I like ODDS that make me EVEN

Success has no address,
No landmark,
No calling card,
But the path is steep,
And some will take the elevator,
But i will take the stairs,
Some will get there faster,
But i will get there stronger,
And adversity will be my
Traveling companion,
Because when i get the there,
I can turn to adversity and say,
So long,
And heave the bag of taunts
and insults i gathered
along the way, and scatter them
to the birds,
I will miss them,
But feel lighter,
Yes,
That will be the day,
When i stand at
a large bay window,
And unclench my fist,
For there will be no more
odds to conquer,
Not even the mind,

I like odds, they help me get even

(By :  Praveen Kumar)

Life and Death

Death is not when you die,
Death is when, you forget to live! (Anon)

Life is not the number of breaths you take,
Life is the number of moments, that take your breath away! (Anon) 

Simplicity

In this world full of fancies and fantasies, simplicity still hasn't lost its charm !! 

Value of things

I once had a chance to go to Mother Teresa charity house in Vadodara (thanks to my wife).
The thing that I loved about this place was the kids, running around, laughing, having fun.
They were so joyful, even though they had very little with them - no toys, no gizmos, not even proper shoes.

And our kids? They throw fits if they don't get a candy (or whatever they are asking for).
This opened my eyes. The perception of being "happy" is different in an orphanage, than in a comforting, cozy home that our kids are now accustomed to.

Our kids are born with a golden spoon in their mouth. Without even them asking, parents dole out expensive branded clothes, shoes, all kinds of toys, gizmos and what not!

Perhaps its important to teach our kids the value of things; to edify them about being contended even if they had little on their plate. 

No Money, No Honey!

Money may not solve all your problems, but it surely reduces your miseries !

Success

Start with your passions, Grow through Hardwork !!

Mind it!

A girl shouldn't lose her mind to the extent that she wakes up on someone else's Pillow.

A man shouldn't lose his mind to the extent that he wakes up on the ruins of the castle, he once built.

My day of glory

Cricket has never been my favorite game probably because I didn’t play the game so well. But as a kid, that is the sport I have played the most. Most of my friends were good at it, except for a few, including me. I was neither a good batsman nor a good baller, but an excellent fielder. I would never let the ball pass through me - a formidable iron wall. Once we had a match with the boys from other school. It was summer time, and the sun was burning. The match started at 4 pm, on the Empire Pitch. The opponent team won the toss, and elected to bat first. They played well and put up a total score of 76 runs. Our team was the next to bat, but the few opening batsmen barely put 24 runs on the scoreboard. I was the last man down and all the hopes were stuck on me. The tension was peeking with every passing second.

The match proceeded, and the baller threw the ball at me. Nothing happened in the first 3 balls. The leather ball would just swoosh past me into the gloves of the wicket keeper. Then came the fifth ball on the onside, which I flicked with my bat, towards the back of the wicket, and it went straight for a 4. The next ball met the same fate – a 4. Cricket is a game of uncertainties and the whole game can turn around at any point of time. My friends looked at me as if I was the white horse who will turn around their fortunes. I had to lead the team to victory but it was a huge feat. I took a run on the last ball, so I managed to keep the strike. The next baller balled, and I managed to score 2 more runs. My partner on the other end, kept on hitting the ball left, right and center, and we kept on adding to the score card. My partner put in a total of 22 runs, while I was rotating the strike with him.

We were nearing the target of 77, and were playing at a steady pace. I took the crease and a guy named ‘Akshat’ balled to me. The first few balls went past me, but then the 3^rd ball hit my stumps, and I was out. We were all out for a total score of 57, and lost the match by a mere 20 runs. We had 7 players in our team, and I thought to myself, had all the players scored 11 runs, we would have easily reached the target and won the match. But, I was proud that we, the last 2 batsmen, could put up a total of 33 runs, before getting out. That was our moment of glory, though a bit overshadowed by the felling of losing the match.

Nevertheless, losing doesn’t matter, playing in the right spirit is what matters. 

Small things make up for a happy life

As a kid painting never interested me, except for those Science classes’ diagrams. Science class drawings were more of a compulsion than a choice. The Art teacher had asked us to bring Wax crayons, for making posters, for the School’s annual day. I took 10 Rs from my mom, and went to the market to buy the crayons. I asked the shopkeeper for the Crayons, and he handed over a pack to me, which read; “Maximum Retail Price Rs 10”. The shopkeeper, however, asked for 4 Rs, which I paid to him. I thought to myself that the shop keeper asked for 4 Rs by mistake, instead of asking for 10 Rs. Anyways, I was happy to get the crayons at a throw away price.

Having stuck a good deal, I thought of expending rest of the money. So, I went to the Gajak cart nearby (Gajak is a dry sweet made with groundnut and jiggery). I got a lot of Gajak for 6 Rs. This was my lucky day! I ate the Gajak to my contentment, and the best part was that, I didn't have to share it with anyone.

As a kid these small things gave so much happiness, that can’t be bought back with all the riches of the world.