The Centenarian Man

The Centenarian Man

Yesterday was a normal day like any other day for me. In the morning I was reading the newspaper and on the front page I saw this man, whose name I knew. I read about him and was inspired and intrigued by this man and his determination. Though seldom it happens you find inspiring and uplifting news on the first page of any newspaper. It looks like negativity, disasters, corruption etc have booked their permanent slots on 1’st few pages of our daily dose of information called newspaper. I distinctly remember I was in a flight when I was going through the in flight magazine and first time read about this man. Initially it was really difficult for my mind to accept the facts presented in that 3-page article. I was questioning myself trying to digest the facts about him. I googled and read for hours whatever information was available on net

Many months passed some time his thoughts crossed my mind. I thought about him, his spirit, his passion and his zest for life.

He may be dead by now was my ending thoughts every time. He was 95 yrs of age when that story was covered. But to my surprise I saw his photo yesterday on the front page and it wasn’t an obituary. He is one hell of a person, what is he? I was filled with so many mixed emotions. One way I was inspired and on the second thought I said to myself few men raise the bar so high that seems impossible to touch.

But nothing is impossible for a 100 yr old Fauja singh who completed a 42-kilometre marathon at the Toronto waterfront to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. Setting a new record, Indian-born Fauja Singh of England, famously known as the Turbaned Tornado finished the Scotia bank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in eight hours, 11 minutes and 5.9 seconds and became the world's oldest marathoner. In 2004 he was featured in an ad campaign for Adidas alongside David Beckham and Mummahad Ali. 

Hundred years and still running, in a time when people at 30’s find it difficult to go to the nearest market on foot (honestly we all prefer car or bike).

Were does that man and his achievement leaves us. Can we still afford to live our life small and silly? Can we still afford to think our prime has passed (that too when we are in late 20’s or early 30’s)

Can we still live like a mediocre?

Can we still make excuses ?????

Can we still afford to have fat bellies and still be comfortable with it?

Fauja singh took up running at the age of 80 (yes its not a typo error and neither it is 18) and look what he has done with his life. Till today he can neither read nor write. He only knows to run and believes that is one way of talking to his almighty.

Until the time men like Fauja singh exist in this world, words like determination, passion and persistence will never go out of order.

I thought of loosing weight for many years never took persistent action. Many times enrolled in the gym, bought many tracksuits and sports shoes never completed a month. Something happened on 14’Th sept’11 I don’t know what but on 15’th sept morning I woke up at 5:30am and went for a walk. I really liked the feeling of doing something against my tendencies. Next day without alarm I woke up and went again. Wow I said to myself and immediately started admiring my heroic feet, which I achieved for 2 consecutive days.

Then suddenly some seeds started to fertilize in my mind. Now I wanted to loose weight, get slim, get into my old adorable clothes and get compliments.

From the third day I started jogging a bit, which with each passing day I increased the distance of jogging. 1 week…2weeks…. 3weeks and banggggg 1month completed with daily 5:30Am routine. For me it’s a history, now my daily jogging distance has crossed 5Km .I don’t want to stop at that my next aim is to run a half marathon. And one day I will run a marathon like fauja singh. 

So when yesterday I saw his photo and article I came back from my daily morning jogging routine and thought that by taking control of my life and disciplining myself I am paying tribute to his spirit. 

 

I salute this man and his will and look forward to, what he will do next? 

And also what I’ll do next?       

Aseem gupta

Creating endlessly... 

Flexibility- The art of surviving and thriving

Flexibility-Mental agility is today’s hidden but omnipresent requirement in every corporate. Nobody will say this but every manager expects it. In Today’s dynamic environment it is difficult to say what will be your role, responsibilities, targets or location for next few months. Nothing is constant each variable is driven by the business demands which is fluidic and not solid.

When we keep on doing same thing for a long period (3 to 12 months) we settle down in the daily mundane activities what I say in another words is our own little Comfort Zone. We feel safe there we are in control of our own world where everything happens as expected which gives us a feeling of security.

Problem arises when we are asked to come out of our comfort zone by giving us new responsibilities, locations etc without much time to get prepared for it. For an organization it is a small but necessary change for greater good. But for us it’s like someone rocked our world. It at times feels like an end of the world, as we cannot think of anything beyond what we were doing and doing good for so long. We do not want to leave the security, the comfort, the mundane, and the control, which we developed over a period of time. Fear of unknown weighs us down even before trying.

Our mind works in a unique way it will give us lot of reasons to avoid, obstruct or confront the change and do whatever we can possibly do to get back to our routine. Mind will come up with numerous reasons logical or illogical, practical or impractical why you should not accept the change. We can feel our whole energy drained in these thoughts. You know why it happens? Because we ask the wrong questions from our mind: Its like a search options in your computer, you will get whatever you search for and not what is good for you.

Think for a moment, and ask the right questions?

Why am I being so rigid, is there something good for me in this, is it a new direction in which my career might go, can I learn something new personally/professionally, is management testing my flexibility… Believe me you will get some answers that will lift you up and see all the change in different light.

Don’t out rightly reject the change, take your time may be few moments ask these questions and then act. Organization hired us to solve the problem and that is why we get paid. Beware am I becoming a problem myself or I am a physically and mentally agile employee who is here to make a difference. This is our chance to latch on the opportunities presented to us in the form of change. And we can live a powerful life.

True learning happens where our mental boundaries ends.