Dear Readers, I am sure all of us know the time-tested adage, “Strange are the ways of the world’.” The truth surrounding this specific strand of wisdom manifests itself in our daily lives numerous times. Yes, the fact may remain that many of us never pay any attention to the same, and just carry on with the dreary chores. I am trying to confess how specific lessons I learned through life made a positive impact.
My first attempt highlighted how I managed to create and maintain a proper balance in mine and my family’s life. Part II unraveled the secrets to keeping failure away by seeking inspiration from some other well-known leaders in their individual fields. As we move further, the focus remains on the views, vision, and variety of high-achievers.
SEE PART II AND PRIOR BELOW ⤵︎
“Everyone hears only what he understands.” The multi-talented, 18th-Century German Poet, Playwright, and Novelist, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe observed this remarkable truth that holds its relevance to this day and may never die. Can anyone ever deny the chasm between hearing and listening? Hearing, by itself, may not need much effort, whereas listening requires attention. No wonder we all like to hear whatever is immediately beneficial to us or serves our purpose right. Nobody has time for unnecessary talks unless he/she happens to fancy rumor-mongering.
How the above piece of important advice helped me draw my life’s roadmap, you may ask? I made it a habit to stay away from small talk. This simple change resulted in a considerable gain in terms of both time and the quality of the company I kept. I chose my friends with extreme care, and in a couple of exceptional cases where I did not exercise caution, I ended up paying a high price. The avoidable disasters acted as future guides, paving the path to a higher productivity level and the resulting success.
“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.” Author Unknown. When it comes to choosing friends, I learned it the hard way how to separate the grain from the chaff. An unbelievably large majority of so-called ‘friends’ are opportunists looking for a quick gain. Sad to admit this, but I can count my friends on just a finger of one of my hands; I don’t need the whole hand to do that. In the meantime, please allow me to reiterate that I’m way past my teen years, enjoying the Golden Age, so to say. I have survived close calls, back-stabbings, foul-mouthing, and opportunistic characters. They continue invading my social circle with their ulterior motives unabated. But now, I feel I have become a little wiser, though you never know from where the next attacker may spring up.
The Italian town of Pisa attained global fame due to its Leaning Tower. Credit also goes to the city for giving us the world’s best-known Astronomer and Physicist named Galileo Galilei, in the 16th-Century. Among many different epithets attached to Galileo’s name, “Father of Observational Astronomy” and the “Father of Modern Science” remain unchallenged. One of his easy-to-understand, and yet phenomenally valuable messages reads: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” To become a seeker of truth, we need to hone our skills. We need to mold ourselves like an archeologist that unravels the mysteries surrounding ancient civilizations, nature, history, and other crucial facts of life as we know it today. We need to dig deep, check, cross-check, and again recheck the veracity of statements we hear, and we make all day long. Any misrepresentation today will result in an embarrassment tomorrow; it always has, and it always will. In case you do not believe me, just do a random check on the Internet and see for yourself how many politicians have been caught putting their foot in their mouth.
It is common knowledge that ‘a man is known by the company he keeps.’ However, we must also appreciate the fact surrounding the sage advice from the Grace Pulpit: “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.” Taking a direct cue from the earlier quote surrounding friendship, we shall pay due attention to the unmistakeable integrity of real relations that survive the worst disasters without a doubt.
It is up to you, Dear Readers, to ‘DISCOVER’ (in Galileo’s words) the right friends, and see if your count beats mine, and for how long.
God Speed, and Thank You!
I love quotes and enjoyed this edition Bharat.
It’s always great to see what they invoke in others too.
Loved reading this. And the end was a mic drop for me…
“A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.” When I read this…one friend stood out for me.. I am truly thankful for thoughts of this friend.
Brilliant 🙏😀
I am short of words to properly convey my gratitude for your awe-inspiring observation, Ms. Paula! I find in you a consistently selfless thinker that enjoys sharing superlative words of wisdom through her own writing. With so much already on your plate, you can still manage to inspire others. By itself, it is no mean task. As such, I offer a humble salute to your outstanding sense of generosity!
I am particularly happy to note you enjoy quotes. I have been fortunate to have an abundance of them made available by my seniors, and I used them as building blocks of my character, as well as personality. As regards friends, I am sure yo will agree with me how hard it is to find true friends that can withstand the test of time and still be there for us. It is unfortunate most of the time we come across those looking for ‘what is in it for me.’ The sooner we get rid of them, the better it is.
Looking forward to your continued engagement, so I could gain some wisdom as well!
Thanks, with warm regards, and a Prayer for All
BM
Oh Bharat, you simply are generous in your friendship. I am truly honoured and humbled here. I have poured my soul in various pieces and just want to help..show there is still caring people here. To encourage and support. Knowing how I needed it and how important it is to survival was something I could only hope to pay forward. Your right though. There are many who just want to make it all about them and what they can get, if I can help them to with something to think about…they might aim for something more genuine too. There will be times we all hit the floor.. to look up and see no one there is just too painful. I lend a hand… if it is refused. I’ll just step aside… until they are ready. It’s all I have to offer. Thank you again for your friendship. I feel i is very genuine and true. Always have🙏
Thanks once again, Ms. Darlene, for the outstanding support you continue to provide through your well-balanced observation! It is the discerning readers, writers, thinkers, and change-makers like yourself that oblige me to share my life’s experiences in the best-possible fashion. I’m sure there may be situations where I fail to meet your expectations, but the spirit behind my writings is always genuine. The reason you see so many quotes lies in my childhood practice of taking notes. In the ‘stone-age’ of early childhood, pencil and paper were the tools I carried wherever I went. Thankfully, the smartphone simplifies the process, and hence a more liberal use of the same.
To simplify your observation regarding “wolves in sheeps’ clothing,” I rest content in getting rid of all the extra baggage. As of now, I count my friends on just one of my fingers, that’s it. Of course, acquaintances are many, and continue to grow, but not to the level of close friendship.
Warm Regards, With A Prayer For All
BM
Thank you for this, Bharat! As a lover of quotes, I enjoyed all of those you have shared. In this Part 3 Series, I could not agree with you more about friends. If you reach a certain age, you cannot escape visits from wolves in sheep’s clothing. Although not always in our control, you can only hope you have learned from these experiences and cherish those who are true to you and accept you for you are.💖