The Tolerance Conundrum

animal-brown-cold-creature-87433

In the cacophony of voices we find ourselves surrounded these days, it is difficult to place oneself in a specific bracket of tolerance in an absolute sense. “We are tolerant” “We are not tolerant” has become more like the rose-petal amusement akin to, ‘she loves me’, ‘she loves me not’. The tolerance rhetoric has been freely used rather like Tata namak and arguments from both sides are present in abundance – the question of why now and why not then and where were you when excreta have been made. Rewards returned and the said action being applauded and reprimanded and mocked at all in equal measure.

So the question really is have we become more intolerant as a society at large, have our ignition point – the point where one raises a voice, become low? Well it is definitely a matter of introspection. The bigger question therefore is: what is really at stake? Can we be led by arguments (well-articulated and researched in most cases) and be drifted away from the bigger and more real problems which face us. Can we afford to be tolerant against rising scarcity of food or global warming which can spell disaster for the entire race? Can we choose to ignore the burden of rising debt which our country has taken (past governments included) and unable to pay the interest being levied.

Can we choose to be tolerant when millions still sleep without one square meal a day or worst still when a child is deprived of basic sanitation and right to survive and thrive? Everything gets dwarfed in perspective. Yet, we choose tolerance as our answer to most of these problems. We choose to look away and concentrate on the crackling surface unaware of the molten lava which runs underneath. There is a saying in Hindi which says “Bhukhe Bhajan Na Hoy Gopala”, which means that a hungry man can not recite the name of the Lord. So can we really afford to be drifted and tolerant about the time and resources at our hand could have been used to really make an impact and a difference. As for religious tolerance I personally love to quote George Carlin who said “Religion is like a pair of shoes… Find one that fits for you, but don’t make me wear your shoes.”

So let’s be intolerant and raise our voice if we must but choose the issue carefully against which we must raise our voice. The future we will have will depend on what we choose to be tolerant towards.

Image Source: Pexels

The Nearly Impossible Dream of a Red-Cheeked Glowing CEO

child-children-girl-happy

So Mr. Sundararajan Pichai, better known as Sundar Pichai to the world was back to his homeland promising more of what he was supposed to do – advancement, improving access, and internet connectivity for Indians, utilization of the huge engineering talent pool. He also promised to start pilot testing of ‘Project Loon’, which aims at connection millions to Internet with the help of large balloons and providing high-speed internet access to Indian railway stations among other things. Everyone had a halo of happiness around their heads, scouting along for the one who had achieved something which had been proved impossible. However, the grand spell of superfluous merriment which has raised Mr. Pichai to a pedestal was broken by the mother inside me who by default just wants to do one thing – make him sit and feed him dollops of ghee (clarified butter) and vitamins to match the other ‘cherry-cheeked’ glowing CEO’s globally.

While thinking thus, I stumbled upon a still grimmer picture which bothered me even more – The report from World Bank which had estimated that India is one of the highest ranking countries in the world for the number of children suffering from malnutrition. The prevalence of underweight children in India is among the highest in the world, and is nearly double that of Sub Saharan Africa with dire consequences for mobility, mortality, productivity and economic growth.

The 2015 Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report ranked India 20th amongst leading countries with a serious hunger situation. Amongst South Asian nations, India ranks third behind only Afghanistan and Pakistan with a GHI score of 29.0 which is categorized as a “serious situation”. Even though the basic assumptions of the data can be debated considering genetics and regional influence as a debating point, none the less the numbers do look grim overall.

So my dream of seeing cherubic kids moving around appears to be a little far- fetched. To make matters worse the love for junk food tips the balance further ensuring that balanced diet is not what is on anyone’s mind or stomach. The kids munching on to high-calorie low nutrition wafers and candies don’t make it easier either. So when these children grow up to be future leaders and CEO’s we might just still have one of the two stereotypes to choose from – the under nourished, super nerdy one who would probably own some patents or the one with the saggy double-chin happy jiggling each time he laughs contently marking his success.

