Blame is pinpointing to someone else, criticizing or holding someone or something other than self as responsible or indulge in a finger pointing exercise or harass with constant criticism.

I speak from a personal experience. I grew up as a child blaming and being blamed in equal measure. As a teenager, I was steeped in being blamed. As a young adult I decided in my subconscious that I was not going to take it any more and would retaliate strongly whenever I was blamed. So I played my part passing on blame whenever possible to whoever was willing to take it. I assumed it to be a logical way of living, blissfully ignorant of the pain I was causing to myself indirectly and to the others directly. I had absolved myself of any wrong doing and I thought that I had a right to be angry and aggressive.

At another level we had it reinforced in us in subtle ways that we had to be ashamed and repent or at least feel remorseful of all the wrong doings or we were most welcome to go on a guilt trip if you please.

So we excavated each little error, each little mistake and grew more and more self-righteous. Since we had confessed our sins now it was your turn. And if you did not, you were slotted as arrogant and headstrong. So the spiral escalated.

As I reach my middle age, I realize and look back with amusement and amazement at the sad designs we drew for ourselves and those we professed to love.

Why do we blame another?

It makes us feel good. It makes us feel that we are right and helps us place the responsibility on another person. It gives us licence to be aggressive on the one hand and feel like a victim on the other hand.

Our human mind works in myriad ways, seeking, coping, releasing or protecting this simple fragile self. As a result we behave in a manner in tune with this inner need.

What happens to the other person when we blame?

He probably gets a little disoriented if he is not in the wrong. He can withdraw, blame back or just cut off. Communication gets choked. To overcome this, one could have dialogue in a mature fashion. It calls for a humungous inner strength to speak the truth with candour and courage. One of the major fears of this action is the consequence that can happen.

Another perspective

As a non-violent communication (NVC) supporter, I see and experience that it is possible to communicate without negative feelings.

Imagine that all humans regardless of caste, colour or creed are here in this world for a purpose even if they are not aware of it. No life is complete when a person dies, merely a level is done and he has to move onto another level. He was here because he had to learn how to cope with issues that he created for himself, choosing lessons that he needed to learn. He could either sail through or make it worse or play it the way he chose at the beginning. That’s free will for you.

For instance let’s say that I need to learn lessons on how to cope with abandonment. I lost my dad when I was 8. Though I could not articulate the pain or loss, the fear and anxiety remain. Years later I subconsciously play it out with over-dependence on my close ones. This could irritate my daughter who needs to learn to cope with self-reliance. Surely there’s going to be blame, and fault-finding and the whole works.

If I could remember that she’s not here because of me or for me, she’s here to learn her lessons, and I can at best be there for her like the way I did when she was in her school, it would give me the distance and acceptance that there is nothing to blame anybody for. Everyone is who they are.

It has even given me an insight into the Gestalt Prayer.

I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it’s beautiful.
If not, it can’t be helped.
(Fritz Perls, 1969)

More than anything else it gives me the perspective and freedom. It liberates me and makes me responsible for myself. And it gives new insights into detachment, opening myself, independent of reasoning ability, to meet others’ blame with skill, grace and ease.

So how can I live in harmony?

I need to let go of worn-out limited beliefs. I simply have to accept that everybody is in their rightful orbit. There are more possibilities than what I can comprehend. There is a guiding hand in everyone’s life.

And this too will pass.

Shyleswari Rao runs a training organization Ved Vyas Inner Space and conducts workshops on Personal Mastery which are highly interactive, experiential and insightful for organizations, NGOs and educational institutions. Please visit www.vedvyasinnerspace.com or contact her at shylahrd@gmail.com.

The green light flashes as I ponder about him and his relationship. How often have we been taught this myth? This myth that we can make others happy and we ought to keep our loved ones happy?

As kids we needed to keep our parents and siblings happy. Then the focus shifted to our teachers, friends, dates, spouse, in-laws, children and their in-laws not to mention our customers, suppliers and bosses.

Phew! Who else?

The question that strikes me is: do we really make these people happy and is it really possible to do so?

Of course, we do our bit by first giving little gifts, then stuff which we think would please someone, then material goods, and more and more on these lines.

But does stuff make anyone happy? Did stuff make Lady Diana happy?

Let us look at happiness closely. We often imagine it to be a state of being that we need to achieve some day – it’s a kind of destination which we will arrive one day.

Bad luck! Such a thing does not exist – I meant the destination.

