Chapter 34: Practical Wisdom for Better Life

For all the virtues will be present when the one virtue, practical wisdom, is present-Aristotle

With little over three decades of professional experience, I thought of sharing some insights for leading life better. With the advancement of technology, we have abundance of information and manifold choices on anything we need; in fact, we are confused at times because of the multiplicity of options. ?I am sure, exercising practical wisdom of choice and decision-making amid diverse possibilities, will help us lead to better life.

?In 1980, while traveling in the bus with an application form filled-in to seek admission to B.A. degree course, the person travelling along with me during our conversation observed that B.Sc. Mathematics is the toughest subject and many do not prefer to take it up. That was ringing in my ears.? While walking into Principal’s office I quickly changed my option from B.A. to B.Sc. Mathematics, and completed the studies with first class. I do not know who this person was; but he taught me few lessons despite his remarks on Mathematics as the toughest subject. The conversation propelled me to take up the challenge, which helped me to realize that anything is possible if you approach life with a determination to achieve it, and also the pleasure is when you take up the difficult task and accomplish it.

I had a strong belief in my capabilities and was fully aware of my SWOT. Instead of hating all those who asked me to pack up in an unfavorable circumstance when I came to Bangalore, as described in one of the earlier sections, I started analyzing what I should start doing to overcome the situation and stay there.

In this journey I learned the following five aspects:

1.?? Determination: Once you are determined no one can stop you.

2.?? Bank on your strength instead of worrying all the time on what you do not have.

3.?? Systematically work on areas of improvement: Put up a clear plan with dates.

4.?? SWOT Analysis: Do it once a year and you will enjoy the magic it does.

5.?? Not get distracted by what others tell you. Keep the focus on your goal.

I always tell my team that development needs to be identified and written down by them not by their manager.

The only skill which I was banking on – Typewriting – started losing its importance in Corporate World. Now the time has come for me to face the new challenges. It forced me to work on getting two additional qualifications – PG Diploma in Management and Computer knowledge. To grow in your personal and professional life it is important to learn and unlearn continuously. This notion needs to be remembered lifelong. Update yourself with what is happening in and around you. Be aware that you are marketable; this is essential even to stay in your current role. These days “You need to keep running to stay where you are”.

Approach life with positive thoughts always to make it an exciting picnic.? Plan for success, keep the goal in mind and work towards achieving it single minded. Thomas Alva Edison said he knows how one cannot make bulb 10000 ways instead of saying that he failed 10000 times. Shiv Khera in his book writes that a stopped watch also shows the right time twice a day. Start talking to yourself positively and you will see things changing around you.

Begin each day afresh filled with passion, enthusiasm, and inquisitiveness to learn. Determine to do your best on any task undertaken by adding more value. A businessman rebuilt his business bigger than what it was after a failure. When asked about the secret, he told: “I know that I failed in my business…. But I never told myself that I am a failure. That is the reason behind my regained success.”

Your life is determined by how you react to it. When your manager provides you with a positive feedback you are elated and happy and do things a little better. At the same time when an improvement feedback is provided by the same manager, our energy levels go down instead of analyzing and putting up a plan to improve. We react differently whole day cursing the manager; in the process, our performance, enthusiasm drops, and we lose track.

What is Luck? Many of us have wrongly understood that it is favoritism showered on somebody. Really it is an alertness of an individual to catch an opportunity. Keep your ears and eyes open on things happening in and around you.? Take the toughest assignment and prove it yourself, then luck will knock at your door. Stop cribbing he/she is lucky, the difference is someone realized an opportunity and so is reaping the benefit.

Change is inevitable and it needs lots of energy to manage it. Invest quality time to take care of your physical and mental health, and in turn it provides the required energy to meet the challenges in this competitive environment.? Read/browse article/books that provide positive energy to you for maintaining the mental health. While you are fit and healthy, invest time to build endurance through regular exercise and it will help later.

?Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar in his couplet said, “Even if something may not be possible by God, to the extent of your efforts, results will always be there”.

?Let me conclude this chapter with a story. A priest traveling in a boat asked the boatman: have you read the Ramayana? Boatman replied: “No”. Then the priest said you wasted 25% of your life. Then he asked the boatman if he knew something about “Mahabharata”. The boatman’s reply was the same: “No”. You wasted 50% of your life, the priest said.? Again, he asked him at least whether he knows about “Bhagavat Gita”. The same reply again: “No”. ‘You wasted 75% of your life’, the priest told. Now the boatman asked the priest whether he knew how to swim. The priest promptly replied “NO”.? ‘Swamy, you lost your entire life as there is a hole in the boat and it will sink at any moment’, saying this the boatman jumped into the water. Moral of the story: identifying things through practical wisdom is of utmost importance for the smooth sailing of life from time to time.

Practical wisdom is the ability to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason