Love the World

The ABC OF Life.....

2012-09-07T13:27:00.000+05:30

The ABC OF Life.....

Success in Human life can be judged by any number of standards, but it should never be measured by ribbons, trophies, or other awards. For example if a student has selected a topic, investigated it according to a planned design, and reported the results of that investigation, then that student has succeeded. Winning “First place” or being “grand Champion” is certainly praiseworthy, but the ultimate goal of taking part in any fair should be to discover and learn new things about the world (or universe) in which we live.

It reminds me of a story, “ There was a man who made a living selling balloons at a fair, he had all colors of balloons, including red, yellow, blue and green. Wherever business was slow, he would release helium filled balloons into the air and when the children saw it go up, they all wanted to buy one. They would come up to him, buy a balloon and his sales would go up again. He continued this process all-day. One day, he felt someone tugging at his jacket. He turned around and saw a little boy who asked, “If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?” Moved by the boy’s concern, the man replied with empathy,” Son, it is what is inside that makes it go up.”

The same things apply to our lives. That is the first letter we learn in our life “A” It is what is inside that counts. The thing inside of us that makes us goes up goes up our Attitude. The Calgary Tower stands at 190.8 meters. The total weight of the tower is 10,884 tons, of which 6,349 tons is below ground (approximately 60%). This shows that some of the greatest buildings have the strongest foundations. Just like a great building stands on a strong foundation, so does Success. And the foundation of success is Attitude. Success is not an accident. It is the result of our attitude and our attitude is a choice. Hence success is a matter of choice and not chance.

B-Belief : Always Belief in Yourself. Successful people are not looking for miracles or easy tasks. They seek courage and strength to overcome obstacles. They look at what is left rather than what is lost. Wishes don’t come true; beliefs and expectations supported by conviction do. Prayers are only answered when they are supported with courageous action. It is courage and character that is the deadly combination for success. This is the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Confidence: Have confidence in yourself; be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. Meet all your friends feel there is something in the best. Be enthusiastic about the success of others as about your own. Forget the mistake of the past and press on the greater achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile. Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others. Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.

X&Y

2011-08-02T13:39:00.005+05:30

X & Y

There is an ancient saying that bears much truth: “People resemble their times more than they resemble their parents”.

My Father is X and me Y, I mean Generation, myself also known as Echo Boomers, Millenium Generation, iGeneration, Einstein Generation and Google Generation. Now the question is do the X & Y generations share common characteristics around the globe? I personally think yes to some extent, particularly among younger generations whose members were exposed to many of the same events through television and the Internet and sharing of thoughts through Facebook, orkut, Twitter, myspace, google+. Among older generations (Baby Boomers), the shared elements were much less significant, and the national characteristics of the generations were increasingly unique.

If we consider the formative experiences and resulting generational traits — of individuals born in the United States, India and China from 1960 to 1980, we call Gen X. Despite having different backgrounds and assumptions, they are the first age cohort to manifest a global mindset.

Gen Y are said to be much closer to their parents than their parents' generation, the Baby Boomers were. Now Gen Y is always connected through digital technology with their parents, Gen Y has grown up, in a world with diverse Internet resources, iPods, Mobile and intense multi-tasking — simultaneously chatting on skypee, googletalk, AIM, finishing a problem set, watching television and listening to music. These kids are the kids of the Baby Boomers and X generation, deeply immersed in a sensitive digital world. But there is certain difference in the digital world between X & Y. The current economic, social, and political conditions which we all live under actually further divide the generations. The same conditions act upon people of different ages in different ways. Take text messaging on mobile phones as an example here, the technology is available to all, however 74% of messages are sent by Gen Y’s and so they are developing the new text language (eg “CU L8R” for “see you later”).

Lifestyle:

The happenings and grooming where we grew up during the formative childhood and teenage years also create and define differences between the generations. These social markers create the paradigms through which the world is viewed and decisions are made. Baby Boomers were influenced by the advent of the TV, Rock and Roll, the Cold War, Vietnam War, the threat of nuclear war, and the decimal currency. Xers saw in the Personal Computer, AIDS, nuclear families, the growth in multiculturalism, and the downsizing of companies. Gen Y’s have lived through the age of the internet, cable television, globalization, September 11, and environmentalism. Such shared experiences and understanding of cross-culture and tolerance for diversity during one’s youth unite and shape today’s Gen Y. The Gen Y grew up amid a time during which the Internet caused great upheavals to all traditional media. There is an argument that the Gen Y have "moved beyond" the ideological battles spawned by the counterculture of the 1960s, which persisted through the 1990s in the form of the culture wars. In Strauss & Howe's book titled Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, which describes the Gen Y as "civic minded," rejecting the attitudes of the Baby Boomers and Gen X.However Gen Y has also been described as entitled and individualistic, akin to the image of the Baby Boomers, due to their sheltered upbringing.

Gen Y grew up with technology and rely on it to perform their jobs better. Armed with Iphone, ipad, tablets, BlackBerrys, laptops, cell phones and other gadgets, Gen Y is plugged-in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This generation prefers to communicate through e-mail and text messaging rather than face-to-face contact and prefers webinars and online technology to traditional lecture-based presentations.

