Go the extra mile

Can you go the extra mile?

Can you go the extra mile?

Life can be wonderful,
Each second can make you smile!
But to see its true beauty,
It will need you to go the extra mile!!

Can you trust people?
On whom nobody will bet!
But if you can do it honestly,
It can become a big asset !!

Can you show goodness?
Even to those unfair to you!
It will reap you true friends,
Who can make miracles come true!!

Can you practice strong faith?
In times that will shake your patience!
You will reap all success possible,
Only if you can maintain your balance !!

You will definitely need courage,
To achieve anything worthwhile!
The only question you face is,
Are you ready to go the extra mile??

My weekly tweets archive for the week ending 2011-08-08

  • One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others. -Levi Strauss #
  • When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, educate people. -Chinese Proverbs #
  • Is urban farming the way for the future? http://fb.me/19AFUtxsZ #
  • 1 Rupe ka Jaadu!! http://fb.me/AFrgSDMK #
  • What is in store after Aug 16? http://fb.me/yDtOmMwm #
  • A man grows most tired while standing still. -Chinese Proverbs #
  • If you can help with design work for PickaFight, we have a lot of interesting tasks for different fights… Raise your hands, NOW 🙂 #
  • I think I am going to find it really hard to watch cricket after these last few players are gone.. http://fb.me/1bxpKVzki #
  • Will Anna's fast from Aug 16 generate as much public support this time? What do you think? The government has… http://fb.me/CPzFnhJm #
  • The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism. -Norman Peale #
  • Worry about your character & not your reputation, because your character is who you are, & your reputation is only what people think of you #
  • Do something different today, love yourself!! http://fb.me/1cI2B0EhH #
  • Another wonderful poem by Gargi Munjal http://fb.me/MHke96yK #

The Fight Against Corruption and for Jan Lokpal Bill – Part II

In April, the government agreed to a joint drafting committee for a Lokpal Bill as they were ‘bound by duty‘ of the people to do so. They promised to discuss the points raised by Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and others and present a Lokpal Bill in the monsoon session of the parliament. August is here, four months have passed since Anna Hazare galvanized the whole nation with his fast, but has the last four months been anything but a hogwash by our politicians?

The talks never got anywhere because both sides blamed each other before and after every round of talks. The demand for televising the talks was never accepted by the government. Even after numerous round of talks, there was no consensus on the various contentious points of the Jan Lokpal Bill. This was very visible in the press conferences by both parties after every round of fresh talks. It was clear there was no trust between the two sides of the drafting committee, from the very beginning. Without mutual trust and respect, expecting a positive outcome from the committee was like expecting Tom and Jerry to become friends because they were on TV.

Finally, the government is ready to present a Lokpal Bill in the parliament. A bill which cannot tackle or investigate any of the serious corruption cases we have seen in recent times. It will not have jurisdiction to investigate the Commonwealth Games scam, Bellary mining scam or the Adarsh society scam as it can’t prosecute state government officials. It can’t investigate the 2G scam as PM and his office has been kept out of it. It can’t take your complaint for corruption against your traffic police officer, or the magistrate, or the collector in your district. Under it, you can not complain against any babu who refuses to process your file or pay you your pension without taking a cut from it.

Are you? Will you?

Are you? Will you?

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) clearly mentions the terms based on which a country’s anti-corruption body should work. It asks for an independent body, which the Lokpal will not be because the CBI’s anti-vigilance wing will continue to function as usual, and under the government. Moreover, the Lokpal will be appointed by government officials themselves, creating a huge conflict of interest. If the government only wants to create a Lokpal for top level bureaucracy, how has the action over the last few months serve the public and the day to day corruption which everybody has to face.

Has the government here played both sides very cleverly to its own advantage? Did the setting up of a committee only a hogwash to dispel the growing public anger in support of Anna Hazare’s movement? Was it only to give an impression that ‘we care’ whereas the ground situation has hardly changed in the last few months? Is the government not trying to suppress Anna Hazare’s threat for a fast again by imposing section 144 in Delhi and refusing permission to his fast from Aug 16? Will they arrest him and force feed him? Will they not even allow an agitation to start this time?

But more importantly, the question is what will the public do? The government can put section 144 in Delhi, but not in every street of the country. They can arrest Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, but can they arrest millions of people if they come out on the streets on Aug 16. Will the public again dispel this movement as ‘it will never work’ and go back to living their pity lives. As the next few weeks before Aug 16 pass, everybody needs to ask themselves just one question, “Do we want to support Anna Hazare while discussing with friends over coffee and watching him on TV, or do we have the balls to go out on the streets to really stand for what Anna Hazare is fighting for?”

And who is Anna Hazare fighting for, not for himself, but for us. Have we even lost the dignity to support the person who is fighting selflessly for us, or are our souls so dead already that we can dismiss Anna Hazare by terming his entire movement a ‘publicity exercise’??

I will end with a quote by Henry Louis Mencken – ” It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.”

Why I love Test Matches?

If there are sports as fast as hockey and football which can get pretty exhaustive and a real test of stamina for players as they hardly get any break in a game, there sits Test Cricket on the other side where your stamina and skills are tested, but in a totally different way. Test Cricket is the longest form of cricket, where two teams play over five days, and sometimes even those five days fails to produce a result. Nevertheless, it has its own following and has been in existence since 1877. It puts the players’ skills, patience, fitness and stamina to utmost test over the five days.

