When I was very young, we used to have lessons in school about Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Gandhi ji, Chacha Nehru, Sardar Vallabhabhai and others.
Over a period of time, we look up to these gigantic figures who changed the course for humanity and retold the history.
We always have good things to learn from these personalities , from how they started humble and identified their paths and reached the destination that nobody else could have told them.
But as we grow up, for a majority of us, the dream of doing something ground changing seems too far. For various reasons - the eternal struggle between balancing responsibilities, career aspirations , family and so on.
Somewhere we start to not recognize and appreciate the simplicity of living. For a lot of us, until we are quite old enough we do not recognize our parents achievements. When I look back, i started appreciating them and their journey only when i was in early thirties. May be I am slow. May be we are so close to them that we do not take time to bring in the perspective to look at their journey.
Once I met a person , who told me that he had to do all his college studies in correspondence over mail because his family was not in a good situation in their business. So he had to take break from his studies to give time to business and then come back and pursue the studies. I contrasted this with my own situation, where my parents used to treat me like a queen when I was studying - ensuring I got all I asked for - not just basic needs but the other things which I could have managed without as well. It was only then that I was thankful to my dad, who provided for all of us and ensured we had the security and safety with which we could think of other things.
Then I looked at the journey my own parents took in perspective, I am actually proud of what they have achieved so far. The humble beginnings with which they started and the independence with which they are leading their life. While we appreciate the great personalities , we should also appreciate the common man around us. This I think is purely self learnt in the Indian system and some will never get it .... ever....
Over a period of time, we look up to these gigantic figures who changed the course for humanity and retold the history.
We always have good things to learn from these personalities , from how they started humble and identified their paths and reached the destination that nobody else could have told them.
But as we grow up, for a majority of us, the dream of doing something ground changing seems too far. For various reasons - the eternal struggle between balancing responsibilities, career aspirations , family and so on.
Somewhere we start to not recognize and appreciate the simplicity of living. For a lot of us, until we are quite old enough we do not recognize our parents achievements. When I look back, i started appreciating them and their journey only when i was in early thirties. May be I am slow. May be we are so close to them that we do not take time to bring in the perspective to look at their journey.
Once I met a person , who told me that he had to do all his college studies in correspondence over mail because his family was not in a good situation in their business. So he had to take break from his studies to give time to business and then come back and pursue the studies. I contrasted this with my own situation, where my parents used to treat me like a queen when I was studying - ensuring I got all I asked for - not just basic needs but the other things which I could have managed without as well. It was only then that I was thankful to my dad, who provided for all of us and ensured we had the security and safety with which we could think of other things.
Then I looked at the journey my own parents took in perspective, I am actually proud of what they have achieved so far. The humble beginnings with which they started and the independence with which they are leading their life. While we appreciate the great personalities , we should also appreciate the common man around us. This I think is purely self learnt in the Indian system and some will never get it .... ever....
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