Mental Health Problem - Mindfulness

Are you Mindful or mindfull ? - Abiramika

Where is your awareness during this time? What happens?

Creating awareness of mindfulness

Bringing in a lot of attention on what you do. What are some other thoughts coming up? If any that preoccupation, which takes our focus from one thing are hinderances to mindfulness.

Only thing we don’t get back is time – need to be careful on how we spend it.

Thoughts – words – actions – habits – character – destiny 

How much of iceberg do you see? 10%  - result, action, behavior, what we do not see – 90% - values, attitudes, thinking, feeling, belief, motives, judgements

Use nose to smell three different things, listen to 4 different voice, look for 5 new things around. Touch and identify 4 things around. 

Monkey mind is given instruction to concentrate. 

It’s being aware of our thoughts.. Be in the present.

Two way to do:

• Formal – concentrate on breathing. 

• Informal – Mindful eating, walking, breathing, listening, breaks, appreciation, focus.

Lifefulness competinecy -  liveful living – how to appy it in current situation – awareness, innerself, mindulfl action, Intution, positive mindset, Inherent happiness, Gratitude

Accept things as they are.  

Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems:

• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low on energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused forgetful on edge, angry, upset, worried or scared
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Experiencing severe  mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
•  Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work

Sushi

 Though often heard of the Japanese dish that bring tears to ones eyes, had never tasted it before, though always wanted to . 

Had gone with lot of expectations,  but it turned out to be different than expected.

More of plain rice with a filling, dipped in sauce, and not difficult to make, so tried:

Ingredients:

1 ⅓ cups water

⅔ cup uncooked short-grain white rice

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

4 sheets nori seaweed sheets

½ pound imitation crabmeat, flaked

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and sliced

½ cucumber, peeled, cut into small strips

2 tablespoons pickled ginger

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Bring water to a boil in a medium pot; stir in rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Gently stir into cooked rice in the pot and set aside.

Lay nori sheets on a baking sheet.

Heat nori in the preheated oven until warm, 1 to 2 minutes.

Center 1 nori sheet on a bamboo sushi mat. Use wet hands to spread a thin layer of rice on top. Arrange 1/4 of the crabmeat, avocado, cucumber, and pickled ginger over rice in a line down the center. Lift one end of the mat and roll it tightly over filling to make a complete roll. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Use a wet, sharp knife to cut each roll into 4 to 6 slices.

Tips

If you do not have a bamboo sushi mat, the easiest way to roll sushi is with a clean dish towel.

50 Books to Read if you're ....A Hopeless Romantic - Eric Karl Anderson

50 Books to Read if you're ....A Hopeless Romantic - Eric Karl Anderson. Such a delight to get hold of this and reminisce. 

Starting with David Nicholls 'One day' followed by 'Wuthering Heights' Emily Bronte and ending with Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen going through the collection was nostalgic, was wondering why some were missing like:

• P.S. I Love You - was it because 'Things we never said' by Nick Alexander was included and it had similarity?
• Bridges of Madison County
• Fresh water for flowers

Tempting ones were:

the curiosity to know Miss Queenie Henessy's side of story, and this is the first I would want to read - 'The Love song of Miss Queenie Hennessy'. Since I had read 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' and had loved it. 

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff's true tale of letters exchanges with Frank. Though they never met, it is suffused with powerful feelings of fond friendship and a passion for literature, that will soften the hardest of hearts. 

Felt like rereading, Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Tin Min, Love in the time of Cholera - have posted Tin Min here, others to follow soon.

Haunting Love story 'The Man without a Shadow'; by Joyce Carol Oates, who has tremendous skill for immersing readers within the fluctuating emotional states of her characters narrates the story of a scientist Margot Sharpe working closely with amnesiac, is romantically attached to Elihu Hoopes who has no enduring awareness of her. It reflects how people present different versions of themselves to loved ones, and shows that even the most devoted relationship can be extinguished in a flash. Margot claims to be both doctor and wife to Elihu who has short term memory loss. 

In 'The Incarnations' Susan Barker, gives us the tales of Wang a humble cab driver, who receives strange letters from an anonymous writer of their past lives and present struggles, thus taking us  through history, and playing with notions of gender, sexuality and race with the characters flipping them in different lives. 

A.S.Byatt, in 'Possession' convincingly invents the lives of two poets by combining elements of narrative, diary entries, letters and poetry, which also serve as pieces to a romantic mystery.  

In 'This must be the Place', Maggie O'Farrell beautifully describes how those who love us see us in an idealistic light, which in turn reinforces our own self-confidence. This novel meaningfully shows how complex relationships can be and that we inevitably follow lots of indirect paths in life, but also how powerfully changed we can become when honest connections are made.

Brigid Brophy, brilliantly plays with how we allow ourselves to e romanced and the ways that we can slip out of the shackles of identity to become someone new in 'The Snow Ball'

Dramatic and riveting novel 'A long petal of the sea' shows how a deep love can grow out of a partnership created in desperate times. As it follows the turbulent political changes occuring in two different countries, it also movingly demonstrates the way personal transformation leads to a series of passionate affairs. Isabel Allende is a most widely read Spanish - language author. 