The new Gen Y are characterized as being more racially and culturally tolerant than past generations. Gay rights and non-traditional gender roles have also become more widely accepted. Like members of Gene X, who are heavily influenced by the advent of MTV, early members of Gen Y are also sometimes called the MTV Generation, I would rather say MTV Coke Studio generation, although MTV Coke Studio took 10 years to come to India after it started in Brazil in 2000 creating fusion of music crossing boundaries of different states and countries. (Great to see Angaraj Mahanta, Khagan Gogoi, and Mousom from my state Assam creating soothing effects through there folk fusion. ) The majority of Gen Y is culturally liberal, and somewhat peer-oriented due to easier facilitation of communication through technology.

So despite having so much of controversy in Facebook and Twitter in my state Assam in recent times my father Gen X and me Gen Y do understand each other about the importance and ethical use of Internet and stay vigilant about the security aspects of staying online for our daily usage and share each others views. It is very high time friends that we stay alert and keep communicating to each other about any nefarious activity that comes to our knowledge which may endanger the social fabric, peace, and may create disharmony among different caste, community, and people of different country. We should always keep in mind that we are getting more personal rights and freedom than previous generations so we should be more tolerant towards diverse views and perspective without loosing our own culture, heritage and our unique identity above all humanity, which is the greatest of all.

· *Will be starting my new blog very soon based on my state (Assam’s) related topic, first will feature some people I have met thru Facebook, and some I have never met but inspired by their silent work.

· ** Press the like button below if you like the writing in my blog and can leave your comment.

Living on Digital World

2010-10-20T14:26:00.001+05:30

The sun rise and the sun set the greatest natural phenomena the strange creativity of nature is digitalized in this world. As we step out of the bed with the beeping sound of the alarmed cell phone we look into our digital watch which runs on solar batteries, and electrify ourselves to do our daily chores, the first thing we go to the bathroom and switch on the water pump, and throw our night clothes into the washing machine, and the machine starts to gyrate, simultaneously we make ourselves clean and ready ourselves to go to school, and our mother makes our breakfast in the electric oven, gas or in the micro-oven, and the electric chimney sucks the pungent air to keep the kitchen clean, the water filter pours the clean water after three stage separation and then only we can drink, and the snarling sound of the refrigerator reminds if I have secretly kept hidden any thing special away from my younger brother who always loves to tease on my delicacies. My father opens his Laptop and enters on line the official VPN(Virtual Private Network) of his office and scans important mails and replies sipping red tea, and his cell phone rings intermittently after every minutes which sometimes irritates me and my mom very much. Good Morning this is the digital world we live, every thing is connected to wires, network, LAN, WAN, 3G, wifi, wimax, or Wireless.

“DIGITAL technology is key to reducing global poverty—mainly because it gives the poor access to vital information, such as weather forecasts and market pricing”. This is the main message of the "2010 Information Economy Report" from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which was published on October 14^th. The general belief is that those who are born between 1980 and 2000 are 24/7 ipeople with technology gadgets. The iGeneration's embrace of technology created digital natives and dotcom kids which colonised the online virtual worlds of, Facebook, Twitter MySpace and orkut, faster than any other generation and have become accustomed to the instant answers and gratification the internet delivers. The addiction of internet is such that the new generation cannot imagine life without the www, alone going a day without updating their status. The style of living is logged on and living out loud.

The digital world has revolutionized the whole world in such a way that each work we do is directly or indirectly connected to some form of digital network. In school the book we are reading is printed on digital technology, the pen, pencil, the cloth we wear, the fan running on classroom, the projector used for science everything is digitalized. Now my father reads most of the important news paper online even before the paper vendors delivers the paper in our home early in the morning. All this digital information, mind-numbing technology, and creative innovation that surrounds us each day is extremely overwhelming, borderline suffocating but in a strange way humbling and inspiring. We grew up bombarded with information overload. We are a spoiled generation, not in terms of material things, but in digital goods. We watched as the tech bubble burst in Silicon Valley, we witnessed 9/11 and26/11(Mumbai Terror attack) while sitting in drawing room, we quit shuffling encyclopedia or books to find something important, and we asked Google, not God, why the sky is blue. We have a reputation of being “know-it-alls” because of all this technology. You can’t blame us, because with the click of our fingers, we feel like we know it all. Now it is true that screen time is very high with teenagers, than on books.

We are optimistic for the future and are more wired and globally connected with our peers than previous generations through emails, Gtalk, Instant chat. Yet, we are facing an economic downturn, a grim job market and a mortgage crisis, We are renting, not buying, borrowing, and not paying dating, not marrying…or maybe that’s just my thought ;).. We are aware of what’s imminent, but hopeful because like I said, we live in a digital world, and with technology, we can find answers, innovate, communicate, educate, spark controversy and conversation, and bring about change. The technology of brick and mortar is already outdated and the concept of B2B(Business 2Business) M2M(Money2Money), etransfer, eshopping, ebanking, mbanking, cloud computing, is catching up fast. It is not very far that we will move out from our computer Classroom to a digitalized classroom where all lessons will be online and instant online exam. At last I would like to wrap up what Richard Dawkins, English biologist said “There is no spirit-driven life force, no throbbing, heaving, pullulating, protoplasmic, mystic jelly. Life is just bytes and bytes and bytes or digital information”

Character Protects Life:

2010-09-04T15:04:00.002+05:30

Few days back, I have received so many inquiries of one of my relative, do you know him?, how is he? and various other questions, but the point of epicenter was somewhere, and she might have casually asked someone, but it caught like wildfire, and in their over enthusiasm they tried to dig the character of that person(my relative) the echoes are still vibrating in the facebook, and he felt so bad that now he is contemplating to leave his present job and settle abroad….I am very sad I will miss him because he was back only 6 month back from US. Someone asked me about his Character, for me Character and responsibility are the two side of the same coin. Some decisions are easy to make, others are more complicated. When it's a choice between right and wrong, we don't need to weigh the pros and cons. Choosing to do the right thing is an act of self-respect and responsible decision making.
Modern civilisation has developed as a result and expression of man’s evolution as a mental being. In the process, the physical and rational mind of humanity has become a powerful instrument for the observation and comprehension of material phenomena codified as the various branches of physical and biological science. But this unprecedented advancement in the material realm has not been accompanied by a corresponding growth in knowledge of human psychology and the more general field of life events. In fact it seems that with the growth of these mental faculties, man has for a time lost an earlier capacity to see and know life directly through his own vital being. Most scientists approach psychology as a branch of biological science which in effect delegates man to the same treatment as his non-mental ancestors in the animal kingdom. Where psychologists venture beyond these physical limits, they are always on precarious ground and most often end in constructing mental theories with little relevance to living realities. When it comes to a science of life itself, as opposed to a science of matter and material forms of life, science has simply refused to address the topic and has attempted to dismiss it by the premise that life movements are a combination of natural physical determinis and chance events with no underlying principle of order or harmony.

There is an old saying “Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It's not hard. Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking.” The saying is very true because most of us try to develop personality, Developing talent without developing character is a dead end. It won’t take people where they want to go. The lives of people who are long on talent but short on character always get out of balance. A joint study conducted by Korn/Ferry International and the UCLA Graduate School of Management asked 1,300 senior executives to identify the top trait needed to enhance a business executive’s effectiveness. Coming in first was integrity. In second place was concern for results, with responsibility third. What’s true for the boardroom is also true in the classroom, living room, soup kitchen, or gym. If you want your talent to take you far, you need to protect that talent with integrity.
The final component in strong character is integrity, which is an alignment of values, thoughts, feelings, and actions. People who possess the consistency that comes with strong integrity can be very compelling. In his book American Scandal, Pat Williams tells the story of Mahatma Gandhi’s trip to England to speak before Parliament. The British government had opposed Indian independence, and Gandhi, one of its most vocal proponents, had often been threatened, arrested, and jailed as a result. Gandhi spoke eloquently and passionately for nearly two hours, after which the packed hall gave him a standing ovation.

Afterward, a reporter asked Gandhi’s assistant, Mahadev Desai, how the Indian statesman had been able to deliver such a speech without any notes. “You don’t understand Gandhi,” Desai responded. “You see, what he thinks is what he feels. What he feels is what he says. What he says is what he does. What Gandhi feels, what he thinks, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes.” When values, thoughts, feelings, and actions are in alignment, a person becomes focused and his character is strengthened.
People are like icebergs. There’s much more to them than meets the eye. When you look at an iceberg, only about 15 percent is visible—that’s talent. The rest—their character—is below the surface, hidden. It’s what they think and never share with others. It’s what they do when no one is watching them. It’s how they react to terrible traffic and other everyday aggravations. It’s how they handle failure—and success. The greater their talent is, the greater their need is for strong character “below the surface” to sustain them. If they are too “top heavy” with talent, then they are likely to get into trouble with
No one can expect to succeed without strong character below the surface to protect his talent and sustain him during difficult times. Character holds us steady, no matter how rough the storm becomes. “Character is the pedestal that determines how much weight a person can sustain. If your character is the size of- a tooth pick, you can only sustain a postage stamp. If your character is as thick as as a column, you can sustain a roof”
Character is just like a wall we build all around us, which protects us from the external negative energy. A person with good character skills would never find it hard to adjust with others because they know and would always do the right thing, and someday you would be able to win the hearts of the people. For example, throughout you’ve been a good student and one day your teacher gets you in brawl with another student although it’s not your fault. But the teacher might not punish you, knowing that you are a good child, and you don’t deviate from your path of doing the right thing. Character is not what we only we can feel and know, but others also know your character and the actual person behind you. A good character would always save you and no matter what even when once you’re not happy being always right and not doing tempting things, later on you would see for yourself the fruits it bore you. You would never be punished for what you haven't done, and if your character and inner self is pure.
Character is simply our essence. So in another sense we can say that Character protects our life.

##This is actually an essay I have written on Character based on true incident of the first part.

Clock & Compass

2010-07-26T13:39:00.004+05:30

Clock & Compass:

Last Sunday my Father was at home, and I was in my study table going through my daily morning ritual of studying my school books, since the school is at vacation, I have kept my study table clean which otherwise usually always remain cluttered with books and notes lying over here and there. My father came close to me and looked at the new Clock hanging above the table, and said ,,,beautiful Clock….I smiled and said …my choice. He stood near me looked around the table, on the wall where posters of Hanna Montana, my school routine, Goal Sheet, and many things was sticked,,,,,,but he said one important thing is missing “Dudu”(my pet name). I usually listen to my father more than asking becoz once he said it is God’s natural law that God has given you two ears and one mouth i.e. listen twice as much as you speak. I looked up around and said, Papa I think everything important is there. He smiled and said you have the Clock, but you do not have the Compass,,,,I said it is in the pencil box,,,he burst into laughter and said Compass is not that.

He explained that most of us are afraid to be ourselves, so we usually give up our own dreams to follow the Crowd,,,,we see so many genius people on this earth but it is not the sole domain of a rare group or a certain breed of person, we all of us are capable to be genius if we so choose to be one. The important thing is identifying our talent,,,,,,same message is conveyed by the movie “Three Idiot” also, if we focus on any area or skill with relentless devotion with daily improvement and a passion for excellence you will definitely reach the pinnacle of success.

