Goal Setting:
Setting your goals will help manifest your success. You must know where you're going in order to know how to get there. Below are some things to think about.
What are your goals? What is it that you really want? This may sound like a simple question but is it really? When I first sat down to write my goals, I thought to myself, "this will be easy", but it wasn't! Don't think of goals as money or happiness, that's too broad. Think of goals in specifics.
Think of detailed goals, such as "to make $10,000 more this year than last year" as opposed to "to make lots more money this year". See the difference? Goals need to be specifically determined in order to decide the direction to take.
What direction do you take if you don't know exactly where you're going?
Let's use taking a cab as an example: If you said to a cab driver, "Take me somewhere." He would ask, "Where?" You would be forced to narrow down your location. Replying, "Somewhere downtown," still wouldn't be good enough because he would need to know exactly what street.
Without realizing it, so many people do the same thing with their lives! It's amazing but true. Some live each day as it comes and hardly give tomorrow (their goals) a second thought. In some instances this is okay, but not when planning for the future! Today, once gone, cannot be brought back, so take the time to sit down and plan. Starting with your goals!
Needs vs. Wants:-
Goals can be things you need or want. It's best to start with primary goals; your needs. Such as the means to pay your rent, bills, insurance, car repairs etc. Sometimes 'wants' will sneak in on the 'needs' list so pay close attention that you only list your 'needs' first.
This will give you a baseline to work with. Once you know the bare minimum needs, you will know what you must accomplish before you do anything else. It's at this point that you build. Next list the things you want. You may find the things you want aren't always material things. I found myself listing things like 'to be more assertive' or 'to use my time more wisely' along with the new car or big house. These self betterments aren't things that money can buy, but they are goals. And with every accomplished goal your self esteem will rise to give you the strength to keep going.
If you've ever watched interviews with famous people, many of them rock stars, you see many who have accomplished their material goals but not their personal, self betterment goals. They hit it big, had their mansions, cars, friends, and anything else they could want. But the story almost always ends the same, they either hit rock bottom, used drugs or died young from unhealthy living.
Once the majority of these rock stars (the ones that survived) "grew up" their story is usually now a happy one. They have had the time to think and have found their mental peace. Even though they skyrocketed to fame and fortune which were their material goals, they still weren't happy. It was the mental peace and personal growth that made life bearable. The same is true for your own accomplishments. Don't forget to list goals that will make you grow as a person.
Mental preparation is so important.
Now that you have your 'needs' and 'wants' list make sure you listed as many things as you could think of for each. Compare them and see what you think. Believe it or not, you just did what most all successful people have done before they climbed the ladder of success. True success both mentally and financially is through a series of experiences. Financial success is best built, not 'hit big all at once'.
Many new online marketers are under the impression they will hit the net hard and become tremendously wealthy overnight. Fortunately this is not true. There is nothing more satisfying than to work hard and see your accomplishments steadily grow into your dreams. So be prepared to climb and enjoy the experience!
Motivational लेबल असलेली पोस्ट दाखवित आहे. सर्व पोस्ट्स दर्शवा
Motivational लेबल असलेली पोस्ट दाखवित आहे. सर्व पोस्ट्स दर्शवा
मंगळवार, १४ जुलै, २००९
Be Positive
This may sound quite aberrant to most of the younger generations who are not really exposed to the personality development articles, books or motivational lectures.
Being positive does not indicate that we aren't able to handle a situation which is of abstruse nature. Being positive means, seeing the opportunity, seeing the best option that is available in any situation
.
Generally people criticize themselves, time and other previous situations whenever, they are caught up in a problem, jinx etc.
Basically, abecedarians who are undergoing personality development through self interest or by means of their parents, pretty well fall into such traps of criticizing themselves for what has happened. But, let me tell you, if you have chosen to be strong, then nothing can make you weak, if you have chosen to be weak, nothing can make you strong. The transformation from weak to strong and vice versa is very much dependent upon your self esteem " The way you feel about yourself", will and of course positive attitude.
People are bound to make mistakes; and they should, in fact to make your brains work. Yes, when you commit mistakes or things go wrong, as they may sometimes, you do not have to feel inferior, rather be strong and fight back, make yourself capable to handle such situations. Above all learn; the more you learn, the more you achieve. As it is very precisely said:
Arise, awake and stop not till you goal is achieved.
Here, goal may be anything; it might be effective handling or learning.
When i say LEARN; i mean:
L - Lead
E - Effective
A - Alert
R - Realistic, ready, reasonable
N - Natty (smart)
Remember, being effective, alert, realistic and natty not only helps and enables you to act pragmatically, but, it also helps you in learning.
So, fear not my dear, rather strike hard and effectively. May this article bring lots of positive personality changes in you transforming your sole into a blend of intellect, boldness and bring out the natty features of yours whenever a hard task arises.
Last but not the least: "Believe in you".
Being positive does not indicate that we aren't able to handle a situation which is of abstruse nature. Being positive means, seeing the opportunity, seeing the best option that is available in any situation
.
Generally people criticize themselves, time and other previous situations whenever, they are caught up in a problem, jinx etc.
Basically, abecedarians who are undergoing personality development through self interest or by means of their parents, pretty well fall into such traps of criticizing themselves for what has happened. But, let me tell you, if you have chosen to be strong, then nothing can make you weak, if you have chosen to be weak, nothing can make you strong. The transformation from weak to strong and vice versa is very much dependent upon your self esteem " The way you feel about yourself", will and of course positive attitude.
People are bound to make mistakes; and they should, in fact to make your brains work. Yes, when you commit mistakes or things go wrong, as they may sometimes, you do not have to feel inferior, rather be strong and fight back, make yourself capable to handle such situations. Above all learn; the more you learn, the more you achieve. As it is very precisely said:
Arise, awake and stop not till you goal is achieved.
Here, goal may be anything; it might be effective handling or learning.
When i say LEARN; i mean:
L - Lead
E - Effective
A - Alert
R - Realistic, ready, reasonable
N - Natty (smart)
Remember, being effective, alert, realistic and natty not only helps and enables you to act pragmatically, but, it also helps you in learning.
So, fear not my dear, rather strike hard and effectively. May this article bring lots of positive personality changes in you transforming your sole into a blend of intellect, boldness and bring out the natty features of yours whenever a hard task arises.
Last but not the least: "Believe in you".
DESERVE BEFORE YOU DESIRE
An interesting article by Dr.Gopalkrisnan, Chairman, Tata Sons on JOB HOPPING.
Food for thought definitely for those looking for a change or those who change jobs very frequently. Why are so many people leaving one job for another? Is it passe now to work with just one company for a sufficiently long period?
Whenever I ask this question to people who leave a company, the answers I get are: "Oh, I am getting a 200% hike in salary"; "Well, I am jumping three levels in my designation" ; "Well, they are going to send me abroad in six months". Then, I look around at all the people who are considered successful today and who have reached the top - be it a media agency, an advertising agency or a company. I find that most of these people are the ones who have stuck to the company, ground their heels and worked their way to the top. And, as I look around for people who changed their jobs constantly, I find they have stagnated at some level, in obscurity!
In this absolutely ruthless, dynamic and competitive environment, there are still no short-cuts to success or to making money. The only thing that continues to pay, as earlier, is loyalty and hard work. Yes, it pays! Sometimes, immediately, sometimes after a lot of time. But, it does pay. Does this mean that one should stick to an organization and wait for that golden moment? Of course not. After a long stint, there always comes a time for moving in most organizations, but it is important to move for the right reasons, rather than superficial ones, like money, designation or an overseas trip.
Remember, no company recruits for charity. More often than not, when you are offered an unseemly hike in salary or designation that is disproportionate to what that company offers it current employees, there is always an unseen bait attached.
The result? You will, in the long-term, have reached exactly the same levels or maybe lower levels than what you would have in your current company.
A lot of people leave an organization because they are "unhappy". What is this so-called-unhappine ss? I have been working for donkey's years and there has never been a day when I am not unhappy about something in my work environment - boss, rude colleague, fussy clients etc.
Unhappiness in a workplace, to a large extent, is transient. If you look hard enough, there is always something to be unhappy about. But, more importantly, do I come to work to be "happy" in the truest sense? If I think hard, the answer is "No". Happiness is something you find with family, friends, may be a close circle of colleagues who have become friends.
What you come to work for is to earn, build a reputation, satisfy your ambitions, be appreciated for your work ethics, face challenges and get the job done.
So, the next time you are tempted to move, ask yourself why are you moving and what are you moving into? Some questions are:
* Am I ready and capable of handling the new responsibility? If yes, what could be the possible reasons my current company has not offered me the same responsibility?
* Who are the people who currently handle this responsibility in the current and new company? Am I as good as the best among them?
* As the new job offer has a different profile, why have I not given the current company the option to offer me this profile?
* Why is the new company offering me the job? Do they want me for my skills, or is there an ulterior motive?
An honest answer to these will eventually decide where you go in your career - to the top of the pile in the long term (at the cost of short-term blips) or to become another average employee who gets lost with time in the wilderness?
Food for thought definitely for those looking for a change or those who change jobs very frequently. Why are so many people leaving one job for another? Is it passe now to work with just one company for a sufficiently long period?
