A man can change the thoughts that people have. He can change the things that people do and thus change their thoughts. He can make them happier. He can stop the actions of other men that stem from undesirable thoughts. But can he actually change the world. Depends on what "world" means! If world means the physical world, he can. If world means the minds of men, he can to some extent – he can change the minds of some men. If world means the Universe as a whole, he cannot. From what I have read and to a very small extent experienced, I can say that a man can only change himself and by doing so and in no other way can he change the world. I can heal myself. I can change the way I see the world. I can alleviate the poverty in some people’s lives. But that wil not make the Universe better. That is the most important thing to note. That can expand my consciousness and make me better.
My mind’s a bit clearer. Journaling works ! J
Monday, September 10, 2007
Money where does it go?
To actually look at the way I am spending my money, I want to start maintaining a balance sheet. So from now on I’ll keep track.
Also how much am I willing to spend on certain activities and how much on others.
Example, I am ready to pay Rs 60 to an auto driver? (when there are cheaper options available).
But how else would I generally spend those Rs 60?
I spend money on:
Eating out.
Lending money to friends.
Transport.
Mobile Recharge.
Notebooks, pens.
Shopping in general.
Movies
So the point is – though in future I want to do something for the Universe, I am at present spending no money or for that matter no time for it.
That is something to ponder about isn’t it?
Also how much am I willing to spend on certain activities and how much on others.
Example, I am ready to pay Rs 60 to an auto driver? (when there are cheaper options available).
But how else would I generally spend those Rs 60?
I spend money on:
Eating out.
Lending money to friends.
Transport.
Mobile Recharge.
Notebooks, pens.
Shopping in general.
Movies
So the point is – though in future I want to do something for the Universe, I am at present spending no money or for that matter no time for it.
That is something to ponder about isn’t it?
My take on Scaffolds
I want to estqblish a 30 day scaffold. It pretty easy, let me give it a try.
5 Am = get up, then play or exercise.
Then Pavlina
At the end of the day = meditation + book reading + wikihow
I start this scaffold from July 23
5 Am = get up, then play or exercise.
Then Pavlina
At the end of the day = meditation + book reading + wikihow
I start this scaffold from July 23
Posteriorities
Posteriorities mean those things which we cannot do when we introduce certain things as priorities in our life.
When I decided to get up at 6:30 AM everyday, sleep became a posteriority because I was habituated to sleeping at around 1 AM which meant I started feeling sleepy in class. This meant I came back from class and slept again, something I almost never did.
Similarly when I started using some of my time for mailing training applications, volleyball, an evening bath, reading these became posteriorities. Again becoming phoenix secy also made these my posteriorities.
The point is time management is easy. But there’s a catch. If I am spending my time in a particular way throught the day and now I need to fit in something new, it is most obvious the I must remove something to! I f I continue doing the same things and expect to find an extra hour, that is not possible. If what I am introducing newly is a really big priority, then I will be unconsciously deleting a lot of regular activities from my day. But if this new thing is just a new thing – a thing I want to do but – not really –well- then all those things which my days are filled up with will remain filled up and I might complain as I sleep – I have no time for thi new thing. What I am saying is – if I keep spending my time in exactly the same activities I am spending it on now, then there’s no way I can fit in something new in the same 24 hours. I may feel the time is already up! I hope there wee\re 26 hrs in a day! But the fact is a 26 hr day would have me gasping for 28 hrs because it is not the hrs that are the problem, it is the conditioned way of spending time which I am trying to keep and change at the same time that is the problem.
When I decided to get up at 6:30 AM everyday, sleep became a posteriority because I was habituated to sleeping at around 1 AM which meant I started feeling sleepy in class. This meant I came back from class and slept again, something I almost never did.
Similarly when I started using some of my time for mailing training applications, volleyball, an evening bath, reading these became posteriorities. Again becoming phoenix secy also made these my posteriorities.
The point is time management is easy. But there’s a catch. If I am spending my time in a particular way throught the day and now I need to fit in something new, it is most obvious the I must remove something to! I f I continue doing the same things and expect to find an extra hour, that is not possible. If what I am introducing newly is a really big priority, then I will be unconsciously deleting a lot of regular activities from my day. But if this new thing is just a new thing – a thing I want to do but – not really –well- then all those things which my days are filled up with will remain filled up and I might complain as I sleep – I have no time for thi new thing. What I am saying is – if I keep spending my time in exactly the same activities I am spending it on now, then there’s no way I can fit in something new in the same 24 hours. I may feel the time is already up! I hope there wee\re 26 hrs in a day! But the fact is a 26 hr day would have me gasping for 28 hrs because it is not the hrs that are the problem, it is the conditioned way of spending time which I am trying to keep and change at the same time that is the problem.
Professors at Stanford/MIT
Research engagements are many.
Travel opportunities are ample.
Freedom = reasonable
Student – interaction is the good thing.
But pay is less.
And free time is also quite less.
Travel opportunities are ample.
Freedom = reasonable
Student – interaction is the good thing.
But pay is less.
And free time is also quite less.
Ragging, anti-ragging
The question is this:
What is my stand on ragging? Is it for or against ragging or do I desire a third alternative? Once I clarify my stand, is there anything that can stop me from acting by it? What can I do to overcome these obstacles and act out what I really want?
Ragging means a person is being made to live in fear and terror. Subjugating another human being or dominating him is something I can never agree with. I believe love and oneness to be the basis of most things so filling someone with fear, and laughing and having fun at his expense is a despicable act fit for cowards. The desire to subjugate another indicates incompleteness in oneself doesn’t it? It is very few individuals who rise to the level of understanding the futility of ragging. It is extremely beautiful and appreciable if I have grown to be such an individual.
