Positivity Weekly - Vol 5

Perceptions determine our thoughts, emotions, speech and actions. Let’s spend the next few minutes reading amazingly empowering stories and rediscovering the positivity all around us.

Positivity Weekly will appear on this blog around the weekend. I will bring the best of news from any and every source I can access. I will include my own personal experiences, if they fit. And if you have any apt stories, anecdotes or insights to share, I will put them here with pride. In the long run, your participation will determine the quality of this initiative. Do write in with your contributions and feedback to connect@eshwarsundaresan.com. And if you like this initiative, please share it widely.

Hello, hello! Here we are, ready to share smiles and cheer again. I hope you had a lovely Christmas. The year’s coming to an end. And what a glorious year it has been. I think such a year as 2013 deserves to be sent off in style. Hence this volume of Positivity Weekly is padded with extra scoops of positive energy. Grab them while they’re hot!

News from the public domain

Russian video that made the whole world cry

Did you just experience a fall? Are you stuck somewhere? Are you feeling cold, afraid, alone, helpless?

Don’t worry. Help is on the way. And it’s getting there as soon as it can. You don’t have to take my word for it. Just watch this video that comes to us all the way from snowy Russia.

Where there’s a will, there’s a dream

The boys of Panyee are like soccer-crazy boys from any other part of the world. They want to play soccer underneath open skies, just like their favourite stars on TV. Unfortunately, even this simple wish seemed beyond their dreams. You see, Panyee is a small fishing hamlet situated close to Phuket. It’s a miniscule island where every square inch of land has been used up.

What to do? What to do?

Watch this astounding video to discover the true story behind the formation of the highly successful Thai football club: Panyee FC.

Message on the Smokescreen

Smokers know the ill-effects of smoking better than non-smokers. Why then do they not quit smoking? Because… well, let’s see what smokers have to say about it in this path breaking anti-smoking ad made by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.

What’s most heartening is the response received by this ad from around the world. Millions of views, free press coverage etc etc. The Quitline (Helpline for smokers) registered a 40% increase in its call volume. With the advent of such hard-hitting messages, one can hope that the scourge of smoking is eliminated forever. An entity that is the source of so much negative energy does not deserve to survive. Let there be light. Without smoke.

Cop on a mission

Bangaloreans often complain about the implicit nexus between corrupt cops and rapacious auto rickshaw drivers. However, traffic cop Shivaswamy seems to be on a mission to change that perception. And his solo missions are usually conducted in the wintry pre-dawns of silicon city. Here’s Bangalore Mirror’s report on his achievements. 

Soldiers come home

Sometimes, little children ask Santa to send Daddy home for Christmas. Sometimes, those Daddies happen to be soldiers performing courageously elsewhere.

Sometimes, Santa listens to little children who love their Daddies. Here’s a montage of such times.

As told to me

Emperor of cheer

My friend Jay is always on the lookout for the next good deed. He spends countless hours on social initiatives, and does so with a strong conviction that tomorrow is going to be better than today.

Having lost many people dear to him to cancer over the years, Jay is particularly keen on helping those afflicted by this emperor of maladies. So when he was told about a cancer patient who needed blood/platelet donors, he naturally decided to be a donor.

At the hospital, he came face-to-face with his beneficiary. 17-year-old Nilesh, who was recovering from a third round of chemotherapy. He knew that more rounds of chemotherapy might be required. Even the necessity for a Bone Marrow Transplant could not be ruled out. Despite the harsh prognosis, Nilesh’s spirit was still alive and well. When he heard that Jay ran a fitness centre, he immediately expressed a desire to lift weights!

Nilesh lost his father to a heart attack last year. His mother now works in a small mill in Dandeli (north Karnataka) to make ends meet and ensure that both her children pursue their education.

Nilesh wants to quickly graduate, find fulltime employment and then simultaneously study to be a Chartered Accountant. Taking care of his mother and sister tops his list of concerns. The path ahead seems to be strewn with challenges, but if anybody is capable of staying positive, it’s Nilesh. The young man seems capable of deriving positivity from any and every event. Not surprisingly, the opportunity to spend some time chatting with Jay, too, infused him with hope and positivity.

