Author Archive
The Quest for Knowledge
Posted by: | CommentsKnowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough. We must do.- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
My father, who is a doctor, came by his education against great odds. His mother was a young widow without any significant education and worked hard to make ends meet and to give her little boy the best chance at life, the gift of education. He often burned the candle at both ends , working in the fields by his mothers side during the day, walking ten miles to get to school, and then staying up late at night to study by candlelight and kerosene lamps.
He delighted in the pursuit of knowledge, was grateful for the opportunity to learn and dedicated himself to a focused application of everything he learned . It is little wonder then that he was the best student in his class. He found favour with teachers, Medical School professors and Accomplished doctors who stepped forward to ensure that he continued to get every chance to progress, and he often speaks of them with fervent gratitude and affection.
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The Extra Mile
Posted by: | CommentsThere are no traffic jams in the extra mile – Author Unknown
Your success in any venture you may undertake depends not on a mediocre “just meets commitments” type of action. It is common knowledge that the person who goes above and beyond – regardless of personal glory, reward or remuneration of any kind, is the one who is also most likely to succeed.
Ordinary people, and if you are reading this, I sincerely hope that you are not one of that number, will only give out enough effort to do a job- no more and no less. They usually get left behind in the race mired as they are in the peer pressure that will keep them safe in mediocre company. I suggest that it is an indication of low self worth – where they believe so little in themselves that they are afraid of giving of their best, in case it may not be good enough.
The crazy ones are so charged with their own sense of worth and the value of their contribution and the difference it may make to their friends, their family, their workplace, their community or to the world at large, that they willingly go the extra mile, no matter what the outcome may be.
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Hold on to Your Dreams!
Posted by: | CommentsHold on to your dreams!
All men dream but not equally!
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds,
Wake in the day to find that it was mere vanity.
But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men.
For they may act on their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.
T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) -Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Hold on to your dreams!
When I was a young girl, I chanced upon a book of Greek mythology which started a lifelong yearning to go to Greece. While the other children played in the yard, I day dreamed of mythical monsters, gods and goddesses and fantastic adventures in this fairytale land. Once I discovered that Greece was indeed a real country that it was possible to visit, there was no stopping me. I declared passionately to everyone who would listen that I was on my way to Greece.
I got teased about it mercilessly at school and the light hearted banter from my friends at University also did not deter me from my determination to get there. By now I had learned about the philosophers, the architecture, the history, the cuisine, the sundrenched islands and my imagination had taken me to newer heights of longing. I could never see the word Greece without smiling.
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The Vice of Entitlement
Posted by: | CommentsDon’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. – Mark Twain
Now, I know that many of us are affected by the Global Economic meltdown and that most of us naturally feel helpless when things happen beyond our control, that are not of our own volition or choosing and not directly caused by our own actions. Under such circumstances it is easy to feel as weak as a rag doll flapping in the wind.
I have met people, who immediately lean upon the support of others, – their relatives, their friends, the government and whichever passing stranger may offer a hand. They feel “entitled” to support from other people or from outside resources without understanding a basic fact of life. The world , however kind, does not revolve around them. People may stop and listen to your troubles for a while, lend a helping hand for a space of time, but that none but the extremely helpless deserve any more attention beyond that. Read More→
Seizing Opportunity: Taking the Leap
Posted by: | CommentsIf we listened to our intellect, we would never have a love affair.We would never have a friendship.We would never go into business, because we would be cynical. Well, that is nonsense. You have got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down. – Ray Bradbury
As in all matters, there is a time to play it safe and there is a time to take a risk and to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.
I have developed my risk tolerance since an early age at School. I went on stage to perform in a poetry recital without having learnt my lines well , completely blanked out and made up a poem on the spur of the moment. My elocution teacher was dismayed, but my English teacher was delighted and clapped the loudest. Better yet, I did win a prize – for spontaneous improvisation!
Later in life , I accepted a scholarship to Paris, France at a time when my fellow University students were getting jobs or getting married! Everyone cautioned me that I was being foolish and turning down opportunities (to be employed or to settle down) that may never come again. Contrary to their beliefs, my decision to take the risk launched my career in directions that I never expected. The world suddenly beckoned to me with open arms and opportunities abounded. Read More→