So I am completely against ragging, that is clear.
So what am I for – nothing extra – nothing unusual – just talking normally.
Cool.
This means that I will never ever join a group of people ragging a junior.
If I see harsh ragging taking place I’ll try to stop it.
I affirm that keeping my life mission in perspective I will have the courage to refuse any offers of ragging my batch mates may make.
Also I feel that it is very obvious that healthy interaction should occur between seniors and juniors and so if ever I meet a junior I will try to start conversations and will try to help him in the best possible way.
I realize that I may face a lot of opposition from my own batch mates if I try to interact in a healthy way with juniors.
But that’s about it.
It’s better to be yourself and make a fool of yourself than to try to be someone else and make a fool of yourself anyway.
What is my stand on ragging? Is it for or against ragging or do I desire a third alternative? Once I clarify my stand, is there anything that can stop me from acting by it? What can I do to overcome these obstacles and act out what I really want?
Ragging means a person is being made to live in fear and terror. Subjugating another human being or dominating him is something I can never agree with. I believe love and oneness to be the basis of most things so filling someone with fear, and laughing and having fun at his expense is a despicable act fit for cowards. The desire to subjugate another indicates incompleteness in oneself doesn’t it? It is very few individuals who rise to the level of understanding the futility of ragging. It is extremely beautiful and appreciable if I have grown to be such an individual.
So I am completely against ragging, that is clear.
So what am I for – nothing extra – nothing unusual – just talking normally.
Cool.
This means that I will never ever join a group of people ragging a junior.
If I see harsh ragging taking place I’ll try to stop it.
I affirm that keeping my life mission in perspective I will have the courage to refuse any offers of ragging my batch mates may make.
Also I feel that it is very obvious that healthy interaction should occur between seniors and juniors and so if ever I meet a junior I will try to start conversations and will try to help him in the best possible way.
I realize that I may face a lot of opposition from my own batch mates if I try to interact in a healthy way with juniors.
But that’s about it.
It’s better to be yourself and make a fool of yourself than to try to be someone else and make a fool of yourself anyway.
Special Memory Technique
Whenever you want to remember something, don’t procrastinate – just form a mental image-based association right then. Do this every time and you’ll always remember things. Forming an association between food and money can remind you that you need to go to the bank after lunch.
Serious ...oooh
What do I actually want to do in life. Let’s be simple. No hotch potch. Straight answers.
Do I want to join a software company and work from 9 to 7? No because:
I will be a slave to that company.
I will have to do work which they assign me, not what I want.
I will have no time for myself.
I will not be making any real contribution. At the end of the day do I want to produce software for organizations ? Is that it?
First, in deciding what I want to do, let me list out what I definitely want to do. From the general to the specific. That’s it.
Point 1 I want to be free. This means – I should be able to work when I want, in the way I want. This means that if I want to go on a cruise across the atlantic right now, I should not have to ask anyone’s permission.
No one else can actually channel my time into a place where my present isn’t wonderful.
So the first thing is freedom.
Conclusion1: I can either be self employed or a professor etc. Either I start something of my own or I work for an institution of my interest where I can pursue my interests and be free.
Remark 1: Find out the various possibilities for a self employed person.
Remark 2: Find out the lifestyle and degree of freedom of a Professor at MIT, Princeton, IIT etc.
Point 1: The work I do should be what I want to do and not just work. This means that if I love singing (say, just say!) I need not spend my time managing a company for a living.
Conclusion 1: I want to earn money by doing something I love doing. I cannot do something just for money’s sake.
Remark 1: List out all the things I love doing.
Point 3: I should be making a contribution to the Universe. Making soap or software can never be satisfying enough. If I contribute in the best possible way I can, what more could I ask for?
Conclusion 1: Whatever I do cannot be for my material satisfaction alone. Conversely I will not pursue any career in which I do not grow and make others grow with me.
Remark 1: Can a man really do something for the Universe? What can I do? Find out.
Do I want to join a software company and work from 9 to 7? No because:
I will be a slave to that company.
I will have to do work which they assign me, not what I want.
I will have no time for myself.
I will not be making any real contribution. At the end of the day do I want to produce software for organizations ? Is that it?
First, in deciding what I want to do, let me list out what I definitely want to do. From the general to the specific. That’s it.
Point 1 I want to be free. This means – I should be able to work when I want, in the way I want. This means that if I want to go on a cruise across the atlantic right now, I should not have to ask anyone’s permission.
No one else can actually channel my time into a place where my present isn’t wonderful.
So the first thing is freedom.
Conclusion1: I can either be self employed or a professor etc. Either I start something of my own or I work for an institution of my interest where I can pursue my interests and be free.
Remark 1: Find out the various possibilities for a self employed person.
Remark 2: Find out the lifestyle and degree of freedom of a Professor at MIT, Princeton, IIT etc.
Point 1: The work I do should be what I want to do and not just work. This means that if I love singing (say, just say!) I need not spend my time managing a company for a living.
Conclusion 1: I want to earn money by doing something I love doing. I cannot do something just for money’s sake.
Remark 1: List out all the things I love doing.
Point 3: I should be making a contribution to the Universe. Making soap or software can never be satisfying enough. If I contribute in the best possible way I can, what more could I ask for?
Conclusion 1: Whatever I do cannot be for my material satisfaction alone. Conversely I will not pursue any career in which I do not grow and make others grow with me.
Remark 1: Can a man really do something for the Universe? What can I do? Find out.
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