The success and future of a person or even a city depends on its attitude.
There are 2 types of people and cities :
1. the 'what I did' types
2.'what i am' types
The 'What I did's are so focused on their past achievements and successes, that they fail to think of what they need to keep succeeding in the future. Think of England in 1900s, so set up in their own greatness that they thought that the sun set and rose on their empire. Where are they a 100 years hence?
The U.S. is going through this phase now. The 'What I did' phase. Japan too seems to have gone through the 'What I did' phase- look how much we have succeeded after being compeletely destroyed in the world war.
The other is the 'What I am' types. Their achievements are not in the limelight all the time. Rather, they know what they are from what they have learnt from their achievements and failures.
Take France, and their pride in themselves and their country. They too have lost a large part of their territories like England. But those territories was not what made them strong but their idea of themselves and what they are. Take any great leader you know of. Once s/he becomes bound up in telling of historical successes rather than having an idea of where they have reached and looking for the way forward, they begin to lose track.
Let's get to Mumbai. Are we stuck in 'what I did' phase where we are proud of being the financial capital and an amazing cultural pot purri? Or are we in 'What I am' phase? Where we realize our faults of being intolerant to certain communities sometimes, but take pride in the courage of Mumbai-ites after any disaster?
You decide...
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