I was in class 5 when i first discovered the art of killing two birds with one stone. And who taught me this? My father.
My father, a trainer and mentor of insurance salespeople, had a very large family to support. And that too, within limited means. And he always wanted to break the glass ceiling. If not possible for himself, he desperately wanted his children to live differently. And he tried to use every opportunity to fulfil this purpose.
So, when i was in class 5, one day at my school, i came to know that new chappals make you feel comfortable and also make you look smarter. A new pair of chappals also helps you winning new friends and influencing people! To be precise, one boy wore new chappals on a particular day, and everybody was impressed. In our Sarkari Hindi medium school populated mostly by children coming from underprivileged families, this was not very common. I too was impressed and decided to test my fortunes.
When i reached home that day, my father was at home for lunch. Possibly, he was waiting for the same and so was engrossed in reading a newspaper just to kill time. I reached him and demanded in an assertive voice, " Papa! I want a new pair of chappals for myself!" He took his face out of the newspaper, stared at my face and retorted, " Jao! Padhai karo. Kitab mein se chappalen nikalengi!" I was taken aback. "How is it possible?" "Because I am saying so. Don't argue and open your books" came the reply.
Very soon, it became a trend. When i demanded a bicycle for commuting to my new school which was 4 km away from home, i got the same answer / suggestion. " Padhai karo, kitabo se hi cycle bhi nikalegi!" And, of course, the same reply was given to me whenever i demanded a new dress or something like that.
He did kill two birds with a stone. He put me in an undefendable position. One can't carry on any discussion or demand after hearing this. And he also ensured that as soon as the discussion ended, i went to study and opened my books.
Today, i know he was right. Books and, for that purpose, the right knowledge, are really the source of all material growth. We are really living in a knowledge economy. Knowledge is the power today. Knowledge is a fully convertible currency. You can convert it into money any time. And the magic! After giving you the money, it continues to stay with you!! It is very much unlike that proverbial golden egg producing hen. Even if you kill it to get all the golden eggs, it continues to be alive and keeps on giving one golden egg daily!
Yes! My father was right. Kitabon se sab kuchh nikalta hai. Apart from the material things such as chappals, dresses, bicycles, cars and houses, books give you dreams as well as the capacity to realize them!
16 comments:
This was really eureka moment for you.
In our life, there is some memorial things, which is deep rooted in our heart and very inspiring for us. And we always fond of to keep it with us...always. Your memorial thing is one of those one. You have also mentioned this incident during the class...really it was very inspiring and motivating for me.
Your father rightly said in a summarised, practical and clear way that “kitabo se sab kuchh nikalta hai”.
Good morning Sir,
This is a real good story. I attached the word 'real' to it as it's an experience of your life, plus I could relate myself directly to it. This is a statement my daughter had been listening to since she was five years old. Her reply used to be ,' Kya padhun. Top rank aa gaya aur aapne gift bhi diya tha. Yaad hai?'
Reacting to this, I started building a mini library for her - Story books, Encyclopaedias, Art & Craft, 'I wWonder Why' series, Poetry, Puzzles and what not. Of course she was overwhelmed as she took it as a project she had to complete. Eventually, it eased off and she was fascinated by pictures, the words she had to search, and the craft work she could do. The most the books did in those days was giving her a pride of having a mini library and giving her company wherever she went and the teddies near her pillow too got some learnings atleast, while she slept.
Now, at nine years of age, living among children from all parts of the country, in a boarding school, she has unerstands the meaning in that statement to a satisfactory level.
Keeping track of my performance at PROTON, she rides the waves, high and low. Recently when I told her about my non-clearance at the final step of The Place-com selection procedure, she felt sad. How could I tell her at this age that democracy is a utopian world. It rests on the assumption that humans are always wise and pure. It's a bitter pill for those who think...a promenade for those who like to flow with the wind...and before any wise mind could press his foot firmly on it, it is gone with the wind. She will discover her own learnings.
Extracting the juice of learning from every minute, every day from everything observed, felt and acted upon...this is one of the gifts I have received from PROTON and though I had been believing and passing this on during all these years to those who came in contact with me, I stick more seriousness and adherence to it.
And to my gladness, she replied ,' Mamma, aap padhai karo, aapki books se sab kuch milega.'She grew up in that thought.
Thank you Sir, for reading.
Regards,
Proton Nidhi Agarwal
"I don't want to wear that black shirt today, because I might want to wear it tomorrow"
"I don't want to make a salad tonight, because then I can't have it tomorrow" these may the example of scarcity.
Scarcity gives us power and defendability to get rid of the scarcity.
Thank you sir for sharing such incidents from your life.
Great post!
Varun
as Jim Carrey would have said - B-E-A-utiful
Good Morning Sir
Absolutely stunning and the eye opening story for me
your father was right and so you are that everything will automatically come out of books except the material things. Surely I am trying to follow this path and one day I am sure one fine I will catch hold of my dreams.
Regards
Pankaj Gangwani
When it comes to recall past and present it, exhibit it, for someone's welfare, it is not we, but our heart that writes.
Sometimes mmm many a times when my parents used to scold me or forcibly say to do this and that, then although i used to say nothing and obey them but that time, what strikes me is - they are so rude, so wrong, i know what is todays fashion ... dot dot dot
but now having crossed teenage, i can very well understand that parents can get some rude,strict but throught their scolding, teachings we definitely reach to the point where we always have seen ourselves.