Image: Pexels

University Vs Autodidact: Which Path Should One Take to Become an Expert?

startup-photos

The volition to become an erudite is universal. In today’s world, either someone is claiming to be or aspiring to be called an expert a genius in whatever field they are working. “It is the age of competition and specialization, if you are not an expert, you are nowhere,” they say.

The universities are running courses and claiming that studying them, one would master such and such field and subject. New options of becoming an expert are thrown upon us each day in every form. So, would studying a subject at a university really make someone an expert per say?

While charting the lives of two people Grazia Deledda, an Italian writer who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926 and the exemplary polymath of the Renaissance era Leonardo da Vinci whose name is sufficient to introduce him, I came across something intriguing – that both of them had in common – they were auto didactic, meaning they learnt what they learnt driven by an innate passion and desire to learn things. The passion was perhaps chanced upon or maybe intrinsic in the spirit of renaissance where man could be what he willed to be. They were curious and inquisitive and directed their energies to an extent which would look foolish to outsiders.

They did not have a college degree or a paper which would claim their expertise on the subject they studied, yet their knowledge surpassed the ordinary realm of knowledge. We have still not studied what they learnt in one lifetime. So how then can we confine knowledge or the ability to be an expert to colleges and universities and the degrees they impart? Can learning be confined to institutions and not the other way around? Perhaps this is the reason some colleges impart honorary degrees to some who have achieved exemplary success in fields they have worked all their lives.

Although some might argue that learning has to be driven through a structure and a pattern of qualifying examination to test the knowledge others seem to have a more applied approach to the subject of learning. Certain fields like the field of science needs to have a more precise applied approach than others. No one would like to visit a doctor who is experimental with his approach yet this experimental approach would be required if we are looking for a breakthrough in a certain field, like the study or treatment of cancer.

Although curiosity and an insatiable desire to learn are the pre-requisite before someone thinks about becoming an auto didactic. Below are a list of few things to consider, if you plan to consider an open path towards becoming an expert:

1. Readiness to learn: One of the few signs of readiness for a self-led learning would include being: autonomous, organized, self-disciplined, able to communicate effectively, and most importantly being able to accept constructive feedback and engage in self-evaluation and self-reflection. This one ability to take a feedback would determine the successes of the learning effort being put in.

2. Setting Clear Learning Goals: In absence of a structured course, it would then fall upon the individual to look for a structure and a precise approach to study a subject if one has to be an expert. At the end of it you would still have to go and compete with the ‘experts’ with degrees.

3. Engaging in the learning process: After setting the goals and finalizing the plan. It is imperative to engage in the actual activity of learning. Engaging deep approach towards the subject where one learns by applying the knowledge and experimenting with what one has learnt.

4. Evaluating what you have learnt: In the absence of a set examination pattern, there has to be some kind of honest self-evaluation method which is able to test your knowledge in a real world situation.

So for all those who want to pursue to be an expert all it takes is your will and passion to learn.

Image : Pexels

Hum Same-Same Hain

pexels-photo-24104

Are Same Tastes and Likes Really Important in a Marriage?

“We like the same things, it’s like we were made for each other,” announced a chirpy twenty-five year old newly married bride. Her eyes widened as saucers at the implied divine intervention working overtime to find her a ‘match made-in-heaven’. Her husband looked on visibly smitten by his wife, wearing perfectly colour coordinated, mauve Chinese-collar shirt to match his trophy wife’s skirt. Who picked up the shirt was an easy guess. I smiled benignly, although thoroughly confused as to how long the phase of sameness and seeming agreement would last? and how would they face the reality once it comes out – (after the mating rituals are met) that they are two perfectly functional individuals with tastes which perhaps might not be as ‘same’ after all and that it was perfectly ‘fine’ to be different.

Even Siamese-twins, given the fact they are made up of literally the same cells, and get same environment at home, have a distinctive individual personality. So why is it that when the question of choosing a life partner comes along, we get obsessed with finding one who has the exact same tastes and likings? I understand that there has to be some common ground for two individuals to like each other and consequently fall in love. But if we just marry mirror images of ourselves, doesn’t that make us narcissistic and perennially self-obsessed?

