There was no speech.
No ceremony.
Just three words, written in chalk on a school blackboard during my HSC days:

பணிவு · ஒழுக்கம் · முயற்சி
(Humility · Discipline · Hardwork)

They weren’t explained.
They were just there—every day.
And somehow, they stayed longer than any lesson.

At the time, I didn’t understand them as values.
I didn’t even think much about them.
But life has a quiet way of showing you what really matters—especially when things are unclear.

These words didn’t give me shortcuts.
They gave me something more reliable:
a direction.

Not a formula.
A foundation.

⸻

What they really mean—still:

பணிவு (Humility)
Keeps you teachable.
It clears space inside you to actually learn.
Without it, you defend your mistakes.
With it, you improve without ego.
Humility doesn’t lower you.
It holds you steady.

ஒழுக்கம் (Discipline)
Isn’t about control.
It’s about returning.
When you’re not motivated, when you’re tired, when nothing is urgent—
discipline is what still brings you to the right place.
Without asking why.

முயற்சி (Hardwork)
Isn’t loud.
It doesn’t always bring results quickly.
But it keeps you in motion.
Not just tasks—but care, patience, decisions you don’t want to make but still do.
It’s how you build things that last—even when no one’s clapping.

⸻

These aren’t just words.
They’ve become part of how I move, think, lead, parent, and write.
They shaped how I ask questions.
How I bounce back.
How I handle success quietly and mistakes without excuse.

I don’t follow them perfectly.
But I still try to follow them—consistently.

⸻

Why they still matter:

Because the world keeps changing.
New systems. New noise. New advice.
But when things go quiet again,
you still have to know how to live from the inside out.

These three words are enough for that.

They help you move forward when nothing feels clear.
They help you correct yourself without shame.
They help you build something real—without waiting to feel ready.

Not because someone is watching.
Not because it’ll make you stand out.
But because this is how good things are built—quietly, and one step at a time.

If nothing else stays,
these three will.

Still learning.
Still trying to follow.
Still adding my digit.
– from me,
Lekshmana

🙏🏽 A quiet thanks to my HSC teacher, Mr. Iyappan sir—
the one who wrote the words and mentored the version of me I’m still becoming.