Switch On Off

At the Installation ceremony of Samraat Club Ponda, the Chief Guest Rajesh Pednekar was explaining how he could manage to play many parts. He has acted in diverse roles in theatre as well as in cinema. He has excelled in playing cricket as well as a vastu consultant. He has produced films and keeps involving in varied initiatives. 

Rajesh explained that he relied on the ‘switch on switch off’ technique. This meant switching single focus on a single commitment and switching off from other priorities till that commitment was fulfilled. He insisted that this was the best possible way for full application of mind and senses to the declared commitment.
So often so many of us, are distracted by different pulls by different priorities. We keep one eye on the immediate goal and another on the parallel periphery. We end up being unfocused and side-tracked from the task at hand. Indeed it is important to switch off from other stuff to be able to truly switch on to the present engagement.

Today (and for the past few days) I have done just that. I ‘switched off’ from other things and ‘switched on’ to being an organising team member of the JCI World Congress in Goa. After a tough day, I ‘switched that off’ and sat down to ‘switch on’ the penning of this Monday Muse. Although, the clock is moving on to Tuesday, I am satisfied with my dealing of both the involvements.

Indeed it is the best way to be happy and satisfied in doing what you really want to do. Focusing in two directions may lead to vague vision and confused mission. We must switch on to the bird in hand and switch off to the two in the bush. Like Rajesh Pednekar does so happily and effectively…

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Roots & Shoots

30 years back, I met a philosopher poet. When I appreciated the sling bag that dangled off his shoulders, he responded to say, ‘This bag carries only a few books. The one within carries the book of life… and that is the real one!’ Even his prose was as poetic as it was multi-layered.

He seemed to speak in earthy wisdom as well as from a global perspective. His words opened insights into village folklore as well as modern thoughts. He fiercely propagated his mother-tongue, Konkani as well as mastered expression in diverse languages like Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Portuguese and English.

He had deep roots and free shoots. A lyrical poet who played many parts as teacher, magazine editor, translator, organiser and many more, Ramesh Bhagvant Veluskar passed away yesterday. But the Sahitya Akademi awardee lives in the hearts of every person he met in person or through his writing.

Some of us remain rooted in our own world and ignore the larger world. Some of us see the larger perspectives but are ignorant of our roots. Splendid trees are the ones who reach out to the sky while sending their roots deep down into the earth. Such were the significant lessons from the life of Ramesh Veluskar.

Though passionate about his ethnic roots, he opened easily to diversity of humanity. A reservoir of folklore, he appreciated contemporary art in various forms. His love for his mother tongue did not prevent him from embracing other languages. His emotional sensitivity marched hand in hand with rationality. Ramesh had both, deep roots and shoots as wide as the sky… a meaningful and inspirational way to live a full life.

Roots dive deep, shoots reach sky
…Full lives like Ramesh never die!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

I.S.R.

15 October is observed worldwide as White Cane Day. In Goa, NAB (National Association for the Blind) organises an awareness walk of visually challenged students with others. The walk is on the road, crossing across traffic. The purpose is to make everyone recognise the white cane and assist its visually challenged owner.

The rally moved to Ambedkar Park. A skit was performed, best slogans were awarded and two students presented their invention of a wrist strap sensor. Mahadev Sawant called for SSR – Self Social Responsibility, where individuals would assist the visually impaired to live and work independently by having equal access to opportunities.

Individual Social Responsibility is a moral creed where individuals accept their duty toward society. Being ‘socially responsible’ is about behaving ethically and sensitively to each other’s needs. It is being accountable for our actions and being conscious of the impact our actions have on others, our communities, and the environment!

The opportunity for progress cannot be exclusive to some and inaccessible to the others. When we escape the onus of our social obligations, it results in the denial of the rights of those who need them the most. When we embrace our fundamental human responsibilities, we ensure the right to equal opportunity for all!

Individual Social Responsibility are confirmed in our actions when we assist the one who needs our assistance, when we stop in our tracks so that the other may cross across to their destination, when we walk hand-in-hand and celebrate the remarkable benefits of interdependence.

Reach out your assisting hand
ISR must be a collective trend!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Phony

Pedro phoned his friend: ‘hi… I wanted to talk to you…’
Friend sounded irritated: ‘not now… I am stuck in my car in the middle of a massive traffic jam…’
Pedro: ‘How is that possible… I have called you on your home landline!’

In the telecom age, such phony responses keep happening. Especially, due to the mobile phone, some people think they can speak any falsehood and get away with it. In the above instance, the receiver blurted out his standard answer to avoid further conversation whenever he received a call on his mobile phone.

In a scene from the Hindi film Agneepath, the character played by Amitabh Bachchan says, ‘Galat cheez banaya telephone… udhar se aadmi sochta kuch hai, bolta kuch hai, karta kuch hai…’ (Telephone is a bad thing… on the other side, the person thinks one thing, says another thing and does something else)

The phone is a wonderful invention that helps persons communicate across distances. However, the distance is used by some to mislead. Of course, all who lie may not be intentional liars but they could well be habitual liars. We must beware the tendency to be fraudulent just because we perceive that the other person can not see.

It is said so well that our character is truly determined in the dark. It is how we behave when we know that nobody is watching. We must align our values with our thoughts, our thoughts with our talk and our talk with our walk. Otherwise we may end up being phony, not just on the phone but as a worthless life habit!

Don’t be phony on phone or otherwise
The value of truth makes worthiness rise!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Often

My buddy, Ravi Sirsat had given me a mantra to lose weight. Besides keeping off carbohydrates and regular exercise, he advised to eat more often. Instead of few heavy meals, he recommended to have smaller meals at regular intervals. Lesser but more often was the way to eat!

Interestingly this mantra works at various levels and in various situations. We have a tendency to devote our attention and action in a single focus areas. We tend to lead lives with fewer priorities and end up blocking major portions of our time for fewer things. And in a tight schedule we end up not having time for other priorities.

For instance, we find it difficult to see the time to devote to our hobbies or organisations we have joined or relationships. And if we start making time for these, then we end up giving too much time and often we end up feeling the strain of over participation. But, we can choose to allot smaller sets of time… on a regular basis!

Eventually, it is not how much we eat… it is how often we eat smaller portions… less but over smaller intervals. Like overeating, overdoing anything can lead to strain, stress and a breakdown. Instead of fewer bursts of commitment, we must choose to indulge and involve more often… whether it is food… whether it is an organisation… whether it is a hobby… whether it is a relationship!

Eat less but more often
Strain will surely soften!

~ Pravin K Sabnis