Dear Gotham

Public speaking is one of the most important arts there is in the world and I am glad that you have shone your light on two remarkable gentlemen in that regard: Dr Deepak Chopra -- your father -- and Shekhar Kapur.

One of the greatest speakers of all time in England has been Sir Winston Churchill, the wartime leader. It is amusing to remember some of his most famous quotes, some of which may resonate with your observations:

. Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.

. All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honour, duty, mercy, hope.

. Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.

. A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril.

. The price of greatness is responsibility.

So, personalities like the two you mention carry the weight of responsibility alongside their greatness.

With love

DK

DK Matai
The Philanthropia, ATCA, mi2g.net

Dear Gautham, an absolute wonderful accolade, to two great male influences in your life!! I have a feeling, they will be deeply touched by your awareness... of another great thing, they give you..awareness through the awe of gratitude.

What gifts!

And then, I scroll down to read DK Matai's treasures of Churchill quotes!!

A double delight today of inspiration!!

Thankyou both!

North

So Gotham..You too can write from the heart sometimes eh?:)Kidding. Very nice of you man to acknowledge the two talents. I do not know abt Shekar as much as abt you Father. But Awesome figures, Great contribution.

Yeah, he being your father, it's but natural for you to see him like a father...rather the the way world sees him as an Awesome teacher.

Hope you get to see some positives abt India in the prevalent chaos, after all your roots are here. Isn't the affection here striking?? It is but natural to have a sense of fascination towards this nation. I love the humor you so often bring into your post!

Love..Sachin

Gotham, could you - in a separate post - also share with us Shekhar's talk? I am an aspiring screenwriter too, currently involved with a local film company churning out - unfortunately or fortunately - mainstream movies.

Thank you very much.

p.s. it was nice to read you be (a bit) sensitive for a change.

Wow Gotham,

Your admiration for Shekhar (and your father) spills out with your words.

Please send him my regards and tell him we need a poem LOL....I miss seeing his writing on here.

It is so wonderful when one finds a passion and can share it with others..

Be well my friends....off to start my 31st year teaching tomorrow...must go to sleep now.

Love,
Joanie

Have a great teaching year, Joanie!! Kids in Canada have almost 3 weeks for school to start...

North

Dear Joanie,

Good luck on your first day of school. Your class is very blessed to have you as their teacher! They are in for a fun learning experience.

Talk to you soon.

Love, Patzi

Hi Gotham,
I think we should have a speech in favor of our dear Joanie, and what a special calling it is - to be a teacher, and for now - 31 years!

You are special, Joanie. I am proud of your care and commitment to children, and the teaching profession.

A word or two by Deepak or Shekhar, would be a delight. And our dear Gotham too. I understand you are a terrific guest lecturer.

Thanks, Gotham.
Love,
~ Kate

..."sometimes, by being so close to someone, you actually fail to see what makes them so special."

true...glad you were able to be present for that special moment, Gotham. Some of us don't have the opportunity to experience that understanding or awareness with the ones we love.

Cinda

Thanks all...no speeches necessary...I made it thru the first day....it will take a few days and then I will be in full swing....

Patzi, Thank you. I feel blessed to be able to still help these kids....

Joanie

Hi Gotham,
I enjoyed this "nice" post of yours!

I think it's always inspiring to see people who are genuine and passionate about what they are doing. Yes, they are gifted. But, IMO, the true gift, what makes them seem so special, is simply being themselves - and we all have that ability. Seeing that in others inspires us to stand in our own light too, whether that be as a film director or parent or whatever role we are playing.

Love, Kristin

Hi Gotham,

Very perceptive.

A problem that happens with peope who become famous for something they are gifted at is that the public creates a one-dimensional image of them, or worse, expects them to be super-people that don't have common idiosyncracies like everyone else does.

It is far better to be able to appreciate their gifts and still see them as humans (warts and all) like the rest of us. That is the balanced perspective on "famous" people.

Once someone becomes a demigod or a demon for the masses, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for them to simply be seen by others as a fellow human being.

It's nice here on IB to have people that see other dimensions of Deepak besides the super-guru full of stratospheric platitudes. For me, at least, it adds a lot more richness to my idea of him, because I have never met him personally, I only know him through his public image and this blog.

Cheers

Hi Gotham,

Interesting ruminations.

Your post reminded me of a conversation that Kristin and I were having while driving home from vacation with the kids. We'd had a great time at my old lake home (now owned by my cousins) on Lake Winnipeg, and she asked the question: "What are your favorite places?" Basically we were discussing the "in a perfect world, where would you choose to live?" question. I listed a few places that included the usual suspects like Hawaii or California (northern for me southern for her) and a couple of others. I didn't list where I currently live...and it got us to talking about how when you see something every day you forget to see the beauty in it. What others find beautiful about your home, you just find sort of mundane. I think your comments about your dad and shekhar are kind of the same thing, and you could probably project that to everything. When you see things enough you forget how wonderous and amazing they are. It's a reminder to me to always look at things with fresh eyes or as one of my martial arts teachers said: "Practice with a beginners mind".

Peace,
Scott.

Dear Gotham,
The first time I heard your father at a seminar, I was in awe. Not because of his celebrity status. I grew up in a home where my parents sometimes hosted celebrities. What impressed me was the way he made me feel, that is like an infinite being. I am not exaggerating. As I listened to him, I felt the enormity of all possibilities, including a glimpse of my full potential. You are very fortunate to have him as a father.

I don't know Shekhar, but he is so creative and wonderful, considering his image, his work and his blogging at IB.
Thanks for posting this. It's really heartwarming.
Love,
Donatella

If only everybody is so energized and synergized, it would be a more spiritual world. Karan Johar has made a film on marital incompatibility. Maybe Shekhar could attempt on what can happen when you are forced to do what is not your passion. Relationship with the spouse is a relationship with another human being but your passion is your relationship with yourself.

Dear Hiren..You make good points always. I respect those, as I do here. True. But cudn't resist one other perspec, which is rare though. Passion with the Spouse exists. Passion with the woman. One Woman! When only the woman, at all levels, physical, mental, spiritual becomes your One Passion. It's Awesome, but yes not the norm def, an exception. What you brought out clearly is def the norm.

Truly..Sachin