Sunday, February 25, 2018

13 Charismatic Lessons from the book 'My Journey' by APJ Abdul Kalam

From a small boy growing up in Rameswaram, to becoming the country's eleventh President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's life has been a tale of extraordinary determination, courage, perseverance and the desire to excel. In this series of anecdotes and profiles, Dr Kalam looks back on key moments in his past - some small and some momentous, and tells the reader how each of them inspired him profoundly.

I, hereby, list down the 13 Charismatic Lessons that i learnt from this awesome book. I know that I need to keep practicing these learning day in and day out. These learning are worded and appended in a way that makes it easier for most of us to understand and absorb.

If you are interested in reading about such learning from other all time best selling books, you may click here.

So, here we go with our 13 Apex Lessons from this book that influenced me immensely.

(1) Adversities always presents opportunities
[My View : It is not once in a while. It is not sometimes. It is not even mostly. It is always i.e. 100% of the time. An adversity, a setback, a failure is not only important, but mandatory for success. A setback is HIS way to nudge you towards the right direction - to Dream On - bigger and higher in life. Embrace your adversities. They are the ones which are going to make you stronger.]
[Recommended Book : Dream On]
[Recommended Post : The Art of Learning From Mistakes]

(2) There is a larger energy or force than can crush our ambitions and goals in the blink of an eye. The only way forward is to survive, and then rebuild your life.
[My View : Setbacks and Failures will come. At times, you might also feel that you arrived late in the arena. but the fact is that there is no point looking back. Looking backwards does only one thing for us - and that is to slow us down. We arrived at the arena just when our time was right. Look forward and start all over again - with full focus and energy. Scenario can change much faster than you think.]

(3) Our country needs citizens who trust their individuality which cannot be manipulated by people with unscrupulous agendas.

(4) It does not matter how large or small your sphere of activity is, what matters finally is the commitment that you bring to your work.
[My View : Focus on how you can get more efficient, how you can do something new, how you can solve the problem, and how you can elevate the world around you. And then it does not matter whether it is the weirdest thing that you love in the world. Just do what you love. The world will have no choice but to appreciate you.]

(5) Destiny, traditions, situation will test the women again and again. Yet, she will find a way to guide her family out of any crisis and she will do it with such love that it will inundate your heart. 
[My View : Your intellectual companion is far more wise than what you think you are. You must give her the respect she deserves, the care she demands and the love she commands. Her views may not be logical at times, but it is things that are not logical that often turn out to be magical.]

(6) When faced with adversity, we discover hidden resilience and courage - something that already existed.
[My View : We, as humans, have unlimited potential. It is just the realisation of the same that needs to be experienced. And once experienced, it becomes a part of ourselves. And the realisation of our resilience and courage happens when the boundaries get stretched. This happens only in adversity - which therefore, remains your best companion ever.]

(7) Books gave me dreams, which became a mission.
[My View : It is a true saying that there is no difference between a person who cannot read, and the one who does not read. Books are such  magical power houses that it is sad to finish your entire day without laying your hands on one. They allow you to brush your thoughts with the best in the world - staying within the comfort of your house.]

(8) Events of great magnitude shift something with in us at a fundamental level.

(9) When we reach pinnacle of success, we tend to ignore the numerous sacrifices that have gone behind it.
[My View : Sacrifices of yourself and so many around you are an unsaid necessity for grand success. While you are sacrificing for your mission, there are so many within your family and friend circle, who are doing it for your mission. Their sacrifice takes a bigger salute than yours.]

(10) In sadness, you are truly alone. That's when your true self is revealed to you.
[My View : Your true inner self comes to the fore only when you are put under a pressure situation. Your ability to fight back, your belief in your own abilities and in God, your faith and your focus on the journey rather than the destination - all these traits get tested and revealed only and only when the situation is unfavourable.]
[Recommended Post : When Life Squeezes You]

(11) The best way to win is not to covet the win too much. Keep a calm and open mind to new challenges.
[My View : Remember that you alone could never have achieved whatever you have. There are innumerable sacrifices, extraordinary blessings that have gone along with your hard work to make it happen for you. And if that is the case, taking too much pride in yourself and your win has no point.]

(12) The line between leadership and bullying is a thin one.

(13) Our mind is unbelievably elastic and can expand as much as we let it. The belief in yourself that comes along is life changing.
[My View : Ultimately, it is never about what you achieved, it is all about what you became when you went through the process of achieving]

Hope these life lessons will help shape up your thought process to some extent and help you lead a better life.

Don't have time to read the entire book? 
Then, you can read the crux of some of the best selling books ever written.
If you are interested in reading about such learnings from other 'all time best selling books', you may click here.

Cheers

Manoj Arora

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