Small Aim is a Crime

About two months back I was in Mumbai on office work - in the evening I met Prashant Joglekar - an unbelievable passionate man - very passionate about Innovation and TRIZ. Although we had interacted before over emails, it was the first time we were meeting. He came all the way from his home to meet me at my hotel- which in a city like Mumbai, is a very tough task - I believe. Over the dinner, he gifted me a book by India's ex-president, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. It is titled Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India.

Prashant wrote, " Dear Navneet, you will enjoy this".

Well, having had the privilege of working directly with Dr Kalam when he was Head of DRDO, where I worked as a scientist, and having read his earlier books, I had no doubt that it will be a book that I will enjoy.

I am reading this small book - having seen the book umpteen times in book stores not buying it as I was always lured by other books on my interests, it is indeed a pleasant surprise that prashant was able to pin point what book I would not have bought! Thats a challenge for many of my other friends who said that they wanted to gift me a book but were not sure whether I have bought the book before - I have this irritating habbit of buying books everywhere - irritating to my wife - definitely :).

Well, Ignited Minds is a book to be cherished - t0 be imbibed, to be understood, to become one with the dream. Dr. Kalam writes a poem at the end - and I would like to reproduce one stanza - which makes you feel how our minds should grow out of what we crave in our daily life. Kalam says,

As a young citizen of India,
armed with technology, knowledge and love for my Nation,
I realize, small aim is a crime

Indeed - small aim is a crime. Aim high - as big as one can. This is an amazing meme.

Another gem from the same poem

the ignited soul compared to any other resource,
is the most powerful resource
on the earth, above the earth and under the earth.

I sincerely believe we all have a role to play, in the new world that is embarking on the journey ahead -

Thanks Prashant for the gift of ignited minds! it is indeed a treasure!