Now coming to Clock and Compass,,,,he said that in humans struggle to live on this earth and put things in order there is two powerful tools that direct us…..The Clock & Compass. The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, Goals (which I have mentioned in my earlier postings), activities, ,,,,,,,what we do with and how we manage our time. The Compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction,,,,,what we feel is important and how we lead our life.

He said that since you do not have the Compass you will feel a sense of Gap between the Clock and the Compass,,,and since we truly do not understand the gap between the clock and the compass in our lives, we turn for “time management” by looking at the Clock,,,,,heee, hee Study time, Swimming Time, Facebook Time, etc etc,,,,

Compass

1.Vision-It is nothing but seeing with our mind’s eye what is possible within us, to execute a project, cause and in any enterprise. Vision results when our mind joins need with possibility.

2. Values-Values are social norms-they are personal, emotional, subjective and arguable. All of us have values, even criminals, terrorist have values. The questions we must ask is are our values based on principles?

3. Principal-It is universal natural law- transcends culture, and are embodied in all major religions and enduring philosophies, second, they are timeless-they never change, and third, they are self evident.

4. Mission-A mission statement answers the question, "Why do we exist?"Change is Constant……Creating a mission statement is not something you do overnight. It takes deep introspection, careful analysis, thoughtful expression, and often many rewrites to produce it in final form. It may take you several weeks or even months before you feel really comfortable with your mission statement, before you feel it is complete and concise expression of your innermost values and directions. Even then, you will want to review it regularly and make minor changes as the years bring additional insights or changing circumstances.

5. Conscience-Listening to our inner self, it is the inward moral sense of what is right and what is wrong, the urge to drive towards meaning and contribution. It is the guiding force to Vision, discipline and passion,

So Papa said, to be successful in life you need a “Compass” which is very important and above all it is never too late to become the person you have always dreamed of being,,,so lay claim to your natural genius and to your greatness, and drive a stake to mark your place under the sun, stop being a prisoner of your past and become the architect of your future…..but always be bold to say “NO” if your conscience say so, because every time you say YES to something that is unimportant, you say “NO” to something that is important,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so Clock without Compass is worthless……..something like you know the time but do not know where to go,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.

*Reference from Dr Steven Coveys “First Thing First”

*Robin Sharma: The Monk who Sold his Ferrari

* My Father

Goal Goal

2010-07-19T20:39:00.000+05:30

GOAL GOAL………….

Goal Goal Goal,,,,,,,,Last few week the whole world was in the grip of Goal, the Football World Cup, and the ultimate results of any match comes from the Goal, added to the Goal was the Waka waka….which spelled such a magic that Goal and Waka, waka became synonymous with each other……but very few of us give that importance to the GOAL of our own life. Goal is always associated with GROW, example the list of winning team for World cup has Grown, two new team is added in the final and Spain is added in the list of winner. Now in our practical life “GROW” plays a very important role, GROW is an acronym standing for “Goal - Reality - Options – Will”

A useful metaphor for the GROW model is the plan we might make for an important journey. First, we should start with a map. With this, we decide where we are going (our Goal) and establish where we currently are (our Current Reality). Then we explore various ways (the Options) of making the journey. In the final step, establishing the Will, we ensure how much we are committed to making the journey and are prepared for the conditions and obstacles we may meet on our way.

Interestingly, goal commitment and difficulty often work together. The harder the goal, the more commitment is required. If we have an easy goal, we don't need a lot of motivation to get it done. When we are working on a difficult assignment, we will likely encounter challenges that require a deeper source of inspiration and incentive. That is why our Goal should be always SMART,,,,,,few day back, I have given a status in Face book regarding SMART,,,,,,,and many of my friends have given various definition, but only one friend have given the right definition “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound” . In attaining our Goal we should always be Specific with a time frame (Measurable) and should be within our reach according to our capacity i.e. if a student of arts try to be Scientist it is not attainable, so Goal should be (Attainable), and above all realistically Relevant, not outdated, should suit the present day world. And the most important factor is (Time bound), Goals are set on a number of different levels: First we create our "big picture" of what we want to do with our life, and decide what large-scale goals we want to achieve. Second, we break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that we must hit so that we reach our lifetime goals. Finally, once we have our plan, we start working to achieve it, and then only we can say SMART GOAL along with GROW.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, we can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. We can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, we also raise our self-confidence, as we recognize our ability and competence in achieving the goals that we have set, then only the real GOAL of our life we can achieve and dance to the tune of Waka Waka………

I Think..........

2010-07-01T15:17:00.005+05:30

Exam, thank God, my exam is over, The phobia of exam is such that, every day as soon as the paper is finished, the first call I would receive is from my mother enquiring about the paper,,,,and she would say me Dudu,,,,,,how was your exam,,,,,how much you will get, was everything fine in the paper…..then the stream of call will start,,,,,my Father,,,,,straight to percentage, either he will start from 95 percent or 20 percent, then my aunt (pahi), Koka, Aita,(Grandpa/ Garandmaa), my mother’s sister (Mahi),,,,her son,,,,and the streams of call will go on and on…..and the tension barometer of my body would go up to the boiling point.

I was wondering, actually when we are in the process of growing up, what we learn about success, is that we always must excel in our studies. We must always work hard in order to achieve it, right? We need to work long and hard get good grades, in order to get high-paying job. Now that thought has become so engrained in our materialistic society that if any one try to think a different path or think out of the box, his or her path is always viewed as failures. If we didn't get good grades in school, we were reprimanded by your teachers and parents, and even made fun of by your peers. Even worse, we are prevented from moving into a higher grade. If we didn't get into college, our parents were disappointed and our friends felt sorry for us. If we haven't gotten a medium to high-paying job at a reputable company with a prestigious title, it can be almost shameful.

When we see someone, who has lost their job, or who, although qualified, has been unable to find a "decent" job. What kind of emotions does a person in this situation usually feel? Fear? Like a failure? Resentment? Shame? Yes. These are all emotions that many feel if they do not fit in to society's definition of success.

So in order to avoid feeling these emotions - to avoid feelings of fear, failure, shame, lack of security, and resentment - many go through life working hard and long to avoid failure, rather than achieve success. This is a major difference between those who ultimately achieve success and those who do not!

I personally coined a term FFS (Fear of Failure Syndrome) I feel that one who goes through life trying to avoid failure will find it very hard to achieve true success. The majority of people are trying to achieve success in their lives by avoiding failure. What do they focus on? They focus on anything that could go wrong in situation, anything that could cause loss or defeat. Or in another modern day language we can call Plastic Knowledge, Disposable Knowledge, which lacks the basic foundation of Principal,,,,in every sphere we use our knowledge giving top priority for our personal benefit, then comes society, nation, environment.

These type of knowledge who calls themselves "know-it-alls", the first ones to try and discourage you from taking a risk. In fact, they hate the word "risk", they run from it. Yet they think they are successful, because they have never failed. You know why they have never failed? Because they have never tried to succeed!

These are the ones that focus on all that appears to be impossible, and what they focus on becomes their world. They constantly say things like, "That would never work!" or "That's impossible." Or, they settle for what they already have and make excuses in saying things like, "I'm comfortable where I am," but deep down inside they long for more.

So what happens when opportunity comes knocking on the door?

They don't hear the knock at all, because they're fast asleep; Or
They hear the knock, open the door, only to slam the door in opportunity's face, because they looked for and found 1 thing that "could be" flawed in what opportunity had to offer, while ignoring the other 99 benefits that would make that flaw utterly insignificant.

In so doing, those who avoid failure also avoid success. They stay in their comfort zone refusing to risk anything to be successful, hoping that the perfect "big break" will one day come along and save the day.

YOU control your mind.

YOUR MIND controls your ACTIONS.

Your actions determine the type of life you will lead.

Your dominating thoughts become your world.

Your dominating thoughts ARE your world.

You create it with your thoughts. We do not say that by just sitting there and day dreaming any one can become successful or rich. To say so would be plain stupidity. But we believe that your reality is a projection of your thoughts that are in harmony with yourself and your actions.

Our thoughts have a power of their own. If we can understand and utilize them properly, we can accomplish a lot more in our lives. Our thoughts and our state of being go hand in hand and together they create the experience we call life. Positive thoughts create a positive life, bringing us its rich rewards. Negative thoughts do the same thing in a negative way.

An idle life is a product of morbid thoughts. A mind fired by the power of imagination and the desire to achieve cannot produce idle life. If one knows the secrets of thought power and can harmonize ones being with them, corresponding effort would follow and bring in corresponding results. Having energized his thoughts with determination, clear thinking and purpose, it is difficult for any one to sit idle and day dream. His energized thoughts would drive him into action and make him work for his goals.

It is very much true that we create our reality. No one else does it for us. Others can interfere with our lives in a limited way. In the first place they cannot do so without our permission and willingness. The healing thoughts that come to us from outside also can work upon us only with our permission, when we are in a state of receptivity, and are willingly seeking some help from someone or somewhere.

Otherwise, we build our lives completely on our own, with our thoughts and ideas, our goals and desires, our feelings and emotions, our fears and expectations and our behavior and actions. Others come into this drama through our thoughts only. If you know how to make your thoughts work for you, you will accomplish much more in your life than otherwise.

Therefore, before we expect our undertakings to be successful, we must pour into them required energies and resources, not necessarily ours only, but of others as well. Through the magic of our thoughts we can seek the willing cooperation of others also. But we cannot do this by forcing others with our thoughts, but by making ourselves more amenable and acceptable so that we can influence them in a persuasive way for the common good of all. We may employ a thousand people, but we will not get the positive energy of their thoughts unless they are disposed towards us positively. The synergy of a team effort is truly the synergy of the thoughts generated by the team collectively.

With the power of our positive thoughts we can give a definite shape to our efforts and with the power of our sustained efforts we can bring our thoughts into surface reality. This is the underlying mechanism in any successful accomplishment. What we call the planning stage in any venture, is actually a mental exercise during which we give a mental shape to the project with our thought energies and prepare ourselves for the journey ahead.

Our thoughts are therefore our true assets, the raw material with which we build our wealth, the source of all our possibilities and accomplishments. To build something in the physical world, we need to build it successfully in the mental world. Any one who can think clearly and confidently on any project before he actually begins it, stands a better chance of succeeding in his life. In myriad ways, using his thoughts, he can set into motion what he truly desires. By empowering his thoughts, he can create the reality he genuinely wants to experience.

The secret of your life is that your life is shaped by the combined power of your thoughts, your desires and your actions. If you aim for something in your life, which is within the realm of possibility, with determination, and sincerely work for it with perseverance, you will achieve it. If you aim to become something in you life, without any inner conflict, and believe that you can truly transform yourself into that situation with necessary sacrifices, you are going to be that. This is the reality. WE ARE WHAT WE THINK AND BELIEVE TO BE.

