Jaya Lalitha

Yesterday 24th Feb was Jaya Lalitha's 67th birthday celebrated all over Tamil Nadu. What a momentous life - what it is to receive 1000s of birthday cards, bouquets, gifts, messages, calls , invites - A life so well lived.  So rich in every true sense of the word. 

I am a great admirer of Jaya Lalitha - She talks sense, makes lots and lots of sensible decisions for Tamil Nadu as its Chief Minister and sees to it that they are implemented as well. She seems to be bothered about the poor and is trying to bring them out of the misery and curse of poverty. 

Born to a Tamil actress Sandhya , herself an extremely popular , talented and loved actress, highly educated and well read, she quit the film world to join  politics. She was groomed by the heart throb hero of Tamil Nadu and its very very popular CM MGR . I love watching her dance in her hey days with MGR, superb acting too. They made a lovely romantic pair. 

After MGR's death, she took over the AIADMK party in late 1980 and rose to the absolute power centre that she is today. I am sure it was a lot of struggle too. 

Her signature power dressing now is - plain chiffon sarees custom made for her in different colors with a thin embroidered border, a simple pair of solitaires in her ears , a watch and a matching color bag. Flawless fair complexion, jet black hair neatly combed.  At 66!!

I admire her as a Woman Achiever. Long live Amma. 

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Here I give some published write ups about her.

This is from IndiaTvNews.com

Interesting facts about Jayalalitha, the Tamil Nadu CM

India TV Politics Desk [ Updated 28 Nov 2013, 06:59:48 ]

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New Delhi: Tamil Nadu CM jayalalitha has carved a niche for herself not only in Tamil Nadu politics but in national politics as well. 



A close friend of Narendra Modi, she is keeping her cards open for post-poll scenario in 2014. 

Whatever be the mandate, Jayalalitha is all set to play an important role in formation of the next government.

Let’s have a look at some  of the most interesting facts about the personal life and political journey of Jayalalitha who could turn out to be the kingmaker in 2014:

• Jayalalithaa was the first heroine to appear in skirts in Tamil films but that was just one part of her persona. The other part was that of a brilliant student who was deeply interested in studies.
• 

Despite of her obsession with films and acting in her younger days, she was always a voracious reader. It is said that she used to carry books during shooting of films and used to read then in between shots. 

rom a gorgeous and sultry film star, she went on to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on sheer strength of her determination and hard work. She was confronted with many bottlenecks but she managed to overcome all the roadblocks.

Jayalalithaa, was born in a Tamil Brahmin family on 24 February 1948 in Mandya district of the then  Mysore State (now Karnataka). Jayalalitha lost her father when she was just 2 years old. Her mother, who was devastated by her husband’s death, moved over to Bangalore, where her parents lived, along with Jayalalithaa. 

Jayalalithaa’s mother joined Tamil film industry and started working with a new screen name ‘Sandhya’.  Jayalalithaa studied at Bishop Cotton Girls' School, Bangalore and Sacred Heart Matriculation School, Chennai.  Since Jayalalithaa was very good in studies, she was offered government scholarship for further studies but it seems she declined the offer as the financial position was her family was getting worse from bad and she decided to join films. 

Owing to poor financial condition, Jayalalithaa’s mother encouraged her to work in film she was still in school. Jayalalithaa acted in an English language film, Epistle, released in 1961. The film was produced by Shankar Giri, son of former President of India Dr VV Giri.

At the age of 15, she made her debut in Kannada films with ‘Chinnada Gombe’ that was released in 1964. The film became a big hit.

In 1965, she made debut in Tamil Cinemawith a role in’ Vennira Aadai’. In 1966, she made her debut in Telugu cinema with the film ‘Manushulu Mamathalu’. But it was Gonndachari 116, a James Bond-style film, that catapulted her to fame.

M G Ramachandran was her favourite co-star with whom she did 28 films. The famous pair gave some of the best ever hits that included including films like  Kavalkaran, Adimai Pen, Engal Thangam, Kudiyiruntha Koil, Ragasiya Police 115 and Nam Naadu. Some of her popular movies are Vennira Aadai, Aayirathil Oruvan, Kavalkaran, Pudhiya Boomi, Iru Deivangal, Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal.

In 1972, Jayalalithaa acted in Pattikada Pattanama opposite Sivaji Ganesan, which went onto win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil in 1973. She also got  Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the same film.

Jayalalithaa's last film was Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal in 1980.

