Motivation: Success And Excellence Seed

Motivation: Success And Excellence Seed

 

 

If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

"Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success." 

- Virat Kohli

 

Motivation is spark for action, it is that which forces you to jump out of the cosy bed in the cold winter nights, forces you to run when it rains, remain awake late at night, stay hungry and thirsty for days together, when injuries do not pain, tolerate provocations, ignore insulting words, wake up without alarm, fight even when outnumbered and finally makes you to reach your destination. One sees only his goal not the obstacles in between that is what the motivation is. Unless one has ambition, drive, desire, a fire burning inside no motivation from outside can help. However no specific words and action to define spark that ignites.

 

When one has to marry his daughter off, there are lot of assignments for the parents; financial, honour, relationships, procurements, tastes, likings, nature, frictions, and so many others, each requiring different type of handling, timings and talks. Parents of bride perform to the best to see everything goes smooth and sober; are tired only after they have given a push to vehicles taking their daughter to in-laws. Similarly when one has to go for interview, for a job urgently required, then he makes sure he reaches in time, so  is the case when boys go for a date they bluff everybody their parents, teachers, employers, friends, even their coffers have more still think it  is less,  but reach in time to see their beloved. This is how self-motivation acts, one is involved right from the core of his heart, soul, mind, conscious, body, day and night. This is strength of one’s character. Prayer and Meditation; when a person is highly motivated to talk to Him, if from the core, He does listens and talks too. 

 

A self-motivated person is an asset into himself; gets satisfaction of having done from every job, is stress free, is result oriented liked by his peers, dependable, trustworthy, known, performance and delivery is in his blood. It is privilege to have such an employee. Such persons are a class in themselves, a breed different, to succeed is in their blood; justice they do to what is entrusted to them; total quality people.

 

What makes a person self-motivated, since this relates to inner self one’s, soul, desire, and character is difficult to define. Generally speaking it is a product of one’s sense of pride in performance, self-respect, value system, inheritance, self-esteem, sense of achievement, positivity, inner fulfillment, confidence in self, calmness, sense of responsibility, inspiration, joy of having done and above all belief in spirituality and integrity.  

Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success.  

                                                 Shiv Khera

 

In addition, recognition and responsibility given are the tools that can invoke the inner of an individual. Recognition means being appreciated, treated with respect and dignity, trusted, given regards, making the person feel that it is privilege to have him, appreciating his efforts. On the other hand responsibility gives a person feeling of belonging, ownership and a positive tension that he is accountable. He becomes a part of bigger picture. Seeing one’s ideas, thought, plans, being implemented and meeting success is in itself gratifying and gives inner peace, satisfaction and solace.  Rewards and remunerations without claim spark the inner conscious and positive attitude.

 

 “Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret.”

                                                         – Mary Kay Ash

 

Everybody is not in self-motivated mode; that throws a responsibility on seniors. It is can be argued; wages are paid for work and that is enough. Yes it is logical; not everywhere and with everyone. Fact is that men are not machines that justifies need for motivation. They have life, love, feelings, emotions, moods, up and downs, problems and priorities, they see and listen, can regulate themselves their likes and dislikes, they want progress and prosperity, have ambitions and aspirations; but machines do not, so the motivation.

 

The man on duty to take work must first be a being fully aware of emotions and feeling of others; must assess the internal motivation of an employee: his general attitude towards life: what he wants from life; satisfaction, peace, progress, prosperity, family welfare, his attitude towards the tasks assigned and self-esteem. Motivators have to empathetic, sympathetic, patient, must also understand strengths, weaknesses, and difficulties of the worker. One must understand the psyche of a worker before he attempts to motivate him from his inner. Motivation is not an off and on phenomena it  takes time to motivate and be motivated as it is always difficult to leave inertia, to listen, respect and believe the ideas, instructions, suggestions, success stories being told by others.

 

Management must understand the need inside a person which if satisfied will make him to exert to higher levels of effort. Normally a self-respecting person feels shy rather he conceals his financial and other needs from men in office; so it is very searching process. Manager have to be alert at all times and must understand that each employee is different and changes with the passage of time. In the interest of productivity, production and positivity this has to be done.