So this book covers not only the original English but translations too. 

It was such a joy to get hold of the book by Eric Karl Anderson. 

Kantara

With all the hype,  and sis wanting to see it in the theatre, felt bad that I could not accompany her.  

As soon  as the movie was released in OTT, we saw it, but my sis was sad, as the Varaharoopam was not in there, so she did not feel like watching.

https://youtu.be/gH_RYRwVrVM

Many viewers were disappointed and so the movie did not have high rating in OTT, nevertheless, we did. But were disappointed. Not because of the song not being there, but may be because of over expectation. There is action, romance, and portrayal of a culture in there. With movie running for 2 hours and thirty minutes, there was lot of unnecessary 'masala' too in it with body shaming, and  double-meaning jokes. 

The overall message of the movie is good and the performance by the central character and many others are strong. Kantara is a mysterious forest and this is a story that happens around the area. The movie is set in the village of Kaadubettu, where the villagers worship their protector deities, Panjurli and Guliga. It does look and feel to be the movie in 70s and 80s and 90s. Rishab Shetty has become famous with this movie - Writing, directing, acting, action.

Could have been the theatre effect, that attracted the crowd, with the controversial song. People say its a brilliant movie of 

Kankana Ranaut further shared that Kantara’s hangover will be there with her for at least a week now. “What a find blend of tradition, folklore, indigenous issues. Such beautiful photography, action. This is what is cinema, what films are for. I heard so many people in the theatre say that they had never seen anything like this. Thank you for this film. I don’t think I will recover from this experience for another week,” - Now I understand, my sisters craze for the movie. 

For me Kantara is everything that is wrong with the present. Don't know why it is celebrated so much. The energy in the end is undoubtedly mesmerising. 

One amazing shot undoubtedly in the movie is:

I've Never been (Un) Happier - Shaheen Bhatt

As this book got into my hands in the library, had not heard about the writer, nor did expect it to be one as read and by the person who wrote it. 

I've Never been (Un) Happier by Shaheen Bhatt - unwittingly known as Alia Bhatt's older sister, screenwriter and fame-child, Shaheen Bhatt's is written to be a quiet story of restraint.

She writes "I don't write about My Experience with depression to defend the legitimacy of my pain. My pain is read, it does not come to me because of my lifestyle and it is not taken away by my lifestyle."

Shaheen was diagnosed with depression at the age of eighteen, and it's believed that she has been already battling with it, for over 5 years. Since when did it start? Seeing Pooja and Alia doing the photo shoot and she being left aside? 

Book has amazing family pics, and thought provoking, writings, from her dairy. 

Fear - River: Kahlil Gibran

 It is said that before entering the sea

a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,

from the peaks of the mountains,

the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,

she sees an ocean so vast,

that to enter

there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.

The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.

To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk

of entering the ocean

because only then will fear disappear,

because that’s where the river will know

it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,

but of becoming the ocean.

Was thinking about it always, even more after tracing the paths of the Ganges. 

Interesting find yesterday was how Roads have replaced rivers, and how so similar yet to different they are. 

Both start small one as stream, and one as trails. How both assimilate and join others in due course, changing the shape, size and form, based on the surrounding and the environments, with their own tributaries. 

Earlier the key skill was swimming, and now it seems it has moved to driving. Slowly, from roads, it's even moved to the air. 

The why-why girl - by Mahasweta Devi

 

The why-why girl - first picture book by Mahasweta Devi; illustrated by Kanyika Kini, is the story about an inquisitive tribal girl named Moyna from Shabar. The Shabar Samiti started in 1968, and has set up many schools. Moyna was the first girl to study there and gradually became a teacher in the same school. Thus the story also touches upon gender issues and empowerment.

Moyna always kept asking:

"But why?" 

Why was about everything and it would never stop. She moved to stay with Mahasweta Devi and asked here, "Why do you read books before y go to sleep?" ; she responded saying "Because books have the answers to your whys!", and for once Moyna was silent.

She never know that her story was being written, if she did, she would ask - "But why?".

Creatively visualised and illustrated, making it an easy read for children, and helping them to be inquisitive. 

Perspective & Opinion

What is right and what is wrong would differ  from person to person, place to place and time to time.

We don't expect the world to become good. Coz it's not practical. If it becomes worse, our offsprings wud know how to handle that.  It's just perspective. Hai na? The good and bad. 

For someone a woman  not doing pooja, working with men, going out and doing all things is not a good woman. But for the present age she would be good.

Let's not make hasty decisions and come to conclusions from what we see or hear. Remember Socrates and ask what we say and hear is needed and true.

Himalayas - Sojourn

Have no clue on when my tryst with Himalayas began often I wonder, was it watching Himalay khi Godh main and Himalay eak koj as a child, or was it seeing the mountains during the travel and reading about them in Geography; but it intensified with my first trip to the Trans-Himalayas. 

