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Business is not an easy thing to manage. Being an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it is to grow business in today’s time. When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I had to face many challenges. Although a lot of problems were to be resolved, my priority remained to grow my business.

Not all businesses flow effortlessly. There comes a time in business when you feel nothing can be done to save it or preserve it. However, it is during these times that you make your business stronger and help it reach newer heights.

A successful business will have clearly defined plans and objectives to work with. The business should listen carefully to feedback from clients, employees, and other stakeholders so that it can grow in an effective direction. What are the essential qualifications of a successful small business? A successful small business ensures that their staff members are consistent development prospects through workshops, mentoring, and other events they support…

Today, most small businesses are on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, My Space, and Google+ among others. This has caused many small businesses to use social media as a means to build customer relationships, raise capital, and build awareness about upcoming events, product releases, or sales promotions. Small businesses are using these tools to build long-term customer relations while also promoting and marketing their business. 

Social media is all about the people behind the business success, which should be considered the most important criteria in determining whether or not a company is successful. It is about engaging your audience, getting to know them, entertaining their queries, making connections, and more. So what is a successful business? It is one with the following attributes: the business owner cares about its employees and customers; it has clearly defined goals and objectives; it provides feedback to its employees and customers regularly; it consistently listens to feedback and improves upon it; it uses social media to enhance its overall brand image. 

Tips to grow your business and take it to the next level

• Reach customers in more ways than one 

“Customer is the king.” 

All businesses that are successful today have understood this line and worked on it. As a business, when you realize how important it is to satisfy your customer, your business will start growing. 

It is important to learn how to reach customers in more ways than one. One of the first ways that you can use to get more customers is by adding video content onto your website. Adding this content will let the person you are contacting to see how your business works and what your specialty is. This will give them a feeling like you are a professional company that is trustworthy and they will want to do business with you. 

Internet marketing is a great way to expand your business by reaching a larger audience. You don’t need to spend thousands to get a large audience, and you don’t have to spend thousands to get a new clientele. With Internet marketing, you can reach potential clients and customers in more ways than one.

• Hire the right people 

Hire the right people for you and to help you grow your business. For starters, I am not talking about hiring someone to recruit sales representatives because that is a job that needs to be done internally. When you are growing your business internally, you have people who know how to sell and bring new customers in and that is all they do, really. It is up to them to get the word out about your business, but when you have an outside perspective, you will see things differently because they can see the potential in different markets, demographics, and types of businesses.

You need to hire the right people to grow your business for you. This means growing your business organically, not trying to force it to grow, just like any growing baby. If you do that, your business will grow just fine on its own without you having to be a pushover. And you know what, your personal growth will improve as well.

1. Be adaptable 

Being adaptable in business means that you should be able to change with the times and still keep your customers happy and satisfied. It is not enough to stick to the same ways of doing things if you want to keep growing. For example, your customers may be expecting certain things from you and expect a certain number of returns from you on a monthly basis. If you are using traditional methods of marketing for your business, then you are bound to encounter some problems. However, if you adapt to the way people talk about the products or services that you offer, then you are sure to make a mark in the industry.

Another thing that you can learn from the experts is how to make your business more flexible in order to meet the demands of the market. You should understand that the time, effort, and money that you spend now in trying to improve the way your business functions may end up being wasted if you are not flexible enough to keep up with the latest trends. Corporate counseling services covers almost all aspects that you need for a flourishing business. 

• Invest in yourself 

The most important step when it comes to learning how to invest in yourself is to remove yourself from the equation altogether. I know that sounds easier said than done, but it really is a simple process. The more you look at your business as an outside force, the more self-confident you will become. When you stop looking at it as an entity and start seeing it as something that impacts your life every single day, you will begin to learn more about yourself. And the best way to learn more about yourself is to become the person you want to be.

In order to do this, you will need to take action. There are no lessons in the art of success that can be learned by reading books or going to seminars. What you will need to do is follow your own instincts about how you run your business. If you are not comfortable with self-growth, or if you are afraid that you will fail, then you need to follow your gut. Follow your feelings and your dreams and you will be amazed at the results you will achieve.

• Always think ahead

There is no way that you can grow your business without thinking ahead and being prepared for the next step in your business’ evolution. Think of it like this; if you have a customer who buys one item from you, two months down the line you already know what they like, what they want, and probably will buy again. This is because you are thinking ahead to meet their needs and wants, and you took advantage of the market situation when it was in your best interest to do so. However, if you don’t think ahead to when your next customer will be there, you may miss an opportunity, or your competitor might just come out with a product or service that your customers will find irresistible.

There are many ways to grow your business by being prepared for the future and being able to visualize where you want your business to be. One important factor is to think ahead about your customers. What are their needs? How will they find you? If you only provide the same type of products and services that you currently do, you won’t be able to move your business forward very much. To move forward, you have to think about offering a new or unique product, offering a new or different price point, or using other methods of marketing such as email marketing, word of mouth, and more.

