Month: December 2019

Intent versus Action

I was wondering what I need to reflect on for the new year. I was reminded of the famous saying that read – ” A slip between the cup and the lip”. In life, many a time, there is slip between what we intend and what are are actions portray.

Today we are in a state of flux. We are at the threshold of massive change. India is poised at the right inflection point and we have a lot to gain if we act fast and in the right direction. If sometimes our actions misfire, we need to reflect on our intent and change course so that we can move in the right direction always.

We need to reflect on this point as a country, as a state, as a community and more importantly as an individual. Many a time in life our intent may be noble but our actions may not be in sync with our intent. It is never too late to reflect on it and change course if our actions do not lead us to our goal.

It is as simple as driving a high end car on a freeway. You may be enjoying the drive and may be at good speed but if you realise that you have taken the wrong freeway, it may not lead you to your destination. So, in life, if we need to change course to realise our goals we should and not get stuck on anything we have zealously pursued.

Let me start as an individual. Most of us are adept at making new year resolutions. We aim at the moon and make sky high commitments to ourselves. However, we realise that most of our resolutions die even before the ink dries up on the paper on which we had written them. It may be a good idea to reflect and take one small thing at a time. For eg. this year, we could resolve that we will appreciate one person around us every day. This may bridge the gap between intent and action as it is simple and it will give us immense joy in doing it every day. Life is a journey and there would be commas and full stops midway. This does not mean the end of the road. It only means we need to start all over again.

As a community, we have a rich heritage and we need to learn from our culture. We have to live and let live. We need to be more tolerant and inclusive in our intent and actions. Today we see violence all over and this is not what our culture taught us. We always were proud of the quote – “Vasudeva Kutumbakam”- the world is one family. As individuals we have to realise our duties before we try to exercise our rights.

As a country, we need to focus on our basics. We still have a long way to go to ensure food, clothing and shelter for all. Our focus has to be on these fundamentals. The government has to collaborate with the public and all political parties to deliver this. Let us ensure that every individual has her or his basic human needs fulfilled. Today we are 129th on the Human development index in the world. We should be among the top ten in the next decade.

Political parties need to learn to work together to achieve this goal. We have attained a lot of milestones since independence. If all parties come together, there is nothing we cannot achieve as a nation. Sometimes, we may make mistakes and it is fine to accept and move on. Our actions should always lead us to our goal. If they don’t, we need to have the humility to accept the same and change tracks and move on.

We cannot afford to move backwards as a nation. No political party has a right to damage public property as a mark of protest. Violence has no place in a civilised society. If we have to protest against anything, let us do it in a legitimate way. Let us learn to debate without offending anyone or hurting someone’s feelings.

May be time to learn from Lord Krishna, the eternal coach as in the picture above.

People in governance have the responsibility to lead the nation. They need to take others along in this journey. People in the opposition have to realise their responsibilities too. Who governs today may be in opposition tomorrow and this cycle will always go on in a democracy. Let us lead this country to be amongst the most developed and the happiest in the world by learning to work together as individuals, communities and as a polity.

Proud to be an Indian now and always. Wish you and your near and dear ones the best of everything in the new year. I would urge you to resolve to appreciate one human being around you every day in the new year.

S Ramesh Shankar

31st December 2019.

How to kill boredom..

IMG_1731

It is natural to feel bored sometimes. It happens with all of us. It could happen at work, at home or even when you are travelling. When you go through such a phase, you feel as if the clock has stopped ticking. You feel life is not interesting any more and you also wonder how to kill your time ?. I have also gone through this experience many times in my life.

We all go through boredom and find our own innovative ways to kill it. Some of us enjoy reading a book. Others find joy in writing a blog or a poem. Some others may just like to gaze through the window and admire the beauty of nature. Some listen to music and others shake their leg when time stands still for them. I feel each of us is bestowed with some unique way of killing boredom.

Some of us find it difficult to deal with boredom, while others don’t. The key to find a way is the belief that we can. If we believe, we can, we will. If we believe, we cannot, we never will. Everything in life begins with the basic belief in oneself and one’s capabilities. Many of us tend to give up even before we try. It may be a good idea to try something and accept failure even if that thing does not click. This way we will surely find ways to kill boredom.

It is also important that what clicks for you may not excite someone else. I love to listen to music when bored. My son enjoys watching movies on TV and daughter enjoys writing articles. My wife keeps weaving her words through poetry when she wants to kill boredom. So each of us in the same family may find different ways to achieve the same goal. There is nothing right or wrong about anybody’s way.

