Category: Articles

Most of us glorify the lives of the “celebrities”. We mistake the glitz and glamour of these personalities with happiness and contentment. Just like the masses, I too, was in awe with the “life of a star”. This mirage, however, shattered after reading about a top female celebrity fighting depression.

After reading more about such other celebrities, I found that these “famous people” missed the “normal life”. Mundane activities like grocery shopping, walking on the beach or eating street food became impossible for them. It became difficult for them to step out in public without having people suffocate them for autographs and photographs. Spending birthdays and festivals with their families became rare due to their shooting schedules all over the world, throughout the year. These celebrities have fans surrounding them everywhere they go, proclaiming their love for them. But what they love about these celebrities is limited to what’s written in the tabloids and shown on screens.

In an exclusive interview about fighting depression, Deepika Padukone said “Being sad and being depressed are two different things. Also, people going through depression don’t look so, while someone sad will look sad. The most common reaction is, ‘How can you be depressed? You have everything going for you. You are the supposed number one heroine and have a plush home, car, movies… What else do you want?’”..  The perception of celebrity life equals happy life is slowly fading. We just fantasize about having an A-lister lifestyle. But do we really need a life where, what we wear and what we speak is scrutinized and blown out of proportions? Being a public figure, doesn’t mean you’re every move should be exposed in the public. Nobody wants to read about their alleged hook ups and break ups displayed on newspaper stands.

Just like the Chinese Ying & Yang, there are good and bad things associated with this lifestyle. ”Normal” or “famous”, we need to learn to be content with what we have. We must stay true to our roots and not let the material things contaminate us.

                What makes a TV show, movie or a book stand out is its ability to grip the masses with its words. These words may sometimes have a short lasted effect on the individual. But what if a person doesn’t just treat these quotes as something to just amaze about but rather something to ponder on and shape his life with. Following is a list of some inspiring quotes that can act as a life hack to help us in our endeavours.

1. “That’s the difference between you and me, you wanna lose small, I wanna win big”

We need to dream big. A man cannot expect to reach great heights of success without taking risks. The fear of losing, should never affect your goals.

2. ”Sometimes good guys gotta do bad things to make the bad guys pay”

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind has been a quote of the past. If one suffers through others’ wrong doings, he is as much guilty for the crime as the culprit. Bullying has been on rise in the past decade. More often than not, these bullies must be taught a lesson that would make them give up on this horrendous act.

3. “I don’t have dreams, I have goals”

Dreams may represent fiction that one may find hard to achieve. Goals, on the other hand are more real and plausible.

4. “The man who passes the sentence, should swing the sword”

If your actions are to have a negative impact on others, then you owe it to that person to look into his eyes and hear him out. If you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to be the victim of your decision.

5. “Never forget who you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength; then it cannot be your weakness”

There is nothing that is going to stop a society from judging and pointing fingers. Take pride in who you are and what you do. Make your weakness, your strength and nothing can startle you.

6. “Can a man still be brave if he is afraid”

“That’s the only time a man can be brave”

Everybody is afraid of something in life. But using that as an excuse is the act of cowardice. Facing your fears and tackling them head on, is what makes a man indestructible.

7. Respect is not demanded, it is earned.

The saying is synonymous with actions speak louder than words. Nobody is going to take you seriously if you don’t have the mettle to prove yourself.

Words cut deeper than sword and hence, you should think twice before saying anything. Use them to rise yourself above others, not to put others down.

We all have those days, once in a while, when all our friends/family are busy. You don’t have anybody to hangout with nor do you have any work to tend to. In such scenarios, most of us socially active people would just stare at the screen and wait for few notifications to pop up. Well, that’s just pathetic! But fuss not; I have a list of few things fit for each one of us during the solitary:

1. Reading

A quiet and serene evening is every reader’s dream. To be able to cuddle with a paperback and a mocha is pure bliss. But what about those who don’t really read? Well fret not! The internet has plenty of short stories for each one of us, in every genre. Goodreads, wattpad, project Guttenberg, etc are all good sources of book suggestions.

2. Writing

I bet you didn’t expect this, did you? Well, you don’t need to be Ernest Hemingway to be able to write. As long as you are putting your thoughts on paper, the mission is accomplished. Writing helps you to improve your vocabulary, address your insecurities, find solutions to your problems and most importantly, give words to your emotions.

3. Photography

You don’t need a 50,000 camera to click photographs. Just take your smartphones along with you and snap away! Make sure you take smartphone apps like proshot, Nokia refocus or Lumia Camera along with you and you are all set!

4. Exercise

One usually does not pay much attention to his health in this fast paced world. Therefore, it is imperative to give extra care to one’s health as and when needed. A brisk walk, climbing a flight of stairs, swimming, etc are some basic exercises one can do.

