Dear Darling Friend,

When he was 18, cricketer Virat Kohli lost his father Prem Kohli.

On the Instagram live chat show hosted by footballer Sunil Chhetri, Kohli recounted an incident when he was not selected in the team after his father refused to offer a bribe in school cricket selections.

“In my home State (Delhi), sometimes things happen which are not fair. On one occasion, a certain someone did not play by the rules when it came to selection criteria,” said Kohli.

“He told my father that while I had the merit to be selected, a little extra (possibly a bribe) was needed to confirm my selection.

My father, who had worked hard all his life to become a successful lawyer, did not even want to understand what ‘little extra’ meant.

He simply said, ‘If you want to select Virat, then let it be purely on merit. I will give you nothing extra’.”

“I didn’t get selected. I cried a lot; I was broken. But that incident taught me a lot.

I realized that I had to be extraordinary to become successful. I also realized I had to achieve this, purely through my own effort and hard work. My father showed me the right way, through action and not merely words,” said Virat Kohli.

What a fantastic lesson! What fantastic parenting! And dear Virat – ‘What a comeback’! A salute to you!!!

Friends – Have you ever gone through a tough experience and learned a DEEEEEEP lesson of life? Can you share it with us here? Thanks…

With love, prayers and exceptional wishes,

naren

Change your thoughts. Change your life.

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2 Comments

  1. Latha Aravindakshan November 5, 2020 at 11:29 am

    Quite true. I too cherish memories from the difficult times:
    – when I received appreciation from a stakeholder in the US (who doesn’t appreciate anyone usually) for delivering a large program on time with quality. I had worked 13 hours a day for 3 months without taking even 1 day’s leave. More than the reward that I received, the email from the stakeholder made me feel good.
    – when I was recognized for simplifying the validation process by a client (my boss found it hard to accept though). I had worked for 16 hours a day for 3 months without taking weekends off and had set right all the design flaws. Though I was released from the project as my boss’s ego didn’t allow him to keep me on the team, that paved the way for a better project and a brighter future.
    – when my Project Director was happy and asked if there was anything he could do for me. I had helped my project stakeholders to get an acceptance testing sign-off from a customer by speaking their lingo. More than the recognition, those words from my Project Head spoke volumes about my work.

    I treat the difficult times as lessons. The rewards still hold a special place in my heart. I still feel proud of those accomplishments. They are etched in my memory for a lifetime.

    I am sure everyone has such memories. They must recollect it more often, especially when they feel incapable or start having self-doubt. Whenever I have faced challenges, I have recalled those occasions and told myself “Latha, you have done it before. You can do it again.” Those words have worked like magic and I have crossed all hurdles.

    Best Regards
    Latha Aravindakshan

    Reply
  2. Malhar Ganla November 5, 2020 at 11:31 am

    Dear Naren

    Spending time with you in that classroom is possibly the highest point of my youth. Besides pleasure, cherished memories, pushing boundaries, going inwards all ranging character forming/revealing moments.

    You magnetized souls like me who had “first world problems”, for example not enough leg room in the back of my car, cell phone not the model I wanted among others.

    You taught me that I’m born to inspire and that is the highest ideal one can strive for.

    You made me realize that a sense of humour is not a burden but an asset.

    You taught me to treasure my writing, something I had never thought.

    You taught me that words when carefully structured and delivered can soothe and at the same time inspire someone out the deepest trenches.

    You welcomed me into the holy sanatorium which is the life lesson and I had the honour to conduct two LS which I still watch on my phone.

    Although I probably will be a net consumer in my life,considering the bounty of education, friends, family and other material gifts,I will always try to make you proud.

    Count on me , I’ll be there.

    Regards and a lifetime debt, probably cant be repaid.

    Malhar

    Reply

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