Gulp!
$3,350 required now. I have no clue how I am going to raise that kind of money. I did feel a moral obligation to commit that amount.
I have had this sinking feeling before; To feel startled and scared everytime I hear the doorbell or the phone ringing, praying that it isn’t a debtor.
:-(
I have only myself to blame for not saving money over the years.
“To reconstitute political life in a state presupposes a good man, whereas to have recourse to violence in order to make oneself prince in a republic supposes a bad man. Hence very rarely will there be found a good man ready to use bad methods in order to make himself prince, though with a good end in view.
Nor will any reasonable man blame him for taking any action, however, extraordinary, which may be of service in the organizing of a kingdom or the constituting of a republic. It is a sound maxim that reprehensible actions may be justified by their effects, and that when the effect is good, it always justifies the action. For it is the man who uses to spoil things, not the man who uses it to mend them, that is blameworthy.
A prince should therefore disregard the reproach of being thought cruel where it enables him to keep his subjects united and loyal. For he who quells disorder by a very few signal examples will in the end be more merciful than he who from too great leniency permits things to take their course and so result in chaos and bloodshed; for these hurt the whole state, whereas the serverities of the Prince injure individuals only.
It is essential therefore, for a Prince who desires to maintain his position, to have learned how to be other than good, and to use or not use his goodness as necessity requires.
Everyone sees what you seem to be, but few know what you are.”
"— Niccolo Machiavelli from The Prince and The Discourses
— Ogden Nash
The Zen Master & Success
I saw a movie named “Charlie Wilson’s War” in which these lines are spoken at the very end. For me, these lines changed my perception of being successful.
There was a little boy. And this boy, at his 14th birthday, gets a horse. And everybody in the village says, “how wonderful, the boy got a horse!” The Zen master says, “we’ll see.”
Two years later, the boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg and the whole village says, “how terrible!” The Zen master says, “we’ll see.”
Then a war breaks out and all the young men have to go out and fight, except that this boy can’t, because his leg is all messed up, so now everybody in the village says, “how wonderful!”
… and the Zen master says ‘We’ll see.’
A letter from my Uncle
I received a very fascinating letter from my uncle, Mr. Mohan Rao, from Mumbai. He has been around books all his life and his love-affair with all things to do with literature continue. I thought I will share this rather pleasant e-mail with all of you. I hope his best wishes for me stay with my always. :-)
“My dear Rahul,
I recall talking to you about a very interesting person called Shanbagh.
He was born in a rich family in South Canara. Having lost his father at the age of two, he had to lead a life without special advantages. He did his matriculation and came to Mumbai in 1945. He joined St Xavier’s College and graduated. While studying, he was also doing odd jobs and earning his keep. He was a lover of books. He came to know that some space was available on the footpath outside Strand Cinema in Colaba, Mumbai. He started paying a rent of Rs 450 a month and began selling books. He became very popular and was sought by book lovers to get the most readable books.
Soon he had enough money to get a place for himself in Sir P.M.Road in Mumbai and became even more popular. He set up Strand Bookstall there. He would be up to date on the latest bestsellers and similar knowledge to recommend books to read. All the senior VIPs visted him. This included Nehru, Abdul Kalam and the legendary editors of Newspapers
He was holding regular Book Exhibitions in Mumbai. He was very skilled in getting the best bargains all over the world for the best prices.
I had met him many times in the bookshop. He would talk very charmingly and would be able to guide on what is the best thing to read.
I learnt that he retired every night at 9 pm carrying a book with him and completed it by 12 pm before sleeping !.
I wished to introduce him to you whenever you came to Mumbai.
Unfortunately he passed alway last month. He was 84 though he looked much younger.
I have summarised the write up of his obituary and given it to you.
May God help you to sell books and enjoy doing it as Shri Shanbag did.
He was awarded the PadmaShree by the Govt.
Mohan.”
— Shashi Tharoor, in his ‘The Great Indian Novel’
“Being surrounded by books on set, but not a word from them being read.
I need the time to read. There is so much I am desirous of. One day, on rocking chair it will happen !!”
- Amitabh Bachchan
Source: Amitabh Bachchan’s Blog