Himalayan ranges can be grouped into four parallel longitudinal mountain belts Outer, or Sub-Himalayas (also called the Siwalik Range); the Lesser, or Lower, Himalayas; the Great Himalaya Range (Great Himalayas); and the Tethys, or Tibetan, Himalayas. Farther north lie the Trans-Himalayas in Tibet proper.

Each mountain belts vary in width, and have distinct physiographic features and  geologic history. 

Himalayas constitutes an imposing crescent-shaped mountain range extending for over 2500 km from the south of the Indus Valley beyond Nanga Parbat in the west to Namcha Barwa in the east. The range varies in width from 350 km in the west to 150 km in the east.

The Siwaliks are sometimes considered to include the southern foothills of the Assam, Bhutan Himalayas, to the bend of the Brahmaputra River. The range proper, to which the name Siwalik (from Sanskrit, meaning “Belonging to Shiva”) was formerly restricted, is the 200 miles (320 km) of foothills in India extending from the Ganges River at Haridwar, Uttarakhand state, northwestward to the Beas River.

Gharwal Himalayas (shrines at Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Gangotri) form part of Siwalik range.

Lessee, inner, lower or middle Himalayas has an average elevation of 12,000 to 15,000 feet (3,700 to 4,500 metres). It includes portions of the western (Punjab), Kumaun, Nepal, and Assam Himalayas ranges.

Gharwal and Kumaun together form Uttarakhand or vice versa. Referring to the rich religious myths and lores associated with Uttarakhand, E. T. Atkinson has said: 'To the beliefs of the great majority of Hindus, the Kumaon (Himalaya) is what Palestine is to the Christians.

The Great Himalayas contain many of the world’s tallest peaks, including (from west to east) Nanga Parbat, Annapurna, Mount Everest, and Kanchenjunga.

The Trans-Himalayas, mainly composed of granites and volcanic rocks of Neogene and Paleogene age (i.e., about 2.6 to 65 million years old), are bounded by the Kailas (southwest), Nganglong Kangri (north), and Nyainqêntanglha (southeast) mountain ranges and by the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Zangbo) River (south). Unlike the main Himalayas, the mountains are not divided by deep river gorges and lack a definite alignment. 

These various altitudes make Himalayas formidable with varying climate, biodiversity. The Himalayas are drained by 19 major rivers, of which the Indus and the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo) are the largest, each having catchment basins in the mountains of about 100,000 square miles (260,000 square km) in extent. The three great rivers of East Asia are the Salween, Mekong and Yangtze (Asia's longest). These rivers help human prosper in the Himalayas.  

Me in front of the Brahmaputra on the East Phase of Kailash.

With an elevation of more than 4,000 meters above mean sea level, the Tibetan Plateau physically dominates the geographical map of the world. The entire plateau stretches for almost 3,000 kilometers from west to east and 1,500 kilometers from south to north. It holds the Hindu Kush Himalayan Ice Sheet, considered as the largest ice mass and reservoir of fresh water apart from the two poles, hence the name ‘Third Pole’.

https://www.thetibetpost.com/en/features/44-environment-and-health/6941-tibet-the-third-pole-and-water-tower-of-asia

From west to east the Himalayas are divided broadly into three mountainous regions: western, central, and eastern and it stretch across land controlled by India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and China. Unfortunately some have even  divided Himalayas in the name of religion and call them Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist Himalayas.  Irrespective of the man made border, Himalayas are a proof that divisions are baseless and from here you can see the rainbow 🌈 not up above but in line or even down below.

The geology of the Himalayas is a record of the most dramatic and visible creations of the immense mountain range formed by plate tectonic forces and sculpted by weathering and erosion. The Himalayas, which stretch over 2400 km between the Namcha Barwa syntaxis at the eastern end of the mountain range and the Nanga Parbat syntaxis at the western end, are the result of an ongoing orogeny — the collision of the continental crust of two tectonic plates, namely, the Indian Plate thrusting into the Eurasian Plate. The Himalaya-Tibet region supplies fresh water for more than one-fifth of the world population, and accounts for a quarter of the global sedimentary budget. Topographically, the belt has many superlatives: the highest rate of uplift (nearly 10 mm/year at Nanga Parbat), the highest relief (8848 m at Mt. Everest Chomolangma), among the highest erosion rates at 2–12 mm/yr,[4] the source of some of the greatest rivers and the highest concentration of glaciers outside of the polar regions. This last feature earned the Himalaya its name, originating from the Sanskrit for "the abode of the snow".

From south to north the Himalaya (Himalaya orogen) is divided into 4 parallel tectonostratigraphic zones and 5 thrust faults which extend across the length of Himalaya orogen. Each zone, flanked by the thrust faults on its north and south, has stratigraphy (type of rocks and their layering) different from the adjacent zones. From south to north, the zones and the major faults separating them are the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), Subhimalaya Zone (also called Sivalik), Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), Lesser Himalaya (further subdivided into the "Lesser Himalayan Sedimentary Zone (LHSZ) and the Lesser Himalayan Crystalline Nappes (LHCN)), Main Central thrust (MCT), Higher (or Greater) Himalayan crystallines (HHC), South Tibetan detachment system (STD), Tethys Himalaya (TH), and the Indus‐Tsangpo Suture Zone (ISZ).[5] North of this lies the transhimalaya in Tibet which is outside the Himalayas. Himalaya has Indo-Gangetic Plain in south, Pamir Mountains in west in Central Asia, and Hengduan Mountains in east on China–Myanmar border.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_the_Himalayas

From east to west the Himalayas are divided into 3 regions, Eastern Himalaya, Central Himalaya, and Western Himalaya, which collectively house several nations and states.

