Happy New Year 2015

Happy New Year 2015

Yes one more year is just coming to a close. In everybody’s life some good and bad events might have occurred. That is way of life. But at the end of a year, it will be ideal to have an introspection and take stock of the past one years’ deeds. This will enable us to take new decisions for the ensuing year.

The proverb ‘Time and tide wait for no man’ is  perfectly apt. Days roll into months, months to years and thus time passes away. In Government organizations, at the end of each financial year, a review of the past financial transactions are reviewed and future programs chalked out. In northern India, business people do the same way - review their business activities and plan accordingly to the next year. In a  similar fashion, each individual irrespective of his age and profession should also analyse their past deeds and plan further activities for the coming new year. There might have been so many trials and tribulations. If one was able to remain  calm and quite in adverse circumstances also then he might have been able to face the situations boldly. Everybody must be able to forget the bad deeds of their foes and forgive them.

In general, at least a large percentage of people take New year resolutions; but all will not be in a position to practice it throughout the year. They drop the idea  after some days due to several reasons. In reality .people are not able to concentrate on their specified task because of distractions. Mind plays a very important role in this connection. 

In Upanishads, it has been told

“ May we have noble thoughts in our minds

 May we never express bitter words in our speech! ”

One must be able to lead a healthy life both physically and mentally. The old saying “Sound mind in  a sound body “ is perfectly right.

Let us all hope and pray to the Almighty to help us to lead a happy Year 2015 with full of hopes  and aspirations. We must be able to help our fellow brethren in what ever way we are able to help. Let us try to spread a smile on face of all. Let us try to enjoy life to its full extent.

Remember-

“ Unborn tomorrow and dead yesterday

Why fret? If today be sweet !”

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Life and Death

Life and Death

Key words - life, death, happiness, tension, worry

Everybody come to this world with a return ticket but only the date and time of return is not 

stamped on the ticket. All persons want to lead a happy and healthy life devoid of any 

disease, worry and tension. But that is only a wish. In the early period it is the worry of the 

parents to bring up the child, give good education and then get them married. The cycle of 

life then continues in its usual stride.

But unfortunately the things are not so bright as one  thinks.  At every stage of life one is 

required to undergo various trials and tribulations. In the present  day world, it is seen that 

many youngsters are suffering from various diseases and in consequence they are not able 

to lead a normal life. Though lot of progress has been made in various fields, there is no 

remedy for many diseases. Nature quite often exhibits its fury in the form of earthquake, 

drought, flood, landsides, tsunami etc. Very large number of people lose their lives, houses 

and other properties are destroyed leading to colossal financial losses.

What is that thing which disturbs everybody? That is the greediness for money. No doubt 

one requires sufficient money to lead a normal life - food, shelter and clothing. But there is 

no limit for the requirement of money. – the more one earns , the more he wants to 

accumulate. Family relations are in a quandary now; there is no respect of parents, women 

and senior citizens.

An awareness of death enables us to live each day -- each moment--filled with happiness 

and joy. In order to enjoy true happiness, we should live each moment in its true spirit, 

forgetting the past and without worrying about the future.  Realising the actual fact  of 

death  enables us to bring out the creativity, courage and joy into each minute of our lives.

 “Death,” 

Rainer Maria Rilke

Before us great Death stands
Our fate held close within his quiet hands.
When with proud joy we lift Life’s red wine
To drink deep of the mystic shining cup
And ecstasy through all our being leaps—
Death bows his head and weeps.

                             ******************************************

Happy and Comfortable Life

Happy and Comfortable Life

Key words- Happy life, health, human being, emotions

Everybody in this world  want  to lead a healthy and happy life.  But is it possible?  It is 

difficult to quantify the degree of happiness. Happiness  is a state of mind and depends on 

the attitude of the person concerned.

The basic requirements of a human being are food, shelter and clothing. One can have a 

meal of a small quantity of cereal while another can have a five star meal; one can have a

 small one room hut  for self and family while another may have a multi storey house in a

 large estate; while one can have a single piece cheap dress while anther can have a gold 

laced costly three piece suit. In addition to the basic amenities, one should have good 

physical and mental health . Then only one should be able to enjoy life to its full extent.

