In every game there are two kinds of players. There are those who are there to put on a show. They may or may not have power. They do their part and make a lot of noise while doing it. Then there are the real players. They are the ones who are in the background, the ones who influence the outcome of the game.

Let’s take a club for example. These are the players involved, there is the manager; he has the keys to everything. He decides the work schedule and hires the entertainment. There is the bartender who handles all the booze. There is the bouncer who maintains the decorum and there is the janitor who cleans up after everyone.

You have a long weekend coming up. You decide to go clubbing with your friends. They won’t let you in. Which player do you approach?  The manager has the most power but he’s not going to do you any favors. Why would he? The bartender has nothing to do with the door. The janitor probably has the most important job, but he can’t help you either. The one to approach is the bouncer. After all, he’s the one who decides who goes in.

With every game you play, you need to first identify the key players, the real players, who will get the job done. In theory, the manager is the most powerful player. He is at the top of the heap. In practice, sometimes it’s the ones with the least power that can help you the most. They can give you that appointment that just opened up. They can ensure your file reaches the right hands.

When you are dealing with an organization, think of it as a game. To get to the big players, you first need to make it past the small ones. Always know who the real players are.

The term singer-songwriter has become a part of everyday vocabulary. It is a term that refers to musicians who write, compose and sing their own material including lyrics and melodies. We all remember Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, and Dolly Parton. These were the singer-songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s.

In the early 1990s Mariah Carey rose to fame and became one of the most successful and well known singer-songwriters of all time. Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Victoria Williams, Patty Griffin, Jewel and Lisa Loeb were all hugely successful in the music industry.

Then came the beginning of the end of ‘Great Music’, in the early 21st century, a massive frenzy of “bubble-gum pop stars” were created by record labels. With limited vocal abilities, these artists sold records to young fans via a marketed image.

The fans loved them. They enticed such frenzy wherever they went, that they were regarded as modern day royalty. Artists like Britney Spears, the Back Street Boys and Christina Aguilera rose to super stardom. These artists, who merely performed songs given to them, were given the status of living legends. They were blamed for the difficulty of achieving success, faced by singer-songwriters of the time.

Then artist such as Spears and Christina Aguilera began writing their own material and taking further control of their musical careers. They were no longer seen as the puppets of the dollar making record industry. Today, massive success and credit has been given to artist such as Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse and Taylor Swift who write almost all of their own material.

It has been proved that the image of a star can be used to sell records. People have a tendency to believe what they see. The same is true when it comes to business. So, have you checked to see, what is your corporate image?

I have an aunt. Whenever she pours something she says, “Say ‘when’.” Of course I never reply, she just stops pouring when the glass gets full. She’s my aunt, she likes me, and she knows when it’s time to stop, even if I don’t say it. I sometimes wonder, what would happen if she didn’t stop? Would the liquid keep pouring? Would it spill on the table or would she place a new glass under it? Would the jug ever just, run out?

Bad things happen in life, to everyone. The universe can be quite nasty. It will knock you down and then, kick you when you’re down. It doesn’t stop. Most of us can’t survive the onslaught long enough for the jug to run out. Those of us that do start to wonder why we even bothered to hold on.

At such times, it’s best to just say it. Just say when. Only you can. Only you can make it stop. The universe will listen to those who speak up. If you’re having a bad time, say when and the universe will stop pouring trouble your way. Ask for better and you’ll get it.

Then there are the times when we don’t want it to stop. When the universe is good, oh, it can be so good. Then we want it all. Even after we have it all, we want more. At such times, enough is never enough. Keep asking for more and the jug won’t run out, at least not at a time when you’re around to notice.

Say when. Sometimes you need to stand up and say that you have reached the brink. Sometimes, you have to take action if you expect a change. Then there are the times you wish nothing would change. The glass is bottomless. If you want something and like something, go after it, or at the very least ask for it. The universe is listening.

Think of all those times when you were in trouble and you leaned on a friend. I’m talking about the hundreds of people we meet, and share a bond with. They may not be very close to us, but they still lend a helping hand. These are the people you laugh with at a party, the ones who gossip behind your back and the ones who tease you when you act like a fool. Of course you always return the favor.

You don’t need to have an exceptionally intimate bond with someone, for them to connect with you. We connect with people the second we meet them. We feel their pain and they feel ours. We do not know their history, their hopes and dreams, and still we care. Some call these people acquaintances. But I think they’re wrong, these are your friends.

