Friday Reflections

And how many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see....

Point to Ponder: How many ears must one person have before he can hear people cry? And how many deaths will it take 'til he knows that too many people have died?

Reflection: The image at the top of reflection is Choeung Ek memorial, the reminder of the tragic consequences of the power of hate. It is filled with 5000 human skulls, out of 1.5 to 2 million who were tortured and killed in various killing fields of Cambodia; their fault- having different belief system, education level and status. It is the result of one man and his group of followers’ obsession with hate.

History has many such tragic events in every culture and country; some on a genocidal scale like this and many others, though not as massive, resulting in innocent lives lost because of religious beliefs, race, status or color of the skin. Methods and means for torture were different but the end result was the same; the root cause - Hatred.

These hate initiatives start out small (one person killed, may be a few here and there as the numbers start addingup) but when the ordinary good citizens (other 98% or so) who knew they were wrong didn’t stand up, the other side picked up momentum and forced or coerced good people in joining them with intimidation and false propaganda about the other side. Many people remained silent out of fear.

If such issues are not contained and eliminated at the onset, even if it is just one life, gradually it starts adding up. Right now, this is happening to our children’s future.

But my story line is about a deeper issue.

Story Line: Some may say that there laws and systems to address such issues. But as Dale Carnegie once said “A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” And we currently see this live in action, in many countries around the world. Hatred and violence against people of different faiths and skin color. Laws, a compliance mechanism, are only as effective as people choose. None of us are born prejudice, but pick them up along the way in school, social gatherings, from-friends, adults, books and media.  The real change will have to come from us making a conscious choice; acceptance of differences amongst us, appreciating them and learning from one another. And whenever we see injustice, prejudice and hatred, we must not stand on the sideline but speak up for what is right. The requires an inner transformation that takes commitment and courage. We must do this for the sake of the future generations.

My own story: For most of my life, I thought I was an open minded, non-judgemental person until my children pointed out my hidden biases and prejudices expressed in casual conversations, “light jokes” and "well intended" actions. After intense dialogues I came to realize that opinions I had developed about different races, gay rights and an individual’s right to choose were not based on any concrete facts but due to my ignorance about their history, personal feelings and information from media or casual conversations. I still have a lot to learn and realize that inner transformation is the first step in how to view and act in the world. For my children and grandsons sake, I have made that choice.

Learn to do good, seek justice, correct opresion, bring justice to the helpless, stand up for the right cause.

In light of current situation, This is a special reflection on Monday.

Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you.

 

Points to Ponder: I was concerned about going out in the world and doing something bigger than myself, until someone smarter than myself made me realize that there is nothing bigger than myself!

Note: there are a few out of over 700 reflections that I keep repeating every other year. Because the message in there is so true and happens for me. This is one of those. Please read in its entirety. Thanks

Story Line: Recently in a conversation between two adult friends reflecting on their high school years, one of them mentioned: It seems we all turned out well. The other one replied “We would like to think so.” “But…” (What others think of us). It was puzzling especially more so coming from a guy who, per society’s normal measures of success, has incredible accomplishments. That conversation reminded me of Jim Carey’s important tips about life and career that he conveyed to the graduating class of 2014 at Maharishi University.   

Reflection: excerpts from the speech.

Because Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. How do I know this? I don’t, but I’m making sound, and that’s the important thing. That’s what I’m here to do. Sometimes, I think that’s the only thing that is important. Just letting each other know we’re here, reminding each other that we are part of a larger self.

Now fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about the pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear.

So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect so we never dare to ask the universe for it. I’m saying, I’m the proof that you can ask the universe for it — please! And if it doesn’t happen for you right away, it’s only because the universe is so busy fulfilling my order. Party size!

My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant, and when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love. It’s not the only thing that he taught me though: I watched the affect my father’s love and humor and how it altered the world around me, and I thought, “That’s something to do, that’s something worth my time.”

The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is. Because everything you gain in life will rot and fall apart, and all that will be left of you is what was in your heart. My choosing to free people from concern got me to the top of a mountain. Look where I am — look what I get to do! Everywhere I go – and I’m going to get emotional because when I tap into this, it really is extraordinary to me — I did something that makes people present their best selves to me wherever I go. I am at the top of the mountain and the only one I hadn’t freed was myself and that’s when my search for identity deepened.

