BOUNCING BACK

 

Resilience is a form of growth.

Progress is not only reflected in the peaks you reach - it's also visible in the valleys you cross.

Making progress isn't always about moving forward. 

Sometimes it's about bouncing back

Adam Grant

Hidden Potential

The interesting part about this is, I had found out this much earlier through my life. My failures taught me this. I can honestly say I was self taught. Not something I learned from classrooms or pulpits or discourses.

I have often wondered why these things never originated from such exalted forums.

GRAB

In jest.

How do you grab?

Medical College Hospital in the late 70s and early 80s.

Cardiology, Medicine,Surgery, ENT or Ortho -  OPs

There is a large crowd of patients around each OPs.

You somehow have to consult the doctor. No way. You'll be pushing and nudging. No progress. It takes two to three hours to finally  grab a prescription 

KSRTC buses. The moment it stops, a large disorderly crowd mills around struggling to board and grab standing room. The lucky gets in just as the conductor gives the double bell. The bus gathers speed and throws a few down.

Bombay suburban trains. An unbelievable sight. The train enters the station. The crowd pushes in to grab a place to stand just as the unfortunate are heckled as they disembark. Some are pickpocketed.

Sanghumugham beach. The fishing boat returns with the catch. See how people push to grab the fish 

Now think of places where people assemble. They are exhorted to grab whatever is on offer.

Look at everyone crowding up to grab. Imagine the elders  or those not in perfect health doing that.

Malayali knows only one thing.

Push people around, move up, stretch a hand and scoop up or grab what he wants before anyone else gets a hand to it

BINU SAMUEL THOMAS

 

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me". 2 Corinthians 12:9. Also love this quote from the late great Bruce Lee: 'Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.'

Binu Samuel Thomas

NO PROTOCOL

INJURY TO UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEE

It happened many many years ago.

The Kerala University campus in Trivandrum was blockaded by the leftist student activists Nobody could enter the campus. The left were not in power in Kerala at that time. 

The reason for the blockade could have ranged across umpteen reasons. It could be Vilanilam. It could be the Pre-degree board. It could be the irregularities in the examinations. When the left is not in power, the students would rise in revolt. Violence would be the corollary.. The Police  swings into action. Teargas shells explode. Water cannon hits the protestors. Then it is the lathicharge. The Police would aim at the heads of the unruly mob. 

The University Syndicate was in session. The protestors wanted to disrupt it. Some of them broke the Police Cordon and ran up the steps to the first floor. The Police were running after them. There were flower pots in the first floor. The student leader - a big time politician now - began throwing the flower pots at the Police. Unfortunately, one flower pot had hit a University employee, a woman on her head. It caused laceration and profuse bleeding. The lady was working  at her seat at that time. The flower pot was  poorly aimed and it flew through the open window into the office where the lady sat.

There was utter confusion and pandemonium in the office.The wounded employee was at once moved to the General hospital. She needed a couple of stiches. She was kept in the ICU for two days and was later moved to the Pay ward where she had to spend a week.

Since the Vice Chancellor(VC) had been on tour, the Pro Vice Chancellor(PVC)had been officiating as the Vice Chamcellor at that time. 

Someone suggested to the PVC that he must visit the employee who had been admitted to the hospital.

The PVC had replied, "As per protocol, the VC or the PVC are not expected to visit the employee  who has been grievously injured while she is on duty at the University office."

He didn’t bother though it was an employee who had been working under him and who had been grievously injured while she was on her job.

The PVC at that time had been very much vocal on Gandhian ideals.

Look how cleverly he evaded from his professed ideals and duty.

Even today, he highlights Gandhian principles.

Please travel back in history when terroists had wrought havoc at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

Ratan Tata had stood guard outside the ravaged Taj Hotel for days together.

It was the call of duty for him.

But our great PVC never felt it was his duty to look after the wounded employee of his own office.

See the call of duty !!!

KNOWLEDGEABLE COLLEAGUES

 

Studying with knowledgeable colleagues is good for growth.

We can then see the colleagues are teaching  and coaching one another.

You learn as much when you are taught by peers as by the faculty.

Teaching is a surprisingly powerful method of learning.

American visitors at KUTS

 American visitors at KUTS

The KUT Seminary Campus at Kannammoola, Trivandrum excels in nature's splendour. It is lush green with century old trees lining the path. There are ancient buildings here that date back to the early 20th century.

The surprise is, the institution is located at one of the busiest areas in the City. 

The authorities here are adamant they would not do anything that mar the blessing they have been bestowed upon by nature.

Many of the  visitors to Trivandrum step into the campus to savour the pristine beauty on offer. 

Recently a group of tourists from USA had visited the place. They walked around mesmerised. The Library astounded them. According to them the buildings displayed a seamless merger of the ancient and the modern.

The  Seminary had organised few cultural events by its students to showcase the heritage of Kerala and  India. It was a beautiful presentation.

In honour of the visitors from abroad  the Seminary had hosted lunch  before they left.   To keep them company, the entire staff contingent of the KUT Seminary had joined in.

Though there was free interaction as everyone waited to partake in the lunch,  five of us formed a separate group to have our lunch away from the visitors. Perhaps inhibition might have induced us to do that. Perhaps  the fear of English of the phenomenal malayali must have made us form that unitary group.  However there was one vacant seat in the middle at that six seater table. We knew from our experience, another of our clan would soon take that seat.

To our surprise one of the vistors, a lady had chosen to take that seat disregarding that it was a male only preserve. The presence of an alien made the rest remain silent and munch the food with relish and of course without looking up. Adding fuel to the intrusion, she began engaging all of us in a conversation that ranged between a variety of topics. The lady must have come across people like us before. She had opened up  smartly. 

Pushed to an inextricable corner,  we had no other option but join her and respond to her queries. Civility demanded it. The table became lively. 

The beauty was she had made us shed our inhibitions  and converse freely in the only language she knew, English  - though the usual malayali normal is that they invariably shy off from speaking the universal language. 

Invigorated by the conversation we parted after enjoying the sumptuous food on our plates.

It was a great time for all of us.

Lunch over, the group left for their ensuing destination, leaving behind precious memories of some wonderful moments in our lives

LEARNING PROCESS

 

LEARNING PROCESS

When you have a task to tackle

When you find the task on hand is beyond you

When you are certain failure  looms ahead

Go after it

Try and find ways 

To come up with game plans

To turn the table

That'll be the stuff 

A lot of people don't see

The work you put in

Away from the shiny lights

It'll always be nice 

When you get the rewards

From your hard toil