WHEN SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE DRIVES LIFE..

In life we need a driving force. Without such a driving force we are destined to lead a somewhat stagnant life. Earlier I have talked about importance of an aim in life.You can read more about it here..
https://archishmansardar.blogspot.com/search?q=importance+of+aim

Aim is indeed a very strong driving force. But in due time I have stumbled across a trait that drives me more deeply. When I began this blog, I wanted to be informed more about life and all that surrounds us and supports our existence. This search can be simply placed as a search for knowledge and I can not deny this fact. What has astonished me is how strong this drive can get. My life has got itself wrapped around this intrinsic force which seeks knowledge of life itself. Everything that I do now reflects this drive. This force had a dramatic effect on my senses. They remain more aware of the surrounding and leech out facts for my subconscious to feed upon.

This needs special mention because this force involves both the conscious and the subconscious mind. You start to notice everything. Speech becomes rare because hearing serves the purpose more than using the mouth and tongue. Such silence and awareness of the surrounding floods your mind with facts that eventually become knowledge. This is best understood using the term deductive science which I stumbled across watching Sherlock Holmes series.

The benefit of having knowledge as the driving force is that you get away from mindless social media scrolling. That time which was wasted is now used mindfully. This change has really been beneficial. Another thing that this lifestyle has changed is that I value time more now. Time really is our most valuable asset. Being mindful opens up time for a lot for tasks that have value in our life. Time spent performing such tasks adds value to our lives. The best thing is the feeling of being busy because you always have something of significance to do or achieve.

Search for knowledge brings you more closer to life and living. The heightened senses serves a greater purpose and brings closed ones more closer. This enlightens you and drives you even when life puts you down. This added responsibility and drive to push harder lets you accomplish targets and set new ones that are more soul enriching. The byproducts are determination and insight of life which people strive hard to achieve in a lifetime. This new year gift yourself the power of knowledge because in the journey of achieving knowledge you will change your life for the better in ways you could never have imagined.  

SAY NO TO PLASTIC: PLASTIC POLLUTION

This Earth is all we have. With its fall we will fall. We have been nourished and nurtured by this very Earth we call mother. Sadly we are the ones responsible for its downfall. To understand life, we created science. This science became all powerful and to ease human life invented many things..PLASTIC was one of them.

Plastic came up in the year 1907. The properties of this material made it immensely popular. It soon tentacled into every arena of human life. It was easy and cheap which attributed to its wide acceptance even in poorest of the nations. Its wide popularity curtailed the fact that plastic is non biodegradable. Most of the forms of plastic are not recyclable as well. The polymers of plastic take more than 1000 years to break down in natural conditions. The menace of plastic has depleted Earth of its natural beauty.

The warning signs of ecological collapse are everywhere. Its killing organisms of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. With growing extinction of species governments have moved resources to curb the problem and many have banned the use of single use plastic. Government of India, although late, has joined the league.

We, the people, are the final consumer of plastic. As consumers we have more power than the government in curbing this menace. "With power comes great responsibility", indeed we have a great responsibility on our shoulders. The responsibility of saving our very planet. Making sure that our existence does not come at the cost of other organisms death. Humans have come this far without plastic. However impossible it may seem we can sustain ourselves without single use plastic. The need? Just responsible consumerism.

The only thing we can best control is our mind. We can choose to go zero waste. While shopping we are at the consumer end. Being judicious of what we buy can significantly reduce the waste we create. Rather than buying packaged food everytime,we can opt to buy in bulk. While grocery shopping we can opt for food that are packed in recyclable containers rather than buying food packed in single use plastic that after use will go into landfill and remain there for the next 1000 years. Would we like to become the generation with plastic waste as its legacy? Surely, we don't.

A simple choice of carrying a reusable bag while shopping can save us from generating tons of plastic in our lifetime. Similarly carrying a reusable water bottle can save us our money and planet as well. A win-win for both. This is not the end. Avoiding packaged snacks can help us maintain zero waste lifestyle as well as save us from future cardiovascular diseases.  Again a win-win. The attractive aspect of such a lifestyle are many like good health, less toxins in the body, cleaner homes and surrounding, and most importantly monetary savings.

Living a plastic free lifestyle can save money. This is because we avoid packaged food and hence we avoid the packaging cost that goes into it. Bulk purchase are cheaper alternative to the packaged food. Nobody has to strive to become perfect in this and get demotivated. To save our planet we need millions to carry out imperfect plastic free living rather than few living this lifestyle perfectly. To our benefit, carrying out this lifestyle is very easy in our country. We just have to be conscious while consuming and that is all our PLANET needs..OUR CARE..

CHOOSING SUSTAINABILITY..

There is no doubt in the fact that we are responsible for the sorry state of environment around us. As Indians we are very proud of our heritage and culture. But we never kept those heritage and customs which favoured a environment friendly life style. We moved on. Swept by the lights and ghare of consumerism. In all this, environment received a set back like our rich Indian customs and traditions.

