So Messi signs up as the official face of TATA Motors. Makes sense, great people vouching for great brands. And then there #MadeOfGreat campaign made me think about people who inspire you a lot. Of course, my dad is a self-made man who inspired me way beyond any limit. My mom, the epitome of patience and my sister being the ideal sister also inspire me each day.
However, I have started this series to write about people with whom I don’t share blood connections for one simple reason – my family is covered a lot of times in my blog! I will be writing about people with some great stories, struggles and existence which inspired me too much.
I start the series with someone whom I have seen going through the ups and downs and come out of it, smiling. The people of your age tend to inspire you even more, no? There are no excuses for better and experiences and stuff like that. If they can, so can I works the best in this situation. Also, the idea behind #MadeOfGreat is not to trend during this time but to remember and drawing inspiration from people who make your world a better place to live.
I am going to talk about Mahima today, with whom my relationship suffered due to the ruthlessness of space and time, but somehow we manage to stay the same – soul sisters. She certainly needs no introduction for she has been covered by me so many times here. I met her during my engineering and since then there was no looking back. From choosing to engineer as a career option and doing great there but still opting for something as unconventional but soul pleasing as Young India Fellowship at the Ashoka University because change is never brought by talking about it, but actually doing something about it. She followed her heart overcoming all the obstacles that could have come. Trust me, we can talk about independence but it just doesn’t come to people like us who hail from the not-so-cool middle-class Indian families (all right, that was a bit melodramatic, but yes, I hope you got the point), it comes with a cost.
All right so this series is going to follow a pattern. This is more like an interview where I ask some questions which certainly have a deeper meaning to them.
Here is the why and how by Mahima!
What did you have for breakfast?
(There is not much meaning to eat. This question is just to test if a person is healthy enough to sit through the interview)
“I skipped breakfast. And lunch. Because I slept till late. But I had evening snacks. I’m not going to tell you what I had.”
(Clearly, she ain’t healthy enough!)
What would you do if you were the one survivor of a plane crash?
(Now, people, who are not mean at all, are best to answer this question. I believe that this brings out the best out of them and their selfless nature)
“In an ideal world, I would be super moved to write a novel about it. I’d track down the friends or family of all victims and ask for their life stories/dreams and write about them. Savvy?”
(I have seen her live in the ideal world too, so yes!)
Who would win a fight between Spiderman and Batman?
(All right, so this question is just to keep the fun factor on so that no one walks out on me in the middle of the interview)
“Ummm..makad-maanav against BATMAN? I’m insulted that you’re even asking that question.”
If you had a machine that produced $100 for life, what would you be willing to pay for it today?
(This one tells about the importance of independence that one feels in his/her life)
“I would never want such a machine. I like to earn my money, not get it for free. Period.”
(As I said!)
Describe the colour yellow to somebody who is blind.
(I look for inspiration for creativity all around me. The people I am talking about are creative in their own manner. Let us just see how.)
“Have you ever gone out on a sunny winter afternoon and felt the sun rays slowly touch your face and warm up your cold muscles? That warmth is what yellows looks and feels like.”
(Things like these make awestruck by her inner beauty!)
Which is your favourite Disney princess?
(This one is to understand one’s stand on sexism.)
“From a feminist point of view, HATE THEM ALL! In the real world, ummm, Rapunzel maybe? Only because she gets that really hot guy in that movie Tangled. Princesses aren’t really my thing otherwise.”
(This girl!)
When you just fail, what makes you get up and try again?
(Now comes the serious questions. I am only interviewing the people who inspire me for being great in themselves. So yes, this question kind of sums up the “why”.)
“The belief that I am on my own in this world. And my utmost abhorrence of having to ask for help.”
What or who is the source of your strength?
(Because I know these people will always tell you to draw strength out of the situations and not always the people!)
“It varies. I derive strength from my beliefs, sometimes my loved ones, but mostly from my faith in the higher power and in the justice of the universe, even if that’s imaginary.”
Who inspires you to be as selfless as you are?
“I love all those people who are selfless (but not stupid enough to be exploited to death – that’s a no). I like to give all I can and expect nothing in return because the people who do that are the happiest in the world. I always thought this was my philosophy until I realised the Buddha said the same thing. So you know, Buddhism is my inspiration.”
Isn’t it just awesome to know what makes someone right from the horse’s mouth rather than writing some extrapolated facts and praises about them? That was the whole idea. Read about them and learn how awesome they are and why do they mean so much to me.
The next person I plan to interview is someone I met very recently but she managed to be a few of the privileged ones whom I would never let go of that easily.