The Power of Writing

THE POWER OF WRITING

Power of Writing

Writing is one of the most effective ways to express your ideas and make them reach to the masses where your message cannot be preached by your physical presence. By writing, I mean to write your ideas so that they could be expressed publicly and people could benefit from those ideas. The average person living on the planet does not want to write. And this ideology comes mostly from their past experiences. You don’t want to write a book because you think that nobody is interested in your ideas or what and how you think about the world. We all think that only other people should write a book. But it is important for you to write a book and share your ideas and inspiration to the world.

There are many great people who influenced their generation in a great way and these people have written books that are still continuing to influence people to do greater things in their life. These people are not alive today but because they wrote the experiences of their life and how they learned from them, their books are still impacting millions of people around the globe.

Writing is a subtle art which can either be used in a constructive or destructive way. There are books which have created and are creating communal unrest and violence in the society. These books have also impacted the people’s thinking pattern, but in a negative way. And then there are books from which you learn the lessons of life. These books give you joy, happiness, fulfillment, hope and serenity in life. Therefore, writing is a very powerful tool by which you can change the world around you. You can convert hatred into love, jealousy into admiration, unrest into peace and suffering into pleasure. So, why you should write a book? Here’s why:

Power of Writing

TO SOLVE OTHER’S PROBLEM: Whatever your age might be right now. But from the time that you were born to this moment, you have had a lot of experience in your life. These are the experiences where you faced some tough situations, unexpected crisis and some good memories as well. You would probably have learned a lot of things from what you have experienced in life till now. Right? You should write these experiences from your life because whether you believe it or not, these are needed by somebody in the world. Maybe you have solved some problems in your life which other people are struggling with right now. By addressing the solution to these problems, you are impacting other people’s lives as you are helping them to overcome that problem.

WRITING PROTECTS YOUR LEGACY: We all know that we have a very limited time on this planet and we are not going to live forever. So, what is the contribution that you are making to the world? There are people who live more than 80 years and when they die, nobody remembers them. What a tragedy! When you write, you will live even after your death. Therefore, your legacy is not protected by the money you make, or the big building you live in or the position that you have in your life. But your legacy is protected by the people. Buildings will eventually erode, money can be bygone and power could be lost but people are the one who are going to survive till the end. By writing a book, you are imprinting ideas on people’s minds. Your ideas can still be alive even after you die! Your ideas can help people around you to solve their problems. You are not remembered for how long you live. You are remembered for how effective you live!

WRITING CREATES CULTURE: Most of you would be knowing that the culture that we live in is not new, but adapted from the philosophies of the ancient philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. The Roman empire was the largest empire on the facet of Earth and when the Romans gained dominion over the territory of Greece, they destroyed everything except their libraries. So, the Romans adopted the Greeks philosophy of ruler - ship. The modern day concept of ‘democracy’ has come from the ancient writings of Greek politics. The word ‘democracy’ which is adapted by almost every country in the world first appeared in ancient Greek political and philosophical writings in the state of Athens. Matter of fact, the word first used was the word ‘DEMOCRATIE’. So we are actually living on the Greek philosophies.

Power of Writing

This is how much powerful writing can be. Ancient books have changed and are continuously changing the way we live our lives. Although, the concepts are many centuries old, but they are still being used by countries. And this is because you can kill a person, but you can never kill their ideas. Therefore, an idea is the most powerful thing on earth.

In fact, if you try to kill an idea, it multiplies. This is why there is so much violence in the countries when a new law kicks into the society. A law is not simply a way of conduct in the society but a laws also brings with it a culture. Therefore, the most dangerous people on earth are not the terrorists but the one who make laws. Because they are not only making a law but they are creating a culture which creates a social norm.

