Letter from a Father

Here's the inspiring letter, from her father, that Deepika Padukone read at the 61st Filmfare Awards:

Dear Deepika & Anisha,

As you stand on the threshold of life’s journey, I want to share with you some lessons that life has taught me. Decades ago, as a little boy growing up in Bangalore, I started my tryst with badminton. In those days, there were no stadiums and courts where sports people could train. Our badminton court was the wedding hall of the Canara Union Bank near our house, and it was there that I learned everything about the game. Every day, we would wait to see if there was a function in the hall, and if there was none, we would rush there after school to play to our hearts’ content. Looking back, I realise that the most important thing about my childhood and adolescent years was my refusal to complain about a lot in life. I was thankful for the few hours a week we had the opportunity to hit the shuttle back and forth. In fact, the foundation on which I based my career and my life was the refusal to whinge or whine about anything. And that is what I want to tell you my children, that there is no substitute for perseverance, hardwork, determination and passion for what you choose to do. If you love what you do, nothing else matters — neither awards nor compensation, not even the gratification of seeing your face in newspapers or television. When I won the All England Championship, the prize money in badminton became significant — £3,000 — a huge amount in those days. But that did not distract me from the sheer joy of having been instrumental in putting India on the global map of this game. Deepika, at eighteen, when you told us that you wanted to shift to Mumbai for a career in modeling, we felt you were too young and too inexperienced to be alone in a big city and in an industry we knew nothing about. In the end, we decided to let you follow your heart and thought it would be cruel to not give our child the opportunity to go after a dream that she lived and breathed for. If you succeeded, it would make us proud, but even if you didn’t, you would not have any regrets that you did not try. Deepika, I have learned that you can’t always win in life, that everything you want might not come your way. That events don’t always turn out as you want them to. To win some, you have to lose some. You have to learn to take life’s ups and downs in your stride. The amount of effort that I put in my game never varied from the first day till my retirement. Even during my toughest times, I focused on what I had, instead of dwelling on what I did not. I had the ability to make the best of the worst circumstances and remain steadfast to my goal. Remember how I constantly tell you both about the importance of making your way up in the world without waiting for your parents to pull strings? I believe it is best for children to work hard to make their dreams come true and to not have things handed to them on a platter. When you are home visiting us, Deepika, you make your own bed, clear the table after meals, and sleep on the floor if there are guests at home. If you occasionally wonder why we refuse to treat you like a star, it is because you are our daughter first and a film star later. The cameras that follow you everywhere and the arc lights will eventually fade and what will remain is the real world. Strive to generate positivity around you even though you are too new and too small a player to effect a big change. You are in an industry where there’s always going to be big money, but I believe that it is important to try to be the best in whatever you do regardless of the money. The things that really matter in life are relationships, honesty, respect for your parents and elders. Material success is important, not fundamental to happiness and peace of mind. I can’t tell you enough about the rejuvenating power of prayers and a little faith. Spare a few minutes of your day to close your eyes and meditate, to think about God and you will see how much faith in His power will strengthen you. In the end, when your career is behind you, what remains is family, the friends that you have made. Live a life that is healthy and one that will allow you to live with your own conscience. Everything else is transient. And remember, no matter what, we are always going to be there for you.

Lovingly,
Pappa

Real Help

भैंस की मौत ! Life Changing Story in Hindi
          -::
एक दार्शनिक अपने एक शिष्य के साथ कहीं से गुजर रहा था। चलते-चलते वे एक खेत के पास पहुंचे। खेत अच्छी जगह स्थित था लेकिन उसकी हालत देखकर लगता था मानो उसका मालिक उस पर जरा भी ध्यान नहीं देता है।
खैर, दोनों को प्यास लगी थी सो वे खेत के बीचो-बीच बने एक टूटे-फूटे घर के सामने पहुंचे और दरवाज़ा खटखटाया।

