LIFE IS “BEAUTIFUL”
Everybody must have faced the ordeals with grocery shop wallas, bus conductors, auto fellows, vegetable vendors fighting for that “One Rupee”. This has a reached a level that everybody has accepted losing some money as part of our daily outings as a culture.
More than losing we are getting cheated day in and day out. All this, I feel are signs of eroding moral values in the society. As is evident in the attitudes of almost all of us, who tend to pay lower than the official fares or pay nothing at all while traveling in public transports; cheating a system or another individual has somehow become a norm. These kind of experiences have started palling on us, we, by default have stopped trusting others even in the most trivial and routine transactions.
As everybody else, even I had reached such levels of distrust for others. I happened to encounter a blind-man (I’m sorry if I’m hurting the sentiments of the sightless) selling sewing needles on the suburban trains in Chennai, I bought one of his merchandise priced at Rs 3. I handed him Rs. 5 and asked him to “keep the change”, in compensation for his physical disability. He promptly returned the change and said “I want money in return of what I sell- not your alms and nor am I here to rob anyone of their hard-earned money”.
Incidents like these happen and the men of such moral do exist but it’s just us who tend to shut our eyes and not identify them. After all, the world isn’t such a bad place to live in.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
THE TIME-COMMITMENT PARADOX
THE TIME-COMMITMENT PARADOX
What exactly dose “commitment” mean?
Most of us end up equating “Commitment” with “Time”- let it be one’s job or a relationship.
Though time might be one of the indicators but is definitely not a measure of someone’s commitment to a job or a relationship.
There are innumerable instances where relations have crumbled down like a house of cards even after years of “being together” (without commitment, that is).
There are employees in any organization who spend a mammoth amount of time to accomplish their tasks which could have been done in one quarter of the same time.
Are we to equate them as “highly committed individuals”?
Well, to the disgust of many I call them as mere “Chewing Gums” who live with the motto- “Aaj ka din nikal jaye toh kafee hai” without the thought or desire for growth or betterment for tomorrow.
One might well call me too philosophical for my age; but then again as I said, it isn’t how long you’ve lived matters- its how you’ve led your life and the lessons you’ve learnt from it.
What exactly dose “commitment” mean?
Most of us end up equating “Commitment” with “Time”- let it be one’s job or a relationship.
Though time might be one of the indicators but is definitely not a measure of someone’s commitment to a job or a relationship.
There are innumerable instances where relations have crumbled down like a house of cards even after years of “being together” (without commitment, that is).
There are employees in any organization who spend a mammoth amount of time to accomplish their tasks which could have been done in one quarter of the same time.
Are we to equate them as “highly committed individuals”?
Well, to the disgust of many I call them as mere “Chewing Gums” who live with the motto- “Aaj ka din nikal jaye toh kafee hai” without the thought or desire for growth or betterment for tomorrow.
One might well call me too philosophical for my age; but then again as I said, it isn’t how long you’ve lived matters- its how you’ve led your life and the lessons you’ve learnt from it.
THOSE TWO GOLDEN WORDS
THOSE TWO GOLDEN WORDS
When was the last time that you said “Thank You” to the traffic constable manning the traffic at a busy, polluted junction?
When was the last time that you said “Thank You” to the “pourkarmik” who irrespective of how bad the stench of our household refuse is, he’s there to collect it day after day?
Well, this might be the billionth article written on this topic, but nevertheless it still has the same significance as it had when the first article on this was written. Reason: we’re “too busy for it” or “It’s his duty for which he gets paid for”.
Everybody out there carrying out their duties are the same human beings as we all are. They’ve got the same heart on duty as they have off their duties.
Everybody craves for the same attention, appreciation and recognition that we crave for personally.
Let us thank at least one person a day irrespective of what kind of a job they do- no matter how small or big it might be, but this deed of ours would definitely bring a smile on their face and would cut the monotony in their lives to keep them going.
You need not be a “Munnabhai” with a “jaadu ki jhappi” but just say a warm, heartfelt “Thank You” with a smile on your face. Remember tons of cash or a grand function for person’s contribution may bring him recognition in society, but warm and heartfelt “Thank You” conveys a lot more.
When was the last time that you said “Thank You” to the traffic constable manning the traffic at a busy, polluted junction?
When was the last time that you said “Thank You” to the “pourkarmik” who irrespective of how bad the stench of our household refuse is, he’s there to collect it day after day?
Well, this might be the billionth article written on this topic, but nevertheless it still has the same significance as it had when the first article on this was written. Reason: we’re “too busy for it” or “It’s his duty for which he gets paid for”.
