IT TOOK 48 YEARS TO LEARN

                                               IT TOOK 48 YEARS TO LEARN….

FOCUS ON GOALS,  IGNORE IRRITANTS

Avoid thinking and expressing dissatisfaction about irrelevant, unimportant and insignificant things. Expand this area of irrelevance, insignificance and unimportance.

HELP OTHERS TO HELP YOURSELF

Try to help others, timely. Timely help can make real difference to people.  There are many examples. Many people cannot encash opportunities because they could not get help in time and many other people even lost their lives for the same reason. Behind ever success there is always a story of receiving timely help or at least timely advice. If you cannot help at least avoid making derogatory comments on people who help others. Example:expressing passive comments on charitable institutions like Satya Sai Trust, Paripurnanada Trust etc. There may be some problems in them. But we should also express gratitude about the public good and benefits to some individuals rendered by them. Managing one's own family itself cannot be done without blemishes. So imagine running big institutions and that too voluntary organizations consisting of individuals with different cultures, backgrounds and mindsets.

SHARE THE SORROW, ENJOY  THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS EARNESTLY

Love your relations. Don’t restrict your love to only your spouse, children and grand children. This is not exactly love but selfishness with some motive of return. Expand this love to your cousins, aunts and uncles etc. Then slowly extend it to neighbours and friends. Enjoy their happy moments with them apart from helping them in need and sympathizing with them. Ironically sympathizing is easier compared to enjoying happiness because jealousy is the biggest enemy for everyone.  Then extend your love to needy and deprived people. Slowly think about loving everyone. Never think about these words as “it is easier said than done.”

CONTROL YOUR OWN DESTINY OR SOMEONE ELSE WILL…

Take responsibility for your life and be proud of it. Don’t blame others and events for your failures. It is the biggest reason for further failures in future for many people. Take control of your life,learn from mistakes. Do not repeat them. Correct them, prevent them to recur. Expand your horizon. Always think you and you alone are responsible for the failures.

LIVE IN THE PRESENT

Live in the present. Fear of future is the biggest enemy of present happiness. Always thinking about things like children’s education, marriage, promotions, ranking, health of self and parents etc. cause anxiety and eats away present happiness. Many times we are scared by imaginary future events which never really do occur. So enjoy the present, plan for the future, but do not worry about it. Events will unfold as they are destined.

WORK HARD, EARN MONEY, EAT WELL AND SAVE FOR TOMMOROW

Financial independence is fundamental to freedom of individual. Without this one cannot pursue his interests and his own way of living. He cannot act on his own thoughts because he will have to dance to the tunes of his creditors, to the people who help him and so called business partners. Without financial independence one has to live a life of parasite. For achieving financial independence there are two ways. Increasing the income, reducing the requirements or desires. Both have limits for ordinary human beings leading normal life with families. Increasing the income without crossing moral limits is very difficult but not impossible. Reducing requirements and limiting desires without compromising basic needs and satisfying near and dear is also difficult but it is also not impossible. It is very hard but it is always hard to lead a good and quality life. Srinatha and Pothana famous 15th century Telugu poets are perfect examples of the above. Even though possessed with highest levels of knowledge and earning very high income and patronage of great kings in his prime youth Srinatha had to lead pathetic life at the end as he could not control his desires or limited his requirements whereas Pothana with equal knowledge but limited income had the courage to even refuse the ,dedication of his book to the then kings but still could lead a life the way he wanted.  History always respected Pothana over Srinatha for the personal qualities. People like JRD Tata, NR Narayana Murthy, GD Birla set examples for earning money without crossing moral limits, whereas people like Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Pramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi etc taught us the way to limit desires and requirements.People like Mahatma Gandhi and Balagnandhar Tilak personified both.

FEAR IS THE BIGGEST ENEMY

Fear of failure and fear of criticism are the biggest stumbling blocks for people to act and succeed at many times. But inaction is unpardonable and wrong action is only perception. People who do not act not only fail in that activity but fail in their life. But failure in action is many times a temporary setback or failure to reach the stretched goals set by you or others. Reaching 90% of goal or finishing second or third is not a failure as told by some  modern management gurus “you will still be in the pit of you cross 90%”. It is evaluation and stepping stone for further future success. Even Thomas Edison failed 1000 times before inventing electric bulb. History did not call them failures but as experiments. Abraham Lincoln failed in every election starting from ward councilor, Senator, Governor, Vice President before getting elected as President. Many students try for IIT seat or University Rank but end up getting EAMCET Rank or College Rank. But getting EAMCET Rank or College Rank are also no mean achievements. Only the people who are recognized or talked about are criticized. Criticism to be taken as a thing to be reviewed about If it is for development take it positively if not ignore it. Karma yoga teaches you to act without thinking about its results. Results include expecting praise from others for all your actions. Karma Yoga also teaches that inaction is not possible and we are always engaged in some involuntary acts like breathing or killing insects with our movements. Laziness should not be tolerated at any cost.

SPOUSE IS THE BACKBONE

Cooperation of the spouse is a prerequisite for the success of all. There is a old saying that “Behind every man's success there is a woman”. I am not sure whether these words are told in the above context or women guided or at least acted as catalysts in the man's success. Cooperation of the spouse does not guarantee success or development but non cooperation of spouse certainly leads to not realizing full potential or not reaching the goal and becomes hindrance in the path. This should be kept in mind always by any partner who wishes the welfare of the other.

FAMILY IS INSURANCE

One thing we Indians always take as a matter of routine is our parents living together always even though there are some differences exist between them. But it is not as common as we feel if we take the situation prevailing in many parts of the world. Parents living together is the root cause of success of Indian children and we are always at advantage with the family as a pillar of strength behind us. If there are any doubts just read biography of Barack Obama, President of US. Just observe how fortunate we Indians are before cursing our customs and superstitions. We can always rely on family for support in case if conditions are adverse. This is the best and cheapest insurance available anywhere in the world.  Togetherness is happiness not only for us but also for our future generation.