Hello from LiFE....!!
The last few days have been those of some extreme highs and lows !! ....There have been moments ....When i felt on top of the world(more on this in my next post ;) ) ,when i was all emotional while i put on those Rakhis ,when i felt soo crushed deep inside that i ll never get over it , when i felt that maybe what every1 around me has been telling me ..(that i've fallen in love ? :O ) could be very well true, when i felt totally worthless and soo lone that i wished i could run away ,when i lost my calm over something as silly as someone calling me "bhaiyya !!!" ...when i felt that i was indeed the luckiest guy in the whole world ..!!when i realised that the joy of giving will always overpower any amount of happiness that any gift may ever bring me ...!!..when i realised that there were soo many people out there who were soo much less fortunate than me to lead the kinda life i m living ..when i laughed until my stomach actually started hurting ...when i realised it was finally time to reclaim myself...!!
As i look back at everything .....one thing that comes out concretely is the misconception about my belief that if we carefully set out our direction, and follow through with precise predetermined action.... we will end up exactly where we planned to be....However, we do not know what tomorrow, the next week or the next twenty years will bring...
This reminds me of an old joke “Do you want to hear God laugh?” The answer is “Just tell her/him you have a plan.”
As i contrast myself and my life at the moment to my past ..there are hardly any similarities !! I 've always been an extremist and a (striving !) perfectionist ...But today i feel that our greatest resiliency and strength can come from our ability to be open, curious and delighted by the unexpected. Surprises “out of the blue” sometimes challenge us to revise, redefine and question our beliefs, convictions, and our view of the world ...
Arghh ...lets cut it here ...before it drifts into what i (and others !) term ..."Useless philosphy" :P ...Adios for now ...have a great day ahead ! [:)] ...Shall be back with a few surprises in the next post ...!! :D
What's right isn't always popular... & ... What's popular isn't always right....
Consider the situation : A Group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track. The train came, and you were just beside the track interchange. You could make the train change its course to the unused track and saved most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?
Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision U/we Would/Could make.
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess.Exactly, I thought the same way initially because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place? Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was.
This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday.Isnt it ?? At workplaces,colleges , community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him...
Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision U/we Would/Could make.
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess.Exactly, I thought the same way initially because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place? Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was.
This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday.Isnt it ?? At workplaces,colleges , community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him...
Well as for The great critic Leo Velski Julian who narrated this story..."I would not try to change the course of the train because I believe that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have ran away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track!"
Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. So even if the train was diverted ...in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids. While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one....
Some food for thought ... :) :)
Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. So even if the train was diverted ...in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids. While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one....
Some food for thought ... :) :)
Jai Hey ....Jai Hey....Jai Hey....Jai Jai Jai Jai Hey...
Ohhhhhhhh wat a feeling it is ..to c indian flag being raised high at the tune of its National Anthem...\m/....Abhinav Bindra Makes India Proud bringing the First (and i hope not the last :D ) GOLD at Beijing Olympics 08 ...
Watch the Video here...
I can remember a recent similar instance when Vishwanathan Anand won the WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP...He said...
In Mexico City when I stood on the podium (after winning the World Chess Championship last year) and they played the national anthem, I did feel a lump in my throat. At that moment you see invisible faces, applause and silent prayers from back home.
It is a moment that you can never recreate but never forget. I feel extremely proud that we as a country have come of age.
We don't give excuses anymore and are quite proud to say we are like this only. We seem to attract headlines for the latte foaming at the cities's cafes rather than cows that was our star attraction of the 1980s in the foreign media.
We have seen Indian companies rub shoulders with their bigger colonial cousins and usurp them. We are also slowly becoming mildly serious about sport. This is all very good.
We are also going through some trying times in India. We have seen innocent people being killed for a hidden private agenda. We still have worrying statistics about children's health in India. HIV is still a silent killer.
When we talk about the famed India story we need to go beyond the steel and glass and maybe see the smoke on the other side of the bridge. But we are an ingenious lot. I have seen villagers take to computers and use the Net. We are a young lot and we have to go beyond the script to make it.
As the Olympics begin, I am keenly waiting to see my fellow colleagues stand on that podium with the Indian tri-colour. I myself am preparing for my World Championship match (against Vladimir Kramnik) in October and have been hearing about how Russia is keen to get back the crown.