When Jay went to visit him again on Christmas day, he was thrilled and surprised.

“You’re spending so much time with me; it’s such a big gesture. Why do you do it?’ Nilesh asked.

Jay’s response came straight from the heart:

‘The way you are battling this disease inspires me. That’s one reason why I’m sharing your story with my friends. There’s another. I’d like to create awareness and bring support for you and many others like you.’

I think the finest human interactions are those in which one cannot be certain who the inspirer is and who the inspired!

In conclusion

This week, millions of Christmas miracles would have taken place all over the world. Thanks to the abundance of technology in our lives, we will soon get to see/hear about these miracles soon enough. That will provide more fodder for our happiness farm.

Until then, I hope you find many reasons to enjoy many moments with many loved ones. :).

To read the previous volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.
To read the next volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.

Positivity Weekly - Vol 4

Perceptions determine our thoughts, emotions, speech and actions. Let’s spend the next few minutes reading amazingly empowering stories and rediscovering the positivity all around us.

Positivity Weekly will appear on this blog around the weekend. I will bring the best of news from any and every source I can access. I will include my own personal experiences, if they fit. And if you have any apt stories, anecdotes or insights to share, I will put them here with pride. In the long run, your participation will determine the quality of this initiative. Do write in with your contributions and feedback to connect@eshwarsundaresan.com. And if you like this initiative, please share it widely.

Hello there, my friend! Ready to feel more positive? Let’s begin without further ado…

News from the public domain

Oh, what a winner!

All marathon winners stand out. But none more so than Lata Bhagwan Kare. This 61-year-old ran barefoot in a traditional nauvari sari and made more prepared participants look like laggards. And when she won the race, she left the crowd agape. How did she do it?

‘While running, I was talking to myself and telling that I want to win this race and I did it,’ she says. She thought it. She did it. Do read the DNA report about the race here.

Husband goes pink for ailing wife

Relationships are utterly complicated. Unless two people are truly in love. If they are, then relationships become easy as strawberry cream cake.

In this story, the wife is struck down with cancer. The husband decides to cheer her. Not once, not for a week. He makes it his life’s mission to keep his wife happy and positive. He dresses up in pink female attire, and then… well, you’ll have to watch the video to know the rest.

Now, that’s true love!

We are more beautiful than we think

Who is the person in the mirror to you? Your best friend? Or your worst critic? If you suffer from the trauma of incessant self-criticism, then this video is especially for you. Because while you are busy finding faults with yourself, others are noticing your beauty. So how about giving yourself a break? And becoming your own fan?

An angel is born in a garbage dump

We’ve all felt down in the dumps at some point in our lives. At such a moment, if an angel descends upon us and believes in our resurrection, magic begins to unfold. Do watch this video to learn how a man became an angel for a dog. Of course, the story doesn’t end there. You’ll have to watch the video to learn what happens next.

Women need no ILLITERACY

Once upon a time, a Nepali woman took her ailing mother to the local hospital. She was asked to take her mother to see the doctor in Room 105. Not having received education, she didn’t know how to identify the room. She and her mother returned home that day without availing treatment. That day, she realized that illiteracy was a millstone around her neck. Watch this amazing video to know what she did about it.

A precious carefree moment in Cancer

Patients of terminal illnesses are reminded of the inevitable all the time. While the rest of us are just as mortal as these souls, their mortality somehow begins to define them. The thought of perishing might rule their lives.

That’s why somebody decided to give these wonderful people a true gift. A gift of one precious carefree moment of aliveness. These people had fun experiencing that moment. I’m sure you’ll have fun watching it.

As told to me

All about the fun

This happened to my friend Vani when she was researching on her thesis at the university in Penang. Being obliquely associated with the human genome project, Vani’s days were spent poring into microscopes; her job was to try and decode a molecular-level mystery of the universe.

