“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has Genius, Power and Magic in it.”  

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 28, August 1749 – 22, March 1832

This great German who had quoted is one of the few who apparently mastered diverse fields. His fields of achievements range from Literature to Science to Humanism and Philosophy. If you check his profile in Wikipedia, his vocation is Poet, Novelist, Playwright, Natural Philosopher, Diplomat and Civil servant.  I wonder how such people are able leave a stamp of Glory in whatever they do. I wonder how they are able to bring in path breaking ideas, those that we see implications in our day to day life centuries later.

In these day a man starting a career in Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering ends up doing the same rest of his life and leaves behind nothing for the generations.  Leave the glory part of the actions behind. Rarely do we find people shift their career directions and even if they do, there are hardly few who do out of choices and not chances. It will be very hypocritical, if I say none of others deserved to be or worth enough. There are breeds even today that we see in Newspapers/magazines who challenge the ridicules, who scale up the stumbling blocks, who achieve what they wanted to in the span of time that is measurable, traceable and above all comparable with rest of the lot.

In my attempt to think as what differentiates them from others, I could find various thoughts like:

•  they would followed their heart
• the entire universe (family/friends/ situation) conspired them to win
•  they were in right time of opportunities
• they travelled the road less travelled
• they were compelled to do so to survive
• they were just lucky

None of them could be wrong, and 3 out of these 6 will definitely feature in any of the success stories. But, that is not exactly it. There has to be a trait that only some have and others don’t.

Does that mean world where we live has a majority of people who have bitten the dust or crawling in nemesis left away by very few torch bearers or successful people. That is raising an interesting point of debate: What is success or Failure? Success in Academics does not guarantee a phenomenal success in the world of business. Phenomenal Success in Professional Arena does not guarantee a healthy family life. We are so obsessed with only the extremes, because objective is always easy to teach and understand. But the world we live in is always in subjective medium. Let me write about this “Theory of Between” in near future.

I continued my search in nebulous world of thoughts and experiences and I guess, there is something in the limits we impose ourselves into. The daring limits that is required to try out, struggle in the odds that which requires greater degree of obsession to perfect the act of decision making and executing. Yes, the key is Real Limits and Self- imposed Limits.

Immediately, as I write this my thoughts go to a real life character called James J. Braddock a professional Boxer, portrayed in a movie called Cinderella Man by Ron Howard. He fought inflicting injuries that are irreparable, enduring the pain and continued to win and surprised the world by a determined win over the high rated opponent. Hence, even now he stands a metaphor to represent the hopes and aspirations of the millions of Americans in the depression times in 1930s.

Most of us never get even anywhere near testing the real limits. We stop far short, well within our self imposed limits. This applies to those in studies, those in profession, those in business or those in the skill based employment.

Another oft-repeated example would be of a Pole vaulter called Sergei Bubka, and he was probably very sincere when had said,” I am alone, some people help me, but, basically, I can do what I want.”

With my reading experience of the book Business Maharajahs by Gita Piramal, there is something unwritten but very loudly sounded across various successful business histories. It was the assessment made by those Dhirubhais, Goenkas, Birlas and Tatas on the Gaps between ‘What it is like’ and ‘What they would ideally want it to be’. They strived in their respective fields to find answers to, ‘Why it exists?’; ‘How and How fast can they be bridged?’

Their success today as bench-markers radically helps us conclude that they were not prevailing within the Self imposed limits but challenged the Real limits.

Often, limits are self-imposed by posing very limiting questions. If you only ask "small" questions, you can never get "big" answers!

Art of Questioning and Act of Questioning is very interesting and is Wise thing. It is as complicated as Atomic Physics. Reason I say it is Atomic Physics is that because, though atom is the basic element it is very complicated as well as dubbed by the educationists.

Anything that is basic is very complicated and anything that is actually complicated does not exist at all. (No self Imposed LimitsJ)

It is with the questions you tried to ask and the level of cleverness in the answers you got that your intellectual foundation is built. You would be familiar about the little tiny tots and their inquisitiveness to learn and imitate/ emulate you and of course, the way the adults curb the questioning process in their minds.

