Blissful Life

Category: life

  • How Much of Confidence is Overconfidence?

    Every time someone sure to win fails, others attribute a reason, almost instantaneously – “he was overconfident”.
    But, how much of confidence is overconfidence?
    Usain Bolt was sure he would be the Olympic Champion even before the 9.69s run began. And how would have people reacted if he failed in winning the race, after showing the ‘V’ sign even before the “Go” word? Of course, news channels would have been beaming with special bulletins that criticized the act of him imagining himself to be a winner as one of brimming overconfidence. ‘Sports specialists’ would start advising their listeners as to why one should never celebrate success before achieving it.
    But, visualising success and enjoying the fruit before it flowers are all techniques that stand out among self-help techniques. These have been used by many with considerable success in their endeavors. And these are one of the sure fire techniques that allow human bodies to activate the mechanisms that are required in order to achieve the feat that is to follow.

    Still, when you are confident, and when you lose, people criticize you. These fangs are inescapable. You can’t shake off the agony that grips you either.

    So, how do we make sure that we are not overconfident and that we have just that critical amount of fire burning to take us through?
    If we are able to answer this question, we will be able to save ourselves from that embarrassing moment when our confidence present itself as overconfidence to others.

    If you decide not to practice,
    If you decide not to be worried about it,
    If you decide not to look forward to it,
    If you decide not to prepare the failure speech,
    Then, my friend, you can make sure, you are overconfident.

    But, otherwise, every gesture of confidence that you make are completely justified, and the people who call you ‘too confident’ are the people who deserve sympathy for commenting about what they don’t know.

    Be confident. Be overconfident. (Because, as for anything else, sky is the limit for confidence)

  • Have we Turned Cultureless or Cultured

    Indians do have lost their ancient culture. That is beyond doubt.
    But the question is, was that loss a loss at all?

    There are two options.
    A) Yes, our ancient culture was better
    B) No, the new culture is better
    Of course, answering this question requires thoughts and experiments on large scale.

    But, let us try to agree on at least one thing:
    Our ancient culture was practical (at that time when an average Indian never went outside the circle of radius 50 km and center their home).
    But for us to be compatible with the latest innovations in any field (even in spirituality), we must be able to change. Yes, it is survival of the fittest, and if we are not ready to change, we will have to keep our mouth shut, and that’s it.
    So, nowadays the question has changed – do you want to be recognized, or do you want the older culture.
    And the choice is a tough one to make, especially if you consider both of them as essential. (Can we select multiple options)
    So, my answer is C) None of the above (
    Do your best in trying to have the sweet essence of any culture inculcated in the personality that belongs to you.
    )

    And a nice practical tip: Reflect the culture of those around you

  • What Kerala and Keralites Can and Must Learn From Delhi City

    I’ve recently been to Delhi. Actually it’s been my first time visit. (Though, I dream of making it many more times)

    And though the heat there took the toll out of me, a poor Keralite, I still love Delhi and wish to be back there.

    There are two important things that we Keralites must learn from such big cities.

    First is transport. One thing that really mesmerized me into loving Delhi is the metro railway. It is comfortable, fast, affordable, time-savvy and reduces congestion in the roads. You do know that it is almost impossible to get from the North to the South of Cochin at 8 in any weekday morning. Metro railway need not be in metro cities.
    For roads, one thing that is absent in Delhi roads is gutters. There has been no compromise made with the health of roads, and that gives you a huge relief. At least you can mind other business while driving without hitting anything trying to avoid a hole in front.

    And the second, the lifestyle.
    We Keralites have a habit of thinking about others. How they look. How they see us. How nasty they are. How rude. How disgusting others can be. How helping others can be harmful. How a “sorry” can lower our respect. How a “good morning” makes us inferior.
    How rubbish!
    In the city, people don’t care about others. Everyone lives in a world of thier own, in which they need care about matters they are concerned with, and matters that need their attention. Can’t we just try to concentrate on ourselves?
    Not that we should replace our styles with their, but shouldn’t we adapt and perfect ourselves.

    And of course, Delhi is the capital of India

  • What Does Being Alive Mean?

    We are alive. For, we breathe, we move, we do things that pebbles probably cannot.
    But what does it mean, “to live”?

    There ARE more than 6 billion people on earth. And we are only a few among them. It doesn’t make a difference whether we live or we die. Nobody cares to see what we do, what we don’t. And even if we don’t do something, nothing happens to the system. The sky doesn’t break apart and fall on your roof.
    Then, why should we live?

