Vichar Bhavan

Graduation Address

 

 When you are working toward a vision that is firmly grounded in your values, you will be capable of astounding creativity and massive impact.  Staying true to your values and your vision is how you can change the world.

 

— Vivek Murthy —

” To live is an awfully big adventure.”

— Robin Williams —

What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.

— Nelson Mandela —

 

“I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN”

USMNT 2014

Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job. Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired. Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable. You can always quit later, and be no worse off than you are today. But don’t waste another year looking for a career that doesn’t exist. And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs.
Many people today resent the suggestion that they’re in charge of the way the feel. But trust me those people are mistaken. What you do, who you’re with, and how you feel about the world around you, is completely up to you.

http://www.lifebuzz.com/mike-rowe/#!Roxav

Never give up,

no matter what is going on.

Never give up.

Develop the heart.

Too much energy in your country

is spent developing the mind instead of the heart.

Develop the heart.

Be compassionate.

Not just to your friends but to everyone.

Be compassionate.

Work for peace in your heart and in the world.

Work for peace and I say again never give up.

No matter what is happening,

no matter what is going on around you

never give up.

— His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama —

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone – if possible – Jew, Gentile – black man – white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness – not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost….

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men – cries out for universal brotherhood – for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world – millions of despairing men, women, and little children – victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say – do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed – the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. …..

Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes – men who despise you – enslave you – who regiment your lives – tell you what to do – what to think and what to feel! Who drill you – diet you – treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men – machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate – the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” – not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power – the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then – in the name of democracy – let us use that power – let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world – a decent world that will give men a chance to work – that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world – to do away with national barriers – to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

— Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator’s Speech —

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IvPIWzQcUY

Congratulations! 
Today is your day. 
You’re off to Great Places! 
You’re off and away! 

You have brains in your head. 
You have feet in your shoes 
You can steer yourself 
any direction you choose. 
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. 
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. 

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ’em over with care. 
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” 
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, 
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street. 

And you may not find any 
you’ll want to go down. 
In that case, of course, 
you’ll head straight out of town. 

It’s opener there 
in the wide open air. 

Out there things can happen 
and frequently do 
to people as brainy 
and footsy as you. 

And when things start to happen, 
don’t worry. Don’t stew. 
Just go right along. 
You’ll start happening too. 

OH! 
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! 

You’ll be on your way up! 
You’ll be seeing great sights! 
You’ll join the high fliers 
who soar to high heights. 

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. 
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. 
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best. 
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. 

Except when you don’ t 
Because, sometimes, you won’t. 

I’m sorry to say so 
but, sadly, it’s true 
and Hang-ups 
can happen to you. 

You can get all hung up 
in a prickle-ly perch. 
And your gang will fly on. 
You’ll be left in a Lurch. 

You’ll come down from the Lurch 
with an unpleasant bump. 
And the chances are, then, 
that you’ll be in a Slump. 

And when you’re in a Slump, 
you’re not in for much fun. 
Un-slumping yourself 
is not easily done. 

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. 
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. 
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin! 
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? 
How much can you lose? How much can you win? 

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right… 
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? 
Or go around back and sneak in from behind? 
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, 
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. 

You can get so confused 
that you’ll start in to race 
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace 
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, 
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. 
The Waiting Place… 

…for people just waiting. 
Waiting for a train to go 
or a bus to come, or a plane to go 
or the mail to come, or the rain to go 
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow 
or waiting around for a Yes or a No 
or waiting for their hair to grow. 
Everyone is just waiting. 

Waiting for the fish to bite 
or waiting for wind to fly a kite 
or waiting around for Friday night 
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake 
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break 
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants 
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. 
Everyone is just waiting. 

NO! 
That’s not for you! 

Somehow you’ll escape 
all that waiting and staying. 
You’ll find the bright places 
where Boom Bands are playing. 

With banner flip-flapping, 
once more you’ll ride high! 
Ready for anything under the sky. 
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy! 

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! 
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won. 
And the magical things you can do with that ball 
will make you the winning-est winner of all. 
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, 
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV. 

Except when they don’t. 
Because, sometimes, they won’t. 

I’m afraid that some times 
you’ll play lonely games too. 
Games you can’t win 
’cause you’ll play against you. 

All Alone! 
Whether you like it or not, 
Alone will be something 
you’ll be quite a lot. 

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance 
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. 
There are some, down the road between hither and yon, 
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on. 

But on you will go 
though the weather be foul 
On you will go 
though your enemies prowl 
On you will go 
though the Hakken-Kraks howl 
Onward up many 
a frightening creek, 
though your arms may get sore 
and your sneakers may leak. 

On and on you will hike 
and I know you’ll hike far 
and face up to your problems 
whatever they are. 

You’ll get mixed up, of course, 
as you already know. 
You’ll get mixed up 
with many strange birds as you go. 
So be sure when you step. 
Step with care and great tact 
and remember that Life’s 
a Great Balancing Act. 
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. 
And never mix up your right foot with your left. 

And will you succeed? 
Yes! You will, indeed! 
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.) 

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! 

So… 
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray 
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, 
you’re off to Great Places! 
Today is your day! 
Your mountain is waiting. 
So…get on your way!