5 Lessons from the Taj Mahal: Part 1

World Heritage sites are filled with rich history, divine beauty, and exquisite architecture beyond what seems humanly capable. The Taj Mahal met these characteristics and more. The story behind the Taj Mahal teaches each of us how to live a high performance life.

The Taj Mahal sits on the bank of the Yamuna River and is made of solid marble and steel. The marble weighs 19 pounds per square inch. Do you realize how heavy that is? Think of holding 2 babies on your thumb. The weight of the Taj Mahal is enormous. The architects had to shore up the sandy foundation and build massive steel arches to support this weight.

Your dreams are as massive as the Taj Mahal. For your dreams to flourish, a solid mindset is key. How do your daily choices support your vision?

Lesson 1: Build your foundation

In the quick rush of everyday life, we want our dreams to happen now. More like a minute ago. Workers built the Taj Mahal in 22 years. Working a little each day on your dreams adds up to big gains over time. Spending two hours a day in one year adds up to 730 hours in one year. Imagine the progress that you can make in that much time. Will you spend 2 hours a day building your dream? What’s the potential for your life to look like in 22 years? How amazing can it be?

Lesson 2: Commit to your dreams daily

The exquisite details of the Taj Mahal are impressive beyond my imagination. Every piece of marble is carved into a unique pattern. Then, the border is chiseled out more to embed gorgeous gemstones to lay in the marble. This results in a unique finish where you can rub your hand over the marble and stones and it’s completely flat with no ridges and its feels like one unique piece instead of several. This creates a beautiful work of art. Thousands of gemstones are used for each piece of marble. The precision to finish and polish the gems took weeks. Your dream life takes the same amount of precision and time.

Lesson 3: Have patience

These are the first three lessons from my visit to the Taj Mahal in India. Check in next week for the additional lessons learned and how they serve as reminders in how to live your life as a high performer.

Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous week!