Month: December 2014

The Year That Was Meant to be! What?

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

1 day remains in this year 2014! Whoa!

I am out of it finally OR I can’t believe this year just went by… Which of these do you identify with? Which was your year???

As I look at a lot of posts and articles about the year ending and attached reviews about everything from Hindi film industry to some of the biggest f@$#!#!, I cannot think but notice one important aspect…

Most people who come out with positive pointers and a feel-good review of their own year-gone-by haven’t had such a smooth ride after all. Everyone goes through ups and downs and it rarely happens that an entire year passes by without some downward spiral, however small it might be. Then what do these people focus on that makes them say that the year was great/good? I suppose its the eternal hope and the anticipation with which the future awaits that makes them see the positives even in the negatives…

And what about those who think their year wasn’t as great as they had planned out to be? Well, most of them I believe are yet to experience the positives of the negatives – the good things that happened because of the bad things!!! I am a firm believer in the thought process that “Whatever happens, happens for the good”. And as some wise man said – “If things go as per plan, good for you; if they don’t, its better!” And I believe that whatever bad these people experienced during the year, they haven’t been able to still reconcile and see the good out of it, something which will come out in the open very soon…

In a nutshell, life is always good. All experiences teach us something, good or better, never the worse. So, lets rejoice that this year has gone by without some major wrong happening to self, and even if you can’t see it now, believe me, that’s how the universe has conspired to make things right for us.

Let 2015 come on, and lets make the best of it!!! Happy new year and wishing everyone discovers the best of themselves in this new year!!!

External depends on Internal

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Last week after hogging endlessly at my in-laws place, on my way back, I decided that I have to become healthy…

Its not that I am overly obese or have gross vital stats but somehow I am not feeling good inside with the extra kilos I have put on and want to do away with it. Hence the new resolution even before the new year kicked in. I just couldn’t  wait! (and I have already started with the daily regimen I set out).

And yet, I got drawn to something of an irony when I looked around me. Being  healthy is the most often heard wish or resolution people make for themselves and wish for others. Yet, when we look at the general trends and figure it out, health parameters across the board are falling. So what’s going wrong?

My guess is, people are just subscribing to being healthy as a fad, seeing others around them. It’s an endless chain hence, which does rope in a lot of people but doesn’t benefit many. Why? Simply because I will work towards my health only when I really feel about it. Otherwise, you be damned – I won’t heed your advice, or anything else which pushes me involuntarily towards it. 

Come to think of it, most things we do in our life are because we want to do them. Not because someone somewhere told us to. And definitely not until we are pushed from within to go ahead and do it.

External push rarely works!!! Unless accompanied by the internal clamouring… And my guess is for all things!

The Culture of Reading!?.

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, after almost a zillion years, I heard a few golden words from my wife. “I am enjoying reading these days!” It was music to my years. I immediately opened all of my library and took out some 15 minutes to suggest her 3-4 books that she could read immediately. And watching her read is almost a sadistic pleasure – “I told you so!” kinds… 🙂

Reading to me is therapeutic. I have been reading ever since I was born. My cousins tease me that I was so adamant a toddler, I would ask them to loudly recite comic books they were reading! I enjoy reading everywhere, for 2-3 hours on a daily basis, and not only when I am on a train/plane. And as a result, I have always encountered baffled minds when they see/observe/hear about my incessant reading. How can you? Isn’t it boring? I just cannot read…

I always wonder why? How could someone not enjoy the sheer pleasure of reading something new, getting to know new things/viewpoints/ideas. And I always reasoned that it was perhaps because Indians don’t cultivate reading habits from childhood. But I was wrong! This is true universally – people don’t like to read. They would much rather watch TV or play games or indulge in other activities than read.

Why oh Why? Perhaps, education ruins the prospects by making people dislike books. Anyways, I guess its probably inertia to do something which engages the mind in ways it doesn’t like to be engaged. Like, it took me almost eternity to return to blogging. Although I had decided to write regularly for the umpteenth time, it was only when I finally left my inertia and got off my @#$, did I write this first one (after a long time I mean).

So what can we do to remove inertia to get more people to read? What can possibly pique the interest of someone towards reading? Maybe there is a new business idea here that I can think of! Any suggestions? Do write to me, will be more than glad to give you credit for its success!

Happy reading then, till I fill in this space with another one of my masterpieces (seriously, I thought this out)!!!