Tag: mindful living

Making sense of the nonsense around you!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Even under normal circumstances, it would be important to have clarity about what we pay attention to and what we ignore! Given the kind of conflicting mayhem that the world is in right now; it’s no wonder that people now are getting  overwhelmed with the noise around- most of which is pure information garbage! This short piece is about trying to decipher the way around too many inputs and stay focused on the outcomes that you want in a given scenario!

So, depending on where you are on the world map- you are either moving about normally, locked in your own abode or moving around wearing the latest designer masks- which- trust me are doing nothing more then making it harder for you to breathe in and out- unless you are a trained yoga student- with some great breath control techniques at your disposal!

It is in times like these, that we can learn valuable lessons and also understand how we individually process information that we receive on an ongoing basis– What is that we do to know what is the right source, what to believe, what not to and how to verify what is being told and how do we go about that verification process to validate the information that we have been provided with! Many a times the information that receive will be crafted in the agenda of the sender of the message for all the right and wrong reasons!The more critical the formation, more are the chances of it carrying along with it an element of what I call as “Information malware”- which will override the essence of the information’s contents – This malware has one objective to have your reaction directed in a particular manner even before your discerning mind tries to make sense of what the context is and evaluate sensible options to address the contents of the information! So what do we do?- well read on…

To begin with, what we can always do and must always do is keep our approach in life (especially when we are at the receiving end) simple! Yes folks, that’s as easy as this, keeping a simplified approach- but the journey to develop a simplified approach given the complex brain that we carry over our shoulders is very often easier said then done!- At times there is a good measure and reason for it (when you are leading a large organisation or a nation) and yet at  other times you may tend to just procrastinate- even when your decision will not even make an impact on your shadow!- forget anyone around you!

When you do receive a piece of information- When it is  for your survival- well in most cases that will be an order and then overriding all else you will have to simply follow- because any argument will ensure you aren’t there for the next get together among your known faces! Of course this works only on the premise that the sender also has the real single point agenda of saving your life! Recall “brace” positions call out by flight crew, when they say “Brace” or a pilot says, “Mayday” well there’s no arguing and overthinking about what will follow next- it’s simply a clear statement of an emergency and asking each one to follow a laid out protocol- no one holds debates around this time and kind of messages and information flow! In times like these; De-clutter and follow what is being told- when the source is verified beyond doubt to be having the same interest like that of your’s- To stay alive!

When  you receive information through a chain of command in the corporate world- as far as possible and whenever possible – if you can’t figure out (which ideally you should be able to most of the times!) why you are performing a task, it’s always good to ask for clarification- for two reasons- one possibly you may not be the best person to do it (since you need clarity!) and secondly your ignorance can actually cause a far greater blunder (in your attempt to try doing something which you aren’t sure about!). You don’t want to be a first-aid responder who faints at the sight of blood! The corporate world is replete with examples wherein  people have been entrusted with tasks and given instructions only to screw up things even more and ensure more pain is given to the person from whom the instruction came! Why does this happen?- Well, simply because the person at the top had assumed that because you are labelled as what your designation says- you must be competent to manage what has been informed to you! More often then not what is importantly missed out– Is the ability to verify precedents wherein such a situation was previously managed or not by you!

On a societal level, we have always ensured that we are constantly bombarded with an ongoing onslaught of information- most of which is absolutely useless and has no bearing whatsoever on our dear lives! Yet, the confirmation biases and the peer pressure to be part of that large social gang and be able to contribute to general gossip is so overpowering that it also silences the internal correction mechanisms – called your Soul! More often then not it takes away the remaining limited level of intelligence that one may have and once the dumb part of us takes over- we just go on adding to the spread of nonsensical information- ending up being the source and the victim both! Here the way- and possibly the only way is to Avoid!- Avoidance is the only first and last step to battle information nonsense floating round the society! Each time before you click that button on a site,  or share your cell number for that offer by an sms,  or subscribe to that channel on a social handle, pick up that gossip magazine, or supplement from a newspaper (I presume you will be left with only a page or two of real news- the times that we live in!), you are just opening up channels for all that information filth to come and hit you in your private space! Don’t do that!

Instead subscribe to any and all information that serves you to be a better person, enhances your knowledge in the area of your work, information that uplifts your soul and helps you learn something new (hobbies, music, crafts), urges you to explore something better (travel) and makes you more wise in terms of choosing what to hold on to and what to let go! This is the real essence and way to manage the onslaught of information nonsense around us! As the old saying goes- You are known by the company you keep, and more importantly, The company you keep is a factor of the Quality of Information that you hold!

I will leave you with these thoughts for now, take your time to subscribe to new channels and information treasure troves and unsubscribe from glorified nonsense today! Take charge, have your drink and stay wise- making sense from the nonsense around!

 

The isolation advantage!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Well, in the context of what’s happening around the world, for now, “isolation”, may be the only word that is so respected  and feared at the same time! So even as nations battle it out there using all the tricks that they have in their book- one common thread on all this happens to be “keeping distance” and “isolation” as much as possible- well certainly that’s the way and perhaps the only way to fight contagious diseases from spreading (we learnt this as students of grade four, I guess), until we have the vaccines in place. But still what’s important to observe and study is how the human mind is coping up with or loosing it, as social interactions are restricted and at times when Isolation becomes the norm! This is about knowing how amazingly we the see the best and hope even in the darkest and most trying times! So here we go!

We all know about humans being “social animals” and have learned this at school (and even if we have not been to any), through the mere fact that we are related and would have a dozen of first cousins and over two dozens of second level relations, merely reflects how human society has evolved through the last three centuries! As the promise of resources (read food, water, shelter and safety) grew over the last three centuries, humans have resigned themselves to the comfort of community support for all situations good and bad– whether it is a community fun fare, marriages in the little town tucked away far from the city, political representation (unless you are yet being ruled by kings/ autocrats) or it is about saving lives in face of natural calamities and being there for one another when disaster strikes! This is more or less how we have always been and this is how it is supposed to be – irrespective of all the differences of ideologies and pressures acquired by a society by virtue of the urge to control and dictate- this fundamental thread of being able to look out for one another for good and bad and expecting nothing in return ( and you always thought only animals are wired like this!).It has always been so and it is again, we humans who have from time to time either ignored this or played even this to our advantages!

Looping back to the times that we are experiencing right now, the induced isolation, through self-quarantines and medical quarantine worldwide to protect ourselves and the ones around is throwing up some strange strategies to cope with this new dictate of the ruling governments! There are some communities which even under lock-down situations have managed to connect through human voice and music (even as they stay isolated), there are yet who have possibly sought refuge to engage and interact online, so that they feel and stay connected, yet others roam about as if nothing happened ( and these are the gifted ones’ who have always remained in self- imposed quarantine either because of their lengthened intelligence or completely extinguished cognitive ability- either ways it’s helping the world for now! More strange have been those instances where few- really handful few- who have mustered the courage to escape and run away form quarantined zones! So what are all these behavioral attributes saying about us and the human mind! What are we now evolving into as we face and overcome this global menace which is requiring us to manage social distance and be unto ourselves- how will this help or harm the future of our societies?

Human brain seeks companionship and that’s how it is hard-wired – you may be the most eclectic of yogi’s or saint’s seeking divine bliss- but even for you to tell the world that you have attained it- you will still need someone to speak to about it! So when you put people in completely unnatural situations- the first involuntary reaction is of disbelief- “No this can’t be happening- not to me- the medical guys have made a mistake- they are idiots- It can’t be”, this is followed by a quick realization of the next point- “well what if they are right and I am not taken care of – I may not exist and I may be well on my way out of the planet and the end up being a statistical number!- This powerful thought then overcomes the initial disbelief and shock making co-operation possible and then resigning oneself to the orders from perfect strangers who call themselves whoever they are-doctors, paramedics, you name it – The simple promise that you will be fine and safe by doing what we say- is such a powerful statement that almost 99% people will comply and pay heed to what these strangers are saying(In different context of history though- read dictators- it is exactly a similar response that has ended up having more people killed then cured!).The remaining 1%, well yes they do exit and these are the one’s who will end up doing eccentric stuff- running away, not following rules, not taking medicines, playing dumb- intentionally and unintentionally- they do this not because they want to – but simply the situation has become so overwhelming to their minds that they no longer can cope with it and hence neither have a trusting bias or a doubting bias (if you have one of these biases you can be managed and cured by developing an alternative narrative- but when you keep switching fast between the narratives- you end up becoming a living nightmare for the world – far worse then the battles against a virus! So what’s the way ahead and how do we make most of a situation which gets labelled as “Isolation”

One way, is to change the narrative from the word itself-instead of calling it Isolation- Call it “Time for personal investment”- a time to invest into yourself – to develop your personal strengths, learn to do away with your fears (demons in your head) and your weaknesses, a time to pursue something your daily routine and rush of life kept you away from (as long as it can be pursued within the confines of being isolated- I am not suggesting someone to pick up a guitar and arrange for live concert- rather pick it up and upload a video online!). This “Me time” can be used to assess your priorities in light of the new vulnerabilities that the world is bring to you- maybe you need to move to a new place- maybe you need to reassess the job you do – maybe you need to learn how to be strong and focused by yourself to keep you safe and maybe its time for you to realize that “Life cant and should not be taken for granted”! Once we flip our view of isolation and start to fill it with the books we needed to read, the films that we wanted to watch, the chats that we wanted to have with our friends, the peace that we would have wanted to hold within or as simple as the afternoon nap that you wanted to have in so many years- just seek what was amiss from your busy life and let this curse of isolation be turned into a blessing in disguise and use it to your advantage so that we the crisis is finally over and you emerge- you emerge as a person changed for good – who now values each moment of life in a more meaningful and mindful way- and possibly by then you know what wise issues you should engage with and when you should walk way from what doesn’t make you feel enriched and a better person!

