Kush Srivastava's Blog, page 8

G for!

For those who are reading this: 

Most of us might have felt at some point of time in our lives that we could have been or could be doing much more. 

Might have felt that the true potential has not been realized. 

Might have had been haunted by thoughts and questions: what if I would have taken some other course? 

But 

A thing that we don’t realize is: 

After all, whatever we have achieved is nothing short of a feat. 

What we have in our possession is not that everyone has a privilege of claiming. 

Be it the:

Job,

Family,

Friends, 

Or

Other material possessions, 

Why then:

This feeling of disappointment,

This frustration, 

This temperament, 

This constant need to prove to the world, 

And

This inability of being able to appreciate and praise others for so called small things in life. 

Does it even register: 

Just few words of genuine praise can change or even save someone’s life, 

Just few words of courtesy can make someone’s day, 

Jadoo ki jhappi (an affectionate hug) of Munna Bhai does work, 

Considering we are maintaining social distancing in these times, 

And 

Considering people are getting depressed for so many reasons, 

What’s stopping us from offering something that doesn’t take a lot of effort and could indeed impact lives in the real sense! 

So, my dear friends, please don’t stop yourself from offering this genuine praise, 

to 

Whosoever comes in contact with you in these challenging times. 

Might even act as a life saving fresh breath of air to the affected and the depressed. 

Wondering what this G is for?

Grateful for:

To begin with alive in these times,

Getting those all important meals,

The health of our loved ones, family and friends,

There is still hope,

Enabling us to take a break from mindless and senseless lives,

and

Being able to connect and communicate, courtesy social medial platforms and calling apps,

If these are not enough for one to be grateful,

I wonder what will be!

Source for the Image: https://leadx.org/articles/we-know-we-ought-to-be-grateful-but/, https://steemit.com/writing/@doitvoluntarily/the-pursuit-of-wanting-more, https://www.amazon.in/initial-Alphabet-Monograme-Notebook-monogramend/dp/B083XVYVY3

Old Engagement!

One thing which has happened in recent past is that: 

Socializing and meeting people one on one has become quite difficult, 

Especially for senior citizens and people in their old age, 

One welcoming step from their end is that,

Many have learnt the art of interacting on social media platforms, 

And

Are even creating wonderful content.  

Considering that many don’t have hobbies of sorts like reading etc., 

and

Considering that there is not much for them to look forward to e.g. waiting for their children to visit them, 

This incredible phenomena and innovation termed social media, 

Is saving many from getting depressed and in turn saving lives, 

In turn reinforcing the point that:

Nothing is good or bad in itself, 

Just a matter of how it’s utilized. 

So is the case with social media platforms, 

Which might just be saving people from getting into depression in these challenging times. 

Source for the Image: https://www.goodreturns.in/personal-finance/spending/2018/07/various-benefits-senior-citizens-india-save-money-728569.html, https://www.onlymyhealth.com/healthcare-advice-for-senior-citizens-amid-the-covid-19-outbreak-1586249777

L-aaj-kal!

“Oh! the boys in our house don’t really cook!”

You must have heard this somewhere around you,

May be in movies

or

Some tv soap opera depicting the kind of Indian society we live in,

What if the household work was taught to each and every kid,

Be it a son or a daughter,

As if it were a part of daily life,

Similar to let’s say brushing your teeth,

If it were to happen,

Don’t you think the very issue about who does what in a household would be sorted?

After all, relationships have come down to give and take,

Don’t you think it would take care of the give and take?

and

Maybe one could go beyond this and focus upon other aspects of what a relation could end up meaning!

Whether it was done for our generation or not is a topic for another day,

But what we can do, we should do,

And someone once told me:

Everyday is a good day to start! So what are you waiting for? Oh, by the way if you are wondering what that L represents, it’s love!

Source for the Image: https://faithx.net/give-take-practical-real-world-experiment-youre-invited/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFAbImK4QQs

Willing Chance!

Have you ever wondered what’s it’s come down to? 

Expecting from others to behave in a certain manner, contingent to our own limited liking, 

Be it: 

Colleagues, 

Relatives, 

Friends, 

Kids, 

Servants, 

Or 

Any Passerby, 

And what purpose does it serve apart from making us more:

Angry,

Emotional, 

Depressed,

Hateful, 

Primarily unstable, 

Possibly making us a member of a tribe which is lost but never to be found. 