But on that fateful evening, some other mystery occupied Vani’s mind. A couple of seemingly reckless women – who behaved like typical teenagers – had insisted on taking her to town for some “special chicken curry”. So Vani waited outside her office for their arrival, feeling anxious. Her anxiety increased when a Honda City screeched to a halt inches away from her. Inside it were her two “chicken curry friends”, asking her to get in.

For the next couple of hours, the following events transpired:

• One of the ladies drove the car at F1 speeds and blamed every other driver in the vicinity for “being terrible lah”.
• Both ladies laughed off their back aches and knee pains as part of the scenery. “Why should a little pain stop us from having fun?” they kept demanding.
• En route, they picked up another friend – a lady in her seventies – and then called her a sissy for having so many fears.
• They kept mocking Vani for having a “less free soul” because she was married and had a kid. They, on the other hand, were footloose and in full control of their fun-filled lives.
•  After dinner, all four ladies drove to a Buddhist temple. Apparently, the fun-filled ladies wanted to donate some fruit. And while at the temple, they checked out some Buddhist priests and happily chatted up with those priests that caught their fancy.
• Later in the night, they made a stopover to buy cosmetics that were on sale.

By the time they dropped Vani back home, she was fatigued. But the two fun-filled ladies… they were still going strong.

What’s so remarkable about this story? Well, one of the two ladies (Aunt P) was 78 years old. Her friend, (Aunt T), was 84! And at that age, they were exhibiting so much zest for life. Says Vani, “From these young girls, I learnt the meaning and importance of independence, freedom and joy. They are my old-age role models. I hope I will age as gracefully as them. That I will be able to laugh at myself, keep the child in me alive, shrug off my health issues and drive as if I’m going somewhere.’

You can read Vani’s version of the encounter here.

In conclusion

Well, the conclusion is the same as always. If you wear pink-coloured glasses, the desert will look like cotton candy. Our perceptions rule us. Let’s choose them with care.

Until next time, I wish that your life too is filled with “special chicken curry friends”.

To read the previous volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.
To read the next volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.

Positivity Weekly - Vol 3

Perceptions determine our thoughts, emotions, speech and actions. Let’s spend the next few minutes reading amazingly empowering stories and rediscovering the positivity all around us.

Positivity Weekly will appear on this blog around the weekend. I will bring the best of news from any and every source I can access. I will include my own personal experiences, if they fit. And if you have any apt stories, anecdotes or insights to share, I will put them here with pride. In the long run, your participation will determine the quality of this initiative. Do write in with your contributions and feedback to connect@eshwarsundaresan.com. And if you like this initiative, please share it widely.

Hello, my friend. You are amazing, aren’t you? Thanks to your initiative and enthusiasm, our previous two issues garnered close to a thousand hits. Translation: you not only love to smile, you also love to spread the smile around. And you have been so generous in sending me stories. That has made this volume richer. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

Which brings us to this point. We are on to our third volume. It will give you eight solid reasons to smile, grin, laugh and cheer. Let’s start right away.

News from the public domain

Moms change their perspectives

There’s a global trait amongst most mommies. They do a lot, but feel guilty about not doing enough. It is almost impossible to convince them that they are splendid parents. Unless… this statement comes from an unexpected source. When their own kids appreciate them, moms feel appreciated. Don’t believe me? Watch this video and then decide.

Which brings us to this question: who have you not appreciated enough? Can you think of someone? Your Mom maybe?

AAP redefines democracy

After its stellar performance in the Delhi Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has given us a lot to cheer about. Before and during the election campaign, AAP broke all the festering norms dictating Indian politics. It didn’t spend vulgar amounts of money, didn’t bribe the electorate, didn’t write an insincere Manifesto etc. Instead, it did grassroots work and research. It reached out to the common man. And took his opinion while drafting its vision. The outcome it achieved is unprecedented on a global scale. Today, aware Indians are feeling a lot less sceptical about politics and governance. That’s the true gift given to us by the AAP.

And the video that truly captures the spirit of democracy and inclusive governance, as espoused by the AAP, is this one. Please, I urge you, watch it. Whether it makes you smile or shed a tear, you will be left a little more positive about the future of a billion-strong nation.