Therefore, writing is very important tool for you to express your point of view towards different aspects of life. A major detour to start writing is that you don’t want to expose your ideas publicly. You may have a sense of feeling that your ideas are not that much important to the world. But the truth is that the world needs your ideas. So don’t think too much about other people’s opinion of you rather just start writing and think about the way in which you can help people and make them better. Your ideas are still important whether you want to express them to the world or not. Just make a start. Getting started is important. You are not only learning yourself but also helping others by sharing your experiences by writing.

What are your thoughts about writing? Comment below:

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What is Purpose?

WHAT IS PURPOSE?

What is Purpose?

It is an unfortunate truth that many people live with a quiet desperation and some die by the uneasiness that somehow they have “missed it”. Others wander aimlessly - a few purposefully – attempting to solve the puzzle of life. From the beginning of mankind’s history, every man on planet earth is struggling with the age – old questions: Why am I here? What is the reason for my existence? What is the meaning of my life? Is there a reason for all the creation? These questions are universal.

Every religion, ethnic group and society is trying to answer this question. Many great minds such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates and others have attempted to explore those questions. Most of the people today do not know why they exists on this planet. They get up every morning, go to the job they hate, work with people they don’t like and die too young due to frustration. They don’t know the purpose of their life. Therefore, the greatest tragedy in life is not death, there is something worse than death. The greatest tragedy in life is life without a purpose. It is dangerous to be alive and not know why you were given life. One of the most saddest experiences is to have time but not know why.

The deepest craving of the human heart is to find the meaning for their existence. Consciously or unconsciously, this internal passion is what motivates and drives every human being. It is this craving for the purpose that motivates the actions and behavior of every person on earth. This need for purpose is the cause of many tragedies. Many suicides happen across the globe because they don’t know their purpose. Many mass murders happen everyday because they want to feel a sense of significance. It also gives birth to erroneous perception and conception of one person of the another. Therefore, purpose is the only source of personal and corporate fulfillment.

What is Purpose?

• Purpose gives life its meaning. Without purpose, life has no meaning. Without the knowledge of your purpose in life, it becomes and endless journey for you with no significance. When people lose their purpose, destruction in life is inevitable. Without purpose, there is confusion, frustration and disillusionment in the personal life, society, organizations and countries.

• Purpose fills you with motivation. When you discover the purpose of your life, you don’t depend on external factors to motivate you. When you know the purpose which you were born to fulfill; you start to get motivated by yourself. Other people’s opinions doesn’t matter to you anymore.

• Purpose brings commitment. You are committed to your goals when you find your purpose in life. You start to feel an urge from within to fulfill your purpose and achieve your destiny, whatever it takes to be. You become focused towards your goals and you compromise on anything which acts as a detour towards your goal.

• Purpose leads to management. You start to manage your resources and your time when you know your purpose. You choose to spend your time wisely according to your purpose because you know that your life consists of time and wherever you spend your time, it becomes your life. You start choosing friends which helps you to reach to your destiny.

• Purpose gives hope. It is a common observation in life that every human suffers some kind of crisis during their lifetime. The guiding sense of purpose is more than an orientation towards a goal. Purpose instills the passion to act for the fulfillment of your goal in life. Purpose gives you the strength to stand ramrod straight against any failure in life.

• When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. Where there is no purpose, there is no self-control, no moral standards and no ethical boundaries. Therefore, you must realize that your fulfillment in life is dependent on your becoming and doing what you were born to be and do. Anything less makes life your enemy and death your friend.

What is Purpose?

Therefore, everything In life has a purpose. Everyone on this planet was born with and for a purpose. It is this purpose, which gives life its meaning. Not a single person on the earth is a mistake. Not even one of us is a biological mistake of our parents. We were born to fulfill a purpose. So, it is necessary for us to understand and discover our purpose in life so that we may live an effective and meaningful life.

Purpose is the original intent in the mind of the creator that motivated him to create all the things that we see in the universe. Before any thing is made, there is a purpose established in the mind of the manufacturer regarding that thing. Therefore, purpose precedes production.

