The first Prime Minister of independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889 in Allahabad. He is remembered for being a frontline freedom fighter in India’s struggle for Independence, and a central figure in Indian politics after independence. Along with this, Jawaharlal Nehru leaves behind a legacy of being one of India’s most prolific writers.

In his biography of Nehru, Shashi Tharoor describes him as an ‘aristocrat, socialist, anti-imperialist, foremost disciple of Gandhi, diehard secularist and India’s first prime minister, who sought to educate the Indian masses in democracy by his own personal example’.  These are amongst the many reasons why Nehru matters to India and the world even today.

Today on his 130th birth anniversary, we remember him with words and thoughts from his various books:

‘For only they can sense life who stand often on the verge of it, only they whose lives are not governed by the fear of death.’

― Jawaharlal Nehru, Discovery of India

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‘Nothing in the world that is alive remains unchanging. All Nature changes from day to day and minute to minute, only the dead stop growing and are quiescent.’

―Jawaharlal Nehru, Glimpses of World History

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‘Experience of public life showed me that popularity was often the handmaiden of undesirable persons; it was certainly not an invariable sign of virtue or intelligence.’

―Jawaharlal Nehru, An Autobiography

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‘There is no permanent stability or security or changelessness; if there were life itself would cease…Life is a principle of growth, not of standing still, a continuous becoming, which does not permit static conditions.’

― Jawaharlal Nehru, Discovery of India

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“Real failure was a desertion of principle, a denial of our right, and an ignoble submission to wrong. Self-made wounds always took longer to heal than those caused by an adversary.”

―Jawaharlal Nehru, An Autobiography

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“Ignorance is always afraid of change. It fears the unknown and sticks to its rut, however miserable it may be there. In its blindness it stumbles on anyhow. But with right reading comes a measure of knowledge, and the eyes are partly opened.”

―Jawaharlal Nehru, Glimpses of World History

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‘External events and their consequences affect us powerfully, and yet the greatest shocks come to our minds through inner fears and conflicts. While we advance on the external plane, as we must if we are to survive, we have also to win peace with ourselves.’

― Jawaharlal Nehru, Discovery of India

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‘Remember always that there is not so very much difference between various people as we seem to imagine. Maps and atlases show us countries in different colours. Undoubtedly people do differ from one another, but they resemble each other also a great deal, and it is well to keep this in mind and not be misled by the colours on the map or by national boundaries.’

―Jawaharlal Nehru, Glimpses of World History

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“I have always thought that the best way to find out what is right and what is not right, what should be done and what should not be done, is not by giving a sermon, but by talking and discussing, and out of discussion sometimes a little bit of the truth comes out.”

―Jawaharlal Nehru, Glimpses of World History

Read more of Nehru’s work here

In his autobiography Anupam Kher acknowledges the truths which set him on the path to success.

A good storyteller starts at the very beginning and Kher has an interesting story related to his birth that leads him to believe that his was not just a routine birth.

This listicle takes us, in Kher’s own words, through a few lessons that have been milestones in Kher’s life and which have made him feel that he is ‘destiny’s special child’!

1. “My life lesson has always been there is no point in thinking of what could have been—for I lay great store by John Lennon’s quote.”

2. In contrast to modern nuclear families, I grew up with an assortment of Khers of all ages, which gave me a head start in learning the lessons related to sharing, tolerance and respecting diverse viewpoints and ideas.”

3. “I think living with grandparents is the most significant factor in the growth of any child. At least, it was for me and my brother.”

4. “There is no reason why anyone should find it difficult to stay close to their roots and remain grounded even after they taste success.”

5. “Whatever be the adversities one faces, if one approaches the situation with a humorous perspective, then one is spared the angst, the tension and the stress that are nowadays part and parcel of day-to-day life and living.”

6. “My own experiences have taught me that tragedy and trauma teach you a lot and makes you aware of who you are if you don’t indulge in self-pity.”

7. “……I should be prepared for ups and downs but not let anything drag me down.”

8. “The choice you make can distinguish between the ordinary and the extraordinary.”

9. “I have learnt that failure is the one thing you should not fear in life. Better to experience it, face it, live it and thereby conquer, it by overcoming it.”

10. “If you are unable to fake an emotion, don’t fake it. If you are suffocated by loneliness, speak to someone; reach out to a loved one. You don’t need to fit in! You are not alone.”

Get ready to be even more inspired in Kher’s autobiography, Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly.

Emerging from the narrow lanes of Old Delhi, Mirza Ghalib’s couplets took wing on the hallowed reverence of millions of dreamers and became entrenched in public imagination. His words breathed fervour into many ardent professions of love and added depth to sombre musings on life.

Hidden behind the dazzling effulgence of his poetry was a man burnished by adversity. Reflecting the ironic duality that marked his life, Ghalib luxuriated in poetic verse and yet languished in material indigence.

‘Ghalib’s self-presentation was of one who lived a life of affluence and leisure, where he was respected as a thinker and honoured by the powerful. In reality, his poetic prowess was relatively unacknowledged in his own time, and his existence was marked by deep and constant financial insecurity exacerbated by the fact that he all too often backed the wrong horse in the context of a constantly shifting field of power.’ writes Raza Mir.