अन्दर से एक आदमी निकला, उसके साथ उसकी पत्नी और तीन बच्चे भी थे। सभी फटे-पुराने कपड़े पहने हुए थे।

दार्शनिक बोला, “ श्रीमान, क्या हमें पानी मिल सकता है? बड़ी प्यास लगी है!”
“ज़रूर!”, आदमी उन्हें पानी का जग थमाते हुए बोला।

“मैं देख रहा हूँ कि आपका खेत इनता बड़ा है पर इसमें कोई फसल नही बोई गयी है, और ना ही यहाँ फलों के वृक्ष दिखायी दे रहे हैं…तो आखिर आप लोगों का गुजारा कैसे चलता है?”, दार्शनिक ने प्रश्न किया।

“जी, हमारे पास एक भैंस है, वो काफी दूध देती है उसे पास के गाँव में बेच कर कुछ पैसे मिल जाते हैं और बचे हुए दूध का सेवन कर के हमारा गुजारा चल जाता है।”, आदमी ने समझाया।

दार्शनिक और शिष्य आगे बढ़ने को हुए तभी आदमी बोला, “ शाम काफी हो गयी है, आप लोग चाहें तो आज रात यहीं रुक जाएं!”

दोनों रुकने को तैयार हो गए।

आधी रात के करीब जब सभी गहरी नींद में सो रहे थे तभी दार्शनिक ने शिष्य को उठाया और बोला, “चलो हमें अभी यहाँ से चलना है, और चलने से पहले हम उस आदमी की भैंस को चट्टान से गिराकर मार डालेंगे।”

शिष्य को अपने गुरु की बात पर यकीन नहीं हो रहा था पर वो उनकी बात काट भी नहीं सकता था।
दोनों भैंस को मार कर रातों-रात गायब हो गए!

यह घटना शिष्य के जेहन में बैठ गयी और करीब 10 साल बाद जब वो एक सफल उद्यमी बन गया तो उसने सोचा क्यों न अपनी गलती का पश्चाताप करने के लिए एक बार फिर उसी आदमी से मिला जाए और उसकी आर्थिक मदद की जाए।

अपनी चमचमाती कार से वह उस खेत के सामने पहुंचा।
शिष्य को अपनी आँखों पे यकीन नहीं हो रहा था। वह उजाड़ खेत अब फलों के बागीचे में बदल चुका था… टूटे-फूटे घर की जगह एक शानदार बंगला खड़ा था और जहाँ अकेली भैंस बंधी रहती थी वहां अच्छी नस्ल की कई गाएं और भैंस अपना चारा चर रही थीं।

शिष्य ने सोचा कि शायद भैंस के मरने के बाद वो परिवार सब बेच-बाच कर कहीं चला गया होगा और वापस लौटने के लिए वो अपनी कार स्टार्ट करने लगा कि तभी उसे वो दस साल पहले वाला आदमी दिखा।

“ शायद आप मुझे पहचान नहीं पाए, सालों पहले मैं आपसे मिला था।”, शिष्य उस आदमी की तरफ बढ़ते हुए बोला।
“नहीं-नहीं, ऐसा नहीं है, मुझे अच्छी तरह याद है, आप और आपके गुरु यहाँ आये थे…कैसे भूल सकता हूँ उस दिन को; उस दिन ने तो मेरा जीवन ही बदल कर रख दिया। आप लोग तो बिना बताये चले गए पर उसी दिन ना जाने कैसे हमारी भैंस भी चट्टान से गिरकर मर गयी। कुछ दिन तो समझ ही नहीं आया कि क्या करें, पर जीने के लिए कुछ तो करना था, सो लकड़ियाँ काट कर बेचने लगा, उससे कुछ पैसे हुए तो खेत में बोवाई कर दी… सौभाग्य से फसल अच्छी निकल गयी, बेचने पर जो पैसे मिले उससे फलों के बागीचे लगवा दिए और यह काम अच्छा चल पड़ा और इस समय मैं आस-पास के हज़ार गाँव में सबसे बड़ा फल व्यापारी हूँ…सचमुच, ये सब कुछ ना होता अगर उस भैंस की मौत ना हुई होती !