I leave you with these thoughts on a Monday, wherever you are reading this, no matter how isolated you are, now you know how to make isolation work for you! Remember it is not the Isolation that hurts, it is the fear of missed opportunities and lack of connect that troubles us- because we tend to have a fear of missing out the social beacons (which we normally  use as our glide path as we navigate around society!). Once you have reached deep within yourself and re-assessed your priorities- thanks to the available time through isolation- you will no longer be in search of beacons and will most probably end up being a light house for others in the society to follow!

Ciao for now, grab that drink and stay wise! Run wild  with your thoughts and imagination and pursue your dreams- for this is the time to build upon your strengths, dreams and ideas and these will come alive eventually as you sustain and their time arrives!

 

The real essence of saying “I”

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Well folks, for a Sunday  quick read, I thought this would be a great topic, a topic which will help you get some space for yourself and importantly this should help a big deal the next time, you picked up the phone and introduced yourself or told someone that , It was “I” and “My” team who got this done!” well this piece is about the “I” hidden within you and each one of us and an attempt to gauge who this “I” really is!

I am sure you too would have observed and come across people who have, time and again told you stories about what they had done, and the story more often then not goes on with an opening like, “I had then said that or done that or I did this and that” etc. So who is this “I” the central character in the multitudes of the stories that unfold- at times this “I” seems to be different for different people and at times this “I” also contradicts preset behaviors from earlier times and surprises everyone by doing something which at times also ends up stumping the “I” eventually! So how and what is all that goes around with this “I” and what role does it play and what is it’s relevance!

Let me take a case in point, to try and simplify, if I have not confused you enough as yet! Consider this, you wake up on a Monday morning, you rush through your morning chores, drop your kids to school (if they are still young! If they are grown up- they would be ideally coming into the house as you leave for work!), reach your work area- you speak with your peers, junior and seniors and all those who matter through the day- some of this chatter is meaningful and tons of it borders on things, people and aspects which really don’t make sense! (for either they- the people don’t care that you discuss about them or your discussing them doesn’t change anything for them or anything regarding them with the framework of the universe!). Once you have done this then you head back home to resign yourself to the safety and comfort of the nest that you relate yourself with as your own! and then finally you say- I have had a great, hectic day! In all this hectic run-around of the day, “I” was always there making its’ presence felt during meetings, taking decisions and utilizing power and position to influence outcomes at home and work by virtue of who you are assigned to be and the “I”within takes charge! But somewhere in all this, the true essence of “I” gets lost and the lost essence is more about seeking your true inner self and knowing who You are hidden away within the I!

I am not too sure, how much of what you are reading is making sense to you at the moment, but trust me, once you realise the true essence of  the “I” within you, it will set you up for a completely different level of yourself!

As you rushed through you daily chores; the “I” was squeaking and guiding you from time to time to act and say something differently; perhaps it was the choice of words in your sentence, perhaps it was the way you conducted yourself, perhaps it was about something that you did;- which you would have not wanted to do at all!- this subtle conflict is something that goes on within each one of us- but of course, with the mad rush to rush through our lives ever increasing with our complicated lives; this subtle voice, tends to change into whispers and fade away into nothingness by the time we realize the extent and impact of what we have silenced!

If you think about for a moment (trust me you need only your drink and an open space to think around this!), the “I” which defines you- at least what you think – defines you has got severely entrapped into the definitions limited to your business cards, family name and social titles ushered to you- certainly nothing wrong with all this- all well earned and well deserved- but what all or any of these can’t and will never be able to impact and alter is the truest essence of the intrinsic “I” within you- this my friend is at the heart of the matter!

In the times that we live in, the real “I”, (you may call it your soul, your connect with the almighty, your elevator to tap the vast power of the Universe; well you may like to give it any shade of higher intellect and I would be happy with that!) is often miles away from the “I” that enacts your soul in the settings of the world to achieve specific ends- whether that is to relate to the relations that you manage, work, peers, social presence and influence that you want to exercise– well almost anything around you- any interaction that you do with this entrapped “I” will eventually come back haunting you sooner or later once the point of divergence goes beyond a pint of no return!

So whats the plan you may ask me around now! Well, keeping it to the limitations of a blog, that I have here (and avoiding to dig deeper and drown into philosophy), let me decode the lesson for you right away! The real essence and the real magic of your “truest I” is the fact that – it is Your Soul- Your very Intrinsic reason – The purpose – The “Fundamental Why” of why you exist! The only way that you can progress on the charts and metrics of your Soul is to allow this inner self to govern and guide your perceived and projected self as you engage and move around the world! Given the level of diminishing intelligence around, you will come across shades of engagement ranging from being dumbfounded to utter disbelief to gross disregard to all that you go to do with the intrinsic power of your true self! However, once you don’t allow this to impact you and  you overcome this, it becomes easier and lighter for you to progress and move ahead!

Our  real “I” is always kind, compassionate, mindful and non-judgmental and is more of an universal grand-dad who keeps a watch and says, “Well okay dude, you are doing just fine, keep going I am here within and I will pinch you the moment I think you are trying to be more loyal to your perceived self ( as seen by the society) rather then being who you really should be! This, my friend, is the long and short of it! It is about being aligned and in-sync with your soul always and all the times, social compulsions, positions will come and go, what is important is being able to steer clear and know when to strike a balance between your real self and your perceived self! Always remember one thing- No matter who says what- the only individual who will ever recognize and appreciate your soul is the you and your discerning mind!

I will leave you with these thoughts for today and hope as you sip your drink and feel content with it! As you walk into your work area on Monday morning and for all times in the future- May you carry along with you- within yourself – The True “I” and ensure that you stay incrementally ahead of the perceived “I” all times!

Ciao for now! Will be back with another piece soon! Stay Soulful and Stay Present!

What travel type are you?

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

In an era where airplane tickets are as affordable as a buffet at five star property and with more and more people then ever before living by the maxim of “Soaking in Today”, it’s no wonder that after food, travel happens to be the biggest indulgence! This piece is about, trying to understand why people do what they do as they travel and how we can find our zen as travelers!

One primary reason, that the very thought of “travel” uplifts our soul and mind (in most of the cases) will be largely because of the hard wiring that exists within us through evolution of earlier being nomadic wanderers, hunters and food gatherers moving from one region unto the next with a view of surviving- it is these journeys eventually made us reach shores and lands of promise- along river basins, coasts, flat lands where opportunities flourished to provide longer sustenance and dependability so that civilizations can be born and foundations of modern day human societies could be laid!

Sure enough, as the wise people have always said, “Travel makes you wise”- The reason behind this statement was in a very compelling context of bygone times though! Those were the times when long voyages were only possible if they were funded by Kings or if you were a wealthy trader who had a liking to know what existed beyond and wanted to use that first movers advantage to get your hands on some eccentric stuff which could mean a great profit in the courts of the kingdom! Then there were again a few select dedicated travelers through the ages who were seeking the divine truth through pursuing theosophical teachings and soaking in what life means across cultures and belief systems around the yesteryear civilized world! Irrespective of what was the reason of travel then and who you were, the chances were that even if you were a sail boat oarsman in those times, you had an IQ and physical strength of even the most revered scholar or a Harvard MBA of today! This is one reason why you will find that the whole of documented history of the known world is a knowledge repository that has survived the ravages of time and upheavals – courtesy of these great people! You can call them scholars and geniuses who importantly knew-“When to travel,”Where to travel”, and “Why to travel”!

Our modern life has been a blessing and a curse in disguise, blessing because I can be sitting right on my chair, use a few applications that are available in the market and zoom onto my  favorite street  or beach front or a mountain range, literally any place around the world and see the views and soak into the virtual feeling of being there- right from the comfort of my home! Sure enough, nothing beats the actual and real feel and this is where the actual story begins!

When you travel around and observe the modern day travelers,what do you see? Who are they, or at least who do they seem to be? Well, I will make this simple for you, you have possibly seen these focused travelers– these are the people who travel to their relatives to return the compliments and accept every wedding invitation (as if the wedding will not happen if they didn’t make it!), then you have those time bound family vacation travelers who will hit the same airport or rail head, around the same time of the year- complain and compliment about what changed at the terminal and in the cabin or the railways carriage and visit the destination have alive- half dead (because in that one year- gross disregard to health will take its’ toll- with the dragging of all those heavy bags which just keeps on growing in weight every year- for no real sensible reason!). Next you have those corporate hot shots who are always moving around the terminals like they are on a MI6 mission to save the world and always drowned into themselves and struggling with their bags or the laptops that come along with them as extended parts of their physical being! So, now the million dollar thought- think about it- are they really travelling? in the real sense of the word? 

Certainly they are not, sure enough if you are on a office assignment, no one expects you to go shopping or sight-seeing- but how about even getting that 10 minute break to know where you have landed- what’s the culture of the place like- who are these people who reside here?- what is that drives them and what is that they enjoy and need the most? This missing human connect which is the million dollar essence of travel has all but gone away for a toss and whatever little chances are there to understand fellow humans, cultures and places that we visit has been taken away by those senseless and limitless self-indulging and self-obsessed selfies that you see standing out menacingly all over the digital landscape! Of course all hope is not lost, not everyone has lost the old and intellectual charm of traveling and when you get to see these wise souls at airports or at travel exchanges, you will feel uplifted by just seeing them and when you speak with them, the knowledge that flows and the story of the one day adventure that they had during the last hike or beach ride or rock climbing or walk in the old market place or the local dish that they had simply baffles you- because your may have traveled the sector many times; but these wise people travel once and they do it right!

So what’s the point here, well simple, travel in the essence of travel, whether you travel all by yourself or tag along a few friends, or your family along, let that travel be compelling, enriching and something that adds value to the lives and knowledge of those who are along with you and also to the people whom you meet and interact with through the course of your journey and when you make it to the destination and back! Let there be videos and snaps that tell as troy that soak about a narrative, a learning that you picked up rather then that mindless grin which you can anyways see while your brush you teeth everyday morning!