    This of course is the question that philosophers have been asking themselves and others for centuries. This of course is the question that makes many men in their harshest times, lie on the railway track waiting for the train, or tie one end of a rope on a ceiling fan and the other end around the neck?

    Why?

    There are many ways to answer this:

    One way is the path of spirituality. You don’t know why you live, you ask why and move, hopefully, towards the answer. These are most often propelled by spirituality gurus. They tell you that God is there, but you can find him, only through unflinching devotion. But betting on a God one whose very existence is doubted, is a risk that no sane human is gonna take. (That’s why we call a saint, insane)

    Another way is to accept the truth and just live. You know you are living. And though you don’t know why you are living, you know how to live, so, you live.
    And to live so, there are many ways. Some people live luxuriously. Some miserably. Some are happy, that they are living. Some wait for death. You just live the way you lived until this why-question came to your mind.

    Yet another way is to know that you are blessed to be living, and more, to be living as a human, and then, to use your life to the best, reach out for the maximum and make it huge.
    This is the kind of life that we should aim at.
    We are alive. There is only one life. Then why not make it huge???

    Socialize. Volunteer. Participate in whatever is going on around. Read everything. Learn anything new. Help every one. Love all. Play for fun. Laugh. Smile. Make others happy. Talk. Teach. Dream. Do big things. Change the world.

    And finally you’ve got the answer. Why are you alive?

  • Do You Realize Your Value

    During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived – everyone except the Zen master. Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn’t treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger. “You fool,” he shouted as he reached for his sword, “don’t you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!” But despite the threat, the master seemed unmoved. “And do you realize,” the master replied calmly, “that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?”

    The above story tells us more than one thing.

    1: Don’t be afraid: Don’t fear anyone. Fear never leads to productivity. It only leads to restriction. But that doesn’t mean we have to show fearlessness everywhere. Be brave when it matters. Stand up and speak out against injustice. But,

    2: Be tactful: Like the Zen master, show tact. Request something and you may get things that you may not have got if you had ordered for it. Inject humor (not satire) and you may be winning hearts even faster.

    3: Never give others a chance to devalue you:Ever found yourself shouting against someone to stop shouting? Ever wasted time watching senseless soaps in the television? Then you will understand what I mean by not giving others a chance to devalue you.

    Remember: You will be as much value to others as you have been to yourself.

  • Seven Simple Steps to Save Earth

    The aim of Earth Hour and similar movements is to reduce energy usage. This can be possible only with us changing our ways. We can

    1. Walk: Has to go to the shop? Walk.
      Or if you have something to carry, use your cycle. No cycle? Buy one. It gives you exercise. It gives earth oxygen.
      Walk from your work to home. You can’t walk to work in the morning, it sweats you. So, in the morning, use a bus or jeep. But come back walking. In the beginning it is difficult. But as your leg muscle improves walking can be fun.
      (If you are young, you can run for a difference. I am doing this for the last 15 months, and last year I won 4 medals in the school athletics meet)
    2. Read: Read as a hobby. Read for pleasure. You can substitute TV, music, films and computer games with books. And what more, unlike films, you can imagine novels as you wish to.
    3. Switch off:
      Lights and fans when not in use, when unnecessarily used.
      If you have a habit of sleeping with the fan on, kick it. While in bed, Switch off the fan. Open the windows. Don’t drape yourself in a blanket or sheet. Think of something else, and not about fan.
    4. Computer: Learn standby mode and hibernating mode. Put into standby when you drink tea. Hibernate when eating lunch.
    5. Cook less, eat row: Food materials have the highest nutritional value when they are consumed fresh. So, don’t cook. Just eat row things which can possibly be eaten row. (Vegetables – pea, carrot, cucumber, tomato, lady’s finger; all fruits; pulses – germinating grams). Drink water instead of tea or coffee.
    6. Talk less: Energy of any kind is energy. So, the chemical energy in your body stored in the form of ATP molecules is also something that must be conserved.
      Talk little, move little, think little.
      Save energy for your activities, eat less, cook less, conserve.
    7. Support others: If you can’t do any of these for yourself, just encourage others those who are doing. Thus they continue and onlookers start doing these. Support movements like Earth Hour.

    Think. Act. Live.

  • 7 Things to do During the Holidays

    If wisely used the summer vacation can be the most productive time of an year. But it is equally possible and easy to be wasted.
    Here are some things you must do this summer:

    1. Read: The right time to read is when you have time, and now, you have only it. Do not waste a day. Collect as many books as you can, on different topics and start reading straight away. The variety of topics will make sure that you don’t get bored. Download some e-books if you don’t have many hardbacks in your shelf. (Here are some sites that offer these). Even blogs will do. But take care of language when you read too many blogs.

