If you are expecting quotes from many great people here, you are mistaken. The following snippets are a collection of things I told to people, or put on facebook, which people found useful and thought provoking. If they interest you or help you in your life, I will be happy. To give me a smile, please do leave a comment, before you leave.
If a handful of corn pop in a oven, they look beautiful. If a bagful of corn are in the same oven and starts popping, you know what happens. This is what is happening to India, with this huge population, limited land and economic boom. Agriculture getting affected, farmers selling their land to brainless realtors, and many affluent buying land in the name of “investment” and making it barren.
Growth should only be aspired by people who have room to stretch their physical, intellectual space, can take in more stress, and can reduce their emotional, family, self and social space. Otherwise, growth would break one’s life and would prove a disaster. Leaders, Managers and Organizations should closely look at this aspect of a human being, than aggressively pushing people to grow, just for the sake of $. After all any business is for welfare of everybody in and around it, not just for the few who run it.
An idea that works, gives immediate results, and the one which doesn’t, teaches a lesson, that can give results throughout the life.
The atoms on your face could be from a stellar explosion million years back, or a cosmic debris a dying star has emitted or simply cow dung added as manure to some plant which became food for you. Do you think they came from else where? Looking at the life and its contents will make us more conscious about who we are, what we are.
If you can bow down in thankfulness to every grain of food that goes into you, because that is what makes you live, bow down to the farmer who made it, bow down to the land which hosted it, you live a sensible and peaceful life. If majority of mankind does it, this planet sees more sensible people, and survives another million years. Do not exploit agriculture and forests in the name of real estate, development and industries. It is not development but destruction of the planet in long term.
When you have a physical support ($ for body and mind), and if you don’t leverage it to lift up your consciousness, you will fall immediately when the support is removed. Unconsciously you are playing a see-saw. If you have done work to lift up your consciousness, it doesn’t matter whether you have physical support or not, you will be fine the way you are.
The term business leaders is absurd. Leaders think, work, and die for people, so do many followers for the leader. Leader has to be accepted by majority. There can be better managers, visionaries, thinkers in business. Business is essentially profit making and one who makes profit for somebody at the cost of other is never a leader. At the best he/she can be a “Much Ahead” of others”, but certainly not leading them, and when it becomes a compulsion, that is called “dictatorship”, not leadership.
If you are not exemplary in all aspects of your life, you cannot become a successful leader. It demands lot of discipline. If you yourself are not disciplined, how do you expect others to be!
When you are running for shelter, while bombs are showering, there is trouble. When you are in jungle at midnight and a tiger roars, there is trouble. You are in desert, thirsty and a signboard says Oasis 100miles, there is trouble. But not when your wife doesn’t cook what you like, and when your husband doesn’t remember your birthday. We are so much entangled in this psychological mess, that one step forward or backward in life becomes messy and troublesome. Most of the time, there are experiences, and no troubles. You either step on it to go up, or stumble on it and cry rolling.
The irony of human brain is, it has solution for every body else’ problem, but fails to solve its own, and it thinks it is facing the worst problem that humanity ever faced.
Having a child is accepting responsibility for the society that you would deliver a wonderful human being to it in 15 years. Children are not for taking the baton of Surnames or Family Chains. Nor your second kid for helping you with the first kid to play and pamper. They are huge responsibility on you to build next generation of human beings. As Sadhguru fantastically put, “Don’t try to teach and convert them into another “you”. We have had enough with one, don’t want another “you””. Don’t you think so when you look at every other person you know! The bottom line is no force, nor instincts should let you take up children. Its your passion to deliver wonderful project, that should let you do!
I would rather coach my kids to become wonderful human beings, than a Engineer, or Doctor. Because when you interact with anybody in the society, how courteous and how empathetic the other is, matters a lot for you than “what was his qualification and how much he earns”, and would cherish the memories of such beautiful people for many years.. Don’t you? Survival is not a big deal, they can do anything to earn a living and shelter. If you agree with me, are you willing too?
For those who are living in the sticky substance of regrets from past….
Regrets wont make life happen. The true evidence of realization is change of personality. A change may benefit many people around you and of course you. Regrets will only leave you crushed, leaving no chance to make your life or others’ lives better. Trying to forget the past without changing attitude is like sitting on the railway track, and trying to get some sleep. When you change your attitude, past will fade off by itself.
