Talk.

Best article on good conversation.

No matter who you are, it can be hard to have interesting conversations—even the best talkers run out of steam every now and again. This is especially true in the world of sales, where being an adept conversationalist is often tied directly to your success.

After all, how many closed-won deals are you going to have in your sales cycle if you can’t even keep someone’s attention for 30 seconds? You have to learn how to make a conversation interesting, but how?

Like anything in life, the answer is practice. The good news is that opportunities to practice interesting, earnest, fun, and engaging conversations are everywhere.

Ask a customer support agent how their day is going. Chat up other people at a restaurant to see what their favorite dishes are. Find out what your mechanic’s favorite car brand is and why.

The thought of going into the world and practicing conversation skills might be second nature for some, but for others it might sound like a living nightmare. Regardless of where you fall, we’ve rounded up some actionable tips on how to make a conversation interesting.

Whether you’re building yourself up from scratch or honing an already keen edge, just remember that this is a fun exercise. And the payoff of practice can be well worth the effort for sales development representatives or account executives who depend on interesting conversations for their livelihood.

Understanding The Art of Conversation

Have you ever been talked at instead of talked with? In those situations, there’s a sender who disseminates information and a receiver who takes it in. There’s no room for conversation to happen.

That’s because conversations aren’t linear. Conversations are made up of countless threads we can pick up and run with, or drop entirely, at will. This makes them inherently multi-dimensional.

As such, a conversation can lead anywhere—you never know where it will take you. One minute you’re talking with someone about the weather, and the next minute you’re both sharing stories of your favorite international trips that fulfilled your soul.

How did you get there?

The best conversationalists know how to deftly maneuver the multiple threads of a conversation to lead from the beginning to a specific destination. There’s a subtle art to it. Here’s one potential route from Point A to Point B:

Me: “It’s very hot out today. Don’t you think?”

You: “Yea, it’s a real scorcher!”

Me: “Gosh, I’m glad I have an AC unit at home.”

You: “I can’t imagine what it’d be like to not have that today.”

Me: “You know, I was in Thailand on a meditation retreat in August with no AC. It sure made finding my center a bit more difficult.”

You: “Oh wow, I’ve always wanted to do a retreat like that! One time I went to Costa Rica for a yoga retreat and absolutely fell in love with the serenity of silence. It’s so good for the soul.”

Me: “No way! You have to tell me more. Do you have other trips coming up soon?”

If it seems simple spelled out on paper like this, I’m here to tell you that it really can be that simple in real life as well. It helps when you know where you want to steer the conversation. But you also have to remain flexible enough to chase one of many threads that can take you to a desired destination.

In the context of sales, this becomes doubly important. You know where you want the conversation to go, whether it’s booking a meeting, scheduling a demo, or getting a contract sent out.

Don’t be afraid to chase threads of interesting conversation when talking with your prospects. If you try to remain linear and force a sales pitch instead of having an authentic, interesting conversation, you may halt the entire deal.

8 Tips on How to Make a Conversation Interesting

Like any art, the art of conversation can take time to master. Some of your success is related to learning effective communication techniques or optimizing your outbound based on the latest sales calls statistics, but there’s a lot here that depends on real-world application and practice.

You have to learn to be a good conversation partner who’s relatable, trustworthy, and interesting. To that end, we rounded up eight tips below that can help make your conversations interesting and ensure you become a great conversation partner.

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1. Keep the Conversation Focused on the Other Person

People like talking about themselves. When you focus the conversation on the other person and give them an opportunity to open up, you might be surprised at just how much they decide to share. And the more they talk, the more connected they’ll feel to you.  

This doesn’t mean you should stay quiet the whole time though. That would have the opposite effect and make the conversation stale.

Drop in every now and again with small anecdotes of your own that build off what the other person is talking about. Ask probing questions to encourage them to go deeper into certain topics.

Remember that you’re in control of the conversation here. You know where you want it to ultimately lead, so make sure to subtly nudge it in the right direction as they keep talking. But also remember to be genuinely interested and curious about what they have to say.

People can smell when you’re being patronizing or inauthentic a mile away. One axiom that I always enjoy keeping in the front of my mind is this: “Every day is a school day.” If you treat your conversations with that mindset and seek to learn something new, you’ll always be genuinely interested.  

2. Find Points of Commonality and Connection

This may sound simple but it’s often easy to overlook this during conversations, especially if they’re moving fast. Undoubtedly, there will be points of common interests that naturally surface during the conversation. When they do, take the opportunity to connect over them.

For example, maybe you’re on a call with a prospect trying to book a demo to showcase your power dialer software (hey, that’s what PhoneBurner does). Along the way, they mention how much they dislike doing admin work in their CRM, and so do you.

Talk about that. Dig in deep. Explore what they don’t like about it. Relay some of your least favorite things as well. Laugh a little about both of your bad experiences.

You’ve just found common ground that’s brought you two closer together. And when the conversation comes to the point of scheduling the demo, you’re that much more connected.

3. Watch Late-Night Talk Shows

Late night talk-show hosts are some of the best conversationalists. In fact, they get paid for their ability to have interesting conversations night-in and night-out.

Naturally, talk-show hosts ask a lot of questions, mix in humor, and keep the conversation mostly focused on the other person along the interaction. You can also watch serious programs with hard-hitting interviews if that’s more your style.

Regardless, watch the mannerisms of both the host and the person they’re talking with. How are they using the tonality of their voice? Do they use specific body language to help communicate? What are they doing to connect with each other?

