There is a necessity to invent something new,
There is a necessity to invent yourself,
There is a necessity to reinvent yourself…
Constantly!

Necessities would continue to exist
…if we do nothing about them
If we don’t take actions
If we don’t execute

Because execution caters to necessities

Execute your plans
Only then can you invent something
Only then can you invent yourself
Even reinvent yourself

Necessity is the mother of invention
…and…
Execution is its grandmother!

Therefore take action
Take action now

Plan, deliver, execute!

---

Have you heard the quote?

If there are no bridges above a river…
You are more likely to learn to swim!

Bridges are easy routes
They keep us in our comfort zone

Get out of your comfort zone

Break the bridges
Get into the water
Learn something new

New learnings
New experiences to stay afloat

At the end of this zone, lies a river less travelled

Identify your comfort zone now
What’s keeping you in it?

Are you ready to break the bridge?

---

Have you liked a particular song...
So much that you rewind - replay it multiple times in a day?

In car, in computer, on mobile – rewind, replay

In life,
Everything you do
Every moment you live
Or every moment you let go
Does NOT have a rewind – replay button

Certain decisions you take
Certain outcomes you get

Don’t have a rewind - replay button

Fortunately or unfortunately,
There is no Control Z in life

- Make most of your time
- Make your decisions wisely!

---

Can you learn to swim by staying outside a pool?

The answer is NO
You need to deep dive into it!

Can you achieve your dreams by staying away from execution?
The answer is NO
You need to deep dive into it with planning, delivery and execution!

Don’t stay outside your dreams and wait for them to accomplish on auto pilot
mode

Deep dive into your dreams now
Deep dive with actions

The water shall look formidable and daunting to begin
As you learn to swim, you shall be friends with the formidable force

You can’t say – I shall learn to swim and only then jump into a pool
Because the fact is…
You need to jump into a pool to learn to swim!

You can’t dream and achieve
You need to do and achieve

---

Begin, and you shall have a story to tell
Don’t begin, and you definitely won’t have a story to tell!

The start shall be challenging
A little turbulent

Don’t think too ahead
Focus on the road, on the current moment

Follow the directions on the road or on the maps
Trust, you shall take the right turns
You shall reach your destination

Or forever be on a journey
Because now you enjoy the journey more than the destination

Therefore,
Begin NOW!

If you begin,
You shall have a story to tell
To educate, to motivate, to inspire others

Many shall rely upon you for directions
You shall be their maps for the right guidance

You shall be their journey
You shall be their destination

Begin NOW!

---

While watching a stand up show
We wait for the punch line

While watching a movie
We wait for the punch line

We as humans are trained to believe the punch line shall come
The punch line shall have an impact on the story gone by
The punch line shall be good
The punch line shall be worth waiting

Punch line is a hope
That good is coming
Good shall happen

Then why wait for the punch line only during a standup show?
Or a movie…

Wait for the punch line in your life!
Good is coming
Good shall happen!

Be optimistic!
Just wait for the punch line!

---

The moment the body begins to move
Thoughts begin to flow!

In places with nature...
While driving
Or even in the shower

You move away from your office, mobile and computer screen,

You move away from clutter
You move closer to a blank canvas
You move closer to ideas

Many ideas shall overflow…
Until the most useful becomes a prime thought!

During these walks, you shall be found talking to yourself
You move closer to yourself, therefore you move closer to ideas

Ideas and creativity are within
You just need to walk
As you walk, you talk
And then your ideas and creativity walk the talk!

---

A lot of individuals come to me and say
I want to be famous!

My question to them is -
How famous you want to be?

You are already famous!

Your parents know you
Your friends know you
Your neighbors know you
Your relatives recognize you

How famous do you want to be?

Define the periphery…

Do you want to be the best dancer in your residential layout?
Do you want to be the best chef in town?
Do you want to be the best app developer in the city?

Or do you intend to be the best state level player?
Or do you want to be the best actor the country has ever produced?
Or do you want to be the best speaker internationally?

How famous do you want to be?

Define!

Once you define, you know where you are and where you want to be…

This journey is the journey of being famous!

A journey where you have to define your role models, learn from them, learn from the
industry,
chose a path, set goals, put efforts, and finally create benchmarks

This is the journey of
I want to be famous!

This is the destination of
I want to be famous!

Or just another starting point of…
How famous you want to be?

---

Have you ever sprinted 100 meters?
You go full throttle from the word go
All your focus is on giving all your energy
Each instance, each moment
To excel in this sprint!

Have you ever run a marathon?
You don’t run full throttle until the last leg
All your focus is on conserving energy, yet moving ahead
Each instance, each moment
To excel in this marathon!