Result of human intervention and mindless constructions effect the mountains. Mountains look mighty but they are fragile both structurally and ecosystem wise. Washouts, landslides, and hindrances during the journey are proof of entropy. Wonder if it's right being part of unwanted crowd disturbing the tranquility of the mountains. But they keep attracting me. So I decided to read about them; look for the details in youtube. 

This is how earth could have been once upon a time. 

https://youtu.be/zbtAXW-2nz0

Initially there was only 1 big mass of land called Pangaea. This in due course of time broke into two viz Gondwana and Laurasia with tethys sea in center believed to be in the Mesozoic Era. Plate tectonics continental drift theory,  Pangaea are all part of the geo history of the Himalayas. 

Himalayas are created by Indian subplate hitting on the Eurasian plate and creating the uplifted edges. As the land moved and collided, the water flew out of them and settled in low lying area.Tethys sea is distributed to various seas and oceans . Water doesn't have a form except in poles. New rivers and seas emerge over a period of time.

Journey to the Himalayas requires one to be physically and mentally fit with constant walking,  trekking experience would be an added advantage.  Goodness from Himalayas come ground up, with awareness,  clarity, endurance. Getting a feel for the terrain before the real trip is made is important. Pace yourself. Don't give up. Find your own base camp in its depths and explore from there. Ek Kadam ek Saans ...ek Kadam ek Saans is the way to Uunchai. One step forward. Breath. Both at the time of preparation and when you climb as in life. Breath. 

https://www.grida.no/resources/12806

Stretching over 3500 kilometres and across eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan – the Hindu Kush Himalaya are arguably the world’s most important ‘water tower’, being the source of ten of Asia’s largest rivers as well as the largest volume of ice and snow outside of the Arctic and Antarctica. Together these rivers support the drinking water, irrigation, energy, industry and sanitation needs of 1.3 billion people living in the mountains and downstream. Ten large Asian river systems originate in the HKH – the Amu Darya, Brahmaputra (Yarlungtsanpo), Ganges, Indus, Irrawaddy, Mekong (Lancang), Salween (Nu), Tarim (Dayan), Yangtse (Jinsha) and Yellow River (Huanghe). These ten river basins cover an area of 9 million km2, of which 2.8 million km2 fall in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Downstream, millions of people depend on the waters from these rivers for domestic use, agriculture, hydropower and industry. The rivers are fed by rainfall, meltwater from snow and ice, and groundwater. The amount of water from each source varies by river. It also varies depending on the location within each basin. https://www.grida.no/resources/6702

Mountains are hazardous places, even under conditions of natural climate variability. In the Hindu Kush Himalaya the key climate-related hazards were identified to be: Floods and flash floods; Landslides; Heavy snow and cold extremes; Avalanches; Wildfires; Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs); Reduced snow cover; Melting glaciers; Slow onset rising temperatures; and Ecosystems degradation.

Next in pipeline is 'Himalaya A Human History' by Ed Douglas.

Am deeply convinced that Himalaya + Indus River = Hindustan.

It was the land around this area - which was one, once upon a time that was called Hindustan and people living here were called Hindus. Just as Pakistani, or Malayali is not a religion Hindu was no religion at all.

With time, splits and fragmentation, mergers and demerges, the landscape changed, conflicts intensified and world live in a cold war, on the verge of eruption anytime from anywhere. Why? Because of mere misunderstanding, ego and complex. These stems from Individual, and you can see at all levels in every society, whether it be within family, district, state, province, county, country, Nation and International. Cause we are all one. 

Most important lesson, Himalayas have taught me is - If you don't grow, you will start going down. Nothing in life is stagnant. Keep growing, if you do not want to go down. 

Book Launch - The Tech Phoenix

On stage was the Government nominated, Non-Government board members who were instrumental in reviving satyam along with authors and moderator.

Book release by Pattabhi Ram Sir, Shardul Shroff, Kiran Karnik,  Montek Ahluwalia, Deepak Parekh, Tarun Das and T.N.Manoharan.

Event was moderated by Sandeep Bauzai. It is indeed a massive story of 'Yes, we can!'

Book brings out the beauty of India to recover from crisis in a short span on 100 days when even IBC have a mandate of 330 days. Unfortunately outside litigation or over but inside ones like that with CBDT are still pending. 

Listening to the stalwart dignitaries was awe-inspiring.  You can listen to them here. 

https://youtu.be/2_ZD4arcSQo

One person from the board is no more, one silver bullet for this to happen was Pranab Mukherjee.  Trust was the key.  Employees,  customers and cash was priority and having representatives from various fields especially headed by Deepak Parekh helped. "India is honored to have a person like Deepak Parekh. He is great". They also kept referring to names like Chandol and Pallavi.