The famous Ying-Yang to Ardhnarishwar (the composite androgynous form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati) celebrates the perfection in differences. They try to show us that true completeness can be rewarding and should be celebrated by acceptance of the said differences. So why is that in real life the moment a spouse (either one) seeks his/ her own individuality by displaying their disdain over the other’s choice the person is called insensitive and a more common dialogue then rules the larger part of the marriage “Tum badal gaye ho” (you have changed). To which I feel what a correct response would be – darling he/ she was always like this, but you saw what you wanted to see (a Robert Pattinson with taunt biceps, or a Jennifer Lawrence in bikini)

So take life partner’s difference of choice in your stride rather than fight and cry over them. Celebrate them. Rise as an individual rather than as a shadow or the controller. Now that’s fun. Isn’t it? I want to share what Khali Gibran said about marriage and the subtle beauty of individual growth which feeds it.

On Marriage
Kahlil Gibran

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Image : Pexels

Honey! We Are Together Because You Are Cheap

pexels-photo-25425

“Honey we are together because you are cheap.” Try saying this to your spouse and face the music for your remaining lifetime on the only planet in the galaxy which supports life – Earth. However, in case you’d like to spice up your already boring life, this would prove to be the perfect spice.

Now let’s examine the term in its’ true sense. Every alternative in life comes with an opportunity cost, which in economic terms is described as “the value of the best alternative foregone, where a choice needs to be made between several mutually exclusive alternatives given the limited resources. Assuming the best choice is made, it is the “cost” incurred by not enjoying the benefit that would be had by taking the second best choice available”

For example keeping an affair outside of marriage is a choice one lets go of as the current benefits like free home food and free child-care would be at risk. In other words the current status of ‘happily married’ and ‘perfect couple’ would be at greater risk posing danger to the ‘status-quo’ and bringing in greater damage than one can possibly perceive.

The highest paid and most popular golf player is a perfect example of the said phenomenon. He did not consider the opportunity cost and present benefits of the image he carried of a “successful, invincible, dependable family man” which came with the marriage. As a result, as his rather philandering behavior became publicly known his net worth plummeted and the celebrity brand endorsements immediately dropped him like hot cake and refused to get associated with him further on. Further on, he lost his game and even if he manages to get his game back, he would never be able to get his image back.

The erstwhile US President who had worked hard, unfortunately would always be remembered for the high-profile affair and the high-octane court room drama which prevailed ending in a public apology and loss of image. The wife in question, however gained a greater respect not going for the other option, ‘divorce’ and became the ultimate family woman sticking by her man through thick and thin. A few days back there was very popular article on Facebook making rounds where the man had claimed that he could not afford his wife and then went on to explain the cost of benefits he attained from the wife. So now the ‘aha’ moment, you will be singing along with me – ‘Cheap is best’ and sometimes you have lot more to gain with the ‘cheap’ option rather than going with the expensive alternative.

So, go back and tell your spouse “We are together because you are cheap” and be rest assured this time they would gleam with pride and you might actually get rewarded with a candle light dinner. Worth a try!!

Image: Pexels

The Secret Ingredient of Success No One Ever Told You About

salad-healthy-diet-spinachSuccess as the world defines it, has many ingredients and sure-shot recipes and by now given the number of article and books we have been subjected to on the same topic, we should have memorized them by heart if not already. To name a few in the list we have hard-work topping the charts, followed by determination, courage, learning from failure, the fabled 10,000 hours of practice, and persistence to name a few. Yet, despite all the constituents, there is something more to it. Something which is most often over-looked, something which marks the initiation of that success or rather puts the person towards the fabled path.

Kafka had it, Hanuman too and, so did Adele. Yet the world does not know them. This secret is nothing but the person, who perhaps, has more faith in the achiever of the success even before he or she begins to think about success. In Kafka’s case it was his friend, Max Brod who collected his writings and forced publish them even after being instructed to burn them by the author himself. Had it not been for him, the world would have never seen Kafka as it sees now. In Hanuman’s case it was Jamvantam, who made Hanuman realize his immense capabilities and encourages him to fly across the ocean to search for Sita in Lanka, when he had all forgotten about it. In Adele’s case, despite the obvious talent she has, it was her friend who posted her demo on MySpace before she was given a contract.

