PULLING HIS LIFE

 

                                          Courtesy : My Smartphone Samsung E7 with 13 M.P Camera

The man appearing in this photo is Suresh Mondal who hails from West Bengal and came to Delhi for survival. He chose rickshaw pulling as the best bet to earn those needy bucks.   When I took his service  to return home from  market during my stay at Delhi a few years ago ,  I was stirred to write his story.

When I conversed  with  Mondal, his smiling gesture gave me a hint that he might open up to share his life with me.  As expected, the whole ride was very pleasant as Suresh though with his wiry frame, peddled his way effortlessly with no strain.   When asked why he came to Delhi for this kind of manual labour, he said that he didn’t get employment throughout the year in his home district Malda, West Bengal which forced him to come to Delhi.  He further stated that he has some   land but not worth to be cultivated due to inadequate rains, coupled with insufficient irrigated water in the area.  

Suresh stands as a latest example of countless people who don't get adequate employment in their towns/villages  throughout the year.  How he manages his life with  a petty daily earnings of Rs.500/- is a million-dollar question.  Myself being fairly employed with five-digit salary in government service is taking a bated breath to manage my house-budget.  But countless manual labourers like Suresh  do manage their lives and we must learn so much from them.

When I dwelt on Suresh's life,  immediately my heart filled with gratitude  as  Almighty showered his blessings abundantly on me as  I was not given the role of Suresh to play.   When I listened to his story, it not only soothed my nerves but I became a little more compassionate and gave Rs.10/ -  extra to him in addition  to the fare bargained.  In a spur of moment, I further loosened my purse strings and gave a further of Rs.10/-   for contributing this story, which had multiplied his joy and he thanked me with a pristine smile.  

A THOUGHT ON THOUGHT

 Your thought is like a

 rainbow-colour bird
 perched on your hand.
Learn to be still, observe.
Take a silent gaze;
Then translate that experience into
 your signature style verse or prose .

Any disruption in stillness
 may cause the thought-bird fly away.
But, when you learn the stillness,
 more thought birds fly towards you,
 which means more fodder to churn

 of course naturally !

IMPORTANCE OF HANDWRITING

 

In my childhood, I used to change notebooks  with improved handwriting in a show off before my teachers  and peers.  That attitude remained well after high-school years and I used to carry rough notebook to college and took notes in that only to copy back in the concerned note book in leisure hours or at home.  Still I don't know why I get so much joy when I write on paper.  But after graduation and settling in life,  for more than a decade, I was out of sync with this forgotten passion, as handwriting was limited just for putting signature on salary rolls and bank transactions. Since I was not in creative mode,  I burned out with my go-office only  routine life style.

But  the year 2003 had brought some drastic change in my life style.  I became vexed with the  dry professional routine as my learning curve was at its lowest ebb and my heart deeply craved to bring learning and creativity back to my life.

Suddenly, on one fine day, I was introduced to a book called Tony Buzan's Mind Maps.  Tony Buzan is one of the leading authors on the brain and learning, and his concept called  mind maps helps to think on paper in a very logical sequence.  In the process of creating some personal mind maps, I put a dedicated notebook then (2003) and started filling the pages with mind maps of my desired subjects.  Since then, writing became part of my personal growth.  

On my study I have nice colour gel pens to use them alternatively  in my writings  not only to impress my mind  but whoever wish to see them.

Without knowing much about the neurological benefits of handwriting then, I just followed my heart.

In any education system, handwriting has its own significance.  Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography ' The Story of my Experiments with Truth says that ' I saw that bad handwriting should be regarded as a sign of an imperfect education.  He confessed that ' I tried to improve mine, but it was too late.  I could never repair the neglect of my youth.  He advises that ' let every young man and woman be warned by my example and understand that a good handwriting is a necessary part of education.  

Good Handwriting is a learned man's asset.  The end of formal education should not be a death knell for handwriting.  One must continue to be in touch with handwriting after formal education though it would be less needed. Recently I read a news item which says that in some professions like doctors, it kills their patients with their bad handwriting.  American National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine found that 7000 deaths a year globally could be traced back to bad handwriting.

Studies reveal that people who take notes on laptops as opposed to those who bring papers and pens to meetings show a lesser absorption of new information  (Source: India Today -English Magazine Sept, 21, 2015) Handwriting means greater brain activity than those typing it on a computer.

So the home point is , be in touch with handwriting which is associated with better cognitive abilities even at ripe age.  

