Pulse of Purpose (Motivation)

We’ve all been there—stuck in traffic or standing in a never-ending queue waiting for our turn. In those moments, patience feels like something only saints or people with super-slow internet can handle. But here’s the twist: Patience isn’t just about waiting . It’s about how you behave while you wait.  Do you get mad at the traffic signal like it’s your enemy?  Or do you take a deep breath and sing along to your favorite playlist?

Every year, millions of young Indians dive into thick books with highlighters, chasing the dream of a government job. Jobs through UPSC (Union Public Service Commission), SSC (Staff Selection Commission), or State PSC (Public Service Commission) — promise a stable career. Why? Because a “sarkari naukri” (government job) offers life security, respect in the society and maybe even endless cups of chai/tea at work. But here’s the big question:  Are we building a future… or just pausing our lives?

Have you ever met someone who talks about how much a movie cost to make, but doesn’t care what it’s actually about ? That’s like knowing the price of something but not understanding its value . Oscar Wilde once said, “A cynic is someone who knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” (Let’s just call them a “critic” – it still makes sense!) It’s easy to complain about how much something costs or argue about numbers, and forget what really matters. Meanwhile life (or fame, or success) can feel like a hammer: It will test you . Hit a fragile thing and it shatters; hit steel and it grows stronger. In short, criticism and adversity can either break us or forge us into something tougher. Price vs. Value: Don’t Be a Cynic In today’s world, people often look at everything like it’s a deal or a price tag. You might know someone who argues over ₹5 at a roadside stall, but then spends ₹500 on something just because it “looks cool.” The real issue isn’t money—it’s how we think....

Imagine standing in front of a vast buffet, plates in hand, faced with hundreds of dishes from around the world. Your stomach growls, but you know you can’t possibly try everything. So, you pick a few items that catch your eye—perhaps a familiar pasta dish, a colorful salad, and something exotic to satisfy your curiosity. You walk away content, even though there might have been a gourmet delicacy hidden among the options. This scenario mirrors how we make decisions in our daily lives, often settling for choices that are “good enough” rather than optimal. This concept is known as bounded rationality , a term coined by Nobel Prize-winning economist Herbert A. Simon. Bounded rationality describes how we make decisions within the constraints of limited knowledge, time, and cognitive capacity. Instead of tirelessly pursuing the perfect solution, we often “satisfice”—a blend of “satisfy” and “suffice”—by selecting an option that meets our basic needs. Everyday Examples of Bounded Rationali...