Life = Growth
Constantly growing to give and serve people or planet.
becomes the purpose that's larger than ourselves.
"The meaning of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of your life is to give it away.”
PABLO PICASSO
(1881–1973)
Spanish painter, sculptor, ceramicist,
stage designer, poet, and playwright
We, humans, are the only species to have the unique ability to use our minds to wonder about the purpose of our lives more than just ritually journeying through the circle of life, like all other life forms.
We enjoy a superior ability to observe closely and understand deeply our social and urban environments, and imagine creatively how we can help improve them, while organizing our own livelihoods in the process. Our intelligent and intuitive minds enable us to realize we have a greater purpose than just living the circle of life – our purpose has to be to help our people and environment, and leave them better than we found them.
"Lord, grant that I may always desire
more than I can accomplish.”
MICHELANGELO
(1475–1564)
Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet
Desire is at the beginning of all human endeavour. The desire for more safety, comfort, possessions, pleasure, achievement, and happiness is innate in humans.
Desire is essential for growth and achievements, while sustained unhealthy, uncontrolled desire can be detrimental and destructive. Fortunately, our intuition, gut feeling, inner self, or subconscious is always prompting and guiding us towards conserving, healing, growing, and progressing our lives with meaningful desires.
"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible
to the visible.”
TONY ROBBINS
(Born 1960)
American author, speaker, and life coach
Goals and goal setting – this simple but essential aspect of human life is rarely, if at all, taught in school education. Not surprisingly, the majority of people go through life without realizing the need for goals or setting any for themselves.
Setting and having goals is the natural, progressive next step from desire. Desire leads to your vision. Goals are milestones or achievements on the way to realizing your vision. Goals need to be specific and time-bound, but not necessarily realistic since realistic becomes based on current circumstances. Goals need to be based on your vision ahead, not your current circumstances.
"You become what you believe.”
OPRAH WINFREY
(Born 1954)
American media executive, actress, talk show host,
television producer, and philanthropist
Your beliefs define your destiny. Not your birth or family. Not even your education.
The extraordinary power of the mind finds its greatest expression and achievement in believing. Our belief – of who we are, what we can be, and what we can have – is significantly influenced in our childhood and youth, with the major influencers being our family, friends, and teachers.
Belief comes from finding one’s true purpose. The stronger the purpose, the stronger the belief. Belief is an intense, persistent, often quiet emotion.
"You must take responsibility.
You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, the wind, the rain, but you can change and prepare yourself.”
JIM ROHN
(1930–2009)
American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker
The only person entirely responsible for your present situation and future is yourself.
You are where you are, however you are today, because of all your decisions in the past. And where you will be in future will result from your decisions now on.
We live in an organized and logical world of cause and effect or karma. This universal natural law of every action having an opposite and equal reaction guides every realm of our lives. We only need to understand how to use this law to our benefit.
"The path to success is to take massive determined action.”
TONY ROBBINS
(Born 1960)
American author, philanthropist, and life coach
Action is the ultimate differentiator for success.
No matter how desirable the goals, how available the knowledge, how meticulous the planning, or how conducive the work environment, it all comes down to walking the talk – taking action.
The secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then getting started on the first one.
"We must all suffer one of two things.
The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
JIM ROHN
(1930–2009)
American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker
There is no disciplined person who is not successful.
Discipline is regular, sustained action or persistence towards a determined goal. Human behavior is habitual in nature. Habits form as we go about our daily lives. Most of the things we do through the day are habitual, automatic, and often subconscious. We create our habits, and then our habits create us.
Studies of the successful highlight discipline as one of the key factors in success. This reiterates the principle that daily, pre-decided, disciplined action towards one’s goals cannot but lead to success. Discipline is simple but not easy.
"Formal education will make you a living.
Self-education will make you a fortune.”
JIM ROHN
(1930–2009)
American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker
A significant 30% of billionaires internationally do not have higher education degrees. Clearly, formal college education is not essential for success – self-education and self-development are.
Children have an instinctive tendency to observe and learn continuously from their environment. It’s this innate desire of constant curiosity and learning that needs to be fostered throughout life ahead.
Survival of the fittest in humans now implies survival of the constantly learning.
"Your attitude, not aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
HILARY HINTON ‘ZIG’ ZIGLAR
(1926–2012)
American author and motivational speaker
An attitude of enquiry, enthusiasm and adaptability is unbeatable.