• Boost your customer service 

If you want to boost your customer service, you need to start by listening to what your customers have to say. By taking the time to listen and take notes, you are going to begin building a rapport with your customer and that will drive the change they need in order to experience a more satisfied feeling with your company. Customers are only willing to give you feedback if they are comfortable and happy with the service you are providing them with. If you aren’t treating your customer well, they aren’t going to give you any of their time or money in the future.

Next, you are going to have to make sure that you are following up on every lead that you receive. Nothing sells your business quicker than good customer service and you have to be patient with your customers. You want to build a relationship with them so when they refer business to their friends and family they will know and you will have a steady flow of new clients coming into your business. The more consistent you are with great customer service, the more that you are going to get referrals and build that trust in your customers so they are going to feel comfortable letting you do business with them. That is going to take some time, but it is going to pay off for you because people who trust you will tell other people and word-of-mouth is a big marketing tool to have.

• Attend networking events

It is important to know that most small businesses start off small. By networking with other small businesses owners you can be one step closer to having a large customer base. Networking events are a great way for you to be able to learn more about what is going on in your local market as well as meet others who may be able to help you with your business. By attending networking events you will be able to find out what type of products your customers are looking for and what they want to purchase. You will also be able to have the opportunity to expand your business by learning more about the lives of other people.

Networking events can be used as a way to grow your business. By attending a networking event you will be able to give away your knowledge, products, and services in a way that your potential customers will take notice. Networking is a great way for you to grow your business.

• Research your competitors

One of the best ways to grow your business is to research your competitors in your market area to find out what they are doing wrong and to better emulate their actions. You don’t want to do things that they are doing, but you also don’t want to be seen as a clone of what they are doing either. There are plenty of examples where companies have copied what their competitors have been doing successfully in the past but have not come up with anything on their own. Therefore, it can be a very successful blueprint when you look at your competitors to see how you can build your company on a solid foundation.

• Host local events

Hosting local events and connecting with your local community is an excellent way to expand your presence in the area. It’s important that you keep in mind that the people that come to these events are interested in what you have to say. If you have the right attitude, it will show through on how you conduct yourself, which means that it will be easier for you to connect with these folks and have them be interested in what it is that you have to say. If you can’t always be there to fill everyone in, then you need to make sure that you’re aware of the things that they might want to hear about your business or service so that you can be there when they do.

Hosting local events to grow your business and increase awareness for your brand is a great way to do just this, but it also takes some hard work. If you’re not used to entertaining people, you might want to think about hiring an event coordinator to help you out with this process. If you have someone else in your company that can handle these types of events, then you can be more relaxed knowing that they will take care of everything. If you don’t have someone that is experienced in these types of events, then you’ll need to think about getting one in so that you can grow your business and expand your customer base.

• Focus on social media

There are many ways to use media and marketing in order to grow your business, but the best way to approach this is to focus on social media to grow your business. Social media is a great place to interact with customers and to find new customers as well as a great tool to promote your business in particular. The reason why so many businesses are trying to put more focus on social networking is because they realize that the power of this medium is unmatched. If you only spend a little time on social media sites, then it’s likely that you will quickly notice a difference in your sales.

The first step that you need to take to focus on social networking is to identify your target audience. You have to know who you want to attract to your site before you start creating content for them. This involves knowing the age range of the users that you are targeting, and the location of these users as well. You can also take the user demographic into account by analyzing the content that they like and dislike, and you can see the social networking groups they belong to as well.

The second step to focus on social media is to post regularly to your business’ social networking profile. This includes your blog, your Facebook page, and your Twitter account. Your blog and Facebook page can be used as a place where you can post unique and interesting articles, interact with other members, and create a central location from where people can join discussions and comments. This is a great way to attract attention to your blog, and this in turn will help to build up your presence within the various social networking sites. Twitter is also another great place to post your messages and it is recommended that you set up a separate account for this purpose. This is one of the fastest-growing media platforms, and it is worth investing some time and effort into making your presence felt on it.

Bonus Tip: Develop a strategic plan

As your business grows, it is necessary to develop a strategic plan to keep the wheels in motion. This planning process can include marketing plans, expansion plans, and new ideas that you may wish to bring to the table. To develop a business strategy takes time, effort, and commitment from the owner, but it is an essential element to grow a business. The time and energy that you put into building a strategic plan will ensure that your company is able to successfully compete in today’s economy and continue the growth that has made you successful.

A strategic plan will help to ensure that your company’s goals are aligned; therefore, you will know exactly what direction you need to take your business to reach your financial goals. It will help to position your business for success; by creating a roadmap of when you expect your business to reach a certain level of success, you will be able to picture how you will get there and have a clear sense of direction. It is important that you create a mission statement for your company and make sure that everyone knows what it represents. Your mission statement is a representation of who you are, where you are going, and how you will get there.

Conclusion 

Expanding your target audience, product line, operating format, geographical positioning or locations of your company carries inherent risks: staying stagnant in the same old market, or getting it terribly wrong could have serious repercussions. There are many ways to expand your business. Each being appropriate for various classifications of company, industry, sector, product, or service. For example, you could start by offering local products, services, or other relevant services within a certain geographical location. Or you could sell your products or services on the internet, or you could open an offline operation. This depends very much on your target audience, the level of competition in that area, your knowledge of the system and the available resources.

