10 lessons from 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (yes, there are lessons in it!)

So, I have just got back from a wonderful event in Chennai (click here to read a lovely account of the event by a reader who attended it). RJ Jane of Chennai live FM interviewed me and those in Chennai can tune in at 11-2 on Saturday, 18th January to listen to it.

Amazon.in had run a contest, where they had given readers a chance to interview me. From over 200 questions received, they selected eleven. They were supposed to select ten, but they said that the questions were so good that they couldn't stick to ten. All the readers whose questions got selected won gifts from Amazon. You can read the whole interview (as well as the books that I recommend as a 'must-read' by clicking HERE)

I think  good books and  good movies are great teachers. They can make you feel alive, inspired and make you believe in a way out, where you thought there was none. They can take you to realms you would never explore otherwise. They give you perspectives, make you laugh, make you cry and make you think.

I watched a wonderful movie today. "The Wolf of Wall Street." It was unabashed, honest,real. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for even a second. Leonardo Di Caprio was brilliant in the movie. It did deserve all the nominations  and the prizes that it got (45 nominations, 15 wins and one Golden Globe award). I simply loved it. Full marks to Martin Scorsese (Director) and Terence Winter (the screen play writer) and of course Jordan Belfort, on whose life the movie is based.

If you haven't watched the movie, go catch it. (Not suitable for under 18 at all).
And for all my young friends who have watched it, here is what I had to takeaway from it

1.Real weath is the presence of your loved ones in your life. If you have no friends or family to stand by you, when your chips are down, there is no use of anything that you have ever accomplished.

2. Karma gets you. Do good and the good goes around. Swindle people and there is always a price to pay.

3. Drugs are cool only in movies. Don't do it. It just isn't worth it.

4.Money sure makes things comfortable. But honestly, it isn't the only thing in life. Do the things that make you happy. Make time and write down 3 things that really make you happy. And if you notice, they would mostly be the stuff that money cannot buy.

5.Not everyone can be bought.  (And thank God for  that!)

6. In the end, you are your own best friend. No matter how close you are to someone, no matter how thick the friendships seems, there will always be a time when it is fragile, and may not survive. They are unpredictable  simply because human nature is so fickle.

7. There will always be ups and downs. It is how you handle them that makes all the difference.

8. Think twice (maybe ten times) before buying something. Remember what Dave Barry said — 'We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.'

9. Once a salesman, always a sales man :) Smooth talkers, the whole lot. Don't get conned.

10. Leonardo Di Caprio is awesome :)

If you watched it and had anymore takeaways to add to this list, please share it in my comment box and I shall add them here.

Will blog again soon! So see you around  :) 

Addendum

11. Truth always finds a way out, no matter how smart you think you are. Be faithful to the ones you love. (Contributed by Debs in the comment section)
 
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