प्रतीक्षा

मधुर प्रतीक्षा ही जब इतनी, प्रिय तुम आते तब क्या होता?

मौन रात इस भांति कि जैसे, कोई गत वीणा पर बज कर,
अभी-अभी सोई खोई-सी, सपनों में तारों पर सिर धर
और दिशाओं से प्रतिध्वनियाँ, जाग्रत सुधियों-सी आती हैं,
कान तुम्हारे तान कहीं से यदि सुन पाते, तब क्या होता?

तुमने कब दी बात रात के सूने में तुम आने वाले,
पर ऐसे ही वक्त प्राण मन, मेरे हो उठते मतवाले,
साँसें घूमघूम फिरफिर से, असमंजस के क्षण गिनती हैं,
मिलने की घड़ियाँ तुम निश्चित, यदि कर जाते तब क्या होता?

उत्सुकता की अकुलाहट में, मैंने पलक पाँवड़े डाले,
अम्बर तो मशहूर कि सब दिन, रहता अपने होश सम्हाले,
तारों की महफिल ने अपनी आँख बिछा दी किस आशा से,
मेरे मौन कुटी को आते तुम दिख जाते तब क्या होता?

बैठ कल्पना करता हूँ, पगचाप तुम्हारी मग से आती,
रगरग में चेतनता घुलकर, आँसू के कणसी झर जाती,
नमक डलीसा गल अपनापन, सागर में घुलमिलसा जाता,
अपनी बाँहों में भरकर प्रिय, कण्ठ लगाते तब क्या होता?

पत्थर

अब जो मिले राहो मे पत्थर कही।

तो पूछूँगी उससे क्यूँ तू रोता नही,

ना जाने कितनी चोट देती है दुनिया तुझे,

क्यूँ तुझे फिर भी हर चोट पे दर्द होता नही?

ना अश्क बहाता है तू ना खुशी में हंसता है,

क्यों तुझे कोई एहसास भिगोता नही?

हर कोई तुझमे अपना स्वार्थ ढूंढता है,

क्यूँ तेरा स्वाभिमान कभी खोता नही?

माना कि ये दुनिया बहुत बडी है,

पर अस्तित्व तेरा भी कोई छोटा नही,

ना तू शिकवा करता है, ना शिकायत,

क्या कोई गम तेरे दिल को छूता नही,

या तो तू आज तक कभी जागा ही नही,

या फिर खामोश दिल तेरा कभी सोया ही नही॥

तब याद करना

जब मन हो उदास,
तब याद करना।
जब दिल मेँ हो कोई बात,
तब याद करना।

दुआँ करते हैँ, तुम खुश रहो,
आँखो मेँ आँशु आए,
तब याद करना।

जो चाहोँ वो मिल जाए,
दिल की हसरत कबूल हो जाए,
हर रास्ते मेँ फूल बीँछे हो,
अगर काँटा कोई मिल जाए,
तब याद करना।

क्या कहुँ तुमसे,तुम सब जानते हो,
प्यार करते हैँ तुमसे,
ये भी मानते हो,
दूर रहते हो,मुझसे फिर भी तुम,
जब नज़रे सभी चुराये,
तब याद करना।

हर वक्त याद करते हैँ तुमेँ,
हर वक्त दिल मेँ रखते हैं तुमें,
पर तुम ये समझोगे कहाँ,
जब कभी समझ आए,
तब याद करना।

मेरी बेचैँनी

मेरा मन बेचैँन है क्योँ,
बता दे मुझे।
ये मेरी ज़िन्दगी,अब तो
नीँद से जगा दे मुझे।

सब कुछ खो दिया मैनेँ,
इस इंतजार मेँ,जब मिलेगा
मौका कुछ कर दिखाऊंगा।
ये मेरी ज़िन्दगी अब वो,
मौका दिला दे मुझे।

दिल बेचैँन है क्योँ,
मेरा इतना।
क्योँ छिन गया चैँन मेरा,तुझसे नाराज तो
नहीँ था मैँ।

फिर क्योँ आँखोँ मे रह गया,
मेरा सपना।
सुना हैँ,दिल की तमन्ना भी
सच होती हैँ,फिर क्योँ
बेचैँन है मन इतना।

मैँ खामोश हूँ, अब तो सदा
दे मुझे,मैँ सुन रहा हूँ,अब
कुछ तो बता दे मुझे।
जी रहा हूँ मैँ क्योँ,
ये बेजान ज़िन्दगी।
जीने की अब तो कोई वजह
दे मुझे।

मेरी मासूमियत छीन ली

मेरा मन मेरा नहीँ रहा,
मेरा दिल मेरा नहीँ रहा,
चेहरे की वो हंसी छीन ली,
क्या बतलाऊँ मेरे दोस्त,
इस बेदर्द ज़माने ने मुझसे
वो मासूमियत छीन ली।

मैँ जैसा हुँ, मैँ वैसा था नहीँ,
पर मुझे सोचने का वक्त
मिलता नहीँ,
मेरे सपनोँ की वो दुनिया
छीन ली,
मेरे आँखोँ की वो नमी छीन
ली,
क्या समझाऊ मेरे दोस्त,
इस बेरेहम दुनिया ने,
मुझसे मेरी मासूमियत
छीन ली।

माँ का मतलब बदल गया,
दुनिया का हर शक्स बदल
गया,
मेरे दिल की वो सच्चाई
छीन ली,
हाथोँ की बनी लकीरेँ छीन
ली,
क्या बतलाऊ मेरे दोस्त,
इस बेर्दद ज़माने मुझसे वो
मासूमियत छीन ली।

मैँने जो कहाँ वो किसी ने
सुना नहीँ,
मेरी खामोशी को कोई
समझा नहीँ,
मेरी वो राते छीन ली,
जीने की हर वजह छीन
ली,
क्या समझाऊ मेरे दोस्त,
इस बेरेहम दुनिया ने,
मुझसे मेरी मासूमियत
छीन ली।

जो मिला मतलब से मिला,
और क्या करुँ तमसे गिला,
मेरा वो बचपना छीन
लिया,
मेरी वो तनहाई छीन ली,
क्या बतलाऊ मेरे दोस्त,
इस बेर्दद ज़माने ने मेरी वो
मासूमियत छीन ली।

वक्त नही लौटता

अंधेरा छट जाता है
रोशनी के बाद।
तूफान अक्सर आता है
सन्नाटे के बाद।
मौसम मेँ बहार आती है
बारिश के बाद।
सपने नये देखता हुँ
सोने के बाद।
मन उदास होता है
कुछ खोने के बाद।
दूरिया बढ़ती है
लड़ने के बाद।
प्यार बड़ता है
मिलने के बाद।
हिम्मत बढ़ती है
सफलता के बाद।
फूल खिलते हैँ
पतझर के बाद।
हम कुछ पाते हैँ,
कुछ खोने के बाद।
अक्सर खुशी मिलती है,
गम के बाद।
ये सब सच है,मेरे दोस्त
लेकिन सबसे बड़ा सच है,
वक्त नही लौटता,
निकल जाने के बाद।

वक्त के साथ

वक्त के साथ हालात बदल
जाते है
लोगो के वो ज़जबात बदल
जाते है।

कोई करता है किसी के
जवाब का इंतेजार,
किसी के लिए वो सवालात
बदल जाते है।

हम तो होते हर दिन एक से
जाने क्योँ वो हर रात बदल
जाते है।

हम तो दिल से करते है
“दोस्ती”
उनके तो हर दिन दोस्त
बदल जाते है।

हम तो खड़े हैँ वही आज भी
उनके इंतेजार मेँ।
जाने क्योँ उनके रास्ते हर
बार बदल जाते है।

हमने किया किसी से प्यार
“इतना”
जिससे कुछ लोगोँ के हाव
भाव बदल जाते है।

क्या कंहु इससे ज्यादा,
वक्त के साथ इंसान बदल
जाते है।

मिट तो जाते हम भी किसी
के प्यार मेँ
किसी को देखकर मेरे
ख्यालात बदल जाते है।

ज़िँदगी तो एक पहेली है,
“भूवन”
रोज कई सवाल उठते है
जब तक जवाब मिलता है
तब तक इसके वो सवालात
बदल जाते है।

माँ के बिना....

