Enduring lessons men learnt from their mothers

This Mother’s Day, IANSlife spoke to a few men from different fields to know how they have instilled these values into their business/profession.

Manish Malhotra

“Fundamental focus – is what I learnt from my mother. The focus that she had towards her family, her sons to keep them happy. I remember my dad was fond of non-vegetarian food and she came from an absolute vegetarian family. But she learnt to cook non-vegetarian food and would meet friends and learn new recipes. She learnt how to drive in order to drop us to school. All of that reflects in me. Also, I have never heard her speak about anybody. She has taught us to walk the path of life with full focus and positivity.”

Chef Ranveer Brar

“My mother is my artistic inspiration. I credit her for my creative ability. She always encouraged me to paint more, sculpt more and write more… basically find creative mediums to express myself. Little did she know that I’d eventually adopt the medium that I had grown up watching her and Biji use – cooking!!

Chef Hemant Oberoi

“My mother taught me sincerity, sacrifice, love, loyalty and….. most important my love and passion for food. She has always been a family person and looked after my ailing grandmother for three decades. She has given up things in order to give my siblings and me a good education. She was also pretty bold for her times. We saw the 1965 Pakistan war, as my father was posted on the border and we were staying under attack areas. She would still make food for my father and send it to the station. Along with others she would make food for soldiers on the frontline and we would go in jeeps to deliver. These are things I will always cherish for my life.”

Singer Arman Malik

“Our mother has always pushed Amaal and me to seize the moment, and strive for the best. I remember this one thing she always says, ‘Make it happen, don’t wait for it to happen.’ Whoever we are and where we stand right now in this industry, wouldn’t have been possible without her support and love. Her business acumen has helped us make the best decisions and create opportunities we thought were non-existent. Her pragmatic vision has always enabled us to make the best out of whatever the situation is.”

Comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi

“Time is the most powerful thing in the world, respect the time. It can make you or break you without giving you any notice. And I follow this religiously. I have changed four careers and this lesson taught by my mother helped me in becoming what I’m today.”

Fitness expert Gaurav Taneja

“What I learnt from my mother was to be organised which in return saves a lot of time. It also makes you look quite professional at your work place. I still abide by that and it really helps me maintain good, positive vibe.”

Dr Tushar Parikh, Consultant, Chief Paediatrician & Neonatologist, Motherhood Hospital, Kharadi, Pune

“My mother taught me that you can achieve any success if you stick to honesty and hard work. She empowered me to take my own decisions with confidence, and this matters a lot in my profession. She also taught me the importance of higher education and acquiring new skills. I have always tried to follow these principles in my life. I will always be grateful to my Mom.”

Devendra Parulekar, Founder, SaffronStays

“From a very early age, my mother taught us about the value of trust in any relationship. For instance, we were never allocated any monthly allowance. Instead, a reasonable amount of money was kept for us in the cupboard with a pen and paper. We were expected to take as much money as we wanted, and just jot down details of the same. She trusted us to spend that money wisely and never asked about what the money was being spent on. Ever. It’s this same value system that I have imbibed in the way I work. Whether it is budgets or the number of hours being spent at work, my first instinct is to always trust the person to do the right thing. I have noted that oftentimes, the ones who respect and understand this value system continue to stay with you; the rest wither away.”

Edul Mahaduvala, co-founder of Castles & Coasters

My grandmother and mother have played a key role in shaping the person I have become. Most importantly they taught me the value of time. The way you treat time not only yours but also others builds the core to your character. And no better time to value this key teaching than now. Time is usually the one thing that people have and do take for granted. My grandmother always said “the clock is ticking for you as long as you show gratitude towards it, without time you are empty.” It’s in today’s time that I feel people are realizing this value and inculcating it in their lives.

Trishant Sidhwaani, Director at Dreamzkraft Weddings

“My mother is a business woman and has built Dreamzkrraft a wedding planning and decor company over the last 20 years. Since childhood she has taught me the importance of doing the right thing even when things get tough and especially towards the people who are not doing right by you. Never to lie, never to cheat anybody, never speak ill of anybody and never to attempt to claim something that you have not earned. Be positive, put your 100 percent in whatever you do and be honest to yourself. These general life lessons if practised becomes part of who you are and whether it is your personal life or business, having such values will ensure you remain grounded and ethical.”

Vijayraghavan Venugopal, Co-Founder, Fast&Up

“I feel mothers are the best managers that can ever be. From the finances of the house to making sure everything is in perfect order – in business it takes an army to run it smoothly. A home is run single handedly by a mother and for that, I thank not only my mom but all the ones who do this difficult job with the passion and happiness they do it with. My mother taught me the importance of responsibility. As the elder son, she would always teach me the importance of patient and ensure that I helped my younger brother while growing up. I like think that we instilled the same value in this organisation.”

Advocate Jishant Barua

“My mother is a housewife, probably because of which she has a lot of patience and that’s what she taught me. She also imbibed in me the quality of being organised in whatever I do. Being a lawyer, these are the most important qualities which my profession demands. Keeping my files and folders organised and being patients and composed while dealing with clients from different sectors help ease my job.”

(Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in)

–IANS<br>pg/tb/