Inspirational and Motivational short stories Volume #5

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #5 of this collection.

1.

To what extent can a person go to have peace of mind? How many people can show the courage of sacrificing their fashionable lifestyle and lead a simple life as a monk?

Well, Nisha Kapashi, 27, did just this. She was working at J crew, a famous fashion brand in US as merchandiser, earning a hefty salary. She felt that while there was lot of glamor and excitement in her profession, it was not giving her any contentment or satisfaction at the end of the day. She felt that true happiness has to come from within and cannot come from outside.

With these thoughts, deeply influenced by the Jain philosophy, recently she took ‘Diksha’ and became a Jain Monk. Now, she wears plain white clothes, walks barefoot, chants spiritual mantras & hymns all the time, and eats sparsely whatever alms she gets. 

She is a very happy person now and feels that she has found the right path for her life.

It is debatable though, whether she did the right thing. Not everyone would agree with her approach to life.

But one thing is true … and that is, one may earn lot of money, one may achieve lot of success, one may be too powerful, but if he or she does not have peace of mind, it is all waste. It is better to live a satisfied life as a monk that to live a glamorous life feeling miserable all the time.

2.

Recently, while having lunch in a food court in a mall, I observed two teenaged girls carrying tray containing pizza and other spicy items. They were looking worried over some matter and discussed something seriously while searching for a vacant table.

However, once they were seated, immediately, they took their photos on their phones, smiling with a V sign, with the delicious dishes. They immediately posted these photos on their respective accounts on social media and started eating. They were once again seriously discussing the subject, which bothered them.

I wondered at the possible logical reaction of this incident.

Their friends who saw their pictures would undoubtedly believe that these girls were having a gala time and enjoying in the food court of the mall. With these thoughts, some of those friends might also feel sad that they were not enjoying as much as these girls were appearing to be.

That brings forth one bitter truth of today’s world… today more people are unhappy, not because of their problems. They are unhappy because of the ‘assumed happiness’ of others around them.

The problem is that people overlook their blessings, which can make them happy. Instead, they look at other’s ‘fake happiness’ and feel sorry that they are not as much happy.

Many people tend to forget that happiness is often derived from simple things in life…! 

3.

Recently, in one of the interviews, Amitabh Bachchan said that he still considers himself as a struggling actor.

This one statement reflects his five qualities.

Humility:

In spite of being in the film industry for over 40 years, that too in a commanding position, he still believes that he needs to struggle to give a god performance.

Aiming for Perfection:

He still aims to improve his performance, even though he is crowned as the shahenshah of Bollywood.

Being Realistic:

He knows that he would be in demand till he can perform. The day his performance goes down, he would no more be in limelight.

Never give up:

Even at the age of 72, he wants to re-invent himself and learn something new with every role.

Devotion for duty:

Even after reaching the pinnacle of success and stardom, he still maintains punctuality on sets, like any struggling actor. He rehearses the scenes with others like newcomers. That is devotion.

…

Obviously, anyone who has these qualities is bound to be attain the status of a superstar, whichever field he may be working in… for sure.

4.

Recently, the people of Kanpur were surprised, when an amount of two-lakh rupees was discovered from the bag of a beggar who died in suspicious circumstances. The beggar used to sit in front of a Ganesh temple in Harbans Mohal.

It is not surprising that he had that much money. What is more surprising is - why did he not use it? He must have earned it over a long period, hoping to use it on some day. Unfortunately, that day did not come. It is doubtful whether he had one good meal before he died unexpectedly.

There is a deep philosophical message in this incident.

Many times, people get so worried about their ‘uncertain future’ that they do not enjoy their ‘certain present’. They keep marching towards their destination unmindful of the beautiful journey. They miss the point that often, the journey is more enjoyable than the destination. 

In one of the scenes of the popular movie ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, Hritik Roshan says to Katrina Kaif, ‘I want to work hard and earn as much money as possible by the age of 40, and take retirement. I want to enjoy life after 40.’

She says, ‘What is the guarantee that you will live after 40?’

…

Live in present … for the future cannot become past unless it passes through present.

5.

Sometimes, a simple helpful act makes a huge difference in someone else’s life. No one could have demonstrated it better than an Auto rickshaw driver, Rakesh Kumar in Noida.

It so happened that siblings Tanya and Karthik from Noida, aged 6 and 4 respectively, lost their way while walking home from school and strayed for 3 km, towards Surajpur. It got dark and they both started crying not knowing what to do.

Rakesh Kumar, who was passing by, found them. It was already 8 pm. He hesitated initially to help, but then his goodness prevailed. He asked them where they lived and brought them in the area.

By then, Dhara Singh, their father had made futile enquiries at the school and already lodged a missing compliant in the police station. He and his wife were frantically searching for their kids.

They broke into tears as they saw their kids brought back safely by Rakesh Kumar. The Greater Noida-based Active Citizen's Team appreciated Kumar's effort and awarded him with Mobile phone.  

Such acts of kindness come as a fresh breeze amidst the daily dose of prime time news full of crime and deceit.

6.

Donating money to poor kids is considered to be a very noble gesture. However, when the person donating it is a 6-year-old boy, it is much more praiseworthy and commendable.

Bhavya Aavte from Devas, Madhya Pradesh donated his entire savings of Rs. 107/-, from his piggy bank, to the poor kids, on his birthday on 25th January. He then wrote to the prime minister about this.

He wrote: "I see poor kids on the roads and on TV who cannot go to school. This is why, grandfather, I am sending Rs 107 so that they can go to school like me and study.”

In response, PM's letter to him said: "I applaud your gesture as you are aware about the hardships of the poor kids of the country and I am obliged for this."

Here the role of all the three is worth appreciating.

