NAVEEN-Innovating Everyday!

THE REAL VILLAINS OF THE SOCIETY

2013-09-08T10:18:00.001-07:00

Rape has become such a common word being used in newspapers, news channels and every other medium one comes across.
The society has become more scarce of moral values than ever. The most important virtue of mutual respect between the two sexes has become a thing of the past in the society.
I just thought of investigating more into this phenomenon to enumerate the reasons. Films depicting women as shear objects of lust apart, I found out another big reason- THE DAILY SOAP OPERA which our women (as an obvious consequence men and kids) so fondly watch.
Most have at least one lady who's cheating on her husband, All the Mother in Laws are evil, All the Daughter in Laws belong to the helpless obedient lot, all the Sis in Laws are conspiring against the daughter in laws. At least 3 male characters are cheating on their wives and are laden with murderous intent.
Just imagine impact of these PSEUDO-PORN stuff on a a young mind who grows up watching all this crap. The child naturally loses it's faith on the opposite gender and ends up disrespecting them.
The Boys suffer chronically when they're married in the hands of their respective wives. And the Girls unfortunately end up suffering most, while doing anything and everything- be it travelling, working and practically doing nothing but just staying at in the "safety" of their homes by falling prey to a pervert mind filled up with unexplained thoughts of revenge and hatred.
The society has to undergo major changes which might take decades, but, one which can happen almost immediately is the I&B ministry coming down strongly upon such disgraceful portrayal of people.
And allowing only healthy serials like Malgudi Days, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Tu Tu Mein Mein, Shriman Shrimati, Zaban Sambhalke, Small Wonders, Wonder Years, Surabhi..................... We've no dearth of such stories, directors and producers.

What We Resist is What Persists

2012-05-10T08:34:00.001-07:00

The other day I was having a chat with my wife on how we tend to remember what we want to forget.

Remember the story of the king who was asked to apply a certain magical potion on to his head as a cure to his baldness, but, in the process he should not think of mangoes?

So is the case with most of us, in our quest to forget certain unpleasant situations we tend to recollect, remember and carry our misfortunes forever.

While there have been practically millions of articles which preach the art of letting go of past and moving on with life. However we just tend to learn the art temporarily and "unlearn" it................ quite permanently.

I had been reading and following few blogs which describe the exact nature of the phenomenon. What actually should happen is we must learn a lesson out of our misfortunes and LET GO of the exact incident- our minds are quite capable, in fact our mind has been programmed to do the same. We, have somehow been conditioned (in the way of bringing-up, social influences included) to beat the system/flow- we linger on with the incidents (accidents) forever.

We vow to ourselves to forget the incident, in the process we consciously remind ourselves of the subject that we need to forget- We Resist so the same Persists- perhaps, forever......... a broken relationship, a deceitful act by some whom you trusted...... the list goes on.

The best way to forget something would be to get your mind, heart and soul to work on an alternate creative task which is close to one's heart.

Is it worth all the modernization?

2011-12-24T04:56:00.001-08:00

Just happened to go to the marina beach on my rarest of the rare vacations. As is characteristic of me to observe people, I overheard this man in his early 40's asking his older relative "do these waves come all day long?" Relative nodded "yes". He asked again "24 hours?", "yes" came the answer. He queried again "on all the days no holidays" on receiving an affirmative node, he gave a surprised look and said "amazing".
My first reaction to this was to laugh it out, but, then it put me into deep thoughts about the way we've been brought up and conditioned in this urban jungle where we learn about everything except nature, humanity and humility.
We live in an age where we perceive everything as a material be it human values or a human itself. We, most often than not, are stressed out because of work pressure, family pressure, peer pressure, financial pressure........... you name it and we are under that pressure. So busy we are that, we forget to feel and enjoy nature and "the natural". We end up asking such questions out of our ignorance.
In the name of modernization we have forgotten to let our children play the real games in the real world.

Women: The Weirdest Creations of nature

2011-10-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

I might sound a bit derogatory to the fairer sex but ultimately its the reality for the following reasons:

1. Of a million reasons to cry, men would find just one reason to be happy and make merry themselves as well as others. But, women on the other hand, of a billion reasons to be happy would find one reason to cry and make others cry.

2. If she asks you what is to be done and you suggest something then you are controlling and bossy. If you say "do as you wish" she would say you don't care for her and don't love her.

3. She would ask a question which doesn't have an answer (the chicken and egg sorts) for which you don't wanna answer and you don't answer. Then she would assume (essentially make an "ass" of "u" & "me") an answer which is quite not you what you wanted to say in the first place (of course out of your concern n love for her) and beat the hell out of you and crucify you.

