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> My Lessons in Life
>
>(An Article Address by
> Azim Premji in the 'Shaping Young Minds Program' (SYMP) on 'My Lessons in
> Life'. Azim Premji ranks 21 on The World's Billionaires 2007 - Forbes.com)
>
>I am very happy to be here with you. It is always
> wonderful to be with young people. As my
>hair turned from black, to salt and pepper and finally
> salt without the pepper, I have begun to realize the importance of youth. At
> the same time, I have begun to truly appreciate some of the lessons I
> have learnt along the way. I hope you will find them useful when you plan
> your own career and life.
>
>1-
> The first thing I have learnt is that we must always
> begin with our strengths.
>
>There is an imaginary story of a rabbit. The rabbit was
> enrolled in a rabbit school. Like all rabbits, it could hop very well but
> could not swim. At the end of the year, the rabbit got high marks in hopping
> but failed in swimming.
>
>The parents were concerned. They said, 'Forget about
> hopping. You are, anyway good at it. Concentrate on swimming.'
>
>They sent the rabbit for tuitions in swimming. And
> guess what happened? The rabbit forgot how to hop! As for swimming, have
> you ever seen a rabbit swim?
>
>While it is important for us to know what we are not
> good at, we must also cherish what is good in us. That is because it is only
> our strengths that can give us the energy to correct our weaknesses.
>
>2-
> The second lesson I have learnt is that a rupee earned
> is of far more value than five found.
>
>My friend was sharing with me, the story of
> his eight year-old niece. She would always complain about the breakfast.
> The cook tried everything possible, but the child remained unhappy.
>
>Finally, my friend took the child to a supermarket and
> brought one of those ready-to-cook cereal packets. The child had to cut the
> packet and pour water in the dish. The child found the food to be absolutely
> delicious. The difference was that she had cooked it!
>
>In my own life, I have found that nothing gives as
> much satisfaction as earning our own rewards. In fact, what is gifted or
> inherited follows the old rule of 'come easy, go easy'. I guess we only know
> the value of what we have, if we have struggled to earn it.
>
>3-
> The third lesson I have learnt is, in Cricket, no one
> bats a hundred every time.
>
>Life has many challenges. You win some and lose some.
> You must enjoy winning. But do not let it go to the head. The moment it
> does, you are already on your way to failure.
>
>And if you do encounter failure along the way, treat it
> as an equally natural phenomenon. Don't beat yourself for it or anyone else
> for that matter! Accept it, look at your own share in the problem, learn
> from it and move on.
>
>The important thing is, when you lose, do not
> 'lose the lesson'.
>
>4-
> The fourth lesson I have learnt, is the importance of
> humility.
>
>Sometimes, when you get so much in life, you really
> start wondering, whether you deserve all of it. We have so much to be
> grateful
> for. Our parents, our teachers and our seniors, have done so much for us,
> that we can never repay them.
>
>Many people focus on the shortcomings, because
> obviously, no one can be perfect. But it is important to first acknowledge,
> what we have received. Nothing in life is permanent, but when a relationship
> ends, rather than becoming bitter, we must learn to savor the memory, of the
> good things, while they lasted.
>
>5-
> The fifth lesson I learnt is, that we must always
> strive for Excellence.
>
>One way of achieving excellence, is by looking at those
> better than ourselves. Keep learning what they do differently. But excellence
> cannot be imposed from the outside. We must also feel the need from within.
> It must involve not only our mind, but also our heart and soul.
>
>Excellence is not an act, but a habit. I remember the
> inspiring lines of a poem, which says that “Your reach must always
> exceed your grasp”. That is heaven on earth. Ultimately, your only
> competition is yourself.
>
>6-
> The sixth lesson I have learnt is, never give up in the
> face of adversity.
>
>It comes on you, suddenly without warning. Always keep
> in mind, that it is only the test of fire, that makes fine steel.
>
>A friend of mine shared this incident with me. His
> eight-year old daughter was struggling away at a jigsaw puzzle. She kept
> at it for hours but could not succeed. Finally, it went beyond her bedtime.
>
>My friend told her, "Look, why don't you just give
> up? I don't think you will complete it tonight. Look at it another
> day."
>
>The daughter looked with a strange look in her eyes,
> "But, dad, why should I give up? All the pieces are there! I have just
> got to put them together!"
>
>If we persevere long enough, we can put any problem
> into its perspective.
>
>7-
> The seventh lesson I have learnt is, that while you
> must be open to change, do not compromise on your values.
>
>Mahatma Gandhiji often said, "You must open
> the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the
> breeze."
>
>Values like honesty, integrity, consideration and
> humility have survived for generations. At the
>end of the day, it is values that define a person
> more than the achievements. Do not be tempted by short cuts. The short cut
> can make you lose your way and end up becoming the longest way to the
> destination.
>
>8-
> And the final lesson I learnt is, that we must have
> faith in our own ideas even if everyone tells us that we are wrong.
>
>There was once a newspaper vendor who had a rude
> customer. Every morning, the Customer
>would walk by, refuse to return the greeting, grab the
> paper off the shelf and throw the money at the vendor. The vendor would
> pick up the money, smile politely and say, 'Thank you, Sir.'
>
>One day, the vendor's assistant asked him, "Why
> are you always so polite with him when he is so rude to you? Why don't you
> throw the newspaper at him when he comes back tomorrow?"
>
>The vendor smiled and replied, "He can't help
> being rude and I can't help being polite. Why should I let his rude behavior
> dictate my politeness?"
>
>
>I hope you achieve success in whatever way you define
> it and what gives you the maximum happiness in life.
>
>"Remember, those who win are those who believe
> they can."
>
>“Prayer is not a spare wheel that you pull out
> when YOU ARE IN TROUBLE, It is a steering wheel that keeps you on the right
> path throughout your life.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>.
>
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