80 PEARLS OF WISDOM – LESSONS FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE

Dear Family Members,

I am sharing all the things I have learned since my childhood from my Gurus, peers, elders, and society. These lessons may be helpful to you in planning your life.

Please take whatever is applicable to you and ignore anything that may not be relevant to you. Please feel free to contact me if you have any doubts or need further information.

1. You are not alone in this world. Every one of us has three bodies/Dehas: Sthula, Sukshma, and Karana Deham.

2. You are responsible for your own destiny. Do not blame anyone for your deeds. Take control of yourself.

3. Truth always wins the race, even though it may seem to lose at the beginning.

4. Be honest. Honesty will never let you down at any time.

5. The best way to manage your mind is to plan, schedule, and monitor its activities daily. Do not give it unnecessary leisure.

6. Books are good friends. Read your favorite books daily.

7. BP and DM are like fire; if you handle them properly, they will not harm you.

8. Concentrate on one thing at a time, and you will avoid unnecessary headaches.

9. Death is the ultimate reality in life.

10. Be accountable to your inner self. Never cheat your conscience.

11. Do a daily personal spiritual credit rating of yourself.

12. Do it now. Do not POSTPONE things until tomorrow.

13. Do not allow anybody to interfere in your personal life, and you too should not interfere in others' personal lives for your enjoyment or happiness.

14. Do not lose your calmness, even when someone is shouting at you.

15. An empty mind is a devil's den. Always keep yourself busy.

16. Every day, ask yourself whether you are discharging your responsibilities and duties.

17. God always gives you what you need, but not necessarily what you want.

18. If I have eight hours to cut a tree, I will spend six hours sharpening the saw.

19. If you want peace for a lifetime, love yourself and your work.

20. In doing things, there lies the global art of getting things done (e.g., P. V. Narasimha Rao Garu).

21. Kites fly against the wind, but not with the wind.

22. Have no fear of death, as it is inevitable. Complete your duties before it knocks on your door.

23. Reduce your desires. You will be the happiest person on this earth.

24. Say sorry and make things right. You can avoid thousands of headaches.

25. Self-realization is the ultimate achievement in life, greater than anything else.

26. A simple and timely "Thank you" is a hundred times more effective than expressing gratitude much later.

27. Wash and decorate your mind daily, just as you wash and decorate your body daily.

28. Why are you crying over spilled soup?

29. You should be very clever and capable enough to accomplish even simple things.

30. Your attitude decides your altitude.

31. Your mind is like a thousand acres of land. It is up to you how you cultivate it.

32. Always play a win-win game.

33. Do your SWOT analysis today.

34. Do not argue with others. Try to convince them.

35. Empty vessels make much noise.

36. Every great work starts with a simple step.

37. For planning and doing, there lies a pair of shoes. Planning must be followed by action.

38. Identify your weak links and act now.

39. Always surround yourself with spiritual and positive-minded people and stay away from bad company.

40. Leaders depend on people, but managers depend on systems.

41. Learn lessons from the twenty Gurus of nature (Earth, Eagle, Snake, Air, Water, Fire, Pigeon, Lady, and others).

42. Plan and act, but do not act first and plan later.

43. Plan your priorities.

44. Plan your way and follow the way.

45. We have great people, but we request God to give them the voice, ability, and willingness to speak.

46. You come into this world with a bare body and leave with nothing. Nothing material goes with you.

47. You should be firm and focused, like a crane.

48. Water always flows from up to down.

49. Ask for help only when it is an emergency or life-threatening situation.

50. A chicken is always engaged in finding things. It is ready to pick things up at any time.

51. Customers may be lost due to differences in attitude.

52. Do not engage in financial transactions with your beloved ones if you want to preserve those relationships.

53. Do not overprotect your children. You may be blocking their vision through overprotection.

54. Do not see, listen to, or talk about evil.

55. Every object in this universe has its own purpose.

56. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (Newton's Third Law).

57. Hard work works at all times. There is no substitute for it.

58. If you offer peanuts, you will get monkeys.

59. Rules are like supporting pillars. They provide the necessary support and structure.

60. Teach a trade to your children, but not merely the tricks of the trade.

61. This is a well-structured globe, but you should be capable enough to decode it.

62. A sound mind in a sound body.

63. Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not something to be waited for; it is something to be achieved.

64. The world is divided into people who do things and people who get the credit.

65. Nobody is responsible for your happiness. You need to take care of that!

66. Success is not a matter of being the best and winning the race. Success is a matter of handling the worst and finishing the race.

67. Everyone who got to where they are had to begin where they were.

68. The world is full of willing people: some are willing to work, while the rest are willing to let them work.

69. Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.

70. To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream; not only plan but also believe.

71. In the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years.

72. Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.

73. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

74. When you accept a challenge, see it through to completion.

75. Your life is powerful enough to make whatever you want a reality.

76. Energy is the essence of life. Every day, decide how you are going to use it by knowing what you want, understanding what it takes to reach that goal, and maintaining your focus.

77. He who plans the transactions of the day every morning and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the busiest life.

78. You have achieved success if you have lived well, laughed often, and loved much.

79. Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger.

80. Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

A THOUGHT TO REMEMBER

Life is a continuous journey of learning. Every Guru, every experience, every challenge, and every person we encounter has something valuable to teach us.

Read these lessons, reflect upon them, practice what is applicable, and pass the wisdom on to the next generation.

Live wisely. Think positively. Act responsibly. Stay spiritually connected. Make your life meaningful to yourself and useful to society.