The Argument

This was a post we shared few days back in response to The Daily Post: Bone of Contention. We feel it fits well for today’s prompt: Agree to Disagree. This reblog is for those who missed it. 🙂

Sia Positive

When there is disagreement or difference of opinion, there is controversy; and because there is controversy, change persists. We have seen childhood, youth and adulthood. And now we are experiencing parenthood. Just as our life cycle has been through different phases, so have our thoughts. Here are few of the cases, what we were taught to believe when we were young. What we were taught was not wrong; but they are not right either. At least, this is what we believe today. Our views on the same issues have undergone drastic changes. For good or bad, if you ask; we would say, its not the last! We still have miles to go before we sleep. 🙂

So, here are those issues, that we agree to disagree.

We were taught: Always keep good company.  A man is known by the company he keeps.

We believe: No company is good or bad…

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Applause!

Just one reader, is not what we target;

Sia Positive is the one reader, before millions would get.

Here is a short letter we’d like to write

To Sia Positive, telling her to bring us pride.

 

Our blog is just six months old,

The Daily Posts and Challenges help realize our goal;

A box full of random thoughts and clicks,

Has managed to catch more than four thousand hits!

 

Spare some time, take a look,

Because we want to write a book;

Measure the reflections that we give,

Craft the posts before the readers leave.

 

Make it sound, read it loud,

Help the trio feel very proud;

World never criticizes without a cause,

Oh! Please read our blog, build it worthy of applause.

@ 2015 Ahmad and Ahmad

This post is part of The Daily Post: Audience of One

The Argument

When there is disagreement or difference of opinion, there is controversy; and because there is controversy, change persists. We have seen childhood, youth and adulthood. And now we are experiencing parenthood. Just as our life cycle has been through different phases, so have our thoughts. Here are few of the cases, what we were taught to believe when we were young. What we were taught was not wrong; but they are not right either. At least, this is what we believe today. Our views on the same issues have undergone drastic changes. For good or bad, if you ask; we would say, its not the last! We still have miles to go before we sleep. 🙂

So, here are those issues, that we agree to disagree.

We were taught: Always keep good company.  A man is known by the company he keeps.

We believe: No company is good or bad. A man becomes what he thinks and believes.

We were taught: Read good books and learn from them. They will be your best friends.

We believe: Books are expressions of great people. Read the minds of great people and express what you feel before your life ends.  

We were taught: Never tell a lie, it’s a punishable sin.

We believe: Your intentions matter. Just keep your soul clean.

We were taught: Obey your elders, they know better than you.

We believe: Age is just a number. Follow the wise, even if younger than you.

We were taught: Man is a social being. Follow the rules to lead a smooth life.

We believe: Society is for us, we are not for society. Get out of the comfort zone before you die.

We were taught: Smile a lot and at many people as you meet.

We believe: Smile may be fake. Let your eyes speak as you greet.

We were taught: Never talk to strangers. You never know.

We believe: Learn to believe and trust; the good will always flow.

These were some cases, which we were taught to believe at some point in our life. Today, as knowledgeable persons we try to defend the opposite. And let us tell you, it feels great! It feels like a great development as a human being, as a learner and as a creator of our own destiny and world. Today, we dare to dream and experience reality.

We have seen the good and the bad, and we believe, there is always something good about the bad and something bad about the good. So, the ball is always in your court!

© 2015 Ahmad and Ahmad

This post is in response to The Daily Post:Bone of Contention and Agree to Disagree

Towards Harmony

This is the Cover Photo of our newly created page in Facebook- “Sia Positive”. You can also find the Link in the widgets on the right of this page. Take a look! We won’t disappoint you for sure! Let our journey begin with you! 🙂

Facebook Page “Sia Positive” is a new Initiative towards Harmony- discover the blend of Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual and Laughter; all in one platform- 🙂

Over the years we’ve almost reached a level, where we have learned to live in a state of harmony with the universe. Both our head and heart work together to create a unique and well-balanced “us”.

We have always been ardent enthusiasts and  the energetic and fun-loving quality in us has assisted us to face the acute realities of life. We are impulsive, free-flowing and exciting and try to keep track of everything. We are spontaneous and never say no to any adventure. Often, we may end up surprising and even shocking people. But that’s just how we are!!

We always remain true and keep hunting for the truth. If something interests us, we will not rest until we have acquired a profound knowledge of that area.

When faced with a problem or a tough decision, we try to break things down and make a sensible choice. We have trained our heart such that we follow our gut when necessary. Though planning and discipline exist in our dictionary, there are instances when we love to throw in a little spontaneity.

An impulsive, but balanced  outlook and approach to life creates the desire in us to not only understand the world, but to also mold it as we see fit. We have come to learn that our life becomes what we make out of it; and this has helped us in our endeavor to understand life from so many wonderful perspectives.

Join us, while we take you on a journey to Harmony- an excellent blend of Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual (not religious) and Laughter.

© 2015 Ahmad and Ahmad

Quote of the Day

The Winning Streak !!

