Monday, March 31, 2014


 
NARA'S NOTEPAD
 
VOLUME 10
 
APRIL 2014
 
NUMBER 4



NARA'S NOTEPAD
 
IS
 SUPPORTED
BY
READERS LIKE  YOU...

 
THINK ABOUT
 
WHAT WENT WELL...

MEMO FROM NARA...



People are strong believers on something like religion and caste. Once they believe on them, they totally depend on them. No one wants to change their beliefs. Such believes may be blind or unacceptable for some. Still the belief on religious teachings, the presence of God and the existence of caste is in the minds of people of our society. Such believes are passed on to next generation and subsequent generations too. In fact, our society is organized in a way on these bases rather than on a scientific basis.

I used to think, why good education is unable to change such strong believes which often spoil human relationship at large. People belong to one religion follow certain way of life with a set of believes, whereas others follow different ways of life as their religion orders. Such is the case of belief in God or Gods. All religions advise that there is only one God. But in reality, we have innumerable Gods in all forms, shapes and sizes loaded with unbelievable stories. All of us want to believe in all these Gods and their stories out of sheer fear. If they do not believe in these Gods, there may be sufferings in life such as ill-health, accidents, poverty etc. Therefore people wish to worship all Gods by visiting innumerable temples, churches, mosques and other abodes of Gods. In fact, day by day the number of Gods and their temples is multiplying as the human population increases. There is no check on it. It is the will and pleasure of the people at large.

Caste is another worst factor that divides our society. Families belong to a particular caste used to live together as a community. Because of urbanization and modern way of life, people are compelled to live together forgetting the caste factor to some extent. Inter-caste marriage is one of the ways to demolish caste system in our society. Such marriages are also happening here and there. Providing education and allowing women as an independent individual help to promote inter-caste marriages. The caste factor plays an important role in periodic elections of our nation. Candidates are selected by political parties on the basis of a particular caste so that they can mop up maximum votes from people who belong to their castes. It is sometimes called as caste-based politics or simply caste-politics.

Is it possible for anyone to change such set up? I don’t think so because we have a society built on the strong foundation of caste and religion. It is very difficult for the time-being to change the existing system. However we don’t know about the future. Probably the little change coming in the minds of minors may lead to a casteless and religion-less society in the future. The future is not nearby. So we will live with the present mind-set of people who love to belong to a particular caste and religion. That is today’s reality. Whatever we may say or argue, we have to accept the reality. Let us do so and live with a system whether we like or do not like.

SPONSOR


 
NARA’S NOTEPAD thank

Dr. A. Appa Rao, Former Vice-Chancellor

of Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad

for sponsoring

March 2014 to Dec. 2014 issues.

LISTEN...


 
Listen more often than you speak – Nowadays, there is always someone that wants to be the center of attention; conversations easily become viewed as egoistic competitions. While being the center of attention can feel great and can be a rewarding experience, it can become consciously dangerous to your consciousness if it is motivated by your ego. By practicing the act of listening more often than you speak, you can train yourself to be more consciously aware of others, while still holding the conscious ability to politely contribute to a conversation.

MAKING MISTAKES...



Philosophers are mistake makers… While other disciplines specialize in getting the right answers to their defining questions, philosophers specialize in all the ways there are of getting things so mixed up, so deeply wrong, that nobody is even sure what the right questions are, let alone the answers. Asking the wrong questions risks setting any inquiry off on the wrong foot. Whenever that happens, this is a job for philosophers! Philosophy – in every field of inquiry – is what you have to do until you figure out what questions you should have been asking in the first place.

Mistakes are not just opportunities for learning; they are, in an important sense, the only opportunity for learning or making something truly new. Before there can be learning, there must be learners. There are only two miraculous ways for learners to come to existence: they must either evolve or be designed and built by learners that evolved. Biological evolution proceeds by a grand, inexorable process of trial and error – and without the errors the trials wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Trials can be either blind or foresighted. You, who know a lot, but not the answer to the question at hand, can take leaps – foresighted leaps. You can look before you leap, and hence be somewhat guided from the outset by what you already know. You need not be guessing at random, but don‘t look down your nose at random guesses; among its wonderful products is … you!

The chief trick to making good mistakes is not to hide them – especially not from you. Instead of turning away in denial when you make mistake, you should become a connoisseur of your mistakes, turning them over in your mind as if they are works of art.Daniel C. Dennett

GAIN WISDOM FROM OTHERS...


No single person holds all the wisdom of the universe in their brain. For this reason, it is important to study the wisdom of others and try to apply their wisdom to your life. As mentioned earlier, everyone has a unique perspective and knowledge-base to bring to the table. Studying the wisdom of others can be done in many ways. Examples include: meeting face-to-face with a more consciously advanced individual and ask them for life advice, reading positivity and personal development websites from several different sources, or maybe attending different personal development seminars.

