How can I stop being average in life?

How can I stop being average? A great answer is possible for “How can I be excellent at anything?”

~ A practical guide to creating excellence in daily life ~

• Do work you love to do. That is the indispensable first condition.
• If you are stuck in a profile you hate, leave. Or, begin loving it. No third way.
• Everyday, try to be a bit faster and more efficient that the earlier day.Consciously. Don’t ask your boss, do it on your own.
• Constantly imagine what you desire others should say of your work - “average”, “chalta hai”, “professional”, “wow!”, “reliable”, …
• Make formats (small and big) that you can replicate the next time - for everything possible. It saves amazing amounts of time and makes you very fast.
  
• Organize your stuff. Files, papers, software, hardware, everything. Acid test - how much time you take to retrieve anything.
• Read about your area of work regularly. It keeps you alarmed enough to never lose the incentive to learn new things.
• New skills take time to learn and master. Be very patient, but aggressive all the while. Find an accomplished guru who’s willing to mentor you (fastest and surest way, but very difficult to find)
• Inquisitiveness killed the cat, but it’ll build your excellence. Ask, inquire, search, sift, collate, reject, edit, absorb.
• Keep your silliness at bay - don’t smirk when someone points out your shortcomings, don’t laugh when someone fails, be willing to dish out money on great books/literature (of immediate use), etc.
• Don’t envy the accomplished. Praise them whole-heartedly.

And if you find all this tedious and useless, there’s no compulsion at all. Just don’t complain the next time you miss the pay hike or bonus, and are unable to achieve your material goals. Settle at a lower orbit, and if you can be happy with it, perfect.

Life does not expect excellence for survival. It is stuff dreams are made of.

~

How can you tell a person is rich just by looking at him / her?

I will tell you six tricks I use. Allow me to use a personal definition of "being wealthy".

FIRST - Look at the contentment on the man's face. It usually cannot be faked. A man who is content in the moment now, is Alexander the Mighty!

SECOND - Look at the number of brands the man is wearing and using. The more the number and the more blatant the good(s), the poorer the person is. He needs a lot of external support to project his personality - a frail, weak, hollow individual. Remember the Naga sadhus - naked, all powerful, one with the divine. (OK, that was an extreme one!)

Find the light - it's not too difficult

THIRD - Look at his company. Family, Friends, Kids, Acquaintances. The more crooked and twisted they are, the poorer the guy is. The more simple and loving that group is, the richer the guy is. They are both reflecting upon each other. A man is known by the company he keeps.

FOURTH - Look at his typical day. If reading a variety of stuff and forming informed opinions on multiple issues is a core part of his life, you are staring at a very rich person, who can add immense intellectual value to everyone around. I think, therefore I am.

FIFTH, find out what diseases he is suffering from. If he was born perfectly healthy with no defective genetic baggage, and has managed to pile up loads of beautiful diseases with big names and bigger bills, oooh! A poor man. The treadmill he couldn't slow down enough.

and FINALLY, try finding how he feels about the poor, the destitute and the needy. If he is moved from within and wants to help them even with a bare minimum to spare, you are looking at the richest man in the world. Man - human - humanity.

For, of what use are the billions stashed away in those tax havens when you are crooked, jealous, stingy, diseased, can't laugh, are full of hate and envy and useless for mankind at large? Human life is a speck, practically meaningless, in the vast expanse of this time-space. Make it meaningful.
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What are the most important things I should teach my child?

Well, there are many, and these can form the top list -

• Be a great learner.
• Listen to wise people with an open mind and closed mouth.
• Read an hour daily.
• Don't hoard stuff.
• Don't be a brands person. It's the quickest route to spiritual death.
• Discover new perspectives without losing your own.
• Read two hours daily.
• Write something with a pen on a paper daily. Have a good handwriting.
• Walk.
• Laugh a lot. Laugh like mad!
• Fail. Enjoy failure. Emerge with lessons.
• Respect others' success no matter how much you detest it.
• Read a lot daily.
• Don't be a jerk, meet and talk to people.
• Help someone in need regularly.
• Learn about the Universe; it's the most mysterious thing you won't ever get out of!
• Love science and its approach. But don't hate religion and spirituality.
• Learn Sanskrit shlokas even @ 2 or 3 per month.
• Cry when you need to. Don't be ashamed of it.
• Don't expect a smooth, hassle-free and scratch-free existence. Enjoy the tumbles. Love life!

And guess what - these lessons apply to all of us! 

~

Life's bare truths!

As we get entangled in our daily busyness, we rarely find time to think about the bigger aspects of life itself. Here's an attempt at unravelling some truths of life. The joy lies in realising these, and yet striving optimistically to improve oneself consistently.

Seriously speaking -

It goes on, with you, or without.