When people don’t talk junk with you, it means you earnt high respect in the society. When people share their personal issues with you, it means they trust you very much. Be humble and helping, that is what keeps that respect and trust maintained in the longer run.
Nobody in this world is waking up with “Laddu” in mouth every morning, but in fact, working for a pinch of it throughout the life and living each day dreaming for it. Sufferings are not some one’s own. Every man has a book of sufferings if you try to peek in. Do you think I don’t have a book of my own… I do (I will not let you peek in…. grin smile emoticon )
If you are good, your goodness gets tested; if you are cruel, your cruelty gets tested; if you are generous, your generosity gets tested; if you are stupid, your stupidity gets tested; if you are patient, your patience gets tested. This is the rule of Nature and God, and this amalgamates into Darwin’s “Survival of the fittest”
If you fail to convince some one with the right argument, be convinced that you were talking to a stupid. If you convinced someone with wrong argument, realize that the other person felt that you were stupid and left the argument
Humans have reactions based on two reactors. Brain and Heart. For some people heart drives brain, and for some brain drives heart. An insensible person reacts with brain, and an emotional person reacts with heart. A sensible person is the one who responds after a mutual agreement of brain and heart.
Before we solve life`s puzzle we run out of time. Those who solve it within time lose interest in life. Those who are not bothered about it become burden to the society. Irony of philosophy.
Every time I venture into a new risky thing, I make sure I tell a couple of my critics, who make fun of me. After they make fun of my thought, it’s easy for me to climb up the tree, because I want to prove them wrong and it becomes a challenge for me. I was never demotivated by their words, on the contrary they propel me forward with numerous force. Thanks to those wonderful guys who unknowingly helped me climb up and reach my goals!- Vijay Sridhara
I don’t know why people often feel suicide is better option in helpless condition or in a cheated situation. I have done the reverse, helped myself stand up and killed the cheater and living happily there after. Because it’s my life, nobody else has right to disrupt it.- Vijay Sridhara
We often curse our forefathers for their waging wars and their incapability in making the world better. But are we conducting our lives such that our grand children won’t curse us? Be a key in making the world better. Be an example. You need not do social work nor help the poor.
Have 0.75 strictness in your principles and ethics, than having 0.25. You will have already set an example among your friends, relatives and children.- Vijay Sridhara
Social responsibility comes in 20’s when one is highly social conscious and empathetic, if not , in 30’s because one encounters social problems and want to do something about them,if not, never afterwards and is a burden to the society.- Vijay Sridhara
It is only friends who will make you or break you. It is only friends who will make you realize your potential. Have good friends and resonate to reach the skies. – Vijay Sridhara
If you don’t know what you want to do, follow your best friend’s advice, and own it…- Vijay Sridhara
I need some one to lean on, but not some one who would budge after I leaned on.- Vijay Sridhara
How many ever complaints we have about our loved ones, we know inside that they are just right for us. Because we have done enough work to love them or to get us loved by them.- Vijay Sridhara
Nurturing a daughter is easier than a son, protecting a daughter is tougher than a son, getting a daughter married, is tougher than a boy, living without the loving daughter is even tougher. Living with an unloving son is toughest!- Vijay Sridhara
Life is beautiful, nobody has the right to spoil our lives… don’t give your remote control to some one else… Don’t have a remote control at all… Be self controlled and be happy- Vijay Sridhara
A marriage is not for love and manufacturing kids, but to face all odds of life with combined strength, shaping up future with a new generation filled with good qualities and experiences and marching forward hand in hand. Love is just a fuel to keep the motivation for moving forward. PS: Two people incessantly loving each other and doing nothing else is a waste to the nation.- Vijay Sridhara
Every day I meet a juncture with people, Duty Vs Instinct. Duty wins always. They take it as my weakness that I did not retaliate. I take it as their weakness. However the end of duty with such people is not retaliation but desertion. The pain of desertion is more than punishment.- Vijay Sridhara
A pillar that is not strong, cannot boast of supporting a building by itself. If we are not healthy physically and mentally we cannot help the crowd.- Vijay Sridhara
If we focus on what people are talking behind us, we may be missing a sweet golden kiss from the ones that love us the most. It is as if we are walking forward continuously looking back, losing our ability to respond to coming events. Our abilities will be almost killed and there can be unpleasant accidents.- Vijay Sridhara