Being an awarded women entrepreneur and business coach, I help organizations grow and do better in their work. I have given coaching to many businesses and helped them increase their profits two to three times. You can get all your business problems resolved by our business counselling.

Nothing in this world is certain. One cannot control everything, no matter how hard you try. Life is unpredictable, and you cannot always be sure of what happens. I had heard these words and thoughts a lot in my life but never truly felt their relevance unless life showed it to me the hard way.

“Life is unpredictable. Always be prepared for the best and the worst.”

Life was going pretty well for me, as I had a supportive family and two beautiful daughters. Just when I thought I’ve settled well and everything has fallen into place, life had something terrible to test me.

Our business faced sudden issues due to unavoidable circumstances. There were bank loans to be repaid, court cases to fight, and many other problems to deal with. When the stress and pressure got too much, my husband could not take it anymore. He committed suicide, leaving me and my daughters alone.

I always loved the idea of a perfect family, and I didn’t know what to do at the moment. I was not ready for what came in front of me. Being a single mother to two young daughters was not easy at that time. 

Life had opened two options in front of me. I could either throw up my hands in despair or stay strong for my daughters and business. As you can see, I decided to choose the latter. 

Was it easy? No. Was it necessary? Yes. 

The Journey of Rebuilding Business

When my husband died, many people were deciding who would take over the business. Everyone was in shock and confused about who will manage the business. Well, women entrepreneurs were not much in this industry. However, I offered to take over the business and handle it. 

Many people were shocked because nobody could put their trust in me. I knew what I was doing, and I trusted my skills. With time, they started seeing my potential and putting their trust in my working style. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to rebuild a failing business. Several court cases were pending, and High Court litigations were followed. So much so that even the staff started leaving. The higher authorities were calling on the behalf of clients, asking for a refund of their money.

I was surrounded by business problems from all directions, but I did not give up. I decided to face each problem with grit and determination.

The biggest challenge for me was to enter a business industry in which I had no experience. I entered a male-dominated corporate world to rebuild my family business. I started with baby steps and learned everything I could about the business. I never hesitated from talking and learning from people above me or below me.

Initially, people would not trust me much and expected I’d leave in a few days. It was very hard for me to gain their trust. They thought I do not have the right experience and qualification to manage this work. Now, I was not only working for the company, but also for gaining the trust of my team. However, soon things started to fall into place. People started trusting my leadership skills, and I gained their respect. Next, I had to work hard to bring our business on track.

I worked hard day and night, fought court cases, and repaid bank loans. Finally, our business was rebuilt. It was back on track with no trace of history left. In the marathon of building a business, the duration and seriousness cannot be predicted. 

One needs to have both the right mind and the right actions to turn chances into life-changing opportunities. When you decide to be a part of the game, consistently present yourself, and work hard each day, success starts to follow. One thing that I was always clear about was my purpose. 

A weak purpose can bring crisis and unhappiness. However, a clear purpose allows you to turn crises into opportunities. When you learn how to change a problem into a solution, half of your work is already done.

In my case, I did the same. I had a clear purpose of rebuilding my business, and I did it. We could now give our business a fresh start, and that’s how the journey of ‘Relaunch’ began.

Relaunch for Better Opportunities

When all our debts were clear, it was time for me to take my business on the journey of reigniting. I had to look for ways and opportunities to make my business a success. I led my team to a non-viable project of making synthetic leather that competes with the Chinese market today. 

Now, it has ventured into the European landscape by making environmentally friendly green leather. Our innovation and hard work helped us do our part in protecting the environment. 

However, all this did not happen overnight. I realized that to run the industry and gain respect, I should be technically sound. I decided to take some overseas trips to learn the production methods, global markets, and how things work. 

Being a mother of two daughters, I had to maintain an optimal work-life balance to ensure a happy and healthy family. Today, my business is flourishing like never before. The business management skills I acquired and used brought all the change.

Life is always unpredictable. If bad things happen to you, good things will also happen. Today, I see many young entrepreneurs giving up after losing money in their first attempt. When life challenges you, you can either show pity to yourself or work hard to overcome those challenges. 

Reignite Each Day and See The Difference

Rebuilding a business is not a one-day task. It takes continuous effort and hard work. You will need plans and tools to reignite your business. Recently, many businesses were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Universal crises are out of your reach, and there is nothing you can do to stop them.

However, giving up your lifetime of hard work to one year of disparity sounds unfair to me. Most of the time, giving up seems an easier option as it does not require courage. But is it worth it? Never.

A business might get boring or might slow down after some time. It needs ignition like other utilities of life. It is not something you can build and leave. You need to improvise and enhance each day.

Being a business coach, I have given many business coaching in top companies. I help entrepreneurs with corporate coaching. I understand the team problems, mind problems, and productivity issues of companies. I believe if all these problems are resolved efficiently, then any business can be rebuilt and relaunched. I help organizations by reigniting the spark in businesses.

