My Family, My Morals and My Values
Jul 23rd
They say, the older you get the smarter your parents or family seem to be, matter of perspective of age I guess. This is so true, while I have always admired my family for being a family that many have talked about as a model and only wished that theirs existed as such.
I grew up in a joint family household, which means, that I had my parents, my sister, my grandparents and dads four other brothers and their families living together. It was more like a big house with 5 floors to it and every brother had a floor to himself, so while we were independent, we were still together. My cousins were more like brothers and sisters to me, my uncles were more like a father figure and I grew up around those that truly cared and loved me unconditionally.
Living together as a family I became the person who I am today. I am the product of my environment and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I have seen my grandfather take care of his mother till her last breath, my dad and my uncles be there for my loved grandparents and adored them and stood with them at every step of their lives, talk about devotion to family, my parents and uncles have been a great example.
I remember even today, my grandfather would call my dad and he would run out of the shower with a towel around his waste and water dripping down his shoulders and he would stand in front of his dad and simply say, yes father? It was a representation of nothing but utmost respect, love and devotion. How can one not learn from these wonderful traits when they are visible each day growing up? How can I not be there for my parents and those that I love unconditionally for my loyalty and devotion has to be mirrored as those before me did from the time senses came to life.
The tradition lives on, the respect and values still pour down generation to generation, despite the founding pillars of the Anand family – my grandparents have been long gone, they continue to live each day through the morals and values they have instilled in us.
My loved father wakes up each morning and spends an hour and half with his sick brother who he looks up to as his living father. My uncle who continues to fight Lymphoma and an Oncologist Surgeon himself lives today as the head figure of our family. How can I not be proud of my old man? How can I not do what my grandfather, my uncles and my dad did for their parents and now still continue to do for the oldest member of our family and their brother and my uncle Dr. Prof Vikram Anand.
If this is not unconditional love, respect, family values and morals I do not know what else could be. I hope I can justify these virtues to the best while living half the way across the world from those that are blood as they represent the epitome of family values and giving me my foundations.
As I live each day, I represent where I come from, the family that I am born into, the morals and values I bring with me and that each action of mine is only represented with the highest regard for the family name that I carry.
I should say that I am very thankful for the family that I am born into. I simply couldn’t have asked for anything more.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Apr 17th
I have always known that my life is not a wake up, work, go to bed life. It has more meaning to it. It has more substance to it than just the daily chores we all do to bring bread home.
Being born half the way across the world in India I have seen people die with climate changes or diseases that do not even exist in the western world. If it is too cold, people die. If it is too hot, people die. People die because they didn’t have clean water to drink, or fresh air to breathe or they didn’t have a roof over their head and life was just too hard too them.
I have always wondered why 5 children born within 5 minutes have totally different destinies and life? Why is that ?? What has that child done to be born on the side of the road while the other is born with proper care in a hospital in Kansas City with proper treatment and attention ? Why is it that one child is born in the slums of India while the other is born in a Palace a few yards away and the other in Africa and someone else in America. 5 children, 5 different lives.
As individuals it is our moral duty to help those that are less privileged. I have always questioned, what life is worth living if you have not made a difference in the life of others ????
I will promise you this, that my life is not only destined to make Karats the best jewelry store in Kansas City but a bigger picture, which is to leave this world better than what I found it as. I want to help those that were not as fortunate as you and I were, those that did not have the VERY BASIC NECISITIES OF LIFE – FOOD, WATER, SHELTER AND CLOTHING.
Think about this, are you going to live your life just for your self and those that surround you, or will you go beyond your comfort zone and HELP THOSE THAT YOU WILL NEVER KNOW ????? Maybe in Africa, India, Russia, Mexico, or below a bridge in Kansas City ?
I truly applaud organizations like the Rotary International, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, United Way and many many many others that make an impact. There are sooo many avenues for us to make a difference by being a part of something bigger, yet we don’t find the time to do it. Why ??
My life is destined to be the bigger picture that I see. I am not content with just going to work, selling jewelry and enjoying a great evening out with friends. I want to give back more than what I have gotten. I want to change the life of that one child that wouldn’t have proper education but because of you and me and our efforts this child could become a doctor, engineer, a judge or possibly the president of a nation. Because of you and me, there will be a child that will live longer, disease free, drink clean water and go to school so this world could be a better place to live.
With all humbleness and In Service.
