Calm, composed, relaxed – it seemed like an organized spot as the commuters kept staring at the electronic traffic timer, and it was then did I notice the countdown of seconds left for the color to go green. I switch off the ignition and waited patiently for the time to meltdown and marveled at the timer – what a wonderful piece of innovation!

And I compare that with the previous signal I just passed which in contrast was chaotic and cumbersome to cross.  Traffic snarls, motorist’s honks, fuel emission, climatic pollution, restless riders, and reckless drivers – these were the disturbing aspects at that signal stop. The sound of the engine rising in throttle can be both nagging and nerving. And why it happens? ‘coz of the uncertainty of the color change. The challenges at a signal stop are mounting and always marked by impatient drivers who just can’t sit still but set ready to get on the road.

Sensing this unrest in the traffic, a thought that later turned out as an idea was the electronic traffic timer that displays the time left for the traffic light signal to change in color. A path breaking innovation as hailed by the commuters themselves as it relieved the anxieties that arose out the imposing halts and hurdles by the jamming vehicles.

The successful implementation of traffic countdown timers at signal stops made it possible to regularize traffic, rein in order, avert accidents, ensure pedestrian safety, conserve fuel, lessen pollution, and alleviate the anxiety arising out of uncertainty and replaced with greater clarity for Commuters know exactly when to kick start the vehicle. The traffic countdown timer, as richly deserved, was awarded as one of the best innovation of the year that probably should be implemented at all traffic-signals.

Incidentally, it was the timer that triggered a thought in my mind to frame a quote “every second in life is an innovation because it never existed before”.

“Innovation is both art and process” articulates global innovation guru William C. Miller There are key parameters essential for any Innovation to succeed by identifying the opportunity, build on new competencies, devise strategy, and gain the competitive edge in transforming business ideas to reality. And they are captured as process or framework that prescribes discipline as a way of approach as listed below:

Challenge:

• Understand the challenge (problem/necessity)
• Analyze the problem
• Assess the impact caused by the challenge/necessity
• Establish the need for the solution

Ideas

• Understand the need for the solution
• Generate creative ideas to overcome the challenges
• Validate on the viability of the idea
• Visualize the potential solution

Solution

• Build on the idea to create a solution to overcome the challenge
• Plan to execute
• Execute the plan
• Validate the solution

Implementation

• Put the solution into use
• Check if it meets the intended use
• Improve the solution based on the learning
• Celebrate the results

“Don’t become an entrepreneur, unless you know how to smile.”

Sounds strange and yet do I see you smile? May be you are sarcastic, but this article will wipe out the skepticism armed with nothing but ‘smile’ as the message.

Human endeavor doesn’t rest scratching the surface, but extends beyond the possible and to that effect, we all aspire to accomplish as much – just that some venture far off and way beyond and make a difference. Now read that as Entrepreneur – those who dare to tread on the path least walked. Entrepreneur and smile – what’s the connect?

it takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile. We should just smile because it’s simpler.
Smile is simple yet powerful. There is a lot smile teaches an entrepreneur – that Solutions too should be simple to a problem yet powerful. That’s one lesson.

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.  ~Phyllis Diller
Smile has a lot of power - to attract, the power to deal with the challenges; just a smile and the whole perspective of the situation is made definitely positive. Entrepreneurship is a challenging journey, and only when you are challenged the best of you comes out. Knowing there are challenges, one of the best armor for an entrepreneur is a smile.

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief.  ~William Shakespeare, Othello
You can win hearts by a smile, and the way it connects people is a compelling contact. As a serial entrepreneur, been associated with entrepreneurship,  someone asked me “what’s is CEO to you? Is it power, passion, position?” I pondered for a moment and collected my thoughts “for a CEO, it’s all about responsibility – the responsibility to put a smile on the faces of my stakeholders – Customers, Employees, and Owners (CEO). Put a smile on your employees face, they will make the customers happy, and that in turn makes the owners happy. After stating this, I smiled!

Whenever there is a problem, there is an opportunity. To look into the face of a problem and smile calls for courage which also connotes confidence. It’s all about recognizing the problem, ability to convert that as an opportunity and encashing it – is the core objective of an entrepreneur. Smile states implicitly ‘here is the opportunity’.