No matter in which field of life you are, many unexpected things will happen. Things will not always go the way you plan them to go. Many situations might threaten your well-being, ambition, or your expectations. But if you look carefully, crises also bring opportunities for personal and business advantage.

All you need to know is ‘Why are you doing what you are doing?’ A clear purpose is enough to help you rebuild, relaunch, and reignite your life.

Relationships are not easy today. Relationships were never easy unless people were ready to adjust. Relationships are a mixed bag of ups and downs. Modern relationships are not easy, and there is no doubt about that. 

Today, lifestyles have changed, and so have our relationships. Our lifestyles have drastically changed, and these changes are reflected in every aspect of our living. A direct impact of these lifestyle changes is on our relationships. Being a life coach, many clients come to me with relationship problems. Modern relationships are messy and very difficult to cultivate. Modern relationships don’t last and easily fall apart. People prefer giving up on relationships to resolving conflicts. 

Relationships are a roller-coaster ride. You’re not always up, but also not always down. People do not have the patience to go through the downs of relationships. There are rosy spells in relationships, but there are rough patches also. However, people today prefer breaking up instead of putting in the effort to mend the relationships.

I have come across many clients and witnessed many relationship problems throughout my career. If you’ll know what are the most common relationship problems, you can brace yourself for weathering the storms, big and small. It helps your relationship to survive the tumultuous times without taking a major hit. 

No duration of a relationship declares it to be permanent. I have seen couples coming for counseling even after 20 years of marriage. I remember once a couple came to me for marital counseling. They had been married for 18 years and had two children, 13 and 16 years old. The husband was working in a renowned firm and worked hard to provide his family with all comforts. He had dedicated himself in his career to provide a lavish life to his wife and children. 

His wife worked initially but had to give up her job to look after the kids. She had been a dedicated wife and mother and was absolutely proud of looking after her family. However, she always felt that something was missing in her life. She often felt disconnected from her husband. Over the years, she felt their intimacy, love, and relationship have suffered a slow and steady death. Initially, she would excuse herself by telling her that her husband was working hard for his family and to be a good husband and father.

When she used to tell her husband about how she feels their relationship is stagnating, he would hardly respond. She was open about how she needs more attention, affection, and some couple-time. Her husband would change for a few days but would stick to his routine in a few weeks. He would often get angry about how his wife did not appreciate how hard he worked for his family. She would keep quiet and settle for it. However, after 18 years of marriage, she couldn’t take it anymore. She started feeling resentful and suffocated in that relationship and decided to get a divorce. However, they were asked to try relationship counselling before taking such an extreme step. 

They started counseling and decided to give one more chance to their relationship. It’s been a fulfilling journey for them as all their conflicts were resolved. This year, they celebrated their silver jubilee and feel the same love for each other that they did at the beginning of the relationship. 

What are the most common relationship problems?

Problems in relationships are inevitable. There are so many things going on in one’s life that a lot of problems arise in day-to-day relationships. Work pressure may take a toll on intimacy, or the spark might fizz out. From in-laws getting on your nerves to kids wreaking havoc on your love life, anything and everything can be a trigger to relationships.

Life throws all different types of problems, twists, and turns at you. But, when you’re together, there’s nothing you cannot sort. With time, such complications might start impacting your relationship dynamics. Let us have a look at the most common modern relationship problems.

• Lack of Time

One of the most common modern relationship problems is lack of time for either of the partners. Today’s busy lifestyle and hectic schedule have made everyone overwhelmed with work. People somehow find it hard to manage their personal and professional life well. It creates a time shortage for relationships. Every relationship needs time to grow and build, but when you don’t give enough time to relationships, they start withering. Most clients that come to me often say that their partner has no time for them. When both partners start feeling this way, they start getting distant from one another. For a relationship to sustain, you need to give enough time to your partner.

• Lack of healthy communication

I have counseled many couples in my journey of being a life coach. If there is one problem that every couple has always complained about is lack of communication. In fact, most relationship problems begin with a lack of communication. When you stop talking to your partner, or you stop discussing your concerns and problems with them, a distance is created between you guys. This distance keeps on increasing when neither of you makes the effort of communicating. Today, everyone is independent and arrogant. People avoid talking and making things right. They would rather give up on each other than talk and resolve conflicts.

• Fake Relationship

Well, one thing that is followed by many young people is forming fake relationships. People commit to a relationship with no will of loving or keeping their partner. Such relationships are built based on lies and fakeness. People would often use their partners for their personal desires. These may be sexual, financial, or physical needs. Many times people indulge in fake relationships because of peer pressure or social status.

Many people make a boyfriend or girlfriend just to avoid feeling left out. Such relationships can have a disastrous effect on the partner who was truly committed. Many times, one of the two partners is completely in love, while the other is just passing time. It is the most common modern relationship problem.