“लेकिन यही काम आप पहले भी कर सकते थे?”, शिष्य ने आश्चर्य से पूछा।
आदमी बोला, “ बिलकुल कर सकता था! पर तब ज़िन्दगी बिना उतनी मेहनत के आराम से चल रही थी, कभी लगा ही नहीं कि मेरे अन्दर इतना कुछ करने की क्षमता है सो कोशिश ही नहीं की पर जब भैंस मर गयी तब हाथ-पाँव मारने पड़े और मुझ जैसा गरीब-बेहाल इंसान भी इस मुकाम तक पहुँच पाया।”
आज शिष्य अपने गुरु के उस निर्देश का असली मतलब समझ चुका था और बिना किसी पश्चाताप के वापस लौट पा रहा था।
Friends, कई बार हम परिस्थितियों के इतने आदि हो जाते हैं कि बस उसी में जीना सीख लेते हैं, फिर चाहे वो परिस्थितियां बुरी ही क्यों न हों!
हम अपनी जॉब से नफरत करते हैं पर फिर भी उसे पकड़े-पकड़े ज़िन्दगी बिता देते हैं, तो कई बार हम बस इसलिए नये business के बारे में नहीं सोचते क्योंकि हमारा मौजूदा बिजनेस दाल-रोटी भर का खर्चा निकाल देता है! पर ऐसा करने में हम कभी भी अपने full potential को realize नहीं कर पाते हैं और बहुत सी ऐसी चीजें करने से चूक जाते हैं जिन्हें करने की हमारे अन्दर क्षमता है और जो हमारी life को कहीं बेहतर बना सकती हैं।
सोचिये, कहीं आपकी ज़िन्दगी में भी तो कोई ऐसी भैंस नहीं जो आपको एक बेहतर ज़िन्दगी जीने से रोक रही है…कहीं ऐसा तो नहीं कि आपको लग रहा है कि आपने उस भैंस को बाँध कर रखा है जबकि असलियत में उस भैंस ने आपको बाँध रखा है! और अगर आपको लगे कि ऐसा है, तो आगे बढिए…हिम्मत करिए, अपनी रस्सी को काटिए; आजाद होइए…
आगे बड़े पर अपने व्यावसायिक जीवन को सफल बना कर परिवार को उन्नति के पथ पर अग्रसर करे।

Existence of God

In 1881, a professor asked his student whether it was God who created everything that exists in the universe?

Student replied: Yes
He again asked:
What about evil?
Has God created evil also?

The student got silent...
Then the student requested that may he ask a question from him?

Professor allowed him to do so.

Student asked:

Does cold exist?

Professor said: Yes! Don't you feel the cold dear?

Student said:  I'm sorry but you are wrong sir.
Cold is a complete absence of heat...
There is no cold, it is only an absence of heat.

Student asked again:
Does darkness exist?

Professor Said:  Yes!

Student replied: you are again wrong sir. There is no such thing like darkness. It’s actually the absence of light.

Sir! We always study light & heat, but not cold & darkness.

Similarly, the evil does not exist. Actually it is the absence of Love, Faith & True belief in God.

The name of the student was...
Vivekananda...!!!