Whenever I ask this question to people who leave a company, the answers I get are: "Oh, I am getting a 200% hike in salary"; "Well, I am jumping three levels in my designation" ; "Well, they are going to send me abroad in six months". Then, I look around at all the people who are considered successful today and who have reached the top - be it a media agency, an advertising agency or a company. I find that most of these people are the ones who have stuck to the company, ground their heels and worked their way to the top. And, as I look around for people who changed their jobs constantly, I find they have stagnated at some level, in obscurity!
In this absolutely ruthless, dynamic and competitive environment, there are still no short-cuts to success or to making money. The only thing that continues to pay, as earlier, is loyalty and hard work. Yes, it pays! Sometimes, immediately, sometimes after a lot of time. But, it does pay. Does this mean that one should stick to an organization and wait for that golden moment? Of course not. After a long stint, there always comes a time for moving in most organizations, but it is important to move for the right reasons, rather than superficial ones, like money, designation or an overseas trip.
Remember, no company recruits for charity. More often than not, when you are offered an unseemly hike in salary or designation that is disproportionate to what that company offers it current employees, there is always an unseen bait attached.
The result? You will, in the long-term, have reached exactly the same levels or maybe lower levels than what you would have in your current company.
A lot of people leave an organization because they are "unhappy". What is this so-called-unhappine ss? I have been working for donkey's years and there has never been a day when I am not unhappy about something in my work environment - boss, rude colleague, fussy clients etc.
Unhappiness in a workplace, to a large extent, is transient. If you look hard enough, there is always something to be unhappy about. But, more importantly, do I come to work to be "happy" in the truest sense? If I think hard, the answer is "No". Happiness is something you find with family, friends, may be a close circle of colleagues who have become friends.
What you come to work for is to earn, build a reputation, satisfy your ambitions, be appreciated for your work ethics, face challenges and get the job done.
So, the next time you are tempted to move, ask yourself why are you moving and what are you moving into? Some questions are:
* Am I ready and capable of handling the new responsibility? If yes, what could be the possible reasons my current company has not offered me the same responsibility?
* Who are the people who currently handle this responsibility in the current and new company? Am I as good as the best among them?
* As the new job offer has a different profile, why have I not given the current company the option to offer me this profile?
* Why is the new company offering me the job? Do they want me for my skills, or is there an ulterior motive?
An honest answer to these will eventually decide where you go in your career - to the top of the pile in the long term (at the cost of short-term blips) or to become another average employee who gets lost with time in the wilderness?
Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away
One day all the employees of an organization reached their office and they saw a big notice on the door on which it was written:
"Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym".
In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who
was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.
The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.
Everyone thought: "Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!"
One by one, the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it, they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.
There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:
"There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU. You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself".
Examine yourself. Watch yourself. Do not be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses. Be a winner; build yourself and your
reality. The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed.
Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes or when your company changes. Your life changes only when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs and when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
"Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym".
In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who
was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.
The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.
Everyone thought: "Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!"
One by one, the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it, they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.
There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:
"There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU. You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself".
Examine yourself. Watch yourself. Do not be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses. Be a winner; build yourself and your
reality. The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed.
Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes or when your company changes. Your life changes only when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs and when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
Mail sent by Narayan Murthy to all Infosys staff
Mail sent by Narayan Murthy to all Infosys staff:
It's half past 8 in the office but the lights are still on...
PCs still running, coffee machines still buzzing...
And who's at work? Most of them ??? Take a closer look...
All or most specimens are ??
Something male species of the human race...
Look closer... again all or most of them are bachelors...
And why are they sitting late? Working hard? No way!!!
Any guesses???
Let's ask one of them...
Here's what he says... 'What's there 2 do after going home...Here we get to surf, AC, phone, food, coffee that is why I am working late...Importantly no bossssssss!!!!!!!!!!!'
This is the scene in most research centers and software companies and other off-shore offices.
Bachelors 'Time-passing' during late hours in the office just bcoz they say they've nothing else to do...
Now what r the consequences...
'Working' (for the record only) late hours soon becomes part of the institute or company culture.
With bosses more than eager to provide support to those 'working' late in the form of taxi vouchers, food vouchers and of course good feedback, (oh, he's a hard worker... goes home only to change..!!).
They aren't helping things too...
To hell with bosses who don't understand the difference between 'sitting' late and 'working' late!!!
Very soon, the boss start expecting all employees to put in extra working hours.
So, My dear Bachelors let me tell you, life changes when u get married and start having a family... office is no longer a priority, family is... and
That's when the problem starts... b'coz u start having commitments at home too.
For your boss, the earlier 'hardworking' guy suddenly seems to become a 'early leaver' even if u leave an hour after regular time... after doing the same amount of work.
People leaving on time after doing their tasks for the day are labelled as work-shirkers...
Girls who thankfully always (its changing nowadays... though) leave on time are labelled as 'not up to it'. All the while, the bachelors pat their own backs and carry on 'working' not realizing that they r spoiling the work culture at their own place and never realize that they would have to regret at one point of time.
So what's the moral of the story??
* Very clear, LEAVE ON TIME!!!
* Never put in extra time ' unless really needed '
* Don't stay back unnecessarily and spoil your company work culture which will in turn cause inconvenience to you and your colleagues.
There are hundred other things to do in the evening..
Learn music...
Learn a foreign language...
Try a sport... TT, cricket.........
Importantly,get a girl friend or boy friend, take him/her around town...
* And for heaven's sake, net cafe rates have dropped to an all-time low (plus, no fire-walls) and try cooking for a change.
Take a tip from the Smirnoff ad: *'Life's calling, where are you??'*
Please pass on this message to all those colleagues and please do it before leaving time, don't stay back till midnight to forward this!!!
IT'S A TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY THAT WORKING FOR LONG HOURS MEANS VERY HARD WORKING & 100% COMMITMENT ETC.
PEOPLE WHO REGULARLY SIT LATE IN THE OFFICE DON'T KNOW TO MANAGE THEIR TIME. SIMPLE !
Regards,
NARAYAN MURTHY.
It's half past 8 in the office but the lights are still on...
PCs still running, coffee machines still buzzing...
And who's at work? Most of them ??? Take a closer look...
All or most specimens are ??
Something male species of the human race...
Look closer... again all or most of them are bachelors...
And why are they sitting late? Working hard? No way!!!
Any guesses???
Let's ask one of them...
Here's what he says... 'What's there 2 do after going home...Here we get to surf, AC, phone, food, coffee that is why I am working late...Importantly no bossssssss!!!!!!!!!!!'
This is the scene in most research centers and software companies and other off-shore offices.
Bachelors 'Time-passing' during late hours in the office just bcoz they say they've nothing else to do...
Now what r the consequences...
'Working' (for the record only) late hours soon becomes part of the institute or company culture.
With bosses more than eager to provide support to those 'working' late in the form of taxi vouchers, food vouchers and of course good feedback, (oh, he's a hard worker... goes home only to change..!!).
They aren't helping things too...
To hell with bosses who don't understand the difference between 'sitting' late and 'working' late!!!
Very soon, the boss start expecting all employees to put in extra working hours.
So, My dear Bachelors let me tell you, life changes when u get married and start having a family... office is no longer a priority, family is... and
That's when the problem starts... b'coz u start having commitments at home too.
For your boss, the earlier 'hardworking' guy suddenly seems to become a 'early leaver' even if u leave an hour after regular time... after doing the same amount of work.
People leaving on time after doing their tasks for the day are labelled as work-shirkers...
Girls who thankfully always (its changing nowadays... though) leave on time are labelled as 'not up to it'. All the while, the bachelors pat their own backs and carry on 'working' not realizing that they r spoiling the work culture at their own place and never realize that they would have to regret at one point of time.
So what's the moral of the story??
* Very clear, LEAVE ON TIME!!!
* Never put in extra time ' unless really needed '
* Don't stay back unnecessarily and spoil your company work culture which will in turn cause inconvenience to you and your colleagues.
There are hundred other things to do in the evening..
Learn music...
Learn a foreign language...
Try a sport... TT, cricket.........
Importantly,get a girl friend or boy friend, take him/her around town...
* And for heaven's sake, net cafe rates have dropped to an all-time low (plus, no fire-walls) and try cooking for a change.
Take a tip from the Smirnoff ad: *'Life's calling, where are you??'*
Please pass on this message to all those colleagues and please do it before leaving time, don't stay back till midnight to forward this!!!
IT'S A TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY THAT WORKING FOR LONG HOURS MEANS VERY HARD WORKING & 100% COMMITMENT ETC.
PEOPLE WHO REGULARLY SIT LATE IN THE OFFICE DON'T KNOW TO MANAGE THEIR TIME. SIMPLE !
Regards,
NARAYAN MURTHY.
Top Ten Things About Creating A Winning Culture
Top Ten Things About Creating A Winning Culture
Creating A Winning Culture begins with your behaviours, attitudes and actions. There are lots of things which you can do to make the difference between a great and a dismal culture. By Creating A Winning Culture, it gives your business an extra dimension - like it's one big being, rather than loads of individuals working together.
When you've experienced it, you know.
The best at Creating A Winning Culture...
