THINK ANEW !!!!!!!!

Thoughts and Actions, that's what drives me.
Let me share some of 'em with you. Feel free to join in, argue, blatantly disagree.
Lets open, our hearts and minds and THINK ANEW!!!

A Request..

Friends ... If you don't want to reveal yourself, you have the option of commenting anonymously. So, don't restrain yourself...
Let your thoughts burst out...


A couple of chats

A few days back I had a chat with one of my good friends. He is a great guy but he was very sad about how he performed for his exams. But, the matter of fact is, we both performed almost the same in almost all the exams. However, that chat session was a real gem and I would like to share it with you.

Yesterday, I had another chat with another of my friend. This one was a short one but I wasn't quite expecting such replies from such a brilliant (perhaps a bit wacky but brilliant) girl. That one doesn't have much but just a single point that I would like to highlight. But a very important one nevertheless.

The original conversations were in "chat-language", so I had to edit them. I'm publishing only the relevant (but continous) parts and have added some clarifications in [ ] but apart from that, these are 100%  honest and real conversations.

Him:I did way below my expectations for the exams
and I'm totally disappointed
Me:which exam?
Him:That may be pulling me back.
The exams that we wrote a month ago. Have you already forgotten?
"THE ENTRANCES"
Me:Learn from the past, live in the present, work for the future.
Its over so leave it.
Him:How do u like to see yourself after 10 years?
Me:Well & fine, happy & content, hardworking & diligent,
curious & childish in learning as ever,
What about you?
I would like to talk a bit about that last statement.
It just came like  flow to me. Didn't stop to think about it even once. I think that's because I truly believe that this is what I really want  and it is really all that I want to be, the last one being my top priority. Curiosity is something most of us seem to forget on the way. More on that later though...

While thinking about writing this post earlier today, I struck upon another question and found a surprisingly satisfying answer almost instantly.

How do you know if you are successful. Are there any indicators?
Yes.
Just ask yourself
"If I were to leave the world now, will I be leaving it a better place than how I received it?
Have I contributed to its well being?"

If you can confidently and spontaneously answer yes to both these questions without any room for doubt, then you have achieved what millions are daily striving to achieve, often without even knowing what it is that they are after!

Well, back to the chats,
Him:Nicely said
Don't ask me now [about his future]
I have to really think it over
Him:I'm asking this question to many
and taking the positives
Me:Its nothing to think .
Its all about your outlook
Him:And I have to set a goal
Me:You cant take it from others
You have to develop it yourself
Him:before I go to a college and work to achieve
Me:There is a mistake
Him:Its complicated............ I really have to sort out my priorities
and make some kind of a list .
Me:You don't go to a college & work to achieve
You work to achieve & go to a college just for help
Lists WILL not help you .
I'll tell you frankly .
Him:yep, there you said it .
Me:Its about the outlook .
Its about ideals .
Its about vision .
Lists will be made & left around...
The list should be forged in your mind
deep in your mind
I think he's one of the very few of those who I know who have managed to get at least this far, realising and identifying the source of problem. Most are unaware of the fact that they are wandering through a huge jungle with no idea of where to head to or even where they  want to be.

The other thing that I find interesting and important is, in his own words, 'priorities'. Often people are confused between the destination and the path. The destination is, in this case, the future and the path, handwork . College is one of the paths that you can take to reach that destination. But it is not the only path nor is it a path that will take you all the way. It is just a side road that leads to the highway. If you think that the side road is dangerous, wait till you see the highway. But that shouldn't stop you, because, a mind made up to succeed is an unstoppable force.

Unwavering Diligence is another of my principles that I hold very dearly. These two words have helped me push myself further even when the possibilities seemed bleak. And it still pushes me on. I think I got the phrase from one of the Harry Potter books but am not able to find it now. If anyone finds any references, please do let me know.