Like mindful living, mindful travel can do wonders, it can help you come up with the next big idea or it could help you overcome a life challenge- well who knows for that’s the real magic of travel when its done in the true essence of it! I normally don’t preach on what people should do or not do (they are the best judge to know what works for them or otherwise!), but one thing that I can share as an experience is that when you travel hands free with as minimal luggage as possible and have a vision and a camera that is always pointed away from you and into the journey and places and people around- you will end up capturing stories that can inspire and motivate and uplift you when you spend time and come back to them when you need them! 

I will leave you here, with your thoughts on travel and something to plan this weekend for a wonderful travel for some other weekend the future! Whatever you choose, a mountain range or a beach, a metro city or a quiet village- let there be a purpose, a plan and a learning that enriches you and everyone that you come across in the future by virtue of the travels that you undertake! Always remember if you have got  the 5 senses, make use of them and there is nothing that compares with travel when it comes to rejuvenating these 5 senses of being human in the true essence of it!

Ciao for now, Travel Safe and Travel wise! remember no pulling of bags and senseless grins on those spooky selfies!  

 

A drug called curiosity.

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Well; I read this sometime somewhere, “Curiosity never killed the cat”, and then there were friends around who also had read, quite the contrary; “Curiosity killed the cat”! Well this piece is a quick sneak peak into the intrinsic element that we all have within in some measure- called, “Curiosity” and to know whether that’s actually helping us live or getting us killed! So here we go!

Every, life-form that has a brain with an ability to exercise cognition- will be curious in some or the other way- depending on the type of organism, it’s immediate environment and the kind of dangers and threats that it needs to ward off! Curiosity has evolved, being a reflection of how dominant a species has been through the evolutionary ecosystem! One thing that you will always find even in nature is that the most dominant of the species in an area of study will demonstrate heightened levels of curiosity which are reflective of the higher value that the organism carries in the value chain and these are enhanced in equal measure for both prey and predators and this I believe is nature’s masterstroke, among many others, to ensure that the natural world and the selection of the species and survival all of these aspects keep moving ahead through a fine balance!

Coming back to our world- a world of evolved- sapiens- the final frontier of biological evolution (as of now at least), we can flip the pages and take pride in the the kind of achievements that we have been able to register- as Individuals and societies across the world at different times- under different co-existing challenges! An element of common thread that runs beneath all the success and failure that humankind has experienced and shared through the ages is also reflective of the amount of curiosity demonstrated/ exercised and avoided!- We have stood to benefit and struggle at different times through history depending on whether we decided to act proactively or ignored our wanderlust mind and tried to remain passive to our own peril!

Every person who has read history, geography or geology has read about Mt. Vesuvius (the eruption that happened around AD 79) which famously wiped out the entire human habitat at Pompeii in a matter of minutes! What could have happened here , when we think about “Curiosity”- Weren’t the residents of a progressive society, living under the shadow of a tall mountain- which may also have sent out smoke plumes and occasional rumblers, ever wonder and think what was going around that Mountain? Well, certainly they would not have had the advantage of modern day science apparatus and gadgets, but during that time, knowing well, that Roman societies were highly evolved with arts, sciences (like Philosophy, Literature etc.) the question simply remains- why were their “curious minds” so oblivious of a danger sitting right over them? Think around this and hold your thoughts- as we explore another arena from recent history…

Fast forward to 1700s (the dawn of modern history)- say we arrive in a period post 1700s- what we witness here is a rapid development in technological areas and machine science coming of age- methodical and unprecedented documentation of history through volumes over volumes of books, research papers, scientific journals, all of them collaborating and contributing to help us reach where we are today! So what is the common thread running through human history in this period of time- Well, you guessed it right! “Enhanced Curiosity” and a sustained effort towards experimentation! The result, well we owe each and every bit of our modern day luxury to the pioneers and scientist of this bygone era- whether it is the CT scan machine that you are using, that X Ray door frame at the airport terminal, that electron microscope that ensures that airplanes are safe or the simple science applied to food chemistry that has ensured we live longer (living healthy is a choice as yet left unto us!)

So what actually was different between the Roman example and the the advent of modern societies post rapid industrialization- well the difference was in a simple aspect- the aspect of knowing when to be curious and in what measure. Of course, stable societies that guarantee safety and offer incentive for risk taking and enterprise always enhance “curiosity”. Societies that shun risk appetite (for one or the other reason) eventually end up being under the proverbial Volcano that will certainly erupt! (it always is just a matter of time- it’s then about When and not about If!) These proverbial Volcanic eruptions are not necessarily volcanic ash in pour face and lava lakes flowing through our cities- it is something far worse then that- when societies shun – individual enterprise by penalizing curiosity and enterprising approach by tying it up with penalties; these curious minds seek environments that offer better intellectual spaces and (which are the least penal and far more intellectually stimulating- read Brain Drain!)

Well, so whats the point here- well simple as always- The intrinsic fabric of our mind holds Curiosity- don’t believe me – fine- try interacting with those 2-5 year old’s and then let’s have a chat! The essence of human mind and the bio-chemical gift that it is also underlines this basic hardwired trait to be always seeking, searching and finding answers and developing our abilities of reliability through cognition and experimentation to make our today and tomorrow safer for us and the following generations! Like every other attribute- too much or too little of it surely can spell a disaster– example by setting off false levels and layers of urgency or complacency- which we often see in our workplaces! (because as long as we are not ending up killing anyone – everything seems fine in the corporate world- no matter what new levels of dumbness we achieve). Most of the times these errors are not fatal , but complacency when coupled with a fatigued mind- has almost always led to disasters and the only attribute that could have helped avoid them would have been a sustaining and an inquiring mind- which always asks- “Why is this – what I see- the way it is- is there a better way- for this to exist or work or provide that next level of benefit which is out of reach as yet!”

Before I leave you at the mercy of your curious mind- Always remember- All greatness that Humankind has ever achieved has been a function of an underlying curious mind and a curious-mind led thought leadership! As species it is our curious minds that help us navigate situations which are out of any written script whether we are dealing with animal instincts hidden among humans around us or we encounter real animals at their wildest best- when we are on our next hike!

I leave you here, grab your drink and let your curious mind wander a bit- a good question- well- try and figure out – “Who are you”! Ciao for now!

Disconnect and stay connected!

~ PA ~ 1 Comment

Not that I am turning out to be an old monument or a war memorial in the making- but the other day when the idea of this topic was shared by a friend, couldn’t resist writing a few lines! This topic has been playing on my mind for a while now- this piece is about really understanding how we get drawn and pulled into the senseless and at times the idiotic world of being Online for kind of forever and ever- and the greatest irony- well to know How being online (in a trance mode) is harming you, you need to come online to learn how to stay away from it!

Before the young audiences start assuming and logging off- well there was a time not so long ago- when letters were written ( not only as part of school letter writing assignments), fixed line phone calls were made only when the message was of grave importance (more often then not it would communicate about somebody’s death or someone getting married or someone coming anew into the human race!). This was a time (which I also referred to in an earlier article) where a two hour train journey could help you find friends for life- who in turn would mean more then your family- there was a time when you had groups and groups of acquaintances and friends (real people- not those spooky virtual ones!) who were available on a call and yet there was space- so much space for yourself to know really Who U are and what is that U have set to achieve! So what changed- How did we come to this point – A point where, we believe everything that is said online over the digital world and we doubt real people and then regret for it!

Well, the answer simply lies within us, because we are humans and this is the way we are wired! Get back to the good old times of Kingdoms, clans, tribes and simple one level societal structures- what do you see happening here- well the only way to get popular support was either through brute strength – physical or demonstration of brilliant thinking by being a thought leader among the people who could impact a positive and visible change on the lives of people (read- building of civilizations and large empires). All this was possible because of the intrinsic people connect– even in those times undertaking journeys of thousand miles or more just to propagate an idea (in-person) and garner acceptance and approval!

With the advent of modern times, still all was not lost- greatest of inventions, scientific discoveries, breakthroughs in modern human lives all of them have occurred only by collaboration and people-to-people connect. Whether it is the first manned mission to the moon, fighting wars, creating path breaking medicines, setting up great marvels of engineering through factories and machines- you think of it and you will see that at the foundation of all great things that humanity has ever achieved – it always has the underlying essence of Human-to-human personal connect- in flesh and blood!

In the last 20 odd years or so, with the menace of the digital age (thanks to the collaborative research done by people talking and working with each other!) as a society, we have developed a false sense of acceptance, social presence- through real life isolation and created space for being in pseudo-control- of everything around us by being online! All these are ramifications of the online-digital menace that coerces you too like that post, share content (which rarely makes sense) and post those tons and tons of personal snaps and videos which do nothing but add up to the pile of E-Garbage and different laws make it mandatory to have more and more servers added up just to store this pile of electronic data and garbage – so that it stays available!– I mean who really cares when you have loaded that snap- people who know you “know you” and those who don’t, really don’t care what happiness or grief you ate going through at the time when you do what you do! Even as your neighbor does not know who you really are! and at times even shocking your own family members on the go! things have just seemed to go from one stage of unmanageable mess to another!

As opportunities to lead real humans- through participating in society groups diminishes for one or the other reasons, people tend to explore the more convenient space of this digital arena to create pseudo follower-ship which gives a real life high by tracking virtual developments!– No wonder this has also lead to manifestation of new age – digital linked medical and mental health conditions! Can you even remotely recall any King who went into a depression because the audience did not clap hard enough after his speech? but I am sure you would have heard about that person who went into a depression because the posts did not gather enough likes! This is what running after hallucinations and mirage does to your mind and health- so what if the mirage is created in an online space!

More importantly, this is something not only makes us poor at real social connections, but also sabotages the quality of relationships that we have within our own house, family and friends; often you will see four friends on a table each one into their own screens, families at a dinner table- each one updating their own online status! Well, when you should be really looking into the eyes and mind of the person next to you and contributing to their life’s betterment and sharing stories that make sense- all that we end up doing is taking some stupid snaps and uploading them where it really matters to none!

