“Be More & Achieve More!”

Hi,

When most people have issues in their lives, they often base the aspects on a series of events: usually what someone said, how they said it, or the way something was done or how it was not done, etc. This leads to a train of thoughts repeating themselves in the head that creates anxiety and disturbances, which the person own themselves. You see, no one else can really dominate your head, its yours and no-one else’s, so why do many end up agonising so much about (a) other people’s issues, (b) what happened in the past, (c) mis-interpretating the actual event to suit our own inner voice?

Its because its convenient to do so. It’s easier to follow self-furnished notions and assumptions rather than approaching the source of the matter and deal with it thoroughly and clearly. This takes courage, sincerity, respect and courtesy. Wheareas living by assumptions makes us feel secure in our own little world to the extent that we develop a notion, or an assumption, into a living fact, without any actual eveidence for it. This is the base nature of man, and we cannot turn away from it, but rather have to acknowledge it and work on it.

This, in my analysis, is all what NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), Meditation, Prayer and a whole host of other therapy/coaching/personal development disciplines are concerned with. Dealing with:

• Creating self-awareness, integrity and openness
• Acknowledging one’s own limiting beliefs, values and assumptions
• Expanding the Inner vision and developing an authentic voice
• Getting to the source of problem on the inside & altering images/sounds/energy vibrations
• Realigning the central nervous system so that it congruent and whole
• Moving to better (higher) place of being, relating, seeing, perceiving, judging and living.

The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but representative of what it means to deal with self-made, mind-consuming assumptions.

Furthermore, the same is true of revealed faith and monotheistic religions. Essentially, they point out the wayward practices of those who design their lives on fanciful conjecture, tradition and habits of convenience.  Continuing from the chapter (68) quoted in the previous posting, let’s take a look at some of the latter verses:-

What is the matter with you? How judge ye?

Or have ye a book through which ye learn-

That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?

Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?

Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!

Or have they some “Partners” (in Godhead)? Then let them produce their “partners”, if they are truthful!

Just as we tend to repeat the false notions of others in our minds, the same is true of our spiritual beliefs and practices: we tend to reject the avenue towards clarity and evidence-based spirituality and rather follow convenient mis-truths because we have a sense of security by being surrounded in their presence: idols, fetishes, priests, godlings, suspicions, omens, materialism, fellowship, intellect, science, art, construction, industry etc.

Do we stop and consider the whole order of the universe and our little place in it? Are the work of our minds, imaginations and hands nothing but lesser reflections of the great order of the universe. If so, why not acknowledge the Creator of the heavens and the earth for this great order and leave all other considerations aside? Convenience should not replace logic, proof, evidence, justice, rationale, and pure spirituality based on these aspects. This was the way of Father Abraham and this is the right way. All other ways are bound to lead to confusion and imbalance.

The first step towards FREEDOM is to question. Question:

1. Yourself - the mind, body, soul and spirit, who’s controlling them?
2. Your Existence - from whence and to where, and why are you here?
3. Your Provision - who ultimately provides this for you?
4. Your Relations - what do they really mean and do you honour any of them?
5. Your Code of Conduct - who’s standards do you live by?
6. Your Laws - Who says what’s allowed and what’s prohibited to you?
7. Your Tastes - What are the boundaries and structures that define your choice of taste?
8. Your Inheritance/Legacy - How are you linked before you and with generations after you?

Begin this honest questioning process with yourself and then once done, ask yourself this:

What are my foundations for these, i.e. by which Authority  do I claim such matters? Do I have a Book, a God-head, or any other higher authority that determines such matters for me, or am I just living by ’societal norms’ of which I am clueless as to who, or how, these norms have come into place.

Question, for it is the beginning of your journey and the end of fanciful assumptions.

“Ask, & you shall be answered,
Knock, & you shall be opened to,
Seek, & you shall find”

For Success and Contentment,

Asad Khan

Bookmark It

Welcome,

I’m going to relate to you a story of a group of people who wished the best for themselves and relied on their own capacities alone.