Happiness does exist. Truly our very being is happy. When I say “I am happy!” it’s a mood, a feeling which I can savor or experience for a span of time, then when I move I am something else.

However the major difference would crop up if I did not give the keys to my happiness to anyone else to make me happy. Instead if I were the source of my happiness then I would say “I am happiness.”

I would glide, witness this and other emotions with dispassion and the stillness would anchor me.

My fuel for this inextinguishable happiness would emerge when I believe that this universe is a safe place to be in. The love I share can multiply and come home to roost.
My happiness gets multiplied as I share and it doubles when others share theirs as well.

As I learn to ‘let go’ pain, grudges, darts and hurt, loss and grief, I am restored to my original self. I slowly learn to accept them not as wounds and scars but as life’s signatures which I need to learn and having learnt them move on.

Remember that the Sun shines regardless of whether I keep my windows open or closed.

Shyleswari is a Chennai-based corporate trainer.

Little did I realize then that I was hooked on to being different and yet being the same all the time.

Does that confuse you?

Let me explain. When I stuck my head inside me like an ostrich, whoa, I found a person – confused, desiring to be someone else, someone who was slim, svelte, spoke very well, oozing confidence, knew what to talk, spoke so knowledgeably that I silently gawped. So I plunged headlong and imitated, spoke like “Her’ adopted her values and attitudes. Headily I watched myself transforming into a miniature ‘She’.

I even had an invisible crown perched perkily on my head thinking here I was perfect and had arrived.

When suddenly I found I was all alone, isolated and bored.

What went wrong? Back into my vena cava I found my arteries pumping blood for nothing because it was not for Me.

So I took stock and found much to my surprise that I was not listening to Me!

There she was this young girl wanting, waiting, willing to talk and no one to listen.

I sat down, closed my eyes and shut my mouth and began to listen to Her.

Here is a replica of what I heard and listened to:

She told me how I was a beautiful person, until I started wearing a mask — especially for some else and some body else’s.

She told me that every one was different and special in their own ways, asking me to be gentle with myself and wanting me to focus on my good points. She urged me to reveal this face to the world. Be bold! She nudged.

She said go out listen to nature! Stay in contact with her and she will never cease to amaze you, she will reflect all your beauty which no one else can.

Do not believe all that you see or read in the newspaper! You are good enough!

If you can say ‘No’ to the aggressor without inflicting pain on the other, you are a woman my friend!

Don’t believe that every problem has only one solution – life is far too varied to stop at one.

Set your own value system, make the noblest thoughts you have, embody your life as you live it.

Cut out all the dross in your life and focus on what will survive even death.

Respect yourself and others will have no choice but to go along with you.

Show your human side to others else you can run the risk of seeming invulnerable  and end up making others inadequate, and making yourself seem so sufficient that they assume you would never need any help.

Send out good vibrations to all you meet, you will engender similar feelings. Imagine a circle of fabulous fragrance wherever you go.

Finally trust! Believe that what you are doing is right for you. Seek his Grace in all your actions.

Sure enough you will find yourself unleashed and raring to go.

Come open your eyes gently, smile at the world and embrace all who live in it for you are all that you have.

It certainly is time that we brought in ethics into organizations in a self-regulatory manner. It would work out in our favour in more ways than one and would be cost effective in the long run. Considering the fall of erstwhile financial giants, or who we thought were financial giants, it seems imperative that we re-examine, polish and refurbish our ethical code of conduct.

The writing is on the wall. We have to admit that virtue is sometimes its own reward.

The HR has a major role to play here. With the dawn of 2009 we need to be innovative and creative in ways which can combine private profit and public good. Good corporate citizenship cannot harm shareholder values.

To quote Unilever: “Economic growth must go hand in hand with sound environmental management, hearing unmet needs, offering equal opportunities worldwide, and maintaining highest safety and health standards.”

If we were to scrutinize how we can transform organizations, it melds into 6 principles that can be developed into an ethics programme which can be coalesced with the organizational values

•    Provide a written code of business ethics and conduct.
•    Train employees concerning their responsibilities.
•    Provide a free and open atmosphere.
•    Adopt procedures for voluntary disclosure.
•    Take ownership that this organization is yours.
•    Have a public accountability project.

Of course developing ethical code is not a one-off affair. It is a continuous process.

Today we are talking of an empowering culture, a customer focused culture. Then isn’t it time to talk, act, live a holistic ethics oriented culture too?