So what’s next from here now- Well not that I am advocating for you to do something- you are wise enough to decode what has been shared here! The secret lies in striking a balance– the answer lies in the fact that we use every speck of technology in the way it is meant to be used (not abused) and meant to make it more empowering so that it creates impacts at all levels which are benefiting and uplifting human mind to pursue and create something collectively more wonderful and meaningful! Any piece of technology that isolates or alienates humans is nothing but a piece of epic shit which should be junked away immediately! Next time you want to dance- hit the dance floor, not an app, next time you want to say something to an audience- walk onto a stage- not a vlog, next time you want to share a great picture- be sure it uplifts, motivates or inspires someone- if it does- then upload it! These are the simple nuances that will go a long way in building your well being mentally and as a society will see more of amicable discussions and real life connections!

It’s not that, being online or the digital arena is the demon; the demon lies in the way we abuse it rather then use it to our advantage and make technology our slave rather then allowing it to be the other way around!

I leave you here with these thoughts for now, have a great day ahead and yes, Disconnect and stay Connected- with fellow humans and wise people around you- it’s time for you to start discussing the next big idea that will make human societies a shade brighter and better!

Ciao for now! Will be back soon with another piece!

Hidden in plain sight!

~ PA ~ 3 Comments

Hello people! Hope you are having a great time trying to make sense of the world as you rush into your week ahead! Depending on where you are on the planet, you are either completely consumed by the outbreak of the Coronovirus, some kind of political upheaval, facing a financial crisis or dealing with a flash flood or an environmental challenge! and If none of these things have impacted you; then you are probably thanking your stars and are wondering what is in store for you! “What is hidden in plain sight” that is heading for you! This crisp piece is a sneak peak into how “We miss-what We see”!

As we go about rushing through our daily lives, what we end up doing inadvertently is missing the bigger picture and the contextual settings of what we see, furthermore add to this fleeting inference the extrapolation that your brain would do (on it’s own- tricking you in a way- based on your past experiences and stored reference points) which will do nothing more then taking you away far away from what the reality is and set you up in a completely manufactured setting which tends to create a narrative that confirms with your liking and comfort! This is the demon that we deal with, the good part- this demon is created by us- the bad part- we hardly know how to control it and when to unleash it!

Having spent close to two decades in areas of Sales, Marketing and HR, lot of my time has gone into dealing with people- yes- “dealing” with them in the every essence of the word! Surely enough- I may not have been that “Best Sales”, or “Best HR” or adhered to any of the society led conformity standards, but (what is important) what I learnt through my experiences being with fellow humans- has been that each one of them- has a story which in-turn has a fascinating contextual setting- which none of us can ever imagine-you would have heard that line, “Facts being stranger then Fiction” and boy, when you get to listen to people how they have moved around and through these contextual settings and the kind of extraordinary things that they would have done to survive and overcome situations- it’s a different universe unto itself!

Consider this setting; a sales person who was performing quarter on quarter suddenly seems adrift- seems to have lost the sheen completely and the magic seems to have worn off and with no time to spare(not to blame the organisation here) pretty soon by the end of the ongoing quarter- this person gets ejected from the system altogether! Here’s one such case about one such individual- what had transpired then was rather interesting- so this person- was going steady- in no time- incentives began pouring in and with that started the problem! Being young- lesser responsibilities and an approach that simply refused to prepare for a worst case scenario-the excess cash-at-hand soon became a curse- slowly indulgence turned into full blown addiction and in no time- addiction led to inattention at work- which translated into missing targets and eventually getting ejected! This is what appeared to be – but well- as I have been saying- this is what was seen but what actually happened was this- In plain sight what was hidden- The fact that the addiction had developed on the job while working! The person’s team leads then used to fun at the expense of this person (instead of censuring and discouraging this kind of contra behaviour which violated almost everything- from policy to genuine human value of care!) this was one thing that further reinforced the notion of being addicted and being high at work was fine! and when the fun was over and when the number game began to get hit- no time was wasted by the same team leads (who used to have parties around this person’s addiction) in preparing a case against him for being addicted on the job, missing business objectives and showed the policy clause number 1,2,3 and there went his future with his ejection!

So what had happened here? Well things were hidden in plain sight- Even the HR teams possibly failed to see what they should have ideally picked up (the root cause analysis) and instead believed to buy the story that was sold by the business team leads! Now, why did HR do that- well simple- No organisation, in today’s age has the time, money or resource strength to value individual’s as “Individuals” and the second problem of assuming “anyone can do anyone’s work” (which at times works and most of the times does not!) holds ground. What happened next- well with this person gone – sure enough some good clients left and when the rut continued eventually the team lead had also to go!- A complete collapse of a team in a span of 8 months! Coming to think of it all this shit happened for what?- “Extracting fun at a cost of an individual when it was not warranted and when it could have been managed and at it’s best effort stopped!

Another story- An organisation had hired a supposedly smart person for a client facing role. At the beginning everything seemed fine, and in about two months (as client work began and things started to build up)- this person started working from one mistake unto the next- sure enough competency issues were flagged off (which the HR already had flagged off during hiring- but went ahead because the business said, they will manage it!). This all seemed normal until this point, but this where the fun began (at times literally spooking the people around!). This person started a tell-tale predictable absenteeism which was always accompanied by complete communication black out and radio silence! Subsequently every time that this person rejoined duty- it was an all OK and normal one week then again the same story- shocking still were the reasons that this person started to come up with! (when confronted and asked about complete communication black outs and radio silence while being absent!). the reasons ranged from serial stalking to house breaks to SOS from family to threats for ransom- you name it and everything was on the table! Well, I don’t want to make it more dramatic right now! Eventually things were called off and this person decided to move out of the organisation (for everyone’s happiness!) A detailed calm and probing discussion (on the way out-read exit interview) finally gave away a major clue! This person was having an underlying psychological problem- which translated into getting into hallucinations and escapism every time stress or pressure was increased (read normal work pressure) and this was an ailment for which this person had already undergone a comprehensive therapy few years back and this new place had just compounded and brought that back!

Guess what, it is not only Individuals, but also companies and organisations that start collapsing when we fail to read what is hidden in plain sight– as I write this article a successful private bank in India has triggered off a major stock market crash- the bank just collapsed on account of giving bad loans for last few years (bad loans given to supposedly successful business tycoons and their businesses!) well this is an altogether different subject(though similar) and can by itself be a subject for another article!

Well, to end it here, I leave you with thoughts to reflect inwards and see for yourself what is that you are missing in your plain sight – based on what is around you and in front of you- this very moment! For always remember- What we miss in plain sight- comes back to haunt us – now or later- but surely it does- it may be a blunder as simple as a penny or may be measured in terms of millions of dollars- but our oversight eventually ends up costing us and we having to pay the price!– Whether you end up working extra (because your colleague got fired or your investments get messed up- because that finance company holding your savings just went bust!). The point to remember here is- Always seek What seems to be hidden in Plain sight and keep unwanted-uncomfortable surprises at bay!

Ciao form now, have an attentive week ahead, will be back with another piece soon!

Look East for Sunrise!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

As we head to wind up another week through the month and the year, I thought this would be a good short piece to wind up with for this week! How often have you come across people who are in an endless rut of nagging, complaining, arguing and bitching about everything, something , everyone or at least someone at some or the other time or rarely all the time! Well this piece aims to look into what’s happening around this; so that the next time you come across it- you know exactly what you are dealing with!

As modern lifestyles have evolved-across the world (and it really doesn’t matter whether you are a resident of a remote town in the hinterland of the USA or you are a resident of a buzzing metro in an Asian country or native of a small quaint town tucked away in some serene mountain range or a beach somewhere on this planet- It really doesn’t matter!) and if you have been touched by modern day values systems and the seemingly innocent E-onslaught to information (don’t read information as Knowledge), then welcome to the party! You are either someone who is at the receiving end of the senseless rut and nagging around you or you are one of them who are contributing towards it!

If you have ever got an opportunity to look around you and observe what people talk/ discuss – either when they have planned meetings or those on-the-move meetings through corridors and across aisles or pathways on streets- What is that people are talking to each other about? What is that they are spending more time thinking or rather communicating about? What is the level of relevance of that chatter to who they are, what they do and how much can they really influence the topic what they are busy chatting way to glory without a structure follow-up response and will anyone really care for the response eventually and will anything really change?! So what’s happening here- Why are people throwing away precious seconds of their limited supply of time by participating in things and act that do not merit the kind of value and attention?! Well read on…

People are almost always trapped into what I call is the“Trap of Illusion” these traps are hard to detect, yet once detected easy to avoid and stay away from! Regardless of everything else, people spend away precious moments of their available time deliberating and discussing things in the most non-productive manner and in a way that more then often leads to nothingness in terms of effecting any desired change for which the discussion is started in the first place!

You would have seen how people speak about that “colleague” being not productive enough or what that person should be doing- not doing etc. etc., or how a government is simply ineffective, or how NASA or President Trump should be doing ABC and not doing PQR..so on and so forth- Well the problem here is not about the topics that are being discussed rather it is about Where they are being discussed and with Whom and Why! when none of is it is going to make a difference for the subjects of that discussion as the forum by itself is unwarranted and holds no merit!

The golden rule of life is “Look East for Sunrise!” It is imperative that when we all have a limited supply of time with each one of us in terms of he fleeting seconds that we have- it will be only wise to use them as genuinely and judiciously as possible so that we create an impact and effect lives of people around us in a meaningful manner so that it creates an environment of meaningful impact which alters lives and surroundings in a positive manner that helps endure value for a longer time as much as possible! This simple and original truth when applied across all that we do not only empowers us to transform our lives from within but also the lives of every person that we come across – because then we are always having uplifting and future centric discussions and thoughts that are seeking answers to create and build something better and bigger for the times ahead- which by creating lasting value!

It is but essential that we understand the importance of subtle truths and facts of life- these are what go on to make the foundations for how we project ourselves and in effect how that projection goes on to create something more meaningful and of grater value to everyone around us! If we want to build something, create anything of consequence then we must shun everything else and ensure that we are facing east so that we can soak in the sunrise that’s over the horizon and this alone can be your guiding light for the journey ahead! It’s time we begin to value our sunrises, because even the number of sunrises that you will experience in your lifetime are coded deep within who you are- and it’s your behavior and approach alone that makes this journey last a bit longer by creating value or makes it shorter and swifter which ends even before you realize what hit you!

