LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT RIGHT NOW

 

A lyric in my vernacular Telugu goes like this:

"No use to have heaven in front of you,

if you don't have liberty "

It further says that

' there could be no merriment in doing things in your 60's which you were supposed to do in your 20's'

The highest goal of human existence is perpetual bliss which Hindus fondly call  'moksha'. Why we call it as a supreme goal is, because of our entanglement with daily affairs leaving  little  to think other than material comforts of life. Only few are blessed enough to have zeal and think beyond petty survival.


The very purpose of human birth is something go beyond the mundane existence. Happiness which we cherish in every act we do, is mostly begged from others. In that begging, we become so dependable on others. In order to win the daily battles of life, we sometimes indulge in acts  which  the heart says a firm 'No'.

Suppose, a man who feels the dying need for money did amass wealth to enjoy life. Imagine what happens ? In the first place, he can not put a tab on his need for more money. The more he starts earning, the more fierce his desire becomes. By the time, he knows the real happiness lies not outside but within himself, his end may come. It happens with majority of people who repent at death-bed cherishing the things they could have done much early in life but go on postponing continuously due to one reason or other.

The world is replete with countless examples of people not being able to enjoy simple pleasures of life, irrespective of their position on the social ladder. The surprising thing is when they come at their door, they simply shoo away, only to realize their credence much after it is gone.

Robin Sharma in his great book ‘Who will cry when you die ?’gave the plight of one father (who attended his seminar in Toronto) about his not giving piggyback ride to his son. The father says that “ while my son was growing up, he constantly asked me to give piggyback rides and I was always too busy to play with him. Now he had grown up and I am prepared to give anything to give that little son (now young man) a piggyback ride”.  

So the wisdom of present moment awareness should always prevail. Henry David Thoreau, in his monumental work 'Walden' beautifully portrays that the occupation of a day-labourer is the most independent of any professions. He says that the labourer's day ends with the going down of the sun and he is then free to devote himself to his chosen pursuit, independent of his labour. But his employer, who speculates from month to month, has no respite from one end of the year to the other.

So live the life you want right now with the available means before your time is run out !

BUSINESS NOT AS USUAL !

 

The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little  he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.

                                                                    – Henry Ford

There is a Chinese proverb that if you can't smile, don't open a shop !

The whole secret of business centers on this precept, but few take this lesson seriously.

Honestly, if this gesture is brought in, it would  have a profound impact on the businesses we do. So the eternal mantra for businessman is to treat customers with warmth. Those who earn this quality would see a sea of difference.

Richard Branson, the English business tycoon with more than 400 companies under Virgin Group defines business as something involving, fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. Thomas Watson, the former CEO and chairman of IBM adds that you should have your heart in your business and your business in your heart.

A man in any venture succeeds  if he has an alertness of a soldier, hard work of a player, concentration of a scientist, enthusiasm of a student, , presence of mind of an actor and optimism of a trekker.

The relationship he is trying to forge with customers should be a lasting one with quality as a buzzword. If he builds trust with customers based on honesty and mutual benefit, the demand for his product remains perennial.

Why some people may not succeed in business is due to the fact that they think in a monotonous way and expect miracles to do their business.

Creativity on daily basis should be the hallmark of any business.

The most successful business people refine their business strategies constantly and sometimes wisdom comes from unexpected quarters. India's auto-mobile giant Anand Mahindra makes spider as his guru because it starts spreading its web from the point it feels convenient. So the Sutra is : instead of waiting at which point you have to start, better to start immediately than wailing for an opportune moment.

Narayana Murthy of  Infosys says that innovation should be prime driving force for any business. He advises business people to innovate on daily basis. He adds that creativity coupled with team work will pay high dividends in business. Mumbai's Dabba wala epitomize the highest ethical standards in business. Countless management graduates of international repute  interact with them regularly to know their  networking skills especially their abilities to precisely  deliver hot food to office goers  in bustling Mumbai City.

History is replete with countless examples of so many successful business people who built their empires with quality and innovation as prime fuel. So before you venture into any business,  don't forget these immortal words of America's iconic steel magnate Charles M. Schwab : The man who does not work for the love of work,  but only for money is not likely to neither make money nor find much fun in life.