We have come a long way. Today our very own sustenance is harming the environment. People consciously make choices that damage the Earth and then brag about problems of pollution and government inaction. A fast life has indeed brought economic process but at a devastating cost. Hills of garbage in land fills, fishes dying of chemical pollutants, minors dying of lungs cancer etc have become the new status quo. This life style has done everything wrong..very wrong..

We are all familiar with the problem. But do you all know what's the funny thing? We know the solution as well. Inaction is a sin and we all are committing it everyday. We receive the first set back through self doubt. We think that what good will our steps do in a world filled with 7 billion people? To this I can quote only one think. People that surround you do not learn from teachings, they learn from examples. Once you prove that zero waste and sustainable living are possible, people will take up the challenge themselves and soon change will be visible.

Covering the entire topic of sustainable ways of living cannot be completed in a single blog. In the following blogs I would come up with the changes that I personally have implemented to live minimally and in a more sustainable way. The most inspiring thing in my journey has been the realisation that living sustainably is the easiest in our country. This brings us the opportunity to grasp the ideology without much changes in our life style. As every one else out there who talks about sustainability and its positive financial impacts, I guarantee you that all those things are true.

The upcoming blogs will list the positive impacts of a sustainable life style. We are lucky to have access to knowledge about modern meaning of living sustainably. But it's sad that our own culture promotes such a life style to which we turn blind eyes. As I said living can not be taught, leave aside sustainable living. It can only be propagated by self examples and experiences which is exactly what I am determined to do.

DELAYED GRATITUDE..

Our world today is filled with materialistic attractions. People today live paycheck to paycheck to fulfill their lust for such materialistic demands. They are not needs. This is true because such materialistic distractions are outcome of capitalism. These things are advertised in such a way that they grab sudden attention. People are made to believe that they absolutely need it. Thus these luxuries become needs rather than being just demands.

There have been studies that prove keeping cash away every month can result in good wealth accumulation. While this is true but the sad reality is that people spend this money on such luxuries. This results into stagnation and they do not move up the financial ladder. People believe that they could have better lives if they would get a pay hike. But this does not solve the problem. Once this spending habit gets embedded in our life style, with a pay raise we just increase our spending, thus remaining financially stagnant as earlier. The money is just a tool. It becomes powerful only if we give it the power.

The method or may I call it the practise of delayed gratitude is a habit when incorporated can do wonders in our life. This in the most simple way means postponing the wants for a later period so that we can concentrate on securing the future first. It does not mean that we should give up our wants. This practise in turn tells us to have conscious purchases. To give our purchase some time so that we can categorise it properly as a need or a want.

The categorisation is crucial. When a thing is a need and we can afford it we should do it right away. But once the thing falls under the second category we should give it time. We should ask ourselves whether our lives would be better when we incorporate that thing? Whether we have any alternative for that thing which is cheaper but can do the task equally well? Such questions will give us time to think about our purchase decision. And as seen, most of the times people avoid buying that thing. Thus hard earned money or soul kept savings is saved.

Some individuals may argue that we have one life and we should live it to the fullest. YES, we should. But having material possessions does not always make one happy. Happiness is a choice and we should only allow those things into our lives which can compliment our joy of living. Being financially deprived leaches away happiness and no one wants that. That is the reason we see people working soo hard to secure a living. But then these people give away their hard earned money is search of happiness in material things. They come out depressed.

We should have a balance of everything. We should delay possessions but not happiness. In the race to obtain more materialistic things people forget to live and end up having a half life. A life of regret at the end is what they get. Thus practising delayed gratitude can do wonders. Incorporate it as a habit and see dramatic changes in your life and personal finances..

TAKING IT SLOWLY..

We are surrounded with events and things that demand our attention. With the development of time this pressure has manifolded many times. The result ? Hypertension among youths. Heart attacks occurring to 10 year olds. Among many others.

It is basic human tendency to seek action. But human minds have limitations as well. There have been numerous studies that show that multitasking is a myth and that it has its toll on the work and health as well. All these things that seek one's attention are usually overwhelming and forces one to take it all in one go. This propels multi tasking and results into neglect and faults in the outcome.

Our education system has been designed to make all entities function equally. It does not take into account that each individual is different. The pace at which each person responds to tasks varies. As a result people are mostly lacking life skills. They almost never know the trick to handle tasks and pressure generated due to task loads. Thus, we can assume that the general masses are mostly incapable to cope with the trends that this new era brings with it. The evidences in support of this are evident.

This is not something that is not discussed often. There are awareness programmes being conducted in educational institutions. The common thing among these programs is that they treat this as a disease and try to heal the one suffering through counselling. A change in ideology is needed to bring visible changes. The youth should be made to acknowledge the changing scenario and provided with the skills to handle the same.

The demand for our attention is not going to decrease, rather the opposite of this is eminent. The secret is to Take It Slowly. Let the reality seek in. Give time to plan and prioritise the tasks at hand and then proceed. Never should we try to multi task because it is never fruitful.

