This little nugget of valuable info is embedded in my previous post titled "What should have been the most popular TED talk every". However in this modern world of seven second Vine videos and 140 character text messages watching an entire TED talk to find the key to happiness would not be appealing to most people. This video distills what Professor Amit Sood was saying into sixty seconds and three easy steps. This is 1 minute you will never waste.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Validation Queen
"I don't eat fruits, or potatoes or pork or chicken and very rarely...fish" she said to no one in particular.
30 heads looked up in surprise around the breakfast table.
A few, exchanging knowing glances. Which read a desperate "Oh no!"
"I always try to eat organic, and try to eat healthy" she continued.
Now there is nothing wrong in sharing your lifestyle choices among friends.
But not among 30 strangers who were seated for a networking breakfast before starting a life realignment workshop.
Right throughout the workshop this continued.
She interrupted the lecturer constantly.
We knew how she started her morning.
We knew how she treated her work colleagues
We knew how she went about her day...
In fact we knew far more than we wanted to.
Sadly not what we came to learn....
And as she started going off on a tangent once again my eyes met with the person who was seated behind her. Who raised her eyes in exasperation and mouthed "Validation Queen!"
30 heads looked up in surprise around the breakfast table.
A few, exchanging knowing glances. Which read a desperate "Oh no!"
"I always try to eat organic, and try to eat healthy" she continued.
Now there is nothing wrong in sharing your lifestyle choices among friends.
But not among 30 strangers who were seated for a networking breakfast before starting a life realignment workshop.
Right throughout the workshop this continued.
She interrupted the lecturer constantly.
We knew how she started her morning.
We knew how she treated her work colleagues
We knew how she went about her day...
In fact we knew far more than we wanted to.
Sadly not what we came to learn....
And as she started going off on a tangent once again my eyes met with the person who was seated behind her. Who raised her eyes in exasperation and mouthed "Validation Queen!"
Friday, February 5, 2016
What should have been the most popular TED talk ever
I could also have titled this post "the most uninspiring TED talk title in history" and that too would have been quite accurate. But this TED talk addresses a problem virtually everyone I know is faced with. Not being able to focus or Mind wandering. Remember reading a book and then realizing that you cannot remember what it was that you read? Sounds familiar. Not only does he outline the problem but he goes where many other TED presenters rarely do: which is giving simple practical solutions to becoming more focused.
This talk is as life changing as the Amy Cuddy talk titled "Your Body Language shapes who you are". However this has only 23,000 views unlike the millions of views generated by Cuddy's talk.
Firstly it could be because that this is a TEDx talk which is technically a TED franchise. More importantly it could be because of the complete lack of sizzle in the title. But then this guy is a Professor of Medicine at the famous Mayo Clinic in charge of resilient living. You really don't expect him to have the marketing muscle to come up with a snazzy title. But I sure wish he had someone to help him craft a better one as he sure has something very important and interesting to say. Let me end my piece with one of the quotes which remain etched in my mind and hope that it intrigues you enough to click play.
"Science is nothing but the systematic study of spirituality".
This talk is as life changing as the Amy Cuddy talk titled "Your Body Language shapes who you are". However this has only 23,000 views unlike the millions of views generated by Cuddy's talk.
Firstly it could be because that this is a TEDx talk which is technically a TED franchise. More importantly it could be because of the complete lack of sizzle in the title. But then this guy is a Professor of Medicine at the famous Mayo Clinic in charge of resilient living. You really don't expect him to have the marketing muscle to come up with a snazzy title. But I sure wish he had someone to help him craft a better one as he sure has something very important and interesting to say. Let me end my piece with one of the quotes which remain etched in my mind and hope that it intrigues you enough to click play.
"Science is nothing but the systematic study of spirituality".
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Desperately seeking....
I scratch myself wondering how to respond?
This is not the first time I have heard her say this.
And I doubt this is not the last.
How can someone fall in love with someone you have never met?
Whose just an image on a computer screen?
Yes you talk to that person. You spend time. You share emotions.
But a hug is just an emoticon. And a touch is something you can only dream of.
Then I suddenly realise I should not be too critical of her.