So, the true measure of your success is not what you have done in life to what others have done. It is measured by your personal fulfillment of your purpose. Your existence is the evidence that this generation needs something that your life contains. If you die without fulfilling your purpose, you are not a failure for yourself but you are also a generational failure because you are taking away something with you which you could have given to the next generations and could have made a difference. Therefore, discover your purpose and serve the world with it. What is your purpose in life? Comment below!

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The power of Principles

THE POWER OF PRINCIPLES

The power of Principles

The key to life and effective living is to follow principles. In order to live an effective life, a person should understand the need and role of principles in our life. In fact, our  character is built on the principles which we live by. Our purpose and potential is preserved by our principles. Principles ensure that we do not cancel our purpose and goals prematurely. Everything exists for a purpose with potential to operate by a principle. This means that everything in this universe has a purpose with a potential which is necessary to fulfill its purpose. But its purpose is only fulfilled if the principles are followed.

Here are some of the things about principles which we must consider:

• PURPOSE produces POTENTIAL and POTENTIAL is protected by PRINCIPLES. Therefore, purpose without potential is frustration. When you have a purpose but do not have the potential to fulfill that purpose, it creates frustration for you. For example: You may have been given a position sometimes where you can exercise your power but you are limited because you are not allowed to use it. So, you feel like a bird who is trapped In a cage. You have a purpose but no potential which results In chaos.

• POTENTIAL without PRINCIPLES produces destruction. If a person has power and position of authority but no principles then that person becomes a tool of destruction. A good example in this case is of the German politician and leader of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler. He  was a man who had position and power but he did not operated on good principles. He functioned on erroneous principles and what happened? 85 million people were killed.

The power of Principles

 The most dangerous people to be with are powerful people without principles. There are politicians who have got power but no principles. So, we must prefer to live with people who have no power but have principles rather than people with power and no principles. Because if they have no principles, they will use their power to kill you.

Principles are so much important to us and if you don’t understand the principles of life, then life will become your enemy. There are people in our society who cause the corruption due to lack of principles and most of us think that its because of power. Its not because of power. Power is pure. The person was already corrupted from inside and when he got the power, he just got an opportunity to show his corruption.

Now let us understand why we need principles and what is their importance in our life:

• Principle is the way something is to function. Principles are made to ensure that a product can function at its full potential. By violating the principles you are minimizing the potential of that product. For example: When you are operating an electric Iron, you operate it with a principle which is built in it. The principles with which the electric iron function are not designed by you, they are produced by the manufacturer. The principle for the electric iron says that you should not operate it in water. So, if you try to violate that principle and you put the iron in water with switch on, then another principle comes in play which is the principle of conduction. So, the water absorbs the electricity and you get a shock. Therefore, violation of principles leads to destruction. Similarly, there are some laws and principles on which we must operate and live by so that we can maximize and unleash our true potential.

• Principles maximizes potential. The potential of the product is maximized by the principles. In order for something to function properly, you must follow the principles. For example; your car works on the gasoline which is a principle for that car to function properly at its maximum potential. But if you try to run that car on top quality orange juice, the car will not function. So, principles ensures the longevity of your life and protects your legacy as a leader.

• Principles protects your life. When you are in a position of leadership where others life is affected by the way you live your life, then principles play a key role. By adhering to certain values and principles, you ensure the longevity of your leadership. Principles protects your legacy. People trust you because they know that you stick to your principles and standards and are committed to them. Principles also protect your character.

Therefore, principle is the principle thing In life. The word ‘Principle comes from the word ‘Prince’ which means ‘First Law’. Principles are the laws which every person should live by to ensure their success in life. Violation of principles leads to destruction. Principles are the inherent laws for the function of potential and to fulfill the original intent which is the purpose. If you don’t live by your principles, then you will become a victim of others principles. So, stick to your principles and standards to live an effective life.

