Privilege – My Perspective

The context in which I am talking about privilege is the frame of mind I was in when I detested the celebration of Independence day this year in my thoughts which were bound by the shackles of experiences. Though being at a place I could call home and being able to spend time with accommodating, understanding and supporting resources (Ecosystem of Family and Friends) is a privilege among many that I have in this life, taking them for granted is what makes me entitled.

Sense of entitlement sets the expectations and often leads us to unwarranted thoughts which builds an outlook of desiring and lusting over wishing and working. I am surprised at the ability of individuals who drew a distinct boundary between personal and professional lives, balancing them deftly in spite of the hardships that they are going through. Everyone has a story, commiserating one’s own thoughts is probably the origin of not setting oneself free from them.

A consequence of not practicing what I preach !

“Sometimes, you never really know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory“

End of rant !

Podcasts – Puri Jagannath

During the hiatus from blogging, I really did not find something very substantial to pen my thoughts until I happened to bump on the podcasts of Film Director – Puri Jagannath. The podcast is in Telugu Language. The topics of his podcasts are general, content though is straight forward, hard hitting and very impulsive, very much like his movies.

I felt connected to the thoughts expressed by him in many podcasts, though I do not subscribe to a few of his views. Good that his podcasts are not lengthy stretching over hours, all are small snippets with a running time less 5 minutes, which makes it more precise and hence recommended.

2014 – A Futile Year

When I look back at 2014, I did nothing. Nothing. Mind was in a state of confusion/trance/illusion , whatever that describes best.I remember 2013 as the year when I practically took steps in becoming a serious movie buff. 2014 was a step forward, in that direction. None apart from movies, has made life interesting for me. I finally surrendered my philosophy of not using a smartphone and eventually became a slave of one. This year saw me buy a good number of gadgets to my brother, dad , mother and a few friends. Some things which I should have done long back like taking health insurance for entire family, did not materialise. I generally make it a point to remember a bygone year in the name of an event. Like 2007 was the year of T20 WC for India, 2011 was the year I enjoyed my first full salary 2012 was a learning year. 2013 was the year I loved the movie ” The Girl with the Dragon tattoo”. 2014 definitely belonged to ” The Prestige”. Thanks to Modi becoming the PM of India, market sentiment has improved and my demat account statement showed me six digit figure in 2014. Studies have remained as enigmatic as they were , teasing me with the been there, almost there syndrome. Nothing has changed apart from a few good memories and fewer bad ones. Not to forget that I did not read a single novel this year.

Spring starts and the new season for optimism too. Hopeful of hope for good better times.

Forgone Habits

Seven years back, when I was in college, I was considered as a student who knows English pretty well, and rated well above the others in terms of English. I carried that hangover over a few years thereby establishing myself as an egoistic , non learnable idiot having no enthusiasm to learn . Thanks to my job, where I need not utter a single word of english and still manage to complete all the interactions required so far. After this three year stint, I can proudly say that I have lost the little bit of English that I used be proud of in the past. Reading books is a habit bygone , and movies have given a much abridged and entertaining interpretation.

Today, I pretty much tremble speaking in English to anyone . Conversations in English are no longer pleasant and they do not boost my confidence(ego) like it used to do earlier. Should seriously get back to talking in English and change my direction of thinking. Looks like my honeymoon period(in my job) is getting over and should get ready for some serious work , which should put me across difficult situations and should help me grow in my career.

RULES – necessity of Indians

I am not a sensitive person who becomes emotional , I am kind of rigid hearted person, who doesn’t succumb crying or other things. Today when I had to browse the newspaper in the morning, horrific images of the school bus hit by a train were all around which created a sense of deep sense of sadness and sympathy for the school children who were the victims of the accident.  I just came home and the feeling of ..I cant explain it..something deep is running back of my mind, feeling very sorry for the school children. Cannot imagine the plight of the parents for whom their kids were everything in life.

To all those reading this, I urge to follow rules . Rules are meant to ease our life , and inculcate discipline thereby causing less or no harm to our fellow beings, after all we are all social animals living in an ecosystem. For all those, of the GenY flashy youngsters, who are the torchbearers of  ” Rules are meant to be broken” attitude, GROW UP!!! Indians need it badly.

The Week | DOWN AND OUT… STANDING!

The Week | DOWN AND OUT… STANDING!.

True Inflation

In rather general terms, Inflation is something that has been unreasonably high. It is associated with Consumer goods and other daily essentials which have an overall higher expenditure if the prices are inflated. The inflation I am referring to are the facts in weddings where most of the things are inflated. These days, a prospective bride/bridegroom express their income in the form of Packages or Cost to Company which projects an unreasonably high figure of income, which makes the other party go gaga. Not all weddings are normal these days, most people want to have a fairytale wedding where they can post the videos from specialist wedding photographers(yeah, those good for nothing souls, who make a quick buck cashing in the hype of Indian weddings and the foolishness of the bride and bridegroom) and who after seeing their pictures continue to live in a perfect illusion that by far their life partner is the best , which defies the law of nature.

