Some Valuable Life Lessons - 1

At the age of ten I was virtually forced by my Grandfather to sit with him for 2 hours everyday and learn the game of chess. It's a different matter that he would fall asleep every 10 minutes.

It taught me to be patient.

For 6 years till my I passed out of school, my dad would make me sit and analyse and do mathematics problems while he went about his weekend chores.

It sharpened my analytical skills.

I dreaded speaking in public, would get all tongue tied and nervous. I was pushed on stage by two of my seniors to give an impromptu talk for 3 minutes on a subject I knew nothing about. For the first one minute I had lost the power to speak. Then came out the words slowly and went on stop till the bell rang indicating that I should stop.

It brought out my ability to speak in public.

Once into my first year of college, I started giving tuitions to children in my spare time in the evenings. This went on for over 5 years. I got so involved in the process and I wanted them to succeed. It was as if I had an exam to pass.

I realised the best way to master something is to try and teach it to someone else. It has also helped me in being patient and understanding with children.

I recently wrote a long letter to a wonderful friend, freely expressing my experiences on a subject. I had never considered writing but was now encouraged and pushed to do so on forums.

We have it within us. It sometimes needs the pushing and the prodding to get it done.

In my over enthusiasm and youthful daringness, I tried driving drag racing on a bike, only to get knocked down by a car. The scar on the shin has been there ever since. The friend behind me had his knee skinned. We were fortunate.

Curb the so called daringness or guts. It's foolishness and can get you and others hurt very badly.

Things were so good during the first few years in the career, that I was very successful and was climbing the corporate ladder pretty fast. But along with it came an amount of contempt, disregard and pride. I was starting to get disliked. My boss gave me a good talking too and helped me to understand the negative side of my attitude.

Humbleness is a wonderful quality; it gets you true well wishers and good friends.

I was influenced a great deal by the luxurious lifestyle of some around in my social circle. I wanted be like them. I ventured out trying to catch up. It got difficult to turn back and one mistake led to another. I reached a point of no return.

Live within your means and do the things you can afford to. Trying to be someone you are not will only lead to your downfall.

During the lowest ebb of my life, I was sure that I was alone and the forsaken by the world. People I least expected held out their hand to me. Till this very day they continue to do so.

If you have been a true friend, then you are never alone. There is someone always out there.

These are just some of my unforgettable and valuable lessons. We have so much within us and at the same time have a lot to fully learn and understand. It may be the hard way sometimes but better late than never.

To be contd...