Faith

A tightrope walker could perform his feat with his assistant sitting on his shoulder. An impressed audience would give him a thunderous applause. Before doing it again he would ask them whether they believed that he could do it again. The crowd would respond with, ‘Yes, we believe that you can!’ Then, he would ask, ‘Now, who wants to volunteer to get on my shoulder?’

The crowd would turn silent.

 It was obvious that the crowd had the ‘belief’ in the acrobat’s capability. They had seen him do it again and again. But they did not have enough ‘faith’ to rely on his ability. Hence the reluctance to act as per their own stated belief. It is pertinent to note that faith is not a logical conclusion of belief, at all times. If the belief is superficial, the faith will be shaky.

Consider a deeply religious person who says he believes that God does not play dice with human lives and the same person falls prey to dread of astrology and other superstitions. Consider a self-proclaimed patriot who circumvents the law of his country. Or consider a scientist who prostrates before a God-man despite knowing that the latter’s miracles have easy explanations.

Education and experience create a set of principles in us which we consider to be our beliefs. It is easy to state our beliefs without having any real faith. Faith is reflected only if it is seen in our actions. The test is easy… if we can be better at convertinge our own stated belief into consistent action, then it can be certified as true faith. Otherwise, that belief is just a blank expression.

What we describe as belief is just an expression

Faith requires us to be better at aligned action!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.

Eyes Capture

Nowadays at various events, we see a common sight of many enthusiasts, standing in an awkward pose, back bent backwards and forefinger on the trigger... all set to capture the ongoing scene on cameras of different types. Never mind that the professional photographer is blocked out of view by these over excited, trigger happy camera-men.

Earlier the camera was meant for the ones who could afford it or the ones who could use it. Now it is easily affordable as well as usable. It comes as an add-on with other tools like mobile phones. It has empowered the needs of photo documentation. Journalism and even activism has found its uses to capture, chronicle and transfer visual information.

However the fundamental focus of the camera’s real potential is lost on its many converts. More often not, the furious frenzy of such enthusiasts, displays that they are only interested in clicking the shot rather than experiencing the activity. They rush from shot to shot, observing nothing. For some, the motive is to upload the photograph on Web 2.0 before someone else does.

It is akin to W H Davies’ poetic lament, ‘no time to wait till her mouth can... enrich the smile her eyes began’! We need tolerance for time so that our eyes can notice the minute detail as well as the larger vision. The camera is a highly useful invention, but it remains secondary to the human eye and its capacity to observe beyond the scene... a necessary trait for every photographer.

It would be better for us to use our eyes before we use the camera. The personal experience and the understanding that comes from it help empower the photographer’s penchant for perfecting the skill... like so many passionate photographers so well display! Alfred Eisenstaedt said it so well that ‘The important thing is not the camera but the eye!’

BE BETTER at using eyes to capture the activity...

Instead of a hasty clicks for needless posterity!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.

Voice

‘I have a right to be heard! I have a voice!’ - George VI

The above line comes at a defining moment in the award winning film ‘King’s Speech’. The King has the attitude, the aptitude and all it takes to be a monarch. But he has a severe speech impediment. After trying many options, he goes to an unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Hogue.

Hogue’s highly effective methods are based on getting his learners to believe they have a voice. He gets his learner to unlearn negative strokes from the formative years of childhood. After all, technique would be in vain in the absence of an empowered temperament. Attempts at speech therapy fail until the teacher prods his student to declare his ‘right to be heard’.

Look around and you will notice little children speak their mind out as they have no doubts about their right to be heard. But as they grow older, they are conditioned to question that very right. ‘Don’t speak’ is a very influencing statement that many get used to hearing and believing! Other negative strokes further compound the problem.

Surely, it is a tragic when persons who have a voice, find it difficult to speak. Besides, hurting their ability to communicate effectively, it cripples their self-esteem and makes them more vulnerable when faced with leadership opportunities. James Humes put it pertinently when he said that ‘every time you speak, you are auditioning for leadership’.

Competence can be harnessed only when we choose to be better at confidence. In fact, in my Voice-vocabulary Optimisation Workshop (VOW), the primary focus is on helping people reclaim the right to be heard and thus find their voice. Once this is achieved, the subsequent empowerment, of voice and vocabulary skills, is child’s play.

To BE BETTER at finding, within ourselves, our liberated voice...
reclaim the right to be heard and escape the impediment vice!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.

VISION-CANDLE

One night, a host offered his blind visitor a lantern to carry home with him. The blind man declined saying, ‘Darkness or light is all the same to me.’ The wise host persisted, ‘I know you do not need a lantern to find your way, but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you.’

The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. ‘Look out where you are going!’ he exclaimed to the stranger. ‘I maybe blind, but can't you see this lantern?’ The person replied, ‘Brother, I did not notice you as your candle has burned out!’

Now let’s recast the above characters. The blind man in the story is one of us. The stranger is a person who crosses our path. The lantern symbolises the persona we carry. The candle represents our vision. The path represents our life purpose, our mission…

Look around and you will notice that personalities, who stand out in a crowd, are the ones who keep sharing their dreams, their hopes and their vision. They are noticeable because they ensure that their vision-candle is burning bright. Others easily notice this vision-candle and the person who carries it. In fact, it is even better noticed when things around appear dark and bleak

People, who have no prior experience of our abilities, are more likely to notice our potential if we carry our vision-candle. Holding out vision has dual benefits: it lights up our path as well as defines our positive standing in the eyes that we encounter! Hence we must be better at keeping alight our vision-candle to ensure that the lantern of our personality is consistently illuminated.

To BE BETTER at being noticed positively on the dark way
Our vision-candle must be lit every moment every day!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.