Life Lessons

Important life lessons I wish I knew years ago:

1 lost money can be found, lost time is lost forever - protect what matters most
2 to learn, unlearn, relearn and then change yourself is a superpower
3 you are not your job
4 networking is about giving
5 the best teacher is your last mistake
6 good manners is as important as good education
7 do not take your good health for granted
8 be a better friend and value relationships
9 if you are waiting for a title to lead, you are not ready to lead
10 a work sponsor is more important than a mentor
11 a good story is data with a soul
12 stop worrying about what others think of you
13 if you want an easier life, work on harder problems
14 best teachers are life long students
15 imposter syndrome is real, and a good thing
16 fight against a sense of entitlement
17 half the battle is showing up
18 love and cherish your parents by giving them your time
19 success is not accidental
20 the best views are there for those who love the climb
21 lucky people work harder
22 takers may end up with more, but givers sleep better at night
23 memorizing is not learning
24 it is okay to look back, just don’t stare
25 knowing is not acting - I can > IQ
26 straight roads do not make great drivers
27 good listeners hear the unsaid (listen with your eyes)
28 be the person that you want to follow
29 do not limit your contribution to a job description
30 take care of your parents - the best gift that you can give yourself
31 customer service is not a department
32 in the long run, the optimists create the future
33 never ruin an apology with excuses
34 salary is for expenses. equity is wealth - do not rent your time
35 do not take a caring boss, joyful work or steady income for granted
36 as you get older, you love your parents more
37 challenge assumptions, starting with your own
38 we learn more from disagreements
39 best gift you can give yourself is quality time with parents
40 the older you get the less you care about what others think of you
41 be a good person but do not waste time trying to prove it
42 be comfortable with saying ‘I don’t know’ - there are no experts of tomorrow
43 being self-aware is a key to learning and growth; know yourself
44 first, invest in yourself, then help others win
45 if the answer is no, do not say maybe or yes
46 Don’t just translate, write something new and original; write for yourself - writing improves your thinking
47 It’s more important to do the right thing than to win an argument
48 do not buy your children what you never had, teach them what you never knew
49 begin with the end in mind
50 to make progress on your to-do list, you must also keep a to-don’t list
51 leave everything and everyone better than you found them
52 be kind and polite to everyone
53 Here’s how luck finds you:
—Work harder than expected
—Stay teachable
—Give without expecting a get
—Read and write more
—Show up on time
—Focus on your customers
—Develop good manners
—Be humble
—Be kind and generous
—Surround yourself with smarter people
54 bosses we remember:
—provided us a safe space to grow
—opened career doors
—defended us when we needed it
—recognized and rewarded us
—developed us as leaders
—inspired us to stretch higher
—led by example
—told us our work mattered
—forgave us when we made mistakes
55 The older you get, the more quiet you become. Life humbles you so deeply as you age. You realize how much nonsense you’ve wasted time on.
56 Hire based on high rate of learning and good judgment
57 straight lines do not make great drivers
58 stand in the middle of the road for too long and you may get hit from both sides -be decisive
59 if you do not know the answer, it is okay to say 'I don't know, but I will find out'
60 do not follow or admire mean people - be the person that you would want to follow
61 decisions you made 5-10 years ago shaped where you are today; decisions you make now will shape where you’ll be in 5-10 years.
What's the best from 61 above ? 

Gurudakshina - Gratitude

The concept of gurudakshina is very ancient and it is unique to the Indian culture and tradition. If you are absolutely naïve about India, then it’s advisable that you first try to understand the meaning of a guru and the significance of his presence in the lives of those around him. This, in turn, will help you to understand what guru dakshina is. In very simple words, a guru can be described as a teacher, though, as per the Hindu dharma, the role of a guru in the life of his students is much more than just teaching.

In modern times, the role of a teacher has just got limited to imparting knowledge of various subjects like Mathematics, Science, English, etc, to pupils. However, in ancient India, a teacher or a guru was a spiritually evolved guide. Along with the knowledge of various subjects, he also taught his students how to live a disciplined and principled life.

A guru was the spiritual guiding force in the life of his students. In fact, as per the ancient Hindu tradition, one had to live life in four stages known as ashrams.

Considering that a man can live for a 100 years, each stage was divided into a span of 25 years. The first stage or ashram was Brahmacharya, spanning the first 25 years of a person’s life. During this time, a man lived in the house of his guru. The next stage was Grihastha, which was to be lived as a married man and householder. 

This was followed by Vanaprastha, which comprised of performing penance in a forest. The final one was Sanyasa, in which a man lived as an ascetic. It’s the life of Brahmacharya that is most closely connected with the concept of gurudakshina.

In ancient times, a student lived the first 25 years in the house of his guru, which was called gurukul. A beautiful thing about gurukul was that all students resided together as equals irrespective of their social standing. The students learnt from the guru and also helped him in his day-to-day life like his own children. It was at the conclusion of this formal education that one was required to repay his guru through a dakshina.

The Indian tradition of guru dakshina was meant to serve as a way of showing respect and thanks to the guru. The repayment was not always monetary. At times, a teacher used to simply ask his student to execute an important task. 

However, the guru often received a valuable gift or donations from the pupil and his family as his gurudakshina. Though the life style of Indians has changed majorly down the years, yet the reverence and respect we pay to our teachers is still as it was a hundred years ago.

2024

The MD & CEO of IDFC First bank is V.Vaidyanathan. Born in Chennai, he studied at Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra). 

The story goes that when he got the admission into BITS, he did not have the money to travel there to appear for the interview and complete the counselling formalities. Mr. Gurdial Saini, his then maths teacher lent him Rs.500 to travel for the interview. Vaidya studied at BITS, Mesra and did well in his professional life. 

Vaidya searched for him to repay but Mr.Saini had moved jobs. Many years later, with the help of a former colleague, he got to know that Mr.Saini is in Agra, called him up, expressed his gratitude for the timely help. 

Last week, IDFC FIRST Bank made a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges. The notice reads: 

"Pursuant to Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Regulations read with Regulation 7(2) and 6(2) of the SEBI Insider Trading Regulations, we wish to inform you that Mr. V. Vaidyanathan has transferred 1,00,000 fully paid-up equity shares of IDFC FIRST Bank Limited held by him in his personal capacity to his former school teacher, Mr. Gurdial Saroop Saini, as a gift, without any consideration as a token of gratitude for his teacher's help to him at an earlier stage in his life".

It is indeed a heart touching gesture which must be appreciated and practiced by all HR professionals.

Stop Moonlighting - Narayana Murthy Founder Infosys

 

Mr Narayana Murthy Founder Infosys has given his advise to the younger generation about what to do and what not to.

Murthy said that youngsters should not get involved in moonlighting or entertain work from home culture. Instead, they should work from office. He encouraged the younger generation to ensure that ethics and laziness are given special focus. 

"My fervent desire and humble desire to youngsters is please don't fall into this trap of I will moonlight, I will do work from home, I will come to office three days in a week," Murthy said during the recent event.

India needs a culture of honesty where there is no favoritism. Murthy also added that India needs quicker decision making and hassle-less transactions to prosper. "We need to build a culture of quick decision making, quick implementation, hassle less transactions, honesty in transactions, no favoritism."

Murthy felt that currently only a small bunch of people who work hard, are honest, and have good work ethics and discipline in the country.

While we may have our opinion which is vastly different from the views of NRN sir but we have to admit that the views expressed are contextual and youth should take his message seriously and try to adapt to the current situation.

Key take aways of this -

Avoid moonlighting

Be honest

Don't be lazy in the early part of career

Work from Office

Be highly ethical in whatever you do.