Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. -Robert Kennedy 

Big or small, everyone gets to lay a brick. The future is made possible by all of us, collaborating with the same happy ending in mind.

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there- John Buchan 

Synergy is a leader's responsibility to build. Greatness already exists within a team.

The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively. -Bob Marley 

These are the standards by which we should measure our lives.

"To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead, you relax, and float." - Alan Watts 

Let your faith be in yourself rather than the circumstances that make up your surroundings.

“A genius in the wrong position could look like a fool.” ― Idowu Koyenikan

 Does your environment favour or hinder you?

Everything will line up perfectly when knowing and living the truth becomes more important than looking good. — Alan Cohen 

First you learn, then you earn.

The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are. –Carl Jung

 Strive to attain the real, authentic version of yourself.

“Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.” ~ Ralph Ellison 

When you stay in the ring, even when it's not going your way, your character is developed. That's the path to victory.

“Your attitude towards failure determines your altitude after failure.” ~ John C. Maxwell 

It's not about the event but your attitude towards the event. How you picture the situation is more important than the actual situation.

Nature is pleased with simplicity. 

Simplicity is genius. Keep it simple

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it externally -Buddha 

Dig down deep and find your much-coveted fortress.

“Yesterday is ashes, tomorrow wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.” —Old Eskimo Proverb

There's no benefit in worrying about the unchangeable past or being anxious about the unknown future. 

All we have is now and it's what we should be focused on entirely. Focus on now.

“It is wrong always, everywhere and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.” -

W. K. Clifford 

Many have been wrongly condemned for this. Isn't it prudent to remain calm before passing judgment? Especially when we aren't certain. 

Don't assume. Take your time to research, ask and/or probe, then and only then, should you make a conclusion if need be.

“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love …” Marcus Aurelius 

It's easy to overlook such little blessings as waking up in good health, feeding on our own, walking, seeing, moving our hands around and performing certain tasks, reaching out to our loved ones, living in peace and civility and so much more. 

Gratitude is the only shortcut to getting us to our big goals faster. This is because it's reserved only for exceptional people. 

The good news is that you get to decide whether you want to join the club. Make it a habit.

“I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.” -Bertrand Russell 

It feels powerful to state impressive facts and other profound statements but do you ever stop to consider the accuracy of your utterances? 

Despite your convictions, always have an open mind, you may indeed be wrong, since what humans do, make mistakes.

“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”- Lao Tsu 

The more you know the less you speak. Confidence is silent, insecurities are loud. Be confidently silent and calm, but always observe.

You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” -Marcus Aurelius 

The way to have peace is to solely focus on that which is under your control.

“There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.” -Seneca 

If it's worth it, it will cost much, sometimes more than you can provide. 

So, you want to attain the prize, How much sacrifice are you prepared to make? 

Is it worth that much to you? Do you mean it or are you just another pretender? We're gonna find out

The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.- Marcus Aurelius 

We do not desire it, we do not wish for it. But when we face it, wouldn't we rather endure it with a hopeful attitude? 

And while we're at it, why not look for opportunities within the hardship seemingly disguised as hopelessness? 

Because there's always one (at least). That's what makes great entrepreneurs, great athletes, great leaders and all greats. 

It's what callouses our mind, sometimes we need it more than we think.

“There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” — Aristotle 

New levels, new devils. Adversity is mandatory for any significant step towards growth. 

We don't rise by evading them, we rise by learning to traverse them and coming out through the other side.

“An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

Faith without action is dead. The best time to start was years ago. The second-best time is right now.

“When it is obvious that goals can’t be reached, don’t adjust the goals, but adjust the action steps." — Confucius.

Adjust, iterate, remodel. Do whatever it takes to attain the goal but don't lower the standards. 

Find the most suitable angle but remember; Amor Fati.

There's no scientific quantification (that I know of) of how vital calmness is in the face of trouble, but it's a whole lot more. 

It's the difference between lowering extremely conflicting views and escalating an easily solvable situation into one of humungous proportions. 

Learn to keep a cool head, especially when everyone else loses theirs.

“Why should we build our happiness on the opinions of others, when we can find it in our own hearts?” — John-Jacques Rousseau.

The approval you seek from others, the conviction and the confidence all lie within you. 

Only you can generate your happiness, others may contribute to it, but the responsibility is entirely yours.

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. – Heraclitus.

