Generation gap

With the going of one generation, comes the next generation. This is a simple fact of life, also could be put as 'cycle of life'. There are generations in each family. The eldest (grandparents), a little junior (our parents, uncles, aunts etc) and the next generation (kids). These are 3 generations, oldest, current and upcoming. These determine the future of EVERYTHING. Look around in your family and you shall certainly see a difference in the behavior, characteristics, way of life - each generation has got it's unique way of living.

It was the usual Christmas evening, spent with family, talking and discussing on various topics. THERE, came the topic of discussion - the generation gap, why does it get created?

My sister has a son, whose 3 years old, a little naughty but that's understandable at his age. His parents at times lose their temper and scold him in front of everyone, he's too small to understand what they're saying so he persists with what he's doing, to which his father said that he's getting 'disobedient'. My uncle very rightly pointed out : when a kid is very young (3-6) years of age, he/she is really sensitive. If you scold him/her in front of all the family, he will go into a shell and a gap between parents and the kid may get created at this very young age.

My sister and her husband agreed to the point my uncle made and realized that they must not scold their only son in front of everyone. My uncle continued and also added that if a child makes mistake - do not unnecessarily show anger to him. If you get too angry with him at this young age, the chances are that when he/she grows - he/she may not even fear your anger because he/she will get used to it.

My father to which made a very sensitive and I believe very valid point : the best way to judge how close your children are to you, is - when you come from office and IF your children wait for you/open the door for you - the communication is very strong. On the flip side of which, if you come from office and your children silently go to their respective rooms, not willing to spend much time - THEN something's wrong.

My father added further that to him, I'm his BEST friend and if your child is your best friend - that's THE perfect relationship. Understandably so because then a child will not hide anything from his/her parents  and there'll be no possibility of a communication gap.

Everyone was agreeing to each others views and adding their own in the process. My uncle and father both explained that how my grandfather, only few times, used to get really angry but he NEVER allowed a situation to arise where his 4 sons would get angry with him - a situation where a gap may be created between a father and his 4 sons, NEVER did this happen. He showed his anger with his words and after 5 minutes, forgot everything and went to his sons and made them understand everything, only this time very calmly - THIS made a difference. My father along with his 3 brothers understood better when a calm route was taken and not when an aggressive route was taken.

That's pretty much it. Discussion on a topic which can be endless but plenty of good views coming in, not many contradictions. What are your views on this? If you've got anything to add, please do so. I look forward to hearing from you. :)

Read More

We CAN but WITH Beard, WE Can't. P.A.U.S.

Political leaders - the leaders of a country. The superpower of the world i.e. USA, president of which is Barack Obama to whom everyone looks upto. He is one such leader who has the responsibility of not only taking care of his country but also setting high examples for every other country to follow.

He has to always be well mannered, well spoken and well groomed. Imagine him with a beard, can ya? A well groomed man with beard - irony, as in, how can one be groomed and at the same time bearded!

Obama is the perfect example of how one should BE. His dedication towards his country and work, spending time with family, always being energetic and most importantly - being ready for the obstacles that come in his way - which he always overcomes with his will power. He's the MAN to idolize.

A man WITHOUT beard. A perfect man indeed. A leader who we all follow. A personality who drives the world. A president like no other. Barack Obama, you CAN!

WITHOUT beard, even WE can. :)

This is my 4th entry for Blogadda's P.A.U.S. contest.
This post is a response to Sammya's tag here

This post is a part of the Protest Against Smelly Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Read More

A Writer's Story

This is a fictional story which revolves around today's busy world which might at times, 'oversee' real talent.

Night of August 15th, 2002 :-

Michael Shores, lived in California - USA, college pass-out who didn't make it big in the corporate world, desperate to achieve something big in life, he was suggested by his parents to pursue with his art of writing. He had very little idea of how writing worked, he was an amateur writer but he had no other real alternative. 

6 months down the line, Night of February 15th, 2003

Michael Shores, after 6 months of sheer dedication and no real contact with the outside world, finally had a book ready to be published. He went to his parents and they were really happy to learn that their son was pursuing in the right direction, following his dream. However, what followed next was nothing short of a nightmare. 

Michael Shores went to every recognized publisher of the area, small or big - every publisher accepted his book but didn't wrote in to him - no suggestions, no offer of publishing. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Michael was naturally very disgusted by the response, after putting so much of hard work into the book; he was still short of success... 

At this point of the story, it's important to note that Michael had just his parents that were actually worthy of being called 'family and friends', he had no other connection with his college friends - they all had established well in their life which made Michael's life more miserable, hungry for success. 

The tragic day - 21st of January, 2004 

This day would forever be a tragic day for Michael, the day he lost his mother. Michael's mother was a long sufferer of the disease - Cancer. She could have been cured but only if there was someone to support her medical expenses. Michael's father was a Clerk in a California school. What he earned was only good to support his family's food and groceries needs, leave apart medical needs. His son i.e. Michael, had no money and hence, the family was in great dismay. 

It was a tragic loss, which made Michael even more depressed. He blamed himself for this - had he earned good money, would his mother still be alive! More likely, yes.

Michael lived away from his parents, in the same city though but with the tragic demise of his mother, Michael asked his father to live with him, even though he earned basically nothing but he knew it wouldn't be safe to let his father live alone. 

In the coming months, Michael's father's health got from bad to worse. Having lost his wife, his father had no one really to talk to, sharing his feeling with. Michael's father now hardly even talked to him. 

The guilt in Michael was growing continuously. His book had no publisher and THEN came the big move - Michael decided to write a new book, more of an memoir of all the good things of his life and the good deeds of the society - a truly positive book but the situation around him, was everything but positive. 

Michael's father passed away just months after his mother passed away, his father couldn't bear living in the miserable conditions anymore. Michael was alone in this huge world where all he had 'was a pen and paper'. 

Michael had small tenors as waiter, clerk, postman and what not! Nothing good enough to get him out of his financial crisis. He had no good education to get a good job, as it was already mentioned at the starting of the story; he still persisted with his aim for writing.

The tragic end but a new beginning: Michael wrote his 2nd book; this time it took him a year, sent it to many publishers and waited for a response. Months passed by and NOTHING, absolutely nothing, just like his 1st book. Michael could no more bear the load of this world, he distanced himself away from everything, had no money to eat food, had no good reason to be alive - he suffered a tragic death. 

June of 2007, a letter is written to Michael

Hello Michael,

This is James Parker of the BCB publishers. You'd be glad to know that we've selected your book to be published. We hope to hear from you soon,

Best regards,

James Parker

BCB Publishers

James Parker received no reply and soon he came to know that Michael was no more alive, he had left behind his writing. James took the brave decision of publishing Michael's book, with Michael's name. James knew the potential of the book and how it could be a ‘good seller' it was just a matter of time now, that this book was held in people's hand, ready to be read. 