Some endangered species are doing well now

Alright, we never were the kindest species around. We prefer lighted homes to starry forest canopies… etc etc. But there’s another way of looking at it. When we put our minds to it, we usher in good news for our endangered fellow living organisms. I prefer to be energized by this mixed report on our conservation efforts. What about you?

Teenage Football team shows heart

Teenagers are supposed to brash, heartless and self-absorbed, right? Not always. This American football team – the Eagles – decided to “make somebody’s day”. Watch this CBS report all the way to be really touched. This video was recommended by three of my friends. So rest assured: it’s thrice as good as you expect it to be.

Cities are filled with saviours

19-year-old Devansh Mehta is a serial fainter. He feigns dizziness in crowded locales, collapses in a heap and gauges whether the public will help him out. That’s his idea of a “social experiment”. Having conducted it in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kashmir, he concludes: ‘I have learnt that people are generally nice and genuine.’

Well, of course, Devansh. You will see that if you keep your eyes wide open too!!

For the full story, please read the coverage in the Bangalore Mirror.

Gurdwaras in the UK feed the hungry

The UK is known as much for its cosmopolitan fabric as for its random racial crimes. But in these uncertain economic times, we have proof that compassion is triumphing. Read this report in The Independent to see how unemployed folks and broke students flock to Gurdwaras to get a substantial meal, thanks to the langars that Sikhs organize in their places of worship. None of the “outsiders” are ever asked to convert to Sikhism. This is service at its very best. Is there a better way to bridge the divide between humans who are different only on the outside?

An airline that made Christmas special

Ever heard of WestJet? Well, after watching this video of exemplary Christmas spirit, you will find it difficult to forget this Canada-based airline. ‘Ask and ye shall be given,’ it is said. That’s what this video demonstrates. To sceptics who see a Brand-building gimmick behind this video, I ask this question: did you notice the effort, planning and execution behind this wonderful sequence of events? And did you notice the genuine expression of amazement and joy on the passengers’ faces?

How wonderful it is to receive when you least expect to! Maybe you’d like to pass on this gift to those you love.

As told to me

Oases in the desert

My friend Sujay has a rich, lyrical soul. Deep within, he seems to be whistling a melody that explains the mysteries of the universe. So when he was sent on assignment to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he was bound to find poetry in the arid landscape. He did.

As luck would have it, he landed there during Ramadan. A time of fasting and austerity. So even the depleted resources of entertainment and social engagement dropped to near-zero. In Sujay’s own words, “fuel is cheap and there is nowhere to go, so everyone goes everywhere”. Usually at 240 kmph.

Thankfully, my noble friend was saved by a healthy pastime. He liked taking long evening walks. And he used this activity to bridge his temporary loneliness with evocative interactions. Here’s how:

1.   On a Saturday evening, he flagged down a taxi and told the driver: ‘Take me someplace where I can spend some time.’ The taxi driver happened to be a Pakistani. He said: ‘Why don’t you join me and my friends for iftar (roza)? It’s almost time to break the fast.’ Being free-spirited, Sujay agreed. He went to the driver’s accommodation, waited as he and his fellow taxi drivers prayed, and then joined them for a communal meal. Of course, being a vegetarian, he restricted his diet to a succulent bunch of dates. Upon completion of the meal, Sujay conversed with his newfound brethren and then requested permission to leave. His taxi driver friend dropped him back at the hotel without charging a single Riyal!

2.   On another evening, Sujay was strolling on the seabed of the Red Sea when he came across a 3-year-old girl, playing a short distance away from her family. Now, there’s something about Sujay and little girls. They seem to be drawn to his bald head and shiny soul. Not surprisingly, this girl rushed towards him and offered the bright lovely smile that adults are incapable of imitating. ‘I shouldn’t play with unfamiliar kids in Saudi Arabia. I’ve been warned about this,’ Sujay thought, shrinking back. A moment later, he thought: ‘That doesn’t mean I can’t smile and wave back.’ So he did that, much to the girl’s delight. And he returned to his small hotel room feeling that the day was well spent.