A long time ago there was a group of people who were preparing to go to sleep and dream about how they wanted to gather their harvest early in the morning. They had eagerly looked forwards to reaping the fruits of hard labour and resolved to gather the bounty at the break of dawn. When they awoke, they called upon each other to hurry towards the garden and to move quietly whilst doing so. When they arrived, they found the garden, to their great dismay and anguish, in utter ruins. But why? What had happened?

Well, let’s hear it from the One Who Knows all in His own Majestic words, Chapter 68, The Pen:

17. Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning.
18. But made no reservation, (”If it be God’s Will”).
19. Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.
20. So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).
21. As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,-
22. “Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits.”
23. So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)-
24. “Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day.”
25. And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.
26. But when they saw the (garden), they said: “We have surely lost our way:
27. “Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!”
28. Said one of them, more just (than the rest): “Did I not say to you, ‘Why not glorify (God)?’”
29. They said: “Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!”
30. Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.
31. They said: “Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!
32. “It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!”
33. Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew!
34. Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord.
35. Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?

So, these foolish and greedy people wanted to steal the fruits of not just their labour, but other people’s too, who had an equal share in reaping the rewards. And also, they had no inclination towards relying on the Sustainer, the Source of all Goodness, for their provisions but in their ignorance thought they had control over all aspects of livelihood.

But the right way is to remember that all our plan’s success depend on how much they accord with God’s Will and Plan. His universal Will is supreme over all affairs. The foolish men who had secretly plotted to rob the poor of their just rights were frustrated when their plan was foiled by the Greater Force. They were put into a position where they were unable to continue with their fraudulent mission, as a storm destroyed the fruits and trees and altered the place beyond recognition.

This is the spiritual reason behind a physical phenomena which often we do not see nor realise. We will think it an unfortunate matter of ‘nature’ that has nothing to do with anyone, or thing, in particular. But here, we are told that the deceptive, cruel and selfish motives of a certain bunch of people triggered the spiritual intervention that created the physical upheaval. The dreams of the selfish were destroyed because they thought they could cheat the poor of their share. Class struggle? Yes, the rich owners of the orchid did not realise the rights of the poor that they were trampling on so their greed was punished.

Their first thought was of personal loss, the loss their labour and the loss of their capital. They had plotted to keep out others from the fruits: now, as it happened, the loss was their own. When such greed is punished often people are ready to throw blame on others. With varying degrees of guilt, one had pointed out in moments of reflection that he had warned them of wrongdoing and defying the Will of God and the right of man.

The selfishness created an arrogance in them that they were the proud owners of the garden and this led them to forget God. However, once they realised their mistake some sincerely repented and hoped for a better exchange to what the previously had. This is the beauty of God’s Mercy: there’s always room for it if we sincerely draw nearness to Him and repent. If not, we are warned that the punishment of the Hereafter is much worse than what we witness here.

You may wonder “why do the wicked flourish?” God’s mercy is one of the reasons but there are others we can refer to:

1. the limited choice left to man’s will;
2. his moral responsibility;
3. the need of tuning his will to God’s will;
4. the long-suffering quality of God, which allows the widest possible chance of-
5. His Mercy &
6. in the final part, the nature of spiritual punishment, which is not an arbitrary act, but a long gradual process in which there is room for repentance at every stage.

All these aspects are represented in this remarkable Parable of the People of the Garden, which also illustrates the greed, selfishness and heedlessness of man, as well as his tendency to throw blame on others if he can think of a scapegoat.

All these foibles are shown, but the Mercy of God is boundless, and even after the worst sins and punishments, there may be hope of a better orchid than the one lost, if only:

• the repentance is true &
• there is a complete surrender to the Will of God.

And if there is no surrender of the will, then the punishment in the Hereafter is something incomparably greater than the little calamities in the Parable.