It takes a lot of work from the face to let out a smile, but just think what good smiling can bring to the most important muscle of the body… the heart.  ~Author Unknown
Smile. It helps. Perception matters. Impression matters. You will realize that you don’t have all the time to make an impression. More often, it’s the 30 seconds space clients are willing to provide as audience – that’s often referred as the  ‘elevator pitch’. And nothing connects like a smile. It’s like a handshake; and goes beyond as heart shake,…two smiles is a heart shake and when the hearts are connected it creates a wonderful opportunity for the brainwave to connect. So when thought is backed by a plan and followed by action is when you can expect results – this is a sustainable model for working together.

This powerful tool called smile in the physical form changes the aura of the workplace – can convert hostility to hospitality and hospitality is divinity. Whoever said that ‘A smile is something you can’t give away; it always comes back to you’ coined it beautifully.

“Smile is the simplest step to start which can pave way towards success” - Naveen Lakkur

During the course of my conversation with a colleague, I was asked to define success and one thing led to another and soon the subject turned out to be spirituality more as a corollary. That’s when this quote created the buzz in my head and became busy like a bee. I sat down and jotted:

Beyond fear, there’s victory
Beyond victory, success
Beyond success, simplicity
Beyond simplicity, spirituality.

Expectedly, the colleague was taken aback and questioned the “spiritual aspect”, as a digression from a professional insight to something very personal. Well, the opinions are mine, just like the quote and it’s the freedom of expression of my colleague to concur or combat my view and guess, he chose the latter. So I made a case for the quote and decided to defend. My mentor always assesses that it’s a question that triggers my thought process. And quite rightly so.

In truth, human nature is a social nature  with natural instincts for social responsibility  -the ’social instincts’. These must be cultivated through a process of moral or spiritual growth or  ‘ socialization’. Human socialization is a function of consciousness of the moral values for living… ‘knowledge’ as compassionate wisdom,  ‘love’ as universal love  or ‘loving kindness’, ‘truth’ as freedom from dogma, ‘justice’ as  social responsibility,  ‘peace’ as understanding , beauty … the core values of moral consciousness or ‘morality’ of rational conscience of the ‘authentic self’, ‘higher self’ or ‘Self’ .
-extracts from http://www.holisticeducator.com/

The New Age (also referred to as the New Age movement, New Age spirituality, and Cosmic Humanism) is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks “Universal Truth” and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of Occultism, astrology, esotericism, metaphysics, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies.
-courtesy:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age

The above quotes are about the self and spirituality. Maslow couldn’t have been more correct in coming out with his theory of “when one need is met, another crops up” and goes to list 4 needs, in which  self-actualization is the ultimate need and hence seated right at the peak of the pyramid. self-actualization, in other words, is the attainment of the highest individual human potential.

Fear is something inherent that impedes any initiative and it’s a progressive mind that can overcome fear, and overcome is the connotation for victory. And a string of these victories spell success. Success and simplicity go hand in hand though simplicity is one rung above. Reminds me of the famous quote ‘Never take Success to your Head and Failure to your Heart’. And when you scale simplicity, it’s the spiritual realm.

Well, things happens when they are least expected. It was a dull day until now – not anymore. It was an uneventful evening – well, till the point I had that discussion and no sooner we were debating and deliberating. It turns out to be an exciting session. That’s the beauty and brilliance of moments. While, I wrap up my case, and look towards my colleague wondering ‘did I make one?’, and he thoughtfully smiled as if to say, ‘Yeah, you did.’

We walk out a lot wiser. Life, indeed, is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance as quoted by Will Durant, and I remain thankful of the session for the progressive discovery of my own.

Do you vote for the belief that everything is moving very fast?

Most of us grew up listening or reading the story of the race between the Hare & the Tortoise. How will we forget the moral of the story Slow & Steady Wins the Race? We further grew up and challenged the very logic by asking the question ‘how many times will a Hare go to sleep in the middle of a race such that the Tortoise could win the race’. It’s important to validate the assumptions underneath and hence it’s a very valid question. When we further grow up and learn, how to set or change context, we figure out that context is decisive.

* Do you want great results?
* Do you want fame?
* Do you want a good return on investments?
* Do you want job satisfaction?
* Do you want to build a shining organization?