It is also interesting to note that each of us also may find unique ways at different points of time in our own lives. Even that is fine. I enjoyed listening to music and going for walks when bored. Nowadays, I enjoy writing blogs and travelling. Tomorrow, I may watch birds and enjoy the music of nature. There is nothing wrong or right in any of these activities. Each of them is by choice and what gives me most joy at a particular point of time.

Life is no different. Even at work, we can always find ways and means to kill boredom. Some young colleagues have approached me as to how I am not bored working in my chosen field for almost four decades. I tell them that every morning when I get to work, I think of doing something different and creative at work. I challenge my thoughts and those of my colleagues. It may be a good idea to challenge ideas and ways of working of everyone around us and not challenge people. This ensures that you are not creating conflicts but finding ways and means to improve our way of working every day.

Even in our personal lives, a routine life of work-home-work makes it dull and dry. It may be good idea to explore what gives you joy and then try to do the same. I travel whenever I can and explore nature , art and culture around us. I sometimes try out new things and play with gadgets. God has given each of us enough mental capacities to challenge ourselves and learn from people around us. Learning is a journey and exciting always as there is not a destination you cannot reach.

A child can teach us as to how kill boredom without much efforts as in the photo above.

It is time to be adventurous to kill boredom. We need to take risks. We need to try out new things without worrying about failure. So what if we fail. After all the best sportspersons have not won Olympic medals without failing hundreds of times in their lives. The key is to keep trying out new things all the time. The path to fun in life is variety. The road to kill boredom is not well laid out all the time. It is up to us to explore and carve the path ourselves.

Time to begin is now.

S Ramesh Shankar

Connectedness

IMG_0369

We feel connected to people and things around us. This feeling of connectedness is to be experienced to be believed. I have met people during my travels whom I may not meet again in my life. I may not have spoken a word with them during my journey in a flight or train. We may have just spoken to each other through our eyes but the connections are strong.

This happens with both people and things. I have sometimes looked at a beautiful piece of art in someone’s home and got connected to it. It could be a statue of Buddha or a fountain and you feel as if there is some connection between you and the object. I have not found any rational in such connectedness. But the feelings and emotions within you are stirred and you feel strongly about it.

I was recently siting in an airport lounge and two people came to me and asked me if I was so and so. When I told them I was not that person, they could not believe it. They felt that they have met me somewhere and know me very well. Similar incidents have also happened with my spouse, who mostly travels with me in all my personal travels. Some people say that there are seven people in the world who look similar. This may also be just a belief and I have not found any scientific basis for the same.

I was in a yoga class in Lonavala and had a similar feeling of connectedness towards my teacher. When I told her she said she also experienced the same and I resembled one of her uncles. This may look strange but it is true. I am not sure if we start imagining someone known to us when we go through such experiences. It could be gut. It could be stored memories of past experiences. I am not bothered about the source of such feelings. I believe such feelings are beautiful and one has to experience them to appreciate them.

I was once in an alumni meet of my college mates in Pondicherry. I felt connected to a Buddha statue in brass. I went round and round and then after a bit of negotiations could not desist from buying the statute. It is still in my home and every time I see it I feel a sense of serenity. This feeling is shared by my spouse and my sister and her son. It is strange but it is true. Why do we need to justify all our feelings or behaviour ? It may be fun to just experience such feelings and enjoy it as it happens to you.

I once met a co traveller in Switzerland. Both of us were climbing the Jungfraw on a holiday. We had never met before nor have we met after that. But the way we connected with each other was amazing. It looked as if I knew her for ages and we were childhood friends. We felt secure in each other’s company and enjoyed our journey together. We have been connected on social media but not much exchange after that incident.

Every incident of this nature makes me believe that there is an emotional connection between us and the people and things around us. Some people attract us like magnets and encourage them to connect with them. There could be others who get attracted to others in a similar way. We get attached to things around us too and sometimes even feel like talking to them. I have seen people talking to statutes of God as if they they respond to human emotions.

Both me and my wife feel connected to nature. Amidst nature, we get immersed in thoughts and emotions as in the photo above.

Life is an exciting journey and every such incident adds mystery to our lives. I enjoy discovering the mysteries of life everyday. Every person I meet and interact give me an opportunity to learn and grow. Every incident of connecting with people and things makes me believe of the possibilities of life. We need to live on hope and belief. If we believe life is full of possibilities it becomes one.

Let us makes the best of life.

S Ramesh Shankar