JUST A THOT:-

The sports in my life have played a pivotal role in sculpting my personality. The better part of my character has been developed over the years only through my involvement in various sports .

On record the first sport or rather martial art that I took up was Taekwondo.

Taekwondo as a martial art not only helped increase my physical strength but also taught me the virtues of patience, tolerance, determination and meticulousness.

It created in me tenacity and perseverance and shaped much of my moral fibre.

My fondest memories however of that period of time in my life are of every single moment that I spent in my Taekwondo classes.

One feels a burst of passion, freedom and inner strengh unleashed within them on doing any martial art.Even as I reflect on those times I am infused with a great and inspiring warmth that helps me to deal with the battles of day-to-day life.

I was rarely injured while practising Taekwondo & I don't remember ever inflicting any serious injuries upon my opponent.
The best part of Taekwondo was that you usually had combats with full protective gear so you never actually hurt anyone ; The greatest you could do was perhaps throw your opponent off their feet with a powerful roundhouse kick and multiple punches.

Taekwondo has another very unique feature. The practioner doesn't learn how to fight one opponent at a time but two. The basic punch is carried out with an ingenious technique such that the other arm's elbow is thrust backwards simultaneously allowing self defence from both sides.

My favourite move was the flying kick. When I had started learning Taekwondo, it used to fascinate me , how human beings could gain enough strength and agility to be able to practically "fly" across distances around 4-5 metres
and even break collosal concrete or ice blocks with their bare hands!!
I was most enthusiastic when I started to learn the same & in my excitement jumped a fraction too high and fell just a few centimetres short of the target. But I did not give up for even a single moment.. Instead I sprung up after each failed attempt trying to improve on my technique. Finally after around fifteen attempts I managed to execute a fine kick that even sent my coach who was holding the target a few steps backwards. That was one of the happiest moments of my life... and it was this delight which came from finally mastering a difficult move that I can never forget from my Taekwondo days.
The same delight I feel now after doing an immensely difficult math problem or returning a nearly impossible serve in a game of tennis....
The exhiliharation of victory and the satisfaction that your effort has finally paid off was just one of the many enriching experiences I had during this vibrant phase of my life.Taekwondo is till date a sport that is closest to my heart which has created in me the spirit of a fighter.

Just a thot..... By Varun Grover

God is the innate spirit, the fountain of hope, the source of all positive energy and happiness, & the creator of a masterpiece, we call nature. He is the inner voice of a sane and conscientious man highlighting the fine line of difference between right and wrong in the materialistic world.

It is my opinion, that there are no exceptional people who attain a 'higher level' of spirituality as compared to others. The very belief that God has created all of mankind, empowers each individual to form their own personal spiritual bond with God.

There is no need of intermediaries in a person's relationship with God.

I feel that messengers of God are those few people who take time out from the ordinary business of their lives to make the world a better place to live in for those less fortunate than themselves; who see the misery of others even amidst a period of personal joy...

Beyond that it could not be more insignificant to me if that kind and charitable soul calls God by the name of Ram, Allah, Jesus , Buddha or Nanak. To me he/she is someone to be revered: someone who embodies the qualities of benevolence, charity, mercy and forebearance......the very purpose for which God created man.

A true devotee of God is not one who spends a good part of his time engaged in religious rites and ceremonies; but one who toils to earn his bread and then chooses to render a hand of love and support to someone in need.

The road to heaven is not paved by denying another human being the right to live or worship the supreme being but in living a harmonious and selfless life in which kindness towards others lies above all else.

If God could tell us what He felt, I believe He would have said " I love not that man who prays for himself, but I love that angel who prays for others."

Lastly I would like to say that God lies in your mind and soul. Your heart is your temple , your brain is your shrine.