)

Contemplate thy powers, contemplate thy wants and thy connections; so shalt thou discover the duties of life, and be directed in all thy ways.
—Akhenaten (Egyptian Monarch)

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
—Walter Bagehot (English Businessperson)

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
—Cynthia Ozick

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.
—Flora Whittemore

Don’t carry a grudge. While you’re carrying the grudge the other guy’s out dancing.
—Buddy Hackett (American Comedian)

The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.
—Christopher Hitchens (Anglo-American Essayist, Social Critic)

Enthusiasm is the leaping lightning, not to be measured by the horse-power of the understanding.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Philosopher)

When something does not insist on being noticed, when we aren’t grabbed by the collar or struck on the skull by a presence or an event, we take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
—Cynthia Ozick

As the kindled fire consumes the fuel, so in the flame of wisdom the embers of action are burnt to ashes.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

If we are to progress we must go forwards, not backwards. We can look backwards, we can learn from backwards, but we must not go backwards.
—Unknown

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotations #307

January 17, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

There’s no limit to what a man can achieve, if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.
—J. Laing Burns, Jr.

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
—Napoleon I (French Monarch)

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.
—Bertrand A. Russell (British Philosopher)

I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.
—Earl of Chesterfield

The price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of people’s differences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience.
—Jerome Nathanson

It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.
—Edmund Hillary (New Zealander Explorer)

The soul never thinks without a mental picture.
—Aristotle (Ancient Greek Philosopher)

Nothing in life is more exciting and rewarding than the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person not only changed, but for the better.
—Arthur Gordon

I’ve learned one thing during my time on the soccer fields:
It’s amazing how fast you can run
And the things you can do when you have a goal in mind.
It applies to the rest of my life, too.
—Unknown

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotations #306

January 10, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control; these three alone lead one to sovereign power.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (British Poet)

The wise learn from the experience of others, and the creative know how to make a crumb of experience go a long way.
—Eric Hoffer (American Philosopher)

What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve.
—Norman Vincent Peale (American Clergyman, Self-Help Author)

Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.
—Epicurus (Ancient Greek Philosopher)

Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem.
—Jiddu Krishnamurti (Indian Philosopher)

What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? “I was practicing for this, I was training for this.”
—Epictetus (Ancient Greek Philosopher)

A good intention clothes itself with power.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Philosopher)

To know a truth well, one must have fought it out.
—Novalis

Through zeal knowledge is gotten, through lack of zeal knowledge is lost; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss thus place himself that knowledge may grow.
—The Dhammapada (Buddhist Anthology of Verses)

Many a man’s reputation would not know his character if they met on the street.
—Elbert Hubbard (American Writer)

You can be anything you want to be, if you only believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.
—Napoleon Hill (American Author)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Want to be more likeable? Improve your customer service? Adopt Sam Walton’s “Ten-Foot Rule”

January 7, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi 2 Comments


Walton Ten-Foot Rule

Sam Walton, Walmart’s iconic founder and perhaps the most successful entrepreneur of his generation, demonstrated considerable charisma, ambition, and drive from a very young age.

Sam was a committed student leader when he attended the University of Missouri, Columbia. One of the secrets to his reputation in college was that he would greet and speak to everybody he came across on campus. If he knew them, he was sure to address them by their name. In a short time, he had made many friends and was well-liked. Small wonder, then, that Sam triumphed in nearly all the student elections he entered.

From his bestselling autobiography, “Made in America”:

'Sam Walton: Made In America' by Sam Walton (ISBN 0553562835) I had decided I wanted to be president of the university student body. I learned early on that one of the secrets to campus leadership was the simplest thing of all: speak to people coming down the sidewalk before they speak to you. I did that in college. I did it when I carried my papers. I would always look ahead and speak to the person coming toward me. If I knew them, I would call them by name, but even if I didn’t I would still speak to them. Before long, I probably knew more students than anybody in the university, and they recognized me and considered me their friend. I ran for every office that came along. l was elected president of the senior men’s honor society, QEBH, an officer in my fraternity, and president of the senior class. I was captain and president of Scabbard and Blade, the elite military organization of ROTC.

