Life till now can be split in two equal parts. First 22 years spent in pursuit of formal education, and the last 22 in looking for an identity centered around work.
A set of reflections -
Real education is out there in the world. Explore, observe, learn and grow.
Take ownership of your decisions.
Subroto Bagchi, author of the book ‘Go Kiss The World’ said,
“Our lives are all about the choices we make and the consequences of those choices."
As John Cutler says, “Trust is a combination of credibility, reliability, empathy and your interest in making it win-win.” Absence of one or more will make it hard to trust you.
“Trust is harder than friendship” - Naval Ravikant
Discipline, perseverance and a little bit of luck are key to long-term success. Eliud Kipchoge, greatest marathon runner of all-time, 2-time Olympic champion and World record holder, says, “The disciplined in life are free.”
“Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance.”-- James Baldwin.
Learn to handle failure and overcome it. Many talented individuals couldn’t achieve their potential because they didn’t know how to handle failure.
Travel. To learn, to evolve, to seek, to accept, to understand, to become a better person.
“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls” -Anais Nin
"There is no man more complete than the one who travelled a lot, who changed the shape of his thoughts and his life twenty times." -- Alphonse de Lamartine
Build interests outside of work.
Most popular Marathi author, humorist, orator and music composer P.L. Deshpande said,
“Let me share a key learning from my life. Do study subjects that help you have an occupation and earn a livelihood. But, don’t just stop at that. Be friends with at least one of literature, art, music, theater, sculpture, or sport. The occupation will enable your livelihood, but your friendship with any of these creative fields will teach you the real meaning of life.”
Every time you think about someone else’s words that hurt, internalize following quote -
“Why did the insult bother you?
If it is false, it has no weight.
If it is true, it is better to know.
Either way, you are unharmed.”
Sheikh sir, our Mathematics teacher in class 10th, once told us that itjusttakes a moment to err. That moment could be due to weakness, greed, anxiety, fear or any such feeling overcoming our sense of right. It stayed with me.
Don’t follow anyone blindly. Upanishads were likely the first source of practical advice.
Following Shloka says, “though we assign divinity to mother, father, teacher and guest, only their good qualities are to be taken, not others. There should be no blind following and no blind worship.
Reflections, lessons & the truth
I turned 44 this week.
Life till now can be split in two equal parts. First 22 years spent in pursuit of formal education, and the last 22 in looking for an identity centered around work.
A set of reflections -
Real education is out there in the world. Explore, observe, learn and grow.
Take ownership of your decisions.
Subroto Bagchi, author of the book ‘Go Kiss The World’ said,
Be Trustworthy.
As John Cutler says, “Trust is a combination of credibility, reliability, empathy and your interest in making it win-win.” Absence of one or more will make it hard to trust you.
Develop independent and critical thinking.
Don’t say. Act.
Play a sport. Any sport, at any level. It makes the world a better place. As Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic Gold winner, says,
Learn to be happy in the moment. Comparison of any kind is easiest path to unhappiness. You and only you are responsible for your happiness.
Discipline, perseverance and a little bit of luck are key to long-term success. Eliud Kipchoge, greatest marathon runner of all-time, 2-time Olympic champion and World record holder, says, “The disciplined in life are free.”
Learn to handle failure and overcome it. Many talented individuals couldn’t achieve their potential because they didn’t know how to handle failure.
Avoid envy. Some of the most manipulative people I have met were envious of other people.
Travel. To learn, to evolve, to seek, to accept, to understand, to become a better person.
Build interests outside of work.
Most popular Marathi author, humorist, orator and music composer P.L. Deshpande said,
Every time you think about someone else’s words that hurt, internalize following quote -
Sheikh sir, our Mathematics teacher in class 10th, once told us that it just takes a moment to err. That moment could be due to weakness, greed, anxiety, fear or any such feeling overcoming our sense of right. It stayed with me.
Listen to your critics.
Don’t follow anyone blindly. Upanishads were likely the first source of practical advice.
Following Shloka says, “though we assign divinity to mother, father, teacher and guest, only their good qualities are to be taken, not others. There should be no blind following and no blind worship.
There’s no one to impress. Don’t pretend. Be your authentic self.
Unconditional love is rare. If you can, love unconditionally. Cherish it if someone loves you unconditionally. As my favorite actor, Irrfan said,
In the scheme of things, an individual hardly matters. Give up your ego.
It is very easy to build an explanation in your mind for irrational decisions and behaviors. Don’t lie to yourself.
Not easy, but will bring you peace - Let go of desire and control.
“It is truth that frees, not your effort to be free” - Jiddu Krishnamurti