​Check out:   Why should we read about the lives of amazing people from History? - Introduction to 'Inspiration from Brilliant Beings from History' series

​Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer. He has been called the “Father of Observational Astronomy” and also the “Father of Modern Science”.

Galileo studied speed and velocity, gravity and free fall along with the principle of relativity, inertia, projectile motion and also worked in applied science and technology. He invented the thermoscope and various military compasses. Galileo is probably most known as the person who first introduced the concept of Sun being at the center of our solar system. This also got him in trouble with the Roman Church, which until then were his greatest supporters.

He was tried by the Inquisition and found to be a heretic and forced to recant! He was put under house arrest for the rest of his life. It is during this time that he wrote his final book, Two New Sciences.

Galileo worked on what he believed to be correct against all opposition. This has left us some important scientific concepts. His life as expressed through some of her famous quotes can inspire us to face our challenges with courage and determination…    

​Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree.

When she was mere 19 months old, Helen contracted an unknown illness which left her both deaf and blind. She lived, as she recalled in her autobiography "at sea in a dense fog."

Even though blind and deaf, Helen Keller had passed through many obstacles and she learned to live with her disabilities. She learned how to tell which person was walking from the vibrations of their footsteps. Helen travelled a lot and was outspoken about her beliefs and convictions. She campaigned for women's suffrage, labor rights, socialism, and other similar causes.

Helen challenged the obstacles that were thrown her way by life and fate. Her life as expressed through some of her famous quotes can inspire us to face our challenges with courage and determination…  

It is said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it!

There are many amazing, inspiring and truly brilliant people in history that can teach us many things as leaders, thinkers and pioneers of life and an inspired way of living. Some of them were ground breaking inventors and others discovered natural phenomenon that everyone saw, but no one else understood. They were men and women who were pioneers during their time and they continued with their work, even though they did not always obtain timely recognition.

They dared to dream and believe in their beliefs, discoveries and insights. They stood (at times alone) against the ‘norms’. Irrespective of their individual achievements, their words show us the unique way in which they looked at their situations and the world at large. 

​Even after several years if not centuries, their words contain wisdom that can inspire us, motivate us to have the courage and conviction- to be the very BEST that we can be.

These Brilliant Beings are not just those who moved large masses of people like Jesus- The Christ, Gautama- The Buddha, Lord Mahavir (founder of Jain religion) or Prophet Muhammed but also innovative thinkers, philosophers and original true scientists like Socrates, Aristotle, Galileo Galilei, Helen Keller and so many more...

The word inspiration comes from the root concept of 'being in spirit'... when we are true to who we are in spirit, our very inner core of being-ness, then we are inspired... and then the thoughts, words and actions that follow, has the power to move the hearts of people and turn the tides of time itself! This can easily be observed from the working and accomplishments such historical examples.

In this series, Inspiration from Brilliant Beings from History, we will briefly look at the lives of such amazing people and gain more insight, wisdom and inspiration from their faith, thoughts and actions!