• Taking Your Partner For Granted

Another very common modern relationship problem is taking your partner for granted. Many times, when relationships get old, people tend to think that their partner won’t leave them, no matter how they behave. You might start taking the special efforts and actions of your partner for granted. When you have a lot on your plate, you easily fall into the trap of taking each other for granted. For instance, your partner might cook you your favorite meal every day. You’d appreciate it for some time, but soon it’ll become a routine. You’ll start taking the effort for granted without appreciating your partner. It forms a ground for top relationship problems and makes partners drift away from one another.

• Financial Insecurities

Today, couples are financially independent. They do not depend on one another for their money requirements. However, when it comes to spending on common house expenses, conflicts start arising. Everyone wants a partner who is good at spending and saving. You and your partner need to do sound financial planning right at the beginning of your relationship. If you fail to do so, these money issues can become one of the challenges of a relationship. You might suffer from a money shortage or might not agree on the spending styles of each other. In any case, money issues can escalate quickly and pose a problem for your relationship. Money is a crucial aspect of everyone’s life. When you’re a young couple, it might not be a cause of concern. But, when you’re married or plan kids, money matters start creating many problems. You should set short-term and long-term budgets and discuss your savings. It is one such problem that can be resolved easily with some genuine discussions.

• Trust Issues in a Relationship

Trust issues in a relationship are the biggest problems. If even once your trust is broken, you might find it hard to build the same trust again. Most couples that come for relationship counselling have trust issues with their partners. Trust is a big thing, especially in today’s time. If someone puts in their trust in you, then you shouldn’t break that trust. As a couple, not being able to trust each other is one of the fatal modern relationship problems. Lack of trust is not always about cheating or infidelity. It can be a simple incident that you cannot take out of your head. For instance, your partner might have lied to you in the past, and now you find it hard to take their word at face value. When trust starts vanishing from a relationship, it becomes a breeding ground for several problems. If you want to avoid any problems in your bond then you need to be transparent and trustworthy.

• Dividing Duties

It might sound like a small issue to be discussed in relationship problems, but it is a big one in today’s time. Today, both the partners are working, and both give an equal contribution to work and home. It is not the time when women used to handle the home, and husbands would work outside. However, now both partners go to the office and return together after a tiring 9-5 job. You cannot expect one partner to single-handedly manage the entire household chores. It is very essential to divide duties and manage chores in a balanced manner. A war over chores and disagreements are among the most common long-term relationship problems. Just like money issues, agreeing to the distribution of household responsibilities is a simple way to take constant bickering out of the relationship. It should be done from the beginning of a relationship so that it never poses a problem in the future.

• Career Goals

We live in a time where the coming generations are very concerned about their careers. Today, everyone’s priority is to build a life and a personality of their own. In fact, many people do not involve themselves in any relationship to ensure they build a strong career. Moreover, sometimes our life experiences change us. We may have gone through a trauma or a situation you could never get out of. For instance, suppose you both were ambitious and driven when you were young. However, as you started growing as a couple in a relationship, one of you had to take the step of prioritizing personal life. Most women have to leave their work after pregnancy because they have no one to look after their children. It may seem the right decision at that moment, but it somehow creates a sore feeling in my heart. When as a couple you’re not on the same page about life goals, they can drift apart quickly. You should always tell your partner what you’re going through and how your priorities are changing. When you’ll make them see through your perspective, they’ll understand.

• Lack of appreciation

As I said, humans cannot appreciate the same thing for a very long time. However, when it comes to relationships, both partners must appreciate and acknowledge each other’s efforts. One of the biggest problems is comparisons. One partner would often compare their share of efforts with the other partner. They would often say that they are doing more for the relationship. This disagreement forms many problems for the couple. People do not appreciate or compliment their partner for the things that they do daily. Lack of appreciation is among the most normal relationship issues among couples. Well, it is also the easiest to end. You can start taking each other’s good qualities and appreciate them. Instead of mentioning your partner’s weaknesses every time, an appreciative gesture can keep your relationship full of freshness.

• Mismatched sex lives

Sex is an integral part of relationships. If you do not have a happy sex life, then it is really hard to have a happy relationship. Mismatched sex drives are commonplace for modern relationships. It affects both the partners equally. Your sex life might be full of spark and fire initially, but it dulls down with time. As your body goes through myriad changes, it directly affects the sex drive of a person. Many changes occur with all the stress, hormonal imbalances, aging, and other problems. Soon sexual compatibility becomes an issue for couples. There is no doubt that lack of intimacy can make couples distant and disconnected. No matter how old your relationship is, make an effort to carve out time to get intimate with your partner. You may even seek medical help instead of just giving up on the relationship.

• Jealousy Issues

Just like trust issues, jealousy is also like a termite. It might not be visible initially, but it slowly eats your relationship from the inside. Modern relationship problems revolve around emotions like jealousy. A fleeting pang of jealousy if your partner gives a little attention to someone or even if your partner gets some attention from another person is felt. However, if the real emotion of jealousy establishes a grip, it can make any relationship toxic. You’ll start feeling jealous about anyone and everyone around your partner. I have seen people who constantly check their partner’s phone, stalk their social media, follow their location, and pick fights on every small issue. Jealousy affects both partners equally. While the jealous one disrupts their regular life, the other partner’s mental health is affected directly. So, if you feel even a bit jealous, you should talk and sort things out before they turn really critical.

