Dhoni is now spelt Success

It is amazing how much success can change your life..and it's amazing how being grounded, practical and disciplined can blend into success. A few years ago, I wouldn't have turned to take a second look at Dhoni..new player, flamboyant yes, flashy yes, made buzz, but in India, so many come with a bang, but don't stay..I just didn't pay attention. Living in the US, and the CWC 2007 didn't help my flailing interest in cricket. Last year between watching an over here and an over there during IPL, which I had no clue about..came CSK, losing a few matches early on and I thought that it meant an end to CSK's search of their IPL trophy..but the way they bounced back was when I realised what people meant when they said, "this is IPL, anything can happen". Mumbai Indians, who I guess either just lost one match or did not lose at all played CSK in the finals and this lad caught my attention.

It took an Ashes tournament to revive my interest in cricket, and I started noticing just how well team India had been doing. Ofcourse, anything I say about CWC 2011 will be stating the obvious and I am sure not much can be said that hasn't been said already. I am still on a high after the stunning, breath-taking win and IPL4 doesn't do my withdrawal symptoms any good. I'll say this though, this lad MSD has now gotten all my attention and then some. Am sure it's not surprising.

Throughout the history of mankind, success, power and owning the ground in whatever you do have been qualities that made into the turn on lists of countless people. It's no secret that Dhoni is now considered handsome!!! That's what winning does to you!! Makes you look good, darn good I'll say!!

In this day and age, where people hardly look for qualities like honesty, dedication, and hardwork, people like Sachin Tendulkar, and now MSD lead team India has shown us why time tested qualities always win. Style and class comes from within, you walk into a room, a ground or any stage and you own it;own it only by being humble, showing humility and let your work speak for you. Yes, life's going to be hard, not everyday, not even a week, month nor year (just like the title track of F.R.I.E.N.D.S) is going to be your day and you know it as well as I do. You've been told this umpteen times by your parents, teachers, friends and so many others. The question is, how well have you understood it and let the golden rules of patience and hardwork rule your life? The greatest example, Sachin Tendulkar, like whom we all want to be, but like whom we all don't practice, is one heck of a human being. People have said so much about him, both positive and negative. He played after his father passed away, he played when critics called out on his face to retire, he played when the Indian team was in shambles and he played under any scenario you can imagine. Just how much can we praise this guy? Turns out the praise he deserves is limitless. Every adjective of genius/excellence/intellect/hardwork has already been used for him, yet what you say inevitably falls short! As much as people love him, they respect him. Personally, I think that it's easier to be loved by people than it is to be respected. Your character on and off the field, unblemished image, untarnished life mirrors the respect you get. A lot of times, celebs can be loved but not all are admired and respected. You've got to be in a separate league to earn that.

Here's what I have been trying to get to: work hard and pay your dues, God knows we all have to and when success comes knocking at your door, it'll become an addiction! Mark my words, anyone who's at the top of his field and gets there honestly, sure is bound to be handsome and a heart-winner!

I absolutely hate it when people categorize my expectation of accountability from fellow beings as naivety. Oh,you expect your LPG vendor to return the change,you must be naive;you expect a favorable police report for your passport application without a bribe,you must be naive. I don't understand why expectation has b'come a bad word. More and more,we have come to expect less and less of each other,which is why anyone can get away with hurting our feelings and hurting the sensibilities and scruples of this 61year old republic of ours. From personal relations to professional and governmental affairs, I expect people to own up to what they do. For all those people that think that expectation is a foul word, I want to scream and shake you if that could wake you up from the slumber I think you are in. Let's say I am a great friend of yours and I offend you, would you not expect an apology from me? Do you think it is too much to ask of me to apologise while knowing you were wronged by me? Let's say you do overlook it owing to the fact that I am friend and that I said something I wouldn't say otherwise. I appreciate the trust you put in me, but do you not agree with me that whatever I said to you hurt you and that an apology or me owning up to what I did would make you feel better? I also love the classic answer of "I am like this, you either accept it or you don't"...this is the best worst scenario of all, coz either ways, its a win-win situation for the other person. When you accept that he/she "is like that" you are letting them go for whatever they did without an answer. When you do no accept it, well they have made it clear "i am like this" which means whether you accept or not they won't change nor budge. When you do try to drive home your point you are just treated as someone with huge expectations and that you are old-fashioned. The norm of the society has become such, i'll do whatever I want, so long as you do not voice your own opinion, we are cordial, we can even be friends. The minute you have an opinion that's even an iota different than mine, it's time for adios. This is a terrible way to live. When I invest my tax money, when I do my duty, I vote, I live by the law, why cannot I expect my government to be accountable. Agreed that there are 100s and 1000s of tax evaders, and it is not that the govt is irresponsible just towards me, infact I am lucky to have this life, I have a square meal and a roof to live under..But that is not a reason to let my govt get away with doing anything it likes, how can I not question it scam after scam after scam? Land, political power, telecom, mines, natural gas..how many scams have we seen? How long are we to tolerate.
My suggestion is that we start at grassroots. Start by being accountable ourselves first. Start by holding your friends, family, neighbors accountable. If we all are collectively owning up to what we do, it gives us the power to hold our governments responsible too. Neither power is something that is solely the property of those with money and political influence nor power is something someone can give you, you get it by being right and doing right.