With all the procedures done – the book was ready to be published. Early January of 2009, got Michael's book 'Our Mirror Reflection' published.  

It released to an overwhelming response from the public, fitting to the life of Michael Shores, a writer. . 

Read More

Dove - It's not just good, it's simply the best

When it comes to the health of your loved ones, you always select the best for them. In order to look beautiful, you need beautiful skin. How do we get that? Simple, stay at home 24x7, no contact from the outside world and no sun-burning i.e. equal to perfect skin. Not possible, is it! I'll give you a better alternative - the name is Dove.

When it comes to the skin of our loved ones, we just cannot risk it. We want to provide them with the best. Someone with smallest of the knowledge about skin products would know that Dove is the 'best among the best' - a line often used by my grandfather when he's referring to Dove.

I recently received a sample of Dove soap (courtesy of Dove and IndiBlogger). Just as the courier arrived and I opened it and saw the Dove soap, packed to perfection, I showed it to my parents. They just said this - wow, Dove soap that'll be hugely useful bcz it's THE standard for every other brand in this category. I was obviously delighted that I had participated to receive the sample, not that I hadn't used Dove before or that I was unaware of it but it was satisfying to know my parent's view about it hadn't changed and that does mean that Dove had consistently maintained it's high standards.

Dove Guessing Game -  It's been a few days since I received the Dove sample soaps. My family has been using it and there has been a clear difference. Softer and better skin - just what you need for your family. On a lighter note, the place where we've kept the soap, has also become cleaner. :p The smell of the soap has given our house a 'fresher' feeling. :)

My story associated with Dove - 1 year ago when my elder brother's son was born, I was absolutely clueless about what to gift my newly born nephew. I thought of toys but he was too small, dress - too many of 'em, so what! I was suggested by my parents to gift him with something that will be 'really useful'. What more useful than a skin product! I bought a Dove hamper for my nephew, which I knew would sooner or later will be really useful i.e. whenever he's ready to take a bath. :D As he grew a few days older, my brother started using Dove for his son and for such a small kid, we ought to be very careful with the products we use. The hamper was full of useful products and that MADE ME satisfied as my brother was satisfied. A gift for the loved ones from heart, our priority is the well being of our loved ones. :) 

The story I've shared is fairly simple and straight forward and truly Dove is special because it provides you with the BEST. 'Family is the best friend we have and Dove is the most caring mate that we can have'. :)

My experience with Dove - top notch! Do give Dove a try and take #DoveFaceTest. 

Do visit Dove's site here and get knowledge about this truly 'family friendly' product because Dove is simply the best among the best. :)

Read More

Creativity - losing it's meaning in India?

Creative people - they're born, not made. Creativity is something that you cannot teach to someone, it's a born art that one sharpens as he/she grows maturer. It's an art of life, not everyone is blessed to be creative but those that are - behold with themselves a great trade.

India is a country of diverse culture, rich tradition and marvelous heritage. Who else but us should be the leaders in creativity among all the other countries but sadly, it isn't so. Why? Do we lack creative people! Certainly not. Then why? It's simple, we do not give creative people the respect that they deserve.

In spite of continuous growth of our country, we're lacking behind in certain aspects that will bring our country to the world level, give us the fame that our country has always deserved. Why is it that creative people need to leave THEIR country and try to make a name for themselves in other countries?

I recently saw a Shekhar Kapoor interview, widely recognized director from India. He has directed musicals abroad but why is he not being provided the same platform in India? AR Rehmann does the same i.e. musical concerts abroad but why not in India? At a recent event of a news channel, Zubin Mehta mentioned that the capital of our country doesn't even has a concert hall. You decide, is it right for government to neglect the creative side of our country!

It would be unfair if I name one creative field and don't name the other, it'd be best if we refer to them as 'creative people' belonging to 'creative field'. Without more ado, it must be government's priority to create high quality infrastructure for people 'blessed' with creativity. Whether it's concert halls, institutes or just about helping them economically - government must not neglect them.

This post is a basic idea of where the creative field and creative people of our country stand, do post your views regarding the same. I look forward to hearing your views. :)  

Read More

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/ 

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at Aditya_J6@rediffmail.com. 

At http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/ and how it is used. 

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. 

Cookies and Web Beacons 
http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser. 

DoubleClick DART Cookie 
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/.
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/ and other sites on the Internet. 
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html 

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense


These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see. 

http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers. 

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. http://galaxyofinnovations.blogspot.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites. 

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites. 

Read More

Yoga Tablet : It's the new age 'Yoga'

Tablets : the new age of technology has seen this solid innovation called 'tablet'. When computers came it took the whole world by a storm, then came laptops which could be carried anywhere/everywhere and now tablets - easy to use, lightweight and can be carried very easily. The future of tablets is bright, they come at a very reasonable price and with the ever progressing technology field, the future ought to see more wonderful tablets.

Tablets, Laptops, Computers - in that respective order, that's how I see it. Tablets outshine laptops and computers.I'll tell you a story of why this is so :-

My grandmother got admitted in hospital :  Recently, my grandmother was admitted in hospital, I stayed with her for a few hours and as you know, hospitals don't allow you to carry much of your stuff with yourself. I had my tablet with myself which I was allowed to carry, I went upto my grandmother and she was very sick and very weak, her room did not had any TV and she wanted her family to be around her, she needed someone to talk. We all did everything possible to comfort her. When I was there in her room, she mentioned my elder brother's wedding and how she loved the way wedding took place. Luckily, I had my brother's wedding video stored in my tablet, I showed it to my grandmother and she was watching so curiously, she was totally loving the 'celebration' in the video and as you know, when someone is sick - they must be given reasons to smile and I'm glad that my tablet could do that for my grandmother. This is just another story of how technology has made our life much more convenient, more so than we realize.

Work on the go : Today's world is full of competition and you must be ready to work 24x7, it's hectic but that's how it is. The new age technology of tablet has made it easier to stay connected with your work, even when you're travelling. Whether you're travelling through the railways, roadways or the airways - staying in touch with your work is just a click away. Tablets don't take much space, my jacket takes more space in my bag as compared to my tablet. :p Besides, tablets are 'packed' with features, they're no less than a laptop - it fits the definition of 'smart', what could be smarter than a tablet!

The ideal tablet - Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8:

Ideal battery, keeps you updated on the go -  Battery life upto 18hrs is rare in tablets, even 10hrs battery life is said to be 'satisfactory' but lenovo always sets it's standards above everyone else because it is THE standard FOR EVERYONE else.

A processor ideal for all your work -  It runs on the Quad Core MT 8389 and with the Quad Core 1.2 GHz, with 1 GB LP DDR2 memory, 16 GB emMC storage and also supports Micro SD card upto 64 GB and runs on the Android OS 4.2 Jelly Bean. 

Bluetooth, 3G, Wifi, Camera -  Name it and Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 has all the features that you could ask for in a tablet. It streams videos at the HD display of 1280x800. With a lovely screen size of 8", watching videos will be a sheer delight.