Then, there are the people you trust with your lives. The one’s who’ve always been there. You know them; the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. Are these your friends? No. They’re not just your friends; they are so much more than that.

They say, friends are the family we choose for ourselves. The best of our experiences are experiences we shared with a friend. The most vivid of our memories are the memories that are connected to friends. What would we do without them? We love them, we hate them and we can’t live without them.

Friends are what make life worth living. Wouldn’t it be great to have a friend at work too? You can’t hope to make a ‘friend’ if you don’t act like a ‘friend’ yourself. Be it business or pleasure, always remember, friendship comes first. Today is friendships day, so honor your friends, your foes and the world ambassador for friendship, honor, Winnie the Pooh.

Weltanschauung: world view. It refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which an individual interprets the world and interacts with it. If it were possible to draw a map of the world on the basis of Weltanschauung, it would probably be seen to cross political borders.

The world view of a person doesn’t take into account the imaginary line drawn by politicos. A person’s world view is not something that can be built in a day. Our outlook of the world, as a whole is created over millennia. It is influenced by the experiences, beliefs and ideas of the generations that came before us.

We have a lot in common with people who share the same world view as us. This does not mean someone with a different world view is wrong, it simply means that we relate better with people who think like us.London and Ireland are vastly different. Yet, a person from London would never describe Ireland as exotic. Breath taking and beautiful but not exotic.

The two places share a common world view. Subconsciously, we do not feel a huge difference. If that same Londoner was to come to Mumbai, he would say that he was in an exotic land. Both Mumbai and London are densely populated urban sprawls, not very clean and very fast paced. The difference is not in the obvious. The difference is in the way a Londoner and a Mumbaikar looks at the world.

With the world becoming a global economy, it is important to understand different world views. It is important to know one’s own world outlook. If we can understand the ancient influences on people’s thinking, we can relate to them better. Understanding our own thinking helps us grow. So, do you know your Weltanschauung?

I see myself as an ordinary human. I have two legs, two hands, average mental faculties and a pair of eyes. I see myself as an ordinary human capable of extraordinary things. I see myself walking into a grand tower that is the seat of my empire. I see myself holding document after document, which prove my success. I use simple logic to chart my future plans. I see all of this and more. I see so much with eyes that are closed.

I open my eyes. I am an ordinary human capable of extraordinary things. I believe that I will build myself a sprawling empire. I believe that I will build a piercing tower, to be the centre of all my work. I believe that I will have everything I saw, when my eyes were closed.

I am an ordinary human who has accomplished extraordinary things. With the help of trusted colleagues, friends and simple logic, I built my empire. Today I sit in my glass tower and think of all that I have done and all that is left to be done. More than anything else, I am here because of my hard work. I am and will always be an ordinary human, living the extraordinary.

Visualization is so much more than just a motivational tool. Only when you visualize your objective, can you hope to achieve it. If you are not working towards something, any accomplishment you achieve will be an achievement that life gave to you. If you drive down a road, you will eventually reach somewhere. If you plan on going somewhere, you won’t just be driving down a road; you will take the best route. Inspire yourself to find the best route. Visualize your objective. See, Believe, Become.

Sambo was a good cook. One day there was a gathering in the neighborhood. The caterer was stuck due to bad weather. There was no food for the people. After some time, everyone started complaining. They wanted something to eat.

Sambo lived close by. He ran to his house and cooked a large pot of stew. Everyone fell in love with Sambo’s Stew. It started with the neighbors coming to Sambo’s house for a meal. When Sambo said, he had run out of supplies, the neighbors said they would be willing to pay for a bowl. Sambo started to deliver his delicious Stew. Money started to flow in.

The news of the Sambo’s Stew spread far and wide. People started coming from far away. Sambo had to set up a separate shed in his courtyard, for people to collect the Stew from. He spent days building the shed. People were complaining constantly. They wanted stew; they didn’t care about the shed.

Sometimes he would have to travel quite a distance to make a delivery. Sambo was not the greatest navigator and would often get lost. He could not leave the shed because carriages were always stopping by, to pick up his stew. He was having difficulty keeping track of the money owed to him. One day Sambo collapsed from the stress of trying to do it all.

Someone should have told Sambo to hire a waiter, a delivery boy, and an accountant. People who would be good at the jobs they were assigned. When it comes to work, Divided We Rule! Unfortunately it’s too late; no one will ever taste Sambo’s Stew. He has sworn never to make a pot again. He now does gardening. Don’t be like Sambo. Division of labor is the key to success.