माँ के बिना दुनीया मेँ
सब कुछ अधुरा है।
माँ ही तो है जिससे हमारा
सब कुछ जुड़ा है।
माँ के बिना जीने कि
कोई सोचे भी कैसे।

माँ ही तो हैँ जिससे ये
जीवन बंधा है।
माँ की भाषा बोलकर
हमने बोलना सीखा,
माँ का हाथ पकड़कर
हमने चलना सीखा,
माँ ही तो हैँ जिसने
दुनिया की भीड़ से बचाया।
माँ ही तो हैँ जिसने
अपने आंचल मे छुपाया।

माँ के …… कैसे?
माँ तो हैँ जिसने जीवन
का मतलब समझाया।
अपने आंशु छिपाकर
हमे हँसना सिखाया।
हर किसी को ये
“भूवन”
समझा नहीँ सकता।
क्योँ माँ को माँ कहते हैँ
बतला नही सकता।
माँ के बिना…….

मर गये होते अगर
माँ नही होती।
उसकी दुवाओँ की
वो छाँव नही होती।
उसकी उम्मीदोँ की
वो राह नहीँ होती।
माँ का मतलब पुछोँ उनसे
जिनकी माँ नहीँ होती।
माँ के बिना…..

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

सिंहासन हिल उठे राजवंशों ने भृकुटी तानी थी
बूढ़े भारत में आई फिर से नयी जवानी थी
गुमी हुई आज़ादी की कीमत सबने पहचानी थी
दूर फिरंगी को करने की सबने मन में ठानी थी

चमक उठी सन सत्तावन में, वह तलवार पुरानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

कानपूर के नाना की, मुँहबोली बहन छबीली थी
लक्ष्मीबाई नाम, पिता की वह संतान अकेली थी
नाना के सँग पढ़ती थी वह, नाना के सँग खेली थी
बरछी ढाल, कृपाण, कटारी उसकी यही सहेली थी

वीर शिवाजी की गाथायें उसकी याद ज़बानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

लक्ष्मी थी या दुर्गा थी, वह स्वयं वीरता की अवतार
देख मराठे पुलकित होते उसकी तलवारों के वार
नकली युद्ध व्यूह की रचना और खेलना खूब शिकार
सैन्य घेरना, दुर्ग तोड़ना ये थे उसके प्रिय खिलवाड़

महाराष्टर कुल देवी उसकी भी आराध्य भवानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

हुई वीरता की वैभव के साथ सगाई झांसी में
ब्याह हुआ रानी बन आयी लक्ष्मीबाई झांसी में
राजमहल में बजी बधाई खुशियाँ छायी झांसी में
सुघट बुंदेलों की विरुदावलि सी वह आयी झांसी में

चित्रा ने अर्जुन को पाया, शिव से मिली भवानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

उदित हुआ सौभाग्य, मुदित महलों में उजयाली छायी
किंतु कालगति चुपके चुपके काली घटा घेर लायी
तीर चलाने वाले कर में उसे चूड़ियाँ कब भायी
रानी विधवा हुई, हाय विधि को भी नहीं दया आयी

निसंतान मरे राजाजी रानी शोक समानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

बुझा दीप झाँसी का तब डलहौज़ी मन में हर्षाया
राज्य हड़प करने का उसने यह अच्छा अवसर पाया
फ़ौरन फौजें भेज दुर्ग पर अपना झंडा फहराया
लावारिस का वारिस बनकर ब्रिटिश राज्य झांसी आया

अश्रुपूर्ण रानी ने देखा झांसी हुई बिरानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

अनुनय विनय नहीं सुनती है, विकट फिरंगी की माया
व्यापारी बन दया चाहता था जब यह भारत आया
डलहौज़ी ने पैर पसारे, अब तो पलट गई काया
राजाओं नव्वाबों को भी उसने पैरों ठुकराया

रानी दासी बनी, बनी यह दासी अब महरानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

छिनी राजधानी दिल्ली की, लखनऊ छीना बातों बात
कैद पेशवा था बिठुर में, हुआ नागपुर का भी घात
उदैपुर, तंजौर, सतारा, कर्नाटक की कौन बिसात?
जबकि सिंध, पंजाब ब्रह्म पर अभी हुआ था वज्र-निपात

बंगाले, मद्रास आदि की भी तो वही कहानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

रानी रोयीं रनवासों में, बेगम ग़म से थीं बेज़ार
उनके गहने कपड़े बिकते थे कलकत्ते के बाज़ार
सरे आम नीलाम छापते थे अंग्रेज़ों के अखबार
नागपूर के ज़ेवर ले लो लखनऊ के लो नौलख हार

यों परदे की इज़्ज़त परदेशी के हाथ बिकानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

कुटियों में भी विषम वेदना, महलों में आहत अपमान
वीर सैनिकों के मन में था अपने पुरखों का अभिमान
नाना धुंधूपंत पेशवा जुटा रहा था सब सामान
बहिन छबीली ने रण चण्डी का कर दिया प्रकट आहवान

हुआ यज्ञ प्रारम्भ उन्हें तो सोई ज्योति जगानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

महलों ने दी आग, झोंपड़ी ने ज्वाला सुलगाई थी
यह स्वतंत्रता की चिन्गारी अंतरतम से आई थी
झांसी चेती, दिल्ली चेती, लखनऊ लपटें छाई थी
मेरठ, कानपूर, पटना ने भारी धूम मचाई थी

जबलपूर, कोल्हापूर में भी कुछ हलचल उकसानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

इस स्वतंत्रता महायज्ञ में कई वीरवर आए काम
नाना धुंधूपंत, ताँतिया, चतुर अज़ीमुल्ला सरनाम
अहमदशाह मौलवी, ठाकुर कुँवरसिंह सैनिक अभिराम
भारत के इतिहास गगन में अमर रहेंगे जिनके नाम

लेकिन आज जुर्म कहलाती उनकी जो कुरबानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

इनकी गाथा छोड़, चले हम झाँसी के मैदानों में
जहाँ खड़ी है लक्ष्मीबाई मर्द बनी मर्दानों में
लेफ्टिनेंट वाकर आ पहुँचा, आगे बड़ा जवानों में
रानी ने तलवार खींच ली, हुया द्वन्द्ध असमानों में

ज़ख्मी होकर वाकर भागा, उसे अजब हैरानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

रानी बढ़ी कालपी आयी, कर सौ मील निरंतर पार
घोड़ा थक कर गिरा भूमि पर गया स्वर्ग तत्काल सिधार
यमुना तट पर अंग्रेज़ों ने फिर खायी रानी से हार
विजयी रानी आगे चल दी, किया ग्वालियर पर अधिकार

अंग्रेज़ों के मित्र सिंधिया ने छोड़ी राजधानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

विजय मिली पर अंग्रेज़ों की, फिर सेना घिर आई थी
अबके जनरल स्मिथ सम्मुख था, उसने मुहँ की खाई थी
काना और मंदरा सखियाँ रानी के संग आई थी
युद्ध श्रेत्र में उन दोनों ने भारी मार मचाई थी

पर पीछे ह्यूरोज़ आ गया, हाय घिरी अब रानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

तो भी रानी मार काट कर चलती बनी सैन्य के पार
किन्तु सामने नाला आया, था वह संकट विषम अपार
घोड़ा अड़ा नया घोड़ा था, इतने में आ गये सवार
रानी एक शत्रु बहुतेरे, होने लगे वार पर वार

घायल होकर गिरी सिंहनी उसे वीरगति पानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

रानी गयी सिधार चिता अब उसकी दिव्य सवारी थी
मिला तेज से तेज, तेज की वह सच्ची अधिकारी थी
अभी उम्र कुल तेइस की थी, मनुष नहीं अवतारी थी
हमको जीवित करने आयी, बन स्वतंत्रता नारी थी

दिखा गई पथ, सिखा गई हमको जो सीख सिखानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

जाओ रानी याद रखेंगे हम कृतज्ञ भारतवासी
यह तेरा बलिदान जगायेगा स्वतंत्रता अविनाशी
होये चुप इतिहास, लगे सच्चाई को चाहे फाँसी
हो मदमाती विजय, मिटा दे गोलों से चाहे झांसी

तेरा स्मारक तू ही होगी, तू खुद अमिट निशानी थी
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झांसी वाली रानी थी