For internet users, 3G and Wifi is supported, so be up to date even when you're on the go. The camera is magnificent for a tablet coming at such reasonable price. 1.6 MP HD Front Camera and 5 MP Rear Camera - now share all your magical photos with your loved ones, whenever you want - wherever you want.

Unique features, unique tablet -

Multimode usage modes : hold, tilt and stand, makes it easier for you to use the tablet - the way you want.

Speakers with Dolby Digital Plus - now, don't listen to good music, listen to ideal music- the way it was always meant to be listened.

Perfection is not easy to achieve but with the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 and the all new Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10, perfection has been achieved by Lenovo.

Do visit Lenovo's Facebook page to get more information about their products, click here. 

Read More

My award is for you...

You know, when I was sitting their in the audience, several thoughts popped into my mind. Am I looking good? Is my hair alright? If I win, will I be able to speak on the stage, or just take the trophy and run back home? Well, it was all anxiety and even though, my legs are right now shaking, I can still speak because the trophy I'm holding in my hands is not only prestigious but beholds with itself a great meaning and makes me - confident of myself.

I've always been a shy guy. When I was young, I used to hear my father speak and think to myself - could I every possibly speak like that? Could I ever address a large audience? Am I capable of doing so? And yes, I did ask many questions. I was a curious kid. :p Anyways, as I got into my teen years, I had this habit of maintaining a diary, wrote about various topics in it but never shared it with anyone. Not until a few years later at least.

My father has always been the driving force of my life, still is. If he says 'Sachin isn't the best cricketer EVER', I'd agree on that too, even though I know he'd be lying. :D I've always wanted to be like my father, the way he dressed, the way he walks, the way he speaks, the way he smiles, the way he can make everyone his own in an unknown room - in mere 5 minutes. He's the perfect idol one can have and I'm glad to have him as my father and as an idol. This trophy is truly dedicated to him and my mother for her selfless sacrifices towards making me what I am.

I started blogging at the age of 15. I realized that maintaining a diary wasn't exactly what I was looking for, I wanted a platform to express my views and let it reach a large audience and blogging gave me that platform. I could express myself, anytime, any day. I could know the views of others, learn every time. That's the beauty of blogging.

Now, me standing here and not thanking/congratulating the fellow bloggers who got nominated, would be selfish on my part. I might be just lucky to be holding this trophy because I know that you all behold with yourself the same talent and a balloon full of ideas within yourself, just like me.

My family has always been the guiding force in my life. My grandparents have instilled me with such values that I've always thought twice before writing every article - am I writing right! Will this piece hurt someone's feelings? Be assured, what I write, comes from my heart because that's the greatest and perhaps the only trade of a 'good writer'.

Last but not the least, the team because of which this all has been possible - the Blogadda team. You guys are the reason why I'm holding this trophy today, it's because of you that I have this confidence in me to address such a large gathering and still not get hesitant to share what I actually feel. You guys have taught me that sharing is indeed caring because sharing my ideas through my blog, has given me immense satisfaction.

So guys *sheds a tear or two* - my award is for you all, we as the blogging community take pride in writing and such awards must be shared with you all because we all somewhat share the same thoughts and ideas and belong from the same community, we're a family of bloggers.

I remain thankful to the BlogAdda team for this wonderful trophy, filled with the joy of creativity and 'out of the box' thinking. :)

This would be My Winning Speech on being rewarded the BlogAdda Blog Award!

Read More

Beard is ugly, beard is bad...

A short poem on why 'beard' must be avoided...

Beard is ugly, beard is bad,
be a Baird man not an ugly man
Beard is ugly, beard is bad,
life is pretty, why to be ugly - man?

Beard is ugly, beard is bad,
it makes your face look sad
Beard is ugly, beard is bad,
be handsome and charming - that's the way of life

Beard is ugly, beard is bad,
avoid it, for a future bright,
Beard is ugly, beard is bad,
it's smelly, it's irritating, it's just so BAAAAAAD...

Thank you! :D

This post is a part of the Protest Against Smelly Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.


This is my 2nd post for P.A.S.S.
I was tagged by Anita in her post here

Read More

Gift Of Life - Living It The Right Way

Santa Claus is coming to house - yes, Christmas is just a few days away and this is an ideal time to gift your children something special. What could possibly be the best gift? For me, a toy or a playstation wrapped in a gift box isn't ideally the 'perfect' gift.

We all are blessed with the gift of life but as we know, every gift has to be used carefully. The gift of life is one such gift which we all have but do we use it correctly? On this Christmas, give your children the gift of 'lessons' - telling them the right way to live life.

• The Gift Of Integrity - integrity and ethics are the most valuable trades in a person. These trades make you stand out from the rest and make you 'special'. Many people would want to deem with these values but only a few in reality actually CAN. These your children to deem with these values because if they do - they wouldn't need to 'run after success, success would run after them'.
• The Gift Of Passion - passion is in each one of us. But, this passion must not be misunderstood with 'over-passion', which results in dire results. We must be passionate in the work we do but we should also accept the fact that alongside success, failures are going to be extremely important curve of learning.
• The Gift Of Will Power - today's competitive world isn't easy to live in and by the time, today's kids become tomorrow's future, this world will get more competitive. Hence, it is extremely vital to make today's young generation understand that 'will power' in today's world is sensationally important. No one becomes successful without a few obstacles in his/her way and that's what makes 'life' interesting and filled with 'surprises'. :)
• The Gift Of Smile - Continuing from the last point, in this tough world and in the fight of life, we often forget the importance of 'smiling'. We should firmly believe that if our smile can make someone else in difficulty smile then 'our life is worth it'. We're all here to spread positiveness and it takes a whole life time to understand this but if these values are taught to today's young generation, the future shall certainly behold with itself something special. 
• The Gift Of Competitiveness - the last and perhaps the most important gift from parents to their children - should be to gift them the 'power' to fight with their competitors. We get competitors not necessarily after we get matured, from our young days - competition is all around. It could be a match of cricket with your friends or a racing competition, being competitive is the need of the hour. 

These 5 gifts will not be wrapped in a gift box but wrapped 'from the heart' filled with love. Gift is something that should come in handy to the person you're giving it to and as parents, you'd certainly want to give your children something that will come in handy to them and what's more handy than teaching them about the 'gift of life' and gifting them with your 'teachings' and 'lessons'. :)

This post is a part of the 1001 Gifts Activity by HDFC Life in association with BlogAdda.

Read More

Be A Baird Man, Not A Beard Man - P.A.S.S.

My grandparent's wedding : My grandfather had this awkward beard on his face which made him look, let's just say 'not handsome'.

My grandmother, belonged from a rich family, she was getting married to my grandfather solely because of his good family background and she had never seen my grandfather before the wedding day. On the day of the wedding, when my grandmother's family saw my grandfather, they weren't particularly happy - because of the uncalled for beard on his face.

On the next morning of the wedding, my grandfather was understandably very tired after a hectic day and was sleeping till late in the morning. Certain people after the wedding were telling my grandmother's father that he had selected the wrong man for my grandmother, they didn't like my grandfather's bearded look. My grandmother's younger sister wasn't liking this (she was just 15) and decided to do something REALLY UNBELIEVABLE.

She CUT my grandfather's beard off while he was asleep and the funny part is - my grandfather didn't even wake up through the process. After a few hours my grandfather woke up and saw his clean-shaved look, he at first was shocked but maintained his composure and after a few minutes realized that all this while, he had been growing a beard for no reason, he looked quite handsome without it and everyone was telling him the same.

This story was told to me by my grandmother a few days ago and NOW I understand why my grandfather HATED when I grew a beard a few months ago. He asked me 'don't you want to look handsome! Why the beard'?

Moral of the story : Clean shaved look has been appreciated for many years now, don't you wanna regard your seniors and abide by the same! :D

This post is a part of the Protest Against Smelly Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.



This is my 1st post for P.A.S.S.
I was tagged by Anita in her post here

Read More

A conversation between a mother and her son

Maa - this is a relation that cannot be put into mere words. It's a relation which starts the very movement you start to come into this world. 9 months in a mother's care before coming into this world - that's the immense contribution that a mother has in her child's life. It's only vaguely important for me to enlighten you all on this relation because we all know it's solid importance in our life.

I write this article because just a few days back, I witnessed a conversation between a mother and a son which made me very emotional, it made me even more sensitive towards this relation. As they say "maa-bete ke rishte jaisa, aur koi rishta nahin".. :)

My grandmother got admitted into a hospital just a few days back and my father and I went to the hospital to see her. She was at the Hospital reception, in a wheelchair (she was very weak to walk). I could sense that my father got highly emotional to see his mother in such a situation but being a man of high will power, he controlled himself. My grandmother looked at us and smiled. I touched her feet and she gave me her blessings but only she knew the difficulties that she was going through.

After that, my grandmother, with my grandfather sitting on her left hand side on a chair and my father sitting to his left, what I saw next was a conversation between a mother and a son - with father as the mediator. My grandmother as I mentioned earlier was very weak, she was not able to talk properly or in high voice and so my grandfather was conveying all that she was saying to my father. I observed the scene very silently and carefully.

On the next day when my grandmother got admitted, my father was giving her the afternoon meal. As my father was about to give her the last bite, she said to him "today, I couldn't be happier. I'm blessed that my youngest son is with me in this tough time and helping me to eat my lunch."

Now, this may not be the biggest incidents that you may come across in your life or an incident on which you'd properly write but I just felt to share this with you all. A mother-son relationship is one that cannot be put into words and this is just another such story which to some extend makes us realize how precious this relationship really is.. :)

Read More

The life changing revolutions - social networking sites

Like, share, tweet, interact - I'm pretty sure you're familiar with these social networking phrases. We're the age of social networking, we're privileged to have a platform where we have the option to connect with people who can be totally strangers to us at first but gradually become our great 'social' networking friends. Facebook and twitter stand among the major social networking sites, we all spend quite some time on either or both of these sites, I certainly do.

The story behind the invention of Facebook is very interesting and having watched the movie - the social network, made on the real life story of Mark Zuckerberg, I can say that this man is extremely inspiring. He has not only given us a platform to express ourselves but has also provided us with a 'whole new world', imagining of which 20 years ago wouldn't have been possible. 

There are people who hate social networking and people who adore it/love it. The fact remains, you can't ignore it. Even those who are totally against such sites would've created an account at some point of time to experience this world, they might not have liked it but they couldn't ignore it and that's the magic of these sites. These sites have got negatives but they've got plenty of positives as well.

Talking over the mobile isn't the 'trend' anymore. It's better to stay socially connected over FB and twitter where your friend and family leave you a message and you have the liberty to reply whenever you want. Besides, no matter in which part of the world you're residing in, social networking has spread it's magic everywhere.

Sites like IndiBlogger give us the liberty to express our views through the median of our writing to a very widespread reading audience. This is another great example of how social networking has given us several platforms to express our views with people having similar interests. 

Here's me, saying cheers to the age of social networking. We're truly privileged to be a part of this generation - this age rocks! :)

Read More

The curious case of Campa Cola - has justice been done?

Some of you might be unfamiliar with the case of 'campa cola'. It's an apartment in the suburb of Mumbai, built on an unauthorized property. The people have been living in this very apartment for around 20 years now and after 20 years, it's now come to the attention of everyone that this very apartment is unauthorized and must be 'tarnished'. The last few days have been full of emotions for the people residing in Campa Cola. Their apartment was about to be torn down early this month but the decision was postponed until the SC (supreme court) had it's final say, the people got happier and celebrated a late diwali. Sadly though, yesterday the BIG decision came.

The SC has ordered the apartment to be torn down, late in the may of 2014. There are several perspectives to this case. Is the property Illegal? YES. Is it therefore safe/right to stay there? NO. 2 very obvious questions but what about human aspects? Whose to be blamed - held responsibly for the people now? Where will they go? Many would've spent their day-to-day hard earned money on their flats in this apartment and now- they're ACTUALLY on the ROADS. What a sham! What a sham! No one, absolutely no one is standing up for these people. Are they not citizen of this country? I understand the fact that their apartment is built on an unauthorized land and if the SC had not come with the decision it has, it would've been wrong - as per the law at least.

If we see the case as per the current circumstances - there are so many unauthorized lands in this very country of ours, on which people still reside without any worries. Besides, what about the politicians? There's one of the politicians who came on one of the news channels to speak on this very issue and to my utter surprise - even HE has a flat in a nearby apartment to Campa Cola- which is also unauthorized. What explanation could we possibly get to this?

With all due respect to supreme court, the decision that it has given is indeed right and I sincerely stand by it but the point I raise is - whose to be held responsibly for all the people that have now come to the roads? Shouldn't the government help them? If their livelihoods have been WASTED on an unauthorized land, they have been cheated, betrayed and frauded - whom should they now turn to get help? The government in my opinion ought to help these helpless people in the smallest of the way that it can. This loss is incurable, if you watch the videos of these people (being shown on news channels) - they're crying, they're sad, they've got nowhere to go - and I as the citizen of this country feel the need to help them but can't do anything.

What are your thoughts on this? Is there any solution? Can a compromise be made?

Do post your views. 

Read More

Youth - don't get carried away, know your priorities

Youth is a time of life when there are sudden changes in our personality, some are good and some not so. This story is of a boy, aged 26 and how one incident could have gone either way... Read to know what I mean..

