Exemplars of eminence!

The weekend cannot be healing your mind unless you have hectic weekdays. Finally, I gave my feet a rest in the terrace having myself fitted comfortably in the bean bag. The rustling leaves in the terrace and those emerald whorls of fronds susurrating in the breeze added a peaceful soundtrack to the scene and it felt like nature is talking to me. Oh! Not nature actually. Mom! 

She screamed, “You wanna coffee or boost” from the Kitchen. I screamed back to her, “coffee ma”. And in minutes, closing my eyes, I enjoyed the cool breeze and the cooing of birds along with my coffee!

I rubbed my eyes hard. There sitting around me in cane chairs, sipping coffee holding the handle for portability of that glazed ceramic cup, were all the people I revered most. History makers who changed the way we lived & thought. Artists whose wisdom, compassion & love had transformed thousands. Ringed me around, they waited patiently for me to ask so that they could reveal. I was to know the secret to their enormity, "the guide to greatness".

There was the great director, Mani Ratnam wiping his glasses with his kerchief, intently talking to Chetan Bhagat, who was influenced by his writings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was in deep conversation with Sachin Tendulkar; so animated were their expressions that it was hard for me to tell who was inspired by the other.

Dr.Abdul Kalam, the great legend, sat in silence, a soft smile on his face, but around him was a palpable presence of stillness that seemed to pervade the air. A.R.Rahman with his regular charm, drummed his fingers on the chair, lost in the world of music.

Six people, six phenomenal lives! Without wasting a second, I took a deep breath & began...

Were you born with the mark of greatness? Do I normal mortal, who has shown no indication of greatness yet, stand a chance of becoming a history maker?

There was complete silence & I could only feel the rustling of leaves & the cooing of birds nested in the tree. A reminiscing chuckle from Sachin Tendulkar broke as he revealed that he had a great problem with studies, & had been a mediocre, withdrawn student.

Mahi then spoke,” Even Albert Einstein was remarked to his mother as a dull child, then imagine us..” and laughed. A loud chortle then came from Chetan Bhagat as he shared his experiences on those classes he bunked just to date with his girlfriend!

I laughed & reassured. These people were born like you and me human faltering, even unimpressive. However, obviously, something had happened to transform them into super-achievers from human beings.

And I then continued...So, what was the defining moment...how did an ordinary human end up becoming so extraordinary?

Abdul Kalam quiet for so long, suddenly spoke! 

"That was when I had delivered a lecture “vision to the mission” at Anna University, Chennai. The session got extended from morning to afternoon. As I was returning to my room in the evening the vice chancellor prof. Kalanidhi fell in step with me. After I reached my room, the phone was ringing. When I answered, a voice at the end said, “ The prime minister wants to talk to you....” Some months earlier, I had left my post as principal scientific advisor to the government of India, a cabinet-level post. But as I spoke to the PM, Atul Bihari Vajpayee, my life was set for an unexpected change. It is only his words that took up my story from where the wings of fire left off.”

I then realized that although some had become great through some sort of divine intervention, for many it was simply an instance, a small moment that created a deep impact. I also realized that any moment, when viewed with heightened awareness can become the defining moment. Whether it is viewing poverty outside her school for mother Teresa or Newton’s mind thinking about the apple that has fallen from the tree, awareness! I understood, had been an important cursor in all these great people’s journey. Besides awareness, was there anything else that they believed which helped them on their journey to greatness?

The composed man seemed to arise out of his few precious words. ” It’s hard to quantify it. I make films that reach people. I don’t believe that to be mainstream. I think you can be logical aesthetic & still work with the mainstream format. That is what I try to do. I might fall sometimes but I’m not afraid to try. If it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work. I understand that and I try to get up and run again”

Giving a nod to me, Chetan Bhagat said, “Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here like a prepaid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years & 50 years is just 2500 weekends. Do we really need to get to worked up? It’s okay! Bunk few classes, goof up a few interviews and fall in love. We are people & not programmed devices.”

Rahman’s booming voice broke....”Yeah! Somewhere my inner voice told me that my voice will have the power to wake up many & heal them. So I worked on it. All my life, I have had a choice of hate and love. I chose love and I’m here...”

I finally got it! Greatness is indeed heightened awareness, self-belief, courage, faith & love.Then Mahi told me with a smile,” Have your coffee...it's getting cold"....I said.

"Yeah sure Mahi, but why do you talk in my mom’s voice?”...

Again a loud voice came, “ who is Mahi?”. I opened my eyes and rubbed it again & replied,”nothing mom”. She gave me the cup and said, here is your coffee” and continued,”you told that you have so many assignments to be completed but sitting here alone & gabbling?”