Sweetness of Sour Oranges

He often bought oranges from an old lady.
After they were weighed, paid for and put in his bag, he would always pick one from his bag, peel it, put a segment in his mouth, complain it's sour and pass on the orange to the seller.
The old lady would put one segment in her mouth and retort, "why, it's sweet," but by then he was gone with his bag.
His wife, always with him, asked, "the oranges are always sweet, then why this drama every time?"
He smiled, "the old mother sells sweet oranges but never eats them herself. This way I get her to eat one, without losing her money. That's all."
The vegetable seller next to the old lady, saw this everyday.
She chided, "every time this man fusses over your oranges, and I see that you always weigh a few extra for him. Why?"
The old lady smiled, "I know he does this to feed me an orange, only, he thinks I don't understand. I never weigh extra. His love tilts the scale slightly every time."
Life's joys are in these sweet little gestures of love and respect for our fellow beings. And in giving, not usurping. Not in money. 😄

Invaluable support

Every year, at the Australian Open, behind Roger Federer's coach (earlier Edberg and now Ljubicic), sits an elderly couple. There is a story to this couple, and it shows what a human being Federer is.

The couple, as Federer's die-hard fans would know, are Bob and Diana Carter, the parents of the tennis great's first international coach, the Australian Peter Carter.

Federer was just nine when Carter took him under his wing. In 2002, in a terrible tragedy, Carter died in a car accident in South Africa during a vacation with his wife.

The story goes that Federer (then 21) was so affected by the his coach's death, he ran through the streets of Toronto (where he was playing that day), bawling his heart out.

Carter had recognised Federer's genius at a young age, and was determined to make him an all-time great. For over a decade, Carter was at it before he died at the age of 37. He was not Federer's first coach, but the one who took him from relative obscurity in Basel in Switzerland to the threshold of international greatness.

So, coming back to Bob and Diana Carter. Federer feels so close and so indebted to them that, every year, since 2005, his team sends an all-expense paid itinerary to the Adelaide-based couple - first-class air tickets, bookings in the same hotel as Federer, food, winner's parties and even commiseration parties in Melbourne. And they sit in Federer's box at the Rod Laver Arena, supporting him as if he were their son.

They see their Peter in him. And Federer never forgets the Carter family's role in his life and career.

Federer, 34, may or may not win his 18th Grand Slam. But is he one of the greatest humans to have set foot on a tennis court? He sure is...

Miracle

An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money left. They were moving to a smaller house because they could not afford to stay in the present house after paying the doctor's bills. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and there was no one to loan them the money.

When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother with whispered desperation, 'Only a miracle can save him now', the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her piggy bank from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully.

Clutching the precious piggy bank tightly, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to the local drugstore. She took a quarter from her bank and placed it on the glass counter.

"And what do you want?" asked the pharmacist.

"It's for my little brother," the girl answered back. "He's really very sick and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, child. I'm sorry," the pharmacist said, smiling sadly at the little girl.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs."

In the shop was a well-dressed customer. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?"

"I don't know," she replied with her eyes welling up. "He's really sick and mommy says he needs an operation. But my daddy can't pay for it, so I have brought my savings".

"How much do you have?" asked the man.

"One dollar and eleven cents; but I can try and get some more", she answered barely audibly.

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man, "A dollar and eleven cents - the exact price of a miracle for little brothers."

He took her money in one hand and held her hand with the other. He said, "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need."

That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a neurosurgeon. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long before Andrew was home again and doing well.

"That surgery," her mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost."

The little girl smiled. She knew exactly how much the miracle cost ... one dollar and eleven cents ... plus the faith of a little child.

Perseverance can make miracles happen! Miracle can come in various forms - as a doctor, as a lawyer, as a teacher, as a police ,as a friend, as a stranger and many others..

A river cuts the rock not because of its power, but because of its consistency.

Never lose your hope & keep walking towards your vision.

Meaning of Prayer

I liked this interpretation of prayer........
Brilliant words.....What is Prayer?

Prayer doesn't just happen when we kneel or put hands together and focus and expect things from God

Instead...

Thinking positive and wishing good for others - That is prayer

When you hug a friend - That's a prayer

When you cook something to nourish family and friends- That's a prayer

When we send off our near and dear ones and say 'Drive Safely' or 'Be Safe'- That's prayer

When you are helping someone in need by giving your time and energy - You are praying

Prayer is a Vibration- A feeling - A thought.

Prayer is the voice of love, friendship, genuine relationships...