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Sunday, September 21, 2014

S is for ‘Straight Arrow’ in the bowed world

Chanakya, an Indian Scholar was not mistaken to remark:
‘Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first”. Being honest and morally upright is a kind of human attribute liked by many, pursued by a few and practiced by even littler.
Today, that once predominant quote Honesty is the best policy remain in ruins and has no scope to win a place in the heart of 21st century humans. This is so fearful that one day, another generation will either hear nothing about it or read honesty as the worst policy.

                                         Truth or Cheat?                        (Picture courtesy: Click LINK)

This same Earth which is approximately 4.5 billion years old has undergone a series of mutation leading to a serious miscarriage of human values. It is intoxicated with a false belief that has consequently spearheaded the corrosion of human ethics and principles at a lightning speed. Being honest and speaking truth is scary and petrifying at this moment of time because the truth is always attacked. This is not surprising because the truths are not always a sweet melody. Truth may not be always a soft ear-bud that we want to entertain through the tunnel of our auditory canal.
Thus, it is so miserable to think about this contamination in this so-called revolutionizing world. Human mind is now polluted beyond compare and no remedy can rescue it. The acceptance of wrong and abusive morals and values are mushrooming in our society. The adolescents are exposed to the ailment of such disasters further beefing up the unceasing cloning drama. After few years of time, I believe, that the world will see being straight and truthful is a human accepted crime because the world is already bowed by the cheat and crooks.

“I am sorry if you don’t like my honesty. But to be fair, I don’t like your lies” –Anonymous 

Monday, September 15, 2014

R is for ‘Rome wasn't built in a day’

a man with a beard wearing a helmet with the words rome wasn 't built in a day
tenor.com

The Victorian historian Thomas Carlyle is fondly remembered to have said, “A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.”

So well said. Profound and entirely relevant in many of life’s situations.

 

Far too often, we see individuals boarding the ship of narcissism, intoxicated by the illusion of their own greatness. Yet, how often do we pause to ask ourselves: what truly constitutes greatness?

 

Through my personal reflection, I have come to understand that without the wick of generosity and kindness, the flame of greatness cannot be lit. Greatness devoid of empathy becomes empty and foolish. Without compassion and altruism, it becomes like a castrated novelty, incapable of bearing fruit, impotent in delivering goodness either to oneself or others.


True greatness must be feathered with the wings of generosity and civility. It is not measured by how much we know or possess, but by how far we extend the wings of empathy to lift others with us.



Rome Was Not Built in a Day 

Yes, this can be a demanding task. But over time, and with effort, it is possible. This truth is beautifully captured by the English playwright John Heywood’s “Rome was not built in a day.”


In the simplest terms, he reminds us that everything valuable takes time to grow.


We have read history of Abraham Lincoln, who became the 16th President of the United States, enduring a long chain of failures. 


We have also heard of Thomas Edison, who achieved greatness through relentless experimentation. Despite repeated failures, he famously replied to his assistant’s frustrations, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”


These words possess a quiet magic. For nearly a year, they served as a balm to my wounded self-esteem after a particularly venomous criticism paralysed me.



The Sting of Criticism 

Back in 2013, I posted my very first article on Blogyul – Blogging Bhutan. It was an infant piece, vulnerable but sincere. But it was met with a comment from a stranger that stung like venom:

Don’t act over smart!”


There was no further explanation. 

Yes, you have heard it right. No reasoning, no kindness.

 

The comment left me numb. I felt silenced. The person who made it, in my view, lacked the very essence of greatness. As a teacher, I believe mistakes are beautiful. They carry the seeds of learning. We are, after all, human, and we grow not by avoiding mistakes, but by correcting and learning from them.

 

Had the critic pointed out my errors with reason or care, I would have welcomed the feedback. I might have even thanked him. But all I was left with was condemnation, which was cold, baffling, and unconstructive. It stripped the innocence from my enthusiasm to share and express.


 

On Criticising With Care 

I do not fear criticism. In fact, I welcome it, even if it is cruel in form but kind in intention.

Shiv Khera has written, 

So long as the criticism is painful to the giver, they have the right to criticise. The moment the criticism becomes a pleasure to the giver, they have no right to criticise.”

This distinction is vital.