The cheetah can sprint…
The horse can run longer!

Which race are you running?
Is it a sprint?
Or is it a marathon?

What are your goals?
The short-term goals…
The long-term goals…

Accordingly you would know when to sprint

Walk, jog, sprint, run…
Irrespective, keep moving forward!

---

Dip a bubble wand into the soapy bubble liquid…

Then blow air into the bubble wand…

Multiple bubbles start floating in the air!

Some bubbles are small,
Some bubbles are medium in size,
and some are big bubbles!

Have you realized -
- Each bubble came out from the same bubble wand
- Each bubble emerged from the same amount of air blown into the bubble wand
- Each bubble had access to the same bubble liquid

Yet, each bubble is of a different size!

Each bubble received the same resources, same inputs and same conditions…
Yet, each bubble evolved differently!

We are all like these bubbles…
We all have access to the same 24 hours…

Yet we are at different stages of our careers, achievements, and accomplishments…
Some small
Some medium
Some big!

It doesn’t matter where you are in your career or in life…
Whether your achievements are small, medium or big?
What’s important is…

You stay afloat!
…And you create an environment where…
Each bubble can stay afloat!

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Life isn’t a video game
Three chances, game over

You are down
But you are alive

And if you are alive
You are alive and kicking

Remember why you started
Remember when you fought and won earlier
You can do it again

If it’s a blip -
Get over it
You can jump over it!

If it’s a crash -
You can reflect on the life you were living…
Was it robotic like the characters of a video game?

You can design everything again from scratch
Fresh, new, vibrant…
Just the way you want it, just the way you like it!

You can start all over again
It can be done
Its an opportunity to make a version 2.0
Bigger, Better
Happier, Happening!

You are down…
But you are not out

In fact -
You are in it…
In the face of adversity…
With your might, rigor and belief!

---

Have you watched a game of cricket?
We all expect the top 7-8 batsmen to do well with the bat!

If they fail with the bat…
They receive criticism!

However,
When you see a number 11 batsman grind it out…

Grind it out for each run in a match
Fight it out for the country with the bat in hand

Each run is cheered
Each ball defended is cheered
Each minute spent on the ground is cheered

Why?

Everyone WANTS the number 11 batsman to do well…
But nobody EXPECTS a number 11 batsman to do well with the bat!
It’s therefore a spectacle!

Do it when nobody expects you to…
It would be a spectacle

Be a number 11
In your life, in your career!

Grind it out, spend time in the middle, defend it, face it, get through it
And everyone would cheer for you!

Because nobody expects it from you…
Yet everyone wants you to do well!

---

To enhance my focus
I choose slow to moderate tempo music without vocals
Each time I sit down to work, I play similar genre of music

The moment the song is on…
I become more focused

I get into a zone
Where thoughts and ideas begin to flow

The mind knows its time to work
Its time to concentrate

I have practiced this habit for years
It comes with time
The association between working and music…

Where you get switched on and get into your zone
To focus more, To get through it!
It helps me relax
And concentrate at the same time

What is your hack to improve your focus?

---

You walk into a badminton court
Where 3 players are already waiting…

Waiting for a 4th person to join
So that a doubles game can happen!

As you step onto the court…
They say -

We don’t want to play with you!
You are still a learner,
Our game is much better
We would like to play with a pro to have a good tough game!

What do you do?

It happens in business too -
You are a small player
We don’t want to invest in you
We don’t want to play with you

What do you do?

Learn the skills
Up your game
Come back
And play the game

Not sure if you would become a pro
But surely you would become a better version of yourself

Don’t play to show someone down, or compete with them
Play only because your competition is with yourself

Next time when someone says -
We don’t want to play with you…

Just remember -
The game has just begun
…and you would do everything to up your game…
and play the game!

Because your competition is with yourself!

---

Do you want to begin?

But you are struggling to start
Only because…
You see a lot of competition!

You see many more individuals & brands doing the same thing
You see a pool of competitors

You see roadblocks…
Only roadblocks!

There is competition
There are roadblocks
Agreed!

However, do you realise -
There was competition in school, in college…
During admission, during placements…

Did we sit at home, saying -
There is competition
I won’t study
I won’t go to school
I won’t go to college
I won’t apply for a job!

We applied…
We took a leap of faith!

The population of the country is so high
The population of the world is so high
Therefore the problems of the world are high
Try solving the problems with your solutions

Apply yourself
Take that leap of faith
Even a 0.00001% stake would make you a market leader!

Are you better than that 0.00001%?
Ask yourself!

Do you see obstacles and competition now?
Or do you see a world of opportunities?