I wondered who I’d be without my fame. Who would I be if I said things that people didn’t want to hear, or if I defied their expectations of me? That peace that we’re after, lies somewhere beyond personality, beyond the perception of others, beyond invention and disguise, even beyond effort itself. You can join the game, fight the wars, play with form all you want, but to find real peace, you have to let the armour go. Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. Don’t let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory.

I’ve often said that I wished people could realize all their dreams of wealth and fame so that they could see that it’s not where you’ll find you’re going to find your sense of completion. Like many of you, I was concerned about going out in the world and doing something bigger than myself, until someone smarter than myself made me realize that there is nothing bigger than myself!

Are you going to look at a person like me and say, “How could we ever hope to reach those kinds of heights, Jim? How can we make a painting that’s too big for our home? How do you fly so high without a special breathing apparatus?” This is the voice of THE EGO. And if you listen to it, there will always be someone who is doing better than you. No matter what you gain, ego will not let you rest. It will tell you that you cannot stop until you’ve left an indelible mark on the earth, until you’ve achieved immortality. How tricky is this ego that it would tempt us with the promise of something we already possess.

So, I just want you to relax, you know, that’s my job. Relax and dream up a good life!

As far as I can tell, it’s just about letting the universe know what you want and working toward it while letting go of how it comes to pass.

Your job is not to figure out how it’s going to happen for you, but to open the door in your head and when the door opens in real life, just walk through it. And don’t worry if you miss your cue because there’s always door opening. They keep opening. And when I say, “Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you.” I really don’t know if that’s true. I’m just making a conscious choice to perceive challenges as something beneficial so that I can deal with them in the most productive way. You’ll come up with your own style, that’s part of the fun!

You will only ever have two choices: love or fear. Choose love, and don’t ever let fear turn you against your playful heart.

He was so afraid of dying (making a mistake) that he forgot how to live (missed great opportunities)

One will never reach distant shores, if he chooses to remain upon the dock. In fear his little ship of dreams may be dashed against the rocks.  -- F. Bolen.

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it.  -- Thucydides.

 

Storyline:

Two people look at the same new idea: one looks at the current data (today’s realities) and says, “This is very difficult, almost impossible. What if we go for it and fail? What will happen to us?”  The other looks at tomorrow’s possibilities and says, “What if we go for it and succeed? What would that data look like?”

It is the same idea, but one looks at possibilities and the other at dangers, one creates the future while the other is imprisoned by the present. And there lies the difference between successful entrepreneurs and institutions versus the others:

The unsuccessful ones are afraid to fail. When an opportunity is presented to them on a silver platter, they hide behind a wall of caution. Under the disguise of “cover all the bases” and “due diligence”, they create an infrastructure of over-diligence. 

Many good things in life do not wait for people who are busy analyzing all the dangers - not while someone down the street is dreaming of all the possibilities and ready to grab them.

 

Here are two stories of successful entrepreneurs ... the ones who know “how to live”:

1. The beginning of Excite (Source: Joe Krauss, founder of Excite and Jotspot)

“While we were still in the garage (literally), we met with at least 15 different venture capital firms. The meetings we're all the same. We showed them our search technology, showed them 'concept-based' search, and showed them targeted advertising. To a firm, the first question they asked was a very reasonable one: 'Great stuff guys, but what's your business plan? How are you going to make money?' Of course, being 22 years old and fresh out of college, we replied: 'We thought you could help us out with that.'

(Apparently, that's the wrong answer. Who knew?)

Then we met Vinod (Khosla)... By then, our deal had developed a certain "smell" - smart guys with interesting technology, but an uncertain business plan. The demo to Vinod started off like they all did, but about 10 minutes into the meeting things got very different. He interrupted "Can the technology scale? Can you search a large database?"

Big Pause. It's not the money question. No one has ever asked us this before. Ummm. "We don't know. We can't afford a hard drive big enough to test." Ten minutes into this meeting, his first introduction to us, he pulls out his cell phone, dials his assistant and buys us a $10,000, 10Gb hard drive. After that, Vinod, along with the venture capitalist who introduced us to him, Geoff Yang, invested in the company's first round of financing.” Then Excite became a very successful company.