5. Sleeping

I am of the opinion that sleeping is a productive activity. One needs enough sleep in order to function properly. Sleeping endures a state of mind free from any worries of the world. It thus transports you to an alternate dimension of transcendence.

6. Travelling

Sleeping transports you mentally, while travelling transports you physically! This sensation is enjoyed more when you have your own private vehicle. You don’t need to adjust the place, your speed or even your traveling playlist as per anybody else’s preference. Just point and drive!

All the above mentioned activities give you a sense of satisfaction in one way or the another. They have a way of helping you discover things about you, you never even knew existed. Man is a social animal, but he need not base his happiness on the existence of others. There are ways of contentment a man can enjoy with himself as well.

   Child labour is the practice of having children engage in economic activity on part, or full time basis. The child labour (prohibition and regulation) Act, 1986 is one of the most debated acts regarding children in India. It has extensively enlisted the scenarios regarding where and when a child can be legally employed. For example, the act permits children to work with the help of his family or in a government recognised/aided school; but it is not allowed for the child to do catering at railway establishments or construction work in factories.

            The child labour Act has been set in motion to ensure that the kids get to enjoy their childhood and receive proper education. But who is to say that if these children are not working, they must be playing? The Indian streets are filled with infants and children begging to any passer-by for some spare change. These children sleep empty stomach on a regular basis. So a rhetorical question arises “do these children have their childhood secured?”

Wouldn’t it be more decent if these children had a steady and more respectable source of income? Ignorant enthusiasts all over the nation jump to action when they see an underage child waiting tables at small establishments. However, their narrow view prevents them from wondering if the kid hadn’t been working here, he would have been stranded helpless on some footpath.

Working children are not just a phenomenon of the financially backward strata of the society. Kids from a number of affluent classes work for their pocket money instead of just asking for it. It teaches them the value of money. These kids grow up to be more responsible and hard working in life. On the contrary, the less fortunate people work not to secure their future, but to survive through the day. When we see a child working for his meals, the dormant activist in us gets awoken and we start speaking about child rights. But, why is it that when we see children begging on the streets, we shrug it off saying it is just a racket?

I am not advocating child labour, nor am I discouraging it. I am advocating freedom; freedom of choice. If a child wants be an independent person right from a tender age, he should be able to do it without having the society judge his actions. However, if a child is being asked to work against his own will, feel free to call the child help line 1098 and be the responsible citizen.   

Yes, you read it right; Men Empowerment!  The last few years have seen so much of women empowerment activities, that we have reached a point where the men of India need empowering. Women centric movies, serials, books, activities, etc. have seen so much light lately that it has got me wondering, “is it really necessary?” Let us have a brief analysis of the movement.

                Gender equality has been the dream of many enthusiasts all over the world. But the question is “is it possible? “Women spearhead into every avenue and ask to give them what is rightfully theirs; but what makes them think that it is rightfully theirs, is a question yet unanswered. Even a mundane activity such as travelling in a bus has been subjected to women empowerment activities. A man who gets a comfortable seat in a yet otherwise crowded bus, has to get up so that a woman could sit in his place. Why you ask? Because 33% reservation and women empowerment!

                One may say that a man should offer his seat to a woman out of chivalry and decency. But what if the man is returning from a hard day’s labour and the woman has just been frolicking? Is it still decent for a woman to take a man’s seat?

                In an orthodox society there were gender specific roles one needed to follow; the man worked and the woman cooked. However, in the contemporary society these roles are more open ended. There is no limitation on what one can pursue on the grounds of their gender. If there is any profile work that a woman wants to do she musters her women empowerment speech and asks “Why can’t I do it if a man can do it” However, the same woman in a crowded train may refrain from saying “why can’t I stand if a man can”. This notion borders on hypocrisy, where the women use the fairer sex argument for their benefit as well as sometimes contradict it… for their benefit.

                Behind every successful man is a woman’s hand. More often than not, these women are either your mother or your wife. Their role in a man’s life is that of a guide, critique, support system, friend and I can enlist 100 more such titles. I am not undermining the prowess of a woman, but recognition is not asked for, it is earned.

                There lies a hint of hypocrisy not only at work, but also at households. A man is expected to fix the toilet seat and change the bulb, but when the same man expects the woman to make him a meal, it is considered sexist. The term ‘sexist’ have been so overused in favour of women that a man needs to think twice before uttering a word in context.

There lies a dream for a modern contemporary world where the men and women do not have to follow generic roles. However, reaching this equilibrium seems a far fetched dream that is eons away.

It recently came to my observation that whenever I do something good, my parents credit God but when I do something bad, it’s because of MY wrong doings. This is just one of the hypocrisy associated with the mirage of godly miracles. I am a firm believer of karma. I am of the opinion that if I am successful in my life, it is because I WORKED HARD FOR IT; not because of some godly intervention. However don’t get me mistaken for an atheist.I do believe in God. I am the person who prays to God when I am scared and thanks Him when I am saved. Just like the masses, I too need a higher form of power to keep faith in. Having said that, I don’t perform my daily activities based on this conjectural belief but rather something solid, like my own skills.

