Happiness is all that matters!! :)

It’s quite a bold statement to make, isn’t it? Wait…before you say anything, just wear a smile first! J Feeling relieved...ahhhan...good, now you look better!! After all, all that matters at the end of the day is the smile on your face. And the irony is that the best things in this world, whether it be a hug, smile or love, are absolutely free (baniya soch!).

What is it we run after? Big qualifications, bigger payrolls, modern means of living...blah blah…Did you ever realize the reason behind it..?? Well…its just that, our inner we is searching for pleasure, happiness and contentment through these means. The sole force compelling us to engage into these is the desire to achieve happiness for us and our dear ones.

Now, where does this happiness come from? Its all here in this tiny mind (you may have a big one J). Its quite surprising…hmm…but its true, and we all knew this fact when we were younger, we now have simply forgotten! Remember the days, when we found simple pleasures from little things …that pitter-patter of raindrops, watching rainbow, annoying our siblings, playing with friends, licking cream from biscuits…the list is unending.

Abraham Lincoln said,” People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” It still remains true. The happiness is in the eyes of beholder, the materialistic things seldom play a role. Happiness is not the thing you can buy out at mart or download from android market! Rather, it’s a virtue you cultivate within. Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect, rather it means that you have decided to look past the imperfections. Not complaining and living in contentment makes one happier. It’s a feeling of being content that really counts.

I would also like to share an example cited  by a friend of mine-

“A group of ex-students visited their University Professor. Their conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in life. Offering them coffee, Prof returned from kitchen with a pot of coffee and different cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking & some expensive ones.

When all had a cup of coffee in hand, Professor said,” If you noticed, all the expensive cups were taken up first, leaving the plain ones for the last. It is normal for you to want only the best. But that is what, the source of your stress. What you really wanted was coffee, not the cup. But still, you all went for the best cups & were even eyeing each other's!

If life Is coffee, then money & status in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold & contain life. Don't let the cups drive you.

Enjoy the Coffee.!! c”

Don’t prorogue the joy to a time you think to be perfect to enjoy. Just look for little opportunities around to bask the small pleasures. Expend your time developing a positive attitude and start with simple happiness. You will eventually have both!! J

Imp Shades of Society!!

As I write this, India would have indigenously developed the cruise missile, Rahul Gandhi would have taken the seat as VP of the Congress, cricket players would have geared up for IPL quarter finals, BJP would have been deciding upon their strategies for ’14 elections, RBI would have increased the deposit rates….and away from all these, one more person would have been sexually harassed in some part of this country!! On one side, we are talking of globalised India; are planning to setup new corps for China border or are pacting deal with US to increase our external strengths, but on the other side every 26 minutes a woman is molested, every 34 minutes a rape takes place, and every 43 minutes a woman is kidnapped!

I proudly accept that we are strong enough to defend ourselves from any possible attack of neighboring countries, but the question arises here is that whether we are strong enough internally to protect interests of every individual of this country. The voice of women and children is being suppressed and are being harassed every day, Naxalites kill dozens of police personnel every other day, clashes occur every other time in some part of the country on the name of religion….this list is unending!!(let’s not discuss the later issues here).

Who is responsible here?? Most of us would brush aside our clothes by quickly announcing the law and order as culprit. Ok fine, lets have a look on the steps taken by the Government. In the recent wake of Damini’s case, Cabinet Ministers did a couple of meetings to frame the penalty ordinances; the Delhi Govt. started with a helpline number(181) for women, which even some complain of no response and usual busy lines. Again all the fault rests on the part of Govt. We again relentlessly point our fingers at the Govt. and move to India Gate or start spreading boorish messages for govt. I ask what have we done?? Whether mere walking down to India Gate with candles or updating facebook profiles with black dots serves our responsibility?? We need to understand that we are part of a developing nation and all that society needs can’t be taken up by the Govt. Mere electing our representatives doesn’t takes away our onus. Even the Delhi’s 181 hotline programme has failed to serve the purpose due to lack of commitment on our part. You would be surprised to know that people call the no. to enquire about timings of bus services or to complain of electricity outages...and then we complain of the busy lines!!

Anyhow, I am not here to speak in favor of govt. and I am definitely not against people’s anger (rather I see the rage and anguish to be a good starting sign for the long needed reforms to strengthen our society). All I just want to add here is that the change we need has to start from within. More laws, more police on streets or more CCTVs will do a little. We have ourselves to blame to a large extent and need to realise that its our unbounden duty to protect the interests of this society; & not mere of Govt’s. The moment we all would have realised our responsibilities, curbing these social diseases would be just a matter of small time. We need to remind ourselves of the great humanity that should exist in the people of this great Bharat. We have to see ourselves as the part of the society and contribute in whatever way possible, regardless of being concerned about the returns. The society will definitely repay us in the long run in a much big way!

