Jeff Bezos speech at Princeton graduation ceremony

Great people have a simple way of saying something important. Something valuable. Something everyone can learn from.

The speech that I've been most impressed by, is Warren Buffet's speech at the Univ. of Florida graduation. That's one speech I don't think I'll ever forget in my life.

I recently read a script of the speech that Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon) delivered at the Princeton graduation ceremony. A couple of lines just stood out stark in my face. They were almost on the same lines as what Warren Buffet said.

What I want to talk to you about today is the difference between gifts and choices. Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy -- they're given after all. Choices can be hard. You can seduce yourself with your gifts if you're not careful, and if you do, it'll probably be to the detriment of your choices.

I will hazard a prediction. When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices.

Brilliantly said. And he gives one of the most amazing examples that even a 5th grade student would understand!

You can find the full speech at the link below

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S27/52/51O99/index.xml

TMI TMI TMI

Yes.. this is a post addressed to my dear women friends. There is something called TMI and the latest viral campaign of "Breast Cancer awareness by announcing bra colours on FB Status message" DEFINITELY falls in the TMI category! (TMI = Too much information!). Post a fact about breast cancer.. not your bra colour! :-P

To those of you who're going to say "It's a fun way to promote awareness. I don't think it's offensive.", get this right. I'm all for freedom of speech and creativity and all that.. but it was just plain gross to watch my Facebook Friends News feed filling up with all possible colours from people I know.

I was complaining about this campaign to one of my women friends and all she had to say was "Oh grow up! Don't blame us if your imagination is hyper active"

One of the messages from someone on facebook read
My mom's facebook status is: Hot pink and leopard skin.
I'm officially scarred for life!


er....!!! Maybe that will give you an idea of what are the possible messages we could be seeing?

Another friend goes.. "Oh.. you guys are just too insecure and jealous that we girls are having fun".

Maybe we guys should start a campaign to promote awareness on prostrate cancer prevalent in men.
And the more controversial, the better.. right? The more awareness it will create.. right?
Hmm.. maybe all the guys should start posting their.. hmm.. sizes, as their status message as part of this campaign to promote awareness on Prostrate cancer?

What? Let me guess! you're going to say "but we only posted our colours, not sizes". Well, we do get your attention by mentioning sizes didn't we? I'm sure you won't bother as much if we put up colours like the girls' campaign!
Awareness quotient achieved with sizes?
End result achieved?

And if you tell me that it won't trigger any imagination in you, and you're not affected by it.. think again! I'm SURE your life will never be the same again after a colleague posts a 2" on his status message or your kid cousin brother posts a 11" on his :-P. Every time you walk by that colleague at office I'm sure your imagination will scar you with that thought! No matter how hard you try not to!

I'm willing to bet that 90% of the women who "participated" in the campaign didn't spend a minute reading up about breast cancer!
Ladies.. Get a life. Donate something towards Breast Cancer if you want to. But please spare your platonic friends, family and co-workers!

TMI TMI TMI

PS: I'm always a big fan of the fairer sex :-). But, there is still a line somewhere out there..

Value of money

Recently one of the Ultimate players posted the following video on FB.




Pretty interesting video. And, it brought back memories of an old post I'd read on an Alumni's blog. It took me a while to find the link again (I'd forgotten the Alumni's name and the blog name). I read it again. Same emotions as when I'd read it for the first time 3 years ago when I'd just moved back to India.

http://gyaan.blogspot.com/2004/11/150-rupees-year.html

Now, I don't know if the boy in the blog-post was faking or was really genuine. But, the reason I put it up here is to show that the you-tube video wasn't really just some Ad gimmick.

Once again, I'm reminded of my social responsibilities.