“Personal leadership must come from the inside out. You cannot wait for someone else to push you; you must motivate yourself through goal setting.”- Paul J. Meyer
Category: Quotes
Dr. Kalam’s Posthumous Advise To The Parliamentarians And Politicians Of Today.
I am glad that the government has finally initiated action on building the memorial over the tomb of our late President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at his hometown in Rameshwaran. Having read Dr. Kalam’s works and being professionally associated with organizations like ISRO and VSSC, I personally feel that it was the humility and simplicity of the man while he was alive, that has so far deprived him of his rightful place in the history of India.
While reading Dr. Kalam’s book “Ignited Minds”, one is amazed by the vision of this remarkable scientist, scientific administrator, turned President of India. His views on science, development, potential of India and it’s youth, spirituality, culture demonstrate his deep understanding on matters of critical importance, based on many personal observations and thorough analyses. His remarkable ability to translate his thoughts into simple messages and lessons for a nation, is the reason for every Indian to read Dr. Kalam’s works. As a tribute to India’s “Missile Man”, “People’s President” , “Bharat Ratna”, I summarize below his views on the role of parliament in development of the nation. The following text, written in 2002 seems to be his posthumous advise to the parliamentarians and politicians of today.
“The needs of a nation’s people are bigger and much more important than any other considerations. We need to realize that missions are always bigger than organizations, just as organizations are always bigger than the individuals who run them.
The mission of Parliament is that it has to be alive and dynamic over issues vital to the existence of our very nationhood. Our freedom did not come as a gift. The whole country struggled for decades to achieve the first vision of independence, so we have to protect it. To preserve this freedom from intruders and others who would compromise it is our bounden duty and not a matter of choice and convenience. No ideology is above the security and prosperity of our country. No agenda is more important than harmony among the people.
For great men, religion is a way of making friends; small people make religion a fighting tool.
Three factors are invariably found in a strong nation: a collective pride in its achievements, unity and the ability for combined action. It is because our sense of mission has weakened that we have ceased to be true to our culture and ourselves. If we come to look upon ourselves as a divided people with no pride in our past and no faith in the future, what else can we look forward to forward to except frustration, disappointment and despair?
For a people and a nation to rise to the highest, they must have a common memory of great heroes and exploits, of great adventures and triumphs in the past. What we need today is a vision for the nation which can bring unity. Leaders must ensure that the younger generation is better than them and not subject them to circumstances that will stunt their growth.”
Life at Half Time
As another year of life goes by, the thought and realization that you are mid-way through life begins to dawn upon. Getting out of the thirties doesn’t hit you as much as the thought of entering into the forties. It seems to be the time, when life begins to question you –
What have you achieved?
What have you contributed?
Have you made the difference?
And above all – where do you go from here?
At “Half Time”, you need a “Time Out”. As we continue our journey in search for the answers – it’s time to reflect on the many gifts of life.
Thank God
One is thankful to God for his blessings of a loving and caring family, encouraging friends, inspiring teachers and supportive colleagues. “If I have seen far, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.”
Set Goals
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow. Our life is the creation of our mind. Set Goals. “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon, must, inevitably come to pass.”
Never Give up
The journey of life has to be in pursuit of excellence. No matter how good you are, you can always get better – and that’s the exciting part. Never, never, never…never give up. “Koshish karne waloon ki kabhi haar nahin hoti.” (The one who tries, never fails).
Be Equanimous
Life is a journey – of ups and downs, of joys and sorrows. Life’s greatest challenge is learning to be equanimous in both pleasure and pain. The true measure of progress is our state of consciousness and the change this brings about in our thoughts, behavior, attitude, actions and responses. “Adversity introduces a man to himself”.
Life Comes Full Circle
Over the many years, one has realized that life is a great equalizer; what you give is what you get. Life is too long. In the end, life comes full circle. Circumstances and people will come back. Remember, “There is no witness so terrible or no accuser as powerful as conscience.”
Time is Precious
Money is a by-product of hard, honest work. Health is wealth. Our greatest gift and most precious asset is “Time”. And, while we may want to believe that we are at half time, none of us knows when the Referee decides to blow the whistle.
Have Faith
We often regret when things don’t happen as we plan them, only to realize later that it all happens for a reason. There is a popular Malayalam quote, “Njan pathi, daivam pathi” – it means, I need to do my half, the rest shall be done by the Lord.
Where Do You Go From Here?
Our life is on the line every single day. Each day, we script our story – through thoughts, words and actions. Every day we build our legacy, and everyday our eulogies are being written.
Going forward, one prays for good health, peace, and prosperity for self, friends, family; knowledge and values for children; and seeks blessing to be a good human being, a leader with the ability to touch, move, inspire and make a difference to the lives of those around. “Life is not about keeping or settling scores. It’s about understanding people the way they are. Above all, it is about choosing to use our life to touch someone else’s in a way that could not have been possible otherwise.”
“Success is in the big things. Happiness is in the small things. Meditation is in nothing. God is in everything.”
Becoming a Little Better – Each Day
“You have to apply yourself each day to becoming a little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time, you will become a lot better,” John Wooden, basketball coach.
The Temptation to Spend Money
“People spend because the necessities or the enticements are so immediate and the consequences of not saving are so distant. Even when spending is patently dumb, life is often so burdensome that the temptation to purchase a little relief is universal and irresistible.” – James Mullen
Life – The Master’s Plan
As we march ahead in pursuit of our goals, engaging all our knowledge, experience, efforts and consciousness, there shall be moments of truth that will remind that in the end, life will take course as per the Master’s plan.
Lord Krishna – Be intent on the action, not on the fruits of action
The Bhagwad Gita, Book 2, Verse 47
Translation
“To action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be motive in thee any attachment to inaction.”
–
S Radhakrishnan
When an individual acts for the sake of his work rather than for the personal reward from it, he or she is likely to do the right thing. This moral insight from Krishna to Arjuna, in the Bhagwad Gita is popularly termed as “nishkama karma”.
“Be intent on the action, not on the fruits of action”.
Continue reading Lord Krishna – Be intent on the action, not on the fruits of action
Get to the Top – Suhel Seth
“Life is not about being simply interested in things. It is about being involved with them.” – Suhel Seth, in his book, Get To The Top
“I have always told colleagues and friends that their place on this planet is as human beings and not as plodders. Bulls work, so do oxen. But men and women are destined for more than just a routine job. The more you do your job to the exclusion of everything else, the more stifled and less attractive you will be. Such is life. Develop interests that are as tangential as possible. Go see plays, watch as many movies as you can. Go to the opera and if you don’t want to do this esoteric stuff, then go travel and observe human behavior. Read as much as you can; develop an interest in music. Move beyond that office and that job…See a world beyond the one at your desk“
– Excerpt from Get To The Top
Related Post
The Ultimate Secret
– Sharing the words that changed my life
“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon, must, inevitably come to pass” – Paul Meyer.
I first heard this quote from my dearest friend Vivek Savla, in 2006.
http://youtu.be/Eu6g7vFi7hk
Also watch ‘The Miracle Man‘
Goal Chart
Michael Jordan – Success through failure
Michael Jordan is a great example about success through failure.
In a commercial for Nike – famous for its failure-defying tagline “Just Do It” – Jordan says,“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life – and that is why I succeeded.”