When we smile, it brings peace and joy. It’s our body’s hormones that come into play. It reduces our stress and pain. It brings an aura that makes the world around us pleasant. It’s like spreading the wings and making everyone around happy. I understand we live a stressful life. Thanks to the rat race and societal expectations. But this does not mean we should kill or hide from being ourselves. We are all living in pain. But these smiles are seeds of our mood. A smile makes us feel good and rejuvenates us.
kids
We are all little kids within. We like to be cajoled and cared for. Sadly the world we are living in, we are all busy. We have forgotten ourselves. As a result, we are running like zombies and never giving importance to the little baby inside us. The little us that wants to dance, play and act like a baby. But then society will dictate to us telling: you are an adult and act or behave like it.
As a result, we will kill that kid slowly and gradually. As a result, we will let go of the creative part that thinks out of the box.
Perfect
Don’t be a perfectionist. You don’t have to put yourself in a bucket. You are less stressed and working in your focused area without any FOMO.
It takes away lots of mental pain and expectations burden when you are not part of the herd. The world will leave you thinking you are crazy.
It is a super good state to be in.
My last ten years have taught me to seek mental well-being above everything. The no fucks given attitude has made me an asshole in the eyes of a few. I am okay with it. I don’t want the world to like me when I am part of their checkbox.
We are masters of our own destiny. It matters a lot to be stoic about your own true north.
Long game
Building a startup is like raising a child if your fundamentals are to leave a legacy. Building a company requires an honest culture and a people-first approach. As a founder, this should be the most important virtue.
Things take time, and building slow and steady cement utmost love, care, and pain. It is towards solving customers’ pain. With customer word of mouth, more sales channels open.
In the old days, sales were about playing golf, socializing, and closing.
The time has changed.
The decision-makers are not the only ones who cut the cheque.
It’s those who use your product.
Your product has to solve all customer personas. It is not easy and takes lots of pain and keeping a check on our ego. But this is how It is. Not everyone is going to be your customer or believer.
We are in the era of yearly renewals. Those days of selling and charging for support are gone. You have to iterate and update your product regularly and keep the customer base intact.
prayers
I was at a workshop where artisans make Pashmina Shawls. It was good learning. The overall process of making Pashmina Shawls takes 4-7 years. It requires a lot of precision and deep focus. One artisan spends all their time in it. It becomes more like their prayer. They carry out every day. They wish all the good luck to the buyer who wears it.
change
Is it because we are scared or our laziness that we dislike change? I know dozen toxic relationships where people continue staying because of the unknown. They can’t imagine what is waiting for them next positively.
The same applies to switching jobs or expanding a new business unit. We are scared of the unknown. We see the downside more than the upside.
Why is it so? Is it because society has conditioned us to become sheep? Take no risk, and don’t dream positively.
If a few dreamers had not taken a risk and gone against society: we would still be using bullock carts, candle lamps, or pigeons to send letters.
mirror
We like people who are like our own mirrors. People who shape our progress and make life more livable. We learn from them and understand their view on various subjects related to life and work. We resonate with it. It does not feel like we are forcing ourselves on their company because they are like you. They are a mirror of you. It’s like talking to yourself in a mirror.
The journey of life is painful. It has up and downs. Find more and more of your mirrors.
generalize
We are lazy. We form opinions about a race, caste, or religion with the simplest of experiences we have gone through. As a result, either we have a good or a bad opinion.
If we think with sense, we will realize what we are missing out on. We will end up telling world around us our opinion. It will do more harm. We will create generation around us living in your belief. It will put people around you in ignorance.
Luck
Successful people sell hard work over luck to you. But very few admit that little luck, and it’s a wonder. Time and again, in 35+ years of my life, I have been hearing about success stories and luck playing its part.
People meet, and their world changes. Opportunities come, and we have to seize them. Giving credit to luck is no harm. It just opens the door, and hard work starts afterward.
Embrace the luck, be grateful, and work your ass off.
narratives
We are living in an information age where narratives are written and re-written. These narratives can make or break anyone, society, or religion. Early days it was newspaper or television. With changing times, it’s in every sphere, from textbooks to social media platforms. It is not easy for most of us to skip it.
But what can help us is questioning instead of becoming blind worshipers. Instead, we should “think rationally”
Some believe they are too smart to be affected. They will be the 1st person to join them.