Mechanic with Oilcan
I don't want to be a great leader; I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-colored robes. The mechanic with the oilcan: that is my ideal in life.
- Baba Amte, social worker and activist (1914-2008)
Year Ending Question-2
Are you willing to summon up the courage to not deny but rather deal with your 2023 realities in 2024?
Year End Question-1
- What did you learn, who did you meet, and what did you experience in 2023 which will help you be a better person (Leader) in 2024?
...bear the light
"One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light."
- James Baldwin
- James Baldwin
...makes enemy
It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one's intentions, makes one the enemy.
-Charles de Lint, writer and folk musician (b. 22 Dec 1951)
...determine direction
It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.
- Jim Rohn
happiness into...
The most worthwhile thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.
- Robert Baden-Powell
..no hatreds or bitterness
I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.
-Edith Cavell, nurse and humanitarian (1865-1915)
Most Vs. Least
"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."
–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Digital age reuires from its Leaders
Peter Drucker very wisely said, "Leadership is lifting a person's vision to high sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations."
Cost of dissatisfied customer
"No one knows the cost of a defective product - don't tell me you do. You know the cost of replacing it, but not the cost of a dissatisfied customer"
- Edwards Deming
Nothing quite useless
"There is nothing quite so useless, as doing with great efficiency, something that should not be done at all."
- Peter Drucker
important thing in communication
"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."
- Peter Drucker
...seeking answers
"Success is process of continually seeking answers to new questions"
- John Templeton
Skill vs. Attitude
"If you don't have a good attitude, we don't want you, no matter how skilled you are. We can change skill levels through training. We can't change attitude."
- Herb Kelleher, Founder, Southwest Airlines
- Herb Kelleher, Founder, Southwest Airlines
Man is too complex
Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled.
- Rex Stout, novelist (1886-1975)
inseparable personal change
Although the connections are not always obvious, personal change is inseparable from social and political change.
-Harriet Lerner, psychologist (b. 30 Nov 1944)
...disagreeable truth
He who, when called upon to speak a disagreeable truth, tells it boldly and has done, is both bolder and milder than he who nibbles in a low voice and never ceases nibbling.
-Johann Kaspar Lavater, poet, writer, philosopher (1741-1801)
Not in parts...
One cannot hire a hand; the whole man always comes with it.
-Peter Drucker, management consultant, professor, and writer (1909-2005)
...logical basis
"Without a Standard, there is no logical basis for decision making or taking action".
- Joseph M. Juran, Romanian-born American Engineer
The Most Dangerous Waste
"The Most Dangerous Kind of Waste is the Waste we don't Recognise."
- Shigeo Shingo, the world's leading expert on manufacturing practices and the Toyota Production System.
Advantage of the truth
The great advantage about telling the truth is that nobody ever believes it.
- Dorothy L. Sayers
More Lonely
What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?
- George Eliot (pen name of Mary Ann Evans), novelist (1819-1880)
Hunger for truth
The truth isn't always beauty, but the hunger for it is.
-Nadine Gordimer, novelist, Nobel laureate (1923-2014)
Valuable Lesson
"What's yours is yours Robin, and what's not yours will never be yours."
- Robin Sharma's Mother
All the good...
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
-Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778)
Thanksgiving is purely...
There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.
- O. Henry
Leadership is...
"Leadership is providing inspiration and vision, then developing and empowering others to achieve this vision."
- Marshall Goldsmith
Banquet of consequences
Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences.
-Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (1850-1894)
Blame and Guilt
It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases.
-Johan Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, poet and dramatist (1759-1805)
The Great Teacher
The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
- William Arthur Ward
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
- William Arthur Ward
Others & themselves...
The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing.
-Leigh Hunt, poet and essayist (1784-1859)
...without value?
Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value.
-Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (1915-2005)
necessarily true?
A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.
- Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900)
audacity of imagination
Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.
-John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer (1859-1952)
Thought for the day!
A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation."
-Stephen Crane, writer (1871-1900)
...prayed to live
Our cemeteries are full of people who prayed to live.
-Annie Laurie Gaylor, freethinker and activist (b. 2 Nov 1955)
...torture victims
The sons of torture victims make good terrorists.
-Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (1901-1976)
..acceptance of the unknown
"When it comes to achieving the life of your dreams, you must be open to journeying, to the acceptance of the unknown."
– Tony Robbins
...capable of
For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.
-Ingrid Bengis, writer and teacher (1944-2017)
How to remain an artist?
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
-Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor (1881-1973)
Higher Vs smaller
The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.
- Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)
Belief of mine...
Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.
- Margaret Atwood
Dead & Born
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again.
-Sylvia Plath, poet (1932-1963)
2 possible outcomes
There are two possible outcomes: If the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery.
-Enrico Fermi, physicist and Nobel laureate (1901-1954)
...not ignorance
The greatest obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents, and the oceans was not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge.
-Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, professor, attorney, and writer (1914-2004)
Inspiration...
Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.
-Brenda Ueland, journalist, editor, and writer (1891-1985)
Say vs. whisper
What I like in a good author isn't what he says, but what he whispers.
- Logan Pearsall Smith, essayist (1865-1946)
...accumulating wealth
The unrestricted competition so commonly advocated does not leave us the survival of the fittest. The unscrupulous succeed best in accumulating wealth.
-Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (1822-1893)
Comfortably live with
"The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably live with."
- Tony Robbins
...of differences
Civilization is the encouragement of differences.
-Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)
13 Lessons - Robin Sharma
#1. Excellent things happen to people who do excellent things.
#2. Morning exercise is a game-changer.
#3. The game of leadership is helpfulness.
#4. The things that are hardest to do are the things that are generally the wisest to do.
#5. Creativity shines brightest when we are alone. Make time for silence, stillness and solitude.
#6. Education is inoculation against disruption. Read for an hour each day to protect your hope, refine your craft and grow your knowledge.
#7. The fears you don't face become your walls. And doubts are destroyed by strong action.
#8. What hurts us can help us. Leverage hardship to reclaim your natural heroism.
#9. Cheap costs more.
#10. Mastery takes massive practice, unrelenting patience and vast devotion. It's a very difficult obsession. And one of the best commitments you can make.
#11. An amazing family life sets you up for a glorious business life.
#12. Keep your promises. Never lie. Outwork your peers. Deliver beautiful value. People watch what you do. Even if you think they don't.
#13. You can't inspire others if you are uninspired. Actively work to keep your enthusiasm and inner fire high. Be with art. Go to conferences. Travel. Explore.
Slow & Quick
"We need to learn the slow 'yes' and the quick 'no.'"
-Greg McKeown, author of "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less"
-Greg McKeown, author of "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less"
..willing to pay
All wish to possess knowledge, but few, comparatively speaking, are willing to pay the price.
- Juvenal
go hand in hand
Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand.
-Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (1899-1989)
blow out candle
Wandering in a vast forest at night, I have only a faint light to guide me. A stranger appears and says to me: 'My friend, you should blow out your candle in order to find your way more clearly.' The stranger is a theologian.
-Denis Diderot, philosopher (1713-1784)
Stand out of my light
When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for the famed teacher, Diogenes replied: "Only stand out of my light." Perhaps some day we shall know how to heighten creativity. Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men and women is to stand out of their light.
-John W. Gardner, author and educator (1912-2002)
Can & Can't Buy...
It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy.
-George H. Lorimer, editor (1867-1937)
Works of art
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.
-Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and writer (1884-1962)
...to be kind
Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way.
-Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (1916-1994)
Billionaries & the working class
Billionaires need the working class. The working class does not need billionaires.
-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. Oct 13, 1989)
world within...
"The way we experience the world around us is a direct reflection of the world within us."
~ Ritu Ghatourey
Biggest room...
"There's always room for improvement—it's the biggest room in the house."
~ Louise Heath Leber
Tiny Hands, Big Hearts!
In the bustling recreation area of the IKEA store, children were laughing and playing, lost in the world of make-believe. Amongst them was my five-year-old granddaughter, a whirlwind of energy and curiosity.
On this particular day, as the children scampered around, my granddaughter noticed a small boy struggling with his untied shoelaces. Without a second thought, she motioned for him to stop and knelt down before him. With tiny hands and a determined spirit, she carefully re-tied his flopping shoelaces. It was a task she had recently mastered herself.
No words were exchanged, but a silent understanding passed between them. A genuine smile brightened both their faces, and they exchanged shy grins before darting off in different directions, continuing their playful adventures.
In that simple act of kindness, amidst the colorful chaos of a play area, two young souls connected. It was a sweet reminder that compassion knows no age, and even the smallest gestures can create beautiful moments of shared joy and understanding.
~Shane Wyatt
No words were exchanged, but a silent understanding passed between them. A genuine smile brightened both their faces, and they exchanged shy grins before darting off in different directions, continuing their playful adventures.
In that simple act of kindness, amidst the colorful chaos of a play area, two young souls connected. It was a sweet reminder that compassion knows no age, and even the smallest gestures can create beautiful moments of shared joy and understanding.