M G Ramachandran became the mentor of Jayalalithaa not only in film industry but also in her personal and political life. MGR had already joined politics and had become CM of Tamil Nadu in 1977. She started to groom Jayalalithaa in politics and made her the propaganda secretary of the party. 

Impressed with Jayalalithaa’s fluency in English, MGR sent her to Rajya Sabha and that was the beginning of a very rewarding political career for Jayalalithaa. 

It is said that Jayalalithaa’s meteoric rise made her enemy of many senior leaders of MGR’s party and their machinations resulted in widening rift between Jayalalithaa and MGR.

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This extract is from Tamil Nadu Official Govt Web site

Selvi J Jayalalithaa

Honble Chief Minister

Date of Birth

February 24,1948

Birth Place

Mysore

Education

Matriculation

Marital Status

Unmarried

Political Career

Under the guidance of her mentor Puratchi Thalaivar Dr.M.G.R., she entered Politics and became a Member in A.I.A.D.M.K., in 1982; In January 1983 she was appointed as the Propaganda Secretary of A.I.A.D.M.K; In February 1983, she was chosen by Dr. M.G.R. to conduct her maiden election campaign for the A.I.A.D.M.K., candidate in the bye-election to the Tiruchendur Assembly Constitutency. Her election campaign was a trial blazer securing an astounding victory for the Party candidates agaisnst all odds; In 1984 she was elected as a Member of Parliament to the Rajya Sabha and retained the seat until she was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989; When Dr.M.G.R., fell ill and was under medical treatment in the U.S.A., the A.I.A.D.M.K., had to fight the General Elections to the Lok Sabha and to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in December 1984. In the absence of Dr.M.G.R., she took his place and spear-headed the alliance of the A.I.A.D.M.K., and the Congress (I) securing a massive victory for the alliance; After the demise of Dr. M.G.R. in 1987, the A.I.A.D.M.K. Party split vertically into two. As the General Secretary of the Party she contested the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in January 1989 and was elected from Bodinayakkanur; She became the first Woman Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly; In February 1989, the two factions of the A.I.A.D.M.K., reunited under her singular Leadership and she was unanimously elected to the post of the General Secretary of the unified A.I.A.D.M.K., In 1989 she restored the 'Two Leaves' election symbol to the A.I.A.D.M.K., Party. In the 1989 General Elections to the Lok Sabha, she steered the A.I.A.D.M.K. - Congress (I) alliance to a historic victory in the State of Tamil Nadu and the Pondicherry Unioin Territory; Thereafter she secured victories for the A.I.A.D.M.K., in all the subsequent by-elections to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Marungapuri, Madurai East and Peranamallur Assembly Constituencies; Won a magnificent Victory by contesting in both Bargur and Kangeyam Constituencies during the General Elections to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly held in 1991; Moreover, she single-handedly ensured a massive Victory for her party and the alliance by winning 225 Constituencies out of 234. Subsequently, she resigned the Kangeyam Assembly seat she had won, and made her Party candidate contest in that Constituency and made him secure an astounding Victory; Further, she was instrumental for the historic 100 percent Victory of the AIADMK and its alliance in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry held simultaneously in 1991 General Elections to 40 Lok Sabha Constituencies, in which the alliance led by her swept to a historic Victory by winning all the 40 Lok Sabha Seats (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Pondicherry). She was elected from Andipatti Assembly Constituency in February 2002 and May 2006; Elected from Srirangam Assembly Constituency in May 2011; Chief Minister from 24.06.1991 to 12.05.1996, from 14.05.2001 to 21.09.2001, from 02.03.2002 to May 2006 and from 16.05.2011.

Award & Titles conferred

Honoured with the Award 'Kalaimamani' by the Tamil Nadu Government in 1972; The University of Madras on 19th December 1991 has honoured her by conferring on her the Degree of Doctor of Literature (D.Ltt.) Honoured with the Golden Star of Honour and Dignity Award by the International Human Rights Defense Committee, Ukraine. Honoured with the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition and Life-time achievement Award by the Rotary International.

Foreign Travels

U.S.A., Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong, Thailand, Japan, Nepal.

Hobbies

Reading, Music, Agriculture.

Publications / Contributions

Written several articles in English and Tamil which have been published in various periodicals. Written four full length novels and several short stories in Tamil.

Public, Social & Cultural Activities

Cricket, Tennis, Swimming, Horse Riding, Basket Ball, Chess, Athletics,

Contact Address

'Veda Nilayam', 81/36, Poes Garden, Chennai-600 086.