Akshay Andy Anand
TO A YEAR THAT BEGINS WITH ALL 1′S – 1-1-11
Jan 1st
It dawned upon me and I realized what the date was today, it wasn’t a regular new years date but an alignment of numbers that made me think how 2011 would shape up and what this year will bring. The fact that New Years is 1-1-11 makes me think of all the good, positive and productiveness that we will face in this prosperous year. From achieving, or I should say, trying to achieve everything on my list of “to do’s” I am going to focus more on what is important, which is who I am as a person : )
I know that important may vary according to our priorities and our lives but as 2011 begins I will share with you what my goals and my dreams are. As a child I was taught to leave the world better than what I found it as, keeping this notion in mind my first goal for 2011 is to give more than 100% to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Kansas City.
As an LLS supporter I want to make a difference in the lives of children and those affected by this disease. Why LLS ? My dear uncle who is a surgeon and an oncologist was diagnosed with Lymphoma about 2 years ago and I want to spend my time and efforts in making a difference in the life and research towards those affected by it.
I am going to take some time to focus on my self, I want to travel, I want to go and see places that I haven’t. We live in a great nation that is rich in beauty, culture and great spirit and it helps us to be the best in whatever we want to be. I want to take a few road trips to the Rockies, spend a few days in the midst of the mountains and be one with nature and God. They say; inner peace comes when we are in balance with our surroundings and what is a better way than to do this with lush green mountains and bliss all around.
To learn is to grow and to grow is to learn. I am going to make every initiative to learn more about cultures, people and religions. It fascinates me to see how people from different parts of the world act, live life and are different than we are as Americans but yet we all have the same desires as a human, the force to love, be kind, humbleness and treating individuals as individuals and not on the basis of religion, class, culture and community. The Church of the Resurrection is starting a 3 day course about understanding Islam and how Christianity and Islam are similar and different. I think the world has taken negative steps towards the Islamic nations for obvious reasons but I am fortunate that living in Kansas and attending COR that we as Americans are very embracing people and want to make a difference in the lives of others despite there denomination and religion. I am eagerly looking forward to learn more about a religion that we in the western worlds do not know much about but judge what the media potrays.
I truly believe that when we give back, when we focus on our selves and discover who we are and learn each day towards being a better person we only leave the world better than what we found it as. One should lift up from the regular complexities of life and focus on “what is important” and this year I am going to do that.
This is to a great year and a beginning of productive growth for everyone, the stars have aligned so we all could be better as we begin this journey from this day forward, 1-1-11.
Akshay Andy Anand
Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City…..
Aug 1st
What makes Kansas City a great town? What makes your community a wonderful place to live and the city be able to provide great education, living conditions, school districts and many other virtues we all enjoy living where we live?
I have constantly thought about making an impact on the lives of others and helping Kansas City become a great town not only in the Midwest but also in the entire country. To make a community grow and flourish there are a few concepts we all must adhere too, when we understand these notions we will not only impact the lives of others directly or indirectly but we will help our city become one of the finest in the United States.
I will try to explain these notions as briefly and precisely as I can, I know that if we all follow them we will make an impact significantly and raise the bar of what Kansas City is and what the people of this town represent.
1 – Buying Local – I am sure we have ALL heard this time and again but we never consciously make an effort to “buy local and support local”, let me begin with a great example. Every time I need Gas I try to look for a gas station that is visibly not a QT, Philipp 66 owned and operated or a company run. Why do I want to give my dollars to someone that lives in Atlanta while they are exporting 80% of what we give to the business to a different city? Think about it… every dollar you spend on a company that is a chain store or operation will have 80% go to the headquarters and distributed to different cities as opposed to 100% in the city we call home that will impact the lives of your friends, family members, community members and others that you know. It is very vital to recognize that buying local not only effects your lives significantly but helps the lives of your family in a dramatic way.
2 – Joining Local Non for Profits – Kansas City is one of the biggest philanthropic cities in the united states. Let me repeat the words again “the biggest philanthropic city in the united states”. It is what we give to others will be given back to us in one way or the other, good comes around my friends. I am blessed to be a part of the Local Leawood Rotary Club, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of KC, Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Touched by Cancer foundation to name a few. These local groups and organizations not only make a constant effort to give back to the community we all call home but help in improving the lives of those that are less fortunate in our city. Helping Non for Profits will heavily impact how the living standards of our city is. Please know that there are many that sleep hungry at night and many that don’t have a blanket when it is below freezing.