I was interacting with someone who was trying to express what he wanted to be/ create in life, and that was not as simple as sounded like. He refined it endlessly and we both felt the exercise to determine and be certain what we think we want, is it exactly what we wanted? Sounds, Crazy? Check out for yourself…!

If you want to buy a car, say at the age of 25, you can. But the question is why 25 years, why not 22, 23 or 24 years? The reasons can be job market conditions, chances of good placements etc.  But if your effort from the age of 17 to 21 years is outstanding, and a job with the top notch company can help you realize your dream by 22 years or 23 years. If you feel that is not possible, it is the self imposed limit and not the real limit.

It is always our actions and reactions that get translated as opportunities or threats.

If you are really serious about moving forward in your life and being the person to be admired for the various achievements you plan, there are two essential questions, you need to ask yourself.

Let me tip that to you:

v  What do you want?

v  How will you know when you've got it?

Answer these first before you take any steps to move in the direction you desire to go.

After this you would face challenges more from you than from the external world. It is the inherent weaknesses that are more dangerous to conquer than the External Threat. (SWOT)

A tip to handle the same is “Power of 4”:

1. To question your Die Hard habits
2. To question your Age old assumptions
3. To question your Beliefs on the people and purpose
4. To question your Boundaries of comfort zones

Die hard Old habits have to get definitely ridden off, before anything.  In one of my international exposures, I was zapped to find the chief executives and middle level managers start their day in the office by 6:30AM. I was also forced to do that to meet the schedules. They wind up as early as 5 PM on ordinary days. In stressful days, no excuses – work prevails. The point that should not be missed is that starting the day early and closing it sooner. Though I was forced on this new habit, I am feeling lot better and feel an amazing change in life. It has made the start of my days much more exciting, positive, active and fulfilling. I have time to read, write or simply do the contemplation in serenity of chirping of birds. And all of this before the "normal" day has begun. I love it! I especially notice the difference when I decide to skip this routine for whatever reason. A certain confidence and air of excitement is just not there. Also let me say that - this is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a way that might make a big difference in your growth process - give this one a try.

Age old assumptions are ruining our imaginations, our appetite to learn and deprive the opportunity to help us gain interest in new things. How many of us assume to do the exams sufficiently well, only if we open the books just a day before and overnight read and finish? How many of us feel certain topics to be really boring and discard it once for all not to read anytime later? How many of us felt that quantitative methods are fine, but the theory part is difficult to take?  I say, raise up to challenge these assumptions. Assumptions give a predetermined boring color to the view, and we miss the vibrant colors what nature has in store probably hidden, but it is there. I heard, few school going students say, Maths is very difficult and boring but not science. But what at that age they miss is that mathematics rule the world of science in its highest order. Fear of that prohibits them from scaling. It is never that Maths is boring or science is interesting, they have been faculties of knowledge as ever and it our assumptions that is costing one a fabulous future.

Whom do you think, you are liable to respond to live in a society of order? You are expected to respond to your Parents, siblings, Teachers, Friends or the society at large. I am careful in not using the word enemies here. But, they do exist in today’s world of chaos and pandemonium. 

Are there any actions that you can just leave and go without taking the responsibility? Even when you munch a chewing gum, spit out on the corridor there will be someone who would get affected with the gum getting stuck on the shoes.  If you just leave a drinking water tap open to drain, then again you might not be punished immediately, but your own generations a decade later will suffer and curse the generation decades before. SO every action has a purpose and the responsibility.

It is basically the beliefs that we have for our purposes differentiate as noble or common; Patriots or Terrorists. It is the beliefs that we have on people that will enable or disable us. The beliefs in people are very important as you can find opportunities of collaboration, co creation and cooperation with each of the interactions you make with people. In the new social order, there are least chances of one to be alone and successful.

Step out of your comfort zone once more each week and create over 50 additional opportunities for excitement, challenge and possibility each year. This is what life's about, quoted Sam Parker. He is absolutely right.  It’s easy to slip into a rut when there are no problems. Sometimes an unwelcome trip to “the dark side” can reveal new horizons, horizons that were unknown until forced upon us. Finding what is not expected, opening new vistas on the reality of your life can reveal something completely unanticipated about yourself; something that you didn’t know was there. Something GOOD!

SO, let us Dream, Dare but wisely and not confined to Self Imposed Limits...

Good Luck!

Venkat