Few thoughts here and there...

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON WORDPRESS ON 25TH DECEMBER 2011 http://santhoshgeneva.wordpress.com/2011/12/25/few-thoughts-here-and-there/

(NOTE: This blogpost has been written during a span of 1-2 weeks.)

Hello readers! :) So we are slowly approaching the end of 2011. Yet another year that passes by so quickly.

Time flies, and I realize I keep repeating it, in my various blogposts :roll:

So here are a few random thoughts, dedicated in the name of December 2011. A month, that marks the end of the year 2011, but still is an important part of the year nevertheless.

Enjoy the read, friends! :)

"All that glitters is not gold."

Right now, I am writing this paragraph of the blogpost, in an auditorium, during a certain class of my University course. (Which for obvious reasons, I am not going to name :-P )

No, it's not because I am lazy. It's not because I'm a bad student. Nor is it because I'm trying to rebel or something, against this sir. Mainly, it's because of two reasons. Firstly it's because this is something I did two years back, in my High School, and which is relatively easy and familiar to me already. And secondly, the sir is boring. Really boring.

And I realize that EVEN IF this subject is already familiar to me, it is the professor's job to make sure that his students are not bored! And I am not just complaining, because I have something personal against this person, or the sort. He speaks well, his Powerpoint slides are very clear, and everything seems simple.

But that's where my point comes through: it isn't what the appearance looks like, that matters. It's the content. Because even if it is clear, even if it seems simple, the truth is that it is NOT. Telling simple sentences doesn't work for this subject. You need diagrams, you need depth, you need examples, you need to be LIVELY. You need to detail things. The exam is much tougher than these pointless examples which are given to us. Concrete is the key word.

Sitting in such a class, and judging it by the first minutes, would make you believe that the teacher is saying very wise things. But then, deep in the following two hours, you realize that it is becoming very boring and monotonous.

Simplifying things, and going through the matter very quickly, doesn't make the matter more simple. And a fellow colleague of mine told me he didn't understand a thing of the last classes. Well that's obvious, trying to simplify the thing, you take for granted that it is understood, when it's not! :-x

Anyway, rather than complaining about this particular class, let me come to my more general message: what you see, isn't what you get. What you observe, may not always be as amazing as it looks. So yes, beware of what you see. Your eyes are just a medium to the brain.. thereafter it is your mind and your brain which is going to analyze what you see. So think carefully, and before jumping to conclusions, be sure of what you think about certain issues. You may need to look closer towards it, once again ;)

Double-mindedness - One of the easiest and most direct ways to harm yourself, and your mind

Okay, so let's hypothetically  pretend you are in a situation. You have two ways out of it. Both have their pros, both have their equally weighing cons. You finally opt for the first solution. But then, you realize that you did something that's not entirely right. You keep thinking about it, every now and then. "Oh no, I shouldn't have done this. But then, it was the only way out..."

STOP. This isn't healthy. Not good for the mental health, anyway. You made your decision, and you should stick to it, no matter what. That's where COMMITMENT comes in play. Be true to yourself. And moreover, be fair towards yourself. Pressurizing your own self is never right. And realize that nothing is absolute perfection in this world. And as I mentioned in the first part of this blogpost, take your time out to think out a solution that seems convenient and practical. It's not easy.. it rarely is, infact. But then, you make the choices. And those choices are what make you, in return. So be wise, and try choosing the alternative which brings out the least amount of cons... and more importantly, don't regret it. Be sure of what you want.

Music therapy - a good way to come out of mood swings

Winter... not a season I totally adore. On the contrary, I hate it. It's cold, and the ground is slippery and icy. And the sudden change from an extreme cold to an extreme heat, gives me horrible headaches at times. Anyway, coming to the point - it affects my mood. The gloomy chilly weather really kills the joy I usually bumble around with around the house. Earlier on, I used to eat to make myself feel better. Be it fried foods, sweets, and more particularly - CHOCOLATE. The latter totally works, it can up your mood anytime of the day! But downside of it? Oh yes, you got it - it's unhealthy. It can rot your teeth, increase your sugar levels, and moreover you gain weight!

So once I realized that, I decided to put a stop to that habit, by doing two things: First, drink water instead of gorging on sweets. And second, listen to music to boost my mood! :)

In sad times, I listen to sad songs. In angry moments, I listen to loud and fierce stuff. And sometimes, just putting on some soft music, can be soothing for your mind.

For me, it so totally works. Try it out, and do let me know what's the outcome! :)

 "The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend" -Abraham Lincoln

Ok, so imagine the following situation, hypothetically speaking: You had a fight with a person who was once very close to you. Ever since, you hold a lot of hatred in your mind, and you bear a lot of anger in your mind, whenever you merely think of that person. Time has gone by, and you still haven't gotten over the fight. Then you finally come across that person, and meet him/her. And you were expecting the cold vibes to remain. But, that person looks towards you, and you hear him/her say "Hi!". Then *poof*, all your anger, hatred, in short everything negative which was weighing in your mind against that one person just vanishes. And you reply with a friendly "Hi" of your own. And ever since, everything's back to normal between you and that person.

THAT is what i mean by the quote I mentioned above as the title of this paragraph. You really want to destroy your foe? Well, then make him/her your friend. That's a challenge for you. Because there's nothing harder than doing that, but there's nothing easier either. That may sound like a paradoxical statement, but it does make sense to me. Because if you look at it in one way, it may seem harder to let go of all those bad times with that person, but in an another angle, to just forget everything is way easier than holding onto things! Just let go! :)

So is there a friend/relative/buddy/pal/brother/sister/cousin/(ANYBODY!) you feel you can patch up with? Then go ahead, and just give them a smile! :) It should be enough to melt that ego away - from within you, and from within the other person!

But let's say in a worst-case scenario, the person isn't "melting" away that ego within him/her. Then, I say you're better off without him/her. But those are extremely rare people, so let's hope it's not the case for you :)

In short, if you can, it's better to forgive and forget, because "An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind", as said by Gandhi himself. 8-)

Hope you enjoyed this blogpost, friends :D It was a pleasure writing it.. as always! And please do give in your opinions to the topics I mentioned, or even just general feedback will do, please do feel free to write in a line or two.

And since I started writing this blogpost a week back or so, and that am completing it now only on 25th December,

Here's wishing you ALL a very merry Christmas!! God bless :)

Yours sincerely,

Santhosh :-)