Waiting is a very important part of test cricket. Waiting everyday for a 40 minute lunch and a 20 minute tea forms an integral part of the day. Apart from that, there is more waiting, for the openers to settle in, for the ball to get old, and then waiting for 80 overs to take the new ball. The batsman wait for the ball to stop swinging, while the spinners wait for the ball to start spinning. The bowlers wait for the batsmen to make a mistake, and the batsmen wait with their shots till the bowlers are tired.

A sight only possible in Test Cricket

A sight only possible in Test Cricket

Twists and Turns

A test match can turn a match over its head many times over the period of 5 days. Every session gives both teams the chance to show their talent and come back into the game. This way it is a real test of skills and only the best team will win at the end. Lucky performances don’t matter as much as in ODI and T20 cricket. There is ample proof of this as teams have won after having to follow on or being completely outplayed in the first innings. No other sport perhaps can give such thrills.

Patience

Test cricket, more than anything else, is the test of patience of the players. Ishant Sharma’s spell to Ponting in Perth in 2008 was a testimony for that. A bowler has to bowl long spells and really bring out his talents to the table to get the batsman out. There is no hurry or run rate issues and the batsman will not play any rash shots. The batsman will also wait for the bowlers to get tired out and the ball to get old before playing their shots. In this way, it is more about playing time and testing the patience of the opposition which makes Test Cricket so intriguing to watch.

Intensity

Although it might seem like a slow game, it never goes down in intensity. The concentration and focus which players need to put in, and the fighting spirit which brings out the best in many players, is a real treat to watch. Players like Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble are a result of this unwavering focus and never ending determination on the cricket field.

That's why they say that the defensive shot is the most important

That's why they say that the defensive shot is the most important

Fitness

Playing continuously for five days, sometimes under very harsh weather (like in Chennai) requires great level of fitness and character to survive, let alone play. Many of the players to score a century in Chennai have suffered cramps and dehydration, but it has also brought out some of the best innings and test matches ever played. When a bowler has to bowl 40 overs a day and a batsman might need to bat out more than 10 hours, every muscle in your body will be tested and is a big challenge for not only the players, but also the support staff.

Those who say Test Cricket is dead perhaps have never realized what cricket is. The contest between bat and ball, the constant struggle to wait before the other side makes a mistake, and the never ending twists and turns it brings, with the emotions it brings out from players as well as spectators, make it the ideal ‘Test’ of a player’s skills, and also their patience. Only test cricket can create great records such as Australia’s 16 consecutive test wins, and only test cricket can bring out matches like the Calcutta Test in 2001, or the Adelaide Test of 2003, or Headingley in 2002. Only test cricket can bring out heroes like Gavaskar, Dravid, Laxman, and Kumble. And cricket would certainly be poorer without the presence of players of this stature.

5 Ways to Love Yourself

Loving ourselves could be one of the most difficult task for many of us, yet it is very important and significant in our lives. All of us are unique in some talents and skills, and it is our duty to discover our talents and love ourselves for having them. Loving oneself is also related to self-esteem, self-confidence and self-respect sometimes. But it is not about loving oneself as an object, it is not about loving our body or anything physical. Loving oneself comes from within, so in that sense, self-love is more like an attitude and feeling.

The art of loving ourself begins with acceptance of what we are and what we are not. We then no longer seek happiness and fulfillment from people and objects in the outside world, but from within ourselves. It also does not mean being arrogant or over-confident or feeling better than anybody else. It means having a self-respect for ourself as a human being, a self-respect which is not dependent on external factors. Below are 5 simple ways to love oneself daily –

1. Acknowledge your efforts

When we do something good, very often we seek acknowledgement from others (normally higher authority) but often forget to acknowledge ourself for the wonderful work we have been putting in. So do it now, and do it daily. Acknowledge yourself for the effort you have been putting at work, acknowledge yourself for performing your duties as a son, father, mother, brother, and so on. Feel good about the good you are doing to the world.

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance” - Oscar Wilde

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance” - Oscar Wilde

2. No worries

There is never any point worrying about the past or the future. We all know this fact, yet sometimes we can’t stop ourselves from worrying. If we truly become independent of others’ behavior and how situations turn out, we will cease to worry. By worrying we loose the only moment we really have, the present moment. We should aim to enjoy the current moment to the maximum rather than worrying about what is not in our hands.

3. Forgive your mistakes, trust your abilities

We all are human beings, and we have all made mistakes. We might have lost a business opportunity, or we might have hurt some loved ones by our words. While it is human to make mistakes, it is also human to forgive ourselves and not feeling guilty about them, and move on with life. Because life moves ahead and not backwards, we should take the lessons from our past mistakes and trust our abilities to make better use of our time and opportunities that will come our way in the future.

4. Take breaks, relax

Life has become so fast paced these days that quite often we found ourselves so busy in our day to day activities that we loose track of time. Days turn to weeks and weeks to months before we realize the whole year has passed by. All this also leads to stress, tension and diseases due to an unhealthy lifestyle and habits like smoking and drinking. It is very important to take regular breaks to relax and just have some fun, either alone in reflection or spending some light moments with our friends and family. So take a leave every few weeks, just for relaxation, go out for a vacation once in a while, irrespective of how busy you are or how much your work demands of you.

5. Fun Fun Fun in everything you do

Life is one short journey, and yours will end too as it ends for everybody else. And everything you do revolves around people, whether at home, work or on the streets. So have fun at home by playing around with your kids. Have fun at work by not taking things too seriously. Spread smiles on the road by wishing everyone a good day. Count how many times you smile and laugh, and plot it on a graph. The upside of this graph is more important that the graph of your revenues and bottom lines.