Often

On the birth anniversary of my friend, Ravi Sirsat, I am reminded of his mantra to lose weight. Besides keeping off carbohydrates and doing regular exercise, he advised to eat more often. Instead of few heavy meals, he recommended to have small meals at regular intervals. 

This strategy to eat small portions of food throughout the day is called ‘grazing’. Benefits include improved digestion, boosted metabolism, reduced cravings and prevention of overeating. Everyone's nutritional needs are different and the best eating strategy may depend on individual needs.

 

Interestingly, this mantra works in other situations too. We tend 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 relationships or organisations. Else 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!

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 in regular small sets of time… whether it is food, an organisation, a hobby or a relationship! 

Eat less but more often 
Strain will surely soften! 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Eco-choice

The popular festival of colours, Holi marks the beginning of spring and end of winter. The commercial market offers an abundance of chemical-based colours which bring along health issues as well as contaminate our water and soil causing damage to the biodiversity of insects and plants.   

For over a decade, to truly double the joy and excitement of Holi, Suryakant Gaonkar creates colours using local leaves and flowers and other natural ingredients. Suryakant promotes the use of natural colour powders as an alternative that is slowly but surely becoming an eco-choice for Goans.

 

Eco-choice is a term that refers to the practice of making environmentally friendly decisions in our daily lives. It is about making use of products that reduce their environmental footprint. It includes options that are sustainable, compostable and biodegradable.

 

Eco-choice is a philosophy that encourages individuals and businesses to make environmentally conscious choices. By choosing eco-friendly products, we can reduce our impact on the planet and create a more sustainable future.

 

Overall, eco-choices are transformational ideas that encourage us to think about the environmental impact of our daily choices. By making eco-friendly choices, we can create a more sustainable future for ourselves, our planet and future generations.

 

Commit to eco-choices all the time,

Our carbon footprint has to decline.

 

-       Pravin Sabnis 

 

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Resoluteness

Alexander Graham Bell’s mother was deaf, and this had a profound impact on his life's work. His early education was marked by struggles, and he was labelled as ‘not academically inclined.’ However, his curiosity and passion for learning drove him to pursue his interests in science and technology.

 

His fascination with communication and speech led him to work on a device that could transmit the human voice over wires. He experimented, tested and refined his ideas, often facing disappointment and failure. His contemporaries ridiculed his ideas, but he never gave up.

 

His invention of the telephone transformed the world. It enabled real-time communication across distances, connecting people and facilitating global communication. 

 

His story is one of resoluteness and perseverance. His willingness to take risks led to his ground-breaking invention. He once said, ‘When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us’. 

 

Resoluteness is the spark that ignites the fire of success. By cultivating inner strength, individuals overcome obstacles, stay focused, build confidence and achieve goals. Resoluteness is not an innate trait; it can be developed and strengthened through practice, self-reflection and intentional habits.

 

Resoluteness will make you shine

As you face every test in due time!

 

-       Pravin Sabnis 

 

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Be together

In an Aesop fable, three bulls grazing in a meadow, were keenly watched by a Lion, who longed to eat them. However, whenever he came near, the three bulls turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. 

The lion began by spreading rumours to cause distrust among them. This method worked. The bulls grew cold and unfriendly towards each other. Finally they began to avoid each other and grazed in isolation. Sensing his opportunity, the Lion attacked them one by one and devoured all three.

 

The moral of the story is simple. The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes. A friendship that was built over a period of time could be undone by flimsy reasons. It takes considerable time and effort to build a friendship but it is so easy to undo the bond.

 

We allow frivolous talk to trigger the collapse of a relationship that took time to build. The very relationship, that united us to positively impact our lives, is prone to disruption because we stop continuous communication and actions for maintaining the bonding. 

 

Relationships thrive on the constant communication and belief in the bond. They are undone when distance creeps in the connection. Hence, it is important to keep in touch and ‘be together’ like the three bulls did to thwart the lion.

 

Be together for mutual gain

May the bond never strain! 

 

-       Pravin Sabnis 

 

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Dying with dignity

When he was born on 17 February 1930 in Calicut, Kerala, the astrologers refused to cast a horoscope for him. They predicted that he would die soon. But Basava Premanand went on to live an inspirational life of 80 years.

He started moved around India explaining tricks behind miracles. He founded FIRA: Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations. He authored 36 books & edited monthly ‘Indian Skeptic’ with articles on the scientific investigation of paranormal occurrences.

In 2006, he was diagnosed of extreme cancer of the stomach. Doctors insisted on an emergency operation, but he went off instead to search for a contractor to build his dream project - a museum on Method of Science. 

 

He handed over the money and came back for an operation that was unable to negate the shadow of death. Yet, his enthusiasm never diminished and the project was inaugurated on 5 March 2009 in Podnur.

‘Dying with one's boots on’ or ‘dying with dignity’ is used to describe persons who live life on their own terms, pursuing their passions and dreams until the very end. It's a mindset that embodies resilience, determination and an unwavering commitment to one's values and aspirations.

 

When we refuse to give up on our dreams, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities. This unyielding spirit inspires others too. When we stay true to our values and passions, we can leave a lasting impact on the world, inspiring future generations to follow in our footsteps.

 

Dying with dignity, living with purpose 

Like Premanand live life to the fullest!

-       Pravin Sabnis 

 

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CAUCASIAN CIRCLE

On the day of Bertolt Brecht’s birth anniversary, here’s is a muse based on the playwright’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Brecht uses the device of ‘a play within a play’.

 

It is set in the Soviet Union around the end of WW2. It shows a dispute between the Collective Fruit Farm Galinsk fruit growing commune and the Collective Goat Farmers, over who is to own and manage an area of farm land after the Nazis have retreated from a village and left it abandoned. 

 

An old folk tale, is played out. A peasant girl who rescues a baby, becomes a better mother than the baby's wealthy biological parents. In the trial, the baby is placed on a circle and both ‘mothers’ are asked to pull it to their side, but the peasant girl refuses to do anything that will hurt the child. The true mother is obvious!

 

The circle teaches us the connection between the individual characters and the larger community, highlighting the importance of collective action and solidarity. We must understand the importance of collective action and the struggle for justice and equality. 

 

In the folk tale we learn that love overrides different truths which are after all just spins of perception and positioning. The circle of humanity should engulf all other circles, connected or not connected. Nothing is greater than justice born of sensitivity and sensibility.

 

In Caucassian Circle, truth is spun

Justice needs humanity to be won!

 

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Caution

In Greek mythology, a brilliant inventor, Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned on an island. Daedalus built wings using feathers and wax. As they set out to fly, Daedalus warned Icarus to follow his path and not to fly too close to the sun, as the heat would melt the wax.  

However, Icarus, filled with excitement and a sense of invincibility, ignored his father's warnings and soared higher and higher. His wings melted and he plummeted down. Daedalus, devastated by his son's death, continued to fly, using his grief as motivation to reach safety.

 

Icarus' story serves as a warning about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the importance of balancing boldness with caution. Daedalus' ability to cope with his son's death and continue on his journey demonstrates the importance of resilience in the face of adversity.

 

Being adventurous makes one step out of limiting beliefs but prudence calls for heeding obvious caution. And when on the right track, we must not allow any setback to set us back from what we set out to do. We must maintain clarity and consistency in our actions. 

 

Resilience is consistent clarity of action

Boldness must be balanced with caution!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

 

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