Thought

2010-05-30T19:10:00.003+05:30

The Quality of our Thinking

The recent dastardly coward act of the Maoist group of attacking the train, where innocent civilians who are unarmed men, women, children, completely unaware of the happenings around them were killed by the meticulously planned strike, once again highlight the fact that that the quality of thinking determines the quality of our life. Whether the serial bombing in Guwahati, or the 26/11 happenings of the Mumbai act or any terrorist attack in Pakistan. When events such as a terrorist bombing that kills hundreds, people all over the world are affected. They feel the tension wave of those unstable situations even though they're not directly impacted. The collective energy generated from the feelings, thoughts, and attitudes of the almost six billion people on this planet creates an atmosphere or 'consciousness climate.' Surrounding us like the air we breathe, this consciousness climate affects us most strongly on energetic and emotional levels. An increase in “coherent” thoughts and feelings creates an uplifting momentum in the consciousness climate. An increase in “incoherent” thoughts and feelings creates a stress momentum in the consciousness climate. In other words, coherence or incoherence is broadcast via the consciousness climate much as music or noise is broadcast via radio signals.

The quality of our thinking determines the quality of our life. If we improve the quality of our thinking, in any area, we improve the quality of our life in that area. By using our mind, our ability to think we become a creator of circumstances rather than a creature of circumstances. We move from being powerless to being powerful. We determine everything that happens to us by the way we think about it, in advance. We may not be what we think we are, but what we think we are.

The recent activity of the various terrorist groups operating in India, unfortunately India is the only country where we are faced with three types of terrorist Ideological, Ethnic, and the Religious Fundamentals which make worse for the security force as the approach for each group becomes completely different, worse again we have yet to make a concrete strategy for the ideological terrorist group like the Maoist, the Home ministry is still groping whether to go soft or hammer and tong. Well coming to the main issue of thinking the recent activity of the civilian attack proves beyond doubt that the Ideological group has lost the power of rational thinking. Thought is a power and has its effect on the material world. Thoughts, if powerful enough, travel from one mind to another. If we keep thinking the same thought, people in our environment perceive it and act on it, furthering, usually in an unconscious manner, the materialization of our desires. It reminds me of Bhaja Govindam where a verse depicts our positive attitude of life…..

Translation

As water on a lotus leaf is very unstable, life is extremely unsteady. Know that the whole world is stricken with disease and arrogance and afflicted with sorrow.

Interpretation

The Pratipaksha Bhavana continues. Look at life afresh and you see an uncertain future. Shankara says life is as unsteady as a drop of water on a lotus leaf. A slight breeze is enough to tilt the leaf and the drop of water falls in the pond. Similarly life is unpredictable. At any age, however healthy or strong you may be, there is no security against death. It takes away anyone, at any time.

There is no time to waste. We have a tendency to procrastinate, postpone investment in the spiritual field. This verse conveys the urgency of the situation. Now you have the health, mental and intellectual faculties to develop the spiritual quotient. Who knows what the future has in store? The same facilities may not be available later. So use this precious time for self-enhancement.

Even during this uncertain tenure life is beset with all kinds of problems. There is disease at the physical level, sorrow at the emotional plane and arrogance at the intellectual stage. All of which create agitations. But we have got accustomed to them and do not feel the need to rise above them. We cannot visualise a life free from these hardships. Hence there is no attempt to rid ourselves of them. Bhaja Govindam tries to awaken us to the truth that as human beings we are meant to experience a hassle-free life, one full of cheer and joy.

This does not mean we should take the approach that we might die any moment. The point of this verse is that we must utilise our time judiciously. Invest in our spiritual growth and make our life worthwhile. We seem to think the study of the scriptures is for retirees, but the truth couldn’t be farther from that. Every one of us must set aside a little time for spiritual study everyday, think about it and strive to put it into practice. Before being diagnosed with cancer, Lance Armstrong took it easy on the cycling track. As a result, he didn’t cycle as well he should have. It was only during his fight against cancer that he realized he wasn’t performing to his potential. He decided to commit himself to giving his best everyday. From then on, Lance Armstrong has gone on to win a world-record six Tour de France titles. Unlike Lance, we shouldn’t wait for cancer or some disease to hit us before we start giving our best. So take affirmative action NOW. Refuse to pamper your body. Desist from pandering to your whims and fancies. Make a concerted effort to abide by your own deeper aspirations. Entertain the thought of the higher always. And see the difference.

Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.

Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more ... and on and on it goes.

Positive Action is verily a signature of life. Life manifests most vividly in the form of actions. If the very life principle is said to be the eternal divinity then its manifestation in the form of action is indeed its divine fragrance. To be able to act is indeed a blessing, and anyone who acts in a dynamic, creative way out of the feeling of well being for all becomes a blessing for all those around him, and paves the path for his total fulfillment too. Any philosophy of life which gives due importance to action alone facilitates people to make the best of their lives and vice versa any philosophy which professes an inactive life becomes responsible for the fall of that person, society or the nation

**** Verse & Translation: Vedanta Vision,

Save Mother

2010-03-30T23:49:00.013+05:30

300 million Indians go hungry everyday!

