When I watched Homeless to Harvard

A gem of a movie, a masterpiece of inspiration, just phenomenal. It is based on a true story which makes it so worthwhile to watch this!

It certainly was heartwarming; my eyes welled with tears every minute of the movie, but the end is so inspiring..

A girl born in a New York suburb to loving but drug addict parents...her mother an utter slave to the addiction; but her father, though an alcoholic was a brilliant mind! I guess she got some bit of him...She was helped by a neighbor who would give her encyclopedia books from a scrap house she accidentally got access to..She ended up reading all the books and would only show up for her end term exams in the public school she had been enrolled in.

She still would ace all of them..Somehow she had the guts to leave her home when her mother was dying and her father had been taken away because he couldn't pay the house rent anfd was an addict himself. A kind grandfatherly soul stayed with her mother until her last breath...

She cried a lot when she first got to know the news..but then she was strong enough to put herself together

"Do any of us bargain for our lives? It seems to me we just kind of fall into them..and then we have to do the best we can."

She worked as hard as could and see what could come to her..she won the NYT scholarship and went on to join Harvard. A like her could come thus far only because of her grit, determination, hard work and common sense...most important of all her ability to move on..

Imagine!

Imagine…a little girl on the first day of her school – two pony tails adorning her head, a bag on her back, running incessantly through the school corridors, panting, scared, slightly confused, tears rolling down her cheeks….looking around for something…with eyes full of hope perhaps expecting to find a lost treasure somewhere. She is too shy to ask the strangers around her for help- some of them her new classmates and teachers…Secretly hoping someone to come to her rescue and help find  the lost water-bottle!

Ladies and gentlemen, this was me more than two decades ago – I had lost my new bottle on the first day but couldn’t come to speak to anyone about it– shy, demure, reserved, scared to speak up, uncomfortable in public settings, cozy in my own shell. In-fact most of the subsequent years, I didn’t change much.  Even as an adolescent I was this unilateral, academics focused girl rarely willing to come out of my space of books– mostly the quiet and studious kind. I found my retreat to the books most comforting as that meant I could live with my shyness and conceal my social anxiety from others. Thus I was able to score decent marks and my parents were more than happy about it- it was all that mattered! I was contented too – almost a celebrity in the neighborhood…I took great pride in that status.

But then like a bolt from the blue came the first big realization of what I was missing out on. When I joined engineering I met so many people from different places across the country. They were smart, confident, socially confident …not an iota of shyness in whatever they did.  There were times when I envied those who could easily slide into conversations, make small talks when I didn’t seem to be able to and used their slimmest connections with mere passing acquaintances to develop business or learn interesting stuff that I totally missed out on. All this talking, this rather liquid confessing was something I didn’t think I could ever bring myself to do.

“…because I rant not, neither rave of what I feel, can you be so shallow as to dream that I feel nothing?”

Nevertheless it was evident that my shyness had ruined so many good opportunities! The important thing was, it significantly affected people’s perception about me - and I could sense that well. With each passing day my desire to come out of my shell grew more and more intense. I decided to turn things around for the better.

I began forcing myself beyond my comfort zone. Ensuring I attended as many public events as I could, whether it was a formal GD session, an informal discussion with friends, an outing with a large group – I was there every single time. And that did help. By the time I passed out of engineering I was much better off and reasonably comfortable in a social setting.

My tryst with global diversity was the next big thing that helped me in this regard. Through a three months' long work orientation in New York I had the opportunity to get trained with people from across the globe. The exposure that I got in the classrooms there was remarkable! Especially, when studying in an environment with a tremendous focus on group exercises, discussions, case studies and brain storming sessions with people from a wide range of background and ethnicities, it took me to a new comfort level with regards to social exposure.

By the time I came back, I had completely turned myself around from being the demure little school-girl to a more outgoing kind.

I was now a great fan of socializing. I grew fond of hosting parties or joining others on theirs, going on treks with a host of folks, participating in group events like the  Oxfam 100 Km Trailwalker , enrolling in  different extra-curricular like dance, public speaking, community work. I was more than happy being with and around people.

