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.  

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.  

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!

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

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!

BUILD A LIBRARY OF HEROIC BOOKS

 

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read. 

                                                           - Mark Twain

My personal library is built over a period of  more than three decades. Perhaps it is in January, 1990,  I added my first book to my personal library when I was in my final year of graduation. 

Computers were then in nascent stage and they  were being used mainly for bookkeeping and secretarial works. The internet revolution has still not dawn in.

In fact, the  idea to have a personal library was in seed form much before it surfaced  in 1990  when my desire to improve my  language abilities shot up to unfathomable levels.  My visits to district and community libraries during childhood days  further strengthened the need to have my private library so that I can read my interesting  stuff at my own pace and time. In my younger days whenever I see librarians,  I cherish their job as they get ample opportunity/time to read all the interesting stuff.


Like Rome was not built in a day, my library has taken years in building up. I choose my books  very carefully.  The sources of knowing good books are many viz.  newspapers, magazines, TV news, book reviews, visits to bookstores etc.  But a final decision is only after seeing  the contents and  reading reactions. The chapters also play a role in selecting a book.  Generally, my choice of books are : self-help, psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, personality development. My taste of books is an assortment of  both humanities and sciences.

Whenever I am in low mood, I open the door of my bookshelf and gaze them to recoup my energy.     I read simultaneously 8-10 books in daily instalments.  When I don't find time to read, I feel dry.  During the course of reading, I also take notes in  separate notebook, so that the  information would be handy to me whenever required.

 
Personality development guru Robin Sharma in his book Who will cry when you die ? suggests  to build a library of heroic books.   In that book Sharma suggested 13 heroic books  of which I read the following six.

- Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

-The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

-Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse

-The Power of Your subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy

As a Man Thinketh, James, Allen

Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

I want to add one more book Awaken the Giant within written by Anthony Robbins.   

 

Books change your destiny. Personality development guru Anthony Robbins says that music change your state of mind and books change your focus.

Let me wrap up the importance of books  with these  immortal words of Ruskin Bond:

“Book readers are special people, and they will always turn to books as the ultimate pleasure. Those who do not read are the unfortunate ones. There's nothing wrong with them; but they are missing out on one of life's compensations and rewards. A great book is a friend that never lets you down. You can return to it again and again and the joy first derived from it will still be there.”

A WORD OF ADVICE ON ''WRITING''

 

One day, I believe we will be able to send full rich thoughts to each other directly using technology.

                                                                     - Mark Zuckerberg

One thing I can certainly say is to share our thoughts, the existing technology itself is more than enough and what you need is  time to devote for it.

 

Writing on daily basis will strengthen your expression and it  has  a therapeutic effect.   When you write on consistent basis,  your soft skills  would also improve  with time.  But the problem with the majority of folks is that we stop writing after leaving colleges.  Most of the Multi-national companies when they make campus selections, they are wary of these abilities in fresher’s who come for employment.  Because, they know that there is no institutional mechanism to  inculcate  their writing abilities beyond + 2 education  when the teaching of language subjects ends.

 

So daily reading of newspapers, magazines is a must so as to excel in written word.  Apart from that, everyone must inculcate reading habits by choosing a book  to read so that it would motivate them in their personal life.   The point is that the mind should not be kept blank after work hours.  

Think creatively and harness your potential. When one  strives to enrich  his/her written expression,  it will give immense positive psychological benefits.   

MY READING AND WRITING JOURNEY

 

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.  
 

                           - Benjamin Franklin

 

If you ask me what's my first piece of writing, I would say without hesitation that it is on 'Swami Vivekananda' way back in 1989 when I was  studying second year of graduation.

 

Vivekananda's fiery words  put me on my path.      I used to read a lot since then and I find writing as an 'outlet' to express my creative energies.  

 

In spite of so many ups and downs in my life, reading and writing remained my all time passion.  The idea to have less friends is to work more on harnessing my own potential.  Since, I learnt the stenography which involves hard labour, I find no burden on my mind to spend extra hours for educating myself.

 

I started my personal library way back in 1990 with handful of books of Vivekananda's literature. A cardboard box was turned  into book shelf  and books were kept in orderly fashion.

I was groomed in a serene atmosphere where I was gifted with a plenty of solitude. I  used to  spend more time in public libraries and nurtured my reading hobby.

The habit of jotting down the date of purchase of a book came from my father whose book Bhagavad Gita purchased in 1960s was in my possession now.  In fact that book was my first training ground to improve my vocabulary.   Some times, I read aloud the stanzas to feel as if I am a news reader.  

 

Now when I look back all those books,  fond-memories of those times with vivid details bath my soul.  

 

Whenever, I feel  low, divine intervention comes through a  fiery book which kindles my imagination and sustain my writing saga.  

 

My philosophy is, have a childlike curiosity to widen the knowledge-base.   The humanities and sciences must be devoured in a healthy dose according to your appetite.  I read commerce in my graduation, but science is my charm.  My personal library is dominated by books on neuroscience/psychology, philosophy/ self-help etc.

