This is an address by Azim Premji in the 'Shaping Young Minds Program' (SYMP)
organized by AIMA in collaboration with the Bombay Management Association (BMA)
in Mumbai on 'My Lessons in Life'.
Azim Premji
I am very happy to be here with you. It is always wonderful to be with young
people. As my hair turned from black, to salt and pepper and finally salt
without the pepper, I have begun to realize the importance of youth. At the same
time, I have begun to truly appreciate some of the lessons I have learnt along
the way. I hope you will find them useful when you plan your own career and
life.
First
The first thing I have learnt is that we must always begin with our strengths.
There is an imaginary story of a rabbit. The rabbit was enrolled in a rabbit
school. Like all rabbits, it could hop very well but could not swim. At the end
of the year, the rabbit got high marks in hopping but failed in swimming. The
parents were concerned. They said, 'Forget about hopping. You are anyway good at
it. Concentrate on swimming.' They sent the rabbit for tuitions in swimming. And
guess what happened? The rabbit forgot how to hop! As for swimming, have you
ever seen a rabbit swim? While it is important for us to know what we are not
good at, we must also cherish what is good in us. That is because it is only our
strengths that can give us the energy to correct our weaknesses.
Second
The second lesson I have learnt is that a rupee earned is of far more value than
five found. My friend was sharing me the story of his eight year-old niece. She
would always complain about the breakfast. The cook tried everything possible,
but the child remained unhappy. Finally, my friend took the child to a
supermarket and brought one of those ready-to-cook packets. The child had to cut
the packet and pour water in the dish. The child found the food to be absolutely
delicious? The difference was that she has cooked it! In my own life, I have
found that nothing gives as much satisfaction as earning our rewards. In fact,
what is gifted or inherited follows the old rule of come easy, go easy. I guess
we only know the value of what we have if we have struggled to earn it.
Third
The third lesson I have learnt is no one bats a hundred every time. Life has
many challenges. You win some and lose some. You must enjoy winning. But do not
let it go to the head. The moment it does, you are already on your way to
failure. And if you do encounter failure along the way, treat it as an equally
natural phenomenon. Don't beat yourself for it or any one else for that matter!
Accept it, look at your own share in the problem, learn from it and move on. The
important thing is, when you lose, do not lose the lesson.
Fourth
The fourth lesson I have learnt is the importance of humility. Sometimes, when
you get so much in life, you really start wondering whether you deserve all of
it. We have so much to be grateful for. Our parents, our teachers and our
seniors have done so much for us that we can never repay them. Many people focus
on the shortcomings, because obviously no one can be perfect. But it is
important to first acknowledge what we have received. Nothing in life is
permanent but when a relationship ends, rather than becoming bitter, we must
learn to savor the memory of the good things while they lasted.
Fifth
The fifth lesson I learnt is that we must always strive for excellence. One way
of achieving excellence is by looking at those better than ourselves. Keep
learning what they do differently. But excellence cannot be imposed from the
outside. We must also feel the need from within. It must involve not only our
mind but also our heart and soul. Excellence is not an act but a habit. I
remember the inspiring lines of a poem, which says that your reach must always
exceed your grasp. That is heaven on earth. Ultimately, your only competition is
yourself.
Sixth
The sixth lesson I have learnt is never give up in the face of adversity. It
comes on you suddenly without warning. Always keep in mind that it is only the
test of fire that makes fine steel. A friend of mine shared this incident with
me. His eight-year old daughter was struggling away at a jigsaw puzzle. She kept
at it for hours but could not succeed. Finally, it went beyond her bedtime. My
friend told her, 'Look, why don't you just give up? I don't think you will
complete it tonight. Look at it another day.' The daughter looked with a strange
look in her eyes, 'But, dad, why should I give up? All the pieces are there! I
have just got to put them together!' If we persevere long enough, we can put any
problem into its perspective.
Seventh
The seventh lesson I have learnt is that while you must be open to change, do
not compromise on your values. Mahatma Gandhiji often said that you must open
the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the breeze.
Values like honesty, integrity, consideration and humility have survived for
generations. At the end of the day, it is values that define a person more than
the achievements. Do not be tempted by short cuts. The short cut can make you
lose your way and end up becoming the longest way to the destination.
Final
And the final lesson I learnt is that we must have faith in our own ideas even
if everyone tells us that we are wrong. There was once a newspaper vendor who
had a rude customer. Every morning, the Customer would walk by, refuse to return
the greeting, grab the paper off the shelf and throw the money at the vendor.
The vendor would pick up the money, smile politely and say, 'Thank you, Sir.'
One day, the vendor's assistant asked him, 'Why are you always so polite with
him when he is so rude to you? Why don't you throw the newspaper at him when he
comes back tomorrow?' The vendor smiled and replied, 'He can't help being rude
and I can't help being polite. Why should I let his rude behavior dictate my
politeness?
I hope you achieve success in whatever way you define it and what gives you the
maximum happiness in life. 'Remember, those who win are those who believe they
can.'
-Azim Premji