So many 'To Do's' from Montek Ahluwalia. He brought back memories of the discussions I used to have with my dad. 

Before the launch of The Tech Phoenix in IIC New Delhi..

From L-R Shardul Shroff, Kuran Karnik, Pattabhi Ram, T N Manoharan, Deepak Parekh, Montek Singh, Homi Khusrokhan, Tarun Das

Qatar World Cup 2022 : Morgan and Al Muftah

Qatar World Cup 2022 had a very beautiful, charismatic and  heart warming world cup opening ceremony. As the poem was a great highlight in US presidential swearing in,  here it was Morgan and Al Muftah's performance; their conversation, which went on as:

“I heard something beautiful. Not just music, but also this call to celebration,” declared Freeman.

“Football united nations and their love for the beautiful game. What brings together nations also brings together communities.

“Now, the world feels even more distant and divided. How can so many countries, languages and cultures come together, if only one way is accepted?”

Al Muftah responded: “We were raised to believe that we were scattered on this earth as nations, as tribes, so we could learn from each other and find beauty in the differences.”

“I can see it, for what unites us here in this moment is so much greater than what divides us,” Freeman said. “How can we make it last for more than just today?”

Al Muftah answered: “With tolerance and respect, we can live together under one big home. When we call you here, we welcome you into our home.”

“So, we gather here as one big tribe, and Earth is the tent we all live in,” Freeman concluded.

Before Al Muftah rounded off the speech with an invitation to the world: “Yes, and together we can send out the call for all the world to join us.”

Barefoot Empress - Karthyayani Amma

 “This is a story of courage and perseverance. It shows how age is just a number and anyone determined to achieve their dreams will do it,”

This was the 39th Bibilography by Chef Vikas Khanna and has is now a documentary film too. 

The nonagenarian who hails from Cheppad, Alappuzha, has just not made her state proud but has also set an example for the others with her never-too-late spirit!Tops Kerala Literacy Exam with 98%

She swept the streets outside temples in her village for a living. One day, she met Sathi, an educationist, who enrolled her in school. Amma studied hard and stood first, ahead of 43,300 students who appeared for the examination.

https://www.barefootempress.com/

This inspiring video of less than 15 minutes in Malayalam ends with her saying, though I am unable to visit the temple God is always with me, and enters my home daily, some time in the form of light, some day in the form of blossoms, some day in the form of wind, he is always welcome home. 

In 2019 she became a Commonwealth of Learning Goodwill Ambassador. She was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind on Women's Day in March 2020.

Now she has crossed her 100th Birthday.  

Happy International Men's Day and Women Entrepreneurs Day - Nov 19th

Not all society and family are on Man's shoulders everywhere. Fortunate few have come out of it, more so from our generation on, but in many places and families I have seen men still struggle. Women just going around kitty parties and spending the hard earned money either remitted from abroad living separately or even when they stay together.

Untill last generation, father used to be out for bread and butter while mother at home took care of kids..raised them observed them planted virtues such as self control, compassion and honesty..Children learned and loved dad especially from their mom..these are outsourced now in many places, again not all.

When both mom and dad are busy earning for better life..hardly they have time to talk. There is no respect for parents, especially dads.

There are so many women who go to work , and continue to do everything at home which drain their energy, with no support from men. This post is not for them, so the pic.

Also here is a video; they too have their struggles.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/443650357928267?fs=e&s=cl

The wishes are meant for amazing men in our life n not for every Tom, Dick n Harry who is not taking care of their family.

Definitely children should love dad irrespective of what mother say and there are smarter kids in todays generation no denial and can see day in and out that they do not respect someone just because they are older in age and question a lot, of which we would not have even thought about.

And yes I do know so many working couples who give quality time to children, effective time management is all I can say, no personal experience here.

On women contributing I remember my grandmother, she was the finance manager at home, with 8 children. Grandfather just knew how to bring home income. She did not learn finance but knew how to maintain reserves. Again a deviation from the topic but memories come in as we read some sentence.

So there is a mix of people, am not generalising or trying to justify the pic, as I mentioned this is from what I have seen in many places but not all. I think the way I perceived it was different.

I thought this to be a wish for men who take responsibility and not for those who do not.

Many years ago @hillaryclinton said something unforgettable- women, who are ambitious, smart, successful and independent have to develop a “skin as thick as the hide of a rhinoceros” - that and “just keep showing up.” 

Was wondering, why International Day and Women Entrepreneurs Day happen to be on the same day Nov 19th? Also this is he Birthday of our first Ms. Universe, the day Aishwarya rai was crowned Ms. World, and my Childhood friend Rajshri and Karpagam's brithday!

Happiness always to all responsible souls. With great responsibility comes great power. 

India in 2047

"If we can smell the future, we will stay ahead" - Wow 👏an apt beginning 🙏

 Unstoppable,  Scary and Strategic is the book. Hearty congratulations 👏 to all the writers, authors and mentors.

