10

LIFE LESSONS FROM

Alexander The Great

Alexander III (356-323 B.C.), king of Macedon, parlayed his

father Philip IIs conquest of Greece into an empire that
expanded from the Balkans to the Nile to the Himalayas,
subduing tens of millions of people along the way.

Alexander was a great military commander, leading his troops into

every
A bit ofencounter.
an over-achiever, the historian Plutarch wrote that Alexander
wept upon learning that the universe was infinite. When asked what was
wrong, he replied: There are so many worlds, and I have not yet
conquered even one. Here are 10 Life Lessons from him :

Lesson 1 : Have the great mentor

Alexanders father, Philip, chose Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) to instruct his 13-year-old son.
Aristotle taught the young prince geography, zoology, politics and medicine. Alexander
was greatly influenced by the philosophers teachings. On later military campaigns,
Alexander brought scientists with him and sent plant and animal specimens back to his
former mentor.

Lesson 2 : Have clear vision

After solidifying his rule of Macedonia and Greece, Alexander looked
east to Asia and the Persian Empire, which was led by Darius III. As he
took his first steps in Asia, he pulled his weapon from the sand and
declared that these lands would be won by the spear.

Lesson 3 : Declare your name big

After defeating the Persians at the Battle of Issus, Alexander decided to
enter Egypt, which had been under Persian rule for almost 200 years. It is
said that he was guided by ravens and blessed with rain. Upon his arrival, the
priest apparently told him he was the son of Zeus. Whether or not Alexander
believed in his own divinity, he played it up to his own advantage.

Lesson 4 : Be supremely confident.

Right before Alexanders siege of Tyre, Darius the III, King of Persia, offered
Alexander a truce, land, and his daughters hand in marriage. Alexander refused
the offer and instructed Darius to henceforth refer to Alexander as Lord of Asia,
and not as an equal. He added, I shall pursue you, wherever you may be. Never
doubt you can accomplish what you set out to do and do not compromise.

Lesson 5 : Change your strategy.

If you see something in your life isnt working, change it up. You must
be flexible in your quest to succeed. Thats what Alexander did. He
started with the idea of the mole, but when that alone didnt work, he
added catapults and naval ships.

Lesson 6 : Reward yourself.

Alexanders men were famously and supremely loyal to him. He bred this
loyalty and kept his mens resolution strong by recognizing and rewarding
them individually for the brave deeds in battle. Apply this same principle in
your own life. After you fulfill one step, go out and treat yourself to
something.

Lesson 7 : Learn from the greatest mistakes

It soon became clear that Asia was larger than had been estimated. With his
campaign suffering from mission drift, Alexander succumbed to his mens pleas
and turned back. It was probably Alexanders greatest mistake, as 15,000 of his
men died of starvation or heat in the Gedrosan Desert more than all those he
lost in battle. The journey may have taken its toll on Alexander as well.

Lesson 8 : Dont take life for granted.

With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his
great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence. I I
want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no
doctor can really cure any body. They are powerless and cannot save a
person from the clutches of death. So let not people take life for granted.

Lesson 9 : Dont waste time to chase wealth

Alexander said, The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on
the way to the graveyard is to tellPeople that not even a fraction of gold will
come with me. I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything
with me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

Lesson 10 : Only wisdom and goodness can go with you

after
death
Alexander
said, And about my third wish of having my hands
dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty
handed into this world and empty handed I go out of this world.
With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death
conquer him and breathed his last. . . . .

I am not afraid of an
army of lions led by a
sheep; I am afraid of
an army of sheep led
by a lion.

Thank You Very Much.

Pareshkumar
09825235266