Well, back to the chats again,


Him:There's relief talking to you
I don't know why
Me:Good to know.
Him:But I'm really worried these few days
Feels like I'm living for nothing...........
going 2 school .......... then 2 college
Me:A couple of my close friends have told me the same
[I was referring to the relief]
Although most of the time they have no idea what I'm taking about
You should live to learn
If you ask me what is the one thing that I would like to keep for the rest of my life
I would say "a child's curiosity"
I think its the most precious ability one can ever have
Unbound , Fearless, Relentless curiosity
Him:Does it come naturally to you or have you developed it?
Me:I feel like giving an interview for my biography!!
Curiosity, everyone has.
Him:You are helping me
Me:Its just that people forget or becomes afraid to ask
Question what you see around.
You'll probably get beaten around a couple of times
(not just metaphorically !!!)
but its gives an amazing feeling of happiness & satisfaction to learn things on your own
Its possible, just keep your senses open
Remember the small red light that kept blinking in the KSRTC bus?
Him:yes...........................did u figure that out
Me:Nope, I didn't. I guess because I don't know where to ask....
[Me breaking my own resolutions!!]
but if you see something keep it in your mind
just a reference
You never know when its gonna help
in my house, if I kill a mosquito, I'll just leave it on the ground
the ants will do the garbage collection.
I had to fight a lot with my mom & dad to convince
them of this but they kind of are, finally!
Now we can coexist!
A type of symbiosis!
Him:so what are you saying?
Me:Its about the fighting ...
Him:I'm listening
It was nice talking to you
Him:If I've wasted your time.. sorry
but it really made a difference to me
Thank you very very much
Me:Hey! Helping friends is never a waste of time,
so don't worry & happy that I was able to make a difference
Some of my resolutions are a tad bit too difficult to keep, but whenever I'm aware of myself, I try my best to do it. In this case, it was about excuses. I have resolved to stop making excuses because
 "One may have a thousand reasons for failure but not a single excuses"
Well, regarding the ants, that's a matter big enough and important enough to deserve its own article, so keep an eye out for it.

The stuff about curiosity is even more important, so much so that not only does it deserve an article of its own, it also deserves an explicit mention here. After this chat session, I was talking about the topic to a dear friend of mine when she said playfully,
 "Curiosity is not that good"
to which I instinctively replied,
 "If one doesn't have curiosity, what else is there to live for?"

Think about it. If you are not curious, it is impossible to learn anything (take 'learn' in its deepest sense, which is the only way of understanding). And without learning, even a 7 year old is too old. If you learn and keep learning throughout your life, even when 70, you will be young. So, curiosity is the only thing that keeps you young, the moment you lose it, start preparing your obituary because you'll be as good as dead very soon!! So, stay keen to learn and if you lose your curiosity along the way, always turn back and get it back , no matter what monster lurks in the shadow where you lost it!!

I know, this post is a bit too long, but I'll wrap up with the second chat, here goes,
Me:Definitely not true, what do you think the
rest of the companies are doing?
Its just that unlike CS [Computer Science], other jobs may not give you huge income in a few years & then kick you out
For those who are passionate , jobs will always be there
Her:sure sure.
Why sweat your ass when there is always an easy way to being rich?
Me:But, when you sit on a pile of cash thinking
"What the hell am I doing with my life??",
you wouldn't get the same feeling of satisfaction that hardwork gives you
Hardwork pays in more than currency!
Her:oh sure. nice philosophy.
Me:well, its a philosophy that I truly believe in;
Have been true so far in my life.

First off, let me clarify that I'm not saying that all IT companies take in recruits, work their heads off and kick them out. But there are many that do.

We were talking about the prospects of different branches of engineering. Of late, in these parts, it seems most graduates are absorbed by IT companies irrespective of the brach. But I find it kind of wrong. It think its not because the other industries don't want new recruits, but because of the fact that IT field pays a lot more in a very short time. I think there is also a very evident dip in the knowledge level of the average student who passes out of a graduate course. They may know something from their text (sadly, sometimes not even that can be said confidently! ) but most don't know to or don't bother to venture beyond the realms of their textbooks or the exam syllabus. The world is full of opportunities, one just needs to open the eyes instead of complaining of darkness while keeping the eyes shut.

For my part, I feel and believe that money and knowledge earned through hardwork is far more satisfying. It is far sweeter to enjoy and it is far more precious than the "Easy come, easy go" money.
The world has enough to sustain anyone willing to work for the daily bread. I'm not saying luxury is bad or that one shouldn't enjoy the "finer things of life", but just make sure that you earn it before you enjoy it.

That is definitely my longest post and I hope that it helps someone, somewhere, sometime.....
Till next time,
--Diff.Thinkr

7 Thoughts:

Sky June 26, 2011 at 12:30 PM  

A child's curiosity is the best talent you can nurture. If you have curiosity you can accomplish almost anything. Its the greatest gift in one's life.

I used to have it, but had completely forgotten about it (well, tat happens, u know!!! Life is hectic :P ). Came to think about how curious I "was" after reading your post. No wonder I am feeling so bored these days, especially at work.

Need to give it a serious thought!!

