Thought for the day:

"Education is not studying for examinations, clearing them, earning marks and then a degree, but, what is really important in life is to retain that which you learnt for the exam, and those you were not tested on. You develope yourself by applying your learning appropriately with relevance too, to your work and life and experience a joy. That is what will keep you well on track for a balanced life." ~ TSK. Raman

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." ~ Helen Keller

"We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, clim over them, or build with them." ~ William Arthur Ward

" The greater the tension, the greater is the potential."~ Carl Jung (1875–1961) Swiss psychiatrist

"Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it." ~ Winston Churchill

"Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." ~ Karl Barth

"I am grateful for all of my problems. After each one was overcome, I became stronger and more able to meet those that were still to come. I grew in all my difficulties." ~ James Cash Penney, 1875-1971, Founder of J.C. Penney Stores

"You've only got three choices in life: Give up, give in, or give it all you've got." ~ Unknown

Calmness in Chaos

Author unknown

Once upon a time there was a king who ruled a certain country and was known far and wide for the way in which he ruled his land always seeking the welfare of his subjects.

Also known for his artistic tastes, he decided to hold a competition for painters. On a fixed day painters came from far and wide to display their skills. With all humility he was endowed with, he acknowledged them and urged them to create the best they can.

The competition began and all the artists assembled there began their painting.
After about three or four hours all of them had painted what they had conceived.
The king went about seeing all of them and spent time talking to each of the creators to understand their creations.

Some of them had painted beautiful landscapes, some painted the mountains, some the seas, some the stars and the sky, some the villages and the scenes etc.
All of them were beautiful in their own way.

It was now time for making the decision and announcing who was the best.
After he saw every one of the paintings, and evaluating the paintings on their merits, he chose to award one painting that projected a thunderous waterfall, with strong winds blowing the trees and heavy dark clouds hovering in the sky. Amidst this chaos, just near the falls was a bird's nest in which the older bird was feeding its child.

The painters and people were pretty surprised about the king's choice and one of them dared to ask the king for the logic behind his selection.

The king replied, he chose to award that painting the best because he saw "Calmness in Chaos." Amidst, the thunderous waterfall, the violent winds, bending trees, impending storm, a bird unmindful of all the chaos around it was feeding its child as if nothing is happening around it. Everyone applauded the king for his wisdom and choice.

What can such a story and such a wise thing teach us in modern times where we are all living in a chaotic world.
My thoughts on that...

 

It is undeniable that we are caught up with many things every given day. Man has created things by learning, understanding and using technology, which has definitely made our lives comfortable. However, the fact is, we are all living life in a mad rush, forgetting the fact that we do things to make a living, and, we ought not to make our living be dominated by those things we created around us for convenience.

Can we imagine living in a world of today minus the mobile, the computer, the internet etc.?

The answer would be an emphatic, "No."

Accepted.

But did people in the not so long ago past live minus these gizmos and did they not go to create some things that enable mankind take a big step forward in civilization like for instance – invention of wheel, saw a revolution of creations like the carts, cycles, trains, cars, etc. that enabled him go distances in lesser time. Looking at the birds and wanting to fly man made his flight in the sky on an aero plane and taking it all forward he also landed on the moon. The radio, the telephone, T.V. etc., was all man's creations much before the technology revolution. All of this was because of his curiosity and so the Edison's, the Einstein's, the Graham Bell's etc., are all people who are remembered even to this day.

Suddenly over the last two decades or so everything seems to have changed so drastically that we would be left behind if we are not able to upgrade ourselves.
And that is the right thing to do.

However, too much of everything is 'bad,' they say and that's what the state of our lives is today.

We seemed to get worked up very easily - we get upset if the

・E mobile signals don't reach your mobile
・E mobile stops working because of a technical problem
・E computer hangs while working
・E internet is down
・E the chosen internet sites do not open

These are just a few examples cited on how we react when things go wrong. After all these are all our own creations. The ripple effects of these failures have a bearing on the way we react and the we behave be it at work, or the house or where ever.

We have become very short-fused, we have lost control over ourselves. Everyone blows out at the slightest. Like things can go wrong very quickly our relationship too go wrong easily. Divorces, suicides, misunderstandings, arguments etc., are all a result of our dependencies and the way they work.

I do not want to suggest that am old-fashioned in my thinking, nor would I want to start saying anything like, "In those days..." I do not deny that technology has done wonders to our living, however, I would like to urge people to keep it under limits and also enjoy things around them.

Just see this for an example, we have known days when plastic was not heard of. Plastic emerged and came to stay. People hailed its arrival and found it convenient. Over a period of time people have realized the harm it can cause to argi produce and the nature. Now there is a world-wide call to 'ban' plastics.

Another example is the felling of trees. In order to meet the growing demands of providing houses, better roads, electricity etc., man pulled down trees and met his wants. With this forest began to shrink in size, it started effecting the climate world over calling it 'global-warming.' It has affected rainfall, and because of that most rivers are running dry, the ice on the poles is melting and the seas are swelling because of melting ice. Earthquakes, tsunamis are most common occurrence. Man suddenly finds his existence threatened and so today we want to fight against that and we want to plant more trees etc.

Good at least now people have been to recognize this and are making efforts, but the fact is it is just a small population of the world that seeks to live in "Calmness around the Chaos," where as there are many who think these people are crazy impractical dreamers and that they seem to be the only intelligent people who know how to use time, money and all the resources available at their mercy to make more than a living.

Be it that way, as here too the same rule will apply 20% of the people all over the world look after the welfare of the other 80%.

Decide whether you would want to be among the 20% or the 80% it's your life anyway, but we are interested in ing mankind survive. We owe it to the generation that it is yet to come, we want to leave this earth much the same way as we inherited.