4. If she's got a problem then she's got a problem. If she doesn't have a problem then again it is a problem cos she doesn't have a problem.
5. I guess as they say an artist can never ever replicate his own master piece. God too created man but possibly could never add in the fine touches in women. One of the key ingredients that wasn't built in a woman is "sense of humour" and being assertive and open to suggestions (this would be evident in the fact that more than 99 % women reading this would curse me directly or indirectly).

I wonder if its their innocence or ignorance which makes them oblivious to the amount of stress they're spreading across the people they live with.

While I truly respect women for what they are but just wonder if they could actually consider some scopes for improvement.

My Life: My Passion

2010-07-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

The person I am today is the same person I have been for quite a while.
I've been trying to figure out what this life meant to me. I realized I had been blessed with the vision of seeing the potential in everything - from the most ridiculous detail to the grandest scheme.
I was born to enjoy this life in every possible way, and I have always known this world was mine to take and that I could do anything, go anywhere, and try anything. When those possibilities run out, I need to come up with more- that's why I call myself, "Naveen- Innovating Everyday". Perhaps I don't think I could ever go without innovating on any single day of my life.
I have lost quite a few times in life; but one thing I could actually figure out is the fact that I've not lost my passion for life by itself.

The Institution of Marriage- an outsiders’ perspective

2010-04-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

PART-I

“Love keeps the world moving” how misleading is this quote, I kind of pity the person who came up something as absurd as this when the reality seems to be just the other way round- you actually need the world to keep the “love” moving and going.
Now, there might be quite a few who would prefer to disagree with me, but I would stand on my views no matter what comes or goes.
A single individual tends to behave differently at different times to very identical circumstances, then one can always imagine what would be the fate of a relationship which is comprises of two different individuals belonging to two entirely different schools of thought.
“Love” or for that matter any relationship especially a marriage tends to be very fluid. It keeps changing its form unless there exists the passion which existed at the very inception of the relationship. Once the passion dies out (which eventually does in due course of time in all relationships, irrespective of any other factor) it takes the world to keep the relationship moving and growing. The so called concepts of eternal “love” remain as mere concepts which exist in fairytales and not in the real life.
In days wherein the costs of basic living are moving at hyper-sonic speeds (couldn’t come out with a superlative for supersonic), axiomatically necessitates both partners to be working; which in turn leads them to put in that “extra effort” at their workplaces to meet targets which are rather hallucinating. Raised familial expectations coupled with social evolution (though I prefer to call it devolution of basic moral values) lead to frustration and vexation within the relationships. These very feelings (fortunately these again are fluid ones) of frustration and annoyance tend to develop into “cracks” in the relationship. Eventually the very reasons (or needs) for which the relationship was conceptualized become the very reasons for the fall out of the relation.
All that was ever dreamed of or was ever thought of shatters and disappears into thin air. All this and probably more could be proved just by observing the worldwide statistics on divorce and suicides related to marital discord.

DESTINY BY CHANCE OR BY CHOICE?

2010-03-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

One fine day I received a forwarded message which read “Everything in life is pre-written and nothing can be re-written. So live your best”. While agree with the latter part, I do have qualms about accepting the former. Does it mean we got to flow with the flow of life?
I have magnanimously believed all through my life that Destiny happens by choice and not by chance. We are alive by chance; but need to lead a life by choice and not be the victim of whimsical persecutions of another person (a fellow human being or even for that matter “God”).
If the lines on the palm were to predict one’s future then those born without hands wouldn’t have a future.
The primitive humans invented a sailboat to travel in the direction of wind and the flow of water, as civilization advanced the civilized humans attached another sail on the same boat to travel in any direction downwind or upwind. As real mature and mighty humans we need to re-write our destinies and not live by the basic pre-written versions of it. If not for this determination then we wouldn’t have found a great scientist like Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam nor would we have got a great bollywood icon like Amitabh Bacchan.

From Rags to Riches

2009-12-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

People say beggars are not choosers,
But if the same person gets to make choices from innumerable options does that mean he's not a beggar anymore?

What's there in Success or Failure?

2009-12-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Success has many fathers,
Failure has none.
In a way both are Bas&%rds,
So better don't let either get into your head or heart!