Contact Number

044 24991222(R) ,  044 25672345(O),EXTN-5666

Fax

044  25671441

Email

cmcell@tn.gov.in

Additional Information

She was educated at the Bishop Garden Girls' High School in Bangalore and later at the Presentation Convent Church Park in Madras. On completion of Matriculation in 1964, she won a scholarship from the Government of India for higher studies but did not accept it as she took up a career in films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, English and Malayalam. She was trained in classical dance (Bharatha Natyam) and carnatic music from the age of 4 onwards. She is proficient in other dance-forms such as Mohini Attam, Kathak, Manipuri. She has given hundreds of performances in Bharatha Natyam all over India and has sung several songs herself in her films. She is proficient in English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and can understand Malayalam very well.

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Paris Hilton

hollywood.com


Recently I watched Paris Hilton and her mother in a Piers Morgan's show on CNN. Human elements of this show appeal to me. All people face challenges in life whether celebrities or not, rich or poor. I also like her a lot ( why? I don't know!! )
My God - her mother - she looks so young, so beautiful, so well maintained!!

What I just loved about the show was the fact that Paris had lost a brother ( presumably drug over dose - I am not 100% sure about the cause) . But the way the mother talked about that part of her life was so inspiring - She derives so much happiness from the 3 beautiful children he has left behind, so accepting of her grief and pain and so positive about that experience

Last Conversation With Nelson Mandela: Silver-Lined Life Struggles

From Huffington Post

We often hear people ask about the purpose of "bad things" that happen in our lives. "Why does this have to happen?" "What could be the purpose of this suffering?" The question can take many forms, but the answer is almost always the same: Suffering often brings us to a place where we are meant to be and where we can fulfill our purpose in life.

I spent many years as a life coach and a motivational speaker before I fulfilled one of my life's greatest goals: to meet with legendary South African president Nelson Mandela. I had already had the opportunity to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but as I thought about people I would want to sit down and talk with, Nelson Mandela's name was at the top of the list.

In one of my recent podcasts, "Remembering Nelson Mandela," I discuss this life-changing experience and what it taught me about the value of struggle in personal growth.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in South Africa in 1918 and fought against that country's discriminatory apartheid policies. He was imprisoned from 1962 until 1990 for crimes against the government but was ultimately instrumental in dismantling apartheid. He served as president of South Africa from 1994 until 1999 and continued as an activist and philanthropist from 1999 until his death in December of 2013. He is recognized as one of the leading figures of our lifetime, and being able to meet with him was always a fond dream for me.

The opportunity finally came a few years ago and I, along with others, was able to meet with Mr. Mandela. We were permitted to ask him questions, but I had only one. Knowing how he had been imprisoned for many years and had gone on to become the president of South Africa and an instrumental leader in the movement to end apartheid, I only wanted to know one thing: "How did you do it?" Knowing that Mr. Mandela had gone from being sentenced to life imprisonment and spending 27 years at hard labor to being released before the end of his life and going on to become the president of a country, I was curious to learn his thought processes during this momentous journey. I was particularly interested in learning how he found truth and reconciliation instead of hatred for those who had wronged him.

Meeting with Mr. Mandela was an experience in itself. The group of us who were permitted to meet him were not allowed to use flash photography to capture an image of the experience. Why? Because Mr. Mandela's eyes were damaged from years of working in the blinding sun, and he could not tolerate even the brief flash of a camera's bulb.

Mr. Mandela's answer to my simple question was equally simple. "The man who went to prison never could have become president," he said. Noting that his younger self was violent, angry and unable to make sense of the obstacles in his life. "Over and over again, I thought, 'All is lost,'" he said. However, one day a new thought began to creep into his consciousness like a drop of water on a parched land: "Maybe all is not lost."

Mr. Mandela admitted he had no reason to hope. He had been sentenced to life in prison and had no reasonable cause to believe he would ever be released. However, this tiny bit of hope remained in his mind. He said that he hung on to this hope, "like a desperate person hanging on to a branch before he plummets off a cliff to his death."

For many years, nothing happened to justify this hope. However, one day, Mr. Mandela stated, "I had a new thought: Maybe my being here is part of the beginning of the end of apartheid." He slowly began to realize that there might be a larger purpose to his imprisonment. As he began to think about this, Mr. Mandela noted, "I began to wonder: If my imprisonment was part of the end of apartheid, how would I be while I am in this prison? And I began to change."