What the future holds for us is divided into six sections in the book namely:

Section 1: The Big Picture - covering overview, Pluralism, Women and Climate Change. 

Section 2: Rising India - covering Smart City, mobility, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, home and rural India

Section 3: Education & Skill - covering Education, Jobs, 

Section 4: Sectors - covering Etrepreneurship, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Banking

Section 5: Happiness - covering Hospitality and Holidaying, Attire, Entertainment, sports, Happiness

Section 6: The Idea of India - covering Democracy, Governance and society, Media, Defense, The Judiciary, Security and A new sunshine. 

 PMs address, arrival of Carlton Saldana are interesting. Forward and First word is inspiring. Into the third chapter and If nothing else, I wish this would come true 🤞

I loved the way how subtly its put that Indian men consider their wife as maid

Yet another amazing work from Pattabhi Ram Sir and Dr. Anbuthambi.

Received a signed copy of 'India in 2047' from the writing team Mili Pallath , proud of you dear and way to go. 

Section 2: Rising India - covering Smart City was her part, and indeed for a SMART - Sustainable,  Modern, Ambitious, Renewable and Technology-friendly not only City but India.

First Second Chance

Directed by Lakshmi Iyer, ‘First Second Chance’ is a 24-minute short film that was released on June 5 on Hotstar. It stars Renuka Shahane, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Nikhil Sangha, Ananth Mahadevan and Sahil Uppal. Recently Lakshmi Iyer and Renuka Shahane won award for this - in the category of best director and best actress. Was delighted to see Ananth Mahadevan after a long time. 

Ajit, unceremoniously and without her knowledge or consent, admits his mother,  at an old-age home.Renuka Shahan (Vaidehi) Battling cancer, she is shattered but does not lose the will to live. As her condition improves, she becomes friends with Raman Krishnan, played by Ananth Mahadevan. Raman helped Vaidehi get better without expecting anything in return. The meeting leads up to the flashbacks of Vaidehi and Raman’s younger days, their friendship, and what turns their lives take. 

Without telling her ungrateful and selfish son, she decides to get remarried at an old age. Each scene was shot with perfection and captured every emotion of the actors. If two hearts are meant to be together, fate will get them together no matter how long it takes.

One of the most impactful dialogue in the film is made by Trisha, the granddaughter. Trisha tells her dad, “Daddy, I met Grandma today. She looked very happy on the pilgrimage ….. When I grow up, I will first leave you and mom on a pilgrimage and keep you both happy the same way.” The innocence, along with the irony in these few words, gives the film a very stimulating end. 

Want to watch the film - you can click here, its available in youtube: https://youtu.be/EJfKYf4mbbM

Marriage - English Vinglish & Kahlil Gibran

Marriage is not a matter of change , but exchange. Understand first, before commenting or arguing. Kevin is Krishna here and we turn 4 in 10 day. 

"Meera… Kevin… This marriage is a beautiful thing. It is a most special friendship, friendship of two people who are equal. Life is a long journey, Meera, sometimes… you will feel you are less, Kevin sometimes, you will also feel that you are less than Meera. Try to help each other, to feel equal, it will be nice. Sometimes, married couple don’t even know how the other is feeling. So, how they will help the other? Does it mean marriage is over? No. That is the time you have to help yourself. Nobody can help you better than you, if you do that, you will return back feeling equal, your friendship will return back, your life will be beautiful. 

Meera… Kevin… Maybe you all very busy, but, have family, son, daughter. In this big world, your small little world, it will make you feel so good. Family… family can never be… never be, umm.. never be judgmental, family will never put you down, will never make you feel… small. Family is the only one who will never laugh at your weaknesses, family is the only place, where you always get love and respect. That’s all Meera and Kevin, I wish you all the best. Thank you."

 -- Sridevi as Shashi in English Vinglish.

Pain : No Pain - No Gain

 

Loved this : Being practical isn't about abandoning hopes and dreams. It's about turning dreams into goals, goals into plans, plans into actions, and actions into habits. You don't have to choose between being a dreamer and a doer. Progress depends on transforming vision into reality.

And the road to it is not a cake walk. We need to know our values, and understand what pain to go through and what not. 

The recent book - 'The Subtle Art of Not giving a Fuck ' and movie 'Uunchai' was about embracing pain and am in love with this song. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU-Lz0jTa3o

Tell yes to life. You are the medicine to your pain, the reason for it and the solution. Make it the reason for your life. Get up and embrace your pain, and fly high. 

As one of Sadguru's talk goes:

"Pain is just there in the body. Suffering is something that you create. But you need not create it. If you are aware, you will not create suffering for yourself. The only reason why anyone would create suffering for himself is because he is unaware. Would you create suffering for yourself intentionally?"

One need not suffer as they go through pain. As Kapil Dev said in one of his interviews - He enjoyed his game, because he played with passion; but today, people go through pressure. It is how we perceive and take it, that makes a difference. 

