Suraj Dinesh Shah » Exploring

Let Simple Be The Mantra

Suraj — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:59:28 +0000

In a recent blog post by Chris Brogan, titled Simplify and Package the Sale, he stated “Let simple be the mantra. Make your contracts brief, small, simple. Make your projects short, finite, and clear. Make your deliverables obvious, simple, and measurable.”

Simplicity in thought, speech and action with everything we do is becoming incredibly important in a world where our diaries are blocked out to the max doing things that we think would make us happy, but where we are in fact squeezing away time to do the very things that will serve us long-term.

Simplicity in thought comes about through reflecting on the nature of the world around us, just how impermanent it all is, and seeking out the source of abundant bliss within.

Simplicity in speech shines through when we hear of wise people who neither speak without being asked nor interrupt when another person is speaking.

Simplicity in action is the ability to perform our everyday duties and rising above all the elements that are pleasing or displeasing to our senses. Having taken care of these simple everyday duties, our time and focus can be put towards seeking fulfilment from the treasury within.

Through simplicity, in all it’s forms, we make life a process of purification. How does simplicity apply in your life right now? What can you simplify to support your quest for permanent happiness?

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Liberation Through Restraint: How Limiting Computer Use To 6 Hours Per Week Can Lead To Freedom

Suraj — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 23:00:46 +0000

This week I am limiting my computer use to 6 hours. Regardless of whether it is for emails, surfing, blogging, skype chat, social networking, writing articles, or listening to music, I will only use the computer for a maximum of 6 hours this week.

Yes, it is an experiment. It tests to see what happens to the quality of my work, the depth of my relationships, and my level of vitality.

I expect that by limiting my use of the computer, my method of working would be more reliant on spending enough time working things out in my own mind, and then exploring creative ways to record information and communicate it with those I am collaborating on projects with. It would also have an impact on my health (more time healthy eating and getting fresh air rather than being stuck in front of a computer), and most certainly enrich my personal and business relationships.

So hey, lets see what happens in a week and how it really impacts my work, my relationships, and my vitality…

For it to be truly effective and to make the most of limited time on the computer, it requires me to batch tasks such as checking and responding to emails, programming in Living Jain quotes, or raising invoices.

If you happen to get an autoresponder message from me when you email me this week, please be patient for my response – after all, the time I have on my computer is limited so that it can make me unlimited!

Much love,
Sol

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Travelling Alone, But Never Lonely

Suraj — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 08:17:50 +0000

Having travelled alone on several occasions over the last few years (India Oct 2004-Jan 2005, Italy June 2005, Switzerland Jan 2006, and India Jan 2007), I have found that although travelling alone, I am rarely ever lonely. Either I have my own company, or I end up meeting some of the coolest people to ever have the pleasure of travelling with.

Take my most recent trip to India for example. I flew out on New Years Eve and returned just over a week later (on Mon 8th Jan 2007). Every single step of the journey, outbound and return, I met and connected with creative individuals from across the globe.

Fly Gulf Air – Meet Cool People

Soon after I checked into Heathrow Terminal 3 on 31st Dec 2006, I went through security and then onto the terminal. There, as I sat down, I got talking to someone who had been in transit from Virginia, going to Lahore via London and then Muscat. He had been waiting at Heathrow all day because he’d missed a connecting flight.

As I boarded the plane, I sat down at one of the emergency exit seats which the check-in attendant had kindly assigned me. Emergency exit seats are great – they mean EXTRA LEG ROOM! As soon as I sat down till we arrived at Muscat airport, I was immersed in deep philosophical conversation with some other random guy who was heading out to Karachi from Muscat.

When I landed at Muscat the next morning (where I was in 7 hour transit on the way to Mumbai), I ended up spending most of that time with the original guy who I met at Heathrow. He even treated me to Papa John’s pizza! It turned out that in Virginia he delivers pizzas for a living, and I was able to learn about the intricate nature of the pizza delivery business. That 7 hours transit became bearable!

As soon as I jumped on the plane from Muscat to Mumbai, I asked the air hostess to find me a seat with better leg room. To my good fortune, I ended up sitting next to Pradyuman Vyas, someone who lives near me in London, and we connected in deep conversation. Once again, great company!

That’s just the people I met on the way OUT to India…!

On the return journey on Monday 8th Jan 2007, soon after I checked into the airport at Mumbai, I noticed this one cute girl who sat near me before going through security. I noticed her again after security as we were waiting by the terminal to board the plane. Wondering whether I should approach her or not, I decided not to. Something inside me said “just wait and see”. As I boarded the plane, I discovered that I’d been given one of the middle seats, and was kind of annoyed that I’d be sitting cramped for the whole plane journey. Then I reminded myself that there must be some good reason for this, and to just wait and see.