Innovating Everyday

2009-11-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

We all marvel at other people's artistic achievements and ingenuity. But most of us fail to nurture our inner innovator.
When we think of creativity, we think of the likes of A.R. Rehman, M.F. Hussain, Dr.Abdul Kalam—people with a seemingly fated convergence of talent and opportunity. It's too narrow a set of references, because the truth is that all sorts of people, possessing various levels of intelligence and natural ability, are capable of engaging in fulfilling creative processes.
Just because you'll never be a C.V. Raman or Amartya Sen doesn't mean that you can't harness your idea-generating powers and make your life your own masterpiece. Buying into a limited definition of creativity prevents many from appreciating their own potential.
You can build up your innovative abilities in many ways—by doing things (noticing details in your midst, wearing your hair in a new style) that don't sound intimidatingly ingenious. You can simply get to know your personal problem-solving style—everybody shines at different stages of the process; understanding where you fit in gives you a big advantage. And perhaps most important is adjusting your overall attitude toward life—approach your experiences with an open mind and cultivate the belief that possibilities and solutions are always within reach, and you'll be equipped to handle any challenge with flair.
Imagine you wake up one morning and put on those bright coloured trousers (for the ladies it could be wearing that odd shade of lipstick). Then you take on that long drive to the office that you've never taken before. While at work, you solve a longstanding problem with a new and easier way. Then at coffee the break, you tell a hilarious anecdote that makes your colleagues laugh for two minutes straight (maybe less than that).
Would you call such a day merely interesting, or an expression of your creative self?
I bet you might opt for the former, but just about anything we do- from housecleaning to personal hobbies to work can be addressed in a creative manner and are indeed manifestations of our creative selves.
Start living creatively and reap the benefits—including fewer relationship headaches and more fulfilling workdays.

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

2009-11-08T04:38:00.000-08:00

Haven’t you felt that the job which you took up so excitedly once has started to bug you down; has started be feel like the most boring thing to do in the whole wide world; The once “beautiful and fairy like wife” seems nothing but an “ugly witch doctress” at home; the once “lovable children” seem like a bunch of headache causing nasty kids on the move? I’m pretty sure that more than 90 per cent reading this would nod their heads in acceptance.
We all need a change- a change from all the things that we’ve been doing. So, does it mean we can change our jobs every six months? Can we change our spouses? Or can we actually change our beloved kids? The answer to this would be a big NO.
Now, the bigger question “how exactly are we to tackle this monotony of life?”
The answer to this is very simple- “JUST REINVENT THE WHEEL”. Start looking out for avenues where we have been lagging behind (knowingly or unknowingly). I’m sure none of us are perfect in all aspects of our lives- be it the job that we’ve taken up or the relations we have with our loved ones. Look out for scopes for improvement in the job that we had taken up, no matter how efficiently we handle them; there are always some lacunae that we’ve left unfilled. No matter how long we’ve been with our loved ones, but definitely we wouldn’t have known them as a whole- we certainly wouldn’t have known of their hidden talents; we wouldn’t have known their funny yet secret desires let alone fulfilling them.
Go ahead, take a re-look at your job and find at least one field that you can improve upon. Open up the doors and windows of communications with your loved ones, start looking at them from a fresh and different perspective. Start reinventing everything and everybody (including you) you’ve ever known. I’m sure, this process of reinvention takes us a long way towards longevity- of holding a job, longevity of relations with almost no major conflicts.

LIFE IS “BEAUTIFUL”

2009-08-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

LIFE IS “BEAUTIFUL”

Everybody must have faced the ordeals with grocery shop wallas, bus conductors, auto fellows, vegetable vendors fighting for that “One Rupee”. This has a reached a level that everybody has accepted losing some money as part of our daily outings as a culture.
More than losing we are getting cheated day in and day out. All this, I feel are signs of eroding moral values in the society. As is evident in the attitudes of almost all of us, who tend to pay lower than the official fares or pay nothing at all while traveling in public transports; cheating a system or another individual has somehow become a norm. These kind of experiences have started palling on us, we, by default have stopped trusting others even in the most trivial and routine transactions.
As everybody else, even I had reached such levels of distrust for others. I happened to encounter a blind-man (I’m sorry if I’m hurting the sentiments of the sightless) selling sewing needles on the suburban trains in Chennai, I bought one of his merchandise priced at Rs 3. I handed him Rs. 5 and asked him to “keep the change”, in compensation for his physical disability. He promptly returned the change and said “I want money in return of what I sell- not your alms and nor am I here to rob anyone of their hard-earned money”.
Incidents like these happen and the men of such moral do exist but it’s just us who tend to shut our eyes and not identify them. After all, the world isn’t such a bad place to live in.

THE TIME-COMMITMENT PARADOX

2009-08-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

THE TIME-COMMITMENT PARADOX

What exactly dose “commitment” mean?
Most of us end up equating “Commitment” with “Time”- let it be one’s job or a relationship.
Though time might be one of the indicators but is definitely not a measure of someone’s commitment to a job or a relationship.
There are innumerable instances where relations have crumbled down like a house of cards even after years of “being together” (without commitment, that is).
There are employees in any organization who spend a mammoth amount of time to accomplish their tasks which could have been done in one quarter of the same time.
Are we to equate them as “highly committed individuals”?
Well, to the disgust of many I call them as mere “Chewing Gums” who live with the motto- “Aaj ka din nikal jaye toh kafee hai” without the thought or desire for growth or betterment for tomorrow.
One might well call me too philosophical for my age; but then again as I said, it isn’t how long you’ve lived matters- its how you’ve led your life and the lessons you’ve learnt from it. 