When Walmart became sizeable enough, Sam realized that it could not offer prices lower than those of other retail giants—yet. As part of his customer service strategy, he institutionalized the very trait that had made him popular when he was a student. He insisted on the “Walton Ten-Foot Rule.” According to the rule, when Walmart associates (as Walmart calls its employees) came within ten feet of customers, they were to smile, make eye contact, greet the customer, and offer assistance. As Walmart grew, Sam added greeters who would greet customers at the door (and control “shrinkage” / shoplifting.) Even today, the Ten-Foot Rule is a part of the Walmart culture.

Likeability: A Predictor of Success

Likeability is an important predictor to success in life. Some people seem naturally endowed with appealing personalities. They tend to complement their talents by being personable and graceful, presenting themselves well, and by possessing the appropriate social skills for every occasion. They often win others over effortlessly. At school and in college, they are their teachers’ favorites and are chosen by their peers to represent their classes. They are invited to the right kind of parties and gatherings, and infuse them with life. At work, they are persuasive; they get noticed and quickly climb the corporate ladder.

From my observations of the traits of the talented and successful, I offer you a few reminders to help you become more personable, develop rapport, and thus maximize your chance of success:

  • Look people in their eyes. Smile. Greet them by their names.
  • Listen. Speak with a pleasant tone of voice and in a positive manner. Show respect. Indeed, even your adversaries have some admirable characteristics.
  • Show genuine interest in others. Try to build a rapport by sharing something about yourself with them.
  • Say “Please,” “Sorry,” and “Thank you.” Offer a kind word. Compliment them. Do not superficially flatter.
  • Consider the other’s perspectives and his/her circumstances before disagreeing.
  • Practice compassion. Make a sincere effort to help others.
  • Do not overdo any of the above. Try your best. Do not please others at the expense of your own sanity—stay true to your values, principles, and happiness.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. How to Increase Your Likeability: The 10/5 Rule
  2. How to Accept Compliments Gracefully
  3. How to Make Eye Contact [Body Language]
  4. Serve with a Big Smile
  5. A Trick to Help you Praise At Least Three People Every Day

Filed Under: Great Personalities, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Body Language, Courtesy, Entrepreneurs, Etiquette, Likeability, Personality

Inspirational Quotations #305

January 4, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

The way of devotion is not different from the way of knowledge, or Jnana. When intelligence matures and lodges securely in the mind it becomes wisdom. When wisdom is integrated with life and becomes action it becomes Bhakti. Knowledge when it becomes fully mature is Bhakti. To believe that Jnana and Bhakti, knowledge and devotion, are different from each other is ignorance.
—Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (Indian Hindu Political leader)

People are okay, it is their behavior that’s a problem sometimes.
—Ken Blanchard (American Author)

The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.
—Theodore Roosevelt (American Head of State)

I criticize by creation – not by finding fault.
—Cicero (Roman Philosopher)

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.
—John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (Scottish Novelist)

A person in danger should not try to escape at one stroke. He should first calmly hold his own, then be satisfied with small gains, which will come by creative adaptations.
—I. Ching

A great part of life consists in contemplating what we cannot cure.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish Novelist)

Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long time. … Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.
—Swami Vivekananda (Indian Hindu Mystic)

The rich invest in time; the poor invest in money.
—Warren Buffett (American Investor)

Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.
—Thomas Edison (American Inventor)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

A Secret of Dieting Success: Do Not Deprive Yourself of Your Guilty Pleasures

January 2, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

The turn of the year brings about a plethora of advice on the ritual of New Year’s resolutions. Articles in magazines and websites and features in the media might interest most of us in pursuing this advice. However, change is rarely as effortless as we assume it will be. Only those of us who are committed and consistent enough to maintain our regimens do actually stick to our resolutions.

I would like to reiterate one particular aspect of healthy eating and dieting. Many discussions on New Year’s resolutions tend to overlook this important consequence.

Deprivation, Guilt and Indulgence

An all too common mistake that people commit when dieting, especially in the first few weeks, is that they tend to be overambitious and force themselves to do everything right from the get go. At once, they drive themselves to cut out everything unhealthy, take up green vegetables, flaxseeds, and other wholesome foods they hitherto resisted and exercise aggressively.