To put it another way, tonight’s homework: watch TV. And if you want a good laugh or some fodder for conversational humor, check out these hilarious sales memes.

4. Talk Slowly and Enunciate

Speaking fast isn’t always a bad thing, but it can be confusing for the person you’re speaking with. If you’re not present in your conversations, and you really know your stuff, you may speak so fast the other person’s head spins.

Make sure you purposefully slow your cadence down to the point where it feels almost too slow for you. I promise, you won’t be talking too slow if you do—it only feels that way. This is something you can practice by recording yourself or asking a friend to listen to you and give feedback.

The second major point is to enunciate your words. Get your mouth muscles used to pronouncing complex words with vocal warmups like:

Red leather, yellow leather (three times in a row)

You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York

Betty Botter bought a bit of bitter butter, but the bit of butter was too bitter for the batter, so Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter

That last one is crazy, right? Oh, Betty.

All this will help you talk clearly, calmly, and confidently. That’s what people want to hear and it’ll draw them more into the conversation.  

5. Focus on the Conversation

You can ask the best questions in the world, talk confidently, and draw someone into a conversation. But if you don’t actually pay attention to what they’re saying you will fall flat on your face.

Remember: you want to be genuine and authentic in your conversations. How can you do that if you don’t pay attention?

There’s nothing worse than zoning out and realizing the other person has stopped talking and is starting at you waiting for a response. If you’re in sales, this could tank a deal faster than you can say, “I’m sorry!”. And your sales metrics will tank right along with that deal.

Draw your focus into the conversation and listen to what the other person is saying. If it helps, take notes while they talk. Do whatever you need to do in order to stay “in” the conversation with the other person.

6. Ask Personal Questions

Small talk can be frustrating and annoying if it’s too generic. Sometimes, you just don’t want to know what the other person is having for dinner tonight.

Take the opportunity at the beginning of a conversation to learn about the people you’re speaking with by asking questions about them. Focus on them by including the word “you” in your questions.

For example, you might ask:

What do you like to do outside of the office?

If you could wave a magic wand and your biggest work problem would disappear, what would it be?

Have you always been in your career field (marketing, sales, product, etc)?

Elon Musk: do you love him or hate him?

Asking for someone’s opinion is also a fun and engaging way to make a conversation more interesting. Do they have a favorite tech platform they use? How do they like to manage their work schedules? Have they read any great business books recently you should check out?

Questions like this can be extremely helpful for sales professionals after they’ve already booked an initial meeting off a cold call. These can lay the groundwork for long-term rapport and show the prospect that you’re legitimately interested in learning about who they are.

7. Ask Open-Ended Questions

If someone can answer your question with a simple “Yes” or “No,” you’re doing it wrong. These types of questions can immediately shut the conversation down.

You don’t want to be left scrambling for ways to reboot the talking or wondering how to make the conversation interesting again. Instead, prioritize open-ended questions whenever you can.  

Don’t ask: “Are you having a good day?”

Ask: “What do you love about today?”

This is also a tactic that we discuss in our eBook Outbound Sales: 10 Strategies to Help You Close More Deals. When cold calling, you need to diffuse these “Yes” questions right out of the gate in order to keep you prospect talking. Make sure to download a free copy today and learn more.

Once the other person starts talking, you can probe deeper with the five timeless journalism questions: who, what, when, why, and how:

Who has made their day great?

What happened to make today so good?

When was the last time they had a day like this?

Why do they think the day is so good?

How can they make sure every day is as good as today?

8. Handle Controversial Topics Delicately

Typically, there are three things people don’t like to talk about: personal finance, politics, and religion. However, there will always be one person who wants to dive into these areas and ask for your thoughts.

In some business conversations, it might be impossible to stray from things like finance and politics even. Regardless, if someone brings a controversial subject up, or they talk about something that makes you uncomfortable, be ready to pivot the conversation.

You can jump into the conversation and attempt to steer it back to your initial purpose for talking, or you can keep a few quick phrases ready to help everyone move past it. For example, you could say: “I respect your views there, thank you for sharing! But I’d like to keep us on track because we only have a limited amount of time to chat today.”

Remember, especially on sales calls, people are there to do business. Don’t be afraid to remind them of that North Star.

Conversation Starters to Use

As you’re learning new ways how to make a conversation more interesting, these following conversation starters might be able to help. Sometimes a good conversation topic sprouts from seemingly small and simple questions.

Here are a few quick questions you can fire off at the beginning of a conversation in order to get the ball rolling. Similarly, if conversation stalls you can use these to potentially reignite the chatter:

Tell me about yourself and your career path.

How is [NAME] doing today?

Are you working on anything exciting right now?

What’s your passion project at work?

What was the highlight of your day, week, or month?

What’s the best thing about working where you work?

What’s great about these interesting conversation starters is that you can align them with the initial purpose of your conversation. For B2B sales professionals, all of these can be used to push someone toward a conversation about their pain points, what their biggest priorities are, or if they need to buy new products or service.

Keep Learning New Ways to Make a Conversation Interesting

Whether you’re a natural talker, or if you’re a quiet individual, the best thing you can do to ensure conversations stay interesting is practice. Head out into the real world and talk with people, try asking new questions to your friends, and work on your active listening skills.

The more you talk, the better your conversation skills will become. That, in turn, can drastically help improve your ability to snare someone’s attention on a cold call, nail your demo presentation, and maintain lasting relationships with a prospect that leads to a signed deal.

