SunCorp

The funny thing about life is that you realize the value of something only when it begins to leave you, at the same time we have to truly appreciate some of the lessons we have learnt along the way. Here are some of the lessons I have learnt in life and hope you will also find it to be useful in your career and your life.

The first thing I have learnt is that we must always begin with our strengths!. From the earliest years of our schooling, everyone focuses on what is wrong with us. There is an imaginary story of a rabbit. The rabbit was enrolled in rabbit school. Like all the 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 hoping, you are good at it anyway. 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 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.

The second lesson I have learnt is that a rupee earned is of far more value than five found. Here is small story I would like to share with you about my friend’s eight year old niece, she would always complain about the food prepared for her at home. Her mother tried everything possible, but the child remained unhappy. Finally my friend, her uncle took her to the supermarket and bought one of those ready-to-cook packets.
The child came home and had to cut the packet and pour water in the dish. After that, it took two minutes in the microwave oven to be ready. The child found the food to be absolutely delicious. The difference was that she had cooked it herself.
In my own life, I have found that nothing gives me as much satisfaction as your own rewards. In fact, what is gifted or inherited follows the old rule of easy come, easy go.
I guess we all know the value of what we have if we have to struggle to earn it.

The third lesson I have learned is that no one scores a hundred every time. Life has many challenges. You win some and lose some. You must definitely enjoy winning. But do not let it go to your head. The moment it does, you are already on your way to failure.
And if you encounter failure along the way, true as it is an equally natural phenomenon. Don’t beat yourself for it or anyone else for that matter. Accept it, look at your own share of the problem, learn from it and move on. The most important thing when you lose is, do not lose the lesson.

The fourth important lesson I have learnt is the importance of humility. Sometimes, when you get so much in life, you really start wondering whether you really deserve all of it. This brings to me the value of gratitude. We have so much to be grateful for. Our parents, our teachers, our friends, 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 acknowledge what we have received. Nothing in life is permanent.

The fifth lesson 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. Emulate it. But excellence cannot be imposed from outside. We must also feel the need from within. It must become an obsession. 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 should exceed your grasp. Ultimately your competition is only yourself.

The sixth lesson I have learnt is never give up in adversity. It comes on you suddenly without warning. One can either succumb to self pity, wring your hands in despair or decide to deal with the situation with courage and dignity.
Always keep in mind that it is only the test of fire that makes us find the steel in us.
If we persevere long enough, we can put any problem in perspective.

The seventh lesson I have learnt is that while you must be open to change, do not compromise on your values. Mahatma Gandhi often said that you must open the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the breeze. You must define what your core values are and what you stand for, and these values are not difficult to define. Values like honesty, integrity, consideration and sensitivity have survived for generations. As the Chairman of Wipro Limited Mr.Azim Premji say: “Ethics in business is an asset, and not a liability. It may increase transaction time but reduces cost in the long term.”

Values are not the words used to describe them, as much as in simple acts.
A wise man once said, “You do not have to change the world to make a difference. If on the way to your house, you can bring a smile on the face of a crying child, then you have done your bit.” At the end of the day it is value that defines a person more than the achievements. Because it is the means of achievement that decides how long the achievements will sustain. Do not be tempted by short-cuts, because the short-cuts can make you lose your way and end up becoming the longest way to the destination.

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.