Alas, their optimism subsides quickly. They relax and begin to compromise on their goals. They make excuses, revert to their former habits, crave for their guilty pleasures, and tend to overindulge on impulse. They lose sight of their New Year’s resolutions. Consequently, they feel sorry for themselves, renounce their goals, and assume they could never embrace lasting change.

Three suggestions for dieting success.

  • Cut back, do not cut out. Food is one of the basic pleasures of life. Cutting out some guilty pleasure does not mean depriving yourself of something you like. Treat yourself on occasion, but limit yourself to smaller servings. This will help you resist the urge to splurge.
  • Target small, incremental goals that can lead you to lasting change. Realizing your New Year’s resolutions is part of your long-term commitments. Therefore, in goal setting, less can be adequate. Be realistic in what you can expect of yourself. Adjust your expectations and try not to overwhelm yourself. Pace yourself for success over the long term.
  • Do not feel guilty if you fall off your plan. Guilt is counterproductive to health and well-being. Get over your lapses and simply begin pursuing your goals again. Ask yourself, “What can I do differently? How can I improve?”

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Be Careful What You Start
  2. 3 Ways to … Eat Healthy
  3. Six Powerful Reasons to Eat Slowly and Mindfully
  4. Eat with Purpose, on Purpose
  5. What the Dry January Trap Shows Us About Extremes

Filed Under: Health and Well-being Tagged With: Discipline, Goals

Happy New Year 2010

December 31, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Here is a poem for your reflection:

Whoso has tasted the honey-sweet fruit from the stems of the lotus,
Nevermore wishes to leave it, and never once longs to go homeward;
There would he stay if he could, content, with the eaters of lotus,
Plucking and eating the lotus, forgetting that he was returning.”
* Homer, in ‘Odyssey’ (Translation: Edwin Arnold, from ‘Poets of Greece’)

I wish you and yours a happy New Year 2010.

May you be happy and successful. May you enjoy the honey-sweet fruit of well-being and serenity alluded to in the above poem. May you be filled with generosity and compassion.

May there be peace!

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotations #304

December 26, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.
—Abraham Lincoln (American Head of State)

If you believe you have a foolproof system, you’ve falied to take into consideration the creativity of fools.
—Frank Abagnale (American Fraudster)

You never conquer a mountain. You stand on the summit a few moments; then the wind blows your footprints away.
—Arlene Blum

He who waits to do a great deal of good at once, will never do anything.
—Samuel Johnson (British Essayist)

We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there.
—Charles F. Kettering (American Inventor)

Never frown because you never know who might be falling in love with your smile.
—Unknown

You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.
—Norman Vincent Peale (American Clergyman, Self-Help Author)

What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
—Unknown

To do great work a man must be very idle as well as very industrious.
—Samuel Butler

Spend time daily doing something you enjoy.|Do those things that bring inner peace.|Learn to laugh heartily and frequently.|Cultivate an attitude of hope.|Fill each day with as much love as it can possibly hold.
—Steve Goodier

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

No White Socks with Black Shoes

December 23, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi 9 Comments

While we are on the topic of clothing and appearance, this is a little pet peeve of mine.

Wearing white socks with black shoes is a style faux pas.

Why fuss over something trivial, you might ask. True, socks are less conspicuous than most other elements of your clothing. However, wearing an unaesthetic combination or, worse, the wrong kind of socks can attract attention. Remember that in matters of clothing and demeanor, the devil is in the details. When it comes to dressing for an important event, no element is trivial enough to overlook.

A few broad guidelines are in order.

