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I recall reading a play in Class 12 titled “On The Face Of It” by Susan Hill. It revolved around a character named Mr Lamb, an army veteran who lost one leg in a war. The tragic mishap did not shake his unwavering courage and positivism. Instead of focusing on what he could not do, he shifted his attention to what he could do but never found the time to – reading and making jams. And that, by his admission, was one of his most fulfilling life experiences.

Devendra Jhajharia’s narrative bears some semblance to Mr Lamb’s. Born in Churu district in Rajasthan, Jhajharia was the victim of an unfortunate accident when he was merely eight years old. He lost his left arm after being electrocuted by a live wire of 11,000 volts while attempting to climb a tree. Ironically enough, his village then was among the 18,000 Indian villages that were electrified but had no electricity. The near-fatal injury forced the doctors to amputate his left hand right away.

A Rough Start

Jhajharia was devastated. “When I came from the hospital back to my village, the first thought that came to my mind was that now I won’t be able to go back and play with my friends. What will they say? Will they even include me in a game? Will they isolate me because I was weak? As a child, you fall prey to a lot of such thoughts,” he confesses. Watch the video below as Devendra further reveals the thoughts that kept him up night after night and at which point in his life did he decide that surrendering was not an option.

Staying true to his never-give-up attitude, Jhajharia pursued his passion for athletics unabashedly by taking up javelin throw at school. Since his family could not afford to buy him a javelin stick, the determined child used a bamboo stick and practised the sport in the fields surrounding his village. Nothing in the world could have prepared him, though, for what came next.

Fortune favours the brave

In 1997, he was spotted by Dronacharya Awardee coach Ripu Daman Singh while competing at a school sports day. Singh took him under his wings – introducing the athlete to the concept of para-sports in the country and guiding him on his early sporting endeavours at college and district level. From here on, there was no stopping the prodigy. “Since the other kids didn’t want to play with me considering me a liability, I decided to play a sport and be better at it than them,” Jhajharia says with a smile.  At the Railway trials, he competed alongside able-bodied applicants to earn a job and upon winning served as Office Superintendent for 11 years.

Like any other para-athlete in the country, Jhajharia too has had his brush with struggles. His pleas for sponsorships from corporate houses did not yield any result and there was a time when even the government turned a blind eye.

Recognition Followed Suit

But all this changed when Jhajharia created history by becoming the first Indian to break his own record at the Rio Paralympics 2016, winning two gold medals. He won gold at Athens Paralympics in 2004 with a record javelin throw of 62.15 metres. At the Rio Paralympics, he broke the record throw with 63.97 metres. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a moment of immense pride took to Twitter to congratulate him after his Rio win. The PM’s words, “India is very proud of Devendra Jhajharia” were met with warmth and glee.

It is no more a fight to fit in for Jhajharia. His staggering achievements are the stuff that legends are made of. As his contribution to sports became more and more widely known, both Government and private sponsors approached him. He is currently supported by GoSports Foundation– a nonprofit venture working towards the development of India’s Paralympic athletes.

Apart from being India’s flag-bearer at the 2016 Paralympics, Jhajharia was awardedthe prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award this year. To this day, he remains the only Paralympian athlete to have been decorated with the revered Padma Shri, the nation’s fourth highest civilian award.

A Powerful Life Lesson

The 36-year-old champion has a message for all Indians – dream big and remain focused. “When I go to camps, I never leave my javelin in the storeroom. I always kept it in the room with me. It is because I should see my target 24 hours a day. The problem is we tend to get distracted by other things in life when our mind should actually be locked into our target,” Jhajharia advises. He makes a great point.

The biggest takeaway for me from Jhajharia’s and Mr Lamb’s accounts has been this – there are an enormous number of people in the world who get knocked down by life because of one reason or another. Not many of them fight back, admitting defeat. The ones who hustle hard, make history. The question that arises is, which one out of the two do you plan to be?

Why is history relevant? If we approach it from the vantage point of our need for survival, support and security than time, then history imparts a crucial lesson to every entrepreneur. This wise observation by historian and leadership development expert Pradeep Chakravarthy reveals the genius that he possesses.

Using traditional Indian philosophy, art and literature, Pradeep has significantly improved the revenues of McKinsey by a whopping ₹300 crores in two years. His key to understanding the present and future behaviour is by understanding the past.