Yesterday, our office was graced by the presence of this Lady, who earlier worked in our branch and is now working in Karnataka. She had come to the nearby town to attend a wedding and will have to take a train to get back to her place. After the usual introductions and pleasantries exchanged, she was in conversation with our staff .  After sometime, she asked about my whereabouts , where do I take food, about my family and the next obvious question , if I am married. I told her that I am single . She reverted that she has a son of my age working in an MNC in Begumpet, Hyderabad who is earning 1.5 Lakh. I was in particular, amazed that a young chap of my age, was earning 5  times of what I do, for a pay packet that even Royal Bank of Scotland would not offer for a ISB grad of 5 years experience. Immediately, it stuck to me whether it was per year or for a month. But sense prevailed and I was reminded of

People I tell you, would go to any extent, in embellishing facts, without having to establish them.

Would like to throw some light on the difference between Cost to Company and Take Home salary.

Credits:

Picture : Business Line – Advertorial

Link : http://www.am22tech.com

 

Definitely not the right time

Definitely not the right time to blog. The reason being one of the professional exams slated for tomorrow, I must be preparing for the examination. These days, during the summer, thought process has reached a saturation and I am hardly using any part of the brain. Nothing, apart from money and investments have been of any interest to me. Though I have a  job whose stress levels are comparatively low , I have been time and again reminded physically that I am pushing myself to the threshold, which is having a reverberating effect on my mind.

Bad dreams, fears have catapulted to a new high like the present stock market . Few of my friends generally share their problems and used to seek some mental strength from my words earlier. But looks like, I don’t qualify to advise people. Frustration levels were at all time high, after the recent mishaps, I have been telling myself to calm down. Though I can see very little progress, I have to do it consistently.

But I always believe that time heals everything. I could just see time is doing that for me . Like the way the engine of an overused automobile needs to be re bored, my mind has to be de bored.

Will have to push until I get my momentum back.  One good week and probably, I will be back. Yeah..I will be back.

 

New Found Love

Definitely not the love you are thinking right now. Testing times as far as new love is concerned. The love I’m referring here is the selfless towards automobiles that I have. It has been always been one of my fantasies to go for a long drive, with absolutely no tensions in the mind and travel the road endlessly in the company of people with great conversations, fun and food to some place, where the destination does not matter, but the journey does.

The self proclaimed moto maniac I am , I used to follow good number of amateur amateur turned professional websites like team bhp and others where I can kill time with reviews, and other stuff catering to the like minded fraternity. One of the interesting feature I have discovered was the travelogues section where people blog about their journeys in their much loved vehicles, the photos of the journeys are the real feast taking you across the paths unknown. It has been one of the sites that I have followed with great interest almost getting immersed in their travel the time I start reading them.

This is the place where I am spending much of my time, and it has given me great satisfaction. Hopefully, one day I will buy a car of my choice and will write travelogues with such engaging  pics.

Conquering One’s worst fears

Personally, I think I am one classic example of voluntary inferiority complex until I met a transaction analyst(happened by chance) whose words had a sounding impact on my life. Life at a point for me among my peers was so bad that my thought process had hit a rock bottom with a dark opaque screen blocking my approach which I term it FEAR. After a few interactions with the transactional analyst, I felt that like many people, I have been living in an illusion called fear. Though he has not addressed me in person, it was a personality development session that I have attended some years back that I had come to a conclusion that I ve been living in an illusion called FEAR whose acronym was False Events Appearing Real.

It really feels happy to conquer one such fear before you are hit by it again. Like, one of my worst fears during my bachelors was that being jobless straight after college, which the society projects as a social taboo and being termed a failure by people around me  and these fears turned out to be true because I was kicked out of my first job and was jobless for good six months when I was given a lot of free advice by my well wishers which I hated to the core. And I also believed that I am not cut out for open competition for a job in an open market as the probability of getting a job is almost nil, given my competencies then, in such circumstances. But life treated me like a ball which was hit to the ground and I believe that I have bounced back to a decent height once I was hit the ground.

Yes, this is one more free advice blog.  Among many fears, the above was one that stood out. Which I think I have come up with a decent effort much to my happiness. Speaking from my heart, the confidence that you gain after conquering one such fear lays down the carpet and paves you to the world of opportunities to explore more. But one should have a fear of failure which is a compelling factor for good and diligent work.

 

Photo Credit : abundancethinkers.in