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Sunday, July 26, 2009 Strength In AdversityOnce the principal of the keyboard school told me, "Remember, if you fall, it is for you to get up."file:// Labels: Motivation Thachayini Coffee Talk at 2:53 PM
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 We Can Be Invincible In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote about his days of incarceration in the concentration camps where starvation and humiliation became a way of life. The prisoners' daily diet was a bowl of weak soup. Even the smallest piece of bread or sausage that was no longer than an inch was great luxury. Chamber pots were used as crockery. Personal hygiene was the least of one's worries. Stripped of their possessions, the prisoners had nothing to call their own. Their education did not matter and their families were taken away from them. Many mulled over the misery and unfortunate fate, and eventually succumbed to the brutality. It is during these times, that a realization dawned upon Frankl. He knew that no matter what was taken away from him, no one could take away his freedom to choose. He had the freedom to choose his attitude towards his surroundings. Frankl found strength in his love for his wife. He focused and visualised on the good things in life, and his optimism kept him alive till the day he was freed. The brutal conditions that were inflicted upon him could not break his unfathomable spirit. Like Frankl and the others, mankind has been led into the "captivity" of evolution. Changes are inevitable. In this new age, Man has begun to play God. Scientific breakthroughs such has cross-breeding, gene transfers, cloning and stemcell research are making waves in the new world.  The introduction of Genetically Modified Food has spurred controversy. Debates continue among the concerned advocates who fear the impact these changes may have on health, the environment or even human existence. Amidst these, new found viruses have been razing societies and becoming worldwide pandemics. Much has been said and yet, the exploration continues. The more we fight it, the more energy and publicity we give to the cause. As a result, we become the latent propagators.Today, it's a wonder whether the food that we call "organic" is purely organic. With crossbreeding and changing conditions, we may have unwittingly become accustomed to the changes our food has gone through that we no longer remember what it used to be like. What are the reasons behind the experiments?
Whatever the outcome or effect, it is us civilians who bear the brunt. So what do we do? Should we run or protest? Neither is necessary. Change begins with us. We can't stop the world but we can build our will. The power of the human spirit is far greater than any force in the world. Even amidst the greatest catastrophe, we could come out unscathed. Let the world do what it wants to do. Let the viruses go on a rampage. It can't shake the human spirit. As Viktor Frankl says, "We have the freedom to choose." What choice have you made? To fight the little things, let them manifest and consume you? Or To choose your destiny, focus on a positive world and thus, build your resilience? Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit - Bern Williams Labels: To Think About Thachayini Coffee Talk at 7:51 PM
Sunday, July 19, 2009 Words Can't Describe ThisI shall not spoil the suspense. I leave it to the individual to perceive from viewing this video. Thanks Shoba for the video :)file:// Labels: Courtesy of National Geographic Thachayini Coffee Talk at 1:32 PM
Thursday, July 2, 2009 The Need for Communication"Silence is Golden""Children should be seen, not heard" "Empty vessels make the most noise" We've heard them all. I grew up on these idioms. I believed in them so much that over time, I spoke less. The lesser I spoke, the more I held within myself. Is communication really such a bad thing? The recent events in my life have taught me that it is not. Communication is essential. It becomes detrimental only when we commit more than we should. Isn't it not for everything in this world? Anything that is indulged in excess becomes poison to the soul. Today's entry is not about moderation. It's about the importance of communication, even if it's for a few seconds. A few weeks back, I was going through a rough time. Circumstances led me to stand firm on what I believed in. My mother was unhappy with my indifference and she refused to speak to me. I have no other kin or kith. My friends had their own problems. I had no one to speak to. The pangs of loneliness I felt those two days were beyond words. To keep my sanity, I had to call two of my friends to just have a 5-minute casual conversation. I did not speak of my problems or my anguish but those 5 minutes were precious to me. They were suffice to keep my sanity. It was then I realised the importance of communication, even if it is gibberish. Do I have story for this setting? Yes, I do. :) And it's a true story. During the Vietnam War, many American soldiers were held captive by the enemies in prison cells. The soldiers were deliberately isolated from one another so that they could not communicate and plot an escape. Hence, each prisoner was confined to a lone cell. It was difficult to communicate with a fellow comrade in the next cell especially with the wardens watching over them like hawks. It became maddening and depressing for the soldiers who were unsure whether they would ever go back home.  One day, an American soldier came up with a brilliant idea. He created his own code language. With each tap on the wall, he communicated a letter of the alphabet. Each different alphabet was determined by different number of taps. The message got passed on from cell to cell and every prisoner learnt the code language. It became easier for them to communicate. Over time, they got so good at it, that they began communicating faster, as if they were talking to each other. The code language helped the prisoners-of-war find comfort and encouragement in each other's 'words'. They had found a way to keep their sanity in the most trying time of their life. Communication is not only the essence of being human, but also a vital property of life. - John A. Piece Labels: To Think About |
