Just One Percent

A lot of people wonder about the abject poverty surrounding some parts of the world and why some are endowed with extreme good health whilst others are plagued with life threatening illnesses. This leads them to question God’s intentions for this disparity.

But if one looks closely then God in his scheme of things wants the rich to grant some part of his wealth to the underprivileged. He expects every prosperous individual to contribute towards alleviating the miseries of its fellow beings.

Generally speaking, most of mankind do yearn to aid the less fortunate but are either too busy in their own lives or do not look out for opportunities to help. Hence, one lets their good intentions go to waste.

But if every person reflects and recognizes his duties then he will surely go out of the way to make others life better since the internal satisfaction gained will be tremendous.

The simplest way to contribute towards society is to allot just 1 per cent of the monthly income to a good cause or charity. By doing this, one doesn't need to even break a sweat as nowadays there are numerous charitable foundations that are easily accessible.

Also, one shouldn't consider that they are parting with a chunk of their monthly income but instead think that they are donating only 1 per cent in a month and that 99 per cent of the income is theirs to spend.

By acting upon this small deed, we all can make a small difference towards the fighting against poverty and ill health.

So, let us join hands together and contribute in whatever small way we can to make lives better for the needy.        

Politically Motivated

Politicians, in general are despised all around the world. They are looked upon as unwanted individuals who have no sense of governance or conscious and are busy doing things for their own selfish needs.

Politics is regarded as such a dirty profession that the word ‘Politician’ is often used as a cuss word. But if one looks closely; politics is everywhere and all individuals indulge in politics in way or another. Many of us, knowingly or unknowingly act like politicians; devising schemes to gain power whether in the work place, household, clubs or societies.

Similar to politicians, we form groups based on our own country, caste, religion etc and we make sure not to allow any other ‘outsider’ to rise up in life. We are always ready to cover up our own mistakes but are very swift in pointing out the errors of our rivals. Somehow, we are in constant fear of losing our position to others and hence resort to all the manipulative tactics in the book to retain our power.

Just like politicians, we too incline towards nepotism by favoring our friends and relatives for top positions or jobs at the expense of more talented individuals.

The funniest thing is that we are ready to blame the politicians for all the ills happening in our country but we fail to even realize the dirty politics that we play in our daily lives that affect numerous people around us.

Therefore, instead of accusing the ministers of misconduct, we should look within ourselves and ask whether we are doing the same for our own masterly gains. We expect the politicians to mend their ways but it is more important that we correct ourselves as well. 

Destiny Speaks

Most men feel that they have the ability to fully control a particular situation or a result but this is just an illusion. The truth is that every moment of our lives are carefully thought out by the one and only Supreme Being. All our successes and failures too are preordained from the day that we are born. If a person is successful; it is because his success is written in the books of the Almighty and so is his failure. No matter how much we try to chalk out elaborate plans to succeed, it is our destiny that prevails at the end.

There are many individuals who proclaim that they possess the will power to succeed and that nothing can come between them and success but we see that these are the people who are often embraced with failure.

One has to realize that self determination cannot always prevail in the presence of fate. We come across many instances in our daily life where we see that a person is so close to success but flatters at the last step. This is because he was not destined to succeed at that particular time.

Therefore, man should neither be too proud of his achievements nor he should be too depressed by his failures as his course of life is already decided at the time of his birth and one cannot deviate from the path that is chosen for him.

A Far Away Dream

I am walking unsteadily in the midst of the skyscrapers. No matter where I look, these tall monsters are engulfing me and my each step draws them closer as if to bind me. My eyes search frantically for an escape but in vain as these metallic blocks keep building up in every corner. I feel a sense of breathlessness from this congestion and pray to find a place of solace somewhere; anywhere.

And then finally my strides take me to an open space in the middle of this concrete jungle and I feel elated for having found a rarity. I want to spread my arms and soak in this moment of solitude when suddenly I look up to see beams lowering upon me. I think for a while to fight these steel creatures but realize that they are too strong for me. I run as fast as I can to a direction unknown until I find a shadowy alley and I hope that this darkness will somehow bring me to light.

I sit still after this languidness and think of going back to my abode but my quest to find calmness holds me back. I feel regret as I am forced to believe that only a miracle can save our natural habitat.

On that thought, a hand draws near and takes me towards a shining halo. I enter it unafraid as I leap forward and it seems I am transported to a parallel universe as I see green trees all around me, flowers of varying colors swaying from the gentle breeze, birds of different origins chirping away as happily as ever and the touch of moist grass as smooth as silk. From a distance I witness people dancing and eating merrily the fruits that the trees bear.

