Why all motivators don’t have to be models
When we want to change ourselves for the better, we can have two powerful aids: motivators and models. Let's understand their significant and distinct roles. [...]
Gita 03.35 explained
Bg 3.35 śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ Word for word: śreyān — far better; sva-dharmaḥ — one’s prescribed duties; viguṇaḥ [...]
Why we may provide guidance without respecting independence (Balancing independence and guidance series 2)
Whenever we offer guidance, we act based on our implicit conceptions about what guidance is meant to do. For example, we may see ourselves as [...]
Seeking to understand our nature won’t box us in, it will reveal the box we are already in
Some people resist any system of categorization of human nature. They feel, “This will box me in.” While their concern is understandable, it is based [...]
Sculptors can change the shape of the stone, not its structure
Sculptors often seem to do magic, transforming a stone into a magnificent statue. Still, they have limits: they can’t make sandstone to marble. Our mind [...]
We are all playing on different surfaces – don’t compare
Suppose two batsmen are batting in two different matches on two different pitches, with one pitch being a batsman’s paradise and the other a batsman’s [...]
Let satisfaction be the basis of success, not success the basis of satisfaction
We all want success and we all want satisfaction. Unfortunately, these two sometimes seem mutually exclusive. The more we struggle for success, the more we [...]
Commitment is the complement of talent, not its replacement
A contemporary debate centers on the source of genius: Do geniuses become geniuses because of their inborn talent? Or can hard work make anyone a [...]
Don’t abandon the very differences that make you essential
Today’s society often glamorizes a particular definition of success. Thus, for example, students who take up particular careers such as engineering or medicine are considered [...]
The best is not as important as the best for you
Suppose someone places a persimmon in competition with an apple and tries to make it the best apple. Not only will they fail, but also [...]
The shoe that fits one person bites another
We are all distinct individuals. Given our differences, no material formula can work uniformly for everyone, just as one shoe can’t fit all people. Acknowledging [...]