Some favorites

"It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do."

Ralph Waldo Emerson


"Our ideas, like orange-plants, spread out in proportion to the size of the box which imprisons the roots."

- Edward Bulwer Lytton


"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual."

-Galileo Galilei


"I demolish my bridges behind me...then there is no choice but to move forward."

-Firdtjof Nansen

"We don't live in a world of reality,we live in a world of perceptions."

-Gerald J. Simmons

Reach for the Skies

“Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?”

- Robert Browning

Dreams

Some look at things that are, and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not?

- George Bernard Shaw

Castles in the air/ dreams

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put foundations under them.
Henry David Thoreau

Believe in yourself

Author: unknown Source: unknown

If I would leave any thought with someone I would say never doubt yourself. No matter what people say, no matter what you may think sometimes, never doubt yourself. If you believe in yourself you will succeed far more than you will fail. He who possesses a quiet kind of faith in his ability to perform a task already has the task half completed.

Believe in yourself despite setbacks, despite the seemingly immovable obstacles, despite the cold and dark, despite the woe and pain, and eventually your faith will come to fruition, and you will find all those troubles behind you.

The simplest thing in the world is to deride ourselves because we made a mistake, to give up and say, "I'm no good", but the more difficult thing is to believe in ourselves and constructively continue our life. The greatest error in life is to downgrade ourselves. The most horrible tragedies in life have occurred from a lack of faith in one's own self, one's own ability, from a belief that one cannot succeed, but that failure is their sole lot in life.

There seems to be a self uncertainty that builds up in the mind every time one makes a mistake or fails to accomplish a task, and with every successive blunder the uncertainty grows stronger until one doubts one's ability to do anything right. Being human we are host to a number of frailties, each one of which disturbs and depresses us, and makes us doubt our worth. We are not a mechanically precise machine, we are a bundle of nerves which often tangle and get jangled, but are capable of amazing performance.

We have more strength than we believe, there is more fight within us than we know, and far more potential than we could ever call forth or even dream of being possible.

Dreams & Determination

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination.

Hope...

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

A beautiful poem by Emily Dickinson

Be Different

Every new life is a new thing under the sun; there has never been anything just like it before, never will be again. A young man ought to get that idea about himself; he should look for the single spark of individuality that makes him different from other folks, and develop that for all he is worth. Society and schools may try to iron it out of him; their tendency is to put it all in the same mold, but I say don't let that spark be lost; it is your only real claim to importance.

- Henry Ford

It remains...

The tide recedes but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand...

The sun goes down but gentle warmth still lingers on the land...

The music stops and yet, echos on a sweet refrain...

For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains...

Source: Anonymous

right to free speech

"I Disapprove of what you say,but I will defend till death your right to say it......!" Voltaire

From D. Ambani's acceptance speech at ET lifetime achievement award

I have pasted this in my room . It used to be my fav quote even before i decided to join RIL. This quote( the first part dream n dare one) has been in my study desk from the day D. Ambani gave the speech:) One of my all time favs:)

For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win.
Today, I would like to share this message with all young
Indians:

Dream and dare.
My message is very simple:
Let no one demoralize you.
Do not allow any one to deter you.
Pursue your goal, even in the face of difficulties.
Convert difficulties into opportunities.
Keep your morale high, inspite of setbacks.
At the end, you are bound to succeed.

Often friends ask me,
Have I achieved all that I wanted?
The simple reply is : No. There are many more miles to go.
What has been achieved is history. I only believe in looking at the
future.
I still cherish several dreams:
The dream of assured water supply for all our villages.
The dream of a manifold increase in our agriculture output.
The dream of connecting all our villages with the rest of the world.
The dream of giving world-class education.
The dream of providing millions of jobs
The dream of winning a war against diseases and malnutrition.
The dream of employing the latest science and technology.
All for the people of India.

In short, I dream of India becoming a great economic superpower.
Undoubtedly this dream has yet to become a reality.

The question is : What should we do to realise this dream?
First, we must know the problems. However, it is even more
important to know the solutions. Let us acquire knowledge and
then apply it. Knowledge is the key to greatness.

Second, we must respect creators of wealth. Unfortunately,
creators of wealth are ridiculed in our country.
A farmer is dismissed as an ‘illiterate’. Lip service is paid to
him only because he is a voter.
A worker is condemned as a troublemaker.
Businessmen are labelled as crooks.
Those who do not produce wealth discredit those who create
wealth.

This attitude kills the productive spirit.

A society, which condemns creators of wealth will always
remain poor and miserable.

Acquisition of knowledge and creation of wealth are part of our
culture: That is why we worship Saraswati as well as Lakshmi.

Third, we must learn to trust. For several centuries, Indians have
been brainwashed to distrust other Indians. This saps national
energy. Distrust kills initiative. Distrust compels people to
maneuver and manipulate. Trust and transparency stimulates
entrepreneurship.

