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RESILIENCE IS THE HEART OF A CHAMPION

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  “Find your rhythm in the grind.” From the movie ‘Rocky’   T his year, Silvester Stallone turns 80, and his cult movie – ‘Rocky’ turns 50… I turn 68… I haven’t become a legend like Stallone. It’s said, that during his struggling days, he had to sell his dearest dog for a few dollars, to survive in Philadelphia. Once he made millions of dollars when his movie ‘Rocky’ became a super hit, the first thing Stallone did was, that he bought back his favourite dog… In my struggling days, here in this big city of Bombay, I had to sell my favourite possession –- a Citizen watch (gifted by my elder brother) -- for hundred rupees. But, even though I could afford to buy a nice watch once I started earning, I decided not to wear a watch at all… Much later, I would learn about another struggler, who had arrived much before I did, here in this city. M. F. Husain’s paintings were sold for crores of rupees. But, to keep the memory of his struggling days alive, he had decided neve...
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THE MAN WHO MOVES A MOUNTAIN

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  “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius   T he only football match (the ongoing FIFA World Cup) I watched staying up late, here in Mumbai, was the Semi Finals between Argentina and England. Though, like most Indians, I, too, had been a diehard fan of Brazil and Argentina, during this match, I was rooting for England. I was upset, that Argentina had defeated two the widely-admired underdogs -– Cape Varde and Egypt. The two underdogs had played extremely well… and, therefore, my admiration for them outshone my traditional loyalty to the South Americans… that included the Champ –- Messi. Yes, the GOAT, according to the world around me… As usual, I went off to sleep at 10, instructing my son to wake me up at 12.30 to watch the match. He did… When England scored the first goal, I was thrilled… I saw David Beckham celebrating by hugging his wife, the Spice girl, Victoria… My Victoria, here, was fast asleep… Hence, I celebrated b...
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WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT US

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“What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.” ―  Martha Graham   “H ow is the situation now?” I checked with this person, last night, “Time heals,” I added. “Situation is the same; but, I am coping.” The person replied, this morning. “Cope the best way you can; it won’t leave you weak. Trust me,” I consoled. “Keep me in your prayers,” the person wrote. Of course, I would. But, as you know, like most of us do, I, too, won’t go my knees before a picture or idol of God and pray, “O God, have mercy on my friend.” There is no need for any such prayers… “How’s the situation now? Time heals.” --   Was it not my prayer in itself? When my troubled friend tries sincerely to cope with his/her situation, I think, sooner or later, the situation ‘will change’. Meanwhile, you and I have our own ‘situations’ to cope with… and, we find ourselves saying the same thing to our own well-wishers: “Please keep me in your prayers.” At the end of ...
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BOSS, TELL ME... WHEN WILL I GET MY LADDER?

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  "It's better to under-promise and over-deliver than to oversell and under-deliver." Unknown   O n FB, I have been getting these tempting ads from ‘Home Essentials’. For our newly-renovated Centre (THE DAWN CLUB CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE), we needed a simple, aesthetic ladder. ‘Home Essentials’ have been sending to my timeline a hundred ads about so many things, including beautifully-designed ladders. I booked a 3-step ladder (black colour) paying full amount. It’s close to ten days now… and, I haven’t received the ladder, yet. But, yes, I received a message confirming the order… and expressing regret on the delay… “Our delivery partner and the team are working on it… The delay is due to heavy rains”, I was told… But, it’s very sunny and bright outside… It’s not raining at all. So, I tried to follow up… But, you know how the situation today is: You are served by robots and not humans… AI gives you prompt response; but, it takes you in circles… I got frustrated and y...
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CHECKING ON THE EMPTY NESTS

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  “To understand your parents' love, you must raise children yourself.” — Chinese Proverb   S ome things we understand late in our lives; and, often, we may not understand them at all. One such thing is our sensitivity towards our parents… Well, no matter how our parents raised us up, let us accept these bare facts: They were not trained in the art of raising children; they had watched their parents and, mostly, carried forward what they had watched; they –- whether we agree or not –- had done the best they could in their wisdom… and, this: even though we couldn’t choose our parents, we, by all means, could choose how to deal with our own parents as they aged, and how to deal with our own children as they grew… Having said that, let me add this, too: how our young children deal with us, well, we have no choice on that… Karma or dharma … well, I don’t know. Choices, yes, yes, yes… One, always, has. O n my way home, last evening, I met a parent. He wanted t...
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WHEN THE FISH IN THE WATER IS THIRSTY

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  “With every breath, I plant the seeds of devotion;   I am a farmer of the heart. Rumi   S ome days ago, a friend of mine called me. He said, “I want to visit Mount Mary church (Bandra), today… What is the protocol?” Well, my friend is a Hindu Punjabi. I knew about some difficult times he has been recently passing through. So, the strong urge within his heart to visit a holy shrine did not come to me as any surprise. I have, always, gone to Mount Mary during the week days and sat there quietly, feeling overwhelmed with the surge of gratitude, humility and, above all, peace… Peace is what I have come back with. Thus, when my Punjabi friend asked me, “What is the protocol?”… probably, what he wanted to know was: “Can non-Catholics go inside the shrine?” … “Are there specific hours for the visit?” … “Should one keep the footwear outside?”… “Is offering of candles or cash mandatory?”… etc., etc. I said what I believed in: “Go there with your humble heart... Mot...
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GREATNESS SPEAKS WITHOUT A NAME

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  “Walking is the exact balance between spirit and humility.” Gary Snyder   S rinath Shetty was my student when he was doing his T.Y. B.Com some 38 years ago. He came from a working-class family with zero business background. But, being a disciplined and determined young man, he went about acquiring one of the chemical factories his uncle had built… and, from there, he never looked back. Yesterday, Srinath and his wife Neeta had organized a puja to celebrate the house warming of their new abode… It’s a massive mansion with more than 4,000 S.F. From the 23 rd floor height, the large windows treated the beholders’ eyes to some of the breathtaking expanse… One could stand there and get immersed in the stunning silence, feeling small… I said – ‘Feeling small’… I expressed my joy and gratitude in a message I had typed on my way back home… Such an exclusive spread of delicacies… and such genuine warmth. Srinath had worked hard to deserve this height –- literally –- thr...
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LORD, WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB

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  “Lord, we don't need another mountain There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb There are oceans and rivers enough to cross Enough to last until the end of time” From the song ‘What the World Needs Now’ by Dionne Warwick   J imi Hendrix died on September 18, 1970. He had just crossed the age 27. But, in this short lifespan of his, he earned himself the title ‘The greatest instrumentalist (guitar) of all time.” Well, the world may think whatever and confer whatever title upon you, but, you alone know how exhausted you are due to overwork and personal insecurities… yes, how hard you find to catch a normal sleep… Therefore, the cause of this legend’s death points to excessive consumption of sleeping pills –- in fact, 18 times more than what was prescribed for him! Why am I remembering Jimi Hendrix when I have never been one of his big fans. I don’t enjoy hard rock. But, I enjoy the stories of every human who achieves any stardom… I like the way they climb, ...
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THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...