Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Bests in 2012


Best 3 books read in 2012:
1) The compound effect
2) Think and grow rich
3) Take the stairs
Best 3 audio programs gone through in 2012:
1) Anthony Robbins - Personal Training System
2) The Power of Purpose Les Brown
3) Zig Ziglar - Secrets of Closing the Sale
Best 3 people spoken to (on phone) in 2012:
1) Dave Brown 
2) Mark Hunter 
3) Brett Rutledge 
Best 3 acts in 2012:
1) Started our own company SPEAKRISE Training Services and started training and coaching
2) Been on stage more than 100 times
3) Had video chat on yahoo with my parents for the first time :)

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Are you thankful for your adversities?


As you pursue your dreams, stay ready for adversities. Cause they will come.
And be thankful for your adversities. Your adversities make you a stronger person by developing the person within you, by developing the child within you, by developing the warrior within you.
The next time you have adversities, instead of being sad, be thankful. Cause God gives you adversities only to make you stronger than you already are.
God bless you and have a great weekend!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

What's the point?


What's the point of chasing professional success if you forget your parents' birthdays...
What's the point of earning a lot of money if you are not willing to go shopping with your dad and buy him a new pair of comfortable shoes because you think you are too busy...
What's the point of smiling a lot in office if you are too tired to smile at your mother/wife/children/husband...

What's the point?

Sunday, December 16, 2012

What's your commitment level?



When I am doing any training for a group for our company SPEAKRISE Training Services, I always keep in mind that it is my responsibility to help people improve their mindset & skillset by training, motivating and developing them. That’s right, no?
But is it ONLY my responsibility? Think about it: Is it also not the responsibility of the participants too?
A few months back while doing a training series, I got to meet a great young man who signed up for our public speaking group training program. During the course of the program, I saw the intensity of the person go high in terms of attitude of learning. He took notes, always completed his homework assignments and did all we told him to for his benefits. He is a true “student of the game”.
Today that guy is a very confident and dynamic public speaker. Yes we helped him achieve that. But is it only our training involvement that made him so good? Is it also not the involvement and the commitment of him too?
I remember as a school student, when I had lower grades that desired, I used to shout, complaint, blame and moan thinking “my tutors are not good, my teachers don’t teach well.” I was blaming them for my low grades. I forgot: It was the involvement and the commitment of mine too.
In which areas of your life do you think you are not getting desired results ONLY because of someone else? Think about it: Is it not lack of commitment level/work from your side also? If yes, change it. If no, think about it once more.
Have a great week ahead.

Bishal Sarkar

Speaker and Trainer
SPEAKRISE Training Services, LLP

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The perfect age for starting a new venture


You don't need to be of a certain age to start what you want to start, except for marriage :) There is no perfect age for starting working on your dreams.
Start where you are. Listen to your heart, follow your intuition and do all the work required for your dreams.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
~Mahatma Gandhi

Thursday, November 29, 2012

What do you think about?


A boy thinks about what others think about his actions.

Another boy thinks about what God thinks about his actions.

Monday, November 26, 2012

If you don't take part in others' happiness, you have no right 

to demand their participation in your happiness.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Speech Video



Who are you walking with?"

 I delivered this speech at Rotary Koramangala. 


 Enjoy :)





Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Which words are you using?


Use words like "awesome", "excellent", "serve", "excited", "look forward", "remarkable" in your daily conversations.


Your words determine the person you become..

Saturday, November 3, 2012

The most important phase of communication is


The most important phase of communication is not speaking, but "reflective listening".

You'll read a detailed blog post on this subject soon as I post.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

5 things about life I learnt from kids

5 things about life I learnt from kids:


1) Do what you like
2) Let others play with you in your game
3) Persist until you get what you want
4) Smile, laugh. Cry
5) Hug, kiss, love

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Self-talk quote by Bishal

Positive self-talk has taken me from negativity to extreme positive state. 
What is your self-talk? Do you have written affirmations which you repeat aloud every day?

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Greatness

"You don't have to be great to get started. You have to get 

started to be great."

~ Zig Ziglar/ Les Brown 


What do you want to be great at? Well, when will you great 

started?

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The best feeling in life


Nothing like when your mom tells you- "You are the best son in the world."
Nothing like when your dad tells you- "I am proud of you."
Nothing like when your brother wakes you up in the morning pulling your hair and beating you.
Nothing like when your family stays within you rather than just with you.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Adversity, not your advantage plays the big role in your success


The inspirational great people we see today became successful not because of their advantages but because of the strength they accumulated during their adversities.
Your adversities play a big role in your success. They strengthen you and make you more powerful.

What do you think? Put your comment below.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Use your shower time!!

On average, we spend about 15 minutes in bath. 

