How the power of POSITIVITY helped me crack Stanford GSB and CBS

As someone who has been meditating since the last 6 years, I am a strong believer of the power of positivity as a big personality add on. I am sure each one of us has experienced two different kinds of people – one who we meet/see and instantly develop a liking for and other who we just do not feel like communicating despite having never spoken to them previously. Why does that happen? Maybe because of the hidden element “Aura” a person carries around oneself. Let’s think about it a little more. How do we communicate with others? Through spoken words and through our thoughts. Few if anyone would not have experienced telepathy. Your thoughts reach and communicate with the other person even without actual interaction between the two people. The recipient of a compliment can instantly tell the difference between an ingenuine sugar quoted compliment versus a sincere compliment.

Was this article not about MBA interview preparation? Why are we discussing all these random things?
Well because I received a call from an individual in my network who wanted to get some interview preparation tips. He got a call for an Ivy League and wanted to pick my brains on the same. While discussing the general interview procedure and dos/don’ts he shared how he was worried about the interviewer and her profile. He mentioned that he had read/heard about her and shared some pre-conceived notions about her. I stopped him right there. I presented my thoughts about how his notions/judgement will be carried in the interview room with him. You may think, of course I will be so nice to her! But trust me, you will communicate a lot more than just the words. Experts believe that non-verbal communication constitutes anywhere between 80-50% of your communication. During my interviews (and in my everyday life), I have consciously erased the difference between what I think and what I communicate. This has helped me form deeper connections with people in general. In the last few years, I have received compliments that I never received previously in my life – Oh you have a beautiful smile. You are an amazing person. Stay as you are. I can see the difference in people’s perception of me because of change in my aura.

Finally, one matra that has transformed my life for good is – “CHANGE WHAT YOU CANNOT ACCEPT. ACCEPT WHAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE.” Like it or not, being assigned to an interviewer, falls in the second category. That said, while you cannot control who interviews you, you can surely control how you feel about the interviewer and the entire process. Focus on the right things. You can prepare so well that nothing else will count. Don’t carry any negative thoughts along with you in your interview room. You have come so far. It’s show time Baby!!