Paradigm to Peace

It was a Thursday afternoon and I was at home for lunch. I was staring at the golf course view from my patio that I lost connection with myself for some time. By the time I realized what happened it was almost 20 minutes. I would have viewed the flags and holes about a million times but that thought travel gave me a new insight to peace. 

I have seen him in my apartment complex moving erratically with his golf cart to take care of the apartment needs. He always bears a smiling face with a confident stance. His happiness is boundless and his needs are limited. I saw him for the first time in the golf-cart with his son. The little kid had emotional love rather than a dutiful attachment. As they played golf my mind mapped the golf course in to a four different areas – Happy, Sad, Peace and Routine. He was definitely on the ‘Happy’ part with his focus towards ‘Peace’.

I wanted to map this to a conventional diary.

We know what X and Y axis means and definitely the positive and negative side as well. The above chart has been mapped by keeping those basics intact.

Sad (Negative X and Negative Y):

I don’t want to drool around this area as we strive to get out of this zone. Let us to try to minimize my influence to this side of the chart.

Routine (Positive X and Negative Y):

This acquiesce activity can add value by a simple touch and a creative thought. Let us try to get this activity to ‘Happy’ zone.

Happy (Positive Y and Negative X)

Difference between ‘Happy’ and ‘Routine’; Happiness is closer to ‘Peace’ than ‘Routine’. The subtlety between ‘Happy’ and ‘Peace’ is in its unique nature. Happiness gives you a surmountable pleasure but if that activity fails to prevail your inner peace is not alive. All mortal creatures definitely need happiness and let us try to keep the ‘Happy’ activities at an optimal level.

Peace (Positive Y and Negative X)

This sensitized zone need more thought and inner conscience. Let us not be naive and fool ourselves. The existence of the activity gives a touch to our soul that is beyond happiness. The absence of this activity will make us to move to a level beyond imagination.

It is very difficult to showcase ourselves on the best side of the graph. But the sixth sense of our human nature can definitely adjudge and map each of our activity to this chart. An individual’s ‘Routine’ can be my ‘Happiness’ – Activities, outcomes and fallback are purely subjective.

As long as we are truthful to our existence ‘Paradigm to Peace’ is tangible.

Thriving to be a better Individual

I always wanted to channelize my emotions to be more constructive but in vain...

As a happy father this section helped me to find myself and my purpose in professional and personal career. The birth of Vihaas still reckons the fearful days of achieving the objective of a ‘Responsible Father’. My father being a very active, persuasive and hard-working personality has never impressed so much till I realized the challenge of being a never-ending role model.

As for everyone, the grass is always green (for me) on the other side. But I always failed to view the nitty-gritty essentials in my life that I didn’t acknowledge my purpose. Never like any other individual, I always carried a proud collar that I was at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Self-Actualization). It is few recent turmoil that made me realize how crooked I had been all these days. If not for legends, most of me (us) on any given day fit unequally on all the 5 blocks of the ‘Maslow’ pyramid. It is definitely worth a try to establish our individuality on “Esteem” and progress towards “Self-actualization”.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

I started to cherish the recent uproar (in my profession) that I begin to find solace in the works of Daniel Coleman, Clayton M. Christensen and Peter F Drucker. The articles, ethics, learning’s, trivial yet significant instances are definitely worthy for its standards and demands. Clayton’s concept of “It is easy to be 100% disciplined than being 98%” was simple and revealing. The ways in which leaders thrive and struggle can undoubtedly be related not only on professional grounds but also personally. This is where I struggle myself to fit in and working hard towards it. I started to pick up a couple of unforeseen advisors on these frameworks.

What wonders me is how much of these effective models reach successful professionals, even if not for a novice. Are they blind-folded and flocked by their success? If the ethics and rationality of “Management Guru’s” are mandated would we scented by heaven?

I am not an even being who can have no failures, have a prospering career, be a best son (and great father) and get whatever I need by having a magic wand in hand. Life is most often cruel that we are tested to a great extent, after all this world has its own definition for ‘morality and dignity’. This will never leave me down the ladder as I always strive to be a better individual complementing both my existence and purpose. 

“Success never comes without a failure, if the same success results from same failure, it is not success but a catastrophe.”

Art of Networking

Society prevails at the behest of networking. People networking has reached heights where every single move is captured. The argument of boon or bane is out of limits that self-realization is not in our scope. Why?

Networking is definitely a boon to this magnanimous era. The limits should be defined by moral values and not by social popularity. Every one of us can definitely visualize the face of the world without social networks. The questions is how far are we willing to go to bring back our age old golden merits? Networking is an ‘Art’ and no doubt that this concept has been misunderstood to the extent.

