If there’s one person who has been a good public figure for the youth to aspire to, its Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He’s always calm and collected, not given to airs and despite all the fame and fortune, he’s remarkably grounded. And it’s not just his talent on the field that is inspiring – he has motivated us time and again with his words and the way he puts things across.

Take a look:

1. When asked whether the birth of his daughter, Ziva, would be on his mind during the 2015 World Cup, Captain Cool had this to say: “No. I am on national duty. Everything else can wait.”

2. “Till the full stop doesn’t come, the sentence is not complete.” This piece of advice from Dhoni (courtesy ScoopWhoop) is one of the most motivational things we’ve ever read.

3. We are all about change and trying out the new things in life but if something is good, why change it? “I don’t mind repeating everything,” Dhoni said, according to TimesJobs and we heartily agree.

4. One of the best things about this man is that while he may not personally like things, he doesn’t force his perspective on anyone else. This is what he had to say about drinking alcohol, according to ScoopWhoop: “I find liquor had a bitter taste so I don’t drink alcohol but understand that other people enjoy it.”

5. God, we wish we were all cool about failing like Dhoni is. After all, no defeat lasts forever. On being asked which defeat hurt more, the one during the 2011 tour of England or the one in Australia, he said this according to ScoopWhoop: “When you die, you die. You don’t think which is the better way to die.”