In Ghalib- A Thousand Desires, Raza Mir presents an illuminating account of Mirza Mohammad Asadullah Khan ‘Ghalib’s life and work. Read on for a glimpse-

1. 1. Born in 1797 in Agra to Mirza Abdullah Baig, Mirza Asadullah Khan belonged to a family of soldiers of Turkish ancestry. Losing his father in the early years of life left the young Khan and the Baig family in dire financial straits. Riling up contemporaries and benefactors with his sharp wit and cantankerous temper, the comfort of companionship and material rewards eluded Mirza for most of his life.

1. 1. At the young age of 9, Asadullah Khan began writing poetry in Persian with the pen name ‘Asad’ (lion). He later adopted the name ‘Ghalib’ (dominant) which went on to become synonymous with poetic genius. Lauded for his talent by the incomparable poet Mir, one of the few whom Ghalib admired, he went on to become the poet laureate of the court of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

1. 1. Asadullah Khan- a young thirteen year old- married Umrao Begum who was eleven at the time. Setting course in an orbit of separation, the couple experienced the loss of their seven beloved children even as Ghalib gravitated towards the pinnacle of poetic fame. In Delhi, the couple shared their life with Umrao Begum’s family before moving into a house, gifted by Umrao’s cousin, in the charmingly chaotic Gali Qasim Jan of the Ballimaran neighbourhood.

1. 1. Divaan-e Ghalib, a collection of Ghalib’s poetry, was first published by Syed-ul Akhbar Press in Delhi and saw more re-prints than perhaps any other book of Urdu literature. He went on to write an account of the rebellion of 1857 in Ghalib’s Urdu letters are published in a book titled Ud-e Hindi (Indian Perfume)

1. After his death in 1869, Altaf Husain Hali published Yaadgaar-e Ghalib (In the Memory of Ghalib), the first definitive biography of Mirza Ghalib. Such was the stature of the great poet that the Indian government issued a ‘Mirza Ghalib’ stamp in his honour while Ghalib’s grave was turned into a memorial and is still a place of reverence in the lanes of Ballimaran.

Mirza Ghalib, the most illustrious Urdu poet in English, continues to delight and inspire as the magic of his poetic genius lifts his words out of the yellowed pages of history to shine like a beam of luminous moonlight onto the harried hordes of our generation.

Read Raza Mir’s Ghalib: A Thousand Desires to capture the essence of Mirza Ghalib!

Inspired by a line uttered by her mother, Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable is all that it promises to be and more! It makes self help and motivation fun by inserting anecdotes, personal stories and humour in its pages.

We share with you some quick quotes and stories from the book to that continue to inspire us and hope they will give you your daily dose of motivation too!

Oprah’s Story

‘When Oprah Winfrey was sixteen, she saw Barbara Walters on television. She was so deeply moved and inspired that she said to herself, “Maybe I could do that.” Oprah went on to share, “There’s no other woman that deserves more in terms of opening the door for my career.” In that statement, Oprah is not talking about Barbara Walters “opening doors” by recommending her for broadcasting jobs. She’s talking about the fact that merely witnessing another woman on televeision cracked open a possibility within Oprah’s consciousness about what was possible for her. It’s hard to become what you don’t see.’

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Judging Failures

‘[…]When I bombed [the] Missy Elliott audition years earlier, Nike Elite Dance Athletes didn’t exist yet. There’s no way I could have dreamed to reach that specific goal, because no one had done it before! It simply had not been created.

But my Missy failure spurred a necessary shift in my focus, pushing me to spend the next few years unknowingly training in the exact mix of hip-hop, dance and fitness that prepared me to win that Nike position when it appeared!

Don’t be so quick to judge your supposed failure. A flop might be a cosmic redirect, guiding you to a better, bigger purpose.”

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On Opinions and Criticism

“Let’s say you love chocolate, but you have a friend who despises chocolate. Does that mean chocolate sucks? No. It means one person doesn’t like chocolate. Chocolate makers don’t lose sleep over that. They’re not campaigning to convert the haters. They focus all their attention on chocolate lovers.”

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Be You.

“Consider all the things that have brought you value, joy, or growth throughout your lifetime. Every song that’s made your head bop. Every movie that’s made you laugh, cry, or expand your point of view. Every athlete or artist who’s inspired you to reach for more. Every invention that’s made your life easier. Every restaurant that’s served a dish that made you moan with delight. […]

Imagine if all those beautiful people never followed the call of their soul – never “figured out” their dreams and created and contributed and shared. I say this at the end of eve MarieTV episode and I’ll say it to you now:

The world needs that special gift that only you have.”

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Share the Shame

‘Most high achievers struggle with feeling like a fake, but never talk about it. It’s like a dirty little secret everyone’s afraid to admit. I’ll tell you right now – I still feel this way at times and I’ve been doing this work for almost two decades. Brene Brown says, “As a shame researcher, I know that the very best thing to do in the midst of a shame attack is totally counterintuitive. Practice courage and reach out!”

Bronte is on point. You know why? Because shame shrivels when you share it out loud.’

To make life a little more figureoutable, get your copy today!