AN ANECDOTE FROM THE LIFE OF ABDUL KALAM

The unforgettable cheque

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, popularly known as the 'Missile Man of India', held the office of the President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu on October 15, 1931. Having graduated in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology, he worked in DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization).

His most popular book was his autobiography titled 'Wings of Fire'. The 'Padma Vibhushan' and the 'Bharat Ratna' are among the numerous awards that were conferred on him. He died at the age of 83 in Shillong on July 27, 2015. The following anecdote which highlights his integrity is a tribute to him.

Once, Dr. Abdul Kalam visited a book fair held at Tirupur, Tamil Nadu and addressed the gathering. After the function, a man came to meet him. He greeted Dr. Kalam with folded hands and said, "Sir, I am a big fan of yours. Meeting you is a dream come true for me. I have a private company where we make wet grinders. I would like to give you a wet grinder as a token of my love."

The man pointed to a box by his side. Dr. Kalam smiled and replied, "Well, I am badly in need of a wet grinder. But, I will take your grinder only if you accept a cheque as payment for the same." Dr. Kalam signed a cheque and handed it over to the visitor.

The visitor took the cheque but did not encash it. He preserved it as an autograph of Dr. Kalam. Two months passed by. One day, he received a call from Dr. Kalam's secretary. The secretary asked him, "Why have you not encashed the cheque at the bank? If you do not do so immediately, we will send your wet grinder, which is still unpacked, back to you."

The man was thus forced to accept payment for his gift. Ordinary people become extraordinary by their words and deeds, which are guided by noble thoughts.

STORY TIME

The suitcase

A man realised that he was about to die, as he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in His hand. God said, “All right son, it’s time to go.”

Surprised, the man responded, “Now? So soon? I had a lot of plans...”

“I’m sorry, but it’s time to go.”

“What do you have in that suitcase?” the man asked.

“Your belongings.”

“My belongings? You mean my things, my clothes, my money?” the man wondered.

“Those things were not yours; they belonged to the earth,” God replied.

“Is it my memories?” the man asked.

“Those never belonged to you, they belonged to time.”

“Is it my talents?”

“Those were never yours, they belonged to the circumstances.”

“Is it my friends and family?”

“I’m sorry they were never yours, they belonged to the path,” God said, as He shook His head.

“Is it my body?” the man asked.

“That was never yours, it belonged to the dust.”

“Is it my soul?"

Again God shook His head, “No that is mine.”

Full of fear, the man took the suitcase from God and opened it, just to find that the suitcase was empty. With tears coming down his cheeks, the man said, “I never had anything?”

God answered, “That is correct; every moment you lived was only yours. Life is just a moment, a moment that belongs to you. You were born with empty hands and will die empty-handed."

☆☆☆

For this reason, enjoy this time while you have it. Don’t let anything that you think you own, stop you from doing so. Live now. Live your life with kindness and love. Don’t forget to be happy; after all, this is the only thing that matters.”

A SHORT MORAL STORY

Two Basket Weavers

A wealthy king decided to hold a contest among two highly skilled basket weavers. Ultimately, he wanted to determine who could weave more baskets in a day. The two women would contest for the fastest weaver, with the winner to be awarded a large sum of money as a prize.

It started early in the morning, on the day of the contest, with the two women set to weave their best.

However, one of the women seemed faster than the other, and in only five hours, she had woven two baskets. Meanwhile, the other woman became jealous as she was still on her first basket. 

Shorty, the king came to inspect the two busy women. And then, quite unexpectedly, he said to the faster woman.

"Your baskets are a bit smaller than the required size. You didn't follow the contest rules, therefore you must start all over again. Remember that you don't have much time left"

The jealous woman was so gladdened by what the king had said and she silently mocked the faster woman. She knew it was a great opportunity for her to win the contest.

However, the faster woman wasn't discouraged by her plight. With so much determination and commitment, she started all over again, hoping to achieve success.

By the end of the day, the two women were made to stop weaving as the contest was over. It was time to know the winner.