It was yet another Saturday night, Mithun was tired of continuous work load and decided to party out with his friends. His father was sick - he had this HUGE question on his mind, should he go to the party or stay at home and take care of his father! He was reluctant to go and party but he just couldn't decide, his friend called him from downstairs and said - come down, I'm here. Mithun had made up his mind, he was going for the party, after all it was just a normal fever that his father was having. Mithun went to his father and said - Dad, I'm going for a party, call me if you need anything. To which Dad replied, I'd let your mother know, you go and enjoy with your friends.

Mithun was going to party with his friends in a disco, he couldn't help but question his choice- was he right to leave his ill father and old aged mother alone? Is partying really more important than his parents? Well, it was too late now, he was about to reach the disco... After reaching to the disco, he forgot everything and started partying.. Loud music, good food, chit-chat with friends - he couldn't be happier.

1 hour, 2 hour, 3 hours and finally after 3 and a half hours later, the party came to an end. It was time to go home. It was late, 11:30 in the night. Mithun checked his phone and the next few minutes were filled with tension - 38 missed calls in 10 minutes, he wondered what was going on.  His mother called him continuously 2 hours ago, 38 missed calls in just 10 mins - he was bound to get curious. Mithun called back but no one was picking up, Mithun tried to be positive but just couldn't help but think of the negative side - was his father alright? Did something tragic happen? Mithun was sweating, he let his friends know of the same and they were supportive but at the end of the day, only Mithun knew what was going inside his head. He requested one of his friends to immediately take him to his house - he sat in the car and on the way back home, all the negative thoughts came into his mind.

Mithun wondered - if something has happened to his father, no one but he himself will be responsible. Was partying actually so important? The moment arrived - Mithun reached his house, stood on the door step - the door was locked, he rang the bell.. He wondered - will someone open up? Is everything fine? And then came his mother and opened the door and said "aa gaye beta, aao"... Mithun's friend was with him.. Both he and Mithun looked around and saw the father resting in his bedroom... Mithun took a breath of relief.. 

Mithun asked his mother - why did you call me 38 times? Filled with tension, he hoped for a positive answer. His mother replied "38 missed calls"? And as she said that, she started laughing and then explained... "Your cousin Ajay came with his son and I gave my mobile to his son to play games on"... " He might have mistakenly called you.. And sigh - Mithun was relieved.. He thanked his friend for dropping him off.. As soon as his friend left, Mithun told everything to his mother. How he questioned himself, how he thought that a tragedy had happened, how he regretted leaving his ill father at home along with his old-age mother. The mother was all shocked hearing this.. She tried not to cry but couldn't help it.. That's how mothers are, they're just too kind.. :) Mother looked at his son and said - tu itni chinta karta hai, yehi behut hai, beta.. Sab theek hai.. :)

End Story

To the readers :- Through this story I want to convey one message - youth is certainly beautiful but at times we get carried away and in this young hood we make certain wrong choices. We must be careful of the choices we make and we must know our priorities. I hope you liked this story.. :)

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

Read More

Good concurring over evil - insights of our life

Good concurring over evil - that's the main extract from the festival of Diwali. One must not follow the path that leads to the wrong direction but always opt for the path that might be tough at first but will eventually lead to the right way. Our forefathers instilled these values in themselves and set an example for the coming generations. We too must abide by the examples already set and are being set by our elders.

My grandfather lived a life with ethics and integrity. He's currently aged 77 and still persists with his values. He refuses to take any help from his sons (4 of them), he believes in doing all his work on his own. Several times when he has financial crisis or either of the 4 families isn't doing well, he looks to help them in whichever small way he can by HIMSELF. At the age of 77, I asked him once - "do you regret following the path of ethics and integrity"? I asked him this because he belonged to the civil engineering line and was time and again in his life offered bribe and if he had accepted all those bribes, he would be a lot richer today but he ALWAYS refused. At the age of 77, he doesn't regret with his choice and that makes him the perfect idol for me.

My father has always followed HIS father's footsteps and I also look to deem with similar values. In today's highly competitive life, getting influenced by earning money through the wrong means is no wonder. It's sad that on one side of the coin, certain people of our country have so much money with themselves that their upcoming generations wouldn't even need to work to support their family and on the flip side of the coin, there are so many people struggling each day to provide their families with day-to-day necessities. Every society has such kinds of different strokes but is our country a little more 'exceptional' in this context?

The rich businessmen of this country spend heaps of rupees in a sporting league, couldn't this money be of a better use if it was contributed to charities instead? Entertainment to the people is one thing, agreed that it is required but the development of the country is the 'NEED OF THE HOUR'. Similarly, the politicians of our country that are OUR representatives 'as per say' - they get richer and richer whereas the majority of the people of this country get frustrated/depressed by their financial situation. Getting sacked from jobs, not getting promotion, salaries being stopped, excess work load - it's not going to be a 'happy diwali' for many of the Indians. Whose responsible for this? We talk about the victory of good over evil but is it true to say then, that in today's world, the people who are instead rewarded are those that 'do not value their principles' and instead earn money through wrong means and stay happy, whereas the highly honest and ethical people of this country, remain depressed with their situation.

You decide - is it worth persisting with your values and principles in today's world? Is the theory of 'the good always wins over evil' - no more true? Do post your views! :)

Read More

Bid adieu to the 'face of cricket'..

Oh yes! It's Sunday.. - this expression might be understood in a different context for all the non-cricket fans out there but for cricket fans, sunday was special and there was this one person in particular who made sunday's special - yes, it's the little master himself. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar gave people a reason to smile in the tough times, a reason to be happy, a reason to be excited, a moment to be nervous. Watching Sachin bat, every cricket fan felt excited, tensed, happy, nervous, angry - what Sachin felt on the field, we felt off it, that's the magic the little master beheld with himself all these years.

"Everything good, eventually comes to an end" - in every sport, there comes a time when a player comes and changes the game forever - for cricket, it is and will always be Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar has given so much to the cricket and now knowing that he's just around for a mere few days until he hangs his boots - one just cant get enough of him. I'm one such person who has/will/could never get enough of Tendulkar's brilliance. I've grown up watching Tendulkar, I started watching cricket for Tendulkar and now - cricket will never be the same again.. 

Whether it be Tendulkar's innings against England, which won the match for India - after the horrific incident of 24/11 or Tendulkar's innings in Sharjah against Australia, a match which was not hit by any other storm but the storm of the little master himself. This very man made people forget their worries/tensions and gave us 'happiness' without any cost.

I've been a huge fan of the way Tendulkar has carried himself off the field. Not only has he never got into any controversy in terms of his behavior, he has always maintained his composure on the pitch too. He's the perfect example of how success should get the better out of you and not the worse. Billions of people watch Tendulkar, they watch how he carries himself and certain people in fact would try to copy what he does - this makes it so much more important for Tendulkar to lead as an example for each one of his followers, we all know how many followers he has. His persona is as such that whatever he does, becomes the - TREND. Whether it be his hair style, his french beard, his batting stance - Tendulkar's fans just want to exactly like him and why not! He's the little master - everyone would like to be him.  It has become very usual for the parents in India now to name their children 'Sachin' - this shows that he's indeed a very popular household name but who doesn't know that!

