Sunday, November 14, 2010

Rumours

Every office has its own grapevine, every family has its own gossip, every place has its set of rumours. Some are the harmless kind while some are the vicious variety. Sometimes you have a quiet laugh about it, sometimes you moan about it, sometimes you are so irritated by the stupidity. But the rumour goes on..... Now with the speed at which information travels, the rumour really catches on like wildfire. And lo, sometimes, the rumour becomes reality!!!

Let me illustrate. This year there was this big rumour doing the rounds in our office that there would be no promotions happening for our associates. Being part of the leadership team, I knew that it was just a rumour. A false, malicious rumour that can demoralize a great team. We worked hard to fight the rumour, but to no effect. The grapevine has its own roots and branches and there is only so much one can do. This rumour took a vibrant life of its own. Towards the end of the year, our organization suddenly decided that we would defer our associate promotions to the next year. I know for a fact that this deferment happened due to sudden developments in the last couple of months, but the rumour had been on for the last six months. To me, it looked like rumour had replaced reality. To me, it looked like so many folks believing in the rumour had caused a shift in outcome!! 

I have my theory about rumours reinforced by incidents similar to what I just described. Well, everyone has heard about self fulfilling prophecies. Haven't we had someone say this to us.... "Be careful what you wish for?" My theory is that rumours are nothing else, but someone's wishes. They are prophecies set about by someone's imaginative mind, by someone's calculative mind. They gain momentum as other minds buy into the prophecy. As it gains momentum, the rumour gets a life of its own. A parallel identity to reality itself. It now starts competing with reality for pole position.Whatever it is that people believe in, whatever people want to happen, what cause the many minds to vibrate together for......that is what finally happens. The rumour wins and becomes reality....possible? Yes, absolutely possible.

Why do we have group chanting for world peace, why do we have community groups working for the same cause, why do we have social networking sites - because we acknowledge the power of a thousand minds resonating together. We acknowledge that the minds resonating together can change outcomes. Now think about this....if we could use this power to spread the good messages, wish for the happy events....if we could create a network of positivity, we could change this world. We could change this world with the right rumours....

Paulo Coelho says in the Alchemist - " If you want something badly, the entire universe will conspire to get it for you". So, whatever it is you want for this world, plant that seed in your mind, get other minds to resonate with you for the cause and make it happen!!! Rumours...they could be good change agents if we only realize the power of a thousand minds. Collective will....that is what it is all about.

P.S. I watched this movie "Inception" on a long haul airplane journey a couple of weeks back, it talks about planting an idea in some ones's mind. When I read my blog before publishing it, there is some commonality in concept. Purely coincidental....or was that idea planted by someone? Go figure...

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