Question is how do you use that 15 minutes to develop your will power?


One of the things I learnt earlier in my life was to use affirmations or success declarations while taking bath. I use them aloud (sometimes my family members shout at me for that ;)). So every day while taking bath, I use affirmations. Let me tell you this, it has changed my life. Cause using affirmations during bath deepens my commitment, takes me closer to my goal and makes me more focused for the rest of the day. The people I have shared this technique with have dramatically changed their focus too.


Some of the affirmations you can use while taking bath today:



  1. I can, I will, I am going to _________
  2. I am a champion
  3. Every day in every way I am feeling better and better
  4. Every day in every way I am getting happier and happier
  5. I have the best family in the world and I am grateful for that
  6. Today I will do what others won't do, so tomorrow I can have what others won't have
  7. I am the greatest __________ ever.


I hope it helps you. Ooooppps. Gotta go.  My own shower time now!!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Connection vs perfection

If you are a speaker, trainer, teacher, even a family person, don't seek out perfection. But seek out connection.
Perfections sucks. Connection rocks!

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Vacation

Me @ Vizag enjoying our lovely vacation. Photo taken by my sister
                       
Yes we all work! But apart from work, studies and everything else, we need some time to take vacations. When did you take your last vacation? When will you take next?

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012



"Life is on the wire, rest is just waiting." ~ Papa Wallenda


Today I will face my fears. You face yours too.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

I love my family

I love my family.

Do you? Have you told them that you love them? If not, when will you?

Cough Syrup

Do you like cough syrup? I know I don't.

But I like what it DOES for me. Cough syrup gives me relief (though while consuming it, it feels so bad)!

Similarly, at times we don't like many processes. Maybe tuition, coaching, investing, exercising, writing. The process seems so bad! Right? But the results are good.

If you love the result, you will not hate the process. And EVEN IF you hate the process, do it anyway. Cause at the end, the RESULT matters.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Servant leadership: A new model



YES! There are many religious beliefs. But there is only 1 religion- HUMANITY.

Similarly, there are many professions in our society. You can be an engineer, teacher, store-owner, business executive, publisher, student, speaker or anything much more important. But above all, there is only one purposeful profession- SERVANT! Let me explain.

Life takes a different turn in an awesome way when you start seeing yourself as a servant. When you are a servant (trust me, in reality you are!), you become humble to do any work, you smile, you take full responsibility (trait of a leader), you don’t make excuse, and above all, you are not hungry for credit. Look around you- most people are craving for the credit (whether they deserve it or not). They have a feeling that they are most important to their company/family/school, so they deserve all the respect and credit for the work. Correct me if I am wrong. Well, good leaders ask for credit, great leaders give it away.

Few days back I got an invitation to speak at a seminar named UTTHAN, in Siliguri. A part of my speaking ritual is to meet the attendees and the backstage team before the event starts. As usual I spoke to them, shook hands, wished them all the best and sat at my place (intentionally in the last row)! Bidisha, a good friend of mine, was the creator of the event. Surely she had her whole team working amazingly with her. Yet, Bidisha was the person whose ideation was being executed majorly, that day.

Before my speech, I noticed that Bidisha was doing all the work: taking care of the guests, making sure all things were going right, setting up other things. After my speech was done, I saw that she was still doing the same. NO- she was not the anchor for the event. NO- she didn’t even come on stage. That day, she was a SERVANT.

At the end, Bidisha was happy for her team as the seminar was supersuccessful. I delivered my motivational speech (more about my work- www.speakrise.com) for the attendees- but that’s not the best part. The best part was what I learnt from her that day- that, when you are working, you are a servant first.

Are you into business? Or you are a manager? Maybe a student? Or a mother? Whatever you are, when you start seeing yourself as a servant, you get immense gratefulness, you become happier by appreciating what you have and people around you want to be around you always.

7  traits of a Servant Leader

          1)    They smile
          2)    They realize that others’ happiness is most important for them. So they serve with passion
          3)    They work for others and for themselves
          4)    They have a purpose and significance
          5)    They don’t crave for credit. In fact, they give it away 
          6 )   They never hesitate to do the “dirty work” (eg. taking the trash from the floor/ setting up chairs/sweeping the floor/washing the dishes
          7)  They focus on the point #6 the most

I encourage you to see yourself as a servant for the next 7 days and see the change yourself. So from now on, you are a servant. The sooner you realize it and take actions upon it, the better your own world will be.All the best for your next 7 days!

Thank you.
Bishal Sarkar, a SERVANT.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Are you enjoying the party?


Enjoying life isn't hard, is it?

You see, I enjoy the coffee I make every morning. I enjoy talking to my close friends. I enjoy understanding kids. I enjoy writing a new blog.......@5.53am.