The other woman had excellently made ten baskets. Everyone was impressed by her skills.

But to the greatest surprise of all, the woman who was made to restart hers, had woven eleven baskets. She still won.

The king who couldn't contain his astonishment and curiosity, asked the faster woman. 

"You had very limited time. Come on, tell me how you won?"

The woman smiled and said. 

"Magic starts to happen once you start believing in yourself"

Many of us tend to give up when things get too hard. We allow disappointments to cripple our self esteem and kill the passion to pursue our dreams. We are afraid to start all over again as we think it's always too late. However, we need to understand that the moment we start believing in ourselves, we start creating confidence. And with confidence, we can do anything in life.

A STORY WORTH YOUR TIME

 Six Golden Eggs 

A young girl asked her grandfather,

"Papa, what can you teach me that can be useful in my life?" 

The grandfather thought for a long time, and then he said,

"I think I have a powerful life lesson to teach you. But before that, you have to do something that will get everyone's attention, something huge." 

The girl asked pleasantly,

"Something like what, Papa?"

The grandfather paused for a moment, then whistled,

"You should go around the neighborhood and tell everyone that my ostrich had laid six golden eggs. They would all be surprised to hear it. Then tell them that each egg is worth many millions, and that I would become a multimillionaire by selling them. Tell everyone that soon my life would change forever, and I would become one of the richest person in the society."

The young girl did so without understanding the essence of it. After she came back, she and her grandfather waited all day and into the night, but none of their neighbours showed up at their house to congratulate them and rejoice with them.

The following morning, the grandfather said to the girl,

"Now, you should go back around the neighborhood and tell everyone that during last night, a thief came and destroyed my house, killed my ostrich and stole all the golden eggs. Tell them I've lost everything!"

The girl went out and told the neighbours so. However, after a short while, a shocking number of people crowded at their house. Surprised, the young girl asked her grandfather, 

"Papa, why is it that a lot of people showed up today, but none came yesterday?"

The grandfather smiled and said,

"When people hear good news about you, they stay silent, ignore it and act like nothing happened. But when they hear bad news about you, they spread it like wildfire, and rush to confirm if it is true. People will find it difficult to celebrate your success, but will rush to witness your downfall..." 

At that moment, the grandfather placed an arm around the girl's shoulders, smiled again, and then continued, 

"Now this is the powerful life lesson I've got to teach you... The biggest lie we are told by people around us is that they are happy to see us succeed. The truth is, most people, even close friends and neighbours don't want to see you succeed. When someone realises you're becoming more successful than them, it becomes a threat. Most people genuinely do not like people doing better than them. They become jealous, and deep down inside, they want nothing more than to have that life. However, it is important to remember that you cannot control how others act or how they perceive you. Instead, focus on being the best version of yourself. Stop trying to change them, stop worrying about what they are doing. Set your goals, follow your dreams, listen to your heart, and don't let anyone or anything stop you from achieving your dreams.

STORY OF TOLSTOY AND THE YOUNG MAN

Poverty 

One day a young man came to Tolstoy, the famous social thinker and Laureate of Russia. Asking for some help the young man said, "Sir, I am a very poor man. I have no money or means for my livelihood. My life has become very miserable."

Tolstoy looked at him, was surprised and said, "Young man! What do you speak? You appear to be very rich and lucky. Why do you call yourself poor and unfortunate?"

The young man said, "Sir, why are you mocking at my tragic condition and adding salt to my injury? Please be kind to me."

Tolstoy - "No young man! I am not joking, but telling you the truth. You have wealth of millions' worth on your body."

Young man - "Where is that wealth of millions' worth? I hardly have a few pennies in my pocket." 

Tolstoy - "Well, you have two eyes. I have a friend who will buy them for seventy thousand rubles (Russian currency). Tell me, are you willing to part with them?"

Young man - "Oh sir! What are you talking about? If I give you my eyes, I will be fully blind. The whole world will become empty for me. I will not be able to enjoy anything. Therefore, I can't even imagine giving up my eyes."