1. Behave Equitably
They treat others in a way they would wish to be treated themselves and encourage that in their business for all.
2. Are Honest and Trustworthy
Through a deep understanding of what is truly important, they realise that they must be open, honest and keep promises.
3. Care About Their People
Truly caring and supportive, these people understand that they are dealing with real human beings who have feelings, passions, emotions and sensitivities. And they make sure they treat them with respect.
4. Use Coaching and Feedback
They generate a wonderful learning organisation which fosters growth and challenge, yet also recognises that some people just want to do well and enjoy the roles they have, doing a great job.
5. Recognise Success
The best at Creating A Winning Culture seek to acknowledge good performance and recognise it in ways that will give value to the individual. They celebrate a job well done and reward appropriately.
6. Communicate Well
The ultimate listeners, those who enable the best cultures are truly interested in what others have to say. What is important to their people is appreciated. Information is openly shared and their people can contribute fully and comfortably.
7. Delegate Well
In the best business cultures, people do what they are best at. Those Creating A Winning Culture let go of the things they don't need to do and use delegation as a development tool. Bringing new skills and successes to others - and enabling themselves to focus on growth and future.
8. Build Relationships
Making the best of their interactions of others is a talent. Great business cultures are personified by the nature of the way people interrelate, making for a synergistic explosion of shared ideas and integration.
9. Appreciate Differences
Everyone is part of a great team and business. There are many individuals who contribute their particular and unique skills and abilities into the pot of success. The exponents who are great at Creating A Winning Culture appreciate this variety.
10. Have Fun
And the thing easiest to notice about this sort of business? They are all at one, completely trusting each other and without 'side'. That frees them to have fun a lot - and you can see it and feel it wherever you are in the business.
"It's the intangibles that are the hardest things for a competitor to imitate. You can get an airplane. You can get ticket-counter space; you can get baggage conveyors. But it is our esprit de corps - the culture - the spirit - that is truly our most valuable competitive asset."
Herb Kelleher, Founder, South West Airlines
"Everyone needs to know and feel he is needed.
Everyone wants to be treated as an individual."
Jan Carlzon, President, Scandinavian Airline System
Creating A Winning Culture begins with your behaviours, attitudes and actions. There are lots of things which you can do to make the difference between a great and a dismal culture. By Creating A Winning Culture, it gives your business an extra dimension - like it's one big being, rather than loads of individuals working together.
When you've experienced it, you know.
The best at Creating A Winning Culture...
1. Behave Equitably
They treat others in a way they would wish to be treated themselves and encourage that in their business for all.
2. Are Honest and Trustworthy
Through a deep understanding of what is truly important, they realise that they must be open, honest and keep promises.
3. Care About Their People
Truly caring and supportive, these people understand that they are dealing with real human beings who have feelings, passions, emotions and sensitivities. And they make sure they treat them with respect.
4. Use Coaching and Feedback
They generate a wonderful learning organisation which fosters growth and challenge, yet also recognises that some people just want to do well and enjoy the roles they have, doing a great job.
5. Recognise Success
The best at Creating A Winning Culture seek to acknowledge good performance and recognise it in ways that will give value to the individual. They celebrate a job well done and reward appropriately.
6. Communicate Well
The ultimate listeners, those who enable the best cultures are truly interested in what others have to say. What is important to their people is appreciated. Information is openly shared and their people can contribute fully and comfortably.
7. Delegate Well
In the best business cultures, people do what they are best at. Those Creating A Winning Culture let go of the things they don't need to do and use delegation as a development tool. Bringing new skills and successes to others - and enabling themselves to focus on growth and future.
8. Build Relationships
Making the best of their interactions of others is a talent. Great business cultures are personified by the nature of the way people interrelate, making for a synergistic explosion of shared ideas and integration.
9. Appreciate Differences
Everyone is part of a great team and business. There are many individuals who contribute their particular and unique skills and abilities into the pot of success. The exponents who are great at Creating A Winning Culture appreciate this variety.
10. Have Fun
And the thing easiest to notice about this sort of business? They are all at one, completely trusting each other and without 'side'. That frees them to have fun a lot - and you can see it and feel it wherever you are in the business.
"It's the intangibles that are the hardest things for a competitor to imitate. You can get an airplane. You can get ticket-counter space; you can get baggage conveyors. But it is our esprit de corps - the culture - the spirit - that is truly our most valuable competitive asset."
Herb Kelleher, Founder, South West Airlines
"Everyone needs to know and feel he is needed.
Everyone wants to be treated as an individual."
Jan Carlzon, President, Scandinavian Airline System
Words of wisdom from Azim Premji
This is a letter from Azim Premji to all employees at Wipro.
Dear Wiproite,
My own successes and setbacks along the way have taught me some lessons. I
wish to share them with you and hope you will find them useful.
Lesson #1: Be careful to ask what you want. You may get it.
What this means is that do not ask too little either of yourself or the
others around you. What you ask is what you get. When I look back at the
time when I joined Wipro, I was 21. If you ask me whether I thought that
Wipro would grow so by someday, the honest answer is that I did not. But
neither did I think it would not. We constantly stretched ourselves to
higher and higher targets. Sometimes, it seemed possible, sometimes fanciful
and sometimes plain insane. But we never stopped raising limits. And we got
a lot more than what we bargained for.
Lesson # 2: Respond, don't react
Always be aware of your emotions and learn to manage them. There is a huge
difference between people who react impulsively and those who can disengage
themselves and then respond at will. By choosing to respond differently, we
can prevent another person from controlling our behaviour. I remember a
small story that illustrates this well. There was once a newspaper vendor
who had a rude Customer. Every morning, the Customer would walk by, refuse
to return the greeting, grab the paper off the shelf and throw the money at
the vendor. The vendor would pick up the money, smile politely and say,
"Thank you, Sir." One day, the vendor's assistant asked him, "Why are you
always so polite with him when he is so rude to you? Why don't you throw the
newspaper at him when he comes back tomorrow?" The vendor smiled and
replied, "He can't help being rude and I can't help being polite. Why should
I let his rude behaviour dictate mine?
Lesson # 3: Intuitions are important for making decisions
It is important to realize that our intuition is a very important part of
decision making. Many things are recorded by our subconscious. Use both
sides of the brain. Even that is not enough. Some decisions need the use of
the heart as well. When you use your mind and heart together, you may get a
completely new and creative answer
.
Lesson # 4: Learn to work in teams
The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face
them alone. While most of our education is focused in individual strength,
teaming with others is equally important. You cannot fire a missile from a
canoe. Unless you build a strong network of people with complimentary
skills, you will be restricted by your own limitations. Globalisation has
brought people of different origins, different upbringing and different
cultures together. Ability to become an integral part of a cross-cultural
team will be a must for your success.
Lesson #5: Never lose your zest and curiosity
All the available knowledge in the world is accelerating at a phenomenal
rate. The whole world's codified knowledge base (all documented information
in library books and electronic files) doubled every 30 years in the early
20th century. By the 1970s, the world's knowledge base doubled every seven
years. Information researchers predict that by the year 2010, the world's
codified knowledge will double every 11 hours. Remaining on top of what you
need to know will become one of the greatest challenges for you. The natural
zest and curiosity for learning is one of the greatest drivers for keeping
updated on knowledge. A child's curiosity is insatiable because every new
object is a thing of wonder and mystery. The same zest is needed to keep
learning new things. I personally spend at least 10 hours every week on
reading. If I do not do that, I will find myself quickly outdated.
Lesson # 6: Put yourself first
This does not mean being selfish. Nor does it mean that you must become so
full of yourself that that you become vain or arrogant. It means developing
your self confidence. It means, developing an inner faith in yourself that
is not shaken by external events. It requires perseverance. It shows up in
the ability to rebound from a setback with double enthusiasm and energy. I
came across a recent Harvard Business review which describes this very
effectively :
"No one can truly define success and failure for us- only we can define that
for ourselves. No one can take away our dignity unless we surrender it. No
one can take away our hope and pride unless we relinquish them. No one can
steal our creativity, imagination and skills unless we stop thinking. No one
can stop us from rebounding unless we give up."
And there is no way we can take care of others, unless we take care of
ourselves.
Lesson # 7: Have a broader social vision
While there is every reason to be excited about the future, we must not
forget that we will face many challenges as well. By 2015, we will have 829
million strong workforce. That will make India home to 18% of global
working-age population. The key challenge is to transform that into a
globally competitive work-force. This will not be an easy task. Despite all
the rapid economic expansion seen in recent years, job growth in India still
trails the rise in working-age population. It is important that gains are
spread across this spectrum, so that the divide between the employed and the
under-employed, is minimised. Education is a crucial enabler that can make
this growth as equitable as possible.
Lesson # 8: Play to win
Playing to win is not the same as playing dirty. It is not about winning all
the time or winning at any cost. Playing to win is having the intensity to
stretch to the maximum and bringing our best foot forward. Winning means
focusing on the game. The score board tells you where you are going, but
don't concentrate too much on it. If you can focus on the ball, the scores
will move by themselves. I recently came across this story that I thought I
would share with you
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to
visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into
complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the
professor went into the kitchen. He returned with a large pot of coffee and
an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal- some plain
looking, some expensive, some exquisite - and asked them to help themselves
to coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor
said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up,
leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want
only the best for yourselves, you were more concerned about comparing your
cups but what you really wanted was coffee. Yet you spent all your time
eyeing each other's cups. Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and
position in society are the cups. They are just tools to contain Life, but
cannot really change the quality of Life. Sometimes, by over concentrating
on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee."
