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)

Democracy Or Monarchy

It is democracy. People often forget that. Democracy means, a voter is as much responsible for the country, before and after voting, as a voted.

People today, vote and think that they have chosen a king who will serve them. They shy away from their responsibilities of serving the country.

I think, we as a country are still unclear about the definition of democracy because of our long experience of monarchy, i.e. being ruled by someone. Democracy is the state where YOU CHOOSE a representative of you as a group, like in sampling method you choose samples out of population, representing the characteristics of the population. The quality of those samples is considered the quality of population. Similarly, if the chosen candidate works day and night for the growth and development of the country, that means you too do it and believe that others should do the same. Instead, if that candidate vouches to give free facilities, that means you want to live on free stuff. Working for betterment of nation is not the trait of population then. If he/ she does Yoga or promotes cleanliness or demoralizes use of plastics, that means you also promote these ideas. If he utters baseless statements and you discuss those, you know what I am going to say about it. Plain and simple. Isn't it?

Primarily, democracy expects citizens to take ownership.Ownership for choosing the candidate to represent themselves. Ownership for sustained growth of his/ her country instead of sitting back and expecting the chosen candidates to work on it or criticizing them if they don't. This is the basic difference between democracy and monarchy, where king does all the decision making and public just follows the instructions.

What do you think? Which mindset you are in? Monarchy? Or democracy?

Your day time job is for your survival and maybe for lifestyle maintenance. Your company may make you feel good about your job saying that you are making a positive difference in the world. Apart from that being a half-truth, it is still a job. You can't be satisfied with that much! You can do better than that.

You want to contribute more towards your country with whatever skills and knowledge and experience you have. You want to contribute your time and energy for the growth of your country, every day. Yes! Every day! You want to become producer of results and growth and potential instead of consumer of entertainment and leisure. There is a difference between tasting and consuming. Right? Do you consume entertainment or just taste it? Or the entertainment consumes you?

If you want to see a better country, you have to be a part of it by doing more that being a voter, a tax-payer and a critic.

What can you do?

It is simple. Not easy, but simple.

1. Know your roots and know your country.

2. Improve yourself spiritually.

3. Improve your knowledge, skills and attitude.

4. Work on your integrity, intellect and energy.

5. Give yourself a purpose to live for and to die for.

6. Work on technological growth in the fields of renewable energy generation, automation and communication. You don't have to be a scientist. Just convert available technologies and knowledge into a large scale projects for the benefit of society.

7. Be responsible for your actions. Take responsibility for your each decision and choice. Be your own leader. Don't let yourself get mislead with misinformation.

8. Contribute rather than commenting.

Do something more than just earning, to make this world a better place. Smile.

"If everyone knitted cotton and prepared clothes in the evening while chatting with family and friends, there won't be a single person without clothes."

                                                            - Mahatma Gandhi

I am dying

Yes.

That's true. I am dying.

" We shall have to work like lions, keeping the ideal before us, without caring whether the wise ones praise or blame us."

- Swami Vivekananda

I just don't know which moment will take my breath away. Therefore, I have to do what I want to do. I cannot waste my time anymore. A day spent on the activities inconsistent with my targets is the day wasted. I must make sure that I utilize my time deliberately and wisely. I must not be satisfied and settle with small achievements. I must go for bigger and challenging tasks. I must work on myself to achieve those. I don't have time to blame others. I don't have time to convince people of my capacity and capability. Better I show those instead.

I am a lion who has tasted a hint of blood, 'improvement'. Now I am thirstier. I want more of it. More improvement means I get to learn more and overcome challenges. I believe that's good. Because I am a lion. I don't have words like 'failure' or 'success' which human beings use to excuse themselves from their duties. Those words are only for their use. No other species know of such words. They know only one language, optimum adaptation.

Sometimes while resting, I observe ants. When I put my palm in its path, it goes around it. No matter how many times I put my palm in its way, it will just change its direction but not the destination, provided it's not dead. If the change is rapid and I can't adapt, I am bound to perish. It's a plain common sense. That's what is happening to hundreds of species every year. And one day, my time will come. I will die. So shall the man. But they doesn't seem to use this common sense. I know it's none of my business but it's funny that they come for few hours to watch us jump and roar in pain and then go back to jump day and night for their whole life to make living. We teach our skills tactics for survival, they protect their children for all kinds of discomforts.