पुष्प की अभिलाषा

चाह नहीं मैं सुरबाला के
गहनों में गूँथा जाऊँ

चाह नहीं, प्रेमी-माला में
बिंध प्यारी को ललचाऊँ

चाह नहीं, सम्राटों के शव
पर हे हरि, डाला जाऊँ

चाह नहीं, देवों के सिर पर
चढ़ूँ भाग्य पर इठलाऊँ

मुझे तोड़ लेना वनमाली
उस पथ पर देना तुम फेंक

मातृभूमि पर शीश चढ़ाने
जिस पर जावें वीर अनेक ।।

- माखनलाल चतुर्वेदी

इन्साफ़ की डगर पे

इन्साफ़ की डगर पे, बच्चों दिखाओ चल के
ये देश है तुम्हारा, नेता तुम्हीं हो कल के

दुनिया के रंज सहना और कुछ न मुँह से कहना
सच्चाइयों के बल पे आगे को बढ़ते रहना
रख दोगे एक दिन तुम संसार को बदल के
इन्साफ़ की डगर पे, बच्चों दिखाओ चल के
ये देश है तुम्हारा, नेता तुम्हीं हो कल के

अपने हों या पराए सबके लिये हो न्याय
देखो कदम तुम्हारा हरगिज़ न डगमगाए
रस्ते बड़े कठिन हैं चलना सम्भल-सम्भल के
इन्साफ़ की डगर पे, बच्चों दिखाओ चल के
ये देश है तुम्हारा, नेता तुम्हीं हो कल के

इन्सानियत के सर पर इज़्ज़त का ताज रखना
तन मन भी भेंट देकर भारत की लाज रखना
जीवन नया मिलेगा अंतिम चिता में जल के,
इन्साफ़ की डगर पे, बच्चों दिखाओ चल के
ये देश है तुम्हारा, नेता तुम्हीं हो कल के

- कवि प्रदीप

क्षण भर को क्यों प्यार किया था?

अर्द्ध रात्रि में सहसा उठकर,
पलक संपुटों में मदिरा भर,
तुमने क्यों मेरे चरणों में अपना तन-मन वार दिया था?
क्षण भर को क्यों प्यार किया था?

‘यह अधिकार कहाँ से लाया!’
और न कुछ मैं कहने पाया -
मेरे अधरों पर निज अधरों का तुमने रख भार दिया था!
क्षण भर को क्यों प्यार किया था?

वह क्षण अमर हुआ जीवन में,
आज राग जो उठता मन में -
यह प्रतिध्वनि उसकी जो उर में तुमने भर उद्गार दिया था!
क्षण भर को क्यों प्यार किया था?



Writer:-Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan

किस कर में यह वीणा धर दूँ?

देवों ने था जिसे बनाया,
देवों ने था जिसे बजाया,
मानव के हाथों में कैसे इसको आज समर्पित कर दूँ?
किस कर में यह वीणा धर दूँ?

इसने स्वर्ग रिझाना सीखा,
स्वर्गिक तान सुनाना सीखा,
जगती को खुश करनेवाले स्वर से कैसे इसको भर दूँ?
किस कर में यह वीणा धर दूँ?

क्यों बाकी अभिलाषा मन में,
झंकृत हो यह फिर जीवन में?
क्यों न हृदय निर्मम हो कहता अंगारे अब धर इस पर दूँ?
किस कर में यह वीणा धर दूँ?


Writer:-Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan

साथी, सब कुछ सहना होगा!

मानव पर जगती का शासन,
जगती पर संसृति का बंधन,
संसृति को भी और किसी के प्रतिबंधों में रहना होगा!
साथी, सब कुछ सहना होगा!

हम क्या हैं जगती के सर में!
जगती क्या, संसृति सागर में!
एक प्रबल धारा में हमको लघु तिनके-सा बहना होगा!
साथी, सब कुछ सहना होगा!

आओ, अपनी लघुता जानें,
अपनी निर्बलता पहचानें,
जैसे जग रहता आया है उसी तरह से रहना होगा!
साथी, सब कुछ सहना होगा!


Writer:-Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan

दिन जल्दी-जल्दी ढलता है!

हो जाय न पथ में रात कहीं,
मंज़िल भी तो है दूर नहीं -
यह सोच थका दिन का पंथी भी जल्दी-जल्दी चलता है!
दिन जल्दी-जल्दी ढलता है!

बच्चे प्रत्याशा में होंगे,
नीड़ों से झाँक रहे होंगे -
यह ध्यान परों में चिड़ियों के भरता कितनी चंचलता है!
दिन जल्दी-जल्दी ढलता है!

मुझसे मिलने को कौन विकल?
मैं होऊँ किसके हित चंचल? -
यह प्रश्न शिथिल करता पद को, भरता उर में विह्वलता है!
दिन जल्दी-जल्दी ढलता है!


Writer:-Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan

चाँद और कवि

रात यों कहने लगा मुझसे गगन का चाँद,
आदमी भी क्या अनोखा जीव होता है!
उलझनें अपनी बनाकर आप ही फँसता,
और फिर बेचैन हो जगता, न सोता है।

जानता है तू कि मैं कितना पुराना हूँ?
मैं चुका हूँ देख मनु को जनमते-मरते
और लाखों बार तुझ-से पागलों को भी
चाँदनी में बैठ स्वप्नों पर सही करते।

आदमी का स्वप्न? है वह बुलबुला जल का
आज बनता और कल फिर फूट जाता है
किन्तु, फिर भी धन्य ठहरा आदमी ही तो?
बुलबुलों से खेलता, कविता बनाता है।

मैं न बोला किन्तु मेरी रागिनी बोली,
देख फिर से चाँद! मुझको जानता है तू?
स्वप्न मेरे बुलबुले हैं? है यही पानी?
आग को भी क्या नहीं पहचानता है तू?

मैं न वह जो स्वप्न पर केवल सही करते,
आग में उसको गला लोहा बनाता हूँ,
और उस पर नींव रखता हूँ नये घर की,
इस तरह दीवार फौलादी उठाता हूँ।

मनु नहीं, मनु-पुत्र है यह सामने, जिसकी
कल्पना की जीभ में भी धार होती है,
बाण ही होते विचारों के नहीं केवल,
स्वप्न के भी हाथ में तलवार होती है।

स्वर्ग के सम्राट को जाकर खबर कर दे-
रोज ही आकाश चढ़ते जा रहे हैं वे,
रोकिये, जैसे बने इन स्वप्नवालों को,
स्वर्ग की ही ओर बढ़ते आ रहे हैं वे।

Writer:-Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'

Chetan Bhagat Article

My Stupid Suicide Plan

Last week, an IITian committed suicide. People who commit suicide do it when they feel there's no future. But wait, isn't IIT the one place where a bright and shining future is a foregone conclusion? It just doesn't add up, does it? Why would a young, hardworking, bright student who has the world ahead of him do something like this? But the answer is this-in our constant reverence for the great institution (and I do believe IITs are great), we forget the dark side. And the dark side is that the IITs are afflicted by the quintessential Indian phenomenon of academic pressure, probably the highest in the world.

I can rant about the educational system and how it requires serious fixing, or I can address the immediate-try my best to prevent such suicides. For this column I have chosen the latter, and I do so with a personal story.

News of a suicide always brings back one particular childhood memory. I was 14 years old when I first seriously contemplated suicide. I had done badly in chemistry in the Class X half yearly exam. I was an IIT aspirant, and 68% was nowhere near what an IIT candidate should be getting. I don't know what had made me screw up the exam, but I did know this, I was going to kill myself. The only debate was about method.

Ironically, chemistry offered a way. I had read about copper sulphate, and that it was both cheap and poisonous. Copper sulphate was available at the kirana store. I had it all worked out.

My rationale for killing myself was simple-nobody loved me, my chemistry score was awful, I had no future and what difference would it make to the world if I was not there. I bought the copper sulphate for two rupees-probably the cheapest exit strategy in the world.