• It will all end one day - No matter who you are, how mighty or resourceful your position is, or howsoever intelligent and positive you are, you die one day. All your movements cease to be, the blood stops circulating, and you change from a person to a dead body that needs an almost immediate disposal. And within days of that happening, you become a bookmark in history, that too for just a few years. It all ends then. There will be a day in the future when your name will be taken one last time and your face and deeds remembered for the last time.
• Nature does not care - Nature / Prakriti / The Universe / The Multiverse ... no matter what name you use, it just does not care what you think (of it). Nature moves with its own rhythm, bound in its own cycles, driven by its own instincts, and your presence or absence hardly matters. And we are tied inside it, and despite being blessed with the powers of analysing and rationalising its presence, cannot escape its clutches. It's a state of permanent bondage for most, unless spiritually freed.
• There are very few true friends - No matter what you do for others, the number of people who stand by you in your toughest moments can be in lower single digits! This can be rationalised by the Law of Karma spanning multiple lives, which indeed seems to be working for many.

I failed a big exam twice. Should I give up?

It often happens with students in tough exams - say, UPSC or IIMCAT or XAT. They give their best, and yet are unable to make it even after two attempts. What to do then?

Ask yourself these questions:

Failure, Success, Mindset

1. How many aspirants crack the exam in the first attempt? If the answer is anywhere less than 100%, you are not on the wrong track.
2. How many crack the test in the second attempt? If the answer is again significantly less than 100%, you have hope left.
3. Do some people make it in their 3rd or 4th attempt? If the answer is Yes, you can be one of them.

The real questions to ask, post the above, will be

• Why did I fail in my two attempts? Where did I fall short? Which topics could I not master adequately? Can I master them now, given this background? Was I really sincere enough? What did those who got selected did right that I missed on?
• How badly do I aspire to be a top civil servant? If it's bad enough, striving for a couple of years more is a good idea.
• What do my parents think of it? Do they have faith in me? Will they support me emotionally, and if required, financially through the next few months/years?
• Do I have the energy left in me to go the whole hog again? Or am I exhausted? Was I exhausted even before the second attempt came through?
• If I do not make it even in the next 2 years, what are the other options I am looking at?

Take a small break. Think deeply along these lines. If there is that "aha moment" when you feel totally at ease, totally relaxed and full of clarity in mind, follow the decision that you take at that moment. 

We have all had our share of failures in life. But successful people do not stop at a milestone, or when in a ditch. They keep moving forward, because life does not stop for anyone or anything. As they say, our mindset and attitude has to ultimately mould our lives to best fit our reality, and there is no one better than you to reach that conclusion. 

Finally, it's just an exam! Your success in life may lie way beyond it. God bless!
~

The power of being child-like

Not letting the child in you die, can be a source of great strength. Why? 

Open up the child in you

Hope was all one had in childhood days - unlimited, unadulterated hope. Parents were the ultimate shelter. There was no stress other than playtime quarrels. All festivals were full of unlimited joy. Friendships were intense. Kids spent time with each other and not gadgets. Comics, comics, comics all day long in holidays. Very long breaks for major festivals, with tonnes of school homework!

But honestly, when we were young, we could never imagine that those days would become such fond memories later on. We so strongly desired to grow up, have control over our lives, be the masters of the Universe - driving cars, spending money, taking decisions - rather than continue as children! We, at times, envied the seniors.

We know our days are limited and with every passing phase in human life, perhaps we long more and more for the days gone by, because after all, they have gone by. 

If you can allow your mind to become that child all over again, even if for a few minutes every day, your creativity will be boundless, joy unlimited, passion for life rekindled.

Be child-like. It works!

[Being childish can be avoided. Childish = immature, Child-like = Innocent]
~

Sachin's lesson - Excellence is achievable!

I am sure that if you are an Indian, you jumped with joy on Sachin's ultimate feat in the Gwalior ODI!

For a country that is so deeply mired in mediocrity, so hopelessly tied up in bureaucratic red-tape that slows it down and stunts its potential, Sachin is such a breath of fresh air!

In fact, he is a blast that cleans all cobwebs of tentativeness. A certain gust of cheer that tells us what we are truly capable of. A sure sign that India and Indians have underperformed for so long now that we take it almost a given. It comes as a shock to us when someone amongst us (or some sector in our economy) does really well, and shines as an example of sure genius. The I.T. companies attracted everyone's admiration for their undeniable feat of turning out highly billable manhours from fresh-off-the-campus engineering manpower that was raw, to say the least. Bollywood came of age and taught us lessons in excellence against all adversities. But to be sure, no one and nothing draws our admiration as the genius that is Sachin Tendulkar.

I have always loved Sachin Tendulkar's style. Being almost the same age, his achievements have always fascinated me. And watching him from Day-1 of his professional career, till today when he rewrote ODI history, has been a tremendous experience. From an entrepreneur-teacher's perspective, there are several important lessons I can draw from this living legend. Here they are!