Bhavya Aavte: In an age, when children fight for toys and generally do not give anything to others, he has behaved extremely well. He gave all his savings to unknown kids.

His Father: It is his good upbringing, which made Bhavya to think about the poor kids and their concerns. It wasl also his idea to encourage Bhavya to write about this to the PM.

PM: By replying to Bhavya, Modi has shown that he is reachable by even a 6-year-old. His reply would be the most precious gift received by Bhavya on his birthday.

Mahatma Gandhi had said, ‘India cannot be happy till someone does not wipe the tears of the poorest of the poor’.

Well, his soul would surely experience some joy to see Bhavya … contributing in his small bit, towards attainment of his cherished goal.

7. 

What is more important - knowledge or degree?

Well, Ravi Kumar Reddy a Ph. D scholar from IISc Bangalore has been teaching Power Systems to the Electrical Engineering students in Saveetha Engineering College in Kanchipuram since 2012. His students were quite satisfied with his teaching.

Recently, he was caught for forging his qualification documents. Actually, his name turned out to be Ashok Kumar Chaudhary, who failed in 8th class and dropped out of the school. He worked in a photocopier shop, where he got access to many textbooks, brought by students for photocopying. He started learning from those books. He realized that he could get knowledge, but not qualification.

Therefore, he chose the alternate route. He forged certificates of customers. First, he forged an ITI Diploma to get a job. Then he ‘obtained’ M.Sc. for a better job. Finally, he ‘earned’ his Ph.D. in Power Systems in IISc Bangalore, on the name of Ravi Kumar Reddy.

The suspicion arose among his colleagues when he refused to meet a delegation from IISc for a discussion. Some members of the delegation were supposed to be his batch mates, going by his certificates.

This raises some important questions:

The fact that no one doubted his credentials for three years shows that he was good at subject and teaching. Are these parameters not more important that the formal qualification?

What about the professors, who have fancy degrees, but are not good at teaching?

Is the educations system hypocrite in that sense, to value only the qualification and not the ‘ability’ to learn and teach, for the job of a professor?

If his identity was not revealed, he would have probably continued for several years. Would it have been harmful in any ways?

Is he not a real genius to have sustained in his job as a professor for three years, without a complaint, just by gaining knowledge from the books and internet?  

Is he an inspiration for the school dropouts, or a blot on the society / education system?

…

Very difficult to answer. The opinions are sure to vary from person to person.   

8.

The ‘Putra Prem’, or the love for one’s son is well known from the times of Dhritarashtra. The love for one’s child usually blinds a person’s logic as well as rational thinking. Particularly, the politicians are known to further their children’s careers in highly unethical and unjustified manner.

Therefore, when we come across a MLA, who made his son appear for a class IV exam, it raises eyebrows. Well, that is what Heera Lal Verma, the BJP MLA from Rajasthan did. He made his son Hansraj appear the peon’s exam in a state government job. He believes that his son, who dropped out of the school after 8th standard, is not capable of doing bigger jobs. He says that he did not want his children to lead a ‘prosperous’ life through ‘unfair’ means.  Heera Lal is himself a postgraduate in three subjects and a gold medalist as well.

The greatness and maturity of a person is demonstrated when he is able to judge his child’s capabilities in an unbiased and impartial manner.

But this incident raises a few uncomfortable questions:

Did he fail as a father in the first place to allow his son to drop out after 8th standard?

Is he being pessimistic or realistic in assuming that his son is not capable of handling bigger jobs?

Has he instilled such good values in his children that Hansraj readily agreed to appear for this exam?

Difficult to say…!

9.

With great preparation and a strong determination, every obstacle looks manageable. Even if it means falling in a well 30 feet deep.

Well, that is what happened to Supraja, a class 12 student in Chennai, on Monday, the day of her Chemistry exam. 

She woke up at 4 am to study, and was strolling in the backyard of her house in Madipakkam. That is when, inadvertently, she fell in the well 30 feet deep. There was three feet water level in the well. She frantically shouted for help for 45 minutes, when her brother heard her. Soon, they found out that she was inside the well. Immediately, her father called the fire fighters who arrived in twenty minutes and pulled her out in a semi-conscious state.

Within 4 hours, she wrote the Chemistry exam, and wrote it well. She came out of the exam hall flashing ‘thumbs up’ sign to her father, who waited anxiously outside the exam hall. She came out limping, due to the injury.

This proves only one thing – If we want to do something sincerely, we can find hundred reasons to do it well; and if we do not want to do something, we will find one thousand excuses for not doing it.

Bravo Supraja … you inspire us.

We are tempted to sing for you … All is well….! 

10.

Some people do social service not for the sake of any publicity or financial gain, but only because it gives them immense satisfaction. Like Jagadish Nayak, 68 from Ahmedabad.

He retired in 2001 after working as a Maths teacher for 32 years. However, during his career as a teacher, he had seen that many children were afraid of Maths. He wanted to help the children ‘overcome the fear’ about Maths.

So, immediately after his retirement, he started teaching Maths free of cost to those children, who were afraid of Maths and could not afford to go to any tuition. For the last 14 years, every day between 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm, children enthusiastically reach his one-room class in Nirnaynagar. He has successfully helped over 700 students learn the tricks of Maths and do well in their academics. His success ratio is also high – more than 80% passed their exams.

People like Jagadish Nayak demonstrate that life is not always about making money or buying comforts. Sometimes, helping others can bring much greater happiness …!

***

Coming Soon Volume#6

Inspirational and Motivational short stories Volume #4

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #4 of this collection.

1.

How often do we see someone who has worked for incredible 72 years in one workplace? And what if we know that this person has served the global historical dignitaries like Lord Mountbatten, Princess Elizabeth, Emperor Hirohito, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Richard Nixon?