I wish you all every success in your career and your life.
Azim Premji
Dear Wiproite,
My own successes and setbacks along the way have taught me some lessons. I
wish to share them with you and hope you will find them useful.
Lesson #1: Be careful to ask what you want. You may get it.
What this means is that do not ask too little either of yourself or the
others around you. What you ask is what you get. When I look back at the
time when I joined Wipro, I was 21. If you ask me whether I thought that
Wipro would grow so by someday, the honest answer is that I did not. But
neither did I think it would not. We constantly stretched ourselves to
higher and higher targets. Sometimes, it seemed possible, sometimes fanciful
and sometimes plain insane. But we never stopped raising limits. And we got
a lot more than what we bargained for.
Lesson # 2: Respond, don't react
Always be aware of your emotions and learn to manage them. There is a huge
difference between people who react impulsively and those who can disengage
themselves and then respond at will. By choosing to respond differently, we
can prevent another person from controlling our behaviour. I remember a
small story that illustrates this well. There was once a newspaper vendor
who had a rude Customer. Every morning, the Customer would walk by, refuse
to return the greeting, grab the paper off the shelf and throw the money at
the vendor. The vendor would pick up the money, smile politely and say,
"Thank you, Sir." One day, the vendor's assistant asked him, "Why are you
always so polite with him when he is so rude to you? Why don't you throw the
newspaper at him when he comes back tomorrow?" The vendor smiled and
replied, "He can't help being rude and I can't help being polite. Why should
I let his rude behaviour dictate mine?
Lesson # 3: Intuitions are important for making decisions
It is important to realize that our intuition is a very important part of
decision making. Many things are recorded by our subconscious. Use both
sides of the brain. Even that is not enough. Some decisions need the use of
the heart as well. When you use your mind and heart together, you may get a
completely new and creative answer
.
Lesson # 4: Learn to work in teams
The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face
them alone. While most of our education is focused in individual strength,
teaming with others is equally important. You cannot fire a missile from a
canoe. Unless you build a strong network of people with complimentary
skills, you will be restricted by your own limitations. Globalisation has
brought people of different origins, different upbringing and different
cultures together. Ability to become an integral part of a cross-cultural
team will be a must for your success.
Lesson #5: Never lose your zest and curiosity
All the available knowledge in the world is accelerating at a phenomenal
rate. The whole world's codified knowledge base (all documented information
in library books and electronic files) doubled every 30 years in the early
20th century. By the 1970s, the world's knowledge base doubled every seven
years. Information researchers predict that by the year 2010, the world's
codified knowledge will double every 11 hours. Remaining on top of what you
need to know will become one of the greatest challenges for you. The natural
zest and curiosity for learning is one of the greatest drivers for keeping
updated on knowledge. A child's curiosity is insatiable because every new
object is a thing of wonder and mystery. The same zest is needed to keep
learning new things. I personally spend at least 10 hours every week on
reading. If I do not do that, I will find myself quickly outdated.
Lesson # 6: Put yourself first
This does not mean being selfish. Nor does it mean that you must become so
full of yourself that that you become vain or arrogant. It means developing
your self confidence. It means, developing an inner faith in yourself that
is not shaken by external events. It requires perseverance. It shows up in
the ability to rebound from a setback with double enthusiasm and energy. I
came across a recent Harvard Business review which describes this very
effectively :
"No one can truly define success and failure for us- only we can define that
for ourselves. No one can take away our dignity unless we surrender it. No
one can take away our hope and pride unless we relinquish them. No one can
steal our creativity, imagination and skills unless we stop thinking. No one
can stop us from rebounding unless we give up."
And there is no way we can take care of others, unless we take care of
ourselves.
Lesson # 7: Have a broader social vision
While there is every reason to be excited about the future, we must not
forget that we will face many challenges as well. By 2015, we will have 829
million strong workforce. That will make India home to 18% of global
working-age population. The key challenge is to transform that into a
globally competitive work-force. This will not be an easy task. Despite all
the rapid economic expansion seen in recent years, job growth in India still
trails the rise in working-age population. It is important that gains are
spread across this spectrum, so that the divide between the employed and the
under-employed, is minimised. Education is a crucial enabler that can make
this growth as equitable as possible.
Lesson # 8: Play to win
Playing to win is not the same as playing dirty. It is not about winning all
the time or winning at any cost. Playing to win is having the intensity to
stretch to the maximum and bringing our best foot forward. Winning means
focusing on the game. The score board tells you where you are going, but
don't concentrate too much on it. If you can focus on the ball, the scores
will move by themselves. I recently came across this story that I thought I
would share with you
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to
visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into
complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the
professor went into the kitchen. He returned with a large pot of coffee and
an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal- some plain
looking, some expensive, some exquisite - and asked them to help themselves
to coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor
said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up,
leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want
only the best for yourselves, you were more concerned about comparing your
cups but what you really wanted was coffee. Yet you spent all your time
eyeing each other's cups. Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and
position in society are the cups. They are just tools to contain Life, but
cannot really change the quality of Life. Sometimes, by over concentrating
on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee."
I wish you all every success in your career and your life.
Azim Premji
Keep the Spark - By chetan bhagat
Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program 2008
(c) Chetan Bhagat
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to
you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the
comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in
your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when
one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you
were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would
the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new
classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement,
the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going
to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be
happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old
twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump
on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from
daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party –
several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own
birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older
people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark
fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and
bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half?
That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to
give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against
storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and
achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for
*you*. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay
package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks
is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints
force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.
But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not
show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore.
Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar
for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to
work everyday?
They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them
feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study
hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with
people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will
get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you
can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we
were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's
design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.
I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you
a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful.
Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in
good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There
is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if
your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon
or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in
nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your
mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life,
where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth
it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but
this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One
of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student
asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice.
The teacher said - *don't be serious, be sincere*. This quote has defined
my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any
of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is
heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how
will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously,
as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited
validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is
just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a
few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not
programmed devices.
I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it
too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in
life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be
guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and
loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected
return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is
extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did
this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel
miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers
rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how
silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.
But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to
be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means
you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.
Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever
been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially
relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve,
sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right
goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought
they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years
to get close to a release.
Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something
negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic
assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even
though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process
rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts ,
having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as
simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can
help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously.
Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how
our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces,
pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere.
And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in
India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and
hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the
long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But
realize, there will be some people luckier than you.
In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech
in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let's be
grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I
have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it.
However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya
Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok.
Don't let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow
older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want
Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot
like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What
you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from
even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may
not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains
in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their
second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it
for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that
compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment,
frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the
monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to
keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone
gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I
also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as
they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college,
but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole
country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any
moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from
the land of a billion sparks
(c) Chetan Bhagat
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to
you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the
comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in
your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when
one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you
were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would
the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new
classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement,
the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going
to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be
happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old
twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump
on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from
daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party –
several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own
birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older
people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark
fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and
bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half?
That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to
give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against
storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and
achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for
*you*. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay
package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks
is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints
force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.
But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not
show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore.
Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar
for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to
work everyday?
They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them
feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study
hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with
people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will
get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you
can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we
were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's
design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.
I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you
a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful.
Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in
good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There
is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if
your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon
or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in
nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your
mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life,
where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth
it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but
this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One
of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student
asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice.
The teacher said - *don't be serious, be sincere*. This quote has defined
my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any
of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is
heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how
will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously,
as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited
validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is
just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a
few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not
programmed devices.
I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it
too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in
life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be
guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and
loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected
return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is
extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did
this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel
miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers
rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how
silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.
But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to
be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means
you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.
Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever
been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially
relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve,
sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right
goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought
they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years
to get close to a release.
Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something
negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic
assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even
though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process
rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts ,
having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as
simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can
help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously.
Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how
our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces,
pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere.
And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in
India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and
hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the
long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But
realize, there will be some people luckier than you.
In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech
in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let's be
grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I
have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it.
However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya
Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok.
Don't let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow
older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want
Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot
like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What
you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from
even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may
not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains
in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their
second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it
for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that
compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment,
frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the
monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to
keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone
gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I
also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as
they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college,
but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole
country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any
moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from
the land of a billion sparks
तुमचा 'स्पार्क' टिकवा!