Amid adversity or opposition, how we respond, both in voice or in acts is what is our real nature. People know us by that. One needs to tame the inner self for right kind of responses to be called a “sensible person”.- Vijay Sridhara
After a war or a struggle or a revolution, only the last men and leaders would be remembered as able men, most. Rest of all men throughout the journey are forgotten, irrespective of whatever sacrifices they did.- Vijay Sridhara
A leader is not just the one who leads a team to victory and celebrates, but the one who keeps the spirits of the team up during the time of odds and make them feel victorious even in defeat.- Vijay Sridhara
Do not search for stones when a glittering diamond is beside you. By the time you pick a good colored stone, the diamond would be found sparkling in somebody else’s necklace.- Vijay Sridhara
It took 30 billion years for mankind to progress to this stage. The progress is pathetically slow just because of two facts:
1) Every child that is born has to start over from ABCD
2) Some great inventions in the hands of lunatics, destroy millions of learned men in a flick. So back to square one.- Vijay Sridhara
You are called a responsible citizen when you can feel others pain, value others time and act accordingly reasonable, when you are the reason for it . Otherwise you are just a parasite. A parasite knows only one thing “I”, at any others cost.- Vijay Sridhara
A man who talks about goodness of love is adored by women. A man who talks about the badness of the same is praised by men. However ironically in reality, most of the time, its men who run behind women for love.- Vijay Sridhara
Most men become good at heart when Mother Nature becomes bad and vice-versa. – Vijay Sridhara
Treasure hunt involves lot of adventures, because treasures are not buried in front of your house for you to wake up and dig with a toothbrush. If you want treasures in life, you need to work for it. Happiness is every mans dream treasure. And man should earn it with lot of plan. It doesn’t come for free or sold for 5 bucks in a cafe. – Vijay Sridhara
We were never ourselves. We are an amalgam of all those who inspired us from time to time, either good or bad. The rich read inspiring books and cultivate business behavior. The beggars are inspired by film stars and pose with broken goggles. If we realize this fact , it is easy to start on the quest for the ones who make our lives better by inspiring us! – Vijay Sridhara
The last ten years of life should go in correcting our lives mistakes so that on the last day of life when we are about to leave, and look back, our life should look like a valuable gift which we are passing on to the next generations than a stinking sewage pipe. Vijay Sridhara
You cannot use your best weapons on slim targets. You need to use right weapons. Imagine, shooting a crow with a Scud Missile. You need a rifle there not a missile. – Vijay Sridhara
Think of a man entering a tiger’s den boasting that he can make the tiger unconscious with his left hand jab. If you don’t live up to your words, you will pay the price one time or the other and the premium will be much much higher than you can imagine. So talk practical or keep your mouth shut! – Vijay Sridhara
A man who doesn’t apply his knowledge when required is equally bad as a ignorant man or even an ass. After all, as Swami Vivekananda said, Knowledge is for life, and not for livelihood. – Vijay Sridhara
Delaying things because of our incapability or indecisiveness will never end up in a solution but a huge loss to all the parties involved. A bitter but straight “cannot” is much better than a “can” after few years or months as the case may be. Time is valuable, if not for you, but for others. If one prepares for CAT for six months, one can come out in flying colors. Is your “can” better than that? In what way? Judge unbiased. – Vijay Sridhara
No promise comes for free. If you want some one to promise something for you, live up to the cost the promise demands. After all why should the other pay the price for you, if you don’t want to pay the cost? Love? Bull ****, love demands dutifulness first, which means you pay the cost first. – Vijay Sridhara
Anything that has to be strong,versatile and long lasting has to be evolved and not made in a day. Human body is the best example for that. Don’t ever think robots will replace men on some day. – Vijay Sridhara
An incorrigible person is worse than a dog, because you can train a dog to listen to your commands. Stay away from such people, if not, they will hurt you multiple times on the same matter. – Vijay Sridhara
Every one has secrets and one has a book of explanations for them. Private life should not be touched while judging one’s public life, and if at all required, read one’s book first. – Vijay Sridhara
Every trial leaves a trail. The strongest trail is the change in life.So keep trying to make trail strong. You will see change in no time. -Vijay Sridhara