Let the roadblocks go…
Embrace the opportunities!

---

We are a group of 100+ cricketers
All on a Whatsapp group

We sledge each other on the field
We pull each other’s leg on the Whatsapp group

The pandemic had hit us in March 2020
It was lockdown time
We were all at home

Missing cricket
Missing each other

During lockdown, we therefore launched…
‘The Praise Program’
We decided, at 7pm each day

Each person on the group had a choice
To praise any one person of their respective choice
A line, a story, an incident

100+ members praising 100+ other members on the group
Each day you choose a different person
And just praise…

Each praise was followed by hilarious comments
Catchy lines by others

Funny conversations flowed
Optimism flowed
Kindness flowed

Every one was fighting a fight in the lockdown
Collectively we were all in it together

We had a reason to smile at 7pm
Not because we wanted to smile
Only because we wanted to make others smile!

---

At some instance of life…
Someone has done wrong to you

Wrong by actions
Wrong by feelings
Wrong by deceptions

It hurts!
It’s a feeling that wobbles deep within!

You say -
I won’t forgive you ever!

You say -
I shall remember what you have done
Therefore, I won’t forgive you ever!

When you don’t forgive, you remember the hurt
You replay, rewind the hurt
You don’t let yourself heal
And drain yourself down with the hurt

When the other person hurt you once
You say -
I won’t forgive you

By remembering and recollecting…
You hurt yourself multiple times

Can you say to yourself -
I won’t forgive you!

Instead -
When you decide to let go…
You work on forgiveness and break the emotional shackles

With forgiveness…
You give yourself time to heal the hurt!

Forgive…
Not because they hurt you!

Forgive…
Only because you want to unburden yourself!

---

You have a task on hand…
You absolutely don’t want to work on this task

Take small steps -
Knowing that you have to work on this task for a short time
Makes the task tolerable!

There is also an advantage -
Motivation kicks in after you have started…
You are more likely to continue doing something once you begin!

Take small steps each day, instead of a giant leap.

Set up goals for 30 minutes and try to achieve them
Set up goals for 1 day and try to achieve them
Set up goals for a week and try to achieve them
Set up goals for a month and try to achieve them

Small steps show progress
Progress gives way to motivation
Motivation leads to continuation
Consistent continuation creates completion!
Consistent small steps lead to giant leaps!

---

Gossip is good
It helps you relax
It helps you unwind

It helps you…
Sneak peak into others lives
It makes you feel bigger and better than them
By discussing them!

Gossip occupies our mind…
And continues to grow in our mind

It keeps us intrigued on –
What’s happening with them
Rather than –
What’s happening with me?

Gossip breeds rumors
Gossip blocks ideas
Gossip curbs productivity

Gossip restricts progress

Gossip is good
…But it limits you
Limits you to transform yourself from good to great!

Is gossip good?

---

Doesn’t matter -
If you are ordinary…
Or an extra ordinary genius
If you are rich or poor…

We all struggle
But
What we do with our struggles…
How we handle our struggles create our stories

Lets unbox the gift of struggle!

Struggle pushes us to the wall
And makes us see things differently

Accept struggle
Acknowledge struggle
Don’t struggle with struggle
Instead make struggle your biggest strength

Learn
Create
Dream

Take steps you never took before!

You may struggle today
You may struggle tomorrow
But if you try
Each day you shall be stronger
…and stronger

And transform from ordinary to extraordinary
From extraordinary to exceptional

Your struggle of today
Is your strength of tomorrow!

Just unbox the gift of struggle because -
Nothing struggled
Nothing gained!

---

Do you tell yourself
I want to be happy one day
Or
I want to be happy some day

Tell yourself
I want to be happy today
I want to be happy this moment

Why be happy one day
When you have the choice this very moment

Happiness is a function of choices
Make the right choices
And let happiness chase you

We never broadcast to the world we are doing fit, healthy and fine
But one fall…
And we tell the world we have been hurt
We as humans amplify negative news

Instead
Amplify positivity
Amplify happiness

Even in pain and suffering
Search for happiness
Just ‘Control F’ Happiness
The key may just be found

Not one day
Not some day
Not today
But this very moment

Seize it, live it, treasure it!

Happiness isn’t a final destination…
It’s a journey!

---

I am trapped in a conventional job
I therefore want to chase an unconventional path
I am unable to chase it
Because -
- I continuously think what would others think
- I have a lucrative job. How do I quit it?
- What if I fail?
- I don’t want to disappoint those who have placed faith in me
- I don’t want to lose my current status and lifestyle
- I have already invested time, energy and money to be where I am
- How do I restart all over again from scratch?

The question is -
Do you really want to chase this unconventional path?