Before you know it, you’ll be showing younger sales reps who join your team how they can make a conversation interesting themselves. And if you’re interested in learning more about how to apply these tips to your sales function, be sure to download a free copy of our eBook Outbound Sales: 10 Strategies to Close More Deals.

Notes.

 

The Cornell Notes system (also Cornell note-taking system, Cornell method, or Cornell way) is a note-taking system devised in the 1950s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University. Pauk advocated its use in his best-selling book How to Study in College.

A study published in 2010 by Wichita State University compared two note-taking methods in a secondary English classroom, and found that the Cornell note-taking style may be of added benefit in cases where students are required to synthesize and apply learned knowledge, while the guided notes method appeared to be better for basic recall.

Another study, published in the summer of 2013, found that "Students who were taught CN (Cornell notes) did take better notes than those who were not, but they did not have higher achievement results." The study also stated that "Through analysis of assessment scores, [we] found no significant difference between the intervention and base classes on achievement."

Cornell note-taking can give students an effectiveness in organization of thoughts that they have been taught and give a better review in recollecting all the information that they have learned. The Cornell system is not only a fast method of writing notes but also the note taker is able to absorb the information that is given at a faster rate.

The Cornell method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes. This system of taking notes is designed for use by a high school or college level student. There are several ways of taking notes, but one of the most common is the "two-column" notes style. The student divides the paper into two columns: the note-taking column (usually on the right) is twice the size of the questions/keyword column, which is on the left. The student leaves open five to seven lines, or about two inches (5 cm), at the bottom of the page.

Notes from a lecture or text are written in the note-taking column; notes usually consist of the main ideas of the text or lecture, and longer ideas are paraphrased. Long sentences are avoided; symbols or abbreviations are used instead. To assist with future reviews, relevant questions or keywords (which should be recorded as soon as possible, so that the lecture and questions will be fresh in the student's mind) are written in the left-hand keyword column. These notes can be taken from any source of information, such as fiction books, DVDs, lectures, or textbooks, etc.

When reviewing the material, the student can cover the note-taking (right) column while answering the questions/keywords in the key word or cue (left) column. The student is encouraged to reflect on the material and review the notes regularly.

Choice.

 When one thinks of death then he recollects all the choices he has made throughout his life. 

In essence, the Gita recognises the individual''s liberty and leaves the ultimate choice in the hands of the seeker. Liberal and without prejudice, the Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna''s gift to humankind, to help us deal with the turbulence of life in as rational a manner as is humanly possible. 

santuṣhṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛiḍha-niśhchayaḥ

mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

“dear to me is my devotee who is always content; a yogi, self-controlled, strongly decisive and who has dedicated his mind and intellect to me”

When suffering from indecisivenessWhen confused between two course of actionsWhen procrastinating a decisionBhagavad Gita asks to have a focused and unified mind while making a decision.

“vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śhākhā hyanantāśh cha buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām”

“O descendant of the Kurus, the intellect of those who are on this path is resolute, and their aim is one-pointed. But the intellect of those who are irresolute is many-branched.”

When two alternatives are making it impossible for you to decide anythingWhen you are required to accept someone else’s decisionsWhen most of the information in front of you is not helping but creating additional confusion.Bhagavad Gita says, while making decision, never be biased by any result of the any possible outcome.

“sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau

tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi”

“Fight for the sake of duty, treating alike happiness and distress, loss and gain, victory and defeat. Fulfilling your responsibility in this way, you will never incur sin.”

When it is difficlut to decide between two different ocurses of action.When you are suffering uneasy for the decisions you have already madeWhen you keep rethinking about the path you have not chosenWhen making a decision becomes a deadlockMake sure to clear all doubts before making any decision.

naṣhṭo mohaḥ smṛitir labdhā tvat-prasādān mayāchyuta

sthito ‘smi gata-sandehaḥ kariṣhye vachanaṁ tava”

“O infallible one, by your grace my illusion has been dispelled, and I am situated in knowledge. I am now free from doubts, and I shall act according to your instructions.”

There is limited information available to make a decisionWhen in confusion about what is already decidedWhen two similar but confusing path make it impossible to decide anything.Depend on wise people while making decisions.

karpanya-doshopahata-svabhavah

prichchhami tvam dharma-sammudha-chetah

yach-chhreyah syannishchitam bruhi tanme

shishyaste ’ham shadhi mam tvam prapannam”

“I am confused about my duty and am besieged with anxiety and faintheartedness. I am your disciple and am surrendered to you. Please instruct me for certain what is best for me.”

When not able to decide between alternative courses of actionsWhen emotions cloud your judgmentWhen no option seem correctWhen you think that any decision you make will lead to harmAlways think positive about all the outcomes of your decisions.

hato vā prāpsyasi swargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣhyase mahīm

tasmād uttiṣhṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛita-niśhchayaḥ”

“If you fight, you will either be slain on the battlefield and go to the celestial abodes, or you will gain victory and enjoy the kingdom on earth. Therefore arise with determination, O son of Kunti, and be prepared to fight.”

When anyting you decide to do seem to lead to distructionWhen you seek comfort in indecisivenessWhen you are stuck in a place

Vishnu Sahasranama from Garuda puranam.

