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Ideas for Impact

Archives for November 2014

Inspirational Quotations #556

November 30, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

It is not truth, justice, liberty, that men seek; they seek only themselves. — And oh, that they knew how to seek themselves aright!
—Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (German Philosopher)

Enthusiasm is a vital element toward the individual success of every man or woman.
—Conrad Hilton (American Business Person)

Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives.
—Louise Hay (American Author)

Dignity is like a perfume; those who use it are scarcely conscious of it
—Christina, Queen of Sweden (Swedish Monarch)

Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow.
—Don Herold (American Humorist)

Focus on your potential instead of your limitations.
—Joe Dimaggio

In charity to all mankind, bearing no malice or ill-will to any human being, and even compassionating those who hold in bondage their fellow-men, not knowing what they do.
—John Quincy Adams (American Head of State)

The best perfection of a religious man is to do common things in a perfect manner.
—Bonaventure (Italian Christian Scholar)

When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.
—Sacha Guitry (French Theater Personality)

We can be negative and cynical or we can be charged and hot wored to find a way through it, over it, around it under it.
—Laura Schlessinger (American Children’s Books Writer)

Where fear is, happiness is not.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (Roman Philosopher)

Time turns the old days to derision, our loves into corpses or wives; and marriage and death and division make barren our lives.
—Algernon Charles Swinburne (English Poet)

Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is.
—Diane Ackerman (American Children’s Books Writer)

Endurance is frequently a form of indecision.
—Elizabeth Bibesco (English Poet)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Looking for Important Skills to Develop?

November 26, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Whether you need to take on a new challenge, prepare yourself to become promotable, or enhance your performance at work, undertaking learning and development can help. You must continually be on the lookout for new talents to add to the vast fund of knowledge you’ve accumulated over the years and add to the reservoir of experiences from which to draw.

Some skills are critical to your success throughout your career and life. Chris Anderson recently suggested a set of vital topics that must be taught in school. Anderson is the founder and curator of the Ideas-Worth-Spreading TED conferences.

TED’s Chris Anderson propunds a “Syllabus of the Future”

  • How to nurture your curiosity.
  • How to Google intelligently and skeptically.
  • How to manage your money.
  • How to manage your time.
  • How to present your ideas.
  • How to make a compelling online video.
  • The secret life of a girl.
  • The secret life of a boy.
  • How to build a healthy relationship.
  • How to listen.
  • How to calm an argument.
  • Who do you want to be?
  • How to train your brain to be what you want to be.
  • 100 role models for the career you hadn’t thought of.
  • How to think like a scientist.
  • Why history matters.
  • Books that changed the world.
  • Why personal discipline is key to future success.
  • How your reflective self can manage your instinctual self.
  • How to defend the rights of people you care about.
  • 10 hours with a kid on the other side of the world.
  • The keys to a healthy diet.
  • Why exercise matters.
  • How generosity creates happiness.
  • How immersion in nature eases stress.
  • What are the questions no one knows the answer to?

Use his “Syllabus of the Future” list to evaluate your needs in development and educate yourself in a few selected topics. Design a development plan involving regular discussions, reading articles and books, watching instructional videos, attending courses offered by a professional association, and observing and apprenticing with a mentor proficient in the skill you seek.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Howard Gardner’s Five Minds for the Future // Books in Brief
  2. This is Yoga for the Brain: Multidisciplinary Learning
  3. Four Ideas for Business Improvement Ideas
  4. Systems-Thinking as a Trait for Career Success
  5. Some Lessons Can Only Be Learned in the School of Life

Filed Under: Career Development, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Employee Development, Getting Ahead, Skills for Success, Thinking Tools, Winning on the Job

Inspirational Quotations #555

November 23, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Vigilance in watching opportunity; tact and daring in seizing upon opportunity; force and persistence in crowding opportunity to its utmost of possible achievement—these are the martial virtues which must command success.
—Austin Phelps (American Presbyterian Clergyman)

You begin by always expecting good things to happen.
—Tom Hopkins (English Sportsperson)

Success is the satisfaction of feeling that one is realizing one’s ideal.
—Anna Pavlova (Russian Dancer)

I have been true to the principles of nonviolence, developing a stronger and stronger aversion to the ideologies of both the far right and the far left and a deeper sense of rage and sorrow over the suffering they continue to produce all over the world.
—Joan Baez (American Singer)

After a certain point, money is meaningless. It ceases to be the goal. The game is what counts.
—Aristotle Onassis (Greek Businessperson)

Thinking begins only when we have come to know that reason, glorified for centuries, is the stiff-necked adversary of thought.
—Martin Heidegger (German Existential Philosopher)

First health, then wealth, then pleasure, and do not owe anything to anybody.
—Catherine II of Russia (Russian Empress)

All business proceeds on beliefs, or judgments of probabilities, and not on certainties.
—Charles William Eliot (American Educator)

Your best teacher is your last mistake.
—Ralph Nader (American Activist)

My idea of education is to unsettle the minds of the young and inflame their intellects.
—Robert Maynard Hutchins (American Educator)

Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune.
—Sam Walton (American Entrepreneur)

A man doesn’t begin to attain wisdom until he recognizes he is no longer indispensable.
—Richard Evelyn Byrd (American Aviator)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Gandhi on the Doctrine of Ahimsa + Non-Violence in Buddhism

November 18, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment


Non-Violence in Buddhism

“Thou shalt not kill.” This command forbids committing murder—specifically slaying a fellow human. The seventh of the Torah’s Ten Commandments (the Decalogue) allows for the execution of animals.