Because I too have been in a similar situation.
An emotional connection with someone who there was never a chance of meeting.
Fortunately I did not let it destroy me.
Sadly that is not what I see.
All I can see is a desperate lonely soul. Drowning in a sea of misery created by longing.
Clutching at every straw of affection thrown at her.
Hoping to save herself....
Sadly she will not listen when I say happiness is within and not without.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Prob-ලෙ-m
Remember the band KISS?
They said it was an acronym for Knights in Satan's Service.
Or Stair ways to heaven by Led Zeppelin? They said it has lyrics worshiping Satan when back-masked (Playing it backwards).
If you haven't heard of either of these bands - after all they were bands of my youth - I am sure you would have heard "Hotel California" by Eagles? Well it is said that this song is about witchcraft, demons and human sacrifice.
A lot people and organisations protested vehemently about this.
What did all this negative publicity and public outcry create?
These bands became even more successful!
It helped to create a new wave of popularity. So much so record companies loved it as all the negativity helped to sell more records.
I remember someone mentioning a similar case in Sri Lanka. Not to do with music but to do with drugs.
Where an anti-drug campaign actually contributed to the increased use of heroin by creating awareness and making people curious.
I can see something similar happening these days once again with the new group who is consuming our attention in this post BBS era.
I can't seem to escape all the "down with racism" posts featuring their symbol. Especially in the online landscape.
I wonder if they realize that all this hue and cry is actually helping their cause instead of harming it?
The stronger our opposition. The more vociferous our criticism. The more we feed the monster. Helping it to become bigger and more dangerous.
It is we, who are against them that are making them heroes in the eyes of the others.
In fact what that started out as a simple tattoo on some guys chest would not have become a movement today if not for all of us who have vehemently opposed it..
This is why I am not even mentioning the name of the group here.
Sometimes the best form of defense is to do nothing.
They said it was an acronym for Knights in Satan's Service.
Or Stair ways to heaven by Led Zeppelin? They said it has lyrics worshiping Satan when back-masked (Playing it backwards).
If you haven't heard of either of these bands - after all they were bands of my youth - I am sure you would have heard "Hotel California" by Eagles? Well it is said that this song is about witchcraft, demons and human sacrifice.
A lot people and organisations protested vehemently about this.
What did all this negative publicity and public outcry create?
These bands became even more successful!
It helped to create a new wave of popularity. So much so record companies loved it as all the negativity helped to sell more records.
I remember someone mentioning a similar case in Sri Lanka. Not to do with music but to do with drugs.
Where an anti-drug campaign actually contributed to the increased use of heroin by creating awareness and making people curious.
I can see something similar happening these days once again with the new group who is consuming our attention in this post BBS era.
I can't seem to escape all the "down with racism" posts featuring their symbol. Especially in the online landscape.
I wonder if they realize that all this hue and cry is actually helping their cause instead of harming it?
The stronger our opposition. The more vociferous our criticism. The more we feed the monster. Helping it to become bigger and more dangerous.
It is we, who are against them that are making them heroes in the eyes of the others.
In fact what that started out as a simple tattoo on some guys chest would not have become a movement today if not for all of us who have vehemently opposed it..
This is why I am not even mentioning the name of the group here.
Sometimes the best form of defense is to do nothing.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Three circles of blessings!
Three circles of blessings converged in the last week to bring me an absolutely wonderful experience.
It started with a walk outside my office and stepping in to a store to check out the price of a phone. To my amazement they had special deal through which they were giving a 30% discount. A price too good to ignore. And so I am the owner of a brand new phablet with a HD screen.
The second circle of blessing was to wake up one day and discover Netflix is accessible in Sri Lanka. And with the help of a cost effective VPN softwear one can access the USA Netflix feed whose line up is even better than the Netflix one enjoys in Asia. It is not just movies one has access to but also a huge amount documentaries and TV series. Including loads of programs by my favorite celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
And thirdly I realised the new phone was 4G which was quite a welcome surprise. Also much to my delight I realised that using 4G does not drain my battery as much as I had thought it would.
