Chapter 1

Purpose

Life is all about making choices. At each step there is a decision to be made; it is your choice that decides where you will be headed. There are two kinds of people in this world—those who are willing to give up shortlived pleasures in want of something big and others who miss the big things in life in trying to live in and enjoy the moment. Giving up something small in order to achieve something big is the hallmark of extraordinary people and is the roadmap to extraordinary success. Take a pause, look ahead, think about your vision, where do you see yourself five or ten years down the line. After you complete this exercise, think about what you are doing in your day-to-day life and whether that is in conformity with your long-term objectives.

Chapter 2

Dreams, Goals and Vision

One ancient story from the Mahabharata is oft-repeated wherein the teacher of archery asked his students to aim at the eye of a bird hanging on a tree. When the students gathered, one by one he asked each one of them what they saw, while aiming at the bird’s eye. Some of the students said they saw the mountains just behind the tree, where the bird was hanging; some said they saw leaves of the tree, its branches, greenery, etc. Then came Arjuna, who was the best archer amongst them. When the teacher asked him the same question, he replied that he saw the bird’s eye and nothing else. He shot the arrow and it hit the bird’s eye. The teacher applauded his effort and his answer very much. Unless you see the target, you cannot achieve it.

Chapter 3

Leadership

Leaders make the impossible possible. They set the benchmark for rest of the people to look up to and follow.They are the people who are committed to excellence in all spheres of life. They redefine the limits of achievements; they cherish the challenges and like to be tested than to be rested. Leaders see things differently. They see things at a distance which are difficult and seem impossible, they make them possible. They are busy, pushing the people up the ladder of achievement, with themselves behind. They are the people who work for a bigger cause rather than only for themselves. They have the ability to thrive under pressure and uncertainty. They have the ability to transform the lives of people. They have the ability to make an impact by their sheer presence.

Chapter 4

Learning form Nature

A Chinese bamboo tree, if watered regularly takes 5 years before yielding any seedling or sprout. It barely grows in the first 5 years, one has to wait and nourish it properly. But when it starts growing, it grows to a height of 90 feet in the next 6 weeks. The cause of this growth is the elaborate root that enables it to grow really fast; the root is developed during the five years when seemingly there is no growth. Some people think that the effort put in watering it is useless, as they are not able to see much progress in the first five years, but they are not aware of what is happening inside. The effort which is put in watering it is not wasted; in fact it enables growth by building a strong foundation.

Chapter 5

Triumph in Adversity

Adversity can make you or break you. It can mould your life and make it successful and beautiful or it can make you crumble. Adversity is like a strict teacher whose teaching is invaluable but nobody likes it. Everybody can come out of an adversity stronger, but it requires courage, introspection and effort. Several instances are there when people have been broken or shattered by an adversity in their life. But remarkable are those who do not bow down before difficulties but overcome them by dint of their effort; they rise above their problems, and find astonishing solutions in the face of difficulties. They are the ones who are truly admired and respected by all. They are the ones who make history. They are the ones who move ahead and grow to great heights; adversity makes them stronger.

Chapter 6

Success Strategies

A natural question is, what is success? It may be different for you and me, is an easy reply to the question. Success is something that differs from person to person; it is a subjective term, having various implications and meanings for different people. Success means doing your very best in all situations, in all places, at all times, and achieving what you are really capable of. It is surpassing the limits that you have set for yourself; it is transcending the ordinary; it is doing something that changes you and takes you where you belong to; it is doing something so well that it makes your existence a gift to the world; it is getting what you want from life and being happy with it; it is giving back to the world more than you hold back for yourself; it is making a significant contribution to the lives of people you meet.

Chapter 7

Happiness Is a Choice

As a child, I used to ask for balloons, toys and chocolates. If I would get them, I used to be happy. If I didn’t, I would get upset. I felt dejected when I did not get the things that I wanted, even though they might not have been useful for me, sometimes might have been even harmful.

When I grew up a little, I asked for freedom, fun and play. If I would get them, I used to be happy; if I didn’t, I got really upset. After some time I asked for bikes, money and wanted to be with my friends, away from all bondages. If I would get them, I was happy, otherwise, I was upset. Now when I sit back and think about the things that I craved for as a kid, as a young boy, I think that the things that I wanted were never really useful for me, but I always wanted those things and got unnecessarily upset when I did not get them. My happiness depended on things which were of no value but I did not understand this.

Chapter 8

What Prevents Success

There are some common causes of failures, the things which stop us from achieving what we are capable of. They may be different for different individuals but most of them are common to all. One can never let one’s guard down in the face of these problems, for they are bound to fill life with frustration and failures. The things that bring us down, the things which take away the glory of accomplishing what we are truly capable of, let us take a vow to fight them and eradicate them from our life and strive to live a life that one can look back with pride and feel happy about it.