Non-Violence in Buddhism This specific tenet can be interpreted as comparatively lenient, even indulgent, compared to the mainstream Hinduism and the derivative Jain and Buddhist philosophies. Within these contexts, non-violence is a fundamental building block of ethics. Naturally, this idea of refraining from cruelty proscribes murder, but it also surpasses that guideline. In fact, practicing pacifism deters all varieties of violence against any sentient being, be it a human or an animal. Under the rule of non-violence, these creatures are protected from aggression, hostility, cruelty, sadism, and savagery—all unacceptable forms of conduct.

In accordance with the concept of anatta (the idea of there being no self,) Buddhism teaches us that, should we cling to the illusion of possessing autonomous ‘selves,’ we will fail to fully comprehend non-violence. Upon removal of the sense of the individual self, inflicting damage on another in turn damages the perpetrator. Should you inflict violence upon another, you too will suffer its effects.

Gandhi on the Doctrine of Ahimsa

Violence is the utmost form of asserting oneself over another. An alternative to aggression is Ahimsa or non-violence. This peaceful method was recognized as an entirely credible ethical code when Gandhi adopted it. He took up non-violence in his struggle against injustice and oppression, first as a peace leader in South Africa and then as the leader of India’s independence movement. Gandhi’s own definition of Ahimsa is as follows:

'Mahatma Gandhi: Essays and Reflections on His Life and Work' Edited by S. Radhakrishnan (ISBN 1553940261) Literally speaking, Ahimsa means “non-killing.” But to me it has a world of meaning, and takes me into realms much higher, infinitely higher. It really means that you may not offend anybody; you may not harbor an uncharitable thought, even in connection with one who may consider himself to be your enemy. To one who follows this doctrine there is no room for an enemy. But there may be people who consider themselves to be his enemies. So it is held that we may not harbor an evil thought even in connection with such persons. If we return blow for blow we depart from the doctrine of Ahimsa. But I go farther. If we resent a friend’s action, or the so-called enemy’s action, we still fall short of this doctrine. But when I say we should not resent, I do not say that we should acquiesce: by the word “resenting” I mean wishing that some harm should be done to the enemy; or that he should be put out of the way, not even by any action of ours, but by the action of somebody else, or, say, by divine agency. If we harbor even this thought we depart from this doctrine of Non-Violence.

Source: ‘Mahatma Gandhi: Essays and Reflections on His Life and Work’ edited by S. Radhakrishnan

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Was the Buddha a God or a Superhuman?
  2. A Train Journey Through Philosophy: Summary of Eric Weiner’s ‘Socrates Express’
  3. Is Buddhism Pessimistic?
  4. Making Exceptions “Just Once” is a Slippery Slope
  5. Buddhism is Really a Study of the Self

Filed Under: Belief and Spirituality, Living the Good Life Tagged With: Buddhism, Ethics, Gandhi, India, Religiosity, Virtues

Inspirational Quotations #554

November 16, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

All that I am my mother made me.
—John Quincy Adams (American Head of State)

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.
—Sam Levenson (American Humorist)

Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one.
—Martin Heidegger (German Existential Philosopher)

I never see failure as failure, but only as the game I must play and win.
—Tom Hopkins (English Sportsperson)

In our society a man is known by the company he owns.
—Gerald F. Lieberman

Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste good.
—Joe Paterno (American Sportsperson)

Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.
—A. A. Milne (English Children’s Books Writer)

Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.
—Jonas Salk (American Biologist)

Because you’re able to do it and because you have the right to do it doesn’t mean it’s right to do it.
—Laura Schlessinger (American Children’s Books Writer)

Now that I am ninety-five years old, looking back over the years, I have seen many changes taking place, so many inventions have been made. Things now go faster. In olden times things were not so rushed. I think people were more content, more satisfied with life than they are today. You don’t hear nearly as much laughter and shouting as you did in my day, and what was fun for us wouldn’t be fun now…. In this age I don’t think people are as happy, they are worried. They’re too anxious to get ahead of their neighbors, they are striving and striving to get something better. I do think in a way that they have too much now. We did with much less.
—Grandma Moses (American Painter)

No one can arrive from being talented alone. God gives talent; work transforms talent into genius.
—Anna Pavlova (Russian Dancer)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Viktor Frankl on The Meaning of Suffering

November 13, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

The Austrian existential psychiatrist Viktor Frankl suggested that, generally, the need for meaning is a crucial force in people, from the time we’re born until our last breath. He continued to feel this way when his family was murdered by the Nazis and he himself was sent to Auschwitz. Frankl frequently quoted Friedrich Nietzsche’s remark that “he who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.”

