Ishan Shivanand argues that gratitude and curiosity transform ordinary moments into breakthroughs. He points to Newton's apple, Archimedes' bathtub, and the kettle that inspired the steam engine as proof that perception shapes discovery. Daily gratitude for family, work, and setbacks is the foundation for personal success.
I salute you. I salute the good within you. My father, who is my teacher, always taught me that a true seeker never complains and he always creates, which was very difficult for me at that young age. Because when you are young, there is always something to complain about, some person because of which that true happiness is not there. That blame came so very easily rather than that satisfaction that would come out of achievement. But then I remember I was reading something about Isaac Newton and There was this story about him that he was sitting under an apple tree and an apple fell on his head. And when the apple fell on his head, suddenly he started to ponder that why did the apple fall down? And that apple falling on his head led him to create Principia Mathematica, the laws of gravity, etc., etc., and to think of it. All the physics that we read, we saw because an apple fell on Isaac Newton's head. Now if you start complaining about this, that an apple fell on my head, oh my God, why do apples fall on my head? Oh, what is wrong? You know, why does God not love me? Why do apples only fall on my head? Then you are complaining. And what my father said, a true seeker never complains. He creates. He looks at the beauty, even if the incident is something as simple as an apple falling down on his head. And that is what Isaac Newton did. He looked at that incident and he made it into a special, a beautiful, and a powerful incident. The same, I was reading about Archimedes. He was taking a bath A simple gesture, taking a bath. And while taking a bath, suddenly he jumped out of his bathtub and started yelling, "Eureka! Eureka!" Why? Because as he went into the bathtub, the water came out of the bathtub, and suddenly he had this epiphany, and he said, "This is the principle of buoyancy." And because of Archimedes' principle, we can now sail on seas with the iron vessels, the huge vessels that we see today. And it is not such a special thing. It's just a person taking a bath. But again, the minds, a complaining mindset will say, oh my God, the tub is so small, I am so poor, why can't I afford big things, why is the water going down, only I have to clean it. And a creative mindset will find the gem even in the most mundane. You see, no incident is special, but to a special person, any simplest incident has power to be special. What matters here is perception, that we must train ourselves, we must meditate, we must work heart in such a manner that we have this perception, this perception where we can create from whatever incident that is happening in our life. And the simplest way to create such a perception is be grateful. Whatever is happening in your life, remember, a true seeker never complains. A true seeker creates. And the easiest way to create, the easiest way to have this divine perception is be grateful. An apple falls on your head, be grateful. Maybe that apple will lead you to discover the laws of gravity. You get into the bath, the water comes out, be grateful. You are walking outside and and the kettle that you put, the pot that you put on the stove starts boiling, the water starts coming out. That's how the idea of the steam engine came to a person. The kettle was boiling. So then be grateful even if the kettle is boiling. Every single incident has the power to be the spark in your life from where the story of your success begins. Every single incident has the power to motivate you, to help you achieve all the success that you desire. So from today, that is what I want you to practice. Be, be grateful. Be grateful for your family. Be grateful for your work. Be grateful even if the apple falls on your head. Maybe this is the incident from where your life will change completely and totally. And maybe 10 years from now, when you are looking back, you are most thankful that because this apple fell on your head, you could do the amazing things that you did today. Bless you, and remember, be grateful. Have a beautiful day.
