Ravi’s Rants

Many years go, when we were in high school, a friend of mine (let’s call him “RT”), during a sickening conversation about road accidents, in a sadistic manner joked that he wished he could someday witness one and see bones getting crushed and blood spilt everywhere - something like in a gory horror movie. He was always an extremely sweet and gentle fella, and I know he did not mean it for one second.

But the “gods of wishes” were obviously listening.

Many years later, when we were young adults, his mother died in a freakish road accident - she was riding a two-wheeler (very common mode of transporation in India), and a piece of her clothing got caught in the wheels, and she fell under a fast-moving bus.

Call this coincidence, but I think there is a very fine line between “Coincidence” and the power of “Intention”.

Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true.

Stop thinking bad thoughts, and think about making great things happen, and changing the lives of people around you. If you really intend it, it will happen - in all probability.

• The terrorists of 9/11 intended it to happen.
• Bill Gates intended the “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation” to happen.
• Oprah intended to be one of the most influential people in America today.
• Mother Theresa intended for the world to be a better place.

What is your intention in life?

Wish. Intend. Will. Act. Persevere. Win.

May RT’s mother rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are always with RT his dad - one of the kindest, sweetest gentlemen I’ve ever known. God bless the family.

I was flying from New York to Michigan, and the flight was running on time.

Then arrived a family of a mother, 3 kids and the grandmother. One was an infant, one a toddler and the third a slightly older girl. Unfortunately, this family had seats all over the plane - one seat all the way in front, two together in one location, and two in another.

It all started with a young, handsome flight attendant asking the grandmother and the toddler to be seated in seats which did not belong to them - and mentioned that he would “take care of the consequences”. When the couple who had those seats finally arrived, he took them aside, and very politely explained the situation to them, and even though they were together, he convinced them to sit at two different ends of the plane!

This kind gesture suddenly started snowballing, and within minutes, 7 different people had given up their seats and had been scattered all over the plane just so that the whole family could sit together. And all this while, the pilot kept repeatedly announcing that the flight was ready for take off, a few from the front of the plane were glaring back in impatience at all this activity at the back, while the flight attendant kept smiling and thanking each displace passenger for their “kindness”.

What topped it all was our young steward making a small speech, saying that he had never seen such a thing in his life, and he thanked everyone so genuinely, that I could hear scattered applause (including my own).

Due to this extraordinary display of humanity and love, the plane departed 15 minutes late. And when we arrived at the destination, I had missed the connecting flight by 5 minutes.

It took me three hours more and an extra hop to get to my final destination. But that is not what I will remember when I think of my journey.

What I will remember many years from now, and hope to mention as an example to my grandchildren, is the story of the insanely kind people all over that plane. and of most importantly, the resourcefulness of a kind and patient young man who never frowned or sighed or shook his head once, while the flight was being delayed, and children and adults alike were being shuffled around over and over again.

Have you ever met, or even heard of a child who’s afraid of flying? I know I haven’t.

Children have the most fun on a flight, especially during takeoff and landing, as they soak in every bit of the plane, the clouds, the miniature automobiles and buildings, the vast ocean, the awesome view - just like my 6- and 2-year olds - and it is we adults who are paranoid and imagine things and worry about the plane falling apart for no reason - just like my wife

Why? Not because children are not capable of equally powerful imagination, but because they live in the present, and not in the future. They live in the present moment, they savor what they are experiencing currently, and do not focus on anything else but what’s happening now.

The power to focus on “now” rather than “later” does not come easy. Many of us fail in life because we give too much importance to the uncertain tomorrow, rather than to the definitive present.

“What if the plane crashes during landing (or takeoff)?”
“What if my business fails?”
“What if I fail in the exam?”
“What if I don’t get the promotion?”
“What if no one buys my book?”
“What if no one likes my cooking?”
“What if I don’t get this contract?”
“What if she says no?”
“What if I lose my job?”
“What if I lose the game?”
“What if I lose my money?”
“What if I lose…?”

There are plenty of “what if’s” in life. It so happens that children ask a lot fewer such questions, than us adults.

No wonder you can’t easily pull them away from what they are focused on now.

Got Focus? Will Win.

Try giving a child the following choices:
(a) Go out and play now and do your homework later.
-OR-
(b) Do your homework now, and go for a movie later.

I’ll bet 8-out-of-10 will pick choice (a), because even though they are truly getting a better deal out of (b). they realize that “later” may just never happen, because “later” hasn’t been defined. Something else could come up, and the movie plan could be put off for another time or another day.

Now try this instead of the earlier (b):
(b) Do your homework now, and we’ll go for “Spiderman 2″ for the 4:30 show.

It is still basically the same plan - homework first, then a movie.

However, the difference now is that you have made (b) a lot more specific - you have named the exact movie and the exact show you are going to watch it at. The percentage of 90% vs 10% could dramatically shift in favor of (b), because now they know you are serious; because now it’s no longer “go for a movie later“, but “going to Spiderman 2 at 4:30″.

You were vague earlier. Now you are specific. It shows that you are serious. You can’t get out of it that easily now that you committed to a specific movie at a specific time. You are showing commitment.

If you were trying to sell discourage them from them doing (a) and trying to “sell” them plan (b), which (b) would you pick: the former or the latter?

Yes, even children are influenced by signs of “commitment” - don’t you think your customers and potential customers are the same way?

Commitment is not just for those dating or married. It is for everyone in any kind of relationship.

* Friend/Friend
* Boyfriend/Girlfriend
* Boyfriend/Boyfriend
* Girlfriend/Girlfriend
* Husband/Wife
* Parent/Child
* Student/Teacher
* Employer/Employee
* Merchant/Customer
* Your job/You
* Your Business/You

Got commitment? Will win - regardless of what the game is.