To be honest, at this moment as I sit to write on this particular topic, I can hardly recall what it was like on 31st December, 2013 at 12 midnight. What were my expectations? Did I make any resolution for the New Year? I cannot get a glimpse of where I was that day!
Why my mind is blank? Am I growing old? Or am I too excited to put my thoughts in words? Yes, I’m impatient to let my fingers dance through the keypad of my laptop to come up with some crazy stories in few minutes, then read them and feel content that my thoughts did not get lost in my mind but could make its way into reality.
And here I realize, what I’m doing at this moment is something unexpected that is happening this year. Long back my best friend: my life partner suggested trying our hands in writing. Together, we did come up with few articles and a couple of research papers that were published in national dailies and journals. But soon things seemed to take a U-turn. Unaware, we lost this track, probably because we were over burdened with responsibilities of work and family. We seemed to ignore this child in us that was trying to find its way into this world but was put to rest before it could flourish.
But somehow, we had to polish our writing skills so that our motive of reaching out to millions of people all over the world, sharing our crazy ideas, thoughts and dreams, is fulfilled. ‘Our mind is like a garden of thoughts’. I say this because, hundreds of thoughts fill our mind and if these thoughts are not taken care of; sooner or later they die. Therefore it is necessary that the thoughts that cross our minds are not lost but captured somewhere. And what can be a better place than creating your own website and blogging your ideas!
Truly, trying our hands in blogging is something unexpected for us this year. Wonder what more is to happen in the days to come. But whatever is to come by is unknown. Hopefully it will be for the better, for us and for all. What we need is a positive outlook so that we always put our best foot forward but be prepared for the worst as well. We can actually just wait and watch. Expectations lead to disappointment. When we are aware of this fact, why expect? All we can do is give our best and see life offer us with good things in bountiful.
After an especially long and exhausting drive or flight, a grueling week at work, or a mind-numbing exam period — what’s the one thing you do to feel human again?
Human- a word generally used to distinguish man from animals. Is this distinction really required? As kids we used to feel at ease with any animal or bird or insect least bothered about the consequences. Children are kept away from many things, many experiences, yet they do not stop learning. But as adults we hold back and put off our mind. It seems adults need to be taken care of more than children and kept away from many things; to allow every life to take its own stride! The reader is probably wondering: what has humanity got to do with this daily post? Well, this is a point to ponder!
Back to the point. Indeed, long and exhausting drive or flight, a grueling week at work, or a mind-numbing exam period make one feel mechanical. What is that which make us feel ‘back to life’? For me, it is splashing cool water on my face, hands and legs, feel every drop taking away the exhaustion as water flows down. It is a magnificent feeling. Yes, back to life again! As for my better half; I guess the immediate thing he would do is relax in bed stretched out completely or stretch himself in the cozy sofa, (I wonder if it is so cozy) scanning the channels of the television, just like a small kid curiously watching the wagons of a passing train.
Every human will have their own crazy ways of taking them back to life. But whatever we do, in order to feel human, someone with flesh and blood; we need to do the things we love to do. And it would make life more adventurous, enjoyable and worth living if we try to discover ways to feel human whether we are taking our journey through the road (or air or water), through work or studies. Feeling human would cleanse away the exhaustion not only from the body but as well as the mind and soul. Lending a small helping hand to the needy can also make us feel human. We can find ways, innumerable ways. We just have to stop and look around.
“It is better to die once than to have hundred deaths.” We can feel human every moment. It is just a matter of choice! But again, we are ‘humans’ (still pondering over the use of this word) and however hard we try we are over burdened with emotions and taking us back to life is in itself a challenge! So, let us accept this challenge and move ahead and feel human.
“Age is just a number,” says the well-worn adage. But is it a number you care about, or one you tend (or try) to ignore?