3 – EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION – I think this is one of the most important points out of the ones I have mentioned, we need to make our community and locality more inducive where highly educated and talented individuals are attracted too. Stowers institute in KC,MO is a great example of how highly educated individuals with degrees from Harvard and many others have made KC there home because of the virtue of working at a great organization like this.
In a nut shell, BUYING LOCAL from businesses that are OWNED LOCAL will help our community to a great extent, for everything that you want I will bet there is a local place that sells it, SUPPORT A CAUSE that you hold dear too, it will impact the lives of those that live around us. Make an effort of making your organizations / businesses a place that will attract HIGHLY EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS from all over the world, America is a melting pot and we need to still show the world that we are a nation that believes in excellence through education and technology and MOST IMPORTANTLY do not fall short in giving your kids THE BEST EDUCATION YOU CAN, I am truly grateful to my parents to give me the FINEST of the education to make me who I am today. Let your kids travel, show them the world so they know what exists outside the beautiful neighborhoods of Leawood, Overlandpark, Platte City or Lees Summit or what the world is truly and most of the countries are not even close to what we as citizens of this great nation enjoy, this will only make them appreciate more and open there minds to new and productive thoughts.
With these in mind there is no reason that our loved city will not be a center of attraction and a city that will hold high regard when compared to others across the nation. Why cannot Kansas City hold the Democratic or the Republican Convention? Why shouldn’t we gold the G8 convention, why should companies think about Kansas City when they want an office location? There is no reason that we shouldn’t achieve these virtues for the town we call home.
With these thoughts in mind, I leave the local Latte Land owned and operated by a Kansas Citian and on the way I need to stop at the gas station that might be smaller in size but at the end of the day I know that my money is RIGHT HERE IN KANSAS CITY, the town I proudly call HOME.
The Purpose
Apr 24th
It has been ten years since I have lived in the United States and every time I look back it is the past ten years that has made me who I am, importantly the last five since I first started Karats – the 6 generation family jewelry business.
I am always grateful to those that have guided me and shown me the path of enlightenment for my success but I am more grateful to those that have chosen to be harsh, had an attitude of teaching me a lesson or those that I unintentionally or intentionally upset due to my actions. These individuals have taken the liberty to show me the difference between the right and wrong which in turn has only made me a better person, saying that I come back to the quote I use quite frequently “I am who I am because of my past”, I wouldn’t change anything that is my past as I wouldn’t be the individual that I am today.
Family That Prays Together….
Apr 24th
The family that prays together stays together has been the very thought process of my mind when I left the Chandra house hold today around 4:00 pm. Let me rewind the day for you so you can comprehend the wonderful beginning and ending I had this wonderful spring day with a family that is beyond amazing, it’s a great day of my life as wonderful memories were made with wonderful friends for life that are nothing less than family.As I woke up to the no alarm that usually begins my day I laid in my bed thinking how the day would progress, I was mentally making a timeline of list of things today would entail and the amount of time I needed to spend at them to make a well relaxed and productive day. The first beginnings on usually every Sunday is a stop to the church or the temple and thanking the lord for all I am blessed with, the pattern followed graciously as it seems hard to break the Sunday routine, I was done a little after noon and headed towards the Chandra House in Leawood, as I cruised down the highway with my sunroof open and windows down and the country music blasting through the car I was totally living the dream, I couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday beginning and I knew this would be a great day for me, moreover I was excited to see Vishal, Erin, Ingrid, Mahesh uncle and the entire Chandra Clad. To describe the Chandra’s I think if I used all the wonderful words of the dictionary that relate to awesomeness I would still be understating there amazing qualities as individuals.
Truth or Dare
Mar 9th
The topic arises from a post one of my great friends and fellow jewelry retailer in Oklahoma City posted on his personal blog, i thought it was really appropriate for what i had in mind as we spring into a new decade and a new year moving forward.
before i look forward to 2010 it is important that i show gratitude with all humbleness to some of the key events of 2009 and the wonderful opportunities that i have been blessed with. Kansas City Centurions has been one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences that i could have imagined, despite constant efforts to make a difference in the world i was pushed forward and exposed to some facts that made me far more humble and appreciative of what life has given me through out these wonderful 27 years. I would also claim that everyone reading this is probably more fortunate than the individuals that we helped serve food on a snowy day in Kansas City, KS. Through this august organization i had the very opportunities to learn , serve and lead and expand the mind to new horizon think without wasting time i should spend time in writing down the 2009 and 2010 in perspective to Truth and Dare.