But what is the  state of most of the people of this present day world. From a small baby to a

 grownup youth to a senior citizen, almost all are under some sort of pressure due to the 

mental agony ,worry and tension. It can be on the personal account, official account or on 

social account.Is there a remedy for all these problems? Yes, it is there; but one has to find 

the solutions himself and practice accordingly. If one can control his emotions, his anger, 

resentment and greediness and then have a positive outlook towards life, one will be able 

to lead  a happy and joyful life.

Professional Ethics

Professional Ethics

              Key words: profession, ethics, integrity, training, obligations

Profession is a vocation based upon education and training and professionals are those who have got specialized training and can take decisions of their own and can act accordingly which ordinary persons can’t do. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. Ethics are values and beliefs of an individual or a society as a whole. Ethical principles  are:  honesty, integrity, being fair and open minded, respect for dignity and accountable for one’s decisions and their consequences.

It is reported that Chanakya wrote “Arthashastra” in fourth century BC during Chandra Gupta Maurya’s rule. It is a treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy. 

Professional ethics refer to the ethical obligations to be followed by professionals. Every profession has got its own obligations - Engineers have got their own values and beliefs, doctors have their own, lawyers their own and teachers their own obligations.

The main question that crops at this juncture is who decides what is ethical?  What is good at one point of time need not be good all the times. 

Each profession has got its own code of ethics. A code of ethics prescribes what a professional should do so that he can  do the best at the minimum cost. It also helps a professional to choose what to do when faced with a problem.  A professional has obligations towards his employer, client/customer   and society.

Ethics plays an important role in the workplace. General public are unlikely to do business with an unethical company. When a company is caught doing something unethical, that company often faces  different problems. Consumers may  boycott their products.  Ethics and work should go hand in hand. Maintaining ethics should be an integral part of the workplace.

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Mental Tension and Worry - The disease of the modern world

Mental Tension and Worry- The disease of the modern world

The other day Sindhu, a B Tech final year student told me that she   forgot to write her roll number in the answer book of the examination.

I asked her why?

She answered that she was under  mental tension and as such forgot to write her roll number.

People of all ages starting from a kindergarten student to a senior citizen from all strata of the society -  house wife, engineer, doctor, politician etc  all are under tension in one way or the other.

But is it possible to avoid this mental tension?

Swami Vivekananda says “The calmer we are, the less disturbed our nerves, the more shall we learn, the better our work be”. But seldom we can find a  person leading a calm and peaceful life. Now a days nervous tension has become a regular phenomenon. Some of the stress induced diseases are heart attack and high blood pressure. The degree of tension may differ depending on the place and situation. Some may be undergoing tension in his office , others may suffer in their home and some others may be undergoing both in their office and home as well.

Stress can’t be completely avoided but it can be controlled to a certain extent. Stress can be positive as well as negative. It is the negative stress which causes nerves tension, anger, jealousy and other problems.

If we are able to remain calm under any provocation, to a large extent tension can be minimized. For this we should have strong will power and faith in our self. We should learn to live in the present forgetting the past. By practicing meditation, to a large extent, tranquility can be maintained and also  regular   practice will help in removing negative feelings.

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Human Relations

Human Relations

Man, it is told, is a social animal. Man can’t live in this world all alone. He has to maintain relations with his family members, with his colleagues in his work place, with the members of the society with whom he is associated.

In a work place (office) there must be cordial relations between the employees, between the employees and the employer. Also there must be cordial relations  between the employee and his family members. Then only the worker will be able to put all his energies and attention on his job. This is very essential for the overall progress of the company. It is necessary to have a healthy and peaceful environment in the work place. An employee should take interest in the welfare of his colleagues. Egoism should not come in the way. On the other hand the employee should be sympathetic towards his colleagues.