As you plan to hit the weekend, take a pause and think around all that you have discussing and engaging with in the week that just went by and decide for yourself – If you are indeed facing East or spending time fighting the shadows to no end!

Until next time, have a blessed weekend, stay wise and look East!

SOS(Self Obsessed Societies)!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

OK folks, here’s the thing, like each one of you who read and engage with me here, I too am part of an ecosystem that reaches out to the sensible part of the knowledge and information ecosystem from time to time. partly to keep sharpening my observations and knowing how rapidly we are either correcting some aspects or further damaging ourselves- individually or collectively! This piece is a crisp one that deals with it!

There was a time (yes hard to believe!), but it surely was- when you could actually start a conversation with a perfect stranger without having to try to get the name first- do a lookup on a social account (to gauge likes and dislikes) and then strike a conversation! The conversations themselves could be around a wide array of topics- at times they could be nominal takes on the current socio-politico-economic opportunities or challenges of a region, nation or the world- depending on the cumulative IQ of the participants in the discussion. When levels of intelligence allowed the discussions could easily be around religion, politics, philosophy or even taking on one of the most challenging topics- Does God Exist! Well that is how it was- whether your were with people that you know or don’t information sharing and knowledge gathering always happened subtly and in the most uncertain ways- but the biggest part of this was- It was an ongoing process and it had a pace of its own- it allowed the participants to choose how deep they would want to venture into a subjects and they could leave the moment when they thought- That’s it– beyond this I do not want to go ahead (for whatever the reasons might have been).This mechanism allowed intelligence to flourish and develop in ways which were most suitable and conducive to an individual- because the probing mind- had made its choices of what is that it wants to seek and where it should move ahead next! So you see there was an ongoing latent effort taking an individuals journey in the direction of evolving likes ( you can rename this as passion, interest, vocation, professional aspirations so and so forth!)

The dawn of the e-age brought with it some great opportunities and advantages- absolutely no doubt around that- but like everything else it also has brought with it- the lesser good- which has created more hollow and pseudo portraits of human abilities then what they would have been really able of sans the space provided for going on with Self-obsessed behavior over social sites! In the beginning all this seemed cute and innocent- until the medical world began to wake up and come up with specific disorder names along with a complete medical drill right from defining the symptoms to the diagnosis and the post diagnosis control- as they would have for any routine ailment!

Get on your any of your favorite social sites (whether these are the ones you use to upload your snaps- or engage with professionals (so- called at times) or you want to pen a few lines and share an update about things happening around- as you go through the pile of social information floating around (most of which is unsegregated intellectual garbage), you will come across a common trend- The need and desire to be heard- something that each one of them is trying to tell about themselves (whether it is a snap, an award, a paragraph- most of this and much of the time- this is something that they want to badly speak about and that too, “speak to anyone” (half of the time they don’t even care if this will be relevant to the people who will possibly glance through this!) This is the crux of the matter and this is what is a true reflection of our times- societies (individuals who are part of this societal framework) that are too busy and too overworked seeking confirmation and approval from everyone and anyone around to everything that they do and say! This behavior crawls up further and starts to play mind games which leads to sub-fragmentation of societies- at times this can be seen as multiple trade bodies for a same region, at times these can be seen as multiple trade unions, multiple courses offering the same syllabus- multiple designations for doing the same piece of work- multiple awards saying the same things again and again with equal amount of ambiguity each time!- you name it and you have it out there!

Well, so what’s happening here?– to put it simply people are just lost- lost for not knowing what is to be used for what- which medium is for what purpose- lost because either they have too much on their plate or too little- lost because they are not been heard to and also lost because they have a voice and no one seems to understand that voice! All this further manifests (most of the times in sensible efforts and initiatives that go on to make peace with inner voices and implemented actions) but in some cases these take a dramatic weird turn and often result into nothing but a colossal waste of time considering that we all have limited time at our disposal – irrespective whether we agree to that fact or not! So what’s the way out of this nonsense?

Well, to begin with, take a pause every time you are tempted to put up that award pic, that snap on the social handle- The fact remains- those who know and care for you- always know what you are dealing with and what’s happening with you even at this moment- and for the rest- they anyways don’t give a damn- so why bother?! Be wise to know how much of “I”, “We” and “Our” does your outreach carry rather then “For Us”, “For everyone”, “For society”, “For nation”, “For the world”. Remember this whether you like it or not – social spaces- whether they be print or online are meant to impact and effect change for the larger good of humankind at all levels – some areas it build momentum rapidly over the others- Your private space is not the world’s problem- you have a great life- be tankful and help the less fortunate- your life is screwed up- well see what best you can do with it and leave it at that! Blowing your trumpet and over-glorification and public sulking either ways doesn’t help anyone nor yourself in the least!

The only way to stop this menace of SOS behaviour is to ensure that individually we take actions that are wise and sane, take a pause before your upload your next picture, next video or next write up and think- “Is this for you or for the world to know- does it help the world around you?”- This is the only differentiating criteria to either go ahead with that upload or stop right there!

I leave you here for now and we will catch up soon with another piece! Ciao for now! Stay wise and stay blessed as always!

Deciphering the Hate rhetoric!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Whether we agree or not, we see an ever increasing instance of hate and negative emotions at play around us;more then ever before and ironically these are “allowed to be ok”! When we genuinely come across “normal good behavior” (which by itself is a rarity!) we start to doubt intentions of people! This piece is about trying to see what causes this anomaly and how can we deal with it- should we join the bandwagon of hate or should we be doubting every person around us!

Human brain is simply brilliant- ask any psychiatrist, psychologist and have a chat with that young neurosurgeon who just got a chance to open up and see one! All of them(irrespective of their approach of study) will agree to one thing- this is one machine that evolution has been absolutely brilliant at- so much so that even decades after the first time the brain was surgically opened up- it still keeps throwing surprises – when it heals and when it ends up having a mind of it’s own!

The human brain, like any machine provides an output proportional to the input. You feed it with garbage- garbage will flow out; feed it with stimulating and complex challenges, it will throw out ingenious solutions and provide answers (almost always) either by itself or by collaborating with other working brains (read progressive and purpose driven team work!). Now the million dollar question- If the brain is so evolved and able to take wise decisions- what in the world is wrong with it- when you actually see people, leaders alike using negative emotions and “hate” in particular as a rhetoric to address and reach out to masses or communities! What’s going wrong here? The answer lies in the hard wiring of our brains!

Through evolution, the brain has developed ensuring that as species we survive- the onslaught of nature, wild animals and eventually are able to ensure individual succession through battling and protecting oneself from other tribes and clans- it was and is the master control- to ensure the survival of the fittest all through evolutionary history of human species- and evolution never stops- its an ongoing phenomenon- which is on even now as I type this and you read this and will go on long after you and I do not exist! The earlier battles were simple and more of an survival instinct- with time as societies evolved, safety and security was more or less settled, the brain started to navigate the nuances of living with more and more number of people like never before and that’s where societal structures and rules began to came into play- this order was necessary to ensure channeling of human resources happened optimally through division of labor or other structures that a society would have had. At this point of inflection- as human greed began to take seed more then ever before- the brain started to learn the traits that today display all the negative elements and more importantly of societal level and community level hate mongering!

This hate and despise rhetoric when carefully deciphered originates form nothing else but “insecurity”. That feeling of being inferior to someone or something- ideologically, financially (which limits the access to perceived comforts) and a touch of attention seeking disorder – a blend of all this leads to that vitriolic “hate” rhetoric. Insecurities- at individual level and society or community level can further originate from a number of socio-economic or political reasons- it could be neglect of a section of a society for a long time- depriving them of certain societal benefits because of who they are or what they are; there can be a hundred reasons why certain actions would have been taken towards specific segments of society/communities across the world- not all of them would be right and neither all of them would be wrong! It is in this grey space that all unfulfilled and half-served promises stay on like eternal ghosts and demons which go on to infect the most vulnerable sections of the modern days societies at both individual and community level!

At times, when long deprived sections of societies seem to develop and contribute in an increasing manner and seem to have better control and better solutions for the larger good, vested interests tend to come out to play and distort the trajectory under the garb that the majority and puritanical fabric of a said society is under threat (sounds familiar- well it should- no matter where you are on the world map now- this is exactly what is being played out and irrespective which side you are and who’s right and whos’ wrong (this is a mind-game that tricks individual brains into believing one thing and later as a collective society ends up doing exactly the opposite!) I will share a case in point here- Individually every brain (unless you are a clinically certified psychopath) knows that arson, abuse, violence (physical and otherwise) is unbecoming of being human being (keep aside all other values systems and belief systems for a moment- they are not even needed at this stage)- next you add another half a dozen brains- add a layer of a value system or belief that “because of “x”, “y” is not available and to achieve “y” we must enact “z”- That’s about it- it is this small aorta of collective hallucination and distortion in the thinking cycle that is needed to lead to a full blown crisis of captivated and manipulated thinking process that will undermine every ounce of common-sense, ethics and individualistic values systems of mutual care for ages to come- just one figment of collective distorted thinking- all that is needed to let all hell break loose- now with a population of over 7.5 Billion, coupled with an ever increasing insecurity at play- internationally, within nations, within regions of a nation and within cities and societies within a region- Now you know why “hate and despise” is so easy! and readily available for serving hot and cold all the time!

Science has ample evidence that the right to uphold value systems and beliefs which service the larger and greater good and difficult to come up with and even more difficult to sustain in an ever changing dynamic world wherein even friendships between nations seem to flirtatious at their best! Alongside this , you have the quick service restaurants that serve hate and vitriolic rhetoric by the dozen and on order, 24 hours a day! No wonder that when genuinely good humans walk by- we either end up awarding them after they are dead or award them the highest peace time awards and technically make them redundant so that they are as ineffective as the awards been given to them!