गुड मॉर्निंग एव्हरीवन. तुमच्याशी संवाद साधण्याची संधी दिल्याबद्दल आभार. आयुष्यात काहीतरी बनण्यासाठी तुम्ही इथं आला आहात. खात्रीनं तुम्ही सारे आज एक्साइटेड असणार. आयुष्यात असे फारच थोडे दिवस येतात जेव्हा माणूस अस्सल आनंदाचा अनुभव घेतो. कॉलेजचा पहिला दिवस हा त्यातला एक. आज तयार होताना तुम्ही या अनोख्या हरखलेपणाचा अनुभव घेतला असेल. या 'एक्साइटमेंट'लाच मी 'स्पार्क' म्हणतो. हा 'स्पार्क'च झगमगता ठेवण्याबद्दल मी आज बोलणार आहे. थोडं वेगळ्या शब्दांत सांगायचं झालं तर, सदासर्वदा नाही तरी, किमान बहुतेक वेळा आनंदी कसं रहावं, याचं गुपित तुमच्याशी शेअर करणार आहे.
कुठून होते सुरूवात या स्पार्कची? जन्मत:च सोबत घेऊन येतो आपण तो. आज अवघ्या तीन वर्षांच्या असणाऱ्या माझ्या जुळ्या मुलांकडे असे लाखोंनी स्पार्क्स आहेत. स्पायडरमॅनचं एक छोटंसं खेळणं दाखवलं तरी बिछान्यातनं टुणकन् उडी मारतात ते! पार्कमधल्या करकरणाऱ्या झोपाळ्यावर कमालीचे हरखून जातात. बाबाने गोष्ट सांगायला घेतली तर कोण धम्माल! आणि वाढदिवसाची पाटीर्... त्यासाठी तर रोजच्या रोज दिवस मोजले जातात, महिनोन्महिने आधीपासून. फक्त त्या 'एका' दिवसासाठी ज्या दिवशी केक कापायला मिळतो!
तुमच्यासारखे विद्याथीर् भेटतात तेव्हा त्यांच्यात काही प्रमाणात तरी असे 'स्पार्क्स' दिसतात. पण वयाने थोड्या मोठ्या प्रौढांमध्ये मात्र हे 'स्पार्क्स' क्वचितच नजरेस पडतात. म्हणजे, जसजसं वय वाढत जातं तसतसे 'स्पार्क्स' कमी होत जातात तर. ज्यांच्यातले 'स्पार्क्स' खूपच क्षीण झालेले असतात अशी माणसं उदासवाणी, नाकारली गेलेली, ध्येयशून्य आणि कडवट भासतात. 'जब वी मेट'मधली करीना आठवतेय-? पिक्चरच्या र्फस्ट हाफमधली आणि नंतरचीही. 'स्पार्क' गमावून बसल्यानंतर हे असं होतं. कसा सांभाळून ठेवायचा मग हा 'स्पार्क'?
हा स्पार्क म्हणजे एखाद्या दिव्याची ज्योत आहे, असं समजा. म्हणजे पहिल्यांदा या 'स्पार्क'ला सांभाळायला हवं. तो जागता ठेवण्यासाठी सातत्याने इंधन पुरवलं जायला हवं. आणि दुसरं, वादळवाऱ्यापासून त्याचं रक्षण करायला हवं.
काय कराल मग या स्पार्कला सांभाळण्यासाठी? नेहमी स्वत:समोर काहीतरी ध्येयं असू द्या. मेहनतीतून, धडपडीतून, सुधारणा घडवत स्वत:च्या क्षमतेइतपत यश साध्य करणं हा मनुष्यस्वभाव आहे. खरं तर, तेच यश. जे तुम्हाला शक्य आहे ते. म्हणूनच मग यश मोजण्यासाठी बाहेरच्या कुठल्याही फुटपट्ट्या नकोत. अमुक इतका 'कॉस्ट टू कंपनी' पगार, तमकी कार वा फ्लॅट म्हणजे यश नव्हे.
आपल्यापैकी बहुतेक जण मध्यमवगीर्य कुटुंबातले आहेत. त्यामुळेच लौकिक यशाचे टप्पे पार करणं हे आपल्यासाठी महत्त्वाचं असतं आणि ते योग्यही आहे. आथिर्क मर्यादांमुळे जिथे रोजच्या रोज निवडीवर परिणाम होतो, तिथे आथिर्क स्वातंत्र्य ही मोठी मिळकत वाटणारच. पण तो जगण्याचा हेतू बनता कामा नये. तसं असतं तर श्ाी. अंबानी आजही रोज ऑफिसात हजर नसते झाले. शाहरुख खाननेही घरीच मुक्काम टाकला असता आणि सिनेमा-कार्यक्रमांतून नाचणं बंद केलं असतं. अधिक उत्तम आयफोन बनवण्यासाठी स्टीव्ह जॉब्स झटला नसता. 'पिक्सर'ची काही बिलियन डॉलर्सना विक्री करून टाकल्यावरही त्याला अशा मेहनतीची गरज का वाटावी? या सगळ्यांना रोज कामावर यावंसं का वाटतं? कारण त्यांना त्यांच्या कामातनं 'आनंद' मिळतो. हे कामच त्यांना 'जिवंत' असल्याचं फीलिंग देतं. आज आहोत त्यापेक्षा उद्या अधिक बेहतर असण्यासाठीची धडपड माणसाला आनंद देते. चांगला अभ्यास केला तर तुम्हाला अधिक चांगले मार्क्स मिळतील. लोकांमध्ये अधिक चांगल्या पद्धतीने मिसळलात तर मुलाखतीत यश मिळेल. प्रॅक्टिस केलीत तर अधिक चांगलं क्रिकेट खेळू शकाल. आपण तेंडुलकर नाही बनू शकत हे मनोमन तुम्हाला ठाऊकअसेल. पण आहे त्यापेक्षा वरचा टप्पा गाठणं तर शक्य होईल. या पुढच्या टप्प्यासाठी आटापिटा करणं महत्त्वाचं.
निसर्गानं निमिर्लेला 'जीन्स'चा एक सरधोपट सेट घेऊन वैशिष्ट्यपूर्ण परिस्थितीत आपला जन्म होतो. आनंदी राहण्यासाठी आपल्याला निसर्गाच्या या निमिर्तीचा स्वीकार करायला हवा आणि त्यातूनच जास्तीत जास्त साध्य करण्याची मनीषा बाळगायला हवी. तुम्ही करताय हे? ध्येयनिश्चिती कराल तर हे शक्य होईल. मी तर म्हणेन की नुसती करिअरसंबंधी वा शैक्षणिक ध्येयं ठरवू नका. तर एक समतोल, यशस्वी आयुष्य वाट्याला यावं यादृष्टीने ध्येयनिश्चिती करा. 'यशस्वी'च्या आधी मी 'समतोल' हा शब्द वापरलाय. समतोल, बॅलेन्सड्. ज्यात तुमचं आरोग्य, नाती, मन:शांती यांचीही काळजी वाहिली जाईल असं आयुष्य.
तुमच्या नात्यात वितुष्ट येईल त्यादिवशी प्रमोशन मिळालं तर त्यात काही अर्थ नसेल. पाठदुखीने पछाडलेले असताना कार चालवण्यात कसली आलीय गंमत! डोक्यावर पन्नास गोष्टींचा ताण असेल तर शॉपिंगची मजा काय कप्पाळ येणार?
लाइफ इज अ टफ रेस, ही एक मॅरेथॉन आहे वगैरे कोट्स तुम्ही वाचले असतील. पण नाही; आजवर मी जे काही आयुष्य पाहिलंय त्यावरून तरी आयुष्य म्हणजे नर्सरी शाळेतल्या त्या शर्यतीसारखं भासतं, जिथे तुम्हाला तोंडातल्या चमच्यातली गोटीही सांभाळायची असते आणि धावायचंही असतं. गोटी पडून गेली तर पहिला नंबर मिळवून काय उपयोग? आयुष्यातही, आरोग्य आणि नाती ही त्या 'गोटी'सारखी असतात. जगण्याचे सारे सूर जुळलेले असतील तरच या सगळ्या खटाटोपाला अर्थ आहे. अन्यथा यश हातात येईल पण 'स्पार्क' विझून गेलेला असेल.
हा स्पार्क सांभाळण्यासंदर्भातली एक अखेरची गोष्ट - आयुष्य सीरियसली घेऊ नका. माझे एक योगा शिक्षक क्लासमध्ये विद्यार्थ्यांना हसवत. एका विद्यार्थ्याने त्यांना विचारलं, 'या जोक्समुळे योगाभ्यासाचा परिणाम कमी तर होणार नाही?' शिक्षक म्हणाले, 'डोन्ट बी सीरियस, बी सिन्सियर.' त्यांच्या या वक्तव्याचा माझ्या कामावर तेव्हापासून परिणाम झालाय. मग ते माझं लिखाण असो, माझी नोकरी, नाती की माझी अन्य कुठली ध्येयं. माझ्या लिखाणाबद्दल माझ्यापर्यंत रोज हजारोंनी मतं पोहोचतात. यात कौतुकाचा वर्षाव असतो तशीच प्रखर टीकाही. हे सारंच मी गांभीर्याने घेतलं तर लिहिणार कसं? किंवा मी जगणार कसा? जीवन इतकंही गांभीर्याने घेऊ नये कारण आपण सगळेच इथं काही काळापुरतेच आहोत. वी आर रिअली टेम्पररी हिअर. लिमिटेड वॅलिडिटी असलेल्या प्रीपेड कार्डसारखे आहोत आपण! लकी असलो तर पुढची आणखी पन्नास वर्षंही जगू. पण पन्नास वर्षं म्हणजे फक्त २५०० वीकएंड्स. मग खरंच इतका त्रागा करण्याची गरज आहे? थोडेफार क्लासेस् बन्क करा, एखाददुसऱ्या इंटरव्ह्यूत घोटाळे करा, प्रेमात पडा. आपण माणसं आहोत, प्रोगॅम्ड डिव्हाइसेस नाही, हे लक्षात असू द्या.
