A Lone Stranger

I had just finished a talk at a leading technology company when an engineer approached me. "I liked your ideas about personal branding, and I can see how they'd work," he told me. "But most of them aren't for me-I'm an introvert. Is there anything I can do?" What he didn't realize is that (like an estimated one-third to one-half of the population) I'm one, too. This post originally appeared on Harvard Business Review. Despite the common misperception that all introverts are shy, and vice versa, they're two very different phenomena. (Author and introversion expert Susan Cain defines shyness as "the fear of negative judgment," while introversion is "a preference for quiet, minimally stimulating environments.") I actually like giving talks to large groups (that day, there were 180 people in the room and another 325 watching online). I'm happy to mingle and answer questions afterward. But at a certain point, I've ...

Most of us  probably are aware that our sufferings are due to regrets of the past or fears of the future. Being anchored in the present is the key to joy & happiness. I learnt something very simple to understand & practice the art of being present from a profound book, ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle. Sharing. Breath: Be aware of your breathing as often as you are able, whenever you remember. Do that for one year, and it will be powerfully transformative. Be aware of your breathing by notice the sensation of your breath. Feel the air moving in and out of your body. Notice how the chest & the abdomen expand & contract slightly with the in & out breath. One conscious breath is enough to make some space. One conscious breath (two or three would be even better), taken many times a day is an excellent way of bringing space into your life. Breathing happens by itself. The intelligence within the body is doing it. All you have to do is watch it happening...

It takes more than love for a lasting relationship With short-lived marriages becoming the norm, Mirror draws long-term relationship lessons from celeb couples The story of boy meets girl and they live happily-everafter seems to be a tale of yore. Times are changing. Relationships are shortlived, divorces are common. While some blame the lack of time couples spend with each other, a few believe it's because they are no longer financially-dependent on each other. In the absence of a universal handbook on how to maintain relationships forever, Mirror draws a few lessons from celeb lives. Move in and learn Whether it is a preference for a particular TV programme, the AC temperature, food choices, or toilet habits, the inability to adjust in a marriage is cited as key reason for divorce. Perhaps, moving in together will help you learn a thing or two about your potential spouse before you decide to settle for good. Actor Saif Ali Khan not only advocated the 'live-in relati...