More importantly for the average person on the street, the world over the dilemma to trust, invest and hold the hands of a stranger seems to just become more complicated because of these varied and paradoxical hues that modern days societies preset themselves as! The ensuing result- No commitment for any relationship- within the family or elsewhere- modern day societies are turning into more and more individualistic silos hidden away within a fragile shell – add a little pressure of insecurity and each element within the shell will crack and stand up for himself/herself- there is no more “WE” and the “I” although looks good;, seldom stands a chance of defending or defeating anything worthwhile! So how do we manage this? Can we?

Well to be very honest, societies where hate/despise is served by so-called leaders of the society- God alone can help! The only other way to turn around such deeply flawed societies is a comprehensive revolution and well – history knows, revolutions are filled with sweat and blood- apparent or real! The cost of a revolution is evaluated by the benefit that will ensue once the dust settles- if there is no great incentive- then societies stagnate and implode within; too weak and too starved to even voice out anything- forget about addressing the world! But there is hope and the hope comes from the ingenuity of the brain itself- as like minded brains connect and interact and as they grow in number through education and progress of the said society-the more accommodating and human thinking gets ground- fewer will be the oddities that relish on hate and hence eventually they will get weeded out by Thought- The power of Human Thought- seeded by right education that embraces the over arching principle of being human and fostering care and affection for fellow humans is the only answer that societies can give to the underlying demons of hate despise which at times are apparent and other times lie in the wait to capture the weak links and bring havoc to our otherwise serene thinking!

I leave you with these thought, grab your coffee and seek the sane part of you and see how trusting you are and how others feel around you- that my friend is the first step to ensure and spread the warmth in the society which will dispel the ghosts of hate and despise- One enlightened mind and One warm soul at a time is all that it takes! Until next time ciao!

Add value to your Time!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Keeping all the worldly problems away, the singular aspect which is a great leveler – is undoubtedly- “Time”. Irrespective whether you are rich or poor, affluent or just plain surviving, travel in a private plane or use public transport, indulge in life to the fullest or not- Time is equal for all of us- it goes ticking by the seconds ever since we arrive and continues along; Time doesn’t race ahead when we are battling the tide neither does it slow down when we are enjoying the highs of life- it goes on with it’s own intrinsic rhythm all the time and always- this piece is around this fundamental aspect of life which seems to get overlooked in the fast pace that we all have embraced and at times intentionally like to overlook!

86,400 seconds each day (in a 24 hour period), that’s the opening balance that each one of us has got, grab your coffee and just think how did you spend this huge amount of time the other day! would have you spent it differently had you been given an incentive (an incentive to live a little longer – perhaps a day longer for each day well spend?!). Certainly these aspects are not as simple as they seem, however the fact remains that at the end of every 24 hour period- you have consumed 86,400 seconds and how that has helped you or harmed you for today or for the times ahead- largely depends on what you did with it! Your application of value, quality and creativity within those fleeting seconds puts you in path of a trajectory which takes you either in the direction of your intended effort or away from it- it all begins with you and the best part is you get to decide!

Imagine a day- A normal corporate working day- commute to your work place- meetings (sensible and unwanted, unproductive) discussions, talks, office sanctioned bitching sessions (speaking, opining and thinking about people/ colleagues -who in turn won’t know that and who would really not care about it anyways!) Next, spending sometime doing what you are supposed to do- in a way that pleases you (that’s the reason why all those meetings and discussions and chit-chat arises from- because if each one of them in an office does things what they are supposed to be doing the way it should be done- there is absolutely nothing left to talk- discuss about!)- Think about it! Next you pick yourself- tired and famished for all the unproductive nonsense that you have engaged with through the day and head back for that late evening meet and greet with friends at the nearest pub- again an unproductive orchestrated bitching session – which now transcends into multiplicity of office scenarios (depending on number of people around the table)- again it goes on and on- with no resolution to improve anyone’s life by adopting anything to avoid anything that would have caused all those bitching issues and feeling happy for no real reason– you head home. You hit the house- have a customary chat and sign off (almost dead) only to wake up the next day and continue with more or less same shit! (only examples, people and context changes- content and outcome more or less remains same)

Sadly for all the evolutionary intelligence that physiology has gifted humans with- this kind of existence and way of living does a considerable disservice to ourselves and our intrinsic intelligence (whether we choose to use it or not!) This is the biggest underlying paradox of our times and the biggest challenge that we must overcome to lead ourselves to begin with- before we even think of creating value for others- we must first and foremost create value for ourselves through mindful existence and meaningful presence in all that we choose to do- through our thoughts and actions!

Bias- Societal confirmation bias– this is what leads us to believe that – we must bitch in offices- we must party and engage in unproductive nonsense and spend a considerable time of our lives- discussing, speaking and share n build opinions about people, places and almost everything around- when actually none of those opinions are going to make any difference to the person or the the topic of discussion! You would have experienced this- People suggesting how a soccer match should have been played in the 28th minute, what President Trump should say and do, Plastics are a real problem (discussing this while having your cold drink from a single use plastic bottle!), disusing about health- about going to gym (while downing your fifth beer glass or smoking your fourth cigarette!).

As human beings we naturally long “to belong” – belong to a group, a clan- that is something hard- wired in the earlier days of solution- this provided security and safety (as we roamed around the wild untamed lands), as societies became agrarian- discussions shifted with focus on “comparative observations and statements” whenever these were objectively driven and forward looking- innovations and improvement of quality of life was experienced (read great civilizations of the past). Whenever these happened with ulterior motives- it simply wiped out kingdoms and monarchies from the face of the earth (read sabotage/ political maneuvering – from greed- greed for power and self obsession!)

This same instinct, “To Belong” when used effectively in modern day office settings (the modern day wild wild west) can create wonderful achievements for the individual and the organisational ecosystem(read invitations, path breaking discoveries, the coveted Nobel prizes) all these come from this space- wherein the engagement is purpose and meaning driven– this is what I call – Organisation facilitated directed bitching to achieve something meaningful which is in line with the purpose of the organisation! You will always find individuals and organisations that are on a high- with purpose on mind are often the most fast paced, quietest and when they call for meetings- their meetings make real sense (short, crisp and defined)- because they plot their journey and ensure they keep up the pace and direction that they have planned- and it really doesn’t matter whether this meeting happens at their corporate HQ’s or at a beach resort (because meaning and focus of purpose so hardwired- it actually is like second skin- always worn- inside out!)

86,400 seconds is all that we have got for each day- how we choose to spend it decides – what our next move is and whether we are making our next lot of 24 hours easy on us or we are adding to our challenges! The ability and the necessity to value time and ensure we have a purpose driven approach to time doesn’t mean that we should stop enjoying life and we should get dead serious about every second- what it means is, we need to strike a fine balance between purpose that we choose and the recreation that we need ,once this has been established, trust me you have arrived! This realization of being able to classify everything around you – as either part of your purpose or part of recreation will empower you like nothing else- provide you with enough clarity and sense of direction- which in turn will know how you are investing your 86,400 seconds and spending them each day!

I will leave you with your remaining seconds for the day and urge you to begin thinking around- what is your purpose and what is your recreation- and how much time your are investing and how much you are spending!

Like every other virtue, it’s always good to use “time” wisely so that it amplifies and resonates with your purpose and ensures you also have enough recreation the way you want to! How many of the 86,400 seconds do you have for today and what are you planning to do with them? Invest or spend? whatever you decide- stay wise!

Human greed and climate change!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Well, not a very great title to start the week with; but this is something that I wanted to share and would like each one of you to share further and practice to do what is best possible by you! Climate change is a direct consequence of human greed! Someone said this earlier, “Our planet can fulfill all our needs but there is nothing that can ever fulfill human greed”! With almost 35-40% of human population staying within 50 miles of a coastline around the world and almost 75-80% of all major urban cities and mega-cities under severe infrastructural pressures; isn’t it time that we cared enough and thought about all this chaos around us (at times apparent and at times hidden) with a little more wit?

Scientific data can be quoted and one metric over the other, there can be arguments on the rate of rise of sea-levels world over, there will be claims and counter-claims to decide which of the many environmental problems is a larger emergency over the other, but what people and in fact all of us miss the bigger point is that- one fundamental aspect – reason for this mayhem has absolutely nothing to do with science at all to begin with- it has fundamentally everything to do with a very simple and ancient problem that is so intrinsically woven into our psyche- “Climate change is a problem cause by human greed”- nothing more, nothing less!

This topic, in itself, qualifies for a new best seller to be written, but I will try to share my thoughts as crisply as possible appreciating the limitations of a blog- wanting it to remain a blog!

Pick up any scientific literature and you will be surprised to know that all the bad guys (the pollutants- polluting agents- raw materials/finished products/chemical intermediaries) were at some or the other point in history hailed as the “new wonder”, “answer to energy crisis”, “agents to propel development for human society”; whether it was extensive coal mining earlier on, or the ability to tap into massive hydrocarbon reservoirs of oil and gas fields, rapid development in the field of polymer sciences or innovation of new polymer molecules etc (to enhance their utility and versatility); each and every step that science took in the last 150 years across its fields and sub-fields and inter disciplinarian areas was with a single motive and purpose to make life “easy” and “value driven” for humans! Then where do things begin to go wrong? How did these miracles of modern science (many Nobel awards were given in these or related fields of path breaking research) turn into demons and manifestations from hell, that now threaten to wipe out ecosystems and alter climate in an irreversible and damaging chain reaction? Well lets decipher and simplify the chaos!

Science by it’s very nature is an enabler and a simplifier- No matter which field of science you choose it has only one aim- to enable, improve and simplify complexities of human life and provide mankind with a quality of life which is incrementally better then what it has been before! Even to put it cynically, if science can’t provide you an elixir of eternal life, it can improve the quality of your death by making it quick and less painful! So if this is the noble high ground of science, why is it that we face today a challenge like never before by using the very substances which have originated in research labs few decades ago? Well the answer my friend lies in the fact that it was never a problem with what was innovated- rather with how the innovations were produced post scaling up productions and the deviation of the utility of what was innovated- deviation from the primary reason of scientific research that was conducted in the first place!