Tolstoy - Well, if not the eyes, then give both your ears to my friend, and he will give you sixty thousand rubles. Is it acceptable to you?"

Young man - "I cannot part with my ears. If I give up my ears, how will I hear anything?"

Tolstoy - "Then I have a brother, he will be pleased to buy both your hands for eighty thousand rubles. So, you will give your hands to him. Is it right?"

Young man - "Sir! You must be joking! How can I give my hands? Without hands, how will I work and conduct myself? How will I lift the things, even my food and drinks? My two hands alone are the means of existence and subsistence for me. How can I do away with them? Should I make myself a handicap and become worthless forever?"

Tolstoy - "It seems that you are not aware of your other precious possessions. OK, let alone your hands, sell away both your legs. I will buy them myself for ninety thousand rubles. Are you willing?"

Young man - "Sir, if I sell my both legs, I will become totally crippled. I am already a destitute. If I don't have legs, I will become more worthless and totally dependent on others. Therefore, I will definitely not be able to sell my legs."

Tolstoy - "Right, even now you have many valuables, like nose, head etc. and all together, they will be worth millions, yet you seem not willing to sell them. But by now you have understood that you are not really poor. You have limbs worth millions, but due to ignorance and poverty of right thinking you consider yourself to be poor. Tell me from your heart, are you not having millions upon you?"

Young man - "Yes sir, now I realise that I was myself worth millions, but was mis-judging myself to be poor. You have kindly opened my eyes. Tell me, what should I do now, in order to get rid of my apparent poverty?"

Tolstoy said, "Young man you are indeed very fortunate. You have the valuable capital of labour. Take this axe of mine, and earn your fortune by hard work."

The young man paid respects to Tolstoy and went away happily with the axe. 

That is how the person suffers from his mental poverty, till he resolves to endeavour for his betterment, through hard work and sincerity. 

A MOTHER WHO OVERCAME ADVERSITY

 Mary Ann Bevan

Among all human relationships, the bond between a mother and child is perhaps the most sacred one. We've all heard endless tales of a mother's unselfishness, sacrifice, and perseverance. 

How Did She Become 'The Ugliest Woman In The World'?

Born in 1874 in East London, Mary Ann had a tough yet regular childhood. She eventually trained to become a nurse and got married. Shortly thereafter, she had four children and life was usual. But destiny, probably had other plans for her. She was affected by a hormonal condition called acromegaly which caused bone and facial disfigurement. Unfortunately, there was no proper treatment for that precise ailment back then.

As the disease crept in, her once attractive appearance changed drastically over a period of a few years. Meanwhile, her husband passed away suddenly. As if that was not enough, due to her gross appearance she lost her job and all her attempts at finding new means of livelihood went futile. Stressed and embarrassed by her worsening condition, and also widowed at a young age, she was solely liable to provide for her four small children. Her seemingly normal life was utterly disrupted.

As it is often stated, desperate times call for desperate measures. In absolute helplessness, Mary Ann entered the bizarre competition of 'The Ugliest Woman In The World.' Winning the weird title must have been humiliating for her, yet from that day on there was no looking back. She was hired as a 'freak show' performer in Coney Island's Dreamland sideshow. During the 1900s, freak shows served as popular entertainment for the masses. Freaks were people with rare and atypical physical deformities. In the current situation, it might sound strange but this was long before the concepts of inclusivity and body shaming had come into being.

Although her grotesque bodily features were visible to others, her pains and agonies weren't, and for those she had to be more or less constantly under treatment. Despite the physical suffering and the indignity, Mary Ann Bevan in her given state did her best of what could have been done. Throughout her life until she died at the age of 59, she toured different cities and participated in several shows in England and later on in the United States as well. By doing so, she could successfully feed and educate her four children. It is said that every now and then, she would show her children's picture to the people around her, particularly mentioning about the son who was posted in the army. Mary Ann Bevan's story reminds us how cruel at times fate, and in particular the human world can be. At the same time, if we look on the positive side, her life personifies her indomitable spirit as well. As a human being, a woman, and above all a doting mother, Mary Ann Bevan's journey is profoundly inspirational.