When we started blogging in WordPress, it was a new experience for us. The excitement pushed us to meet this site daily and we were sort of attached to this new experience that supported us to ‘play’ with our daily thoughts and expressions. We state here “play” because we enjoyed every moment we spent scribbling our thoughts! Sooner or later, for whatever reason, we lost the magic wand.

We are back again and we are here with renewed zest and vigor. We are back with a  winning streak !! We are back with the magic wand to live our life more fruitfully. Here is what we have to offer to our readers.

We come across many quotations on anything and everything we want to learn. Quotations are mere experiences of people great and small and what ‘they have learnt’ from what ‘they have observed’ in the situation and environment ‘they have lived’. We tend to accept those that better suits our thoughts.

It is  never too late  to learn. We can learn everyday and every moment if we want to. We learn from others and we learn from our own experiences. 

Here are few quotations we tried to figure out from our own experiences. 

 “Never blame anyone for the life you are living. The life you are living is your choice. Believe in your choice.”

“Give me the opportunity to love and care for people i have never met. Those i love and care for, are already safe in my heart.” 

“Don’t go by words. They are mere ways of expression. Follow what you feel because your feelings are all that you own and they speak the truth.”

“Never say: I’m busy. Instead say: I’m never busy but i’m never idle either.”

“The heart never breaks. It opens the door to new beginnings. Good or bad, learn to treasure the past, accept the present and continue living. This is how you welcome your bright future.”

“Dare to take risks, dream and expect. It is better than doing nothing.”

“I love to think because it gives me the opportunity to go on a date with ME.” 

“We all can be a genius. All that we need is to think different.”

“I’m not unstable. Life provides me the ups and downs. I simply adjust myself.”

“That education is not worth it that cannot teach us how to live when we are emotionally dead.”

“Enjoy the time you waste. This way you will not regret wasting your time. Life is all about living and not winning.”

“The best Research is that which is done when we do not know what to do.”

“Be flexible, you will bend. Be rigid, you will break.”

“Be thankful to people you don’t like. What we don’t like in others is what we don’t want for us. Think simple, think wise.”

© 2014 Ahmad and Ahmad

Are you SMART ?

“The Grass is always Green on the other side.” It is human tendency to make comparisons and follow others. Knowingly or unknowingly this comparison lands us in a situation where we develop a sense of inferiority complex and that ultimately instigates jealousy in us. And if we introspect, this is actually the reason behind the negative energy within us. If we spend enough time analyzing our own thoughts and actions, how much time will be left with us to find fault with others?

To the layman, being smart may first relate to someone ‘well dressed’ and second to ‘social interaction’. Both are necessary but not sufficient for a fruitful life. Assume any situation where you come across someone who is well dressed but have a narrow bent of mind; someone who seems to steal the show but is very aggressive when it comes to personal relations.

It is not only important to ‘look good’, but what is more important is to ‘feel good’. While looking good gives us the desired confidence; feeling good gives us the desire to live our life with a purpose.

The Oxford English dictionary defines smartness as: to be good at learning, understanding and thinking in a logical way.

Let us consider these three aspects:

Learning: This refers to gaining knowledge and skill. We are not referring here to professional knowledge and skill development. Everyone is literate enough to learn to earn for himself. Even if someone is not highly educated does not mean he is not capable to live his life. And even if someone is highly educated does not mean he knows best how to live his life. The purpose of education is not to assist us to learn how to earn, rather it is to assist us to learn how to live.

We can learn in two different ways: First, from books and second from our own experience.

Books are literary works of people and their thoughts. Everyone is free to express thoughts and feelings in black and white. The conclusion we draw, however depends upon how we interpret things. There is a familiar saying: practice makes a man perfect. Learning from own experience therefore is the best way of learning. A wise decision would be to learn from others’ experience. This saves time, money and effort. For example, if you see a man fall into a pit you will definitely not follow him. But, experiences others face are based on the situation and environment they have lived in. So, how about learning from our own experience? Learning here means to lift us up when we fall, all set to face the hard realities all over again. So, when life is hard on you, never say:why me? Just say: try me! 🙂

What follows learning? It is to understand what we have learnt.

Understanding: This refers to knowing and realizing how and why things happen. This plays a crucial part because different people perceive the same situation differently. Understanding a situation assists us in our future endeavours and prevent us from committing the same mistakes a second time. It will help us to avoid an unfavourable situation or atleast direct us to act differently. But the question that arises here is: How to work on our potential to understand? This ability is acquired from our perception. Perception speaks about thinking in a particular way. A person will understand the things the way he allows his mind to work, in other words the way he thinks.

Thinking: This is the last and the most important of the three aspects of smartness. There is a very common saying that “A man becomes what he thinks”. Therefore thinking act as an institution for learning and understanding. Everything is in the mind and how we shape our mind. If we think logical we will act logical. Therefore to become smart and intelligent it is important to think logical, in other words think reasonable and sensible. This aspect reminds us of a large number of issues facing different nations in general and to human behaviour and human relations in particular. We would leave this matter for the reader to analyse and decide if he/she is smart!

