Jim Valvano was the Head coach at North Carolina State University which won the the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament. After he knew he was suffering from cancer, he established the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. The motto of the organization is the immortal line - “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”
He made a very short but a memorable speech in 1993 soon after he was diagnosed of cancer. He died a few months later. An excerpt from the speech that continues to inspire people like me even today.
“…….To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special…..
……I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you’re emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and [as] Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm” — to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality….
….I remember where I came from. It’s so important to know where you are. And I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it……
…..I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I’m gonna say it again: Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever……”
Some very important lessons from his speech:
Three things to do to make your day a FULL day
1) Laughter - Enjoy your life, the precious moments you have
2) Thought - Spend some time thinking
3) Emotions - Moved to tears, happiness or joy
Three things to remember always
1) Where you started
2) Where you are
3) Where you want to go (have a dream, a goal and you have to be willing to work for it)
Three things that should remain untouched
1) Your Mind
2) Your Heart
3) Your Soul
and the gist of all he said and meant
“DON’T GIVE UP, DON’T EVER GIVE UP”
Srivyal Vuyyuri
http://www.sphoorti.org
Sphoorti - NGO Orphanage Home (Hyderabad), for Orphan and Poor Children
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Altruism - Sphoorti - NGO Orphanage Home for Poor and Orphan Children, Hyderabad
Altruism
A sacrificial attitude is as great as progress towards self-realization. An act of kindness towards a fellow human being is as commendable as an act done without expectation. People who have chosen the path of self-sacrifice come to be regarded as saints and are attributed Divinity. We treat parents and teachers as Gods because they they sacrifice their wealth and knowledge to their wards and pupils.
‘देवो दानाद्व दीपानाद्व द्योतनाद्व …’
God is one who gives in plenty, one who shines and makes others shine.
In the Vedic tradition, while performing Yagna, ghee and other fatty substances are offered to the Divine Fire. The Yagna reminds us to give, and give and give. Mantras are recited one after the other and with each mantra, we place an offering into the flames. This denotes that our hands should never be empty of offerings and continually give and give, with every breath. Each mantra and shloka ends with “Idam Namamah, Idam Namamah.” This means, “Not for me, but for You - the Divine Fire that illuminates the whole Universe.” It reminds us that everything we do in life must be for others, rather than for our own selfish motives.
ॐ इशावास्यमिद्ँ सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा ग्ऋधः कस्य स्विद्धनम्
All this - whatsoever moves in this universe (and those that move not) is enveloped by the Lord. Lord has created it out of Love and Sacrifice. We should also enjoy His wealth with a similar mindset. We should never covet anything that is not ours.
शत हस्त समाहार: सहस्र हस्त संकिर:
ऋतस्य कार्यस्सचे: स्फातिम् समावः
A man, with his two hands should work hard with hundred hands and donate with thousand hands to the underprivileged. The above stresses the importance of hard-work and the virtues of donation. Society cannot progress unless each of us make our contribution and perform our duties. We ought to become prosperous by working hard and then donate generously.
Who then qualify to receive what we seek to donate. Obviously, those who need help the most - the poor, the orphaned, the abandoned and the uncared for. The rise of indigence in the world is the result of the decline in our willingness help fellow human beings.
उता देवा अवहितम् देवा उन्नयथा पुनः
उतागस्चक्ऋसाम् देवा जीवा यथा पुनः
[Ye gods, raise up once more the man whom ye have humbled and brought low
O gods, restore to life again the man who hath lost it]
So my friends, most of you want to help and many of you can! If you show some initiative, we can bring cheer to a lot of people’s lives. Bestow on them the pleasures of life that you have had and most often take for granted. Usher our brethren into a world where everybody leads a worthy and dignified life.
We are all human beings, mere mortals destined to die one day - sooner or later. But is there a way that we can be granted IMMORTALITY ?
त्यागेनैके अम्ऋतात्वमानशुः
IMMORTALITY is possible through SACRIFICE.