• Over possessive partner

There is nothing worse than dating an over-possessive partner. When you begin a relationship, a little bit of care and possessiveness seems cute. However, when this possessiveness gets too much, you start feeling suffocated. A partner who’s so possessive that they somehow start controlling you is very astonishing. I remember I had a client once who was dealing with such a partner. His husband was very possessive and would always keep a check on her. He would not allow her to talk to male employees, go out with friends, connect with male friends over social media, and whatnot. It started affecting the wife’s mental health badly. He even asked her to leave her job because he caught him having lunch with a group of friends who also had male employees. She had to take counselling to get over the trauma and toxicity of the relationship. 

Relationships are built over trust. If you cannot trust your partner in any way, then the problem lies in you and not them. Everyone deserves freedom and independence. As a couple, you should value each other’s personal space and respect each other’s feelings.

• View about parenthood

One very modern relationship problem that most couples face is parenthood. While one partner is ready to start a family and has kids, the other partner always seems confused. Many times the views about parenthood do not match. Every couple dreams of raising children together but never feels prepared enough to do so. It causes a lot of problems and fights among couples. Moreover being parents is a big decision. When you have children, they take up a lot of space in your life. Many young couples are just not ready to compromise on their dreams and goals so quickly. You can discuss with your families and each other. One should always be sure before taking such decisions. If you force your partner to become a parent when they don’t feel like doing so, you’ll get blamed for the rest of your life. It is better if you mutually take a decision and go ahead.

• Unrealistic Expectations

Most modern relationships break because of unrealistic expectations of either of the partners. Today, people watch movies and serials and believe that love is a fairy tale when in reality it is not. You might expect your partner to bring stars for you, but they won’t. If you’re in a relationship, it is natural to expect certain things from your partner. However, sometimes people set the bar of their expectations unrealistically high. Relationships become a challenge for you where you want to stand perfect and win always. Even if you expect something from your partner, you should express your expectations explicitly. Expecting your partner to guess and deliver your desires will only break your heart. 

• Extra-marital affairs

When relationships live longer, people often start feeling bored with their partner. Committed monogamous relationships are harder to sustain than people think. It is one of the prime reasons why people fall out of marriages. You might feel you’ll find ‘the one’ and live happily ever after with them. Well, it won’t happen. In real life, romantic partners often start getting attracted to other people. If your relationship is monotonous, then the chances are even high. However, you should always be open about your feelings to your partner. When you talk and discuss such issues, your partner will understand. However, keeping them a secret will end the relationship. 

Final Thoughts

Many times we do not even realize our relationship is suffering. People today are too busy in their careers that they take relationships for granted. Life can get overwhelming, and you will always need someone to celebrate your success with. 

We all constantly crave for better things in life – better car, better house, better food, better clothes, better college, better grades and, of course, better phones. Don’t we?

You may have the latest iPhone but the moment you hear of a new iPhone version hitting, suddenly the one in your pockets starts looking oh-so-old (even though  only six-months old). Why? Because it is packed with tons of new features – the latest Snapdragon processor, finger print unlock, 108 megapixel camera with top-notch sensor for those drool-worthy, Instagrammaable photos. Sounds familiar? Well, quite. 

But as humans, do we stay the same all our lives? Do we also try to become better, smarter versions of ourselves? We may have finished our formal education but are we really educated or just about literate? Now, please try to understand it -there is a huge difference between them. What are we humans born with? Are we really learning new things with time?

What exactly defines us humans?

The Chhandogya Upanishada (छांदोग्य उपनिषद) has this beautiful story of a teenager who goes to a gurukul for education and when he returns as a 24-year young adult, he is full of stories of what he learnt there – a whole lot about astrology, economy, statecraft, society and the like. 

But the father is hardly impressed, “But did you learn something more abstract, invisible and untouchable, something you can’t see or feel?”

The father had a story to tell him.

“Let’s say there are two clay pots of different shapes and sizes -one can keep things fresh, while the other one keeps them cold. Now, the most important thing about these pots is the clay they are made of- the essence of clay. But you can’t see or touch or feel that essence but it remains their most important quality.”

Likewise, for us humans, our most significant possession remains our mind. You  certainly can point to your head as the residence of your brain but where is the mind? You can’t see, touch or feel it? Simply because the mind is not a physical entity; rather, it is purely abstract. We are just minds only – our thoughts, attitudes, ideas, beliefs, fears, values, insecurities, dreams and complexes. Our thoughts make us as they drive us towards action. And it is our actions that determine our destiny. Period!