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Reputation vs Character

REPUTATION V/S CHARACTER

Reputation v/s Character

The culture that we live in has a huge role in our attitude towards life and the kind of people we continuously surround ourselves with impact our personality. The things that we value are determined by the culture we live in and the beliefs which that culture has embedded in our minds. Consciously or Subconsciously, we have accepted these beliefs and tend to continue to live on these beliefs. One of such dilemma is this, which is more important: REPUTATION or CHARACTER?

Most of us are brought up in life in a way that have internalized an idea in our mind that a good reputation is more important than having a genuine a good character. We have made our public image a higher priority than our personal or corporate responsibilities. Many people today prioritize their public image more important than their self-image. They believe that what others think about them is more important than what they think about themselves. And in doing so, we have failed to recognize the alarming need to protect and safeguard our integrity. 

That is why, we have seen a lot of leadership failures in different areas of life. Because most of the leaders today confuse reputation with character. We have made reputation more important than character and personal responsibility. Reputation is not the same as character. Before we go further, let’s look at the difference between reputation and character:

REPUTATION is what others think about you. But,

CHARACTER is the truth about yourself.

REPUTATION is who you are in public. But,

CHARACTER is who you are in private.

Each of us has a reputation – it is the perception other people have of us. People often “sell” an enhanced picture of themselves to others; they promote a public image that is not who they really are. Then, they start to believe the trials rather than the reality. It is ethically dangerous for us to be more concerned with what others think of us than with what we know to be the truth about ourselves.

When you know who you are, other people’s opinion about you doesn’t matter to you. True leaders have therefore declared independence from the expectation of others. When you don’t know yourself, you try to live onto other people’s opinions and their expectation. All the branding which is in the market works on this concept, the fashion industry works due to your poor self-image of who you are. Character means being your true self. Most of the leadership failures that we see in the government and politics are due to character defects.

Therefore, mere reputation does not have the capacity to sustain you, because it is not based on reality. We should never trust our reputation nor should we trust other people’s reputation, because it has the capacity to deceive us. So, we must avoid promoting a false image of ourselves because life has a way of eventually bringing our private self to the public stage.

Reputation v/s Character

CHARACTER means a commitment to a set of standards, values and principles which you will never violate on the altar of convenience. You become a person of character when you are willing to sacrifice your power, position, money, titles and everything that you have acquired through out your life for the sake of your character.

CHARACTER means a continuous effort to integrate your thoughts, words and actions. Character means that you are the same person anytime and at anyplace. Integrity means ‘one’. You are not a ‘two-faced’ or a ‘hypocrite’. Character means what you do when no one is watching you? Character means what you do when no body will find out what you have done. Therefore, never disconnect from yourself. Integrity is when your private life and public life becomes one.

Character is so much important for all of us, and therefore it is called the moral force of leadership. That’s why when a true leader faces criticism and persecution from the people for the sake of righteousness, they don’t need to speak much. Because their character is louder than their words.

Reputation is not something that you have to pursue. It will be a by-product of your character. People will respect you for your character, so you never have to strive to maintain or protect your reputation. If you seek to defend your reputation, you will move away from ethical consideration. You should focus on maintaining your character and protecting your integrity. The more you develop your character the less concerned you will be about your reputation.

True leaders never compromise with their principles and moral standards. Mahatma Gandhi was a man who was about 4 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 38 kilograms. He was sitting in a jail cell and he told the empire of Great Britain, “You got to let my people go”. He refused to eat anything until the people of India were set free. His commitment to his principles was so strong that he never compromised with them. His moral force of POWER OF CHARACTER defeated the British Empire without a bullet. Do you consider your convictions more important than anything else?

Reputation v/s Character

Conclusion:

You are not remembered for what you compromised for, you are remembered for what you stood for. Isn’t this tragic that some people live for 80 years and when they die, we forget them? Memories are created by character not with compromise or reputation. We remember Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and many other leaders of history because they never compromised with their principles and moral standards that they had set for themselves. So, what do you value: REPUTATION or CHARACTER?