SERENITY PRAYER

 

When you wake up in the morning, pray to the Almighty,  only peace and beyond that, ask nothing!  The reason is when you are in peace, you could handle any situation.  Peace means composure.

When I was in my 20s and freshly employed, my boss used to suggest me to pray God not  for abundant wealth,  but rather for a smooth flow of life.   Those eternal words of mid-90s  of my boss  who was an Army's colonel are still echoing in my ears.

One of my morning prayer doesn't put any wish list before God, but ask Him only one thing : Please don't snatch  peace from my life.  In fact, it is vital oxygen to my system.  Even not having it for a fraction of second, I feel deeply suffocated.  

There are so many unanswered questions.  If you see, you will find that not a single individual's pattern of life matches with you.  Some die in 20s, some others in 40s and some others remain up to their ripe-age.  

Constantly, we are caught in the game of uncertainties and don't know what happens next and what is in store for the next moment.   You don't even have a slight hint.  

In the process of understanding and controlling the wild mind, we need to pray. Therefore, the question of believer or non-believer doesn't arise.  Even if you are a hardcore atheist,  you must accept that one Supreme Force is working beyond the human realm.  Call it by any name.    But, I profoundly believe that we all must pray. Rather than adding your material wishes to that laundry list, simply do the following 'Serenity Prayer authored by the American theologian  Reinhold (1892-1971).  The prayer covers everything, both your material and spiritual goals :

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference. 

It should be followed by this action  prescribed by  Swami Vivekananda :

Sit in a straight posture,
and the first thing to do is 
to send a current of holy thought
to all creation.
Mentally repeat,
''Let all beings be happy;
let all beings be peaceful;
let all beings be blissful.''
So do to the east, south, north and west.

The more you do that
the better you will feel yourself.

Prayer should be the background activity for every moment of your life. One can achieve progress only in small increments on daily basis. Mechanical way of wishing material prospects is the lowest form. We must raise with age.  All the civilizations of the world have made an institutional mechanism wherein  religions have some particular timings/days for prayers.  Whether you go to shrines or not, it doesn't matter but always feel your body as a temple of your Soul which is some way mystically connected with the Higher Self!

AMERICAN VEDA - A BOOK REVIEW

 

There was a time in my life when I was fully invaded by West's Self Help Books and for some months, Oriental Philosophy which  include the   Ancient Indian  Texts which were in my shelves did not ignite me enough until September, 2013 when I found this masterpiece  which rebooted my whole perspective.

American Veda, the title looks odd but it surely ignites the wisdom hunters.

The famous Indian-American doctor and New Age Rock star of Spirituality and fatherly figure Deepak Chopra terms the book as an illuminating, gracefully written, and remarkably thorough account of India's spectacular impact on Western religion and spirituality.  

 The writer Philip Goldberg is an ordained interfaith minister, a public speaker and seminar leader and the founder of Spiritual Wellness and Healing Associates.                                                           

The book is a fascinating look at India's remarkable impact on American culture.  It gives a scholarly explanation of how Indian Ancient Texts found their way into the libraries of Ralph Waldo Emerson  to H.D. Thoreau.

It has also interesting chapters of how Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda who rushed to America  to propagate the Message of India and  how they changed the world-view of millions of Americans   and thereby radically altered the religious landscape there.

When any Indian read this book, his/her  outlook changes  on Motherland - India and patriotic fervor surges and  paves way to read and understand this great nation's philosophical system.

In one sentence,  I could say that  the book takes you to the peak of understanding  of Indian Philosophy and  transform your own life.   A priority read!

OCTOBER 16 IS BOSS's DAY

 

Western culture fascinates me on one metric. They celebrate each day with some social significance and  the secret behind this is : Live each day deliberately.

Some years ago when I was nearly run out of stuff to write,  an aimless Google Search landed  me to a place which I did not actually remember, but it flashed  me this fact : October, 16 is  Boss's Day.  When I quickly checked with Wikipedia, it retrieves back with the following input :

Boss's Day is a secular holiday celebrated on October 16 (or the nearest working day) in the United States, Canada and Lithuania. It has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their bosses for being kind and fair throughout the year. This day was created for the purpose of strengthening the bond between employer and employee.

Who is boss? He or she who commands you in professional life. From daily wage earner to CEO of a company to a person who rules a country, all do have a boss directly or indirectly.  I think the biggest boss is the circumstance.  

In everybody's personal life, his or her will is the ultimate boss.  That's why in Hindi there is an adage: Me apni marji ka raja hun!  Anyone who wish to be his/her own boss, can become so.  

