To Market or Not to Market?

In todays world, the above question is almost the same as the question, 'to be or not to be'! Blame it on the immense population, the enormous pool of talent, the increasing number of choices in every aspect, that only if marketed well 'I or my value' may 'be' or else just 'not be'!

Many times I have surprised myself by being guilty of the very things I have been at one time very sure that 'I am not capable of''! In 2002, march I wrote in my diary, 'When we have doubts about ourselves we show off whatever little we have. When we are sure of our riches, we can afford to be simple. Yes, marketing could put me off. But today, the world belongs more often to the 'glittering' and less often to the 'substance'.

And so in 2007 after my first attempt at publishing which failed, one of the many reasons being that 'because I have not officially studied Theology', I put it in my blog. When that didn't attract many readers, I tried to get it published again another two times. With the third rejection, my faith in my book has matured and trust in the publishing industry has diminished. Maybe they would prefer more attention seeking controversy creating books, not one that intends to dispell controversies and contradictions. I am happy I discovered blogdom on the way as it gives me a unique freedom to express. But maybe my Book is stiffled most probably under the growing load of my own posts and so I have entered twitterdom to freshly market my book and now even blog. All unapologetically.

From politicians, to actors to authors...all are willy nilly marketing themselves, their products or their ideologies. But they are people in the limelight, then why the need to market!? I guess there is such a crowd in even the limelight that each has to sound the 'tom tom' to be noticed.
But then there are also the militant groups who have been anxious that they are not in the papers for over 14 months and so right away just burst a bomb to remind everybody that they exist!

I am anguished, 'why kill life just 'to be', as they achieve nothing but death. It won't destroy the Nation's Spirit. It will only grow more united, I trust that . Then why ? Just'to be'? So much better then 'not to be'!?

It's the most cowardly way to come forward.

My 2002 notes are not outdated yet. Empty vessels make much noise. Please fill yourselves with genuine purposes.

Training in Empathy?

I am quite happy to note through the papers that this time around I was wrong, and politicians have finally found the courage to say to the Shiv Sena, that it is too much now!

And now to speak about what the newspapers bring us....

While reading the newspapers, I find some news pleasantly surprise me by being so touchingly philanthropic, and some news causes so much pain to me that I wish I had not read them. Man is capable of so much good and bad. Even at the level of the people that we get to know, it is like reading a whole new book. We make a first impression on the basis of the 'Title and cover' and immediate evaluations. But when we start reading there are often pleasant or unpleasant surprises, and as we close our evaluation of the book, we may think, 'oh, it is not at all the way I first thought! We may sometimes like it more than we expected or are shocked by contents we hadn't expected.

And then there is our own self that we think we know, but keep discovering that we have to manage our selves too, our weaknesses, our expectations, and also manage our interaction with each different person! From the Macro to the Micro level, Human interaction, within the self or with others is more or less 'management'. Whether it is between nations or groups or parties or individuals or even within our own self. It is obviously so important that 'Managing Humankind' be a lesson taught in every class!

What makes for such management that could make possible for sustainable peace within the community and the nation and the world?

'What we act that we become'. Repeated messages given from our childhood form a pattern that decides how we behave with others. We try to act according to the expectations of behaviour and more often than not we begin to confirm to the expectations. I believe that one of the most essential messages that should be given from the very childhood say in Moral Science classes is 'Put yourself in the shoes of others before you decide how to act towards them'. I am saying this because this directive had formed in me the basis of behaviour with others. The fall side of it is that we may behave over patiently with others and then when we lose it finally it could be like an explosion from a small spark!( But later on the importance of assertiveness forms from experiences). But still it is always better to start timid than aggressive and I do believe that even that fall side can be prevented within such classroom scenario itself. Each year this same message should be given in more and more advanced way in Moral Science class as is given for other topics in other subjects. Like there could be enactment of how a particular sort of behaviour feels when coming from the other.This could also be said as 'giving the dose of the same medicine'. This is usually required for those, who though well meaning may not be able to understand how their behaviour comes across to others. I have needed that sometimes! In people who are unmindful of others, often I have seen that 'put yourself in the other's shoes' suggestion or at worst a dose of the same medicine does help and I have drawn a conclusion from varied experiences that in such people there definitely has been a lack in that practice in their formative years. Schools can do a lot in this - let us say 'training in empathy'. Empathy may not always come naturally, but I do believe it can be learn't through regular practise. How are terrorists created? Many probably know that it is mostly by brainwashing little children in special schools upto their adulthood so that they are trained to think only in a specific manner. They could have been different people given the freedom to use their own brains if they had studied in normal schools. Empathy can then definitely also be encouraged within the normal school scenario by a long duration of training. I believe it is very essential and would be very beneficial for the dream of a peaceful world.

Perspective, or lack of it?

I am both stunned and amused by what Thakerey /Sena has been saying. The Government had declared that it has no hand in what happened in IPL and that the non selection of Pakistani players was not premeditated.

Does the Sena mean to refute the statement of the government and mean that after invitation, none of the Pakistani players should have been taken?Shouldn't the Government react to that! Had one or two Pakistani's been selected and the issue had not happened at all, would Thakerey have even bothered to think, let alone speak about who brought them? SRK having wanted to take a splendid Pak player is understandable. Thakerey's arguments that if SRK could want that, then he should take two jailed up criminals because they are Pakistani's; is a demonstration of defective argumentation. Being a politician when he hatches a plan for self propoganda at least he should make sure it does not have loopholes and defective argumentation. With such grossly defective plans, just nobody would be fool enough to believe that his plans are for the good of the people rather than so obviously for party propaganda. Moreover if the Sena wants to prevent Australians playing in Maharashra to oppose the violence and 'outsider' treatment given to Indians' in Australia, how can they explain their concept that 'Maharashra' which is very much a part of India is not open to all Indians?!