 

I continue to draw my inspiration by  reading and re-reading  those  books  and pass on that wisdom to  my posterity for their benefit !

BOOK REVIEW : THE UNIVERSE INSIDE YOU by BRIAN CLEGG

 

Nobel laureate Max Planck once said that science can't solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of  the mystery that we are trying to solve. But that can't stop us from doing scientific research which is taking us to new frontiers.

The book "The Universe inside you' by Brian Clegg is such a minefield of scientific information that would surge your scientific temper. Irrespective of stream you studied in your academics , it is a book that must be read to know more about human body and functioning of brain. Here there should not be an argument that my genre is fiction or something other etc. Some books that provide you basic information should be swallowed like hot peanuts.

It is true that some scientific jargon create hurdles but if you are ignited  with curiosity you could easily peddle up on your reading journey. The book has interesting chapters like atoms to standard model, fourth state of matter to what kind of stuff you are to mysteries of brain. 

 

The author in his introduction says that we all have our own laboratories in the form of our bodies – hugely complex structures that depend for their functioning on all of the many facets of science and nature. 

 

Honestly the book needs to be adorned in your personal library !

 

BOOK REVIEW : A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING

 

Bill Bryson's book " A short history of nearly everything' is a book which must adorn your personal library as it has a treasure trove of information relevant to current needs.

 

The book is US's National Best Seller. New York Times described it "Destined to become a modern classic of science writing'.

 

The book has interesting stuff all about everyday science from Universe to Earth, Atom to Life and what not. To put it in one line about the book: It travels through time and space to introduce  the world, the universe and everything.  

 

The book is an answer to Bryson's own curiosity about the world around him. He patiently puts to pen the answers to his quest  from Big Bang to the rise of civilization. It is a book  in layman's language and a  must read for all ages ! 

BOOK REVIEW : THE MAGIC OF REALITY

 

If you want to know what the science did so far to humanity, you must read this interesting book. The science here is explained in the clearest terms. It is not a simple casual read and you must come back and forth to get answers  to some of the curious questions the children ask us on science.

 

The book explains in simple prose on space, time and evolution laced with humour and clever thought experiments. You get very straight answers to some of the baffling questions like How old is the Universe ? What causes tsunamis ? What was the first man, or woman ?

 

Writing a difficult concept in simple prose is not easy and it demands tremendous mental energies. When you write science for common folks, the task becomes  tougher. French philosopher Blaise Pascal rightly says that I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter. It means, to make anything simple, it requires  much time and the benefit is obvious : message goes straight into reader’s' mind.

Dawkins, is an evolutionary biologist and a hardcore atheist. He has written many popular science books. His 2006 book 'The God Delusion' had sold more than 2 million copies and was translated into 31 languages.

 

When it comes to this book, I could clearly distinguish my knowledge before reading it and after reading it. The author  says that life got started more than three and half billion years ago and what we are today is simply an evolutionary process and there is nothing like God. His argument is that human brains and human hands evolved by natural selection. Like this, there are so many fascinating facts the reader would know when he or she starts reading this book. I could say that this book simply ignites you to read the whole book in three or four sittings.

 

This small volume definitely enrich your knowledge on science merging all branches of knowledge into one interesting narrative.

A priority book to read !

 

A BLOGGER's MIND!

I am a bit over-zealous with books.  My reading habit has travelled from simple passion to addiction.  If you visit my home, you will see more than a hundred books  are lined up  for my reading task.

Ever since, I started writing for my blog,  my habit to watch TV at long stretches has gone.     More time and energies are invested in developing the craft. This passion to write has made me to forget my age.
 

Watching news on television becomes so  boring  as News readers discuss the headlines with concerned parties in a snail pace  manner, testing your patience.  More so, watching news on television becomes  now an alien concept    in the era of smartphones which update you on the news instantly.     

 

For a writer, time is very precious.   Snatching time for creative pursuits   is so daunting.  At the same time, the daily quota of reading/ writing can't be ignored.  

 

When I  write  daily,  I miss a lot of   reading.  Without reading sufficiently, my mind goes blank and there is a fear of drying up.   Balancing these two energy-intensive hobbies is so challenging.  

 

When I wake up in the morning I search for triggers. Blogger Communities and fellow bloggers  posts give me the  required kick to start my day with bang.  When I see their stuff  my tiredness evaporates and my resolve to improve my craft strengthens.

 

Better  writing happens when you write  what you feel than what you know. Your  conversing tone and  vocabulary  are the important factors. This is the secret of Indian origin Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul.     

 

To write creatively, you must taste all the genres. By reading a lot, you get an opportunity to observe and understand other writers style and mind.   Ruskin Bond,  the great Indian   writer  nonchalantly says that :  I have yet to hear of anyone dying from an overdose of reading !