“By your stumbling, the world is perfected.”
Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) ― Indian philosopher
Read Story“By your stumbling, the world is perfected.”
Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) ― Indian philosopher
Making mistakes is how we learn. Out of every perceived failure or weakness I come across in life there lies lessons that I can use to improve, and achieve bigger and better things. Sometimes I...
“The only thing you can be best at is developing your own self.”
Natalie Portman ― Actress
Remaining the best person in a field is impossible. Soon enough, there will always be another who will break your records. However, there is no limitation to self-improvement, and we can develop a better version...
“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Attributed to Maimonides Moses (1135-1204) ― Sephardic scholar
This saying didn’t mean a whole lot to me until Project Pyramid, but now it is a nice summation of what I hope to accomplish through social enterprise.
“It’s not the smartest who succeed but those with the best work habits.”
College counsellor
The people who succeed are thoughtful and plan to succeed. The smart ones get by but if they don’t have the work habits to succeed and try to rely on natural smarts, they tend to...
“The sides of the mountain sustain life, not the peak. This is where things grow, experience is gained, and technologies are mastered. The importance of the peak lies only in the fact that it defines the sides.”
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ― Former Prime Minister of India/Author
The journey of life matters far more than the destination because our experiences shape our thoughts and actions, and ultimately define who we are.
“First seek to understand, then to be understood.”
Stephen Covey (1932-2012) ― Educator/Author/Businessman
This reminds me that persuasion begins with my ability to listen, rather than my ability to convey a message.
“Don’t raise your voice. Improve your argument.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu ― South African cleric/Theologian/Anti-apartheid activist
Anger is not a bad thing. Nor is frustration. It is the actions taken in the name of those emotions that are often unproductive. These actions can instead be realized opportunities to improve oneself—learn more,...
“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
Bill Gates ― Entrepreneur/Businessman/Philanthropist
Failing is the ultimate opportunity to learn (if taken advantage of). Although creating positive feedback loops (even in times of success) are beneficial habits, failures are an opportunity to see an entirely different perspective that...
“You are never done learning – if you finish a day and say you didn’t learn anything, you did it wrong.”
Father
My father and grandfather both lived similar values as scholars and professors who pushed for professional development in order to give their families a better life. They taught me to be humble, inquisitive, grounded, and...
“Study for the test, sure. Just remember life goes on after the test.”
Mother
My mom told me this while I was studying for the SATs. She probably gave me this wisdom in various forms before then, but that’s the first time I remember. At the time, I thought...