 

In his classic work, Dale Carnegie warned of the dangers of careless criticism:

Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him strive to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.”

 

History offers painful examples related to criticism. For example, the gifted novelist Thomas Hardy is known to have stopped writing fiction due to bitter criticism. The poet Thomas Chatterton is believed to have ended his life under similar wounds. 


I am neither Hardy nor Chatterton. But if you choose to criticise, I ask only that you do so arm with reasons and intention. 


For as Carnegie rightly said:

Any fool can criticise, condemn and complain – and most fools do.”

 


Letting Others Grow

If your heart truly seeks to help others, be reasonable in your stance.


Let your reasons reveal your greatness, not just your knowledge or achievements.

 

Before pointing fingers, pause and ask yourself: “Was the greatness in me born or made?”


The truth is nothing is born. Everything is shaped, sculpted, and refined by time.


So let greatness take root in others. It may not look like your greatness, but it has its own dimension and circumference. What matters is not the name, but the substance and scale of that greatness. 

 

I therefore return to the wisdom of Heywood’s “Rome was not built in a day” and Einstein’s “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”


Friday, September 12, 2014

Q is for Quitting a Life

It is quite unfortunate to hear about the recent suicidal case that robed the life of two teens in Bumthang. The incident is not only tragic and catastrophic to the ear of their families and relatives but is equally a matter of poignant for the rest of us. I share the pain that the adolescents have left to their families and their relatives in epic proportions. Hope their souls rest in Peace.

As an ordinary human being, the only thing at my disposal is to offer my deepest prayers that they are reborn in a peaceful Buddhist country like Bhutan.

May the Kenchogsum bless them. 
Let's pray together.         (Source: Click LINK)

“You have a choice. Live or die. Every breath is a choice. Every minute is a choice. To be or not to be” – Chuck Palahniuk 

Sunday, September 7, 2014

P is for "Pell-Mell"


I am close to tears because of this strain
Not from sitting on a dirty drain
Neither hiding behind the train
I won't cry in the rain
For my tears will be in vain
Eyes that see me feel no pain;
But I don't want them to gain
The pain that flows through my vein
After feeding on the entire brain,
The organ we consider the main;
Now, I feel I am already slain
Resting on a windowpane
My right hand still holding a pen
The left, with a notebook, just plain.

The only solution is to pull the mane (Photo courtesy: Click LINK)

I ain't sure how to break this chain
But I know I am forced to remain.
To others, I try to maintain
That I am not going insane.
But this agony is hard to restrain
Even as a matured man;
Sometimes, I wish I can complain
About the toxin that it contain
The severity of this sprain
But I can, only if I abuse cocaine
Which I think is just inane
Something that I always disdain.
The only solution I retain
Is to weep while pulling my mane.

“It’s not the load that BREAKS you down, it’s the way you carry it” – LOUHOLTZ

Saturday, September 6, 2014

O is for ‘On the ropes’

I am on a voyage of a thorny life 
Where depression and melancholy is rife;
And the bleed due to this mental strife 
Beheads my hope with a razor knife

Those distant dreams that I once saw near
Appears afar, which might chew another more year; 
My courage started to cave in, with a swelling fear
Even after working with the right gear  

When the tentacles of feeling irresolute ensnare, visible become the invisible    

Those dreams that I once saw grow well
Appears to droop, rather than to swell
My faith started to sink into this deep well
All at once, so now I am crippled to quell

Those dreams that I once saw grow tall
Appears to dissolve, each day turning small
My confidence started to drop, almost closer to null
And now I know, I am going to fall

“Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving” – Albert Einstein

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Disclaimer

The thoughts expressed here are entirely my own and in no way represent the views of any individual or organisation I am associated with. This blog is my personal digital space – a canvas where the musings of my mind are shaped into narratives – keeping me engaged while serving as an archive for future reflections. These writings are, therefore, purely personal, and readers are urged to approach them with discretion. Unless explicitly stated, any resemblance to real people, places, or events is purely coincidental. I accept no liability for any consequences arising from the use or misinterpretation of the content on this page unless prior written consent has been granted. Regarding visuals, credit is always attributed to their rightful sources. Those wishing to use any images found here are encouraged to trace back to the original source and provide appropriate acknowledgment.

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