Every day is a Lesson - Everyone is a Teacher...

While it has been a consistent endeavor for me to learn 3 new things every day...The last couple of days had been enlightening!!! I just returned back from a visit to my home town. I was there to receive my mother and my Brother's wife & kids - who were here on a holiday.

Phew!!! What a holiday I had!!! Enjoyed every bit of it...my nephew kept me on toes all the time & my darling niece was garnering almost everyone’s attention. Did have some challenges answering the intriguing questions posed by my nephew, though he is less than 5. But sometimes you tend to agree that Kids can be master teachers...they teach you some of the most important basics of life which we keep forgetting and these learning’s can be life transforming...absolutely life transforming.

Now coming to the point - it was my Niece’s 1st birthday and we decided to celebrate the arrival with some kids in a local ashram. It’s nice to have a family where your loved ones understand the value of what your are gifted with & would love to contribute back...

We reached Ramakrishna Mission Ashram by morning 7.30 Am to be awe struck by the visuals we saw there. As we entered the gate we saw a group of tiny tots not more than what my Nephews age, all bathed and tidily dressed in their school uniforms (They did not have other changing dresses - I came to know later...) entering a big hall (Later found out it was a prayer hall) in absolute silence & order.

The clock struck 7.45 Am and one child (There were a total of 53 of them - aged between 4 to 18) stood up from the group to start their prayer...the next 15 minutes was BLISS !!! Pure unadulterated BLISS !!! the kids all sang their prayer in such unison they could put a symphony troupe to shame. 8.00 sharp the prayer was over and a kid walked upto the front of the group & loudly announced it was time to take their oath. It was a oath as I never heard, never experienced - they promised with utmost sincerity to respect and love anything under the sun for everything was created by god for them...

8.15 Am, we had arranged for a breakfast for all the kids and to have experienced the gift of me being there with them then - I can be born again to say the least. All the kids sat down with their respective plates with absolutely pin drop silence. We requested that we serve the food to the kids but they declined the request saying that we were their guests and 5 kids stood up from the group & volunteered to serve us all (They should have been as hungry as others for sure...)

What food actually means & how much it has to be respected - we learnt it all again with the Kids teaching us the same with utmost humility. The food was served - but no kid (Including the tiny tots....) touched their plates or the food until the same was served in all the plates....they waited to check whether everyone had enough served in their plates as theirs (And I had tears in my eyes....). They all in unison prayed for my Niece's well being and then blessed her for giving them a meal that day.

There were kids who were orphans, there were those whose parents abandoned them in public busses & even childrens parks and there was a mentally unsound kid too - eventhough none would have known the other ever before, they were all brothers now...loved each other as their family !!!

 

After the breakfast, the chief of the ashram introduced us to three kids who had just then completed their 10th & 12th Std exams. With all the shortcomings & days where they might have had to sleep empty stomach these kids went on to score fantastic marks in the board exams. Each of them with the barest of resources and facilities had scored a whooping 80% + in their exams.

 

I spoke to them & without mincing the words let me agree with all humility that they were heros !!! real heros !!! for what they want to accomplish is not less than any heroic act. Two of them wanted to become Engineers so that they could help their ashram run a vocational training institute, the other wanted to become a Collector for he was derermined to bring about a change in the society on how orphans are looked at !!! I had no words....NO WORDS were needed....we offered any assistance that we could provide for their education and graciously they replied back that the Government does have a support system for kids like them & in case they need any further assistance they would come back to people like us.

 

It was time for us to leave & we started gifting the T-Shirts we had got for all the kids...thought we might add some color to their lifes - a small contribution we thought we could make in their lifes...WRONG...instead they thought us the value of true giving....when one kid said he did not like his T-shirt and wanted an other color he had the other 52 hands stretching towards him to take theirs !!! I couldnt help but laugh at people who only but crib they do not get what they want....

 

Those kids taught me again that did not want sympathy (You cant sympathize when you are to be sympathized...can you) they only wanted one thing that we could give them with no costs - Love !!! They seemed to have everything else and they were on their path to write their own destinies...how about us???

 

Destiny is not destined - it is - DESIGNED !!!

Watch out !!!

I was reading through some old scrips & came across a note from the Napolean Hill foundation...the note is in reference to the less spoken concept of "Self fulfilling prophecy"...

Interpreting the message was simple - The most insidious problem with drugs is that the human body develops a tolerance for them and requires larger and larger doses to achieve the same effect.