I didn't do it for two reasons. One, I had a casual chat with the aunty next door about copper sulphate, and my knowledgeable aunty knew about a woman who had died that way. She said it was the most painful death possible, all your veins burst and you suffer for hours. This tale made my insides shudder. Second, on the day I was to do it, I noticed a street dog outside my house being teased by the neighbourhood kids as he hunted for scraps of food. Nobody loved him. It would make no difference to the world if the dog wasn't there. And I was pretty sure that its chemistry score would be awful. Yet, the dog wasn't trotting off to the kirana store. He was only interested in figuring out a strategy for his next meal. And when he was full, he merely curled up in a corner with one eye open, clearly content and not giving a damn about the world. If he wasn't planning to die anytime soon what the hell was I ranting about? I threw the copper sulphate in the bin. It was the best two bucks I ever wasted.

So why did I tell you this story? Because sometimes the pressure gets too much; like it did for the IITian who couldn't take it no more. On the day he took that dreadful decision, his family and friends were shattered, and India lost a wonderful, bright child. And as the silly but true copper sulphate story tells you-it could happen to any of us or those around us. So please be on the lookout, if you see a distressed young soul, lend a supportive, non-judgmental ear. When I look back, I thank that aunt and that dog for unwittingly saving my life. If God wanted us to take our own life, he would have provided a power off button. He didn't, so have faith and let his plan for you unfold. Because no matter how tough life gets and how much it hurts, if street dogs don't give up, there is no reason why we, the smart species, should. Makes sense right?


- CHETAN BHAGAT

- (IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad)

100 Golden Rules

1 Constantly strive to increase order and discipline in your life.
Discipline usually means doing the opposite of what you feel like
doing.

2 Cherish time, your most valuable resource. You can never make up
time you lose. Do the most productive thing possible at every given
moment.

3 Think carefully before making any offers, commitments or promises,
no matter how seemingly trivial. These are all contracts and must be
honoured. These also include self-resolutions.

4 Strive to be exceptional in all important endeavours, by doing
more than is expected of you. Give your best. Be willing to pay the
price. Expect half-hearted results, or less from half-hearted
efforts.

5 Develop an attitude of gratitude. Always show gratitude when
earned, monetarily when possible.

6 Produce for wealth creation and accumulation. Invest profits for
wealth preservation and growth. Be a producer first and foremost, and
save a minimum of 20% of all earnings. Pay yourself first.

7 Cut all ties with dishonest, negative or lazy people.

8 Learn from the giants.

9 A little caution avoids great regrets. Hope for the best, and
prepare for the worst. Keep fully insured physically and materially,
and keep hedged emotionally. Insurance is not for sale when you need
it.

10 Learn the other side's needs; offer as little information as
possible; never underestimate your opposition, and never show
weakness when negotiating.

11 Never enter into nor invest in a business without a solid, well-
researched and well thought-out written business plan. Execute the
plan with passion and precision.

12 Success comes quickly to those who develop great powers of
intense sustained concentration. The first rule is to get involved by
asking focused questions.

13 Protect your downside. The upside will take care of itself. Cut
your losses short, and let your profits run. This takes tremendous
discipline.

14 The primary purpose of business is to create and keep customers.
Marketing and innovation produce results. All other business
functions are costs.

15 If it's not proprietary, it won't work. Pay only on
performance.

16 Competence starts with guaranteeing your work.

17 Life operates in reverse action to entropy. Therefor the universe
is hostile to life. Progress is a continued effort to swim against
the stream.

18 Focus first on doing the right things, and second on doing things
right, by paying strict attention to details.

19 Use leverage with ideas. The ability to generalise is the key to
intellectual leverage, work, money, time and people. To maximise
profits, replicate yourself. Earning potentials become geometric
rather than linear.

20 Rationalisations are generally convenient evasions of reality,
and are used as excuses for dishonest behaviour and/or laziness.

21 Always have lofty, explicit goals and focus on them intensely.
Assume the attitude that if you don't reach your goals, you will
literally die! This type of survival mindset, no matter how briefly
used, forces you to use your time effectively, and illuminates new
ways of getting things done.

22 The value of any service you have to offer diminishes rapidly
once it's provided. Protect your compensation before performing.

23 You can usually determine a person's character by the company
he
keeps.

24 Enthusiasm covers many deficiencies, and will make others want to
associate with you.

25 Working for someone else gives you little or no chance to make a
fortune. By owning your own business, you only have to become good to
become wealthy.

26 Religiously nourish your body with proper nutrition, exercise and
rest.

27 Don't be afraid to say `no.'

28 Keep an active mind, and continue to grow intellectually. You
either grow or regress. Nothing stands still.

29 Never be undercapitalised when starting a new venture.

30 Socialism appeals to psychological and intellectual weaklings.
Take full control of, and responsibility for, your conscious mind and
all aspects of your life. Do not depend on others. Being incompetent
or dependent in any part of your life or business, opens you up to
manipulation and mysticism (laziness and evading reality).

31 If there is not a conscious struggle to be honest in difficult
situations, you are probably being dishonest. Characters aren't
usually tested until things aren't going well or until stakes are
high.

32 Don't compromise if you are right. Hold your ground, show no
fear, ask for what you want, and the opposition will usually agree.

33 If the situation is not right in the long term, walk away from
it. Maintain a long term outlook in all endeavours.

34 Never be pressured into making an immediate investment decision.
Invest only after strict and complete due diligence.

35 Always have one more project than you can comfortably handle.

36 Keep your overhead to a minimum. Rely more on brains, wit and
talent; and less on money.

37 Put no limits on your imagination.

38 That which is most satisfying is that which is earned. Anything
received free of charge is seldom valued. You can't get something
for/ from nothing. The price is too high.

39 By adhering to a strong honest philosophy, you will remain
guiltless, blameless and independent and maintain control over your
life. Without a sound philosophy, your life will eventually crumble.

40 It takes almost the same amount of time and energy to manage tiny
projects or businesses as it does to manage massive ones, and the
massive ones carry with them proportional rewards.

41 There is no such thing as `just a little theft,' or
`just a
little dishonesty.'

42 Expect to receive the treatment you administer, and welcome it.

43 Take full responsibility for your actions or lack of action. He
who errs must pay. This is an easy concept to grasp from the
recipient's end.

44 An hour of effective creative thinking can be worth a month of
hard work. Get in the habit of regular, precise, hard disciplined and
integrated thinking.

45 Out-think, out-innovate and out-hustle the competition, and
vividly visualise yourself as winning before entering into every deal
or competitive situation. Maintain a blood-smelling, fighter pilot
life-or-death attitude when any deals get near to a close.

46 First impressions are lasting impressions. Put your best foot
forward.

47 The right thing is usually not the easy thing to do. You may
sacrifice popularity for rightness, but you will sacrifice self-
esteem for wrongness.

48 Lead by example.

49 Have strict and total respect for other people's property.

50 Try to understand others' frames of reference, needs and
desires
in all dealings. Determine what is honest, fair and rational, and act
accordingly.

51 Long-term success is built on credibility and on establishing
enduring relationships with quality people, based on mutually earned
trust.

52 Don't be preoccupied with things over which you have no
control.

53 If it can't be observed, it's not true. Never act on
blind
faith.

54 Don't enter into a business relationship with anyone unknown
to
you without being furnished with references dating back at least 10
years. If he doesn't have good enduring relationships, stay away.


55 Enjoy life. Treat it as an adventure. Care about the outcome, but
not too much. Things are seldom as bleak as they seem when they are
going wrong, or as good as they seem when they are going well.

56 The best way to get started is to get started. Do it now, and
work every project to its conclusion with single-minded
concentration.

57 You can get any job done through the sheer force of will, when
combined with uncompromising integrity and competence. Strong
leadership is the key.

58 You have to play it where it lies.

59 The foundation of achievement is intense desire. The world's
highest achievers have the highest levels of dissatisfaction. Those
with the lowest levels are the failures.

60 Integrate every aspect of your life, (body, mind, spirit,
relationships, business) and each within itself.

61 Never be deceptive when trying to achieve a personal gain. Short-
changing others results in loss of self-esteem.

62 If your purpose of life is security, you will be a failure.
Security is the lowest form of happiness.

63 Never enter into a form of contract unless all parties benefit.
But, no partnership is ever 50/50. There will always be inequities.

64 Review the basics of your profession at least once per year.

65 Negative thinking results in the destruction of property. It is
anti-property, therefore anti-capitalism and anti-life.

66 Check all representations on which you rely made by everyone.

67 High self-esteem can only come from moral productivity and
achievement.

68 There are an infinite number of new opportunities. Actively seek
them out, and position yourself to recognise and take advantage of
them.

