Dr. Geetanjali Sharma – Presidential speech

Incoming President’s speech.

Dr. Geetanjali Sharma

Zindzgi se hai bahot pyaar, Zindagise hun shukraguzar”

This poem I had written just a few days back….. 

Respected Teachers, honourable Past Presidents of POS, seniors, colleagues and friends 

A very good evening to everyone and let me extend my own warm welcome to all. It is a great privilege to be here as the new President of Poona Ophthalmological Society.

I am proud member of POS and I am most honoured and humbled to be elected President of POS. With a lot of dreams in mind and a definite vision I am accepting the responsibility for year 2020-21.

I am grateful to all my teachers, mentors, seniors and colleagues for showing the trust in me for this responsibilty. I  congratulate and thank Dr. Suvarna Joshi madam and her team for doing a wonderful work for year 2019-20.

This year has been a year of difference. Not just for POS, not just for Pune or for India but for the whole world.

 I had a lot of plans for POS for year 2020-21. My team and I had worked a lot on those plans to take POS to newer heights and to give POS a  new and shining face!

Sometimes something sudden and unexpected happens …The Covid 19 pandemic attacked the world…In March 2020 lock down was declared..My team was to take charge in April…we were ready for get..set…go and suddenly everything got turned upside down. All plans were washed off…including POS Overseas Trip To China and APAO participation. Team POS had 6 papers accepted for Oral Presentation and for Posters. Though we got our full refund but we were sad. But friend just 2 days back  APAO has informed that the same papers we can present as Posters in APAO 2021. So today we are beginning once again on that good note…

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”― Lao Tzu

I have gathered all my energy back, I have positivity in me. In one of the MC meetings in March during the lock down someone had commented “what are you going to do Geetanjali ? You can’t do anything in this pandemic  situation. You can’t do CMEs. You can’t do anything. You have to just sit at home” Those words tore me apart…. Why do people think like this ? Yes there was a calamity but can’t we find a way out?

Those words did miracle to me. I thank God for those words.  I was angry at that time.  but I remained calm.. I was determined. 

What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters to what lies within us. Says Ralph Waldo Emerson

So what lies within me?

Well I have tremendous strength and positivity within me. I have  a fighting back spirit within me. Let it be a pandemic, let it be a lock down or let it be 144 implemented…I am not going to keep my gears down. Let me have new gears now…..we restarted the whole new planning once again with new energy..with new dreams….my team started working with new josh…let’s do it and let’s do it with positivity and with a happy mood! It was a  new beginning for all of us….

The world as we have created, it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. ― Albert Einstein

Sometimes life gives challenges, and for me personally this is the biggest challenge to be President in the Covid times. I have taken the challenge to keep everyone positive and hopeful, to keep the team together and sailing the ship of POS successfully through this Pandemic.. not just reaching somewhere but reaching there which might be beyond sight

That is our “Vision Beyond Sight”.

One of my favourite lines of Hindi poem by Rashtra kavi Sohanlalji Dwivedi 

Laharonse darker nauka paar nahi hoti

Koshish karne walonki haar nahi hoti

My positivity is my strength. Positive thinking is powerful thinking. I totally believe that if one wants happiness, fulfilment, success and inner peace one needs to focus on the bright side of life and expect positive results. My faith in Bhagwad Geeta has helped me taking up  the challenge. In spite of all difficulties due to Covid pandemic I am confident to take POS to a higher level and to make this year 2020-21most memorable.

Bhagavad Geeta is broadly divided into three segments, Knowledge, Action and Love. 

We plan to  follow the same. For knowledge …our thrive for academic excellence  we have changed our gears to online webinars, PG activities, video Competitions. This pandemic has given us a chance to introspect and retrospect to find new ways to gain knowledge. 

We are trying all innovative ideas to make every event interesting ..let it be POS Premier League for interesting surgical videos or creating awareness about eye donation through musical show by our own members or webinars by MC members for awareness programmes for society or nation wide  poetry slogan or poster competition.

 As Bhagwad Geeta says we are into Action…action with proper thought process and   proper planning

Third important preaching of Geeta is love. Our daily morning posts for keeping peace of mind and body are our attempt  to spread love and to keep all of us together and positive in these difficult times. 

Bhagavad Geeta shows the path to the lost, answer to the baffled and wisdom to all. When Arjuna lost his confidence and his mind was shattered, that time Lord Krishna offered him knowledge to keep the mind steady even in adverse conditions to uplift Dharma with right actions. 

Today, We need to  see whatever is happening with larger dimensions. I feel this Covid attack definitely has some larger intention by God or by the mother nature. It is telling us to change…life needs to be changed…world needs to be changed.

My team and I will try to bring the  change…in POS activities. We plan  to take  our association to an international level. Brand POS should be known all over the world

I  have strong belief in myself and more so in my team of fantastic eye surgeons who are creative innovative and determined. We together have taken the challenge. It is a team work. I am sure my team will succeed with flying colours. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Said, 

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge”  

This is a real testing time for my team. Our motto is Together we can and together we will. 

Our he tagline is Vision 2020 and Beyond…

Vision Beyond Sight

This was decided long back when there was no sight  or sign of Covid. Our tagline has proved so real for us today.

God has given us the opportunity to see beyond sight. Life has given us a chance  to do something different. It might be  difficult but not impossible. I am sure everyone has now become positive and we all are looking beyond…seeing a positive change. 

Poona Ophthalmological Society has a great history . All previous presidents have taken the level higher and higher. Today I seek everybody’s blessings so that we achieve success .

My team members and myself had hoped for a hulla gulla type of installation amidst all our friends but as I said God has something different in his mind so He has given this special year to us..it is unique to get installed virtually…it is an experience beyond imagination. I tell all my team members that We are creating history in POS by being the first team to get formally installed this unique way. This day will be always remembered by everyone.We POS are writing a new page in history of POS when Team POS 2020-21 is getting installed in this innovative way

My team and I will work hard to create a new goals for POS

And will keep working to reach newer and newer goals. As they say reaching goal is not the success but the journey is more beautiful. We all are enjoying the journey of challenges.

Requesting all to keep us encouraged the way you all are doing all these days and let’s together win over Covid and take  POS to international level.

As I believe in Geeta I follow

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन

My team and I will continue working sincerely. 

 Geeta says, While performing various actions, do it as an act of God and don’t think continuously about the result so that the action will be more profound and effectively performed. Whatever will be the result of your actions accept it graciously, you will have your fruit at the right time. 

Presently we do not expect any fruits…we are just into action mode! 

I thank once again to all my teachers mentors seniors and friends who are always encouraging me in this journey.Famous Marathi poet Madhav Julian writes

Dhavatyala Shakti yei ani rasta sapade

Thambala to sampala

Yes we keep walking…finding new ways

But my path is different

As I say in my poem

Asa marg maza nirala asawa

Junya pavalancha dhurala nasava

Asa marg maza anokhya sukhacha

Navya shodh dhyasat navshwas ghyava

So we will continue with our innovative and creative ideas to take POS to a long long way!

 I thank almighty God for his blessings and also my parents who have made me strong  and capable to take up the challenges of life. My husband and children have  always been there as strong support

I don’t have words to express my gratitude to my Mentors for their blessings 

Today I welcome them as they have graciously agreed to be the patrons and to have constant support for me and have showered their blessings on me and on  my team

I welcome Dr. Shreekant Kelkar sir. Dr. Jhamwar sir, Dr. Col. Deshpande sir and Dr. Vaijayanti Deodhar madam.

Thank you  and my Pranam to all of you

Dr. Geetanjali Sharma