In all these years, we saw a young teenage succeeding in making a mark for himself in cricket and the most proud fact for every cricket fan is that - even at the twilight of his career, he still holds a great deal of respect among his fans and similarly he still holds a great deal of respect for his fans. We love Tendulkar not just for his cricketing skills but also for his inspiring personality and terrific way of dealing with immense success. 

Sachin Tendulkar - you gave us a reason to smile, let's give you a farewell that you remember forever and forever. Your last match against West Indies wont be judged in parameters - making runs or getting out on 0, it'll be a celebration of cricket and a adieu to the 'face of cricket'. :)

Read More

Smart Suraksha : App that helps you stay safe

In this age of technology, applications have become a way of life. Android phones are getting popular by the passing of each day. Whether you've a good house or not, a good phone is a must. Similarly, in life, safety is a MUST. When it comes to safety, one just cannot be careless. We're always concerned of our loved ones, we may not always show it though. My parents for instance get worried whenever I'm even slightly late coming back home. That's how protective our parents are towards us.. Similarly, I get very concerned when my old grandparents go out of the house for a walk and don't return back on time, there safety is MY concern. 

Just to quote one example - once my grandmother was going to her village to meet her sisters. Along with her, there was my grandfather and my elder uncle who was carrying all of my grandparent's belongings. My grandfather has a very fast speed of walking, whereas my grandmother as she's aged, cannot walk quickly. I need not to explain you the situation at Indian railway stations, there's always so much rush that unless you're quick to walk, you'd be left behind.

In such scenario, my grandmother got left behind and both my grandfather and uncle moved ahead. Suddenly my grandmother couldn't find them and got worried. Now, a few steps ahead, both my grandfather and uncle realized that my grandmother had been left behind - they got extremely worried. My grandmother had at that time recently recovered from cancer and was extremely weak, in such situation, the tension was bound to be HIGH. My grandfather called home and let his other 3 sons know about the situation.. 

My uncle got an announcement made at the railway station for my missing grandmother, hearing this my grandmother quickly went to the railway station office and there she MET her son (my uncle) and by god's grace, she was absolutely fine.. We were very lucky that my grandmother was safe and she quickly came to the railway office. In such case though, an app like Smart Suraksha could have been of such a huge help. She could have sent a message to all of her 4 sons and to my grandfather, which would've resulted in less panic and more quick finding of my grandmother. 

I wish she had Smart Suraksha with her.

Read More

An evening spent talking about Indian politics - who'll be the next PM of India?

If there's one topic on which we generally like to debate and discuss while we're with our family or friends - it ought to be the Indian politics. When it comes to discussing about something relevant, Indian politics is the first topic that comes to mind.. So then, it was the usual evening being spent with family and as we switched through the TV channels, we came across Modi's speech. I personally am a huge fan of Modi, of course because of his political stature but also because his personal life story truly inspires me. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, he's young, energetic, popular and has a bright future ahead. I'm a keen follower of his political speeches too and of course he belongs to the Gandhi family, under the immense pressure of representing his family, he certainly does really well. When it comes to selecting one among the two, it isn't an easy task for me.

For my family though, they've got their favorites already picked. Whereas my uncle says it'll be Rahul Gandhi's emotional speeches that's gonna hurt Modi, my father says that it's going to be Modi's track record as the CM of Gujarat and his personal life stories that makes him the most favorite candidate for the next PM of India. Along side this, my cousin couldn't resist and joined the discussion, carrying forward with my father's views. He too agreed that Modi will easily concur the elections and come out victorious, to which his sister disagreed and supported Rahul Gandhi, whom he rates very highly for his bluntness and honesty.

When it comes to discussing Indian politics, one just cannot overlook the role of the small parties that cut the vote of the other major parties, in this case it is the Congress and the BJP (2 major parties). If we talk about Delhi, the place where I reside, the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) holds some strong chances for a upset in the upcoming Delhi elections. Not only is it expected to cut BJP's votes but might just upset the Congress and come out as the next party to rule Delhi. It's not going to be easy though. Whereas cutting votes of a party is one thing, winning people's votes and more importantly, their confidence, in such short span of time isn't an easy task but if Arvind Kejriwal's party successful does so, they'll certainly be deserving enough to rule the capital of India.

Coming back to the discussion that my family was having - I decided to be quiet and observe everyone's opinions. It was 2-2, my uncle and cousin sister supported Congress and my father and cousin brother supported the BJP, whereas my grandfather didn't talk about the next PM probable, he stayed with the Delhi elections, in which he'd be voting for the AAP. With everyone's thoughts into contention, my other cousin brother made a very unusual point. He said that I'd be going for the new option of 'right to reject' to which his own father said "what's the point, how will that be beneficial"? My cousin explained further and said that he'd rather go with this unusual option because he currently wants to vote for none of the parties, his mind might change when the elections come closer.

That's pretty much the discussion we had. Putting everyone's thought into perspective, it's quite neutral. Neither of the parties stand out, both the Congress and the BJP have got their vote banks ready but from two very different views/perspectives of the people. I'm sure the views in my family will resemble the views of many of the families in India. Coming to Delhi, the AAP is set to ruin the party of either one of the 2 major parties or perhaps both. The battle to rule India is on and the political rallies are set to be crucial to determine the faith of the political parties - it will be interesting to see how it all pans out and in the end, which party comes out victorious. :)

Read More

Twitter and Facebook, turning into a major platform for political tactics?

#Feku and #Papu are hashtags given to 2 politicians of India, naming whom wont be appropriate but I'm sure most of us know who the 2 politcians we're talking about. When I first saw these 2 hashtags trending, I was actually very amused and at the same time, a little surprised/shocked. Seriously - a hashtag like #Feku and #Papu trending on a major social networking site? How can this be possible? Later, as it became a regularity, whenever these 2 politcians spoke at a rally, the hashtags started trending. Obviously, both these politcians belong to 2 different parties and hence, finding one or the other hashtag trending isn't a rare sight on twitter anymore.

Let's discuss about this in a much more detail - who makes these hashtags trend? If you go by the 'members of twitter' and generally active users of social networking site i.e. twitter, it is easily understood that Congress and BJP have got a whole team set up to insure for a particular #hashtag to be trending. It's honestly quite simple because every other day a contest easily trends on twitter, this for that matter, is much more serious business because at stake is the "ruler ship" of our country.

Therefore, the point rises - why go into these cheap tactics? Do political parties of other countries take the platform of social networking to go after each other! Of course not. Then why do Indian political parties believe that the median of social networking is the best platform to have a go at the opponent! Personally speaking, seeing #Feku and #Papu trend isn't a SHOCKER anymore. The social media teams set up by the 2 political parties to maneuver this task certainly does it's task to perfection but we just cannot overlook the kind of impact it has on twitter on a whole as a social networking site. What I as a young political enthusiast see it as is - in order to be successful in Indian politics, you ought to go on the verge of 'cheap political' tactics.