If India wants to be a great nation, we must have the courage
to trust. This is my sincere belief.

We must learn the difference between a mistake and a crime.

We must have the wisdom to correct and encourage.
Fourth, we must always go for the best. Do not compromise
on quality. Reject if it is not the best – not only the best in
India, but globally.

Friends,
These principles have guided me in my life’s journey – from a
village school boy in Gujarat to the metropolis of Mumbai via
Aden.

I have trusted people and they have put their trust in me.
I have encouraged youth, and they have never let me down.
I have asked my people to take initiative and to take risks. It has
paid me rich dividends.
I insist on excellence. This helps us to be leaders.

Reliance is built on some of these principles. I sincerely believe
that these are the principles that can help us to build a greater
India.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
These are exciting times. Times of change and transition. We
cannot afford to be complacent. These are times of big challenges.
These are also times of great opportunities.
Let us seize them. For this, we must change and discard old attitudes.
We must forge a new partnership for a great India. A strong
and constructive partnership between industry, government
and society.

source unknown

Fall seven times, stand up eight.

- thus spake someone

Fireflies - Tagore

  FIREFLIES 
          Rabindranath Tagore 

I touch God in my song
  as the hill touches the far-away sea
     with its waterfall.


The butterfly counts not months but moments,
   and has time enough.


Let my love, like sunlight, surround you
   and yet give you illumined freedom.


Love remains a secret even when spoken,
   for only a lover truly knows that he is loved.


Emancipation from the bondage of the soil
   is no freedom for the tree.


In love i pay my endless debt to thee
     for what thou art.

Vincism

Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind

from The Stateman's editorial

With the advent of globalisation, the problem of corruption has acquired transnational dimensions and is posing serious challenges for developing countries suffering from weak institutions and lack of resources. Some writers have argued that corruption and bribery are necessary lubricants for a cumbersome system of administration.It enables entrepreneurs to bypass irksome and stultifying regulations and helps the process of development. Samuel P Huntington has bluntly stated that, in terms of economic growth, the only thing worse than a rigid, over-centralised, dishonest bureaucracy is a rigid, over-centralised, honest bureaucracy. It has also been argued that corruption can have a desirable distributive impact as it shifts income and wealth from richer individuals and companies to poorer ones. These arguments, however, do not stand the glare of serious scrutiny. Speed money often in practice slows down the wheels of administration.Corruption, even when it is petty and routine, cannot be a means of stimulating economic growth and improving living standards. It causes illegal transfer of state revenue to richer individuals who are in a position to pay bribes to the detriment of those who are not. Available empirical evidence shows positive relationship between the extent of bribery and the amount of time that enterprise managers spend with the officials. The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Survey for 1997 surveyed 59 countries and obtained responses from 3000 firms showing that enterprises reporting greater incidence of bribery and tend to spend a greater share of management time with bureaucrats and public officials regarding licences, permits and taxes. Corruption jeopardises development in several ways. First, it distorts public spending. Distortion arises by deflecting allotted resources from their original purpose. Public resources are deflected in corrupt regimes because allocation goes where corrupt officials and politicians gain most. Contracts are awarded in a nepotic fashion rather than on the basis of merit. Poor people become the primary victims of corruption as they are denied services because the resources are directed elsewhere. Second, corruption undermines efficiency. Public sector efficiency suffers because corruption imposes informal practices over proper views and procedures of the government. It also adds direct and indirect costs to the execution of the programmes.A 1996 survey showed that within Ukraine firm owners who pay large sums of bribes had to spend one-third more time with officials than firm owners who pay less bribes. Third, corruption also saps economic growth. In a path-breaking paper, economist Paulo Maro showed that highly corrupt nations have a smaller share of their gross domestic products going into investment.Corruption raises the cost of business and deters would-be investors. The World Bank Report of 1997 points out that bribes are not only a disincentive to further investments because of the immediate costs but also because they entangle the business in a “web of time consuming and economically unproductive relations”. Fifth, corrupt regimes are intrinsically arbitrary and they introduce risks of uncertainty that many investors are simply not willing to take. This also automatically raises the transaction cost of investment. As a result, key economic objectives like job creation, development of small and medium enterprises suffer.TechnologyIn worst case scenarios the very choice of a project is determined by corruption. Some examples of this kind of corruption are purchase of technology, which is totally unsuited to the needs of a country or the choice of a capital-intensive project because it is more lucrative in terms of corruption than a labour-intensive one that would have been more beneficial to the development of a country. Thus real development priorities of a country are thrown to the winds in pursuit of corruption as it helps decision-makers to amass large fortunes.It may be mentioned in this connection that Africa is littered with deserted motorways, which are now being eroded by savannahs or empty factories that had fallen into ruin only a few years after they were opened. These “follies of development” can be found in many other developing countries and not just in Africa alone