NARA'S NOTEPAD

VOLUME 5

MARCH 2009

NUMBER 3

SUPPORTED

BY

READERS LIKE YOU

BELOW YOU

THERE ARE BILLIONS

MEMO FROM NARA

Success in various fields of science, sports and entertainment brought happiness to all Indians. On the other hand, we faced some unpleasant events too. The war between the LTTE and Sri Lanka Government, terrorist attack on Mumbai, Pakistan’s involvement, Dr.Manmohan Singh’s hospitalization, Satyam fraud, the clash between advocates and the police force in Chennai are some of those problems the State and Central Governments face. They are very sensitive issues. It is not that easy to resolve those unless our country carefully adopts diplomacy. Days, weeks and months have passed. Still the problems persist. In spite of all these unpleasant problems, we are satisfied with the scientific achievement of moon mission of sending Chndrayaan I to the moon. In sports, Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bupathi pair won the mixed doubles tennis championship in Australian Open 2009. In the Junior Championship someone from Uttar Pradesh won the cup in the same match. In entertainment field Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars in which two Indians: A.R. Rahman and Resul Pookutty were included. The same film was already awarded the Golden Globe and the BAFTA awards. Another film: Smile Pinky shot in India with an Indian child actor got the Oscar for the best short documentary film. Indians are second to none in the world. Men and women of India are shining in the world forum in all fields with skill and talents. But still as in other countries, we have also internal problems which have to be solved diplomatically and peacefully. Let us hope that India will come out of all these local problems and win over the world in the near future.

JUST TO LAUGH .......

Boss: Where were you born?
Sardar : Punjab .
Boss : Which part ?
Sardar : Kya which part ? Whole body born in Punjab.

Two Sardars were fixing a bomb in a car.
Sardar 1 : What would you do if the bomb explodes while fixing.
Sardar 2 : Don’t worry, I have one more.

Sardar was busy removing a wheel from his auto.
A man asks sardar why are you removing a wheel from your auto?
Sardar : Cant you read the board. Parking is only for 2 wheeler.

Sardar joined new job. 1st day he worked till late evening on the computer.
Boss was happy and asked what you did till evening.
Sardar : Keyboard alphabets were not in order, so I made it alright.

THEY SAID ...

To write one’s memoirs is to speak ill of everybody except oneself. – Marshal Petain

“Classic” – A book which people praise and don’t read – Mark Twain.

When men and women are able to respect and accept their differences then love has a chance to blossom – John Gray

I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel – Maya Angelou

Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die – Malachy McCourt.

DO YOU KNOW?

In the International system of notation for numbers letters ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, and ‘d’ do not appear anywhere in the spelling of 1 to 99.

Letter, ‘d’ comes for the first time in hundred.

Letters ‘a’ ‘b’ and ‘c’ do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999.

‘a’ comes for the first time in thousand.

Letters ‘b’ and ‘c’ do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999,999,999.

Letter ‘b’ comes for the first time in billion.

Letter ‘c’ does not appear in the spelling of any number.

VIVACE

Vivace stands for Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy. Slow-moving ocean and river currents are reliable and affordable alternative energy source. Vivace in a machine that works like a fish to turn potentially destructive vibrations in fluid flows into clean, renewable energy. Michael Bernitsas, Professor in University of Michigan, Dept. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering developed Vivace. Electricity created with Vivace is cheap: 5 cents per kWh compared to wind costing 6.9 cents per kWh, and with nuclear power costing 4.6 cents per kWh. Of all the alternative energy technologies solar is the most expensive: 16 – 48 cents per kWh. According to Benitsas, if we could harness 0.1 per cent of the energy in the ocean, we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people.

MAGNETIC MIND

In order to acquire the magnetic mind, you must eliminate, with prejudice:
Doubt and fear of your ability to please others
All antagonisms towards other people
Your eagerness to get the best of others
Feelings of superiority over anyone
Thoughts of yourself as the only person thatmatters
Desire to rule or oppress others
All urges to impress others
Of course, the rules above do not mean that you should act like some nobody that is merely being tolerated by others. Envy no one anything he has, but don't agonize over the fact that you have no more yourself. If Bob or Amy is taller or better looking than you, rid your mind of those comparisons.