Sri Vishnu Sahasranamastotram from Garuda Purana 

॥ visnusahasranamastotram garudapuranantargatam ॥

rudra uvaca ।

samsarasagaragdhoranmucyate kim japanprabho ।

narastanme param japyam kathaya tvam janardana ॥ 1 ॥

hariruvaca ।

paresvaram param brahma paramatmanamavyayam । var isvaram paramam

visnum namasahasrena stuvanmukto bhavennarah ॥ 2 ॥

yatpavitram param japyam kathayami vrsadhvaja ! ।

srnusvavahito bhutva sarvapapavinasanam ॥ 3 ॥

Om vasudevo mahavisnurvamano vasavo vasuh ।

balacandranibho balo balabhadro baladhipah ॥ 4 ॥

balibandhanakrdvedha varenyo vedavitkavih ।

vedakarta vedarupo vedyo vedapariplutah ॥ 5 ॥

vedangavetta vedeso  baladharo balardanah । var baladharo

avikaro varesasca varuno varunadhipah ॥ 6 ॥

viraha ca brhadviro vanditah paramesvarah ) ।

atma ca paramatma ca pratyagatma viyatparah ॥ 7 ॥

padmanabhah padmanidhih padmahasto gadadharah ।

paramah parabhutasca purusottama isvarah ॥ 8 ॥

padmajanghah pundarikah padmamaladharah priyah ।

padmaksah padmagarbhasca parjanyah  padmasamsthitah ॥ 9 ॥

aparah paramarthasca paranam ca parah prabhuh ।

panditah panditedyasca pavitrah papamardakah ॥ 10 ॥ var panditebhyasca

suddhah prakasarupasca pavitrah pariraksakah ।

pipasavarjitah padyah purusah prakrtistatha ॥ 11 ॥

pradhanam prthivipadmam padmanabhah  priyapradah ।

sarvesah sarvagah sarvah sarvavitsarvadah surah ॥ 12 ॥ var parah

sarvasya jagato dhama sarvadarsi ca sarvabhrt।

sarvanugrahakrddevah sarvabhutahrdisthitah ॥ 13 ॥

sarvapujyasca sarvadyah sarvadevanamaskrtah । var sarvapah sarvapujyasca

sarvasya jagato mulam sakalo niskalo’nalah ॥ 14 ॥

sarvagopta sarvanisthah sarvakaranakaranam ।

sarvadhyeyah sarvamitrah sarvadevasvarupadhrk ॥ 15 ॥

sarvadhyaksah suradhyaksah surasuranamaskrtah । var sarvadhyayah

dustanam casuranam ca sarvada ghatako’ntakah  ॥ 16 ॥

satyapalasca sannabhah siddhesah siddhavanditah ।

siddhasadhyah siddhasiddhah sadhyasiddho hrdisvarah ॥ 17 ॥ 

var siddhisiddho saranam jagatascaiva  sreyah ksemastathaiva ca ।

subhakrcchobhanah saumyah satyah satyaparakramah ॥ 18 ॥

satyasthah satyasankalpah satyavitsatyadastatha  । 

var satpadastatha

dharmo dharmica karmica sarvakarmavivarjitah ॥ 19 ॥

karmakarta ca karmaiva kriya karyam tathaiva ca ।

sripatirnrpatih srimansarvasya patirurjitah ॥ 20 ॥

sa devanam patiscaiva vrsninam patiriditah । var patiriritah

patirhiranyagarbhasya tripurantapatistatha ॥ 21 ॥

pasunam ca patih prayo vasunam patireva ca  ।

patirakhandalasyaiva varunasya patistatha ॥ 22 ॥

vanaspatinam ca patiranilasya patistatha ।

analasya patiscaiva yamasya patireva ca ॥ 23 ॥

kuberasya patiscaiva naksatranam patistatha ।

osadhinam patiscaiva vrksanam ca patistatha ॥ 24 ॥

naganam patirarkasya daksasya patireva ca ।

suhrdam ca patiscaiva nrpanam ca patistatha ॥ 25 ॥

gandharvanam patiscaiva asunam patiruttamah ।

parvatanam patiscaiva nimnaganam patistatha ॥ 26 ॥

suranam ca patih sresthah (160) kapilasya patistatha ।

latanam ca patiscaiva virudham ca patistatha ॥ 27 ॥

muninam ca patiscaiva suryasya patiruttamah ।

patiscandramasah sresthah sukrasya patireva ca ॥ 28 ॥

grahanam ca patiscaiva raksasanam patistatha ।

kinnaranam patiscaiva  dvijanam patiruttamah ॥ 29 ॥

saritam ca patiscaiva samudranam patistatha ।

sarasam ca patiscaiva bhutanam ca patistatha ॥ 30 ॥

vetalanam patiscaiva kusmandanam patistatha ।

paksinam ca patih sresthah pasunam patireva ca ॥ 31 ॥

mahatma mangalo meyo mandaro mandaresvarah ।

merurmata pramanam ca madhavo malavarjitah ॥ 32 ॥ var manuvarjitah

maladharo mahadevo mahadevena pujitah ।

mahasanto mahabhago madhusudana eva ca ॥ 33 ॥

mahaviryo mahaprano markandeyarsivanditah  । var pravanditah

mayatma mayaya baddho mayaya tu vivarjitah ॥ 34 ॥

munistuto munirmaitro  mahanaso mahahanuh । var maharaso

mahabahurmahadanto maranena vivarjitah ॥ 35 ॥ var mahadanto

mahavaktro mahatma ca mahakayo mahodarah । var mahakaro

mahapado mahagrivo mahamani mahamanah ॥ 36 ॥

mahagatirmahakirtirmaharupo  mahasurah ।

madhusca madhavascaiva mahadevo mahesvarah ॥ 37 ॥

makhejyo makharupi ca mananiyo  makhesvarah । var makhesto mahesvarah

mahavato mahabhago maheso’titamanusah ॥ 38 ॥

manavasca manuscaiva manavanam priyankarah ।

mrgasca mrgapujyasca  mrganam ca patistatha ॥ 39 ॥