I feel overwhelmed but at the same time fearful that this oasis may end up like the place I am coming from. So, I wish that this state of bliss would last forever but am perturbed by an annoying sound. I open my eyes and notice men working on their machines. My dream is short lived but I hope that one day it would be a reality.

In Sickness & In Health

Anyone who has had an experience with sickness can vouch that being sick is not a good feeling.

Man prides himself in being strong and sickness just deflates this pride in him just like a balloon. It seems it is God’s way of showing that human being is merely a speck in this universe and that even a small creature like a mosquito can reduce man into a worthless being.

With sickness comes anxiety and anguish. Even a small bout of cold renders a man useless as he is irritated at all times and so goes to any length to get rid of this pestering malaise.

Medical check-ups, visit to the nutritionists, dieticians etc ensues just to stay clear of various diseases. In fact there are some people who avoid even a hand shake with a sick person with the fear that he might acquire an infection. What people do not realize is that it is human to fall sick and if at all he doesn’t; then he is no less than a superhero.

It is really peeving that people generally ignore the sick for their own means. Medicines have less impact on the sick compared to basic tender loving care. People who have prolonged illnesses are in more need of love than anybody else but unfortunately these are the people who are ignored not only by society but by close relatives and friends. May be it is because the care takers feel irritated and angry by the sick person’s behavior after some point of time and hence simply give up on them.

The key here is that the person should realize the pain and the anguish that a sick goes through and one should understand that it is not deliberately that one gets agitated.

One should be patient with the sick and see that emotions are controlled by both parties so that unnecessary confrontation be avoided which will make things even worse for all.

We often read in the news about crimes committed by the mentally ill. It could be because they are uncared for and so resort to misdemeanors to break away from loneliness. Sick people have a natural tendency to be volatile at times and are prone to frequent mood swings. Hence they should be looked after in a proper and humane manner so as to not divert to wrong paths.

Every individual is responsible for another and it is important that we as healthy beings tend to the sick and not abandon them in their time of need.

Educational Constraints

Education is the most important factor in one’s life as it helps in determining one’s future. A man’s formative years are spent in school and what he learns remains with him throughout his life. Therefore, a school being a temple of learning has a duty to impart education in a responsible manner.

Since initially a child is unable to question what he is taught, it is of utmost importance that the school provides factual information and not hypothetical theories and concepts such as Big Bang & Darwin’s’ Evolution which hold no truth. This kind of teaching may lead a child in having wrong ideas about the creation of mankind and the universe.

Also, myths such as diamonds are made from coal; the color of the water is blue and future can be determined by looking at star signs are some of many examples of fallacies taught by schools.

Even history at times is projected to students as incomplete or one sided due to certain political agendas, economic scenarios, social strata etc of that particular country.

Here, it has to be understood that children posses an inquisitive and a volatile mind and they easily grasp whatever is given to them. So it is important that they are fed with the right knowledge from the beginning.

Though there is no denying the fact the schools all around the world do a highly commendable job and one would be foolish to belittle the tremendous contribution made by the teaching staff, it would be better if schools take care and scrutinize their syllabus in some areas for the betterment of education.

An Ode to Minnows

With the completion of the London Olympics and the recently concluded IAAF Championships, one thing is evident that it is the smaller nations that are making greater strides in sports and gone are the days of the superpowers. In the early days, no one could ever imagine a small country getting their name in the medal list but now with the times changing, every country has an opportunity to achieve accolades in their respected area.

 

It seems that sports can be divided into two eras: Pre & Post Superpower. In the pre era, developed countries like US, Soviet Union, Germany etc were ruling the tracks; producing stalwarts at will, who took sports to another level. Such was the dominance of the superpowers that other countries were just making up numbers.

Now in the post era, the new generation feels that they have the confidence to match any country head to head and give them a good challenge. It can be said that they have received inspiration from the past legends and are not afraid to emulate their feats on the tracks. It is no wonder that records are being broken by athletes coming from small villages and towns from unknown countries.

One can’t help noticing whether a particular country’s on-field performance is directly proportional to the economic situation at that time. When countries like US and Soviet Union were at its peak, the athletes too were in their helm, churning out gold medals regularly but now since the fortunes of these countries are diminishing, it seems that the athletes too are suffering a beating. Conversely, economic turnarounds are happening in the lesser nations and it kind of reflects in their performance as well.

Also, it could be that some of the athletes have had an impoverished childhood and have seen the lows early in life which makes them more determined to succeed as compared to their counterparts.

But whatever the reason, it is certainly heartening to see the minnows making a mark for themselves in the world of sports. Even though one desires a level playing field but consciously, we are always inclined towards supporting the underdogs and really want them to win; not only their matches but our heart’s as well.