The age old debate of Darwinism VS creationism can be extended to faith VS practicality. One needs to find the right balance between belief in God and belief in one’s own mettle. As per Hindu mythology, one of the Purusharthas is Dharma i.e. Duty. An individual should work towards fulfilling his duties rather than sit and wait for a miracle to come his way.

The only way a person can score good marks in his exams is if he studies hard for it. One cannot expect to ace his tests by going to temples and fasting. Yes, praying helps. As mentioned before, it acts as a reassurance and acknowledges the feeling of not being alone. It gives a certain sensation of confidence to go out there and do what you have to do. In the moments of self-doubt, fear and uncertainty one finds that believing in God gives that necessary push of motivation that acts as a driving force.

As the title suggests, in order to be successful and humble at the same time, one needs to find an equilibrium between being religious and being practical. Instead of waiting for something good to happen, one needs to make the good happen!

The much hyped Indo-Pak cricket match was held last week in Adelaide. My social media feed was blown up with people excited for the religious sporting event. Every channel of communication that I encountered that day, was used to give live updates about the score. In the midst of the chaotic frenzy, that cricket is, all I could think was “There is a FA cup match between arsenal and Middlesbrough tonight”

            I was woken up at 9 AM by the glaring sound of my television set fitted in my living room. With the slightest enthusiasm that I could muster, I walked out, sat in front of the television set and asked, if I missed anything. After every over, I tried to change the channel just for a second and I got the most intimidating looks that threatened to disown me. Eventually, I gave up and began to “Enjoy” the spectacle. As the saying goes, “If you can’t beat them, join them!”

            There was a slight elevation in my mood as I received a call. The excitement lulled because it was an invite to a cricket viewing session! Why? Because apparently everybody should love cricket!

            I don’t describe myself as a person who is against Cricket but rather a person who supports football. The fact that ISL didn’t receive as much exposure as it should have highlights India’s firm loyalty towards cricket. As I was preparing for my ‘Promote football’ campaign in my head, I was brought back to reality by a collective roar of cheers.

            After 4 hours of all things cricket, there was a surprising turn of events. As the second half began i.e. as the other side began to bat (Sorry for the football reference), I found myself genuinely cheering the bowling side. Every ball being hit was followed by a curse. Every ball being caught was followed by a thunderous applause. The room was filled with fist bumps, claps, cheers and “India, India” chants. That’s when I had my moment of revelation. Cricket, is that product, which caters to the mass public. It brings people of all age, caste, creed, sex, social status, etc. together in a united front. It was a day, when nobody was a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Gujarati. We were Indians, Indians that followed cricket as a unanimous religion. That ambience was something I never came close to experiencing while watching EPL or FIFA World Cup. However, make no mistake, this does not mean I have become an ardent cricket fan in a span of 8 hours. But the next time there is an Indo-Pak match, especially of such grandeur, I am tuning in for sure.

Ps. Arsenal won 2-0

When I was an 8 year old kid, I would cry to my parents to take me out with them wherever they went.  Ten years later, I cry to my parents to go without me so that I can be alone for a while. There are also instances when I skip meeting my acquaintances to have a moment of solitary. Make no mistake, I am not a loner. I have a huge group of friends that are more active than Kamal R. Khan’s twitter account. But once in a while all I want is to stare into oblivion, sip onto my mocha and try to figure out the direction I am heading towards.

                Everybody needs to go through that occasional moment of self-reflection. Self-reflection is the practice of assessing oneself as an object on the basis of past, present and future avenues. It is said that a man’s creativity and potential is highest whilst in solitude. It is imperative to sometimes detach yourself from the material objects around you and focus on “YOU”. However, in order to truly gain from the solitary meditation, one needs to focus on the positive and not the negative. One needs to keep his mind optimistic in order to work in a productive way. If a person focuses on the negative aspects in his life, he is bound to have a moment of inferiority complex and worthlessness.

                There are a number of ways one can go in this state of trance viz. walking, meditation, listening to music, etc. One such method of self-reflection is writing. Herein, you don’t filter what is going through your subconscious mind, but just write down your train of thoughts on a piece of paper. Every individual may have a different method that reaps them benefits in an optimum way. There is no set, hard and fast rule as to following these meditation techniques. Customization is the key to optimization.

                These sessions of self-reflection need not be frequent as they might drift you away from reality. However, it is advised to do this exercise occasionally in order to stay focused on an individual’s life goals. Self-reflection is thus an oxymoron that acts as a way of escaping reality, whilst working on improvising it.