मी तुम्हाला तीन गोष्टी सांगितल्या आहेत - वास्तव ध्येयनिश्चिती, जगण्यात समतोल राखणं आणि आयुष्य फार गांभीर्याने न घेणं. यामुळे तुमच्यातल्या 'स्पार्क'ची जपणूक होईल. मात्र, आयुष्यात चार वादळंही असतील जी या स्पार्कला पुरतं विझवून टाकू शकतील. अपेक्षाभंग, निराशा, अन्याय आणि एकाकीपणा - ही ती वादळं. त्यांच्यापासून या ज्योतीचं संरक्षण करण्याची गरज आहे.
प्रयत्न करूनही जेव्हा अपेक्षित यश मिळणार नाही तेव्हा अपेक्षाभंग वाट्याला येईल. योजना आखल्याप्रमाणे गोष्टी घडल्या नाहीत तर, किंवा अपयश आलं तरीही. अपयश हाताळणं ही महाकठीण गोष्ट. पण ज्यांना ते जमतं, ते अधिक खंबीर होऊनच बाहेर पडतात. या अपयशातून मी काय शिकलो? हा प्रश्न स्वत:ला विचारण्याची गरज असते. खूप वाईट वाटेल. सारं सोडून द्यावंसं वाटेल. मलाही वाटलं होतं; माझ्या पहिल्यावहिल्या पुस्तकाकडे तब्बल नऊ प्रकाशकांनी पाठ फिरवली तेव्हा. कमी मार्क्स मिळाले की आयआयटीतील काही मुलं आत्महत्या करतात. किती मुर्खपणाचं काम आहे हे? पण अपयशातून हे असं टोकाचं दु:ख होऊ शकतं. हेच आयुष्य आहे. आव्हानांना नेहमीच पादाक्रांत करता आलं असतं तर त्यांना आपण 'आव्हानं' का म्हटलं असतं? एखाद्या गोष्टीत तुम्ही पुन्हा पुन्हा अपयशी होत असाल तर कृपया हे लक्षात घ्या की, तुम्ही तुमच्या क्षमतेची मर्यादा गाठलेली आहे. तिथवर पोहोचणं हेच तुमचं ध्येय होतं.
निराशा आणि अपेक्षाभंग हातात हात घालूनच येतात. हे दुसरं वादळ. तुम्ही कधी अनुभवलीय निराशा? इट हॅपन्स व्हेन थिंग्ज आर स्टक. काहीच मनासारखं घडत नाही तेव्हा निराश व्हायला होतं. भारतासारख्या देशात तर हे वरचेवर होतं. कधी कधी इतका वेळ लागतो की आपल्यालाच वाटू लागतं की मी योग्य गोष्ट निवडली होती वा नाही. पुस्तकांनंतर मी बॉलीवुडसाठी सिनेमे लिहिण्याचं ठरवलं कारण तिथे लेखकांची गरज आहे असं मला वाटलं होतं. मी खूप नशीबवान आहे असं म्हटलं जातं. पण पहिलावहिला सिनेमा रीलीजच्या जवळपास पोचण्यासाठी मला पाच वर्षं थांबावं लागलंय.
निराशेमुळे अवघा उत्साह मावळून जातो आणि सुरूवातीची ऊर्जा नकारात्मकतेत पालटते. कडवटपणा येतो. या साऱ्याला मी कसं तोंड दिलं? वेळ का लागतोय याचा वास्तववादी आढावा घेणं इथं आवश्यक असतं. सिनेमे 'बघून' चटकन होत असले तरी बनवण्यासाठी नको इतका वेळ लागतो! कधी कधी एखादी गोष्ट पूर्ण होण्यापेक्षा ती पूर्ण होण्याच्या प्रक्रियेत आनंद शोधणं आवश्यक असतं. उदा. किमानपक्षी मी स्क्रिप्टस् कशी लिहावीत हे शिकत होतो. जोडीला माझा दुसरा प्लान तयार होता - तिसरं पुस्तक लिहिण्याचा! आणि कधी कधी मित्रांबरोबर वेळ घालवणं, खाणं, प्रवास करणं यातही वेळ छानच जातो की. काहीच 'गांभीर्या'ने घ्यायचं नसतं. तुम्ही नको इतकं सिरीयसली घेतलंत, हेच तुमच्या निराशेतून दिसून येतं.
अन्याय. याच्याशी झगडणं सर्वात कठीण. पण आपल्या देशात सारंकाही असंच चालतं. कनेक्शन्स असलेली, बड्या बापांची, चिकण्या चेहऱ्यांची पोरं... त्यांना यश मिळवणं सोपं जातं. फक्त बॉलीवुडमध्ये नव्हे तर सगळीकडेच. नशिबाचा भागही असतोच. आपल्या देशात संधीची केवढी कमतरता आहे. सगळं जमून यायला कितीतरी ग्रहतारे जुळून यावे लागतात. मेरिट आणि मेहनतीचा शॉर्ट टर्ममधल्या यशाशी नेहमीच संबंध असतो असं नाही. पण लाँग टर्ममध्ये मात्र प्रमाण बरंच 'बरं' आहे! अखेरीस सारं मनासारखं घडतं! पण लक्षात ठेवा, काही लोक तुमच्यापेक्षा थोडे अधिक नशीबवान असतील. खरं तर, तुम्हालाही कॉलेजात येण्याची संधी मिळतेय आणि इंग्रजीतलं हे भाषण समजतंय म्हणजे भारतीय स्टँडर्डनुसार तुम्ही बरेच 'नशीबवान' म्हणायचे! आपल्या हाती जे आहे त्याबद्दल कृतज्ञता बाळगूया आणि जे नाही ते स्वीकारण्याची क्षमता मिळवूया. मला माझ्या वाचकांकडून इतकं प्रेम मिळतंय की इतर लेखक कल्पनाही करू शकणार नाहीत. पण वाड्मयीन कौतुक माझ्या वाट्याला येत नाही. इट्स ओके. एवढंच म्हणायचंय की, अन्यायामुळे तुमच्यातील स्पार्क खाक होऊ देऊ नका.
तुमच्यातील स्पार्कचा बळी घेऊ शकेल असा अखेरचा मुद्दा. एकाकीपणा. जसजसे तुम्ही मोठे व्हाल, तुमच्या लक्षात येत जाईल की आपण इतरांपेक्षा वेगळे आहोत. लहानपणी सगळ्याच मुलांना आइस्क्रीम आणि स्पाइडरमॅन हवा असतो. पुढे कॉलेजात जाता तेव्हाही तुम्ही बरेचसे तुमच्या मित्रमंडळींसारखे असता. पण आणखी दहा वर्षं गेली की तुमचं वेगळेपण तुम्हाला ठळकपणाने जाणवू लागतं. तुम्हाला काय हवंय, तुमच्या निष्ठा, विश्वास कशाशी निगडित आहेत, तुम्ही कशाबद्दल संवेदनशील आहात या सगळ्या गोष्टींसंदर्भात तुम्ही तुमच्या निकटवतीर्यांपेक्षाही वेगळे असू शकता. या वेगळेपणामुळे मग संघर्ष होऊ शकतो. कारण इतरांची ध्येयं तुमच्याशी जुळत नाहीत. मग तुम्ही काही गोष्टींना सोडचिठी देता. कॉलेजमध्ये बास्केटबॉल चॅम्पियन असलेले बहुतेक जण दुसरं मूल होईतो बास्केटबॉलला रामराम ठोकतात. कोणेकाळी हाच बास्केटबॉल त्यांचं सर्वस्व होतं. पण कुटुंबासाठी हे पाऊल उचललं जातं. आणि तिथेच तो 'स्पार्क' विझण्याची सुरूवात होते. ही अशी तडजोड कदापिही करू नका.
अपेक्षाभंग, निराशा, अन्याय आणि एकाकीपणा. तुम्ही त्यांना टाळू शकत नाही कारण पावसाळा जितका नियमितपणे येतो, तितक्याच नियमितपणानं ही संकटं आयुष्याच्या वाटेवर अधूनमधून भेटतच राहतात. त्यापासून आपला आतला 'स्पार्क' वाचवण्यासाठी 'रेनकोट' हाताशी ठेवणं एवढी खबरदारी घेणं तुमच्या हातात असतं.
आयुष्यातल्या या सर्वाधिक मजेशीर कालखंडात मी तुमचं स्वागत करतो. तुमच्या डोळ्यांत आज जी चमक दिसतेय ती दहा वर्षांनंतरही कायम राहील अशी मला आशा आहे. निव्वळ तुम्हीच नाही तर अवघा भारतच हा 'स्पार्क' टिकवून ठेवो, अशी माझी इच्छा आहे. कारण यापूवीर् कधी नव्हे इतकी 'आता' आपल्याला त्याची गरज आहे. 'आय कम फ्रॉम द लँड ऑफ अ बिलियन स्पार्क्स' असं आपल्याला सांगता आलं तर काय बहार येईल!