 

Nature of the person to be motivated is of utmost importance. If a man is a good listener has high levels of respect, task of the motivators is easy. If he happens to be man who always wants to prove his intelligence and knowledge, motivation is uphill task. Such like employees always keep their duties and responsibilities up to date but they are generally away from innovations and creativity; they seldom go beyond targets and tasks; they are not very helpful for productivity and production. Managers have to be careful to motivate them as they can be motivated only when their own nature is obstacle in their progress and it dawns on them. 

 

Another important issue is to find out how the employee got the job if he got it after lot of struggle that would give birth to his pride being in the organization and he would be involved in its activities. If he fully identifies with the organization he would develop what is called “organizational citizenship” when he makes sacrifices for the organization, key to extra efforts as per the requirement without asking and is a great motivator.

 

Soul of an employee is touched by genuine words and actions of appreciation. Higher the level of person giving the appreciation more is the motivation. There should always be variety in appreciation also oral, written, some gift, some reward not necessarily in cash even calling by name and an attentive listening will do, reference in general meetings, words in the presence of others, assignment of special and sensitive jobs are great soul motivators. Good work done by any should earn the appreciation then and there.

 

Incentives cash or in kind like bonus, overtime, honorarium, conveyance, promotion, ex-gratia payments, good annual appraisals, trainings within and abroad, foreign tours, linking cash remuneration to the output are useful to a limited extent, can’t really motivate. They are just tools to get the work done, meet the deadlines and effective till the incentive is strong and needed by the person motivated.

 

Sometimes managements use rules of engagement, behavior, conduct, discipline etcetera  to motive, these are coercive, useful to very limited extent, in fact they are regressive, they help reach the targets without any body doing extra mile whereas the art of management is to make the people do something extra without their knowing management wants it to be done.

 

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

                                             Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

People do the things as per their own reasons and not for others not even for their employers; they ignore their parents and seniors too. The workers modify their behavior only when it interferes with their positive achievements. The efforts to motivate others have to be a veiled activity if it is to be fruitful in the real sense otherwise it is only incentives and disincentives that play their role only to the extent of the capacity and interest of the individual. This throw a great responsibility on managers, who many a times have to tolerate unsavory behavior, remarks, retorts, witty answers, camouflaged personal criticism. In such situations managers have to make a distinction between the personal and official self and wait for the opportune time to put across their motivational view point.

 

Motivation is no doubt a spark for action but it takes time and effort to turn it into a red burning flame.

 

The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.  

               

                                                                Charles Dickens

Extreme Stress – Deal Extraordinary Way

Extreme Stress – Deal Extraordinary Way

 

What are the extraordinary ways to deal with extreme stress? Can there be any? Obviously none. Extreme stress is always dealt with effectively by determination, wisdom and positivity, as dreams do not become reality through magic but hard and determination can. Short cuts anywhere are dangerous so in case of stress relief. However, nature guides us differently sometimes like the word etcetera which indicates the existence but not specific. Etcetera is a wonderful used to shorten the writing, where we mean to add other things of the same class but did not mention for various reasons. It gives you a freedom of not to mention all things of the same class, in other words it covers all the things which you have not been able to specify.

Similarly the nature has given every man something in extra in etcetera which even the individual concerned does not knows about in specific and He did not want the soul to be aware. In the modern management this is called the X factor or the hidden strength of the personality. But on some occasions it is really the most important strength of a person. In Stress Management- Etcetera- this nature’s wonder does great things. How to identify it, impossible. However anything which gives instant comfort, freshness and a diversion is an asset always for people in stress.

Genes a unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic physical and mental, of the offspring. This heredity Unit is not limited to just immediate parents, it travels right to seventh generation backward and may even more that is reason for exceptions in children either in intelligence or the physical features. Genes that relates to decision making and the mental faculties sometimes give solutions not thought of earlier. This aspect of individual is quite helpful in odd unforeseen situations. Genes play a great role in forming character traits -- such as self-control, decision making or sociability.