One of the essential qualities of real boss is, he/she should never create a feeling of divisiveness and  should think in a coherent way and achieve the goal in a team spirit. This is the secret behind any blue chip company.

Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in his own words narrated an incident in his life that when a rocket system under his stewardship was plunged into the Bay of Bengal, the press conference that followed by was faced by his boss Prof Satish Dhawan (the then Chairman, ISRO) who took the entire blame  on himself.  But the following year, in 1980 when SLV-3 was successfully launched, the same Dhawan put the then Project Director Kalam (former President of India) to the forefront of the Press and asked him to handle.

This is a very rare gesture of leadership quality and every boss must imbibe this quality so that the unwanted dirt is not sling on bosses.

 

 

THE ALCHEMIST BY PAULO COELHO - A BOOK REVIEW

 

Paulo Coelho is a popular Brazilian lyricist and novelist. His bestseller 'The Alchemist' has been translated into 80 languages.

The beauty of this novel lies in its simple narrating style with a profound wisdom.  A shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his motherland in Spain to an Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in Pyramids.  In the process of his journey, Santiago turns to find the treasure within.  It is a book that every dreamer must read.

It reaffirms the power of realizing your dreams.  The anecdotes/quotes in this book baths your soul.

The gist  of this book lies in the following the paragraph :

"When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future.  The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances.  How do I guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present.  The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it.  And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.  Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children.  Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.''

BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE

1.  Walden by H.D. Thoreau  ( free download  on internet ) *****

2.  The Monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma (free download is available on internet ) *****
3.  Tuesdays with Morrie : an old man, a young man and life's greatest lesson  by Mitch Albom ****
4.  The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.( free download is available  on internet) *****
5.  Cheerfulness as a Life Power by Orison Swett Marden ****
6.  An Iron Will by Orison Swett Marden ***
7.  How to succeed or stepping stones to fame and fortune by Orison Swett Marden. ***
8.  Google Speaks - Secrets of World's greatest billionaire entrepreneurs - Sergy Brin and

     Larry Page by Janet Lowe. **
9.  Children's History of India by Sheila Dhar. ****
10.American Veda by Philip Goldberg **
11.The Power of Positive Living by Norman Vincent Peale ***
12.How to enjoy your life and your job by Dale Carnegie ***
13.Khushwantnama by Khushwant Singh **
14.Use your brain -Change your Age by Dr. Daniel G. Amen ***
15.The Language of God by Francis Collins   **
16.The emotional life of your brain by Richard J. Davidson ***
17.1 Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard & Spencer Johnson ***
18.The Happiness project by Gretchen Rubin **
19.Freedom from the known by J. Krishnamurti ***
20.A book of simple living by Ruskin Bond ****
21.Osho - The way of Sufi **
22.O mind relax please by Swami Sukhbodhananda **
23.Rumi selected poems ***
24.Don't lose your mind, lose your weight by Rujuta Diwekar ****
25.The Art of happiness - HH Dalai Lama ***
26.Karma Yoga by Swami Vivekananda ***
27.Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill  (free eBook is  available on internet ) *****
28.Code Name God -by  Mani Bhowmik **
29.Who will Cry when you Die ?  By Robin Sharma ***
30.Ageless Body and Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra *****
31.The wisdom of healing by David Simon **
32.The war of world views : Science vs Spirituality by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow **
33.The View from the Centre of Universe by Joel R. Primack & Nancy Abrahams **
34.The Tell-tale Brain by V.S. Ramachandran ***
35.Awaken the Giant within by Anthony Robbins *****
36.Mindisght by Daniel J.Siegel ***
37.Use your Head by Tony Buzan ****
38.The Power of your subconscious mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy *****
39.No man is an island by Ruskin Bond *****
40.The selected poems of Subramanya Bharati *****

Code indication:

Grab immediately *****
Priority ****
Must read ***
Take your time **

Note : There is no one star book in the list

BOOK REVIEW - THE INTERNET TO THE INNER-NET

 

All the Self-Help books do magic provided  you scrupulously follow their principles with a firm resolve.

I had seen  Gopi Kallayil’s  first You Tube video in March, 2013. His lecture  discussed how  we addict with technology, especially with internet and cursed with a continuous partial attention.

In continuation of his efforts to guide people to live a conscious life, Gopi brought out this amazing book called The Internet to the Inner-Net : Five Ways to Reset your connection and live a Conscious Life   and it has all the necessary ingredients to guide a person for a rich inner life.

