Dancing With Wisdom

Manoj Raithatha is a man who does not live life in small measures. He has been an English teacher, a BAFTA award winning and Emmy-nominated TV writer and a successful property entrepreneur – so successful in fact that his business at its height in 2007 was turning over £70 million a year and in 2005 he was able to buy 220 off plan appartments for £30 million. However, his life changed dramatically after the financial crisis of 2008. Also in that same year his 2 year old son became critically ill.

Manoj has written an autobiography entitled “Filthy Rich: The Property Tycoon Who Struck Real Gold.”

Do join us on this podcast conversation with Manoj as we discuss his life along with the consequences that led to – the good, the bad and the ugly.

It is a story that spans generations; British, African and Asian cultures as well as radically changing world views.

We look at how financial success and spirituality have been competing areas of focus in his life. It was coming to the end of his own resources, financial, emotional and spiritual that opened him up to what really matters in life.

Manoj’s publishing community at Instant Apostle is here.

A podcast and further articles on money are here.

A podcast and articles on finding true success are here.

What questions, thoughts and reflections does Manoj’s life story raise for you?

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“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger,” so said the German philosopher Frederick Nietsche. Its a great quote, but I have to say that it is not necessarily automatic! As I have got older I have found my need for resilience has grown greater. And I am convinced that experience is not unique to me. Developing resilience in a world that is getting increasingly volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous is an important life skill for anyone anywhere at any age.

The need to master change, thrive under pressure and bounce back from setbacks is something we all need to continue to develop and grow in to handle the ever increasing complexity life can throw at us.

On this podcast do join my co-host Andrew Horton and myself as we discuss:

For more articles and blog posts on the subject of resilience do look here.

Andrew and I also discuss personal challenges and setbacks, as well as strategies and thinking patterns we have found helpful and unhelpful.

What have you found helpful in your own life in developing your own resilience?

2015 was the year I turned 50. On this podcast discussion with my co-host Andrew Horton we think about ageing in a world and culture that tends to celebrate youth and ignore wisdom. Having said that getting older per see is not the issue. Its not experience alone that counts, but rather evaluated experience. Or as someone has eloquently put it, “There is a world of difference between 50 years of experience and 1 year of experience repeated 50 times!”

As we explore these life lessons, we have been able to crystallise our discussion down to 6 main statements on life. Having turned 50 I very much doubt whether I would change any of these. No matter how much the world changes I believe these principles will be timeless.My purpose in sharing them is to hopefully spare you some of the pain and discomfort I experienced in not getting them earlier:

1. I’ve been learning to be comfortable in my own skin and context.

2. While being content with who I am, there is a place to appropriately strive and grow into all who I am called to be.

3. Life only really makes sense in the context of love and friendship.

4. Remember the video is playing and you are never really alone (even if it feels like it!)

5. The importance of right thinking and what we say to ourselves.

6. your life is a whole movie and not just a single scene.

You may also enjoy the following blog posts that build on this theme:

Life Lessons On Turning 50

3 More Life Lessons On Turning 50

What thoughts and questions do the principles and discussion raise for you?

How do we make sense of money? How much money do we actually need? Don’t worry I am not trying to sell you anything!

They say money can’t buy happiness – and there are many examples of that. But are there ways money can actually buy happiness?

In this podcast with my co-host Andrew Horton we explore the fascinating and complex subject of money. I’m afraid I don’t think we can solve your money worries and problems, but we do explore ways that our attitude to money can lead to a healthy and lasting happiness in our lives.

Do join us as we discuss 5 ways that money can buy happiness:

We also look at how surprisingly money and our attitude to it is actually a spiritual subject.

The link to the podcast is below.

You may also be interested in the following blog posts this podcast is linked to:

How Much Money Do You Actually Need?

3 Ways That Money Can Buy Happiness

2 Further Ways That Money Can Buy Happiness

The Surprising Connection Between God, Money and Happiness

Making Sense of God, Money and Happiness

What questions and comments does the subject of money and happiness raise for you?

Stephen Richards Covey (24 October 1932 – 16 July 2012) was an American educator, author, business man and keynote speaker. His most popular book was “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” that sold 25 million copies and was translated into 28 languages. His Covey Leadership Centre has 3/4 of  Fortune 500 companies as clients.