What happens inside this all-powerful “controller” (the mind) decides our plans and their execution. WE are our BELIEFS only. Nothing beyond! Look at the seemingly incredible feet of an amputee (Arunima Sinha) scaling major mountain peaks, which proves what a focused, powerful mind can achieve despite physical odds. So therefore, it is our mind only, which can help us changing ourselves- becoming better or worse versions of ourselves.  We all know of the frail, tiny frog, who reached the top of a pole by outclassing its older, more capable fraternity simply because it didn’t hear and react to others’ taunts (It was deaf, actually!). The winning, deaf frog can hear only its inner voice – to emerge a winner while the rest listen to the onlookers.

Now similarly, we all know about that young baby elephant kept tied with a chain in a circus. It doesn’t succeed in freeing itself; rather, it gets hurt and bleeds and “learns” that it’s not possible. Later, the baby elephant turns into a full-blown adult elephant but the earlier, childhood beliefs stick. It may be strong enough now to break the chain, but it doesn’t even try to because its experiences have drilled into its mind certain beliefs about its own failings.

The result: The elephant will remain tied to the chain all its life! So is true of our perceived drawbacks, inabilities and limitations. Just think of it: How many of them are a result of your childhood conditioning?   

In fact, the blockbuster movie Three Idiots was so full of messages of all kinds. Remember Raju Rastogi? The guy who had no belief in his own talent and is into all sorts of superstitions and mumbo-jumbo.  Now contrast him with Rancho, the cool, supremely confident guy with so much belief in his abilities despite the opposition.  We all know what he was finally achieved vis a vis Raju. Of course, Farhan was clueless about what he wanted from life.

So, if I really want to develop a better myself, first and foremost, I need to appreciate the fact that beyond this body, I am a mind. In fact, our excessive body consciousness is a major obstruction on our way to glory. I need to step aside and look at myself as a mind full of untold potential and ask myself: What do I really want to make out of this life? Only then we can I hope to train my mind in the desired direction. 

And mind you, beliefs can not only change your life but can also create impact on others around you. There is this fancy name for the phenomenon – Collective Consciousness, which I have also used with my team to great effect.

 Regarding human mind, I am reminded of certain people for whom the glass is always “half-full”. These half- full glasses always look at the stars and never let the twinkle in their eyes become dim. They may be up against a rock, with not even a distant hope in sight, but they always remain full – of hope, optimism, positivity and enthusiasm. Now, can you think of some such well-known people –the  “incorrigible optimists”?

You can think of people like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Helen Keller and Bangari Mathai- all of them fit this definition perfectly well. They were all so full of – optimism, openness to future, sense of responsibility and impeccable integrity. In more recent history, we saw an amputee Arunima Sinha do something virtually inconceivable- climb the Everest. Now the very thought of doing so can send shivers down the spine of a lesser mortal but then it’s a different stuff such heroes are made of. She, too, could have wallowed in self-pity or ended her life the way many others in similar situations do. But her innate optimism did the trick for her. A word of caution here. Being optimistic does not mean that one never has a bad day or a bad mood. Rather, it implies a constant sense of hope, even in the middle of great odds. It reminds me of John Milton, who wrote his best works after having gone blind. In his classic Paradise Lost, he says that our mind is its own place and it has got the power to create a Hell in a Heaven or a Heaven in a Hell. Such is the powerful human mind!   

These qualities really made them the kind of humans they were. But on the flip side, you have pessimistic, rigid, dishonest and irresponsible people. So it all boils down to – where do I want to see myself in future? The answer to this one is the key to the path your life will take.

Openness: Being open-minded is the golden gate to optimism. With an open mind, I can explore many more possibilities and avenues, which show me some light at the end of the tunnel. It ultimately makes me more positive and hopeful about my future. Here’s a case in point. You may have heard of a Mumbai builder Suraj Parmar, who ended his life simply because some politicians and government officers were harassing him. He had (hold your breath!) Rs. 3000 crore lying in his bank account. And ironically, he won the legal case after his death! And the Coffee Cafe Day founder VG Sidharth’s case is still fresh in our memory. His suicide note talks of financial difficulties and harassment at the hands of government officials.  Now, think of it for a while.

Do you genuinely think they had nothing left in the world to offer even a small glimmer of hope? Did they lack enough resources for a decent life? Couldn’t they think of better alternatives to solve their problems?

Let me come to my personal story. I have been privy to quite a similar case, that of my husband, who committed suicide. And the reasons were pretty much the same- loans amounting to Rs. 60 crore, stalling of his building project, hundreds of court cases and harassment by government officials. In retrospect, I believe it was his belief system only that propelled him to a  point where he began thinking that his world was crashing and there was no hope left. Had there been someone around when he gave into the suicidal impulse, he or she could have convinced him of the futility of his beliefs. And I am not saying so without reason. Look, if I, a homemaker and an absolute newcomer to this male-dominated business world, could successfully rebuild the business, repay our creditors and tackle the numerous court cases, in comparison, he was much more capable and experienced than I am. Just think of the potential possibilities he could have visualized for his business, only if he had the right beliefs ruling his mind.           