Pradeep’s talk cannot be simply cast aside as that history lecture you couldn’t wait to escape back in school. Watch the video below as he reveals why every budding entrepreneur should take history lessons very seriously.

In the video, the expert on ancient temples of Tamil Nadu exclaims that these temples are unique. “The temples have over 50,000 inscriptions – economic and socio-political records, useful today if our entrepreneurs could read the words of wisdom on how to run a business.”

Pradeep stresses on the lessons imparted to entrepreneurs by the organisational structure and operation of these temples. “If we study temples as organisations that employ people, that attract customers and that generate revenue, then what we see is that if you want long-term impact, if you want financial sufficiency, it seems to make a lot more sense to look at how we can connect with people not so much from the mind but from the heart as well. When we work towards fulfilling the needs of others, we consequently fulfil ours. If we do this, we can leave the same impact that a 2000-year-old temple left upon everyone!”

Gaurav’s transition into adulthood was marked by confusion and a general sense of lack of direction. He tried and yet failed to become a doctor, engineer and a singer. Like Sulochana aka “Sulu,” Gaurav craved to be in the spotlight. Though his unusual antics didn’t help him secure a spot in a singing reality show, it was at this moment he realised that he had a personality which best suited a career in radio jockeying.

The similarities between RJ Gaurav and RJ Sulu do not end here. Both Gaurav and Sulu are obsessed with attention and drama. Their rich voices are a reservoir of immense possibilities. They came from humble backgrounds and weren’t afraid to dream big. Eventually, their can-do attitude helped them break into the radio-jockeying industry. The love of their listeners has since established them in the field.

RJ Gaurav absolutely loves being pretentious, but never in his wildest dreams did it occur to him that he could make a career out of it. His stance is clear – there is nothing wrong with being “extra.” The film “Tumhari Sulu” also advocates that it is okay to not conform to all the pressures and norms of society. Watch the video below as Gaurav reveals how he went from being a nobody to India’s most beloved RJ.

 

In the video, RJ Gaurav exclaims that he learned an important life lesson while working briefly as a call centre employee who sold credit cards. “Your most important sale in life is to sell yourself to yourself. At this point, you might be thinking that you would rather sneak into your office every morning without being noticed than market yourself. If so, you’re not alone. While some people are relatively comfortable talking about their own strengths and achievements, generally people don’t like doing so. But here is a healthy thing to remind yourself: Selling just means to communicate your value to others. Secondly, selling can be done in an honest and ethical way. And finally, you have a right to take up space in this world like everyone else.”

His overly-persuasive persona and exuberant personality landed him a role as an RJ on 92.7 BIG FM. In popular perception, an RJ is somebody who “gets paid to talk a lot and play trendy music.” Sulu and Gaurav together aim to fight that perception. “A lot of people feel miserable about their 9 to 5 job and complain about how they’re left with no time for themselves. I believe the real reason behind their complaints is that they are not in love with what they do. I’ve had to stay back in office several times until 3 or 4 in the morning. Take note that whether rain or sun, I reach my workplace every day at 6:30. I love doing what I do and I have never felt the need to grumble about it.”

So, there you have it. Do what you love to do and give it your best shot!

How many times have you started something and then given up because it’s too hard? In the year 2015, Ratnesh Pandey almost made it to the peak of Mount Everest before a devastating earthquake in Nepal cut short his journey. But instead of letting failure bog him down, he decided to face it head-on. Last year, he mustered up the courage to take over the world’s highest mountain again. The daredevil ended up not only winning over the mountains but also the hearts of every Indian – by becoming the first person to sing the National Anthem on the top of Everest.

A climber by passion, Ratnesh braved many hardships to fulfill his dream of scaling the Everest. From preparing for the climb to battling bad weather conditions, his journey up top was extremely treacherous. Watch the video to find out how Ratnesh overnight became the nation’s pride.

In the video, Ratnesh discusses his rigorous training. “I underwent a very tough practice of more than three months, which included 10 km running, 40 km cycling, half an hour swimming and yoga for 30 minutes, everyday.” In fact, singing the national anthem on the Everest’s peak was a cathartic experience for him. He claims that he immediately felt a lot more calmer and peaceful after crooning “Jan Gan Man”. It also pumped him up to take the journey back.

The mountaineer of Indian Mountaineering Institute dreams of creating awareness for youngsters to come ahead for taking new challenges and complete them. His life lesson is extremely inspiring- “Every mountain top is within reach if you keep climbing.”