Every moment we live is worth it! Every year we live is worth it! Yes, we do care for this number. When we were young, our elders used to ask us “What do you want to become when you grow old?” And we promptly used to reply revealing all those crazy fantasies we had. Now in our thirties, our response would be “We would like to become a child again”. This is because we enjoyed every bit of our childhood, good or bad, happy or sad. It was the age of innocence, an age when we used to have a heart full of unconditional love.
Seconds make a minute, minutes make an hour, hours make a day and days make a year! So why disrespect this number? Everything that happens in our life is a blessing in disguise. Let us celebrate this number. Let us feel this number in every breath we take. We felt our childhood which is why we wish to go back there again, we felt our youth, we are feeling our adulthood and we will hopefully feel our old age too, with pleasure! 🙂
Every moment we live is worth it! Every year we live is worth it! Yes, we do care for this number. When we were young, our elders used to ask us “What do you want to become when you grow old?” And we promptly used to reply revealing all those crazy fantasies we had. Now in our thirties, our response would be “We would like to become a child again”. This is because we enjoyed every bit of our childhood, good or bad, happy or sad. It was the age of innocence, an age when we used to have a heart full of unconditional love.
Seconds make a minute, minutes make an hour, hours make a day and days make a year! So why disrespect this number? Everything that happens in our life is a blessing in disguise. Let us celebrate this number. Let us feel this number in every breath we take. We felt our childhood which is why we wish to go back there again, we felt our youth, we are feeling our adulthood and we will hopefully feel our old age too, with pleasure! 🙂
The breathless journey!Adventurous drive through mighty mountain roads to remote areas. (Less traveled, hidden places)
The advent of summer carries with it the chain of holiday packages to the hills. The mighty hills that stand silent and melancholic for months also seem to await the hubbub of the obsessive holidaymaker. The enthralling snow-peaked mountains, natural picturesque beauty, chirping of the birds, the rhythmic melody of the forest and the pleasant weather quenches the thirst of the sundry tourists.
Tourists visiting these hills extensively spend on travel, hotels, restaurants and adventure. Fortunately, shopping is an unavoidable part of a vacationer. Decorating the living room with unique pieces of art and craft and wearing unique dress materials specific to a region is the desire of every rational traveller. But least to the tourists’ realisation, the local people from different tribes in these hilly areas abound with silent astounding skills and proficiency impassively look forward to an earning for their livelihood amidst the hustle and bustle of tourist and pilgrimage traffic.
We tried to evaluate the impact of our holiday expenses. Our refreshed mind after a vacation nullifies the lavish spending during the vacation and we eagerly look forward to plan for the next holiday ignorant of the fact that our poor counterpart in the remote parts of the hills is waiting for the next season with moist eyes.
A visit to few of the hill stations in India showed us this bitter truth. We made an endeavour to study the local culture and traditions and the bona fide man-made beauty lying quiescent in the remote areas of this Himalayan jewel. There is a ‘hidden treasure’ veiled by the breath-taking natural picturesque views and spiritual incarnation. A few in-depth interviews with the local people amplified our search to discover this undisputed ‘hidden treasure’ of the Kumaon region.
Local handicrafts
Hills are an all time travellers’ paradise with lesser-known diverse culture that is reflected in the traditional and novel crafts. Hand-made products by the people with a unique touch of local skills are appealing to the eye. Fancy and decorative products arranged in the shops and roadside stalls enhance the magnificence of shopping. Bamboo products like baskets; kitchen utility items, mats and furniture made from typical species of bamboo found in the hills try to jog our memory of a classic traditional society lying beneath a contemporary society. Miscellaneous art forms in local languages that once found way only in holy places today demands the tourists’ attention towards the emblematic and stylish designs that unearths itself in the common products like coasters, vases, greeting cards, jewellery boxes, key rings, bookmarks, wall tiles and terracotta products.
Aepan-local art form of Kumaon
Woollen and traditional textiles specific to these regions undoubtedly accomplish our desire to look traditional and different.