Some tasks can be overwhelming but a mind well trained to contain these feelings is the one that can make it through. A well trained mind will find ways to better manipulate time and ways to automate tasks taking away unnecessary time. Time is the most valuable asset and it should be spent wisely.


Taking things slowly can solve half the problems by itself and the rest is just our action which can do the ultimate justice. Take the days one at a time and tasks too in the same way. This ancient wisdom is a life lesson and learning it is a life skill which we all need. Things are gonna get more complex. Ideal surrounding is soon going to vanish. It is high time to gain as much skills and wisdom as we can. There are many such skills and indeed this is an important one. Learn it and adopt it as a life style and never forget to take it all slowly in the process.. 

LET THE ACTIONS SPEAK.

Our society today gives much importance to achievements. The support needed while in the struggling period is seldom given by those who surround us. Support comes only after recognition. And recognition comes after achievement. Such a system is pathetic and demotivates many from taking that crucial step. This fear that is generated appeals pupils to play it safe. The declining innovation can be credited to this reason.

What is wrong around us is an entirely different thing. To better understand that we need to have deep insight and knowledge of the society. But the result of that is evident. People prefer to give big talks instead of actually working. They do this with a hope to gather support and sometimes to get social recognition. Well the people who succeed in this big talk business often gather support but that is never a lasting one. The recognition fades away very quickly so as the support gained. But sadly the people today have less patience and want quick results. To achieve this end they agree to hold their endeavours in a safe and socially acceptable way.

Big and small talks,well are good to gain quick attention. This popularity and feeling of being at the centre of gossip leads nowhere. Thus the best way to achieve lasting success and support is to work hard and let the work gain the support it needs. When the work is established in a good way and is backed by consistency, then recognition and support follows as a byproduct.

Let your actions do the speaking and not your mouth. Working in silence is the best medicine for coping with defeat and defame.We learn important wisdom when we work alone. This wisdom makes a strong character. Such a person is stable in scenarios when the hard work pays off as well as during defeat and social humiliation.

They become shielded against all that happens around them. A kind of calm resides in them which is unshaken by external forces.

There are many who have worked tirelessly for months and have made it to the top. But their inner wisdom that they have gained during their struggle does not allow them to change and thus keeps them grounded. They continue to put in equal amount of work even though they don't have to anymore. This respect for work is what separates them from the one timers. Their work keeps blooming and attracts attention. This is the work doing the talking, while the doer is at calm and working for him/herself. In this world where everyone wants overnight success and fame, these souls keep putting in the hard work because they know that after years of working one becomes an overnight success. This is the reality of life. This is what working hard and consistency is all about. Keep pushing hard and let your work do the talking for you..

IDEAL EDUCATION..

Education today is a requirement. Quality education is becoming rare day by day. The main cause for this can be the definition of education itself. The scenario around education is very dynamic. The skill requirement is changing everyday. But the skilling process is not coping up well with the changing market demand. This creates a void in the market. Jobs are getting scarce because the jobs today demand different skills which is not available in the youth who aspire jobs. These problems are prominent but they can be well contained. The odds can be turned in favour. But there are some problems which are making the entire system hollow from the inside. These are the problems of corruption and  favouritism in the sphere of education.

This is nothing new. The puranas and the ancient hindu texts have a lot of such examples. The example of mahabharat can be sighted as an example. Dronacharya promised that he would make Arjuna the greatest archer living. To keep his promise he demanded the thumb of Eklavya as guru dakshina. He knew that Eklavya was better than Arjuna. But still he went ahead with this. This was not what we call ideal educational behaviour of a teacher. Thus even the ancient gurukuls and their gurus were not free from corruption and favouritism.

These phenomenons are found is a much magnified form in today's educational institutions. The teachers have gone ahead miles to prove their power. This powerlust is responsible for educational downfall in educational institutions in general and institutions of India in particular. There is not a lack of talent in the teachers rather they have lost their morals completely. The morals and moral education have high regard in Indian society and homes. But sadly that same moral ideology is absent in its educational institutions.

Education is the exchange of knowledge. But when such exchange involves the three major downsizing feelings, the exchange becomes corrupted. The three feelings talked about here are fear, anger and jealousy. They can ruin the lives and in this case two lives. The teachers today favour students and go in deep to provide them with ill favours. This not only destroys the talent aspect of the student who gets favour , but also is affects the one who is being treated in a wrong way.

This is rampant in the educational institutions of today. Every student has either faced it or has witnessed it being happening. This is the new reality. With such kind of practises present how can we expect our educational institutions to grow and cope up with modern demands. The teachers who do such kind of works are to blame but the teachers who see such things happening and still do not take any steps are equally responsible because they are the ones who can curb this problem. The students who take such favours are destroying their own life. They are treating their talents in an inferior way and are loosing the chances of prospering.

This is a prominent problem. The solution should be prominent and lasting as well. The thing now is who should bring the change. The teachers? The higher authorities? The government? The answer is still unknown. Morality is rare now a days. This rarity is getting worse due to this circumstances. They need to change. They should change for better.