TO QUOTE...


 
Marriage is a thousand little things. It’s giving up your right to be right in the heat of an argument. It’s forgiving another when they let you down. It’s loving someone enough to step down so they can shine. It’s friendship. It’s being a cheerleader and trusted confidant. It’s a place of forgiveness that welcomes one home, and arms they can run to in the midst of a storm. It’s grace. It’s giving of yourself tirelessly down paths you’d never imagine to travel. Through sickness and pain, poverty and loss, it’s carrying the weight of another. It’s being the smile they see in the morning, and the body they hold close at night. It’s pure love. It’s standing together in the face of adversity. It’s riding alongside each other in a battle that threatens to tear down your marriage and seeks to grab hold of your faith. It's strength under pressure. It's endless compassion. It's love. - Darlene Schacht

JUST TO LAUGH...


 
A guy phones a law firm and says, “I want to speak to my lawyer.” The receptionist replies, “ I am sorry, but your lawyer died last week.” The next day, he calls again for his lawyer, and the receptionist gives the same reply. The third day, he calls again, “Excuse me, Sir,” the receptionist says, “This is third time I’m telling you your lawyer died last week. Why do you keep calling?” The guy replies,”Because I love hearing it.”

 

No man can ever be satisfied with four things in life: mobile, car, television, and wife. Because there’s always a better model in the neighbourhood!

 

A wife complains, “A wall clock almost killed my mother today. It fell only seconds after she got up from the couch.” Her husband mumbled, “That clock always was slow.”

 

Husband and wife are like two wheels of a vehicle. Even one punctures, the vehicle can’t move further. So, intelligent people always carry a spare.

 

MAKE OTHERS LAUGH...


 
Being funny and making others laugh is a great way to ease stress and create a more positive outlook in life for yourself and for others. Though you may not be an expert comedian, being able to make others laugh is extremely rewarding and satisfying. Making others laugh and smile shifts all attention away from pain and negative emotions, towards one of pure enjoyment and happiness. Jokes and the ability to laugh can really change your entire perspective from what may seem like a grim, serious situation, to a happier, more positive outlook.

LINES I LIKED...




Ø  No one has ever changed for somebody else.

Ø  No one is above law.

Ø  No one is free when others are oppressed.

Ø  No one understands your problem better than you do.

Ø  No one wants to die.

Ø  No one wins when the verbal fight gets nasty.



Some people are toxic, avoid them!


Meet you next month – May, 2014


 


Professor A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP



Ph : 0422 2423017 Mobile : 098422 42301

www.nara.tumblr.com  (NARA’S DIGEST)  www.nara2007.blogspot.com  (NARA’S NOTEPAD)

Wednesday, March 5, 2014





NARA'S NOTEPAD

VOLUME 10
 
MARCH 2014
 
NUMBER 3

 
NARA'S NOTEPAD
 
IS SUPPORTED
 
BY READERS LIKE YOU

 
EVERYTHING HAPPENS
 
FOR
 
A REASON

MEMO FROM NARA...


 
Someone said that cooking is not just about mixing ingredients together, it is a fine art. Most of us do not bother about even the ingredients of the food. We eat the food without trying to know what the food consists of. People eat food by looking at TV or reading a book or magazine or talking seriously with others or watching a program in a tablet. Then how is it possible for anyone to look at and think about the food they eat? The fine art of cooking is known to hotel chefs or some of our grand-mothers who are good at preparing aromatic and tasty food. Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, the items they prepare will be really tasty if one understands the components and composition of the food. Food is often processed to suit the taste buds of our tongue. The raw food, as the animals eat does not taste much for humans. Even the salads are seasoned with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. At the same time fruits are eaten as such in most cases.

In fact, the food we eat is grown by someone out there in the farm known as the farmer who is the ‘annadada’ for all of us. The farmer sows the seeds, irrigates, fertilizes, protects, harvests, threshes, boils, mills and makes into the white rice and it is sold in the market. We, the consumers go to the shop and buy depending on our preference for fineness and aroma. In the real sense, farming is the biggest job on earth. Although we all know it, most of us are reluctant to do this job, because of obvious reasons. It involves hard work in the sun and rain. One has to be careful all through the season to bring out a better crop. The profession of farming is harder than any other profession. People nowadays try to avoid hard physical work. New technologies invent machineries to help man to lead an easy and comfortable life. That is how the farming in every country is progressing and we get our food without much problem. Farming in future is going to be revolutionized for producing bumper crop yields to feed the ever increasing population. However it is our duty to acknowledge the efforts of farmers who feed us every day.