~Shane Wyatt
Easy, hard and harder...
"Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder." ~ Mason Cooley |
everythig you do...
The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion.
- Nadia Boulanger
Poetry of words
I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty.
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Edgar Allan Poe
ever won...
No battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools.
-William Faulkner, novelist (1897-1962)
The Hollow Men
The Hollow Men:
Between the idea
and the reality
Between the motion
and the act
falls the shadow.
-T.S. Eliot, poet (1888-1965)
equally outraged..
Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence.
-Henri Frederic Amiel, philosopher and writer (1821-1881)
previlege of ignoring...
This is what power really is: the privilege of ignoring anything you might find distasteful.
-Oksana Zabuzhko, writer (b. 19 Sep 1960)
...being unrelentingly offensive
[Film and theater critic John] Simon has simply discovered the trick used with great effectiveness by certain comedians, talk show hosts and punk rock musicians: people of modest talent can attract attention, at least for a while, by being unrelentingly offensive.
-Steven Pinker, author and psychology professor (b. 18 Sep 1954)
..more than his share
"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit."
-Arnold Glasow
...we did it ourselves
"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."
-Lao Tzu
...times of challenge & controversy
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-Martin Luther King Jr
The Unbound Power of Kindness
Friday Story
In the midst of a heavy diagnosis weighing on my mind, I walked through the parking lot lost in my thoughts. The weight of delivering such dire news to my patient, Albert, was a burden I carried. Pancreatic cancer, a cruel diagnosis.
Suddenly, my attention was diverted by a scene that warmed my heart. An elderly gentleman was passing tools to someone working underneath his stalled car. To my surprise, that someone was Albert. I couldn't believe my eyes.
"Albert, what are you doing?" I called out in astonishment. Albert emerged from under the car, dusting off his pants.
"My cancer didn't tell me not to help others, Doc," he said with a gentle smile, before signaling to the old man to start the car. Miraculously, the engine roared to life.
The old man was incredibly grateful, thanking Albert as he drove off, his car now running smoothly. Then, Albert climbed into his own car and drove away as well.
In that moment, a powerful message struck me. Kindness knows no bounds, respects no restrictions. It doesn't discriminate based on circumstance or struggle. Albert, facing his own battle, chose to extend his hand in aid without a second thought.
As I reflected on this, I realized that even in the face of a dire diagnosis, Albert reminded me that our capacity to help and be kind to others is limitless. It's a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the beauty of compassion. This simple act reaffirmed my belief that kindness truly has the power to touch lives and light up the world, even in the darkest of times.
~Rob Cayden
Suddenly, my attention was diverted by a scene that warmed my heart. An elderly gentleman was passing tools to someone working underneath his stalled car. To my surprise, that someone was Albert. I couldn't believe my eyes.
"Albert, what are you doing?" I called out in astonishment. Albert emerged from under the car, dusting off his pants.
"My cancer didn't tell me not to help others, Doc," he said with a gentle smile, before signaling to the old man to start the car. Miraculously, the engine roared to life.
The old man was incredibly grateful, thanking Albert as he drove off, his car now running smoothly. Then, Albert climbed into his own car and drove away as well.
In that moment, a powerful message struck me. Kindness knows no bounds, respects no restrictions. It doesn't discriminate based on circumstance or struggle. Albert, facing his own battle, chose to extend his hand in aid without a second thought.
As I reflected on this, I realized that even in the face of a dire diagnosis, Albert reminded me that our capacity to help and be kind to others is limitless. It's a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the beauty of compassion. This simple act reaffirmed my belief that kindness truly has the power to touch lives and light up the world, even in the darkest of times.
~Rob Cayden
looking ridiculous
It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.
-Agatha Christie, author (1890-1976)
...untamed brute in us
If he does not fight, it is not because he rejects all fighting as futile, but because he has finished his fights. He has overcome all dissensions between himself and the world and is now at rest... We shall have wars and soldiers so long as the brute in us is untamed.
-Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, philosopher and second president of India (1888-1975)
...air blows
A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows.
-O. Henry, short-story writer (1862-1910)
Ordinary & Extraordinary
"The only difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra."
- Jimmy Johnson
Actual offer...
All zoos actually offer the public, in return for the taxes spent upon them, is a form of idle witless amusement, compared to which a visit to the state penitentiary, or even a state legislature in session, is informing, stimulating, and ennobling.
-H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956)
...professionals
Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.