धन्यवाद.
कुठून होते सुरूवात या स्पार्कची? जन्मत:च सोबत घेऊन येतो आपण तो. आज अवघ्या तीन वर्षांच्या असणाऱ्या माझ्या जुळ्या मुलांकडे असे लाखोंनी स्पार्क्स आहेत. स्पायडरमॅनचं एक छोटंसं खेळणं दाखवलं तरी बिछान्यातनं टुणकन् उडी मारतात ते! पार्कमधल्या करकरणाऱ्या झोपाळ्यावर कमालीचे हरखून जातात. बाबाने गोष्ट सांगायला घेतली तर कोण धम्माल! आणि वाढदिवसाची पाटीर्... त्यासाठी तर रोजच्या रोज दिवस मोजले जातात, महिनोन्महिने आधीपासून. फक्त त्या 'एका' दिवसासाठी ज्या दिवशी केक कापायला मिळतो!
तुमच्यासारखे विद्याथीर् भेटतात तेव्हा त्यांच्यात काही प्रमाणात तरी असे 'स्पार्क्स' दिसतात. पण वयाने थोड्या मोठ्या प्रौढांमध्ये मात्र हे 'स्पार्क्स' क्वचितच नजरेस पडतात. म्हणजे, जसजसं वय वाढत जातं तसतसे 'स्पार्क्स' कमी होत जातात तर. ज्यांच्यातले 'स्पार्क्स' खूपच क्षीण झालेले असतात अशी माणसं उदासवाणी, नाकारली गेलेली, ध्येयशून्य आणि कडवट भासतात. 'जब वी मेट'मधली करीना आठवतेय-? पिक्चरच्या र्फस्ट हाफमधली आणि नंतरचीही. 'स्पार्क' गमावून बसल्यानंतर हे असं होतं. कसा सांभाळून ठेवायचा मग हा 'स्पार्क'?
हा स्पार्क म्हणजे एखाद्या दिव्याची ज्योत आहे, असं समजा. म्हणजे पहिल्यांदा या 'स्पार्क'ला सांभाळायला हवं. तो जागता ठेवण्यासाठी सातत्याने इंधन पुरवलं जायला हवं. आणि दुसरं, वादळवाऱ्यापासून त्याचं रक्षण करायला हवं.
काय कराल मग या स्पार्कला सांभाळण्यासाठी? नेहमी स्वत:समोर काहीतरी ध्येयं असू द्या. मेहनतीतून, धडपडीतून, सुधारणा घडवत स्वत:च्या क्षमतेइतपत यश साध्य करणं हा मनुष्यस्वभाव आहे. खरं तर, तेच यश. जे तुम्हाला शक्य आहे ते. म्हणूनच मग यश मोजण्यासाठी बाहेरच्या कुठल्याही फुटपट्ट्या नकोत. अमुक इतका 'कॉस्ट टू कंपनी' पगार, तमकी कार वा फ्लॅट म्हणजे यश नव्हे.
आपल्यापैकी बहुतेक जण मध्यमवगीर्य कुटुंबातले आहेत. त्यामुळेच लौकिक यशाचे टप्पे पार करणं हे आपल्यासाठी महत्त्वाचं असतं आणि ते योग्यही आहे. आथिर्क मर्यादांमुळे जिथे रोजच्या रोज निवडीवर परिणाम होतो, तिथे आथिर्क स्वातंत्र्य ही मोठी मिळकत वाटणारच. पण तो जगण्याचा हेतू बनता कामा नये. तसं असतं तर श्ाी. अंबानी आजही रोज ऑफिसात हजर नसते झाले. शाहरुख खाननेही घरीच मुक्काम टाकला असता आणि सिनेमा-कार्यक्रमांतून नाचणं बंद केलं असतं. अधिक उत्तम आयफोन बनवण्यासाठी स्टीव्ह जॉब्स झटला नसता. 'पिक्सर'ची काही बिलियन डॉलर्सना विक्री करून टाकल्यावरही त्याला अशा मेहनतीची गरज का वाटावी? या सगळ्यांना रोज कामावर यावंसं का वाटतं? कारण त्यांना त्यांच्या कामातनं 'आनंद' मिळतो. हे कामच त्यांना 'जिवंत' असल्याचं फीलिंग देतं. आज आहोत त्यापेक्षा उद्या अधिक बेहतर असण्यासाठीची धडपड माणसाला आनंद देते. चांगला अभ्यास केला तर तुम्हाला अधिक चांगले मार्क्स मिळतील. लोकांमध्ये अधिक चांगल्या पद्धतीने मिसळलात तर मुलाखतीत यश मिळेल. प्रॅक्टिस केलीत तर अधिक चांगलं क्रिकेट खेळू शकाल. आपण तेंडुलकर नाही बनू शकत हे मनोमन तुम्हाला ठाऊकअसेल. पण आहे त्यापेक्षा वरचा टप्पा गाठणं तर शक्य होईल. या पुढच्या टप्प्यासाठी आटापिटा करणं महत्त्वाचं.
निसर्गानं निमिर्लेला 'जीन्स'चा एक सरधोपट सेट घेऊन वैशिष्ट्यपूर्ण परिस्थितीत आपला जन्म होतो. आनंदी राहण्यासाठी आपल्याला निसर्गाच्या या निमिर्तीचा स्वीकार करायला हवा आणि त्यातूनच जास्तीत जास्त साध्य करण्याची मनीषा बाळगायला हवी. तुम्ही करताय हे? ध्येयनिश्चिती कराल तर हे शक्य होईल. मी तर म्हणेन की नुसती करिअरसंबंधी वा शैक्षणिक ध्येयं ठरवू नका. तर एक समतोल, यशस्वी आयुष्य वाट्याला यावं यादृष्टीने ध्येयनिश्चिती करा. 'यशस्वी'च्या आधी मी 'समतोल' हा शब्द वापरलाय. समतोल, बॅलेन्सड्. ज्यात तुमचं आरोग्य, नाती, मन:शांती यांचीही काळजी वाहिली जाईल असं आयुष्य.
तुमच्या नात्यात वितुष्ट येईल त्यादिवशी प्रमोशन मिळालं तर त्यात काही अर्थ नसेल. पाठदुखीने पछाडलेले असताना कार चालवण्यात कसली आलीय गंमत! डोक्यावर पन्नास गोष्टींचा ताण असेल तर शॉपिंगची मजा काय कप्पाळ येणार?
लाइफ इज अ टफ रेस, ही एक मॅरेथॉन आहे वगैरे कोट्स तुम्ही वाचले असतील. पण नाही; आजवर मी जे काही आयुष्य पाहिलंय त्यावरून तरी आयुष्य म्हणजे नर्सरी शाळेतल्या त्या शर्यतीसारखं भासतं, जिथे तुम्हाला तोंडातल्या चमच्यातली गोटीही सांभाळायची असते आणि धावायचंही असतं. गोटी पडून गेली तर पहिला नंबर मिळवून काय उपयोग? आयुष्यातही, आरोग्य आणि नाती ही त्या 'गोटी'सारखी असतात. जगण्याचे सारे सूर जुळलेले असतील तरच या सगळ्या खटाटोपाला अर्थ आहे. अन्यथा यश हातात येईल पण 'स्पार्क' विझून गेलेला असेल.
हा स्पार्क सांभाळण्यासंदर्भातली एक अखेरची गोष्ट - आयुष्य सीरियसली घेऊ नका. माझे एक योगा शिक्षक क्लासमध्ये विद्यार्थ्यांना हसवत. एका विद्यार्थ्याने त्यांना विचारलं, 'या जोक्समुळे योगाभ्यासाचा परिणाम कमी तर होणार नाही?' शिक्षक म्हणाले, 'डोन्ट बी सीरियस, बी सिन्सियर.' त्यांच्या या वक्तव्याचा माझ्या कामावर तेव्हापासून परिणाम झालाय. मग ते माझं लिखाण असो, माझी नोकरी, नाती की माझी अन्य कुठली ध्येयं. माझ्या लिखाणाबद्दल माझ्यापर्यंत रोज हजारोंनी मतं पोहोचतात. यात कौतुकाचा वर्षाव असतो तशीच प्रखर टीकाही. हे सारंच मी गांभीर्याने घेतलं तर लिहिणार कसं? किंवा मी जगणार कसा? जीवन इतकंही गांभीर्याने घेऊ नये कारण आपण सगळेच इथं काही काळापुरतेच आहोत. वी आर रिअली टेम्पररी हिअर. लिमिटेड वॅलिडिटी असलेल्या प्रीपेड कार्डसारखे आहोत आपण! लकी असलो तर पुढची आणखी पन्नास वर्षंही जगू. पण पन्नास वर्षं म्हणजे फक्त २५०० वीकएंड्स. मग खरंच इतका त्रागा करण्याची गरज आहे? थोडेफार क्लासेस् बन्क करा, एखाददुसऱ्या इंटरव्ह्यूत घोटाळे करा, प्रेमात पडा. आपण माणसं आहोत, प्रोगॅम्ड डिव्हाइसेस नाही, हे लक्षात असू द्या.