Browsing through the internet to know about the extinction of Tiger, I suddenly stumbled upon the headline that 300 million Indians go hungry every day, it was a great shock to me, suddenly I thought just like tiger will the Indian population will go on extinct, because with a population of 1.173 billion, the hungry make up over 25 per cent, i.e. of one in four in the country. It is a matter of great concern that despite our country’s economic successes, India leads the world in hunger. According to the 2008 Global Hunger Index, which is calculated by the International Food Policy Research Institute, India has close to 350 million people who are food insecure -- in other words, who are not sure where their next meal will come from. To put that into context, that is the same as the entire populations of Germany, France and the United Kingdom all going hungry, beside that 21 per cent of the Indian population is undernourished, and 46% of Indian children below the age of 5 are underweight.

Being myself a member of WWF and “Youngclimatesaver” I always try to contribute towards society in the best possible way whatever little time I can afford, that I have after study to make an impact for clean and healthy environment.

Well, my little brain with very little knowledge wondered whether there is any relation or any reason related to depletion of Tiger population, global warming and the growing hunger in India and the world over, because the global warming phenomena is becoming an increasing matter of grave concern for the entire world. I asked my Father about the relationship between all these things, if he can through any light on it, he loves to discusses on issues which touch the human mind and our life, not only that he is a person who loves to keep himself acquaint with all he happenings around the world, and whenever I need any help on any topic I turn up to him for my guidance. He gave me a graphic presentation about the co-relation between all the three major issues, Hunger, Global warming, and extinction of tiger. It was really an eye opener for me that how the ecosystem is related to for the betterment of all living creatures on this earth. If any of the chain process in the ecosystem is disturbed then the whole system slowly collapse and it may endanger our very existence on this planet.

According to my father Tigers play an important role in maintaining and balancing the eco-system, despite tiger being carnivorous it also depends on grass as tigers main source of food is the Herbivores like Axis deer or chital and sambhar that form the prey basis of tigers, feed upon these grasses that are further preyed upon by tigers. So, it is apparent and amazing, although not directly tigers are indirectly dependent on grasses. In nature each organism is dependent upon other organism. We all know about food chains. Billions of these food chains exist in nature and their each level is called trophic level. Plants such as grasses form the basis of most of food chains on land as they have ability to carry out photosynthesis. Sometimes some things might look ridiculous but if we look deep into it we can see the reality, for example Tigers help in bringing rain and global warming. The simple reason is that tigers protect forests by keeping the number of herbivores in check. Without tigers these herbivores will eat up all the forests. In general forests help in cloud formation by contributing lots of water vapour in the atmosphere that they release during the process of evapo-transpiration. Thus, the same concept is proved that in nature everything is interconnected and it also helps in global warming by creating nature and checking the misadventure of human beings in unauthorized cutting down of trees and forest encroachment to the best possible extent in fear of tiger attack on humans and tiger reserves extended by the Government.

The interdependency of living forms in a food chain is obvious as the wild tiger is dependant upon herbivores for its survival where he maintains there population which in turn prevents the grasslands from being overgrazed.

The herbivores depend upon the producers as grasses, herbs, shrubs, algae, fungi and large trees for survival and they in turn maintain a balance in vegetation by controlling the extent of vegetation or flora.

Birds survive on herbs, shrubs and trees on fruits and nectar and in turn act as seed dispersal agent for them to spread the population of the floral elements in an ecosystem.

Now it is high time that we must shift our conservation thinking from viewing top carnivores as an isolated part of ecosystem management to viewing the maintenance of viable populations of top carnivores as essential components of an integrated system of sustainable ecosystem management. The critically endangered top carnivores are indicators of ecosystems in decline. As we set our conservation sights on recovery, top carnivores can be the stars in our ongoing efforts that restore and maintain biodiversity. But the star-power of top carnivores, their flagship and umbrella role, is more than symbolic. Without top carnivores our efforts to stem the loss of biodiversity will not prevail.

Thus all life forms including tiger are interlinked with each other in an ecosystem, and their survival depends upon how intact the ecosystem is and thus we can save our planet from the Global warming by turning to nature and using products of nature sensibly, saving energy and reducing the emission of toxic elements from the air

Human Touch

2010-03-11T12:33:00.006+05:30

All living being whether human being or animals do have a right for respectful living. I am a non-vegetarian and do love to eat meat, but few days back I have seen a shocking way when a pig was transported on a bicycle, the poor pig’s mouth was tied tightly without giving the poor pig any chance to cry, then his leg was tied tightly and the pig was pushed in the rod just above the pedal lying in the spine,,,,,,,,,seeing the pig I visualized myself in similar condition I felt severe pain in my spine and horrified fear ran through my body. Now I came to realize why my father converted himself to vegetarian, and now he is a strict vegetarian for the last 7 years. After the incident I joined PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and now resolved my mind to fight for the cause of animal and against any cruelty towards animal. It is very pathetic to see that animals are often transported in abysmal conditions to slaughterhouses.

According to (PETA), the international voluntary organization that spearheads the campaign in India, all atrocities listed in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (beating, kicking, overloading and overcrowding animals during transit; depriving animals of food and water during transportation; selling abused or mutilated animals; and killing animals cruelly) these are committed mostly in the leather and meat industries. Animal transport laws specify that only six cows be transported in a lorry. But, according to PETA, four times as many animals are forced into a single vehicle.