Genes make you a person who takes responsibility, who does not take responsibility, and who throws responsibility on others. They also make you meticulous, tense, always happy, front row, submissive, passive, silent person and also not–bothered-at-all-class etc. So recognize your class and other person’s also; you would handle stress better. Not-bothered-at-all people are stress free, they reconcile very quickly with the situation, always bothered about their own activities, interests, thoughts with funny behavior now and then: example but real one, host taking food before the guests, reading novel when somebody is lying dead, sleeping when somebody is dead on the adjacent bed. Genes are a great factor to influence your stress response.

Name-there is nothing in a name; it is just to identify something as some assert. Yes it is like that only. An individual likes his name much and if he does not like, instances are not uncommon when he has changed it. In Indian situations sometimes in-laws change the name of their daughter-in-law to their liking or to what they expect her to be. In fact, there are many things in a name: one such is that whole Universe is name and the form only. Think of anything you mind would reach its name and form much quicker; thus name is part and parcel of everything even that of the “Lord”. It is more than half of what we know.

In India soon a child is born, family starts the process of giving him the name. Many of the communities have a tradition to name a child as per the practice from religious scriptures. Sikhs name their child as per the first letter of the first Sabad of Guru Granth Sahib, which is considered a living Guru the body of all the Ten Guru Sahiban, read on the day on which NAMKARN is done or the day when the child was born or any other day decided. Similarly many Hindu families name their child as per the word suggested by the priest from the Jantri an annual calendar based on the situation of various stars in the Universe. Thus we associate involve spirituality in the NAMKARN SANSKAR of a child. In many other communities it is customary to associate Lord while giving name to a child. In the heart of their heart everybody wants that the child should come up to expectations of that name. Even otherwise most of the Indian names irrespective of the religion one professes have some meaning they are not meaningless. For example Ashok means who is free from all types of sorrows, the one who is above worries whose character has lot of strength to face all sorts of difficulties with calm and composure. Even abstract names which have become order of the day are not meaningless; they are full of meanings and throw light on strength of the character if one lives by his meaning. We do japas with the names of the Gods, Goddesses, Deities and even Guru’s as we feel that they are our panacea-cure for difficulties. So if you live by the qualities of your name it will give you strength and power to bear all stresses in your life. It is wrong to say what is there in a name. There is definitely something great about the name that is why we do not name our children as Ravan of Ramayana or Kans of Mahabharata (Hindu Scriptures). So try to live up to, up hold the qualities and characteristics of your name and you will have power to bear stress. If not possible choose one characteristic of your name and live by that you would less stress in difficult situations.

Problems are part of life and every problem has to end with a solution. Be part of the solution not of the problem: Whenever in a problem either physical or emotional people try to find out, that relieves us of worries. Everybody likes a solution nobody likes a problem or a question. By being part of solution, it gives satisfaction, the inner glow, the sense of having done well, and gives strength to solve own problems with vision. It relieves others of stress in addition.

The reason why heaven and earth last for ever

is that they do not live for themselves.

Hence they last forever.

Therefore, the True Person leaves self behind

and thus is found in front,

 is not guarded and thus is preserved,

is self-free and thus is able to find fulfillment.

                                                                    Lao Tzu

 

Windfalls are not way of life but they do happen, how and when only HE knows, it is his grace. They are in fact nature’s way to help. Nothing specific about them: You may get the most appropriate advice from an unknown source just a stranger or from established sources like parents. Your own imagination and occurrence at crucial time-real windfalls from conscious always nearby. Scriptures say: continue to take care of others, their welfare and happiness, you would be looked after well by the God. 

When decides to Bless you, He will cause the situations to come together in your favour, no matters what others try to do.

                                                                Christie Joyner

Intuition is immediate apprehension by mind of future events. It gives you knowledge of the things to come. It is one’s inbuilt survival senor which detects dangers before one is consciously aware of them. Intuitive understanding protects from harm, recognize it, without analyzing intuition, if warning bells are ringing danger is lurking, act in time and save yourself from stress.

This word “intuition” is beautiful. You know the other word, ‘tuition’; tuition means somebody else is giving it to you. Intuition means nobody is giving it to you; it is growing within you. And because it is not given to you by somebody else it cannot be put into words.

                                                                  OSHO

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and rational mind is faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

                                                         Albert Einstein

The Lord has given everyman something extra and has hidden it in etcetera – that would stand in good stead at opportune time.