SAVOR THE COFFEE

Life is like a cup of coffee

 

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conservation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. 

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, "If you have noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee. The jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."

TO BRING OUT THE BEST

Work with devotion and passion

When Valmiki completed his Ramayana, Narada wasn't impressed. 

"It is good, but Hanuman's is better", he said.

"Hanuman has written the Ramayana too!", Valmiki didn't like this at all, and wondered whose Ramayana was better.

So he set out to find Hanuman.

In Kadali-vana, grove of plantains, he found Ramayana inscribed on seven broad leaves of a banana tree.

He read it and found it to be perfect. The most exquisite choice of grammar and vocabulary, metre and melody. He couldn't help himself. He started to cry.

"Is it so bad?" asked Hanuman..

"No, it is so good", said Valmiki.

"Then why are you crying?" asked Hanuman.

"Because after reading your Ramayana no one will read my Ramayana." replied Valmiki.

Hearing this Hanuman simply tore up the seven banana leaves stating 

"Now no one will ever read Hanuman's Ramayana.'"

Valmiki was shocked to see this action of Hanuman and asked him why he did this.

Hanuman said, "You need your Ramayana more than I need mine. You wrote your Ramayana so that the world remembers Valmiki; I wrote my Ramayana so that I remember Ram."

At that moment he realised how he had been consumed by the desire for validation through his work.

He had not used the work to liberate himself from the fear of invalidation.

He had not appreciated the essence of Ram's tale to unknot his mind.

His Ramayana was a product of ambition; but Hanuman's Ramayana was a product of pure devotion and affection.

That's why Hanuman's Ramayana sounded so much better. 

That is when Valmiki realised that "Greater than Ram .... is the name of Ram!" 

There are people like Hanuman who don't want to be famous. They just do their jobs and fulfill their purpose.

There are many unsung "Hanumans" in our life too, our mother, father, friends, let's remember them and be grateful to all.

In this world, where everyone is highlighting his work and seeking validation, let us just do our karma (duty).

Our devotion, our passion bring out the best in us and thus in our work. Competition may bring success but if work and life becomes a race and battle to win, the work will loose its charm and passion, devotion will vanish eventually bringing losses and suffering. 

Be humble and the best version of yourself and do what you do with love, devotion and passion and success and love will fill your life.

MORAL STORY

The Potato, the Egg, and the Coffee Beans 

A boy named John was upset. His father found him crying. 

When his father asked John why he was crying, he said that he had a lot of problems in his life. 

His father simply smiled and asked him to a potato, an egg, and some coffee beans. He placed them in three bowls.

He then asked John to feel their texture and then fill each bowl with water. 

John did as he had been told. His father then boiled all three bowls. 

Once the bowls had cooled down, John’s father asked him to feel the texture of the different food items again. 

John noticed that the potato had become soft and its skin was peeling off easily; the egg had become harder; the coffee beans had completely changed and filled the bowl of water with aroma and flavour. 

Moral of the story:

Life will always have problems and pressures, like the boiling water in the story. 

It's how you respond and react to these problems that counts the most.

NEVER GIVE UP

Blessings come in disguise

The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small uninhabited island. 

He prayed feverishly to God to rescue him, and everyday he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. 

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood. He felt relatively safe that this hut would protect him from wild animals and wind. 

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with the smoke rolling up to the sky. 

The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. 

"God, how could you do this to me!" He cried. 

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. 

"How did you know I was here?" Asked the weary man to his rescuers. 

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied. 

NEVER FORGET THAT BLESSINGS COME IN DISGUISE. 

THE GIFT

 A vision for future

The leader of a tribe, encamped at the base of a mountain, was dying. The chief summoned his three sons and said, "I am dying and one of you must succeed me as the head of our tribe. I want each of you to climb our holy mountain and bring back something beautiful. The one whose gift is most outstanding will succeed me."

