Success

In the hustle and bustle of the city everyone is just running after their dreams, goals and whatever one might say, but how many are actually on the right track to achieve their most coveted aspiration. Many are most of the times just trying to outdo each other without realizing their actual goals. There is a lot of competition in almost all the fields, but is the competition so fierce that people are busier in surpassing others than achieving their own goals. The key is to focus on your own goals and work with utmost sincerity, dedication and assiduousness towards achieving it. Also, it is important to learn from the mistakes we do, no one is perfect and each one is bound to make mistakes, but it’s important that we don’t repeat them. Motivation also plays a pivotal role here, some people have role models who inspire them and keep them going, they try to imbibe the qualities of their idols and it’s indeed a very logical and positive thing to do. On the other hand, we also have to accept the fact that there are such super successful people who don’t have any idols or role models, they are self-motivated and develop an inner strength or force that drive them.  What is success? Can it be calculated in terms of money you have or the power you possess to influence others ? But, I feel success cannot be quantified or calculated in monetary terms. For instance if a beggar gets a sum of 20 thousand rupees it would be a complete profusion for him, if a middle class man gets it then it would be just good enough for him ,but if it goes to someone like Lakshmi Mittal then it would be only peanuts for the billionaire industrialist . So, success can’t be quantified in terms of money or for that matter in any materialistic expression, it is the progress in life , your continuous augmentation in life. What you are today, 10 years down the line you should be in a much better position in life, that will be your growth ,your success. How important is education for success and in reaching the ultimate goal in life? We all know that  Dhirubhai Ambani was by no means an educated person but was a real genius who changed the dynamics of the business world. We have another example N.R Narayan Muthi who is an engineer started Infosys with few of his engineer friends contributing their savings and we all know where Infosys is today. They both turned super successful because of their intelligence, attitude, right approach, meticulousness, pragmatism and the ability to judge a situation, which is the key. So, I feel education is important but judgment is of more importance, education can also hone you to judge a situation. Life also teaches you a lot and with experience you learn, however how quickly you learn is of great importance. How you adapt to different conditions and utilize the available resources to your maximum advantage will determine your success or failure. I would like to conclude by saying that just focus on your dream and positively work towards achieving it.

IT’s Up To US

Yes Indeed, It’s Up to Us to decide what kind of future and Environmental Heritage we want to leave behind for the future generations. A lot has been said and written about air pollution and Global Warming, many steps have been taken but, do they really suffice?

There are innumerable environmental issues in this Country. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage pollution and wildlife natural habitat pollution so on and so forth. The situation was worse between 1947 through 1995. According to data collection and environment assessment studies of World Bank experts, between 1995 through 2010, India has made one of the fastest progresses in the world, in addressing its environmental issues and improving its environmental quality. In Spite of this, India has a long way to go to reach environmental quality similar to those enjoyed in developed economies. Pollution remains a major confront and also an opportunity for India.

Some consider economic development is leading to environmental issues. Others believe economic development is fundamental to improving India's environmental management and preventing pollution in India.Whereas some others suggest that India's growing population is the primary cause of India's environmental degradation. Systematic studies challenge this theory.

Pragmatic evidence from countries such as Japan, England and Singapore, each with population density similar or higher than India, yet each enjoying environmental quality vastly superior than India, suggests population density may not be the only factor affecting India's issues.

Major environmental issues are forest and agricultural degradation of land, resource depletion (water, mineral, forest, sand, rocks etc.), environmental degradation, public health, loss of  biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems, livelihood security for the poor.

The major sources of pollution in India include the rampant burning of fuel wood and biomass such as dried waste from livestock as the primary source of energy, lack of organized garbage and waste removal services, lack of sewage treatment operations, lack of flood control and monsoon water drainage system, diversion of consumer waste into rivers, cremation practices near major rivers, government mandated protection of highly polluting old public transport, and continued operation by Indian government of government owned, high emission plants built between 1950 to 1980.

India's water supply and sanitation issues are related to many environmental issues as well.

I can point out  some of the recent instances that have caused alarming Environmental Concerns in the North-East.

Those of us, who have travelled along the road from Shillong to Cherrapunji, will very well remember the picturesque landscape and the elegant greenery, but because of massive deforestation that  heavenly abode created by the Almighty has been obliterated to a large extent. There are some stone crushing plants installed which have denuded trees and forests from the hills for extracting stones.

The State Government should take cognizance of the matter and act accordingly, so that such indiscriminate cutting of trees is brought to a halt.