मी तुम्हाला तीन गोष्टी सांगितल्या आहेत - वास्तव ध्येयनिश्चिती, जगण्यात समतोल राखणं आणि आयुष्य फार गांभीर्याने न घेणं. यामुळे तुमच्यातल्या 'स्पार्क'ची जपणूक होईल. मात्र, आयुष्यात चार वादळंही असतील जी या स्पार्कला पुरतं विझवून टाकू शकतील. अपेक्षाभंग, निराशा, अन्याय आणि एकाकीपणा - ही ती वादळं. त्यांच्यापासून या ज्योतीचं संरक्षण करण्याची गरज आहे.
प्रयत्न करूनही जेव्हा अपेक्षित यश मिळणार नाही तेव्हा अपेक्षाभंग वाट्याला येईल. योजना आखल्याप्रमाणे गोष्टी घडल्या नाहीत तर, किंवा अपयश आलं तरीही. अपयश हाताळणं ही महाकठीण गोष्ट. पण ज्यांना ते जमतं, ते अधिक खंबीर होऊनच बाहेर पडतात. या अपयशातून मी काय शिकलो? हा प्रश्न स्वत:ला विचारण्याची गरज असते. खूप वाईट वाटेल. सारं सोडून द्यावंसं वाटेल. मलाही वाटलं होतं; माझ्या पहिल्यावहिल्या पुस्तकाकडे तब्बल नऊ प्रकाशकांनी पाठ फिरवली तेव्हा. कमी मार्क्स मिळाले की आयआयटीतील काही मुलं आत्महत्या करतात. किती मुर्खपणाचं काम आहे हे? पण अपयशातून हे असं टोकाचं दु:ख होऊ शकतं. हेच आयुष्य आहे. आव्हानांना नेहमीच पादाक्रांत करता आलं असतं तर त्यांना आपण 'आव्हानं' का म्हटलं असतं? एखाद्या गोष्टीत तुम्ही पुन्हा पुन्हा अपयशी होत असाल तर कृपया हे लक्षात घ्या की, तुम्ही तुमच्या क्षमतेची मर्यादा गाठलेली आहे. तिथवर पोहोचणं हेच तुमचं ध्येय होतं.
निराशा आणि अपेक्षाभंग हातात हात घालूनच येतात. हे दुसरं वादळ. तुम्ही कधी अनुभवलीय निराशा? इट हॅपन्स व्हेन थिंग्ज आर स्टक. काहीच मनासारखं घडत नाही तेव्हा निराश व्हायला होतं. भारतासारख्या देशात तर हे वरचेवर होतं. कधी कधी इतका वेळ लागतो की आपल्यालाच वाटू लागतं की मी योग्य गोष्ट निवडली होती वा नाही. पुस्तकांनंतर मी बॉलीवुडसाठी सिनेमे लिहिण्याचं ठरवलं कारण तिथे लेखकांची गरज आहे असं मला वाटलं होतं. मी खूप नशीबवान आहे असं म्हटलं जातं. पण पहिलावहिला सिनेमा रीलीजच्या जवळपास पोचण्यासाठी मला पाच वर्षं थांबावं लागलंय.
निराशेमुळे अवघा उत्साह मावळून जातो आणि सुरूवातीची ऊर्जा नकारात्मकतेत पालटते. कडवटपणा येतो. या साऱ्याला मी कसं तोंड दिलं? वेळ का लागतोय याचा वास्तववादी आढावा घेणं इथं आवश्यक असतं. सिनेमे 'बघून' चटकन होत असले तरी बनवण्यासाठी नको इतका वेळ लागतो! कधी कधी एखादी गोष्ट पूर्ण होण्यापेक्षा ती पूर्ण होण्याच्या प्रक्रियेत आनंद शोधणं आवश्यक असतं. उदा. किमानपक्षी मी स्क्रिप्टस् कशी लिहावीत हे शिकत होतो. जोडीला माझा दुसरा प्लान तयार होता - तिसरं पुस्तक लिहिण्याचा! आणि कधी कधी मित्रांबरोबर वेळ घालवणं, खाणं, प्रवास करणं यातही वेळ छानच जातो की. काहीच 'गांभीर्या'ने घ्यायचं नसतं. तुम्ही नको इतकं सिरीयसली घेतलंत, हेच तुमच्या निराशेतून दिसून येतं.
अन्याय. याच्याशी झगडणं सर्वात कठीण. पण आपल्या देशात सारंकाही असंच चालतं. कनेक्शन्स असलेली, बड्या बापांची, चिकण्या चेहऱ्यांची पोरं... त्यांना यश मिळवणं सोपं जातं. फक्त बॉलीवुडमध्ये नव्हे तर सगळीकडेच. नशिबाचा भागही असतोच. आपल्या देशात संधीची केवढी कमतरता आहे. सगळं जमून यायला कितीतरी ग्रहतारे जुळून यावे लागतात. मेरिट आणि मेहनतीचा शॉर्ट टर्ममधल्या यशाशी नेहमीच संबंध असतो असं नाही. पण लाँग टर्ममध्ये मात्र प्रमाण बरंच 'बरं' आहे! अखेरीस सारं मनासारखं घडतं! पण लक्षात ठेवा, काही लोक तुमच्यापेक्षा थोडे अधिक नशीबवान असतील. खरं तर, तुम्हालाही कॉलेजात येण्याची संधी मिळतेय आणि इंग्रजीतलं हे भाषण समजतंय म्हणजे भारतीय स्टँडर्डनुसार तुम्ही बरेच 'नशीबवान' म्हणायचे! आपल्या हाती जे आहे त्याबद्दल कृतज्ञता बाळगूया आणि जे नाही ते स्वीकारण्याची क्षमता मिळवूया. मला माझ्या वाचकांकडून इतकं प्रेम मिळतंय की इतर लेखक कल्पनाही करू शकणार नाहीत. पण वाड्मयीन कौतुक माझ्या वाट्याला येत नाही. इट्स ओके. एवढंच म्हणायचंय की, अन्यायामुळे तुमच्यातील स्पार्क खाक होऊ देऊ नका.
तुमच्यातील स्पार्कचा बळी घेऊ शकेल असा अखेरचा मुद्दा. एकाकीपणा. जसजसे तुम्ही मोठे व्हाल, तुमच्या लक्षात येत जाईल की आपण इतरांपेक्षा वेगळे आहोत. लहानपणी सगळ्याच मुलांना आइस्क्रीम आणि स्पाइडरमॅन हवा असतो. पुढे कॉलेजात जाता तेव्हाही तुम्ही बरेचसे तुमच्या मित्रमंडळींसारखे असता. पण आणखी दहा वर्षं गेली की तुमचं वेगळेपण तुम्हाला ठळकपणाने जाणवू लागतं. तुम्हाला काय हवंय, तुमच्या निष्ठा, विश्वास कशाशी निगडित आहेत, तुम्ही कशाबद्दल संवेदनशील आहात या सगळ्या गोष्टींसंदर्भात तुम्ही तुमच्या निकटवतीर्यांपेक्षाही वेगळे असू शकता. या वेगळेपणामुळे मग संघर्ष होऊ शकतो. कारण इतरांची ध्येयं तुमच्याशी जुळत नाहीत. मग तुम्ही काही गोष्टींना सोडचिठी देता. कॉलेजमध्ये बास्केटबॉल चॅम्पियन असलेले बहुतेक जण दुसरं मूल होईतो बास्केटबॉलला रामराम ठोकतात. कोणेकाळी हाच बास्केटबॉल त्यांचं सर्वस्व होतं. पण कुटुंबासाठी हे पाऊल उचललं जातं. आणि तिथेच तो 'स्पार्क' विझण्याची सुरूवात होते. ही अशी तडजोड कदापिही करू नका.
अपेक्षाभंग, निराशा, अन्याय आणि एकाकीपणा. तुम्ही त्यांना टाळू शकत नाही कारण पावसाळा जितका नियमितपणे येतो, तितक्याच नियमितपणानं ही संकटं आयुष्याच्या वाटेवर अधूनमधून भेटतच राहतात. त्यापासून आपला आतला 'स्पार्क' वाचवण्यासाठी 'रेनकोट' हाताशी ठेवणं एवढी खबरदारी घेणं तुमच्या हातात असतं.
आयुष्यातल्या या सर्वाधिक मजेशीर कालखंडात मी तुमचं स्वागत करतो. तुमच्या डोळ्यांत आज जी चमक दिसतेय ती दहा वर्षांनंतरही कायम राहील अशी मला आशा आहे. निव्वळ तुम्हीच नाही तर अवघा भारतच हा 'स्पार्क' टिकवून ठेवो, अशी माझी इच्छा आहे. कारण यापूवीर् कधी नव्हे इतकी 'आता' आपल्याला त्याची गरज आहे. 'आय कम फ्रॉम द लँड ऑफ अ बिलियन स्पार्क्स' असं आपल्याला सांगता आलं तर काय बहार येईल!
धन्यवाद.
याची सदस्यत्व घ्या:
पोस्ट (Atom)