    2. Exercise: The most desirable, yet least acquired habit on earth is exercising. And one of the reasons why you don’t start is that you are running too late for school. But come holidays, there is no late-going.
    3. Wake up: If you are going to exercise, you should wake up early too. Sleep early. Wake up early. Do some breathing. Meditation. Then when the sun rises, get out. Go jogging or walking if you are too aged for the other. Warm down. Play badminton with your father or brother.
    4. Blogging: If you haven’t already started, start a blog. If you are already into it, find a new design for your blog, or organize the posts into categories.
    5. Learn something new: Guitar, violin, keyboard, chess, cards, cooking, driving, …
    6. Socialize: Go get a membership in your nearest library. Even if you don’t read books, you can talk. And of course you will get many new friends. Or join some service groups. Send mails to your old friends. Keep in touch.
    7. Follow my blog (and others’ too): It’s a small thing. Just a few clicks and you are following somebody’s blog. But for them, that is a huge incentive. Don’t think you will be bombarded with posts. I am following at least 134 blogs. Still there are only about 5-10 posts coming per day.

    Do tell how many of these you are going to do

  • Know Your Value…………

    A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rupee 500 note.

    In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this Rupee 500 note?”

    Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this note to one of you
    but first let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the note up.
    He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

    Still the hands were up in the air.
    “Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and
    started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all
    crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?”
    Still the hands went into the air.

    “My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
    No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not
    decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.

    Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt
    by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as
    though we are worthless.
    But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose
    your value.

    You are special. Don’t ever forget it! Never let yesterday’s disappointments overshadow tomorrow’s dreams.

    ” VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED”

    From the Orkut community Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s Fan Club (Thread:Know your value TS:Shabbir)

    ___________________
    Such Inspirational Posts:

  • Isn’t Recession Fear-in-Mind-Borne

    orkut – What is recession?
    from India (IC 370)
    by ♬ →JiMiT← ♬ © ∞
    This Story is about a man who once upon a time was selling Hot dogs by the roadside.
    He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers.
    He was hard of hearing, so he never listened to the radio.
    His eyes were weak, so he never watched television.
    But enthusiastically, he sold lots of hot dogs.
    He was smart enough to offer some attractive schemes to increase his sales.
    His sales and profit went up.
    He ordered more a more raw material and buns and use to sale more.
    He recruited few more supporting staff to serve more customers.
    He started offering home deliveries. Eventually he got himself a bigger and better stove.
    As his business was growing, the son, who had recently graduated from College, joined his father.

    Then something strange happened.
    The son asked, “Dad, aren’t you aware of the great recession that is coming our way?”
    The father replied, “No, but tell me about it.” The son said, “The international situation is terrible.
    The domestic situation is even worse. We should be prepared for the coming bad times.”
    The man thought that since his son had been to college, read the papers, listened to the radio and watched TV.
    He ought to know and his advice should not be taken lightly.
    So the next day onwards, the father cut down the his raw material order and buns, took down the colourful signboard,
    removed all the special schemes he was offering to the customers and was no longer as enthusiastic.
    He reduced his staff strength by giving layoffs.
    Very soon, fewer and fewer people bothered to stop at his hot dog stand.
    And his sales started coming down rapidly, same is the profit.
    The father said to his son, “Son, you were right”.
    “We are in the middle of a recession and crisis. I am glad you warned me ahead of time.”

    Moral of The Story: It’s all in your MIND! And we actually FUEL this recession much more than we think we do!!!!!!!!!! !!

    What can we take away from this story??

    1. How many times we confuse intelligence with good judgment?

    2. Choose your advisers carefully but use your own judgment

    3. A person or an organization will survive forever, if they have the 5 Cs

    * Character
    * Commitment
    * Conviction
    * Courtesy
    * Courage

    The tragedy today is that there are many walking encyclopedias that are living failures.
    The More practical and appropriate views on this economic recession is:
    “This is the time to reunite together for any small or a big organization,
    this is the time to motivate and retain people which are the biggest asset,
    this is the time to show more commitments to the customers,
    this is the time show values of our company to the world,
    and this is the time to stand by our Nation”.

  • It’s called Mindset!!

    Again, thanks to fun and fun only. But this is not fun. This is serious.

    It’s called Mindset!!
    As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

    “Well,” he said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

    Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further…. Why shouldn’t we try it again?

    “YOUR ATTEMPT MAY FAIL, BUT NEVER FAIL TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT.”
    ___________________
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