Gopi belongs to Kerala, but after studies he went to US in search of a  job and currently he is Chief Evangelist,  Digital Transformation and Strategy at Google.   The book is a technologist's solution for vibrant inner life .

When he imparts yoga training to Googlers, he calls them  yoglers.   He says that the most sophisticated technology is already within you. In response to  his fast-paced professional life, Gopi found his own solutions and this book is the summation of what he progressed on the path of Enlightenment.

The book offers tools to integrate your inner and outer worlds.   In one word, it is a must read book for  those who want to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives.

IT IS SIMPLY NOT AN ANT BUT GOD's FINEST CREATION!

 

                                          Courtesy : My Samsung E7 Mobile camera  with 13 M.P

My eyes take special attention on the walking path where these ants crawl.  When I see them in close sight, I wonder about the marvelous functioning of their brains to change direction immediately on sensing the sounds of walkers.  But the walkers crush these ants mercilessly  which is deplorable.

Even to make a tiny robot of this sort, imagine how difficult it is for our scientists to take complex calculations in programming and to find suitable material in the making. But creating these ants or tiny creatures is an effortless spin for the Guy who is sitting up above.

The very awareness of human limitations must make us to realize that there is a Power beyond our comprehension and each one of us must explore this area individually!   

BEAUTY OF PLANT LIFE!

 

Just outside my home at Delhi on a pleasant late evening:

Courtesy: My Samsung E7 Mobile Camera

Beauty lies in the looks of beholder;

If you have a pair of creative eyes,

everything in Nature looks like a poem.

GIANT GURU OF YOGA

 

We generally put financial goals but health goals should override all other goals in life.

When it comes to health, it is this great Guru of Yoga - B K S Iyengar, who lived a fruitful and disease-free life of 95 years.

To reach to the level of perfection in Yoga like Iyengar, one must be a born yogi.

Iyengar through his yoga teachings spread the lamp of awareness on health to millions of lives which include the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin in1950s. Menuhin factor helped a lot to Iyengar to spread his wings in the West. His celebrity disciples include Queen Elisabeth, the Queen Mother of Belgium who showed interest to learn yoga in her eighties. Even teaching to the royal woman, Iyengar did not compromise his style - to take the full charge of body of disciple to impart the error-free yoga postures with equal stress on mind.

We have very rare gurus like Iyengar. He should have lived little longer to serve the humanity. But, in nature, everything has its own exit date and it was Iygengar's turn to pack up his earthly sojourn.

When you see his life, it is apparent that he scored so high in life in terms of personal achievement as well as great service to the humanity. May the yoga live longer and its fruits reach to each and every individual on the planet!

DEVDUTT PATTANAIK'S BOOK ''THE SUCCESS SUTRA''

 

If you want to read  something on Indian Mythology,  turn to Devdutt Pattanaik.  He is a medical doctor turned leadership consultant.  More than that, he is a prolific writer on Indian Mythology.  His popular work Business Sutra is a course for management graduates at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India.

Through these timeless books, Pattanaik  attempts to  narrate all the mythological wisdom in business parlance. 

The title of this book The Success Sutra, an Indian approach to wealth is very catchy.  The specialty of Devdutt books is his signature doodles along with prose.  

 

WORK IS WORSHIP TO HIM

 

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare write a poetry.  He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.                                                      

                                                                                   -          Martin Luther King (Jr.)

 By the time of writing this story,  Sukh Ram just turned 60, retired and proceeded to his native place in Uttarakhand, India after fruitful government service.

 He  was a sweeper in a central police organization, India.   I closely  observed his work life  for  five years.  Truly he is the sweeper the hosts in heaven cherish for. 

Sukh Ram is a silent worker.  I never find him sitting idle during the work hours.  He constantly sweeps the floors and wipes them with wet cloth.  He is such a devoted worker and never gives an opportunity to be pointed out on his work.  He always keeps the floor, wash basins and toilets neat and clean.  Anybody who see the premises must feel so homely.

Whenever I am in low moods, I look at him and draw inspiration.  He is a fountain of energy.  His small built but robust limbs never get tired to climb up and down the stairs during the day.  He always respects his seniors with courtesy and smiling gesture.  I used to see him closely in my afternoons at the library where he reads the local newspapers to keep himself abreast of the world affairs.

When I called and interacted for this story, it was totally an exhilarating experience.  When I see such hard-working people, huge respect flows from my heart and I look into their eyes to draw inspiration for such exemplary work culture.