I used to think of the food I eat every time. What is in the plate? How each item is produced and how it reaches my plate? Which item is good for me? How much I have to eat? – are the simple questions I pose myself whenever I eat my food. It is fascinating to go into the details of food producing, processing and serving. Nowadays food processing has taken a lead in every country. Processed foods are costly and they are exported to other countries to earn more money. Thus the trade flourishes. In fact, in the Western world, serving food itself is an art. The French people as far as I know are very good at it. They usually take considerable time on the table discussing the food they prepare. I learned from them the importance of thinking about what I eat. So it will be worth trying for all of you who read this memo. Bon appetite!

SPONSOR


NARA’S NOTEPAD thank

Dr. A. Appa Rao, Former Vice-Chancellor

of Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad

for sponsoring

March 2014 to Dec. 2014 issues.

VALUES...


Most of us go through life always wanting more and better. Being in this state of constant desire does not coexist with peace of mind. It is normal to want a better life for ourselves and our families, but we have to balance our goals with the cost. How much does this promotion, vacation, new purchase, cost in terms of real life? Corporations and their advertisers are out to make money. Advertising is one-way communication persuading us to buy things we may not need or want. The good things in life are free, life itself, friendship and nature. Whatever we do possess in the end we must leave it all behind.

BE AN EXPLORER OF THE WORLD


v Always be looking (Notice the ground beneath your feet)

v Consider everything alive and animate.

v Everything is interesting, look closer.

v Alter your course often.

v Notice the stories going on around you.

v Document your findings.

v Observe movements.

v Create a personal dialogue with your environment. Talk to it.

v Trace things back to their origins.

v Use all of the senses in your investigations.

TO QUOTE...




Being right keeps you in place, being wrong forces you to explore. – Steven Johnson

Discontent is the first necessity of progress. – Thomas Alva Edison

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. – Chinese Proverb.

Nothing binds you except your thoughts; nothing limits you except your fear; and nothing controls you except your beliefs. – Marianne Williamson

 

LINES I LIKED...



Ø  Listen to advice but do what feels right for you.

Ø  Every problem has its inbuilt solution.

Ø  No breakthrough can happen without effort.

Ø  Don’t create complications where there is none.

Ø  Think of repercussions before you speak your mind.

 

AGED TO NOTE...



1. Never say 'I am too old:” There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health conditions and the third is how old you feel you are.

2. Health is wealth: If you really love your kids and kin, taking care of yourself and your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Take out a health care insurance coverage.

 3. Money is important: Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your means even for your children. You have lived for them throughout, and it is time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are grateful they should take care of you. But never take it for granted.

4. Relaxation and recreation: The most relaxing and recreating forces are healthy, good sleep, music and laughter. Learn to sleep well, love good music, and see the fun side of life.

 5. Time is precious It is almost like holding a horse's reins. When they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again. Yesterday is a paid cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. "Today is ready cash; use it profitably. Live this moment".

6. Change is the only permanent thing: We should accept change; it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things.

7. Enlightened selfishness: All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and happiness we derive by doing good to others, without expecting anything in return but the warm glow we get, which in the end, is what we really want.

8. Forgive, then Forget: Don't be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped on one cheek. But, for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will only be increasing our BP.

9. Everything has a reason; a purpose: Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are, and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and right in their own ways.

10. Overcome the fear of death:  We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the truth is that no one is going to die for you; they may be depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will carry on. Remember, no one leaves this world alive.

JUST TO LAUGH...



A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Hunting flies,” he responded.

“Oh! Killing any?” she asked.

“Yep, 3 males, 2 females,” he replied

Intrigued, she asked, “How can you tell them apart?” He responded, 3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the telephone.”

 

During a ‘generation-gap’ quarrel with his parents, young Sunny cried, ‘I want excitement, adventure, money and beautiful women. I’ll never find it here at home, so I’m leaving. Don’t try and stop me!’ With that he headed for the door. His father rose and followed closed behind.  Didn’t you hear what I said? I don’t want you to try and stop me. ‘Who is trying to stop you?’ replied his father. ‘If you wait a minute, I’ll go with you.’

THE PAST...




Worrying about something that has already happened is a complete waste of time. There is absolutely nothing you can do to change it. Consider it a learning experience that will make you smarter and a better person. Review what has happened enough to draw conclusions about what to do, and what not to do, in the future. Then forget the experience permanently.

 



Always say YES to opportunities!


Meet you next month – April, 2014


 


Professor A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP



Ph : 0422 2423017 Mobile : 098422 42301

www.nara.tumblr.com  (NARA’S DIGEST)  www.nara2007.blogspot.com  (NARA’S NOTEPAD)