Self-doubt grips everyone at sometime in life. At that time, no matter how much passion or talent or faith you have in your abilities, you stand still until that one person gives you that fabled push in the right direction. There is no denying the capability of the person who went on to take their fair share in the limelight and success showered on them, but had it not been for that one link, that one push which they needed at the time their faith in themselves was low, the world would have not known them. It can be anyone, a friend, mother, lover, wife, daughter, or a sister heck even your dog who sees into your soul. So while everyone is busy tucking off their fabled 10,000 hours off the list, do make time to invest in real people who know you and your abilities even before you do.

Image Source:Pexels

Tips to Deal With a Boss Whom You Felt You Had Gotten Rid of Finally!

psychophant

For those of you who left their organizations thinking you’d finally escaped the predatory clutches of your blood-sucking, despicable, horrendous boss who was responsible for your delayed marriage, shirking social-circle, unforthcoming future kids, never leaving backaches and larger than life headaches. For those who had a longer after party after the farewell of your boss in case he left for better prospects. Imagine for a second, I know it’s just a possibility but none the less still a possibility that you find yourself face to face with him. No I’m not talking of his avatar or replica but him in flesh and blood. I’m not talking about unfortunately bumping into him in a supermarket or outside a movie theater but him as your next boss in the next organization or worst still he joins back the same old organization he left for better prospects. Wooo!! Scary I know. Don’t shun the idea already, after all anything’s possible!

Now, now I know you must be going through all the karma theories which you have been subjected to over a long period by various babas and devis whom you might or might not readily admit to worshipping. Despite the first reaction to fight distress by choosing flight over fight, you must come up with a viable plan to survive. So here are the tips proven to work.

  1. Don’t forget to say hi!

Exchanging pleasantries sure go a long way. I mean that’s the first rule right? So much for the latest yoga aasan you had been practicing religiously, you heart would be racing faster than a supersonic engine. Just breathe. Phoooww and say Hi with the intonation that emits a notion of pleasant surprise.

  1. Know your enemy and his new title

Now that you’ve been past the awkward moment of saying hi, rush in to check with the HR what would be his current role. Chanakya emphasized it and so will I, know your enemies better than you know your friends. It always pays if you have a few friends in the HR department. It’s highly possible you would not be directly reporting into him. In case you are, just start praying a little more profusely – it’s a clear case of past life regression gripping you!

  1. Believe in change, it just might have happened

Give the guy a legitimate chance. I mean think about it for a moment he might just have been through a sade-saati or a dhiya himself and that would have taught him to be a better human being. If not, tough luck get ready for your own sade-sati and tighten up to face the fresh assault.

  1. Enroll into the latest fad for de-stressing whatever that may be

Be it yoga or a latest corporate course by a self-styled baba who claims his five day course can teach you how to manage your emotions better and face the life and it’s said difficulties with ease. Go for it!! After all he might just open your inner eye and you might just see how transcendental all of it actually is.

  1. Go for the next job

If the bugger is still at your boots, it’s a clear case of his compulsive obsessive behavior to turn your life into a living hell. Before all hell officially breaks loose, get a grip on your life and get a new job or a new degree or look for angel investors to fund your new startup. Whatever you do just get away a little more effective this time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Madhulika_Ra_Chauhan/2165589

Image Source:Pexels

Bring the Change You Want to See

Bring the Change You Want to SeeChangeOwnership and Responsibility are imperative in running a Democratic system, as is the political system and adult suffrage. In a country touted to be the oldest democracy, one of the main reasons for unequal growth can be attributed to the level of ownership citizens have in participating in the growth of the nation. Change can be driven effectively only when everyone takes part and pitches in to do their bit, rather than playing the blame game and talking in the comfort of their warm living rooms about the changes the government will bring.

