NARA'S NOTEPAD
VOLUME 16
FEBRUARY 2020
NUMBER 2
Friday, January 31, 2020
2020 – GOOD or BAD?
On the eve of the New Year – 2020, we all wished
everyone – friends and family members for a happy, healthy and prosperous New
Year. It is the usual gesture on the part of every one in the world. Every
human being likes to see the others happy. It’s the basic built-in nature. But
wishing is one and what happens is not in our hand.
Since the start of 2020, we hear all kinds of bad news
from all over the world including India. Globally, Iran’s Army Chief was killed
by the US, plane crash in Iran, missile attack by Iran on US military bases in
Iraq, Australian bushfire, Philippines volcano – are some of the unfortunate
bad things happened abroad. In India, protest marches everywhere, JNU violence
and vandalism, soaring of oil prices due to Iran crisis, Bharat bandh by trade
unions, and factory fires in Delhi and Mumbai are some of the bad things happened.
The Army Chief of Iran, Qassem Soleimani was
assassinated by the US drones in Iran itself. It was a great shock for Iran
government and its’ people. Protest by Iranians against the US was held in
Tehran, the capital of Iran. By the time the government of Iran attacked the
US military bases in Iraq. Donald Trump, President of the US announced that
there was no loss of life to the American forces. The tension mounted. Some
media predicted next World War too. At the same time there was a Ukranian
airliner crashed after takeoff from Tehran airport. The airline was bound to
Kyiv, Ukraine. It was announced that the crash was due to technical problem.
All the 170 people on board died. The next day the President of the US stated
that Iran shot down the airliner. Later on Iran agreed and confirmed that it
mistakenly shot down the aircraft. What a tragedy! The people of Iran protested
to arrest those who were responsible for the plane crash. The government of
Iran arrested some people. No news afterwards! Due to all these developments in
Iran, the oil prices shot up even in India. It was expected to create a problem
in world economy.
The Bushfires in Australia made big
news all over the world. The summer temperature coupled with the climate change
effects created a big blow to the government of Australia. It was reported about 5 million hectares
were burnt by the bushfire in spite of the good work of fire fighters. Nearly 1600 households were affected by the fire.
Moreover 800 million animals died due to the bushfires. On 13 January 2020 the
eruption of a volcano in Philippines terrified the people of that area. It
appears 300,000 people were evacuated to safer places. Imagine the fate of
those people! In Turkey also there was earthquake and people are being evacuated
to safer places.
Another important disaster happened in Wuhan of China.
The Coronavirus a virulent contagious one spreads among the humans of Wuhan and
the people who were celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year faced this dangerous
disease. Many people were succumbed to this virus and many more are carrying
it. All over the world governments and people are cautioned to be careful of
this coronavirus. Measures are being taken by the Chinese government and also
many other adjoining countries.
In India, protest marches against the implementation
of Citizenship Amendment Act are being held by the people of many states. The
opposition political parties were also taking part in these protests. In New
Delhi, in Jawaharlal Nehru University, popularly known as JNU, a well known
educational institution, there were violence and vandalism among students of
different political background. The injured students were admitted in All India
Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. It all started from the winter
registration. JNU students had a problem of increase in hostel fees by the
administration. They wanted the fees to be reduced to the old rate. The
Vice-Chancellor a nano-technology specialist educated from IIT, Chennai was not
able to efficiently handle the situation. The rift between the JNU students
union President and the police forces added more complications to the issue.
There were investigations by the police, University administration, political
parties and the media. Some students wanted to remove the
vice-chancellor. Supporting the students of JNU, Aligarh Muslim University,
Jadhavpur University in Kokatta many other institutions all over the country
protested. Campus violence led to disturbances in educational schedules.
The trade unions conducted Bharat Bhandh disturbing
the normal life of people. The financial loss due the bundh was running into
millions of rupees. It added to the already existing economic problems. So in
the nation-wide happenings millions of people would have suffered in the first
month of 2020...all our best wishes for the New Year did not bear fruits.