I  replied, “nothing... nothing...I will do it after my coffee...” & started to sip my coffee! I then relaxed and felt good because it was really breathtaking even to be conceived of all these Exemplars of eminence connect over the most beautiful & simple issues.

Greatness begins with heightened awareness, spring to being by a defining moment, be sustained by courage, strength & integrity, faith in oneself and determination! When all these conditions fused and merged, the individual becomes a force to reckon with, & capable of creating a whole revolution. 

With smiles...

Swathi Mohan

(Investing myself completely in the art of living)

To my grown-up son....

This poem I wrote to express the feeling of a mother to her grown-up son. I dedicate this all the mothers and I have posted it for you....

To my grown-up son....

Ask the parents of grown-up children

And they will tell you

It is better to be able to say,” I am glad I did”

Than to have to say, “I wish I had”

My hands were busy through the day.

I did not have much time to play

The little games for you ask me to,

I did not have much time for you.

I’d wash your clothes; I ‘d sew and cook,

But when you’d bring your picture book

And ask me please to share your fun

I’d say “ a little later son”

I’d tuck you in all safe at night,

Hear your prayers and turn out the light,

Then tiptoe softly to the door.

I wish I had stayed a minute more.

For life is short and years rush past,

A little boy grows up so fast.

No longer is he at your side,

His precious secrets to confide.

The picture books are put away,

There are no children games to play,

No goodnight kisses, no prayers to hear,

That all belongs to yesteryear.

My hands once busy now lie still,

The days are long and hard to fill.

I wish I might go back and do,

The little things you asked me to.

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With smiles...

Swathi !

(Investing myself completely in the art of living)

The road not taken

At times, I wonder what life is, What’s the purpose of living, Why am I here, what did I dream of, what should I achieve in life, why only a few are successful & why some are not, why we are entitled to such a situation etc., Most people are not satisfied with what they have. And some of them claim that they are satisfied, but actually not!

Alas, only very few actually feel that sense of satiety in life!

When people go over different laps in their life, they tend to think that the lap they are in is not fine & could have been better. Say when we are in college, we feel our school life was the best, & after college, we think our college life was the best. When we are in our own country, we strive hard to go to some foreign destination, & when we are finally in that foreign nation, we think our own country was the best, & we should have not come here

Whether it is a proven psychology or not, I am not sure, but human mind always aims for something or the other and have a sense of dissatisfaction when it fails.

I suppose, no one is born with an objective. It’s the one that we create! It’s like when you are in school, your objective is to get a name in your school’s roll of honour. When you are at college, your objective is to enjoy the first few years & when you slid towards the end of your college life, your ultimate objective is to get a lucrative job or go for higher studies. When you are at a job, your objective is to go onsite or get a promotion. When you’ve spent a considerable amount of time at gaining work experience, your objective is to build a house and get married. When you hit your late twenties, your objective is to bring children into your life. When your children grew, your objective is to shape them towards a goal for their better lives. And these objectives metamorphose into new shapes when you drive into different laps of life.

But why do the objectives in each lap remain the same for almost everyone? While these objectives are not predefined rule in the dossier, why most of us take the same road?

I guess no one has the answer! But life goes on & on...and we run behind something as always! Isn’t it???

Be it so! One thing I wanna make sure! I’m not going to take the same road like the most! I prefer, “The road not taken”. Let me be the next to “Robert Frost”(ha ha....)

Yeah! I’m not studying just to make my CGPA high! I’m not studying just to add those two letters behind my name for it to be printed in my marriage invitation because I want to project to the world, “what I am” and not “what the world likes me to be”.

Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will never happen to us & the same way when that great failure of my life gave me two chances of “regret” or “rejoices”, I preferred to rejoice. And I swear, when you rejoice, it is bliss! So why not you be after Swathi to prefer,”The road not taken”. 

Try it, because there is so much of peace when one does not have to hide behind the mask to the world!

With smiles...

Swathi   

(Investing myself completely in the art of living)

Installing Love...

 

Dear readers!

To love is happiness,& to be loved is a bliss. Isn't it???

Some anonymous had written in a magazine about love technically & I simply loved the way it was taken through & concluded.So, I have posted it for you all. Enjoy the fun &  the hidden philosophy as well!

Customer Service Rep: Can you install love?

Customer: I can do that. I’m not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?

CSR: The first step is to locate your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma’am?

C: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running? I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, and GRUDGE.EXE & RESENTMENT.COM running right now.

CSR: No problem ma’am.  will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE, from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. So, go to your start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

C: Okay, LOVE has started installing itself automatically.