Srivyal Vuyyuri (www.sphoorti.org)
Sphoorti - NGO Orphanage Home for Poor and Orphan Children, Hyderabad
A sacrificial attitude is as great as progress towards self-realization. An act of kindness towards a fellow human being is as commendable as an act done without expectation. People who have chosen the path of self-sacrifice come to be regarded as saints and are attributed Divinity. We treat parents and teachers as Gods because they they sacrifice their wealth and knowledge to their wards and pupils.
‘देवो दानाद्व दीपानाद्व द्योतनाद्व …’
God is one who gives in plenty, one who shines and makes others shine.
In the Vedic tradition, while performing Yagna, ghee and other fatty substances are offered to the Divine Fire. The Yagna reminds us to give, and give and give. Mantras are recited one after the other and with each mantra, we place an offering into the flames. This denotes that our hands should never be empty of offerings and continually give and give, with every breath. Each mantra and shloka ends with “Idam Namamah, Idam Namamah.” This means, “Not for me, but for You - the Divine Fire that illuminates the whole Universe.” It reminds us that everything we do in life must be for others, rather than for our own selfish motives.
ॐ इशावास्यमिद्ँ सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा ग्ऋधः कस्य स्विद्धनम्
All this - whatsoever moves in this universe (and those that move not) is enveloped by the Lord. Lord has created it out of Love and Sacrifice. We should also enjoy His wealth with a similar mindset. We should never covet anything that is not ours.
शत हस्त समाहार: सहस्र हस्त संकिर:
ऋतस्य कार्यस्सचे: स्फातिम् समावः
A man, with his two hands should work hard with hundred hands and donate with thousand hands to the underprivileged. The above stresses the importance of hard-work and the virtues of donation. Society cannot progress unless each of us make our contribution and perform our duties. We ought to become prosperous by working hard and then donate generously.
Who then qualify to receive what we seek to donate. Obviously, those who need help the most - the poor, the orphaned, the abandoned and the uncared for. The rise of indigence in the world is the result of the decline in our willingness help fellow human beings.
उता देवा अवहितम् देवा उन्नयथा पुनः
उतागस्चक्ऋसाम् देवा जीवा यथा पुनः
[Ye gods, raise up once more the man whom ye have humbled and brought low
O gods, restore to life again the man who hath lost it]
So my friends, most of you want to help and many of you can! If you show some initiative, we can bring cheer to a lot of people’s lives. Bestow on them the pleasures of life that you have had and most often take for granted. Usher our brethren into a world where everybody leads a worthy and dignified life.
We are all human beings, mere mortals destined to die one day - sooner or later. But is there a way that we can be granted IMMORTALITY ?
त्यागेनैके अम्ऋतात्वमानशुः
IMMORTALITY is possible through SACRIFICE.
Srivyal Vuyyuri (www.sphoorti.org)
Sphoorti - NGO Orphanage Home for Poor and Orphan Children, Hyderabad
Monday, January 12, 2009
SPHOORTI (www.sphoorti.org) is a grassroots organization working for underprivileged children - orphaned, abandoned, destitute and other vulnerable groups. Our mission is to change lives of such children - by providing them with long-term care, education and healthcare, and skills necessary to transform them into responsible citizens.
We have two Childrens' Homes in Hyderabad - one for boys and another for girls. The current strength is 80 kids in the age group 4-12. We also support education of another 15 children whose parents cannot afford to pay for their wards' education.
What do we do
We provide
Food, Shelter & Clothing
Healthcare and Education
Recreation (Hobbies, Sports/ Games)
... with
Love & Care
Hope & Confidence
Independence & Discipline
Note
SPHOORTI is neither an adoption agency nor a funding organization
Donations made to Sphoorti Foundation are eligible for tax exemption under section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
- A grassroots NGO based in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India - running orphanages - working for chidren from underprivileged and vulnerable groups - orphan and poor, children of HIV/AIDS parents and sex workers - by providing rehabilitation, education, medical, healthcare and transforming them into responsible citizens.
Sphoorti Foundation
(www.sphoorti.org)
649 BN Reddy Nagar Colony,
Near EC Nagar Ganesh Temple
Hyderabad - 500051
9490120168
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