And as I post this next day, Adam Grant posts:

Resilence is not resistance, its the capacity to bend without breaking. Strength doesn't come from ignoring pain. It stems from knowing that your past self has hurt and your future self will heal. Fortitude is the presence of resolve, not the absence of hardship.

The Subtle Art of Not giving a F*ck - Mark Manson

A counterintuitive approach to living a good life as the cover page say, this book was with me for some time, but kept postponing reading it. 

Divided broadly into 9 chapters, ending with Then you die, it starts with telling us 'Don't Try'.

"The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience and paradoxically, the acceptance of ones negative experience is itself a positive experience. "

Bulb on!

The person who finds no emotion or meaning in anything is a psychopath. The purpose of the book is not to tell you to be one. 

The subtleties, that clarifies the title are:

1. Not giving a fuck does not mean being indifferent; it means being comfortable, with being different.
2. To not give a fuck about adversity, you must first give a fuck about something more important than adversity.
3. Whether you realize it or not, you are always choosing what to give a fuck about.

Whatever your problems are, the concept is the same, solve problems; be happy. Unfortunately, for many people, life doesn't feel that simple. That's because they fuck things up in at least one of the two ways - denial or victim mentality. 

We are not special. Entitlement complex is a tough situation to be in. Self Awareness is like an onion, there are layers to it, and you need to peel one after the other to realise your true self. We are always choosing. and is always wrong about everything. OCD is a terrible neurological and genetic disorder that cannot be cured, but can be managed by accepting the imperfections of compulsive desire. 

Many of the relationships in life are built around values, the moment you change your values - your turnaround will reverberate out through your relationships and many of them will blow up in your face. This is normal and uncomfortable. These are necessary, though painful. We need to be careful about what we believe. 

We have heard of Parkinson's law " Work expands so as to fill up the time available for its completion."; Murphy's law "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong". There is also Manson's law of avoidance:

"The more something threatens your identity, the more you will avoid it". 

Good or bad.  Breed little more uncertainty in life by asking:

1. What if I am wrong?
2. What would it mean if I were wrong?
3. Would being wrong create a better or a worse problem than my current problem, for both myself and others?

Learn to say no, rejections make life better, build trust, there is freedom in commitment too. 

Seek the truth for yourself. 

The book 'The Denial of Death' make two points:

1. Humans are unique , we're the only animal that can conceptualize and think about ourselves abstractly.  This realisation causes what Becker calls "death terror", a deep existential anxiety that underlies everything we think or do.
2. We have two "selves" Physical and Conceptual. 

All the meaning in our life is shaped by this innate desire to never truly die. 

What is your legacy?

Uunchai

Enchanting Everets! how could it not pull me towards it? Like RaniPadmini - it's not for the story, but the travel and the mighty-highty himalayas, that I could not resist myself from watching this, and could corelate, after the recent trip on the struggles, physical constraints, and lessons. The movie starts with the beginning of the trek, and then takes us to the flashback. 

Amit a motivational writer (Amitabh Bachchan), Om a bookseller (Anupam Kher) and Javed women's textile seller (Boman Irani)  travel to fulfill the one last wish of their late friend Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa) a mountaineer by heart, who had wished to take his three friends once to the Everest Base Camp, a trek that he had done several times alone. Instead of younger Characters playing the age, casting is indeed the creamy layer of the movie. The three friends have, of course, dillydallied all the while, but could not resist, seeing the tickets he had booked for all of them before his death. The life line song constantly played  by various characters is: "Yeh Jeevan Hai, is jiivan kaa yahii hai, yahii hai, yahii hai rang ruup, thode Gam hain, thodii khushiyaa, yahii hai, yahii hai, yahii hai chhaav dhuup."

Reaching the destination by itself was an uphill task for each of them, both physically and mentally. But as Bhupen would say, Himalaya would give them the answers they wanted, and it did. They learned the real meaning of freedom. They find a  mysterious new companions (Sarika), and enroot also meet indignant kids, rekindle old family feuds, and similar other problems as they embark on a journey by road from Delhi to Kathmandu via Agra, Lucknow, and Kanpur. There they meet the rest of the troupe and their group captain Shraddha( Parineeti Chopra) to start their trek. Each of these characters are fighting their struggle, which are the sub-plots of the movie. Not all can go to the Himalayas or climb , but each of us have Himalaya within us. May we derive the strength from within. Is the final theme conveyed.  The movie is full of Heights - of nature and human desire. Of Ambition, dreams and stupidity. Ek Kadam ek Saans ...ek Kadam ek Saans is the way to Uunchai. One step forward. Breath. 

You can just behold the sight thereafter, and for a person like me, the movie is worth it. As all movies from Rajshri Productions this too is full of good songs, I cannot get myself out of this particular one:

Yes to Life - Final Song

Words

 "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" - Have read this number of times, in my school days, this was a door hanger in one of our family friends house.

As years go by I realise how profound those words are. Indeed - Words have a great power and life of itself. Every one should 'Mind their words ' weather to self or others. That is why often it is said - Speak positive,  for it comes true. 