BUFFETT's BEST ADVICE

 

Money is a handmaiden, if thou knowest how to use it ; a mistress, if thou knowest not.

                       - Horace (Roman Poet)

People generally tend   to listen a word of advice from a prominent person of society.   If that advice comes from one of the richest persons on the planet, it would attract more eyeballs.

Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest men in the world is undisputedly the fountain of advice both on financial and personal arena.

In the era of glittering websites to seduce the netizens, Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway Inc’s website is so simple and elegant. It not only loads swiftly but is also clutter free, leaving no room for confusion to obtain required information.

The website of Buffett epitomizes his philosophy of life. If we peep into his personal life, it is apparent that he regrets of buying his first share at the age of 11 years which he feels too late.

This American business magnate and the most successful investor of 20th century has very humble beginning. He started earning income at a very early age by selling newspapers.

In these days of lavish life styles, Warren still lives in a small 3 bedroom house in the mid-town Omaha (U.S) which he bought 50 years ago. Further he drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security person around him.

He never travels by private jet. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of his companies, giving them goals for the whole year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO’s only two rules : Rule Number : 1 : do not lose any of your share money. Rule Number 2 : Do not forget rule number 1

Buffett does not carry a cell phone nor has a computer on his desk. After first meeting with Buffett, Bill Gates (Microsoft) became his instant devotee. Buffett’s advice to young people : Stay away from credit cards (bank loans). He says that money does not create man but it is the man who creates money. He further says that live your life as simple as possible.

The most stunning advice of Buffett which caught my attention is : Don’t waste your money on unnecessary things ; just spend on them who really in need rather.

Prevailing on the wisdom of simplicity even at the height of success is really inspiring.

Hats off to this man of ultimate simplicity !

CREAM OF WISDOM

 

In the river of mind, thoughts are like never-ending ripples. In fact, they are the seeds  of our actions. That's why it is quite essential to segregate the productive ones from the  bucket list.

The Search giant Google’s Marketing czar Gopi Kallayil’s (Indian origin) foremost strategy to mange his life is: Focus on Essential.

To focus on essentials, you  have to strike a balance between left and right brain activities. The how of it is best described by German philosopher Goethe who suggests that ‘one should, each day, try to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it is possible, speak a few reasonable words. If you allow the creative activities to play their part, you know the priorities of life in a much better way which would help to bring out the best in you.

In fact the Creator is not biased and each one of us are endowed with some unique qualities which the other person has not. Therefore we should not allow our talents die inside of us. Norman Cousins says that the tragedy of life is not death but what we let die inside of us while we still live. So it is time to prevail on the wisdom, instead of drifting away with impulse which only causes  much more distraction and agony.

Gopi’s another strategy is ‘Do one thing at a time’. This is undisputedly the subtle lesson  you must learn. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, you are inclined to do more than one activity simultaneously at any given time feeling pride that you are managing time efficiently. But you don’t know how it is taking its toll. The curse of continuous partial attention  affects the quality of your life. If you set your foot on too many activities at the same time, you end up nowhere. In fact, our brains are not equipped for multi-tasking at conscious level. Alexander Graham Bell rightly says that concentrate all your thoughts upon the work on hand. He further says that sun’s rays don’t burn until brought to a focus.

In order to take the things closer to your heart, inner integrity is utmost important which one personality development guru advises us to operate ‘Daily Personal Integrity Account’ to gauge whether or not it follows the whip. Instead of plug and play syndrome, your actions should be based on your own experience learnt from life.

Gopi’s last strategy is : Friend yourself. He says that it matters little how many friends you have on  the social networking sites. He further says that it also matters little how greatly you are networked in life. Unless you are a good friend of your own self, nothing worthwhile could be achieved.  You must make your mind to recognize the fact that the daily chunks of solitude bring a new level of wisdom in life. It is the only way to friend with yourself. In those solitary times, you get an opportunity to reflect upon a day’s activities so as to prepare yourself for other day's work with more precision, vigour and alacrity. This is the cream of wisdom which you could neglect at  your  own peril.