Hand-made woolen products
Food products and local cuisine
Long drives through the snake-like lanes offer a magnificent view of wild flowers and fruits in the lush green forest. Food products with medicinal effects locally made from these wild flowers and fruits are unheard of but are common to these solitary places. The local appetizing dishes also satisfy an appetite for home-cooked food but with a local taste. Bal- mithai, a popular sweet of Kumaon kept us licking our fingers.
Bal-Mithai (Local Kumaoni Chocolate)
Other similar products lying dormant in the lap of the hills call for an exploration. For those demanding new-fangled products, hilly areas endows the travellers the opportunity to embrace the original and natural hand-made products that is a source of livelihood for the local tribes, beyond our imagination. There are abundant socio-economic activities spilling over the hilly regions that have the power to absorb the enticing wayfarers. However, information on the shopping items is available by a hair’s breadth.
Kumaoni women engaged in hand-made productionHandloom
The socio-economic activities of tourist interest of the hills call for full-blown recognition. User-friendly technologies providing intelligent guidance to the tourists can unveil this treasure and accelerate the development of the socio-economic condition of these areas. Focused and group efforts supported by the government are called for by the local communities to develop new initiatives for better and higher quality products to attract more and more tourists.
We generally try to overlook this hidden beauty whenever we are on a vacation. So the next time we plan for our summer holiday let us not leave behind this ‘hidden treasure’ that means bread and butter for our unfortunate counterpart.
When we are comfortable standing alone people will approach us to know the secret of our success. But when we are not comfortable standing alone we feel depressed and we seek answers. Depression has a tendency to isolate us from the world and if we’ve ever realised, the more we isolate ourselves the more we are depressed. This is because we are a social animal and crave for company.
Sorrow is an indispensable part of life; we cannot avoid it but we can and should try to overcome the after-effects of sorrow: loneliness and depression. To get rid of depression we need to inculcate in us ‘realisation’- realisation that loneliness will intensify the dismal situation. When we are depressed nothing seems right for us. However hard we try we even fail to keep busy with our personal interests and hobbies. But trying to take that leap is no harm. Having a friendly chat may not wipeout our depression completely but will definitely change the environment to help us conquer our mind that is down in the dumps and give us the needed strength to accept our situation.
The most winning solution to our current problem is conversing with people who are in the same state of mind. This will help us realise that everyone, rich or poor, old or young, have to face life’s trials. Therefore whenever we encounter a difficult situation we should always look at the more deprived and thank God that we are in a much better position than them. This will facilitate us to learn and strive against all odds. “Never feel sad that you do not have a pair of shoes because there are people who do not have legs”.
Life and time does not wait for our depression to subside. Hence the solutions to our problems lie within us. It is the inspirational food we give to our mind that we and we alone can get rid of our negative energies. Philosophical books or advice from the wise do play its part sometimes. But ultimately the solution is how and when we implement it and are we really prepared to implement it!
We’re creations of the same Creator as you (The Supreme Power). We’ve seen good days and bad days. We’ve also survived through hard times. What we’ve realised is that happiness and sorrow are relative terms. It all depends on our Will- Our willingness to feel happy or willingness to grief! Speak well and you will never hear foul language! See good and you will be surrounded by good! Hear good and you will be rewarded back with good thoughts! So just feel good and ignore the bad!
Collegiate education is the third level of formal education. This level of education is expected to boost the career prospects and the earning potential of the graduates. The greatest challenge before higher educational institutions is to produce employable graduates; which mean skilled people who would help the nation in growth and development. But skilled based education will not be complete unless it is supported by value based education. Therefore, one of the main objectives of collegiate education should be to produce responsible employable citizens; who are dependable, liable and trustworthy.
Values are certain rules that drive our behaviour and influence our actions and ultimately our relationship with the self as well as others. These values cannot be imposed. They must be acquired. Value based education is an approach of teaching and learning that works with positive values such as fairness, discipline, honesty, patience, tolerance, respect, collaboration, compassion forgiveness and love. These qualities of a responsible citizen should be practiced everyday to make it a habit in the long run.