Every day we get another chance, a second chance. To make amends, rewrite our stories, start anew and recreate experiences. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed, but today, right here right now is. Make it count

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.- Ralph Waldo Emerson,

Adjust your vision to spot beauty wherever you look and enjoy the ambiance.

“To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do rather than what they say.” – René Descartes.

Until you walk the talk, you're merely blubbing. Intentions don't count, words not any less, only actions. What are you made of?

“Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.” – Confucius.

Having a long-term view of every situation ensures a more pleasant outcome in the end. In all our dealings, we should value the relationship more than the gains. The best negotiators leave each party contented. 

"My definition of wisdom is knowing the long-term consequences of your actions."- Naval

“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” – Aristotle.

Epictetus said a man cannot learn what he thinks he already knows. A little bit of humility goes a long way in learning. 

The only foolishness exists in pretending to know it at the expense of missing out on the lesson.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past, if you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” – Lao Tzu 

The past and present are a culmination of choices we have made previously. 

Only this moment matters, where we are, where we breathe and where we can actually have an impact on what's to come. 

Remain calm, think it through then proceed at life's pace and take your wisdom with you.

“Maybe it’s time you moved on too”, she screamed, amid a heated fight. The umpteenth one in only seven months. Months preceded by exuberance and euphoria. She didn’t mean it, hence saw no reason to apologize, not even after a few days. 

Heeding to her ego, she opted not to reach out first either. Not until he does at least. It was just another fight after all. He, on the other hand, had had enough. He was certain of being taken advantage of, especially given the context. No wonder no apology followed. 

Albeit painfully and lonely, he did as told, he moved on. After an unusually long period, she finally reached out. Except she was too late, even her message could not be relayed. She tried all means but to no avail. It took no genius to learn that she’d orchestrated her downfall, foolishly so. 

Years later, after an otherwise average life and even four marriages wiser, he remained her only deathbed regret. The love of her life, the one whom she’d rather have spent her short life with, understandably so. 

But what if……who knows! Words once said can never be taken back. The sooner you learn this the sooner you take a better turn in your life.

They happily strolled down the poorly paved road to the bus station. It was the supposed shortcut. They were not tired of the usual route; they just felt the urge to explore an alternative. 

Suddenly the rain struck, not the kind that you can brave through. Sheltering was mandatory, even if the destination was an emergency, it definitely wasn’t, but if someone’s life depended on their presence, then they’d have to get a cab. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, so they didn’t. The closest structure they could find was a cobbler’s shack, as outdoorsy as they come. It usually closed on Fridays, like the material day it was. Perhaps he was a Muslim, I doubt anyone ever cared to ask, not that he was eager to prove it if it was the case. 

The seats were nothing more than a makeshift bench across two half-a-meter poles. One was round and the other square-ish. A pair was enough. The cobbler didn’t attract that many clients, at least not simultaneously. So they made use of that. The roof wasn’t made of the best iron sheet in the free market, it was definitely used, perhaps too worn out too. Its porous nature betrayed as much, don’t get me started on the glaring rust. So they sat next to each other on the only remaining dry bench. 

The rehearsal had been a success, the whole organizing committee agreed. The wedding would be a success, such was the consensus. It couldn’t come soon enough, the following day seemed like a year away. Even though they had no hurry, the seemingly endless downpour was enough to worry anyone with a worthwhile destination, at least in the form they would arrive in. Still, life has to be lived a moment at a time. 

Lorraine and Anderson both despised small talk, so both seized the opportunity to discuss the ‘serious’ matters of life. And what better moment existed to talk about marriage expectations than that? The longer the conversation proceeded, the more they realized just how much their characters complemented each other. By the time they both chuckled for the umpteenth time, the rain was long gone. It was amazing that the conversation was so interesting they missed it. 

The rain had been so huge that not even the sweet scent emanating from raindrops splashing on the soil would survive but for them, the atmosphere might as well have been smelling of daisy. For better or for worse, both ended up cancelling their evening’s plans, just to follow up with a more proper date in town. It was still a few minutes’ walk to the station. 

The bus they boarded was an old model, stuffy and maybe even unroadworthy. Just the perfect fit for the new couple. What more? Another reason to sit up close and breathe the imperfect convenience from each other’s breathless bewilderment. 

Sometimes the universe aligns so well that even the angel of death respects fate and skips the queue.

What if it hadn’t rained? 

What if one of them was too preoccupied with their errands in town or the following day’s event?