Individual effort 

If you pick up any lesson in History about change ever being brought about in a nation, be it the renaissance, the French Revolution, the Indian freedom struggle, the common denominator is the participation of people from all walks of life – rich, poor, young and old. They all worked in tandem to bring about the change. So why is it that in trying to accomplish success in campaigns like “Clean India Campaign” we have conceded and waiting to see what the government would do rather than taking the broom in our own hands?

Have we become a nation so embroiled in “let’s see what this government does?” mentality that we have forgotten our individual role in nation building no matter how infinitesimally diminutive it is? Even a small nut in a big machine which if left un-oiled would bring down the machine one day for sure. Only a true partnership of citizen effort and government can bring about synergy of effort needed for nation’s progress in making a nation any nation great.

Braj Foundation and Its efforts

The Braj Foundation, a voluntary organization working towards the revival of the 5000 year old holy region of Braj, an organization spearheaded by Vineet Narain, a senior journalist, who having fought corruption in the highest echelons of power for decades, took to work at the grass root levels in Braj – the land of Lord Krishna.

The Braj Foundation is run by a team of Executives Trustees, which ensures the smooth operation of the organization and execution the mission through its various projects and engagements. Efforts are being made by The Braj Foundation, is dedicated to the all-round development of Braj – the culturally vibrant region lying in close vicinity to Taj Mahal and associated with the legend of Sri Radha-Krishna. The Foundation works directly on projects to restore Braj as an idealistic rural society by conserving its 5000 year old heritage and environment through planning, conservation, renovation and encouraging local community participation. The same organization has pledged to take over the restoration of the famous Dashashwamedh Ghat, the biggest and the most revered ghats in Varanasi.

The exemplary work done by the foundation so far is a testament to the fact that all we need is will and effort by the community and we can be the change we all need. Collective ownership and responsibility can change the way we have carried on doing our daily tasks. It is the collective will which makes a democracy function, the way it ought to.

Collective Ownership

Fighting a mindset of inaction and negativity can only be done by collective will and ownership to bring about the required change. The change does not stop at changing the government, it begins there. Only when each and every citizen takes up the cause considering his role to be an imperative one in changing the face of the nation, only then will the inaction will change to action. Rising above our own individual needs and taking the smallest action would change the face of our nation. All that is needed is collective ownership the feeling that the nation belongs to us and no one can bring change other than us.

 

Images : Pexels

Did the Greeks Just Create a T-Rex for Themselves?

city-houses-village-buildings

We sat and saw with bated breath the ‘Drama of the Drachma’ as Greece Prime minister Alexis Tsipras, looked for an ‘honest compromise’ for the mammoth debt restructuring for his country, while the country itself remained divided on whether they wanted to stay in the Eurozone or go with their own Drachma. The drama was akin to that of draconian landlords in India who not too long ago and perhaps still in some areas, held the noose on the farmers, tightening it every year and never letting them off as they argued for the repayment of their loans and the never ending interests.

The Looming Debt

Greece had been bailed out before and sought a new relief bailout in the backdrop of its looming debt.

On 2 May 2010, the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), later nicknamed the Troika, launched a €110 billion bailout loan to rescue Greece from sovereign default and cover its financial needs throughout May 2010 until June 2013 conditional on implementation of austerity measures, structural reforms, and privatization of government assets. The relief as some called it, stemmed from the belief or rather the fear that ‘Grexit’ or removal of Greece from the Eurozone could spell disaster for the Euro and for the world economy.

In reality, the problem was more basic and internal than that. It was the problem of balance of payments. Clearly, the Greeks were spending more than they were supposed to, creating more domestic debt. In layman terms, the country was borrowing money to spend on keeping the economy afloat as the GDP loomed further. Was it wise on the part of the part of the government to keep spending at the same rate? Was it wise on the part of Troika to bail them out probably aware they would perhaps default on the payouts yet again as the economy was just not generating enough to keep them afloat?