So now where ever I go I am never bored. Watching Netflix on 4G on a HD screen is as good as looking at Blue Ray movie. And much to my amazement the Dialog 4G coverage and reliability is damn great. And to think all this time I thought otherwise.
I know in the larger scheme of things this is something insignificant and inconsequential. But it has made a world of difference to me. And it is always wonderful to go about your day feeling blessed!
It started with a walk outside my office and stepping in to a store to check out the price of a phone. To my amazement they had special deal through which they were giving a 30% discount. A price too good to ignore. And so I am the owner of a brand new phablet with a HD screen.
The second circle of blessing was to wake up one day and discover Netflix is accessible in Sri Lanka. And with the help of a cost effective VPN softwear one can access the USA Netflix feed whose line up is even better than the Netflix one enjoys in Asia. It is not just movies one has access to but also a huge amount documentaries and TV series. Including loads of programs by my favorite celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
And thirdly I realised the new phone was 4G which was quite a welcome surprise. Also much to my delight I realised that using 4G does not drain my battery as much as I had thought it would.
So now where ever I go I am never bored. Watching Netflix on 4G on a HD screen is as good as looking at Blue Ray movie. And much to my amazement the Dialog 4G coverage and reliability is damn great. And to think all this time I thought otherwise.
I know in the larger scheme of things this is something insignificant and inconsequential. But it has made a world of difference to me. And it is always wonderful to go about your day feeling blessed!
Monday, January 18, 2016
Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons
It was a innocent face book question which caught my attention. What would you do if you were pulled over by a cop for a traffic violation?
1. Explore the possibility of paying a bribe.
2. Leave your license with the cop and pay the fine and collect the license later.
3. Don't know.
For me I always would chose the first route. Not only because it is the most fast and hassle free solution. But also because I would rather give my money to a hard working cop any day than contribute to the upkeep of the fat cats in the government. Yes at first glance paying a bribe seems wrong.
However I cannot help but feel sorry for the traffic cops - or for any Police Constable (pc) for that matter - who stands on duty by the roadside for as much as 6 hours at a stretch. The average traffic cop has far higher probability of having some kind of lung infection than the average citizen thanks to all the vehicle fumes he inhales. I also know a senior company driver would be getting more money than one of these guysl. They too have to provide for their families. They too have to buy books, give milk and pay their children's fees.
Isn't it better to have your hard earned money go to ease a life like this than to grease the pocket a of an already rich, fat politician?
To me the answer was always yes. But I still felt troubled by it. Once I made my comment I turned a page on the book I was reading - Shantharam - and saw the phrase "doing the wrong thing for the right reason". Somehow I thought this summed up my situation perfectly and it was sign from fate telling me not to sweat the small stuff. I don't think it was a coincidence that I read this part right after my anxious moment. But I am just amazed how two parallel paths in my life converged to give me a sense of peace and clarity without ever touching each other.
1. Explore the possibility of paying a bribe.
2. Leave your license with the cop and pay the fine and collect the license later.
3. Don't know.
For me I always would chose the first route. Not only because it is the most fast and hassle free solution. But also because I would rather give my money to a hard working cop any day than contribute to the upkeep of the fat cats in the government. Yes at first glance paying a bribe seems wrong.
However I cannot help but feel sorry for the traffic cops - or for any Police Constable (pc) for that matter - who stands on duty by the roadside for as much as 6 hours at a stretch. The average traffic cop has far higher probability of having some kind of lung infection than the average citizen thanks to all the vehicle fumes he inhales. I also know a senior company driver would be getting more money than one of these guysl. They too have to provide for their families. They too have to buy books, give milk and pay their children's fees.
Isn't it better to have your hard earned money go to ease a life like this than to grease the pocket a of an already rich, fat politician?
To me the answer was always yes. But I still felt troubled by it. Once I made my comment I turned a page on the book I was reading - Shantharam - and saw the phrase "doing the wrong thing for the right reason". Somehow I thought this summed up my situation perfectly and it was sign from fate telling me not to sweat the small stuff. I don't think it was a coincidence that I read this part right after my anxious moment. But I am just amazed how two parallel paths in my life converged to give me a sense of peace and clarity without ever touching each other.
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