Never quite sure what she wanted to do with her life, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manjita Vanzara spent her twenties dabbling in engineering and fashion designing. This was until she found her true calling in civil services. Her big breakthrough came when she decided to spearhead ‘Suraksha Sahay’– an initiative to improve the standard of women’s lives in the bootlegging business.

ACP Manjita’s story in the starting sounds like the story of just about any common person. But it’s the choices that she took in her life that made the difference and led her to groundbreaking success. Watch the video below as the changemaker reveals what prompted her to sit for the toughest exams in India and the driving force behind her social venture.

In the video, Manjita defends her decision to become a police officer. “If you thought that kicking down doors and nabbing robbers was the only job of cops in India, then you are wrong. We are here to listen to your problems and help in the best way possible.”

The spirited woman beams as she narrates one of her success stories based out of Chharanagar, Ahmedabad. “90% of women in that area are widows and all of them were involved in the bootlegging business. Suraksha Sahay decided to change their mindset and encourage them to do reputed work. We paid them the stipend and collaborated with some reputed brands of the city.” Today that remote region, which was once notorious for its illicit activities, shows no sign of its murky past.

Manjita’s message to all Indian parents is clear: to allow their daughters to join the police force. She also urges the youth to serve the country and set a positive example for the coming generations.

कभी प्लास्टिक की थैली मिलती थी, कभी टीन के डब्बे, फिर खाली प्लास्टिक बोतल से अच्छी कमाई हो जाती थी, कचरे बीनने से लोगों के जूठन धोने का उसका प्रमोशन, कमाई तो अच्छी करा देता था और उसमें ही उसकी खुशियां दौड़ जाती थी, पर उसकी ज़िन्दगी की सोच कंधे पर रखे उस बोरे तक सिमित नहीं थी। लोग सोते थे तो सपने आते थे पर उसकी आंखों के सपने उसे सोने ही नहीं देते थे। और ऐसी ही फैली पड़ी कतरने बीन कर विक्की के सपनों का सफर शुरू हुआ जो आज विश्वप्रसिद्ध फोटोग्राफर हैं।

इनकी प्रेरक कहानी सुनने के लिए देखें यह वीडियो।

 

यह कहानी है विक्की रॉय की। बचपन में खुद को अपनी परस्थितियों से आज़ाद करने के लिए, जेब में 1100 रूपए के साथ विक्की दिल्ली आ पहुंचा। लाखों की भीड़ में तेज़ भागते लोगों के बीच, शहर से अनजान एक मासूम, अचानक घबरा गया पर वो अकेला नहीं था, उस भीड़ में मिले उसे कुछ और बच्चे जिन्होंने उसे सलाम बालक ट्रस्ट भेजा।

सलाम बालक में रहने वाले बच्चों की ज़िन्दगी भी ताले में बंद थी इसलिए रॉय वहां से वापिस स्टेशन आ पहुंचा। कचरा बिन कर और जूठन धोकर कमाई करने से निराश हो रहा रॉय एक दिन सलाम बालक के स्वयं सेवक से मिला और फिर “अपना बालक” , सलाम बालक की ही एक ब्रांच में पढ़ाई के लिए चला गया। पढ़ाई से मुंह मोड़ कर रॉय ने ज़िन्दगी को “लेंस”  से देखने का फैसला किया और सलाम बालक पर डाक्यूमेंट्री शूट कर रहे डिक्सी बेंजामिन से फोटोग्राफी की abc सीखी।

“फोटोग्राफी खुद में ही एक भाषा है उसके लिए इंग्लिश, फ्रेंच या जर्मन आने की ज़रूरत नहीं है ” बेंजामिन के इन शब्दों ने रॉय में उसके सपनों को जीने का उत्साह भर दिया। 18 साल की उम्र में सलाम बालक से बिदाई लेकर रॉय ने अनय मान दिल्ली के फोटोग्राफर के साथ तीन साल काम किया और फिर उसके सपनों का सफर शुरू हुआ , अपने बॉस के साथ फॉरेन ट्रिप्स पर जाना, 5 -स्टार होटल में रुकना।अंजाने में ही सही लेकिन रॉय ने वो सब हासिल किया जो यह कहने पर मजबूर कर दे कि कौन कहता है आसमान में सुराख नहीं होता।