The same is true with self-pity & self-talk. Watch out what you think or talk to yourself...be completely aware what you are seeding your mind with...

The more you allow yourself to indulge in it, the more you will require.Soon, self-pity will become a habit, one so debilitating that you will rob yourself of all the potential you possess. Happily, there is a cure. If you truly analyze the situation, most often you will find that the problems that have driven you to pity yourself are mostly of your own creation. It follows, then, that the best person to remedy the problem is the person who created it: you yourself.

No wonder the age old saying "Watch your thoughts for thoughts become words, watch your words for words become action, watch your action for actions become your habit & watch your habit for habits determine your character" stands tall till today !!!

You are what you think !!!

You will ONLY become what you think you will !!!

If you think you can - you are right, if you think you cant - you are still right !!!

I repeat..."Destiny is not destined - it is - DESIGNED"

Somethings never change - or - do they really not ???

In the not so distant past, I recall myself as someone who had been written off by people who believed I can never make it up in life...never be close to being successful ( I wouldnt by faintest means measure what success actually means to them...) & neither do I consider that I have accomplished even 1% of what I want in my life...

The funny part is, this seems to be the case with my wife too...sometime ago we were having a casual discussion when she mentioned that one of her relatives had made a skeptical remark when she wanted to apply for her passport...that she wouldnt need a passport to move out of her hometown !!!

Not because am too proud...but as a matter of fact we were discussing this while sitting @ the Club Lounge in JFK Airport in the city of Newyork...did I say the Club Lounge @ JFK ??? Oh yes...that statement was in reference to her dear relative that the wheels of life never moves in a single direction - it cant !!!

No wonder my wife seems she cant agree with me more - yet she is to comprehend that thoughts could be so powerful too...She has just landed a couple of days before in Qatar from where she would go to Muscat & probably Dubai - to meet her brother & sister...she called me from the Doha terminal to share how important she was feeling when she was pampered by the First class Air hostesses througout her journey & and how excited she was to be escorted to the waiting lounge without having to wait for the immigration formalities...& all I did was smile !!!

Unfortunately for many, they think life comes to a standstill just because there are so many things which are working against their will...let me tell you something - if so many things are working against your will, you can damn well be assured you are nearing your goals !!!

I have fallen - fallen & how !!! Every time I fell I only had to fall with my face facing the sky - for if I could look up, I could get up...and your so called failure is only when you refuse to listen to your innerself & give up...life never gives up on you - you give up on life !!!

I was just writing to someone on face book in reference to a small note he had put on Dreams...I wrote back - If your Dreams are strong enough, the facts don't count !!!

Only that your Dream has to be bigger than your worst FEAR !!!

Havn't I always said - Destiny is not destined - it is - Designed !!!

The last minutes...

Had it not been for the last 9 months of my Marathon practice, I might have missed some of the most wonderful learning opportunities in my life...

The first day when I did a run for 200 Mtrs...as I was exulting to the fact that my feets were still alive !!! 200 Mtrs looked a long - a very long way...it was not like pumping iron in an air-conditioned gym. I came back home telling myself people should be mad just running without a purpose, let people who want to run - run, am working out in the gym, am already FIT. (I did learn - I am lying to myself...)

Dreaded those phone calls & reminders from my running partners (I am sure they hated what we were doing as much as I did...). I suppose they were looking for cross motivation !!! (I learnt everyone needed someone to push...)

Week 2 - it looked as if our Coach had identified our concern for all work & no play - so he introduced Beach throw ball on Sundays. Sundays suddenly became exciting - we started looking forward to the play...it never pained to wake up by 4.30 on a Sunday morning - why - because we were playing !!! (Learnt that all work & no play pertains to play too...reinforced my belief that variety is the spice of life...always mix it up)

2 months down the line when I did my first complete round of the Mahalaxmi race course (2.4 Kms) I felt on top of the world - my coach officially permitted me to have a beer !!! I was never made to realize that it was not the actual running practice which had made me accomplish the task - but all those days when we were not running but preparing ourselves to run for that one day...(Learnt it the hard way - Practice makes a man - an IDIOT...its the RIGHT practice which makes him PERFECT...)

5 Months on & suddenly one of the Sunday evenings (Sundays  used to be the long distance running days...Monday, Wednesday & Fridays were the practice days. Mondays were the softer run downs, Wednesdays were the mad regimed power trainings & Fridays were the dreadful hill runs) I realized - I was discussing with one of my friend that I am planning to do the Marathon...THE MARATHON ??? Did I say that - I questioned myself. But that morning I had done for the first time 10 Kms non-stop so I felt I was eligible to speak about long distance running... (Reinforced my belief - you are limited only to the limits of your thoughts...you expand your thoughts & you overgrow your limitations...)

