People are more important than the money we earn off them.

  
I would like to share something we all need to learn. 

Suze Orman: The Right Order Is People, Money, Things When financial planner and motivational speaker Suze Orman talks, people listen. Orman says we all need to get our priorities straight. “The United States of America would not be in the situation it is right now if we had really cared about people first, and we cared about the well-being of people more than we cared about the money we made off of them. We would have had the strength to say to them, ‘You can’t afford this mortgage; we’re not going to lend you money you’re never going to be able to pay back,’ ” Orman says. To sync your priorities with your finances, Orman says: Don’t buy things unless you have the money to buy them. Don’t expand your business unless you have the money to do so. Realize people are the key to everything—money can’t do anything without people. Think about and understand what you’re doing—and why—with your money.

Happiness

 Happiness- something that each one of us continuously seeking- yet it seems to evade us in any which way.

Some quotes regarding happiness.

Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.

Happiness is not an accident. Nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design.

How sad to see a father with money and no joy. The man studied economics, but never studied happiness.

The greatest source of unhappiness comes from inside.

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. There shall never be 'that perfect day' when everything will be alright.
So, look for happiness today in whatever you have.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Don't worry , be happy.

You are a Masterpiece

"A plum once said, 'just because a banana lover came by, I converted myself into a banana. Unfortunately, his taste changed after a few months and so I became an orange. When he said I was bitter I became an apple, but he went in search of grapes. Yielding to the opinions of so many people, I have changed so many times that I no more know who I am. How I wish I had remained a plum and waited for a plum lover.'

Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality. You need to think Good of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate. Never stoop down in order to gain recognition. Never let go of your true self to win a relationship. In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest Glory - your uniqueness, for momentary validation. Even Gandhi was not accepted by many people. The group that does not accept you as YOU is not your world.

There is a world for each one of you, where you shall reign as king /queen by just being yourself. Find that world... In fact, that world will find You.

What water can do, gasoline cannot and what copper can, gold cannot. The fragility of the ant enables it to move and the rigidity of the tree enables it to stay rooted. Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness to serve a purpose that we can fulfill only by being our unique self. You as you alone can serve your purpose and I as I Alone can serve my purpose. You are here to be you... Just YOU.

There was a time in this world when a Krishna was required and he was sent; a time when a Christ was required and he was sent; a time when a Mahatma was required and he was sent; a time when a JRD Tata was required and he was sent. There came a time when you were required on this planet and hence you were sent. Let us be the best we can be.

In the history of the universe, there has been nobody like you and to the infinity of time to come, there will be no one like you. Existence should have loved you so much that it broke the mould after making you, so that another of your kind will never get repeated. You are original. You are rare. You are unique. You are a wonder. You are a masterpiece. .. Your Master’s piece...

Life is short- make the best of it.

Randy Pausch 47–years–old, a computer science lecturer from Mellon University died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book "The last lecture" before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind. In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life"
for his wife and children
to follow.

May you be blessed by his insight.

 Points on how to improve your life

Personality

*  Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
*  Don’t have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
*  Don’t overdo; keep your limits
*  Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
*  Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
*  Dream more while you are awake.
*  Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
*  Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
*  Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
*  Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
*  No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
*  Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
*  Smile and laugh more.
*  You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community

*  Call your family often.
*  Each day give something good to others.
*  Forgive everyone for everything.
*  Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
*  Try to make at least three people smile each day.
*  What other people think of you is none of your business.
*  Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life

*  Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
*  GOD heals everything
*  Do the right things
*  However good or bad a situation is, it will change
*  No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
*  The best is yet to come
*  Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful
*  When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
*  If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

 No matter where in the world you belong - the principles of good living do not change. Get focused and start living without waiting for things to get better.

The importance of co operation in competition

All great leaders of the world believe that if you want to succeed, you should help those around you, grow.

Today I would like to share a story about success.

There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning corn.
Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won honor and
prizes.


One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something
interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the
farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors'.


"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors
when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the
reporter asked.


"Why sir, "said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen
from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my
neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn,
cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am
to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."


The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His
corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is
in the other dimensions! Those who choose to be at harmony must help
their neighbors and colleagues to be at peace... Those who choose to
live well must help others to live well. The value of a life is measured
by the lives it touches.


SUCCESS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN ISOLATION. IT IS VERY OFTEN A PARTICIPATIVE
AND COLLECTIVE PROCESS.


