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Kindle Notes & Highlights
If the elephant doesn’t stop for the dogs, it doesn’t halt for the ones bowing in reverence either.
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The emotions we experience when showered with praises or hit with criticism are temporary feelings that mostly arise when we forget how incredibly empowered and powerful we truly are.
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The path of success is littered with opinions and suggestions. Everyone you meet will have some kind of an opinion and you are likely to cross paths with many who won’t believe in you. They will give you a million reasons why you will fail. It’s alright, that’s all they know. You’ll also meet some who may offer you false praise, just to attain a desired outcome. It’s the way of the material world. Then you’ll also meet some who are genuine and will influence your life in a phenomenal way.
Like the elephant, if you can keep your head on your shoulders and remain unmoved by such people and have faith in your own conviction as well as the wisdom to know when and how much to listen to someone, success is yours for the taking.
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An understanding of the self—that you are not a product of the opinions of others but of your own thoughts, feelings and actions—is critical to attaining supreme success in any endeavor you wish to undertake.
That rupee gave me confidence and taught me that there’s no lack of opportunity in the world. If you are not afraid of working hard or thinking outside the box, if you don’t build obstacles of hollow pride or misplaced dignity in your way, then success is just a matter of time.
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Therefore, when you are working towards your dream, all you have to do is be mindful and ask yourself,
“Is this step I’m about to take moving me away from or towards my dream?”
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I had learned a long time ago that unless you can help the other person visualize the future, you can’t get them to see your perspective. And, if they can not only see but interact with the future, that’s the tipping point.
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And let me tell you, one of the most powerful things you can do to attain success is to set your mind on something. Not just any mind, but an open and resilient mind. “I’m
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One of the primary reasons for sharing this story is simply to share with you my thought process. Ultimately, whether you are looking for a job, appearing for an interview or even an audition, or visiting a prospective customer, you are selling. Even when you propose to someone, effectively, you are selling what you own or know. We are always selling our skills, wisdom, talents, resources and so on. In
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If you think that organizations make rational decisions, then I urge you to think again. Companies are run by people and people are just that, people. They are like you and me. We all make emotional decisions.
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Whenever people disagree with you or you with them, do not take it personally. Any criticism is an opportunity to examine and do better. You will be amazed how far you’ll go and how quickly, if you master the art of listening to the other person patiently without judging them and not taking the criticism personally.
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courage to tell them not that they are wrong but that they can be more right.
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Lift the game, my friend. Don’t take it personally and lift the game at every opportunity. That’s the only approach worth taking.
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Do it now! Tomorrow is another person’s day. If you get a chance today, grab it and make good use of it.6
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whatever we intend to accomplish, we need to master the skill behind it. A wise person told me once, “The only thing more expensive than hiring a professional is to hire an amateur.”
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“Sean, I respect you,” I said, “but this entire week I’m busy beyond words, I can’t come to the city.”
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as a result of social media and the Internet, our generation is more conscious of how we are perceived—by friends, family, colleges, jobs, hell, even people we’ve never met—than any other generation, ever.
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Sacchit Sreenivasan liked this
Mulla Nasruddin’s teacher asked him, “What do we call someone who can’t hear?” “Call him whatever you like,” Mulla replied. “It’s not like he can hear!” Opportunities are knocking on your door all the time, presenting you with your purpose in life. If you choose not to hear them and instead fixate on or keep waiting for some grand unrealistic event, you’ll be disappointed. No
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dream ever becomes a reality without effort. Customers remain prospects, products remain ideas and goals remain hopes in the absence of effort. People who attain extraordinary proficiency in their chosen fields, or companies that become great don’t do so on account of some miracle or a transformation overnight. It’s often the result of years of slogging with focus, discipline and a vision. The
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That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time—often just one baby-step at a time—and learning to love the doing; learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world. The
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To stick to my routine, there was only one thing I would say to myself: “Swami, you can get up if you want but what will you do? If you sit and meditate patiently, eventually you’ll be happier because that’s why you are here. The clock will continue ticking anyway.”
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If you remain determined, destiny will knock on your door. It’s only a matter of time. For the one who’s determined and persistent, success is not a question of if but when.
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If you say “I can’t do it,” you are right already. But if you ask, “How can I do it?” your mind will shift from denial to a thinking mode. All is possible when the human mind begins to pursue a line of thought.
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A confused person takes the longest path to success
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When you are clear, you may fail and yet, your other qualities help you make better decisions the next time, vastly improving your odds of success. In fact, I say that clarity of thought is the foremost quality of successful and happy people. It’s the stuff geniuses are made of.
Sometimes, when your head is stuck in a problem, breaking the pot makes more sense than other violent options. And, if anyone offers you a solution without first fully understanding (and appreciating) your problem, almost always it’ll be the wrong advice. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes because wisdom often comes from lessons we learn from our wrong decisions. If you want to wake up to the glory of a beautiful dawn, you have to live through the darkness of the night.
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