Why I chose to read this book?
The idea of dealing with topics like life, work, situations, and attitudes in a short and crisp manner was exciting enough for me to be able to pick this Unposted Letter.
My personal take-away:
Each topic covered here contains ideas and concepts that has the potential to change reader’s view on many things, consequently making their life richer and more enjoyable. Keep in mind that it is not an informative book, rather something meant for the transformation of human beings.
Summary:
It contains easy-to-read chapters on issues ranging from customer management, productivity and success to happiness, relationships and life. Mentioned below are some impactful excerpts:
- You are more important than everything that has ever come in your life. Blessed are those people who have understood that they should be loving people and using things- not loving things and using people. Material possessions are mere tools to be useful and entertaining. Their loss/damage is not worth mourning as long as we have ourselves to cherish.
- Pampering weakens you. Love creates you. Love will act as a mirror, and reveal a true reflection of yourself – not as you want to be seen, but as you truly are. Pampering is a mere facade, wanting to appear nice.
- Every good human being has the moral responsibility to be rich. This is because a good human being will use the money to create a better society by way of building schools and hospitals and helping the needy, whereas an evil one will use it for destructive purposes.
- Why do bad things happen to good people? The author claims that the question here is wrong, it should rather be- What happens to good people when bad things happen to them? They become better people.
- Instead of asking why she doesn’t understand me, ask what should be my approach in making her understand me. The latter will make you feel you are in control of the situation rather than blaming the other person or feeling victimised.
- How the world sees you will make only a small difference to you, but how you see yourself will make all the difference to you.
- A disciple once asked his guru- Master! before enlightenment and after enlightenment, you are doing the same things– for example, drawing water from the well and chopping woods. There seems to be no difference in your actions. Master replied- My actions haven’t changed, but the quality with which I perform them has.
- There is no sin in action; the sin is always in the intention behind the action. When one kills another in a war, he becomes a national hero but when one kills another one within a nation, he is called a killer.
- Extraordinary people are ordinary people who did everything with extraordinary passion. You make history, when you have a cause that inspires you to wake up every morning a little early and keeps you awake a little late and fills every minute in between with the depths of passion. In anything and everything, give that ‘extra’ and thus live an extraordinary life.
- Even if we cannot solve the problem, let us not cause the problem. Even if we cannot be the solution, let us at least be the solace. Even if we cannot help, let us not harm. Even if we cannot be the accelerant, let us not be a retardant.
- Good communication will serve while improper communication will sever a relationship.
- Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.
- “Why do you appreciate even those who are rude to you,” a teammate asked. “For the simple reason, to appreciate is my character, and to be rude is their character. I don’t want other people’s character to have a bearing on my character,” replied the team leader. Let us be good even to those who are not good to us. There is no justification for our stooping in character.
- God never gives you an idea without the power to achieve it. For a dreamer, the question is never, “Will I?” rather it’s just, “By when will I?”
- Believe it can be done. Believing something can be done sets the mind in motion to find a way of doing it.
- Dedication is to give away what you can while devotion is to give yourself. Any kind of work can become a prayer if performed with the sacredness of devotion.
- Ability, when subjected to systematic training becomes proficiency. There is no other way to be the best than practicing the same skill over and over again.