 

2. CP/M Versus MS-DOS

When IBM decided to get into the PC business, they approached Microsoft and Inter Digital Research for the operating system. Microsoft had only application software, not an operating system; while IDR had the leading OS of the time called CP/M. However, the IDR people tied up IBM in legal details and non-disclosure agreements, while Gates signed the NDA on the spot, and then found someone to develop OS for Microsoft. The rest is history.

 

Reflection: "When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” - Paulo Coelho

Every Life Tells a Story

As we end the 34th year of Friday Reflection and 14th year on internet.

Points to Ponder: Childhood Memories

I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?  - Quote from the movie "Stand By Me" by Stephen King

 

My dad taught me from my youngest childhood memories through these connections with Aboriginal and tribal people that you must always protect people's sacred status, regardless of the past. - Steve Irwin

Reflection: by Analisa  (written in the year 2007)

Friday Reflections began when I was a little girl growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley. Every Friday, after dinner; my father, mother, brother and I would pile into our beat up, light yellow, 1983 Volvo to go for our weekly rides. During these rides, which would last about an hour, my father would regale us with all sorts of intriguing stories. Always, there was a little touch of humor, but there was also something a little more: a lesson to be learned. The stories were almost always from his childhood or his current life in the high tech world. My father told these stories in such a casual way that my brother and I never felt like we were in school being lectured; we just enjoyed listening to stories.

These drives continued for years and years. No matter how long my father had worked through the week, he always had enough energy to take us out on those magical Friday night rides. My father is a great storyteller. Even to this day, he can tell a story with people so intrigued from beginning to end. We loved those stories and thought he was a fun dad.

Time passed till my brother and I reached our teenage years. The time we spent at home grew less; and the ability to get all four of us together on a Friday night, even any night, was nearly impossible. Eventually, my brother and I left for college and the stories stopped completely. We had started our own journeys into the world.

One Friday night, before I headed out the door with some friends, I logged into my email account. An email awaited in my inbox. It read: Friday Reflections. It was from my father. I opened it up; and there was one of his stories told in an email, just as if I were a little girl again sitting in the backseat of a 1983 light yellow Volvo listening intently to her dad.

By 2004, Friday Reflections was being distributed to hundreds of friends over the world. In 2007, my brother Rajiv, our friend Neil, and I embarked on making these stories available to others through World Wide Web and The Book.

We only hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as my brother, I and many friends have through the years. 

Story Line by Anand: On a few occasions I have been asked how I have so many stories to share. Once two colleagues asked that very same thing. Interestingly in a half an hour conversation with them, they had shared a few stories of their own that could be Friday Reflection entries of their own. I pointed this idea out to them. I enjoy reflecting after a satisfactory encounter with any person, place or new learning experience. Almost every day I get a new story from meeting people, reading or witnessing something or with a new experience. My greatest joy is in being able to recall these experience and share them with others.  Every life has a story. Don’t be afraid to share! Because as I have quoted many times before, “Things that are given away are never lost.”

 

 

 

Independence Week Thoughts

Reflections: Your Own.....

The Hero's Journey

POINT TO PONDER: Follow your bliss. - Joseph Campbell

STORY LINE: by Rajiv Shah

We want to revisit one of our favorite stories, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. On first glance, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a story about marching to the beat of your own drum, following dreams, pursuing your passion in the face of adversity and forgiving others when they condemn you for doing so. It incorporates all these elements, but I realized upon my viewing of the entire film that JLS follows the classic Hero's Journey myth structure.

The Hero's Journey was popularized by Joseph Campbell who was a writer and mythologist. Campbell found that many classic stories follow a pattern (including Jonathan Livingston Seagull) and an extremely abridged explanation is outlined here that we can apply to our own lives:

The Call to Adventure - This is where the main character is at a point in their life where they are at the brink of change. Either the character can be seeking the change or the call to adventure comes from an unexpected source (death of a loved one, fired from a job, life is in danger.etc). In JLS this step is represented in Jonathan's need to fly faster and higher than any seagull before. In your own life is there something that you seek? A higher sense of fulfillment whether personal or professional, a yearning to explore, or a need to challenge? Whatever that thing is, that is your calling.
Refusal of the Call - The main character avoids the call due to doubt, familial obligations, expectations (societal, personal, or familial), or fear of the unknown. In JLS (around the 20 minute mark) Jonathan has flown higher than he ever has before but crash lands into the ocean. Injured and alone he floats on a wooden crate - for the first time doubting his calling, his belief in himself. He thinks, "I've got to live with what I am. I promise this day that I will be a seagull like every other seagull." Sound familiar? I don't think I need to illustrate how this applies to our own lives as many of us get stuck in this phase of the hero's journey, doubting our passion and ability.