Lets see how we bring about a change in ourselves from here on, or whether marching down the roads is just a momentary outburst of emotions. Now, if atleast this incident doesn’t bring change, nothing else would do!! Its time to Ring The Bell !!

(The views contained in the post are solely of the author and don’t pertain to the views of Government or any other group, on the concerned matter.)

Uncomfortable is the New Comfortable!!

Life calls for a change. When the change is on the way, one experiences being in an uncomfortable situation. We are naturally wired to resist the change, despite being how much better it be. It appears that we are going to miss the beautiful moments if we move out of our comfort zone & we go to great lengths to avoid such situations, but the fact is that we do skip the much more wonderful things, out of our fear. But what if we become comfortable with the uncomfortable!! Then we’ll make different choices, we’ll love being in discomfort & will welcome the change!

Comfort zone is a silent killer. Most of the people work hard in their lives to live in comfort at later stage, but they fail to realize that they grew the most when they were working in discomfort. It is an established fact that one needs to be in discomfort to learn new things & grow thereof. And with time the things get easier & the uncomfortable becomes the new comfortable. This explains why the pain of pinching skin gradually seems less with time. No one has ever died of discomfort; rather living in sweet spot has killed many opportunities & ideas. Thinking oneself to be safe while in comfort zone is a huge mistake!

The other side of comfort zone is always scary, but it is where the magic happens. This is when opportunities emerge in our life & we move to the next level. Yes, there would be times when we would be low & would just want to give up, but if we pull up the courage to move to the other side of our sweet spot & don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, we experience a new world. Because these exactly are the moments, which set us up for growth, joy, new experiences & real comfort in our life. When I look at my past, I realise that there were many uncomfortable moments in my life which later on turned out to be great wins.

To do big things & live life without regret, one has to be out of one’s territories. And the moment one allows himself to become comfortable with discomfort, is where one starts living. Start feeling uncomfortable being comfortable, otherwise you’ll end up shelving your dreams & realizing their importance at a later part of life. Welcome the moments and celebrate your work!!

As they say, ”If you want to grow and do something new, you have to be in uncharted waters. That’s just how it works! Yes, its scary, but don’t you wanna see what’s on the other side??”   

Ignited Minds

I read this great book titled ‘Ignited Minds’ written by former president of India-Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. I found it very invigorating, exactly what I was looking for these days. Through this book, he has made a successful effort of unveiling the power of imagination in young. He dreams of a developed India by 2020 & emphasizes on developing a vision common to all citizens of India, to achieve the same. He mentioned that through his projects in space, defence & nuclear sectors, his interaction with children, industry leaders, teachers, saints & seers, he has come to know that Indian people have a fantastic mix of belief & knowledge which sets them apart from the other world; Indian people have ability to achieve the best in the world. The only reason, we are way behind is that our potential remains untapped because we have become used to being subjugated & docile. The book is all about breaking away the forces that prefer India to remain a nation of billion selling cheap labor and providing a large market for goods & services of other nations. The book asks us to ‘start moving.’ He says – Thinking is the capital, Enterprise is the way, Hard work is the solution. This book is all about developing that conviction in ourselves and discarding the things that hold us back. The book says that India is truly blessed with abundance of resources. Their scarcity is not the cause of our problems. The only problem seems to be the attitude problem. The trapped energies and suppressed initiative need to be freed and properly harnessed. Ancient India was a knowledge society that contributed a great deal to civilization. We need to regain the status & become a knowledge power.

The way to development has to be made through purposeful activity. Youth have to be guided to a proper direction with a vision & their creativity has to be allowed to flower. Certain educational reforms have to be initiated. The center-state efforts have to be coordinated in key areas & have to be taken up in mission mode. Our mindset needs to change, having willingness to take pragmatic risks. Success will follow. We need to realize that missions are always bigger than organisations, just as organisations are always bigger than the individuals who run them. It is a power that is deep within us.

The whole country struggled to achieve the first vision of independence, over decades. To protect it, it is our bounden duty & not a matter of choice & convenience. We again need a vision that is shared by the entire nation.

Ignite minds & think big!

A fresh start to the day!!