So now, think of the times and situations where such phenomena may have taken place in your own life, or in the lives of those you know or have heard of. Can you think of what the real reason might be, unknown to you at the time, of a particular case of misfortune befalling on anyone? It is not the nature of good people to wish bad for any other but we do need to learn the lessons of past mistakes and move ahead with a greater recognition of the universal order around us and the just rights of the people. You may now also begin to see the current global economic crises in a different way: the leaders of wall street and other major banking corporations have had to rely on government bail-outs which ultimately the people will have to pay for.

But the good will wait for their turn and are patient with testing times, for they understand that all affairs rest with Him above and know if they wish to have their dreams materialised, they must trust in God and surrender their will to His.

For Success & Contentment,

Asad Khan

Bookmark It

Hi,

I just wanted to share with you some further information on the Areas, Types and Benefits of Ark2Ark Coaching. Here are just a few of them, particularly Corporate and Business Coaching.

Corporate Coaching

Does coaching really work in the corporate environment? A recent study in the Journal of Public Personnel Management found that training improved managerial productivity 22.4% while training plus coaching improved productivity 88%.

A corporate coach takes into consideration the vision, mission and culture of an organization and the values and professional goals of an individual. The goal is to make sure that both are in alignment.

When the vision, mission and culture of an organization are in alignment with an individual’s values and professional goals, the employee is committed to the organization, more productive, effective and happier at their job. This handles the retention and productivity issues that many organizations face.

The Goals of the Corporate Coaching Culture:

• Articulate the organization’s vision, purpose, direction, strategies, major goals and actions.
• Involve/include members to acquire understanding, connection, commitment, passion and ownership.
• Align member goals, actions and expectations with those of the organization.
• Remove barriers and provide resources.
• Follow up and hold people accountable.
• Promote feedback, input and idea-sharing from members.
• Challenge and inspire the organization and its individual members to stretch for greatness.
• Develop and grow people through meaningful work.
• Increase work/career satisfaction and personal fulfilment.
• Create a positive, productive community of members who volunteer their best and fulfill their potential.

Why is the word member used instead of employee? Think about it…the word member implies a person is a part of an organization because they want to be; they understand what the organization stands for and are totally on board! This creates a win-win environment. “Win-Win” is a belief in the third alternative. It’s not your way or my way; it’s about creating a better way!

There are certain qualities a Strategic Executive Coach exemplifies:

• Desire - a true desire to help others succeed.
• Awareness - a trust in ones’ intuitiveness.
• Focus - on the individual and their challenges, in contrast to a need to ‘solve’ things for others.
• Listening - a sincere desire to truly hear what others are saying.
• People-Centricity - a deep belief that human capital is the most important asset that an organisation possesses.
• Ability to Integrate - great Strategic Executive Coaches can help ‘weave’ all of the new and improved pieces of human capital into the fabric of the organization.
• Vision - a great Strategic Executive Coach can visualise what the ‘new’ organization will look like and help others drive toward that vision.
• Confidence - the ability to perform in the ‘boardroom’ regularly.

Business Coaching

In contrast to business consultants, business coaches are relatively new. The two professions take very different approaches.

Business consultants are problem solvers. Their underlying message is, “I’m smarter than you are. I’ll tell you what’s wrong with your business and how to fix it.”

Business coaches are people developers. They don’t tell their clients what to do; they ask questions. Their message is, “You’re smart. I’ll be a mirror to help you look inside yourself, so you can not only solve this problem, but increase

• your capacity to successfully manage all areas of your life
• Business consultants typically focus on maximising profitability
• Business coaches typically focus on maximising potential
• Business consultants help their clients succeed in their jobs
• Business coaches help their clients succeed in their lives
• Business consultants help their clients catch fish, so they can eat a meal
• Business coaches help their clients learn how to fish, so they will always get meals

People come to business coaches for two reasons: inspiration and times of desperation.

Inspired people want a coach to help them do better.

Desperate people want a coach to help get them out of a jam.