Well, Kerala born Kottarapattu Chattu Kuttan, who started working as the doorman at the iconic Galle Face hotel in Sri Lanka, has achieved this feat. He started working there at a tender age of 18 years and worked till his last day. He died peacefully last week at the age of 94 years.

For some people, work is more than worship. They devote their lifetime for their work. The work gets truly honored by their dedication towards duty.

He is a true Karma Yogi in real sense. May his soul rest in peace.

If the hotel had life, it would have cried too... for it would never be able to locate another Kuttan.

We salute Kuttan and his passion for work.

2.

Preaching is always easier than practicing. Therefore, when we come across someone who practices what he preaches, automatically he commands respect and reverence from those around him. And if the subject under discussion is about the expenditure on marriages, then it acquires all the more importance, because marriages have been traditionally considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime affair where people do not mind spending their lifetime savings or even borrowing loans to maintain their ‘honor and dignity’ in the society.

Recently, H. Anjaneyulu, the social welfare minister of Karnataka surprised everyone by choosing a mass-wedding ceremony for the marriage of his daughter Anupama, instead of a lavish wedding extravaganza in a palatial venue. Along with her, 96 couples were married in a simple ceremony where the guests were served simple meal of Rice, Sambar and Payasam. She bought only a saree for the wedding. 

Anjaneyulu has indeed set new benchmark for the rich and powerful celebrities in India, by his exemplary behavior. How many people would dare to get their children married off in a mass-wedding ceremony? Very few.

Marriage is a very sacred ceremony, which unites two families. The focus should be on making the marriages successful by aligning the heart and mind of the couple, instead of showing off grandeur and pomposity in the marriage function.     

We congratulate Anjaneyulu for this audacious move and hope this inspires many powerful personalities in doing the same…!

3.

Which is more powerful? Our Karma or our Luck?

Many people would say that there is no such thing as luck. Everything depends on our deeds. We create our own destiny.

If that were so, how do we explain that a 28-day-old girl, Nithera Janardnanan has won US $ 39,000 in a raffle draw in the 20th Dubai shopping festival? Many people purchased the raffle ticket by looking at the ticket number, purchasing time and day, dropping the ticket in the box at a particular time etc.

She has not done any deeds as of now, other than just trying to understand this world, by looking at her parents and sleeping away most of her time.

In spite of their best efforts, there were times when Tendulkar got out on zero and Amitabh Bachchan had delivered a flop film.

So, there is something, which is beyond the deeds and efforts. Something, which is not controlled by us.

And that is called … luck.

4.

When Sunita from Manda village in Allahabad married Shyam Bahadur, she had dreams of living a life of honor and dignity. However, she was shocked to discover that her husband was a daily wage laborer working in a stone quarry. Her dreams were shattered.

Nevertheless, she realized that it was her life and if she wanted to improve it, she needed to do something about it. No one would have done it for her.

So, she started teaching in a private school. She spread awareness among the women of that village that basic education is very important in life. She believed that if every child should become a literate, so that he does not become another Shyam Bahadur, then the awareness must start from the mothers. 

Soon, she started educating the women of all ages in the village and achieved a cult status. The literacy improved in Manda with more and more women and children enrolling in various schools.

In the meantime, encouraged by her endeavors, her husband, Shaym Bahadur also competed his ITI and applied for a job in Tata Motors. His interview went on very well and he is expecting the offer letter anytime now.

Some spirited individuals have the power to change their destiny by overcoming all the obstacles and challenges, which life throws at them. Undoubtedly, Sunita belongs to that category. She is the real ‘Dabangg’ of Manda village.

Hats off to Sunita for her self-confidence, determination, perseverance, optimism and a resolve of steel.

5.

Generally, we hate beggars, sometime pity them, and often ignore them while sometimes we pay them some change.

But have we ever thought about how the personal life of a beggar would be?

This question arises after we hear the curious case of Pappu Kumar, a 32-year-old beggar from Patna railway station who has been begging there for past 7 years. Recently, it was discovered that he had a property worth Rs. 1.2 Crores, bank accounts in 4 banks with deposits of Rs. 5 Lakhs.

On further investigation, it was learnt that he had passed intermediate exams and wanted to do engineering but he met with a serious accident, which paralyzed him. And he started begging after his family disowned him. Later, he inherited money after his father’s death, but by then, he had found his ‘passion’ for begging. He simply followed his passion … and success followed.

This raises some difficult questions:

Is he doing something wrong? Because begging is not illegal or a crime in India. He is simply following his passion and is fairly successful in his profession.

Would he be considered a failure in life while successful in his career?

Is he a social icon to have given a respectability to the deprived begging community, or he shall be considered an anti-social mascot, because he might lure many people into the begging profession by his exemplary achievement?

Hard to say… views differ. 

6.

All of us wait in a queue at one point of time or other. But how do we spend that time while we are waiting in the queue? Sometimes we get bored, sometimes we get irritated, sometimes we feel that we are wasting precious time.

But, Deepinder Goyal, an IIT graduate felt otherwise.

While he stood in the queue at the canteen of his company for lunch, he realized that the queue was moving slowly, because everyone was taking time to look at the Menu card before ordering the food. And an idea flashed in his mind. He scanned the menu card and made it available to the employees online, so that before they stood in the queue, they were fairly clear as to what to order.

His idea became so popular that quickly his portal got many hits from the employees.

That gave birth to a much bigger idea. Why not to expand this concept outside the company as well?

Today, his company Zomato, provides the location and Menu card for around 300,000 restaurants in 155 cities in 19 countries, with an annual turnover of Rs.1000 Crores.

True, every success story starts with a small idea … and firm belief that it will work.    

7.

Every society has some people who work silently behind the scene for the betterment of someone. These people have heart of Gold and their ideas are truly noble.