If the relations among employees are not healthy, the employees will like to quit  the job at the earliest opportunity. This is a big loss as far as the management is concerned, because training a new employee is time consuming and expensive. Also the productivity will be hampered which in turn will cause great loss to the company.

For enhancing the productivity, employees must be motivated. As such employees must be rewarded for initiating new techniques and also for suggesting improved methods. The management should conduct opinion surveys and get employees reactions and suggestions for increasing productivity.

The following actions will help in maintaining good relations:

-       Be friendly and helpful

-       Take genuine interest in others

-       Have a smile on face and greet others

-       Call people by their names

In short, relationships are the very foundation of our lives, whether personal or professional. The ability to understand others’ feelings and communicate effectively with the people around will  help in mitigating others problems to a large extent and thus enhance the overall efficiency.

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Positive affirmations

Positive Affirmations for a Healthy Living

• 
  Thoughts have enormous powers. It can shape and mould one's life. Thoughts can be positive and negative. Positive thoughts can create happiness, health, overcome fear and inferiority complex. Scientific studies have proved that affirmations have got healing powers. No doubt medicines have got their own role to play in curing diseases.
  
  Words saturated with sincerity and faith is like highly explosion vibration bombs and can bring desired changes. Affirmations repeated regularly can move the cosmic vibratory force to help in solving personal problems.
  
  All affirmations in order to reach the super consciousness must be free from doubts and uncertainties. Affirmations for curing physical and mental illness must be repeated continuously at regular intervals.
  
  Lord Jesus said:" Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth."

   Avoid using unpleasant words even if they are true.

 Remember- A word spoken once can't be taken back.

It is very important to understand that in the use of thought as medicine,     it should be seen that right thoughts are not neutralized by wrong thoughts.

Health is Wealth

          Key words: health, wealth, happiness, life style, fate

Health is wealth; no doubt for it! If health is lost, everything is lost. We can’t lead a happy life without proper health. To a certain extent, it is within our hands to take correct steps for maintaining good health.

But certain things are beyond our control. The other day I went to a leading hospital where one of my relatives had been admitted for treatment. She was in the intensive care  unit  under artificial respiration. Her whole body was covered with different tubes and wires.  She was not in a position to talk, drink water or take meals. She has no financial problems. Children  are grown up and employed. Husband is her side throughout the day. About five years back, she had under gone a kidney transplant operation. She is in the mid fiftys.

Here comes the question - what is life? Is it beyond one’s control and leave it to the mercy of God. It is very difficult to give a proper reply. Money is required to lead a comfortable life. But health is a prerequisite for all that. Some diseases are hereditary and perhaps difficult to diagonise and have a proper treatment while some are due to wrong life style of the present day. Improper and unbalanced food, lack of physical exercise, smoking, too much intoxicating drinks, mental tension and worry are some of the factors contributing to life style diseases like diabetes, high bold pressure, cholesterol, obesity etc.

Remember the old adage – “Prevention is better than cure. “ Instead of going for a treatment at a later stage, it is always better to take preventive steps from early child hood itself. Children should be educated in their school days itself the importance of good  life style and the necessary steps to be followed. In addition to the importance of maintaining physical health, it is very essential to have advice on the mental health also.

But unfortunately it is seen that due attention is not paid with regard to mental health. A positive attitude towards  life  devoid of hatred, anger, envy and tension is of utmost importance. A contended life, with a friendly and helping attitude towards fellow members of the society without looking towards religion, cast and  creed is the attitude that is required.

                                                              **********************

Life and Death

Key words - life, death, happiness, tension, worry

Everybody come to this world with a return ticket but only the date and time of return is not stamped on the ticket. All persons want to lead a happy and healthy life devoid of any disease, worry and tension. But that is only a wish. In the early period it is the worry of the parents to bring up the child, give good education and then get them married. The cycle of life then continues in its usual stride.

