It is my birthday today, and yes, thanks for the wishes. I am not into birthdays celebration as such, but for the first time in my working life, I am taking a day off to spend some time with family. I am no one yet, and these lessons I am writing down is just out of my personal experience. You may or may not agree to most of them for obvious reasons. Read with an open mind, and comment with your perspective about life and things.

1. Money cannot buy happiness directly but it helps : There is a big saying out in the world “Money cannot buy happiness”, and I feel this saying is famous because people tend to blame something or someone when they are not making or earning enough according to their calibre. People use this phrase “Money cannot buy happiness” to blame. Yes, I know it cannot, but money helps you to buy things which sets you at peace and allows you to afford things which can make you feel content. Always aim to earn big. It won’t let you buy happiness or peace, but just, for example, it will let you allow to take care of your parents in a big hospital during an emergency.
2. Your Appearance is everything: It doesn’t matter which field you are into if you are in shape or not, always wear well-fitted clothes and keep your hair and beard in shape. Appearing good and sharp will help you to network with other people more than anything. Stop roaming around in slippers and shorts. Whenever you are leaving your house, make sure you are dressed in decent clothes and footwear. Shabbiness is hated by everyone. It doesn’t look cool.
3. Gifts make People happy: I was a big “anti gifting” person till last year. I avoided taking gifts and giving gifts because I felt it raises the expectations and create differences among people but I was wrong. I read somewhere that you should believe in giving more, and since then I tried my best to gift people randomly. And the happiness on their faces upon receiving gifts made me happy. I am never going back.
4. Never make or try to make people jealous : Not at all a good things to do. Even if you are aware of it, you end up doing it by mistake. Try your best to not to make people jealous of your achievements and success. Never make someone feel small. You are here for a legacy, not anything short. Characterise yourself accordingly.
5. People will still get jealous out of their insecurity and accept this fact : The point I wrote above is a bit conflicting to this one, but the truth is, some people will still feel jealous of you because they have some pre conceived insecurities which you or I cannot eradicate. They will get jealous and abuse you upon your success and achievements. Make peace with this fact. Everyone won’t and cannot love you.
6. Marriage at right age saves your time: I was a big believer of that marriage will put complications in my life, but I got married at the age of 27. And it helped me a lot to focus on my business and overall development. Before marriage, my focus was on other things constantly, after marriage my aim and focus changed. I am not saying it is must, but it helped me, it can help you.
7. Embrace technology whenever and wherever you can: Do not be that person who avoids using technological advancements because he or she thinks what if one day it goes all away? Technology is not going anywhere except ahead. It will develop more and more with time, and you should get used to it. Use smart lights, Alexa, HomePod devices if possible, smart watches if you can afford. Do not shy way. Your kids will call you boomer otherwise.
8. Keep at-least 5 lakh INR untouched in your liquid funds: Do not touch this 5 Lakh INR whatever happens. Keep this money strictly for the medical and other emergency use. Read again – Do not touch it for your expenses. Buying a new laptop or buying a new gadget is not called an emergency.
9. Use Social Media extensively : I don’t care which field you are in, whether you are a doctor or an engineer or some CEO or vice president of a big firm if you are not using social media extensively to create content which can help and provide value to others, sooner or later you will lose the game. My grandpa who is 78 years old is using Facebook 24/7 and not only him, many people older than him are using social media. Imagine what will be the usage frequency of coming generation.
10. However rich you are, You cannot buy Fitness : I have coached 750 people so far, and I have come across people who are so rich that they never coordinated with me directly, only their chefs did and I have come across people who used to workout in slippers at the gym because they couldn’t afford good gym shoes. Let me tell you honestly, the rich guy – who had a personal chef, personal trainer, one guy to wash his whey shake and a person to carry his towel around at gym could not make good physique but they guy who worked out in slippers made himself fit. If today you are waiting for the right moment that “Once I have enough money I will start a fitness regime” – you are wrong. Start now. Because once you are rich enough, you will be busy enough and with that money, you will be able to buy imported cars, bikes and other gadgets but not abs. (unless you start taking drugs)
11. You cannot learn everything : That’s the truth. At the age of 21-23 when I was at the peak of my hormones, I tried to learn everything possible. But with the age, I realised that I cannot learn everything and it is fine to ask for help for people who are experts in that.
12. Ego has ruined lives and will ruin yours too: If you are an egoistic person, it will ruin your life. Ego is a poison packed in your brain and once it starts releasing, it ends everything. Every relationship, every career goal, every achievement and every good deed you have done so far. Drop your ego. Practice meditation and listen to spiritual gurus like OSHO, Krishnamurthy, Sadhguru, etc to understand more about it.
13. Learn to Read, Write and Express yourself : If you are good at reading, writing and expressing yourself, you can build any business over social media within months. These are very basic skills. Practice – Practice and Practice. Even today, when I sit down to write a blog post, like this one, I take it as a practice.
14. Never keep expectations from others : This I learned from OSHO – he taught that the biggest reason of your unhappiness right now is that you kept some kind of expectations from others which are not fulfilled. Expectations can never be fulfilled, it will keep increasing. Full Focus on giving and zero focus on receiving.