Eventually ending up all lonely,

for:

None would want to be in our company, 

None would aspire to keep arguing till eternity, 

And 

More importantly, all would expect the unexpected. 

Choice is ours to be a party to the much-much group or be a worthy member of the much expected tribe: 

One who puts himself/herself in other’s shoes before judging or criticizing,

And 

One who provides that all important ear to listen and not comment when it matters the most,

 

At such challenging times , why not bring a little change in the way we:

Observe,

Perceive,

Comment

and

Behave

Only question being: 

Are we ready to give this transformation a willing chance? 

Source for the Image: https://www.business2community.com/strategy/change-to-have-a-chance-02283260, https://www.earth.com/news/right-ear-listening-ability/

haha-Wrong!

How many times we would have made fun of someone blabbering something we considered wrong? 

In numerous I guess! 

And each time we might have derived pleasure and might have felt how knowledgeable and accomplished we are! 

Not to mention that the same Mr./miss know it all that we think we are, fall in the above category similar to any other person. 

Erring every now and then, 

Forgetting lets say birthdays of who’s who of our lives, 

Breaking rules, traffic or otherwise at times, 

And in such times, seldom accepting our faults and conveying the much required apology. 

Going to an extent of defending ourselves to our last breath so to say, 

Which might have resulted in a quarrel or worst a fist fight, 

Anybody’s guess on what the consequences of such would have been! 

What do you think would have happen if: 

We would have just apologised the moment that apology was supposed to be rendered,

Probably would have cooled down things to begin with,

Possibly wouldn’t have turned into an angry blame game, 

And 

More often than not, would have resulted in haha and hihi for the parties involved on reflection of the situation at hand. 

Heard a wise man saying once:

My dear friend and perceived foe, life is too short for a quarrel or an argument.

Guess its time we listened to him for a change and became a bit wiser!

Source for the Image: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Fun-of-Others, https://www.tekportal.net/quarrel/

I-Good-U

Wondering what this funny looking ridiculous title might be? 

Not a proposal for sure, 

Not related to any pun intended or unintended what so ever, 

Just a simple representation of what many of us choose not to live by, intentionally or unintentionally. 

Let me ask you a very simple question to bring to context what this is all about. 

When was the last time we complimented someone? 

And since its becoming a bit difficult to remember, let me also give you few options: 

Spouse/gf/bf for how beautiful/handsome they might be looking on the day, 

Employees for having achieved that all important little feat which causes one’s company to grow that delta bit, 

Or 

Let’s say house helps for serving us in such a wonderful manner. 

Ya, understandable that we all have our own things to deal with, 

Totally comprehensible we are not always in a good mood so to say, 

Yet, don’t you think we have become too critically oriented to be ignoring the enormous good that surrounds us on a daily basis? 

Be it that simple meal which we are served on a daily basis, 

to 

The very breath that we take for granted every moment of our lives, especially in these times that we are living in, 

It’s high time we realise that: 

Being grateful is not a virtue but a fact of life which must be recognized and appreciated.

And

Before it gets too late, on this wonderful day where we celebrate Yoga,

How about being a part of a journey where one begins to start seeing good in U (the other) and doing good to U—> I-Good-U!

Source for the Image: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/compliments-for-any-person/, https://fcw.com/Blogs/Lectern/2013/08/smiley-ratings.aspx

HRs!

Well, let me put a disclaimer right away, it’s not a take on human resources departments around the world, 

For those who don’t believe me, wouldn’t take that chance ever, for my dear wife is herself an HR, dangerous territory to tread upon.

Jokes apart, 

Simply put its the Horse Sense that am referring to, going by the famous folklore that seems to have inspired generations. 

Paraphrasing what it is: 

Few centuries back, there was this horse who had this sense, 

Come on, it cannot be as lame as this! 

So, the master wanted to take the horse to the field, 

Though the horse which loved to graze, wasn’t up for the same, even after being pulled from all sides.

A maid in the household who happened to be watching this, came up to the horse, put her maternal finger in its mouth and slowly took it to the place where the master wanted it to be, 

As always, moral of the story: if you want someone to do something you got to make that someone want to do that something! 

Coming back to the human resource departments around the world, they say the biggest challenge is to keep the employees engaged and bring out the best in them.

Why, what and how, guess you are smart enough to figure out how to arouse that eager want and motivation to accomplish that very something!

Source for the Image: https://thehorse.com/112472/too-much-pasture-can-lead-to-laminitis/, https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/what-does-hr-do

The Talking Horse!