The people of Bhopal witnessed one such couple, Hassen Parvez and Dr. Noorunnisa.

This couple had found an 8-year-old girl, Sharada, abandoned and in an injured condition on the Barkheda station in year 2000. They brought her home, took care of her, educated her and brought her up as their own daughter.

Recently, they performed Sharada’s marriage with Durga Prasad in a proper Hindu style, in the Ram Janki temple on the banks of Budhni Ghat in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh.

It was a unique occasion, where a Muslim couple did the ‘Kanyadan’ in traditional Hindu custom.

In today’s troubles times, when the tensions between two religions flare up instantly on slightest provocation, such positive events provide a soothing feeling … and reinforce a belief among the moderates in the society that goodness still prevails…!  

8.

Many times, on hearing some inspiring stories of people who did something worthwhile for the society, we too get motivated to do something good to the society. However, soon the enthusiasm fizzles out with a thought, ‘What can I alone do? The magnitude of the problem is much bigger, and my contribution may be too insignificant…’

Well, Ramesh Chandra Nambardar, a farmer from Shamli, Meerut in UP would tend to differ.

For the last one year, he has been providing 25 liters of fresh milk every day to 120 children of a primary school as his contribution to the society. He says that the central government, which has urged every MP to adopt one village each, inspires him to do his bit. He acknowledges that some people donate warm clothes, while some other people donate books. He felt that supplying fresh milk to the poor children would avoid their malnourishment and make them stronger.

True, Ramesh Chandra may not be making a big difference on the national or even state level, with his small philanthropic deed. But surely, he is making a huge difference in the lives of those 120 poor children, who were facing a high risk of malnutrition otherwise.

The satisfaction derived by him by doing this would be much more than the money that he would have earned by selling the milk.

After all, not all pleasures in life can be quantified with their worth in money. Such pleasures are priceless…!   

9.

How often do we get an opportunity to demonstrate our maturity on sensitive matters pertaining to religion and humanity? And when we do get such an opportunity, how many show the courage and magnanimity to rise above the ‘normal’ behavior?

Shail Devi, a widow in her 50s has shown to the world that humanity is the supreme religion, above all known religions in the world.

Recently, when the communal riots were in full blaze in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, she gave shelter to 10 Muslims in her house to save them from an uncontrolled mob of around 5000 people, who were on a rampage. The mob came to her house also and asked her whether there was any Muslim in the house. She firmly said ‘No’ and stood guarding the main door with her two daughters.

Later, Mohammad, one of those ten people in his sixties, said that she was like a God-sent angel for them. The Bihar government has rewarded her for her heroic act and exemplary behavior in times of extreme crisis.

What Shail Devi has done should make every person proud. She has shown that the foremost duty of any human being to help others in their need of hour. Such acts of goodness work towards healing the wounds and the scars left by the ugly incidents of communal riots.

After all, it feels good … to be good.   

10.

What is required for doing charity? More wealth or a big heart?

Well, Shakoor Mohammad, a daily wage laborer from Jodhpur, Rajasthan has proved to the world that one need not be a rich person to donate for charitable purposes. What is required instead is a big heart.

In 1984, he had purchased six plots of land, each measuring 150 square yards, for a total of Rs. 4000/- only. Today, the value of these plots is around Rs. 1.5 Crores.

Two years ago, he donated one of those plots for building a hospital on his mother’s name. He is very satisfied that today the hospital treats around 50 people daily.

In spite of his wealthy status, he prefers to lead a simple life and works for long hours every day.

The blessings of the people treated in that hospital surely gives him a satisfaction, which he knows he can never expect from the costly luxuries that he can afford...! 

Hats off to Shakoor Mohammad, who has truly demonstrated the meaning of ‘Simple living … High thinking’.

***

Coming soon … Volume #5

Inspirational and Motivational short stories #3

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #3 of this collection.

1.

According to a survey conducted recently by a leading recruitment agency, the starting salary of an Electrician is more than the starting salary of an Engineer. Moreover, because of similar increments in their respective salary structures, an Electrician earns much more than an Engineer after say 5 or 8 years of service.

Following could be the probable reasons for this anomaly.

• There have been abnormal increase in the number of private Engineering Colleges all over India in the last two three decades, which increased the supply much more than the demand.
• The quality of education has steadily dropped over the years. Now only the premium institutes provide quality education, while others just provide degrees.
• There is an unnoticed increasing scarcity for trade technicians like Electricians, Plumbers, and Fitters etc. Naturally, their demand rises and so do their salaries.
• An average Technician is more hard working than an average Engineer.

My sincere apologies, if any Engineer is hurt by these findings. I am an Engineer myself…! 

2.

Every time an Indian excels in any field outside India, it is a moment of pride for all Indians. Our country has celebrated many such moments all through the history, with many names being added to this illustrious list in the last two-three decades. 

Recently, one more name was added to this list – Antara Haldar. She is the FIRST non-European lecturer of Law at the University of Cambridge. With this, not only has she won laurels for herself, but also for the country.

Looks like India is now poised for a significant contribution on various fronts in the global arena …!

3.

How often do we find well-educated people occupying senior positions in the government spending time for social work without any remuneration? Well, rarely. Because it requires a strong will and courage of conviction to serve our society. And when someone does it, he or she instantly stands out among the crowd.

There is no better example than Aradhana Patnaik, the HRD secretary in Jharkhand government, to prove this point. She is an IAS officer who is also an Engineer. During her regular inspection duty in various government schools, she observed that the students faced various difficulties including lack of teachers, lack of proper guidance etc. She found that with a little effort from her side, she could make some difference.

Therefore, to overcome these challenges to some extent, she started taking classes every time she went for any inspection. She is happy to see that these random classes are actually helping the children to understand basic concepts of Mathematics. She is now urging all retired government officials and academicians to come forward voluntarily for this noble cause.