Let me begin by acknowledging the efforts put in by my roommate, Mr. Kirti (some people may better know him as future IAS) for becoming the reason for which I was able to experience a new side of nature. Its 6 in morning and the alarm clock rings (as said by my roommate which I couldn’t obviously hear as I have developed immunity to alarms J). He took the blanket off me & asked me to wake up for a morning walk. My only reply to him in half open eyes turned to be – “Yar, today is not the day we decided for, and otherwise, we still got 6 more months in PU to do such an adventure, why do such a thing in this chilly morning!!”  & again took the thick cover to protect me from the bleak hours. But since my tough roommate was determined to take me, he again took me (I guess we would have been bigot enemies in our last janams) & told me that we need to do this only once. Okay, I finally wake up hearing the once thing and the moment I put my feet on earth, he continued – “once in a week”. OMG…this was the time I would have just killed him, had my eyelids been fully open! (more than Obama would have ever wanted for Mr. Osama). Anyhow, we got ready by 6.25 or maybe 6.30 (as I am still in sleep) and stepped out of our hostels.

It was about 8-10 degrees outside and the moment I stepped out, which I expected to be one hell, to my surprise I was filled with an all time different and new energy. For the first time, I was enjoying the morning rather of shivering in those winter’s early biting hours. Oh wait...I guess I forgot to tell you the place we are headed to..its none other than the most beautiful place in Chandigarh – Sukhna Lake!!  The lake is at a distance of 5 kms or so from our campus & we, a group of five started to ramble to reach the same before sunrise (yeah, you got it right-we were on foot). It took us around 40 mins to reach the lake which entailed all forms of mobility-walking, running, jogging, jumping over cairns & even inside-out back walk! :) So finally we reached the place at around 7.10 or something. The stunning grandeur of the place at early morning is worth mentioning here. A cool breeze welcomed us with the birds’ soft pitched chirps. Although the icy breeze wanted to cut us thick, but we came well prepared with necessary warm attire. Nevertheless, despite being dressed properly, we could enjoy the lovely chill of the flowing air. On one side, I could see the trees and on the other, a seemingly unbounded lake beautifully placed with mountains. All the happenings of life suddenly disappeared and all I could wonder was the beauty of nature. Really saying, at this time I can’t get hold of words to describe that moment..the only I could term it is as one of the best touch of nature I remember.

But this wasn’t the place we were to stop, rather we were destined to reach the end of the lake, to the Garden of Silence. The lake stretches to around 2.2 kms. So, we set straight our shoes and started to jog along the stretch of lake. This is the time again worth citing when the cool breeze passes touching face, legs are about to fall out of fatigue but you are determined not to stop, brain tries to synchronize with those instrumental music in headphones, and you close your eyes & this is what you call a real feel (here, used as the common Hindi word). All the things seemed to fall in order and whenever stress tried to knock the door, the moment threw it out by saying-“Damn, can’t you see..m enjoying!” After a long struggle b/w legs and determination, we finally managed to reach the end, the Garden of Silence. And I should tell you, when you are totally burnt out after covering a long stretch along the lake, and you just sit at the Garden while beholding Buddha (for those who don’t know, a Buddha’s statue has been ensconced at the end of the lake, in the Garden of Silence), you get to discover your inner silence…a smile happens to come on you face for no reason! The nature just takes away all your stress & fatigue and restores your happiness. It shows the love and patience to you as it were your favorite thing or best friend. I was also lucky enough to witness the sunrise at the lake and I bet the moment was no less than the same experienced at Andamans, Kerala beaches or hilly areas. The scenic beauty and serenity of the place was heavenly. The golden rays of sun shined over the water to turn the moments into golden one. The flora & fauna got reinvigorated by sun rays and the melodious humming of birds, and collectively depicted the Mother Nature.

After enjoying the serenity of nature, we headed back to our campus at around 9.30 and enjoyed our breakfast leisurely at the student centre when making our way back to hostel. J

A Note of Thanks...!!

Well, it isn’t often I say that, but since November was the ‘Month of Thanks’, I decided to write this eulogized piece of prose for all those people having played a significant role in my life (I know I am 19 days late!). If you are reading this, you are one of them. Hmm, from where should I start…Let me begin by telling you that you are amazing!! You all matter for me a lot and I do certainly care for you. Over the years, it is still a great deal of time, when we get and walk together discussing those crap issues. Without you all, may be I would have been somewhat different Nishant and certainly not lala (for those who are unaware about lala thing, I would rather say people in college knew me better with this name) or nish or others (I shouldn't disclose them here :P) or maybe I would have been with those cloddish people who don’t use their mind for thinking purposes. But yeah…thanks to you, I am good enough, atleast till I write this. It gives me amazing feel knowing that someone is there who loves me just for being me. Thanks for being with me in my happy times and always listening to me during hardships. You always had something to say, that steered me to the right direction. I would also like to thank those who criticized me for my actions and work. Their criticism helped me enhance my perseverance and work on my capabilities.

