New Year Resolution

2010 is about to become past and 2011 is around the corner. Believe most of them are ready to make their new year resolutions. Are they the usual quitting smoking/alcohol, reducing weight/junk food, excersice regularly? Nothing wrong though but I was wondering why are new year resolutions always about quitting or reducing, which are mostly self centered. Why not make resolutions that are something different like:

1. Help the needy by possible means
2. Cut down carbon waste by recycling or using less fossil fuels
3. Spread more of what I know to others
4. Act more kindly where possible
5. Keep cool, to reduce friction with others

These are few that came to my mind as resolutions in a different perspective. These might or might not be applicable to all, but the thought that runs in my mind is why not try to make resolutions that are not purely self centered?

The above few or similar if made as resolutions will be practiced because when the humand mind hears a no or stop it always thinks why not and will rebel, its hard wired in the every human. However these resolutions do not ask one to stop any of what is being done at present. Therefore these resolutions if made are more likely to be followed. This also acts as a motivating factor which helps to build self esteem.

Making non-self centered resolutions are most likely to prevail not only through the coming 2011 but also for the years to come as these resolutions become the new norm as one starts to practice that not only benefit the one making the resolution but also those surrounding the individual. Moreover these kind of resolutions could be contagious too, which is good news for the society that we live in...Therefore shall we?

Value

Cats drink milk from a bowl without wetting their whiskers, everyone would have known and seen that. But have ever wondered how do they do it against Newton law of inertia? The fact how they do it shows how felines outshine humans in hydrodynamics. This is not the only wonder but there are many more in the animal kingdom like the Egyptian vulture which uses the height, precision and drops the bones on rocks from the required height to break the bones which shows how superior in their own way they are to humans who claim to have the sixth sense, which makes us think we are superior.

 These animals without the sixth sense do the extraordinary from which we have a lot to learn. Instead of leading a simple life, we start to indulge in luxuries and comforts and seek to run behind earning cash to fulfill those. This again coins down to Marslow's Hierarchy of Need where the greed in us makes us want more and more and more...

The other perspective could be we, humans would not have come to this stage of progress and development if we did not move up on the Marslow's Need Theory. The urge to do better and out beat others is what makes us research and develop new technologies as its survival of the fittest. However if these used in the right way makes the world a better place to live in.

On the other hand in the name of all this technological advancements we knowingly or unknowingly ruin the peace of other species and environment, which at the end might cost us dearly all that we have now. As the Bhagavat Gita verse goes "What did you bring along with you to take along with you", which does not mean we have to be contended, but lets do things to progress with the thought in the mind that we are not the superior species and do things with the thought of the surroundings in our mind, that includes fellow humans, animals, plants and environment, as we need to let our future generations live for the years to come. That to me is the sixth sense and value...

What to Write???

Today i really feel like writing something, but my mind is so blank that am not sure what to write about. Finally decided to write on why my mind is so blank that even when i want to write cannot choose a topic to write on. Strange isn't it???

When does a human thought process start? Is there a time when there is rest to the thought process? Doctors tell that there are two part of human brain's thought process - Conscious and Sub-conscious. The conscious part takes rest when we sleep, however the sub-conscious part is still awake thinking. Poor thing. If that is true and am not sleeping though now, then why can't I get a topic to think about to write???

Is this called brain dead? too much activity can make a sudden stop to everything. This is commonly related with innovative thoughts. Everything needs rest, except your heart beat as when it stops life comes to an end, some resting time to recoup the lost energy and brain is no exception to it. When we over stress our brain it revolts and stops thinking and says "Give me a break". Don't think a Kit-Kat would be of any help. So am I brain dead? Do i need a break? Think not as my innovative part is not started at present.

Other reason is too many problems running in the mind that gives me no time to think and concentrate on a particular topic or issue. In this stage the mind wanders freely but helplessly not sure what to think. Well i believe this could be a reason with me right now. How am I to sort out this? Well if I had known the answer I would not have written so much about my blankness, Right? Let me take some rest and leave you to think....

Technology Evolution

The recent news on the introduction of the 4G technology in the mobile phones started a new string of thoughts inside my mind. Where is the technology evolution heading towards? Is this evolution good or bad to humans?

The latest i-Phone or any smart phone for that case has more than what a phone was intend to - talking. Phones with only Contact, Messaging, Music, Camera features are gone old days and the latest ones can play online games, maps, currency converters, news update, high speed internet connectivity, video call, the list goes endless. Users of today mobile phones are spoilt with choices.

The other technology advancement in the 21st century is Internet. This is one thing which spits out both good and bad, with no brain of its own. It is for we people to take the good. But how will we know what is good if we do not interact with others to gain our own experience. We persume our own thoughts are correct, follow that and expect others also to follow.

So the question arises, with this kind of technology evolution are humans becoming more uncivilized or in short returning to from where we came? The basic features that differentiate human from animal are the networking, socialisation, planning. This basically as all of us know is the sixth sense-common sense. The evolution is so daunting that we talk less, interact very less and plan very little. Is this making us more self centered and making us don't care about the surrounding? These questions are to be given a deep thought. Let us all not fall to prey to technology evolution. Lets take the good part of it while we still respect and grow our human value systems.

University of Char Kway Teow

Sounds like a never heard university but this is were people graduate by experience & passion and the only university where thesis, papers, certificates, degree are not seeked for admission and graduation. I realised this after my recent trip in Singapore with Uncle Tan in his taxi. He was nearly in his late 60's. I was taken back when he talked about economics and politics without any formal graduation. The facts he could place to substantiate his arguments were astounding.

He could talk about why lawyers are better politicians, Hyper inflation in Zimbawawe, Deflation in Japan, Inflation in Singapore and his prediction on deflation coming soon to Singapore, Ex-US President Bush concenration on Iraq and the lack of judgment to identify the recent sub prime crisis which took the world markets down by spiral.

Top football coaches like Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson, Microsoft Bill Gates, Apple Steve Job are a few who are not graduated from top business school but have excelled in management. What drives them is passion and not paper. According to uncle tan, for a business to prosper you need a good coach (leader) to identify talent and a eager student (employee) who can learn

At the end of my 30minute journey with uncle tan, I could not stop myself from asking him where from he gained all this knowledge and the answer was University of Char Kway Teow. This converstation made me remember of the recent hit bollywood movie - 3 Idiots, where the theme is 'follow your passion' and I could little disagree with that after the trip with uncle tan.

Finally for those who are not aware of Char Kway Teow - it is delicacy made from flat rice noodles stir-fried with lard, garlic, dark soy sauce, bean sprouts, kale leaves, fishcake, fresh cockles, prawns, eggs and lup cheong (Chinese sausage). This is one of the hardest hawker dishes to cook perfectly, which is perhaps why it causes the strongest, deepest cravings!