Our beliefs make us, our dreams, goals, achievements and therefore, our life itself! A very interesting thing is that our beliefs can change and there is only one person who can change them – look into the mirror and you’ll see that person. Yes, you heard it right! You HAVE the power to change your beliefs, and therefore your life. In fact, we all change with time. Think of it, are you the same fellow, who you were, say 10 years ago? Certainly not! As humans, we may be born “genetically blessed” or “jinxed”, but we  constantly interact with our environment and the people out there. And it is these interactions that shape and train us continuously- every single moment. Rather, I would say if you haven’t cultivated a new belief or haven’t shed an old one in the past 10 years, check your pulse. You may be dead!   

As a child, I used to place great stock in a loving family. I remember, I had read a novel wherein the sick protagonist walks out on his wife and children and how they suffer as a result. Therefore, a loving husband and a happy family remained my priorities for long. In fact, I can recall telling my university friends about it, who would simply laugh. Their reaction was a given, considering that I was a gold medallist in my LLB and LLM classes. But I had a certain dreams of having a caring, loving husband and a small, happy family and that’s what I created. 

But the tragedy made me change my belief system. I consciously decided to shed a particular belief and replace it with another belief. Yes, you can do that. You can change the way you think! In fact, you can choose the thoughts you’d like to enter or leave your mind. It’s entirely up to you.  And I did that. Quite successfuly! I trained my mind to think in terms of “A lion needs no company”. And now, I longer missed my family and didn’t wallow in self-pity like – Oh! Am so lonely. Were I so inclined, I couldn’t have evolved a better version of myself.      

As a kid, I had a great stage fear; my legs would begin to tremble. But my college hostel stay during class XI brought another problem – inability to speak English fluently like my classmates. Books proved to be a messiah for me in those troubled days.  All The World Is My stage – Well, reading this one drove away all my fears, insecurities and phobias. Here too, a conscious and deliberate change of thought had done the trick. So I could see all my thoughts about inferior complex, being a small towner, having problems with English- they vanished in a second and I could see a newer, better myself – more confident and ready to take on the world. 

 My husband’s suicide taught me an extremely important life lesson- of minding my mind. No matter how wealthy and healthy or physically fit you are, a badly or poorly trained mind can undo everything. The tragedy  hammered into my mind the supreme role of a healthy, strong, right-thinking mind for a successful, productive life. Again, I consciously trained my mind in this direction – and helped not only myself and my kids do so but also thousands of other people and brought a positive change in my own and their lives.     

My love affair with books went on. And I must say they have played quite a part in my life. And now I have a strong conviction – that humans have unlimited potential. But unfortunately, our beliefs are a limiting factor in what we are actually able to achieve. I hope you remember the British athlete Roger Bannister, who became the first one to finish the mile race in less than 4 minutes in 1954. Before he did it, there was a widespread (but erroneous) belief that a sub-4 minute mile race was physiologically impossible i.e. the human body was not made for it. But Roger, a neurologist himself, challenged the notion and smashed that mental barrier forever. His record remained a record for just 46 days because soon, there was a long galaxy of athletes smashing his mile race record. Back home, there was a long-held belief a double century in an ODI was impossible. But Sachin Tendulkar did that and made history!

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In the process of my personal evolution, the most important lesson I learnt during my entrepreneurial journey was – my team is everything. Like the Ethiopian saying goes – if tiny spiders work together, they can tame a lion. I adopted a teacher’s role everywhere. And today, my team is my biggest strength. We are what we are only due to our team. I learnt to appreciate the pivotal role they played in not only turning a misfortune into a fortune but also successfully coming up with a new, 70% biodegradable product (in replaced chemicals). So come what may, hope is the eternal flame that needs to light up our path through the toughest phases of life.

Charlie Chaplin’s case is an excellent example of how hope can give a fresh life to a suicidal man. His mother’s soothing words became the beacon of hope for him and look, where he finally ended up! Likewise, Beethoeven, the great musical genius, felt quite depressed and wanted to end his life. But a noble soul inspired him to create his great classic Ode To Joy. But possibly the greatest example of modern times is Nelson Mandela’s, who had launched a struggle against the then prevalent racial discrimination (apartheid) and was put in the Robbin Island jail for 27 years by the white-led South African government. But look at the man who never lost hope through those trying times and finally succeeded! And to top it, he didn’t have even an iota of rancour or ill-will against his captors. Such grace and forgiveness! 

Rosa Parks, the gritty American woman activist, whose struggle triggered a civil rights movement in 1950s and brought about racial equality in public life, was equally driven by her beliefs. Similarly, the Padman i.e.  Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented a low-cost sanitary pad vending machine, was motivated by a strong personal belief to improve the lives of poor women. And lastly, the Milk Man of India Dr. Verghese Kurien, who brought about the Milk Revolution in India and helped it become the number one milk producer globally. His belief in his ideas and a desire to improve the farmers’ incomes were critical to his success.

Such is the power of human beliefs! I can vouch for it – If I could transform myself from a homemaker into a successful entrepreneur, it’s only because of my changed belief system. Your beliefs can let you climb those dream heights. So challenge yourself constantly, come out of that comfort zone, break those mental barriers and make history!