Above all, one of my dear friends Dr. P. Kandasamy,
former Professor of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemicals expired on 17
January 2020. My brother’s wife also expired on 30 January 2020. How can I say 2020 is
good? Let us see what is stored for us in the coming months in 2020. Hope for the best. -
NARA
LET GO OF PAINFUL MEMORIES
1.
Accept that challenges will
always come your way. No one’s journey is going to be “plain sailing.”
2.
Don’t only think about your
destiny. Commit to trying something and create your own success.
3.
Choose to take control of
the helm of your life. Don’t let other people divert your path.
4.
Expect to trip and fall or
to make some big mistakes. But don’t view it as failure – it’s the way we learn
and grow.
5.
Be adaptable, and flexible
and willing to grow. You won’t go very far if you choose to never change.
6.
Be generous to others,
there’s enough to around. But not just with your money – with your kindness and
your time.
7.
Remember that in life we
usually reap what you have sown. Hence think about the future as you live your
life right now.
SOME WISDOM FOR JOURNEY
1.
Accept that challenges will
always come your way. No one’s journey is going to be “plain sailing.”
2.
Don’t only think about your
destiny. Commit to trying something and create your own success.
3.
Choose to take control of
the helm of your life. Don’t let other people divert your path.
4.
Expect to trip and fall or
to make some big mistakes. But don’t view it as failure – it’s the way we learn
and grow.
5.
Be adaptable, and flexible
and willing to grow. You won’t go very far if you choose to never change.
6.
Be generous to others,
there’s enough to around. But not just with your money – with your kindness and
your time.
7.
Remember that in life we
usually reap what you have sown. Hence think about the future as you live your
life right now.
JUST TO LAUGH
- Only
in England...do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and
put our junk in the garage.
- Only
in England...can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
- Only
in England...do Supermarkets make the sick people walk all the way to the
back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy
cigarettes at the front.
DONALD TRUMP
1.
Don’t do it for money.
2.
Never give up.
3.
Be into the details.
4.
Be totally focused.
5.
Get great employees.
6.
Work hard.
7.
Follow your instincts.
8.
Believe in yourself..
9.
Have a messy desk.
10. Love what you do.
LINES I LIKED
Ø
It is never too late
to learn new skills and ideas.
Ø
It is not always easy
to know what we read.
Ø
It is not enough to
have the best skilled people on the job; they must respect life and living
things.
Ø
It is not from the
benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our
dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.
Friday, January 3, 2020
SPONSOR
Prof. S. R. K. MURTHY, Ph. D (Rtd.)
A.N.G.R.
Agricultural University
#303, Chandra’s
Lakeview Towers
Tank Bund Road,
KHAMMAM – 507 002 A P
Ph. 798 155 8026 or 994 924 4803
THE AGONY OF WAITING
I am waiting for my ortho to relieve me from the
plaster (slab) put on the ankle of my right leg. Yes, there was an accident.
The X-ray showed that one of my bones in the ankle fractured. It happened on
the last of Nov. 2019. I am unable to go out because I can’t walk. I could move
only in a wheel chair that I have at home. I am still waiting and waiting
enjoying the agony of waiting. Only thing I know for sure is that the healing
will take a full 6 weeks for a old man like me. The six weeks comes to an end
on the 10 Jan 2020. So I have to wait!
In fact, a part of our life is spent on waiting for
someone or something. Waiting is not a pleasant activity, still we have to
wait. Waiting is always for a result that may be for good or bad. Similarly in
the time scale waiting may be for a short time or for a long time. Everyone
experiences waiting every day. In fact, we spend a lot of time in waiting in
spite of various measures taken to avoid waiting by modern-day technologies.
However we do wait and wait.
We wait at various places for various purposes. We
wait at traffic light, at banks, restaurants, hospitals, railway stations,
airports etc. So considering all these we all are spending a part of our life
in waiting only. Waiting is enjoyable at times like sitting in an air-conditioned
lounge or waiting for our dear ones at airport or railway station. But at the
same time it is painful if we don’t have time and peace of mind. We do take
appointment to meet the doctors or advocates or VIPs. Even in these cases we
have to wait for our turn.
