The Marathi film, “Majhi Goshta” (My Story) was screened on last Friday at the International Centre, Goa. The film reveals the travails and the travel of a schizophrenic patient who gets timely help and guidance to discover his self-actualisation in music. The screening was followed by a discussion with acclaimed actor and psychiatrist, Dr Mohan Agashe.
During the discussion, a lady raised a very pertinent point… Films like Taare Zameen Par and Mhaji Goshta generally tend to show protagonists overcoming the handicaps of dyslexia and schizophrenia due to possessing talents like painting or music. She wondered whether this would convey rare exceptions as a rule and hence create a wrong impression in the minds of the audience.
In response to the query, Agashe chose to show another movie – a one-minute animation film made as part of a contest in Chennai. The movie showed a handicapped person being asked about his forte. The questioner was consistent in hurling his queries… Can you paint? Can you sing? Can you do something special? Each time the answer was a humble “no” till the person at the receiving end turned around and asked, “Can you (do any of the things you expect me to do)?”
Too often, we insist that our children, subordinates and others should be extraordinary personalities with gifted specialities. Looking around, we will notice that it is not the people with the best talents or techniques who make a huge difference, but it is the people with the right temperament. We need to be better (at inculcating in ourselves and encouraging in others) the real forte - the right attitude! And the right attitude is one that ensures a developmental approach rather than a judgemental one.
Do not fret and frown at the handicap of a lesser aptitude…
Genuine forte is to BE BETTER at empowering a noble attitude!
- Pravin
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
A PATCH OF HUMOUR
A woman had a below-knee amputation as a result of having diabetes and smoking all of her life. When she was regaining consciousness in the Recovery Unit, her doctor-son smiled at her and said ‘Well mum, how does it feel to have one leg in the grave?’ She laughed out loud. Till the day she died, she told that story to her friends and each time, she laughed again.
The son, Dr. Patch Adams is an inspirational icon who has changed the despair of his patients with his cheerful clowning! Convinced of the powerful connection between environment and health, he employed many creative ways in using humour to bring hope and healing to his patients... including dressing up like a clown and decorating the patient’s bed with colourfull balloons. Along with friends, Patch founded a model "happy" hospital – the Gesundheit Institute – where the pain of patients is treated with a patch of humour.
Humour helps because smiling and laughing triggers the secretions of morphine-like chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins strengthen the immune system (responsible for fighting disease and enhancing recovery), reduce pain, and relax the body. Humour also works because it distracts people from their worries and pain and it restores perspective. Humour doesn’t alter the situation, but it helps you to cope with the pain.
Surely, we can learn from the example of Dr. Patch Adams. Surely we can “be better” at facing every despair with a genuine display of care and humour. Surely we can spread cheer and hope by lifting the spirits of those who seem to have succumbed to the situation. And of course, we must start with our own selves by seeing the positives in every problem that seizes us!
To BE BETTER at taking every hindrance head-on
We must choose to sing the positive humour song…
- Pravin
The son, Dr. Patch Adams is an inspirational icon who has changed the despair of his patients with his cheerful clowning! Convinced of the powerful connection between environment and health, he employed many creative ways in using humour to bring hope and healing to his patients... including dressing up like a clown and decorating the patient’s bed with colourfull balloons. Along with friends, Patch founded a model "happy" hospital – the Gesundheit Institute – where the pain of patients is treated with a patch of humour.
Humour helps because smiling and laughing triggers the secretions of morphine-like chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins strengthen the immune system (responsible for fighting disease and enhancing recovery), reduce pain, and relax the body. Humour also works because it distracts people from their worries and pain and it restores perspective. Humour doesn’t alter the situation, but it helps you to cope with the pain.
Surely, we can learn from the example of Dr. Patch Adams. Surely we can “be better” at facing every despair with a genuine display of care and humour. Surely we can spread cheer and hope by lifting the spirits of those who seem to have succumbed to the situation. And of course, we must start with our own selves by seeing the positives in every problem that seizes us!
To BE BETTER at taking every hindrance head-on
We must choose to sing the positive humour song…
- Pravin
Monday, February 2, 2009
RAGE CONTROL
An ancient Zen story tells the tale of a young man who easily succumbed to the emotion of anger. The aftermath of his uncontrollable fury would leave him regretting his words, actions and behaviour. He wished to control his unruly rage and went seeking solution from a renowned Zen Master.
On meeting the Master, he complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?" The Master calmly replied, "You have something very strange. Can I see what you have?" The young man was stunned with the bizarre request. He replied, “But Master, I am not angry, right now… hence I cannot show it to you."
The master persisted, "so when can you show it to me?" The young man responded,
"My anger arises unexpectedly. I cannot say when it might seize me again…” Immediately, the wise man proclaimed, "then surely, it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time."