Animals slaughtered for their meat and skin is most often transported in abysmal conditions. Most of them get injured, and many are trampled or gored to death as they are thrown about in the Lorries that drive at breakneck speed. Also, animals are tied together with ropes running through their pierced noses and forced into "death marches" for hundreds of kilometers, illegally crossing State borders as several States have banned cow slaughter. The handlers force the pace of the animals by snapping their tails at each joint and rubbing tobacco, chilly powder or salt into their eyes. Thus, by the time the animals arrive at the slaughterhouses, many of them would be so sick that they have to be dragged inside. As for the method of slaughtering, fortunate are those whose throats are slit. Others have their legs hacked off or are skinned alive. The animals suffer from factory over-crowding, un-anaesthetized castration, branding, tail-docking and dehorning. Since it is illegal to kill healthy young cattle, they are often maimed: their legs are broken or they are poisoned so that they can be declared fit for slaughter.

Exotic animals such as alligators are also factory farmed for their skins. According to PETA, ranched alligators, of over 600, are kept in small enclosures that reek of rancid meat, alligator waste and stagnant water. Although alligators may naturally live up to 60 years, on farms they are usually butchered before they are four years old. Snakes and lizards are often skinned alive because of the widespread belief that live flaying enhances the suppleness of the finished leather. Kids are boiled alive to make kid gloves and the skin of aborted calves and lambs are used, as they are considered especially "luxurious".

So now I am thinking what is the use of eating meat for the for the simple reason of satisfying our own taste bud of our tongue as research and leading scientist has proved that what we eat directly affects the quality of our lives. While animal foods contribute to cancer, heart disease, obesity and many other killers, a vegetarian diet can make us healthier. With the right food selections, we can have clearer skin, lose weight permanently, prevent heart attacks and even reverse existing heart disease. Studies have shown that vegetarians have stronger immune systems than meat-eaters and are far less likely to die of heart disease or cancer. The consumption of meat and dairy products is also linked to diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, clogged arteries, obesity, asthma and impotence. Additionally, as deadly animal-borne diseases such as SARS, mad cow disease and avian flu spread across the globe, adopting a meat-free diet is now more important than ever.

A vegetarian diet helps animals. Modern high-pressure agriculture commonly keeps cows, calves, pigs, chickens and other animals in extremely crowded stalls, cages, crates or sheds in which they are often unable to turn around or take even a single step in any direction for their entire lives. Deprived of veterinary care, exercise, sunlight and the feel of grass beneath their feet, these living, breathing, thinking, feeling beings, whose senses are so similar to ours, suffer and die at a rate of millions per day just so that we can eat meat. So when we eat, we have a choice between adding to the level of violence in the world or respecting animals and eating vegetarian instead. Haa I will try to be vegetarian,,,,,,,not sure when! But sure I will try to be a vegetarian just like my Father.

*****Sources & Data collected from PETA(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

Writing

2010-02-26T11:40:00.005+05:30

Writing for any issues which touch the heart of the readers gives me great satisfaction. I personally feel that I do not write well which can touch the heart of any reader but I try my best to do so, because I express my feelings from the very core of my heart. Recently I have written on “Planet Young” of the newspaper “Assam Tribune” on the column “My viewpoint” The Great person I admire the most. I have written on Bapuji “Mahatma Gandhi”. I like him because his teachings of Non- Violence is still relevant and I feel that in today’s world when the whole world is brimming with hatred it is better we preach Non Violence.

I am grateful to the editor of “The Assam Tribune Planet Young” Kokaideu for giving all young aspirants the chance and opportunity to express their feelings and talent through “Planet Young”. Any young boy or girl can express his or her talent or feelings by writings, and the best part of the copy is “My Viewpoint” where one can write his or her feelings on the topic given by “Kokaideu”. It is not only writings but any one who read the paper can gather host of information on various subjects and acquire knowledge which is be very informative for all of us in the coming future in our life and career. Thank you “Kokaideu” for giving such opportunity to all of us and to sharpen our knowledge. Do hope to write more in your column in the future and express my feelings.

With Love, To Kindi Mama

2010-02-19T20:59:00.035+05:30

Dear Kindi Mama,
It is very very regrettable that you have left from Assam, but I respect your courage and decision and salute the new life you have taken, but we all miss you all and long to see you, especially Raja and Budhi mama along with you, love to all of you, you can view our pictures here...........

Friends

2010-01-16T15:49:00.000+05:30

The definition of “Friend” for me

is very pure, I believe that a Friend should be like a “Mirror”, where I can see
myself in my friend, she or he should not be fake, if I am wrong or doing
something wrong it should be pointed out to me immediately, so that I can
rectify myself and if something I do good I should be appreciated, so that I can
improve more better, and make proud to all around me including my parents,
friends, teachers and all my well wishers. Friends should always be honest to
each others, as because honesty is the main cord which makes the bond of
friendship more and stronger and one come to know the likes and dislikes of
each other which helps in understanding and then the real true joy of
friendship can be enjoyed,,,,,,,,Today is Bhugali Bihu and Lodi,,,,,,,,,,,well
I wished all my friends a very Happy Bhugali Bihu and a very very Happy Lodi to
all,,,,,,,,,,,,,may the festival of feast which comes after harvesting brings
happiness equally to all of us,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Myself

2010-01-16T15:46:00.000+05:30

Hi,,,,,,,,, I am Illvika Saikia a Scoropian, I am a student of Little Flower School, Dibrugarh,proud to say one of the best School of our State. I love my school and hate to miss any class as missing class not only means notes but also friends and their gossips. My city Dibrugarh is not a big one, but historically one of the important city of East India. Well now my School is having winter vacation and I am enjoying my vacation visiting my relatives on different occasions,,,,,,,,,it is nice and chilly winter in this year, and now school will reopen on 19th of Jan for which I am eagerly waiting.