budhasya ca patiscaiva patiscaiva brhaspateh ।

patih sanaiscarasyaiva rahoh ketoh patistatha ॥ 40 ॥

laksmano laksanascaiva lambostho lalitastatha ।

nanalankarasamyukto nanacandanacarcitah ॥ 41 ॥

nanarasojjvaladvaktro nanapuspopasobhitah ।

ramo ramapatiscaiva sabharyah paramesvarah ॥ 42 ॥

ratnado ratnaharta ca rupi rupavivarjitah ।

maharupograrupasca saumyarupastathaiva ca ॥ 43 ॥

nilameghanibhah suddhah salameghanibhastatha । var kalamegha

dhumavarnah pitavarno nanarupo  hyavarnakah ॥ 44 ॥

virupo rupadascaiva suklavarnastathaiva ca ।

sarvavarno mahayogi yajño yajñakrdeva ca ॥ 45 ॥ var yajyo

suvarnavarnavamscaiva suvarnakhyastathaiva ca । var suvarno varna

suvarnavayavascaiva suvarnah svarnamekhalah ॥ 46 ॥

suvarnasya pradata ca suvarnesastathaiva ca ।

suvarnasya priyascaiva  suvarnadhyastathaiva ca ॥ 47 ॥

suparni ca mahaparno suparnasya ca karanam ।

vainateyastathaditya adiradikarah sivah ॥ 48 ॥

karanam mahatascaiva pradhanasya ca karanam । var puranasya

buddhinam karanam caiva karanam manasastatha ॥ 49 ॥

karanam cetasascaiva  ahankarasya karanam ।

bhutanam karanam tadvatkaranam ca vibhavasoh ॥ 50 ॥

akasakaranam tadvatprthivyah karanam param ।

andasya karanam caiva prakrteh karanam tatha ॥ 51 ॥

dehasya karanam caiva caksusascaiva karanam ।

srotrasya karanam  tadvatkaranam ca tvacastatha ॥ 52 ॥

jihvayah karanam caiva pranasyaiva ca karanam ।

hastayoh karanam tadvatpadayoh karanam tatha ॥ 53 ॥

vacascakaranam tadvatpayoscaiva tu karanam ।

indrasya karanam caiva kuberasya ca karanam ॥ 54 ॥

yamasya karanam caiva  isanasya ca karanam ।

yaksanam karanam caiva raksasam karanam param ॥ 55 ॥

nrpanam karanam srestham dharmasyaiva tu karanam । var bhusanam

jantunam karanam caiva vasunam karanam param ॥ 56 ॥

manunam karanam caiva paksinam karanam param ।

muninam karanam srestha  yoginam karanam param ॥ 57 ॥

siddhanam karanam caiva yaksanam karanam param ।

karanam kinnaranam ca gandharvanam ca karanam ॥ 58 ॥

nadanam karanam caiva nadinam karanam param ।

karanam ca samudranam vrksanam karanam tatha ॥ 59 ॥

karanam virudham caiva lokanam karanam tatha ।

patalakaranam caiva devanam karanam tatha ॥ 60 ॥

sarpanam karanam caiva sreyasam karanam tatha ।

pasuanam karanam caiva sarvesam karanam tatha ॥ 61 ॥

dehatma cendriyatma ca atma buddhestathaiva ca ।

manasasca tathaivatma catmahankaracetasah ॥ 62 ॥

jagratah svapatascatma  mahadatma parastatha ।

pradhanasya paratma ca akasatma hyapam tatha ॥ 63 ॥

prthivyah paramatma ca rasasyatma tathaiva ca । var vayasyatma

gandhasya paramatma ca rupasyatma parastatha ॥ 64 ॥

sabdatma caiva vagatma sparsatma purusastatha ।

srotratma ca tvagatma ca jihvayah paramastatha ॥ 65 ॥

ghranatma caiva hastatma padatma paramastatha ।

upasthasya tathaivatma payvatma paramastatha ॥ 66 ॥

indratma caiva brahmatma rudratma ca manostatha । var santatma

daksaprajapateratma satyatma paramastatha ॥ 67 ॥

isatma paramatma ca raudratma moksavidyatih ।

yatnavamsca tatha yatnascarmi khadgi murantakah ॥ 68 ॥ var khadgyasura

hripravartanasilasca yatinam ca hite ratah ।

yatirupi ca yogi ca yogidhyeyo harih sitih ॥ 69 ॥

samvinmedha ca kalasca usma varsa matistatha । var natistatha

samvatsaro moksakaro mohapradhvamsakastatha ॥ 70 ॥

mohakarta ca dustanam mandavyo vadavamukhah ।

samvartah kalakarta ca gautamo bhrgurangirah  ॥ 71 ॥ var samvartakah kalakarta

atrirvasisthah pulahah pulastyah kutsa eva ca ।

yajñavalkyo devalasca vyasascaiva parasarah ॥ 72 ॥

sarmadascaiva gangeyo hrsikeso brhacchravah ।

kesavah klesahanta ca sukarnah karnavarjitah ॥ 73 ॥

narayano mahabhagah pranasya patireva ca ।

apanasya patiscaiva vyanasya patireva ca ॥ 74 ॥

udanasya patih sresthah samanasya patistatha ।

sabdasya ca patih sresthah sparsasya patireva ca ॥ 75 ॥

rupanam ca patiscadyah khadgapanirhalayudhah ।

cakrapanih kundali ca srivatsankastathaiva ca ॥ 76 ॥

prakrtih kaustubhagrivah pitambaradharastatha ।

sumukho durmukhascaiva mukhena tu vivarjitah ॥ 77 ॥

ananto’nantarupasca  sunakhah suramandarah ।

sukapolo vibhurjisnurbhrajisnuscesudhistatha ॥ 78 ॥

hiranyakasiporhanta hiranyaksavimardakah ।

nihanta putanayasca bhaskarantavinasanah ॥ 79 ॥

kesino dalanascaiva mustikasya vimardakah ।

kamsadanavabhetta ca canurasya pramardakah ॥ 80 ॥

