Success is a journey, not a destination

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal. 

Earl Nightingale

Let's look at these definitions carefully.

"Progressive" means that success is a journey, not a destination. We never arrive. After we reach one goal, we go on to the next and the next and the next.

"Realization" means it is an experience. Outside forces cannot make me feel successful. I have to feel it within myself. It is internal not external.

"Worthy" refers to our value system. Which way are we heading? Positive or negative? Worthiness determines the quality of the journey. That is what gives meaning and fulfillment. Success without fulfillment is empty. Why?

"Goals" are important. Because they give us a sense of direction. Success does not mean being accepted by everyone.

There are some groups I would not want to be accepted by, out of choice. I would rather be criticized by fools than appreciated by unsavory characters. I define success as a manifestation of good luck that results from inspiration, aspiration, desperation and perspiration; generally in that sequence. Success and happiness go hand in hand.

Success is getting what you want and happiness is wanting what you get!

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Learn Lessons from Bad Boss

Poor leaders to be sound teachers

Macho, insensitive bosses share certain characteristics. Their behavior is arrogant, quick-tempered and controlling. Their motives are typically selfish and manipulative. They show little concern for others and few signs of understanding why others don’t trust them. Most of all, they are quite unaware of their failings and the impact they have on their subordinates. No only do they see no need to change, they often make their high-handed behavior a source of pride.

That’s why you can trust them to be some of your best teachers about productivity and success.

Before you decide that I’ve lost my mind, I’ll explain.

Most human beings are amazingly consistent in the way they behave. That’s why we can say of some action, “That isn’t like you,” or “It’s so out of character.” Without that consistency, such a remark would be pointless. And amongst the most consistent groups of all are those who spend least time in any kind of introspection: the extreme extroverts, the loud, slap-you-on-the-back hearty types, the arrogant, the pompous, the selfish and the self-centered — the people who, if they become bosses, are most likely to prove to be bad ones.
Powerful lessons from powerful (and hopelessly unaware) people

Bad bosses can become useful teachers precisely because their behavior tends to be so consistently bad. You can be fairly sure of their motives and intentions, which allows you to compare cause (what they did and probably why they did it) with effect (how it turned out).

The pompous boss, convinced of her superiority and the rightness of whatever she does; the lazy boss, sure that status confers the right to live off other people’s efforts; the rigid, controlling boss, firm in his belief that all subordinates are incompetent without his oversight; all of these (and many more) hold to their actions so tenaciously — and are so blind to what they are doing — that they will provide some of the best lessons in what not to do that you will ever be offered.

Here are seven of the lessons you might come across, beginning with productivity:

* See how much effort bad bosses have to use to make things happen their way; effort that would be unnecessary if they behaved better — all that time spent micro-managing and checking; all the ranting and raving to reduce others to obedience; all the lies and stratagems needed to manipulate others instead of asking them openly.
* See how others react to them; how people become adept at sabotaging their efforts and undermining their success. Even when they dare not oppose the boss openly, subordinates will show great ingenuity in finding other ways to frustrate them.
* Look at the effect bad bosses have on trust — how this type of behavior ruins relationships with customers as well as employees. Once discovered, as it always is in the end, cynical manipulation renders future trust impossible too.
* What about the impact on motivation? Consider how you feel if you find yourself going along with the boss’s bad behavior. Do you feel motivated or depressed? Does it make you want to exert yourself or limit your output to no more than is needed to preserve your safety and career prospects?
* Rigidity next. Most macho bosses see changing a poor decision as an unacceptable sign of weakness. How many times have you seen a bad leader produce disaster from what could have been a triumph, simply because he or she refused to admit to — and change — a bad decision?
* Take some time to consider what survival in the lifestyle of a bad boss demands. Is that how you would be willing to live? Are the rewards they get worth what they have to do to get them?
* Most important, observe the way bad bosses are regarded by those above them. Are they genuinely fooling the top dogs about their weaknesses? Or are those executives simply playing the same game — but far better — manipulating middle and junior managers to enhance their own positions, then throwing them to the wolves when they become too much of an embarrassment?