Cherrapunji which is still holding the world record for the most rainfall in a calendar month and in a year as per record is currently receiving very low rainfall and is on the verge of losing that badge for the evident reasons of unabated clearing of all types of vegetation there. If imminent steps aren’t taken to curb this, there will be a catastrophic change in the environment of the region which will even adversely affect the ‘Human Ecology’.

Similarly, deforestation on a massive scale has been going on in Arunachal Pradesh which has also jeopardized the ecological balance in the region.

 North-East has always been referred to as an ‘Environmental Utopia’, but if such deforestation at an exponential rate is carried out than it won’t take much time to mislay this elusive tag.

Delhi, the National Capital is the most polluted city in India and also the 2^nd most polluted City in the World. It is certainly a matter of great concern as the pollution is making millions of people susceptible to physical ailments.

 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had introduced the odd-even formula for vehicles twice to check the pollution in the city but it’s not in operation now. More concrete steps should be taken to check pollution not only in Delhi but also throughout the country.

We as the citizens of the country also have a major role to play in keeping our country clean and pollution free. Concerted efforts can only produce the desired results and just playing the ‘Blame Game’ will only hamper the cause. Campaigns like the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ will only work if general public cooperate and involve themselves, although  in some parts of the country the  common people have taken part  but by and large there is apathy, ignorance and casual attitude towards the issue. There has to be a serious attitudinal change among the people of our country to keep it clean and free from pollution. I would like to mention the exemplary State from the Northeast, Sikkim and also our  neighbouring country Bhutan where the government and the public have acted together to maintain a pollution free and in fact a clean and a paradisiacal environment there.

Spirituality and Me

When I decided to write something this time around, a lot of things crossed my mind, after a bit of pondering I decided to pen down on something which I feel is an integral part of our being, “Spirituality”. I am by no means a Spiritual Guru or a Learned Scholar in this field however someone who feels strongly about it, in terms of its need in our daily lives. There can be a number of connotations of Spirituality. For some it can be “Praying”, for others it can be “Meditating” and so on. In my humble opinion Spirituality can be attributed to something which gives “Peace of Mind” to an individual, it can be Praying, Meditating, reading, singing, playing an instrument and anything that gives you Peace of Mind which can lead to positive vibes.

Talking about my experiences, I would like to share one of my ways of achieving spiritual ecstasy. Our next door neighbour has a year old boy child named Ayush, he is like a baby angel for us, and not a single day of ours goes without seeing him. All of us take time out to play with him, this very involvement of spending time, laughing and having fun with the tiny tot is nothing less than Spirituality for me. As it gives serenity of mind which is of fathomless and inconceivable magnitude.

Many have a feeling that people are more spiritually inclined in the later part of their lives, but I reckon one should be more spiritual when he or she is young. The reason being, when you are young, there is rush of adrenaline in the body, you are aggressive, fierce and ready to take on new challenges, there are a lot of distractions too that one faces and this age of competition doesn’t help either. There is that fire in your belly to excel and constant pressure and stress to outperform your peers and colleagues. Even if you attain what you want, there is that perpetual vie to uphold it and reach even further heights in your professional pursuits. Not to mention your personal ambitions. All these may lead to agony, distress and even depression though not necessarily so.

Being spiritual can help people to prevent these woes and tackle the stress. It gives you that moment of calmness which is very necessary when everyone is in such a hurry. It helps you to attain ‘Aplomb’ which is a requirement when things are so demanding. These are some of the things that substantiate the fact that Spirituality is something that is not only divine but very much pragmatic and has practical implications.

People talk about ‘Spiritual Awakening’ - A shift in consciousness, an apperception of reality which had been previously unrealized. The culmination of such realizations is in the recognition of oneness with all of existence.

For me Spiritual Awakening is when I am one with ‘The Almighty’ for that I need not go in to a frenzy, I can achieve that by simply praying the Lord for some time with my mind and soul. Everyone should be spiritually disposed irrespective of their age or for that matter religion, and not to prove to anyone but for their own soul.  

Through Spirituality we can be one with ‘The Divine Source’ which we all call ‘God’ .This very angelic source makes us imbibe the confidence to choose the right path and the strength, valour to fight out the negative energies that are within and around us.

At the end I would like to offer my sincere prayers to “Maa Durga” to bless us all and help us in getting rid of all our pains, sorrows, hardships and pessimisms and show us the light towards Spiritual Bliss.

Na tum kuch bolti hon,na mujhe bolne deti hon.
Na tum kuch bolti hon,na mujhe bolne deti hon.
Dil toh le hi liya hain,Abhi Jaan bhi lelo"

Tumhara Ehsaas

Baadalo main Chippe hue chand ko dekha karta hoon, Baadalo main Chippe hue Chand ko dekha karta hoon.
Tumhare Ehsaas ko Seene main nahi,Ankhon main basaye rakhta  karta  hoon.

Pyaar naa Aghaaz hain,naa Anjaam.Naa raasta hain,naa Mukaam.Pyaar toh bas ek ehsaas hain,Bas Ek Ehsaas.

Our Europe Tour- "A Seraphic Experience"

After the preparations, the day arrived when we had to board the flight to London, via Abu-Dhabi. And yes after the halt at the Abu-Dhabi International airport, we landed at Heathrow London, to commence our much anticipated Europe Tour. The Climate in London as expected was simply wondrous; a slight drizzle accompanied by a lovely innocuous breeze making the city as romantic as ever. That day after dinner we had gone to hotel and rested for the night. The next day after the breakfast we were all set to kick-start the sightseeing which was going to last for quite a few days on the trot. We visited the Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Tower Bridge, Royal Albert Hall, The Big Ben, Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus, the different Castles so on and so forth. With all these and many more London seriously gives you a regal feel.

The Atmosphere at Madame Tussauds was just party like, people were clicking pictures with the wax statues of their favourite world known figures from different spheres of professions but without any haste and enjoying to the fullest. Madame Tussauds is named after late Mary Tussauds the lady who had mastered the art of Wax statue making and in fact, her wax statue was also present. Madame Tussauds is not only about the wax statues of world famous personalities, but there are many other things to be enthralled by. It has a 4D show,  the 'Spirit of London' where they take you for a ride on a train which are in the shape of the famous Black Taxis in London showing you the history of London, how it was founded by the Romans, how it got burnt and how it was rebuilt. It has also got something called the “London Dungeon”, where there are humans dressed as Ghosts,witches and devils and in a stark dark room, they try to scare you by their actions with their hands almost on the verge of touching you. We totally relished the spooky and the thrilling encounter. “London Eye”  built by British Airways is also called the ‘MillenniumWheel’, it has capsules which carry people in it and over the Thames River,it gives you a Giant Wheel kind of a view of the entire city, which is to say the least, awe-inspiring. We also covered the fringes of London and some other parts of UK.

After UK , we were off to France. Apart from the countryside of Europe which is exquisite, this particular patch of our tour had an another exciting angle. The journey on the “Le Shuttle”, it’s basically a train where the vehicles can go in, even the coach buses. So, our coach went inside, and we could just get down and look on either side. It goes 30 feet beneath the English Channel for some time; and hence we can say we were in the bed of the English Channel for a while. It travels at about 180-200 Kms per Hour. It’s an exemplary use of technology providing a different experience all together to the people on board .We reached France and then we entered the Fashion Capital of the world, Paris.

The same day itself after a splendid cruise over the ‘Siene river’ covering almost the entire city where there are automatic earphone guides in different languages briefing us on what we see and pass by while on the ship, we went to the main attraction of Paris, “The Eiffel Tower. The view from the Eiffel is simply remarkable. It’s an excellent vantage point to view the city from all directions, it even houses a restaurant. Then we called off the day and headed to the Hotel. The next morning we were off to 'Disneyland Paris'. What a rapturous and exhilarating experience it was. This can't be expressed in words. The Adventure rides, the cute Mickey and Minnie, the fetching Castles, as a matter of fact the whole arena was fun filled, enjoyable and stirring to a great extent. We all regaled thoroughly .My favourite adventure rides among all would be the “Pirates of the Caribean”, named after the popular Hollywood movie franchise, and  fighting with the  Aliens on a Space ship. After having a blast there, we were back to Paris city, for the City tour. We saw the famous fashion lanes of Paris. The stupendous “Louvre Museum“ having the ultimate creation of Leonardo Da Vinci, the “Mona Lisa“, “The Opera House“ designed by Charles Garnier, the majestic “Les Invalids“ where in one of its tomb Napolean Bonaparte is buried .That day we again went to the “Eiffel” for another view of this absorbing structure built by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel .After covering many more historical monuments and other marvels, we reached the Hotel. Me and my Sis rested while Mom and Dad went to savour the exotic and the graceful “Lido Show”. It’s a one of a kind world renowned cabaret show.

The next day, passing by the ‘Champaign Region’ we reached Germany. We arrived at Heidelberg Altstadt, a place with historical significance particularly in regards to the World War II and is situated on the river Neckar. The beautiful lanes, the magnificent structures like the Churches, the Heidelberg University and the Citadels to name a few were strikingly impressive and have a beguiling appeal. I would like to specially mention the view on the bank of the River Neckar which was indeed picturesque, and kindles an idyllic feeling.

