My
Dear Student Friends,
Greetings!
This is Dr. Ravi Saripalle, Founder, Inspire to Innovate (i2i) Storytelling
Movement. Welcome to “Letter
to Student Series- Volume 2 and Issue 3”. Hope you enjoyed reading my
previous letter. These letters are e-transmitted across the country, for one
good cause, spreading inspiring stories of amazing people. Our mission is to inspire
youth by sharing positive stories of people who made difference in life in
various domains. Today these letters are reaching all 686 districts of our
country. These letters are helping to
build positive dreams and act as catalyst to youth aspirations.
Why should you read this letter? Your
time is most precious.
We are writing to you for a cause of
individual and global importance. We request you to give us 5 minutes of your
valuable time by reading this letter and consider for implementation if you
find any merit in this. Today, children of 10-21 age group are highly
aspirational. If these aspirations are not properly supported by inspirational
information and support system, these aspirations deviate. After through
research and multiple observations, we are confident that following solution
may work for this critical problem. We humbly appeal to you to implement
following 2 steps systematically.
1. Read / hear one
inspiring story per week of any individual / situation
2. Write a physical
post card letter / formal mail in every 6 months to someone you trust. Request you
to share your dreams and hurdles. It helps in setting up vision for life.
Trust me, continue this process for
some time, it impacts reticular activating system of human brain. We can
expect amazing results. I truly wish your story becomes another inspirational
story and positively influence all of us.
To facilitate this process, we
devised vision setting survey form. You can answer survey form at https://goo.gl/vgyD54 and help yourself setting up your own vision. I
encourage you to respond.
In
the previous issue, we discussed about Peter Henlein who
developed most important component of clock which is the mainspring, Aryabhata,
one of our Indian greatest mathematicians and astronomers, Ritesh Agarwal,
founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, Tenith Adithyaa, a 16-year old
teenage Scientist, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm, Indian e-commerce website & mobile payment platform and about Six
school going girls from Bihar have renounced wearing gold jewellery till
their parents build toilets in their homes.
Why
we need to save money? Because we cannot predict our future needs. We don't
know when emergency comes. Some people do not know how to save money. Some
people do not know how much to save. Too liberal or lavish in spending leads to
financial crisis. Too conservative or economize in spending leads to miserly
lifestyle. Both are not good for a balanced life. In this age of technology
where robots are replacing humans for most crucial decisions, we need
technology help to manage our finances too. Exactly to fulfill this
requirement, 29 year old Ethan Bloch from United States of
America, developed an App called Digit which manages your personal finances in painless
way. It automatically saves money from your checking account without accountholder's
notice. On top of it, it also insures up to $250,000. This app is not dumb. It
analyses our spending patterns and calculates exactly how much we can save. It
is not based on bank instruction but it is having scientific methodology to save
money. It checks your salary levels, monthly bills, future bills, liability and
suitable plans our saving. What a wonderful app? I am sure one day we witness similar
apps like diet control, health monitoring, petrol, gas, electricity, shopping
and so on get integrated in our day to day life! For more information, please
go through http://www.businessinsider.in/This-29-year-old-invented-a-painless-way-to-save-money-and-Googles-buying-into-it/articleshow/46304481.cms.
Thank you
businessinsider.in.
You
will be surprised who is Stan Lee though his work is most famous.
His full name is Stanley Martin Lieber born on December 28th, 1922, in New York
City. In his childhood, he got influenced by books and movies, especially with
heroic roles. During his early life, his family was living in a one-bedroom
apartment. In his youth, he used to write a lot. He used to do part-time jobs as
writer, delivering sandwiches, as office boy for a trouser manufacturer, guide
at the Rivoli Theater and selling subscriptions to the New York Herald
Tribune newspaper
etc. Later Lee became an assistant at comics division
of pulp magazine and comic-book publisher-Martin Goodman's company. It was breakthrough in
his life. In this journey he introduced most successful character called Spider-Man. Now I am sure you might have understood who is Stan Lee! Art
and Creativity is borderless. If you start think right and deliver
continuously, one day, something outstanding comes out. It turns our life
completely. To know more about Stan Lee, please go through https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Lee where I extracted this wonderful
information. Thank you Wikipedia.
