Bridging the Gap: General Colin Luther Powell

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider this:
Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere.

With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.
"A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad.

Note: Be not mistaken. This is applicable to family as well as friends. Yes...do love, appreciate and be thankful for your family, for they will always be your family no matter what. Just know that they are human first and though they are family to you, they may be a friend to someone else and will fit somewhere in the criteria above.

"In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our friends."

"Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them."
"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude..."
Colin Powell

We thank Brig PT Gangadharan for sending us the link
Bridging the Gap

A Mind to Ride: In search of Magic

A self-fulfilling prophecy will be generated because a positive belief will build a more positive attitude that in turn leads to more positive expectations. You will start noticing when you behave more positively and so start to notice the little improvements in performance. The positive circle continues because more positive beliefs grow from noticing these improvements. Unfortunately it can work the opposite way too. This may be why if you fall off once you seem to fall off again soon afterwards - it's almost as if a part of you is looking for an opportunity or excuse to do it again.

The chemicals released into the body in the 'Fight, Flight or Freeze' response will determine to some extent which circle you are in . Our response will depend very much on our perception of the threat "the state arising when the individual perceives the demands placed on them exceed (or threaten to exceed) their capacity to cope".

Psychological stress that gives rise to the 'Fight, Flight or Freeze' response. We can therefore reduce the demands, increase the capacity to cope and we can work on an individual basis to change our perception of the threat. It has to be on an individual basis because everyone perceives threats differently. This is because we all have a different store of emotional memories to match them against.

The 'Fight, Flight or Freeze' response can sometimes be enjoyable because of the challenge it presents for us. "Perhaps one of the gifts a horse offers is a chance to explore constructive ways to meet danger and manage our private fears. Horses can give us confidence in our own innate resourcefulness, reminding us that we have the ability, intuition and flexibility to pass through challenging events".

Our perception of the challenge determines the cocktail of chemicals released into the body. These chemicals determine our emotional response. Noradrenaline (not adrenaline) gives rise to those good feelings of excitement, drive and physical strength, whereas the feelings and sensations associated with high levels of adrenaline are not pleasant and can lead to the need to flee, leaving us overwhelmed, inadequate and afraid.

A mind to Ride: In search of Magic
Cultivating a Positive Attitude(s)

Comment: One needs to cultivate the complete cycle of Positive Attitude if one intends to steer an Organisation to victory. This is an essential component to bring about Unity within the various Ex- Servicemen Oganisations and outfits. More, so as each Veteran presents himself as the enlightened Leader. The above articles surely enhances our perception and fine tunes our application of the concept in one's life.

How to Be a Veteran Leader

Want to know how to be an awesome Ex Servicemen leader that people can look up to? Here's your chance to find out. Our Retiring Jawans need more attention in civilian life. Who better qualifies to lead them?

1. Be very dedicated to what you are doing. Being a leader is a lot of responsibility and hard work, and you have to be up to it. Truly understand the field in which you are leading and be willing to spend a lot of time with whoever you're working with.
2. Help out others as much as you can. Spend quality time with those that need you.
3. Know right from wrong. Be cooperative as much as you can but also realize when you need to be assertive. Let people know when they are doing something that is not right.
4. Lead from the front. Put yourself on the front lines with your people, instead of trying to lead by just barking orders.
5. Be a good role model. Support those you are working with and do all you can to show everyone the strength of your team/ group.
6. Have confidence and be positive. A good leader never lets their team down. The meaning of the word team is "Together Everyone Achieves More". Work with everyone you can and have a good attitude.

Tips
Give everything all you've got. Just remember that people are relying on you.
Encourage those who follow you and build alliances.
Your example will set the tone. If you are patient and optimistic, ESM will learn to follow your example.

Warnings
Don't get too carried away. Being a leader doesn't mean you need to be cracking a whip over others constantly.
Don't be overly critical, but constructive.