I would classify networking in to two – ‘Promotional networking’ and ‘self-realized networking’. Promotional Networking as for it says, develop your network by promoting cooked up knowledge. Self-realized networking on the other hand is where our network emerges and sustains for our values and sheer excellence. The hilarious part is both are very well interrelated. Self-realized networking is what every one of us strive for, but we land up in ‘promotional’ mode thinking that our ‘self-realization’ would pay off one day. The truth being every one of us have a similar notion making ourselves to clog in ‘Promotional’ mode.

Let me move out of equivocal theories and come to reality. How many of us have checked Facebook or tweets to see the likes and comments for our status and photos? I know people assessing themselves by checking their Facebook at odd hours. Do you think that people know your hidden talents and moral values? How many times have we sought for an advice or feedback from our close inmates? If you are given a choice to either split up or grab the wholesome of your special aura – which one would you prefer? In the answer lies our destiny. Question would arise as to how a few people get recognized for their endowment. The truth is they were not witnessed during their dark days. But this didn’t push them to ‘promotional mode’. A well-renowned example is Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi. He was never acknowledged for his legacy. People indeed thought that he was a shame to the society. It was his spark why women are now equal to men in India (Controversies out of this change are for another day J ).

Every theory has an extension and this promotional art is not an exception. There is this union of people who appreciates the promotional upgrades, not once or twice but every time. Many of us might have thought what this myth is all about. This undeniably is a pun (not intentionally) but invariably a bipolar feeling. If you keenly notice they never succumb to unpretentious skills. Who is to be held liable?

Now that I have cut the brass tacks, let us discuss ‘Self-realization’. We are bound by laws where we are compelled to know the best part as well. If you are genuine you will understand the self-realized outcome. You might not be recognized but you will feel the satisfaction. This doesn’t mean not to post photos on Google +, share your views on twitter or update your Facebook with news and values. These are definite to endure yourself and enrich your society. Limit it to an extent whereby you don’t fake your identity. Don’t give up your personal life to a network whereby the world can peep in to your home.

This decrier is not an awakening call but a self-realization request. I am open to any critic comment as I am unsure whether this piece would ignite self-realized thoughts and ideas.

Privacy laws are not only for others to protect your identity but also to ourselves to preserve our own values.

A Tribute

28+ years, is the time I took to understand this great personality? It was negligence and not ignorance. As I begin to coop down my memories, I am sure that similar personality has played an attractive role in everyone’s life. But I never bothered to even think about my dad. He was not as successful in his fire fought career, but is reverential and an honest man to be looked forever. His retirement reverberated among his colleagues. He was one of the very few personalities whose dutiful devotion was paid off in his clean chit retirement.

I remember my early childhood days when I looked down my father as a Hitler. Sarcastically, I have a passion towards few of Hitler’s attributes. I remember tough chastisement I was given for my mischiefs and carelessness. Those nightmares might have daunted me, but not anymore. I got the best childhood days with my dad’s mundane routine, my mom’s infinite love and my sister’s entertaining acts. The family I grew was none to second but for some reason it failed to etch my mind for a long time. I not only kept pointing my fingers at my dad but also not complacent with this indefinite patience.

It was 2007 and he took a great leap to support me during the darkest of all times. All the 22+ years of ‘Hitler’ attitude suddenly turned to ‘Mother Theresa’ act. Still I had conflicts. The moment I came out of this pitch, I was so selfish in keeping him occupied with my grievances. 2006 (Engineering Degree) was followed by 2007 (footstep in to my career) was followed by 2012 (Sister Marriage). 2013 witnessed kink in my personal life (marriage, memories filled with tragediesJ). Still I didn’t even give an opportunity to think about I can do. But yes, my father changed a lot for myself apart from his never ending sacrifice.

My mom and sister (more rightfully) weighs both myself and my father than anyone. This self-ago never attracted these ladies that they take a firm stand with more calm thoughts. It was December 2013 and ‘Conflict of thought’ opened my minds towards reality. My 28 years of selfish belief was broken in to pieces by my sister (salute to her). Neither my father nor my acts outweighed. Everything was circumstantial and I always failed when it came to reality. My father was more silent enough to accept it. I do regret for what I have done but this stance is not going to change anything. I started to admire his simplicity, his fight towards life, his affection towards family, his assuring promises, acceptable mind for the generation, his genuine thoughts and finally his independent stand as a man!

I still have my conflicts but I am certain that this cannot pave way to a ‘blind fight’. I doubt that I can bring in his ‘knowledge trait and compassion’ but it is worth a try!

My never ending thanks to my lovable sister and my righteous mother will come for ages. More than a tribute to my father this morsel is a family reunion!