50 shades of wisdom for a lazy Sunday afternoon– Chawm Ganguly

One is not seen to have arrived, unless one has pithy sayings next to their smiling faces on view cards that are posted in the social media. That is the first step that “management experts” take on their way to becoming “Life Coaches”. Quotes that are simple to a fault and are crafted to make one wonder “why didn’t I think of it before”, for, the greatest truths are also the easiest to comprehend. And the effectiveness of the great masters is in their simple, unassuming sermons – stuff that does not tell you about the dark net, but help focus your attention on what you know, making you evolve into a better version of yourself in the process. And oh yes, they have to be tweetable.

I suffer from no delusions and am certainly not qualified to claim my place among them. But still, um, you know, there’s no harm in trying, is there? So here I am, with my list of fifty, no less. Hope you guys enjoy:

1. Change is inevitable. Accept it, you must. Celebrate, you can.
2. The morning after is never worth the night before – and vice versa.
3. The best things in life are free.
4. Saying “Please” and “Thank you” are not only appreciated and always appropriate, but makes one feel good too.
5. The food, the booze, the venue doesn’t matter. It’s the company, stupid!
6. He who dies with the most number of toys, is still dead.
7. Don’t strive to be so rich that all you have is money.
8. It’s OK to say No. Just do it as gracefully as you can.
9. Everything is relative. It all depends on how you choose to see things.
10. If you can, do it. If you can’t, forget it. No point in cribbing over things you can’t control.
11. Learn to listen. Lending others your ear is more difficult than lending them your money.
12. Experiences are infinitely more valuable than the things money can buy.
13. No one gives a crap about what you wear, or how you look. Not sure about the BO though.
14. Confidence rocks, but the confidence of the idiot rocks the boat.
15. It’s your life. Stop living it to measure up to standards set by others.
16. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing anything that you can justify in the heart of your hearts.
17. You are never complete till you teach.
18. People are stupid, incompetent, nasty. They are also kind, compassionate, helpful – things balance out in the long run.
19. Holding grudges are a strict no-no. just not worth it.
20. If you don’t have anything to say, remain silent.
21. Don’t let the anger of others piss you out.
22. Calm down. Be still. It is not only healing and restorative, but also makes everyone else feel extremely irksome.
23. Being polite never killed anyone. Add a smile to it to make it a deadly combination.
24. Bad behavior and bitterness have their roots in jealousy.
25. Forgive them, their story is far worse than yours. Besides, you don’t know what they are going through either.
26. It’s OK not to be super busy. And yes, 24X7 is just another cliché.
27. Don’t give a damn about what the world thinks. Celebrate being you.
28. What makes you happy or sad, may not make someone else feel happy or sad.
29. Look into the mirror before blaming others.
30. Just because they disagree with you doesn’t make them wrong.
31. If your mind can conceive it, your heart can believe it, then you must buy Nike trainers and do it.
32. Religion, Politics and Love are best not discussed, especially if it’s none of your business.
33. Friendships come with expiry dates. It’s OK when priorities change.
34. Those laugh lines had to be earned. Wear them with pride.
35. Don’t crib about what didn’t last. Cherish the good memories or whatever was your take away.
36. Take one day at a time. One step at a time. Break jobs into smaller units and do them. It’s easier to accomplish even the seemingly impossible this way.
37. It is nice to be remembered. Nicer still when remembered nicely.
38. Everything happens for a reason. And what is inexplicable now will become crystal clear as time passes.
39. It may be inconvenient and uncomfortable. But what has to be done, has to be done.
40. The past is dead. The future is yet to come. Do the best of the present, that’s all you’ve got.
41. It is always better to fight it out in the morning than to crib all day.
42. Solutions to other people’s problems are always so obvious. Avoid spelling them out without them asking.
43. Sleep on it. Problems disappear miraculously after a good night’s sleep.
44. If they think you are important they’ll find the time. If they don’t, they won’t.
45. Match the anger of others with compassion.
46. Life is what happens to you while you await the “big things” to happen. Enjoy the moment. Things will fall into place.
47. Brute force is never the answer. Try love, it conquers all.
48. You cannot have everything and some things are just not meant for you. Learn to let go.
49. Always think positive. Focus on the positive and things will certainly change.
50. When everything else fails, just grin and bear it.