This transformational thought process led to events with which everyone is now familiar: Nelson Mandela began to write letters. He was allowed one letter per week from his prison and he used this method of communication to garner support for the end of apartheid. Every week Mandela wrote faithfully, forgetting his own pain and suffering in the light of his growing role as a symbol of hope and freedom to the world.

And the rest is history.

I expected to take away the happiness of finally realizing a life goal of meeting this great man, but I took away more from that meeting. I remember the power of the question he asked himself: If the suffering that I am enduring is part of a larger plan, how would I behave? How would I speak, act and think if this place is part of a greater good?

When we think from the calling in each one of us to greatness, great things really can happen.

By Mary Morrissey 

The 9 Essential Habits Of Mentally Strong People

The article is reproduced from the link
Huffingtonpost - 2014/02/18 

In 1914, Thomas Edison's lab burned down, and years' worth of his work was destroyed. This could easily be described as the worst thing to happen to Edison, but the inventor instead chose to see it as an energizing opportunity that forced him to rebuild and re-examine much of his work. Edison reportedly said at the time: "Thank goodness all our mistakes were burned up. Now we can start again fresh."

"In a world that we don't control, tolerance is obviously an asset," Ryan Holiday, author of the forthcoming The Obstacle Is The Way, told The Huffington Post. "But the ability to find energy and power from what we don't control is an immense competitive advantage."

He's talking about mental strength, a difficult-to-define psychological concept that encompasses emotional intelligence, grit, resilience, self-control, mental toughness and mindfulness. It's something that Edison had in spades, and it's the reason that some people are able to overcome any obstacle, while others crumble at life's daily challenges and frustrations.

The ability to cope with difficult emotions and situations is a significant predictor of our success and happiness. The most capable individuals in this way are able to turn any obstacle into a source of growth and opportunity. And while much has been made of what mentally strong people avoid doing -- things like dwelling on the past, resenting the success of others and feeling sorry for themselves -- what do they actuallydo? What tactics do they use to overcome adversity time and time again?

"Things that we think are obstacles are actually opportunities to do something," says Holiday. "[To] be rewarded in some way that we never would have expected, provided that we address and don't shirk from that obstacle."

Here are 9 essential habits and practices of mentally strong people that can help you get through any challenge or hardship.

They see things objectively.

There's a maxim in the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, "There is no good or bad, there is only perception," which was later echoed in Shakespeare's famous line, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

The way we perceive a situation has a tremendous power to either help or harm us. So often, we react emotionally and project negative judgments onto a situation, when the first key to overcoming a challenge is to see things objectively.

"You can have the greatest plan in the world, but if you don't see the situation clearly, it doesn't matter," says Holiday.

Holiday studied countless examples through history of individuals who overcame obstacles that would seem completely insurmountable to most of us, from being falsely accused of triple murder to intense discrimination based on race or sex. He found that mental toughness came down to three things: Perception, action, and will.

"What's required [for mental strength] is some sort of philosophical framework that allows you to look past your emotions or what your first impressions of a situation might be," Holiday said. "So the elements of that are, 1) Your perception. Can you see things clearly and evenly? 2) Can you think about creative or out of the box kinds of solutions or actions? And finally, what is the kind of determination or will you can apply that action to the situation with?"

They let go of entitlement.

We all deserve happiness, but we don't deserve a life free from obstacles or setbacks. An attitude of entitlement -- thinking that we deserve to get what we want most or all of the time -- can make it much more difficult to deal with challenges when they come around and take you by surprise. This is a particularly common roadblock for Generation Y, according to Gen Y expert Paul Harvey, assistant professor of management at the University of New Hampshire, who observed that many Millennials have "unrealistic expectations and a strong resistance toward accepting negative feedback."

"Generation Y was sold a certain mindset about how the world was going to be at any and all times," agrees Holiday. "In previous times, the framework that people were given was not just a humbler one, but one that understood how unpredictable and inexplicable the world could be."

Mentally strong people recognize that their entire life plans, and life itself, could be derailed at any moment -- and they don't waste their effort feeling wronged by destiny when things don't quite go their way.

They keep an even keel.

Mental strength is not so much about always being happy as it is about "keeping an even keel at any and all times," says Holiday.

Emotional stability and the ability to keep a cool head is an enormous asset when it comes to dealing with challenging situations. Fortunately, emotional stability tends to increase with age -- and it should come as no surprise that we become happier as a result.

They don't aspire to be happy all the time.