That's one part of it. Buying likes on facebook pages, getting fake followers on twitter, this all happens in our Indian politics. As someone whose hoping for a change in Indian politics, I'm just left with one thing to say to all the political parties - please give us some free space to apprehend our views, at least leave a platform for us to be free from cheap political tactics. We're not on social networking sites to see hashtags like #Feku or #Papu trending but instead hoping for hashtags like #ChangeIsNear trending. 

Read More

Youth into politics- are we missing something?

The parameters set to become a politician in our country are such that if we discuss them at this very moment, there'd be 90% of us (youth) against it. It's a fact, in India you cannot get into politics if you don't have the much required 'contacts'. From the college elections onward, in order to gain something you must take the low road of bribing, giving students what they require and what not! This very point is of a major concern, instead of sincerely fighting the elections, the students standing in the elections must make their voters happy by giving them what they desire and this reaches to a very cheap point of giving them certain things that might not even be appropriate for their age..

At the young age of (19-22) years, one realizes that in order to become successful in politics, bribing perhaps is the way to go. If one starts believing in this from such young age, what do you expect them to believe when they go on to represent political parties at senior levels i.e. if they actually do.

Even if someone in our country wants to get involved in politics, let's say a normal student without any contacts would want to stand up in the college elections, do you think he/she would win? Leave apart the fact whether he/she is rich or not, standing against a student who perhaps has all the contacts required, money to bribe the voters and perhaps even ways to threaten you from not standing in the elections, this all happens, doesn't it? This is the crux of college elections and I do not want to apprehend college elections in a very polite way and take you into a 'make-believe dream world'. I don't want to criticize the whole political structure of our country but certain points must be raised that are in fact even factually correct.

The only ray of hope that the youth of this country today has is that in the near future, a drastic change might happen. We need a political party that symbolizes the sole fact that "youth is the future of tomorrow" because it really is. I'm 16 and I'd be very much interested to get into politics but the questions I ask myself often is - CAN I? I belong to a middle-class family, my family is nowhere near to politics neither am I financially rich, taking all this into consideration, in current scenario of Indian politics I'd be nothing but a "dreamer" to believe that I can actually get into Indian politics.

We must make politics reach to the youth rather than youth reaching to the politics (trying to). Youth Parliament might well be a good way forward. Why can't young students get the opportunity of raising their voices on a platform very similar to that of parliament? Isn't this a bright prospect? Youth Parliament could well turn out to be successful if the government is willing to force it into action. TV channels might even be interested to air it and if certain politicians are willing, they could be present in the youth parliament answering to the questions of the youth. Youth Parliament should first be set up in each metro city of India, having young students involved in it - students that stood up in college elections or school students who have good idea about politics and want to gain more knowledge about it/raise their voice against certain issues.. If our government does enforce this into action, we will surely be on the path towards a brighter change.. :)

Read More

It's a historic day - it all comes down to today...

1989. This year shall forever be marked as the year, in which the world of sporting was taken with a storm, courtesy of a cricketer who stepped foot into the cricket pitch in this very year and changed it forever. By now, I'm sure, you're aware of whom I'm talking about. Yes, you're right, the Little Master it is..

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, maestro, legend, little master - different nicknames, same man. If the world "revolution" was to be used for someone, it would be for Sachin Tendulkar. Cricketer was a sport in India when Sachin stepped foot into the cricket pitch for the first time and today, when he steps foot into the cricket field for the last time (at least in limited overs), he has made cricket a religion for the cricket adherents in India and he himself, is regarded as the god of this religion.

There's another significant personality whose going to play his last match (in all formats) today. It's the wall of India, a guy whose temperament is par excellence, someone who has improved strength-to-strength in the years he's played. I'm talking about another legend of cricket, Rahul Dravid. I've always been a huge fan of the way Dravid has carried himself on the field and off it too. You would've never heard of Dravid falling prey to a controversy which would've damaged his personality or Dravid showing any signs of disrespect to the opposition, that's the greatness of this man and this is the very reason, he's so popular all throughout the cricketing world.

Several times in his career, Dravid was written off, was at one time regarded as ONLY a test cricketer, who could never succeed in ODI's. Did he/did he not? You tell me.. 10,000 runs in ODI's, the stat is itself enough to prove the point. Dravid will forever be remembered for taking up challenges and overcoming obstacles in his way and coming out glorious EVERY time. He's the perfect example of how one must be dedicated to their work because dedication always pays off..

Today marks a important day in the history of cricket. These 2 legends take on each other, for 1 last time. It's a a completely fairy-style ending, it couldn't be written better. These 2 played WITH each other for so many years but when it comes to their last outing in limited overs cricket (for Sachin) and last outing for Dravid in any format, they take on EACH other.

Dravid will be leading Rajasthan Royals and Tendulkar will be playing for Mumbai Indians. It's gonna be an epic encounter, at the end of which, any Indian cricket enthusiast is bound to be a little happy and a little sad. Whoever wins, the other side will be left disappointed. For me though, it's just about enjoying each and every moment of the match. We're never going to see these 2 legends wearing the colored jersey's again, they will never take on each other again and thereby today is THE "golden" day of cricket.

Let's not make this a Dravid vs Tendulkar final, it's unfair on both the legends. Today is the festival of cricket, in which each moment will be one to cherish. After some 20 odd years, it all comes down to today. Whether it's Rajasthan Royals or Mumbai Indian that seals the win today, I'll be cheering for the 2 maestro's, who deserve to take a bow! :) 

Read More

India - not financially strong but at least ethically?

A country is developed or not is judged by respected bodies of the world as per the financial strength of a particular country, the health system, the educational facilities and all of which adds to the progress of that country, that's the general idea of determining a country's progress. Whereas, this is the criteria followed as per papers and general guidelines, can we overlook the basic outlook, that we must also use as a criteria to judge a country i.e. moral values and ethics?

India is a country that has never been financially strong, as per say.. We stand nowhere near USA when it comes to finance, neither are we anywhere close to our neighbor China. We do however need to take into consideration, how much we HAVE achieved post independence. I very honestly do not see finance as the main criteria to judge a country.. Whose to say how most of the people in that country work/earn money!

Frankly saying, what if a country is financially strong but morally weak? As in, most of the people do not deem with earning money in white and get influenced by black money/unfair ways of earning money. Isn't it vital to take this into consideration? Other side of the coin is, a country actually deems with ethics but is not be financially strong.. Should such countries instead be penalized for their integrity i.e. be declared as less developed or instead, such countries must be appreciated for their moral values!

It's easier said than done though, for obvious reasons. If one actually believes that highest bodies of the world would  start determining development of countries by actually going to the root case of "how money is earned" in each country, it will be a mammoth task.