Crossing of the Threshold/Road of Trials - The point where the main character reenters their journey is sometimes with encouragement from another and sometimes from an internal calling growing stronger within them. At this point there is no turning back, the main character ventures further into the unknown, past fear and doubt. The character will undergo a transformation from the experience (usually tough) and emerge with a new understanding and/or a new self. In JLS as is true in other works, this is can be the point of death though it is not always the case. In our own lives, and since you are reading this - you are not dead yet (at least I hope not...) - it can be a metamorphosis from your old way of thinking/self usually into a new one.
Apotheosis/The Ultimate Boon - The achievement of the goal. Moving to divine knowledge, transendence and attainment of the calling. In JLS this is the point when Jonathan has learned to fly highest, fastest, and is even able to transend his physical body. For us, well... I wouldn't know what this looks like and it would be foolish for me to try to teach anyone this as I'm searching myself. But I think it's in the search for this that we find peace and bliss, however brief or lasting. Some may find this in family, some in career achievements, and some might find it in jumping from one thing/place to the next. But when we find it I hope we take the next step:

Master of Two Worlds/Freedom to Live - With this new knowledge, bliss, and transcendence the main character returns to his place of origin in order to share those experiences with others and the world at large. This is so that others might find their own path and their own peace. In JLS this is done when Jonathan returns to the flock seeking to teach them that they can fly as high and fast as they dream. For us, it is the need to teach, to pass on what we've experienced in order to help another on their path. Paying it forward.

REFLECTION

The Hero's Journey is one that all of us have within us. It reflects the nature of our search for meaning. We all find it in different places but the calling is always there. Sometimes the fears and doubts get so loud that we don't take the journey and find what we are truly capable of. It's easy to given in and stop searching, deciding that what we seek can't exist.

This need, the quest for meaning, is not only reflected in stories like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, but is ingrained in spiritual texts such as the Bible and the story of the Buddha. It permeates most TV shows and movies, from Lost to Batman. It can even be found in the cycle of birth. It is a mythology that is interwoven into the very fabric of our existence - in the little place inside of each and everyone of us that dares to answer the call and seek our greatest potential.

Come to the edge, he said.

They said: We are afraid.

Come to the edge, he said.

They came.

He pushed them and they flew.

~ Guillaume Apollinaire

Reader's feedback from the original publication on July 26, 2012 is included in Comments section.

 

 

The Spy Who Loved Me

Points to Ponder: “The love of one’s country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?" -Pablo Casals (Spanish Cellist, Wrote music for UN Anthem for world peace, 1963 Presidential Medal of Freedom; b.1876-1973)

Story Line: During my years in elementary school, I developed an interest in collecting stamps. I heard that our neighbor was getting letters from Germany so every other week I would go to his window to check if he had received any letters, and ask if he had some stamps for me. After returning from one summer vacation, and expecting a ton of stamps, I went to his place only to find the windows shut. After a few more days with closed windows, I knocked on the main door of the house. The lady who was renting the room to him informed me that he had moved to Germany. Upon further investigation I found out that his “Penfriend” had come and they had gotten married and moved to Germany*. That was my first exposure to English word,"penfriend.”

But that experience added to my hobby of stamp collecting and I wanted to know more about other countries while improving my English. By the summer of 1970, I had Penfriends in twelve different countries.

So when my cousin Yogini informed me that she had given my address to a girl in Philippines who was looking for a friend in India, I was not very enthusiastic. All the other Penfriends I had selected were from countries where I could correctly pronounce the name. I had never heard about the country named “Fili Pines**”. Plus she was going to be No. 13. I also thought about having no more money to buy stamps to send letters. My cousin was persistent and informed me that the person she was recommending is the best friend of her penfriend Helen Tan in Philippines and I would be very happy. She also showed me the stamps from Fili Pines which were very attractive.

On September 24, 1970 I received the first letter from Luisa Go. The casual writing style, handwriting and the brief introduction was very appealing. And the stamps were beautiful. The only thing that seemed strange was she had used the word Penpal instead of Penfriend. But I accepted the new label considering that one purpose of having friends around the world was to learn new things.