Ask yourself again

If yes,
Then recognize your fears
List them
These are all internal fears

We all go through them
Its normal to fear
It only means it matters to you

Pick up a paper and a pen
Write down all your concerns
Then write down all possibilities
Opportunities vs Challenges

Weigh them, measure them
Plan it out
Test the waters with your current job
Request guidance from industry experts
Decide
Take a leap of faith
Make it happen

Remember -
Only you can decide for yourself
When is the right time to take the plunge
Others can be a guiding force
Cheering for you to succeed!

---

As a kid
If we fell down
Or if someone hurt us

Tears would roll down our eyes
And we would immediately look for someone to complain to
We would look for our parents
We would look for a shoulder to cry

As we grew up
We continued with the same practice

When someone hurts us…
Or we feel shattered
We immediately look for someone to complain
We look for a shoulder to cry

We look for someone who can listen to us
We blurt out everything in the moment of rage and frustration
Not making sense most of the times
Giving out details which aren’t supposed to be given, in hindsight

The first time you complain, it’s okay
The second time you repeat, it’s still okay
The third time, it’s a nag
The fourth time, a crib
The fifth time, a whine
And by the sixth time, it’s a habit

You have made complaining, cribbing and crying a habit
You are always looking for a shoulder to cry
And the moment you get it, you just cry

You aren’t seeking for happiness
You are seeking for shoulders to cry
The more the shoulders, the better you feel

Remember as a kid,
When you had a small fall
And you came running to crib, cry, complain
You came looking for a shoulder

Your parents would say - Nothing has happened, stop crying

Your parents wouldn’t give you a shoulder to cry

Now you are a grown up
Time to stop looking for a shoulder
Because nothing has happened in the first place!
Stop crying!

You have to let the shoulder go
For happiness to come in!

---

A chess board has 32 pieces
Some like the queen, as it can move freely
Some are riveted by the rook, as it moves straight
Some are fascinated by the bishop, which moves diagonally
And some are charmed by the knight, as it jumps two and a half over others

All these pieces play a game to save their king
In their own style, in their own manner
Such a captivating game!

My favorite player is the pawn
I would love to be a pawn on the chess board
The first line of defense
The first line of attack
Small little steps, always marching forward
Playing its role to protect its queen and king on the board

And finally,
If it reaches the opposite side of the chess board

It has a chance to grow into any of the pieces Queen, Bishop, Rook or Knight
…and help other pawns to grow as well, into any of these pieces
At the same time, continue to serve its purpose

A pawn
What a player
What a champion!

Which is your favorite piece in the game of chess?

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When you walk on unconventional paths
When you take risks
Not knowing whether you would get the desired outcome

You shall face uncertainty
You shall feel uncomfortable!

See uncertainty as an opportunity
Even though it is uncomfortable to do so

Because unconventional today
Shall be conventional tomorrow

And you shall be the certainty
For others to get over their uncertainty

Today’s unconventional, uncertainty, uncomfortable
Is tomorrow’s conventional, certainty, comfortable

---

Before the race begins
Each athlete settles down
With a focus to start the race with intensity
To run the race with complete effort
And to complete the race with sincerity and commitment

The only thought dominating the athlete’s mind
Is to excel

To excel personally
To give in the best
From start to finish

At any instance of the race
The athlete is never thinking to quit the race

An athlete aims to COMPETE
An athlete aims to COMPLETE

In life too
It is important to be geared up at the start line
To be focused to give in your best
To put an effort to excel
To compete to complete
To start to finish

Because there are always two lines
The start line
And the finish line
In between these 2 lines
Lies your story!

Are you ready?

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Perfection can be an impossible goal
Because
What is perfect today can be imperfect tomorrow!

There is always scope for improvement
Therefore perfection is a myth

Progress is moving forward
Development, growth, advancement in your journey
Inching closer to your goals
Reflecting back and looking at the work done
And feeling worthy about it

Perfection limits progress
Perfection creates dissatisfaction!

Instead
Choose excellence over perfection

When you strive for excellence
You accept your mistakes and failures
You learn from them
You embrace them

You strive again for excellence
…and therefore you progress!

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To drive a conversation
To make it simple
To make it interesting

Look at the person
And listen to what they are saying

Listen for cues
Listen for indicators on
What the other person is interested in

Just listen to what the person is enthusiastically talking about
Ask a question about it

If you connect with the topic
Have a conversation

If you don’t connect with the topic
Say you aren’t well versed with the topic, would be pleased to know more
And you shall have a conversation

In both scenarios, you shall have a conversation
In all scenarios, you shall have a conversation

Listen and you shall have a conversation!