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Attitude v/s Ability

ATTITUDE V/S ABILITY

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Leadership is both an aptitude and attitude. But no matter how much intellectual ability you have, if you don’t have the right attitude, your ability doesn’t mean anything. It's your attitude which eventually determines your success in your area of gifting. Your destiny is not determined by how much ability do you have. Your ability matters, but if you don’t have the right attitude then your ability will become a victim of your attitude.

How many times have you agreed with something yet did not do it? How many times have you said to yourself, “ That’s true”, but did not act on it? You believed in it because it was true, but you were not to the point of conviction where it caused you to act. Now, you might have the ability but you probably believe that there are certain things you cannot do and say something like: “I don’t deserve this”, “ I can’t achieve that”, “ I can’t even think about that”. Its because of your attitude which is a result of the beliefs that your parents, society and yourself has put within you.

Now let me give you an example of how attitude is much more important than  your ability:

We say that the lion is the king of the Jungle. But the lion is a great source of encouragement to all of us. Here are some amazing facts about the lion:

The LION is not the TALLEST animal in the jungle.

The LION is not the LARGEST  animal in the jungle.

The LION is not the HEAVIEST animal in the jungle.

The LION is not the SMARTEST or the most INTELLIGENT animal in the jungle.

                             .... and yet when he shows up all run away.

Image Source - Google | Image by- picsart

The Lion is the king of the jungle because of one word ATTITUDE. The lion has a different attitude that makes every animal afraid of him. Now, we don’t want to lead by fear but it does takes respect for you to become a Leader. The fear in the jungle means RESPECT. The elephant respects the lion, the giraffe respect the lion, the hyenas respect the lion. What makes these massive animals respect such a small cat?

The ATTITUDE is the difference. For example, a lion will see an elephant and the thing that comes to his mind is LUNCH. He thinks, “ I could eat this thing” and he acts the way he thinks. Now the amazing thing is this; the elephant is larger, bigger, stronger, powerful, heavier and more intelligent than the lion and yet when the elephant sees the lion one word comes to his mind “CHEF”. The attitude makes all the difference.

Now the elephant can overpower the lion in every aspect but he is limited because of his attitude whereas the lion despite of not having the same abilities as that of elephant eats him because of the powerful mindset that he have. The lion is the king of the jungle because of what he believes about himself.

The wealthiest person in the world are usually not intellectuals or academic experts. I’m not saying that they are not intelligent but that their financial success is not attributed to their educations.

Computer entrepreneurs Bill Gates and Steven Jobs are examples of successful people who didn’t do well under a traditional educational experience. Although they dropped out of college, they had a certain attitude that cause them to be convinced that they had valuable ideas to develop. They believed in them, too. And we know that their organization is a big success now.

Abraham Lincoln is another example of a right attitude. He failed to accomplish his goals many times, but he had an inner belief that he had something to offer his community, his state and his nation. This attitude is what kept him in the race even when he faced negative circumstances and failures. How do you react when you fail? Do you have an inner belief that is stronger than your experience. Victor Frankl, the holocasst survivor, said, “ It’ s not what happens to me that matters, but what happens in me”.

Winston Churchill is another good example of someone who preserved in his vision and in pursuing what he believed was right. He knew that Nazism was a threat to the Great Britain and the world, but he spent months and years as the lone voice of warning before others realized the truth of what he was saying. He had a deep conviction that kept him going. Under the pressure of circumstances and a sense of responsibility for saving the nation of England, his leadership developed and matured.

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Leaders think in a certain way. Therefore, they manifest certain attributes and they work hard to attain a certain aptitude and this causes them to think at a higher level, or altitude. The more truth you know about yourself , the higher your thinking will be. You will have an increasingly clear vision for your life. All those areas need to be integrated for effective leadership. A leader has to have an integration of attitude. So, the right kind of attitude is necessary to exercise effective leadership.

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