The root of smartness therefore is in our mind. Our life is a learning process. It is fine to feel the way we want to feel. There is no harm in doing something we like to do. And it is absolutely alright to doubt what we have been taught to believe. What matters is we must not interfere in the lives of others. No one hurts us, no one is responsible for the life we are living. Everyone is busy assembling parts of their scattered life. Therefore, care for yourself. God is kind enough to take care of the rest. Live and let live!! 🙂

We just have to make-up our mind.

© 2014 Ahmad and Ahmad

The Love Story

House Sparrows have a close connection with people and their buildings. They won’t be found in extensive woodlands, forests, or grasslands. They can survive only in the company of humans and their settlement.

But their life is endangered by human development. The modern day buildings and apartments are not sparrow friendly. They do not provide the space for the sparrows to build their nest and raise a family in their own sweet world.

Below are two photographs of sparrows taken at different intervals. When put together, they have a dialogue. What do they say?

Sparrow 1 (Left Picture): “Come with me. I’ll take you away to a new world where we can breathe the fresh air. I’ll be your Savior. I’ll protect you and take care of you. Do not panic, come with me. I’m ready to fly. It is a beautiful world out there. We can spend the rest of our life in peace.”

Sparrow 2 (Right Picture): (sighs) “How i wish i was born free. All my life i struggled. I do not want to waste my time and let my life go in vain. We can recreate a new world here. I wish to see the sunshine. I wish to see the rain. I want to rest in peace with you here in our own sweet world. Do not go, come back to me”. 

© 2014 Ahmad and Ahmad

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/dialogue/

Breathe Free

We all are witnessing or may be victims to different forms of terror attacks. These are traumatic state of affairs. According to Oxford Dictionary, ‘terrorism’ means the use of violent action in order to achieve political aims or to force a government to act.

Terrorism is spreading like forest fire throughout the world leaving behind multitude of questions before the government, the political leaders, the judicial system and the common man. While we wait despairingly for some immediate action from higher authorities, sooner or later we realize that terror has struck the world all over again! We usually charge the inefficiency of the Government or the police. This in any case does not solve the problem of terror attacks. It is indisputably the obligation of every responsible citizen to create a fearless atmosphere and safeguard the fundamental rights of every citizen. A patriotic sentiment and the urge to spread eternal peace is the urgent need to avoid such tearful hours.

Terrorism cannot be wiped out overnight but it can be averted through a gradual course of intended actions. It is not the sole responsibility of the government to have effective checks on the peace and security of the nation rather every citizen must endeavour to disrupt and ward off further attacks. Not surprisingly, terrorists are not bizarre people but one among the ordinary masses. No one is born as a terrorist. What then makes someone a terrorist? As individuals we need to take a back seat and think over the cause of these deadly acts. We could not find any other cause other than ‘the aggressive mind’ and ‘the corrupt mind’. Cutting the branches of a tree will not allow it to die. Cut the roots and the tree will die.

 Arrest the aggressive mind

Behind every terror is some hidden aggressiveness of the terrorists. What is more alarming is that youths play an important part in this terror stage. It is high time we arrest the aggressive minds of young people. Now the question is, how? On one hand, what is required is a transparent education system that would produce civilised and refined youth. The responsibility of the education system is to prepare the youth to face the hard realities of life and teach them to be responsible human beings. On the other hand, every youth of today must also strive towards self-development that includes not just theoretical knowledge and skill development for problem solving but the greatest bid lies in overall character development. 

We thrive to ‘earn more’ rather than ‘learn more’. So far such ideas continue to fill the minds of the young people it will be a difficult job to produce responsible, sincere, honest and patriotic citizens. Love for position, money and success leaves one with the thrust to earn more, to which there is definitely no end. The craving for ‘more’ unbolts the knob to unethical practices that ultimately destroys one’s self esteem. The rising expectations give shelter to disappointment, hatred, insecurity and eventually corruption and violence that result in terrorism.

 Combat the corrupt mind

Corruption takes hostage the mind of any individual. Needless to say, we all are corrupt in some form or the other. What differs is the degree of corruption! We fail to reveal our own acts. The corruption bug is multiplying and leading the march towards a fraudulent national environment.  By taking a pledge to adopt ethical ways of working we will definitely be able to shoo away this mucky bug from the environment. Is it so difficult?

The vision of spreading peace throughout the nation is only possible through honest, sincere and collective efforts by ‘all’ and the ‘youth’ in particular who are our future leaders, civil servants, security personnel, lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, businessmen, and media persons. To win universal recognition and admiration it is necessary to maintain ethical standards and produce progressive human resources that can be transformed into an effective and robust administration where values outshine profits.

“There is always a hidden solution to any problem. Do not waste time discussing problems, instead hunt for the solutions. It is just there. You just need to have a heart to feel. Prove you are human! Breathe free!”      ——Ahmad & Ahmad

© 2014 Ahmad and Ahmad

Value based education in collegiate education- An idea

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3.  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.
4. 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.

 © 2014 Ahmad and Ahmad