We also went to Titisee Black Forest, the place in Germany from where the scrumptious and the lip-smacking “Black Forest Cake” originates. Basically, the area is surrounded by dark green Pine trees ostensibly black, and when there is snowfall, there is a layer of snow over the trees and that’s how the place was called the Black Forest and the Black forest cake came in to being which we know has layers of whipped cream which is white in colour with the chocolate which resembles black.

 It is also the place where the well-known ‘Cuckoo Clock’ was founded; we bought a Cuckoo Clock from the shop owned by ‘Drubba Family’, the pioneers of Cuckoo Clock. It was also interesting to witness a demonstration of its mechanism in the shop itself. We also tried the authentic black forest cake along with other local food. The place had a lovely lake too. I must say along with the place which was obviously alluring, the food and drinks were also luscious.

Now coming to the heavenly Switzerland, I personally had a lot of expectations from this particular country, and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Even if I say, its landscape was blissful it would only be an understatement. The experience in Switzerland was completely enchanting.

We started with the Rhine Falls in Switzerland, where we also took a toy train ride covering the entire area and also the peripheries. Train ride was exciting and the spectacle at the Falls was beatific and delightful.

Though, all the hotels we stayed in were fabulous with spectacular views. But, this one was special, it was a Heritage hotel in Engelberg with a view of the Alps and of course nothing could beat this.

Next day we headed off to Jungfraujoch- the Top of Europe, 11,371 ft. We had to make the route in two trains. The climate was pleasurably cold and not inclement. The journey was prepossessing with snow on both sides with the scenic beauty being entrancing and spellbinding. Finally when we reached the Top of Europe, it was paradisiacal. Snowfield to play, different Ice Structures in something like an Ice Palace. A restaurant called ‘Bollywood’ where we had our Lunch. An AV (Audio Visual) was also going on about the site itself. One will wonder at the technological advancements made to promote tourism where such concrete structures and great amenities are made available at such a high altitude.  Hats off to them.

The next day we went to Mount Titlis, 10,623 ft, here we had to go with the help of Three Cable Cars, the 1^st one takes only four people in, till an altitude, the second takes some more till even an higher altitude and the last takes even more people to take you to  the highest and the final point. Here also the journey both up and down was ecstatic, filled with euphoria. Firstly there were green pine trees, and as we went higher we were in the midst of snow. Snow on the trees, snow on the mountains, snow everywhere.

Just when we landed at Titlis,we saw a cut out of SRK and Kajol from ‘DDLJ’, as we all know Yash Chopra has shown Switzerland extensively in his movies and yes his films, particularly ‘DDLJ’ and ‘Silsila’ along with their stars are very popular here,and these films have contributed to the Switzerland Tourism immensely. Like in Jungfraujoch, here also we had a great time in the snow with a lot of elation and gaiety.

We also visited Interlaken were these movies of  Yash Chopra’s were shot, it is a very planned city with striking buildings, Casinos and a lot of greenery around.

We even went to see the “Lion Monument’ or the ‘Dying Lion’, a structure designed  by  Bertel Thorvaldsen  to commemorate the sacrifices made by the ‘Swiss Guards’ in ‘The French Revolution’. It’s in Luzern. It is also a stunning city with marvellous bridges, mesmeric Churches and others. In Luzern itself, we got 2-3 hours for Shopping. Though, Mom did a bit of Shopping in UK, France and Germany with whatever little time she had. But now she had more time, so she was happy. However, I utilized that time to explore the city a bit more.

After coming to the hotel, me and my sis sauntered nearby and enjoyed some more glimpses of the serene Switzerland. I realized this place has a halcyonic affect; you just feel like staying here and pampering yourself in the tranquil and the balmy ambience that it is gifted with.

Next morning we went to Zurich, to catch the return Flight. Zurich to Abu-Dhabi, and after the halt, Abu-Dhabi to Mumbai.

After sharing my experience, I don’t want to be didactic or preachy but just want to say that every country has its good and bad aspects, nevertheless if we genuinely love our country then, we won’t do such acts that may spoil its reputation or blemishes it. There is a saying called “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” and we know that cleanliness is one of the prime facets that separate our Country from the western ones. So, along with eradicating all other evils that are plaguing the country like corruption, poverty and so on we should make a conscious effort to keep our Country Clean and Hygienic in whatsoever manner we can. If we keep our country clean, then only our Country will in true sense be Angelic.

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