3.   On yet another evening, a miniature kitten took a fancy to him and started following him. At first, Sujay tried to locate its mother. He couldn’t find her. So he walked on. The obstinate kitten followed suit. A few furlongs down the road, Sujay worried that the kitten would be lost or quashed against a car driving at Schumacher’s speed. So he retraced his steps. Upon reaching the original point of contact, the kitten lost interest in him. Perhaps it had smelled the proximity of its family. His job was done. Yet another dull day was salvaged by an interaction.

Back in the hotel room, another mini-miracle was taking place. He was supposed to get two half-litre bottles of complimentary water each day. But inevitably, he would get more. Sujay wondered why. The mystery was solved during the weekend, when he came face-to-face with the Nepali housekeeper. ‘You keep the room so clean. I wanted to show my appreciation. And I can’t offer anything more than extra water bottles,’ the man said.

Somebody had noticed a positive trait. And now, somebody had noticed somebody noticing a positive trait. That’s how it goes.

Empathy and connectedness came Sujay’s way from local Saudi men as well. One of them advised him on tricks to employ if he wanted to eat during fasting hours. Another shared a moment of rapt attention with him as they listened to a Lata Mangeshkar song.

Overall, a fortnight that could have been dry and desolate became a fountainhead of joy for Sujay.

I wonder whether the magic was in Jeddah or in Sujay. Or both?

In conclusion

Have you failed recently or in your distant past? Well, congratulations. Because Joseph Campbell has this to say:

‘It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.’

Chin up. Teeth out. Wide grin. That’s more like it. The world is a beautiful place. Hope you haven’t forgotten this basic fact!

To read the previous volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.
To read the next volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.

Positivity Weekly - Vol 2

Perceptions determine our thoughts, emotions, speech and actions. Let’s spend the next few minutes reading amazingly empowering stories and rediscovering the positivity all around us.

Positivity Weekly will appear on this blog around the weekend. I will bring the best of news from any and every source I can access. I will include my own personal experiences, if they fit. And if you have any apt stories, anecdotes or insights to share, I will put them here with pride. In the long run, your participation will determine the quality of this initiative. Do write in with your contributions and feedback to connect@eshwarsundaresan.com. And if you like this initiative, please share it widely.

News from the public domain

An inspiring public servant

Remember Collector R Anandakumar? In 2011, he created a buzz by enrolling his daughter in a government school. The Telegraph covered this unusual development here. Having been educated in a government school himself, he probably wanted to send a strong message of faith in the system he now represented. Or maybe he thought that this gesture would galvanize the school authorities to improve their standards. The man himself dismissed all speculations by saying: ‘This is my personal matter. Why make it an issue?’

Indeed! Sir, because of people like you, I will be careful about my own perceptions of Indian public servants.

Pakistani boy finds Indian saviours

People-to-people interactions are many shades healthier than government-to-government interactions. This is more so in matters pertaining to India and Pakistan. The internet is replete with heart-warming tales of kindness featuring citizens from both sides of the border. The latest such story comes to us from, of all places, Godhra!

A young Pakistani boy contracted dengue on a visit to India, rendering his family helpless. They were running out of money as well as visa time. Read this TOI article find out how this family received help from officials who mattered and the people of Godhra.

Madiba, the Great
Nelson Mandela passed away this morning, having enriched the world with his words and actions for decades. Few could bridge the void left behind by Mahatma Gandhi. But Madiba arrived as a fresh face that reiterated the Mahatma's message in his own way. He, too, has entered that rare pantheon reserved for the noblest of humans. His legacy, too, will be received by future generations with awe.
The Independent (Singapore), which is run by my journalism mentor Balji, has put together some of his profound sayings here. Let's read those empowering words and offer a silent moment of gratitude to this man who made such a profound difference to millions.