But I have noticed one thing in man. Those who know that they have very short time to live, they spend each moment trying to convert their dreams into reality. Others just spend time like they are going to live forever. We, lions, live for 10-15 years in the wild. We would prefer dying early than living in the comforts of captivity for 20-25 years. What's the point of living a life without struggle?

It's time. That's why I live as I want to. Because I am dying.

So shall you someday. Make it count.

" A brave, frank, clean-hearted, courageous and aspiring youth is the only foundation on which future nation can be built."

- Swami Vivekananda

Mandates for Success

On his first day in office as President, when Abraham Lincoln entered to give his inaugural address, one man stood up. He was a rich Aristocrat. He said, “Mr. Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family.” And the whole Senate laughed; they thought they had made a fool of Lincoln.

But certain people are made of a totally different mettle. Lincoln looked at the man directly in the eye and said, “Sir, I know that my father used to make shoes for your family, and there will be many others here. Because he made shoes the way nobody else can. He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes; he poured his whole soul into them. I want to ask you, have you any complaint? Because I know how to make shoes myself. If you have any complaint I can make you another pair of shoes. But as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my father’s shoes. He was a genius, a great creator and I am proud of my father”.

The whole Senate was struck dumb. They could not understand what kind of man Abraham Lincoln was. He was proud because his father did his job so well that not even a single complaint had ever been heard. When you know your roots and are proud of them, and you have a strong vision to look forward to, no one can shake you from your desired path.

I believe, by now you would have set goals in the four directions as we discussed before which are namely Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Next step is to succeed in achieving those goals. We can begin with these five steps:

1. Vision with a Purpose:

Habakkuk 2:3

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

As I keep insisting over and over again, purpose is very important to stay on the desired course. Additionally, purpose should be larger, more than just yourself. It should enhance others' lives either in terms of skill or knowledge or attitude.

Vision with a grander purpose fuels the drive for actions. Be it is about serving environment or humanity or country, vision helps you stay motivated.

Vision should be long term. Preferably longer than your expected life, so that other people can take forward what you started. After all, we are here to create leaders. Aren't we?

2. Priority:

Although priority could be naturally decided for the set goals when you have a clarity of your purpose, it initially takes some time. This is because you have been living a different life before you discovered your purpose. So it becomes necessary to deliberately prioritize actions to achieve goals. It requires both patience and practice. Keep trying. It'll come on its own once the right thinking has been developed.

3. Discipline:

Once you have prioritized actions, it needs discipline to act on those, exactly in the manner decided. Many distractions will come along the way. Those will try to lure you towards easy ways and comfortable zones. But remember, you have chosen a different life now. You have started living for a bigger purpose than going for easy options. You have already stretched your limits of thinking when you discovered your purpose in life. Now there is no question of going back to comfort zone. Remember why you decided to put your step on this path. Keep that reason in mind.

4. Determination:

It is important to develop an attitude of resoluteness. If you have started something, you must finish. Leaving something halfway is not in your blood.

It is funny that the word 'determine' means 'to limit' or 'to bound' or 'to end' but how ending the task actually sets you free. It gives you boundless satisfaction. Hence, inculcate firmness to continue on the path of perseverance. The right vision and purpose will also help with this. Gradually, you will witness small achievements. This will boost your confidence that you are taking right actions. It'll enhance your resolution to continue on the path forward.

In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision. – Dalai Lama

5. Dedication:

Surrender yourself to your purpose. Tune out the distractions which can waver your faith in your dreams. Immerse yourself in the process of continual improvement with a strong belief. It's possible because you don't just wish for good things to happen. Instead you make things happen as you desire.

Go for the kill.

Proclaim your birthright of supremacy.

Rise!

Options vs. Choices vs. Needs

Few days back, I was in a mall buying groceries. I accidentally overheard a conversation.

Wife: Let's buy those chips.

Husband (shot back): Why?

Wife: Because that famous guy promotes it. We should taste how it is.

Just like you, I couldn't stop smiling.

Anyway, what did you do these many days since last blog? Overslept or over-worked? Do you feel great about what you did? If thinking of it hurts you, work on it. If it makes you feel proud, keep doing it.

This time, I have chosen three important words for our conversation.

First word: Options.

What are your options, when:

- You start your day? What are the first things which come to your mind? Do you think your ideals would be giving themselves the same options when they get up?

- You watch news. Do you see what channels show you? Or you have your own selected relevant categories?

- You drive to your work and have the feeling of honking the horn? Do you or do not?