  • Generally, match the color of your socks to that of your shoes.
  • Avoid light-colored socks with dark shoes. In particular, avoid wearing white socks with black shoes. Men should also avoid pastel and flesh-toned socks.
  • Prefer darker socks. If you own an assortment of black, blue-black, and dark brown socks, be careful when matching socks into pairs. When you are indoors or under low light, you may inadvertently mismatch socks and wind up wearing one each of two different dark colors. (This happened to me when I was heading to an interview a few years ago. Luckily, I had enough time to stop at a store and buy a new pair of socks.)
  • For dress wear, your best bet is to own a collection of plain, black, vertically ribbed socks. Dress socks should be thinner than athletic socks. If you want to try patterned socks, let the patterns be simple and subtle.
  • Use white socks only with white athletic shoes, shorts, track pants and other active gear. Select darker socks with dark colored athletic shoes.
  • For casual wear, say while wearing khakis or jeans, white socks are acceptable if you are wearing white athletic shoes. Black socks are just as acceptable.
  • Holiday-themed socks for relaxed wear You may wear striped socks, holiday-themed socks or socks with your favorite cartoon or Disney characters only for relaxed occasions or when indoors.
  • Buy socks that are long enough to cover a good portion of your calves. When you sit down or cross legs, you should not display any skin between your socks and pants.
  • Wear ankle socks only with shorts.
  • Choose socks made of wool or cotton. These materials breathe well and absorb moisture better.
  • Do not wear socks with sandals or slippers.
  • After each wash, make sure that your socks are in good condition. Avoid the embarrassment of having to remove your shoes in front of others only to find that your socks have holes in them.

More on Etiquette and Clothing

  • Dress sharply and look neat to boost your self-confidence
  • Protocol of introducing people to one another
  • The art of remembering names
  • Meal Manners: Pace yourself, start and finish with others

Wondering what to read next?

  1. We Live in a Lookist Society
  2. Etiquette for Office Cubicle Dwellers
  3. Why a Friend Can’t Keep a Secret
  4. How to Address Employees with Inappropriate Clothing
  5. How to … Deal with a Colleague Who Talks Too Much

Filed Under: Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Etiquette, Workplace

Want to boost your self-confidence? Dress sharply and look neat.

December 22, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi 1 Comment

The ‘Axe Effect’

Consider the following ‘news’ story (possibly a spoof) from a few weeks ago.

How the Axe Effect works Vaibhav Bedi of India sued Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods conglomerate, for “depression and psychological damage” caused by letdown from the ‘Axe Effect.’ Vaibhav believed in ads that showed attractive women throwing themselves at men who use the Axe brand of deodorants. “I used it for seven years but no girl came to me,” he said in his complaint accusing the manufacturer of false advertising.

False advertising? Hardly. The ‘Axe Effect’ often works. Clothing, cosmetics and lifestyle companies sell more than merchandise—they sell means of boosting a consumer’s self-confidence. Studies have shown that when men and women improve their appearances, they feel more self-assured. Naturally, charm and self-assurance are very appealing characteristics. As a result, others pay confident people more attention, seek their company and value their opinions. Individuals who are perceived as attractive stand a better chance at winning others over, securing jobs and promotions, and benefit from better career prospects.

Clothes Talk, People Listen

It is possible through the skilful manipulation of dress in any particular situation to evoke a favourable response to your positioning and your needs.
* John T Molloy, Source: ‘New Dress for Success’

Attractiveness is not the only thing others judge you on, but it is generally an important subliminal consideration. Attractiveness encompasses clothing and accessories, tidiness and grooming, physical appearance and posture, flair, mannerisms, personality and other traits. Of these attributes, your clothing style is the easiest to improve.

Look, the clothes you put on effect how you feel throughout the day. Your awareness of yourself has a considerable impact on how others perceive you. By dressing sharply and looking neat, you can become more self-assured and attractive. Follow the following four simple guidelines. Seek suggestions from a tailor at a clothing store in your neighbourhood or a mall.

  • Research and adopt a dress style that is appropriate to your industry, place of work and social circle. Observe the dress styles of successful professionals and executives in your company/industry.
  • Conform but choose a distinctive wardrobe that projects the impression you desire. Dress for the position to which you aspire.
  • Choose clothes that are comfortable and make you feel good about yourself.
  • Err on the side of conservative styles and darker shades. Simple and classic is often reasonably priced and sophisticated enough.

Filed Under: Career Development, Sharpening Your Skills

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About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

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Unless otherwise stated in the individual document, the works above are © Nagesh Belludi under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. You may quote, copy and share them freely, as long as you link back to RightAttitudes.com, don't make money with them, and don't modify the content. Enjoy!