Why Organizations Fail

Why Organizations Fail

Management & Organization

Cause and Effect

 

Organization - a group of people working together for a cause, a task or a goal - is the normal way of life world over. We are born in an organization and leave life in an organization. When this does not happen there is something wrong. Life goes as a part of some group always: may be parents, family, society, community, nation, employer, friends, school, or just a crowd on road side. All organizations must be effective and managed smoothly, for healthy life, society, even the nation. Fact is, that no society can provide its members, with a high quality of life, unless it has effective organizations-that is able to meet their objectives, perform and deliver. Working together brings power, even to as small organization as a family of four, not to talk of multinationals. We in India have some best organizations like Delhi Metro Rail, ISRO, National Disaster Response Force, Armed Forces the best in the world etc.

  

Despite what is said above, intentions and efforts; organizations fail either because of management or the people working in and for it. Either way it is a national loss, irrespective whether an organization is public or private. Why it so happens, perhaps many are not able to find an exact answer and sell such failed concerns without going deep into the causes and making an effort to correct it. There can’t be instant answer to this intricate and underneath issue. It has always been easy to point out shortcomings than to correct them and that too for success. Sale is just an admission of incapability of such great institutions as Govts and against the welfare of the people.

 

Why organizations fail, they are created to succeed. Obviously they do not run with the time, whereas they should be ahead of the time. Technology that too which changes over night is the great invention and a marketing strategy of 20th and 21st Century, we do not know what would happen in 22nd Century. It tries to cater to every wish a human mind can think of- variants in variants with a capacity to throw away obsolete. One has to leave the inertia, if you are pulled back, you are titling to wrong side of success.

“You can’t ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

                                                             —Steve Jobs

Covid19 is a great teacher. Now India is after self-sufficiency, indianisation of everything, increasing local production, reducing imports, giving employment to skilled and unskilled labour at its place of origin. This took India just four-five months and we have done much. Lesson of the story is that we should adapt ourselves to solve problems. Problems are part of every management process. We should be quick enough to solve them, any delay would kill the organization.

Labour intensive organizations are prone to failure because of lack of national work culture-which presently is goad continuously with punishment which for obvious reasons is not possible for any managerial model. Other disadvantage attached to such concerns is that the slightly senior employees use their position and trust for personal gains, a termite to destroy the very foundation of the concern. The only saving devise is intensive inspections with ruthless punishments and linking the wages with performance: basis being perform and get paid. 

Inter-personal Relations: The inter-personal relations among the employees should always contribute to higher productivity and helping attitude towards one another.  The managers and supervisors must use their position and experience for the purpose. This is true of all positions, otherwise bottlenecks and stumbling blocks kill smoothness required.    

Every company has two organizational structures: The formal one is written on the charts; the other is the everyday relationship of the men and women in the organization.

                                                         Harold Geneen

Chief Executive Officer, to whom everybody looks for guidance and development, has to be more than  prism-when white colour rays pass through the prism they become a beam of seven colours; to succeed a CEO should reflect only the colour needed. Owner CEO are very effective and so are the men of passion to succeed, devoted to their job-the total quality people. But such people are limited but their success stories are unlimited. The third alternative for the CEO is to employ professionals highly qualified give them on the job, experience, training and profile skills. But fact, remains that to perform and degree are two entirely different things and so is the training may be from the highly placed schools. Appointment to higher positions from the men who joined the organizations at lower levels, give an advantage of lot of experience and the situations they had faced earlier. Many a times they prove gem of men and are able to take the concern out of red. To perform and deliver is in their blood, they like to have their own say.  

 

There is another option normally not used by many but in Govt it is used for all important assignments that matter for the country. Appointment by invitation, whereby an invitation for appointment is sent for the position in view. It requires intensive study of both national and international resources as well an authentic account of the proven capabilities of the prospective incumbent. It is bit costly proposition since one has to take care of all the responsibilities of the individual concerned and his honour.

Competition is something that keeps a concern on toes and going when going itself is tough. It is slightly easy to deal with domestic competition as there is level playing field except for the intrinsic worth of individual assets. Here goodwill, quality of the goods and competitive price play. International competition is a wild guess, nobody can predict when it will hit, how and why. Dumping that is selling below the cost price is common where the price difference is compensated by the foreign Govt by subsidies, rebates, duty draw backs, lower taxes and tariffs etc. In such a situation Govt has to play its part otherwise industry is doomed as has happened with SMSEs in India on account of the Chinese highly subsidized goods. Here collective bargaining bodies like FICCI, CII in India of should take care of industry. 

