5 Learnings For Entrepreneurs From SRK's Recent Graduation Speech This is how SRK taught a lesson to all from the gift received from his father.

By Ritu Kochar

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The days preceding graduation are the longest ones to pass by; on the contrary, the graduation day passes in a blink. But the days after graduation, they're slow enough, but soon gets fast enough as well. Before, you feel eager to leave your school that instant, but when that finally sinks in on the graduation day you realize you're going to leave behind a part of your life - your classmates, the teachers who like you, the ones you hate, and most of all, the very institution itself that moulded into the person you are.

Speaking at one such graduation ceremony held at Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Shah Rukh Khan captured that moment when graduating students are on the brink of freedom and shared his experiences that could help them.

Although he made no assurances that his experiences will work out for any of them, Shah Rukh Khan proved to be the orator by giving a powerful and inspirational speech.

But why limit that to graduating students? We all can take a lot from his words of wisdom. Sharing the five gifts his father has given him, the Bollywood actor made some great points every entrepreneur can use to feel motivated.

An Old Chess Set

"Every move has a consequence, whether you perceive or not," said SRK when talking about the first lesson he learnt from that old chest his father had gifted him. He advised that there's no loss in doing something that hurts in the short run, but proves worthwhile in time. Something might seem desirable but that doesn't mean it's the right choice. Like in the game of Chess, sometimes the queen has to be sacrificed to save the castle.

Also never forget the little ones - pawns. He said:

"When you look around you, learn to notice all the tiny little things around you that make your existence privileged and special."

Another lesson to grasp from this chess set, SRK says, is to not panic, because he believes, "With a little embarrassment, you will survive it. All you have to do is make a move"

Similarly in business, something you did might go wrong, but until and unless you take a step back and rework on it, you can't start again.

An Italian Typewriter

One of the most precious gifts the actor said he received from his father was an Old Italian Typewriter. Other than teaching how to use it, what his father also taught him was diligence.

"There's nothing of more value than your capacity for diligence and your ability to work hard."

Outworking not just the adversaries, but also yourself, one must practice and practice until it seems easy.

Likewise, an entrepreneur should start every business with the thought that this is the first, so yuo must impress everyone, and they should also think as it as their last, as if this will be the last time you're doing it.

"Don't just work, over work yourself," said Shah Rukh.

An Unfunctional Camera

SRK shared that being broken was the most beautiful thing about that camera, because it taught him something valuable.

"Sometimes when things are broken, the greatest creativity emanates from the fragments."

He advises not to be afraid of your creativity, but honour it. It belongs as much to you as it does to the universe that nurtures it.

Entrepreneurs, your idea might seem crazy and impossible to some, but don't let that get to you. Make that idea your companion and your creativity will keep you satisfied and inspired.

Sense of humour

SRK is famous for his witty replies and sense of humour, the forth gift the actor had received from his father. But this isn't just useful for conversational purposes, adding a sense a humour gives you a new perspective at life.

"If you can manage to not take yourself too seriously, no matter how big or short you become, you will instantly disarms life's power to beat you down"

An entrepreneur must cultivate a sense of humour; it should be your talisman. Be it a failure or loss, laughing at yourself will makes you braver to face the realities of the world.

The gift of life

The last gift SRK got from his father is something we all share. It is the gift of life. "The most exquisite gift you and I have been given," he said. And what marks someone out from the ordinary is the grace.

"Grace is the consciousness that life is bigger than we are and gratitude for it must match its vastness. It's the understanding that everyone we encounter is a human like we are... It is knowing that no matter how good we are at something or how successful we may become, you are never better than the other person."

What these beautiful lines mean is that everyone has a life filled with their own experiences that may differ from yours in so many ways. If you live with a little grace towards them, you can achieve so much more.

What were you takeaways from this motivational speech by the King of Bollywood. Let us know at our Facebook Page Entrepreneur India.

Ritu Kochar

Former Staff, Entrepreneur India

Ritu used to work as a Feature writer for Entrepreneur India.
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