Pesticides, Fertilizers were hailed as answers to world’s food problems and a solution to increase yield in limited fertile land tracts around the world to feed the ever hungry people! A closer look into this space will provide you with a few facts- even though yield increased, application of fertilizers and pesticides was not done always as per laid down standards- result food contamination causing new health complications (and the next challenge for science!), simultaneously depletion of soil fertility which further puts pressure on crop growth- further increasing use of chemicals and the cycle just goes on and on- another tweak in this cycle was the new age genetically mutated crops which were supposed to grow fast, in soils and climates where they had no business growing and there by we end up altering food habits and consumption patterns (again which go on cause environmental and health complications– As nature gets compromised and tricked into something that it is not designed or equipped to deal with for that particular geographical area and climatic zone!) One final element to make note of – increasing food consumption- well with advancements in food technology and food processing simultaneously, even as millions go to bed without a single meal all through the day- we have plenty examples of people indulging in gluttony- consuming food for no real reason- just think about the last buffet where you had been or think about the juice that you left half-way or the plate that you did not complete- because you had seriously misjudged your hunger! Well, yes – no matter how insignificant or innocent this instance looks- this is by far one of the leading reasons that go on to contribute the adverse climates that we face- unplanned and unwanted consumption of food- eating when not hungry! Just imagine- if the predators in the wild forests had started to operate on similar lines a few thousands of years back, by now we would have been the meal of their choice because they would have ended up killing all the herbivores just for fun!

If you understood the above example, now try extrapolating this behaviour to every aspect of your life and all that you see around- “consumption – senseless consumption” is the key word which is nothing but repackaged “greed” in its new age form which is the fundamental problem. The ever increasing demand for clothes (read nylon and polymers- micro-plastics), shoes , vehicles, furniture, etc etc… you just think of it- every time you have bought something that you don’t need and already have just because you felt like- well you just drove another nail in your coffin by contributing to climate change!

Science has always solved problems and challenges that were impediments to the development, safety and security of mankind. What we have ended up doing is abusing its benevolence to suit our greed and this gross disregard has lead us to where we are now!

The fact also remains that, by being what it is- science can and does offer solutions and remedies to solve this crisis as well, however what needs to be learnt is that, science cannot and nothing for that matter can ever provide a solution to human greed!

So, let’s do what can we do in our own little ways, simple and effective things; eat and drink as much as is needed to nourish yourself, remember flaunting that burger for an Instagram pose, or holding that beer glass for earning your badge among a group- does no service to your health, unless you have been made to starve sufficiently to assimilate those calories that come along, not to forget the damage that you health faces by overdoing these seemingly cute little fallacies! Whether it is food, the clothes that you wear- get into a mode of mindful and sensible consumption, no one is asking you to be miserly or miss out that big wedding or that party- it is just about being smart in your selection of clothes, apparels and all the paraphernalia that goes with it (to make you socially acceptable- read conformity bias) so that you contribute to a sustainable way of living and make your presence on this planet that much little painful!

It is the incremental values of multiple such contributions done by individuals around the world that will be required to minimize and manage the negative impact of climate change (let alone stop it or reverse it).

I leave you with these thoughts and urge you to get some mind-space to ponder- how you would like to contribute to either mitigate or accelerate climate related challenges that we,as mankind collectively face!

Wasted lives and the quest for immortality-the story of our times!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Yes, a completely different and refreshing take on what drives us, binds us and at the end of all blinds us to believe what we normally do and how these beliefs help and destroy us even as we strive to shape our lives in a quest to stay alive forever (read immortality) and end up doing more often then not what we are not designed to (read wasted lives!)

Just look around you- among your friends, colleagues, family members, just across to any random stranger- what seems striking is more then ever in the history of humankind, people in general are living and going about their lives as if they are going to live forever! and when the die (which they technically require to-until you have cyborgs roaming around that is!) it is often the case of misplaced priorities, lost opportunities and a lifetimes’s realization coming in just around the final turn- that what a waste it has been! Well, don’t panic and don’t jump to conclusions as yet, I am not suggesting anyway that all of us are wasted and wasting away- but this is an important anchor point of thought that one must be aware of to be absolutely sure that this is not how you want the last 10 minutes of your existence to be! So what is that we need to do about it and is there anything that we can really do about it!

People go around their lives impacting every other person that they engage with- these engagements and interactions are either sustained (in case of families and friends who cannot escape you) or are those fleeting flashes of encounters which either make to break things for the interacting individuals and at times build psyche that subsequently goes on to impact and alter subsequent engagements and interactions- long term and short term both! The challenge here is to ensure that quality of these engagements and interactions is really high and something that creates a new or a refreshing way of dealing and engaging. Think about this for a few minutes before you race ahead- How wonderful it would be if you are able to spread warmth every day and radiance like the warm winter sun and just brush that off to others around you to encourage them to the same- well sounds poetic and utopian- well it is indeed and this is also one of the reasons why our lives don’t end up being water color portraits is the contexts around us and how we decide to manage and navigate around them. While doing so however what happens is that we tend to become mediocre and start believing more about the context around us rather then reposing that faith into ourselves to prevail and overcome the contextual settings around us!

The net result of having more faith and belief in our contextual settings (read society and everything that is external to you) is that you end up using valuable time pursuing aspects and things that in the end will really not matter and no one will even remember of them having occurred in the next 100 years once the plug is pulled off your physical existence! Somewhere going about this- one experiences flashes of realization like- “This must be stopped”, “This is not what I want to do”, “What am I doing with my life”, but unless there is a sincere and focused effort to take a pause, reflect and seek what really life means for you and how you propose to ensure your idea on one aspect that you have experience can be altered in a way that you remain long after your physical experience is ceased- is the essence of the never ending quest for immortality!

As long as people continue to do things to manage and alter their immediate contextual environments with a myopic vision, they will eventually land up in the dreaded space of realizing towards the end- What a waste it has been!

A possible approach is to lead a mindful way of life- being mindful is all about being aware of what is going on in the moment and within the context of the time in the moment! It has to do a lot with dealing with everything and everyone around you within a set context of time without switching ahead into the future or slipping back into the past and trying to develop weighted perceptions based on the events already occurred or anticipating they may develop. Well this seems all easier said then done- but then nothing worthwhile in our lives has ever come easily – even to evolve to the biochemical machine that we are today- nature has taken millions of years!

There is a reason why we do not see more examples from our times- which we can confidently say will continue to impact and alter the way societies will function three hundreds years from now! Go back to history and stick around the 16th, 17th and earlier part of the 18th century- many of the things that were created, invented then have been the foundation which has enabled us live the lives that we live today- that is the point here! A closer look into the minds and lives of the people who made these things possible has a common thread (no matter which field they belonged to and what contribution they did) of being able to offer something that will stand the test of time and is built on simplicity and effectiveness and with an utilitarian value that reaches out to all sections of the society! This way and this approach is the essence of realizing immortality in a real sense. Immortality through ideas and solutions that go on to serve human kind for centuries after you physically cease to exist!

Pick up that coffee cup and spend some time today and give it a thought- “What is that you are doing with your life and what is that you want to be remembered for ever after – once you are physically taken away by time!

Do keep writing in with your suggestions/requests on what other topics/articles that you would like to share your time on. For coaching, talks, seminars and training programs offered by me towards empowerment and for customized solutions reach me at parimal.aluri@simplifylives.com.

Do not burn the lighthouse down!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Every sailor and every captain who has sailed oceans- especially when the ocean have seemed to have a mind of their own; knows the value of a Lighthouse! This article takes a cue from these real life lighthouses that we are aware about and tries to connect with the lighthouses that are around us and within us! So here we go!

The lighthouse is the custodian of coasts/land which may or may not be welcome the way an ocean vessel needs it, but it certainly is the promise of land and a welcome change for the ocean warriors who seek refuge to gather strength- regroup and venture out again into the ocean to tame it the way the desire to do so!

Each of us, literally each one of us has a lighthouse within us. We normally refer to our lighthouse in many different ways- for some it is their soul, for few others it is their “my feeling” and for some others is is “my heart says” whichever manner you get that connect, believe me that is a true sign that you are connected and hardwired with your internal lighthouse!

Increasingly our world has become more complicated and decisions are rarely simple as they appear to be! A simple incoming call received by you for a product sale could end up a sales career for that tele-caller , you would have had the right and reason for your “no” but the same has it’s unwritten and invisible ramifications all over, this is how our times are intertwined with everyone else. Our lighthouse within, then needs to be more just and more fair in being able to guide us to ensure that we have a shoreline which is always pristine and does not end up a shore dotted with shipwrecks of myopic decisions!

Irrespective how severe the storm is or how inclement the weather is to the sailor, the lighthouse continues to beam a ray of hope and a promise of safety through the storm. Likewise no matter how sever and hopeless the societal strife may seem to be- do not doubt ever the spirit of human ingenuity and the hard wired survival instinct that is so deep within each one of us. Every time societies have been tried to be distorted by unwelcome narratives- something within- Our lighthouse within and our guiding values have ensured that we prevail over the circumstances and emerge as more aware and grounded individuals and societies. The world over- people residing in sever climatic conditions or areas seem to be always more humble and down to earth with a warm smile that radiates and welcomes one and all from their soul. This is what nature teaches us and this is what we can all learn- stay humble and stay grounded.As earth turns and zips across the Sun each day- we are moving ahead with no clock to turn back and correct our wrongs in the context of the bygone time!

My engagements with clients and friends who have discussed their challenges with me as they march ahead to achieve success has always highlighted one aspect- That they all believe in this source within themselves! It is the level of belief that borders on superstition and some unknown force that always keeps an invisible cloak over and around them to ensure they keep walking ahead- sometimes slowed down- sometime paced up- but what is important is that the journey continues! All this becomes possible because they turn inwards and are constantly listening to the voice within and are course correcting in the direction of the beam of their ever strong Lighthouse!

