Power of You

Once an interviewer asked about my strengths. Among others, I said, "I trust people". He questioned, "Is that a strength or a weakness?" Well, you know what I would do when asked a question like this. For the next five minutes, I explained to him why trusting people can never be a weakness.

'See, there are two kinds of people - first, those who know their strengths and second, those who don't. But, for those who don't, it doesn't mean they don't have it. It's just they are not aware enough or confident enough about it. However, it is a journey that matters. It is a journey to discover ourselves, our strengths. For some, this journey could be instantaneous whereas for others, it could take years or decades or even births. But everyone has power. Everyone tries to give his best with available knowledge, awareness, skill and sense of responsibility. We only need to understand which quality is short and provide that.'

What are your strengths?

People are helpful by birth. Even dogs and monkeys help other breeds. There is no question of whether we, humans, possess kindness or not. Now you know that you can show kindness or can help someone in any manner possible for you. Kindest are the strongest of all the people.

Do you know your power?

Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Different cultures and institutes fill our brains with different thoughts and ideals; and out of that is what we become. If you have realized that you have kindness in you, help someone find his/ her strength. Help people fill their brains with high thoughts and highest principles. Invoke in them tremendous will to work hard. They were not guided to the divinity. Help them realize their power; power to believe in themselves, power to act on their greatness.

'Throughout the history of mankind, if any motive power has been more potent than another in the lives of all great men and women, it is that of faith in themselves. Born with the consciousness that they were to be great, they become great.'

                        - Swami Vivekananda

I have faith in people because I have faith in myself. I can make this world better. So can they.

Let me give you an example of realizing one's own strength:

Wenzhou, a city in China, is hemmed in by mountains on one side and the East China Sea on the other. For decades, the country's state-owned banks ignored private enterprises and individuals. Starved for lending, the private sector in Wenzhou began to devise its own private credit market, often adopting unusual structures. Later, the system came to be known as ''Wenzhou Model'. This is the raw entrepreneurial spirit of people of China. Facing a huge demand for new roads and bridges, the entrepreneurs of Wenzhou didn't wait for funds or instructions from center, Beijing. They simply built their own. In 1990, acting on their own, entrepreneurs even funded the construction of the city's airport. In 1998, Wenzhou created China's first privately funded railroad.

Are you waiting for someone to help you? If yes, can you afford that? Better go and search for the ways to grow. Learn how to find the right questions. And then their answers. Learn about how to take decisions. Do not rest wishing for something to happen. Do not expect someone to change the situations for you. Do it on your own. If you are not happy with the education system, or voting system, improve it. Do something constructive about what you are not okay with.

I believe, if we help people bring back their habit to look for the possibilities and act on those, they can achieve anything. Realize the power of you. Know that you are great. You are here to make this world habitable; and not to weep for the wickedness of the world. Condemning is not an action. Be strong. Be bold. be courageous. If you fail a thousand times, make the attempt once more. As your thoughts, so your mind. Power your mind with great thoughts. And then act. Practice. Do not wait for something to happen. Make it happen.

'I would rather apologize than ask for permission.'

                                                            - Richard Branson

Live with a drive. Recognize your power to observe, to learn and to act. Just like the people of Wenzhou.

'We can do anything. The history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves. Arise, awake and know your strength.'

                                         - Swami Vivekananda

- Wenzhou story selected from 'Alibaba - The House that Jack Ma Built' by Duncan Clark

Means and Ends

There was a farmer who grew superior quality of crop. Each year he used to win prizes for that in his state.

One reporter tracked him down and asked, " How can you afford to share your best seeds with your neighbors when they are entering in competition with you each year?"

"Why not sir?", said the farmer, "Do you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening crop and swirls it from field to field."

"If my neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality crop, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my crop."

"If I am to grow good crop, I must help my neighbors grow good crop."

What would you do if you were in that farmer's place? You too would want to win. Won't you? But at what cost? Let me tell you this - you are in his place. Just replace the word 'crop' in above story with 'thoughts', 'habits', 'ideas', or 'thinking pattern', and think. 'If I am to grow good results, I must help my neighbors grow good results' - How does that sound?

We live in a world of competition. Our actions are generally driven by the outcomes. But please think about this - Don't we look at the path followed once we have achieved results? What gives us satisfaction then? The means or the ends? Process or product? Path or destination?

'Means' mean the path or process chosen to achieve desired results or ends. Which one is more important?

In this struggle for survival, people are not willing to share their knowledge with others. They crave for their own name, fame and wealth. This shifts their focus away from the path. But it is your responsibility to share your knowledge with others and help them improve their way of life. This will also give you an opportunity to purify yourself. If you want to do well, help someone else do well. If you want to be happy, make someone else happy.

Which is the ultimate end of life?

Which is the best way to achieve it?

Try to think in this dimension.

The value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. Can you be resolute enough to follow your values and principles in every walk of life? Can you develop an uncompromising attitude when your ethics are challenged by the crises? People often rely upon the term 'Practical action' when their will is not strong enough to back up their values. Then they do what others would do - in offices, society, relationships and may be everywhere. They stop being adamant to not compromise with their values. Instead of standing for right , they turn somewhere else. This happens when they are blinded by the short-term benefits or fear of losing all that is earned. Lack of self-confidence can also blur the judgment. Lack of self-confidence can be due to the forgotten practice of using it in the first place, because after certain level of growth, growth brings growth. It becomes routine. Believing in yourself goes out of practice after a while. Do you know someone of this sort? Are you one of them?

Previously I asked - Which one is more important out of path and process. Answer is, both are important. You can neither walk correctly by looking only at the goal, nor by looking only at your feet. You have to watch your every step keeping the goal in sight.

If you do not have a goal, there is no point in planning your days.

If you do not plan your days, you do not have a goal.

It's as if, if you change even one variable of the equation, results change.

Question is, where do you place your values.

What is your end?

What are you going to do?

"For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction."

"God rests in reason. God moves in passion."

- Kahlil Gibran (The Prophet)