So share the good practices, ideas, new learnings with your family, team
members, neighbors. All the Successes is a Team Work of a family, group,
enterprise, corporation... Infact TEAM as an acronym of letters T,E,A,M
T Together
E Everyone
A Achieves
M More

CORRUPTION – ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

Corruption – the word has been rocking the nation in the recent times more than it has done in the past. But the fact remains that it has been there in the society even before we actually got on the streets, and fighting it became a household discussion. Right from the times of ‘Shree420’ and ‘Anari’ to ‘Roti, Kapda aur Makaan’ to the more recent ‘Rang de Basanti’ and ‘Aarakshan’ , it has only multiplied in its magnitude and proportions so much so that it has gained public acceptance. And owing to the external locus of control that we Indians are known to have –blame it on the system.

While the Oxford dictionary defines it as an irregular alteration of the text, language etc., I understand it as having altered meaning of the same law for different people at different times. That’s what we see happening in public life – a behaviour is punishable if enacted by a ‘mere mortal’ but ‘no big deal’ when committed by the more influential and people in positions of power. In very simple words – when one is not doing one’s duty honestly and begins to believe that they are doing a favour and therefore need to be compensated for it, that’s corruption.

Do we see an end to it in the near future – the answer is a big NO.

I’ve my reasons for saying so – it cannot go because we’ll not let it go. Surprised ? But that’s true. Its so deeply ingrained in our psyches and our social fabric that at least in a 100 years to come – it is there to stay.

If we consider the psychological dynamics of the phenomenon we would realize that it serves a potent role in the lives of people. It starts with the assumption that some people are more privileged than others and that everyone is not equal. There are systems that relegate more power and prestige to some people by virtue of their sex, religion, caste and a number of fractions created for convenience of having control over certain segments of the society. Such power brings with it a social hypocrisy that bestows on them more privileges and the right to dictate terms at the cost of the fundamental rights of that group.

Unfortunately this happens not only at the national, regional and community level – it happens in families. Family the smallest and the most basic unit of a society – which is responsible for the formation of social and national character is at the seat of corruption. Families fail to give equal rights to certain members in the name of hierarchy, family honour and/or issues of security and protection – suppressing the human rights. Rights and duties are unequally distributed in the favor of the more powerful – who get to enjoy all the rights and duties are delegated to the not- so-powerful.

The ancient texts have clearly laid down the rules for the people in authority positions and the protector or as we shall call the head of the organization in modern times – the leader – to lead by example. Leadership is about guarding the interest of the protected and about motivating them for the efficient execution of the system. Family being a primary organization, the head of the family needs to protect and appreciate the interests and safeguard the dignity of the dependents. When families begin to give equal opportunities and rights to all its members irrespective of the place in the hierarchy and various other factors, it will start to show in the social fabric and then reflect on the national front. When the law applies to all with rather more stringent consequences for the people in authority, then we will succeed in bringing about a corruption free society.

So, on this women’s day I would appeal to all women – the bearers and rearers of the future generation – teach your children to be more just, more patient and tolerant of the rights of others. Feel more empowered and teach your children to be independent, teach them to be considerate and teach them to take responsibility for their thoughts, feelings and actions.

Einstein's Ability to Risk and Willingness to Be Wrong

Dear friends here I would like to share some material I found on the net. I bet we all can benefit from it.

Never be afraid to be wrong and to fail.

The early life of Einstein gives us some clues to the great man he would become. He was never one to dominate conversation to prove his intellect. Even as a child he didn't talk much. It has been said that he didn't talk until the age of 3 (there are conflicting accounts on this). But it took him a little longer to talk than the average child. Yet, we must remember that Albert Einstein was far more than average.

Einstein's parents hardly coddled their firstborn. They gave him tremendous freedom to roam and grow. This no doubt had a positive outcome on his development. When he was just 4, he was allowed to roam the neighborhood alone. Believe it or not, his parents even encouraged him to cross the street on his own at this young age. They watched the first few times to ensure that he looked both ways, but soon he was on his own.

Now keep in mind, when he was crossing the street, he wasn't dodging Fords, Chevrolets, Mercedes or cars with a lot of horsepower. He was dodging only true horse power! In other words, he was dodging horse-drawn carriages. But, it was still very dangerous for the young child. In our world today, I would not encourage my 4-year-old to roam the neighborhood alone or even allow him near the street. That being said, the principles of self-reliance and risk that Einstein's parents implemented in his life are ones we can perhaps model on a smaller scale. Einstein certainly modeled this behavior with his own son on a smaller scale.