How to utilize the waiting time? One may carry reading
materials like a book. Nowadays it has become a habit of browsing the net in
our smart phones or calling some friends and chat as long as one wants. Waiting
in a queue is not a pleasant activity. It happens in a bank, ration shop,
clinic and a shop. Some people know the trick of jumping the queue without
considering the people in front of him or her. Quarrels spring up and always
there’ll be an uncertainty of reaching the head of the queue. Also sometimes,
some people are clever enough to manage the queue by entering into the cabin
and talk to the officer who is known to him/her as a friend or relative. This
happens even in a clinic. So for the people who wait for their turn it becomes
real agony.
The importance of a queue system is for giving the
opportunity for people who come first will be served first. In certain places
such system works successfully because of the cultured people ll one gets what
is wanted after even a long wait gives enormous happiness and joy. On the other
hand if one gets an unpleasant thing after a long wait, it’s a great
disappointment. Let us hope the New Year (2020) brings happiness and good
health to all. Let us wait and see. - NARA
FEELINGS OF SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS
1.
Realize that you’re not the only one. The reality is
that most of us worry about the same kinds of things – such as whether others
like us, are bored by others, or the kind of impression we’re making.
2.
Try to uncover the roots of your anxiety. There may be
variety of reasons for feeling conscious, such as having had a bad experience
in the past, feeling that you’re with people who are very different from you,
or feeling you’re with people who don’t understand you. Also it may simply be
that you’re more introverted so some social situations are more stressful for
you.
3.
Acknowledge the feelings as soon as they arise. That
will enable you to start targeting them through positive self talk. For
example, remind myself that “I always feel like this in these kinds of
situations. I’m going to be okay. I usually cope – i’ll this time too.
4.
Fake looking and acting calm, relaxed and self
confident. In time you’ll find your feelings will change to match the way you
appear on the outside.
5.
Also acting warm and friendly helps put others at
ease, and encourages them to feel more relaxed around you.
6.
Try not to worry about what other people think. In
reality other people will often feel as nervous as you do. It’s just that
they’ve learned how to cover it up. Also some people think negatively about
everyone. You’re never going to change this kind of person – and you don’t need
their approval anyway!
7.
Be kind to yourself. Praise, affirm and reward
yourself for deciding to do something that’s difficult for you.
GIVE UP
1.
Give up your need for control
Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that
happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they
are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just
allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you
will see how much better will that make you feel.
“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is
won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond
winning.” Lao Tzu
2. Give up on blame
Give up on
your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or
don’t feel. St Give up your self-defeating self-talk
Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves
because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset?
Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s
negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly.
Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle
4. Give up your
limiting beliefs
About what you can or cannot do, about what is
possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your
limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and
fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an
idea that holds the mind”
5. Give up
complaining
Give up your constant need to complain about those
many, many, many things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad
and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy; no situation can make you sad or
miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those
feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the
power of positive thinking.
6. Give up the
luxury of criticism
Give up your need to criticize things, events or
people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the
same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want
to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.
TO QUOTE...
“We
fail to realize that mastery is not about perfection. It’s about a process, a
journey. The master is the one who stays on the paths day after day, year after
year. The master is the one who is willing to try, and fail, and try again, for
as long as he or she lives.” – George Leonard.
Love
is the master key that opens the gates of happiness – Oliver Wendell Hollmes
TIM COOK
1.
People strategy and execution.
2.
Be yourself.
3.
Strive for perfection.
4.
Write your own rules.
5.
Stay focused.
6.
Love your work.
7.
Listen to your gut.
8.
Don’t get distracted by life’s potholes.
9.
Learn from others.
10.
Stay with the north star.
LINES I LIKED
Ø
Notice that it’s not
what’s happening but how you’re reacting that’s causing the problem.
Ø
Noticing is the
opening of the door to possibilities.
Ø
Nobody is free until
everybody is free.
Ø
Nobody in this world
is perfect which includes you as well.
Nobody wants to live an ordinary life, and die 
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