Kiran Rajmohan June 26, 2011 at 1:17 PM  

This book I was reading, The Greatness Guide by Robin Sharma, great book by the way, kept stressing about the need to enjoy life and trying to keep learning something everyday. So, enjoy what you do, or try fixing your perspective or its time you think about your life strategy!!

Anonymous June 29, 2011 at 7:00 PM  

It is indeed one of the most revealing posts that I have read.

Being curious is important. But being curious about evrything that passes by does'nt make much sense. I think (the thought may be wrong) that the list "HE" mentioned was quite relevant. You should indeed set your priorities first. You should realize what is most important at that particular time(need not be the thing that you like most; but what is relevant at that particular time) and work hard and be curious about that.

For example: Imagine a person who has to attend some important exam. But he is curious about a lot of other things and cannot concentrate on his studies. Then surely there is a problem with being curious.
So I think more than being curious, being curious about the right thing at the right time is more important.

Diff.Thinkr June 29, 2011 at 7:29 PM  

Thank You for those very insightful points, Anonymous.
Indeed, it is true that one has to set priorities and concentrate on short term goals, but what I've seen is that people, most of the time, seem to
see *only* the short term goals once they set their eyes on it. They forget
to look ahead and around to see their real talent and goals.

I think you are confused between curiosity and concentration. Curiosity is
a nature, a character which should be as much a part of us as is
breathing. Curiosity helps you get more information from your
surroundings, it helps you pick up the clues that others might have
overlooked, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to solve it
immediately!

Concentration, on the other hand, requires your active participation. It
is something that has to be committed to a single activity, while
curiosity is something that has to be associated with everything that you
do throughout your life.

Let me give an example, suppose the student you mentioned above comes across a question and he, after a lot of trying, finds the answer from some book. But he is intrigued by the solution. He wishes to find out how or why it works as it does. That doesn't mean that he has to completely set aside everything that he was doing and start figuring it out. He could try to contemplate or research about it later when he takes a break or if the exam is imminent, even after the exam. Now, if the student were not curious, he would never have thought about the question nor would he be interested in learning more about it. Who knows, he just might be the next great leader or the untapped genius of the century!

Even a student learning for an important exams doesn't spend all his time learning. Everyone needs and takes breaks. It is during these breaks that our curiosities should really flair up. During the many hours that you will end up waiting for a friend or the bus, why not look around and observe, observe people, observe the nature, observe the callousness and I assure you, in no time, you will be on your way to a whole new world,
not a world filled with endless hours of dry learning or 'by hearting' the lessons,
not a world filled with bland seconds and boring minutes,
not a world caught in a endless vicious circle of reading and writing
but to a beautiful world where learning is exciting, endearing and even addictive,
a world where every second will fill you with awe and every minute with a thirst for more,
a world where there is no more mere reading and writing but learning, discovering and spreading knowledge, the manna that we all seek and yet fail to see that which is right in front of our eyes!


Also, priorities are indeed important and if I've unintentionally conveyed
otherwise, my sincere apologies. But, what I feel is more important than
setting priorities is to set the right priorities. As far as I'm
concerned, the top of my list is not occupied by getting a few more marks
or to excel in an exam or to make a lot of money ( I mention these because
I know a lot of people who have these at the very top of their lists! ).
On the contrary, my list is topped by things such as learning more, being
happy and living, behaving and helping such that I would have nothing to
regret about at the end of the day, because, from what I've experienced
and learned, regrets leaves much deeper wounds than any stab...

Keen to hear more from you,
Diff.Thinkr ...

dj January 27, 2012 at 9:33 AM  

Wow! I can only amazing. And you are very very true, when you talk about curiosity and being childlike. I remember once telling a friend saying that I find childish happiness in everything, in life's simplest things. And he said, it is good, in fact, too good, and that the term is 'childlike', and not childish. I took happiness from that.

And you have a beautiful idea about life, will take you long way. Good style of writing as well. Great go buddy. The article was a beauty!

dj January 27, 2012 at 9:39 AM  

And i look forward to seeing your post on ants. Totally appreciate your idea on 'existing together' on this planet, and how you find that beauty in even a minutest, but relevant beings like ants!! Awesome observation, and beautiful take on life. Nice style of writing. Great go!

Diff.Thinkr January 27, 2012 at 6:37 PM  

Thanks dj :)
I had forgotten to write about the ants. I'm working on it right now.

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Kerala, India
Think, Think, Think and when you feel you can no more, talk and make others think.

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