Things started out well until in one of her subsequent letters, she mentioned that she had a Chinese heritage. Her father was born in China and had migrated to Philippines at an early age and her mother was half Chinese and half Filipino. The word “Chinese” raised a Red Flag on my side. In the early 60s India and China had a border war and after that the relationships between two countries were strained. When some people found out she was “Chinese” they gave me cautionary advice; be careful, Chinese are very smart and they might be trying to get a spy through Fili Pines. After some discussion with my parents about this I decided to take a chance and keep writing letters.

Over next five years, we exchanged many letters, stamps and sometimes coins as Bonus. She had great sense of humor and shared very interesting stories about places, movies and various things written on variety of papers in a very likeable style.

In 1974 I moved to California. After a string of coincidences, On August 2, 1978, I ended up in Philippines to meet her. Since we never thought we would ever meet in person, we had told each other enough secrets about ourselves leaving no need for confessions. So in my second visit there in September of the same year, we got engaged. During my third visit there on December 19, 1978, we exchanged vows “I Do” in front of the judge in Manila City Hall.

Reflection: The last forty years have enriched us with the great understanding of each other; for me, richness and diversity of Chinese and Filipino people; and for her, fascinating history and heritage of India and its people.

In August 1978, when I came out of the door of Manila International Airport for the first time, I saw two girls waiting outside. Instantly I recognized my Penpal. The very first thought that came to my mind was “Do I want to be with her for the rest of my life?” and my heart said “Yes”.
And Yes, through the years there have been some border conflicts (aka disagreements, dialogues), some intense, but not once over anything related to our countries, cultures or religions. Just excursions we would have had in any relationship even if the person was from our own culture. One ancient rule of warfare has been followed: Ceasefire before dark (and a goodnight hug).

In 14 years of Friday Reflections being in a public domain, I have never shared such very personal story. Thank You for allowing me to do so on the significant milestone in our journey; 40 years.

I will end with the words from a very first valentine card from my new life partner and former penpal (Year 1979.)

“You are life’s most precious gift to me, for the reasons even I can’t explain. I love you more and more every day.”

*in late 1980s we were able to track down that neighbor through common association. JayKrishna and Giesla came by our place during their visit to USA.

**We pronounced Philippines as Fili Pines in early days.

Humble Warrior- Transformations always occur during moments of crisis.*

Point to Ponder: “Tragedy depends on the way you see it. If you chose to be a victim of the world, anything which happens to you will feed that dark side of your soul, where you consider yourself wronged, suffering, guilty and deserving punishment. If you choose to be an adventurer, the changes - even the inevitable losses, since everything in this world changes - can cause some pain, but will soon thrust you forward, forcing you to react.”- Paulo Coelho Warrior of the Light

Story Line: A week ago I received the following message and responded to it.

October 3rd was the second anniversary of our first meeting, the day Shawn knocked on the window of our car and informed us that the mattress he was moving had hit rear side and done some damage. We were impressed with his honesty as well as with the utmost Integrity (Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching) he demonstrated in resolving the entire issue. Since then we have become good friends, share our experiences and family stories, and we have also met for lunch with our spouses. Learning more about his life journey in past two years of association, we realize that his faith and good values have helped conquer many challenges.

Reflection: With Shawn's permission I am sharing his own Reflection a year ago on the fifth anniversary of the founding of his business.

“5 years ago I was unemployed and my wife was 8 months pregnant... She had gotten her maternity leave papers from her Dr. to hand to her boss... before she could hand over the papers, her boss gave her a termination letter.... we were both unemployed and our baby boy was a month away ... being the man of the house, the provider, I felt embarrassed that we were scrounging anywhere for food... our main diet was living off the free costco samples just down the street...I remember praying to God that I just want to eat, I just want to be fed... then I turned it around ... I started to pray that I wanted to feed others, I wanted to feed many...

By the grace of God, I started a business... Today is the 5 year anniversary.... these are the 8 men I call THE HUMBLE WARRIORS in the photos... I told them to meet me today on their day off to do a very large side job and that I needed all hands on deck... we met at a costco parking lot, the very same one that my wife and I used to live on the free food samples...we had a quick meeting and I told them a few nice words about all of them and showed my gratitude towards them … then I proceeded to tell them about the origin and motivation of this company... I then told them to please forgive me, that I had been lying to them... and that we are actually not working at all today... I am delivering on God's promise to feed many and that they all are getting a $500 shopping spree to the same costco that fed my wife and I free samples years ago... the caveat was to get some stuff for others as well and to pay it forward just as I have...