It's said when you don't take charge of life, life takes charge of you. Similarly, when you don't enjoy life, life enjoy you. Then why not enjoy?

So often I meet people who are always irritated, they find it hard to smile, hard to ask- "How are you?", and many more. I am not pissed off with them, but I feel pity. Maybe they are not enjoying life- maybe life seems too hectic for them.

My father always tells me- "Bishal life is too small. Life fully."

So, I love smiling, speaking to new and old people, greeting someone from heart, reading as many books as I can. I am living my life with love and care. And I am enjoying it. What about you? Are you enjoying life?

I know at times, life throws at you some of the rocky rocks and you become confused tackling it. Chill out! When God puts you in a tough situation, put HIM in a tough situation by smiling and saying- "hey God, I am gonna take care of it, too..."

Life is a party. Enjoying life isn't hard, not enjoying is!

I love you!
And I enjoyed saying it :)

Friday, July 6, 2012

Want a peaceful sleep?





3 rules for a wonderful sleep, every night:

1) Work hard when you are awake
2) Take some deep breaths before sleeping
3) Don't check FB comments/emails just before going to bed
4) Read point #1 again

Happy sleep!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Shut up!!



People used to tell me- "You can't do this... Awww you cn't do that.."


Thing is- I told myself the same.


Now things have changed, and when I shut the voice inside my head, the voice outside got shut up.


What about you? Do you tell yourself that you can't do it? Do people tell you the same? Haa?


So, before you try to shut others up, shut your inner negative voice up. Cause when you shut the negative voice inside your head, the voice outside gets shut up!!!

Make it an outstanding day.


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

5 simple ways to save your time


1) Plan out your day the night before
2) Get an accountability partner
3) Stop procrastination. Start "doing". Go ahead and do it
4) Stop going to Facebook 7 times a day
5) Carry in your pocket your daily to-do list and not-to-do list

All the best!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

13 best (proven) ways to waste your time!!


Being a lazy person, I have found out 13 things I can do to waste my best time. And if you do the same things, trust me, you too can waste your time and in the process waste your life..

1) Watch TV. For 4 hours a day. Watch all those serials on various channels
2) Plan but don't do anything about it. Watch some motivational speakers speak about goal setting, set goals and then........................keep those goals inside the drawer, so you can't find it anymore. Never take actions on them
3) Gossip about "that girl"/ "that boy"
4) Start your day with texting and checking your emails
5) Never ever read a good book
6) Go to facebook.com and check other peoples' statuses. Check their comments. Check that girl's recent photo. You can download and set it as your desktop background also
7) Never ask questions. Always act like the person with all the answers. Think yourself to be the expert, you don't need to learn anything
8) Give a call to someone "just to say hi" and keep talking for next 1 hour
9) Never plan your day ahead... Always say- "Jo plan karta hoon, woh toh hota hi nahi hai.." WARNING: Planning your day ahead might make you productive
10) Never have a to-do list, rather fit into others' to-do lists
11) Always think- "Maybe I should do it later.."
12) If you want to do something, never do it. Always think- "Maybe later... I can do it better later... NOW is not the time.. I should wait"
13) Go back to www.facebook.com now!



Please share YOUR best time-wasting tip down in the comment box.
I'd love to hear.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

An unusual feeling!

In February, we visited Vizag.

What a wonderful place. Seaside! Fast food! Family walk! Talking to myself. Smiling at strangers. Looking at the sea from the window in the afternoon. Taking lonely long walk along the seashore. Writing words on the sand, and water coming and erasing it. Writing again... Drinking coconut water. 

I always carry my camera and mp3 player with me. And on this particular eve I was listening to this song- "Who am I" by Rupam Islam. I was listening to the version of the song he sang on a radio show. I really enjoyed and felt the song. 

Days have passed. I am back in Bangalore. Now every time I listen to the song, I go back automatically to those moments of walking along the sea. Such a strange feeling!

I think this is a v nice thing about music. You listen to a song at a place, during a span of life. Then after a long time you listen to it again and you feel like- "wow it feels the same. I am going back to those moments."

What's your fav song? Do you go back to "those moments" when you listen to it?

I'll speak soon again. I am going to turn on my mp3 player and listen to it once more!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

When does your REAL race begin?





And there I was. Running a race on the annual event of my primary school wearing red shorts and white t-shirt. I was ready, steady and whistle!!!!!!!

Goooowwwwww. I was running , all were cheering and I saw my father at the end line. He was shouting- “Go, run… run Bittu run..” I was running, I was running, I was running. And suddenly!!! I fell down in the midway. Yes.. I was lying on the ground smelling the grass, inhaling the dust. I heard a voice- “Get up son, run. Get up. Get up now..” I got up, I started running, I finished the race. 