WTO Agreement is far more liberal than GATT, intend to establish world as a village, has opened up the frontiers beyond nations and is prone to exploitation also. Profit motive everywhere has killed many local industries as industrialists world over shifted to places with less restrictions and more profit. In India many SMSEs failed as similar imported products available were cheaper than Indian brands. Nation has to safe guard its own interest, if they do not will find themselves in odds when they are required to in evens. 

Liberalization is another killer of enterprises in India, as domestic market was opened without ensuring capability of enterprises here to meet the international standards, norms, competition and technology. Many SMSEs have suffered a lot. Liberalization should have meant ease of doing business, whereas SMSEs face many hurdles at State and Local level like pollution and local body compliances.

Weak regulations relating to Money Laundering has done a great damage to the industry and trade which is reflected by the mounting Banks NPAs.  Loans taken from the Banks have been diverted for personal assets within the country and abroad. 

Loans to industry are available at lower rate of interest: which create an urge not to repay, delay repayment, this has led to diversion of the funds and created indiscipline in the financial market which has made many financial institutions including Banks to fail. 

Govt policy of disinvestment is result of Govt’s policy to get rid of loss making concerning instead of taking steps to correct their operations and generate employment and revenue. This has encourage marginal public sector undertakings (PSUs) to hasten the process for early disinvestment. Privatization is not a cure for every evil. Normally PSUs are big concerns so it has also led to shut down of private industries supplying parts and raw materials to such big concerns.

Culture of people affects the working of industries. There are a few countries where industries and organizations do not fail because they have learnt it hard way to protect themselves and be the best everywhere is their way of life. So is with Law, if people have respect for law or implementation is strict, people are more obedient by nature that affect health of industries and enterprises. We here in India are slightly away from these things. Hence industries fail.

Attitude of the owner a great factor in success of a concern. Most of the owners consider it as a profit earning machine. It is really bad, you have to nurture what you have created like children only then they will survive. In public sector many of the Departments consider these as the dumping grounds for those who are unfit or have to be adjusted and many take undue advantage from these enterprises. With attitudes like this the concern has to fail it is only the question of time. In such tiring situations it is integrity of the CEO that is put to hard test-many compromise the same as they are not personally put to loss but are the trusted employees of the owner Govt, so concern in doldrums.  In fact, nobody monitors whether the business is on right track or not. When the owners wake either it is too late or it requires a surgery of the highest order.

Inter-face is another aspect of the organizations. Inter-face with whom-with all those who matter, marketing network, raw material suppliers, work force, real consumers, shareholders, banks and financial institutions the source of cash and capital can provide insight into the working of the company. But majority do not bother for such an exercise and where done it is not a serious matter but a perfunctory one without any results and leads. 

Monitoring is a correction tool if done at an appropriate level; has so many benefits and very few financial implications. Higher the level of monitoring   more are the benefits. Stricter the norms, prescribed and performed, corrections become easy and smooth. It can turn the red into green. Monitoring brings out concealed errors and slips. The only ifs are monitor in time and have sharp eyes and ears, to read what is not written and to listen which is not being said-the way to find a needle in a haystack. If monitoring is not done seriously it become “Money Torn”. 

Diversification - the process of a business enlarging or varying its range of products or field of operation is need of the hour but the people do not see writing on the wall –the result is concerns go into losses and hence fails. Some concerns continue with the initial business even after it has become socially obsolete - a fatal approach. In fact, the process of diversification should start as soon as the concern becomes operational or with first adverse sign, like loss of goodwill, excess inventory of finished products, employees leaving etc. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. 

Innovation and Creativity Innovation and creativity are essence of life and work. They give job satisfaction and pleasure. Those who indulge in these should always be encouraged. Lack of recognition discourages employees and hits the organization hard. These are the tools to kill the competition and put you much ahead of the others, must use and invest in them.   