69 There is no such thing as a good idea unless it is utilised.

70 To maximise profits, learn to identify universal problems,
solutions and trends. Identifying and solving problems is the essence
of profit generation.

71 To maximise opportunities, seek and master the complicated. The
major solutions you find will be surprisingly simple, and the
competition is minimal.

72 Always have opinions.

73 Nothing wins more often than superior preparation.

74 Patience is profitable. Achievement comes from the sum of
consistent small efforts, repeated daily.

75 Persistence is a sure path to success. Never, ever, ever give
up.

76 When you don't know, don't bluff; ask. You will
compliment and
learn.

77 Always try to increase the size of the pie, rather than just your
portion.

78 Rewards are rare without risks, but take only carefully
calculated risks. Make sure the odds are on your side.

79 The `how' you get it is more important that the
`what.'

80 Be explicit and semantically precise in all communications,
agreements and dealings. Summarise and write down important
discussions; and make sure all sides agree. Putting agreements in
writing avoids misunderstandings. Memories are fallible, and death is
inevitable; so far.

81 Be productive rather than reactive. Attack life.

82 Don't believe it's true or right just because it's
conventional.
Stretch your imagination on every deal and look for an unconventional
creative opportunity in every mistake or problem.

83 Enjoy your vocation, or find one that you do enjoy; one that
excites you the most.

84 Nobody gets old by surprise.

85 It's hard to learn and talk at the same time.

86 Fill your life with positive expectations. Demand the best.
Attitude and desire contribute to 80% of your success. Anyone can
learn the physical mechanics.

87 The key to mastering time is to arrange your daily activities
into compartments; telephone calls, meetings, etc.; and move on to
each compartment precisely when the current one's time has
lapsed, or
when its work is completed; whichever comes first. Get your most
dreaded compartment's task out of the way before doing anything
else
in that compartment.

88 The source of lasting happiness can never come from outside
yourself through consuming values; but only from within yourself by
producing values.

89 An avoided problem will not go away, but usually gets worse.
Anticipate and eliminate problems; or meet them head-on at the
outset.

90 For each action you take, ask yourself if you would be
embarrassed if it were published.

91 When someone makes a big issue about his honesty, he is probably
dishonest.

92 Put the magic power of compound interest to work with every
available dollar.

93 The best investment you will ever make is your steady increase of
knowledge. Invest in yourself. Thirty minutes of study per day will
eventually make you an expert in any subject; but only if you apply
that knowledge. But, study alone is no substitute for experience; the
gradual process of learning from, and not repeating your mistakes.
Education is always painfully slow.

94 It takes a lifetime of effort to build a good reputation, but
only a moment of stupidity to destroy it.

95 You are exactly what you believe and think about all day long.

96 Whenever something sounds too good to be true, you can bet it is.
Refuse to be swayed by emotion when it conflicts with reason.

97 Anxiety is usually caused by lack of control, organisation,
preparation and action.

98 The first rule of sharpening your mind is to be an alert and
sensitive observer. Constantly pay attention. Observation is the
genesis of all knowledge and progress; and is the first step of every
thinking person's tool: the Scientific Method.

99 It takes a wise person to learn from his own mistakes; and a
genius to learn and profit from the mistakes and experiences of
others.

100 The purpose of life is to delay, avoid and eventually reverse
death.

Top Ten Ways to Increase Your Influence

1.Maintain impeccable character - make your character one that others know and trust.

2.Develop your skills to excellence. In everything you do, make sure you are a person of excellence.

3.Help others in all that you do. Make sure that you are a win-win person who does things so that everybody can enjoy the fruits of the victory.

4.Be successful at what you do. Success is the ultimate influencer. If you are successful, others will want to learn how - and they'll listen to you!

5.Speak well. Speaking is a powerful tool of influence. Speak well and you will attract others to you - and to follow you.

6.Go the extra mile. Don't quit at average. Go further than anyone else. Make people know you will give them more than they asked for.

7.Be known as the "go to" guy. Let it be your name that people think of when they need something done. Develop the reputation that you can and will get the job done. This will attract people to you like flies to honey.

8.Be generous. Give to others. Help others. Let others succeed, make money, and gain recognition.

9.Know more than others but don't be a know-it-all. People will come to you if they know you will have the answer. They won't if you arrogantly remind them that you have all the answers!

10.Deliver the goods and get the job done. No excuses, get the job done. That's what counts. That's the language people speak.

ABC's of Happiness

A--Accept
Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've made even if
you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.

B--Break Away
Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to
accomplish with your life.

C--Create
Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams,
sorrows, and happiness with.

D--Decide
Decide that you'll be successful and happy come what may, and good
things will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the
way.

E--Explore
Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much
to give. And every time you try something new, you'll learn more about
yourself.

F--Forgive
Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness
and grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes.

G--Grow
Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or
stand in your way.

H--Hope
Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as
you remain dedicated to the task.

I--Ignore
Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals
and remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small
inkling of what the future holds.

J--Journey
Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try
to learn something new every day, and you'll grow.

K--Know
Know that no matter how bad things seem, they'll always get better. The
warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.

L--Love
Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart,
there's room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there's
room for endless happiness.

M--Manage
Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll suffer less
stress and worry. Then you'll be able to focus on the important things
in life.

N--Notice
Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your
assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding.

O--Open
Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the
worst of times, there's still much to be thankful for.

P--Play
Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without
happiness.

Q--Question
Ask many questions, because you're here to learn.

R--Relax
Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things
always have a way of working out in the end.

S--Share
Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything
that you invest in others will return to you many times over.

T--Try
Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You'll be
amazed by what you can accomplish.

U--Use
Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that's wasted has no value.
Talent that's used will bring unexpected rewards.

V--Value
Value the friends and family members who've supported and encouraged
you, and be there for them as well.

W--Work
Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel
guilty if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second
chance.

X--X-Ray
Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you'll see the
goodness and beauty within.

Y--Yield
Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you'll
find success at the end of the road.

Z--Zoom
Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rears its ugly head.
Let nothing interfere with your goals. Instead, focus on your
abilities, your dreams, and a brighter tomorrow.

Steve Jobs' speech

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

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

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parent’s garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It awful tasted medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

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

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

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

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

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Motivational Quotes

"If you want truly to understand something, try to change it."
Kurt Lewin

"I am a strong believer in luck and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."
Benjamin Franklin

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."
Aristotle

"People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it."
Howard Newton

"Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work."
Peter Drucker

"There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem."
Harold Stephens

"It is amazing how much people can get done if they do not worry about who gets the credit."
Sandra Swinney

"Sports do not build character. They reveal it."
Matthew Campbell

"Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny."
Tryon Edwards

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
Winston Churchill

KALPANA CHAWLA (PH.D.):BIOGRAPHY

KALPANA CHAWLA (PH.D.)
NASA ASTRONAUT

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Karnal, India. Died on February 1, 2003 over the southern United States when Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew perished during entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing. She is survived by her husband. Kalpana Chawla enjoyed flying, hiking, back-packing, and reading. She held a Certificated Flight Instructor's license with airplane and glider ratings, Commercial Pilot's licenses for single- and multi-engine land and seaplanes, and Gliders, and instrument rating for airplanes. She enjoyed flying aerobatics and tail-wheel airplanes.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Tagore School, Karnal, India, in 1976. Bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, 1982. Master of science degree in aerospace engineering from University of Texas, 1984. Doctorate of philosophy in aerospace engineering from University of Colorado, 1988.