Now
let me introduce interesting CEO, who proved that entrepreneurship is ageless. Jack
Arnold Weil (Cowboy Dresser inventor) born on March 28, 1901 in
Evansville, Indiana, United States. He coined phrase "The West is not a place, it is a
state of mind." He is the first man to keep snaps on Western shirts, patented the saw-tooth pocket
design which we see on western t-shirts and invented bolo tie (a neck tie made of cord with a decorative slide). At the
age of 45, Jack Weil founded popular cowboy-wear brand, Rockmount Ranch Wear.
He remained as CEO until he died at the ripe old age of 107 in 2008!! He was
survived by daughter, 5 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren when he died. He
is refereed as world's oldest CEO! His company Rockmount Ranch Wear has sold
millions of shirts right from its inception in 1946. Until the day of his
death, he came to office regularly. During his childhood, he and his brother
used to deliver NEWSPAPERs. It seems he quit smoking, drinking and meat at
various stages of his life for good purposes. Thank you nytimes,
businessinsider, wikipedia for publishing such an inspiring entreprener. (http://www.businessinsider.in/24-people-who-became-highly-successful-after-age-40/Jack-Weil-was-45-when-he-founded-what-became-the-most-popular-cowboy-wear-brand-Rockmount-Ranch-Wear-He-remained-its-CEO-until-he-died-at-the-ripe-old-age-of-107-in-2008-/slideshow/47789511.cms)
and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Weil.; http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/business/15weil.html
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, famously known as Grandma Moses, was a renowned American folk artist. She started her painting career at the age of 78 and became
most successful artist. Her works were sold across the world in the form of
greeting cards and other merchandise. "The Sugaring Off" work was
sold for US$1.2 million in 2006. The Sugaring Off is most popular
theme of her works. Grandma proved again that learning is ageless. It starts at
any age but still we can become famous and most importantly we can be contented
in the process.
Recently
I was talking to one of my good students. One day his morale low and came to my
office. I was trying to encourage. I shared Abraham Lincoln's bio-profile.
I requested him to read the story of Lincoln at http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/education/failures.htm. It was amazing compilation. For the
benefit of our newsletter viewers, Let me summarize. It summarized year wise major
failures / setbacks and major successes. Total there were 11 critical failures
/ setbacks and 15 massive successes in his critical life. In 1832, Lincoln lost
job and defeated for state legislature. The same year, he got elected as company
captain. In 1833, he failed in his business and in the same year he got appointed
as postmaster of New Salem, Illinois and appointed as deputy surveyor of
Sangamon County. In 1834, there were no setbacks but Elected to Illinois state
legislature. In 1835, his wife died. In 1836, got nervous breakdown and also re-elected
to Illinois state legislature and also got license to practice law. In 1837, no
major setbacks but he became law partner of John T. Stuart. In 1838, defeated
as speaker and also nominated for Illinois House Speaker, Re-elected to
Illinois House and Served as Whig floor leader. 1839, 1840,1841, 1842 there
were no major failures or setbacks. But during this period, he succeeded in law
practice. In 1843, defeated for nomination for Congress but no major success.
In 1844 and 1846, there were no setbacks and also elected to congress. In 1848
again lost re-nomination. In 1849, rejected as land officer and in 1854, he
defeated for U.S. Senate but at the same time, elected to Illinois state
legislature. In 1856, defeated for nomination for Vice President and there was no
major success. In 1858, he again defeated for U.S. Senate and no major
successes. After multiple ups and downs, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln elected as
President of America. Imagine what kind of persistence and determination showed
by Lincoln? That is human life. Success and Failures are part of life. They do
not follow scale and timelines. Hope you agree with me on this blatant truth.