रॉय के अचीवमेंट्स में  Photo Exhibition (स्ट्रीट- ड्रीम्स ), वर्ल्ड वाइड कम्पटीशन 2008  के  विजेता बनकर ICP में फोटोग्राफी की पढाई , WTC का शूट, ड्यूक ऑफ एडिनबर्ग अवार्ड से नवाज़ा जाना, प्रिंस एडवर्ड के साथ बकिंघॅम पैलेस में लंच, “होम स्ट्रीट होम” उनकी पहली  फोटोग्राफी बुक शामिल हैं।

रॉय ने अपने दोस्त के साथ मिलकर 2011 में एक फोटो लाइब्रेरी खोली जहां फोटोग्राफी बुक्स फ्री में उपलब्ध करवाई जाती है।

ज़मीन से जुड़े, अपने कल के एहसास को ज़िंदा रखे हुए, आंखों में ना रुकने वाले वो सपने, हालातों को अपने सामने झुका कर, परिश्रम नाम की उस चाबी से उसने अपनी किस्मत के दरवाज़े खोले और आज एक 27 साल के  विक्की रॉय  विश्वप्रसिद्ध फोटोग्राफर का खिताब अपने नाम कर चुके हैं।

राजस्थान का पिपलांत्री गांव लड़की बचाओ और हरयाली बढ़ाओ का अपना ही एक नया सिद्धांत बनाकर संपूर्ण देश में एक नई मिसाल कायम कर रहा है।

अखबार में अक्सर ऐसी खबरें पढ़ने को मिलती हैं कि किसी लड़की का बलात्कार हुआ, तो कहीं यौन शोषण किया गया या फिर किसी लड़की या महिला की हत्या कर दी गई। लेकिन पिपलांत्री गांव के सरपंच श्याम सुंदर पालीवाल ने इस गांव का रुख ही बदल दिया। अपनी बेटी किरन की याद में श्याम सुंदर ने यह रीत चलाई कि, जब भी किसी लड़की का जन्म पिपलांत्री गांव में होगा, तो उसके नाम पर 111 पेड़ लगाए जाएंगे। वे सिर्फ पेड़ ही नहीं लगाते बल्कि इसका भी खास खयाल रखते हैं कि ये सारे पेड़ ज़िंदा भी रहें। पिछले 6 सालों में इस गांव ने नीम, शीशम, आम और आमला के लगभग 30 लाख से अधिक पेड़ लगाए हैं।

इस गांव की और यहां के सरपंच श्याम सुंदर पालीवाल की अदभुत कहानी सुनने के लिए देखें यह वीडियो।

एक ऐसा देश जहां हर दिन करीब

होती हैं और न जाने कितने ही पेड़ काट दिए जाते हैं। ऐसे देश में कुछ ऐसे लोग भी हैं जो इसे रोकने का प्रयास कर रहे हैं। राजस्थान के पिपलांत्री गांव के सरपंच श्याम सुंदर पालीवाल ऐसे ही लोगों में से एक हैं। उन्होंने एक गांव में ही सही लेकिन अनेकों कन्याओं को इस दुनिया में जन्म लेने दिया और उनके आने की ख़ुशी में 111 पेड़ भी लगवाना शुरू किया।

कुछ ही वर्ष पहले अपनी बेटी खो देने के बाद श्याम सुंदर ने अपने गांव में हर वर्ष लगभग 60 लड़कियों के जन्म लेने पर पेड़ लगाने की प्रथा शुरू करवाई। इस गांव में प्रत्येक लड़की के लिए गांव से 21,000 और लड़की के पिता से 10,000 रुपये लेकर, कुल 31,000 रुपये का फिक्स डिपाज़िट कराया जाता है। इतना ही नहीं लड़की के माता-पिता को सरकारी कागज़ों पर हस्ताक्षर भी करने होने होते हैं, जिन पर साफ़ लिखा होता है कि लड़की रोज़ स्कूल जाएगी, उसकी शादी कानूनी उम्र से पहले नहीं होगी और सारे पेड़ों का ध्यान उसके परिवार को ही रखना होगा।

संपूर्ण देश के लिए यह गांव और इसके सरपंच श्याम सुंदर पालीवाल एक मिसाल हैं, जो एक ऐसा काम कर रहे हैं जिससे भ्रूण हत्या तो कम होंगी ही साथ ही देश में हरयाली भी होगी। श्याम सुंदर के इस अनूठे प्रयास से सीख लेकर संपूर्ण देश के लोगों को देश के बेहतर कल के लिए आगे आना चाहिए।