Lessons of Life from Shakespeare.

 

Any great literary writer is invariably a great teacher. Writer will not sermonize. Life of the current time (normally) is beautifully portrayed. Yet, one could draw great inferences and learn very useful lessons that help humans to live life better. I don’t claim to have read much of Shakespeare, but I am one of his great admirers.

Works of Shakespeare transcend the limits of time and space. He is as relevant today as he was in his time. He is as relevant in India as in England. I have picked up 4 of his tragedies. According to me these are eye openers for common people like us. The four plays I have chosen to talk about are: Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear.

When we read these plays thoughtfully and contemplate, we are able to identify short comings of similar nature in our personalities. We may be quite surprised. How and why these did not receive our attention. We would like to remove these faults even though they may be in very small measure. The classified blemishes I am talking about are:

1. Suspicion, Jealousy (Othello)    

 

2. Greed that led to extinction (Macbeth)

 

3. Credulity Prone to flattery (Lear)    

 

4. Indecision that reaches tragic proportions (Hamlet)

 

As I said above reading these plays, we observe that all these weaknesses were foolishly repetitive in the tragic characters. We might find that similarly we too harbor some habits that make us do something which we don’t want, repetitively. It is here that we learn a lesson. One can purge one’s personality if so desire. Undoubtedly, the exercise will require a mentor or a guide.

Thanks for reading.

Thoughts are Important

Thought is a process of using your mind to consider something. Thought can also be a product of that process which may be known as idea. Such a thought or an idea is conscious deliberation but we get many thoughts without our conscious effort. Thus, we may be thinking of certain things at most inopportune times. For example during our prayer, if we are not able to concentrate, certain unhappy, weird or even obscene thoughts may just crop in. At times, it is difficult to control thoughts. It requires constant efforts on the part of our consciousness to meditate on certain topics. When we are totally involved in the process only then unnecessary unrelated thoughts can be kept at bay.

 

Positive Thoughts

We must have only positive thoughts. These positive thoughts will encourage us to take action on the decisions that we make. Wandering thoughts are a waste. Haphazard thinking on a subject or a problem will not lead us anywhere. So the important point is that we must have an objective before starting to meditate on any subject. Solutions to problems can be found or worked out only after deep thinking, focusing or meditating on the subject.

How to secure positive thoughts? Positive environment will surely help breed positive thoughts. When you see only good things, listen and read good material, it will help generating positive thoughts. Thus, we should expose ourselves to decent and encouraging media. It’s also good to have role model/models that would influence our thoughts. Since thoughts also depends on our interaction with others, so good progressive people as our contacts will be helpful.

Our Wishes and Desires

Our wishes and desires also influence our thoughts. Therefore it is best to fix goals: short term goals, medium term goals and long term goals. After crystallizing the goals it’s necessary to devise action points and to act on these. At the same time, reviewing them regularly is necessary. Such a course of action will surely carve out the course of our thoughts. Since we can always school our desires or wishes which should be positive we will be able to generate positive thoughts.

 

Goals, Thoughts and Action

Once we have fixed our goals and our action points, if we keep on thinking about these, we will be encourage to take action. When we action our plan it gives satisfaction. This in turn enhances our self esteem and believe in ourselves. On the one side we moved towards achievement of our goals, on the other we are creating an environment for nurturing positive thoughts.

It may also be worth to think of our major achievements of the past. We may have had identify the pillars of our success but recollecting this is also helpful. At the same time lessons that we have learn from our failures during the past should also not be ignored.

On an average an individual has around 50000 thoughts during 24 hours. The above process will control our thoughts during the period that we are awake. However thought process continuous during our sleep. These cause various dreams good or bad. Our day to day positive thoughts and believe in ourselves is bound to have positive impact on our thoughts during the sleeping hours.

Thanks for reading.

The Science of Living

Life has many facets: habits, aspirations, goals, significance etc. It is rare that there has been an artist who was also a good householder and a progressive human being. When I say a good householder, I mean one who facilitates the family in all respects. He not only provides for them materially but also emotionally. This is so, typically for a family man. But when we talk of an individual who doesn’t have a family they too will have to find out their goals, what they want to do in life by controlling or changing their habits. In these circumstances it is difficult to imagine an artist who is totally devoted to his/her passion for art putting similar stress on all the other aspects of life, as said above.

Therefore I think we must understand and practice the ‘Science of living’.