I’m sure you can think of many more situations where a bad boss has taught you a valuable lesson. Observing and learning from others’ mistakes is as important as learning from your own — and a good deal less painful.

Besides, the macho tough guys can never admit to being wrong. They can’t learn from their own mistakes. Since you can, it’s an advantage you can use for all it’s worth.

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7. Story of The Marriage (Shiv Puran)

Shiva called the seven great sages (saptarshis) and asked them to go to Himalaya as his messengers. The message was that he wished to marry Himalaya's daughter Parvati. Himalaya was delighted to see the sages and even more delighted to learn that Shiva wanted to marry Parvati. A date was fixed for the marriage.

The day of the marriage dawned. Gandharvas (singers of heaven) sang and apsara (dancers of heaven) danced. All the gods came to Kailasa to accompany Shiva on the procession. Himalaya had also got ready. He had built many gates in front of his house and had placed flags on them. The beauty of Himalaya's residence at that time is impossible to describe. When the procession arrived at the residence, Parvati's mother Menaka rushed out.

Let me see Shiva, she exclaimed. Let me see my son-in-law. My daughter Parvati has performed tapasya to obtain Shiva as a husband. He must be exceedingly handsome.

The first person Menaka saw was Vishvavasu, the king of the gandharvas. Vishvavasu was very handsome and, at first, Menaka thought that this was Shiva. But when she was told that this was only a singer who entertained Shiva, she thought that Shiva would be more handsome. Then her eyes fell down on the handsome Kubera, the god of wealth, and she thought that this had to be Shiva. Kubera was more attractive than Vishvavasu. But Menaka was told that this was not Shiva either. Then came Varuna, more attractive than Kubera. But this was not Menaka's son-in-law. Nor was her son-in-law the great god Yama, handsomer than Varuna. The handsome gods Indra, Surya and Chandra passed by. But Narada told Menaka that these were not Shiva, they were simply Shiva's servants.

Menaka's joy knew no bounds. If these were the servants, what was the master going to be like? She mistook Brahma, Vishnu and Brihaspati for Shiva, and each time Narada told her that she was wrong. Where then was Shiva? Finally Shiva came and Narada pointed him out to Menaka. At the sight of her son-in-law, Menaka fell unconscious.

Shiva was surrounded by ghosts on all sides. The faces were fierce, their complexions were dark and they made a tremendous racket. Shiva himself rode on bull. He had three eyes, five faces and ten arms. He was smeared with ashes and the moon adorned his forehead. He was dressed in a tiger's skin and a garland of skulls hung around his neck. No wonder Menaka fainted.

When she recovered, she began to lament. She scolded Himalaya, Narada and Parvati for her misfortune. Brahma, the other gods, and the sages tried to pacify Menaka. But to no avail.

I will not permit my daughter to be married to Shiva, Menaka said. I will give her poison instead. I will throw her into a well and kill her. I will chop her up into pieces with a weapon. I will hurl her into the sea. I will kill myself. I will get Parvati married to someone else. Not to Shiva. Parvit resolved, I shall not marry anyone other than Shiva. Is a jackal a fit replacement for a lion?

Vishnu then tried to pacify Menaka. But this did not succeed either. Fianlly Narada asked Shiva to display his beautiful form and Shiva obliged. This form is exhibited only to those who are very faithful to Shiva. Everyone was charmed by this beautiful form, even Menaka. His body shone like a thousand suns and a crown sparkled on his head. His clothes glittered and the lustre of his jewels put the stars to shame.

Menaka begged forgiveness for her foolishness and now there were no further obstacles to the marriage. Under Brahma's supervision, the marriage ceremony took place and Shiva and Parvati returned to Kailasa.

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The Power of Decision Making

he story given here is quite interesting and really gives us an insight into DECISION MAKING.