7 Months on & the 18 Kms nonstop mark was no longer looking distant...I cleared it in 2.40 Mins. That was an achievement for someone who couldn't imagine beyond 200 Mtrs. But was the achievement mine??? I seemed to acknowledge the fact that as much an achievement for me it was personally, it was an achievement for my Coach - who till date disagrees to believe I cant do the 42 Kms mark within the next one year...it was an achievement to a few of my friends who knew if they pushed - I would do it...it was an achievement to my commitment too...

Today, as we near the last minutes for the D Day...I look back to myself with pride & admiration. I have always been someone who loves me the most...today I know I have fallen in love with myself all over again...

One of my friends was mentioning that this year we should plan to do 4 marathons...we should become "Marathoners"...He also mentioned about the wild Morocco Desert Marathon which is run for 7 days covering 240 Kms...Jokingly I said - "Dont think its madness - who can do that???" But somewhere inside me I know - if I want it, I just have to expand my thoughts !!!

Destiny is not destined - it is - DESIGNED...

Welcoming a new beginning...

Just returned from a long vacation...a LONG VACATION !!!

I couldnt believe myself when I was boarding from JFK back to Mumbai that I had spent 15 days doing nothing...just doing nothing !!! I did not have my mobile, neither my laptop, nor did I access my remote log in...I did nothing !!!

The 15 days were indeed wonderful nothings !!!
Blah - Blahing sweet nothings to my sweet heart...
Asked her what makes her stick on with someone like me & she says - nothing...
Doing nothing but sipping coffee with my mother in the morning when the temperature outside was Sub-zero...
Rekindling all those days I spent doing nothing but fighting with my brother when we were kids...
Playing like a kid with my Brothers kids - with nothing worrying ...
Playing with nothing but with myself...reinventing myself

I said I did nothing - right !!!

Time to turn back - do something for me to revisit the nothings !!! My return flight from O'hare was waiting...to take us to NY. We managed to spend a whole day @ the airport - once again doing nothing...

Professionaly groomed beautiful airhostesses welcomed me. A cute girl took my jacket promising to return it back when we land @ Doha (My stop over before Mumbai...). I was guided to my window seat from where I could see the world again through the enclosed space...did I say enclosed space?

Suddenly I remembered, not long before I was in my personal enclosed space - too many thoughts, too many issues running past, too many tasks needing my immediate attention...I push my automated seat don - slowly the seat stretches to become a bed...am amazed at this transformation...but suddenly I realize the nothings did transform me too - I felt stretched.

I am ready again - I know now that those nothings have given me a reason for me to do something... to go back again to the nothings next year !!!

Welcome CM - welcome to a new beginning...

Stretching far...

6 Months ago I had written that I was planning to traverse unknown territories !!! I mean working towards running a marathon...

Now as I look back - am amused & equally amazed with what I have accomplished for my self. Last week I did a 8 Km run nearing 60 Mins, the first time I did non-stop. I never knew I would stretch this far. Training 4 days a week, waking up 4.45 Am every training day including the Sundays....I am stretching !!!

I was on a short business visit to Singapore the last 4 days. Never imagined my commitment towards myself would have such an personal empowering impact - I couldnt believe myself that I was running down the Orchard Street morning 6.00 Am covering the entire stretch up& down in straight 30 Minutes !!! (I never hinted this this to my friends or family - they either ways wont believe...)

Having stretched - now I do know I would be completing the Mumbai Marathon if not in style, sure to do it with style...Am not looking at setting a record by moving in close of completion within 2.00 Hrs but am challenging myself....

No more boundaries, no more doubts, no more self limiting beliefs.
All you need is - open your mind.
Are you ready to believe?
Are you ready to stretch?

The Guy in the Glass...

This is a masterpiece by Dale Wimbrow...I have read it over & over again - always get a new meaning though !!!

The Guy In The Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,

And the world makes you King for a day,

Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father or Mother or Wife,

Who judgement upon you must pass.

The feller whose verdict counts most in your life Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,

For he's with you clear up to the end,

And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test

If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,

And think you're a wonderful guy,

But the man in the glass says you're only a bum

If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartaches and tears

If you've cheated the guy in the glass.