-Stephen King, novelist (b. 21 Sep 1947)
yesterday....
Living in dreams of yesterday, we find ourselves still dreaming of impossible future conquests.
- Charles Lindbergh
Neglected women...
We offer great rewards to a man who can tame a tiger, admire those who can train horses, monkeys, and elephants, and praise to the skies the author of some modest work. Yet we neglect women who have spent years and years nourishing and educating children.
-Francois Poulain, author, philosopher, and priest (1647-1723)
...but for years!
"Leadership is the ability to rally people not for a single event, but for years. In business, leadership means that customers will continue to support your company even when you slip up."
- Simon Sinek
Two Languages
I speak two languages, Body and English.
- Mae West, actress, playwright, singer, screenwriter, and comedian (1893-1980)
Money and Time Value
Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (1749-1832)
...forgiveness
The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.
- Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850)
to handle...
"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Art of delegation
"You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility."
– Former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan
...all the time
Dreams heed no borders, the eyes need no visas. With eyes shut I walk across the line in time. All the time.
-Gulzar, poet, lyricist, and film director (b. 18 Aug 1934)
...but they can
Bullets cannot be recalled.
They cannot be uninvented.
But they can be taken out of the gun.
-Martin Amis, novelist (1949-2023)
World is changed
The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.
-Paulo Coelho, novelist (b. 24 Aug 1947)
Quick silver in the hand
Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it, and it darts away.
-Dorothy Parker, author (1893-1967)
What not to do...
"Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do."
- Jessica Jackley, businesswoman
How to do? What to do??
"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."
- George S. Patton Jr.
...a dozen IDEAS
"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen."
– John Steinbeck, Author (1902-68)
...you will still have
A few cobras in your home will soon clear it of rats and mice. Of course, you will still have the cobras.
-Will Cuppy, journalist (1884-1949)
fear Vs. faith
If fear is cultivated it will become stronger, if faith is cultivated it will achieve mastery.
- John Paul Jones
- John Paul Jones
great & less
Eminent posts make great men greater, and little men less.
-Jean de La Bruyere, essayist and moralist (1645-1696)
Together achieves more...
"Little things seem like nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the air."
~ Georges Bernanos
..done with the excuse
Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things.
-Russell Baker, columnist and author (1925-2019)
No yesterdays...
When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.
-William Least Heat-Moon, travel writer (b. 27 Aug 1939)
Scurvy to pervy
Lack of Vitamin C leads to scurvy ...
Lack of confidence may make you nervy.
But who would have guessed
Or has ever assessed
How a nice normal guy becomes pervy!
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois
Lack of confidence may make you nervy.
But who would have guessed
Or has ever assessed
How a nice normal guy becomes pervy!
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois
Social creatures...
We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong.
-Karl Popper, philosopher and professor (1902-1994)
...wild beast
Courage without conscience is a wild beast.
-Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (1833-1899)
...should be creating
The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.
-Jean Piaget, psychologist (1896-1980)
Not a fact
No amount of belief makes something a fact.
- James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928)
Criticism made on the habits
Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.
-Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1819-1891)
Perfection.... accurate
The perfection of a clock is not to go fast, but to be accurate.
-Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, moralist and essayist (1715-1747)
world is changed by...
The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves.
-P.D. James, novelist (1920-2014)
...tie it to a goal
"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things"
- Albert Einstein
...like playing
"Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on"
- Samuel Butler
- Samuel Butler
To grow cruel...
There are few uglier traits than this tendency -- witnessed in men no worse than their neighbors -- to grow cruel, merely because they possessed the power of inflicting harm.
-Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (1804-1864)
..best in others
The Supreme Ethical Rule: Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself.
-Felix Adler, professor, lecturer, and reformer (1851-1933)
..moving forward together
"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself"
- Henry Ford
...working for it
"I didn't get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it."
-Estée Lauder
small Vs. Great Minds
"Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too."
- Mark Twain
- Mark Twain
the most difficult risk...
"It is only when we take chances, when our lives improve. The initial and the most difficult risk that we need to take is to become honest."
- Walter Anderson
- Walter Anderson
....individual liberty
In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary.
-Kathleen Norris, novelist and columnist (1880-1966)
Attractive Vs. Satisfaction
Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.
- Anne Frank
- Anne Frank
mind copulates
There are no chaste minds. Minds copulate wherever they meet.
-Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (1902-1983)
...are capable of
"There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."
- Nelson Mandela, Nobel Prize winner
Find & Lose Yourself
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
- Mahatma Gandhi, Leader of Indian Nationalism
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