A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train came, and you were just beside the track interchange. You could make the train change its course to the disused track and saved most of the kids

However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make...


Analyse the situation...

Think and reflect...

Decided your answer!!!!...

Now ... go ahead...

Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. To save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally.

But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was.

This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are.

The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

To make the proper decision is not try to change the course of the train because the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens.

If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe.

If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one. "Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."

Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils

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Emotional Atyachaar

People in my life says i am emotional fool.

Even i do think so but tell me is it possible to live without emotions for anyone in this big selfish world.

Its just that i admit it and value it instead.

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What is more valuable – gold or silver?

There once lived a great mathematician in a village outside Ujjain.
He was often called by the local king to advice on matters related to the economy.
His reputation had spread as far as Taxila in the North and Kanchi in the South.
So it hurt him very much when the village headman told him,
“You may be a great mathematician who advises the king on economic matters but your son does not
know the value of gold or silver.”

The mathematician called his son and asked, “What is more valuable – gold or silver?”“Gold,” said the son.
“That is correct. Why is it then that the village headman makes fun of you,
claims you do not know the value of gold or silver? He teases me every day.
He mocks me before other village elders as a father who neglects his son. This hurts me.
I feel everyone in the village is laughing behind my back because you do not know what is more valuable,
gold or silver. Explain this to me, son.”

So the son of the mathematician told his father the reason why the village headman carried this impression.
“Every day on my way to school, the village headman calls me to his house.
There, in front of all village elders, he holds out a silver coin in one hand and a gold coin in other.
He asks me to pick up the more valuable coin. I pick the silver coin. He laughs, the elders jeer,
everyone makes fun of me. And then I go to school. This happens every day.
That is why they tell you I do not know the value of gold or silver.”

The father was confused. His son knew the value of gold and silver, and yet when asked to choose
between a gold coin and silver coin always picked the silver coin.
“Why don’t you pick up the gold coin?” he asked. In response, the son took the father to his room and
showed him a box. In the box were at least a hundred silver coins. Turning to his father,
the mathematician’s son said, “The day I pick up the gold coin the game will stop.
They will stop having fun and I will stop making money.”

Sometimes in life, we have to play the fool because our seniors and our peers,
and sometimes even our juniors like it. That does not mean we lose in the game of life.
It just means allowing others to win in one arena of the game, while we win in the other arena of the game.
We have to choose which arena matters to us and which arenas do not.

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All is Well

All is Well funda really works..

I apply it to relax from my anxiety about my last exam or presentation seminar or project deadline.

Its true that situation or a time once gone can never come back then why to worry all the time about the things we can`t change.

So make your heart fool by saying All is Well and one day definitely things will become perfectly which you actually wanted or desire or deserve.

For now laugh at confusion, smile through tears & someday everything will make perfect sense because whatever happens - happens for the reason..

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3 Idiots

I am a big fan of Aamir.
He is such a perfectionist and from his movie he spreaded an excellent message that,

DONT RUN AFTER SUCCESS INSTEAD STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE

Its true & i believe in it.

So many things to learn from this movie.
After LOVE AAJKAL I like it.

Its a must watch..

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Sharing Thoughts

I t's just so funny. People who do trust must think that we are crazy. But I can honestly say that I trust no one - and I HATE this feeling. I am so scared to trust anyone, that I just can't bring my walls down.

I have put my trust in some of the WORST people on earth, and have my heart handed back, not only shredded, ripped, barbecued but skewered and served back to me.

Even though, every time I have let my guard down , I still think that if I had ONE wish - if God could hear just ONE wish from me -- please allow me to have one person that I can talk to, that I can trust - that wants nothing in return. The kind of person who you can call at 3am with no worries, can show up and talk to at anytime, the kind that smiles when you come to see them.

I know that this isn't going to happen - and I know that if anyone could have one wish from God, it should be to stop all wars, end homelessness, feed the poor, have world peace.There is a good saying by Abraham Lincoln as it says "

If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

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Love yourself.. Love your life.. No matter what..!!