aristasya nihanta ca akrurapriya eva ca ।

akrurah krurarupasca  akrurapriyavanditah ॥ 81 ॥

bhagaha bhagavanbhanustatha bhagavatah svayam ।

uddhavascoddhavasyeso hyuddhavena vicintitah ॥ 82 ॥

cakradhrkcañcalascaiva calacalavivarjitah ।

ahankaro matiscittam gaganam prthivi jalam ॥ 83 ॥

vayuscaksustatha srotram (500) jihva ca ghranameva ca ।

vakpanipadajavanah payupasthastathaiva ca ॥ 84 ॥

sankarascaiva sarvasca ksantidah ksantikrnnarah ।

bhaktapriyastatha bharta bhaktimanbhaktivardhanah ॥ 85 ॥

bhaktastuto bhaktaparah kirtidah kirtivardhanah ।

kirtirdiptih ksama kantirbhaktascaiva  dayapara ॥ 86 ॥

danam data ca karta ca devadevapriyah sucih ।

sucimansukhado moksah kamascarthah sahasrapat ॥ 87 ॥

sahasrasirsa vaidyasca moksadvarastathaiva ca ।

prajadvaram sahasraksah sahasrakara eva ca ॥ 88 ॥ var sahasrantah

sukrasca sukiriti ca sugrivah kaustubhastatha ।

pradyumnascaniruddhasca hayagrivasca sukarah ॥ 89 ॥

matsyah parasuramasca  prahlado balirevaca ।

saranyascaiva nityasca buddho muktah sarirabhrt ॥ 90 ॥

kharadusanahanta ca ravanasya pramardanah ।

sitapatisca  vardhisnurbharatasca tathaiva ca ॥ 91 ॥

kumbhendrajinnihanta ca kumbhakarnapramardanah ।

narantakantakascaiva devantakavinasanah ॥ 92 ॥

dustasuranihanta ca sambararistathaiva ca ।

narakasya nihanta ca trisirsasya vinasanah ॥ 93 ॥

yamalarjunabhetta ca tapohitakarastatha ।

vaditrascaiva vadyam ca buddhascaiva varapradah ॥ 94 ॥

sarah sarapriyah saurah kalahanta nikrntanah ।

agastyo devalascaiva narado naradapriyah ॥ 95 ॥

prano’panastatha vyano rajah sattvam tamah sarat ।

udanasca samanasca bhesajam ca bhisaktatha ॥ 96 ॥

kutasthah svaccharupasca sarvadehavivarjitah ।

caksurindriyahinasca vagindriyavivarjitah ॥ 97 ॥

hastendriyavihinasca padabhyam ca vivarjitah ।

payupasthavihinasca marutapavivarjitah ॥ 98 ॥ var mahatapovisarjitah

prabodhena vihinasca buddhya caiva vivarjitah ।

cetasa vigatascaiva pranena ca vivarjitah ॥ 99 ॥

apanena vihinasca vyanena ca vivarjitah  ।

udanena vihinasca samanena vivarjitah ॥ 100 ॥

akasena vihinasca vayuna parivarjitah ।

agnina ca vihinasca udakena vivarjitah ॥ 101 ॥

prthivya ca vihinasca sabdena ca vivarjitah ।

sparsena ca vihinasca sarvarupavivarjitah ॥ 102 ॥

ragena vigatascaiva aghena parivarjitah ।

sokena rahitascaiva vacasa parivarjitah ॥ 103 ॥

rajovivarjitascaiva vikaraih sadbhireva ca ।

kamena varjitascaiva krodhena parivarjitah ॥ 104 ॥

lobhena vigatascaiva dambhena ca vivarjitah ।

suksmascaiva susuksmasca sthulatsthulatarastatha ॥ 105 ॥

visarado baladhyaksah sarvasya ksobhakastatha ।

prakrteh ksobhakascaiva mahatah ksobhakastatha ॥ 106 ॥

bhutanam ksobhakascaiva buddhesca ksobhakastatha ।

indriyanam ksobhakasca (640) visayaksobhakastatha ॥ 107 ॥

brahmanah ksobhakascaiva rudrasya ksobhakastatha ।

agamyascaksuradesca srotragamyastathaiva ca ॥ 108 ॥

tvaca na gamyah kurmasca jihvagrahyastathaiva ca ।

ghranendriyagamya eva vacagrahyastathaiva ca ॥ 109 ॥

agamyascaiva panibhyam padagamyastathaiva ca । var padagamya

agrahyo manasascaiva buddhya grahyo haristatha ॥ 110 ॥

ahambuddhya tatha grahyascetasa grahya eva ca ।

sankhapaniravyayasca gadapanistathaiva ca ॥ 111 ॥

sarngapanisca krsnasca jñanamurtih parantapah ।

tapasvi jñanagamyo hi jñani jñanavideva ca ॥ 112 ॥

jñeyasca jñeyahinasca  jñaptiscaitanyarupakah ।

bhavo bhavyo bhavakaro bhavano bhavanasanah ॥ 113 ॥

govindo gopatirgopah  sarvagopisukhapradah ।

gopalo gogatiscaiva gomatirgodharastatha ॥ 114 ॥ var gopati

upendrasca nrsimhasca sauriscaiva janardanah ।

araneyo brhadbhanurbrhaddiptistathaiva ca ॥ 115 ॥

damodarastrikalasca kalajñah kalavarjitah ।

trisandhyo dvaparam treta prajadvaram  trivikramah ॥ 116 ॥

vikramo dandahastasca hyekadandi tridandadhrk । var darahastasca

samabhedastathopayah samarupi ca samagah ॥ 117 ॥

samavedoh hyatharvasca sukrtah sukharupakah ।

atharvavedaviccaiva hyatharvacarya eva ca ॥ 118 ॥

rgrupi caiva rgvedah rgvedesu pratisthitah ।

yajurvetta yajurvedo  yajurvedavidekapat ॥ 119 ॥

bahupacca supaccaiva tathaiva ca sahasrapat ।

catuspacca dvipaccaiva smrtirnyayo yamo bali ॥ 120 ॥

sannyasi caiva sannyasascaturasrama eva ca ।

brahmacari grhasthasca vanaprasthasca bhiksukah ॥ 121 ॥

brahmanah ksatriyo vaisyah (740) sudro varnastathaiva ca ।