The first facet of this science, according to me, would be ‘Self Awareness’. An individual needs to be conscious of his own body, state of mind including thoughts, actions, ideas, feeling and interaction with others. Besides, self awareness has to be a continuous process. It’s only then that you can mould your thoughts, actions and relationship with others. Without doubt, this requires a constant review – a study that is scientific in nature. It teaches you how to go about finding solutions to the problems.

 

Once you are self aware, you must set your priorities. It is not only fixing the priorities but also scheduling them according to their relative importance. We must remember that when we schedule a task and provide a time slot, it is not necessary that time allocated will always be found to be sufficient. Time management is another important aspect to be reviewed from time to time. The discipline that you require for constant follow up requires a scientific approach. It should have nothing to do with the moods of the person. When a particular task is not finished as per schedule you need to provide the next slot and abide by it. This protocol alone can bring about the desired results.

  

Once we are self aware, and we know what to do and we have also fixed our priorities, it is necessary to develop a keen sense of focus. To my mind doing only one thing at a time is the best approach. As far as possible there should be no interruption. Equally important is your total mind and soul into what you are doing. One has to start living in the present, moment to moment. Deliberate effort may be required for some time but then it becomes your habit and you start navigating you life as if you are flying an airplane.

 

Lastly, I would say that your speech is very important. Because we have to interact with colleagues, family members and the society at large, we must choose our words and use them effectively. Any wrong choice or casual approach towards this very important aspect of human personality can be disastrous. Speech must always be clear; words should be chosen with discretion and spoken effectively. Speech helps to maintain and improve our relations in any environment.

 

To conclude I would like to say that a successful life in modern times requires us to know and practice the ‘Science of living’.

Thanks for reading.

Tributes to Veer Savarakar

 

We join the nation in paying our respectful tribute to Swatantryaveer Veer Savarkar on his 131st birth anniversary! May he inspire us all with a new spirit of national re-awakening! It was Veer Savarakar who made Indians aware about the First War of Independence of 1857 through his famous Book on the subject.

Please visit: http://www.savarkar.org/en/veer-savarkar to learn more about this national hero!

Mother’s Day.

Had published a blog on the Mother’s Day last year. I am here by publishing the same again. It reflects the importance of motherhood in Indian context. Even though the tradition of respecting mothers in a ceremonial manner was started in US, the importance of motherhood in our country can never, ever be exaggerated.

Mother’s Day was initiated in Philadelphia (USA) by Ms. Anna Jarvis is 1907. It is a great gesture to honour our Mothers. Many countries today celebrate Mother’s Day in their own ways. We must appreciate Ms. Anna Jarvis for her noble initiative.

In India, when we celebrate Mother’s day indeed we must pay respect to our Mothers and celebrate the occasion in whichever way we want. But more importantly, we must also remember and pay homage to the great mothers our country had been blessed with. I would like to mention three names from the many that can be chosen from the pages of history. These are:

Jijabai – mother of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Maharani Lakshmibai – Jhansi ki Rani, and

Vidyavati – mother of Shaheed Bhagat Singh

 

Jijabai – also known as Rajmata Jijabai the great queen mother who instilled all the qualities in Chatrapati Shivaji. His exceptional courage, bravery and application of mind in direly fearful circumstances were all gifted to him by his mother. It is said that Jijabai had fervently prayed to Goddess Bhavani to bless her with a son that would liberate the divided and disheartened hindus from the tyrant rulers of the time who severely tortured and persecuted them. Shivaji’s mother instilled in him the patriotic values and the burning desire to liberate the people from tyranny. History is witness to all his brave encounters with the Mughals and the Deccan Sultans. His war strategies and the lightning fast tactics would amaze the best generals of his time. His agility, alertness and fast decision making power remains a lesson for all leaders of all times. This day let us pay our respects to his mother Rajmata Jijaba who was the force behind him.

 

Maharani Lakshmibai – At a very young age she married the Maharaja of Gaekwad and bore him a son. However the baby did not survive for long. The Maharaja then adopted a young boy as Prince and future heir to the throne. However the Maharaja did not survive after this adoption. Lakshmibai had to fight all odds to get her adopted son due and legitimate recognition by the British. The stories of her bravery are etched in the annals of india’s glorious history. Till the very end she fought for the honour of her state and for the rights of her only son – the heir to the throne of Jhansi.

 

Vidyavati – who can match the sacrifice of the great mother who decided not to go to bring the dead body of his young son because she did not want anyone to witness the tears in her eyes. The stories of her motivation towards her son comprise a great honour for our country. Let us remember the tremendous mother of Shahid Bhagat Singh.

I am urging my readers to share these views with friends.