From: rakesh@svcdudes.com (Rakesh Chabra)
Subject: Re: Success Stories Wanted
Reply-To: rakesh@svcdudes.com
Organization: Software Ventures, Inc.
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 23:41:44 GMT

In article <1992Nov5.194518.5205@bnr.ca> Joan Balser (MURPH@bnr.ca)  
writes:
> Please e-mail me if you have a personal success stories from using any  
self
> improve tapes, books or videos (i.e.,being more popular, financially  
better
> off, better memory.  etc..) that has made a significant change in your  
life! 


Although this was not one of the tapes or videos, I went to a seminar  
called The Forum (in most locations around the country) and what I went in  
thinking about was that my life had to better that this.  I went in not  
sure what was going to happen, but with an open mind.

What I got from it was a lot more than I dreamed I could ever get.  My  
life before the Forum was boring, I did not have a lot of friends,  
spending any time with my family (except my sister) was not something I  
wanted to do and I felt I was unlucky to have the parents I had, I was  
unhappy with the direction my career was taking and thought I was in a  
dead end job and most importantly, did not know if I was ever going to get  
married, becuase I was not even dating.  All of this, coupled with being  
overweight, gave me the impression that life sucked and was really shitty.

Well, after the 3 days in the seminar - I found out that almost everyone  
has these same kind of feelings and we're all in the same boat.  Through a  
series of inquiries into what it is to be a human being - what makes us  
tick, what makes us get down on ourselves and what we do to prevent  
ourselves from feeling down was such an revelation that I now understand  
why we get down and why we complain about things instead of doing things  
about it.

I went to my parents and told them that I was judging them from a picture  
that I wanted them to be and that I blamed them for not treating me the  
way 'they were supposed to' in my mind.  That caused so much of the  
separation that we drifted far apart, but no more, I am having phenomenal  
conversations with them and they with me - for the first time, I told my  
dad that I loved him and I really meant it.  And for the first time when I  
heard him tell me that he loved me - I really knew it.

The same type of thing has happened in my work - since I was under the  
impression that all people were interested in is back-biting and getting  
ahead and that it's all competition, I could not work with the people here  
in a productive way, but NOW, I am co-ordinating things my boss should be  
co-ordinating because I want to.  And along with the productivity our team  
is now seeing - I am getting a lot of credit - I see now that I really  
LOVE my job!

And the last area - WOMEN - I always thought that women would not go out  
with me because of my weight - but all I had to do was ask - and I have  
been surprised - not only do they want to go out, but a couple of them  
already seem to want to marry me - I am still having so much fun meeting  
more and more women, that I am not sure that I want to stop - boy has this  
area turned around.

I don't know if this is what you were looking for in the way of a success  
story, but that's mine!!  If you would like to ask me anything about the  
Forum and how it might apply to you - please feel free to ask (or call).   
I am sure that everyone can benefit in some way from doing the Forum -  
even if it is to, as one person found, improve your golf game.

Take good care,

Rakesh Chabra
(510) 370-8329
rakesh@svcdudes.com