I have been sending out Personal Development mails for the past 2 years to all my friends & colleagues. This year, I decided to start a blog which can be read by a wider audience.

I have personally gained from many elements of the advice sent out every week. A lot of others write back to appreciate, share experiences & give me feedback too. But nothing can really bring forth the benefit of "practicing what one preaches" when faced with challenges & situations which can test one's limit. Currently another close friend is going through the heart-wrenching process of an unexpected bereavement in his family. Word's become insufficient to help anyone in such time's of personal crisis & we extend our prayers to him & his family to tide over this period of his life.

In this blog, I would like to reiterate all those aspects which have helped us in the past (& can help others tide over such difficult periods in their life).
Positive Thinking
We always face situations in life when everything seems bleak & outcome of a situation seems to be negative, It is very easy to slip into a "downward spiral" of negative thought process. This can become a never ending bottomless pit. We have the choice at such a stage of either accepting the seemingly inevitable negative outcome or focusing on a positive outcome which can only come about through optimism & will power. The power of positive thinking is amplified in such situations & helps in multiple ways. It helps to focus on affirmative actions & helps to bring about a collective force of "positive energy". As enumerated in the book & video " The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, thoughts are very powerful mechanisms for attracting either positive or negative outcomes. We can decide what aspect we would like to focus on & the universe will conspire to help you achieve it.

Power of prayer
One aspect which is always critical in a situation like this is the power of prayer. At one's personal level it helps maintain a level of equanimity & focus and at the collective level it is a force which cumulates & pushes towards a positive outcome. The people who love & care for you also pray for you in difficult times. Not only friends, relatives & acquaintances but even complete strangers can reach out to a collective entity which is a more powerful force known by many names. These prayers can go a long way in effecting a positive outcome or reducing the pain associated with a negative outcome.

Affirmative Actions
Nothing elucidates this concept better than the famous shlokas from "The Gita" which encourages focus on one's actions & not on the outcome. Positive thinking & the Power of prayer are very important in a crisis, but equally important are the actions taken by all key participants. No positive outcome is possible if one expects that things will turnout to be OK on their own. The efforts taken by all key participants in leaving no stone unturned is another important aspect which contributes to the outcome.

Goodwill
No other wealth in the world can measure up to the wealth of goodwill. This is manifested in the number of people who are willing to go out of their way to help out in a crisis. All of us are fortunate to have friends & family who are willing to extend themselves in every way possible to help. Some of these friends can put in an extraordinary amount of time & effort without any thought of the time (day or night) and their own personal inconvenience. Others can extend their help in dozens of myriad ways which ensures that one can put into effect many of the action elements required to resolve the issue. Furthermore one will be amazed to receive help from extended friends & acquaintances who in the ordinary course of time are either unknown or barely known. Thus this increasing concentric circle of goodwill manifests itself in a positive outcome. This goodwill cannot be accumulated in an instant or cannot be bought with all the wealth in this world. It needs to be pain-stakingly built up over many years with one's own actions, behavior & investment of time and effort.

Gratitude
The feeling of gratitude is also very important in all aspects of this situation. Gratitude towards the larger universe for a positive outcome of the situation. Gratitude towards friends, relatives, acquaintances & strangers for their help & support. And lastly gratitude for the crisis itself, which helps make us stronger and shares a message for everyone. Beyond this situation gratitude is also a feeling which one needs to cultivate for all our smaller blessings which we take for granted. food, shelter, clothing; the country we live in; opportunities to work, play, and study; the miracle of life; the misfortunes we have avoided; the diversity and spice of life; good health; our gifts and talents; our achievements; freedom of speech; the kindness, encouragement, and help we receive from others.