Be Your Own Rival The famous Danish sculptor, Thorvaldsen, never rested on his laurels. When asked, “Which statue do you consider the greatest?” Thorvaldsen would answer…
Perfection is the Seal of Brilliance Although Michelangelo had completed a sculpture, he continued working on it for more than a week thereafter. His friend asked him, “I can’t see any difference. Why are you labouring so hard on the same finished statue?” Michelangelo explained...
Finding Happiness Early one afternoon, a fisherman retired for the day and was smoking his pipe under a tree, without a care on his mind. An industrialist passing by found his laziness unsettling. “Why are you not fishing?” he asked the fisherman. The fisherman answered,...
Don’t Blindly Trust Others A seriously ill man fell into a coma. Everybody around believed that his end had come. The family doctor came and he thoroughly examined the bedridden man, not leaving anything to chance. Fully satisfied with his examination, the doctor informed the...
Fewer the Wants, Greater the Joy The political philosopher Aristippus, paying court to the tyrant Denys, had acquired a comfortable living. He actively sneered at his less prosperous peers. Seeing the sage Diogenes washing some vegetables, he said disdainfully, “If you would only learn to...
There Will Always be Problems A woman in the advanced stages of her pregnancy went for a regular prenatal check-up. “Any problems?” the doctor asked. She was ready with a list. “Yes,” she replied, “I can’t sit comfortably; I can’t eat what I like; I’m...
Expressing Your Anger Stanton, the secretary of war under Abraham Lincoln, was furious because an officer had failed to carry out an order. Whether the officer had deliberately disobeyed him or failed to comprehend his order was irrelevant. In Stanton’s eyes, the mistake was unforgivable....
The Cure for Melancholy One day, a patient suffering from deep melancholy presented himself to Abernathy. After careful examination, the celebrated practitioner said, “You need amusement; go and witness the performance of the comedian Grimaldi. The circus is in the city right now; Grimaldi will...
Ridding oneself of Inner turmoil Aggrawal was a hard-working executive. He was the president of a large company and worked unremittingly to make it the biggest and best of its kind. Physically, he was a strong man, heavily muscled and energetic and though he was...
Accept People As They Are A customer entered an expensive bakery in New York. His order was something out of the ordinary. He wanted a cake baked in the shape of the letter “s”. He was very clear about what he wanted and included all...