After all, ‘Vidya-Daan’ ranks very high among all types of Daan.

4.

In a rare gesture of courage and altruism, Akash, Sayali and Jui, the three children of late Hemant Karkare and Kavita Karkare have shown to the world, how one can be useful to the society even after death.

Hemant Karkare laid down his life while protecting the lives of citizens of Mumbai on 26 November 2008, when terrorists had gone on a rampage, causing one of the biggest mayhems in the history of Mumbai.

Recently, Kavita Karkare died due to a brain hemorrhage. And she too, like her husband, saved the life of some unknown people while dying.

In an exemplary behavior, her three children decided to donate her vital organs to the needy patients. Accordingly, her one Kidney was donated to a 48-year-old person, who was on Dialysis for last 10 years. Her second Kidney was donated to a 59-year-old patient, who was waiting for a Kidney for last 7 years. Her Liver was donated to a 49-year-old person who was battling for his life for a Liver transplant for last 2 years.

The entire Karkare family is worthy of sincere appreciation and respect from everyone.

5.

Recently, in one of the interviews, Akshay Kumar mentioned that he no longer visits the Vaishno Devi temple, though he continues to be a staunch bhakt of Mata Vaishno Devi, and had visited the temple many times before.

The reason he cites for this decision is that, his travel cost including lodging and boarding, along with his bodyguards for the entire journey comes to around Rs. 2.5 Lakhs.

So, whenever he thinks of visiting Vaishno Devi temple now, he just closes his eyes, thinks about the deity and then donates this amount to a charitable trust. He says that this way, the money is utilized in a better way than actually spending it for the journey.

Is he right in doing so? Would he still get the same blessings from Mata Vaishno Devi? Or more, or less?

Well, this is a very personal matter pertaining to religious faith, and opinions are very likely to differ from person to person.  

6.

We often see the celebrities basking in glory after their success, but we know little about the sacrifices they make on the way to that success.

Recently, Sardara Singh led the Indian Hockey team to a stunning victory in the finals of the Asian Games, winning a Gold medal in Hockey for India after 16 years. Incidentally, he was also the flag bearer for the Indian contingent in the opening ceremony held on 19^th September, proudly carrying the Indian flag across the stadium.

What many of us do not know is that his grandfather had passed away just 4 days before the opening ceremony. His family did not reveal the news to him, as he was highly attached to his grandfather, who always motivated and encouraged him to perform better with every tournament. They did not want this news to affect his performance in the game.

Another such celebrity who made big sacrifice was Shekhar Suman. In early 90s, he shot into fame with the hugely popular TV serial ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’ on Doordarshan. At that time, his young son was suffering from Cancer and was hospitalized for many weeks before his untimely death. In those days, Shekhar Suman was caught in a dilemma, whether to further his career by hectic shooting schedules or spend time with his ailing son. And he regrets even today that he did not give enough time for his son.

Sachin Tendulkar also mentioned on his retirement day that because of his cricket tours for 24 years, he missed out on several special moments like his children’s birthdays, their school functions, appreciating their small achievements etc. These moments shall never come back ever.  

No wonder, sometimes being just a common man is a big blessing…which often we do not realize!

7.

Success is never permanent and failure is never fatal.

Therefore, whenever we see someone successful, we should draw inspiration from that, and appreciate the efforts gone into that success. Because, success usually comes with lot of hard work, proper planning and a bit of luck.

There was a period of almost 5 years in 1990s, when Kumar Shanu won all the male playback singer awards in all the Bollywood award functions, making all other singers irrelevant. Later, he had requested the judges not to nominate him, so that other singers too can get a chance to win awards and recognition.

There was a period in the last decade, when the Australian Cricket team won all the matches in all the tournaments, making all other countries’ teams of that period irrelevant.

Now we are witnessing a period, when Narendra Modi is singularly winning all the elections, making all other political parties irrelevant. The number of casualties because of his juggernaut is rising by the day. The prominent names in this illustrious list are Nitish Kumar, Uddhav Thakre, Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar. 

We all know that this phenomenon too will have an end date, sooner or later.

But then, so long as it lasts, one should rise above the party ideologies and enjoy it…! We may not get another opportunity of seeing such stellar performance from another political leader in near future.

8.

For any employee working in a company, ‘recognition’ by the employer is the most precious gift. What could be a better way to show the recognition, which is based on loyalty, and which results in the company doling out Rs. 500 crores worth of gifts as Bonus to its staff for this Diwali?

Yes, it sounds unbelievable, but it is true.

Savjibhai Dholakiya, a Diamond exporter based in Surat has recently presented his loyal employees with Cars, homes and jewelry as Diwali Bonus.

The human resource is the most precious asset any company can have, and if the management is able to utilize this potentially limitless resource efficiently, then it can achieve great heights in its field. Unfortunately, not many companies understand this logic and in order to save a few pennies, they often forego pounds. In the bargain, not only the employee loses, but the company too loses to tap the employee’s enthusiasm, creativity and belongingness, which has the power to boost the work efficiency tremendously.

Dholakiya has undoubtedly set new benchmarks in the industry, in terms of rewarding the loyal employees.

His employees are surely going to have a very Happy Diwali…!

9.

In his autobiography to be released next week, Tendulkar mentions about the lean patch of his career, when as a captain, he was not successful for a prolonged period. During those days, he felt that he was already giving his 100% to the game and there was nothing extra that he could do to improve the situation. He even thought of QUITTING the game altogether…

This tells us five important points:

Even great and successful celebrities face momentary setbacks. Yet, they don’t lose their heart and continue to put in their best.

There is nothing wrong in failing. What is wrong is, not pulling ourselves up after every fall.

Many times, big victories await us after the toughest phases. One needs to manage these hard days.

