Sunday, March 14, 2010

Happiness


Happiness - that is all it is all about.  

Ensure two things in life, always:  

1) Happiness in this present moment; see if you are happy now, else make yourself happy. 
2) Happiness in the moments(years) to come - work towards it.


There are various things said about happiness:-

Life is a pursuit of happiness - life will always move towards happiness as it is human nature, to be happy. However, life should not be pursuit of happiness - it should be, happiness in the present/every moment and pursue what you want. Else you will not have time to be happy when you are pursuing it always.

But, see if you are happy in your present moment. Else do what it takes to make you happy.

Make others happy and that gives you happiness

True - the happiness that one derives from making others happy is boundless compared to other material happiness. Happiness in making a child smile; happiness in helping mom/parents; happiness in making some stranger happy by your genuine help or act of kindness. 

However, there is one question that lingers here - what if you embark on a journey just to make others happy and compromise your happiness or unable to see that you are really in to it or happy, would you be able to complete the journey or task, merely by the drive to keep others happy. To put it in simple words, what if you find yourself not happy by doing something for the sake of others or making others happy? (Friends, comment your answers for this question, please). I say, Live your life and make others happy, in all your actions and deeds. And, leave the rest of activity of being in that happy state to others. You can only make others happy but cannot feel it for them. You see what I'm saying? To put in other words, you cannot live others life in order to make others happy - you have to live your own life. If others expect such a thing from you - they are being cruel to you. Most often, those others are people who are the closest and dear ones to us.

But, if your ability to be happy is so integral to you, would you still go for a failed compromise and choose practicality over happiness for flawed reasons?

However, I can't understand decisions and other whatever taken without considering happiness in to the equation. "What good is your life in that case if you aren't giving yourself or others the chance to be happy". 

we are all told the following things at various points in life, in some cases, repeatedly.


"Be practical" 
"You will not get what you want always"
"Things have changed. Time has gone. It is a different world now ".


The aforesaid things are the reality and is a well known truth. However, change yourself to accommodate reality and facts. Change is the only permanent thing in life - but it has its own dimensions, and sides, like that of the coin. People should see it not only from their side or dimension alone - but from the other side and the dimensions as well.

If changing yourself still aint bringing happiness, change yourself further to change the environment and the set up you are in - for happiness is all that is about it in life.


Saturday, March 6, 2010

Men of Quality are not threatened by women's equality


A man who treats woman as his property is stuck in the era of inequality. And a woman shall never let this happen - Nathan SP  
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Cautious, careful people always casting about to preserve their reputation or social standards never can bring about reform. Those who are really in earnest are willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathies with despised ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences - Susan B. Anthony  

Women themselves have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and freedom from fear - Kofi Annan  

Sexual, racial, gender violence and other forms of discrimination and violence in a culture cannot be eliminated without changing culture. -- Charlotte Bunch  

Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their opressors. ~Evelyn Cunningham  

The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ~Roseanne Barr
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Advanced Women's day wishes to all the wonderful women in life :)

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Curiosity is the most powerful thing you own.

In 1991, when I first saw Terminator 2- Judgement day with my dad in Alankar theatre in Chennai, I was scared. How can a person get bullet hits and still walk along, can melt down and back to life again. How can computers walk at all?

My dad had no answers. But he did what he could - took me to that movie.

Few years rolled over and when I was in 9th standard, me and friends watched the same movie at a friends place. We were completely engrossed in to that movie and started discussing it, without having any clue. And, it was dusk by the time me and a friend of mine started back to my locality in a bike (cycle). And, on our way return, out of no where we heard this huge sound of engines and machines rattling up and smog raising engulfing the entire road ahead. For a second, we had our hearts in our mouth - me and my friend. I was still in that movie inside me and to see such sudden change of things right in front of us in a peaceful locality was a shock to me.

Well, thanks to Chennai corporation, that was the mosquito repellent sprayer vehicle which rattled up spewing smoke at us.

And, then started my romance with James cameron's film. I have seen almost all of his films, barring one or two. And, I have seen all of his films multiple times over. It is through this films that I realized that I have struck a similar chord with the man. Science fiction, Space science, Exploration, the thrill of it and boundless amounts of excitement this nature and our minds have in store for us.

And, I saw the following video a short while back and I told to myself, James Cameron, no wonder I love you.



Some of his inspiring lines from the speech are...


Curiosity - its the most powerful thing you own.
Imagination - is a force that can actually manifest a reality.
Don't put limitation on yourself.Other people will do it for you, don't do it yourself.
Failure is an option - but fear is not.

PS: Another author whom I love is Michael Crichton. Sad that he is no more :(