Well, its 2.10 on the clock and I have turned 25 a couple of hours back. AS I look back at the two and a half decades gone by, I cannot help but smile with satisfaction at a lot many things. The lessons learnt, the mistakes made, the friendships, the arguments, the failures, the successes… all of it seems overwhelming when you contemplate. As such, I decided to pen down the 25 big lessons of life as an Indian student, teenager, employee, entrepreneur….

Now a lot of us read a lot of quotes on a lot of days. I decided to practicalize (if the word exists) ten of them to suit realistic scenarios….Here goes:

1. “They say better safe than sorry” I say if you play too safe, you WILL be sorry. Take risks!
2. “Listen to your heart” but follow your gut feeling.
3. “When you possess great talent and try to tell others about it, you will seldom be believed” Unless of course you can market it!
4. “When we strive to become better, everything around becomes better too” BS! It’s just that we start taking the negatives in a positive manner.
5. “Be your own cheerleader” Naah, I would say surround yourself with people who would motivate you to do better and better.
6. “Spread your legs as far as the blanket goes” How about spreading them and sewing the blanket along with that. Makes sense doesn't it!
7. “Success cannot be equated with the money you make” Although the money can certainly help you achieve more success.
8. “Follow your dreams if you want to achieve them” But do not spend time repenting if you did not realize one of them. Remember, dreaming does not cost a dime, time certainly does.
    
9. “Trust takes ages to build and a second to be destroyed” But if you can spend a few minutes after that fateful second, there will be opportunities when you can not only rebuild it but make it even stronger than before.
10. “When you want something, leave your Ego aside” Instead of letting the ego become an obstacle use it as a bridge to achieve what you so desire.

Now here are ten of the lessons I learnt on my journey as an entrepreneur:

1. If you are able to do it right, flaunting your success will often help you getting more of it.Seen the 2013 Honda Ad? Notice how their flaunting of winning the JD Power Award is being capitalized to increase sales.
2. Instead of pondering over failure and difficult situations alone, try doing it with friends. They will often come up with suggestions, insights and even jokes that you may have not even thought of.
3. Watch videos on the net. Trust me! This is by far one of the best stress-busters around and we the internet generation are fortunate to have it. Here’s one to start with!
4. A lousy internet connection will help you learn the art of being patient. This is of course when I do not have access to Alok Sir’s, Mohul’s, Sensei’s and fellow Rodinhooder’s invaluable lessons and experiences online.
5. Karma is definitely a B***ch but it can be a good one if you want it to! Just make sure that you do a lot of good. So when there are some things that go wrong, the good saves you!
6. If you are good at something, NEVER, EVER EVER DO IT FOR FREE! While getting $$ greens may not always be possible but getting some brownie points, testimonials and shout-outs definitely is!
7. You may be passionate about Hitler or even the Devil himself as long as you are speaking from your heart and mean what you say, it does not matter if you are politically (or grammatically correct). For instance, January 30 is a dry day on account of M.K. Gandhi’s death anniversary but people use the very same Gandhi (in the form of currency) to stock up for it.
8. Debates and arguments are always known to be helpful and insightful. If no one points out that you are wrong, you are definitely wrong!
9. Jealousy has more often than not helped me in achieving the impossible. As a great entrepreneurial guru once said, “Jab log tumhare bare main baatein karne lage, samjho tarakki kar rahe ho!”
10. Prioritize! Being a content writer, I am used to getting work requests that are fairly priced, overpriced and even pathetically priced. I make sure that I make room for many if not all. This helps me minimizing risks and ensuring that I have some work to bank upon during the lean & uncertain periods.

And finally, the 4 things I would suggest we do for ourselves. For as entrepreneurs, we certainly love living for themselves..!

1. Do not hesitate to unwind and pamper and reward yourself! Am sure you have been eyeing a nifty DSLR camera for months, or planning a road-trip where you ride into the horizon with friends. Go for it!
2. Fall in Love! If not with your significant other, then with a hobby, a past time or even an object. Passion is what governs our energy levels and sometimes dedicating it to stuff other than business works wonders!
3. Contradict Yourself! When this happens, you are sure to make news and surprise yourself in the process!
4. Talk, Talk, Talk, WAIT Don’t Talk! Discussing ideas and plan does not always help. Keeping some information to yourself (as you will soon realize) mostly does!