When I talked to Sukh Ram, I did not feel that I was talking with an old man who was on the verge of retirement.  There was no tiredness on his face. Physically and mentally he looks  sound to work for another decade or so.  

Bookish knowledge is of no avail to you unless it is translated into action.  In the worldly point of view, Sukh Ram is not literate enough to gain media glare nor he did any such extraordinary feat to come to limelight.  He simply did his job so well that caught my attention.  On moral and ethical side, he is taller than his insignificant position in work life.   In one word, he is a package of different sort.

Worshipping the workers, noted Indian poet Subramania Bharati says that:

I sing in praise for the work you do,

Like Brahma, you are creator too.

Whenever I speak to Sukh Ram, these words of Swami Vivekananda resonate my mind:

He who does the lower work is not therefore a lower man.  No man is to be judged by the mere nature of his duties, but all should be judged by the manner and the spirit at which they perform them.

So many people come and go in our lives,  but Sukh Ram etched in my memory  with a permanent home in my heart due to his unparalleled work ethics.

MEN OF STEEL - BOOK REVIEW

 

Being creative means not to limit your potential with past experience as a bar you set for yourself. The ultimate lesson of creativity is to recognize the need to act upon those strengths/ talents which would put you into next orbit. Day after day when you are on this mindset and start working, the magic happens and success embraces you.

Books factor a lot to stir the creativity in you. That’s why book reading should be nurtured to grow in life. The book I am going to introduce you is: Men of Steel. It is a book based on one of the best known journalists Vir Singhvi’s candid conversations with top Indian business leaders. Published by Roli Books in 2007, this book peeps into personal lives of India’s best business minds like Ratan Tata, Nandan Nilekani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Sunil Bharati Mittal, Azim Premji etc.

Each leader’s strategy to strive for best in expanding his business empire is truly inspiring & rewarding and the best part of the book is how they handled their crisis times. Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla says : brand is not about individuals, whatever it stands for is really a tribute to the team we have created.

Amongst those businessmen Mr. Singhvi portrayed, my favourite one is Azim Premji. I like him because, he maintains low public profile. He is like a silent dynamo. He says that he was groomed to believe that values are more important than money. His advice to spendthrifts is even when I was young, my family never believed in spending much money or in conspicuous consumption. If we went for a holiday, it would be to Mahabaleshwar or some place like that. We would not go abroad. I still have that same attitude to money.

The best advice from Premji is this: I am very careful not to lose my temper when I am in office.

A lot needs to be learnt from these giants. They don’t want to be in limelight. Their activities speak louder than their words.

The life of every successful business man is like diving into rough sea and balance in the midst of turbulence with knack.

This book in nutshell offers the perennial wisdom from some of the best business brains of India with a global presence!

DREAM TO BE A ' WORDSMITH '

 

To write means to have proficiency on language.  Whether you choose your mother tongue or a foreign language, you must have a reasonable command to knit your thoughts into an interesting narrative.

 

When I decided to show to the world that I could write, I was already a writer confined to my inner chambers of heart.  Then I was in the habit of writing on my mind-slate constantly, so I did not find it tough when I started actual writing for my blog started way back in March, 2011.

Swami Vivekananda is my guiding light to hone my language abilities.  I read his Chicago lecture countless times in my final year of graduation.  If you read those immortal words, a new power unleashes into your system.  What mesmerized me in that particular lecture is the kind of his select words before the American audience.  In fact that speech of Vivekananda drove me to read his biography and further inclined me to show special interest on philosophy.   Book after book, my interest multiplied to read more of Vivekananda .  I was completely swept by Swamiji’s inspiring passages.  I wondered his super-human capabilities, especially his photographic memory power.   What ignited a lot is this timeless quote : If you can think that infinite power, infinite knowledge and indomitable energy lie within you, and if you can bring that power, you also can become like me.

When I look back those troubled times by abandoning studies and started reading Swamiji’s literature, I felt that I  have bigger agenda in my life.   I realized my strengths that could not only inspire myself but could inspire others as well through my words.  When you read Swamiji’s works, you would stand up with enthusiasm in search of your own inner power. 

Since, I already decided during  my college years (1990s) to write on consistent basis, I started building word power.  Initially, I used to write a few new words and their meanings daily on loose-old-science record sheets of my elder sister.  I also began to collect paper clippings of The Hindu (newspaper) column: Know Your English    Till this day, that habit is continued with some minor interruptions now and then.