- You pass by people at your work? Smile? Greet? Acknowledge? Or plain face?

- You are discussing with colleagues? Listen or ignore them?

- You take food? Right diet or whatever comes around and tastes good for a moment?

Try to answer these questions in your mind.

Now let's see our next word.

Second word: Choice.

You choose options for yourself. And then you make a choice out of those options. Isn't it true?

For above questions, you may have more or different options. But you choose those yourself. You make choices. Every second of every hour of every day of your life. Either knowingly or unknowingly. So choose your options carefully. With awareness.

There are 168 hours in a week. That's a big number. Isn't it? How are you spending them? Think about what are the alternatives you are giving yourself. Are your role models and successful people giving themselves similar ones?

Third word: Need.

This is a very important word. Whole world revolves around this word. Marketers create need in your mind and then make their sales. You create the need in your mind and then work towards achieving those. But we know very little about the basics of need. For example, where are our needs generating from? What is the source of our demands? Is it because of our own requirement or comparison with someone else?
Also, we need to introspect the choices we have given ourselves in the form of need. For example: What is the need of reproduction for humans when our population is already 8 billion? (1 billion = 100 crore) Aren't we facing more and more unfavorable environmental changes year by year? Aren't hundreds of species dying every year because of our actions to fulfill our so called needs?

Let me ask simpler questions: What is the need to taste that wafer which the wife was insisting about? Or what is the need of honking a horn while driving? Before you start justifying the "need" for these questions, please do make sure that you've chosen the options for reasoning wisely and it's not because so far you have heard that those answers are the most logical answers.

We humans are very selfish. We go for easier and convenient path. We choose what is normally accepted by people. That is why population growth, plastic pollution, noise pollution, over production, etc. has become the elephant in the room and we are running away from our responsibilities. If we are intellectual and have commonsense, we need to take right actions.

Next time you wake up, choose what you want to do with your life.

Give yourself options based on the need of an hour, not just for you but for the whole humanity.

Do the right thing. That's the real living. It's not just about laughing with friends while having a drink. Make it bigger than that.

Go for it! That's the way to be different.

Not everyone has guts to do that.

What about you?

Listen to the Noises

People care for you a lot.

That is why they would suggest, go from wrong side because it's too hot at 44 deg Celsius to ride 3 km to come around the right way. Going from wrong side is easy.

They also ask you to stop reading at late night and go to sleep.

While exercising, our mind suggests, don't go for one more repetition because you are comfortable with only 15.

Amazingly, sometimes we do listen to such suggestions - from others of self. These are the noises around and within us. We must notice them. They tell us the difference between success and failure, between excellence and mediocrity. If we are not aware of these noises, we won't know which alternative we have opted for, mediocrity or excellence.

We often start important activities with zeal and passion, continue it for 2-3 days, and then overconfidence comes at play. It says, I did it for 3 days, I can do it for ever. And then surprisingly, we stop doing it! Sometimes we don't even feel guilt. You know, it takes discipline to succeed. That's it! Discipline to continuously learn and improve is all that is required for it. Unless we know the noises which keep us away from greatness, how can we tune those out of our thinking? We need to overcome the overconfidence of doing something for a short period because ahead of that lies the satisfaction of big achievements. So listen to your thoughts which seek comfort and ease, listen to your people who use such nice and comforting words.

People close to us often say, "I say so because I care for you". Let me tell you this - if they care for you, they should know you. And if they know how hungry you are for making a difference in this world, they would instead find ways to support you in your actions rather than using comforting words. They would find ways to help you improve and be productive. When they come by any people or ideas that can promote you or help you become more effective and efficient, they would inform you. They would get excited just by the thought of you succeeding in your quest. If you are one of such kind, kudos to you! I love you for that. Please keep doing it. I wish success in your personal struggles for excellence.

Moreover, we are our responsibility. Will Smith suggests, "When I feel like having a burger or cheese pizza, I tell myself, 'Man! I love you so much that I cannot let you go on that path because after eating that, next day you will feel bad about it. You will criticize yourself' When my friends are enjoying when I have exams coming up, I tell myself, 'Man! I love you too much to feel bad after you are done with the party so better read and feel better that you continued with what you planned'. Think about it.

Let me know those interesting excuses your mind has given you so far. Let me know those noises.

P.S.- Along with a hand painted T-shirt, I gifted my fiancé (now wife) a non-fiction book on her birthday. Till today I wonder what she thinks of that act.