Within moments, the same girl who I’d seen earlier glided up to my row and indicated that she’s in the other middle seat of that row, and that I’d need to move out so that she can slide in. How cool is that? Out of all the couple of hundred people to be on the plane, what are the chances that she’s been given the seat next to mine? She was on her way to New York, with transits in Bahrain and London. So we spent most of the flight flirting, joking, talking, eating, drinking and sleeping. It was fun spending the flight with her, and so we also had a coffee together at Bahrain Airport (where we were in transit on the way to London). This just goes to show – patience is KEY. If there’s something that you want, first let it go, then watch as it floods into your life.

Although in the next flight we weren’t sitting next to each other, I knew it didn’t matter, and was curious to find out who else I’d meet on my journey. So I sat down, once again in one of the middle seats, in the middle of a bunch of guys who were reading or sleeping, and didn’t appear to be much fun to be around. I thought this would be a boring flight on the way to London, and it turned out to be far from that! The guy who was next to me in the aisle seat offered me his seat out of the blue because he said that he didn’t need the leg room as I did. How nice of him! Then we got into conversation, and I found out that Nigel works for the Royal Navy, was based out in Bahrain for the past 3 months, and is returning back to Portsmouth to spend some time with his family. Nigel Jones filled our time together with insightful stories about his work with the Navy, and we got into conversations about diplomacy and non-violent conflict resolution.

Oh, and did I mention the air hostess…?

Do you travel alone anywhere? What have been YOUR experiences? Post a reply below and lets hear from you…

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Music Is Just A Frame For Silence

Suraj — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:26:57 +0000

In Kavit Haria’s most recent post on No Pauses, he writes about how he has put more gaps into his presentations, therefore allowing the audience some space to absorb what he has just shared. As Kavit writes, “Good music and good communication is exactly the same, they both contain changes of pace, pauses, and full rests.”

Well Kavit, it’s true that music is just a frame for silence. Without gaps between the notes, music would just be noise! It’s those stunning silent moments that create works of such beauty.

Definitely slow down, create more gaps in music, in speech, in life. Use those gaps to think, reflect, and embrace the opportunity to serve your listener better.

Even in life, make the most of gaps between activities to ensure that every single thought, spoken word or action is purposeful and playful.

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Clear As A Mountain Lake

Suraj — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:55:31 +0000

“The mind becomes as clear as a mountain lake at dawn, perfectly mirroring its surroundings, and at the same time revealing its depths to those who look more closely. When this clarity comes, every moment is full of affirmation, beauty, and peace.”Clarity of mind is one of the outcomes of the Vipassana meditation technique.

For more on the technique, visit http://www.dhamma.org, or get hold of “The Art of Living | Vipassana Meditation | As Taught By S. N. Goenka”, a book by William Hart, ISBN 81-7414-008-5.

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Gandhi on Silence

Suraj — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:36:16 +0000

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.

Mahatma Gandhi
Indian ascetic & nationalist leader (1869 – 1948)

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Third Transaction Completed With A Noughts and Crosses Deul!

Suraj — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 23:38:24 +0000

This evening at Kavit Haria’s ‘Hidden Secrets of Music Success’ seminar held at London School of Economics, I just completed my 3rd transaction in the 1p to £10 Million project.

Roopal Shah had pledged the 3rd transaction where she would give me 4p in return for a match of Connect 4.

As she was unable to find her Travel Connect 4 game (Roopal says she left it at her mum’s place), we swapped it for a ‘Best Out of 3 Noughts and Crosses’ match.

The first match was a draw. The second match was a draw. I won the third match. Neh neh ne-neh neh…. About time anyway, as Roopal always beats me at Connect 4.
Thank you Roops – I am now in possession of 8p, and getting closer to my £10 Million goal.

Next up – to double the 8p, I gotta write a quote for Afni Shah that’ll cheer her up whenever things get her “stressed out and down”.

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Silence, the Vipassana way

Suraj — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:53:19 +0000

One of the greatest tools I have within reach that I use consistently in my life is the power of silence.

Throughout any Monday, from just after the 59th second of 11.59pm on a Sunday evening till the moment I wake up on Tuesday morning, I enter a mode of “speechlessness”. Monday is my day for becoming quiet, whilst getting on with the flow of life from an observational angle. Really, it’s just an opportunity to listen more intently…

Next month, from Wednesday November 15th, I’m taking this practise of silence to the next level where I will “indulge” in a 10-day stretch of non-speaking, and just observing my thoughts. Based at the Dhamma Dipa Vipassana meditation centre in Herefordshire (west of England), I will be entering a process of self-purification by self-observation.

Vipassana, meaning to “see things as they really are”, aims for the complete elimination of toxic thoughts, and works towards complete liberation, a state of moksha where we experience abundant, infinite, eternal bliss. As you know, your thoughts determine the words you speak, which transform into your actions and in turn what is attracted into your life.
Read more about Vipassana Meditation at:

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Speech-less

Suraj — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 17:00:45 +0000

Sol, silent…

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