Innovation is the lifeblood of an organization. Knowing how to lead and work with creative people requires knowledge and action that often goes against the typical organizational structure. Protect unusual people from bureaucracy and legalism typical of organizations.

Max De Pree

Sum up

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.                                                      -Albert Einstein

“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart.”

                                                                     —Thomas Watson

“Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen.”

                                                                     —Wayne Huizenga

Failure does not exist, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Failure is simply the absence of appropriate action at opportune time.

Encounters with Him, Relieve Stress

Encounters with Him,

Relieve Stress

Learn to Talk to Him with

Humility & Total Surrender

My eldest brother took me with him to the place of his posting when I was in sixth class. His in-laws were also in the same town. We were frequent visitors to his in laws. Their home used to bubble with life and laughter as those were the days of large families - husband, wife, six sons, three daughters, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-laws plus persons like me and others.

One day when I with my brother went to them that laughter was missing and everybody was serious. I had no guts to ask anybody as I was too young for those matters. Subsequently, it transpired that their eldest son had been transferred to interior North East and he did not want to go there perhaps afraid of distance and conditions there in those days of late fifties. What to do. Family had middle class means and almost no contacts with higher up anywhere. So his going was certain. One day head of the family who was freelance priest told his son that he can request Him to bestow His blessings on his son and he has to ensure his stay at the same place for a short period probably 2-3 weeks. My Masserji as I used to call him started his routine and he used to do a Jaap-Chanting, for almost two hours daily. One fine evening son came from office and told that the transfer order had been modified and he was retained at the same place, life and laughter also returned. I was too young to understand this at that time but now I am sure our Masserji was able to convince Him-the Lord about their prayer. What was the Jaap-repeating a spiritual name again and again, or mantra nobody was aware, but it was fruitful.

Decades later, once I went to Dargah Shariff, Priest put a part of Chadar wrapped on Dargah on me and I bowed with all the obeisance and reverence, immediately the Supreme gave me a feeling, an experience beyond explanation, something unique and exceptional. What it was I can’t say but felt so light and nourished.

The path of Love of God is such a path that whosoever steps into it, loses himself.

On another occasion on pilgrimage, saw people in a temple talking to the deity as if it was present before them, some were weeping too. When I turned back I saw my son was also having tears in his eyes while praying to the Lord. We reached home in the evening and saw a telegram lying at entrance. This fulfilled what was prayed for by my son. The open secret is Lord grants what you sincerely ask from Him.

How to pray, different people adopt different ways like chanting a mantra, performing Yagya-haven, satsang kirtan etc. Recitation of mantra is most common.

Chanting the Lords name cleanses our selfish ego and allows true light of love within our soul to shine towards God and all living beings.

                                          – Radhanath Swami  

When one chants the names of the Lord and has faith in the names of the Lord, every situation becomes auspicious because of the pure consciousness.

                                           -Radhanath Swami

Mantra in religious practice is a scared word, chanter sound that is repeated, also called Jaap, during meditation to facilitate spiritual power, concentration and transformation of consciousness. Mantras are, in fact, energy based sounds which create positive energy waves. Mantras are tools of positivity and destroyers of negativity. This practice is prevalent in all the religions and faiths world over from time immemorial. Many religious teachers, even at present, give their disciples guru mantra when taking them in their fold.  

One must know the exact and true meaning of a chosen mantra along with the context, so that he interacts with it from the inner soul. Just repeating a mantra is not enough your conscious must feel it from the core and have firm belief that would save us from all negativity. This knowledge of meaning brings one nearer to the spirituality and divinity.

The secret of success of mantra is that one must have firm belief that it is replica of Almighty and must have firm faith that it will relieve him of all evils and bring him success and prosperity. Purity of conscious is most important, when one is reciting a mantra or chant, should be free from all other thoughts and mental permutations and combinations. He and He only He be with you mentally, physically and all round.

Mantras-Jaap-Chants exist from time immemorial. In fact, they are the essence of spiritual treaties by the supreme masters. They work. The word "mantra" is derived from two Sanskrit words. The first is "manas" or "mind," which provides the "man" syllable. The second syllable is drawn from the Sanskrit word "trai" meaning to "protect" or to "free from." Therefore, the word mantra in its most literal sense means “to free the mind" from all entanglements.

