What Does Inspiration Mean To You

How many of us spend money , time , energy looking out for motivation and inspiration through books , Panel Discussions , conferences, pod casts etc etc ??? Have we ever wondered that motivation even to a large extent may be just around us ??

I am glad to share some of such beautiful experiences which are so close to my heart ....

The story of a bright lady from a small town :

" It is truly said that Stars Can't Shine Without Darkness". There are umpteen number of people who have risen above all the encumbrances, by their sheer will and determination. Their actions have inspired many to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Such people are leaders and they are our teachers. They are the teachers who can change lives. They believed in themselves when others did not.

She chats nonstop about her life , with a twinkle in her eyes and I feel like spending the entire evening listening to her brave accounts, until the stomach starts rumbling for dinner. Born to a middle class family and the only girl amongst two brothers, she swells with pride narrating her life experiences. We happen to talk about it when she denies my offer to have dessert. She goes on to tell me that when she was a little girl of 10, her mother had made her favourite sweet – Besan ka halwa.. She relished it so much that she ate more than her two brothers. In our country, where still patriarchal mind-set exists, her mother snapped at her saying that your brothers should have got more share and you shouldn’t have eaten so much. This incident left a scar so deep that, it was the last time she ever tasted any sweet. Every time she came across sweets anywhere, it took her back to this painful memory. In spite of her mother seeking for forgiveness many times, after realizing her mistake, did not change anything in this little girl’s heart. The pain was too deep and dark for her to overcome. I looked at her with so much empathy while she explained the reason of not touching sweets again ever in her life.

This made me more interested in her story. She went on to tell me that she was never encouraged for studies. However, she realized it quite early that she was decently intelligent and good at it. She held a raging fire within her to break all rules and make a life for herself .She cracked a top notch entrance exam for higher studies and had no choice but to produce fake proofs as her parent’s agreement so that she could secure admission to the college of her dreams. Rest is history. Today she is a fiercely independent lady, holding her head high and her own small town swells with pride because of her. She is often invited to her school as a guest speaker to motivate so many other girls who have sky rocketing dreams but limited choices. She tries her level best to instill hope in these young minds by narrating her own journey.

The beautiful smile and energy she radiates inspires and motivates me to the core.

A vegetable seller on the street:

Iam a planner by nature. Every single thing in my life is well planned in advance. I strongly believe that good and advance planning saves me from lot of unwanted chaos. So here comes the story of an energetic teenager selling fresh fruits and vegetables on the street. On the way back home after work I stop by his shop and pick up vegetables. I once noticed that he had a smart phone, so I asked him if I WhatsApp him the list of things I need, would he keep them ready, so that I could save some time and reach home quicker .He happily agreed and the day I used to order, he started sending pictures of what was available to help me make a better choice. On such a similar day, when I stopped to pick the stuff, I saw him attending online school and trying to make notes while also managing customers. That scene gave me goose bumps. The next day I stopped over to have a quick chat with him to know more about his studies.

He told me that since he had to run the vegetable shop , he attended night school and some extra classes during the day to cope up with doubts. He was in 11th Standard studying science and wanted to become a professor . This little boy selling vegetables under the scorching sun explaining his dream to me with such enthusiasm touched my heart.

This story inspired me !!

A beautiful girl at the Airport

Recently I was travelling for some commitment , when I happened to witness something extra ordinary. Though I have grown up reading stories about brave men and women but coming across such an experience closely makes a huge impact on how you actually perceive life.

I was buried into a book my sister had gifted for my birthday “ Becoming – The story of Michelle Obama “. Travelling sometimes gives you the smallest of pleasures which you may not be able to make time for, in the rut of life. So I was making the most of it ,when I just looked at the screen to check if the flight was delayed . Right close to the display screen was a beautiful young girl , also reading a book. Her charisma made me stare at her a little longer and I was lost in admiring her flawless radiant face. I reminded myself to get back to my book , but my eyes kept wandering towards her. When I started getting ready to board the aircraft, I noticed that she was also standing ahead of me in the queue.While I again got back to admiring her beauty , I saw a strain on her face, when she tried to handle the cabin bag as well as her purse and boarding pass through one hand. My heart started racing and I realized that she HAD, only one hand. The other sleeve of her beautiful shirt was empty. Though I had no connect with this amazingly attractive damsel, I still choked and thought of Him. Through the entire duration of the journey , my eyes were on her and I couldn’t help but admire her. She was ever so cheerful and managed everything so skillfully.

This beautiful soul inspired me and reminded me to have immense gratitude for everything that we have and be thankful for all our blessings.

Blind Children School:

As a part of Corporate Social Responsibility, I was privileged to have met extra ordinary children, who have been gifted with skills that no ordinary person can even imagine.

There was a little boy studying in standard 6th , who demonstrated the Braille system. Believe me, I couldn't grasp anything out of it. I found it so complicated and complex . The ease with which he read out a story to us using this system was marvelous and that too with a constant smile and pride on his face.

The spirit this boy as well as all the other children in the school had, is admirable. The community living they imbibe , the contagious smile they wear is out of this world.

At the end of the visit all of them sang a song in chorus in their local language. I got it translated later and the lyrics again made me teary eyed.

“Each line of the song thanked the Almighty for the beautiful world we all live in ,

Though we cannot see it we can feel it and we are thankful to You for giving us this life,

The birds that sing and the wind that blows is music to our ears,

Thanks for the beautiful beaches with big waves that create a peaceful sound when they hit the shore which is like a lullaby and makes us sleep,

Thanks for all our teachers who relentlessly work hard to educate us,

Thanks for everything. “

This experience inspired me!!!

This is not the end …There are many many such heart warming stories…

Hence To be continued……….. 😊