Thank you, Leicester

They said you can’t win anything with this manager.

They said you can’t win against the biggest clubs in the world.

They said you can’t win with non-league players in your team.

That you can’t compete at the highest level with this budget.

That your winning chances are the same as chances of Elvis being alive.

That eventually you’ll falter and return to the bottom.

That it’s just a dream and will never be a reality.

That it’s time to be logical and not be romantic about this.

They said it’s impossible.

Everyone listened to them.

Everyone believed in them.

Except you.

You didn’t care.

You just let the results talk.

You put your head down and worked hard.

You exhibited day in and day out how much you wanted it.

And in the end, you showed the world that fairy tales do exist.

That miracles still happen.

That if you really want something, you don’t have to worry about “them”.

You just have to go and get it.

For a team like you to come and take the giants on with their wealth and experience – not only take on but to beat them – it’s the biggest thing to happen in any sport.

Congratulations Leicester City on winning the league, and thank you. You captured the imagination of the sporting world and beyond with your display of courage and never-give-up attitude.

You have given everyone hope.

The romance is not dead.

You’re good!

What do we need to do today?

The things that happened last year with me have changed my beliefs, tested them, challenged them, shaped them up and strengthened them. It’s because of those things I think I know the answer to this question.

In 2012, I was studying in a college in India, and was one of those bored students who didn’t have anything to do after the classes. Most of the colleges in India don’t have the so-called “necessary” facilities like a recreational center, intramural, and fun events going on. So a friend and I decided to start our own college magazine after getting fueled up by reading the autobiography of Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin group. Crazy enough idea! We actually got some people working with us. The results were astonishing. In no time, we were on the verge of creating our own thing. But how did this happen so quickly? It wasn’t a miracle, it was the belief I had. It was the belief in people and in my dreams.

What are the odds of you asking somebody you don’t know at all to help you by spending out a large part of his time and doing it for free of cost? If you have asked, you know that the answer will always be a ‘no’ until you actually ask. A guy studying graphic designing and arts in England agreed to make the cover for our magazine. A professional photographer in California agreed to get the particular kinds of photographs we needed. A well-known journalist was so excited that he wanted us to use his work. A famous rock band let us interview them. One of the world’s most famous cricketers said no to give us his interview (still a pretty big thing just to receive that email!). The rejection didn’t help us but it did fortify my faith in what we were doing. Every time when I read that email, it reminds me that anything is possible.

I couldn’t believe what was happening at that time, but it was right there happening in front of my eyes. I was just amazed at how much easy this all was with these generous people in the world. I agree not all of them said yes, but most of them were willing to help, even though they had never met us. Sometimes, you have to convince them a bit because most of them are too protective, but most of the times, you’ll be surprised by the result you get when you actually ask for something. Though I never had the final copy of the magazine in my hands, it helped me a lot as a person and a writer.

The satisfaction of helping someone and that happy feeling is just too good to ignore. It may be one of the best feelings in the world. Sometimes people don’t help to gain something; they just help. That small act can change somebody’s life forever.

I believe in people. They are good enough to make this world a better place and inspire others by just simply helping each other. If most of us do even little things to help others, then soon, we won’t have a lot of things to complain about.

So what do we need to do today?

I think we know the answer!