Mantra is, at its core, a tool used by the mind which eventually frees one from its vagaries. The journey from mantra to freedom is a wondrous one. The mind expands, deepens, widens and eventually takes a dip into the essence of cosmic existence. On its journey, the mind comes to understand much about the essence of the vibration of mind. Knowledge, as we all know is power.

People may not believe in the power of Mantra, but almost everybody chants sometimes mantra like “Om Namah Shivay” (I bow to Shiva), “Jo Bole So Nihal Satshri Akal” (Whosoever say Satshri Akal would be blessed), "Wa ʿalaykumu s-salāmu wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuhū"  (upon you be peace, as well as the mercy of God and his blessings). Some people do it intentionally others inadvertently without any involvement. Reciting the various names of God are equally powerful to relieve stress. Simple say like “Shukar Hai Malik” (O Lord thank you) serve the purpose provided you are true to inner self-His replica.

People ask what are the most fruitful mantras, because there are so many from the same religion and different faiths. This is because most of us want instant results, for obvious reasons this is not possible because when one thinks nature should do instantly it is violent, aggressive, full of ups and down and destructive. Slow and steady the nature moves.  

How to choose a chant, no criterion can be prescribed. Although the answer is not simple, it all depends how sincere you are to your own-self. Select the words that you feel would bring you in contacts and feel whom you worship. If you are able to select such words, no need to follow any specific mantra or words or sentences, rituals or procedures,  follow you soul and inner self because He listens without a language and voice. We are part and parcel of the Creator, he lives in us, a feel and realization is enough to make a mantra, a jaap fruitful.

However every dharma, religion, faith, sect have their own Jaaps which are time tested and trusted, without any specific procedure anybody can adopt any such mantra, jaap, word or a sentence. Some people still go through rituals before adopting a particular mantra.

How to proceed with mantra, chants and recitations.  Bhagavad Gita say that Yoga (Union with the Lord) is not possible for the one who eats too much or the one who does not eat at all, who sleeps too much or who keeps awake, but for the one who is moderate in eating, recreation, working, sleeping and waking and this destroys sorrow. Sit in a firm seat neither too high nor too low in a clean and comfortable place, preferably facing East the sun rises in the East, or in the north, there is great power of the north pole with a symbol of God at eye level.

Sit alone, having the mind and senses under control, free from desires and attachments for possessions during the time you are with HIM and try constantly to contemplate on the Supreme with whom you have the rapport-your Ishat Dev, Kul Deva or Kul Devi. Hold the waist, spine, chest, neck, head straight and firm. Sit motionless and steady. Fix the eyes and the mind steadily between eyebrows. Do not look around. Sitting and concentrating mind on a single object, controlling the thoughts and activities of senses practice mantra for self-purification. One should be mentally alert and awake and physically stable, motionless and comfortable.

The best time to connect with HIM is from 4 to 6 A.M., known as Amritwela (when Nature showers Nectar on its creations) in spirituality. In fact, this is time when physical needs and disturbances are minimum and mind is fresh after a good night sleep. If this is not possible, do it as soon as you wake up. In fact, there is no fixed time, it is the intensity, sincerity and depth of your feelings that matters most. It is bliss-permanent peace Anand (no exact translation) , once whosoever experiences, it is a permanent treasure of stress free life. 

There is now, new way to meet HIM when people arrange for Satsang as directed by the founder, there is no body to sing, no instruments to be played, everybody has to sit alone with mobiles off, His Bhajans are played for a limited period say 60-120 minutes, you have to listen with silence and involvement, if you are able to do, it is such a beautiful experience that one feels refreshed.

There is but one God,

True is His Name,

Creative His personality,

And immortal His form,

No Fear, No Hatred,

Image of The Undying,

Beyond Birth,

Self-Existent,

By the Guru’s grace,

He is obtained.

Japji Sahib

You are never alone.

He is always with you.

Call Him, Make Him Listen,

 Speak in the language He understands

 And Have Him.

Anonymous

Chant and Meditate

True in the Primal Beginning

True Throughout the Ages

True Here And True Now, O Nanak

Forever and Ever True

Japji Sahib

Make a sincere effort and you will find Him near you ready to listen and grant.