Legacy: Letters from eminent parents to their daughters by Menon, Sudha (books suggested by bill gates txt) 📗

enough because you are not like the rest. Each one of us has something unique and it is our duty to preserve that uniqueness.

Remember at all times, my child, to never focus on your constraints but on your strengths. There will always be someone who will work hard to show you your weaknesses because they gain from it. Nothing is stronger than your own desire to succeed. Sometimes they might do it because they mean you well; use everything as feedback but let your belief in yourself be unshaken, be madly confident about your ability to do something and you will get to your goals. Don’t live your life based on other people’s expectations or rulings. I followed my own heart and after eighteen years of struggle, it has truly been well worth it.

My dear daughter, collect the goodwill and blessings of your elders. In good times and in times of crisis, that is a priceless treasure to have. So is a certain kind of spirituality, a belief in someone superior to us. When your father passed away, it was my faith in Shrinathji that kept me on my chosen path, pulled me out of the dangers that could have distracted me from my calling. Equally, it was the blessings of my elders, the unending support of my friends that helped me take my life forward.

When my world became a dreary and joyless place after your father’s death, it was my belief in God, my guru, and my friends that made it possible for me to remain committed to my purpose. It is my firm belief that the Universe has a role to play in making all of these people come into my life at that point because I was lost and floundering. My sister stepped in, introducing me to the healing powers of Reiki so that I could recover, recharge my energies, and rediscover myself. Since then, I have applied the rejuvenating power of Reiki at the workplace, introduced my friends and colleagues to it, and have seen everyone benefit from it.

The ability to lead your life with integrity is as important as believing in God. Try to never be obliged to anyone for anything. Don’t get into a transaction that puts you in an obligation to anyone because that limits your potential. Every day that you live, live to your fullest potential. That can’t be done if you are obliged to someone because both these things are contradictory to each other. If you are obliged to someone, you can’t live to your fullest potential without reengaging on your promise to that person. Instead, realize your fullest potential by hard work alone and the power of the Universe will work to make you successful.

It is my refusal to be obliged that makes me want to get out of my bed every morning and do my best. That is what I want for you too, my child.

If I was obliged and I had sold my soul to someone, I would not have the energy to get out of bed each day and do my best. The conflict inside me would have tied me down to my bed, shackled my limbs.

Dear Kannamma, I look forward to seeing you attain the success that you want in the field of your choosing. I am proud that someone as young as you has chosen to follow a calling that is so mature for her age. And I wait for the day when you will use your training in Education and Psychology, to make life more meaningful and joyful for those with psychological and emotional disabilities.

In the end, I want to tell you that at no point of time during my journey have I had a sense of burden for all the things I have done for my family. I have enjoyed every moment of this tumultuous journey because I have had the blessing of your company. You owe me nothing but your own happiness at all times.

Love,

Ma

Sanjeev Kapoor

ndia’s culinary maestro, Sanjeev Kapoor, is neither a Michelin-star chef nor has he been hatted—both honours considered to be the highest form of recognition for any chef in the world. In fact, Kapoor makes for the most unlikely chef. He started out in life wanting to be an architect but decided to take up hotel management instead after he failed to make the cut for admissions to the architectural college he had applied to.

That did not, in any way, stop the determined, talented, and perfection-seeking young man from putting every ounce of his soul into his work. Like his father who taught him that knowledge is the key to being the best in your chosen profession, Kapoor has gone about the past few decades learning everything he can about the smallest part of the food business. Kapoor was and continues to be a fearless risk-taker. A few years into his marriage and career as an Executive Chef at a five-star hotel, Kapoor walked away from the job because he felt he was meant for better things in life. What followed was a period of uncertainty before finally landing the television show, Khana Khazaana, the longest-running food show in Asia which turned him into a household name. Homemakers swore by the perfection of his recipes, and where they were earlier usually content with cooking the usual dal, chawal, roti, and subzi, they started experimenting with other forms of food, dishing out pastas, pizzas, fajitas and enchiladas, tapas and tostadas.

Kapoor is the lone ranger who took the path less travelled and discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In 2011, he launched FoodFood, his own 24-hour food channel, a feat that only a handful of chefs around the world have been able to pull off. Kapoor’s business now includes everything from restaurants and modular kitchens to ready-to-eat meals and kitchen equipment. He writes a