siladah silasampanno duhsilaparivarjitah ॥ 122 ॥

mokso’dhyatmasamavistah stutih stota ca pujakah ।

pujyo vakkaranam caiva vacyascaiva tu vacakah ॥ 123 ॥

vetta vyakaranascaiva vakyam caiva ca vakyavit ।

vakyagamyastirthavasi tirthastirthi ca tirthavit ॥ 124 ॥

tirthadibhutah sankhyasca niruktam tvadhidaivatam ।

pranavah pranavesasca pranavena pravanditah ॥ 125 ॥

pranavena ca laksyo vai gayatri ca gadadharah ।

salagramanivasi ca  salagramastathaiva ca ॥ 126 ॥

jalasayi yogasayi sesasayi kusesayah ।

mahibharta ca  karyam ca karanam prthividharah ॥ 127 ॥

prajapatih sasvatasca kamyah kamayita virat ।

samratpusa tatha svargo rathasthah sarathirbalam ॥ 128 ॥

dhani dhanaprado dhanyo yadavanam hite ratah ।

arjunasya priyascaiva hyarjuno bhima eva ca ॥ 129 ॥

parakramo durvisahah sarvasastravisaradah ।

sarasvato mahabhismah parijataharastatha ॥ 130 ॥

amrtasya pradata ca ksirodah ksirameva ca ।

indratmajastasya gopta govardhanadharastatha ॥ 131 ॥

kamsasya nasanastadvaddhastipo hastinasanah ।

sipivistah prasannasca sarvalokartinasanah ॥ 132 ॥

mudro mudrakarascaiva sarvamudravivarjitah ।

dehi dehasthitascaiva dehasya ca niyamakah ॥ 133 ॥

srota srotraniyanta ca srotavyah sravanastatha ।

tvaksthitasca  sparsayita sprsyam ca sparsanam tatha ॥ 134 ॥

rupadrasta ca caksuhstho niyanta caksusastatha ।

drsyam caiva tu jihvastho rasajñasca niyamakah ॥ 135 ॥

ghranastho ghranakrdghrata ghranendriyaniyamakah ।

vakstho vakta ca vaktavyo vacanam vanniyamakah ॥ 136 ॥

pranisthah silpakrcchilpo hastayosca niyamakah ।

padavyascaiva ganta ca gantavyam gamanam tatha ॥ 137 ॥

niyanta padayoscaiva padyabhakca visargakrt  ।

visargasya niyanta ca hyupasthasthah sukhastatha ॥ 138 ॥

upasthasya niyanta ca tadanandakarasca ha ।

satrughnah kartaviryasca dattatreyastathaiva ca ॥ 139 ॥

alarkasya hitascaiva kartaviryanikrntanah  ।

kalanemirmahanemirmegho meghapatistatha ॥ 140 ॥

annaprado’nnarupi ca hyannado’nnapravartakah ।

dhumakrddhumarupasca devakiputra uttamah ॥ 141 ॥

devakya nandano nando rohinyah priya eva ca ।

vasudevapriyascaiva vasudevasutastatha ॥ 142 ॥

dundubhirhasarupasca puspahasastathaiva ca  ।

attahasapriyascaiva sarvadhyaksah ksaro’ksarah ॥ 143 ॥

acyutascaiva satyesah satyayasca priyo varah ।

rukminyasca patiscaiva rukminya vallabhastatha ॥ 144 ॥

gopinam vallabhascaiva  punyaslokasca visrutah ।

vrsakapiryamo guhyo mangalasca budhastatha ॥ 145 ॥

rahuh keturgraho graho  gajendramukhamelakah ।

grahasya vinihanta ca gramini raksakastatha ॥ 146 ॥

kinnarascaiva siddhasca chandah svacchanda eva ca ।

visvarupo visalakso daityasudana eva ca ॥ 147 ॥

anantarupo bhutastho devadanavasamsthitah ।

susuptisthah susuptisca sthanam sthananta eva ca ॥ 148 ॥

jagatsthascaiva jagarta sthanam jagaritam tatha ।

svapnasthah svapnavitsvapnasthanam svapnastathaiva ca ॥ 149 ॥

var svapnasthah svapnavitsvapnam sthanasthah sustha eva ca

jagratsvapnasusuptesca vihino vai caturthakah ।

vijñanam vedyarupam ca jivo jivayita tatha ॥ 150 ॥ var caitrarupasca

bhuvanadhipatiscaiva bhuvananam niyamakah ।

patalavasi patalam sarvajvaravinasanah ॥ 151 ॥

paramanandarupi ca dharmanam ca pravartakah ।

sulabho durlabhascaiva pranayamaparastatha ॥ 152 ॥

pratyaharo dharakasca pratyaharakarastatha ।

prabha kantistatha hyarcih suddhasphatikasannibhah ॥ 153 ॥

agrahyascaiva gaurasca sarvah  sucirabhistutah ।

vasatkaro vasadvausatsvadha svaha ratistatha ॥ 154 ॥

pakta nandayita (980) bhokta boddha bhavayita tatha ।

jñanatma caiva dehatma bhuma sarvesvaresvarah ॥ 155 ॥ var uhatma

nadi nandi ca nandiso  bharatastarunasanah ।

cakrapah sripatiscaiva nrpanam cakravartinam ॥ 156 ॥ var nrpasca

isasca sarvadevanam dvarakasamsthitastatha । var svavakasam sthita

puskarah puskaradhyaksah puskaradvipa eva ca ॥ 157 ॥

bharato janako janyah sarvakaravivarjitah ।

nirakaro nirnimitto niratanko nirasrayah ॥ 158 ॥

iti namasahasram te vrsabhadhvaja kirtitam ।

devasya visnorisasya sarvapapavinasanam ॥ 159 ॥

pathandvijasca visnutvam ksatriyo jayamapnuyat ।

vaisyo dhanam sukham sudro visnubhaktisamanvitah ॥ 160 ॥

iti srigarude mahapurane purvakhande prathamamsakhye acarakande

srivisnusahasranamastotranirupanam nama pañcadaso’dhyayah ॥

Influence.

 WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be..