AWARDS: Posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

EXPERIENCE: In 1988, Kalpana Chawla started work at NASA Ames Research Center in the area of powered-lift computational fluid dynamics. Her research concentrated on simulation of complex air flows encountered around aircraft such as the Harrier in "ground-effect." Following completion of this project she supported research in mapping of flow solvers to parallel computers, and testing of these solvers by carrying out powered lift computations. In 1993 Kalpana Chawla joined Overset Methods Inc., Los Altos, California, as Vice President and Research Scientist to form a team with other researchers specializing in simulation of moving multiple body problems. She was responsible for development and implementation of efficient techniques to perform aerodynamic optimization. Results of various projects that Kalpana Chawla participated in are documented in technical conference papers and journals.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in December 1994, Kalpana Chawla reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995 as an astronaut candidate in the 15th Group of Astronauts. After completing a year of training and evaluation, she was assigned as crew representative to work technical issues for the Astronaut Office EVA/Robotics and Computer Branches. Her assignments included work on development of Robotic Situational Awareness Displays and testing space shuttle control software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. In November, 1996, Kalpana Chawla was assigned as mission specialist and prime robotic arm operator on STS-87. In January 1998, she was assigned as crew representative for shuttle and station flight crew equipment, and subsequently served as lead for Astronaut Office’s Crew Systems and Habitability section. She flew on STS-87 (1997) and STS-107 (2003), logging 30 days, 14 hours and 54 minutes in space.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-87 Columbia (November 19 to December 5, 1997). STS-87 was the fourth U.S Microgravity Payload flight and focused on experiments designed to study how the weightless environment of space affects various physical processes, and on observations of the Sun's outer atmospheric layers. Two members of the crew performed an EVA (spacewalk) which featured the manual capture of a Spartan satellite, in addition to testing EVA tools and procedures for future Space Station assembly. STS-87 made 252 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6.5 million miles in in 376 hours and 34 minutes.

STS-107 Columbia (January 16 to February 1, 2003). The 16-day flight was a dedicated science and research mission. Working 24 hours a day, in two alternating shifts, the crew successfully conducted approximately 80 experiments. The STS-107 mission ended abruptly on February 1, 2003 when Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew perished during entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing.

Eight Virtues of Gladiator Leadership

Remember the heart-pounding, soul-stirring message of last year's critically acclaimed movie Gladiator? Remember how Maximus, the Russell Crowe character, rallied his men around him and led them to victory, even in the face of almost certain defeat? Remember his "envision the goal" technique for getting through the horrors of battle? Now, consider the leadership in your own company. Any gladiators in the ranks? Are you a gladiator?

The time is right for a more heroic style of leadership. Desperate times lend themselves to the rise of gladiators. Instead of seeing today's economy as a negative, executives should view it as an opportunity in disguise--a chance to position your organization for the inevitable economic upswing. Here are eight virtues of Gladiator Leadership.

1. Gladiators have a mission for which they feel real passion. Call it a purpose, an obsession, a calling: whatever the terminology, good leaders have a defining mission in their life. This mission, above all other traits, separates managers from leaders. In Gladiator, Maximus lived for the mission of killing the evil usurper Commodus and restoring Rome to the values that made her great.

2. Gladiators create a vision. Having and communicating a clear picture of a future goal will lead to its achievement. Dare to think great! Maximus helped his fellow gladiators see that they could overthrow their enemies and survive the horror of the battles they were forced to participate in. In business, a leader may create an "enemy"the economy, the competition, inefficiency-to challenge the energies of his or her people and give them something to fight for.

3. Gladiators lead from the front-they don't dictate from the back. In the movie, both when Maximus was a general and a gladiator, he fought up front where the firestorm was heaviest. So does a good business leader. Working "in the trenches" shows that you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, it helps you fully understand the issues your "soldiers" are facing, and inspires loyalty in your troops.

4. Gladiators know there is strength in teams. Where would Maximus have been if he hadn't trusted his men to fight with him and cover his back? Likewise, where would you be without your employees? While the gladiator leader has the skills to draw people together, he doesn't hog the spotlight. He has care and compassion for his team and wants every member to be recognized for his or her efforts. This is especially important in a time when the old style "command and control" structure is waning. Younger workers (Generations X and Y) tend to be loyal to their coworkers rather than the traditional "organization."

5. Gladiators encourage risk-taking. In the Roman Empire, gladiators were expected to die with honor. Refusing to lie down and let one's opponents win was bucking the status quo. (And certainly, killing the reigning emperor-however corrupt-simply was not done!) If a company does not examine its way of doing things, if it does not push out its boundaries, if it never makes mistakes, it may become road kill.

6. Gladiators keep their heads in a crisis. Maximus had to think on his feet and refuse to give into terror and panic. He faced the most formidable foes calmly and with focus. Business leaders must do the same. They must take a position and defend it when things go awry. Being graceful and brave under fire is the surest way to build credibility-a necessity for sound leadership. Gladiators don't retreat due to the slowing economy, but look for the opportunity under their feet.

7. Gladiators prepare for battle 24 hours a day. Essentially, a Roman gladiator was a fighting machine. To stay alive, his mind had to be constantly on the upcoming battle. Business leaders, likewise, must be obsessed with training and developing their people in good times and bad. People need and want to hone their individual skills and "sharpen their swords." Furthermore, good leaders must constantly learn what's necessary to survive and unlearn the "old rules." Just because a management style worked a decade ago does not mean it will work in today's economy-good leaders evolve with the times.

8. Gladiators are teachers and mentors. Maximus taught his men the lessons they would need to survive in their new role as gladiators. In today's rapidly changing environment, leaders must also teach and train those who may soon replace them. We are not necessarily talking about formal classroom training. We need leaders talking to people in the hallway, in the restaurant . . . everywhere. Everyone should be mentoring someone.

My Learnings

I've learned....
that the best classroom in the world
is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....
that when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned....
that just one person saying to me,
"You've made my day!" makes my day.

I've learned....
that having a child fall asleep in your arms
is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....
that being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....
that you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....
that I can always pray for someone when I don't
have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned....
that no matter how serious your life requires you to
be,everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....
that sometimes all a person needs is
a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned....
that life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned....
that money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....
that it's those small daily happenings that make life
so spectacular.

I've learned....
that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants
to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned....
that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned....
that when you plan to get even with someone,
you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....
that love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned....
that the easiest way for me to grow as a person
is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned....
that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a
smile.

I've learned....
that there's nothing sweeter than holding a sleeping
baby
and feeling their breath against your cheek.

I've learned....
that no one is perfect until you fall in love with
them.

I've learned....
that life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned....
that opportunities are never lost;
someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned....
that when you harbor bitterness,
happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned....
that one should keep his words both soft and tender,
because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned....
that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your
looks.

I've learned....
that I can't choose how I feel,
but I can choose what I do about it.

I've learned....
that when a newborn baby holds your little finger in
his little fist,
you're hooked for life.

I've learned....
that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain,
but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're
climbing it.

I've learned....
that it is best to give advice in only two
circumstances;
when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening
situation.

I've learned....
that the less time I have to work with,
the more things I get done

Eight Gifts that Do Not Cost A Cent

1) THE GIFT OF LISTENING . . .
But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.


2) THE GIFT OF AFFECTION . . .
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.


3) THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER . . .
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love
to laugh with you."


4) THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE . . .
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief,
handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.


5) THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT . . .
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or
"That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.


6) THE GIFT OF A FAVOR . . .
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.


7) THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE . . .
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be
sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.


8) THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION . . .
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us . . .

A Quick Story

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. She looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got tot he point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners…he is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume.

But she stifled the children's' laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom, used to." After the children, left she cried for at least an hour,. On that very day, she quite teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.

Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became on of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under he door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, second in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit I the place at the weeding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for make me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

Obstacles in our path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

Some Thoughts

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead

"Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it." --Brian Tracy

"It is amazing how much people can get done if they do not worry about who gets the credit." --Sandra Swinney

"I've always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team." --Lee Iacocca

"You put together the best team that you can with the players you've got, and replace those who aren't good enough." --Robert Crandall

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." --Michael Jordan

"You will find men who want to be carried on the shoulders of others, who think that the world owes them a living. They don't seem to see that we must all lift together and pull together." --Henry Ford

"He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own." --Confucius

"The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say 'I.' And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I.' They don't think 'I.' They think 'we'; they think 'team.' They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we' gets the credit.... This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done." --Peter Drucker

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work a company work, a society work, a civilization work." --Vince Lombardi

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." --Andrew Carnegie

"The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals." --Rensis Likert

"I don't believe in team motivation. I believe in getting a team prepared so it knows it will have the necessary confidence when it steps on a field and be prepared to play a good game." --Tom Landry

Things to remember

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

Follow the three R’s: Respect for self. Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone each day.

Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Make your day great!!

TAPROOT OF TRUST by Stephen R. Covey

Efforts to empower employees and to align systems will be forever frustrated in cultures of low or no trust.

