What is it that takes you to the heights of greatness? Here’s something to think about.
“Opportunity has never knocked on my door, Swami,” an entrepreneur said to me the other day.
“I read somewhere,” I replied, “that if opportunity doesn’t knock, create a door.”
“Well, that hasn’t worked in my case. Indeed, anything guised as opportunity has only blown away my door and knocked me down.”
I meet brilliant people all the time who could do a lot more in their life. But they are stuck, they feel. Life hasn’t been fair to them or they are waiting for the right opportunity, they tell me.
Such conversations at times remind me of Prof. Sharma (my English teacher), who would always say that good people don’t sit and wait for opportunities, they create them. “No matter at what stage of life you are at, if you are up for it, you can do it,” he would contend and tell me this story.
A man built a fortune manufacturing and selling combs. When he had been growing up, combs were made of wood and ivory and couldn’t be mass produced. He figured that not only plastic combs could be made at a fraction of the cost, but they would also last longer. As he grew old, he decided to hand the reins of his business to his most capable child. So, he called them — two sons and a daughter — and assigned a task.
“There’s a Buddhist monastery in Bodh Gaya,” he said. “It has hundreds of monks. Get me a wholesale order from that monastery.”
“But father” the elder son retorted, “monks are bald. What use do they have for a comb?”
“That’s for you to find out,” the father said, giving them a fortnight. “Whoever gets me the biggest order will head my company.”
Two weeks later they got together to report on their progress.
Denne historien er fra December 16 - 31, 2018-utgaven av BUSINESS ECONOMICS.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 16 - 31, 2018-utgaven av BUSINESS ECONOMICS.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Deposit shortage: challenges facing India's banking ecosystem
In any macroeconomic framework, the household sector plays a critical role as a driver consumption, savings, and overall economic activity.
India's future dreams in Semiconductors & AI
A midst the gloom of the RG Kar affair or the Tirupati laddu scam or even the continued terrorist attacks in Jammu & Kashmir, even after the completion of the first general election in the state, we find hope and encouragement when the founder of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, in his recent visit to India says \"India will be a gigantic opportunity for us\".
The Ramayana: Justice and Modern Man
Consisting of Twenty-Four Thousand worthy Sanskrit verses, the Ramayana is one such epic, which provides a pathway to one committed to justice to establish himself as an ideal human being by following the exemplary life of its hero.
Vallabhbhai Patel: A Sardar of Farmers, A Matchless Social Reformer and the Maker of United India
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was instrumental in unifying the princely states to form the Union of India.
Understanding Prosperity: NOBEL Prize awarded for groundbreaking research on institutions and economic development
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Memory of Alfred Nobel to three US-based economistsDaron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson\"for their studies on how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.\"
Sinking Resources: Groundwater crisis and sustainable solutions in Kolkata
Kolkata's underground water crisis is becoming a serious issue, driven by rapid urbanization and the construction of high-rise buildings.
Tourism Industry positively impacted by the festive season
Diwali transforms streets into a spectacle of festive lights, Diwali transforms streets into olis, and families gearing up for grand celebrations.
RBI's Shift to a Neutral Stance: Signaling a New Phase in Monetary Policy
For over a year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken a firm stance against inflation, raising interest rates by 250 basis points between May 2022 and February 2023 in response to post-pandemic price pressures.
UK Budget
There _ he latest UK budget represents a departure from previous fiscal documents.
Han Kang's Historic Nobel Prize Win
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to T South Korean writer Han Kang, 53, known for her works including The Vegetarian, The White Book, Human Acts, and Greek Lessons.
