3rd September 2010
Be studious in your profession, and you will be learned. Be industrious and frugal, and you will be rich. Be sober and temperate, and you will be healthy. Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy. At least, you will, by such conduct, stand the best chance for such consequences.
Benjamin Franklin
I was curious to know the real meaning of this quotation and started to look into the dictionary. Studious means `spending a lot of time studying and or reading'. It also means `doing anything with careful effort'. Industrious means `hardworking'. Sober means `serious'. Temperate means having self control. Virtuous means `having a high moral standards'.
With this meaning, recall the name of a very successful person whom you know and check if you have seen that person displaying these qualities. If the answer is `yes', then look at the consequences of these qualities on his life. He will be learned, rich and healthy!
Take for example the quality of spending a lot of time studying and reading. In my time management seminars, I keep saying that if your degree is more than three year old, it's not worth the paper on which it is printed! May be I'm exaggerating a little. But the truth is knowledge becomes obsolete very fast. These days the pace of change is very very fast and we have to be fit not only for today, but also get ready for tomorrow.
Frugality - the most important virtue not only in hard times, but also at any time. It means being careful in the use of money especially. A rupee saved is more than a rupee earned!
And I need not emphasise the relevance of self control. Take a look at your eating habits and life style and project yourself over the next ten years. Will you have the same health and stamina?
Take a piece of paper and list all the above qualities one after the other and against each of the quality write the number 1 to 5. Give yourself a rating on how you fare in respect of these qualities and introspect the consequence of these rating on your life!
N C Sridharan
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