After several days the sons returned. The first brought his father a flower which grew near the summit and was extremely rare and beautiful. The second son brought his father a stone which was colourful, smooth, and round, having been polished by rain and sandy winds. 

The third son's hand was empty. He said, "Father, I have brought nothing back to show you. As I stood on top of the holy mountain, I saw that on the other side was a beautiful and fertile land filled with green pastures and a crystal lake. And I have a  vision of where our tribe could go for a better life. I was so overwhelmed by what I saw and by what I was thinking that I could not bring anything back."

And the father said, "You shall be our tribe's new leader, for you have brought back the most precious thing of all - the gift of a vision for better future."

MOTIVATIONAL STORY

The tomato story

     A jobless man applied for the position of 'office boy' at a very big company. The employer interviewed him, followed by a test of cleaning the floor.

"You are hired," the employer said. "Give me your email address, and I'll send you the application to fill, as well as when you will start."

The man replied, "I don't have a computer, neither an email."

"I am sorry," said the employer, if you don’t have an email, you cannot have the job."

     The man left with no hope. He didn't know what to do, with only ₹100 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket, bought a 10kg tomato crate, then sold the tomatoes door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded and doubled his capital. He repeated the operation 3 times and returned home with ₹300. 

     The man realised that he could survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier and returned late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled everyday. Shortly later, he bought a cart, then a truck and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later the man's company was one of the biggest food retailers. 

     He started to plan his family's future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. When the conversation concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, "I don't have an email."

     The broker replied curiously, "You don't have an email and yet you have succeeded to build an empire. Do you imagine what position you could have if you had an email?"

The man paused for a while and replied, "An office boy!"

Don’t be discouraged if something is not in your favour today. Better opportunities are always waiting ahead. 

INSPIRING STORY OF ARTHUR ROBERT ASHE JR

 Why me?

     Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was a First-ranked professional tennis player and the only African-American male, ever to win the US Open, the Australian Open, and the Wimbledon - the three Grand Slam singles titles.

     Arthur started his game with a puny physique and his coach Johnson helped fine-tune Ashe's game and taught him the importance of racial socialization through sportsmanship, etiquette and the composure that would later become an Ashe hallmark. 

   To have hailed from times when racial discrimination was at its peak, it is no normal 'attitude' that Ashe carried along to become the inspiring Superhero. In 1979, despite his active lifestyle, Ashe suffered a heart attack and underwent quadruple-bypass surgery. His return to tennis was stalled by the onset of recurring chest pains, causing him to officially retire in April 1980.

     In 1983, Ashe had to undergo a second round of heart surgery, during which he received a blood transfusion to expedite the recovery process. In 1988, Ashe was hospitalised once more, this time after experiencing paralysis in his right arm. After much testing it was discovered that Ashe was HIV positive, the belief being that he contracted the virus during the second heart bypass surgery in 1983.

     Wanting to be the master of his own destiny, he chose to reveal the news himself rather than let the newspapers do it for him. From all over the world, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: “Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease”? Ashe's spontaneous reply to the “WHY ME” was: 

   “The world over, 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi-final, 2 to the finals… When I was holding a cup, I never asked GOD 'Why me?' And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?"

      No wonder that this attitude of 'Why me' for all the right reasons put Ashe truly on a different league. Ashe became a vocal campaigner for AIDS awareness. He set up both the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He died on 6th February 1993 from AIDS-related pneumonia when he was just 49. The US Open honoured him in 1997 by naming their new primary show-court, and it is still the largest tennis stadium in the world, in his honour. Ashe was truly unstoppable and certainly an only one of his kind.

AN INSPIRING ANECDOTE FROM THE LIFE OF

King Bharat

     According to our ancient scriptures, three strong fetters of mind, keep the immortal soul (Atma), in perpetual bondage with this transitory world. They are: i) progeny, ii) wealth and iii) name-fame and recognition. Of these, the desire for name and fame is the subtlest, predominant and hard to get over.