                                                                                             
Now you might think like all movies, I got up and came first anyways! Nope!! I didn’t come first. Not second. No I didn’t come third. I came 23rd .... You should know that 23 kids ran that day. It’s funny, but can you feel what I was feeling that day? What do you think being 23rd can affect a kid who was running best till midway? I can tell you I was completely heartbroken. I was crying like a baby (I was one, back then), that’s when I saw my father coming to me with his smiling face. I clearly still remember he said to me- “You did well son. You did well. I am proud of you.” I don’t know why but his words brought smile to my face that day. Now have you ever seen a kid smiling and crying together? They look cute, don’t they? I did too. I guess.


Years passed. Now I was in class 7, studying in Siliguri Boys’ High School, where I studied from class 5 to class 12. It was (and is) in Siliguri, my hometown. Did you ever wish you were the topper in your class? Great. Me too. I had my home teacher, the best teacher in the world. My mom. I studied hard, I wrote the exam. And this very day I was going to get my marks, I was excited, my mom was tense. I got my marks- my name was not there in the top 10 list. I was there in the class, thinking- “mom is waiting outside. She’ll be angry, she’ll be upset. I didn’t make it. O my God. I didn’t make it!” I got out, went near the gate where mom was waiting for me. I saw Saurav, the topper nearing his mom who was so happy, her son topped, yeah. I went to my mom and hugged. She saw my marks and gave a huge smile and said- “Wow Bittu. You did well, today you are going to get a chocolate icecream..”

What? Ice cream? I didn’t even come to the top-10 list. Now I was having an ice-cream, I saw my mom paying 10 bucks to the ice-cream uncle and I was thinking- “Wow Saurav topped and got no ice cream, I didn’t come even in top ten and got a choco ice cream. If this is the case, I’ll never come in top 10.” That day my mom taught me that it’s not about being the topper, it’s about thriving to become one.


I am now a college student. I am a member of Toastmasters International. I emjoy speaking. And I've decided that I am going be a full-time speaker. I swear I get tired. I feel studies boring, speech writing super boring at times. And that’s when I rehear the voice- - “Go........run… run Bittu run..” When I still sometimes get low marks in college, or speak to a group and feel it was not my best one, I hear my mom’s soft voice “Wow Bittu. You did well, today you are going to get a chocolate ice-cream..” That’s what keeps me moving, even when I am tired, even when I want to give up and kiss the dust.

What I now realize is- Your race doesn't begin when you start running, your actual race begins when you feel like giving up!

To the question: "How many sit-ups do you do? "Mohammed Ali answered, "I don’t count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. When I feel pain, that’s when I start counting, because that’s when it really counts, that's what makes you a champion."

I am becoming a champion, by falling down yet not giving up.  Are you? So the next time you’re tired of trying, I invite you to tell yourself- “My race begins NOW!”

1…..2….3… Goooooowwww

Friday, March 16, 2012

Fun @ Express2Lead Toastmasters Club


Here you can watch the video that I took after the club level contest of International Speech contest and Table topics contest on 11th March,'12

I interviewed some of the club members and guests.

I hope you enjoy.... experience it.





Wishing you fulfillment,
Bishal Sarkar


Monday, January 9, 2012

A wrong approach towards the word "success"



“Success” is a topic that anyone can and loves to talk about. A businessman, a superman, a batman, or a gentleman, whoever they are..just ask them “What is success to you?” and they start- “Well, my definition of success is completely different….”


From a long time I have been studying successful people, their winning habits, their stories. I also pride on knowing a lot of quotes on success. But there is one particular quote that struck a chord on me. After I had read that philosophy, my view towards success and failure totally changed. Before that I used to think- success is something you pursue. But I was wrong for a long time. So what is “that” quote?



Rory Vaden, the 2007 first runner-up of world championship of public speaking, authored these lines-


“Success is not owned.
It’s rented.
And the rent is due every day..”



Woooo.. Success is not owned? Really? For years I thought success is a goal that we must "hit". But now- no, you don’t hit success. But you “carry” success. Now look at the quote above. It says- Success is not owned. Replace “success” in the quote with anything else- “a good relationship”, “a great health”, “a peaceful mind” etc, and it works!! Like-



“A good relationship is not owned.
It’s rented.
And the rent is due every day..”


“A great health is not owned.
It’s rented.
And the rent is due every day..”


Wow! This is cool.

It influenced me so much that I had to stick this quote on a big paper to my almirah in my room. And after the quote I have added a question. It reads-



“Success is not owned.
It’s rented.
And the rent is due every day..
WILL YOU PAY THE RENT TODAY?"



I will. Will you?