Work Hard & Follow Your Passion
When Nobel prize-winning West Indian poet Derek Walcott was asked by an interviewer what he liked to do when he wasn’t writing poetry, he said he liked to paint. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were an artist as well,” said the interviewer. “I’m not an artist,” said the poet. “I don’t paint pictures. I paint […]
Boost Your Happiness
In a 2005 issue of the Review of General Psychology, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Kennon Sheldon and David Schkade looked at years of research to figure out what contributes to “chronic happiness” as opposed to temporary happiness. Based on their survey, they came up with a three-part model: About half of your happiness is biological. Each person […]
The Happiness Of Always Being Busy
‘The person I miss most is the one I could have been.’ ~ George Bernard Shaw Why do some people know what they want and have a passion for life, while others languish in confusion? My mentor always said, continually ask yourselves things like: What is the meaning of my life? Is the point just […]
Don’t Be Greedy
A young boy enters a barbershop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world, Watch while I prove it to you.” The barber puts a Rs 5 coin in one hand and two Re 1 coin (1+1=2) in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which […]
Choice Is Yours
The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an ‘Inner Scorecard’. I always pose it this way. “Look, would you rather have tons of money and live a simple life or have a big house and flashy […]
Lazy Sunday Afternoon
It all started one lazy Sunday afternoon in a small town. Two school-going friends had a crazy idea. They rounded up three goats from the neighborhood and painted the number 1, 2, and 4 on their sides. That night they let the goats loose inside their school building. The next morning, when the authorities entered […]
Two Questions
Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, “Did you bring joy?” The second was, “Did you find joy?” Remember that “True happiness Is the spontaneous feeling of joy that comes from knowing […]
The World Needs More Of That
A mother, wishing to encourage her son’s progress at the piano, bought tickets to a performance by the great Polish pianist Ignace Paderewski. When the evening arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on the stage. Soon the mother found a friend to talk […]
Hubris vs Humility
In continuation of yesterday’s message… On the morning of the Battle of Waterloo on Sunday, 18 June 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte who was leading the French Army against the British army under the command of the Duke of Wellington, assured his soldiers, “I tell you Wellington is a bad general, the English are bad soldiers; we […]
Humility
One of the most important traits that you must develop, whatever your achievements or level of success, is Humility – the wonderful quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance. As they say, when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. God opposes the proud but gives grace […]