In spite of our best efforts, results are never guaranteed. There is a bit of luck needed in every success.

Our true character is not seen by how we celebrate success. It is reflected in how we behave in failures.

10.

What is the similarity between SRK, Indra Nooyi, Indira Gandhi, Narendra Modi and Mahatma Gandhi?

Well … they all sleep for less than 4 hours a day.

It says many things about them.

All these personalities are/were highly successful in their respective fields. For them, work is worship. They worked for extra hours regularly to accomplish their goals.

Usually, many of us say that ‘we do not have sufficient time’ to do certain things. But these abovementioned people show us that by reducing our sleep, we can increase our productivity by at least 15 – 20% per day, by way of increased ‘available working hours’.

Time is the only resource, which is available in equal measure to all living beings. No one has less and no one has more. Not even a single minute.

Time is also something that can never be recovered, however rich or powerful we are. Once it is gone, it is gone.

Therefore, as we are witnessing the future convert itself into past, every second, right in front of us, let us strive to make use of the present very well. That takes care of everything else.

***

Coming soon … Volume #4

Inspirational and Motivational Short stories Volume #2

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #2 of this collection.

1.

The last two league matches of IPL this season have been very special. The team batting second has achieved the sizeable targets in remarkably less number of overs, to attain a desired place in the playoffs. The valiant way, in which Mumbai Indians, after losing their first 5 consecutive matches, scripted a near-unbelievable comeback in the playoffs, shows how a team could remain focused and motivated in the face of severe adversity. 

Achievement of such unimaginable targets highlights the fact that when faced with tough situations, people give in their best performance. Such heroism would not have been possible if the targets were more relaxed.

In life too, many times we see such situations around us. People tend to give their best performance only when faced with some kind of adversity. So, is adversity necessary for achieving big results in any field? Most of the successful personalities say that they had experienced some kind of failure in their lives earlier.

It is true … success spoils a person in hundred ways but a failure teaches him thousand lessons.

2.

History is full of ordinary people who achieved extra-ordinary accomplishments with a strong determination.

One such case is that of Gyan Singh, 40, from Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh. In his village, the people had to walk a long route of around 7 km for fetching water and taking the ailing patients for medical treatment to the nearest village on the other side of a mountain adjoining the village. Seeing this, in 2011, he started carving a 5 feet road in the mountain. He took three years to complete a 2.5 km road cutting through the mountains singlehandedly.

He has not only shown to the world that everything is possible with determination, patience and hard work, but also has got bountiful precious blessings of all the villagers.

Gyan Singh is a real hero… we salute his self-belief and courage.

3.

Recently, Kundan Lal from Dehradun topped the LLM exam conducted by the Uttarakhand Open University. He scored 185 / 200 marks.

So, what is so great about it apart from the fact that he must have really studied hard for the exams and prepared well? Well, it would come as a surprise to many to know that he is 73 years old.

It is a different matter as to what he would do with this qualification at this age. What is more important is that he has shown the passion to achieve a goal. And with hard work, he achieved it.

Many times in life, we come across situations when we think for a moment, ‘I am too old for doing this…’

People like Kundan Lal inspire us to realize that it is never late. One may modify his dreams as per the changing circumstances and growing age, but one must have dreams and pursue them with all sincerity.

4.

How many people can remain spirited and enthusiastic after difficult circumstances force them to drop out from the school after 8th grade? Not many…

But Maya Devi from Rohtak, Haryana is an exception. Born in a poor farmer’s family, she struggled throughout her life only to see that her children studied well.

And last week, when the UPSC results were declared, her dream of lifetime was realized. Her son Lok bandhu and daughter Pooja had cleared the IAS exams. Her elder daughter Kranti is already an IAS officer, working as Dy. Commissioner in Income Tax department in Mumbai.

This shows that even a semi-literate woman deprived of the basic necessities in life, can significantly and positively change the lives of her children, through sheer determination and hard work.

She is indeed an inspiration to all the mothers of India… who strive hard to see a better future for their children.

5.

Recently, a Pizza was delivered by air, by a drone in Mumbai.

A Robot is now developed in Japan, which can understand human emotions and behave / react accordingly.

Google has developed a driverless car.

People are increasingly turning to Facebook and WhatsApp for sharing their feelings, instead of meeting / calling their neighborhood.

…

At this rate, the machines would increasingly fill our lives in all spheres, reducing the human interface.

The day is not far when a need arises to develop a machine which will help a human interact with another human… live. It looks like, in the pursuit of technological advancements, we are forgetting the basic needs of humans, which are a heart-to-heart talk, a warm handshake, a pat on the back, a caring embrace, a heartfelt laughter together etc.

These ‘human acts’ cannot be ever substituted by any scientific / technological innovations.

6.

At a time, when the honor killings are rampant in most parts of India, the families of Azaan (Muslim) and Arti (Hindu) from Uttar Pradesh have set a new benchmark for peace and harmony.

Azaan and Arti fell in love with each other and decided to get married against the wishes of their families. They ran away from their homes and went to a Sai temple in Etah to get married. However, their families, who were frantically looking for them, tracked then down just in time.

After initial resistance, a compromise was finally reached and they all agreed for the marriage. A Kazi was called to solemnize the marriage inside the Sai temple.

It is quite likely that Sai must have got emotional and moved at this rare display of matured and rational behavior of these two families in these troubled times…!   

7.

Does God really bless a person, if he participates in the religious procession with utmost devotion, but he also ignores a person in extreme distress lying injured on his procession route?

Yesterday, on the auspicious day of Dnyaneshwar Palkhi in Pune, 59 year old Nandkishor Radhesham Sharma went to see the Palkhi procession on Bajirao road and was hit by a car, which sped away lying him injured on the road.