Excessive preoccupation with happiness can actually lead to an unhealthy attitude towards negative emotions and experiences. Mentally strong people don't try to avoid negative emotions -- rather, accepting both positive and negative emotions and letting different feelings coexist is a key component of resiliency.

"We so value optimism and happiness and all these positive traits, which are themselves abstractions, that we get caught by surprise and can't deal with their opposite," says Holiday. "If we were more middle of the road, things would be better and we'd be able to take advantage of the things that happen to us because there's more objectivity."

Australian social researcher Hugh Mackay argues that our cultural obsession with happiness can be dangerous, and that instead of worrying about being happy, we should concern ourselves with being whole.

"The idea that everything we do is part of the pursuit of happiness seems to me a really dangerous idea and has led to a contemporary disease in Western society, which is fear of sadness," Mackay writes in The Good Life. "Wholeness is what we ought to be striving for and part of that is sadness, disappointment, frustration, failure; all of those things which make us who we are. Happiness and victory and fulfillment are nice little things that also happen to us, but they don't teach us much."

They're realistic optimists.

Mentally tough people make a habit of getting up after they fall. Instead of getting upset, feeling hopeless and giving up in the face of obstacles, they take the opportunity to put on their thinking caps and come up with a creative solution to the problem at hand. Mentally strong people tend to be realistic optimists -- they have the hopefulness of optimists and the clarity of pessimists -- which gives them both the motivation and the critical thinking required to come up with creative solutions.

"Every time [realistic optimists] face an issue or a challenge or a problem, they won't say 'I have no choice and this is the only thing I can do,'" researcher Sophia Chou told LiveScience. "They will be creative, they will have a plan A, plan B and plan C."

They live in the present moment.

Being present -- rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future -- allows you to see things as they really are. Whether or not they have a formal meditation or mindfulness practice, mentally strong people tend to have a mindful, attentive way of engaging with the world.

"You could call it being in the zone, you can call it whatever you want, but the idea is that if you're focused exclusively on one thing in front of you, you're not bringing baggage to that situation and you're considering only the variables that matter," says Holiday.

The science has demonstrated that mindfulness really can boost your brain power. Mindfulness practice has been linked with emotional stability, reduced stress andanxiety, and improved mental clarity.

They're persistent in the pursuit of their goals.

We've all heard inspiring stories of amazingly successful people who overcame significant hardships and failures to get there. They're exhibiting one of the most fundamental qualities of resilient people: Perseverance, or as psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth puts it, grit.

In her studies of students in a number of different educational environments, Duckworth found that grit more than any other single quality (IQ, emotional intelligence, good looks, physical health) accounts for students' success. She also studied teachers and workers in various professional environments to determine what accounted for their success.

"In all those different contexts, one factor emerged as a secret to success, and it wasn't social intelligence, good looks, physical health or IQ. It was grit," Duckworth said in a TED talk. "Grit is passion or perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out -- not just for a day, not just for a month, but for years -- to make that future a reality."

But they know when it's time to let go.

A mentally strong person can say to themselves, "I tried everything I could in this situation, and now I can let it go," says Holiday. Just as important as perseverance is the ability to recognize that you can control only your own actions -- not the results of those actions. Accepting this fact allows us to resign to the things that are beyond our power.

There's an idea in Stoicism, Holiday explains, called the "art of acquiescence," which is yielding to the things that you can't change and making the best of them, rather than allowing them to upset or frustrate you. We need strength, determination and perseverance, but these aren't the answer in every situation. The mentally strong person lives by the Serenity Prayer -- they change what they can control, accept what they can't control, and know the difference between the two.

"Sometimes, the solution to the problem is to accept the problem and to bend yourself around that problem rather than crashing yourself repeatedly into it until you break," says Holiday.

They love their lives.

Amor fati is a Latin term that translates to "love of fate," a concept derived from the ancient Greek and Roman Stoic philosophers that later reemerged in the work of Nietzsche. And it's perhaps the single most important key to mental strength.

"The idea is that you don't just have to tolerate the things you can't control -- they could be the greatest things that ever happen to you," says Holiday. "You can find the joy in not just accepting, but in embracing the things that happen to you."

Mentally strong people are grateful and appreciative of obstacles because of the simple fact that obstacles are life itself. Shortly before her death, Seattle-based author Jane Lotter left that advice with her family in a powerful self-written obituary.

As Lotter put it, "May you always remember that obstacles in the path are not obstacles, they ARE the path."