You could have a satisfying answer to all the listed questions if you are capitalizing on your most powerful emotion. Follow the link http://www.activegarage.com/are-you-capitalizing-on-your-most-powerful-emotion to know how…

Every day in life is a race…all of us has been running and many a times it’s a non-stop running.  Everyone desire to win in their race, it’s also possible to win and succeed. Winners are those who are well grounded. The advantages of being grounded are profound for success.
Many in this World are interested on joining the entrepreneurial race. History shows that during the slowdown time entrepreneurship increases.  If you are in that space, I recommend that you verify that you are grounded well. It provides path to success.
Are you well Grounded? – is a personal assessment technique to get well grounded. Thus providing you a platform to have access to great results. Follow the link and Get Set to Go in your Entrepreneurial Race.

Are you dealing with a big enough problem in your life right now? Does this question sound absurd, that too in this season of global economic slowdown? Still, it’s worth answering and I hope your answer is a YES. If you either think you don’t have any problems, or think you have big problems then there’s one thing you could do…TAKE UP A WORTHY ENOUGH PROBLEM THAT IS REALLY MUCH LARGER THAN YOU AND SOLVE IT. I am willing to bet, your existing problems will become insignificant and you will become significant.

My colleague Sundeep Dasa shared a case study with me today of how Japanese Fishermen dealt with their Problem. In the context of this topic I find it quite appropriate:

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.
The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.
To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish.
The frozen fish brought a lower price. So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive. Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.

So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan?
To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged.

If you have realized that you are living in a pond, playing it safe or being secure, or most of the time tired & dull, lacking interest in things/life, then you need a Shark in your life to keep yourself awake and moving!! Basically in our lives Sharks are new challenges to keep us active, going and growing…

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to fell the trees.
The first day, the woodcutter brought 15 trees. “Congratulations,” the boss said. “Carry on with your work!” Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring 7 trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees.
“I must be loosing my strength,” the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized saying that he could not understand what was going on.
“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked.
“Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees…”

This story sounds very logical, but how many times have we asked these very relevant questions. Most of us never update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the key to success.
Simple formula that Leaders follow:

Leaders never stop Learning, they find every opportunity to apply their learning and real leaders learn a lot by teaching what they have learnt. They also ensure one thing at all times, to ENJOY the whole cycle.
Make sure time to time there is some time spared for structured learning while unstructured learning is like breathing…

There are 3 elements in the above quote, (i) Arrow; (ii) Time and (iii) Words. It’s a no brainer that an arrow has the power to kill and it is common sense that there is a time span for everything and everyone. What do you think is the power of Words; will you believe me if I say even Words have the power to kill?

In the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific some villagers practice a unique form of logging. If a tree is too large to be felled with an axe, the natives cut it down by yelling at it. Woodsmen with special powers creep up on a tree just at dawn and suddenly scream at it at the top of their lungs. They continue this for thirty days. The tree dies and falls over. The theory is that the hollering kills the spirit of the tree. According to the villagers, it always works.

The Solomon Islanders may have a point. Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them.
So what did the natives in Solomon Islands used to kill the tree, it’s just the Words. Let me also illustrate the power of Words with the help of frogs…

Once a group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit.  When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story reiterates the power of Words that could kill a frog. And the same story also illustrates the power of Words when one of the frogs interpreted all the Words as encouragement and came out as a clear winner.

Every leader has used the power of Words to create possibilities and winning moments!

I understand that nature has strategically created the source of Words (mouth) in between The Brain and The Heart and now it’s our responsibility to use it most effectively to invent winning moments.

“Failure is the stepping stone to success” is probably the most common quote we would hear. Life is definitely not a bed of roses and failure is also an integral part of our life. Being afraid of failure and succumbing to it only worsens the situation. Though the quote is a common one, how many of us try to imbibe its meaning and really use failure as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block?

There are times, when even the best of leaders face failure in spite of giving their best shot. What is important is what happens AFTER the failure. I recently came across a wonderful real life anecdote which was narrated by none other than the former President of India, Dr.Abdul Kalam. A question was posed to him as to how leaders can manage failure. Dr.Kalam narrated his own personal experience when he was working for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The anecdote is reproduced below.

In 1973 I was project director of India’s satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India’s “Rohini” satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources — but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal. By 1979 we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts — I had four or five of them with me — told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal. It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference — where journalists from around the world were present — was at 7:45 am at ISRO’s satellite launch range in Sriharikota.

Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure — he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.
The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite — and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, “You conduct the press conference today.”

It’s a clear demonstration of the words of Dr.Robert H Schuller “Never take success to mind, and failure to heart” Other important lesson to learn here is:

When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure.

When success came, he gave it to his team.

“Managing failure comes naturally to true leaders” - Naveen Lakkur

POWER is what strikes every mind when you say ‘Superman’;
FIST is what strikes when you say ‘Power’;
PUNCH is what strikes when you say ‘Fist’
IMPRESSION is what strikes when you say ‘Punch’
LEADERSHIP is what reflects in all of these…

If you really see, fist is an amalgamation of 5 simple fingers. These 5 fingers are analogous to 5 values of life Truth (Sathya), Righteousness (Dharma), Peace (Shanthi), Love (Prema) and Non-Violence (Ahimsa)

* The thumb is the first one denoting TRUTH - it’s important because thumb plays a key support role. All the other fingers are weak without the support of the thumb.
* The index finger denoting RIGHTEOUSNESS – it’s all about direction (rather it’s all about right direction) which is what the index finger shows.
* The middle finger standing tall and is the symbolic of PEACE - without having peace all effort is futile.
* The ring finger corresponding to LOVE – no wonder the marriage ring is put to this finger (the ring finger nerve directly connects to the heart which signifies love)
* The little finger is the embodiment of NON-VIOLENCE – Do you think it can harm anyone?

These fingers could be simple but when they all come together they give birth to the fist, which denotes power, a superman-like power! All the five values are equally important for our lives and each has a role to play in giving us a balanced, powerful, impact-making life.

Get your acts together and be a Superman…I learnt this from a real Superman - Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Thomas Edison - I’m sure you’ve heard of Thomas Edison and all the inventions he created. He’s actually known as one of the most prolific inventors in history holding 1,093 U.S. patents as well as a lot of patents in the UK, France and Germany. When Thomas was 4 he was sent home from school with a note. The note told his mother that he was to remove his son from school because he was “too stupid to learn”. Thomas’ mother decided to teach him herself. He only had 3 months of formal schooling yet went on to create numerous inventions like the phonograph. He was also partially deaf in one ear.

Thomas Edison dreamed of a lamp that could be operated by electricity, began where he stood to put his dream into action, and despite more than ten thousand failures, he stood by that dream until he made it a physical reality. Practical dreamers do not quit! He learnt this watching a spider which fell several times but was persistent to stand up every time it fell eventually to build a wonderful web.

Tests and adversities are the part and parcel of our lives. What matters is what we become after we go through the tests. Will we burn away like paper? Or, will we become better and brighter like Gold? Which becomes more lustrous after passing the fire test?

They say, ‘it’s not about how many times you fall, it’s all about how many times you stand up’. While we agree with this completely, let us unearth another important dimension, “It’s not about how many times you stand up, it’s also about how quickly you stand up”

The next time you fall, your goal is just not to raise but to raise quickly as a very new person…

Sports is fun isn’t? How interesting would the game be if one already knew the results of the game even before it started? The thrill is because of the uncertainty which is there in the game.

The same applies to life. Life is a game, play it! The game of life is all about dealing with uncertainty to translate into certain terms. All successful people have enjoyed this process.

The curtain is going to rise soon over the Olympic Games to bring together the world’s athletes in a spirit of excellence, respect, and friendship. We stand inspired by the epochal motto of Olympics - “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (Faster, Stronger, Higher). These three words sum up man’s eternal aspiration for excellence. This excellence can be obtained if we dive deep into the spirit of these words to understand their significance in our lives:

…expect more than others think is possible (Faster)
…risk more than others think is safe (Stronger)
…dream more than others think is practical (Higher)

Let’s appreciate the discipline that produces winners - the courage that overcomes difficult odds; the character that creates champions in us and the conviction which helps us achieve.

You have got only one match to play in the game of life; play it well and be a winner.

Real successful are those who can Dream and also Do. Dreamers and Doers are like two sides of the same coin, they are inseparable twins making individuals successful.

How many times have you come across or you yourself said “he is lucky” or “its magic” when someone you knew became very successful?

If you think making a dream a reality is a dream, co-founder Mr.S.A.Chandran of Essae Chandran Institute through their Monthly Reflection series shares it could be a science.

