Waste to Worth

In the early 1950s, loads of waste was left over when Chandigarh, designed by Le Corbusier, was built up. A road inspector had a vision of creating art out of the bits and pieces of the litter dump around the city. He created a fantasy, which he called the Rock Garden.

 

Passages of rock and concrete open out into spaces with human figures studded with tiles and marble. Walls are studded with broken tiles, bathroom fixtures, old crockery and switchgear. Discarded water pots form fences. 

Whimsy birds fashioned of concrete sit on the roof of a little hut. A waterfall cascades over an open-air theatre paved with broken slate. Turquoise bangles make peacocks. An upturned enamel basin serves as a soldier’s hat!

 

The Rock Garden is a legacy that will live even though its creator, Nek Chand Saini is no more! He was honoured across the world for his work. India conferred the Padma Shri, France awarded Grande Medaille de Vermeil. His achievement is spectacular as he had no formal training in the art of sculpture. 

 

While beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, some draw out this beauty from what seems to be useless and allow others to see it as well. Nek Chand’s fantasy teaches us that nothing is really waste… and that everything can be turned into a piece of art… when positive vision is backed with proactive action.

 

What seems waste can have great worth,
Positive returns await a proactive effort!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

#mondaymuse22ndYear #pravinsabnis #since2004 #motivation #blogging #MondayMuse

 

 

EATING

We need to take an honest look at our eating habits to understand and make changes if required. We cannot change what we do not accept. The change will begin with observation and acceptance. There are broadly four types of eating. 

 

Fuel Eating is when we eat foods that support our body and its needs.  This is a good habit of eating real, whole, natural, minimally processed foods that provide us with energy and nourishment and feel good in our body. 

 

Fun Eating is eating foods that we love but do not give much back.  These taste great but don’t offer any real nutritional value, like cake, potato chips, candy, etc.).  We must eat them on a fewer occasions just for the joy they bring.

 

Fog Eating is anytime you eat without awareness, like eating while watching tv or the mobile.  It is neither enjoyable nor purposeful; it’s an unconscious activity that we are not even aware we are doing.  We must refrain from fog eating.  

 

Storm Eating is binge eating or eating out of control.  We may be aware that we are overeating but we can’t control. This happens if we let ourselves get too hungry or as a reaction to an overwhelming emotion. It is often followed by regret and shame, and many times it is done in private or in hiding.

 

We must be conscious of our eating habits. By identifying these patterns, we can develop greater awareness, differentiate between physical hunger and emotional cravings, and cultivate a more balanced relationship with food.  

 

Cultivate consciousness in those tasty bits

Create the right balance in what you eat!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

#mondaymuse22ndYear #pravinsabnis #since2004 #motivation #blogging #MondayMuse

Blind Tradition

 

Too many people hold on to traditions they don’t understand, customs they never questioned, and practices that no longer make sense in today’s world. Tradition without questioning can trap generations into following an irrational path 

 

We like to do things because ‘this is how my grandmother used to do it’, ‘this is how my father did it.’ We do things without first asking why. Our ability to think and discern is sacrificed at the altar of unquestioned traditions. Sense is needed more than sentiments.

 

We inherit traditions but what happens when what we inherit is not  understood for the context and relevance which may have changed with time? There are traditions that are meaningful and relevant even today. But there are many customs which are neither aligned to logic nor common good. 

 

So often, so many of us carry forward the habits, beliefs, and fears of our elders without realizing how deeply they shape our thought processes, choices, relationships, and even our responses to opportunities. We exist in a new reality but blindly follow old practices without confirming their relevance.

 

Buddha said, ‘do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations; do not believe in anything because it is rumoured and spoken by many… After observation and analysis, when it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and gain of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.’

 

Use the questioning mind, let logic dwell

Wisdom lies beyond blind tradition spell

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

#mondaymuse22ndYear #pravinsabnis #since2004 #motivation #blogging #MondayMuse