I say, let's not make finance the only criteria or the MAJOR criteria for determining a country's growth. It must also be taken into consideration - work employment, underemployment, ethics/moral values, percentage of women working and on a whole - determining how the country has progressed, say in the last 10 years.. Agreed, India does not stand strong as far as finance is concerned but if we keep all the negativity aside for a second, we haven't done too bad post independence, as per development is concerned.. Our mindset has changed and we do not live with a state of mind that was fitting for "primeval times"... We have a long way to go still... But at least, I believe, we're on the right track, we just need leaders (politicians) who make the path "easier" for us, leaders who will insure and convince people to not get influenced by money because money isn't the only criteria of leading a good life, respect and moral values play equally huge roles.. 

Read More

Self improvement - inspirational stories from Gandhi Ji

2nd of October, the birth date of the "father of nation" - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi Ji is someone who is respected for always deeming with values, living a life that was led by principles, courage, determination, non-violence. It's absolutely vital to mention here that Gandhi Ji lived a life, that did not only serve as a inspiration to people who saw him/were with him but Gandhi Ji continues to be a inspiration for even today's generation.

The president of USA, Barack Obama, has time and again said that he's a follower of Gandhi Ji's lifestyle and tries to inherent as much as he can, to his own life. That's what makes Gandhi Ji such a great person. All along his life, he kept on spreading inspiration/love and even today, his stories serve as a inspiration to each one of us.

Through this blog post, I'll take you through 3 stories that I know, which you might have not heard of.  Each story of Gandhi Ji, serves as a moral to us and apprehends the point that Gandhi ji was simply a human being par excellence. :)

1st story : Gandhi Ji was a person who believed in giving ONLY such advice's that he himself followed/could follow/would follow. There's this story that there was a person who lived nearby Sabarmati asharam, the place where Gandhi Ji spent most of his time. The person that lived nearby Sabarmati asharam, had a kid, who had the problem of eating "too much sugar". Worried about his son's problem, the man looked for a solution. He knew Gandhi Ji as a great freedom fighter, a terrific human being who always believed in helping people and so he decided to meet Gandhi Ji and ask for a solution.

The man along with his son, visited Sabarmati Asharam, to meet Gandji Ji. The man told Gandhi Ji about his son's problem and demanded a solution. Gandhi Ji told the man to come after 1 week.

The man along with his son, waited for another week... The week passed by and having high hopes, the man again along with his son, visited Gandhi Ji.

The man asked Gandhi Ji if he had found a solution, Gandhi Ji told the man to come after 1 more week.. The man was confused, so was his son but they had no other option, they had to wait another week..

Another week passed by and the man along with his son, visited Gandhi Ji again, it was 14 days now since the man had told Gandhi Ji about his son's problem for the first time.. The man asked Gandhi Ji, if he had found any solution? To which Gandhi Ji replied "yes, I've reached to a solution".. Turning to the kid, Gandhi Ji said "don't eat sugar, it's not good for you.." "Eat gur (jaggery) instead, it's a sugar substitute and will not harm your health." The man was a little surprised, he had a solution to his son's problem and was delighted but he couldn't understand why Gandhi Ji made him wait for 14 days for this solution. The man very gently asked "Gandhi Ji, you could have told this on the very first day, why did you take 14 days to tell this"? Gandhi Ji replied "I could have told this to you on the very first day but I instead told you to wait because for the last 14 days, I was trying to remove my habit of eating sugar, once I implemented the same on me, I told you to implement the same"... :)

Fantastic story, isn't it? Gandhi Ji didn't tell the man about the solution until he himself implemented the same and reached to a solution. There's so much to learn from this story, it's a fact, that Gandhi Ji was such a fantastic human being because he cared for the smallest of the problems of the people and thought about the smallest of the things.. :)

2nd story : As I mention in the first story, Gandhi Ji spent most of his time in sabarmati asharam. One day, he was drinking tea and a man crossed by... After a few steps, that very man was talking to another person, to whom he said "look at Gandhi Ji, he says that he takes care of everyone but yet, drinks a tea that is made from pure milk.. Doesn't he know that most of the people in India don't get pure milk!"... Gandhi Ji overheard this conversation but he said nothing to either of the man..

On the very next day though, Gandhi Ji stopped having tea from pure milk and instead started drinking tea made of goat's milk. For those who don't know, goat's milk is very thin, it's hardly milk, it tastes more like water mixed with milk, preparing tea from it gets "yellow" colour..

Nehru Ji stayed at Sabarmati Asharam, whenever he got time.. Congress' meeting were usually held at Sabarmati Asharam.. All the senior and junior political leaders came to sabarmati asharam for the Congress' meeting and were served tea made from goat's milk. No one liked the tea but had to drink it because Gandhi Ji did too. The simplicity of Gandji Ji amazed every person and when the Congress leaders came to know the reason behind Gandhi Ji's habit of drinking tea made from goat's milk, their respect for Gandhi Ji rose even more in their hearts.

This story again proves that Gandhi Ji wasn't someone who believed in showing off. He was someone who believed in simplicity, leading a life on which no one can raise a question. Being such a respected person in India, why would he care for a passer by's comments? But no, he did and that's why he's THE Mahatma Gandhi. :)

3rd story : In late 1930's, queen of England invited Gandji Ji to England to meet her regarding discussing political scenario of India.Gandhi Ji accepted the invitation and reached the queen's palace, wearing his typical short dhoti. The administrative people of palace objected to his dress and told him to wear a suit. Gandhi Ji refused and told them to communicate that either the queen met him in his original uniform or he has no desire to meet her. The same had been communicated to the queen and to the utter surprise of all, the queen did not make any objection and when she saw Mahatma Gandhi, she spontaneously replied "now I understand, why the millions of Indians follow you"... This is perhaps the greatest example of courage, which all of us should have and implement in our life.

These 3 stories in some way or the other, give us a slight idea as to why Gandhi Ji is so much respected. These 3 are not just stories but a way of life, if we actually deem with the values apprehended in these stories, we can drastically change our personality. There's so much to learn from Gandhi Ji, his values will be with us forever because what one leaves behind is legacy, which is a standard for everyone else.

It's absolutely fitting to pay respect to a great man like Gandhi Ji, who thought of the people, whether rich or poor. Gandhi Ji thought/cared about everyone's problems.. He deemed with helping people in the slightest of the way he could. He hid nothing, if you've read the book "my experiment with truth" you'd know this. There's no parameter to judge someone but for me, greatness is what you leave behind. If you've the least of the interest in gaining name for yourself then that's what makes you stand out from the rest and that's what made/makes Gandhi Ji a person, whose footsteps we all must follow and we all too, just like him, lead a life with ethics/morals, thinking of every person and being truthful to our self and the people around us, that's what will make us a better human being.. :)

Happy Gandhi Jayanti! :)

Read More