Lessons in Excellence from Sachin Tendulkar

1. Consistency It takes several years for continued excellence to develop. It never happens as an accident, but is the result of a conscious belief that one has to do it, for it to happen. And it actually goes beyond that. Consistency - i.e. the spirit to go on and on and on - is the fundamental basis for all progress that mankind has made. If you don't have consistency, your talent cannot express itself to the fullest extent. What would Amitabh Bachchan be without decades of consistency that we have become so habituated to expect now! Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Bose - they were all totally consistent in their pursuits all their lives. And the world remembers them for it. If you are a young person just starting off in your career, do not get too excited about being successful too early. Be patient! It takes time. Use your sense of anxiety to turn yourself into a dynamo of purposeful activity. All I.T. companies that are doing so well have perfected their winning formulae over several years, painstakingly. It did not happen overnight.

2. Discipline and Mind-control Derived from the point above, a sense of discipline and control over one's mind provides the basic template for performance that is timeless and ageless - both Sachin's attributes. Without discipline, you tend to take liberties that eat into your most precious resource - the time available per day. Discipline brings certainty into our lives. It brings predictability that helps us plan things properly. Though seemingly it cripples our freedom (and some would say individuality), it adds an element of firepower that's undeniably the bedrock of success. Mind-control springs from this sense of discipline. And needless to say, the biggest influence anyone can have on us is our parents. If one is blessed with parents who understand the importance of discipline in early years of our life, one has it rather easy later on. Habits made early on stay for a long time. Chhatrapati Shivaji became what he was due to the lasting influence and teachings of his mother, the iron-willed Jijabai.
3. Timelessness of performance Sachin never bothers what the world says about his performance, his moods, his family life, his ups and downs, or his personal likes and dislikes. He is one of the most quiet and sensible sports-person around. His belief in the fact that "work will speak louder than words" has stood the test of time. And all of us have witnessed the magic of these words! He just performs. Anyone who wants his/her success to continue for a long time must remember that while ups and downs are normal part of any professional's career, they do not determine who you are. Your mindset determines that. I would rate the Belgian cartoonist George Remi (Herge) who created the legendary series called 'Tintin' at par with Sachin, as both are timeless. Steve Jobs, the boss at Apple, is another example of a genius who adjusts to the demands of the age and produces miracle after miracle!
4. Bouncing back from adversity Even a gentle genius like Sachin faced the wrath of media that seemed to engulf all the good deeds he had done. When he did not fare well as the captain of the Indian team, everyone was bitter about his performance. I hardly ever came across a balanced criticism of his. It was almost as if his career had ended (and that was several years ago!). But true to his style and name, Sachin proved everyone wrong. This clearly indicates he has in ample measure what a star performer needs in ample quantity - bouncing back using self-belief. Critics will always exist - God made them to instill in us a sense of being grounded into reality. But a true performer looks beyond and questions himself - am I putting in my 100%? If yes, he plods on, without fear.
5. Self-belief From an honest conviction towards one's goals is born a sense of self-belief. It was this that made Dhirubhai Ambani lock horns with the existing giants in Bombay, while he was just an upstart. It was this that made Sunil Gavaskar prove his genius during his maiden tour to the ferocious West Indies (in 1970s). Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle are blessed with a pristine sense of self-belief as their sheer consistency and riyaaz over decades has turned them into performers beyond all human comparison! If you feel defeated time and again, it does not mean you truly are defeated. All it means is that either the goal you have chosen is wrong, or the efforts you are putting in are misdirected or incomplete.
6. Sense of belonging We all have seen some egomaniacs who were part of the Indian cricket team, and destroyed their own careers, and many of the careers around them due to their idiosyncracies. Sachin has always put India and India's reputation above everything else. You can see it in his eyes, and his entire body language. Ask yourself - how many times did you feel Sachin was playing selfishly merely to score runs and add to his personal tally? It is a fact that true performers do not just think of themselves. They also focus on what matters to their nation. And when you do that, everyone responds in a big way!

7. Humility - thy name is Sachin! It takes a true human being to not let success hit his upper floor hard. What I mean is simple - the moment people become successful (by any standards - money, fame, status), they face the inevitable choice. Either let success remain a by-product and reward of solid work, to be relished in its repetition, or to let success manifest itself in one's changed attitude and behaviour. Very few people remain unaffected (at least outwardly) when they achieve great success. Sachin is one of the finest examples of how innocent and child-like one can choose to be (probably it's natural!) despite earth-shaking achievements. Indeed, the family values with which one is brought up in the early years does have a deep and lasting impact. That's why you are lucky if your parents have repeatedly told you "to stay grounded, not to take flight at every sight, and zameen sey jud kar rehna bachche". I have seen shocking examples of people, who on achieving relatively modest levels of success simply can't handle it! They take flight! And get grounded very frequently, and at times, permanently. Let Sachin's example be the shining lighthouse for one and all.

All these virtues mentioned above can be used across sectors, across professions, and across geographies. For all practitioners and students of management - if you ever needed a role-model to emulate, he is right there for you. The legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Timeless, ageless.

He is telling all of us - "Don't give up so easily my dear Indians.. Excellence is achievable".
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