I strongly believe that Toastmasters is the next big step in my journey towards self enrichment!

Thank you!

 [This is the speech I gave for my CC1 at Toastmasters International]

10 life lessons from House of Cards: Pearls of Wisdom indeed!*

Quoted from elitedaily.

With Netflix releasing the second season of “House of Cards,” today, fans of the political thriller rejoice in anticipation of resuming their collective love affair with the Congressman-turned-Vice President, Francis J. Underwood.

In anticipation of bunkering down for the weekend to binge on the excess of plotting, backstabbing and sweet decadence the new season will undoubtedly provide, we take a moment to look back at the ten most valuable life lessons that Frank Underwood taught us last year.

1. “Friends make the worst enemies.”

What could be worse than finding an adversary in someone who knows you intimately? This is an enemy who is able to identify your vulnerabilities and capitalize on your weaknesses more effectively than your typical opponent.

Nurture your friendships and avoid burning bridges. If you fail to heed these words, don’t be surprised when a former confidant leads the campaign to cement your downfall.

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2. “I never make such big decisions so long after sunset and so far from dawn.”

When in doubt, sleep on it. Be it a new business venture or a momentous life change, it’s never wise to commit to a decision without first giving thoughtful consideration to every conceivable outcome. People who avoid this tactic end up getting swindled into buying a timeshare in Barbados for $15,000 a year.

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3. “Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries.”

This isn’t to say that being rich and being powerful are mutually exclusive. However, those who aspire to craft an enduring legacy, move mountains with their words and accrue respect and admiration from the masses, must pursue power above all else. Without influence, your ability to overcome obstacles in your path is compromised.

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4. “A great man once said, everything is about sex. Except sex. Sex is power.”

Women have been capitalizing on this concept for centuries. From Helen of Troy, whose face “launched a thousand ships,” to your buddy’s girlfriend who won’t put out until he does the dishes, sex can be an invaluable tool in achieving your goals.

Is it unfair to exploit someone’s most primitive, intense craving just to get your way? Probably, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an effective strategy.

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5. “Treading water is the same as drowning for people like you and me.”

If you want to be successful, never be content standing still. Comfort leads to apathy. Apathy kills ambition. Without ambition, you’re on the fast track to being consumed by regret, forever wondering what might have been. Step outside your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to take risks.

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6. “There is no solace above or below. Only us — small, solitary, striving, battling one another. I pray to myself, for myself.”

The only person who you can unfailingly rely on is yourself. Ultimately, we are all pitted against one another in the battle that is life. We fight to climb the hierarchical ladder, clawing our way past one another in pursuit of a higher status. You can’t depend on some benevolent entity coming to your aid.

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7. “Insecurity bores me.”

Confidence is key. Confidence is what allows you to fully appreciate your skills and faults and use them to your advantage. No one wants to surround themselves with people immersed in self-doubt. It comes down to optimism and pessimism. Do you want to be friends with the person who is consistently positive or the person who constantly seeks your validation of his or her worth?

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8. “There’s no better way to overpower a trickle of doubt than with a flood of naked truth.”

Having trouble finding that confidence to overcome insecurity? Fear not. Everyone falls victim to insecurity at one time or another. In order to move past it, you need to accept things for the way they are, good or bad. Denial only propels the cycle of uncertainty.

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9. “It’s so refreshing to work with someone who’ll throw a saddle on a gift horse rather than look it in the mouth.”

Choose to only work with people who are willing to work with you. There’s no point in forcing a partnership. Leave those who resist your offers for collaboration behind and turn your focus to pursuing those who will readily join your ranks.

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10. “There are two kinds of pain: the sort of pain that makes you strong, or useless pain; the sort of pain that’s only suffering. I have no patience for useless things.”

Grief is both natural and necessary. It breeds integrity and resolve. You can’t allow the pain to come to define you; rather, you must turn the tables on the pain and define it. Show the world you are able to overcome your suffering. Grow from the experience; don’t become consumed by it.