'Abracadabra'? Not necessarily. It's from the Aramaic phrase avra kehdabra, meaning “I will create as I speak”. The source is three Hebrew words, ab (father), ben (son), and ruach acadosch (holy spirit).

Since reading, 'The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes', this thought has been haunting me. 

if you can't articulate your ideas, then they're stuck in ambiguity. Words require us to pay attention to the nuance. Life isn't black and white, it's gray. Words force us to narrow our focus to the specific. Without speaking specifically, we leave open the possibility of being misunderstood. Understanding nuance begets understanding the nuance of others.

Oral and Written words both have great effect. But these days of digital world, written words have gained more significance. Words uttered in haste can sometimes get us into trouble and the end results can be disastrous.

When we write, it's never to simply communicate a concept, but to illuminate it, inside and out, to expound on the deeper meaning of a thing, and to truly appreciate the nuances of where a thought can draw us. What writing teaches very well is to distil your ideas and subject them to a certain discipline of expression, setting precise boundaries around your main ideas, and brutally pruning away others.

That is the power of having a 'To Do' list - at a place where you can see -  as well. It keeps your mind free without having to carry the 'To Do' list in your head, but you will have it done. 

Knowing what words to use, when to use, and how to use them, is indeed an art. There are so many stories in our mythology around it:

1. Kumbarkan's wish. - We would have heard someone or the other called 'Kumbhakarna' - either because they eat too much or sleep too much. The story is that , he wanted to be as powerful as Indra, and so he opened his mouth to ask for ‘Indrasan’ (seat of Indra) but he asked for ‘Nindrasan’ (bed for sleep) instead! Some say that it was goddess Saraswati who tied his tongue and made him misspeak, fearing that if Kumbhakarna became the king of the devas, there would be trouble in heaven. Nevertheless, the end result is known. 

2. Aswathamahata. - this story signifies the need for the clarity and completeness of words. In the Mahabharata war, only way to stop Dronacharya fight was Yudhistra being Dharmaraja, say that Drona's son is dead - An elephant named Aswathama was killed - and when Yudhistra said 'Aswathamahata' Krishna blew the conch so loud that Drona heard only the first part, and thought his son was dead. 

Interestingly, when words become sentence, it's even more dangerous. We need to be worried about punctuation. As we have the story of how comma can kill a person - 'Kill him not let him go'. 

Think before you speak and write. Listen write. Words have a life. It can even take life. Be careful with it. So also it's said Pen is mightier than sword. 

The Tech Phoenix - Satyam's 100-day turnaround story

 

Frauds are Whistle blown or investigated but here is a story of confession in falsifying accounts on 7th of Jan 2009. There were three options to handle the extraordinary situation - letting market decide the fate, bail out plan infusing funds into the company or out of box thinking with an unique plan. And it was the third that was implemented. 

Art of the possible at times of failure.  Private -  Public partnership and not using taxpayers money; and a quick turnover within 100 days. India needs a speedy justice-delivery mechanism. Employees are the crew and clients the passengers, building quality team with succession plans is the key. 

In life what we become depends on three elements - our thoughts, our intentions and our actions. Ego hurts, humility helps. We should always, expect the unexpected. "Opportunity knocks the door buy once, while temptation leans on the doorbell forever'. Whether we resist the temptation depends on our will power. We are all answerable to our own conscience. Integrity is the sine quo non. One bad act will wash away many good. 

People like Manoharan Sir and Pattabhi Sir adds good will to the profession. I recollect my interaction with Manoharan Sir in the beginning of this millennium. On asking him, what is needed to succeed - he had said - 50% hard work and 50% confidence. 

For reasons known, tears filled my eyes, as I read the message of Karthik. With deepest Gratitude from The Mahindra Satyam Family. M-Sat. 

Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

"Courage is the root of change - and change is what we're chemically designed to do. So when you wake up, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others opinion of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status and religion. Do not allow your talent to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. Ask yourself what you will change.  And then get started." - Underlying message from the book 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus. What a book mark to go with it.

Set in the 1960’s, it’s the story of Elizabeth Zott, a lone woman scientist at Hastings Research Institute who is  put down in more ways than one, ridiculed and harassed, until she meets Calvin Evans, the brilliant scientist who has been nominated for nothing less than the Nobel prize. Life takes its quirky and cruel twists and turns and we find Elizabeth as a single mother, hosting a cookery show in her own inimitable way, always ending with "Children, set the table; your mother needs a moment to herself". But what she does there goes beyond mere Chemistry or cooking. She opens the minds of many a woman watching the show, makes them aware of who they are and the power of their dreams.

With back stories of  Elizabeth and Calvin, another mother; Harriet and Walter, but it’s the narrative and the humour that keeps you riveted. The three of them ----Six Thirt and Madeline. It’s the story of an amazing woman who will stop at nothing for those whom she loves, what she believes in, and a man who loves her back with everything he has, with no conditions except that she be herself. Do such love still exist? I wondered. 

I finished reading it in one go and loved it. Something of a kind after the Rosy project and much needed after 'The Sense of an Ending' which I reread after many years - and still a little confused though thought provoking with great words of wisdom. I love books with clear ending.