You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

"If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right."


Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.



"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

Yeh life hai yaar. . Take it Lightly. . ! !

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Nationalising tobacco industry is a possible way to control tobacco

Many found it an unusual conclusion (and some apparently radical) when speaking at the “Conference on Strategy Planning on Tobacco Control” I suggested that “Nationalisation of the Tobacco Industry” is a possible solution to tackle the tobacco menace. Many jaws dropped and I could clearly see many mouths wide open on this suggestion; a few also labelled me as “Removed from the reality” and suggested me to become “Practical.”

For me, this “Nationalisation” option was not an out-of-the-blues impromptu bombshell but rather a well thought out and deliberated suggestion. I had carefully pondered over the possible options after considering the actual state of affairs and the condition of governance in India before arriving at the suggested conclusion of taking over of the tobacco industry by the government as one of the most practical ways of containing tobacco. Some may not agree; I am willing to provide all of them reasons on how and why this is one of the best options for India.

It is impossible to restrain the profit minded tobacco companies just by enforcing legislation or other such methods so we have to find more effective and practical ways to stop the five million annual death-toll due to tobacco. The industry is incorrigible and for them profit will always weigh over the human lives. Even with the most benevolent intentions, it is a foolish assumption (I think it is) that the tobacco industry will work for it’s own de-growth. If tomorrow, cocaine and marijuana becomes even partially legal many greedy hounds will happily jump in to sell that too. We have no phase-out plan for tobacco so that’s a good thing for the industry; it sends a clear message that they can continue doing what they are doing and that tobacco will remain in the society for time immemorial.

A phased de-growth can only be worked out by the governments and not the industry. For this it is pertinent that the government takes over the tobacco industry under its complete control by nationalising tobacco and working on a fade-off plan.

This can be done by chalking out a 20 years phase-out plan with a targeted and properly planned 5 to 10 percent de-growth for the tobacco industry every year. After the premeditated period of 20 years the tobacco industry will shrink to the size of less than one sixth of the present size and then it could be extinguished. This kind of planning is also in the interest of the highly exploited tobacco farmers as the earning from tobacco during the intervening period can go to these marginalised farmers and thereby enable a scientifically phased shifting of the tobacco crop with other cash rich crops. Currently all the earning generated by exploiting tobacco farmers and by tobacco sales are siphoned by a handful of rich tobacco manufacturers and individuals but after nationalisation of the industry a part of the tobacco earning could also be used to treat tobacco related ailments and to meet other health care costs.

Who loose if tobacco industry is taken over by the government?

Public; No. All sections of the society stand to gain out of it.
Tobacco users; No; tobacco would be still available as it is on date; there is no proposal to ban it.
Farmers; No; rather they stand to gain by the additional revenue and by better wages if the government takes over the industry.
Government; No; there shall be greater revenue now available besides by phasing out tobacco, the health care cost will also start coming down.
Share holders; No; system to pay them back the share value over a period of time can be worked out and no economic loss would be caused.

So it’s only a win-win situation barring some minor losses to around 10-20 people around the world who illegally siphon most of the tobacco money.

In a civilised society why should any individual be allowed to profit from someone else’s miseries and death? When for a relatively minor violation affecting human health like selling pest infested food articles, etc. one is put behind bars (for years) under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, then how can we turn a nelsons’ eye to a deadly product like tobacco?

The other urgent requirement is that of licensing the tobacco trade. When even benevolent medicines are sold only through licensed chemists then why should a fatal drug delivery product, “Tobacco” be openly sold? Immediate licensing of all tobacco related activities will add billions of rupees to the government kitty and also be highly helpful in regulating most of the tobacco related demand side violations.

It is a historical mistake that tobacco became a legal product but now is the time to rectify the mistake. We have all the facts, rationale and means to correct one of the biggest mistakes of the civilised world. Let’s work for it.


(Download the presentation from http://www.burningbrain.org/pdf/tobaccofuture.pdf)

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