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,’ Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

I AM SENDING THIS TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW WHO DO SO MUCH FOR OTHERS, BUT THINK THAT NO ONE EVER SEES. LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT...

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend) influences the life of a child...

Soren Kierkegaard Q

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

 “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” 

All the myths

 1. Greek Mythology: Greek mythology is a collection of stories about gods, goddesses, heroes, and legendary creatures that were believed by ancient Greeks. These myths explain the origin of the world, the creation of humans, and provide moral lessons. Prominent figures include Zeus, the king of gods; Hera, his wife and queen of gods; Poseidon, god of the sea; and heroes like Hercules and Achilles.

2. Norse Mythology: Norse mythology originates from the ancient Norse people of Scandinavia. It features gods such as Odin, the wise Allfather; Thor, the thunder god; Loki, the trickster; and Freya, the goddess of beauty and love. Norse myths tell tales of epic battles, adventures, and the end of the world known as Ragnarok.

3. Egyptian Mythology: Egyptian mythology revolves around the gods and goddesses worshipped by ancient Egyptians. Key figures include Osiris, the god of the afterlife; Isis, the goddess of magic and fertility; and Ra, the sun god. Egyptian myths explain the creation of the world, the cycle of life and death, and the reverence for animals like cats and scarab beetles.

4. Hindu Mythology: Hindu mythology encompasses a vast collection of stories and legends from ancient India. It revolves around gods and goddesses like Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. Hindu myths explore themes of reincarnation, karma, and the battle between good and evil, often told through epic texts such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

5. Chinese Mythology: Chinese mythology features a rich folklore tradition characterized by legendary creatures, heroes, and powerful deities. It includes figures like the Monkey King, who embarks on a quest for immortality, and the dragon, a symbol of power and fortune. Chinese myths often emphasize the concepts of balance, harmony, and the connection between humans and nature.

6. African Mythology: African mythology encompasses diverse traditions and beliefs from various regions of the African continent. It includes creation stories, trickster tales, and stories about heroes and spirits. African myths often emphasize the importance of community, respect for ancestors, and the interplay of different supernatural forces.

7. Mayan Mythology: Mayan mythology originated in Mesoamerica and focuses on a pantheon of gods responsible for natural phenomena like the sun, moon, and rain. It tells stories of creation, heroic feats, and complex cosmology. The Maya also believed in cyclical nature and time, with ages ending and resetting in a cycle known as the Long Count.

8. Aboriginal Dreamtime (Australian Mythology): Aboriginal Dreamtime represents the creation beliefs and spiritual traditions of Indigenous Australians. It encompasses stories about ancestral beings and their journey in creating the land, plants, animals, and humans. The Dreamtime explains the interconnectedness of all things and the responsibility to maintain the balance between the physical and spiritual worlds.

9. Aztec Mythology: Aztec mythology originates from ancient Central Mexico and revolves around gods like Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity; Huitzilopochtli, the sun god and patron of the Aztecs; and Coatlicue, the earth goddess. It features tales of creation, warfare, and rituals, with human sacrifices playing a significant role in Aztec religious practices.

10. Japanese Mythology: Japanese mythology includes a diverse range of gods, spirits, and mythological creatures. It incorporates figures such as Amaterasu, the sun goddess; Susanoo, the storm god; and the powerful kami spirits. Japanese myths often explore themes of honor, nature, and the interplay between the human and spiritual realms.