They make us follow them, when we are young, but at that time we cant see that they are making us to walk on the different road, a safer one, leading to the same destination.
and when i encounter such experiences, only one thing come to my mind - Respect, Love for my parents, and a Pride for being their son.
Thank you sir !! ( nothing else which i can say )
signing out
Shreyas
www.shreyasbande89.wordpress.com
Great article, Varun sir.
My parents had a slightly different approach. They did not every make me study (in fact my father would always ask me to sleep whenever I was studying late) but they had very high expectations of the outcomes.
Now I had always wanted a motorcycle. We were not a rich family. But I thought we just could afford a motorcycle for me.
"Clear the NTSE first", my parents said. I thought I could clear the first round so I negotiated the hurdle down to that. Dutifully I cleared the first round. "Clear the interview too and you'll have the motorcycle", they said. "That was the original deal." So I did.
"The JEE is not so far away", they then said. "Clear the JEE and you will really enjoy the motorcycle then". So I did. Still no motorcycle. "Don't lose your focus, work hard at IIT", they said. So I worked hard and almost topped the first year.
It was only then that my patience finally ran out. Then I got my motorcycle, a Kawasaki Bajaj 100. I have later had a 600cc Honda F4i and a 1600cc Kawa, but that KB100 was the sweetest bike of all. I would pretty much service it myself, not least because I had worked so hard for it! It was such a pleasure to drive it around the IIT campus - sometimes chasing Manudhane's scooter!
With my son too, I hope I have the courage to say no when he asks for something, and gently teach him to work for it. And even more importantly, give him high ambitions and inspirations.
That was a wonderful story.
I read it in morning and it gave me lots of inspiration to start my new day with dedication and focus so that i may lead to path which will make me realize my dreams one day.This story converted my drowsy morning to a completely charged morning filled of enthusiasm and power to make use of each and every second to its best.
Thank you sir.
Varun, Dr Manas forgot to mention that my good-old green-colored Priya scooter (imagine) would always beat his stylish Kawasaki hands down on the immaculately dressed roads of IIT campus! ha ha ha
Respected Sir,
Good morning.
i really support your thoughts about reading books because i got lot of learning from reading of books like Alchemist and "The monk who sold his Ferrari". Also sometimes books help us to live our life in desired manner.
Thank you sir for giving such a great thought.
Regards
Vineet Patel
"Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions." - Anonymous
Dear Teacher/ Mentor,
Wish you a wonderful Happy Teacher's Day! Thank you for your care and concern you have provided for us. It will be deeply etched in out hearts. Thank you for everything.
Regards
Praveen Patidar
Dear Sir,
It is a real story. You have told us earlier in "choupal". Sir if I talk about my life , there was no pressure of study. My father always wanted that i should come in merit list but he never pushed me for this. After 10th standard i used to help my father in his business. That time I observed, when responsibilities come then we have to be sincere, calm and analytical. I have learnt lots of thing from my papa but one thing "honesty". My papa used to tell me
" beta, daga (deceive)kisi ka saga(real)nhi,
kiya nhi tho ker dheko,
aur na ker sko daga kisi se,
tho jinhone daga kiya unke ghar jaker dhekho.
Sir, you have written really excellent artical.
Respected Sir,
Good Morning. This was really a great blog and I received good learning. Sir but don't you think that the scenario has changed a lot. I mean to say today children don't get satisfaction from hearing such a reply from their parents and mostly parents also don't give such meaningful reply that make their child to think of it. The demand of the child is so easily fulfilled by the parents these days. Sir I request you to give your valuable thoughts on my views.
Thank You
Proton Ankur verma
Fall 2008 Indore
Dear Sir
Learning is good but the application of bookish knowledge is real world is more important.
One might have studied lacs of pages but useless if nobody is benefitted from it.
In the life everyone do for himself but what he does for others is more important and that is not taught by any book, it is the learning we get from real life experience and share this lerning with the pepole who in need is much more important.
Respected Sir,
Thank you for enlightening us; i determine that i will implement these learning in my life.
"Happy Teacher's day"
रोज सुबह मिलते है इनसे , क्या हमको करना है,
ये बतलाते है ।
ले के तस्वीरें इन्सानों की ,सही गलत का भेद हमें,
ये बतलाते है ।
कभी ड़ांट तो कभी प्यार से ,कितना कुछ हमको ,
ये समझाते है ।
है भविष्य देश का जिन में ,उनका सबका भविष्य ,
ये बनाते है ।
है रगं कई इस जीवन में,रगों की दुनिया से पहचान
, ये करवाते है ।
खो ना जाये भीड़ में कहीं हम ,हम को हम से ही ,
ये मिलवाते है ।
हार हार के फिर लड़ना ही जीत है सच्ची, ऐसा एहसास, ये करवाते है ।
कोशिश करते रहना हर पल , जीवन का अर्थ हमें ,
ये बतलाते है ।
देते है नेक मज़िल भी हमें , राह भी बेहत्तर हमे ,
ये दिखलाते है ।
देते है ज्ञान जीवन का , काम यही सब है इनका ,
ये शिक्षक कहलाते है ।
Thanks for being my Teacher!
Regards
Yashwant Chandrawanshi
Respected Sir,
thank you Sir, bcz you are a capable person to convinced every person by very easy way. i like your simplicity, your convincing power is good...as like your thought (for exmple), "sabhi chije kitab se hi nikalegi." after reading, "i remembered my life one part, my father also said that padhai karoge to pari (angle) paoge!"
thank you
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