HAPPINESS IN CRISIS

Things go smoothly when we are happy or when we are happy things go smoothly. It happens all the time in all our life. When there is a crisis in life, how to maintain happiness? Is happiness associated always with the healthy state of mind? Yes, it appears so. It is very difficult to be happy in tough times, but still with little effort and practice, one can be happy even in those times. Examples are many. One of the telling examples is in India, during the past few years employment in IT industry shared lot of money in the form of salary to our young people who enjoyed their life spending lavishly their salary. But today suddenly due to the economic downturn, those youngsters are facing tough time in their life. They cannot live as they were living earlier. Some of the companies reduced the salary or did not increase it or cut their jobs. It is certainly not a happy situation. But still they need to understand the crisis and try to be optimistic. It is said that happy people are optimistic and are more committed to their duty. The only way to do great work is to love what we do. Happiness during difficult days is one of the survival strategies humans should adopt. Sharing thoughts and feelings with friends and others, improve the emotional energy of mind. There is more than one method to achieve happiness during difficult times. One of them suggests writing down three to five things for which a person is thankful for and thinking of them during difficult times. This helps the person to be happy.

Let us try and see. -NARA

HEALTHY BODY AND MIND

WATER: Keeps your energy levels high. Your body needs at least two pints of water a day to function well.
BREAKFAST: The most important meal of the day.
OXYGEN: Fills the body and beats fatigue. If you're feeling tired, just take a few deep breaths.
EXCESS WEIGHT: The body has to work harder and longer just to move and breathe.
USE YOUR MUSCLES: Too much rest can be exhausting. Simply do any exercise for at least ten minutes a day.

FITNESS: Is as easy as a 20 minute exercise session three times a week.

ALPHABET MOTIVATION

Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits.
Believe in yourself.
Consider things from every angle.
Don’t give up and don’t give in.
Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come.
Family and friends are hidden treasures; enjoy their riches.
Give more than you planned to.
Hang on to your dreams.
Ignore those who try to discourage you.
Just do it.
Keep trying, no matter hard it seems, it will get easier.
Love yourself first and most.
Make it happen.
Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.
Open your eyes and see things as they really are.
Practice makes perfect.
(Rest in the next issue in April 2009)

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor!
Meet you next month – April, 2009

Prof. A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP
# 19, Phase 5, Maharani Avenue, Vadavalli, Coimbatore – 641 041, Tamil Nadu
Telephone: 0422 – 2423017 Mobile: 98422 42301
E-mail: arumugakannu@gmail.com
Visit my blogs: http://www.nara2007.blogspot.com/ (NARA’S NOTEPAD)
http://www.nara.tumblr.com/ (NARA’S DIGEST)
http://www.nara1.vox.com/ (NARA’S POSTCARD)

NARA’S NOTEPAD

VOLUME 5

FEBRUARY 2009

NUMBER 2

NARA'S NOTEPAD

IS SUPPORTED BY

READERS

LIKE YOU.

ACCEPTANCE

IS

THE KEY

TO

CHANGE

MEMO FROM NARA

It is always wise for anyone to learn for accepting people and what is happening around them. We do interact with our fellow beings everyday and it is better to accept their points of view, whether they are sensible or not. All of us are not perfect in our thinking and action owing to various reasons. We should try to understand and accept. In fact, it is not that easy to follow. Still I feel it is not impossible. We have to practice for few days. Before accepting we need to enjoy what ever going on around us. Some of the things may not be up to our taste; still we have to bear and accept it. Accepting is a great attitude, but only few people posses this attitude. Those people are always cheerful and happy. We know that it is difficult to change others and their attitudes. That is the way they are brought up. Whether we like it or not, that is the way the world is. Adapting to that and trying to mellow it, is one of the methods by which we can be happy socially.

Success or failure is faced by everyone every day. So accepting success or failure is our duty. One has to accept failure in the same way we accept our success. Otherwise the consequences will be disastrous. Therefore, it is all in our hands to accept or not to accept. Let us give a try to the concept of acceptance from today because it is going to be a practical practice for shaping our precious life. Someone said: “People ought to be people and shouldn’t be so concerned with the fact that their neighbors are different than they are.”

JUST TO LAUGH...

When my friend Lakshmi said she was expecting, I asked, “Do you know the baby’s sex?”
“Yes,” she replied, “but we’ve decided not to announce it now.”
“Can I take a guess?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Is it a girl?”
“Oh no,” she replied. “You’re way off.”

My grand mother was famous for her quick wit. Once at a family event, my sister’s date asked if she could bring her a drink. “Yes, A Whisky,” grand mother said.
“Okay, but you can’t be our designated driver,” the young man joked.
“Oh, I don’t drive. Never did.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
“If you drink, you shouldn’t drive. So I made only sensible choice.’

THEY SAID...

Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony. – Mahatma Gandhi
True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. – Helen Keller
You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation. – Bette Davis
The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not. – G. B. Shaw
By all means marry. If you get a good wife you will become happy, and if you get a bad one you will become a philosopher –Socrates
Happiness does not abide in the senses; it is in the state of mind you attain. – Amita Pritam
Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It means you have decided to look beyond the imperfections. - Anonymous

WRITING

Writing makes the invisible visible. At any one time, you have myriad thoughts, ideas and insights lodged in your mind, waiting to be released. Writing is one way to let your thoughts flow, to take you wherever you need to go. Writing helps you put aside your internal censor. It's so important to put aside any self-judgment when you begin to write. Refrain from judging how "well" you're writing or the ideas that show up on the paper. Instead write to think, write for the fun of it, and write to relieve confusion. Sometimes the thinking mind can't access what the writing mind can. Writing is a process of reflective thinking or self-observation. It puts you in touch with emotions or thoughts you might not be aware of. Plunging into a problem on paper, you may suddenly see a solution clearly.

INNOVATION

Innovation, by definition involves introducing something new. It is not a simple imitation, but an addition, however slight it may be. And at its creative extreme, it could be invention. Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Bicon Ltd., categorized innovation into four broad types.
The first is what may be termed “incremental innovation.” This builds on an existing idea or model, product, process or service but innovates a bit on it. The effect is to lower the cost and increase the supply or availability.
The second category is “evolutionary innovation.” Here the innovator builds on what is known, and creates significant new value. It is evolutionary since it is the next step to the incremental. The innovation driver here is market leadership. The car, Tata Nano, exemplifies this well.
The third is the”breakthrough innovation.” This involves the creation of a radically new product, service, process or business model. Breakthrough is about new technology and novel products that are derived from experimental innovation. The electric car “Reva” or Biocon’s “oral insulin” exemplifies this.
The last and the most challenging category is “experimental innovation,” which in reality is close to or identical to invention. The driver here is the next practice. Fuel – cell based vehicles, stem cell therapy, gene therapy and application of nanotechnology are examples here.

CHOOSE YOUR THOUGHTS

The mind tends to have a torrent of thoughts (mostly negative) running through it continuously. You must be picky about what you think. Keep saying “Stop!” to negative thoughts constantly. Keep screening every thought with six wise questions:

1. Who is thinking this thought – my higher self or lower- self?
2. Is it hurting or helping me?
3. Will it help me become a better person?
4. Is it loving, is it feeding my ego?
5. Is it a pure enough thought to be shared with everybody?
6. Does it befit the miraculous being that I am?

Soon you will realize that you can actually choose your thoughts. It’s like telling your lower self, “Mind your language!”

FOUR SIMPLE STRESS REDUCERS

Daydream. Developing pleasant images in your mind is an efficient and enjoyable way to activate the relaxation response. Try imagining a scene from your past, one where you felt happy, secure, and peaceful. Then mentally place yourself there, making all the sensory impressions - smells, sounds, sights - as sharp as possible.

Get a massage. Massage is wonderfully relaxing, and has many health benefits - it can help manage stress, reduce blood pressure and heart rate, soothe muscles, relax stiff joints, lower levels of cortisol, and enhance immune function.

Instead of having a drink (or two) to cope with stress, practice relaxation techniques such as visualization and meditation. Both are more effective - and less costly to your health - than alcohol.

Watch funny movies. Humor can help reassign meaning to stressful experiences, and laughter is a sign of healthy acceptance of life’s ups and downs.

WORLD CLASS UNIVERSITY

There are four factors that are critical for a World Class University. There must be commitment to breadth and excellence in all fields of human inquiry, not simply in a particular niche. World Class Universities engage in cutting edge research whilst at the same time teaching the next generation, their students. Teaching and research are intrinsically bound together, with top researchers inspiring and monitoring their students. In turn, students themselves inspire and challenge their teachers. Great Universities must allow their researchers the freedom to experiment, succeed and sometimes fail. They must be able to make grand mistakes as well as grand discoveries. They must have permeable boundaries. This means encouraging inter disciplinary research and teaching; it means working with the private sector for example, fostering and encouraging partnerships with industry; and it means international collaboration. Universities must never forget that they are very much embedded in their countries and their regions. We are all very much part of where we live and as we look to future, managing the balance between the international and the local is one of the main challenges Universities confront. – Alison Richard, January, 2008.

Your well being is the wealth of your family!
Meet you next month –March, 2009

Prof. A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP
# 19, Phase 5, Maharani Avenue, Vadavalli, Coimbatore – 641 041, Tamil Nadu
Telephone: 0422 – 2423017 Mobile: 98422 42301
E-mail: arumugakannu@gmail.com
Visit my blogs: www.nara2007.blogspot.com (NARA’S NOTEPAD)
www.nara.tumblr.com (NARA’S DIGEST)
www.nara1.vox.com (NARA’S POSTCARDS)