    There is an inspiring anecdote in the annals of Jain history. Bharat, the first sovereign emperor of India, whose name this country bears, having conquered all the kingdoms of the sub-continent, finally reached Rishabhkoot mountain to hoist his victory flag and inscribe on victory pillar --- his name, bio-data and a brief description of this remarkable event. Thereby he wanted to satisfy his desire for name and immortalise his glory and fame.

     After reaching there, he looked around and found that there were already inscribed thousands of names of prominent peoples of yore, and there was no space left even to chisel a few letters of his own name, not to speak of the narration of his glorious achievements. 

     He thought --- why not erase someone's name engraved in its place? At his command, it was done so. 

     But no sooner than the task was completed, a ray of conscience flashed in his heart. The emperor thought, "Today I have erased someone's name, but tomorrow someone else may come and erase my name too. This is how, it is all merely a play of ego. The egoism in the form of desire to immortalise one's name, keeps people behaving in various strange ways. Nobody's name can remain immortal and indelible on the vast canvas of time and space."

     Thus, the desire for name and fame vanished forever from the heart and soul of the monarch.

TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU

Seek the best in others 

    As a young Scottish boy, Andrew Carnegie came to America, and started doing odd jobs. As time passed, he became one of the largest steel manufacturers in the USA. At one time he had 43 millionaires working for him. 

     Once someone asked him how he dealt with people. Carnegie replied, “Dealing with people is like digging for gold. When you go digging for an ounce of gold, you have to move tons of dirt to get an ounce of gold. But you need to remember that when you go digging, you don’t go looking for the dirt; rather you go looking for the gold. It’s the same with people.” 

     Seeing the ‘gold’ in others, is a valuable habit to develop. It transforms your relationship with them. Empowering others to believe in something bigger than themselves, leads to the development of new ideas and strategies. Successful people live well, laugh often, and love much. They leave the world better than they found it. While looking for the best in others, they give out the best they have. 

     As you grow up, even if you are in a position to hold others accountable, remember that you are just as accountable to them. By selflessly serving others, a culture of mutual respect and admiration will be created. It helps bring out the best, both in you and in others. The American motivational writer William Arthur Ward says, “When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.”

SPREAD YOUR WINGS OF CONFIDENCE

 Achieve your goal in ife

     This was an important day for the eaglets. They were preparing for their first solo flight from the nest. It was the confidence builder many of them needed to fulfil their destiny. 

     "How far can I travel?" asked one of the eaglets.

     "How far can you see?" responded the master Eagle.

     "How high can I fly?" quizzed the young eaglet.

     "How far can you stretch your wings?" asked the old eagle.

     "How long can I fly?" the eaglet persisted.

     "How far is the horizon?" the mentor rebounded.

     "How much should I dream?" asked the eaglet.

     "How much can you dream?" smiled the older, wiser eagle.

     "How much can I achieve?" the young eagle continued.

     "How much can you believe?" the old eagle challenged.

     Frustrated by the banter, the young eagle demanded, "Why don't you answer my questions?"

     "I did. No one can tell you how high to fly or how much to dream. It's different for each eagle. Only God and you know how far you will go. No one on this earth knows your potential or what's in your heart. You alone will answer that. The only thing that limits you is the edge of your imagination." Puzzled by this, the young eagle asked, "What should I do?"

     "Look to the horizon, spread your wings, and fly. 

NOBLE VIRTUE

 Kindness

     At one of the Special Olympics, nine physically challenged boys lined up at the starting line for the 100-metre race. 

     At the sound of the starting gunshot, they all darted out, each in their own tracks, making their best effort to dash towards the finish line. 

     During the race, a young boy tripped and tumbled to the ground and began to cry. Hearing the cry, the other boys slowed down and looked back at him. 

     Then without hesitation, they all turned around and began running towards the injured boy. 