Let
me share another inspiring story of Chandra Shekar Ghosh who
started journey with small sweet shop to now running a new Bank altogether. I
read this incredible story at firstpost.com. http://www.firstpost.com/business/bandhan-bank-is-born-chandra-shekhar-ghoshs-incredible-journey-from-a-sweet-shop-to-owning-a-bank-2301082.html. Ghosh was born into family of
Bangladesh refugees. His father was running small sweet shop. Though they had
limited resources, father managed his son to study statistics at Dhaka
University. 1985, Ghosh started his career with international development
agency based out of Bangladesh. He involved in multiple NGOs working with poor
in West Bengal. Ghosh started microfinance company called Bandhan in West
Bengal in year 2001. He borrowed Rs 1.75 lakh from local moneylender @ interest
rate of 7.5 % per month, Rs 25,000 from his sister and brother-in-law. This was
the only capital deployed in the bank with 2 employees. He started disbursing small
loan amounts to poor. This model grew well. Today Bandhan expanded to more than
27 states with 2000 delivery centers. Now loan sizes have increased to as big as
1 lakh rupees. You know what, today Bandhan's net worth is more than Rs 500
crore for which it can be considered as new bank as per RBI rules . It has more
than 17,000 employees. Ghosh is not a management pundit from top class
university nor did his PhD in microfinance. He just studied problems, need, market
and more than that he got great heart. Thank you Firstpost for nicely
articulating this story.
Earning
money is one achievement in our life. Probably it is possible through some
means. But it does not guarantee any happiness. Happiness comes when you are able
to share with someone who deserves and who helped you in your earning. Saying
is easy but acting is tough. Very few people are committed to such cause.
Probably you must be guessing who can be in that noble list. Savjibhai
Dholakia, a diamond merchant from Surat was in news in recent times for
similar reason! His organization named Hari Krishna Exports (exports
diamonds to more than 75 countries, started in 1992) announced 1,260 cars, 400
flats and jewellery items to deserved employees as part of Diwali gifts. His
goal is to make every employee owns flat and car! What an organizational norm?
He is not only concerned about living of his employees but also concerned about
life style. What an incredible management style? This process is scientific and
reward / performance based. This spend is 50+ crores and organization employs
5000+ employees. He is doing this similar exercise from last 4 years without
fail. He believed this kind of soft dollar / loyalty program. His personal
story was amazing. He started this business using loan from his uncle in humble
way. Now he wants to impart similar ideology to his son. Hence recently he sent
his son to Kochi with three sets of clothing, Rs 7,000 money and asked him
to live on his own. What kind of legacy he wants to transmit to the next
generation. Long live Savjibhai Dholakia. World needs many people like you.
Organizations across the world need to imbibe values and management style from Hari
Krishna Exports. I believe in storytelling. Mostly we think storytelling is
connected to people. I just opened HK exports website (http://about.hk.co/) and
clicked our entity & Brands. One of their flagship brand is "My
Diamond Story". It is private label brand and meant for lifelong
commitment. Every element on this earth is connected to some story and inspires
us. Thank you livemint and economic times for publishing such positive stories,
educating and inspiring people like us. If you want to read the complete
article, please visit livemint.com and economic times. You get complete understanding. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/
55095846.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_ medium=text&utm_ campaign=cppst
; http://www.livemint.com/Companies/wTx5y7RKkWMz3HRAJur2ON/Surat-diamond-merchant-to-gift-cars-flats-to-employees-for.html
My
Dear Friends, Today I want to share something from my
heart. This letter series reached Volume 2 and Issue 3. This means, till date,
I sent 14 letters to you. This is my 15th communication to you. Our
association is 15th month old now. Our association got matured and became
meaningful. What do you mean by this? What is expected from this association?
Why am I writing to you? Being a regular reader, you are matured enough to
understand the meaning and expectations. My only wish in this social mission is
"You have to be inspired". No, You must be inspired. You have to
dream high. You have to think big. You have to grow high in your life. You story should teach someone and inspire
many. This is the only and sole goal of these letters. This is the only
expectation from my side. You have to give me this much of commitment. Inspire
through storytelling, Innovate for Life turning! Today it is not mere slogan.
It is philosophy now. It is the mantra to survive. I want to keep it recorded.
25-30 years back, I suffered a lot due to negative thinking. I was not
confident about myself though academically I was decent. I think negative
consequence first, plan for that and take real action. It was huge toll on me.
I lost good opportunities. Now when I look back, they appear so silly. Today I
am reasonably succeeded in my action. I am highly confident and optimistic
about future. Why I am sharing with you because, it is message to you. Don't
worry too much of consequence. You are bound to succeed if you think positive. Friends, I
appreciate your valuable time. I will see you in my next letter. Thank you for
giving me this great opportunity to write to you and help me to learn, unlearn
and relearn in this process. I personally thank all websites, authors who are
publishing / writing such an inspiring stories for common good and contributing
for better world.