The entry point in business coaching is usually a business issue. The client may want to increase sales, promote better teamwork, enhance productivity, reduce employee turnover, or improve quality. But the coaching relationship, once initiated, invariably moves beyond the initial perceived need. ‘Fix my business’ gradually and naturally evolves into ‘Help fix my thinking’.

A client facing business bankruptcy, for example, may discover through coaching that he has a problem with procrastination, or with interpersonal skills, or with fear of failure. Sometimes clients realize their interests and skills don’t match the requirements of their current positions, and they decide to make a career change. Coaching identifies inhibiting issues such as these and helps remove them, allowing buried potential to spring forth and bloom.

Why do business leaders use coaches at all? Don’t they have friends and professional colleagues to talk to? Yes, and good coaches encourage their clients to deepen these relationships and build a reliable support system. But all alternative support systems have weaknesses.

• In business, it’s lonely at the top. Managers can’t be vulnerable with their bosses or with their subordinates about the most sensitive issues.
• Friends will listen and give help when they can, but they’re not trained to identify the most significant issues. And when they have needs of their own, they want to receive help, not give it.
• Spouses can be good listeners, but it’s problematic to bring in-depth business discussions into the middle of a marriage.

As business coaching fills a real need, the profession is rapidly growing and gaining recognition and because it produces outstanding results, successful business coaches build their practices almost entirely through referrals. Ultimately, coaches want their clients to fulfil their potential and be the best they can be.

Benefits & Outcomes

We don’t just like to be paid for our time, we like to be paid for the results produced. Further, we wouldn’t just want to produce one-off results that give a good sensation and leave you, but rather to impart with knowledge and skills that will be of continued use, with enhanced awareness and sustainable change. We would like you to learn how to repeat the results consistently and peak-perform any time you wish. Having said this, new perspectives are always available and this is the reason we have repeat clients who wish to maintain their competitive, personal and social edge by coming back to us with increased willingness to learn and grow.

Executive Coaching

Simply, it’s about tangible personal and business results

Executive Coaching can help you

• Set realistic goals and achieve them
• Regain balance, control and influence
• Maximise personal potential and power
• Take more time off with family & friends
• Simplify life and get more out of choices
• Develop creative thinking and purposeful habits
• Identify major opportunities in life / business - & how to take advantage of them.

It is not un-common in companies to think that they ‘can’t measure the impact of soft/people’ related initiatives, like Executive Coaching. A company can track any initiative that they invest in and should do so with a coaching initiative. A firm can conduct a pre-coaching assessment and circle back every 6-12 months to test for progress. Looking at everything from employee retention to personal production numbers, it will be clear what effect the initiative is having.

With Ark2Ark Business Coaching you will aim higher, and with Asad Khan as your personal development coach, you can learn how to:

Double Productivity, Simplify Life and Have Time Out!

For Success & Contentment,

Asad Khan, PhD, MAC

Bookmark It

Hi there,

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates, fellow entrepreneurs and innovators of Stanford University to pursue their dreams…

Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick, don’t lose faith.

I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going is that I loved what I did. You got to find what you love - and that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work, is to love what you do. And if you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And as with any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.  So keep looking and don’t settle.

“If you live each day as if it were your last, some day you’ll most certainly be right!”

For the past 33 years I’ve looked in the mirror every morning and ask myself: “If today were the the last day of my life, would I do what I’m about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon has been the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked, there is no reason not to follow your heart.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living by the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other opinions drown-out the noise of your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

So I decided to start over. I didn’t see it then, but getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure of everything: it freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

“Stay hungry, stay foolish” I’d be happy for you to share your views on what you think this might mean…

And don’t forget to ‘connect the dots’ in your life. There’s a unique thread running in your life and you need to give yourself the honest space to see it for what it really is: a wonderful opportunity to:

• do what you love
• love what you do
• have faith and keep going
• innovate, be creative, fill a vacuum
• & don’t settle for anything less than your outstanding best

For Success & Contentment,

Asad Khan

Bookmark It