From my vantage point

A downpour of kindness

In addition to being an excellent guitarist, my friend Sudhanshu has the ability to learn from life’s loaded moments. A couple of weeks ago, Nov 24 to be precise, Bangalore received around 106mm of rain in the evening, causing flooding and waterlogging in many areas.

Sudhanshu was stuck in the ensuing traffic snarl. Many attempts to circumvent roads with waist-deep water proved futile. And as luck would have it, he ran out of fuel. He somehow made it to a petrol station to find it closed. It was already 1130. And like him, many other commuters were desperate for fuel. Some of them were pounding their fists on the petrol station’s cabin, demanding for a resumption of service. Sudhanshu, however, stood quietly in the pouring rain, feeling soaked and battered.

‘What can I learn from this?’ he wondered.

A moment later, he saw a gentleman riding a motorcycle into an adjacent home, with his daughter on the pillion. Sudhanshu approached him and made a request:

‘May I please borrow some petrol?’

The man immediately found a tube, cut it in half, sucked most of the petrol out of his bike and into Sudhanshu’s tank. And he refused to take money for this act of kindness.

Feeling rejuvenated, Sudhanshu resumed his homeward journey. En route, roads were still waterlogged. He saw an elderly auto rickshaw driver struggling to push his auto through the current of water. So Sudhanshu dismounted and helped this man. A moment later, he saw a car driver in a similar predicament. Sudhanshu helped him too.

‘Since I received kindness from a stranger, I decided to pay it forward,’ Sudhanshu explains.

That night, he slept soundly, feeling certain that all is well with the world. The next morning, he visited the kind stranger again to thank him some more.

An oasis in Madanapalle

Last year, my friend Priyamvada Muddapur quit the trappings of Bangalore to relocate to Madanapalle. Her mission: to initiate and manage a primary health care centre for a needy community. When she began her work (under the guidance of her spiritual guru Sri M), the local community was in such a dire need that people would queue up outside the centre by sunrise and wouldn’t stop arriving till around 9pm. Despite her own challenging health condition, Priyam gamely accepted those patients and did everything she could to help them. It took months for the community to experience better health, which lead to a more streamlined demand for healthcare. In this duration, she has built a strong bond with the community – and when I saw them shower goodwill and gratitude on her, I understood the true meaning of the term Mission Accomplished.

Of course, she doesn’t see it as that. She has just begun the journey of transformation. Many more initiatives line her imagination. And thousands more will experience her benignity in the years to come. Hats off to you, Priyam.

When you enable self, you enable others

Positivity begets positivity. Prasad Aluganti’s visit to the Primary Health Care centre run by Priyam underlines this theory. Since 1999, Prasad has been directing the operations of MORE (Movement for Rural Emancipation), a nonprofit organization that has been focusing on alleviating the condition of differently-abled people since 1984. Like many grassroots NGOs, MORE has focused on transformative work rather than documenting and boasting their achievements.

But we don’t need to read tomes to know the impact MORE has had on its target communities through its Community-Based Rehabilitation programs. Just this simple fact will do: in 2008, around 50 differently-abled candidates stood for the Panchayat elections in the Madanapalle division. What’s more, 26 of them won! This happened partially due to the confidence and rehabilitation they received from MORE. Earlier this year, 6 of these seasoned politicians were re-elected.

So when Prasad wanted an audience with the Chief Minister of the state to discuss some initiative, one of the winners, now a Sarpanch, told him: ‘Don’t worry. I will certainly ensure that you meet him!’

Now, that’s true emancipation!

In conclusion

With just word-of-mouth publicity, the first volume of Positivity Weekly reached an audience of around 350 and counting. Readers emailed and called me with their words of encouragement. Thank you all.

So it’s true. People do want good news. And as my friend Jaysal said, ‘If the world was as bad as depicted in the newspapers, we would have killed each other long ago. And I wouldn’t have agreed to bring a child into this space. The truth is that the world is a beautiful place.’

And like us, Jaysal’s newborn will witness this beauty for herself.

Till next time, do keep the smile on. And do send me your stories and share this newsletter with those who would enjoy reading it.

To view our previous volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.
To view our next volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.