Attitude is a way of thinking and approach to life, ranging widely between open-minded humility and know-it-all conceit. As powerful a determinant as belief is in shaping our future, attitude is one aspect commonly attested by all masters, leaders, and mentors, as one of the main drivers for success.
Living with a learning and growth-oriented attitude is a daily choice we make that shapes our future.
An attitude of enquiry, enthusiasm and adaptability is unbeatable.
Attitude is a way of thinking and approach to life, ranging widely between open-minded humility and know-it-all conceit. As powerful a determinant as belief is in shaping our future, attitude is one aspect commonly attested by all masters, leaders, and mentors, as one of the main drivers for success.
Living with a learning and growth-oriented attitude is a daily choice we make that shapes our future.
"It’s not the strongest of species that survives,
Nor the most intelligent that survives.
It is the one most adaptable to change.”
CHARLES DARWIN
(1809–1882)
English naturalist, geologist, and biologist Best known for his seminal work in evolutionary biology On the Origin of Species
The only constant in life is change.
Change is a law of nature. Everything is changing all the time, albeit at varying scales of time.
Change either happens to us, or we make change happen. Our changing health, finances, lifestyle, and relationships are a direct reflection of our changing thoughts and actions. If we work on improving our mind, health, skills, capability, and relationships, our immediate context will also change likewise.
We are the only fortunate species who get to control how we change.
The only constant in life is change.
Change is a law of nature. Everything is changing all the time, albeit at varying scales of time.
Change either happens to us, or we make change happen. Our changing health, finances, lifestyle, and relationships are a direct reflection of our changing thoughts and actions. If we work on improving our mind, health, skills, capability, and relationships, our immediate context will also change likewise.
We are the only fortunate species who get to control how we change.
"Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
JOHN W. GARDNER
(1912–2002)
American Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under US President Lyndon Johnson
Each one of us is here for a purpose. It is for us to realize it and spend our lifetimes getting really good at it. Experts and masters are not born with super talent or confidence. Masters were once disasters. To become a master, put in today’s effort today, and then do the same every day.
Continuous focused effort in your line of interest is what shapes your future. With it you develop an expertise that can’t be taken away. Seek great, not good.
The expertise you seek is also seeking you.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”
ALBERT EINSTEIN
(1879–1955)
German-born theoretical physicist;
Developed the landmark Theory of Relativity
Man can create anything he can imagine. His creation is, therefore, limited only by his imagination.
Human imagination has achieved no small feat, from underwater nuclear submarines to space stations and beyond. Everything you see around you in urban life is the product of man’s imagination first, then translated to material form. No other species comes close to creating and changing their environment the way mankind has.
Keeping engaged with work or hobby that requires imagination is essential to developing and capitalizing on this boundless faculty.
"You are the average of the five people
you spend the most time with.”
JIM ROHN
(1930–2009)
American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker
Man is a social animal and thrives when part of a community or team. Behind every notable advancement or creation by mankind, there is always an often unheard-of team and family supporting the key creators.
While an individual is ultimately responsible for his own achievements and success, much of his success will depend on a supportive team and family helping technically, motivationally, and emotionally. Living, learning, working, and recreation happen much more in teams than individually.
"Who exactly seeks out a mentor?
Winners.”
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Professional sports-men and women, Olympic athletes, and professional teams – all have coaches. All successful industry leaders and entrepreneurs have had mentors and coaches.
For everyone who reached the top, they’ve apprenticed, trained, or worked with a master. Mark Zuckerberg was mentored by Steve Jobs, Yves Saint-Laurent mentored by Christian Dior, Elizabeth Taylor mentored by Audrey Hepburn, Richard Branson mentored by Sir Freddie Laker, Aristotle mentored by Plato, who was in turn mentored by Socrates. The list goes on.
"All the resources we need are in the mind.”
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
(1858–1919)
American statesman, politician, conservationist, naturalist, and writer; 26th President of USA (1901–1909)
There are two parts to our minds – the conscious, selective, voluntary mind; and the backstage, subconscious, nonselective, involuntary mind. Each has its own distinct function, capacity, and capability.
While the conscious mind takes the action, the majority of human action is habitual and controlled by deep-rooted beliefs in our subconscious mind. Our actions, our results, and therefore, our environment are a direct reflection of our subconscious mind.
"You can do anything you set your mind to."
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
(1706–1790)
American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
Writer, political philosopher, politician, Freemason, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat