No Pain No Gain

I am sure, you have made up your mind, with the list of resolutions for the year ahead and it is now time for you to forge ahead, making it happen.

Unfortunately, most of us quit our resolutions at different timelines from the time we kick start our New year. So, is there a mantra that can help us

glued to our resolution? Yes, luckily there is one! But the difficult part is we need to internalise it, in order to make it work. The mantra is, “NO PAIN, NOGAIN”.

The idea of pain, is something we all are averse of. No one wants to go through a painful process. We are always looking at choosing an easy way out. But we need to remember few things in life are not attained, unless we dare to go through the painful process.

We have all studied in school, the life cycle of butterfly, where we got introduced to a wonderful terminology - Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is

the transformation process of how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. The metamorphosis is no doubt painful, but the end result is that a dirty crawling

caterpillar becomes a colourful and beautiful butterfly that can fly, from flower to flower, adding beauty to the garden and being admired by all. For

the butterfly, the resultant gain is worth the pain, it had to go through.

Similarly, when we believe that the resultant gain of a painful process is going to be of much higher value to us, there are higher chances for us to willingly accept and go through the pain.

But what stops us from going through a painful grind. Is it because we are unable to get out of our comfort zone? Is it because, we find it difficult to

overcome our temptations? Is it because, our aspirations are weak? Or is it we are not willing to pay the price?. The reasons could be many. When we

are fixed with such dilemma, the simple guideline we need to follow is:

“Short term pain, long term pleasure;

Short term pleasure, long term pain”

We are easily carried away by a number of short term pleasures, as it instantly gratifies us. But if you closely look into it, most often the end result of indulging in such activities is pain. Short term pleasure activities like

smoking, drinking, indulging in high calorie foods, excessive sleeping, heartless gossiping, mindless TV watching may give us short term pleasure, but in the long run becomes detrimental to our health, our well

being, our relationships and ultimately our growth.

On the other hand, we tend to avoid many things which instantly sound like pain but the end result of pursuing such activities leads to lasting happiness. Activities such as waking up early, doing physical exercise, being free of bad habits, cutting down on junk foods, to learn something new, to work few extra hours, to stick to a daily routine, to live a disciplined life. These may feel like pain at the face of it, but eventually helps us to be a healthy person, a highly performing individual and an achiever.

We advise our children, if you want to live a comfortable life in future, you should study well, now. You should not mindlessly watch TV, browse internet or gossip with friends. You should use this time to study. Now tell me, does it sound like pain or pleasure? Of course it sounds like pain. To study for long hours is not easy. But the rewards of pain are truly immense and there is a ripple of benefits down the line. The same applies to us well. If we want to achieve greatness and make a meaningful contribution to this world, we should be willing to forego some short term pleasures. No big achievement has ever happened without a painful routine. Ask any sportsman and he would say how many hours of tireless effort he has put before he reached, where he is today. There is no easy way out. “Burning the midnight oil”, is a term we often hear of when we talk about people who strived relentlessly in making their dream come true. Great academicians,

Great musicians, Greats artists, Great scientists, Great sportsmen, all have one thing in common. To them their dream was bigger than their life. They were willing to pay the price of time and effort, for the rewards they aspired in life.

If you aspire greatness, then follow this mantra of our predecessors who achieved greatness. I wish you live by your New Year resolution, with firm grit and determination, so that you turn out to be, what you aspire to be.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Jan 2014

INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION

Sharukh Khan in the movie, “Chennai Express” frequently repeats this dialogue, “Don't underestimate the power of a common man”. Perhaps he was intuitively aware, that the Common Man's Party (AamAadmi Party) would form the Government in New Delhi.

The performance of the AAP in the Delhi elections, has made heads turn. People who thought that this party was just another fad, have come to realise that the party is here for real. It has shaken the confidence level of

opposition parties and has send shivers down the spine of the wrong doers.

Invariably the front page of the daily newspapers, over the last 2 months have been carrying an article about AAP or Arvind Kejriwal. There seems to be much anticipation and people are watching with eager eyes as to what is about to unfold. Arvind Kejriwal, like Arjun in the tamil movie “Mudhalvan” is creating a sensation, as the new CM of Delhi. He asks for public opinion as to whether to form the Government taking external support; he takes oath of office in front of the general public; he listens to public grievances through an open forum; he refuses to live in Government

provided luxury bungalows and says NO to personal security. While, it may sound like some new timer political gimmicks, we also need to appreciate that it really takes a lot of guts for an individual, to challenge the existing system. His straight forward approach, fearlessness and intellectual capabilities are drawing more and more people towards him.

The popularity of AAP is growing day by day, as more and more highly literate people are quitting their jobs and joining the movement to make their social contribution. Perhaps, they are seeing it as a golden opportunity to revive this nation from the clutches of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, who have been sucking the financial resources of the country.

I read an article somewhere, which said that India was the richest country in the world till the end of the 16^th century. Since then India has been plundered by many foreign invaders and rulers. An uproar against this

unfair foreign domination, resulted in our freedom struggle. So many martyrs have laid their life to set the nation free from the clutches of the foreign rulers and ensure peace and prosperity for its future citizens.

Unfortunately, this plundering has not stopped after independence. In fact, it has increased manifold, in the name of corruption. Corruption happening in our country is beyond the understanding of a common man. The number of scams exposed over the last few years is enormous, and the amount of money involved is unimaginable. We have succumbed to so much of

unfair governance over the years. The people of the country, have become really fed up with the existing system and lost faith in the Government, because no matter which party comes to power, corruption continues to happen.

It is in this scenario, the initiative of Social Activist, Anna Hazare's, “India against Corruption” has been a welcome change. I like many of you, have been keenly watching the developments. His demand for a Jan Lokpal bill, through his periodical hunger strikes, got the attention of the public. Many joined him in the cause, including key personalities like Kiran Bedi and

Arvind Kejriwal. Though there has been huge hue and cry, an effective bill to combat corruption did not seem to materialize. It is only then did Arvind Kejriwal, decided to take a political route to push the cause. This did not match the ideology of Anna Hazare, which in turn has caused a visible split. However, the truth remains that both of them have taken different directions to reach the same destination, of “Corruption free India”.

Well it is time for another war. A war against corruption. Let us join hands, and support this. I personally feel that, the fight against corruption, is going to be much tougher than the fight against British rule, because it is comparatively easy to fight an external enemy, rather than an internal enemy. Just like how, a doctor would find it easier to treat an external wound, rather than destroying the virus inside our body, our country too is infected by a virus called corruption which is damaging our nation. If this virus is eliminated, the country will bounce back to prosperity.

All, we need now is a fair and transparent Government, who will be able to lead this fight. It is time, we get hold of the corrupt people and bring back the money they have swiped away from the country. AAP looks like a

blessing in disguise for this country. Election is the only time, the citizens of the country have a right to express their voice. Now is the time. If not now, when?

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Feb 2014

Let us develop the R.S.V.P culture

Three years back, during my brother’s son’s wedding, we were sitting with the cook and planning the food menu. We were not very sure of how many will turn up and was finding it difficult to convey to the head cook, the number of expected guests, for the occasion. I was surprised at the way, the cook made an amazing calculation. He asked us, how many invitations did you print? We said 2000. Then he asked how many did you post and how many did you hand deliver? We said we had posted about 1500 and the rest we have hand delivered. He instantly made a mind calculation and told us, we can expect around 1000 people. We could not understand the logic behind his calculation, but the fact is more or else, it turned out to be right. Well, while I admire his level of competence gained over years of experience, I truly feel that it is not the right approach.

Many a times, the host is confused as to how many would attend the function and just makes a wild guess. He then either over prepares or underprepares. In both ways he is in a fix. If he over prepares he may end up wasting the food and if he has underprepared, he would be left in an embarrassing situation. Why should we leave the host in such a tricky situation? Why not help the host to plan, by confirming whether we will come or not come.

We quiet often get to see this phrase R.S.V.P in the bottom of few invitation cards. R.S.V.P is the abbreviation of a French term répondez s'il vous plait, which means, “Request for your Response”. The idea behind using this phrase in the invitation, is to ascertain who and all would be attending, so that the host can plan the Venue arrangement and food preparation accordingly.

When we see a phrase like that in the invite card, we are expected to confirm whether we would be attending or not attending. If we would not be attending, we can send a note or make a call and say, “Thanks for the invite, but sorry I will not be able to attend. Wishing the function all success”. In case we would be attending, again it is appropriate to send a note or make a call and say, “Thanks for the invite. I will be attending.I will be accompanied by ………………. and we expect to reach there by …. time.” This will give the host a great level of comfort, in preparing for the occasion. In this way, we save him a lot of guess work and make his work lot easier.

But the sad fact is, we seldom respond to this. To make it worse, we even promise we would come and end up not turning up. This ends up in excessive wastage of food. As the host is concerned that there should be ample quantity of food for all his guests, he always plans his preparation for a higher number of people. But when people do not turn up, it results in a huge wastage of food and resources.

When someone extends an invitation, I generally have the practice of saying either I would come or not come, based onmy prior travel plans or other appointments. But, then one of my family member told me, that is not appropriate to deny an invitation, as it would hurt the sentiments of the person who invites. He asked me to alternatively say, “I will try my best to come”. Still that does not make sense to me.It is just like, telling a lieusing a diplomatic approach. By creating a false anticipation, we are only losing the trust of others.

A survey says that in a city like Bangalore the annual amount of food wasted in weddings alone, is equivalent to 2.6 crore meals. Why not do our part to reduce this wastage. Why get someone to make a meal that we will not eat.

We need to cultivate the culture of responding to invitations. There are so many things we like to adopt from the Western world, why not learn this good practice.

Not just wedding occasions or birthday parties. There are many official meeting, social meeting and club meetings for which we receive an invite. Whenever there is a R.S.V.P, let us develop the courtesy to call or key in a line of acceptance or decline. By doing so, we not only save the host from undue anticipation, but also we help him save his money.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Dec 2013

The Likers Club

Facebook has changed the way we communicate and interact with friends. It has opened up vast opportunities to connect with old friends and also make new friends online. In this fashion, Facebook has enlarged our world to a great extent.

It is not something surprising today, for us to be more familiar with people whom we periodically interact on facebook, rather than our close set of friends and relatives, who are not on facebook. It is because a lot of sharing is happening in this virtual world, as compared to the real world. Those who are not in the list of our facebook contacts don’t get to know as much as our friends who are in facebook.

For instance, during the days when we were clicking photos in film roll camera, we anxiously waited for the photo to be processed and printed. We then put them on an album and when our friends or relatives, came home, we showed it to them and took pleasure in explaining each photo in detail. The people who viewed the photos also took a keen interest in knowing more about the event or place. But now, things have changed. You click the photo on your mobile phone camera, press the share button and in seconds it is on our facebook page. Within 10 seconds, you get a ‘like’ for the photo or a comment such as  ‘nice’ , ‘wow’ , ‘super’ from your facebook friend. This instant gratification, makes people happy and encourages them to share more and more of what is happening in their lives.

How often have you posted a message or photo, in your facebook page and eagerly waited to see how many ‘likes’ you get?  How happy where you when you see that you have got a number of ‘likes’, for your post? It is a common happening in everyone’s life. The more contacts in your facebook list, the more chances for you of getting more likes. So, people keep expanding the list of contacts by adding friends, friends of friends and so on.

The good part of facebook, is that the majority of facebook users, could be categorized as, “The Likers Club”.Likers are those who are not very active in posting, but whenever they see a post on their wall they make sure to click the “Like” button. Pressing the ‘Like’ button does not necessarily mean that they like the post. It could just be a way of acknowledging that they have seen the post. So when this happens, the person who made the post feels happy. The Likers are the cheer bringers to the facebook world.

I was wondering how this concept of LIKE, motivates people to share more about themselves with others. This led me to a realization that people crave for recognition and they do not seem to be getting enough of it from the real world. Facebook is in a way, passively satisfying this need and this has to a great extent influenced the number of people getting into this social world.

“Is it safe to make friends with online strangers? Why should we make friends with people whom we hardly know? Why do we need to create a virtual world of friends, when there are so many friends in our real world? These sought of initial apprehensions are swiftly fading away, as more and more people have started to enjoy being ‘liked’ and earn recognition on facebook.  The more they get recognized, the more they want to share and this keeps growing.When you ‘like’ someone’s post, then the probability of you getting ‘like’ on your post to goes up. This is based on the law of  “you scratch my back and I will scratch your back”.

Now imagine extending this likers club from the virtual world to a real world. Would the world not be a much happier place to live in?While we are happily sharing our ‘likes’ on the virtual world, what is stopping us from expressing our ‘likes’ in the real world?

How often have we told our mother or spouse that we liked the delicious food that they have made for us? How often have we told our children, that we like their polite behaviour, in a social gathering? How often have we told someone; I like your smile; I like your dress; I like your style; I like the way you walk; I like the way you express your thoughts, or something of that sort.

It is not that we don’t like, but we rarely express our like.  We are quick to express our dislike for something, even if not by words, atleast by our instant behaviour, but when it comes to expressing our like for something, we are not so quick.

Thanks to Facebook, that it has brought in the culture of expressing our LIKE. Let us not limit this LIKE culture, only to our facebook circle but extend it to our near and dear ones. It would not only make them glad, but also motivate them to do things better.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Nov 2013

Free Food for All

The Indian National Food Security Bill 2013 which was passed at the Lok Sabha quiet recently aims at providing food grains at highly subsidized prices to approximately 2/3rd of India's 1.2 billion people, i.e about 80 million people. This ambitious bill is estimated to take away more than 1 Lakh Crore Rupees of our tax payers money every year.

As I was pondering on this, I had mixed thoughts as to how good or how bad this idea is. I personally felt, I have not gone to bed with an empty stomach and therefore I do not deserve to comment, as to how much these schemes are helping a poor man. However my concern was if food is going to be fed to each person's mouth, from where will the motivation to work come?

Abraham Maslow - a famous psychologist best known for his theory of the “hierarchy of needs” states that a person's motivation is in direct relation to his needs. He states food as the basic need and a primary motivation of man to work. Right from the Stone Age, man has toiled hard to survive by hunting and gathering food. This basic instinct to go in search of food has played a vital role in human development. In this new scenario, the Government is going to make sure that the food reaches every person's mouth without any effort. Now the question is, “Where is the motivation for man to work?”

Shortage of labour is a common problem, we hear everywhere, which means that there is literally no unemployment. It is just that people prefer to be unemployed as they are getting more than enough at the comfort of their home. To work or not to work, has become a matter of choice rather than a matter of necessity. People have come to think that taking care of their personal needs is the Government's responsibility and not their own. With less than 3% of country's population paying Income tax, the rest of the countrymen are enjoying the benefits. If people are going to be happy with this state of mind, where then can we find a spirit of enterprise? Where do we find the scope for our country to become a developed nation? This is a truly pathetic situation.

I am aware that poverty in the country is real. There is no

denying that. It is a plight to see people not even getting a square meal a day. According to a Planning Commission estimate for the year 2012-13, the percentage of Indian population, who are Below Poverty Line (BPL) is about 22%. The country has toiled really hard over the years, to reach this level from the BPL level of 50% in 1990's. Now having risen so far, the Government should take initiative to develop competences, build infrastructure and generate jobs for this 22% of our population. Instead, the Government plans to bring 67% under the Food bill, which indicates that we are putting our economy on a reverse gear. In others words, instead of freeing more people from the clutches of poverty, we are welcoming more people into the circle of dependence.

Election year politics is nothing new to us. Politics and hunger eradication campaigns, have been a winning combination, since time immemorial. No matter which

Government, has come to rule they have played this arena safe, so that they do not rub on the wrong side of the vote bank. However, looking at the extent to which the government has gone with the Food Security Bill at a time when the economy is battling with slowdown is quite shocking. Our current account deficit is approaching nearly $90 billion, trade deficit has kept widening, the rupee is sliding to new lows. At this moment there is an urgent need to cut down expenditure, but the food bill has made all talks about fiscal consolidation sound ridiculous. Free food may sound as a good political strategy but by doing so we are breeding a nation of lazy citizens.

Happy Reading,

D.Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Oct'2013