I have long advocated a natural, gradual, day-by-day, step-by-step, sequential approach to personal and organizational development. My feeling is that any product or program whether it deals with losing weight or mastering skills that promise "quick, free, instant, and easy" results is probably not based on correct principles. And yet virtually all advertising uses one or more of these words to entice us to buy. Small wonder many of us are addicted to "quick fix" approaches.

In this article, I suggest that real character and skill development are irrevocably related to natural laws and governing principles; when we observe these, we gain the strength to break with the past, to overcome old habits, to change our paradigms, and to achieve primary greatness and interpersonal effectiveness.

Of course, we do not live alone on islands, isolated from other people. We are born into families; we grow up in societies; we become students of schools, members of other organizations. Once into our professions, we find that our jobs require us to interact frequently and effectively with others. If we fail to learn and apply the principles of interpersonal effectiveness, we can expect our progress to slow or stop.

And so we must also acquire the attitudes, skills, and strategies for creating and maintaining trustful relationships. In effect, once we become relatively independent, our challenge is to become effectively interdependent with others. To do this, we must practice empathy and synergy in our efforts to be proactive and productive.

Very early in my life, at age twenty, I was assigned to manage the work of others and to train men and women more than twice my age in the principles and skills of effective management and leadership. It was a humbling, frightening experience.

Like me, most people once on their own soon find themselves in some sort of "management" position. Often these responsibilities come before we are ready for them. But we learn by doing and by making mistakes, and overtime we gain some degree of competence and confidence.

When we become leaders of organizations, we encounter a whole new set of problems. Some of these are chronic others acute. Many are as common to Fortune 500 companies as they are to families, small businesses, and volunteer groups: certain conditions of organizational effectiveness apply across the board.

we replace prejudice (the tendency to pre-judge and categorize people in order to manipulate them) with a sense of reverence and discovery in order to promote learning, achievement, and excellence in people?

How can we be empowered (and empower other people) with confidence and competence to solve problems and seize opportunities without being or fearing loose cannons?

How do we encourage the desire to change and improve without creating more pain than gain?

How can we be contributing members of a complementary team based on mutual respect and the valuing of diversity and pluralism?

Where do we start, and how do we keep recharging our batteries to maintain momentum for learning, growing, and improving?

Management Dilemmas

Principle-centered leadership will also help you to resolve the classic managerial and organizational dilemmas: How do we maintain control, and yet give people the freedom and autonomy they need to be effective in their work?
How can we have a culture characterized by change, flexibility, and continuous improvement and still maintain a sense of stability and security?

How do we get our people, the culture, aligned with the strategy so that everyone in the organization is as committed to the strategy as those who formulated it?

How do we unleash the creativity, resourcefulness, talent, and energy of the vast majority of the present work force whose jobs neither require nor reward such use?

How do we clearly see that the dilemma of whether to play tough hardball to produce a bottom line or to play softball to "be nice" to people is based on a false dichotomy?

How do we serve and eat the lunch of champions (feedback) and then the dinner of champions (course correction) within the context of the breakfast of champions (vision)?

How do we turn a mission statement into a constitution the supreme guiding force of the entire organization instead of a bunch of nebulous, meaningless, cynicism-inducing platitudes?

How do we create a culture where management treats employees as customers and uses them as local experts?

How do we internalize the principles of total quality and continuous improvement in all our people at all levels of the organization when they are so cynical and fatigued from the disillusionment in the wake of all the past programs of the month?

How do we create team spirit and harmony among departments and people who have been attacking, criticizing, contending for scare resources, playing political games and working from hidden agendas for years?

Perhaps you have asked yourself one or more of these questions as you have grappled with real-life challenges in your personal life and in your organizations. As you gain an understanding of the basic principles of effective leadership, you will be empowered to answer these and other tough questions by yourself. Without this understanding, you will continue to use hit-and-miss, seat-of-the-pants approaches to living and problem solving.

Four Levels, Four Principles

Principle-centered leadership is practiced from the inside-out on four levels: 1) personal (my relationship with myself); 2) interpersonal (my relationships and interactions with others); 3) managerial (my responsibility to get a job done with others); and 4) organizational (my need to organize people to recruit them, train them, compensate them, build teams, solve problems, and create aligned structure, strategy, and systems).
Each level is "necessary but insufficient," meaning we have to work at all levels on the basis of certain master principles.

Trustworthiness at the Personal Level.

Trustworthiness is based on character what you are as a person and competence, what you can do. If you have faith in my character but not in my competence, you still wouldn't trust me.

Many good, honest people gradually lose their professional trustworthiness because they allow themselves to become "obsolete" inside their organizations. Without character and competence, we won't be considered trustworthy. Nor will we show much wisdom in our choices and decisions. Without meaningful on-going professional development, there is little trustworthiness or trust.

Trust at the Interpersonal Level.

Trustworthiness is the foundation of trust. Trust is the emotional bank account between two people, which enables two parties to have a win-win performance agreement. If two people trust each other, based on the trustworthiness of each other, they can then enjoy clear communication, empathy, synergy, and productive interdependency. If one is incompetent, training and development can help. But if one has a character flaw, he or she must make and keep promises to increase internal security, improve skills, and rebuild relationships of trust. Trust or the lack of it is at the root of the success or failure in relationships and in the bottom-line results of business, industry, education, and government.

Empowerment at the Management Level.

If you have no or low trust, how are you going to manage people? If you think your people lack character or competence, how would you manage them? When you don't have trust, you have to control people. But if you have high trust, how do you manage people? You don't supervise them they supervise themselves. You become a source of help. You set up a performance agreement so they understand what's expected. You overlap their needs with the needs of the organization. You have accountability, but they participate in the evaluation of their performance based on the terms of the agreement. People are empowered to judge themselves because their knowledge transcends any measurement system. If you have a low-trust culture, you have to use measurement because people will tell you what they think you want to hear.

Alignment at the Organizational Level.

If you have a low trust culture with a control style of management, you will have a hierarchal organization with small spans of control. You will resort to "go-fer" delegation and prescribe and manage methods. Your information system will gather immediate information on results so you can take decisive corrective actions. Your motivation system will be the carrot-and-stick. Such primitive systems may enable you to survive against soft competition, but you are easy prey for tough competitors.

If you have a high trust culture, your organization can be very flat and extremely flexible with large spans of control. Why? People are supervising themselves. They are doing their jobs cheerfully without being reminded because you have built an emotional bank account with them. You've got commitment and empowerment because you have built the culture around a common vision on the basis of certain bedrock principles, and you are constantly striving to align strategy, style, structure, and systems with your professed mission (your constitution) and with the realities out there in the environment (the streams).

Dr. Covey is the author of several acclaimed books, including the international bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Dream BIG

Dream big to make your life meaningful,
Strive hard to make those dreams fruitful!

Never get scared when the problems surround,
Stop not the journey though hurdles are around!

In the voyage towards light, dark tunnels may come,
While swimming across, you may face thunderstorms!

Don't lose strength of mind, don't be a pessimist,
Walk with confidence, poise and self-trust!

'Success' is never won through any short cuts,
All that you need is will power and guts!

Sweat on your forehead assures you victory;
`Hard-work always paid' – thus says history!

THE RAIN - In Every Human Heart

I love THE RAIN—real, honest-to-goodness! There’s nothing like the thrill of those low, Gray clouds rolling in and the fresh earthy aroma of an impending downpour. That smell sends a chill down my spine…..in fact most of the humans. That z the beauty of the nature….. It’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

As someone rightly said -

“The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that
every sinner has a past and every saint has a future.”