Well, I take a deep breath, will play my best and believe in myself. Because in a way that is the Indian in me -- spiritual or fatalistic -- but play according to your rules that make you proud.
/* World champion Viswanathan Anand once again underlined his dominance as he won the Rapid World Chess Championship in Mainz . He has now won the tournament 11 times in its 13 years of existence, including the last nine times in a row! Anand took over the top ranking in chess in April 2007 and later in the same year captured the World Chess Championships*/
ThE BriCK WallS ....
Stumbled upon this very inspirational and moving lecture titled ..."Really achieving Your Childhood Dream" ...Yesterday .It left me wondering if it was a coincidence that the theme of this lecture is something relevant to my last post?...never mind ...i have just one word ...to describe it "AWESOME ".
When Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch learned that he only had months to live...he turned his last lecture in September 2007 into a lesson on life. The lecture, titled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dream, became an Internet sensation. It was viewed over 3.4 million times on YouTube..!!
The moving and often humorous talk recounts his efforts to achieve such childhood dreams as becoming a professional football player.... experiencing zero gravity and developing Disney World attractions..!!!. In the process, he shares his insights on finding the good in other people, working hard to overcome obstacles and living generously....
When Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch learned that he only had months to live...he turned his last lecture in September 2007 into a lesson on life. The lecture, titled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dream, became an Internet sensation. It was viewed over 3.4 million times on YouTube..!!
The moving and often humorous talk recounts his efforts to achieve such childhood dreams as becoming a professional football player.... experiencing zero gravity and developing Disney World attractions..!!!. In the process, he shares his insights on finding the good in other people, working hard to overcome obstacles and living generously....
For those bandwidth starved BITS guys@campus ...u can still read the transcript of the lecture ..
"Brick Walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things..."
"If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself-The dreams will come to you."
Indeed !!.....
Are V Scared of Being UNiQUe ?? :O
Why do we do what everybody else does, just like everybody else ? And don't tell me that's the best way. It's certainly not the only way, and I doubt if it's the best way.
Life is a creative expression.
We're all different. We're all unique. Each one is beautiful. Isn't that how people are supposed to be? Yet we all follow the status quo. We're really not that unique. Actually i sometimes feel we're too scared to be unique.
Each of us is born a dreamer .I've always been inspired by chasing my dreams ,making them come true..not that i've always been successful bringing them to life,but i haven't failed too badly either .Day before yesterday-another sleepless night ,over the same old dilemma ..GRE/CAT/GMAT ...as i see my friends getting their scores ...pushing up for CAT prep ...and holla..here i m ! yet to even decide which way i wanna go ....I tried to listen to my heart...hoping to get lucky with an intuitive flash,which shall throw me an answer in an impulse, something i resolve to stick by.But i din hear anything ...all i want right now ...is to take my life slow...do things i love...learn flute ..sketch (o yeah ..i purchased a sketchbook ..!! my first ever at that ..!! out of the blue a few days back..:D )...and a lot many more things .Should i go for GRE/CAT just coz i CAN do it ? (kk ..i ll reframe that to ...coz "i stand a decent chance to make it ".:D ) ..well ...i m nt sure ...
...and then towards morning i was again plagued with that same old (and arghh disturbing ..?? ) urge to turn an entreprenuer right after graduation ...followed by same old traversal of mental crossroads and that load of WHAT IF's !...
While walking to oracle today ...when i saw a newly constructed buiding on the ring road ...jus wondered if i'll own something like that some day?...[[well if i kept walking to ORACLE everyday on the same road for coming years.....i certainly wont :D :P]]..but then ...i thot...wat if i really go ahead wid the thing i am really passionate abt ..? ..jus wondered if narayan murthy kept walking to a day job..and never dreamed beyond ...would v have that splendid INFOSYS (look at the buliding man ...!!) out thr ?...well ...then ...u can never say ..how things turn up for U...yes i m afraid ...not exactly of failing my dream ..but yes ...of a lot many other things ...and to be honest i am really not sure if i am ready for the plunge...
I have this urge to break away from what's expected. Society can't tell me how to live. I have the capacity to make my own decisions.I really want to get done with this life of "WHAT IF's and BUT's" ...Why do we always accept with such blind allegiance? We don't question. Well, it's time to start questioning. WHY???