To BE BETTER at overcoming and managing the emotion of anger, we must first accept responsibility and then take control of our thoughts and behaviour. So often we delude ourselves by believing that negative behavioural traits are habits that cannot be overwhelmed. But we need to remind ourselves, that restraining rage is just like controlling any other destructive habit. Like other habits, we have acquired it… and like other habits it can be unlearnt.
It is we who picked up rage as just another regressive habit…
To BE BETTER at being in control, it is we who must drop it!
- Pravin
On meeting the Master, he complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?" The Master calmly replied, "You have something very strange. Can I see what you have?" The young man was stunned with the bizarre request. He replied, “But Master, I am not angry, right now… hence I cannot show it to you."
The master persisted, "so when can you show it to me?" The young man responded,
"My anger arises unexpectedly. I cannot say when it might seize me again…” Immediately, the wise man proclaimed, "then surely, it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time."
To BE BETTER at overcoming and managing the emotion of anger, we must first accept responsibility and then take control of our thoughts and behaviour. So often we delude ourselves by believing that negative behavioural traits are habits that cannot be overwhelmed. But we need to remind ourselves, that restraining rage is just like controlling any other destructive habit. Like other habits, we have acquired it… and like other habits it can be unlearnt.
It is we who picked up rage as just another regressive habit…
To BE BETTER at being in control, it is we who must drop it!
- Pravin
Monday, January 26, 2009
ULTIMATE GENEROSITY
The Sunday that went by was marked by a unique felicitation of Goan social activist, Ramesh Gawas. The excuse was the recent award he received from the President of India for his excellent services as a teacher. But the real reason was that his students, colleagues and friends wanted to put into practice the very lessons of social responsibility of Ramesh… The function was simple and humble (just like Ramesh) but the highlight was an ultimate act of generosity!
Generosity is a desirable habit. In times of natural disasters, we see relief being provided voluntarily by individuals or groups sharing gifts of time, money, labour and other resources. However, generosity should not be limited to times of great need such as natural disasters and extreme situations. Hence, donating blood is encouraged as an exercise, not only when needed, but also as blood banking.
Ramesh’s friends chose to initiate a commitment to the ultimate act of big-heartedness… Over 50 persons led by Ramesh signed up declarations to donate their bodies after death! They further resolved to create awareness about the worthy cause and widen the circle of influence to get more and more people to sign up for the mission born of the emotion of empathy.
Everyone would like to leave a legacy so that they are remembered after death. What act could be a better legacy then to help a blind person see the world, or help the need to transplant a heart, kidneys and other organs… especially, when the eyes, heart, kidney, liver are ours. We must connect and commit to this act of generosity that shall live even after our death…
Death shall not punctuate our ultimate act of generosity…
Our resolve of body donation shall BE BETTER for humanity!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Generosity is a desirable habit. In times of natural disasters, we see relief being provided voluntarily by individuals or groups sharing gifts of time, money, labour and other resources. However, generosity should not be limited to times of great need such as natural disasters and extreme situations. Hence, donating blood is encouraged as an exercise, not only when needed, but also as blood banking.
Ramesh’s friends chose to initiate a commitment to the ultimate act of big-heartedness… Over 50 persons led by Ramesh signed up declarations to donate their bodies after death! They further resolved to create awareness about the worthy cause and widen the circle of influence to get more and more people to sign up for the mission born of the emotion of empathy.
Everyone would like to leave a legacy so that they are remembered after death. What act could be a better legacy then to help a blind person see the world, or help the need to transplant a heart, kidneys and other organs… especially, when the eyes, heart, kidney, liver are ours. We must connect and commit to this act of generosity that shall live even after our death…
Death shall not punctuate our ultimate act of generosity…
Our resolve of body donation shall BE BETTER for humanity!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Monday, January 19, 2009
LAWN
The best of institutional edifices are enhanced by the relief of lush green lawns. A visitor to one such exciting creation was so impressed by the meticulously maintained lawns that he insisted on meeting the gardener who looked after the lawns.
When asked by the visitor of the secret behind the lawn, the wise gardener replied, 'The first part is difficult… levelling the land as per design, choosing and adding the right top soil, arranging the drainage and other things that are available in books. The second part is simple and easy… we need to just regularly mow the lawn, weed it and water it. Keep doing that and you get a lawn that continues to be like this.'
What is true for the lawn is true for every endeavour for excellence. So often, we give our best while creating something. We manage the difficult part but falter at the easy part. Well begun, it is said, is half done. But if we do not keep the consistency, our best start can be undone.
Consistency is the hall mark of the real achievers. For they keep working to maintain a positive attitude and approach to the things they start. They buttress their vision with a mind-set of mission and the ability to be both, dogged and diligent. Steadfastness holds the key to greater successes. Persistence is a value that ensures that we can BE BETTER at optimising a good start.
No lawn can remain beautiful without a gardener’s sense of mission…
To BE BETTER we must back initiative with dedicated determination!