THOSE TWO GOLDEN WORDS

2009-08-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

THOSE TWO GOLDEN WORDS

When was the last time that you said “Thank You” to the traffic constable manning the traffic at a busy, polluted junction?
When was the last time that you said “Thank You” to the “pourkarmik” who irrespective of how bad the stench of our household refuse is, he’s there to collect it day after day?
Well, this might be the billionth article written on this topic, but nevertheless it still has the same significance as it had when the first article on this was written. Reason: we’re “too busy for it” or “It’s his duty for which he gets paid for”.
Everybody out there carrying out their duties are the same human beings as we all are. They’ve got the same heart on duty as they have off their duties.
Everybody craves for the same attention, appreciation and recognition that we crave for personally.
Let us thank at least one person a day irrespective of what kind of a job they do- no matter how small or big it might be, but this deed of ours would definitely bring a smile on their face and would cut the monotony in their lives to keep them going.
You need not be a “Munnabhai” with a “jaadu ki jhappi” but just say a warm, heartfelt “Thank You” with a smile on your face. Remember tons of cash or a grand function for person’s contribution may bring him recognition in society, but warm and heartfelt “Thank You” conveys a lot more.

Oh Lord Please Save Us!

2009-08-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Oh Lord Please Save Us!

It’s been 62 years since we gained independence, but I really wonder do we actually deserve it.
Flags were hoisted, sweets distributed all over the country (thanks to some NRI even households like mine could flaunt the tricolour on their rooftops and buildings). But in all the celebration we have lost the actual essence of freedom, most of us still remain slaves to the “big brothers” in the society.
A true example that could showcase the same happened in some North-eastern state of the country, where some government official hoisted the tricolour UPSIDE DOWN in the presence of 10s of dignitaries and 100s of public and tons of media personnel. The biggest irony in all this, nobody noticed the blunder or even if noticed decided to keep mum until after the completion of the ceremony fearing the wrath of the so called “big wigs” or just to please them.
So obsessed are we as a lot in pleasing others that we lose track of reality and the very moral values for which our freedom fighters stood for. Rightly said by the chairman of one of the Indian Pharma Companies “Indians speak what others want to listen” rather than the fact.
What happened to the glory of the sayings “Satyamev Jayate”?
When are we ever going to stop pleasing others and stand upright?
Till that happens I pray “Oh Lord Please Save Us”.

WHY THE HYPE

2009-08-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

WHY THE HYPE??????????????????

Swine Flu…Swine Flu…… everywhere, TV 9 or NDTV it’s everywhere. Not a single channel which doesn’t have it (Even my company's Intranet has got it).

It’s ruthless- not the disease by itself but the paranoia surrounding it. Look at every other person out there, everybody’s wearing a mask; so much so that people haven’t spared our gods of the masks (look at the today’s Times of India edition).
I would like to ask everyone out there, don’t we see an outbreak of deadlier forms of viral fever, dengue, cholera, chikunguniya …….. you name it and we have it as regular seasonal visitor.
Just because something originates from the US or the UK we take it seriously- be it technology, recession or diseases.
Is it really worth all the media attention and hype when the west itself has taken it lightly?
Think again- Of a billion people only few hundreds are afflicted by this and everybody wants to wear a mask, but we have a million people affected with AIDS and nobody wants to wear a Condom.

FORGIVENESS

2009-07-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

What does forgiveness mean?
Quite a question..........................
A lot of us think its a license to repeat the mistakes (knowingly or unknowingly). Still another lot thinks its not pointing towards mistakes and just overseeing the facts.

Yet again there's this lot of people who think forgiveness (whether asking to be forgiven or to forgive someone) is a sign of weakness. How absurd? I'm no Mahatma Gandhi or Gautam Budhha, but I mean its too very difficult to forgive someone who's hurt you- all the pain which comes as a parcel of it, even more difficult is to accept and live with one's own mistakes. Its a raging war between your heart and mind. A War against the external world can be easily fought, because you either lose or you win. But in an internal war you lose both ways- its either your heart or your brain which gains victory over the other; and both belong to you, so you are bound to lose either ways. To lose and yet remain happy is one of the bravest tasks one can ever accomplish.

A lot of people around us say "Forget and Forgive" without even realizing its meaning. My concept of the so called "Forget and Forgive" says- if someone "forgets" then the person forgets the hurt you've caused to that person-BUT definitely its not the mistake that you've done. And if someone "forgives" you, then its again for the pain you've given to that person. BUT never the miistake.