Then there is BinLadin who looks all around and sees everything red but fails to notice that he is in the centre of all of it and most definitely must be the same colour. Just after a foiled attempt to blow up another huge Volcano of Pollution, he comes out with a tape snubbing the Americans for global warming. If he is concerned about the earth, he should be concerned about each and every earthling,all the children of the earth.

There is no sound basis to the thinking process of such people who take the responsibility of deciding for others and calling the shots. No wonder why these fellow earthlings end up making all the rest of humanity squirm, with their every word and action. Definitely nobody says anything to them. Only if they could think with more perspective they could understand... and not snap at every harmless prudent word.

Faith ? or its look alikes.........?

I have been pondering on an aspect of demonstrative faith in God or religion, since the first week of BIGG BOSS season 3.
Sitting with a HUGE photo of Jesus on elimination day, the contestant in Bigg Boss hopes probably not to be eliminated owing to the power of God beside? Or is it a hope that the photo would remind that everything is as per the will of God? Is the photo beside a reflection of faith or rather infact of a lack of faith..of a nervousness, of fear...
God and faith is a matter of the heart, not of an object or taking the NAME during trials. When taking an exam if a student keeps thinking about GOD, he will waste so much time and misdirect the focus from the questions in front of him on the paper. When we take our focus to an outside object (when infact the real energy called God is part of us), we move the inside energy to the outside and become weaker rather than stronger! It is fear that plays this trick with us of weakening us by dissipating our energy to the outside and keeping on asking(in all futility of course) that it help us!!! That is why probably the Bible gives the commandment.."Do not take the name of the LORD your GOD in VAIN" When we focus on our trials, the whole of our faculties and power inside is directed on the problem..and then what we do is empowered and perfected in a divine and yet real way.

Another thing to consider in this regard is extremism in (any) religion. Somewhere in my book (in the initial posts of the blog) I have declared that I believe in all scriptures because doubting one is doubting all the others. All scriptures have a basic agreement on core matters. Some do not speak on certain issues whereas others do. Therefore I chose to refer to scriptures only for basic understanding. It is said that everything should be done in moderation,(including moderation). So I feel there should be moderation in terms of looking into the scriptures for answers too. I have spent 12 posts and even more years pondering about scriptural truths. But despite having faith in scriptures, I do not feel compelled to read the Bible EVERY day. When beset with problems I am aware and I know that the God connected to me through my heart is giving me answers and I know I do not really need to randomly open the Bible and find answers there, though I may sometimes chose to. Religion is a guide that leads to our spirit. Once connected to the spirit,we have to leave the hand of religion..otherwise when we should have started looking in our hearts for further answers, if we still compulsively look into religion we may be led to Extremist viewpoints and due to fear we may wrongly disregard our heart. This is what happens to extremists in ALL religions. They think that there is no way they can trust their heart over the sometimes conflicting words in their scripture. But they should also think...Do they love GOD? yes. They follow the core of the religion? yes. Their spirit is aroused? yes. Then God is now unvieled in their hearts. And if this spiritually opened heart is pointing to a different direction in certain things compared to what is 'written'.., the trust I believe should be placed on what the heart says. Written things may get distorted or influenced with time but the heart connected to spirit is true. It is not faith to follow written words that conflict our conscience..it is rather again the trick that fear plays with us that keeps us compulsively hooked to words on paper rather than giving heed to the direct words heard by our heart. Take an example. Which is proper of a servant to do?..To follow a paper which has passed through hundreds of people and is claimed to be from his master or follow the direct words that his master comes later and tells him? Should he say that, no master I wont follow your instruction because the message you sent me through so and so says something different?

It is always important to be clear what drives our actions...Is it faith or is it really fear? The answer to this will guide us to the right decisions, to follow the faith directed paths......

Films

I have been thinking to write certain thoughts on films and what better but to write the day after I see another film in Theatre. I saw Luv Aaj Kal and liked it. I feel the people in the age group of thirty to forty (in India)have witnessed and been part of both the today and the yesterday sort of romance and this group must be the most torn most confused wondering whether they belong to aaj or kal. Some probaly made good the transition, some look back with nostalgia, and some are still trying to mould their minds to adjust to the paradigm shift.
That apart I feel films should reflect what the society wants within itself because of the tremendous power of films to influence. I want to particularly write about films on terrorism. I feel such films should not be made. It may seem that I am writing without thinking..but have actually been thinking since some seeming coincidences. A few films on terrorism were followed by terrorist attacks. One attack particularly in Ahemadabad Hospital compound was a copy from a certain film. Films may be trying to instill the message of peace but such message films are not followed by peace but by more destruction! It is dangerous to advice sadists as it only fuels them to do more. (see post on terror attacks). Rather films should dwell on happy things that could only bring good to society if aped. No it wont limit creative expression!
Films seldom serve too good as advice or message. People on the otherhand get some inherent faction of the film rubbed off on to them. Let it be positivity then that gets rubbed on (like in love aaj kal). If filmmakers want to give a message by making voilent films, then certain things they should think first is..Will the 'message' rub off on the audience or the 'negative ambience' will? Is the message worth risking the effect the negative ambience can have? What do I really want-only creative satisfaction or positive (and never negative) effect on the people around me?!

Terror Attacks

I have visited Jaipur, friends live there. Last year I watched the laser show in lumbini gardens a few months before the blasts. have also travelled in the mumbai local trains. The tragedies cause pain and yes it does terrorize as intended. But what terrorizes more is that it is definitely sadists who do it and our pain and pleas only excite them to do more. No they can't be people with a purpose. No purpose can justify such disrespect for life and emotions.