However, the people around him, including those who were taking part in the procession, just lifted him from the middle of the road and kept him on the pavement so that the procession can continue. After he gained consciousness, he feebly tried calling his family on his mobile, who came from Katraj and took him to a hospital. Unfortunately, after fighting for his life for few hours, he succumbed to his injuries.

So, who is responsible for his death? Was it the person in car who hit him? Or the passersby who did not call for ambulance immediately?

Is it the time that these annual historic processions, started over three hundred years ago, in which over four lakh people cover a distance of around 400 km, be routed through outskirts of the cities to avoid any inconvenience to the ordinary people for those few hours? If not, can the RTA make a proper plan of emergency exits at all junctions to cater to such emergencies?

God has never asked people to worship him ignoring others around him, who need help. Helping such people is indeed the highest form of worship…!

8.

The admissions to Delhi University have finally started after resolving the course duration issue. What came as an expected surprise was the high cut-off percentage for admissions to various courses in different colleges.

Apparently, for the science stream the cut-off was 100% while for other streams, the cut-off was around 97% plus.

This raises some very important questions.

What happens to the students who scored below 97% marks? Are they not good?

Is it right for the education system to put such excessive pressure on students and their parents to score such high marks? 

Were all the students, who got admissions in these colleges in previous years, successful in their future careers as well?

Is it only a craze to get admission into such colleges? Are other colleges useless?

Have other colleges not produced any successful people?

I do not have answers to all these questions… I hope someone does.

9.

According to a recently published report, the city-state of Monaco in Western Europe has the maximum density of millionaires. Apparently, one out of every three persons is a millionaire over there.

That makes one wonder, how the life of these people would be? Are they all really happy with all the money they have? Or do they compare their wealth with one another and feel unhappy to see someone who has more wealth than them?

What would be the ambitions of these people? Would their children be truly putting their best efforts in their schools / colleges?

Ironically, every person runs behind more and more money throughout his life … and when a few of them earn enough of it, they seek other pursuits like philosophy and philanthropy. 

10.

Recently, ‘e-mail’ completed 32 years of its existence. Not many would be aware that 32 years ago, an Indian, V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai had invented the e-mail in US.

During these 32 years, there were some distinct phases on the usage of emails.

In early nineties, people were learning about how to operate computers. So, communicating through emails was out of question.

By late 90s, people were regularly going to cyber cafes to check their emails. So, sending and receiving emails was a one-time activity performed once or twice a day.

By the beginning of first decade of this century, many people had computers in their homes and the mails were seen several times a day. It was no more a luxury.

However, with the advent of smart phones a few years ago, seeing mails in computers has become an old thing. Now people know instantly when a mail arrives in their inbox, through their smartphone. Moreover, because of the several faster and cheaper means of communication like messengers, WhatsApp, and even voice calls, the emails have not remained a favorite mode of personal communication anymore.

Today, children learn to send / receive an e-mail before they learn how to write letters. In fact, this generation may have probably never experienced the pleasure of writing letters to our loved ones at far off places.  The emotions actually pour out on the paper when one writes a personal letter with a pen. Similarly, the sheer joy and thrill in receiving a letter from our friends and relatives is to be experienced to be believed. The postman had a special place in people’s lives in those days and in some cases, he was considered a part of the family.

Today, we have a much faster and several means of communication, but none of these can create the same ‘magical effect’ as before.

…

Coming soon … Volume #3

Inspiring and Motivational short stories Volume #1

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #1 of this collection.

1.

How many people can remain unchanged with an additional wealth of Rs. 100 Crores in their bank account? Not many. But David Ashcroft from Liverpool, UK is an exception. He won a lottery of Rs. 100 Crores in 1997 when he was 30 years old. Today, 16 years later, he continues to work in his furniture assembly shop and stays in same house as before. He does most of household work himself.

Come to think of it, a rich person cannot eat more than three meals a day, or sleep for more than 8 hours a day. Nor can he carry with him anything when he departs. However, when some zeroes get added in the bank balance figures, many people tend to change their behavior. And that is ironical…!

2.

Pancham Singh, 90, has visited 400 jails in 18 states in the last few years to reform convicts and advise them to follow good path. He believes that prisoners can be reformed and deserve a better after-jail-life. Noble act indeed…

What is ironical, however, is that he was a dacoit from Chambal Valley during 60s and 70s. He was sentenced to death by the court for killing over 100 people. However, the then President had pardoned him and released in 1977.

So, does the sanctity of his advice lose its sheen, once we know his history? Does a former criminal have moral right to give guidance on righteousness to others? What if we did not know his past? Would he be considered a saint in such a situation? Is there a saint trapped in every criminal and a criminal hidden inside every saint?

The opinion is bound to differ from person to person…!

3.

Yesterday was a big day in the history of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh as the residents of this place were gifted with a rail network. That means after over Six decades of Independence, the people of this city had the basic train facility. The people born in seventies and before in other parts of India would recall how they were thrilled to see train at railway crossings or while speeding away on tracks near agricultural fields outside their villages.

This brings out a very important but not-much-discussed aspect of the Indian growth story. The entire North East region has been grossly neglected all these years even though it has bountiful natural resources and excellent scenic natural locales. Recently, the people of this region were in news because of the almost racist behavior of people of Delhi resulting in the death of one youngster.

Our politicians do not seem to realize that India cannot progress unless it’s all regions, religions, castes and whatsoever parameter we take, progress TOGETHER. There can be no growth of just one part of India … it has to be TOTAL India.

All these years, India has been progressing in spite-of-politicians and not because-of-them… we hope to continue this journey in future too… for there is no end point on road to success and development.

Jai ho.

4.

Recently, a Robot has been developed in China which can cook the desired food. Apparently, it has been programmed to cook several delicious dishes. Fine, that is definitely technological advancement…

In ‘English Vinglish’, Sridevi mentions that if a woman cooks good food, it is considered her duty while if a man cooks good food, it is treated as an art.