In these turbulent times, buckle up, take a break, hold that cup of coffee and tune into the frequency of the lighthouse within you and course correct the journey of your life! This is the only one that each one of us has, it’s never too late to re-boot and surge ahead!

I will leave you with these thoughts for now and will catch up soon with another thought, do keep those mails coming in with your views and ideas on what you would want me to discuss next here with you! Write in to me at parimal.aluri@simplifylives.com.

Until next time, take care and stay safe! Don’t get killed and don’t kill anyone!

Keep your opinions to yourself!

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

One major challenge of simply trying to survive in this information age- is this screwed up part- Everyone thinking and believing that they know it all; have done it all and harboring little or absolute non-existent acceptance towards considering even a feeble possibility of the fact that, “there is and there will be something that is yet to be unraveled and understood”!

To this challenge, add the complexity of growing up in a society where you have pesky neighbors- extended families, dumb witted friends (remember the old adage- Your known by the company you keep!) and office colleagues who are working from their own positions of diminishing intelligence and insecurities- and yes, each one of these characters have an opinion- an opinion about everything and everyone else- but themselves!

Highly opinionated societies are the hallmark of societal dissonance and degradation- the more opinionated a society is, the more screwed up it eventually turns out to be, the closer and familiar synonyms with these kind of messed up places- hypocritical, autocratic, myopic and deep rooted “yes sir” culture!

As an NLP and CBT Practitioner,studying human behaviour- one key learning always has been to ensure all the time and always that we are not carrying this nonsensical burden of being opinionated, judgmental and prejudiced!

You would have come across these typical characters, who have an opinion on things and aspects like- when you should get married, to whom, when to have kids, what dog you should get, when and where you should travel, what new food you should try and why, when you should change your job, what the President of US should do, which politician is better, which political movement is right, how the world must change, why your boss is always screwed up, why you are the only shiny little angel in the whole universe and wear a comic character “save the world” tag on your dumb mind with a blinded vision! At this point your funny brain is tricking you into believing, if this is not what we should be speaking about to others, what the f**k do we speak, well, this is where the trick is, you can and must speak about all this, albeit in a mindful way sans the opinion, judgmental and prejudice laced rhetoric! and trust me that’s a big task and an ongoing learning curve for each one of us (me included).

So, how do you go about it, well here’s what works for me, if it works for you great, else seek your own heaven and until then keep your mouth shut!

One mindful and powerful way to avoid getting into the trap of sharing unwarranted opinions and shutting off being- judgmental and prejudiced, is to be an active and patient listener! This sounds simple but is very very difficult to achieve; listening to the other person without allowing your brain to race away- into creating scenarios and running ahead to conclude before you completely hear what is being said- let me tell you, this is tough and comes with practice- a lot of it- how much- well I have been practicing this for last two decades and still am a student! (you can opine-right away that I am dumb- but well that is exactly what we need to stop!)

Active and focused listening is the first step and the next one is – which is again an important one- remember it is ok and perfectly ok to say, “I don’t know- I need to check the facts and come back if you ask my opinion on or about xyz”. Do these two things and trust me you will start immediately feeling better and realise you have so much time left for yourself to learn and unlearn new things about everything and everyone around you!

Conversations always should be uplifting and enlightening, no I am not suggesting you top be some “guru” or “god sent teacher” of sorts, conversations need to be intellectually stimulating and help yourself and everyone involved, arrive at a moment and say unto themselves, “Ah ha” this is something new or fascinating, well something new to seek, understand…” this my friend is the right space to be in when striking those innocent looking, time killing conversations with people around you!

Normally people tend to mistaken these conversations for serious debates and intellectual verbal dissertation, well some of them would be, but all of them are never that way! The fact is, to be able to speak with intelligence (without being opinionated)needs more effort, energy, wisdom and technique which needs to be nurtured with every conversation!

The dangers of blabbering are more serious, they may start from initiating quarrels/ misunderstandings within workers and in worst case scenario can lead societies to mayhem believing their rulers are doing something gravely wrong and unjust (which may or may not be the case) just based on some loose opinionated blabbering- by someone whom you hold in high regard/ value (without any verifiable metrics) for reasons and opinions best known to you!- because you have been the initiator of the problem as well ( by carrying a brain which feeds on opinions rather then wisdom)!

Before I sign off, for my coffee, simple final words- listen, speak about what you know- what has been evaluated on scientific metrics- logic and when you have nothing to say- keep your mouth shut!

Hope you liked this one, keep writing in and let me know what you would like to read about next…. at Simplifylives, we are on a journey to create value – one day at a time- one challenge at a time…until next time.. ciao!

The business of politics-how it screws up your life!(and how to avoid it!)

~ PA ~ Leave a comment

Yes, too much for a Monday morning blog, I guess, could have been written over the weekend, but what better way to start a working week, by helping you look into the mirror! (me included!)

Well, as you go around doing all the chores of your life diligently; like, “always saying yes to your boss and spouse”, feeding your pet, ensuring your kids don’t kill or get killed, knowing you can travel safely and come back home alive after working (whatever work you do and wherever you do!)” ; have you ever taken a moment to realise that no matter what your age is no matter what you do and irrespective how rich or poor you are things seem to be going around in an insane vicious circle always! Basically being rich or poor is vert relative- even in the materialistic context- let alone the philosophical one; one of the most unfortunate way of getting that pathetic miserable feeling is not by being poor, but being super rich and being totally f***ed -like in India from where I am writing (ok before you call me a traitor or some shit like that, let me tell you, I love my country and and would like to see it get better- like anyone of you is the same for your Motherland and Fatherland- depending on which part of terra ferma you are reading this piece!) because you will not be able to simply drive your super luxury car above the 20 Mph mark or roll down the window- because the the air is so laced with pollutants- and yes no matter how rich you may be personally – you simply can’t do a f**k about it!

Have you wondered, when you started working- you were all this gung- ho about slogging and deciding you will work at the most till you are 40 or in your mid 40’s and then retire to a peaceful place (as defined by you!) and watch the world go crazy and keep laughing at the fools around, well the only twist in the story is that majority of us continue to get stuck in this rut- and that eternally evasive, “Retire in 40’s” never comes and we are always at the other side and part of the crazy world- which seems to just live- to pay bills and die – and many of us- whether we like it or not end up paying bills till the very last minute before we have the God sent heart-attack to liberate us from the misery of life irrespective whether you died rich or poor! So in all this – where does politics fit it- well- remember your dream about seeing the crazy world go by – getting screwed up and laughing at it- well that’s what politics is all about and that’s where the best party in the world is being hosted- 24×7 across all the world capitals and all the time!

Just think for a minute- do you really really think- that problems of the world- are unsolvable- with so many intelligent (at times outright idiot’s) people occupying chairs (for which they would use all the good and dirty tricks to arrive at in the first place!). So what is really happening?

Well, my friend, I could have gone ahead and written in more details, but this really calls for a long form of writing- possibly a book; but with no one to really corroborate it would end up landing in the fiction section (which I am a little averse- unless it is something like a Sherlock Holmes or a harry Potter!) So to cut the long story short…here we go…

Politics world over is intertwined directly with businesses. Businesses again happen in an interesting way- you have those poor businessmen who are the face of any nation’s economy who sail up and down with every wave of political uncertainty- these are the poster boys of grins during the height time in the markets and the ones’ who go bankrupt or show their teeth when shit hits the roof and they have to either file for insolvency or begin to ration their next binge eating session and lifestyle of in-despicable indulgence! Well these are the one’s who make the news all the time and constitute to about 80% of the noise but just around 25-30% of the business value globally! yes…remember our friend- Pareto– he was indeed right with his famous Pareto Principle – even on this (although he may not envisaged this)!

It is the invisible force of this minuscule 25-30% of business people and politicians- who decide what you and I do and what nation’s do and when , why and how- yes sounds like a sinister Hollywood sci-fi, but well trust me – it actually is good this way! When you have a small group of decisive people making decisions- they may go wrong sometime- but they will not go wrong all the time. The important aspect here, is to ensure that these gifted idiots- when they do go wrong- don’t end up screwing up beyond a point of no return- which they have unfortunately done in a few areas already- yes- read Climate change and Plastic abuse (well these are the same people and the same world which celebrated plastic and innovation in plastic lead- polymer industry- even giving Nobel prizes- not more then 50 years ago! and now we stand completely f***ed up- because the group then- made of choice for their today- rather than their future and our today!

I know, by now you are thinking what the f**k are you doing , if things are really this way- well I took think the same way- then it gives a solace to know we can effect change no mater how small or large- and the trick to this is by participating- go out and make your voice count (peacefully and legally- legally as defined in the society that you live in!)

Politicians and this elite club of business tycoons have all the strings unto themselves. Unless there is a considerable majority which can participate in the political arena with better ideas and better vision for the today and the tomorrow, change- any real change coming will be all but a wishful dream- all of us cannot simply build that enormous business ecosystem to effect the change we need to and we must- hence the only other way around is have some sensible gifted idiots sneak into the elite club of the political club to slow down what must, and then suggest and accelerate what must be to ensure that the world becomes a little bit more world-like and everyone gets a chance to live- and not exist- pay bills and die- irrespective of the level of opulence!

As mankind, we seldom learn from history and this one major factor, keeps screwing us up into the hell hole where none of us want to be in the first place! The only way out is to be proactive- assert positive action and make a change no matter what that may be- just take a step and decide that the coming weekend you will be alive and experience the world as you should- no binge eating, no shopping and no bitching- just you, your sane family and friends (the word sane is important here) and the good earth around you! Try this and let me know how it went!

As someone said, we are not born to slog, pay checks and die- either with surplus or deficit in the bank- we are soul-filled entities and unless the soul is nourished with nature as its should be- our existence is all but purely wasted!

So, get back to your miserable slogging now, and take time off to reflect and now that you are wiser, don’t be hard on yourself and people around- know each one is fighting a war that does not exist and trying to win over and reach a place that is nothing but a staged hallucination!

Stay safe, stay happy(as in content) and stay wise- until next time….ciao!