Everybody out there carrying out their duties are the same human beings as we all are. They’ve got the same heart on duty as they have off their duties.
Everybody craves for the same attention, appreciation and recognition that we crave for personally.
Let us thank at least one person a day irrespective of what kind of a job they do- no matter how small or big it might be, but this deed of ours would definitely bring a smile on their face and would cut the monotony in their lives to keep them going.
You need not be a “Munnabhai” with a “jaadu ki jhappi” but just say a warm, heartfelt “Thank You” with a smile on your face. Remember tons of cash or a grand function for person’s contribution may bring him recognition in society, but warm and heartfelt “Thank You” conveys a lot more.
Oh Lord Please Save Us!
Oh Lord Please Save Us!
It’s been 62 years since we gained independence, but I really wonder do we actually deserve it.
Flags were hoisted, sweets distributed all over the country (thanks to some NRI even households like mine could flaunt the tricolour on their rooftops and buildings). But in all the celebration we have lost the actual essence of freedom, most of us still remain slaves to the “big brothers” in the society.
A true example that could showcase the same happened in some North-eastern state of the country, where some government official hoisted the tricolour UPSIDE DOWN in the presence of 10s of dignitaries and 100s of public and tons of media personnel. The biggest irony in all this, nobody noticed the blunder or even if noticed decided to keep mum until after the completion of the ceremony fearing the wrath of the so called “big wigs” or just to please them.
So obsessed are we as a lot in pleasing others that we lose track of reality and the very moral values for which our freedom fighters stood for. Rightly said by the chairman of one of the Indian Pharma Companies “Indians speak what others want to listen” rather than the fact.
What happened to the glory of the sayings “Satyamev Jayate”?
When are we ever going to stop pleasing others and stand upright?
Till that happens I pray “Oh Lord Please Save Us”.
It’s been 62 years since we gained independence, but I really wonder do we actually deserve it.
Flags were hoisted, sweets distributed all over the country (thanks to some NRI even households like mine could flaunt the tricolour on their rooftops and buildings). But in all the celebration we have lost the actual essence of freedom, most of us still remain slaves to the “big brothers” in the society.
A true example that could showcase the same happened in some North-eastern state of the country, where some government official hoisted the tricolour UPSIDE DOWN in the presence of 10s of dignitaries and 100s of public and tons of media personnel. The biggest irony in all this, nobody noticed the blunder or even if noticed decided to keep mum until after the completion of the ceremony fearing the wrath of the so called “big wigs” or just to please them.
So obsessed are we as a lot in pleasing others that we lose track of reality and the very moral values for which our freedom fighters stood for. Rightly said by the chairman of one of the Indian Pharma Companies “Indians speak what others want to listen” rather than the fact.
What happened to the glory of the sayings “Satyamev Jayate”?
When are we ever going to stop pleasing others and stand upright?
Till that happens I pray “Oh Lord Please Save Us”.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
WHY THE HYPE
WHY THE HYPE??????????????????
Swine Flu…Swine Flu…… everywhere, TV 9 or NDTV it’s everywhere. Not a single channel which doesn’t have it (Even my company's Intranet has got it).
It’s ruthless- not the disease by itself but the paranoia surrounding it. Look at every other person out there, everybody’s wearing a mask; so much so that people haven’t spared our gods of the masks (look at the today’s Times of India edition).
I would like to ask everyone out there, don’t we see an outbreak of deadlier forms of viral fever, dengue, cholera, chikunguniya …….. you name it and we have it as regular seasonal visitor.
Just because something originates from the US or the UK we take it seriously- be it technology, recession or diseases.
Is it really worth all the media attention and hype when the west itself has taken it lightly?
Think again- Of a billion people only few hundreds are afflicted by this and everybody wants to wear a mask, but we have a million people affected with AIDS and nobody wants to wear a Condom.
Swine Flu…Swine Flu…… everywhere, TV 9 or NDTV it’s everywhere. Not a single channel which doesn’t have it (Even my company's Intranet has got it).
It’s ruthless- not the disease by itself but the paranoia surrounding it. Look at every other person out there, everybody’s wearing a mask; so much so that people haven’t spared our gods of the masks (look at the today’s Times of India edition).
I would like to ask everyone out there, don’t we see an outbreak of deadlier forms of viral fever, dengue, cholera, chikunguniya …….. you name it and we have it as regular seasonal visitor.
Just because something originates from the US or the UK we take it seriously- be it technology, recession or diseases.
Is it really worth all the media attention and hype when the west itself has taken it lightly?
Think again- Of a billion people only few hundreds are afflicted by this and everybody wants to wear a mask, but we have a million people affected with AIDS and nobody wants to wear a Condom.
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