In his late 20s, Einstein moved to Zurich with his first wife, Mileva, and their son. Friedrich Adler was living near Einstein and they became great friends. They would often get together to share ideas. Oftentimes their sons would get rowdy and it would be hard for the two men to talk. Other parents might barge in and tell their sons to be quiet, that they are having a meeting. Not Adler and Einstein. These great thinkers would climb into the attic to carry on their conversation. They allowed their boys to grow and explore even if they were noisy.

His freedom as a child and the freedom he gave his son were in part due to his attitude on failure. He was not afraid to fail. After all, he tackled some of the most perplexing questions of our universe. Many would have shied away from tackling these questions simply because the rate of failure seemed extraordinarily high. However, it is evident that Einstein was not afraid to be wrong or to fail.

When Einstein was 50, reporters were hounding him for an interview during the time in which he was working on a unified field theory. Put into layman's terms, this meant he was working on a theory that would explain the entire universe in a single mathematical equation. He had the attention of the world. Reporters parked outside his home in the vain hope for an interview. Many kept all-night vigils waiting for the story. As a rule, Einstein did not chase the spotlight and dodged the requests often. It was the same in this instance as well. He did, however, allow an interview with one reporter from The New York Times. You see The New York Times was edited by Carr Van Anda, and Van Anda had found an error in one of Einstein's previous equations. Imagine that! The editor of The New York Times finding an error in the math of Einstein! Don't you think that Einstein must have been irate that the editor would point this out? He must have been insulted. Actually, on the contrary, Einstein was impressed and that is the reason he allowed an interview to the reporter from The New York Times. You see, Einstein was not afraid to be wrong, and when corrected he was not insulted.

At Princeton, Albert Einstein was more like a kindly uncle. When he arrived in 1935, he was asked what he would require for his study. He replied, "A desk, some pads and a pencil, and a large wastebasket—to hold all of my mistakes."

Albert Einstein spent his last two decades trying to reconcile quantum physics with relativity. His Holy Grail—a so-called "Unified Field Theory"—eluded him. He once casually mentioned to a colleague that he was on the verge of his "greatest discovery ever," before admitting that "it didn't pan out" just two weeks later.

One day in his twilight years, he received a letter from a 15-year-old girl asking for help with a homework assignment. She soon received a curious reply: a page full of unintelligible diagrams, along with an attempt at consolation: "Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics," Einstein told her, "I can assure you that mine are much greater!"

The man who was the greatest success at mathematics also failed a lot at them. But that didn't stop him from moving forward.

Not only was he willing to take risks in math, he also risked when he gambled. While attending a physics symposium in Las Vegas one year, Albert Einstein, to the astonishment of many of his sober-minded colleagues, spent a fair amount of time at the craps and roulette tables.

"Einstein is gambling as if there were no tomorrow," an eminent physicist remarked one day. "What troubles me," another replied, "is that he may know something!"

Too often in life, we attempt to spend all our energy demonstrating how we are right instead of accepting constructive criticism and getting better. This is not true of Einstein. Not only was he not afraid of being wrong, he was not afraid of being corrected. Ask yourself honestly: How do you respond when you are corrected? Do you lash out or are you grateful?

If you want to develop the mind of Einstein. You must not be afraid to fail; allow yourself the opportunity to fail. Herman Melville put it this way: "He who has never failed somewhere, that man can not be great."

Thomas Edison, when he was constructing the light bulb, built 1,000 prototypes that did not work before he successfully built the one that we still use today. A reporter asked Edison how it felt to fail 1,000 times. Edison replied, "You misunderstand. I did not fail 1,000 times. I successfully found 1,000 ways that the light bulb would not work." Edison, like Einstein, did not view failure the way so many do. They viewed it as acceptable and a way to learn and grow.

The fear of failure could have paralyzed Einstein and Edison, yet it did not. What about you? Are you so paralyzed with fear that you have settled for mediocrity? Don't allow that to happen. Embrace risk and failure. Learn that it is OK to be wrong, and run headlong into the rewards of risk as Einstein did.

HAPPY RISK TAKING.