On 5 July 2015 the Greek voters passed a referendum rejecting the terms of a bailout proposition with 61 percent voting ‘No’ against the austerity measures boosting the leftwing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stance to keep the country’s pride. However, the rising debt which pushed the request for the bailout of 7.2 billion euro pushed them towards Eurozone instead of the Drachma, much against the ire of the local population who had faced the brunt of the previous austerity measures. Although Tsipras argued that the vote “is not a mandate of rupture with Europe, but a mandate that bolsters our negotiating strength to achieve a viable deal”.

The deal struck after much negotiations entails:

• tax rise on shipping companies

• unifying VAT rates at standard 23%, including restaurants and catering

• phasing out solidarity grant for pensioners by 2019

• €300m ($332m; £216m) defence spending cuts by 2016

• privatisation of ports and sell-off of remaining shares in telecoms giant OTE

• scrapping 30% tax break for wealthiest islands

In a nutshell Greece has created a T-Rex to kill the elephant.

Can this happen to us?

The larger question we all face is Can the Greece story be repeated? Can this happen to us? The answer is a simple and straightforward ‘yes’. Yes it can. Although, debt in itself is not bad or odious if it is used for investment to generate future cash flow and positive return above the cost of debt. However, if we are spending more than we earn and borrow to sustain our consumption, we are increasing our debt without the assurance to pay it back. India has been given $16.83 billion as loans by IBRD in the year 2015 alone. As long as a country follows the conventional wisdom of not spending more than we earn it can save itself and the people of the country. Being prudent in money matters would only save the country from being run by its’ creditors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Madhulika_Ra_Chauhan/2165589

Image Credit: Pexels

Tips on How To Be a Sycophant, If You Already Aren’t One

green-apples-green-apple-fruit-63286

What Birbal was to Akbar, what Bellatrix was to Voldemort Guess? You know them by different names chamcha, ass-kisser, brown noser, suck up, yes man. You find them mushrooming everywhere even in the most unlikely places. Their job is the essentially the same, praise and garner favours from the ones who wield power. You’d be extremely lucky not to run into one in your lifetime. You might detest them, curse them, plan their exit but you cannot ignore them.

They smooth their way buttering the lanes for easy power and much needed recognition oblivious to the normal non-sycophant colleague. So what makes them so successful that earns them the ire of the lesser mortals who have yet to learn the tricks of the trade? It’s time to stop detesting them and join the bandwagon and flaunt the chamchagiri with aplomb and wear it like a tag of honour.

For those who are guessing for the ready recipe to be a sycophant here are a few practiced tips. Do follow at your own risk.

  1. Leave the Ego at the Doorstep: Ego is for losers. All our holy scripts tell us so. Don’t they? So here’s the tip. Elevate the boss or whomever you want favours from on a pedestal, and bow in front of him like you would in front of God and truly believe in his powers which can make your life. For those who are atheist, tough luck.
  1. Get to know the object of your affection: Leave no stone unturned. Be his birth-date, his pet peeves, his likes his fancies. His extended family tree and their fancies as well. No information is trivial enough. It’s better if you know if he prefers karela to bhindi before inviting him over to dine.
  1. Mirror his opinion: For those who did not know that a mirror is a man’s best friend. Know it now. I’m not talking of the “mirror mirror on the wall” kind of truthful variety. I’m talking about the one who talks only what one likes. Echo his opinion word by word, better still parrot it and regurgitate it when required.
  1. Smile: I mean it can’t be simple than this. Even in the face of a trashing you might face at times, just smile benignly, not smirk or not any other anger enticing variety and repeat in your heart the mantra for success “He’s my God, he’s my God. This is for my own good” and your God would see you through for sure.
  1. No Job is Small: Live your life by this motto. Be it walking the dog, cutting vegetables in his kitchen, or wiping his son’s bottom if he does not offer his own too readily. No job is too small to be ignored.

Finally, after following the above mentioned tips you would find your object of fancy offer you his bottom to be cleaned up only by you and no one else. In case the object gets transferred or leaves. Don’t lose heart. Just repeat the process. After all winning takes persistence and practice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Madhulika_Ra_Chauhan/2165589

Image Credit: Pexels