You all guided me the life’s path in a way or other. And for making my life this beautiful, I am indebted to all of you...thank you for all you've done…thanks for everything..!! (p.s.- itna bhi khush mat hona, mene bhi tumhare liye kuch kam nai kiya!! :)). 

I look forward for the same love and support in future….

This post is dedicated to the most lovable person on this earth, my brother, Deepak Goel, who asked me to write something. He might have been expecting something big venerating him, but sorry bhai…free mei itna hi milta hai…!! :P

The Perfectionists' Thing

I was quite wrong when I thought the last semester to be the end for those riveting names for me. A few days back, a new tantalizing one – ‘Perfectionist’ was added to my names’ archive (already having 9 unique names) by one of my new friends. When some of us hear this word – perfectionist, we start picturing a uptight and neurotic person who sets impossibly high standards for himself to work.

Wait wait…may be I am someone who stacks a bunch of papers in properly fashioned manner from end to end, who places his things at right place, who doesn’t forget to lock his laptop in almirah before sleeping & who is quite good with managing font sizes in project reports….but I’m not that uptight one. But yes, you can call me adaptive perfectionist. I will rather take it as compliment J.

Now some of us would argue on whether being a perfectionist is good or bad! If you ask me, it’s good if it makes you feel happy. But if you tend to be one just for making others around you happy, then I’d rather say that you are just making your hair fall J. If perfectionism is used in right way, when one sets achievable high standards, it can be seen as a major productive force which can drive you to great achievements. I would also like to make it clear that being a perfectionist doesn’t infer you to be a perfect person.Be a perfectionist, it’s good to be one if you work within certain limits of perfectionism.

I’m bit of a perfectionist and I don’t mind admitting it. I am generally less satisfied with something I do, & I always try to improve it quite a few times. Even I edited this post 3 times after posting it on the blog. I am not perfect, but I tend to do perfectionism in my every work. And I derive pleasure from doing so.

When you think the way ......................................others do

It happens most of the times that people tend to move in life with ideas of other people. They don’t even bother to give a thought on the matter, irrespective of whether how much tenebrous it is. And what is the result? – they live their life the same way…work in crowd…and when they die, no more than fifty mourners pay their last respects to them.

If Edison would have thought the same way, we would have been watching the television in dark (I know its a poor one)...If all of the programmers implemented the same logic in their codes as Ada Lovelace did, would Infy, TCS and others ever existed??(this comes from my engineered heart)….and yes, if all entrepreneurs would've thought the same way, then to whom Venture Capitalists would be financing these days!! (I am also doing MBA :) ).
I have had the experience of working with some of the best and challenge of enduring the worst. Most of others fall in middle. And according to me, what separates them is not talent (although it surely contributes), it’s how they perceive things. They think different from others and this also becomes evident from their success.

The world we see, is exactly the same. What others think should not be the driving force of our life. Now the obvious question arises- “How to think different?” Hmm, that obviously comes from your willingness to do something new, something different, to innovate….and then you’ll see yourself out of this world and you’ll be living a entire new life…!!

Think Different or Go Home…!!

Somebody said that...

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't" but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, as he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one we know has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That cannot be done, and you'll do it…

Edgar Guest

Life at the end of Comfort Zone…

We all have a comfort zone, or may be several. These are the circles we draw in our lives, to protect what’s inside without doing much of the efforts. We tend to live in these zones, well because these are comfortable. We repeatedly do only a certain set of familiar actions with same habitual mindset in these zones, and we get the same results. This is like investing money only in secured Govt. bonds with known constant low returns (p.s.- I am a MBA guy J). When we live in our comfort zones, our growth gets stagnated and we settle for mediocrity. But since, we all do have dreams and for their fulfillment, we need to step out from our comfort zones to new zones. We need to expand our actions, so as to find a new us in ourself…to unlock our potentials...and to have insight into the true self.

We all know this!!…but even then, we are afraid to expand our zones, the reason being-comfort. But as they say,” You cannot make waves if you do not leave the shore”. It may be difficult in starting, but as you go with time, your new actions become your habits and you are driven to new exciting results…to a greater person.

So, its time to rezone…Dare, discover and be all that you can be…!!

In fact, Life begins at the end of Comfort Zone...