In “Mans’ Search for Meaning”, Frankl describes suffering as a potential springboard both for having a need for meaning and for finding it:

We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one’s predicament into a human achievement. When we are no longer able to change a situation—just think of an incurable disease such as inoperable cancer—we are challenged to change ourselves.

'Man's Search For Meaning' by Viktor Frankl (ISBN 0671023373) Frankl also suggests that the one freedom allowed in us, irrespective of our circumstances, including his horrid subjugation at a Nazi concentration camp, is the freedom to pick our way of thinking in accepting our suffering. This might mean that meaning can be found in becoming a role model for others dealing with similar problems, or utilizing our suffering as a channel for changing for the better in particular aspects of our lives:

It is one of the basic tenets of logotherapy that man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life. That is why man is even ready to suffer, on the condition, to be sure, that his suffering has a meaning.

Frankl’s story is worth the read: (1) as a reminder of the depths and heights of human nature, and the nature of hopes and despairs that rule our existence, (2) for the idea that life is primarily about the search for meaning and the kinds of choices we can make to establish significance in our lives (logotherapy technique.)

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Blame Your Parents for Your Current Problems?
  2. Five Ways … You Could Be More Optimistic
  3. Lessons from the Princeton Seminary Experiment: People in a Rush are Less Likely to Help Others (and Themselves)
  4. Don’t Fight the Wave
  5. Expressive Writing Can Help You Heal

Filed Under: Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Attitudes, Books for Impact, Emotions, Therapy

Inspirational Quotations #553

November 9, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Time is like the wind, it lifts the light and leaves the heavy.
—Domenico Cieri (Mexican Writer)

The essence of morality is the subjugation of nature in obedience to social needs.
—John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn (British Political leader)

The man who does his work, any work, conscientiously, must always be in one sense a great man.
—William Mulock

Whatever the job you are asked to do at whatever level, do a good job because your reputation is your resume.
—Madeleine Albright (Czech-born American Diplomat)

Map out your future, but do it in pencil.
—Jon Bon Jovi (American Musician)

Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.
—Sam Walton (American Entrepreneur)

Service to a just cause rewards the worker with more real happiness and satisfaction than any other venture of life.
—Carrie Chapman Catt (American Civil Rights Leader)

No one has ever said it, but how painfully true it is that the poor have us always with them.
—Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (British Short Story Writer)

The place where light and dark begin to touch is where miracles arise.
—Robert S. Johnson (American Military Leader)

I got a simple rule about everybody. If you don’t treat me right—shame on you!
—Louis Armstrong (American Musician)

Winter, spring, summer or fall|All you have to do is call|And I’ll be there,|You’ve got a friend.
—Carole King (American Singer)

Do not laugh at a person in misfortune.
—Chilon of Sparta

People are constantly clamoring for the joy of life. As for me, I find the joy of life in the hard and cruel battle of life—to learn something is a joy to me.
—August Strindberg (Swedish Playwright)

Bring the past only if you are going to build from it.
—Domenico Cieri (Mexican Writer)

“Come to the edge,” he said. They said, “We are afraid.” “Come to the edge,” he said. They came. He pushed them … and they flew!.
—Guillaume Apollinaire (Italian-born French Poet)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotations #552

November 2, 2014 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

I am a leader by default, only because nature does not allow a vacuum.
—Desmond Tutu (South African Anglican Priest)

One does not always do the best there is. One does the best one can.
—Catherine II of Russia (Russian Empress)

If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.
—Dan Quayle (American Head of State)

It will never be possible by pure reason to arrive at some absolute truth.
—Werner Heisenberg (German Theoretical Physicist)

The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by my failures.
—Humphry Davy (British Chemist)

Truth is truth. If you hurt someone, you hurt self. If you help someone, you help self.
—Marlo Morgan (American Novelist)

To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so, is something worse.
—John Quincy Adams (American Head of State)

There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this.
—Miyamoto Musashi (Japanese Buddhist)

Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.
—B. K. S. Iyengar (Indian Hindu Yoga Teacher)

The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.
—A. A. Milne (English Children’s Books Writer)

Doubt is the vestibule which all must pass before they can enter the temple of wisdom.—When we are in doubt and puzzle out the truth by our own exertions, we have gained something that will stay by us and will serve us again.—But if to avoid the trouble of the search we avail ourselves of the superior information of a friend, such knowledge will not remain with us; we have not bought, but borrowed it.
—Charles Caleb Colton (English Angelic Priest)

You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.
—A. A. Milne (English Children’s Books Writer)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

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About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

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Unless otherwise stated in the individual document, the works above are © Nagesh Belludi under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. You may quote, copy and share them freely, as long as you link back to RightAttitudes.com, don't make money with them, and don't modify the content. Enjoy!