My leader profile today is about someone who will make you all roll your eyes. By the end, I hope to get you all to applaud.  

I am going to talk about ……. Hollywood actress …. Sharon Stone. She is known for her roles in  CASINO, BASIC INSTINCTS, SILVER, etc. Are we all inspired yet? …….. Her real life was quite  different from on screen. At age 43, she was hospitalized for subarachnoid hemorrhage which  means bleeding inside the brain. The hospital made a wrong diagnosis, making her condition  even worse. She lost almost all her wealth during her illness. Her life and career took a big turn.  Some of us panic for the ups and downs at this mark, imagine being an iconic influential actress  and person and then falling down to – life being at stake and losing $18 million. What has she  done since her stroke? . 

2005 – She fundraised $1M for fighting malaria in Tanzania, she did this in 5 minutes.  2006 – She pursued peace in the Middle east by directly lobbying with then Israeli prime minister  Shimon Peres.  

2013 – Stone received PEACE SUMMIT AWARD for her work for people with HIV/AIDS. 2015 – Stone was guest of honor at PEACE BUILDING AWARDS in Milan. She used this invitation  to do an impromptu auction on stage in front of corporate CEOs. She raised enough money to  build several schools in Africa.  

Through her journey, she has advocated for women’s rights, raised awareness for strokes and  has redefined the meaning of success. 

The point I am making is that – with multi millionaires, top models, actors and actresses – once we  chop off the fancy cars and the extravagant dresses – they have and face challenges and hurdles  same as the rest of us, particularly when it comes to health and external situations. Then, it comes  down to the true nature, character, strength and resilience of the person. In my opinion, more than  beauty or money or power, these basic instincts do remain the most inspiring things a person can  have and exhibit.  

If just my job and car got taken away from me, I would not be serving food to the homeless or  donating to cancer institutes anymore. But then, I am not Sharon Stone. 

— By Jagan Kala