I will never forget their faces, the energy, the joy I felt… an honor to do so for good people... as I was reflecting on the 5 year anniversary and thinking about some of my favorite days… it was not all the (business) accounts we got… it was not every time we purchased a new truck… it was the 8 days that I found the 8 HUMBLE WARRIORS…

I am sharing this story to inspire, to help others, to stretch the God given imagination you have been blessed with… to be humble, to be selfless, to think beyond just yourself… to reach out and touch somebody by speaking through the heart.”

The life story of someone we just met by accident (literally) has so many good lessons. It has touched and inspired us. I like to sum it up with a paragraph from Warrior of the light by Coelho: “This miracle is in the small things of daily life; we must live in the understanding that at every moment there is a way out of each problem, the way of finding that which is missing, the right clue to the decision which must be taken in order to change our entire future.” 

*from The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho

Before the Show

POINT TO PONDER

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights  -Muhammad Ali 

 

REFLECTION by Rajiv Shah

I read that after Mother Teresa's death, her diaries were found to contain doubts about her religion, and her faith in God. There was a fear that if Mother Teresa, a saint ordained by the catholic church, had doubts about God and the meaning in her service, it would lead to questions about her sainthood.

    To me, those letters confirmed that she was even more of a saint than I originally thought. My reasoning, and this is only my opinion, is that her having doubts that she was human like the rest of us but chose to continue serving in spite of her doubts. To have no doubt means the path was relatively easy and free of conflict. But when you doubt, when the path is hard, and you still are able to overcome and succeed, that is a true sign of something remarkable. Mother Teresa's letters confirmed to me that she was even more admirable because she chose to continue helping people in spite of it. 

    For whatever reason we like our heroes clean and without human failings. We want the path to success to be clean cut and easy to follow. It almost never is and Mother Teresa's is no different. In her quiet moments away from the news and her foundations, she doubted. She questioned the very religion and service she was exalted for. And what makes her amazing to me is that she continued to do good in spite of those doubts and fears.

    It's human to question and to feel like we may not be able to accomplish a feat. It is human to doubt ourselves from time to time. It is in those times that we must conquer them on our own and face ourselves. We might not always like what we find but we must continue on. 

    It's very easy to remember a person's success, it's what we celebrate, but it is equally important not to forget all the hardship and work it took to get there.

 

Update: This article was originally published on August 23, 2012. Since then (on September 4, 2016) Mother Teresa was declared a Saint by Vatican. See the link below

Mother Teresa A Saint

 

Note: Readers comments from the original publication are included and may be worth a minute of your time.

 

If You Stand Up and Be Counted

Point to Ponder:

“If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.” Thomas J Watson

Story Line: Throughout history significant changes in society have come about because some people saw great disparities, problems or opportunities to take mankind to the next level and did something about it. Advancements have happened in many areas: social (equality, diversity, fairness), religious, art, science, technology, environment and many others, with still more opportunities.

Initially there is a lot of resistance for change in most of such cases and the person or a group of people who identify, speak up and fight for the cause are criticized, labelled, punished, held back by all kinds of different means and in some cases killed. The System and the administrators of it try various excuses and means to stop the change, and the majority of people play it safe and continue to conform to the unjust, outdated and bankrupt systems. This is true for government, religion, education, technology, art, family and corporation as well as any other area where there is an organization.

But the world has continued to change for the better because of The People

1. Who brought awareness by speaking or standing up
2. Those who wholeheartedly and unconditionally supported the cause
3. Those who stayed on course despite great resistance and personal sacrifices and brought about the positive changes.

It is important to understand that some people play a role in few of these three stages and some play role in all. The courage and contributions of each one of these people is admirable. Without them there would not have been progress and we would still be living in stone ages.

Reflection:

Friday Reflections has published stories of such people around the world and will continue to do so. To all the change agents who fought for what they believed in (to name a few): Erin Brokovich, Dr. Bennet Omalu, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Galileo, Deng Sio Ping, Mandela, Gandhi, The Traitorous Eight and all the others who refused to conform to: The System.

To all such individuals in any field and any country, whether widely known or not widely known: Thank You.

The world is a better place because of you.