But unfortunately the things are not so bright as one  thinks.  At every stage of life one is required to undergo various trials and tribulations. In the present  day world, it is seen that many youngsters are suffering from various diseases and in consequence they are not able to lead a normal life. Though lot of progress has been made in various fields, there is no remedy for many diseases. Nature quite often exhibits its fury in the form of earthquake, drought, flood, landslides, tsunami etc. Very large number of people lose their lives, houses and other properties are destroyed leading to colossal financial losses.

What is that thing which disturbs everybody? That is the greediness for money. No doubt one requires sufficient money to lead a normal life - food, shelter and clothing. But there is no limit for the requirement of money. – the more one earns , the more he wants to accumulate. Family relations are in a quandary now; there is no respect of parents, women and senior citizens.

An awareness of death enables us to live each day -- each moment--filled with happiness and joy. In order to enjoy true happiness, we should live each moment in its true spirit, forgetting the past and without worrying about the future.  Realising the actual fact  of death  enables us to bring out the creativity, courage and joy into each minute of our lives.

 “Death,” Rainer Maria Rilke

Before us great Death stands
Our fate held close within his quiet hands.
When with proud joy we lift Life’s red wine
To drink deep of the mystic shining cup
And ecstasy through all our being leaps—
Death bows his head and weeps.

                             ******************************************

Happy and Joyful Life

Happy and Comfortable Life

Key words- Happy life, health, human being, emotions

Everybody in this world  want  to lead a healthy and happy life.  But is it possible to quantify happiness?

Definitely Not.  It is a state of mind and depends on the attitude of the person concerned.

The basic requirements of a human being are food, shelter and clothing. One can have a meal of a small quantity of cereal while another can have a five star meal; one can have a small one room hut  for self and family while another can have a multi storey house in a large estate; while one can have a single piece cheap dress while anther can have a gold laced costly three piece suit.

In addition to the basic amenities, one should have good physical and mental health . Then only one should be able to enjoy life to its full extent.

But what is the  state of most of the people of this present day world. From a small baby to a grownup youth to a senior citizen, almost all are under some sort of pressure due to the mental agony ,worry and tension. It can be on the personal account, official account or on social account.

Is there a remedy for all these problems? Yes, it is there; but one has to find the solutions himself and practice accordingly.

If one can control his emotions, his anger, resentment and greediness and then have a positive outlook towards life, one will be able to lead  a happy and joyful life.

Brisk Walking

Brisk Walking – The remedy for all diseases

Key words - Blood pressure, Cholesterol, Blood Sugar, Over weight

Everybody in this world want to lead a healthy and comfortable life devoid of diseases. In the present day world, lot of persons are suffering from life style diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight, high cholesterol etc. At the age of seventeen itself  the youngsters are forced to lead the life of   seventy year old persons

Is there a remedy for this? Yes, sure it is there. Brisk walking is a simple and easy exercise to reduce the ill effects of all these life style diseases. It also helps to improve metabolism. Along with exercise, it is very essential to control the diet

.

According to the World Health Organisation “ A walker loses weight, ,reduces conditions associated with hypertension, lowers cholesterol, slows ageing and  increases strength ,flexibility and stamina.” Thirty minutes of brisk walking helps to burn off around 200 calories.

There is a saying in China  that “ Old age is inevitable but there is no excuse for senility’. Sedentary living and passive life style lead to weak muscles and reduced stamina. Few minutes of brisk walking every morning will help in reducing the bad effects of ageing. Mental fitness is also very important just like physical fitness.

Walking can help prevent osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), control diabetes and also relieve from back pain.  It will also be having a tranquillising effect on the ill effects of sedentary life as well as that  of the  highly stressed environment .

Walking can be in the morning or in the evening.  An early morning walk warms up body and also mind. Mind will be filled up with positive thoughts. Evening walk is the time for taking stock of one’s day time activities. It will also help in having a good sleep in the night.

A large number of scientific studies have shown that brisk walking develops cardiovascular health and protects against heart diseases.Walking increases the amount of oxygen supplied to all tissues, increases HDL cholesterol which protects heart and blood vessels and also increases blood circulation