- Pravin
When asked by the visitor of the secret behind the lawn, the wise gardener replied, 'The first part is difficult… levelling the land as per design, choosing and adding the right top soil, arranging the drainage and other things that are available in books. The second part is simple and easy… we need to just regularly mow the lawn, weed it and water it. Keep doing that and you get a lawn that continues to be like this.'
What is true for the lawn is true for every endeavour for excellence. So often, we give our best while creating something. We manage the difficult part but falter at the easy part. Well begun, it is said, is half done. But if we do not keep the consistency, our best start can be undone.
Consistency is the hall mark of the real achievers. For they keep working to maintain a positive attitude and approach to the things they start. They buttress their vision with a mind-set of mission and the ability to be both, dogged and diligent. Steadfastness holds the key to greater successes. Persistence is a value that ensures that we can BE BETTER at optimising a good start.
No lawn can remain beautiful without a gardener’s sense of mission…
To BE BETTER we must back initiative with dedicated determination!
- Pravin
Monday, January 12, 2009
THE BELL
Zen stories have been a big favourite with me. They highlight profound truth in very few words. One story tells of a new student seized by a sincere desire to learn. At the very first meeting with his master, he asked how he should prepare himself for his training. "Think of me a bell," the master explained. "Give me a soft tap, and you will get a tiny ping. Strike hard and you'll receive a loud, resounding peal."
Life is like that. To make the most of it, we must give it our all. We need to be unbridled in our attitude and make the most of every prospect that comes our way. Somebody said it so well, “If it is going to be, it is up to me.” So the next time, we see the bell of opportunity, let’s realise that it is the intensity of our strike that will decide the magnitude of the resonance.
To BE BETTER at striking the bell of potential expectation…
Let’s remember that it is we who control the reverberation!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Life is like that. To make the most of it, we must give it our all. We need to be unbridled in our attitude and make the most of every prospect that comes our way. Somebody said it so well, “If it is going to be, it is up to me.” So the next time, we see the bell of opportunity, let’s realise that it is the intensity of our strike that will decide the magnitude of the resonance.
To BE BETTER at striking the bell of potential expectation…
Let’s remember that it is we who control the reverberation!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Monday, January 5, 2009
REMEMBERING
The film “Ghajini” delves into a case of anterograde amnesia. The memory of the hero is reduced to a recall of just fifteen minutes, following a violent attack by the killers of his girlfriend. To avenge the past as well as remember his present-day plan, the protagonist uses memory pegs in terms of Diaries, Polaroid photo-images, permanent tattoos on his torso, scribbled notes and memory alerts on his mobile. While the film takes creative liberty to tell its tale of fiction, it has a lesson for us…
Consider our own predicament. There are times when we are seized with a passion and a mission to respond to a challenging situation. It could be a brazen terrorist strike… or a shameful act of corruption… or the murder of humanity in a communal riot… or an exploit of exploitation… or a criminal lapse in governance! But, as time passes our noble intentions begin to detach from our consciousness… we suffer from memory loss of our own cause…
Righteous intentions need to be guarded against loss of focus… Like the protagonist in the film, we need to use memory pegs… We need to maintain diaries that account for what we are thinking, what we are doing and what we are going through… We must document our dreams and plans through notes, sketches, photographs, blogs, etc… We must surround ourselves with knowledge resources like books, quotations, vision and mission statements, and the like.
Amnesia patients may have no choice but to prop up their memory with methods and mechanisms… But for the rest of us, “remembering” is about making a choice… We can choose to remember what we believe in or we can choose to forget to walk our own talk…It is all about putting in the crucial extra effort to fasten our thoughts, plans and actions with the glue of a convergent memory…
To BE BETTER at remembering what we tend to forget…
Peg in extra effort today, lest the future be one of regret!
- Pravin
Consider our own predicament. There are times when we are seized with a passion and a mission to respond to a challenging situation. It could be a brazen terrorist strike… or a shameful act of corruption… or the murder of humanity in a communal riot… or an exploit of exploitation… or a criminal lapse in governance! But, as time passes our noble intentions begin to detach from our consciousness… we suffer from memory loss of our own cause…
Righteous intentions need to be guarded against loss of focus… Like the protagonist in the film, we need to use memory pegs… We need to maintain diaries that account for what we are thinking, what we are doing and what we are going through… We must document our dreams and plans through notes, sketches, photographs, blogs, etc… We must surround ourselves with knowledge resources like books, quotations, vision and mission statements, and the like.
Amnesia patients may have no choice but to prop up their memory with methods and mechanisms… But for the rest of us, “remembering” is about making a choice… We can choose to remember what we believe in or we can choose to forget to walk our own talk…It is all about putting in the crucial extra effort to fasten our thoughts, plans and actions with the glue of a convergent memory…
To BE BETTER at remembering what we tend to forget…
Peg in extra effort today, lest the future be one of regret!
- Pravin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