With Best Wishes,
Dr. Ravi
Saripalle
About Author: Dr. Ravi Saripalle is Founder of Inspire
to Innovate (i2i) Storytelling Movement. He is also Director,
Center for Innovation, GVP College of Engineering (A), Vizag, AP, India. As
part of Inspire to Innovate (i2i) Storytelling Movement, Dr.Ravi is trying to instill
inspiration through spreading positive stories of amazing people in the form of
short stories, embedding them in the form of letters (epistolary form) and
sending them to thousands of schools, colleges, universities districts
administration across India. Also conducting Storytelling Workshops in select institutions.
Providing customized mentoring to specific inspired students. Dr. Ravi is
having 18 years of experience in Industry, Consultancy, Training, Mentoring and
Research. Prior to this current mission, Ravi worked with Wipro Technologies
for more than a decade. Ravi can be
reached at saripalle.ravi@gmail,com or http://i2itm.blogspot.in/ or facebook.com/saripalle.ravi
Links to previous letters
1.
Letter to Student Series- Volume 2 and Issue 2 (Inspire To Innovate
(I2i) Storytelling Movement @ Students Of India)http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016/10/inspire-to-innovate-storytelling.html
2.
Letter to Student Series- Volume 2 and Issue 1 (Inspire To Innovate
(I2i) Storytelling Movement @ Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016_09_01_archive.html
3.
Letter to Student Series- Volume 1 and Issue 12 (Inspire To Innovate
(I2i) Storytelling Movement @ Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016/07/inspire-to-innovate-storytelling.html
4.
Letter to Student Series- Volume 1 and Issue 11 (Inspire To Innovate
(I2i) Storytelling Movement @ Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016/06/inspire-to-innovate-storytelling.html
5. Letter to Student Series-
Volume 1 and Issue 10 (Inspire To Innovate (I2i) Storytelling Movement @
Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016/05/inspire-to-innovate-storytelling_30.html
6.
Letter to Student Series- Volume 1 and Issue 9 (Inspire To Innovate
(I2i) Storytelling Movement @ Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016/05/inspire-to-innovate-storytelling.html
7.
Letter to Student Series- Volume 1 and Issue 8 (Inspire To Innovate
(I2i) Storytelling Movement @ Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016/04/inspire-to-innovate-storytelling.html
8. Letter to Student Series-
Volume 1 and Issue 7 (Inspire To Innovate (I2i) Storytelling Movement @
Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016/03/inspire-to-innovate-i2i-storytelling.html
9. Letter to Student Series-
Volume 1 and Issue 6 (Inspire To Innovate (I2i) Storytelling Movement @
Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016_02_01_archive.html
10. Letter to Student Series-
Volume 1 and Issue 5 (Inspire To Innovate (I2i) Storytelling Movement @
Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2016_01_01_archive.html
11.
Letter to Student Series- Volume 1 and Issue 4 (Inspire To Innovate
(I2i) Storytelling Movement @ Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2015_11_01_archive.html
12. Letter to Student Series-
Volume 1 and Issue 3 (Inspire To Innovate (I2i) Storytelling Movement @
Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2015_08_01_archive.html
13. Letter to Student Series-
Volume 1 and Issue 2 (Inspire To Innovate (I2i) Storytelling Movement @
Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2015/07/letter-to-student-series-volume-1-and.html
14. Letter to Student Series-
Volume 1 and Issue 1 (Inspire To Innovate (I2i) Storytelling Movement @
Students Of India) http://i2itm.blogspot.in/2015/05/inspire-to-innovate-i2i-thinking.html
Disclaimer:
The goal of this i2iSM letter series campaign is to inspire students / youth
through storytelling and develop innovative leaders to build strong nation. In
this process, I have taken several data points from various websites, NEWS
articles, books, videos etc. I sincerely thank all the editors for providing
such an insightful stories and information. To the best of my knowledge, I
tried to acknowledge all the sources. I sincerely apologize for any omissions,
grammatical mistakes and hurting any reader’s sentiments. I request all the
readers to understand the spirit behind this effort. This effort doesn’t
involve any commercials. Letter series is for free distribution.
