Unused

Pedro’s uncle was showing off his collection of bottles of cashew feni. He proudly proclaimed that the feni was over 30 years of age. Pedro pleaded, ‘can I have some?’ 

His uncle snapped back, ‘If I had given this feni to all those who asked, it wouldn't have aged to be 30 years old. It is going nowhere till I am alive’

Pedro asked, ‘and then?’  

While ageing of alcoholic brew can be purposeful, in this case Pedro’s uncle’s primal purpose is to avoid sharing. His feni is not being kept to drink after ageing… rather it is just being unused.

So often, we end up holding on to things that we have no intention to use… now or later! We have unused clothes, crockery and a host of things that are not going to be ever used by us nor do we allow others to use them.

It is said so well that ‘Sometimes older is better, but sometimes it's just older!’ We must examine the things we hold on unused. We must discover use for them, either for self or for others, lest it be rendered useless!

Without purpose do not refuse

Useless oft are things unused!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Touch

My favourite trainer, Fredrick Tucker had a favourite story of an abandoned baby that was wasting away in a hospital… it was not responding to treatment and the doctors were forced to enter its condition as ‘hopeless’ on the examination charts. They had virtually given up hope that the baby would recover.

A doctor, who had uncommon success in dealing with sick children, was called in as a last resort. He instructed to dress up the baby in nice clothes and put it in a cradle next to the hospital entrance. He asked for a large sign requesting passerby’s to hold the baby and play with it for a few minutes before moving on.

The method was ancient, but very effective. The baby turned healthy as visitors began to speak to and fondle the baby. The positive strokes of touch and the words of love was the balm that healed and transformed the life of that little baby that was suffering from a lack of touch and positive strokes.

Touch is a primal need, as necessary for growth as food, clothing or shelter. From the nuzzles and the caresses between mother and infant that form the foundation of the self, to the holding of hands between a son and his dying father that allows a final letting go, touch is our most intimate and powerful form of love.

However, touch is not just about physicality. It is about all strokes that come from our body language to the tone we use and the spoken words. Words of encouragement or a smile of approval are equal to an appreciative pat on the back. We can touch the inner core in various ways to encourage, motivate, support or just convey love.

Touch through strokes, fulfill the need

Not just physical, use word and deed!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Sales Talk

Pedro took his old donkey to the market place and sold it for Rs.6000/- The man who bought it immediately put it up for auction. ‘Look at this fine animal’, he shouted to passersby. ‘Have you ever seen a better specimen of a donkey? See how clean and strong it is!’ He went on to list the many qualities of the animal.

At the end of his sales talk, a man offered to buy it for ten thousand. Another man offered fifteen thousand. A third offered twenty. Pedro who was watching was amazed at the interest everyone was showing in the donkey.

Pedro was impressed, ‘What a fool I was to think it an ordinary animal.’ He suddenly realized that the owner had received a good offer and was about to close the bidding. Pedro shouted out, ‘Rs 30,000/-‘ and brought back his donkey at five times the cost he sold it for.

We are easily swayed by sales talk! Our assessment of value is based on projected worth. Packaging holds sway over the product inside. We allow ourselves to be deluded and persuaded instead of noticing actual worth.

The greater lesson is we do not realise the value of our possessions or that of our close ones. But when someone else projects what we have given up on, we realise the true worth of what we regarded of less value. We must escape the lure of sales talk and recognise the real worth.

Sales talks is actually projected sound
Recognise true worth when it is around!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Afford

On a cold winter day, a heavily dressed man noticed a poor man outside wearing little clothing and asked him, ‘I am wearing all these clothes and still feel a little cold, while you are barely wearing anything, and seem unaffected by the weather?’

The poor man replied, ‘I don't have any more clothes, so I can't afford to feel cold. But you have plenty of clothes, and thus have the liberty to feel cold."

So often, so many of us become victims to the comfort of the lifestyle that we have acquired. Our experience is dictated by the splurge of plenty. Since we can afford, we end up consuming more than we need. On the other hand, those who cannot afford, learn to leave within their means.

We must learn to free from the burden of dependence on the unnecessary. When we choose to live a life that is free from the comfort zone, we choose liberation. Our body and mind can handle challenges better if it is not over constrained by over indulgence just because we can afford it!

Never mind whether you can afford or not
Choose liberation from burdened thought!

~ Pravin K Sabnis