CSR: Yes, but remember you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTS in order to get the upgrades.

C: Oops....It says “ERROR 412”- Program not run on internal components.

CSR: Don’t worry ma’am. That’s a common problem. It means that the LOVE program has set up to run on external HEARTS, but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to LOVE your own machine before it can LOVE others. Ma’am, can you find the directory called SELDACCEPTANCE?

C: Yes, I have it.

CSR: Click on the following files & then copy them to the “MY HEART” directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT & GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone & never comes back.

C:  Got it. Hey! MY HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.COM & CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!

CSR: Then, LOVE is installed & running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go ma’am. LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it & its various modules to everybody you meet. They will, in turn, share it with other people & they will return some really neat modules back to you.

C: I will. Thank you for your help

With smiles...

Swathi

(Investing myself completely in the art of living)

Images compete...

Through the wilderness of my mind’s landscape

A thousand images compete for space

A snapshot of a section of this pictorial chaos

Unfolds before you.

The exhilaration of a summer today

Freshening, virginal rain shower

A thin veil of cloud-mist crossing

A shy full moon, ushered along by

A tender breeze from the Deep South.

A beggar’s tatters, oversewn with stitches of poverty and pain

The searing agony that accompanies the plight of a dying child’s sigh!

The jubilation of an operation well done and the grateful tears of loved one

The quiet joy of basking your parent’s pride at a life saved

The tearing feeling of witnessing the progressive rot of a human body

It’ innards by cancer flayed....

Award functions and medal,

A mother’s smile the heartache of seeing a dad walking a foot....

Like it was an entire mile

The pure bliss of my first born’s gurgle cutting through the crisp may air

His mother’s wan and tired smile after child’s birth

A rare and previous memory!!!

The flame and heat of the cemetery and my grandmother’s bones lie bare

A thousand stars twinkling at me....

From the pitch-black Maldivian sky

The indifferent face of the American diplomat

Blaming six hundred Afghan children’s deaths

On “collateral damage”

Five Amish couples giving a large portion of their donations

To the widow and children of

The mad man who shot and killed their offsprings

Before turning the gun on himself.

These.........

And a thousand other images

Compete for space

Through the wilderness of my mind’s landscape!!!!!

If Love cannot, nothing else can!

Love can! 

Yes! I believe love can. It can transform a cruel countenance into a benign one; it can bring a smile to the lips that have forgotten to express joy; it can bring a tear to the eyes that have decided to be dry always. And it can give your life back when you are afraid to take any decision. It can help you lift up your status in life making a revolution!

Yeah! Certainly, I’m not a pro at psychology or it's related & I don’t know any studies or survey that can prove this to you. All I know is," it's true" & I have experienced it in my life.

Ms.Anusha stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day of the school & told the children a damn lie! Like most teachers, she looked at her pupils & said that she loved them all the same, & that she would treat them alike.

And she was not that cautious to keep her lie revealed, because the very next moment she made Krish who seemed to be awkward to sit on the back bench who was right in front of her, slumped in his seat in the second row, because Krish wore unkempt clothes & wouldn’t play with other children ‘cause he was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy his company either.

Ms.Anusha when reviewing each child’s record pushed Krish’s to the last. But when she happened to open his file, she was surprised by what she found.

His first-grade teacher had written-“Krish is a bright inquisitive child with regular laughter."

His second-grade teacher had penned-“Krish is an excellent student, well liked by all his classmates, but is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness & life at home must be a struggle."

His third-grade teacher had noted-“Krish continues to work hard, but his mother’s death has been hard on him."

His fourth-grade teacher commented-“Krish is withdrawn & doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends & often falls asleep in class. He is tardy & could pose a problem."

 That year on teacher’s day, Ms.Anusha’s children bought her a present wrapped in brightly coloured paper tied with beautiful ribbons.Krish’s alone was clumsily wrapped in heavy brown paper from a grocery bag. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, & a bottle that was only quarter filled with cologne.

She stifled the children’s laughter by exclaiming how pretty the bracelet was & put it on; she also dabbed some of the perfume behind her wrist. That day, after the class,Krish stayed in the class just long enough to say,” Ms Anusha, today you smelled just like my mom used to”.

That very day, Ms Anusha decided to work with Krish. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, faster he responded. By the end of the

year, he had become one of the highest achieving children in the class &, well, he had also somewhat become the ‘Pet” of the teacher who had once vowed to love all her children exactly the same.

A year later, she found a note under her door from Krish, telling her that of all the teachers he’d had in the elementary school, she was his favourite. Eleven years later, another letter came. The letter explained that she was still his favourite teacher, but that now his name was not just Krish.