Some of us would remember that around two generations ago, there used to be some people who did not eat food cooked by others. They believed that the character and attitude of person cooking the food influences the thought processes of the people eating the food cooked by him. So, in order to maintain their sanctity, these old people never ate outside food or the food cooked by others.

Now, with this modern invention, which thoughts would come in the mind of people eating the food cooked by the Robot? Do Robots think at all?

Gradually, the people are losing the personal touch in their day to day activities involving others. Earlier, people used to write letters by hand, which carried the emotions of people with it. The reader could actually feel the emotions. Now a days, with the numerous instant messaging services across the world, the communication happens much faster, but the emotions are getting lost somewhere in the process…

So, the moot question is:  Is the technology creating more and more human Robots?

5.

Any person completing MBA dreams of getting a high salaried job in good company. However, this year, 4 MBA graduates though otherwise. They thought that doing a job was too ordinary. They wanted to do something different. So, the 4 guys, Sandeep Jain, Vikas Khanna, Amit Aggarwal and Ankit Saragwi from Raipur, Chhattisgarh rejected the job packages worth lakhs of rupees and … opened up a shop of Sugarcane Juice.

They dream of opening a chain of such shops called ‘Ganna Wala’ across India in next few months. They feel that this could be a very profitable business if all the logistics are properly planned.

Every dream starts with a little step but with great determination and firm belief. Many such ideas are ridiculed and mocked at in the beginning. But they go on to make history in due course of time.

True, success often comes from treading unexplored path….!

6.

Recently the Director General of Dubai Municipality honored its 726 workers by giving them cash prizes and unveiling a huge billboard ‘Our Workers’ in its main building in the presence of entire senior management. The Dubai Municipality has been organizing this event for last 6 years aimed at giving opportunities to workers to excel in different fields such as Arts and Sports.

How many organizations understand that such simple acts of the management go a long way in motivating its staff? The simple Municipality worker is also a human being who has feelings and emotions like everyone else. He also needs appreciation and recognition for the good work done by him.

Next time when we look at the Dubai roads, and find them to be much cleaner compared to other cities, we know one of the probable reasons behind this.

By paying salary, a company can buy the routine muscular movements from its staff for 8 hours in a day. However, such small acts of appreciation and recognition can bring out the true worth of an employee as he puts his heart and soul in his job.

The human potential in unlimited … it just needs to be unleashed.

7.

Yesterday Pravin Tambe, the spin bowler of Rajasthan Royals claimed the first hat-trick of IPL season 2014. What is noteworthy is that he is 42 years old, and was not in much news all through his career, at least not in the recent years.

This brings an important point to the fore. At an age when many players including legends like Sachin Tendulkar had to retire, how could he achieve this feat?

Well, it has to do with the positive mind frame and an encouraging environment which makes all the difference. Rajasthan Royals has been long acclaimed as the best possible training ground for youngsters as it displayed an excellent team spirit, fantastic coaching and wonderful atmosphere.

Incidentally, in the other extravaganza that has captured the imagination of the nation these days, the national elections, there are two important personalities in the same age group as Pravin Tambe, who have been easily outsmarted by a sixty plus personality through similar positive mind frame and an untiring and confidant blitzkrieg across the length and breadth of the country.

Age certainly matters… but what matters more is a positive mind frame and a can-do approach.  

8.

Recently, a campus interview wasl held with a difference…

There were 33 companies including big names like Vedanta group and IDEIM India Pvt. Ltd.

There were 66 candidates selected from among hundreds.

The highest salary of Rs. 35,000/- was paid by Taj Mahal group to to Raju Parasnath. He was recruited as Assistant Business Development Manager.

So, where is the difference?

The difference is that this campus is in Tihar jail. The jail authorities conduct campus interviews every year for the inmates with good behavior who are on verge of being released.

All the stakeholders here deserve sincere appreciation… the candidates for their good behavior, the jail authorities for showing a new ray of hope in the life of these prisoners; and last but not the least, the recruiting companies in believing that the people can indeed be reformed…!

They have indeed altered the destiny of these prisoners.

9.

A good work done for the benefit of others, without expecting anything in return, rarely goes unnoticed. And if the volume and magnitude of the work is very high, then it earns rich accolades as well.

Martha Dodray, 40, working in a primary health centre in Bihar’s Darbhanga district walked several miles daily to reach the remotest villages to administer polio vaccination to children, mostly belonging to the poorest of families.

Martha has ensured that no child suffers from Polio in these villages. Polio eradication is a worldwide movement, and it is people like her who make it successful in true sense.

No wonder, she has been already honored with the United Nations Foundation award and is now being selected for the United Florence Nightingale award 2014.

It is very humbling to know that several hundred children can walk and run freely today because someone, absolutely unrelated to them, has tirelessly walked miles for them…

We salute Martha Dodray… a real life hero.

10.

In 1947, India got independence from the Britishers. It was a hard earned battle fought over several years. The people had shown their patriotism by fighting against the British rule and even by laying down their lives.

Today, India is on the verge of another freedom. The freedom from insensitive and non-functional government.

The countrymen have displayed exceptional collective enlightenment by registering highest ever voting percentage of 66.38%. It today’s times, the patriotism is shown by …just exercising your franchise to vote.

It is a wakeup call for all the politicians of all parties … they cannot take the people for granted anymore. People have now learnt to judiciously exercise their democratic power to select and elect right people to govern them.

In that aspect, this historic moment can be considered as India’s second independence… the independence from corrupt and ineffective governments at the centre as well as all states.

Bravo India… Bravo Indians…! Keep marching. Good days are ahead.

...

Coming soon Volume #2