The Wild Dance!
Narendra Goidani
A letter from my friend:
"Happy afternoon Naren. Last night I was sitting with Vidhaan (my 1 year old child) and my family members in the drawing room of our home. We were listening to songs on television. All of a sudden I don't know what happened to Vidhaan. He was till now sitting in my lap. He stood up and started to dance. As he is only one year old, he is not able to walk properly also. But he was still dancing; he was falling down and still he was getting up and dancing. It seemed he didn't want to give up.
Let me tell you Naren, he was enjoying it from his heart. He was laughing and dancing. Looking at him, everyone watching him were laughing at the way he was dancing. But, in his dancing I was able to see something different. I was able to see his enjoyment, his laughing was from his heart. His attitude of not giving up was superb. It got tears in my eyes. As everyone was laughing on his dance, it was not making any difference to him. He was just busy in his enjoyment.
Naren, I had learnt something good from Vidhaan. He has taught me to laugh from the heart, dancing from the heart and one more thing... when it is for our enjoyment, we should not bother what others are thinking about us. I should just enjoy myself and not think about others, as to what they are commenting about me.
So Naren, my son has transformed me. I am feeling so wonderful. I have learnt how to enjoy."
Dearest Darling friends,
I received the above letter from a friend Gandharv. Isn't it so simple and easy (like Vidhaan) to be happy? Have fun and not to bother about what others are commenting about you.
I was reminded of my childhood days when we had a neighbour named Bullu Da (Da in Bangla language means elder brother). Whenever he would come back from office, he would climb up the stairs singing his favourite Kishore Kumar songs at full volume. I was a student studying in class 7 those days. The ladies of the building used to call him 'Pagoal' (crack pot). He knew about it. Yet, it made no difference to him at all. He was almost oblivious to criticisms about his singing and the volume.
Every time I heard him singing, I used to feel embarrassed and scandalized. My ears would go red with thoughts like "Oh my god, what all others say about him ? !!!". I used to wonder how can someone be so shameless?" Though I must admit, he used to look so happy whenever he was singing. 'Sign of madness', my friend Kishore's mother used to say. 'He will never get a girl', Mrs Venkat would say. Comments and wisecracks on similar lines would flow. Bullu Da never reduced the volume nor the intensity of his singing. He was the singular singing fun loving guy I have ever met in my life.
Gandharv's mail about his son and Bullu Da's memory made me realise, somewhere in the guise of being proper, I had stopped myself doing simple gestures and actions that otherwise would have made me have a good time.
The day I received Gandharv's mail, I played with my 9 year old daughter Mahek and her friends in our housing society. Earlier I had thought it would look silly. It was sheer joy! It was fun making them jump and scream with unbridled joy and enthusiasm. In less than ten minutes of play I became a hero for all of them. In the past few days whenever they spot me, they ask "Uncle, please please, please, can you please play with us? Please please please....". They make me forget all pressures and adult behaviour. They are filled with life. They fill me too with life!
To share a secret with all of you, I am timing my return home to co-incide with their playing time. I play with them only for a few minutes but those few minutes are filled with abundance of energy and laughter.
Day before yesterday you know what I did? As I walked up the stairs to our first floor apartment, I was singing at the top of my voice, "I just called to say I love you....uuuuuuu". And how did I feel? I was thrilled. I felt free. I had an unwipe-able smile on my face. This lasted even when my mother-in-law opened the door. My happy grin changed to an embarrassed one but it stayed ! She had a shy smile on her face. I was reminded of Bullu Da. Bullu Da's singing was not silly or embarrassing to me any more. It was an act of simple common sense by someone who knew how to have a good time without being unnecessarily concerned about others' opinions.
So friends, sing to the loudness of your throat. Let it rip. Taste that freedom. Have fun. Enjoyyyyyyyy. Be like Vidhaan or like Bullu Da or have it your own way. Play with kids their games. Do have these small moments of immense fun. Regularly!
And let me know what you did? And how did you feel? I bet it is going to be interesting reading your experiences. Ready, steady, gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
With love, prayers, best wishes and a heart filled with fun,
naren
(We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome, some dayyyyyyyyyyyyae aeaeaeae ae ae.....Oh ho deep in my heart, I have a belief, that we shall overcome some day. Come on......)
As I live...I learn
na...@lifeschool.co.in
My friend: 92 - 122
My life changed after meeting my young friend who has been living for 92 years on this planet.
I had been to the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai last month as the keynote speaker for the Asia Pacific conference of IRSHA. Having completed a very fulfilling session I went to my host Pankaj's room to change. I have a habit of taking the stairs everywhere possible. The stairs were not easy to be found. My determination paid off. I did find them very well disguised behind closed doors.
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Knowledge - Practice - Excellence
Recently I addressed an international seminar (for Asia Pacific region) of IRSHA as the Keynote speaker. People from various nationalities across continents were present. Since this was the first time I was addressing an international seminar, I was a little unsure how to begin. I began with a game.
I asked all of them to take a blank piece of paper and any writing instrument. I then asked them to look carefully at their neighbour. With a huge smile on my face, I now asked them to sketch their neighbour. Suddenly the hall, that was silent earlier, was filled with buzzing voices and animated gestures. There were giggles, nervous laughters as well as thoughtful expressions. Some faces said 'wow' while a few also betrayed 'Oh no!'.