College students are grown up learners with the ability to take decisions for their life. They must be guided in a manner that their decision processes help benefit them and the society at large. It is an accepted truth that values are influenced to a great deal by the surrounding environment. So the best way to spread value based education in collegiate education is to create a positive environment in the college campus.
Now the question that arises is how to create an environment in the campus free from negative vibes?
The following ways may be adopted:
Encourage team work: Team work fosters self education. Through meeting, one can learn the patience to listen, tolerate and respect the conflicting ideas cropping up in the group and learn to work in a collaborative manner.
Brain storming sessions: Well planned periodic brain storming sessions would help and motivate the young learners to keep track of their acquired values and prepare them for the future as strong citizens.
Highlight positive effects of technology: Measured guidance should be provided regarding the use of technology. One should take care that positive aspects are highlighted because advantages of emerging technologies would assist the students to understand the importance of technology and guide them to use it in the right direction.
Focus on positive thinking: Present generation learners are prone to all types of negative energy such as anger, hate, frustration and impatience. Positive energy must be spread to make the college campus suitable for effective learning. For example, during Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations, success stories from all over the world must be staged instead of negative stories, to inculcate a feeling of “belonging” to the nation and at the same time spreading the knowledge of compassion, forgiveness and love.
It is said that a man becomes what he thinks. The young learners must be guided to mould their own mind so that they understand the importance of positive values and apply these values in their journey of life.
“Rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer” is a common catchphrase in most developing countries. Despite tremendous progress few countries still carry the huge burden of poverty and inequality in her shoulder. However crucial these problems are, yet the blame game continues! The tussle between the common man and the government, among political parties, between the government and the opposition, and between law and corruption seems a never-ending process. These are unavoidable situations throughout the globe.
It is difficult to stay away from the society we live in but our mind is definitely not arrested by the society. We are for the society, society is not for us. So let us make the change we want to see!
Financial insecurity
The person living in a bungalow is considered wealthier than the person living in a one bedroom flat. The person possessing a one bedroom flat is better-off than the person living in a thatched house. The person living in a thatched house is much comfortable than the person living on the street who is deprived of even a loaf of bread. The above series of wealthiness points out that a very poor man views the person living in a bungalow as being born with a silver spoon in his mouth! Have we ever wondered who then is to blame for the person living on the street? Is it intelligent to trigger Government policies for prevalence of poverty in a society? We blame corruption. Have we ever wondered we all are corrupt, only that the degree of corruption differs!
Poverty seen from a different perspective is actually grounded by the continuous flow of materialistic expectations of human beings. High worldly expectations lead to dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction makes one feel worse off than his counterpart. What is therefore essential is a check on our worldly pleasures that would sooner or later keep us content and help cater to the needs of the actually deprived section and give them an opportunity to experience an almost (not exact) equal share in the society.
Intellectual dogma
Another essential ingredient for reducing poverty is education. Education, not to increase the literacy rate but to teach one and all to think rationally. Rational thinking would itself act as a tool to success. And so every educated person will have an opportunity to become rich. Choice is open!
It is not a crime to aim high. While it is a general tendency of a person to compete with his / her counterpart, the trophy is ultimately taken away by the one who competes with his / her own potential. Opportunity is created for the person who strives to achieve. To come out of the vicious circle of poverty one has to cross several hurdles. The deprived should develop self-reliance and learn to accept new developments instead of holding others culpable for his / her existing state of living.
The eye opener
We look forward to reforming our society to eradicate social evils. A simple question to be answered. How much have we contributed as individuals? How many of us have cared to lend a helping hand to the people on the streets when we plan for a holiday with our loved ones? Lets us not depend on any authority to open our eyes! Are we so ignorant?
Let us learn to appreciate the positive aspects and resolve the negative aspects instead of playing the blame game. Let us play our individual character honestly and sincerely. It is time we come out of the shell of conventional thinking and look at the world with a broader and different perspective. What is required is a sense of self control and a pinch of rational thinking and concern for our fellow beings.
Sia Positive 