Let’s hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, they say, 

Or 

The lore would start with something like, “once upon a time…blah blah blah”

How about just listening to what the horse has to offer with regards to the learnings of the societal jungle it happened to reside in: 

“You know, of course you don’t know what am about to say, 

Might be aware of the content of it all, 

Yet  

Choose not to practice accordingly, 

But I, me and myself know a man who did it throughout his life,

Wondering who he was? 

Not batman, 

Not Spiderman, 

But 

An ordinary man who chose to be a student all his life,

One who listened to the wisdom that every other person offered in the act of interacting or communicating with him,

One who realised how less he knew of the very world he lived in, 

One who was humble enough to admit that there was so much to know and learn from others, 

And 

One who would spend hours with people hoping that one day he would know at least something about this wonderful creation, 

Wondering whether it was a sheer waste of time? 

Or 

Feel like labelling him as total failure? 

Well, let me tell you what he earned at the end of so many days in his life: 

Respect for the perceived kind-heart he had,

Adulation for the perceived helpful nature of his, 

Opportunities, as everyone wanted to keep him close for his virtues, 

And 

Knowledge and learnings he took along this journey of life. 

Not to mention, lots of wealth, using which he bought me once upon a time. 

Not only was he my master, but truly the master of all hearts and minds around him.

Moral of the story they ask all the time: do I even need to mention, I wonder! “

Source for the Image: https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Ringtones-Studio-Talking-Horse/dp/B01EX822WI, https://www.dccomics.com/characters/batman

Being Alex–Great?

Nearly everyone might have heard of Alexander-the Great.

Seem to be drawing great inspiration from the man, most of us have chosen a certain kind of a roller coaster life ride for ourselves and our loved ones.

I wonder what inspired us to do so?

Primarily social conditioning, which includes demands from society, parents etc. which in turn shapes our own thoughts about goals and purpose in life.

How about drawing ourselves out of this so called wonderful journey, taking a moment to ponder whether its worth it all?

Is becoming powerful (Alexander) in our respective spheres is what we need in life?

What has this tendency brought us all to?

Not to mention the fact that all of us as a society are struggling big time to deal with this tiny little Covid-19 virus!

There must be something that we are not doing that great!

If we don’t realize this now, then when?

For there is a price to pay,

Consequences to deal with,

For nothing comes free in life,

And nature has its own cruel way of taking things back to where it belongs.

Possibly, a wake up call it is, for all!

A realization,

To think and act responsibly,

To go beyond what seems to be the perceived truth,

To be what one is supposed to be as a human being,

To explore the very dimensions of life

and

More importantly, change our role models,

For emulating Alexander, is not working out to be great at all!

Source for the Image: https://www.zogam.com/articles/articles-i/general-articles/3437-alexander-the-great-tangthu.html, https://www.paho.org/en/news/10-11-2020-rapid-antigen-tests-arriving-countries-assist-covid-19-response-americas

The Complete Homo Sapien!

Yes, somewhat inspired from the Raymond tagline,

Inclusive, no gender bias here, because homo sapiens are being spoken about as a whole, 

But who are these who tend to belong to this category? 

Beings who know themselves, 

Why they are doing something, the very intentions behind the same, 

Who seem to be able to handle any situation that comes their way cheerfully, 

Who act upon things that seem to be important not only to them but at least the significant others, ideally the entire society, 

People who more often than not seem to be standing on the right side of the fence, 

Where are they found? 

Here and there, 

Everywhere, 

Demonstrating at least few traits if not all, 

Something good must be happening with the education system, one wonders, 

For the world is certainly progressing, 

Nothing can be 100 percent correct after all, one might argue, considering the current state of affairs, 

But does one even know what being complete really means? 

Is there a benchmark of sorts in the current times we happen to be living in? 

Is there a way, a process, of becoming one? 

Would it require another human revolution of sorts on the lines of industrial revolution? 

Why do we need such, one may ask. 

In order: 

To survive in the best harmonic way we can, 

To realize the dream of welfare for all, 

To make this very life beautiful, rather than aspiring for a heaven, not having the slightest clue of what that might be or to begin with whether it exists, 

Simply put, to lead a life of fulfilment. 

To begin with, 

Do we already have systems in place? 

Or 

Is someone really thinking on these lines? I wonder! 

Source of the Image: https://www.britannica.com/story/just-how-old-is-homo-sapiens, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/346777240058194395/