Thinking about how it could have been in the past and regretting, makes your future also merge into past. Dreaming about future to make it better, creates new avenues to make you feel that past also happened for good. Remember: At the end, nothing is more desirable than a happy mind – Vijay Sridhara
You cannot explain about air, to a being born and living in vacuum. Certain things are inexplicable to certain audience. So questioning things which are beyond our senses is stupidity. -Vijay Sridhara
The motivation to do something good should come from the challenge to our ability to do it than the outcome of it. The former kind keeps you motivated till you achieve, where as the latter makes your motivation levels fade off with time. -Vijay Sridhara
The weakest point before we make a mistake is the toughest test for our character. If we pass it once, we are strong forever. – Vijay Sridhara
Principles may not match with the rules of the government and are higher than rules. Rules are for smooth governance, where as principles make a character worth. – Vijay Sridhara
Only workaholics give the fruits to society with their names embossed. Rest all enjoy those fruits chanting their names. Name a inventor who is not a workaholic! – Vijay Sridhara
Keep a rock and a plant near your window and see after ten days, what is changed. If change is not coming your way, change your way, because where there is no change, there is no life – Vijay Sridhara
Love and Ego are mutually exclusive. When Love takes over, Ego gets suppressed and that is true love. – Vijay Sridhara
Leaders are not only FACE, but the FATE of the nation. The future of our children is our nation. So do not let crooks decide our children’s fate. -Vijay Sridhara
Talking to a loser who lost the race multiple times is more healthy and beneficial than a winner who never lost. -Vijay Sridhara
To serve the men on land, we don’t have to be a bureaucrat nor a police officer nor a army personnel nor even a politician. If we do our duty with utmost passion and perfection, we are serving our nation to the best of our abilities. And the quick thing to grasp here is that the duties fall in three categories. Social, Professional and Domestic.-Vijay Sridhara
Love without dutifulness is like having diamonds without glitter.-Vijay Sridhara
Keep pumping the coal into life’s Engine at your best.. Our train’s track is our brain. our health is our Engine. Take care of both. Continue the journey with melodious whistle at a good pace, no matter through which the train passes; jungles, rivers, mountains and deserts.-Vijay Sridhara
In school, as you pass test of one grade, you will have to face the test of next grade. So do life’s tests. They increase in their level of difficulty. You pass one, there is another waiting for you. Your standard, character and caliber are judged based on the number of tests you passed in your life, not by the happy moments you celebrated.-Vijay Sridhara
The two keys of success that man can make himself are opportunity and hard work.The secret key is the luck. If you do not accept that last key exists, then you must have been so lucky that every attempt of you succeeded.-Vijay Sridhara
If one is repeating mistakes more than twice, one is not only disorganized but unprincipled. If one commits something wrong deliberately, one is poor in character.-Vijay Sridhara
Even the most valuable diamonds don’t come in luster.The unwanted coal is be removed.Polish and doping make it outstandingly brilliant.Similarly if we do not rub off our coal and do not dope our life with new characteristics, when shall we outshine others? Life is short, the sooner we realize, the sooner we can make it brilliant.The wealth we make throughout can be spent in a day.The values we learn and we show to others will last for generations to come.Choice is ours.-Vijay Sridhara
If we cannot justify logically what we are doing is correct, then we are obviously wrong. The phrase “I am doing it because some one has done it and was not pointed out” is a crap of an argument. Only brave men have guts to accept their mistakes humbly. Rest all fight with egos-Vijay Sridhara
Appreciation boosts up confidence, and a little more of it creates certitude.Criticism corrects the work, a little more of it brings hatred. If we can balance these two things when we judge others, others always trust us, no matter what. As great man said “To be trusted is more a reward than to be loved…”-Vijay Sridhara
A killer cannot become a priest, just because the victim is optimistic. Be Smartimistic. Your optimism should save you and not crush you.-Vijay Sridhara
Guru does not descend from Himalayas. The one we trust most and get inspired by most, is our Guru. We do not tend to find fault in our Guru once we accept he is, but try to inculcate in us the good things from him.-Vijay Sridhara
The other person always looks blessed for us,as we feel he is quite happy with his life’s events.If you get a chance to interview his inner self,be ready for a surprise,he has a similar feeling about you!Nobody is happy forever as the expectations are controlled by the self,while the rest of the world is controlled by someone else above us! The coincidence makes one happy.The variance measures level of unhappiness.-Vijay Sridhara
