Wanted to share this story which Azim Premji shared with IIM-A students.
One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway – it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to scoop dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realising what was happening, cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he became quiet.
A few shovels later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that fell on his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He shook it off and took a step up.
As the farmer’s neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he shook it off and took a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and totted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is too not to get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping. And by never giving up. Shake it off and take a step up.
Yesterday I got an email from an ex-cogzian & it was really motivating to get such email & only makes me more responsible to be constant and responsible in blogging…
Dear sir. . .
This is bismil razik here, how are you sir? Hope you fine. I am very
glad to send mail you. There is a lot of reasons. First i tell about
my self. My native is nagercoil. I am a B.E graduate. I think there is
no chance to know about me. Â I have worked two months in cogzidel
chennai. That is a great chance for me to know about you. You also saw
me once time sir. That was a unforgettable moment. Can you guess? Yes
it was your last birth day celebration in cogziel chennai.can you
remember? I am also a one of the person in that group but
unfortunately im not working there sir. I really attracted by your
birthday speech sir. It was nice moments. I taught to tell you much
more. But now no words coming. K i tell shortly sir. I truely
attracted by your blog. You said to us about blog that time onwards i
also tried to make a blog but no ideas there that time but now i done
it. I wish  you to visit my blog  sir i want some more ideas, tips
from u sir. I need ur comments You are one of my role model. I also
wish to learn something new from you. I watched ur blog several
topics, all was amazing, nice postings, really interesting sir. Am
also a great thala fan sir. . .Me too want to improve my self also
give me some technical ideas. I wish you all success, may god wish to
fulfil ur all wishes, waiting for you reply sir. . Take care. . Kindly
invite you to my new blog. . . www.bismilrazik.co.cc
Just came across this finding & we can take a lot of cues form this in our life. Like a frog we all react when there is instant change / impact in life and we ignore slow change / impact in life.
If the temperature of the water is suddenly increased, the frog realises it and jumps out of the water.
But if the temperature is very slowly increased, one degree at a time, the frog does not realise it till it boils to death.
I’ve a decade of experience as an entrepreneur. It was an experience filled with challenges and issues which only helped me to become a man of great character and stature. To be frank I became an entrepreneur as an incident rather than a planned one. Only after stepping in I came to know it is not everyone’s piece of cake and by the time I realized it I was lost in deep jungles.
Since I was trapped in a deep jungle I have no way out and only option when you don’t have a choice is to walk further until you find your way out. There were lots of adventures, accomplishments, experiments. Many a times I worked on more intuitions rather than plan. But with lots of perseverance I was able to overcome all the challenges and also found out a way out of the jungle.
I’d like to share one of my personal experiences where I was able to convert a challenge into an opportunity.
As I always repeat about my academics that I was a poor student I didn’t have the guts to disobey my parents as they always negotiated / blackmailed me about my results. I never had the guts to disobey them and when I told them that I had the desire to become an entrepreneur after the completion of my under graduation (UG). They immediately de-motivated me that I can’t be a successful businessman as I didn’t hail from a business community and also because I was poor in my academics.
They admitted me in a college for Post Graduation even when I was in my UG final year. After completing the final year in UG I failed in Discrete Math’s and I was treated as a failed guy in life. My mother and grandmother were crying day in and out adding a sense of insecurity which only demolished my confidence.
Then to stay away from all these negativity I started a business and started working from my friend’s office. Within a year I got a lot of self confidence and also I cleared my arrear. The very next year my parents forced me to join PG which I refused to do. When they asked me to get out of the house I was prepared as I had developed my self confidence by this time.
Thought it was a tough two months I has to pass after getting the exam results I always think I’m an entrepreneur today just because of the failed result. If I passed at first attempt I’d have joined PG and would have taken a job after it and would have been on the list of guys who never followed their dreams.Â
Today I had discussion with one of my Director about the financial crunch we are facing because of Paypal and also because of poor collections. All I told him was we have to learn the lessons and to dig for the opportunity hidden inside the turbulence. At this time what I expect from my team members is to believe in their skills and stay focuses and break the way to success.
All I can tell at this point in Tough Times Doesn’t Last!! But Tough People Do…
Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job with a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to cut the trees. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 15 trees.
” Congratulations, ” the boss said. ” Carry on with your work!”
Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees down. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring down 7 trees.
Day after day he was bringing lesser number of trees down.
” I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
” When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked.
” Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees…”
That’s right. Most of us NEVER update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the key to success.
Life is Best for those who want to Live it,
Life is Difficult for those who want to Analyze it,
Life is worst for those who want to Criticize it,
Our Attitude Defines Life…
Enjoy Your Life,
Laugh so Hard That even Sorrow Smiles at You,
Live Life so Well That even Death Loves to see you Alive,
Fight so Hard That even Fate accepts its Defeat…
One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’ This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.Â
Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so…. Love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don’t. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!
Have a garbage-free day!
Here are some quick tips to improve your Self-Confidence. If we are committed to have a healthy self-confidence there are many things you can do every day to boost your self confidence, each small steps that will help you to reach your goal. The good news is that self-esteem is not fixed and can be improved; try some of the steps below to boost your confidence and self-esteem.Â
Today I was having breakfast with my friend Kannan and I’m must say this was an enlightening breakfast. Kannan was sharing his childhood experience and the way his parents raised him in an Indian lower middle class style. Kannan shared a particular experience where in his mother taught him the value for money. So the story goes like this;
Kannan was a 9 year kid and he insisted his mom to buy him a scented rubber which costs 50 paisa where has his mom been willing to buy him a rubber which coats 10 paisa. Little Kannan got irated with his mom and he was curious to buy the rubber he desired. When he showed his piece of mind to his mom; his mom insisted him to earn that 50 paisa to buy his desired rubber. Our little Kannan who was highly egoistic decided to take up a job to earn for the rubber. He went and requested for petty job of breaking the bricks from the supervisor who was construction his house.
The supervisor after consulting with his mom offered to give him a job to break the bricks. Happy Kannan requested for a hammer to break the bricks from the supervisor. Supervisor said Kannan must posses the kits for the work and asked him to come with a hammer. When Kannan asked him mom for a hammer she said she doesn’t have one. Little Kannan started hunting for hammer from neighbors by 8.30 AM in the sourced a hammer from a hammer by 10.30 AM and he started the work by 10.30.
He worked till 12.30 in the noon and he went for lunch and after lunch he wanted to have a nap for 10 min. He requested his mom to wake him after 10 min and his mom denied the request telling if he is sincere in his job he must be on his own. Being a kid and working in hot sun made him tired and he slept till 4.30 PM. When his woke up he got angry again with his mom for not waking him up and by the time the day has come to an end.
Little Kannan went to the supervisor and asked a wage for the amount of work he did. The supervisor said Kannan that he doesn’t deserve anything for the half-baked work he did and he offered him 50 paisa for the work he did knowing he worked for that 50 paisa. Kannan got angrier on supervisor as he thought he deserved more for the work he did. But Kannan got the money to fulfill his desire and he instantly got the rubber.
When he returned back home his mom asked him to list the things he did from the morning to earn that 50 paisa.
Kannan says that was the day he understood the value of money and his way of seeing things changed. I might have learned this experience of Kannan at a later stage. But as a parent I came to know how I can raise my kids.
I must thank Kannan for sharing his experience and allowing me to post it in my blog.
AnandNataraj 