The 5 minute video below gives a small glimpse of his wisdom, personality and genuine warmth: ›‹›

https://youtu.be/YjxpyaOX3dE

On this podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Stephen Hutchins Covey the 4th grandchild of this remarkable man’s 52 grandchildren.

I was introduced to Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits book in 1995. I was immediately gripped by its depth and breadth of wisdom and insight. it has had a profound influence on my own thinking, life and choices to this day.

Do join us as we pay tribute to and celebrate the legacy of a truly remarkable man who has positively inspired and influenced literally millions of people around the world. If you have not heard of him before then we we hope this can be of great encouragement to you in your own life journey.

We discuss:

Here is how The Economist magazine of 21 July 2012 remembered him at the end of a full page article about his life:

Work second, family first

The Covey Leadership Centre is now a part of the Franklin Covey organisation. Details of that can be found here.

Stephen Hutchins Covey works with the SMCOV organisation whose details are here.

Please do feel free to add your own thoughts, comments and reflections.

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On this podcast we have the privilege of interviewing Simon Prince about the subject of mindset . Simon is a director of MDN Fusion based in New Delhi, India.

MDN Fusion is a global leadership development and assessment consultancy that seeks to develop people to their full potential through a combination of coaching and training.

Do join us on this podcast as we discuss:

For more details on MDN Fusion and the World Class Leader Programme see here.

You may also find of interest the following posts related to the podcast:

What do we mean by education?

Do you still believe your old school report?

Do schools kill creativity? (Along with a fascinating  TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, an advisor to governments on education about the limitations of much formalised learning).

For more details on the Stockdale Paradox that is discussed on the podcast see Could This Be The Real James Bond?

Should Living In A VUCA world matter to you?

Lessons On Life From Steve Jobs

A video on the life of Nick Vujicic

The power of the human brain  at What Is The Most Complex Object In The Universe?

For more on the importance of character see What Are The Ingredients For Lasting Success In Your Life And Career? Part 1 and Part 2

Do feel free to add your thoughts and comments about mindset.

In the Khan Market area of Delhi is a thriving and busy bookshop called Bahrisons. It has been running since 1953 and is now based in the most expensive retail location in India (and in the top 30 for the world). But it has certainly not always been like that.

On this podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Anuj Bahari (pictured above) about his father Balraj Bahari Malhotra and the story behind the bookshop. Its a story that goes all the way back to the partition of India in 1947. It’s also a story about the importance of relationships of trust, entrepreneurship and calculated risk taking.

Do join us as we discuss the story behind the bookshop and life lessons in handling the challenges of starting and maintaining a business in a city that has evolved and changed dramatically over the last 70 years.

The following is a quote from the book, “Bahrisons: Chronicle of a Bookshop” by Anuj Bahri and Debbie Smith that traces Balraj Bahri’s journey. Writing about 1947 and the partition of India:

“Within 24 hours the fate of millions had altered and there was no way back. Friends, those we thought of as brothers, life long neighbours refused to look us in the eyes and ask us to stay and live together as we had always done.

I was not a bookseller then, just a young man of 19 who had thoughts of doing something a little different with my life, if only in a small way. I wanted to try something other than working the land or going into service, the traditional occupations of my family in the past. An engineer perhaps or a school teacher, but the owner of a successful bookshop in an alien city – not in my wildest dreams.”

The story reminds me of a quote from Thoreau that describes in a mysterious way how Providence can work in someone’s life:

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will pass an invisible boundary; new universal and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; and he will live within the licence of a higher order of beings.”

You may also find of interest:

Podcast #005 Delhi. Capital: A Portrait of 21st century Delhi

Do you work to live or live to work?

7 Lessons from a passport.

4 simple questions to ask yourself to develop confidence.

Religious thinking. What exactly is it? Is it something we need more of or less of in our world? It often comes as a surprise when I say that I struggle with religious thinking. A clue is in the bell-shaped curve below:

Do come and join the podcast discussion with my co-host Andrew Horton and I as we discuss:

If you would like to explore this subject further please also see the following blog posts:

Why I struggle with religion

What is so good about Good Friday?

Is this the best news you have ever heard?

4 personal implications of the resurrection.

Do add your comments, thoughts and ideas on this provocative subject.