Good by nature and Good by fear are two extremely different kinds. When men ask me why the events post-death are not known to any one and if there is at all hell and heaven, I tell them, “If that is made obvious to all, the difference between people who are Good by nature and Good by fear is lost. So all your pre-birth and post-death events are hidden from your knowledge”.-Vijay Sridhara
If you trust a person, a mistake of his will look as if it has a reason. If you doubt a person, a good act of his appears as if he is feigning. Trust demands years of consistent positive behavior. And that is why, to-be-trusted is more reward than to-be-loved.-Vijay Sridhara
Be inspired always.. There is nothing in the world which motivates one more than inspiration. Inspiration is the driving force and lubricant for everything you do. The moment the inspiration is lost, one is mechanical with no lubricant and no force. According to Newton’s first law, one will come to rest, rather stagnant. Unworthy!-Vijay Sridhara
Children are not just another chance to realize our dreams, which we never could, and not just cash vending machines, but more importantly, the vehicles of morality, brotherhood and wise knowledge for the generations to come to make this planet livable, unlike we did, with lot of CO2, SO2, CO, nuclear race, racism, religion and violence. Did you ever sit and think?-Vijay Sridhara
If some one rejects us in our life, it doesn’t mean we are worthless. It only means that we are strong square pegs, trying to squeeze into a round hole and we are violating the natures law… “Square pegs don’t fit in round holes”. Thanks to the other person, who realizes it earlier than we did. Move on….-Vijay Sridhara
Great men are not made in schools, but by attitude and opportunity. Who can deny it!-Vijay Sridhara
To overcome a weakness only two things are to be taken care. Firstly we need to realize that it is a weakness, and second, consciously try to come out of it whenever the situation demands.-Vijay Sridhara
When there is a chance that one can do something wrong, get some benefit out of it, and nobody is there to watch it, but still does what is right, that one is called the “Hero”, “Inspires” the rest and is called the most ethical and responsible person. May it be you!-Vijay Sridhara
Breakthroughs or Revolutions happen, when at least one person among us dares to voice one’s thoughts, about something which is not right in the society that has rooted as tradition or culture or an acceptable behavior for decades or centuries. That one will be the Hero in history for many centuries to come. Ram Mohan Roy, Abraham Lincoln, Lenin to name a few.-Vijay Sridhara
Our attitude, respect and behavior towards a person is because of the impression he/she has made on us. Create best impressions to demand respect in return. Best impressions are only possible with principled lifestyle and not pompous talks.-Vijay Sridhara
Expecting something for free, or expecting in return more than the value one delivers are the root causes of corruption, however small it is. When we mould our children’s attitude to be against this thought, the society will be corrupt free in the coming generations.-Vijay Sridhara
Men come and go, the impressions will remain. Create the best impression that you can. The society will be thankful to you for that.-Vijay Sridhara
Rules are framed for everyone’s benefit. We can violate or abide by them, which determines whether we want to cooperate or not. Exceptions and Violations are two extremely different things-Vijay Sridhara
If we adopt shortcuts to make money, the day is not far when the shortest cut to get money will be to stab our dear ones. The strong ones survive and we will back to the uncivilized stone age-Vijay Sridhara
One can have gut feeling that one is right, but one should listen to others if their argument is based on facts. Failure due to gut feeling is more risky than failure due to factual data.-Vijay Sridhara
The irony of our attitudes are that we expect every other person to be perfect every time, but apply all exceptions only to us every time. In fact we should try to be perfect every time, and apply exceptions to others. That is the essence of Utopian society.-Vijay Sridhara
I was talking to an Atheist, when he commented, “Human body is a chemical substance. Every thing is a compound. There is nothing beyond Chemistry”. I just said, “What chemical is making your heart beat?”-Vijay Sridhara
A promise need not be made in particular, if we stick to every affirmation from our mouth. We will be tagged then “Most reliable person”. Promising separately indicates that “I talk false always, but I am speaking truth only this time”-Vijay Sridhara
One’s flexibility is not one’s weakness, but generosity to make others feel good, when others are inflexible. It’s the most desired character in any profession.-Vijay Sridhara
Most men don’t learn from others’ experiences because they think that they are smarter than others and that they can deal with the situation better. Experience makes them toe the line.-Vijay Sridhara