……. a bud in the pool feeling secured of being closed, caught unaware of the beauty of the bloom. With every second tickling the clock and the sun sending the sensors of love to the earthly souls, every rays of him sensing the equally sensible bud……..it cheers up with the whispers of the sun……enjoys the pleasure of being loved, loves trembling her thoughts…..a pleasure which she can only feel, she can only think, she can only view and goes unexplained…..beyond the land of the skies.….. it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

…… a boy in teens riding his thoughts and chasing the dreams with the lass of his life…..just for the moment. Equal was she in his arms, brushing the hair with her silky-smooth fingers and hiding his face in her long luscious black hair. Together they built their life for the life time…..a house for themselves with a beautiful garden, a big landscape with a pool besides the palm tree and groove to rest in for the rest of the life. ….. it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

…….a prisoner sentenced to life thinks bright about his tomorrow, forgetting the dark nights of all those yesterdays. Realizes his life got revitalized with the verdict and feels purity in him with the devil in him divorcing the ways. Again……he enjoys the morning sunrise, the charm of the humming bird, the jingles from the stream, the lush greens, the blue skies, the chilled weather, the dew droplets, the buds and the flowers, loves his parents and above all the humanity……though the fact stands…..he can just count his days……still would like to live it again........not like a monster……but like a “just born baby”…….tears roll down his cheeks soothing him the motherly way…..heartening him about his next life…….it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

……..a man lost his love after 18 years of marriage. She left him 2 kids to nurture them the ways of her thoughts. The man feels her every moment of the day, from the very morning wake-up call to the kids to that of the good night stories…..songs….and themes he hums for them. She is there in his life. Just inside his heart though far above the material world…..blissful of the eternal love. He sees the children grow to make the life on their own…..and also sees the rebirth of the child in him. He feels to be loved, he feels to be cared, he craves to feel the hand of his beloved, jog down the lanes, walk the lawns, collect the pebbles on the seashore, rest his head on her shoulders, lean on her when he is tired, service her equally…….realizes that it’s time for him to take the stairs up……to hold the hand that awaits his touch…….and does so…… it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

……..a professional of his life lives the pride of achievements, pats the neighbour to take the tough road ahead, drive home the thorns way, feel the pain of the body in the mind, enjoy the pleasure of the pain in the heart for the way it would bear him the fruits. The leader only knows what it all results in…..as it gave him not an hour or two or a day…..it created fortunes for him and the most beautiful life for him. Pains are for a jiffy in the life, the strengths are mightier in you, much bigger is the life before you…..take it a ride…..see that it doesn’t ride you…..but for sure you should steer it your way….the good Samaritan way. It is just not possible with your mom, your dad, your sister, your brother, your cousins, your relatives….all that it requires is YOUR FRIEND…..who can think about the most beautiful things of you and for you…… it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

……..a just born baby smiles at everyone and loves giggling at the world, no matter what amount of foul it has. For her, the world is through her mother’s eyes…..for that matter she is her life. Deep dimples on her face the moment she sees her mother, eyes wide open when she is introduced to the father……she knew that mother is the nature and father is the belief and the man above is the creator. She breathes through the life in the nature’s lap, grows in her mother’s shoes, wears the father’s attitude, carries the Almighty’s spirit in her, takes the world in her stride and proves her mettle……just to ensure that she becomes the pathfinder for the generations to follow…… it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

……..a beautiful girl with an equally beautiful smile, rosy lips, softy skin….as soft as her heart…….falls head over heels for the guy of her life…..seen him growing with her through her kindergarten and to the teens. She makes the brightest of the days with her slender dimples….that plays the hide and seek with the people watching it…..not a striking beauty but for sure she would be the woman of thoughts in most of the teens…..of course lucky teen was born there to walk along with her for the life. She is in all brains for him and wits for her profession….still she feels the “way lost”….for that together they would soon live out individually to kill the time and win the battle of a life time…… but with confidence, fervour, fondness and love…… it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

……..a guy just in time pushing things into his life, steps each count a day and withers at things for they are not born for him……but goes defying it to win by the time he loses the heart on it. Time and again it happens for him, but never was he tired of the chase…..not the cat and rat, nor the bat and the ball……it’s the game of blood and breathe……because he has a caring brain and a soothing heart to heal the scars made by the life. He believes the world above, has faith in his people, lives his world…..leads the life his heart’s way…..no matter……the tears it earns for things it yearns….still every new sunrise is a new day of his life, new challenge of his life, new way to go, new friends to make, new place to explore, new avenues to discover, new heights to reach…… it’s also the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

Every walk of life, every life style, every living, every talk you make, every thing you speak, every time you think, every decision you make, every thing you fall for, every time you stand again, every time you become tough…….every time……every time…..it is there with you…..it is there in you……it is born for you. It is there in you, it is there in me, it is there in every one……..it is THE RAIN….it is all about thoughts, views, feelings and expressions that drives people through the ages……..it is there in every human heart…… it’s the beauty of the mind…..for the way it rains.

I love THE RAIN—real, honest-to-goodness!

Thought

The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that
every sinner has a past and every saint has a future.

The 4 Quadrants of Human Potential

The Quadrant of the Mind, The Quadrant of the Heart, The Quadrant of the Body and the Quadrant of the Soul.

In the Quadrant of the Mind we discover our power to choose our thoughts and how those thoughts permeate and penetrate into our physical existence. We learn to tame our busy mind, transcend the limitations of our ego and tap into states of deep peace and super creativity known as the Delta Brainwave state. A state of consciousness experienced by only a small percentage of the most skilled meditators on the planet.

In the Quadrant of the Heart we discover not only the perfection of an organ that provides the circulation for our physical existence, but also the center of our connectedness to the world. When we operate from the Quadrant of the heart we radiate fullness, wholeness and centeredness. We become those that other people love to be in the presence of.

In the Quadrant of the Body we appreciate our body as the temple of our soul. We operate in a manner where success is defined not by what we take, but by what we leave behind. We create a legacy from the self that is more than the self. We prosper but also prosper others in everything that we do.

In the Quadrant of the Soul we discover that we are not alone on our journey. Although we have each come to this existence to accomplish a special purpose, our purpose connects us to others. We learn to tap into the creative intelligence of all that is and we live in a state of peace and calm knowing that even this is part of our journey and our growth.

40 valuable lessons I had learned

1) Relationships don't end, they change.
2) You CAN make a living doing what you love.
3) Never spend all the money you have. Save money and it saves you.
4) In bad times everyone can't help you and in good times everyone isn't as happy for you. Learn how to discern and develop true friends.
5) Don't make promises to your children you can't keep.
6) God is always listening, be careful with your inner self-talk.
7) People and creditors have long memories.
8) The past has passed, let go of the pain, nostalgia, would, could, should.
9) Practice everyday saying and/or doing something that is loving, helpful & purposeful.
10) Being too dependent on others doesn't allow you to know your own power to create what you need.
11) I am too blessed to be stressed, don't sweat the small stuff.
12) Most people are not bad or mad, they are just sad and don't know how to get the love and attention they deserve.
13) Everything you say and think has power to create its likeness.
14) Fear and procrastination are major enemies to success.
15) God loves me.
16) Don't ignore or mistreat people, everyone is important.
17) Don't give up 5 minutes before your miracle.
18) Good health is so valuable, fragile and a blessing. Drink a lot of water.
19) Don't take everything so serious, have a sense of humor.
20) People like to help or do business with people they already know, networking is critical. Meet and serve as many people as you can.
21) You didn't die from your mistakes, but you may have to repeat them, if you didn't learn the lesson.
22) We train other people how to treat us, self-esteem is NOT selfish, it's necessary.
23) Stay away from negative, critical, judgmental, gossipy people.
24) Spend as much time as possible around nature and beautiful environments.
25) Sometimes things you can't learn in a book or from a parent, teacher or pastor, you have to experience it for yourself.
26) Acknowledge your shortcomings and work to improve them Acknowledge your strengths, be humble but don't diminish or deny them.
27) Stay focused to get a job done. Either do it, delegate it or dump it.
28) I didn't die from the painful times in my life, they made me stronger.
29) Don't let a fool kiss you. Don't let a kiss fool you. Kisses aren't promises.
30) Have a life, don't depend on others to make you happy and fulfilled.
31) God is too big to fit into one religion, God is everywhere and in everything.
32) Marriage and parenting are serious commitments, don't be in a hurry.
33) Find ways to show appreciation to those you love and care about, not just on holidays or birthdays.
34) Pay attention to details and keep good records.
35) Prayer changes things. Trust God's divine plan.
36) If you take it, return it. If you break it, fix it. If you know it, live it. If you want it, ask for it. If you use it, clean it. If you wear it, hang it up. If made a mistake, take responsibility for it. If you have some share it. If you own it, protect it. If you love someone, show it. If you believe it, you can achieve it.
37) Time is precious, live everyday to it's fullest, everyday is a special occasion.
38) Learn to enjoy your own solitude.
39) People come into your life for a reason or a season. They bring joy and lessons.
40) Always stay in the light in spite of any bad news or changes. This positive attitude will help you stay in peace rather than fall to pieces.