When I started writing seriously in 2011, I felt high deficiency of apt words to fit to the context.  For almost one year, I simply used to  refer dictionary to know new words,  but only on 4/22/2012,  I recognized the need to open a dedicated  note book to write news words with their meanings on daily basis and  I wrote more than 3500 words.   Some of those words are well into my muscle memory.  Simultaneously, I also started observing the sentence structures in newspapers and magazines to grasp the style and started working on my own style.

Like Rome was not built in a day, vocabulary should be built brick-by-brick.  There is no magic wand that makes you super-human on word power nor can it be instantly downloaded into your brain. 

Vocabulary is the basic building block of language upon which the empire of a writer is built.  If you use third-class words, poverty flows into your prose and readers would skip to next best one.   So those  who dream big to write  must first recognize the need to build vocabulary on daily basis!

WHAT TO TEACH ?

 

We are inherited by a British -driven education system Lord Macaulay introduced more than 180 years  ago. The basic purpose of  such education is to groom clerks for his erstwhile East India Company. Those Victorian times had gone, but we are still languishing with rote learning as a dominant factor.

 The current education you can say, is simply examination-oriented. Students' aim is how to score high marks than how better understand the subjects taught. The guiding light of student - teacher is locked up in mediocrity. Majority of teachers do their teaching jobs as a routine  with no creativity. They don't read beyond the subjects they teach. The fate of our  educational system is better explained by technocrat and former chairman of Knowledge Commission Sam Pitroda. He says that our teachers do not do research and our researchers don't teach.

People in different walks of life have varied backgrounds with  individual strengths/ experiences.  If they are  channelized and create a platform , they could brilliantly give gripping lessons   to students of advanced learning say for 11th, 12th and graduation and post-graduation levels.

 We need to create a structure immediately where such liberal minds get a chance to teach/share their ideas/experience with students across streams - Humanities & Sciences. An online databank of such volunteers who wish to teach students with subject, date and time and location would give new fillip to institutions which must act to allot those slots to schools nearby in a time-bound action plan. This way the students are exposed to real world with latest inputs received directly from concerned domain experts in the society. 

 

When those good times come, I register myself to teach to students/like minded. Dr. Kalam with his post-retirement life has ignited me enough by teaching children/students across the world. I continue to draw my inspiration from this towering personality. His books always lift me to unimaginable heights. 

 

When it comes to education reforms, I feel that  science must be kept compulsory. It must be an added subject to Humanities at  +1 and graduation level so that children improve their learning curve. When subject books are devised, stress should be laid to write in an interesting tone to ignite students. I am telling these words after reading a couple of lessons of my class 11  Geography book of my daughter. It is time to write less technical jargon and more in an understandable way.

 

When it comes to teaching, we have to strike a balance between  teacher and taught (student). Both their egos should not clash in giving and taking process. The very process of teaching is explained by Galileo in these immortal words : You can't teach a man anything; you can only help him/her to find it within himself/ herself. Poet Alexander Pope further refined it : Men must be taught as if you taught them not, and things unknown proposed as things forgot. 

 

If the teacher follows the Galileo and Alexander Pope principle, teaching would turn into play and fun and a close bond between a teacher and pupil would give education a creative thrust.  It travels beyond school subjects. Then teacher like a friend instantly connects with  student and this alchemy creates an unexpected wonders in their lives. 

 

I love to switch over to teaching profession as soon as  an opportune moment comes.  I have devised my own methods and procedures on knowledge front. May be it is not having a governmental vetting.   If I don't get an opportunity then I would love to settle as librarian so that I get adequate time to read  and derive maximum benefit from the books I love.

 

Sharing of knowledge is  synonymous with  teaching. This should be a new mantra to bring radical change in education sector.  When blogs grow into  knowledge hubs, it gives a different sort of education across age groups.   

 

I am waiting for a day when volunteers come liberally to teach students without expecting anything and students derive full benefit from the lessons being  taught. This task is  simply not  left to government hands. Civil society, corporates and NGOs must plunge into action to strengthen our education system to bring back the glory of Indian Education System. 

 

When education happens in this atmosphere, the students blossom and choose their careers. When they choose their careers, they do wonders in their lives. Parents must only play supportive role as  guardians and facilitators so that the child's creativity is allowed to flourish. This is what education in true sense with no time limit set for learning and it should continue till last breath.

What is  education is better described by  SwamiVivekananda: Education is manifestation of perfection already man !

Let these noble ideas are translated into noble deeds !