When people tell me that there is a rule and we need to abide by that, I tell them, if you can find something better for every one, beyond the rule, just do it. Yours will be benchmarked next time. Create new benchmarks… Don’t just always follow others. That’s how we progress.-Vijay Sridhara
Quick learners have a open mind;they realize that there is something out there, still unknown to them which can benefit them; they cultivate an ability to correlate they learn with the real world happenings.-Vijay Sridhara
See your children, who are they imitating. If they imitate some one that means they are inspired by that personality. You need to set right ideals for your children. Not just actors and cricketers, unless you want them to be so.-Vijay Sridhara
I always get questions from people, if I know what their problem is in real. I just say to them, “Its just a deviation from what you had expected. If its not life taking, its worth a fix with a smile than worry”-Vijay Sridhara
The mechanical equipment (a Engine) is more reliable in its outcome than a electrical one(a mobile), so does hard work than a miracle. If we do hard work, the future of is more predictable than waiting for miracles to happen.-Vijay Sridhara
Many people ask me how to know what their mission in life is, as they hear me always say that we are here, on the planet, for a mission. My response is always one. “If you have a unwavering, burning passion about an ethical job on this planet, that is your mission. JUST DO IT!”-Vijay Sridhara
Short term impression is our looks. Ever lasting impressions are our words and attitudes. Make use of them in their right combination and you are the heroes of the planet.-Vijay Sridhara
Most speakers don’t talk about how to be positive during the disastrous phases of life, which is the most important and subtle aspect, that determines man’s perseverance level and success thereon. If a speaker does, that makes him great.-Vijay Sridhara
A puppy or a kitten enjoys its life every moment. Men are destined to do things different than enjoying life every moment but to make others lives enjoyable and that is why we are here. Otherwise we can be replaced puppies or kittens.-Vijay Sridhara
The longing for “Free items” is the weakness of man. Nobody can beat it. Many businesses have foundations on it.-Vijay Sridhara
When people don’t talk junk with you, it means you earnt high respect in the society. When people share their personal problems with you, it means they trust you very much. Be proud and of course humble and helping, the latter is what keeps that respect and trust maintained in the longer run.-Vijay Sridhara
There are people who say “There is nothing impossible in this world”. I bet, but not to demoralize any one… “You can’t have more than 24 hours in a day”, “You will never run your car on a square shaped wheel”, “You cannot live without food and water in your life”, “You can’t eat a planet”, howsoever you may try. One should make realistic statements. I always say, “It is not impossible if it is logical”-Vijay Sridhara
Every peg is required in its place to hold the tent tight not all pegs at one place!You don’t have to do always what others are doing, you can still be yourself and succeed.-Vijay Sridhara
The words of successful man are ironically more mesmerizing than those of man of word! Perhaps men want to impress the successful man and be in his good books :), I realized it after I attended a talk by a politician and then of a freedom fighter!-Vijay Sridhara
I was analyzing what is the origin of some nations being rich and some being poor. It is not the attitude of men nor the innovative mind, but the abundance of resources available at some places, that makes man feel comfortable, think innovative beyond food, clothes and shelter. After all earth is not symmetric in distribution of resources-Vijay Sridhara
Defined Luck! The one who experiences a favorable outcome, when the probability of such a outcome is almost zero, on multiple occasions, is called lucky. Luck is intangible asset of a person, which operates amidst of all odds, to give him a positive result. The strength of such an asset determines, who is more lucky. When all persons have relatively equal strength of luck, the more industrious person is benefited.-Vijay Sridhara
Money and Power in the hands of ignorant are dangerous. They should be with the wise and knowledgeable. Real estate boom in India has un-stabilized the situation.-Vijay Sridhara
The number of lives in the universe is conserved. Life may change from one form to another, but can never be destroyed. All lives and non-lives come together during the reformation of the universe.-Vijay Sridhara
When your neck gets jammed into your back, there is nothing called focus, and positive attitude. You only end up finding a painless posture to sit-Vijay Sridhara
A calm day brings in constructive frequencies and ideas as sailing ships, than a rush hour which one always wants to escape.-Vijay Sridhara
Every one has secrets and one has a book of explanations for them. Private life should not be touched while judging one’s public life, and if at all required, read one’s book first.