The Magic of Three: Concept, Systems, Tools

Seeing a banyan tree in the seed is not only an imagination or dream but a vision.  Begin (seed) with the end (tree) in mind.  The seed has got the potential to become a banyan tree.    Dreams have the power to spark off this inner potential.

Dreaming big is great.  Men of achievement have begun by dreaming big.  Helen Keller said, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone, who has sight, but no vision”.  Daring to dream big is excellent and is a good starting point but is insufficient in itself.  Be it in personal, family or professional life, a dream can be translated into reality only if it is followed by systems and tools.  What starts as a concept must get its flesh and blood through systems and application of tools.  No one plans to fail but many fail to plan.  Translating the dream to reality needs a systematic approach.  Only when we make a road map will we know whether we are on track to reach the destination and if need to make any course correction.

Concept:  Most of us have got excellent concepts.  It is something like building a castle in the air.  One has to go through a pragmatic way of transforming this concept into reality.  Dreaming big is good.  Implementing the dream is better.  Realizing the dream is best.  Failure to realize the dream happens in not systemizing and not systemizing and not using right tools.  Thomas Alva Edison is known for his perseverance.  He never used to accept any experiment as a failure.  He used to learn from the failures with persistence and perseverance.  He declared:  “I have not failed.  I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”.  Having a concept is like having a seed:  it is essential but insufficient.

Systems:  Concept cannot walk.  It is like a sign post.  It will show us the directions but it will not take us to the destination.  The systems give us a mechanism to convert concept into reality.  It will also help us with milestone to measure and monitor progress.  If the seed is a concept and the goal is to have a banyan tree, then one must sow the seed in fertile soil, water it and fence it to protect it from animals and also expose to sufficient sunlight.

Tools:  Just as we need tools to nurture the planted seed, our dream needs tools to facilitate implementation.

The visionaries are those who can see the banyan tree in the seed.  Concept, systems and tools are equally important without which the concept will only be thought in the mind of its creator.  The greatest thrill in human existence is to have an idea and give life to the idea by blood (system) and bones (Tools).  A concept without systems and tools is merely a passing thought.

“Dream is a Dream if you don’t Do anything about it” – Naveen Lakkur

A Diamond is forever and is supposedly a girl’s best friend. One of the recent survey said many of the girls/ladies expected Diamond as their Valentine Day gift. While doing so they would have considered the four factors famously known as 4 C’s that contribute most to the value and look of a diamond. I couldn’t help but relate this aspect of valuing a diamond to an individual. The 4C’s are Cut; Clarity; Carat; Color

1. CUT refers to the proportions, symmetry and finish of a polished diamond. The diamond that surrenders itself to the artist and allows itself to be cut becomes better in trapping the light to create the sparkle. Many a times we fail to see the reason why something is happening to us and learn from it.

2. Color - A Diamond’s color ranges from a faint yellow to a very rare blue, pink etc. But the most valuable is one which is completely colorless as it allows light to pass through it with ease - dispersing it again as rainbows of color. No wonder a person with a clear & simple heart is a perpetual joy to know. An attitude that is not tainted by colors of egoism.

3. Clarity - A majority of the raw diamonds are born with blemishes. These blemishes obstruct the light to pass through the diamond, minimizing its brilliance and thereby subtracting its beauty. A diamond which is free of any surface blemishes is very rare and therefore very precious. A person with clarity of thoughts and purpose makes all the difference.

4. Carat - Diamonds are valued in terms of its carat value. A diamond or gemstone’s “Carat” designation is a measurement of both the size and weight of the stone. A sterling character is carat value of an individual.
Character is to the intrinsic worth of a man as carbon is to steel.

Each of us is born brilliant. But then many a times this brilliance is buried by circumstances, experiences and largely due to our indifference to life. Eventually, we forget that we ever had genius and special talents, and our brilliance gets concealed by layers of dust.

So we settle for who we are, instead of striving for who we were meant to be. Its then that life comes and gives a ‘rub’. Difficult though as it may seem, it’s the nature’s way of stepping in to cut and polish the gem that is us - to reawaken our genius, reignite our internal light, and release our potential.

Let’s welcome these ‘rubs’ and March ahead in all splendor and shine.
After all a diamond is just a piece of coal that did well under pressure.