Introduction The story of Nachiketa from the Katha Upanishad is one of the most profound lessons in focus, sincerity, and determination. Though deeply spiritual, its relevance extends far beyond — offering timeless wisdom for leaders, professionals, and anyone navigating today’s fast-paced corporate world. Nachiketa was a young boy whose father once undertook a yagna (sacred ritual) where everything one owned was to be given away in charity for spiritual merit. But instead of giving away his best possessions, Nachiketa’s father chose only the old and useless things. The boy, though only five years old, recognized the lack of integrity in his father’s actions. Courageously, he questioned his father: "If you truly vowed to give away everything, why are you keeping the valuable possessions back? Whom will you give me to?" Irritated, his father angrily retorted: “I give you to Yama, the Lord of Death.” Taking this seriously, Nachiketa set out to meet Yama. When he arrived, Yama ...
Let us first know what famous people said about criticism: Abraham Lincoln : “Don’t criticize them; they are just what we would be under similar circumstances”. Confucious : " Don't complain about the snow on the roof of the neighbors if your door is unclean". Benjamin Franklin : " Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do". Lets us read a story of Francis Crowley or popularly known as "Two-Gun" Crowley. He was a serial murderer of New York and he also robbed a New Rochelle Bank. On the day he was encountered by New York Police he was enjoying at his girlfriend's home. 300 policemen surrounded the building and bullet started flowing from both sides but when Crowley identified that his bullets are finishing, he had written a letter. In that letter, he had written that " Yes he knows that he is a killer, but he has a kind heart under his coat, a heart that does no harm". Yes, you read it correctly he identifi...