     Instead of pushing forth to the finish line to win, they decided to help the boy to his feet. Then all of them linked their arms and together they walked to the finish line. 

     By the time they reached the end, everyone in the stadium was on their feet and cheering the boys, some with tears rushing down their cheeks.  

     Even though they had lost their chance to win the race, all the boys had smiles on their faces because they knew they had done the right thing.  

     Mark Twain said, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Kindness to all is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength and nobility of character.

THE SAINT WHO LOVED

 Mother Teresa

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

-----Mother Teresa

     Saint Mother Teresa (1910-1997) lived a life so filled with purpose that it transformed the dreary lives of those she served. The actions of this Nobel Prize winner and Angel of the Poor continue to inspire people across the globe. The incident that follows is certain to touch your heart today.

     Even observing Saint Mother Teresa going about her routine was enough to strike awe in one’s heart. She gave constantly – a warm smile here, a caring touch there. One might imagine that casual onlookers would scarcely believe what they were seeing – for it was nothing short of love in action.

     An American journalist witnessed a sick man in her care. He had ulcers that smelt rather foul, yet Mother Teresa attended to him. The story goes that the journalist called out in disgust, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars!”

     The Saint replied, “Yes, for a million dollars, I wouldn’t do it either.” 

     It is not surprising; money cannot always motivate us to do things that repulse us. But love can. And Mother Teresa was in love; she was loving – she did it for Lord Jesus Christ. 

PARABLE OF THE SHOE SALESMAN

 Adversities can be opportunities

     Two salesmen were sent to two different parts of the country by a shoe-manufacturing firm. The first man noticed that nobody in the area wore shoes. Disappointed, he sent a message to his manager, saying, "Nobody in this part of the country wears shoes. Hence no scope for selling shoes here."

     The second salesman also noticed the same reality, but was highly motivated by it. He sent a message to his manager informing, "Nobody in this part of the country wears shoes. Therefore, there is tremendous scope for our products. Dispatch the whole lot immediately."

     Like the two salesmen in the story, we all look out for opportunities. Most of us, like the first salesman, complain that there are no chances to promote our products, failing to notice and take advantage of the immense openings and opportunities around us, though we, in fact, live in an ocean of vast opportunities. However, we need a genuine desire as well as an open and inquisitive mind to find these prospects and utilize them.

     We must look out for opportunities and not wait for them to come and knock our door. It is said that heroes extract gold from opportunities in hand, rather than waiting for golden opportunities to be handed to them. We have to be optimistic. We must strive to turn adversities into opportunities and pursue our goals with passion. This will enable us to face challenges and succeed even in the most hostile situations.

TO BUILD THE LADDER OF SUCCESS

 Stop Drifting and Start Rowing

     Jesse Owens was the first American track and field athlete to win four gold medals; attained at the 1936 Olympic Games.

     Jesse was born with scrawny legs. But one day, the man who was known as the fastest runner in the world, Charlie Paddock, came to his school. Addressing the boys Paddock said, “You can be what you want to be in life. Decide what you want to be. Then go to God, and ask Him to help you to become what you want to be.” The words of Paddock penetrated the young Jesse’s consciousness. And he felt as if an electric current had passed through his entire being. He went out to the playground, and started jumping. He kept on and on jumping. In this upbeat mood, he met the sports coach, and said to him, “I have a dream to be the fastest man alive, like Charlie Paddock!” The coach patted the boy, and said to him, “It is good to have a dream. But you must build a ladder to reach that dream - a ladder made up of four things: determination, dedication, discipline, and a positive attitude.” 

     The rest is history. Jesse Owens built this ladder. The dream he cherished finally came true as he won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. 

     Albert Einstein once said, “A ship is always safe at shore; but that is not what it’s built for.” Often we find ourselves just idling, and drifting along with the current. Once we stop drifting in our lives, we can become more purposeful. Our actions will be much more goal-oriented, propelling us to fulfil our dreams. Remember, an ambitious dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. So stop drifting, and start pursuing your dreams with passion!