It’s Ram Krish Gupta M.D.,

Yeah!...Love can!...

& If love cannot, nothing else can!!

I heartily dedicate this post to my grade twelve botany teacher, Ms.Bakyalakshmi.

With smiles...

Swathi Mohan 

(Investing myself completely in the art of living)

Unposted letter

Hello, readers!

                   

I amazingly had a great start this year, & hope you too had the same. By the bye, I want my first post of this year to be a special one to me & I'm writing it, this way!

The maths teacher wrote ’1000’ on the board and asked the student who was constantly disturbing the class, “How much is this?”. Confident! .Yet, embraced by the simplicity of the question, the boy replied, “One thousand". Now the teacher added a zero to the right and pointing at ‘10000’ again inquired, “Now, how much?”.”Ten thousand”, came the prompt reply. Now the teacher added another zero, but this time to the  left of ‘1’ and pointing at ‘010000’ again inquired,”Now, how much?”“The same ....Ten thousand, “the boy replied. The teacher smiled, winked and then said, “When an insignificant number follows a significant number, it gains value. When the same insignificant number tries to go ahead of the significant number, then it has no value. And, so is the relationship between a teacher and a student. When a student follows the teacher, he gains value. The other way round...I don’t need to state the obvious...

He.. he... Yes! I want my post to be on my teachers! Nothing can be so special for me than my teachers, may it be from school or college! There are so many teachers I have come across starting from my kindergarten, but not all were this much special to me. You may all get astonished wondering about the reasons why I have chosen to write about them, who are they,& what importance do they hold in my life!

   

They are my school teachers. One Mrs.Mohana Sivakumar & the other one Mr.Krishnamoorthy.

Yes! Ramakant Achrekar was not a better cricketer than Sachin Tendulkar, yet it was his coaching that showed Sachin Tendulkar to Sachin Tendulkar & in turn showed him to the world.Timmy Gullison could’ve never defeated Pete Sampras, but it was Timmy who revealed Sampras to himself. O.M.Nambiar was no match for P.T.Usha, but it was he, who presented India with one of the greatest athlete this land has seen.

In fact, it's the same way for me.They didn’t just teach me the subject but, they taught me what life is! I am missing them a lot since I don’t have any of their contacts & to be truthful I never even tried to get their contacts because I honestly don’t want to reply them that I am doing my Engineering now! The very next day after I achieve my dream, would be the day I wish to contact them & reply them spelling "my dream career". But still, I’m missing them and hereby post my unposted letter to them.

Unposted letter # 1

To Mrs.Mohana Sivakumar! (My grade seven & eight mathematics teacher)

Dear ma’am,

This is one of your mischievous students drafting this letter to you.You were with me when I was eleven & now I’m twenty! Of course, I am now 5’4 feet but still, you are my favourite teacher. I was not that good in mathematics, but it was you who kept on working with me & believe me, I am now doing my engineering with good grades. I still cherish those remedial classes for which I desirably added myself just to make minutes as my memories with you & the math! And I do remember that big laugh you & Sudha ma’am broke out on that crazy complaint I made on “Pythagoras”.Sometimes, I laugh very badly thinking on what I did. You are not with me now! But your face is still imprinted in my mind & your words keep on pronouncing into my ears. Yes! Whenever I’m discouraged of anything or by anyone, I tend to get your smiling face before my eyes & feel your voice, the words that you spell often, “Doesn’t matter...Leave!”

And whenever I feel that my response for something should be more & am not showing that much effort on it, you appear to me showing your forefinger & telling, “Don’t take life easy always”

Yeah! You are always with me... & to be truthful till date I have never found any teacher like you. You are very special to me in my life! It’s from you, I learnt how to make our role full-fledged in life! Thank you so much for meaning this much to me!

Fortunately your kid!

Unposted letter # 2

To my English teacher Mr.Krishnamoorthy!

Dear Sir!

The greatness of a teacher is to show the student, how capable he is & the greatness of a student is to live up to the capability he has been shown. Today I have a good hold on language & more than that a rich attitude for performing on stages, only because of you! It’s you who paved me with various opportunities & moral support.Thank you so much, for you have never failed to encourage me! Everything has been a challenge in this corporate world & no day I forgot to thank you for the motivation you offered me! My blog is incomplete without your comment. I deeply desire that you will go through it someday! I wish to know about you & where are you, and I will be eagerly waiting for that one day you will feel proud of me!

With lots of respect...

Blessed to be your student!  

With smiles...

Swathi 

(Investing myself completely in the art of living)